Embracing the Rain

Top: I took this picture from the 3rd floor of our house. Tony is at the front gate, in the rain, of course! Bottom: These two have NO trouble embracing the rain in their lives--they are happy, happy, happy!

Hello, all--

I am sitting in our third floor office beside a window. It is raining so hard, it looks like fog. The overhead is as if a hundred bags of rice are being poured out on the roof all at once. Mini-waterfalls rush from every scalloped tile that lines the roof. It is a cozy feeling inside, to hear the spatter of water from every direction and yet to be dry--well mostly dry.

I took Anna Mei to her dance class this morning. We found a Vietnamese "ballet" class--not your traditional class, but still very good--incorporating grace, strength, balance and beauty. The class meets on Saturday and Sunday mornings from 7:30-9:00am. So, there went any opportunity to sleep in! Ha! When we left, it was cloudy, but dry. Faith and Joy woke up and wanted to come, so in the melee of shoes, clothes, hairbrushing and getting out to the taxi, I left the umbrella. Not good. Midway through the class, the downpour began. We were inside, but the rain was blowing almost horizontally, so we had to close the doors and windows. At the end of class, our taxi was waiting, but there was nothing to do but walk the 50 yards or so from the building to the street in the rain. The water collects in pools off every side walk, so we waded part way to the car. At the house, the driver kindly drove on the sidewalk, as close to the gate as possible, but even that last 30 feet or so was enough to give me my second shower of the day.I have to laugh. In the states, I would have found this rain a major annoyance--maybe even enough to ruin my day. I would have grumbled about getting wet, ruining my hair, soaking my clothes, submerging my sandals. Now, I am getting used to it. I guess Jesus CAN teach an old dog new tricks. Ha!

Last night, Tony took me to a movie after supper. Duc and his daughter Sally came to stay with the girls. Linh is visiting family right now. We took the motorbike. Again, not raining when we left the house, downpour when we came out. The parking garage (which, by the way, is marked entirely for motorbikes) is underground, so no problem there. Tony had a heavy duty rain poncho--long in the front and back, so he put it on and I used the tail to bring up to my shoulders and around my back. It worked very well--we were both waterlogged from the knees down, but dry everywhere else. His face was wet, of course, but mine was protected by his body in front of me. My wonderful, TALL "chong toi" (Vietnamese for "husband").I wonder if I sat to think about it, how many other nonconsequential, unimportant things I have spent WAY too much time being frustrated about? (Like the grammar I just butchered in that last sentence?) :)I think of that saying "Major on the majors." For me, the "majors" right now are blessed and experiencing peace. How can I complain?

May the Lord reveal to you the situations that are "rain" in your own life, and may you find a happy release to any frustration, aggravation or angst!

Grace and peace!

Ready to Respond

Hello, all--

I wanted to share something a bit more personal with you...A couple days ago, my Kinlaw devotional book spoke about being filled with the Holy Spirit. He used the example of Abraham being willing to lay down the life of his son, Isaac, in response to God's command. If you haven't read it in awhile, I encourage you to read the account again...it's in Genesis 22:1-19. Kinlaw writes that this complete surrender is necessary if we desire to be filled with the Holy Spirit. I don't know about you....I have to wonder, who would NOT want to be filled with the peace, joy, love and power of God? To have His unending supply of grace, faith, wisdom? But, as Kinlaw points out, He cannot fill us with that kind of presence if we are holding on to anything else as more important...whether it be profession, family, wealth, or status. Truthfully, I consider those the "biggies"--I think most of us never get to the point of surrendering them, because on the list of things we "hold dear", there are many other lesser things that we are unwilling to yield: the right to be "right"; the better parking space; the demand for excellent service at every restaurant, store or office; the right to withhold forgiveness until we receive the apology, restitution, contrition, or whatever of the offender; etc.Any way, when faced with the decision to have the fullness of God Himself, or our "rights"--we can have what we really want. Our decision says a lot about how much we really desire the indwelling presence of God to rule our lives. (By the way, I did not say it is easy; it most certainly is not. Just look at Abraham--Isaac was the visible promise of God, the hope of the future to his elderly father.)When we are ready to surrender every thing into His hands, we pull back curtains, unlatch doors and throw wide the barriers. But we must seize the moment and be ready to respond.

