Recently, I heard a preacher, Bro. Sooter, make this statement, and it was profound.
"God is preparing for you what He is preparing you for."
Looking back on my life, I can see the truth of this statement. He prepared me in New Guinea for what He prepared for me here in Kenya.
Also, John 14:1-3 says, "Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also."
He is preparing a place in Heaven for me, and in the meantime, He's preparing my heart in drawing me closer to Him. "Draw me ever nearer, Precious Lord."
* Beef Stroganoff
Saturday, June 30, 2012
Thursday, June 28, 2012
Letters to A Missionary
I write this post to tell you what a blessing it is to get letters from home, especially from children. This month, we got a packet of homemade cards and letters from the Kings Kids at Trinity Baptist Church in Warrenton, VA.
I cannot tell you what this means to a missionary family. We placed these precious letters on our table beside our basket of prayer cards. At each meal, we pray for a missionary and then we read a letter from a child who is praying for us.
Seth loves to look at the cards drawn by kids just like him. It is fun to be able to tell which ones were probably drawn by boys. He finds pictures of cars and stenciled drawings of airplanes, and he can relate!
Now let me tell you a story I've never forgotten, a story of a child praying for the Harrelson family in Papua New Guinea when I was a little girl.
On deputation, we went to Springboro Baptist Church, a little country church outside of Cinncinnati, Ohio. A little, 5-year-old boy named Kyle picked up one of our prayer cards. About a year later on the field, we got a letter from his mom. In that letter, she told us about Kyle. She said that he had put our prayer card at his eye-level on their refrigerator, and every morning before he sat at the table to eat his breakfast, he would go stand at the refrigerator and stare at our prayer card for a minute. She told us that we were Kyle's heroes and that he was praying for us. For years, my dad told that story on our furloughs. He is certain that God protected us in many dangerous situations because of that little boy's prayers. Jesus listens to children's prayers, and He delights in answering them.
So can you guess what Seth and I are doing today for our "together time"?
Yep, we are making a card and writing back to these children. Thank you so much, Teachers, Miss Kay, and King's Kids!
I cannot tell you what this means to a missionary family. We placed these precious letters on our table beside our basket of prayer cards. At each meal, we pray for a missionary and then we read a letter from a child who is praying for us.
Seth loves to look at the cards drawn by kids just like him. It is fun to be able to tell which ones were probably drawn by boys. He finds pictures of cars and stenciled drawings of airplanes, and he can relate!
Now let me tell you a story I've never forgotten, a story of a child praying for the Harrelson family in Papua New Guinea when I was a little girl.
On deputation, we went to Springboro Baptist Church, a little country church outside of Cinncinnati, Ohio. A little, 5-year-old boy named Kyle picked up one of our prayer cards. About a year later on the field, we got a letter from his mom. In that letter, she told us about Kyle. She said that he had put our prayer card at his eye-level on their refrigerator, and every morning before he sat at the table to eat his breakfast, he would go stand at the refrigerator and stare at our prayer card for a minute. She told us that we were Kyle's heroes and that he was praying for us. For years, my dad told that story on our furloughs. He is certain that God protected us in many dangerous situations because of that little boy's prayers. Jesus listens to children's prayers, and He delights in answering them.
So can you guess what Seth and I are doing today for our "together time"?
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| Digging in the craft box for "creative things". |
Yep, we are making a card and writing back to these children. Thank you so much, Teachers, Miss Kay, and King's Kids!
* Yesterday, we had samosas with salad, so Seth and I will probably have that again today. By the way, the recipe for samosas is on my Kenyan Recipes page for anyone interested in trying it! Samosas are so yummy!
Tuesday, June 26, 2012
Grocery Shopping in Kenya
This week several of us missionary wives are doing a link up on Baptist Missionary Women about grocery prices on our respective mission fields. It should be interesting! So let's talk about Kenya!
Nakumatt is our largest supermarket chain here. There are also a few other smaller chains as well as some individually owned stores.
BJ does most of our grocery shopping for several reasons. I don't drive here, so that means if I go, we all go. Then BJ shops faster without me (Imagine that!), and for some strange reason, he claims that we spend less money when he goes by himself! Ha Ha Sometimes I go just for the fun of it to get out of the house, but you know how it is taking two little ones shopping. Also, wherever we go as a family, we are sure to draw a lot of attention. We usually have trails of children following us all through the store trying to talk with Seth or get a good look at Brina!
These pictures are of a Nakumatt in Nairobi. Nakuru just recently got a Nakumatt store too, so now we do most of our shopping here in Nakuru, with the exception of meat which we still buy at a butcher shop in Nairobi.
Nakumatt is our largest supermarket chain here. There are also a few other smaller chains as well as some individually owned stores.
BJ does most of our grocery shopping for several reasons. I don't drive here, so that means if I go, we all go. Then BJ shops faster without me (Imagine that!), and for some strange reason, he claims that we spend less money when he goes by himself! Ha Ha Sometimes I go just for the fun of it to get out of the house, but you know how it is taking two little ones shopping. Also, wherever we go as a family, we are sure to draw a lot of attention. We usually have trails of children following us all through the store trying to talk with Seth or get a good look at Brina!
These pictures are of a Nakumatt in Nairobi. Nakuru just recently got a Nakumatt store too, so now we do most of our shopping here in Nakuru, with the exception of meat which we still buy at a butcher shop in Nairobi.
