Reflections

Did you know?

2006-02-02T11:32:00.000-08:00

After we returned from Kazakhstan, our friend Yana (who updates CALTC's website and translates for the Russian track at CALTC) asked us for some highlights from our trip. Check this out: http://ewcentralasia.e-nomad.org/Testimonies2.htm

Yeah, we thought that was pretty cool, too.

Thank you, Lord, for allowing us to see up close and personal what You're doing in Central Asia, and to make relationships that we will enjoy eternally in Your presence. I can't wait to be able to understand each other when we talk!!

Finally, a new post! sigh

2006-01-26T12:51:00.000-08:00

Okay, I'm WAY behind schedule in getting out a report on our trip to Central Asia, but have JUST gotten back our pictures!! No, I'm not kidding. But they are great, and fun, and I look forward to sharing them with you soon. I will go through my daily journal from the trip and add entries when I can. Sorry it's taken so long!!

It will actually be a bit longer since my son is a senior and life is speeding by this semester (okay, there is fertile ground for blog entries!), I am on a search committee looking for a Missions/Global Outreach Pastor for our church, I'm involved in a great ministry at church, and am trying to keep up as a wife and mom to two teens. :-D Life is very fun!! But I at least have hope to update you on our trip now! I'm looking forward to sharing it all with y'all!

I will try to contact people to let you know when I've got the updates on. Thanks for your patience!

In Almaty, Kazakhstan

2005-07-23T04:40:00.000-07:00

We are two weeks into our stay, and are loving it here! The people here are wonderful, and the food is delicious! And seeing God's work here in this part of the world is totally amazing. Through a very young first-generation Church, He is reaching people groups for Christ and is maturing His Church here. Please pray for them!

We haven't been able to have internet access often, and power outages or internet outages are commonplace. We also brought the wrong digital camera, so will have to download pictures of our trip after we get home!

Pray that the conference we are preparing for will go smoothly and that God will be glorified as we proclaim the great things He has done in the past ten years here. Pray that His Body here will be united and edified through it all.

We've been so privileged to build such good relationships here in the past couple of weeks, and look forward to getting to spend eternity with these people. We can't wait for you to get to know them, too!

It's amazing to see how God is drawing people from every tongue, tribe and people to Himself. He desires worship from us all, and it's exciting to see Him continue to build His Body over in this part of the world. Hearing them worship in their native tongues, with their style of music, and their instruments is great! It gives a great picture of how we'll all be worshiping God together as one before His throne. We're so glad to see how He's building His Church!

Don't know if I'll get to write more since the conference is coming, but am looking forward to showing you more of this country and its wonderful people.

One Week Before Take-off!

2005-06-29T22:39:00.000-07:00

I can hardly believe that we leave in a week for a month in Kazakhstan! Time has flown by, and we still have so much to do to prepare. We covet your prayers!

Our list of things we'll be doing is growing by the day, and from all we're hearing from people who've talked to our missionary friend she wishes we'd already gotten there! Please pray that we'll be a great encouragement and help to her!

It's amazing to see God provide for our needs for the trip. He's sending support and encouragement and help in so many ways. E-mail me and I'll put you on our prayer team for e-mail updates!

When Jonathan won at the regional science fair, our favorite meteorologist emceed the awards ceremony. His good friend heads up Austin's big July 4th fireworks bonanza (with the symphony) at Zilker Park, so he hooked Jonathan up with him so we could all go and see the professionals do their thing. Should be fun!

Today Jonathan and I finished designing the seven banners we'll be taking over for the conference we're helping at over in Kazakhstan. He is SO good at graphics!! We were so grateful for the creative ideas God gave us! It will be fun to see the banners there. Now I'm just hoping we haven't chosen an inappropriate symbol to make the borders from! Every pattern over there has a lot of symbolism, so I hope this wasn't one from somewhere else that they will find offensive!! :-D EEK!

I'm really looking forward to seeing some girls and women I met over there a couple of years ago, and to making more good friends this time. I'm so ready to get to know them and to be able to encourage them and make an investment in some of their lives. Pray for me!

Can't wait to go, but will sure miss my husband!!

CALTC updated website

2005-05-27T14:54:00.000-07:00

For those checking out the CALTC website, please note the new web address (the one listed in my support letter is WAY out-dated!). Please go to http://ewcentralasia.e-nomad.org/index.htm for latest updates! Thanks!

