So, I have been moved-in since the 29. of May, but I haven’t been around since then except for a few days. It doesn’t look like I will be settling in very fast either… I will be on the road most of the summer doing/supervising 5-Day clubs around Alberta. It will be so good to get back with children again!!! CYIA here in Alberta is the first two weeks in July. We are still praying for a few more summer missionaries to teach the clubs. God has opened many doors this summer but we need the helpers. PLEASE PRAY! Thank you

I will be gone 1 1/2 weeks this summer because of the wedding of Roland Pingist to Britany Robinson, a former PBI student. Most of you know that Roland is one of my “kids” from Austria. He’s not a kid no more! Their wedding is 17. of July. They would appreciate your prayers for all those traveling long distances to go to the wedding on Prince Edward Island. Some are coming from Austria! This opportunity opens the door to see one of my best friends from childhood. She lives in Nova Scotia. After the wedding she will be joining me on PEI for a few days before taking me back to NS. It is exciting while I have never been in either place. FUN!!

There is still so much I need to do before CYIA. I would greatly appreciate prayer for:

* a good car within my budget

* I got my Canadian License but had to give up my US one in exchange. An old DL was necessary to establish I have been driving for a while regarding car insurance. I am really glad I had one from 20 years ago… sometimes it pays to hold onto things… sometimes… Pray for good insurance once I get my car.

* I am grateful also that I held onto my  Canadian Social Insurance Number (SIN) from the time I worked at PBI in Three Hills. I DON’T hold onto everything, but it appears I have held onto the right things… Do you think someone was orchestrating that as well?

* getting some REST! I am not sleeping so well… the story of my life. I have found some natural oils that help, but there is just still so much going on with this transition, SO MANY THINGS, that I am finding it hard to just relax. I would greatly appreciate your prayers for that.

* I was able to visit supporters here in Alberta but didn’t get to see them all in the time-frame I was hoping. I am so grateful for each of my supporters. Please pray, as I still need MORE REGULAR SUPPORTERS. Right now I have only around 80% of my support. Would you prayerfully consider becoming a regular supporter? The work here in Alberta is so important. The children of Alberta need to hear about Jesus Christ as well. Will you help? Please feel free to contact me with your questions or look under the category SUPPORT TEAM.

* make contacts and look for a church. It has not been so easy without a car. There are many churches here in Edmonton to choose from, but I need to find the one that is right for me. One where I will be spiritually fed and also can serve by using my spiritual gifts. It would be good to find a few friends here in the city as well. I feel the loss of a good friend close by for almost a year now. I am grateful for all the friends the Lord has given me, I just wish they weren’t all so far away… even the ones here in Alberta.

Please pray for CYIA as well. Christian Youth In Action is the training for teens (and adults) who want to learn how to do 5-Day clubs. They will be trained and then be able to put their learning into practice by helping out with the 5-Day clubs here in Alberta this summer. This is the opportunity to reach many children for the Lord.

Thank you so much. I hope to write you more in a few weeks.

blessings,

mari

Wow, it’s hard to believe that a week from Friday, early in the morning, 2 of my sisters, a Suv, a U-Haul and I take off for the Canadian Border. Then head up to Edmonton, arriving the next day.

Furlough has been fantastic! Everyone I have come in contact with has been very encouraging and friendly. Furthermore, I have had special, extra time with my family for which I am grateful. The Lord is good! Still, I am SO looking forward to unpacking my bags… boxes to be exact!!! I am excited about joining the Alberta CEF Team and be a part of CYIA and the summer ministries.

Mourning is a natural part of life. I know too that I will mourn my leaving Austria. Due to Furlough, the grieving process has not been completed. Reality has not had a chance to set in. Oh, it has come from time to time in little glimpses, but… not really. Now I am sitting here at  Conference and I am experiencing the pangs of reality. This is the last place I would have expected it. But then grief never comes when welcomed. It is not something one can control.

Leaving Austria was bitter-sweet and now my moving to Alberta is proving to be the same. Still, I am not going back, I am going forward! Your prayers, especially during this time are so appreciated. The next few months are going to be a challenge. Thus I am excited about what God is going to do.

God has given me Psalm 37, 1-8 for my move up to Alberta. It starts out, “Do not fret”! That is followed by “Trust in the Lord”! Other vital elements are… dwell, delight, commit/trust, rest and wait. Then again “Do not fret!” For emphasis it is said a third time, “Do not fret- it only causes harm. God wants us to replace our fears with total trust in Him. He wants our committment and delight. He also wants us to learn to rest and wait on Him! These are elements for peace and success that I want to learn for Alberta.