Nakumatt has most of what we need. Some things that are not available are chocolate chips, grape jelly, cornmeal, poultry seasoning, cream of tartar, taco seasoning, pepperoni, and some sodas such as Root Beer and Cream Soda. I would not consider any of these needs though. They are definitely things you can live without. Many times, things go in and out of stock. We try to keep stocked up on different items that we like, but you can only stock so far ahead, and you never know what might not be available tomorrow. At one point, there was no sugar in the stores! And when it did come back on the shelves, the price had skyrocketed! They just got real brown sugar back in stock recently. I was so excited to see it! Right now, we are waiting on canned tomato sauce to come back in stock.
I hope to see cranberry sauce again before Thanksgiving. Sometimes the brand of mayonnaise we like goes out of stock, or Heinz ketchup cannot be found on the shelves. But in most cases, there are other brands to replace our favorites. Anything truly Cajun, we have shipped to us. It is simply not possible to go three to four years without our Louisiana food!
So now let's get down to prices. When we first got to Kenya, I was shocked at the prices. I had to get used to seeing everything in 100's and 1,000's, and it was difficult to wrap my mind around that. However, once I learned to convert all those shillings back to American dollars, it wasn't so bad. Right now, we get about 83 Kenyan shillings to 1 American dollar. I find that prices here are pretty comparable to prices in the States, maybe just a little higher. Certain things, however, are definitely higher in price. Here are few examples:
Pancake syrup--$8.61 for a 24 oz. bottle
Chipoltle Tobasco (when we can find it)--$7.65 for a 6 oz bottle. BJ loves this stuff!
Taco sauce/salsa--close to $5.00 a jar
Canned goods--$2.50 to $3.00 a can
15 eggs--$2.30
Hairspray-- $9.00
Shampoo--$7.15
Gas--$5.50 a gallon
Electricity is twice as expensive here as it is in the States.
Chicken and pork are definitely more expensive. Beef is about the same as in the States. Fresh vegetables are quite a bit cheaper here, and they taste SO good. The carrots here are so sweet. Bananas in the States have no flavor compared to the bananas here. Tea (and coffee I'm told) have way more flavor here too.
So that gives you an idea of what grocery shopping is like here in Kenya. I am glad to let BJ handle it for me. He brings home the food, and I cook it!
* Tonight, King Ranch Chicken
Monday, June 25, 2012
A Family Trip to Karen
Yesterday we were gone all day. I had not been to church in Karen in a long time, so we decided to go down there together as a family this week. My day started at 4:30 a.m.--way too early for me! We got there close to 8:00 a.m. BJ teaches sign language before church starts each Sunday. I enjoyed sitting in on his class.
The Deaf start arriving halfway through the sign language class because BJ teaches them immediately after his KSL class. The hearing KSL students stay for the Deaf Bible class too.
I love watching my husband teach and interact with the Deaf. He is teaching them through the book of Romans, and right now they are in chapter two. My heart thrilled to watch Simon, a college-age Deaf young man, remember everything BJ had taught them last week. BJ asked review questions, and Simon had the answers. Please pray for Simon. He is not far from the Kingdom of God. Another young deaf man, Sammy, was saved in January. He still comes faithfully to the Bible classes and soaks up the Word of God like a sponge. Now we are seeing that same hunger in Simon that we saw in Sammy last year. Soon BJ will be in Romans chapter 3. Please be praying, my friends! The Holy Spirit is obviously at work in Simon's heart.
Here are some more pictures I took before church. Karen Baptist Church currently meets in a school building, and the grounds are absolutely beautiful.
The Deaf start arriving halfway through the sign language class because BJ teaches them immediately after his KSL class. The hearing KSL students stay for the Deaf Bible class too.
I love watching my husband teach and interact with the Deaf. He is teaching them through the book of Romans, and right now they are in chapter two. My heart thrilled to watch Simon, a college-age Deaf young man, remember everything BJ had taught them last week. BJ asked review questions, and Simon had the answers. Please pray for Simon. He is not far from the Kingdom of God. Another young deaf man, Sammy, was saved in January. He still comes faithfully to the Bible classes and soaks up the Word of God like a sponge. Now we are seeing that same hunger in Simon that we saw in Sammy last year. Soon BJ will be in Romans chapter 3. Please be praying, my friends! The Holy Spirit is obviously at work in Simon's heart.
Here are some more pictures I took before church. Karen Baptist Church currently meets in a school building, and the grounds are absolutely beautiful.
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| Seth enjoys the playground before and after church. |
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| Gotta pick a flower for Mommy. |
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| Guess who took this picture? |
After church in Karen, we drove back to Nakuru for the evening service. I love making that drive with my husband. We have two and a half hours of quality time to talk and share our hearts--our goals, dreams, and desires with each other. (Seth usually falls asleep!)
During a lull in our conversation, I looked around me at the beauty of Africa. Africa looks different than New Guinea. The Highlands in PNG are breathtakingly beautiful. I've not seen mountains quite like that here. Yet there is a different kind of beauty here that is no less beautiful to me. Driving through the yellow acacia forest in Naivasha. Seeing herds of zebra and antelope on the sides of the road. Looking out over the Great Rift Valley and seeing for miles and miles and miles. I am truly blessed to have such a Creator as my Father!
BJ preached the evening service at Grace. He preached a good missions message. Have I mentioned before that my hubby is my favorite preacher? He preached with ease in Swahili.
Then he taught sign language again after church. I sat in that class too and enjoyed watching the progress that the students are making.
We came home, ate some leftovers, and fell into bed. I was unconscious of anything until almost 7:00 this morning!
* Hamburgers and French Fries
Saturday, June 23, 2012
Living Room Curtains and More Gardening
I've been meaning to post a picture of our new living room curtains. I took this picture at night because there is so much sunlight through these windows during the daytime. We had these made, and I love how they turned out--simple but pretty.
I'm still enjoying gardening. Yesterday, after picking some lettuce leaves for our salads, I realized it is time to plant some more.
