16th Anniversary

I just wanted to take time to thank God for my beautiful bride. 16 years ago today we were married, and I could not have asked for a more loving and Godly woman. We have been through much in these years, but God has been faithful to guide us and keep his promise to always be there for us and never forsake us. We could not have done it without Him. I never thought any of our years would be spent anywhere overseas, let alone on the mission field serving the Lord. But through all the trials, God has grown and matured us to be ready for the call He placed on our lives to be here in South Asia. I wouldn't have it any other way than to follow Jesus in obedience together. I love you T, and I pray we have many more years to grow in the Lord together.

We have been married 16 years, but if anyone ever to asked me in person how long we have been married, I'd tell them: "Not long enough!"

Remembrance

With a heavy heart, we have suffered a loss in our family. My Gramps, who had recently been diagnosed with bone cancer in his spine, was admitted to ICU on April 14 with multiple organ failure. There was nothing more the doctors could do but help him to be comfortable. My Dad rushed from across the country to his dad's bedside to be with his mother, brother and sisters so that they could all say goodbye together. He passed away on April 15, 2008. I know it was a hard journey for my Dad, but I thank the Lord for him being able to be there when Gramps passed peacefully. I thank you for all your prayers for our family during this time.

What can I say about my Gramps, except that he set the example as an honorable and Godly man. You see, the Dad that I speak of is my Step-Dad, and he and my Mom have been divorced since I was about 13 or 14. Even though I am not blood related with him, he treated me with the love that any young man growing up should have from a real father. He didn't have to, but he did anyway. That is why my only son is named after him. His parents, my Grams and Gramps, as well as my Uncle and Aunts showed me the same love; that of a blood family member. God gifted me with such a loving family that I could never even begin to repay the kindness and love they have given me over the years, and Gramps is the head of the family that gave this love that never expected anything in return.

It was hard not to be with the family during this time, but God allowed us to visit Grams and Gramps before leaving for South Asia. That is a time I will never forget. I know he was proud of what I and my family are doing for Jesus. I never planned on showing pictures of any family members on this blog for security reasons, but I make an exception for an exceptional man, so those who are reading this remembrance can look
on the face of a kind, loving, gentle, and Godly man. Gramps, I know you are praising the Lord Most High right now, and I look forward to the day when we see each other in heaven. Well done, good and faithful servant.

HIS Way, Not our way

More and more, God teaches me things that sometimes it takes me a while to figure out. I guess I am a little thick skulled! When we are hit with things like sickness that might take our life, or the life of a loved one, what is the meaning sometimes if that person is a believer, and why would God choose a faithful servant to suffer pain and agony only to die within two years? Even being a follower of Jesus for the past 18 years, I still ask these questions, and it is hard to see it happen.

As I mentioned in an earlier post, my Gramps has been diagnosed with bone cancer, far advanced, and it has made the bones in his back so brittle that his spine has some fractures. He has been in intense pain and not very lucid because of it. The doctors said that they could slow or stop the cancer, but not cure it and it would take his life within two years. He is unable to have surgery to fix his back and will have to wear a back brace for the rest of his life. Again I asked why would this happen?

Thank God for my beautiful wife. I heard her explaining to my daughter about why Gramps is going through such a trial. Since Gramps has been diagnosed, my Dad has moved back from AZ to be at his side during this. Some of his other siblings are followers of Jesus, but my dad is not. My wife said that now the people who don't know Jesus get a front row seat to see God's power at work, and to have the best chance to fully understand it. And what has happened? The doctors have seen, and have said "miraculous" progress. Gramps has been eating, walking around and will be going home after his last radiation treatment this week! Praise God for this, and for showing His power in a way that others who do not know Him personally to now see Jesus for who he is and can be in their lives. Gramps still has a long hard road ahead of chemo treatments and still much pain, but it is a miracle that he has progressed this far from when the prognosis first came.

Maybe through all this, even I might come to understand and accept that His way is the best way, and His plans are to prosper us and give us hope for the future. I still have lots to learn, and it will be a fun class, but I know there will be some tough times of learning ahead. I thought maybe I had learned enough to get by, but Jesus is not finished with me yet! What a great God we serve!

