Growing

I know it's blurry, but this picture was about a month ago.  

Several of our regular families weren't there that morning, but I LOVE this picture.  I see two ladies and an older man who have come to Christ within the past few months and are growing so much in the Lord.  I see about 15 children who have only been in church for about 3 months.  They had never heard the gospel before.  I've had the joy recently of leading 3 of them to Christ.  

In the past month, more and and more people are coming to hear the preaching.  The past few weeks, we haven't fit in our building, so we are taking out a wall and expanding.  We need to start another children's class because there are more children coming then fit in the class rooms.  This week, our ladies are putting on a special Valentine's Day party.  They wanted to invite as many of their friends as they could, bless them with a evening of yummy foods/desserts, games, and visiting with the purpose of sharing the gospel with them.  They wanted me to head it up.  But I knew they could do it, and I said it was time for them to use what God has given them and taught them.   They are planning it, decorating, inviting, making food, and one of our ladies is preparing a gospel message to share.  They are wanting to share their testimonies, share a special song, and are praying that they the Lord will bring their friends to Him.

So while between the normal chores of the home, the school, and the regular work of the ministry, we are continuing to expand/build church building as the Lord provides, working on building guest quarters behind our home (anyone want to come visit??!!!  We'd LOVE to have you), and getting prepared to possibly send my two babies...our two boys... two young men off to Bible college (look for a future post on that soon...or as soon as I buy a box of Kleenex to have on hand while I type it.)

So much joy in serving the Lord!!!

Do you trust your God?

We often, as Christians, sing songs such as “I Surrender All”….. “all to Jesus I surrender…”

But how often are there areas in our lives that we just haven’t surrendered.  We are still holding on to tightly.  We still want our way.  We still want the control. 

The other day, a dear lady and friend of mine wanted to talk to me.  She said there was an area in her life she knew the Lord wanted her to surrender, but she couldn’t.  She went on to explain that the other day, she and our son Timothy and a group of others were visiting after church and somehow the subject came up of having children.  Someone had asked Timothy when he gets married, how many children he’d like to have.   She said he answered, “I’d like to have as many as the Lord wants to give me.”   Then someone asked my friend’s husband if they wanted to have more.  My friend said her husband was quiet and just walked away. 

He does want to have more…many more if the Lord wills.  But my friend was scared.  How will we provide?  What about all the work?  She had been telling her husband no more children.

Here in Mexico, almost every single woman, after they have had 2 or at the most 3 children, have had an operation to prevent them from having any more.  Most of these ladies are still in their twenties.  Mexicans, who use to be known for their large families, have now been indoctrinated that having many children=poverty.  

Many here who receive medical care provided by the government are required to attend monthly meetings.  My friends have told me some of what is taught at these meetings.  A couple months ago, the meeting was on how a woman is not under her husband.  If a husband asks or tells his wife to do or not do something, the wife needs to make her own decision. If a woman wants to work and her husband tells her he wants her to stay at home, that is abuse.  She isn't to listen to that.

They have been taught through meetings, the television, the schools, and the medical community that many children=poverty.  That relationships outside of marriage are fine…just do it “safely”.  The amount of single mothers here is astounding.  The amount of people just living together versus getting married is…well, in our town….it’s like 100:1 now. 

Many Children=Poverty

They do not see children as God sees them.  They do not see them as a blessing from the Lord.  The mothers do not see the high calling of motherhood as a gift.   They have been taught wrongly for so long.

What a joy it is to open God’s Word and teach what HE says!!!  What a joy it is to see hearts and minds open to something they never considered!  And to see the Lord’s blessing!

It doesn’t matter if it’s popular or not.  God’s Word is true, His ways are perfect, and always for our good! 

We teach here in our church what God’s Word says each week.  Last week, I had the privilege of speaking to a group of ladies at a church conference in Los Cabos.  I opened my Bible to Titus 2 and taught them how God wants them to love their husband, to love their children, and what God says about children in His Word.

Christians tell me-

“I don’t want/can’t have any more children because…”

Here are some of the reasons I hear all the time....

*I can barely afford the 1, 2, or 3 I have.  I can’t possibly have another.

How big is your God?  Is He limited in is ability to provide?  Does He stop caring for/providing for your family once you hit a certain number of children?  Are His promises no longer true?

