Fall Update 2021

Sun, 03 Oct 2021 16:07:00 +0000

Fall Update 2021

-Finally reunited! We were so happy to have our whole family together again after such a long time.

-Our travel to the States looked so different this time. There was a lot of room on the plane going to LA though. Face shields and face masks the whole flight was very challenging.

-First stop is always a Tucson classic. Eegee's!

Short Trip Back

As you might recall, we traveled back to the States for 2 months last May. It was a whirlwind trip and we praise God we were able to do it.

Left just in time before Julie's visa expired.
Finally got to see Nhaya after WAY too long. (we missed so much- High School Graduation, her 18th Birthday, going to college for the first time)
Able to spend time with Julie's family in the States. We even got to attend a family reunion.
Visited many of our supporting churches and friends even with limited time.
Sent Caleb off to his first overseas short-term missions trip with Royal Servants.
Did medical check-ups and got vaccinated.

So much squeezed into a short time. It felt like we were making up for a whole year of being trapped at home in just 2 short months.

Good old Arizona does not disappoint. Boys were in heaven!

Family reunion in Colorado was a highlight!

That's a lot of cousins, and not even all of them!

Cowboys for a day!

Family bonding time. ;)

Gilmer had the privilege of speaking at our sending church, CCC.

Driving practice.

A little hiking time.

I think it's been nearly four months since I rode to the big park to the south of us. I made it there on Wednesday for a solo picnic. I’ve had a lot of Zoom time in the second half of this month. So when it dawned on me on Wednesday morning that I had a small window where I could escape from the house (and work), I seized it.

Even though we’ve had some hot days this week, the season is definitely early autumn. Nights have cooled down. In the park some of the leaves are starting to change. And though Wednesday was a warm day, it was a tad cool in the shade at times.

As I always do before going on a longer ride, I'd checked the weather and there was no forecast of rain. But as I got closer to the park, the sky got greyer and the wind stronger. Had the forecasters made a mistake? When I arrived, I pulled up my trusty weather app and looked at the radar. There was a small thunderstorm headed my way! So I parked myself at a table near a small non-ornate gazebo and ate lunch.

Thankfully it never did rain, though it looked like it could for quite some time. The sky eventually cleared to the white puffy clouds we’d started the day with.

If I'd hung around longer, I might have gotten
better captures of these two bugs who were
very intent on harvesting the remains of this
past-its-prime flower. I think they are Middle-east
flower scarabs.

After I ate I read for a while and then took some time searching for photos, having been inspired by a nature photography seminar I participated in the day before. The seminar encouraged us to take our time, to breathe, to be renewed as we looked for things to photograph. I have for some years now been on the lookout for things to capture, often small or unusual things or angles, but mostly opportunistic things. That is, as I’m out and about doing other things. It was good to take a few minutes to change focus a little bit, to feel like it’s more than okay to do that. In the midst of so many video calls and intense interaction, it was very good to be out in the fresh air, and away from buildings and people.

But this morning, as I sat in my relaxing chair in our lounge room, rotating between various activities: Scrabble, game on phone, Japanese vocab and kanji (character) review, I’ve been reflecting on the last couple of weeks and wondering why I’m feeling a bit buffetted. I think it’s not just the busyness of those days, but also the emotional highs and lows. And a list is good to help explain that, so in the last two weeks I’ve—

Light was difficult for capturing this ant,
but I tried.

Led nine hours of meetings with my magazine team over two days. This was an emotional high, but also a heavy responsibility that exhausts me.
Sat through two days of online field conference, during which we farewelled ten colleagues who are retiring in the coming year and brought tears.
Interacted in person, via text, and on video calls with a handful of friends and colleagues who wanted to know how I really was, and I got mixed responses. One of which really disappointed me and others that really lifted me up.
Had to share briefly in a small group of OMF colleagues about the challenges of the last 18 months. I know none of these people well, and wasn’t sure how much to share. It turns out my brief summary was enough to make them feel like they had nothing significant to share :-( So I felt that perhaps I did have reason to be feeling a bit overwhelmed and tired, if other people, who hadn't heard most of the details, are taken aback.
Made a small step forward in planning for the next few months for a member of our family. It was a small, but significant step that had me feeling elated.
Low-key celebrations of a birthday and our wedding anniversary.
Led a prayer meeting online for our mission. At night, which is a challenge for me.
Had an article published in the US that was quite personal (it’s here). It was great to have a writing opportunity, but also emotional to get my thoughts out there.

That’s probably enough! Yes, I think there are a few reasons there to feel like I’m a bit depleted. So in retrospect I see that the couple of hours I was able to spend in the park on Wednesday was a real gift from God. As is this quiet weekend. And no, I’m not going to be an overachiever today. I think sitting quietly is really okay, otherwise I’m probably going to end up saying someone to someone that I really will regret (a classic sign of exhaustion for me).

So, here are a few photos from my God-given time out.

Summer cypress

Balloon flower.

Not exactly where I sat to eat and read, but close by. You get the idea that this park has
some lovely tall trees, and more than a few.

A dahlia, I think, reaching for the sky.

Throwback Thursday!

Thu, 14 Oct 2021 19:31:00 +0000

5 years is a big milestone. As a ministry, Manna 4 Lempira began six years ago in Mercedes, with the Tablon and Betania programs beginning 5 years ago, and the Quelacasque program opening 4 years ago. That means that our programs are an average of 5 years old, and we think that is something to celebrate!

5 years of ministry means:

5 years of knowing the children and building relationships.
5 years of growth, as the program serves 10 times the original number of children!
5 years of letters exchanged between children and sponsors.
5 years of getting to know wonderful sponsors around the world, who encourage us as a ministry team and make this great mission possible through their prayers and support.
5 years of celebrations—holidays, birthdays, anniversaries!
5 years of support in hard times, including the deaths of beneficiaries and their family members, illnesses, as well as the economic, emotional challenges produced by COVID.
5 years of backpacks and shoes, which equals 5 more years of education for each beneficiary.
5 years encouraged by God’s Word through the Sunday School programs.
5 years of training, encouragement, and support for pastors and teachers in our partner churches.
5 years blessed by the inspiring faith of the families and churches that we serve.

While we rejoice in these successes, we know that the work as far from finished. As we have reached the goal of seeing our programs firmly established and worked out many growing pains, we are in the process of setting new goals. Our time ministering in the churches and communities has given us insight into how we can better support the work of each partner in reaching children and families with the gospel of Christ.

So what might the next 5 years bring? Here are some of our future goals:

We hope to visit the homes of even more beneficiaries, especially those considered at risk or of children with special needs to evaluate how we can best serve these families.

Focus on growth in our youth programs is critical, as many of our beneficiaries are now adolescents.
Providing more training for teachers and pastors in how to use the tools we provide for ministry so we can wisely use resources.
Continually improving the ministry of letter writing between sponsors and children is a perpetual goal.

Please continue to pray for us as we seek to serve children, families, churches, communities, and sponsors to the glory of God and His Kingdom!

This Sunday, the Tablon partner church has planned a party to celebrate the children. We hope you enjoy the “Glow-up” photos of the children we serve, showing their first program photo and the most recent program photo!

-posted by Kim

mid-week bonus

Tue, 26 Oct 2021 00:39:00 +0000

On 9/11, five days after Jennifer's accident, one of the former teachers of our kids in Bundibugyo (Michelle Lee) sent me a link to a song which she and her kids learned at a YoungLives camp last summer. I wept while listening to this song over and over and over...

Take a couple of minutes and listen to this beautiful song HERE...

Jennifer has been playing this on the piano this week --which is a spine-tingling experience.

Better days…

Fri, 24 Sep 2021 13:49:00 +0000

A friend asked yesterday, “How’s Jennifer doing?” So, I started listing off all the things she did during the day:

- went for a ride in Luke & Abby’s rental Jeep up into the woods of our farm and walked about 200 yards (slowly and with support).

- came back and did some therapy exercises in the yard

- napped for 2 hours

- morning and afternoon coffee

- evening shower

- sat on the front porch and listened to an audio book

- grilled salmon and pasta feast in the evening

- FaceTime with pretty much all of the immediate family.

Pretty good day.

(Woke up this morning after 10 hours of sleep still feeling exhausted—did we over do it yesterday, maybe, but I think that it just the nature of her body saying I need more restorative, healing sleep).

These are all answers to prayer. Thanks to all.

Video: Important Drawbridge Update

Sat, 02 Oct 2021 13:00:00 +0000

Thank you for being a part of our ministry through your prayers and giving! Please take two minutes to watch this short video for an important update on Drawbridge Creations.

As we said in the video, we are hoping to raise the rest of our project fund before the end of this year. If we can get this fund fully raised, we’ll be able to keep producing and sharing new content at Waypoints.jp until at least the end of 2023. This chart shows where we’re at in our fundraising:

Here’s a basic breakdown of our budget:

$21,160 — Artists
$800 — Website hosting, etc
$5,440 — Promo, printing, shipping
$2,600 — Office equipment
$4,091 — Admin fees

The amount we pay artists depends on the length of the story they illustrate, but you could average it out to about $1200 per story, meaning if a person or church gives that much they are essentially helping us create one more Bible-based manga.

