Psalm 147

Praise the Lord.
How good it is to sing praises to our God,
How pleasant and fitting to praise him!

Don’t know why, but it struck me today… that phrase, “it is fitting to praise him.” So I ask, what song are you singing today?

Family Update for May 08

May 20,
We had a wonderful time getting see so many of you during our month of travels through Oklahoma and Texas. We were constantly reminded that God has blessed us with bonus family. Thank you, thank you, thank you for all of your love, care and support.

Church in the Park
Just after we arrived back from our furlough, the church in the northern part of Guadalajara hosted all of the churches for an assembly in the park. More than 80 of us met under the shade trees to celebrate God together. We sang, ate, studied and played together. Writing this now, a month later, I don’t remember which songs we sang, nor what was preached. But I remember the smiles and the connection of hearts. God was worshipped and he encouraged us all.

Power of Prayer
Lilian, our sister in Jocotan, has been reaching out to one of her co-workers, Anna. Anna recently told Lilian that her son-in-law had been arrested and wouldn’t be released unless her family paid an absurd bribe. Lilian, a new Christian, told Anna about how loving and caring her church was... how they help the poor and would love to help her. So Lilian invited Anna to our assembly in the park where all the churches would be together and she could ask them all for money. (Let us go ahead and say, we are so grateful this happened on a Sunday where all the churches would be together and there would be many wise Mexican brothers that could help us navigate these waters.)
Our teammates Gerardo and Carola Garcia took charge of the situation. They didn’t want to do anything that would hurt Lilian or even embarrass her. Still they didn’t feel like they should give Anna money at this time. Instead, they offered to pray together for Anna’s family. So we all gathered around and placed hands on Anna and prayed for justice to be done. Anna cried. Lilian told us later that she thought it was exactly what Anna needed.
The next day Lilian called us all to inform us that Anna’s son-in-law had been released from jail without any bribe being paid. It was incredible to see how this encouraged the church. Though none knew the young man, they had prayed. And God answered in a powerful way. We were all left looking for another opportunity to pray for God’s power.


Omar’s Growth
Though Omar is an amazing Christian, he is quite timid and feels like he has nothing to offer. He’s ashamed of his tattoos and how they speak of his past life. But in the last month, we’ve seen Omar draw from his past experiences to minister to others.
One of he Christians in La Piedad, a couple of hours outside of town, recently fell back into his addictions to drugs and alcohol. Omar has connected in the past with this man, Martin. So he took it upon himself to take the bus trip to his home and, quite frankly, chew him out... in love. Omar shared with us later what he told Martin and it was evident that God was using Omar to speak truth in this horrible situation. Because of Omar and other Christian brothers who also spoke truth, Martin has stopped drinking and doing drugs. Omar even arranged for Martin and his son to find work with him.

All-Church Retreat
On mothers’ day weekend, the churches retreated to our favorite retreat spot, just outside of town. It wasn’t the best weekend to get away and many were missed. Still, there were between 80 and 90 in attendance.

We spent the weekend together, singing, playing and studying God’s word together. Joe Pruett prepared 4 lessons that encouraged the church to delve deeper and commit to spiritual disciplines. We spent a lot of time divided up into groups discussing what was being taught. I (Tim) was especially encouraged to hear from some of the youth what they were learning and what they were taking home from the retreat. They spoke of a renewed commitment to take time to seek God out.

Many came prepared to do skits, or puppet shows or even share testimonies. The church was greatly encouraged by all that was shared.
We closed the retreat with the baptisms of Manuela and Rosa from Cerro del Cuatro.

Baptisms
Three years ago, at the same retreat place, Jose Luis and Julianita were baptized into Christ. One of their co-workers shared Jesus with them and has since planted a church in their home.

Through this new church Jose Luis and Julianita have reached out to their family and neighbors. And so, at the retreat, Jose Luis’s mom and sister-in-law were immersed into Christ. It is exciting to see that God isn’t done yet with this family.

Visiting Cerro del Cuatro
Both Jose Luis and Julinaita have taken interest in the past in Omar. I think they’ve seen a bit of themselves in him and so have taken care to encourage him every chance they get. This past Sunday they invited our church to come be with them to worship together. Thirteen of us traveled together on Sunday to Cerro del Cuatro, which is located on the south western edge of town. Our two new sisters in Christ were there as well, with their families and a couple of neighbors.

