Mari Isaacson

So much has happened since I wrote my last article. It’s bubbling within me just waiting for an outlet. A definite “Must share”!

There is a verse, which fits so well to this situation… or better yet, my story is proof of the reality of God’s Word. Luke 6,38: Give and it will be given to you; good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use it will be measured back to you.

Last week I mentioned to you, taking up the challenge of sacrificing something, enabling me the means to  committing support to this Christian organization on a regular basis. Well, all the necessary arrangements were made. Great joy was the result. That reminds me of another verse: 2 Cor 9,7: So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver. 8 And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work. Not only did He give me joy in giving, but He also gave an awesome abundance. Let me explain.

Keeping a budget: It is a practice I have done for years… thanks to one of my high school teachers. It has really come in handy especially during those times when money is really tight. Anyway, thanks to my budget, I saw I had a lot of extra money for the month that was quickly coming to a close. This never happens. Perhaps a few dollars yes. Never this much. In fact, some months I go over the budget and have to be even more careful the next month to compensate.

God was already blessing.

Now, I could have added the extra money to my savings. It wasn’t meant to be. God laid on my heart two friends who were really in need. To help them out would mean not only using that “extra” money, but also digging into my savings or the next month’s budget. Ok. If that is what God wanted, I was going to trust Him and be obedient. A few days later, several things happened: Both friends were truly grateful due to the timing of the gift. Moreover I received a gift in the mail. Would you believe the gift was over three times the amount I had given? It truly was!

Coincidence? Definitely not!

Proverbs 3,9-10: Honor the LORD with your possessions, And with the first fruits of all your increase; 10 So your barns will be filled with plenty, And your vats will overflow with new wine.

God delights in proving His Word true. Do you need to step out of your comfort zone and trust Him today? There are so many needs around you: the poor and widows among you, struggling/hurting Christians, Compassion/World Vision children needing to be adopted, Bible Schools and Missionaries needing more support, Churches struggling to meet their budgets, and more. Has God been speaking to your heart to help such as these? Matt 25,40 says: Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.

You can’t out give God!!!

Blessings!

Ps… The rest of the story really needs to be told… One of my friends whom I was able to help shared with me something pretty amazing. She felt God wanted her to give to a need, but she didn’t have the extra money. In fact, she was almost totally out of money. Nevertheless, God kept saying to her, “will you trust me, will you trust me?” She decided to trust and gave the money to God. Two days later she received the money I gave her in response to the leading of the Holy Spirit. She too received back much more than she gave. We serve an awesome God!

What giving again?

I asked in dismay.

And must I keep giving

And giving away?

Oh no, said the angel

Piercing me thru.

Just give till the Father

Stops giving to you!

Anonymous

Do you ever feel like you are giving so much that you can’t give any more? I was confronted a few weeks ago, with an opportunity to give where the need is really great. My heart was drawn to the need. I wanted to commit to this project. But my first thoughts were: I am giving enough. I am on only 80% salary here in Canada and everything costs so much. How can I give more than I am already?

Then I thought of sacrifice. Several things come to mind:

Luke 21, 1-4 says: As he looked up, Jesus saw the rich putting their gifts into the temple treasury. He also saw a poor widow put in two very small copper coins. “I tell you the truth,” he said, “this poor widow has put in more than all the others. All these people gave their gifts out of their wealth; but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on.” Am I just giving out of my wealth or am I really making sacrifices for God.

My oldest brother is an excellent example of this widow to me. For over a year now he and his wife have been really struggling financially and yet, they would rather keep up all their giving commitments than buy food! As a result, God keeps food on their table!

I wish I had had that kind of attitude when I went off to Bible School many years ago. Years before, I had already committed to tithing at least 10% of any monies I would get. As a result, I had experienced God’s faithfulness so many times over. No doubt should have ever entered my mind. Unfortunately it did. I had been supporting a Compassion Child but when Bible School came along, I was afraid I would not be able to continue, as I had no idea even where my school funds were going to come from. So, I did what I thought was best at the time. I gave up my Compassion Child. I still tithed whatever monies came in. God still was faithful. Nevertheless, I always regretted giving up my child. The money would have been there. As a result, I had made the decision without even talking to my heavenly Father about it. Sigh.

