Dust to Dust

This Blog is entitled Life, Love and Living far from Home.  This week, well into our time of living in the US, I was reminded again that we are not yet home.

The father of a friend from high school died this week.  He was a good man and I feel blessed to have been able to attend his funeral.  I haven’t seen Jonathan or his brother Adrian in almost 30 years.  That in itself is surreal.  These boys (sorry guys, I think you will always be boys in my mind!) were part of my growing up.  My favorite memory at their dad’s house was having marshmallow fights in the basement.  We were allowed to throw them until they got so sticky they stuck to the walls. 

Dr. White was a professor.  He taught, among other places, at Lynchburg College.  My husband had the pleasure of knowing him a bit while he worked there.  Dr. White was always teaching, in school and out. He gave of himself and always had an open door policy.  He was passionate about many things, but he was not dogmatic about them.  When I knew him 30 years ago, he was an atheist but he became Jewish later in life, a return to his roots.

Thursday was a beautiful day. We stood under the clear dark blue sky next to the deep green trees, the colors bold and bright. A cool breeze was teasing us as we stood in the warm sun.  Most of the people I met were from the synagogue, a small tight community amidst the majority 'christian' city.  The gravestones had familiar names: Thalhimer, Silver, Stein, Bloom. We pondered the tradition of placing stones on the graves.  We recited the 23^rd Psalm in English, and listened to Psalm 121 in Hebrew.  We contemplated a life of teaching and service, kindness and open doors.   Jonathan and Adrian spoke. For the first time I saw and participated in putting dirt onto the lowered coffin, covering the star of David carved and its unstained wood.  An upside down shovel we were told signified a reluctance to help this goodbye along. What a strange thing to hear the hollow sound of dirt echoing off the coffin.  The mourners’ prayer read, again in Hebrew, and the sidewalk lined 2 deep as the family left the sacred ground. 

The world lost a good man.  The boys lost their father, and their children a grandfather.  I do not know the faith of this family.  My faith is not shared by these friends, but their humanity, kindness, and love for man is real.  It is not my place to judge them. Not now, not ever.  But ever to show kindness and love due to my fellow man made in the image of God.  I’m thankful for Jonathan and Adrian and their friendship.  I am honored to have been there for the celebration of their father’s life.  They were and are a gift to know.

Blessings to you and your family boys.

 *******************************************************************************

Our musician!

Go see it! 

We did!

Twice-

Fun in Grandmom's kitchen

Rainbow over baseball.  Great season for the Hillcats.

The Rundle cousins minus Emily and Betsy is hiding.

Seeing a play

A friend's entry in the Art Show

Every day....

Treats we don't get in Cameroon....

Ballet

Feeding the fish at Smith Mt. Lake

One of my favorite views is behind the lights-

Filling shoeboxes for Operation Christmas Child in NC

Chris's cousin Chris in Asheville

The Stevens cousins

Matt and Courtney~

For those who have asked, the kids are adapting well to school here, making friends, and enjoying new pursuits.   Kristin is taking Ballet and choir, Ben learning the trumpet and Noah has joined the debate team.  Chris has all but finished his movie, is working at the running store a bit, and is preparing for a conference in Dallas next week.  I am still blessed with 2 Bible studies, volunteering at the middle school and high school, and struggling to go through things at my mom's house.  The kids are starting to really really miss their friends and life in Cameroon - a good problem to have. We have visited 9 churches, sharing about our work and what God is doing in Cameroon.  We've had good friends come to visit and been able to spend time with some good friends as well.  Time is barreling on.  Today we rest from a busy season and begin preparing for the next.  

Thank you for your prayers!

Continue to pray for the people of Cameroon. That they would be able to read the Bible in their own language and worship with their own mother tongue and sounds.

Pray for our children to make good friends. For Noah as he looks at colleges and what he may want to study.

Pray for Chris as he works and teaches, writes reports, looks to buy supplies for our return, speaks in conferences, and takes classes. 

Pray for me as I try to reorganize our things in preparation for a storage unit as mom considers moving to Florida to be near family.

