Austin's Back!

{Photo property of Marilla Heights Photography}

Well, 'our boy' is back in the States, safe and sound, mission complete. He was supposed to arrive next Saturday, but he e-mailed Trissy and me (who he calls "The sisters [he] never had.") and told us he would be home by today, but not to tell anyone, 'cause Bro. Earl and Mrs. Shannen didn't even know! It was going to be a surprise... Ha! well, it was a surprise alright! He came home last Saturday, instead of yesturday, and about shocked the living daylights out of us too! Well, he's his father's son, and his older brother's younger brother, so why should we have been surprised that he would trick us too?! :) But we are so glad to have him back. We still haven't gotten a chance to talk talk with him, and find out exactly how things turned out (he'd been having us pray for some specific people over there that he was hoping would be saved before he had to leave and come back), and hear all his stories. He says he's got alot of them; I imagine so, after spending almost a year as an under-cover missionary, so to speak, in a dangerous country having never been away from home in his life! He's thinner than when he left, but other than that, and getting used to hearing people regularly speak in English, he seems like the same old Austin!
As you may know, I have no blood-kin brothers, though I have always dearly longed for them - especially older ones. The Lord did not see fit to grant my wish in that way, but He has given me some very special 'adopted', spiritual brothers, who have been perhaps even more of a blessing than blood kin. Austin is one of these.
The Lord truly is good to us!

VBS - 2010

Vacation Bible School is now over for this year and we had a wonderful time! Well, over except for the 'closing program' which will be tonight, Lord willing. It was a really rewarding experience - I was the Pre-K 'Group Leader' (the person who leads the kids from one place to another, makes sure they're where they need to be throughout the evening, and takes care of them if they need anything) and the kids were so fun! Their eagerness and excitement really reminded me of how the Lord tells us to be like little children in our seeking of Him.
Trissy was the Kindergarten Group Leader, and Oliver and Lindy were the teachers for both the Pre-K and Kindergarten groups.
Monday night's lesson was on the parable of the four kinds of soil, and how we should be like the good soil, and have our hearts ready for the sowing of the seed of God's Word. (Mark 4:3-20)
Tuesday night was on the parable of the lost sheep; how the shepherd left all the others to go out looking especially for the one little lost one, and how the Lord wants us to be His sheep (Luke 15:3-17),
Wednesday night was on the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:30-35),
Thursday night was the man who asked to borrow bread from his friend at midnight (Luke 11:5-10), and
Friday night was about the parable of the Talents. (Matthew 25:14-27).
I only stayed with the kids in the room to hear the lesson on Monday and Tuesday nights, the others I was running errands and staying busy elsewhere, so I didn't hear the last three nights' story "applications".

Including each night of the week, I had a total of 8 different children in my group (Friday night they all came, and I was glad they were all together on the last night), and more than half of those (5) also go to the Christain Academy! So I already new them, and didn't have to spend alot of time trying to learn names and temperments. :) They were all very well-behaved all week, as well as being enthusiastic ;)
So that's how VBS went, in a nutshell.

On a slightly side note, Tuesday night Lindy told us that one of our young men had led a girl to the Lord the day before (they are both music majors and go to college together, and the girl is the girlfriend of another of our young men)! And also on Thursday night, I think it was, the older daughter (whose about 11) in one of our church families 'announced', for lack of a better term, that she had been saved a little over a week before. Both of these girls were baptized this morning, along with two other women who had been visiting the church, and were recently saved! So, in the words of the 11-year-old's little sister, "This is a good day" :D

"...Thou Hast Made Me Glad..."

Thank you to anyone who prayed for my friend's mother and baby brother - he is here, and everything appears to be fine! PRAISE THE LORD! Trissy and I were at the church working on VBS decorations, and Mom called and told me the postcard had come. Praise God! My friend and her little sisters (not to mention her parents) have been wanting a little brother for a long time, but some medical quirk (I don't know the name of it) caused her mother not to be able to have sons for some reason. I've been praying about it for several years, and in 2007, it looked like the Lord was going to allow it to happen, but they lost him. So when my friend wrote and told me in October (best birthday present!) that she was going to have another brother or sister, I knew (you know, as sure as human 'sure' can be) that it would be a boy, and that the Lord would keep him safe, and I've been praying so hard for the past seven months. Yesterday, when I hadn't heard yet, I was beginning to get so afraid, so I went out into our little orchard and sat down in the grass, and just poured out my heart before the Lord. Finally, a peace came, I just let the Lord have it, and the thought came to me, "Maybe I'll get word in the mail today." Well, I didn't, but I'd given it to Him, and though I was still sad, it was just kindof like, "Well, okay."

Then I got the postcard today.

It was as if the Lord took just long enough for me to let it go. Isn't He good?

This is the main verse that has been repeating itself through my mind throughout the afternoon:

"For thou, LORD, hast made me glad through thy work: I will triumph in the works of thy hands."

