Chosen

I've been attending a weekly women's bible study this fall and I am being stretched and challenged and convicted and encouraged in all the right places! It's called "Living Beyond Yourself" by Beth Moore and I HIGHLY recommend it! There's so much I'm learning that I would love to put to words. But that will take more time then I have at this moment, so instead, I am going to share something from one of the lessons that touched my heart and resonated deep down in my soul. The whole study was on rejection and in the middle of her talk, Beth shares these words.

"There are many who are adopted who bear the burden and pain of rejection through out their lifetimes. It is the way of human nature, that instead of seeing that we have been chosen, we see that we have been rejected. In Eph 1, we read that we've been adopted as gentile believers in Christ and what God is trying to get across to us is this: is there anything better than that? Than being chosen? 

There cannot be an unwanted, adopted child. All the trouble went through to adopt - the waiting, the faith testing, the paperwork, the yearning....there's no such thing as an unwanted, adopted child! Yet many people who are adopted suffer under the burden of that rejection of their biological parents - sometimes all their lives. 

Our human nature will reach out and translate the rejection more than we will reach out and translate the acceptance. It's not 'I've been chosen!' but 'I've been rejected.' That is the fear that we are not or will not be loved. Are we afraid of anything more than that?"

I was watching this video segment at home and when I heard these words, I rewound it again and again. As I listened to this truth my thoughts turned to my son. An overwhelming desire came over me to do everything within my power, more than I am already doing, to help him embrace the fact that he is CHOSEN! WOW! Is there anything better than that? I want him to reach out and translate our acceptance and God's acceptance, instead of rejection! I want him to live in the freedom and love and warmth and security and significance that comes from being chosen! I don't want him to bear a burden of rejection all his life. I want him to fully grasp the truth that there is no such thing as an unwanted, adopted child! His adoption has happened because we wanted him and because God hand selected him for us! God chose Josiah to become our son and us to become his parents, even before the beginning of the world! How amazing is that? This is what I want my precious son to grasp, to know to the core of his being, to the bottom of his soul, with all his heart - that he is wanted, that he is chosen, that he is accepted and that he is loved, always and forever! 

How I pray that Josiah will reach out and translate the acceptance and the fact that he has been chosen! That he will grow up to find his significance, security and identity in Christ alone! 

"God, please answer this prayer for my son Josiah, Holy Spirit do your work within his heart to make this truth alive and well within the depths of his being. May he always know, beyond the shadow of a doubt, who he is, how much he means to us and most importantly, who he is in You! Amen."

Now stop for a moment and think about the fact that God sent Jesus to die for us while we were still sinners! Does that sound like rejection? NO! God had this amazing plan of salvation all worked out since the dawning of time! He looked across the centuries and saw you and me and He wanted us! He didn't reject us, He chose us! He adopted us as His sons and daughters! We are wanted, we are chosen, we are accepted and we are loved by the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords! 

What another amazing thought this brings to my mind! Josiah is wanted and chosen and accepted and loved twice over - first through our adoption and second, through his adoption into God's family! Oh how I long for him to really and truly grasp the specialness and preciousness of this all!

There is no such thing as an unwanted, adopted child! My sister and brother in Christ, that includes you too!

You are wanted, you are chosen, you are accepted and you are loved!

Faith building is hard work. And not very fun. And not always our choice. It seems that God chooses to build our faith at times when we wish it was all very easy. I am learning that I need to let go and let God. And stop worrying about it. If I continue to worry, I really have not let go. I am hanging on to the rope and getting very burned and blistered hands. Want some context? Well...

I resigned from teaching 1.5 years ago. I missed the deadline for asking for a one year leave of absence by a week. We had to raise support for the position that we volunteered for, so that we could pay for our plane tickets and some other outgoing expenses. God built my faith in His provision through His church - in 2-3 months our tickets were pretty much reimbursed.
When we came back from Zambia, where we had volunteered, I applied for a teaching position again. I thought I would not have a problem, but with gov't cutbacks, there were not positions available for me. So I asked around, and was advised that substitute teaching would be sufficient income. Well, it has helped, but sufficient it is not for longterm provision. A great blessing was when I was able to fill in for 2 straight weeks at a school teaching Gr. 2. I had never taught full-time any grade lower than Gr. 5, so it was a stretch, but I loved the kids. It was a great experience.
Another job opened up at a school, so I applied for it. I did not get it. Now another has opened up, and I am praying and hoping that I will get that one. No more taking things for granted, my reputation or history are not enough. I need God to help me get the right job. He is faithful, and if I don't get it, I am trying hard to trust that he has reasons for my good, and my families' good, to not be working full-time.
Another faith building event has been the support of best friends. They have welcomed us back to our town, and have even given us a vehicle to use until our next leg of missions service. May God bless them richly!
We have had many asking how long until we head onto the next leg of our missions journey. Well, we have to raise support, monthly support, as we have been accepted by a faith mission - TEAM, which means raising money for all expenses, including the ministry expenses. A long time ago I would have never wanted to put myself in this position. But now I am excited to see how God is going to provide. He has amazed us in the past, and I trust we will be amazed again, though not surprised, for He is faithful, and sure everytime.
Hey, would love a brief comment when you read a blog! It encourages us.

Update - brief catch up

Long time since our last blog not because there hans’t been nay thing to write about, but there has been too much and no time to write. Here is a bit of some highlights from our last few months. 

We came back from Zambia in August, went for a 2 week trip without our precious children. Grandpa and Grandma Foster were willing to take care of the kids for us. We went to South Carolina to visit some dear friends that we had met in Zambia back in 2002. After several great days of being spoiled and visiting, we went for a 2 day interview with TEAM in Illinois. This was the catalyst for our trip. After the 2 days were done, we did not have a placement. We had a good sense of what to do next, which was a lot of praying and visiting with TEAM missionaries to see where God would lead us. More on that later.

We then went to Toronto to take in a wedding ceremony for a good friend. The wedding was very different from what we are used to, much more Jewish in flavor. It was neat to see some very different traditions. We stayed with another good friend of Karlene’s for the rest of our stay, as we took some time for each other, and spent 1 day at Niagara Falls and another day visiting a great auntie. When in Toronto, we were able to take in a Blue Jays game and Toronto FC game. We did some sightseeing and learned the subway system fairly well. It is so much easier to learn than London’s. 

When we got back to La Crete, we stayed with Mom and Dad Foster for the rest of the month until our renters were able to move into another house. Our kids were delighted to spend more time with Grandpa and Grandma. 

