Musings from Graceland

2012-01-17T08:57:00.004-06:00

FLEXIBILITY IN THE RAIN

Being on the mission field requires a LOT of flexibility

Yep, that means our plans changed.

Due to torrents of rain, the roads were unsafe to travel to the Bheveni Carepoint today. We were able to meet with some of the AIM Staff (including the D-Team ladies) and give them gifts at the office in Manzini. They say THANK YOU!!

We will have to wait and go another day when it is not pouring litres upon litres of water out onto the roads.

Since our day became free, we drove out a bit (on PAVED WET roads) to Swazi Candle and its surrounding shops. Came back to Manzini and went to the newest mall built, The Riverstone Mall, and looked around a bit and exchanged money. Then we stopped by the Spar Grocery and bought some wholesome snacks (panini buns, apples, mini Bonbel cheeses, and salami).

Jim and Anna have espcaped to a nearby, quiet, coffee shop for some introvert re-charge time while the rest of us are at the Donaldsons checking facebook, playing the guitar, taking a nap, adding more photos to our fb album, chatting about the culture,learning to play Mexican Trainwreck, and blogging the second post for today since I have the time and internet access.

Jim and Anna will bring back pizzas from The Rustic Tavern for supper. This is Anna's favorite pizza in the whole wide world. I bought a couple of yummy-smelling, fresh pineapples to slice up as a go-along. In case you are wondering, the food is pretty darn amazing in Swaziland. Okay, you all know me enough to know that most everything is pretty darn amazing to me in Swaziland.

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If you are on facebook, look for our trip albums. I've already got two up!

2012-01-17T01:16:00.004-06:00

QUICK NEWS FROM SWAZILAND

We are here in the beautiful mountain kingdom that stole my heart over 20 years ago. We are about to go out for a day of ministering at the Bheveni Carepoint but wanted to give a quick rundown of the news:

*Day of quick sight seeing in Paris offered beautiful views, lots of walking, and no lost children!
*Sunday was spent worshipping at a Zionist Church. We and the Donaldsons were the first white people to ever attend this particular church. It was a true blessing. We were so loved and welcomed. The kids had a great time playing with the Swazi children.
*Yesterday was retrieving a delayed suitcase from the S'land airport and a braai (cookout) with the Donaldsons and many of their Swazi friends. That was a blast!

Today's prayer requests:

*Safety as we drive. It is terribly foggy and super rainy.
*That we'll be able to see a lot of children at the carepoint despite the weather and the fact that today is the last day of school holidays.
*That we'll have wisdom and guidance on how best to use our time at the carepoint today and being sensitive to the most urgent/important needs.
*Emotional energy and times of "vegging" for our family's introverts.
*Clarity from the Lord as we process what we're experiencing and continue to seek His will for our family.
*That we will be a blessing to all we encounter today --- missionaries, kids, Bheveni grannies and mothers, D-Team, etc.

Today and tomorrow will be at the carepoint. On Wednesday night, we will be going over to the McAdams' house. They are missionaries with Adventures in Missions. Thursday morning we will do some things around Manzini before "moving" down to "camp in" at the Moriah Centre in Big Bend.

Thank you all for your continued love, support, and prayers.
Elysa

2012-01-12T03:33:00.004-06:00

TODAY WE LEAVE FOR AFRICA

The day we've long dreamed of and planned for is here.

We are understandably very excited but also have our apprehensions here and there. I know God is leading us, it is just a pretty big deal to go to Africa for two weeks. Wow.

Anyway, our whole family would really appreciate your prayers during this trip but here are some that especially apply for these first few days:

*That we won't forget important things such as passports, money, and kids.
*That we won't lose important things such as passports, money, and kids.
*Traveling mercies as we drive to the airport and then fly first to Paris and then to Africa and then drive on to Manzini, Swaziland.
*Protection in Paris. Alertness as well as peace. I admit it, the idea of taking my small children to a big city that doesn't have English as its first language is a bit freaky to me. But God is bigger!
*Ease of travel for the younger kids. It is the first time for the 4 of them to every fly.
*Pray for my ears. Due to a lot of scarring on my ear drums, I have, in the past, often experienced a lot of discomfort and even extreme pain. When I flew to Thailand, they did great. I pray the same for this trip.
*Rest during our flights.
*All our luggage will arrive safely and we'll be able to fit it in the rental van in Johannesburg.
*Ease going thru customs and the border crossing into Swaziland.
*That we'll be a blessing to all we encounter. A family our size traveling together will have plenty of questions asked and will have many opportunities to share what we're doing and WHO we're doing it for. I want us to be a light for God even before we land in Africa.
*Unity and love reigning in our family.
*That we'll hear from God and sense His calling and guidance every step.
*Protection for our house, animals, and those who are staying behind and taking care of our farm and other responsibilities while we are gone.

Thanks so much and hopefully, the next time you hear from me, I'll already have wonderful things to report.

2012-01-11T23:44:00.003-06:00

ON THE EVE OF THE SWAZI TRIP...

...I am feeling so so many mixed emotions. Mostly good, as this smile attests, but also other feelings.

I've worked hard today, along with the kids and Jim, on getting packed up and ready to go and through out the day, there have been a fair share of ups and downs, good things and not so good.

I'm excited, obviously. Everyone around me and those who are friends with me on facebook know I've been counting down the weeks and days til we depart for quite a while now. I'll probably be skipping down the concourse at the airport in Johannesburg. Either that, or doing my own rendition of a traditional African dance.

I am feeling so incredibly blessed and honored. This is truly a dream come true to go with my husband and all our beautiful children to Swaziland. God has given me such an incredible trip and has used so many precious people to make this trip possible.

I am also feeling a bit anxious. Will we forget important items? Why can't I find the missing extra memory card for the camera? How will the kids handle flying? Will we lose anyone in Paris? YIKES! That just reminds me, I've still got to make little i.d. cards for them to have with them with our cell phone number in case they do get separated from us!

Okay, so now I'm actually feeling more than a bit anxious.

I'm also feeling sad for my 8 year old. He just won't accept the fact that he can't take his stuffed Big Dog on the airplane. There is a reason he is called BIG Dog. He's got several other stuffed animals, but he's fixating on this one. Pray for him to not let his put a mar on the start of his trip and he'll wake up at peace with our decision and ready to pick another animal friend. It hurts my mommy heart that I can't just make him be okay with the situation and move on. I hate seeing him so deeply upset.

And then I'm back to the anxious part. We received so many great donations from people. But when it came time to pack it all up, we just couldn't fit it all. As it is, we are taking 14 checked pieces of luggage and 18 carry-on pieces of luggage. I know we could have technically had 18 checked bags, but we have got to be able to transport the luggage from the Johannesburg Airport to Swaziland. The van that we are renting is bigger than a mini-van but smaller than the 15 passenger van that we drive and which will transport all our stuff to the airport tomorrow. So I'm feeling not great about the situation. We did pack everything that was requested or sent for specific people. We are leaving behind duplicates and items that weren't requested but would have been nice to take. All of these items will still be used for ministry eventually, but it still just makes me sad to not be able to take it all. Yet, I'm fearful of what will happen when we land in Johannesburg. In the past, our teams have always been met by a van and trailer sent over by missionaries in Swaziland. The trailer ensured plenty of room for luggage. But because we are going over as a family and need to have our own transportation to use the whole time we're there in Africa, we won't have a trailer for copious amounts of luggage. I know that this kind of fear is not from God. I have prayed that I used wisdom and packed the right amount. So pray that God will work it out and pray that I won't allow the worry to rob me of the joy of this journey. My sweet husband said that even if he had to rent another van, he'd make it happen. I am blessed. If my husband would go to such great lengths, I know my God would and will.

If the Red Sea, Jericho's Walls, and a giant named Goliath were no big deal for Him, then I know with my head that a bunch of luggage filled with socks for orphans, clothes for hardworking grannies, school supplies for kids who are living in extreme poverty, and little toys and goodies to bring joy to little ones and the big ones who serve them, is absolutely something God can provide for. Now pray that I'll let that sink deep into my spirit.

If I'm going to effectively serve Him on the mission field for the rest of my life, then I have GOT to learn to trust Him with childlike faith.

Thank you for your continued prayers and support. He is using them mightily. I guarantee that and I look forward to sharing the stories of how He works once we get back or even, perhaps, some from Africa.

Til then, as the Swazis say, sala kahle (stay well)!

2012-01-10T22:05:00.005-06:00

IF WE SURVIVE PACKING FOR OUR TRIP...

...we can survive anything!

WOW! I've packed our big family for a lot of trips in the past, after all, none of our relatives live nearby so any family get-together almost always requires some packing and preparing. Heck, one time we even took six of the kids all the way out west as far as Nevada via lots of stops along the way.

But none of that compares to preparing for a two week stay in Africa plus the added travel days on both ends. I'm thinking that a whole lot of opportunities for repentance and forgiveness and growth is going to be happening...and that's before we even pull out of the driveway on Thursday!

So y'all keep on praying for us. I've got almost all the people packed so tomorrow I hit full-force the beautiful piles of donations that are going to bless so many in Swaziland. Pray that we use good organization skills, that we show patience and grace to each other, that good attitudes and work ethics prevail, and that we remember who we are doing all of this for and that our God is worth it. Obeying Him, serving Him, taking His message of love and hope to His precious ones in Swaziland is absolutely worth it all.

And introducing my kids to Swaziland and watching them discover the life that God has planned for us there is going to just be amazing icing on the proverbial cake.

For now, I'll share another day from last year's trip when I had the blessing of introducing Jim to Swaziland and my Swazi friends:

Friday, October 3, 2010

Today was spent meeting up with old friends in Mbabane.

The first friend was Josiah Matsebula. Josiah was one of the youth in the SWAT group I helped lead in the 1980's at Mbabane Int'l Baptist Church. Josiah is married to Goodness. They have two boys. She is a teacher's assistant at a primary school near Checkers and he is a Baptist pastor who also does carpentry and rabbit raising. We met him at the main Mbabane post office and then road with us to the Mbabane Clinic.

The Mbabane Clinic is a very modern, clean hospital and there we visited James Dlamini. James was the gardener for Patsy and Roy Davidson way back when while Josiah worked for Anda Littleford. James is now an accountant at the TIMES OF SWAZILAND but is presently on medical leave. He has extremely high blood pressure and has diabetes. He has been hospitalized and went blind a month and a half ago due to the health issues. James looked very much the same, just a bit older with whiskers. His mother was with him at the hospital. He was very surprised to have me visit and we spent some time catching up on news. We also sang "It Is Well With My Soul" with him and prayed over him. James is very concerned about what whill happen to him if he dies.

After we left teh Clinic, we stopped by the school where Josiah's wife works. We were unable to see her because she was in a meeting. But Josiah showed us some carpentry work he had done and then we left.

The next stop was The Mall. There we met briefly James' wife. She is a cashier at Pick-n-Pay.

We then went into the AFRICAN FANTASY shop. This is where they sell the darling African and Swazi themed cartoon items such as "Two Wild African Cats". I bought a "Children of Africa" poster and a Swaziland homestead t-shirt among other things. Jim bought a hat to keep the hot, African sun off of his head.

I have a lot more to type about this day but to be honest, my fingers and arms are really hurting and I need to stop. Tomorrow is going to be here all too soon and with it a lot of effort --- mentally, physically, spiritually, and emotionally.

Pray!

2012-01-09T20:20:00.007-06:00

JUST TWO DAYS LEFT!!!

Crazy amazing but we've just got two full days and a few hours left to prepare and pack for our Swaziland trip.

It has been so fun to see how God is bringing in the needed provision. All of the items but two things on the "wishlist" have been provided. And to be honest, one of those things has been searched for high and low to no avail. Who knew Jiffy, white, frosting mix could be so elusive?

So as of now, the only things left on the list are:

*The a fore mentioned frosting mix (that apparently Amazon.com carries but they seem to be the only ones)

*A laptop computer battery for a house parent at a children's home.

Speaking of that children's home, here's an account from last year's trip journal which tells about our visit to that same ministry.

Thursday, 9/30/10

We spent three hours at Hwane Farm and Teen Challenge touring it, meeting staff, and talking with Timothy Makhanya.

He was very, very helpful, gracious, and informative. He confirmed the great need for more ministry and help in [the area of Swaziland that we believe God is calling us to live and serve]. Wow!

We then went to the coffee shop at Ngwenya Glass for lunch. It was very, very good food. The chocolate cake was especially great.

We then toured the glass-blowing factory, wandered thru the shops, and visited with many of the clerks and craftspeople. We especially had a good chat with the owner of a wooden toy shop (The Rocking Horse Company) who also owns the Chocolate Studio.

We left and drove just a it thru Mbabane before heading back to Manzini.

The Brittens, missionaries who have been in Swaziland and South Africa since 1967, joined us for a taco/burrito supper.

They shared with us how God led them to Africa and told us about the work of the Zion Bible College and gave their insight on many issues related to life in Swaziland and ministry.

After everyone went to bed, I spent some time online, especially messaging back and forth with David, Betsie, and Anna. It is nice to know that they want us back home.

Hopefully, the next time we are in Africa, it will be with them.

And how cool that this is coming true. God is taking them back with us this time. What an amazing, amazing blessing.

A couple of prayer requests before I sign off for the night.

Please pray for my full healing. I'm still feeling weak and headachey from the stomach virus that hit yesterday. Pray that no one else will get it!

Pray for us as we organize and pack all the donated items as well as our personal items. Getting nine people plus a wonderful amount of ministry supplies ready is a big task but I know God will give us what we need to get it done! Pray that we'll have wisdom to know the best way to do it and that all the things that need to get down between now and Thursday morning will happen with grace and perfect timing.

And most of all, pray that God is opening our ears to hear and our hearts to receive all that He wants to tell us and show us. I want even our pre-trip days to glorify Him and be used for His glory and our good.

Til tomorrow, as the Swazis would say, sala kahle (stay well)!
Elysa Thandeka

2012-01-08T20:12:00.004-06:00

PLEASE BE PRAYING...

...as we prepare to leave for Africa in just over three days and a tummy bug is going thru our family. The hunky hubby and the teenaged sons had it about a week ago. Then when no got it for several days, I thought the rest were going to remained unscathed. Well, I was wrong and came down with it today.

Please pray for us. We all need protection and healing in these days leading up to Swaziland.

Thanks and hope to post more about our trip and preparations tomorrow.

In the meantime, here is a tourism video that tells a good deal about the culture and shows just how beautiful Swaziland can be. Of course, it doesn't even mention the majority of people that are struggling to survive, the high HIV/AIDS rate, and the large number of orphans. I do enjoy the lovely side of Swaziland but I go because He calls. He calls to feed the hungry, clothe the naked, and visit the orphans and widows in their distress. I go because He has honored our family with participating in His loving, saving plans for this nation.

2012-01-07T12:26:00.006-06:00

FIVE DAYS TIL TAKE OFF!

I feel like I need to keep pinching myself to make sure I'm not really dreaming. My family of a million kids is actually going to Swaziland for two whole weeks! It is better than a dream come true. It is the amazing, beautiful, crazy, good, miraculous life that God has custom designed for us. Wow.

And the blessings just keep getting heaped on us. We've been receiving packages and provision from people every day this week and just got two more boxes today. I wish every single person who has contributed was going with us and could see the faces on the children --- and happy adults --- when they receive their gifts. Socks and notebook paper and stickers are a big, big deal when you're an orphan living in a mud hut with six other children and no parents. Goodies from America are a huge boost when you're a missionary struggling with homesickness and wondering some days if anyone remembers you.

I promise to take lots of pictures, though. In fact, I'm sure my family will complain that I'm taking too many, but how can I not? There will be so many images that I will want to capture so I can hang on to them long after we're back in the States and preparing for the big move to live there.

In the meantime, I wanted to update you all on the last few things we're trying to get for the trip then I'll share some more from our last trip.

Here's the list of "love to have" items:

*Hard case to borrow for an acoustic guitar. My son David would love to be able to take his Taylor to play at the ministry sites we'll be visiting as well as lead our family in worship. Plus, he's a bit of an addict where his guitar is concerned.

*White Jiffy frosting mix for an American missionary.

*Size 3 casual sandals for my daughter LG. Even boys' leather or athletic types would work. Our stores aren't carrying sandals yet and it is going to be HOT in Swaziland!

*A laptop battery for a houseparent at an orphan home.

*An American teenaged missionary kid just asked me if I'd bring some sweets over for her from back "home". She loves Jelly Bellies, Lifesavers, Gummi Bears, Dum Dum Pops, Jolly Ranchers, any kind of CHOCOLATE!

We are also still accepting donations to help cover our expenses such as van rental, petrol, and food. Online donations can be made at our PayPal account. Go to this link to get there:

http://elysasmusingsfromgraceland.blogspot.com/2012/01/by-popular-demand.html

And now back to an account from last year's Swaziland trip. At this point in the trip, our Bheveni Carepoint Team (along with our daughter Anna) have returned to the States so Jim and I are on our own to explore Swaziland and seek God's will for our future.

