Jett Valor Fieldbrook

The newest addition to the Rauch family!  

I was so very blessed to be there for this special occasion. (Thank you so much Brad and Laura)

Jett weighed in at 8lbs 15 oz 22 inches long

around 11:20 in the am.  I will have to check with the parental units to make sure of the details.  :)

There will be more pictures in the future!  You can count on that. 

A new part of the journey

Now, is the time in the journey where things start to change.  I have arrived back to what I used to call home, Brea, CA with my Mother and Step-father, Steve.   Now that I am thinking of packing things up and shipping them overseas, the room I once retreated to, slept in and enjoyed a movie or two with my feet in the reclined position is a thing of the past.  

10 Blue 25 gallon containers line the bed room in places two tall and each has a specific purpose.  Labels abound because where else would I know to look for something if it was not labeled properly?  So bedding, winter clothes, games, linens, electronic type items they each have a place.  With the move date getting closer and closer I have been trying to weed out the last items that don't need to go with me and then make sure that the NECESSITIES make it into each container as they should.   What a TON of work this is but as the process unfolds I hope to feel more and more organized and sure of what I will be able to rest upon once I get to Madagascar. 

All of this is resting on the destination port city in Madagascar, with the unrest that is going on there and the uncertainty of me even being assured the ability to get them out without having to pay a large import tax.  

I would petition each of you now to be in prayer for me as much as possible over the coming months in this area. So that the items that have been prayed over, selected and packed would actually make it overseas, to the correct destination, and then be released into my possession without much conflict, bribery or tax. 

 

Paradox or 'pair of ducks"

Paradox - two seemingly contradictory facts that express a truth. Life in missions is full of paradoxes.  In every day life I am sure we experience this paradox and just don't realize it as much!  Now that I am packing up to leave the United States for Madagascar it is a little more pronounced. 

To explain this to the children that were in corresponding classes they brought out two rubber duckies.  One that had black marker scribbled all over the body (YUCK duck) and another one that was as cute as could be (Yay duck)... 

It is helpful to find both "ducks"

-I love to clean and pack (you find things you were missing) YAY!

-I don't like the process of living amongst all the packed boxes YUCK!

-I have been enjoying visiting with all types of people from all walks of life.  YAY!

-I have missed quality time with my weekly bible study group. YUCK!

Do you have any that you would like to share?

It's been a long tme...

I wanted to post a quick blog to let ya'all know that I am way behind in communicating and will catch up soon.  I have been through 5 weeks of training and then a few weeks of meetings here in COLORADO.  Just this last weekend I flew out to a women's retreat in N. CA, that was an amazing time as well.  With so much going on there are wonderful stories of what I am learning and going through.  How I am not only being stretched, but dried out and then put through the fire... similar to how a potter creates wonderful and very different pieces of work.   More on that later... 

It is a HUGE blessing to be walking with the Lord and doing what HE desires of me each and every day.  These last couple of weeks have been hard in communicating because my computer's Hard Drive went into system failure... I hope to get it fixed when I am back in CA but that will be in a couple of weeks.  For now I will post what I can from the offices here in Littleton, CO. 

There is much to share, please come back in the following weeks to catch up on all that has been going on...  

I hope and pray all is well with you!   

Praise and Prayers May 2009

Sorry that I did not get out the praises and prayers this month!   Lots going on... Next month I will have lots to praise the Lord on! 

Hope to see you then! 

time of sending prayer

My friends, this time at Mission Training Institute (MTI) has been amazing, but like all things it must come to an end, we must travel on to those places in which God has called us and touch those people that we have been called to minister to, disciple, journey with and LOVE. :(           

We have shared many experiences, learned many lessons, repositioned our chairs or perspectives, talked about keys to successful relationship

 building, been taken hostage and learned to process things, thoughts and emotions that we would have never planned on processing ourselves.  

We shared in tough thoughts, encouraged and uplifted when we could and learned how each of us act, react and love on those around us.  Cried, laughed, played, fought, walked, talked and communicated via computers, pictures and personal conversations.  PRAYER was an essential part every day with various people. 

I could not think of a better way to end our time with each other than to pray over each person, where they will be going, the families that they will be with and the ministries that they will be investing in and any specific prayer requests that any one would offer up.