We then spent 4 weeks visiting on Skype with TEAM missionaries in various countries and places that we thought were possibilities for us to serve. In the end, we felt it was 50/50 with Spain and Mexico. We were drawn to some scripture passages, then prayed, and asked God to lead. He led us back to Mexico, where we had first thought to go when we started getting to know TEAM.

I went to Mexico with my brother who was booked for surgery in Merida, a large city close to Cancun. After 8 days there, I flew to meet Karlene.

We were back in Illinois for one week of training, intensive in class from 8 til 5 each day. We felt overloaded at times, but it was all good as it was applicable and important to us. We got to know some great people and enjoyed the encouragement they provided. We also felt we were able to get to know the TEAM leaders and have a better feel for the organization. 

We got back to La Crete and I was so excited to see our kids. Since then, it has been busy getting back into the swing of things. I have subbed a few days, not enough to make ends meet, but am hoping things pick up. I have applied for a full-time position, and am trusting that God will provide. I need to stop relying on me and fully trust in Him. This is the lesson that He has been trying to teach me for some time, and will continue to if I don’t learn it and put it into practice. It is the difference between eternal fruit vs. temporal success. 

This is a quick summary of several months of busyness! Much more could be said that is exciting and amazing, but will leave that for a more focused writing.

Self-Discipline

Written on August 16^th on our way back home to La Crete

Its been a long time on the road and I’m really looking forward to settling down but who knows when that’s going to happen since we’re somewhat homeless for the time being. Yes, we will have a roof over our head, thanks to my parents, but not a place to call our own. We are waiting to hear from TEAM about further training we might need and because of that, we haven’t taken over our house yet because we have great renters and don’t want to see them go if we are headed some place else in the next month or 2.

I get so tired of unknowns. Someone told us yesterday that we need to took at it like we’re hanging onto a limb over top of a cliff and see it as an adventure instead of something to be afraid of, knowing that we can trust God to lead and to guide. Hmmmmmm, adventure? If I use human wisdom, it doesn’t seem like much of an adventure to me, just a death wish and undesired stress. I think it takes a special person to look at life through adventure colored glasses. I think I’m too stuck in a rut to be such a person. Oh to be able to throw all caution and worry to the wind and jump in with both feet into the adventure God has planned.

We’ve been listening to the radio and Charles Stanley, who has been talking about self discipline. There’s that word again. I’ve struggled with self discipline all my life and I’m so tired of doing the same things over and over again. I could be much more successful for the Kingdom if I was self disciplined!

It’s funny but there’s a song on the radio right now and it’s words have captured my attention….

….”It happens in a blink, it happens in a flash….what is it I’ve done with my life?”

My thoughts exactly. But I don’t want to live like this, I want to do grand things with my life! Things of consequence, things that matter, things that make a difference, things that count in the light of eternity. But all too often I fritter away the minutes of my day with things that seem so unimportant…...really, what does laundry and making meals mean in the light of eternity? What help is reading a book or watching a movie for fun, in the light of eternity? Sometimes this life seems so full of unimportant things that take my eyes off the prize and steal away the moments and minutes I have to make a lasting impact…...a real difference.

Part of my problem is my lack of self discipline. My laziness in prioritizing my day with eternity on my mind instead of my selfish desires. Going to bed at a decent time and getting up early shouldn’t be so hard, getting exercise and losing weight shouldn’t be such a drag, having daily devotions and spending time in the word of God should be easy to do first thing in the morning. Being on time, doing what I say I’m going to do, not procrastinating, watching what I eat, biting my tongue, giving praise instead of criticism, parenting in love instead of exasperation, praising and being thankful instead of complaining…….Self discipline is so incredibly hard. It takes strength, and will and desire. Do I have what it takes? Again the radio sings,

“You must think I’m strong, to give me what I’m going through.

Forgive me if I’m wrong, this looks like more that I can do on my own.

Maybe that’s the point, to reach the point of giving up,

cause when I’m finally at rock bottom

that’s when I start looking up and reaching out.

I give up, I’m not strong enough.

Hands of mercy won’t you cover me

Lord right now I’m asking you to be strong enough

….I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength….”

Enough strength to be self disciplined? I guess we’ll see.

“What comes next? God only knows….but here it goes…..

Let me rediscover you and by your grace, I’ll follow through.”

Heading home to La Crete

Written on August 16th

We’re on the road as I'm writing this, heading home to La Crete! What is it going to be like after a year away? Are we going to fit? How are we going to be accepted back? Is Anthony going to get a job? Are we going to move back into our home? Are the kids going to like school and be able to finish the school year in La Crete? Am I going to have to go back to work? Are we going to have to go for further training? Where in the world are we going to be going? Am I going to have opportunities to sing? Will we ever ‘settle’ down someplace in the world? Or are we going to continue traversing the earth until we take up our permanent address in glory? All these thoughts and more are running through my head……..

The Village Experience

During our first stay in Zambia (2002 - 2005) we were blessed to have a wonderful man, named Godfrey, looking after our yard and garden. He became a friend and now that we were back in Zambia, we wanted to reconnect but did not have a phone number for him and couldn’t remember how to find his village. Had we tried, I know we would have gotten terribly lost! We got a message to a mutual friend who gave the message to someone else and one day, our cell phone rang. It was Godfrey on the other end! He was excited to hear that we were back in Zambia and that we wanted to come and visit his village. Arrangements were made and the next weekend we headed off to Pangwe where Godfrey met us and escorted us into the bush to his village. The main dirt road became two tire tracks through the grass which then became a narrow foot path to his home. We managed to maneuver our vehicle to it’s final resting place in Godfrey’s yard without too much difficulty and there commenced a wonderful village experience. It’s hard to explain such an experience well enough to do it justice and to really enable one to grasp the depth and beauty and hardship and joy that exists in such a place. Really you need to travel to Africa and experience it for yourself!

Godfrey’s village is set within a large rectangle of dirt that is swept everyday to remove debris and make it look neat and tidy. Although the sweeping designates the edges of the yard, Godfrey’s village knows no boundaries. His maize fields stretch out around his buildings, his cattle roam far and wide and people are constantly moving through, whether to visit or greet his visitors, buy something from his shop or seek his help and assistance. There’s the main house which Godfrey has added onto, bit by bit, as he has had money to do so. Then there is the cooking shelter, two house huts, two storage huts, a goat shelter and a bird shelter for chickens and doves. This is where Godfrey lives with his two wives and 10 children.

It was a joyous reunion and the green plastic chairs of honor where brought out and placed under the tree next to the cooking shelter. There we sat and greeted one another, asking about each others families and homes. It wasn’t long before their daughter Hannah, who was quite taken with Keyana, approached and grabbed her hand. She didn’t speak English and Keyana doesn’t speak Tonga, but the universal language of children was already spoken through touch, a smile and a giggle and the two were inseparable for the remainder of our time in the village. One by one the wives and children came to greet us and we felt very welcome.

