We have an enemy!

As some of you many know I have been fasting for some time (for physical reasons) though I always enjoy the deeper spiritual connection that naturally comes.  So I woke up one morning drank some water and had my quiet time.  I then took out the email a friend had sent to me of verses and prayers to pray and speak over my body.  I felt confident that this was a mere trial and would soon pass with no lasting harm to my body.  It was a beautiful prayer time, where I really sensed the power and presence of my heavenly DAD. 

In fact my prayer time didn't end until I was interrupted by the kids who had arrived for school.  So we started school, however during their math time (I am not needed as they have videos to teach that subject) I decided to grab my iPod, tennis and go pay some bills, Knowing I had enough in the account to pay the two due that week.  It was a cool morning so I put a light sweatshirt on and headed off to the place to pay bills.  Along the way I listened to the Joyce Meyer message about not doubting  or giving into fear.

As I walked I began to notice the strange symptoms I have been experiencing for the past few months were getting worse.  Trust in God I reminded myself and continued on my way.  I got to the place to pay bills, showed the lady the bills I needed to pay and she went into some detail why I could not pay them?  She soon passed my understanding of the language and I left a bit confused….I could not pay my bills…..  On the way home I ran into my friend, (the mother of the kids I teach).  Before I could tell her about the unprofitable trip to the bill paying place she told me how they had been looking for me, it seems the water guy came to read my meter discovered that the water had no been paid in this house since 2007 and decided to shut the water off.  My friend was in a panic over the matter so I became really calm.  “Don't worry, we will work it out”  I was thinking of my prayer time that morning, of the promise God had given before this trip about the flour and oil not running low, how I had already seen that to be true. and lastly reminded my friend that up until 4 months ago this house stood empty, so the water cant be that bad.

A few hours later the electric man came by with the same story, the electricity was to be shut off.  My friends started calling the landlord for me, demanding he take care of this (We have been asking him for the water and electric bill all along but it was never a pressing need for him.  I had a peace about the finances……

All the while the symptoms my body is going through was getting worse, embarrassingly so.   I suppose I had better explain for those reading this whom I did not email some weeks ago to ask for prayer.  I have been having my period for almost 3 months now.  Some days are light, most are medium to heavy.  This day was ridiculously heavy, in fact not just was I loosing blood but large fist size clots.  When I had put the symptoms into Web MD I got terms like cancer, tumors, and cysts….thus I started a 21 day fast, knowing that fasting often allows our bodies to detox, cleanse and heal.

So the landlord found out the electric bill for us (the water will have to come next month as we needed to install a meter)  I pulled nearly 400 US out of the account to pay the bills, leaving only a hundred in there….that bothered me…..my peace began to waiver.  I began to worry, what will I do about the water bill next month, the diesel fuel I need to for my hot water heater and the firewood I have to buy?

Then out of curiosity I got online to find out about those large clumps I'm passing.  The words I read threw me into a full born panic.  they may not be blood but the actual wall of my uterus?  I need that, I want to have kids one day!!  Peace went out the window.  I cried, pleaded with God, worried and emailed some friends back home….I was terrified.

One of the calls home I made was to Sarah.  I told her in detail all that was happening.  she prayed for me, and then asked me about words Dad has spoken to me about my future, about missions, teaching in D-schools, Alaska, CWAM, marriage, having children, homeschooling them.  Have you fulfilled those purposes yet?  So far all of them are somewhere in the future.  So I cant loose my uterus to cancer and still have children.  There is a lot God wants me to do with my life…that is no where near happening yet.  She also told me her first impressions were to tell me to add calcium back into my diet.  True I haven't had much, not just because of the fast but I dislike the taste of the milk and cheese here.  So I bought some Ayran (drinkable yogurt)

And you know what a few ounces of Ayran a day keeps the bleeding down and the clots away!  I pulled out a large some, but the electric bill turned out to be lower then we anticipated.  We went to the bill paying place and got the bills paid….I still don't know why it didn't work when I went but it is done for now.  I went to the pharmacy and bought some vitamins and minerals that promote healing and I still pray  and speak truth over my symptoms, trusting God for healing.

Meet Asia

A car raced over the bridge, and a little black fluff ball was seen flying through the air.  The kids watched horrified, had the car just ran over the black yelping puppy or tossed it out the window.  She lay helpless on the road, occasionally yelping painfully.  Before the kids could get closer an old man walked by, yelled at the pitiful creature and then decided to toss it over the bridge to it’s death.  Kids being a bit morbid as they were are , were drawn to stare at the dead dog, and could see her laying in a pool of water amidst the concrete and stones, totally lifeless.  Or so they thought, until two days later they crossed the bridge again and looked to see the dead dog, only this time it was gone.  Searching more earnestly they could see a black shadow with eyes, hiding amidst the garbage.

