Parent Of A Missionary... My Reflections

Quietly Enduring...

2012-01-29T15:18:00.000-08:00

My kids are back on Tanna Island.
They went back two weeks ago.
The work must go on, and they have a consultant
coming this week.
It has been raining continuously since they arrived. .
The South Pacific is a miserable place when the
rain sets in.
Everything stinks of mildew, no laundry will dry
it hangs on the line til the rain stops.
The water usually goes out in the village, and
everything will be covered with mud.

We have good news though. The v-sat that
allows the kids to E-mail and Skype has not worked
since before furlough. There was no way to fix it
because there was no way to get the parts.
Well, while in NZ Erik got the parts he needed.
He put them on the plane, and was able to get
the v-sat working.
This is a huge praise.
Isn't it just like God to use something bad for some good?
Even with all that rain, communication hasn't broken down.

There are other struggles going on...
things that only God can fix.
I asked Erik, how Michele was doing, "she is quietly enduring, " he responded.

I'm sure that is what God would have us POM's do also... Quietly endure
in His grace as we watch our children struggle and we are not able
to help.

Auckland New Zealand

2012-01-10T17:39:00.000-08:00

David and Drex

2012-01-07T07:29:00.000-08:00

Drex loves David
I love this photo...

Life is Tough.....

2012-01-04T09:26:00.000-08:00

Its been a tough month for some of us POM's (parents of missionaries). We have had many urgent prayer requests on the POM network on yahoo. I can say that having Michele's finger septic, them traveling to NZ, and the ultimate surgery was stressful for me. If nothing else I lost sleep both in prayer and waiting to hear what was happening, since they are awake when I'm supposed to be asleep. I am so thankful to God that Michele didn't loose her finger, but hopefully I would have been just as thankful to God if the situation had not gone so well, and I continue to pray for her mobility to come back.

Our children live tough lives. What is normal for us here in USA is not what most of them are dealing with. I have had to come to terms with this.
I was talking to Erik one day and he was sharing with me about the road into the village.
I call this road the "nightmare". While visiting, I have had some harrowing experiences on this stretch of land, I seriously don't think road is the correct name for it, but that day Erik reminded me that this is his life. Everyday he has to deal with the harshness of living in a third world country. Whether it is the road, or the water, or disease, or daily village life there is always something that I would view as an urgent prayer request but he would see as normal daily living.
One thing I know for sure, which ever way one looks at it, God is Faithful.
Faithful to me a worried mom, Faithful to my son a harried missionary.

So how have I come to deal with the anxiety, stress, and worry of having them live the way they do?
First just accepting that it is what it is. Getting to visit, and seeing their lives for myself, getting
to know the villagers has made me realize this is their life, and this is where God is using them
.
Second, Prayer helps me.
I can enter the throne room of grace and God understands and hears my hearts cries, after all they are His children too.
And He has the power to meet their needs and calm my anxious heart.
And He does both wonderfully. Sometimes it is awing and humbling to see God meet the needs of a missionary.

Lastly and believe me I'm still working on this one because it does not come easy for me is Thankfulness.
My 1000 point thankful list has really helped me in this area.
I'm up to 486 at this writing, and I continue to look at daily things in my life that I can thank my God for. I'm realizing He is good to us all the time.

We are entering a new year. My children are still in Vanuatu, they are still translating the scripture, they are still living in a small village with out the luxuries we have here, but we both serve a mighty God and He is able.

Happy New Year POM's , my heart is with you all.

Go Tell It On The Mountain....

2011-12-28T08:13:00.000-08:00

Well, Christmas is over, and for us POM's it usually is a hard time.

For some of us, our kids are on the other side of the world, and we missed the holiday time with them. I'm sure we all shed a few tears.

For some who were fortunate to have their family with them, they are trying to stuff every memory they can into this holiday. It's these memories that will keep them going next year.

I thought often of last year this year. I looked at many of my Christmas photo's from last year, they made me smile. They made me thankful. They made me cry.

For me, focusing on the spiritual aspect of my kids lives always helps me because the emotional reality can be so overwhelming, and even though I recognize the feelings and feel them, I try not to dwell on them.

This year the song, Go Tell It On the Mountain, kept coming to my mind. It's not one of my favorites, but how appropriate as I prayed for my children this Christmas Day and thought about their work.

refrain

Go, tell it on the mountain,

Over the hills and everywhere

Go, tell it on the mountain

That Jesus Christ is born.

Oh Zion, that brings good tidings,

get thee up into the high mountain;

O Jerusalem, that brings good tidings,

lift up thy voice with strength;

lift it up, be not afraid ;

say unto the cities of Judah,

BEHOLD YOUR GOD!!!

Isaiah 40:9

Oh Lord Jesus,

I ask that the world would know You;

on the mountains or in the valleys

wherever our missionary children are serving,that

those they work with would see and hear, and

understand the truth of the unsearchable riches

of Jesus Christ our Lord.

We humbly praise You and thank you for allowing

our children to serve you in this way, and we

thank you for the lives you have given us as

their parents.

In the Fullness of Time

2011-12-22T07:15:00.000-08:00

With Erik and Michele in NZ, and us so frantic for information those first few days I became fully aware of the time difference. I got phone calls and e-mails around 1 A.M. our time. Their night is our day and their days are our nights. I found myself waking at 1 and checking my e-mail for news. It made me think about God's timing. I find His timing is certainly not usually mine. Over the last few years He has been working with me to accept that His timing and His will are perfect. I'm learning to say much quicker, "Your will not mine, Lord."

In Luke 2:6-7
"While they were there, the days were completed for her to give birth. And she gave birth to her firstborn son; and she wrapped Him in cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn." NAS Version

Finally after all those years of waiting in the fullness of time, in God's perfect timing the days were completed for her to give birth.
Makes me all excited, finally the long awaited Messiah would be born!!!
Hallelujah....

Erik and Michele don't realize it but this scripture in language is a gift to me. I want to share it with you.
I love to see it in written form. This is why they are in Vanuatu.
Luke 2:6-7 in Nafe:
v.6 Ncpxn irau krouarc ikxn, Meri rxneste ncpxn atukwatukw scvcnni mc txrcrchi ickunouihi irc.
v7 Rcrchi txni icrman, ncmritaik. Rcrchi, muvegi ia txnari, mcmri pen ia nxtctc kamchwmcni ncrimxru me irc. In ro iamxnhi irc tx ncri nc mc nimwc ncha ncrmama kamhcrcku pen mamnapri ikxn ruvckucr.

v6 when the two of them were staying there, Meri arrived at her straight time to give birth.
v7 She gave birth to her child a son, her firstborn, she gave birth to him, wrapped him in cloth, and put him in a boxed thing animals are fed in it. She did like this because that house people pay to sleep in it was full.

Doesn't it just bless you to see it in written form? It does this old mom.
MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

The News Is Good...

2011-12-19T07:54:00.000-08:00

Good News....
After a rather long weekend of waiting and praying for Michele, we learned that after surgery they released her from the hospital to wait her 48 hours at home, not Vanuatu home, but NZ.
If her finger continues to do well she will be going home, Vanuatu home, on Christmas Eve.
As bad as her finger looked, and still looks, at least to me, It is a blessing indeed.

Thank You LORD, for Your gracious mercy towards those who love You....

I know that they are very relieved as all who have been praying for her are.
God is indeed good to us.
Meanwhile, back in Vanuatu, the grand kids are celebrating David's 11 birthday.

I love this picture, notice all the kids in the tree?

Now does that look like fun or what?
Thanks to those who are taking such good care of the kids.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAVID...
Grandpa and Grandma love and miss you.

We have a Keeper....

2011-12-18T14:55:00.000-08:00

Michele had surgery on her finger. 48 hours will tell what is going to happen next.
I'm thankful that she is in a place where they are taking good care of her.
In times when they are struggling, I'm always reminded that God is our keeper
and He will take care of them and us during hard times.

We will lift up our eyes to the mountains;
From where shall our help come?
Our help comes from You O' Lord,
Who made heaven and earth,
You will not allow our feet to slip,
You will keep us and never slumber or sleep.
You O Lord are our keeper;
You are the shade on our right hand,
The sun will not smite us by day,
Nor the moon by night.
You O' Lord will protect us from evil;
You will keep our soul.
You O' Lord will guard our going out and our coming in,
from this time forth and forever. Psalm 121

God is Good...Please Pray

2011-12-16T10:10:00.000-08:00

I always have trouble writing these kind of posts.

Probably has to do with the concern I'm feeling right now

and it is hard to put into words. Though I have to say, God

is always so good to remind me that He is there and totally in

control of everything. All I need do is Just Pray....

There really is not a lack of information, and I am thankful for

that. What a blessing e-mail and phones are in times of crisis, and

I can't forget the random text messages I sometimes get

Like Just now:" We are at airport, leaving for NZ, all is well, just hurting."

Michele this week had a small spot on her finger that very quickly turned

infected.

After seeing a doc, in Lenackel who tried to cut it , the finger only

became worse and she was sent to the capital city.

From there two docs recommended that she leave the country and

have the finger looked at and cleaned out.

This process has proved to be a bit complicated, but with a good office

staff and God's care and blessing they were granted a visa to NZ after

being turned down by Australia.

I know there are people who pray that read this blog.

Please pray for my missionary family.

They are in process of getting to NZ, and don't really know what

is to follow.

There is so much to be thankful for...

but we are not through the woods yet:)

I Helped Mom Today...

2011-12-13T17:52:00.000-08:00

A couple of years ago I came across a book called A Country Far Away, by Nigel Gray & illustrated by Philippe Dupasquier .

This children's book is about two young boys who have identical experiences, but with very different results.

The text appears in the middle of the page, and then two sets of pictures, one above and one below show the same actions in two very different cultures: a small African village and a modern suburban setting.

This format shows how different the same actions look because the cultures are so different.

I see the differences often because I have four grand children here and four in Vanuatu. Going to school, playing soccer, helping with chores looks very different here and there.

I saw this illustrated clearly when this month John Mark had the task of helping to build a bush kitchen

for the family to use. Villagers use their kitchens to roast vegetables and cook other foods. Usually a fire burns in a pit on the floor of the hut. He worked very hard with one of the village men. He kept us informed of his progress by e-mail, and after several weeks he sent us pictures of the results

He learned to make a thatched roof and weave the walls. He even made the shelves for the cooking utensils.

My grandsons here in the states, have chores and work hard, but I'm sure building a bush kitchen wouldn't be part of their chores.

Nice Job John Mark...A job well done.

Christmas Memories....

2011-12-05T20:35:00.000-08:00

My kids have been missionaries for over 8 years. My grandchildren were babies

when they went to Vanuatu.

It has always been important to me to have a relationship with the kids, and with the distance I knew I would have to make a special effort for my grandchildren to know me.

The times I am with them, I am always aware that the memories made have

to last until the next time we are together.

There are those memories that are truly special. Last Christmas was one of those times.

We all met at our house in Nebraska. At one point during the week I had all my grandchildren together at one time in one place.

It was a huge blessing for me, and for them.

This week I've been remembering, and with pausing and reflecting I've shed a few tears.

This year we are a world apart, and we will be celebrating

in different ways, but there is one thing

that we can count on to be the same for both of us.

We love and serve the same God. The little baby in the manger.

This truth gives me peace, and I'm thankful so thankful.

" For a child will be born to us. a son will be given to us; and His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace." Isaiah 9:6

Tim Tebow, he's my guy...

2011-12-01T20:39:00.000-08:00

I'm a Colorado Native. Born and raised in Denver I love my Denver Broncos. I've watched them since I was a little girl. The last couple of years, the team has been a disappointment but then in the last few weeks, Tim Tebow started to play and the team has seemed to rally.For me that is reason enough to like this young man.
When my grand kids came home on furlough they had never seen a football game. They lived in Wheaton , Illinois and one Friday night we took them to a football game at Wheaton College. They loved it, and from that point on they were hooked on football. David, the youngest started to collect football cards, and one day he decided that his favorite player was Tim Tebow.
"Grandma," he said " I want a real Tebow football jersey."
" I bet that could be arranged," I said and made it my mission to find him one.
Tim Tebow has caused quite a lot of controversy. He is criticized for his football playing, and his boldness in expressing his love for Jesus . Some of his biggest critics are other Christians. They object to how he expresses his faith. Last night while on a road trip,I listened to a radio station spend 3 hours discussing if he is to bold.
How sad. This grandma is always praying for good role models for my eight grandchildren. The way I see it he is a wonderful example.
He loves Jesus and has no problem saying so. He has boldly proclaimed his desire to stay pure until marriage. He has an incredible work ethic, and he runs a foundation that cares for children all over the world. He is a grandmother's dream.
Last week I got an e-mail from David.
"Grandma, how is my guy?"
" Who is your guy?"
"Tim Tebow of course. I wear his football jersey all the time, " he said.
I wonder what Tim Tebow would say if he knew a little missionary kid is running around a south pacific island wearing his jersey.
Makes me smile.

Thanksgiving....

2011-11-26T19:28:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving and Joel's birthday celebration in Vanuatu...

I Thank You LORD....

2011-11-23T20:21:00.000-08:00

Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good,

For His lovingkindness is everlasting.

Give thanks to the God of gods,

For His lovingkindness is everlasting.

Give thanks to the Lord of lords,

For His lovingkindness is everlasting.

