Human Kindness is on the rise again!

As I sit here it is the dawn on a New Year and I realize that if I could say one word to capsilize this past year it would be:  surprised!!  Don't you love a good surprise?  I do.  Well, truthfully it is best to be surprised if you aren't wearing old clothes and have a bad hair day but yeah most surprises are wonderful.  :-)

I would say the biggest surprise this past year was the support we recieved from so many people.   Over and over and over people stepped into our world and blessed us.   Why would that be surprising you ask?  Because it seems to be that more and more people are becoming too busy to get involved or  too  inward to think of someone outside their family circle.

Human kindness is on the rise again!!  

 Yippee!  It would take me forever to actually write about all the ways people have become "Jesus with skin on" for us but I hope these photos will paint a better picture then my words could ever do.

Blessing #1 - Through a generous gift we were able to fly our  kids down for 10 days over Christmas.  It was so good for my momma heart to have them around me: we laughed, we told old funny stories, we played games, we went for walks together, we worked hard for the Food Drive together, we shared gifts on Christmas Day (see photo below), we hugged, we prayed together, we sang songs together.  We were family again.  Blessed!

Blessing #2 -  We hadn't been able to spend Christmas together in 5 years.  Um... it was so fun!

Blessing #3 -  We had the Kent family come down for 2 weeks to help with the food drive.  We worked hard, we played hard.  They brought down 'sole's 4 soul's' shoes for the people of Roatan.   They bagged up food, candy and toys and worked very hard to distribute them.  They tirelessly sorted shoes and clothes!     They used their photography skills to capture so many beautiful moments! They helped in the Made In Roatan shop...even on the most beautiful sunny beach days! 

Blessing #4 -  Bob decided to head up the Because we Care food drive this year

and we can't thank our 31 hard working volunteers (too many to mention by name but you know who you are!) enough for their support with donations, the time, and their love.  We visited 12 remote areas on the island and were able to feed over 600 families.   It was a lot of hard work but it 

translated into real blessings!!

Blessing #5 - We are always grateful for people who come down.   We had the Naugler family come 

to Roatan for a week.   They helped in the shop, they made price tags, Sammy shares her creative designs with us, Mel used her photography skills,  they brought down needed items,

they visited island families, brought nail polish and soccer balls to Punta Gorda, Dusty helped fix a lady's house in French Harbour.   Also in the above photo is Joe and Sherry Houtman who brought freeze dried vegetable

mix for the feeding program in French Harbour

Blessing #6 - Our friends Sandy and Bill arrived on a cruise ship with 11 large boxes of shoes and clothes for us to distribute and also more boxes for the Orphanage in Sandy Bay.   They also donated a projector so we can show the Jesus film around the island.   It is so cool because it is solar powered and the size of a small phone! We are overwhelmed by the generosity of the Sanibel Island Church!!

Blessing #7 - Rhonda Lux wrote and said she wanted to come to Roatan to help.  I didn't know exactly what that help would look like but as it turned out we worked endlessly for an entire week redesigning the whole shop! You can read more about it here

Check out what I wrote at our other blog

Blessing #8 -  Since we opened up the new shop we are so busy in there and I can't

manage the shop by myself anymore so we are grateful for volunteers who come in.

The Lawyer family have been a huge help to us in the shop and also coming to our house on Saturdays.   As well Jeanette comes in and does 'the book' for me.  I have also trained Ladeesha, Joan's daughter to do the book on Thursdays.  It is all such a huge help!!  

  

We began praying last year that we would have help and ... voila... God answers prayers!! So why was I so surprised....???  Oh me of little faith!   Either way,  I cannot express enough the gratitude we feel.

   Thank you a thousand times!!  Mil Gracias!!!

Advent : Waiting for the Shepherd

I have been lighting the advent wreath for over 20 years now.  It has always been a highlight for me.  For years our family would gather around the coffee table and together we would focus on the Christ in Christmas.

Advent 2004, Dartmouth, NS.