Spiritual Warfare Hits Home

We expect the enemy to attack us here. Many times missionaries in other countries are hit with terrible persecution, sickness and sometimes even worse. We thought that spiritual warfare would attack us head on while here, and we were ready. But things are happening back home more than they are here, and it has hit us more where it hurts.
My wife's grandfather has been battling complications from a stroke he had last year. While she was able to visit him before we left for the field, his condition has worsened since we arrived and he is now getting full time care. It is hard on my wife, as she is wanting to be there, but she knows we have been called here and to stay the course. We have had other things happen among our family and friends since leaving, which grieves us more than if they were happening to us. The retired pastor of our home church as recently lapsed into full alzheimer's, where he cannot remember anything or anyone around him, and has been admitted to an assisted living facility where he will be safe. Most recent, my grandfather, has been having much back pain, so much so that he could not get out of bed. Just the other day he was admitted to the hospital because of the intense pain was not subsiding at all. We found out that he has bone cancer up and down his spinal column and also on the base of his skull. My grandmother and the rest of the family is having a hard time seeing him in such intense pain. This has really hit home for us, as now my dad's family has gathered together for support, and I cannot be there.
The enemy takes great delight in our suffering and the suffering of the ones closest to us. This suffering comes under counting the cost of being a disciple. Many times we find ourselves out in village areas wondering where we will sleep, which brings to mind Luke 9:58. But now we find ourselves worried about loved ones, and ask the question "Why are we here?" Don't get me wrong, we are not questioning our call, in fact there is nothing I would rather be doing. I am encouraged by the words of Jesus again in Luke 9:60- Jesus said, "Let the dead bury their own dead but you go and proclaim the kingdom of God." I thank God for His word, in times of trouble and sorrow, He has always been there, always kept His promise to love me and provide for me and protect me and encourage me and never forsake me. His word is truth, and I will proclaim the kingdom of God to the nations, no matter what the enemy can try to hit us with, until God tells me one of two things- It is finished, or well done good and faithful servant.

Farewell to a Childhood Vacation Home

Our vacation has come to an end. We have had a blast as a family. Most of our goodbyes are done, except for the final ones before we go to South Asia for our assignment. God truly blessed us with this time, as well as a loving and supportive family.

I would like to share about a summer home that has been in my family long before I was born. 15 years ago, just a few days after my wife and I were married, my grandfather on my mom's side died suddenly from a lung embolism on the airplane home from our wedding. This was a sudden loss of a dearly loved and respected father, grandfather, husband and businessman of his community. Last September 3, my grandmother, his wife passed away at the age of 81. We were able to come together as a family from all parts of the U.S. to say our goodbyes in the hospital before she passed. After a simple and tearful family memorial at the lake, we all agreed to come together at the lake home we all grew up loving to visit and play at this time for a family reunion. This house was bought as a summer cottage by my grandparents in the 1950's and my mom and each of her siblings grew up as part of the lake, boating and waterskiing until all grew and left, still visiting and vacationing there, however. I was the first grandchild of the family, and I have nothing but great memories of the lake as do my cousins and aunts and uncles. This is a family heirloom of sorts. Unfortunately, since the passing of my Grama P., and all the siblings and cousins living on the other side of the country, it was decided this past week during the reunion that the house would be put on the market. It was a tough decision, but a decision by my mom and her sisters and brother to move on with their lives.

So I left yesterday saying goodbye not only to my family, whom I dearly love and respect; not only to the grandparents who God blessed me with and I will always remember the love and fun times I spent with; but also to a dearly cherished family vacation home, that always brought out the BEST times together as family, including the last two times there which were filled with fun memories and tears, lots of tears. So I left with no regrets, only great memories and maybe... a few more tears.

Goodbye to the lake, where I learned to fish, waterski, drive a floatboat on my grampa's lap, dive off the dock, swim to the point, canoe over to the canal to see "THE CANAL PEOPLE" (inside joke for my family), and learn to have fun and love those people called aunts and uncles, though I never considered you that, but more like older siblings because you treated me like a little brother. I enjoyed seeing my own children swim in the same lake off the same area of dock where I, my mom and grandparents swam. Such great memories, not one of them sad. However, when I think of it now, I tend to "fold" a little. (Another family joke)

Thank you God for my family, and all the great times we have had together at the lake. Thank you for this time we spent together to say goodbye to the lake and to grama and grampa one last time. Thank you for the blessings in my life and memories that I will never forget.