Wednesday, September 29, 2010

After a nice, light breakfast with Inge and Dudley, we loaded up the car with clothes adn other items such as play-doh and party goods for the kids at the preschool.

We got to Moriah Centre in Big Bend a little after 10:00 and just as last time, it was lovely to see Di Hampson and spend time at the Moriah Centre. Many improvements have been made since last time including electrical lights in all the rooms, bright murals painted on the walls, and playground equipment in the back.

After a thorough tour of the preschool, we brought in the clothes and the teachers all selected one outfit for each dhild. I really enjoyed seeing the way things are progressing and chatting wtih the teachers including showing them and giving them photos from my last visit.

Afterwards, Di treated us to lunch at a very chic yet comfortable coffee house attached to the Spar grocery store in Big Bend.

She shared her heart about what she envisions for the Moriah Centre and ministry needs of the community. She was very kind and encouraging to us. She and her husband have been living in Big Bend for 19 years, and like me, has always felt at home.

AFter Di left, Jim and I did a little shopping and browsing in the Spar. We bougth soe food items to take home with us.

We then left BB and drove back to Manzini and went to the market. We visited vendors I had met on my last trip. I was disappointed that Prisca wasn't there as I had visited with her about 4 times last trip. I was also sad to find out that another woman (whose photo I had brought to give her) had died two years ago leaving her nine children to be raised by her sister Goodness. Goodness' husband died just a month or so later leaving her with not just her sister's children but her five as well. She asked me to pray that God would help her to expand her house as it is only one bedroom. We bought several items from her. We had not planned to but I wanted to do something to help her.

We also talked to a young man who I bought items from last time. From Sezar we boughgt a batik print and a wooden hair fastener. Sezar is Mozambican and asked us to pray for him as he is in Bible School wtih the Aseemblies of God in Maputo and desires to preach Jesus everywhere he goes.

Then it was back to the Donaldson's for a supper of sweet-n-sour chicken and afterwards games --- Farkle, Spades, and Nertz.

I have five more days in my travel journal and five days til we leave. Don't know if I'll get it all posted here or not but we'll see. Hope springs eternal in the heart of a procrastinator.

2012-01-06T21:30:00.003-06:00

I AM TOO WORN OUT...

...to tell you how full of blessings today has been so I'll just share a photo with you.

Yep, this arrived today. A HUGE 52 POUND BOX along with 4 other packages and a good-sized check to help with our Swaziland trip expenses.

God's provision is absolutely overwhelming.

2012-01-05T20:56:00.006-06:00

IN JUST SEVEN DAYS

In just seven days from now, we'll be on our way to Africa via Paris. I can't believe how fast the time has gone by. I am so excited. By the time we leave, I'm going to be unbearable to be around I'll be so crazy with joy.

I wanted to give you an update on some of the specifics concerning the trip. I spent several hours today shopping for needed things and meeting with a friend who has generously given bags and bags of items that will be going to the orphans, missionaries, and others.

We've now received almost all the items that we need for the trip. The last few things include:

*Dvds of various genres and shows (used are fine) for an Adventures in Missions staffer in Manzini.

*White Jiffy frosting mix for Dudley Donaldson, the Bible teacher we'll be staying with.

*Laptop computer for a house dad at an orphan home up in the mountains outside of Mbabane.

*Space vacuum storage bags to help us fit in all the donated clothes plus our bedding and towels.

And yes, we are definitely still accepting financial donations. We still don't have all the money we need to cover our on-the-ground expenses such as van rental and food. If anyone would like to make a donation, you can send us a check (let me know if you need our address), give it to us in person, or make a donation via PayPal. Here's the post with our PayPal link:

http://elysasmusingsfromgraceland.blogspot.com/2012/01/by-popular-demand.html

Okay, so that's an update on our upcoming trip. Now for a look back at last year's trip:

28-September-10

Ate nice breakfast in open air pavilion at guest house with the Bheveni Team.

They took us to the Avis Rental which was right in the same building as the car-fix-it place where they needed to get trailer tail lights fixed. We said our goodbyes after much laughter over the sketchy bathrooms (with Kelly!) and the tiny size of the car with our big amount of luggage.

Jim had to really concentrate but did great with driving on the "wrong" side of the road.

Went thru gorgeous scenery as we passed thru Jeppe's Reef and Pigg's Peak and Huwane area on way to Manzini.

Rained a bit on us in Mbabane and Matsapha area.

Arrived around 2:20 at Inge and Dudley Donaldson's house on outskirts of Manzini. They live in a beautiful location.

Nice, home-cooked meal and good conversation. Also got to call home and talked to my mom and [the two little girls], as well as getting some computer time.

Also, talked briefly with Di Hampson [with The Moriah Centre] who we will see tomorrow and Josiah Matsebula [one of the former youth from my days living in Africa] that we will see Friday.

Tomorrow, I'll post more info about our upcoming trip as well as transcribe another installment from last year's trip journal.

Thanks again for all of you who are showing us support through prayers, donations, encouraging words, and just sharing in our excitement.

2012-01-04T10:21:00.006-06:00

If you pay via PayPal, make sure you put in the "notes" if the money is for our trip expenses or if it is to buy stuff for the kids/missionaries/staff. The notes section can be found by clicking the blue letters "special instructions to recipient".

Let me know if for some reason it doesn't work for you.

Thanks!
Elysa

2012-01-03T19:28:00.006-06:00

UPDATE FROM YESTERDAY & MORE FROM LAST TRIP

The outpouring of responses regarding the remaining items needed for our trip has been amazing. I wanted to take the time to say a heart-felt thanks to all who have donated items and sent us money. I also wanted to give an update on the remaining items that are needed.

Here goes, folks --- the last items needed for our glorious, amazing, upcoming trip to Swaziland!

*Balloons (Bheveni)

*Elastic waisted skirts (HN, carepoint gogos, teachers, and others)

*Laptop Computer - To be used by house parent at an orphan home (HFNM)

*Baby dolls (especially dark-skinned ones)

*Small toys such as Hot Wheels cars, plastic animals, balls, jump ropes, Happy Meal prizes, etc.

*Vacuum-air-out bags so we can fit more stuff in less space (for us to use on trip)

*Size 2 or 3 casual sandals for our daughter LG. Our stores aren't carrying these yet. It is going to be summertime in Swaziland.

I'll update this again in a day or two as I hear from more folks about donations. In the meantime, here is another excerpt from last year's Swaziland trip:

Monday, September 27, 2010

Today is our last full day together as a team. In the morning, Jim and I will return to Swaziland and the others will journey on to the airport in Johannesburg. Elliott the driver and the Brocks (Dennis and Zwakele) will drop them off --- including our Anna --- before returning to S'land the next day themselves.

I am eager to get back to S'land and see my new and old friends alike but yet I also miss the kids and will probably miss them even more once Anna leaves.

Today we did Kruger! And we actually saw all of the African "BIG FIVE"! We woke up at 4:20 a.m., left here at 5:00, and FROZE on the way there and most of the day. It has definitely been our coldest day in Africa so far. When the safari buggy wasn't moving, it was pleasant, but those sideless vehicles offer little protection from the wind, even when the plastic siding gets unrolled.

We did a lot of shopping at the gift store there and Jim and I had tasty meat pies for lunch.

OH! We had breakfast packs-to-go in the a.m. --- boiled eggs, yogurt, muffins, apples, and various soft drinks. For mid-morning tea-time snack we had some fancy packed sandwiches.

Lynn was our tour guide. She is involved with ministries related to Heidi and Roland Bakker with Iris Ministries. She is writing a book and shared some stories with us about how God is moving and working in her life and the lives of others.

The animals we saw included, but were not limited to the "BIG 5" (lions, white rhinos, elephants, Cape buffalo, leopards), giraffes, impala, sables (very rare -- more so than lions), hornbills, water buck, African vultures, hippos, crocs, klifspringers, baboons, monkeys, zebras, etc.

I learned that baby elephants must eat their mom's poop to get essential enzymes.

After Kruger, we freshened up at the guest house and then went for supper at the Detroit Spur located in the Riverside Mall. I had rump steak with monkey gland sauce. I was quite good and NO real monkey glands.

We also got to go to an internet cafe there and I blogged, posted at Five in a Row, visited Betsie's new blog, and did stuff on facebook, including instant messaging Betsie. It was less than a rand a minute (13 American cents) so quite a good deal.

Back at the guest house, Jim and I walked around the lovely grounds a bit, avoided the noisy, guard geese, and then transferred over a bunch of stuff for Anna to carry home.

2012-01-02T20:12:00.006-06:00

LOOKING BACK and PLANNING FORWARD

Since we're leaving for Swaziland next week, it dawned on me that I better finish sharing from our last trip's journal of events before I've got this trip's events to share. But first, let me do something else.

A lot of folks have been asking us what we still need for our trip to Swaziland. I've gone thru and updated the list of items that we're still lacking. If you don't live locally, you've still got time to ship if you send it a quick way. If you don't think you can ship in time but you'd like to donate money so we can go out and buy the items ourselves, contact me and I'll send you our mailing address. And some have also asked if we still need funds for our trip. Yes, we are still very thankfully accepting money to go towards the van rental, food, and accommodations.

Okay, so below is the up-dated list of items that the carepoint kids, missionaries, Swazi leaders, etc. need or have requested. For some of the kids, these donations are HUGE needs such as school supplies. For others, like the missionaries serving there, little things like a new book or chocolate chips, give them that loving boost when they are missing home or feeling discouraged.

There are also a couple of things that we need to help us with our trip.

I am putting initials or names by some of the items so I can keep up with who the items are for. It also might help some of you if you are looking for items that would specifically go to the carepoint kids are a certain missionary or Swazi staffer that you know personally.

*pencils (Bheveni Carepoint)

*pens (Bheveni)

*loose leaf notebook paper (Bheveni)

*books by Francine Rivers (NM)

*stickers (Bheveni)

*balloons (Bheveni)

*pancake mix (NM)

*Clean, classic books such as ANNE OF GREEN GABLES, HENTY books, LITTLE HOUSE ON THE PRAIRIE, JANE AUSTEN, the old HARDY BOYS, etc. --- NO references to magic, witches, the occult, etc. (Bheveni Carepoint and others)

*Christian fiction --- young adult, children's, and adult (Bheveni and otherd)

*Children's picture books --- no references to anything magical (Bheveni and others)

*Colored Construction paper (carepoints and missionary kids)

*Mp3 player, any brand (TM)

*Elastic waisted skirts (HN, carepoint gogos, teachers, and others)

*Solid Stick Deod/Anti-perspirant (HN)

*Laptop Computer - To be used by house parent at an orphan home (HFNM)

*Monopoly Deal card game (HJS)

*Baby dolls (especially dark-skinned ones)

*Small toys such as Hot Wheels cars, balloons, plastic animals, balls, jump ropes, Happy Meal prizes, etc.

*Vacuum-air-out bags so we can fit more stuff in less space (for us to use on trip)

*Size 8 or 10 skirts that go to the knee or below for our daughter LG. Apparently, these skirt lengths are not in style right now and I've not been able to find her any.

*Size 2 or 3 casual sandals for our daughter LG. Our stores aren't carrying these yet. It is going to be summertime in Swaziland.

These items do NOT have to be new. Books can still be read even if they've been read a dozen times. Pancake mix needs to be uncooked, though. ;)

So now that I've taken care of that bit of business, here's the next installment from my 2010 Swaziland Trip travel journal:

September 26

[I got the team involved in this entry, asking them to write something about the day's events]

The Team's Day: One or more "things" about our day...

"Today we checked out of Tum's George Hotel. We worshipped at the Timbutini Church with our African brothers and sisters in Christ. We crossed the border into South Africa. Mbabane looks much more prosperous than Manzini. Much greener as well. The road to Nelspruit had breathtaking scenery and we saw a baboon and a giraffe. God is good - all the time!" J. Mac

"I saw a wild baboon!!" --- Kelly L.

"Looking out over several hills with the sun setting between all the trees as we drove close to Nelspruit [South Africa]. Also seeing the very well dressed women barefoot and eating hunks of meat and bread at the gas station." --- Erica Z.

"For me, it was nice to be at Timbutini EWC [Church] --- I had missed the last couple of weeks because of trips. It was great to worship the Lord with all hte brothers and sisters from America!! Church was long and hot (11 a.m. to 2 p.m.). But it was nice, especially at the end when the church did appreciation for Pastor Walter with a special cake and a bedroom duvet set." --- Dennis AKA "Masoma" [missionary who helped us out through out our time in Africa]

"Dad danced. Mom made me write in her journal. I listened to Enrique and Shakira. Waka waka (this time for Africa)." --- Anna [our oldest daughter]

"Enjoyed worship with Timbutini and Pastor Walter's message. Feel like our trip has gone very well, but shorter than I'd like --- tough I don't know it could be "long enough". Enjoyed hearing 'God is Good --- All the Time!' again." --- Mike Brower

"My favorite part of today was getting the Timbali purses at teh AIM offices. I'm so excited to take them home to my friends and family. Oh, and I really liked seeing Kelly see a baboon! :)" --- Danielle Brower

Thanks to my AMAZING team, I don't have too much to write which means I can go to sleep quickly. That's a GOOD thing as we wake up at 4:20 a.m. to leave for Kruger Game Park at 5:00!!!

Some other details ---

*Saw a little girl that Anna remembered at Pastor Walter's church from her AIM trip in 2009.

*Clyburns and McAdams family were present at service as well as the REAL LIFE team. They are families from Alabama that just arrived in Swaziland this week to serve for 2 years wtih AIM.

*Lunch --- sandwiches and crisps [chips] while parked in front of AIM office.

*Bought ice cream bar and dark chocolate at the store near Badplaas. Cashier thought we were German. I said, "we're American but I've lived in S'land so long I've lost my accent. ;)

*Supper at Jon Dory's at Riverside Mall.

*Guest house bedrooms are the most BEAUTIFUL rooms I've ever stayed in in Africa - maybe anywhere.

*I already miss Swaziland. Will be glad to be back there on Tuesday.

*I also miss my kids.

2012-01-01T19:46:00.006-06:00

LOOKING AT A BRAND NEW YEAR

As is the custom in America, many of us take time on New Year's Day to review the past year and look forward to the new year. We think about where we have been and what we have done and consider ways we want to make changes.

Dudley Donaldson and his wife Inge are missionaries to Swaziland that I've mentioned often here at Graceland. Dudley is also thinking about his past and what his future holds even though he's living far away from the American culture.

TWO BUCKETS by Dudley Donaldson

It is the time of year to think about making changes. New Year’s resolutions. Notice I said, “think” about making changes. Most of us never really succeed at keeping the promises we make for change.

Making bucket lists has become a bit of a fad over the past several years. In response to the theme of a popular film, many people have made a list of all the important things they would like to do before they die. They want to fill their life bucket with meaningful experiences and fulfilling accomplishments. These range anywhere from seeing the Grand Canyon to seeing my granddaughter become president.

I remember doing this once long before bucket lists became popular. Someone on a Chicago radio station was talking about making a list of ten things he would like to do before he died. He encouraged listeners to email their lists to him so he could read them on the air. I sent in a list and he used part of it. It was kind of a fun exercise.

But you know what? Things change. People change. I’ve changed.

Today I cannot tell you one thing I wrote on that list. I have no idea. When I wrote that list, I never imagined I would ever be a missionary in Africa. Not in a million years. But from the moment I said yes to God’s call to go to Swaziland, my bucket list began to shrink. Today, it does not exist. There is absolutely no life experience that I need to make my life more fulfilled than it is right now. I am in the center of God’s will for me. I could die today with a smile on my face, knowing that my life bucket is filled to the top with God’s blessings.

A few weeks ago we traveled to South Africa for another appointment with my ENT physician. We brought Ayanda—the little orphan girl he has been treating at no charge—along with us. Ayanda had written a note to the doctor, thanking him for all he has done for her. As he read the note, I watched as tears welled up in his eyes. After Ayanda left the room, I was alone with the doctor and I also thanked him for what he has done for her. He looked down and in a soft voice he said, “I am happy I could help her. You know, it really wasn’t that much. It really was just a drop in the bucket.” He paused a long while, and then he looked up at me and said, “But at least I hit the bucket.” Wow, isn’t that the truth?

There are two very different kinds of buckets. There is the bucket of exciting life experiences so many of usare wanting to fill. And there is the other bucket filled with lost, hurting people. The first bucket is empty and we are trying to fill it with adventure, excitement, and conquests that will give our life some sort of meaning or purpose. We do not want to die before our bucket is full.

The second bucket is full. It is filled with millions and millions of people in far-flung countries of the world who are hurting and starving and suffering in unimaginable ways. Many people don’t even want to think about this bucket, because it is too big and too full and, frankly, it is just too uncomfortable to consider. This bucket seems overwhelming. Anything one person does to help is just a drop in the bucket, so why even bother?