Psalm 136:1-3

Thanksgiving is not a holiday celebrated in Vanuatu, but my son and family will celebrate it this year with the other missionary family on Tanna island. It won't be with Turkey and dressing I'm sure. This will be their last celebration together because Ken and Mendy have finished their translation work and they are coming home next year. My kids will miss them.

Last year my family was on furlough for the holidays, that makes it bittersweet this year. We really had a good time on the holidays, and I miss them, but God says its good to give thanks so I will give Thanks to God with all my heart; I will sing praises to Him. Ps. 138:1,2

I thank you LORD for the relationships the missionaries have together, and their love for you.
I thank you LORD, for my children's commitment to You and the Ni Vanuatu.
I thank you LORD for each one of my precious grandchildren.
I thank you LORD that though I'm a long distance grandmother I have a good relationship with them.
I thank you LORD for the health of my family, You have protected and healed them this year.
I thank you LORD for their house and the 4 wheeler they now have.
I thank you LORD for the e-mail communication with the grandchildren. It is so fun to hear from them.
I thank you LORD for the small refrigerator they now have.
I thank you LORD for the memories of furlough, and the relationships we deepened with the kids.
I thank you LORD for the Ni Vanuatu, the beauty of the islands,and their culture.
I thank you LORD for the village translators, especially Nettie who is working so hard. Bless her.
I thank you LORD for the translation process, and the work that has been accomplished.
I thank you LORD that your Holy Spirit can open the eyes of the Ni Vanuatu to see wonderful things from your law. Ps. 119:18 I pray many will come to know You.
I thank you LORD for Your mercy and faithfulness to us.
I thank you LORD for our postal system and theirs. Its a blessing to send a package.
I thank you LORD for the random text messages I've received from Erik. They have blessed me.
I thank you LORD for the grief I have often felt this year because it has caused me to seek you out.
I thank you LORD that Erik and Michele choose daily to continue the work You have called them too, please give them endurance and strength.
I thank you LORD that you are Worthy, for You were slain and purchased for God with Your blood men from every tribe and tongue and people and nation. I look forward to the day that all of us together will stand before Your throne saying, 'TO HIM WHO SITS ON THE THRONE , AND TO THE LAMB, BE BLESSING AND HONOR AND GLORY AND DOMINION FOREVER AND EVER." Revelation 5:9,13. but for today LORD I will thank You.

He is God....

2011-11-22T19:44:00.000-08:00

You only are the maker
of all things new and far;
You paint the wayside flower,
You light the evening star.
The winds and waves obey.
By you the birds are fed;
much more to us your children,
You give our daily bread.
We thank You then Creator,
For all things right and good,
The seed time and the harvest.
Our life, our health, our food.
Amen

Matthias Claudus 1740- 1815

Thank You God....

2011-11-21T17:39:00.000-08:00

Oh my God, for providing senses to enjoy delights,
For Thy royal bounty providing my daily support,
for a full table, and an overflowing cup, for appetite,
taste, sweetness, for social joys of relatives and friends,
for opportunities of spreading happiness around,
for loved ones in the joys of heaven, I love Thee above
the powers of language to express.
For what Thou art to Thy creativeness... Amen..
17th century Puritan meditation

Its Thanksgiving week...
I love the holiday of Thanksgiving. It's simple, it's family, it's fun.

Nafe, the Language of the Ni Vanuatu on Tanna

2011-11-17T18:22:00.000-08:00

I thought you might enjoy this, I did.
One of my favorite verses and one I pray often is:

"Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart
Be acceptable in Your sight,
O Lord, my rock and my Redeemer." Psalm 19:14

I asked Erik to translate it for me, and he did.

lerumanu seion
nagkiariien mesamame iakani ia tarhuk,
mene nerhiien me rerok ramerhi
iakokeiker muairahu tuhatak watukere
ia nanronem, mho ik renen rageen

My Lord,
The words which I speak with my lips,
and the thoughts my heart thinks about,
I want that they will be straight in your eyes,
making You glad..

I'm always blessed to see God's Word in Nafe...

2011-11-15T07:36:00.000-08:00

Today I had a conversation that went something like this:

" So now what does your son do exactly?"
" Well, he takes The Bible, and he translates it into the language of the people he works with," I responded.

"Interesting, What language is that?" he asked.
"Nafe."
"Never heard of it."
"There are hundreds of different tongues on the islands, and this is just one of them," I explained.

This person is an unbeliever so his next response was:
"Why?"
"So the Ni Vanuatu can read Gods Words, Hear Gods Words, Be taught Gods Word in their own language."
"Makes sense, I guess," he responded.
"I am a Bible Teacher and it is such a blessing for me to have a son that loves God's Word as much as I do," I said.
"Hmmm."

How often as believers do we take God's Word for granted. Our Bible sits on the shelf from Sunday to Sunday. This is not what God had in mind for us.
In Matthew 4:4
"It is written, Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that proceeds out of the Mouth of God."

Oswald Chambers put it this way:
" but to the soul born from above, the Bible is the universe of God's revealed will...The stupendous profundities of God's will, surging with unfathomable mysteries, come down to the shores of our common life, not in emotions and fires, nor in aspirations and vows, agonies and visions, but in a way so simple that wayfaring men, though fools, cannot make a mistake, that is, in words....
As soon as any soul is born from above, the Bible becomes to him the universe of revelation facts, just as the natural world is the universe of common=sense facts...God's Spirit speaks an understanding of His Word never known before....God's sayings are sealed to every soul until they are opened by the indwelling Spirit of God."

Just as the Psalmst we can rejoice and say...
Psalm 119:103-104
"How sweet are thy words to my taste!
Yes, sweeter than honey to my mouth!
From Thy precepts I get understanding,"

That's what I love, The Bible has all we need for understanding and spiritual growth.
My prayer for the Ni Vanuatu today is that they can say,
Lord, We found Your words, and we ate them,
And Your Words became for us a joy and the delight of our hearts;
Because we are called by thy name."
Jeremiah 15:16

Thank You Lord for the work that you are accomplishing with my childrens help.
Bless them today, Bless them and keep them....
Let Your face shine on them, and give them your peace as they continue to work with Your Word.

Thankfulness Continued.....

2011-11-02T14:58:00.000-07:00

I continue my thankful list. I'm at 250.
When I was young my mom used to tell me, "Karen, there is a silver lining in every cloud."
She wanted me to look for the good in all situations, even the hard ones.

With my kids I try to focus on the good in situations.
While fishing, John Mark shot a wire completely through his index finger. He proceeded to pull out the wire and continued fishing. When he did not get an infection,
  182. on my list read, I thank you Lord, that John Mark did not get an infection and that he has use of his finger.
This happened with only two days of antibiotics and no doctors visit. A miracle especially in Vanuatu where one can get a serious infection very quickly even with a scrape.

Or when Sierra, randomly sent me an e-mail and shared with me her favorite memory of me and her, instead of dwelling on the loss of my only grand daughter and our time together I chose,
214. Thank you Lord, that Sierra has memories of me, and we have a good relationship in spite of the distance between us.

And instead of being sad I was thankful when I received an unexpected text...
"Pray for me mom, I'm preaching in a few minutes."
Neither one of us can explain how I get some texts from Erik, yet I'm not able to send any back.
Number 228. Thank you Lord, that because of Erik's work, the Ni Vanuatu can hear Your word in their own language.
Our missionary kids face many obstacles and struggles in their far of lands.
Us POM's can choose how we respond.
Thankfulness is a choice. My list is helping me to recognize this.

So Cute...

2011-10-25T18:37:00.000-07:00

New puppies in the family...

Picture This....

2011-10-16T20:19:00.000-07:00

I am always looking for something new to send the kids.

When they were on furlough I promised them that I would send some pictures of their time here so that they could share it with their friends in the village.

I was going to copy pictures and then put them in a small album.

Then I found this little album at www.vistaprint.com

It's easy to do just pick album design, download pictures from your computer, and I had it in the mail within a week.

It was small 4 x6, spiral bound, and has a plastic cover.

This particular one came with 20 pages for $10.00, but I could add more pictures for a small amount.

I plan to make one for each child.

Check it out....

This is Joel's album...His birthday is in November...

Cute huh?

What's That Smell?

2011-10-12T17:39:00.000-07:00

giving thanks today for: 159. traveling mercies .... my husband is home from his trip safely...

160. weather is warming up, and I'm warming up....

162. my washer and dryer....

My grand daughter ended her e-mail yesterday, "it is raining here, our clothes won't dry."

That one statement brought back a flood of memories.

The laundry not drying is the hardest thing for me to handle when I go to visit.

All laundry is done by hand in the village, and every woman does it her own way.

I remember the first time I saw Mama Ellen she was sitting behind her bamboo hut on a slab of concrete. She was protected from the sun with a small brown tarp held up with two tree limbs. She had two tubs of water in front of her. One had clothes soaking in a soapy solution, and one filled with clean water.

Up and down she would dip a pair of blue cotton shorts in the soapy solution. Mamma Ellen smacked the dripping shorts on the ground in front of her, and began to scrub the light weight material on a rock. Her scrubbing was meant to get the dirt out. I watched with anxiety and wondered if the seams on the shorts I made her son would hold together.

She rinsed the pants in cold water and wrung them tightly. Her daughter hung the clean clothes on the lines beside the house.

My daughter in law does laundry every day rain or shine.

Her process is very similar to Mamma Ellen's only she doesn't use a rock instead she scrubs using a heavy bar of blue soap and a brush.

No matter how much scrubbing is done the mud never completely gets out of the clothes, but each mamma in the village knows that regardless of appearance their families clothes are clean.

The wet hanging clothes were at the mercy of the weather. If warm and sunny the laundry dried quickly. If wet and rainy the clothes could be on the lines for days. We would go out every hour and flip the wet laundry.

Sometimes if there was a break in the rain then flipping helped the drying process, but

after hours of hanging on the lines, the clothes got stinky and the dampness never went away.

One day while playing Scrabble I said, "John Mark, your shirt stinks. Why don't you take it off and put on a clean one."

He smelled his sleeve and said, " It's okay Grandma this is the way all our clothes smell."

I smelled my own sleeve and he was right. Smelling like mildew is part of living in the village.

SMILE....

164. my clean fresh smelling shirt

Getting close to 200

Lets Play Some Football....

2011-10-10T18:55:00.000-07:00

I woke to 16 e-mails this morning!!!

Because the kids do not have the v-sat internet connection, we are not able to communicate daily by e-mail or skype. Every couple of weeks they go into Lenackel and send all the saved up e-mails from the weeks before. Some were only one sentence, but they made me smile.

One Message from John Mark had these great pictures from a football game between two villages. He is playing. Can you guess which one he is?

He is the tallest white boy in the front....
John Mark is in the background....
Notice the villagers standing and watching....

Who would have thought football in Vanuatu?

I love it :)

Eucharisteo...Thankfulness continued

2011-10-08T16:17:00.000-07:00

Give Thanks to the Lord of lords,

His faithful love endures forever.

Give Thanks to him who alone does mighty miracles,

His faithful love endures forever.

Give Thanks to him who made the heaves so skillfully,

His faithful love endures forever.

Give Thanks to him who placed the earth among the waters,

His faithful love endures forever.

Give Thanks to him who made the heavenly lights---

His faithful love endures forever. Psalm 136:3-7

I like to pray the scriptures... Last night I prayed these verses. They begin with a reminder to give thanks to Him who gives us all things and ends with the reminder that His love is faithful and endures forever.

My thanks list continues to grow...I'm up to 150.

my first cup of coffee each morning....

mercy...

the Fall breeze blowing through my bedroom blinds...

My thankful list has made me aware of God's unfailing love toward me.

blond hair

a phone call from the other side of the world .....

laughter...

My thankful list has made me aware of God's unfailing love toward my family.

e-mail from my Vanuatu grandchildren

my husbands white bean chicken chili...

my new great grand baby is a girl....

My thankful list has made me aware of God's unfailing love toward the world.

WORDS....

2011-10-06T07:01:00.000-07:00

I have a four year old grandson and a five year old grandson.
I love talking to them. Their logic and words are so fun. Last week, Toby the four year old and I had this conversation.

"Grandma, why is the lake outside making so much noise?"
"That's not a lake Toby. It is a river and rivers run so they make that rushing sound."
"Are there fish in there?"
"Yes, nice big trout."
"Well I want to catch a little fish, not a big one."
"Why? We could eat a big fish."
"I don't want to eat it. I want to take it home and put it in my fish tank."

Smile.....
He was very serious and disappointed when I explained to him that it would not work to take a fish home from the river.

My five year old grandson has just returned to Vanuatu from furlough.
Joel is very verbal.
He knows what he wants and he has no trouble communicating it to whoever will listen.

The problem is that during the year he spent in USA he forgot the village language, and now he is completely frustrated because he can't talk to his friends.
So to express his frustration he is acting out in various, lets just say, not so good ways.
Please pray for the little guy....

I had my first e-mail from him this week....
"Grandma and Grandpa,
I love you. I'm playing soccer with my friends."

Good news I think....
Maybe the soccer will relax him and he will communicate without words until he learns Nafe again.

Giving Thanks...

2011-09-28T07:08:00.000-07:00

Reached 100 on my Thankful list today...moving on to 200

18. the golden yellow of fall Aspen leaves in Colorado

89. bull elk on the mountain

49. Erik and his new ATV

Having the kids in the village without any means of getting out in case of an emergency has been a concern for us. This week they got their new ATV from Australia. This vehicle will not allow the whole family to get into Lenackel, but it is transportation, and we are all thankful. Now hopefully Erik will be able to get the ATV onto a boat that will get it to Tanna Island without to much delay.