One of Godfrey’s sons is blind and faces other physical limitations since suffering from cerebral meningitis during our first time in Zambia. We assisted Godfrey in taking Malilwe to the eye doctors in Zimba on more than one occasion, but in the end they were not able to be of much help. We tried to get him into a special needs school in Choma, but were turned away. It was disheartening at the time and yet Godfrey’s faith did not waver that God would provide. Now seeing Malilwe 6 years later, I was pleasantly surprised to see how tall he’s grown, how his struggle to move around has lessened and was blessed by his huge grin and Tonga greeting. He uses his hands to ‘see’ and although this was unnerving for Josiah and Keyana at first, after explaining that Malilwe was touching their arms and faces to get a picture of how they looked, they relaxed and accepted this new way of seeing. After greeting Malilwe, Anthony took him around the side of the van and placed him on the drivers seat. He smiled as he felt the steering wheel and told his dad in Tonga that he was going to drive the van. He sat there for the longest time, touching all the knobs and dials and discovering the horn, before he fell asleep at the wheel.

As we sat in the shade of the tree, a little girl toddled over and Godfrey picked her up and sat her on his lap and said, “this is Karlene.” I wondered if I had heard right and didn’t know what to say as the surprise of having someone named after me was very humbling. Godfrey shared the story of how both his wives were expecting and gave birth the same week. The first baby girl they named Kleanza (MCC volunteer before us). Days later, the second daughter was born and they named her Karlene. But the joyfulness of the week was overshadowed by the passing of the first little girl. It was so sad to hear and I wondered how one deals with the joy of life and the sorrow of death at the same time. Infant morality is high in Zambia and many people don’t name their babies until they have reached 4 or 5 months for fear of them dying. I asked to hold Karlene and marveled on the specialness of having someone named after me. It’s hard to describe but it was unlike anything I had felt before.

Godfrey gave us a tour of his village and as we set out to inspect his fields of maize, the kids all fell into line and did the walk about with us. Keyana and Hannah were still holding hands because Hannah was intent on not letting Keyana stray to far from her grasp. Godfrey’s fields of maize were looking good and that would mean a bountiful harvest. He showed us the addition to his main house and his little shop that he stocks with the main cooking essentials as a way to garner some extra income along with the extra maize he had grown to sell. His goat herd had increased and he informed us that he had recently sold a large number of goats receiving K100, 000/goat which is equivalent to $20.00/goat. Another new addition to his village was his heard of cattle, which he did not have on our previous visit 6 years ago and which is a sign of wealth and status and quite the accomplishment for a small scale farmer to procure. Inside his home of handmade bricks and sporting a new tin roof, he showed us the generator he had bought and his newly acquired sewing machine which he is using to teach himself how to sew. I was impressed by Godfrey’s hard work and ingenious fortitude in finding more ways of making money to support his growing family and being successful in them!

In the meantime, our soccer ball had made it’s debut and the kids were having fun kicking it around the yard. Josiah joined in the fun and Keyana tried as well, but it was rather difficult to do with Hannah hanging on her arm. But the fun didn’t end there, Godfrey introduced our children to his baby goats, bunnies and guinea pigs and they enjoyed the Zambian version of a petting zoo!

And as always, when you visit a Zambian village, your time there would not be complete without a traditional meal of nshima (thick cornmeal porridge made from maize), soup (similar to a tomato gravy) and salty fried chicken, the meat of welcome. Godfrey’s wives and sister-in-law and eldest daughter cooked up a feast of boiled pumpkin and roasted maize as appetizers followed by the main course, all enjoyed by eating with our hands after washing them in a stream of water warmed over the fire and poured from a pitcher into a basin. It is a commonly held belief in Zambia that food tastes better when eaten with your hands and our children enjoyed having an excuse to do so. I’m sure that’s why Keyana likes nshima so much because she can play and eat at the same time! After pronouncing the word, “dakuta” (meaning I am satisfied), the dishes and plates were cleared, hands were washed again and the visiting continued. The Headman even came by to give us his greetings and to ask if we remembered him, which we did since he was present at the party Godfrey threw for Josiah to welcome him into our family when he was just a baby. The Headman seemed pleased to know we had not forgotten him.

Numerous people flitted in and out of Godfrey’s village all day, and he would excuse himself from time to time to be of help to those he could. Throughout the afternoon, we would catch his son Mike peeking in the windows of the van, curious about how it looked inside and you could tell, wishing he could get inside. So when the time came for us to leave, Anthony asked Mike if he’d like to take a ride in the ‘motor’ to which Mike’s reply was a big grin and an enthusiastic nod. But it wasn’t just Mike who hopped in, all of Godfrey’s children piled in and Anthony took them for a short spin around the yard. When they came to a stop everyone got out except for Hannah who was sitting next to Keyana and hanging onto her arm for dear life. She refused to get out of the van. Godfrey tried to coax her out but she let him know in Tonga that she was going wherever Keyana was going and inched further and further into the corner making it impossible for Godfrey to reach her unless he himself got into the van. Nothing he could say would convince her to come out so I told Keyana that if she came out of the van, Hannah would most likely follow her. And so she did, but as soon as her feet touched the ground she grabbed Keyana and began to pull her away from the van. If she couldn’t go with Keyana, then she was going to make sure that Keyana stayed with her. It was dear to see the friendship that had developed in just a few short hours, even through a language barrier. That’s the beauty of childhood friendship. It’s pure and true acceptance uncomplicated by things of gender, class or skin color. What a different place our world would be if all of us looked at friendship through the eyes of a child.

When we said goodbye to Malilwe, he felt Keyana’s arms and face and hair once more and then grab her hand and in Tonga said, “Keyana has to stay here with us.” Everyone laughed and Malilwe smiled. Before we left, I purchased a Zambia outfit for Keyana that Godfrey had sewn and took a picture of her with Godfrey the tailor. She was so excited and stated with gusto and wide eyes, “Mom, now I’m a Zambian princess.”

Josiah said goodbye to his soccer buddies, Keyana to Hannah whom Godfrey had to hold back from getting into the van again, me to Karlene and our family to theirs. We piled into the van and drove away waving and sending out our sincere, “Twalumba’s” (thankyous) for a lovely day. As we drove down the single foot path, I thanked God for bringing us back to Zambia and for our memorable, village experience.