The little creature ended up in my care, to see if I could nurse her back to health.  She was covered in fleas, and sewage, so my first  thing was to wash her, then to get a little food in her, some milk and hotdogs mixed with pasta.  she ate greedily and I took it away lest she cause herself to vomit.  After that we ventured outside where I could observe and probe, she was swollen, her poop blood red,  her torso bulged and twisted and she could hardly walk.  She slept for two days, woke up, ate, pooped, peed and slept some more.  Everyone kept asking for her name.  I bounced around a few ideas, but truth is I wasn't naming this one till I knew she was going to live.  Saturday morning I set her down on the ground so I could put my shoes on and while I slipped my foot into one shoe she viciously attacked the croc my foot had just left.  She was going to live! 

Took her to a vet, a new concept here in southern Turkey, her left front foot has chips in the bone but no breaks, and her hip has twisted muscles, hopefully they will come back into alignment.   Some fleas spray, wormer pills and she is on her way to a better life.

I was torn, what should I call her, I was drawn to names popular amidst the Wyoming/cowboy culture,  such as Shelby, Riata, Saige, Bailey, as was I drawn to some cool Irish names: Kierra, Rylie: Regan  or Kenzie which sounds both scot-Irish and very  western both……but nothing fit.  Then one my students looking at the atlas says “How about Cairo or Africa or Asia? 

Always enough Flour and Oil.

Remember the story of Elijah and how God commanded him to go ask the widow for food.  Her initial reply was “I only have this tiny bit of flour, which I'm going to use to make my son and I a meal and then we will die.”  Elijah challenged this woman to trust God by first making him some bread, and then making some for herself and her son.  She obeyed and sure enough there was enough to feed the prophet, the widow and her boy.  In fact she lived like this for several days.

Those last few weeks or preparing to come here I did not want to come.  I didn't have the committed support base.  I have worked as an M for 10 years, back home I can always take a job for extra cash, here that is not an option.  But I had committed and the plane ticket was bought so I came.

I needed money to buy boxes to store my belongings in back home, I need to replace my tennis shoes, and I needed to pay hefty overweight and extra baggage fees to get all these books here.  It was there when I needed it! (you may recall the cool story of the overweight fees being waived in Billings and cut in half on this end.)

I had to attend a camp with these guys, on my first arrival.  The money was there.

I came home with a severe ear infection none of my home remedies' worked.  I had to see a doctor and get medication…the money was there.

Time and time I have needed groceries, or pay bills and always I have enough.

I needed to get a plane ticket for my first visa run, I had to pay some back bills that the lady who lives here for real didn't get the chance to pay before she left and cold weather came earlier then usual, my friends kept pressuring me that I needed to buy firewood, diesel  and get my wood stove installed. I was looking at 800 dollars. 

Well the day came I could no longer put off the plane ticket, but the money was there.   The warm weather returned, buying me an extra month or more before needing to prepare for winter.  I sent word to my land lord that I needed to know the amount owed for the water and electricity….he hasn't gotten back to me yet…but I am confident, that when he does, the money will be there!

Thank you to all who have been obedient to give!  The oil has not ever run dry

Death Sentence

Would want to make a proclamation of faith, being immersed in water; if in the explanation your friends told you was “It is the point in your walk where by law (in some neighboring nations) you can be put to death? “

Back home babies are sprinkled in some fellowships, others older children or adult step up wanting to be dunked, as a step of obedience to the L.  Yet it has lost its meaning, it is common.  In fact at Rodeo camp I have seen the same kids get up year after year asking to be re-baptized.  But life for the newly washed follower does not drastically change.  They go on much as they had before.  sometime you cant tell them apart from the lost around them.

In most nations where believers are persecuted for their faith, they really have to count the cost before saying “I want to be baptized.”  It is more like a conversion experience, a life changing moment. For at that point they are saying “Come hell or high water, this is the road I’m walking.  There is no turning back.”  In countries who put followers of J to death, it is the ones who have taken that step, that can be condemned.  It is at that point when a young believer says I want Him above all else, that they are mostly likely to be disowned by families, friends, loose their jobs, be tormented by the law.  I wonder sometimes if I would have the courage. 

