SHARING IN THE FUN

Here at We Will Go, our community shares a lot.  One of the things we share is a love of celebrating!  You know, that's fancy for having a good time party!  In honor of several of us who are leaving this month for ministry trips, a costume party was held.  The theme was "old movies and tv shows".  It was one of the most fun evenings I've had in my life and since Fun is my middle name, that's saying a heck of a lot.

Here are some of the highlights from the festivities activities which included eating (of course), laughing, dancing, laughing, praying, card playing, and even more laughing.

Who were we?  Patrick was Clark Kent, Jim was the Crocodile Hunter, Merry was Scout from TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD, I was Mama Walton, Travis was Alfalfa, Laura was Sarah Phillips from LIBERTY KIDS, David was Thor, and Betsie was the 1960's edition of Cat Woman.

Laura Sims was me because she said my life should be a movie!  I think she just wanted an excuse to wear cheetah print, big hair, and red liptstick.

The Ades Family blew us away with their costume genius!

Granny and Jed Clampett visit the 'hood.

A beautiful and elegant Holly Golightly.

Electric Slide, Cupid Shuffle, and more.

Like the Holy Hands dance.

And Wakawaka because IT'S TIME FOR AFRICA!!!

Serious fun with Spoons.

WORDLESS WEDNESDAY

TUESDAY PRAYER TIMES

Every Tuesday night, the We Will Go team meets for prayer. Sometimes we stay on Base 1 and might even have a special guest to come and share with us before our time of prayer. Other weeks, we leave Base 1 and take the prayer time to other places and other people. Once a month, we try to take that prayer time to the streets. We walk through the neighborhood checking on friends and meeting new ones. We play with kids and hug the necks of grannies. We read scripture over the city and sometimes sing songs of praise and worship. The weekly excursions look different each time but the thing they all have in common is that we pray to our Father on behalf of our neighbors and this city.

This week, we had some visitors with us. A team from Belmont University is here at We Will Go serving alongside us. While here, they will sort clothes, assist with canned goods on Thursday, help neighbors get clothes during Hands and Feet ministry, and participate in times of worship, and pray. Tonight, they walked the streets of Farish District and Midtown praying with us for those in need and loving on all those they could.

Whether it was a local neighborhood girl, a lonely woman sitting on her porch, or an active We Will Go missionary boy, they were blessed by these sweet students and their willingness to be used by our Father.

And that's really what its all about. You don't have to be an expert. You don't have to know all the answers. You don't have to be the wisest or most mature Christian around. You've just got to be willing to be used. And He will use you. In beautiful and powerful ways.

UNmanic MONDAY

Since we have such busy weekends around here and Sundays are --- to be honest --- not very restful, we've implemented Monday morning as a time of rest here in Faith House. We don't set alarms --- well, only Jim sets an alarm for work --- and we sleep as long as our bodies need it. The kids are on their own for breakfast which usually means a granola bar or cereal, and everyone is allowed to do only quiet activities once they wake up. For the kids, this means that most of them are on the iPad, playing on a game system, watching the telly, reading a book, or doing something on the pc til I tell everybody to get dressed and get ready for lunch around 11:45.

Laura loves to draw, whether it is with pen and paper, on the sidewalk with chalk, or digitally on the iPad. Today, she drew me this cute koala.



Isn't he adorable? I love this little virtual critter...almost as much as I love lazy, peaceful, beautiful, Monday mornings.

SUNDAY SWEETNESS

Look at the sweet little dumpling I got to snuggle with today. 

 

 It helped warm my heart even if the rest of my was freezing in this weird, unseasonal weather.

DIDN'T EVEN REALIZE

I've been very content living here in downtown Jackson at We Will Go. I've enjoyed getting to walk to the store, easily visit with neighbors, quickly get to most places in the city, and living in a part of the metro area that makes it super easy for friends to just drop by.  To be honest, I've not missed our farm.  I've missed our pets and a couple of other aspects now and again, but I've not been homesick at all.  I easily let go and moved forward to our new life here.

And then we visited the Thompson's farm.  Renae Thompson, who volunteers at our ministry, invited all the We Will Go folks over for a good ole Southern fish fry.

When we pulled up, Patrick commented right away on how open it was, how much space there was. I quickly commented "that's how it was on our farm". And then the nostalgia hit. For the first time since moving into the city, I began to miss our old life.

 I realized that I missed the buttercups that I'd totally forgotten about. I missed the kids getting to roam freely and the peace and quiet. I missed the kids getting to play outside without fences and gate locks.

In fact, the only gates and fences at our farm, and at this farm, were to keep the critters where they should be.  Just like at our farm.

I was charmed by the chicken coop in the barn and the wooden ladder that led up to their roost.

I was reminded of the many cookouts and parties that we hosted at our farm, get-togethers that almost always spilled out-of-doors just like the fish fry that the Thompsons hosted.

But yet, even as I felt my eyes misting up a couple of times due to the missing of old times, I looked around at the people who represented my new life, our new life.

