When Things are Quiet

It's been quiet over here in our little corner, hasn't it?  Not a blog has been written in almost a month.

Sometimes quiet is a good thing.  A sleeping baby is quiet.  A car that runs smoothly is quiet.  Golden sunsets are quiet.  Twinkling stars are quiet.

But while things are quiet here, there are still small ruffles at the edge of the quiet.  A phone call that encourages us.  A Christmas card with a check in it for Charlie's trip to Ghana.  A pastor who tells us that Charlie's ministry to him on a dark night several weeks ago was just what he needed to keep going.

So just because it's been quiet, it does not mean things are not happening.  It's just that the small things that ripple through our lives are hard to write about in a way that makes sense to a general public.

And in the wake of much disaster, heartache, and turmoil, I am blessed by the quietness.

One Hundred Reasons

Why I'm Thankful to Be a Child of God

In my Sunday School class one Sunday in Maine, I made an off-hand remark that I thought I could probably come up with 100 reasons why I am glad I am a Christian. One of my students said, “Then why don’t you?” I counter-challenged my class of fifth and sixth graders to each come up with a list of twenty reasons why it is good to be a Christian. I made one qualifier. Only ten percent of the reasons could be about heaven. I wanted them to see that the joys of being a Christian are for today, not just for the distant future when they die, as important as that is. While this is by no means exhaustive, this is my list.

