Sunday, February 12, 2006
Friday, February 10, 2006
Tagged!
I got tagged by Anthony Parker
Three of the Worst Jobs I've Had:
1. Roofing (one of the jobs I disliked the most, sorry Dad; Littlefield, TX; it was on those long day on plenty of hot roofs where my brother Donny and I would belt out that Restless Heart favorite “big dreams in a small town.”)
2. Waiter at Red Lobster in Abilene, TX (1 ½ years…of nothing but $2 tips from a bunch of cheapies…the largest tip I got was from a man who was somewhat inebriated!)
3. Computer programmer (all my friends are chuckling) for GTE (now Verizon). I spent a whole lot more time designing the covers for the programming manuals around the office than I did doing programming (my Marketing persona hard at work).
Three of the Most Fun and Fulfilling Jobs I've Had:
1. Present job as a church-planting missionary in Benin, West Africa; there are days when it is the most satisfying work I have ever done…having the privilege to walk with eager hearts wanting to know Jesus Christ!
2. Marketing Assistant for some company that makes hot dogs (forgot the name). It was actually a temporary assignment during the summer of 1991, but I got to use my Marketing degree and design a full annual report which they loved. The office environment was a blast and when we were done, the boss said, “Let’s all go to Old San Francisco Steakhouse…our treat!”
3. Assistant to the College Recruiting Director at GTE (Verizon). It was a fun summer just out of college (ACU) and I got to play the role of planning all the summers’ activities for all of GTE’s Summer Interns. It was fun and very enlightening to meet students from Purdue, USC, Penn State, Univ of Florida, etc...those happy hours were quite memorable…yes I do remember them (ha)
Four Movies I Could Watch Over and Over:
Saving Private Ryan
Air Force One
You’ve Got Mail
Steel Magnolias
Three Books I Could Read Over and Over:
I have never ever read a book over and over; but for a one-time-read I really enjoyed and could recommend:
1. DNA of Relationships (Gary Smalley; just finished it…very good!)
2. The Diary of God (Ron Rose; this is a great easy read about the history of God’s amazing and gracious work in our lives)
3. Waking the Dead (John Eldredge)
Five Places I've Lived:
Littlefield, TX – born and raised
Abilene, TX – undergrad (Marketing) and grad school (Missions) at Abilene Christian University
Fort Worth, TX – this is where I call home now
Quebec City, Quebec – studied French at Laval University…a great city!
Aplahoue, Benin – since 1999
Five TV Shows I Watch:
The West Wing
ER
CSI
Without A Trace
24
Four Places I’ve Been on Vacation:
London
Quebec (went back a few years later)
Red River, NM
Estes Park, CO (a great honeymoon…10 years ago!)
Three Websites I Visit Daily (or whenever the phone line is up):
The Drudge Report
Mike Cope’s Blog
Blogs of Family & Friends
Four Favorite Restaurants:
1. Festival des Glaces (Cotonou, Benin) – it’s our usual anytime we’re in the capital city and you can get a bunch of different flavored ice cream (glaces); plus we’ve transformed the way we cook green beans at home because of the way they do it…garlic and butter make them taste great!
2. Taco Bueno (anywhere we can find one in America) – this is our family favorite whenever we are home on furlough; gotta love Mexi Dips n Chips. Tori was asked in school yesterday by Kelly to draw one of her favorite places to go to in America…she drew an incredible rendition of a Taco Bueno (right down to the perfect logo…gotta love it Ned!)
3. Creperie (Quebec City) – awesome crepes with strawberries and whipped cream
4. Spring Creek BBQ (Bedford, TX) – I think most of you would agree!
Three Places I’d Like to Be Right Now:
Texas (family!)
Washington DC (family!)
Colorado (because it’s cold and I’m hot here!....yesterday it was over 109 degrees in the sun and over 90 degrees in our bedroom at midnight!)
People to Tag:
Becky
Donny
The Vaughn 5
Three of the Worst Jobs I've Had:
1. Roofing (one of the jobs I disliked the most, sorry Dad; Littlefield, TX; it was on those long day on plenty of hot roofs where my brother Donny and I would belt out that Restless Heart favorite “big dreams in a small town.”)
2. Waiter at Red Lobster in Abilene, TX (1 ½ years…of nothing but $2 tips from a bunch of cheapies…the largest tip I got was from a man who was somewhat inebriated!)
3. Computer programmer (all my friends are chuckling) for GTE (now Verizon). I spent a whole lot more time designing the covers for the programming manuals around the office than I did doing programming (my Marketing persona hard at work).
Three of the Most Fun and Fulfilling Jobs I've Had:
1. Present job as a church-planting missionary in Benin, West Africa; there are days when it is the most satisfying work I have ever done…having the privilege to walk with eager hearts wanting to know Jesus Christ!
2. Marketing Assistant for some company that makes hot dogs (forgot the name). It was actually a temporary assignment during the summer of 1991, but I got to use my Marketing degree and design a full annual report which they loved. The office environment was a blast and when we were done, the boss said, “Let’s all go to Old San Francisco Steakhouse…our treat!”
3. Assistant to the College Recruiting Director at GTE (Verizon). It was a fun summer just out of college (ACU) and I got to play the role of planning all the summers’ activities for all of GTE’s Summer Interns. It was fun and very enlightening to meet students from Purdue, USC, Penn State, Univ of Florida, etc...those happy hours were quite memorable…yes I do remember them (ha)
Four Movies I Could Watch Over and Over:
Saving Private Ryan
Air Force One
You’ve Got Mail
Steel Magnolias
Three Books I Could Read Over and Over:
I have never ever read a book over and over; but for a one-time-read I really enjoyed and could recommend:
1. DNA of Relationships (Gary Smalley; just finished it…very good!)
2. The Diary of God (Ron Rose; this is a great easy read about the history of God’s amazing and gracious work in our lives)
3. Waking the Dead (John Eldredge)
Five Places I've Lived:
Littlefield, TX – born and raised
Abilene, TX – undergrad (Marketing) and grad school (Missions) at Abilene Christian University
Fort Worth, TX – this is where I call home now
Quebec City, Quebec – studied French at Laval University…a great city!
