Fabulous Weekend

We spent the weekend at Teen Valley Ranch with 7 other families.  It was a weekend of time planned to spend together as a family and with God.  It was intended to be a time where we just stopped and enjoyed each other.  A time of refreshment and relaxation.  Boy was it fabulous!

As we were leaving Alex asked "Can we do this again?"  I had to get him to clarify - did he want to come back to TVR or did he just want another weekend where we stopped and played and worshiped together.  His response, well, I'd like to come back here, but if we can't come back here that's ok, but I like weekend where we spend it together."  Wow!  What an answer!  What is in my life that is keeping me too busy to spend time with my family playing and worshiping?  I can't speak for Scott, but I know after that question I need to do some rearranging of priorities.  Being busy is not good for us.

Below is a link to some of the pictures of the weekend.  Take time to look at them and ask yourself the same question - what in your life is keeping you too busy to enjoy your family and to worship together?

Family Camp at TVR

Family Camp Here We Come

I am a nervous wreck!  I let Hannah take my car and leave Kernersville and drive to my parents, 1 1/4 hours away, all by herself.  I cannot wait for the phone to ring that says she has made it there safely.  She is spending tonight with my parents and then driving back home tomorrow to spend Saturday night with Amy.  Pray for her safety and my sanity.

You ask, why am I allowing her to do this - well, its because Scott, Alex, and I are headed to Newland, NC for Family Camp.  We are looking forward to a weekend with 7 other families at Teen Valley Ranch (http://www.tvr.org/).  We will spend time in worship, Bible study, fellowship, and just taking in the wonderful creation God made.  It is peak weekend for the leaves - just an extra blessing God bestowed on us!  I cannot wait to share pictures with you when we return. 

Pray for our safety and time together - time together as a family, as church families, and with the Lord.  I am looking forward to experiencing God in a new and exciting way this weekend!

SEND Spain Spotlight

When we arrive in Spain we will not be working alone.  We will be joining a team of missionaries already on the field.  Below is the team newsletter - Called SEND Spain Spotlight.  This should give you just a little picture of what is already going on in Spain.  Please pray for the team members already on the field as well as those who, like us, are working on partnership development.  God is moving in Spain and we cannot wait to begin our ministry there!

SEND Spain Spotlight - Fall 2010

Recipes

We had a fabulous time sharing with two families Monday night about our journey to Spain.  The best part of partnership development is that it requires us to make time with people a priority.  I know that sounds crazy that I would say that, but in our busy life we often allow relationships to fall to the bottom of the priority bucket.  It's always a priority in our mind, but not often a priority in our calendar.

 

Each time we share there are different "ah ha" moments and I try to pass those on.  Monday night the moment was when one of the families realized they could be a monthly partner by giving annually.  Their income allows for them to give once a year, so they thought that just meant giving special gifts.  But actually, they can commit a certain amount of money to be given at a certain time each year and SEND will divide it by 12 and make it a monthly faith promise.  For example, perhaps they receive a bonus every February (or tax refunds, profit sharing, a month off a regular payment, .....).  They can turn in a faith promise now for any amount, but we'll use $600 as an example.  On the form they indicate they are going to give $600/year beginning in February.   As soon as that form is received SEND credits our monthly faith promises with $50 and we move one step closer to leaving.  When February comes around they give their $600.  Works great for everyone involved!  Maybe this is you - you can make a faith promise that is based on monthly, quarterly, annually, or any other combination above that works for you.  SEND knows how to figure out the rest.

 

 

One of the recipes I made this time was Garlic Shrimp Tapas - they were a hit! - so I am sharing the recipe.

 

Ingredients:

• 1 lb shrimp, 25 count to a pound
• 4 large cloves of garlic, finely minced
• 1 tsp sweet Spanish paprika
• 1 tsp red pepper flakes
• 2-3 oz of cognac (you may substitute dry sherry instead) - I used dry sherry (found near vinegar at grocery store)
• 1/4 cup virgin olive oil
• 3 tsp chopped fresh parsley
• 1 lemon for juice
• 1 Baguette

 

Preparation:

 

The shrimp can be peeled first, before cooking them if you prefer. In addition, if you like larger shrimp, you may purchase shrimp with fewer count to a pound. However, 25 to a pound are about the right size for this tapa.  (I bought peeled and deveined raw shrimp at SAMS)

 

In a sauté pan or heavy frying pan, warm the olive oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and sauté for about one minute or until they begin to brown. Be careful not to burn the garlic!

 

Raise the heat to high and add the shrimp, lemon juice, sherry or cognac and paprika. Stir well, then sauté, stirring briskly until the shrimp turn pink and curl – about 3 minutes.

 

Remove from heat and transfer shrimp with oil and sauce to a warm plate or serve right from the pan. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Sprinkle with parsley.

 

Serve with fresh bread.

 

Serves 4 for appetizers. If preparing for a main course, double the recipe!

50 at $50 for 50% = CAKE

We are praying and asking for 50 new partners at $50/month to allow us to be at 50% of our monthly suport by Christmas. Today we received notice of the 1st one - so 49 more to go. And just a little extra sweet incentive - all new partners will receive one of Cindy's homemade pies/cake...your choice - apple or chocolate.

Sme common questions you may have....

1. What if we can't start giving until January or February?  No problem....go ahead and turn in your form now so that it counts in our percentage, but on the form you can indicate that it begins at a future date.
2. What if we can do more than $50?  No problem... you'll put us even closer to reaching Spain.
3. What if we can't give monthly?  No problem.... you can give quarterly, semi-annually, or annually.  SEND will divide the amount into our monthly needs.

If you have other questions, don't hesitate to ask.

Surprising Statistic

Hannah and I had a fabulous time at the She Event last night.  It was great to see her and her friends praising God and even enjoying a "star" from my era.  They loved the music of Rebecca St. James and  new group Luke and John and the entertainment of Evie (she sang too).

