Friday, July 28, 2017

the evaporating summer.

I can’t believe our time in the states is wrapping up so quickly!   Five weeks have flown by like grease lightning!   Someone yesterday referred to this summer as the “Evaporating Summer”.   Can anyone else testify!?     

This summer has been full of memories, rest and wonderful restful days at the lake.  

It has  been a wonderful break from the battle and getting our engines refueled for the fight again.  

It has been a time of contemplation and rest.   We even HAD TIME WITH OUT MY KIDS AND NO WORK RESPONSIBILITIES!  WHAT!?  When did that ever happen!?  We actually had 3.5 days WITH NOTHING TO DO!   It was amazing!    

I am writing this posting as a prayer request of sorts.    This summer has been a WONDERFUL time for my kids.  They have built memories and spent wonderful time with friends and family.  They even got to fly to NYC early to spend some quality time with my parents.  But now we have to get back on the plane and take them away from this.  Please pray for them!  Please pray for my parents.  Please pray for us!  It is hard on all our hearts to have to go through this trauma every 18 months to 2 years.  It bites actually.    Yet we know that God has called us to Zambia.  

The will of God is the safest place you can be in, but lets be honest, sometimes the will of God chafes and scratches and hurts.  Why!?  

Had a wonderful talk with our missions director yesterday about this.  This is the conclusion we came up with….Could it be that sometimes the purpose of the will of God is to bring us to the end of ourselves and force our dependency on God?    How else could we learn that God is faithful to his promises unless we are put in a position of having nothing else to rely on but the will of God?  How else would we learn that God is our friend that sticks closer than a brother when we are in lonely dry places and Jesus in the only one we can talk to?  How else!?  

We are excited to return to Zambia, don’t get me wrong.  God has answered many a prayer concerning the kids and the feeding program.    There has been much progress and movement made while we have been away which I will write more about that at a later time.  Besides that, it is our home.  We have been there for ten years.    We have built a life there that we love.   But it is the cry of every missionary that we know who wishes that we could all take what we love from the two worlds that we love so much and combine it into one awesome life.  

Please pray for us as we continue this journey.  Trust me when I tell you that we feel it when you guys are praying.  We couldn’t do what we do unless we had folks like you guys standing behind us praying and pushing us on.   We appreciate you all so much and love you more than words can express.   

If you would like to give to the work of Streetwise and the Morales family you can go to tscnyc.org, click on GIVE and follow the prompts to MORALES FAMILY / ZAMBIA. 


Monday, July 10, 2017

REJOICE always

It has been quit sometime since I have posted a blog!!   Months in fact.  Every time I have sat down to update you all and put pen to paper, so to speak, my thoughts blurr  and I become overwhelmed with trying to find the right words.

2017 up to this point has been a swirl of emotions, difficulties and one challenge after another that literally started New Years. CAN I GET A WITNESS!?!?   I KNOW I am not the only one.

It has been everything from one of our kids getting brutally sick to marriage bumps to people lying about us and our ministry to EVEN THE DOG GETTING SICK!!!  We even threw a surgery in there for good measure.   (My husband had to have retina surgery).  You name it…..

Why am I telling you this?   I don't know about you guys but I sometimes feel better knowing I'm not the only one.  “Ok so if you and you and you are also in the valley there might be something happening that is beyond me”.   Strength in numbers and all that.   I also feel like it keeps me from becoming self focused when I know that others are going through it right along side of me.   Empathy is a beautiful gift that God gives us that binds our hearts and brings unity.   We can help carry each others burdens with compassion and understanding.   Some thing I think can only be learned in the valley.   (Emphathise don't Victimize……I just came up with that myself LOL)

Another thing I have learned in the valley of 2017 is the absoluteness of Gods word.    I have been seriously walking with God since I was 18 years and have believed in the absolute truth of Gods word all that time.  But it has been this year that has taught me

 Philippians 4:4  REJOICE IN THE LORD ALWAYS AND AGAIN I SAY REJOICE.  

 Philippians 4:13. I CAN DO ALL THINGS THROUGH CHRIST WHO GIVES ME STRENGTH.

I could go on and on.   But I will make this point.    When Paul wrote the books of Philippians he was in a jail chained to a Roman soldier awaiting his trial and eventual execution.   He was suffering and probably in a great deal of pain physically.   He wasn't floating on fluffy pink marshmallow clouds of spiritual bliss.  

Heres a tub bit to mull over…… how else will we learn that God fights for us and causes us to stand in his victory unless we have been stripped bare and have no other choice but to rely on the goodness and mercy of God?  

God began to talk to me about Philippians 4:4 when i was at a low point this year.   Marriage had hit a rough patch, things in the ministry were at a stand still and nothing was going right.   Despair and bitterness where at war with what I know the reality of gods truth to be in my heart.  I felt like I was standing in the middle of two great and vast armies.     Paul said to REJOICE ALWAYS!    So I decided to do that.   I didn't feel it.   I didn't want to.   Circumstances didn't change instantly.   But as I began to rejoice in the lord and his goodness peace returned and an assurance came back

Some days it's a minute by minute uphill battle.   Some days it's mountain tops all the way.  Some days it's dark deep scary nothingness valleys.   But NOTHING AND I MEAN NOTHING CHANGES THE CHARACTER AND NATURE OF GOD!!!!!  THAT IS OUR HOPE.   THAT IS OUR ASSURANCE.   THAT IS FOCUS WHEN NOTHING ELSE MAKES SENSE.

Pastor Carter Conlon said it this way “who are you in Christ?   Stop sniveling and stand up!   God in in your side!!!”  

Be encouraged.   If you know Christ and are in the valley Jesus is with you!     You are not alone.  His promises are yes and amen.  If you don't know Christ and are in a deep dark place TURN TO JESUS!!!!!!!    You won't be sorry.  

meet John

Meet John.  We don't know much about John other than he was a child living on the streets of Lusaka.    John represents the face of cou...