Living in Vanuatu is hard, but God's provision and blessings are always apparent. Sometimes I just have to be willing to look beyond my expectations.....

Give Thanks In All Things.

2011-09-25T19:19:00.000-07:00

Today I was washing my breakfast dishes by hand. I had plenty of running hot water to rinse the soap off, and a clean dishcloth.

I thought of how often I take for granted both running water, and cleanliness.

In Vanuatu I was thankful just to have water, it didn't matter that we did dishes in cold water. When we had water coming off the mountain into the village we could do dishes, laundry and bathe, but when the water quit running, and it often does due to rain then Michele has to carry water in from their rainwater storage barrel, and heat it for use. I think of my times in Vanuatu often.

Life is hard there.

Life, for all of us, has gotten harder since they left . They haven't had internet access for weeks.

The v-sat is not working, and getting into town without a truck is a long hard hike. We have had to make due with very little communication.

This loss in combination of some other family situations have caused me some weeks of sadness and searching the scriptures for solace and comfort.

I struggle finding joy in the midst of grief.

Last week my niece sent me a book called 1000 gifts . I began this little book not having any idea what it was about. The author definitely caught my attention in chapter one as she tells of a family death and her thoughts about God in the midst of so much sorrow and suffering.

Early on she shares that she is challenged to begin a list of a 1000 daily occurrences that she can list of thanksgiving in her life. The book is about the idea of thanksgiving and how this list and what scripture says about thanksgiving affects her life. She calls it her eucharisteo-- thanksgiving.

I don't know if it was the number 1000 or the idea that intrigued me the most, but I decided to take up my own challenge. could I come up with even 100 daily occurrences that I was thankful for, and would it make a difference in my attitude. I decided to start with 100 and then maybe I could work higher.

I'm not one easily thankful. I say I am but I never seem to dwell on my thankfulness for to long or to hard. While often I will look at the negative before I ever get to the positive. I wondered how much of a challenge it would be.

I started yesterday, and as of tonight I'm up to #74. I'm finding myself surrounded by blessings.

Things I take for granted are on my list and I've offered up a prayer or thought of thanksgiving to my God for each one.

Maybe this practice could be a life changer for me. Maybe it will make my life fuller.

1. waking to the normal sounds of the city....

2. my comfortable bed...

3. a husband who still thinks I'm beautiful after all these years....

Just a beginning, but I begin my own list of eucharisteo.

God is close to the broken hearted....

2011-06-15T20:06:00.000-07:00

I've been missing my kids these last couple of weeks.

Little things remind me of them.

I've been wanting to share a conversation I had with a POM while staying with the kids.

They lived in a small housing development that only rented to missionaries.

I was sitting on the front porch when a POM who was visiting his daughter and two grandsons, sat down next to me,

" Your kids are leaving soon, aren't they?"

"Yes, tomorrow," I said.

"How you doing?" he asked.

"Okay today,but tomorrow will be hard."

"It's never easy is it?"

"No"

"When my daughter first left for the field I was not happy.

Actually I was very angry. I tried not to let her know, but

It was hard to be supportive. I was angry at God. She is my

only daughter. "

"I was never angry, but I've had plenty of mixed feeling," I responded.

"Have you been to visit?" he asked.

"Yes, I love going to meet the people, and spend time there."

"Have you been to see your daughter?"

"Yes, the first time was when God changed my heart."

"Really? what happened?"

"Well, one day we went to the market, and I watched my daughter as she

was talking to the people.

She was so happy, and they responded to her so positively, and suddenly

I realized that she was where she was supposed to be, and that God was

REALLY using her. Seeing her there my anger went away. I don't like having

her so far away with my grandchildren, but I'm at peace with it now. "

"Wow, that's quite a testimony. Amazing how God works sometimes," I said.

"Yes, It's never easy letting them go, but it's good not to be angry."

"I'll be praying for you tomorrow," he said.

"Thanks."

I went into the house with tears , but a thankful heart.

It was good to talk to someone who understood.

Packages

2011-06-03T19:12:00.000-07:00

I sent out my first package to Vanuatu today.

I sent it in a medium flat rate box from post office.

A year has gone by since my last package to Vanuatu, and

Postage has gone up. Box was around $45.00.

Packages are so necessary, and helps me to feel better but that is crazy cost.

saying goodbye is hard to do....

2011-05-30T08:53:00.000-07:00

The kids are back in Vanuatu, they only lost their new camera and one bag in the process. I'm not kidding. I'm going to call LAX TSA tomorrow, I wonder how far that will get me?
Course God knows where that camera is so I guess we will see, and we are praying the bag will show up.

I thought I'd write about my process of saying goodbye as a parent of a missionary. Some goodbyes are so painful . The first time I experienced this kind of goodbye was when we were in the military.
It seemed like we would make a friend and in a short time they would get stationed somewhere else, and move on.
They would be sorely missed in our little military community, but we all knew that this was part of the process.

The next time I experienced real loss that was painful and final was when my husbands parents were killed in an automobile accident. I was young, the finality of the situation, and my lack of control was what God used to bring me to salvation. I knew that if I was to ever loose one of my children or my husband that I needed more than just myself to handle it. Jesus showed me that He wanted to fill that void. He would help me handle it.

When my best friend died of cancer I felt that painful loss. The last thing I wanted to do was go to her funeral. Instead I wanted to grieve the loss by myself. I wanted to say goodbye my own way. I went because I knew she would want me too, but I didn't like it.

It is usually this kind of pain that I experience when my missionary family leaves, and it takes me a few days if not weeks to process it,
The pain is deep and I know now that it is grief that I'm feeling. It has helped me to know that's what it is.

It is harder this time because this was the longest furlough we have had together, and we made some good memories. Since the grand kids are older we established deeper bonds.

Besides grief I always have mixed feelings about them leaving. Those bittersweet emotions. On one hand I'm happy they are missionaries and serving God, but I'm sad they are there and not here. I'm sad they have so many hardships, and obstacles to deal with. I used to feel guilty but I've come to recognize that these feelings are just part of living the life of a POM. Besides if I was just happy about my family being missionaries I wouldn't have to seek out God and his comfort or the shelter of His Wings for my sadness and grief.

There are a few things that I do that help me to get through this time. I always spend more time in prayer. I know that God cares about my sorrow and tears. I also know that God is with them. I'm not capable of meeting their needs, but God is and He does. We share the same God, He understands and answers prayer.

I try and do things that will make me feel better. I eat better, exercise more, and get more rest. I will feel worse if I get sick,

I find myself doing little things that make me feel closer to them.

Yesterday I hung the kids art pictures on my bedroom wall.

I found myself buying finger bananas in the grocery. They reminded me of Vanuatu.

I was erasing text messages this morning and I left Erik's on the phone. I will leave them for a while.

I'm already preparing a box of things to send. Things they forget to take or need.

Writing on my blog or in my journal gives me a place to express my feelings and if I feel like crying I do it.

Am I proud to be a missionary parent?

YES.

Does it hurt when they leave for the field?

YES. But now I know there are things I can do to make the process a bit easier.

P.S. they got their bag back yesterday...now if I could just get the TSA to answer the phone or call me back:)

Furlough is over...

2011-05-28T19:55:00.000-07:00

FURLOUGH IS OVER!

It was a busy year for everyone. They visited churches, worked, and taught.

I think one of my biggest concerns was that my grandchildren would have trouble adjusting to life in the USA. All four of them have lived in Vanuatu since they were very young.
They did not have a problem, instead they thrived, and it was a blessing to see.
They had the opportunity to attend a Christian school. They excelled and seemed to enjoy and appreciate
the different classes and extra curricular activities they participated in. This time allowed them and their parents the opportunity to see what their gifts and talents might be, and gave the kids a taste of what the USA is like.

This was a much needed furlough and it was good!

We spent the last two weeks with them. We were able to see some school and sport activities with the kids, and help with packing.
The house they were staying in needed to be completely cleaned up and out. There are new missionaries moving in next week.
It was hard to decide what to take, what to throw away, or what to give away. In the end they had around 8 bags and 8 carry ons. We stayed until the next day cleaned bathrooms and when all done I had a loaf of bread, an orange, and 1/2 jar peanut butter to give to the neighbor.
The house was spic and span, and the kids were on their way back to Vanuatu.

During the week before they left Erik reminded me of the verses in Matthew 10:37
"He who loves father or mother more than Me is not
worthy of Me; and he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me.
And He who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me.
He who has found his life will lose it, and he who has lost his life for My sake will find it.
He who receives you receives Me, and he who receives Me receives Him who sent Me. "

The truth of this verse does not take the pain of their leaving away, but it helps give the loss an eternal perspective, and that's good when you are a Parent of a Missionary.

Cyclone Vania

2011-01-19T16:26:00.000-08:00

There was news from Vanuatu that a Cyclone called Vania hit the island of Tanna destroying homes and gardens in the villages.
One of the missionaries reported that in their village only the church and their house survived the storm.
Please pray for the Ni Vanuatu...
The people will have to rebuild and replant.
So hard for them.

Missing The NI Vanuatu

2011-01-07T18:06:00.000-08:00

My grandchildren are ready to go back to Vanuatu. They miss their friends.
I find myself missing the Ni Vanuatu (name for the people of Vanuatu) myself.
I miss hearing about them and their lives...
I miss knowing how to pray for them specifically...

I wonder how Mama Ellen is and how her husband Neccky is doing?
I wonder how her children are doing, Is Maxwell still in school? How big is
little Grace now?

I wonder how David and Ruth and their children are doing.

I wonder about Nettie, and if she has been well.
Her little boy is Joel's friend.

I wonder about Mama Tutoursi and her children. How old is May now?

I wonder about Elder Nato and his family....

I pray for the village and the people in it.
I pray that they are reading, listening and using God's word in language.
I pray for the children, asking God to lift someone up in this generation that will have a love for
God's Word and the desire to take over when my son's work is done.
Yes, I miss the people of Vanuatu....

Its been a BUSY BUSY year for this missionary family....

2011-01-05T20:47:00.000-08:00

The year 2010 in review....

2011-01-01T21:19:00.001-08:00

My missionary family have had a busy busy year, and a diversified year.
January and February started in Vanuatu...
Remember all those skirts and shorts?
The kids were delighted.

Sierra making Lap Lap in the village...
Home sweet home....

Hard to leave all your friends:)
Furlough started in May...
Arrived at Grandpa and Grandma's stayed for 2 weeks.

After traveling for 2 months around the country, they arrived in the big city
they were going to live in, teach in, and go to school in....
There were lots of firsts experienced in the last few months...

First fall in the big city...

Visits from Grandmas and Grandpas
First pumpkin carving....

Can you guess what city they live in?
Always ready to pose for grandma
First snow and freezing weather...
lots of sledding...

First Christmas tree decorated...

Christmas at Grandpa and Grandmas with all the cousins, aunts and uncles.
First hunting trip...ducks, geese, and deer...
JohnMark got his first deer.
Its been a busy great year...
Its been wonderful to have them here in the USA, but they miss Vanuatu...
Now its time to get ready to go back, but this grandma still has a couple more visits left in her...
I have to just thank the Lord for such blessed year....

making memories

2010-12-29T19:53:00.000-08:00

All my family has left and arrived safely back to their homes.
We had a wonderful Christmas.
Making many memories.
I feel like hitting the hold button:)
but sadly time goes on.

God Has Done Great Things...

2010-12-25T20:20:00.000-08:00

I am a blessed Grandma this year. I have all my grandchildren together.

Last night as My oldest grandson and only granddaughter read the Christmas Story aloud from Luke my heart felt full as we read Mary's Prayer and I had to rejoice with her at God my Savior for His gracious Love and Mercy toward me.
And Mary said:
"My soul exalts the Lord,
And my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior.
For He has had regard for the humble state of His bond slave,
For behold, from this time on all generations will count
me blessed.
For the Might One has done great things for me;
and holy is His name.
And His Mercy is upon generation after generation
toward those who fear Him.
He has done mighty deeds with His arm;
He has scattered those who were proud in the thoughts of their heart.
He has brought down rulers from their thrones.
and sent away the rich empty handed.
He has given help to Israel His servant,
In remembrance of His mercy,
As He spoke to our fathers,
to Abraham and his offspring forever."

Merry Christmas!!!

Sierra's Story

2010-12-24T07:18:00.000-08:00

I have eight wonderful grandchildren. EIGHT...
What a blessing. They range from the ages of 21( Jon turns 21 in a week)and the youngest will be four in three days.
Each one has their own unique personality.

They are all here for Christmas. You can read about some of the goings on at
www.stapescoop-kas.blogspot.com/

Never have I had them all together at once, and I'm loving it.

I asked Sierra, the only sweet girl, if she would like to share about her time here. She agreed.
So here is her first post.

I came to Grandma and Grandpa's house on the 19th of December. They have three cats, one is called Marshall, another Magnet, and the last Monalinga. Grandpa and Grandma own two houses one in Nebraska and one in Colorado. They drove to Nebraska to meet us. They only brought two of the cats, Magnet and Marshall because Monalinga has hissy fits in the car.
I like Grandma and Grandpa's cats. I like all animals. I just saw Grandma whack our cousins dog Whiley because he knocked down the game my mom was playing with my brother. She didn't hurt him but she hurt his feelings, and I scolded Grandma. Our cousins came on the 22 of December, they brought two of their dogs, and we are all crowded into Grandma's house. The cats are not happy about the dogs.
It isn't snowing here, but it is cold.
One of my brothers aaaalways begs my Grandma to shoot her Cardinals in the back yard, but she aaaaaaalways says NO. She LIKES her Cardinals.
My dad, brothers, and cousins have been hunting, I don't I can't kill an animal.
We have three deer that they have shot.
They are so proud and I'm so sad.
Right now it is Christmas Eve, and I'm so excited.
I like spending time with my family and relatives

Christmas a Time to Remember that...

