Day in the Life of a Missionary

One Speed

2010-05-15T12:37:00.004-04:00

Stephen is our wild child. He is constantly on the go. Someone in our church nicknamed him One Speed.

Well, "One Speed" does reach the end of his battery life once in a while. Usually at supper time, around two bites into his meal.

It begins with a blank stare into space. When we ask him if he's tired we get this look:

The better part of valor is to simply leave him alone and observe.

Then as we watch, the eyes get heavier and the blinks get longer. Slowly but surely the eyelids sink over the eyes and the next thing you know this is what we find:

"Door Bells"

2010-05-15T12:13:00.008-04:00

Last summer Grandma Jones gave Caleb, Bekah-Lynn and Stephen Melody Bells. Daddy has practiced several songs with them and they have proudly performed Jesus Loves Me for a Wednesday evening Offertory.

Stephen was so cute as he very excitedly rang his bells half a second after his cue. Bekah Lynn & Caleb were very studious in watching Daddy as he directed. Hopefully they can get another one ready to play for Grandma the next time we see her.

The funniest thing about the Melody Bells is that Stephen can't remember that they are called Melody Bells so he calls them "Door Bells" instead.

Christmas 2009: New Gingerbread Tradition

2010-05-10T11:24:00.005-04:00

I know that this is really late to be posting Christmas pictures but I'm going to do it anyway. :) I'm going through all the pictures on the computer and these are the ones that just beg to be posted about. :)

I've always wanted to build a gingerbread house for Christmas so this year I finally convinced my husband to let me buy a kit for each of the kids. We actually found a great sale on them and got all three for less than we had budgeted for. Anyhow, I have now helped three children build gingerbread houses/trains and have decided that we/I will fulfill my gingerbread wishes with cookies (homemade!) from now on. We'll get the same great fun of decorating with out all this sugar!

The kids really enjoyed the experience. Daddy helped the boys and I supervised Bekah-Lynn. She really didn't need any help but I quickly discovered my daughter is detail oriented. She wanted her house to look exactly like the one in the picture but ran out of candy well before she finished. :)

As I said earlier, the process was fun the eating afterward was a chore. Store bought kits taste a little funny. On top of the taste it took us a month to eat it all. The pieces finally got put in a zip-lock bag but after a while the kids didn't want it any more. Thus the decision to make cookies next year and give them away (except for a select few). I also have a feeling I can make a much more nutritious gingerbread than Wilson can!

Josh was such a great sport as he patiently piped all of the "glue" on the trains for the boys. He did comment on the unfairness of my having one girl who could do most of it herself and him having to help both boys. But I think Josh did a great job and the boys loved having Daddy help them.

Caleb was very careful as he placed each piece.

Stephen wanted to eat the candy and we kept telling him he couldn't until the train was decorated. Telling a four year old he has to play with his food and not eat it is an interesting experience.

Kid's First Choir Camp

2010-05-10T10:50:00.004-04:00

Last summer my totally amazing mother-in-law offered to take Caleb and Bekah-Lynn for a week. While they spent a week with Grandma they were able to be a part of Choir camp. They learned verses, and songs and chimes and in general had a great time. The camp ended with a concert and we were able to see all of the work they accomplished. Caleb was 5 and Bekah-Lynn was 4. We were very proud parents. :)

Of the 4-5 songs the choir sang Caleb and Bekah-Lynn learned 2 completely and bits and pieces of the others. They learned "Initiative" and another one I can't remember now. I only remember "Initiative" because they still sing it! :)

It was cute to watch as Bekah-Lynn played her chimes and sang. She was so serious and kept her eyes on her director. On the other hand Caleb was so excited that when he would get to the end of a verse he would say the last word just a little bit louder than the rest of the choir and then bounce up and down. :)

I can't wait to enroll them in this year's choir camp and see what they can do a year older and hopefully wiser. :) I'm glad they have a chance to be a part of this opportunity and I hope it will start their musical careers off on the right track.

Richmond, VA Spring of 2009

2010-05-01T21:17:00.009-04:00

The spring of 2009 we were privileged to be part of a Mission's Conference in Richmond, Virginia. While in the area we were treated to a day trip to the historical sites around the city, including the White House of the Confederacy. On the way home we stopped in Lexington, VA to see Stonewall Jackson's grave and Lee's Chapel. It was so neat to see and learn even more about the lives of these great men.

The kids out side of Lee's Chapel.

The White House of the Confederacy, where President Davis and his family lived for several years. It was so neat to catch a glimpse of their lives.

We were also able to see some of the grandeur of the Jefferson Hotel. The stain glass was gorgeous. I would love to spend a night there. Maybe for an anniversary. One can dream.

At Stonewall Jackson's tomb the kids wanted to know why there were lemons all over the ground. Many of the visitor's to the cemetery leave lemons instead of flowers.

While in Lexington we were also able to see Traveler's Grave. People leave pennies on this tombstone just outside of Lee's chapel.

The kids really enjoyed the chance to get out and stretch their legs.

After all of the sight seeing our kids were really worn out! Caleb put on a brave face but he was not far behind Bekah-Lynn.

Sleeping in Peace

2010-04-25T20:59:00.003-04:00

One day during nap time I put Stephen in my bed so that I could work with Caleb and Bekah-Lynn on School. Joshua's office was in our room at the time and he could make sure Stephen was quiet.

I walked in to check on him and found Stephen asleep with both his puppy and elephant on his head. It was too cute for words and definitely a picture worth taking,

I'm back again, Sorry for the LOOONG absence.

2010-04-25T20:50:00.003-04:00

Yes, I know that it is April 2010 and I have been absent from the blogging world for a very long time. Life was very crazy and about to get crazier but I'm realizing that I miss chronicling my life.

These pictures of Stephen (3), Caleb (5) and Bekah-Lynn (4) were taken just before Christmas of 2008. Wow, they have grown! Just wait until I get caught up and you all can see the difference.

Lord willing it may be necessary to blog more often as our plans to move to Africa are moving forward. So here are a few highlights from the past two years and then I'll try to be faithful again to blogging. :) Wish me luck.

Oh, the FUN of LIFE!

2008-07-26T19:56:00.005-04:00

Stephen loves the beautiful Tiara Bekah-Lynn won at VBS. What a smile. "Hello, adoring Fans!" is written all over his face

My sister Ruth had her third baby boy on Wednesday, July 23, 2008. His name is John Ryan. He was 9 pounds 8 ounces and 21 inches long. While she was in the hospital my mom and I watched her two older boys, Isaiah (3) & David (2) as well as her two day care children, Lily (2) and Gracie (1). We added my three Caleb (5), Bekah-Lynn (4) & Stephen (2 1/2). What an interesting day and a half! I took some pictures Friday while they were playing.

Presenting the Magnificent Seven!

Gracie was sitting on my Mom's lap.

Baby John Ryan, two days old.

The proud brothers: David on the right & Isaiah on the left.

What cuties!

Heritage Baptist Church, Riverboat Adventure VBS

2008-07-18T19:03:00.001-04:00

We were able to join Heritage Baptist Church, our sending church, for the last two days of their VBS. The kids really enjoyed their time. Penny Parade was a blast for them as Grandma, Aunty Neely, Daddy, Grandpa, and many other people loaded them with pennies until Stephen lost his pants. (Caleb came close but Stephen actually lost them:)

We always enjoy being with our sending church. We are so blessed to have such a church family behind us as we are on deputation. They are faithful prayer warriors on our behalf. When ever we arrive we feel a little like celebrities must feel.

Visiting Grandma & Grandpa Jones

2008-07-18T18:32:00.000-04:00

We went to see Grandma & Grandpa this weekend! This is their house.

As we arrive in Manhattan, where Grandma & Grandpa live, we play a game with the kids..."Where's Grandma's house? Do we turn left here? Go straight? Turn Right? Is this it? Are you sure?" The kids love to show us exactly where Grandma & Grandpa live.

Besides Grandma & Grandpa's house the kids enjoy going to their church. The church secretary, Aunty Neely, has trained them to sit against the filing cabinets and quietly, expectantly, wait for their "treat". :) It never fails, the first place they all head when we get to church is the office and their spot where they are promptly rewarded for their efforts.

This last visit Mr. Steinbach noticed the ritual and tried it for himself... he received a much healthier snack for his efforts. :) Although Stephen will at times chose a banana over candy.

Small, Dark & Handsome!

2008-07-16T22:00:00.000-04:00

This is my handsome boy Caleb. Caleb is the quietest of my three children. He is bright, intelligent, caring, a wonderful helper, and GREAT big brother.

He is always willing to help Bekah-Lynn or Stephen with the wagon even when it means not going down the roller coaster himself. He willingly picks up all of the shoes scattered all over the yard, without being told. He is always ready to help Mommy any where he can. I'm constantly hearing, "I be helper, Mommy?"

This is such a Van-Nes trait! My dad sticks his tongue out when ever he is working on a project, I stick my tongue out and so does Caleb!

Treasured Girl!

2008-07-16T17:15:00.000-04:00

I love my little girl! She is definitely "Sugar and Spice" :) She can hold her own with her brothers outside on the roller coaster or on the trampoline but she is quick to help Stephen when he is need and side with Caleb if Stephen's being demanding.

Usually Bekah-Lynn is my cautious one. But, once she has tried an activity and discovered the fun she's up for adventure. She loves to pull on the clothes line...I'm not sure what the thrill is but she enjoys it.

Bekah-Lynn is also my copy cat. If Stephen or Caleb are getting attention for an activity she wants to do the same thing and get the same attention. It is humorous to watch her mimic Stephen or try to do something Caleb can do but is just beyond her abilities all for the sake of attention. I'll have to keep my eye on her around the boys as she gets older.

Someday, a little girl will not be so excited to show me every blade of grass. I'll miss these times but I will enjoy embarresing her with these pictures. To me she is so beautiful even with the sweaty hair hanging in her face. It's in her eyes and the joy that shines from them.

This picture makes me think of a magazine picture. And this precious girl is my daughter...given by God!

Silly Boy!

2008-07-16T16:58:00.001-04:00

One evening last week Joshua and I looked out the kitchen window to see Stephen happily jumping on the trampoline with a bucket on his head! He is such a ham! As soon as he saw Daddy with the camera he had to start saying cheese and doing camera worthy "tricks" on the trampoline.