1. The One to whom I give thanks during this season is not some mysterious “higher power” but a friend who is closer than a brother.
2. I can be at peace. (Rom. 5:1)
3. I have everlasting comfort. (II Thess. 2:16)
4. I can always have hope. (Heb. 6:18-19, I Pet. 1:3)
5. The Almighty God loves me. (John 3:16 and many others)
6. I can be content with little because I have God. (Heb. 13:5)
7. Nothing can separate me from God’s love. (Rom. 8:35-39)
8. He gives me a reason (many reasons, actually) to sing. (Psalm 146:2)
9. No one can take God’s joy from me. (John 16:22)
10. I am a joint heir together with Jesus. (Rom. 8:17)
11. I am receiving an inheritance which will never lose its value. (I Peter 1:4)
12. God will provide for all of my needs. (Phil. 4:19)
13. He will not withhold anything from me that is good for me. (Psalm 84:11)
14. I cannot out-give God.  (Luke 6:38)
15. God can take the little we have and make it last for as long as we need it.  (I Kings 17)
16. Jesus is preparing a home for me in heaven (John 14:2)
17. I have a mansion (well, at least a perfect dwelling place) awaiting me.  (John 14:1)
18. I can endure any trial on this earth because they are so small compared to the glories that await us in heaven. (Romans 8:18)
19. Some day I will be part of a great multitude from every tribe and nation who worship our Savior together. (Rev. 7:9-10)
20. The things of this earth that seem so valuable now will be the construction materials of heaven.  So if my jewelry is fake, it doesn’t matter.  Either way, it won’t be worth anything to me then.
21. I do not have to worry about being rich in this life because our riches in heaven will far exceed anything we imagine here. (John 14:1-3; Revelation 21)
22. I get to begin my eternal life with God now.  (John 17:3)
23. I will get to spend the rest of eternity with Jesus.
24. There is nothing that can separate me from God’s love.  (Romans 8:38-39)
25. I am accepted because of Jesus. (Ephesians 1:6)
26. God knew me before anyone even knew my great-great-grandparents (II Timothy 1:9)
27. God chose me before the world was formed to be holy and blameless in His sight (Eph. 1:4)
28. I have been adopted into God’s family (Rom. 8:15, Gal. 4:5)
29. Jesus is my older brother (Rom. 8:29)
30. I have been created to do good works.  (Ephesians 2:10)
31. I belong to a huge international family that has been brought together under God through Christ’s sacrifice on the cross.  (Ephesians 3:15)
32. In Jesus, I have a perfect example to follow.  I do not need to worry that one day I will find out that my example was not worth following. (Ephesians 5:1-2)
33. I have been given a new nature.  (II Corinthians 5:17)
34. God is my Keeper. (Psalm 121:5)Therefore, I am His keepsake. (Ps. 121:5)
35. I belong to a huge family that is made up of others who have been redeemed by Jesus Christ. (Ephesians 3:14-15)
36. I am secure in God’s hands. (John 10:28)
37. Jesus gives me abundant life.  (John 10:10)
38. The Lord will carry me, even into my old age. (Isaiah 46:4)
39. I should have been cursed because of my sin, but Jesus became accursed and died for me in my stead. (Galatians 3:13)
40. Since God gave up his only Son in order to redeem me, I can be positive that He will not withhold anything good from me.  (Romans 8:32)
41. God’s truth has made me free. (John 8:32)
42. God has let me in on the mystery of His will (Eph. 1:7)
43. God has opened my understanding so that I can know the hope and the riches to which He has called me. (Eph. 1:18)
44. I have access to all the truth I need through God’s Word. 
45. I may boldly appear at the throne of grace at any time (Hebrews 4:16)
46. My prayers will be answered. (Matt. 7:7-8)
47. When I cannot put my heart’s needs into prayer, the Holy Spirit takes what I offer and turns it into genuine prayer to God.  (Romans 8:26)
48. God is always ready to help me. (Ps. 145:18)
49. I do not have to go through a priest to have my prayer heard. 
50. Because of Jesus, I have access to the Holy of Holies. (Hebrews 10:19)
51. God has outlined the good works I am to do and directs me toward them (Eph. 2:10)
52. God is on my side. (Psalm 118:8)
53. God will never leave me. (Heb. 13:5)
54. God even gave me the heart I needed to have in order to seek Him.  (Jeremiah 24:7)
55. He is my hiding place. (Psalm 32:7)
56. God will keep working on me. (Phil. 1:6, I Peter 5:10)
57. We are on the winning side. (Rom. 8:31; I Cor. 15:5)
58. God is my refuge in every trial. (Ps. 46:1)
59. The Holy Spirit is there to comfort me in every trial. (II Corinthians 1:4)
60. In every trial, I can be sure that God is bringing good into my life. (Rom. 8:28)
61. I am like a sweet perfume to God. (II Corinthians 2:15)
62. God’s grace saved me. (Ephesians 2:8)
63. God does not deal with me as my sins deserve.  (Ps. 103:10)
64. God’s grace is available to me for every trial.
65. God is rich in mercy toward me. (Ephesians 2:4)
66. God’s mercies are new to me every single morning. (Lamentations3:22-23)
67. God is faithful to keep all of His promises. ( II Corinthians 1:20)
68. God is my light. He makes the way clear when all seems dark. (Psalm 27:1)
69. God gives us wisdom and the revelation of Himself through the Holy Spirit. (Eph. 1:17)
70. I am, even now, seated in heavenly places with Jesus. (Eph. 2:6)
71. I have the Holy Spirit with me to convict me when I sin. (John 16:8)
72. Sin no longer has the same power over me (Rom. 6:14)
73. I have been forgiven of all my sin (I John 1:9)
74. God has removed my sins from me as far as the east is from the west.  (Psalm 103:12)  Another analogy for the same thought:  He has sunk my sins into the deepest sea.  (Micah 7:19)  Corrie TenBoom was known to say, “And then he posted a sign that said, “No fishing.”
75. God will not allow me to be tempted or tested beyond what I can bear. (II Corinthians 10:13)
76. God is much stronger than the devil or his minions. (I John 4:4)
77. God gives me a song to sing, even in times of darkness.  (Job 35:10, Psalm 42:8)
78. I do not have to fear the powers of darkness.  When I resist them, they will flee.  (James 4:7)
79. God gives me everything I need to fight the powers of darkness.  (Ephesians 6:11)
80. God is able to keep me from falling. (Jude 1:24)
81. God preserves me from the guilt and consequences of sins by keeping me from the sin itself.
82. God will forgive when I repent. (I John 1:9)
83. There is never an end to God’s unfailing love.  
84. With God’s help, I can do anything He asks of me. (John 15:4, Philippians 4:13)
85. God will not stop working on me. (Philippians 1:6)
86. God is working in me to want and to do His good pleasure. (Philippians 2:13)
87. I can do the will of God just by being thankful. (I Thess. 5:18)
88. I do not have to worry about what God’s will is for my life because He has told me what it is: sanctification. (I Thessalonians 4:3)
89. He has made me truly alive (Eph. 2:1)
90. The Almighty God is going to get glory from His work in my life. (II Cor. 4:15)
91. God restores my soul. (Psalm 23:3)
92. My God is slow to anger.  (Psalm 145:8)  When he does get angry, he does not keep his anger forever.  (Ps. 103:9)
93. By faith, I can please God.  (Hebrews 11:6)
94. With God, all things are possible.  (Mark 10:27)  Therefore, anything God asks me to do is possible.
95. The Lord is my help.  (Ps. 54:4)
96. Whenever I draw near to God, He draws near to me.  (James 4:8)
97. Because of God’s grace, I understand that all the beauty of nature around me is a gift from Him.
98. All of my sins were put to death on the cross. 
99. Because of God’s grace at work in me, I can make a list like this that comes with gratitude from the heart.
100. I know how it’s all going to end.  Even so, come Lord Jesus.

