Life on the Streets of Santo Antonio da Ica

In this age of fast paced technology and

I’ve never met children with such a remarkable ability to entertain themselves with anything. Since a soccer or volley ball costs nearly R$40 and most families are mostly concerned with having enough food, the children are forced to be creative went it comes to entertainment. A can some string and a plastic bag soon becomes a kite. Any thing found on the side of the road has potential to become a play thing. If a ball is available it’s played with until its in shreds by every child in the neighborhood. If the kids aren’t playing soccer or volleyball then they can be found down at the ports making mud slides into the river. From sun up to way past sun down the children of the Amazon are always playing on every street, in every vacant lot, and anywhere they feel like playing. The sad reality however, is that they are out often times because of the deplorable conditions at home. Poverty grips the region like a debilitating disease. Socialism has crippled the people. Farmers stopped planting, teachers have stopped teaching and most government funded jobs are filled by workers who don't care to work and know they can’t be fired. As long as the government sends their checks every month most people seem content to remain in their impoverished conditions.

Those who strive for more and wish to encourage those around them are up against a stubborn wall of lethargic ideology. Diligence, gratitude, graciousness, and conscientiousness are words without meaning for most people in this area. The pastors I have had the pleasure of hearing teach since I’ve been in the Amazon speak with such passion and love pleading with their congregations to live lives worthy of the calling to which they have been called. Loving one another as Christ loves us is a theme often repeated. Satan is having a heyday in Santo Antonio do Ica distracting the hearts of God’s people and turning their eyes to themselves and not to their savior.

However, there is a beautiful simplicity about this culture that has pushed me nearer to my God. I come from a culture and country where every earthly comfort is available to me and finding personal fulfillment is almost a must. In the Amazon just having cheese and carrots in the grocery store or consistent electricity, is exciting. I’ve been driven to my knees and all the silly distractions that pulled me away so easily before have fallen away. Just to be able to praise my Savior and love like him overwhelms me with joy. No matter what our circumstances, as believers, we are all called to one purpose. Wade through the external distractions of your life and take a deeper look at your hearts condition. My prayer is that after some close inspection and heart work, you will be able to see yourself and your God in truth, and more clearly see the hearts of those God has placed on your path to love as he would.

The Sunday Salon

When I arrived in Santo Antonio do Ica my first and greatest difficulty was communication. I couldn’t speak a lick of Portuguese beyond Oi (hi) and besides the Peace family no one spoke any English. This was especially vexing to me because I love to talk to people. On my flight down to Brazil I made multiple new friends by striking up conversations with strangers. Now my main method of communication was rendered useless. I was lost and had no idea how to connect with the people around me. Of course, this was just where God wanted me. Not knowing how to begin I just stuck with what I knew.

I stayed close to the Peace kids and tried to do some fun things with them. It wasn’t long before the girls found that I could do hair and soon after the news spread round the neighborhood. Now I have an average of 6-7 girls per Sunday that come to have their hair done for the evening service. It was quite difficult in the beginning trying to figure out how they wanted their hair done so I ended up drawing pictures of as many hair styles as I could come up with. Now they just come into the living room, plop down in the seat I have ready for them, grab my sketchbook and pick the picture they want.

Who would have thought that knowing how to do hair would come in handy in the Amazon. This has been a wonderful way to get to know the girls and as far as I can tell has drawn them together too. When I’m done with their hair they go back home, get all dressed up and then walk to church together. It’s a precious sight to see.

English Class

For the past six weeks we have been holding an English class at the Peace home. The class is held on Saturday afternoons and is open to anyone who wants to learn. Athena is the main teacher. Julia, Jessica and I help lead smaller groups when they break up to practice. From day one the small school room was packed. We have at least 15 students ranging from 10-19 years old. Most of them are pretty consistent in attending and the older ones are picking things up fast. Helping with the class has really helped my Portuguese and helped me get to know the older teens. Some Saturdays the kids don't seem to want to leave and work on their English for a several hours. I hope I can begin to pick up their language as fast as they are picking up mine.