Aplahoue, Benin – since 1999
Five TV Shows I Watch:
The West Wing
ER
CSI
Without A Trace
24
Four Places I’ve Been on Vacation:
London
Quebec (went back a few years later)
Red River, NM
Estes Park, CO (a great honeymoon…10 years ago!)
Three Websites I Visit Daily (or whenever the phone line is up):
The Drudge Report
Mike Cope’s Blog
Blogs of Family & Friends
Four Favorite Restaurants:
1. Festival des Glaces (Cotonou, Benin) – it’s our usual anytime we’re in the capital city and you can get a bunch of different flavored ice cream (glaces); plus we’ve transformed the way we cook green beans at home because of the way they do it…garlic and butter make them taste great!
2. Taco Bueno (anywhere we can find one in America) – this is our family favorite whenever we are home on furlough; gotta love Mexi Dips n Chips. Tori was asked in school yesterday by Kelly to draw one of her favorite places to go to in America…she drew an incredible rendition of a Taco Bueno (right down to the perfect logo…gotta love it Ned!)
3. Creperie (Quebec City) – awesome crepes with strawberries and whipped cream
4. Spring Creek BBQ (Bedford, TX) – I think most of you would agree!
Three Places I’d Like to Be Right Now:
Texas (family!)
Washington DC (family!)
Colorado (because it’s cold and I’m hot here!....yesterday it was over 109 degrees in the sun and over 90 degrees in our bedroom at midnight!)
People to Tag:
Becky
Donny
The Vaughn 5
Tuesday, February 07, 2006
Anyone know a repairman?
My husband is brilliant! Before we moved to Africa, I knew that Randy was a very smart man. He works hard and he is able to discipline his mind to accomplish a complex task. Living in a remote town in the African bush presents many challenges. One of those challenges is that when things break down, for example your DVD player or VCR, your stereo, your fridge, or your washing machine….there is no number to call, no handy repairman who can come, and there is no Best Buy where any of the above mentioned can be replaced. All of the above mentioned items have broken down multiple times and have caused our family certain levels of stress. On many occasions Randy has been able to take apart what has been broken and repair it himself…..Amazing!
Randy has had no previous training in repairing any of these items. He just is keenly aware of our options and sets his mind to figure things out. Two weeks ago our washing machine quit working. This was a major stress. With 4 kids and one precious 2 year old in the midst of potty training, we have dearly missed this machine. It has also somewhat complicated matters that the water has been off for all but a few hours of these past 2 weeks. (Sossa has been hand washing our clothes in the meantime.)
Randy has been very busy the past week with lesson preparations and meetings. Yesterday was his first day off in a long time and rest, although greatly needed and desired, was not on his agenda. His task was to discover the problem and repair our washer if at all possible. He worked for most of the day taking it apart, studying it, and putting it back together…..and it works!!!!!!!!!!!!! How did he do that? He is brilliant and I am so proud of him. I am so thankful for his willingness to get back there and take on a task that he has never attempted before. He has certainly inspired our confidence in him! (we were not lacking any in the first place) I love knowing that this is the example that is before my children every day.
The water has been on for almost 24 hours straight…that is the most it has been on in a very long time….and we have been doing laundry!!!
Thank you Randy!
I love you!
Randy has had no previous training in repairing any of these items. He just is keenly aware of our options and sets his mind to figure things out. Two weeks ago our washing machine quit working. This was a major stress. With 4 kids and one precious 2 year old in the midst of potty training, we have dearly missed this machine. It has also somewhat complicated matters that the water has been off for all but a few hours of these past 2 weeks. (Sossa has been hand washing our clothes in the meantime.)
Randy has been very busy the past week with lesson preparations and meetings. Yesterday was his first day off in a long time and rest, although greatly needed and desired, was not on his agenda. His task was to discover the problem and repair our washer if at all possible. He worked for most of the day taking it apart, studying it, and putting it back together…..and it works!!!!!!!!!!!!! How did he do that? He is brilliant and I am so proud of him. I am so thankful for his willingness to get back there and take on a task that he has never attempted before. He has certainly inspired our confidence in him! (we were not lacking any in the first place) I love knowing that this is the example that is before my children every day.
The water has been on for almost 24 hours straight…that is the most it has been on in a very long time….and we have been doing laundry!!!
Thank you Randy!
I love you!
Sunday, February 05, 2006
I Don't Want to Go to Church!
Today, my two-year-old son and I worshipped with the Christians at Tchatehoue (chah-tay-way). While he was hopping into the car, Timothy whines, “I don’t want to go church.” I replied very maturely, “But we GET to go don’t we. It’s a privilege to go.” (He didn’t catch the importance of my semantics). Later, when we arrived and sat down on the hard wooden bench, and one of the ladies in the church pinched him on his cheek as a part of her greeting, Timothy whined again, “I don’t want to go church.” Finally, within minutes of the final ‘amen’, my toddler was tugging on my pants while I was trying to counsel a church leader on a particular problem. “Dad, I don’t want to go church. Give me keys.” I think he repeated that phrase more than once on the way home and even said it again when he saw Mommy (who stayed home not feeling well). No real point here, just thought you’d get a kick out of Timo’s antics this morning.