Here are some prayer and praises:

Praise:
- that God is the One who goes before and prepares the way!
- for providing a new home in the basement of a Christian family
- for the finances for my move and a vehicle that have come in
- for the new people who have joined my support team

Prayer:
- that I will take Psalm 37, 1-8 to heart and let God’s Word really make a difference in my life
- for the rest of the finances for the move and vehicle come in
- for protection in traveling for us and my folks
- for settling in
- for making new friends and finding a new church family
- for the grieving process
- for a real passion to reach Alberta’s children for Jesus!

Thank you so much for all your prayers and help. Blessings!

Together for the children,

mari

People want us to just talk about the LOVE of Jesus, but how can we really comprehend His love when we don’t know or understand what He did for us on the cross?

In today’s world children on the majority, have a dismal life without Jesus. They are ignored, despised, harassed, made to stumble, abused, starved, and used for all types of horrors. It is alarming how many children are the victims of trafficking and “grooming” where “groomers” over indulge them with gifts, drawing them away from their secure environments, thus making them dependent then arranging gang rapes on these children so that they are forced to do as they are told. The problem of drugs in elementary schools is large and increasing. Drug dealers prey on young children and often force these 8 and 9 year olds to sell drugs for them. Some statistics in North America alone:

-       1,500 children die from abuse each year. There are 140,000 injuries to children from abuse each year. There are 1.7 million reports of child abuse each year.

-       More than 2 million cases of child abuse and neglect are reported each year in the United States. An estimated 150,000 to 200,000 new cases of sexual abuse occur each year

-       Among school children who come out of the eighth grade, 52% have tasted alcohol, 41% have smoked cigarettes at least once and 20% have given weed consumption a try

-       In 2007, 250 children were kidnapped and only 86% were recovered.

-       the largest consumer of Internet pornography is 12-17 years old?

-       Child pornography generates $3 billion annually

-       Websites offering illegal child pornography 100 thousand

-       Daily Gnutella “child pornography” requests 116 thousand

In the World:

-       Over half a billion children are struggling to survive on under $1 per day

-       250,000 children and young people are infected with HIV/AIDS every month

-       130 million children lack access to education and 246 million children are child laborers

-       8.4 million children are trapped in slavery, trafficking, debt bondage, prostitution, pornography and other illicit activities

-       500,000 young people under 18 are exploited as child soldiers and 30,000 children die each day from preventable diseases

These are just a few I was able to get from the internet, but you get the picture. I hope.

Children are the most open, attentive, loving, giving, devoted, forgiving creatures on this earth. They are a gift to be treasured and nurtured. They are a promise of hope for every Generation.

What does God have to say to us about the children? Matthew 19, 13 the disciples were trying to hinder the children from being brought to Jesus. Perhaps they believed that children aren’t that important; so don’t bother the master with them. Jesus replied in verse 14, “Let the children come unto me and do not hider them, for the Kingdom of Heaven belongs to such as these.” In chapter 18, Jesus instructs that we need to become like children to enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Jesus goes on to say in Mark 9, 37 “whoever welcomes one of these little children in my name welcomes me. What’s with that? Perhaps our view of children needs to be revolutionized?

This is why I do what I do, work with children and tell them about the love of Jesus. CEF, Inc wants to save them and teach them how to stand firm in the Word of God and their personal relationship to Him. They need hope in the midst of all the evils in the world wanting so desperately to destroy them. St Augustine said: “hope has 2 beautiful daughters, their names are anger and courage.  Anger that things are the way they are and courage to make them the way they ought to be.”  It isn’t courage alone that will save the children, it’s hope and we have to bring hope to the children.

You can be involved in this vital ministry as well. I need more people to join my team of supporters so that I can move to Alberta at the beginning of June. I still lace around $1000.00 in support a month. I know these are difficult times but would you prayerfully consider joining the team whether monthly or a one-time giving. “Little is much when God is in it!” You can send your donations in to CEF, Inc for Mari Isaacson account #E3AT 4541 PO Box 348, Warrenton MO 63383. Thank you.  

There was a boy who loved Jesus and would share Jesus with all his friends at school. Well,the teacher called the parents to inform them of this thinking the parents would discourage their child. Just the opposite was the case. The parents were so proud of their child and let him know it. Children are great little missionaries, if we only give them the chance. Please help me tell the children of Alberta about Jesus.

God bless you!

