Monday With Mandie

Some days she is angelic.

And then there was the Monday when the Daddy went to the city and Jo the helper was gone to the airport, and Mandie's day started out with chocolates in Mama's bedroom, before breakfast.
Then she made scrambled eggs.
She helped with laundry and got soaked to the eyeballs, but it was fun, see?
She spilled water on the floor but she knows to mop it up herself.
Noticing Mama's busyness, she volunteered to do dishes, with LOTS of running water. As in, running across the counter and down her arms and over her dress.
She found Mama's purse and the little red pills were too much to resist. We hope she didn't really ingest any.
Thank God for quiet times that turn into naps!
This is what happened to lunch.
In the middle of all this, Derek decided to show Mandie the dangers of climbing on the iron railing around our front porch. "See," he explained, "If you crawl up here you could fall, like this!" and then proceeded to punch his line by tumbling headfirst into the flower bed ten feet below. When I heard his shrieks and Mandie's cries of "Somebody help Derek!" I expected he had fallen from the hammock. Instead, I was horrified to discover he was not even on the porch but lying crumpled on his side in the soft earth beneath the elephant ear plants. By the time I reached him, however, he was up and walking around, crying and moaning incoherently. I checked for broken bones and felt satisfied that they were intact. He kept crying about his head which he appeared to have hit on the edge of the porch on his way down, so I watched for signs of a concussion. I phoned Tim and begged him to help me decide whether a trip to the doctor was necessary, which was a little difficult for him, being many miles away in San Pedro. In the end I only gave him ibuprofen, and assured him repeatedly that no, his front tooth was not knocked out, only bumped and bloody, in spite of his frequent announcements to the contrary. When the group from Ohio arrived, David the medic examined him thoroughly and agreed that there was a concussion but no broken bones. A day later he was up and about and only slightly less active than normal, and a week later he was back to his very enthusiastic self but with a deep respect for porch railings.

Thank God!
-Mandie is a happy, creative child.
-Most days I have a faithful helper at my side.
-Derek is fine.
-Not every day is a Monday.
-This is the life for me!

New Post!

We no longer live in the Fishbowl.

Our new place is lovely and it feels like home.

We are busy getting ready for the missionary retreat next week.

Although we are missionaries, we have no intention of retreating.

Visitors abound and they are kind and helpful and generous.

There is internet access at our house via the cell phone company so we will be WWW-ing again.

Internet is not free, so online time will be restricted.

(Which I think is just fine.)

Now you know we are alive and well, and will pick up blogging... someday.

God is GOOD and we are blessed!

Peace.

Of People and Projects

It's the busiest time of the year here in the Fishbowl... Visitors flow through our doors in trickles and rivers, some announced and some otherwise. The guest rooms are in constant disarray with backpacks and iPods, sunglasses and flip flops, linens and towels. The old house rocks with laughter into the night hours as young people get acquainted over games and popcorn. Other times, there are serious discourses around the living room which may very well conclude in an impromptu prayer meeting. "Can I do something to help you?" is the catchphrase in my kitchen, and willing helpers of all shapes and sizes mill about underfoot, eager to relieve the busy Mrs. Missionary. Whispered consultations take place in out-of-sight corners- "Do you think this is enough of beans?... Did you get the rooms ready for them?... Are they eating here or there?... Whose laundry is still hanging on the clothesline?" New friends, airport trips, travel schedules, church services, goodies from the USA, but best of all, brotherhood and fellowship! Sharing visions, dreams, battles, and prayers. What would we ever DO without guests?!

The current project is the construction of the new book warehouse next door to the Fishbowl. This will mean more storage space for the books, a sales room, and an apartment for single guys. The foundation has been laid and we are preparing for a work crew to come this week to pour the floor.

While that work crew is here, we will do our best to move to our new house in order to vacate this one for Tim's brother Jeremy and his family. They plan to be here for a month while Jeremy oversees the construction of the warehouse. While they are here, a prayer team will be coming from our home church in PA. And Rhonda's family wants to visit at the same time. Then a second work crew arrives. And then a third. (I am not kidding.) The grand finale to all this will be the missionary retreat the last week of March. (I think I am retreating.)

Oh, and did I mention that there is a container en route from the US and expected to arrive here sometime in the middle of all this? And do you know that unpacking containers is terribly exciting and terribly exhausting?

