Driving in WHITE OUT conditions

DO I really know what it is like to drive through treacherous mountain passes within the "whiteout" conditions that so many in SNOW driven areas KNOW all to well? 

I was blessed with a taste of the lifestyle of "living on the edge" - "edge of a cliff" that is... Today, Monday, March 30th I needed to get to a destination about 221 miles away and the road conditions were less than favorable.  They were really NOT in my favor, it had been snowing over night and was at a steady off/on flow during the morning hours.  

As I started out my day, I did as any good driver would do and I asked Ben Jones to keep checking on the weather, really to see if chains were going to be required on the mountain

 passes that I would be traveling along the 70 East, and to see if it would be wise to stay with the Jones' one more day until the storm lifted.  I was given the phone number for the current

 weather conditions and some safe places to stop if I needed to and then off I went... 

The first 30 miles or so were as easy as driving hot wheels through powered sugar and then it started to get bad.  The snow as it landed turned into ice, as I reached for my windshield wipers I noticed that the wiper fluid was not going to come out because it had been frozen over night, I was just sure of it.  For a while the wipers did a manageable job, nothing close to the excellence that I was expecting because they had just been replaced.  In fact in no time at all there was a large area, in my line of sight that had become so iced over that the blades were not able to clear it away...   I started to look at other cars and noticed that not one of them was trying their wipers, so I must have been giving away the fact that I lived in CA most of my 30+ years of life. 

As we, me and the other motorists slipped and slided along, I started to notice that it was getting heavier and heavier and harder to see very far ahead of me.  The line and steady stream of cars and 18 wheelers ahead told me that even the locals were using every ounce of caution on this journey as well.  Then it happened, what I was hoping and praying would not happen...  I came across a sign on the side of the road that was flashing all of it's cautionary lights. The sign noted that ALL motorists would need to stop to put on chains.  At this point the sn

ow was

 really coming down and we were on a steep incline, the side of the road had been replaced with a large mound of snow that a plow must have produced when it came through hours before, exits and off ramps were closed with more and more motorists stuck in the same position. 

Then I saw it, what I had been fearing in the back of my mind...An officer pulling over people without chains from the number one lane. I quickly thought to myself that if they really pulled me over that 

would be the end of me and my trusty transportation.  I buckled down and had both hands on the wheel, ready to down shift at a moments notice, pulled over behind the big trucks that had on chains and were breaking up most of the ice and just started to pray again, this time out loud...   This went o

n for over 40 minutes and many, many miles. 

I am so thankful to have arrived at MTI, Mission Training International, through all of the trials, leaving the snow and cold outside and getting adjusted to my new living quarters for the next 5 weeks. 

  

It was a tough drive but GOD got me through it. 

I know that there will be times in life that I go prepared for one thing and other things will happen, will I be able to hunker down, concentrate and call out to GOD for help in making the best decisions or will I hide in what seems safe at the time?  This time the RISK was worth the lesson and I arrived safely, with many lessons to remember for the future.  

I wonder if this was just really great hands on training for something to come in the future?  Maybe the next time it will happen in Madagascar and be a MUD storm for all seasons, only GOD knows...    

Catching up with the Jones'

The last time that I saw Thom and Dina was some time in the late 80's... 

I was blessed by attending South Shores church and being led in the High School years by Thom as my youth pastor and then later as Dina joined in discipleship.  

Dina was my first official mentor - she would meet with a small group of us girls before school every Friday our Senior year of Highschool... The fact that she met with us regularly and we read the word, talked about life and memorized scripture are things that will be with me forever. 

The first scripture memorized and something that has carried me to this point in life is Matthew 18:19-21  Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the father, Son and of the Holy Spirit and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, even to the very end of the age...

The pictures shared here are of time that I was blessed to spend with the entire Jones family. I am blessed, touched and moved by the passion that God has placed in each one of them and excited to see what the future holds. 

I was really blessed with time with the Jones' family.  

Driving to New Castle, CO on the open road

On my way to New Castle, CO from NV I really felt as if I was all alone in the big outdoors with the Lord.  The amazing scenes that I took in during my over 8 hour drive...  From brown dusty mountains and LARGE rock formations to eventually seeing Snow covered peaks, powdered sugar dusted patches of low lying grasses in shaded places and then entire hill sides covered in the wonderful white blankets.  Amazing... 