Looking Back In Time

I really admire those people who can keep up with their blogs on an almost daily basis. It’s been a struggle to do that this year. I’ve never written a blog before coming to Zambia and I find that there’s so many things swirling through my head that I’d love to share, but finding the time to spill it all out into words is the challenge. In the next while, I hope to be able to recap some highlights here from our year, before they fade and then try to be a bit more regular with posting those to come. So here’s a few experiences from this year that I hope you enjoy reading about, even if they happened some months ago.

Milestone - Progress

I presented a new workshop yesterday. When I got home, I was truly wiped and went to bed at 9. I started to feel sick again, which seems to happen after every workshop.

This workshop was a milestone - a Zambian teacher mentor took a part in presenting for the first time; Mr. Siatontola presented for about 40 minutes on the importance of evaluation. He also contributed to the discussion and had a few ideas on sharing questions that were poorly written.

The workshop went from 9 to 4 covering 3 topics. The first was Phonics. I am quite uncertain about this topic, as I have not taught phonics in a classroom for many years (I actually did teach Gr. 1 phonics with Mr. Lenihan's class about 12 years ago and that was a small part of his overall program). I only presented 2 phonics methods in less than an hour. I used one of these methods with our children during holidays (yes, I know, poor teacher’s children don’t even get a break from schooling during a holiday). My hope is that the presentation was adequate for the teachers to proceed on their own.

The second topic is Assessment practices, especially focusing on developing good multiple choice tests. The last part is on teaching students good study skills, and practicing them with the class in school. The teacher takes responsibility for student recall of important facts. This part was very short as well, more of a challenge issued and a handout given. A large part of my budget is spent on handouts, and I believe it is well spent, as the teachers really appreciate any resource given.

At the end of the workshop, the headmaster issued some very encouraging words - “I want to believe that this workshop has not been a total waste of time.” Taken out of context, as I am doing now, this would seem like he was saying that it probably was. Actually, in this culture, I have found that they almost always say things like this to try to spur each other on to apply what was discussed or to improve. So I did not take it personally.

Another example of this was when I was visiting a school, I overheard a visiting teacher talking to 2 girls. He was saying that in the past, the school had always been at the top in many things, sports, academics and more. But now it was at the bottom. I thought he was insulting or discouraging the girls, so asked why he was saying these things. The girl new by tone of voice that I didn’t like what he was saying and came to his defense. “No he is just trying to encourage us to do better, to change so that we do our best.”

Even in the class teachers post student marks, emphasizing the lowest scores. This is meant to encourage them to do better. Shame is a great weapon in Zambia, meant to encourage. I can’t testify to it actually working in this way, but I am sure it spurs the top to continue working to stay at the top. Some teachers have told me that when they were pupils, their teachers did this as well, and it made them work hard.

We have 5 weeks left. All workshops have been moved to Fridays by the Government authority, so that means I have only 3 Fridays left to do this workshop. This is disappointing since I can’t reach all the schools that I wanted to. I am hoping that it will continue with Mr. Siatontola and the other two mentors that are talking up the work as we leave.

Nothing Boxes

Blogging is not my strong point. I am amazed by those who manage to find something interesting or significant to say every week, let alone every day. My brother is on a journey, and has just passed 6 months of writing every day. He has missed a few, but very few. I can’t say I have read all the entries, but it is an interesting pursuit and many of his entries are intriguing and provocative. I must say that I quite often find myself in the nothing box - when Karlene asks what I am thinking, I can honestly say nothing; of course she can’t quite understand how I can’t be thinking anything at any time, but if I stop to try to find what I was just thinking, I can honestly say that I was just seeing, hearing, smelling, but really not thinking anything at all. Well this Blog seems to be about nothing. Fits my nothing box - LOL.

Frustrated Inc.

FRUSTRATED was the word to describe how I was feeling yesterday! I think it was my most frustrating day since arriving here in September, 2010.

It’s not going to do any good to go into details, don’t want to offend anyone and in the end it doesn’t matter. But this cross-cultural living does lend itself to moments when you want to pull your hair out! And how do you respond in those moments? I know how I might like to re-act but just because I’d like to, doesn’t make it right. In fact, many times my response is nothing like how it should be, like how Jesus would respond. In times of frustration, I think it’s good to ask yourself, “What Would Jesus Do?” Yesterday, it was only by the grace of God and the Holy Spirit’s power that I managed to stay calm and still do the job that was required of me. My heart’s prayer was that God would set me in the right frame of mind, that he would take away my anger and even in the midst of the frustration, that he would enable me to still be a blessing to others. He answered and I was amazed.

We all face times in our lives when we’d love to follow Phyllis Diller’s advice. She says, “my recipe for dealing with anger and frustration [is to] set the kitchen timer for twenty minutes, cry, rant and rave and at the sound of the bell, simmer down and go about business as usual.” Okay, there’s some humor there, but we’ve all had moments when this is what we’ve done or at least wished we could!

And yet, “no matter how discouraged we get, God has not asked us to do the impossible.” (George Grace) That’s His department. “With God all things are possible.” (Matt. 19:26) Yes, even getting through those times of sheer frustration! That’s what I encountered yesterday and although it was difficult, it was a learning experience and dare I even say, a good one?

In moments of frustration, “consider how hard it is to change yourself and you’ll understand what little chance you have in trying to change others.” (unknown) My first response to this quote was, that sounds rather hopeless. My second was, but it’s the truth, isn’t it? Trying anything in your own strength will only lead to failure. My third response was, relief. It’s not my responsibility to change myself or others, that’s God’s job! And He’s already at work, molding us and shaping us and making us to be more like Him.

Would I like Him to use a different potter’s tool then the scraper of frustration? Sure, but it’s been said that, “frustration is the compost from which the mushrooms of creativity grow.” (Turmerica)

So my lump of clay still needs a lot of work but my mushroom crop is in full bloom! There’s gotta be some good that’s gonna come out of that!

Mushrooms anyone? ~ Karlene

The Thiessen Times - May 2011 Newsletter

2 Tim. 3:16-17 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, 17 so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

We are blessed to be able to share again of God’s faithfulness. We have truly been under protection and favor from our Savior. Health and joy continue to fill our lives as we serve in Zambia.

Mentoring - The work of mentoring teachers continues to progress fairly well. I have conducted many workshops for 10 different schools. The topic - The 7 Laws of the Learner - seeks to impact many teacher skills, approaches and attitudes. This workshop continues to be my favorite and is reaffirmed by teacher responses. Here is what some have been saying:

Some of the comments on the feed-back forms were very encouraging.

• on rating the workshop overall, 12 teachers selected excellent, 3 selected good

When asked what was best about the workshop, answers were:

• Everything was perfect because I learnt a lot on how to go about being a good teacher and to help the children physically, spiritually
• Relating teaching to God’s purposes
• I was taught that the lives of the young depend on us as teachers. We either build them or destroy them.
• The content was so direct and understood, it was really encouraging.