...And to think that all I ever wanted was a quiet life... No, no, wait a minute! All I really want is to be completely immersed in God's love and be a co-laborer in His kingdom work. That is exactly where we are right now, and I would not trade it for anything in this world!!!

Changes

When we came to Honduras in July 2008, it was with the idea that our position at the mission house (aka "The Fishbowl") was only temporary. We intended to buy a small property, build a house, and spend our lives here however God chose to use us. We looked at various plots of land, prayed, asked counsel, and waited for God to make His way clear to us. Several months ago when the mission board was here they gave us the blessing to pursue a purchase, and we continued to pray in earnest. Land prices here in our town are high and at times we felt overwhelmed with the thought of building a house when there are so many more important things to be doing. One day in early November, a missionary acquaintance of ours came to our door. She and her husband had labored here in this area for a long time, until he was killed a few years ago during a highway robbery in a neighboring country. She and her daughters bravely carried on their work here, but recently because of various circumstances, they felt God calling them back to the USA. What to do with their beautiful property here was a difficult decision. True, it could be sold as a "country house" to some wealthy folks from the city, but this family had a vision to see their beloved home continue being used in ministry. So they came to our door with the most amazing proposition we have ever encountered in our lives. Would we be interested in this place- to lease it and take care of it, and possibly purchase it someday??? Tim and I were too shocked to respond properly, but eventually we stammered that we were indeed praying about moving. We had no idea this place was available, and even if we had, we would not have dreamed of asking for something of that magnitude. Meanwhile our friends had no idea we had any plans of leaving the Fishbowl, but after praying and asking God for direction, they felt specifically led to contact us. Isn't it amazing that the God who flung the Milky Way into space with a mere word, also thinks about an insignificant little family wanting to get out of a Fishbowl, and a widow who needs to make an international move and has no idea where to start? I still get thrills every time I rehearse this story! Although from a human perspective this looks like an impossible proposition, God gave Tim and I both a strong sense of peace and confidence that this has always been a part of His plans for us! To make a long story not-so-long, we plan to move sometime in the next two months, Lord willing. This is a huge leap of faith for us; we are simply taking God at His word and believing that where He guides us, He will provide for us. While we will continue to work with Christian Light Mission, we are "on our own" as far as making a living and raising support for this ministry. We believe that we are about to see fulfillments to dreams and visions God placed in our hearts years ago, and we are so excited to be co-laborers with Him! Please pray with us that we would hear from Him on how to use this gift in a way that will glorify Him and build up His kingdom. We are blessed with eight acres of land, a fishpond, plenty of room to garden, a beautiful house very well suited to our family, a guest apartment, dorm space for up to twenty-four people, and much more.

Here's a front view of the house. That porch has already become my favorite spot- with a million dollar view, besides!



Another angle from the front of the house.

Part of our front yard. If you're up to climbing that hill in the background, you get treated to a view of the lake and the town where we currently live.

Guest dorms. Not pictured is the apartment and guest kitchen/dining room.

We are dreaming big, people! ...Missionary retreats, pastor's conferences, youth discipleship training, and prayer teams, to name a few. God has already shown us that our own ideas and dreams are mere peanuts compared to what He wants to do, and we are just thrilled to share a small part in His eternal purposes. Join us in giving God praise!

The Missionary Man

Everyone knows that missionaries don't have to work for their living, right? Take my man, for example- he just studies to preach, and sells Bibles, and feeds his fish, and plants tomatoes, and teaches Sunday School, and fixes E's washer, and attends discipleship class, and opens up the clogged drain, and changes money for C, and unloads the latest shipment of meds, and sets up the sound system at church, and takes guests to the airport, and buys groceries, and talks to the beggar at our gate, and picks the green beans, and answers his phone, and collects school tuition, and visits the sick and anoints them with oil, and builds a playhouse for Derek, and sends in the financial report, and makes tea, and counsels L on how to be a better husband, and changes oil in the truck, and gives money to the family with medical needs, and mops the church house floor, and hangs a picture in our bedroom, and writes a newsletter, and checks to see why the dog is barking, and opens a bank account for A, and plans the missionary retreat, and changes the gas tank on the stove, and settles disputes among the teens, and collects the offering at church, and paints the office, and gives financial counsel to D, and replaces the broken door latch, and prays for the safety of our town, and washes dishes, and pays the VSers their allowances, and brings the mail from the post office, and leads worship, and takes the van to the mechanic, and comforts the grieving, and helps Josh with his Science, and buys a plane ticket for R, and pays the import expenses on the books, and takes the boys mountain climbing, and investigates the strange noise in B's car, and chops weeds, and socializes with the visitors, and gets up early on Saturday mornings to pray with the pastor, and builds a bookshelf, and stands in line at the bank, and removes the toad from the washer, and listens patiently to complaints, and takes me on dates, and spends hours reading the Bible.