His little head was so sweaty under this butter tub but when I tried to take it off it made a sucking sound and Stephen exclaimed, "No! Mommy!" He was bound and determined that his hat was the best and had to stay on his head despite the sweat running down his face.

FYI :) Catch up time!

2008-07-16T13:32:00.003-04:00

I wanted to let all of you know that I'm putting posts beginning with January of this year. I'm being sneaky and putting them under the date I should've posted them. So be sure to check the "archives" for my newest posts as I play "Catch UP" on the blog. :)

All's well in Missionary Life

2008-07-12T17:01:00.007-04:00

I know it has been quite a while since I've blogged. I had many people remind me that I needed to update. I'm impressed that so many of you still check to see if I've updated. :)

Things have been well and busy. This summer we only had one VBS and quite a few holes in our schedule. I've been working on preschool with Caleb and Bekah-Lynn. They have finished one book and we are close to being done with our second set. This fall we will be starting Kindergarten using the Calvert Homeschool curriculum. I'm looking forward to it. Stephen has been begging to have his own school time so I've been working on colors and shapes with him. I'm also doing numbers 1-10. He knows all of his letters and their sounds (fairly consistently) so I'm not to worried about that area. He's only 2!

We took another trip to the Indianapolis Museum of Art this summer and took more pictures. Here are a couple:

Survey Trip to Zambia, Africa: Adventures in Lusaka

2008-03-09T12:35:00.001-04:00

After wandering around Lusaka's two malls, Manda Hill & Arcades we were able to get an idea as to the cost of living. Since we didn't really have any plans, or know anyone in Lusaka we decided to head on down to Livingstone for the last part of our stay.

We tried to find out when the "Luxury" buses ran to and from Lusaka to Livingstone but all we could discern was that buses left every hour headed to Livingstone. So we arranged for our taxi driver to pick us up at 7:30 am to drive us to the Lusaka Central Bus Terminal.

When we arrived at the bus terminal we discovered that the "Luxury" buses only leave at 6 am and 11 am. Or we could ride one of the family buses that left every hour.

As I observed my unfamiliar surroundings I fervently hoped that Joshua would decided to wait back at the Guest house rather than at the very busy and crowded, outdoor bus station. Thankfully he did decide to wait for the 11 am bus back at the Guest house.

While I waited at the guest house Joshua walked back to Manda Hill and tried to exchange some money but was unsuccessful. The rules had changed over night and they were no longer accepting bills smaller than fifty dollars. Joshua got back just in time as our taxi driver pulled in the gate right behind him. We piled in again and headed back to the bus terminal.

Survey Trip to Zambia, Africa: Lusaka GuestHouse

2008-03-08T10:55:00.005-05:00

The Lord provided the funds for Joshua and I to take a survey trip to Zambia this spring. Our first stop was Jo-burg, South Africa for a 24 hour layover. We enjoyed the opportunity to visit with fellow missionary Saundra Smith. She was kind enough to drive us to several stores as we investigated what we could and could not find in South Africa.

Our first stop in Zambia was Lusaka, the capital, to investigate the cost of living. We were able to schedule a missionary guest house in Lusaka. The guest house was very comfortable. We had a kitchen/dining area, private bath and two bedrooms. We were able to gather plenty of information about living in Lusaka and Zambia in general.

Daddy & His Boys

2008-02-10T15:58:00.000-05:00

This morning Daddy was shaving and Caleb had questions... "What's that Daddy?" What are you doing?" "Can I do it?" "You look like a snowman!" Soon Stephen joined the party and Daddy helped them each put some shaving cream on and wash it off.

Caleb's Birthday!

2008-02-07T19:37:00.002-05:00

I am now the Mother of a five year old! I now know why parents say that children grow up to fast! I probably feel that way due to missing the first four years of his life. Anyway onto the fun news!
Joshua and I wanted to make the kids birthdays a big deal. We went grocery shopping Tuesday and let Caleb pick out his very own cereal for his Birthday Breakfast! He chose Chocolate Lucky Charms. (A boy after his Daddy's heart!) This morning the entire family enjoyed the cereal and sang "Happy Birthday too Caleb" We then got dressed and left for Bounce Zone. Bounce Zone is a child's dream come true. They have one large room filled with nine gigantic inflatable slides, bouncers, and obstacle courses as well as a smaller room with three toddler sized inflatable bouncers and a slide. The kids played harder then I've ever seen them play before. Up down and all around! Caleb could not get enough of the slides. Bekah-Lynn is usually my Energizer Bunny but this time Caleb didn't want to go. He was even willing to skip lunch entirely! We finally convinced him that we should eat and let him chose between McDonalds and Chick-fil-a. He decided on Chick-Fil-A. While we were in the restaurant Daddy left to get the cake from Wal-Mart and Mommy had to sing "Happy Birthday" three more times. :) We could barely get them home before they all crashed but we managed.
After nap time Caleb found a Train Cake and presents on the table. He was so fun to watch blow out the candles. We sang Happy birthday 2 more times. :). After He blew out the candles he opened his presents from Mommy & Daddy, (the red robe) Bekah-Lynn & Stephen, (cool spy gear) as well as Grandma and Grandpa Jones (a suit just like Daddy's).
Before bedtime all of the kids were allowed to watch Leap Frog's Math Circus and Letter Factory. To be honest those are the only shows they will actually sit through. Not a bad thing at all I suppose. :)

Helping Grandpa!

2008-02-01T23:44:00.001-05:00

If there is something that all three of my children love to do it would be helping. All I have to do is call out, "I need a helper!" and all three of them come running.

Today Joshua took me out for my birthday. He asked Grandpa (my Dad) to watch the kids while we went out for lunch. When Grandpa arrived he brought a project with him, chairs! He needed to put them together. He pulled out his tools and who should come running... Stephen! For "Gotcha Day" Grandma & Grandpa Jones had bought him a tool belt and tools. When Stephen saw Grandpa Van-Nes' tools he ran back to his room and pulled out his tool belt. All of the kids were able to "help" Grandpa put the chairs together and Mommy & Daddy put off their lunch to take a few pictures.

Mommy's Birthday Present from Stephen

2008-01-28T14:00:00.000-05:00

For my birthday Stephen decided to potty train himself. Just before his bath he asked me if he could go potty. On a whim I decided to let him try...He went! Yahoo! Let the adventure begin!

Extra! Extra! Stephen is finally a JONES!

2008-01-24T16:23:00.000-05:00

Today Stephen became a legal member of our family! We are so excited that the process is finally complete.

A Pretty Flower Girl

2008-01-24T16:04:00.001-05:00

Auntie BethAnne asked Bekah-Lynn to be in her wedding as her flower girl. We needed to try on dresses and send pictures for Auntie BethAnne to pick from. Bekah-Lynn loved shopping for pretty dresses. The boys on the other hand grew bored quickly.

2008-01-08T15:46:00.000-05:00

ScienceWorks:

PlayScape:

Fireworks in Glass:

Children's Museum #3

2008-01-08T14:12:00.000-05:00

Anita and Kaitlyn arrived and we proceeded into the Children's Museum. (Note to self: when trying to navigate a rain storm do not allow the children to hold the umbrella for you!)

We continued through the Carousel Wishes & Dreams exhibits we had a ton of fun. We climbed a tree house, played in a Soda Shop, served Mommy & Daddy ice cream sundaes (well we ran out just as Daddy sat down so he didn't get one), played Connect Four, Tic Tac Toe and Ball Drop, then we rode the Carousel! What Fun!

Children's Museum 2

2008-01-08T13:35:00.001-05:00

While we were waiting on the walkway to go into the Children's Museum is began to rain. I remembered that we had put the umbrella's the kids had gotten from Grandma and Grandpa Van-Nes in the truck so Joshua went to get them. The kids enjoyed playing with them as we waited. (We were only their for maybe 15 minutes waiting for our companions.)

January Trip to the Children's Museum

2008-01-08T13:06:00.000-05:00

During January we took several trips to the Indianapolis Children's Museum. The kids love all the neat things to do and play while we are there and while we were living in the apartment is was a wonderful opportunity to get out of the house.

This particular trip we invited Joshua's cousin Anita and her daughter Kaitlyn to go with us. We arrived slightly before the designated time and walked into the overpass to wait for them. (the kids being way to excited to stay in the car while we waited for them.) We had some fun taking pictures while we waited.

Here is Stephen practice for ballet. (just kidding)

Bekah-Lynn decided to pose on the other side of the railing as if she was scared of falling on the cars going beneath her. What a little drama queen. :)

Stephen was happily playing when Mommy suddenly noticed something was missing! How on earth could we have left the house, walked through the parking garage and played for at least 5 minutes on the walkway with out a shoe! Wait...why isn't that sock dirty?! Where oh where is that shoe?

HERE IT IS! cries Caleb...

It must have gotten stuck while Stephn squeezed himself between the glass and this post!

I'll get it Mommy!

Christmas Day

2008-01-08T03:49:00.000-05:00

Well, Christmas Day was filled with fun. We spent Christmas Eve night with my parents so Christmas morning the kids opened their Stockings from us with Grandpa & Grandma. As the kids were opening the gifts in their stockings my Dad decided to take the Hot Wheels tracks and build a jump that stretched across the living room and into the dining room. The kids quickly decided playing with the cars and Grandpa was more interesting than opening more presents. They happily launched Hot Wheels across the house all morning. Grandma's puppy, McGyver, loved fetching the cars for the kids. It was all fun and games until the dog chewed the ladder off of the fire truck! Grandpa did a quick amputation and everything was back on track!

We played games most of the day...stuff like Cooties, Don't Break the Ice, & Don't Spill the Beans. The kids loved the extra attention from Mom and Dad! I'm very glad they didn't notice that Mom was trying to make up for neglecting to pack for them. Oh, they had undies and pj's but I completely forgot to grab their second set of clothes. Call it "Christmas Brain". :}

Around 4pm we packed up the toys and kids (I remembered everything this time) and started home. (Stephen had a Speech appointment on the 26th at 9:30am.) Once home the kids noticed all of the unopened presents under our tree! MORE PRESENTS!?!?! Yes, more presents. Josh and I had decided to leave our presents for each other at home. The kids enjoyed opening presents from each other & Mommy & Daddy. Some of their favorite games and some new ones. :)

Before Christmas each of the kids had gone shopping with Mommy & Daddy. They each bought presents for their siblings and parents, even paying for them at the counter and accepting the change. It was very special to see their faces light up as they watched their gifts to us being opened. We hope that they learn the joy of giving to others is so much better than receiving.