Please consider us in your church missions budget or personal end-of-year giving! And at the very least, please pray for us as we pursue this goal!

Giving method info is below. If you have any questions, please let us know! Thank you!

office@wesleyan.ca

To invest in Drawbridge Creations, please give as outlined below:

American supporters can give online HERE. // Or, make checks payable and mail to Global Partners, 13300 Olio Road Suite 400, Fishers, IN 46037. Note that it is for Fund # WM06-1575 (The GP Manga Project).

Canadian supporters can give online HERE. In the “To” section, choose “Drawbridge Creations – evangelism publications.” // Donations can also be made by e-transfer to office@wesleyan.ca. // Or, to give offline, make cheques payable and mail to The Wesleyan Church of Canada, PO Box 4458, Sussex, NB, E4E 5L6. Note that it is for Fund # GMF09 — WM06-1575 (Drawbridge Creations).

Thanks again, and God bless you!

Being Transported

Sat, 09 Oct 2021 21:11:17 +0000

Psalm 1:2-3 2 but whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and who meditates on his law day and night.3 That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in seasonand whose leaf does not wither— whatever they do prospers. This summer we transplanted several plants including 2 trees to make a small Japanese garden. The trees were very healthy. One had a fairly large root ball while the other had a…

Update #15: 17Sep 22:45

Sat, 18 Sep 2021 02:50:00 +0000

A better day in rehab today.

I didn’t expect that Jennifer’s comment about her situation being a “dystopian reality show” would result in a response which would transform her bleak room into a floral sanctuary. Thanks all.

Physical therapy worked a lot with her today on balance and movement. She’s moving better, but still needs a wheelchair or walker to go even short distances (e.g., the bathroom). The NeuroPsych doc spent over an hour with her giving both encouragement about the possibility of full recovery as well as speaking frankly about how it is impossible to predict what the timeline will look like. It’s looking like it’s possible that we might be able to transition out of the inpatient rehab in the middle of next week and move her home to our little farm house. Then we would begin outpatient rehab visits. It’s beginning to become clear how we are going to be moving continuously from one follow-up visit to another—PT, OT, TBI Clinic, Eye Clinic, PMR…

Meanwhile here at the Farm — or as the kids call it, “Bag End”, Bilbo Baggins and Frodo’s little corner of the Shire—we are preparing for her return. Setting up a bedroom on the first floor which requires bringing a bed downstairs—through the window because the stairs are so narrow. Julia and Caleb worked themselves to exhaustion today…cleaning, moving Jennifer’s clothing downstairs, baking cookies, sorting and trashing. And Jack and Luke (and Botu, their Golden Retriever) are doing a marathon 30-hour drive from Salt Lake City to Buckhannon. Oh my.

A 21st Century Convert from Buddhism and a 19th Century Scottish Preacher

Wed, 22 Sep 2021 17:02:41 +0000

This past summer, at my denomination’s General Assembly meetings in St. Louis, I enjoyed getting to know a Korean brother who was a committed Buddhist until he came to Christ at 55 years old. As he tells it, he wasn't a nominal or cultural Buddhist either, but was dedicated to meditation and studying Buddhism in Chinese. I asked him what finally brought about the change in his life. "The grace of God!" was his reply. I said "Amen!” to that but pressed him further. What was it that attracted him to Christ? It is no small thing, after all, to be dedicated to one religious faith your whole adult life and then suddenly change.

He said that he ultimately found Buddhism to be incomplete and unsatisfactory. In Buddhist meditation, which he practiced often, he sought to empty his mind. According to Buddhism, it is thought that all suffering is caused by desire. Thus, if you want to be free from suffering, you need to be free from desire. Do not want anything or be attached to anything, whether good or bad. Emptying your mind is a way of detaching oneself from the world and its desires. However, he said it was very hard to do because when he tried to not think about anything, all sorts of other thoughts immediately flooded in... or he fell asleep because he had been trying to meditate too long.

Rev. Thomas Chalmers, 1780 - 1847. Preacher and social reformerIn the midst of his dissatisfaction with Buddhism, he heard the Gospel and realized that it was Christ that he was looking for. Even so, as a new believer, he was still somewhat confused about how Christianity related to his old faith and his attempts to empty his mind. In the midst of this confusion, reading Thomas Chalmers' sermon, "The Expulsive Power of New Affection”, made a huge difference in his life. If you've never read this classic sermon by the 19th-century Scottish preacher, Chalmers argues that you can not truly get rid of desires for sinful things apart from focusing on positive things, namely the grace and glory of the Lord Jesus Christ. Old desires need to be replaced with new ones. Although Buddhism teaches that the goal of meditation is emptying your mind, that is ultimately impossible. Our minds are always going to be filled with something. Our minds will be filled with sin or with Christ. As Chalmers preached, we can rid our minds of sinful thoughts by filling them with godly thoughts. That’s the key biblical truth that helped this Korean brother get on a firm foundation in Christ that paved the way for further growth in faith and understanding.

The grace of God is working today to change hearts and renew minds… and from beyond the grave, a nineteenth-century Scotsman is preaching to a twenty-first-century convert from Buddhism. You never know how the Holy Spirit will use Biblical truth, clearly and powerfully presented, in unexpected ways and places.

If you'd like to read Chalmers sermon, you can read it online for free or on Kindle for $0.99 (affiliate link)

Germany

Sun, 19 Sep 2021 07:22:00 +0000

This last week I have been in Germany for the International Pastors' Retreat. We stay in a conference and holiday centre in a small town called Teisendorf, very near to the Austrian border and on the Munich to Salzburg railway line.

I took the TGV to Paris Charles de Gaulle airport to catch a flight to Munich and then the train to Teisendorf. I knew that a colleague would be on the same flight as me, but I'd never seen him. By the time the crowded aeroplane took off we'd identified each other and were able to get out ticket to Teisendorf together. He speaks German. I'd done the journey before. We made a good team.

I flew Lufthansa and it was a pleasant experience. I got the cheapest type of ticket. You get to stuff your bag under the seat (mine fitted fine) and you also get a bottle of water and a small piece of chocolate - which I missed on the outward journey because I was asleep. You also get taken to your destination at the same time as everyone else.

Getting the German trains was uneventful and at the station at Teisendorf we met some American colleagues and walked together to the conference centre. In all about 6 to 7 hours on trains and planes and the associated waiting around.

The conference centre is modern, clean and well-designed and I had paid a little extra to have a single room. Pat had been due to accompany me but her back is not yet up to the journey. Apart from the bed being somewhat hard and the duvet really warm, the centre gives you everything you need for a comfortable stay.

Oh yes, and the food is very German, by which I mean that there's ham, salami, bacon, sausage and pork everywhere. The pig monopoly is occasionally broken by veal or by turkey, which in German is called Pute, much to the horror of the French folk.

The conference is made up of three main threads. Firstly there's a Bible exposition from Jonah given by an American pastor from Landstuhl in Germany. I still find accents and cultural references hard to wrestle with so they do impair my comprehension. Secondly there are reports from the various attendees, followed by prayer. Then there's some practical input, this time on discipleship, given by a retired MAF missionary.

Chez le médecin

Sun, 10 Oct 2021 06:49:00 +0000

So a visit to the doctor was due. For some years I have frequented a doctor in Villenave, the town where we first rented a little house in France. She’s great. She’s also 30 minutes tram ride and 20 minutes walk away. Meanwhile two new young doctors have opened their offices 10 minutes walk from our flat. The one doctor is an hairy doctor, bearded and with a man bun. The other doctor is a smooth doctor, shaven headed. I went to see the hairy doctor with a little list of issues. Among them :

Is my left ear blocked? I have the stuff from the pharmacist but I cannot manage to look down my own ear, no matter how I try. I’d very much like it if you could peer down my ear and relate what you perceive. He looked. It is.

So am I doing the best thing? I have xylene drops and a rubber ear squirting bulb. What about using hydrogen peroxide (eau oxygénée) or bicarbonate of soda ?

He shuddered at the idea. No, xylene is the good stuff. Carry on.

Another question concerned mosquito bites. Lately I’m a martyr to them, I really am. In the good old days you’d get an itchy little lump that you must not scratch. Now you get a massive inflammation that seems to last for weeks and penetrates into your joints (they especially go for your ankles, wrists and elbows)

It’s these new tiger mosquitos. Not only are they more agressive. Not only do they hunt all day instead of just at sunrise and twilight. They also have a more allergenic saliva, so they provoke a more extreme reaction in people that are sensitive to them.

So am I using the right stuff? I showed him the tube of hydrocortisone cream spiked with painkillers that the pharmacist gave me. I put this on and it’s healed in perhaps three days.

This stronger steroid cream is the stuff to use. Put this on and it will be healed right away.

That’s a promise? A promise is for those who hear it, he said.

Anyone into Pitching Reality TV Series?

Tue, 12 Oct 2021 17:52:00 +0000

Someone should really turn the backpack collection trip into a reality television program. Picture it. Penske trucks driven over the span of weeks to multiple locations to pick up a slew of backpacks, all across scenic America. It really has everything you could ever want from a reality television program. We’ll call it The Real Missionaries of Honduras: Backpack Collection Trip Edition. It has a ring to it, don’t you think? Well, maybe it’s a little long, so we can abbreviate it to TRMoH. Obviously, too late to film this year's trip - but never too early to start planning for next years!

