The Grand Canyon Adventure

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One of our meetings was in Flagstaff, Arizona. We were staying only a few miles south of that city so we were within an hour or two drive of the Grand Canyon. Both James and I had always wanted to visit the Grand Canyon so we made the trip there as a family. It was a beautiful, sunny day, hardly a cloud in the sky. We left later than we’d planned but made good time so it was late morning, early afternoon when we got there. Suddenly, there it was! Dad told me about visiting it when he was a teenager but honestly, unless you’ve seen it yourself you can’t comprehend the magnitude of it. It is truly one of the most beautiful things in God’s creation that we get to enjoy!

When we got there we all put on our jackets, then James went with the four older kids down the trail to see the canyon. We had a backpack carrier for Gaelin and I remained behind to put him in that. When I got up to the trail three of the kids were waiting for me, one of the twins was just coming up over the edge of the canyon! A man already there was helping them. Apparently James had gone down there (there was a ledge a little way away) to get some pictures and they followed him in order to “climb on rocks” – ever their life’s goal since discovering they could! I started crying and sort of panicked on the inside. We observed everything around that area and then got in the car and drove on to the next place. But truthfully, I was having a hard time enjoying it because they were making me so nervous! We finally got to the Grand Canyon Village and we found a gift store so we could buy some postcards to send back to family and stuff. Jamie had to use the bathroom but the gift store didn’t have one. So after we’d picked what we wanted I took the kids outside to wait for James to pay. The store was right along the canyon but there was a rock fence. Not far away was a log that had been cut out like a bench. I pointed it out to the kids and they all ran over and climbed on. By the time I got there they had jumped off and were running to look at something else. All of them except Elizabeth. She got on slower, sat down, put her hands in her pockets because they were cold, saw that the boys were gone, hopped off, and somehow missed, landing partly on the dirt and partly on the raised asphalt walkway which threw her off balance and made her do a face plant right into the walk – just as I got there. Blood was running everywhere, the three boys were running from place to place and I was trying to call them back, comfort Elizabeth, wipe the blood off her face with the only tissue I had with me. Several people walked up and offered to help. One lady offered me a bottle of water to give her a drink. For some reason it annoyed me! (stupid pride!) I smiled as nicely as I could manage and said “Regardless of what it looks like I really do have it under control. Thank you for offering, though.” Dad told me later that he thinks that probably those people walked away thinking “If this is under control, I’d hate to see what out of control is!”

We made our way back to the car but I discovered that I’d locked my keys in the car because James had his and I didn’t want to have to keep up with the kids and my purse. So I shepherded all the kiddos to the store, Elizabeth with blood still all over her face and a swollen lip and Jamie now crying because he had to go so badly. James was done paying so we went back to the car, loaded the kids and began looking for a bathroom. James gave them a lecture about listening to their mother and I tried to get myself back in a better mood – less stressed. We were supposed to be having fun, right!? We finally gave up looking for a bathroom and just started feeding the kids some lunch. The only thing we could find was a port-a-potty. We did eventually find a bathroom, took all the kids and I was able to relax – for a while.

The thing is, the whole canyon thing was making me VERY nervous and the older two boys weren’t using much caution. I could just see one of them laying on the canyon floor broken and bleeding and me at the top unable to do anything for them.

We took a free shuttle ride along the edge of the Grand Canyon. It was beautiful. We decided not to get off at each stop but to just get out at the ones that seemed like a big deal. The second stop was a long walk out to the observation point. I wasn’t going to take all the kids out there. We were just going to stay at the start of it and let James get the pictures. But everyone protested so I agreed to go out there with them. I was holding Ethan and Elizabeth’s hands and James and John were to hold hands with Ethan and Elizabeth. They were to stay in the middle of the path – which went part way out this peninsula sort of thing with the trail in the middle and about three feet of gravelly rock on either side with a pretty steep drop off and no rail. James and John didn’t obey again and ran off downhill and off the path toward the observation point without me. Visions of them skidding on the gravel and going over the edge overcame me and I lost it. Yes, I know, so spiritual and all. The missionary’s wife who should be trusting God. James came upon us then and calmly took the boys off to the side to explain the horrors of falling over the edge of a cliff. They were far more cautious and subdued after that. Then he talked with me about how this was supposed to be a fun day for all of us but couldn’t be if I didn’t relax and decide to enjoy myself. I took myself off to the side and got myself back under the Holy Spirit’s control. God reminded me that I know lots of people who’ve visited the Grand Canyon but didn’t know a single person who’d gone over the edge. Millions visit every year and don’t have trouble. God reminded me that I was to be meek and quiet – undisturbed and undisturbing and I was being both! So I relaxed and gave the kids to God again and decided to enjoy myself.

The rest of the day was wonderful. We got to the end of the shuttle line just in time for a beautiful sunset and were able to get some gorgeous pictures. It just doesn’t do it justice in the pictures however, so I strongly recommend seeing it for yourself! I’m so glad we got to see it. It was worth all the trip there and home just to see the vastness and beauty of God’s creation. And He put it here for no other reason than our enjoyment and His pleasure. Isn’t God good?!

