Southeast Asia

I have given you my prayers for a year.  I have read your stories, looked at your photos, tried your foods.  I have studied your maps, looked at your history.    My thoughts are in Southeast Asia when I wake and when I fall asleep.  I have given you my best. 

You have my son, you have my daughter in law; my grandchildren.  You have my heart.  My prayer is that the Holy Spirit will move among the precious souls in your borders.  My desire is to meet your children one day. 

I have fallen in love with a people I do not know.  My heart breaks as I think of the multitude who do not believe in God.  Souls, Holy Father, I pray for souls to be saved.  I pray that this beautiful nation of Thailand come to know You.

An Ouchie

Rebecca, Lauren and I were in an accident, the 5th of April. We were meeting a semi-truck when a women who was following the semi turned left right in front of us. We never saw her little truck behind the semi until she just turned into our lane. We hit her broadside. We were going maybe 45 miles an hour. We had just completed a full stop at a stop sign and had not reached the speed limit of 65 miles an hour yet. We barely had time to hit the brakes before we hit her, no place to go, nothing to do but hit her. She was not wearing seatbelt, hit her head on windshield and had a pretty bad cut, but the medics said they thought she would be ok. She was thrown to the passenger side and hit that glass hard, too.


None of us had to go to the hospital. Rebecca's neck is a little sore. Jeff made an appointment at the Wellness Center here in town for her to have the stiffness worked out. They said a 'salt bath' or something, too. It is for this afternoon. I hit my knees on the dash, a little bruised, but not even stiff this morning. The seatbelts did a real number on me and Rebecca, the seatbelt knocked all the air out of my lungs and it took a few seconds to get my air back, but I would rather that than what the woman suffered for not having her seatbelt on! Lauren was in the back seat of the truck and got a scratch on her back and jammed three of her fingers, looks like that is all.  It has been a couple of weeks and everyone seems to be getting along fine, except for myself.  I guess old people take longer or something!  I am still hoping my injuries are minor and will heal by themselves.  Most days I feel like I am improving... some days I not so much! :)

Rebecca was able to get the truck stopped, by the grace of God, before we went over a 20 foot embankment. We were both looking at that embankment as the truck carrened toward it, Rebecca was turning the wheels to the left and she said, "I can't get it stopped", and then "I can't stop" and then, it just came to the softest stop you have ever seen in your life! I cannot explain it, we were going really fast straight towards it, then we were just stopped. Last night, at the house, we were talking about that moment and I said, "I wonder why the airbags didn't deploy?" If they had, Rebecca would not have been able to see the embankment or even reach the steering wheel to steer the truck.

We may be a little stiff, a little bruised, but we are whole and I know as well as I know that I am writing this letter; that God cared for us. He allowed no more than what was His Will. Truly, His grace is sufficient. I pray that His will, His plans are done. The man that ran across the street and prayed with Lauren and the woman, the man who came up to Rebecca and said I know your son, the police officer, the woman we hit, each life God reached, even the people this afternoon at the Wellness Center, may God's will be done, souls saved, lives affected, changed.

If I could choose, I would choose not to have a wreck, but God's ways are not my ways. I only see my life, my family. God's sees and loves all of us. I praise Him that no life was lost and I pray that a soul may be saved! To God be the glory.

Getting Up

A friend asked me today, "What is success?"  My response was "getting up".  Debbie will think I mean "getting out of bed in the morning", but my answer is so much more than the simple act of will it takes to get oneself out of bed.  Life has a way of knocking us down.  Have you ever watched a baby learning to walk?  They fall, they get up, sometimes they are scared to get up, but sooner or later, they will try again.  The bad bumps and bruises don't come until later, after they have learned to walk.  When they head for the stairs or try to exit a door.  Of course later, there is the bicycle, the skateboard, the motorcycle, the hang gliding and on and on the list goes.  The point is: they get up, they continue to grow, they reach for new experiences.  Do they fall?  Yes.  Do they get hurt? Yes.  Do they get up? Yes! Success is getting up when you fall.  Success is trying again. 

Coy Gnade made the statement that everyone is getting a divorce.  This teenager cries out for security in the home.  The sad truth is the home is the very place we get knocked down the most.  It is the place where we feel the pain most.  It is the place where we have the most trouble getting back up.  It is the place the devil attacks most.  Sometimes it feels as if he can suck the energy right out of our bodies.  The desire to get up is gone.  The strength is gone.  The willingness to face the problem head on is gone.  We fall flat on our face.  We blame the failure on our spouse, our children, our spouse, our finances, our spouse, our church, our spouse, our government, our spouse, our parents and usually...on our spouse!  I always think of Job here, he didn't blame God exactly, but he did say; "The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away."  I remember years ago, writing in my journal that life could not be sweeter, brighter... just a few days before I received some of the most devastating news of my life!  I fell from the mountian peak into the abyss.  And I put the blame on every doorstep... except the devils and on sin, right where it belongs. 

