In Plain Sight....

One thing that I am pretty sure won't happen in Zambia at Christmas is snow. We can pray for rain as a good substitute but not snow. As I was cooking dinner tonight, I was just praying for family and friends and the Lord just nudged me to look out the window. I looked out the window and noticed that we have a "white Christmas" in our backyard! No, its not snow...but our lime trees are in bloom and the flowers are falling off.

I have looked out that window hundreds of times in the past few weeks, but it took the Lord to allow me to see what was right in front of my face. I left the hamburgers cooking on the stove, grabbed the camera, and ran outside...excited to capture this moment! I had a blast taking pictures of the trees, the bees at the flowers, and the blossoms on the ground. The kids pretended that it was snow, shook the branches to make it "snow" and climbed as high as they could in the tree! So it got me thinking...



 maybe the Lord wanted to teach me something more. Or perhaps, He just wanted to see me smile at His creation and enjoy the complete simplicities of life. Our family has been on such a rollercoaster the past two years and many times I have failed to see the "happys" and blessings that the Lord put right in front of me to remind me that He is still with us and loves us immensely. Today reminded me that He goes before me and behind me and that He will NEVER leave me nor forsake me. His creation cries out to Him and testifies of His glory. So this "white" Christmas, may I not fail to glorify Him in all things and give Him the praise that He deserves!

Homemade Christmas

 This Christmas we did things a little bit different. Each year we love to make our decorations for the house. We took it a little bit farther this year and made our tree. I saw an idea of making Christmas ornaments with the names of Jesus on them and putting them on your tree. What an awesome idea! So, we did that, with a twist. Each of my kiddos painted a portion of the tree. Then they thought of some names of Jesus and put them on their portion and added pom poms for lights/ornaments! The kids told me that this is their favorite tree EVER! I agree!!!

 The top is Lauren's: Jesus, God, King of Kings. The middle is Easton's: Morning Star. The bottom is Lily's: Lord of Lords, Light of the World, Messiah.

Our Christmas wall...tree, handmade nativities, Life of Jesus chain, advent calendar (not made at home :o) )! 

The Best Christmas Present

For about a year now, Kendall and I have been amazed at the questions that Easton asks about Jesus, God's Word, and salvation. The things that he picks up when we are studying Scripture just amazes me and it is such an awesome time with the Lord! We have just walked with him, taking time to answer any questions that he has. There is nothing more exciting for us as parents to see our children excited about the Lord and His Word. Not too long ago, Easton told us that he wants to be a preacher when he grows up. We asked him why he wanted to do that. He replied, "because people need to know Jesus and about God's Word". It was a humbling moment and he has not wavered from that desire.
Today during our Bible time as we removed one more chain from our Life of Jesus Christmas chain, I began to read. The passage was from Luke 3:21-23 when Jesus is baptized. The word baptism began a long conversation between myself and the children. We discussed the fact that baptism doesn't save and talked about why baptism was important. When I asked Easton why baptism is important he said, "so that you can show people that you believe in God!" I was so proud of him and we talked more about his response. The Holy Spirit was nudging my heart to keep going with the conversation and we went on to talk about salvation. Lily and Easton both told me what we needed to do. We discussed in depth about repentance and turning our heart away from sin to Christ.
Easton then asked if he could pray to receive Jesus. He prayed the sweetest prayer in his own words asking the Lord to forgive him from his sins, confessing that Jesus is Lord, and inviting Jesus into his heart. My heart was overflowing with joy. The only sad part of this time is that Kendall was out preaching. I wanted to wait until he was home but Easton was ready.
This is the best Christmas present by far!!!

True Peace....

Thursday morning I was scanning through my news feed on Facebook and came across a blog post written by a friend that seemed to peak my interest. I clicked and began to read.

She beautifully told a story of how she has prayed for an opportunity to share the Gospel of Jesus with this friend of hers in her neighborhood. God had answered that prayer in a unique way. The woman was to have a procedure done and was so afraid. My precious friend, took that time to pray with the woman. As she prayed with her, the woman began to weep because no one had prayed with her before. My friend wrote how the Lord had opened that door and she was so thankful to be able to share about the peace that only Jesus can give.

"Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid." John 14:27

 

After reading, I wrote a comment sharing with her how excited I was for her and that prayers were being answered and doors were being opened to sharing the Gospel! I said a prayer of praise, closed the computer and set off to begin the day...laundry, homeschooling, and cooking. As I began preparing to teach the kids, I realized that Kendall had left to go teach and I had not really even said goodbye to him. The day went on and I kept thinking back to the blog written by my friend. Asking myself if I had been making the most of opportunities to testify about the greatness of our God and taking the time to pray with people in their time of need.

 

The potato soup was cooking on the stove and I was just about to put a load of clothes in the dryer when the phone rang. "Hey babe, I am going to be late today. I have been in a road accident." My heart stopped for a split second, my body began to shake, and I tried to listen as carefully as I could. All I heard was "I AM okay and so is everyone else." I went outside and told our guard what had happened as the tears began to flow. I felt so helpless. I tried calling friends but the cellular network was not working properly, then I remembered the blog and the Holy Spirit gently nudged me saying "Joy, call upon me, I am RIGHT here. I know you feel like you need a tangible person, but let me comfort you and give you peace." "The Lord is near to all who call on Him in truth..." Psalm 145:18 I knew I needed to heed that nudge but my flesh needed arms around me to hug me. Those arms came in the form of my precious sister, Zeria.

 

Time was passing so slowly and the prayers were being offered up to the Lord all around the world and the peace and comfort of the Holy Spirit enveloped me. I remembered the blog. The phone rang and a sister in Christ called me and said, "can I pray with you right now?" That prayer was as if she was sitting right here with me. I will never forget it. Then I checked email and a friend from the US wrote a prayer out on our behalf. I remembered the blog. Prayers were uttered in my presence, over the internet, over the phone, and completely away from my listening ears, but my Savior and Lord heard them all. Later that night, Kendall told me that a good friend who was with him at the scene looked at him and said, "Abambo (Sir), how is your heart? Can I pray with you right now?" That prayer meant so much to Kendall.

 

The next morning, the Lord reminded me of His mercies in this beautiful sunrise and this verse came to mind, "The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; His mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. 'The Lord is my portion', says my soul, 'therefore I will HOPE in HIM.'"  Lamentations 3:22-24 After the fog cleared in my mind and I was able to focus on things, I was so thankful that the Lord had used the testimony of another friend to encourage me that day. It's just a great reminder that we should be ready and willing to minister to those around us at anytime and that we should always be willing and excited to testify about what the Lord has done in our lives and those around us! To HIM be the glory!! "Surely God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid. The Lord, the Lord, is my strength and my song; He has become my salvation." Isaiah 12:2

 

The past 36 hours we have been asking the Lord to show us exactly what He wants us to learn from this experience. I have made a list and it is quite random, but it is a true testimony to the powerful, mighty, sovereign, loving hand of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. It is also a testimony to prayer, the power of prayer and the peace and comfort that comes as a result.

Here is the list that I have made it is not in any order nor is it explained...to you it may not make sense, but to me, they are a beautiful testimony to answered prayer, wisdom, and our sovereign Lord.

 

Friends praying; Zebron's position in government; Jumbe's position in the community; the wreck happened in between two of our churches; no one was injured; the love that the people here have for Kendall and our family; we renewed our drivers licenses; Kennedy was traveling with Kendall; the people were coming from teaching and recognized that it could possibly be spiritual warfare; the breakfast conversation that happened at our table the next morning between two young men that Kendall has taught and the two men coming to take our truck to Lusaka that centered around salvation in Christ alone; there was no false testimony against Kendall; the police were so helpful and honest; the truck was able to be driven home; we were able to share the love of Jesus by feeding strangers; friends who were willing to drop everything to come; friends who sent talktime; the strangers that stopped to make sure Kendall was okay on the road; the case is closed; our truck can be repaired...and the praises go on and on and on!!! TO GOD BE THE GLORY!

 

 

 





True Safety

When we arrived in Zambia, several years ago, we were encouraged to get dogs for security reasons. We also had night guards to watch our home as we slept. The past two years, we realized that the need for a night guard was not as important because of the security we found in having three dogs on the property. This past weekend, we made a trip to the capital city. Each time we are gone we leave a guard on the property at all times. Upon our return home, our night guard informed us of a situation that took place on Saturday night at our home.