The AIMers Have Arrived
On Thursday, the 15th, 6 AIMers arrived to intern with our mission team. We are all very excited about what they have to offer the work here. I’ve been reminded that God used past AIMers in a pretty powerful way to plant the church in Jocotan. I don’t even know how much those AIMers are aware of God’s power through their efforts. They planted the seeds and began watering the soil. Two years later, one of those AIMers introduced the family to Kim and I and we just happen to be blessed to see the growth. But we’re reminded that God uses his whole body for his purpose.

New Pics

This is one of my new favorite pictures. Clark is singing with his good friend Gerardo. While I'm at it, maybe I'll share a few other favorites.

Quincy with his cousin Campbell in Tulsa. Campbell just turned 3, by the way.

Our favorite mode of transportation.

Look ma, no tooth!

Karsyn's bonus cousin, Kira, teaches her how to color eggs.

I think Clark's eyes were a little bigger than his belly.

Tim and Noe

Tim is traveling right now with his dad and brother. I imagine Wendy is sad to not get to be there to complete the sibling set and see grandma. This has been a busy season for us and so Tim’s blog has gone MIA for awhile. I thought I would just send out a note as a surprise for his return on Friday.

Tim is a great dad and I have almost never had to do all the school runs, meals, baths, tucking ins, etc. I feel very blessed in that aspect (really more like spoiled.) Because of our schedule of life here, we get to share in the parenting tasks and in our ministry. Most of all I love to listen in on his talks with the kids, the funny ones and the ones that leave our three excited about some big or deep idea. They love to have all his attention and when he makes a big deal about something they did well, they all really light up.

At our church retreat this weekend he made a little friend named Noe (Noah.) It was so cute to watch that little guy follow him around and reach up to take his hand. It reminded me of the blessing our kids have in Tim and really proud to see him loving this other little guy whose life has already been so much harder. This picture makes me think also about Dusty’s recent thoughts about the children and Jesus, how they had little to offer and could not “receive” teaching from the great Master. But how great for us that Jesus just wants to let us bask in His attention and make our hearts lighter.

In case you were interested...

In case you were interested...

-  We are actually back in Guadalajara.  We returned two weeks ago yesterday.

-  Kim's mom arrived the next day and her dad a week later.  (They both left this morning.)

-  Kim turned 31 while they were here (the 15th).

-  Really fun stuff is going on with the work here... but it'll have to wait for the newsletter.

-  My folks celebrated 40 years of marriage last Saturday.  It is rumored that my mom thanked my dad for 35 great years.

-  3 years ago yesterday (the 24th), my nieces Campbell and Ana were born.

-  I'm sitting in a coffee shop right now, while a movie is being filmed to my right.  How can I get into this film, I wonder.

We leave on furlough tomorrow so I thought I'd post some pictues before we go.

Here, Quincy is modeling his swim wear. All but the pijamas are required for his Friday swim class at school.

It looks like a couple of kids found the rubber stamps.

Karsyn looks pretty angelic here. The scream coming from her brother's mouth at this very instant tells me she is NOT.

Quincy and his best friend, Juan Pablo. Juan Pablo's a good kid. Which reminds me, my best friend in the 1st grade was not! I think 1st grade was when my dad's hair first started turning grey. Seriously, Dad ordered me, more than once to stop playing with Johnny.

Buzz, Sleeping Beauty and Buzz. We often find Sleeping Beauty passed out somewhere waiting for her prince to come kiss her. She can be pretty patient too. (Thanks to the grandparents for keeping us stocked with dress-up outfits.)

Ceci, Abby and Karsyn just hanging out together after visiting the butterfly reserve. They were in heaven.

Family Update

We feel like this month has passed by so quickly. We are getting ready for a month of furlough and already feel a little tired. Pray for God to keep us safe in travel, give us some time to rest and be to at the center of all our conversations along the way. We wish that we were going to get to see all of you this time, but we are trying to keep it short so that Quincy will not miss much school. Please pray that our time away will be renewing for us, not too hard on kids, and a time of growing for our church.