If this year had been filmed, this season of TRMoH: Backpack Collection Trip Edition would have started two days after Christopher and Audrey’s nuptials. Russell and Kirstin were in the Penske for the first leg of the trip. Because every reality show needs drama, they were on a tight schedule this year.

There is a push to get the shipping containers filled earlier than usual this year. Over the past year, there have been some challenges getting the shipping containers of food, due in part to the shippers having trouble getting trucks to haul the containers to port. The Real Missionaries of Honduras are anticipating delays, but they still need those backpacks before the Honduran school year begins. They completed the paperwork in Honduras earlier than usual. Russell and Kirstin pushed through their leg to get all of the backpack collected as quickly as possible. In Indianapolis, they had to rent a second Penske, as in years past, to be able to tote all the backpacks - praise the Lord!

After the west-to-east leg of the trip were done, then of course they still had to do the East Coast leg and the Southern States leg. For this part of the trip, Kirstin tapped out and Allen took her spot. Russell completed the whole trip this year. Since there were three legs of the trip, one of which took two trucks, they rented a total of four Penske trucks - maybe if S4P can't get a reality TV series, they should look into doing ads for Penske?

If you were following the journey in almost real time, it might seem like they weren't going all that fast. That’s because they stopped along the way to speak at churches. Sometimes they arrived at a location before it was time to speak. That gave them a little bit of downtime for those all-important “having fun” scenes you need in a reality TV show.

You probably recall that there was some concern over whether or not this trip would happen. While COVID has created some inconveniences, it couldn’t keep a good backpack collection trip down. The biggest issue, outside of rising expenses, has probably been finding places to eat along the way. Dine-in areas of restaurants are closed in a lot of areas. Drive-thrus are open, but you can’t drive through in a gigantic moving truck. You will be interested to know that you aren’t allowed to walk through a drive-thru either. The restrictions vary in each area, but that just keeps things fresh and interesting for the viewer.

You might notice that photos of the backpacks in the Penske trucks at the end of each leg show that they were pretty-much-but-not-quite completely full. While it may look like there’s still room for more boxes, they have to consider the weight of the truck, too. Every year there is concern that the trucks won't be full (a source of tension for the TV show, right?), so everyone at Sowers4Pastors wants to give a big shout out to everyone who has filled backpacks this year! What could have been a skimpy year is not turning out skimpy at all!

Ongoing prayers are appreciated. Everything is more expensive this year. Everything. Penske did offer a discount to Sowers4Pastors for being a loyal customer. Even so, the price is up from last year. Plus, fuel costs are up. And the shipping containers… Prices are up by about 5 times and they are still rising. There are a lot of people who would love to help with backpacks, but they don’t live in an area where someone in a Penske truck can swing by and pick them up. If that’s you, there is still a way you can help. You can go to the Sowers4Pastors website and click on the Donate page. Go to the dropdown category for Backpack Project to help with the added expenses.

Kirstin mentioned that a lot of people on the trip expressed relief that the backpacks were out of their home, and they were already starting next year's packing!! Obviously, the crew at S4P appreciates this attitude and wants to say thank you to everyone who packed and made this year's trip a successful one! Whether you plan to pack backpacks or not, prayers for next year's trip are appreciated! S4P hope and plans and prays to do it next year as well - it is certainly the goal!

Overall, things have gone really well and there are many reasons to be thankful. You might recall that last year’s trip meant dodging California wildfires, snowstorms, and a hurricane in Louisiana. This year’s drive has been comparatively calm and peaceful. The crew at Sowers4Pastors is grateful for all your prayers!! Please pray that the containers are filled and ready to be moved in a timely manner. Fictional reality show or not, everyone wants to keep the drama to a minimum!

- posted by Christi.

Update #13: 15Sep 22:35

Thu, 16 Sep 2021 02:40:00 +0000

Breaking News: Jennifer has been transferred to the Encompass Rehabilitation Hospital! Answer to prayer. Thanks all for the prayers.

The day was long. Waiting, waiting. But then we got the news and things accelerated quickly. The most amazing intersection occurred at 5pm: Jennifer rolled out of the front door of the towering University Hospital in a wheelchair; Julia and Abby arrived from their long SLC-CLT-PIT flight in a car rental; and Josiah and Barbra Bancroft rolled in from Philly on their way to lead a Sonship weekend in Kentucky. What a reunion! Mom sucked in the balmy summer air she has been dreaming of and we all feasted our eyes on her sitting in the front of that Jeep, clothed in her WV “Home” t-shirt.

Since only one person could be part of the in-processing at the rehab center, I went to dinner with Josiah and Barbra while the kids took Jennifer to Encompass. The report from Abby is that Jennifer’s room is “bleak.” Barren. No decor. No furniture save the hospital bed. Perhaps it will motivate Jennifer to work harder to graduate from the program and get home.

So now we enter this new phase. Jennifer will be in intensive Physical, Occupational (and perhaps Speech?) therapy. We can send only one visitor to joint her from noon-8pm. Tomorrow-Julia (who leaves Sunday to go back to her MBA classes at U of Utah); Friday-Abby…and beyond that not yet determined.

Luke and Jack (and Botu) are planning to drive from SLC starting Friday. Those guys are crazy. Couldn’t talk them out of it.

Prayer Requests for Rehab:

Continuing progress in regaining strength, balance, coordination, and sight.
Good relationships with the staff for Jennifer.
That Jennifer would be encouraged by the visits of her kids, one-at-a-time.

And finally, a Quote of the Day (from early this morning):

Me: Who should we call? I can’t remember who wanted to talk to you today…

Caleb: Everyone wants to talk to mom. We should start auctioning off slots to talk to mom.

Mom: Limited time left. Hurry up.

“Religious Exemptions”

Wed, 29 Sep 2021 19:31:01 +0000

Pastor Keith Marshall from Hope Lutheran Church in Enumclaw, Washington, USA, wrote an article for a local paper (the Courier-Herald) entitled “What does your faith exempt you from?” Taking a picture of the article to share online, he had no idea that it would soon go viral. I started reading the article, at first thinking […]

Late Night Music

Sat, 23 Oct 2021 06:56:00 +0000

I love coming through in the morning to make a pot of tea only to discover that one, or both of my boys have been playing their instruments late in to the night and maybe even had a jamming session together.

This pic is of Joel's personal pride & joy; his PRS, and what really blesses and excites me about knowing he's once again picking up his guitar to play is that his desire to play is born out of his time spent at church and with his youth group. We just know that in that environment he is being constantly encouraged and it warms one's heart.

Recently Eli has been getting up at silly-O-clock, going for a 5k run and then spending an hour or so before school playing his piano, which again really blesses us.

Lately however, he's been leaving his book on the piano and it's amazing to flick through and see how he's been experimenting with notes and chords and to see that he's keeping a record of his progress.

This really blesses my soul!

As someone who doesn't have a musical bone in his body, is tone deaf and can't sing, this makes me very chuffed for my boys.

First follow-up appt

Tue, 28 Sep 2021 02:16:00 +0000

The days since discharge from the rehab center have fallen into a certain rhythm. Morning coffee with Luke, Abby and Jack. Some sort of outing, usually organized by Luke, which involves getting Jennifer into the (rental) Jeep and going somewhere for a short walk. Coming back for scrumptious food made by Abby—or sent by friends. A nap for Jennifer. Repeat.

Today, Luke flew back to Salt Lake City. And we headed back to the WVU Medical Campus for our first outpatient follow-up with the ophthamologist. Jennifer has a “third cranial nerve injury”—not sure exactly where the nerve is injured along its pathway from the midbrain to the eye, but it is a serious injury which has resulted in a droopy eyelid, a dilated pupil, and impaired ability to move the eye upwards, inwards, and downwards—which is causing double vision. They were able to document some improvement in the eye movements since she was in the ICU, but we heard for the first time today that the wide dilatation of the pupil is likely to be a permanent outcome (it seems that the pupillary function is controlled by sympathetic fibers running along the outside of CNIII which are more vulnerable to traumatic injury). That is disappointing on a number of levels. A permanently dilated pupil makes bright light uncomfortable. The accommodation reflex of the eye which causes the lens to thicken bringing near objects into focus—will not be possible now. And the asymmetric appearance of the eyes will be disconcerting to Jennifer.

We are still asking for prayer for the extraocular muscle function (governing eye movements) to fully return. That is our hope and prayer. We will be returning monthly to the WVU Eye Center to monitor the progress—and they expect that the improvement may continue over the next 6-9 months. There are surgical options we would rather avoid if recovery of function is inadequate.

This is hard news to hear. We continue to be thankful for the preservation of Jennifer’s life and look forward to “seeing” how this unfolds for the God’s purposes.

Flu jab

Fri, 22 Oct 2021 15:24:00 +0000

The letter came last week and told me to go and get myself vaccinated against the 'flu from 26th October.

I made a mental note. Yesterday evening I recalled my mental note and decided to call the pharmacy to arrange a vaccination. So this morning at about 9am I took action on my decision.

"Hallo. It's for the anti-'flu vaccinations. It starts next week. Do I need to make an appointment?"