Phil. 4:19-

 But my God shall supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.

Matthew 6:25-33-

²⁵ Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment?

²⁶ Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they?

²⁷ Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature?

²⁸ And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin:

²⁹ And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.

³⁰ Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith?

³¹ Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?

³² (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.

³³ But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.

^Psalms 37:25

²⁵I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread.

When we were newly married, Daniel worked at a grocery store while going to college to finish his degree.  We barely made it.  We worked every week doing yard jobs for our land lord to help pay the rent on our apartment.  We never had extra.  But God took care of us.

When Timothy came along, same thing.  We made it week by week.  Daniel got a raise and we bought diapers. 

Elijah came and another raise.  Daniel was now topped out at what he could make at the store.  He could have taken a management position but it would require he’d work on Sundays, so he didn’t.  God is always first.  Sunday is the Lord’s day.  And the Lord provided.

When I was pregnant with Rebekah, Daniel was offered another job with better pay.  We were able to afford to rent a place more accommodating for our growing family.  It was a commission job and the Lord blessed.

And then we had Benjamin and Abigail and Isaiah, and Josiah, and then we moved to Mexico by faith.  And God has ALWAYS provided!  And He ALWAYS will!  Because He is God and His Word is true!

We’ve had times of leanness.  We’ve had times when the children needed shoes.  But I’d rather have children with no shoes than shoes and no children. 

*I can’t hardly handle the children I have!!!

Love them, train them, discipline them, teach them, enjoy them.  It is a job of sacrifice.  You give your time, your money, your prayers, your tears.  It is a busy, busy job!  The hours are often 24/7.  But the payment is priceless! 

So few children here are disciplined.  They get what they want, when they want.  They throw fits in the stores and are given what they cry for.  They don't want to go to school, they throw a fit and stay home.  They eat what they want when they want.  They go where they want.  Their parents let them run the home.

God's Word tells children to obey their parents.  It tells parents to love, train and discipline their children.  Proverbs 13:24 says that if you don't discipline your child, you hate him.

My neighbor took her 6 year old child to a psychologist because he was "troubled".  He threw fits, didn't want to go to school, and was very demanding.  Her boyfriend told her to stop giving the child his way and he'd learn to be much more content, but she wanted to see what a "professional" had to say.  The psychologist told her she should never discipline her child....only love him.  

Discipline is love!  And the fruit thereof is joy and peace!  

Love your children!

*I don’t want to lose my figure

You will most likely lose it anyways.  Those stretch marks, curves, varicose veins…they are all simply reminders that you’ve been sooooo very blessed!

*But what about my health?

A woman’s body was made to have babies.  God, our Creator, made it that way.  Are there times when a decision needs to be made to not have more children due to health?  Let me share a story-

I have a dear friend who has 10 children.  When she was pregnant with her 9th, something developed during the pregnancy that almost took both her life and that of her child.  It was something that was irreversible and while she and her husband had always welcomed each and every child the Lord gave them with open arms and heart, her husband, through many prayers and tears, decided that this baby would have to be the last my friend would birth. 

While the baby was in the NICU, I called my friend to encourage her, and she said, “Jaynee, I feel so badly.  All these years, we’ve left this in the Lord’s hands and now I’m no longer able to have any babies because of our own choice.” 

I told her, “You have always lived a life of surrender to God’s will.  And you continue to do so.  It’s not about how many children you have.  It’s about yielding your will to the Lord’s.  Your husband, who love the Lord, loves you, and loves children, made a decision because of His desire to protect you and his family.  And while you would have loved to have more, you surrendered your will to the Lord’s.”

Later, the Lord “put a baby in their lap” almost literally!  They adopted a sweet baby that was given to them.  What a testimony!

But most ladies I know have never even considered how many children the Lord wants them to have.  They think of how many they want to have.  They plan their lives.  Their trust is often in their finances or their abilities and not in the Lord.

I think the saddest reason I have heard to not have a child has been given to me by wives of men in the ministry.

*I can serve the Lord better with fewer children than with more

This gets my righteous anger going a bit!!   To think that serving the Lord is only wrapped up in working in the church, teaching a children’s class, teaching a ladies class, going out soul winning, working in a soup kitchen, being the head of a ministry committee, leading a choir, going house to house to visit and disciple or going door to door soul winning….