Often times I was blessed with a car going the other direction!   Thank the Lord for reminding me that I was only supposed to drive on my side of the road!   (Just kidding)   Really, I did not even have cell service for most of the drive so it was just me and the Lord, singing along with worship CD's, praying and then talking about all the beautiful parts of creation.   What a great and creative GOD we serve! 

This did prove to be a great time of prayer and worship - but as all good things come to an end, I was praying that this would end much before it did.  That was a really long drive to do alone!  Now bring on the smaller drives of under 4 hours, those are blessings after this very long drive! 

End result, I arrived in New Castle about an hour behind schedule as I did not account for the time change.  I was blessed to see friends I had not seen for over 20+ years and then meet children of those friends that I had not ever met.  That is another blog with completely different pictures.  GOD is good and I am blessed to be HIS. 

Driving to Vegas in a Car with no name...

... It feels good to be out of the wind...

You caught me on one of those days where everything I write starts to sound like a John Denver song.  I don't know why, it just does. 

So, I have completed leg one of my travels to CO for Missionary training at MTI.org (those of you with curious tendencies, check it out)  I drove from CA to NV on my own, listened to a LOT of TYRONE WELLS music from worship to the early years to the newest album "Remain".   It felt as I was driving with an old friend, so that was a blast.    

A drive that should have only taken me about 4 hours took over 5 and 1/2 because of a small stop to discuss something at an outlet store and the crazy wind that was blowing cars and semi trucks all over the road.  Still not the worst I have had to drive in so, I am yet forging forward. 

I have been able to stay with friends here in Vegas, and catch up with them as well as work on my laptop in the spare minutes on reports and things that others need from me during this time.  I have also been catching up on much needed sleep so that when I drive I am fully refreshed and ready for the obstacles ahead.  Blessings all around.  Good to be loved.  

Tomorrow I embark on an 8+ hour drive across UTAH.  Please pray for safety and most of all the weather, as yesterday there was a huge blizzard in CO and many roads and Mountain towns were saturated with snow...  

I am looking forward to seeing my Youth Pastor from the High School years at South Shores. Thom and his wife Dina Jones, reside in New Castle, CO... Did you know that they had 9 children all at home?  I am looking forward to catching up with them and seeing what the Lord is doing in all of their lives!   So much to catch up on.  I hope to post pictures eventually...

This is a wild ride but a wonderful one with the Lord at the lead.  I have been enjoying following one step at a time, whatever that looks like. 

Friends patiently await my arrival

This last month I received an email from some of my friends from Madagascar. These notes, small packages and emails always come at right time, a time when I feel like I don't know if I will ever make it back to see them, to continue making a difference on that "RED ISLAND".  

Each time I receive their letters, they grip my heart, it seems like a lifetime ago since I was last there.  Life continues, struggles happen and yet great victories are threaded through the fabric of time. 

Just as the economy here is hurting, people are loosing jobs, homes and income the very same things are happening hundreds of miles away on the fourth largest island in the world, the impact just looks a little different.   As the american dollar continues to slide down it makes things tough all over the world, not just in our cushy part of California and Orange County.  

Even amidst the toughness of every day life there are still joys to celebrate and a momentum in moving forward, making plans, meeting with people, sharing in every day victories. Spending TIME with people that you love and care for. 

I am blessed this week to celebrate a friends baptism with her and a load of other friends and family.  I also met with someone from a moving company to see what it will take to pack up my limited belongings in a shipping container to move to Madagascar and started sorting through the items that I will be selling off at yet another garage sale coming up on the 21st. 

As I anticipate joining others in Madagascar, I am torn because there are so many people here that I care about and desire to spend as much time with as possible.   I am blessed and honored to be loved as I am, to have as many friends as I have, to have learned to love freely and have the opportunity to share that love with everyone that I come into contact with.  

With the anticipation of moving overseas, anticipation of learning a new language, anticipation of connecting with friends of another culture, comes the anticipation of changing relationships with those whom have been so intricate in my life over the last 39 years.     

 

Influences of growth

Sunday night was an extraordinary night. A night to reconnect with people from years previous. A mini reunion of sorts.  A note was sent to me a few times from various people on Facebook some time on Friday afternoon, wanting to make sure that I knew of an impromptu gathering of old friends at a local pizza joint here in Fullerton, CA. 

Roger was my youth pastor from 1991 until about 1997.  He was the one that instigated the reunion and what a time it really was.  Those years were great years of community, of growth in leadership, learning about true service and care of other people.  We did a lot of fun things, ski trips (first water then snow), video scavenger hunts, campus ministry, outreach to Extra Grace Required (EGR's) peoples amongst our own congregation and outside of our doors.  