There was a question and answer session with Evie and Rebecca St. James half way through the evening.  One person asked Evie the secret to enjoying empty nesting.  She said don't forget to stay involved and shared of her and her husband's work in China. 

She shared an interesting number which made me come home and look it up.  There are now confirmed 150 million believers in China.  They are almost entirely in underground churches and face persecution for their beliefs.  That means that 12% of the 1.3 billion population of China proclaims Christ as their Saviour.  I remember my childhood days when we heard of  very few believers in China.  I remember hearing of the days where China was considered one of the least evangelized areas of the world.  It is exciting to hear of how God is moving. 

I had to ponder that statistic for other reasons last night too.  In my mind China has always represented the "lost" of the world, yet there is 12% of their population who know Christ and according to several sources (the IMB included) there is approximately 0.02% of the population in Spain who know Christ as a personal Saviour.  Reached no conclusions from these ponderings, just realized that perhaps the "center of the lost world" is shifting.  Reminded me how much I really need to be praying for all those working in Europe and for the people of Europe.  Hope it makes you ponder a little too.

Mother/Daughter Night

I realized just how old I was yesterday when I stopped by to pick up our tickets for the She Event with Rebecca St. James and Evie.  First Hannah had no idea who Evie was.  She said she would have to come home and "google" her.  Oh my!

Then, the lady who was giving us our tickets asked if I knew who Evie was she proclaimed I was only the 11th person to come through who did - which wasn't so bad until she added, but most of those coming through have been a lot younger than you and I.  She fessed up to being almost the same age as me.

Then just to rub it in a little more I went to the She Event web site and read about Evie and it gives your biography, including the fact that she became a star at the beginning of the contemporary christian music movement, in the 1970s.  Oh my! 

Oh well, old or not - we are off to a night together of music from both generations and Christian fellowship.  I am sure the days of opportunitites like this are numbered.

Dancing with Praise

Just when I thought God had shown His wonders to their greatest, He reminded me that we can never comprehend the greatness nor the plans of Him.  He is greater than our greatest imagination.  His plans are greater than we could even fathom.  He is God and we are not!


If you need proof, read the post from the "wife/mother" of the family who has a contingency offer on our house.  Only a God as great as our Heavenly Father could orchestrate something this good.  But here is a warning - the rest of your day is going to be different after reading this - I can still hardly sit still!

"I second that prayer! I am the wife and the mother of the four children and, being born in Rota, Spain (near Gibraltar) on a naval base, I have dual citizenship. Hearing that you are missionaries to Spain made my heart leap with excitement!!! I have always wanted to go back.


I am praying earnestly for you and for us as we move forward on this journey. We see that God, in launching us to do His work in NC, is launching you. We are thrilled. You are covered in prayer. We are also thrilled to know that we must have people praying for us all over the world as they pray for you to become missionaries to Spain. Being up here in VT alone is difficult to say the least, but knowing that I am not alone in raising my prayers to the Lord sustains me.


We too have an Alex, btw. He's in high school. :)


Here is my verse for today. I dedicate it to you: "They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles." Isaiah 40:31.


I want you to know that the chance of a Christian from VT moving and buying your home is slim to none as New England is a very dark place spiritually and Christians are scarce up here. The Lord has brought us together and I can't wait to meet you.


-Adrienne-

Speechless

Don't you just love it when God answers prayers that you couldn't even fathom to express?  Today I have been speechless as I have pondered how God has moved in our lives.  We do not know what the future holds.  We are discovering what it means to live one day at a time and trust God where He is working and wait on Him in other areas.  It is exciting, energizing, and at times overwhelming (both in the good and the bad way).  But just at the time when we need that little extra nudge to remind us that He truly is God, He does.

I shared a few days ago that we had accepted a contingency offer on the house.  It remains on the market and we continue to wait to see what God has planned for both us and the family from Vermont that has made the offer, but we are moving forward as if they could call any day and say that their home has sold.  (That is a whole different blog post - so check back in a few days).  I asked you to pray not only for us, but for this new family and for their home to sell quickly so they could be reunited. 

Although we have never met them we shared through realtors that we were praying for them and gave them a copy of our latest newsletter which led them to this blog.  They commented on our prayer request for them.  As I read the comment this morning I wept - not because of some sad thing, but because I realized God is so very big!  He left me speechless.  He answered our prayer in a way that was greater than even my imagination.

The "husband and father" shared his prayer and I just couldn't leave it hidden in a comment from an old post.  I don't share this for either he or I to get any glory - but to let God show off - to testify to you that you can trust God with your biggest concerns in life and He will answer in ways greater than you imagine!  God is a good God!

God is GREAT! I am the husband of the wife and four kids. Please join with me in praying this prayer "God you are mighty, you are powerful, how majestic is Your Name. We lift up the work that you are doing in the sale of the VT house and the NC home. We ask that as you further the work of Your Kingdom through the Hunters you continue to bless them. We ask that you specifically bring a buyer for the VT house so that the Hunters will be launched into Kingdom service in Your time. We acknowledge that You work EVERYTHING together for good for those who love You and are called according to Your purposes. We submit to Your will in this process and praise you for what you are going to do. In the matchless name of Jesus we pray" AMEN "Our Father who art in heaven hallowed be thy name...come and let Your glory come and let Your glory fall"

October Newsletter

Here is our October newsletter. God has been answering prayers and moving in a mighty way!

October 2010

Last Chance Yard Sale

Cornerstone Baptist Church is hosting a community wide yard sale and craft fair to support our journey to Spain.  

Saturday 06 November 2010, from 7:00 am to 1:00 pm

(rain or shine - inside facility if inclement weather)

Spaces can be rented for a small donation and you keep all your profits.  Clean out your garage, attic or storage facility, and get in one last yard sale of the year, before the holidays. Craft vendors or direct sales are welcome to get a jump start on those holiday sales.

