Twins x 2

Two sets of twins born this month in Obulle - to brothers too yet!
This is Sam's wife Esther and their twins.
She didn't know she was having twins til she delivered (at home)!

These are Pastor Robert (also a twin - runs in the family!) and Penna's twins.
Penna had a c-section because the first baby was breach and the second had the cord around it's neck.
We praise God they are healthy and safe!

Just a note, I think the twins make 8 children for each family. 

This is baby Mandy!

16 Years!

God sure loves us!

  After being sick for days, I thought our anniversary was going to go by without celebrating. 

But yesterday, June 18, was my first day on the mend.  Josh had to teach all day so the kids and I decided to surprise him with an anniversary supper -- a family anniversary supper!

Lydia helped by making the dessert -- individual cheesecakes with blueberries on top (we used our special, use  once and gone, ingredients -- it was a celebration) and with the bread.

We had the nicest, simple, but special family anniversary meal.

The kids asked us about our wedding day, how we met, how Dad proposed...

They knew the stories but they love them and it is special to them too.

I am thankful God allowed this wonderful evening to happen, 

for children who enjoy special things, and for a marriage of 16 years to my best friend. 

I love him more today than our wedding day.   

Sick of being Sick

June 17

As some of you know I have been sick for the last five days.  I really don’t like being sick.  In the last six weeks I have been sick three times (thankfully the others were shorter).  Unfortunately, one or two other family members were sick each time I was.  This seems to sum up our year.  I hate to say it but since moving to the village I don’t think we have had more than four weeks straight without someone or multiples being sick.  This has been a discouragement we continue to pray about.

We are not getting sick from food or water (or we’d have more bathroom issues), other than a few of us we aren’t getting crazy African sicknesses; it is mostly fevers, headaches, and flu like stuff.  We are pretty careful people. We live freely here but wisely.  It is our home and you can’t worry about everything all the time.  People in village seem to be sick a lot and must share a lot.  It is pretty communal living but outside in the fresh air.  However, even our close friends here feel back for often we have sickness in our home.  This year I have recognized all the sickness as a spiritual attack.  The enemy has some pretty big strongholds here and that means there is a spiritual battle going on.  The enemy loves to discourage in anyway possible – to win.

It can almost work.  I am still lying on the couch to write this but it is one step better than being in bed where I have been for three days.  We finally tested for Malaria and it was positive.  I quite mad at myself.  We have lived in Africa since 2001 and this year we couldn’t get the preventative medicine I do best on.  I fell into the lie that others aren’t on preventative and are fine.  I haven’t been on anything for two months and got Malaria for the first time.  I have always said I would rather take a little medicine everyday and not get Malaria than be sick in bed and take a lot of medicine.  I am eating my words.  It was not worth it.  I was miserable and Josh was caring for everyone best he could.  Needless to say, I am going back on preventive.

I am on my five day of not feeling well and still have to get rid of the sick taste, feeling not myself, and gaining strength.  I am down, lonely, (when I feel well enough) bored, I want to do something, go somewhere but am not up to it yet, I am homesick for MI… We had to cancel the Marriage Bible Study we were going to start Monday and tomorrow is our 16th wedding anniversary which we were going to celebrate yesterday because Josh teaches the next two days.  Lots of bummers.

However, now that I am thinking straighter and have hope of feeling well soon, I still know how very blessed I am.  My husband was fully capable of caring for our children, making meals, and holding the mother and father role.  Our children are so positive. Lydia and Luka were both sick for a day or two too, but everyone cared for one another and helped out.  Our neighbor Charles came and prayed over me.  Some of you emailed and prayed for all of us.  God is with us, faithful, and healer.  So many people hurt every day…that must be so very difficult.  May I always have compassion for those who endure sickness and pain as part of their lives.  

As soon as I get back to drinking coffee, I should be feeling better and life will be back to a normal.  Thanks for praying with us and for us.  God hears and answers.  

Friendship with the World

Do you hate God?

That is a question we don’t ask.  It is shocking.  Of course we don’t hate God!  He is our Father, Savior and Lord.  But here is what His Word says,

You unfaithful people, don’t you know that friendship with the world is hatred toward God?  Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God.

James 4:4

Whoa!!!  Make you uncomfortable?  Does me.  Am I a friend of the world?  I like things here and enjoy my life…but at times I really hate the sin in this world.  I could just rationalize it but it is God’s Word and that is truth.  So what do we do with this?