"We've started today. They've brought the date forward and you can just come in with your letter."

So in went I went and in went the needle. No blood, so no sticking plaster.

Off I went again.

A Tribute to Marilyn Laszlo (copied with permission from a Facebook post)

Tue, 14 Sep 2021 15:57:05 +0000

“My Aunt Marilyn Laszlo passed away on Thursday, September 9, 2021. The work she accomplished in her life was amazing and she inspired so many people. I would encourage you to read her story.
Marilyn Joyce Laszlo went to be with her Lord and Savior on September 9, 2021. She was 88.

She was born on July 20, 1933, in Gary, Indiana. She was the daughter of Martin and Lois (Jewell) Laszlo, who preceded her in death.

Marilyn was raised on the Laszlo Family Farm in Liberty Township, and she loved helping her dad in the fields. In 1951, she graduated from Liberty Township High School. Starting in 1949, her sophomore year in high school, Marilyn began to play on the championship softball team of the Valparaiso Strongbow Queens and continued with the team through 1960. In 1959, she received her Bachelor’s Degree from Bryan College in History and her Master’s Degree in Education from Indiana University in 1961. In 1986, Marilyn was awarded the Alumni of the Year Award from Bryan College, and in 2003 Bryan College bestowed their honorary Doctorate of Letters upon her.

Marilyn started her professional career as a high school teacher in Michigan and Indiana. Soon after beginning her teaching career, she answered the call of God to become a missionary. In 1965, Marilyn joined Wycliffe Bible Translators and studied linguistics at the Summer Institute of Linguistics at the University of Oklahoma. Wycliffe chose Marilyn to be a Bible Translator, and in 1968, Marilyn and her translation partner arrived in Hauna Village. Hauna is located deep in the jungles on the East Sepik River in Papua New Guinea.

Marilyn, along with her original translation partner, had to take the unwritten language of Hauna, which is the Sepik Iwam language, and create a written language. Developing the language entailed creating an alphabet while also learning how to speak the language. Unfortunately, Marilyn’s original translation partner left after five years for another assignment. Marilyn was then joined by her sister Shirley Killosky. As Marilyn translated the Bible, Shirley taught the people of Hauna to read and write their language. Together, Marilyn and Shirley also did medical work and trained the people of Hauna to operate a local school, store, medical clinic, and church.

Marilyn completed the Bible translation in 1990, and the Bible was dedicated in 1991. One of Marilyn’s most memorable moments during this time was bringing a team of six men from Hauna for a speaking tour throughout the United States. They even spoke at a Billy Graham Crusade.

Marilyn retired as a translator in 1991 and became a national speaker for Wycliffe through 2003. In 2003, Marilyn started Laszlo Mission League. She continued as a national speaker and raised money for special projects around the world and in Papua New Guinea. In 2012, Marilyn retired from speaking due to the advancement of Alzheimer’s disease. In 2013, Marilyn returned to Hauna to say her final goodbyes to the people of Hauna.
During her lifetime, Marilyn recorded four record albums, with her singing partner Beverly Entz, at Pinebrook Recording Studios (owned by Gaither Music Group and now called Gaither Studios) in Alexandria, Indiana. In addition, she had three books written about her work in Hauna: Miracle in Cannibal Country; Mission Possible; and A is for Airstrip. She also had three movies created about her work: Mountain of Light, Come By Here (Angel Award winner), and Return to Hauna (Angel Award winner).

Marilyn was passionate about: her work in Hauna, the importance of missionary work, helping young people discover their career path, her family, her Hungarian heritage, and her upbringing in Liberty Township. Today, there are thousands of missionaries on the mission field worldwide because of the impact of hearing Marilyn speak, reading her books, or watching her films. She was a true inspiration. Marilyn’s work is continuing in the Sepik River region through her organization Laszlo Mission League.

Marilyn is survived by her sisters Shirley Killosky of Garden City, ID and Fay (Lou) Popp of Chesterton and her nieces and nephews, James Killosky of Porter; Lisa (Jim) Holm of Boise, ID; Don Killosky of Garden City, ID; Lorelei Weimer of Chesterton; Robert (Carla) Laszlo of Issaquah, WA; Tracy Popp of Key West, FL.; Martin (Brandi) Miller of Murrells Inlet, SC; Carrie (Steve) Cieliesz of Valparaiso; Jody (Tom Barrineau) Miller of Murrells Inlet, SC; Suzanne (Michael) Olson of Knoxville, TN; and Leo (Natalie) Miller of Chesterton.
She was preceded in death by her parents, sister Carolyn Miller Prosser, and niece Michele Weimer Tribole.

The family wants to extend a special thank you to Glenna Amburgey, Karen Garza, and Audrey Swieczkowski for taking such wonderful, loving care of Marilyn during her final years.

A Celebration of Life service will be held on October 5, 2021, at 6:00 p.m. at Liberty Bible Church at 824 North Calumet, Chesterton, Indiana. Topher Philgreen will officiate. The service will also be livestreamed. Visit http://www.laszlomissionleague.com
for information on the livestream.

Donations in memory of Marilyn can be made to Laszlo Mission League for the Marilyn Laszlo Legacy Fund. This fund will endow a perpetual scholarship to women pursuing mission work or Bible translation. You can donate at http://www.laszlomissionleague.com.
Edmonds and Evans Funeral Home made arrangements.”

Cory's Delice Visit

Thu, 07 Oct 2021 11:48:00 +0000

Extra large sweet potato

My visit to Delice went well. Delayed in July and August, it was good to finally visit in person with the workers, Agape Kids and do some work in the gardens and house.

Heading up the mountain with more of the fence.

The timing was extra good since the Agape kids were unexpectedly relocated to Port au Prince on Saturday.

I had planned to drive them to the church at their school for their monthly visit but at least I met and prayed with them the day they left, also giving a devotional book and candy.

Hail damage to Malay Apple tree leaves

The trees and gardens varied in health, some things growing well and some things doing poorly.

The July hail didn't help. Some things looked untouched and other plants showed damaged leaves or fruit.

Coffee fruiting after a year in a sheltered location

Haiti is so unstable and the fuel shortage is getting worse.

So I decided I would leave the less urgent work undone and change my ticket to return early in the week instead of Friday.

Coffee not doing well

When transport unions and factories called for a country-wide lockdown/protest Monday, my taxi driver called recommending we go to the airport area early Sunday.

I agreed and stayed at a hotel Sunday night. Travel was uneventful although the mountain road was so eroded it took 3 hours instead of the usual 2-2.5.

Break time at school

Satellite internet sheild that let rain into the receiver

A surprise new crop with potential - Chia, a high value,
high nutrition food, growing next to unhealthy looking cabbage

The Field, Honor, CV, Vitoria, Madalena, Manuel…

Sun, 12 Sep 2021 10:23:25 +0000

With every death in our hospital, at least several weekly, I have the opportunity to reassess my attitude and effort on the behalf of those seeking my help and putting their trust in my care. There is a saying tossed around in sports that I think is applicable to life with Jesus. You will hear […]

Weddings

Fri, 22 Oct 2021 15:35:00 +0000

So tomorrow is the civil wedding of two of our church members. I am the groom's witness, so we'll scuttle off to the Charente, the neighbouring department to the north of us, about an hour's drive to the village of Messac, rendez-vous at the town hall at 4.

Next week is the wedding ceremony for Catrin, our daughter. It's going to be EXHAUSTING!

It starts with a "hendo" - in French "the burial of the life of the young girl". This means Catrin and her girlie friends rampaging around and having girly fun. All day.

Thursday is the barbers. I am relying on Clement to produce the best possible version of myself.

Friday is when my involvement starts. I have some folk to collect from the airport and then a team goes to decorate the room.

Saturday is THE BIG DAY. I have to walk about 10 yards while looking as elegant as I can without upstaging my daughter. My son-in-law, of course, is fair game.

Sunday is THE BIG SLEEP. Rory is preaching. Thanks, Rory!

Update #10: 12Sep 8pm

Mon, 13 Sep 2021 00:11:00 +0000

Another day of progress.

We arrived to find her more alert and more articulate than yesterday. The words flowed freely and smoothly throughout the morning.

Quotes of the day.

We came in after she requested the nurse to come in and help her toilet in the bedside commode.

“I told my nurse that my youngest son is 23 years old. It’s seems to have been a 23 year pause between the major indignities. I thought I was done with such indignities but I just took a 23 year pause.” (Needing help to go potty seems to feel like a major humiliation).

Reacting to the news of Biden mandating vaccination for all companies with 100 employees or more— Jennifer said, “Public Health and Personal Choice are often at odds. And Americans have a hard time when their personal freedoms are limited — but they will agree to it to prevent people from driving drunk or driving 150 mph…”

Caleb said, “I think she’s ready to go home.”

I gave her my iPad and she typed The Quick Brown Fox Jumped Over the Lazy Dog (slowly with a lot of typos- but the autocorrect fixed ‘em).

She stayed awake for about 6 hours today and felt completely exhausted by the dinner time—but that amount of awake time is also a huge piece of progress.

The Chief Trauma Surgeon came is and talked at length about her progress, her prognosis, and the hurdles ahead. We have a lot of rehab ahead which she warned will generate frustration and anger. We just need to give her time and space.