2010-12-15T09:53:00.000-08:00

God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son,that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16

A child will be born to us, a son will be given to us;
And the government will rest on His shoulders;
And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor,
Mighty God
Eternal Father, Prince of Peace,
There will be no end to the increase of His Government or
of peace
On the throne of David and over his kingdom
to establish it and to uphold it with justice
and righteousness
from then on and forevermore. Isaiah 9:6-7

Go into all the world and preach one gospel to all creation. Mark 16:15

Behold I say to you, lift up your eyes and look on the fields, that they are white for harvest.
John 4:35b

And they sang a new song, saying,
Worthy are You to take the book and to break its seals;
for You were slain, and purchased for God with Your blood
men from every tribe and tongue and people and nation. Revelation 5:9

A new season begins...

2010-12-14T13:26:00.000-08:00

Whoa....
I haven't had this feeling for a while.

My son called to tell me about an awesome gift
they received today towards a vehicle for when
they go back.
What a huge miracle and blessing...We praised
the Lord together, but when I hung up and
sat down I was struck with this searing pain, and the
thought...they really are going back....
I have so enjoyed the comfort of having them
here. We might be 800 miles away, but
it is so much better than 5000.

A New Season....

2010-12-13T12:58:00.000-08:00

There is an appointed time for everything. And there is a time for every event under heaven---
A time to give birth ad a time to die;
a time to plant and a time to uproot what is planted.
a time to kill and a time to heal;
a time to tear down and a time to build up.
a time to weep and a time to laugh;
a time to mourn and a time to dance.
a time to throw stones and a time to gather stones;
a time to embrace and a time to shun embracing.
a time to search and a time to give up as lost;
a time to keep and a time to throw away.
a time to tear apart and a time to sew together;
a time to be silent and a time to speak.
a time to love and a time to hate;
a time for war and a time for peace. Ecclesiastes 3:1-8

This scripture reminds us that we have different seasons in our lifetime.
The longer I live, the more I see it, and the more I know it's true:)

I took a season off from writing on this blog...

As a POM, since my missionary family has been on furlough, I have had a season for
enjoyment and contentment at having them in the states.
We've had a time to reconnect with our grandchildren and gotten to know each one of them better, while
they have gotten to know us better...

They have had a time of rest from their translation, and a time of reconnecting with the USA and all it has to offer...

After the holidays are over we will have a time of refocus...
a new time to focus back to translation, and the difficult preparation it takes to pack and ship for going back...
a time for me to prepare to let them go again.....

I started this blog as a means to express some of my feelings about being a Parent of a Missionary, and a Long Distance Grandma.
Over the years, I have expressed seasons of joy , pride, prayer, happiness, thankfulness, praise, missing, pain, sorrow, and anxiety.
All these emotions are part of being human and of living in a fallen earth, and as a mom and grandma I have these emotions for my family that lives here as well as my missionary family.
God has created us to feel.

One thing I have learned through the experience of these different seasons is that there is one thing I can know for sure that I have as an anchor of the soul, a hope both sure and steadfast.
I have Savior who has gone before me.
My God, who I can rely on to walk with me through the seasons of both joy and sorrow.
A comfort and a shelter, One who will carry the burden, and bring comfort when needed.
One who will rejoice with me during seasons of joy.
I know for sure that my God whom I serve is the same yesterday, today, and forever....
He doesn't have seasons, and I am so glad.

Joel is Five...

2010-11-30T19:38:00.000-08:00

Joel turned 5 this week...
It is hard to believe that he is already 5.
We have had so much fun spending time with him on furlough.
He is bright, and funny. He loves to play alone and with others.
He enjoys being read too and likes puzzles.
He's a snuggler and will crawl up in your lap for a hug.
This little guy is a real treasure and we love him.

How quickly they have learned....

2010-08-07T16:02:00.000-07:00

To roller blade....
scooter....

and skateboard...

Awesome huh???

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO SIERRA!!!!

2010-07-29T20:32:00.000-07:00

Today is my only granddaughters 11th birthday.
I got to sing happy birthday to her on the phone.
She laughed...
I laughed because I got to sing to her. Normally she is half a world away.

We are on our way to Chicago and a visit to leave our vehicle with them for furlough.
This will give them a second car.
We will fly home.

Funny how so many of us take two cars for granted.
They were given a car to use by a ministry that specializes in giving missionaries vehicles while they are on furlough. What a wonderful blessing this is. We were all thankful for it.

I couldn't help but think about the differences in transportation here and in Vanuatu.

USA: most people have at least one car, and more often two
VANUATU: Very few own their own cars. They take cabs, buses or walk in the city, in the village
no one has cars, but the cab drivers, and a few missionaries have vehicles.

USA: Gas is around $3.00 a gallon.
VANUATU: Gas is around $10.00 a gallon.

USA: We have laws about speed and seat belts.
VANUATU:No posted speed limits, and no seat belt laws. Many a time we have piled the kids on top of boxes in the back of the truck to get back to the village.

USA:Cars are affordable
VANUATU: Both used and new are very expensive.

We have much to be thankful for. We will be arriving tomorrow (Lord Willing), I'm looking forward to this time together.

2010-07-03T19:01:00.000-07:00

I really love this story....
Last year one of my grandsons and me found this cute caterpillar.
We liked it so much that we decided to put it in a box and see if it would build a cocoon.
It did !!!!!
Over the year, 11 months to be exact, for various reasons we thought it was dead more than once, but we still waited and left it alone.

Amazingly this week.....

2010-07-03T18:57:00.000-07:00

It hatched and it had become a beautiful moth.
I was amazed at the miracle of the whole process.
In thinking about it, I was reminded of the verse in Phillipians 1:6

"For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus." Paul was talking about the work of the gospel as well as the work in individual lives.

As a POM there are many times that I will stop and look at the hardships and hard work of my children, and really wonder if it all will bear any fruit in the lives of the Ni Vanuatu, but God reminded me again with this butterfly that He is the one that has began the good work of the ministry in their lives, and He will be the one to perfect it in the lives of those whom He wills. .
I can trust HIM....because its HIS work to do. I don't have to understand it or figure it out.

THINGS TO DO ON FURLOUGH WITH GRANDCHILDREN.

2010-06-27T14:29:00.000-07:00

The grand kids have been gone a week. I miss them.
They are in Georgia visiting their other grandparents.
Yesterday they called and we had this conversation:

S: Hi Grandma, How are you?
Guess what? I just found your house on Google earth.
I zeroed in and there was your house.

M:Wow, that is very cool.
Did you see me waving?

S: No, with a giggle.
guess what else we did?

M:Tell me.

S:We went to this place that we stayed in our car and we
saw all kinds of animals, and
we could feed them. It was fun.
We saw deer, and elk, giraffes, and buffalo.

M:That really sounds like fun.

S: We had fun at your house too, Grandma.

M:Yes we did, didn't we.

There are so many places and things that we can introduce our grand kids to while they are on furlough. I've come up with a list of some of the things we did and some we didn't have time to do.

THINGS TO DO ON FURLOUGH:

Play games
Swimming
Bake together and have a tea party
Take a hike
Pretend you are at the store and count
American money with them, give them each $5.00 of their own to spend
Show them the city
Discuss the difference in roads, and what kinds
of vehicles travel on each
Write a story together
Go to the library
Learn a new card game
Take a bike ride
Go to the zoo, aquarium, museum
Meet and visit new family members
Discuss the family tree with them

Give them a toy that they could not have on the field
Draw pictures together, frame them and hang them
Play bubbles outside
Show them old family photos of them and other family members
Color a picture together
Read them a story
Take a nature walk and tell them the name of all the trees

Take them fishing and teach them how to fillet a fish, fry and eat it together
Go to a movie
Play HORSE with the basketball
Put together a puzzle
Learn how to roller blade
Give them a bubble bath
Take them for Mexican food
Tell them a funny story about their dad
Take them for ice cream
Go to an amusement park
Wrestle with Grandpa
Let them pick their favorite fruit and buy it regardless of price
Fix their favorite meal
Go camping
Pray together
Show them a map of USA, and show them where they will be traveling

Just a few ideas.
Do you have some?

Time Goes On....

2010-06-16T17:10:00.000-07:00

Time together is over....
They were loaded and ready to travel across country, and
I was doing just fine until.....
I was getting ready to shut the door, when Joel started to cry,
"Grandma, I love you and I will miss you. I don't want to leave."

It was pretty hard to let them go at this point, but I did much better when 3 hours later he called and said,
"Grandma, are you still sad?"
"Just a little, how about you? Are you sad?"
"No I better, I not sad anymore."

What a blessing our time was together.

What ? Are you sure its been 2 whole weeks?

2010-06-07T18:04:00.000-07:00

It is hard to believe that my family has been home two whole weeks. What a blessing to have them here. We babysat this weekend and took the kids to a pizza buffet, watching them make choices and then eat tons of pizza, all I could say to Art was " Don't you love having them here?"
Smiling he patted my arm and kept eating his pizza.
I thought I might make a list of some other things we did this week, and give you a taste of our time together.

This week I:
1.Have been to the library 2 more times.
2. went to Hobby Lobby and bought patterns for Mamma Ellen , would you believe they have no shorts patterns in Vanuatu.
3. Drew with JohnMark.
4. Read to Joel before bed.
5. Went to the pool a few times.
6. Baked 4 more loaves of Banana Bread that makes 6 now.
7. Played at least 20 games of Monopoly card game, and won only a handful.
It is a fun game, but they run circles around me.
8. Bought More gallons of milk than I can count. They enjoy non powdered cold milk.
9. Took the kids to Dairy Queen, they had never been there.
They all ordered sundaes, but only ate half because they were to sweet :)
10. Helped nurse 3 boils, one swollen finger, and a sty, but all is well and healed.
11. Went to Uncle Joe's for dinner.
12. Watched National Treasure 2 before bed.
13. Took the kids to my sisters veterinarian school to see all the animals...they loved it.
14.Curled Sierra's hair and showed her how to use a curling iron.
15.Taught David how to use the games on my phone.
16.Took lots of pictures.
17. Had cousins Cole and Sage to spend the night.
18.Watched T.V. with E and M after the kids went asleep.

These are the things that matter, not the stacks of shoes or clothes in the corners, not the cluttered counters, not the chaos of having 6 extra people in the house.

Furlough is good for grandma;)

A week to Remember

2010-05-31T14:57:00.000-07:00

A long awaited for remote control helicopter .....

We've had a busy week.
This was to be a week to rest and getting used to a new place.It has been great and we have had fun.
Jet lag has been a little bit of a problem, but everyone slept last night all the way through.
It has been go to bed around 9.. Hopefully fall asleep before midnight....
wake around 2 ....
get up....
go back to bed around 3 sleep until 6....

One night I heard Jon upstairs talking at 2:30 a.m. I rushed upstairs to quiet him thinking he had brought someone home, but when I got up here he was talking to his uncle who was on the computer, while Michele was sitting around the corner on the couch.
They couldn't sleep.

One day we went to catch up on shots.
1 for Michele
1 for David
3 for J.M.
4 for Sierra
and 4 for a very unhappy Joel

"I hope that you are up for a challenge," I said to the nurse. :)
"Oh, I love a challenge," she replied.
It took two of us to hold him down.
In his defense, he just had stitches two weeks ago for his dog bite, and he IS only 4.
He made it through and we assured him that he would not need stitches again for a very long time.

We had to check out McDonalds.
Burgers, Fries , and Shakes for all. Wouldn't you know the shake machine was broke.
So JM had apple pies...
Sierra a McFlurry
David a hot chocolate
Joel a cone....
Never seen a play area before.

The grocery store was a high point. I told them that each could pick out one fruit.
What excitement...
Cherries,Strawberries,Kiwi, Apples, Apricots all of which they can't get or afford in Vanuatu.
I wish that my American grand kids would get so excited over fruit.

They learned to roller blade with skates that Grandma and Grandpa in Georgia sent for birthdays.
Sierra doesn't like all those pads though.

We have been fishing, swimming,walking, to Nebraska and back with Grandpa, and church and dinner at Uncle Joes'.
A busy week for sure.

Tomorrow we start anew, but this week they need to see supporters.
Not to worry I still have a few new things up my sleeve.

The Arrival

2010-05-26T20:14:00.000-07:00

The airport was quiet tonight...
And then there they were....

Off To Home

Its Furlough Time...

2010-05-24T20:34:00.000-07:00

Furlough : A time of rest
A time to relax
A time to recoup from living and serving cross culturally
A time to reconnect with family
A time to reconnect with friends
A time to reconnect with supporters
A time to meet new supporters
A time to rest

This will be my third furlough as a POM.
My first furlough with the kids I really thought it was all about family, but I learned that it is not that simple.
It can be a hard time especially for the returning missionary family.
They are uprooted from their home, their work, and their friends.
If they are not living with family they have to find temporary housing and transportation, schools, and possible work or service.
They may find themselves having to travel across country and meet with supporters.

I've learned to be flexible, available, and prayerful.
I try to enjoy every minute and be thankful for the time we do have together.
I've stocked my kitchen with all their favorites.
I've saved and stored books and toys for months.
I'm ready and so excited...
It won't be long now.

