We're Leaving on Saturday!

Thanks so much for praying! We finally got the final approval on our visas and MAF has purchased tickets for us for...gulp...this Saturday! We'll fly out of Boise in the late afternoon to San Francisco, where we have a layover until 1:35 in the morning when we board our China Air flight to Taipei. From there it's on to Jakarta, and then on to Tarakan. We covet your prayers for the trip, especially with Ryan. I'm sure C.J. will do just fine, but Ryan gets a little testy when he's tired!

It's very exciting, and things are very busy. We're busy shopping for last minute supplies, and packing them all up. It should be quite a production. But, as God has promised us, He is striding ahead of us, and is with us. The coolest thing happened this morning - a total God thing. I just happened to pick up the verse that I was talking about in my last post, Deuteronomy 31:6, and we read it from the 3x5 card this morning as a family. Then, later on during the day, we were listening to Air 1 the radio station, and they read the same verse! It was their verse of the day. Then, I was talking to a good friend on the phone today and telling her about it and she said, "No way! God led me to that verse this morning!" I had goosebumps. I just love it it when God does that! I love it when He's so clear because it really reminds me that He's real.

Well, I'm beat so I'm going to sign off with that update. Thanks so much for everyone's prayers! I may not write again until we get settled in in Indonesia. At least until we figure out how to connect to the internet!

PRAYER POINTS: Praise God for the final visas coming in! Please pray for our trip on Saturday to go well, and for patience and protection for our family. Thank you!

Your God is striding ahead of you

As I sit here writing at ten o'clock tonight, the Idaho sky is just turning toward twilight, with a rim of orange on the horizon, fading into the smoky blue of the sky. It will be so weird to go from the Pacific Northwest, where it's light so late to the tropics so close to the equator that it gets light around 6 am and dark around 6pm. But when it's as hot as it is in Tarakan, you don't mind nighttime coming! At least we'll get to experience the longest day of the year in Idaho before we go. We are still waiting on our visas. We were accepted through the Indonesian Department of labor, but still getting pushed through the other departments. So, it should be within the next two weeks that we actually receive them, and then will be able to purchase tickets and set a departure date. So you can keep praying about that.

This past week was eventful. Dave was in Wichita, Kansas for Caravan training (the type of airplane he'll be flying in Indonesia). So the boys and I were on our own. We always miss Dave when he's gone. Nobody roughs up the boys like Papa. And Mama is usually ready for a break by the time he gets back! Praise the Lord, he had a good time of training, and really enjoyed his simulator instructor. It sure was a lot of information to pack in, though! I think he's glad to be home, too.

While he was gone, MAF had their annual family conference. That kept us busy from Wednesday evening on. The speaker this year was Dr. Charles Shepson, the father of Dave's co-worker Brian Shepson. Dr. Shepson is almost 82, but he's as spunky as ever. He has been a pastor and counselor for many years, and has published multiple books as well. He's a great story-teller and loves to recount story after story of God's faithfulness in his life. If you like stories you might like his books Quiet Miracles I and II, and soon to be III!

I did feel like God spoke to my heart on the last evening. (All of his messages were good - but this one stuck the most for me). He was speaking from Deuteronomy, and his last message was from Deuteronomy 31. It seems like this past year of Bible Study has all ended up centering on entering the promised land. So I don't think it was a coincidence that Dr. Shepson's messages also focused on Moses' charge to Joshua and the people of Israel as they prepared to enter the promised land. He was reading from the message from Deuteronomy 31: 6: "Be strong. Take courage. Don't be intimidated. Don't give them a second thought because God, your God, is striding ahead of you. He's right there with you. He won't let you down; He won't leave you." Wow. His first two points were that God strides ahead of us into the land, and that God is also right there with us, and he told story after story to illustrate these points.

Well, I felt like God was speaking to my heart, specifically about going back to Indonesia. What comfort to truly believe that God is striding ahead of us, and that He is right there with us through anything! How encouraging. And He does that for all of us!

Awhile back I mentioned that I had found some pictures of C.J. and Hannah from Indonesia. As I think about God striding ahead of us to go back to that land, I thought I'd share one of those pictures with you, although I can't figure out how to put it down here rather than up top! Sorry, I'm still learning this blog thing.

PRAYER POINTS: For God to work out the departure date that He wants for our family, and for wisdom to know how to organize our time to continue accomplishing all the tasks that need to be finished. Thank you!

I am so sick of rain! I have decided that we now live in Ida-gon instead of Idaho. HA. I suppose I need to be thankful for it, and I am thankful for the water. But a little sun would be okay too! I do thank God for strength lately to not be too depressed with all the gray skies and all of the tasks to get ready for Indonesia, which can seem overwhelming. I go back and forth from being overwhelmed to being really excited. I am definitely missing Bible Study, but enjoying reading a couple of books, which I don't make time to do when I am in Bible Study. I would highly recommend them. One is "His Princess, Love Letters from your King" by Sheri Rose Shepherd, which is written like daily letters from God, based on Scripture. For anyone who is really touched by written letters, it seems to take God's truths and put them in a format that speaks to the heart. My friend also gave me the book "Crazy Love" by Francis Chan. It's really good, too. I'm not too far into that yet. The Word God seems to be speaking to me lately is to "come away and get some rest" (Mark 6:31, my paraphrase). I think that's important, with everything there is to do. I can feel myself focusing on all the details, so I have to remember to just stop sometimes and be with my King. I am also really enjoying Kari Jobe's Album, called Kari Jobe, I think. She's got some awesome worship stuff on there!
Well, as for the practical stuff, I'm in the throes of ordering homeschool curriculum for C.J.. Never thought I'd be doing that, but I'm kind of excited to give it a try. It's a little overwhelming since I've never done it before. We have some great resources here in Idaho, so I've been talking to several friends and getting advice. Hopefully I can have that ordered today. We still don't have a final date to go, but it should be the end of June. Hopefully we can order tickets soon.
PRAYER POINTS: Thanks so much everyone who is praying! Please pray for wisdom for the homeschool curriculum, and pray for Dave as he is going to Kansas soon for a week of Caravan training. Thank you!