singing out of tune

I am currently reading he book, "canyouhearme" by Brad Jersak.

In one part of the book, Brad talks about how God still uses parables (daily events) to speak to us. He says, " The most common parable events happen right beneath my nose.
My children mirror my behaviour in such a way that God has
an endless supply of illustrations with which to confront me.
I hear myself telling them, "You wouldn't have fallen down and
hurt yourself if you had listened to me and obeyed the first
time!" Then I lift my face to heaven and tell the Lord with some
annoyance, "Yes, I caught that one!" *

As I sat reflecting on life's everyday occurrences and how God is surely in each of them as He intensely cares and allows and plans for each thing that happens, I recalled our trip from Reutte, Austria to Pruhonice, Czech Republic where I was driving with Rachel and Nathanael riding in the back. Rachel was holding the "Wee Sing America" songbook and Nathanael and she were singing along with the tape on our way. Rachel was singing sometimes off pitch and Nathanael was singing the words he knew and then sometimes he made up nonesense words that "fit" in the spaces. Tom's dad, affectionately called Papa by the kids, was sitting in the front seat.

As I reflected on that I saw how much God is pleased with me when I speak in Czech "out of tune" (not proper Czech) or somehow else not entirely perfect. Sometimes reading words not really Czech or speaking not perfectly still brings God pleasure because I don't mind boldly speaking it so others can hear. Some people (Czechs, Roma) aren't put off by my speaking "out of tune" sometimes because they can clearly still her and understand the idea. Even made up words (Czenglish)or words I use that I don't understand the full meaning of will a) bring joy and b) still reach hearts. Some hear and join in the "song" and others are encouraged by the hearing of it. That brings God pleasure as we are joining Him in His song and He uses it and makes it valuable.

May God help me to continue to look for and see Him in "everyday" occasions because He is certainly there! I'd love to hear ways you have seen God's involvement in your everyday experiences. I know I'm not alone in this!

* "canyouhearme?" Tuning in to the God who speaks Brad Jersak USA: Kregel Publications, Grand Rapids, MI 49501 2006

Paris with Sisters and Nieces (2)

So, after a long pause, thanks to visiting grandparents (yes there will be a post about that!), I am back to finish up the Paris trip...


Dora, Anita, Deb (sisters!)
.
Amy (mine), Esther (Deb's), Joy (Anita's) Cousins!

Our last morning was spent at the Jardin d'Luxembourg which was located right across the street from the hotel. We took a lot of pictures here!

We then enjoyed a train ride to Versailles and lunch there.
Amy in the metro




cousins at the main gate to Versailles palace


We then traveled back and went to Marais/St Paul area of Paris

where we found an English language bookstore recommended by Rick Steeve's...which I recommend as well. Penelope was friendly and helpful.


We finished up the day at the Eiffel Tower, enjoying the lights from the ground as well as the second level up! What a fun end to our last day.

With safe flights all around, we enjoyed some time with all of us together. We took advantage of all being together with pictures of all the cousins. What a great time with family.

Paris with Sisters and Nieces (1)

Can you believe all the things that we have done in the last months? Tom and I have traveled many places: Tom to Rome, Athens, Amsterdam; I went to Paris. We have attended meetings and conferences and even said "hi" to each other in between!

This trip to Paris was talked about and planned for years and what a fun thing to have the chance to travel together!

My sister Deb and her daughter Esther arrived on a Sunday MORNING! UGH. After a nap in the afternoon, they helped us host a team from Czech that is traveling on a missions trip to the US. They stayed up almost until 10 at night making that the day that had no end for them. In the late morning, we dropped Amy off to travel to Hungary for a preplanned testing time. They left Monday morning by train to visit my brother, sister-in-law and nieces and nephew in Bratislava.

Anita and Joy arrived on Monday afternoon to find me waiting at the wrong place for them! That was such a bummer for all of us. Once we found each other we had a nice time together.

Tuesday was the day that Amy returned home, Esther and Deb came back and we were all together! Even Deb and Anita don't live near each other in the US, so it was fun for them to see each other, too!

