IT'S NOVEMBER!

Yesterday when I checked this blog, I was shocked that it had been over a month since I last posted!  It seemed as if we had JUST had our Independence service.  Time does more than just fly -- it disappears!

I just returned from soul winning where my team saw four people trust Christ.  Four weeks ago, we witnessed to two men at the watering-hole (like a well); one man got saved but the other wanted to wait. We have gone back to visit Isaac every week since, and when he saw us coming tonight he got a big smile on his face. He said, "Last week after you left talking with me, I thought really hard about what you said. I decided I needed to pray. But I went to look for you, and you had gone. I did not sleep well. Today you have come. I am ready to pray."

Then we went to visit a teenage girl who had trusted Christ last week. Her mom was sitting on their porch, and when she saw us, she said, "You are my visitors, aren't you?  You have come to talk to me."  She, too, got saved, and then told us, "Last week when I returned home, my daughter said we had had visitors and that she had become saved. I was sorry to have missed you.  But today, I am now saved, too.  Please come back and help us know more."

Then two more ladies put their faith in Christ.  We had so much fun tonight!  But I have to tell you a "behind-the-scenes" story.  Since Friday I have felt my body fighting off sickness - sore throat, aching body, stomach ache, and today a migraine.  I was trying to be sensitive as to whether or not I should go to soul winning tonight, but I didn't feel the Lord leading me to stay home.  Upon arriving at the church, the headache had progressed to the point I was feeling nauseated, and I was fighting back the tears.  I really didn't want to be there, but I prayed, "Lord, use me in spite of myself because myself does not feel good at all."  I thought that I would have to leave my team and return home.  However, from the time that Isaac prayed until I arrived back home, I did not even notice the headache.  I am so glad not to have missed out on such an exciting evening.

Bible reading with the computer.

 We have completed 55 days of school - something I wasn't sure I would make it to.  The children are so patient with me.  Teaching six children, six grades sounds something like this, "Spell 'bridge.' No, that's not right; think what one less than 6 is then what plus that equals 9.  But in what direction do the leaf's veins run? Sound it out. Do you hear what I hear? Silence from the washer; who hasn't hung up the clothes, yet?"  Sometimes we burst out laughing because the answers I'm giving get confused with who it is supposed to go to.  I love being able to teach my children.

A big highlight for the month of October was being able to be a part of our home church's missions conference via livestreaming.  This was the first time for our church to be able to do this, and we were SO blessed.  However, next year I am giving ourselves off the week from school.  Trying to maintain our African life while "attending" a stateside missions conference left us exhausted.  But the preaching was so good and just what we needed.

One of the difficulties of being on a foreign field is finding ways for our children to earn missions money.  In third world countries, labor and local products are so cheap that no one is interested in hiring the missionary child.  However, we are seeing the Lord bless our children's efforts as they make and sell cookies, fudge sauce, tortillas, play doh, etc., as well as offer their time for house-sitting or babysitting to other muzungus (white people).  How important it is for our children to see God meet their needs and not just their parents.

Best friends: Savannah and Ann.

 We are so blessed to be children of God.  Why would someone want to worship and serve a dead god?  Our God loves us eternally - past, present and future.  His Spirit lives inside of us.  We are so blessed!