That is how it is with the orphan situation in Swaziland. And with the HIV situation. And the medical situation. And the poverty, the ancestor worship, the witchdoctors…it is overwhelming. What impact can one person have?

Two buckets. One represents the pursuit of an exciting life in the present. The other represents the opportunity to make a difference for eternity. Which bucket is holding your interest?

My days are now filled with opportunities to care for widows and orphans, to encourage those who are discouraged, and to present the light of salvation to those who are in darkness. I know, it is just a drop in the bucket. But at least I am hitting the bucket.

And God has made my life full.

To read more about the ministry that the Donaldsons are involved in, visit their organization's website: http://www.zema.org/

2011-12-31T12:00:00.003-06:00

HAPPY NEW YEAR FROM GRACELAND

Hope 2012 starts as great for you as ours has here at Graceland!

2011-12-29T20:11:00.004-06:00

TWO WEEKS FROM RIGHT NOW...

...we'll be en route to Paris, France, for a 12 hour layover before re-boarding and flying to South Africa. Upon arrival, we'll rent a van and drive to Swaziland.

When Jim and I returned from Swaziland last fall, we knew we wanted to take the kids to visit before we moved there, but even up til this fall, that trip seemed so far away. We even thought we wouldn't be going til next year sometime. And then God had other plans and everything upgraded to warp speed and here we are --- starting to pack for Swaziland.

I'm going to be working on a list of areas to pray about while we are gone. In the meantime, will you please pray for us as we make final plans for our itinerary, gather items that have been requested by the missionaries and Swazis, and as we do all those last minute things that have to be taken care of before we depart?

Thanks and hope you are all having a wonderful week between Christmas and the New Year.

2011-12-28T13:44:00.004-06:00

AN OUTPOURING OF BLESSINGS

Blessings are just pouring out on behalf of our fast approaching trip to Africa.

*A package arrived full of yoyo toys to take to some of the kids in Swaziland.

*Another package arrived full of children's clothes.

*Two of my MUW friends (including one of my Troubadour littls sisters) brought me books yesterday.

*One of those same MUW friends brought clothes for my kids as well as clothes for Swaziland and some various other items to take including construction paper for the preschoolers.

*A homeschool mom has given me books and clothes, including several skirts.

*Two people I only know thru facebook sent us money simply because they love God and the children of Africa.

*Two friends from church have conspired together to get me tons of PEOPLE magazine back issues for Inge Donaldson, the missionary we'll be staying with in Manzini. One of these friends also bought Twizzlers for Inge's husband Dudley.

*Three college friends plus a relative have promised us some luggage they no longer need.

*One more day of our Swaziland trip van rental is paid for thanks to an MUW/Troubadour Social Club sister.

And this is all within the last couple of weeks, but mostly in just the last few days.

We are so fabulously blessed, and considering they did all this during the busy Christmas season is doubly appreciated.

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

P.S. If you are interested in seeing items that are still needed, go to yesterday's blog post: http://elysasmusingsfromgraceland.blogspot.com/2011/12/what-is-still-needed-some-people-have.html

2011-12-27T22:54:00.004-06:00

WHAT IS STILL NEEDED

Some people have been asking what we still need donated for our upcoming Swazi trip.

They are interested in sending over items that the carepoint kids, missionaries, etc. need or have requested just to make life a little easier. For some of the kids, these donations are HUGE needs such as school supplies. For others, like the missionaries serving there, little things like a new book or chocolate chips, give them that loving boost when they are missing home or feeling discouraged.

There are also a couple of things that we need to help us with our trip.

If you are one of those interested in donating any of these items, please let me know so we'll make sure we don't get duplicates or too many of one thing and not enough of another.

I am putting initials or names by some of the items so I can keep up with who the items are for. I am also putting an X by the items when we have gotten them and no longer need them. There is still time to ship things to us if you don't live locally.

*pencils (Bheveni Carepoint)

*pens (Bheveni)

*loose leaf notebook paper (Bheveni)

*books by Francine Rivers (NM)

*pancake mix (NM)

*mint gum (NM)

*Clean, classic books such as ANNE OF GREEN GABLES, HENTY books, etc. --- NO references to magic, witches, the occult, etc. (Bheveni and others)

*Christian fiction --- young adult, children's, and adult (Bheveni and others)

*Children's picture books --- no references to anything magical (Bheveni and others)

*Christian music cds (for missionaries and Swazi staff)

*Colored Construction paper (carepoints and missionary kids)

*Mp3 player, any brand (TM)

*Twizzlers (DD) X

*Chocolate Chips (ID)

*People magazine --- this missionary says that old copies are fine, too (ID) X

*Elastic waisted skirts (HN, carepoint gogos, teachers, and others)

*Blue jeans in size 8 or 10 (HN)

*Solid Stick Deod/Anti-perspirant (HN)

*Pepperoni - the kind that doesn't have to be refrigerated til after it is opened (JP)

*Laptop Computer - To be used by house parent at an orphan home (HFNM)

*PS2 - for boys at an orphan home (HFNM)

*Pecan Roll --- that candy thing that is white on the inside and rolled in chopped pecans (HJS)

*Bananagram Word Game (HJS)

*Monopoly Deal card game (HJS)

*Baby dolls (especially dark-skinned ones)

*Small toys such as Hot Wheels cars, balloons, plastic animals, balls, jump ropes, Happy Meal prizes, etc.

*Vacuum-air-out bags so we can fit more stuff in less space (for us to use on trip)

*Rolling carry-on bags (for us to use on trip)

These items do NOT have to be new. Books still read even if they've been read a dozen times. GUM, on the other hand, needs to be UNchewed. ;)

2011-12-26T22:02:00.005-06:00

AN AMAZING GIFT

For teachers, one of the best gifts they can ever receive is to know that their students are learning and implementing the lessons they are being taught. As a Sunday School teacher, knowing that the Biblical truths and missions lessons that are being taught at church are staying with the children, is an amazing gift.

I received such a gift this Christmas Day.

While at church for the time of communion, another mom stopped me. She shared that her six year old daughter is only allowed one piece of gum on Wednesdays and one piece of gum on Sundays. She looks forward to those days and wakes up excited, knowing that she gets gum on those special days.

For Christmas, she received two packs of Orbit gum in her stocking and, according to her mother, it seemed like the best present ever. She then asked her mother if she could "give Mrs. Elysa one pack to take to Africa" to give to the children there.

Believe me, that child's expression of love brought bright tears to my eyes and true Christmas joy to my spirit.

By the way, I have to add that this child isn't just learning these lessons at church, she's seeing them lived out in the lives of her parents every day. I'm just glad that God has honored me with being a small part of her spiritual journey.

2011-12-25T21:06:00.006-06:00

CHRISTMAS is for NEW BEGINNINGS

Today has been a wonderful Christmas Day filled with all the best elements that our family looks forward to each year. It has indeed been a very merry Christmas.

But it has also been day that has reminded me clearly of why it was so important for Jesus to come to earth.

This morning, I read a message from Dudley Donaldson, missionary to Swaziland. He had gone to preach at the maximum security prison and had shared that God sent His son to us because of His great love for us. As a result, a young prisoner turned to God and accepted Jesus as his Lord and Savior.

A few hours later, our family went into Jackson to celebrate Christmas with the We Will Go Ministry family.

We ate a wonderful meal, sang songs of worship, talked and laughed, and shared testimonies. Among those sharing was another man who talked about God to an audience. But this time, the man wasn't a missionary. This man is a former drug dealer, one who was widely known for his hardness and hatred. He had often made curse-filled threats against the Christians at We Will Go when they would visit his home to pray for him and tell Him about God. Finally, the Word of God worked its miraculous way into his soul and he repented of all the sin in his life, turned to Jesus, and now passionately loves and serves the Lord. He doesn't just come to the worship services and Bible studies, but he is there every week serving and helping others and telling those around him about the difference that God has made in his life.

As I sat there listening to him, I thought about another man changed by the power and love of God. I thought of the young prisoner who, though he is held behind bars and high walls, is now free.

Both of these men are now new creatures in the Lord. Because God loved them so much and knew them before they were even born, He sent His only begotten Son Jesus to prepare a way that they could turn from the ways of death, darkness, and destruction and be made clean, whole, and His.

Thanks to the birth, life, death, and resurrection of Jesus, these two men are beginning new lives with amazing and miraculous potential.

Emmanuel --- God with us.

God for us.

God making us new.

Christmas....a time for new beginnings, for them and for us.

2011-12-24T12:44:00.003-06:00

TWAS THE DAY BEFORE CHRISTMAS...

...and all thru the house, not a creature was sleeping, 'cept maybe a toy mouse.

The dad's wrapping presents, the kids are a'playing, and Mama's sending Christmas greetings to all that they love!

Rejoice Bethlehem Religious Christmas Card

Creating Christmas cards has never been this easy.

View the entire collection of cards.

I hope that this finds you all enjoying your Christmas weekend and even enjoying the preparation of the day. I've been trying to not let myself get stressed out, practice saying "no" when I need to, and really enjoying the few things we did decide to do this year such as the Jesus Birthday festival last night where my kids manned the living nativity scene and the gingerbread people pancakes I made this morning. I really want this to be a season filled with celebrating and showing the joy and love of Jesus, and that's really hard to do when I let my to-do list get out of control.

So, to you and yours....Happy Christmas Eve!

Now go and make some wonderful. stress-free memories, remembering that every good and perfect gift comes from the Father in Heaven!

2011-12-23T14:10:00.005-06:00

CHERISHING THIS LAST CHRISTMAS

As I make Christmas preparations, I'm missing my two oldest girls. They are both working today and though I'm proud of their responsible natures and willingness to help support themselves financially, it is a bittersweet reminder that this is our very last Christmas all together before Anna leaves for college and not too long after that, Betsie will be at college and we'll be in Africa.

When this photo was taken years ago during our annual Christmas visit to the Canton Square, I just never imagined how fast time would go by.

Cherishing this season as I'll be holding tight onto these memories for many Christmases to come.

2011-12-22T23:35:00.004-06:00

FULL DAY OF FAMILY and HOLIDAY FUN

Whew! What a day. Jim woke me up while it was still dark this morning so we could get the kids up and out the door for a day trip to his folks' house up in the northern part of the State.

There, along with his sister's family, we all ate amazing food, played games, took a very short and very cold walk to see the nearby farm animals, ate more amazing food, exchanged gifts, laughed a lot, and shared what God was doing in our lives including dreams that many of us share for living and serving in Africa and other places in the world. Yes, Jim and I aren't the only ones in this family who feel the pull toward full-time missions.

After several hours, we piled back in the car, drove home looking for seasonal lights along the way, and arrived back here tired but content.

Tonight we should all sleep really well with our happy bellies and contented spirits. I'll be going to sleep hoping that I can sleep in a bit extra before waking up to cook a big ole Southern-style breakfast in honor of my husband. It is his first day off for the holidays and he deserves to be pampered a bit extra.

Hope you all have a wonderful Christmas Eve Eve tomorrow!

2011-12-21T21:53:00.003-06:00

A CHRISTMAS BLESSING

God grant you the light in Christmas which is faith;

the warmth of Christmas, which is love;
the radiance of Christmas, which is purity;
the righteousness of Christmas, which is justice;
the belief in Christmas, which is truth.

--Wilda English

Photo taken at the square in Canton.

2011-12-20T19:50:00.004-06:00

CHRISTMAS IN YOUR HEART

He who has not Christmas in his heart
will never find it under a tree.
~Roy L. Smith

Hoping that you are experiencing Christmas in your heart this year and that your finding your days filled with love and joy.

By the way, this photo was taken several years ago when our 10 year old was just a little thing and the baby of our family. Times have changed. The rest of my children --- just little kids here --- are now all teenagers, but I pray that despite getting older, that they've not lost the joy of Christmas. In fact, I pray that as they continue to grow up that their appreciation of what God did for us will cause their Christmases to only get richer and more precious.

2011-12-19T15:53:00.001-06:00

WILL WE BE DOING IN SWAZILAND?

A lot of people have asked us about our upcoming trip. Folks have asked what is the purpose and what we'll be doing, so I thought I'd share a little more with y'all today.

First of all, the purpose is two-fold. We hope to bring the love, joy, encouragement, and provision of Jesus to many while we're there as well as introduce our five younger kids to their future home. Our oldest girls have both been there before. They will go with us to minister and be a part of our family, but the getting-to-know-Swaziland aspects are primarily for those who will still be living with us when we move there in two years. Moving to another country can be pretty stressful and hard on missionary kids. We want to do all that we can to ease that transition.

While we are there, we are making plans to do some things that will help our kids see what every day life will be like for them such as going to grocery stores, visiting in the homes of families (including missionaries whose lifestyle will be much like ours), going to a couple of different Swazi churches, exploring the town we are praying about moving to, and meeting lots of kids their ages who can tell them about life in Swaziland. I will have the blessing of introducing my family to some of my Swazi friends from when I lived there in the 80's, as well.

We will also do some fun things to introduce them to the traditional Swazi culture and geography of the nation more in depth such as going on a safari, taking a canopy tour (think lots of zip-lines), hiking to caves with ancient bushmen paintings, swimming in waterfall pools, shopping at craft markets, staying in a rondavel (round hut), visiting Swazis living in traditional homesteads, and going to various artisans' shops.

And we're really excited about the ministry activities we have planned so far. We will be attending a traditional Zionist church service the first Sunday we are there where the whole family will sing a couple of songs, one that David will accompany us on the guitar while we sing in English, another as we sing in siSwati and dance to Siya Hamba ("We are Walking"). This will be at a special youth service. We are also hoping to sing and dance at at least one or more hospitals and an orphanage or two. We will spend one or two days at Bheveni carepoint giving gifts to the children, singing songs, perhaps telling stories, playing games, and doing whatever else they want us to do. We pray we'll get to see both of our sponsored girls then. At Big Bend, we'll be staying at the Moriah Centre for several days where we'll also just do whatever else they need us to do. And other than that, we'll just wait and see what ever else God has planned for us.

For truly, whether we are doing an official ministry activity or just doing something "regular" like eating at a restaurant or looking around the crafts market, we want to be a blessing to those God sends our way. We want the folks who come into contact with us to feel the love of Jesus and be drawn closer to Him. And if that happens, then we'll have made the most of this amazing, amazing opportunity. We will have turned all those "regular" things will really be "eternal" things.

Please keep us in your prayers as we prepare to leave over the next few weeks and thank you so much for all of you who have supported us in various ways as we walk out this path that God has put before us.

2011-12-18T20:05:00.002-06:00

LOOKING FOR JOY THIS CHRISTMAS SEASON?

One way is to keep up the thanksgiving that began last month.

"Joy is rooted in gratitude. A grateful heart is a joyful heart; a joyful heart is a grateful heart – they are inseparable." ~ Kay Warren

2011-12-17T15:25:00.005-06:00

LET'S REMEMBER

My children, our love should not be just words and talk; it must be true love, which shows itself in action. I John 3:18

"Throughout history, an authentic faith has been marked by a compassionate response toward those the world tends to forget." --- Gary Thomas

During this Christmas season with all the busyness and the buying, let's remember those who are often forgotten or even avoided. Let's go out, as Jesus urged us to do, into the byways and highways, the hospital halls and nursing home rooms, the shelters and the shacks, and bring the love of Jesus to those hurting, lonely places.

It doesn't necessarily cost a dime. Hugs are free as are carols sung with good cheer. Just let them know that God loves them, sees them, knows them.

Let's remember.

2011-12-16T23:50:00.003-06:00

THE MOST WONDERFUL TIME

Tonight, I had a wonderful time with my hunky hubby. He took me to see THE MUPPETS at the cinema followed by supper at FIVE GUYS and Christmas shopping at my fave big store, TARGET.

As I said, it was a wonderful time --- fun movie, good supper, and all of Jim and the kids' presents bought. So when I came across this video tonight, I thought it was only fitting to share:

2011-12-15T19:45:00.005-06:00

PATRICK'S BIRTHDAY INTERVIEW

It has become a tradition in our family to interview each child on or near their birthday. Patrick, since he just turned 13, is now up for this special occasion post.

Patrick, can you tell my readers how you celebrated your birthday?

A week before my birthday, we had my birthday party. We played games, watched CAPTAIN AMERICA and PSYCH, wrestled, and played hide and seek in the dark. We ate pizza, cake, and icecream.

What about on your actual day?

We had icecream for breakfast, mac and cheese for lunch, and I didn't have dinner with y'all because I was at a [homeschool group] youth Christmas party.

What are some of the gifts you received?

Lego Ninjago, money, CAPTAIN AMERICA dvd, Heroica, and Oreos.

Okay, so how do you think you have changed the most since your last birthday?

I'm more mature. I can watch more movies.

What thing happened this past year that you are the most proud of or was your favorite memory of the year?

Becoming the [Boy Scout] troop chaplain.

What are your favorite things to do now?