For pictures of our family Christmas go here.

Van-Nes Christmas

2007-12-28T23:47:00.000-05:00

Well, another Christmas is past and we have many new memories. We had the Van-Nes Family Christmas at Grandma & Grandpa Van-Nes' house Christmas Eve. The supper menu consisted of Roast Beef, Yorkshire pudding, Baked Potatoes, Carrots and Gravy. Yummy!!

We had a wonderful time with Angie & Seth who are expecting their first baby in late July/early August. Ruth, Jason and their two boys were also present for the festivities. They are expecting their third baby around the same time. We had quite a full and noisy house with 5 children 4 and under. :) The kids enjoyed playing in the front bedroom that Grandma had made into a playroom just for them.

After supper the presents started to make their way out of their wrapping paper with much help from little hands. This was Caleb and Bekah's first Christmas with us and we had enjoyed watching their faces as they found out what presents really are.

Bekah got a Stroller from Grandma, blanket and baby doll from Auntie Ruth, and a dry erase book from Auntie Angie. Caleb and Stephen made out like bandits on the Matchbox/Hot Wheel front. They both got 5 feet of track from Grandma & Grandpa, Auntie Ruth gave them blankets, Auntie Angie gave them their own dry erase books. They each received coloring books & umbrellas as well. I must admit that Christmas is much more fun with kids!

Joshua and I gave family portraits to my parents and each of my sisters. We had scheduled a time with a photographer friend in early December that all of the Van-Nes clan came to. The photographer took MANY pictures and gave Joshua and I the disc. We choose and framed the pictures we gave as presents. My family, especially my parents, loved the pictures.

You can view pictures here.

Christmas Letter

2007-12-28T23:37:00.000-05:00

Dear Friends;

What a roller coaster year! January saw us moving into an apartment during the worst snowstorm of the year, 10 inches fell! Rebekah loved the snow, her first blizzard ever despite living in Canada for 18 years. February didn’t slow down as we were preparing for the arrival of Caleb and Bekah-Lynn. They flew in to our lives Febuary 18th and have taken over our hearts. Their adoption was finalized June 21. Praise the Lord.

Over the summer months we were busy doing 6 Vacation Bible Schools in 3 states as well as adjusting to 3 toddlers. (Truly God has a sense of humor!) We made it through those weeks exhausted but blessed by several salvation decisions made.

The fall brought Joshua a new experience as Rebekah contracted both Strep Throat and Mono at the same time. We were in the middle of Missions Conference season and she was bed ridden for 2 weeks. Joshua took over the care of children, house, sick wife as well as meetings and made it through with flying colors. “The Lord is my strength and my song who(what) then shall I fear.”

We are looking forward to our first Christmas with all three of our children. They have already been a source of joy as we have watched them wonder at the decorations and presents. Christmas is so much fun with kids! One day we hope and pray that each of our children will understand the true meaning of Christmas--that Christ was born to bear their sins on the cross.

As much as this year has been a roller coaster of emotions, changes, and busyness it has been full of God’s amazing grace and provision. An obvious example is found in our support. As of last Christmas we were at 38% which dropped to 29% after adding three children to our budget. God has raised our support to a current level of 39% which means that in one year we actually gained 10% support! We are humbled by God’s faithfulness and His provision. We are looking forward to another year experiencing God’s plan for our lives and pray we will be found faithful servants.

In Christ,
Joshua, Rebekah, Caleb, Bekah-Lynn & Stephen

2007-12-11T11:02:00.000-05:00

The title of this blog is “Day in the Life of a Missionary” and I suppose I should be true to my chosen title. With that in mind I would be remiss if I neglected to recount a common missionary dilemma - the demise of our vehicle.

Shortly after we were appointed as missionaries to Zambia with Baptist World Mission we were given a 1998 Ford Windstar. Anyone would agree that when given a vehicle with no strings attached one does not quibble over year, mileage, make or model. When we received our van it had approximately 90,000 miles on it and had never had any major mechanical problems.

We loved our van. It labored on our behalf faithfully and with very few complaints. Over the three years we drove it, it moved us three times, traveled to Eastern PA, Western CO, Southern Ontario, and the Florida Panhandle, a total of 111,000 (or so) miles. During our travels this last summer it even pulled a 1,000 pound, 6’ by 12’ trailer filled to the brim with VBS supplies, through the mountains of MO. The only mechanical work it required consisted of frequent oil changes, brakes replaced (3 times), shock replacement, fan belt replacement, new battery, 7 tires replaced, and a small problem with a transmission sensor.

Recently our poor van began to show its age and (strain due to work). Our power steering began to squeal and when pulling away from an intersection the van would shudder and complain about accelerating. Our sending Pastor discovered the issues and had a faithful mechanic take a look. After attempting to simply drain and replace the power steering fluid, in an effort to subdue the squeal, the mechanic pronounced our van terminally ill and that we should be humane and release it to it’s well deserved rest. (His actual diagnosis was that at best we would eventually be stranded on the side of the road and at worst we would be in a serious accident.) He also voiced his strong opinion that “Windstars were junk and were not worth the cost of the repairs needed to keep them going.” (Thankfully our faithful companion did not overhear his comments and was spared this insult to its character.) After we pointed out our van’s virtues he attributed them to God’s love for missionaries.

Needless to say we needed a new vehicle and soon! The Lord provided in a miraculous way with a 2004 Ford Explorer with 30,000 miles on it. As much as we loved our van we are enjoying our Truck! The kids believe that ‘Chuck’ talks to them by beeping every time we get in or out of ‘him’. Calls of “Hi, Chuck!” are heard as soon as we open the door of our home, and exit a church or store.

When truth is spoken...

2007-10-19T11:30:00.002-04:00

Before I continue with this post I must put a disclaimer on the subject matter.

I feel that Jay Leno is crude and inappropriate the vast majority of the time. My personal opinon of him aside... I recently came across the following group on Facebook.com. When I read what Mr. Leno *supposedly* wrote I was impressed with the article's candid and accurate assesment of our population's attitude. I may not agree with some of it's language or verbage but I was taught from a young age that when "truth is spoken the best thing we can do is listen." (quote from my Father)

The group's title on Facebook is... "Jay Leno...Taking a stand for the truth!"

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

"The other day I was reading Newsweek magazine and came across some poll data I found rather hard to believe. It must be true, given the source, right?

The Newsweek poll alleges that 67 percent of Americans are unhappy with the direction the country is headed, and 69 percent of the country is unhappy with the performance of the President. In essence, 2/3's of the citizenry just ain't happy and want a change.

So being the knuckle dragger I am, I started thinking, ''What are we so unhappy about?'' Is it that we have electricity and running water 24 hours a day, 7 days a week?

Is our unhappiness the result of having air conditioning in the summer and heating in the winter?

Could it be that 95.4 percent of these unhappy folks have a job?

Maybe it is the ability to walk into a grocery store at any time, and see more food in moments than Darfur has seen in the last year?

Maybe it is the ability to drive from the Pacific Ocean to the Atlantic Ocean without having to present identification papers as we move through each state?

Or possibly the hundreds of clean and safe motels we would find along the way that can provide temporary shelter?

I guess having thousands of restaurants with varying cuisine from around the world is just not good enough.

Or could it be that when we wreck our car, emergency workers show up and provide services to help all, and even send a helicopter to take you to the hospital.

Perhaps you are one of the 70 percent of Americans who own a home. You may be upset with knowing that in the unfortunate case of a fire, a group of trained firefighters will appear in moments and use top notch equipment to extinguish the flames thus saving you, your family and your belongings.

Or if, while at home watching one of your many flat screen TVs, a burglar or prowler intrudes , an officer equipped with a gun and a bullet-proof vest will come to defend you and your family against attack or loss.

This all in the backdrop of a neighborhood free of bombs or militias raping and pillaging the residents. Neighborhoods where 90 percent of teenagers own cell phones and computers.

How about the complete religious, social and political freedoms we enjoy that are the envy of everyone in the world?

Maybe that is what has 67 percent of you folks unhappy.

Fact is, we are the largest group of ungrateful, spoiled brats the world has ever seen. No wonder the world loves the U.S., yet has a great disdain for its citizens. They see us for what we are. The most blessed people in the world who do nothing but complain about what we don't have , and what we hate about the country instead of thanking the good Lord we live here.

I know, I know. What about the President who took us into war and has no plan to get us out? The President who has a measly 31 percent approval rating? Is this the same President who guided the nation in the dark days after 9/11? The President that cut taxes to bring an economy out of recession? Could this be the same guy who has been called every name in the book for succeeding in keeping all the spoiled ungrateful brats safe from terrorist attacks?

The Commander-In Chief of an all-volunteer army that is out there defending you and me? Did you hear how bad the President is on the news or talk show? Did this news affect you so much, make you so unhappy you couldn't take a look around for yourself and see all the good things and be glad?

Think about it...are you upset at the President because he actually caused you personal pain OR is it because the "Media" told you he was failing to kiss your sorry ungrateful behind every day.

Make no mistake about it. The troops in Iraq and Afghanistan have volunteered to serve, and in many cases may have died for your freedom. There is currently no draft in this country. They didn't have to go.

They are able to refuse to go and end up with either a ''general'' discharge, an ''other than honorable'' discharge or, worst case scenario, a ''dishonorable' 'discharge after a few days in the brig.

So why then the flat-out discontentment in the minds of 69 percent of Americans? Say what you want, but I blame it on the media. If it bleeds, it leads; and they specialize in bad news. Everybody will watch a car crash with blood and guts. How many will watch kids selling lemonade at the corner? The media knows this and media outlets are for-profit corporations. They offer what sells , and when criticized, try to defend their actions by "justifying" them in one way or another. Just ask why they tried to allow a murderer like O.J. Simpson to write a book about "how he didn't kill his wife, but if he did he would have done it this way"...Insane!