This thought became a vivid reality to me here in watersoaked Danang. So far, the rainy season brings us 2-3 days of heavy rains, followed by a partial day of sun, followed by 2-3 more days of downpour. And on it goes. When the sun appears in the morning, my first response is to RUN for the laundry porch. I make haste to wash clothes and get them on the line where they will dry quickly in the warm rays of the sunshine. If I wait and the washing machine is not finished until almost noon, there will not be enough time for things to dry. I have learned that no matter how clear the sky at 10am, rain will arrive by 6pm. If I really want to receive what the sun can do for me, I must follow its bidding.

Tony and I have been seeking, seeking...every day praying together that God will guide our steps, keep us in His path, make us more like Him. This week our church has had meetings with a pastor from Australia. Even though I usually decline anything that takes me out of the house on a school night, we felt that this was an opportunity God has put before us to receive from Him. So, we have attended extra gatherings. On Wednesday night, we had a sweet time of worship, then began in prayer. Several people received prayer ministry from our guest. Tony and I were on the back row, both of us praying. I felt a tap on my shoulder, "Can I pray for you?" the Australian pastor asked. I nodded and went to the front of the room (our church meets on the first floor of a residence, although this first floor room is used during the week as a play area for their children.) I turned to face the pastor and he began to pray."The Lord wants you to know He loves you. And to the one He loves, it is His delight to give them strength, help, honor and wisdom..." All I could say was, "I love You, too, Jesus! I love You, too!" There was more to the prayer, but I felt myself falling back, back, back---gently, kindly--and then I was on the floor. I lay very still, the nearness of the Lord was precious. It was completely filling--like seeing my favorite picture ("The Way Home""), and hearing my favorite songs (Handel's Messiah), and smelling my favorite smells (anything with caramel), and feeling my favorite thing (gently brushing my cheek along the cheek of one of the girls or feeling Tony's strong embrace)--all at once.I stayed there for some minutes, then returned to my chair.
Isaiah 55:6,7 says,
Seek the Lord while he may be found;
call on him while he is near.
Let the wicked forsake his way
and the evil man his thoughts.
Let him turn to the Lord, and he will have mercy on him,
and to our God, for he will freely pardon.

Actually, all of Isaiah 55 is so instructive--and only 13 verses long! (Boy, that Isaiah could sure say a lot in a few words!)

Today, I pray that we are all ready to respond to whatever the Lord opens before us. If it is surrender, may we do it with faith-filled joy; if it is a tidal wave of His love, may we receive it as His most fortunate child; if it is instruction, my we embrace His correction and teaching with humble determination and resolve.When you feel the light of the Son, RUN to Him!

Grace and peace to you.

The Rest of the Story

Sisters together again! Here are the girls at the airport, moments after Jillian and Tony arrived in Danang.

Hello, all--

A thought to begin:"It is blessed to know that the grace of God is free to us at all times, without preparation, without fitness, without money, without price!" (Charles Spurgeon).

One morning a few days ago, Jillian asked me, "What are we going to do today, other than school?" Without an instant's thought, I replied, "Honey, that's all I have energy for right now." The limitation and paucity of those words hit me. I knew instantly, by my own judgment upon myself, that I was living below the energy that God has for me. Now, don't get me wrong. I am not criticizing myself, or putting myself down for pouring energy into the education of our five intelligent daughters. I just sensed that I was giving too much out inbetween "fill-ups"--and you KNOW what happens if you do that in your car. Ha! So, I have been getting back to more time with Jesus. Time to stop and let Him speak to me, time to rest in His presence. With Tony home, that is a bit easier. He takes the girls for awhile in the afternoons, as well as doing the "wake up, get ready for breakfast" duty in the mornings to give me some time alone.