What I remember most are the sermon series about the "grass being greener" or the dramas that we would do to set up the sermon on including others, being different, sharing Christ with those that are hurting, women's teas when the men served for the entire event.  Helping to serve communion, ushering or even just greeting new people attending our church.   Learning how to better facilitate a small group bible study or even share my faith outright.  These are all things and people that created a continuing growth pattern in my life, building upon the foundation that others had laid in previous years.

Oh, I did get to reconnect with some friends that I see once in a while and others that I have not seen in years, we looked over pictures, crazy "big hair", parachute pants, bandau tops, bikinis of years past, remembered stories of the past, met children of the friends that were once so very close and now live very different lives.   

What an incredible night of memories, encouragement and remembrance.  I am excited to see what the future holds! 

Packing up and selling off

For the last two days I have been working, way to much for still being as sick as I am, but you have to do what you, have to do right?  I have been working on thinning out the things in my room. Setting aside for the Pending Garage Sale, throwing away trash and placing like items in the same box or in the same area.   Really considering if I NEED the item or if I just WANT it.  This is a hard thing to process mentally when you have to measure it against every item in every room... 

It is very interesting, thinking that "the next time I see this, ---- I will be unpacking in Madagascar!"   How very exciting and yet very frustrating.  It is March now and I will not see any of these things or get to use any of them or wear them until some time after August or September, depending on how quickly the container ships overseas on a barge, gets through customs, is brought by a special lift to the place where it will be stored until I am able to unlock and unload the contents.

 

Roller coaster finance ride

Ok - tonight I could not sleep, I received two emails with more support included in the content.  It is always amazing how GOD ANSWERS PRAYER.   You know something, you have to pray  in order to see the answers.  

 I went over new supporters, that just came in today and crunched the numbers - I found out that $5,493 a year is all that is left to raise!   Oh My Amazing GOD!!!   YAHOO!   

That breaks down to $460 more dollars a month.  If 23 people could give $20 a month that goal would be met!   

I realize that these are hard financial times for many people, I feel this as well and any contribution given is a huge sacrafice personally and a blessing to the ministry in Madagascar.  Our God is HUGE and amazing and ready to be praised, even during these tough economic times. 

To God be all the glory!   Forever and Ever!   Amen

Praise and Prayers March 2009

Nehemiah modeled an attitude of prayer before he went to King Artaxerxes for resources to rebuild the Jerusalem wall, he said, "So I prayed to the God of heaven"   (Nehemiah 2:4)

Would you join me in prayer to the "God of heaven"?  May all that this ministry represents, be covered by God himself! 

          

Praises:

1.) The details of the Mt. Hermon trip were worked out beyond belief! A very amazing time to connect with people from San Jose to Santa Barbara. What an incredible drive and time with passionate people.

2.) I was invited to share at a women's retreat in Tuolumne, CA in May!  

3.) All my business cards have been handed out - that means 500 people have my information.  Pray that those business cards would make it into plain sight. That God would impress upon each person how much to support and when to start.  That it would be a journey of faith for each person involved.  A friend and supporter offered to print more for my remaining time here, free of charge!  Awesome! 

4.) My support needs are in the final stages!!  Please praise the Lord with me that 5 new  supporters joined the team and 3 supporters raised their monthly donations!  To God be ALL the glory, forever and ever, Amen!   Our team includes 7 churches, 36 individuals, and one foundation!   Praise the Lord for his Team!

Prayers: 

1.) Please pray for the details regarding a shipping container/packing up and inventory of every box.  

 

2.) A house next to Sandi (my partner in ministry) in the capitol city, Antananarivo has come available already in Madagascar - It is $50 more a month then what my budget is set up for. Please pray for me to hear from God if this is the place for me. If so then I will need to make that decision quickly to reserve the place for when I arrive in June.  Pray that if God desires me to live there that the owner will lower his price by $50 a month and hold it until June for me.

3.) I leave for Colorado March 26th for training at MTI!  (www.mti.org)  Five intensive weeks of classes then two weeks to meet with people, check in at WorldVenture and travel back to CA.  YAHOO!!!   I am so excited.  I will be driving my Honda since I have friends and possible supporters to visit with over those 7 weeks.  Please pray for the maintenance that needs to be done to be affordable and finished before I need to leave.   I will be stopping in Nevada, and New Castle, CO along the way.