Phil 4,19: And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus. God says he will supply our needs, not our wants. Still, I have experienced the fact that God loves to shower us with gifts as well. When I was first heading off to Austria with CEF, there was a set of luggage I had seen that I really wanted. It was that tapestry luggage back in the late 80’s. There were five pieces to this set: two different size suitcases, a duffle bag, a suit bag and an overnighter. During that year I was on deputation to raise the funds for Austria, God gave me every piece of that luggage. I still remember, it was the day before I was to leave and I hadn’t been able to get the duffle bag. I just gave it to the Lord. Then two things happened: I got a package and a visitor. The package turned out to be a beautiful quilt that some ladies from Roseburg, Oregon had made for me. It was beautiful. It was big. I had no suitcase for it. The visitor was a dear friend of my moms who had come to say good-bye to me. As she was leaving, she gave me an envelope and said it was for my trip incase I had some last minute needs. Last minute needs… I needed a suitcase for my quilt! (By the way, I still enjoy that awesome quilt!)

Well, dad and I jumped in the car and headed to Sears. The first store did not have the duffle bag so we headed to the next. There it was, the last one. And would you believe it, the money I received was the exact amount I needed for the bag. Do we have an awesome God or what?!?!

Well, getting back to the question of giving more, I realized it would be possible  if I made a few sacrifices. My older sister once made the observation: if we just gave up one coffee at Starbucks each week, we would have around $20.00 a month to give. So, I decided I could give up something each month to help further the Kingdome of God! As a result, God has already blessed. Luke 6,38 says: Give and it will be given to you; good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use it will be measured back to you.

Has God been speaking to your heart about supporting a missionary or project outside of your church? Perhaps you are already but He would like you to step out in faith and take on another. In the coming weeks, I would like to share with you different awesome stories about God’s overwhelming generosity. You just can’t out give God! Don’t believe me? Test it out for yourself.

Blessings!

mari

It’s amazing how that old lady gets around. After we left her in Canada, she showed up some years later in Austria. By the way, she did show up at the Bible School a few more times for different events. One time Kelly and I were just trying to bring a little laughter into the High School girls dorm. They were tough girls. A lot of those girls on our floor (we were High School Resident Assistants) didn’t really want to be there. Thus, study hour time was a challenge to say the least. We tried. So, the old lady moved on to different lands….

The first time the old lady was requested to show up was for a game during a 5-Day club was in Burgenland. It was a scavenger hunt. There was a long list of interesting things the children needed to find. One of the items was my signature. Well, children love such treasure hunts I have discovered. So, we decided to add a little twist to the hunt. I would dress up as an elderly lady and walk around the church grounds. What added a bit of spice to the occasion was that a neighbour lady was also outside. Another elderly sort. We stood out there in plain site for all the children to see and chatted for almost an hour. The entire time children were racing past us looking for this and that. It was rather hilarious. In fact, we broke out in laughter a few times as we caught bits of conversations where the children were looking for me. We were even asked a few times if we knew my where-a-bouts. My only response was, sorry. After all, if I said more I would have to lie. That wouldn’t be right.

One boy got smart. He was around 10 or 11 years old. He kept coming by and looking at me real hard-like. Finally he came up and asked me for my signature without even asking if I was who I was supposed to be. Who might that be? I asked him how he knew. Easy. My hands gave me away. They weren’t the hands of an elderly lady. Ah, perhaps there is some merit in those dishwashing soap commercials after all.

His group was the only group that won that day.

Then there was the time with the Junior girls in Villach. It was another type of hunt. This time all they had to find was me. The rules were easy. They broke up into three groups. Each group had a Teen who was only there to make sure nothing went wrong. Oh yes, each team had to have the cell phone. They were to call me every 15 minutes and ask me where I was. Not too hard. The boundaries were set and the girls were off.

Again, I needed to add a different twist so that it wouldn’t be so easy for them. In one of the restaurants I changed into my costume. Out came the old lady again. I had borrowed different parts of my outfit from different elderly women in the church. Even a decent wig I was able to scrounge up from some hidden corner of a second hand store.

The calls started to come but none of the groups were in sight. I wasn’t moving very fast. Sometimes I even stayed where I was to see if they would show up. Nobody. Finally I get the call that one of the girls was getting a heat stroke. It was really hot that day. My costume didn’t help me any, I was sweating up a storm. That group was heading to McDonalds to get out of the heat. Ok. I then told the other two groups of the new destination and started heading there myself.

Along the way, one of the groups passed me, almost running me over. One girl looked back. Probably to see if I was still on my feet. I felt sure she had recognized me. But no, she turned and kept on going.