Wildlife in the Amazon

Nature study has always been one of my favorite pastimes, so getting to explore the Amazon Rainforest is a truly incredible experience for me. As of yet I haven't been able to go into the forest much. However, I have been promised a canoe expedition before I leave. Most of my observations so far have been of the insect world. Bugs are everywhere here and as much as you try there is no getting away from them. No amount of ant killer will rid your home of the numerous variety of ants, and even the best of house keepers is sure to find a cockroach skulking in the corners of cupboards. The plant life is exquisite and profuse which is a strong attraction for bees, wasps and butterflies. The bright colors all around are one of the most striking features of the Amazon. No withered dried up plants here, or watering systems. The humid climate keeps everything green and luscious all year round. A drought here is when it doesn't rain for 17 days. The birds are always in a constant tizzy it seems. The constant twittering isn’t annoying though. Its definitely one of the things I’ll miss.

The other day on my way back from the internet café I met a large blueish-green parrot as I walked across the compue. He was just chilling by the path and cocked his head when I said hello. Jacob, Lucas and I have started a bug collection and are even collecting insect eggs. So far Jacob has hatched cockroaches, and some kind of tiny caterpillar and three of our large colorful and poisonous caterpillars have made cocoons. Since researching on the internet is nearly impossible here I will have to wait till I get home to look up what we’ve caught. The largest bug I’ve seen was a squashed rhino beetle that was on the side of the road.

Pets around here are pretty much anything you can catch. A good friend of the Peaces has quite the zoo. He’s had several different kinds of monkeys, parrots, and all kinds of other exotic creatures. Lloyds had his fair share of interesting pets as well. He brought a baby sloth home after a hunting trip once and even caught a caiman. Stay tuned for more critter news in my next Amazon update.

Ready for Anything

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Blessed are the flexible for they shall be stretched.” This quote always makes me laugh, mostly because I’ve found it to be so true. Thank goodness we have a God who has prepared us for everything. The trick though is to let him have the control. “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” (2Corin.12:9) Most of us have seen pictures and heard stories of missionaries feeding the hungry, tending the sick, praying with lost souls, and overcoming all sorts of odds to bring God’s word to the lost in the remote parts of the world. But we rarely hear about the day to day struggles. The occupations of those who have ben called to “ministry” can seem so high above the common believer. This however, is in no way the case. All believers have been called to the ministry of Christ (Matt. 28:16-20). No calling is higher or lower than another for we are all members of one body (1Corin. 12:12-30) and called to God’s purpose. One of the biggest things I’ve learned since I’ve been in Brazil is that life as a missionary is pretty much the same as the life of any believer anywhere in the world. Sure there are cultural differences and different climate issues to deal with, but humans are humans no matter where they are from; so the issues that arise when working with them are pretty much the same. There are still dishes to be done every day, children to raise, meals to cook, relationship drama to deal with, and church politics to overcome.

I thought I’d come to the Amazon and do nothing but Bible studies and tending to the poor and needy. What a surprise it was to me when God asked me to tech art lessons, play ball tag, take kids swimming, teach Scottish Country dances, gut fish, and do girls hair. How could any of those things be considered ministry? Then I saw it, Christ has called us to be his light and love in this dark depraved world. Any opportunity to interact with people is and opportunity to show His love. Living for Him is a 24/7 occupation that goes far beyond Sunday services and mid week Bible studies. We should be doing all things as unto Christ whether its taking care of a sick pet or lifting up a broken spirit (Ephe. 2:10). God calls all believers to the same standard whether you live in the Amazon or in Cottonwood CA. Life with Christ is an adventure no matter where He’s placed you. Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ. (Phil. 1:27)