Jocotan
A good friend of Omar’s joined us two weeks ago in Jocotan. Chiche (Jose) shares a similar background with Omar, struggling with addictions. Because of those addictions, he’s now very alone. At some point during our time together, we began to minister to Chiche as a family of Christ’s. And ministering together, we experienced everything we were hoping to offer. God encouraged us and, I believe, renewed our spirits. You could see it in the eyes of each that spoke to Chiche. As they told about God’s power and comfort that they’ve experienced, it was as if they were reliving it. I especially noticed Jose Julian’s growing excitement. And Jose Julian never said a word. But he was soaking in all that was being said. He’s been struggling lately and the words spoken around him were taking seed, again, in his heart and mind. It was a beautiful day. Chiche assured us that he would be back. He usually works on Sundays, but he’d do everything that he could to be back with us soon.

Please be in prayer for our group as they desire to minister to other family members and friends. In particular, please pray for Felipa (Julian’s mom) and her desire to know God better as well as, Chuy (Lupe’s brother) his wife (Nena) and their new baby boy. All of us have been praying for specific fruits of the spirit to be filling up our lives. For the sake of anonymity, I will not attach names to these specific requests: self control, patience, faithfulness/perseverance, wisdom, and acceptance/contentment

Sponsors’ Weekend
We had a blast hosting almost 30 friends and supporters from the states in February. I think each left excited about what God is doing in Mexico. (We also invited friends of ours in Mexico City to come to Guadalajara and share about their similar work with simple churches.

(From Tim) My favorite part of the weekend was after lunch on Sunday afternoon. Everyone, Mexicans and those from the U.S., were invited to share what God is doing in their lives. Mexican brother after Mexican brother shared what God has saved them from and how grateful they are to God and to whichever Christian brother it was that God used to lead them to Jesus. Though I’ve heard most of the stories before, I was still blown away.

Planning for such a weekend involves a lot of hassle and headaches, but in the end we always feel like it was worth it. One of the extra benefits, besides being with old friends (and new), is the process itself. We spend a lot of time figuring out what we want to share and how we want to share it. And each time we feel God reminding us of the good things that are going on; that he is powerful and at work among us.

Sad News
One of the men that came for the sponsors’ weekend, Tim Hartman from Yukon, Oklahoma, passed away two weeks ago. The plane he was piloting crashed near Oklahoma City. We only met Tim for the first time when he came to visit. However, it just so happened that his brother, Doug, was my (Tim) coordinator when I was an AIMer in Lisbon, Portugal. We ask that you pray for Tim’s wife and two sons as well as Doug and the entire Hartman family.


Quincy’s School
We continue to enjoy opportunities to be involved at Quincy’s school and meet more and more of his classmates’ parents. Tim attends a parents’
“Coaching” class every other week and we take turns volunteering once a week, receiving kids as they arrive at school.

This month the first grade put on a book fair for their parents. Each group of students took turns presenting the books that they authored together. It was quite cute. And once again we were reminded that Quincy is a natural with the microphone.

A good idea!

Seinfeld had a quote I used to repeat a lot. "People, they're the worst." It's not that I don't like people... it's just that they can cause problems sometimes.

Then, on my dad's blog some time ago, he wrote, "People are some of God's greatest ideas." I love that quote much more than Seinfelds... and it's true. No matter how annoying we can sometimes be, we ARE some of God's greatest ideas.





Which brings me to Clark. Clark has been running around the house lately singing, "I am a good idea. I AM a good IDEA!"


Perhaps Clark doesn't always have the best ideas... but he IS a great idea.

Speaking of ideas... one day I plan on telling one of our twins, when they're in trouble, that they were an accident. Sure, their sibling was planned, but they were not. Good idea?

Calling all ex-AIMers!

We just found out that AIM-a-Palooza is a go this year! If you're an ex-AIMer, please make plans to attend. You won't be sorry.

Check out this blog: http://aimapalooza.blogspot.com/2008/02/aim-palooza-2008.html and make a comment so we'll know who's going to be there. It will again be in Tulsa following the Friday night session.

Can't wait to see you.

If you attended last year... what was your favorite part?

(I'm not in charge... but suppose the people who read this are... is there anything you'd like to see happen at this year's a-palooza?)

This Can’t Be Good

We got a form Saturday from one of our supporting congregations. Each year they send us a self-evaluation form to fill out and send back. This morning I sat down to work through it and send it in. However, I noticed something different about the form. All the questions were the same, but the title was different. This time it read, “Final Performance Review”. Um… should I be concerned about this turn of events?

