The rest of the day

First of all I want to apologize for all of the typos and spelling errors I made in my letters to all of you.  I also said that this was the second child in almost a year but of course I meant 2 years.  I was in a hurry and my mind was not clear.  It was a crazy day!

Thank all of you who have written words of encouragement, not only to us but also for the Appel family.  I will be sure to pass those words on.

All of this is soaking in now and everyone just feels like they have been hit by a truck. It was hard to celebrate the new year and it was also hard to sleep very well.  I just can't believe how many lives I have known here that have been lost to Satan's hurtful plans.  I know that we have hope.  We have a hope to see all these babies and children in heaven running together with their families.  I just can not wait for God to come and take us home.  My love for Him continues to grow and my desire is really burning to move to a better place where there is no tears and sorrow.  I am looking forward to seeing each one of you there but when I think of being there with some of the people from a place like this, well I just can't wait to see their faces and talk to them without an interpreter.  And run with some of these old ladies that come to me. 

As an example one lady came to me on Friday.  Naomi was with me and able to help me talk with her.  When she shook my hand she didn't want to let go.  She shook it like she knew me and I had already done a great service to her even though this was the first time to meet her.  She told me her story about how she is alone.  She does have two grandchildren with her but all ten of her children have died.  All were boys but one was a girl and the girl is the one that gave her the grandchildren.  She told us how she tries to get rice in the dirt from the fields.  This thought reminded me of the things I have read in the book of Ruth.  About how some people leave the wheat at the ends of the fields for the poor.  She had wrinkles all over her face that told me of her hard life.  Her hair was white and her clothes were worn and her shoes were broke.  Sometimes, after the fact, I wonder if I have just met an angel.  I think with this lady it was how she greeted me.  It is sometimes fun to think about and also the thought helps me to be patient with people when I want to be selfish with my time.  Anyways, I was able to help her with a bag of rice and things for her to make sauce with and even gave her candy.  She acted as though I gave her a thousand dollars, she was so grateful. 

These are the things that keep me going here.  It is all the people that I meet.  It is hard to never have time for yourself but it is so rewarding to be apart of mission work.  This is stuff I can tell my grandchildren one day.  I have a real love/hate relationship with this place.

I just want to report that the rest of the day yesterday was spent in prayer, song and scripture.  The service was really nice.  We have a lot of very talented missionaries here right now that really sang some beautiful songs that filled our souls in the time of need.  It was nice to listen to the English, American songs.  The Chadians chimed in any moment that was open though to sing some of their chants.  It was ok with everyone because we knew it was their way to give to James and Sarah but the music is so much more like you are at a party.  I guess even in a time of sorrow we still have to give.   Gary and Wendy Roberts  quickly made their way here from Zakouma Park to be with their friends in their time of need.  It was hard to see them altogether.  For those who do not know Gary and Wendy lost their little boy, Caleb, to malaria June 10th 2009, two weeks before we were to move here.  That was a test of my faith as a mother.    But the fact remains that we are all in the hands of God.  Anything can happen to any of us anywhere.   We all need to live like this is our last day.  I thought yesterday about all the pettiness that we get wrapped up in.  The frustrations we have with people the little fights, the hurtful gossip, none of this is worth anything when we look at the big picture. 

I challenge you this year to live life everyday as though it is your last.  Share a smile more.  Give a helping hand where you see needed.  Let someone go in front of you in line.  Send someone a thank you card.  Give someone a call that you think may be lonely.  Visit those that are sick from your church.  Provide a need for someone, anonymously.  Give of yourself this year.  You don't have to be in a third world country.  Not everyone is able to do this.  God needs people everywhere.  Give of yourselves this year, grab those opportunities that will fill your life with meaning.  It will change your life.  You will be happier.  It is addicting and if I ever come back to the states I will continue to serve for now I see that any other way is just meaningless for me.  The greatest of these is LOVE...

Here is a picture of sweet Adam's grave.