For more information or to rent space contact Russ Dorrell at 392-3970 or  gousna85@bellsouth.net, or Cindy Hunter at 665-1944 or cindy.hunter@cornerstonesbc.org.

And the Rain Came Tumbling Down

...or was that a tree

We have prayed for rain around here for several weeks, maybe we should have prayed a little more specifically.  Our neighbors have had a rough week from the rain.  Monday they woke up to a tree that had fallen on their other neighbor's fence.  Today they woke up to find another tree had fallen on our fence.  We are blessed to have fabulous neighbors who are dependable and trustworthy.  Whoever ends up living in our house (and we are praying for the family in Vermont who has a contingency offer on it) are going to be blessed by our neighbors!

Partnership Update & More

Just a quick note to update you on life around the Hunter house....

• Scott celebrated his birthday yesterday - I'd tell you how old he is, but he'd probably shoot me... but he is older than me!  He is also helping to teach a men's Bible study on Tuesday nights and not looking forward to his classes starting back in mid -October.
• Zach got a 2nd job - in addition to working for the tree service he will be bussing tables at Elizabeths in Oak Ridge.  Feel free to stop by and say hello.  I am hoping that he might learn how to clear the table at home too.
• Hannah got a clear MRI and EEG today.  Still don't know the cause of the hiccups, but we have now ruled out all the major, life threatening causes.  Praising God for that information!
• Alex is loving middle school.  He even told me the other day that SMOD (almost uniform) wasn't so bad and made getting dressed really easy.  He is loving soccer and although his team isn't winning every game, he still loves it.
• I started my first quilt and am helping Hannah with her first one too.  We'll see if this project ever gets finished.  It's all done on the machine (which I had to borrow back from my parents).  I also just recently returned from Ukraine and realized how much I enjoyed teaching.  I had an opportunity to teach in an ESL (English as a Second Language) class and am now looking for some classes to take to be prepared to teach ESL when we reach Spain,
• We accepted a contingency offer on the house.  We will continue to leave the house on the market while the potential buyers try to sell their house.  Pray for a quick sale of their house.  It is exciting to see a ray of sunshine.
• We have had several new financial partners join our team.  The average partner is $50/month.  At this rate it originally took 208 partners and now we only need 159 more.  Our goal is to be at the half way mark by Christmas - so we need 55 more.  Feel free to ask how you can join our partnership.
• We are going to Spain.  Not to stay yet, but for a 10 day visit.  We will get to meet our future teammates, explore the area, visit the school where the kids will attend, and begin to add a picture to our prayers.  With the help of frequent flier miles and Christmas we will leave January 16.  

Enough of an update for now... thanks for stopping by and catching up with us.

House News

We have 1/2 sold our house - meaning, we have accepted a contingency offer on our home.  The family buying the house is moving here from Vermont and has a house to sell there, but they love our house and we have reached an agreement.  The house will stay on the market until their home sells or someone else makes an offer, but God answered my prayer for wisdom and touch and has shown a huge ray of hope our direction.

Continue to pray for our house, but also pray for the family who wants to buy our home.  She and four children are still in Vermont and he is already here.  I know they would love to be here together and settled.

Isn't God great?!

Three Slices of the Pie

You can't watch this video directly from our website, but you can go to You Tube and watch it.  People ask why not just tell our neighbors about Jesus - perhaps this answers part of the question.  I pray that God finds me faithful in sharing with all three slices of the pie.

College Visits

I cannot believe Hannah is old enough to be looking for a college.  Tomorrow we begin agressively looking for a college.  We will spend the day at Winthrop University in Rock Hill, SC.  I still remember when I looked for a college, so there is no way I am old enough to have a 2nd child looking for one.

After that we are going to a fabric store to look for fabric to make a quilt.  I have tried before to make a quilt and quit - hopefully this attempt will end with a quilt.  I have been assured this is an easy method.

From Vision to Valley to Victory

The week before I left for Ukraine we recorded the most recent version of The Journey on the radio show produced by Siloam Missionary Homes on WTRU.  Larry and Joyce George reminded the three of us (all missionary families in different stages of very different types of mission work) of the story of Ezekiel.  God gave him a vision and when Ezekiel began to surrender and follow he has to go through many valleys and saw victory in many ways.  Throughout this episode (it's only 30 minutes in length total), we all recounted the vision God gave us and the valleys and victories we are experiencing.  What a blessing it is to know that God never leaves nor forsakes and that He is able to use ALL things for His glory!

Segment 1

Segment 2

Segment 3

Time to Go Home

The last couple days have been filled with ministry, opportunitites, and fellowship.  We are all tired and ready to turn the page to a new season.

Tomorrow morning (around midnght Sunday night, EST) Cindy and Lea will head for the airport.  Shelby will move to the Judy's apartment.

All three of us are dealing with stomachs that are not real happy and Cindy is feeling yucky all over.  Pray for a good night's sleep and that we all wake up ready to face the day.  Pray for safe flights and on time arrivals.  Cindy and Lea have about 24 hours of travel.  They should arrive in Greensboro around midnight on Monday night.

Pray for Gerald (Shelby's husband) who is presently flying to Ukraine to meet Shelby for a week of visiting.

Check back in a couple days for the rest of the updates and pictures.

Cindy, Lea, and Shelby

Friday Update

Just a quick update to let everyone know that we are doing well and things are going wonderfully.  The long days are catching up with us, but it is worth every moment. 

Yesterday we prayer walked another region of Ukraine.  We stopped and prayed over a region of approximately 10,000 people.  Of those people, there are perhaps 100 believers.  As we were processing what that number really meant, Shelby says that means that 9,900 people are dying and going to hell.  It was, and still is, hard to process that fact.  There are a handful of Ukrainians in this region that are giving it their all to reach their families, friends, and strangers with the truth of the gospel, but it is hard and often dry land.  We cannot change the world ourselves, but our prayers can move mountains.  Sunday, the 19th, Lea and I will share faces of these men, women, and children and invite you to pray with us.

