ONE YEAR SINCE THE FIRE

Last weekend marked one year since our housefire happened. On the morning of Saturday, February 20, our toaster burst into flames that very quickly engulfed the whole of our kitchen, dining room, and started spreading into our mudroom and living room sending heat and smoke through out the house before the local volunteer fire fighters blessedly got there and saved the whole thing from being consumed.

For the first two and a half weeks, we stayed in two suites at a local hotel. Then it was into a couple of RVs til the house was restored, and in some cases, rebuilt. We rejoiced when we were able to move back into our like-new home the first part of August.

To mark the one year anniversary of the fire, I wanted to reflect on that time and what it has meant for our family. It is one of those events that will stand out in the history of our family. We often find ourselves marking time as "before the fire", "while we were still in the RV", or "after the fire".

There were hard and sad things that resulted from the fire, but the Lord has promised us that even out of bad times He will bring good for those who love Him and are called according to His purpose (Romans 8:28). He has been faithful and brought that to fruition in our life.

Here are the kids and their take on the whole experience.

Travis, what was the hardest or saddest thing about the fire for you?

It made me lose one of my favorite stuffed animals, cause remember? Kitty Cat got lost in the fire? I also had to live in an RV for 5 months and you would not want that to happen for 5 months. It seemed like longer I was so not used to it.

What good came out of it?

The best part of the fire was we got to go into a nice hotel and I got to get sweets all I wanted. It was really nice how people actually delivered stuff to it, not just saying "you had a fire so their insurance company will give them money" but instead, our church folks brought us stuff. I was really surprised how nice they were. We got a new Wii, too, [from] my dad's office. We got wi-fi on our Wii!


Betsie, tell me about the fire and how it affected you. What was the worst part?

Probably how we had to live in the RVs and our house was right there but we couldn't live in it and it was destroyed there and a reminder every single day of what happened. It was weird living outside of your house.

What was the best part? How did you see God work or what good came out of it?

Because of it, people donated me a lot of money so I didn't have to fundraise much [for my missions trip to Romania] because that would have been really stressful at the time.

David, talk to us about how the fire affected you. First, what was the bad part?

Probably just living in the RV and having to go to all these different places and talk to different people about reconstruction of the house and all that stuff.

What good came out of it for you personally or how do you think God used it for the good of our family?

Well, I think it drew me closer to God because I realized that I lost most of my stuff but it was just stuff and I don't really need it.

Anna's turn---

I would definitely say the hardest part was having to live in the RV. I'm not used to living in close quarters with people for prolonged periods of time.


What good came out of it?

Our house is nicer and it imparted some valuable life lessons.

Alright Laura, tell us about how the fire affected you. What was the hardest part?

Umm...probably losing a bunch of my Littlest Pet Shop [toys].

What good came out of the fire?

Well, I almost have all the Littlest Pet Shop that I had before the fire back. I have way more Silly Bandz. I love Sudoku and I got a Sudoku book after the fire. I also got two new stuffed animals after the fire. One of them, Miss Theresa [Houston] gave to me and one of them, you bought for me.


Now for my 12 year old son P. In your opinion, what was the hardest thing related to the fire?

The house being burnt down. I lost my house.

How have you seen good come out of this hard thing?

I got to live in a hotel. I got a lot of new stuff. [God used this to show me] that sometimes good comes out of [bad happenings].

Here's my little Miss M. She's going to start with the hard part first.

Well, it made me really, really sad. And I didn't really want to go into a hotel because I wouldn't see Pepper [our horse] a lot. When the fire happened, Boo [our dog] wasn't there. It was dead so we wouldn't see it often [anyway]. When we lived in the RV, it made me really hard because I had to sleep on my ground [the floor].

So what good came out of the whole thing?

What's good is that someone was able to build our house so we wouldn't be living in the RV all the time. Once the house was built, we started to move in. We couldn't build mine and Laura's bed at first so we slept on air mattresses and sleeping bags. Well, then when it was my 5 year old party, my dad started to build my bed for me and Laura so we wouldn't have to sleep on an air mattress. Well then, I started to be happier because we boughted more stuff and my mom bought me boots after the housefire and that's it!



As most of the kids alluded to, one gain from the fire is that we are at a much better place financially than we have ever been before in our life as a married couple and family.