Stop buying the negativism you are fed everyday by the media. Shut off the TV, burn Newsweek, and use the New York Times for the bottom of your bird cage. Then start being grateful for all we have as a country. There is exponentially more good than bad.

We are among the most blessed people on Earth, and should thank God several times a day, or at least be thankful and appreciative.

"With hurricanes, tornadoes, fires out of control, mud slides, flooding, severe thunderstorms tearing up the country from one end to another, and with the threat of bird flu and terrorist attacks, "Are we sure this is a good time to take God out of the Pledge of Allegiance?"

2007

Please keep this in circulation. There are so many people that need to read this and grasp the truth of it all.

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

I don't feel that our nation is in anyway headed in the right direction. As a Bible believing Christian I know that we are far from the God who daily showers us with the very blessings we take for granted. I believe as a Christian I should be taking better advantage of my right to be heard in this nation. I also know I should be doing my utmost on a daily basis to effect the world around me for Christ both in word and deed.

The truth is too often I focus on the downward spiral of my country instead of all God has given me here. Psalm 117 is only one of many verses that remind me to "Praise the LORD, all ye nations: praise him, all ye people. For his merciful kindness is great toward us: and the truth of the LORD endureth for ever. Praise ye the LORD."

I was just notified that this article is not a quote from Jay Leno. Thankyou to whom ever left the comment on this article. I appreciate the correction. I'm not sure who wrote it but once again when truth is spoken we had better listen!

Bragging Rights

2007-10-14T22:48:00.001-04:00

Let me see...where to start. I must say that it has been a long time since I've posted and I know I've been very negligent. I can only beg the excuses of three toddlers and travel. :)

Recently our lives have settled into a routine.
Monday get home from meetings,
Tuesday recover from travelling,
Wednesday talk about having preschool,
Thursday feel tired as we contemplate packing on Friday for our trip on Saturday to our meeting on Sunday.
It doesn't sound like so much does it? I'm definitly over simplifing and yes trying for alittle humor. :)

From one mother to another though where does the time go?!?! I'm sitting here trying to think of something in my life that would be blog worthy and the only thing coming to mind is the excitement I felt over finally gettting all of the laundry done yesterday. Unfortunately, three sets of clothes on each of my children and myself as well as a weekend visitor means I'm no longer on top of the laundry...(sigh!) I do get points for trying though right!

Well, I do know I'd like to take a moment and brag...really brag about my amazing, wonderful, blessing of a husband. Two weeks ago I got sick. I had a sore throat that within two days became so swollen I was struggling to swallow water. (Please know I'm not trying for sympathy this does happen at least two times a year and I'm pretty used to it by now.) Any way I was so tired and sick for the first week that I really struggled to do anything. Joshua, being the amazing man that he is, literally allowed me to sleep as much as I needed (which was quite a bit). He took care of the kids all day, made all their meals, took them to the park, got them ready for bed, everything that goes along with taking care of kids... as well as keeping my kitchen cleaned, doing laundry, nursing me, and doing mission work!!! He's amazing!

Josh didn't stop there. He also called my sister and asked her to stay with me this weekend so I wouldn't have to be home alone with the kids while I was sick. On top of doing all of this for me he even brought me a present while he was gone to a meeting. I know I don't deserve such a loving husband who definitly has a merciful streak in him. Thankyou honey, for everything!

Trying for a Profile Picture

2007-10-03T15:11:00.000-04:00

Brookfield Zoo

2007-09-13T01:04:00.000-04:00

I must say that a trip to the Zoo is much more fun with little ones. The looks on their faces and the fun they had over the simplest things were worth the heat and walking.
Our trip was with Mom & Dad Jones, Uncle Sam & Aunt Bekah Jones and of course our family. I can't remember the last time we all went on an activity together.
Joshua took two CD's worth of pictures. Obviously they all wont fit here but you can view them here

Great Idea

2007-09-12T23:56:00.001-04:00

Staff Sgt. Richard P. Ramey
27 years old from Canton, Ohio
703rd Ordinance Compan, supporting the 82nd Airborne Division
February 8, 2004

Richard Ramey always knew what he was going to be. Once, while in the third grade, his teacher asked him what he wanted to do when he grew up. His response? "I’ll go to war and fight" Concerned by his answer, his teacher called his mother, Julie Ramey. She told her "No, that's my son".

SSgt. Ramey was killed when insurgents attacked his and other convoys in Mahmudiyah, Iraq.

"Richard loved to do his job. No matter where it would take him," said his mother. "He really felt deeply that he wanted to protect people that couldn’t protect themselves"

In a statement released through Fort Knox, the Ramey family said, "He was adventurous and smart, combining both qualities in what he did for the Army. We knew his work was dangerous but also knew he wouldn’t have wanted to do anything else".

These brave men and women sacrifice so much in their lives so that others may enjoy the freedoms we get to enjoy everyday. For that, I am proud to call them Hero.
We Should Not Only Mourn These Men And Women Who Died, We Should Also Thank God That Such People Lived

This post is part of the Wednesday Hero Blogroll. For more information about Wednesday Hero, or if you would like to post it on your blog, you can go here.

The Many Days of VBS :)

2007-08-02T15:28:00.000-04:00

Well, where to start. . . We are currently working on our fifth VBS of six for this summer. The last four have been back to back and I'm beginning to feel the effects. Anyway here are a few highlights...

VBS #1 (You can see pictures of this VBS HERE.)

We were in Kenton, OH and had a wonderful encouraging time with Pastor Kiper, his wife and daughter Ruth. We had very few workers and loads of kids. If I remember correctly our high day was 65 or so. Anyway, we ran a revised format as I taught Bible story to all of the kids at the same time instead of seperating into two groups. Bekah-Lynn found a kindred spirit in one of girls that attended All went well and we had 3 salvations during the week. When we touched base with Pastor Kiper a few weeks later he told us that 2 families had been attending church since VBS. Praise the Lord!

VBS #2 (You can see pictures of this VBS HERE.)

We left Kenton Friday afternoon and headed to Piqua, OH. This week went very well and we were able to see 2 get saved. One was such an answer to my personal prayers. The entire week a young man by the name of Jaguar attended VBS. He didn't look like someone who wanted to be there, in fact the best word to describe his look would be surly. He never caused any problems or acted up but just sat through Bible story (my part of VBS) staring at me. (I know I was teaching and this is what I would normally want a child to do but he actually did it which made the action very obvious). During any invitation I gave Jaguar would not raise his hand to indicate he was saved but he also didn't raise his hand to indicate he wasn't saved. Finally, Friday after Bible Story he came up to me and asked to talk to me. I really wanted to take the time but as I glanced out of the corner of my eye my next group was coming in for story time. Thankfully a Bible Helper was able to pick up the importance of the situation and asked if he could help. By the time I was finished with the next group Jaguar was coming out of the back room and the Bible Helper gave me a big "Thumbs Up" sign. I was so excited so at Snack time I took a moment to ask Jaguar if he had gotten all of his questions answered. After a nod and a slight hesitation he proudly told me he had gotten saved. In all honesty I realized how an evangelist might feel, constantly "witnessing" and never being able to reap the harvest. I'm not feeling sorry for myself nor am I belittling my part in the process but it would have been so awesome for me to have personally been able to lead Jaguar to the Lord. Never-the-less, One more for the kingdom!

VBS #3 (You can see pictures of this VBS HERE.)
Have you ever felt like Satan was personally trying to hold you back?! We were supposed to start our trip to Enterprise, AL for VBS #3 on Thursday at noon...instead we finally left Indianapolis around 4 pm. Enterprise is a 12 hour trip with adults and a good car on a normal day. With a trailer and 3 toddlers it takes MUCH LONGER!!!!. We made it to the outskirts of KY for the night and crashed in a hotel. We left first thing the next morning and arrived in Enterprise at 8pm. We were all so tired. The Pastor showed us our accomadations and after some unexpected rearranging we all settled down to sleep. This VBS went well but had a different flavor. The youth group had been given the responsibility of taking care of all but a few aspects of the VBS. Both Josh and I were very pleased as we watched these young people take some major responsibility and do an excellent job of it. Josh ran opening, game time, and closing and all I had to do was tell my missionary story and watch Stephen!! Wow, what a feeling. We had two salvations this week and made several friends.
Beyond VBS this week was a joy as we were able to experience aspects of Alabama we hadn't been exposed to before, stay in Army base guest housing, and visit with Josh's Aunt and Uncle in Panama City, FL.

VBS #4
I would have to say I was looking forward to this one the most. Being in Decatur, AL and spending time with the Home Office staff was so much fun! I enjoyed getting to know them even better and developing some great friendships. The VBS itself was wonderful. We had aprox. 60 kids and 4 or 5 salvations. We were told that there were many new contacts made into the community. Our whole goal for VBS is to create contacts for the churches we are working with and when we are able to do that we are estatic.
We enjoyed Big Bob Gibson's BBQ twice while we were there. Believe me there is NOTHING like it! But unfortunately we forgot the requested for grits. Did you know that McDonalds (better known as "M" to my children") has the best sweet tea!?

VBS #5
To be honest I wasn't looking forward to this week at all. I knew I was going to be tired and the trip to get here (Stockton, KS) was LONG. We left Decatur, AL at 9:45pm and drove through the night. At 4:45am I took over from Josh and drove until 7:30am. We slept for an hour, had breakfast and hit the road again at 9:45am. Josh drove 2 hours then me and vica versa until we reached Topeka, KS at 7pm that night. We stumbled into the hotel room, ordered pizza and slept VERY soundly! The next morning we drove the rest of the way. With all of that said this has been a week of spiritual blessing that I cannot begin to put into words. The Lord has provided strength I didn't know I posessed and helped me keep my attitude under control. We may have had 2 salvations the very first night. I'm planning on catching the girls who went to be counselled tonight and chatting with them a bit more. We pray that this church will be blessed and that the Lord would see fit to grant growth to it.

Pictures & More to come as we gear up for VBS #6 and then a week of "vacation" with 5 toddlers. I'll explain in the next post. :)

Life in the Fast Lane!!

