Sunday, December 6, 2009

Gone Fishin' in China

In Chengdu, I spent the afternoon buying and giving fish food to children at the park. They fed the "goldfish" in the pond and were delighted when the carp sucked the air at the top of the water. The fish were so thick that the duckling could actually stand on top of the fishes backs! The little guys below had a really great time watching the action after tossing the food into the water.You don't have to speak Mandarin to know that he was asking me for more. I don't know how long I did this - maybe two hours or so. The children were such a delight to watch. Chinese children have their hearts wrapped around my finger!

Grant's Room

His door was closed. He was sleeping. I went in to wake him to start his day. This is what I found...What to do? Do you have one of these in your home? :-)

How do you know if you're called to be a foreign missionary?

Do these faces move you?Do new cultures fascinate you?Do new foods excite you?Does meeting new people float your boat?Do the hurting cause your heart to hurt?Do you long for them to know the Truth?God's heart is for all people to know Him. He wants them to know the saving Grace that sets us free. He wants them to experience Love that is limitless and boundless. He longs for them to know Peace - true peace that is not shattered by the sorrow and sadness that life brings. Pray today if He has called you to go. Does He want you to uproot your family and move to a closed country? Maybe... How beautiful are the feet that bring the good news. I can't think of a better way to live out the rest of my life.

Wednesday, December 2, 2009

Heart of God - Beautiful Feet Bootcamp Graduation

After five months of intense studying and training (which includes reading books and more books, push ups, crickets and show tunes), our Beautiful Feet Missionary Bootcamp Class #15 of 2009 graduated and are ready to head to the field! See the feet on the wall behind them of the others that have gone before them!Eric talked about David's three mighty men that brought the king a cup of water. It was a great challenge. Maia even cried a little.The crowd was really big! There were a thousand people there! Ok, I'm terrible at judging how large a crowd is. Maybe there were 200.We sang and worshiped together.John talked a wee bit too. (He uses his hands and eyebrows a lot.)Jim and LaVina sang.Then Tom, Jamie and John handed out the graduation certificates.And lastly, we prayed for them and sent them on their way. We've got someone going to Taiwan. Others are thinking about China and still others about Thailand. We'll see where God is calling them to go in the next few weeks! Congratulations BFBC class #15 of 2009!

Tuesday, December 1, 2009

Mornings at My House

My mornings start with a weenie dog barkin' for her breakfast.There's no peace and quiet until this little chore is done!It's a serious affair not to be interrupted by a pat on the back or a rub on the tummy. There's growlin' goin' on if you come near her plate!Aaaaahhhhh....but after wards - it's nap time! Even though she just got up from sleepin' all night! Murphy is 14 1/2 now. The old girl can snooze if she wants to.