Because of the fire and the insurance coverage we had with Allstate, we now have a beautifully restored like-new home.



For the first time in our marriage, most of our furniture is new (read, not falling apart or made out of plastic) and we have the rooms decorated by color schemes and themes. We were able to buy a nice, used truck for Jim that has been such a reliable work-horse. And, the best part in my opinion, is that we were able to afford to not only pay for Jim and my Swaziland mission trip costs this past fall, but take our friend Kelly with us.




Besides just helping us get to Africa short-term, the fire is going to help us move to Africa for the long-term. Just a week or so before the fire, I was looking at the house and all the things that would have to be done if God moved us overseas and we had to sell it --- paint EVERTHING, replace the carpet and linoleum, repair so many things, get rid of so much stuff, etc. etc. It really was overwhelming. I despaired and thought "Lord, how will we ever get this house ready to sell with all of us living in it?"

Well, God may not have made the fire happen but He surely didn't stop it. And as a result, we lost about 90% of our stuff which means that when we go to sell it and then pack up to move in less than three years from now, we'll have a whole lot less to deal with. Our house is also updated and fixed and will be easier to sell. Plus, it is just a nicer, cleaner home to live in. It is so awesome to not freak out about company coming over because with less stuff, there just isn't as much mess.

And ultimately, God used it to teach us just to trust Him more and not put our security in stuff that really doesn't matter in the light of eternity.

Jim and I have talked and we both can honestly say that if we were given the choice of the fire never happening, we wouldn't choose that. We didn't enjoy a lot of aspects of the recovery process. It was sad to lose precious things such as Jim's grandmother's cherry table and my wedding china, but God so made up for it.

To be honest, for me, just being able to go to Swaziland and take Kelly to Africa with us made it worth the fire and all the hassle that went with it.



But what a God He is who overwhelmed us with so many blessings after the fire that I can't even do them justice here.

All I can say is that I am so very, very thankful for a creative, miracle working Father who never lets us down and truly can turn even something that seems like a tragedy into something of love and value.

I also want to thank each of you who played a part in being that blessing.

What a life of gracious provision we have been given.

WHILE PREPARING FOR CHILDREN'S CHURCH

While preparing last night for my preschool children's church lesson on the RICH YOUNG RULER, I stumbled across this YouTube video and felt like ti was definitely worth sharing:

Lord, forgive me for when I love anything else more than I love you. Forgive me for all the times that I love myself more than others.

DREAMING BIG THINGS FOR THE KINGDOM

ADVENTURES IS MISSIONS is known for dreaming big where God and ministry is concerned. They aren't afraid to break away from traditions and try new ways to reach their world with the love of Jesus. Now they are developing a new way to help people live out their God dreams. Here is what AIM founder Seth Barnes has to say about this new ministry resource:


"I've had a dream for many years now to see a generation fully alive. It's a dream of my children's generation seizing the opportunity to wake up to the greatness within themselves - God's kingdom dream for their lives. And it's been a thrill to see that God has been speaking to other people like me who share this dream.

Since starting the World Race, I've watched that dream, like a jonquil in spring, unfolding. And today we took another step toward it. A team has been working behind the scenes to build a ministry that helps people realize their dreams.
The ministry is called Kingdom Dreams and today we went public with its first web site.

Kingdom Dreams will help young world changers (and maybe some older ones) in a number of ways:

* assessment
* coaching
* networking
* dream development

God created everyone with a dream - a dream of making this world a better place, bringing the love of Christ to those who haven't felt it. Unfortunately, most people stop short of realizing theirs. But we believe that no one should miss their dream. We believe this world needs you to dream God's dreams.

So what is a kingdom dream?

A kingdom dream is the idea or thought that makes your heart skip a beat. A kingdom dream is that passion you've had since you were a little boy or girl. A kingdom dream is what you would give your life to... if only you had the time, the resources, or the security.

A kingdom dream brings health to the sick, food to the hungry, life to the dead. A kingdom dream is God's will manifested on earth. And Kingdom Dreams wants to make sure everyone of God's dreams can be realized.

Take a look at the web site and let us know what you think. You may have a dream - let us know about it. Or consider joining us in making God's dreams come to life."

