This past week has been strange, to say the least. Life resumed for me, as it always does when I come home from a trip. The kids from BGC were glad to see me, and I was able to share with them what I did. I really missed them. I went back to the Alley and resumed my duties there. I really did miss my co-workers there. I didn't miss the work so much, Lol. I had the chance to present my trip to my Sunday School kiddos, as I do every year. The strange part is the fact that part of me is still in St. Maarten. Parts of my heart are in the church that we worked in, the school that we got to visit, the orphanage there.....and many other places on that island. I have woken in the night thinking that I am supposed to be somewhere with the missions team. One night I was in the airport, scared that I was going to miss my flight. I have gotten on my shoes, begun to get dressed, then I look at the clock...turn on the light...I wake up a bit more...and it hits me that I am in my bedroom in Hutchinson. This type of thing happens to me all too often. After a major trip (it's happened after all 4 of my Mexico trips), a job change, a move...does this happen to you as well? To take it a step farther, a couple of nights I have found myself thinking that I need to get to the Philippines. That's a new one. To be decompressing concerning past or current events is my normal. But I have not done this concerning a possible future event. I know that sometimes God speaks to us in the form of dreams, and I keep getting that nagging sense that God wants me to take a mission trip to the Philippines. Does that mean that's where God is eventually going to take me? I cannot answer that, but must leave it to The God who knows, and will direct me when HE sees fit. For now, and I'm saying it again, God has me in a waiting mode. Evidently, there are things here that God needs me to be a part of. I don't know that those things will be, but I know better than to try to rush God. Besides, I still need to raise the support I need to actually go. So, to those of you who are wondering why I'm still here, and why I'm not yet on the field, I hope that answers some of your questions (because I have been asked quite a few times, Lol).
I came home to some beautifully flourishing crops. My tomato plants look great, with green tomatoes popping out all over the place. I picked my first red tomato yesterday, with great rejoicing! Until I saw that the underside of the tomato looks like someone's rear-end. Yikes! I guess I could cut that part off, huh? My green beans are getting ready to sprout some green beans, and, as an afterthought, I planted some birdhouse gourd seeds, seeing that people like to use those gourds for different projects. That really took off! I don't have any signs of any gourds yet, but the vine is very strong. I also have honeydew planted. The honeydew has eluded me for years, and we'll have to see if this is the year that I can get honeydew to grow in my garden.
I also came home to 2 baby birds in the nest on the back porch. They were just 2 eggs when I left. By looking at them, I assume that they had been born just a day or two before I returned. This is the second batch of eggs for this nest. Three birds out of four survived the first batch, and now 4 and 5 will soon be flying away as well. It will be interesting to see if any more eggs show up. We will be watching. I plan to leave the nest up there, and see if the robins return to it one day. It's been a privilege to be a witness to this miracle.
That's just a little bit about what's been going on in my life. I have some errands to run before I take off for the Alley, but I wanted to give you a quick update. Thanks to those of you who read this faithfully. Some people "like" it on Facebook, and I get comments and inbox messages. I appreciate you all. I pray that God will bless you in a special way today!
…………………………………...............'til next time!................................................………............
Saturday, June 30, 2018
Thursday, June 21, 2018
Rob's Ramblings: Mission trip 2018
Where to start, where to start...? I'll begin with a huge THANK YOU to those who supported us prayerfully and financially. This trip could not have happened without you. This was a life-changing trip. I posted as often as I could, and when the wifi happened to be working. This was at the request of people who wanted to know how we were doing, and how they could pray for us. Some posts contained only a brief summary, and hopefully this post (book, lol) will tie up some of the loose ends. I know I won't be able to include every detail, but I'll do my best, and try to make it interesting.
We drove to KC on the afternoon of the 12th. A church in KC allowed us to sleep there so that we could make our 6am flight. We had to be up at 2am in order to get to the airport and get checked in. The flight was uneventful except for the mad dash we had to make in Atlanta. Atlanta is a very busy airport, and we had mere minutes to make our connection to St. Maarten. Thankfully, that connecting flight was delayed, so we were able to get there with a few minutes to spare. Arriving in St. Maarten, we were aware that the airport was actually a tent. The permanent structure had been so badly damaged during September's Hurricane Irma, that they are going to have to tear the building down and rebuild a new airport building. We passed through customs easily, and met with our team leaders, Rick and Tom (great guys!). We all piled (21 of us plus luggage) into 2 vans. We were literally sitting on top of each other! As we made our way to the hotel, we were aware of much devastation around us. Large boats were smashed and lying on the shoreline of the bay near the airport. Buildings with sections missing, houses that were battered and damaged. 10 months after the hurricane, people are still struggling to pick up the pieces. Our hotel was on the beach. Literally, going out of the back door of the hotel, the beach was right there. Many of the hotels in St. Maarten are right on the coast, and this hotel was one of the safer ones in the area. We were able to utilize this quiet beach for swimming during our down times, and we had morning and evening devotion times here. It's a neat thing to sit out there, spending time with God, while you hear the waves nearby.