Advent is latin for the word 'coming'.  I love to make time for 4 Sundays before Christmas to remember His coming and to focus on His presence.  Since we have been lighting the advent wreath for so many years we have tried many different readings as we light the candles.   The most common is to focus on hope, peace, joy and love with different readings and prayers for each week.  We, as a family have chosen to taken 4 different characters from the Christmas story and focus on what we can learn from them.   Mary, Joseph, Angels, Shepherds.   I am in total awe that each year we are able to learn something new from these characters and readings.

This year I am doing something different, because I think change is refreshing and good.   You can come along with me if you like as we 'wait' for His coming together.  We wait for many things, don't we?  We wait for our coffee to brew, we wait in line, we wait for the doctor, but I am talking about a different type of waiting.  I am referring to an expectant longing, a deep desire to find Him in this season.  A yearning that only is fulfilled when we carve out moments of silence and we pray and read His beautiful Words to the gentle light of a single flame.

So tonight as lit the first candle we waited for the Shepherd. He always comes because a shepherd is faithful to His flock and when we wait, He comes.    One of my favorite psalms to read and recite is Psalm 23.  The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want, He makes me lay down in green pastures, He leads me beside quiet waters, He restores my soul, He guides me in paths of righteousness for His namesake.  Provision. Rest.  Restoration.  Guidance.   Oh the blessings of having a shepherd who carries us close to His heart.  No matter what the day holds, whether we face bad news, or stress of any kind there is One who carries us back to the fold. Yes please Lord, carry me back to the fold.  I wait for my Shepherd to once again speak peace to my soul...day after day after day.  And He does.

Please read these beautiful verses, slowly and reverently...
Psalm 80: 1-7 ~~~~ Isa. 40: 1-11  ~~~~  Rev 7: 9-17

As you read those verses there may be certain parts that seem to leap off the page to you.   For me I was so moved when Bob was reading Isa 40.

Get yourself up on a high mountain,

O Zion, bearer of good news,

Lift up your voice mightily,

O Jerusalem, bearer of good news;

Lift it up, do not fear.

Say to the cities of Judah,

“Here is your God!”

10 

Behold, the Lord [i]God will come with might,

With His arm ruling for Him.

Behold, His reward is with Him

And His recompense before Him.

11 

Like a shepherd He will tend His flock,

In His arm He will gather the lambs

Like a shepherd He will tend His flock....isn't that a comforting image?   He is tending to me.  He is tending to you.  He is tending to your family.  He is tending to the homeless.  

     

 The word tend means to care for, watch over, look after.

This advent season I encourage you to let the sweet Shepherd take care of things.   Release  your cares to Him because He cares for you.  It is not your job to do everything.  There are many things to do during this Christmas season but let Him carry the bulk of the load.  Let Him tend to YOU!  Let Him carry you.  Let Him lead you and here is the beautiful part:  when you do this then you can stand on the high mountain and proclaim:  Here is your God!!!

Say to the cities, say to the towns, say to the islands, say to your family, say to your coworkers, say to your children, say to the wayward, say to the educated, say to the poor, say to the church: 
                             "Here is your God!"

The world is looking for someone who really believes that Emmanuel has come and is still present day after day.  They are looking for someone who is a bearer of good news!  Just think:  it could be you!  :-)

Blessed advent, wait for your Shepherd to come and carry you through so you can bear good news that indeed He has come!!  Hallelujah!  Blessings!

David's song

There is nothing that brings me more joy then when I hear that my kids are continuing to grow in their faith.  Whether is it through a song about sharing His light, or an answer to prayer, or when He speaks to them from His word:  these are things that make my mama heart glad!   As a missionary I would say the hardest part is not being close to the kids.  It is a huge sacrifice and I thank them for letting us follow Him across the sea.  You can read about it here.   I so miss them!!!!

This morning while I was perusing facebook I saw a song that our son David had posted. I am always thrilled when they post something because it is like a 'visit'with him.  He wrote the song and he was  looking for singers for the chorus.  You can have a listen to david singing here. For real, go to the link.. it is a great song!!!  And I am not just saying that cos I am his mama!!!  :-)  I suggested he get some islanders to help him sing the chorus when they come for Christmas.   (ya super good news... the kids are coming to Roatan for Christmas.  I am overjoyed!!!!!!)