Today, Kelly’s under the weather and then later on, Timothy vomited three times this afternoon (maybe that’s the source of his whining!) Plus, the water has been off all day, and yesterday evening was the first time it had been on in the three days prior (it came on last night about 11p and went off again at 6a). It’s hard to blog with a good attitude sometimes.
But yesterday was good. I was invited to come and teach some leaders in an area about an hour from us outside the Aja-speaking people group. Many of these Christian leaders (about 25 in all) have their roots in the Churches of Christ in the Abomey-Bohicon region. However, a few years back, because of some unfortunate directives from some leaders with different viewpoints, many of these men and women left our denominational registration here in Benin. As a result, the “Association d’Eglise Chretienne” (Christian Church Association) was created. It is my understanding that they have no association with any Christian Church in another country. But because of my connection to them (through a former missionary to the area), I have developed a casual relationship with their president. He and I visit about once a quarter and the last time he was here, he invited me to come and exhort their leadership with the Word of God. The theme of the leadership gathering was “How to Develop a Christian Community”. I was invited to challenge the shepherds of this particular group of churches based on the text from 1 Peter 5.1-4. I ended up a lot in Ezekiel 34 where God condemns the elders of Israel for their selfishness and negligence. After laying it on pretty tough on these leaders (such strong condemnation by God in that Ezekiel passage), we examined various roles and responsibilities of shepherds, notably according to the biblical metaphors through Scripture.
In an effort to introduce our church leaders to other Christian leaders outside their own mentality and way of thinking (some of them will go to a men’s conference in the country of Togo next weekend at my urging…AP/MC: several are on their way!), I invited three of our leaders to go with me. It was encouraging to me to see how easily they connected to these other believers. In a land filled with jealousy, distrust, and even competition BETWEEN CHRISTIANS in the various denominations (did you know there are over 370 different denominational registrations in Benin alone!?!?!), I was thrilled at both the humility of this new group of leaders, and the accolades some of our leaders gave these men they know little about but with whom they instantly connected. Some friendships were ignited and there is fantastic potential for collaboration between our churches and their association of churches. (At this juncture, our churches operate under the COC registration and they are under the AEC one, but there might be a day where the two could become one!) Because I knew I wasn’t going to be here forever (and as far as I know there are no new missionaries coming to the Aja people after 2007), I have prayed for over 5 years for our Aja Christians to discover relationships outside their own people group…relationships that can nurture them in times of discouragement, relationships that will offer mutual sharing of Christian counsel for difficult cases in the church, and relationships that will expand their minds to understanding the larger mission of God (just like us, the Aja can be very self-centered and focused only on themselves). I’m not sure what all God is doing as a result of yesterday, but every one of the three men I took with me were beyond excited! I think they appreciate having some believers nearby of like-mind and who are also a few years more mature in their faith. Plus, the AEC “association” is more structurally developed than anything that exists within our churches and that is appealing to our guys. These men share the idea with us about the importance of local church governing (church autonomy). But they understand, too, the practical benefits of being a part of a larger structured assembly of like-minded believers. At the end of the meeting, the two groups of leaders exchanged personal testimonies, contact information and even some practical ideas to help develop the local church. God is answering my prayer for these Aja people. I’m not sure what the extent of our relationship will be with this AEC group, but from what we witnessed yesterday, it has some real exciting possibility for the future of the church here.
-Randy
My SuperBowl XL Prediction:
PITTSBURG 24 SEATTLE 10
Today, Kelly’s under the weather and then later on, Timothy vomited three times this afternoon (maybe that’s the source of his whining!) Plus, the water has been off all day, and yesterday evening was the first time it had been on in the three days prior (it came on last night about 11p and went off again at 6a). It’s hard to blog with a good attitude sometimes.
But yesterday was good. I was invited to come and teach some leaders in an area about an hour from us outside the Aja-speaking people group. Many of these Christian leaders (about 25 in all) have their roots in the Churches of Christ in the Abomey-Bohicon region. However, a few years back, because of some unfortunate directives from some leaders with different viewpoints, many of these men and women left our denominational registration here in Benin. As a result, the “Association d’Eglise Chretienne” (Christian Church Association) was created. It is my understanding that they have no association with any Christian Church in another country. But because of my connection to them (through a former missionary to the area), I have developed a casual relationship with their president. He and I visit about once a quarter and the last time he was here, he invited me to come and exhort their leadership with the Word of God. The theme of the leadership gathering was “How to Develop a Christian Community”. I was invited to challenge the shepherds of this particular group of churches based on the text from 1 Peter 5.1-4. I ended up a lot in Ezekiel 34 where God condemns the elders of Israel for their selfishness and negligence. After laying it on pretty tough on these leaders (such strong condemnation by God in that Ezekiel passage), we examined various roles and responsibilities of shepherds, notably according to the biblical metaphors through Scripture.
In an effort to introduce our church leaders to other Christian leaders outside their own mentality and way of thinking (some of them will go to a men’s conference in the country of Togo next weekend at my urging…AP/MC: several are on their way!), I invited three of our leaders to go with me. It was encouraging to me to see how easily they connected to these other believers. In a land filled with jealousy, distrust, and even competition BETWEEN CHRISTIANS in the various denominations (did you know there are over 370 different denominational registrations in Benin alone!?!?!), I was thrilled at both the humility of this new group of leaders, and the accolades some of our leaders gave these men they know little about but with whom they instantly connected. Some friendships were ignited and there is fantastic potential for collaboration between our churches and their association of churches. (At this juncture, our churches operate under the COC registration and they are under the AEC one, but there might be a day where the two could become one!) Because I knew I wasn’t going to be here forever (and as far as I know there are no new missionaries coming to the Aja people after 2007), I have prayed for over 5 years for our Aja Christians to discover relationships outside their own people group…relationships that can nurture them in times of discouragement, relationships that will offer mutual sharing of Christian counsel for difficult cases in the church, and relationships that will expand their minds to understanding the larger mission of God (just like us, the Aja can be very self-centered and focused only on themselves). I’m not sure what all God is doing as a result of yesterday, but every one of the three men I took with me were beyond excited! I think they appreciate having some believers nearby of like-mind and who are also a few years more mature in their faith. Plus, the AEC “association” is more structurally developed than anything that exists within our churches and that is appealing to our guys. These men share the idea with us about the importance of local church governing (church autonomy). But they understand, too, the practical benefits of being a part of a larger structured assembly of like-minded believers. At the end of the meeting, the two groups of leaders exchanged personal testimonies, contact information and even some practical ideas to help develop the local church. God is answering my prayer for these Aja people. I’m not sure what the extent of our relationship will be with this AEC group, but from what we witnessed yesterday, it has some real exciting possibility for the future of the church here.