Play with Legos, watch movies, sleep, play video games.

What are your favorite foods?

Mac and cheese, hamburgers, Cheetos, icecream, and Oreos.

What are your favorite books or kind of books?

Star Wars books, Tintin books, Lemony Snicket, Left Behind Kids.

What is your best or favorite school subject?

Math.

What are you looking forward to happening the most in the next coming year?

Going to Africa.

What do you think you want to do when you become an adult?

I don't know. I guess I'll just find out when I become an adult.

Well in the meantime, I'm enjoying watching you grow up. It'll be fun to see where God and this life takes you.

2011-12-14T20:19:00.003-06:00

SEASONAL SMILES

What's got me smiling today?

Making Christmas cookies with my kids using some of the same cookie cutters that my brother and I used growing up.

Its beginning to taste a lot like Christmas!

2011-12-13T22:18:00.003-06:00

DID YOU HEAR HYSTERICAL LAUGHTER?

Yeah, that was the attendants at our annual homeschool moms' Christmas party getting good and giddy!

And though we look pretty calm and polished here, you'll just have to use your imagination where the crazyness is concerned...either that, or wait til someone starts posting and tagging on facebook! Aye-yi-yi.

2011-12-12T19:51:00.000-06:00

IT ISN'T TOO LATE!

Okay, let's be honest, I know I'm not the only procrastinator out there. And I'm sure I'm not the only mom in America who hasn't put up a tree, decorated cookies, hung a wreath, or sent out Christmas cards.

Yep, I see those hands...and those other crazed faces.

And for those of you who have been on top of all of this for weeks (or even months) now, you can just sigh, send sympathetic thoughts our way, and generously offer to let my children come over to your house to participate in beautiful craft making and other seasonal traditions.

But for the rest of us, who might be freaking out just a bit with the realization that Christmas Day is in less then two weeks --- oh wait, you didn't know that? ---- this post is for you.

I've wanted for years to send out photo Christmas cards, but there was always one thing or another that kept me from going that route.

Either we were broke and Dollar Tree cards were all we could afford or I just didn't know what I'd do for a photo or we were broke or I waited too late and ended up sending out Christmas cards just before Valentine's Day or we were broke.

This year, I found an offer that Shutterfly was making available for a limited number of bloggers that made it possible for me to dream about Christmas photo cards. Then, it was a matter of actually getting the family together for the photo, getting the photos to my computer, etc., etc. so that dream could become a Christmas card reality. Needless to say, the great put'er-offer that I am is just now getting around to ordering said cards.

But thanks to Shutterfly and their fast order service, you can still order Christmas cards (as well as photo gifts such as calendars and mugs) and get them before Christmas! That's good news for a last-minute-Mrs. like me!

I ordered our cards today and found the system simple to use with a fabulous variety of cards to choose from --- in fact, 1,004 items showed up when I clicked on Christmas cards --- ranging from the very traditional to the uber trendy, from the totally secular to the seasonally spiritual.

For our cards, I chose a dark blue template with a nativity theme. No, that's not our family pictured above --- a few kids shy of our million --- but you get the general idea.

You're gonna have to wait a few more days til you see the real deal.

And because I signed up for a new Shutterfly account, I received fifty free prints. I used this sweet treat to order some photos that I doctored up a bit and they now have the potential to be used as both holiday cards and prayer reminder cards for our upcoming trip to Africa.

Yeah, you'll have to wait a few more days to see those, too.

Anyway, to check out some of their other holiday offerings, follow these links:

Christmas cards: http://www.shutterfly.com/cards-stationery/christmas-cards

Invitations: http://www.shutterfly.com/cards-stationery/invitations

Thank you cards: http://www.shutterfly.com/cards-stationery/thank-you-cards

Photo blankets: http://www.shutterfly.com/photo-gifts/fleece-photo-blankets

As I said, you're going to have to wait a while before I reveal our cards here, but if you'd like to receive a real, live, not-just-on-my-blog, beautiful, Shutterfly, Christmas card, let me know. I'd love to exchange cards with you. Receiving Christmas cards in the mail is one of my favorite traditions of the season.

2011-12-11T20:51:00.007-06:00

WORTHLESS THINGS or THOSE THAT LAST?

Inge and Dudley Donaldson live in Swaziland where they are a part of the Zion Bible College, dedicated to training Zionist pastors and other church leaders as well as doing whatever God brings their way. Sometimes that takes the form of providing food for widows and orphans, sometimes it is giving clothes to those desperately in need.

Inge and Dudley just sent out their Christmas newsletter and Dudley shared something from his heart that I wanted to share with you:

Long, long ago, in a faraway land, I did a foolish thing. Hard to believe, but true. The time long ago was when my son was about five years old (he turned 35 last month). The faraway land was America (it’s now far away from me). And here is the foolish thing.

As I walked through a shopping mall one weekday, I saw two young men demonstrating a new product. It was a glider made of Styrofoam. It was a huge thing—a wingspan of about five feet! These two guys stood fifty feet apart in the center of the mall and threw this huge glider back and forth. It serenely floated on air from one to the other. They did not even have to move. Then they performed loop du loops and other tricks. It was all so smooth and effortless, I was mesmerized.

There was no need for a sales pitch. I thought to myself, I have to get this for Benjamin! He would love this! Isn’t that what a loving father does for his little boy? He gets him a glider bigger than he is. Are you with me, guys? So, I got the glider. Judging from the price, you might think an ounce of Styrofoam rivaled gold in value. But I quickly pushed down the buyer’s remorse and looked forward to the joyful expression on Benjamin’s face when he saw what his dad had brought home.

There was just one little thing I had failed to consider—where was I going to fly this erstwhile Spruce Goose? I tried to fly it in the house, but was strongly encouraged to stop it this minute! I tried to fly it in our back yard, but the smallest wisp of a breeze sent it crashing to earth. I quickly realized there was a reason this glider was being demonstrated in a shopping mall. That is the only place this thing would fly! It required lots of space and no wind. The thing I was so attracted to and had to have—and paid too much for—was a waste. It was absolutely worthless.

Today it is easier than ever to accumulate worthless things. The problem is, we do not realize they are worthless. The world leads us to believe they are essential. But the world is controlled by Satan. And Satan is a liar. And so the world urges us and manipulates us, through promotion and peer influence, to keep acquiring more and more worthless things—and to purchase worthless things to give as gifts to others.

This Christmas alone, billions of dollars are being spent on worthless things. The latest toys, fashions, electronics, sporting goods, appliances, computers… Wait a minute! How can you say these are worthless things? These things enhance our lives. They bring enjoyment and even make us more productive. How can you say they are worthless?

I know, I know. I’m not trying to ruin your Christmas. Really, I’m not. I am only saying this because Jesus Christ repeatedly warned of the foolishness of accumulating things that would rust, rot, fade, break, disappear, or get left behind when you die. In light of eternity, these are worthless things, because they will not last and they have no lasting value. And pursuing such things reveals misplaced affections of the heart (Matthew 6:21). Instead, Jesus urges us to invest in things that are eternal. Like what?

Living in Africa, I cannot help but wonder what would happen if just a portion of all the money Christians spend on worthless things would instead be invested in building the kingdom of God. New missionaries are desperately needed around the world. The number of people willing to go grows smaller every year. But worse yet, literally hundreds of missionary candidates are about to give up on ever getting to their mission field because they are unable to raise the needed financial support. This is a travesty, especially in light of all the things to which we give a higher priority.

This is why I am so thankful for the many people who make up our support team. These are people who understand what Jesus meant when he said, “store up for yourselves treasures in heaven.” Through the committed acts of giving financially and praying faithfully, they are investing in eternal things much more valuable than gold. They are helping to win souls for the kingdom.

I want to join with the Donaldsons in saying "thanks". So many of you are giving to support missions and ministry around the world, including the ministries that our family is a part of. God is using your gifts to do amazing things and for this I am forever grateful.

Merry Christmas and may your days be filled with pursuing and giving those things that really matter!

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

To read more about the ministry of the Donaldsons and other ZEMA missionaries, visit their website: http://www.zema.org/

2011-12-10T18:12:00.005-06:00

IN FIVE WEEKS...

...we'll have landed in Johannesburg, rented the biggest van they have to offer, and driven the 5 or 6 hours to Manzini, Swaziland, where we'll be staying the first few nights of our two weeks with Inge and Dudley Donaldson.

This trip will be exactly four years after God took Anna, Betsie, and me to Swaziland. During that trip, he stirred up my love for Swaziland, showed me that I was "home", and put in Anna and Betsie both a desire to serve him thru missions.

This is a photo of Betsie at the Manzini market:

And here I am with the same lady during last year's trip:

This photo was taken of Anna when we visited the Timbutini church during our 2008 Children's HopeChest Vision Trip:

It is amazing how much we Mac girls have changed in just 4 years. But it isn't just our physical appearance that has changed. Our hearts are different. All three of us are more passionate about God and more committed to loving His orphans, widows, and others who are oppressed and impoverished and alone.

Anna and Betsie are both really looking forward to the trip this January. They are thankful for what God started in them on the first trip to Swaziland and are eager to put into practice this time around all the things that God has been showing them and teaching them since.

What an amazing adventure this is going to be!

2011-12-09T13:57:00.003-06:00

BIRTHDAY EQUALS LANDMARK

Today my son Patrick turns one year older. This birthday not only makes him a teenager, but makes me the mom of four teenagers! Wow! Four teenagers under one roof! And that doesn't count all the extras that are often here at various times through out the week.

Parenting teenagers comes with its own unique set of challenges, but over all, I can definitely say that I'm having a fabulous time with this phase of their lives. God is doing amazing, crazy things in their lives and the lives of their friends. Guess its a good thing I enjoy life switched to full volume!

Happy Birthday, Patch Man. I sure do love you, Dude!

2011-12-08T22:40:00.001-06:00

GO TELL IT EVERYWHERE!

Go tell it on the mountain,
Over the hills and everywhere,
Go tell it on the mountain,
Our Jesus Christ is born.

2011-12-07T15:47:00.002-06:00

A CHRISTMAS REMINDER FROM AFRICA

Claire Peterson is an amazing teenage girl who is living with her family in Swaziland as they minister to orphans, widows, and whoever else God brings into their lives. As the holiday season progresses, and all that entails, Claire reflects on spending Christmas far from Stateside loved ones and what answering His call means for her.

THERE'S SO MUCH TO BE THANKFUL FOR

I love Christmas. I absolutely LOVE it. I always have. The music and the decorations and the snow. All of it just makes me happy.

I’ve been trying my hardest to conform my Christmas this year to something exactly like what we would do in the States. I’ve been listening to Christmas music nonstop.(I’m actually listening to Josh Groban belt out ‘Silent Night’ right now =] ) I’m decorating my room with lights and ornaments. I’ve been convincing myself it should be freezing at night and wrapping up in my blankets, no matter how hot it really is. But no matter how much I do, I’m still not home. I’m not with the friends and family I love, watching the snow fall outside, curling up next to Grandma and Grandpa’s woodstove.

I guess maybe I have to stop trying to make this Christmas like an American one and just accept that it’s not and be ok with that, enjoying the excitement of spending Christmas in Africa. And I was doing really good with that for awhile. I was so excited to swim on Christmas and have a braii (South African BBQ ). Things we in Michigan never would do on Christmas. But today it sort of came flooding out. I was looking at my pictures from last Christmas and thinking about how wonderful it would be to go out and be in the snow.

Maybe all this time I thought I was fine, that I would be ok just having a wonderful Christmas with my wonderful family in a completely different (yet wonderful =]) place, maybe all this time I was just pushing down what I was really feeling. And, don’t get me wrong, I love this place, I love it more than anything. More than anything in the world. It’s amazing, and so hard emotionally, because lately God has been really speaking to me about a possible longer-term call for me here. Like, maybe after college or whatever he wants me to move here and start a family and live my life here. He was actually putting South Africa on my heart.

And it’s crazy, because I’ve been having this amazing peace about that, about living here. Like, it’s just been getting stronger and stronger and now it almost feels like a call, rather than just a feeling. I think more about South Africa because I don’t know how well I would do on my own. Swaziland is so isolated and there really isn’t anyone down here. I think if I did end up coming here, it would have to be if more people were living down here as well by then.

It seems far into the future that I’m thinking, about living here and starting my life here, but really, in less than five years I’m going to be an adult, starting college and seriously considering what I want to do with my life. And this seems pretty likely.

It doesn’t make sense, but it sort of scares me that I’m at peace with the idea of living here. Like I said, doesn’t make sense. Maybe I’m more scared of the call I think maybe God has put on my heart, I’m not really sure.

So what I’m getting to is that I’ve been feeling that call a lot lately, or what I think is a call, and feeling almost no opposition to the idea in my spirit. But when I look at pictures from home, and think about how extremely excited about going home I am after only being here nearly a year, I wonder if I could really do it.

This blog doesn’t necessarily have a happy ending, a resolution I’ve found in my spirit, because I haven’t found any resolution yet. I was feeling homesick and needed to get it out on paper, or in writing…whatever[=.

Thankfully, I have many things to look forward to right now that I know will get my mind off of feeling homesick, and I’m praying about it. Please pray for me too… I love all of you who are reading this….I miss you. I wish I could be there spending Christmas with you, but for now, I’ll enjoy my top-of-an-aloe-plant Christmas tree, and swimming on Christmas day, and camping for the holidays in summer weather..etc. I really am blessed, it’s just hard to see that when all you can think about are the faces of family you won’t get to see during Christmas, and the flakes of snow falling to the ground, and the fire. It’s a melancholy sort of feeling.

And it must be God, in his gentle, daddy way, that made me to be listening to ‘There’s So Much To Be Thankful For’ right at this moment. There is, there really is. I guess all it took was a blog, some Josh Groban, and some love from our good, good God, because I already feel a lot better.
　
Merry Christmas everyone.
　
There’s so much to be thankful for.

To read more about Claire's life as a teenage missionary in Swaziland, go to her blog: http://adventuresinnsoko.blogspot.com/

2011-12-06T22:26:00.005-06:00

KEEP PRAYING FOR THE CHILDREN

More news today from Swaziland about little Thanduxolo who just had surgery earlier this week. Amy McAdams, Adventures in Missions staffer, asks us to continue to pray for him. She says, "he just looks so sick and frail. Not sure how he is really doing medically, it's hard to tell."

She also shared a new prayer request:

"[Please] pray for Mukelo, a 17 month old who was abandoned by her mother. She is pretty severely disabled (maybe Cerebral Palsy) and there is really no one to take her or help her."

So many little ones in places like Swaziland are in similar situations. Please, please, please pray for them, pray for the missionaries and Swazi Christians who are working so hard on their behalf, and please pray about what role God might want you to play in the lives of children like these. Maybe it is to become a sponsor through an organization such as Children's HopeChest. Maybe it is to give up one meal a week and donate that money to a ministry that feeds children such as A Child's Hope International. Or maybe, just maybe, God wants you to actually go to a place such as Swaziland and spend time taking care of children such as Thanduloxo or Mukelo.

If you have any questions about getting more involved with the lives of the children or Swaziland, I'd be glad to answer any questions you might have and pray with you about God's direction.

I can tell you that my heart has been broken many times because of the love that God has given me for Swaziland, but I can also tell you that the pain is worth it to know that God is using my one little life to bring joy and provision to the lives of some of His precious ones.

2011-12-05T15:40:00.005-06:00

SWAZILAND UPDATES

Wanted to give y'all some updates regarding Swaziland and our upcoming trip:

*A family friend who has known me since I was a baby just sent word that they are sponsoring a day of African van rental for us. Y'all, this trip is happenin'!

*And it is happening soon! We leave in just 5.5 weeks! Woo-Hoo!!!

*The kids helped me pull out all our luggage and backpacks this afternoon to inventory what we have and what we still need. We are going to have to come up with 7 or 8 more suitcases and 5 more rolling carry-on ones. Each of us are taking the maximum allowed so that we can take plenty of things over for the Swazi kids and missionaries. We are hoping that each of us will have one suitcase filled with nothing but school supplies for big kids, pjs for little ones, used clothes to give away, gifts for missionary families, etc. Each of us will also carry a backpack or purse with our things we'll need during the trip over along with a carry-on containing a spare outfit or two and toiletries in case our luggage doesn't make it to Africa as quickly as we do. If anyone locally has any luggage they no longer need and would like to donate to the cause, just let me know! It doesn't matter if it is pretty or not. If it will carry stuff without falling apart between here and Swaziland, then we can use it!

*Please keep praying for us as we plan our itinerary (I'm getting good at spelling this word). We're looking at different ministry options such as doing some mural painting at one or more of the carepoints, the kids performing some fun Jesus songs at various venues, and maybe even visiting hospitals...especially children's wards. Just pray that God will be in the planning and whether it be a "ministry" activity or a "touristy" activity, that it will all be used by Him for our good and His glory. I really want my kids to get a heart for Swaziland and sense His call in a strong way. He first spoke to me about becoming a missionary when I was around 9 years old and he used me even earlier than that to share about Him with my friends. So I know He can move in the lives of my children. None of us are ever too young or, for that matter, too old to be walk with Him and serve others in amazing ways for Him.

