Boston- Part 2

Truth be told I didn't want to go to Boston. I was tired, physically feeling weak and honestly didn't know what I could possibly do that would help make an impact. And so, I told Bruce...."don't sign me up". Well either he has selective hearing or needs a hearing aid...because the next thing I know our missions pastor is asking me what my t-shirt size is. I wasn't happy. Bruce and I had a fairly short argument   discussion which ended in him saying I'm sorry  "You're going". ( I remember a similar discussion my parents had when I was a teenager living at home....it ended up with "Get in the car, Nancy" and us owning a cat for the next 10 years or so).

So....I packed and got on the van to ride to the airport....and on the van I read these words....

Here am I Lord, send me. - Isaiah 6:8

Conviction swelled within my heart. I knew I had some confessing to do. My attitude had been poor and my heart had not been committed to this trip. So I prayed...and as quick as the conviction the forgiveness came. 

We arrived in Boston late and it was after 1am before my head hit the pillow. We were up and at 'em early every morning for the next 8 days and worked harder than I've ever worked on a mission trip. It was just the nature of the trip..the purpose. 

In my short 8 days in Boston I learned that

1. Bostonians get a bad wrap...they are nicer than their reputation would have you believe.

2. Driving rivals NYC

3. Under extreme pressure, with no traffic, double parking spaces and a friend to help me, I can  parallel park a 15 passenger van.

4. Baptist means nothing there...even if it's a word on your church sign

5. Homosexuality and transgendered lifestyles are opening celebrated and widely accepted. 

6. The Atlantic Coastal region of Cape Ann might be my 2nd favorite place on the planet. 

7. Boston Baptist College Campus is gorgeous

8. They are training the very people who will reach this city and other NE cities for Christ.

9. These students are learning to defend and understand their faith...believe me...in a way that will be challenged in a way I can't even fathom. New Englanders aren't afraid to eat you alive.

10. God strategically place this institution in the middle of Harvard and MIT and Cambridge...in the middle of humanism and liberalism to make a difference.  I want to support this. 

....I want to support something outside the Bible Belt. I was shocked at how shocked I was at the amount of moral compromise and governmental chaos I learned of ....we are so sheltered here in Texas and sometimes it's so easy to get wrapped up in our own little worlds that we forget how the rest of the world lives. They live different. They believe different. They cope different. There is only one uniting voice...only one united way....Jesus. He's the common factor that we all need. This was made more clear to me even before I left DFW on the way to Boston when I had the opportunity to talk to a Bostonian heading home about her faith. In which she said "I just need some hope". We truly do all need the same thing...hope....hope in Jesus. I got to share with her that hope. Who knows if she's decided to follow Jesus or not....but she knows where to find hope.

Sometimes we can get so focused on ourselves...our lives...our families...our hobbies...our churches ...our work...our desires...our problems,  that we forget how badly the rest of the world needs to hear about our hope...our Jesus. This trip was a great reminder that those things are really ALL a person really needs.  

This trip was also a great reminder that the US is full of places that lack the bright Light of Jesus. Because there are fewer Christians in Boston it's important to support the efforts...just the same way we support efforts to reach the unreached in other countries. So many times we make prideful statements that the US is "Christian" or "Godly" and in a weird way regard reaching our own as a lower priority...I beg...plead and boldly say....we are not a Christian nation..we are not Godly. It was never more obvious than walking the Cape Ann boardwalk and seeing our morals in such a decline.  The harbor in Boston that welcomed so many for Biblical freedoms hundreds of years ago is much different today. Different in a very alarming way. We need to help shine the light brighter to these dark cities and I'm thankful for the short 8 days we had to walk along side, work along side and encourage and be encouraged by the staff and families of Boston Baptist College.

I'm already ready to return. 

Boston Bound

In a few days my family and I along with 11 others from our church will be headed to Boston to help do some work at Boston Baptist College. 

While there we will be remodeling an apartment where guests from around the world stay while they visit the campus for teaching or meetings. We will also be scraping and painting various areas around campus, planting flower beds, washing down baseboards and making welcome back packets for all the students for when they will return in September. We are excited about ministering to this community of Christian young adults preparing for the ministry and to their staff who lead and teach them.