I love having fresh lettuce on hand all the time. Seth's guinea pigs eat a lot of lettuce too, so I'm switching to growing their food instead of having to buy it.
Walking around outside yesterday, I wondered what I could use for another lettuce garden. I spied this old chest in my backyard and decided to put it to good use.
It got filled with dirt. Then I planted lettuce in 24 places. If I can keep rotating my lettuce beds, we should have plenty of lettuce all year around.
My sunflower plants are peeking over the top of the hedge.
Seth and I have been munching on radishes. And I transplanted tomato plants the other day. I'm also going to try bell peppers soon. One thing I really love about living on the equator is getting to garden all year around.
Gotta include a Brina picture.
* Today, beef and tater soup with salad and homemade rolls. Hubby likes rolls with that soup. I'll also make a cherry pie for BJ's birthday party tonight. Tomorrow is his birthday, and he requested cherry pie instead of a cake this time.
I have a question for any and all cooks. Does anyone have a good granola bar recipe? I would like to make them for BJ to take on his trips to Nairobi each week. They are the perfect snack food. I would love to try any recipes you might know of!
I'm still enjoying gardening. Yesterday, after picking some lettuce leaves for our salads, I realized it is time to plant some more.
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| Trying eggplant in these cartons |
Walking around outside yesterday, I wondered what I could use for another lettuce garden. I spied this old chest in my backyard and decided to put it to good use.
It got filled with dirt. Then I planted lettuce in 24 places. If I can keep rotating my lettuce beds, we should have plenty of lettuce all year around.
My sunflower plants are peeking over the top of the hedge.
Seth and I have been munching on radishes. And I transplanted tomato plants the other day. I'm also going to try bell peppers soon. One thing I really love about living on the equator is getting to garden all year around.
Gotta include a Brina picture.
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| I love baby chubbiness. So squeezable. |
I have a question for any and all cooks. Does anyone have a good granola bar recipe? I would like to make them for BJ to take on his trips to Nairobi each week. They are the perfect snack food. I would love to try any recipes you might know of!
Friday, June 22, 2012
Cormier Photography Again
Today was another get-up-early-take-a-family-picture-all-by-ourselves day.
Some of our supporting churches have asked for a new prayer card since Brina was born. The last family picture was "okay" (though not a favorite of mine) except for the fact that the remote control we used was in plain sight in the picture. BJ and I are not real picky when it comes to family pictures (how can you be?), but we had to admit, the remote would look kind of tacky in a prayer card!
So that meant another family picture had to be taken. It meant getting up at the crack of dawn before the sun gets too bright in the sky. It meant making sure the baby is fed and happy and not too tired and cranky. It meant getting everyone up, dressed, and looking sharp. Seth asked if we were going to church today.
We used the back of the car again . . . and a box and a book and balanced the camera up there on top of it all. The remote was not an option this time, so BJ set the timer and then had the run of his life around bushes this way and that to get to his chair, smooth Brina's dress down, and look natural for the picture. My smile in that picture was genuine, Folks! It was hilarious watching BJ do that! Look at Brina's face. It's as if she's saying, "Whew! That was an ordeal." Needless to say, we only tried that four times, and this was the best of the four. It will have to do!
Call it family fun on the mission field--self photography. After the second or third try, BJ looked at me and stated, "After this, we are getting our prayer card made every four years!" Ha Ha
* Chicken Ceasar Salads (fresh lettuce straight from my garden!) with pizza
Some of our supporting churches have asked for a new prayer card since Brina was born. The last family picture was "okay" (though not a favorite of mine) except for the fact that the remote control we used was in plain sight in the picture. BJ and I are not real picky when it comes to family pictures (how can you be?), but we had to admit, the remote would look kind of tacky in a prayer card!
So that meant another family picture had to be taken. It meant getting up at the crack of dawn before the sun gets too bright in the sky. It meant making sure the baby is fed and happy and not too tired and cranky. It meant getting everyone up, dressed, and looking sharp. Seth asked if we were going to church today.
We used the back of the car again . . . and a box and a book and balanced the camera up there on top of it all. The remote was not an option this time, so BJ set the timer and then had the run of his life around bushes this way and that to get to his chair, smooth Brina's dress down, and look natural for the picture. My smile in that picture was genuine, Folks! It was hilarious watching BJ do that! Look at Brina's face. It's as if she's saying, "Whew! That was an ordeal." Needless to say, we only tried that four times, and this was the best of the four. It will have to do!
Call it family fun on the mission field--self photography. After the second or third try, BJ looked at me and stated, "After this, we are getting our prayer card made every four years!" Ha Ha
* Chicken Ceasar Salads (fresh lettuce straight from my garden!) with pizza
Wednesday, June 20, 2012
Monkey See Monkey Do
I wasn't real sure what to title this post because I am playing catch up here. It's liable to be a little bit of everything.
Brina and I got sick Sunday. We managed to go for the morning service. The national missionary that Grace supports in Tanzania was here visiting, and he preached. It was good to see him and his family again and to hear how the work is going there.
We both stayed home Sunday evening because we were both feeling worse by that time. We just had a bad cold or maybe the flu, but we both felt pretty miserable. Brina is probably teething on top of it, so for the last three days, I've been holding, rocking, bouncing, nursing, and comforting my baby trying to console her and make her feel better. BJ tried, but when she doesn't feel good, she just wants me. Misery loves company!
Today, though we are both feeling somewhat better.
Now you're probably wondering about that title, "Monkey See, Monkey Do". No, it's not because I got sick and Brina followed suit! I learned something this last week that I thought I'd mention.
