I've Been Tagged!

I've been tagged by Jan.
The Rules

List seven random things people may not know about you. The rules are to link the person who sent this to you and leave a comment on their blog so their readers can visit yours. Post the rules on your blog. Share 7 facts about yourself. Tag 7 random people at the end of your post, linking their blog. Let each person know they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.

1. I was once a canoeing instructor.

2. The older I get, the more my knuckles get white when I fly, the more practice I have in trusting God.

3. I sleep with one or more stuffed animals. They have to be really, really soft, preferably with beans in their butt and/or paws.

4. For a few years, I played guitar for a charismatic prayer meeting.

5. I backpacked in the snow.

6. I once climbed a windmill in Mexico.

7. My dream vacation would be a week at the beach with nothing to do but read.

Now, I tag:

Angela

Brenda

The Jernigans

Michelle

Tiffany

The Wilsons

Work in Progress

Looking around my apartment, all I see is work in progress. I have a suitcase started for my next trip to central Asia. I have newsletters ready to stuff into envelopes. I have a new display that is waiting to be finished. I need to "brush up" on some every day greetings in the language of the next country I'll be visiting. I have not one, but two containers of things to take to Ghana (all the trophies will not go this next trip.) My next sermon is in my head, but not on paper. My speech "homework" is always waiting to be done at LEAST once a day. Emails need to be sent, information gathered, supplies acquired. And, if I'm not getting ready for a trip, I am coming back from one and am in the process of unpacking. Everything is in progress, a continuing thing. And, when one thing is finished, there is something to take it's place.

I think that my spiritual life is like that, too. It is a wok in pogess. I have things that are in progress in my spiritual life, things like learning to trust God with my whole life, not just bits and pieces of it. I am learning to love others as Jesus loves me. I'm learning to accept differences in people. I'm learning to be comfortable wherever God places me, even if it is sharing an apartment with two German med students (female, of course.) I'm learning that when I get in a "funk" and don't want to talk with anyone, just stay curled up in a nice fuzzy blanket, that's when I need to pick up the phone & say, "let's do lunch" or whatever. And, most of all, I'm learning to draw close to Him, to Jesus Christ, my Lord and Savior, because without Him in my life, where would I be? I don't even want to guess.

There ae pluses to being amidst a work in progress, too. There is no time to think I have it all together, that I can relax for awhile. For, it's when I let my guard down, the enemy finds a way to attack. So, I'll continue, not trudging along, but joyfully continuing to work with a focus, with a goal in sight. That goal would be to stay close to Him and, when it's time, to spend eternity in glory with Him.

Home for Easter

The last two years, I spent Easter in Peru. In the places where I hung around in Huancayo, I couldn't even tell Easter was coming. There was no commercialism as there is here in the States. I imagine the sermon was appropriate for Easter Sunday, but my Spanish isn't good enough to understand an entire sermon. So, this year was very meaningful to me.

I appreciated the prayer and thought and time my pastors and the worship director put into the special services during Lent. On Palm Sunday, there was a special visitor to talk with us. He was a Roman cross cutter. He spoke about what he had heard about Jesus as he formed a cross and put it together. He wondered...what will happen on Sunday...is it true what Jesus said? On Thursday night, I had the privilege of partaking of the Lord's Supper with my church family. And, on Saturday, the in between day, was a service of darkness, remembering what Jesus did for me and for you. I appreciate that Scripture tells us that Jesus struggled with the will of the Father before saying, "Not My will, but Yours be done." I'm like that at times, too. I struggle before I say "Yes." Then, Sunday. A day of new beginnings. A day of new life. A day of rejoicing for death has been conquored and life is freely given to all who accept it. Thank You, Jesus!

It was good for me to be here this year. I often struggle with the question, "Where do I belong?" Yes, I belong to the Lord, the giver of life, the Savior of my soul, the Lord of my Life. But, I also belong to a church family that I love to worship with. Concord UMC is my church home. And, I loved being home for Easter!

We Are Part of the Fellowship of the Unashamed

We are part of the Fellowship of the Unashamed. We have the Holy Spirit power. The die has been cast. We have stepped over the line. The decision has been made. We are disciples of His. We won't look back, let up, slow down, back away or be still. Our past is redeemed; our present makes sense, our future secure. We're finished with colorless dreams, tamed visions, worldly talking, cheap giving and dwarfed goals.

We no longer need preeminence, prosperity, promotions, plaudits, or popularity. We don't have to be right, first, tops, recognized, praised, regarded, or rewarded. We now live by faith, lean in His presence, walk by patience, are lifted up by prayer, and labor with power.

Our face is set, our gait is fast, our goal is heaven, our road is narrow, our way rough, our companions are few, our Guide reliable, our mission clear. We cannot be bought, compromised, detoured, lured away, turned back, deluded or delayed. We will not flinch in the face of sacrifice, hesitate in the presence of the enemy, pander at the pool of popularity, or meander in the maze of mediocrity.

We won't give up, shut up, let up, until we have stayed up, stored up, prayed up, paid up, preached up for the cause of Christ. We are disciples of Jesus. We must go till He comes, give till we drop, preach till all know, and work till He stops us. And, when He comes for His own, He will have no problem recognizing us...our banner will be clear. For we are part of the Fellowship of the
Unashamed.

