you!!!!! 
The girls sent this picture ---as they said, "It wasn't meant to be cute. We were trying to be warm." And I don't know how to separate the picture from the "I love you." so there you go. God is great and takes care of us as always. Thank you so much for your prayers!!!
Here is what is happening at the moment: Ruth and Hannah graduate the end of May. A cheap round-trip ticket came up from here to there for 900 some dollars (a normal ticket is near 2,000 from here - like double to America). That ticket was a Christmas / New Year special and it was a "decide and buy NOW." Well, we couldn't decide and buy now and the time went by. Meanwhile, we got our hopes up and then were a bit disappointed. I told Ruth and Hannah to pray and if God wanted me to go, He would provide something BETTER. Nothing had been turning up.
My niece Laurelyn is pregnant and is due in April. She wants me to come deliver their baby!! Wow. PRAY a lot for that delivery --her first. So, they are bringing me to the states, and from the states round-trip to the Philippines is in the 900's again.
If I had gotten the first ticket I wouldn't have been able to go deliver Laurelyn's baby. That is not all.
There is a girl who wants to come out for about two months - never traveled overseas before and her father was thinking to accompany her. Now she is able to try to get her ticket to match mine and come back with me. That will be nice for both of us. She sounds like a very nice girl - 18 yo. Even another thing --she wants to be in the states for June 2 - a graduation, and our ticket won't be until June 6th.
It is comforting to me to see the hand of God in the details. I am nervous and praying so much for all my babies that will be here. It will be good for the older kids to get pushed out of their normal comfort zone for a bit --teach in French, play the piano for church, laundry, cooking, buying groceries to keep up with the menu (I WILL make a menu for them), maybe appreciate Mom a bit?
So, that is what has been happening around here. The weeks are full. Life goes like this - school every day, beach Monday afternoon, Wed. night meetings, Friday to the village to preach and teach, Saturday afternoons - visitation, ladies' class, and everything planned for Sat. afternoon; Sunday 8:30 SS, then Church, then classes - ladies' class, youth class, men's class, membership class. Normally in the states you could have some of these meetings during the SS hour or during the week. No one wants to come out at night and they don't show up on time for SS. After church is the best time to have everyone present. Tuesday and Thursday afternoons are a bit free --do the shopping, do whatever pops up as an "interruption" during the week, and even practice the piano or guitar if it works out. We do love life here.
We so appreciate it and you praying for us. Please PRAY for all this travel to go smoothly, for the delivery, and for all my family still here at home to be safe and healthy. Thanks a lot.
Have a great day.
Love in Christ,
Joan
PS. We just got back from our African camping trip ---yes, I know our whole life is camping in Africa. Our camping TRIP is to go and spend 3 days and nights ON a deserted beach. Last time we did the trip it was just our family and we slept on air mattresses and blow up pool toys outside with mosquito nets. This time Messers went with us and we had tents. It is a very long story that I can't write up right now ---LONG story - Messers' car had troubles and broke down completely; going with two puppies and a monkey; Gideon is 2 years old and was teething - hanging on to me like glue; going to get Seth at the airport ---he had been on a mission trip to Kenya; huge rain and wind storm in the night --everyone up trying to rain proof the tents - one of which was about to blow over completely. I'll write the story after a while. We got home to no water and lots of wet laundry - it might get moldy, that is why none of our clothes from here are fit to bring to the states. No, I'll lay them out in the sun to at least dry them a bit.
My niece Laurelyn is pregnant and is due in April. She wants me to come deliver their baby!! Wow. PRAY a lot for that delivery --her first. So, they are bringing me to the states, and from the states round-trip to the Philippines is in the 900's again.
If I had gotten the first ticket I wouldn't have been able to go deliver Laurelyn's baby. That is not all.
There is a girl who wants to come out for about two months - never traveled overseas before and her father was thinking to accompany her. Now she is able to try to get her ticket to match mine and come back with me. That will be nice for both of us. She sounds like a very nice girl - 18 yo. Even another thing --she wants to be in the states for June 2 - a graduation, and our ticket won't be until June 6th.
It is comforting to me to see the hand of God in the details. I am nervous and praying so much for all my babies that will be here. It will be good for the older kids to get pushed out of their normal comfort zone for a bit --teach in French, play the piano for church, laundry, cooking, buying groceries to keep up with the menu (I WILL make a menu for them), maybe appreciate Mom a bit?
So, that is what has been happening around here. The weeks are full. Life goes like this - school every day, beach Monday afternoon, Wed. night meetings, Friday to the village to preach and teach, Saturday afternoons - visitation, ladies' class, and everything planned for Sat. afternoon; Sunday 8:30 SS, then Church, then classes - ladies' class, youth class, men's class, membership class. Normally in the states you could have some of these meetings during the SS hour or during the week. No one wants to come out at night and they don't show up on time for SS. After church is the best time to have everyone present. Tuesday and Thursday afternoons are a bit free --do the shopping, do whatever pops up as an "interruption" during the week, and even practice the piano or guitar if it works out. We do love life here.
We so appreciate it and you praying for us. Please PRAY for all this travel to go smoothly, for the delivery, and for all my family still here at home to be safe and healthy. Thanks a lot.
Have a great day.
Love in Christ,
Joan
PS. We just got back from our African camping trip ---yes, I know our whole life is camping in Africa. Our camping TRIP is to go and spend 3 days and nights ON a deserted beach. Last time we did the trip it was just our family and we slept on air mattresses and blow up pool toys outside with mosquito nets. This time Messers went with us and we had tents. It is a very long story that I can't write up right now ---LONG story - Messers' car had troubles and broke down completely; going with two puppies and a monkey; Gideon is 2 years old and was teething - hanging on to me like glue; going to get Seth at the airport ---he had been on a mission trip to Kenya; huge rain and wind storm in the night --everyone up trying to rain proof the tents - one of which was about to blow over completely. I'll write the story after a while. We got home to no water and lots of wet laundry - it might get moldy, that is why none of our clothes from here are fit to bring to the states. No, I'll lay them out in the sun to at least dry them a bit.
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