As a busy mommy, I rarely have time to read books it seems. But I love to read. This past week or two, I have been reading more, especially these last few days when I didn't feel like doing anything else. I usually feel guilty with my nose in a book though. I feel like I am focused on myself instead of on those around me. (And who can concentrate anyway with a boy who loves to talk and a 5-month old baby?) However, it has been nice to read more. There is so much you can learn just by picking up a book.
When school ended for the year, I noticed Seth reading less and less. It bothered me, and when I asked him about it, he told me he'd rather be doing other things than reading. I guess that is okay, but it still bothered me.
His daddy is an avid reader. BJ is always reading about 10 books at the same time. I don't see how he keeps them all straight, but he does eventually finish them. Then he picks up more. Right now, he is reading books about the history of Kenya so he can better understand the culture and the people here.
So lately, with my nose in a book, and Daddy reading too, guess what I've been seeing a lot more of lately? Yep, every time I turn around Seth is reading a different book. The bottom shelf of the living room bookcase is full of his books as is the bookshelf in his bedroom. And all of a sudden, I'm finding piles of books everywhere else. I'm loving it!
I want to show you his box. He found this box in the garage and asked if he could sleep in it all night. He wanted to sleep in it downstairs by the back door. We compromised. We carried the box upstairs to his room, and he slept in it there.
Well, for part of the night at least. The next morning, BJ asked him if his box was comfortable to sleep in. Seth wrinkled his nose and admitted that he'd moved to his bed for the second half of the night. Last night though, he slept in his box the whole night through.
The box has also become his "book nook". He loves reading in there!
So all of that to say, if you want your kids to read, then READ and don't feel one bit guilty about it!
And now for one last picture of Brina.
Her newest thing is this sucking/smacking that she does. She sucks on her tongue then smacks it with a loud pop! She does it over and over and over and keeps herself entertained that way for quite a while. I love watching those adorable little lips pucker up like that! Makes me want to kiss her to pieces every time she does it!
* Philly Steak Sandwiches today. I love 'em!
Brina and I got sick Sunday. We managed to go for the morning service. The national missionary that Grace supports in Tanzania was here visiting, and he preached. It was good to see him and his family again and to hear how the work is going there.
We both stayed home Sunday evening because we were both feeling worse by that time. We just had a bad cold or maybe the flu, but we both felt pretty miserable. Brina is probably teething on top of it, so for the last three days, I've been holding, rocking, bouncing, nursing, and comforting my baby trying to console her and make her feel better. BJ tried, but when she doesn't feel good, she just wants me. Misery loves company!
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| Yesterday, the only thing that seemed to make her happy was her diaper bag. A comfort thing? |
Now you're probably wondering about that title, "Monkey See, Monkey Do". No, it's not because I got sick and Brina followed suit! I learned something this last week that I thought I'd mention.
As a busy mommy, I rarely have time to read books it seems. But I love to read. This past week or two, I have been reading more, especially these last few days when I didn't feel like doing anything else. I usually feel guilty with my nose in a book though. I feel like I am focused on myself instead of on those around me. (And who can concentrate anyway with a boy who loves to talk and a 5-month old baby?) However, it has been nice to read more. There is so much you can learn just by picking up a book.
When school ended for the year, I noticed Seth reading less and less. It bothered me, and when I asked him about it, he told me he'd rather be doing other things than reading. I guess that is okay, but it still bothered me.
His daddy is an avid reader. BJ is always reading about 10 books at the same time. I don't see how he keeps them all straight, but he does eventually finish them. Then he picks up more. Right now, he is reading books about the history of Kenya so he can better understand the culture and the people here.
So lately, with my nose in a book, and Daddy reading too, guess what I've been seeing a lot more of lately? Yep, every time I turn around Seth is reading a different book. The bottom shelf of the living room bookcase is full of his books as is the bookshelf in his bedroom. And all of a sudden, I'm finding piles of books everywhere else. I'm loving it!
I want to show you his box. He found this box in the garage and asked if he could sleep in it all night. He wanted to sleep in it downstairs by the back door. We compromised. We carried the box upstairs to his room, and he slept in it there.
Well, for part of the night at least. The next morning, BJ asked him if his box was comfortable to sleep in. Seth wrinkled his nose and admitted that he'd moved to his bed for the second half of the night. Last night though, he slept in his box the whole night through.
The box has also become his "book nook". He loves reading in there!
So all of that to say, if you want your kids to read, then READ and don't feel one bit guilty about it!
And now for one last picture of Brina.
Her newest thing is this sucking/smacking that she does. She sucks on her tongue then smacks it with a loud pop! She does it over and over and over and keeps herself entertained that way for quite a while. I love watching those adorable little lips pucker up like that! Makes me want to kiss her to pieces every time she does it!
* Philly Steak Sandwiches today. I love 'em!
Saturday, June 16, 2012
Pony Hair
Barrets don't stay in and neither do bows. Her hair is too soft. But we've found something that works--"pony hair". That is what Seth calls it anyway.
It is so nice to have her hair out of her eyes, and we think it looks adorable sticking straight up!
You never know what Seth is going to try next. I can hardly keep up with him! This morning we are making coconut chocolate chip cookies for Daddy. Shhhhh! It's a secret. He gets to open all of his presents tonight.
* Tonight we are having spaghetti with garlic toast.
It is so nice to have her hair out of her eyes, and we think it looks adorable sticking straight up!
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| Looks like she's saying, "Whoa, that is a BIG bottle!" |
* Tonight we are having spaghetti with garlic toast.
Thursday, June 14, 2012
The Things Daddy Says . . .
about his baby girl. The other day, he came down the stairs with her in his arms. She had just woke up, and Daddy said, "Look. Brina's got the hair day to end all hair days!"
