Tuesday, July 23, 2013

Another update...

July 23, 2013

I want to write and fill you in but I am not sure how to start or what to share.  I guess I will begin with our family.  Emalai continues to amaze us with how much she moves at her young age.  She crawled by six months (learned to sit the same time) and now, not yet seven months, she is standing up by everything – even walking around holding onto the object!  I am sure she will be trying to walk in a month or so.  It is a dangerous age.  She doesn’t know how to get back down well and forgets that when she lets go she falls.  With tile and cement floors it is a hard fall.  She crawls everywhere and so we are constantly telling the kids to not leave small toys out and to watch her.  Of course while Josh and I were watching her she crawled over to a curb and went face first into the gravel – ouch!  Thankfully she has only had a few bumps and scrapes.  Lots of prayers for safety for Emalai right now. 

I had one of those bad mom moments the other day.  Grace was asking me for this and that while I was busy and she kept adding to what she wanted and I finally said you make life hard.  Later that day she came and apologized for making life hard.  I felt so bad.  I didn’t mean she makes life hard but that she was making things harder and complicated with all her requests.  She seemed to really feel bad that SHE made life hard.  What a dumb thing I said.  I had to apologize.  I was wrong.  Oh the mommy regrets and guilt.  I sure don’t do things perfectly and I have learned saying I am sorry and teaching my kids through my mistakes really helps. 

Luka has been doing preschool work here and there.  All of the sudden he is doing really well.  He can write his name and even add things.  The other day he came to us and said, “look at my perfect L”.  Sure enough there was a perfectly written “L” on his paper.  Way to go Luka!  He is a funny boy.  His favorite thing to say is, “I don’t love that” instead of just saying I don’t like that.  He told some one yesterday that he wants to be a farmer in Michigan when he grows up and he will go hunting everyday. (Josh is thinking, "that's my boy!")

Our family is really struggling with jiggers (sand fleas that get in your skin, lay eggs – a sac, and makes a bump you have to remove).  We’ve lived here six year and never had one the first five.  Now in the last year we have had 8 (6 in the last six months)!  We think it must be coming from the village (Obulle) but why is our family getting so many?  For the most part they don’t hurt but you do have to cut off the dead skin and get the egg sac out.  It leaves a good hole in your foot.  Grace had her first one this week and Lydia just had her third one yesterday.  She hates medical anything and gets so scared.  So it was a bit traumatic as this one was on the tip of her finger just going under the nail.  We tried to do it when she was sleeping but she woke up half way through it all.  We are now praying against jiggers in this family!

I am so thankful for our church in Obulle.  Charles is one of the leaders and I really appreciate his humble wisdom.  He knows God’s Word and has applied it to his life.  The last two Sundays he has challenged the church to memorize God’s Word.  He asks people to share a verse they know – or he calls on you.  It has made me think about how serious or disciplined I am about memorizing God’s Word.  I want to but do I do it?  Am I ready to share a verse?  How about more than one?  Do I know where they are found?  We all need to be challenged to know God’s Word.  How can we share it with others if we don’t know it?  Like Charles said what if some day the government takes all the Bibles away, will we still know and have His Word? 

I often see Charles cry when he prays.  When he prays for forgiveness, when he worships His Father, and when he prays for those who have not yet heard the good news.  He is a missionary.  God is using him.  I believe God’s heart for the lost will some day bring him and his family to do missions in another part of this country or to another country.  And what an answer to pray that will be!        

In the last few months I have seen two girls who went to my Bible study I did with high schoolers.  It has been about four years ago.  I was so encouraged they came to see me, remember and still appreciate our time together.  That brings me joy.  To know I made a difference in some ones life.  I loved those girls and the Bible study we did together!  I am 100% convinced that it is God’s Word that brings change in some ones life.  It is true of my own and all the people I have been blessed to walk with.  Yes, God uses other things and people too but without His Word there is no lasting transformation.  Josh and I are passionate about bringing God’s truth to people.  To teach God’s Word and allow Him to do the work of transformation.  His Spirit opens minds and hearts.  To be honest I was really upset this past week with all the sin here and the mess it makes.  So many Christians living apart from God’s ways and then crying out for help.  I simply don’t know what to do.  All I can do is look to God.  People don’t need me, money, food, jobs, school fees…to change them.  It is all bandages that will come off and the sore and pain will still be there because there hasn’t been true healing.  Only God can heal.  I know my friends here need to know and live according to the Word of God.  This will bring true change.  My hope, my peace in the mist of this sinful world is in Christ alone.  He truly is the answer for all things.  I trust Him.

God has been refining our team and the enemy has been doing his best to destroy and discourage our team.  It has been a difficult time.  Our team of 18 adults and 20 kids has now become 11 adults and 12 kids.  Like I said I know God is at work in all of this but it doesn’t take away the pain.  It has been months of ups and downs, stress, and mixed emotions.  I think I am tired.  It is sad to say so many goodbyes.  I think we all need some encouragement.  I am thankful for the team we do have here.  Through this all we are stronger and closer.  God is drawing us nearer to Him.  He is showing us His

work through us.  We hold on knowing God is in control.


Josh has a big day Wednesday.  He has an interview with classis to be ordained.  He is nervous and excited.  He will be skyped into the meeting at Georgetown CRC.  Pray for him and those in the meeting to have wisdom.  

That’s all for now folks!  Thanks for all your prayers!!!      

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