Mari Isaacson

There are events in ones life that, at the moment of conception, aren’t funny but rather frightful. Nevertheless, afterwards, perhaps because of relief of survival one can laugh at the memory of the event. Such was the day Sharon and I were chased across Missouri by a tornado.

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!

As I reflect on 2009, I must admit it was definitely a year to remember!!! let me share some of the highlights with you.

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!?!?!

How many of you enjoy living out of a suitcase? I don’t particularly. Still I am glad that I am on the road again. It is one step closer to my goal of getting to Alberta, Canada.

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

Laughter can open interesting doors!

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

(Eugene) - January 18-22

(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!!

My favorite song since childhood has always been “Jesus Loves Me”. You know it, “Jesus loves me this I know, for the Bible tells me so. Little ones to him belong. They are weak but He is strong. Yes, Jesus loves me… the Bible tells me so.” That song was written for children, still I have never come to outgrow it. The truth that Jesus loves me is powerful and life-changing. Yes, He loves ME!!!

Children have always played a very special role in Jesus’ life. He loved the children. He rebuked His disciples when they wanted to keep the children away from Him by saying, “Suffer the little children to come unto me and forbid them not”! When you read Matthew 18 it is all about children. We need to be like children to enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Woe to those who are a stumbling block to children… there are powerful words if you are… it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were drowned in the depth of the sea.” Think about that for a moment… Think of the world’s view of children today. Think of all the possible stumbling blocks, some greater and more hideous than others, still to Jesus they are all the same and have the same reprimand!

I was the speaker at a CEF prayer luncheon the other day and heard some things that really shocked me. I would have not been surprised if we were talking about Austria, but the disturbing prayer requests had to do with Washington state!!!

Did you know that there are parents going to the after school clubs with the sole purpose to disrupt the club and keep the children from hearing the gospel.

Did you know that parents are encouraging their kids to physically harass children who participate in the after school clubs.

Did you know some schools are no longer allowing CEF workers or even children to pass out invitations to the after school clubs. The children can only be told thru the internet. For those of you who don’t know, a child can’t attend such clubs unless they have a signed permission from their parents. Many of these parents aren’t getting the permission slips because they don’t have internet or don’t check on what the schools are sending thru the internet.

Did you know, that although it was ruled that these clubs also have the right to take place, many schools are still trying to do what they can to prevent them from happening. In some schools the clubs can only take place if there is a janitor available so some schools are making it harder for a janitor to be available, especially on a regular basis. You can understand or imagine what irregularity does to a club. It’s hard to reach the children if they don’t know when the next club is.

There are more such stumbling blocks all over the US!

Praise God for the schools where children are still encouraged to attend an after school club! We need to pray more earnestly for God’s protection for students, teachers and staff of these schools. Some schools are even clamping down on any teachers or staff who are caught praying in the schools.

We need to pray for victory over the different stumbling blocks keeping the children away.

We need to pray for more club teachers for the schools that don’t have any clubs due to the lack. Pray God will send more workers into His harvest field!

Please pray for me as I prepare to go to Alberta to reach the children there. Right now there are only four full-time workers for all of Alberta! Oh, there is such a need. I am in the process of applying for my work visa at present. Pray that there won’t be alot of complications. The counselor at the Canadian Consulat in Seattle was really trying to discourage me.

More regular supporters are desperately needed for me to go to Canada as well. Plus I need to raise the funds for a good vehicle. If all goes well, I hope to be able to move to Alberta in April. Your prayers and support will make a big difference!!! If you would like to help out with a one-time or monthly gift, you can send your donation into CEF, Int. PO Box 348 Warrenton, MO 63383. Make the check out to CEF but put on the designation line for: Mari Isaacson E3AT 4541. Remember, little is much when God is in it!!!

Thank you so much for your prayers and support. God bless you richly!

mari

Yes, there are differences!!!

There are so many things we take for granted. Isn’t that true?!?!?!

Would you believe that I have been experiencing a lot of culture shock since returning back to the states. Yes, the US is my home country, but I have been living ‘abroad’ (Canada & Europe) for almost 25 years!! Therefore, I thought you might be interested in some of the “cultural differences” I have been confronted with in the last 3 months. Some of it is quite amusing.

- different Holidays

- coffee!!!! I miss my european coffee!!

- church services (size, how the service is done, who gives the sermon, music, those involved in the service, special music, choir…)

- Traffic!!! (Traffic signs, traffic light functions, traffic rules,… I must say here, Americans are much more polite in traffic!!!)

- LANGUAGE!!!

- Food!

- Cars!! (size! stick vs. automatics!)