2007-06-29T01:32:00.000-04:00

Wow! Life has been very full for us of late. We have begun our VBS schedule and just finished 2 of the 6 we have scheduled for this summer. They went well (I'll elaborate on them in future posts) 3 saved Praise The LORD!!! Neither of the churches were able to provide internet access so thus the extended blogging absence! I do plan on getting pictures up and updating on all of the family news soon. Thanks for faithful prayers on our behalf.

Brotherly Love

2007-06-02T15:08:00.000-04:00

I hope and pray that the love my children have for one another now will be a constant in their lives. They can be mean and unkind but over all they truly love each other and are friends. My hearts desire is to see this continue in their lives and that we will be a close knit family in love if not in proximity.

Home, Dove's & Treasures

2007-06-02T14:43:00.000-04:00

I finished cleaning up our dumpster finds and here are the pictures of them. I like my vanity! The Lord has already provided a chair for it.

The glasses are great. I love having the juice size for chocolate milk.

The drink cooler will be so nice on our travels. I'll fill it with iced tea to begin with (lots of ice) I need to do that for this next week.

In other news today... This spring we had a dove's nest in the gutter above our patio. I was concerned that the rainstorms would cool the eggs and that they would not hatch but they did. We got some pictures before they left residence. I'm in awe at the beauty of God's creation and how well He takes care of them.

Last but not least I have some pics of our once white home. We are finished with all but the diningroom which needs a second coat. Due to haveing the kids we need to wait until they are in bed to paint (I really don't want green carpet) but we have been so tired and busy of late that the painting has been put off for now. I'll get pictures of the kid's room, our room, & Josh's office when I get them completly cleaned. You really don't want to see the piles of toys, paperwork & clothes. :(

Stephen does two new things!

2007-06-02T14:29:00.001-04:00

Okay I know enough with the pictures of sleeping children. This one does have a purpose though. The other night when I went to check on the kids I noticed Stephen hugging his elephant bear. He didn't do that before and I think it is really cute. Now everytiime he is put down to sleep he hugs his elephant.

The other new thing is..... HE"S WALKING!!!! Forgive the half naked baby but he's cute. I had to get pictures of his first few steps and here they are.

Mother's Day

2007-06-01T18:27:00.000-04:00

Okay, so now you all know just how tardy I've been! I've been playing catch up on all of the events I haven't blogged. Thus the consistent posting. :)
I had to post about Mother's Day though. It was my first and I loved it but felt alittle uncomfortable as well. I think being a Mother has been growing on me. I suppose it would be natural to have that happen since most women have nine months to adjust to the thought of actually being a Mom. In the end I wasn't able to think that way until badabing, badaboo I was one!!! Well, this Mother's Day my eldest son gave me a beautiful rose. As you can see by the pictures. It was very special.

Family Photo Shoot!

2007-06-01T14:56:00.000-04:00

Some of you may know that I am an avid scrapbooker. In fact I'm almost done 2005! Believe me I was really far behind and this means I'm almost caught up. :) Anyway... Since we got the kids we needed new pictures for our prayer card. We chose the same photographers who took the pictures for our adoption profile because we were so happy with the results. Well, can I just say that I now know what if feels like to have papprazzi following you around! We met at the Indianapolis Museum of Art and wandered all over grounds. The photographers took millions of pictures and only directed us a couple of times for poses. The results were fantastic and as a scrapbooker I wish I had the money to hire them for the rest of my life!!

A Meeting in Croswell, 4-22 to 4-25

2007-05-29T00:23:00.000-04:00

I had to post about this meeting, even if it is alittle late. :)

Our host family had two Golden Labs that initiated our children into the realm of dogs! I still hear about Moe & Joe. At first the kids were scared out of their minds but by the end of the week they couldn't get enough of them. Stephen only liked the dogs on his terms, which were, "I can touch you but you can't touch me!" Bekah-Lynn liked them as long as they stayed calm and didn't run at her. Caleb on the other hand got right in and started bossing them around! His favorite game was getting a stick and throwing it in the pond for the dogs to get. He would chase the dogs down as fast as his little legs could carry him, grab the stick out of their mouths and start running back to the pond. At one point the dogs started playing with each other and didn't notice that Caleb had stolen the stick until they heard it plop in the water. I loved watching him play and seeing the joy on his face as the dogs licked and played with him.

While there we were able to spend an afternoon at Lake Huron. The kids enjoyed getting their feet wet with Daddy and making sand angels. :) (at Mommy's suggestion)

Blessing upon blessing

2007-05-29T00:10:00.000-04:00

We just got back from a meeting in OH at Maranatha Baptist Church. What a blessing to feel so at home in a new place. Our host family loved children and several of their grandchildren stayed overnight with us. We loved our time at the church picnic and enjoyed the blessed fellowship. We made several new friends that we pray will be faithful prayer warriors on our behalf. Praise the Lord for sweet fellowship among believers.

Our second praise is our finds as we pulled into the apartment complex. I hope no one is offended by so called "dumpster diving". :) As we drive through our complex towards our apartment we pass the trash compactor. At times people who are moving leave larger pieces of furniture around the compactor for pick up. Tonight we saw three items that showed promise. I'd been dreaming for awhile about a "vanity" Just a simple place to sit and do girly things like make-up and my hair. Somewhere other than the bathroom. Well, one of the items was a small desk in excellent condition. Josh picked it up and after I clean it I'll have a vanity for free!!!
During the summer we are planning on camping instead of spending money on hotel rooms. I had been talking to Josh about picking up a water cooler for kool-aid and water. Guess, what we found on the desk! A medium cooler in excellent condition. I'm going to clean it thourghly with some bleach water and then vinegar to ensure it's health status. Praise the Lord!

Next...two complete (mis-matched) sets of glasses. Again I'll wash them well but what a find. The set we have currently is great but a tad big for my tastes. We also lacked juice glasses ... not anymore thanks to God's great provision!!

I'll post pictures of the finds soon so you can see them.

Tag, I'm It!

2007-05-26T03:30:00.000-04:00

Well, I suppose I've been tagged and need to rise to the occasion. :) I hope I can come up with some interesting facts.

After posting these rules, each player proceeds to list 8 relatively random facts/habits about himself/herself. At the end of the post, the player then tags 8 people and posts their names.

1. When I was 14 and 15 years old I was in a Color Gaurd group with a local community marching band. I loved the experience and have since become a fan of Drum and Bugle Corp International.

2. I have broken 4 toes jumping on a trampoline but have never broken any major bones in my body.

3. I love to swim but will do anything to keep from feeling slimy seaweed on my legs. I can't stand the feeling of not knowing what is under me in deep lake water.

4. I didn't get my driver's license until I was 18 and didn't own a vehicle until I was 24, and a senior in college.

5. I'm addicted to fancy coffees (Starbucks) and know how to make all of them. I worked as a barrista in two coffee houses between my freshman and sophomore years of college and know how to make drinks like China White & Irish Coffee. I've had them too. :) Northland's barristas used to frustrate me when they would refuse to make fruit flavored steamers because I knew how to do it without curdling the milk. (Sorry, if any of you worked there in college.)

6. I am certified to carried a conceled weapon and can shoot a hand gun better than my husband. My dad is an avid hunter and would take my sisters and I target shooting with his rifles.

7. I've gone bow hunting with my Dad and two sisters. We didn't get anything because my sisters and I talked the entire time and scared all of the deer away. This was the first and last time he ever took us. :)

8. I still have baby teeth.

I tag .... Amy Blackburn (when she has time), & Angie Tunis. I know it isn't 8 but I don't know many bloggers who haven't already been tagged. :) Have fun.

The Frankfort Fort #2

2007-05-24T09:45:00.000-04:00

At the end of our week spent with Grandma & Grandpa friends, Pastor Tim & Anita Andrews from Milan, IL, came for weekend visit. Caleb, Bekah-Lynn and Stephen thourghly enjoyed playing with the Andrews' 3 children Anna (11), Jonathan (9), and Stephen (7). We all went to the Fort together so the older kids could enjoy the experience.

Jonathan is quite the climber and scaled heights that made his mother alittle nervous but made great pictures.

Anna is turning into a beautiful and caring young lady.

"Big" Stephen is an active boy who loves to imitate his older brother.

Our kids enjoyed playing with the older kids. I was so impressed with the Andrews' children as they made sure to interact with my younger children. Anna played dolls with Bekah-Lynn the entire time they were together, Bekah loved the attention and began blossoming into a girly girl.

The Frankfort Fort #1

2007-05-23T10:22:00.000-04:00

We recently spent a week with Joshua's parents in Chicago. Grandma told us about an amazing park called "The Fort". We took the kids and they were amazed. There were so many things to do, Slides, sandbox, climbing wall, swings, balance beam, and the list goes on. When we first arrived there were very few children there and we could pretty much let the kids wander wherever they wanted to go. They had such an amazing time.

Dad's First Barber Job

2007-05-21T09:01:00.000-04:00

Soon after Joshua and I were married I began to cut his hair. I learned through trial, error and tears! One time I whitewalled him and another I shaved a strip up his head right in front of his right ear. I finally got the hang of it and we've saved quite a bit of money. When the children arrived they became my customers too until....
Josh decided to try his hand at hair cutting. He did a good job. Caleb sat patiently but Stephen doesn't like the sound of the clippers and started crying. Since the boys were getting attention Bekah-Lynn decided her hair needed cutting too. Josh didn't feel up to that experience so I stepped in and gave her a little trim.

Cute Pictures

2007-05-15T23:06:00.000-04:00

I've been having so much fun taking pictures of daily events that strike me as worthy. :) I find alot of them.

I love watching my children sleep. Rebekah is very active (unfortunately I don't have pictures of her with her feet on her pillow).

Caleb falls asleep in the oddest positions. The one pictured here was shortly after he used the bathroom in the night. I think he fell back asleep just before he reached the bed.

Stephen is just serene when he sleeps and I love the peace that is exhibited on his face.

Our gate at the top of the stairs has become a favorite place to stand and watch Daddy go out to "work" (subing or working in the garage). One day Daddy pretended to be a "zoo" lion and growl and eat toes or hands that were sticking through the bars. Caleb and Bekah-Lynn thought it was great fun but Stephen was alittle grumpy and started crying.