We will have the opportunity to take in some of the sights of Boston and the New England area. I'm sure we will be taking lots of pictures and I'll post some when we return.

Why Boston? Well, funny you should ask. Over a year ago Bruce had the opportunity to visit the campus, speak in chapel and get acquainted with the campus and professors better. He came back to Texas extremely excited to see this Biblical institution training up young men and women in an area of the country where our Biblical worldview is challenged on a daily basis. In the midst of his excitement he also became burdened for the lack of Christianity in this city that seems so foundational in our Christian heritage in America. Humanism, cultural influences and our straying from Godly principles in government has influenced the Boston culture greatly. After visiting with the president of the college six months ago, Bruce felt very compelled for us to help this institution as they raise up a generation of pastors, teachers, preachers, worship leaders who are preparing to take the gospel to our own country and abroad.

Boston ranks 91 of 96 in the least Bible minded cities in America. By helping Boston Baptist College we are hoping to help with their efforts of spreading the Bible's message, Christ's message to their city as their students work, minister and reach out to their city for four years or more while they make Boston their home.

What can you do? Pray...for safety and for seeds to be planted and for God to bless our efforts. We want to be an encouragement to the people we minister with and also to have opportunities to share the gospel as the Lord opens the doors.

Days of Thanks #11

Day 11- I'm thankful for missionaries who carry the good news to places I will never be able to go. Thank you for your service to God and your obedience to His calling.

WY13 Mission Trip Recap #4

The great part about taking a large group on a mission trip is the amount of work and ministry you can get done with all the people pitching in and helping. That's exactly what happened. About 6 of our men made up a construction team. They built shelving in FBC's storage unit, built and stained a communion table and offering box, installed doors at the parsonage, fixed some plumbing issues, repaired sheetrock,  framed whiteboards and more. Unfortunately most of that happened during VBS and I didn't get pictures.

However, after VBS the rest of us joined in the work. We cleaned out flower beds, replanted and mulched the flowerbed around the sign. We created a flower bed on the side of the building and cleaned up along the buildings. Our most difficult chore was digging up tiny cactus that were all over the back couple of acres of land. Truly...after working several hours we had only made a small dent in this chore. But, progress is progress, right?

We also helped by wiping down doors and molding and cleaning all the windows in the church. 

Helping do these chores was a blessing to me. It helped me remember the hard work it takes to start and pastor a smaller church. Chances are that Wyoming will not ever boast a huge mega-church due to the population being so spread out. So, there are pastors all over the state that are doing it all by themselves, or are working with just a few faithful workers. Tommy and Jharee are two of the most faithful servants of God who are doing so much of the work alone. Song leading, piano playing, bulletin typing, Sunday School teaching, pastoring, budgeting, cleaning, visiting, yard work, nursery....with just a handful of helpers it was a blessing to encourage and partner with them to get some of these bigger projects completed.

WY13 Mission Trip Recap #3

Over the course of our week at Faith Baptist we had the opportunity to share with over 80 children during VBS. The church had chosen Truassic Park (spin off of Jurassic Park) as their theme for the week. Three of our team members played the main roles through puppets and skit characters. Todd, Stephanie and Jeremy made their characters come alive and did an awesome job talking about dinosaurs, creation, the flood, scientific methods and Jesus. Who knew we were among such talent! 8 Children came to know Christ through the message that was shared.

"Doc", our favorite scientist!

These guys (and gal) spent many hours tweaking
the script so that it fit our schedule.
They did a great job!

Here they are in action. Dr. Deceit, Becky and Doc

Two different afternoons we had a little sightseeing time. On Monday we were able to go into downtown Cheyenne and tour the old shops, the square and the first ever Wrangler store. Here's a sneak peak into what that looked like:

Beautiful old brick buildings and streets

Tucker and Jackson in front of a big boot that has the names
of every governor that Cheyenne has had.

"Equality for Women" statue

Tucker getting his cowboy on!

Oldest Theater

Original Wrangler store

And well.....I'm not sure there are words for this...
JD, Bruce and Manual
Oh My!