I wanted to catch you up on a few highlights of Tony and Jillian's trip to the US, and what has been happening since...First, about our house in Kentucky...in addition to leaving with the furniture, our renters left the house a wreck. Apparently, they had 2 or 3 large dogs in the house. All the flooring had to be replaced, walls needed painting, the refrigerator was a loss, trash was left in the pond, as well as all over the property, etc. But, we found....it was the Body of Christ to the rescue!! An Alabama fellowship sent a team of workmen for a couple of days, two other churches were represented by one or more workers, our neighbors were indispensable, a dear sister sent a sizeable gift to help with expenses, another saint provided repairs through their business at no cost, and Marissa and Enoch laid down their lives (again) by working, working, working alongside Tony. We are overwhelmed by the goodness of God that flows through the selfless compassion of His people. There is NO way Tony could have made these repairs on his own. And if you are reading this, and I have overlooked your contribution in this list, I apologize and say that YOU are not overlooked. We are so thankful!

Second, the trip itself was good for Tony and Jillian. Jillian enjoyed time with Grandmom and special friends that welcomed her into many homeschool activities, including dance, gymnastics and field trips. She was able to visit a few others, but pretty much stayed close to home base in Versailles. Tony was blessed to see so many of our brothers and sisters who have joined with Orphan Voice. He visited churches in Kentucky, Virginia, and Arkansas (plus a State or two I may have missed!). On the return trip, Jillian was invited to visit the cockpit of the aircraft, and met the pilot. She was impressed by all the controls and equipment. She was equally happy to meet one of the models from the "Deal or No Deal" television show. Next time you notice the holder of Suitcase #16, that's the young lady that Jillian met and spoke with for a few minutes.Tony and Jillian had a couple days in Beijing, helping our friend Peter with some paperwork for his son, Christian. Then, it was back to Danang where a very happy Mommy and sisters were reunited with our travelers!We are praying earnestly to follow the path God has for us. Many opportunities are before us. Please pray that our way will be made clear.

A couple quotes from our girls that have kept Tony and I smiling:

1. Tony took Jillian, Anna Mei and Elizabeth bowling. The pin setter occasionally knocked over the pins as it raised, usually on Elizabeth's turn. She benefitted from the extra pins already being down. One time, two pins had already fallen, and then Elizabeth knocked over another 6--the other girls said, "Elizabeth--how did you DO that?" Elizabeth smiled sweetly and said, "Watch and learn girls, watch and learn."

2. We were talking about the coming onslaught of December birthdays (Jillian on the 9th, Faith and Joy on the 16th, Elizabeth on the 18th and me on the 21st). A comment was made that Jillian was soon going to be 10. She nodded gave a double-thumbs up and said knowingly, "Double digits, baby, double digits!"I have other things to share, but they will have to wait. May His joy be your strength today and may you depend, rely and draw upon it!

Grace and peace!

Clothes

Elizabeth took this picture of me in my "Danang Rain Gear" when we returned from the tailor!

Hello, all--

Hmmm, it's been an interesting week for clothes here. I may have mentioned a month or two ago that there is a large supermarket here called Metro. It resembles a "Sam's Club." It is a membership store for Vietnamese. Foreigners can get an entry card every time they shop there as long as they present their passport. There are two interesting rules at Metro. The first is that you have to be about 45 inches tall to get in. There is a security guard at the entrance with a measuring stick much like you see at an amusement park ride. The other rule is that an adult shopper can take no more than two children into the store. When we first arrived here, only Jillian was tall enough to enter Metro. Anna Mei was just a whisker short; Elizabeth is only about an inch shorter than Anna Mei, so she was close to being allowed inside, too. Before Tony left for the US, he and Anna Mei made a trip to Metro, with Anna Mei wearing the only pair of platform sandals in the house. She waltzed right in like she owned the place. This week, we decided to give it a try with Elizabeth. She was a little nervous about it, but the draw of "Metro" won out. She was allowed inside. For the first few minutes, she glanced anxiously over her shoulder, afraid that someone would look at her shoes and make her leave. I assured her that once you're in, you're in! She loved Metro. We are thankful for platform shoes!

