Okay, so there's usually some deep, meaningful scripture here, but today I decided in the couple of minutes I have before breakfast that I would give you an idea of what a typical day here is like. This is what we did yesterday:
1. Marc and I start our day with a walk around campus at about 5:30. Then we come back, get showered, have a quiet time and get the kids up. I cannot stress enough the importance of this time together. We discovered very quickly here that discouragement can grow if we are not spending time together daily--time with no other distractions (yes, I mean my kids). Because there are other adults in the quad who are up, we are able to leave and walk around the campus (about 1.5 miles). Of course, the kids sleep through this every morning.
2. We start our day as a family with breakfast in our apartment. There is a cafeteria, but trying to get the five of us up there between 7 and 8 is nearly impossible, so I make breakfast here. There is a small kitchenette in the apartment. Yesterday, we had blueberry muffins.
3. From 8-8:40 we have house church. This is a small group (four families and two singles) who meet in our quad. We are walking through Acts together right now. We sing, study the Bible, and pray together. We LOVE our small group. Love them, love them, love them. (Did I mention we love them?)
4. The kids go to school at 8:45 and we go to whatever classes we have for the day. Generally, our day of class goes from 9-12 and 1:10-3:00. We have lunch together at noon. The kids all have lunch with their classes. The school is amazing, and they are doing a wonderful job. On some days, like yesterday, we have special meals. Special meals are required events--you have no options but to eat what they give you. The food they choose is from different areas of the world. Yesterday's meal was from the Pacific Rim, and it was delicious. Tandoori chicken and curried rice with coconut, pineapples, tomatoes, and banana with a cucumber/sour cream salad. Really, really good. We eat the meal, discuss some questions they give us, and pray for the people of that region.
5. After school, we have some freetime unless there's a seminar we want to attend. For example, last week I attended a three-day seminar on homeschooling. Otherwise, this is time for us to be together. Yesterday, our friends had a meeting, and we kept their daughter.
6. Dinner is from 5-6, and it was roast beef and potatoes last night. (Notice, Marc, that I am not even going to say how that reminds me of Jesus.) There is rarely dessert, and if there is, it's usually fruit or pudding.
7. After dinner, we can do whatever. Last night, some other friends had a meeting, so we kept their two boys, and we all went to the playground and then came back for Gameboy time. Generally, the younger kids all go to the playground (there are three on campus) and play together just about every night. Hannah went to quilting class with a friend, and Sarah Beth stayed home, which is rare. There are days we barely see S.B.--the teenagers hang out as a pack. Marc helped some folks from our region set up their regional email accounts, and I fixed grilled cheese sandwiches for our friends who missed dinner because of a meeting. We sat and talked and laughed until around 8, when we all worked on getting our children to bed. Marc and I try to spend a few minutes together after the children go to bed when we can discuss (and often laugh over) the day we've had. There is a lot to digest here, and if we aren't intentional about doing it, we could easily become overwhelmed.
That's it. Today we have shots in the afternoon, and a parents' night out tonight (Chik-fil-a and a movie in another couple's quad are the agenda for the evening). We love life here, but it's a lot. Does that make sense? Just every single day is a whole lot of whatever that day is. If it's Bible study, it's a lot of it. If it's security training, it's a lot of it. You get the idea.
Well, it's time for me to get going and make sure everyone eats. I love you guys! Blessings!
His,
Kellye
Friday, August 31, 2007
Thursday, August 30, 2007
Answering the man of Macedonia
A vision apeared to Paul in the night: a man of Macedonia was standing and appealing to him, and saying, "Come over to Macedonia and help us." When he had seen the vision, immediately we sought to go into Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them. Acts 16:9-10
Well, I have managed to walk, shower, have a quiet time, and make blueberry muffins for my family (we just can't do the cafeteria three meals a day), so I have a couple of minutes to blog this morning. I really am trying to find time to do this, but there is little down time here.
The Macedonian call is one of the key scriptures for explaining why we go across the world to spread the gospel. I am especially fond of this passage because Macedonia is in the Central and Eastern Europe Region of the IMB, and someone we really adore is headed there. If you have ever felt that call, that tug at your heart that this is what God has for you, then you can understand what it is to long for a place that isn't your home. I am in love with Moscow, not because it is a beautiful city, though it is, but because God has given me a longing for the people of Russia. I can't explain it, but it's pretty unavoidable. God is nothing if not persistent.
Last night we went to Dr. Clyde Meador's house for a fellowship with the top three couples at the IMB: the Meadors, the Forts, and the Rankins. I've already written how much I like Jerry and Bobbye Rankin, but last night was amazing. Jerry Rankin is an extremely powerful man in Southern Baptist life, but last night he plopped down on the floor next to me to chat with a group of us about where we were going, our hopes, our fears...everything. I can't say enough about these servants of God. For my friends who are not Southern Baptist: if you could come here and meet these people, it would improve your opinion of Southern Baptists. They have all served overseas. In fact, no one who speaks to us has NOT served overseas, down to the lawyer who spoke to us yesterday. That gives them such a perspective of who we are and what we're about. They are compassionate and kind, and they're intensely aware of those in the world who need us. The IMB has a completely balanced budget--we know because they explained where every penny goes. Unlike other organizations, the IMB spends 85% of its budget overseas. I can't tell you how well they are taking care of us. It's unbelievable.
Something to pray about--we have some visa issues. I won't go into exactly what's going on, but suffice to say that we are likely looking at a delay. Remember that we are homeless, so if we're delayed, we kind of have a problem. Dr. Rankin did say last night that they weren't going to leave us on the street, which was actually kind of comforting. Of course, our friends here teased us that there's a trailer park on the bad side of Richmond that we can use. I'm pretty sure that's not what Dr. Rankin has in mind.
Well, the muffins smell like they're done. Please continue to pray for us. The next couple of weeks are going to be difficult beyond belief. We are definitely being stretched to our limits. But hear me on this--I have never been happier in my life. I miss my family immensely, I'm tired, I'm overwhelmed by the visa process...but I'm exceedingly happy. Know that you are loved and prayed for by me. Blessings!
His,
Kellye
Well, I have managed to walk, shower, have a quiet time, and make blueberry muffins for my family (we just can't do the cafeteria three meals a day), so I have a couple of minutes to blog this morning. I really am trying to find time to do this, but there is little down time here.
The Macedonian call is one of the key scriptures for explaining why we go across the world to spread the gospel. I am especially fond of this passage because Macedonia is in the Central and Eastern Europe Region of the IMB, and someone we really adore is headed there. If you have ever felt that call, that tug at your heart that this is what God has for you, then you can understand what it is to long for a place that isn't your home. I am in love with Moscow, not because it is a beautiful city, though it is, but because God has given me a longing for the people of Russia. I can't explain it, but it's pretty unavoidable. God is nothing if not persistent.
Last night we went to Dr. Clyde Meador's house for a fellowship with the top three couples at the IMB: the Meadors, the Forts, and the Rankins. I've already written how much I like Jerry and Bobbye Rankin, but last night was amazing. Jerry Rankin is an extremely powerful man in Southern Baptist life, but last night he plopped down on the floor next to me to chat with a group of us about where we were going, our hopes, our fears...everything. I can't say enough about these servants of God. For my friends who are not Southern Baptist: if you could come here and meet these people, it would improve your opinion of Southern Baptists. They have all served overseas. In fact, no one who speaks to us has NOT served overseas, down to the lawyer who spoke to us yesterday. That gives them such a perspective of who we are and what we're about. They are compassionate and kind, and they're intensely aware of those in the world who need us. The IMB has a completely balanced budget--we know because they explained where every penny goes. Unlike other organizations, the IMB spends 85% of its budget overseas. I can't tell you how well they are taking care of us. It's unbelievable.
Something to pray about--we have some visa issues. I won't go into exactly what's going on, but suffice to say that we are likely looking at a delay. Remember that we are homeless, so if we're delayed, we kind of have a problem. Dr. Rankin did say last night that they weren't going to leave us on the street, which was actually kind of comforting. Of course, our friends here teased us that there's a trailer park on the bad side of Richmond that we can use. I'm pretty sure that's not what Dr. Rankin has in mind.
Well, the muffins smell like they're done. Please continue to pray for us. The next couple of weeks are going to be difficult beyond belief. We are definitely being stretched to our limits. But hear me on this--I have never been happier in my life. I miss my family immensely, I'm tired, I'm overwhelmed by the visa process...but I'm exceedingly happy. Know that you are loved and prayed for by me. Blessings!
His,
Kellye
Sunday, August 26, 2007
The lizard, the man of peace, and the shots
Blessed be the name of the LORD from this time forth and forever. From the rising of the sun to its setting the name of the LORD is to be praised. The LORD is high above the nations; His glory is above the heavens. Psalm 113:2-4
Lately, I look for every verse that has "the nations" in it, searching for God's direction and His promises about the different peoples of the world. After all, if there isn't biblical reason to go to the nations, why do Southern Baptists (and many other organizations) spend so much time and resources sending out people to reach the nations with the Good News? Of course, you know and I know that the Great Commission commands that we go out and tell the nations of Jesus, His saving grace, the redemption offered through Him. It's just kind of fun for me to see what God has to say about the nations elsewhere, too. As I look out at the assembly of my colleagues, I know that God is already in the places they are going, working among their people group, making a way for His message to be spread. It is comforting to me, especially as I look at my friends going to places where there is grave danger to them.
If you read Marc's blog (and you should, because his is funnier than mine), you know that we had a little role-playing exercise concerning the man of peace Jesus instructed the 70 (in some translations 72) he sent out to find. What Marc didn't write about was how hard a time he gave me when I was the missionary. He kept hanging on my arm and saying, "You are SO pretty. Will you marry me? You're prettier than all my other wives. I promise I won't sacrifice you to the volcano." He was OBNOXIOUS! Some of the missionaries in residence were laughing so hard they were doubled over. Hmmm....vengeance shall be mine. :o)
The search for a man of peace is really one of the most amazing things to come out of missionary stories. I was thinking about it yesterday as I was walking, and I saw this lizard with a purple tail. I swear! It had a purple tail! But as soon as it moved away from the purple flowers growing on the side of the road, it went back to being green. The role-playing was good, in that it made me know that sometimes the man of peace, the one who can open doors, doesn't automatically turn out to be the person you think. The man of peace could appear to be something else, but then still turn out to be a man of peace. Of course, it was about 120 degrees as I was walking, so it could just be that I was having some kind of horrible hallucination. Who knew Virginia could be this hot in the summer? Yikes!