So what are YOU dreaming about where God and this world are concerned?

http://kingdom-dreams.com/

YOU'RE NOT GOING TO MAKE MUCH MONEY


Yesterday, my daughter Betsie spent hours and hours baking brownies and cookies for Thailand missions trip fundraiser at the local grocery store today. At around 10:00, she started bagging up the goodies. She asked me how much she should sell them for. I recommended 50 cents a pack but when we added up the amount of money she'd spent on supplies, that was only going to leave her with about 5 bucks profit. We decided she'd better bump up the price to 75 cents a pack but that still was just not going to net her much money for the time and money she'd invested.

I told her "you're not going to make much money". We talked about the fact that next time she'd need to not buy such pricey mixes. But ultimately, I said, she'd just need to pray and ask God to multiply the profits, because the most she could hope for at 75 cents a pack, was still just about $15. And then, since her sister Anna was going to help her at the sale, she needed to give her some of the profits as well to apply toward her Thailand trip.

I'll be honest, I was discouraged for her. All on her own, she'd set up the sale, bought the ingredients, cooked the goodies, and packaged them. We'd tried to get some donations to sell, but it just hadn't happened this time around.

Fast forward to this afternoon. She and her sister had play practice with their homeschool group so her brother P and I got to the store and set up on the sidewalk til they could get there. Within 10 to 15 minutes we'd already sold about $10 worth of baked goods and had been given about $10 in out right donations. They arrived about a half hour after we set up and before I left to leave them on their own to sell, a friend showed up. She let her kids pick out a sweet a piece and then blessed them with a couple of hundred dollars! That's right....a handful of baked goods bought for hundreds of dollars.

WOW!

What an amazing and unexpected overflow of provision.

And this isn't a rich friend. It is someone who lives a very simple life.

But they have richly invested into my girls' missions trips again and again.

Isn't that like God? The same God who took a little boys' lunch and fed thousands took my daughter's few dozen brownies and goodies (plus a few packs of Silly Bandz thrown in by this mom who was feeling sorry for her) and brought about abundant profit through someone who isn't rich or famous but someone with a humble, willing, and giving spirit.

I don't know how much more they'll raise today. I figure, that knowing our community, they'll likely sell all of their baked offerings today. And I also figure that there will be others who will give just to give, not because they are getting a brownie or cookie in return.

We'll not know the final amount they've raised til the sale ends in an hour or so, but one thing we know --- once again, God has reminded us that when HE CALLS, HE WILL PROVIDE!

If you feel your heart being pulled to go on a missions trip but you just don't see how you can afford it, that's okay. You might not can financially afford it, but He can! He's the multiplier of loaves and fishes, and the blesser of brownies and chocolate chip cookies.

THANKFUL THURSDAY....HEADING TO THAILAND!

As most of you know, our daughter Betsie leaves in less than two months for Thailand. She'll be living with missionary friends and working primarily with orphans, English-as-a-Second-Language students, and street kids. Because of her age --- she is still only fifteen --- none of us felt very comfortable with her flying there and back by herself.

Several weeks back, Jim was able to purchase tickets for him and Betsie to fly out there together. But the price for mine to go and get here were much, much higher. And they seemed to go up and up and up...thousands of dollars higher. The possibility of me getting to go to Thailand didn't seem very likely unless God did something.



We kept talking about it and praying about it and even discussing the trip with others who have made it before and just couldn't get a peace about her returning by herself. So we coveted prayers from many and kept watching the travel sites. Yesterday, the price dipped down by over three thousand dollars and we snapped up tickets for me.

What a big "praise God"!



Now I'll not only be able to accompany her back from Thailand, but I'll also be able to spend a week in Northern Thailand getting to know the folks that Betsie will have grown to love, seeing all the places she'll have frequented, eat some of the unique dishes that only can be found in the culinary adventure known as Thailand, visit and love on our missionary friends, and hopefully get to bless a whole lot of precious Thai children and their caregivers.



I've got a huge heart for orphans, but up until this point, all my efforts on behalf of orphans have been primarily focused on African orphans. It is going to be such a huge joy to get the chance to shower the love of Jesus on the street kids and orphaned children that I will meet there.