Each of these people represent where God has us now.  Some of them are missionaries like us --- people who have left behind another place and another life to pursue the call God has placed on their lives.  Some of them are volunteers who do what we used to do ---  they still live in their old homes and do their old jobs while still coming and loving at We Will Go.  And others are folks who we just met today --- people who are visiting We Will Go as part of a short-term mission trip and are now part of the blessing God has given us called our "life at We Will Go".  And because of this new life at We Will Go, there are also the prostitutes and drug dealers and addicts and hurting single moms and homeless men and struggling grannies and little ones who we now have the privilege of loving every single day.

Jim and I are grateful for this chance to serve and learn and grow.  It is definitely challenging at times and it has meant we've given up things that were precious to us, but Jesus and His loved ones are worth it.

And at the end of the day, I must admit I was in a bit of a dilemma. Do I hope and pray that God moves us to a home out in a rural area of Swaziland where we can have lots of chickens and a big garden and plenty of elbow room or do I hope and pray for a home in the city where I will have lots of neighbors passing by daily and I can walk to the store and friends can easily come visit? I really was in a bit of a smallish, confused funk. I'd been so happy with living in our home on the corner of a busy city street. In fact, I was so happy, I was hoping for the same in Swaziland. But now I was reminded of how much I loved the country!  I suddenly missed that life! So what to pray? What to hope for?

But then I was reminded, trust God to know where we need to be. He is showing me that I can love both. I can be happy in both. I can be content in both. So instead of hoping and praying for a particular kind of life, just trust Him for two things.

Trust that firstly, He has our best at heart and the best of certain people in Swaziland that He wants us to love on and care for. So He's going to put us where the best place is for all involved.

And then secondly, I can trust that wherever that place is, if I AM trusting Him with a grateful heart, that I can and will be content and love our life whether our future life looks like the Waltons in a rural community of Swaziland or the Beverly Hillbillies in the city of Manzini.

Or who knows...maybe in His awesome creativity and provision, He'll give us a life that combines the best of both worlds.

Whatever and however, I choose to trust. I choose to be grateful. I choose joy!

A BIG DAY FOR A LITTLE MAN

Travis is crazed with joy over his new acquistion, a new pet. A small, female, betta fish to be exact. 

 

 When we moved from our farm to We Will Go Ministries, we had to get rid of all our pets. This is an area that has been hard on all of us. We loved our animals and have missed our horse, donkey, chickens (okay, so maybe I'm the only one that misses the chickens), cats, and dog. The kids have especially missed having pets of their own. When Travis came into some money of his own, he decided that it was time to buy a "We Will Go Approved" pet so he determined on a fish. At first, it was going to be a small school of goldfish but he eventually chose to go the betta fish route. 

 

His newest pet, Friday Kipling MacLellan, was bought from Petsmart and now resides in Travis' kitchen/nook turned bedroom. If you come visit us or talk to him on the phone, I'm sure the conversation will very quickly turn to his new favorite thing and you'll know everything this nine year old boy can think of to tell you about how truly amazing she is. 

LOOK WHAT CAME IN THE MAIL TODAY!

A belated birthday present but this time it is my birthday, not David's, that is being celebrated! 

 

Back in March, Bheveni Carepoint was selling t-shirts to raise money for the upcoming mission trip to Swaziland and for each shirt bought, one would be given to a Bheveni child, too. My sweet son got me this beautiful blue one. I think its the best gift David's ever given me and well worth the wait! Thank you, David. I love it!

WORDLESS WEDNESDAY

A BIT MORE BIRTHDAY

As though last Thursday's family celebration and Saturday night's big party weren't enough, David got a bit more birthday celebrating on Sunday, too. Each week, after the Sunday afternoon worship service, all the birthday folks are called up front and sang to. Sometimes there's even cupcakes or some other dessert 

involved.  

Then, if they're one of the missionaries or one of the regular volunteers who attends our Sunday night meetings, they get another birthday celebration. Just another reason why living at We Will Go is such a blessing! 

 

 'Cause after all, we're all about celebrating life around here!

GOOD THING TOMORROW'S PAYDAY...

 

 ...because I'm eating the last of my dark chocolate.

THERE'S JUST SOMETHING ABOUT...

...seeing a big, strong man holding a sweet little baby, isn't there? Love this man and loved getting to spend a little time with the precious one and her parents at We Will Go today. 

 

Roxanne and Landrum used to live at We Will Go as missionaries. Today, they brought back their first born and dedicated her to The Lord. 

 

 What a blessing to be part of this special day.

Children are an inheritance from the LORD. They are a reward from him.

A VERY SPECIAL SATURDAY

Saturday was full with two milestone events. Betsie graduated from high school with the Florence-Richland Homeschool Group and David had his 16th birthday party.

Here are some photos from the day:

WORKING FOR THE MISSION

Friday and Saturday, a fundraising rummage sale is being held at Restoration Church to raise money for Nick Hodge (another youth at our church) and our Patrick's mission trip to Swaziland. We are very thankful for all the folks who have worked hard to make this happen.

A LOT HAS CHANGED

April 25 is the day that our oldest son turns 16. A lot has changed since David's Baby Beluga days including our love and pride...both just keep growing and getting stronger. Jim and I are so blessed with the amazing young man he is becoming as he lets God work in his life in so many different ways.

We love you, son, as do all your siblings! Happy Birthday!

WHAT WOULD BREAD RAINING FROM HEAVEN...

...look like in the 21st Century?

My daughter Betsie writes about that in this blog post:

While one of the interns here at We Will Go ministries was reading Exodus 16, she asked God what bread raining from heaven would look like now.

That's when her phone rang. It was an associate pastor from a big church a city over. He was calling to ask if we wanted any chicken? Because he had been at a lunch board meeting and they had fifty pieces of fried chicken leftover plus cases of coleslaw, potato salad, marshmallow fruit salad, pork 'n' beans, and garlic bread. Ashley, our intern, said come on.

A few hours later while he was unloading the fifty pieces of fried chicken and sides, Ashley shared my family's story with him. She told him about how there are nine of us and I'm graduating from high school in two days and my younger brother David has his 16th birthday party this Saturday and this food will really bless them because they only have a little over a hundred dollars to stretch and pull for the rest of the month.

The associate pastor listened quietly while Ashley spoke, and when she finished, he said, "I found this on a drain pipe this morning," and pulled out a hundred dollar bill from his wallet and handed it to her. "Give this to that family."

That's what bread raining down from heaven looks like in the 21st century. It looks like the daughters and sons of God living like princesses and princes in inner-city Jackson, Mississippi. We bought decorations for David's party, supplies for my graduation display, and groceries with that manna and feasted on fried chicken, garlic bread, salad, coleslaw, marshmallow fruit salad, pork 'n' beans, and potato salad that night with a visiting ten-member missionary family.

"In the evening quail came up and covered the camp, and in the morning dew lay around the camp. And when the dew had gone up, there was on the face of the wilderness a fine, flake-like thing, fine as frost on the ground. When the people of Israel saw it, they said to one another, 'What is it?' For they did not know what it was. And Moses said to them, 'It is the bread that the Lord has given you to eat. This is what the Lord has commanded: "Gather of it, each one of you, as much as he can eat. You shall each take an omer, according to the number of the persons that each of you has in his tent.'" And the people of Israel did so. They gathered, some more, some less. But when they measured it with an omer, whoever gathered much had nothing left over, and whoever gathered little had no lack. Each of them gathered as much as he could eat." -Exodus 16:13-18

When it was written that Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever, they were writing truth. He overcame death and the God of daily provision and meat for dinner and bread for breakfast lives today. Sometimes we make Him so super-spiritual; and He is super spiritual, but He is also extremely practical. In the same moment of time, He was sitting on His heavenly throne, robed in glory, while an army of angels bowed before and walking through a field on Sabbath with his homeless friends, dressed in dusty rags, breaking off heads of wheat because they're absolutely famished. Why don't we let Him be both? Because He is both people: a mighty king, and a carpenter working to provide food for his mother and brothers and sisters.

I've just never ate the quail and manna before because I never allowed Him to be the God who provided my daily bread for me before. He has always been that God and will always be that God, I've just not always been on this level with Him. After all, He is a lover, not a rapist. He will never force Himself or His gifts on you. He is a gentleman and will wait on you forever. The manna and quail will never be given until we extend our empty plates and empty hands and say, "Please, Sir, can I have some more?" And He will give more every single time. He will give immeasurably more than all we could ever ask for or imagine.

SWIMMING IN THE DEEP END

This week is super busy --- Homecoming, freshmen orientation, ballet classes, swim lessons, David's birthday, a fundraiser rummage sale for Patrick, out-of-town guests, Betsie's first graduation, a party for David,  and all the regular plus irregular things that go on at We Will Go.

 Like a stressed out kid learning to swim in the deep end, I have felt in over my head and really overwhelmed with all that is going on but thankful for a biological family and a ministry family willing to pitch in and help as needed. I'm also thankful for a God who is willing to provide and keep me sane.

And speaking of learning to swim, I'm also very thankful for one of our We Will Go friends who is giving our kids swimming lessons, which in this case, means putting up with a lot of drama.  Aye-yi-yi.

Madel, you are a true saint!

BACK TO THE W

I drove home with Janet Sunday afternoon and served at We Will Go's service then after some much needed sleep, we woke up early to head back to Mississippi University for Women, affectionately nicknamed The W. This time, it wasn't me and college chums, it was Jim and me taking Betsie up for her freshman orientation. Winnie Clegg, another girl from the Jackson area, and her mom rode up with us.

We sat through various seminars, spent time with Betsie's future roommate (whose parents attended MUW with me), ate in the campus cafeteria, did lots and lots of talking, got Betsie registered for classes, hung out at an afternoon cook-out, and visited with our niece Emily who is a student at The W. It was fun to be back on campus but this time to be focused on Betsie's MUW experience.