Ali has Arrived!

Little Ali has arrived!

She was born about three weeks early yesterday, December 26th at 12:34 pm. She weighed in at 5 lbs 8 oz and 19 inches long. She is perfect as her parents, Ryan & Nicole describe her and I have to agree. One of my younger sisters, Ivy, decided to take a trip to the hospital to see what was going on for this grandmother who is thousands of miles away. She held her for me. What are sisters for??

Now I am enjoying hearing the stories of her arrival, what her brother and sisters think of her and the pictures that float across the miles via cell phones and internet. How I love technology at times like this!

Ryan & Ali
He is a good dad!

As soon as pictures of Mom and Ali arrive I will post them. She had a very busy day!

January 12... As Promised...a picture of Nicole and Ali!

"I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well."  Psalm 139:14



Christmas Away From Home

As I sit out on the deck of the house we are house sitting I can see the islands of St. Thomas and St. John. If I close my eyes and use my imagination I can see the states of Florida, Georgia and Maine where my family all live. We have been away from home most of the last 20 years of our marriage but Christmas always brings the yearning to go home. This year probably more so as Ryan & Nicole will be having Ali Cecilia Smith on December 26th. She is our sixth grandchild and despite complications, the Lord has kept her safe and growing til the 36th week of pregnancy. I know that God has me where He wants me to be but still, the desire to go home is here.

I wonder...

When Jesus was here on this earth, did He ever look towards heaven and yearn to go back home? Did He think of the things He was missing, wonder why He was so far from home? I know He chose to come to this earth. His love for me and others was so strong that He made the sacrifice. That's why we can celebrate Christmas Day with hope. He chose to die on the cross for our sins 33 years later, rose to heaven and is preparing a place for those who are His. He will return someday for His people.

This Christmas, though I yearn to go home, my prayer is that I will have the heart of Jesus. My desire may be for home but the work is not quite done. May I be about my Father's business until He calls me Home!

"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." John 3:16

Legend of The Candy Cane



The J reminds us of Jesus who was born on Christmas Day.

It looks like a Shepherd's Staff. They were the first to find out about Jesus' birth.

The Red Stripes remind us of Jesus' suffering and His blood. By his stripes we are healed.

The White candy reminds us that when we give our lives to Jesus, his blood washes away our sins, making us white and pure as snow inside.

Ali Cecilia Smith

Soon little Ali will be entering this world. She is our sixth grandchild. Each of the others are very dear to us. But this is the first grandchild that I have been such a part of her life before she arrived. When Ryan & Nicole told us in June they were expecting we were totally surprised. God has blessed me with the best daughter in law! She invited me to go with her to one of the ultrasounds so Lindsy, my oldest granddaughter, and I went and had such a good time. My little grandbaby was barely a couple of inches and she was bouncing all around in her mom's womb. What a precious sight!

Soon we had to leave to come back to St. Croix, which is a long way from Maine! But more ultrasound pictures and updates came from Nicole. October brought us the news that there were some indications the baby would come early. Prayers were prayed and bed rest followed. She is due around January 15th and God has kept her safe inside while she develops and grows each day.

Probably the sweetest thing happened to me on October 24th. Ryan & Nicole chose to name her 

Ali Cecilia Smith!

Words can not describe the emotions that brought. It doesn't look like I will be able to be there when she is born but since I know Nicole, I will have LOTS of pictures sent my way!
Now we just hurry up and wait!

"But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint." Isaiah 40:31

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas

We want to wish you a very

Merry Christmas

&

A Happy New Year!

May the Lord bless you and your family!

Love

Billy & Cecilia

Adventures at Ruby Diamond Plantation

It is Finished!

Last year when we moved to St. Croix I started writing a children's book titled

"Adventures at Ruby Diamond Plantation."

It is about a 10 year girl named Naomi, who along with her parents, brother and sister, move to the island as missionaries. Island life, hurricanes, a new school and many other adventures await this little girl. Through all of her experiences God is teaching her His ways.

Now the next step is to get some honest critics who are not afraid of telling me like it really is...and who knows..maybe a publisher after that.