This morning, he added that she has Frankenstein hair! Poor thing.
At this point in her life, our daughter does not care what Daddy says about her. From the adoring look in her eyes, he is her hero! Want to see a content baby? You should see her when her Daddy is playing with her. She focuses on him, and absolutely loves having his attention!
It is Thursday again. BJ went to Karen, so Seth, Brina, and I had our "together-time". We made Father's Day presents today. Seth was excited when I told him the plan this morning; he immediately started whispering! As if we need to whisper when Daddy is 2 and a half hours away!
Even Brina had a part. We made footprint and handprint pictures for Daddy with poems on the side. We'll probably give them to him Saturday night.
Seth enjoyed me painting his hand green. Green was the color he picked. We used his watercolor paints. Brina didn't enjoy it so much. I sure had fun painting those cute little feet though!
We also decorated a tin can (in the first picture) for Daddy to have a "money bucket" for his lose change. Chocolate chip cookies are in the plans for Father's Day too. We'll probably make them together Saturday morning.
* Hamburger swiss steak was a first time try for me yesterday. BJ liked it. I love it when that happens! That means another meal in my recipe box. So today, Seth and I will have it for leftovers, and I will make something else tomorrow--probably chicken and biscuits which is simply chicken pot pie ingredients with homemade biscuits on the side. We like it better that way than in a pie crust.
This morning, he added that she has Frankenstein hair! Poor thing.
At this point in her life, our daughter does not care what Daddy says about her. From the adoring look in her eyes, he is her hero! Want to see a content baby? You should see her when her Daddy is playing with her. She focuses on him, and absolutely loves having his attention!
It is Thursday again. BJ went to Karen, so Seth, Brina, and I had our "together-time". We made Father's Day presents today. Seth was excited when I told him the plan this morning; he immediately started whispering! As if we need to whisper when Daddy is 2 and a half hours away!
Even Brina had a part. We made footprint and handprint pictures for Daddy with poems on the side. We'll probably give them to him Saturday night.
Seth enjoyed me painting his hand green. Green was the color he picked. We used his watercolor paints. Brina didn't enjoy it so much. I sure had fun painting those cute little feet though!
We also decorated a tin can (in the first picture) for Daddy to have a "money bucket" for his lose change. Chocolate chip cookies are in the plans for Father's Day too. We'll probably make them together Saturday morning.
* Hamburger swiss steak was a first time try for me yesterday. BJ liked it. I love it when that happens! That means another meal in my recipe box. So today, Seth and I will have it for leftovers, and I will make something else tomorrow--probably chicken and biscuits which is simply chicken pot pie ingredients with homemade biscuits on the side. We like it better that way than in a pie crust.
Wednesday, June 13, 2012
From the Heart of My Sister
They say siblings think alike. It must be true because my sister and I have been thinking along the very same lines lately without even talking to each other. She wrote this, and it really touched my heart. I knew it would be a blessing to you as well.
We heard yesterday that Bro. Danny Hall passed away. My heart breaks for his wife and family, though I know that they know that he's in a much better place and that he's so happy to finally be there. Still the pain that his wife must bear in the night when the truth of her loss sets in. Their memories together will stay with her forever. He ran his race well! Bro. Danny's testimony, faithfulness, and love for his Lord will stay with us as an example for us to follow.
Whenever I hear of someone going Home, my own heart almost hurts with envy! Maybe that's not right, but oh, how I long to go! I know that must sound morbid to some, but my heart envies those who are finally with their Lord. Finally walking those beautiful streets. Finally reuniting with loved ones. Finally free of this world! Finally Home! Oh, the joys they must experience there! Sometimes I feel like a child who got left at home when all my friends got to go to the zoo! How I long for the trumpet to blow! It brings tears to my eyes, tears of longing! When I hear of a saint passing on to glory, the reality once again hits me of how real Heaven is. The beauty of it, the glory, the face of the Lord. I can only imagine what it will be like!
I remember those days and nights before Rebekah died. I remember seeing how her face lit up with a smile seconds before she breathed her last breath. If Heaven could bring a smile to a six day old baby's face, oh, it must be wonderful! I think of those verses about how the pain of this life is so small when compared to the joys of Heaven, the fact that we can't even begin to imagine what it'll be like! I lay in bed many a night thinking about it, trying to picture it in my mind. There's hardly a day that goes by where I don't look up at the sky wondering, "Could this be the day?"
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| My sister, JoAnna, with Audra |
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| Christian |
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| He'd open it at random, lean over the Bible and mumble as he "read". Then he raised the Bible over his head shouting "AMEN!" |
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| Audra |
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| Andy with Christian |
When Rebekah died, a part of me left this world. I am more torn now than ever before. Though I know that my work is not finished here, my heart longs to leave this place. My heart longs to see my baby girl again. My heart longs to see the One Who loves me so much. The One Who died for me. The One in Who's hand my very existence lies. Yes, I long to go, too. There's nothing holding me to this world. Oh, I'm not the perfect Christian by any stretch. And how often do I fail my Lord! How often do I fail to do the things I know I should. How often do I get so busy that I shove the more important things aside for later. No, I'm not perfect. But somewhere deep inside of me, there's a longing to be perfect in God's eyes. There's a yearning to hear Him say, "Well done, thou good and faithful servant!" Oh, I know when I get there, I'll be so far back in the line, I'll just see the faint glow of God's throne somewhere off in the distance! My dad ingrained one thing in me over the years, though. That is Don't Quit! Just keep plodding along, no matter how tough, lonely, disappointing, or painful it gets. Just keep on going one step at a time. So tomorrow, I'll wake up again, and ask, "Could this be the day?" Even so Come, Lord Jesus!!!"