There is nothing wrong with any of these things….but to think that a woman is not serving the Lord as she rises before dawn to made her husband a hot breakfast and send him off to work with a smile and kiss, when she tucks a love note into his lunch, when she changes those thousands of diapers and wipes hundreds of snotty noses, when she teaches her children God’s Word, cares for her home, trains and disciplines her children in the Lord, loves her husband, loves her children, makes her home a place of love, joy, peace, thankfulness, stability, comfort, and fun! 

She could be bringing up men and woman who will someday be pastors, missionaries, Christian mothers and fathers, men and woman who change the world for Christ.   Men and women who love and serve their Lord because they were brought up to know and love Him.

I have had a lady tell me I am tied down to my home and not able to do what I could for the Lord because I have so many children to tend to.  Oh, sweet sister, I have more opportunities to serve my Lord than I know what to do with!  It is an honor and privilege I don’t deserve but I am so thankful for it!

I am not saying that there are not church ministries where women are needed!  Quite the contrary.  We need women teaching women.  If we want to reach children from broken and unsaved homes, we need someone to teach them.  And the Lord will call ladies to fill these rolls.  But always in His will and in His timing.

I have another dear friend that has been married for many years.  She and her husband wanted to have children.  In fact, she always longed for twins.  Year passed after year.  Finally, they had what the doctors said was truly a miracle baby.  That little girl is 10 years old now and still and only child.  My friend is the principal of her church’s Christian school.  She spends all day with her daughter and 35 other children teaching them, loving them, and serving the Lord in that way.  It is what God had for her.  Her husband is behind her and she told me recently, “Well, the Lord didn’t give me children in the way that I’d hoped, but He certainly gave me children!”

Let the Lord decide!  Let His will be done! 

I once had someone tell me, “I always thought having children was just something left to common sense or your own decision.  Like breakfast, I don’t ask the Lord what to eat in the morning.  I just eat what I want and choose something healthy.”

I asked her, “Do you ever pray and ask the Lord to give you this day your daily bread?  Do you ever pray and ask the Lord to give you children?   Be it little or much, every day, you want to eat.  Your body was made to eat.  But do you want children?  And if not or if you only want a couple, why? Are you surrendered to the Lord’s will?”

My friend’s husband wanted more children and it had become a wall in their marriage.  We opened God’s Word together, read what God had to say, talked about her fears, addressed them with the Word of God, prayed together, and last week, she told me, “Hna. Rebecca (my name here), you know how when a lady in your class is pregnant, you always tease and count that person as 1 ½?  Well, I’m hoping you’ll be counting me as 1 ½ here soon.” 

I asked her how she felt.  Oh, she told me she felt as if a burden she’d been carrying was gone.  Her joy returned.  That’s how it is with surrender!  We hold on to something that we were never made to carry!  When we give it to the Lord, oh the relief and joy!

The Top of the Mountain

I remember a few years ago making a chart with rows of the names of my children and columns listing out upcoming school years.  On each year's column, I would write the grade each child would be in on their row. Each year, another child was added to our "school" as the older ones advanced a grade.  I remember thinking something like, "Wow!  In the 2013-2014 school year, I will have 11 children in school!"  At that thought, I decided I didn't want to think about that!  :-)  It was quite a while off at that point anyways.

And now I'm here.  This year, I have the most "students" in school that I will ever have at one time.  Timothy and Elijah are both in their final year of high school, so while we'll start Samuel in Kindergarten next year, my two big "boys" will be through with what we began 13 years ago.

And young mothers out there (not that I'm old )....the days are sometimes long, but the years are soooo short.  I can still remember teaching Timothy to read.  I remember opening that very first box of school books and soaking in the new book smell, feeling the clean, crisp pages, and my heart and mind full of dreams, ideas, and excitement in anticipation of teaching my boy.

I remember his first little desk, taking him for walks outside to find leaves to press and study, collecting bugs with him in jars, and teaching him to draw a fish.  

And I remember each year thinking, "How will I teach one more?  I hardly have an extra minute of time to my day as it is!"  