What are 2 things you will do because of the workshop?

• I will love and care for my pupils, give more of my time and understand their needs
• I will be dedicated to my work, integrate Christian life and academic work
• Give learners more activities for them to understand, Love my career as a call from God
• Plan more before teaching, commit more to the student learning.

The work I am doing has been a blessing to both the teachers and myself. They are eager and receptive to any help or information that I have shared. I continue to develop workshop topics and am working with other Zambian retired teachers to further the mentorship program.

Next Steps - I am hoping to focus on developing and training local Zambians who will continue the work of training, encouraging and challenging teachers in the next 2 months. There is not much time remaining for us, as our plane tickets are for July 28^th. But I continue to trust that with God all things are possible, and this is one of those things. I cling to Jesus in the hope that what has been started will be completed in the time remaining.

Last Feb. I mentioned plans to teach an ESL class in the afternoons to Gr. 8 and 9 students. This was fun, as I was missing teaching in the classroom. I read some short stories, discussed English terms and sayings, and taught them writing style. They are generally quite weak, but this is an opportunity to also touch their hearts while helping them increase proficiency of English. I also had some Gr. 12’s asking if they could join us!

The Soccer club I have been playing with has joined a division 3 league, so they play almost every weekend. I don’t play in league games, but I still enjoy the training with them most of the time. I will have many ideas for soccer drills when I get back to a PE setting! MICS, the school our kids attend, is having a team come to do soccer camp with an outreach emphasis, and I will volunteer to be a part of that as well.

Karlene’s Outreach

Karlene is doing well, and has started to get involved in training DJ’s for the radio! She continues to enjoy hosting 90 minutes of praise and worship music live on Saturday mornings. I think she learned not to give out her cell phone # for requests from another DJ woman's experience - she received a text message - “You sound nice, what is your status? I have cattle.” Hilarious!

Karlene has continued recording Joyful Praise for CIAM, though it has been difficult with our internet service being down for over 2 weeks at a time and other software problems.

The Kids

Another activity that keeps us both hopping is homeschooling our children to assist them in keeping up with Alberta learning. They still attend school, but we help them for part of the day in Math and Reading.

Josiah just had his 7^th B-day! He had 8 friends over, as well as a few that showed up when they heard there was a party. It was fun, though we found that the kids needed a lot of direction and repeating of directions. He is happy that we have new neighbors and one is a 4 year old boy. He was missing boy playmates.

Keyana is continuing to flourish. She did not think it was fair that she has to wait for her B-day longer than Josiah. She is riding a bicycle well now, though continuing to hurt herself in many different ways. I am sure she takes after both of our falling tendencies - lol.

Family Stuff

We had a time of retreat at Lake Kariba, a huge man-made lake, with our MCC fellow workers. The 2 days went by too quickly, and we were saddened that one family could not join us since illness had stricken them. We still had a great Easter service, visiting and volleyball. We saw 3 snakes there, one a python!

We have just resumed Bible Study in our home. We are starting the Truth Project. Pray for us as we reach out to others through this study and our friendship. Pray that it will be a meaningful time of fellowship and sharing. Pray that hearts will be touched with God's truth.

We appreciate your support! Please continue to pray for us; Satan continues to prowl and we must remain on guard, vigilant and strong in the Lord. Your prayers are a fortress and strength to us. As July looms ahead, we have some important decisions to make on many different fronts. We desire to do God’s will even though it can be difficult. We value your prayers as we seek and serve God! Thank you again for partnering with us in reaching children, teachers and others for Christ in Zambia!

Josiah and Keyana on the first day of term two - May 10th, 2011

The Faith Of A Little Child Shall Lead Them

I've been meaning to write about this ever since it happened, but daily life gets in the way of carving out time to sit and reflect and compose my thoughts on paper. Today I've found a little pocket of time to share an experience we had on New Years Day. Let me take you back in time and as I do, I hope you are blessed and challenged, like I was, through the faith and example of my children.

It all began Christmas morning when they announced in church that the following Saturday, January 1^st, 2011, we were to meet at the hospital with items to give away. We were told we could bring clothes, food, toiletries, soap, toys, books or whatever God laid on our hearts to give to bless those in the hospital. I came to understand that this is something the church does annually on the first of each new year. As I was pondering how we could be involved, God brought to mind a conversation I had with a friend from Canada. She had encouraged me to look for opportunities where we could serve together as a family. She felt that in doing so, our children would get to do 'missions' and feel a part of God's call to Zambia, instead of it just being for mommy and daddy. As I thought about the churches upcoming outreach, my friends wise advice came to mind and I realized that here was such an opportunity. A wonderful chance for us as a family to gather together items from our home and to give them away to bless others.

And so we did. We weren't making a trip to Choma for groceries that week so I went through our cupboards and pulled out numerous food items that I knew would be of benefit. We sorted through clothes and took out items that were in good condition but didn't fit anymore and added those to the pile. Then I encouraged Josiah and Keyana with the idea of going through their toys and setting aside some to give away to children in the hospital. I told them I thought this was a good idea but that I wasn't going to force them to, because I wanted them to give with happy and willing hearts. I left it with them and wondered what would become of such a thought.

The few toys we brought with us in no way compares to the many toys our children have back home in Canada. But this so called 'small amount' is still so much more than any Zambian child has or will ever hope to have. How is that even fair or right? How come we were born in a 'have' country when others were born into 'have not's?' It's hard to wrap my mind around the overabundance of material possessions and waste we have in 1^st world countries, and our own home, when compared with the disparity I see around me. And yet the fortitude, faith and generosity that shines through here in Zambia, despite people's difficult and impoverished circumstances amazes me! There's so much more I could say about this, but it's another thought to tackle in another blog.

As I continued to add to the pile of groceries, Josiah and Keyana started coming out of their room with toys to give away. It was more difficult for Josiah to part with some of his toys then it was for Keyana. He tends to be a bit like me in this regard. Some things are really easy to give away and other more treasured and sentimental possessions are difficult to let go. Keyana, on the other hand, would have probably given all her toys if I had let her. So I tried to encourage Josiah to give more and cautioned Keyana to keep a few toys, for our remaining months in Zambia, which we would part with when it was time for us to return to Canada. That seemed to suffice and they returned to their room to discover more 'treasures' to give away. With each toy they brought, whether it was a ball, or cars/trucks, a purse or sweets they had got at Christmas, a toy cell phone or animal figurines, my little ponies or VBS verse buddies, polly pockets or a package of balloons, I had no problem seeing them placed on the pile. We even collected stickers, sorted through crayons and made up sets of different colours to give away with a big stack of paper. I was feeling great about our family activity, excited that we could do this together, good about what we were donating and then........Keyana shattered my veneer of giving with the bomb of her deep-seated, heart-birthed, honest, selfless generosity and I learned an important lesson in the process.