I am so excited! And my heart is just overflowing that God is giving me this amazing gift. I'm also thrilled that I'll get to share this with my girl. It is always hard to come back from a mission trip and the folks around you just don't "get it". Now I will, in part, "get it".

And as Betsie said, now she won't have to spend the first few days answering a million and one of my questions about where she lived, who she met, what she ate, etc. etc.

God is so good and for this special Thai blessing I just want to give Him praise this "Thankful Thursday".

“Enter his gates with thanksgiving,
and his courts with praise!
Give thanks to him; bless his name!”
~ Psalm 100:4 (ESV)

To read more about the ministry that Betsie will be involved in and I'll get to visit, go to: http://gontim.org/main/

WORLDLESS WEDNESDAY

PARTY ON PETROL

Salesian High School, Manzini, Swaziland

Wordless Wednesdays: http://www.wordlesswednesday.com/newhome/

A BIG SERVING of LUSCIOUS COLOR

I thought some of you in the frozen tundra might appreciate a big serving of luscious color. This produce stand was right before the Swazi border as we drove towards the crossing on our way to the Jo'burg airport. Click on it to see a bigger image. Isn't it gorgeous?

Can't wait til shopping for fresh fruit and veggies at a roadside stand is an every day part of my African life.

MIND BLOWING NUMBERS

Did you know these heartbreaking stats about Swaziland?

* Life expectancy. 28 years
* HIV infection rate. 44.6%
* 70% of kids will be HIV+ by 15 years old
* If you're 15 your chance of reaching 30 is 6%
* Unemployment rate is 60%
* 120,000 orphans. 12.6% of the population
* The population has declined from 1.3 milion in 2005 to 900,000 in 2009

You can help a child overcome these stats by sponsoring them thru Children's HopeChest. Visit Danielle Brower's blog to find out how:


http://moms4change.net/sponsor-an-orphan/

It might mean you have to give up something to make this happen, but it will be a sacrifice you will never regret and one that is the answer to a child, parent grandmother, or some other caregiver's prayers. It will also be a reflection of the Father's heart, the same Father that said "pure religion is to care for the orphans and widows".

PRAY FOR BETSIE RIGHT NOW!

She is at a local church right now to share with the youth group about her upcoming missions trip to Thailand. This particular congregation is a HUGE church with a big youth group.



Pray that she'll not be nervous but will be able to calmly and clearly share the story of what she'll be doing and the needs of the people she will be ministering to. Also, pray that she'll stir up the young people who hear her to want to also go and tell about God's love and plan to others.


Thanks!
Elysa


P.S. The photo above is of Betsie with 3 of the NORTHERN THAILAND IMPACT MINISTRIES team who were visiting another local church last night. To read more about the work of NTIM, visit their website: http://gontim.org/main/

*****************

Later tonight: Got a call from Betsie a bit ago. Apparently her talk went really well but she ended up having a different subject matter than what she had planned for. They actually wanted her to speak about her trip to Romania this past summer with Adventures in Missions. But that's alright. She switched gears and still used it as a chance to encourage the students to seek God's will for them concerning missions. And even though it wasn't what she had planned, we know that God can use all things for His glory and our good, even last minute changes in topics.

THE ROAD WILL BE ROUGH

Three years ago, I had just returned from traveling to Swaziland with Children's HopeChest. It was the first time I had been back to Africa since I left Swaziland in 1990. Going back had broken my heart for what the Swazi people were facing with drought, extreme poverty, the HIV/AIDS pandemic, and a quickly growing orphan population. I came back and cried every day for a year. Literally, a day did not go by that I didn't shed tears because my heart had been ripped open by what I had seen and heard there.

I wanted desperately to be back in Swaziland fighting against death and bringing the love and light of Jesus to those I loved so deeply.

Many days I despaired. I didn't know if I would ever get the chance to even visit again. My heart was aching to not just visit again, but to move there. To live there for the rest of my life, loving on God's beloved "least and lost" in that beautiful mountain kingdom.

Over time and after much prayer, God opened the way for my husband to travel to Swaziland with me and he, too, fell in love with the people of Swaziland and heard the call of God on his life to go and serve there.