Ps. 92:4

There have been others as well, all praising God for His wonderful works to the children of men! Oh He is Good! Praise His Name! My words fail, trying to express the thankfulness of my heart, but I know He understands my gratitude, and I wanted to share this little story in the hopes of encouraging someone who may read it.

SOLI DEO GLORIA!

Last day - thank the Lord!

Today is officially my last day of college for this year - thank the Lord!

I've only got a minute (I'm working frantically on my last assignments), but I wanted to post about this - it gave me a smile :)

Well, I'm up to my nose in the middle of my last assignment that has to be turned in in just a little while, working as hard as I can and, frankly, quite stressed! All of a sudden my phone rings, I answered it, and it's Mom.

She just called to say "I love you" :)

So I answered "Hello", and she just says, "Hello - I love you." And she had this cute little smile in her voice.
"How's it going?" she asked.
(I don't know exactly what I answered, but something along the lines of 'Working hard, but it's coming along good.')
So she says, 'Ok, well, bye!'

Anyway, it was just cute and sweet, and made the work I still had to do a little easier!

Will try to post later after things have calmed down just a little... Maybe in a couple of days. Hope things are going well for you!

SOLI DEO GLORIA!

Spring And School

Well, they say that Spring is finally here. And while the sun shines, the days warm to a comfortable in-between temperature, I'm reminded of God's mercy that is new every morning. He is so good to give us just what we need, when we need it. How kind He is!



{Photo property of Image Nature (images of nature). May only be used with permission.}


Please pray for me this week in school. It's kindof tough right now. But I'm encouraged, for my instructor is seeming to become slowly more open when I talk about my faith. Please, please pray that I would be the kind of witness I need to be so that she would see Christ in my life and want Him. What an honor it would be if I could be privaleged to be the one to lead her to Jesus!

Have a wonderful day everyone

-Kyrie<><

What God Hath Joined Together...

Sunday was a wonderful day! Somehow everything seemed to glow almost. I can't really describe it, but it was as if the whole day just had this sort of other-worldly type vividness of color and experience - I know, it sounds kind of strange, but that's the only way I know how to describe it. It was really a 'lift' to my spirit though, so I'm posting about it ;)

Part of it (well, at least one thing that happened that I can pin my finger on that wasn't just a 'sensation') was looking over at Bro. and Mrs. A and seeing ... Well, let me say this first:
Because you all don't know these people (I've changed names anyway), then I feel like I can tell this. Bro. and Mrs. A are a couple in the church who I have secretly been worried about for quite some time. They are both very active in the church, they stay busy "doing things for God" as the expression is, and they both 'talk the talk'. But, I've been concerned about them. The two of them. Their relationship as husband and wife. Now, outwardly, everything is fine. But I like to observe people - I always have. I like to study those I love, and try to find out what makes them 'tick'. So, over the past few months I've noticed little things about them... it has greatly concerned me, and I've prayed for them earnestly - that the Lord would give them an unquenchable Love for Him and for each other. One that would only grow stronger as time wears on. One that lasts forever.
Ok, so Sunday morning at one point during the sermon, I happened to look over at them. And Bro. A had his arm around Mrs. A (propped on the back of the pew), and his thumb was just brushing back and forth against her shoulder in this sortof comforting little jesture! Maybe all this sounds silly, but that one little thing just made me sooooo happy! It was just such a cute and protective little action, the type of which I had rarely seen him do. Now, he is always kind, but he has seemed sort of distant to her, and a wife needs to feel safe in her husband. Sunday night was the same thing, only now his whole hand would squeeze or rub her shoulder gently every now and then.
(And yes, I did hear the sermon :)!)

I wanted to include the notes I jotted down in my bulletin about it. One thing that grieves me more than anything is to see marriages break up, and this little incident was just such an encouraging thing - I have cried so many tears for them! So even though (and I know this is true) I can't express my thoughts and feelings very well or successfully, just believe me when I say that the Lord is working, and it is greatly encouraging me.
Here are my notes. I am very happy.

~

Sun. Morn. March 14, 2010

"Oh that men would praise the Lord for His goodness, and for His wonderful works to the children of men!" -Ps. 107:8

SOLI DEO GLORIA!

There is none like our God.
No one is worthy to look on Him -
to look to Him
yet, He looks to us;
He deigns to see to our comfort -
to answer our prayers - to dry our tears,
and make us to laugh again...

~

Sun. Night March 14, 2010

God is the God of Love -
He is the God Who answers
prayers, Who banishes heartache.
Glory to His Name

"There be three things which are too wonderful for me, yea, four which I know not:
The way of an eagle in the air; the way of a serpent upon a rock; the way of a ship in the midst of the sea; and the way of a man with a maid."
-Prov. 30:18 & 19

Oh my dear friends! God bless you!

~

If you would, please pray with me for the strengthening of this marriage, and the glory of God in this couple's life.

"Call Unto Me, and I Will Answer Thee..."

I got a message from a church friend just a little bit ago, and Bro. Earl and all them are alright! Praise the Lord!
Austin's computer crashed, and that was their means of communication, so that's why they hadn't gotten in touch with anyone.
Thank you so much everyone who prayed!