Here is the lyrics to the song Chances

I always felt misunderstood, like fear was holding me
Oh my God I am not at my best living with this disease
but then You came into my life when I thought You were out of touch
how could You understand me like that unless it was really love
cos You came You came and You took a chance on me
I  do  believe I wouldn't be here if I hadn't got on my knees
There is no degree of all the ways You have set me free
I wasn't at ease until You rescued me

There is a lily its in the valley bright as the morning star
Oh there is a lily it's in the valley bright as the morning star
I found joy, it's in the valley bright as the morning star!!
amen amen amen!!!
Oh I found peace, its in the valley bright as the morning star
Ohhh i found peace it's in valley bright as the morning star
I found Jesus, and  He's in the valley bright as the morning star
Amen amen amen!!!

And You came, yes You came and You took a chance on me
I do believe I wouldn't be here if I hadn't got on my knees
There's no degree of sin that You didn't put on that Tree
Thank You Jesus that You came to set us free!

David in Montreal... love how he found a palm tree there!

   It is a beautiful testimony of how the Lord has worked in his life over the years.   You will notice in the song he makes reference to a 'disease'.  He is referring to Ankylosing spondylitis, which is a disease where the discs in his back fuse together.  It is also referred to as the 'bamboo disease'.  David actually got the results from theMRI while visiting us in Roatan 3 years ago.  Isn't that so like God to provide a french speaking missionary here who called to the clinic in Canada for the results and also for him to be able to hear the bad news  with us instead of on his own?!!  It has been very challenging for him not only because of the pain but also the limitations and the stigma.   We are grateful to God for allowing him to be treated with a new and effective drug called embrel, (he gets this medication for free!!) but please pray for him because he has to inject himself weekly and sometimes he finds that very difficult to do.

As I was listening to him sing  this song my heart was so warmed because it reminded me of a time when he was only 8 yrs old and he sang  "Jesus is never too busy for kids" in front of over a 1000 people!!  He sang with confidence and joy!! It really was powerful to hear such a young boy pouring out his heart and ministering to us.

David has always been creative.  This was a photo he set up for me when he was 8 years old.

 Over the years, as he grew up skepticism crept into his heart and he began to doubt the Lord's love for him and saw things within the church that made him doubt the relevancy of the Christian experience.  But God is faithful and over the years continually showed him His father-heart.  He has confirmed His love for David over and over and over again!   Dealing with AS has been difficult for him but it really drew him to the Lord.  Please pray for David as he copes with this and as well as he desires to have a relevant voice in Montreal among his peers.

Thanks for reading and for praying...
 And blessings to you and your family!