It's me again. It won't be long. One just has to read (or watch) the news to know that things are happening in the world exactly the way the Bible said they would right before the Lord comes back. It could be days. It could be months. It could be years, but I do not think it will be very many years. So exciting! I echo her prayer, "Even so come, Lord Jesus!"
* Swiss steak, baked potatoes, and corn
It's me again. It won't be long. One just has to read (or watch) the news to know that things are happening in the world exactly the way the Bible said they would right before the Lord comes back. It could be days. It could be months. It could be years, but I do not think it will be very many years. So exciting! I echo her prayer, "Even so come, Lord Jesus!"
* Swiss steak, baked potatoes, and corn
Monday, June 11, 2012
Brina's Giggles
I hope Brina's grandparents can watch this. I love listening to her laugh and giggle. She adores her big brother. When no one else can get a smile or a laugh out of her, he can. She is smiley and happy most of the time, but I think the teething months are setting in, and some days, she is just grouchy. Here she was loving her big brother's attention though!
Sunday, June 10, 2012
More Souls for Christ
David's mom and dad have been coming to church for the last month or so. Several weeks ago, BJ and one of the men in the church went to visit them, and Baba David got saved. Then yesterday, BJ went with Pastor Isaac, one of the assistant pastors, to visit them again, and this time, Mama David got saved. BJ was able to lead her to Christ.
While Pastor Isaac talked with David's dad, BJ asked Mama David when it was she got saved. So she told him her story how that when she was a girl in grade school, she went to church classes for a while. Then she had to take a written test. After that, they told her she could be baptized. That is what she did, and that was how she thought she got saved.
She very willingly listened as BJ explained to her what the Bible says about salvation and soon realized on her own that her testimony did not line up with God's plan of salvation. She gladly received Christ into her heart! Immediately afterwards, she asked this question, "Jesus has done so much for me. What can I now do for Him?"
Baba David and Mama David both wanted to be baptized today, and they want to join our church.
Unfortunately, their little boy, David, boards at the Deaf School even on the weekends. However, when he is on breaks, he will be in church with his parents. In the meantime, he will probably get more out of the Bible Clubs we are holding there at his school. BJ is planning the next lesson on Adam and Eve. He is starting at the beginning and will correlate the Bible stories with the Gospel every time. Eventually God will bring in the increase there at the Ngala Deaf School.
Three more were baptized today in addition to David's parents. That's about 15 people recently saved and baptized in the last three weeks.
During the month of June, Pastor Oloo has been preaching on missions and our responsibility to a lost and dying world. His message today left me in tears. What a blessing that a message in Swahili can so touch my heart! Pastor Oloo has never gotten over the day he came to Christ! He preached Matthew 11:28 where Jesus says, "Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." Rest from the burden of sin is found only through Jesus Christ.
After the message, two teenage girls came forward to be saved. I think God is bringing revival to Grace Bible Baptist Church, and it is a blessing to be a part of it.
Pastor Isaac returned last week from the Congo with the news that 16 people had been saved there this past month. The men in the church take turns going on mission trips to Uvira, Congo where God has allowed Grace Bible Baptist to plant another church. Each month, one of the assistant pastors takes one of the men in the church and together they are sent out to spend a month there in the Congo. When they return at the end of the month, two more men are sent out to take their place and so on. In this way, the church there in the Congo has grown by leaps and bounds.
This kind of fruit does not happen every week. Like I said, it is God bringing revival. Thank you so much for praying!
While Pastor Isaac talked with David's dad, BJ asked Mama David when it was she got saved. So she told him her story how that when she was a girl in grade school, she went to church classes for a while. Then she had to take a written test. After that, they told her she could be baptized. That is what she did, and that was how she thought she got saved.
She very willingly listened as BJ explained to her what the Bible says about salvation and soon realized on her own that her testimony did not line up with God's plan of salvation. She gladly received Christ into her heart! Immediately afterwards, she asked this question, "Jesus has done so much for me. What can I now do for Him?"
Baba David and Mama David both wanted to be baptized today, and they want to join our church.
Unfortunately, their little boy, David, boards at the Deaf School even on the weekends. However, when he is on breaks, he will be in church with his parents. In the meantime, he will probably get more out of the Bible Clubs we are holding there at his school. BJ is planning the next lesson on Adam and Eve. He is starting at the beginning and will correlate the Bible stories with the Gospel every time. Eventually God will bring in the increase there at the Ngala Deaf School.
Three more were baptized today in addition to David's parents. That's about 15 people recently saved and baptized in the last three weeks.
During the month of June, Pastor Oloo has been preaching on missions and our responsibility to a lost and dying world. His message today left me in tears. What a blessing that a message in Swahili can so touch my heart! Pastor Oloo has never gotten over the day he came to Christ! He preached Matthew 11:28 where Jesus says, "Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." Rest from the burden of sin is found only through Jesus Christ.
After the message, two teenage girls came forward to be saved. I think God is bringing revival to Grace Bible Baptist Church, and it is a blessing to be a part of it.
Pastor Isaac returned last week from the Congo with the news that 16 people had been saved there this past month. The men in the church take turns going on mission trips to Uvira, Congo where God has allowed Grace Bible Baptist to plant another church. Each month, one of the assistant pastors takes one of the men in the church and together they are sent out to spend a month there in the Congo. When they return at the end of the month, two more men are sent out to take their place and so on. In this way, the church there in the Congo has grown by leaps and bounds.
This kind of fruit does not happen every week. Like I said, it is God bringing revival. Thank you so much for praying!
Saturday, June 9, 2012
Perhaps Today!
I took this picture out my back door. Isn't the sunlight reflecting off the clouds so beautiful?
