happily random

3-year-old Questions

Today as we were riding home from town, Samantha asked me, "Mom, did God glue our toes?"

Now I admit when I first heard the question, I didn't even understand her. I had to guess repeatedly to discover she was say the word 'glue,' as the question was a little odd.

"Yes,God made our toes," I answered her.

"God glued our toes so they don't fall off!" she explained. "And He glued our hair, and our arms, and our legs..."

I love questions from 3-year-olds.

He's home!

We're enjoying each other's company after 3 weeks apart, but here are a few pictures.

This is Jake & Joel with the chaplains they taught every day while in Sudan.

This is the classroom where Joel taught. Notice: no glass in the windows. No lights or electricity. They don't even all have their own Bibles. Joel brought 4 from some of the guys in his Bible study and the chaplains were thrilled to receive them!

 

This is Joel with some children at church. They really enjoyed getting their pictures taken, especially since they could see themselves on the digital screen afterwards. My kids enjoy that part too. :)

 

Here are Jake & Joel on a scenic hike with some of the leaders of the compound. Behind them is the White Nile.

The kids & I are thrilled to have Joel back home, but I am so proud of him and what he accomplished there. It has obviously been a life-changing experience for him. Now I am going back to enjoy our time together. Absence truly makes the heart grow fonder.

He's Gone Away...

My husband that is. On Tuesday morning the kidlets & I drove a very excited Joel to the airport for a nearly 3-week long mission trip to Sudan, Africa. The trip came on very suddenly, as we didn't think we would be able to afford the $3,500 it would cost him to go. He signed on to go back in September, but come February it was looking like we wouldn't be able to swing it. In comes God.

Joel went with a group called Far Reaching Ministries, and basically they told him to come anyway, they would cover it and basically have faith that God would provide the money. With his tickets purchased, he started telling others of his upcoming trip and God did provide. Friends donated money here and there and as of Monday we had raise $2,000 of the total. We know that God is going to provide the rest.

So, what is Joel doing in Africa? He is teaching the book of Jeremiah to a group of chaplains who will, in a year's time, go out as missionaries to their own people. These chaplains come to the compound to study the Bible for a year as the ministry brings in teachers to teach them 2 books of the Bible every 2 weeks. Joel is one of those teachers.

Joel is not alone. He flew out on Tuesday with his friend Jake Huling, who is teaching the book of Lamentations. It's an exciting trip for Jake as it is his first trip out of the US. What a way to get your feet wet! Joel is very experienced in world travel with his frequent trips to Europe when we lived in California, but this is his first trip to Africa.

When Joel left on Tuesday we thought we wouldn't be able to communicate with each other until he returned home on April 18. The compound has no electricity except for a generator they run 3 hours in the evening to recharge the refrigerator. Well, amazingly enough, Joel can send out text messages from the African bush! So each morning (evening for him as he is 10 hours ahead of Pacific time) he texts me some of what he has done that day. This morning he sent me this picture of him & Michael, the director of the compound. And of course the picture would not be complete without a cup of coffee in his hand. As it is Saturday, he did not teach today. Instead they went to a hospital where they prayed over the sick. He said it was incredible. I must say it is a relief to get to hear from him each day & to know that he is all right. I know that God has his hand on Joel & Jake. It is so evident even in just the way the trip came together.

I look at this picture and I'm so proud of my husband. He told me that when he was in high school he remembers the pastor saying, "Just because you become a Christian does not mean that God will send you as a missionary to Africa." He said he thought, "But what if I want to be a missionary to Africa?" I miss him so much, but my heart is thankful for a husband who will follow God's leading in faith and obedience.

Please pray for him and our family through these next few weeks. Joel & Jake will be home April 18.