my boys

During Peru there were two little boys that I connected with in two different villages. Even though I just spent a day with each of them, I miss my time with them. It is a little hard to know I probably won't ever see them again, because even if we return, we probably will not return to their villages (the local missionaries do the follow-up with each village). So I share my love of these little boys with you….

Junior

In the first village, I had noticed a mother sneak up the side of the hill that was covered in brush to watch as the children played Peruvian dodge ball. She had an infant baby with her, and her son, who looked to be four years old. I noticed her son couldn't walk right and he couldn't talk either. He watched the other children play, and sometimes came to the top of the hill to crawl around before his mother would call him back. As I watched, I felt a tug in my heart to go talk with the Mother. I introduced myself the best I could with the little Quechua I knew. She told me her son's name was Junior (pronounced "hoo-nee-or"). I felt a connection already as that is the nickname I call my brother. I motioned to Junior's mother to see if I could hold him, and she had such a surprised look on her face that someone would actually want to hold her son. She nodded "yes" and I picked up little Junior. It broke my heart that because a little boy was handicapped, his mother would be surprised someone would notice him, let alone want to hold him. We are so blessed here in America, in more ways that we ever know.

Holding my little man.

Junior and his mother.

My second little boy was in village three, and I had the opportunity to hold him after he had fallen asleep in his big brother's arms during our children's program. He gladly let me hold him so he could color. I had time to sit with this sweet little boy and his sister later while other children were playing ball. She called him Hermano, "brother". He was such a sweet little guy. And I loved his sister too.

Holding my little guy from village three.

He's awake. His sister is helping him look at the camera.
Typical older sister. Haha.

Aren't they just beautiful children?

She took such good care of him.

Sitting with his sis.

So if you get the opportunity to hold a child, don't let it pass, for there are children all over the world who would dearly love to be held.

peru

Stopping to stretch our legs in the Sacred Valley

We are home from Peru and we had an amazing trip. We have been so blessed with the prayers and support given, and we know this trip would not have been possible without the many people who stepped up in so many ways while we were gone.

Machu Picchu

Our time in Peru seemed to go so quickly, from the moment we arrived in Lima, where we spent the night in a missionary guest house. From Lima, we flew to Cusco where we traveled by bus through the Sacred Valley to a town called Ollantaytambo where we took the night train to Aguas Calientes. The next day we took a bus to Machu Picchu. This portion of the trip was intended to allow us to acclimate to the altitude, but was so much more as we toured the ancient Inca ruins. We would be spending most of our time in Peru at elevations of 11,000 to 14,000 feet. The mountains in this part of Peru are especially beautiful. That afternoon we returned to Aguas Calientes where we took the afternoon train to catch our bus back to Cusco. Toured Cusco the next day, visiting markets and historical sites, (and a huge parade) and then caught our plane back to Lima. Our 8-hour bus ride (a neat double decker) to Hauraz went safely, and it was nice to stretch the legs again. We were now in the hometown of our missionaries, Ade and Rachel Yanac. Ade took us on a practice hike in Hauraz up to the cross overlooking the city. It was a bit of a tough hike coming off the bus ride. The day ended at Ade and Rachel’s home, where they served us a meal as a group and we were able to spend time with their family.

Life on the trail. Good sleeping!

Tuesday started our trek up the mountain to our first village. The next five days proved to be amazing and humbling as we worked with the children in each village. Our team was working alongside the AWI missionaries who had translated the New Testament into the Quechua language. Together we would do a children’s program in the school (passing out children’s Bibles, teaching, and coloring) and then we would spend the afternoons playing with the children. In the evenings, the families would come and watch the Jesus Film and then we would share testimonies and pass out the Bibles to each family. 