And then knowing that I just needed to do what my Lord wants me to do.  Ask Him each day for His wisdom and grace.  Rely on His strength.  Love, obey and enjoy the man He gave me.  Love, teach, train, and enjoy each precious child he gave us each day.  Be faithful.  Don't worry about tomorrow.  Be thankful for all His blessings.  Be quick to say sorry when wrong. Be thankful for His mercy.  And give God the glory in everything.

And I LOVE this year! We have good days (when everyone seems to work well, sweet attitudes, getting through our schedule well etc...) and days that make me extra thankful for the good days (days when children are grumpy, mommy is grumpy, the rabbits are grumpy and  nothing seems to be going right).  

But now that my oldest 2 are almost "done", I can look back.  The months we spent on the road, the years trying to learn Spanish and learn a different culture, the year spent living in a travel trailer, the times I felt we were just trying to survive each day....all those times I just didn't know and felt like I wasn't doing enough.  I look back and see how ALL those times...good and hard...each day....the Lord in His grace has used to make and mold us.  I see 2 young men who stand taller than I, know things that I never learned, have gifts and talents the Lord has given them that they are developing for His glory, and I still have all my hair (and only a couple gray pieces :) ) and have children who are teaching me things. 

I'm still far from being done with our home school years.  Samuel will turn 5 this year and Rebekah is still only 14.  Next year and for a few after that, I'll still have 10 "students".  But this "big year" that I worried about so long ago has been good year.

The Lord has been so good and I have truly learned that today and every day is the day the Lord has made and it is one in which to rejoice and be glad.  I continue to learn to trust the Lord will all my heart and lean not unto my own understanding.  I've learned that as I lean on Him and ask Him, He will direct my every path.  And I keep learning patience.  I think that's a life long lesson!

Our daily schedule is a tool that has 

been a big help in keeping things in order, helping us accomplish what we need to each day and keeping my priorities in order.  It has helped me not follow my "whims" or feelings but rather to use the time the Lord has given me as best as I can.

I know many people hear the word "schedule" and think things such as bondage, lack of freedom, overwhelming, failure, or just plain no, no, no!!  

But for me, it has given peace, order, freedom, and that sweet feeling when your head hits the pillow at night knowing that you had a productive day.

Do we follow this exactly to the T every day?  Nope, never.  Maybe someday we will.  But that's okay.  Like I said, it is a tool....a guide.  Do I feel like I've failed when half the day's schedule doesn't go as planned?  No....normally half a day of doing something planned is more productive than a whole day of being unplanned.  

Are there times I decide to not do something or change something?  All the time.  But what I don't want to do is decide to do things only when/if I feel like it.  If I did, I may never listen to Eliseo read or start dinner on time or get up when my alarm goes off. But yes, we are flexible.  Neighbors visit, Daddy needs Mommy's help, children get sick, the electric company is outside offering rides up higher than the power lines, and sometimes I know a child just needs some extra rest or some one on one time with Mommy.  But  when I pray and ask the Lord what I need to do and He directs me, planning it out/writing it down helps me stick to it!
I first began using a schedule like this when I was pregnant with Josiah and had 6 other children ages 6 and under.  My mom bought me the book Managers of Their Homes by Steve and Teri Maxwell for my birthday that year.  That has been one well used gift!!

When I first made this year's schedule, Timothy laughed as he read the bottom of the final page.  Sunday is church (therefore we don't follow our school schedule), Tuesday night Daniel and I go on a date (I LOVE dating my hubby!!!), Wednesday night we have church, Thursday night the oldest 3 have Bible Studies/Soul winning in town and sometimes I take the other kids and go soul winning with Daniel, Friday we usually finish school by lunch (it's mainly a test day) and work on projects as a family either at home or at church, and Saturday (since it isn't a school day and therefore not a "schedule" day) is dedicated to ministry (bus routes, youth service, preparing for church on Sunday) and cleaning the house/shopping for groceries.

Timothy said, "Good, Mom!  So you made a schedule for Monday only!"  ha, ha, ha!  When something extra comes during the day (which on the mission field, that is EVERY DAY), we just adjust.  We may not get in 5 piano practices a week, but since my goal for my children isn't that they be concert pianists but that they are able use their musical abilities for the Lord, 2 or 3 practices is better than none and gives them many opportunities to use what they learn.