Ahhhh...the shots. Actually, they went pretty well. John-John just hopped up in the chair, played his gameboy, and took the shots like a man. I was pretty impressed with him. We all had vaccines for rabies, and then I also had polio and a hepatitis A/B mix that's brand new. They are very, very efficient. We were in and out very quickly, which cut out a lot of the anxiety. Afterward, the children's ministry team had snacks and face painting and animal balloons for the kids. There was candy for the adults, too. It really wasn't too bad. We have shots again this Friday, so continue to pray for us. This is definitely not the fun part of being a missionary.
We have had a wonderful, wonderful weekend. Friday night, we ordered pizza, had all the teenagers over, and watched three hours of Hannah Montana episodes. It was hysterically funny. It's so nice to see my kids settle in to friendships, especially Sarah Beth. Hannah spent the night with another family Friday night, spent all day yesterday with them, went swimming with them, and then had takeout from a Chinese restaurant with them. What fun for her! And John-John spent yesterday morning with some friends at our house, and yesterday afternoon at Aunt Vickie's next door (making banana pudding that I'm really looking forward to today). Then last night, Sarah Beth babysat for us and we went with our friends Matt and Tara to Olive Garden and Kroger. We had a wonderful time! Sundays are always good, because there isn't really much on our plates. We have house church this morning (we love our small group!), lunch at noon, and cultural worship at 6 tonight (this week's service is Korean). Then Sarah Beth has what amounts to an after-church youth fellowship before they all head over to salsa dancing lessons. Doesn't that sound fun? I am so thankful to have had such a good weekend. We have really rested and enjoyed ourselves immensely.
Sarah Beth does have a root canal Tuesday afternoon, so please keep her in your prayers. We have shots on Friday, so please pray for us then. And generally, just pray that we will have ears to hear and eyes to see all that God has for us. There is an immense amount of information to take in, process, and apply. Somewhere in there, we also have to parent and have a daily life. There is just so much...pray that we will get everything done and that we'll do it all in a way that glorifies Him. I appreciate you so much. Thank you for reading this. Thank you for praying for us. And thank you for loving us and sending us out. What an honor and a privilege it is to take the Good News across the globe. Remember this--the Great Commission isn't just for missionaries, it's for all believers. How are you fulfilling it today? My prayer for you is that God will show you what He has for you, whether it's right where you are or across the ocean blue. Listen, and then be faithful to what you hear. Blessings!
His,
Kellye
Lately, I look for every verse that has "the nations" in it, searching for God's direction and His promises about the different peoples of the world. After all, if there isn't biblical reason to go to the nations, why do Southern Baptists (and many other organizations) spend so much time and resources sending out people to reach the nations with the Good News? Of course, you know and I know that the Great Commission commands that we go out and tell the nations of Jesus, His saving grace, the redemption offered through Him. It's just kind of fun for me to see what God has to say about the nations elsewhere, too. As I look out at the assembly of my colleagues, I know that God is already in the places they are going, working among their people group, making a way for His message to be spread. It is comforting to me, especially as I look at my friends going to places where there is grave danger to them.
If you read Marc's blog (and you should, because his is funnier than mine), you know that we had a little role-playing exercise concerning the man of peace Jesus instructed the 70 (in some translations 72) he sent out to find. What Marc didn't write about was how hard a time he gave me when I was the missionary. He kept hanging on my arm and saying, "You are SO pretty. Will you marry me? You're prettier than all my other wives. I promise I won't sacrifice you to the volcano." He was OBNOXIOUS! Some of the missionaries in residence were laughing so hard they were doubled over. Hmmm....vengeance shall be mine. :o)
The search for a man of peace is really one of the most amazing things to come out of missionary stories. I was thinking about it yesterday as I was walking, and I saw this lizard with a purple tail. I swear! It had a purple tail! But as soon as it moved away from the purple flowers growing on the side of the road, it went back to being green. The role-playing was good, in that it made me know that sometimes the man of peace, the one who can open doors, doesn't automatically turn out to be the person you think. The man of peace could appear to be something else, but then still turn out to be a man of peace. Of course, it was about 120 degrees as I was walking, so it could just be that I was having some kind of horrible hallucination. Who knew Virginia could be this hot in the summer? Yikes!
Ahhhh...the shots. Actually, they went pretty well. John-John just hopped up in the chair, played his gameboy, and took the shots like a man. I was pretty impressed with him. We all had vaccines for rabies, and then I also had polio and a hepatitis A/B mix that's brand new. They are very, very efficient. We were in and out very quickly, which cut out a lot of the anxiety. Afterward, the children's ministry team had snacks and face painting and animal balloons for the kids. There was candy for the adults, too. It really wasn't too bad. We have shots again this Friday, so continue to pray for us. This is definitely not the fun part of being a missionary.
We have had a wonderful, wonderful weekend. Friday night, we ordered pizza, had all the teenagers over, and watched three hours of Hannah Montana episodes. It was hysterically funny. It's so nice to see my kids settle in to friendships, especially Sarah Beth. Hannah spent the night with another family Friday night, spent all day yesterday with them, went swimming with them, and then had takeout from a Chinese restaurant with them. What fun for her! And John-John spent yesterday morning with some friends at our house, and yesterday afternoon at Aunt Vickie's next door (making banana pudding that I'm really looking forward to today). Then last night, Sarah Beth babysat for us and we went with our friends Matt and Tara to Olive Garden and Kroger. We had a wonderful time! Sundays are always good, because there isn't really much on our plates. We have house church this morning (we love our small group!), lunch at noon, and cultural worship at 6 tonight (this week's service is Korean). Then Sarah Beth has what amounts to an after-church youth fellowship before they all head over to salsa dancing lessons. Doesn't that sound fun? I am so thankful to have had such a good weekend. We have really rested and enjoyed ourselves immensely.
Sarah Beth does have a root canal Tuesday afternoon, so please keep her in your prayers. We have shots on Friday, so please pray for us then. And generally, just pray that we will have ears to hear and eyes to see all that God has for us. There is an immense amount of information to take in, process, and apply. Somewhere in there, we also have to parent and have a daily life. There is just so much...pray that we will get everything done and that we'll do it all in a way that glorifies Him. I appreciate you so much. Thank you for reading this. Thank you for praying for us. And thank you for loving us and sending us out. What an honor and a privilege it is to take the Good News across the globe. Remember this--the Great Commission isn't just for missionaries, it's for all believers. How are you fulfilling it today? My prayer for you is that God will show you what He has for you, whether it's right where you are or across the ocean blue. Listen, and then be faithful to what you hear. Blessings!
His,
Kellye
Thursday, August 23, 2007
Packing like a dead man
You keep talking about dying to self, Dr. Rankin. It occurs to me that I have a lot of things packed that a dead man doesn't need. --a colleague headed to Poland
I've told you that Dr. Rankin, the president of the IMB, was here last week doing a three-day seminar on spiritual warfare. The statement above was the defining moment of the seminar. It came during the application time, when we were discussing as a group the impact of the seminar. When the man finished and sat down, we all were kind of stunned. Even Dr. Rankin was speechless for a minute. Then he grinned and said, "I'm going to use that." It was a transparent thing to say, and a meaningful thing to say, but it was mostly the movement of the Holy Spirit kind of thing to say. We have all been so concerned with what we are taking, both literally and metaphorically. Do we have the right socks? underwear? Are we handling the transition well? Are we going to be good missionaries? Are we going to live up to what the IMB and Southern Baptists have invested in us? And yet, those are all things a dead man isn't going to need. Jesus isn't depending on me to create the Russian Baptist church. He is depending on me to depend on Him. And that isn't an easy thing for me. It is the growth area in which I fight Him the most. I want to think about what I can do...I may couch it in terms of what God has blessed me with, but that sometimes isn't very genuine. What He is showing me is that everything up to this point--the good, the bad, the ugly--has been sifted through His hand. What success has come to me has come to me because it served His purposes. That's hard, isn't it? I want to claim those things as my own, and yet they aren't mine. The failures--those I can claim! He is working on me. It doesn't always feel good, but He is definitely working on me.
I had better run and get ready for breakfast. I know these are very short blogs, but it really is all I have time for right now. I want to keep you updated, and I really want you to get to hear the unbelievable experiences we are having. (I haven't talked about worship in Hindi, yet. That was amazing!) Our time is very, very scheduled. Since I likely won't have a chance to write tomorrow, I will go ahead and ask you to pray for us at 3:10. That is our first immunization time. The kids will all get two shots, and Marc and I will get three. One of them is likely to make us feel fluish for a day, so just pray for us. You can imagine, this is the thing the kids have dreaded the most. (Okay--their parents, too.) Continue to pray that we would have ears to hear and eyes to see the crying of a world lost without Him...and that we'll be able to pack like dead men when we leave. Blessings!
His,
Kellye
I've told you that Dr. Rankin, the president of the IMB, was here last week doing a three-day seminar on spiritual warfare. The statement above was the defining moment of the seminar. It came during the application time, when we were discussing as a group the impact of the seminar. When the man finished and sat down, we all were kind of stunned. Even Dr. Rankin was speechless for a minute. Then he grinned and said, "I'm going to use that." It was a transparent thing to say, and a meaningful thing to say, but it was mostly the movement of the Holy Spirit kind of thing to say. We have all been so concerned with what we are taking, both literally and metaphorically. Do we have the right socks? underwear? Are we handling the transition well? Are we going to be good missionaries? Are we going to live up to what the IMB and Southern Baptists have invested in us? And yet, those are all things a dead man isn't going to need. Jesus isn't depending on me to create the Russian Baptist church. He is depending on me to depend on Him. And that isn't an easy thing for me. It is the growth area in which I fight Him the most. I want to think about what I can do...I may couch it in terms of what God has blessed me with, but that sometimes isn't very genuine. What He is showing me is that everything up to this point--the good, the bad, the ugly--has been sifted through His hand. What success has come to me has come to me because it served His purposes. That's hard, isn't it? I want to claim those things as my own, and yet they aren't mine. The failures--those I can claim! He is working on me. It doesn't always feel good, but He is definitely working on me.