Such pretty colors

The Quechua people are so beautiful, and their traditional clothing is very colorful, with the full skirts and tall hats. The stars at night were so clear and the sky full of their beauty. It was the first we had ever seen the Milky Way that clear and so close. Nights were cold as we slept in our tents (around 30 degrees), but as soon as the sun came over the mountains in the morning, it was again hot. We were incredibly blessed to have such a wonderful team, and each day of the trip we were reminded of what a special group we were with!

Lunchtime on the trek

With the AWI missionaries. (Ade next to me.)

peru

Jeremy and I are really excited about the opportunity we have to go to Peru this July. We are going with a group from church and will be heading to the Andes Mountains where we will be hiking at 13,000 feet and camping during the nights. The Bible has recently been translated into the Quechuan language and we will get to take these Bibles to remote villages where they get to read God's Word for the very first time in their own language. That really really excites me!!! The children will get children's Bibles too, with pictures and we will teach in the schools and villages as well.

Eighty degree days, twenty degree nights, hiking 6 to 8 miles a day, sleeping in tents, buckets baths, rice and veggies for dinner…..it really sounds perfect. And I've had to amp up my workouts and healthy eating. The kids are pretty excited for us to leave too, because they get to go to the zoo…and other fun things Mimi has planned. I know I will miss them terribly though!

We would really appreciate prayers in the following areas:

1. Preparation to be apart from our family; that our hearts will be strong.
2. Physical strength for the journey, safety, and closeness for our team.
3. Preparation of the hearts of the people to whom we will share the Gospel.

If you are interested in learning more, you can let me know…I would be thrilled to talk more about this trip or the ministry going on in Peru. Here are a few more pictures from those who have gone before:

Hiking to the mountains.

Setting up camp.

The beautiful colors of the local people.

the trash brigade

They say that many hands make the work light. Even little hands. Teaching my kids to have a servant's heart at a young age is very important to me, and they think it is a special treat to get to help.

For some reason, our road gets to be the dumping ground for beer cans and McDonalds cups, and since the snow has finally melted, all that rubbish has been uncovered. My kiddos are ready to be outside more enjoying the sun, even if it is not too warm yet. After a long morning with them not wanting to take naps, we decided to head outdoors and start making good use of our time. I gave each kid a bag…the girls were my "trash girls" and my little man was in charge of the aluminum cans. (We might as well turn the cans in and get something for the effort). The kids thought it was a blast cleaning up trash. We walked to the next farm in each direction and completely filled three trash bags full of junk. We plan to hit a few more sections of road in the next few weeks, but the section we did the other day sure has made a difference.

And my little helpers did make the work so much more enjoyable!

the cost

I've had some requests to start blogging again, so I will intro 2014 with some thoughts of late.

I am reading three books right now, and those combined have given some great insight and urgency into my life. David Platt's Follow Me; Adoniram Judson, a biography of America's first missionary, who served in Burma; and Fit to Serve by Coach Powers.

My dear friend Noel, serving as a missionary to the Czech Republic, gave me Coach Powers' book to read and it has been very encouraging to my goals to get my body in shape after having three children. Powers states that "humanity is the pinnacle of God's creative work….and our physical fitness is wholeness in the body and within one's spirit." Though we live in a fallen world, God wants to restore as much as possible so that we can accomplish our destiny and finish the race set before us! The point of our strength should not be to impress the world with outwardly beauty but instead to find our strength to serve the Lord with obedience and abundance. I love this line from the book: "The first reason we should become physically fit is because Jesus paid for our freedom." Our bodies are important because, with them, we carry out our mission assignments to further the purposes of his kingdom.

Follow Me. A call to die. A call to live. David is such an incredible writer  - if you haven't read the book yet, I definitely suggest you read it. Reading this book deepens my conviction that in the next ten years other countries will begin sending their missionaries to America, because WE are lost! David has this paragraph from the book that speaks on repentance. "We can't fathom a Christian on the other side of the world believing that a wooden god can save them, but we have no problem believing that religion, money, possessions, food, fame, sex, sports, status, and success can satisfy us. Do we actually think we have fewer idols to let go of in our repentance?" I have many friends who are missionaries, but as the Lord hasn't called us to a foreign mission ground, we are building our ministry here, where I guarantee taking a stand for Jesus will become increasingly more unpopular and controversial. It is imperative that we teach our children to be willing to walk away from everything this earth has to offer and stand for Jesus, even in the face of death.