Today we returned to the ESL school where we taught two more classes.  This school is not a Christian school, but instead a school being administered  and taught by a strong Christian couple who see this not just as a school, but a ministry.  They are living out their Christian life in public and creating relationships with families that have almost all they need in the material world, yet nothing they need for eternity.  It is so much fun to come alongside nationals and serve as an encouragement and resource for them.

It's after 11 already tonight and we are being picked up at 8 tomorrow morning - our day will be filled with one last learning styles workshop, a tour of St. Sophia Cathedral (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Sophia_Cathedral_in_Kiev), and final souvenir shopping.  Life is good!

Thank you for your prayers and words of encouragement - you will never know the impact that they are making.

Cindy, Lea, and Shelby

Indescribable

It is hard to put into words what today has been like.  We spent the morning traveling to a city in the southern part of the Kharkov Oblast.  The fact that we made it there safely is an answer to prayer in itself.

We were greeted by about 24 women - some Ukrainian, some Roma gypsy.  It was so much fun to teach them about learning styles.  We invited them to talk and laugh with us and they surely did.  They then fed us a meal fit for queens (which of course we are).  It was a precious time as we watched their faces as they had "lightbulb" moments.  They really began to grasp what we were teaching - that each one was made uniquely by God and that unique was not bad.  It truly was a time of great meeting with women and our Father.

This evening we fellowshiped with about 8 women who used to participate in a study taught by our host.  She no longer has permission from the government to teach this group.  They begged for her to return - not because of who she was, but because they want someone to teach them more about God and the Bible.  They then shared their prayer requests - almost all were family members who were not believers.  It was a precious time of meeting with fellow believers.  I am not sure who was more encouraged - the Ukrainian ladies or the Americans.

We are tired tonight.  Pray for a good night's sleep and to be refreshed tomorrow.  We will spend most of the day prayer walking and then journey back to Kiev on the train (we leave this area at 4:30 PM - 9:30 AM EST).

God is answering prayers and we covet your continued time of praying.

Cindy, Lea, and Shelby

Prayer Walking

Our God is an awesome God!

"Oh how I'll rejoice in them! Oh how I'll delight in doing good things for them! Heart and soul, I'll plant them in this country and keep them here!"  Jeremiah 32:41

Today we boarded an express train from Kiev to the eastern part of Ukraine.  Six hours later we stepped off into another world - one that is 20 miles from the Russia border.  An area that is living in darkness.  A place where you can physically feel the spiritual oppression.  A place that the Lord is waiting to "delight in doing good."

I had never read the above verse before, but today I opened a card and that was the verse quoted.  (The Women on Mission Group at Shelby's church made beautiful cards with individual notes for each one of us for every day.)  Isn't God good?  The person who wrote the card does not know me nor what today held and yet Jeremiah 32:41 is the verse that the Lord laid on her heart for me for today (yes, the card had a specific day for me to open). 

It's hard to explain the experience today.  We walked through the 2nd largest city square in Europe.  We walked through an Orthodox church that is hundreds of years old.  We stood on a mountain and looked at an area that measures 6 square miles and houses 600,000 people.  We stood at a huge monument to remember those that died in WWII that had an ever burning flame and an audible heartbeat.  We saw sign after sign celebrating 65 years of freedom.  Yet, we encounter no one who knew true freedom.  No one who had experienced the heartbeat of Christ.  No one who knows that they are loved and able to speak directly to the Savior of the world.

There is nothing we could have done more worthy of our time - no task more important - than asking for God to move and be present in this area.  In a few days (maybe after we return) I'll write about the prayer walk experience, but today our heart aches for the brokenness and darkness we saw and experienced today.

Tomorrow we will be teaching a conference in the morning.  We are teaching learning styles.  You ask what does that have to do with missions?  In Ukraine the only legal way to teach in the schools is military style - rote memory and lecture.  If you fail at school, the government stops your ability to attend and they decide who goes on to technical school or university.  If you do not qualify for one of those, you go to the military.  Mothers yearn for ways to reach their children to give them options.  They yearn to know that their child is fearfully and wonderfully made by God just the way they are.  They desire to teach them of the things of the Lord yet know nothing but what they had in school.  Our prayer is that tomorrow we offer hope for a future and understanding of their children (and even themselves).  Our greatest desire is even for these women who may have felt like a failure due to their struggles in school, to realize they are not stupid - but instead just learn differently and that God is pleased with them.  Pray for clarity as we teach.  Pray for the translator.  Pray they heart the message of the Lord.

In the evening we are fellowshipping with women from another area.  There will be no teaching, only fellowship.  Pray that our willingness to set aside our plans and to work within the parameters set before us will serve as an encouragement to both the nationals and Americans we work with.  Give us God's eyes for the people that we encounter tomorrow.

Sorry - no pictures tonight - I'll have to upload them when we return to Kiev. 

Keep praying - we can feel them and see them being answered!

Day 2 - ESL Classes

What a great day today was!  We began the morning with a visit with a SEND missionary and learning of her experiences.  The world is so diverse and it is always great to hear of how things are done or needs throughout the world.  Thanks Bertha for joining us.

Then we headed to Anna's English school.  This school is for students who are enrolled in public schools and desire to have additional English lessons.  They were all so much fun!  We hosted a party for a group of middle elementary students and taught English.  We all laughed quite hard when we realized we brought foam letters for the children to make name tags with, however, in Ukraine the use the cyrillic alphabet, which has 33 letters and many which are not in the English language.  Oh well, Anya transliterated their names to English for us - we couldn't have read the Ukrainian names anyhow.  The older classes we had an opportunity to have conversations and interaction with the students.  It was amazing how interested the students were in learning the lessons.