“Mommy, I want to give my baby Sally away to a little girl in the hospital.” I turned to the voice that had just spoken and there beside me was Keyana holding her brown doll close to her heart. This was the doll that we had given her for Christmas the previous year. It was still in immaculate shape because Keyana was quite the little mother. She loved to dress her, hold her, wrap her up in blankets and rock her to sleep. Few days would pass, when she wasn't asking for me to tie baby Sally on her back with the mini chetengaes I had made for her. Then there were those times when Keyana and I would share a mommy-daughter moment, brushing and braiding Sally's hair, adding clips and beads to make it pretty. This wasn't just any doll, it was special. Keyana treasured it, played with it and slept with it every night. All of these thoughts passed through my mind and my sentimental side rose up to answer with a firm, “No, you can't give this doll away.” But the words were stopped by the thought, “do i want to be the one to squash my daughter's selfless heart?” The obvious answer was “no.” Instead I asked her, “are you sure you want to give baby Sally away?” trying to persuade her to do otherwise but she firmly shook her head, squared her shoulders and resolutely pronounced, “Yes. I want to give her away to a little girl in the hospital.” Again I wanted to convince her to keep her special doll. But why? Why was it so hard for me to see her want to give her away? Not only was I humbled by my daughter's example of generosity, I was also challenged to take a look at myself and in that moment of self-reflection, was ashamed to see my selfishness starring back at me. Why do I struggle to give with abandon? What keeps me from being truly generous? Why do I hold onto things so tightly? The answer? Because I'm incredibly selfish!

Sometimes pride rears it's ugly head and I begin to think that I'm a giving person. I enjoy putting shoe boxes together, giving clothes away to those in need, cooking meals for others, donating items, making school kits and the list goes on. But these things are easy to do. When was the last time that I gave so much that it actually hurt? When was the last time I gave where it cost me something? When was the last time I gave to the point where my faith was tested so that I had to completely trust God for the outcome?

And what would I be teaching my daughter if I said no? That it's okay to give away things we don't care about and to keep the best for ourselves?

How often don't I come to God like that, willing to part with only a little here, a little there, with things I don't really need or use, but not with the most expensive, or the most special or the most treasured? How often do I give God and others my worst, instead of my best? Over and over again, I come to Him with the leftovers of my day, my time, my focus, my gifts, my talents, my desire......content to let other things consume me and draw me farther from Him and from the servant He calls me to be.

As I looked at Keyana, clutching baby Sally to her chest, a smile on her face and her mind made up to bless another little girl with her most precious doll, tears came to my eyes. I was humbled by her generosity and her faith. She was willing to give away the doll she loved and would miss. She was willing to give even though it hurt. She was willing to bless another child even though it would cost her greatly. Her faith in God enabled her to give with open hands, knowing that even though she would miss her doll, God could be trusted with the outcome and that someone out there needed it more than she did. Here we've been teaching our children the importance of sharing and being kind and how God wants us to be generous people and now in the face of an amazing opportunity for Keyana to put this into practice, I was going to squelch the Holy Spirit's prompting! This was a wake up call! Did I want to be the one to stand in the way of her generous heart? No! Did I want to hinder her from listening to the Holy Spirit's voice? No! Did I want to squash the plant that was sprouting from the seed of generosity, placed with in her by God himself? No!

So I choked out a “Yes, you can give her away” and Keyana responded with Cheshire grin, squeezed baby Sally to her one last time, bounced away to lay her doll on the pile and then raced off to her room to find more treasures to give away.

The pile grew as Josiah, Keyana and I continued to collect items to take to the hospital. As the time neared, we loaded up the van and headed off to join the other church members. I knew that there would be many children in the hospital who would love to have a doll and that the decision about who to give it too could be difficult and overwhelming. So on the way to the hospital, I encouraged Keyana to pray and ask God to show her who to give baby Sally too. We joined hands and prayed that prayer together.

When we arrived at the hospital, ladies were there organizing the donated items to go to the children's ward and the male and female wards. At first we were told we could add our items to the piles, but Josiah and Keyana really wanted to personally give away what they had collected. We asked if that would be okay and were assured that it was. So we entered the children's ward with a couple bags of toys and clothes and began to distribute items to each child.

Thankfully, God enabled what we had brought to stretch far enough to cover all the children in the ward. I was worried that we might not have enough and that some would be left out. But such was not the case. Praise God! When we entered, I expected Keyana to rush to the first girl she saw and give her the doll. But she didn't. Instead, she happily took the toys and clothes I handed her and gave them away with a smile, keeping the bag with baby Sally in it, closely by her side. Josiah, seeming a bit uncomfortable at first, quickly warmed up to what we were doing and was excited to give away his animals and trucks and cars to some of the little boys.

I began to wonder if Keyana had changed her mind when we entered a small room, apart from the main ward. Inside, were two little girls. As we approached the end of the tiny room and the little girl on the bed, Keyana grabbed my hand. It was a sight that I'm sure we will never forget. This dear little girl had tripped over the end of a stick that was poking out from a blazing fire. It dislodged from the fire and caused a pot of boiling water to spill all over her body. She was suffering from painful looking burns to her legs, chest, neck, arms and the side of her face. She looked so sad and frightened. As we stood beside her, I felt a tug on my hand and leaned down to hear Keyana say, “Mommy, this is the little girl I want to give baby Sally to.” I smiled through my tears and said “okay” and watched as Keyana took out her precious doll and gently laid her beside the little girl. Her mother smiled, clasped her hands together and kept saying “thank you”, over and over again in Tonga. We left the room to the words of “God bless you” and when Keyana looked back, one last time, she saw her baby Sally snuggled up close to a new little girl.

There have been a couple times since our visit to the hospital, that Keyana has cried and said she misses her doll. But even in those times of sadness her prayer has continued to be, “God, please heal that little girl who had the bad burns and help baby Sally to bring her lots of joy.”