Mari Isaacson

We pulled up to the speaker board and heard this really loud “rrrrr”. We looked at each other and I asked, did he say, “rrrrr?” We burst out in laughter for neither of us had understood a word that he said. Quickly Mary rolled up the window for we didn’t want the guy to hear us for we couldn’t stop, tears were rolling down our cheeks.

After a few moments the guy asked very clearly, “Are you going to order?” We both took deep breaths and brought our laughter under control.

“Yes, just a minute,” Mary said as she rolled the window back down.

Meanwhile we glanced at the menu trying to figure out what to order. Now I always find this task very difficult… the menu is so big and long that it makes it difficult to know just what you want. Especially if the menu is new to you like it was to me. I didn’t have a clue. The fact that I knew someone was waiting on the other end didn’t make it any easier. I had the feeling he was getting impatient.

Perhaps he was for we soon heard from the box in front of us, “rrrrr”.

That sent us off on another laughing tangent. Up went the window. The guy was definitely waiting yet still we were having a hard time getting in control of the situation. I was ok first but didn’t think it would last, so I forced Mary to roll down the window long enough for me to get my order out. She breathed deeply and complied. After the order the window went back up and we were moved to tears once again. It was really good that no one was behind us!

After a few moments of more laughter, we drove to the pick-up window, tear-faced and smiling. We’re sure the guy must have thought we were crazy, but oh how it felt good to laugh.

That evening at Teacher Training Mary had a hard time looking at me without cracking up… even days later, we are still laughing with teary eyes when we recount that situation!

My time here in Oregon has been filled with blessing upon blessing. Spending a few months here has given me the awesome opportunity to spend a week here, a week there… etc instead of just a day or two. This has really been good in that I have been able to observe how the different CEF workers do things. Furthermore, we have been able to get to know each other, share with each other, pray together, work together, have fun together…  and yes, laugh together! I have been challenged and inspired by these great Saints of the Lord! They are touching so many children in their areas. They have grasped the urgency in reaching this generation for the Lord Jesus. They know, these are our future parents, future leaders, future decision makers. If we don’t reach them now, we will loose a whole generation and the work will be even more difficult. The ministry is difficult enough with all the opposition these days. That is why 1 Corinthians 15, 58 says to “stand firm, let nothing move you. Always give yourself to the work of the Lord because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain!”

The NEED is great. Children need the Lord! I hope to share more of that in my next blog.

Thank you Oregon CEF workers for letting me share in your life and ministry, even if just for a short time. The saying: You have touched me, I have grown is so true. Thank you!!!

Often I am asked to describe a typical day of work… well, I never really have a typical day. Every day is different, often unpredictable in the midst of routine. Even my routine is different every day of the week. That, I believe, is the story of any one in full-time Christian ministry. Nevertheless, I thought it might be interesting to walk you through one of the days I had this week…

The day pretty much started off with first… GETTING OUT OF BED! Believe me, this week that hasn’t been so easy since I am fighting a cold and am not sleeping the greatest. God enables. Then I really like to grab a mug – a tall mug – of coffee. It helps me wake up and be alert for my devotions. Devotions are a vital thing, but I must admit sometimes I let other things distract me from them. Thankfully that is not a regular occurrence!

On the said day, I had my devotions, ate breakfast with Cora then we hit the road. Our first stop was the parking lot of her church where we could connect with the Internet and get some emails done. Then it was off to the first club of the day. The travel itself was an hour there. I then had the privilege of speaking to the children for almost 45 minutes. I talked about being in transition from Austria to Alberta, sharing a lot of what I did in Austria and hope to do in Alberta. The children were really receptive. Willie, of course, helped in that matter. At the end, before Willie would sing “Jesus loves me” in German, I would try and challenge the children in telling them that they, too, are in transit. This world is not our home. We are here for just a few short years. There really is life after death… heaven and hell. Those who know Jesus personally are on their way to heaven and we will see each other again. Those who aren’t sure or those who have not yet made the decision to follow Jesus and want to could talk to their teacher about it any time. I like to challenge the children to become prayer partners as well. There are extra prayer cards for those children who want to pray for me on a regular basis. Then it was off to lunch with Cora and the teachers of the club. It was a blessed time of sharing and fellowship.

There were 3 more clubs in the afternoon and we ran from one to the other where I had anywhere between 5 and 20 minutes. Most of the time was spent driving from one place to another. I did get to see some real beautiful country. By the way, I have been staying in Klamath Falls this week and have been going to meetings, mostly clubs, all over the county! Molly, Cora’s dog likes to sit on my lap while traveling which is fine when she behaves. Well, on this particular day she decided to try and wash my pants… actually she was washing her paws but got more of my pant leg than her paw. I went into one of the clubs with a big wet stain on my leg. No one noticed but me.