News from the Amazon

I’ve always been so curious to know what it really is like to be a missionary in a foreign country. I expected life to be harder and your days to be consumed with ministry activities. How wrong and yet how right I was. Day to day life is harder down here in Brazil. Due to the contaminated water we have to boil whatever water we need for whatever drinking or cooking needs we have for the day. Vegetables, which are very scarce, have to be bleached and washed in purified water. There is no glass on the windows, only screens so the floors have to be swept every day due to all the dust blowing in. Most houses don’t even have screen though so we’re blessed to at least have that. Ants are not a maybe problem, the question is always when they will get into things. It rains almost every day so drying laundry is a rather difficult thing. Mold likes to grow on everything (even the wooden doors, furniture and ceilings). For this reason books don’t do to well down here. Everything’s always damp all the time so the Peaces have to keep all their books in a closed room with a small air conditioning unit always on. The pets are great though. Lloyd said that growing up he and his brother found there interesting pets when they were out hunting. Sloths, parrots, giant beetles, stray dogs and cats, tapers, and monkeys were all fair game if you could find and catch one. Not long after I arrived at the Peace house a neighbor came by with a bucket of baby parrots that had been knocked out of a tree. The kids really wanted to keep a couple but the parakeets they already had didn’t like them so we gave them all away to various neighbors. Besides Amarelinho and Berdinho, the parakeets, the Peaces have a black lab named Shadow and Jacob has now takes to collecting bugs and has a pet beetle named Jeremy Agustus Peace 1 as well as a few other unnamed insects. Meals are pretty simple for the most part. In the morning Lloyd goes to the bread shop and gets a bunch of fresh made rolls for breakfast. I haven’t seen any cereal in the stores here so Athena makes her own granola for us as well. Nescaou is the morning treat (Nestles chocolate milk powder). Lunch is the main meal of the day and though it can vary rice, tough beef, a fried bread crumb mixture, and kale mixed into everything, are the main staples. Dinner is generally cheese and meat sandwiches or leftovers. Fridays are family night in the Peace home so Athena usually makes pizza and we play games or watch a movie all together. The people here must not sleep much because they are out late every night and up very early every morning. Everything seems to start at 8pm even church on Sundays. Shouting and fireworks always come from the quadra (town gym, where they have soccer, volley ball and other sports activities) late into the night. The night life can’t interfere with the work of the day though so people are up bright and early heading down to their boats, out into the forest to their garden plots, or to whatever job they have to do. The fun thing to do around here is to go down to the port down the street and swim in the Amazon. We have to be careful though and watch out for sting rays. Piranhas stay away as long as you have no open bleeding wounds. The most exciting thing about the port is seeing the dolphins. So far all but one time I’ve been down there I’ve seen them jumping and once there was even a pink dolphin jumping around. The locals are very superstitious when it comes to pink dolphins so the kids all ran out of the water as soon as they saw one jumping. Every night of the week there are different Bible studies going on at the church or in the Peace home. Everyone is greatly encouraged to be in a study during the week. Each class is treated like a school class and the students are given homework and a grade (of sorts). If they fail to pass the class they have to take it over again. I wonder how that would go over in our churches in the US? Social dynamics and issues are pretty much the same here as they are in the US. Humans seem to deal with the same issues no matter what part of the world they are in. So there’s a bit of a peak into life down in the Amazon. I hope it was informative and interesting. I’ll have more stories to tell later.

Learning to Love

I’ve worked in a large variety of ministries for most of my life and generally felt that I received much more than I gave. God’s just like that I suppose. If we come to him with an open surrendered heart he loves to fill it up with his love (Ephes. 1:23). I was however not prepared for what I would be met with when I entered the Amazon. My first experience was of the city of Manaus which compared to the US was very dirty, overcrowded, crumbling and chaotic (not to mention the disgustingly humid weather). After a couple days there I embarked on the over 24 hour journey up the Amazon River to San Antonio. The boat was nice and I enjoyed the view of the river and was still full of excited anticipation. When we arrived the real adventure began. The Port was nothing like I had expected and I was quickly put onto the back of a dirt bike which was one of the local taxis. I was petrified as we sped up and down steep hills and around numerous pot holes. The after maneuvering down several streets lined with little dilapidated wooden houses that looked more like sheds, we arrived at the Peace’s beautifully kept cement home surrounded by tons of flowering bushes and trees. The poverty struck me the hardest, which is saying a lot since I’ve worked in some pretty poverty stricken areas in the US before. The longer I’m here though them more I am taken aback by the simple joy these people have. A great example is a birthday party I was invited to for one of Jessica Peace’s friends who was turning 13. There where at least 13 girls ranging in age from 3-14 and as far as I could tell, they had planned it all. Someone had a few balloons and we spend quite a bit of time just batting them around and having a marvelous time. They had all dressed their best and the birthday girl had on a beautiful dress her grandmother had made for her. After everyone had been served cake, candy and popcorn the birthday girl (Ilene) stood up for speeches. Each of her friends then proceeded to give a little speech express what a special friend Ilene was to them. I was so touched by their sincerity and sweetness. I don’t think I’ve ever heard a 13 year old bless her friend and wish that she would follow God and walk with him for the rest of her life. I believe God has sent me here to really learn how to love his people. Distractions have been removed and I am certainly out of my comfort zone. And the fact that verbal communication is so hard forces me to find new ways to show love to those around me and God’s love in me.