-Randy
My SuperBowl XL Prediction:
PITTSBURG 24 SEATTLE 10
Friday, February 03, 2006
Yesterday was a hard day. The water has been off more days than I can count. Laundry has piled up. Laurance my friend and house help has been sick and not here. I am homeschooling Tori. Randy was out for the day. All my kids were needing me at the same time. I know many of you can identify. I was overwhelmed. Can you imagine how I reacted when Dawna and her kids came over for the afternoon to help? It was a complete surprise to me! Words can not do my feelings justice. I was so blessed to see her come into the house that I just started to cry. They all helped with the kids...Tori was about to bust she was so excited...and Dawna went to work in the kitchen getting dinner ready. Lord you are so good. And what a wonderful blessing just to get to sit and visit for a little while. I forget how much I am needing that until I have the opportunity.
Tuesday, January 31, 2006
Sunday, January 29, 2006
A New Song
This was a busy weekend! Saturday was our monthly leadership meeting. 15 leaders, representing 7 different rural congregations, gathered to pray, sing, hear the Word of God, discuss the advancement of the Kingdom and share a meal together. It was so exhausting simply because after 5 hours of listening to these men talk on a variety of subjects, my ears were tired! I tell them that after 4 hours, my “Aja ears” shut down. Language is still a challenge even after all these years.
Last year was a year of disappointments and discouragements for many people. By the end of the year, I was hearing more about the discouragement in the church than I was about the good that was happening. Back in December, the leaders talked a lot about it and prayed that 2006 would be different. I believe it’s starting out a whole lot better! Some of the testimonies that came from the mouths of these leaders yesterday made my heart rejoice…I’ll translate and summarize a few for you:
1 – “We went to evangelize in a village known for their voodoo power. When we arrived we were asked to pray for a sick child. It was a test to trick us. If the child didn’t get better immediately, they would mock our God. We prayed and prayed. While we were praying, someone in house tried to harm us but we were not turned away. We prayed and went home rejoicing. We believe the child will get better in God’s time. But we really praise God that Satan was not victorious in his scheme to trick us and hurt us. Today we all woke up well and that proves that what they did to us had no power over Christ’s power!”
2 – “Last month, when the leaders all fasted and prayed together, I prayed God will help me get a new bike so I could do more of God’s work in other villages. Also I prayed that I would get a new job. Since then, I received some money to pay for a new bike and I got the teaching job I applied for back in August! Praise God!”
3 – “I had a dream one night a few weeks ago. In that dream, I was told to move from my home because someone wanted to harm my family. Our family has been under a lot of persecution in the past year. People have tried to poison our food. They have stolen from us. They have tried to discourage us. All because we have turned our hearts to Christ. I didn’t know what to do about the dream because I did not have the money to rent a room anywhere. But just two weeks later, a friend of mine from the capital city came to see me. He said, ‘the only reason I’m coming to see you is that I had a dream last night. In that dream, I saw you in a new place because in your old place, someone was trying to harm you.’ I knew then I should look for a new place. God provided the money and now my family is living in peace for the first time in several years.”
4 – “Before I became a Christian, I was healthy all the time. Then I became a Christian and since then I have been diagnosed with leprosy. The pagans in my village said it was because I abandoned the gods they follow. The pagans assured me that I would die, or at least my wife would leave me because we would not be able to have kids. Praise God that today, years later, I’m still alive, and not only has my wife not left me, but she has started a small business of her own to help our family since I can’t work in my field any longer (I also get a lot of help from the other Christians in the church). Plus we have 2 happy kids, too. Praise God!”
In efforts to make the leadership training more intentional, each leader was given a practical assignment to do (some had to do with evangelism, others about praying and visiting the sick, and others about teaching the Word). Ega (Lael’s birth father) is the group’s “leader among leaders” (chosen by the group) …he was the one that issued each assignment and I’m excited to see their respect for him and their eagerness to complete their tasks. My role is to follow up with each leader and encourage them in their work (and to “investigate” those who aren’t doing their job!)
The last Sunday of each month is our convention of all the churches in this cluster. It was a good turnout from all the churches. We all had a big laugh when the first lesson was announced…the topic “Wives Submit to Your Husbands”…the laugh came when someone in the crowd chided the presenter, “Where’s your wife today, why didn’t she come?” She was conveniently out of town this Sunday. Wonder if that was planned! :)
But the big highlight for me was what happened during my lesson. Any of you who have ever preached, taught or given lessons to a large group, there are often times when you wonder, “Is anyone even listening?” While I had a pretty attentive group, I had no idea what God was doing! My lesson was on clinging to God in times of trial and discouragement. One of my primary texts was from Psalm 50.15:
“Call upon me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you will honor me.”
