Oh man, some of you dear ones just truly made my week by reaching out the past few days. I've been sore, but fine, and the car is in the shop getting repaired, and some dear blog-reading friends on vacation in Florida called me, called their son, and somehow got us a car to borrow the very same moment we dropped off the van...one big enough for all the car-seats! What a huge gift, and encouragement to me, even when "alone", to be reached out to and loved and prayed for and even provided for.
Matt finishes his last revival service tonight, and will be home by tomorrow morning...so thankful. I'm grateful he was able to do these camp meetings, and the time has been so rich, but we are very ready to have him home for a while. His next "away" speaking engagement isn't until the last week of August, so we are THANKFUL!
Meanwhile, life carries on with lots of church activities, zoom meetings, cooking for various birthdays, sick friends and Bible studies, gymnastics, cross-country starts tomorrow for Lily, dentist appointments, a church-preschool visit for Ben today (who will go three mornings a week this year to help our homeschooling productivity at my brilliant homeschooling friend's suggestion...next best thing to Tati Gertha!), and we have dear Kansas friends (six!) coming for the weekend on Friday!
Our acceptance testing at Emmaus for the new school year overflowed the classroom where we always do it and filled the library! I am AMAZED in such a dark time how the Lord is sending abundant LIGHTS for good equipping to Emmaus. NOW is the time this is needed, and NOW is the time the Lord is sending us so many, despite circumstances. Perhaps BECAUSE of circumstances.
Our dear friends and neighbors, after being locked down in Northern Ireland pretty much since the day we last saw them in March 2020 are FINALLY returning to Haiti August 1st. It is killing us not to be there to welcome them, but also weighing heavily on our prayers their precious family and the new challenges they face. Pray for the Elders...we can't WAIT to get there to see them. Being in Haiti these last few trips without them there was such a gap! (especially for Nora and Sofie, who truly value their boys as brothers). Please be praying with us for the Elders as they travel with their three boys these next few days, extra-complicated by still having to circumvent American borders.
I can hardly even take this picture still, that morning was so traumatic...not only unexpectedly leaving Haiti with 12 hours notice and not knowing when we would be allowed to return, but being separated at the last minute from our loved ones who were not permitted to enter the States due to being Canadian/British citizens and covid, and then the news of the sudden death of Nikki's father in the middle! Shudder. Lord, keep pouring out your grace on that day in our hearts and minds.
I know I keep talking about Foster's Celebration of Discipline book, but this chapter on "The Discipline of Submission" was powerful and freeing to me in a way I never expected...completely counter-cultural ...really let this idea sink in with me, and know that I'm lifting so many of you up as we battle around the world for His kingdom, together.
In submission, we are at last free to value other people. Their dreams and plans become important to us. We have entered into a new, wonderful, glorious freedom—The freedom to give up our own rights for the good of others.
For the first time we can love people unconditionally. We have given up the right to demand that they return our love. No longer do we feel that we have to be treated in a certain way. We rejoice in their successes. We feel genuine sorrow in their failures. It is of little consequence that our plans are frustrated if their plans succeed. We discover that it is far better to serve our neighbor than to have our own way. 
Do you know that liberation comes from giving up your rights? It means you are set free from the seething anger and bitterness you feel when someone doesn’t act towards you the way you think they should!
Laying down our rights means that we are finally free to obey Jesus command, “love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.” (Matthew 5:44) It means that for the first time you understand how it is possible to surrender the right to retaliate, “if anyone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also” (Matthew 5:39)
Richard Foster, Celebration of Discipline
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