From start to finish...

Personally, I think Tom is one of the most creative people on the planet...but, perhaps, I might be biased! He was asked to do some artwork for the set of Divaz Next Door which is a local talk show on PlusTV, a Christian TV station, here in Belize. Here are some photos that I put together showing the evolution of his artwork!

His initial concept

He wasn't happy with the direction of this one...

So he changed direction.

Cirilo's preparing the set

The table was custom made by Pastor Scott Stirm and his son Shane.

all set and ready to go!

And it's show time! 

We had an informative talk with Mrs Arzu about the Garinagu people of Belize

Andrea and I also enjoyed a song by David Smith of Roots and Honor Records!

The Gift of Teamwork...

Do you work well with your spouse? 

There was a time when Tom and I tried to team teach back in California. We'd been married about 15 years or so. Though the talk went well...WE did not do so well...before or after. Let's just say there was weeping and gnashing of teeth involved. Thankfully, both of us have grown up a lot since then.

We've learned to work as a team over the past 9 years on the mission field. 

It came about slowly but surely. We've gained a greater respect for one another as the bond of partnership has strengthened throughout the years. 

Realizing that we are on the same team impacted our marriage and our ministry for the better.

This past weekend Tom and I spoke at a marriage seminar for Holy Ghost Church Esperanza. Tom made the initial outline for the talk and I added in details where it seemed appropriate. Tom's idea was to tell our story as a couple and based on our story we could then share some principles of Effective and Ineffective Communication. For example, Tom wrote about appreciating how well I listen to him when he talks so I was able to give some pointers on being a good listener. As we progressed through our story we were able to incorporate what we've learned about healthy communication throughout our 32 years of marriage. We felt comfortable speaking together and answering questions for the couples who attended.

Pastor Matthias Hill of Holy Ghost Church Esperanza and his wife Oneida.

Pastor Ian Sangster doing the opening remarks and prayer

Pastor Sarah Vasquez doing the icebreakers

 Mrs. Jane Martinez doing the giveaways!

Miss Verlie Lamb dancing to Bless the Broken Road

Mr. Jason Twist speaking on Finding your Ministry & Supporting your Spouse in Ministry

crowd shot by Mrs Jane Martinez

What an incredible blessing to witness all these couples giving up a Saturday to invest in their marriages and families. And Tom and I came away praising God for the precious gift of teamwork! 

the heavens can't contain Him...

The heavens can't contain Him

Yet Mary held Him in her arms

Pondering the mystery in her heart.

He chose to come earth

In weakness and in strength

A living Sacrifice for you and me.

As I think about Mary and Joseph being able to hold Jesus in their arms, I am amazed.  Amazed that God allowed His son to come to earth to be our Savior.  Amazed that though the heavens couldn't contain Him, He was able to walk this earth.  He chose to be a Living Sacrifice for you and for me.  As the day of celebrating His birth draws near, I am in awe of Him and of who He really is and of what He has done for us.

The heavens couldn't hold Him

Yet, He lives within our hearts

Covering the whole earth with His love.

Without His hope as anchor 

I'd be lost on stormy seas.

His precious gift of life would not be mine.

HOPE under construction...

Bethel Disciples International Church

not all of the outside walls are finished but the doors are beautiful!

There is a cross in the front of the church and at the back...

Jeremy and Jose setting up a makeshift screen for powerpoint...

It takes all of us to get things set up for the service...

just had time to take a photo of one side before the service started!

Our pastor is still out of the country but members of the congregation stepped up to fill in while he was away.  We were blessed by a word from our brother, Lemuel, yesterday!

The first candle of Advent is Hope.  We felt the Hope of this season as our church gathered for Sunday worship in this unfinished building. The church is just a shell right now and there is much to do before we move in to the space permanently.  A short term mission team is here from the states to do some work on this project and it was a blessing to have them in the service with us.  

During this season of preparing room in our hearts for the coming of Christ may we each seek eagerly after Him.  I trust that this Christmas won't be all about the gifts or lack thereof under you tree because no matter how much or how little you have He is the reason we celebrate!!

A very Happy Thanksgiving to you all!!

 

What are you grateful for today?!

If you're blessed to be with family today add that to your list.  For those of us living abroad these holidays separated from family can be hard.  We miss our sons, our parents, and our siblings but are so grateful to have a community of American friends that we can celebrate the US holidays with. Have a Happy Thanksgiving one and all!

Oh give thanks to the Lord, for He is good!

For His mercy endures forever.

Psalm 107:1

following hard after Him...

 

I read this verse earlier this week as part of a Thanksgiving devotional.  I'm still sorting out what it means for me to "follow hard".  Matthew Henry's commentary says that it speaks of "a very earnest desire and a serious vigorous endeavor to keep up communion with God".  And Charles Spurgeon says "we follow close at the Lord's heels, because we are one with Him."