The road has been rough at times. I'll confess that my faith has not always been big enough. But God is faithful. He has put the desire for the Swazi nation in my heart and now He is calling us to a life that will fulfill that desire. He is calling us to sell our home, say goodbye to America, take our children, and settle in a new land ... a land wracked with death and disease and often despair, but a land that is also so beautiful and so full of amazing people and precious children. He is calling us to go and serve and love and live alongside them.

We don't know all the details of how everything will work out. We don't know which missionary agency we will go with. We don't know where we will live. We don't know who will buy this house. We don't know a lot of things.


But God knows.

And God, who put the call on our lives, will be faithful to lead and provide for us through this journey.

This morning, my sweet friend Stacy introduced me to a song and said that when she heard it, she thought of me and my family.

The song is WOYAYA by Osibisa. "Woyaya" is translated "we are going".

Yes, indeed we are going. And all the muddy holes and rough rutts and even washed out places in the road will be worth it. I can honestly tell you that serving the Lord in Africa as a missionary is not a sacrifice to me. It is an unbelievable and amazing gift. I am so thankful that God has me going.

We are going
Heaven knows where we are going
We will know we're there
We will get there
Heaven knows how we will get there
We know we will
It will be hard we know
And the road will be muddy and rough
But we'll get there
Heaven knows how we will get there
We know we will
We are going
Heaven knows where we are going
We will know we're there

And guess what? He'll get you to where He is calling you to go, too.

ALL SHE DID WAS SAY "YES"

Seth Barnes, founder of Adventures in Missions, shared this on his blog a while back:

All Katie did was say "yes" to God. What would happen if we were to say "yes" to what he's asking of us? Here is Katie's story in her own words.

I have just turned 18 and find an orphanage online. I beg my parents to let me visit over break, just three weeks. A month later I am on a plane. I am so excited. I am so scared of being, but I know He is going with me. I fall in love.

I graduate high school having made the commitment to teach Kindergarten for a year at a school in The Middle of Nowhere, Uganda. In August I get on the plane. I'm apprehensive and I cry most of the way because I miss my Mommy and my boyfriend. I am eager, but so uncertain. I trust Him. I teach 138 children how to speak English and to love Jesus.

It is October and I am just not sure I can do it anymore. I live in the smallest room I have ever seen in the back of a pastor's house. I am more uncomfortable than I had bargained for. No one understands, not people here, not people at home. I am tired. But I am prideful and I am not going to quit. I don't like this. But I know He has a plan. I learn, I grow, He is there.

It is December and God has spoken very clearly about opening a ministry that sponsors 40 of the orphaned children in the village where I am working. This involves moving into a different house, ALONE. It is big and I cannot imagine how God will fill it up. I am lonely and I am anxious. But I am still trusting. He fills the house, and we now have 400 children sponsored.

It is January and I am looking at a little girl, crushed under a brick wall with no one to care for her or her younger siblings. I offer to take the three home with me until we find them a better placement. I am not really sure what to do with them, but I know they are God's children. They stay.

It is three days later and the littlest looks at me and calls me mommy. My heart might break in two. Something clicks. I am even more scared than I was the day I stepped on that plane, but I KNOW. Today I have 13.

I have to deliver a baby, give a boy stitches, pull a tooth, give and injection. I am petrified. But no one will do it if I do not. He is present, He holds my hand, they are all fine.

It is August and I must get on a plane back to America to go to college, as I have promised my father. I do not remember how to be a teenager or what it is to be normal Brentwood, Tennessee. I will have to leave my babies. I will have to make new friends. I am sad and I am terrified. He wraps His arms around me. He puts just the right people in just the right places, and they help me and they make me feel at home.

First semester is over and He speaks clearly to me that I cannot serve two masters. "Go HOME," He says, "and stay." I am uncertain, but I want to be obedient. He squeezes tighter. I am thankful.

I have to look at my loving parents who have given me everything and tell them that I will not go to college right now, because I feel God wants me to be in Uganda. I know how disappointed and how angry they will be. I am more scared than I was when I got on the plane and more scared than I was when I took my first children. But I know that this IS the Plan. They love me anyway.

It is February and my daughter's biological father comes to take her away. My heart breaks in half, and I am not sure I will ever be able to get out of my bed again, let alone foster another child. I am more than devastated, but I want what is best for her, what He wants for her. She comes back and her biological father learns about Jesus.