I went on a walk this afternoon and was thinking about this list.  Half a dozen more ideas came to mind.  So if you see a couple you think should have been combined into one, don’t worry.  I still have more.

A Virginia Welcome

As we say goodbye to our week in Virginia, we take our leave with hearts of gratitude for the great things God did for us through the good people of Lighthouse.  I will list just a few of them.
1.  Our hosts agreed to take us in early so that we could avoid Sandy, the “storm of the century.”  An apartment in their basement provided luxurious accommodations.  They also graciously allowed us to fend for ourselves for lunch so that we would not be tempted to overeat at every meal.
2.  The church showered us with gifts.  When we arrived, a gift bag was presented to each of the ladies.  The next day, the third and fourth-grade children at the Academy presented us with a goodie box that was loaded with practical items.  We found note cards, sanitizers, lotions, band aids, gift cards, tissues, gum, snacks and other special things. They also included a check that was the accumulation of a year-long collection.  When we opened the envelope, we were stunned by the generosity of these children.
3.  Several people opened up their homes to us for dinners.  Those dinners were great opportunities to get to know them, enjoy good home cooking, and spend some time with some of the other missionaries.  I love being in people’s homes.  You get to know them in a way you could never know them otherwise.  At one home, I got to spend time with three gorgeous little girls.  At another, I said to the hostess when I looked around, “You must love candles as much as I do.” 
4.  The preaching all week was superb.  Dr. Earl Jessup, who helps churches plant churches had many good things to say.  These are some favorite quotes from the week:

• They were ready to attack hell with squirt guns because they had seen what God could do.
• Always keep something supernatural in your ministry.  Always have something only God can do.
• We still have a God who will show Himself strong today.
• You need to get a good return on your missionary dollar.
• The church is good for the Christian the way a home is good for a child.  If a child is in a home that is not good for them, he will not turn out right.  If a Christian is not part of a good church, he will not turn out right either.
• You need to start something only God can finish.

5.  The Lord has been working in my heart through the preaching, the fellowship and the study of His Word.  I still have a long way to go to be a good reflection of Jesus, but my heart has been stirred and my faith strengthened through this week.
6.  I always love beautiful scenery, and this was the view out our window all week long.  Unfortunately, the photo just does not do the scene justice.

Dancing with a Hurricane

On October 29 my wife and I drove from York, ME to Winchester, VA; right into the face of "Superstorm" Sandy. You may ask what urgent need would compel me to drive nearly 600 miles through "the storm of the century".

What could be placed on the scales to overcome the possible damage to our car, my safety, and my dear wife's safety?

I did have a few counters to start with:

Modern weather forecasting is very accurate, and Sandy was following the predictions closely.

Cell phone technology allowed me to access these forecasts as we traveled.

My time in the Navy gave me a good understanding of how hurricanes work over water, especially the dangerous and less dangerous halves of the hurricane. (NY City was in the dangerous half!)

My car is faster than a hurricane, I could turn and run!

So I had a plan: I would race the storm to get far enough inland and through the dangerous semi-circle to get to the less dangerous semi-circle, based on the predicted track, and hunker down with our generous hosts.

But why risk it at all? Why not stay in Maine where there was little danger and good fellowship?

The answer - A Missions Revival, call it a missions conference, if you will. But still you may say "Certainly the love offering was not worth the risk!" That would be true, I would never risk my wife's safety, and possibly life, for mere money. There is something more important at work here. The will of the Lord!

God made a divine appointment for Joan and me when Pastor Martin invited us. We claim to follow God's will in our ministry. Should I not trust God to give us the resources to do His will? He had already given us many resources. Some are listed above, others are more mundane. The car, our driving record, the Interstate Highway system, hotels all along the way in case of emergency, a robust emergency services system.

The most important resource however, is trust in Him. We have faith He is worthy of our trust. If God assigns us a task, He will provide the means to accomplish that task. We have but to trust and do. If we cannot trust the Lord to get us 600 miles through some of the easiest and safest roads on earth, how can we trust Him for thousands of miles in a dozen countries?

The overall story of our trip is not very exciting. Maine to Massachusetts was light rain and little wind, Connecticut to NY was a little windy and little or no rain. Pennsylvania to Virginia was interesting, quite windy and moderate rain. But it was never worse than a good summer rainstorm. The whole way we saw evidence of only three accidents; a spin out in West Hartford, CT that was a "normal" rush hour event; a car with a badly damaged front end and no sign of what was hit, likely a deer; and a tractor trailer under tow that appeared to have jackknifed. Not an unusual accident count for a 600 mile trip through some of the busier roads in the US.