WY13 Mission Trip Recap #2

As soon as we got to Faith Baptist, Cheyenne, we were welcomed by several church members, who would become like family to us before the week was over. Tommy and Jharee Miller have been at FBC for three years. They have a huge heart for their community and were already diligently preparing for the week of VBS, the carnival and the youth rally that we would be assisting them with throughout the week. 

As soon as we arrived we began stuffing over
2000 door hanger bags to distribute in the community.

The guys set up this great big tent that
housed small groups, all our meals and the carnival.

And maybe best of all, we were experiencing low 80's for the highs!
Sweet!

The first full day was spent at the church for services and in the afternoon all of us hit the road and distributed over 2000 door hangers. While we were out we had to take a break because of the hail and wind storm, but it quickly passed and we we out pounding the pavement for the afternoon. After the evening services we divided up responsibilities for the week and readied the building for the week's VBS. Things were looking good!

WY13 Mission Trip Recap #1

Mission Trip Team WY13

When God puts together a team, he doesn't make mistakes. On August 3, 2013 when our WY13 team came together, there were various ages...ranging from 11 months to 70+, different abilities..ranging from unable to walk to fit teenagers, different talents...a chef, a pianist, a preacher, a housewife, a photographer, a carpenter, a college professor, students. Differences..coming together for the purpose of connecting, growing and serving at Faith Baptist Church. 35 different people who used their ordinary gifts to make an extraordinary difference.

Teamwork is only teamwork when everyone recognizes the value of each member of the team. I saw this over and over again. As our team worked with the Faith Baptist Team in Wyoming, a beautiful bond was formed that created a stronger team. It was truly one of the greatest pictures of unity I have ever witnessed. I'm thankful to have seen it!

First Family Mission Trip

I was especially thankful for this opportunity to do this trip with my family. The kids were involved in helping with the bus ministry, digging cactus up...lots and lots of cactus, setting up and tearing down, cleaning, helping with Baby Owen, helping dad with the games for VBS and best of all making new friends. This will be a trip they will never forget. I'm so thankful that God worked in their hearts too.

I'll be blogging and posting pics of the mission trip all week. Come back tomorrow for more!

The Gifts...Thankful Thursday

This Thursday I'm thankful for....

1. A sister in law who takes my kids and their friends to the local pool and gives me a few hours of Hallmark Channel time...thanks Sassy!

2. Our church staff that is truly all over the place this week. Two in Peru, two at work camp and the rest  holding down the fort here... Such a hardworking, God-n-people loving group of ministers.

3. .. the mission teams that are represented out of our church this summer 15 to Peru, 16 to Workcamp, 1 to Africa, 1 to Canada and at the end of the summer 38 to Wyoming. What a blessing to share Jesus worldwide!

4.  For fresh veggies from a friend's garden.

5. For a long talk with my mom on the phone....even at 40, nothing is better than talkin' to your momma.

6. For mail from Papua New Guinea and for modern technology that makes thousands of miles not seem quite so far.

7. For the peace of God, which passes all my understanding.

For this and so much more.

What are you thankful for today?

Gideon's PAB

"The international ministry of The Gideons has handed out 1.7 billion Bibles since December of 2012." These were the words that opened the 2013 Hopkins County Gideon Pastor Appreciation Banquet last Tuesday night.

I tried to picture what 1.7 billion Bibles would look like all piled up in stacks and stacks on the floor and my mind was unable to even fathom what that looks like. But thankfully the Gideons know exactly what that looks like. As I sat listening to the testimonies of men and one very vivacious Auxiliary lady, tears filled my eyes to hear how hungry the rest of the world is for the Word of God... Men and Women in Costa Rica with hands cupped around their small New Testament and placed at their hearts, thankful for the opportunity to have a personal copy of HIS Word. Stories of crowded closets in China with people nearly sitting on each other to be able to hear God's Word preached by telecast to their hungry souls....these were the stories I heard. These were the stories that gripped my heart. These were the stories that convicted me.

How careless we are in America, where a Bible sits in a car between Sundays, where the dust can be blown off the front cover or where 3-4 Bibles can be found in a home. The Gideon businessmen have made it their passion to get God's word into the hands of men, women and children so that it can change them, save them, free them, heal them. The same thing God's Word has done and is doing for me....