My gracious God taught me through the trying times.  He stayed with me.  He lifted me up and he helt me, until the fear was less and I was ready to try to get up, try to walk again.  Through His strength, I became stronger.  As I look over the trying times in my life, I see that God was always there.  He provided exactly what I needed, when I needed it.  I also see that in times of trial, I ran to HIM.  I prayed, I read my Bible, I reached out for God and He was there.  I learned to depend upon Him in my time of need.  I can get up, by the grace of the Almighty God, I can get up, one more time!

I thank God for His love and care for me.  I thank God for each valley and each mountain top.  I believe I will appreciate and enjoy the mountain tops more than ever I could . . . because of the valleys. 

Feburary 12, 2010

How beautiful the wide expanse of  'white' lawn between my trailer and Rebecca's home!  The smoke from the chimney disappears into the grey skies.  This is our third snow this year!  North Texas received their fair share this time; somewhere around ten inches.  One can only hope this is the last of it for this season!  But, then again, it is early yet.

Lee called me this morning from Lanny's phone. Lanny stopped by with his bus to have breakfast with them, before continuing his trek to Oklahoma. He hopes to be here tomorrow evening. Lee talked excitedly a few moments, then said, "Mama, it is hard to do this (Wii) and talk on the phone."

Today, is Ronny McKnight's birthday. He is 62 years old. How quickly time seems to pass. As we look backward, it is like the chimney smoke that quickly drifts into the grey sky. A scent left for a short moment then, gone.

Beside the fireplace in Rebecca's Dream House is the place to be on this winter wonderland day.  The snow continues to fall, turning the dull browns of winter into beautiful white.  As long as I don't remind myself of having to walk home in a little while, I can enjoy it!

Randy and Gwendolyn left Jimenez Tuesday, after lunch.  Wednesday morning they were at Mary's and today (Friday) they are in Virginia.  An arduous trip under normal circumstances, but racing against the elements, pulling a trailer and wrestling with sinus problems makes it a real hardship for Randy. 

Because of the winter storm, Randy made the decision to drive through the southern states to Tennessee, then across to Virginia.  I missed seeing everyone, but know they will be back this way soon.  Lanny did get to see them for a little while.  He said William was laughing a lot. They grow so quickly, or is it, time marches onward?

Family Ties - Changes

How things change in our lives!  When I started Family Ties seven months ago, Randy, Gwen and their four were busy in Jimenez and Rhyan was working toward Central America.  Lanny and I were living in the trailer behind Jeff and Rebecca's house in Mineral Wells while Rhyan and Lauren were packing the big ol bus with all their belongs from inside Jeff and Rebecca's old house.  Jeff and Rebecca were moving into their dream house in McAlester. It is amazing to just look at where we are today!

Randy, Gwen and their FIVE have left Jimenez and are on their way to Thailand!  Lauren has completed her language classes and they are finishing deputation to return to Central America.  My trailer is now behind the "dream house" in McAlester.

Tommy and Mona have spent much time on the field in Chiapas and are now on deputation!  Randy and Gwen have made a trip to Thailand and Lanny and Randy made a trip to India!

David and Jolene had a beautiful Jewish lady saved while on their anniversary in Jerusalem!  They moved into their new home.  Billie had another of her ladies banquets with souls saved.  Praise God for each testimony shared, each soul saved.  To God be the Glory! 

I spent a month with Lauren and Rhyan in Antigua, Guatemala.  I spent a month in Cd. Jimenez, Mexico with Randy and Gwen.  I've made three other trips back to Jimenez.  I've been to Monterrey and to Missouri. 

About six o'clock, last Saturday evening, Richard Henry Ashcraft; Uncle Bud, closed his eyes on earth and opened them in Heaven.  He was three months short of ninety-five!  God blessed him with a long, fruitful life.  He spoke of Jesus as naturally as one speaks of a brother or neighbor.  He spent much of his time on earth telling others of Jesus Christ.  I am honored to have met him and I joyfully include myself as his niece.

January, 2010, here we come!! 

   

Thanksgiving

It would be best to change this page for something else. It is not working as well as I had hoped.