At the end of my lesson, the man leading the service called me aside. He said, “There’s someone who has a song to sing that goes well with your lesson. Is that OK if we sing it?” I resoundingly said, “Of course”! Then I saw her walk to the front. Josephine. This is the former wife of Joseph who was once a strong leader in our church. Last year, he lied and deceived the church and took a 2nd wife. Then later in the year, he divorced from Josephine. It was one of the true heartbreaks of 2005 for us. Josephine has of course carried lots of shame from the cruel actions of her husband, and has been irregular in church attendance since. What a joy it was to see that it was her who had the song to sing. Josephine is also a gifted psalmist…a song writer who has contributed countless songs to the Aja church over the years. But the well has been dry and I haven’t heard a song from her in years (apparently their marriage was in shambles for several years and we didn’t know it). She stepped to the front and with a huge smile announced that while I was sharing my lesson, during the reading of Psalm 50.15, God had put a tune in her heart to those words. She taught the entire assembly this wonderfully simply song talking about her God’s power to deliver us when we call on His Name. You could see the excitement on everyone’s faces…and the Aja Christians can turn even a short simple song into a rowdy celebration…the drums got louder, the clapping got more intense, and the dancing was much more spirited! There are numerous references in the Psalms to God giving the people a “new song” (Rev 5.9 is one of my favorites). As a matter of fact, during the leaders’ meeting on Saturday, someone had even prayed that we’d hear new songs this year (there’s always people tired of the old stuff!) I love thinking about God’s Spirit working mightily in a small band of believers, giving them new songs to sing. My study Bible notes that most of the time, new songs were the people’s way of accounting for new acts of divine deliverance or blessing! May today’s new song be one of many ways that God reveals His love and power to these people!!
-Randy
Last year was a year of disappointments and discouragements for many people. By the end of the year, I was hearing more about the discouragement in the church than I was about the good that was happening. Back in December, the leaders talked a lot about it and prayed that 2006 would be different. I believe it’s starting out a whole lot better! Some of the testimonies that came from the mouths of these leaders yesterday made my heart rejoice…I’ll translate and summarize a few for you:
1 – “We went to evangelize in a village known for their voodoo power. When we arrived we were asked to pray for a sick child. It was a test to trick us. If the child didn’t get better immediately, they would mock our God. We prayed and prayed. While we were praying, someone in house tried to harm us but we were not turned away. We prayed and went home rejoicing. We believe the child will get better in God’s time. But we really praise God that Satan was not victorious in his scheme to trick us and hurt us. Today we all woke up well and that proves that what they did to us had no power over Christ’s power!”
2 – “Last month, when the leaders all fasted and prayed together, I prayed God will help me get a new bike so I could do more of God’s work in other villages. Also I prayed that I would get a new job. Since then, I received some money to pay for a new bike and I got the teaching job I applied for back in August! Praise God!”
3 – “I had a dream one night a few weeks ago. In that dream, I was told to move from my home because someone wanted to harm my family. Our family has been under a lot of persecution in the past year. People have tried to poison our food. They have stolen from us. They have tried to discourage us. All because we have turned our hearts to Christ. I didn’t know what to do about the dream because I did not have the money to rent a room anywhere. But just two weeks later, a friend of mine from the capital city came to see me. He said, ‘the only reason I’m coming to see you is that I had a dream last night. In that dream, I saw you in a new place because in your old place, someone was trying to harm you.’ I knew then I should look for a new place. God provided the money and now my family is living in peace for the first time in several years.”
4 – “Before I became a Christian, I was healthy all the time. Then I became a Christian and since then I have been diagnosed with leprosy. The pagans in my village said it was because I abandoned the gods they follow. The pagans assured me that I would die, or at least my wife would leave me because we would not be able to have kids. Praise God that today, years later, I’m still alive, and not only has my wife not left me, but she has started a small business of her own to help our family since I can’t work in my field any longer (I also get a lot of help from the other Christians in the church). Plus we have 2 happy kids, too. Praise God!”
In efforts to make the leadership training more intentional, each leader was given a practical assignment to do (some had to do with evangelism, others about praying and visiting the sick, and others about teaching the Word). Ega (Lael’s birth father) is the group’s “leader among leaders” (chosen by the group) …he was the one that issued each assignment and I’m excited to see their respect for him and their eagerness to complete their tasks. My role is to follow up with each leader and encourage them in their work (and to “investigate” those who aren’t doing their job!)
The last Sunday of each month is our convention of all the churches in this cluster. It was a good turnout from all the churches. We all had a big laugh when the first lesson was announced…the topic “Wives Submit to Your Husbands”…the laugh came when someone in the crowd chided the presenter, “Where’s your wife today, why didn’t she come?” She was conveniently out of town this Sunday. Wonder if that was planned! :)
But the big highlight for me was what happened during my lesson. Any of you who have ever preached, taught or given lessons to a large group, there are often times when you wonder, “Is anyone even listening?” While I had a pretty attentive group, I had no idea what God was doing! My lesson was on clinging to God in times of trial and discouragement. One of my primary texts was from Psalm 50.15:
“Call upon me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you will honor me.”