We ended the day with dinner at McDonalds and then Shelby, Lea, and I got on the metro by ourselves and found our way back to our apartment,  Yes, we had to call and let "Mama Marsha" know we had safely arrived, but it was a fun adventure.

We leave very early tomorrow morning for a region in the eastern part of the country.  No new permissions have been received, so we will spend one day teaching and one day prayer walking.  Pray that we wake up on time (4:30 AM), for no complications on the train ride, and for God size appointments throughout our stay.  (Due to being away from the city there may or may not be an update tomorrow and Wednesday - but check just in case - we appreciate and feel all your prayers!) 

We are all healthy and doing well.  We all know how blessed we are to have this opportunity and pray that we share the blessings of Christ all around us.

Photos of the day at the ESL school:

Sunday Update

I think our bodies almost know that it is supposed to be bedtime here - we are 7 hours ahead of EST and thanks to a very long day, we all were able to sleep last night like we had never slept before.  Today the weather has been overcast and a little chilly (it's 55 degrees right now - 11:00 PM).  But perfect weather for wandering the city.

The trip from Greensboro to Kiev was uneventful with every flight being on time and all the luggage arriving.   Right before we landed in Kiev, I struck up a conversation with the Ukrainian woman sitting next to me (no, I wasn't rude for the first half of the flight, but instead asleep from being awake all night  :) ).  When I asked where she had been traveling to (assuming she was heading home), she began to sob.  She shared the lives in Florida and her father had died and she was traveling home for his funeral.  Due to an issue with her passport she had been delayed more than a day and was not sure she would be able to get the last flight she needed when she arrived in Kiev and did not know if the funeral would have already occurred before she got there.  I wrapped my arm around her and just listened.  She and her father are orthodox and do not have the assurance that heaven awaits them.  She talked of hoping his passing was peaceful and that whatever waited on him would be good.  She allowed me to pray with her and share, but her heart was very broken.  I promised the team would pray throughout the day for her as she tried  to make final travel arrangements.  Pray for Oksana and that other believers will cross her path and she how to know without a doubt what awaits them on the other side of death.

Tim and Marsha are doing great.  We have laughed and cried together and shared stories from both sides of the ocean.  We can only imagine what conversations they are having about this crazy team when they drop us off at our apartment.

Today we worshiped in New Life Church - a large, contemporary style church that provides an English translator for the service that is broadcast through the radio (we wore headphones during the service).  The pastor preached on the difference in Christianity and false religions then ended the service with communion.  It was a beautiful service.

We spent the remaining portion of the day shopping - what fun! 

Tomorrow we will host a Back to School Party at an English school and teach vocabulary related to school.  Not all the teachers or students at this private school are believers, so pray that they will see a difference in us that is only possible through our relationship with Christ.

An update on the needed permissions for the conferences on Wednesday and Thursday.  We have only received one permission and this will not change.  We still intend to travel to the region and will teach the one conference.  Instead of the two other conferences we will host an informal time of fellowship and crafts with one group (we will not be allowed to do any kind of teaching - no Bible study, no learning styles, nothing).  On the 2nd day when we were to host the 3rd conference, we will cover the area with prayer through prayer walking/driving.  There is no greater privilege than to pray for these people who are experiencing such great oppression. 

Arrived Safely

We have arrived in Kiev safely with all of our luggage. The trip was uneventful and even ended with an opportunity to share the hope of Jesus with a Ukrainian woman. We've been up for 35 hours straight, so too tired for details. Tomorrow we will share more.


Thanks for your prayers - God is hearing them and answering them!

Cindy, Lea, and Shelby

Heading to Ukraine

After months and months of preparation, today is finally the day we leave for Ukraine.  Lea and I will depart from Greensboro around 2:00 and meet up with Shelby in Atlanta for a 5:30 flight.  The fact that we even have flights today is an answer to prayer.  Hurricane Earl threatened to interrupt our flights and on the recommendation of Delta, we did some rearranging of our schedules.  This flight schedule is not near as convenient, but God answered our prayers for flights that allowed all three of us to match up together and even have seats together (and the icing on the cake - they are not in the middle of the row).

This trip has been met with all kinds of spiritual warfare - so pray for the team as we put on the armor of God and go forward to what God has laid before us.  We know that Satan wants to destroy and distort and we pray that we do not allow Satan any opportunity.

Today, pray for safe and uninterrupted travels.  Pray for stamina as we will not arrive in Kiev until 10:00 AM Saturday morning (EST) - and the majority of the time that our bodies think it is night time, is to be spent in the Amsterdam airport for a 5 hour layover.

Continue for God to miraculously provide the needed permissions for the final two conferences.  We will not quit praying for these permissions until the time has passed.  We are prepared to teach, and yet if God does not move mightily, we are prepared to spend the time in prayer walking.  Pray that our attitudes and countenance will not falter.

Pray for Scott as he plays Mr. Mom and Dad over the next 11 days.  Pray for Zach, Hannah, and Alex as they deal with a change in routine.  Pray that our house sells while I am gone.

Pray for Herman and Gerald as their wives are away. 

Check back regularly for updates on the trip and prayer requests - we cannot wait to see all that God has prepared for us!

Cindy

(join Lea and I at the Greensboro airport at 12:30 near the Delta counter to send us off with prayer - prayer is the backbone of this trip)

Just Catching Up

Looking back over the past couple posts and I realized that I had all kinds of insights into life, but nothing about all the changes happening here, so today's post is just to catch you up on life.

Lots of changes (no, we still have not sold the house) and new beginnings around here.  How about just a family roll call...