*I also wanted to say thanks to those who prayed about Thanduxolo. As I shared in yesterday's blog post, he had surgery today. Amy McAdams, missionary to Swaziland, posted the update that "Thanduxolo was back in his room by about 4:30 this afternoon [Swazi time]. He had been picked up at 8:00 a.m., so it was a long day of waiting. When I left the hospital he was still pretty out of it but [the] nurse said surgery went as planned." Please keep praying for the little guy as he recovers.

*If you are on fb, we have a group that I update with news, prayer requests, and photos related to our trip. Just search for "Jim and Elysa's Swaziland Adventure" and you should find it with no problems. Send me a member request and I'll be glad to add you!

*We are still collecting items to take over to Swaziland. Among the items still needed include loose leaf notebook paper, pencils, and pajamas for kids 8 years and younger. Also, paint brushes (all sizes) and paint for the murals that Betsie and I are going to be hopefully painting.

*It is looking like we might be staying in a rondavel (round hut) up in the mountains for the last few days in Swaziland. I lived in the mountains when I was a missionary there in the 80's and know personally of the incredible beauty. I am looking to introducing my family to that part of my favorite nation.

*And by the way, did I mention that we leave in 5.5 weeks?!? Excited does not even begin to describe the way I feel.

2011-12-04T17:15:00.003-06:00

PRAYERS FOR A PRECIOUS ONE

"Lover of peace"--- that's what this little African boy's name means and peace is just one of the things he desperately needs right now.

Amy McAdams, Adventures in Missions staffer in Swaziland, just posted a prayer request concerning this precious boy. Would you please take the time to pray for him right now?

Thanduxolo is a 9 year old little boy who is in the hospital now for at least the third time in his life. He has a disease that keeps his colon from working. It has expanded to the point that his belly is distended grotesquely. His diaphragm, liver, stomach, lungs and heart are displaced by the enlarged colon.

He can't eat, can't absorb nutrition from whatever he does choke down, so he is severely malnourished. I can easily touch my thumb and finger around his leg just below his knee.

But he is so beautiful! Smiling and smart, a 3rd grader who reads, colors and wants to play. He helps care for the younger children who live on his homestead. He lives there with his grandmother as his primary caregiver along with aunts, uncles, cousins and great grandparents. He has no father. His mother works in another town and only sees him occasionally.

Until a few years ago, he was in the care of his great-grandmother who only used "traditional healers" to care for his obvious medical problems. I'm not sure what that would have put him through, but I am certain it wasn't fun and it wasn't helpful.

But his experiences with "western" medicine haven't been all that positive up to now, either. He has a scar from his sternum to below his belly button from "exploratory surgery" since CT scans and other diagnostic tools are not readily available here. He has a scar down the back of his left leg from corrective surgery when he was an infant, a good thing, but also a big scar across the top of his foot which his grandmother says came from being cut by the saw used to remove the cast after the surgery. Seriously?

So, now he has been in the hospital for 6 days enduring laxatives, enemas and a "liquid only" diet in preparation for another surgery on Monday. The doctors will do a biopsy of his colon and create a temporary (hopefully) colostomy. This will give his intestines time to relax and hopefully shrink to a more normal size. It will also give him the ability (and desire) to eat and gain some strength and nutrition. The biopsy will allow a definitive diagnosis (probably Hirschprung's disease).

Then, hopefully, when he is strong enough and stable medically, he will have a surgery to "bypass" the diseased bowel and reverse the colostomy. This surgery will be difficult, and expensive, and most likely will need to be done in South Africa.

Through a long day of 3 doctors, 4 x-rays, an ultrasound, lab work and lots of poking and mashing (including 2 rectal exams), he shed only a few quiet tears and managed lots of smiles and a few giggles. He is really a special kid.

The first surgeon we saw reminded Thanduxolo's grandmother and me that Jesus has his hand on this boy. Before he was conceived there was a plan for his life. He doesn't have a "daddy" but he has a Heavenly Father who loves him and cares.

This doctor reminded me to feel and to see Jesus in these people. To learn from their faith and to see Jesus at work. I get so discouraged. It is so overwhelming. But He has been faithful to encourage me and show me love and joy and hope through the people He loves.

Please join me in praying for Thanduxolo tomorrow during his surgery and then during his lengthy recovery. Pray for his grandmother, Domsile, and family as they care for him and help him adjust to life with a colostomy. Pray for the surgeon ahttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifnd hospital staff. He will probably be in the government hospital for a couple of weeks following surgery. This is no American "Children's Hospital".... it is a struggling, African hospital with limited resources and grossly overworked staff.

Thank you for your prayers. They are crucial.

To read more about the ministry in Swaziland that God has called Amy and her family to, visit their blog: http://themcadams.myadventures.org/

2011-12-03T22:07:00.005-06:00

JUST CHECKED A CALENDAR...

...and we will be in Swaziland in exactly six weeks from today!

I am already so excited, I can't even imagine what I'm going to be like the week before we leave. I might have to be sedated.

2011-12-02T21:28:00.004-06:00

FULL BELLIES, FULL STOCKINGS, & FULL HEARTS

Today was our annual homeschool Christmas party. And as is our tradition, not only did we have yummy food and lots of laughs, we also had lots of love. Instead of exchanging gifts or doing some version of the "Naughty Santa" game, we filled scores of stockings that the Salvation Army will distribute to kids through out our metro area and some of us even worked on crocheting squares that will be made into blankets for those in need.

As I shared with the kids today the importance of what Jesus did when He lived, died, and then rose again for us, I also reminded them that when we call ourselves Christians, we are calling ourselves "Little Christs". We are saying that we will live as Jesus did. And that means we live a life of giving. We live a life of loving people with what we do. And every time we do it for someone in need, we're doing it for our Lord.

2011-12-01T18:13:00.007-06:00

CHRISTMAS IS LOVE IN ACTION

Christmas is love in action. Every time we love, every time we give, it's Christmas. --- Dale Evans

As I read this quote today, I was reminded of the times today and over the past couple of weeks that I've seen the love of Jesus put into action ---

*Photos taken of children in Swaziland opening gifts and eating special holiday food paid for by sponsors and others here in America

*A bus ticket bought by a stranger for a young single mom so she could leave the big city and return to her family

*Crocheters being recruited by a young mother of four, and one more on the way, to make blankets for folks in need of some warmth.

*Siblings spending large chunks of their own money, given to them by a grandparent, to buy an extra, special, big, birthday gift for a brother.

*A former suburban mom, who now lives in an impoverished part of our city, spending part of her busy day in taking an older man to a much needed doctor's appointment and a disabled lady to get her prescriptions filled.

*Sorority sisters donating bags and bags and bags of clothes and blankets for an inner-city ministry so that folks who are cold can warm up with coats, scarves, and needed bedding.

*A beautiful teenage girl, her handsome brother, and their younger siblings working in a food ministry and handing out bags of canned goods to those who are hungry and just need to know someone cares.

*My husband, braving the payday, after-work crowds at the grocery store to buy food for his family so I can be at home with the kids.

Today is the first day of December, the month we celebrate the birth of Jesus. Let's commit to making this Christmas season one filled with love.

Love that can be seen, just like the love shown to us through the life of Jesus.

2011-11-30T14:32:00.004-06:00

NO EVIDENCE REMAINS

Today was the perfect day to use up the last of the Thanksgiving dressing. As it is the end of the month, that meant the cupboards were looking pretty bare here at Graceland so a hearty meal made of leftovers was just what the cooking doctor ordered.

Following the recipe that I mentioned several posts back (click here if you want the recipe: Post-Thanksgiving Breakfast Casserole) I cooked up a scrumptious, hot breakfast

All the kids liked it as evidenced by the fact that the skillet was left empty.

I'm thinking I might need to make stuffing more often than just at Thanksgiving simply so that we can eat this more than once a year!

Any of you have a recipe out there using leftovers that is so good, you wish you had that leftover more often?

2011-11-29T15:32:00.007-06:00

BITS OF THIS AND THAT

I thought I'd use today as a gathering of various bits and pieces. Lots of things rattling around in my brain, and in my life, but I'm not up to writing a full blog post about any of them all on their own today.

So here goes:

*Next week my 2nd born son turns 13. Hard to believe. But yep, he does. That will give us 4 teenagers living under our roof. Four. F. O. U. R. Four. Wow.

*Thanks for all of you who are praying about the decision I'm making. I'm feeling fairly confident that I'm going to go ahead with my crazy scheme as it is seeming more and more like it is actually a God-inspired scheme, and those are always the best. If you missed the prayer request, here's the link: http://elysasmusingsfromgraceland.blogspot.com/2011/11/praying-about-crazy-idea-will-yall.html

*We're still raising money for our upcoming trip to Swaziland. If you've been wanting to help but didn't know how, there are lots of ways. You can donate to our rent-a-van fund. Each day we are there we'll need a van at $100 a day. We are looking for sponsors to cover thirteen days as a fellow Bheveni Carepoint supporter has already committed to day 1. We also would love to have folks hold fundraisers on our behalf, have us come speak to their group and take up a love offering, or donate items or services for us to auction off or sell.

*Has your family been looking for a way to make Christmas more meaningful this year? Children's HopeChest, the organization that we support Swaziland ministries through, has a simple yet powerful way that you can make a difference in the lives of children this year and include others as well: http://donate.hopechest.org/site/TR/Events/General?fr_id=1100&pg=entry

*And let's not forget to pray for the missionaries during this holiday season. Most of them absolutely love what they do but it can still be very hard to be so far away from family and friends back in the States during Christmas. It isn't too late to mail them a Christmas card, send them an online gift certificate, set up a Skype date, or post Facebook greetings. Believe me, when I lived in Swaziland, packages and cards from back home were so cherished. I hung every single card up on my wall and a package was like winning the sweepstakes. Satan works hard at discouraging missionaries. Let's do our part to love and encourage them this month.

And with that, I'll bid you adieu til next time!

2011-11-28T18:52:00.003-06:00

PRAYING ABOUT A CRAZY IDEA

Will y'all please pray for me? I'm considering doing something pretty crazy...

...something that would help me raise money for orphan care and missions in Swaziland as well as help me continue to work towards my goal of living a more active and healthier life.

The problem is, the thing I'm considering would conflict with my college homecoming weekend. And anyone who knows me knows that I love my alma mater and the time spent there every spring with my college sisters is a highlight of my year.

So anyway, pray that if I am truly supposed to participate in this absolutely insane, shocked-my-husband-that-I'd-even-consider-doing-it event that I'll know it for sure.

To be honest, it is so out of character for me, that I'm suspecting pretty strongly that it IS something I'm supposed to be doing for the Lord and His little ones.

Oh well...He never promised this walk of faith would be without sacrifice.

2011-11-27T18:02:00.005-06:00

A WELL MEANT LIE

There is a phrase out there that folks often say as an encouragement to others when they are going through a hard time. Well meaning friends or family will say, "don't worry --- God never gives you more than you can handle".

I hate to break it to you if you think this is true, but this statement is a lie. Okay, it is actually a half-truth, but without the whole truth, it is still false. The reality is that God often gives us more than we can handle.

Why?

So we'll go running to Him.

God often allows very difficult things to happen in our lives. Sometimes He actually leads us from the easy to the hard. Our loving Father leads us to someplace tougher than we ever imagined.

So is the case with the Peterson Family in Swaziland. Here's what Jenifer shared recently on their ministry website:

Being a missionary is kind of like childbirth...it's awesome, but nobody tells you how much it hurts!!

Is it worth it? Of course!

Do you think so at the time??

Well, the jury is still out on that one. Our 'baby' is still not talking or walking or doing any cool tricks! We are still at the early stages of seeing fruit. We have faith that the Lord is in this work and that there WILL be fruit. There are even days where we see clear evidence that seeds are germinating... Spring IS coming!! But right now...it's kind of a struggle. Even though the air is hot and humid, winter seems to abound. We are in that transition time where you know you are onto something good but haven't quite got there yet. Too late to turn around and throw in the towel, but too early to start sending up fireworks and having a grand celebration!

Sometimes we experience things and have feelings that seem too raw...too caustic to share. This is right on the edge of one of those things. Hopefully there is grace enough on your end to glean from it what is valuable and throw away the rest!

In all of this, we KNOW God is good...He is still on the throne and He is faithful!

It is our own weakness, our own pathetic human nature that is causing us to stumble.

There have been enough obstacles to make us question if we are capable of finishing what God has called us to accomplish.

The easy answer to that?

NO!! A resounding NO!! WE are NOT capable...

But He is...

He is...

...He WILL!

Nobody told us this...but that doesn't matter!

Actually, it does matter...it is important that nobody told us this...

Because if we HAD known...then what?

Would we give it all?

Will you?

What hard thing is He calling you to do right now?

Stay in a struggling marriage? Don't quit a frustrating job? Keep serving in a difficult ministry? Go back to school to pursue that unfinished degree? Go on that mission trip despite the lack of money? Homeschool your special needs child?

What hard thing has beset you and your loved ones at this time?

Cancer? Chronic illness? Unemployment? Theft? Natural disaster? Unfounded accusations? Church hurt? Bankruptcy?

Turn to God and cling to His promises.

The Bible has prepared us to expect bad things in this world. But it has also promised us that when we love and follow Him, He will never leave us or forsake us. He will give us the peace that passes all understanding. He will send His Holy Spirit comforter and counselor to us. He will give us wisdom when we ask Him. When we seek first His kindgom and His righteousness, He will give us what He knows we need. He will give us a deeper love and intimacy than we could have ever imagined. And He will work all things for our good and His glory.

Let those soak in. Believe them. Even ask Him to help you believe them.

Because those are the whole-truths of encouragement that He speaks to us, He promises us, in difficult times. And God never, ever breaks His word.

2011-11-26T17:10:00.004-06:00

WHEN GOD

"When God's finger points, God's hand will open the door."

---Clarence Jones

2011-11-25T17:07:00.009-06:00

'TWAS THE MORN AFTER THANKSGIVING...

...and all through the house, not a mommy creature was stirring, but the daddy's sure were!

As I slept nestled in my comfy, warm, bed and my sister-in-law rested in Betsie's attic bedroom, the men were already up and about. Jim was brewing coffee and already doing chores about the farm. My brother Edward was making a veritable breakfast banquet of sausage and pancakes adorned with fruit and powdered sugar.

The kids were thrilled with the special treat and the moms were thrilled with the extra sleep.

All in all, a very nice start for the day that officially kicks off the Christmas here at Graceland. Let the carol playing begin!

2011-11-24T18:08:00.009-06:00

DON'T EVEN KNOW WHERE TO START

As we sat around the Thanksgiving table today, my family, my brother's family, and my mom, we all took turns telling what we were the most thankful for. Some of it was silly, some of it was more serious. Some of it was seriously silly. When I came time for me to tell what I was thankful for, I felt like I didn't even know where to start. I have so very much to be grateful for.

I went on and on for a bit, I am a talkative extrovert after all, but the highlights include a harworking, always-there-for-me husband, all my children, the family members who came to share the day with us, the chance to go to Thailand, and our upcoming trip to Swaziland.

I had the kids tell me again what they were thankful for so I could share it here at Graceland. Here are their gratitude lists:

10 year old LG: I'm thankful for icecream, cats, David, Lizzie, friends and family, bedding, shelter, bed, electronics, my hair, nature, art, and my toys.

12 year old Patrick: I'm thankful for Laura. I'm thankful for technology. Not technolology.

14 year old David: I'm thankful for guitars.

18 year old Anna: I'm thankful for getting accepted into my college, our upcoming missions trip to Africa and France, and our military --- particularly the Navy Seals.

6 year old M: I am thankful for Jesus and Father God. I'm thankful for Mommy and Daddy. I'm thankful for my brothers and sisters. I'm thankful for David. And I am thankful for Betsie. And I'm thankful for my mom. And I am thankful, last but not least, for horses. And Laura. And I'm thankful for Swaziland.

8 year old T: I am thankful for Betsie. And I am thankful for video games. And I am thankful for a Hot Wheels set. I'm thankful for Super Mario Galaxy 2. I'm thankful for Super Mario Galaxy. I'm thankful for Ice Age 1, 2, 3, and for the Christmas Special. And, I'm thankful for my friends and family. That counts as my relatives. And I'm thankful for my Wii and my computer and my notebook and food and water and drinks and soda and malts and milkshakes and I'm thankful for me.....AND GOD! And last but not least, the Pilgrims who sailed to America. Done!

2011-11-23T13:49:00.005-06:00

RICE BOWLS IN THE RAIN

Sometimes all it takes is gaining a little perspective.

So was the case with my friend Betty.

Like many American moms, she's been busily making plans for Thanksgiving Day and doing lots of preparation, including the running of errands.