Next it was off to Starbucks for a treat after a busy day. Oh yah. Someone gave me a Starbucks card and Cora and I have been enjoying the fruits (coffee) of that gift ever since. At the office we had hoped to get caught up on emails and Internet work. That didn’t happen! Well, not for me. One of Cora’s committee members was there and we ended up chatting the entire time. Then it was off to another meeting but not before we made a quick stop at home. Real quick. We were a bit behind. Again I got to share with a lady, the wife of Cora’s pastor, about my ministry and how I got into it in the first place.

Home again. Home to stay. But not the end of our adventures for the day. The first thing I did was check my cell phone for messages. I had left it at home that day. My mom had called so I called her back.

We chatted about the day then about what has been going on since we last talked to each other. It was great. She loved hearing about the clubs. Then I started telling her about Autumn. Autumn is an 8 year old girl that was in one of the clubs in Eugene where I had been last week. She had taken one of my prayer cards and started contacting me as soon as she got home. First she sent me an email telling me that she was praying for me. Then she sent me a text message telling me what the prayer was. After that, we would text each other a little bit almost every day. As I was explaining this, I realized that I hadn’t checked yet to see if she had sent me a message. I started looking for my phone. It wasn’t on the table. I looked to see if it was plugged in… nope! Cora was sitting across from me giving me a funny look so I asked her if she had seen my phone. At that moment we both broke out laughing. Of course mom, who was STILL on the phone, wanted to know what we were laughing about. Yep, I guess I was tired! Mom thought that was pretty funny as well. Oh I must explain, while I was on the phone to my mom, Cora was on the phone to her dad!

We then decided to relax by playing a game. We were often interrupted by phone calls or someone texting but kept on playing. At one point I got up to wash some dishes while Cora was texting and stopped because I thought I was making too much noise. Think about that one for the moment. Cora got a kick out of me quoting “Green Eggs and Ham” while playing. Of course, I would make up verses to fit what we were doing. I’ve been quoting that book to her for years.

By the way, we continually get compliments… people think that Cora and I are sisters. Well, we are… in Christ! I always enjoy our discussions and tired as we may be, we did have some very interesting discussions that day. One being how to wash the clothes. She wanted to throw everything in together… that might be fine for her, but I had a few white shirts I didn’t want to turn gray. She assured me her colors didn’t run. For me, she separated the very lights and whites from the darks. Nevertheless, I did get a few undies back that had turned GRAY! No running of the colors there!

The Highlight of the day though was being able to pray with each other before going to bed… and getting a hug too.

So, that might not have been a “normal” day… but it was indeed a blessed one.

God bless you richly!

Good night!

It started off a pretty normal day, weather wise. Not too cold, not too hot. Some sun. More clouds. It was our last day in Branson and  we opted for some shopping before heading back to Warrenton. There was a cluster of cute shops in Grand Village that kept our attention for around an hour before we decided to hit the road. The weather was indeed changing. I was starting to think we might be in for a storm. The wind had picked up and there were more clouds trying to block the sun. I was glad Sharon was driving!

Somewhere along the way we stopped off at a very popular restaurant, Lamberts Cafe. It is known for throwing its rolls around! Ha! I even caught all the ones thrown at me. Well, I caught two. That’s all I could eat with every thing else we got! By the time we left the restaurant we were stuffed completely. The wind had definately picket up, almost sweeping us off our feet it was so powerful. The sun had totally disappeared. Now I must clarify here that I really do love storms… Thunder, lightening, wind, rain… the whole bit. That is, when I am snug and warm at home.  But we weren’t at home. Sigh. We were driving down the freeway with still around 3 hours to go.

Well, three hours under normal conditions. These were not normal conditions. In fact, they were getting worse by the minute. We weren’t very far down the road when the storm really broke out! It was raining so hard we could hardly see the car in front of us. The wind was so strong that it took everything Sharon had to give to keep us on the road. We rocked back and forth like a rocking chair going sideways. Traffic had slowed immensely. No wonder. There was such a build up of water on the road that cars were slipping around all over the place. Luckily our van was a good one under such conditions. Why, you would have to ask Sharon. Something about it being able to react better to such conditions. Still, it was not a pretty sight!