The time was midnight and there was a knock at our gate. This seemed quite unusual considering no one knocks that late at night for any reason. Our guard walked around the property and approached the gate from the side. He saw two men dressed in dark clothing. The men told him to come outside the gate because they wanted to know where Auntie Ollie lived. (Everyone who lives in Nyimba knows her house.) Our guard found this odd. The two men then told our guard again to come close to the small opening in the gate or to come outside. He denied and began to ask them their names and they continued to taunt him telling him to come outside the gate. Thankfully, the guard never went outside and after a long conversation the men left our home.

 

After he told us the story of what had happened, we knew that this had shaken him up. We talked with him and told him that he did the right thing by not exiting the gate. There is no telling what those two men could have done to him or if they had entered our property. Kendall and I were more aware of the fact that we are being watched and people know when we are gone. We have always put our trust in the fact that our dogs are protection, BUT more importantly we have always prayed each night over our home and that the Lord would protect our home. We were never that vigilent about praying over our home when we lived in America, but we know the evil and thieves that roam at night and our true protection is found in the Lord alone. We cannot trust dogs or guards, our true safety is in the Lord. David says it beautifully in Psalm 4:8 "In peace I will both lie down and sleep, for YOU ALONE, O Lord, make me to dwell in safety." Recognizing that the Lord is our only true protector from harm is one of the many lessons that we have learned during our time living in Zambia. We cannot wait to see the Lord face to face and possibly know the many times that HE ALONE was our protection and safety. He is with us no matter where we are in the world and we should rely upon Him in all things!







Mr. Gru and True Love

The movie "Despicable Me" is one of our favorite movies. We always say that we have our own little Agnes living under our roof, but her name is Lauren. Last night, the kids were watching Despicable Me while the power was off. We always quote our favorite lines and Lauren re-enacts parts that Agnes plays. After the movie, Lauren and I were chatting as she was getting ready for bed and this was the conversation.

 

Lauren: Mama, ya know Mr. Gru, he didn't know what real love was.

 

Mama: No, he didn't did he? But..did he learn what love was?

 

Lauren: Well, yeah he did because those three little girls came to live with him and they needed love BUT they taught him how to love!

Mama: You are so right! Even though other people didn't like Mr. Gru or give him a chance, they did!

Lauren: Yeah, because before the girls he froze all of those people in line so he could be first and that was not nice!

Mama: (laughing) yeah you are right, Lauren!

insert several seconds of silence while she got her thoughts together...while Mama wonders if the conversation is over and then the kicker comes...

Lauren: Mama, you know, the girls did show Mr. Gru love! They loved him when no one else did!But you know what, Mama? We can know TRUE love in Jesus! Because He really loves us!

Mama: (shocked, humbled) Lauren, you are exactly right, true love, real love is found in Jesus alone!

 

No, I am not saying that all movies produce these kind of conversations with my kids. But as parents, we must take the time to watch these movies with them so that we can know what they are watching and be able to discuss with them the moral themes in them in order to point our children to the cross of Jesus Christ. You just never know what kind questions, perceptions, or conversations may be sparked from these times. We need to cherish them and use them as times of growth and encouragement!



 

Priorities and Choices

 

Living in a society of subsistence farmers, we have learned a great deal about the amount of time that it takes to prepare their fields in order to plant. In the area that we live, the people have fields that are a great distance from their homes. They will leave their home in the villages or town to move their family to the field for the rainy season in order to work and protect their crops from thieves and monkeys. Due to the fact that they transfer during the rainy season, the times of teaching become less and if there are times of teaching the numbers tend to be low. Kendall has continued to travel to teach at two churches on Thursdays and he has been surprised at the number of people that are attending the teachings!

Today, he was reminded how important teaching is and how encouraging it can be to see lives changed. At Kaliuta Baptist Church today, 2 men and 13 women prayed to receive Christ as their Lord and Savior. He loaded up his truck with several men after the teaching time at Kaliuta and traveled to teach at Chamilala. On the way to Chamilala, he overheard the conversation that the men were having in the back of the truck. They were passing several people working in their fields and the men said, "Ah, he's in the field! But it is better to take a day off from the field to study God's Word! We need to take time to study, the field can wait. We can plant other days, but Thursday and Sunday are for the Lord." Kendall was so encouraged! Its days like this that make it all worth it!