Now that we have been here a few months, I am finding that our clothes wear out more quickly--stains that don't come out, extra wear and tear from our mototbiking, etc. For the girls, clothing is easy to find. For American adults, well...not so easy. Most people here are very small--thin, small bones, narrow shoulders...in a word, tiny. So, foreigners who live here most often have clothing made. Tailors are everywhere, as are fabric stores. And so, about 3 weeks ago, I bought some fabric and Linh took me to a tailor. The shop is situated on a corner, so that two sides are open to the street. There is a counter, and then two tables where four seamstresses stay bent over their sewing machines. The tailor presents the customer with half a dozen books to choose the style of clothing. Then comes the measuring. There is no room in the shop, so measurements are taken on the sidewalk. It is not for the shy or faint of heart.

Tonight, Linh took me to pick up the tops and one skirt that I had made. They are beautiful. Nothing fancy--just some new colors, and...stain free! They wanted me to try on the finished product. In one corner (and I do mean corner) a small curved pipe was suspended from the ceiling. A piece of fabric, not curtain fabric, I might add, was hung on the pipe. That was the changing room. I swallowed hard, tried on the clothes and prayed that a gust of wind would not give Danang a show.

On the way home, it began to rain...no fun on a motorbike. The light drizzle increased in volume and intensity. Linh stopped and I bought a rain poncho for about 40 cents. The plastic is thinner than a dollar store trash bag. But, from the knees up, I was reasonably dry. I did experience a first in Danang: I was actually cold. I was a little uneasy--I knew the heavy rain made it difficult for Linh to see, especially in the dark. Also, many streets do not drain well and water was standing in a lot of places, making her driving even more difficult. But, thanks be to God, we arrived home safely.

They tell me that in December, we will have "winter" for about three weeks. I am told that we will definitely need jackets. Of course, the tailor can make one. I will probably order it this week so that I can have it finished before the cool temperatures arrive.

May the Lord grant us all the grace and flexibility to adjust without grumbling, accept new ways without judging, and launch out in new experiences without fear.

Grace and peace!

God in Grammar

Here I am with Anna Mei--my "take life by the horns and shake it till its teeth rattle" girl!

Hello, all--

One of the ways I discern the Lord's voice speaking is when so many different experiences and areas of life all seem to converge upon a central message. This week in school, our third grader Anna Mei is working with punctuation marks for different kinds of sentences. We have drilled many declarative, interrogative and exclamatory sentences. She has no difficulty with declarative or interrogative sentences, but the exclamatory sentences frequently evade her. I find this humorous because Anna Mei's whole life is lived as an "excited utterance." She is a breathing exclamation point! (Perhaps that is part of the difficulty--her life is so interesting, amazing, and wondrous to her, the printed words on a page just ca n't begin to measure up in excitement or emotion.)

In Vietnamese classes, I am learning to pronounce words, and memorizing vocabulary. But knowing these "mechanics" do not help me communicate if I cannot learn to "hear" the words spoken by another person and understand them. Often, I have to pause, see the words in my mind, interpret them, and then respond. Needless to say, talking to me in Vietnamese is one slow proposition!

Christian author Dallas Willard has some deep insights about hearing the voice of God. His premise (and a right one, I believe) is that Scripture makes it clear that God wants to communicate specifically, understandably, and intimately with His children. Willard also writes that, while many people say they want to hear God, in reality, they do not. He writes, "Because they want to run their lives without interference from God and do not want to be converted from their habitual ways, they position themselves before God in such a way that they "listen, but not understand."" (see Mark 4:12)

The Lord has spoken plainly in His Word about so many things we are to do: be thankful, grant forgiveness, think on good and righteous things, be truthful, in remain faithful in marriage, and so on. When we knowingly "opt out" from these instructions, or excuse ourselves for some reason, we hinder our ability to hear specific messages at times when we need them. It is as if practicing (like a grammar drill) obedience, acceptance, and surrender--just because we know that God's ways are best for us--sharpens and hones our ability to hear the message we need at a particular time for a particular situation.