WOP WOP WOP WOP

~~~WOP WOP WOP WOP~~  

 No what isn't the sound of a flat tire it is short for Women of Purpose! 

 We were blessed beyond words to have the WOP team come to Valle de Angeles (again!) to put 'wood on our fire' and rekindle the flame of missionary service.

Did you know there are over 100 missionaries on the mainland of Honduras and Roatan???   It's true.   The WOP ladies of the States sponsored us so we were able to attend the retreat with no cost to us.  That's right.. hotel and lodging paid for.   We just needed to find our way there.   So travel arrangements were made: flights books, bus tickets bought, car pools arranged and on Nov. 7th ladies began pouring in:  tired, burnt out, excited, hopeful, nervous... we gathered.

click to view large

So what happened?  For 3 days we reconnected, we shared stories, we were challenged to pattern ourselves after Jesus,  we prayed together, we SANG and worshiped with total abandon, we held each as we cried, we recommitted to the call, we tried to stay warm and we ate a lot.  :-)

"Our Lord never took the role of a strategist.   The Father was the strategist" 

click to view large

"It seems to me that all He asks is that we should take the one step He shows us and in simplest, most practical trust, leave all results for Him. "

 Amy Carmichael

I just want to say THANKS to those who sponsored us so we could do this.  It really helps to get away, and be spoiled and loved on. Because of this retreat I  feel renewed and able to continue serving the fine folks of Roatan!

  Mil Gracias!!!! 

(a 1000 thank you's!!!)

Wanna know a Secret??

I think I have found the secret to peace of mind, and true joy!
For real
It is really quite simple and people have been talking about it for years.
Oprah was on a big kick years back, people write books about it,
there are inspirational speakers who have been talking about it.

But just recently I decided to do it and I tell you: It works!!!
So what is the secret???

~~ Gratitude ~~

Expressing thanks changes us at the inner core and
it ushers in true joy as the every day, ordinary, kind of stuff
is celebrated and recognized.

Always giving thanks to the Father for everything, 
in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ
Eph. 5:20

Try it:  for at least 3 weeks.
Here are some things I am thankful for:

Thank You, for soft rain, for jungle green,

 for buddy's tweets,

 for Bob's look of love,

 for keurig coffee,

for new friends, for old friends,

 for extravagant love,

 for my children's voices,

 for peace in the night, 

for dogs wagging tails,

 for light on a seashell,

 for cool breezes,

 for constant hope,

 for Your voice to me, 

for forgiveness,

 for dark skinned shoulders touching mine,

 for daily grace,

 for fresh fish, 

 for my kindle,

 for naps, 

for green smoothies,

 for Your provision, 

for this island and her people, 

for the cross,

\

 for You, for You, for You....for You, Jesus.

Thank You.

Fund raising in Canada

You ever read something and it just kind POPS out at you??  It happened to me the other day as I was reading the following verse:

"Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, 

who for the joy set before Him endured the cross"  

Hebrews 12:1-2

There is one word in that verse that just popped out at me.  It may be different for you but for me that word was AUTHOR!  I thought to myself "I need to let Him write my story"  He is the author.  I wrote in my journal in big letters and with a box around it LET HIM WRITE MY STORY!!!!

He is the author!  The One knows the beginning from the end.  My plans are not His plans.   To illustrate that, let me tell you a story.   As some of you know we have been on this island as self supporting missionaries for 4 1/2 years and we were grateful that we were able to live off the interest of an investment.   With the economy and also a huge flood in the US, the investment company began to run into problems and hence so did we.   We could no longer support ourselves.   So "Debi" thought "Hey, lets go back to Canada and work before we retire.  We are healthy, we can do that!!"   (I was excited about this.  I love Roatan but I also miss our kids and dear friends!  It seems like a logical plan, don't you think?!)

But the more we prayed together about it we sensed Him saying "No, the work here in Roatan is just beginning.  I will provide!"   I wanted to believe that, I did, but I also didn't want to impose on friends and family to help us when I know times are tough all across the globe!

One night around 4:00 am I was tossing and turning and I heard the Lord speak to me.  It came clear and precise.  It rang like a silver bell in my mind.  It wasn't foggy or subtle.   This is what He spoke in my mind:

"A worker is worthy of his wages"

I cried.   I did.  I began the 'arguing process' with Him.  But but but....and in the stillness of the night He confirmed that He would provide. His peace came to me like a soft blanket and I knew that although it wasn't my plan, that we would stay.  He began to write our story a little differently than we had expected.   So we decided to go in faith to Canada and share the vision that He put on our hearts.

