Lottie

Lottie Moon.

I clearly remember hearing her name, stories of the "Cookie Lady" as a child and being excited.
I wanted to grow up and be like her - haha (I think I've always had her boldness and maybe the bossy part down pat) .
I've known that name, who she was, and about the Lottie Moon Christmas offering for as long as I can remember.
Growing up in a small town, strong Southern Baptist Church I think my view of Lottie was more like a super hero.  Of course, maybe living a radically obedient life to Christ is like being a super hero??

The church I was raised in - Petrey Memorial Baptist in Hazard, KY had Girls in Action (GAs) and Royal Ambassadors (RAs).
Now, don't get me wrong - I do like some of the new alternatives offered in many churches today. However, my experience with them is that none can even closely compare to the heart for missions GAs and RAs can build in children.
I remember being 8 or 9 years old hearing and reading stories from missionaries and their kids. I remember learning to pray for those suffering for the Lord.  I remember writing letters to them. GAs taught me about countries and continents before any school system did.  Cultures, food and people I never knew existed, I'd hear stories, see pictures...  Recognizing early, being a Christian wasn't easy everywhere like it was in the comfort of my town and church.  I believe the Great Commission (Matthew 28:19-20) was the verse I memorized right after John 3:16. I remember saving my coins to give to the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering and the excitement knowing I was personally doing something (even as a child) to follow Jesus's command to make disciples of all nations.

If you've never heard of Lottie - here is a super brief history (you can read more here.)
She was a single female missionary to China, sent in 1873.
She was bold, I'd call her a little firecracker (truly little - barely over 4 feet tall and about 50 lbs).
She urged (in very strong letters sent home) Southern Baptists to encourage more Christians to join the work and then for the churches to support those sent financially.  The first Christmas offering was in 1888, raising $3315 which sent three more workers to China.  Since the offerings conception -100% of the offering has been used to send full time missionaries.  The name of the offering changed after her death to remember her for starting it.

Each year, people around the globe give to the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering to help support and send missionaries to dark places.

My family has always given, but often we'd question how much we should give.  Clearly, every amount helps.  Whether it is quarters kids give or checks written by families.  During our first year of marriage our pastor shared in a sermon that his family has a budget for Christmas gifts.  They add all they spend on Christmas gifts, totaling all gifts, then they write a check for that amount to the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering.  We felt that seemed like a lot but that shepherd reminded us - "If Jesus's final command to us was to make disciples of all nations and there is an organization that already sends missionaries around the world doing this and 100% of said offering will go to send them, shouldn't it be the best gift you give in celebration of His birth?"  As we thought and prayed through it, we decided the Spirit was leading us to do the same.  I wish I could say we have always had a good Christmas budget but in reality, we don't.  So, over the years we've estimated how much we spend and then give more than that.

Today, the Week of Prayer for International Missions begins.  I will be trying to post on facebook each day as a reminder to pray but be sure to check out all the resources available here.  There are resources on family devotionals to do as well.  Maybe your church or your family doesn't have much missions education for your kids, or maybe you do! It is never too early to start this and these devotionals are a great way to do it or add to it.

Our purpose on this planet is to make disciples of all nations.  To be salt, light and above all else - love!  Will you pray and ask the Lord how he wants you to give?

"Is not the festive season when families and friends exchange gifts in memory of The Gift laid on the altar of the world for the redemption of the human race, the most appropriate time to consecrate a portion from abounding riches and scant poverty to send forth the good tidings of great joy into all the earth?"
Sept. 15, 1887, Lottie Moon, Tungchow

First Thanksgiving in EA

What did you do for Thanksgiving this year?

Anything different?

When we were able to in the states we'd try to be with our extended family for Thanksgiving. However, there are times that wasn't possible and we did our own thing, usually with our precious community wherever we were living.  Whether blood relatives or my sisters and brothers in Christ - we miss y'all.  We miss the laughter over food, sharing life together.  

This year was a bit different for us. 

The big kids international school had school on Thanksgiving.  

I'll admit, at first I thought it a bit weird but wow am I glad the day turned out as it did. 

Turkeys are pricey here so me prepping food for my family would have been an expensive and time consuming undertaking (2 burners and a giant toaster oven as an oven makes cooking big meals really hard). 

Y'all we got to experience something so cool though.

At the international school all the moms from many nations got together and provided a "sampling" of food from around the world.  It was far better than the Food and Wine Festival in Disney and couldn't beat it being FREE!  :)  

It was kinda funny to hear "We are the World" play a few thousand times but in reality - we are the world. :)

No idea who did this but isn't it beautiful??

Oh my goodness - he Korean food was AMAZING.
Of course, Hubs and I have a real affection for Korea but wow - these ladies went above and beyond!
Oh - and how cool that many dressed in cultural attire. :)  LOVE some of these ladies to pieces and so thankful we get to experience life with them.

 Chinese food - again YUMMO!

 Malaysian. :) The fish balls weren't really my favorite but fun to give it a try.

