Our New Home...

Here we sit in our study listening as the rain falls and enhaling the fresh smelling breezes...we are home for the year!

Today has been very busy as we have unpacked and found places for everything, set up wireless, set up vonage (great job, David did it all by himself), found our way to school, found our way to some shopping area, talked with our kids and mom, and began total Spanish communication. Now mind you, that Spanish communication is slow and deliberate, but it is communication no less!

I am uploading our first pictures of our home. We departed from Atlanta last evening and our lives forever changed. Our new home has a private entrance from a little fenced-in, topped with electric razor wire, flowered courtyard (thanks for the security) and includes our good-sized bedroom with plenty of storage, private bath and study with two desks. We can also enter from the main house of course. Daisy is an excellent cook - thankfully we will have lots of walking to do to help us walk off the calories! We are being well cared for and accepted into the family. They have been housing language school missionaries for 25 years and love it, except for the goodbyes. Yeah, we know about those goodbyes - they are not easy! But we are reminded each time we say goodbye that we love Jesus more, that's why we can say goodbye, but we also know that our goodbyes are not forever in Jesus.

Tomorrow we begin school orientation with classes beginning on Monday. In actuality our study has begin here at home as Daisy and Rodolpho do not speak English. But it is coming - keep praying for clear, quick minds. We so long to speak Spanish effectively. We so long to think in Spanish and be able to speak effectively in either English or Spanish. Remind the Father of our desires so that we can share Jesus to those with whom we came in contact.

We love you all and appreciate your comments and emails. It means so much to us to hear from you. It ministers to our hearts.

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We're here!

We arrived safety last evening around 10 CR time (midnight there). Things went very smoothly and in just a short time we were greeted by our big sister and Mark and Pam Grumbles, the IMB missionaries who assist us with language school, etc. We arrived in our new home (pics coming later) to be welcomed by our new family who were standing on the sidewalk awaiting our arrrival. Daisy and Rodolpho Portillo and Maria,(a young lady who lives with them) make us feel at home and very welcomed into the family. After a wonderful breakfast of scrambled eggs, black beans and rice mixed together, bread and pina jelly and great coffee, we are on our way to discover our new home area and to find our way to school. Ah yes, school, our reason for being here in Costa Rica, starts in the morning bright and early at 7:30.

Thanks for your prayers. Don't let up - we're headed into the intense time now!

Heading Out...

Well, what a whirlwind three weeks we have had since we left ILC the first of April. We have spent time with family and friends. We have traveled many miles, slept in various beds, eaten way too much food - and enjoyed every bite! We were able to spend time in Macon with Glynis' mom, sister, nephew and his daughter. We had not spent time together in several years and it was so good to be together.

Last weekend, all eight remaining brothers and sisters, many of their children and grandchildren and Glynis' mom gathered at David's mom's house for a time of food and fellowship. It was the last time we had all been together since her death in October 2006.

What a wonderful time we have had with family! How thankful we are for the godly heritage we have and the family love and support they provide.

This last weekend we are spending time with our children and their spouses at a friend's lake house. Barry and Liz are God's gift to us in providing this special place and time for us. Sunday we will visit Abilene, our home church. Stephen will take us to the airport Monday as he returns home and then our lives forever change! Just think our next post could be in Spanish. Yep, we start intense language study from the moment we step off the plane Monday evening in San Jose! Pray, pray, pray for these minds to be absorbent sponges soaking it all in and allowing it to permeate our minds and tongues - all for the purpose of sharing the Gospel in the heart language.

Until next time from our new home - love to all.

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Can it be?

Can it be that eight weeks have passed?

On April 2, we receive IMB Commissioning and scatter to the ends of the earth to live out our faith. This world will be impacted by our very presence - may they see our hope and come to know the Source of Hope and Life!

Our Commissioning Service is a special time for us as friends and family come to give us their encouragement and support. How much they love us! These days will provide sweet memories for us in the years ahead.

We will have some days of travel and extended family visits before we actually leave on April 28. We will keep in touch as we finish a whirlwind of activity and head out. Keep praying for us that our minds will be sharp to retain our language study. Remind the Father of our needs as often as you think of us.

Contingency & Commissioning

We have entered our final week of orientation at the International Learning Center-- and it is not without excitement. Since the world that we will enter is often hostile to the Gospel and dangerous in general, we will have three days of contingency training to prepare us. For this training, the IMB brings in the highest ranked non-military contingency trainers in the nation. They take their jobs very seriously knowing that many of our friends will come face to face with the realities of our dangerous world. We are apprehensive but thankful for the training.

Our Commissioning Service will be on April 2 at 2:00 p.m. We are amazed to be a part of this wonderful group of about 200 people (including children), most of whom are going to the hard places. We will travel and take care of final stateside details during April and leave for San Jose, Costa Rica for Spanish language school on April 28.

As you go to the Father, thanks for calling our names.

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.