Some of the girls were at the counter when I arrived at McDonalds. I slowly went up to them and placed my hand on the shoulder of one of the girls. She turned and looked at me with such a frozen expression as if I were some kind of monster. Another turned to see what the matter was. She too had a terrified look on her face. As if I were in the position to really do any of them any damage. I couldn’t believe it. The situation was so hilarious that I broke out in laughter and couldn’t stop. They all turned then. Everyone in the near vicinity was watching with curiosity. Finally it dawned on each of the girls present who I was. Some of them even started laughing. The two who were terrified finally breathed deeply. The one closest to me exclaimed that she thought I was going to fall on her or something. They were still having a hard time believing it was me. Without my laughter, they would be stumped.

Well, the others in the group were already upstairs with their food. It was time to test out their reactions. I headed for the stairs. Before reaching the landing I noticed an empty chair at one of the tables where some were sitting. I filled it. Everyone stopped talking and looked at me strangely. I was sure the seat was meant for one of those down ordering their food, but no one trusted themselves to say anything. They weren’t rude or anything, they just didn’t know what to do with me. One actually said hello. I kept thinking, come on you guys, look at me closely. Finally I had to laugh, which of course, gave me away. One of the girls dropped her salad on the floor in reaction. Another stared at me with open mouth. Several others started talking at once.

Once the others joined the group and I had also ordered my food, we talked about the situation. We did a lot of laughing during that meal.

It’s an eye opener to see how different people react to the elderly. Some people just don’t have the time of day for this age group. Others don’t know how to relate so they tend to shy away from them. For the most part, the elderly are overlooked. That is sad.

The elderly have lived through so much, they have lots to say. If only someone would listen. Even just taking the time to smile at them when passing on the streets can change the outlook of their day. I love smiling and greeting the elderly when I am in the city. Some of them are just as grumpy looking as if I hadn’t said anything at all. Then there are the others. Most of them have a massive change of countenance, like a rose that has budded in the sunshine. It’s a beautiful sight.

Try creating a flower today. Make a few minutes for the elderly. Even if it is just a smile, it can change someone’s world.

It’s amazing how we often take our friends for granted till they are no longer there. Settling in here in Edmonton has not been easy. No friends here! Well, not yet. Friendship takes time, but do we take the time to make friends?

Being here so close to Three Hills brings back many memories of treasured friends. Let me share a bit of the past with you, for it has to do with some of you, my dear friends!

In Bible School you sometimes do really strange things just to take the pressure off of all the studying and piles of books to read. Well, I loved to dress up. I have loved dressing up since the first time I was old enough to go trick-or-treating. It then carried over to my Jr. High and Sr. High days. Our school was always having opportunities to dress up. Most of the time it was to show our support for the different sports teams. But sometimes it just had to do with the season. So, whether I wore red and white, my clothes backwards, an Indian costume that I made out of a burlap bag, or some other crazy costume, I was always totally engulfed in each opportunity that came along.

In Bible School such opportunities rarely presented themselves, so one had to be creative and make the possibilities happen. On this particular day I was totally stressed out and needed some kind of outlet. A fantastic idea started to form and I went to the Tilly to search for the needed items. Now the Tilly was like a second-hand shop there on the school premises. You could either buy things like clothing, books, extra blankets, fun stuff, and even costumes really cheep, or borrow them. My plan took shape as I found the needed items.

Back in my room I put on the costume and looked in the mirror. What looked back at me was a fragile, elderly lady who was looking for some adventure in her every-day coexistence. She was equipped with cain and one of those hats with a net in front hiding part of my face. The grey wig and gloves added to the effect immensely along with baby powder and facial lines made with mascara. I was set to try out this new look. It was dinner time. Destination: the dining hall.

Now I must say, I have been plagued with back problems my whole life. Problem which, when I am in great pain, affect the way I walk. Therefore, my plan was reinforced with the fact that I knew exactly how to walk like an elderly woman. I had had much practice.

I arrived at the dining hall, none to quickly I must add. The distance between the girls dorm and dining hall was normally around 5 minutes. Normally. First I had to wait till there was no one in the hall, then I managed to my friends room undetected. It was all set up that I would have a co-worker in crime. Kelly was to tell everyone who asked that I was her great aunt who had come to visit. Paul, her then boyfriend now husband, was also recruited in the scam. With that all set, we were on our way. Nevertheless, it took almost a half an hour to actually get to the dining hall once we left her room.

We arrived and Paul was there to meet us. It was amazing how convincing we actually were. I was sure that everyone would recognize me. Very few. This was just too true to believe. I always wanted to be an actress but never got the chance till now. I was enjoying this roll immensely. The best was yet to come.

