A Year Ago Today

This was the last picture of all of us together with our mother.  At Christmas they all went to her house for a dinner and exchange of gifts. I lived away so never made it home for Christmas. My heart was there though. During the summer I would see some of my brothers and sisters, but never all at the same time. January 29, 2010 brought us all together again but for another reason. This day it was because our mother had gone home to be with the Lord after a few days of sudden illness. Then on June 5, 2010 we had her graveside service. There is something about losing your mother that is hard to put into words. I don't think you ever get over it, you learn to accept it and remember the good things about her. She had the patience to raise 8 children, work full time, and take care of our father when he was dying.  There are times, I'm sure, when she wished life would have been easier. Sometimes that just doesn't happen. She did come to trust Jesus as her Saviour when she was 59 years old. The Lord allowed me the joy of sharing the Gospel with her, then prayed with her over the phone as she accepted Him in her life. So today as I remember her life and death I have hope...confident hope that I will see her again some day in Heaven. That makes it easier when days like this come.

What is a Missionary

I wish I knew the real answer! I can tell you what it feels like though. When God called us to become missionaries we said yes (after awhile) and then tried to prepare ourselves. The best way I can describe it is interesting. It's like being in a snow globe, being shaken and then watching the flakes trickle to the bottom of the globe. Each snowflake represents a part of your  life. There is your home where you can retreat from the world, your church, family, friends, finances, your job, the weather, culture of a new people, etc. Where will each flake land? Exactly where God wants it to land. Not where you or others think it should be. When every flake has settled in the right spot, it makes a beautiful scene and there is peace and serenity. "For I know the thoughts I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end."  Jeremiah 29:11

Every once in awhile I love to pick up the globe and shake it to see the scenery change. God does this in our lives also and again we are reminded that we are to trust Him to place each piece of our lives where it needs to be. The end result is a life, beautiful and useful for His glory!

When God is Allowed In School

 As a school nurse I have worked in the public school system for almsot ten years. Most recently I started working at Free Will Baptist Christian School in St. Croix. There are a lot of Christian teachers and staff in the public schools today who are making a difference. But there is nothing like walking by a classroom and hearing the children sing songs and recite verses of the Bible. Teachers are teaching Biblical truths and character. The evidence is seen in the day to day lives of the students. Young men will say excuse me, hold the door for you, and not sass you back when spoken to. The young ladies are also very courteous. There is a respect for authority. The other day in Chapel the speaker asked the students to quiet down and within a few moments there was silence. That is not so in public schools. I have sat in assemblies when I was embarrassed because the students were so rude to the guest speaker. If our children even have a hope of success in life God needs to be back in our schools. Christian schools are not perfect. The difference is that God is allowed! "Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it." Proverbs 22:6

About the Island

St. Croix is the largest of the US Virgin Islands. It is about 28 miles long and 7 miles wide. The eastern end of the island is drier and you will see a lot of cactus and mongoose. Occasionally you will see a deer but they are much smaller than the ones you see on the continental US. There are no squirrels or snakes on the island. They do have Iguanas, Camelions, and Centipedes. Christiansted is the largest city and is found on the east end of the island. Fredericksted is smaller and on the west end. Because of it's deep waters there, cruise ships will drop anchor and tourists flood the island. The west end of the island also has a lot of mountains and a tropical rain forest. St. Croix has some of the most amazing beaches which are great for sunbathing and snorkeling. The North Shore as well as other beaches have awesome places to scuba dive.

St. Croix has a population of about 60,000. You will find homes of humble means as well as mansions. There are those who are homeless and those with financial security. The people of the island are generally quite friendly and probably the most courteous drivers. Although it takes awhile to get used to driving on the left hand side of the road, we have found it easy to get used to.

When you see the beauty of the island you can only know that God created it. "In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth." Genesis 1:1 But there is a side of the island that is not so much fun to see. In fact it covers up the beauty that God created. Man has left his mark. The sides of the roads and streets are covered with litter and trash. Buildings have been left abandoned. There is a lot of poverty. What I learned as a child is that you may not have much but what you do have can be taken care of to the best of your ability. It only takes a moment to put trash where it belongs. And in doing so comes a sense of accomplishment and creates a place that is pleasing for the eyes. One of my prayers is that those who make the island look so "dumpy" would have a change of heart and make this island a place of beauty.

I couldn't end this blog without seeing

some more of God's beautiful

creations!

It's A Lot Like Scrapbooking

Our blogging is a lot like scrapbooking which I have come to love. It is fun to write stories and add pictures...or maybe add pictures and write stories. Several have asked about where we are living so here goes... Diamond Ruby Plantation is the home of Youth With A Mission (YWAM) of St. Croix. It is a five acre plantation with a 300 year old beautiful and historic Danish "Great House." On the property there are several historic buildings which include a sugar mill, an 80 ft tall Smoke Stack, Well Tower, and remodeled slave quarters which now are apartments. There are also old ruins, a new garage/workshop and bunkhouses for mission teams and training schools. There is also a pool but at the time is not working as in need of repairs. Although Diamond Ruby Plantation is in the center of the island, we feel like we are out in the country. It's a safe and secure place to live and has survived some major hurricanes. Our apartment is under the main dining hall and the walls are about 16 inches thick. There is a breeze most of the time and one of the coolest places to sleep at night!

There are so many unique things to see here. We have heard comments that it is one of the nicest facilities around for YWAM bases. We would have to agree. There is a huge lawn, basketball court, Iguanas, banana trees, tropical flowers and a huge tree that just seems to draw you to one of the chairs for a cool, restful retreat from life. This place would be a great place to write a book! Maybe a children's mission book called "Adventures at Diamond Ruby Plantation."

       

Our apartment has a living room, kitchen, bathroom, office and large bedroom. It is in the back of the property so relatively quiet, except when an ambulance siren goes off. You can see the hospital in the distance through the trees and on rainy days there are more ambulance calls. The roads are narrow and bumpy. For those of our friends in the north who know about pot holes, there are plenty here. When it rains you can't see them. It is a challange to drive on the left hand side at night as most roads do not have yellow or white lines to guide you. The ones that have them are so faded you just have to pray the Lord keeps you in the road when meeting an oncoming car! Our next blog will let you know more about the island of St. Croix.

We started blogging because for us it is the best way to communicate to family and friends what life is like as a missionary. It's personal but at the same time it's an open book...sharing things the Lord is teaching us, and pictures that will make you feel like you are right here with us! We invite you to put us in your "favorites" list and visit us often.