Each morning we had an activity to take part in. On Thursday and Friday morning, were able to go into a local elementary school to love on the kids and help the teachers out. I was able to spend both days in a Grade 4 classroom. I instantly became attached to the kids and enjoyed helping them with their schoolwork. They loved my hat and sunglasses, so the boys wanted to model them for my camera. At recess time, the whole courtyard exploded with soccer games, tossing the football, and their school has a recess-time snack bar with all kinds of goodies. The time we spent with them simply flew by, and we hated to leave. On Monday morning, we went into the neighborhoods to share to Gospel with people we met. Many of them were very open to the message we were sharing, and only a few told us to keep moving. On Tuesday morning, we took a break and went snorkeling in the ocean. I was able to go for a while, but I quickly tired out, and kept swallowing the ocean. By the time I got out, I was ready to puke. Several others became ill as well. I guess us Kansas folks aren't built for deep-sea diving! Lol.
Thursday through Sunday we hosted youth rallies. Our rallies consisted of music, games, snacks, and the Gospel presentation. Our biggest night was Friday, when over 200 people packed the church building, and nearly 1/3 of them came forward at the end for prayer and salvation. That was simply awesome to see. My teammate Dakota and I were able to pray with 2 boys, Brandon and Jeremy, who gave their lives to Christ. Neat kids!
We were able to enjoy a nice variety of local cuisine, prepared for us by a great group of ladies from our partner church, Bible Baptist Church (woot, woot!). We enjoyed patties, which is a pocket of seasoned ground hamburger or chicken baked into a flaky crust. So good! There was a lot of chicken and rice, and some days we ate right on the boardwalk outside the hotel, eating the catch of the day. I ate conch (a type of fish) for the first time, and loved it! St. Maarten also has a KFC, Burger King, Domino's, Quiznos, and of course, an international icon, McDonalds.
People in St. Maarten are very friendly. People say hello to you as you pass them on the sidewalk, and some want to make conversation. They call St. Maarten 'The Friendly Island," and they live up to their name. Just be careful about talking to the vendors, though. They'll talk you to death trying to sell you something! Lol. Many of them have a Jamaican accent, and it's neat to hear them talk.
On our final night, Tuesday, we had a meal with the good people of Bible Baptist Church. Many of them gave testimonies about their experiences with the hurricane, and how God had worked in their lives. We had to say goodbye to these people who had become like family to us, and we exchanged emails, and whipped out our phones to friend each other on Facebook.
Other than some sunburn, some heat exhaustion, and fatigue, everyone stayed pretty healthy. No major injuries or sickness to report. Our trip home went very well, and there were no problems. All in all, God has been very good to us. For those of you who were on the trip and are reading this, you well know that there is a lot of info that didn't make the cut, due to the fact that there just isn't time or space to fit it all in. I'd encourage you to comment on the Facebook link about just what this mission trip meant to you. I'm sure the readers would like to get your input as well.
What's next for me? I really have a strong desire to visit the Philippines. Many of our church members who have gone there on mission trips now serve there as missionaries. I feel God's pull to explore this possibility. Right now, God has not pointed me in any particular direction. As I have shared with you before, God has me waiting on Him. In His time, He will direct me in the way that I should go. In the meantime, I will jump back into the workforce tomorrow, and start saving my money for the next mission trip, wherever that will be.
I apologize if this post has seemed long, has typos, or doesn't make sense. I am so tired, and a long rest is calling me. Thanks for understanding, thanks for reading, and God bless you.
