Handfuls of Blessings

It's that time of year - Back to School.  Of course, my kids hear that phrase several times a day. "Put the puppies back in their pen.  Let's get back to school."   "Throw the dead rat over the wall, and let's get back to school." But for many missionaries, there are some of our children who are too far away to hear those words from our lips.  They have completed their schooling at home and are now in a different country facing the "Back to School" frenzy all alone.  These are the MK (missionary kid) college students.  Some are very blessed to have their parents able to take them shopping for new clothes and school supplies before dropping them off at their dorm and catching the next flight back to the mission field. But there are so many others facing college alone. I can vividly remember our first child leaving for college.  Of all days, it happened on Mother's Day.  After church, we hugged Shane, cried, hugged him again, and w...

Life gets really busy.  Life can be overwhelming. Homeschooling gets pushed back.  Catching up does not make for great school days. Headaches develop.  Still the cleaning needs done, classes taught, and laundry washed. Water goes off.  Internet doesn't cooperate.  Then electricity goes off.  A sink decides to leak. This is real life. So, when it comes time for lunch and the only green thing on our disposable plates is jalapeños - PRAISE THE LORD! Praise the Lord for a really understanding husband that does not complain of my overflowing desk in our bedroom. Praise the the Lord for children's unconditional love and hugs. Praise the Lord for one out of three loads of laundry done. Praise the Lord the macaroni and cheese was on clearance. PRAISE THE LORD FOR JALAPEÑOS!

Can 16 people fit into an 8 passenger van? Today I asked the deaf man who attends our church to introduce us to some of his deaf friends so that we could invite them to church.  He took us to town and said he knew that three of them were watching the World Cup on television.  We waited outside the place and soon many people started coming out of the building.  We thought, "Surely these aren't all deaf; he mentioned just three."  But these people came across the street to us, and we were soon surround by 11 deaf. The lady to the right is a deaf teacher. What a fun time we had learning their names, what work they do, and where they live.  They wanted to know where our church was, but they kept thinking it was very far away.  I suggested I take some of them and show them where the church was located.  I was unprepared for all of them to join the four that were with me, but all 16 of us took the trip to the church.  After showing them the bu...

June 12, 1993 Where does one start to describe what a blessing it is to be married to my best friend for 25 years.   I love being married.  I love being married to Keith. I love the fact that God has been the center of our marriage,  and that we are able to serve Him together. A Young Love That Has Grown So Much Stronger! I was just 9 years old when my parents celebrated their 25th anniversary. 1982 - My Family for My Parent's 25th  Keith's parents were in Uganda for their 25th, and Keith was 23.   There is quite the age difference between our families with Keith being the oldest and I being the youngest.  (In fact, my sister went to college with his parents!) 1995 - Keith's Parents on Their 25th We happen to be in Uganda, too.  Keith's parents visited last month,  so they brought some decorations and treats over to help us celebrate.   The kids did such a great job in making the day special for ...

For many years I have desired to begin a deaf ministry in our church, but not until this term has God opened the door AND provided the deaf.  For our Christmas service on December 25, 2017, we had a deaf lady attend.  She graciously survived my interpreting, which was mostly American Sign Language, and she regularly attended for the next two months.  Her cousin that would accompany her to church had to return to school, so she now only comes periodically.  However, the Lord led us to meet a deaf man who has been coming every Sunday. Myself with Bena, our first deaf visitor When our church members saw me signing to Bena, the deaf lady, they got excited and asked me to teach a class.  I wanted to sync with the college class schedule, so I hurriedly put together a curriculum in three weeks and began teaching.  However, with teaching, I, too, am learning.  Sign Language is NOT universal.  Every country has its own signs.  I grew up knowing ...

I know.  You are thinking...this is only March.  Who graduates in March? Daniel, Abigail, Shae-Lynn and Shiloh singing a special Being missionaries, one thing you learn is adaptability.  We are good friends with another missionary family here whose kids have grown up with ours.  They are leaving for furlough next month, but wanted to have a graduation party for their graduating son before they left.  We have two graduating, also, so we combined everything into just one party. Daniel wanted a rice crispy cake, so that was the cake on the left.  On the right is just a regular cake. Something that is different in Uganda is that there is no graduating ceremony for when you finish secondary school (high school to Americans).  But our church had a great time enjoying our tradition, especially enjoying the food. A great time of fellowshipping and eating after the service Your next question may be, "Why do you have two graduating together?" ...

While we were on furlough, my husband presented the new ministry he started upon our return to Uganda.  If you have seen any of our prayer letters, you have read the great reports from the Village Mentorship and Assistance Ministry (VMAM).  One of the questions frequently asked was whether or not I would be going with Keith to the villages.  No, I do not travel with Keith.  He travels with two men, so sleeping accommodations would not be ideal as he stays for 3-8 days in the bush.  However, that does not mean I am totally out of this ministry.   As the Bible mentions, there are those staying at home who "tarrieth by the stuff." (1 Samuel 30:24) Keith leaving early in the morning for a village Besides the curtains, covers, and other things I have sewn, there is the weekly work I have for this ministry.  Yes, the biggest part is laundry.  But it needs to be done, right?  Praise the Lord for a washing machine and very long clothes lines. ...

Our precious daughter has turned 18!  As much as I have enjoyed every step of our children's childhood, having a teenaged daughter who has such a beautiful heart is a special joy. When the kids turn 18, they get to pick any type of cake they want.  Shae-Lynn chose the chocolate lasagna cake I had for my last birthday.  It is so good and rich! We had a great time celebrating with two other missionary families with food, fun, and fellowship.   A couple of months ago, Shae-Lynn had stumbled across some Short Best Friend / Tall Best Friend shirts on Amazon.  She sent the photo to her tall friend Abby, saying that it describes them so well.  Abby's family took the photo down to our local t-shirt imprinter, and he was able to replicate it exactly.  Shae-Lynn's gifts reflected her love for coffee, coconut, and photography.   We are so thankful for each of our children and look forward to seeing how God uses them in the fu...

Quite possibly, we have found a company that will alleviate my frustrations with internet that has prevented me from frequently posting.  We are giving it a try, and so far so good.  With other companies, I could only upload photos at 6:00 in the morning, and even then it would take about 30 minutes.  Any other time of the day, it would take up to 2 hours or just get stuck.  Right now, in the middle of the day,  I just uploaded 2 photos, and it literally took less than 10 seconds.  I realize this still isn't as fast as most American internet, but I am so excited and hope this good service continues.  It will really help with school work, too. My kids will admit, when it comes to meals, I am very good to them.  I am not a mother who forces Brussel sprouts or sauerkraut down their throats.  I remember once when Shane was little that I made him eat squash.  As I was cleaning up the mess of him throwing it up, I declared I was not going to...