Our team has also been reading a book together. Yesterday, at our meeting, we discussed The Power of a Whisper by Bill Hybels. Chapter 9 of the book deals with "whispers that change the world." This chapter was the most relevant to us as we prepare to go out into the world to serve. The chapter encouraged us to "spend ourselves on behalf of the hungry" with our time, talents and money.
The very last sentence of the chapter was one that touched me the most. It reads, "To care deeply about the crown of God's creation - humanity in all its color, shapes and sizes - and to make sacrifices on its behalf . . . there is no greater satisfaction in all the earth." Such encouraging words for us as a team! We have been having such a great time getting to know one another and seeking the Lord together for this trip.
Of course, preparing for Costa Rica is not all that we have been doing in the almost 2 months since I last posted!
Hannah found three little baby gophers at my parent's house that had lost their mother. We had to take them home with us, of course, so the kids could care for them. Unfortunately, they all died after a couple days but the experience was a great one for the kids.
Bethany did most of the feeding.
Hannah did help her out since it is a challenge to feed "three little ones"!
The kids have also been doing alot of swimming in between finishing up school and other FUN projects that I had for them around the house!
Don had a birthday and Father's Day in June. We did get him other presents (including a cherry tree) but here is a picture of the dioramas that the younger three made for him. They asked him what his favorites animals were and then surprised him with their creations - polar bears, sharks and penguins
Caleb and Don have been working on a project for the backyard.
Last year, we moved our swingset so we could build a patio. One half of the patio was to hold the pool and the other half was for a pergola. The practical reason for the structure is to hold solar panels that will run our pool filter.
Last weekend, Don and Caleb started with the posts and beams.
This past week, Caleb finished sanding and waterproofing the rest of the cross pieces so they could put them up today.
They did get a break from "building" last Saturday. They attended an "Appleseed Project" event. They spent the day learning about the "shot heard around the world".
And doing alot of shooting! They came home tired but happy!
Life has been very full for us lately, but we are very thankful. We are surrounded by water as the Missouri floods all over our region. Fortunately, our house is far enough from the river that we won't personally have issues; however, the highway that runs past our neighborhood continues to get busier as they close portions of the interstate because of the water. It is such a sad time as many people have had to evacuate their homes. We pray that all those affected by the flooding will find the peace and comfort that can only come from the Lord. These things that we accumulate in this world are only temporary but a relationship with Jesus will last for an eternity! Blessings - thanks for reading!