Betty's husband works for a company that gives turkeys to all of the employees every Thanksgiving. Originally, she was going to go pick it up from the Honeybaked Ham store today but decided to make the drive to the northern part of our metro area yesterday. When she got there, hoping to get a smoked turkey, she found a store that was insanely crowded which meant a 30 to 45 minute wait plus only had roasted turkeys left, no smoked ones.

Well, I'll let Betty tell you the rest of the story:

As soon as I started to leave [the store], a flood hit Jackson. I had to walk a good ways in the down pour to my jeep. As I was walking, slowly so I wouldn't fall in my flip flops, I said "Lord, I am just thankful for this blessing of a $40.00 Turkey". Then the rain turned ice cold & I thought about complaining but the images of little ones walking miles to get a bowl of rice made me even more grateful!

Wow. Something as simple, yet powerful, as images of little ones having to walk long distances just to eat a simple meal really puts things in perspective.

As we sit around our Thanksgiving tables tomorrow, whether it is a perfectly decorated, good-enough-for-Martha-Stewart, solid-wood table or a rickety, kitchen dinette set graced with crayon-colored placemats, let's remember that our feasts are truly that. Feasts.

When you think about how the majority of the rest of the world lives, it puts it all in perspective. We are so richly blessed here in America. Even the homeless here can find places that will freely serve them turkey, dressing, and all the trimmings on this day because America truly is the land of bounty.

Let's not forget that.

It is too easy to dwell on the rain storm in our life and what we didn't get instead of focusing with gratitude on the roasted turkey and the waiting jeep.

2011-11-22T16:21:00.006-06:00

LET'S TALK SHOES

Let's talk shoes. And no, I don't mean these shiny, glitzed-up, deck shoes, though they are very, um, interesting to say the least.

The shoes I'm talking can be dressy or casual, for men or women, for children who have the rest of their lives ahead of them or for some down-trodden folks who feel like their lives might not be worth living at all.

I'm talking about shoes given because of a dream. And in my particular case, I'm talking about very comfy black L.L. Bean mocs that were given to me for our upcoming trip overseas.

I love Facebook. It is one of my favorite resources for information. For that reason, when we found out that we were having a long lay-over in Paris on our way to Swaziland, I posted a status asking for input on comfy shoes to wear. I needed something that I could wear on the plane, slip off and on easily for security, could handle the winter streets of France, and still be used for our two weeks in Swaziland. One friend recommended the L.L. Bean crocs. I thanked her and expressed gratitude for all the others suggestions. I also mentioned at some point that I'd probably just have to make due with what I already owned because money was really tight and I just couldn't afford new shoes at this point.

After reading that, my friend of over two decades, sent me a private message saying she wanted to give me a pair and then later, told me why.

She wasn't just giving me the shoes because she was my friend. She was giving me the shoes for a very special reason. Here is her story:

"About 17 or 18 years ago, a friend of mine from high school, our graduating class' valedictorian, committed suicide. He was bipolar and had stopped taking his medicine after his fiancee broke off their engagement and became so depressed, he ended his life.

Over the years I've had many dreams about him. In one, he had grown a beard and was homeless, of all things. He was sitting on the ground leaning on the outside of our house and I saw him when I was coming home from work. He declined an invitation to come inside (it was cold) even with multiple pleas from both [my husband] and me. Then I noticed he was barefoot and I said to him that if he wouldn't come inside would he accept a pair of shoes and some food to take with him and he said he didn't want to be any more trouble, but just needed to rest. I went inside and got a pair of shoes [my husband] didn't wear very much and some socks. [My husband] made him some soup and put it in a thermos we used for travel and we went outside to give the supplies to him.

My friend asked me to promise that I'd give shoes to those that need them, even if they are the ones off my own feet, and I promised him that I would. I always donate shoes, sometimes even brand new ones that I find on sale. My friend was very spiritually religious and in the letter he left when he exited this life, he said he "would run across the River Jordan to greet everyone as we made our journey at the end of our lives".

There is no closure to losing a friend by suicide, only acceptance. This is my way of doing that. I bought your shoes for your spiritual journey because of a promise to a dead friend in a dream. In doing so, I honor his life and your path forward.

Hugs and love to you!! I will worry about you when you go to Africa because of the instability there, but if that is your path and the path for your children, I will do whatever I can to help you.

Let me know when you get them and I hope they fit like a glove!!!"

All of us have something we can give. Most of us want to do something to make a difference in this world but we don't always know what.

My friend had a dream that I believe was a gift from God. She is following that dream every time she blesses someone with a pair of shoes.

Some of you have allowed the circumstances, hurts, and struggles of this world to convince you that dreams are just that --- dreams. Some of you at one point thought you'd heal broken bodies, teach those walking in the darkness of ignorance, bring joyous smiles through your talents, or help solve problems that keep too many impoverished. Your dreams were amazing. They were so big and crazy fabulous.

Some of those dreams might have been just passing daydreams. I dreamed of being a fashion journalist for a New York magazine.

But some of those dreams are straight from the heart of God. The kind of dreams that bring love and light to this world are dreams that don't need to be forgotten.

What are the dreams telling you?

I dreamed for years of Africa and my beloved Swaziland. I dreamed of making a difference in the lives of precious orphans and vulnerable children. Now that dream is coming true. In January, I'll be making one more big step toward the dream of living once again in Africa. And as I wear these simple, black mocs, I'll think of the woman who gave them to me and her friend, who in a dream, told her to give shoes to those who need them. I'll walk and dance with a bit more spring in my step and smile even brighter as I remember that her dream is making my dream-come-true just a little bit easier.

But you know what? It is more than just the shoes. It is the love and support behind the shoes. And that kind of love and support makes the attainment and living out of the dream a whole lot easier.

2011-11-21T18:32:00.004-06:00

I'M IN A PICTURE PICKLE!

Blogger has informed me that I've filled up my Picasa photo storage allotment. It is not allowing me to upload any more photos to my blog. To be honest, I don't think I can blog without pictures.

It would be like popcorn without salt.

Mamas without chocolate.

French fries without ketchup.

The 4th without fireworks.

And Africa without Swaziland!

I'm hoping I can fix this situation. There has to be a solution. I really don't want to have a mental and emotional breakdown two days before Thanksgiving.

AAAA-A-AH-HHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!

Okay....now I've vented, I'll stop freaking and get to work on solving the dilemma.

Til then, hope your world is full of amazing images, even if images from Graceland are not among what you're viewing.

2011-11-20T16:42:00.004-06:00

FINDING YOUR VOICE

Seth Barnes is the founder of Adventures in Missions. He has merged unique gifts, skills, and talents with a passion for serving the Lord and loving the least and the lost in this world. He has turned over his life for the glory of God. In this blog post, Seth shares his heart and encourages all of us to find the call that God has for our lives.

My dad diagnoses diseases. He's a world class pathologist who gives the gift of life every day he goes to work in the lab in Kenya. Several years ago someone invented some software that allowed him to speak his diagnosis into a computer that automatically transcribes it. He no longer had to do the arduous work of writing it all down.

He was given the gift of a voice.

It's a gift we all need. So many of us have got great stuff inside. We've all got passions, and when we find our voice, we express them, giving the gift back to the world.

Eric Liddell, gold medal winner in the 1924 Olympics, famously said, "God made me to run fast. I feel His pleasure when I run."

He found his voice first in running and later in sharing the gospel as a missionary to China.

You find your voice when you focus on it - marrying your passion with skill and hard work. It's an awesome thing when a person with a beautiful voice is able to share it. It's why we love Susan Boyle or Paul Potts.

It's why, within moments of hearing Potts begin singing Nessun Dorma, many in the audience (including one of the judges) began to weep. Yes, there's his incredible tenor voice, but Pavarotti doesn't impact you like that.

You weep for the magic of an obscure cellphone salesman sharing that voice with the world.

I think it's a spiritual transaction. I think that all of us have got something inside that cries out for expression. It's not our dream - it's God's dream we're incubating. And when we give voice to it, we join the angels in heaven as they give praise to God for his gift.

I knew a young lady who was trained in singing opera. She has a beautiful voice. But none of us who knew her had heard it.

She had experienced so much pain in her life that she had stopped singing. She'd gone mute.

People are like that. They may struggle to find and develop their voice. Then eventually, as they find it, you sense their voice giving you a window to their soul. But then life happens and they shut down and hide the very mode of expression God gave them.

It was an incredible Sunday in Nsoko, orphans seated all around us and on our laps, when, shining like the African sun that shone down on us, the young lady with the opera voice chose to sing again. I've got it on video and it affects me like listening to Potts does.

Many of us need help discovering our voice and many of us have stopped singing. The world needs us to find our voice and feel God's pleasure as much as we need it.

Have you discovered your purpose and your voice? You've got one; we all do. There's little in life more important than finding it.

To read more of Seth Barnes' writings, visit his blog: http://www.sethbarnes.com/

2011-11-19T21:47:00.007-06:00

A SPONSOR A DAY KEEPS THE VAN ON ITS WAY

The airplane tickets for all million of us Macs have been bought, the in-country itinerary is being worked on, and the van has been reserved for us at the Johannesburg, South Africa, airport. The Swaziland trip is shaping up nicely as the date quickly approaches.

A key part of our trip will be the ground transportation that will not only deliver us and our suitcases (which will contain, among other things, school supplies, toys, and clothes for the carepoint kids as well as gifts for the missionaries), but will also be essential in driving us to our various places of ministry and around Swaziland as we look at housing options, meet other missionaries, buy our grocery supplies, and attend church services.

A family our size, no matter how comfy we are with being close, can't get by with a teeny car like Jim and I drove on our last trip.

We'll have to be renting a big passenger van. And that passenger van rents at about $100 a day. We are hoping to find folks who are willing to sponsor us for each day of the fourteen days that we will be in Africa.

One family, whose dad just spent time at the Bheveni Carepoint in September, has already committed to paying for our first day of rental. I've put a heart in the Day 1 window to signify that. Every time that someone pledges to cover a day, I will fill in another window.

If you'd like to be one of those van rental sponsors, just leave me a message, send me an email, or message me via facebook. We hope to have a paypal account set up soon to make donating toward our trip expenses easier.

Also, the Timbali Crafts shirts from Swaziland are still up for auction. All proceeds from that are going toward our January trip. You can read more about that at this link:

http://elysasmusingsfromgraceland.blogspot.com/2011/11/you-know-you-want-one-you-love-my-new.html

Thanks and, as the Swazis would say, stay well!

2011-11-18T17:29:00.001-06:00

DAY TRIPPING DETAILS from MUW

Yesterday, I coordinated a day trip to Mississippi University for Women for a bunch of girls and their mamas.

It was a beautiful day to be on the lovely and historic campus of The W, as it is affectionately called by its students, faculty, and alums.

I had planned this day for a couple of months and was really excited about showing off my beloved alma mater to new folks as well as seeing some of my W-friends.

After an initial visit to the admissions office, Director Cassie Derden walked us over to the cafeteria where a Thanksgiving meal, along with other offerings such as the grill and salad bar, was awaiting our hungry group.

For some who will remain unnamed (though not unphotographed), the lunch stood out as a highlight of the day and was one of the main reasons they want to be a student at MUW.

While in the cafe, the group had the chance to meet many present day students and some, like Madeleine Gardiner, even sat down and spent the whole meal with us. The W is special in that regard. Not only are past students such as myself still welcomed and even known, but new people are quickly welcomed into the college family.

When lunch had left us full and happy, we walked back to front campus and Cochran Hall. There, Shelley McNees gave a great presentation about the university and three student reps came to take the group on an extensive campus tour.

Among the highlights of the tour were the traditions that help make MUW such a unique place such as the gingko tree (a leaf falls on a girl at The W and a leaf from a sister tree falls on a boy at MSU, and voila! They are destined to marry)...

...the kissing rock....

...and the Old Maid's Gate (gotta walk thru it backwards or be doomed to spinsterhood!).

We also visited with the directors of the Wesley Foundation and the Baptist Student Union as well as peeking in dorms, classrooms, the on-campus chapel, and the amazing fitness center.

After our time at MUW was over, we headed to another tradition, this one an off-campus one. Supper at Proffitt's Porch is a dining tradition I've been enjoying for over 20 years. And the girls loved being introduced to some of their classic offerings such as the Cypress Club sandwich and Chess Pie.

Sarah decided to add her own twist to the culinary tradition, the Chess Pie moustache and goatie.

And what road trip would be complete in this day of digital cameras without the requisite en-route photos. Sarah looks asleep here, she's actually snorting hysterically into Betsie's laugh over some bit of sillyness.

What a day...and night!

2011-11-17T22:19:00.006-06:00

AND WHERE HAVE I BEEN TODAY?

You might, or might not, have noticed that I've not been busy in the internet world today. No facebook status updates, no answered emails, no nothing. In fact, this is the first time I've been on the computer all day.

And why?

Because I just got home after spending a beautiful day with a group of amazing young women and moms at one of my favorite places in the world....

...Mississippi University for Women.

Details and more photos coming soon! Til then, hope your rest is truly restful and that you have sweet Jesus dreams.

2011-11-16T16:49:00.008-06:00

A BURNT HAND REMINDED ME

As soon as I grabbed the scorching hot pot handle, I felt the intense pain and knew I'd done what I'd told myself I must remember not to do. I immediately yanked open the fridge door, grabbed the bottle of pure aloe vera, and covered the already red area generously.

But though I acted quickly, the damage was done. One third of my hand was red and throbbing. As I carried on with what I needed to do, the pain dominated my consciousness. No amount of telling myself that it was only a small part of my body made it hurt less or made me able to forget about the pain.

As I thought about how much the burns on my hand were such a big deal even though the rest of my body felt great, I thought about the body of Christ.

The Bible tells us that we are all different parts of the Body when we are followers of Jesus, but we are parts of one Body, His Body. His precious church here on the earth. It doesn't matter if we are middle-class Evangelicals in the heartland of America or persecuted Christians in Asia. We might be members of a non-traditional, surfers-for-Jesus church on some exotic coastline or pastors and teachers of African congregations with members starving to death and dying of AIDS and tuberculosis. Regardless of where we are, who we are, or what we do, if we love Jesus and have Him as our Master, we are part of one Body, His body.

And just as I can't pretend away the pain in my hand, even though the rest of me is feeling fine, I can't pretend that we're doing fine if some of my brothers and sisters in Christ --- other parts of the Body that I am a part of --- are suffering.

Here in America, especially if you're someone like me who lives in a nice house, in a safe neighborhood, with all the necessities that we need, it is too easy to forget that there are parts of the body in pain. There are parts of the body that are in desperate need. To be honest, a lot of times we don't even want to know. We think that we can look the other way, keep our eyes squeezed tight, and what we don't know won't hurt us. Won't require something of us.

Well, with our own bodies, if we just ignore an injury, there is a small chance that it will get better on its own. But not likely.

That gaping wound, if it is big enough, can bleed so much that the high amount of blood loss leads to unconsciousness or even death. If the bleeding stops but the wound is not treated effectively, nasty infections can set in that can lead to blood poisoning, gangrene, loss of a limb, or even death.

A broken bone? Have you ever seen what happens when a broken bone isn't set? Not a pretty sight. The bone fuses up all out of kilter and if it is a leg left like that, that person will become a cripple.

Tooth infected? Abcessed? Did you know you can actually die from this? DIE! From a rotten tooth that gets all nasty and infected in the gums!

One part of the body hurting --- a rotten tooth, a broken limb, a gaping wound on your torso --- affects the entire body.

Anyone who suffers from migraines can attest that the pain in the head renders it almost impossible to function. Who wants to ride a bike or dance with their husband or chase their preschooler in a game of tag with a migraine?

But we do that every day as the Body of Christ. Every day we think we can pretend that we don't see our brothers and sisters in need. And when we do learn of their need, we think we can just not think about it, not act, and our part of the world, our section of the body, will be okay.

Is there any wonder that non-Christians deride our faith so intensely? Is it any wonder that they say things such as "if God is such a loving God then why does He let children die from starvation?"

We as Christians can not fix every problem in the world. There is still free-will and some people are in difficult situations because they've made bad, perhaps even sinful, choices that have landed them in hard places. They might be in situations that they need to walk through for their own good. Some situations, such as tsunamis and tornadoes, are beyond our control. Until Jesus comes again and sets things right, there are going to be bad things that happen to good people.

But let me just ask you to imagine for a minute what this world might look like if those of us who called ourselves Christians began to take the call of Jesus seriously. If we did as Jesus instructed and loved our fellow man as we love our own self.

What would the world look like if Christians actually tithed? Gave 10% of their income to churches and the work of the Kingdom? According to some facts and figures in Richard Stearns book THE HOLE IN YOUR GOSPEL, the total income of American chruchgoers is $5.2 trillion. Trillion with a "T". The overwhelming majority of Christians do not tithe. In fact, the average percent that American churchgoers give is only 2.58% of their income even though the American church is richer than the church has ever been through out its entire history. But what would happen if we were to all tithe? If all of us that call ourselves Christians gave the amount that most Biblical scholars and Christian leaders agree on as the minimum required by the Lord? According to Stearns, "we'd have an extra $168 billion to spend on funding the work of the Church worldwide"!