And...shouldn't everyone have that opportunity to hear, to know, to be changed, freed, saved, healed?

I think so.

You can learn more about how you can personally be involved in the Gideons by clicking HERE .

What's the Risk?

I hate for it to end.

Missions Conference.

The week starts with our initial awkward dinner where we do our formal introductions and hope our kids behave long enough to make a decent impression and by the end of 8 days we are family. We've laughed, cried, prayed, served, shared and eaten together. We're brothers and sisters who share the same burden. We understand each other's language even if it's Korean or Spanish or Hillbilly.

I remember missions conferences at my church growing up. The Ferus', the Lassiters, the Florida Children's Home, the Arnold's...all mission projects I remember clearly as a child. We hosted our fair share of after church afterglows with missionaries and families from our church joining us for a meal at our home. Maybe that's where it started. I corresponded with missionaries from the time I was 12 or so. And now as time has passed and technology has grown, Facebook and twitter keep me informed and up to date on their activities...and I love feeling like they are right next door even if they are really halfway across the world.

The bittersweet goodbyes of today are just a flash of temporary sadness in light of the eternal life that we will spend with these heroes of faith. They are the current Hudson Taylor, Adonirum Judson, Jim Elliot and Bro. Andrew. They risk something to share the gospel...and it makes me wonder...have I ever risked anything to share Jesus?

I'm thankful for the last 8 days...and while I'm so very tired physically, I'm filled to the brim with an excitement of what's to come...what's on the horizon...what's there to risk for Jesus?

Holding the Rope

So tonight at about 10pm one of my sweet friends and her family will be on their way to Papua New Guinea to continue following God on their journey to assist in spreading the gospel of Jesus to people in their own heart language. This is their first term. There are lots...and lots of unknowns. But they have faith in a BIG God..that same God who has led them every step of the way...and He will not fail them.

Sunday night in church we were challenged to help hold the rope as our church held a commissioning service for the Brewers. It was beautiful to see the body of Christ praying over them, crying (a lot), rejoicing that this time was finally here, loving on their parents in the service, laughing, letting go, holding on, embracing, taking photos of tear stained faces with smiles and watching as we help send this family to the other side of the world to fulfill God's call on their lives. Again, it was beautiful. God's presence was all over the place.

So, here they are...

Jason and Jaime Brewer Family

From tonight at 10pm until Friday morning around 1am they will be flying to Australia, then to Papua New Guinea and once in the country they will be flying to the city of Madang where they will catch their breath for a couple of days and then head to 4 months of intense training before finally making it to the city of Ukarumpa where Jason will be a pilot for the JAARS/Wycliff associations. He will be assisting in getting translators, Bibles, missionaries and supplies into areas of that country that otherwise would be nearly impossible to reach.

You'll notice the three little munchkins in the picture...Mal, Dylan and Mo are gearing up for their own adventures....Schools, culture, food, language.

As Christians, we all have some level of sacrifice that God has called us to. What God has asked us to give or sacrifice doesn't even begin to touch what we have been given because of His own sacrifice. Like most missionaries I've met through the years, the Brewers are humbly sacrificing relationships, convenience and security to be sure that others know of the greatest sacrifice that has ever been made.

Will you pray with me, for them? Especially for these first few days of travel, time zone craziness (they will travel 16 time zones!), emotions running high and low....just whatever comes to your mind.

You can follow the Brewer's journey at Jaime's Blog HERE

..."We talk of the Second Coming; half the world has never heard of the first." — Oswald J. Smith

Shopping with a Missionary

So after seven heavenly days in the peach state, we headed to North Carolina to see one of my good friends and her family. They are currently living in Waxhaw, North Caroling at the JAARS training facility. Jaime's husband is doing his final training to be a missionary pilot in the country of Papua New Guinea. He will be helping take the Bible to areas of PNG that do not have a Bible in their language yet. They have an amazing story that has GOD written all over it. You can read more about it at her blog, My Head in the Clouds .