Pray for transportation for Chris as he takes classes in Dallas in January and February and will need to get from our friends' home to GIAL for class.  Pray God would provide a car for him.

Pray for wisdom as we share our need for financial and prayer support. 

God is good all the time and we trust in him to provide all we need, even as he already has.

Thanks for reading.

Oasis

The new Bible study group was called Oasis. They are going to study the book of Romans. It's a hefty book and not my favorite, but it's been more than 3 years since I was in a weekly Bible study. That's a long time. TOO long.
When asked which Bible study I was going to go to this year, my quick response was, 'As many as I can and at least two.  I need to be filled up.'  Today was the first one.
I arrived this morning and the room was already filled with women.  Some greeted me warmly and I searched to remember how I knew these ladies. Name tags helped some and conversations filled in the blanks. But so many women - of all ages - most of whom were unknown to me, was overwhelming. Would this be an oasis?
I escaped to the little office on an errand for my mother.  Greet, smile, deep breath, short prayer, and re-enter the room of the unknown.
Even more women had arrived, and, fortunately, familiar faces - old friends.  We briefly shared stories of our lives - births, marriages, jobs, travel. One sweet friend shared the hurt in her family and tears came.  More prayers needed here.  But these were so much better than the introductory conversations that have happened far too often in the last 2 months.  It was good to be real.
Too soon it was time to go in.
I sat between two of my mom's friends. Hemmed in with people who have prayed for our family for years.
And then we sang.
The voices rang out strong, melodic, and with conviction - loud in the bright room, full of praise and love for our God, glad to be there, heart filled with familiar words and tunes.
And I wept.
Refreshing water in the desert.
I have not heard women singing like this since - the women's retreat I went to in France when we were in French study three years ago.  I have not heard it in English in, well, I don't know when.
What overwhelming joy it is to sing praise together in the body of Christ in my mother tongue and to be with women who love the Lord. Oh how I need this.
Lord, fill me up to overflowing so I can give more of you to others, be your light, show your mercy, love with your kind of love, and serve like Jesus served.
Oasis.  It is here.  Praising God is that green haven in the dry and thirsty land that is my heart.
He is so good.  All of the time.

Tomorrow is my daughter's birthday. She will be a teenager.  Never again that sweet baby girl in my arms, but always my baby!  She is kind, intelligent, responsible, determined and artistic.  I am so thankful God gave me a girl!

There are other times and places of oasis here. My mom's home, our upstairs haven, friends, sunsets, twilight, walks, the pool, a new bed.  People who do for us what we do not deserve - grace again and again. So many stories, so many gifts, so thankful.


Thankful also for answered prayers:

School is going well so far. 

Kids are beginning to make friends.  

Things are going well at my mom's house.
The missionary child we prayed for is getting better.
Thankful that our friend from language school whose newborn had major heart problems can still rejoice in God, even when the child died at six months.
Thankful for some rest here.
Thankful that our journey to Florida was safe and we were able to connect with a lot of family and friends and churches.  Thankful that that trip is over and regular life is going well.

Dear old friends

Cousin Sandra

Susanne and family

Lynn - it's been years

Wendy - first time since her wedding!

Cousins

They drove a long way to see us

Great friends

A hot day at St Augustine

He fixed a dryer for my cousin

Patty's boat in 'dry dock'

Rocky and Mom

Touring my favorite university.  University of Florida ROCKS!

Time with Chris's dad

Thankful for being able to volunteer in the libraries at the kids' schools.
Thankful that I miss Cameroon.  I miss those friends and places and jobs.
Thankful a church here gave Chris an office.
Thankful he will help out at Liberty with a world arts class, that he'll present at a conference in Texas next month, that his boss at the running store asked him to fill in a little this month.
Thankful Ben gets to play the trumpet at school, Kristin will join the school choir, and Noah got in drama class.
Thankful for friends, family, churches.

Hillcats win!

Joyce

My invention

Presenting at Rivermont

And thankful for the unexpected-

This is around the corner from where we live.  See the quarter in the foreground?  HE is HUGE!
I've never seen anything like him!

This dirt road is in Florida just outside of Orlando!