It seems that hours turn into days, days to months, etc. Time moves so slowly and yet so fast. I look back to a year ago and remember the plans we had and where we thought we would be. Yet, I understand why we are still here and how God has continued to lead us and how we have to continue to submit to Him, daily. Though it was not our plan to still be in Buena Park, it was God's. I was reading Romans 12:1-2 "Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will." Have I been doing this? Some days I know I know I am not. My mind is in desperate need of renewal. It has been a long, hard year for us. I praise God for the good days and the bad ones. I struggle with presenting myself a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing, because I know I am not. Yet I heard a great explanation from Pastor Shane for Grace and Mercy, Mercy-not giving you what you deserve, Grace - giving you what you don't deserve... This is such a great picture of God's love...
So, still here and still seeking God's timing and perfect will...
Liz
Good Bye Nan
I am reposting something I wrote when I returned from a trip to Australia in summer 2008. This past month we received word that Nan had passed away. We had been praying for her health for quite some time now, but the time finally came for her to go home. I feel so blessed to have met this special woman and so much of her family. Robert and KC spent time with her this last trip and I am so grateful for that as well. She will be greatly missed here on earth but I rejoice in knowing she is with our Lord forever!
From July 2008-
From July 2008-
So much is on our minds and hearts that this may be jumbled at times, but isn't that what a blog is about?
Upon our return to Brisbane from Eidsvold we spent one of our evenings doing "home visits." Ann Street Church of Christ schedules visits at home from the leadership of the church, just to get to know the members better-what an awesome idea! Several of us went to Nan's house. She is an amazing Christian Aboriginal woman who has raised 10 kids, some she took in and adopted, I believe the grand kids numbered in the 50's and many great grand kids. She is 72, which is quite old for an aboriginal woman. Since the couch was full I sat on the floor at her feet and listened to her talk of family and the pride she has in them. She showed pictures of her kids, her husband (who was killed in a car accident), her parents, grandparents. She talked of her life in Cherbourg where she was born and some of her experiences there including seeing her sister be sent to Palm Island with Annie in my previous write up. We were honored by having one of her family members, Jon joined us on our journey to Cherbourg and Eidsvold. We were blessed by his testimony and his desire to serve our Lord. He also really wants to come to America on a trip the Church is planning to take here to work with Knott Ave and ARM. Sitting at her feet was such a blessing for me. I understand how important it is to really know about the people you share Christ with. Everyone will hear the gospel but it is more than the "turn or burn" or beating them over the head with the Bible, it is about relationships. It is about earning the right to be heard for some, that is where I feel drawn. The next night we went to Nan's son Daniel's church and Mike spoke. He spoke of getting right with God and laying our hidden sins and struggles at the feet of Jesus. He asked if anyone wanted to come forward for prayer and Mike and Robert prayed with two men that night. One young man sobbed at his seat and Robert spoke with him and prayed with him later that evening. We were treated to some awesome worship and an amazing dinner. I was told that Nan asked to see me that night at Church, so I went and sat next to her and hugged her. She said she had something for me and took my hand and put in it a small pin. It has the Aboriginal flag and the Torres Strait Islanders flag on it, representing 2 of the indigenous people groups. She is aboriginal and her husband Torres Strait Islander. I started to cry and hugged her and thanked her for her generosity. She said it was small but it was so I would not forget, how could I? How can you forget any experience in your life such as this? It was amazing! Liz