Mother's Day

2005-05-08T21:50:00.000-07:00

What a blessing for God to give us the opportunity to join with Him to bring new life. Amazing gift He gives us ... overwhelmingly obvious at their birth. And then to see them develop is continually a joy, seeing who He has designed them to be! Individuals with completely different make-ups, yet you see things from this parent, or that, or some distant relative. God is so creative!

I am abundantly blessed in the children God has given us. What a responsibility to help guide them and help discern God's direction for them! What a joy they are; I'm so grateful to God for them. They are gifts, and a heritage, from the Lord. Their kindness and thoughtfulness, care, generosity, and help are such a blessing in my life! I am constantly amazed at who they are turning out to be, and what they do! I can't wait to see what God has in store for them!

My son got a sore throat two nights before the SAT. :-( Fever and the whole works, but it was a virus so there wasn't much we could do. He went and took the test, but was in less than top condition. Know he did pretty well, anyway, just because he's "so stinking smart" (as a friend of his says). He'll get his scores online in about 3 weeks.

We had our last AIM class for the quarter today. Hurray! It was a great class, and we have a great AIM team. They really did an excellent job! It's such a joy to work with them and to see God use them in the class. Our class shepherds are a Navigator's missionary couple. The woman is my mentor, and the man used to be an elder at our church. They gave us all special thank you's today, gave the ladies on the AIM team roses, and gave me a sweet gift certificate as the Class Coordinator (also from the Pastor who oversees our ministry and his wife). Very thoughtful, and so generous!!

It is such a joy when the class participants meet with the ministry leaders of the ministries they are considering getting involved in. How exciting to see God at work, drawing people and giving them wisdom, discernment and guidance in how He wants to use them in His Body! I love making the ministry connections for them to all get together, then to see what God has shown them and how He's directing them! Awesome!

We had another planning meeting for our mission trip. We are making sure our shots are still up to date, and sending off for our visas. Another young lady decided to join our team this week! She's never gone on a mission trip, so I'm looking forward to seeing how God uses her and uses this in her life! Some are still praying about joining the team. We're still looking for some worship team members to join us.

This past week I was pretty surprised in one of my Quiet Times when God showed me some of what He wants me to do on this trip. He has called me in the past to "feed His sheep, tend His lambs, and to shepherd and care for His sheep." He has gifted me as a shepherd and discipler, and I love to do this. This past week He reminded me that those in Central Asia are young believers and some of them have never taken many spiritual steps. I am to help them identify and take their next spiritual steps. (!!)

Last trip, I was so focused on completing my task of teaching VBS and working with the children that it shook me up when my interpreter needed some spiritual guidance. (Culture shock had some to do with that too, I think.) This trip I will have more opportunity to build relationships and to help encourage the believers in their walks with God. I will be there longer, and will be working directly with the adults for the month I'm there. Pray for me as I prepare for and pursue this endeavor!

May is a busy month...

2005-05-05T10:42:00.000-07:00

Things are coming together for our proposed trip to Central Asia! My teens and I are hoping to fly over with my friend who's a missionary there in July, and stay a month to help prepare for and serve at the 10 year anniversary celebration for a training center over there. We just have to get all the arrangements made and make sure our shots are still current. (!!) Our team is coming together. We are still looking for some worship musicians who could join us to lead the American-style worship sessions. Know anyone who'd like to join us over there? The rest of the team will come for two weeks. Want to join us?!

The kids just finished reading Augustine's City of God late last night. It was 22 books, each consisting of many chapters. It took St. Augustine 22 years to write. Gratefully, he got better at writing as he went. He started out sounding like Socrates, the way he talked in circles! But his line of thinking was clearer to follow later on, and he certainly was master of a wide variety of subjects! Really great ending, too!

They have to finish their research papers in the next week. My daughter's subject is partial birth abortion, and my son's is on the persecution in the Sudan. They'll give a 10 minute speech at the end of the month at our year-end dinner for their worldview class. Not sure if we'll get to do all their teacher requested for their papers. He suggested my daughter and I go to a Planned Parenthood office, and that both kids interview a writer at WORLD mag who's written articles on both of their subjects. Pray it all comes together! (Still not sure how we're supposed to eat while they give speeches on these subjects! Ugh!)