I found the biography of Adoniram Judson in the church library. The more I read the more my heart wanted to know about him and his journey. Judson was the first foreign missionary from America, and his heart was for the people of Burma. His translation of the Bible into the native Burmese language is still the only Bible translation for the Burmese people. His life was filled with heartache, starting with the miscarriage of his first child on the boat from America, the loss of his wife Ann, and two more of their children. Judson remarried a widowed missionary's wife named Sarah, who also died along with four more of their children. Judson remarried while in America to Emily Chubbock who returned to Burma with Judson, where their daughter Emily Frances was born. In 1850, Judson's wife Emily would lose both 61-year old Judson, and their newborn son Charles within ten days of one another. Two years later she would die at the age of 36. To love a people so much as to sacrifice everything so that they know Christ is what this life is truly all about! To this day, there are still people risking their lives to save the Karen and Kachin people of Burma, and they need our prayers!

To bring it home, when you give it all to Christ, it all is for his glory. He knows what will bring to him the greatest glory, and we submit ourselves to his mission, and pray for those who are lost. My dear friend Pat was such a man, and his wife Cheryl is so strong in Jesus that even in her loss she brings hope. I look at Emily and Judson….and Pat and Cheryl….and know that serving with your spouse in the greatest journey on earth is never for naught. The cost is great. 

habitat: local build

For July's ministry focus I am featuring Habitat for Humanity. Jeremy and I have worked with them for several years now in different capacities. After Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans, Jeremy led three teams of men down to rebuild homes near the Ninth Ward, over a period of three years. I helped organize and raise funds/supplies here, as it was a men's-only trip. The guys took all the supplies needed down with them. We even arranged for our favorite chef and her assistant to be there and feed the men daily. It really was amazing as they finished out several homes in the period of one week.

For those unfamiliar with Habitat for Humanity, it is a Christian organization that builds home for people in need, whether from natural disaster or a need for a new start. They state on their website that they have more than 1,500 local affiliates in the United States and more than 80 national organizations around the world. They have helped build or repair over 600,000 houses and serve more than 3 million people worldwide.

Our latest venture with Habitat is really special to us because our friend Stacy is in the process of getting her home built. We are really proud of her because she has dedicated many hours so she could start her build, as well as become a part of her local Circles group to actively move out of poverty. This home is an exciting change for her family.

Starting in the morning: no walls.

Two sides up. Doing prep work for the third wall.

Stacy's goal for this house: to run an air nailer. 

Mission Accomplished!

Building the final exterior wall before the rain hits.

Jeremy and Matt nailing the top plate.

Ralph, 85, was a pleasure to work with.

Ralph and Loraine have worked over 30 years with Habitat.

All four sides up.

This will be an ongoing project we are helping with this summer until it is complete. Again, we are very excited for Stacy and her family.

If you are interested in being involved with Habitat for Humanity, I recommend you start at the local level and get a taste for what they do. It is pretty amazing. They respond to natural crisis across the United States, so there is opportunity to get involved in the capacity as well. They always need hands to help with the work.

Visit their website at www.habitat.org

manna: drive for the 100

Thank you for the ideas on who to support and feature during our June Drive for the 100. We were introduced to a new local ministry called Manna by our friend Vicki. Manna gathers food from companies like Panera Bread, Brethren's Home in Greenville, WalMart, Krogers, and the food pantry in Sidney and then creates meal packages for local people in need. Manna has volunteers that pack and deliver the meals - no one in turned down from receiving a meal. Manna, and organizer Donna Reed, work hard to make this ministry a reality. They are not funded by any one organization and depend on donations, grants, etc.