Now you are probably wondering why we didn’t just get off the freeway and pull into a mall or something. We’re talking Missouri here. There just wasn’t too many welcoming places at that moment. Sharon was doing fine, so she said. She just wanted to get home. Plus, we kept seeing blue skies ahead… which meant we were at the front of the storm. If we could just get to the blue skies… wishful thinking. Soon we didn’t even see those blue skies ahead. We were in the midst of the storm!

I was already doing a lot of praying for protection and for Sharon, but when we started to see accidents along the road, my prayers and concerns increased. Sharon must have felt the same for she turned on the radio in hopes to follow the traffic reports. Soon it became very clear why this storm was more than a doozie… we were being followed by a tornado. Twice it had touched down in the area that we just drove through. That means, it wasn’t very far behind. At that news our prayers increased immensely. What could we do?

There’s only one other time I had been this close to a tornado. It was while I was on staff at Prairie Bible College in Alberta, Canada. Friends and I were driving to Edmonton when a storm brewed up in front of us. This time there were large hail stones coming down, the wind was fierce and rocking our car around as if it wanted to turn the vehicle over. The clouds were thicker than mud. You would have thought it was evening. Just before Edmonton it was so powerful that we had to pull over to the side of the road and wait it out. There were many cars on the side of the road that afternoon. There was also a lot of damage done in Edmonton that day. We were just grateful and relieved that the tornado didn’t come our way. We would have been sitting ducks for there was no protection whatsoever… not on the prairies.

Here in Missouri the situation wasn’t much better. There was just no where we could have easily driven to for better protection than we already had at that moment. We kept driving. We kept praying! After several hours the storm let up and we could breath easier. We still had over an hour to go but we knew we were going to make it. We were both exhausted but very grateful to God for his awesome protection.

God is indeed FAITHFUL! In these stormy times of financial difficulty, God is still the same… yesterday, today and forever! We often forget what He has done for us in the past. He calls… He protects… He enables! Sometimes I am overwhelmed with all that needs to be overcome before I get to Alberta in the spring… the VISA, the finances, the car… For Austria He ALWAYS provided and I need to trust Him to do the same for Alberta. It’s easy to let fear become a raging storm within us, but He wants us to remember His faithfulness and TRUST HIM! I am learning to do that.

Please pray for me that I will continue to trust Him in this transition time. His timing is always perfect.

God bless you richly!

In Austria we had more snow than we have had for a long while. Furthermore, it stayed the entire winter. That too is an unusual occurrence. I think God did it just for me seeing as I love snow so much. Seeing it was my last winter in Austria. I loved it!!!

I got to spend a few days in Venice with one of my co-worker friends. It was awesome. It was something I had been wanting to do for years, but couldn’t find anyone to do it with. Then out of the blue, Margit suggested we do it before I leave. So, there you have it! God is good!

Everyone has a birthday once a year… but how many people get to celebrate the BIG 50 on Easter Sunday. What an awesome privilege!!!

When it comes to packing for a vacation it might be difficult knowing what to take, but how do you pack when you are not only moving out of your present home, but also out of the country? It was a big chore deciding what to keep, what to sell, what to give away and what to throw away! I am very grateful for the help. My church even had an action for some of my stuff. It was quite an event!

Taking a boat trip on Woertersee in Kaernten is something I have always wanted to do. Well, it ended up being one of my birthday presents from some dear friends. We made a day of it and had lots of fun. Ha, we even experienced a real dozy of a storm on the last leg (hour) of our trip. Making memories!

How do you say goodbye to co-workers, dear friends, dear places, dear things (my kitties), then children in the different clubs… all after 19 years. Believe me, it was the hardest thing I have ever done in my life. Infact, I believe I started the mourning process already a few months ahead. Out of the blue, I would break down in tears… sometimes alone, but mostly while in church or during some activity with friends. I definitely left part of my heart in Austria!

Then there was the actual leaving Austria. Something I never thought I really would do. Something I prolonged as long as I could. Sigh.

Then there was vacation with Tabea Eggeler in Canada and the US. I was so very grateful that I didn’t leave Austria alone. The three weeks with her were a blast!

Meeting my future boss and a new co-worker in Alberta was a blessing. The other two workers I was already acquainted with from times of furlough spent in Alberta.

Our sister get-to-gether on Orcas Island for a few days. Tabea was there for that as well and fit right in. It was so much fun getting together with my sisters. Something that only happened once before the entire time I was in Austria.

In all the years I have been with CEF, this was the first time I spent a whole month in Warrenton, MO. It was great.

Sharon and I took our traditional trip to Branson and stayed with friends there. We really got to see a lot this time around. The highlight was going to see the Titanic museum. I was glad I was one of the survivors!!!