A Christ-Centered Christmas Chain

 

Every year, our children love to make a chain out of construction paper to countdown the days until Christmas. Each year, they remove one chain each day until Christmas. It is a fun tradition, but now that they are older, I wanted it to be more Christ focused. I got the idea from Pinterest and went to the site that was suggested but quickly realized it was not Christian. I searched again and found another site and the mother had taken a new step in making the chain more Christ focused. I took her structure and added and deleted some things to make our own. This Christmas chain truly is all about Christ from Creation to the anticipation of His return! The kids were so excited to write the verses of Scripture and make the chain this year! I wanted to share with you the Scriptures we used in case you would like to do this with your family this Christmas or next!

 

Day 1: Creation- Genesis 1:1, Ephesians 2:10

Day 2: Fall of Man- Genesis 3:6-7, Romans 3:23

Day 3: Only Blood Atones for Sin- Leviticus 17:11, Hebrews 9:22

Day 4: God Wants All Men To Be Saved- 2 Chron. 7:14, John 3:16, 1 Timothy 2:3-4

Day 5: Christ Is The Ultimate Sacrifice- 1 Peter 1:18-19

Day 6: Christ is the Heir To King David's Throne- Isaiah 9:7, Luke 1:32

Day 7: Throne of Christ Will Last Forever- Psalm 45:6-7, Luke 1:32

Day 8: Jesus Is The Son of God- Psalm 2:7, Matthew 3:16-17

Day 9: Sent To Heal the Brokenhearted- Isaiah 61:1-2, Luke 4:18

Day 10: He Will Be Called Immanuel- Isaiah 7:14, Matthew 1:23

Day 11: Will Be Born in Bethlehem- Micah 5:2, Matthew 2:1

Day 12: Jesus' Birth- Luke 2:4-10

Day 13: Jesus' Birth- Luke 2:11-15

Day 14: Jesus' Birth- Luke 2:16-21

Day 15: Jesus Appearance- Isaiah 53:1-3

Day 16: Jesus' Baptism- Luke 3:21-23

Day 17: Feeds 5000- John 6:1-14

Day 18: Light of the World- John 8:12-20

Day 19: Jesus' Arrested- Matthew 26:47-50

Day 20: Crucifixion- John 19:17-19

Day 21: Resurrection- Mark 16:1-13

Day 22: Alive in Christ- Romans 6:1-11

Day 23: All Made New- Isaiah 65:17-20, Revelation 21:1-4

Day 24: Time Is Near- Matthew 24:42-44; 25:1-13, Revelation 22:20

Day 25: Thanks For All Things- Psalm 100

 On Christmas, we also read the Christmas story!

 



Lily's 8th Birthday

We cannot believe that our first born, Lily Elizabeth, is 8 years old! She had an exciting surprise birthday party on Friday night in Chipata with the sweet families and friends there! She thought that we were going to have a pizza party, little did she know it was a surprise party for her birthday as well! She was so surprised and it was topped off with a spend the night party with 4 friends that live in Chipata! She has had a long birthday weekend!!

Since Lily had a birthday party and cake on Friday, she had a pancake cake this year! She wanted pancakes for breakfast; macaroni and cheese for lunch; and hamburgers with ketchup for dinner!

She asked that we have her party and open presents this morning so she could have fun all day!

 

I love this picture! She was so excited about blowing out her candles that she didnt wait for us to stop singing. So Auntie Julie lit them again, we sang again and I was able to get a picture!

 

Her "Auntie" Julie made her an awesome Littlest Pet Shop Cake!

 

Lily with her sweet friends that live in Lusaka at her surprise birthday party! It was memorable because right as the party started the power went off! So this picture was taken in the dark! It was still so much fun!

Layers

All of us have layers. Some of our layers can be removed faster than others and some layers are so conformed to the person that they can never be removed. When you meet someone you immediately learn a few things about them, their family, or where they hale from. The more time that passes, you learn the foods they detest and what quirks bother them. All of those things make that person unique and you love them for all of those things. After a great amount of time, you know the questions to ask and they understand that you love them and they shed layers faster and more trust is built.