I have been privileged to witness 5 new friends take that stand, since coming here.  Three of those were locals.  One was a very dear woman, who had a lot of fear coming to that point.  Yet she stepped forward knowing she wanted nothing else but Him.  One of the things she was worried about was the possibility of rain, she did not want to get wet in the rain and potentially get sick.  We hadn't seen any rain yet, so were not too worried, but that morning when I awoke the sky was heavy with clouds.  “Please Abba, don’t let these clouds deter this lady.”  I pleaded.  We loaded up in the van, drove to the sea and rejoiced as our friends took a stand for what they believe.  I took some pictures of the clouds that day….my camera (or the one behind the camera) did not know how to capture what I saw, but on one side of the sky it was brilliant, sunny and hopeful while the other dark, looming and threatening.  Yet the Light prevailed. 

 

 

Home Sweet Home

As promised here are some pictures of my home for the next 10 months.  As you can see Dad really has blessed me!  The greatest blessing is I don’t have to pay the rent on this place :) and it is truly a lovely home!

This is the entry way, we are facing the bathroom and the front door.  Notice my cowboy boots sitting by the door.

From the entry way you can enter into the bathroom or a closet type room that holds a water heater type thing used in winter months (right now my water is heated by solar power).  Straight ahead from the outside door your looking into the kitchen and if you walk towards where I was standing to take this picture you will enter into the living room/dinning area.

My living Room, this and the dinning room table is where the majority of our school takes place.  Doesn't the furniture make you think your in the past somehow? 

 

 

 

 

 

This is the kitchen and the view outside my kitchen door.

 

Next we go upstairs to the second floor.  Immediately on our right is the bedroom of the lady who normally lives here (she is in the states for the next 6 months).  As she has a TV with a VCR, it is also the 6th grade math room (Both girls are using video/DVD teachers for Math, much to my relief!!!)

 

 

 

 

 

 

So what  do you think of the shower?  no curtains just tile walls and floor.

Also the washer and dryer.

 

The photos below are the guest bedroom (technically it is larger then the house I lived in back in Meeteetse.)  For now it is where I am sleeping since it is too hot upstairs.

 

  Now it is time to walk to the third floor.  the shelf you saw in the kitchen hold the school books we are currently using, this one hold the stuff we will use.  See the carpet, I commented that it looks like something from the Southwest US in design.  It is a tribal design from here, Small world isn’t it? 

This is my bedroom, and yes I brought all those books with me!  The bottom two shelves are the novels I’m incorporating into this school year.  

The hallway just outside my bedroom door….what is with the yellow line you ask?

 

 

 

 

It  is a time line.  The top half shows the development of mankind  around the world while the bottom half reveals the history of the US.

 

At the end of the hallway is what they call the prayer room, it is set up with carpets on the floor and pillows as chairs along the walls, this is a little more what a typical living room may look like. 

 

 

 

 

This last picture is of my view looking down the stairs, from the third floor I think it is kind of cool, if I could draw it I would!   Later perhaps I will add a picture of my front deck (yard) and a view of the house from the outside…. but It is a weekend and well everyone is outside and they already think the “American is out of place” I don't want to prove them right by taking pictures of my house.

Hit the ground running

Wow I’m lousy at keeping this updated!!  There is so much to catch you all up on!  In short I have been in the country for 5 weeks.   I arrived, unpacked, repacked and went camping for a week along the Mediterranean sea.    It was a local gathering of believers.  Not 20 years ago there were no known B, 10 years ago a handful in this region and yet I stood next to probably 200 people singing Praises to our King.  That was awesome. 

We came home, I shook the sand out of clothes, did my laundry and repacked again so I could go live at the neighbors house……this time cause my house was the center for a conference and a bunch of men would be living here (What would the neighbors think)  I cooked, cleaned and supervised the kids during the conference. 

For some reason in the planning of this school schedule we decided to start the Monday after the conference…I came home, unpacked again, stripped the beds from all my guests and the next day started teaching.  The first two weeks of school have been great, hectic, but fun.  I didn't realize how fast things had gone till yesterday afternoon (Sunday) I realized I was just now putting away the sheets from two weeks before.  (does not say a great deal about my housekeeping skills)  For that matter I only recently had time to find the grocery store!

The Locals can’t grasp the concept of homeschooling, in fact they all seem to think the girls have dropped out of school all together.  We have been contemplating naming our little school.  That way when the neighbors and former classmates question the girls and parents about why they are not enrolled in the local school system, they can reply “Oh I am going to Hope Academy, the new American school in our neighborhood.”

