My Hero

He preaches to the Deaf in church.  He has Bible Institute classes with the Deaf.  I watch in amazement as I hear the wisdom of his words.  I gaze in wonder as he brings the Bible to life for the Deaf.
I hear him speak Spanish, and think, "Wow!  What a blessing that he knows this language!  How come I don't know that word???"  I sit and listen to him give counsel and advice, and I find myself wondering, "Where did that wisdom come from?"  Then the Holy Spirit gently reminds me, "Don't you ask ME every day for him to have MY wisdom?"  And with joy my heart replies, "Oh, yes!  And seeing the answer is such a blessing!  Thank you, Lord!"

I see him playing with our children.  While I sit and listen to the laughter of my children, the memories of a happy childhood and time spent with my own Daddy come flooding into my mind.  How grateful I am that my children can know the same joy!  

Who is this man?  Is he perfect?  No, he is a sinner saved by grace - just like me.  He is my precious gift from the Lord.  He is my dear husband.  I love him so much!  He is my Hero.

 What a privilege it is to be married to God's perfect will for my life!  What a joy it is to walk by his side and serve the Lord together!

End of the Year Fun

I thought you all would enjoy seeing pictures of what we have been doing for fun the past month or so.

Ian's Cupcake Christmas Tree
School Christmas Party

Martha's Cupcake Christmas Tree
School Christmas Party

Ian's new Tractor - Christmas from Pappy

Martha's new Purse - Christmas from Pappy

Me and My Honey on my birthday!

The Yummiest Birthday Cake I've ever had - White Chocolate and Lemon!

My trademark wave on my birthday!

My surprise birthday cake from the Ladies of Efata!

The ladies gave me the most beautiful bowl full of fruit - pineapple, mangoes, bananas, oranges, and grapes - DELICIOUS!!!  (Pictures coming soon to a blog near you!)  I didn't realize the bowl was for me at first.  After coveting the bowl and contemplating not returning it to the rightful owner, I finally asked to whom the bowl should be returned.  I danced a jig in my kitchen when they told me it was mine!  I'm sure it would have been hilarious to see the 6 months pregnant lady dancing a jig over a fruit bowl, but Matt is the only one who saw me!  (Whew!  Giggle, giggle!)

Martha and Ian LOVE the race track Ian received for Christmas!  

Daddy's Big Helper - preparation for all the holiday cooking!

Matt and the kids went on a "Treasure Hunt" - here is the "treasure" they finally found!
(I hid it in the corner of their playhouse on the front porch.  I had to convince them they had been reading the map upside down in order to get them out to the front porch!)

Chocolate soles - can you find a monetary system anywhere in the world that is better than chocolate money?

Digging up potatoes with Daddy!

Mommy's Garden Helpers

My diligent potato diggers!

Delightfully dirty!

The fruit of our labors and patience!  Not much, but enough to encourage us to  grow another potato plant or two!

I hope you have enjoyed seeing highlights from the end of our year!  We are looking forward to all the adventures God has in store for us this year - including a new baby and a short furlough!

The Joy of Being

I would like to share something with you this morning concerning which the Lord has been working on my heart.  It isn't anything new or something we don't already know.  I've heard this principle preached and taught many, many times in my life.  Until recently, however, I didn't realize I was thinking about it, but not actually doing it.  We are all familiar with the phrase "Bloom where you are planted."  Now, I am not particularly crazy about that saying, but it is true nevertheless.  

As I was thinking about that quote, I got to wondering if there was Bible verse to support it.  Well, my faithful Saviour gave me the verse I needed.  Notice I said He gave me the verse I needed - not necessarily the verse I thought would prove my point!  

Psalm 39:7 says, "And now, Lord, what wait I for?  my hope is in thee."

Here is where I started arguing with the Lord.  Why?  I had several reasons (excuses) I offered to the Lord.  "Aren't I living on the mission field like You asked me to?"  "What in the world will people think if I share these thoughts with them?"  "People won't understand, and I hate being misunderstood."  "Do I have to, Lord???"  Let me be perfectly honest....even as I type this, I am fighting the urge to hit the delete button and get rid of this entire post!  I cannot escape the Lord's promptings, however.

The Lord directed my eyes to my house.  "What do you see, Sarah?" the Lord whispered to me.  The question demanded an honest answer.  "I see a house with a family living in it.  A family who has decided to follow You, Lord.  I see a wife/mom who is waiting....."  And that's where the Lord stopped me!

