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