I had never heard of Stream-cleaning, let alone be apart of such a crew. Therefore I jumped at the opportunity to do it in MO. What an experience. You wouldn’t believe all the crazy things we pulled out of the river and transported in/on our canoes… it’s amazing some of our canoes didn’t sink! What fun!

Spending a few days in Georgia with a dear friend was a real blessing as well. We went contra dancing which was a first for me. Contra dancing is like folk/country dancing… it has it’s own style. We got our exercise that night!

Being in Arizona for the first time was quite an adventure. It included a trip to an Indian school where I was about to challenge the children about missions. Then we got to spend a few hours at the Grand Canyon! Wow. It was spectacular!

I spent more time with family in 2009 than I have with them in almost all the years I have been in Austria! I am so very grateful for my family. Thank you, Lord!

Learning how to blog has been a great challenge of 2009! I am still getting the hang of it!

Then seeing supporters and friends I have not seen in a very long time was a real blessing. There was the joy of seeing other supporters and friends who I usually see each furlough as well. I am so very grateful for each one! I wouldn’t be where I am today without them!

Being a part of the Missions Conference at my folks church in Moses Lake was a real blessing.

For the first time in a very long time I was able to spend two whole weeks at my home church in Edmonds. It was fantastic! This church has seen me thru thick and thin and I am eternally grateful to them!!

I had the privilege of going to the play, “Pride and Prejudice”. It’s one of my favorite stories. It was great.

Being given a trip to Disneyland (hotel and entrance fees for 3 days) by a friend I haven’t seen in 21 years was two wammies in one! I didn’t know Disneyland could be so much fun. It really depends on who you go with. Thank you Bry. It was special.

Jury Duty has always intrigued me. But it’s something I never really thought I would be chosen for. Well, I was called but not chosen since I am not nor ever was a resident of the city in which I was called. Sigh. I couldn’t have done it anyways since I had speaking engagements during that time and wasn’t even in the appointed county. Well, let me rephrase… I am glad I didn’t have to cancel those important meetings.

I got to be in the Christmas program at my parents church. I was even an angel. What a privilege to be a part of that. I was indeed greatly blessed!

Christmas with family for the first time in years was definitely a major highlight. It was awesome. Thank you, Lord.

To end the year, one of my sisters had a Murder Mystery Party and I was invited. What a riot! The theme was oriental so we dressed accordingly. What an evening! It was a crazy group and we had lots of fun. My character was NOT the one who done it!

To top the evening/year off… or welcome in the New Year, we watched over an hour of fireworks. Everyone brought more than enough. Jim made a great bonfire which helped us keep warm. The fireworks and fellowship was great.

Well, these are the major highlights. God has done some pretty awesome things this year. I am so grateful He has used me to speak to many this year about Him. Thank you too for your encouragement in my life. You have made my year much richer!!

Happy 2010!… can you believe it, only 11 months till Christmas!?!?!

Christmas time with my family was really special. I had to keep pinching myself to check to see if it was real! Yep! It has been more years than I can count since the last time I was able to be with family for Christmas. Christmas with family. It is a time to really treasure. The laughter. The sharing. The giving. The food. The listening. I am very grateful to have the opportunity to be with family.

Still, this Christmas left me with lots of time to ponder. Though I was very glad to be with family, I really missed Christmas time in Austria. Being gone all those years, I had started my own traditions… Christmas Eve was always spent with the people in the house. My landlady, her son and his live-in girlfriend. Though they celebrated Christmas for totally different reasons other than the birth of Christ, it was still a fun time. I tried to be a witness thru example and would also share when I got the chance. Unfortunately, most of the time they didn’t want to hear what I had to say in regards to “religion”. Well, what they didn’t realize was that I didn’t want to talk about RELIGION at all. I wanted to share with them what it meant to have a personal RELATIONSHIP with the Creator of the Universe! The One who loves them so dearly. The One who wants a relationship with them. The One who demonstrated His love so drastically in that He died for them. No, they really didn’t want to hear any of that. Jesus is just not “that” which they believe they are looking for. They just don’t get it… they will keep searching for “that” and never find it till they find “that” in the person of Jesus Christ.