It was exactly what my Lord wanted me to see.  He was trying to lovingly and gently correct an error in my life.  Yes, I am on the mission field.  Yes, praise the Lord, my heart is even here.  I love Peru.  I love living here.  I love the adventure of being a foreigner in a foreign land!  I dearly love the people God has given us to love and to teach.  But at that exact moment in time, I realized I was existing, not being.  Do you see the difference?  

Like the Psalmist said, "And now, Lord, what wait I for?"  I realized that I have been busy "waiting," not busy "being."  I hadn't settled completely.  I've fallen into the trap of "What's coming next in my life?"  I realized that I must "BE" before the Lord can do anything with me or even bring me to the "next thing" in my life.  I thought of my children - what kind of example have I been to them?  Of course I want them to think and plan and pray about their futures, but I want them to be content with the "Here and Now."

So...the next question is, "How am I going to correct my error?"  Good question.  Here's what the Lord has given me for an answer.  I am going to put my hope (my future, my plans, my desires) in the Lord.  With the Lord's help, I am going to have that little garden I've been dreaming about this summer.  I am going to get those pictures framed and hung on the walls.  Naturally, I think..."Well, Lord, I'll do all this and then You'll move me!"  While that may be true, that is still somewhere in the future, and that's where it should stay.  

...And then there was joy!  Joy filled my heart as I thought of how easy it really is to just "BE," and allow the Lord to have my future, as well as my past.  I thought of how we love to quote, "...forgetting those things which are behind...," but what about letting go of the future?  Please understand that I am by no means saying to forget about the future, don't have any plans...just "live for the moment!"  No, we need to have plans and goals and dreams.  I am saying that sometimes we get so wrapped up in those plans, goals, and dreams that they become more important to us than where we are at the moment.  They consume us until we cannot just "BE" what the Lord wants us to be right now.  

The joy of being.  Do you know that joy?  Are you letting the Lord give you that joy every day?  I'm trying, and with the Lord's help I will succeed.  You can too!

Psalm 39:7 "And now, Lord, what wait I for?  my hope is in thee."

Happiness Is....

Ian's Moto

One of my favorite books is a Peanuts book called "Happiness Is....a Warm Blanket."  I think I am going to write my own version of a "Happiness Is...." book!  I started out to write this blog yesterday morning,  but then got side-tracked with trying to figure out how to put Ian's "moto" (motorcycle) back together!  How hard could it possibly be to put a plastic motorcycle back together????  Apparently it is more complicated than I thought - or I'm having a "moment"!  Praise the Lord, Daddy walked in the door at that moment - wah hoo!!  I've seen the "moto" together enough times, you would think I could remember where all the pieces should go - ha!  Now I ask you - does this look like a complicated piece of machinery?

Our Favorite Mechanic!

But, try as I would, I just couldn't put it together again - kind of like Humpy Dumpy (Martha's endearing name for the beloved Humpty Dumpty!)  However, our fearless mechanic came to the rescue and in no time, the job was done, and I had two happy kiddos once more!  One of the blessings that I have discovered in having a 3 year old and a 2 year old is that it really doesn't take much to make them happy!
This morning "Happiness was....a moto put back together!

The Happy Mechanic and Customers!

For Martha, "Happiness is"....a bowl of popcorn...or two...or three...or the whole big container!  She reminds me of my cousin's daughter, Maria - she loves to eat popcorn too!  Wouldn't the two of them have a great time eating popcorn together?

For Ian, "Happiness is"... a hotdog!  Almost every time I start cooking, Ian appears instantly at my side - inquiring (quite hopefully, I might add) if I'm making hotdogs!  The new blender is something else that really makes Ian happy - he comes running with a big grin on his face when he hears me running the blender!

In my spare moments, I have been reading "Pollyanna."  Yes, there is a book - not just a movie!  Sometimes the book isn't as good as the movie, but in this case it is better.  It's funny what the Lord uses sometimes in your life to correct your attitudes about things!  As you probably know, Pollyanna always played "The Glad Game."  Well, we've started playing "The GAME" with Martha and Ian, and it is amazing how things look much better when you look for something to be glad about!  It really is just another way to "Rejoice in the Lord always"!

For me, happiness is....being with my little family and serving God here in Peru.  Is it always easy?  No.  Do I always meet the obstacles and challenges with joy and excitement?  No.  But when I let Him, God helps me find those little jewels of happiness.  What would you put in your book called "Happiness Is.....?