Spring Thunderstorm Picnic

2007-05-10T16:29:00.000-04:00

I know I may be strange but I love thunderstorms. I love to see the lightning, hear the thunder and watch the rain. Usually I'm fool hardy enough to try to go out in them. I try to stay dry but I love being close to the storm. Well, I wanted my kids to enjoy storm as well, so one spring morning when I heard thunder and knew a small storm was heading through our area, I made breakfast and we ate it on our deck. Now before you wonder at how wet we may have gotten, our deck is covered and very little rain was coming in. It was chilly though so we all wrapped up in blankets and ate bacon, eggs, and toast.

During breakfast the storm ended and our rain "tub" was full, I let the kids play in the rain water (under close supervision). They had a blast!

Children's Museum

2007-05-10T14:05:00.000-04:00

Within a week of Caleb and Bekah-Lynn arriving. Josh and I took them to the Indianapolis Children's Museum. Jonni, the kid's birthmom was able to go with us as well as our good friend Amy Blackburn.The day was Feb. 22, 2007 (I know this is way over due but I'm trying to catch everyone up on what has been going on. :). Stephen slept in his stroller for most of the museum trip

The kids loved "Playscapes". It is a section of the museum dedicated to toddlers. They can play with absolutely everything. There is a river, a sandbox, maze, slide, tree to climb, garden to plant, bridge to cross, playhouse, airplane to build, and the list goes on. The kids loved the hands on stuff.

After Playscapes we all got caught at the pennie well. Amy was able to get some awesome pictures of us.

We then rode the Merry-go-round, had tea with the Three Bears, played in Clifford's playhouse, and saw neat fireworks of blown glass. I hope you enjoy all of the pictures. :)

The "Handyman"

2007-04-30T23:16:00.000-04:00

Joshua is such a wonderful man. I'm so glad that God gave me a husband who is willing to try his hand at whatever needs to be done and laugh at himself when he makes mistakes.

Our apartment is an upstairs apartment with the steps leading from our dining room down to the front door. They needed a gate in order to comply with our homestudy. We bought a mounted gate and Joshua started to install it as I watched. He proudly got out his drill and armed with instructions from my dad began the task. He soon began to wonder why the drill wasn't putting the screw in like it was supposed to. He finally realized that the drill was set to reverse. We all had a hearty laugh as he corrected the problem and promptly finished the job.

Bath Time!

2007-04-30T22:41:00.000-04:00

These pictures were taken one of the first few days Caleb and Bekah-Lynn were with us. Caleb and Bekah loved the bath but Stephen got scared and needed to be consoled. :)

Where do I start?

2007-04-04T12:41:00.000-04:00

I know that it has been forever since we've posted. We've had a lot of stuff happening of late. As you all know, we have been in the adoption process since January of last year. You know that the Lord gave us Stephen in November. Now for the rest of the story...
Near the end of October our facilitator, Lifetime Adoptions, called us about a birth mother who had chosen us from a set of profiles sent to her. The situation was a sibling group of two, Caleb Matthew (3) and Rebecca Lynn (2). They are Native Alaskan. We agreed to start e-mailing the birth mother whose name was Jonni (pronounced Johnny).
As Jonni and I were beginning our friendship, Josh and I were called on November 3 by Indiana DCS to interview for Stephen. We felt that God had presented both open doors and that we would follow these opportunities with much prayer and allow God to close doors in His time if He so chose. By November 27 Stephen was placed in our home for us to adopt.
Lifetime still considered us matched with Jonni, so we decided to sit back and watch God work. Soon after Stephen came to us, the lawyer who was working with us on the possible adoption of Caleb and Bekah called to say he didn't feel he could handle the legal intricacies of a Native Alaskan adoption. We took this matter to the Lord, asking if this was His way of telling us to discontinue this adoption. After much prayer we made the decision to research lawyers willing to tackle the Federal intricacies of a Native Alaskan adoption (the first ever done in Indiana). The Lord knew our budget, and we left it in His hands to provide a lawyer within our finacial means. After one very dissapointing interview, we were lead to Michael Bishop. He was very encouraging, and his legal fees were resonable. By Febuary 9, Jonni emailed us to say that she and the children were on their way to us. We panicked! Were we really ready for this? Jonni arrived in Indianapolis with Caleb (now 4) and Bekah Lynn (now 3) Febuary 18. Michael was able to get the paperwork started quickly. Soon after Jonni and the kids came into our home, the birth fathers both gave written consent to the adoption, and we are now waiting for the date of our finalization. The kids have transitioned wonderfully, and they already call us Mommy and Daddy. Jonni and I have a wonderful Christian friendship and love for each other, she has definitly become part of the family.
God has given step by step faith as we've sought His perfect will in the formation of our family. Many have questioned our sanity in adopting 3 children at the same time. How can we argue with the Lord's leading and His bountiful provision. A constant theme to our lives has been Eph. 3:20, "...Exceeding abundantly, above all that we ask or think...".

Super Bowl Champions

2007-02-04T23:16:00.000-05:00

Yeah Colts. It is fun to be living in Indy right now. Sorry Bears fans. Maybe next year. It is really nice to see our players and coaches and owner giving glory to God for the win. We live in a Classy city and we are proud of our Colts.

Bright Idea!

2007-01-29T21:23:00.000-05:00

Well, the Lord struck me with a thought today as I was giving Stephen his nebulizer treatment. I'd been trying to figure out when I would start a Bible time with Stephen. As I was giving him his treatment it dawned on me that this would be the perfect time to have him watch me tell stories and sing. We did it two of his three treatment times and he did a wonderful job sitting still ( for 15 minutes) and listening, and waving his hands with me as I sang children's songs. I was so excited that he seemed to pay attention. I'm glad the Lord impressed me with the thought and I'm chagrined that I was so negative about the treatments when they are such a wonderful opportunity to teach my son about Jesus and His love for us.

We're moving AGAIN!

2007-01-25T23:31:00.000-05:00

Someday I'll live in a house for longer than a year and a half. I must say that I've appreciated the mission house we have lived in for the past year and half. Rent free has been a blessing beyond words. The Lord in His wisdom has planned for us to move out of the mission house in Febuary and, due to our adoption proceedings, into an apartment.
The blessing of the apartment will be living in a space completly my own again. The mission house is blessedly fully furnished but having my own things will be a blessing again. Being without them has made me very grateful for them. I'm thinking mainly in the kitchen department. I like my cups and dishes and pots and pans. The Lord has shown me so much through this process. He has taught me gratitude and shown me His perfect provision. When we moved into the mission house we gave, sold, or put in storage all of our furniture and anything that wasn't going to Africa with us. Therefore...moving out of the mission house we have no furniture but God knew that and provided. My sister and her husband have offered us the use of some of their furniture while we are in the apartment. This includes and bed, livingroom set, & dining room table. Praise the Lord.
We are planning to make this place as much our home as we can. So we are going to have some fun painting. We have some before pictures and will post some after pictures when we are done. Lest you worry, the apartment has been rented on a special deal, was the cheapest one we could find for the size we needed to maintain homestudy, and we only have to put one coat of primer on the painted walls before be move out. We're planning on having fun!

Stairway to Loft

Dining Room

Kitchen

View of loft from Living room

A Personal Relationship with a Nebulizer

2007-01-25T23:18:00.000-05:00

I must say that I agree with my son's sentiments towards the nebulizer.

Sunday night we took Stephen to the emergency room because he'd been running a high fever (102.2 at the highest) for two days. He was also "wheezing". The ER doctor told us he had RSV after she had the nurses squirt saline solution up Stephen's nose, with a syringe and a small tube, and take a sample of his "mucus". Stephen vocally expressed his opion of this indignity and at his mother who was holding him down. The next day we visited his pediatrician who prescribed nebulizer treatments every 6 hours. Stephen and I don't like the nebulizer!

Stephen is doing much better now. He's had a rough couple of months with us. Within 4 days of coming home I had to take him to immediate care due to an ear infection, Friday before Christmas we were in the ER with croup, and now this. I'd like to go an entire month without seeing the ER/Immediate Care! He has also had an ultra sound of his head today and a general pediatrician's visit the beginning of this month. I'm praising the Lord that until Stephen's adoption is completly finalized his medical bills are paid by Medicare.

Today after Stephen's ultrasound would have produced a great picture if we would've had the camera. The technician us a ton of "goop" so the wand would slide easily over Stephen's head. Stephen looked like he had been slimed.

Home Again

2007-01-07T20:59:00.000-05:00

We are finally home again. I can't tell you how good it feels to be in our own home. Being with all of our families was a great experience but I'm glad to be at home and back to our own routine. Stephen has finally settled back into his schedule except for his regular 3-4 hour naps. They've gotten shorter! I'm still trying to get used to that.
I'm attempting something new in the way of meal prep this year. I'm starting to cook once a month and freeze the meals. So far I've made Broccoli soup and Chili. We're starting slowly with this process. Hopefully on the 15th I can do a few more. I like the idea of spending 2 days cooking and the rest of the month warming up. I know this is a more "homey" post than usual but I'm sure you'll survive.
For Christmas the Jones side of the family had portraits done. The pictures turned out really well as you can see.

Jones Christmas

2007-01-03T00:37:00.000-05:00

After the Van-nes brouhaha, we traveled to Chicagoland for the Jones get together. Sam and Bekah flew in from Idaho on Christmas eve and we all celebrated Christmas the next morning. It was once again fun with Stephen who had more fun with boxes than toys. We were able to spend over a week with Mom and Dad, Sam and Bekah. Home tomorrow. As nice as visits are "there's no place like home"

Van-Nes Christmas

2006-12-27T12:50:00.000-05:00

On Christmas Eve after church, we all went over to Ruth and Jason's for Christmas. It was quite a wild experience with all three cousins, but they made it fun as well. After lunch the men went to sleep while the ladies cleaned up. (typical I know). We then opened gifts. The cousins got matching outfits from grandma and had a photo op in them. Mom also made all the girls afghans. We had a very merry Christmas. Here are some of the pictures.