I had better run and get ready for breakfast. I know these are very short blogs, but it really is all I have time for right now. I want to keep you updated, and I really want you to get to hear the unbelievable experiences we are having. (I haven't talked about worship in Hindi, yet. That was amazing!) Our time is very, very scheduled. Since I likely won't have a chance to write tomorrow, I will go ahead and ask you to pray for us at 3:10. That is our first immunization time. The kids will all get two shots, and Marc and I will get three. One of them is likely to make us feel fluish for a day, so just pray for us. You can imagine, this is the thing the kids have dreaded the most. (Okay--their parents, too.) Continue to pray that we would have ears to hear and eyes to see the crying of a world lost without Him...and that we'll be able to pack like dead men when we leave. Blessings!
His,
Kellye
Wednesday, August 22, 2007
When your shoe gets stuck in Africa
"We are not sending you to build churches. We are sending you to be obedient to Christ. He'll build the church." An FPO worker.
Wow! What a statement! Again and again, we are being reminded that our faithfulness is not to a church-planting movement or a creed or doctrine, but to Christ Himself. (Esoos Khristos in Russian) That is both a huge responsibility and a huge weight off our shoulders. Faithfulness will be rewarded. It may not be the reward we sought when we started, but it will be rewarded.
I only have a few minutes this morning, but I couldn't resist telling you the story associated with the title. Hannah and her crochet club decided to "pretend fish" in the fountain by one of the buildings. This is a beautiful fountain with a wrought-iron globe in the center with the different continents clearly shown. Hannah is telling us this story as we walk to dinner, and the punch-line is, "And then I looked up, and my flip flop was stuck in Africa. I hate it when that happens!" We, of course, broke into fits of laughter, but Hannah thought nothing of it. Sometimes, your shoe gets stuck in Africa, and it's just a pain. My children's lives have certainly taken an interesting turn.
I will try to do more blogging later, but I am having trouble finding time. Know that I am happy and having a remarkable experience here. And I'm trying hard not to get my shoe stuck in Africa. Blessings!
His,
Kellye
Wow! What a statement! Again and again, we are being reminded that our faithfulness is not to a church-planting movement or a creed or doctrine, but to Christ Himself. (Esoos Khristos in Russian) That is both a huge responsibility and a huge weight off our shoulders. Faithfulness will be rewarded. It may not be the reward we sought when we started, but it will be rewarded.
I only have a few minutes this morning, but I couldn't resist telling you the story associated with the title. Hannah and her crochet club decided to "pretend fish" in the fountain by one of the buildings. This is a beautiful fountain with a wrought-iron globe in the center with the different continents clearly shown. Hannah is telling us this story as we walk to dinner, and the punch-line is, "And then I looked up, and my flip flop was stuck in Africa. I hate it when that happens!" We, of course, broke into fits of laughter, but Hannah thought nothing of it. Sometimes, your shoe gets stuck in Africa, and it's just a pain. My children's lives have certainly taken an interesting turn.
I will try to do more blogging later, but I am having trouble finding time. Know that I am happy and having a remarkable experience here. And I'm trying hard not to get my shoe stuck in Africa. Blessings!
His,
Kellye
Saturday, August 18, 2007
Singing to the nations
I will give thanks to You, O LORD, among the peoples, and I will sing praises to You among the nations. For Your lovingkindness is great above the heavens, and Your truth reaches to the skies. Be exalted, O God, above the heavens, and Your glory above all the earth. Psalm 108:3-5
I have always loved this passage of scripture, but it has come to mean more to me since we accepted the call to international missions. The glory of God will reach the nations--He has promised it--what a joy and privilege to be part of that. Speaking of singing His glory to the nations, we begin our cross-cultural worship tomorrow night, and I believe we'll be worshipping in Hindi. How cool is that? I don't know about you, but I've never worshipped in Hindi.
Things here have kind of settled in, at least for now. We had a wonderful three days with Dr. Rankin. I had very positive feelings about Dr. Rankin before coming, and those feelings were only multiplied. He's an amazing man, with a wonderful sense of humor and a boldness that is refreshing. Sometimes people get into positions of power and are afraid to speak the truth in a bold way for fear of losing that power. My impression is that Dr. Rankin never sought any kind of power, and so losing it isn't a big threat for him. He's a missionary's missionary...he served in Indonesia and Thailand...so he knows what kinds of things we are experiencing now and will experience. What a wonderful time we had with him.
There are so many stories here, such a sense of being surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses. I can only tell you our story, because it's the one we own and because there are immense security issues surrounding many of our friends who are headed out to the hardest parts of the world. Even taking pictures is very tricky. Suffice to say that those who surround us are not only wonderful people, but they are people with a heart for God and for the nations. It's amazing to see.
Last night we had two families over and ordered pizza and played cards and just sat and talked. We laughed and laughed and laughed, and we REALLY enjoyed the pizza! (It was beef stroganoff night in the cafeteria, and there's only so much food experimentation my family is willing to do.) As the night wore on, more and more people would just drop in and sit and laugh with us for a while. By about nine o'clock, our great room was full of adults and kids, some of whom we knew and had invited, and some of whom we didn't know and had just decided to drop by because they could see the people inside. What a great time we had! I'm pretty sure these are the "times of refreshing" the Bible speaks about--talking and laughing with other believers, some of whom you know, some of whom you don't, but just having a great time listening to each other's stories.
One requirement our field has (we are in the Russia field of Central and Eastern Europe, one of the 11 regions the IMB has divided the world into) is that we must walk from our quad to the road outside the farm several times a week. This is about three miles, and the whole family has to do it. The farm is enclosed by fences and a "welcome house" with a gate that you have to go through to get on campus. (If you thought guard house instead of welcome house, you'd be correct.) So far, we've been amazed at our children's ability to do this. What an answer to prayer! Remember that we will have to walk everywhere we go, so it's a big deal to practice long distances.
Well, I'm headed off to walk. It's absolutely beautiful here, and walking is really a pleasure. We had a terrible storm Thursday night. My friend and I went to a class on cutting hair that was all the way across the campus, and we suddenly realized we needed to head home because it was so dark and there was lots of lightning. By the time we made it back to the CEE section of campus (they group us all together, or at least try to), there were twigs in our hair from all the wind. We watched it from our great room with the kids, and John-John turned to the older gentleman who lives next to us in the quad and said, "Uncle Darrell, did you know Jesus could stop this storm if He wanted to? He could." It made my heart so glad for two reasons. First, my kids have settled into the knowledge that their "family" on the field is not just us. MKs create their family on the field. I cannot tell you how thankful I am for all the aunts and uncles my children are gaining--people who care about them and pray for them and help them grow and develop into people whose hearts are God's. But I was also moved because it was just one more display of the way God is working in John-John's heart. He has come to a place where he is really starting to understand relying on God for everything. What a blessing that is. And how tremendous it is to watch it happen.
Wherever you are, I pray that you have a remarkable family, too--not only the family God gave you when you were born, but a family of believers who love you and care for you. If you don't...find one! Blessings!
His,
Kellye
I have always loved this passage of scripture, but it has come to mean more to me since we accepted the call to international missions. The glory of God will reach the nations--He has promised it--what a joy and privilege to be part of that. Speaking of singing His glory to the nations, we begin our cross-cultural worship tomorrow night, and I believe we'll be worshipping in Hindi. How cool is that? I don't know about you, but I've never worshipped in Hindi.
Things here have kind of settled in, at least for now. We had a wonderful three days with Dr. Rankin. I had very positive feelings about Dr. Rankin before coming, and those feelings were only multiplied. He's an amazing man, with a wonderful sense of humor and a boldness that is refreshing. Sometimes people get into positions of power and are afraid to speak the truth in a bold way for fear of losing that power. My impression is that Dr. Rankin never sought any kind of power, and so losing it isn't a big threat for him. He's a missionary's missionary...he served in Indonesia and Thailand...so he knows what kinds of things we are experiencing now and will experience. What a wonderful time we had with him.
There are so many stories here, such a sense of being surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses. I can only tell you our story, because it's the one we own and because there are immense security issues surrounding many of our friends who are headed out to the hardest parts of the world. Even taking pictures is very tricky. Suffice to say that those who surround us are not only wonderful people, but they are people with a heart for God and for the nations. It's amazing to see.
Last night we had two families over and ordered pizza and played cards and just sat and talked. We laughed and laughed and laughed, and we REALLY enjoyed the pizza! (It was beef stroganoff night in the cafeteria, and there's only so much food experimentation my family is willing to do.) As the night wore on, more and more people would just drop in and sit and laugh with us for a while. By about nine o'clock, our great room was full of adults and kids, some of whom we knew and had invited, and some of whom we didn't know and had just decided to drop by because they could see the people inside. What a great time we had! I'm pretty sure these are the "times of refreshing" the Bible speaks about--talking and laughing with other believers, some of whom you know, some of whom you don't, but just having a great time listening to each other's stories.
One requirement our field has (we are in the Russia field of Central and Eastern Europe, one of the 11 regions the IMB has divided the world into) is that we must walk from our quad to the road outside the farm several times a week. This is about three miles, and the whole family has to do it. The farm is enclosed by fences and a "welcome house" with a gate that you have to go through to get on campus. (If you thought guard house instead of welcome house, you'd be correct.) So far, we've been amazed at our children's ability to do this. What an answer to prayer! Remember that we will have to walk everywhere we go, so it's a big deal to practice long distances.
Well, I'm headed off to walk. It's absolutely beautiful here, and walking is really a pleasure. We had a terrible storm Thursday night. My friend and I went to a class on cutting hair that was all the way across the campus, and we suddenly realized we needed to head home because it was so dark and there was lots of lightning. By the time we made it back to the CEE section of campus (they group us all together, or at least try to), there were twigs in our hair from all the wind. We watched it from our great room with the kids, and John-John turned to the older gentleman who lives next to us in the quad and said, "Uncle Darrell, did you know Jesus could stop this storm if He wanted to? He could." It made my heart so glad for two reasons. First, my kids have settled into the knowledge that their "family" on the field is not just us. MKs create their family on the field. I cannot tell you how thankful I am for all the aunts and uncles my children are gaining--people who care about them and pray for them and help them grow and develop into people whose hearts are God's. But I was also moved because it was just one more display of the way God is working in John-John's heart. He has come to a place where he is really starting to understand relying on God for everything. What a blessing that is. And how tremendous it is to watch it happen.
