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posted by Esther on 02/14/10

I would like to take this opportunity to say how faithful, gracious and merciful the Lord has been to allow me to have another undeserved year on this earth. I celebrated my birthday with a renewed gratefulness and zeal for life due to this near death experience.

God’s faithfulness was demonstrated in a very big way Sunday night, January 31, 2010. What a feeling to wake up being jerked around in the back seat of a vehicle to the sound of people crying out to their Heavenly Father for safety. The vehicle malfunctioned and we  lost steering as we were driving back from Indianapolis over a bridge. The snow on the road had been plowed to the side creating a ramp up the guard wall. Had it not been that we drove up the ramp at the same spot that there was a lamp post, we would have driven right off the bridge. Instead we veered to the left, skidded down the wall, knocked down another lamp post and came to a stop with our two right wheels hanging over the bridge! God had heard our cry and no one was hurt.

   God’s faithfulness was demonstrated in a small way too. At one point when I was thrown forward, my glasses flew off and one of the lenses popped out. We searched in the dark to no avail but after opening the door to get out, it was found in a pile of glass and ice! What are the chances?! It was definitely God caring for me.

As I stood shivering in the cold, looking over the bridge at the huge river way below I thanked God for life and repurposed to live it for Him. What a comfort to know that nothing can happen to us that is outside of God’s control.

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posted by Esther on 02/6/10

Its great to be in the schools again! This session I have also been taking training which has been very helpful and improved my teaching skills.  During training one Monday afternoon, Amy read this to us and it renewed my vision for the work here. It discribes our work well. Think of a child whose life you are touching as you read the following:

“When a boy or girl thrusts his small hand into yours, it may be smeared with chocolate ice cream, or grimy from petting a dog; and there may be a wart under the right thumb or a bandage around a little finger. But the most important thing about his hands is that they are the hands of the future. These hands are the hands that someday may hold a Bible or a Colt revolver; play the church piano or spin a gambling wheel; gently dress a leper’s wound, or tremble wretchedly, uncontrolled by an alcoholic mind. Right now that hand is YOURS. It asks for help and guidance. It represents a full-fledged personality in miniature to be respected as a separate individual whose day-by-day growth in Christian adulthood is your responsibility."

Wow. Lord, be our Guide!

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posted by Esther on 01/4/10

Tuesday, Dec.29, we pulled up to the Hicks and were warmly greeted and invited on a hike around their property which felt good after the 8 hour trip from Sanibel. Out by the pond we ate oranges fresh off the tree. Before this trip I’d never even seen oranges on a tree! It wasn’t long before Mr. Hicks fired up the four    wheelers and we started an exciting ride through the woods. This was also a first for several of us and we were thrilled.

That evening we toured their remodeled farm house, played Dutch blitz, bowled in the living room and ate lots and lots of ice cream!

The next morning delicious aromas of freshly baked cinnamon rolls filled the air. They were so good and many of us lost count of how many we ate! Before packing up we enjoyed watching Picture Proverbs that brought   the wisdom of Solomon to life. After our group picture, we were off. I look back and would say that the highlight of this visit was the meaningful, uplifting conversation that were a tremendous reminder that our God is trustworthy and we can depend on him. The  oneness of Christian fellowship has been such an encouragement on this incredible vacation!

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posted by Esther on 12/22/09

What a delight to experience the hospitality of the Stelzl family over the past couple of days! It was beautifully demonstrated from the time we pulled up into their driveway. Inside awaited delicious soup selections, grilled chicken, terramazzu, and peanut butter pie, just to mention a few of the fabulous wonders brought forth in the Stelzl kitchen. And then there was the exciting games of football and Catan, the thrills of the mile-long biking trail the archery competitions, and the new experience of carving every step of a wooden bowl from a log to a smooth masterpiece!

But Monday morning topped it all as we gathered in  the living room by the Christmas tree and shared testimonies with each other. What an encouragement to hear stories of how the Lord is doing great things to expand discipleship opportunities and reveal His faithfulness in our daily lives.

It ended all too soon, but we left encouraged and motivated by their warm, genuine, southern hospitality!

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posted by Esther on 12/18/09

  Yeah! Robert and James arrived home late last night and now our whole family is together! We had a grand Christmas celebration until the wee hours of the morning experiencing the truth of Acts 20:35 “It is more blessed to give then receive.”

  After a delicious pancake breakfast, Dad started packing the van and somehow managed to make it all fit! We squeezed in ourselves and were on our way!

At about 5:00 the snow was coming down very hard and we came to a complete stop in traffic without knowing why – probably an accident. And here we are with Christmas music softly playing and the snow swiftly falling and all of us cozy and warm inside.

This is definitely an unusual Christmas! We’ve never had time just to sit in the car like this! We are definitely breaking tradition. At first we thought “Well,we could do this at home!” But then we thought about how we wouldn’t – because we don’t have time. We are  treasuring our time together and pray that this Christmas you will also be blessed with family time.

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