At the end of my lesson, the man leading the service called me aside. He said, “There’s someone who has a song to sing that goes well with your lesson. Is that OK if we sing it?” I resoundingly said, “Of course”! Then I saw her walk to the front. Josephine. This is the former wife of Joseph who was once a strong leader in our church. Last year, he lied and deceived the church and took a 2nd wife. Then later in the year, he divorced from Josephine. It was one of the true heartbreaks of 2005 for us. Josephine has of course carried lots of shame from the cruel actions of her husband, and has been irregular in church attendance since. What a joy it was to see that it was her who had the song to sing. Josephine is also a gifted psalmist…a song writer who has contributed countless songs to the Aja church over the years. But the well has been dry and I haven’t heard a song from her in years (apparently their marriage was in shambles for several years and we didn’t know it). She stepped to the front and with a huge smile announced that while I was sharing my lesson, during the reading of Psalm 50.15, God had put a tune in her heart to those words. She taught the entire assembly this wonderfully simply song talking about her God’s power to deliver us when we call on His Name. You could see the excitement on everyone’s faces…and the Aja Christians can turn even a short simple song into a rowdy celebration…the drums got louder, the clapping got more intense, and the dancing was much more spirited! There are numerous references in the Psalms to God giving the people a “new song” (Rev 5.9 is one of my favorites). As a matter of fact, during the leaders’ meeting on Saturday, someone had even prayed that we’d hear new songs this year (there’s always people tired of the old stuff!) I love thinking about God’s Spirit working mightily in a small band of believers, giving them new songs to sing. My study Bible notes that most of the time, new songs were the people’s way of accounting for new acts of divine deliverance or blessing! May today’s new song be one of many ways that God reveals His love and power to these people!!
-Randy
Friday, January 27, 2006
It is here!
After months of waiting and many prayers prayed by many people, we were presented this morning with Lael’s official birth certificate!!!!!!!
We have been told “in two weeks” since applying for the certificate in September. This is a huge step in the process of adoption. The next step will be going with Ega (her birth father) next week to a notary where he will sign a written consent form for us to adopt Lael. He has been willing to do this since the first day he discussed adoption with us. At that point she was 3 weeks old.
Once we have the written consent form, we can hand over all of our documents to our attorney who will then call for a hearing before the court.
Thank you for your prayers! Celebrate with thanksgiving this sweet answer to prayer today!
We have been told “in two weeks” since applying for the certificate in September. This is a huge step in the process of adoption. The next step will be going with Ega (her birth father) next week to a notary where he will sign a written consent form for us to adopt Lael. He has been willing to do this since the first day he discussed adoption with us. At that point she was 3 weeks old.
Once we have the written consent form, we can hand over all of our documents to our attorney who will then call for a hearing before the court.
Thank you for your prayers! Celebrate with thanksgiving this sweet answer to prayer today!
Thursday, January 26, 2006
Teammates Return * Link to Sam's Blog
Last night our teammates returned to Benin from their furlough. It was a sweet reunion and it was so good to visit with them some last night and again this morning! They are needing to remain in the capital city a few days longer, but we came back home tonight. It is good to have Steven, Dawna, Ashley, Weston and Austin back with us!! The Lord is laying out a path for our team over the next year and we are eager to join the Prices in this journey with our Master who knows All Things Past, Present and Future!
When we returned, we checked our favorite blogs and linked on my brother-in-law’s site (Sam Jeffrey). A family of faith recently lost a son and a soldier in battle, and Sam was able to attend the internment yesterday. I think you will be encouraged by going there and hearing Sam’s perspective. We are reminded of the enormous sacrifice our men and women in uniform!
-Randy
When we returned, we checked our favorite blogs and linked on my brother-in-law’s site (Sam Jeffrey). A family of faith recently lost a son and a soldier in battle, and Sam was able to attend the internment yesterday. I think you will be encouraged by going there and hearing Sam’s perspective. We are reminded of the enormous sacrifice our men and women in uniform!
-Randy
Tuesday, January 24, 2006
After school each day, Tori asks, "Can I go play with my friends?" These are some of the neighborhood kids...notice the doctor kit...Tori has a pretend clinic with her friends. One day, Kelly asked, "what do you do to pretend you are at a clinic?" Tori said, "it's mainly taking care of injuries, like when someone falls. Also, treating people for worms." Possibly only out of the mouth of a West African missionary kid!
Sunday, January 22, 2006
A Busy Sunday
2006 is starting off as a year of change in our churches. In one way, I’m thrilled about the decision to do so; in another way, it sends a frantic panic through our already hectic morning routine. The change: rather than church starting around 9:30 or 10a, several of the churches are going for a 7:30a start time!
Whose idea was that?????
(OK, it was mine)
After years of watching these rural churches start church “whenever everyone showed up” and subsequently watching everyone then start getting hungry, tired and restless about noon (not even half-way done with church at that point)…I made the suggestion at a recent leaders’ meeting when we were talking about 2006 and making some positive changes. Some other West African missionaries told me recently about their churches starting like around 7a, and that they were done by mid-morning. I thought about all the times when so many church goers here have complained about getting out of church so late and not having more time the rest of the day for relaxing, homework, or other family activities. So I threw out the novel idea. Start earlier.
Now if you knew my Aja friends, you’d imagine this change being hard to make. While they are early risers when it comes to school and farm work, on Sundays, they TAKE THEIR TIME! So it was hard for me to imagine them making the change (kinda like switching from second to first service…except ours is one LONG service).
Those of you with multiple children can imagine such a change is not easy. Even if we get up at 6am, it’s hard to get everyone cleaned up, fed, cleaned up again, dressed, pottied (is that a word?), and out the door any earlier than 4pm!! (just kidding, but it is several hours it seems like). So switching the start time from 10a to anytime before 8a is hard!!
Last week, I showed up to one of our congregations late, about 10:30a. Thinking I’d still be on time for the Lord’s Supper, offering, and my lesson, I was shocked when I pulled up to find no one there. I quickly found out that they had indeed gone to the earlier service format, starting at 7:45 and they were done a few minutes before I had arrived. I was asked to “come back next Sunday and actually get here on time to worship with us.”