The more I consider it, the more I think that Anna Mei is on to something. What if I were so tuned in to the realm of God's Kingdom, and it were so vivid, sharp and real to me--that the clamorous tinklling of what this world says is "normal" simply had no pizzazz or appeal? Hey, I think I like it!

Grace and peace!

Hair cuts

Hair cut day: Anna Mei and Elizabeth (top). The "salon"--Linh with Elizabeth and Anna Mei. Faith and her short hair!

Hello, all!

Another first in our experiences here in Vietnam. All of us had our hair cut today! There is a "salon" of sorts just one half block from the house--no need for a motorbike or taxi! Linh went with us, our ever faithful translator. The building was much like many businesses here in Danang--a tin shack of a building, completely open on the front side (there are metal doors and gates that secure it at night). The "clients" chairs were well-worn--I don't think either of the two of them would sit upright. There were two people (employees?) at the shop when we arrived, but neither of them was the hair stylist. We were told that if we could wait 10 minutes, one of them would go by motobike, pick up the stylist and be back. So we waited. The shop had a concrete floor, no screens or glass at the windows, plastic stools and a rough wood bench, covered with vinyl. There were no electric lights to be seen, but it was a bright afternnoon!

Sure enough, in a few minutes, the stylist arrived. We had taken an old family photo with us to indicate lengths and styles. Elizabeth was first. Because of the condition of the chairs, hair cuts are performed with the client seated on a plastic stool. It appeared at first that the young lady was using a comb to cut Elizabeth's hair, but after watching awhile, I could see that one side of the comb opened and inside was a razor blade. This tool was for the first cut. Later, the hair was carefully trimmed, measured, and adjusted by more conventional (at least in the US) means.When the stylist finished the cut, another young woman worked with each girl, brushing and styling the hair. They even offered a little make-up, which all the girls except Faith accepted with relish.For two days now, Faith has been telling me that she wanted her hair "cut short like Daddy." I think of all four, her hair was the longest (only Jillian's is longer). Joy has trimmed her own hair too many times to compete in hair length. So, off it went. After the first trim, she was not happy--"I want short hair!" I assured her that more would be cut. In the end, it is adorable and suits her. She has never been one to want her hair curled or fixed in a special way--only a ponytail. She is very happy with her simplified "do." Joy, of course, thoroughly enjoyed all the brushing, fixing and primping.

The moment of truth came...I had to inquire about our bill in Vietnamese and interpret the answer on my own, under Linh's careful ear. Yeah! I did it! Our total cost (for all 5 of us) was 65,000 dong--about $4.

Grace and peace!

PS Another first for us...our house is next to a little cafe. Anna Mei was at the gate and met two young girls, in their teens. We invited them in and were able to ask their names, tell them ours, exchange pleasantries like "How are you?" and tell them we were from America. It was the first time we were able to communicate with language without any interpreter. We loved it!

The Bridge

This is the new bridge. The photo was taken on a day much like today, from far down river. If you could drive up on the road (right side of the picture) to the bridge, turn right and drive just a bit, you would be at our house!

Hello, all--

It's a cloudy, but dry (so far) Saturday morning here. As you might imagine, a question I hear daily is "When will Daddy and Jillian be home?" Calendars to mark off the days have helped Anna Mei and Elizabeth understand and grow in anticipation. To Faith and Joy, the time concept is not satisfactory. The only answer they want to hear is "Today!" Soon, little ones. Lord willing, soon.

Danang City is on the coast of Vietnam, and it straddles the Han River. Currently, there are at least two bridges to get from one side to the other (there may be more--these are the two I have travelled). A third is under construction, very near to our house. When the new bridge is completed, our travel to the north end of the city, on the opposite side of the river, will be greatly reduced. For example, Danang International Fellowship is in that section. Our taxi ride is 15-20 minutes now. It will be about 5 minutes when we can access the new bridge.