1 John 2:15-16 says,

Do not love the world or anything in the world.  If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.  For everything in the world – the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes’ and the boasting of what he has and does – comes not from the Father but from the world.  The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever.   

Let’s be honest.  I see a lot of God’s children loving the world and things of the world.  So that means many Christians are also missing out on the love of our Father (vs. 15).

Let that sink in.  Our love for worldly things is causing us to not have God’s love in us.

I don’t want that!  The world will pass away but if I do God’s will I will live forever.  Everything in the world – does not come from God.  Wow.  Our sinful desires/wants, lust to look and want what isn’t good or right for us, and pride of what we have or what we do are the ways of the world.  We should not love these because they do not come from God.

So why do we do them?

We need to check our attitudes.  Are we preoccupied with gratifying physical desires, craving and accumulation things, bowing to materialism, obsessed with our status or importance?  We are focused on the wrong things, wrong values, and wrong truths.

Friendship with the world (James 4:4) and loving the world (1 John 2:15) are when we seek pleasure, self, things…the world at the expense of obeying God.  When we choose the world (all our cravings, lust, and boasts) instead of God’s will we are living in disobedience.  When the world keeps us from God it is sinful.

Truth hurts.

But, we know God and His character.  He don’t love us less – His love is UNCONDITIONAL.  It doesn’t depend on us and what we do, He will always love us!  He longs for all to be saved.  He grace is a gift not earned.  He has already purified us, given us victory and offers it to us to accept and live in. 

James 4 goes on to say,

Submit yourself, then, to God.  Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.  Come near to God and He will come near to you.  Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.  Grieve, mourn and wail.  Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom.  Humble yourselves before the Lord, and He will lift you up.

James 4:7-10

We need to come near to God.  Say no to the world and devil’s ways.  Even run from it!  Cry out to God in repentance; grieve your sinful ways.  Be cleaned from living as a child of Christ and part of the world (God’s enemy).  Submit your whole self, every part of your life, to God.  When we are humble God lifts us up.

This is God’s will for you.  He desires for you to be close to Him.

For Jesus said we are not of this world.  Because we are not a part of this world and all it does and believes, we will be hated by it. 

If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first.  If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own.  As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world.  That is why the world hates you.

John 15:18-19

So, my dear brothers and sisters, may we not love the world and so show hatred toward God.  But let us be hated by the world and show love to God.  

Called to Suffer

I have learned many things through suffering.  I have learned God’s Word talks a lot about it and is clear.  Reading 1 Peter the words hit me, “to this you were called.”  I never realized I was called to suffer.  I knew there would be hardships, but I did not realize my calling was to suffer.  As a follower of Jesus, in Christ, and obedient to Him, I will suffer like Him.  Wow.  Who wants to go through trials and suffer?  Are we really willing to suffer the price for being like Christ? 

In the two worlds I am a part of I see the Western world does anything at all costs not to suffer.  They will avoid pain or discomfort even though it may mean disobedience.  They don’t want to be uncomfortable or let their children endure any kind of hurt.  Their protection of themselves has isolated them the world around them that is in pain.  God has called us to suffer – because He did and the world is.  We can reach the world through their hurts.

In Africa, I see the other side of the story.  People live in suffering  There is poverty, sickness, witch craft, corruption, hunger, wars, widows and orphans, drought and floods…for many all they know is suffering.  Life is hard here.  I have found people here associate with Christ sufferings.  They relate to Christ though His sufferings.  It is not uncommon to hear one of our leaders preach that he would rather go hungry, have no clothes, no money, suffer and have Jesus than to have everything without Jesus.  I am challenged by their willingness, even joy!, suffering for Jesus.

Ok, so I believe God’s Word and so I am called to suffer.  I have suffered this year.  It was awful, but I want to be like Him through it.  I know He Himself will restore me and make me strong.    

Please take time to read each passage from 1 Peter below and allow God to talk to you.  You too are called to suffer, but don’t worry – rejoice because you are in Christ!

In Christ you greatly rejoice, though for a little while you may have to suffer grief in all kinds of trials.  They have come that your faith - of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire – may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.  Though you have not seen Him, you love Him; even though you do not see Him now, you believe in Him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls.

1 Peter 1:6-7

*My source of joy in suffering is in Christ.  My faith, which is worth more than gold!, is being refined to see if it is real.  The result is praise.  I love Him even though I can’t see Him and I believe Him.  That brings joy – the goal of our faith, salvation.