Someday I want to go back either without the kids or when they are old enough to do this and hike the trail to the bottom. It’s supposed to take three days so that should be interesting but I’ve heard it is quite breathtaking. But that is for another time….. Now I’m just very thankful we’re all home in one piece!

A Light in a Dark World

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We were in a missions conference in Tucson, Arizona a couple weeks ago. The conference went very well. Friday night Elizabeth had an accident that required clean clothes. Normally I keep an extra set for her in the car but the dress that had been in there was too small so I left it out. We only had underwear in the car. So I had to take her to the prophets chamber where we were staying and bathe and change her and get clean clothes. It was about a 20 min. drive there. On the way back we passed a road that I recognized as coming out on the other route we took to church. So I exited the interstate, thinking going that way would cut off a little time spent sitting at traffic lights. It was “San Xavier Mission Road”. I’ve seen Spanish missions before and knew what to expect when I passed it. Sure enough, there was an old adobe building that they are working to renovate along with several other buildings and schools. We rounded the corner and came up over a hill an there, in the dark, was a Catholic graveyard spread before me. Tiny lights flickered from candles lit by living people for their dead relatives, in hopes that those people would get into heaven. It made me cry, not for the people who died in their darkness, though that was part of it, but for the living people continuing to live in that darkness, ever hoping that some deed will win them enough favor with God that they can get into heaven. As Christians we must carry Christ’s true light into this dark and dying world. Everywhere we go on deputation we see another place that is just as great a mission field as Uganda. “Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth laborers into his harvest”

MISSION: Uganda Blog Update 11-15-2006

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Hello, folks! It's been a busy week since last we wrote. Our meeting in Flagstaff, AZ last week in Bible Baptist Church with Pastor George Feaster went very well. Here is a man of God who has simply stayed put. Flagstaff is a very hard mission field to reach. It's full of Mormons and New Age type people, and is a society that has a very high turnover rate due to the very high cost of living. He has toughed it out in this very hard field for 22 years, and has witnessed at least eight other Baptist works begin and falter in this time. Because of the high turnover, he continually has to start from scratch with new folks. The people are hard of heart, and simply don't feel a need for church. As a result, you don't get the big numbers that churches out East seem to think you need in order to be a success. Nonetheless, he and his wife have remained faithful and continued to minister in an area where a Baptist church is so badly needed. Pray for Bible Baptist Church, and for the Feasters. Pray that the LORD will raise up laborers for this very needy field in Arizona to come alongside and help the Feasters, and remain there for the long term.

On Sunday, we began a Missions Conference in Tucson, AZ with Pastor Steven Morris and Sun and Shield Baptist Church. Jimmy Rose, the Brazilian director for BIMI was the main speaker. It was a great conference. The folks were very gracious to us, and we had a wonderful time of fellowship and ministry with them. It was an African conference, specifically for the purpose of bringing in missionaries to Africa that they could support. It's not every day I am contacted by a Pastor for such a purpose, and it was a great blessing.

Today, we drove up to Silver City, NM for a meeting with Calvary Baptist Church (Pastor Eldon Fowler). We had dinner with the Fowlers and had a great time of fellowship with them, and then I preached and presented our burden for Uganda that night in church. The people responded well, and the LORD blessed.

Our whole time in the Southwest has just been tremendous. God has raised our support, and we've been able to get into some vibrant churches who are just holding forth the Gospel out here in the "Wild West". God has blessed and provided for us very well this trip, and we're very glad we came. In all likelihood, we will plan another trip down this way next year in order to visit some of the other churches we simply didn't have time to get into.

Thursday, we will begin the drive home. Tomorrow, we will be driving to Tulsa, OK, a very long drive, so pray for us as we attempt it. Friday, we will complete the trek back to St. Louis, and home.

God bless you, and thank you for all your prayers during our long travels this past Fall. We have seen those prayers answered again and again, and have truly experienced God's provision and protection on the road.

MISSION: Uganda Blog Update 11-07-2006

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Greetings, everyone! Just a somewhat quick update to let you know what's happened in the past week. It's hard to believe it's been only that, as so much has happened. To give you perspective, we were in Cedar Rapids, IA Sunday before last, and this past Saturday we were in Tucson, AZ. It took us three days to get down here. We swung through St. Louis on October 30th to vote (If you haven't done so today, GET OUT AND VOTE! We cannot afford to allow those dirty, thieving, Communist, pro-murder, pro-perversion, anti-American Democrats to gain any political power). We drove all day on Tuesday from St. Louis to Amarillo, TX, and on Wednesday from there to Tucson, AZ. The kids handled themselves very well in spite of all the driving.