If you too wish to support this ministry, please email me directly and I will provide you with the information.

"For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink....whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me." Matthew 25:34, 40

drive for the 100

Each month I have been featuring different ministries and people who are serving the Lord in various ways. This month I want to take a new twist to this and allow people to spotlight ministries that are close to their hearts. For the entire month of June, people can email me or post a comment below describing a ministry or person that inspires others to follow after Christ. Jeremy and I will choose one of the submitted ministries and donate $100.00 to their mission. I will do a special blog post at the end of the month with the stories and a special feature on the one we choose. I think this will be a very exciting way to become aware of how so many people live sacrificially for the Lord.

Here are the guidelines:
1) The person must be a Christian and/or the ministry must be Christian-based.
2) Submit a paragraph explaining how you know the person/ministry and how they are changing lives.
3) Include a way to donate to them. (address, Paypal, church, etc.)

seth:thailand

This month's ministry post is very special to me as I am featuring my brother who just returned from three months in Thailand. He was able to share about his mission at church yesterday, and I again was very impressed with his dedication to what the Lord has called him to do. He will be returning to Thailand and Burma next year for full time ministry.....so he will be spending until the end of the year preparing for this journey. As his sister, it is hard for me to see him go, but I know with all my heart that the Lord has called him and I am so proud of him for being obedient.

Seth made good friendships with the local people, and he received an invitation to come back to teach the Bible and help with local ministries in both Thailand and Burma. Seth would FaceTime us while he was there, and we were able to "meet" a few of his friends, especially Deng. Seth worked with an organization that helped ethnic groups receive medical aid, dental exams, Bible teaching, and education.

Seth started studying Thai a year before he left.
While in Thailand he took formal lessons with a tutor.

Seth assisting with dental exams.

Teaching the kids about the camera.
They had never seen a camera before.

Teaching from the Wah Bible in the evening.

Teaching at the church.

Reading from the Wah Bible when he first learned to read Wah.
The kids helped him learn. Very neat.

The hut his group was given to start a dental clinic.
I should say they were given the land the hut is on....

Friends Deng (left) and Chatree (right)

Playing with the tigers. (He always has liked cats)

easter fun

My hubby asked if I was going to post anything soon....I think he was hinting I have been slow to post updates. I wanted to post some pictures from a few of our Easter events. Our church hosted a community easter egg hunt and the kids were able to "hunt" themselves. The little kids were especially cute. There was a photo shoot area that I manned, and I made a shabby-chic backdrop out of burlap, sheer, and some pennants. Elauna loved helping me tie the ribbon and strips of fabric to the jute to make the string pennant. I cut triangles out of coordinating fabric to make the other. My friends made cardboard cutouts of vintage Easter bunnies and eggs, and I think the look of it all was super-cute! We had 100 kids show up for the Easter egg hunt....pretty fun stuff!

the backdrop

yes, she is smiling.

the "big" kids

pretty typical: holding hands and pulling ears

tiny princess

handsome boy

picking up some eggs

Easter morning I made a sunrise meal for our church family. We had about 50 people attend the breakfast of egg strata, cream cheese glazed rolls, blueberry muffins, pickled eggs, and fresh fruit. We used nice china and the tables were set in white linens with victorian bird cages with fresh white flowers arrangements. Some people never get an opportunity to sit at a nice meal and feel like they are special: what better place than to feel that way with your church family. My family was a great help as always. I still don't know how I would pull off an event without them.

To end a perfect weekend we had Easter meal at my parents, and let me tell you, my mom is the world's best cook. She never ceases to amaze me at how she makes everyone feel so special and well fed. She did a mini egg hunt for all the grandkids, inside, since it was raining. It was neat for everyone too, because it was the first weekend my brother was home from Thailand. 

my girls

miss claire

miss elauna