Indeed, the faith of a little child shall lead them! Or more aptly put, the faith of a little child has lead me. ~ Karlene

Photo 1: Keyana with her baby Sally

Photo 2: Josiah and Keyana sitting by the pile we made of things to give away

Welcome To Year 34

Yes, the title refers to my age. Now if I was like my mother, I would never reveal my age to anyone, let alone on a blog for all the world to see. But I realized today that much of life comes down to my attitude. I started the day off with a pretty good one. Got the kids up, was blessed by their hugs and kisses, “happy birthdays” and poster pictures they created for me. What a great start to the day. I sent them off to school (we were actually on time for once :) and then came home to a ringing phone and the pleasant surprise of my parents voices on the other end. We talked for almost an hour and I was refreshed, as I always am when I’ve been able to talk with them and hear their voices. But then my attitude started to go down hill from there. I started to work on something I should have finished weeks ago, but because of my bad habit of procrastination, had left until the left minute and now it was crunch time.

I just got into the swing of things when Josiah arrived home from school and I had to step back from my project to make him a snack and spend time teaching him math and phonics. I was able to push aside the nagging feeling about all the things I had to do, and focused on teaching for the next hour and a half. It went well and I would call it a productive and enjoyable time together! I walked him back to school and then returned home and sat down determined to finish my project. But all too soon the time came for me to leave it so that I could go and pick up Josiah and Keyana from school. Why today I had decided Keyana could have friends over, I don’t know but I had promised and so I came home with two extra little persons. Then another one showed up unannounced and just walked right on in when I opened up the door. Oh well, what’s another one?

I cooked lunch, got them all fed, then turned them loose to play and tried to get back to the project I needed to finish. But I forgot that I had promised Josiah some computer time as a reward for doing so well in our teaching time together. That meant I couldn’t use the computer I was presently working on, so I changed projects and decided that now would be a good time to finish up Joyful Praise for this week. Besides, it had to be uploaded today in order for it to be aired on CIAM tonight, Alberta time. I started to work on it but was interrupted by numerous problems and numerous needs. As I was outside, trying to help deal with a situation involving the kids, our neighbor, Maryanne, asked how I was doing and I answered, “I’m feeling stressed.” I went on to say that I had two projects that had to get accomplished today and that having extra kids over to play wasn’t helping. I told her that it was my birthday and that Anthony was off doing a workshop and wouldn’t be home until tomorrow, that I still had to take Keyana to see the Dr. about her tick bite and then we were trying to get to the restaurant for supper since I didn’t feel like cooking for myself on my birthday. She was very kind and sympathetic and asked if they could join us for supper to help me celebrate. I told her that would be wonderful.

I tried to return to my work on Joyful praise and managed to accomplish a bit before the person who was suppose to pick up one of Keyana’s friends, came an hour late and I was starting to feel the pressure and panic of two project deadlines with little hope of getting either of them finished the way things were going. So I plugged in a movie for Josiah and Keyana, (something I don’t like to do often but I was beginning to feel desperate) and returned to making Joyful praise. It was coming along well when up popped a box saying “Adobe error” and I lost everything I had put together in my session. I was reduced to tears and tried to recover it but was not successful.

At this point my attitude was at it’s lowest and I was feeling sorry for myself and listening to the negative, sarcastic voice in my head that said, “this is some birthday, eh?” I realized that the best thing for me to do at that moment, was to walk away from the computer and try again later. So, I closed it up, turned off the TV, got the kids ready and said, “let go see the Dr. about Keyana’s tick bite.” As we were going out the door, 2 fellow MCCers arrived, I had forgot they were coming, they asked about my day and I replied that it wasn’t going well. They were caring in their response and asked if I was on my way somewhere. I told them we needed to see the Dr. and they offered to give us a lift. I called the Dr. to see if it was still okay to come his way, but after talking on the phone, he answered my questions and we decided it wasn’t necessary for us to see him unless things worsened. So at this point we are continuing with the course of antibiotics and will keep an eye on the site for any further change. Then Anthony called to say his workshop was done and to ask if he should come home. I told him I would like it if he did and that my birthday had not been going well. I then informed our colleagues that they didn’t need to give me a lift to see the Dr. and that we could proceed to the restaurant instead. So we did and there began the beginning of a better birthday! We relaxed and visited and then another couple from the school arrived, they had heard there was a birthday party happening (they brought me chocolate chip cookies:) and our neighbors showed up, not to long after them. Then Anthony arrived to join the wonderful time of fellowship already started and which continued throughout our meal together. To my surprise, Maryanne produced a chocolate cake, iced and decorated with “Happy Birthday Karlene.” They sang and all the stress slid away and gone was my bad attitude that had dis-colored much of my day. It was a good feeling and I thanked God at that moment for the blessings of another year, for the blessings of this past year, for my precious family and for precious friends and then I asked Him to forgive me for my negative, down in the dumps attitude.

So really, in the end, what’s another year since it all comes down to attitude anyways? Welcome year number 34…I look forward in anticipation to what you have in store! ~Karlene

God Blesses Dependence

Let me continue the story that was left from last blog entry about the workshop. Yes I texted Karlene saying that the workshop was going great and to keep praying. I partly did that so she would not worry, I was not sure the workshop was going that well. But i did have a confidence that God was truly going to do more without my dependence on the DVD series, instead total dependence on Him.

Karlene was able to get the bag to me for the second day of the workshop, but I ended up not using the DVD’s. I tried to start with it, but saw looks on the faces of the teachers that told me to switch it off, so after 2 minutes, I did. I now had a textbook and workbook to use as well. These served me well in some aspects, but the workshop did not flow as well, as I would pause and look through the material instead of speaking from what I remembered. I can now see that it is very important that a presenter had best memorize the topic well enough that you don’t even have to look at the notes. It makes it flow and has a better feel to it. I am sure I forgot things that may have been important or interesting, but in the end, I learned that it is better for the presenter to speak what he or she knows very well.

One topic that came up that I didn’t want to speak about much was corporal punishment, but a certain teacher did not want to let it go. Teachers don’t feel that they should let it go, but it is MCC policy that the stick or cane is not to be used if they want to embrace the Peace Clubs. It is also against government laws as well, unless the principal administers it. After a too lengthy discussion, we moved on, but I did not feel anything good came of it. I was proved wrong when a teacher later shared she had been challenged by my views and would refrain from using “beating” as part of her discipline plan.
I can now testify that the workshop was the best one that I have had so far. The teacher response at the end was very encouraging. We had a brief time of sharing and teachers said they had been revived, challenged and learned a lot. Their were a few with tears in their eyes. They wanted to know how to love the students when their are so many in a class that they hardly know their names (even Gr. 1 has up to 68 in one class). I was hard pressed to give an answer, but did say that what I think is required of us is to do our very best in all that we do, to show love to the students by preparing lessons with all their hearts, by treating students the way that Jesus would, and pray that the Holy Spirit would help them see opportunities to touch students’ lives.