The Call

     It is my opinion that God has quite the sense of humor. The irony of our lives must keep Him in stitches. Why is it that we humans think we can tell him what it is we will or wont do for Him?
     In my experience, those kind of assertions are simply an invitation for God to stretch you. It is Gods desire to do immeasurably more than we could ever ask for or imagine (Eph. 3:20). We pine over the thimble full of blessings we ask from Him, and overlook the truck full of blessings He longs to shower on us. We rail against Him, disparaging our life circumstances, and in so doing miss out on the wonders He has sent to mold us into the true and best shape He intended us to be.
     Many and hard have been the lessons and trials I have had to undergo; not because of my own righteousness, but because of my pride and deafness to His call. Isaiah 55:8-9 puts all my plans and schemes to shame, "For my (Gods) thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are my ways your ways, declares the Lord. As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts."  He has a plan for each of us, and it is good.
     I was born with a natural bent toward romantic ideals. This isn't to say I grew up boy crazy, but that I was drawn towards things and prone to ponder things my piers rarely thought of or cared for. I loved classic literature, romantic poetry, art, antiques, and all things old fashioned. And most of all, I was most comfortable at home with my family. My grandmother called me an "old soul" and my friends thought I was a genius when I took an interest in Shakespeare at 13 (mostly I just made my sister memorize speeches from A Midsummer Night's Dream since she said she wanted to be an actress; she was only 6 at the time).
    My highest aspiration was to be a wife and a mother (and still is), and by 23 I was quite ready to retire. I liked settled things and consistency. Adventures were great now and then, but they needed to be part of my plan.
   All my life I've made plans as to the courses I should take, and tried my very best to make sure those plans  agreed with God's word. He has worked through me in countless ways, but for some reason I always ended up frustrated at the way my life way going. What I didn't realize, was how hard I was working at controlling my life. I had tricked myself into a false sense of security that I was surrendering to Him, while in reality I was the one trying to take control of the drivers seat.
     I was sincere though in my desire to serve Him with all my life and soul. So when He decided to break me, I got the hint.
     It was going into my final undergrad semester at Simpson University. At long last I was going to graduate with my BA in Liberal Studies. Then all my well laid plans began to crumble. That summer God asked me to "retire" from my work at Mountain Meadows Bible Camp. I had total peace with the decision, but that place had been a major part of my life since I was 15. I grew up there and with out it there was a void in my life that would take some time to fill.
     Then a few months into the semester I was in a car accident on my way to class one evening. My car hydroplaned during a sudden down pour and I went spinning all the way across the highway and into the divider cables. Praise the Lord I was going very slow and by God's grace no one hit me while I was spinning. I was fine physically though my car wasn't, but the terror of what could have happened stuck with me for qite some time.
     I was with out a car for over six months which made getting around very hard, especially since everyone in my family was already sharing too few cars. I squeaked by though, and finished school only to be told after I had begun the credentialing program, that I was one credit short of being able to graduate. I was then forced to drop out of credentialing until I completed the credit.
     I was devastated. A similar situation had already occurred when I was ready to graduate from Jr. college;  I felt like such a pathetic failure. However, there was nothing to be done but push on. I earned the credit, graduated in the Spring, and began the credentialing program again in the Summer.
     Things seemed to be settling down again and it was that summer that Lloyd and Athena Peace visited our church while on furlough from ministry in Brazil. I had met them when I was younger and was even Athena's parent's house sitter for several years. I addmired them greatly and was excited to hear about what they did in Brazil.
     At a special meeting our church missions board had for the Peaces (I was a board member), they shared there stories, needs, prayers and praises. At the time Athena was just on the recovery side of cancer treatment and was advised to take help with her when they returned to Brazil. Raising and home schooling 4 children, taking care of a home and working on the mission field were not exactly easy things that would offer her lots of restful recovery time. They shared the situation with us at the meeting and at that time did have someone going down with them. I believe someone suggested I should go (since I have been helping home schooling families since I was 18), which only made me laugh. However, the Peaces thought it was a great idea. My only response was, "Maybe some day," but really I thought no way. I was way to busy where I was and had no desire to go to Brazil of all places or to be an overseas missionary for that matter. Silly me, I was asking for trouble.
     Life went on and I continued with school, visited classrooms, began setting up my over seas student teaching placement, and was so ready to be a "real" teacher. However, once again, it all fell apart. About three weeks into the semester I found myself in an impossible situation both financially and with my schedule. I was forced to drop out again. Every time I thought I was getting somewhere I would run smack into another wall; I really felt like a failure then.
     Angry and depressed I moped around for quite some time letting my despair sink in till I knew I couldn't deal with it alone anymore. Writing and painting seemed to be the only things that could pull me out of myself and help me see past the gloom. It was during one of those low times that I wrote this:

I've sunk into the darkness

The endless despair pitted in my soul.