• Alex - started middle school on Wednesday.  How did my baby get big enough to go to middle school?  He loves it (of course, he loves all of life).  The school he attends has SMOD (standard mode of dress - similar to uniform, but not quite that strict) and he looked so grown up heading out the door to school.  Scott is taking him this year (another first in quite a few years) and he is riding the bus home (he has only ridden the bus about 10 times in his entire life).   He is going to play the trombone in band and we are all praying that this goes well - as in the 5th grade he learned to play the recorder with his nose.  He also made the U12 challenge soccer team this year so his days are full.
• Hannah - is a junior in high school and is once again choosing to be home schooled.  She has her driver's license and we have found a lot of freedom in this.  Her relationship status changed last week after having "dated" the same guy for nearly two years.  It is fun watching her grow up and seeing how all the things we have taught her are coming to fruition.  We begin looking at colleges in September - I know, a little early - but it will be hard to do college visits from Spain.
• Zach - moved back home.  Now we are all trying to figure out how to co-exist in a different sort of relationship than before - he is 20, no longer a child.  Any suggestions on this point would be appreciated.  He is taking classes at GTCC (local technical college) and started flying again yesterday.   He also got a job at a tree cutting service but is looking for something else.  He had a great summer at Camp Don Lee and looks great.  He did grow a "grizzly adams" look, but we are getting used to it. 
• Scott  - decided to wait until October to take his next seminary class.  The class he took in May and June occupied so much time that he had very little time to commit to partnership development (although he did make an A - continues to have a 4.0 GPA in seminary - yeah!).  In looking at our long term plans, we decided that it is essential that together we invest many more hours into sharing our story (haven't heard it or want to know how to become a partner, just let me know).  He has also been involved in a men's Bible study at church and will be helping to establish a new cell group in the coming weeks.
• And me -  I am preparing to leave the country for my last short term mission trip at Cornerstone.  I leave next Friday for Ukraine where, along with two other women, I will be leading several conferences on Learning Styles.   It is a subject very dear to my heart - God made each of us as unique individuals and understanding these differences makes a difference in how we share Jesus, teach, and even discipline.  I am excited about the trip, but a few tears over the fact that this piece of ministry is coming to a close.  Keep on an eye on the blog - I'll write throughout the trip.

And in other news...

• The house is still for sale - real estate has slowed way down in our area, but we continue to ask God to move mightily.  We are having some repair work done on the hardwood floors in hopes of this helping it to sell.
• My car is for sale - anyone want a 2006 Honda Pilot EXL - leather seats and sun roof and all.  No, we are not becoming a one car family.. just eliminating a car payment and preparing for a move to Spain.  We will replace my car with something small and cheap that could be left here for Hannah when we leave.

Guess that is a long enough post for today... thanks for continuing to read and follow our journey.  I pray that something in the midst of these words may encourage you to keep taking steps on whatever journey God is leading you on.

Lesson #2: Loaf of Bread or Bread of Life?

One of the reasons people return over and over again to locations such as Honduras for missions trip is that there is an immediate "feel good" response for what is accomplished.  Honduras is #121 in the list of countries according to their GDP, with an average of $1881/person (US is #9 with $46,381).  Poverty is the norm in Honduras.  Many people have no idea where their next meal will come from and very few have homes that we would call much more than a shack or hut.  School is only required for six years, but only required if the government offers a school and you can afford the required clothing, so the literacy rate in some areas is minimal.  Generations of families have lived at the city dump and generations to come will continue to live there. 

Mission trips to Honduras focus on sharing Jesus through meeting material needs.  Health, dental, food, clothing and more are the focus of trip after trip.  So many teams come to Honduras that one place we visited to shop for souvenirs had t-shirts, magnets, hats, etc. that said "I survived a mission trip to Honduras." 

When working in Honduras there is immediate positive feedback for the ministry you offer.  Smiles and words of gratitude break your heart as you serve.  You can tell immediately that you have made a difference in the lives of Hondurans, even if only for a brief moment.  Missions in Honduras makes you feel good.

Wait, before you react - don't get me wrong.  There are many in Honduras who need to hear the message of Jesus Christ.  There are areas of Honduras where there are no believers in the village.  Honduras needs Jesus!

But, here is the lesson I learned - take a team to some place like Honduras and the team comes back ready to change the world.  Their hearts are broken and they are excited and on fire for missions.   They cannot wait to share a "loaf of bread" with someone and then share Jesus.  Take a team to some place like Ukraine or Spain where there is no need for a "loaf of bread," but instead just the "bread of life" and the team comes back excited about what they did, but often not broken hearted at all. 

Missions often doesn't have immediate feedback of "good feelings."  Once again, I had to step back and evaluate my own feelings.  Is my heart just as broken over people who do not have the "bread of life" as it is over those who need a "loaf of bread?"  Do I come home ready to change the world because of the number I met who needed the "bread of life" or do I just think that is how it is?  What about you?  Are you broken over hearing there are less than 1% of the Spanish population who have the "bread of life?"  What is your reaction to the fact that the team I am leading to Eastern Europe in two weeks has yet to receive permission from the government to teach Sunday School teachers how to teach?  I challenge you to look deep in your heart and ask is how broken is your heart over "loaves of bread" and the "bread of life?"

Lesson #1: Serving God is Fun

Over the entire month of July as I learned about our life as a missionary and then spent ten days in Honduras, I was constantly reminded that serving God is fun. But what struck me somewhere along the way was that for someone who has the privilege of serving God 24 hours a day with no restraints, I don't have near enough fun. Ministry becomes a burden. Volunteering to serve becomes an inconvenience. When I am doing it there is always something that is easy to find to complain about. Laughter is a rare commodity.


But, as I searched my heart, confessed somethings to the Lord, and turned off some "unimportant things" I began to see a few more smiles and a lot more laughter. It is really kind of hard to frown and be miserable when you really stop and grasp who you are doing it for.

And below are just a few pictures from both trips to prove that we really did have a lot of fun!

Preparing for fundraiser to raise support for Honduras trip

Tasting coffee made fresh from the tree (when we were supposed to actually be building a concrete block building)

Even playing with concrete as a way to serve God can be fun

This is the trail where we "slid" down in the mud to build bunk beds and deliver both physical and spiritual food.

