Our Family Circus

The director of the mission asked us to take some time off and heal a bit.   I will share more of what the Lord has done in our lives since the loss of our son at 16 weeks.   I wanted to share this short video our sweet friend Colton put together for us to help us grieve and as a way to honor the life of our son.  

I know, I have been quiet....but welcome 2nd trimester...that is enough explanation.   I am once again able to prepare a meal for my family and able to lift my head off of the arm of the couch to teach school....it is good!   I am growing and the girls like to check out how "HUGE" I am every night.   Billy is getting a few fat jokes in on me.   So, we are good....now on to the rest of our lives! If you follow me on FB, you know about this little lady.   Dolly has her own goat, Johannahlee Purdue (named after some of Dolly's friends and the college the gentleman who bought the goat is attempting to persuade Dolly to go to) was a gift to Dolly from a team from our sending church.   Those children's ministry volunteers  are still loving on our kiddos from our sending church.      The kids are as excited about this team coming as they are about Christmas!   They enjoyed going out with them a couple of times during the week.  They joined them for breakfast

Sorting through donated clothing from the summer, I came upon a tshirt that said "UNEXPECTED." I began to reflect on the word. Christ was The UNEXPECTED Messiah. Jonah was rescued UNEXPECTANTLY by a large fish. The big boat that Noah was building was UNEXPECTANTLY needed. When King Darius went to the Lions' Den the sound of Daniel's voice was UNEXPECTED. Lazarus was UNEXPECTANTLY raised from the dead. The Lord UNEXPECTANTLY pulled me from my pit that I did not even know I was in. The Lord has brought us through much UNEXPECTED in our lives....some good and some bad. Again, we find ourselves in a place of the UNEXPECTED. I jotted these words down as I lay in bed feeling less than great:       I have grey hair.      He was just diagnosed with a kidney disease.      I have bi-focals.      He has high blood pressure.      I no longer dress for style but for comfort and the inexpensive.      He no longer plays league basketball due to injuries.

 I was a little girl in Girls in Action, a mission organization in the Southern Baptist Convention.  Each Sunday night that we gathered, we would read over the prayer calendar.   The prayer calendar included the names and countries of missionaries serving and we prayed for them on their birthdays.   The calendar would also share how they were serving on the field.....you know, summed up in one or 2 words. Just throwing this out there, but they are no longer able to post where most missionaries are serving nor are they able to share their names because of the safety of where they serve....times have changed! Oh, how they have changed!   I recall as a little girl thinking about the title "home evangelism" after a lady's name.   Years later, working at a missions camp, I asked the missionary there.   She told me it is basically meant that the lady was at home caring for the family, on the field.   I was a bit surprised.   That sounded, well, kinda lame to me.   Go to the

Vacation week was both a year long BUT has flown by!   I am sure it feels that way because of the ground that we covered and that you never have enough time with the people you love. To fully understand, I need to back peddle.  A month or so before we left Haiti for the states.   Hassan stopped by ready to try out his new "toys" as we called them.   He had a stethoscope, reflex hammer, and a blood pressure cuff.   He tried all of the toys out on My Dear and it was confirmed, as we assumed, he was in good shape.  The plan when we reached the states was for My Dear to get a physical that he needed to keep his CDL license for driving a large truck so it would transfer to his driver's license in Haiti.  A stop in TN with our favorite truck driver Pops, the appointment was made...pretty much a done deal!    OR so we thought.... My Dear failed the physical.   Nothing like this had every happened and he wore the shock on his face.   His urine had too much protein in it a

After the last blog post, we hit the road to the following adventures.... 1.  HAIRCUTS!!!!!!!!   It has been since February!                           (You can see the new layer and the old layer right before it is clipped!) 2.   Taking a bath in an actual bathtub.   The bathtub even won out over swimming. 3.  My Dear officiated a BEAUTIFUL wedding!   Beautiful because of the ceremony the bride and groom created, the God they honored and celebrated, the handsome groom and his love for his bride and the incredible, young woman we love so much.  Congratulations Mr. and Mrs. Back!  (Look who caught the bouquet!  Her daddy yelled, "Do Over!" 4.  Hugs and tears. 5.  Kiddos picking up right where they left off with their friends. 6.  Worshipping, crying, laughing, hugging, and roller skating with our favorite "musionaries."  * musionary is  a music missionary....don't try that word in Scrabble, not sure it can support itself.  But check ou

You may have been out of the country for a year if.... 1.  Your 7-year-old is confused by a side-by-side refrigerator and puts yogurt in the freezer and she can't find the cheese in the freezer. 2.  You rode in a car going 70mph on the interstate and that is the fastest you have driven in a year.   Actually 55 mph might have won the same title. 3.  You have to remind yourself to flush the toilet after each use and not "mellow til it's yellow." 4.   Your 7-year-old is excited to eat at a fast food chain but leans toward your ear to ask, "What did I used to order here?"   5.  The sound of running water in a faucet makes you want to sprint to turn it off. 6.   You go to the grocery store only to walk the perimeter of the store just like the health professionals say to do.   We can get all of that other stuff imported so what does that tell you about shelf life and nutrients?    Our shopping was pretty much over when we were in the fruit aisle and co

