Monthly Archives: June 2017

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LEGACIES

In Celebration of Parents

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“…things that we heard and known, that our fathers have told us. We will not hide them from their children, but tell to the coming generation the glorious deeds of the Lord, and his might, and the wonders that he has done…. so that they should set their hope in God and not forget the works of God, but keep his commandments….” (Psalm 78: 3,4,7) 

Our second daughter (left in picture above) with  her daddy, especially, had this little game they use to play.

Shawna: “I love you daddy”.

Dad: “I love you more”.

Shawna: “l love you most “.

Dad: “I love you all the way to the moon “.

Shawna: “But daddy, I love you all the way to the moon and back”.

 

Just like I fondly remember saying with my dad when I was young but mine went something like this:

“I love you daddy.”

“I love you back!”

I would spread my arms out wide and say  “I love you thisssss much”.  A hug usually followed.  

These are the moments when thought of that make one smile with delight.     (more…)

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MOVING ON IS NOT ALWAYS EASY

Intentional Next Steps

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“TRUST IN THE LORD WITH ALL YOUR HEART AND LEAN NOT ON OUR OWN UNDERSTANDING; IN ALL YOUR WAYS SUBMIT TO HIM AND HE WILL MAKE YOUR PATHS STRAIGHT.” Proverbs 3:6

In 1995, after 13 years in the Philippines, we felt God was asking Jim (my husband) to take the Mission’s Professor and Director position at LU. We realized this would be a good next step in multiplying ourselves and God’s Kingdom for the nations. Yet this would not be an easy next move. The Philippines had become home for us!  

Let me backtrack, we had been back in the States for Home Ministry for a good one year already. We visited each of our partner churches and individuals, reporting to them the good work God was doing in the Philippines. Reestablishing these relationships with our partners was special.

The kids experienced formal school during our home assignment for the first time since leaving the Philippines where we home-schooled them. God had provided a beautiful old bed and breakfast home on a cow and corn farm in Lancaster, PA, that had been converted into an apartment for us to live in for the year. Many memories were made. Our children learned to skate, ride bikes, and had lots of experiences of life in the USA. It was a fun and replenishing year squeezing in all we could with family and friends, thinking all the time we would be returning to the Philippines soon for another 4 more years. Only to find out God would be prompting us toward a different direction.


“God are you calling us back to the States?” Like Samson in the Bible, we at first ignored these promptings. “Surely God wouldn’t be calling us back. There is still work to be done in the Philippines.” Again, “God are you really (3x) calling us back to the States? Lord, the US is a nice place to visit but we don’t want to live here.” (more…)