Monday, March 24, 2008

Incredible Words

I am not big on blogging about my thoughts, feelings, etc. simply because the main purpose of my blog is to update family and friends on what is going in our life. Somehow the whole idea of keeping a "diary" for the whole world to see online doesn't settle well with me. Plus, I really don't believe many, if any out there really care to know how I really feel about life! :) Anyway...I read this quote last night that really impacted me and decided to share it. It is a quote from Lilias Trotter, a woman who was a missionary to North Africa from 1888 to 1928. I found it in a book I am reading through written by Noel Piper. This is the quote:


"How many of us have said and sung with all our hearts "Anywhere with Jesus," but at the same time we did not realize all that it meant for us. Indeed at home, and surrounded by all that home means, we could not know. When the test comes we must not forget that "anywhere" means for missionaries something different from life in England [where she was originally from], and let us take very good care not to make a misery of anything that "anywhere" brings us.

To us in Algeria it must mean sometime or other, Arab food. Do we object to it? And mice, do we mind them? And mosquitoes, do we think them dreadful? In some parts it means close contact with dirt and repulsive disease. Yet if Jesus is there, what have we possibly to complain of? It means living among a stiff-necked and untrue people and struggling with a strange and difficult language. And yet let us evermore write over all our miseries, big, and for the most part very little, these transforming words "With Jesus." And then the very breath of Heaven will breathe upon our whole being and we shall be glad."

She and the woman who served with her had a threefold prayer for the area they were in: that doors might be opened, that hearts might be opened, and that the heavens might be opened. How powerful! If only we all had that prayer for the areas we lived and served in!

Sunday, March 23, 2008

Easter 08

We had a great Easter this year! We began, of course, by decorating eggs. This year, I found these great q-tips that were filled with paint. You broke off one end, allowing the paint to fill the other end of the q-tip. The girls then could "paint" their eggs. It was so much fun! We also did the traditional dyeing of eggs as well! We even found some egg tattoos!











We woke up Easter morning to find the goodies that the Easter bunny left. This year he wasn't able to hide eggs outside because it was too rainy (plus we had church early at our house and mommy didn't think it was a good idea to hunt for eggs first!) :)

Rylie was so excited to show off the Littlest Pet Shop animals she got.



Taitlyn enjoying her Easter gifts.

Everybody came over to our house for church later that morning since we are still without a facility to meet in. It was so much fun. We worshipped together first, then had potluck lunch, followed by an egg hunt for the kids. We didn't get any pictures of the egg hunt on our camera because it was full. If we get some from other people though we'll be sure to post them!



Apparently, there was something on our camera lens when we were trying to take a picture of all the kids! I can't imagine how that got there!

Here is a picture of our girls once we cleaned the lens! Unfortunately, Taitlyn wasn't looking at the camera in any of the pictures!