If any of you are interested send me your email and I will send a copy for you to proof read. Even if it never gets published it has been a fun experience for me!

A Simple Story

Today we gave each child a Wordless Book so they could tell others how Jesus saves.

Gold Page ~ Represents the streets of gold in heaven..a perfect place where God is

Dark Page ~ Represents sin..the things we do wrong..sin can not be in heaven

Red Page ~ Represents the blood Jesus shed on the cross for our sins so we can go to heaven

White Page ~ Represents a clean forgiven heart

Green Page ~ Represents spiritual growth after accepting the Lord

Thank you Church Hill Baptist Church in Augusta Maine!



Thanksgiving Blessings From Maine!

Yesterday in the mail came a box of 100 Wordless Books that these children from Church Hill Baptist Church in Augusta, Maine made for the children here on the island. What a WONDERFUL surprise just before Thanksgiving. Their moms, who home school them, met in September. The children worked very hard to measure, cut out and put the books together. Behind them is a lot of love and prayer. Also in the box were some Maine leaves, pretty in their fall colors.

Soon there will be a story about the Wordless Book and pictures of the children receiving them here in St. Croix. I believe God will use these precious children in Maine to reach children here for the Lord. It's amazing what children can be taught if parents spend quality time with them!

A BIG THANK YOU to Church Hill Baptist Church!

Pie Anyone??

This smile says it all! I have been smelling some delicious aromas coming from the kitchen above our apartment the last couple days. Kings Kids International here at Youth With A Mission are in the process of baking over 350 pies for Thanksgiving. I captured these shots just a while ago and wanted to share them with you. These are not your typical kids. They are working hard making pies (and having lots of fun!) to help raise money so they can go on a mission trip to Guatamala next summer. While there, they will be helping those in need and sharing the Good News that Jesus saves. 



Not sure if I am in trouble or what!?!



Sisterly love!

The "Boss" at work too!

He will make a good husband some day!

Cooking omelets with egg whites for everyone. Nothing goes to waste!

Apple pies are next!

Their hair nets are not typical either!

Only the second day...How many more pies to make???

Someone has to do the dishes!

This is how it's done!





No more room for pies on this island!









Putting on the finishing touches before baking!

Don't bother me, I am counting pie orders :)

Goooood omelets!

This will make good compost for the garden!

More ingredients!

The next time you see or hear about some teens getting into trouble...remember there are some awesome kids out there making a positive difference in the world!

"Let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity." 1 Timothy 4:12

Money...or...God

Money or God?

Sometimes that is not as easy a decision as it sounds. Recently I received a call from the government school system here on St. Croix asking if I would be interested in a school nurse position. I was not even looking as I love the school I work at now. They had pulled my application I had filed a year ago before coming to the island. It was a full time job, excellent benefits and the salary was much more than I had ever made before.

Question...What do I do?

Keep in mind that the cost of living is higher on the island, we live in a basement apartment with the view of a laundry building and propane gas tank. We are living without health, dental and life insurance and no hope of making enough money to buy it.

Pray

That was the first thing I did. Then I made myself open to that possibility if that is what God wanted me to do. I scheduled a phone interview (the main office is in St. Thomas) and prayed a whole lot more. There were so many things to look at. The increase in salary would provide us a better, easier place to live in, some money in our savings account, new clothes and little luxuries, better dental and health care, and maybe a truck for Billy and his work.

The Cost is Too High

All these extra perks would mean I would not have enough energy left over at the end of the week to prepare for and teach Children's Church. There would be less time for Bible study, family time and the other things required to manage our home. We came to this island as missionaries with hearts to follow after God. 

So What Was My Decision?

God took care of it for me. My interview was for 11:00. Someone at work became ill and I had to cover that position and so was unable to make the call. God closed that door, gently but my heart knew He did. Peaceful acceptance because God knows what's best and what the future holds. Was I disappointed? A little but my trust is in the Creator of the Universe. He is my heavenly Father and owns it all. As His child I am an heir to all that is His. 

The souls of the little children here are far more valuable and lasting than any earthly possessions!

"Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also." Matthew 6:19-21

God Looks At The Heart

Billy's car had a cracked windshield and before we could renew our auto insurance we needed to get it replaced. It was not a big crack and didn't affect the visibility in driving. But we knew it need to be replaced. Some friends had told us about a glass place and we checked it out yesterday. It was a nice clean professional looking office. They could order one for us and it would take two weeks before it arrived. It was cutting too close to the deadline we had for insurance renewal but we would ask her to find out the price. On the way home that sickening feeling came into the pit of our stomachs. Both of us were thinking, Lord, why does this have to happen just as we seem to be able to keep our head above water. But we have seen God work for us in the past and kept on looking for other possibilities. We had remembered seeing an auto glass place near where we lived but it looked like a pretty rough garage, not clean and professional looking like the last one we were at. Billy went inside while I stayed in the car to keep the A/C on (and to see if he survived going into the place!)

He came out with a piece of paper saying it would cost $400.00 and they have one in stock and can do it today. Surprise! We were wondering if this place would be a safe, reliable place to get it fixed. Well, we had to get it fixed so we said yes. As we left to go get the car we noticed an ambulance sitting there and remembered seeing police cars there in the past. If they trusted them to repair their vehicles, then we decided not to worry.

We dropped off the car, and got a call from the other glass company. They could order the windshield but would cost about $600.00 to have it installed. We had made the right decision!

We were reminded that you can not always go by the outward appearance. Sometimes you see a person or situation and we as humans tend to think the prettier, nicer one is best. Not so! Surprises come in places you least expect sometimes.

God looks into our hearts and doesn't call those based on their looks. He knows the deep secret places of our hearts and He knows whether or not we will serve Him. What does God see in your heart?

"..for the LORD seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart."  1 Samuel 16:7



September ~ October Newsletter

God's Timing

When we returned to the island Billy was excited about the new addition that The Way of The Cross Baptist Church plans to build. But just as most things on this island, it takes longer than you hope for. Architect drawings, plans and permits seem to take forever. Our verse from God's Word this month tells us there is "a time to every purpose under heaven." These delays are really not delays in God's plan.

"To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven."
Ecclesiastes 3:1

Some exciting things have happened at our church. Assistant Pastor Sam Bronigan will be stepping down as assistant pastor and stepping UP to National Director of Child Evangelism Fellowship (CEF) in the US Virgin Islands. St. Croix will be home to the office and training center. What an honor for Pastor Bronigan, his wife Cristal and our church.

The Way of The Cross Baptist Church will be celebrating 30 years of Ministry on January 8, 2012. Pastor Harrigan and other members of the church are planning for this exciting event. Billy has been busy pressure washing, scraping paint and putting a fresh coat of paint on the multipurpose building. Landscaping projects are helping to make the church look it's best.

The Lord has provided a variety of jobs for Billy. He has done some painting, and some remodeling as well as washing and waxing a 40 ft yacht. Life is never dull that is for sure!

Children's Church

Sunday morning, September 11th we had 15 energetic and excited children make their way to the multipurpose building for Children's Church. There has not been a week since then with less than 17 children. A total of 40 different children have come. They are busy learning God's Word through verse memorization, Bible stories, puppetry, games, missions, movies, singing, crafts, and lots of other fun! We are practicing a couple of songs to perform in November for pastor appreciation month.

"But Jesus said, Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me: for of such is the

kingdom of heaven."  Matthew 19:14

Nurse Notes

The Lord has opened a door of opportunity to write a short health note for the high school newsletter at Free Will Baptist Christian School here on St. Croix. Back packs and water are two more recent topics covered. It seems like everything in life has Scripture which can be applied. Maybe that's why it is so easy to understand the Parables of Jesus.

Nursing duties also include judging a pizza eating contest!

Affordable Housing

For the last year we have been able to stay at Youth With A Mission for a reduced rate. However, as of November our rent will double. We are so grateful for the time we have had to get accustomed to the island and stay here. We are praying for the Lord's direction about our housing situation. Rentals are so costly and the electric bills are double what they are in the states. We know God wants us here so He will clearly show us the next step and provide for our needs!