We drove to KC on the afternoon of the 12th. A church in KC allowed us to sleep there so that we could make our 6am flight. We had to be up at 2am in order to get to the airport and get checked in. The flight was uneventful except for the mad dash we had to make in Atlanta. Atlanta is a very busy airport, and we had mere minutes to make our connection to St. Maarten. Thankfully, that connecting flight was delayed, so we were able to get there with a few minutes to spare. Arriving in St. Maarten, we were aware that the airport was actually a tent. The permanent structure had been so badly damaged during September's Hurricane Irma, that they are going to have to tear the building down and rebuild a new airport building. We passed through customs easily, and met with our team leaders, Rick and Tom (great guys!). We all piled (21 of us plus luggage) into 2 vans. We were literally sitting on top of each other! As we made our way to the hotel, we were aware of much devastation around us. Large boats were smashed and lying on the shoreline of the bay near the airport. Buildings with sections missing, houses that were battered and damaged. 10 months after the hurricane, people are still struggling to pick up the pieces. Our hotel was on the beach. Literally, going out of the back door of the hotel, the beach was right there. Many of the hotels in St. Maarten are right on the coast, and this hotel was one of the safer ones in the area. We were able to utilize this quiet beach for swimming during our down times, and we had morning and evening devotion times here. It's a neat thing to sit out there, spending time with God, while you hear the waves nearby.
Each morning we had an activity to take part in. On Thursday and Friday morning, were able to go into a local elementary school to love on the kids and help the teachers out. I was able to spend both days in a Grade 4 classroom. I instantly became attached to the kids and enjoyed helping them with their schoolwork. They loved my hat and sunglasses, so the boys wanted to model them for my camera. At recess time, the whole courtyard exploded with soccer games, tossing the football, and their school has a recess-time snack bar with all kinds of goodies. The time we spent with them simply flew by, and we hated to leave. On Monday morning, we went into the neighborhoods to share to Gospel with people we met. Many of them were very open to the message we were sharing, and only a few told us to keep moving. On Tuesday morning, we took a break and went snorkeling in the ocean. I was able to go for a while, but I quickly tired out, and kept swallowing the ocean. By the time I got out, I was ready to puke. Several others became ill as well. I guess us Kansas folks aren't built for deep-sea diving! Lol.
Thursday through Sunday we hosted youth rallies. Our rallies consisted of music, games, snacks, and the Gospel presentation. Our biggest night was Friday, when over 200 people packed the church building, and nearly 1/3 of them came forward at the end for prayer and salvation. That was simply awesome to see. My teammate Dakota and I were able to pray with 2 boys, Brandon and Jeremy, who gave their lives to Christ. Neat kids!
We were able to enjoy a nice variety of local cuisine, prepared for us by a great group of ladies from our partner church, Bible Baptist Church (woot, woot!). We enjoyed patties, which is a pocket of seasoned ground hamburger or chicken baked into a flaky crust. So good! There was a lot of chicken and rice, and some days we ate right on the boardwalk outside the hotel, eating the catch of the day. I ate conch (a type of fish) for the first time, and loved it! St. Maarten also has a KFC, Burger King, Domino's, Quiznos, and of course, an international icon, McDonalds.
People in St. Maarten are very friendly. People say hello to you as you pass them on the sidewalk, and some want to make conversation. They call St. Maarten 'The Friendly Island," and they live up to their name. Just be careful about talking to the vendors, though. They'll talk you to death trying to sell you something! Lol. Many of them have a Jamaican accent, and it's neat to hear them talk.
On our final night, Tuesday, we had a meal with the good people of Bible Baptist Church. Many of them gave testimonies about their experiences with the hurricane, and how God had worked in their lives. We had to say goodbye to these people who had become like family to us, and we exchanged emails, and whipped out our phones to friend each other on Facebook.
Other than some sunburn, some heat exhaustion, and fatigue, everyone stayed pretty healthy. No major injuries or sickness to report. Our trip home went very well, and there were no problems. All in all, God has been very good to us. For those of you who were on the trip and are reading this, you well know that there is a lot of info that didn't make the cut, due to the fact that there just isn't time or space to fit it all in. I'd encourage you to comment on the Facebook link about just what this mission trip meant to you. I'm sure the readers would like to get your input as well.
What's next for me? I really have a strong desire to visit the Philippines. Many of our church members who have gone there on mission trips now serve there as missionaries. I feel God's pull to explore this possibility. Right now, God has not pointed me in any particular direction. As I have shared with you before, God has me waiting on Him. In His time, He will direct me in the way that I should go. In the meantime, I will jump back into the workforce tomorrow, and start saving my money for the next mission trip, wherever that will be.
I apologize if this post has seemed long, has typos, or doesn't make sense. I am so tired, and a long rest is calling me. Thanks for understanding, thanks for reading, and God bless you.
Tuesday, June 12, 2018
Mission Trip 2018: The adventure begins today!
I am a bundle of nerves and excitement. More excitement than nerves. I was fearful that I would not get to sleep last night. but there was a good movie on that relaxed me and gave me some good comic relief (UHF, one of my favorite movies of all time), and by movie's end, I was sleepy, and God gave me a good night's rest. Kinda silly, I know, but don't judge. Lol.