Other than crossing the Susquehanna River, where the winds were strong and the construction narrowed the lanes, I never felt in any real danger. I drove from Scranton, PA to Winchester, VA at 50-60 MPH because of the rain, but that was overly cautious to be honest.

After we arrived and had eaten a sumptuous dinner we retired with our hosts to watch The Weather Channel. Sandy had merged with the winter front to become a "Post-Tropical Storm". TWC and the sensationalist media insist on calling her a "Superstorm". The storm rapidly dissipated and the prediction models collapsed. There was no history for the computer programmers to model on. Sandy was truly a "storm of the century", actually two centuries. But Joan and I were safe in a stout house in Winchester, VA where the Lord wanted us!

Decorating for a Missions Conference

I walked in.  The signs were everywhere. The missions committee in this church had done an excellent job of alerting the people to what was going on during missions conference. 

I expected to see the flags in the sanctuary.  That idea is fairly standard for missions conferences.  In this church, those flags hang only during missions conference, so it is an immediate visual cue that missions conference has begun.

Signs greeted you on the stairs.  It would be very hard to miss them.  I overheard people trying to pronounce the strange words of the people groups as they climbed.


This sign was everywhere.  It became very clear that the theme for this year’s missions conference was reaching the least reached. There were signs on the ceiling and high on the walls – in places that would be very hard to reach.  All over the church, the signs got people thinking about the “least reached”.



A bulletin board gave locations of various unreached or “least reached” people groups.





A poster gave detailed information and statistics on various unreached people groups in the world.

The overhead was in use to announce the various upcoming activities. This one caught my attention.  Yum!

This was a church we were just visiting, so we were not one of the invited speakers.  It was very encouraging to us to see this church doing what it could to reach the world.

Combating Negativity

Negative ads abound.  The other candidate can’t do the job as well as my candidate can.  The other will fail.  The other doesn’t have a positive track record.  He lies.  Etc., etc.  That doesn’t bother me when I see it on an ad or a political campaign. They know the American public responds well to negative publicity.  If they want to win, they believe its their job to churn out lots of negative information about the other candidate on the air waves.  Those don’t bother me.

However, when I hear negative talk coming from Christians, it bothers me a lot.  Lately, I’ve been hearing a lot of complaining.  We complain about the state of our country.  We complain about the political process.  We gripe about supreme court decisions and about supreme court justices.  We grumble about our president, senators and congressmen.  We whine about the lack of family values in our country.  In other words, we murmur and complain and we do it a lot. 

What happened to Christians who pray and keep themselves from speaking ill of others?

We also criticize.  I am not talking about constructive criticism, nor am I talking about pointing out things that are important for guarding our hearts against lies and sin.  Instead, I am talking about the mean-spirited jokes and mocking of those for whom we are supposed to pray.  We’re commanded to pray for those in authority over us and even for those who despitefully use us.  Instead we ridicule and vilify those with whom we disagree.  Have we become just like the world around us?  Is there no difference?

Instead of being people of joy, peace, patience, gentleness, and love, we have gotten caught up in a world of negativity.  No wonder we’re not making much of an impact.  No wonder we don’t shine like lights in the world (Phil. 2:14-15). 

So for the rest of the political season and beyond, I want to be a person of prayer – someone who will pray instead of criticize and rejoice instead of grumbling.  I want to be a light in this dark world.

Will you join me?

Our Maine Bag

Every once in a while we are really touched by a special approach to missionary care.  This past weekend we were in our home church, West Hampden Baptist Church.  Several years ago while we were still there, they began a tradition that is still going on.  The church collected Maine-made items for a “Maine Bag”.  This bag is always presented to the missionary wife, if she is present.  So it was my privilege to receive the Maine bag at the ladies’ lunch and to bring it “home” to show Charlie.

Inside the bag were all sorts of treats.  All of the treats are made in Maine. It was obvious to me that care went into selecting the items.  We do not have a house, so it is entirely appropriate for us that most of the items in the bag are expendable.  In fact, for most missionaries on home assignment, the same holds true.  I know that each missionary’s bag will vary depending on what the church collected, but here is what ours contained.  (In the picture, I’m starting at the back and then going left to right with each “row”.)

1. An L. L. Bean tote bag was used as the container.
2. “Bob’s Sugarhouse” Maple Barbecue Seasoning.
3. Balsam Fir lotion
4. Capt’n Eli’s root beer
5. A “Maine” embroidered kitchen towel.
6. Sitting on that is a little knitted holder for a hand sanitizer.
7. Beddington Ridge Farm’s wild blueberry jam.
8. Stonewall Kitchen’s roasted garlic mustard.
9. Stonewall Kitchen’s maple pumpkin butter.
10. Down to Earth Pottery’s soap dish
11. Cape Shore’s Sea Lavender scented soap
12. Carol’s Country Crafts’ quilted coasters
13. Bluehill Spoonworks’ wooden spreader
14. Two handpainted notecards (not pictured).

What I love about this bag is that everything came from Maine.  That makes it unique and a great reminder to me of this church.  Most of the things will be used up rather quickly and we will thoroughly enjoy them..  The soap dish and the tea towel, however, will make their way into a storage box to wait until the day that we can unpack our storage locker and move into a house.  Since we do not have a house right now, the edible nature of most of these items is very appreciated.  We still need to eat, even though we don’t have a house. 

Thank you, West Hampden, for your care for us and other missionaries as well.  Thank you for loving us and caring for us.

The Invisible Ones

I walked in the front door.  I didn’t notice it at first, but then slowly it sank in.  This is a really clean facility. 

I began to take notice of the things I didn’t notice at first.  The shining woodwork.  The vacuum patterns in the rugs and carpets.  The view through the glass windows and doors, undisturbed by smudges and fingerprints.  The lingering smell of Lysol in the bathroom.  The polished tiles in the fellowship hall.  There were places I didn’t go, like the kitchen.  But I knew, based on the rest of the building, that I could trust the cleanliness there too.

Then I noticed something else.  Everything worked.  No “out of order” signs attached to bathroom stalls.  Doors swung quietly on their hinges.  No lights were out.  The temperature was comfortable.

Today I celebrate you:  the people whose ministry in their church is cleaning and maintenance.  You are the invisible ones.  No one notices you until you fail to do your ministry.  As long as things are clean and working on Sunday mornings, people do not really notice.  They take you for granted.  They do not know that you took hours out of your busy week to show up at church when no one was there to clean bathrooms, vacuum carpets, wash floors, and replenish supplies.  Probably no one thanked you.  Yet you remained faithful.

No one knows how many cobwebs you wiped away that week or how many smudges you cleaned off the glass.  No one counted how many weeds you pulled from the flower beds.  No one counted how many dish towels you took home to wash after the last church dinner.  No one saw how many coffee spills and muddy footprints you washed off the floor.  You simply did it because it was your ministry.

 

Today I salute you, the invisible ministers in the church.  Thank you for all you do.  Without you, the rest of us would be distracted on Sundays by the things you made disappear during the week.  You are a blessing.  Thank you.

One Hundred Houses

We left our house in Maine in February, 2010.  It was the nicest house we had ever owned.  Its spacious living and dining room allowed us to have large groups in our home, an advantage when you are the pastor.  Large picture windows let in the sunlight and allowed a view of the lawn and woods that surrounded us.  From the bedroom window, we could catch a glimpse of the Penobscot River.  It even had a garage, something we have lived without during most of our adult lives. 

I especially loved that house at Christmas, when I draped the living room in lighted garlands.  The hardwood floors gleamed and reflected the candles and Christmas lights.  Outside, the snow reminded me that Christ came to cleanse us from our sins and make us as white as snow.  

But God is so gracious.  When He called us into this itinerant ministry, I knew the house had to go.  It was not a hard decision.  I knew God provided the house especially for the task of caring for Charlie’s aging father.  It was perfect for that task.  Not only was it ideally suited to someone with limited mobility, it’s beauty refreshed my spirit at those times when I needed God’s reminder that He would strengthen me to my daily tasks.  But it was a house specifically given for a specific time, and that time had come to an end.

When Jesus spoke to his disciples about the things they would be called to give up, he told them that any one who left his house or family for His sake would receive one hundred times that both in this life and in the life to come.  I began thinking about all the places we’ve stayed in the time since we sold our house.  While we have not yet attained to a hundred houses, it is not hard for me to believe that before we’re done with deputation, we will have lived in a hundred houses, many of them much nicer than we would ever be able to afford. 



Searsport, ME

Today I thought I’d begin the counting and see how far we’ve come.  In some we’ve only stayed a night or two.  In others we’ve stayed a week.  In still others, it’s been several months.  In all of them, though, we have been so grateful for God’s provision of a house for us.  Generally speaking, wherever we’ve gone, we’ve either been given complete run of the house while the owners are gone or we’ve been included into their lives and treated like family.  In either case, the feeling is “Mi casa es su casa,”or “My house is your house.” 
So here goes. 

The view from the porch in Madawaska

1. The raised ranch in Hampden, ME.  After we sold our house, people in our church were gracious enough to grant us the use of their home while they wintered in Florida.
2. The FROG (finished room over the garage) in Glenburn, ME. 
3. The three-bedroom trailer in Searsport, ME. 
4. The cleanest house I’ve ever seen in Madawaska, ME.    
5. The IPM mission house in Hanover, PA.
6. My parents’ home in LaFayette, GA.   

   

   View from balcony, Dominican Republic

7. The sundrenched home in Hato Mayor, Dominican Republic where our gracious hosts gave us the beautiful master bedroom during our stay. 
8. A prophets’ chamber at a church in Hanover, PA.
9. The spacious townhome in Atlanta, GA.



Gulf Shores

10. The beach condo in Gulf Shores, AL, furnished with all my family.
11. The resort condo in Southwest Harbor, ME.
12. The 1940’s house in NC
13. The U-shaped house in Greenville, SC. 
14. The hunting trophy house in Starr, SC.
15. The plantation-style house in Charleston, SC.
16. The lake home in Leesburg, FL where I sat in the sunroom, enjoying watching God's creation.  Sunset reflected in its waters.  The great blue heron flying in for a landing.  An alligator basking in the sunshine.
17. The third-floor condo in Bradenton, FL, with a balcony overlooking the golf course.
18. The prophet's chamber in Southington, CT, where I could listen in on college classes happening just outside the door.
19. The bustling townhouse in Woodbridge, VA, overflowing with active (yet well-behaved) boys.
20. The log cabin with a view of the the fishing pond in Winchester, VA.
21. The doctor’s house in Leesville, LA. "Is there a doctor in the house?"  Well, yes.  In fact, there are two!  As a result, Charlie received some very helpful advice while we were there.
22. Venezuela memories house in Houston, TX.
23. The desert guest house with a view of Mt. Graham, AZ
24. A brightly-lit golf course townhome in Tucson, AZ
25. The farm house in Spencer, IA, where a friendly horse greeted us.
26. The split level home in Minneapolis, MN, where nutritious, organic meals were served daily.
27. The energy-efficient, below-grade house in Boy River, MN.
28. The ivy-covered brick manse in Wheaton, IL.   

    

    Guatemala villa

29. The hill-top villa in Cerro Alto, Sacatepéquez, Guatemala, with a wrap around balcony to take in the million-dollar views.
30. The bison farm house in Franklinville, NY, where college memories abounded.



Machiasport view

31. The room with the view on the bluffs of the bay in Machiasport, ME.
32. The second floor prophet’s chamber in Orono, ME.

Okay, so we’re not quite to 100.  But since this only covers a little more than a year, it will not be difficult to see how God would grant us 100 houses before we’re done. (If you would like to add your house to this list let us know!)

Ah, you say, but these aren’t your houses.  True.  But neither was “our” beautiful house in Hampden actually ours.  The deed may have been in our name, but it certainly was not ours.  It was simply on loan to us from God for the time we needed it.  It was His house.  We were simply the caretakers.

Back in Maine!

If I were to have designed a first week back in Maine after being gone for nine months, I don’t think I could have thought of a better week.  These are some of the highlights. 


The view from our bedroom window.

An absolutely gorgeous place to stay with very gracious hosts.  Rick and Kathie Ramsdell have a beautiful home on Holmes Bay.  The location itself would have been enough to soothe and cheer my heart, but I also cannot say enough about how gracious they were.  All of the people who have hosted us over the past year have been gracious, but the Ramsdells have definitely stood out as having a God-given gift of hospitality.  We are so grateful for their generosity and genuine love for us and for the work of the ministry.




Craft time

Game time.

Vacation Bible School with the Downeast Baptist Church in Machias, Maine.  My days were spent studying, writing, walking, meditating and praying.  But every night culminated in the best part – VBS.  The children were eager to learn and were enthusiastic about the week, asking at the end of it if it could go on.  The adults fully participated by helping with games, snacks, decorations, registrations, and providing meals for us.

The beautiful bride

A wedding at West Hampden Baptist Church on Saturday.  A young woman we have known for the last twelve years was married on Saturday, and we got to be there!  Seeing so many of our friends from West Hampden made it extra special. 














On Sunday Charlie shared our ministry with the people there, and then our hosts treated us to a lobster dinner.  What says “Maine” more than a lobster dinner?  Whoopie pies?  Well, we had those too!

Eastport, ME

Yesterday we travelled to Eastport, ME. We visited Raye’s Mustard factory, a place that Charlie wanted to see since we arrived in Maine and spent a couple hours enjoying the beauty of the place.  When we returned to Machiasport, the fog had settled in again, but I still spent more than an hour walking the beach.  It was a much needed and relaxing day off for me.



God is good – all the time.  Even when I don’t feel blessed, I know He is blessing.  But it is also a blessing (though not a greater blessing) to feel so blessed, and I thank and praise Him today for these special blessings.

Off to a Great Start

The people of Downeast Baptist Church have done a great job of getting ready for Vacation Bible School.  I was “blown away” by the obvious time invested when I saw the work they had done on decoration.  Here’s a sneak peek for you!



Can you see the camel trying to get into the tent?

    

The craft room waiting for children.

        


The table will soon be laden with snacks.

A closer look inside the tent.

We are looking forward to a wonderful week as we learn about the Israelites being "Lost in the Desert."

Guatemala: Land of "Pase adelante" and flowers

Where ever we went in Guatemala we were greeted with "Pase adelante."  This phrase, literally "come forward", has a meaning of "welcome" and "come in" all rolled into one.

When we got ready to board the mini-bus the driver would say "pase adelante." When I went to speak to the ladies in the kitchen of the hotel they would say "pase adelante." When we arrived at our host's house for meals; "pase adelante." In a store, a barber shop or restaurant they all greeted us with pase adelante.

The most amazing pase adelante was in the village behind the hotel. We arranged to get the gate unlocked and walked the 1/2 mile or so into the town. One of the first houses we passed had two ladies out in front. Joan started to take a picture and this opened up a conversation. We were invited into the courtyard of the house where Joan took a picture of the woman in front of the bed of flowers.

Guatemala is home to many of the flowers and houseplants we are familiar with in the US, except they grow naturally, and in many cases wild. The flower industry is big business in Guatemala. As we drove around we would see flower houses cascading down the mountainsides. They were plastic covered and without sides. Inside we would often catch a glimpse of flowers being grown for the world market. The sight of a Guatemalan woman in traditional huipil skirt and embroidered blouse and apron with a basket of flowers on her head going to or from the market in the town plaza was not unusual. The plaza would be surrounded by women selling fruit, vegetables, live poultry and rabbits, roasted iguana, and flowers. Many of the houses were festooned with vines and other flowering plants and a bouquet that would be extravagant in the US is available to a modest farmer in Guatemala.

Our Last Day in Guatemala

I arose early this morning to pray and go over my notes for Sunday School.  The early morning sky was filled with low-hanging clouds that nestled into the nooks and crannies of the nearby hills.  The previous late night and early morning made it hard to feel alert, so a cup of instant coffee helped to wake up the brain.

I taught the ladies’ Sunday School class while Charlie taught the men’s.  During the morning worship service, Charlie preached while Giovanni interpreted.  About sixty people were in attendance.  Almost all of them had no idea of what it meant to be saved nine years ago when the church began.
 

Giovanni’s parents live in a nearby town and attend his church.  They invited us for lunch.  When we arrived, we women all disappeared into the outdoor kitchen while the men sat outside and talked.  The wood stove blazed, and the Indian woman, their maid, stood by the fire making tortillas.  Using only her hands to pat them into shape, she turned out a stack of uniform-sized tortillas in minutes.  I was amazed at her quickness and ability.  Laura re-washed the bowls and serving dishes, a necessity when insects wander over your dishes after they’ve been put away.  We gathered around a large table to enjoy the fellowship, hot tortillas, and steaming bowls of beef stew.

After lunch we headed over to the mission church for the afternoon service, only this service was different from usual.  Both churches were joining together for a baptismal service at the grounds of a Guatemalan resort, a block or so from the mission’s rented building.  When the people had arrived, Pastor Avendano gave instructions to the baptismal candidates and they donned their baptismal robes.  Photos were taken, and then the service began.



We sang hymns together, and Pastor Avendano taught on the meaning of baptism.  He explained the testimony of being baptized in front of others and the symbolism behind immersion.  He encouraged the candidates to hold true to their commitment to follow Jesus, and then the baptisms began. 

Roberto Avendano, Pastor Avendano’s father, was among the candidates.  What an answer to prayer that was!  Giovanni has prayed for his father to trust in Christ as his personal Savior for many years!  Then, to be the one who got to baptize him was an extra blessing.  Nine other candidates joined him – one young man, several women, and three teenage girls.  Charlie assisted in those baptisms.

When the baptismal service was over, it was time for a picnic, Guatemalan style.  Tamales, bread, and Pepsi were served, and people scattered across the lawns to eat and enjoy each others’ company and the good food.  Teenage boys clambered up the side of a hill to the tire swing that swung out into a wide expanse.

Eventually, even good things like baptisms must come to an end, and people packed up their things and headed for home. 

Dad introducing his daughter to a table of guests.

However, the day was far from over for us.
We headed back to the house where we were staying.  I found some ibuprophen to deal with the headache that was pounding at my forehead and lay down for a while.  Forty-five minutes later we headed out again, this time to the home of a young lady celebrating her Quinceanera, or 15th birthday, a big event for young ladies in Latin America.  We arrived just after the pinata had been broken open and were invited to sit down at one of the expansive tables that had been set up on the patio.  Once again, bread and tamales?? appeared, though a different flavor from the ones that afternoon.  Jamaica, a hibiscus tea, was served as well, or sweet black coffee, if you preferred.

Leaving there around 9:00, we headed home to pack.  Fortunately, that did not take too long and we sank into bed at about 10:00.  Charlie set his alarm clock for 2:45 a.m. and we quickly drifted off to sleep - a good thing too, since tomorrow will be another long day.

Children’s Club

How many normal-sized vehicles do you need to pick up a bunch of children to come to Bible club?  Well, if you live in Guatemala, it takes about three.  One SUV arrived with 17 people inside.  Another, a small pick-up truck, came with people loaded in the back of the truck.  Our small 4-door sedan only had eight, so we still had plenty of room!

Earlier in the week, Barbara Avendano asked me if I would teach the children.  Silly me, I did not come equipped with material for teaching children, and it had been 30 years since I had actually taught a whole Bible lesson in Spanish to children.  So it took me lots of time.  I needed to completely write out my lesson in Spanish so that it would go smoothly.  An outline would just not be enough this time.

This morning I arose early to plead the Lord’s blessing on my day and to ask Him to teach the children something of the truths in His holy word.  I spent another hour or so looking over the material I had written. 

Forty-one children came to the club today, ranging in age from three to eleven.  How I pray that the seeds of truth that were planted would result in fruit that will last. There were also four adult women present to observe the teaching techniques.


Next time we make a trip, I better come prepared with more materials, especially any that I have in Spanish!

Another Signpost?

 For the first time since we have started making visits to Latin America with IPM, I arrived eager to talk in Spanish.  First of all, I was back in a country where I lived about thirty years ago, and I wanted to know how things had changed.  I knew I would only find out by talking to the Guatemalans. 

Secondly, it was the first time when I arrived feeling as though I had a fairly good handle on what was going on around me.  I could understand what people were saying around me, and I didn’t feel as though I was constantly trying to dig the right words out of the recesses of my brain.  I have been so blessed by God to be have more freedom in teaching in Spanish this time. I still have a long way to go, but I see progress, and that’s good.

Still, my Spanish is far inferior to what it once was.  I know that there is work ahead of me if I want to be effective teaching in Spanish, and since IPM has a number of national missionaries working in Latino countries, we will likely continue to be travelling to Spanish-speaking countries. 

During our conference, Sharon Herrera asked me if I would be willing to come to Cuernavaca, Mexico to work with their children’s workers and help them improve their program.  I would love to do that!

Last night Charlie asked brother Giovanni this question, “If we were to come back to work with you again, what can we do to be more effective the next time we come?”  He had a couple suggestions, but the main one was, “Learn Spanish.”  Giovanni’s main concern where Charlie is concerned is that people may want to be able to get counsel from him without the help of an interpreter.

Charlie is very intelligent and could easily learn conversational Spanish given the right conditions. Does this mean we should add a signpost to the three we already have?  We can see the advantages of settling somewhere where we would have more interaction in Spanish – perhaps a church where they have a Spanish ministry.  Or does this mean that we should take some time to actually live in a Spanish-speaking nation for a while until our Spanish improves?  It does, however, seem to indicate that we need to take our command of the Spanish language seriously.

So maybe this is our fourth signpost:  Live somewhere where our Spanish will improve through constant interaction. 

Thoughts on our Fourteenth Anniversary

Who would have thought when I married him that we would celebrate our 14th anniversary in Guatemala?


Who would have thought that our ministry would allow a day away on this day?





Who would have thought that we would be admiring volcanoes, a lake and terraced gardens today?




Who would have thought that we would share our day with a committed Guatemalan missionary and his family?








Who would have thought, fourteen years ago, that we would appreciate and love each other even more today?


Who would have thought we would end our day praying with Guatemalan believers high in the hills of Sacatepéquez?








Who would have thought, we would fall asleep in a beautiful house high on a hill with an amazing view of the surrounding countryside?


And who would have thought we would be so blessed?


Lord, You did, and I’m so glad You did!