Recently, we traveled to the capital city to spend time with our mission family. The few times that we all have the opportunity to spend a good amount of time with one another, the time flies and our heads are spinning because our hearts and "cups" are overflowing because of the great fellowship.

The physical distance between friends on the mission field can make removing tender layers more difficult. We have to be more intentional about emailing, calling, or texting one another to build the relationships during the time that we are apart and be able to be open and honest with one another about our struggles. During our most recent visit with our mission family I was able to see how unique, sweet, and special this time can be when we truly take the time to invest in those relationships. I truly felt like the relationships with fellow missionaries was so strong, intimate, and layer removing.

Many times missionaries can be seen as warriors with an armor of steel that cannot be penetrated. But that armor can become weak and layers removed when our children are sick; our living conditions cause our spirits to grow weary; when our family back home is struggling; when children are having grandbabies; when grown children are unemployed; and when our family here on the field with us is facing challenges.

People many times pray a blanket prayer, "God bless the missionaries!" As a missionary and after spending quality time with many missionaries and peeling back a few layers; here are some things that you can pray for. These are the prayers that you will hear need to be lifted up on their behalf.
Pray for them from the outside in:
Pray for their family back home and the challenges that they may face being separated.

Pray for the nation and people group that they are called to serve.

Pray for perserverance with the struggles and frustrations of daily life (lack of water, electricity, and food supplies).

Pray for the family that is living under their roof. Pray that they will not allow Satan to get a foothold in their marriages or in their relationship with their children. Satan knows if he can destroy a marriage then he has won and the Gospel is delayed in reaching that area that they have been called to.

Pray for their personal walk with the Lord. Pray that they will not grow weary in maturing in their faith. Pray that they will be diligent in their personal study and be encouraged!

May we all as the body of Christ be willing to spend time with one another investing in one another in order that layers may be removed, hearts revealed, and we may be able to enter the Throne of Grace with confidence on behalf of our brothers and sisters in Christ.

"May the Lord make your love increase and overflow for each other and for everyone else . . . May he strengthen your hearts so that you will be blameless and holy in the presence of our God and Father when our Lord Jesus comes with all his holy ones."  1 Thessalonians 3:12-13

The Pedestal

 In my own life, I have gone through many that I have put in my imaginary glass trophy case. Some of them have been athletes, preachers, teachers, and even friends. As I have been reading through the books of 1-2 Kings, I am beginning to see more and more how dangerous that really is in the eyes of God. Israel sinned against the Lord after He had led them out of Egypt. He instructed them not to worship other gods and they disobeyed (2 Kings 17:7-13).

Many times as missionaries we have heard and seen how churches and believers tend to put missionaries on the top of the proverbial spiritual pedestal. As a missionary, I have to say that this is not right. We are not to be atop the pedestal but Jesus Christ our Risen Lord is to be atop the pedestal. Each of us in the body of Christ have a calling to serve and love Him no matter where we are. From janitors to worship leaders; crisis pregnancy center nurses to stay at home moms; coaches to business men, if you are a Christian you are called by God to serve Him no matter where you are. We all are "living stones, being built into a spiritual house for a holy priesthood to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ." 1 Peter 2:5

Ladders and pedestals are inevitable in this fallen and corrupt world, but as Christians, we should always look at the world on an even plane where no one is exalted above another. All of us have our flaws and struggle with sin. None of us should bow down or raise our eyes to anyone but Jesus Christ. He ALONE is worthy of our praise. He alone is the one who saved us from the darkest depths of sin. He alone knows us like no one else. He alone loves us like no other, therefore, no one should be raised above Him.

Genuine Heart of Thankfulness??

The kids love to have special traditions for holidays. I have to admit that sometimes, I really drop the ball and forget to prepare these fun things in time! This year for the month of November they made a a "Thankful" banner. Each day all of us write one thing on the banner that hangs in our living room. It is such a great reminder to remain thankful, no matter what.
Now to be completely transparent, this time of year I am humored by the Lord's sense of humor and how He challenges me to genuinely be thankful. I feel like He wants me to really evaluate how thankful my heart is. The weather in Zambia is very hot during the month of November, so sometimes, it really is hard to be thankful. I have to admit that the moment that I complain about the fact that it is 125 degrees outside, He reminds me that He is in control of the weather. The moment that I complain about the fact that it is 90 degrees or more in the house at night and it is hard to sleep, He humbles me and I thank the Lord for electricity and a fan to cool us enough to sleep.