Of course we took the Northwest Observer with us to take a picture

Not allowed to take the glass bottles from the store, so they pour your soda into a bag and give you a straw

After a hike down a mountain to a creek, where I dropped my camera in the river and this beautiful lady jumped in after it.

Yes, I am still alive!

I apologize for being "quiet" for so long, but life is crazy after being gone for so long.  I am still trying to catch up both at home and at work.  I discovered yesterday I still have a suitcase that isn't unpacked and I've been back 11 days.  Guess there was nothing in it that was essential.

Now that I have stopped to write it is hard to decide where to start, but for the next few posts I will share some things I learned in the month of July. 

Just a recap for my new readers---

Our family left home on July 10 and drove to Michigan.  We spent two weeks living in a two room "apartment."  While there we spent time in classes that were to prepare us for our move to Spain.  I really think their goal was to take off all the "rose colored glasses" of missions and convince us that our journey ahead was serious and we had better be preparing correctly (I'll post about that in the coming days).  Then on July 22 Hannah and I flew from Michigan to Raleigh to meet the Honduras mission team I was leading (while Scott and Alex stayed in Michigan to finish training and drive home).  Hannah and I were in Honduras from July 23 through August 1.  Every trip is unique, but this one was especially unique after having spent two weeks preparing for a career mission placement.

I learned a lot about myself, my family, our calling to Spain, SEND, friends, and especially God.  Somethings were easy to digest, some are still "stuck in my throat."   But more than anything else, I was reminded that I am a fallen, sinful woman who does not deserve salvation, and yet a God who is greater than words can express sent His son to earth and then allowed Him to pay the cost of my sins.  There is no sacrifice or gift that I can give back to Him that even comes near "paying Him back."  And if I really, really get this - there won't be a single person that passes my path who can't tell that I possess such a fabulous gift, nor will I be able to rest knowing that there are nearly 2 billion people in this world who have never heard His name.

Welcome back to the journey and hang on - as I pray that the next few posts not only share what I have learned, but teach you a little too.

And yes, we still own a house.

Beginning to Reflect

My brain is still overwhelming with thoughts and experiences from the past three weeks.  I'm not sure where to even start writing, but hopefully over the next few days of blogs I will be able to share pieces of the journey with you.  I ask that you continue to pray for our family as we process all that we learned and heard while we were in Michigan.

If I had to write a title for the past three weeks I'd say it would be "Goodbye Rose Colored Glasses."  It is easy to surrender to missions (or a lot of other things) and get wrapped up in the "fairy tale." You know, spending all day with all your new friends who speak the language you quickly learned seeing everyone you encounter coming to know Christ.  In addition, the experience is exciting and thrilling as you worship in many languages and shop in a variety of markets.

Reality is no where near that picture.  Consider a few of the topics, decisions, and assignments we encountered while in Michigan:

• If we were to die on the field do we want to be buried in Spain or have our bodies brought back to the states?
• Complete legal paperwork to allow our field leader in Spain to have temporary custody of our children in the event of our death, terrorism, natural disaster, imprisonment, etc until the permanent arrangements could be made
• Plan to feed ourselves spiritually and isolated since it will be quite awhile before we can participate in worship in a language other than our heart language
• Evaluate what major events are coming in the lives of our friends and family in the coming future and decide what we will be able to come home for and what we will miss (weddings, funerals, illnesses, graduations, ...)
• Be aware of the signs of depression - nearly all missionaries, and especially women, will deal with some degree of depression throughout their first term - begin to pray for a relationship on the field that is a safe place to express these feelings
• Moral Purity - easiest place for a missionary to fail - both on the field and in their marriage
• Language - be prepared one spouse is going to find language acquisition to be a natural task and the other will feel like it would be easier to teach a fish to live on land than to acquire a new language - just one stress on the family unit
• Day to day routine - if you are a task completer (anybody think that describes me?) you are going to have to establish new ways to measure productivity.  Just completing the daily tasks becomes overwhelming and productivity is equated with whether the laundry made it to the washer and clothes line and back in or a meal was tasty to the whole family with unknown ingredients 

This is just a tiny picture of what we learned.  Add to the picture the number of people who have been working to raise their support for 1 1/2 years and the time we spent really discussing the need for Jesus to be shared with the lost and the whole two weeks were overwhelming.

Bottom line of what I learned - the call to be a missionary is a God sized calling that only God can accomplish.  I can plan, work, and even fret and the task is still bigger than anything I could ever fathom.  If I don't learn to depend on God with every ounce of my being every second of the day, then I too will be one of the statistics of missionaries who went to the field and came home shortly after arrival.  If I choose to continue to wear "rose colored glasses" then I can expect defeat.  

I'm choosing to leave the glasses off and instead to wrap myself up in the Word of God - both written in scriptures and spoken through prayer - and to learn a little more about what it means to surrender it all to Him.  The road ahead is full of curves, mountains, and valleys - but the ride is definitely worth it!

How Great is our God

This is Scott (Cindy and Hannah are still in Honduras).  Alex and I had to be out of the house tonight because it was showing. YAAAAY! It's been a while.

We saw this cloud in the sky illuminated by the setting sun. How awesome is our God!

He is your praise; he is your God, who performed for you those great and awesome wonders you saw with your own eyes. Deuteronomy 10:21

I thank God for the reminders of His greatness that he sends for me.  My God is not too small to handle all my needs.  My God is great enough that He can forgive sin.  My God loves me enough that he sent his only son to die.  If you don't know him, you can. 

Reflections

My time at MOP is coming to a close (1 1/2 more days for Hannah and I, 3 more days for Scott and Alex).  At times it feels like we have been here forever and at other times it feels like we arrived only yesterday.  Our brains, emotions, hearts, souls, and more have been challenged and pushed to limits we weren't actually prepared for.  I'll have to come back and share with you some of the things we have been discussing.  Going to need some time to process.