Here Comes Mine Pucker!

Have you heard Larry Boy’s song, “I Love My Lips!”? Well, it could have been written for Clark. For some reason he thinks his pucker is bigger and perhaps better than everyone else’s. Thus, he was running around yesterday yelling, “Here comes mine pucker!” and hurrying to give kisses. Very fun.

This photo is of the poor boy when he’s not puckering. Perhaps he’s in line for a visit to the dentist. Dr. Curtis, can you help the boy?

Let's Celebrate!

Well, tomorrow is the big day.

Love renewed. Mystery awakened. Hope eternal.

The love affair, for me, began in 82. It was a wonderful, whirlwind romance with all the ups and downs one could hope for. Our first outing together. Hot August nights. The roar of the crowd. (Of course, you know I’m celebrating pitchers and catchers reporting to Spring Training. Right?)

It’s been a long winter with not many signings to speak of. Even still, there’s always hope. Unless of course you’re a Cubs' fan.

February Family Update

February 5, 2008

In January the city finally woke up from its holiday slumber. It has been fun to get back into the mix of things again. God has been encouraging us and growing our faith in Him this month. He seems to be opening more doors for us and the churches here in Guadalajara.

Jocotan
As we mentioned last month, exciting things are happening with our house church in Jocotan. In January, we as a church were able to travel together to the home of Jose Julian’s mom, Felipa. She and a few of Julian’s brothers and sisters live in the colonia of Tuluquilla. (Though we’d still consider Tuluquilla to be a part of Guadalajara, it is 45 minutes from Jocotan.) Felipa was very warm and welcoming and appears to be excited to learn more about what has created such a change in the lives of Julian and Lilian. Even a couple of Julian’s sisters were eager to join us when we began to sing. However, more extended family happened to arrive who did not like the presence of our group or that we were worshipping there together. We ask that you continue to pray for this mission point; that God will not allow a negative voice to become an obstacle in reaching to this home.

Also, the brother of Lupe (Lupe is Omar’s wife… does this get confusing sometimes?), Chuy, joined our assembly one Sunday with his wife, Nena, and their two children. Chuy has visited with Omar in the past, expressing interest in what we’re doing because of the drastic change he’s seen in Omar’s life. It seemed that Chuy and Nena enjoyed their time with us, but they were pretty quiet (so it is hard to tell what they were really thinking.) Later Omar assured us that they did, in fact, have a good time. This was especially encouraging to Omar as Lupe seems to be held back in following God by how she fears her family could react. She was comforted by her brother’s desire to seek God openly and we pray that she will be moved to courageous steps of faith and seeking.

Answered Prayers

As we mentioned, we believe God is displaying His power in an exciting way here. Tim has partnered with our teammate Cory in the last couple of months to begin trying to reach out into two colonias on the other side of town. Cory began reaching out to a family in Lomas del Paraiso and asked Tim to join him in prayer-walking through the colonia and looking for more “persons of peace” as Jesus refers to them in Luke 10. They, similarly, began prayer-walking through the neighborhood of Alcalde Baranquitas where we have been ministering to a couple of friends over the past two years. And though they’ve just begun doing this on a consistant basis, it appears God is already opening more doors.

At our last team meeting we were sharing about what we’ve seen God doing in these colonias. In
Alcalde Baranquitas the extended family of our friend Sindy has gathered for a “prayer meeting” and they have dedicated themselves to seeking God together and to trying to encourage each other to live as a testimony to their neighborhood. We are really amazed at God’s work here. It excites us to see evidence of Him moving about in this city. Afterward our teammate, Gerardo, mentioned the opening of a new home in that same area because of the death in the family of one of the Christians from the North. They worshipped together in that home this month. There are Christians there who have no church fellowship at this time and other family members who were talking about wanting to be baptized. We praise God for His wisdom and ask for your prayers to steadily partner with God in whatever He wants for us to do.

The details surely get hard to follow in letters like this, but for us it is the details that make the stories so amazing and point to God’s direction and His hand in our lives and in our work. In your prayers for us, pray that we will walk in faith and seek God more and more.

We’re Getting AIMers!