Furlough...part one

2010-03-23T20:36:00.000-07:00

Busy time for my kids right now....

They are packing up the house,
Selling the truck,
Saying goodbyes,
and trying to finish up the books of the Bible they have been working on.
Daunting tasks in the best of times, but with the continuous rain and the
short time left I would imagine they are stressed and running on
overload.

The reason for all this ruckus is furlough. They will be arriving in the USA
sometime in May.
This grandma is going to get to see her grandchildren SOON...
For me having the kids back in the states, and the grandchildren within
a short plane trip is pure joy, but for my son and his wife
it can be something other than just a joyous time. In many ways it is an
uprooting time for them.
They will be leaving their familiar home, and
working, traveling, sharing, visiting, studying, teaching, vacationing, and if possible resting in an unfamiliar place.

Furlough takes lots of preparation and prayer. So I begin the countdown, and I will share over the next few weeks some of those preparations and activities.

For anyone praying please check out the new prayer list.

Tell me that its not broken....

2010-03-03T20:22:00.000-08:00

About 7 months ago the kids got what is called a V-sat. They moved a huge satellite dish into the yard, and the dish gave them Internet access right at home they no longer had to go into town to find an Internet collection to send e-mail, and we have had skype on a daily basis.
This old POM has quickly gotten spoiled .and now I'm suffering withdrawal, angst, and disappointment. The dish is broken.

What fun it has been to send the message, " Erik, are you there?"
and have him respond,"Yes mom, just working on the book of John with Neckky."
I love hearing what they are working on. " Well, tell Neckky, hi from me."

What fun it has been to hear the skype ring, and find Erik and the grand kids on the line.
What fun it has been to skype with Michele, to hear what us woman consider the important details of their daily lives.

What fun it has been to be on line, and have the message pop up that Erik is online.

I think that when it comes to my missionary children, thankfulness should be in order each and everyday. Things can change with them anytime, and those changes often cannot be handled as easily or as quickly as if they lived here.
The v-sat repair man is in Australia for the rest of the year. Seriously....
So unless we get a miracle, and I have seen God meet their needs over and over again.
I am going to have to say it was nice while it lasted.

Check out the Boys :)

2010-02-21T17:54:00.000-08:00

A Time To Be Thankful.....

2010-02-12T19:17:00.000-08:00

Art and I celebrated our 41st anniversary on February 1. Truly it seems like yesterday that we got engaged and then married. So much has happened in these years.

I'm 60 years old and if I live to be 80 I've already lived 3/4 of my life, and a good half of it has been with my sweetie...(my enduring term for Art when I'm writing about him or to him:)

41 years is a long time, it has been hard work, but what a joy it is to not only be married to a person that long, but to still be friends. We can't take all the credit, God in his great mercy and goodness has blessed us and given us time to get it right. He is good.

As I looked at the last posted picture of my grand children I was struck at how quickly time does goes by. The scripture teaches that there is a time for everything. sometimes it is good to be reminded.

"There is an appointed time for everything. And there is a time for everything under heaven....
A time to give birth and a time to die;
A time to plant and a time to uproot what is planted.
A time to kill and a time to heal;
A time to tear down and a time to build up.
A time to weep and a time to laugh;
A time to mourn and a time to dance.
A time to throw stones and a time to gather stones;
A time to embrace and a time to shun embracing.
A time to search and a time to give up as lost;
A time to keep and a time to throw away.
A time to tear apart and a time to sew together;
a time to be silent and a time to speak.
A time to love and a time to hate;
A time for war and a time for peace."

I love that this scripture covers a lifetime of events, but there is one not here that pertains to long distance grandmas.
I would say that there is a time for the grand children to be born ,go to the mission field with mom and dad and grow up.
They will grow up whether I see it happening on a daily basis or not. It struck me looking at this picture how really big they are.

With each of my Vanuatu grandchildren, God has given me a snippets of time or a memory that just like Mary I treasure in my heart.

I remember the first born He has always been such a precocious child, eager to learn, eager to explore, and eager to talk about it. I would strap him in the stroller and we would walk the couple of blocks to the campus where his daddy and mommy were studying. We would look at the flags from the many countries flying over the visitors center. He was only 2, but I would point out each flag and tell him the names of the represented country. He seemed to love the information. Then we would head for the playground, taking the time to pick up rocks and stray feathers along the way.
One of those feathers still holds a permanent spot in the corner of my jewelry box.
Those walks were the best times...

The second child is my sweet girl. She is my only granddaughter.
I remember the day she was born. I had boarded the plane to be with my son and his family without knowing if we were having a boy or a girl.
I was met at the plane, "Mom its a girl," I can still feel the excitement and genuine joy I felt at the time.
I ran through that airport literally shouting praise and telling any who would listen that we had a GIRL a real girl...You have to understand that I have two sons, and 7 grandsons. She was the first and the last girl.
Two years ago, Sierra and I took a road trip together. I drove and she found every McDonald's within a two hundred mile radius. We had a great time getting to know one another over french fries and milkshakes.

The third born, how easy it is for them to get lost especially if he leaves for the field at two months old. I remember the morning they left. He was sleeping upstairs when I gathered him in my arms and prayed over him. His nursing mother had prepared a bottle so that this grieving grandma could feed him. She is thoughtful like that. I cried hard in Arts arms that day cause I knew next time I saw him he would be 3 or 4.
What a sensitive heart this little guy has. Last time I went to Vanuatua he made it his mission to get baby Grace to let me hold her. She would go to him but not me. She was terrified at the sight of me. It took days, but with a ball (all his idea ),and much coaxing she finally allowed me to hold her. He jumped up and down with delight as she held the ball I bribed her with, and let me snuggle her.

And then there is that last child... (He is not in this picture.) some say that
the youngest always has it easier , all I know for sure is that this one has all of us wrapped around his finger.
He also left with his mommy and daddy to the mission field at two months old( my daughter in law is amazing. can you imagine raising two babies turned toddlers in all that dirt with all those bugs ,diseases and villagers that want to spit on them if they cry to much. I digress. Suffice to say the girl is a treasure. )

I remember his first week. I wrapped him up tightly and we walked around and around the block so that I could kiss his soft baby head,while crying out to God because this one was also leaving in two months.
Three months ago God gave us time together.
We had so much fun getting to know one another. His little face and the sound of his voice is etched in my memory.
"Me love you Grandma. You be sad when I leave?"
Yes my baby boy, but I will always remember this time.

Its hard being a long distance grandma.
over the years, I've learned not dwell on the time NOT spent with them but to embrace and be thankful for the time spent WITH them. Writing this I realized how many memories I do have, more than a few snippets.
It's taken effort and time, but my long distant grandchildren know me and they love me, and that's enough.

Check out the Crew...cute huh?

2010-02-08T17:01:00.000-08:00

Thank You Grandma Karen .....

2010-01-30T10:08:00.000-08:00

I had to share these with you....
They were a surprise and a delight for me.
Thank you notes from the girls in the village
for their skirts.
I have to say that they made my day....

I will have to frame some of these works of art...beautiful...

I finished the 22 pairs of shorts yesterday, and they are on their way to the little boys in the village. It has blessed me to be a part of something that is so simple for me, but that means so much to someone else. Amazing how A pair of shorts or A skirt can make such a difference in someones life and heart.

A long Week......

2010-01-20T19:40:00.000-08:00

It's been a long week....
My heart and thoughts have been consumed by the earthquake and the resulting devastation in Haiti.
I think that it is one of the most horrific tragedies
that I have seen in my lifetime.. and I'm not that young:)
At some level I compare Haiti to Vanuatu ...Maybe it is because both are third world countries.
Maybe it is because the people are so poor.
Maybe it is because Vanuatu is situated directly on the Pacific Ring of Fire and my kids experience earthquakes often, there were two last time I was there.
Maybe it is because the Haitians remind me of the Ni Vanuatu, and I've grown to love the Ni Vanuatu.
Whatever the many reasons...my feelings are intense

I've been reading missionary blogs this week.
Those who are in Haiti and are experiencing first hand the suffering and realities of this tragedy are writing and sharing their experiences.

Missionaries are a blessed group...
I am struck by the strength and endurance of the missionaries in the midst of the difficult circumstances that they are faced with...
that they would not grow weary in doing good, but continue to be sober in all things that they will endure hardship and do the work of an evangelist, and fulfill their ministry.
2 Timothy 4:5-8

I am struck by their thankfulness and acknowledgment of God's care and grace during this time.
It is good to give thanks to You Lord
and to sing praises to Your name, O Most High God. Psalm 92:1

I am struck at their trust and faith in God in spite of the chaos and death that surrounds them.
I will say to the Lord, My refuge and my fortress, My God, in whom I trust! Psalm 91:2-3
for it is He who delivers you from the snare of the trapper and from the deadly pestilence
He will cover you with with His pinions, and under His wings you may seek refuge;
His faithfulness is a shield and bulwark .

This morning I heard of one missionary that flew into the Dominican Republic and hiked over the mountains to reach the orphanage that he works with, his heart is there. He found everyone alive, but their needs are huge.

On the news last night there were American parents begging for help in finding their daughter and her group of friends. They were on a humanitarian mission and they are missing in the hotel in the center of town. The same hotel that they found Dan ,the man who works for Compassion Inc. alive , but his friend Don is still missing. They were together when the quake hit.

If I'm honest there have been times that WHY has run through my mind, and
the verse that keeps coming to me, "for my thoughts are not your thoughts,
nor are your ways My ways, declares the Lord.
for as the heavens are higher than the earth,
so are My ways higher than your ways
and My thoughts than your thoughts," Isaiah 55:8-10

Why do I want to put God in my box?

On the home front...My nephew is sitting on my couch as I write this.. his mom is at school... he can't be alone......One day at a time...he keeps reminding me. We are at a week....waiting for treatment.

In both situations it will be a long haul, filled with huge obstacles
And in both cases we will need to trust God...
In both cases we will need miracles....
What is impossible for man is possible for God.
Thank you Lord for this promise.

Three Mothers

2010-01-13T16:29:00.000-08:00

Consider two mothers who have in the last 24 hours had to turn their children over to God and trust Him and Him alone for their well being.
Both mom's are experiencing very different situations but I would imagine very similar feelings.
I have been deeply moved today to pray for them and their children.

One mom is a POM. I have come to know Denise through my blog and hers. http://grandmothersheartbeat.blogspot.com / Her encouraging loving spirit has blessed me many times over. I have never met her in person, but we are connected by the similar experience of being a POM and because we serve and trust the same Lord.
Denise's daughter is a missionary in Haiti. The earthquake that occurred last night has devastated that country and those who live there are suffering greatly. There is nothing that Denise can do at this point to physically help or protect her missionary family.

The other mom is my sister. I found myself in a hospital ER room last night as she held her son who had been found in a restaurant bathroom overdosed. Thankfully he survived and Lord willing he will be entering a treatment center within the next few days, but it was heart wrenching to watch her grief and his sorrow as she held his hand and wept.

How do we as mom's handle such difficult situations with our children. I think that the answer can be seen in the reaction of the mother in Matthew 15:22 who frantically approached Jesus,
"Have mercy on me Lord: my daughter is cruelly demon possessed."
She got Jesus attention and we see that eventually after pleading with Jesus in verse 25,
"Lord Help Me!"
Jesus responded by healing her daughter because the woman's faith was great. verse28.
In the same way,
Our only choice is to reach out to Christ in great faith, "Lord Help Me" trusting Him to respond and care for our children and to meet their needs.

Jesus cares about our anguish and concern for our children, after all He is the one who made them. Psalm 139: 13, "for you formed my inward parts; You wove me in my mother's womb." Our children belonged to Him before they ever belonged to us. We shouldn't take them back but continue to give them over to a loving God.
Remembering that what is impossible for man is possible for God. He can do all things over and beyond what we can imagine.

As parents we can pray...we need to be consistent and stubborn intercessors. Prayer is both a privilege and an obligation.

Would you pray? Pray for these two women and their children .
Then together we will Praise God and Give Him the Glory as we see His answers , healing, and protection in these two situations.

Its a Small World After All....

2010-01-06T18:51:00.000-08:00

It is so miserable cold here...and it is snowing again tonight. Brrrr... 5degrees and dropping.
It is cold everyplace in the USA... BUT....

On the other side of the world it is paradise....90 in Port Vila today. My kids are making their way there for meetings. I'm jealous.

Fear and Grief...Rearing Their Ugly Head...

2010-01-05T16:31:00.000-08:00

Vanuatu is a series of about 80 islands in the South Pacific. There are several missionary families that work on various islands. I have had the privilege to meet many of these missionaries. They are hard working and loving people. All the missionaries are close, calling one another " aunt" and "uncle" they are family to one another. It is a comfort for me to know that my grandchildren have other "family" that cares for them.

This weekend one of the missionary children fell out of a tree while playing with friends and he was severely hurt. He was not able to get the care in Port Vila that was necessary, and it was impossible to get him out on a medical plane. It ended up that he was flown to Australia with his mother on a commercial flight, but it took time.

I can't put into words how moved I have been over this. I cried off and on, and prayed continuously all weekend. Thank the Lord, the little guy( he is only 8) after surgery, is going to be okay, but it will take many months of healing.