Where are you God as my thoughts consume me

Dragging me deeper still.

My own self pity swallows wisdom.

Reality, truth, blurs and becomes dim

Next to the ceaseless longings of my heart

Dragging me deeper still.

Joy has hidden it's face.

I wallow in my own disgrace.

Pull me Lord from this sea of pain that's 

Dragging me deeper still.

And yet, a glimmer of hope remains

For the Author of my soul

Still whispers His gentle refrain

For me to surrender all.

Out of the darkness He created light,

And out of the mire He pulled me.

Dirty and broken He sang to me 

And I must surrender all.

So cease your wailing and listen,

When we are weak, then He is strong. 

His joy waits to greet us and does but long

For us to surrender all. 

     I had hit the bottom of my pit and I was done trying. And low and behold, that was right where He wanted me! It is in my weakness that I m made strong through Christ (2 Cor 12:7-10). Though all my earthly plans seemed to be failing and I felt as though I was worthless, it was hen that He was beating my clay and making me new (2 Cor. 4:16-18). I was like a Martha, all in a tizzy trying to obey and be busy for God, that I was missing out on the riches He had planned for me. So He forced me to be still and took away all my distractions and excuses for not listening; then presented me with something wonderful I never would have considered and filled me with His peace (Phil. 4:7).

     So at long last He softened my hardened heart and brought me peace, and joy filled me with a new drive. I am His workmanship (Eph. 2:8-10) and I can rest in the truth that His plan is the best and will fulfill my true purpose. I am now on the threshold of a new adventure which will call for every bit of knowledge and wisdom I have gleaned through my short existence,

plus a lot I've yet to learn. Shortly after the Peace family visited they let us know that they were again in need of someone to help them in Brazil since their previous helper was unable to come. Athena extended the invitation again to me and after much prayer I accepted. This July I will be heading down to Brazil and for three months I get to be a part of Gods work there and share it with you. Please keep me in your prayers as I do you.

    

  

                       

My Hearts Cry

Patiently I wait for you Lord.
Hear my hearts cry,
Pull me from this mire and set me on your rock.
Fill my mouth with a new song,
A hymn of praise to you.

To do your will is my desire.
Your law is on my heart.
Here I kneel, a living sacrifice;
I will cling unto you,
My trust is in you.

I declare your righteousness and faithfulness
O Lord my God.
Your love and truth I do not hide away.
I shout it Lord to all the world
A testimony to you.

Though troubles without number surround me,
My sins overtake me
And my heart fails within me,
You put to shame my enemies
And you save me most exalted Lord.

You are my deliverer,
The help and peace
For my poor needy soul.
You think of me always,
My refuge and my hope eternal.

Change

The only thing we can ever be sure of is change. Time marches on and waits for no one. It seems, as soon as I begin to feel contented and happy with the way my life is going, the trials descend like locusts and the battle in my soul begins again. I know the testing of ones faith produces perseverance and patience and wisdom, but it is also painful. To be continually on the potters wheel being pounded and molded into what He wants me to be,can be exhausting at times. But that is the way of things and I must embrace it with all my heart, pain and all. If I want to grow nearer to God then I must expect hardship. After all Christ himself suffered unimaginable pain on my behalf, even unto death. The least I can do is suffer the loss of my own selfish wants. So I must empty myself of myself. Broken and weak I surrender all my hopes and dreams to my Lord.

"The mind needs more, and it wanders, and when it wanders here, among farmers poor in the things of the world, they worry because, they say, if you think you will become sad, for life is short and death is long, and if sadness grips you it will drag you towards despair, a state in which you are of no use to your neighbor or yourself, in which you forget Gods special love for you."
(Irish Folktales, Henry Glassie)

The Blank Page

There's nothing quite so frightening as an empty page. It's blank,vacant expanse looming up before you begging to be filled. Yet, your mind feels only engulfed by the nothingness. Even your day dreams seem to have fled. What do you do? You scribble something in a vain attempt to push through the emptiness. To no avail, your efforts are quickly consumed and drown in the blank page.
Then hardly realizing what your doing you begin to write. The block in your mind seems to have weakened. Words squeeze through the chinks and soon a steady flow goes trickling across the page. A new world has begun to take shape and you soon become as engulfed by it as you were by the emptiness. This time though, the thrill and excitement of life surges through your veins and you beam with pleasure at the beauty you have created.