It is March and a lame little girl is brought to my gate. She is undoubtedly mine, but I am still anxious. What if I can't do it? I don't know what to do with a special needs child, especially as my 13th child. I am criticized and ridiculed. I wonder. I trust and praise God for her sweet little life. She starts to walk.

I find myself in a village full of starving people that for some reason seem to want to kill me. God says to serve them anyway. I am not sure how it is going to work, or if it is safe. I can't figure it out, but I know He can. 1,200 Karamajongs, the poorest of Uganda's poor, are now served hot meals daily.

We keep taking in more children until there are 400 in our program. There is no way we will raise enough funds, but by now I have stopped worrying. He has always provided. Blessings rain from the sky, and all 400 children go to school.

I am 20 years old and have 13 children and 400 more who all depend on me for their care.

All she did was say "yes." What could you do for God if you were to say "yes?" The possibilities are limitless.

Follow Katie's journey on her blog: http://www.kissesfromkatie.blogspot.com/

THE ONLY ONE

God loves each of us as if there were only one of us.

Augustine

WORDLESS WEDNESDAY

Click on the photo to see a larger version of it.

WAS, IS, WILL BE

So what are you reading this week?

I have just finished reading Immaculée Ilibagiza's powerful story of how she didn't just survive the Rwandan genocide that took most of her family, but triumphed through her faith in God and her obedience to His call to love and forgive her enemies. I highly recommend LEFT TO TELL and have, in fact, passed it on to my teenage daughters to read.



The book I have now started is BAKING CAKES IN KIGALI. This book also takes place in Rwanda but several years after the genocide of the 1990's. In this book, Angel Tungaraza bakes cakes that are famous in the city as she raises her orphaned grandchildren. In the book, she bakes fourteen cakes, all of which have a story behind them...a story that Angel becomes a part of as only Angel and her love of life and others can. If you are a fan of THE NO. 1 LADIES DETECTIVE AGENCY books, you'll probably really enjoy BAKING CAKES IN KINGALI.



The next book I'm planning on reading is THE SECOND DEATH OF GOODLUCK TINUBU by Michael Stanley. My hubby is reading this one right now. He picked it up out of curiosity (I'm the one that had checked it out from the library) and was immediately pulled into the story. This mystery takes place at a tourist destination in northern Botswana. It is actually the 2nd in the David "Kubu" Bengu Mystery series but Jim says it is fine as a stand-alone novel. Included in the book is a wealth of details about the culture and surroundings which is a big plus for those of us who are African freaks.



And yes, speaking of Africa, all three books are set there. What can I say? I love that place!

VALENTINE'S DAY FOTOS

I'm feeling really original right now, hence the crazy unique blog post title. Okay, not.

Anywho...here are some photos from our day. Valentine's is actually one of my favorite days of the year and so I spent much of the day with a big ole smile on my face.

This morning, I gave all the kids their Valentine candy. Some of the teenagers --- okay, ALL of the teenagers --- say that they do not like Valentine's Day but they do like chocolate and so they are willing to swallow their distaste of the day in order to enjoy the goodies. Here are some of their photos:

Aren't they cuties?

A neat happening today was that I was able to see one of my best friends from elementary school. Debbie was my across the street neighbor when I lived in Crystal Springs. I've not seen her for over 25 years. We found each other on facebook and were blown away to find out that she and my husband both work in the same building for the same state agency. Isn't that crazy??? When I went to meet my husband for our traditional Valentine's Day lunch, we were able to spend some time visiting. What a special blessing it was for my day!

My sweet hubby surely does know what I like! He took me to one of my favorite places to eat ( THE THAI HOUSE) and gave me one of my favorite treats (chocolate) along with the newest issue of my favorite magazine (EVERY DAY WITH RACHAEL RAY).

The Thai House food and service are fabulous as evidenced by their wall of awards.

And you know me and my thing for taking photos of bathrooms. I loved the bathroom sign in Thai and the wood carved mirror in the bathroom.

And through out the day, the little kids enjoyed reading lots of Valentine's books from the library. Actually, we've been reading them for a few weeks now. After all, they are the offspring of a book-loving, Valentine-celebrating mama!

Happy Valentine's Day to you all!!!

TODAY YOU GROW UP

This post was written by Jenifer Peterson. She and her family just spent a few months in Swaziland ministering and will soon be returning to live there for two years.

My little girl turns 13 today! My heart aches just a little as I say that, however, for the most part I feel full of gratitude and joy. When your kids are born and you look into their eyes it feels as though you have forever with them. There are days (and many, many nights!) with a newborn in the house when it feels like time is standing still. More midnight feedings? More smelly diapers? More Cheerios to vacuum out of the back of the minivan? Really?

Yet, time really does move at warp speed. You blink, it seems, and your 8 pound baby girl is taller than you are (well....almost!)

Earlier this afternoon I was frosting Claire's birthday cake. I was getting frustrated as crumbs from the cake were breaking off and getting mixed in with the icing. As I grumbled under my breath and carefully picked the stray bits out of the creamy confection, I caught myself remembering something a friend shared recently about Swazi birthday greetings. In Swaziland it is traditional to be told on your birthday: "Today you grow up," followed by a blessing: "may you live to see your children's children." In a country where the average life expectancy is 32 years old and the HIV infection rate plagues between 45-50% of the population, this 'blessing' could be considered to be more like 'wishful thinking'. Really makes getting bent out of shape over crumbs in my icing seem, rather, miniscule. Trivial. Silly.

Tonight, as Claire blows out the 13 candles on that imperfect cake and makes a wish, I will close my eyes with her. For my beautiful daughter, I wish she will continue to grow up into her inheritance as a child of the Most High, Heavenly King. That she will know how great is the Father's love for her. That she will never settle for any cheap imitation of that love. I pray that she realizes the unique privilege of being called to return to Swaziland and share that love with the children there. And yes, I will pray that she lives to see her children's children. This is the kind of thing I don't take for granted anymore! Before the glow of the candles disappears, I will also whisper a prayer for 'our kids' in Swaziland. Birthday cakes and presents are luxuries that most of them will never experience. Growing old and living to see their children's children should not fall into the category of luxury items. God has a plan and purpose for their lives, just as sure as He has for Claire's, for mine and for yours. Please join me in praying that simple birthday blessing for all God's kids today: may they live to see their children's children!

To read more about the Peterson's ministry in Swaziland, visit their blog:
http://ericandjen.myadventures.org/

WHO KNEW CHURCH FOLKS...

....could boogie? We do now!

Last night, our church held a Valentine's banquet and dance. It was a lot of fun! We had a d.j. so after a catered bbq supper, we had a great time doing the twist, cotton eyed Joe, and the cha cha.

I also got to enjoy a little married romance with my husband as we slow danced to one of "our songs"...how sweet it is to be loved by him! And as you can tell by this photo of our pastor and his wife, after decades of marriage, they are still enjoying some married romance, too.

"There are short-cuts to happiness, and dancing is one of them." ~Vicki Baum

FIGHTING THE STREAM OF HOPELESSNESS

Kriek Gerber serves alongside her husband in Swaziland. They are South Africans who have dedicated their lives to God and his precious children in Swaziland. This week Kriek shared this at her blog:

"I have another pile of school fee receipts waiting in front for me ..... and I am dreading going through it. Here in Swaziland another school year has just started and with it came the almost unbearable demand and desperate pleas for SCHOOL FEES. It feels like a huge mountain in our way. The poor D-team is almost too afraid to go to the carepoints; they are so overwhelmed by the requests from the kids for school fees.

Let me explain a little. Most schools are government schools, but the kids still have to pay. And it's not just the school fees; they also have to pay for books, stationary and uniforms. (And some of the schools just changed their complete uniforms!) In the past the government has helped to pay for orphans and vulnerable children, but it was just announced that the government will no longer pay for the vulnerable kids; they will only help the orphans. (Not sure if they will pay the full amount though.) School fees can be anything between $50 and $600 for a year. To you and me this does not sound like a lot, but in a country where the average person lives on less than $2 a day, this is almost impossible to pay!

At this stage we are seeing less leniency from head teachers at schools as more and more kids are being chased away because they cannot pay school fees. Schools are even chasing orphans away. Their reason: the government has not paid the kids' school fees yet! Most of these kids who get chased, are too ashamed to even come to the carepoints and they would rather stay away. This breaks my heart.