Wherever you are, I pray that you have a remarkable family, too--not only the family God gave you when you were born, but a family of believers who love you and care for you. If you don't...find one! Blessings!
His,
Kellye
Wednesday, August 15, 2007
Suffering
For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us. Romans 8:18
It has been an interesting week so far. I mentioned earlier that Dr. Jerry Rankin, the president of the IMB, is here talking to us about spiritual warfare. It has been very enlightening, though it's hard to sit for that many hours at a time for me, since I'm used to being the one doing the talking and walking. One of the things he has stressed is that though demon possession and that sort of thing are found on the field, especially in remote, animistic areas of asia and africa, that isn't the spiritual warfare he is concerned with. Instead, it is the daily warfare that the Enemy does in the little things in life. You know--the materialism that creeps in, the lusts of the flesh, the pride of life that makes us want to be first...that kind of thing. I guess I'd never really thought of that as spiritual warfare, but it's been unbelievably good for me to listen to him. Today is the last day he's here with us. I have enjoyed getting to know him a little bit.
One of the things I am reading is a book called Church Planting Movements, which is a requirement of our region (CEE--Central and Eastern Europe). One of the things it says is that in most successful church planting movements, missionaries suffer. I don't want to suffer. I'm not for it. But I especially don't want my family to suffer. Whether it's my children on the field or my family in the states, I don't want to be faced with that. It is my greatest fear. But one of the things Dr. Rankin reminded us is that Satan is simply a messenger. He has no control over anything but what he whispers in our ear. He cannot give us cancer or make a car slide off the road. He simply isn't that powerful. I am protected by the Almighty God of the Universe, and so are those I love. Nothig will come to me except that which is sifted through His righteous right hand. What comfort and peace that is. I have spent a lot of time here praying through my fears for my family.
Many of you have emailed me your prayers for the children, especially for John-John. Thank you so much. He is starting to really settle in. We are blessed to be in a quad with one family we'll be with on the field--they live just up the metro from us in Moscow--and another couple in the Master's program (for retirees) who are so kind to my children. They have already learned to love their new aunts and uncles. (All MKs call other missionaries aunt and uncle...a way the IMB has of developing family relationships for us on the field.) Last night, we took the little kids to the playground, and there was a lot of noise and fun with other kids from our area of the farm (we live in the Asia section)...it was wonderful to hear them and watch them play and have fun. And John had a great day at school yesterday (even his teacher said it was a great day). They have implemented some things with him--like his kindergarten teacher did--and they are making a big difference. I am so thrilled. Thank you for praying.
Hannah and some friends have started a crochet club that meets in the afternoons. Sarah Beth and the other teenagers (they travel all together in a pack) are learning to salsa dance and playing ultimate frisbee. Life is pretty good. Let me say this--we prayed and prayed that Sarah Beth would have people here to befriend. This is an inordinately large group of teenagers. They are absolutely in love with one another. They go places together, joking and laughing and having fun, but they always obey the rules about boys and girls being together. I am so thrilled. The other parents here are so excited, too, about the way they have all gelled together.
A big thing for us is Saturday night. The children's ministry team and the AV team (which Marc is on--big surprise) are showing the premiere of High School Musical II for the whole campus. I wish you could have heard the excitement as it buzzed through the crowd when it was announced. The IMB is even giving us the big auditorium, and there will be a sing-along with the songs from the first one, and pizza and popcorn and cokes--huge for our kids. I cannot say enough what good care Southern Baptists take of their missionaries. If you put a penny in that plate for missions...thank you.
Well, it's time for me to run to breakfast. I am obviously really busy, or I would be blogging more. More than anything, I am forcing myself to sleep a little later in order to be more rested--something I have been very convicted about here. Know that you are loved beyond measure---by me! Blessings!
His,
Kellye
It has been an interesting week so far. I mentioned earlier that Dr. Jerry Rankin, the president of the IMB, is here talking to us about spiritual warfare. It has been very enlightening, though it's hard to sit for that many hours at a time for me, since I'm used to being the one doing the talking and walking. One of the things he has stressed is that though demon possession and that sort of thing are found on the field, especially in remote, animistic areas of asia and africa, that isn't the spiritual warfare he is concerned with. Instead, it is the daily warfare that the Enemy does in the little things in life. You know--the materialism that creeps in, the lusts of the flesh, the pride of life that makes us want to be first...that kind of thing. I guess I'd never really thought of that as spiritual warfare, but it's been unbelievably good for me to listen to him. Today is the last day he's here with us. I have enjoyed getting to know him a little bit.
One of the things I am reading is a book called Church Planting Movements, which is a requirement of our region (CEE--Central and Eastern Europe). One of the things it says is that in most successful church planting movements, missionaries suffer. I don't want to suffer. I'm not for it. But I especially don't want my family to suffer. Whether it's my children on the field or my family in the states, I don't want to be faced with that. It is my greatest fear. But one of the things Dr. Rankin reminded us is that Satan is simply a messenger. He has no control over anything but what he whispers in our ear. He cannot give us cancer or make a car slide off the road. He simply isn't that powerful. I am protected by the Almighty God of the Universe, and so are those I love. Nothig will come to me except that which is sifted through His righteous right hand. What comfort and peace that is. I have spent a lot of time here praying through my fears for my family.
Many of you have emailed me your prayers for the children, especially for John-John. Thank you so much. He is starting to really settle in. We are blessed to be in a quad with one family we'll be with on the field--they live just up the metro from us in Moscow--and another couple in the Master's program (for retirees) who are so kind to my children. They have already learned to love their new aunts and uncles. (All MKs call other missionaries aunt and uncle...a way the IMB has of developing family relationships for us on the field.) Last night, we took the little kids to the playground, and there was a lot of noise and fun with other kids from our area of the farm (we live in the Asia section)...it was wonderful to hear them and watch them play and have fun. And John had a great day at school yesterday (even his teacher said it was a great day). They have implemented some things with him--like his kindergarten teacher did--and they are making a big difference. I am so thrilled. Thank you for praying.
Hannah and some friends have started a crochet club that meets in the afternoons. Sarah Beth and the other teenagers (they travel all together in a pack) are learning to salsa dance and playing ultimate frisbee. Life is pretty good. Let me say this--we prayed and prayed that Sarah Beth would have people here to befriend. This is an inordinately large group of teenagers. They are absolutely in love with one another. They go places together, joking and laughing and having fun, but they always obey the rules about boys and girls being together. I am so thrilled. The other parents here are so excited, too, about the way they have all gelled together.
A big thing for us is Saturday night. The children's ministry team and the AV team (which Marc is on--big surprise) are showing the premiere of High School Musical II for the whole campus. I wish you could have heard the excitement as it buzzed through the crowd when it was announced. The IMB is even giving us the big auditorium, and there will be a sing-along with the songs from the first one, and pizza and popcorn and cokes--huge for our kids. I cannot say enough what good care Southern Baptists take of their missionaries. If you put a penny in that plate for missions...thank you.
Well, it's time for me to run to breakfast. I am obviously really busy, or I would be blogging more. More than anything, I am forcing myself to sleep a little later in order to be more rested--something I have been very convicted about here. Know that you are loved beyond measure---by me! Blessings!
His,
Kellye
Sunday, August 12, 2007
CPMs, ILC, and RLMs...oh, my!
Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God--this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is--his good, pleasing, and perfect will. Romans 12:1-2
These verses took on a new meaning for me on Friday, which was a time for purposeful spiritual retreat. We took box lunches, found a place on campus, and had three hours of time for God to speak. It was an amazing time. Here is what God discussed with me:
1. I am not getting enough rest. It has become a matter of pride for me (how did that creep in again?) that I don't need rest. But I am mentally and physically exhausted. More rest, even if I have to force myself to get it, is necessary if I am going to be able to do what God has called me to do.
2. Discouragement is directly tied to exhaustion. We have had a hard week with John. He has given up his life, and he doesn't understand it. This school isn't like his school at home. We had a terrible, awful day on Thursday, a day in which I really thought we should just give up. Of course, that's just an emotion, and I have worked hard to know that emotion is not what I need to base my decisions on, but it felt like the right thing to at least think about. Picture this: you live in a quad with three other families, and your child is throwing a screaming, hissing, growling fit which everyone, including your new boss who happens to be living across from you in the quad with his wife and kids as missionary in residence for our training, can hear. Would you feel discouraged? I did. But part of that was that I was so physically exhausted that I'd let myself be spiritually exhausted. A friend lovingly pointed this out to me.
3. I am not up to the task. I cannot save Russia. But He is God Almighty, and He has promised to be with me. I am not alone. I do not have to have all the answers, and no one is expecting me to be immediately fluent in Russian. I am MUCH harder on myself than anyone at the IMB is ever going to be. There has been a lot of conviction on this point for me. I sometimes think if I'm organized enough, if I control things enough, then everything will be Norman Rockwell-perfect. Such is not the case. But He is a giant God. Look at what He has done to bring us here.
As you can see, this was a really important time for me. (I also took a nap, which the director of our training suggested since so many of us look exhausted.) We had a sharing time afterwards, and it was phenomenal. It was so encouraging to hear so many struggling with the same things we are. But the high point was listening as a Korean couple who are headed to a country I can't name talked to us and sang to us in Korean. Watching worship in someone's heart language is stunning. You could just almost hear the wind of the Holy Spirit breezing through. It brought tears to all of us, and I mean real tears, not just tearing up kind of tears. It was amazing. I am so impressed by people and what God has done in their lives. I can only tell my story, but I wish you could hear the "cloud of witnesses" around me telling theirs. Heart-stopping.
You're wondering about the title. CPMs are church planting movements, which is what we're here learning about daily. ILC is the International Learning Center, which is where we live. And RLMs? That's us--real live missionaries. :o) That one tickles me.