Did you know that 1.9 billion - not thousand, not even million, but BILLION people have no access to the bible?  How can we say we love the Lord our God with all our heart, all our soul, and all our mind and sleep at night knowing we aren't doing everything we possibly can to reach the world?  How can we frolic through life without a burden that is overwhelming?  I just can't get that to add up in my mind tonight.

So much more needs to be shared, but first I need time to meditate on it (and by the way, this morning's spiritual life session was on meditation).  After Honduras I'll share a little more.

The kids continue to have a fabulous time here and already beginning to realize that good-byes are just around the corner.  Pray for them as the goodbyes they will say in the next couple days are just the beginning of a life style of good-byes.

It's been good to be here and we are now even more ready to be in Spain.  Pray that our financial partnership comes in quickly.  Why not even pray about how you might join with us financially?  And yes, continue to pray for the sale of our house - because yes, we still own a house.

God Size Appointments

Well, I left a tease on my facebook status today and have had many people want to know when the whole story is going to be shared, so I figured I couldn't get away with waiting until tomorrow.

Settle in, this might be a little long.

Before we left NC we sent a missions packet to the pastor at the church where we were members when we lived in Michigan (13 years ago).  The pastor is not the same pastor as when we were there and the location of the church has changed, as well as many of the people.  The church was a little country church located in the midst of the cornfields.  We did not hear back from him before we left for Michigan, but did receive an invitation late this past week to meet the missions team chair between services today.

We really didn't know what that meant - were we just introducing ourselves, were we meeting with him, were we with the team, were we sharing with the congregation?  Who knew?  But this morning we piled into the car and drove to Adrian (about 1 1/2 hours away from training) and showed the kids the town we used to live in.  Then off to church we went.

We have been praying about our support and wanting to see God move in dramatic ways and He did today.  We arrived a few minutes early and walked into the foyer of the church (now realize this is while services and classes are going on) and a couple sitting on the couch declares "I know you."  Although we recognized them, we couldn't put a name with their face.  They reintroduced themselves to us and we immediately remembered them and their precious daughter (another story - maybe I can get them to tell their story here).  We started catching up and they asked "are you moving back to Michigan?" 

That opened the door to share that no, we were actually moving to Spain.  Which led to all kinds of questions and conversation - but here's the kicker, the God moment!  He says "I'm on the mission team."  Now we are no longer a stranger sending in a packet, we are known family.  He then takes us over to introduce us to the chair who we were to be meeting.

God had already prepared that way too - because this gracious gentleman knew the religious condition of Spain and was telling us about it.  We had to do none of the "why Spain" conversation.  Hold on - there's more!  He then asks us if Ogden partnered with us on a short term trip what it would look like and the first thing that popped into my head (or was shoved there by the Holy Spirit) was ESL classes.  He proceeds to tell us of the opportunities he and his wife have had to see first hand how ESL is a powerful tool in spreading the gospel.  Isn't God good!

We continued the conversation with constant interruptions of people who recognized us from 13 years ago (do we really still look like we did then?), but they weren't interruptions.  You see, the missions chair was getting to know us through his own church's testimony of the times we spent together.  Who would have expected a 30 minutes conversation with a mission chair in the foyer of a church between services could accomplish all this time did.

Now wait - we aren't done yet - because while Scott was trying to still talk with him and I was talking with old friends, the chairman brought up the subject of financial partnership.  We didn't even have to do it!  We serve a very mighty and powerful God!  (he will get back with us in the coming weeks regarding how we can partner together)

We then went to worship and sat under a fabulous sermon where the pastor preached on Colossians 3.  He called the church to cast off the things of the old self in a very powerful way.  While he was encouraging progress, he made it clear that if the church was to reach the world then their behavior had to be different.  The congregation participated in Lord's Supper during the service (it wasn't passed, but you were invited to come to the table and partake) - but only after you "cast off some old rags of behaviors that were not characteristic of a believer."  Members went to members and you saw tears around the congregation.  The Holy Spirit was moving and present. 

We then went to lunch with a dear friend.  How precious was the time of visiting.  She played a vital role in our lives when we lived in Michigan and to reconnect after so many years was beautiful.  There is nothing like friendships built on a common faith.  I realized during the drive back that my hope for the women of Spain is that they will realize how faith in Christ transforms every aspect of their life, including their friendships.  As we were about to leave she asked if I had pierced ears (no earrings for church today) and as I responded yes she took off her earrings and gave them to me.  She said they matched my eyes and outfit and they were just a little way of her showing God's love to me.  What a perfect ending to a God filled day!

I do not know why I am constantly amazed at how God moves.  I pray that one day my attitude becomes one of expecting Him to move instead of being surprised when He does.

Ogden Community Bible Church when we were members

(they have moved to town in a larger building and sold the original property to another congregation - Cornerstone Baptist Church - such a small world!)

Friday Morning at MOP

We are in our fifth day of MOP.  My brain is overwhelmed and my heart is broken.  What a spot to be!  At this point in life the only thing you can do is to depend on and rejoice in the Lord who is in charge of not only my life, but the entire world!

Yesterday was a stressful day - topics included suffering and persecution in the morning and moral purity in the afternoon.  It was a slap in the face with reality.  We are going to a safe country so in a sense we thought we were "safe."  The discussions were centered around the continuum of suffering - from inconvenience to martyrdom.  Once again the "rose colored glasses" were removed.  I had to do quite a bit of thinking on this quote....

"The man who is afraid to suffer cannot belong to him who suffered."  Tertullian

Still having to ponder that one....

We have enjoyed some time with the kids (played a game of Phase 10 last night that lasted 3 hours), laughed a lot at what they are learning and getting used to everything having a place when you live in small quarters.

For the weekend we have some down time and will spend the day at a park tomorrow with our new SEND family and then on Sunday we are spending the day with old friends from Adrian. 

And yes, we still own a house.