Christmas day was always special as well. My two “daughters” would come over before breakfast to open Christmas stockings. No, that is NOT an Austrian tradition. They learned it when they lived with me for a few years. My landlady would also come and we had a stocking for her. She never added anything to the stockings, but that didn’t matter. We were just trying to use anything possible to love her to Christ. The last few years the group was even bigger because Aure had gotten married. Last year she even had a second child with her. After opening the stockings, we would then have breakfast together. After breakfast came the fun part. We would sing Christmas songs accompanied by Peter on the Violin. That was a real treat! The Christmas presents came last. It was great. Frau Krainer would usually leave right after that. Tabea, Aure and her family would follow slowly after more fellowship. By lunch time, I would be at my dear friends, also missionaries, the Bryans, where I would spend the rest of the day. They lived in the next big city over a half hour away.

There were other traditions during the month of December in Austria. There were the Christmas Party clubs with the usual Good News Clubs and then also “one-time” opportunities to share with Children in other party clubs the true meaning of Christmas: CHRIST! Then there was the Christmas celebration at our church where we tried to invite people who normally don’t come to church. The message was always really clear: CHRIST! I enjoyed singing a solo each year and Willie always made an appearance as well. Then I can’t forget the special tradition Tabea and I started a few years back. We would take the very early train to Salzburg arriving around 9am. We wanted to be early enough to enjoy the Christmas Open Market before the crowds. Believe me, even in the freezing cold, there was always such large crowds by 11am that one could hardly move around. After that, it was off to the Getreidegasse to the fish restaurant for lunch. Oh yah, our favorite place. Great food. We then went to other shops and caught the bus to a friends house for coffee in the afternoon. Then we would hit the evening train home. We loved it.  The Austrians were getting more and more into Christmas lighting as well. Each year there were more and more lights on private homes. The cities themselves really knew how to decorate which added to the spirit of the season. Then the SNOW!!! sigh. No show here this last Christmas!

My landlady would always say to me in January… guess what, we will be celebrating Christmas again this year! You know what, she’s right!

Well Christmas is passed, though you wouldn’t know it with all the decorations still up. Still, it’s time to get back to work. So, it’s on the road again!

Today I surprised my home church by stopping by. It was great! Many wanted to know what my future plans are, especially when I plan on moving to Alberta. Perhaps that is your question as well. Well, I leave here (Everett) and go to Idaho for a few days. Then it is off to Eugene, Oregon. My first stop of many the next 2 months in Oregon. If all goes well, I will then fly up to Canada the end of March to see if I can find an apartment. Hopefully then the middle of April I will be able to move up there.

What has to happen first:

1. I need to raise another $500.00 per month in support

2. I need to raise 14000.00 for a vehicle for Alberta

3. I need probably $2000.00 in start-up fees

4. I need my VISA (which I have been working on and am still waiting to receive)

Sometimes it is totally overwhelming especially now that there are so many people hurting financially. Still, Pastor said at the end of his sermon a phrase that really makes one ponder: YOU TRUST GOD, YOU’LL SEE HIM! I really need to trust Him in this whole adventure. The Alberta workers need me… there are only 4 workers for the whole provence! The Alberta workers really want me… I have talents and abilities to do aspects of the work that the others aren’t qualified to do! I need to TRUST God.

Still. God needs hands and feet to do His work down here on earth. Would you be willing to be use by Him in reaching the children of Alberta with the Gospel of Christ? Most of you can’t go, but you can give. You can become a vital part of my ministry by becoming a prayer and financial partner. Perhaps you say you can’t give much… remember: LITTLE IS MUCH WHEN GOD IS IN IT! Especially now during this financial crisis, YOUR help is needed.

Please send Donations to:

USA donors: CEF PO Box 348 Warrenton, MO 63383 for Mari Isaacson Acct# E3AT 4541

Canadian donors: CEF of Canada PO Box 165 Winnipeg, MB R3C 2G9 for Mari Isaacson ISM1

PLEASE PRAYERFULLY CONSIDER THIS. The saying goes for you too: YOU TRUST GOD, YOU’LL SEE HIM!

Please pray for my time on the road now to raise more funds. Please pray that my visa will arrive soon.

Thank you so much. God bless you richly,

mari

It has always been hard for me to just start talking to strange people… by strange I am not meaning their looks or clothing, or even some of their mannerisms… we would all then be considered somewhat strange, don’t you think.?! So, to even share my faith or “go fishing” as Brother Andrew once said, was even harder. To go fishing means to drop God’s name here or there in the conversation, (not as a swear word!) and see if the person hooks on and is interested.