As I drank in the view, my heart longed to see Jesus suddenly appear in the clouds for me. Oh, to soon hear those words, "Come up hither!"
"But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord." (I Thessalonians 4:13-17)
"Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ." (I Corinthians 15:51-57)
"After this I looked, and, behold, a door was opened in heaven: and the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me; which said, Come up hither . . . " (Revelation 4:1)
Some do not believe in the Rapture when Jesus will take his people to Heaven. His people are those who trust in Him alone for salvation, for forgiveness of their sins. I believe in the Rapture with my whole heart. I know it will take place because it is clearly foretold in the Bible, God's Holy Word. There is coming a day when I will finally get to see Jesus' face, the One Who died to redeem ME!" Oh, precious thought!
What makes me so sure that I'll be Heaven-bound at the Rapture? Because I know that my salvation does not depend on me, on anything that I have done or not done. The work has already been done! Jesus paid the penalty of my sin for me because He knew that I'd never be able to pay it myself. What love!
So the big question is: Are we to do good works? Are we to live clean, holy lives? Yes, of course. But not to earn salvation. Why try to pay for something again when it's already been paid for? Jesus offers life freely to those who will simply place their full and complete trust in Him for salvation. I strive to live a righteous life simply to show my love and thanks for the One Who paid that awful price for me. It is true that I'll never be able to thank Him enough, but I want to try to make Him smile every day that I live.
"Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works." (Titus 2:13-14)
* Fried chicken, ranch potatoes, and corn
As I drank in the view, my heart longed to see Jesus suddenly appear in the clouds for me. Oh, to soon hear those words, "Come up hither!"
"But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord." (I Thessalonians 4:13-17)
"Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ." (I Corinthians 15:51-57)
"After this I looked, and, behold, a door was opened in heaven: and the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me; which said, Come up hither . . . " (Revelation 4:1)
Some do not believe in the Rapture when Jesus will take his people to Heaven. His people are those who trust in Him alone for salvation, for forgiveness of their sins. I believe in the Rapture with my whole heart. I know it will take place because it is clearly foretold in the Bible, God's Holy Word. There is coming a day when I will finally get to see Jesus' face, the One Who died to redeem ME!" Oh, precious thought!
What makes me so sure that I'll be Heaven-bound at the Rapture? Because I know that my salvation does not depend on me, on anything that I have done or not done. The work has already been done! Jesus paid the penalty of my sin for me because He knew that I'd never be able to pay it myself. What love!
So the big question is: Are we to do good works? Are we to live clean, holy lives? Yes, of course. But not to earn salvation. Why try to pay for something again when it's already been paid for? Jesus offers life freely to those who will simply place their full and complete trust in Him for salvation. I strive to live a righteous life simply to show my love and thanks for the One Who paid that awful price for me. It is true that I'll never be able to thank Him enough, but I want to try to make Him smile every day that I live.
"Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works." (Titus 2:13-14)
* Fried chicken, ranch potatoes, and corn
Thursday, June 7, 2012
Monkey Bread Picnic
This is a grandparent post--lots of pictures!
Seth decided that he wanted to have a picnic for our special day together. So I began wondering what kind of picnic food I could make that would be easy to eat outside on a blanket. Yesterday, I saw Kami's idea of making monkey bread, and I knew it would be the perfect kid food for a picnic! Because I did not know you could make monkey bread with homemade biscuits, I've never made it here in Kenya.
So began our fun day together. First, we cooked. We both had to wear aprons, of course.
Notice his cheeks. Yeah, he was snitchin' sugary bites of biscuit every time he put one in the pan!
When the monkey bread was done, we all headed outside with a quilt, a coloring book, and some crayons.
Seth and I ate the yummy monkey bread while Brina enjoyed the wind in her hair. After our "meal", we colored pictures together. Brina got very interested in my crayon. I think she wanted to color too . . . or maybe she wanted to taste that crayon!
Then we took pictures of our pictures. Seth LOVES to use my camera. Hey, it has buttons to push!
Such a fun time together. It is "funner" with Daddy home, but I want my children to remember our special Thursdays. We can still have fun while waiting for Daddy to come home.
* Probably hotdogs for supper. Seth loves hotdogs, and I love how simple they are to cook!
Seth decided that he wanted to have a picnic for our special day together. So I began wondering what kind of picnic food I could make that would be easy to eat outside on a blanket. Yesterday, I saw Kami's idea of making monkey bread, and I knew it would be the perfect kid food for a picnic! Because I did not know you could make monkey bread with homemade biscuits, I've never made it here in Kenya.
So began our fun day together. First, we cooked. We both had to wear aprons, of course.
Notice his cheeks. Yeah, he was snitchin' sugary bites of biscuit every time he put one in the pan!
When the monkey bread was done, we all headed outside with a quilt, a coloring book, and some crayons.
Seth and I ate the yummy monkey bread while Brina enjoyed the wind in her hair. After our "meal", we colored pictures together. Brina got very interested in my crayon. I think she wanted to color too . . . or maybe she wanted to taste that crayon!
Then we took pictures of our pictures. Seth LOVES to use my camera. Hey, it has buttons to push!
Such a fun time together. It is "funner" with Daddy home, but I want my children to remember our special Thursdays. We can still have fun while waiting for Daddy to come home.
* Probably hotdogs for supper. Seth loves hotdogs, and I love how simple they are to cook!
Wednesday, June 6, 2012
Wanna Have a Contest?
I have 64 flies on mine. Think you can beat me?
It might be a silly post, but it brought back a good memory and a story I have to share.