I have come to realize that people here view the new bridge with very different perspectives. To some, it holds the promise of easier commutes, better access, less traffic on the Song Han River Bridge (the most travelled), and more businesses at the north end of the city. To others, it is a disappointment. They estimate that it will be years before the bridge is completed, IF it is completed. Their hope for it has waned. It is a sore reminder to them that "nothing changes". To some, it is even a joke.

The thought occurred to me that people view Jesus, His kingdom, and His second coming very much like that bridge. To some, an intimate growing, developing walk with the Lord is full of possibility, new adventures, greater expansion of His kingdom. To others, setbacks, slow progress, disappointments, and even tragedies have nipped their joy in the bud. Living in a vibrant, close, and communicative relationship with Jesus seems like a faraway possibility--IF it is possible at all. Their hope, too, has waned. And, too, some look at a real relationship with Christ as a joke.

So, which side of the bridge are you on? Not just in a statement of personal faith, but in a daily, vital, "walks with me, talks with me" relationship with Jesus Christ, God's Son? I ask myself the same question. It is easy to slip comfortably back into old ways of thinking and judging the world and everything in it! :) I see the new bridge every day (if I leave the house at all--it is visible by travelling only about a block). Whenever the bridge is finished, I am thankful for it even now. It is a constant reminder to me to take hold of the promises of God, to look for and embrace the new things He is doing in my life, to accept that those "new things" also mean new ways of thinking, speaking, judging, acting and reacting.

May the Lord show you where He is doing "new construction" in your life, and may you embrace it with hope born of His Spirit!

Grace and peace to you from Jesus, who IS our peace!

O Happy Day!

Hello, all--

Here are the highlights of our day--

The rain stopped! The sun came out (with a vengeance--it was HOT). But...the clothes are DRY! Tonight it is raining again, but we had a lovely day.

(Drum roll, please) I made my first unassisted call for a taxi, gave them our address and asked for a car big enough for seven people (Bee and Linh were going with us to Big C). I did not have to repeat the request. The taxi arrived at the house in 5 minutes. No one was more surprised than me! :) I was able to ask the driver "How much?", ask for a receipt and thank him.

And now, another limmerick...

I thought it was dead, kaput, long gone
I even wrote it a sad little song
But the battery dried
And so when I tried
The lights on the cell phone came on!
(Yep, it's working again, folks!)

A couple of laughs....on the way to Big C, we passed these businesses
"Mai Dung"--a restaurant. (I don't know what's on the menu, but I'm not eating.)
"Total Thong"--sells bicycle tires
"Domino's"---a motorbike repair shop

Tonight at supper, Bee was at the table eating with us, as she does every night. As is not unusual here, she came out with an impressive burp. Faith, in a very calm but authoritative voice, said, "Mommy, Bee burped. Bee, say, 'Excuse me.'" Of course, Bee did not get the whole message and we all sat smiling at the table.

I read 1 Chronicles 14 yesterday, but felt compelled to revisit it again today. It is an account of two attacks upon Israel by the Philistines. Before the first attack, verse 10 says "David inquired of God, saying, "Shall I go up againt the Philistines? And will you give them into my hand?"" The Lord's answer is affirmative, for him to advance in the battle. After the victory, it is not long until the Philistines amass another raid. David again inquires of the Lord, and receives very specific instructions for his battle plan. Again, his obedience results in a great victory.

The point that has settled in my mind is the fact that yesterday's instructions, promises, strength, and successes are not enough for today. How tempting it would have been for David to say, "The Philistines are back? God gave them into my hand! Call the soldiers, let's go finish the job! We'll show threem who is the Lord's chosen one!" Sometimes I have been willing to rely on past promises, encouragement, assurances, rather than take time and stop long enough to "re-inquire" of the Lord. Lamentations tells us His mercies are new every morning. We might add that so are His instructions, help, strength and plans for victory.

Isn't fresh Bread wonderful? My Father is not a "one plan fits all" parrot--His plans are specific, intimately knowledgeable of my situation, and communicated in a way that I can understand. I am able to discern His voice and so are you! He provides everything that we need to complete His plan and purposes. How encouraging! These verses are drawing me back to prayer for "further instructions" for the new day. How about you?