Upon our return to Brisbane from Eidsvold we spent one of our evenings doing "home visits." Ann Street Church of Christ schedules visits at home from the leadership of the church, just to get to know the members better-what an awesome idea! Several of us went to Nan's house. She is an amazing Christian Aboriginal woman who has raised 10 kids, some she took in and adopted, I believe the grand kids numbered in the 50's and many great grand kids. She is 72, which is quite old for an aboriginal woman. Since the couch was full I sat on the floor at her feet and listened to her talk of family and the pride she has in them. She showed pictures of her kids, her husband (who was killed in a car accident), her parents, grandparents. She talked of her life in Cherbourg where she was born and some of her experiences there including seeing her sister be sent to Palm Island with Annie in my previous write up. We were honored by having one of her family members, Jon joined us on our journey to Cherbourg and Eidsvold. We were blessed by his testimony and his desire to serve our Lord. He also really wants to come to America on a trip the Church is planning to take here to work with Knott Ave and ARM. Sitting at her feet was such a blessing for me. I understand how important it is to really know about the people you share Christ with. Everyone will hear the gospel but it is more than the "turn or burn" or beating them over the head with the Bible, it is about relationships. It is about earning the right to be heard for some, that is where I feel drawn. The next night we went to Nan's son Daniel's church and Mike spoke. He spoke of getting right with God and laying our hidden sins and struggles at the feet of Jesus. He asked if anyone wanted to come forward for prayer and Mike and Robert prayed with two men that night. One young man sobbed at his seat and Robert spoke with him and prayed with him later that evening. We were treated to some awesome worship and an amazing dinner. I was told that Nan asked to see me that night at Church, so I went and sat next to her and hugged her. She said she had something for me and took my hand and put in it a small pin. It has the Aboriginal flag and the Torres Strait Islanders flag on it, representing 2 of the indigenous people groups. She is aboriginal and her husband Torres Strait Islander. I started to cry and hugged her and thanked her for her generosity. She said it was small but it was so I would not forget, how could I? How can you forget any experience in your life such as this? It was amazing! Liz
Remember
I know where I was eight years ago today.
I was setting up chairs listening to the radio. At 6:00 I heard that an airplane crashed into the World Trade Center. I turned on a TV, actually I had to set it up. I had to run a wire from the antenna on the roof of our Fellowship Hall to the TV. Not hard just took a little time. as I continued to set up I watched in horror as I saw the second plane hit. Up until then no one was sure what was happening. As soon as it hit I knew we were being attacked.
"We are America, this doesn't happen to us."
After my immediate disbelief subsided I wondered, like everybody else, why?
After a few days I think I understood more. We are viewed as a Christian nation by most of the world, I'm not so sure about that, and we are the enemy. The Muslim world sees us as the Infidel, the Great Evil. This is a spiritual battle. This was really an attack on God.
In the years since then I see our country more and more turning away from God.
Our own citizens are turning against each other and against God.
Maybe the attack worked.
How do we as Christians change this trend? I don't have the answer I'm just asking the question. I do know how we can start.
Prayer, prayer and more prayer.
I can't change peoples hearts. God can.
Prayer, prayer and more prayer.
In Him,
Robert
I was setting up chairs listening to the radio. At 6:00 I heard that an airplane crashed into the World Trade Center. I turned on a TV, actually I had to set it up. I had to run a wire from the antenna on the roof of our Fellowship Hall to the TV. Not hard just took a little time. as I continued to set up I watched in horror as I saw the second plane hit. Up until then no one was sure what was happening. As soon as it hit I knew we were being attacked.
"We are America, this doesn't happen to us."
After my immediate disbelief subsided I wondered, like everybody else, why?
After a few days I think I understood more. We are viewed as a Christian nation by most of the world, I'm not so sure about that, and we are the enemy. The Muslim world sees us as the Infidel, the Great Evil. This is a spiritual battle. This was really an attack on God.
In the years since then I see our country more and more turning away from God.
Our own citizens are turning against each other and against God.
Maybe the attack worked.
How do we as Christians change this trend? I don't have the answer I'm just asking the question. I do know how we can start.
Prayer, prayer and more prayer.
I can't change peoples hearts. God can.
Prayer, prayer and more prayer.
In Him,
Robert
Each time I go...