Wednesday we flew out of Prague at 6 a.m and arrived in Paris around 7:45. We bought our transportation passes and our museum passes, got out Euro's and used the bathroom before making our way by RER to our hotel. We ended up arriving at the hotel around 11:30.
After a nap, we made our way to Notre Dame and went on a walking tour recommended by Rick Steve's. (Thanks for the book loan, Mindy!) We saw the Deportation museum where 200,000 French Jews were sent to Concentration Camps, walked by the river Seine, saw the Eiffel Tower and the Arch de Triomphe. Amy, Esther, Joy and I went up to the top and looked around.

After supper at a restaurant near the Eiffel Tower, we made our way to the hotel again.

The next day we went to the Louvre, Orsay and walked/shopped on the Champs Elysees and went to a mall that was WAY overpriced for us, so we left and found a place to eat by the hotel instead.

guests and more Klub pictures

First of all...we actually have sun! We have had two sunny days in a row. AHHH, what a relief it is!

Now on to our guests. We were privileged to host our friends the D's for a week. They are from NC and the church where he pastors supports us. They were such good company, coming at a busy and emotionally challenging time for us with our leaving Vlasim church. Thank you for coming the D's!

Nathanael still talks about their visit and the books he read.


She also taught Rachel how to crochet. You can see that Rachel took off and is still crocheting...

The time at Klub was different than we thought it would be as the kids weren't talking with each other and wouldn't come to Klub together...we only had two moms and two little toddlers. Thanks for flexing with us! Your singing and puppet show was great. Especially cute was T's interaction with Paja (the puppet).

We do treasure visits from friends. Our home is open! Speaking of which....two of my sisters and their daughters who are Amy's age are coming (one is flying as I write) for our long planned and much looked-forward to trip to Paris! More to come...

Klub Rachel

I thought I'd include a bit about ministry today.

As you know, we go once a week to Vlasim to help with Klub Rachel, the non-government agency we work with in order to reach Roma.

Thanks to Kenosha Bible Church, we obtain crafts to make and parties in a box. This years Valentine's Day party was a big hit. There were less kids than usual due to the cold and sickness of many.

Enjoy the pictures!

fun times

We are enjoying the visit of friends/supporters from North Carolina. We haven't seen them in a long time and are enjoying the extended times of visiting with them. They are being kept busy. Tomorrow they are going to Klub with us in the evening.

Nathanael thinks they are at his beck and call. Whenever they have a moment and happen to be sitting relaxing, he appears with a book or some other request for their attention. I don't know what we will do without them playing and entertaining!

We are busy, tired and sensing that God is working in our lives. Pray that we would continue to seek Him first and His righteousness.

Goodbye's

Yes, I know it is normal to have to say "goodbye" in life. Especially MY life. Doesn't make me enjoy them more, just makes me realize the importance of saying them well.

Last Sunday was our last official Sunday in Vlasim at the church we helped plant and worked in for 5 and a half years. Seems short and long at the same time. There have been many really hard times as well as times when it has been really good. Like life.

There was a chance for us to speak (Tom and I). I prayed for a quite a bit about what God would have me say to the people that make up the church. I ended up being led to share Zephaniah 3:17
" The LORD your God is with you,
he is mighty to save.
He will take great delight in you,
he will quiet you with his love,
he will rejoice over you with singing."

Then, in addition to this picture of how God feels about us, His Church, I was lead to share that they need to be in the Word for themselves. They, as children of God, have the Holy Spirit to guide them and they don't need to follow one person or seek truth elsewhere. I pray that for the church as a whole.

There was food, which was good, I assume as the kids said so. Tom and I had meaningful conversations with people in the church and felt affirmed many times throughout those conversations.

So, even as we said, goodbye, we said hello. To what? Well, to more travel for Tom, a different ministry in the sense that we won't be church planting now. We are working with Roma at Klub Rachel, as well as encouraging work in Hungary, Slovakia and other parts of Czech among the Roma.

Tom is also the RG connector with Refugee Highway Partnership see:
http://www.refugeehighway.net/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=16&Itemid=33

This involves connecting those with RG currently working with or interested in working with refugees anywhere along the lines of their journey be it at the beginning as they escape their country or at the end where they need help settling in to their new country.

We are in the process of visiting churches in Prague where we may attend. This promises to take a while as we intend to visit many times before deciding. Pray that we would hear God's voice as we visit.

We are looking forward to many visits this spring, which also means many goodbyes. Pray that we would do this well and enjoy the hello's also! By they way, you are welcome here too!