Today is the day I have been preparing for, for many months. I have been scrimping, saving, planning, and more, to get to this place. I have to give God the praise for landing me the job with the Alley. Without that extra job, this trip would not have been possible. I have been trying to sink every penny from that job into my missions account, and by God's grace, and through the financial gifts of people who believe in missions, every one of our team members is fully funded! This trip has been more involved, is longer, and farther away than any mission trip I have taken so far, and I'm pumped about this next week. It will be my first trip off the of continent of North America, going overseas. We'll be flying into a foreign country, which is new for me as well. I will dearly miss my Mexico/San Diego friends, but God has led me in this direction, and where He leads me, I must follow. I dare not stray from His leading. Jonah did that, and look where it got him.
Today, we will drive to Kansas City and stay the night at a local church. We will wake up bright and early at 3am to load up and head to the airport to catch a 6am flight to Atlanta, where we will change planes. Big prayer request here: We only have a small, small window of time to make our connecting flight (about 30 minutes or so), so we're going to have to book it big time through the Atlanta airport to make our connection. We are praying for a good tailwind from KC to ATL, and that we get to our plane on time. We're hoping that the airport people will work with us, and hold the plane until we get there. Please pray about that. From Atlanta, we will fly into St. Martin (Sint Maarten) in the Bahamas. We'll get settled into our lodgings, and decompress before our evening meetings.
Throughout the week, we will be working in a local elementary school (I'll be totally out of my element there, Lol), and helping in a local church with a missionary there. The neat thing about this church is our church was able to bless them with a substantial financial gift when their church was damaged by the hurricanes last year. We get to meet these people and be a blessing to them. We'll also be doing some youth nights for the church, and also be evangelizing in area neighborhoods. We'll be doing skits, playing games with them, and then giving them the opportunity to invite Christ into our lives. We will also take some time to sightsee and do some souvenir shopping while we are there. There is much more we will do, and we'll be filled in on the rest when we meet with the missionary tomorrow. Tomorrow!!
A few info-bits for you: I will post pics and info as wifi will allow. I am not sure how that's going to work. Feel free to stalk my Facebook for these things. If you see nothing from me, you can assume that I was not able to catch a wifi signal in order to post. In a foreign country, you just never know. If I'm not able to post, I'll be sure to do that when I get home.
We need you to pray for us. Would you be willing to do that? We are praying for several things. First of all, safety, as we travel through the different areas of the Bahamas. Second, our stamina, as we will be quite busy with many projects and activities. Third, our testimony. That we would portray a positive picture of Christ in all circumstances. Fourth, and most importantly, that the hearts of the people we minister to will be softened toward the things of Christ, and that many will give their lives to Him.
I need to jump off and finish packing. I hope I don't forget anything! You know that feeling, I'm sure. Lol. Thanks for reading, and God bless you!
Today is the day I have been preparing for, for many months. I have been scrimping, saving, planning, and more, to get to this place. I have to give God the praise for landing me the job with the Alley. Without that extra job, this trip would not have been possible. I have been trying to sink every penny from that job into my missions account, and by God's grace, and through the financial gifts of people who believe in missions, every one of our team members is fully funded! This trip has been more involved, is longer, and farther away than any mission trip I have taken so far, and I'm pumped about this next week. It will be my first trip off the of continent of North America, going overseas. We'll be flying into a foreign country, which is new for me as well. I will dearly miss my Mexico/San Diego friends, but God has led me in this direction, and where He leads me, I must follow. I dare not stray from His leading. Jonah did that, and look where it got him.
Today, we will drive to Kansas City and stay the night at a local church. We will wake up bright and early at 3am to load up and head to the airport to catch a 6am flight to Atlanta, where we will change planes. Big prayer request here: We only have a small, small window of time to make our connecting flight (about 30 minutes or so), so we're going to have to book it big time through the Atlanta airport to make our connection. We are praying for a good tailwind from KC to ATL, and that we get to our plane on time. We're hoping that the airport people will work with us, and hold the plane until we get there. Please pray about that. From Atlanta, we will fly into St. Martin (Sint Maarten) in the Bahamas. We'll get settled into our lodgings, and decompress before our evening meetings.
Throughout the week, we will be working in a local elementary school (I'll be totally out of my element there, Lol), and helping in a local church with a missionary there. The neat thing about this church is our church was able to bless them with a substantial financial gift when their church was damaged by the hurricanes last year. We get to meet these people and be a blessing to them. We'll also be doing some youth nights for the church, and also be evangelizing in area neighborhoods. We'll be doing skits, playing games with them, and then giving them the opportunity to invite Christ into our lives. We will also take some time to sightsee and do some souvenir shopping while we are there. There is much more we will do, and we'll be filled in on the rest when we meet with the missionary tomorrow. Tomorrow!!