Please continue to pray for us and for our entire FPO group. (Field Personnel Orientation) Dr. and Mrs. Rankin are coming this week to talk about spiritual warfare. If you don't think this is a place that makes the enemy unhappy...you haven't read enough about the enemy. Please pray for Dr. and Mrs. Rankin and for us. Already there have been deaths and accidents in the families of our peers. Thank you for your continued prayer support. You are a vital member of our ministry team. Blessings!
His,
Kellye
These verses took on a new meaning for me on Friday, which was a time for purposeful spiritual retreat. We took box lunches, found a place on campus, and had three hours of time for God to speak. It was an amazing time. Here is what God discussed with me:
1. I am not getting enough rest. It has become a matter of pride for me (how did that creep in again?) that I don't need rest. But I am mentally and physically exhausted. More rest, even if I have to force myself to get it, is necessary if I am going to be able to do what God has called me to do.
2. Discouragement is directly tied to exhaustion. We have had a hard week with John. He has given up his life, and he doesn't understand it. This school isn't like his school at home. We had a terrible, awful day on Thursday, a day in which I really thought we should just give up. Of course, that's just an emotion, and I have worked hard to know that emotion is not what I need to base my decisions on, but it felt like the right thing to at least think about. Picture this: you live in a quad with three other families, and your child is throwing a screaming, hissing, growling fit which everyone, including your new boss who happens to be living across from you in the quad with his wife and kids as missionary in residence for our training, can hear. Would you feel discouraged? I did. But part of that was that I was so physically exhausted that I'd let myself be spiritually exhausted. A friend lovingly pointed this out to me.
3. I am not up to the task. I cannot save Russia. But He is God Almighty, and He has promised to be with me. I am not alone. I do not have to have all the answers, and no one is expecting me to be immediately fluent in Russian. I am MUCH harder on myself than anyone at the IMB is ever going to be. There has been a lot of conviction on this point for me. I sometimes think if I'm organized enough, if I control things enough, then everything will be Norman Rockwell-perfect. Such is not the case. But He is a giant God. Look at what He has done to bring us here.
As you can see, this was a really important time for me. (I also took a nap, which the director of our training suggested since so many of us look exhausted.) We had a sharing time afterwards, and it was phenomenal. It was so encouraging to hear so many struggling with the same things we are. But the high point was listening as a Korean couple who are headed to a country I can't name talked to us and sang to us in Korean. Watching worship in someone's heart language is stunning. You could just almost hear the wind of the Holy Spirit breezing through. It brought tears to all of us, and I mean real tears, not just tearing up kind of tears. It was amazing. I am so impressed by people and what God has done in their lives. I can only tell my story, but I wish you could hear the "cloud of witnesses" around me telling theirs. Heart-stopping.
You're wondering about the title. CPMs are church planting movements, which is what we're here learning about daily. ILC is the International Learning Center, which is where we live. And RLMs? That's us--real live missionaries. :o) That one tickles me.
Please continue to pray for us and for our entire FPO group. (Field Personnel Orientation) Dr. and Mrs. Rankin are coming this week to talk about spiritual warfare. If you don't think this is a place that makes the enemy unhappy...you haven't read enough about the enemy. Please pray for Dr. and Mrs. Rankin and for us. Already there have been deaths and accidents in the families of our peers. Thank you for your continued prayer support. You are a vital member of our ministry team. Blessings!
His,
Kellye
Thursday, August 9, 2007
Looking to the nations
Look to the nations, watch and be utterly amazed for I am going to do something in your days that you would not believe even if you were told. Habakkuk 1:5
Thank you, thank you, thank you! I received many emails yesterday of prayer support for our kids, and they had a really great day. In fact, last night as I was putting John-John to bed, he stretched and said, "I really enjoyed school today. I can't wait to go back tomorrow." I got tickled at him...he sounded like such a big man! By the way--the people who teach our children have all been on the mission field, and then chosen to follow God's call back to ILC to work for Him here. They are amazing people, and they were unbelievably well-prepared for our kids yesterday. They had cubbies and nametags and all kinds of things to make them feel at home. Hannah's teacher, Mr. Dustin, had already memorized who they were by last night...I watched him greet each of them by name. What a blessing to us. It's a time of transition for everyone, but they have certainly done everything possible to make it go as smoothly as it can.
Some of you have asked about what exactly ILC is. It's a huge farm which Southern Baptists use as a training center for missionaries. It used to be called MLC (missionary learning center), but the name had to be changed for security reasons. We live in quads with other families, sharing a large great room but having separate living space. It's so beautiful...yesterday Han and John-John and I went for a walk by the lake and saw a big old deer looking at us. It was awesome! There is a library for adults and one for kids, a computer lab, several big auditoriums, a surprisingly good cafeteria, and lots of living areas. Oh, and a gym...I haven't made my way there yet, having chosen just to walk the grounds instead.
Yesterday was the opening session for us. It was very moving. They had us stand up by regions...to see everyone who God has given a passion for their place at this time...He is so big. How He does it, I don't know. But if you could be here and see the absolute glow people have when they talk about their place, their people group, you would be amazed by Him. He has a vision for the nations. And as I looked out yesterday on my friends and colleagues, I couldn't help but wonder what He is up to in the world. You know which region had the largest number going? East Asia, a region synonymous with its only country, the largest on earth, which we don't mention for security reasons. Second largest group? NAME--North Africa and the Middle East. God has called them...and they've answered that call with the same passion we have for Russia. It gave me chills.
So look around. He's up to something big. Instead of asking Him to bless your plans for the day, I challenge you to pray for a passion for the lost of the world. I challenge you to look around, see where He's at work, and just show up with your sleeves rolled up and ready to go. There is great joy in obedience, my friends. In fact, I know that it's the greatest joy I've ever known in my life.
Blessings!
His,
kellye
Thank you, thank you, thank you! I received many emails yesterday of prayer support for our kids, and they had a really great day. In fact, last night as I was putting John-John to bed, he stretched and said, "I really enjoyed school today. I can't wait to go back tomorrow." I got tickled at him...he sounded like such a big man! By the way--the people who teach our children have all been on the mission field, and then chosen to follow God's call back to ILC to work for Him here. They are amazing people, and they were unbelievably well-prepared for our kids yesterday. They had cubbies and nametags and all kinds of things to make them feel at home. Hannah's teacher, Mr. Dustin, had already memorized who they were by last night...I watched him greet each of them by name. What a blessing to us. It's a time of transition for everyone, but they have certainly done everything possible to make it go as smoothly as it can.
Some of you have asked about what exactly ILC is. It's a huge farm which Southern Baptists use as a training center for missionaries. It used to be called MLC (missionary learning center), but the name had to be changed for security reasons. We live in quads with other families, sharing a large great room but having separate living space. It's so beautiful...yesterday Han and John-John and I went for a walk by the lake and saw a big old deer looking at us. It was awesome! There is a library for adults and one for kids, a computer lab, several big auditoriums, a surprisingly good cafeteria, and lots of living areas. Oh, and a gym...I haven't made my way there yet, having chosen just to walk the grounds instead.
Yesterday was the opening session for us. It was very moving. They had us stand up by regions...to see everyone who God has given a passion for their place at this time...He is so big. How He does it, I don't know. But if you could be here and see the absolute glow people have when they talk about their place, their people group, you would be amazed by Him. He has a vision for the nations. And as I looked out yesterday on my friends and colleagues, I couldn't help but wonder what He is up to in the world. You know which region had the largest number going? East Asia, a region synonymous with its only country, the largest on earth, which we don't mention for security reasons. Second largest group? NAME--North Africa and the Middle East. God has called them...and they've answered that call with the same passion we have for Russia. It gave me chills.
So look around. He's up to something big. Instead of asking Him to bless your plans for the day, I challenge you to pray for a passion for the lost of the world. I challenge you to look around, see where He's at work, and just show up with your sleeves rolled up and ready to go. There is great joy in obedience, my friends. In fact, I know that it's the greatest joy I've ever known in my life.
Blessings!
His,
kellye
Wednesday, August 8, 2007
We had tacos last night for dinner
In the morning, O LORD, You will hear my voice; In the morning I will order my prayer to You and eagerly watch. Psalm 5:3
This morning, I have ordered my prayer and am eagerly watching for what God is going to do. This is a day I have both longed for and dreaded--the first day of school at ILC (International Learning Center). The kids have been registered, we have our security beeper, backpacks are ready...and I am so nervous I could throw up. I read this morning in Acts that after Jesus' ascension, the believers were all joining together constantly in prayer, agreeing with one another about different things. So this morning, I am asking the believers to covenant together on behalf of my children. They are nervous. This is yet another transition. Do you get close to other kids here, only to leave them in eight weeks? Or do you sit by, lonely and on the outside, in order to protect yourself from losing someone else? My kids have given up their entire lives. Pray for them this morning. I am asking that you really pray for them. Call out their names before Him, and ask Him to bless them with peace today. I am counting on you for this. Thank you for your prayers. I know many of you have chosen to daily pray for one of them. What you do for my children, you do for me. Thanks.
On a less serious note, you're wondering a little about the title of today's blog. Yesterday, Marc told my friend Tara that his blog was "We had tacos for dinner," and my blog was "We had tacos for dinner, and this is how that makes me think of Jesus." I got kind of tickled at him. We do see the world differently, but in 17 years, we've never been happier. So, just to let you know, we did have tacos for dinner last night, and it didn't really make me think of Jesus. It did, however, make me a little bloated and gassy. :o)
A quick update on a story many of you have heard me tell. When we flew home from candidate conference in April, we got to know a young woman I'm going to call Laura for security reasons. Laura is a gorgeous blonde with more Vera Bradley than I've ever seen. She is headed to NAME (North Africa and the Middle East), a place that is not friendly to beautiful young blonde women with a penchant for Vera Bradley. When I asked her what her Momma thought of her going to NAME, she grinned and said, "My momma thinks they need missionaries in Canada." Marc saw Laura yesterday, and you'll be glad to know that she is gorgeous as a brunette, too. (Her hair had to be dyed in order to go where she's going.) Peaceful and calm and ready to go where God has called, no matter the cost...I am so in love with the Journeymen here. They are amazing and focused and wonderful. (Journeyman are between 22 and 30.) Pray for Laura today. God will know who you're talking about...He has security clearance.