Italian  - spaghetti with meatballs of course!
Brazil - oh so yummy truffle type of treat. This amazing mama made 300 by hand!  Everything she's made has been fantastic!

Of course on Thanksgiving day we had Western food - lots of pumpkin treats. :)

 And lets not forget the yummy casseroles. :)

I had no idea Singapore folks liked gummy type treats so much.
The kids loved these.

 Aili was super excited about the Japanese food.   They even had octopus balls! No, I didn't try it but Aili and the hubs did.  They said it was good.  I just took there word for it. :)

This is Ian's super sweet teacher. We have been incredibly blessed by amazing teachers at the international school.

After this I did my "Black Friday" shopping at IKEA - haha... 

Then we had a real American meal for Thanksgiving...

McDonalds!  lol

The funny thing, I learned the next day - my parents ate the same thing!  They misunderstood the sign at the restaurant where they planned to eat (it was closed).  This left them with no food options aside from McDonalds. 

McDonalds or Turkey, we still had much laughter (this was just after Ian's soda spilled all over his face).

 Meisi thought that was quite funny.

 Some serious discussions - haha, not really - they just respond similarly to my unending picture taking...

 ha...caught her smiling (albeit blurry)...

 The next day we joined a bunch of fellow Americans that we love dearly for a more traditional meal.  Each family brought some dishes - this was the outcome - a HUGE, delicious buffet!  It was AMAZING!  Hours later, we were still picking at the food, playing cards, games, kids playing inside and out, watching Charlie Brown and talking...
My heart (and my belly) was full, cup overflowing.
It is hard to explain just how much good for the soul having something familiar during the holiday. :)
Doesn't make up or replace those we love and miss back home.
It does remind us of how much our Father enjoys blessing us. :)

We didn't really know what to expect for Thanksgiving here will be one we won't forget.  Thankful for beautiful memories made with precious people.

My most precious peeps though...these guys.
Now, getting these precious peeps to all smile at the same time, um, yes, doesn't happen regularly.
The third pic is my fave, how about you? :)

We hope your thanksgiving was spent with people you love. 

Above all else we hope you felt the love of our Amazing God surrounding you and that you do give thanks in everything, praising our Lord whose love endures forever!  

Black Friday

Do you do Black Friday shopping?

Around these parts there ain't much happening in the realm of Black Friday.
I miss the madness.
Now, you couldn't pay me to go to Walmart on Black Friday, but Target, Toys R Us, and Old Navy, oh- so much fun!

Many of you are wrapping up your Black Friday shopping now, but if you are still out there ask the Lord to open doors to share truth.

Countless conversations can happen.
Think about it, you stand in line for 30 minutes to an hour waiting, sometimes longer. The person in front or behind you certainly is not going to get out of line as you talk with them. Pray as you enter each store that His love would radiate through you and that doors would open.

Now, speaking to strangers has never been hard for me.  I am on the extreme end of extroversion, so I could probably talk to a brick wall- haha.  I realize this is hard for many.  Remember, this is for His glory and through His power - not your own.  :)

I remember one year a man standing on the corner outside Target while us crazy folk were standing outside in the freezing cold waiting for the Target to open their doors.  He was screaming out how we were all going to hell as sinners.  How there is only one way to prevent that and it is through forgiveness of our sins by Jesus.  He screamed out the gospel - the need for our acceptance of Jesus as God's son, believing He died for us and rose again, confessing our sins asking for forgiveness and making Him Lord of our life.

Now, his approach was totally different than mine (screaming it). However, it opened a door for me as the lady in front of me shouted back to him, "Who are you to call us sinners?  Why do you people think we are all sinners anyway?"  I clearly remember the Lord prompting me to share my testimony with her.  Explaining even though in human eyes our sins aren't always seen as horrific, that to our perfect, Holy God it separates us from Him. That what this guy is saying isn't just about us and our sinfulness but also about God's great love to provide the only way that would allow us and God to have a relationship.  She didn't make a decision that night but she stopped yelling at the young man screaming out truths.

That was my first time hearing someone say they didn't think they were a sinner.  Growing up in the church I just assumed people knew that.  Memories like these bring chills as I see how the Lord prepares us in so many ways for what He has planned.

The last few weeks I've had nearly this exact same conversation half a dozen times.  The country we live in now, many believe just as this lady.  Sinners are really bad or are only those people in prison.  Cheating, lying, stealing...those aren't really "sins"... having bad thoughts, looking at porn, adultery, speaking cruelly - even lesser "wrongs" (they don't like the word sin).  Who does really?  The lady in the Target parking lot clearly didn't like the word sin either.  However, it is what it is.  Clearly defined in God's word.  Some take the approach of using other words to say sin.   However, I personally prefer to use His words, but always do as the Spirit leads.

These days I don't have any Black Friday shopping lines, but I often have long taxi rides.  Lately I've used taxis more often as I really enjoy having the opportunity to share truth with the drivers.  No decisions have come; however, seeds are being planted.