"give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus." 1 Thess. 5:18

It is easy to complain....but my complaints block my heart from truly rejoicing and seeing all of the blessings in my life. My kids help me have a clear perspective on thankfulness and in the midst of this dry and hot time of year, they rejoice. So what is wrong with my Mama heart? My complaints and whinings are so pale in comparison to so many people that are facing terrible situations: sick children, loss of everything due to natural disasters, imprisonment, famine, sickness, poverty, and so many other things.
Lord, please help me to truly be thankful in all things. May you be glorified in our lives during this month and every month throughout the year!

Looking Back to Move Forward

There are seasons of life when the path before you may seem unclear, like a fog that engulfs a forest path. As you tread the earthen path, the only step that is sure is the one that you have made and potentially the one that you are about to take. God's Word tells us, "Your Word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path." Psalm 119:105 He illuminates each step of the way ensuring the best for us. If we step out of the light then we stumble along in darkness, chasing what we think is best for us.
God's Word is full of amazing stories of men and women in the Bible that trusted God even when it wasn't the easiest or most popular choice. One of these men, was King Hezekiah. The Assyrian army was encamped right outside the walls of Jerusalem taunting him to surrender. He sought the Lord through the beloved prophet, Isaiah, who instructed him to wait and be patient. In 2 Chronicles 32:20-21a it says, "But King Hezekiah and Isaiah the prophet, the son of Amoz, prayed about this and cried out to heaven. And the Lord sent an angel who destroyed every mighty warrior, commander and officer in the camp of the king of Assyria."  Then in verse 22 is says, "So the Lord saved Hezekiah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem from the hand of Sennacherib the king of Assyria and from the hand of all others, and guided them on every side." As I read and meditate on these words, I think about how hard it must have been to sit back and be patient and wait on God to fulfill his promise to Hezekiah and the people of Jerusalem. Hezekiah knew that God was faithful. He had been saved from sacrifical death at the hand of his father, King Ahaz; his faithful grandfather, Zechariah had trained him and raised him under the Law of Yahweh; and the Lord had healed him and given him 15 more years of life after a terrible illness. Hezekiah knew that God was faithful and in the midst of a scary, unsure, and trying time, Hezekiah chose to trust His faithful God.

What path are you walking that you feel is unsure? Look back at your life and see all of the ways that the Lord has been faithful. He has never changed and has remained the same for all of time. "Trust the Lord with all of your heart and lean not on your own understanding, in all of your ways, acknowledge Him and He will direct your paths." Proverbs 3:5-6 Although you may not be able to see the future, trust the step that the Lord is leading you to take right now. He is faithful!

Don't Let Satan Win...

A friend of mine posted this on her Facebook wall the day after the presidential election. So many people were so harsh in their words and so discouraged that I found myself wanting to drown the day in God's Word. I wanted to write something but I couldnt get my numerous thoughts on paper. As I scanned through my newsfeed I came upon this. She put my thoughts on paper perfectly...

Dearest Friends... The devil is very skillful at tempting us to believe that in every difficult situation God is not really in control of what we are facing—and that we had better do something about it right now! What is needed is not an immediate rescue from the situation, but a speedy return to trusting God with it.

Learning to recognize fear as the true enemy will enable us to overcome it. When we realize we are afraid, we must stop and ask ourselves an important question. At this very moment, are we showing that we trust in God, or are we helping Satan win another battle?

Faith is our belief in a reality that we can't yet see. Faith is knowing that God will come through for us, and Fear assumes that He won't.

Fear steals God's peace from our hearts. As a Christian, fear should be your enemy.

"Beloved do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal which comes upon you to prove you, as though something strange were happening to you, but rejoice insofar as you share Christ's sufferings" (1 Peter 4:12f).