We started in British Columbia and made our way East over the course of 2 months.  We slept in 15 different beds during that time, ate at countless tables with family and friends. We were able to spend quality time with our kids, encouraging them, praying with them and playing with them.  We were able to share about our ministry in various churches, homes and over coffee.  We were blessed with such wonderful hospitality:  rooms lovingly prepared for us (one of David's friends gave us their apt. for our week in Montreal), awesome meals prepared,delicious peaches (mmm!)  many good Canadian BBQ's.   People lent us their vehicles, opened up their hearts, shared their space with us.   We were able to reconnect with many of the people that we had pastored in the past and we were able to inspire and bless along the way.  It's was hard work but rich in faith!

CLICK to view LARGE
i don't have photos of everyone...sorry but we are still grateful

I am so glad we followed His lead to come to Canada. It was a rich experience:  rich in memories, rich in friendships, rich in prayer and yes, rich in provision.

  Lately my heart keeps saying this:

 "Not my will but Yours be done.  Not my will but Yours be done.  Not my will but Yours be done."

Everyday:  not my will but Yours be done.  Every hour:  Not my will  but Yours be done.   The only way He can write our story and author it is through continual sweet surrender.

We thank God for surprising us time and time again with provision.  He is a great Father.  We have a lot (80%) of our support raised so far (which is fantastic!) and we're believing Him for the rest!

I want to say THANKS to those of you who responded to His prompting.   May He bless you abundantly for standing with us as we serve the poor in Roatan.     We are grateful that we can help them here to continue to grow in their faith in our wonderful Father and to provide opportunities for them to have practical help through the 'Made in Roatan' gift shop.

If you would like to  help then CLICK  to go to our SUPPORT PAGE.   Please share that with your friends.. together we will continue to bring His light and love to the island of Roatan!

"I thank my God every time I remember you.

In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership  in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that He who began a good work in you will carry it to completion until the day of Christ Jesus."

Phil 3:3-6

If you feel blessed after reading this it may be that I have just prayed with gratitude for you.. :-) Be blessed!

Thanks!

Two trips to Punta Gorda in one week!

One road.  Partially paved dotted with small wooden or mud homes on one side and the sea on the other.   A quiet little community of Garifuna.   I have traveled over this island through the towns, down back roads, up to the tops of the mountains where the poorest of the poor live but when I reach the shore of Punta Gorda my heart is happy.  

There is a peace that I feel there.  I can't explain it.  I just enjoy it.

We went to Punta Gorda with some volunteers of Clinica Esperanza.

Of course we visited Pedro and his family.   Pedro is one of the artists at the Made in Roatan shop.   He has stolen our heart.   You may be wondering why we all have 'our thumbs up' in this photo.  Well when Pedro's dad was alive he always did the thumbs up in every photo and Pedro has adopted that too.   So we joined up.   It is an attitude that is worth adopting:  thumbs up, life is good, all is well, we are blessed, God is good!
Thumbs UP!

One thing I love about this community is that they are used to us coming.   Sometimes we come with food or clothing but often we come empty handed but full hearted.   We don't bring anything other then His love and His word of encouragement.  I have been giving alot of thought to the whole idea of doing more harm then good by always 'handing out' something.   This time we went just for a visit.

When you see this photo what do you see?   A thatched roof?   The sea in the background?  A hand carved boat?   But it is what we DON'T see that I want to write about.   You don't see a small little house that was built by Pedro's father.  You don't see a noni tree either.   Pedro was so sad because someone tore down his father's little house.   I don't know if you have lost someone but I have and I hold onto certain momentos of theirs.   That little house was the last thing that Pedro had of his Daddy.   So sad.    Please pray for Pedro.  It isn't easy to be fatherless and I know he misses him something terrible.But we are grateful that we get to 'love on' Pedro and to constantly remind him of the Father's great and faithful love for him and his family.

See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are

 1 John 3:1a