For those that don’t know, AIM stands for Adventures in Missions, and is a program for 18-25 year olds designed to give them experience working with missionaries around the world. Our mission team has had AIM students come in the past, but the last ones were here when we were very new to Guadalajara. So, we feel like it’s a first for us. Kim and I were both in AIM and worked with the program while we were in college. At the missionary retreat, we were reminded of how God has blessed us with the relationships we made while working there. All of our American teammates were also AIMers at one time, and we were with many others who share the same connection and are also serving now in Mexico as missionaries.

Date night with Karsyn

Well, date morning anyway.

This morning Clark had an appointment with a kindergarten for testing. (Do we do that in the states?) Thus, Karsita and I went on a breakfast date. It was really a lot of fun. I learned that she’d like to have a baby sister and she wants to name her Miss Cimina. Later, I realized she was trying to say cinnamon. I asked her what other names might be good and she said, “Auntie Kara! Because she’s a big gi-yal and has long hair. But she’s cool.” I’m not sure why she had to throw the ‘but’ in there, but oh well.

The first photo was taken at the beach with her special braided hair. The second picture is what happens after you take those tight little braids out. For some reason the boys thought they were great… thus made her even sadder still.

The Family

This is the most recent family photo. Que Guapo!

A City on a Hill

Driving home after Christmas in Oklahoma this year took a VERY LONG TIME. We had a few hiccups along the way, but the trip was mostly uneventful. On the second night, it was after dark and we were still an hour away from Matahuala, our destination for the night, when I remember the wear and stress getting to me. We’ve never had anything too bad happen on the highways in Mexico but we’ve been warned about driving on the highways after dark. It’s just not safe. So you can imagine how I felt once the lights of Matahuala came into view. I knew we were almost there… almost to our place of rest for the night. There was a peace that came over me as I took in the lights of a city on a hill. We were almost there; almost to safety.

Matthew 5:14 – “You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden.”

That city on a hill is what I want to be. To those around us, it’s what we offer… peace, rest, safety. To the unwed mother, to the struggling addict or the broken and bruised reed, I want to offer something other than judgment. Doesn’t the Bible say something about “a smoldering wick he will not snuff out.”? To be honest, that’s not always me. But it’s where I’m headed.

Don’t Give Me Any Lip!

…no really, could you please take this back.

The other day Cory and I went to get tacos. I can’t remember which meat I ordered but it sure wasn’t what I received. I’d never had LIP tacos before. But to be honest, they were quite tasty. The meat was like really good pot roast except a bit more fatty. Still, I couldn’t stop thinking about what I was eating. It reminded me of the first time I had tongue tacos. I tossed one in the street when no one was looking. I just couldn’t shake the feeling of the cow tasting me while I tasted the cow. (I did eat all the lip, by the way, with some onions and lime and just a bit of salsa.)

So what’s the worst you’ve been served?

I will tell you the funniest I’ve seen served… The first time my folks came for a visit my dad ordered some sort of stuffed fish. He couldn’t resist checking to see what it was stuffed with. He shouldn’t have looked. There were tiny octopus arms staring back at him with their little bitty suckers. Dad couldn’t stop yelling, “Oh my goodness! Oh my goodness! Mary, oh my goodness!” The Pruett boys thought dad was very funny. Little did they know he wasn’t trying to be.

Can You Help?

Well, I don’t usually steal so blatantly from someone else’s blog… but I read this on my dad’s today and wanted to share the opportunity with those of you that don’t also read his blog (that’s you mom).

So the following is a letter written by a missionary named Roger Dickson. (I actually met him in Swaziland, Africa in 94.) He’s a humble man and a great missionary.

It’s pretty hard to read all the way through, but I dare you to. And then ask yourself what you can do to help.


AFRICA INTERNATIONAL MISSIONS
P.O. Box 1919
Bellville 7535,
South Africa
Dr. Roger E. Dickson

MISSIONARY TRASHES PLEAS FOR BIBLES!

I AM A FRUSTRATED MISSIONARY! Maybe my wife, Martha, and I are in a unique ministry. Africa International Missions is a continental effort to help anybody, anywhere in Africa. So the pleas come in from everywhere. And what do I do with the pleas for Bibles for which you have NO MONEY JUST TO PAY THE POSTAGE BILL TO SEND THEM OUT?

YOU THROW THE PLEAS IN THE TRASH AND BEG FOR FORGIVENESS!

