...the opportunity to help!

We took off at 9am this morning to pick up two ladies 

from the church. Since our church anniversary is tomorrow

 they were going to pick out some plants to 

spruce up the church building and needed a truck to 

help haul the purchases.  Well, this was an awesome 

opportunity to tag along and learn!

 Little did we know we'd be put to work!  What fun!

Here's what we got to be part of: 

 

 Sometimes in this country we can still feel quite useless; 

opportunities that allow us to serve and help out 

encourage us immensely!

...the Lord's protection today!

We had to go downtown again today.

The kids were all seat-belted in the back seat,

I was looking at the map

and my husband was driving.

I looked up quickly when I felt him braking heavily 

and watched as we crept closer and closer 

to the middle of the busy intersection...
a huge city bus was quickly heading toward the side of our truck.

The bus had the right-of-way - we had made a mistake - 

but was he going to stop?...or even slow down?

Our brakes were slammed but we were still moving.

Were they going to stop us in time?

YES!

We felt the metal of the back half of the bus 

scrape the front of our truck

but

we

were 

safe.

We pulled over with hearts pounding

and thanked the Lord for protecting us!

...a visit from my Paraguayan sisters in Christ!

Usually we meet at the church once a week, 

but the ladies decided it would be fun to take turns 

hosting our Bible study once a month.

Since we are really trying to get more involved, 

I volunteered first.

 

I had nothing to do with the Bible study, 

I just provided the house and some snacks.

 Thanks to my husband and our boys 

we were all ready when they arrived!

We sang, studied a Psalm, prayed and visited while snacking.

 It was a fun evening!

...important documents that have arrived!

After two and a half years

 and an amount of money we don't need to talk about 

(since Jehovah Jireh already provided it!),

we are no longer "tourists"!

We walked downtown to pick it all up today!

We're super thankful that we were able to complete this

even though we are having some
political issues in the country!

...the encouragement we feel after visiting with Paraguayans!

 This is a precious family from our church!

We spent the evening with them in their home.

They were so kind and welcoming.

They insisted on feeding us until we were so 

stuffed we could eat no more!  

 

 Their daughter teaches our boys' Sunday school class!

...a girl's night out!

  It was her idea, the cute one above, 

that thought of this fun get-together!  

She welcomed 6 of us girls (plus 2 babies!) into 

her small apartment, made pizzas for us 

with all sorts of fun toppings

and let us crowd on her bed together to watch a movie!

 Know what bonds our group together?  

We're not all married, 

we're not even all from the same continent!

But the Lord has sent us to the same continent

and the same country to bring His Word 

to those who have never heard. 

That's what bonds us.

I'm privileged to call these girls my friends!

 We finished out the night with some chocolate-covered,

coconut-sprinkled, peanut butter balls - yum yum!

"Muchas Gracias" to all the dads that cared for

all the rest of our kiddos!!

...love notes!

After a particularly tough day of home school 

(I corrected a lot of mistakes and behaviors

and did so without much patience or grace), 

I found the markerboard full of love notes from our oldest son. 

  His patience and grace with me 

brought a smile to my face and my heart!  

Thank you, my precious son!

Later that day I had written my husband a little love note.

My middle son had found it and thought it was for him...

he came running into the kitchen and gave me the
biggest hug ever!  We decided not to tell him
who the note was really intended for!  

   

"Dear friends,

let us continue to love one another, 

for love comes from God."

1 John 4:7a