A few days later we took a trip to Punta Gorda again this time with ER International providing over 300 families with food.   We went to the School and handed out food in the morning and again in the afternoon.   We were able to again remind them of the love of the Father.     You may say, yeah yeah yeah God loves me.  But truly it is remarkable.   He loves us, deeply profoundly, just as we are.  So many people go to church here, they dress the right way, they tithe what little they have but do they really understand His great love?  I don't think so.   A father's love is a rare thing on this island.  So many fatherless children are wandering around.  It has been a generational issue here for years.  I know many many people who don't even know who their father is.   They are raised, blessed their hearts, by Mom who are simply surviving, trying their best to keep kids fed and clothed and in school.   I know what that is like because I was raised the same way.  But did I really know I was loved?   No.   I remember when I began to explore the idea of a Father's Love.  It was overwhelming for me to think of someone who loved me, not based on what I did or didn't do but an extravagant love that was poured out for me on the cross while I was yet a sinner.   It began to burn in my heart and heal places in me that felt that I didn't measure up, that I needed to prove myself.

There is nothing to prove to the Father once you are His child.  Once a child always a child.  Once a son always a son.  Once a daughter always a daughter.

I believe this island needs a deeper revelation of the Father's love.   It has become my passion to remind as many who will listen.

watch this

I took this photo when I saw the boy walking alone.   There were groups of kids everywhere and he was walking alone. At times it looks like we are walking alone but it is not so.   There is an Invisible One who is so close that if we could we would feel His breath on our necks.  His love is pressing in all around like air. Oh God help us to see this!!!   Oh how He loves us.   He loves this island.   He loves you.  He loves me.

“A Father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in his holy dwelling.  God sets the lonely in families, he leads forth the prisoners with singing.”  (Psalm 68:5-6)

Tupperware Blessing

Rubeen, me, Diana (at church)

The girls came to church last week.  It was funny that we all wore black and white.  This photo is like an oreo cookie.. chocolate with vanilla in the middle!

At one point during the service, we were all standing up there together for prayer and Rubeen (left) slipped her arm through mine.   That small gesture of  affection was so touching for me.   I would say of everyone in their family she has been the least 'connected with us'.   So to have her publicly link her slender brown arm through mine brought tears to my eyes.   I looked at her with glistening eyes and smiled as if to say thanks for loving me too.

Love takes time.  It isn't automatically there just because you help someone.   True love is never based on a condition anyways.  To win the heart of an islander is to gain a great prize. I remember once a lady asking me "How did you get the islanders to love you?"   I pondered and responded that it took time.  We sat on many porches, we listened to their stories with interest,(hours and hours at a time)  we learned to cook their food, we prayed with them and for them, we cried with them, we laughed with them, we didn't try to change them, we believed God to be the Father they need.    

He is a father to the fatherless!   This was proven once again after church today.  I had planned on picking up some tupperware that an american lady was selling.   I went to her place, and as we were leaving she said, I hope you don't mind but there is flour, rice and sugar in 3 of the containers.
I said, Oh no I don't mind. I will give it to our friends who are really struggling right now.  They will be happy to have that.
Then she asked if I thought they'd be offended if she gave them some things from her fridge.  Offended?   How about delighted?   Overwhelmed?   Grateful??

I explained that since the cruise ship has stopped coming that times are really tough on the island.   She opened her fridge and put in two unopened juice containers, some butter, some fruit, cheese, buns, yogurt, macaroni from Bojangles.  I left with a big bag of groceries.

I went to the car and said , "Hey girls, look at this.   Didn't I tell you He was a good Father??!"

When I told them that she thought they'd be offended they said, "Oh no Miss Debi, we is so happy!!!
 Can I have a bun???"
A bun?  That is enough to make them happy.  A simple bun.
  They drove home smiling and walked up the hill to their little place with food to eat.  It was like Christmas morning.

I drove home grateful to be a conduit for blessing to the people of Roatan.  His hands.  His feet.

Blessed  to be loved.   Blessed to be loving.

Seeing as He sees

I find it interesting how it is possible to drive by something and never notice it.

Take this tree for example:  I have never seen that until last week!! 

That is a BIG tree...how I could I miss it?

It just around the corner from us and I have walked by it many many times and driven by countless times, and it wasn't until I was walking there with Bob that he pointed it out to me.

What is it about us that makes miss the obvious??  Familiarity maybe or just untrained eyes?  I don't know.

But I was impressed with this tree that I went back to take a sunset photo of it.

