just a few comments

1) We love when YOU comment!  Most times when I hit "Publish Post", I have no idea who's reading, what you think, if I am making any sense, if any of this matters to anyone, what is happening in your life, what the Lord is teaching you, anyone else's perspective, etc...  


When you comment, it turns my sharing into a conversation, and I love that!  Thank you for all the comments and emails from the recent Konpech blog.  Please leave comments when you have them!


2)  Oh crud.  Just to clarify, all I was talking about there was the fact that we now have yet ANOTHER dog--a baby,  whimper all night, there-is-NO-vet, Lily-will-not-put-it-down, I-just-stepped-in-another-piddle-puddle, Boone-stop-eating-the-puppy-- dog.  We did NOT need another needy little girl in our lives right now, and yet there was nothing I could do to say "no", so...meet Ella.  Who is also, of course, adorable.

3) Oh Crud was NOT at all talking about Konpech.  It was indeed a completely different evangelistic experience, but the Lord continues to really be speaking to my heart about Konpech and I am not in any way discouraged.  Neither is Junior.  

God's been patient with me, He loves the people of Konpech, He's given us a continued burden for sharing the Gospel with them, so...we will continue.

Since returning from there Tuesday, many Christians in the community have felt that they must share with me the foolishness of our efforts.  I have been well informed the past three days that the people of Konpech are the people of Satan and therefore beyond redemption, that we should NOT go there, should NOT "risk our lives" by trotting on that Satanic earth, absolutely should not touch anyone from Konpech, and was even instructed yesterday by concerned friends to immediately kill Ella, the "dog of Satan", to burn the body, and to be sure to keep it FAR from my children for fear that demons might attack them through the dog.

Yep.  Extra Extra: Those crazy missionaries living in Saccanville now have a dog-of-Satan playing with their small children.

Instead of being immensely frustrated and discouraged by this kind of a response from 'the church', I am instead trying (I say "trying" because it is taking great effort not to be discouraged here!) to use these as a great teachable moments.

If we live in fear of a 1-pound dog because we believe Satan lives in it and has power over us...how are we any different from those who follow Satan?   Can fear exist in our lives if Perfect Love has been Lorded?  Has Christ who is in us overcome the world, or has He not?  

Did Christ touch the sinners, the prostitutes, the lepers, the demon possessed, or did He not?  Do "Christian, small, everyday" sins create less of a gap between ourselves and a Holy God than "Satanic, big" sins?  Did Jesus die less for others than He did for me?

Is it an option to avoid telling BAD people about Jesus and to only share Jesus with GOOD people?  Is it at all Biblical in any way/shape/form to refuse to talk to, visit or heaven-forbid TOUCH a person that who lives in darkness rather than Light?  Didn't He touch me?  When I was still His enemy?

DO WE KNOW AND LOVE GOD IF WE REFUSE TO KNOW AND LOVE OTHERS, even "the least of these"?

Oh, the need for Jesus--TRUE, real, dirty, touchy, CRAZY Jesus--is all around us.  All around us, family.  Not just in Konpech, and not just in Saccanville, either.  The need for Him is no greater in our corner of His world than yours.

It is soo great.  Oh Lord, use me.

(that was a long comment.)

4) Babies are not birds.  I had the totally awesome experience on Wednesday to translate for Deb as she shared with 10-weeks-pregnant Micheline imagines of how a baby is grows inside mom.  Mish, mother of 4, had never seen such a thing, had no idea about what a growing embryo baby looks like, and was beyond thrilled.  Suddenly this little one that she REALLY didn't want inside her is a miracle.  

She also thinks a 5 week old developing embryo baby looks like a baby bird.  So do I.

It was so fun, in fact, that yesterday 8 women joined us while Deb shared a bit more about what the Bible says about children and helped us work through some cultural debates that "be fruitful and multiply" (which of course in the Creole Bible is translated: make many, MANY children) means that it is wrong to control or limit in any way how many children you have, even if you cannot care for 10 children, and even if those 10 children will be hungry.  

We got into all kinds of good things, talked a bit about natural and free family planning methods, and it was so great to be able to be a part of that and to discuss many "unspoken" issues, and to be able to reflect together on the real point of it all : bringing God glory.

I also greatly expanded my Creole vocabulary bank.

We finished with a video on babies from conception to birth, and it was a blast to watch everyone's faces and to hear at the end complete silence, and then praises to the Lord.  "I didn't know it was a miracle.  It is a miracle!"

5) Baby birds are really cute nonetheless.  We've been watching these little hummingbird guys since they were eggs, and finally yesterday, they took off.  

6) Sick of Sick.  Illness just continues to penetrate our family, the visiting professors and the students.  I've been sick now since Feb. 24th, and cannot seem to recover, and since yesterday have seemed to be sick all over again...coughing, sneezing, sore throat, runny nose, aches...yuck.  Please keep praying for all of us and for the girls, especially, who have also been sick for a long time.

It's an extra challenge to be patient, energetic, loving, intentional, organized, meeting the needs of my girls and my family, caring, gracious and giving when I'm hacking away and clouded.  Anybody have any ideas?  

I hope you know that we love you...God never took away His passion for our same-culture family when He gave us His passion for another.