Richard Stearns goes on to itemize what could be done with that money.

*Universal primary education for children would cost $6 billion.
*Clean water brought to most of the world's poor would cost an estimated $9 billion.
*Basic health and nutrition for everyone in the world would cost $13 billion.

And that leaves a whole lot of money leftover for life-changing actions such as opening half-way homes for ex-cons and recovering addicts, providing micro-loans for start-up businesses in poor nations, printing Bibles in every language of the world, building and staffing Bible colleges for pastors and church leaders, opening counseling centers for those who have endured trauma and war, providing homes of redemption for former child soldiers, giving emergency supplies for those devastated by natural disasters, funding ministries that teach job skills to women who have left prostitution, and on and on and on.

And that's just the impact of money.

Imagine with me if just one family or individual from every church in America was willing to leave behind the comfort of home to go and serve in a hard and needy place? If each church sent out a missionary or family to live in a hurting, inner-city, American neighborhood; a country closed to the gospel; a nation wracked with poverty and disease; or a people group that has no Christian presence at all?

The Southern Baptists alone have 37,000 churches in America. They have over 4000 foreign missionaries. That is a lot of missionaries and they accomplish much for the Lord, but can you imagine if each and every single Baptist church sent out one family or individual? And when you expand that to include all Christian churches in America, that's 340,000 churches!

And what about those who don't go overseas or move to a far-away city? What about the rest of the church members? If they were to donate a few hours every week of their life to ministries that did not benefit them directly, that reached out of the walls of the church, can you imagine how many tutoring programs, teenage mom support groups, soup kitchens, free counseling centers, prison Bible studies, English classes, and homeless shelters could be manned by this huge army of Jesus followers? Taxes could be lowered because the church was taking care of the poor in ways that broke the vicious cycle of poverty. Children would be mentored by Christian leaders who would help them learn to make good life choices that turned them away from gangs and addictions. Families would be made stronger as young mothers were discipled by older women and young dads were taught by church elders. Children would be able to leave institutions and be fostered long-term in Christian homes or adopted. And the elderly would not die alone in sterile hospital settings or flop houses but would leave this world surrounded by those who loved and valued them.

As we began caring for those hurting, handicapped parts of Christ's body, this world would be a different place. And as this world became a different place, the people who do not know Jesus would stand up and take notice, just as they did when Jesus walked this earth 2000 years ago and fed the hungry, healed the sick, cast out demons, loved the outcast, touched the lepers, taught the truth.

Yes, some still rejected Him because He upset their world. These were mostly the politically powerful and the religious leaders who had much to gain by keeping the masses oppressed.

But for the every day people, they knew He was different. His actions were in perfect unity with His words. As He spoke of love and freedom and peace, He lived it out with His life. He was accused of many things, but He was never accused of being unloving.

God has promised us that if we follow Him, we will also be accused of many things. Those that hate Him will also hate us. Let us be labeled radicals. Let them call us crazy dreamers. Let them say we've lost our minds to leave our fine homes and nice cars to live simply in hard places.

But never let them say we didn't care. Never let them say our actions don't back up the words we confess on Sunday mornings. Never let them accurately describe us as hypocrites.

Let's quit looking the other way. Let's quit ignoring those who are dying from treatable causes. Let's quit turning away from those who are persecuted. Let's quit pretending that we don't know children are going to sleep hungry tonight. Let's quit acting like the church can be healthy and whole if parts of it are broken and hurting and dying.

Let's love our brothers and sisters in Christ as we would want to be loved if we were in their situations. Let's show tangible love to those who don't know Jesus so they will come to know Him. Let's quit just saying we are the body of Christ and be the body of Christ.

And that means doing what Christ did when He was with us in bodily form on this earth.

That means loving the lost and the least of these even if it costs us everything. After all, that's what it cost our Lord.

2011-11-15T19:35:00.005-06:00

THE EVIDENCE OF TRANSFORMATION

"...I want to be clear that this does not mean we are saved by piling up enough good works to satisfy God.

No, it means that any authentic and genuine commitment to Christ will be accompanied by demonstrable evidence of a transformed life."

Richard Stearns, THE HOLE IN OUR GOSPEL

2011-11-14T19:27:00.008-06:00

YOU KNOW YOU WANT ONE

You love my new shirt, don't you? Fabulous color. Great design. And look how big my smile is when I wear it!

Now c'mon, you gotta admit that you would love to have a shirt like this...one that is awesome looking and puts such a happy expression on your face! And what would make that expression even happier is knowing the story behind the shirt.

This shirt is from Swaziland! These shirts are being sold by Timbali Crafts (a ministry of Adventures in Missions) to support African women who are working hard to support their families through sewing purses, table runners, and other fabric items. These are the same women who faithfully serve daily at carepoints providing food and love to orphaned and other extremely impoverished children. These women don't receive pay for their volunteer work with the children but they do receive pay when folks buy the Timbali products.

I had my friend Danielle Brower bring back three of them for me when she was in Swaziland back in September ministering at the Bheveni Carepoint. I have already paid for the shirts so that money is already going back to this beautiful ministry. But I'm auctioning two of them off to help fund our trip to Swaziland.

While in Swaziland, we will be exploring what living in Africa will be like for our family as well as ministering at carepoints. We'll have the honor and blessing of loving on some of the kids whose mamas are Timbali crafters. We'll also have the privilege of encouraging and blessing some of the mamas themselves. I can't wait to see the Bheveni heroes again. These women get up early, early, early to first take care of their own family before walking to the carepoint where they will cook meals for over a hundred kids, teach preschool lessons for the little ones, and do whatever else is needed. They may also spend some time sewing on a non-electric machine before they head home at the end of a long day to take care of their families again.

As of right now, the only way to get these fabulous shirts is to go to Swaziland and buy one...unless you've got the right connections and can get one through someone like Danielle or me.

So, if you'd like to be wearing one of these terrific, hard-to-get, Timbali shirts, here's what you need to do:

I'll be auctioning the shirts off til Sunday at 9:00 p.m. I have an extra-large and a medium one. They are cut with feminine styling. I wear a size 12 shirt and my large fits me perfectly, if I do say so myself.

Leave me a comment telling me what size you want and how I can contact you if you are the winner. Also, tell me how much you are bidding.

I'm going to start the bidding on the shirts at $14 plus $2 for shipping and handling if you don't live locally. Whoever has posted the highest bid by the time the auction ends on Sunday will be the winner!

Thanks so much and if you'd like to learn more about the Timbali Crafts ministry or order one of their beautiful handcrafts, just go to their link: http://www.timbalicrafts.org/

While there, you can even see the photos and read the stories of some of the Timbali women. You'll understand a little bit better why I admire them so much.

2011-11-13T21:44:00.003-06:00

ANOTHER THANKSGIVING FAVORITE

We discovered this sweet Thanksgiving book a few years ago through our library system. The author, Steven Kroll, tells the story of two siblings who are not very grateful for each other as their family prepares for the holiday. But as the family celebrates this day centered around counting your blessings and giving thanks to the Lord, they begin to see each other from a different perspective and grow more appreciative of each other.

Along with CRANBERRY THANKSGIVING, Steven Kroll's THE SQUIRREL'S THANKSGIVING is one of our favorite seasonal must-reads. I'd love to hear what are your family's favorite holiday books.

2011-11-12T14:48:00.004-06:00

ANYONE ELSE DREAMING ABOUT THANKSGIVING LEFTOVERS?

As I was perusing a newly-discovered food blog yesterday, CLOSET COOKING, I came across a post that was all about creative ways to use Thanksgiving leftovers. Just the sight of those scrumptious turkey sammies and other dishes got me to dreaming of my own Thanksgiving leftovers. After all, it doesn't really seem like Thanksgiving if you're not munching on turkey sandwiches and other season delectables for at least a few days afterwards. I always make sure that when I make my turkey, I make one enormous enough to ensure lots of meat for many meals to come.

You can check out Kevin's suggestions at his blog, http://www.closetcooking.com/2009/11/thanksgving-leftovers-ideas.html , and also try one of my favorite leftover recipes. I got the idea from Rachael Ray on one of her tv shows while down at my mom's house one year. All of my family liked it and this has become an after-Thanksgiving tradition in our household. I liked it not just because it tasted good, but because I was able to make it with items I already had on hand and it was super duper quick to fix --- EASILY under 20 minutes from start to finish.

Originally, I tried to find it online but couldn't locate it, so I just made it using what I remembered from her show. Here's my "fly by the seat of your skirt" recipe version:

Put a good heavy skillet on a medium burner and heat it up.

Add just enough of your favorite cooking oil to lightly cover the bottom. I used
safflower oil, a "good for you" oil.

Crumble up your leftover dressing or stuffing in the bottom of the skillet after the oil heats up. Allow the dressing to heating up. I stirred mine up a couple of times so that it wouldn't get too brown on the bottom.

Then sprinkle enough shredded cheese over the stuffing to cover it in a thin layer.

Pour raw scrambled eggs (add salt and pepper first) over the stuffing. You want there to be enough scrambled eggs to cover the cheese and seep down thru the cracks in the dressing layer but not so thick it'll take forever to cook.

Then sprinkle Parmesan cheese (fresh or from the green can) over the eggs.

Put in an oven preheated to 375 and cook just til the eggs are firm.

Since my stuffing was already pretty warm when I poured the eggs, they cooked and firmed up pretty quickly.

If you're a big cheese eater, you can add more on each individual serving.

This tastes a lot like the traditional breakfast casseroles using bread and eggs so it can be served as a breakfast dish or with a meal like you would a frittata or quiche.

BTW, in your family, is it stuffing or dressing? Around these parts, dressing seems to dominate as the preferred name and it's usually a cornbread based dish. I'd love to hear about yours.

2011-11-11T20:32:00.003-06:00

THE BLESSINGS HE HAS PLANNED

One of the ways I am being blessed tremendously these days is watching how God is working in the lives of my children. Nothing blesses me more than to see them lay down their desires and plans as they seek to serve God with their whole lives.

Whether it is holding an affection-starved little one in Swaziland or befriending hurting peers here in America, God is showing them that the rewards of serving and obeying Him far surpass anything they could come up with on their own. I'm glad they aren't taking as long to learn this as it took me.

“God can’t give you the blessings He has for you until you first put down
the other things you are clutching in your hands.”

- Richard Stearns

2011-11-10T14:34:00.010-06:00

HAVE YOURSELF A VERY CRANBERRY THANKSGIVING

One of our very favorite, it-just-isn't-Thanksgiving-unless-we-read-it holiday books is CRANBERRY THANKSGIVING. This delightful classic centers around a grandma, her grand-daughter, and the two guests they invite to share their Thanksgiving meal with...including the grandma's famous cranberry bread.

It made this mama smile all the way through when the 10 year old big sister sat down today and read it to little Miss M. You know it is a good book when out of the couple of hundred books she could have chosen, she picked this one.

To go along with CRANBERRY THANKSGIVING, we try to fix the cranberry bread recipe featured in the story. It is easy and yummy and, since I leave out the nuts, my kids look forward to this once-a-year treat. I think we'll be making it for one of our Thanksgiving week breakfasts this holiday season.

If you homeschool, or don't homeschool but just like having some fun and educational activities to do with your kids on their off days, FIVE IN A ROW (the curriculum we've used for nearly 15 years) has a convenient fold-and-learn that you can download from their website and use with your favorite little gobblers.

http://fiarhq.com/fiveinarow.info/digitalfiarfoldlearn.html

I'd love to hear about your family's Thanksgiving traditions, especially if you have favorite books for the season.

And if you see Mr. Whiskers (a favorite CRANBERRY character) wandering around in a lonely, grouchy, gloom over the next couple of weeks, tell him that the Macs at Graceland have plenty of room at the Thanksgiving table and we promise to have plenty of pumpkin pie and grandma's famous cranberry bread.

2011-11-09T10:17:00.007-06:00

PUTTING ASIDE THE DIFFERENCES

Yesterday, the State of Mississippi voted on an initiative that would have declared that personhood begins at conception. The creators and proponents of Initiative Measure No. 26 desired to end abortion and also bring about pro-life regulations related to cloning and other medical procedures.

The battle got very hot and, in some cases, down right ugly. Pro-lifers were divided as some staunchly stood for the passage of this amendment that would define personhood while others passionately believed and feared that there would be unwanted consequences from the passage such as endangering the life of mothers during ectopic pregnancies. Both sides went back and forth trying to convince the other side of the fault in their thinking.

Regardless of what was truth and what was misinformation, when all was said and done, our overwhelmingly pro-life and conservative state voted against the personhood amendment.

I am not at all convinced that yesterday's vote was a vote against life. I think it was a vote against this particular initiative. Whether for right reasons or wrong reasons, I don't think that the majority of people voted "no" because they are for abortion or against the rights of the unborn. And staying divided because of one vote will do nothing to help ensure that more babies are born into loving environments, whether that is a home with their birth mother or a home with an adoptive family.

It is time for the followers of Jesus to just work harder at bringing about the Kingdom of God, caring for those who are oppressed and in need. It is time for us to work harder at letting those who feel desperate know that there is hope and that life IS a choice they can make --- that they have people who will be there to help them walk out what can be a very difficult path.

Calling each other hateful names and acting in unGodly ways will not change each others minds nor lessen the number of babies that are being aborted in the State of Mississippi. In fact, staying divided will only help ensure that abortions do not decrease in the State of Mississippi and puts one more blemish on the name of Christianity.

It is easy to step into a polling booth and vote yes or no. It is a lot harder to act on your conscience and beliefs day in and day out. It is a lot harder to do without something we want or even need so we can give that money to organizations that help women in crisis pregnancies, provide shelter for homeless mothers and their babies, offer classes on parenting, or give assistance to families that want to adopt children but can't afford to do it on their own. It takes a lot more effort to volunteer our time as mentors of at-risk teens, serve as foster parents for newborns awaiting adoption, collect items to donate to a crisis pregnancy center, or even open up our homes for young pregnant women who desperately need someone to help them say no to the seemingly quick fix of abortions.

Whether you voted yes or no on 26, it is time to put political differences behind us and unite to make our state a place that says yes to life, a state that supports mothers experiencing tough times and provides for babies and children who are in hard places.

Jesus said that whatever we do for the least of these we do for Him. I definitely think that a tiny baby being formed in the mother's womb qualifies for "the least of these".

2011-11-08T09:56:00.003-06:00

I AM MARVELOUSLY MADE

"Oh yes, you shaped me first inside, then out;
you formed me in my mother's womb.
I thank you, High God—you're breathtaking!
Body and soul, I am marvelously made!
I worship in adoration—what a creation!
You know me inside and out,
you know every bone in my body;
You know exactly how I was made, bit by bit,
how I was sculpted from nothing into something.
Like an open book, you watched me grow from conception to birth;
all the stages of my life were spread out before you,
The days of my life all prepared
before I'd even lived one day."

Psalm 139:13-16

2011-11-07T14:29:00.003-06:00

ANOTHER AUCTION for AFRICAN TRIP

As I was going thru a big ole pile in my room (story of my life...but that's for another post) I came across two more wooden salt & pepper shakers that my husband brought home from his Thailand trip. I thought we'd already auctioned off all of them last spring, but apparently I was wrong.

Since we're raising money for our family's upcoming trip to Swaziland, I thought I'd go ahead and put them up for auction. They would make nice Christmas, wedding, or first-home gifts.

If you would like to bid on these solid wood shakers bought at the Chang Rai Street Market, here's how you do it:

Like last time we auctioned off Thai shakers, the bidding will start at $10 on each pair. If you want to bid, leave me a comment with the amount you are bidding and some kind of contact information in case you win. Please make sure you designate if you are bidding on the egg-shaped or the rectangular-shaped shakers. We will add $2 to the winning bid to cover shipping if we need to mail them.

The bidding will end at 5:00, this coming Sunday.

Thanks for your interest and feel free to tell others about this auction. The more that know about it, the more chance we have of getting bids.

2011-11-06T21:39:00.006-06:00

CELEBRATING in the BIG EASY

Yesterday's was Anna's birthday, and at her request, we spent the day in her favorite city, New Orleans.

We left the house early and got down there in time to get muffulettas for lunch from Central Grocery.

We enjoyed them, along with Zapp's chips and Barq's root beer, while feeding the pigeons not too far from the levee.

Then it was a walk along the river before we ended up at the aquarium.

After oohing and aahing and laughing and even flinching now and then, we headed over to LUSH, where a friend works.

Tracey gave all us girls hand treatments and we talked intentional community and missions before heading across the street to Peaches and Urban Outfitters.