Letter found on Zimbabwe Pastor's Desk who was martyred for his faith.

Starting the Day Right

I had a neighbor who went to be with the Lord a little over three years ago. He and his wife had a habit of starting the day with communion right at their kitchen table. They would open Scripture, read Jesus' words that He spoke at the Last Supper, partake of the bread and juice and pray. After his wife died, Albert continued this habit. I remember sharing communion with him, and after he died, with his family. It was such a nice way to focus, to remember, to be grateful, that I started to have communion at my kitchen table every morning, too.

Then, for whatever reason, I stopped. Maybe I was too busy one day, or too tired, or didn't have any juice. Whatever the reason, I stopped. During lent, I have had communion in a several different settings. And, I was reminded of communion with Albert and the love he had of his Savior, and of his faith. I remembered, too, what communion in the morning did for me, a reminder of what Jesus Christ did for me because He loves me. Can you imagine that? He loves me! And, not only me, but you, too!

So, I bought grape juice and matzah crackers and put a Bible on my kitchen table. Now, I wake up and have my morning moments with the Lord. And, in those moments, I am so much more vulnerable and so much more open to Him and what He has to say to me than any other time of the day. I am more open to Him then than when I read Scripture or do a Bible study because it's during this time I talk to Him from my heart, without an agenda. Each morning, I am amazed at His mercy and grace, Somedays it is painful, other days there is comfort, always peace and joy from knowing Him. This is something that has helped me in my walk with the Lord. Maybe it will be a help to you, too.

Make Me a Servant

Jesus said... "I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. I tell you the truth, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them." John 13:15-17

During this past week, I attended two communion services, both focused on the last time Jesus ate with His disciples. The one thing that really made an impact on me was the fact that we are to be servants. Our ministry is to follow Jesus' example and to "wash feet" or possibly to do those menial chores that no one else wants to do. We are to seek Him and ask Him what we are to do, not tell Him what we want to do.

And, as usual, as I thought about this, as I meditated on this, I thought about the ministry in which the Lord has placed me. I didn't go looking for the opportunity to serve on the Global Resource Team. I thought I would be serving in Russia for five years. But, the Lord had other plans. Now, what I do is go into an area or country where I have been invited by missionaries or nationals. They have identified specific needs that they have concerning children/children at risk. And, I go and help fill that need. The need may be an extra pair of hands to show children that Someone loves them. It may be helping to set up a new library. It may be to do training to empower nationals to better do ministry. It may be "holy hanging around." It may be visiting sick children in a hospital. It may be being part of a hospital prayer ministry. It may be living side by side with nationals, living in the same conditions they are, bathing in the river, walking to the out house, helping out with day to day chores and sharing the love of Christ, not just in words but in every day actions.

Ten years ago did I think my life would be like this? No, not at all, but God did. And, now I pray, "Lord, make me a servant, Your servant."

A Friend in Need

Hi, everyone in Blogland! This is a picture of Pastor Clement preaching in the out patient department of Ankaase Methodist Faith Healing Hospital. He has a heart for the Lord and desires that everyone come into a personal relationship with Him. There is one problem - he doesn't have tracts in the heart or first language of the patients. The language in this part of Ghana is Twi. There are three tracts available in Twi from World Missionary Press (Help from Above, How to Know God and Satan vs. God) free of charge. I ask that if you want to be a part of Pastor Clement's ministry, click on the link below and order tracts in Twi (Ashanti.) Then, you can send them to Pastor Clement. He will gladly take as many that are sent to him. Please send only what will fit in an envelope no bigger than 81/2 by 11 inches, and even a size smaller would probably be better. If it can fit in his PO Box, it's okay. If it is too big, he would have to pay import tax & that is very expensive. As American Christians, we don't realize how blessed we are - we have so much Christian literature available to us. A lot of the world does not have this type of stuff readily available to them. Anyway, send the tracts to:

Pastor Clement Forkuo

Good News AGC

PO Box KS 9725

Kumasi, Ghana

The website to order from is:

http://www.worldmissionarypress.org/

A Privilege and Responsibility

The Scriptures tell us several times to "go into all the world..." Well, this past week I had the opportunity to finalize plans for two trips, one to central Asia and one to Ghana. It was quite a challenge because I was not home when I made these plans, so I didn't have all my contact information for the people I needed to talk with in order to finalize the plans. At times, I actually felt my hair getting grayer.

I know in the big picture, it wasn't a problem, but if you would have told me that on Saturday, I would not have agreed with you. You see, on one of my trips I was being sent not to the city I requested, but to one I never heard of before this. And, it was on the weekend when all the offices were closed. Major money was at stake, plus the inconvenience of the people who would be picking me up at the airport.

I know I should have stopped and refocused because God is in control, right? Well, He is and was, the city I was planning on going to and the city I was being sent to are one in the same.

In life, a lot of times, it's the little things that bug us. We more readily give or try to give the big problems to God, but what about the little ones. Where was the finger of God in my airline reservations? It's that 5 letter "T" word again - "TRUST."