Well, a funny and very interesting thing happened on the way to Linz! I was on the train. My normal habit is to find a place by myself and then keep myself occupied with my MP3 player, a good book, Sudoku, or even a well-needed nap! On this trip the only empty seats were a group of four together with a table in the middle. Not bad. I was the first one there so I got to claim the two seats on the one side facing the direction the train was to go. After settling in with a good book… one written by a friend I had just seen in Canada. It was an autographed copy! I hadn’t even really had a chance to read more than a few lines when an older, businesslike looking woman joined me. We greeted each other, and then I started devouring my book. I must say, it was a book worth devouring. My friend is known for his humor. In fact, he travels all over just to make people laugh. Ok, perhaps not just for that… there is a method to his madness!

His book was making me laugh! So much so, that I could hardly contain it at times. Lets just say, I had so many tears in my eyes that I couldn’t even read through the blur before me. Naturally this awakened the curiosity of the woman sitting across from me, not to mention all the others sitting in the near vicinity. It was a pretty full train! She asked me what kind of book I was reading that would give me so much enjoyment. Ha, it was easy to explain to her that this special book was written by a friend of mine, a friend who has written many books and travels much. He loves to pass on Christian principles in a humorous way. This book was no different. It had to do with relationships and forgiveness. He explains with humor how important it is to let go of things so that we can experience more joy in life.

She nodded, made a comment and I read on… until I again was practically in stitches! This time she was so interested, that she wanted to see the book for herself. Though she is German speaking and the book is in English, she wrote down the title, the author, and other valuable information… ha, including his email address (that is, if I remembered it correctly!!). She definitely wanted that book! And I was definitely thinking GREAT! She will come in contact with Jesus thru reading it! Who knows where that will lead! She thanked me several times for the information. Now that I think of it, I should have gotten HER address and sent her the book. I thought too late. But nothing is impossible with God!

Shortly after that she got off the train and her place was filled by two nuns. I greeted them and read on. It really didn’t take long before I had won their attention through not being able to contain myself! Again I told of my friend and his purpose in writing the book. They thought that was great, especially since it had to do with faith. But the conversation didn’t go beyond that and within an hour they were also gone.

A mother and child of around 10 replaced them. We greeted each other and I read on. I must say, it is absolutely impossible to read very far in this book without laughing. Interesting since my friend said he didn’t believe it was a good a success as his other books. What can I say, laughter speaks for itself… if nothing else, this book has caused a lot of curiosity! So was the case with the two across from me now. So, for the third time I shared about my friend, the purpose of the book, and some of God. This time I really tried to go “fishing”. They didn’t hook on so I continued in my book, that is, till I got to a story that brought blinding tears to my eyes. They weren’t tears of sadness! This time the boy asked what in that book of mine was so funny. What better way to explain, then to tell him the story of where my friend went golfing with another and the raven stole their balls. Life just doesn’t always go as planned so how do you handle it? Get mad or laugh about it and trust God? The interesting thing was, the mother and son were on the train because their plans had suddenly been changed as well. It was even a miracle that they got this train.

After sharing a bit with each other the boy noticed that the book was in English. That surprised him. His mother then asked me if I was from Canada. I had pointed out earlier that my friend was from Canada. No, not Canada but rather USA. Then she was really curious as to how I could speak such good dialect. That brought on a long explanation of the time when I was a nanny two different times for a family here in Austria. Through the family I got to know a woman who was from Kaernten, the area where I have been living the last 15 years. From her I had learned the dialect before I even learned proper German. That conversation lead to Bible School and she wanted to know what that was. That explanation lead to why I was even in Austria now so I got to describe what I was doing, mainly working with children, teaching them about Jesus! Interesting. She thought it all was interesting, but said nothing more. Since I also didn’t know what else to say, I read on.

When I got to the story of the man who was told he had cancer, this time I retold the story to them before they even had a chance to ask. I then explained the purpose of the story as well. It was well worth telling no matter how they would take it. The woman didn’t really reply, but she looked like she was thinking about what she had just heard. Perhaps she was thinking about all of it.

Shortly after this the train arrived at my stop and I got out. While looking for my friends I thought, wow… not only did I get to talk to some people… 5 directly and how many indirectly? But I also got to share a bit about Christianity and my work here. I think I need to take one of my friends books with me more often!

What kind of interesting doors has fun laughter opened up for you?

mari

(Medford/Talent) – Pick up Mari at CYIA staff mtg in Salem (Jan 23) to take down to So. Oregon

(Klamath Falls) – January 24-31

Dallas area) – Feb. 2, 7 pm prayer meeting

(capital district/Salem) – Feb. 3 – ?

(Portland) – March 5-6

(Roseburg) – March 18, 6 pm, Banquet speaker

There are still time slots open if you want me to come speak to your group in Oregon!!