Caroling...and more...

This is the 3rd year we have caroled to our neighbors here in the NE Fort Wayne area.  The Delagranges were with as usual, and Paul and Silas McCulfor.  God blessed our time.  There were three Christmas family gatherings we crashed of our Amish friends.  It was striking to me how much warmer and friendlier they were with us than the first time we caroled to them.  Our neighbor behind us had told me 2-3 times today that she wouldn't be home, but be sure to come to her mom's where the whole family would be.  So, we did.  Emily had a whole box of oranges and some candy waiting for us.
There is an Amish man that Don takes to work.  We hit his family gathering which had 60 or more people at it. Fred walked between the tables telling us who his children were and some of the grandchildren.  He had 33 grandchildren there in that room and 15 great grandchildren.  Then Fred asked if the 'girl who went to China' could tell a little about her trip.  Mikah and Don both shared some about the trip.  Fred turned to his family and said, "I want you to know that these people used their own money to pay for their flights and their own money to pay for their hotels in order to tell people about Jesus."
Mikah's trip has impacted the Amish.  I gave reports out to the teachers I drive and also to Emily's family.  They loved reading about it and some made copies of the reports to pass out to others.  They would ask me in the car on the way to school, "Have you heard any more from Mikah?"  The Amish are not evangelistic in their culture so this is something rather foreign to their culture.  I'm trusting it has opened their eyes and hearts to a greater vision and responsibility.
We caroled to a non-Amish couple in our neighborhood who are in their 60's and they had never been caroled to in their lives.  They were sure delighted!  We also caroled to the new family renting the Keyes house, and to a co-worker of Mikah's.  We didn't run into any cold shoulders tonight!
Praise the Lord for the work He is doing!

The Lord at 'Work'

I have shared the gospel a couple times with one of my clients from work.  At the end of life, it is all the more urgent to know Christ for the sake of eternity though the benefits of a full live lived for Him are already lost.  The gospel message has not seemed to be understood as yet, and when I've offered to read the Word to her, she always refuses saying she says her prayers every night.
Last night, I offered to read out of a missionary book to her.  She said yes!  I just picked up right where I was in the book, not knowing what was next.  With credit to the grace of God, she let me read for over an hour and the chapters had several stories of conversion in them.  There also were clear descriptions of sin that would have spoken to her experience in life.  Praise the Lord!  She didn't say much about it all, but I'm believing that it was God on her trail and praying for the completed work.

Email Notification-by her favorite son

My favorite son Jake set up my blog with the "Follow by email" gadget. Be sure to make his work worthwhile by signing up for email updates from my blog. Thanks Jake for your tireless I.T. labors. :)



(love you mom:)

Dedication

It was such a special night.  Pastor Mander spoke on Nathanael in the book of John.  He knew who Jesus was in chapter 3 and Jesus said he was without deceit.  In the end of John, Nathanael is seen as still faithful.  He wove in a good gospel message about receiving God's gift of salvation as there were several there who were not saved.
Jordan shared out of Samuel how Hannah prayed for a child and God gave one to her.  He broke at that point with gratefulness for God giving them a child.  He sang a hymn about giving your child to the Lord.  Then he said how they intended to have a godly home and how grateful he was for both his and |Naomi's godly heritage.  He was emotional at that time too.  It was a powerful time for all those who could hear.  He then sang Happy the Home. 
Jordan and Naomi are amazingly natural parents.  Now that I see them in that role, I can't imagine them not having a child.  They work together and do so well.  It isn't something they do out of duty, but out of calling.  

Youth and Disabled Meeting

We are back at Hazel's.  I think we've been here every day.  She lights the fire for us and we sit in the living room talking, doing handwork or reading.  It is quite the change of pace from my homelife!  It truly has been a vacation for me.  I know I'll hit the ground running when we get back home though with a field trip with Ariana the next morning and then work the next evening.
Last night, I went with Jordan to the youth meeting at the church which he helps lead.  There are 8-10 youth who come.  All of them do not attend church otherwise except for one girl.  Jordan was showing a video, Behind the Sun, which is fairly action packed, but the youth still didn't behave very well.  Lots of talking, sneaking food out of their pockets, and the like.  Jordan did a great job running the show and keeping track of them.  There were 4 other adults there, but only one seemed to be able to get the kids to listen to her except Jordan.  I have been thinking alot about the youth since last night.  I could tell their home lives were quite difficult so my heart went out to them.  The only story I knew was of a 12 or 13 year old girl who attends whose father killed her mother over anger because of an affair.  She truly was the most rambunctious of the group, singing loudly different words then the songs called for and such.  Several times I had to resist the urge to go over, draw her into my lap, wrap my arms around her and let God's soft love engulf her raw and harsh spirit.  Of course, I caught myself knowing that trouble would come if I did so.  But, she needed it.  I realize she also would eventually need some discipline over the knee as the love was received, but  it was clear her needs were not being met at the time.  However, she keeps coming to these meetings.  God knows and is there to help her.
This afternoon, Jordan spoke at the senior citizens Christmas luncheon.  He did so well at speaking and singing.  The people so appreciated it.  I felt blessed to be there!