Not too much to write today. We all have to work at just living, but we didn’t do much for the project, yesterday. We had to relax a bit because everyone is dragging and exhausted. The sickness is wearing out the energy. Leila is sick, but the other Tall kids are feeling better. Teresa has a croupy cough and Bethany has a congested chest.
Thankfully it did not rain yesterday, so the laundry dried all day on the line. What a blessing! Not only that, though, it’s cold in the evening if it rains. We were grateful for warmth all day and the night was comfortable.
My girls, Bethany and Sam went swimming in the river. They had a great time. I figure the cold water and hot sunshine is their hydrotherapy. Since the day was warm, I thought it would do no harm, anyway.
Vanessa cleaned up the kitchen in a big way. Everything is in bins now including flour and beans and clean dishes. We can’t leave any kind of food out if we expect to discourage the rodents from coming in. Miriam worked hard at cleaning the yard and the boys hauled away the bricks and stuff lying near the church to take away the hiding places.
VBS is over.
I am very thankful to God for keeping this computer going. The chord now has two shorts in it. It must be wiggled and adjusted many times to get it to charge at all and now my battery is not holding the charge well, but the Lord knows we need the connection toour friends and family (hint – relatives of the FORDS we haven’t heard anything from you back home!!!!) I happened to go and read Abi’s blog just to make sure we are not saying the exact same thing and I noticed comments for us… we don’t necessarily get to hear those comments. The ones posted on my blog are read to everyone, though.Morgans, yes, I am sure the girls will be happy to help with the Christmas program. That’s the one thing we are missing out on by being here. Usually November and December are a flurry of activity preparing to share music in all kinds of places. I have 4 comments to read to the gang this morning! They look forward to them very much. Well, I best save a little battery so that I can read them at worship.
Happy Sabbath to ALL! And many prayers for you – especially for Michael and Syndie Wanda and family.Steve has the sermon today. Barasa told him to make it simple since he has to translate. Steve says, “so, you like words like dispensationalism?” Yeah, right!
Untitled Comment
Posted by Schatzi on Friday, November 14, 2008 at 09:17 - Link
Just stopping by to say hi..."HI"...sure hope your family is feeling better soon...will say a prayer for you all.
Have a wonderful and blessed weekend.
Connie
Happy Sabbath--that's past for you!
Posted by Nick on Saturday, November 15, 2008 at 08:10 - Link
We read your entry this morning, and the link above ours and our own Schatzi wanted to say "Arrff...bow wow!" You are in our prayers several times a day, and we're looking forward to your return so we can finish Ingathering, and so Janet and I don't keep wearing out the congregation on our piano playing. I can't wait to see Steve's facial growth; I'm sure it's memorable. I need to get to work finishing up my sermon--I hope you all don't sleep through it!
In my year in Taiwan some years back, I found myself frequently going back to Psalm 139, especially verses 7-10.
May God continue to bless you all and we hope to hear soon that everyone is feeling better.
To Bethany
Posted by Mom and Dad on Saturday, November 15, 2008 at 03:49 - Link
Hi Bethany!
We've really enjoyed keeping up with the blogs. Sorry we didn't write anything yesterday. On Thursday, I got to take Mommy, Emily and Hannah to Flight Safety for a tour. They even got to take a ride in the simulator and actually fly it around. Hannah got to take off and fly around a bit, then Emily got to fly around a bit and the land the airplane. Daddy helped them a little, but they did most of the flying. then Mommy got to try it out. The motion and visuals in the simulator are quite realistic and when it was time for Mommy to land the airplane, she was squealing like a little girl on a roller coaster! What fun!!! Then the staff treated us all to a little cake and the girls got a learjet pin each. Emily and Hannah then spent Thursday night out at Tiffany's for a "girls night" out. They stayed up till almost midnight playing UNO and video ping-pong. Silly girls!...
We packed everything up from the hotel Friday morning and picked them up around 11am. We are now at Uncle Keith and Aunt Joan's house. Em and Hannah have had fun feeding the chickies and collecting a few eggs here and there. Most of them are not old enough yet to lay eggs so there aren't very many. Tomorrow we are going to pack up and start driving for home. I imagine Sam and Jimmie and Squeekers are ready to have us back.
We love you and pray for you every day. I'm so proud of the good job you are doing. Especially while helping with the teeth pulling! My! I think I would have felt like Isabel!
Well, I hope you have a wonderful week!
Love and Hugs and Kisses,
Daddy
Notes from the fowlers
Posted by michelle fowler on Saturday, November 15, 2008 at 07:37 - Link
Hi Angela..........sorry I did not post these on your site as well. They were meant for all of you. I realize that like you said, you are all just trying to live and of course are working so hard that it may be difficult to find time to read eachothers blogg. Here are our posts from recent to not so recent....................We are praying for all of you everyday! Hope everyone will be well soon!!