But if you suffer for doing good and you endure it, this is commendable before God.  To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in His steps. 

‘He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in His mouth.’

When they hurled their insults at Him, He did not retaliate; when He suffered, He made no threats.  Instead, He entrusted Himself to Him who judges justly.

1 Peter 2:20-22

*I just had to highlight all of these verses.  How powerful!  God commends us when we endure suffering.  Christ suffered for us and so we are called to do the same (to reach the world).  Jesus left us an example to follow while suffering.  He set the standard high and was totally counter cultural and against human nature.  So when you suffer be ready to fight against every internal instinct and obey your Lord.  Be quiet, do not retaliate, make no threats, and most important – entrust yourself to God who will judge justly.

Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult, but with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing.

Who is going to harm you if you are eager to do good?  But even if you should suffer for what is right, you are blessed.  Do not fear.

1 Peter 3:8-9 and 13-14

*Do not repay hurt for hurt, wrong for wrong, insult for insult…don’t stoop to their level.  You are mad by the lies, injustice, and hurt by the consequences of the wrong done to you, BUT give back blessing instead.  That is hard!  I had to pray and ask God to work in others and bless them.  I did not retaliate, I gave it to God. 

Therefore, since Christ suffered in His body, arm yourselves also with the same attitude.

1 Peter 4:1

*Attitude.  It begins in your mind.  How I think is known to God and will effect what I do.  We aren’t to follow only what Christ did while suffering but to think like he did.  We are to have His attitude – humble, submitted, trusted in His Father, and loved!

Dear friends, do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering, as though something strange were happening to you.  But rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when His glory is revealed.  If you are insulted because of the name of Christ, you are blessed, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you.  If you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but praise God that you bear that name.

1 Peter 4:12-16

*This gives me a new perspective on suffering.  Don’t be surprised to go through pain but be surprised if you don’t!  I can rejoice through it because I am in the sufferings of Christ.  If I am insulted because of Christ name I am blessed because the Spirit of glory and of God rests on me!  Did you hear that?  God rests on me!  I am not ashamed to suffer as a Christian but praise God I bear His name! 

And the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will Himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast. To Him be the power forever and ever.  Amen!

1 Peter 3:10-11

*And here is the promise, after suffering a little while God Himself will restore me.  He will make me strong, firm and steadfast.  That’s how I get through it all, He is with me and makes me strong and firm.  Hold on to His promises!  He has the power now and forever.

One last thought, has God taught me through our trials – yes – but it will still be hard and I will cry through the next suffering.  I am not minimizing pain – it is real.  But so is God.  He is true.  I also know that my suffering is so small compared to my Christian brothers and sisters around the world giving their lives for their faith.  When I hear about Christians imprisoned, tortured, enslaved, their children’s heads cut off…I cry.  The body of Christ is suffering!  We are part of His body with them.  I am so blessed!  I need to pray for those truly suffering for Christ.  We need to talk about it in our churches, with friends, challenge one another to pray and do something.  We all need to stand up for their rights and protection.  There are many Christian doing this in our government and agencies providing away for you to help make a stand.  Let’s do our part to love the body of Christ suffering. 

Just Being Part of the Village

The white ants have hatches and everyone is excited!
Our kids had so much fun collecting, cooking and eating them with their friends.
Just to clarify they are not bugs but "meat".
You the ants off the ground or dig for them by their holes, gather them in a cup (or basin!),
cook them (kill them, wash them, then fry them in their own oil.
Then you eat them like popcorn - take like it too because of the oil.
I delight in seeing my kids being part of the village.

There is a Party in Heaven today!

Thank you for praying with us for Achia's family.  Today at church her father and mother, Opio and Regina, gave their lives to Christ!  Just think, though Achia's needs her parents were saved.  Every life has a purpose that brings God glory! 

I know accepting Jesus is not the end of the story.  These new believers need our prayers and they need discipleship.  Pray that our church comes alongside them to teach and love them.  Pray for the Holy Spirit to draw them close to the Lord.  Pray that new life in Christ brings fruits of the Spirit in themselves, their marriage, their parenting and their home.  

I get excited thinking about what God may be doing.  Here we have a family from Karamoja, an unreached area, who came to know Jesus through their daughter's needs.  Now they are part of our church and I pray will grow in our church.  Then some day God will take them back to Karamoja to share Christ.  Who knows what God's plan is in all this, but I do know it is good!

May we keep praying, keep sharing, and keep loving until all come to know Jesus -- cause that is His will!