Just Over Two Weeks Left

Family Time is special! This weekend, Miriam and Mike came to visit. We had a great time together - eating in Historic Charlottesville and then visiting Monticello, Thomas Jefferson's home. It was such a beautiful day and the time together was great. Sunday was special too as we were able to celebrate their birthdays - Mike's was the 6th and Miriam's the 16th. They were able to worship with us in our MAC/SAM house church. (All us going to the Middle America & Carribean Region and South American Region worship together in a house church Tuesdays through Friday and on Sundays.)

These past two weeks have been overwhelming as the Spirit has moved upon us. Tom Elliff and Dr. Rankin have spoken on doctrines and spiritual warfare. Again we are reminded we must not try to go out in our own might but only empowered by the Holy Spirit and covered with the prayers of dear prayer warriors like you who hold us daily before the throne. God's hedge of protection is that which crowds us to Christ. Sometimes it is a hedge of physical protection; sometimes it is a hedge of spiritual protection, but it is ALWAYS security in Himself. Our definitions of words are being changed to His definitions and our understanding is being changed to conformity to His image alone. We are confident that the hedge keeps Satan from taking our life before God's time. God's Will will be accomplished to bring GLORY to His name. Whatever it takes, Lord.

Our time here is quickly coming to the end. This time has been God sent in our lives -- a time of drawing away to Himself alone, a time of being washed with his presence, a time of preparation for what lives ahead, a fresh wind blowing upon us.

As you pray for us, remember the thousands in Middle America who walk in darkness unaware of the love of God and His provision of His saving grace.

New realities produce new perspectives...

Each day we are exposed to new realities of life. As a result, we find our changing perspectives are redefining our vocabulary. Whereas before we could define safety as "freedom from pain," we can now say safety is "the assurance of our eternal relationship with Jesus." And as such, what better place of safety can we find ourselves?!

This week we learned about Chronological Bible Storying which is used especially among oral cultures. Our assignment is to share a Bible story to our small group. Easy - that is until we began to prepare. We thought we knew the story - but the story must be only the Bible story, no embellishments, just the Bible story and told the same way each time so the listener can in turn teach the story to others - exactly, accurately, the Bible, God's Word. After telling the story, we must ask good questions that review the story and bring application. It is an awesome responsibilty knowing that our story is their access to God's Word. Pray for us this week as we prepare to share our stories. Glynis will be storying Elisha and the Prophets of Baal at Mount Carmel - "Choose who is God, then follow Him." David will be storying the four lepers at the Samaritan army's camp - "We do not well. This is a day of good tidings, and we hold our peace." Both are powerful stories and wonderful truths abound.

March 2 is my mother's 89th birthday. I am reminded of the godly heritage I have - a wonderful mother (and father) who loves the Lord and who has taught us by example and deed. Thank you Lord.

Thanks for bringing our names to the Father this week interceding for us and the peoples of Guatemala.

Our worldview...

"Ethnocentrism is the tendency of people to judge the behavior and objects of another culture by the values and assumptions of their own culture rather than by those of the culture to which they now belong." Oh Lord, develop in us a humility and a teachability to become both bilingual and bicultural. No small task.

This past week not only included sessions with such profound teaching but our first immunization clinic. We were lucky to only have two shots - rabies and polio booster. This week though I think we will be getting four. Though we don't like shots - who does? - we are thankful that we are in a generation in which the immunizations are available. How many of past generations died soon after reaching their places of service because of a lack of immunization?!

This week we are looking at chronological storying. I am really excited about these sessions.
Pray for us this week that we will be as sponges absorbing insights into new tools to share the Gospel.

Happy Birthday to our daughter Deborah who turned 22 on February 25th.

We are officially HOMELESS...

Well, it is done. We are now officially homeless as the papers were signed yesterday freeing us from the entanglement of our home. Thank you for praying for us as we waited on the Lord for His timing. I thought it needed to sell by the end of October, well then by the end of November, surely by the end of the year. But God knew the PERFECT time - and it was obvious that it was indeed HIS timing.

Our time here is so good! We are in classes preparing us for the logistics of living on the mission field, but by far the greater focus is getting us spiritually prepared for going to the mission field, teaching us how to remain spiritually strong when we do get to our place of service. While we have an occassional reading assignment, everyday we are in the Scripture as the dominant text for our time here, reminding us that that time must be intential, set apart every day. Without our making that time intential everyday, before we know it days have passed and our lives grow weaker, our purpose fruitless. We are only as strong as we allow the Spirit to flow through us!

Please pray for us to see Jesus only! Continue to hold us and the unreached peoples of Guatemala to the throne.

We're Here!

We arrived yesterday to begin our eight weeks at Orientation!
Praise Listings as we look back:
1. Wonderful home for Floppy - she's a happy, spoiled basset
2. Sale of our home - closing on the 15th
3. Safe travel visiting family along the way
4. Special times with family
5. Wonderful times of sharing our calling and vision with many churches
Prayer Requests for these days:
1. Open heart and mind to absorb all the Lord has for us while we are here
2. Learning of Spanish even while here
One of God's special blessings:
After arrival yesterday, we found that missionary friends of ours who is the designer of our job description are missionaries-in-residence. How great to renew friendship and learn more about the vision before us.
Thanks for holding us to the Father.

Mom and her son

Just a hug from Stephen...We were able to spend some time with Stephen Sunday night since he wasn't able to join us in Gatlinburg last week. How special! We also left a friend of ours with Stephen - our Previa van that has carried us MANY miles and is filled with wonderful memories.

This past weekend was a wonderful close to these days before Orientation. Sunday morning we spoke at Tabernacle Baptist. A wonderful time together. My cousin and one of her daughters whom I had not seen in over 10 years drove about 7 hours to hear us speak and to visit for an hour or so before returning home. How very special!! Then that afternoon we drove to Phenix City to speak at Central Baptist at 6 pm. It was during our years at Central that we were first exposed to Guatemala. How very special to end our speaking engagements with these dear people! At the close, Pastor Dexter invited the congregation to surround us and pray as the chairman of deacons prayed a prayer of dedication over us. The chairman of deacons was a young man whom David had lead to Christ when we were serving at Central. It is very difficult to put into words the feelings we experienced. It was such a fitting close as we head to Orientation. How very thankful we are to have served among these dear ones. We know that they will join our prayer team and hold us before the Father.

These two days we are finishing the details of life as we have known it. The next time we post, we will be in Orientation, in the next phrase of the journey.

Continue to pray for us as we travel and visit family.

Daddy and All His Girls!

What a refreshing vacation! We enjoyed some special time with our girls - Miriam, Mom, Dad, Rebecca, and Deborah - this past weekend making memories. We were anticipating snow but only flurries, even as we were taking this photo.

We are home with Deborah and Chris tonight before heading out for the weekend. We'll be back for a couple of days next week to complete some final business before heading toward Orientation.

Thanks for praying for us as we were complete these busy days. We'll spend some time with my mother and our son, Stephen, this weekend. Pray for us Sunday as we share with two churches. May God use us to share His Gospel and His Vision for the unreached peoples of Guatemala. May some this weekend hear God's call on their lives to serve Him throughout the world.