BUT, as spiritual as all that sounds, if you know Jaime, then you also know there are lots of fun moments when you are with her. And that being said, I feel a responsibility to give you an inside peek into what challenges a missionary woman faces in finding the appropriate clothing to take into a country like Papua New Guinea. I realize this is not a struggle all missionary wives have to deal with. But, in PNG it is highly offensive for women to wear anything that is fitted around the hips and waist, so with today's styles, this is a bit of a hunt.

So, when Jason and Bruce offered to watch all five kids for a few hours on Saturday evening, we did what girls do...SHOP...at Kmart...where they were playing some of the best jazz tunes of the 1980's! Here are a few of the outtakes from our evening:

We decided this might be just a wee bit much for the natives of PNG

We texted Jason about these...his exact words "that's not appropriate for anywhere". Darn.

"Booty" inflatable boot supports made us giggle....
and we decided these probably wouldn't be
 the best use of this missionary's money

BUT....here it is...the fashionable long cotton skirt...
in not just this color...but also blue and black! And they were on sale!
 It was a very profitable night for Jaime's wardrobe!

Pray for the Brewer's as they finish raising their support.
When we left they were at 68%. The goal is to have it all raised by the end of May.
I've never been happier to say goodbye to a good friend.
God has special...wonderful...amazing plans for them!

An adventure

I'm headed out in a few minutes to meet up with a friend to go survey some land and an area of my neck of the woods that is enveloped in poverty, drugs, alcohol and all the crime and sin that goes along with those things. I'm pretty excited to see what God is going to show us.

On my trip to Peru the one thing that God kept whispering to me over and over was, "Look around".....Sometimes I get so engrossed in my own little world of kids, husband, church, friends, school....that I fail to look around and I mean REALLY look around and see the needs within an hour of me. So, today is the first step in that direction.

And in God-like fashion....he gave me a friend who is equally excited to see where this journey will take us. Hopefully there will be something to report on when we return!

The Take-Away - Review #7

I've had some time to really think about the things I will take away from this trip to Peru. Certainly all the obvious things like...

- I am more thankful than ever for hot water, toilet seats, toilet paper, ice, diet coke, air conditioning, grocery stores, American food

- I am more aware of the abundance I have ....in material possessions, in my family relationships, in America

- Lost people are everywhere...sin levels the playing field and the grace story hits the homerun

But there were a few less obvious things that I am taking away. These things have just hit me this week as I've had time to really think about the reasons God allowed me this trip.

- God allowed us to witness some of the most amazing scenes while we were passing out tracts and Bibles....things like women kissing the Bible they held in their hands, sailors stopping to read the tracts handed to them, a construction foreman hoping that we had enough Bible's for the entire construction crew. There was such a hunger....why? And I've been wondering about myself in all that...is my hunger that great? Is there an eagerness to share? Is there an aggressiveness to be sure those around me have God's Word? Is there a passion to be sure everyone gets a chance to hear? What does this look like for me? Am I willing to send, pray and go?

This was a little disheartening to see...A study of 1200 towns in America....but no fundamental church to attend...For argument's sake...let say that in reality there is at least one church in 1/2 these towns, since it's not clear when the study was done....still...look at the results:

Bob Jones University Study: 

Smaller Cities and Towns — Church Planting

We have identified almost 1200 smaller U.S. cities and towns with no known Fundamental churches within a 30-mile radius, to the best of our knowledge. Additional on-site investigation would be needed to fully verify the need. Here are the cities and towns of 5000 and more with no known Fundamental church.

CLICK HERE

Does this concern me like it concerned me about the people in Pichanaki or Lima? Because it can't just be an emotional thing....I want to know the burden across the board....a realization that world wide there are people who don't know about this amazing love the Father has for us....about His willing Son who was sacrificed and about the amazing miracle of a risen Savior. I'm committing to pray for these towns...that God would send laborers into the harvest and I'm wondering how else can I be a part of doing something to help reach these people and the people in my own town who have not heard. 