Pray, too, for my son as he takes his SAT this weekend! :-D

My daughter got her meritorious award last night in AWANA. She has completed all of her AWANA books since 3 or 4 years old. Her next plaque will come her senior year when she completes her Citation award for completing every AWANA book. Some colleges give scholarships for that achievement. Amazing how many verses she knows already! Great work!!!

Off to pick them up from their Worldview of the Western World class!

Spring

2005-04-21T00:08:00.000-07:00

The weather has been wonderful lately, and I've spent as much time as possible in my backyard enjoying the flowers and sunshine! Yellow iris, red and pink roses, hot pink salvia, yellow and white honeysuckle, and lots of green everywhere. The wind blowing through the trees, the birds singing, the sky blue and the clouds fluffy. My hubby nearby doing CPE. *sigh* This is the life!

Trips Near and Far

2005-04-10T19:55:00.000-07:00

We had a wonderful trip to San Antonio! My son did a great job at the state science fair, and I was very proud of him and his efforts. We had fun at the San Antonio Riverwalk together, and got to visit Trinity University. (He didn't think he'd want to spend four years of his life there, he said.)

We drove through the campus, but he didn't want to stop and talk to anyone. When I asked what he was looking for in a college, he said, "Excellence in academics, and to 'feel like home.' Okay... So I'm wondering how many campuses around the country we'll have to drive through before he finds 'the place.' (?!)

We had a great visit with our friends in San Antonio, and are in their debt for their help and hospitality! Getting to know their sons was a great joy. Each one was a delight in his own way. Bounds of fun in their family! And to see their strength, faith, love, and joy in life despite having a severely disabled son was truly inspiring. They have grown so strong through life's trials and from trusting God through them all. It was a delight to spend time with them and to see God's handiwork up close.

We attended a planning and prayer meeting last weekend for those considering mission trips to Central Asia this summer. We were brought up to date on the political and safety issues over there. As things are stabilizing, they are planning for the teams to go. We aren't sure if all of our family should go or not, yet. Still praying. I have been convinced that I am not only to go, but to go a month early! Six weeks in Kazakhstan!! Before, I was unsure if I was supposed to go and had no real desire. But for some reason, I'd been thinking in the back of my mind that I'd like to go a month early. But how likely is that?! In the meeting we learned that my best friend, a missionary in Central Asia, wanted someone to come a month early. (?!) Now, I sense an urgency and an excitement in going. When I asked the Lord to show me in His Word whether He wanted me to go, my next daily Quiet Time was in Acts 1 where verse 8 says that we are to go and be His witnesses to the ends of the earth. Well, unless my husband hears from God that I am not supposed to go, the end of the world is where I'm going! (From where I live, I can't go any further away without getting closer!)

Since the kids have some schoolwork that we need to cover this summer, we are praying about whether they should come with me. We could cover schoolwork and accomplish more together in service than I could alone. There are so many areas we could assist in. What a great opportunity to serve those serving God in that area! And do I really think they will complete the assignments if I'm on the other side of the earth?? Hmmmm.

Of course, I'm hoping that my husband will be joining us over there with the rest of the team, but we are waiting to hear from the Lord what He has planned.

One aspect of service for our team will be going strong on my birthday over there. Should be a great way to celebrate!

Okay, why go over there when we could serve here?
First, obedience. Jesus said we are to go!
Second, Central Asia is like the Book of Acts in the Bible right now! They have a first century Church. The oldest believers are only about 12 years old in the Lord and have less Bible training than my teenagers who have grown up in the Church. God is doing amazing things over there. Getting the chance to serve those who God is using to bring some of every tribe and people to Himself is a great joy and privilege! Hearing their stories and getting to know them is great!!
Third, my friend from years back is a permanent resident there as a missionary. I want to go encourage her in her faith and in her work. Our family went there two years ago, and nothing has meant so much or encouraged her as much in the years she has been there. It's a small thing for us to do when she is doing so much there!
Fourth, you get a vision of what Heaven will be like when you see and hear people from so many tongues and peoples worshipping together. Someday people from every tribe and tongue and people group will be before Christ's throne, worshipping Him. You get to experience a little piece of that early!
Fifth, you get a picture of the God of the whole earth. I can really see people all over the earth worshipping Him together, and see a magnified picture of His glory, much clearer having gone over there.
Sixth, there is no education like traveling to another culture, and I want my children to get the opportunity as their educator! I also want them to have the chance to see and to serve those who have so much less than we do.
Seventh, I love to travel and to experience new cultures (and there is a mixture of people groups where we're going so I can get to know a number all at once!)! What a fun opportunity!! And an honor to serve God's servants over there.