My desire is to follow Him wholeheartedly, unreservedly, with determination. 

I want to be filled and saturated by Him.  

I want to worship Him with my whole being.

I want to follow hard after Him.  

My word for this year has been "Embrace".  Across the months my greatest lessons have been the most private and painful.  I've had to let go and grieve and I've had to embrace and accept. I suppose this is all a part of following hard.

As this year is winding down and I look ahead to the year that is coming I am setting new goals.  One of the things that I am looking forward to the most scares me and yet fills me with joy.  This too must be a part of following hard after Him.  I am learning that intimate communion with Him is the only thing that will carry me through each challenge that I am called to face.

Following hard is a calling.  

Following hard is a way of life.    

Following hard is a daily commitment.  

I know that I cannot accept this calling, embrace this way of life, or keep this daily commitment in my own strength.

The last part of verse 8 says "Your right hand upholds me".  Matthew Henry says "those that follow hard after God would soon fail and faint if God's right hand did not uphold them."  Isn't it a comfort to know that the divine power of God will hold us up and strengthen us as we determine to cling closely to Him and follow Him passionately?! 

May we experience the grace-filled strength of His right hand supporting us each step of the way!

  

  

  

Our Thanksgiving Tree...

 

I will give thanks to You, Lord, with all my heart;
I will tell of all Your wonderful deeds.
Psalm 9:1

 Years ago in the little church I grew up in we would be asked to give a testimony about what God had done in our lives over the past week. People would stand up and give a praise or sometimes they would sit and just shout them out.  But each week I heard something about God's goodness poured out on someone. This tree of ours is kind of like those testimonies.  We are giving praise to God for the big and the small things He is doing in our lives for the month of November.  

 

The tree is not fancy.  Just a branch cut from one of the trees in our yard.

I used the same branch for Easter.  (just click the highlighted words to see the Easter Tree.)

Some of the leaves are bigger than others but that is just so that I have room to write more when I need it. I made a template and then printed them out on various fall colors of construction paper.  Each day Tom and I talk about what we are thankful for. It's been a blessing to share with one another a bit each day and not save it all up for the holiday. And each time I look at the tree I am reminded of how good God is!

There is always something to be thankful for...

What are you grateful for today??

the power of friendship in marriage...

Good friendships are hard to find.

Good marriages seem even more rare these days.  

The word friendship makes me think of trust, mutual respect, and shared experiences.  A friend is someone you can be vulnerable with, someone who will tell you the truth and not just what you want to hear, and a friend is someone who will be there to support you when needed.  How many of us can say these things about our spouse?  I am so grateful that I can raise my hand and say, "yes" to that question.  

Tom and I found each other first as friends back in high school.  And second to our faith in God it has been our friendship that has carried us through some of the most difficult times in our relationship. Many times over the years though I was frustrated with Tom as husband; I still wanted to talk it over with Tom as my friend.  

Our 31 years of marital experience has led me to believe that a shared faith in God and a genuine friendship form the strongest foundation for marriage.  We've all seen couples who just don't even seem to like each other.  It is obvious by the way they speak to and/or about one another that they don't value each other as human beings.  Those types of couples are so difficult to be around.  But, a couple who truly values each other is a strong magnet that draws others towards them.  Those are the couples I want to learn from and spend time with.  

Becoming best friends in marriage is something that must be done intentionally. Wishing and hoping doesn't change the quality of a relationship but hard work does.  Perseverance, sacrifice, and prayer can all lay the ground work for a priceless friendship with your spouse.  I've heard about soul mates, twin flames, and such.  But to me, the most romantic, passionate, and endearing of all to be said about a married couple...is that they are best friends.  

Belizean Beauty

I am so grateful for the glimpses of God's glory in our yard here in Belize.

Tea for three

A few weeks back Spencer, Meesha, and I did a bit of sightseeing in Mumbai. After visiting the India Gate we took a look inside the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel. An exquisite five star hotel favored by numerous dignitaries and wealthy people for many years.  

I am so grateful that we took the opportunity to have tea at one of their many restaurants.  It was such a lovely time that I will fondly cherish in my heart.  For no more than the cost of a Starbucks coffees we were treated royally with excellent service, slowly savored our tea, and shared this precious time together!

Two are better than one...

We've used Skype or Facetime, or Google+ as the tools to keep in touch with Nathan and Spencer no matter where they are in the world.  Yesterday morning when my cellphone rang and I saw Spencer's name in the display... an actual international long distance phone call from India to Belize...I knew exactly what he was calling to tell me!!  It meant so much that they took the time to tell us personally and I am so grateful for that.  

