Blessed

We are traveling together again, planing to return to Alaska in the spring. On Monday we went to the Border States Fellowship meeting in Overland Park Kansas. The pastors and other missionaries there were so encouraging. Tonight we are in a hotel in Lawrence KS, waiting until tomorrow to share the needs in Alaska with the Lawrence Baptist Temple. In between Overland Park and Lawrence we made a quick trip to Des Moines to visit family and take care of some things. It was great to see my girls and Justin too. I am thankful to have a son in law who loves the Lord, and loves my daughter and grandaughter. Mayleigh calls me Annah and says it very well now. She also says I loooooove you. She is such a little cutie and so happy :)

After visiting the church here in the morning we will make our way back to Wellington, visit a church tomorrow evening on the way back, and then get some stuff done before it's time to leave again on Saturday for a church in Bonner Springs KS.

Please continue to pray for us.... We need more churches to have us come in and present the field, also more churches to partner with us in reaching the people of Alaska's Aleutians. Please pray about the housing situation in Unalaska.

It was great at the fellowship meeting to have pastors come up and let me know that they and their churches had been praying for me. Tonight I feel very blessed.

Waiting

It's my birthday and so I was thinking about the things I've learned this year. I guess one of the biggest lessons I've learned is to wait on Him. Psalm 27 has so many lessons for us but one of my favorite is in Psalm 27:14 "Wait on the Lord, be of good courage, and He shall strengthen thine heart, Wait, I say, on the Lord." We are in a "holding pattern" right now. Waiting for a tax return to pay some money we owe, and to pay for the move to Alaska. We are waiting for a house or apartment to open up in Unalaska. I'm reminded of Noah when he was building the ark. He just kept building, while people questioned and laughed. He obeyed God, not knowing for sure when the rain would start. I think of Sarah, encouraging her husband to have a baby with her maid, not believing that God would keep his promises to her husband by giving him a son with her. There have been times this past year that I've stepped in and tried to run ahead of the plan that God had laid out for us, convincing myself that it was what God wanted. After reading Psalm 27:14 this morning I am realizing that it takes more courage to wait on God, to take one day at a time, faithfully doing the things He leads us to do that day. If you are in a time of waiting ... take courage... rest in your heavenly Father and let Him strengthen your heart. Watch and be ready to move ahead as soon as the Lord opens those doors and in the meantime focus on HIM and prepare for the battle ahead!!

John was laughing as he was looking at facebook tonight so I asked him what was so funny. It was this picture! So cute but so funny too.

I'm not sure what Mayleigh was thinking but since (as Kristi says) we are 2 peas in a pod, I could probably guess. She probably was just worn out and needing a nap. Really though how often do we as adults feel like folding our arms across our chest and saying "no more, I've had enough"? That's how I've been feeling the last several weeks. I want to be back in Alaska. I want to feel good. What does God want? I fully believe He wants us in Alaska and that He will get us there very soon. He gave us a new supporting church last week and several churches have scheduled us this winter to present the field. He knows better than we do the amount of support we need and when the time is right for us to move to Dutch Harbor. God knew the healing that needed to take place in our family after the last several difficult years and He is Jehovah Rophe, the God who heals. So, this week, I plan to look to Him one day at a time, and to do everything I can to prepare to leave as soon as He opens a door. I look forward to teaching kids in our sending church tomorrow, going to the pumpkin patch on Friday, trying to sell some of my bread and butter pickles and salsa at the Farmer's Market Saturday morning, and traveling with my sweetheart to a church in Pittsburg Kansas Saturday afternoon. Jonathan is actually going to stay with Grandma Bev Saturday and Sunday night while we travel. He doesn't like to be away from us but he's been "practicing" spending the night with Grandma! I found his Aleut Lullaby CD that we bought out in Dutch Harbor and he does fine at Grandmas as long as he takes it along and listens to it as he goes to sleep.
Hope you all have a super week and that you "keep on keepin on".

Good news/ Not so good news

Not so good news first: About 2 weeks ago I mentioned that I was feeling bad. My doctor thinks I may have diverticulitis acting up. So after a couple of days on a liquid diet and 10 days on antibiotics I am feeling better but still having some pain. Talked with him today and he said to do another few days of liquids only and 10 more days of antibiotics. Then they will probably do a colonoscopy just to make sure everything is ok! Prayers appreciated. I am anxious to get back to Alaska and am learning much about patience these days.