Now I admit it isn't the best photo since I waited too late  and the light wasn't good.   

Yeah, so I was standing on the side of the road trying to get a good shot of this tree when a young lady walked up to me and said, "Do you know anyone who wants to adopt a baby?"

I was thinking, "what did she just say???!!"

I said, No why?

And she proceeded to tell me that she is a single mom who wants to give up her girl for adoption.  I looked over and saw the most beautiful, vivacious 4 year old fidgeting and what not and I asked, "This girl??"

She said yes.

I was shocked.

But why?

She proceeded to tell me that she couldn't manage to take care of her (although she looked pretty well taken care of, nice clothes, fed well).  She didn't have any family except an elderly grandmother and an uncle.  Her mom was in the states and didn't want her.   It was at this point that I felt tears welling up in my eyes.  I actually couldn't believe we were having this conversation.   And having it in front of the little girl!!

I proceeded to tell her that Honduras was one of the hardest places in the world to have adopt kids.  Apparently it has one of the lowest adoption rates in the world!   

Here is the sad part:  I know if I would have said, "give me that girl, she would have"

But when I told her how hard it was it was to adopt she just walked away.

I can't stop thinking about her.  I wish I had her phone number so I could at least encourage her, support her, teach me.  Something.

The thing is:  I have seen poverty and I have seen deep discouragement and this young lady didn't show evidence of either.  I think she just saw me, a gringa, and thought.. hey maybe she knows somebody who will take my kid off my hands.

How does life become so devalued??  Sigh

I asked about the Dad  and he wanted nothing to do with them since he is a married man.

Tough tough stuff.

I know so many girls get pregnant on this island, and their families end up taking care of the kids for them.

I think she thought I would simply just 'solve it'

Well I am more interested in long term help: with mentoring and teaching.

I am praying that He will reconnect us again so that process can continue.

Getting back to the tree... that tree was so part of the fabric of my life that I didn't SEE it

And I think that is a danger for us on alot of levels. We stop seeing things around us.  Life can become so common place that our husbands become headaches and our kids become problems and our faith become cold.

  Like this young mom no longer SEEING  her daughter!

Oh God help us all to see, truly see, 

to truly love,

to get help when we need it,

to value what You value.

You are precious in my sight

and I love you 

Isa. 43:a

A fish and a bad eye

Have you ever had God answer a prayer within minutes of you praying about it?   That is so fantastic when that happens isn't it?   I was on the deck quietly reading my bible at the beginning of another day.  As I looked out towards sea I saw young man fishing.  Now you can't think about fishing in a North American context:  no fishing pole, no net, not boat.  Just a young man wading through the shallow water using a plastic pop bottle with fishing line wrapped around it.  As I watched him repeatedly throw out his line I was moved by this realization:  that boy isn't fishing for fun, he is fishing for breakfast!!!

he was right by the dock in the shallows fishing

So I asked the Lord to please help him to catch a fish.  Within minutes I noticed him struggling with the line and so I earnestly prayed that the fish would not get away.   By this time I am standing up at the railing of our deck, looking down towards the sea and I am pleading with God for that fish to stay on the line.  .   He caught the biggest jack fish ever!!   He lifted his 'prize' towards the sky and hollered "whoo hoooooooooo!"   He didn't know I was watching him but soon I joined in clapping and hollering.  He looked up at me and I loudly said, "I just prayed you'd catch a fish!!!  Isn't God good?!!!"   He was so happy and he said, Yes yes yes!!!  :-)

So fast forward to last night (about a week later) and I am on the beach taking a lovely sunset photo and a young man came up to me and said "Can you take a photo of my eye?"  I am telling you and you will see for yourself that is one scary looking eye!!! 

  Apparently he was looking up a tree (for an iquana) and a branch fell directly into his eye!!!  His mom sent him to a doctor on the Mainland but I don't know what they did because it really looks bad.  Unfortunately he has lost his vision. He did go to the Doctor in San Pedro and was recommended to have follow up here on the island but he never returned.   I was sad to hear this news.

But guess what???   The guy with the bad eye is the same guy who caught the fish!!!!!!!  :-)   As we were talking he told me that it was him. 

 I laughed and said, well He answered your prayers for food and He will answer your prayers for your eye as well.   There is a possibility that we will be able to get an artificial eye.  I am looking into that now.

Thanks for any part you choose to play with this young man named Louis, either by praying or by giving.  May you be truly blessed!!!