I guess I just don't want to be let off the hook. I don't want God to leave me alone just because I am not moving to Peru. I want to be bothered by the faces of lost people where I am at this moment. I want to be burdened by poverty, prostitution, slavery of any kind and sin. I want to feel those same emotions and longings toward the people in Sulphur Springs and the rest of the USA that I felt in Peru. Those feelings of hope, longing, desire for them to know the one who gives eternal life. I want to be as free to love someone living next door to me as I did Rita, a Peruvian woman who ran a store down from the church we were working at in Pichanaki. But, for some reason, it's hard to picture Texas, or the USA for that matter, needing the same thing Pichanakiairconditioning with a toilet seat and toilet paper matters nada if we don't know Jesus and His grace....Location is nothing....relationship is everything.

Got Fruit? Review #6

On Sunday morning the people in Pichanaki take it easy....stores open later, families spend some time catching up and a very few people go to church. Wisely, Brent and Miriam have decided that for now church will be in the evenings on Sundays until the church is established. So, that being said, on our Sunday morning there we didn't have church. Instead we passed out tracks, inviting people to church. Over a three day period of time our team passed out over 7,000 tracks, 400 Kid's Club invitations, and 600 Bibles. People were practically begging for the Bibles....over and over we saw people reading the tracks and the Bibles after we gave them away. They were hungry for something...

Such a stark contrast to what we see in America. On any given day you can have dozens of doors slammed in your face, or find discarded Christian literature littering the roads, or worse, encounter Christians who don't want to go to church even though they know what Christ has done for them. It's like the world is satisfied with what they have in America....wealth, cars, homes, clothes, pride....and yet, the one thing that would satisfy all those cravings is discarded in the street like an unclaimed coupon. What a shame.

In all the distributing we did for Brent and Miriam, I am overwhelmed with joy to announce a new sister in Christ. Poula came to know Jesus on Sunday Night while we were in Peru. After a simple service where the gospel was taught she stayed behind and talk to one of the workers and accepted the gift of salvation. More exciting news is that the next week she brought visitors with her! She's already bearing fruit!

What are we doing to bear fruit? Would we tell 7,000 people in America about Christ and be happy with one soul? Are we prepared to share the gospel....do I know how to tell someone? do I carry some sort of literature or card or New Testament with me so others can be left with someone to ponder? do I pray that God will guide my path so that I will be able to share His story with someone? Just some things to think about...I want to bear fruit....but I am afraid that sometimes I don't make a plan! I completely "get" that it's the Holy Spirit's job to convict and woo.... but He uses people too and I'm more focused than ever to be prepared to be used!

Reproduction - Review #5

"By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples" (John 15:8).

Oliver and Gloria Williams have been missionaries for 40 years in Peru. Can you say WOW???!!!! Not only is this a testimony to their own faithfulness to what God has called them to, it is also a glorious testimony to the never-ending faithfulness of our God. When we realize that He is forever faithful it is comforting, encouraging and reassuring....and energizes our efforts.

Over the 40 years they have served in Peru, they've started numerous churches, led young men and women through the Baptist Seminary in Lima, helped meet the physical needs of the poor and needy, mentored many and now, with the help from others are helping build a youth camp. While we were in Peru, our group had the blessing of spending our time with three of the most beautiful women who are a direct result of the work God has done through the Williams.

Kathy, Nilda and Yeraldine (although I am pretty sure I didn't spell that correctly) are three women who have been led to Jesus in Peru. All of them are less than 7 degrees removed from the Williams' ministry. During the week, these gals helped get our meals prepared, worked with the children's and youth ministry, led music, ran errands, taught the gringos a little Spanish, cleaned and pretty much anything else they were asked to do. Such sweet, giving servants who wanted to be a part of our trip to Peru.

These ladies were a huge blessing to everyone...but I couldn't help think about how rewarding it must be for the Williams to see fruit of their labor so willing and happy to be serving the Lord. I know this is a missionary's dream....to see fruit reproducing in the lives of the people who come to know Jesus. This is the dream of every worker in the field....that their seed would be harvested and be a crop that was hearty and healthy and viable. And as a I picture the ultimate Farmer surveying the field, I know when He looks at these ladies He's smiling....so pleased at the crop that is harvesting as the result of faithful missionaries, willing servants, grateful women...who are living their life to serve their Savior.