With Love, The Fowlers
1)Abby, That is so kind of you to offer to have dresses made!!!! My girls would be absolutely thrilled!! If you can work it out with your very busy schedule that would be great! I will get measurements today and post them........unless I can email them. We would like feminine colors if possible. Maybe Christina can help pick the material. That would be kindve fun!
It has been especially difficult for Shiana to be here and not in Africa with all of you!! She has such a desire to serve in the mission field! How could she not..................she has been raised on hundreds of mission stories!! :)
We hope you all get well soon!
Your in our prayers and thoughts!
Hugs, The Fowlers
p.s. Hello to Christina, hannah, and Bethany from Shiana! Julia says hello to Izzy and wishes her to get well soon! Hello to the boys as well!!
2)Hey........I didn't realize you have soy milk! If you put GSE in Soy Milk you can barely taste it. At least this works with the pre-made liquid.
Sorry some of you are sick! :(
Looking forward to seeing some of the gang return!
Blessings, The Fowlers
3)I'm glad to hear you are using the GSE!
Tell the kids I have a funny story to tell about Mr. Fowler.............GSE is not recommended in its concentrated form but Mr. Fowler did not know this...........GSE should always be diluted in liquid or food. Straight GSE can cause burning and irritation...................One day, many years ago, Mr. Fowler discovered this first hand! He had a colesore on his lip and put STRAIGHT GSE on his Colesore. He decided that more is better and proceeded to rub it all over his lips! When he showed me several hours later, his lips had swollen up almost double. Boy they were BIG and SORE! I had a real good laugh but then I did felt bad for him!!! :) If you are interested, I am happy to send information on GSE dosages for different ailments.
We love hearing all the news and pray for you all daily! We are sorry that your group has been split up. Thats ruff! Your last worship together sounds like it was pretty amazing! What a time to remember and cherish!
Have a nice night!
The Fowlers
4)Happy Birthday Jon! Now we are the same age...........for a little while!
So glad to hear that Tom and Dale made it safely! I can imagine how excited Cindy and you two girls are!! I bet that Tom hasn't been able to get a word in!
We went to Cindy's husbands (Alan) memorial today! Very sad! Keep them in your prayers!
I'll make this short! Take care! We are praying for you all!
Love, The Fowlers
5)Cindy
{ 10:41, Thursday, November 6, 2008 } { Posted by michelle fowler }
Cindy............I thought of you today when I was in Costco and saw your favorite Persimmons for sale! I don't know how well they keep or how long Costco will carry them?? Do you want me to pick some up for you?
6).......I agree with your dad Abby...........Bella is looking a little on the thin side.......hope the GSE can help her tummy feel better! I sent you an email with instructions on how to use it.........I had hoped to send two bottles along but I was out of town so I could not pick them up before the guys left. Sooooo glad Tom and Cindy already had a bottle! Yea!!
You are ALL in our daily prayers!! Our girls send their love to all you children!
Oh and that french bread sounds so good that I want to try some!!!
Love to all of you! The Fowlers
7)Hi Abigail............we appreciate your updates and pictures....................sorry to hear your little one is sick :(..............our family is praying for all of you and are having special prayers for Bella. I even have my mom and her prayer group praying for her.
Lots of love, The Fowlers
WOW!
Posted by mulberrylane on Saturday, November 15, 2008 at 08:46 - Link
I can't believe how much you guys are doing over there. Yes living is taking up much of your time, probably more living than I seem to be doing and I have had a couple examples of such as of late and I recall a time when others would say, I don't know where you get your energy and how you get so much done and I never really thought I did, but I know I did at some point, but the past year was hard on me and I shut down, I guess. I am getting back up and going and I feel better and I just have such a burden to tell people about Jesus! I wonder sometimes at what I am doing in our small community, but no matter, it needs doing here, as well.
Oh just rambling! But I sense your tiredness. I wanted to tell you before I forgot when you mentioned needing walls to feel freedom... I would be the exact same way, I just knew what you meant. I need my own space, even if it is small. We all need that little closet where we can get away and shut out the world and connect with God.
I imagine some of your experience is a bit tougher than imagined, but oh what memories and the people's lives that you all are touching in such a unique and special way... it has to be worth all the aggrivation and frustrations! You are right to say that your mother and even your brother's family are special in that they have chosen to live there... life sounds so very hard over there... we really are a rich nation and even though the bills seem to mount on us, we truly are rich beyond what many of those you are encountering will ever have. That seems so hard to imagine and I have had some guilty thoughts of how we've spent our money and such when there are some out there with nothing, absolutely nothing compared to what we live with and complain about! I am so glad you guys take time to share... I know that your time over there is touching lives there, but you are also touching lives over here, back home (and away from home, LOL). Your experiences are felt in the heart and God is reaching our hearts.