I'm sure that some of my response was from the Holy Spirit and His prompting to pray, but this situation reminded me again of the reality of the limitations of where my children live, and this reality again hit home and upset me. They have hospital care, and I am thankful for that. I cannot forget that they did surgery on my son and he got better. I cannot forget that they cared for Joel's bone infection and he got better, but they simply do not always have the means or the doctors to care for something serious.
I was reminded again that it is not a simple thing to get out of the country. It can take days to get a plane that is going where you need to go.

I find that I can go long periods of time and be fine, but then a situation like this or a holiday, or a birthday will remind me of the reality and hardship of my missionaries lives, and I find myself grieved all over again, and it hurts and I'm afraid.

I had to stop, regroup and spend some time in prayer and the scriptures.

"Don't be afraid," he said "Take courage I am here!" Matthew 14:27 NLT.
Yes, Lord, help me to remember this truth... You are there....Help me to remember that if You allow then You will provide a way....Help me to remember that if it is Your will to take one of us home
You will give those of us who remain the grace to cope....
Help me to refocus and put my eyes on eternity....

I was reminded again of the privilege and obligation I have to pray. I cannot protect them from every threat, but I can entrust them to the God who created them and loves them more than I do...
Help me to remember Lord...to pray...to not be lax....to trust You...Help me with my unbelief.

So as I write this I'm calm again...
I'm thankful again....
I'm trusting again....
I've chosen again to give my child, his wife and my grandchildren over to a loving God....

Happy New Year To You...

2010-01-02T17:47:00.000-08:00

This holiday weekend I am
SITTING at the computer in Nebraska, it is snowing and so so cold outside...It has been a nice quiet weekend alone with Art...resting and eating.

I'm CONSIDERING that Lord willing, this summer my missionary family will be coming to USA for a one year furlough.

I'm WONDERING were the year 2009 went. Seemed to fly by. It was a momentous year for the family.
We both turned 60 this year....We celebrated our 40th wedding anniversary..
I went to Vanuatu with Sage in June. We had a great trip.
We had an unexpected trip from Michele and Joel...In spite of circumstances we had so much fun together.
Jon my oldest grandson turned 20....Toby my youngest grandson turned 3...
I WONDER what 2010 holds for our family?

I'm CONVICTED about struggling with fear ...I'm READING Max Lucado's book
Fearless:Imagine Your Life Without Fear.
Here is something to ponder:
"Fear never wrote a symphony or poem, negotiated a peace treaty, or cured a disease. Fear never pulled a family out of poverty or a country out of bigotry. Fear never saved a marriage or a business.
Courage did that. Faith did that. People who refused to consult or cower to their timidities did that. But fear itself? Fear herds us into a prison ans slams the doors."

I'm SAD that another holiday went by without my missionary family here, but I'm THANKFUL for the times we have had together this year...

I'm NEEDING to diet and loose 15lbs....no more excuses or eating ...Ha.

I'm WEARY right now from not feeling good for a few months...lots of achiness and tiredness makes a person weary.

I'm THINKING AND PRAYING for one of the missionary families in Vanuatu. Their son fell playing and was seriously injured this weekend. He needed to be flown out to Australia....

I'm BRACING for Art's retirement...He may be retiring within the next couple of months.

I"m COMPILING a list of things that need to get done this month...
I love my lists. :)

I'm DREADING the time and effort it will take to make 22 pairs of shorts for the boys in the village, while at the same time I'm AMAZED at how one pair of shorts or one skirt can make such a difference in their lives.

I'm THANKFUL that my family is healthy as we move into 2010, and REJOICING at God's faithfulness and mercy to us...
Our God is Good and Greatly to be Praised.

and Last but not Least I'm HOPING that each one of you and your families have a
HAPPY & BLESSED NEW YEAR..

What About The Shorts?

2009-12-26T09:23:00.000-08:00

The skirts were a complete blessing, both to those who received them and to me as I saw how important they were to the girls and their moms.

When I was there and I suggested to Sierra that we ought to make skirts for all the little girls, my motivation was simply that since I have access to so much fabric, trim,and patterns why not do something special.
I really did not realize the impact one skirt would have on the people, but they have.

The only problem has been that the boys are upset...They want shorts:)
So Michele went through he village and measured 22 big and little boys for shorts.

My next project is 22 pairs of shorts. Hopefully to be done before February 1....
At least the shorts don't need to be trimmed.

So let the challenge begin....seriously how hard can it be..ha...

Merry Christmas to You...

2009-12-24T18:55:00.000-08:00

It's Christmas Eve in America.....
And Christmas Day in Vanuatu....

"Hi Grandma, I got my truck. Thank you for my trucks. Me like them. Me likes them alot."

How special is that?

First time in all these years that we were able to talk to the grand kids on Christmas Day.
Skype is awesome and God is good..

"For today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior; who is Christ the Lord."
Luke 2:11

May the savior who was born to bring salvation to all the world, bless you and yours this Christmas.
What joy to know that God is with us no matter where we are this holiday season.
This truth brings peace and comfort when we are so far apart.

"Glory to God in the highest,
And on earth peace among men with whom
He is pleased."Luke 2:14

Happy Birthday Jesus.....
Thank you for being the Savior of the world....John 4:42

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAVID....

2009-12-18T17:12:00.000-08:00

TODAY IS DAVID'S 9TH BIRTHDAY.....
HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAVID
WE LOVE YOU LOTS
AND MISS YOU ...

look at that smile....

A Very Special Skirt....

2009-12-17T19:15:00.000-08:00

This is Lafosa...
I thought you might enjoy seeing this picture...It was taken at a special ceremony that took place this week in her honor.
Notice the grass skirt...Her mom made it and painted the design on it...
That is a beautiful skirt.

Praying for the skirts: Part Two

2009-12-14T06:00:00.000-08:00

Lord I just praise you for who You are..
I thank you that you have sent your son to be a covenant to the nations,
To open blind eyes and to bring out prisoners from the dungeons, and those
who dwell in darkness from the prisons. Is. 42:6
Lord, I feel that these people walk in the darkness of their traditions and
culture, but Your son can set them free...and when the Son sets us free
we are free indeed. Lord, I don't know how that will look...different than
here I am sure, but Your freedom in any culture brings peace and wholeness.

Lord, here is a whole generations of young girls.I just lift them up to you
Lord would you work in their hearts and give them the desire to learn,
to read, to write to apply their hearts to instruction and their ears to
words of knowledge Proverbs 23:12

In learning to read language they will be able to read Your translated Word!
Let it bring joy to their hearts. Jeremiah15:16
Let them behold wonderful things from your law; things that they have not
seen before Psalm 119:18, and give them understanding to these things.

I pray that the written Word in the Nafe language will go out in Your power
with the Holy Spirit and in full conviction bringing change to this generation. 1Thes. 1:3

Let the truth of the gospel permeate the hearts of these young women to understand
their value in Your eyes.
That they are fearfully and wonderfully made; that their frames were not hidden from
You when they were made in secret, but instead that it was You that formed
their inward parts and wove them in their mother's wombs.
Help them to understand that Your thoughts are are precious toward them, O God!Psalm 139
Let the knowledge of these truths make them better women, better wives and better mothers.

Jesus, You said that with people some things are impossible but with God all things are possible.
Matthew 19:26
I love this truth, God, I don't know how it will all come to look for this generation but nothing is impossible
for You to accomplish.
So I pray that these girls, on this island,
will sing to You a new song.
That they will Sing Your Praise from the end of the earth!
That they will lift up their voices and give Glory To God. Isaiah 42:10

Praying for the Skirts...

2009-12-09T06:28:00.000-08:00

On the island of Tanna there is another family of missionaries. Ken and Mendy have children the same age as Erik and Michele, and the families are very close. I like that my grandchildren call them Uncle Ken and Aunt Mendy it gives them family in this place.

One day on my last visit we decided to go visit them. This family lives very close to the active volcano on the island. Yasur is a favorite tourist attraction and roads in and out are well maintained at least until we reached the 4 wheel drive road that led right into their village, rain during the week made this part of the road more of a challenge, but this was a clear day and I could see the volcano in the distance rising high into the sky with clouds of smoke surrounding it. Yasur volcano is an awesome and humbling sight no matter the distance.

It was Sunday; a day of rest in Vanuatu, and the families had decided to hike to a distant waterfall. I volunteered to stay back and babysit my youngest grandson knowing that the long trip on foot would be to daunting for both of us. I gathered some toys and Joel and I went to sit on the front porch. I watched children playing in the community lawn in front of the house, and as I played with Joel two teenage Ni Vanuatu girls came to the porch. They silently approached me and sat down right next to me. This was unusual. I find that the people are curious about me, but they usually stay at a distance and stare, sometimes for long periods of time, they will stand and watch me. Not sure what to do and because of the language barrier I just smiled and waited to see what they would do next.

"Hello," said one of the girls.

I was surprised at her English, and I responded quickly,
"Do you speak English?"

She smiled broadly; the Ni Vanuatu women have beautiful smiles.
"Yes, I go to school, and I came to speak with you so that I could practice my English."
She began to tell me her story.
"My name is Naug."

"My mother died having me, and my father left and went to live in the city of Port Vila. I do not know him well. My grandparents live here in the village and they raised me."
" I go to school, it is very unusual for a girl my age to go to school past the 8th grade, but Mendy's mom pays for my school. She love Jesus and she pays for my school. I love Jesus; He has blessed me so I can go to school."

"I saw you here and you are like her. I wanted to come and talk to you and say thank you. Thank You for Ken and Mendy, and thank you for your son and his family. I see them here sometimes, and to tell you I am so thankful that I can go to school."

She continued on to tell me more about her desires to better herself in school. She told me more about her village, and throughout her sharing she would often stop and praise Jesus.

There are times when I am visiting that I sit back and wonder if my children' s lives and sacrifices are making a difference in this place. Sometimes the needs and work is overwhelming, and sometimes the difficulties of every day living here is overwhelming , I am sure it is the selfish pondering of a POM, but that day, listiening to this young girl speaking to me boldly in English with such conviction I was completely taken aback. With tears in my eyes I thanked the Lord for this moment and this girl. It was though He spoke directly into my heart that day:

"They make a difference Karen...Trust Me....They make a difference...."

Later in the day, I asked Mendy about Naug.

"Can they make her quit school?" I asked.
"Oh yes ,when the elders in the village say so then she will have to quit school and get married. She is marriage age. Her grandparents have fought for her, and so far they have let her continue, but that could change any time."

I can't tell you how that grieved me, and at the same time gave me a focus for my prayers for Naug. This was the first time I had heard or seen such desire in this place. This was the first time someone had shared with me the difference Jesus love had made in their lives.

Vanuatu society is carried on the backs of the women. It is the women who do most of the work. Bearing and raising children starts at an early age. The women maintain the gardens; do the cooking, washing and cleaning, and whatever else that keeps the family and the village running smoothly. Women here carry a great burden and live hard lives.

I pondered on this story this week as I looked at the pictures of the girls in my skirts....a whole new generation... God has put a love in my heart for these young girls...how do I pray for them?

Lord Show Me.....

Let the Holiday Begin...

2009-12-01T19:02:00.000-08:00

The e-mail read: I gave out the skirts early because many are going to celebrate in different villages. The girls loved it, they clapped and giggled and they all fit!

2009-12-01T18:56:00.000-08:00

Baby Grace...

2009-12-01T18:51:00.000-08:00

2009-12-01T18:44:00.000-08:00

Meet Bob....

2009-11-30T09:52:00.000-08:00

One day Joel and I went to the grocery. We were all alone, it was early and he was fascinated by all the food.

"Can I have a chocolate donut grandma?"
"No problem of course you can. "

We went on to find chocolate milk, and" round colored balls" that really were cereal.
Traveling to the check out we came across the toy section.
We found a bear...with a soccer ball?
Joel was delighted because he knows what soccer is since they play it where he lives, and this bear was really special because he had a coat and hat.
"Can I have him grandma?"
Not willing to stop the joy I responded,
"Of course, but you have to name him. "
Without hesitating Joel said, " BOB".
The remainder of the week he hung out with Bob, and shared him with whoever would look, but in the end he had to leave Bob because there was no room in the suitcase.

I have been doing good since they left...
I washed the little white socks, and put them away
I cleaned up the crushed gold fish in my car...
and I put away the little blue coat....

But this morning...this morning I came across Nemo in my DVD player..I bought it just for him.
I found a little plastic dog in my brief case that we had played with at the hospital...and then...... I found BOB.

A wave of sorrow washed over me,and it paralyzed me for a minute or two.
I know that it is grief tugging at my heart, and I fell to my knees.

GOD.....then peace began to surround the sorrow that gripped my heart, and
as I let it in I found rest and comfort so that my grief was set aside while I begin to think of my
many blessings....

Thank You LORD, for the time we had together, and the memories made.
Thank You LORD, for the many blessings and the answered prayers.
Thank You LORD, for the finished book of Luke, this month.

Thank You LORD, that You understand this POM

Then I got up and continued on with my clean up...
God is Good

Thanksgiving ...Let us Rejoice and be Glad

2009-11-26T06:03:00.000-08:00

We all know that Thanksgiving is an American holiday. Its not celebrated in Vanuatu, but the missionaries often get together and celebrate. While Michele was here she asked for turkey, dressing, and cranberries. The girl is so easy to please:)
Thanksgiving is the perfect time for this POM to take the time to give God thanks for His many blessings.....