Each time we go to the San Carlos Apache Indian Reservation, I learn something new; experience something new, God always has something there for me. This trip was no exception. Sharing the experience with “newbie’s” or people there for the first time is so awesome. Either they get it or they don’t, really no in between. It is not a criticism but an 
observation. I have seen people deeply moved by what they have seen and others who may have enjoyed the trip, but it does not affect them the same. The first day we were taken on a prayer journey through the neighborhoods in San Carlos, stopping in several to pray for the areas and specific requests shared by Diana Lawrence, one of the Directors of A.R.M. (http://www.azrez.org/). It is an eye opening, heart wrenching experience hearing some of the stories of abuse, pain, suicides, etc. Then, that afternoon we went out on the bus and sang songs, did a bible lesson and played with over 45 kids in one of the neighborhoods we had just prayed over. That night, when we debriefed, our team was left speechless. It is difficult to comprehend what happens there and then to spend time with the kids who are directly affected by it. We talked and prayed and talked some more, late into the night. Tom and Connie (pictured above left) dove right in and played with the kids, did more than we asked, they were amazing. God was so faithful on this trip, through some painful times for Tom, we all prayed and God held back the pain. 
The second day we went to the San Carlos Apache Cultural Center run by Herb, a very interesting Apache man who allowed us to ask tons of questions and talked to us for a long time. The Cultural center takes you on a small tour of the history of the Apache people you don’t find in our history books. How they were placed on reservations, different tribes who were enemies, so there was suspicion and distrust among themselves. They were given rations, not enough for all of them and they waited in huge lines seen (pictured here to the right) just to get them. We saw such similar pictures and stories to things we saw in Australia with the Aboriginal people, so very sad. The next afternoon was out on the bus again but a different area, different kids. There was a young mom (I’m guessing 16-17) who brought her 3 month old daughter on the bus. While mom made a bracelet (the craft for the week), we took care of the baby.
Tom and Connie were both overwhelmed by what they saw and learned about, and are praying for how God will use them and change them due to this trip. Robert and I, both certain that God wants us there, working on that reservation, with His people. Still patiently waiting on His perfect timing…
Your prayers sustain us; we could not do this alone. 1 Thessalonians 1:2 “We always thank God for all of you, mentioning you in our prayers.”
observation. I have seen people deeply moved by what they have seen and others who may have enjoyed the trip, but it does not affect them the same. The first day we were taken on a prayer journey through the neighborhoods in San Carlos, stopping in several to pray for the areas and specific requests shared by Diana Lawrence, one of the Directors of A.R.M. (http://www.azrez.org/). It is an eye opening, heart wrenching experience hearing some of the stories of abuse, pain, suicides, etc. Then, that afternoon we went out on the bus and sang songs, did a bible lesson and played with over 45 kids in one of the neighborhoods we had just prayed over. That night, when we debriefed, our team was left speechless. It is difficult to comprehend what happens there and then to spend time with the kids who are directly affected by it. We talked and prayed and talked some more, late into the night. Tom and Connie (pictured above left) dove right in and played with the kids, did more than we asked, they were amazing. God was so faithful on this trip, through some painful times for Tom, we all prayed and God held back the pain. 
The second day we went to the San Carlos Apache Cultural Center run by Herb, a very interesting Apache man who allowed us to ask tons of questions and talked to us for a long time. The Cultural center takes you on a small tour of the history of the Apache people you don’t find in our history books. How they were placed on reservations, different tribes who were enemies, so there was suspicion and distrust among themselves. They were given rations, not enough for all of them and they waited in huge lines seen (pictured here to the right) just to get them. We saw such similar pictures and stories to things we saw in Australia with the Aboriginal people, so very sad. The next afternoon was out on the bus again but a different area, different kids. There was a young mom (I’m guessing 16-17) who brought her 3 month old daughter on the bus. While mom made a bracelet (the craft for the week), we took care of the baby.
Tom and Connie were both overwhelmed by what they saw and learned about, and are praying for how God will use them and change them due to this trip. Robert and I, both certain that God wants us there, working on that reservation, with His people. Still patiently waiting on His perfect timing…
Your prayers sustain us; we could not do this alone. 1 Thessalonians 1:2 “We always thank God for all of you, mentioning you in our prayers.”
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