We were sitting down at one of the tables in the midst of the big dining hall when our, already nearly full table was graced with another. Charlie. (Charlie is not his real name, but we will call him that for this article.) Charlie was an elderly, single gentleman who loved to flirt with the female students. He was always careful though with whom he chose to flirt with. Charlie was my friend. We had lots of fun together. Now here would be my biggest test.

Charlie didn’t waste a moment. He wanted to know all about me, where I was from, who I knew, what I was doing here, if I was single, what I thought about life… Charlie didn’t waste any time. He was flirting with me like I had never seen. Go figure. He thought here was finally someone in his league. Whatever. Do you know how hard it is to disguise your voice when you are trying to keep from going into hysterics? It isn’t easy. Paul and Kelly were having a difficult time with it as well. At least if they laughed, it could be attributed to something else. As time went on, it was getting more difficult to control myself. I was grateful for the fact that the netting from my hat was somewhat covering my face. Finally he was just getting too personal. I broke out in laughter.

The transformation on his face was priceless. Puzzlement. Recognition. Then, that serious look. Charlie could never keep a serious look very long. He just didn’t have it in him. Thus, he didn’t succeed here either. After that “oh, Mari!” exasperation, he joined us in laughter as well. If we hadn’t been friends, I think he would have been clobbered me.

Friends. Friendship is a real treasure from the Lord! It is an extra blessing to have friends who are willing to stand behind you when you try out your crazy ideas. It makes me think of Jonathan and David. They were the best of friends. They were kindred-spirits. Jonathan knew David would be the next king. That alone could have caused enough jealousy to break up the friendship. Jonathan didn’t let that happen. He was behind David 100 percent. That’s friendship. I am so grateful for the special friends God has brought along my path at different intervals of life. It has been such friends who have made me a better person. For this I am eternally blessed.

To ALL my friends: YOU HAVE TOUCHED ME, AND I HAVE GROWN! THANK YOU!

Let a friend know you appreciate him/her today.

Blessings my friend.

mari

This year I had the awesome privilege of being a part of CYIA in Alberta, Canada. It was a totally new experience for me. Not only was it the first time for Canada, it was also the first time I was a co-worker and not the missionary the summer clubs would be praying for.

CYIA stands for Christian Youth In Action. It is the opportunity for teens and adults to get training on how to do 5-Day clubs and then teach them during the summer. It is awesome. It is challenging. It is draining. It is a blessing.

It has been a very long time since I last wrote an article… sorry about that. Thus, I thought I would share with you an incident that took place a few years ago at CYIA in Washington.

It was Christian Youth In Action (CYIA) and I was having a great time with the kids and CEF Staff. Being the “special” person of the week, the missionary, has a way of boosting ones spirits and getting one more involved with the program. I do have a tendency of sitting back in the shadows, making myself unnoticed in new situations. At this camp I just wasn’t given the chance, not that I wanted it anyway.

Seeing a bunch (over 100) young people really wanting to be used by the Lord is a very motivating and moving thing. These kids were dedicated and worked hard at preparing for summer ministries. They motivated me. Perhaps that is why I jumped to the challenge of going on the zip line. Incase you don’t know what a zip line is, it is a cable extended from a high platform to another tree some distance away. I never did find out how long the cable actually was. That just wasn’t the problem anyway. The problem was I was afraid of heights! Let’s put it more in perspective, I am terrified of heights!

Perhaps it was the excitement of the moment, or the challenge itself, or the fact that the platform didn’t really look that high up from where I was standing. No matter, I agreed to do it and the kids were excited. Only problem is, once I was up on the platform I really started to freak out! No exaggeration there! But now the kids were looking forward to it, and were even letting me be the next in line… the privilege of being the special person of the week! I didn’t think I could go thru with it, but I knew I had to. Fear had such a grip on me that I was afraid I was going to have a real heart attack. This information slipped out and the boys around me really picked up on it. They definitely wanted to be in my will if I was going to kick the bucket! They were starting to make their claims on my possessions. “Can I have Willie?” was the first. Everybody loves Willie. Willie is my puppet, but you can’t tell him that. He hates that “p” word as he calls it. Willie can say things I wouldn’t dare say. I plan on saying one thing and he comes up with something totally different! People laugh at what Willie says. I’m not such a witty person myself unless he is along. It’s an amazing phenomenon. It’s no wonder he’s the very first thing on these boys list! Then came some more of their requests. “Can I have your money?” To him I replied I’m a missionary and don’t have any money! “Can I have your car?” “You’re too young to drive!!” “I’ll save it for when I am old enough.” There were more, but those were the best. I hated to break up their fun, but now it was my turn to get fastened in. Some how being attached to three different safety lines just didn’t do anything to reduce my fear. Now came the moment of truth! I really thought I was going to die of fright. But I had already decided, for the kids, there was NO turning back. Therefore, I needed help! Not that I hadn’t been praying since I first arrived at the top of the platform and looked over the ledge. I prayed for a courage that I really didn’t believe I had. It had to come from God otherwise I was not going to make it.