So, as you are out shopping - ask for opportunities to share. Plant some seeds.  Getting to the gospel isn't really that hard in that situation and you have the time to share it as those lines are LONG.  Ask if they have traditions then share yours (even if they don't ask) - especially if those will lead to the gospel.  If you see toys for kids, ask about if it is for their kids and talk about what a gift from the Lord children are, and go into the greatest gift (Jesus).  They may tell you their purchase is for the angel tree kids/families - what an opportunity to share about His great love in caring for us and how wonderful to model that great love, then go on to the One who loves unconditionally and His desire for relationship with us.   There are countless ways to transition there in those lines.  Look for those opportunities.

As for Black Friday here, I did manage to still buy some things Thanksgiving eve (which is usually when I begin shopping).     A new first for me - Black Friday shopping in IKEA. ;)  They even made me feel at home with great sales.  They weren't Black Friday sales, rather it was in celebration of their anniversary.  Beggars can't be choosers - I'll mark it up as another good shopping day. :)

Happy Seed Sowing! :)

"You r You n" Meisi's transition back to preschool.

It has been a while since posting.
So many thoughts/posts have rolled around in my mind, but time hasn't permitted them to make it to the page.

This is a post I wrote last week but never finished.
However, as I thought about the many things I'm thankful for, the love, prayers and wisdom you have poured out on us is in the forefront of my mind.

The last couple months have been tough with sickness, Meisi's childcare transition, phone breaking, not moving to the next phase in language (being told we weren't ready) and then finding out horrible news regarding our friend who was caring for Meisi previously...

However, now I am counting it joy.
Being able to see my Father's hand in some of these things.
His protection for Meisi, His refinement and pruning of my sinfulness.
Thankful.

Childcare Transitions

When we first moved here we sent Meisi to a national preschool ("youeryouen").
We struggled completing our 35 hours of required language study hours while keeping the house running with pickup and drops offs at differing times for differing kids.
So, we hired an "Ayi."
We loved her from the beginning.
She not only cared for Meisi, cooked a meal each day, cleaned but also was our friend.  She helped us with language, we'd laugh and cry together, went on our first double date together.  We adore her.
Needless to say, we were shocked when she told us she was leaving.
It was a terribly emotional last week with her (we both cried daily, nearly all day).
She told us that her husband's friend had found them a new job at a factory close to their home making more money.
As hard as this was for us, we can look back and see His hand protecting and providing.
Her reasoning for leaving wasn't complete.  
That is a post for another day though.

The next week a new "Ayi" started but Meisi wasn't much interested in bonding and we knew by mid week it wasn't going to work.  She is a very sweet lady but needed to bring her four month old to work making it very difficult for her to also care for Meisi. Thankfully the Father worked it out and she told us on her fourth day she was leaving because of family circumstances.

The next week we prayed and prayed over what to do while trying to have class with Mei next to me.
Now, that was funny...
She'd play with my hair, sing songs... be the precious little one she... while I tried to learn new words, grammar, reading... haha..
Clearly that wasn't working well, so I took some vacation days as we continued to seek wisdom while looking at preschools.

Y'all... there is the preschool here called "The Golden Apple."
Umm,... yep, they must be growing some golden apples somewhere to pay for it!
I was shocked!
This preschool was around $700 USD each month!
Impressive it was, but wow!
Now I know there are many with that price in the US, but never dreamt they'd have them here and it is a chain - there are thousands of kids that go to these preschools.  Wow!
National friends say that if you want a "really good youeryuan (preschool)" you must pay the equivalent of $8000 USD each year.
It gave me another example why many say they can't afford two kids here.

Meisi told us everyday for about a week she wanted to go there.  haha
Yep...at one point in my life I wanted to go to Harvard too.
It didn't work out though.

Thankfully we did find a more cost effective preschool (about half that amount).
As we prayed for guidance on what to do I asked He would close doors.
He did.
No new "Ayi" was found.
The "Golden Apple" laughed when I asked for a discount - even volunteered to teach for them (for a discount). :)

Thankfully.  Our little Mei seems to be enjoying her new school (not the Golden Apple one).
This was first day pics.
She started with a big smile.

 Still smiling. ;)

 Maybe a little less enthusiastic once we arrived.

 Now the crying and clinging began..hard for my mama heart.

 Pickup time.. happy but asking "Where we are going now?"

 Yay!  We are going home!!

The first few days were rough with tears and clinging.
The second day she wouldn't even walk up the stairs, so the teacher had to detach her from me and the scooter.
She seems to do better when hubby drops her off.
However, each day after she did better an better.
One day this week she cheered happily when we told her she was going to school.  :)

God is faithful. There is power in prayer as our Father hears and always answers.
We truly can't thank you enough for lifting this up specifically.
Finding someone you can trust to watch your kids.
Finding somewhere you are comfortable with is hard.
Adding the language barrier (which we do still have)...
Thankful He has provided the best option for us at this time.

Thank you for pouring wisdom into us, faithfully praying and continuing to walk alongside us.
You have blessed us beyond measure.
Praying He continues to pour out His blessings on you for your faithfulness and love.