It also breaks my heart to know that I am about to tell a bunch of really bright and cute kids at one of our carepoints that they can no longer go to school, because we can no longer pay for their school fees. We had a donor paying for them to go to a slightly nicer school, but now the donor can no longer pay. And I am the one having to face them and tell them this news. I don't want them to leave this school! They can speak better English than all of the other kids their age; even better than a lot of the older kids! They have potential, and they have the opportunity to become something / somebody ....... but right now I feel like their futures are in my hands .... and I am about to cut the string.



I don't want them to disappear in the stream of hopelessness; believing that they are nothing and nobody. I want them to become people of integrity, people of influence. Kids who exceeds their circumstances ... because somebody cared enough to believe in them and to help them!"

*********************************

If you'd like to do something tangible to help rescue a child from the stream of hopelessness, you can! There are three simple ways:

1. Make a one time donation to the education fund that Children's HopeChest has set up at

http://www.hopechest.org/give/ . Make sure you put in "Swaziland School Fees" when it asks for a reference or how you want the money to be used.

2. Sponsor a child through Children's HopeChest and become a part of a carepoint community. You can find out more information on the sponsorship program by visiting Danielle Brower's blog at http://moms4change.net/sponsor-an-orphan/ .

3. Go to the Adventures in Missions website, http://adventures.org/give/donate.asp?giveto=orphans , and pull down Swazi Orphan Fund. In the "note" section, write "Swazi School Fees".

To read more about how God is using Kriek and her family in Swaziland, visit their blog at http://jumbogerber.myadventures.org/ . What God is doing in and through their family is amazing!

WE MUST STEP UP THE STAIRS

The vision must be followed by the venture.
It is not enough to stare up the steps - we must step up the stairs.

Vance Havner

PUH-LEEZE...

LET IT SNOW, LET IT SNOW, LET IT SNOW!

We've had a couple of "winter storm" warnings the last month or so. Sadly, all we've gotten is either some sleet mixed with bits of snow or just cold, cold rain that froze and left cool icicles and windshields that were glacial. The kids got out there one day and scooped together as much of the ice pellets and specks of snow to make a few snowballs to hurl at each other (or tuck away in the deep freezer as LG did) but nothing has happened to give us that beautiful, white covering that only true snow can bring.

Once again, snow is in the forecast. But as the rain comes down, down, down, I plead, "puh-leeze....let it snow, let it snow, let it snow".

As we sit around with the fireplace roaring and our toesies chilling, we keep checking the forecast and looking out the window hoping to see the pelleting drops transform to whiteness floating down.

In the meantime, here are a few of our few wintry books to enjoy on a cold, blustery day or to take an edge off the heat of a sweltering summer day:

KATIE AND THE BIG SNOW --- Virginia Lee Burton


WHITE SNOW, BRIGHT SNOW --- Alvin R. Tresselt


A REDWALL WINTER'S TALE --- Brian Jacques


SNOWFLAKE BENTLEY --- Jacqueline Briggs Martin


THE BIG SNOW --- Berta Hader


STOPPING BY WOODS ON A SNOWY EVENING --- Susan Jeffers


THE SNOWY DAY --- Ezra Jack Keats


A NEW COAT FOR ANNA --- Harriet Ziefert


THE WINTER NOISY BOOK --- Margaret Wise Brown


STRANGER IN THE WOODS --- Carl R. Sams


THE LONG WINTER --- Laura Ingalls Wilder


SNOWMEN AT NIGHT --- Caralyn Buehner


THE RAG COAT --- Lauren A. Mills


WINTER STORY (BRAMBLY HEDGE) --- Jill Barklem


THE SNOWMAN --- Raymond Briggs


THE MITTEN and THE HAT --- both by Jan Brett


BEAR SNORES ON --- Karma Wilson

THE MOUSERY --- Charlotte Pomerantz


THIS PLACE IN THE SNOW --- Rebecca Bond


ARCTIC DREAMS --- Carole Gerber


WINTER ON THE FARM --- Laura Ingalls Wilder


VERY LAST FIRST TIME --- Jan Andrews


Let us know what your favorite cold weather books are!