Supper was at a place that was new for us but now a favorite Crescent City eatery, The New Orleans Hamburger and Seafood Company. The food was fabulous, the prices were reasonable, the service was what service should be, and the kids loved the icecream that is included with every meal.

Then it was back in the van for the drive back home, complete with a phone call for Anna from a friend in Ecuador and silly texting with Betsie and David.

This was the first time the little kids had been to New Orleans for a few years, the first that our youngest was old enough to really enjoy it (she was a baby last time), and Anna's first as an adult. And though it was the second New Orleans trip for us three oldest in less than two weeks, New Orleans still holds a special charm that we've yet to grow tired of...and celebrating Anna's birthday there just added to that charm.

2011-11-05T07:42:00.003-05:00

CELEBRATING THE PAST, PRESENT, and FUTURE

Today our family is celebrating the past 18 years of my first-born's life, the life we share with her in the present, and the life God has planned for her in the future.

Anna is one incredible young woman and we are very blessed to have her in our lives.

Anna, I can't wait to see the ways God works in and thru your life to bring justice and freedom for those who are oppressed and in bondage. He has put so much in you because He has so much planned for you. I'm honored to be your mother.

2011-11-04T16:32:00.005-05:00

EIGHTEEN YEARS AGO

On November 4, 1993, I was 9 months pregnant and very, very ready to give birth to my first child. My induction was scheduled for the next day as little Miss Anna didn't seem to want to come on her own and my due-date had come and gone.

The person that began as a tiny baby being knit together in my womb...

...grew into a darling, dark haired infant...

...and is now an intense, beautiful, strong, young woman.

Tomorrow, my much wanted first-born becomes my first child to turn eighteen. She'll be my first to vote, my first to start college, my first to leave home, my first to make this mama's heart ache with her absence. She'll start a life away from me, her daddy, her siblings, and our home.

I admit, I already dread the separation, but I wouldn't hold her back. I've spent the last eighteen years preparing her for the life God has planned for her. She'll always be my first born baby but she also be my first adult child. I'm so proud of her and I'm so excited to see the places God is going to take her and the amazing things He is going to do in and through her life.

What an incredible eighteen years it has been.

I love you, Punkie!

2011-11-03T16:36:00.009-05:00

THROWING A PARTY FOR AMAZING KIDS

I had taken a break from posting about our last year's trip because my travel journal was temporarily missing. Yeah, lost passports, lost travel journals, lost brain cells. Story. Of. My. Life. The absent journal has been located and so I'll now pick back up where I had left off.

September 25, 2010
10:22 p.m.

Today is Travis' 7th birthday back in the States so I am really missing him and his siblings today. As much as I love being here, I feel sad that I am missing his special day. We did celebrate it before our trip --- baked the cake and even opened gifts early. But still, this is one of the times that I really wish I could be two places at once. And shame, next Sunday I will miss Laura Grace's birthday. At the carepoint today, I had a bunch of the kids sing HAPPY BIRTHDAY while I videotaped. It will be fun to show it to him.

Okay - so here are the highlights of today:

*At breakfast, Mfana Simelane came to visit. He was one of the youth in SWAT back during my journeyman [missionary] days. He is 40 years old now! He is doing great. He is married with 2 daughters. He is a social worker for the government plus he ministers thru a teen boys'/young men's soccer team and has a Sunday School class in his home in Mondoza, a neighborhood of Manzini. His mother, who we called Granny at [Mbabane International Baptist Preschool and served as the cook and cleaner], died from a brain tumor. His sister Nomphumalelo [who was a teacher at the preschool in Mbabane] works at a creche [preschool] as something that sounds like what I did at the Mbabane Preschool --- training teachers, etc. He showed me many, many photographs and gave me one of him and his family plus a mug with his soccer team on it. [He also told me that the head teacher that I knew, Beatrice Dudu, has also now died. I hated to hear this. She was one of the Swazi teachers I really hoped to see again one day.]

*At Bheveni, we had the party. We did face-painting...

...a space jump, games...

...songs, the giving of gifts (sweeties, silly bands, bubbles, etc.) plus the backpacks that still were needed...

... plus a BIG feast.

The meal consisted of beef soup and chicken soup over rice, beet salad, and potato salad plus ginger cookies.

It was kumnandze (delicious) and we were able to watch them do much of the cooking while we were there, though some of them had slept at the carepoint so they could start cooking at 3:00 in the morning!

*We gave the bomake [mothers] and bogogo [grandmothers] a KFC meal as a thank-you treat after they served the kids. [Kentucky Fried Chicken is very popular in Swaziland.]

*Saying goodbye to the children was hard. It is hard enough knowing it might be a year or two before we return, but extra hard knowing some we may never see --- whether it is because they move away or die. I gave our sponsored child, Banele, extra hugs today and told her we would always love and pray for her.

*We were unable to see our other sponsored child, Nocolo, as she goes to a school "far away".

*After the party, we left and went to the Ezulweni craft market where we bought, among other things, a Noah's Ark set, beaded cups, hairbands, and a crocheted teddy bear.

*We ate supper at Quartermain's. Jim had "eisbein" which was a giant, pork shoulder that was glazed. I had beef curry. Dennis, Zwakele, Kriek, and Elliott (our driver) joined the B-Team.

Tomorrow we go to Pastor Walter's church at Timbutini. Dennis is the associate pastor. Then after church, we will leave straight for Nelspruit. I know it is going to be hard for the team to say goodbye to Swaziland.

2011-11-02T17:28:00.002-05:00

CHECK and UH...

Got tickets for Swaziland trip? Check!

Got passports for Swaziland trip? Uh.....

That's right. Last night, the hunky hubby sat down and ordered all our tickets. In that special way that God has of blessing His daughters, He provided an unexpected gift. When Jim started looking for the most inexpensive tickets that would get us there when we needed to be there and all the other factors, an itinerary with an eleven hour lay-over in Paris, France was what he came up with.

When we told the big girls (the other kids were already all in bed) to say that they were excited is an understatement!

Going to Paris has been a years' long dream for some of our daughters. In fact, our 10 year old was already in the process of writing a story about her cats visiting Paris.

So after the tickets were decided on, Jim needed all our passport numbers.

Passports? Uh.......

Yeah, remember how I posted several days back that we had gotten in the last of the kids' passports? Well, we could find all the kids' passports but the grown-ups' were no where to be found. We looked and looked and took stuff down and out and to no avail. We finally went to bed around midnight.

This morning we started praying in earnest and when I got around to start looking, the very first place I searched revealed them. If you heard strains of The Doxology wafting thru the air around 4:30 this afternoon, that was me.

Praise God from whom all blessings flow....

2011-11-01T16:24:00.003-05:00

SENDING OVER SOME BLESSINGS

As any even sort-of-regular visitor to Graceland knows, we'll soon be going over to Swaziland for two weeks. While there, we'll be introducing the kids to their future home as well as spending ministry time at some carepoints and other places.

Some of you might be interested in sending over items that the carepoint kids, missionaries, Swazi staff, etc. need or have requested just to make life a little easier. For some of the children, these donations fill HUGE needs such as for school supplies. For others, like the missionaries serving there, little things like a new book by a favorite author or chocolate chips, give them that loving boost when they are missing home or feeling discouraged.

If you are interested in donating any of these items, please let me know so we'll make sure we don't get duplicates or too many of one thing and not enough of another.

*pencils
*pens
*loose leaf notebook paper
*books by Francine Rivers
*pancake mix
*mint gum
*clean, classic books such as ANNE OF GREEN GABLES, G.A. HENTY books, etc. --- NO references to magic, witches, wizards, or the occult
*Christian fiction --- young adult, children's, and adult
*children's picture books --- no references to anything magical (Bheveni and others)
*Christian music cds
*colored Construction paper
*Mp3 player, any brand
*Twizzlers
*chocolate Chips
*People magazine --- the requesting missionary says that old copies are fine, too
*elastic waisted skirts
*blue jeans in size 8 or 10
*solid stick deod/anti-antiperspirant
*pepperoni - the kind that doesn't have to be refrigerated til after it is opened
*birthday party supplies (napkins, plates, etc.). If you have any left over from your child's birthday party or a Thanksgiving Day meal, they can be put to good use by folks in Swaziland!
*Mardi Gras bead necklaces
*blow-up beach balls
*side-walk chalk
*stickers
*small toys such as HotWheels cars and Littlest Pet Shop animals
*balloons

Most of these items do NOT have to be new. Books still read even if they've been read a dozen times. GUM, on the other hand, needs to be UNchewed. ;)

Here is a video of some of the children that are a part of the Moriah Centre ministry where we will be during a large part of our trip. They are singing their own version of "I have decided to follow Jesus".

Aren't they absolutely precious? Can't wait to get to know them better in January and absolutely overwhelm them with snuggly blessings and love!

2011-10-31T15:16:00.004-05:00

BUT WE MUST

“Our charge is to both proclaim and embody the gospel so that others can see, hear, and feel God’s love in tangible ways.

When we are living out our faith with integrity and compassion in the world, God can use us to give others a glimpse of His love and character. It is God --- not us --- who works in the hearts of men and women to forgive and redeem. Coercion is not necessary or even particularly helpful. God is responsible for the harvest --- but we must plant, water, and cultivate the seeds."

Richard Stearns, THE HOLE IN OUR GOSPEL

2011-10-30T20:50:00.005-05:00

HAPPY FALL Y'ALL!

This afternoon, a local church, Victory Congregational Methodist, held a free fall festival complete with a bouncy castle, games, face painting, and kid-friendly food.

They were doing trunk-or-treat with free candy but we didn't want to wait til the end and get more sugar then our kids really need (I know, mean parents!) so I eased the kids' distress by promising to give them all my mini-chocolate bars when we got home.

Despite the boycott of the bags of candy, fun was had and good memories were made.

Even if very wet heads were part of the event.

2011-10-29T17:37:00.007-05:00

SATURDAY EVENING POST

Here are some random happenings and prayer needs going on for us right now:

*We've received good news from Swaziland about Bheveni's Busi. I shared several days ago about her and asked my readers to pray for her recovery from mouth surgery. The doctor did a biopsy at the time out of concern that she might have cancer. Praise God! The test came back and there is no cancer. It is only an infection that the doctor will continue to treat with medication as well as remove one more tooth next week.

*Another Swazi girl needs prayer. One of our sponsored girls is in a situation that needs to change before things potentially get critically worse. Please pray for God to move in this situation and for things to happen that need to happen.

*And while we're on the subject of Swaziland, we are trying to wrap up loose ends where our Delta SkyMiles are concerned and then hopefully buy our African trip airline tickets this week. Please keep on praying for ridiculously low prices and sufficient financial provision.

*I am collecting items to sell in consignment stores to raise money for missions, primarily but not limited to the support of African ministries. I would love to have your gently used fall and winter clothing (men, women's, children, and babies), fashion accessories, collectibles, picture frames, artwork, antiques, record albums, baby items, and shoes. If you have any vintage clothing items, such as clothes that an elderly relative wore or things you've held on to from the 70's or 80's, we've got a local shop that sells these, too. I'll be making a big delivery to stores in about a week and a half if you want to get me things before then.

*Jim is preaching tomorrow at Restoration Church. God has given him such an incredible gift of teaching and a passion for sharing the knowledge of God with others. Our pastor usually has him teach a few times a year. If you don't have any place to worship tomorrow and want some deep, meaty teaching, we'd love to have you there!

2011-10-28T19:59:00.010-05:00

WHAT HAS GOD GIVEN YOU?

“What has God given you? Moses had a stick, David had a slingshot, and Paul had a pen. Mother Teresa possessed a love for the poor; Billy Graham, a gift for preaching; and Joni Eareckson Tada, a disability. What did they have in common? A willingness to let God use whatever they had, even when it didn't seem very useful. If you will assess what you have to offer in terms of your time, your treasure, and your talents, you will have a better understanding of how you might uniquely serve."

From The Hole in Our Gospel by Richard Stearns

When Betsie was little, she could often be found doodling and drawing away. She became quite the artist long before she could read. She'd make birthday cards for grandparents, design detailed creations for homeschool assignments, and even disobediently scribbled on the walls and furniture. As she grew older, she began to decorate her journal pages, draw unsuspecting subjects during sermons, and even took a couple of art classes offered through a local college. But as much as she loved creating, she never imagined that God would use it on the mission field.

Last spring, Betsie spent two months in Thailand. Her main job was to work in the office, help out her host missionary family as needed, participate and serve in the church's ministries, and teach English. She also hoped to minister frequently at a local children's home.

She never imagined that her artwork would be part of that equation.

The first way God put her artistic skills to use was by making visual aids that her missionary "boss" would use in the self-defense classes he offered to local women. Betsie's poster-sized drawings were used to illustrate principles that Jon was teaching the women, including principles that he'd use to tie in various teachings about Jesus and the Christian faith.

The second way God used her skills for His kingdom was to minister to some of His precious "least of these". Many of the Hill Tribes people in Northern Thailand experience very limited employment opportunities and extreme poverty. Many families are unable to provide the basic needs of their children and still other children are left orphaned with no extended family to provide for them. Various homes have been established through out the area to help take care of these children and give them the opportunity to be educated.

A handful of these homes are connected with the Ba'an Athitaan Church where Betsie was based. Betsie had the amazing opportunity of getting to spend time with many of these children. One in particular, she visited many Saturdays. Betsie quickly learned that these children, girls in the case of this home, did not see themselves as the beautiful, precious children that they really are. She wanted them desperately to see themselves as the beloved children of the Heavenly King and Father. She wanted them to see themselves for the lovely treasures and royal heirs that the Father sees them as.

So Betsie spent hours upon hours, day after day, pouring her love for them into her drawings. And the Saturday before she returned to the States, she visited them at their home, shared her heart --- and the Father's heart --- with words and images.

Each girl, and the one, sole, little boy, were given a drawing that Betsie made of them. A drawing that captured their unique beauty in the hopes that through the images, they'd be able to catch a glimpse of how God and those around them saw them. How worthy of love they really are. That they'd be able to rest in the security of the Father's love, salvation, and provision.

Seeing each of those children receive their drawings is a special memory that I will always treasure. Watching Betsie's gift be used by the Father was so very sweet.

And just as God used Betsie's gift to help those children see themselves as He does, God is working in Betsie's life to show her the way He sees her. Just this week, we were talking about how her talent was used in Thailand. It really surprised her that God could use her ability to draw for His kingdom. It had really and truly never dawned on her that it was something that He could use for His glory.

Isn't that how it is with us so often? It is so easy to see our failings or our lack. It is so easy to compare our gifts and talents, or lack thereof, to those who seem so much more skilled and capable. We forget that the same God who used a little boy's generous heart and his few fishes and loaves to feed thousands can also use us. We forget that the same God who used the responsible spirit of a big sister to save her baby brother Moses can also use us.

We forget.

But God never forgets. He doesn't forget them. He doesn't forget us.

He is the one who created us. He is the one who designed us with our temperaments, talents, minds. He is the one who fashioned us with gifts that seem common and gifts that seem supreme. But all can be used by Him and all will be used by Him when we just step out and offer them freely.

So what has God given you?

2011-10-27T15:25:00.007-05:00

JOURNEYING INTO THE CENTER OF HIS WILL

Eighteen years ago, I was expecting my first baby. It didn't seem like those last few weeks would ever pass by. The pregnancy seemed to last forever. And then Anna was born.

And in those first years of her life, and then the first years of her siblings' lives, time also seemed to sometimes go by so very slowly. Will they ever sleep through the night? Will they ever be potty trained? Will they ever learn to tie their own shoes and wash their own hair?

And then before I knew it, time seemed to hit warp speed. The little baby I so impatiently waited on 18 years ago is now working a job, driving her own truck, nearing high school graduation, and making plans for college. In less than one year, my baby --- who is now nearly all grown up --- will be moving to New Orleans and pursuing a degree in Applied Behavioral Sciences that includes an emphasis in criminology because she wants to be a part of the fight against injustices and human trafficking.

I'm so proud of her passion for bringing freedom and justice to those who are being abused, enslaved, and exploited. It will be hard on this mama's heart to have her far away from me, and yes, I'll worry about her living in a big ole city without us. But I wouldn't do a thing to stop her from following the call that God is putting on her life. One of the biggest blessings this mama can have is knowing that God is using me to bring about His purposes in her life.

This past Tuesday, her daddy took off from work and we made the journey down to the Crescent City for Holy Cross College's Prospective Student Open House. We talked to professors and staff, toured the facilities, learned more about the college's offerings, and were amazed and excited to see how God is putting His provision into place for her.

We received some very encouraging information about scholarships, spoke with a professor who works with women who have escaped human trafficking, and made contacts with people who are going to help us look for safe and affordable housing for Anna in the New Orleans area.

At the end of the evening (and yes, we were the last ones to leave) we all agreed that Holy Cross and the path that Anna is pursuing possesses that rightness that we've learned comes when you're walking right down the center of God's will.

And that's a good place to be...even when the journey is going by a little faster than this mama would perhaps prefer.