One of the elements of fear is the encountering of something unexpected. It takes us off guard, pushes us off balance and creates the sensation that things are out of control and that aimless absurdity reigns. Jesus sweeps all this away by telling us ahead of time very matter-of-factly that if we try to be like our teacher we will be mistreated. We need not be taken off guard or lose our emotional balance; things are not absurd; they are quite under control--all foreseen and predicted by the Lord. Therefore we should not fear. On the contrary it is comforting to see signs that we are part of Jesus' household. How can you fear if you have Jesus as the Lord of your house?
(borrowed from a friend)

Where Now, Lord?

On a rainy day, October 31, 2006, Kendall and I were appointed as missionaries to Zambia, Africa. It seemed so surreal and some days it still seems the same way that it did that rainy night in St. Louis, Missouri. April 21, 2007, with a 2-year-old and a 7 month old we stepped off a British Airways flight and began this amazing missionary journey in Zambia. Many of you have prayed us through all 6 of these amazing years and some of you have just begun, but nonetheless, all of your prayers have been coveted, treasured, needed, and answered. The answers have come in: hundreds of people, if not thousands, hearing the Gospel; thousands of people giving their lives to Christ; our family growing and being healed from spiritual and physical illnesses; God moving in ways that we never would have imagined; new churches being planted and nationals taking the baton and running with it! If I were to list all of the answers to prayer, it would take days. God is so faithful and good! You have been an integral part to our ministry here in Zambia.

God has been stirring our hearts and we feel that our time in Zambia is coming to a close. Our prayer was that God would use us to train up the nationals to reach their own people and we are so blessed to step back and see the growth in the leaders of Nyimba taking over the work and being so fruitful in their efforts. We are unsure what lies ahead for our family. We will be leaving Zambia in April and have begun to fervently ask the Lord to guide us to the next place He would have us serve Him and the Kingdom. This is a prayer praise!! God has answered our prayers and it’s a testimony to our amazing prayer partners! It is also a prayer request, please pray for Kendall and I as we pray and seek the Lord’s face to discern what is the next step for our family. We will continue to send out prayer letters until April, then we will let you know from there. Thank you again for walking with us during this time and interceding on our behalf! It is exciting to see what is “next” and I pray that you will continue to walk with us to see what awesome opportunities the Lord has in store for our family!

Coming Full Circle

"As newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow, thereby, if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is gracious." 
1 Peter 2:2-3

July 2008, was the first time that Kendall taught the leaders of Zone 2. The first teaching was "salvation". That day 12 "leaders" prayed to receive Christ. That day we knew that with a lot of prayer, time, teaching, and patience God would do great things in Zone 2. For the rest of 2008, he taught Jesus Christ and Salvation.
2009-2010, he taught evangelism, faith, hope, and love.
2010, during an overnight meeting people from surrounding villages began throwing stones at the crowd that had gathered to watch the Jesus Film. This did not deter the leaders of Zone 2, it only fueled their passion to share Christ.
2010, they planted the first second generation church in Nyimba...Mbuzi Baptist.
2011, they planted Kamono Baptist Church and baptized 40 people!
August 2012- Kamono opened as a church with baptisms and a celebration meeting.
October 2012- God has laid on their hearts to begin evangelism in another new area called Thandhi Village. Tomorrow, October 19, the leaders are gathering to go to Thandhi Village.
Please pray that the Gospel would continue to explode in this area! It is amazing what the power of prayer and a transformed life can do for Jesus Christ!

This is the letter that Pastor Mwaba gave to Kendall inviting him to join them for evangelism on Friday. Just an awesome encouragement to see these men taking on the work and how God is blessing their efforts to share Christ! They have grown from babes and it is beautiful!

The Simple Things

 

My 2nd Grade Science Fair project at Bethesda Elementary was entitled, "Simple Machines". It was all about pulleys, levers, and inclines. My Daddy was an civil engineering major in college and taught me a great deal about how to make life easier! Well, Lily is in the 2nd grade, and no, I haven't taught her simple machines, she is figuring it out on her own! We were cleaning out the other day and the girls found two buckets they had gotten in America. Then they found a spool of ribbon and began dragging the buckets around the yard with no purpose. Within the next hour, I look and see that Lily has figured out that if she hangs the string over an object the bucket goes up and down! Well, this morning I look outside and the girls have both made simple machines that hold the limes that they are collecting from the ground. After they gather the limes, they put them in the bucket, pull the bucket up and tie it off until they return. It is amazing to me how kids really are so innovative with little things, makes me smile and probably would make their D-daddy grin too!

