Let Everything That Hath Breath...

I am not sure how this little clip ended up in with my photos,  (let's hope it isn't copyrighted)  but it is perfect for today, after finding out that my dad is experiencing quite a number of the classic symptoms of congestive heart failure.  He had a very bad night, feeling that he only made it because of oxygen. It has been hard for me to concentrate today, while Mom and Dad were going to the doctor and then being sent to the hospital for an EKO and two or three other tests. Dad went to the doctor a few weeks ago, only to be sent home with asthma medications--which didn't work, of course, because asthma was not the issue.

So Dad struggles to breathe.

And I must breathe, too.

Must keep up with the needs of the day with my own family while making phone calls to parents and siblings and discussing and crying and emailing back and forth,

must pray and trust God,

take a walk in the sunshine,

thank God that He first took away a huge burden from my life before allowing this one.

Because I have breath, I praise Him!

Pray, if it's God's will,  for breath for my Dad.

And may we remember to take it slow,

 

to smell the flowers while we may,

and to give the flowers to others while they are still alive...

to remember in all things to give thanks!

Sometimes meds can help people with heart failure continue to live for quite a while.

Mom and Dad are having to make significant decisions right now, especially about where to live now that Dad is not able to function well, and since he seems to be worse at home, perhaps allergic to something in the house. I'd appreciate prayer for them.

Craig, Joella's husband, is being such a loving and strong support to my folks right now. What would we all do without him?

He surprised my mom by showing up at the hospital for her while Dad had his tests done.  Thank You, Craig!

In Estonia, Elon is anxiously trying to decide whether to go ahead with plans to go on to Mongolia this summer, or are these events with my Dad signaling that he should return to the States for now?

Please pray for our family. 

Carrie's Pinata Bashing

Carrie got to celebrate her birthday about four times since her dad and mom were gone over her actual birthday. Grandma made a cake for her on Sunday, Iva's family had a party for her on Wednesday, then on Thursday when Mom and Dad got home from Fort Myers Rescue Mission, they brought her a pinata to bash--a monkey!!

 

Sammy's turn to bash that pinata!

And of course the children had gifts for Mom, too! The girls had this beautiful basket of gardening gloves, hand-knitted dishclothes; home-sewed, lace-edged place mats, etc.

They had the house cleaned up so nicely--even the boys' bedroom!

Name Written in Heaven!

This photo is of Sunday evening inside the chapel at Fort Myers Rescue Mission, during the youth revival for the Spanish group there. The rescue mission swapped chapel meeting places with the Spanish church, which usually meets in the little old chapel on the first floor of the dorm.

 

On Wednesday, the chapel was again back to the rescue mission. The highlight of our time at Fort Myers Rescue Mission was Wednesday evening when two of the homeless men responded to the invitation Bro. Phil Ledger gave. Bro. Wooten, assistant director of the mission, said that it had been a long time since he had seen any of the men so broken and weeping so hard like that. One of them was a big, burly black man who had a heart attack two weeks earlier while on the mission grounds. In the hospital he confessed to Bro. Wooten that this was a wake-up call, and that when he got back to the mission, he was going to pray! And pray he did! A puddle from weeping had to be wiped off the altar as all around him the rest of us were shouting and praising God as a new name was written down in glory! God was near in a powerful way!

A frightening moment happened when Jonathan was standing near the edge of the roof two stories up and the roof edging piece slipped under his foot because the tar was melted in the hot sun. If Tim Lynch had not been right there in the lift to catch his foot, Jonathan may have fallen off the roof. How we praised God that night during worship time for His mercy to us!

Mission Helps Team at Ft. Myers

Mission Helps Team to Fort Myers Rescue Mission

Dave Weaver, Tim Lynch, Jonathan and me

The work team is joined by a dear brother from the mission who had been in a terrible accident when the semi truck he was driving had to avoid someone pulling out in front of him. He ended up in the water somewhere with his load of watermelons floating past him. His leg is scarred from being tangled in barbed wire fence as he tried to free himself from the wrecked truck. His brain, his doctor said, was squashed down into the lower part of his head! The doctor told him he would never walk again, but it wasn't long before he was walking out of the hospital! He was a big help to the guys on the team. 