That's what reproducing is all about!!! In my own life I need to carefully look around and see what kind of fruit is being produced. When people are near me are they drawn to Christ, His Word, His love? Is the harvest I'm producing one that would spur others to a life of dedicated service and ministry to our Lord? That's some thought provoking questioning going on right there! In a non-panic mode....I say to myself,

"Don't waste time...words....actions....get busy planting and watering the crops for the Lord...and He will get the increase...the praise...the honor...the glory...the credit! Draw men and women to Jesus."

I pray I never forget the beautiful masterpiece I saw when the church from Texas met the church from Peru. Different languages, different skin tone, different hair color, different customs....but ONE God.....one harvester....one ultimate farmer who desires to see fruit in each of His children.

Who's Louder? - Review #4

“if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out.” 

Luke 19:40

On day four of our trip to Peru we headed through the Andes Mountains to a town of 55,000. Pichanaki is the last town before you enter the thick of the Jungle in Peru. The ride there was exciting, naseating (think roads that wind and wind and wind somemore!), beautiful and long. It took us 10 hours on a double decker bus. With my camera in my hand nearly the entire ride, I couldn't help but think about the verse that says, "the whole earth is filled with Your glory". Truly, Peru is filled with some of the most creative landscape that God created!

From the Andes Mountains filled with waterfalls, gardens, jungles and even dessert places, the earth was crying out the majesty of the creator...and as I witnessed creation calling out praises, I joined in. There was no way I couldn't. Throughout the bus ride you could hear our team calling attention to the beauty around us....camera's clicking to try to capture those rare, beautiful, tropical scenes, eyes glued to the cliffs and the mountain peaks. The rocks weren't going to show us up. 


Check out the pictures HERE


But....sometimes...in everyday life, away from the mountains and the waterfalls and faced with the long lines at Walmart and bills to pay and dinner to cook, I've lost track of the beauty around me that calls attention to the glory and the worship worthiness of my Lord. I get distracted by the busy-ness of life and in between vacuuming and blogging and ice cream with friends I forget the glory and the majesty and the price He paid and the truth that even if this world was brown and dusty and cloudy and ugly...He would still be worthy....even if the sun didn't shine, my house was destroyed and my kids were sick....He would still be worthy....even if I lost my job, my friends disowned me, my money ran out...HE IS STILL WORTHY....and what a shame....a horrible shame it would be if I let the rocks outsing my praise in the everyday, if the mountains cried out His worth louder and more sincere than I.


Thank you Lord for the beauty of this world....but even without it....You are worthy of every morsel of praise I can give!

Different Yet the Same- Review #3

(Acts 10:34) "Then Peter opened his mouth, and said, Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons:"

Arriving in Lima, Peru, there is no question to the differences between here and there. From the language, economy, cleanliness, food, traffic, homes, weather....it can almost overwhelm you. We arrived in Lima around midnight and even with the cloud of darkness settled on the city it didn't take long to realize we weren't in Texas anymore! Take a look at these pictures and you'll see exactly what I'm talking about!

As overwhelming as the differences were, as the sun rose on Lima just a few hours later, the similarities began to appear. For instance, it was interesting to me to see McDonald's, Pizza Hut, KFC and Starbucks. There was a Purina manufacturing plant and a Toyota dealership. Nestle chocolate, Nike shoes, Gold's Gym, Payless Shoes and Top Model....and in Lima the list could go on and on.

Love is the universal language and as different as gringos are from Peruvians, it didn't take long before we were communicating in that language. Visiting with children at a private school where English was taught, working on the mountain building houses or passing our church literature, our teams loved on people. A smile went a long way and very soon we realized that languages might be different but people are people and want to be loved, respected, appreciated and valued.

This trip to Peru reminded me that God isn't too concerned with my "status". His eyes of grace look beyond my possessions and into my heart. What's there? Am I developing to be the kind of woman He desires me to be. Does He see similarities of Himself in me? Or do the differences distract people from seeing Him? He's no respecter....He loves the Peruvian as much as me. He doesn't see their differences, only what they and we can be when He is the common denominator in our lives.

Catch up on the review of the Peru Trip HERE and HERE.