I have another workshop tomorrow. I am recovering from Malaria that I was feeling the effects of at the end of the other workshop, so I pray that again, God will do more than I can ask or imagine in this workshop. Please keep me in your prayers.

God Works Through Weakness (or forgetfulness)

This morning Anthony travelled out to do a workshop at a place that is about 2 hours away from our home. He's staying there overnight. Anyways, he left early this morning to get there in time for the 9 am start time. At 7:40 when I came back home from dropping the kids off at school, I was made sick to see his backpack still beside the door. I opened it up and found all his notes, books and DVD's that he uses to put on this workshop. I realized that it meant he had nothing to use for his two day workshop. I felt physically ill and called him to see where he was and if he realized that he had forgotten his bag.

He thought he had it and was upset when I told him it was still home. But he was too far to turn around and come back for it. Then we got cut off. I tried to text him to ask if he wanted me to see if our neighbours would let me borrow their truck and drive into Choma (half way to his workshop) to drop his bag off there for him to try and get during the lunch break. He called me back when he was in a service area again and said, that I didn't need to bring it, that he was mad at first but now he was calm and just had a peace that God was going to work despite the circumstances. He laughed and said, just because you couldn't do this doesn't mean that I can't. I laughed too because that's exactly what I was thinking when I saw his bag! My first thought was if this was me going to do a workshop and I had left my bag at home with my notes I would be a basket case!!!!! And here's my hubby calm and at peace that God was going to make a way. He did tell me to pray and pray I did! :-)

It was neat to hear later today that Dad and Mom's bible study group had been lead to pray for Anthony last night and today and then they called to see how the day went. Anyway, then I went over to Tracy's and asked if I could use her truck and said I would understand if she said no. But she said yes without hesitation and said it's just a truck! I was amazed and as we talked, she said we could go into Choma together. (She's without her hubby like I am only for more days than me) She thought it would be good to get out of Macha for a bit. So, I went and made provisions for the kids incase we didn't make it back by 13 hours when school is out and then we headed into Choma.

I dropped Anthony's bag off for it to be picked up and taken to him (and he now has it) and then Tracy wondered if we had time to go for lunch together. I said that sounded really good and that I realized now being in Choma that I hadn't been out of Macha for over 2 months and no wonder I was starting to go a bit stir crazy! So we checked with Sue at the school and she said she'd look after my kids and then we went and had a lovely lunch, did a little bit of shopping and headed home! What a lovely morning! We talked non stop there and back and it was just so good to be with a friend and get out of Macha and have a break from mom stuff and yeah.....it was just a good morning. She thanked me after we got home for getting her out of the house and I thanked her for being so willling to give of her time to help me/Anth out. I'm going to miss them when they move April 15th. :-(

Then I went and picked up my kiddies who were fine, went and talked to their teachers and heard good reports about them both. Then we came home and the kids ate a really late lunch and then I felt like treating them for the good reports from school so we made popcorn and watched a movie! While we were watching my parents called and we chatted and while I was on the phone with them I got a text from Anthony saying, "Went great! Praise God, keep praying!" How exciting! I shared it with my parents and neither of us could speak for a bit because we were just awed at the way God works when the situation seems impossible or terrible! :-) (At least in my eyes it did :-)

What a great day! God's just once again proved His goodness and faithfulness and I'm so thankful! My faith is being stretched and it's good!
Thanks so much for your prayers! They are so necessary and so needed!

Down but not out.

Josiah is hacking, sniffing and tired. Keyana is stuffed up and has a deep throaty cough. Now I find out that Grandpa Peters passed away. He was very ready to go, so in a way, I am glad for him. He is going to be loving it on that side of heaven! I would have gone to the funeral if I was there, to celebrate the life of a man who lived a long, faithful life.

But for us left here, we medicate, soupinate and restibit as much as we can for our kids. It is always draining as parents when the kids are sick, they are more whiny and helpless than normal. We need to celebrate the times we can share here. Today I gave the kids a bag of dirt as a gift. Keyana thought it was chocolate so put a small piece in her mouth when I was trying to get a container for them to examine the gift more closely. In the end her taste test was all she needed to conclude the present wasn't good. The point was an object lesson - when we get rudeness, back talk or disobedience, it is like getting a bag of dirt when we really wanted a gift of polite, obedient and honoring talk. So when we hear another dishonoring someone, we will say that we don't want your dirt around here! After brushing Keyana's teeth, we did have a gift the kids could get excited about, they shared a pop. We hope and pray that this will be one sweet and dirty lesson the kids will remember!

It is Friday!! Well I am not sure that is exciting as that seems at first thought. Not much changes around here. At least I don't have any appointments this weekend, so it means lots of time to spend with the kids and Karlene.

Yesterday we had a Bible study with two of our new friends, they live in the house across from us. Youngsters, both around 25, just beginning their careers. We had a very good time chatting, and it has been amazing to us how easily we have all opened up to each other. It was agreed that we all appreciated that about each other, openess and honesty about how we are doing spiritually, as well as other struggles.

One thing we discussed is our term which is coming to an end by July 28th. We have been asked to consider extending our term and this is very difficult for us, or at least I feel that way. We have already been accepted by another mission organization, since last October. So we are praying, and ask that you pray as well. We need God to guide us in this - I have people almost weekly asking if we will stay longer, as they also realize our time is coming to an end soon.

Feels like we must be making a positive impact if that is what the local people are saying. Praise the Lord, it is all him, and he moves through me in my weakness.

Preaching

I was asked to speak in church last week. I said yes without thinking about it. I realized later that I had a workshop that week, and would only have 3 days to prepare. God knew I needed more time so he caused the workshop to be postponed. I was working on it off and on, did not know what to speak on, did not want to speak on the topic that kept coming to my head (parenting) as I often feel inadequate myself. So I did what I do in these situations, opened up the Bible to one of Paul's letters and started reading. I soon had an idea, prayed about it, and it developed. When I was finished, I had a sermon on parenting! Hmmm. At least it wasn't on disciplining children, I definitely did not want to talk about that! Well, when I got up to preach, I looked at my notes once in a while, but did not use them much in the end. I left out several pages and talked in more detail about surrender! But the focus was on surrender as parents, children and a church as to how God can use us to build up children.

This may sound haphazard, but it seemed to really connect and flow on Sunday. Karlene told me that several ladies had told her on Monday that they had really enjoyed the sermon, that people had been talking about it that afternoon for some time. Parenting is a hot topic for them. What this has taught me is that it is good to prepare for a sermon, but when giving it, don't depend on the notes, depend on the Holy Spirit to give words as you speak. I praise Him for empowering me so that it was helpful to some. Praise the Lord!!