In fact, today in SS we were talking about criticizing our brethren because sometimes we see things that need doing yet we feel others are lacking. (Young Disciple #40... we are behind at our church, due to absences) And I shared your feelings of how you guys have to meet with that challenge of having to forsake judging and just move on and just focus on you and your own relationship with God. What a hard thing to do, but WOW, you guys... to know that the trial simply puts you where God can work in your hearts... How neat, how personal to know that He is there caring for you in all of this and working still with you when you are out looking to help others... God is truly good to us! The kids enjoyed your story and seemed to appreciate knowing that somewhere at this very moment you are face to face with these challenges and knowing that they aren't alone in having similar feelings. You know, sometimes we think that we deal with these troubles because we aren't good enough, cuz we aren't righteous enough, but there you are doing honorable and good things and you still have trials... it's not easy... as some mission trips sound to be for others... in those ways, you are showing us that even though you are touching more lives than we may seem to touch in our small towns, that you aren't oblivious to Satan's attacks and his tauntings in our hearts. But God holds you strong... hang on to that. We all are as well.
Well, enough space taken up for now! We are praying for your entire group! May God send health your way that you may accomplish your goals you set up and perhaps your presence can be worth more than just a building...or two or more, but that you have touched lives, that you have planted seeds! May God fill you with strength and love!
Warmly, ~Melissa
Sabbath
Posted by Anonymous on Saturday, November 15, 2008 at 09:56 - Link
We had a wonderful Sabbath. Pastor Hudson continued the "In The Beginning" meeting for the church service. He spoke on creating Adam and Eve and the Sabbath. There were several there from last weeks meetings. I've gotten acquainted with a older lady her name is Tawny. She brought her nephew and neice with her to the meetings and now she is coming to church and bringing the kids to SS. The little boy is quite a hand full but she is such a sweet lady and is so patient with him. Please pray for her that she will continue attending the Wednesday night meetings and on Sabbath.
Tonight we helped wrapped and pack shoeboxes for Operation Christmas Shoebox. The Moscow church has done this for 7 years. We filled 150 boxes tonight. I know that some of the boxes have gone to Tanzania in the past.
We also had pizza and root beer floats. (I probably shouldn't have mentioned pizza since you are dreaming of pizza)
I feel so blessed to be able to help in this project knowing that there will be little children with great big smiles this Christmas because they received a shoebox of gifts.
I heard that Jennifer's babies were coming home today.
Becky was in church again today and asked about you Teresa. She said she wish she was over there too.
I am praying that everyone one will soon be healthy.
Yvonne
We miss you!
Posted by Anonymous on Saturday, November 15, 2008 at 10:26 - Link
Hello to Jon, Teresa, Jonah, Sam, Isabelle, Leila, Steve, Angela, Vanessa, Brianna, Christina, and the Kirby family. Oh my I almost forgot Bethany. We miss all of you toooo much. Next year you better only go for 3 weeks. Or 4 at the most.
The Ratcliffs came over for dinner after church today. We went for a walk up along the ditch. All the dogs went too. For dinner we had haystacks and rice. And Grandma's ginger cookies and apples for dessert. Sorry if I'm making you hungry.
Grandma is soooo proud of her dog Sophie. There was a vole running around on the pool cover yesterday. She told Sophie to "get it"! And Sophie ran after it and caught it and bit it and tossed it up in the air. Then she ran and got it again. By then the vole gave up and died a fast, painless death. Grandma was so proud of her dog. She called me on the cell phone to tell me the good news. Sophie now considers herself one of the "big dogs".
I got done cutting out trees everywhere on Friday. Now I"ll start pruning the soft fruit then the young trees.
The guys started Pruning Mick"s a week and a half ago but couldn't work several days due to rain. Last Wednesday it poured down all day. Guillermo, Guille, Martin, and Jose are the only ones pruning. 2 other guys came for a little while but left. Said the trees were to big for them. Guillermo told them they were small trees compared to other trees we have. They wanted to keep drawing unemployment until their regular job starts in a month or so.
Blondie's 5 puppies are getting bigger. She is a good mother.
Thank you Jon for the E-mail today. It is good to hear from a son who is in a far off country.
We are sorry that everyone (or almost everyone) has been sick with something or another. We have been praying for you many times every day.
Doris Bates had her knee replacement surgery 1 1/2 weeks ago. We visited her in the hospital. At church today Len said she was doing well in her recovery.
Love and Prayers,
Grandpa (Dad, Eldon) and Grandma (Mom, Ronnie)