Well, it's off to the cafeteria for breakfast. Thank you for loving me. Thank you for your prayers. You are sending us out the best way possible...by praying for us. I love you and hope today is full of blessings!
His,
Kellye
This morning, I have ordered my prayer and am eagerly watching for what God is going to do. This is a day I have both longed for and dreaded--the first day of school at ILC (International Learning Center). The kids have been registered, we have our security beeper, backpacks are ready...and I am so nervous I could throw up. I read this morning in Acts that after Jesus' ascension, the believers were all joining together constantly in prayer, agreeing with one another about different things. So this morning, I am asking the believers to covenant together on behalf of my children. They are nervous. This is yet another transition. Do you get close to other kids here, only to leave them in eight weeks? Or do you sit by, lonely and on the outside, in order to protect yourself from losing someone else? My kids have given up their entire lives. Pray for them this morning. I am asking that you really pray for them. Call out their names before Him, and ask Him to bless them with peace today. I am counting on you for this. Thank you for your prayers. I know many of you have chosen to daily pray for one of them. What you do for my children, you do for me. Thanks.
On a less serious note, you're wondering a little about the title of today's blog. Yesterday, Marc told my friend Tara that his blog was "We had tacos for dinner," and my blog was "We had tacos for dinner, and this is how that makes me think of Jesus." I got kind of tickled at him. We do see the world differently, but in 17 years, we've never been happier. So, just to let you know, we did have tacos for dinner last night, and it didn't really make me think of Jesus. It did, however, make me a little bloated and gassy. :o)
A quick update on a story many of you have heard me tell. When we flew home from candidate conference in April, we got to know a young woman I'm going to call Laura for security reasons. Laura is a gorgeous blonde with more Vera Bradley than I've ever seen. She is headed to NAME (North Africa and the Middle East), a place that is not friendly to beautiful young blonde women with a penchant for Vera Bradley. When I asked her what her Momma thought of her going to NAME, she grinned and said, "My momma thinks they need missionaries in Canada." Marc saw Laura yesterday, and you'll be glad to know that she is gorgeous as a brunette, too. (Her hair had to be dyed in order to go where she's going.) Peaceful and calm and ready to go where God has called, no matter the cost...I am so in love with the Journeymen here. They are amazing and focused and wonderful. (Journeyman are between 22 and 30.) Pray for Laura today. God will know who you're talking about...He has security clearance.
Well, it's off to the cafeteria for breakfast. Thank you for loving me. Thank you for your prayers. You are sending us out the best way possible...by praying for us. I love you and hope today is full of blessings!
His,
Kellye
Tuesday, August 7, 2007
FPO, shots aplenty, the meningitis belt, and being home
Leading Southern Baptists to be on mission with God to bring all the people of the world to saving faith in Jesus Christ. International Mission Board Mission Statement
First, the good news: We are here. We have arrived in Rockville, VA, where we will be living for the next eight weeks. It is hot as hot can be, but it's beautiful--rolling hills and a beautiful lake that is right outside our back window. We are next door to our friends Robert and Elaine, and John-John has quickly learned the way to their house, and James and Nathan (their boys) have quickly learned the way here. Our friends Matt and Tara are here, though they are far away because they are going to South America. We have already spent significant time with each family, and we are looking forward to lots more time with these and other friends. The kids have settled in, and it's been interesting to watch them basically shed their worries. John is happy to be with friends. Sarah Beth is happy to not have any goodbyes to say for a while. And Hannah is happy to have her Webkinz all in one place.
Now, the bad news: Shots. Lots of them. I have more than any of the others (9), but nobody has less than 6. We literally have three whole days where we do nothing but line up, get our shots, and then go home to recover. This doesn't include the HIV tests we all have to have. None of us are thrilled with any of this, but we knew this was coming, and we still signed on for the gig. No complaining here. Just kind of dreading the pain.
There is something called the meningitis belt in Africa. No kidding. I found out about it this morning in the immunizations meeting. I guess that's like the Bible belt, but deadlier. (That's Marc's joke, by the way.) I also found out that the IMB (International Mission Board) saves Southern Baptists nationwide 800,000 to 1,000,000 dollars yearly by giving their own vaccines here at the Farm. That's pretty impressive. I promise you, the IMB is absolutely working hard to be good stewards of your money.
We were so overjoyed to be here when we arrived yesterday that it was hard to contemplate anything else. However, I had a brief moment when I realized that others were making sacrifices all around me. I watched a set of parents slowly walking their daughter to her dorm as they left her to go off on her own into North Africa and the Middle East. If you could have seen their faces, could have watched the sacrifice they were making...that's what worship looks like. I know it was a sacrifice of praise that God Himself admired, and it was overwhelming to watch. Pray for those parents who are sending their babies away to far-off places where they will be in danger. It is no small thing they do.
Well, I'm off to take a rest before dinner. I'm having a hard time adjusting to the cafeteria. We're getting used to it, but it's still kind of weird not to have whatever we want for dinner. Oh, well...I'm sure there will be other things that are far harder than that to come...like all those shots!
Blessings!
His,
Kellye
First, the good news: We are here. We have arrived in Rockville, VA, where we will be living for the next eight weeks. It is hot as hot can be, but it's beautiful--rolling hills and a beautiful lake that is right outside our back window. We are next door to our friends Robert and Elaine, and John-John has quickly learned the way to their house, and James and Nathan (their boys) have quickly learned the way here. Our friends Matt and Tara are here, though they are far away because they are going to South America. We have already spent significant time with each family, and we are looking forward to lots more time with these and other friends. The kids have settled in, and it's been interesting to watch them basically shed their worries. John is happy to be with friends. Sarah Beth is happy to not have any goodbyes to say for a while. And Hannah is happy to have her Webkinz all in one place.
Now, the bad news: Shots. Lots of them. I have more than any of the others (9), but nobody has less than 6. We literally have three whole days where we do nothing but line up, get our shots, and then go home to recover. This doesn't include the HIV tests we all have to have. None of us are thrilled with any of this, but we knew this was coming, and we still signed on for the gig. No complaining here. Just kind of dreading the pain.
There is something called the meningitis belt in Africa. No kidding. I found out about it this morning in the immunizations meeting. I guess that's like the Bible belt, but deadlier. (That's Marc's joke, by the way.) I also found out that the IMB (International Mission Board) saves Southern Baptists nationwide 800,000 to 1,000,000 dollars yearly by giving their own vaccines here at the Farm. That's pretty impressive. I promise you, the IMB is absolutely working hard to be good stewards of your money.
We were so overjoyed to be here when we arrived yesterday that it was hard to contemplate anything else. However, I had a brief moment when I realized that others were making sacrifices all around me. I watched a set of parents slowly walking their daughter to her dorm as they left her to go off on her own into North Africa and the Middle East. If you could have seen their faces, could have watched the sacrifice they were making...that's what worship looks like. I know it was a sacrifice of praise that God Himself admired, and it was overwhelming to watch. Pray for those parents who are sending their babies away to far-off places where they will be in danger. It is no small thing they do.
Well, I'm off to take a rest before dinner. I'm having a hard time adjusting to the cafeteria. We're getting used to it, but it's still kind of weird not to have whatever we want for dinner. Oh, well...I'm sure there will be other things that are far harder than that to come...like all those shots!
Blessings!
His,
Kellye
Sunday, August 5, 2007
The countdown
Happy the soul which by a sincere self-renunciation, holds itself ceaselessly in the hands of its Creator, ready to do everything which he wishes; which never stops saying to itself a hundred times a day, "Lord, what wouldst thou that I should do?" Francois Fenelon, quoted in Celebration of Discipline by Richard Foster
You are probably tired of hearing about this book, but it's truly made a huge impact on me. This is from the section on worship, which I've been reading for a few days now. Worship is a topic God is really pounding away at me about, making sure that I don't think worship is only singing on a Sunday morning or in praise band on Sunday night, but that worship is a life lived constantly in tune with the One Who made it. I love the Casting Crowns song that says, "Lord, the worship we bring is more than songs that we sing, it's a reflection of our ever-changing hearts, the best we have to offer." Man, I want to give Jesus the best I have to offer, to give Him the life back that He's so graciously given me. I know I'm not there, yet, but progress is happening.
On Marc's computer, he has widgits, which are little things that tell him all kinds of information at a touch of the finger. One of his widgits is a dual countdown: one to FPO (Field Personnel Orientation), and one is to the day we set foot on the soil of Mother Russia. Today, the FPO countdown is at 1, and the Russia countdown is at 60. Unbelievable. If you have traveled this road with us, if you have even once prayed for us as we've taken this journey to get to this day...thank you so much. We have felt your prayers. Never in my life have I been more aware of the physical reality of the prayers of others. They have been like a warm coat on a very long, cold night. Thank you, thank you, thank you. I can never say it enough.
If you're wondering to yourself, "Self, why does Kellye's blog look especially good today? What is it about this blog that is different from the others?"--the answer is that this blog was written on my BRAND NEW LAPTOP!!! Yep, that's what Marc and the kids gave me for my birthday!!! It came in a Vera Bradley laptop case, which matches my entire collection of Vera Bradley that my parents, sisters, and aunt and uncle gave me for my birthday. Evidently, Marc and Sarah Beth have been planning this for months. It is so nice...it's a white MacBook (we are a totally Mac family), and it has all kinds of cool stuff on it. With some of the money I received, I'm going to buy the scrapbooking software for it, which will make it possible for me to digitally create scrapbooks, and either print them or keep them on my computer (or send them to others). How cool is that? Pretty cool! I could not have been any more surprised than if he'd bought me a car or something else that's huge. I absolutely love it, and I can't wait to figure out how to use every little program on it.
Well, it's time for me to run. Pray for us as we repack (for the three thousandth time) to go to FPO. We did not purchase a new bag yet to replace the one the airline destroyed, so we are short one of our huge bags. It is lots of fun! Thanks for the many birthday greetings yesterday. You made my day. On a similar note--today is my Mimsey's birthday, and I always think of her on this day. Mimsey died in 1995, and even though that was 12 years ago, I never have gotten over missing her. I know she's in heaven, and I know I'll see her again, but I still miss her. Mimsey and Papa's house was absolutely filled to the brim with love, and losing them twenty days apart remains one of the hardest things I've ever endured. Today, I will eat some cottage cheese and sliced tomatoes, which was my favorite lunch at Mimsey's house. What a blessing to have grandparents who loved me with a passion. I am one blessed woman! Blessings!