So, tomorrow—potentially—she could be discharged from this the University Hospital to an inpatient rehab facility. Pray for that.

Hope and Memory in Hidden Valleys

Thu, 28 Oct 2021 12:03:28 +0000

Dear friends,

Our latest print-friendly newsletter is linked below and will be appearing in mailboxes soon. (Click on the image to view it full-size in your browser.)

We also sent out an email with a few announcements and prayer requests that you won’t see posted publicly here or on our social media accounts. If you’d like to receive these email updates, please sign up here.

Thank you for your faithful partnership and for praying with us. It’s always great to hear from you, too, so please stay in touch!

With much love and appreciation,

Blair, Dina and Josiah

The post Hope and Memory in Hidden Valleys appeared first on Bonins in Belgium.

Where are you from?

Sat, 25 Sep 2021 12:14:21 +0000

September 25, 2021 – We are spending more time at the Ann Arbor store as we are looking for some part-time workers for the store. We are meeting many folks who are drawn into the store because of the bright colors and diverse things we sell.

As we explain the store and our concept of helping the poor, disenfranchised, persecuted, and disabled around the world, they resonate with it. Many ask do you have anything from my country? To which we ask where are you from? We are amazed at the number of countries and ethnic groups we have encountered. They are from Latin America, Africa, Asia, and Europe. Some speak with their son or daughter translating for them, others speak with broken English, and others with just a slight accent.

As I respond to whether or not we have anything from their part of the world, I am struck by the diversity of people that are all around us. Many that talk to us seem downhearted and sad about their country or region as they are quick to share their opinion. Most are glad to be here but know folks who do not have the opportunities they have in the US.

As I write this to you I am sensing that God is about to use the store to begin some ministry to the ethnic folks around the store. I have no idea what it will be but I know in my spirit when God starts to move.

Join us in praying about the opportunities God has and is giving us with the economic work we are doing and how we can impact the folks around the store.

Join us in our ongoing prayers for workers – no one is looking and everyone in the area is hiring. Pray that God sends us the right folks with a similar mission and purpose to join our team.

Continue to pray for our personal support as well.

We are excited to be on this mission for the kingdom of God and thank you for your interest, prayers, and support over the years.

Update #14 - 16Sep 23:05

Fri, 17 Sep 2021 03:09:00 +0000

DAY 1 - Encompass Rehab

Long day for Jennifer. They woke her for her first shower in eight days. She described it as “life giving.” That said, the next comment was that “I feel like I’m in a movie set of a dystopian reality show.”

She participated in speech and cognitive evaluations, recumbent bicycling with the occupational therapist, as well as an evaluation from the rehab attending doctor.

To be honest, it’s been a pretty slow start, with today being primarily just an evaluation day. While we’ve heard good reports about this facility, we’re concerned that we are heading into a WVU Football weekend (VA Tech, a big rival)—which we experienced last weekend when the entire hospital basically shut down for the event. Jennifer is also not really being given the space and quietness to get the restful sleep she desperately needs. Lots of phones ringing and nurse call alarms are really disturbing her. It’s not what we had hoped for.

So we need wisdom and patience—pray for that. Julia gave us a comprehensive report on her 8-hour day with Jennifer. And then we (Julia, Abby, Caleb and I) strategized for the weekend travel logistics and our plan for advocacy for Jennifer at her facility.

Closing with another quote of the day-

Occupational Therapist: What was your occupation?

Jennifer: You mean What IS my occupation? I am a pediatrician.

We went, we saw, we considered

Fri, 01 Oct 2021 07:09:00 +0000

Well we went along to the office of the property developer that is building the new flats. Two charming women wrestled powerfully with technology before giving up on large-screen projection and augmented reality headsets and showing us the models of the flats on a laptop. It all sounded quite promising. They explained the eligibility criteria for the prix maitrisé - to have not been property owners within two years of the purchase, and to have an income below a certain threshold - we met the criteria. They explained the timetable for payment for the flats. (In France you pay in stages as the place is built. This can be crippling if you are repaying a growing loan as well as your rent, especially when construction is delayed.)

Then we came away and discussed it all in the tram, over lunch and while walking round the building site where the flats will be in a few short years' time. We came to the conclusion that this isn't the moment for us.

1) Our savings are in schemes that mature in 2026, just a little late for this project.

2) We would be committing ourselves once again to living in an apartment in the middle of a building site as the gardens are laid below and the adjoining roads and buildings are put in place.

3) We discussed, too, whether sinking everything into a flat is the right approach, or whether it is better to rent and to keep our flexibility. The big consideration is the prospect of passing on money to our kids, rather than blowing it all on our characteristic playboy lifestyle.

So Better than Retirement

Tue, 02 Nov 2021 03:09:12 +0000

“John, you cannot retire”, I was advised by several people that I admire. They saw my role in ministry in Japan and beyond as being too crucial to just abruptly stop. My family also knew that I could not just stop working and tinker with my hobbies. So we prayed and God led John to this new ministry of continuing many of our connections and John joining the Converge’s Asia Impact Team to broaden the…

Kehlsteinhaus

Sun, 19 Sep 2021 07:44:00 +0000

One afternoon of the conference is given over to a sightseeing trip. On previous occasions we have taken the train to Salzburg and sung our way round the Sound of Music sights. This year we went to Berchtesgaden and to Kehlsteinhaus - the Eagle's nest.

Berchtesgaden is a picturesque Bavarian town - Germany turned up to 11. On a mountaintop high above the area in the 1930s a meeting place was built for the Third Reich, accessed by a vertiginously winding road that leads to a wide car park, then a tunnel you must take by foot to a golden elevator that opens into the Eagle's Nest.

There was a large meeting room, a sun terrace and a kitchen. There were no bedrooms. Nobody stayed overnight.

It was spectacular, fascinating and astonishing. Pictures below.

Sunrise over the Jardins de l'Ars

Thu, 30 Sep 2021 06:45:00 +0000

Baptized in Jesus name!

Fri, 22 Oct 2021 16:52:42 +0000

What a privilege to baptize 2 sweet children in Jesus name yesterday! Keila and her brother, Israel, both received the Holy Ghost a few months ago, and yesterday went down in the water in Jesus name! It was so beautiful and I’m so proud of them!

I’m so thankful for all that the Lord has already done in their lives, and so anxious to see what they will become for Him! Lord, use them! Rejoice with me for all that God is doing in Ecuador!!

More From Liberia

Sat, 25 Sep 2021 11:52:00 +0000

I've really been enjoying being busy helping with the MAF flight operations in Liberia.

Shortly after I landed at a remote location one day, our other aircraft, piloted by Ulrich Müeller, also landed (below) at the same airstrip.

I was about to load up two medical patients into my aircraft. But since Uli had just arrived, he gratefully offered to help with the loading, so that I could take some photos. Don't worry... we had previously already acquired permissions from all involved to be photographed. Personally I do not like to 'stage' photos, and I don't like to ask people to slow down, or pose, or whatever. It just feels fake. So if I'm photographing, I like to do my best to blend into the background, or at least out of the way, and then just shoot whatever is truly happening, as it happens in real time.

Practically speaking, that means that it's often very difficult or impossible for me to get good photos of the activities around a plane, when I'm the only pilot--because my first priority is of course always the safety and security of the plane/flight. So it's a rare but great opportunity when I have the chance to photograph another one of our pilots in action. And again, just in case you might think it would be awkward for a patient, or medical personnel to be photographed, I'll put your mind at ease by saying that we always explain that MAF is a not-for-profit mission, and there are many people who pray and give to help make these flights possible. It is important that we can also share with those folks how the aircraft are being used to bless people in remote locations. And most people are very understanding of that, and very thankful for the help, and very happy to be in the photographs. Even-so, I always try to be respectful and discreet in the way I photograph or show people (especially patients) and of course, that we always do have their permission first. So don't worry. ;-)

There was an additional patient, already loaded, and seated in front of the stretcher patient. Here, Uli is carefully strapping in the 2nd patient for the 1.5 hour flight that I would make to take both patients and the medical personnel accompanying them, to the capital city for treatment.

Upon landing in Monrovia, I was met and assisted, as usual, by the very capable MAF team.

Most patients are very happy for us to pray with/for them, which we did both before and after this flight. Here, the serving MAF country director, Leon Prinsloo, prays with the two medical patients after they have been loaded into the ambulance, and before they go to the hospital. It's worth noting that I had previously asked some of the local people in the remote town where I had picked up these two patients, "how long would it take to drive from there to Monrovia?" They laughed at the question and told me that it is not even possible to do that--not at this time of year anyway--not during the rainy season. They said that sometimes it might be possible, but it would be many days of tough travel, but right now they said the jungle roads are totally impassible. And it's also worth noting that both of these patients were actually in quite serious condition. I was very glad that MAF was able to provide help to transport them!

Switching gears... here is a shot of downtown Monrovia, the capital city of Liberia.

And here's a shot from just nearby the above one, which shows markets along the roads where people are buying and selling stuff.

This is not at all an unusual scene on departure from our 'home' airport here. The rainy season offers some challenging flying!

But it has the potential to look like this!... although, in the past 5 weeks of flying here, I've only had about 2 days like this.