I thank You LORD for Erik and Michele and their commitment to You
I thank You for my precious grandchildren
I thank You that though I am a long-distance grandma, my grandchildren know me and they love me.
I thank You LORD for the health of their family in spite of the difficulties they have experienced this year.
I am thankful for the health care that they do have available there
I give you praise that Erik survived his health scare...we acknowledge that You gave us a miracle.
I love Your Bible and I thank You for it.
I thank you for the Ni Vanuatu people
I thank You that Erik loves Your Word and treats it like the treasure that it is
I thank you for the visit that I had to Vanuatu this year
I thank You for the kids house, and the truck that breaks down more than it runs:)
I thank You Lord for the new internet access, and our new skype access
I thank You for Vanuatu and the beauty and culture of this place
I thank You for Michele and Joel's visit and their safe journey back
I thank You that you word promises that those who endure will be given the crown of life, continue to give them endurance
I thank You for prayer and Your many answers
I thank You my LORD for Your mercy and faithfulness
I thank You for the translation process, and for the scripture that has been translated
I thank You that is Your Word and the work of the Holy Spirit that will change lives
I thank You for the missionary team in Vanuatua and the love they have for one another
I thank You for the postal system in Vanuatu
I thank You for the new malaria spraying that is being done by the Australians
I thank You for the joys and sorrows of being a POM because it causes me to seek Your face
I PRAISE and thank You LORD that You are worthy and that with Your blood You have purchased men from every tribe and tongue and people and nation. Rev. 5:1

Its good to pause and give God thanks for His many blessings....

HAPPY BIRTHDAY JOEL

2009-11-24T18:44:00.000-08:00

JOEL IS 4 YEARS OLD....

Joel is having his birthday party today. They are playing pin the coconut on the tree, and
Throwing water balloons, a little duck duck goose, and ring around the rosie.

He got a chicken for a present:)

Bet he loves being the center of attention.

This little guy is a treasure.....

Erik just finished translation checking on the book of Luke...
It is finished...Praise the Lord.

First Things First....

2009-11-20T19:03:00.000-08:00

Joel left for Vanuatu when he was 2 months old. I remember cuddling him and thinking that when I saw him again he would be walking and talking, and it was true, the next time I saw him he was 18 months old in Vanuatu. He was talking and running.

This trip was his first time back to the USA. He experienced many new things. He took most of these experiences in stride. Over the week there were a few things that seemed to give him pause and he reacted strongly.

"Eehh, Eehh," he kept repeating. What is that noise, Grandma?"
It took us a minute to realize what he was so fascinated about...
" It is a car horn," said Michele.
"Does daddy have a horn?"
"He probably does, but it doesn't work."
" Do you want to hear Grandma's horn?" I asked.
"Yes, Yes," he responded wiggling in his car seat.
Over the next few days he would make his noises in the back seat , and I would respond by honking my horn much to his delight.

Taking him to the department store without a cart to restrain him was a challenge. Once in the front door, he took off and I found myself in hot pursuit just trying to keep up with him.
Suddenly he stopped abruptly in front of a sparkling red artificial tree.
"What is that?" he asked.
He had never seen a Christmas tree before.
Starting from the bottom he touched every ball and branch that he was able to reach.
While Michele shopped, he stopped at every tree throughout the store, touching each one.

We were going out the door when the mannequin in the ladies department caught his eye.
He ran up to her and peered under her dress, and then looking up to her head he gasped in horror.
"She has no head, Grandma. They cut off her head."
Funny I hadn't even noticed. Who needs a head when you are wearing a Vera Wang designer dress?

One day we were in the drive thru at McDonald's. It was taking a while when Joel asked,
" What are we doing Grandma?"
" This is a drive thru. We pay at the first window, and then at the second window we get my coffee and your chocolate milk."
He didn't say anything until later in the afternoon when he told his Grandpa all about the windows and getting his chocolate milk.

A few days later I found myself trying to explain to him why Wendy's only had one window instead of two. He accepted the difference once he realized that he would still get his french fries if they only had one window.

He liked the zoo, he talked about the big big lion for days. He seemed especially impressed by the carousel with the tiger that went up and down when he sat on him.
There were many many "American Firsts" for Joel.

I had to chuckle when I got an e-mail from Michele upon her arrival in Vanuatu.
"Joel is already American, we were doing our errands and he was hot and thirsty. He wanted me to stop and buy him a coke! He never would have asked that 2 weeks ago. He would have asked for a coconut or water."

Hmm...and I was concerned how he would respond...

God is close to the broken hearted. ....

2009-11-17T10:14:00.000-08:00

Okay I admit it the awesome 4 year old was right. I finally cried.
I didn't cry going through the grocery store this time, but I had to take some deep deep breathes as I went by the chocolate milk and the fruit loops.

It has been to painful to vacuum up the smooshed gold fish in the back seat of my car, but I didn't cry, I just ignored the mess.

I didn't cry when I found those little white socks in the hallway. I've been stepping over them...Maybe I will wash them tomorrow.

Then today,I finally cried on the way home from water aerobics. Last time I was there Joel was with me. We swam together after my class.

I'm okay...just a little sad.
Felt good to cry...
I treated myself to a Pumpkin latte, and regrouped.

Maybe I will feel like cleaning up the gold fish tomorrow.

My Ways are not Your Ways...

2009-11-16T12:38:00.000-08:00

Today I find a pair of tennis shoes
A tiny pair of socks in the hallway,
Two monster trucks on the table,
Red sweats and a shirt in the living room...

"Grandma, are you going to cry?" Joel asked me as he snuggled in my lap
two days before his departure.
"Why do you think I am going to cry?" I asked.
"Cause you love me and you will miss me when I go home," he responded innocently.

How can a 4 year old be that perceptive?

Well today, he is on his way home...probably arriving in Fiji as I write this, but
Truth be known that after two weeks of non stop doctors appointments,
shopping,
sight seeing,
eating, and packing.
I am to exhausted to cry, and at the same time my heart is to full and
happy to cry.

Twice, in two years God has allowed me to participate in helping
my son's family with medical issues. These times have allowed me the
opportunity to get to know them better and for them to know
me better. We laughed together, cried together, and prayed together.
I don't know why these things happen. It's expensive and stressful
to come all the way back to the USA for treatment.

Maybe it's the enemy. We all talk about that possibility, but
what I know for sure is that what the devil may mean for evil God can
use for good. We don't need to understand completely.
Instead, I am thankful because we are a blessed family.
I am reminded again that God's way is not my way...
So today, I will give Him my exhausted trust, and thanks.

They should be arriving back in Vanuatu very soon probably
very exhausted....

Updates.....

2009-11-14T14:44:00.000-08:00

I tell you...really and truly and its not just cause I'm his adoring grandmother, but this boy is so cute.
"Joel you are so cute," I said this morning.
"No grandma, I'm just funny," he responded.
I've been so blessed to spend this time with him and his mommy.

Some updates: Joel's test results came back very good. There is no sign of the infection and no sign of any damage from the previous infection. Not sure what is causing his symptoms, but for now we are very thankful and will wait and see what develop.

Got my skirts all finished...I made 23... I am sending them back with Michele. They are so cute
hoping for a group picture.

Lord willing and if the snow doesn't pile to high they will be leaving tomorrow for their South Pacific Island....They are missed at home...Praying for a safe and easy trip.

I will share more later about the week and my feelings. For now I'm going to enjoy the last day with my grandson. He is playing the tool boy right now :)

Test Day...

2009-11-10T11:07:00.000-08:00

Waiting our turn at Children's Hospital
Trying out a new game...waiting...
Checking out the machine...
Joel was not going to lay still... so....
Sleeping was the only alternative...he handled that quite well.

After a nice nap and a snack Joel got dressed and .....
Away he went in a wheel chair....to meet Grandpa Carrow
Michele's dad had meetings in town yesterday...funny how God does things huh?
We all had a good time...
Test results will be back later in the week.

What Is Happening?

2009-11-08T18:32:00.000-08:00

We have had a busy week going non-stop.
We take Joel in tomorrow for a bone scan.
Because of his age they will be sedating him.
This test might give us a better idea what is happening.
Joel seems fine right now, he is running and walking without
a limp or pain.

We have got all the Christmas shopping done. I am sending
it with Michele, along with the village skirts, I still have 5 to
get done. Michele thought of 3 tiny ones we forgot.
It was fun to have Michele here to help pick out the things
the kids would really like, because she is taking it along
I can wrap each present. That will be fun.

Joel is going to be 4 on Nov. 25, but they will probably be back in
Vanuatu by then.
Erik continues work at home, and they are missed there.
Every night we Skype Joel misses his daddy and brothers and sister.
He has never been away from them.

Today we spent time with my other grandchildren...Joel got to play with
Toby , the cousin closest to him in age. This is the first time they have met.
He was fascinated by the 4 wheeler, the cows, and the big dogs. Their golden
retriever is huge compared to the village dogs.

The Lord is good to Us...
I look forward to getting this test done and the results back.

The Lord is good to Us...
Michele's father is in town for business meetings, he will be
staying the night with us, and spending time with his daughter and
grandson.

The Lord is good to Us...
The weather has been warm and allowing us to get around
easily taking walks and playing on the playground.

The Lord is good to Us...
We have been able to contact and speak to doctors easily and
quickly, and they have very quickly set up tests to meet
Michele and Joel's needs.

The Lord is good to Us...
For this time together....I am thankful.
I have enjoyed every minute of it.

First Time ....

2009-11-05T20:56:00.000-08:00

Joel had his first bath ever. He liked the bubbles .
He saw his first squirrel today. He was so excited.
There is still snow on the ground so he got to touch snow for the first time.
It is cold was his reply.
He got his first taste of grapes...he wasn't impressed.
He met his cousin for the first time. They are close in age and seemed to hit it off.
So many firsts.... and tomorrow is a new day.

Unexpected Blessing....

2009-11-04T18:29:00.000-08:00

Well I haven't written for a while...
I took a trip to Seattle to see my new little niece, and she is a cute one.
I have been busy with my skirts..I have 3 more to do:) I should make
it by end of the week.
We had a major snow storm last week that kept us in for 2days. Its not
unusual to have a snow in October, but a bit unusual to have this much
snow in October.

And then totally unexpected on Sunday, I got a skype from Erik saying
that Joel's leg was starting to
bother him. If you recall in April of this year he was hospitalized for the same symptoms
this time the doc in Port Vila decided he needed to be seen in
USA or Australia. Amazingly, Michele and Joel arrived last night.
What a treat to get to hold my sweet grandson tonight. I had no idea last week
that we would get this time together.

We saw a specialist today, and they could find nothing serious in xrays, but
they are going to do more extensive tests. He is walking and not limping today
and there is no pain.

Yesterday as I shopped, for some reason I cried in Walmart trying to decide
what food to buy him. Every time I put something in the cart, I thought about the
many things they do not have available that we have here, and I was
overwhelmed. I could not decide what to buy and what not to buy.
Seems silly now...

In the night I mourned over the fact that he left at 2 months and now
he is 4 ,and he has no idea about the USA...How would he respond?
Seems silly now...

He is fine and taking it all in stride.
Took a 14 hour plane ride without complaining.
He is sitting in the car seat without complaining.
Is wearing tennis shoes without complaining
Had x rays done today without complaining.
He is enjoying eating McDonalds french fries.
Watching the cars on the highway.
Picking a toy in Wal mart.
It's like he has always lived here.

What a blessing to have them here even under these circumstances.
Pray for wisdom as the docs try to figure out what is wrong.
Pray for finances...plane tickets on such short notice are so expensive.
Pray for future tests...they might be a bit uncomfortable.

Amazing isn't it?

Holy Is He...Ps.99

2009-10-12T16:04:00.000-07:00

I had an interesting experience Sunday afternoon I attended the Colorado Symphony, and we heard Leonard Bernstein , Symphony No.1, "Jeremiah". This symphony is based on scripture from the book of Lamentations. The movement aims to parallel in feeling the intensity of the prophet Jeremiah's pleas to Israel.
I was moved to tears because in the music I was able to hear and feel the intensity of the prophets warnings and his lamenting over the nations destruction brought on by their sin. It was amazing.

Lamentations is a book of wailing's that are read annually by the Jews as a reminder of the fall of Jerusalem and the destruction of the temple. They serve as a reminder of an avoidable tragedy caused by sin.

Lamentations1:1-3
How lonely sits the city
that was full of people!
She has become like a widow
who was once great among the national
She who was a princess among the provinces
Has become a forced laborer!
Judah has gone into exile under affliction
and under harsh servitude
she dwells among the nations, but she has found no rest;
all her pursuers have overtaken her in the midst of distress.

Lamentations 1:8
Jerusalem sinned greatly
Therefore she has become an unclean thing.
All who honored her despise her
Because they have seen her nakedness;
even she herself groans and turns away.

I love God's Word !

His Wonders In The Deep....

2009-10-07T20:21:00.000-07:00

News tonight is reporting a 7.9 earthquake and two after shocks in the area of Vanuatu. Looks like quakes occurred underwater. They have issued Tsunami warnings for the entire area.
I was able to skype with Erik and all is well on Tanna. They did not feel quake and the sea is fine.

GivingThanks...

2009-09-29T16:29:00.000-07:00

So what am I supposed to do when difficult things are happening in my life and the lives of those I love... and there seems to be no consolation?

I feel like I pray and pray and pray, but sometimes it seems that God is not hearing...there are no answers
I find comfort in the scriptures but then that peace is snatched away and my comfort is replaced with fear and anxiety.

I'm finding that thankfulness is the key...even when its the last thing I want to do giving thanks for the situations brings peace...