Here is the old bus that used to be used to serve meals to homeless people. 

Inside it are double bunks all the way along for nights when there is an overflow of homeless people because of bad weather. 

On the right is a dear Ukrainian man who struggles with his English and who was so delighted when we spoke to him in Ukrainian! He came from Kiev eight years ago, hoping to earn money to help his son through college. With economy downturn, he was among the immigrants who are first to lose jobs. Now he has no work and feels very hopeless. Jonathan asked him if he has a Bible and he said he did, and that he has read in it. Pray for this precious man. In this picture he is playing checkers one evening with another man.

I should have taken this picture when most of the bikes were still there. Would this be called a bike parking lot? Further to the right is an area where they repair the bikes. Many of the men ride bikes to work or to get wherever. A bike is a big blessing when many men have DUI's or no vehicle.

While we were there, a middle-age couple came to visit. The man was telling how he had come to this mission years ago and stayed here while he worked at a job. With the first paycheck he bought a car. Then he started to get on his feet, got married, now has children and is living with hope and Christ in his life. He and his wife wanted to share about the mission and raise money for bicycles for the guys. 

Below, Jonathan got a quick snap of two homeless guys walking up to the welcome sign and gate to the mission. The building behind the sign is the chapel.

 

On my birthday, Monday,  Jonathan wanted to take me out to eat, but we had hardly had time to help much yet, and I felt guilty to leave already, so said I'd be fine to just eat in the cafeteria. It was such a gift to me to just be with Jonathan here at the mission! However, the guys decided they weren't hungry at supper time, and they kept working in the cooler part of the day. Meanwhile, I, who need to eat small meals very regularly, began to go to pieces! Finally I went over to see if the cafeteria would have some of that delicious spaghetti left, but it was locked and everything put away. I began to see that perhaps I should have let Jonathan take me out somewhere! When will I learn my lessons?

Finally, Jonathan remembered that I had a few little sausages left in the frig from breakfast, so I ate cold sausages for my birthday supper! HA ha! Next time, I will let Jonathan take me out to eat!!!!!

Later, we all bought burgers or onion rings at the little snack shop, and then....

 

 

Jonathan steered me back over to the cafeteria where there was a lovely icecream cake waiting for me! Bro. and Sis. Wooten, the cook, and the Mission Helps team all sang "Happy Birthday" to me and helped me eat that delicious icecream cake! They were all so very sweet to treat this very weary mother so kindly!



Florida Flowers!

At Fort Myers Rescue Mission, I drank in the beauty of the flowering bushes.

I am a Pennsylvania girl who loves greenery and flowers and grass and trees--so after years of Colorado drought and seeing so much brown, I am captivated with all this beauty.

More beauty! The guys living at the mission help with the landscaping and gardening. 

Sorry I don't know what kind of flowering tree this is.

A fence row of flowering bushes along the side of the mission.

Here in front of the beautiful chapel are flowers with butterflies fluttering around them--only to our surprise, the butterflies were solar operated! Smile!

On the Sunday we were there, the rescue mission switched chapels with the Spanish group that usually meets in the smaller chapel on first floor of the main building. On that Sunday, the Spanish church group was holding a youth revival, so they met in this larger, new chapel. We peeked in after our own service to see the altar lined with people praying. 

A beautiful place to spend my birthday!

Mission Helps Trip to Florida

Over our birthday weekend, Jonathan and I were blessed to travel together to Fort Myers Rescue Mission in Florida to join the Mission Helps crew working there repairing roof damage.

I had not imagined how beautiful the rescue mission was now in comparison to what it was like seventeen years ago when Jonathan and I had a deputation service there before going to Ukraine.

 

Now there are beautiful palm trees and flowering bushes all over the place.

Below is the sign for the mission at the end of their street:

"Bringing Jesus to the Homeless and Helpless"

Monday morning Jonathan gets on the lift with Tim Lynch. Tim and Dave Weaver had already gotten a good fraction of this side of the roof repair done Saturday before we arrived.