It was not easy to wait until they made their public announcement.  I was ready to tell the world after hanging up the phone. This morning it was a thrill to wake up and see it officially on Facebook!  I took some screen shots so that I could always remember the joy of this day.

Meesha is the woman I have prayed for since the day Spencer was born.  They are such a great couple, we see so clearly how God brought them together, and how they were made for each other.  Three years ago Spencer arrived in Kona, Hawaii from Krasnodar, Russia.  Several months later Meesha came to Kona from Pune, India.  Both of them are biracial, and bi-cultural, and both of them are children of missionaries.  Their story is such a sweet one and their friendship is real and beautiful.

We are so blessed to be adding a daughter to our family...blessed indeed by her grace, her smile, her love of life, and her passion for God.  Her love for our son warms our hearts and we see how she completes him and fills him with peace.

We can say of him that he has found a good woman.

We can say of her that her worth is far above rubies.

And we can say of them that:

Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor;

If either of them falls down, one can help the other up.

And though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves.

Their relationship truly is a cord of three strands that will not quickly be broken!

gratefulness, gratefulness, is what You want from me...

We are so grateful for the missionary community that is here in Belize.  There are several local missionaries who meet together regularly to support one another, network, and brainstorm together.  Tom put the word out that we needed someone who could help fix the tiles in our bedroom.  A fellow missionary responded and actually came and did the work himself.  We are so blessed that he was able to make time for us!

Back in January we had some tiles buckle...

 

 

Tom and Spencer were able to take up the damaged tiles.and save the ones that were not affected.

 

 

 

On Friday Rich came over to begin repairing the floor.

 

 

He'll be back on Wednesday to grout the floor.  We are so grateful to see progress on this project.  Our house is beginning to feel like a home again and not a construction zone. 

What's in your Bible?

Does the inside of your Bible look like this...

or am I the only one with stashes of memorabilia inside their precious book?

I cannot remember when or how this collection started.  Perhaps it began years ago with just a program or some notes from a sermon.  While I don't think my Bible is ready to be featured on the show Hoarders it might look that way to some.  As I opened it up this morning a letter from Meesha tumbled out of Matthew.  Turning the pages I found a bookmark from Istanbul, the boarding pass from a trip to the states to see Jalen graduate along with the ticket to the venue where his graduation was held.  I found the label from a bar of soap called 'Father Frost' that was given to me by my Business English students back in Russia, the envelope that held the invitation to the Fourth of July party at the American Embassy here in Belize, and a song sheet from leading worship at Krasnodar Bible Church.  I also found a family photo from the year when Nathan had to wear glasses but Spencer did not.  I even had the envelope that my eating utensils came from when we flew from Russia to Istanbul...still shocked that it has Protestant, Catholic and Jewish prayers written on it.

Perhaps it's time for a scrapbook.

But for now...I will just share with you how I almost lost this precious book with all of it's mementos.   As we were packing to leave Russia to move to Belize we had certain constraints on us.  Lack of time was a factor which leads to hasty decisions, the size of our suitcases along with how much they could weigh also played a role, and of course the questions 'what did I need right away?' and 'what could I pack in the boxes to arrive later?' also had to be taken into consideration.  I chose to pack my jewelry box in the suitcase and my Bible in a box for later.  I thought my smaller newer Bible would do for a few months until our boxes arrived.

After all this heavy, cumbersome NIV Study Bible published in 1984 is a monster.  I don't carry it around much. Even in the cute Bible cover with the handles it is still awkward to tote around.

At the last minute, I took the jewelry box out of my suitcase and put the 25 year old NIV  in it's place.  I remember thinking that if I get asked to share some thoughts I would need the big Bible with all of my notes in it and of course the jewelry could wait.  As many of you know our boxes from Russia were stolen and never made it to Belize.  My jewelry is lost along with other treasures of ours, however, my Bible is safe on my lap right as I write.

Tom gave me this Bible in 1987...it was a Mother's Day gift...received just months before Nathan was born.  It held a few of Spencer's certificates that he had entrusted me with from YWAM. I can turn to the very back page and reminisce about Nathan spilling milk from his sippy cup into my book bag back in 1989.  There are song lyrics hastily written out from a conference Tom helped organize in Southern California, along with programs from funerals, and sermon notes from an international church I attended one summer in Rome.  Most importantly, it holds years of underlining, highlights, prayers, and notes in margins that could never be replaced.

As I take begin writing down the lessons God has for me this year...I have to acknowledge that this is one of them:  Embrace the nudges of the Spirit.  

Something prompted me to take the jewelry box out and put the Bible into the suitcase just before leaving to catch our 4am flight out of Russia.  I didn't make that choice on my own I had help.  And I am so grateful that I was saved from losing a truly priceless gift.