A young man and his new bride are a part of the congregation at Dandihoue (donny-way). I had taken a gift for them last week when Kelly was home with some sick kids. Upon leaving last week (I guess I was there for the post-service fellowship!), he invited me to come back with Kelly so we could share a meal together. Aware of their new time change, I got up at 5:45a only to find out that Timothy was ready to get up, too. I put him back in his room (he shares a room with Tori and Jonathan) then took my shower. When I got out, I heard him and Jonathan giggling and wrestling inside Jonathan’s crib. So the clock was ticking and we started the process of getting everyone fed. A friend was coming over later to watch Jonathan and Lael while we were going to take Tori and Timo to church with us, and then over to Vincent’s house to fellowship with him and his new wife (to try and do that with all 4 kids would be impossible!!) Concerned about the time, we made a plan that I would take a motorcycle taxi at 7:15a and then Kelly would come a little later with T&T and the truck. I walked to the dusty road early this morning just in time to find a “zemidjan” (zimmy-john) driving back so I flagged him down. We winded through these small dirt paths and about 20 minutes later I got dropped off right near the church building (it’s about 7:40a). NO ONE IS AROUND! My first reaction, “you mean I got up at a quarter to six for this!!!” Turns out there was a death in the village the day before so many of the Christians had spent the night with the family and they were all sleeping in a little later! I guess that’s what we get for working in rural Africa where there’s no church websites to log onto that say, “Due to the all night mourning ceremony, church will begin at 9a rather than 7:30a.”
Actually my presence there (after last week’s embarrassment) got the troops going a little faster and we started by 8:30a. It was a great service…a full house and a lot of excited praise time! (There was the one incident with the drunken older man who wandered into the open air assembly, pungently odorous from the mourning ceremony’s free liquor, yet lifting his hands in the air, dancing joyfully and screaming praises to God. He was politely escorted outside). I gave a lesson on evangelism and reaching others for Christ.
Speaking of lessons, last week, we had a funeral and I was asked to give the sermon. After it was over, Ega (Lael’s birth father and one of our church leaders) called me over and said, “In all the years you’ve been here, that was your very best lesson ever.” The topic: death. I’m still trying out some more upbeat lessons to take over the #1 seed. Evangelism didn’t do it.
Back to today, after the service, we were invited to Vincent’s house. We were served a heaping portion of steaming hot beans! Plus poured over the top was this spicy oil that set our mouths on fire! Before we even started the meal, we noticed Vincent pull out 2 large orange Fanta drinks and set them on the table behind his wife. She then served us the beans…but no one served the Fanta! You’d think they would have noticed the smoke billowing from our ears and poor Timothy and Tori panting away with their tongues hanging out begging for every last sip of clean water we had brought with us. It was a very generous gesture, but we were convinced that we couldn’t eat any more spicy beans until they popped open those Fantas! Finally, Vincent said, “oh honey, get those drinks, they may be thirsty.” Finally!! We downed them so fast. (Being around many of my Aja friends at meal times, I notice most of them only drink at the end of the meal anyway…strange to us Americans who expect a 96oz Diet Coke on our table before our meal is ordered and then about 3 free refills during the meal!)
Kelly read an exhortation from Colossians 3 and then we both prayed for their marriage. Sweet Timo was running around chasing goats and either Mommy or Daddy was trying to chase down Timo. Needless to say, we were exhausted when we got home about 1:30p!
After a brief rest, I was scheduled to go with one of our church leaders to visit his mother who is not a believer (it was close enough, so I was going to walk there). Right as I was getting ready to leave, Tori said, “I wanna go with you!” Not uncharacteristic of her loving heart but uncharacteristic of her desire to leave the Sunday afternoon movie to go with her Daddy to a Bible study meeting, I first said, “No, it’s a long hot walk.” Then I realized what was fueling her desire. “But Dad, I’m not going to walk. I’m going to ride my bike.” She has been permitted to ride her bike around the immediate area of our house, but we do not yet allow her to ride unsupervised all around the neighborhood and the surrounding villages. But since I was going, she knew this was her chance to hit the road with that new Christmas bike!! We got out on the road, and with amazing confidence (too much for her Daddy if you know what I mean), she made me pick up my walking pace to keep up with her! It was a fun outing, and certainly made a great memory for me. I know such opportunities will someday soon not be afforded us when we return Stateside (those real-deep-into-the-African-bush home visits). So I was thankful Tori wanted to spend her Sunday afternoon with her Dad. After a couple of hours, we returned home where Tori challenged me, “Dad, you know I am a big girl now and I could go all the way there again without you next time. I’m a lot bigger now that I’m 7!” Such confidence!
-Randy
My SuperBowl XL prediction includes the Broncos and Seahawks:
Final score: DENVER 30 SEATTLE 14
OH, I meant to say Steelers and Seahawks:
Final score: PITTSBURG 24 SEATTLE 10
Whose idea was that?????
(OK, it was mine)
After years of watching these rural churches start church “whenever everyone showed up” and subsequently watching everyone then start getting hungry, tired and restless about noon (not even half-way done with church at that point)…I made the suggestion at a recent leaders’ meeting when we were talking about 2006 and making some positive changes. Some other West African missionaries told me recently about their churches starting like around 7a, and that they were done by mid-morning. I thought about all the times when so many church goers here have complained about getting out of church so late and not having more time the rest of the day for relaxing, homework, or other family activities. So I threw out the novel idea. Start earlier.
Now if you knew my Aja friends, you’d imagine this change being hard to make. While they are early risers when it comes to school and farm work, on Sundays, they TAKE THEIR TIME! So it was hard for me to imagine them making the change (kinda like switching from second to first service…except ours is one LONG service).
Those of you with multiple children can imagine such a change is not easy. Even if we get up at 6am, it’s hard to get everyone cleaned up, fed, cleaned up again, dressed, pottied (is that a word?), and out the door any earlier than 4pm!! (just kidding, but it is several hours it seems like). So switching the start time from 10a to anytime before 8a is hard!!