Here's a few more shots from the air showing the remote and rugged terrain over which we fly...

And I'll end with a nice sunset after the rains cleared out a few nights ago...

Manuel, CV, Success, Conflict, World Views, Dr Hodges…

Tue, 05 Oct 2021 03:26:54 +0000

Beautiful, little Manuel (last post) has now had three cycles of therapy, one mild and two heavy and he is doing well, though it has been a rough run. He needs at least two more cycles. Please continue to pray for Manuel and his beautiful father, who never leaves his side. . Betsy and I […]

We’ve Arrived!

Sat, 09 Oct 2021 17:44:48 +0000

Since July of 2019, we have been looking forward to saying that phrase. Although we took on our role as Area Directors at that time, there was an anticipation of the day when our leadership would not be remote, when we would actually be living in the country of Mexico. That anticipation took us through our year of itineration until June of 2020 and sustained us during the pandemic that seemed to swallow up the months that followed. Finally, however, we can say, “We’ve arrived in Mexico City!”

Yes, on September 28th, at 6:00 AM, we were met by members of our small group from Central Assembly of God to help us check in our five action packers, our dog, and ourselves to American Airlines flight 3822. Then, after some tough good-byes to our kids, we were on our way by 8:22 AM and on the ground in Mexico City by 1:00 PM. A trip of 1,435 miles in half a day!

Early morning goodbyes in Springfield, MO and Parque Alameda del Sur, Fuente de los Coyotes, Coyoacán, Cuidad de México

Now, if you’ve followed our ministry for the past few years, you may have noticed a change of venue for us in Mexico. For 13 years, our base of operations was the city of Merida on the Yucatan peninsula. Now, however, because of our role as area directors, we’ve relocated to Mexico City, home to a population of 9.2 million in the city proper and 21.8 million in the greater metropolitan area. It’s also strategic for us as it is the location of the national offices of the Assemblies of God of Mexico, a direct flight to any of our missionaries throughout the country, and an international travel hub.

We’re living in Coyoacan (translated from the Nahuatl language as “place of the coyotes”), a neighborhood south of the city center that was the original capital of Hernan Cortez’s governorship of New Spain and the home of creatives such as Octavio Paz, the author of the Labyrinth of Solitude, and artists Diego Rivera and Frida Kahlo. From our location, we’re roughly a 4-mile walk from the Floating Gardens of Xochimilco to the east and a 10k away from the nation’s largest university, UNAM, where over 350,000 students attend classes.

We’re excited to be starting this new chapter of our lives and ministry, but our arrival is not without its share of challenges, like our adaptation to life in the big city now as empty nesters or our kids’ abrupt entrance into adulthood. Still, we know that with your prayers and continued support, we’ll not only survive but thrive in this new role and new setting.

Random September Moments 2021

Sun, 10 Oct 2021 14:58:00 +0000

We had a full schedule of speaking engagements during the month of September. We were in seven different churches sharing about our family, our work, and the IMB. We promoted the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering and raised prayer support for Guatemala. We took a long road trip to Alto, GA, Newnan, GA, and Wetumpka,AL to visit ministry partners. We were also busy with homeschool. In addition to all of this, here are some miscellaneous photos of things we did this past month.

It is my favorite time of the year and also my favorite baking season. I made my first batch of chocolate chip pumpkin bread recently. It made my little crew very happy.

We have enjoyed our pet turtle, Luke, but decided to set him loose. We were a little sad but, at the same time, happy to return him to his natural environment.

the boys with their Mimi

They like visiting my brother's house and seeing all of his animals. The goats are their favorite.

Ben picking me a flower.

feeding the ducks at Lake Hazle

We made this fall cake for a recent family gathering.

It has not cooled off much but we have had a few cooler evenings. We built our first outdoor fire and roasted marshmallows. We enjoy sitting outside and watching the beautiful sunsets that we have been having.

enjoying the fire

We had Sunday lunch with David's sister and she took our picture on her porch. She always has the prettiest decorations out for the holidays.

Tennis is our current favorite activity. Many evenings after supper we drive over to the courts and spend at least an hour playing together. We are definitely amateurs but we sure have fun trying.

We met my dad for supper one evening at Dump's BBQ in Wesson. It was our first time to eat there and it was delicious. Afterwards, we walked over to the park and let the boys play while we visited.

On a recent shopping trip, I picked up this pack of paper plates. When I returned home I noticed the quantity was listed as 64 count. I thought that was the oddest number to package something. Anyone else think that is quirky?

One of the highlights of Ben's month is going to the dentist and picking out a new rubberband color. It brings him much joy. His teeth are moving nicely into place. He will have x-rays done at his next visit to see if his permanent teeth are coming in. This round of braces for him was short term and just to move his teeth to make room for his permanent teeth. He should have them off before we return to Guatemala.

Any other footfall fans reading? We love spending our Saturdays on the couch watching SEC games. I make a list of all the games, times, and channels, and we watch all day and night.

A former missionary friend was traveling recently and sent me this photo she took while in Texas. I showed it to Ben and it made him smile.

We ended the month speaking to the 1st- 6th graders at FBC Summit, MS.

Cruz did a wonderful job sharing about Guatemala and doing Q&A. He loves doing the presentation and we feel that it is much more impactful coming from him than us.

I had the joy of sharing with the 1st- 4th grade GA girls. I grew up going to GA on Wednesday nights so this type of sharing is extra special to me.

Our family with the Spanglers. Trey is the children's minister at FBC Summit. He was one of our former youth ministry students. It makes our hearts happy to see him serving the Lord in ministry. Every Stateside Assignment we have had he has invited us to speak wherever he was serving. We always look forward to time with his family.

Thanks for reading and keeping up with our family even while we are in the States. We are enjoying these days so much!! Our time here is passing quickly and it is starting to make my heart sad. I am going to miss all this fun when we return to the field.

When talking about today’s blog post, Trish told me I didn’t have to work too hard on the actual writing of the post because the post also contains a lot of baby pictures. Cool, huh? And these aren’t pictures of just any baby. These are pictures of Allen and Trish’s latest grandchild. The fifth one, to be precise!!

Rachel and Brandy’s much awaited second son arrived a bit early on 10/7, but not scary early. Michael Samuel made his appearance at 36 weeks and didn’t have to spend extra time in the hospital. Michael is pronounced in the English way and Samuel is pronounced “SamWELL” in the Spanish way. The tradition of giving one North American name and one Honduran name began with Michael’s big brother, Nathan Josue (Many Honduran kids have a Gringo name and a Honduran name, even if both parents are Honduran). Michael weighed in at a very respectable 6 lbs. As you can see from the photos, he has that full-term look about him even though the actual due date was November 1.

Rachel says Daddy is just a little smitten

With our Tia Paula!

As you likely recall, most of the Sowers family was in Seattle during the first week in September. A visibly pregnant Rachel made the 10-12 hour flight from Honduras and kept up with all of the family activities. The only thing she didn’t participate in was a mountain hike. The day she returned home, Rachel received a call from her landlord. Their house had been sold. Honduran law required the landlord to give them two months to find a new house. The clock was ticking. Since their ministry operates out of their home, they have some specific needs. They house college-age girls so it was important to find a house in a safe neighborhood that’s near the university. The house also needed to have a lot of room for their growing family, plus the ever-changing number of girls living with them.

Cue Rachel’s early contractions because this story needs more drama! Yes, Rachel began having significant contractions and was put on bedrest. This is probably a good place to discuss the Honduran healthcare system, which essentially consists of three levels. While Honduras technically has free healthcare for all, the hospitals and clinics tend to be poorly supplied and staffed. Depending on the area of the facility, it might also be less than clean. The next level consists of military hospitals. Since Brandy is in the military this is what Rachel used when Nathan was born. It was clean and the staff was well-trained, but it wasn’t a very pleasant experience. There were issues like nurses continuing to give Nathan bottles on a regular schedule even though Rachel was breastfeeding. The third level in the healthcare system is private-pay. Healthcare costs aren’t as exorbitant as they are in the U.S., so a procedure that might cost hundreds of thousands in the U.S. might cost $30,000 in Honduras. (Think back to Allen’s heart procedures.) Rachel decided to use private care this time.

When she began having contractions way too early, her private doctor suggested she go to a military hospital in case she was hospitalized for several weeks. Fortunately, she was only in the military hospital for one night and they were able to stop the contractions. They sent her home and ordered bed rest. When the contractions started again, she called her private doctor who again directed her to the military hospital to get checked out. At the hospital, she wasn’t taken seriously. They sent her home like she was someone who kept going in with false labor. When she made it to 36 weeks she was finally able to get up and ride around as Brandy drove her to look at some potential places to move. They found a home. The following day she went into the non-military hospital. Mother and baby were able to go home after one night!

Kirstin drove to Rachel’s home last Monday. She’s helping with the packing, keeping Nathan occupied, grabbing all of the baby time she can get, and just generally being a big help to Rachel. She’s like Mary Poppins except, instead of an umbrella and a carpet bag, she arrived with a pickup truck to help haul boxes.

