Out with the Old...

2022, is over, and 2023 is set to begin.  There was something always a bit sad to me as a kid, when I would think about the year ending.  I'm not exactly sure why... maybe it was just this sense that I needed to stop and reflect on all that had been, before I could embrace the new.

Having spent 31 years as missionaries in Ecuador, I became quite familiar with the sadness of "good-byes" and the joy of the "hellos"...  I learned that it was natural to try and guard your heart from the pain of the "good-bye"... to "check-out", before, and not let yourself feel that hurt, but I also learned that if I allowed myself to do that, I missed out on so much.  So I worked hard to be "present" till the last "good-bye" was said, and yes, there was definitely pain and hurt, but there were way fewer regrets, because I knew that I had allowed myself to be loved and to love on the people that were there in that moment. 

So I have been applying those same principals to ending the old year and starting the new.  To be totally present and to remember.  So what are some of the highs and lows of 2022...

Our son Teddy moved to a city about 1 1/2 hours away from us.  I am so proud of him, as I have watched him grow and serve.  He is always learning and serving someone.  There are several stories I could share, but they are his stories so I will just leave it that I'm one proud Momma. 

We experienced what it was like to "go to court" and are so very thankful for the amazing Christian lawyer and Christian caseworkers God has placed in our path.

Tony made  trips to Peru and Belize, and both of us were able to make a trip to back to Manta!  I have to say that was definitely a highlight for me! 

We continued to teach 4th grade Sunday School at our church and that has been a joy.  There is just something exciting to see kids get excited about spiritual things and open up their eyes to the work of Missions around the world.

I have enjoyed sharing the teaching load for the Kids 4 Truth group time, and this past Fall Tony joined in taking care of the game time during Kids 4 Truth.

In March, Tony and I traveled to MO, where we had the priveledge of teaching in a Marriage Conference and we also enjoyed spending time with one of our daughters and her family.  (Nana, definitely loves all the time she can get with the grandkids!)

Our daughter, Ashley and her family came for a visit in August and that was fun time.  Love having time with my grandkids, but also love watching them having "cousin time" together.  The house was full, but it was a fun time.

Also in August our daughter, Carla, started her working at the church in the Mother's Day Out program. This was a big deal for her, and it has been such an amazing experience for her.  

In September we had the joy of traveling the Michigan, and visiting with long time friends, and partners. When we first became went to Ecuador in 1988, our sending church was in Michigan.  On the way back home we had the joy of stopping in Ohio and visiting with our daughter, Amanda and her family.  

In October, we got to make a short trip over to NC, to visit our good friends the, Wells!  Joe and Sylvia were like Grandparents to my kids while they were growing up in Ecuador.  It was such a joy to get to spend a couple days with them. 

The trip to Ecuador was in November... 

Then we had the blessing of hosting Thanksgiving with our family here.  

Christmas this year has been different, but that is ok.  I realized early on that without really realizing it we had moved from one season in our life to another. (Isn't it odd, how that happens and there isn't like a big warning or annoucement... you just realize things have changed.) Anyway, our daughter, Lexi and her family had the opportunity to travel to MO to be with Jonathan's family for Christmas, so we had Christmas with them on the 18th.  What I realized this year, was that we didn't have "kids" in the house anymore...  I know Teddy and Carla are just a year older than they were, but Teddy having moved out and Carla now 19 and working and Matt not here... so many of the traditions, (which I loved watching my older daughters do with their own children) were not really relevant anymore. So I realized I could do a couple different things.  I could be sad, and mourn the changes... I could just not do any of the things, that we had always done... or I could embrace the change, do things that I wanted to do, but also rest and focus on the joy of the season.  

I decided, I would decorate the house... honestly I did do less than I have in the past, but anyone coming in and looking would not realize it! Only if you saw the tubs of full decorations that weren't used would you know that I had chosen to do less. LOL!  I baked some cookies.  Not tons, but all our favorites.  I had my two Grandkids that live near us, here to do some baking and they decorated little gingerbread houses.  I decided, I wanted to make a gingerbread house, so I did, and then gifted it to some friends in our church that have 5 children.  I read my advent devotional everyday,  hung my ornament on the tree, and looked forward with anticipation to Christmas.  I honestly feel like it is one of the best Christmases we have had, Not that we ever really had any "bad Christmas"... but, I feel like we were able to greet this "new season" in our lives, with joy.  

There are so many other things that happened, that I didn't write about, but I feel like we had a really good year... ups and downs like everyone, but I feel very blessed to have been here to experience it, and to grow and learn.  

What are things things that jump out at you when you look back over 2022?  Can you count your blessings? Is the glass half full or half empty? 

You just never know...

Sorry to be silent for so long on here.  On Monday morning, March 26, my sweet mother, suffered a massive stroke at her home in Tennessee.  My 15 year old son, had just arrived on the Friday evening before, to spend 2 weeks with his grandparents to help out with some yard work and things they needed done.  The last thing she said to my son, as she was in the ambulance, but before they put the oxygen mask on her, was that she loved him and grandpa, and not to worry because the worst thing that could happen to her, was that she was going to go see Jesus.