Praises & Prayer Requests

Praises:

Safety during tropical storm

God's faithfulness daily

Work for both of us

Great start to Children's Church

Prayer Requests:

Children's Church

Continued spiritual growth

Safe hurricane season

Ministry opportunities

Affordable housing

Thank you so much for your prayer and financial support. Let us know what your needs are!

Billy & Cecilia Stone

Tax deductible contributions

may be sent to

YES Ministry

P.O. Box 700697

St. Cloud, FL  34770

Or

http://www.yeservants.org/



Christmas Surprise

Sometimes in life it is wonderful to get surprised. God surprised us yesterday and when He surprises you...you sit up and take notice. Christmas is still a couple of months away. That is always a hard holiday for us as we are miles away from family and old friends. It is not new to us. I don't remember the last time we saw family at Christmas. We have been blessed and have lived where God has provided friends and children to be around. It makes missing our grandchildren easier to deal with.

God knows the deepest desires in our hearts. We had always wanted to go to St. Thomas. Well, that is not the surprise. God connected us with a lady who needs a house sitter for three weeks over Christmas Break from school. It sits high on a mountain and overlooks the Caribbean Sea with the islands of St. Thomas and St. John in the distance. On a clear day you can see Puerto Rico!  She has a dog and cat which fills a void since our two dogs had passed away. We both love the sea!

Our God is great! Sometimes it is hard to understand His love for us. Life is tough sometimes...but we can still say God is great! We thank Him for His many blessings.

"Trust in the LORD and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed. Delight thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart." Psalm 37:3-4

Pastor Appreciation

It is hard to choose a pastor to recognize this Pastor Appreciation Month. There are so many we know, and we probably know William H Stone Sr the best! There are a lot of wonderful things we could write about him. He was there for Billy's birth, he married us in June 1991 and he is still there for us today.

The Lord has impressed upon us to write about our current pastor. His name is Beltane Harrigan and in January 2012 he will celebrate 30 years in the ministry of The Way of The Cross Baptist Church here in St. Croix. Although that is quite an accomplishment that is not what stands out the most about him. He is a wonderful shepherd to his flock. He loves each and every one of us despite our short comings. He is a humble gentle man, an encourager and hard worker. But he is also a strong Bible teacher and can preach a message with conviction and truth. The people of his congregation love him. He also is a lot of fun and it doesn't take long to put a smile on your face when you are around him.

We love our pastor and thank God for him every day. We also love his family and are thankful for them too. We know that a great pastor has a great family that supports him.

Happy Pastor's Appreciation Month Pastor Harrigan!!

SonPass

An interesting thing happened to us recently. We received a letter with a picture of our Tennessee license plate stating we owed a fine for driving without a SunPass on Florida's Turnpike. SURPRISE! As many of you know we drove to Miami at the end of July and had our car shipped to St. Croix. Since then we have Virgin Island license plates. Seems like life is rolling along fine. We were doing the right things, following the law (we thought), and not realizing we had a penalty to pay. My first thought was that the shipping company had driven our car after we dropped it off and had done something illegal. But after a call to a "toll free" phone number we found out that in order to drive that certain stretch of Florida's turnpike you need a SunPass. Those who don't have one get their picture taken and a fine of $3.50 and (of course) a $2.50 administrative fee. We feel we are pretty honest people, not perfect, but have always paid our tolls. It is really hard to miss those booths and lights. Driving in Miami traffic we did not see any signs that said you need a SunPass. But the truth remains...there is a penalty for driving on that highway without the right credentials.

We are continuing on our life's journey. One day we will have the opportunity to enter death's highway. It is inevitable. There is also a pass requirement to get to Heaven. Without it there is a penalty to pay.

"For the wages of sin is death..." Romans 6:23

There will be no entrance into Heaven no matter how nice a person you are.
"For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;" Romans 3:23

The SonPass will get you straight through!

"Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me."