Obedience - Review #2

"If God calls you to be a missionary, don't stoop to be a king" – Jordan Grooms

I attended a college where the primary purpose was to train students to be leaders in Christian ministry. Because of this, I was blessed to meet some of the most amazing servants of God, who now, are serving God all over the world. Through email and facebook many of us have reconnected and it's amazing to see how God has worked in our lives over the last twenty years. 

Years ago, when Bruce first started pastoring, we had the opportunity to have our college friends Brent and Miriam in our small church to share their heart for the field of Cuba. Our church took them on for support and thus began our ministry relationship with them. After a field change to Peru and many years, 2 summers ago God allowed our families to land at the same church. We were new to the staff and they were taking a year furlough and making our church their home church. Our families had expanded, and life had dealt us many experiences and blessings to share and we spent a year catching up, watching each others kids, shopping, sharing Starbucks, serving together at church and dreading the next time we'd say goodbye.

But the time came, and I remember it like it was yesterday. Pizza Inn, a hot summer day, and needing tissues. Goodbyes...ugh. Mir and I hugged and I sobbed....a little too much probably. This sister friend had become even more special as we had shared ups and downs and prayers and concerns. And as they pulled away from the parking lot, and I sat in my mini-van I tried to remember that God calls us to obedience. And while I secretly wished I could climb into a carry on piece of luggage and travel the 3,000 miles to Peru, I knew God hadn't called us to that obedience. He called us to Sulphur Springs obedience. Doesn't sound as exciting does it?

You see, Obedience to God in the things He calls you to is not always glamorous. As a mom of two, God's called me to be obedient to Him by raising my kids in the love and instruction of the Lord. He's also called me to love their daddy, keep a meek and quiet spirit, love others, control my tongue and to serve Him in my local church...somedays those things don't seem important...but they are a step of obedience. Just like Miriam traveling all those miles from the USA, my obedience to the things God calls me to do is just as important. People are counting on the Williams to show them the way, the gospel. If they are detoured by disobedience then people suffer. The same is true by those of us who haven't been called to live our lives on foreign soil. Miriam will tell you she feels her life is far from glamorous....and like most of us moms she spends her days taking care of her family. The difference is the soil she's on. And it would be just as wrong for her to be in America right now as it would be for me to be in Peru....if God hasn't called me to that obedience. 

While I understand all that, I can't help but think about the heroes that our missionaries are. Their obedience requires sacrifice, selflessness, sweat, tears, frustrations...on a scale much larger than the ones I face. I've never met a missionary who wanted to be applauded. They will tell you they are just doing what God has called them to do. Humble servants of God. This is a lesson I think I could use on most days....you know....those days when I want someone to notice what I've done, to applaud me for doing something good, to appreciate my hard work. But...that's not humility. That's pride. And most of the time obedient actions are between you and God and no one notices and no one sees and no one appreciates. And it tears a little at our flesh. 

But sometimes...people do notice. Like when 29 of your friends come to see you in Peru and they see the work, the struggles, the plan, the city, the heart you have, your good deeds, your spirit, your obedience...and they applaud you...honor you...rejoice with you...cry with you and in an earthly way say.."Well Done". It's like a pre-party to what will happen in heaven. And it encourages you and edifies Christ and helps you push a little more and harder and deeper.

To all those serving where God's called you....as a missionary, a homemaker, a bank teller, a coach, a construction worker..... Do your work of obedience. Do what God's called you to do where you're at. Do the best you can with what you have been given. Because it's the spirit of obedience than makes you different from the world...through your attitude of obedience to Christ others will see us as different....unique...set apart....and that will draw men and women....boys and girls to Christ.

Read Post #1 about the Road to Peru HERE

See pictures of our Peru trip HERE

More about Peru tomorrow!

Update on Peru

We're home. Feeling the best kind of tired in the whole wide world. Peru was an incredibly humbling experience and I feel extremely blessed to have been afforded the opportunity to go. My heart is full of things to share and after careful thought about just how I was going to do that I've decided to take a week, beginning tomorrow to focus on the trip, what God has taught me thus far, the pictures, food, culture and faces of the Peruvian people who have stolen a little piece of my heart. Hope you'll join me for the ride!