We pulled into town just in time for dinner at our first meeting, Sonrise Baptist Church in Tucson, AZ (Pastor Joe Stoppelbein). We ate, did a quick change in a side room (it's a little disturbing how quick and easy that has become), got set up, and were ready for services with time to spare. The conference was great. I showed our DVD on Wednesday, preached on Thursday, and Dr. John Halsey preached the remainder of the conference. We had a great time of fellowship with the people, and with the Stoppelbein's and the Johnson's (missionaries to the Dominican Republic). It was hard, suffering as we were down here with the beautiful, 70 to 80 degree weather we had every day. It's a different world down here. Everywhere is desert, and the majority of green we're seeing is cactus. It's beautiful, though, in its way, and we have very much enjoyed it. It's remarkable how lovely the many different blendings of brown and red and tan can be. God is quite the artist in the many ways he decorates his Creation.

On Saturday, we drove up to Shiprock, NM for a meeting in Navajo Baptist Temple with Pastor Jimmy J. Walters. Navajo Baptist Temple is a church that was started by a missionary on the Navajo reservation to reach the Navajo Nation with the gospel. Pastor Walters is the national pastor who has been Pastor there for the past 22 years. Here is a church which is very much like the ones we will be planting in Uganda, now under the leadership of a national, and supporting missionaries, just like the churches we plant in Uganda will one day be doing. It was very touching, to witness his love for his people, to hear the singing of the people in their native Navajo, and to hear Pastor Walters admonishing his church in the Navajo tongue. It was a blessing and a privilege to get to share our burden for Uganda with these dear people.

Since we were so close (only about a half hour away), we drove up to the Four Corners National Monument after church. This of course is the spot where you can touch four states at the same time – Utah, Colorado, Arizona, and New Mexico. We all got a real kick out of that. The reservation is beautiful. We took lots of pictures, which I'll be getting up on the website, along with the others, soon.

That evening, we had a meeting in Bible Baptist Church in Aztec, NM, with Pastor Barry Quinn. It's a great church. They're growing, they're reaching souls in their community, and they're excited about missions. I showed our DVD and preached, and the LORD blessed.

I got word yesterday that Sonrise Baptist has voted to support us! What great news. God has greatly blessed us on this trip. We will be in Bible Baptist Church in Flagstaff, AZ tomorrow with Pastor George Feaster. Pray that God will give us grace as we seek to share our burden in that church, and that we'll be a blessing and an encouragement.

Pray for Sonrise Baptist, that they'll continue to grow and see folks saved. Pray for Navajo Baptist Temple, and Pastor Walters, that God will encourage them, and that many more Navajo people will be saved and added to the church. Pray that God will help them understand that becoming a Christian doesn't mean you stop being Navajo, or that you've sold out your people by converting to the "white man's religion". Pray for Bible Baptist Church in Aztec, NM, that God will continue to bless them there, and that they will continue to see folks saved.

Pray for us in the meetings that remain, and for our eventual traveling back home shortly before Thanksgiving.

MISSION: Uganda Blog Update 10-29-2006

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Hello, all! We've just finished up our conference in Good News Baptist in Cedar Rapids, IA with Pastor Robert Pleiness. It was a great week and the LORD blessed us. The family we're staying with has kids our kids' age, so they've had a great time. On Wednesday, I taught a children's class, and afterwards, got to lead one of the bus kids, Kevin, to saving faith in our LORD Jesus Christ. Glory! What a privilege! Pray for Kevin as he grows and follows Christ. They've gotten him a Bible, and will be following up with him to make sure he's provided for spiritually. All the meetings went well. We ran into Tom and Cathy Talley on Thursday night. They're missionaries to the Canadian Indians in South Indian Lake in Northern Manitoba. Our church has supported them for years, and they're good friends, so it was a thrill to get to meet them on the road like this. They had visited our church last week, and of course we were on the road and couldn't be around to get to see them or view their new DVD presentation, or hear how things are going, so it was great that God provided us this opportunity to do so. On Saturday night, we went to a teen activity, where they had a bonfire and the kids got to have hot dogs roasted over a fire, and s'mores for dessert. We all enjoyed that! It's just been a really great week. We've enjoyed the the fellowship with the Pastor and his wife, and with his Associate, Bro. and Mrs. Louks, and the other missionaries, and with all these dear people. Pray for this church, that God will continue to bless them, and that they'll continue to see folks saved, baptized, and added to the church.

Tomorrow, Monday, we'll be heading back south to St. Louis. We have many things to get done the one day we will be home, including voting absentee, so pray we'll be able to think of everything, and get it all done. Tuesday, we'll be up bright and early to drive down to Amarillo, TX, and on Wednesday, we'll be finishing the drive to Tucson, AZ, where we will be in a missions conference in Sonrise Baptist Church with Pastor Joe Stoppelbein. Bro. John Halsey will be preaching the conference, so we're looking forward to getting to visit with him again, as well as to all the LORD is going to do in the conference. We have about three weeks of meetings lined up in New Mexico and Arizona, and will be returning home the weekend before Thanksgiving, so be in prayer for us as we travel, and minister, and continue to seek the financial support we need to get to the field in Uganda, Africa.