You think I'm kidding. Not on you life. We receive so many pleas for the word of God that there is no possible way to answer them. And so, we just throw the letters in the trash. Here are some pleas that went to the trash:

"Sir, we have Bible group discussions every Sunday before church starts to study the word of God. But sir, we do not have Bibles to use for the group discussions, which has been one of our major problems to study the Bible. Christians cannot learn the word of God without the Holy Book. Therefore, as the deacon and the leader of the group, I am standing on behalf of my group to beg you to send us some Holy Bibles to make available to our group." Hanson Ofoe Agu, New Town, Ghana

We threw this plea in the trash.

"We walk in the villages and preach the word of God. Many people come asking questions and then repent of their sins. But the problem which we face is that we need Bibles. Please send us Bibles for us to preach the word of God well." Patrick Mubisa, Chitipa, Malawi

Straight to the trash!

"I came from a Muslim family by the grace of the Almighty God. I gave my life to Christ. Since then I have a big problem with my family who sent me out of school and out of the community. The last message I heard from my friends before I ran to Gambia was that my family wanted to kill me because I changed to being a Christian. The purpose for my writing to you is to plead for Christ sake ... send me a Bible and Christian literature for me and my wife." W. M. Majaro, The Gambia

Yes, this one went to the trash!

"The village where we are has been greatly struck with diseases, which has resulted in many deaths, leaving many children homeless and many orphans. We are writing to request your help or assistance for materials. Right now, we are greatly requesting for 70 Holy Bibles. Our members cannot afford to buy Bibles and many have not opened a Bible since they were born. Beloved brother and sister, we are greatly praying and fasting for you to help us out with this great gift anyone could receive. We really have many numbers of false religions. We want to try our best to reach all of them with the truth of God's gospel." David Gbuyi, Gunedogun Village, Nigeria

TRASHED!

"I am your brother and a believer also. I am nine years old this year. I worship at the above church mentioned inside this note. In God's name, I am begging you people with all my mind and the love of God, provide me with one Bible through your good office." Eze Nnadozie, Benin City, Nigeria

TRASHED!

"Please, I am an evangelist here in Ghana who preaches in the market and at truck stations. I preach also by moving from door to door from different houses for the salvation of lost souls. Through the preaching, many people have been converted to God. The majority of the people don't have Bibles. They come to church empty handed. So when there is the need to open to the Bible to search for the word of God, there is no way for them. Please, I am pleading with your ministry to come to my aid by sending me 20 Bibles." Emmanuel Kwamina Ephraim, Ketan Sekondi, Ghana

TRASHED!

"My name is Maureen Watch Eze. We fellowship in a Bible believing church. The church has about 100 members with a man of God who is also a devoted man of God. I am serving as a worker in my church, leading the Sarah Group Evangelical Team. The Sarah Group comprises of women above the age of 60 in our church. Our aim is to reach out to souls for Christ, especially those above 60. Most of them appreciate welcoming mothers of the same age, and thus we have won many souls by God's grace. My purpose for writing today is to make a request for Bibles. We are 23 in the Sarah Group and 15 of us do not have a Bible and cannot afford to buy one. I am appealing to you to kindly send us 15 Bibles." Maureen Watch Eze, Benin City, Nigeria

Had enough?

"Please, I am a man of 42 years of age and my wife and I have five children. But sir, we do not have a Bible to use for church service. We are not the only people who go to church without a Bible. Most of the members of the church do not have Bibles to use, and our preacher always tells us to bring our Bibles to church. But we do not bring them because we do not have them. The fact is that most of us just do not have Bibles. And as a true Christian you need to have a Bible to use for daily learning and studies since without the Bible you cannot learn the word of God. I am asking you to come to our aid by sending some Holy Bibles to make it possible for everyone to have access to them to use for their studies. God bless you for having it in your mind to grant us the word of God. I cannot wait to see the parcel of the Holy Bibles you send to us. God bless you for your kind heartedness towards human-beings." Maxwell Agbarkey, Ashaiman, Ghana

What kind of missionary would trash such requests from a continent pleading for Bibles? A missionary with funds to do so, that's who.

WHAT WOULD YOU DO IF YOU RECEIVED REQUESTS AS THIS DAY AFTER DAY AFTER DAY, BUT COULD DO NOTHING ABOUT IT? WHAT WOULD YOU DO?