His,
Kellye
You are probably tired of hearing about this book, but it's truly made a huge impact on me. This is from the section on worship, which I've been reading for a few days now. Worship is a topic God is really pounding away at me about, making sure that I don't think worship is only singing on a Sunday morning or in praise band on Sunday night, but that worship is a life lived constantly in tune with the One Who made it. I love the Casting Crowns song that says, "Lord, the worship we bring is more than songs that we sing, it's a reflection of our ever-changing hearts, the best we have to offer." Man, I want to give Jesus the best I have to offer, to give Him the life back that He's so graciously given me. I know I'm not there, yet, but progress is happening.
On Marc's computer, he has widgits, which are little things that tell him all kinds of information at a touch of the finger. One of his widgits is a dual countdown: one to FPO (Field Personnel Orientation), and one is to the day we set foot on the soil of Mother Russia. Today, the FPO countdown is at 1, and the Russia countdown is at 60. Unbelievable. If you have traveled this road with us, if you have even once prayed for us as we've taken this journey to get to this day...thank you so much. We have felt your prayers. Never in my life have I been more aware of the physical reality of the prayers of others. They have been like a warm coat on a very long, cold night. Thank you, thank you, thank you. I can never say it enough.
If you're wondering to yourself, "Self, why does Kellye's blog look especially good today? What is it about this blog that is different from the others?"--the answer is that this blog was written on my BRAND NEW LAPTOP!!! Yep, that's what Marc and the kids gave me for my birthday!!! It came in a Vera Bradley laptop case, which matches my entire collection of Vera Bradley that my parents, sisters, and aunt and uncle gave me for my birthday. Evidently, Marc and Sarah Beth have been planning this for months. It is so nice...it's a white MacBook (we are a totally Mac family), and it has all kinds of cool stuff on it. With some of the money I received, I'm going to buy the scrapbooking software for it, which will make it possible for me to digitally create scrapbooks, and either print them or keep them on my computer (or send them to others). How cool is that? Pretty cool! I could not have been any more surprised than if he'd bought me a car or something else that's huge. I absolutely love it, and I can't wait to figure out how to use every little program on it.
Well, it's time for me to run. Pray for us as we repack (for the three thousandth time) to go to FPO. We did not purchase a new bag yet to replace the one the airline destroyed, so we are short one of our huge bags. It is lots of fun! Thanks for the many birthday greetings yesterday. You made my day. On a similar note--today is my Mimsey's birthday, and I always think of her on this day. Mimsey died in 1995, and even though that was 12 years ago, I never have gotten over missing her. I know she's in heaven, and I know I'll see her again, but I still miss her. Mimsey and Papa's house was absolutely filled to the brim with love, and losing them twenty days apart remains one of the hardest things I've ever endured. Today, I will eat some cottage cheese and sliced tomatoes, which was my favorite lunch at Mimsey's house. What a blessing to have grandparents who loved me with a passion. I am one blessed woman! Blessings!
His,
Kellye
Saturday, August 4, 2007
Turning 40 and the problem at the Giant
Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:6-7
I have two life Scriptures. Joshua 1:8-9 is one. This is the other. I love this translation, which is from my new Bible, because it uses the word comprehension instead of understanding. That fits very well, I think, my comprehension of what is being said here. When I am not anxious because I choose not to be anxious, when I take my concerns and lay them in the lap of the Father and I thank Him for the unbelievable blessings of my life, then I experience a peace in both my heart and my mind that is simply beyond what I can analyze. It's beyond what I can explain. It's beyond what I can comprehend. Analysis, explanation, comprehension--these are human abilities I've been blessed with, but they cannot begin to touch the surface of the glory of knowing Him. When I take the time to stand amazed in the presence of Jesus the Nazarene...He, my friends, is beyond my comprehension.
Okay, so I'm forty today. Yep. The big 4-0. I have already had a wonderful birthday--my sisters and parents and aunt and uncle went WAY overboard, and I even received more gifts from my sisters in the mail yesterday. (Thanks, especially, for the phone card and mix cookbook, by the way. I am looking forward to using both.) I know that Norma (Marc's mom) is cooking me dinner tonight, but I have no clue what Marc is doing for my birthday. Whatever it is, he is giddy with excitement over it. If you know Marc at all, you know that he is a really tender, kind man, and he LOVES to give gifts. This is definitely his love language. I, unfortunately, am a stinky gift giver. I struggle with what to get people I love things that they want or need. Not Marc. He always surprises me with something wonderful. So whatever it is, I'm sure I will love it.
If you're wondering about the problem at the Giant, you first need to know that the Giant is a grocery store here in Maryland that we went to last night to pick up something to grill for dinner. My kids were longing for a "regular" meal (meaning something boring that I make on any given night), so we stopped by to pick up a pork tenderloin. However, we were running a little behind schedule, and in my hurry to find the meat aisle, I failed to notice the Red Sea spread out in front of me. Therefore, I had no opportunity to call on God to part the waters, and instead fell, quite unceremoniously, on my behind. I'm not talking a dainty little slip, either. I'm saying my feet went up over my head. I crashed simultaneously into the floor and the island of orange juice which had sprung a freezer leak. And because I twisted in my efforts to somehow maintaing some semblance of grace, I managed to hurt both sides of my body. Of course, the management of the grocery store was quite apologetic and concerned (they might have heard the lady who saw the whole thing encourage us to "sue the socks off" of them), and I went on my merry way, still picking up the pork tenderloin that caused this whole thing. At about 4 this morning, I woke up feeling pretty stiff, so I came upstairs, sat on the couch and watched "Walk the Line" on my iPod. (By the way--what a fabulous movie!) As the sun came up, I took an inventory of how much damage I'd done, and I don't think it's anything too serious. However, every single part of my body does hurt pretty badly. I have some ugly bruises, and my eyebrows feel stiff. You don't think it's because I'm forty, do you? :o)
On a serious note, as we wind down our time here, please pray for my little family. It is an odd feeling to be on "vacation" with everything you own, and know that you aren't ever going home. My kids are definitely feeling the stress of transition. They have been so tremendous, and my mommy-heart breaks to see them struggle, even though I know it's part of what we signed on for and that everyone's children are struggling...it still kills me. John-John cried as we left the home of some friends on Wednesday, both because he had to leave people again and he had to say goodbye to their cats. He, especially, is struggling because he misses his life. Thankfully, we know who our neighbors at FPO are, and John will have playmates for the eight weeks we're there. That will help. But pray for us. It's hard. And I'm turning 40 without my momma and daddy and aunt and uncle, and that's hard, too.
Okay, enough of that. You are loved ( by me, but more importantly, by Jesus)! Blessings!
His,
Kellye
I have two life Scriptures. Joshua 1:8-9 is one. This is the other. I love this translation, which is from my new Bible, because it uses the word comprehension instead of understanding. That fits very well, I think, my comprehension of what is being said here. When I am not anxious because I choose not to be anxious, when I take my concerns and lay them in the lap of the Father and I thank Him for the unbelievable blessings of my life, then I experience a peace in both my heart and my mind that is simply beyond what I can analyze. It's beyond what I can explain. It's beyond what I can comprehend. Analysis, explanation, comprehension--these are human abilities I've been blessed with, but they cannot begin to touch the surface of the glory of knowing Him. When I take the time to stand amazed in the presence of Jesus the Nazarene...He, my friends, is beyond my comprehension.
Okay, so I'm forty today. Yep. The big 4-0. I have already had a wonderful birthday--my sisters and parents and aunt and uncle went WAY overboard, and I even received more gifts from my sisters in the mail yesterday. (Thanks, especially, for the phone card and mix cookbook, by the way. I am looking forward to using both.) I know that Norma (Marc's mom) is cooking me dinner tonight, but I have no clue what Marc is doing for my birthday. Whatever it is, he is giddy with excitement over it. If you know Marc at all, you know that he is a really tender, kind man, and he LOVES to give gifts. This is definitely his love language. I, unfortunately, am a stinky gift giver. I struggle with what to get people I love things that they want or need. Not Marc. He always surprises me with something wonderful. So whatever it is, I'm sure I will love it.
If you're wondering about the problem at the Giant, you first need to know that the Giant is a grocery store here in Maryland that we went to last night to pick up something to grill for dinner. My kids were longing for a "regular" meal (meaning something boring that I make on any given night), so we stopped by to pick up a pork tenderloin. However, we were running a little behind schedule, and in my hurry to find the meat aisle, I failed to notice the Red Sea spread out in front of me. Therefore, I had no opportunity to call on God to part the waters, and instead fell, quite unceremoniously, on my behind. I'm not talking a dainty little slip, either. I'm saying my feet went up over my head. I crashed simultaneously into the floor and the island of orange juice which had sprung a freezer leak. And because I twisted in my efforts to somehow maintaing some semblance of grace, I managed to hurt both sides of my body. Of course, the management of the grocery store was quite apologetic and concerned (they might have heard the lady who saw the whole thing encourage us to "sue the socks off" of them), and I went on my merry way, still picking up the pork tenderloin that caused this whole thing. At about 4 this morning, I woke up feeling pretty stiff, so I came upstairs, sat on the couch and watched "Walk the Line" on my iPod. (By the way--what a fabulous movie!) As the sun came up, I took an inventory of how much damage I'd done, and I don't think it's anything too serious. However, every single part of my body does hurt pretty badly. I have some ugly bruises, and my eyebrows feel stiff. You don't think it's because I'm forty, do you? :o)
On a serious note, as we wind down our time here, please pray for my little family. It is an odd feeling to be on "vacation" with everything you own, and know that you aren't ever going home. My kids are definitely feeling the stress of transition. They have been so tremendous, and my mommy-heart breaks to see them struggle, even though I know it's part of what we signed on for and that everyone's children are struggling...it still kills me. John-John cried as we left the home of some friends on Wednesday, both because he had to leave people again and he had to say goodbye to their cats. He, especially, is struggling because he misses his life. Thankfully, we know who our neighbors at FPO are, and John will have playmates for the eight weeks we're there. That will help. But pray for us. It's hard. And I'm turning 40 without my momma and daddy and aunt and uncle, and that's hard, too.