I did get some GOOD NEWS today though. I had my yearly visit to my cardiologist. Went just a little early so that when doors open for us to go back to Alaska I will have that visit over with. Anyway, he said my heart sounded really good. I was still uncertain about a cardiologist in Alaska. He said he will take care of finding one in Anchorage who knows about Adult Congenital Heart defects.
That is a blessing to me!

God is using the events of the past several weeks to teach me to rest in Him. I woke up this morning thinking about one of the little boys I met at a VBS we helped with in Craig Alaska when we were there. He loved the wordless book bracelets we made, and said he would never take it off. So thankful that God chooses to use us and praying that we can get to the people of Alaska Very Soon!

September 11 and Texans

This day has been really different for me. We are back in Kansas and I was looking forward to teaching Sunday School this morning. Instead I ended up in pain, on my couch, watching the September 11 memorial services. Just before we went to Iowa I was in the same kind of pain and my doctor changed my medication. I thought it was working well but the last few days have been pretty rough. I did feel good enough tonight to go to church but guess I'd better give the doctor a call tomorrow.

While watching the memorials this morning I was reminded of several Bible verses that talk of God's faithfulness. Lamentations 22:23-24 about how His compassions fail not, II Corintians 4:8-9 about being persecuted but not abandoned, cast down but not destroyed. Isn't God amazing? I love that He is my strength in my weakest times. Today I was also burdened to pray more for our country. God's word says that a nation is blessed when God is their Lord. I pray that our country will truly turn to Him and make him our LORD.

OK, so I talked about September 11, so you might be wondering what about Texans? Well, you'ld probably never guess it but I love watching NFL football and my favorite team of ALL is the HOUSTON TEXANS!! When I was in 5th grade I had open heart surgery at Texas Children's Hospital. Our family stayed in the Ronald McDonald House in Houston and at the time the Houston Oilers had donated a lot of money to make the Ronald McDonald House super nice. They had Houston Oilers jerseys on the walls of the house and pictures of the players! I pretty much decided that they were great. Well years later they became the Tennessee Oilers, I believe, kinda lost track of them but then when I heard about the Houston Texans they became my team. I was disappointed today to see that they had a game but it wasn't on our TV, but TOTALLY excited to find out THEY WON! Of course, being a Kansas girl who likes football I did watch the KC Chiefs, not good. Then tonight after church I yelled for Dallas and it was a super good game but they still lost to the New York Jets. I also picked my favorite college basketball team based on where I had my 1st and 3rd heart surgeries.... University of Kansas... Jayhawks!! But we'll stick with football for now. Jonathan can only handle my enthusiasm about 1 sport at a time :) He told me tonight that "Mom's aren't supposed to get so excited about football."

Kristi, Xtra Tuffs, Grandpa, and Bubbles

Kristi in her wedding dress with her Xtra Tuffs!

I love this picture of my beautiful daughter. It's a reminder to me that while Kristi's wedding was amazing, life is tough and sometimes marriage is tough! It takes work. As a Mom, I think the best thing I can do for Kristi and my new son in law is to pray for them dilligently and serve the Lord faithfully! So, while I can't always help in material ways I will always love and pray for my little girl and her familly.

The other picture is my honey with our grandaughter Mayleigh. Even though life can be tough, it's so important to laugh together. Work hard but take time to play! Appreciate the simple things like bubbles, raindrops, sunshine, laughter, and sleep (which is what I need now). Goodnight friends.

Iowa for Kristi's Wedding

I have pictures of Kristi's bridal shower with Justin's side of the family, and of a day we spent at Camp Dodge's Gold Star museum. Good pictures, and I wanted to put them on my blog this week BUT I can't find my camera right now. We have been staying with Kristi for a few days. Now we're at my mother in laws so other people can stay in Kristi's apartment as they come into town for the wedding. Maybe I left the camera at Kristi's house.

Hope you all will pray for Kristi and Justin this week. Their wedding is at 2:00 on Saturday. Our van is full of stuff they rented to decorate the church with :) Also pray for Kristi's little girl Mayleigh. I am enjoying every minute I can get with her. Please pray as they become a family that they will seek to please the Lord, and live for Him.

I was thinking tonight about just how quickly time flys. I will try harder to make every day count! Hope you all have a great rest of the week and weekend and I'll plan on being back next week with pictures.