Our furlough is coming quickly and our time in the states will go even faster!   We would enjoy seeing so many of you who have encouraged us in our new home and new journey.   We will be speaking in KY, IN, and TN.   Here is where you can find us sharing.   You would be welcome to join us in any of the following places. Sunday, June 28th     Bible Baptist Church, NV   10:30 Sunday, July 5th     FBC, NV 9 and 10:30 services Sunday, July 5th     Trinity United Methodist, Murfreesboro  pm Sunday, July 12th     FBC, Paris     am service Sunday, July 12th     Central Baptist Church, Paris  pm Sunday, July 19th     FBC, Crothersville   9:30am Wednesday, July  22nd  New Bethel Baptist, Noorwood Sunday, July 26th     Risen Savior, NV  am service Sunday, July 26th     Bethel Baptist, NV  6pm

Thursday is mail day here.   We  look forward to mail day very much and the encouragement that comes in envelopes.   Our mail is flown in from FL and we finally get it on Thursday.   Like most people would look forward to Friday, we look forward to Thursday.  One year ago , this week, when the mail flew in from FL, it contained 2 weary adults, 3 tearful children and one little, white dog and somewhere between 17-19 luggage carts piled with their possessions. The drive from Indiana to Florida included 3 stops, in 2 vehicles, since we did not all fit in the moving van, to purge possessions to our family who would use them and to hug their necks one more time.   We paid $1.60 for each pound that was mailed....look around your house and think on that one.  Our little dog was put on a diet before the move! For the first 5 months of our living in this country.....I was not sure we were going to make it, okay, I was not sure that I was going to make it!  We had a home set-up and wa

Walking home today, I realized how "everyday" these sights have become.   Where I live, folks carry items in black, plastic bags so no one can see what they have.   It may be food from market or new shoes.    Mine our beans our friend Benjamin brought My Dear from his garden.   He was sure to show My Dear how to snap the ends off.         Where I live, poinsettias are seen growing among the spring flowers.          Where I live, you never underestimate the occupancy of your vehicle.   This SUV took 5 adults in the front and 4 more in the back...look how those long legs fold up.   We saw our friends loading up for church and asked to take a picture.    Where I live, this plant called, "Job's Tears" grows.   In the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere the God of the universe planted it to grow in dry conditions and produce a seed that pops right off and is hollow on the inside.   It has a soft place at each end of the seed

Last fall, My Dear was trained to fill in for a husband and wife duo as they were going on furlough for 2 months.   Once they arrived in the states, they went for check-ups with their doctors.   Roger    learned that he had 95% blockage in three arteries of his heart.   He was going in for a well visit so you can imagine their surprise.   The blockage was so bad they quickly did open heart surgery.   We praised the Lord they were in the states because there are no heart surgeons here.   The 2-months My Dear would be filling-in grew to 7 months.   Since we are "newbies" the position felt long and grueling at times.   We both learned more about the culture.   My Dear learned more language especially with money and tools.   It was good to learn but I can be honest and say, we are both glad it is coming to an end.  Not because it was so grueling, but because he has had multiple positions to fill in their absence.  We appreciate the lessons learned and have an even greater appre

The ladies of the mission gather once a week along with other English speaking ladies for Bible study.   We have been doing video based studies.   It really is an unique time for us to encourage one another in our walk with Christ. Last week, during our time of homework, I read a verse I am sure I have read or heard before but this time, it SLAMMED on my brakes! And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of   redemption.                      - Ephesians 4:30 Grieve the Holy Spirit?   I know grieving!  I have done that a time or 2.  The children and I grieved a bit during the transition of the move.   I have been praying for my friend and her family who are still in a time of grieving the loss of a loved one.  Grieving is NOT fun!   I don't want to cause that on anyone.   But the scripture says that it is possible to grieve the Holy Spirit.  Do not quench the Spirit.    -1 Thessalonians 5:19 Quench means to not allow the Holy Spirit

Last week, a team from our hometown were here.   I hope to share more on that later.  Because the team was here, My Dear had to gather interrupters for them.  One of those interrupters is a young medical student that did some language classes with us when we first moved.   The kids were happy to have Hassan back to visit with us.  Since he took time off of school to be here, he stayed with us where he could use the internet to study and study he did!   If he was not out with the team, he was studying....I was very happy for our Billy to see what studying looks like.  One morning, Hassan stepped out to go to the pharmacy.   I asked him about the medication and he shared he bought it for a friend who could not afford it...a medical student, in Haiti...how much extra money could he possibly have? Later that afternoon, Hassan walked through the door with a big grin on his face with two black plastic bags from market.   He looked at me and said, "she gave them to me" and just

I will be honest, I am not a "holiday" person really.   If I had to pick a favorite holiday it would be St. Patrick's Day because God gifted us with a pink, loud, opinionated,  chubby cheeked little girl on that day.    We enjoy celebrating our children and making them feel special and encouraging them to make others feel special on holidays.   It just seems like a great time to show His LOVE to others.   Valentine's Day honestly is the hardest holiday for me.   It may have something to do with years working at a flower shop or the world telling me that I "needed" someone on this day as a high-schooler and not having anyone.   Perhaps I dislike it because  when I did have "somebody" to be my so called Valentine, we just hurt one another because.....well, we were kids and had no business being in that kind of relationship.   Anyway, it is just not my favorite!  Now, that we have been married over 18 years.......it is just another day......and that