My ideal day is to get up at 5 am and work out….I have successfully done that twice.  A typical day for me is I get up about 6:30, shower, eat breakfast, have a quiet time and start teaching at 8 am.  Our first class is American History, followed my math (the girls are using video teachers for that subject ) After Math we come back together for English, then Geography and world History  (I had to explain the term Dictator 7 times last week, and the girls were shocked to discover Iraq and Iran both touch Turkey…..I probably should not of put the D word and the I word together in the same sentence….big brother may be watching :))  We break for Lunch, sometimes they go home because their teacher is craving peace and quiet, other times they stay here, and I have them watch an educational film -can you say Drive Thru History!  Eventually we will add a cooking class to our day once a week or every other week which is my preference.  After lunch, we have our Bible class, followed by Science.  Which basically looks like me going from one room to another reviewing their reading assignments with them.  Re-explaining it to them in words they are more familiar with (Remember their education thus far  has been in another language)Telling them about cool experiments we could do to illustrate this point, if only we had the materials….and then saying don't you recall I explained this word yesterday…only to remember it was the other one I had explained it too.    Wow that is a Run on sentence!!!  I taught on that today…but obviously failed to apply it.  Lastly we finish with computer class.  Then they go home.

I sit down grade papers, read science textbooks and prepare for the next grammar lesson.  Usually I also do whatever writing assignment I had given them so they have an example of good writing (wow that sounded arrogant!!!)  then I cook dinner, eat it and ideally study Foreign language (it would be awful to spend a year here and not learn the language!)   On Saturdays I  read the history texts and write discussion questions in the margins, underline points I want them to get because I plan to include it on the test I will write.  I get online and snag images to build PowerPoint's to use during teaching.  While on Sundays I print everything I will need for the upcoming week (I don't have a printer here) We start allover again Monday.  Oh yeah, on Mondays and Thursdays I teach English, right now I have one student, a Muslim lady whose name starts with Y….can’t pronounce it yet.  It is good because it forces me to use the local language as well.  I am supposed to be adding a second student, hoping she can come at the same time as the first lady…but more likely it will end up being another day and another time.  Fun fun….In future episodes, I want to take pictures of my house and show it off.  Tell you about the puppies I have adopted, the cute, little girl who comes and jabbers at me, despite the fact I don’t understand her.  Lastly share some fun stories from school…Hopefully that will happen in the next few days.

good night all this is me signing off and going to wash the dishes….I'm sure the kitchen is a disaster the power had gone off while I was cooking so I went ahead and cooked my meal by my single candle light….learning to cut veggies and peel carrots much as a blind person may have to do….it was a scary sight when the lights came on, I had veggie tops all over the counter.

Goodbye Samson, Don't Forget me.

The last few weeks flew by.  So much to do, so many people to see, and so little time.  Mom and John came to visit, that was fun, we took a scenic drive over the Beartooth mountains, went to billings so I could get  shoes, got boxes in Cody and they helped me pack.  Spent time with other relatives in the area.  It was a lot of fun.

The last few days, I kept going to see friends and such and say goodbye, but it didn't feel real.  When Mom and John left after church I waved goody, feeling guilty that I had no tears, it was as if I was saying seeing you in a few days.  The same thing happened when Sarah and the kids drove me to the airport.

However saying goodbye to my German shepherd was another matter all together.  I kept him till pretty late Monday night (I flew out early Tuesday morning.)  I fought the urge to cry as I drove to Mike’s (the guy who found a home for my puppy while I'm gone)  At Mikes I went through the motions of showing them his tricks, telling them about what I expect of him and the best way to walk him and such.  Samson meanwhile is bounding around the yard, smelling and marking everything. 

Mike commended me on how obedient and good natured he was, then he warned me that when I come home it may be very hard to get him back, cause the older gentleman who he will be living with will want to keep him.  (this is a fact I have always known, and deep down I feel that if when I come home, if Samson is better off with this guy, then going with me to Alaska or wherever I may end up, then so be it) however at that moment in time it was the last thing I needed, my hard fought off tears began to flow.    Samson is still oblivious to the fact and running joyfully from me to Mike, to Mike’s kid, to the many things in the yard that smell like deer.

I cried all the way home and for the next three hours afterward.  I came to the conclusion that I did not want to leave the country, that it was not worth loosing my dog.  I think I only got an hour and half asleep all night long.