Lead Me Lord

Gently Lord you lead me
At your feet I place my prayers
Your peace washes over me
As you calm my anxious heart

You save me Lord
By your most holy love
Strengthen these feeble hands (chorus)
To praise and glorify you

You have created me new
A shimmering star in this dark world
By your righteousness I gain holiness
I am reconciled unto you

Open up my heart Lord
I lay it humbly before you
Pour your strength over my weakness
And help me hold steadfast to you

Out of The Pit

I've sunk into the darkness
The endless despair pitted in my soul.
Where are you God as my thoughts consume me
Dragging me deeper still.

My own self pity swallows wisdom
Reality, truth blurs and becomes dim.
Next to the ceaseless longings of my heart
Dragging me deeper still.

Joy has hidden its face
I wallow in my own disgrace.
Pull me Lord from this sea of pain
That's dragging me deeper still.

And yet, a glimmer of hope remains
For the author of my soul
Still is calling gently
For me to surrender all.

Out of the darkness he created light
Out of the mire he chose to drag me.
In my brokenness he sang to me,
I must surrender all.

So cease your wailing and listen
His strength is found in our weakness.
True joy is waiting to greet us
if we will only surrender all.

Hello Again

So I thought I canceled my blog and I haven't written anything for a couple years. I need to start writting a lot more now, so hello again world. Hope you enjoy my thoughts.

Purity

Here's a picture of our core staff up at Shepard's Ranch in Whitmore (minus our fearless leaders of course; Martha and Jeff Boyle). I'm on the far right then comes Rebecca Roseberry, then Heather Boyle and the guy in the background who ruined our nice picture is Andru our dish-washer.
The summers going great so far and we're all becoming like one big happy family up there. Of course I still like playing the little mother and Andru, Becka and Heather have now become my children (poor them). The Boyle's new baby Kora is doing very well also and is one of the most beautiful baby girls I have ever seen. We do need prayer though, because little Katie Boyle has been our germ carrier and a few of our staff members have gotten quite sick. Some are on the mend now but the last thing we need is an epidemic.

Summer never has been on my list of favorite seasons but, so far this one hasn't been to bad. The unpredictable weather we've been experiencing has given just the right amount of relief I needed between the hot spells. I was thrilled when it started to rain on the 21st but, it was unfortunate that there was so much lightening. Now my brother Chris, who is stationed in Weaverville at the fire station, won't be home for quite a while, due to all the fires in our area. I'm so proud of him though. He's growing into such a neat young man.
Thing are so quiet at home now, what with everyone of working all summer. My poor dad is teaching summer school again and will hardly get any vacation this year, and my mom has taken over all my cleaning jobs for the summer. Ballet classes have begun for my sister Natalie and she has thrown herself into it body and soul (she's sometimes a little to into it if you ask me, but she is such a beautiful dancer). I can't wait to join her in the fall and begin dancing again. Then comes Tyler and I must say a miracle has occur ed and he is actually working. My brainiac brother is doing electrical work for a construction company and doing quite well. The sad news though is that he will be leaving us in the fall for Cal Poly and I know I will feel quite desolate without him, especally when Chris will be gone so often as well fighting fires.
So that's what the rest of my family will be doing through the summer, but that still leaves me. This summer is going to be a marathon for me. I will be practically living in Whitmore at the old Cascade school which is now called Shepard's Ranch. I am the lifeguard/kitchen worker/anything else they need person. This last weekend on the 20th-22nd I was left in charge of the whole kitchen because my boss Martha Boyle was due to have her baby at any time. I am glad to announce that the baby was born June 24th around 4am and her name is Cora.
My goal this summer is to make enough money to fully fund my trip to the British Ilse at the end of August. My friend Letti Simmonis and I will be leaving on the 26th of August to spend a week in England and five weeks in Ireland. While I'm there I will be doing research for the book I am writing about the Sinking of the Birkenhead and I may be visiting some churches and telling them about some ministry opportunities in my area.
Like always it is going to be a busy but very exciting summer and I can't wait to see what God has in store for me by the end of it. Keep me in your prayers if your prayers I will need all the strength I can get to persevere through this summer.

Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church.... Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. In the same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself.