Friendship Hardship

     I suppose sometimes it's easy just to write the positive things.  I mean we are positive, joyful people :)  Or at least we try and want to be.   And there are those times when I guess there are so many great things happening with the mission then that's why Satan is working overtime.  I don't often write of all the hardships.

      The girls case for those that keep praying is ongoing.  Their parents have not been showing up and this has delayed the hearings.  I still meet and check on their mom and father.  And we still pray daily for the girls.

     This week was pretty devastating.  After 2 years of a working relationship, 3 years of our kids playing together that relationship parted ways.  I never could understand Paul and Barnabas parting ways.  But, now I have lived through it.

     Despite loving kids each day together, planning her wedding together, sharing slumber parties with our kids, and praying together - we parted ways.  She can't understand why I can't pay for her whole wedding and I can't understand her expectations on me as a foreigner.

     I am sad she chose to quit our mission family through this way.  I am shocked a friend is using these means to get extra money.  I pray for discernment in knowing how to give when needed.  And I would ask for your prayers for her marriage to be centered on the Lord and that to be the focus of it.  And for healing for both of us as we go separate ways.  And I pray for we can find a loving, caring person who needs a job and wants to love on our preschoolers.

Not the best week...

     Summer time can be a lot harder here. We have less students, so the campus is quieter.  Our staff takes turns on their furloughs back home and raising support.  And school here goes until mid-June.

     This week for some reason seemed more challenging.  Most of the preschoolers were passing around colds, so there were runny noses galore this week.  Then, on an errand downtown the van stopped in the middle of the road (on a busy Friday).  I was preparing dinner for the students and some neighbors to have over, so to lose a few hours and wait on the street was not how I had planned the warm afternoon going with some tired kiddos.  And, then one of our preschool assistants decided to quit with just month to go when we were already short-handed and full of kiddos.

     I will admit to getting down, but then it's hard to stay that way when there are so many blessings abounding too....

Brice graduated with his master's, so no more late night studying!  We had lots of dear friends here to celebrate with!

When we want to go on walks, we have some beautiful beaches God made to walk on!

Beckett, our middle, just turned 5!

And, with the lonelier times, I added a Bible study with some girls down the road.  They live in government funded land near the airport.  This was our 3rd week to just open my Bible and as they learn to read, I got to help them grow in the Lord too.  

We'd love to hear your joys too amidst the harder times.  

Hard news, beautiful beginning

I love planning, so I thought i had the perfect schedule.  A special family I grew up with had a younger daughter graduating with her preschool degree.  She wrote and asked about coming to help for the next 6 weeks in the preschool. I was beyond thrilled to have her passion, new ideas, and willingness since our other teacher was leaving on furlough early. 

Then, this special girl was in a very bad car accident 3 weeks before her arrival here.  We are so thankful she is healing now, but are sad we won't get to serve with her at this time.  So, we also were in a jam, short one teacher....so Uncle Elton volunteered to come help me out a week!  Our kids were beyond thrilled.  Now, I only have 5 more weeks to get by:)

It was the beginning of summer classes for WISE with Brice teaching Galatians and Ephesians 4 hours everyday, so all of us needed a bit of a break.  So, this Saturday for fellowship we took off to the rainforest (Vermont Nature Trail).  

And this time we heard and saw the national parrot!

I loved getting the extra time to walk with this guy I get to do ministry and life with each day!

And I am so proud of him and looking forward to more time as this week he finishes his last class and receives his Master's in Biblical Leadership from Liberty!

More of this crazy time in life....