We're not sure how we feel
about all this

Word is that big brother Nathan is mostly in love with the baby. Before he heads off to bed, he reminds Rachel and Brandy to take care of the baby at night. He is only a little disappointed that the baby cries and isn’t more fun at this stage.

Just to add to the drama, Rachel and Brandy just found out the house they were hoping to move to had some issues that would make it less adequate they originally thought, so they are now back to rental hunting. Rachel isn't (too) worried, however - she knows God's got this, same as everything else! Please pray with her and the fam, that something adequate will show up soon. In the meantime, they are packing up in preparation, and enjoying lots of baby snuggles.

- posted by Christi.

Road Trip to North Mississippi and Memphis

Mon, 11 Oct 2021 22:17:00 +0000

At the beginning of the month, we took a relaxing road trip to North Mississippi. Our original plan was just to visit David's dad at his beautiful, new home in Oxford. We ended up leaving a day early so we could spend a little time with former IMB missionaries Jeff and Karen Thomas. The Thomas family faithfully served numerous years with the Pokomchi people group in Guatemala. We had not seen them since they left the field so we were excited to catch up in person. We arrived at their house on a Thursday afternoon and stayed overnight. We spent the evening joyfully reminiscing stories from our years in Guatemala together, which brought smiles to all of our faces.

On Friday morning they drove us into Memphis for a little sightseeing.

Our first stop was planned for the Bass Pro Shop.

Before we stopped, we crossed over the Mississippi River bridge into Arkansas and back just for the fun of it.

They were anxious to explore the inside of the pyramid.

Bass Pro Shop in Memphis

The target shooting was a highlight.

We eagerly rode the elevator to the top of the pyramid to experience the lookout.

going up...

The views from the top were amazing!

Mississippi River bridge

our family with Jeff and Karen

We casually strolled all over the store looking at almost everything. It is a very cool place to visit.

Afterwards, we drove around downtown Memphis and they showed us Beale Street.

We had a delicious lunch at Central BBQ.

The line to get in to the restaurant was quite long. While everyone waited, Cruz and I briefly wandered over to see the Lorraine Motel.

Enjoying lunch with mission friends at Central BBQ in Memphis.

Jeff entertained the boys in their backyard before we left their house late that afternoon. Our visit with them was special. I am glad our calendars lined up so that we could make it happen.

We left the Thomas house and drove on to Oxford. We arrived at David's dad's house just in time for supper. Jodi had a yummy meal waiting for us to enjoy. We spent the rest of the evening playing several rounds of Apples to Apples.

David and the boys with his dad and stepmom

On Saturday morning they drove us around Oxford showing us a few of the sights. One of those was the Ole Miss campus.

It is the Most Wonderful Time of the Year - Again!

Wed, 15 Sep 2021 21:25:18 +0000

September 15, 2021 - We are again doing the Virtual Christmas Gift Box Program! Here is a video that explains what we do and how it works.

You can also go to virtualChristmasgiftbox.com - to get more information! We need any donations by the end of November to be able to get it to the Pastors to get the presents purchased.

To give online click here - or send a check to Marketplace Manna 151 E Michigan, Jackson, MI 49201

Help us help our churches serve their neighborhoods!

Got Questions - call me at 517-3953054 :)

Prayer Requests:

Need a great deal of prayer to find and hire the right staff for our newest store in Ann Arbor, Mi - everyone is hiring and we have had no one wanting the jobs (2 Part-time slots open) Please pray that God would send us the right folks to work at this store!

Pray for many to participate in the Virtual Christmas Giff Box Program - many needs this year in our villages.

Pray for Diane and me as we are traveling most weekend sharing the vision and the stories of all that God is doing

An African Parable…

Tue, 19 Oct 2021 03:51:48 +0000

Pezinho (Peh-zeen-yoo) left home just after dawn on a cloudless, warm, Saturday morning, ready for his long, familiar trek to the village of his parents. It would take him all day, so he carried a small, scrubbed oil jug filled with quissangua, the local drink made with ground corn powder, sugar and water, and a […]

A little good news.

Fri, 01 Oct 2021 02:18:00 +0000

Five more appointments since Monday. Mostly pretty good news.

Tuesday- Speech Therapy (which includes a neuro-psych/cognition component). The therapist repeated two mental status and cognitive tests in which Jennifer achieved perfect scores. They saw no reason for her to need to return to this clinic — so she was discharged with no need for further follow up. Yay.

Thursday- Turns out that no one noticed that Jennifer had an abnormal urine culture result from the rehab facility (sample sent because of the long period of the in dwelling urinary catheter in the ICU). We had to sort that out with a primary care provider this morning. They repeated the urinalysis which is still abnormal—and she is mildly symptomatic— so then there’s the trip to the pharmacy to pick up an antibiotic prescription.

Then to follow-up with the Trauma Surgery Team in Morgantown (90 mins north). A chest X-ray showed her pulmonary contusions and rib fractures are mostly healed — so she was released from any further follow-up here, too.

Then a quick drive 30mins south to Bridgeport to United Rehab for evaluations with Occupational Therapy (OT) and Physical Therapy (PT). In broad strokes, OT deals more with upper extremities issues and how they relate to issues of daily living (eating, dressing, bathing, etc) while PT deals more with lower extremities and ambulation. Today, Jennifer demonstrated excellent upper extremity strength and dexterity—and was released from any further follow up with OT. PT was a different story. Jennifer has quite a bit of weakness in her legs and core (abdomen/back) which are the result of both the brain injury and being immobile for 3 weeks. Additionally, balance is a real problem—a brain problem and also related to her right eye problem. She needs support to walk—an arm to lean on, a walker or something like a doorframe or railing to steady herself. We have twice weekly appointments —and lots of homework workout routines—for the coming month. Pray for progress with her strength, ability to walk independently, and safety (freedom from falls). Thanks.

Prayers and Promises

Tue, 21 Sep 2021 14:47:00 +0000

Jennifer is coming home!

Case Manager just called to say discharge is scheduled for Thursday 10:30am!

Thank you for prayers.

This came after this morning's rainbow and spectacular watercolor paintings by God.

New adventure: Japanese driver's licence

Fri, 22 Oct 2021 08:34:00 +0000

Tomorrow our 19 y.o. starts on a journey that we know little about: getting a Japanese driver's licence from scratch. He's taking a gap year after high school and is not sure about what he wants to do after that.

One thing he can do now to prepare for the future is get a driver's licence, and because Japan and Australia have a cosy mutual relationship over driver's licences, arriving back in Australia with a Japanese licence is a distinct advantage (especially when you don't have parents living in the same country as you). He'll be able to get an Australian licence without doing 100 hours of driving or taking a test. It'll mostly just be a paperwork challenge (translation of licence included).

However, getting a licence in Japan bears only a vague resemblance to what we've seen his older brother do in Australia. And so we walk alongside him and learn together. Here is the chart the school has given him.

It seems as though most of the learning will happen at the school, we're unclear as to whether he'll do any "learner driving" with us at all. Having been a little bit involved with our eldest in "getting his driving hours in", I think this method, though expensive, will definitely be good for our stress levels (and probably our relationship with him too).

An integral part of the process is 26 lectures, which is not something done in Australia. I guess it's good to learn these separately from the stress of actually driving? Perhaps safer?

The other advantage is that they coach you specifically for the test, so there is little chance of failure, apparently!

We're thankful for God's provision of the finances to do this, because we didn't budget for it and it definitely wouldn't fit in a usual missionary budget.

We really feel like, even after 22 years of this parenting journey, that we're still feeling our way along. There have been so many unexpected challenges and there's no map, especially within the missionary life. And even more so with transitioning young adults to independent post-school life. At times it's agonising and it certainly drives us to our knees pretty much on a daily basis.

Equipping Equippers

Thu, 21 Oct 2021 03:17:00 +0000

*|MC:SUBJECT|*

No we did not relocate to Latin America!

However, in 2021, a missionary's impact is not limited by geography.

We have been involved in the Go To Nations' Equipping Department for almost the entirety of our missionary career. We have done this by directing the Timothy Internship Program here in Asia. We are also the International Directors for the internship programs in the GTN world. Go To Nations is currently conducting the first post pandemic internship in Honduras. While Asia maintains a level of travel lockdown, other parts of the world are opening up.

Pictured below are the new interns with Jenice Hardester and Yolanda Ortega. Jenice is the internship director in Honduras and Yolanda is the assistant director. These are two missionaries we trained and mentored for several years when they were part of the GTN Asia team. Yolanda was our internship assistant director in Thailand. We continue to equip and train Jenice and Yolanda with regular online meetings, offering counsel, advice, and knowledge from our experience as they direct this internship.

We will always be missionary equippers. We are blessed to now be raising up and equipping new equippers. The GTN Timothy Internship Program is a boot camp to train believers to become full time missionaries, we are a product of this internship. We know that these new interns will be changed, impacted and released to achieve their missionary destiny and calling.

You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go bear fruit, fruit that will last.
John 15:16

“We could have never written this song 10 years ago.” These words were spoken by Dustin Lolli, lead singer of Sanctus Real at the relaunch event of Ichthus here in Wilmore, KY. I was a volunteer at Ichthus at the prayer tent this year and only slightly listening to Sanctus Real when that sentence stopped me in my tracks. What was he talking about? The song in question (also the title of this post) is called “I’m not alright.” Dustin went on to explain how in many Christian circles, it has been taboo to admit struggles. Far too many of us can think of times when eyes widened, and mouths opened larger than normal when we dared to share a struggle. We can think of people who began avoiding us or whispered with another as we walked by after sharing openly. Thankfully, the tide is shifting.