Some of the guys at the mission are building a new counter piece for the cafeteria. The guys who live here at the dorm are required to work here, have a job elsewhere, or be actively looking for work in order to get supper! 

Here is an example of the rotted roof edge. 

I took this picture from the second story of our dorm building. To the far left is the cafeteria, and to the right is staff housing. 

Twice a week, this truck comes in loaded with food donations from the community. The community is so thankful to have this mission here ministering to the homeless and keeping some of the troublemakers off the street that they heavily support the mission. This is a great blessing! 

The guys line up to help bring in boxes, which are gone through and what is left is sent on to another soup kitchen or food pantry. As you can see, there is no lack for food! We heard that this mission feeds the folk off the streets about as well as any other mission of its kind. 

Later in the week, Florida rains required the crew to work under a huge piece of plastic in order to repair roof leaks!

 

Working again. This is the building we stayed in , on 2nd floor.

 



Another view from the front.

A close up of the solar heating panels for hot water. This is how the hot water is supplied to the homeless shelter there. 

Missions Convention in PA

"Radical: Is the Great Commission at the Root of Your Living?"

was the theme of this year's mission convention at Penn View Bible Institute.

 Bro. Tim Keep, director of Bible Methodist Missions, had the first message about what radical really means; a workshop about spiritual warfare in missions; and the final message of the convention about Jesus' call to "hate" our own lives, and what that means to us right here where we live.

When we finally remembered to take a picture, it was during the service when Dr. David Shenk, pictured below, was speaking. He is a global consultant for the Eastern Mennonite Missions, and has an amazing ministry among Muslims. Yes, the head of gray hair you see in the foreground is that of Leroy Adams, who was nearly dead a year ago, but is still alive and flourishing enough to play a very complicated trumpet duet in the final service of convention with his tall grandson, one of the Anthony boys. Sorry, I forget the boy's first name, but I remember him being a little boy and now he is a freshman in college!

Crystal enjoyed the privilege of making friends with this sweet young lady from South Africa, Margaret van de Merwe. She is eighteen years old. This photo was taken near the dorm, and you can see the main college building up in the left corner.

 

Crystal with her cousins, Candace and Natasha, again at Penn View.

Jonathan and Anna with Donald and Lois Blowers, their daughter Becky, Aunt Priscilla, and David and Faith Blowers. This is in the back of the dining hall. It was so special to see these friends again, my brother Elon's wife's family,  after many years.

Here are Roy and Doris Hoffman, sitting with their son Doug and his wife Kim and son, who have been missionaries to the Dominican Republic for about 10 years.

Their presentation wasn't talking about all the great and mighty deeds Doug and Kim have done as missionaries, but about the humble beginnings of a  missionary son and the choices that have affected three generations of mission-minded family members..

"What do you feel you contributed to your son becoming a missionary?" Doug asked his parents. 

1. They took their children to church every time the doors were open. Going to church was not an option. At church, there was no toybox, not even a tablet and pencil. The children were expected to sit still and behave and listen.

2. Doris chose to be a stay-at-home mom.

3. They taught their children: "We love you; God loves you. You must obey us; you must obey God."

4. They taught their children to memorize Scripture.

5. They provided good books for their children, and went to hear missionaries, visited them, or invited missionaries to their own home.

6. After homeschooling for 5 1/2 years, they moved near Penn View, from where Roy would have to travel 45 miles one way to work every day until he retired, but the sacrifice was worth it, they said. Their children had Christian fellowship and Christian education, and their two sons found wives there at Penn View.

Kim shared that her duties on the missionfield were to be a wife and mom, with some small ministries on the side.

Jonathan kept squeezing my hand. I knew that this service was the one I needed to remember the most for where I am right now. Ministering to Muslims or in India sounds exciting, but right now, I have my home job cut out for me, and only I can do that job.

Below, we are eating together with the Hoffmans. Precious friends and someone strong and godly to look up to!!