A few info-bits for you: I will post pics and info as wifi will allow. I am not sure how that's going to work. Feel free to stalk my Facebook for these things. If you see nothing from me, you can assume that I was not able to catch a wifi signal in order to post. In a foreign country, you just never know. If I'm not able to post, I'll be sure to do that when I get home.
We need you to pray for us. Would you be willing to do that? We are praying for several things. First of all, safety, as we travel through the different areas of the Bahamas. Second, our stamina, as we will be quite busy with many projects and activities. Third, our testimony. That we would portray a positive picture of Christ in all circumstances. Fourth, and most importantly, that the hearts of the people we minister to will be softened toward the things of Christ, and that many will give their lives to Him.
I need to jump off and finish packing. I hope I don't forget anything! You know that feeling, I'm sure. Lol. Thanks for reading, and God bless you!
Friday, June 1, 2018
Hello, everyone!
Yes, I have returned for a long-overdue update. Where have I been? Good question! For one, there just hasn't been enough time for me to stop and post. You know how it can get. Life can just get so busy. Also, my laptop was stolen. Since then, I've been pretty much cut off from blogging. I haven't really had access to a computer so that I can keep you informed. My sister has loaned me her laptop so that I can be in better touch with you, and quite frankly, I'm glad to be back. Here's what's going on in my life:
Just a few hours ago, we returned from a very awesome week of Kids Camp. This camp was geared toward elementary-aged children, and it was great. The kids had the chance to experience archery and BB guns, zip-lining, swimming, boating, and so much more. Best of all, we saw large crowds of kids surrendering their lives, hearts, hurts, all to God. The worship was intense, and the preaching was convicting. Hundreds of kids have gone home as changed people, and I pray that the decisions they have made will not be forgotten as they re-enter the real world.
I am about 12 days out from my trip to St. Martin in the Bahamas. We'll be leaving from KC on the 13th, and be there for about a week. We will helping a missionary there with his church, and some general outreach. We'll also be working in an elementary school and doing some youth nights. I am very excited about this new adventure. I will definitely miss my friends in Mexico, but I feel that God is leading me in this direction. I am almost completely funded, and it will be exciting to see how God brings everything together in the next week. God usually brings everything together at the last minute.
After a year absence, my garden is back up and running. My tomatoes are growing beautifully, and I already have a few small green tomatoes popping out. I have some radish sprouts peeking out, and my patch of green beans is looking great. I also am trying some pumpkin, honeydew and birdhouse gourds, but time will tell if those will be successful. I am doing everything I can to keep them nourished, but if the soil isn't cooperative, there isn't much more that I can do.
This post will be brief, as I am extremely tired, and am going to make it an early night. Thanks for understanding. Now that I have this laptop for a while, I can update more often, especially as I get closer and closer to my departure date. Thanks for reading, and may God bless you!
Just a few hours ago, we returned from a very awesome week of Kids Camp. This camp was geared toward elementary-aged children, and it was great. The kids had the chance to experience archery and BB guns, zip-lining, swimming, boating, and so much more. Best of all, we saw large crowds of kids surrendering their lives, hearts, hurts, all to God. The worship was intense, and the preaching was convicting. Hundreds of kids have gone home as changed people, and I pray that the decisions they have made will not be forgotten as they re-enter the real world.
I am about 12 days out from my trip to St. Martin in the Bahamas. We'll be leaving from KC on the 13th, and be there for about a week. We will helping a missionary there with his church, and some general outreach. We'll also be working in an elementary school and doing some youth nights. I am very excited about this new adventure. I will definitely miss my friends in Mexico, but I feel that God is leading me in this direction. I am almost completely funded, and it will be exciting to see how God brings everything together in the next week. God usually brings everything together at the last minute.
After a year absence, my garden is back up and running. My tomatoes are growing beautifully, and I already have a few small green tomatoes popping out. I have some radish sprouts peeking out, and my patch of green beans is looking great. I also am trying some pumpkin, honeydew and birdhouse gourds, but time will tell if those will be successful. I am doing everything I can to keep them nourished, but if the soil isn't cooperative, there isn't much more that I can do.
This post will be brief, as I am extremely tired, and am going to make it an early night. Thanks for understanding. Now that I have this laptop for a while, I can update more often, especially as I get closer and closer to my departure date. Thanks for reading, and may God bless you!
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