 

The Rubber Meets The Road

He rode that bike until the rubber was breaking and needed a new tire. He had resorted to riding his sister's bike until his was fixed. Thankfully, his Daddy had thought ahead and bought a spare, just in case! He could not wait to put that new tire on so he could ride again! What better way to learn something than actually doing it?! I looked at the clock, 8:30 a.m., time to start school. When I saw what was happening, I decided that we needed to delay, because although this may not look like much, this was hands on education at its best! To see my precious son smiling, laughing, and learning to do something that he can use his whole life is worth a delay in starting "book" school.



Eternal Investments

Investment is a big word, that is spoken often about money or businesses. Investing in someone is often a difficult task because it takes patience, perserverance, and precious time. Investing in the lives of others has pros and cons. There is great joy and celebration in seeing that person achieve a goal that they have desired to attain and there can be great disappointment when they fail morally or even pass on from this life to the next.

This past Thursday, we received the news that a precious friend, pastor, and Bible School student, Raphael, had passed away from prolonged illness. Daniel, another pastor, friend, and Bible School student died in June. Death is something that we see way too often in Zambia. Thursday, Kendall looked at me and said, “why are such great pastors and good friends dying so young?” That is a hard question, but all I could say in response was, “well, we know that God is in control of the timing of our lives and there is nothing we can do to stop it…but in response to their (Raphael and Daniel) deaths it is even more important now to challenge and encourage pastors to impart wisdom to young leaders, because we never know.” Investing is in lives is not always easy, but we know it is worth it, especially through the perspective of eternity. Please pray for Raphael’s wife and the 10 children that he left behind. Pray for a godly man to step up to be the leader of the church that he led.

“The things which you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses, entrust these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.”  2 Timothy 2:2

Nyimba's First Bible School Graduation

September 23, 2012 was an exciting day for Nyimba and for Kendall. The first two students from the Nyimba Bible School graduated! Jumbe and Grayson are the two men who graduated after fulfilling the requirements of study. They attended three, one-week terms for three years and were faithful in their studies. Bible School is an extension of the Baptist Theological Seminary of Zambia. It is a way for leaders and pastors to grow in their understanding of God's Word and administration of the church. One of Kendall's main goals when we came to Nyimba in 2007 was to start a Bible School. Today was a day of celebration as the first two students graduated! Pray for these men to continue to be faithful in serving the Lord and to apply what they have learned to ministry. Pray also for the 11 other students that have a few more terms to complete to graduate and pray for their diligence and faithfulness to complete what they have begun.

We thank our visitors from the Seminary in Lusaka who came to worship with us and join in this joyous celebration of graduation!

Grayson's family came to celebrate this special day with him!

Jumbe's family all came to see him graduate!

Jumbe shared a word of encouragement and challenge to those in attendance.

Kendall, Jumbe, Grayson, Mr. Mbewe (who taught with Kendall for their Bible School), Gideon (the principal of the Nyimba Bible School), Ezron (the principal of the Baptist Theological Seminary), and Van Thompson (fellow missionary and teacher at the seminary).

Education at Home

I have really settled in and begun to really enjoy homeschooling. I finally gave up my selfish desires and have fully devoted time to preparation and thinking about the goals we want to accomplish in school. The Lord had to do some things in my heart, but I can finally say that I feel like the kids are learning and growing! It is the greatest feeling to spend so much time teaching and investing in the precious blessings that the Lord has given us in Lily, Easton, and Lauren. No the days are not always easy, nor are they always exciting, but one thing is for sure, I wouldn't trade these days!

Easton read Curious George and made him on top of the traffic light!



On the days that Kendall is home, he teaches Lauren. I am so blessed to have a husband who not only wants to help teach but loves teaching! They laugh a lot!

This week, he read Corduroy with a little bit of help! His favorite part of the book was when Corduroy thought he was climbing a mountain but it was just an escalator!

Lily is reading her first chapter book, The Milly-Molly-Mandy Storybook. She loves seeing what adventures MMM had that day! She made paper dolls to play with when she isn't reading!