What surprises to see Ken and Carol Lefever, representing Brotherhood, at the convention, along with our former pastor, Derald and Kim Hunt, who had stopped by for the last service on their way home from New York Pilgrim ministerial! This picture was taken in the back after the last service. I found myself going around hugging and saying goodbye to quite a lot of people!



It had been a wonderful, convicting service, and it was a privilege to see our own two oldest children, a niece, and other young friends responding to the invitation to surrender to God's call to hate our own lives in this world in comparison to our love for Christ, and to pray together with them, prayers too deep for words--just tears and reaching to our God for our young people and for ourselves, that we would truly hate our own lives and all those people and things dear to us in comparison to our devotion to Christ.

Below, is the Millmont God's Missionary church where Jonathan and I were married and which we attended Easter Sunday evening, in the background of this burned restaurant. It burnt one night during Missions Convention, and Jonathan and Sam saw the flames and smoke and we returned next day to get a picture.

So behind the ash heap of our personal ambitions, selfish desires and undue worries may there be something that will contribute to Your Church being built in this world, Lord.

On the other side of the church was this scene--an Amish farm with a very long clothesline strung clear out to the barn's silo!! I loved all the Amish clotheslines hung with clothes.

On one side of the church--a burnt mess.

On the other--a scene full of life and vigor.

Lord, help us to choose which side to focus on. 

Help us to remember to give lots of love and attention to our children--like my little nephew Bryn, Gabriel's youngest,  holding neice Laura, Joella's youngest baby.

Show us how to raise our teenage daughters (like Fain's Natasha) how to be efficient, capable and loving future moms and wives (she is well on her way already! I was impressed with Fain and Regina's wonderful daughters.) She is holding Joella's Jonathan on the right and Phil Geise's Anthony.

Show us how to provide enough work and fun for our teenage boys to keep them busy and out of trouble! Sammy helped Fain's Samuel and David morning and evening with chores at the Amish farm across the road, and one night caught several pigeons to sell at the auction to make a bit of money.

Show us how to get along with people who make our hair stand straight on end.

This guy is NOT related to me!!!

My dear brother Gabriel (below)--whose wife just lost a little one unborn to heaven's gain on Easter Sunday morning, enjoys our little neice, who was passed from one to another on Easter Sunday. There had been so much beautiful music that day. Even a little four-year-old daughter of a friend was weeping softly as we finished reverently singing, "Heavenly Father We Appreciate You; Son of God we magnify You; Holy Spirit, You're a comfort to me; Blessed Trinity, You are all that I need!" I asked the dad if his little girl was always that way, and he said yes, and that he wanted to be very careful to not discourage her tenderheartedness. May we never despise others' tears.
 I spent several times helping over at Gabriel's through the first few days before convention, and enjoyed being with his charming children. 

 Jonathan's turn with baby Laura!

"Let the little ones come to Me!" Jesus said.

May we always love the little ones.

This picture was snapped unbeknownst to me, at the Harrisburg airport as we headed home,  after we found out we had made a mistake on what time our plane was leaving Harrisburg, and we had to wait an extra almost two hours! This is what we all felt like!

After getting something to eat and drink, I felt better and enjoyed the time to write in my diary and talk with Jonathan about our thoughts about things at the convention. We had also had the privilege of making a quick stop in Lewisburg to see Sis. Anita Brechbill, who used to be head of Ropeholders. We thought we had to rush, and there was only time for her to quickly pray for us--what a blessing to sit with this godly prayer warrior's hand in mine--and commit ourselves to God.

And I was able to finish the book How Ronald Reagan Changed My Life as we flew on three different airplanes. That book did about as much to boost my morale as all the services at the missions convention put together! It was written by one of Reagan's speechwriters, the one who wrote the speech in which Reagan said, "Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!"

That line to be spoken at the Berlin wall was fought over and fought over until before the speech, about the only people who wanted him to say it were the speechwriter and Reagan himself. Everybody on Reagan's staff was scared and thought it was the wrong thing to do--and then Reagan did it--and suddenly everyone knew it was the RIGHT thing to do!

Mr. Reagan changed the world because he did what he believed to be right despite what everyone else thought.