Lord, teach me to trust You in everything, in the big things, the little things and everything in between.

Wa Fu Fu

Making Fu Fu

Fu Fu

This week I have been working from my brother's house in Erie, PA. Since his wife is out of town, I've been driving him around, cooking and doing a few other things that he has difficulty with since he had surgery three weeks ago. We've eaten a few of my favorite foods and a lot of his favorite foods. I feel as if I've gained 15 pounds this week.

There is only one problem I have with this. The food we have been eating isn't always good for us. There are too many choices of foods that aren't in the packaging that they were put in by God. When I eat too much of the other food altered by man, I gain weight, I don't ave as much energy, etc.

I ate lots of God packaged food while in Ghana. Fresh fruits and veggies were in abundance! I didn't have a Christmas turkey, I had a Christmas watermelon! Mmm...good! I tried some Ghanaian food, too. Fu fu is one I liked.

Fu Fu is made by pounding (wa) kasava and plantain together while another person in a way, kneads it, adding water when necessary. The fu fu gets to a bread dough consistency. Then, you shape it into balls bigger than a softball and put one in your bowl. After that, add soup. Next, wash your right hand and begin eating - with your right hand.

My first experience with fu fu was one I'd rather not remember. It was served with light soup, and I really didn't like it. But, then, the day after Christmas, I was at a friend's house. I was invited to eat fu fu with them. The fu fu was served with ground nut soup with chicken in the soup. It was delicious! Ground nut soup (peanut) is a thicker soup and clings to the fu fu. I Thoroughly enjoyed the fu fu this way!

I have to be pro active about the choices I make if I truly want to serve God with my entire being. I need to take care of my body, which includes watching what I eat, so I can continue to do the work He has called me to do. Please pray that I will be willing and able to do this.

Connected

This week I spent three days in Norcross, GA, at the office of The Mission Society. It had been six years since I spent any time there. I didn't go to the office because I thought I should be a good steward of the money that people have sent to support my ministry. I've felt that money spent to go to the office would not be good use of my funds.

I have discovered that I could not have been more wrong! The three days at The Mission Society were days of realizing I am a part of the bigger picture. That the office staff are there to help me support me, encourage me, befriend me. I felt as if I were family. The piece of the puzzle that was lost was finally found and put in place.

While at the office, I had the opportunity to speak with others about my ministry and where it is going. Where is God leading? As much as I felt at home in Ankaase, I will continue doing what I am doing. I am part of the Global Resource Team, responding to the needs identified by missionaries on the field and the nationals. I have two trips planned for this year, one to Ghana and one to a country in central Asia. Also, I have been in contact with the team leader in Paraguay, so that is a very real possibility this year. Plus, I spent time with a friend who shared with me the needs of someone in France. Is God leading me there for several weeks? Anything is possible.

Now that I realize that the way to stay connected is to take the time to go to the office, talk with and pray with the staff, I know I will be returning on at least a yearly basis. I'm so glad God opened my eyes to the wonderful family I have in Norcross. Thanks, everyone for three great days!

Rejoicing

God is good...all the time! All the time...God is good! It was so good to say these words in Ghana and hear the Ghanaian people respond in their Brittish English. I smile just thinking about it.

I am rejoicing today because God loves me and His mercy endures forever. I am rejoicing, too, that my medical tests came back negative. Rejoice and thank God with me!

Reading Club

Today is Saturday and I find myself wondering what my friends in Ghana are doing. Today is a Reading Club day. So, from noon until 4 or 5 pm, they will be working with anywhere from 50 to 80 children/youth, helping them to better read and understand English. Although English is the national language of Ghana, it is not the first language that these children/youth learn. The language spoken in the Ankaase area is Twi. Twi is what people learn at home, at a very young age.

In the Ankaase area, only 30% of those who begin primary school will graduate senior secondary school. Poverty is one of the main reasons. The cost for Junior and Senior Secondary School prohibits most of these young people from attending. My friends, who call themselves "Ambassadors for Christ" have started the Reading Club in hope of helping the children/youth acquire the skills needed to pass entrance exams, receive scholarships to secondary school and, to break out of the chains of poverty. They help the youth practice taking exams and also teach basic computer skills.

Every other Saturday, the younger youth read a story in English and underline the words that they don't understand. Then, they practice saying the words, learn the meaning of them and answer questions about the story to improve their comprehension. The older youth take a two hour test. After that, they go over the previous session's test, learning from their mistakes and improving their skills.

The Ambassadors look at this as a ministry. It is a platform not to just teach English, but also to teach these youth about the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. They are working for the Kingdom. Are you?

The 5 Letter "T" Word

I'm having a little trouble these days with the 5 letter "T" word...trust. It is so much easier to trust God for what I need when I'm in the jungle of Peru or in a village in Ghana or anyplace else but home. And, it is so much easier to trust God for answers to prayer for other people than for myself. I had to have some bloodwork redone this week. And, I try not to think about it, but the possibility of something being wrong does not thrill me. And, waiting for results seems like an eternity. But, I know Who is in charge and Who watches out for me. I know that I can experience peace in Him. Thank You, Jesus!