And I guess that's why people wonder what he does all the time.

Feliz Navidad

What does Christmas in Honduras look like?


The poinsettias are blooming on my front porch, right alongside the pink petunias and the geranium.

We mowed the lawn yesterday and the scent of fresh grass was simply delightful.

The garden is producing lovely tomatoes and a bounteous crop of green beans.

Last evening we went to Lucas's house for a service, and despite the mosquitoes, had a beautiful time worshiping under the stars.

After the service, we were served the typical Christmas fare of tamales and Coke. Mrs. Lucas makes some mean tamales, I'm telling you.

Like decent gringos, we went to bed at our normal time, only to be awakened after a few hours by some fantastic explosions. I blinked at the alarm clock which read 12:04, muttered to myself about my hatred for firecrackers, and went back to sleep.

We enjoyed a baked-chicken-and-trimmings dinner today, topped off with sugar cookies and hand dipped chocolates. Afterward, my guys did dishes and I... (whispers) ...rested.

The children played ball and climbed trees and Dave went swimming with friends.

Friends showed up this evening and we shared chicken leftovers and tamales with them. A cup of coffee completed my day, which is why I am up blogging at this hour.

I am delighting in the wonder that "God with us" has become "God in us" and pray that you too are experiencing that joy!

Peace.

Because He Lives

...I can face tomorrow/ Because He lives, all fear is gone/ Because I know He holds the future/ and life is worth the living just because He lives! (William and Gloria Gaither)

I certainly didn't expect to be posting about the miracle baby again so soon, but this time it is to announce her home going. Yes, she is safe forever in the arms of Jesus! Last week she had a fussy spell that ended with Tim taking them to a doctor here in town. The doctor prescribed medicine for colic and sent her home. She calmed down and slept until late at night and then she once again began to cry until she was nearly blue. Her anxious parents called Jeremiah who took them back to the same doctor. Seeing her bluish color, the doctor said he thinks she might have a heart condition and urged them to go to the hospital as quickly as possible. On the road, as her daddy held her against his chest, he suddenly felt her clutch his neck and give a little shudder. He knew at once that she was gone. They continued to the hospital and confirmed that life had fled, and then there was nothing to do but make the sad trip home. It seems that at her six-week checkup the pediatrician had told Ricardo that she had a heart defect, and if she would live to be five months old they would consider surgery. Ricardo didn’t tell anyone about this, possibly because he refused to accept it, but more likely he simply believed that God would continue His series of miracles in little “Milagro”. Even now, I am groping for words to convey the grief and anguish that all of us felt during those first few hours. What do you say to a father who loved his child as few men love their children, and now bends over her tiny body, stroking her hands and dripping tears onto her still-soft cheeks? How do you comfort a mother who daily praised God for her “little miracle”, and now sits writhing with sorrow? And what of the eleven year old girl who, such a short time ago beamed with pride over her baby sister, now hangs over the tiny coffin, quivering with sobs??? We prayed, we cried, we asked questions, we dug the grave and built the coffin… and we trusted God. I suddenly understand why Job, in the midst of his calamities, “fell down upon the ground, and worshiped.” Worship comforts and heals like nothing else. God is still good, and kind, and full of compassion. Best of all, God is a Redeemer, and He is completely worthy of our trust! We are inspired and humbled to see Ricardo and Rosi rise up and praise God and declare their faith in Him! In every church service this week, Rosi requested the song, “Because He Lives”. Every morning Ricardo wakes at the time he normally gave the baby her bottle, and immediately these words come to his mind and comfort him. Please pray that they will continue to cast themselves on God!

For pictures and video clips, go here.