December Prayerletter

2006-12-13T16:05:00.000-05:00

December 2006

Dear Praying Friends,

"Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not" (Jeremiah 33:3). We feel much akin to Hannah who prayed fervently for a son and the Lord heard her cry. As many of you know, we too have been praying for children. On November 16, we interviewed at Terre Haute for Stephen at about 1 p.m. At 4:30 p.m. we received a call saying "It's a boy." We have been rejoicing ever since. We were able to surprise Josh's parents at Thanksgiving by showing up at their praise service with the praise that "our home has grown by two feet." Josh's parents were so shocked, which quickly turned to bemusement and joy. Stephen is now 15 months old. He was born on Sept 11, 2005. He is beginning to pull himself up, and he is crawling everywhere. We covet your prayers as we take on the role of parents. Pray that we will be able to balance the travel and Stephen's schedule. He does well in the car seat, but it still makes long days for him. Pray also for wisdom as we guide and train him up in the Lord. We praise the Lord for this little one. Pray that all will go smoothly for finalization of the adoption.

To other news, our meetings have been going very well. Pray that Josh will be able to fill the schedule for next year. We are also praising the Lord for the increase in our support to 38%. The Lord has been good, and we are excited to see what He is going to do. We would like to especially thank the churches and individuals who have been supporting us and those who have sent in special gifts. We are grateful for your generosity and faithfulness. Please pray with us as we have several churches voting in January. We are praying to be over the 45% mark by February. Our goal to leave for the field is still spring of 2008. We thank you for your prayers toward that end. As William Carey said "Expect great things from God, attempt great things for God."

In Christ and for His name's sake,

Joshua and Rebekah Jones
Missionaries to Zambia

Our First Week

2006-12-05T22:40:00.000-05:00

Our first week with Stephen went well. We are still learning about how to be parents. We went out to eat on Friday night and completely forgot the diaper bag. I had to run home and get it. We survived our first double ear infection. Stephen went to the doctor and got antibiotics. He is a much happier boy now. He also did well on his first deputation trip to Plymouth, IN. It was however trying for the new parents not run off to the nursery to check on him. I am sure with enough practice we will get the hang of the whole parenting thing.

More Pictures of Stephen

2006-11-28T11:34:00.000-05:00

Its a boy

2006-11-24T20:15:00.000-05:00

My mother was shocked.

I would like to introduce you to our new son Stephen Champlain Jones. He is fourteen months old and weighs about 26-30 pounds. As I write this, he is not a very happy camper. It's bed time and he does not want to go. This is one of those we will win times. Stephan has been with us since Wednesday. We did not tell my parents that we were getting him. We showed up on Wednesday for praise service, just a little bit late to surprise them. I went in to the service and sat by my mom and told her that Bekah would be in a in a few minutes. Dad opened it up for testimonies and I was the first one up. I thanked the people for praying for us on deputation and for our adoption proceedings. I then said our house has grown by two feet, and Bekah walked in the door with Stephen.
My parents were shocked. It was so much fun to surprise them like that. We get official custody on Monday. After that its a matter of getting through the courts. We have enjoyed having a son so much.

What are the odds? Odds don't matter to God.

2006-09-27T21:42:00.000-04:00

Last Wednesday, we were on our way up to a missions conference in Chicago. We needed to go by the music store on the east side of Indianapolis so that I could get new sticks for my xylophone. Before we went to the music store we decided to stop at McDonald's for breakfast. As we drove around, we noticed that the drive-through person had a pin on her collar the shape of Africa with red, black, and green on it. Rebekah suggested I ask her where she was from. I did and she told me southern Africa. I thought she meant South Africa, but then she clarified Zambia. We got really excited. We told her we are missionaries to Zambia. She got excited. She gave us here phone number and told us she was from Lusaka. Her father apparently resides in Chipata which is the town we want to end up in. He is also a general in the Zambian army.
Monday of this week, I started wondering if she speaks any of the dialects we need to learn. I called her--she speaks two. Both of which are the most important for us to learn considering where we want to go in Zambia. I am to call her on Friday to try to set up times each week for her to teach us Nianja and Bemba. Pray that the Lord will continue to lead.

August Prayerletter

2006-09-01T12:51:00.000-04:00

Dear Praying Friends, August 2006

It is difficult to believe that the summer is over. Praise the Lord for the ministry He has given us. Thank you for your prayers on our behalf, especially during our five VBS ministries. The Lord is good. We were able to see 10 children come to Christ over the summer. While each VBS certainly had its own personality, we saw the Lord bless in each one. We saw many answers to prayer as well. We prayed for it not to rain during game time at our second VBS. It rained all the way through the morning, so we set up our games in the garage. Oh, ye of little faith. It stopped raining right before game time. We prayed for specific numbers of children and the Lord gave us more. “And whatsoever ye ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son” (John 14:13). Why are we so surprised when God answers prayer? We pray and then try to fix it ourselves, not expecting God to do His work. We can be very faithless at times.

Praise the Lord for traveling safety as well this summer. Our poor van has been put to a lot of use. Since May we have traveled a total of 8,000 miles through 13 states and one province. The Lord has kept us safe and kept our van running.

Please continue to pray for us as we travel. Also pray that the churches we have been in recently will have the funds and desire to take us on for support. We also ask for your continued prayer regarding our adoption. The Lord’s will be done. Pray to that end. “Blessed be God, which hath not turned away my prayer, nor his mercy from me” (Ps. 66:20).

In Christ and for His name’s sake,

Joshua and Rebekah Jones
Missionaries to Zambia

VBS #3

2006-08-25T00:08:00.000-04:00

VBS number three was different. We were tired after the first two and definitly rethinking the whole 5 VBS's in one summer. Isn't it amazing how God uses us despite our weakness! When we arrived we discovered a small church that was relieved to have us there to help with the VBS. The people did a great job with covering the spots needed and worked hard all week. There were a few set backs but God blessed with a good turn out, our high day was 26 kids. There were decisions made and God worked in our hearts to simply serve the pastor and his family to the best of our ability. PTL for lessons we can still learn.

VBS #2 or God's Hand at Work

2006-07-16T00:15:00.000-04:00

Well, VBS #2 was hard. Let me explain why. From the day we arrived we felt like everything took twice as much energy to do. We were well rested and excited about the upcoming service but never-the-less energy seemed to drain away. Saturday we set up what decorations we could and set out to canvas the area parks. Park after park was desolate and void of any and all children. What a warm summer day and no kids on swings and slides! What has this world come to?? Finally, we met three groups of kids (with parents) and invited them to the coming week. They all sounded very excited and promised to come. (none of them actually showed up though)

Sunday was a blessing. We served in the church with special music, Josh preached and I "exhorted with much scripture" by giving my testimony. Sunday evening we finished setting up and had a meeting with all the workers.

The next morning workers were rearranged due to some philosophical differences. Two children from across the street did come after the Pastor and his daughter walked over and invited them. That afternoon we once again set out to canvas the parks. We found a couple of softball games gave out lots of balloons and invitations to VBS. No visible results.

Tuesday VBS started with two more visitors who were very wiggly during story. Praise the Lord they were so excited about VBS they begged to come back the next day and Mom gave in. Tuesday afternoon at the park ... No kids!

Wednesday morning - As I woke up and looked out the window to discover the most dreaded natural enemy of the VBS!!! It was RAINING! During the morning prayer time with the workers we prayed that God would stop the rain in time for Game Time. Oh we of little faith then proceeded to set up game time in the church's garage. As I sat down to go over the Bible story time after time someone ran in and interupted my reading with such important questions as, "Can I have a drink? go to the bathroom? Where is Mr. Josh? and so on. When I finally made it to the actual story part of my preparation God directed my attention to Matthew 18:18-20. Praise the Lord that we can ask Him and He promises to do what we ask.

Thursday -We were down in attendance but the Lord worked in one Junior boy's heart to seek assurance of salvation and in a Primary boy's heart towards salvation. That evening the church held a special sacred concert. Heritage Singing Men ministred to our hearts and we were refreshed for the next day. Praise the Lord one Junior girl came to the concert and two primary children brought their parents and a friend for the concert. Both of these families were unchurched families.

Friday - We were exhausted. Pastor and his wife dropped their kids off and left again to pick up more kids. One of the boys doing the skit arrived and soon after we recieved a phone call. The young man's brother who was also part of the skit had been in a car accident. He was okay but had cut his head. He ended up with 3 staples but was able to come to the evening closing program. The closing program went well we had five parents there who were not members of the church. Joshua preached a clear salvation message and found out later that one of the parents were from the Catholic church and had never been to any other church for any reason. The mom talked to the Pastor's wife and said she enjoyed hearing the Word of God applied to everyday life. We are praying that these contacts will be open doors fo the pastor.

As you can see it was an interesting week. Our fellowship with the pastor and his family were sweet and a blessing to our hearts. God moved and we saw His hand in our hearts and lives every day. Praise the Lord for answering the prayers of our hearts concerning His working visibly in our lives this week. We have been drawn closer to Him as a result and the SEED has been sown.

Finding Mischief

2006-07-15T00:52:00.000-04:00

Each day at VBS the kids had to find mischief. He hid in a variety of places. Take a look.

Two Prayer Requests:

2006-07-07T00:56:00.000-04:00

Josh & I thought it might be a good idea share some hopes and dreams with our blogger friends.

As you know we have included VBS as an option for meetings while on deputation. We have already had one blessed VBS and are gearing up for another. This coming week from July 7-14 we will be running a VBS for a new church in the Quad City area. This is their second VBS, last year they only had 12 kids show up. We know that numbers are not what makes a VBS blessed but they do make it exciting. Our heart's desire is to be an encouragement to the pastor and the memebers of this church. We'd like to break last years total, exceeding abundantly above all we ask or think, as well as see the Lord move in a great and mighty way in the hearts of the workers and the kids. Please pray fervently with us this week.

Our second request is of a personal nature. Some of you know that Josh and I have begun the adoption process. We have been in the "waiting" stage for the past two months. This means that we have done all we can, the paperwork is in order, now all we need is the right birth mom to choose us. Our hope is to have a sibling group under the age of four. We will be happy with any child or children God chooses to bless us with. Please pray that we will have patience while we wait, that the Lord will orchestrate the timing to perfection (considering post placement visits, housing needs, and full time deputation) and for the perfect birth mom.

Thank you for your prayers. We will keep you updated when we know any solid news.