"Enter His gates with thanksgiving
and His courts with praise;
give thanks to Him, and praise His name.
For the Lord is good and His love endures
forever; His faithfulness continues
through all generations."
Psalm 100:4-5

I can give thanks for individual situations knowing that in all situations God promises to work for the good. My good and the good of those I love.

"And we know that in all things God works for the good of those
who love Him , who have been called according to His purpose.

Psalm 94:19
"When anxiety was great within me
Your consolation brought joy to my soul"

We are in Vail, Colorado I thought you might enjoy these pictures... trees are beautiful this week.

"Weeping may go on all night,but joy comes in the morning." Psalm 30:5

Skirt Update....

2009-09-20T16:09:00.000-07:00

Working on skirts and I have 8 done.
I am making them in lots of different colors and trims.
Makes it more interesting.

Its Going To Cost Us...

2009-09-12T17:20:00.000-07:00

One of the ways I can feel connected to my missionary family is by sending packages. I don't overdue it, but a package ~~or two~~ a month is usually in order.
I have always been very careful on my custom forms trying to never go over around $70.00 in total. Over all these years we have never had a problem with the kids getting their packages or with customs..

Things are changing..The new customs agent in town has decided that he will be able to make a buck or two if he adds the postage and the dollar amounts of the package contents together. This will pretty much assure that in order to get the packages they will have to pay customs to him. Yesterday it ended up costing a small fortune for them to get the packages that were waiting for pickup.

Erik and Michele are ready to say no more packages
That would mean no more,
hot sauce,
homemade fudge,
books,
lollies
hair bows
beef jerky
underwear
fig bars
pencils
crayons
Christmas....

CHRISTMAS?

can't cancel Christmas packages...we need to figure something out...what about all those Christmas skirts? And my grandchildren need something from grandma and grandpa for Christmas..

WAIT!

I know the one who already paid the price..the God who can make the impossible happen.
I am going to have to pray about this one...Meanwhile...
It's going to cost us.

Christmas In September and October...

2009-09-08T17:58:00.000-07:00

It was our last day in the village.

"Take my picture with all my friends grandma."

One of the hardest things for me in the village is seeing the kids tattered clothes. One day I mentioned to Sierra that it might be nice to make skirts for all the little girls in the village for Christmas. Sierra was delighted. For the entire 2 weeks she measured each and every girl, giving me their waist sizes and skirt lengths.
Consequently,
I have 18 skirts to get done before the end of October.
I'm just a little overwhelmed. Would you pray that I get them done...

Some of my Scripture prayers for the Ni Vanuatu...

2009-09-06T19:43:00.000-07:00

Great are You Lord, and greatly to be praised..Ps. 48:12
Clap your hands all the peoples of this great earth
Shout to God with a shout of JOY..
For the Lord Most High is to be feared,
He is a great King over all the earth...Ps. 41:10

We praise you O Lord,
All the nations, and
all the peoples we laud You for Your loving kindness is great towards us.
Your truth is everlasting; we Praise You Lord...Ps.117

Your Word O God is truth as well as everlasting..
Blessed are You oh Lord.
I ask you that as the people on the island of Tanna hear Your Word
in their own language that You would teach them Your Statutes...Ps. 119:12

Open their eyes Lord that they might see wonderful things from your Law...Ps. 119:18
Please let Your Word penetrate their hearts. Let your Word teach them good
discernment and knowledge...Ps. 119:66

Jesus You are Messiah, You have been appointed by the Father to be a covenant to the people.
You are a light to all the nations on the earth
to open blind eyes, to bring out prisoners from the dungeons and those who dwell in darkness.
Jesus, the Ni Vanuatu dwell in the darkness of their customs.
Please give them eyes to see the error of their ways and that this is sin in their lives...Is. 42:6

Lord, You will not give Your glory to another, nor your praise to graven images...Is.42:8
Please show them that their custom beliefs are deceitful, that they will not bring life they are worthless and a mockery...Jer.10:14
We cannot have it both ways partaking at the table of the Lord and demons...Icor. 10:20
Give the Ni Vanuatu the eyes to see and the ears to hear this truth...to see that this is what they are doing....turn them back that they would repent of their evil ways.

You say that all the islands and those that dwell in them will declare Your praise...I want the people to sing to you a new song of praise a song of praise to the ends of the earth. Is. 42:10
Please God give them a new song to sing....

I believe that it is Your Word that will change the lives of the people on Tanna Island. I pray that Your Word in the tongue of the Tannese will go out in your power, and in the Holy Spirit bringing with it full conviction. Use Erik and Michele as an example to the people that they serve so that these people may be turned back to serve You the one true God...I Thes. 1:5

I love Your Word Lord...You declare that all nations will come and worship before You, all the nations shall glorify Your name...Ps. 86:9

What Joy Lord to know that someday every tribe, and tongue, and people, and nation, Yes Lord, some of those who speak the Nafe Language will sing a new song to You.
A Song of Praise and Worship because you are Worthy and Worthy to be Praised.
Thank you for this truth Lord...Rev. 5:9

I Pray for these beloved people in the precious name of their saviour and mine Jesus Christ ...
Amen..

We Are At War....

2009-09-01T17:14:00.000-07:00

I started a new book this week: Let the Nations Be Glad by John Piper.

This is a book about missions. Chapter 2 is on prayer, and these are
his beginning thoughts on warfare, prayer, and missions.

"Life is war. That's not all it is. But it is always that. Our weakness in prayer is owing largely to our neglect of this truth. Prayer is primarily a wartime walkie=talkie for the mission of the church as it advances against the powers of darkness and unbelief. It is not surprising that prayer malfunctions when we try to make it a domestic intercom to call upstairs for more comforts in the den. God has given us prayer as a wartime walkie-talkie so that we can call headquarters for everything we need as the kingdom of Christ advances in the world. Prayer gives us the significance of frontline forces and gives God the glory of a limitless Provider. The one who gives the power gets the glory. Thus, prayer safeguards the supremacy of God in missions while linking us with endless grace for every need."

Piper claims that " We cannot know what prayer is for until we know that life is war."
Interesting.....

A Bittersweet Dichotomy...

2009-08-27T11:05:00.000-07:00

Denise left a comment on my last entry that I had to agree with. She said that she had just read
a statement that said,"Parents cry when their kids are doing great things," and that our
children are doing great things for God.
So true for us POMS and this situation gives an illustration of this statement.
In the same e-mail that Michele told me about Joel she also told me that the people were responding positively to the Acts movie in their own language.
Praise God....
I found myself thanking God with joy, and praying for the people who are watching
while in the same sitting crying and praying over my adorable, precious , loving grandson who has worms.
What a bittersweet dichotomy.
In order to accept it I have to leave my feelings with a powerful loving God
These are his people both my missionary family and the Ni Vanuatu that they serve.

Not Feeling To Good....

2009-08-26T10:52:00.000-07:00

Please pray for this little guy....Joel.
He has an intestinal problem.
I can just hear him now,
"Me sick Gama, me have bugs."
Joel is so cute I could just eat him.
Pray he feels better soon.

We Are At War....And Not Against Flesh And Blood...

2009-08-19T18:18:00.000-07:00

I have already shared that my week on Tanna was most difficult. Joel had been sick, relentless rain had washed out the road, and Erik's closest neighbor had asked a Cleva (like a clarivoyant) to come and divine the causes of both a recent death in the village and a death that had happened many years ago. He was also asked to explain why so many people had been getting sick lately in the village. In spite of the weather he spent two days meeting with villagers giving them instructions and guidance.

On Thursday the day of our clothes sale we learned that he had been asked to come. So Erik decided to speak from the translated book of Acts to confront him while he was there.
I had just settled down on my mat to eat my much anticipated laplap when Sierra came running across the field.
"Someone must come quick, Joel has made such a mess," she said in high volume.
"I will go. It is important for you to stay here," I told Erik.

Entering the house the smell was enough to gag a hungry maggot, as the saying goes. Now my young grandson is having trouble getting potty trained, but only partially he can pee without a problem, it is the other he tends to do wherever he feels like it and he felt like it on the kitchen floor. Then he tried to clean it up leaving hand prints pretty much around the room and down the hall wall. I put a screaming Joel in the shower, and began to clean up the mess with cold water and the one rag that I could find.

Sierra poked her head in the door just long enough to say, "Are you okay grandma?"
"Sierra, you go tell daddy that our battle is not against flesh and blood," I said with a chuckle sweat rolling into my eyes as Joel continued to scream.

"What does that mean?" she asked.
"Just tell dad he will understand."
She shrugged and ran off.
Within a few minutes Erik came running back to the house. By then, I had dried and dressed Joel though he was still clearly upset, and I was still scrubbing away.

"Mom, I'll do it," he said.
"Don't worry about it, he is my grandson, I don't mind."
"Are you sure? Sierra said you told her to tell me that it's not my flesh and blood."

At that point we had a much needed laugh, as I told him what I had really said.
I share this story to make my point.

I saw a new that week, over and over, that WE ARE AT WAR, and our battle is not against flesh and blood.
And I saw very clearly the absolute need for me to be praying fervently for my children, their work, and the people they serve.
I've always prayed, but my experiences this week showed me so clearly the need to be more diligent.

Ephesians 6:10-12
"Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil.
For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places."

2 Corinthians 10:3-5
"for though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh, for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses, we are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ."

Sometimes having them so far away I have been lax, not any more.

Not Just A Book....But A Treasure

2009-08-17T20:55:00.000-07:00

"This same Good News that came to you is going
out all over the world. It is bearing fruit
everywhere by changing lives, just as it changed
your lives from the day you first heard and
understood the truth..." Colossians 1:6 (NLT)

Fast Facts about Bible Translation

How big is the Bible translation movement?
There are hundreds of organizations involved in the Bible
translation movement around the world, engaging in
partnerships that include many national and
international organizations, as well as local churches in over
100 countries.

Are a lot of people involved?
Thousands. over 3,000 are sent by Wycliffe USA alone.

How is the work sustained?
Wycliffe members require financial support from many
different people in order to do the work.

What do all those people do?
Just about everything you could imagine, from translation
to videography. People with every type of skill are involved
in the Bible translation movement.

Where do these people live?
There is a need for translation in most places around the world.

Is there really that much of a need for Bible translation?
More than 2,300 languages are still without scripture.

How long does it take to translate Scripture?
It depends. Translation can take 5-25 years.

We have easy access to God's Word in our own language, but there are about 200 million people around the world who have never had any Scripture in their own language. Some are Christians struggling to unlock the truths of God's Word in a language that's not their own, others live without knowledge of Christ at all.
I found this article in a small pamphlet put out by Wycliffe Bible Translators.
I was so moved by the reality of these simple facts, and by the calling that my children have to translate the scripture into the Nafe language.
I believe with all my heart that it is the Bible that will change the lives of the Ni Vanuatu people just as it is God's Word that guides us and changes us.
Oh that we would not take for granted the wonderful treasure that we have in the Bible.

"Open our eyes Lord that we might see wonderful things from your Law." Psalm 119:18

The Doll Has Arrived.....

2009-08-10T17:12:00.000-07:00

Heard from Erik today, and the doll has arrived.
WaHOO...
Happy Birthday Sierra.
Thank You Lord....

A Fish Fry...

2009-08-07T06:16:00.000-07:00

It's Just a Doll

2009-08-05T13:09:00.000-07:00

Okay, Okay, I'm trying not to ~~rant~~ be upset, but here I am on my way to aerobics in tears. The reason is that Sierra still has not received her birthday doll, and her birthday was a week ago.
In all the years that the kids have been in Vanuatu there has only been one package that has not arrived just one so this will be number two.

I keep reminding myself that it is just a doll, and an insured doll at that, but its not the doll it is what the doll represents. It has to do with relationship the relationship between me and my only granddaughter. This was something fun between us.
She wanted it and I have always wanted to give it to her. It's a girl thing.
As I write this it sounds so silly, but the doll helped to fill a void.

As a long distance missionary grandma I have learned to cope with the distance by prayer, using e-mail and making extra efforts to keep in touch with my grand children,but no matter what it still is not like being together. My only granddaughter lives 6000 miles away and I miss her. I miss that we can't do girl things together. Most of the time God meets that pain but sometimes something like a missing birthday doll reminds me of the loss and it hurts.

So there, now I'm done ~~ranting~~ being upset. I can't change this situation,and if it doesn't change next week I will start looking for the package from this end, but for now,
I pray, God could you get the doll there. I give the loss to You. Thank You that You understand, and I ask that You will fill the void for my sweet grand daughter and me. Give us relationship no matter the distance. Thank You Lord....Amen

Meet Baby Grace...

2009-08-03T19:46:00.000-07:00

This is baby Grace, she is about 6 months old and a little beauty... She has the biggest brown eyes, and the softest skin.
It took the whole time I was on Tanna for Grace to finally come to me.
She would look at me and immediately cry. When she finally let me hold her I had the kids take this special picture.

I mentioned in my last post that I had a chicken for Sierra to pluck. On Tanna meat is scarce, and since the people are poor a chicken is a precious commodity, so that a chicken is a very special gift.
There is nothing like a village chicken, no matter how long they have been allowed to graze and grow, they are still skinny, and I don't care how they are prepared they are still tough and chewy.

Michele is holding my "special " chicken... Mama Ellen, baby Grace's Mother gave it to me.
When baby Grace was born I sent her an outfit and some yarn. When Mama Ellen learned that I was coming she saved to buy, and then fed for weeks this guy to thank me.
I was blessed and moved by her generosity.
Mamma Ellen and Grace with her little brother.
Sierra loves to watch Grace.