On Wednesday morning about 9:00, My husband and 2 younger children and I, arrived to TN from Ecuador.  The next days are a total blur, as we stayed by her bedside, and prayed for God to preform a miracle for us.  He chose instead to take her home to glory about 7:00am, Tuesday Morning April 3. That really was a miracle for her, as she was now in the presence of her Lord and all her loved ones that had gone on before her. 

For the last months, my family and I have been in the States, on an "unexpected furlough", helping my Dad, and seeking God's will for our future.

This time has taught me so many things.  One of them is that grieving is definitely a process, and I don't believe you ever "get over" the loss of a dear one... you may be able to breathe a bit easier with time but I don't believe the sense of loss will ever really go away.  There are times I can think about my Mom and smile or even laugh at a sweet memory, and there are other times when I will be going about my day, and an unexpected memory will pop up and literally take my breath away, and I will have tears rolling down my cheeks.  I am sure people are looking at me strangely as I am sitting in the Captain D's with tears rolling down my cheeks because I just remembered that I had sat at "that table with Mom".... or the people that pass me in the grocery and wonder why I am crying in the produce section of the store.   It is just part of it, and it hits at the most "random" times, it seems.

I have learned that I have a choice.  I can be angry at God for "doing this to me", or I can choose to trust Him, as my Good, Good Father, and know that he is at work in my life and that all that he does is for my good and His Glory.  In saying that, I don't mean that losing my Mom was "good", BUT, I do believe that God uses it for His good in my life.  Everything He does is to bring me closer to him, and form me into the image of His Son.  I can either choose to accept that, and cooperate with him, or I can fight it.

People ask me all the time, "What are you going to do?" Well, I'm going to get up tomorrow morning, if God gives me tomorrow.  I am going to do what he places in front of me to do tomorrow, and I am going to walk the path he leads me on.  Do I know what tomorrow holds, or next week, or next month, or next year?  NO!  I do not.  If I have learned one thing through this whole time, it is this.  No one knows what a day will bring forth.  BUT, I do know, who, holds tomorrow, next week, next month and next year in his hand!  Praise God!!  And I CAN trust Him to lead and direct my steps.  I can trust that He has good plans for me and for my family and that as we wait on Him he will be that voice in our ear, saying, "This is the way, walk in it." 

Thank you for your prayers for my family during this time.

Our times are in God's hands...

Yesterday,  I was quite aggravated, at what seemed like really just plain rudeness from some people.  But then, this happened...

I had planned to go to the salon yesterday at 4:00, to get a manicure and pedicure.  (when you can get both for $10, it's nice to treat yourself now and then. 😊)  My husband had a meeting that was planned for 2:00, but came home about 2:20, and said, no one had been there, and the place where the meeting was to take place looked all locked up.  He had hung around a bit, but didn't see anyone.  (the meeting had been changed to 3:00, but no one had let us know that)

Anyway, because he ended up coming home early, I went ahead to the salon at 3:00.  While there, I over heard the owner talking to a lady about the Lord, and different churches.  Then the owner of the salon came up to me and said, "You are a 'pastora", right?" (that always cracks me up, but anyway, it is very common for people to call the Pastor's wife, a "pastora" here).  I said, yes, my husband is a Pastor.  She asked me what kind of church is it, so I told her it was a Baptist church, and she said, Oh good!  Then she called this lady to come over, and introduced us.  She said, She needs to go to church, and talk to a Pastor.  I told her we would love to have her visit.  She asked where the church was, and I explained, even gave her Tony's phone number, in case she got lost on the way, and needed better directions, then I had given her.  She asked what time services were.  Then she said, "I really just need to talk to the pastor."  Before I could say anything, the owner of the salon piped up and said, "First you go to the service and then you can talk to the Pastor!"

So this morning, I was involved in Children's Ministry, but came down to the service right before the end, and when Tony came back he said, there is your friend, Ana on the back row.  After church he sat with her for a few minutes and talked to her about her problem.  Then before she left, she asked me about the Women's Bible Study, we are having on Friday night, and paid me for a book!!  Please pray for Ana.  I don't know yet, if she is a "seeker" or a "baby Christian".  I know she is looking for answers.  If Tony had been at the meeting he had planned to attend, I would not have met Ana. 

Everything happens for a reason.  The times and seasons are in His hands. 

New Bible Studies

Tonight we started new Men's and Ladies' Bible Study at church.  We had 12 ladies show up and 3 men.  It would be easy to focus on who didn't show up and get discouraged by the lack of participation, or I can choose to focus on who did show up and feel blessed to be able to be a part of what God is doing in their lives!

Lately it has been hard to keep focused on the positive and not get discouraged by those who have bad attitudes or just don't really care.  But, that is exactly what our enemy hopes we will do.  He wants us discouraged, and hopes to suck the life out of us.  To make us lose our passion for God and start to feel like nothing we do makes any difference.  To keep this from happening, I have to make a decision to focus on God and His word.  To remember that He is the one who called me and He is the one who placed me here.  He's plans and purposes are all good and for his Glory and the growing of His Kingdom. 

So, I am going to be looking forward to what God does with these 15 people!  This is our little part of God's Church and I can't wait to see how God builds it up!!