Last week, I showed up to one of our congregations late, about 10:30a. Thinking I’d still be on time for the Lord’s Supper, offering, and my lesson, I was shocked when I pulled up to find no one there. I quickly found out that they had indeed gone to the earlier service format, starting at 7:45 and they were done a few minutes before I had arrived. I was asked to “come back next Sunday and actually get here on time to worship with us.”
A young man and his new bride are a part of the congregation at Dandihoue (donny-way). I had taken a gift for them last week when Kelly was home with some sick kids. Upon leaving last week (I guess I was there for the post-service fellowship!), he invited me to come back with Kelly so we could share a meal together. Aware of their new time change, I got up at 5:45a only to find out that Timothy was ready to get up, too. I put him back in his room (he shares a room with Tori and Jonathan) then took my shower. When I got out, I heard him and Jonathan giggling and wrestling inside Jonathan’s crib. So the clock was ticking and we started the process of getting everyone fed. A friend was coming over later to watch Jonathan and Lael while we were going to take Tori and Timo to church with us, and then over to Vincent’s house to fellowship with him and his new wife (to try and do that with all 4 kids would be impossible!!) Concerned about the time, we made a plan that I would take a motorcycle taxi at 7:15a and then Kelly would come a little later with T&T and the truck. I walked to the dusty road early this morning just in time to find a “zemidjan” (zimmy-john) driving back so I flagged him down. We winded through these small dirt paths and about 20 minutes later I got dropped off right near the church building (it’s about 7:40a). NO ONE IS AROUND! My first reaction, “you mean I got up at a quarter to six for this!!!” Turns out there was a death in the village the day before so many of the Christians had spent the night with the family and they were all sleeping in a little later! I guess that’s what we get for working in rural Africa where there’s no church websites to log onto that say, “Due to the all night mourning ceremony, church will begin at 9a rather than 7:30a.”
Actually my presence there (after last week’s embarrassment) got the troops going a little faster and we started by 8:30a. It was a great service…a full house and a lot of excited praise time! (There was the one incident with the drunken older man who wandered into the open air assembly, pungently odorous from the mourning ceremony’s free liquor, yet lifting his hands in the air, dancing joyfully and screaming praises to God. He was politely escorted outside). I gave a lesson on evangelism and reaching others for Christ.
Speaking of lessons, last week, we had a funeral and I was asked to give the sermon. After it was over, Ega (Lael’s birth father and one of our church leaders) called me over and said, “In all the years you’ve been here, that was your very best lesson ever.” The topic: death. I’m still trying out some more upbeat lessons to take over the #1 seed. Evangelism didn’t do it.
Back to today, after the service, we were invited to Vincent’s house. We were served a heaping portion of steaming hot beans! Plus poured over the top was this spicy oil that set our mouths on fire! Before we even started the meal, we noticed Vincent pull out 2 large orange Fanta drinks and set them on the table behind his wife. She then served us the beans…but no one served the Fanta! You’d think they would have noticed the smoke billowing from our ears and poor Timothy and Tori panting away with their tongues hanging out begging for every last sip of clean water we had brought with us. It was a very generous gesture, but we were convinced that we couldn’t eat any more spicy beans until they popped open those Fantas! Finally, Vincent said, “oh honey, get those drinks, they may be thirsty.” Finally!! We downed them so fast. (Being around many of my Aja friends at meal times, I notice most of them only drink at the end of the meal anyway…strange to us Americans who expect a 96oz Diet Coke on our table before our meal is ordered and then about 3 free refills during the meal!)
Kelly read an exhortation from Colossians 3 and then we both prayed for their marriage. Sweet Timo was running around chasing goats and either Mommy or Daddy was trying to chase down Timo. Needless to say, we were exhausted when we got home about 1:30p!
After a brief rest, I was scheduled to go with one of our church leaders to visit his mother who is not a believer (it was close enough, so I was going to walk there). Right as I was getting ready to leave, Tori said, “I wanna go with you!” Not uncharacteristic of her loving heart but uncharacteristic of her desire to leave the Sunday afternoon movie to go with her Daddy to a Bible study meeting, I first said, “No, it’s a long hot walk.” Then I realized what was fueling her desire. “But Dad, I’m not going to walk. I’m going to ride my bike.” She has been permitted to ride her bike around the immediate area of our house, but we do not yet allow her to ride unsupervised all around the neighborhood and the surrounding villages. But since I was going, she knew this was her chance to hit the road with that new Christmas bike!! We got out on the road, and with amazing confidence (too much for her Daddy if you know what I mean), she made me pick up my walking pace to keep up with her! It was a fun outing, and certainly made a great memory for me. I know such opportunities will someday soon not be afforded us when we return Stateside (those real-deep-into-the-African-bush home visits). So I was thankful Tori wanted to spend her Sunday afternoon with her Dad. After a couple of hours, we returned home where Tori challenged me, “Dad, you know I am a big girl now and I could go all the way there again without you next time. I’m a lot bigger now that I’m 7!” Such confidence!
-Randy
My SuperBowl XL prediction includes the Broncos and Seahawks:
Final score: DENVER 30 SEATTLE 14
OH, I meant to say Steelers and Seahawks:
Final score: PITTSBURG 24 SEATTLE 10
Thursday, January 19, 2006
Yesterday Lael was 6 months old. Laurance had been telling me that as soon as Lael was 6 months old she would do her hair. Yesterday Laurance came to my house with a little bag of rubber bands and went to work on this sweet head. It really did not take very long. This look is called "petit bon bon", this means little candy! She is so sweet. Ever since, Tori and I have been calling Lael our petit bon bon! These last 6 months have been a wonderful time for our family. Lael is a continual source of joy. We love her so much and at this point cannot imagine our life without her. Please continue to pray with us that we will be able to obtain her official birth certificate and start the next step in this adoption process!
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