Okay, enough of that. You are loved ( by me, but more importantly, by Jesus)! Blessings!
His,
Kellye
Thursday, August 2, 2007
My wonderful dysfunctional family (or why I am such a big Waa Waa)
Worship is our response to the overtures of love from the heart of the Father...Singing, praying, praising all may lead to worship, but worship is more than any of them. Our spirit must be ignited by the Divine fire. Celebration of Discipline, Richard Foster
Having served under a true worship leader for the past five years, I am loving the section of this book on worship. For many years of my life, I believed that the singing, praying and praising were the worship, but as I have matured in my faith, I have come to realize that these are just the outside forms worship takes. True worship, worship the Father likes, comes when my soul is totally in tune and listening to Him. Sometimes, that is absolutely musical. And sometimes, that's very quiet. I fear that in many churches, the music is the focus of worship, when the Father should be the object of worship. And while I love corporate worship with my brothers and sisters in Christ, I know that it only comes out of the overflow of my own private worship. Here's hoping your day began with some time for private worship of the One who adores you more than you can imagine.
Now, you're wondering about my dysfunctional family, so let me explain. For those of you who don't know me that well, I come from a wonderful family. My immediate family growing up was my parents and two older sisters. But we come from a large extended family on both sides. It's a big, Southern, everybody-talk-at-once kind of family. My Uncle Raleigh long ago said that we were dysfunctional because we were so in love with each other and kind to one another, because the rest of the world didn't "do" family like that. As I've grown over the years, and especially as I've been in the public schools, I have come to realize that our very tight-knit family isn't the norm. And I couldn't be more grateful. I'll take my dysfunctional family where we all are crazy about one another over somebody else's family any day of the week.
So yesterday, we went to the nursing home with Phil. I sang and led the music, Marc spoke, and Sarah Beth just sat there and looked good. This is a ministry Phil is very devoted to, so I think he was really happy to have us there. We sang every slow, way out of my vocal range hymn we could find, and then Marc spoke for a few minutes about what we would be doing in Russia, and then he showed a video he made about our trip to St. Petersburg in March. Sarah Beth and I moved to the back of the room so that people didn't have to look through our big heads. Well, my daddy did the voice-over for Viktor Sipko, a leader of the Russian Baptist Union, for the video. As soon as I heard his voice, I started to tear up. Then I looked at Sarah Beth, who started to tear up. Then the real crying began. Now I am an almost-forty-year-old woman, and I am sitting in the back of the room crying because I really miss my momma and daddy. What a waa-waa (a phrase coined by my sister many years ago to indicate someone is a big crybaby)! But I just couldn't help myself. I do miss my momma and daddy. A lot. The good news is, I can talk to them whenever I want. The bad news is, it's not the same as being there. But I'll take missing them over not missing them because they're creepy any day. I'm thankful that I have such a great relationship with them, and I know that my big, loud, dysfunctional family is a blessing from God. (But if you see my momma and daddy on Sunday at church, give them a hug for me, please.)
I must run. I hope each of you hugs and kisses your wonderful family today. Above all, thank God for those He has blessed you with today. Blessings!
His,
Kellye
Having served under a true worship leader for the past five years, I am loving the section of this book on worship. For many years of my life, I believed that the singing, praying and praising were the worship, but as I have matured in my faith, I have come to realize that these are just the outside forms worship takes. True worship, worship the Father likes, comes when my soul is totally in tune and listening to Him. Sometimes, that is absolutely musical. And sometimes, that's very quiet. I fear that in many churches, the music is the focus of worship, when the Father should be the object of worship. And while I love corporate worship with my brothers and sisters in Christ, I know that it only comes out of the overflow of my own private worship. Here's hoping your day began with some time for private worship of the One who adores you more than you can imagine.
Now, you're wondering about my dysfunctional family, so let me explain. For those of you who don't know me that well, I come from a wonderful family. My immediate family growing up was my parents and two older sisters. But we come from a large extended family on both sides. It's a big, Southern, everybody-talk-at-once kind of family. My Uncle Raleigh long ago said that we were dysfunctional because we were so in love with each other and kind to one another, because the rest of the world didn't "do" family like that. As I've grown over the years, and especially as I've been in the public schools, I have come to realize that our very tight-knit family isn't the norm. And I couldn't be more grateful. I'll take my dysfunctional family where we all are crazy about one another over somebody else's family any day of the week.
So yesterday, we went to the nursing home with Phil. I sang and led the music, Marc spoke, and Sarah Beth just sat there and looked good. This is a ministry Phil is very devoted to, so I think he was really happy to have us there. We sang every slow, way out of my vocal range hymn we could find, and then Marc spoke for a few minutes about what we would be doing in Russia, and then he showed a video he made about our trip to St. Petersburg in March. Sarah Beth and I moved to the back of the room so that people didn't have to look through our big heads. Well, my daddy did the voice-over for Viktor Sipko, a leader of the Russian Baptist Union, for the video. As soon as I heard his voice, I started to tear up. Then I looked at Sarah Beth, who started to tear up. Then the real crying began. Now I am an almost-forty-year-old woman, and I am sitting in the back of the room crying because I really miss my momma and daddy. What a waa-waa (a phrase coined by my sister many years ago to indicate someone is a big crybaby)! But I just couldn't help myself. I do miss my momma and daddy. A lot. The good news is, I can talk to them whenever I want. The bad news is, it's not the same as being there. But I'll take missing them over not missing them because they're creepy any day. I'm thankful that I have such a great relationship with them, and I know that my big, loud, dysfunctional family is a blessing from God. (But if you see my momma and daddy on Sunday at church, give them a hug for me, please.)
I must run. I hope each of you hugs and kisses your wonderful family today. Above all, thank God for those He has blessed you with today. Blessings!
His,
Kellye
Wednesday, August 1, 2007
Falling short of the Proverbs 31 woman
Strength and dignity are her clothing, and she smiles at the future. She opens her mouth in wisdom, and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue...Charm is deceitful and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the LORD, she shall be praised. Proverbs 31:25-26; 30
I don't have much time this morning, but I wanted to take a couple of minutes to commiserate with the sisterhood over this stinking Proverbs 31 woman. She rises before dawn (okay, I've got that one down), she makes her own clothes (nope), she makes and sells belts to the tradesmen (nope), she is clothed in purple (I'm clothed in kitty-cat pajama pants), her husband is known at the gate (kind of...we're in his hometown), her children rise up and call her blessed (my children just call me mommy)...you get the idea. I'd personally like to avoid her at all costs, because I just don't measure up to her. I don't claim to have charm, but I've spent an awful lot of time working on beauty. I don't know that strength and dignity are my clothing (again...the kitty-cat pajama pants), and I'm pretty certain when I open my mouth, wisdom and kindness are not what always emerge. I'd rather avoid her than study her, because she is just a reminder that I am not all that God created me to be.
Here's the rub: if I say that all Scripture is truth without any measure of error...then I have to take her at face value. Now, I'm not saying that God's will for my life is to go into the belt-making business at the city gates of Moscow, because I'm pretty sure that's not going to be the case, but I am saying that if she is an indication of what God is looking for in a woman of true worth, then I need to pay attention to her. This is especially meaningful to me as I embark on the adventure of being a stay-at-home mom for the first time in my almost forty years. It is something I really, really want to do well. I have had a great deal of success with other people's children, but all of that will be meaningless if I am not a success with my own children. I am blessed with an amazing husband, one who has treated me like a princess since the day we married, even when I didn't always deserve to be treated as such. According to this (and to the IMB, by the way), I am supposed to be taking care of that guy. How often am I focused on what I need to be focused on in the day-to-day operation of our household? Unfortunately, I can get pretty distracted.
So here's to the Proverbs 31 woman. I won't ever totally measure up, but as I study her, I hope to become more like her. God has already worked amazing miracles in my life--who knows that a total transformation into this woman isn't in His plan? I just hope He lets me keep the kitty-cat pajama pants. Blessings!
His,
Kellye
I don't have much time this morning, but I wanted to take a couple of minutes to commiserate with the sisterhood over this stinking Proverbs 31 woman. She rises before dawn (okay, I've got that one down), she makes her own clothes (nope), she makes and sells belts to the tradesmen (nope), she is clothed in purple (I'm clothed in kitty-cat pajama pants), her husband is known at the gate (kind of...we're in his hometown), her children rise up and call her blessed (my children just call me mommy)...you get the idea. I'd personally like to avoid her at all costs, because I just don't measure up to her. I don't claim to have charm, but I've spent an awful lot of time working on beauty. I don't know that strength and dignity are my clothing (again...the kitty-cat pajama pants), and I'm pretty certain when I open my mouth, wisdom and kindness are not what always emerge. I'd rather avoid her than study her, because she is just a reminder that I am not all that God created me to be.
Here's the rub: if I say that all Scripture is truth without any measure of error...then I have to take her at face value. Now, I'm not saying that God's will for my life is to go into the belt-making business at the city gates of Moscow, because I'm pretty sure that's not going to be the case, but I am saying that if she is an indication of what God is looking for in a woman of true worth, then I need to pay attention to her. This is especially meaningful to me as I embark on the adventure of being a stay-at-home mom for the first time in my almost forty years. It is something I really, really want to do well. I have had a great deal of success with other people's children, but all of that will be meaningless if I am not a success with my own children. I am blessed with an amazing husband, one who has treated me like a princess since the day we married, even when I didn't always deserve to be treated as such. According to this (and to the IMB, by the way), I am supposed to be taking care of that guy. How often am I focused on what I need to be focused on in the day-to-day operation of our household? Unfortunately, I can get pretty distracted.
So here's to the Proverbs 31 woman. I won't ever totally measure up, but as I study her, I hope to become more like her. God has already worked amazing miracles in my life--who knows that a total transformation into this woman isn't in His plan? I just hope He lets me keep the kitty-cat pajama pants. Blessings!
His,
Kellye
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