Mischief in Church

2006-07-05T23:04:00.000-04:00

We would like to introduce a new member of our family. Mischief is our new mouse. As we travel from place to place, you will see Mischief pop up in all sorts of places. Today, he went with us to our sending church in Frankfort, IL. He enjoyed the services very much. He enjoyed listening to the music, preaching, and apparently he plays organ. He's a regular church mouse.

Happy Fourth of July

2006-07-05T00:09:00.000-04:00

Don't ya just love fire works. There is something so mesmerising about those bright flashes and loud booms. Every fourth of July we see the Chinese invention taken to new heights. We spent this Fourth in Manhattan with my parents. We enjoyed our traditional hamburgers and potato salad and baked beans. Played croquet and bocci ball in the afternoon. We went to the church to watch the Frankfort firework show. Here are some of the pictures.

VBS Number 1

2006-07-01T23:45:00.000-04:00

Our first VBS is over and God gets all the glory. Everything went smoothly and easily. No major problems or difficulties except scrambling a little bit for crafts. That means we had more kids than we expected--not a bad problem to have. We had two salvation decisions during the week. Praise the Lord! Our high day was Thursday with 53 children. Fridays closing program brought over 80 people, some of which are not saved. Please pray that the Lord will open doors for the church to reach these people. The kids had a lot of fun with our puppets and the games. Our next VBS is in Coal Valley, IL. We leave on Friday. Please pray that it will be equally successful.

Vacation Has Begun

2006-06-13T16:28:00.000-04:00

Well, our vacation with JA, Tracy & the girls has begun. We are spending a week in Breckenridge, CO. It is absolutley beautiful here. The weather has been in the 70's. We spent the first day of our vacation at Waterworld (a waterpark in Denver). We had a great time despite being burnt to a crisp with the 50 SPF sunscreen we applied several times. Oh well, the fun was worth it!

Kara, who is 2, loved the wave pool and would've spent hours running in and out, splashing her Aunt Bekah. Her parents were daring enough to take both Kara and Lydia (who is 10 months) on some tube rides. Eventually Kara enjoyed these rides but the first few were filled with screams. :)

Today we took the girls to the Mountain Top Children's Museum. What a great place to let little ones wear themselves out! Lydia loved the fishing bridge, the baskets, and the rhythm instruments. Kara made a picture, played a rhythm song with Daddy & Uncle Josh, sang in a microphone and played Goldilocks and the Three Bears with Lydia and another little girl.
JA had fun showing Kara & Lydia where a dear wears it's antlers.

Wedding Pictures

2006-06-13T12:20:00.000-04:00

The End of an Era

2006-06-09T22:30:00.000-04:00

Joe Pluth has gotten married!!!!! For those of you who didn't know about the happy event. Joe's new wife is Amy and they are wonderful together. Amy adores Joe and vica versa. The wedding was beautiful. Amy did a wonderful job planning, decorating and being a bride.

The groomsmen were Benson Quattlebaum, Sean, Brian Hubb, Samuel Jones, & Joshua Jones. They had great fun keeping Joe up all night and reminiscing about college. They also got together and made a mock program of the wedding that had Joe in stitches. The bridesmaids were Alysha Lafferty, Shannon, Annette, Elisabeth Pluth, & Tracy Hall.

2006-06-03T00:30:00.000-04:00

Hello

I know, we're bad bloggers. Even through we have been to Northland and then on to Colorado, we have failed to blog our adventures. Our most recent excursion have happened in the last couple days. We were in Grand Junction for a meeting. On Thursday, after a two hour trip to Walmart for an oil change that they never did end up doing, we went to Colorado National Monument. We discovered that altitude plus being out of shape makes for a very long day. You would think that one day of hiking in the mountains was enough, but Rebekah decided that a trip to Hanging Lake, a 1.2 mile hike--straight up the mountain, was a great way to fill our day. We started the climb at over 6,000 ft. above sea level. The trip was worth it and good exercise too. Tomorrow it off to Denver for our meeting on Sunday. Until then.

Long time no Post

2006-05-14T00:00:00.000-04:00

We are still among the living. We spent a week at Camp Joy without internet access. BWM held their missionary training week at Camp Joy as they do every May. This year we occupied the kids while their parnets were in class. It was a fun time entertaining 11 & 8 year old boys and 5 & 3 1/2 year old girls. Josh took the guys and I had the girls. What great practice for parent hood.

There were no funny experiences until Thursday when the youngest "forgot" to tell me she had to go potty. I quickly grabbed her and carried her (running by the way) to the nearest bathroom. The nearest bathroom was by the boys cabins an uphill run the entire way. Halfway there I heard a little voice in my ear asking "Is this as fast as you can go Mrs. Jones?" Yes, (gasp) this (gasp) is (gasp) as fast (gasp) as I (gasp) can go! (gasp, gasp) :) Note to self: in the future schedule bathroom breaks throughout the day!

The girls favorite activity was blowing bubbles as you can see in the picture.

Before we arrived at Camp Joy we were in Belleville, Ontartio for my cousin's wedding. Wayne happens to be one of my closest cousins, more like a brother than a cousin. It was wonderful to see him so happy with his new bride Robbyn. I was able to spend time with other members of my dad's family. I didn't know how much I'd missed time with family and time in Canada. It felt so good to be "home" again. The accents, the money, the stores, and the food were all better than I remember them.

Well, we are busily getting ready our next traveling adventure to Colorado. I've never spent time that I remember in CO so I'm looking forward to the new experiences.

A Day with Family

2006-04-28T00:51:00.000-04:00

I had a great day!

We decided to visit Joshua's parents this weekend. We aren't on our way anywhere we're just spending time with Mom & Dad. They took us to the Museum of Science & Industry in Chicago. We had a great time checking out exhibits. The museum had a special exhibit of Leonardo Da Vinci. Wow!

We checked out a model of Chicago & Seattle (complete with working trains), a fairy castle doll house, & a genetic code exhibit with baby chicks in the process of hatching. We were able to see a baby's growth from conception to birth which was awe inspiring. How anyone can doubt that a "zygote" or "fetus" is an actual human being I'll never understand. We fought HIV with giant Y shaped anti biotic and walked through a model of the human heart. We didn't cover the entire museum but it was fun trying.

Being with Mom & Dad Jones was the highlight. I can't imagine being estranged from family. They are such important parts of our lives. God has blessed Joshua with parents & siblings that we can draw strength, support, and counsel from. Praise God for His wisdom in providing us with godly families.

Glad that's over

2006-04-25T23:14:00.000-04:00

Yeah, recitals are over. Nothing like sitting and listening to beginner piano students struggling through there pieces. I don't know if any of you have done it recently, but I think that's the definition of eternity. To make matters worse, we weren't even at the same recital. Rebekah had to go to Eagledale's because she has students there who have taken piano all year and have no piano at home. To our suprise, her students did very well. I on the other hand was at Colonial for their recital. Yes Bekah teaches at both schools and yes, they put their recitals on the same night. I spent the evening accompanying beginning instrumentals (some who have a hard time counting.) Oh what joy. Here is a question for all of you who have taken piano in the past. Did you parents let you get away with not practicing. I remember my parents setting the faithful egg timer for 30 min. 6 times a week. Were my parents just strange or where you parents the same way. What do think is going on with parents now?

Josh

Exhausted but Refreshed

2006-04-24T22:34:00.001-04:00

Have you ever had one of those days that was just exhausting and yet you felt so refreshed afterwards. Our day felt like that. After all morning and afternoon teaching and accompanying for students who may or may not be ready for their recital tomorrow, we had a rescue mission service to go to this evening. Neither one of us really felt like going and pouring out more energy (Carnal award moment--thanks Jenny). The service was not anything grand or glorious, as far as we know no one accepted Christ, but the Lord used it in me to refresh my desire to minister and be used of Him. I felt the Lord's strength as I preached (I even pounded the pulpit, yes I know amazing). Despite the fact that is was not the easiest crowd to preach to, the Lord was certainly there and speaking through me. I was struck by the similarities between the men there and the men we are going to minister to in Zambia. A good portion of Zambian men spend their days getting drunk and high, allowing the women to do the vast majority of the work. I love seeing how the Lord continues to give us opportunities to prepare ourselves for future ministry. When you keep an eye out for it, it is staggering how many things the Lord puts in your path to prepare you for what he has in store. Praise the Lord for his refreshing

Josh Jones

The love of Christ constraineth us.

2006-04-23T22:11:00.001-04:00

Today was a blessing from God. There are times when we go to church and God uses the pastor to touch specific areas, feed specific hungers and leaves us reeling in the revelation of our weakness which allows God's strength to be made known to the world. Phil Hunt a missionary to Zambia spoke this morning on I Corinthians 5:12-17. His main thrust was on the motivation surrounding missions. The point: Christ's constraining love. I'm sure I've heard this point made before but it struck a chord anew. Matt 22: 34-40 was a supporting point. When I love Christ with ALL... His love will turn me into a conduit of His love to others. His love changes me. I know that in all of this traveling and ministering (which I do enjoy) I have become weary in well doing. I know that the repeated acts of ministry have dimmed my motivation for those acts. Phil then brought out the passage Malachi 1:6-7, & 12-13 and revealed that the Lord is not honored by vain repetitions and outward conformity to rituals. At this point I couldn't help but mentally fall to my knees as the Lord convicted my heart of my sin of going through the motions with out the inward heart of worship. How can this be changed? ... by loving Christ with all - seeking His face day by day to be conformed - recreated to His image NO MATTER the personal cost. Then my motivation for the act of missions will be Christ's constraining love. Then I can do nothing but what the love of Christ would do with me...If I would glory let me glory in the Lord and His motivating love...I Cor 1:31.

Praise the Lord for conviction!
Bekah

Hello to Everyone

2006-04-23T00:40:00.000-04:00

This is my first time blogging. JA and Tracy Hall introduced us, and we soon discovered that there were many friends from Northland that we had lost track of. We are excited to get back in touch with you all. We currently live in Indianapolis and are on full time deputation to get to Zambia, Africa. Give us an e-mail or a ring and let us know how your doing. If you need a place to stay coming through Indy let us know. If we are in town we'll leave the light on for you.

Josh and Bekah Jones