Fireworks

2005-03-30T12:19:00.000-08:00

Today I am running errands and getting things ready to take my son to compete in the state science fair in San Antonio. His project is on fireworks (a guy's delight!), and it has been fun, interesting, and amazing to learn so much about the subject. You would think making fireworks would be fairly simple, even if it does involve explosives. The fact that he's learning about professional level fireworks has only raised the complexity involved. But the fun, too! (Oh, yeah -- and the danger. There is that...)

We attended a meeting of the state's professional pyrotechnicians (the Texas Fireants) a couple of weeks ago. What a nice group of people!! We were amazed at how helpful and generous they were, not only with us but with one another. We had a BLAST! (Or, quite a few, actually!) One really surprising thing we noted was how many of them were smokers. (??!!!) (Fireworks + fire ... Yikes!) They were SO helpful in giving instruction and answering questions we didn't even know we had! My son learned more that day than he'd known altogether beforehand! And getting to make and shoot off fireworks, then instruct others on how to was just icing on the cake!

We're looking forward to getting to visit with our good friends Jan and Pat in San Antonio this week. They have a passel of active and ingenious boys. That should be good for my son, whose only sibling is a sweet, docile sister. I'm looking forward to having some time with Jan's mom, also, who is a wonderful, godly and wise prayer warrior.

We may visit Trinity University while we're in town, but will have to see how the time goes.

Here's to science! And fireworks! And sons!!

Good Friday Service

2005-03-26T09:54:00.000-08:00

Attending Good Friday services once again overwhelmed me with the amazing and incomprehensible love of God for each of us. Why He would go to such extremes for me, an unworthy sinner, is beyond me. Truly. And then to see that He loves each of His people so much as to suffer and die such a horrific death so that we can have eternal fellowship with Him is more than we can comprehend. How great is the love and mercy of our Lord. He is worthy of all glory, honor, and power.

Our family had the privilege to serve at all four services this year, and it was a great blessing to us all. Experiencing God's love and grace for all of His saints was a great motivator to worship and pray. How petty small slights appear when God's great sacrifice is contrasted against them! How great is God's grace and love to flow over such things and make us one by His sacrifice and His Spirit. How abundant His grace to support us and make us like Him through hardships and sorrow. How faithful His love despite our failings. How faithful to us as families and as the family of God to bring our children to Himself and to help them to grow in Him.

One of the most meaningful parts of the service for me is always to write our family's names on a dirty cloth (representing our own righteousness, which the Bible says is like filthy rags), and to nail it to a rugged wooden cross. Each of us drive in the nail, knowing that it was our sin that put Christ on the cross and that He suffered and died for each of us. I am always overflowing with thanks and love for God that He has drawn our children to Himself and saved us as a family. How great is the love of God.

Welcome, friends!

2005-03-23T22:54:00.000-08:00

So happy you've joined me here! Hope to keep you updated and informed of what's going on in our lives. Life moves so fast these days it's hard to keep in touch often enough. Hope this will be a place where we can catch up and keep in touch. With teens, it seems that life is flying by at warp speed!

For y'all who have wandered in unawares, I'll give you a quick peek. I'm a proud native Texan (that's redundant, I know), a Christian, and a homeschooling mom of teens. We've homeschooled from the beginning, and it seems to be working. Our son made in the top 3% nationally on the PSAT, and I fully expect our daughter will do as well (but no pressure!!) I help coordinate a ministry at our church called AIM (Assessment Inventory for Ministry) which is available through the Navigators' Church Discipleship Ministry. (AIM helps people discover the unique way God has designed them for ministry inside and outside the church, and helps them develop their walk with God in the meantime.) And I'm a happy homemaker, married to my sweetheart for 22 years!

So there you have it. Welcome in! Hope to be seein' more of 'ya real soon. Lemme hear from 'ya, now, won'cha?