Over the past decade or so I have gone through a personal struggle of battling depression and at the same time realizing a deep passion for discipleship. What do these two things have in common, you ask? Well, let’s start with the latter. What is discipleship? Well, a disciple is a follower. Discipleship then is the teaching a follower sits under. In their book Discovering Discipleship: Dynamics of Christian Education Dean G. Blevins and Mark A. Maddix say that “Didache, the Greek term for teaching, serves as a conceptual framework for discipleship…”[i] They go on to say that “Discipleship is the older concept of a particular way of living as learners and teachers in rhythm with the Holy Spirit.”[ii]Finally, while discussing that discipleship certainly can look a lot like our education processes today, Blevins and Maddix say, “It includes spiritual formation, catechetical guidance, pastoral leadership, compassionate service, and missional engagement.”[iii] Discipleship sounds a lot more robust to me than a Sunday school classroom or a small group meeting on Wednesday night. Those things are included, but there can and should be much more to it. My understanding of discipleship is learning to live a life under the guidance of the Holy Spirit that looks like that of Jesus Christ.

Therefore, when an opportunity arose for The Francis Asbury Society to partner with Ichthus by sponsoring the prayer tent, I viewed this as a perfect opportunity to engage in active discipleship. I wrote to our team of volunteers saying, “We have no idea what will come our way on Saturday. However, I do know that people will come with needs, and it is a pleasure to journey with them for even just a few minutes." And while the line was not a mile long waiting to pray with us at the tent, we did indeed have the opportunity to engage in discipleship with a few people. One girl timidly came with her friends a few paces behind and bravely stated, "I need to grow in my prayer life." A 30-year-old man came carrying a heavy burden which could be seen by the sadness in his eyes. “I need to surrender. I wanted to be married by now and I don’t know how it will ever happen. I am addicted to pornography. I have racist tendencies. I don’t want these things in my life anymore!” What an honor to sit with these two, and others, and to walk for just a few minutes with them and then cover them in prayer. The girl was handed off to her youth leaders to continue walking with her in deepening her prayer life. The 30-year-old man shared his phone number with one of our volunteers who offered to continue walking with him while he waits for God to send him someone closer to his home who could journey with him. If I were to go strictly by Blevins and Maddix, I would say that we participated in spiritual formation, catechetical guidance, pastoral leadership, compassionate service, and missional engagement in those few short moments on Saturday. And it was so good!

OK but what about that personal piece I mentioned? Don't worry, I'll tie it in. Again, for about a decade I have engaged in a battle with depression. I thank God that it is not a serious battle and thus far by His mercy, I have been able to combat it with counseling and staying active. But as I watched the young lady and the 30-year-old man come to the prayer tent on Saturday I saw something familiar in their eyes. Fear. They were afraid of what was going to happen if they opened up about their struggle. They were determined to do so because the Holy Spirit was prompting them. Praise God for His grace! And yet the fear of opening up was real. I remember sitting in a counselor’s office in 2016 and reaching my breaking point. “Something is wrong with me, and I don’t know what it is!” It seemed I could not find joy in anything. Not being a husband, a father, a missionary, or a friend. I just constantly felt like someone had placed a weight on my chest and refused to take it off. It took me so long to get to that breaking point because I was afraid to admit that I was not alright. Then as the dam broke and I reached out for help I realized something special; people were willing to walk with me. Brokenness and all. My wife didn't run away. The rest of my family didn't run away. And I began to realize that I had friends going through similar struggles and they counted it a joy to walk with me.

And so, what is discipleship? I think it's walking with another – brokenness and all. It's being willing to admit to someone, "I'm not alright" and letting them carry your burden. It's also being ready at any moment to receive the burden of another as they face their fear and admit to you, "I'm not alright." As we carry each other's burdens, we turn our face to the one who offers to carry them Himself. Peter tells us in I Peter 5:6-7, “Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.” (NIV)

I am so glad the tide is turning and it is OK to admit "I'm not alright." I believe this will open tremendous discipleship opportunities for those of us who call ourselves a disciple of Christ. Such joy can be found in journeying together to the feet of the one who cares so deeply for us.

Link to I'm Not Alright by Sanctus Real

[i]Blevins, Dean G. and Maddix, Mark A. Discovering Discipleship: Dynamics of Christian Education, (Kansas City, Beacon Hill Press, 2010), 17.

[ii]ibid

[iii]ibid

It's a man's life in France

Mon, 20 Sep 2021 13:57:00 +0000

At the pharmacy :

"Do you have anything for when your ear is blocked with cerumen, some drops, perhaps ?"

The assistant went to a small display of assorted drops for when your ear is blocked with cerumen, including cotton buds and alarming rubber spiral gizmos for drilling into your lughole.

I gulped.

"This is what you need. These drops. The instructions are on the box."

"And do I need any cotton wool* to block up my ear with the drops in?"

(I said ouâte de cellulose, I hope this is correct, I have a vague memory of this word and I can't be bothered to look it up having spent a week looking up words like Rückfahrkarte and Putenschnitzel - this latter is not rude.)

"You have to rinse it."

"Rinse it?"

"Yes, rinse it" showing me the box which said, "il faut le rincer" = you have to rinse it.

"With what shall I rinse it?" quoth I, "with tepid water?"

"Yes, with tepid water. Do you have one of these at home?"

I stared blankly at the rubber bulb designed for squirting water into your aural orifice.

"No, we don't have one of those at home."

"You suck up the tepid water and, hop, squirt it in your ear."

"Ah good ? In England they say you must never put anything in your ear except your elbow."

"Really?" I could see her thinking, "They're nuts these English".

So I left the pharmacy with a home ear-syringing kit.

November’s News

Mon, 01 Nov 2021 11:00:00 +0000

Hi everyone,

We hope your October was a good one. We had a good morning of outreach ministry at our church in Komatsu on October 17, where I preached and Yoko played piano. In a first, I had a Chinese interpreter for my Japanese message, for the sake of some Chinese guests. Please pray for God to keep working in their lives and drawing them to himself. Please pray, too, as we prepare for special Christmas ministry on December 5 at Immanuel Kanazawa Church.

Meanwhile, our online manga series Waypoints continues. There are currently three stories on the website, along with extra content. November’s story goes live this Friday, and December’s is almost ready to go too. In addition, there are five new manga in the production with four different artists (including me). It’s great to see our body of content growing. We hope it will prove to be a useful tool for Christians to share their faith and non-Christians to discover the faith. Please continue to pray for this first Drawbridge Creations manga ministry project!

Please check out the links below if you’ve missed any of our recent updates. There’s also Drawbridge giving info for those who would like to make an end-of-year gift (Please note the updated info for Canadians — it should be easier to give online now.)

Thank you for being a part of our ministry through your prayers and giving!

Robin (and Yoko)

End-of-year giving info for supporting Drawbridge Creations

US donors can give online HERE. // Or make checks payable and mail to Global Partners, 13300 Olio Road Suite 400, Fishers, IN 46037. Note that it is for Fund # WM06-1575 (The GP Manga Project).

Canadian donors can give online HERE. In the “To” section, choose “Drawbridge Creations – evangelism publications.” // Or make cheques payable and mail to The Wesleyan Church of Canada, PO Box 4458, Sussex, NB, E4E 5L6. Note that it is for Fund # GMF09 — WM06-1575 (Drawbridge Creations). Donations can also be made by e-transfer to office@wesleyan.ca.

Missionary Blogs

Pearl

September 2021 Prayer Letter

Fall Update 2021

Fall Update 2021

Short Trip Back

Throwback Thursday!

mid-week bonus

Better days…

Video: Important Drawbridge Update

Being Transported

Update #15: 17Sep 22:45

A 21st Century Convert from Buddhism and a 19th Century Scottish Preacher

Germany

Chez le médecin

Anyone into Pitching Reality TV Series?

Update #13: 15Sep 22:35

“Religious Exemptions”

Late Night Music

First follow-up appt

Flu jab

A Tribute to Marilyn Laszlo (copied with permission from a Facebook post)

Cory's Delice Visit

The Field, Honor, CV, Vitoria, Madalena, Manuel…

Weddings

Update #10: 12Sep 8pm

Hope and Memory in Hidden Valleys

Where are you from?

Update #14 - 16Sep 23:05

We went, we saw, we considered

So Better than Retirement

Kehlsteinhaus

Sunrise over the Jardins de l'Ars

Baptized in Jesus name!

More From Liberia

Manuel, CV, Success, Conflict, World Views, Dr Hodges…

We’ve Arrived!

Random September Moments 2021

Road Trip to North Mississippi and Memphis

It is the Most Wonderful Time of the Year - Again!

An African Parable…

A little good news.

Prayers and Promises

New adventure: Japanese driver's licence

Equipping Equippers

No we did not relocate to Latin America!

It's a man's life in France

November’s News

In case you missed it

End-of-year giving info for supporting Drawbridge Creations