Years ago on a mountain in Papua New Guinea lived a missionary family of four. The flies were really bad that year for some reason probably because of a drought we were having--not normal in PNG. It rains almost every day there. Anyway, those pesky, little creatures were driving us crazy!
We put up with them for a while. Finally, in sheer frustration, we sent up a prayer. It seemed like such a trivial prayer, not really a need, more like a really strong desire. "Lord," we prayed, "We could really use some fly tape."
On our next trip to Mt. Hagen town, we shopped high and low for fly tape. We asked store employees if they had any, and we got a lot of blank looks. The people there had no idea what we were talking about! So we went back home and decided that we would just have to live with the flies. It was a fact of life on our mission field.
Before long, Dad had to make another trip into town. He brought back a box shipped to us from America. Oh, those were grand times--all of us gathered around a box or a package as one thing at a time was removed and oohed and aahed over. There were miscellaneous things in that box, things like little girl hairbows and toys. It wasn't long before we were down to the bottom of the box. Dad leaned over and looked in. Puzzled, he pulled out a very plain, brown, paper bag. Imagine our awe as we looked in the bag and beheld 8 to 10 rolls of fly tape!
We had not told a soul except the Lord. Someone, (I cannot even remember who) had shipped that box months before we even prayed for fly tape. A very precious promise in the Bible goes like this, "And it shall come to pass, that before they call, I will answer; and while they are yet speaking, I will hear." (Isaiah 65:24)
Memories like these are why I do not regret growing up on the mission field.
"For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to shew himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him." (II Chronicles 16:9)
* Breakfast--Banana muffins, scrambled eggs, and bacon
* Lunch-- Pizza breads
* Leftover red beans and rice
It might be a silly post, but it brought back a good memory and a story I have to share.
Years ago on a mountain in Papua New Guinea lived a missionary family of four. The flies were really bad that year for some reason probably because of a drought we were having--not normal in PNG. It rains almost every day there. Anyway, those pesky, little creatures were driving us crazy!
We put up with them for a while. Finally, in sheer frustration, we sent up a prayer. It seemed like such a trivial prayer, not really a need, more like a really strong desire. "Lord," we prayed, "We could really use some fly tape."
On our next trip to Mt. Hagen town, we shopped high and low for fly tape. We asked store employees if they had any, and we got a lot of blank looks. The people there had no idea what we were talking about! So we went back home and decided that we would just have to live with the flies. It was a fact of life on our mission field.
Before long, Dad had to make another trip into town. He brought back a box shipped to us from America. Oh, those were grand times--all of us gathered around a box or a package as one thing at a time was removed and oohed and aahed over. There were miscellaneous things in that box, things like little girl hairbows and toys. It wasn't long before we were down to the bottom of the box. Dad leaned over and looked in. Puzzled, he pulled out a very plain, brown, paper bag. Imagine our awe as we looked in the bag and beheld 8 to 10 rolls of fly tape!
We had not told a soul except the Lord. Someone, (I cannot even remember who) had shipped that box months before we even prayed for fly tape. A very precious promise in the Bible goes like this, "And it shall come to pass, that before they call, I will answer; and while they are yet speaking, I will hear." (Isaiah 65:24)
Memories like these are why I do not regret growing up on the mission field.
"For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to shew himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him." (II Chronicles 16:9)
* Breakfast--Banana muffins, scrambled eggs, and bacon
* Lunch-- Pizza breads
* Leftover red beans and rice
Tuesday, June 5, 2012
Clean Water to Drink
Long gone are the days of simply turning on the faucet for a glass of water to drink. That was a difficult habit to break. It was even more difficult to break the habit of rinsing our toothbrushes in tap water. And we had to train Seth not to drink the water while taking a shower! Yes, any water that goes in our mouths or that I cook with comes from this water filter right here. We call it our Stefani because that is its name brand.
Every day, I pour tap water in the top of it. It filters the water, and then when we turn on the spigot there, we have clean water to drink.
When we moved to Nakuru, we found that our Stefani alone was not enough. The water here is much dirtier, so a dirt "crust" was forming quickly on the filters in the Stefani which majorly slowed down the flow of water. BJ has to take it apart to clean it for me about every two weeks now. So as a backup system, we got this water dispenser as well.
We buy bottles of water for this dispenser. Seth uses this one for drinking water because he can reach it. And I use it when my Stefani is not working as efficiently as I need it to.
I am so thankful for clean water.
We have never gotten sick from water the whole time we have been here. I know it is because of God's protection on our family and also from being careful. In many ways, missionaries' lives change when they move to the mission field, and this is just one of those changes that our family had to get used to. It has become a new normal for us.
* Bread pudding for breakfast
* Broccoli carrot soup for lunch (leftover from yesterday)
* And tonight, we are having red beans and rice. Good ole Louisiana food! We found some good sausage to put in it. The sausage is made right here in Nakuru--a blessing for us.
Every day, I pour tap water in the top of it. It filters the water, and then when we turn on the spigot there, we have clean water to drink.
When we moved to Nakuru, we found that our Stefani alone was not enough. The water here is much dirtier, so a dirt "crust" was forming quickly on the filters in the Stefani which majorly slowed down the flow of water. BJ has to take it apart to clean it for me about every two weeks now. So as a backup system, we got this water dispenser as well.
We buy bottles of water for this dispenser. Seth uses this one for drinking water because he can reach it. And I use it when my Stefani is not working as efficiently as I need it to.
I am so thankful for clean water.
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| A bottle of filtered water is kept on the sink at all times. |
* Bread pudding for breakfast
* Broccoli carrot soup for lunch (leftover from yesterday)
* And tonight, we are having red beans and rice. Good ole Louisiana food! We found some good sausage to put in it. The sausage is made right here in Nakuru--a blessing for us.
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