That's right, just go out to eat and spend $15.00 for the meal. You just "ate" THREE BIBLES that we could have been sent to requests as the above. So, before you blame the missionary who trashed the request, remember, "Thou art the man, also."

(Yes, this is one of those email messages that should be passed around like all that other stuff. If you can pass on some joke, then surely you can pass on something as this. If your heart aches for Africa like ours, then do something.)

Me in 8 Nutshells

Well I, Kim, was tagged twice on Tim’s blog and since I have never posted it would be pretty easy for me to post twice as much. I can be frightfully long winded, so there will be only a few, brave souls that make it all the way to the end of my post. I am cheating, I was not going to tag anyone since I almost never blog. But I am going to tag my neice, Kira and nephew, Ethan.

1-- I contribute my strong tomboy streak largely to my older sis, Kelcey. When we would play house as kids (since she is older) she always got to be the mom. I got so used to being the make-believe dad that once when I was about 3 or 4 I informed my fam that they could call me Jeffery. They said “no”.

2--Around 4th grade, my best friend Ariana and I used to play soccer at every recess with the boys. We were very conceited and highly talented athletes, always running just as hard and fast as we could. Probably after watching me run my heart out and strut over a great steal, one of Kelcey’s friends said to her “Your sister runs like a boy, does she walk like a girl?”

3--I am by nature a packrat. It pains me to throw cool or possibly useful stuff away. Also in 4th grade, (as tradition for all of us) my Grandma Chrystal took me to the capital building when I was going to start studying CA government. As we walked through the metal detectors, I set off all the bells and whistles. We stepped aside and she asked me if I had anything metal in my little purse or pockets. All of the security agents and Grandma were cracking up by the time I was done emptying all the treasures from my purse. It was a collection of flattened scraps of metal from parking lots. Fascinating stuff!

4--Living in Russia and Mexico has only added to my already thrify, almost miserly self. When my little sis, Kara, was here visiting I was talking about turning our leftover fajitas and chilaquiles into a great egg casserole the next day for breakfast. She said “Kim, if you were not a missionary, I think you would make a great . . . (now here is where I expected her to say gourmet chief or something related, but no) . . . cafeteria lunch lady!” Oh the shame! Sadly, it so fits. We never bought hot lunch on “Cook’s Choice” day because we knew that was cafeteria code for leftovers. (Well anyway, the breakfast was delicious.)

5--Not all tomboy, I am afraid of spiders and creepy-crawlies in general. I used to play outside a lot with my brother, Chris. Once we were both up in the apricot tree and when he turned around I was shocked to see that there was a lizard clinging to the back of his t-shirt. Instead of telling him and having to help get it off, I said “Let’s run to the house!” It was a good little distance, and thankfully the lizard bailed off before we got to the fence. (I am pretty sure I have never told him that story!)

6-- I love projects and like to throw a little creativity into everything I do. Tim has thought I was crazy more than once because of another bright idea. One of my all time favorites was knitting a hammock after moving back to CA from Russia. I really think projects are therapeutic for me, it was my form of combating reverse culture shock. I am thankful to have parents that let me make messes and allowed me to follow some whims. I want to be that kind of a mom.

7-- Here are a bunch in one, since my time in almost out. I am a relationship person; loyal to a fault; cower at conflict; love to make life more liveable; cry at the drop of a hat; love to sing out loud and be silly; love to read out loud to myself or anyone who will listen; love Tim and being married; love being a mom of three and that has also been the biggest challenge in life so far.

8—Here is the social worker in me coming out. My most recent fascination has been a program I heard about this week on the news called One Laptop Per Child (OLPC) and the idea is to provide kid friendly laptops to students in poverty stricken areas (especially in third-world countries.) The more I think about it, I love the idea. The goal of the company is to alleviate poverty by empowering students with access to knowledge, technology and global communication. But it really relies on the creativity of the members to improve their communities by what they are given. Neat, huh? Anyway, until Nov. 26 they are running a promotion for the program that if you give one laptop, you get one to keep or give to the child of your choice. I wonder what great good God could do through this. Here’s the link for anyone interested: http://www.laptop.org/en/vision/index.shtml

Thanks, Tim, for letting me hijack your blog and ever indulging my crazies.

Rush Family Update

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