John 14:6

You may find yourself on that highway of life not realizing you have a penalty waiting you. There is time today to get your SonPass. Don't delay...you never know when you might get that death notice. When you do there are no second chances. Your fine will need to be paid. But praise God, Jesus has already paid your penalty if you only believe and receive Him!

"But as many as received him to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:" John 1:12

The Fruits Of Our Labor

Our first cucumber! To some it may not look like too much but to us it has been a while coming. When we first came back to the island in July, Billy made some planter boxes and we filled them with potting soil and tiny seeds. After a good watering we were anxious to see the first plant peeking up out of the soil. We were not disappointed. Within a week we saw green. Meanwhile Billy worked on preparing a bigger garden spot so we could transplant them. He started in the old mule pen where the grass was at least 4 feet tall. After chopping the grass down and pulling it up by the roots, the soil had to be loosened. Rocks were cleared and finally there was a spot large enough to plant vegetables. Tomato plants were transplanted as well as cukes and melons. Although we watered them we were not sure they would survive. The sun is so hot here that several just dried up and became mulch!

But yesterday we were able to pick the first cucumber. There are tiny tomatoes growing also. We are not the only ones watching our veggies grow. Chickens and Iguanas make their way to our garden spot, and the other day two horses were walking on some of our plants. It would be nice to just sit back and watch things grow but there is still work to do.

We are also eagerly awaiting to see the fruits of our labor with the children here on St. Croix. For the last few months we have been praying, collecting teaching supplies, and preparing for Children's Church which began on September 11th. The first Sunday we had 15 children and our lesson was on Creation. Each week they hear a Bible story, work on memorizing verses of Scripture, and worship the Lord "children's style."

We know the "ground" is prepared, the seeds of God's Word are being planted and nurtured, and soon we will see a harvest. We have to be on guard for the enemy of our souls. This is still a time of keeping the soil in good condition, planting more seeds and constant nurturing. We know God will be glorified with the results!

"But he that received seed into the good ground is he that heareth the word, and understandeth it; which also beareth fruit, and bringeth forth, some an hundredfold, some sixty, and some thirty." Matthew 13:23

Storms

This year has been a very busy year in the tropics for storms. Ophelia is out there churning in the Atlantic but she is not expected to come near the Virgin Islands. The one thing about storms is that they come when you least expect them or don't want them. They usually make a lot of commotion for a while and then they disappear. You can't ignore them. The only way to survive a storm successfully is to go through it. There are lessons we learn when we go through storms that can be of help in the future when the next storm rolls in...and storms will come again!

It is so true also in our life as missionaries. Just as God has control of which tropical storm we will experience, He also controls the "storms" that come into our lives. They are there to teach us something. Sometimes it is to learn to have more faith, more patience, trusting God even though we can't see the outcome, or any number of other lessons. Isaiah 26:3 is one of my favorite verses. "Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee."

I will have to admit that is hard to do sometimes. We recently found out that our rent where we are currently living will double in price on November 1st. We have been blessed to stay here for a reduced price for these last  few months. Billy has not been able to find much work (work that provides an income that is) though he has been busy with work projects. We are taking this as an opportunity to see how God provides for the need in this situation. What direction does He want to take us in. The key is to remain open to whatever possibilities are out there and to be willing to follow the Lord's leading. Though this storm came at a time that seemed inconvenient to us we know that God is in control and He will bring glory to His name through the solution!

Eager Learners!

This is the group of Children's Church students we had for our second week. We had 15 eager learners and 9 of them recited their memory verse from last week! Children are so much more open to hearing the Good News that God loves them, sent His Son to die for their sins, rose again and will be coming back soon!

Jesus said in the book of Mark, "Verily, I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, he shall not enter therein."  Mark 10:15

Kite Flying at College

This morning the AWANA Club from The Way of The Cross Baptist Church headed to The University of The Virgin Islands to fly kites! It was a beautiful day with just the right amount of wind to fly kites, or at least after a few attempts! We had "kids" of all ages and at times some of the adults seemed to be having just as much fun as the kids.

Ice water and juice helped us cool off before heading home. Thanks to Pastor Sam and Cristal Bronigan for planning this fun time!