The lady informed me I could step down on the first stair and then go from there, but I knew that if I was going to do this, I was going to do it right. At first I thought I needed to do this for the kids watching. But I knew now I needed to do it for myself as well. Perhaps I wasn’t Daniel facing the lions, or his 3 friends facing the fiery furnace… I wasn’t Esther going before the king without a summons or Moses walking up to a burning bush that wasn’t burning. I wasn’t even Joshua going around Jericho on the seventh day or Peter when Jesus told him to step out of the boat and come to him on the water. Nonetheless, those lessons taught of courage. How often had I told the children that God gives us the courage we need for whatever task… now I needed to live what I had been preaching all these years.

“Do you want us to push you?” That actually wasn’t a bad idea! “Ok, after I count to ten.” I counted to ten but no one pushed so I grabbed that courage and ran off the platform… screaming!

It was amazing. After the initial jump the ride was actually a lot of fun. Fun that ended much too soon in fact. After going back and forth a few times I stopped in the middle of the cable where the real test of my courage would be proven. I had to stand on a ladder in order for the lady to unhook me from the security lines. Ladders and I just don’t have a fondness for each other. I remember one time in Burgenland I wanted to rescue a bird that was hanging from a gutter on a roof. It’s foot had gotten caught in some kind of thread and wasn’t able to break free. Birds have a very special place in my heart so I bravely got the ladder and headed up the rungs. No love in the world was able to take me up that ladder to resuce the bird. Fear had only let me get half way before reminding me very clearly that the ladder was very old and wobbly and could fall apart at any moment. It was only waiting for the right moment which was probably when I reached the top! Luckily someone else came along who could rescue the bird. For my part, I usually avoid ladders at all costs.

For the first two lines she stood on the ladder opposite me. Things were going ok. Then she informed me that she would have to go down the ladder and come up behind me to unfasten me from the last security line. I panicked! Yelling down to the kids below I told them to hold the ladder in place. They obliged but I still didn’t feel safe till both my feet were on the ground. Courage. I looked back up the hill at the platform I had just jetted off of. If it hadn’t been for courage, I would never have made it. Now I felt like I could really identify with some of those men and women in the Bible who had to find their courage when there were no other options. Sure, I did have another option. I could have backed out, but that really wasn’t an option. Thank you, Jesus, that I went through with it and that you gave me the lesson in courage that I needed.

Well, I arrived. It was quite an adventure really…. it rained the first day of travel and snowed, REALLY snowed the second! Needless to say, there was a crack in the U-Haul and LOTS of my stuff got wet. Mostly washables, but also some of my non-replacable materials. The rest was protected by Containers. Thank you Rubbermaid!! Still, it is just another reminder that THIS WORLD IS NOT MY HOME, I’M JUST A PASS’N THRU!!! I am very grateful for two of my sisters and a friend (of my older sis), who helped me make the big move from Moses Lake to Edmonton. They also helped me unpack all the wet and damaged boxes and most of the rest as well. Wow.

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

Dear friends and family.

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

There was this one youngster in the Good News Club who just couldn’t sit still very long. I was sharing with the group about Jesus dying for our sins. It is always good to give examples, so I did… “have you ever told a lie?” The boy looked at me and almost defiantly and replied, “no!” So I looked directly at him and asked him again. “No” was his response again. He didn’t even bat an eye or look around. So, I gave other examples like: telling a lie, taking a cookie without asking, disobeying your parents, and others. All of which he replied in the same way. NO. Now either this boy was being really ornery, or he really believed what he was saying!

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

On the way to Teacher Training, Mary Cunningham and I decided to pick up something fast for dinner. What better way to be fast then to do the drive- thru. Those aren’t as easy as it seems!

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!!!

…or Furlough, or Home Assignment… whatever you want to call it.

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!