The holiday is over.
Christmas was not as hard as Thanksgiving this year without the kids.
I am not sure why. It seems like sometimes I feel so sad and
other times not.

My kids left about 9 years ago for Vanuatu. I never questioned their
desire to serve God in the mission field or their commitment to translation.
even though I knew that their commitment would keep them away
for a very long time.
I knew that I could never stand in the way of God's calling.
But I did question my feelings of sadness and pain over their going.
Some times were and still are harder than
others. The first holiday was very
hard. Having my fourth grandchild leave at only 5 weeks was very hard.
Having Michele sick when she left was very hard.
Having my only granddaughter
thousands of miles away was and still is very hard.

I recognized that sometimes the Christian walk is bittersweet.
Good and bad, happy and sad, and I know that it is the difficult things that
God uses to mature us, teach us,and even disipline us.

During these times I have tried to respond in faith. Faith that God knows all and I can trust Him. Faith that He loves both me and my children and grandchildren.
Faith that nothing happens to me or mine that doesn't pass through His fingers of
love.

Having said all this I was so blessed when I read in "Parents of Missionaries"
that Grief is the label I can put on these feelings.
Grief is what I have experienced. Grief, yes that feels right to me.

No wonder that I have always loved the verse in Isaiah 53:3 that describes Jesus as one aquainted with grief. I like to think that He is my grief bearer.

Saturday Afternoon on Tanna....

Took them 2 1/2 hours to hike to this water fall, but it was worth it. How beautiful.

Looks like fun....

Joy To The World....

I was just watching the T.V. show "Monk" a special Christmas episode.

"Joy is a trick, a diversion, it is not real," said Monk.
That's pretty extreme... it made me stop and think.

I know that joy is real and not a trick because the JOY of the Lord is my strength.

But how can we still have JOY during this holiday season when we are missing our kids, and not feeling very joyful?
Start by keeping our focus on the "Reason for the Season", Jesus our Saviour.


I love the scripture in Philippians 2:5 that tells us that Jesus gave up His throne to come to earth and save mankind.

"Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross, for this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name. so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow."

Matthew's Gospel recalls Isaiah's prophesy that applies to Mary and Jesus.

"The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son,and they will call him Immanuel- which means God with Us"

"In Jesus, God would succeed in a unique way, becoming a man in order to save the world not from the outside, but from the inside Immanuel, God with us, to rescue, redeem, and restore our relationship with him." Ann Spangler

It is the truth of the Gospel that we can focus on this holiday season that will bring us Joy and Peace.
It is the truth of the Gospel that motivates our children to serve Him in full time service.

Another Way to Fill our season with JOY is to
spend more time in prayer for our kids.
We are apart, but God is with them.
My prayer is for much blessing on them during this holiday time.
That they will not be to homesick, and that the people in the village will see Christ in them.

Finally I find that if I try and focus on being thankful it helps. Thankfulness seems to put the sadness in its proper perspective, and fills my heart with the JOY of the Lord. He has been so good to my family, and I praise Him for that.

Thank you to those who have left messages of encouragement and for your prayers. It blesses me that we can support one another, and that as missionary parents we have something in common. When my children first left it was very hard to find any one that understood my pain, over the years that has changed and I am thankful.

CHRISTMAS SURPRISE

I received a large box this morning with this beautiful basket inside. The basket is my Christmas gift and it was made for me by Mamma Nettie. I love it.

Holidays....Hard time...

Obviously I haven't written for a month. I have been traveling and busy, but the real reasons are that I'm not sure anyone reads this blog, and right now I'm feeling really sad about the kids being gone and writing about it has not been really appealing to me, but I decided it was time to get off my "pity pot" , express it, and see if it helps.

I am thankful for their work. This week Michele said that they were 25% through the New Testament translation. How exciting is that? I love God's Word, and I especially love that Erik and Michele love God's Word.

O God, I pray that your Word will go out with power and conviction to the people of Tanna.

On Thanksgiving I missed them.....
I think that even if they had been in the states and not with us I would have been better, but they are so far away.
Having them away for the holidays is nothing new, they have been serving in Tanna for 8 years, but this year I was so sad.....

They are having hard time right now. Not that they complain they don't, but water is not working in the village, and that means that they have to use collected water in the tank or they have to collect it down the hill in the stream. Having been there I know that this has to be so hard. It has been raining and that helps with water in the tank, but also keeps the water from being fixed.
Little Joel, who is three, will not use the toilet.
Because of the lack of water they have to use the hole in the ground, and he is terrified of it so he prefers pooping most any place else. That was Michele's pray request this week.
Pray that Joel will poop on toilet.

I got their Christmas packages off on time. I am so thankful. It took a week of collecting, packing, and mailing, but they will be on time. Hopefully they will be able to get to town and pick them up.

The Nebress's are back. They are another missionary couple with children. They are family to one another.....
They have been on furlough for over a year, but they will spend Christmas together. That is a blessing. Gives me a peace.

Well I feel better. I am thankful that God is near to the broken hearted, and right now I am a little broken hearted.
I am thankful that God is with them, that He will not let go of them.