 My older ones help teach my younger ones.  My children have learned to work and learn independently since obviously mommy can't be sitting down all day working one on one with any of them.  They still all want to eat and have clean socks and never complain at fresh baked cookies, so I'm not teaching "school" all day long.  But I'm always teaching.  That's what mothers do.  Whether they think they are teaching or not, they always are.  Our words, deeds, attitudes, and even our expressions teach constantly.  That is why I need the Lord soooo much each day!

 Each week, I make up a week's assignment sheet for each child.  It tells them what we need to do each day in each subject.  Much of it they can do on their own.  The younger ones need much more help as they are still learning to read well.  That's when my older ones help double/triple my one on one teaching time as they help listen to reading, help teach new phonics rules and special sounds, do flashcards and games for review, and answer questions/give directions.  

I try to spend a bit of time each day one on one teaching new material and giving help/instruction where needed.  The older ones help me with grading (my LEAST favorite part of school!) and the rule is that nobody gets free time until all your assignments for the day are complete.  

So this year I have two 12th graders who were just babies yesterday, a bubbly 8th grader, a growing up much too fast 7th grader, two amazing 6th graders, two inquisitive 4th graders, a  sweet, bright 3rd grader, a very, very, very, very bouncy, smiley, talkative, has a story to tell every 3 seconds 1st grader (I won't mention who that is but his initials are N.E.H.E.M.I.A.H.), a very proud loves to do school Kindergartener, and a 4 year old Samuel who NEVER lets us forget he's around! :)

This is the best year ever!  

And now I'm off to mop my floors :)

Back to posting :)

If you don’t mind posts that only take a few minutes and may not be all that “refined”, you’ll have a bit more to read here.

My husband has been asking me for weeks….okay, maybe months (not proud of this)…to post more updates.  I stopped updating as much as I felt it was taking too much time….something that I want to use as best I can.  But when my husband wants me to use my time doing something that I’m not doing, making excuses isn’t an option.  So while I have tried this and that to find time to update more, it hasn’t happened.  Tonight I thought…I just need to do it.  The Lord just wants us to obey and then He will bless and what I have found is He often multiplies my time when I use it in the way He directs.

Soooo all that to say, hi! 

  When I think  of what is on my heart to share with others, I think of 4 main areas:

*Missions-  I LOVE missions!  Sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ with others; discipling and teaching others in the Word of God; life on a foreign field; stories of what God is doing here

*Home School/Teaching-  I LOVE to teach!!  I LOVE home schooling my children!  When I was a little girl and people would ask me what I wanted to do when I grew up (not sure if I’ll ever really grow up J ), I always said 3 things…. I want to be a wife/mother;  I want to be a missionary;  I want to be a teacher.  I always hoped the Lord would allow me to have one of those “dreams”.  He gave me ALL of them! 

*Encouraging others-  The Lord is so good and so faithful and teaches me so many things.  I LOVE sharing what the Lord is doing in my life with others!  I love giving Him the glory and encouraging others. 

*Family- I LOVE my family!  I really, really love my hubby!  I love our children!  I am so blessed!

Half of the time, when I think I should update, I just can’t think of what to share….I have so much I’d love to share and just can’t decide.  I can’t decide what to eat when my husband takes me out for a date.  I just want him to choose for me.  Drives him nuts! J  So I came up with a plan...

*Missions Monday- Posts about the work here in Mexico

*Teaching Tuesday- Home school posts; day in the life posts; teaching ladies and children

*Who or What you can pray for Wednesday-  Often times people want to pray for a missionary, but aren't sure what to pray about.  God loves to hear and answer prayer and we'd love to share some specific things you can pray about with us.

*Thursdays Thoughts- What the Lord has laid on my heart or is teaching/has taught me

*Family Friday- Posts about our family

I know….I can hear Daniel right now, “Babe, (that’s what he calls me ;) )….you are such an extremist.  You go from posting once every blue moon to wanting to post 5x a week.”  I know, I know.  But sometimes if I just have a goal, it’s easier to stick to it than having none at all in which I do nothing. I figure I can't post any less really. ;)  

So, the posts may be short or long.  Most of the pictures will probably be off my phone.  But I love pleasing my hubby J  And for those who are interested, I would love to continue to share what the Lord is doing here!  He is so wonderful!  

See you mañana J

This picture doesn't have anything to do with this post;  I just like it ;)  Well, maybe it does have something to do with this post :)