- gassing up the car! (my first time gassing up here in the US I didn’t know what to do!!! No joke, I stood there for 5 minutes before a voice from nowhere about scared me out of my wits… that voice then went to apologize for scaring me… I was rather embarrassed… the voice by the way was from an intercom. The lady in the store could see what I was doing.)

- prices!!!

- buildings

- greetings or lack thereof… in Austria we greet each other on the streets, when we enter a shop or business…

- locks on the doors… you lock in the opposite direction!

- clothing sizes, shoe sizes…

- store and mall sizes

- worth of the $

- power wattage

- plugs and sockets

- toilet paper and kleenexes…would you believe it, when I first moved to Austria, the toilet paper was like sandpaper, now it is even nicer and thicker than the tp here!!! Family and friends used to send me tp…. now perhaps I should get some of my austrian friends to send me some… what do you think!?!?!?

- Health food stores

- Postage

- How dates are written

- How time is kept (normal or military… in Europe its always military)

- Bedding!

- Europeans do MUCH more walking

- whether cats are indoor or outdoor cats

- cleaning your teeth in public… Austrians always hide their mouth while doing it!

- Table manners (how to use your utensils, what to do with your hands – for example, Austrians hold the knife in the right and the fork in the left. When the knife is not being used to cut the food, it is used to push the food onto the fork. There is no ‘hands in the lap bid’.

- attitude towards nudity. I won’t even begin to explain that one, sorry…

- not recognizing places I grew up in due to the many changes

- not knowing where to go to fax something, photocopy something, get passport pictures, find a computer battery….

Well, the list could be longer… give me time!  If I am having such problems with the US being my home country, imagine how it is like for foreigners!

Mission Conferences are pretty special. It has been a very long time since I was able to attend one, let alone be a part of one. I do remember the Mission Conferences we used to have at Prairie Bible Institute. They were awesome. I loved to hear what the missionaries had to share of their lives on the missions field. They were normal people like you and me.  Normal people willing to step out of their comfort zones to do something that was “unnormal”. Don’t worry, I know that isn’t a word but it fits the bill.

Last week I had the awesome privilege of being one of those normal people doing something “unnormal”! I was a missionary in Austria for the last 19 years. Believe me, I was totally out of my comfort zone… learning a new language I was still learning as I left, eating totally different foods (which I definitely won’t complain about… it was great food! Now I have to adjust to totally different food again being back in the states!), having to deal with a different mentality, different landscape (I did have the mountains, but totally missed the Ocean. Kaernten has tons of beautiful lakes, but nothing that compares to the vast ocean with its smells and surprises!). Clothing was somewhat different, even if you find that hard to believe. Ha, the Austrians could always spot the Americans right off without an American even saying a word… the clothing gave it away, especially the white tennis shoes. Oh man, we won’t even begin to mention the politics in everything, religious traditions that were such a way of life, the medical side of life and so much more. Ha, I am experiencing so much culture shock just being back!

Nonetheless, it was a joy and a privilege to be one of the “missionaries” at the Mission Conference at First Baptist Church in Moses Lake, Washington. On the first Sunday I sang a medley I put together… Jesus Loves Me and Does Anybody Love The Children. The latter song I had learned from some friend at PBI. I hadn’t heard the song before attending there nor since leaving. I wasn’t even sure it was a published song. Still that song had never really left me. Perhaps it inspired me to write the poem, Who Cares. Perhaps. Anyway, I really wanted to sing that song. Amazingly, Laura, the pastors wife found the words for me. That was a gift in itself. Now I have the words as I do hope to sing the song again while on furlough… in fact, every chance I get. I like it as a medley with Jesus Loves Me. God used those songs to speak to peoples hearts. Amen!

On Wednesday I spoke to the adults in the evening service. Would you believe it, I didn’t even stumble around with my words like I often do due to forgetting how to say certain things in English. I still stumble, but not that night. The Lord was good. Then on Friday I had a great time with the children. There weren’t a lot of children there, but the ones that were, were a real joy to be with. It was great.

Again I was awed and inspired by other missionaries there who shared their experiences and lives. I just hope and pray that I too can be such a blessing to those who come to hear me speak. We are just normal people living “unnormal” lives. But I am more than sure that we are not the only ones who experience the awesomeness of God in our every day lives. We are all missionaries in a sense. At least we should be! What do I tell the children?… if you are sharing your faith with someone else, then you too are being a missionary. Are you a missionary?

I discovered my new profession yesterday!!!

In the morning I grabbed the keys to the only vehicle available… the big Ford Pickup with double cab. I couldn’t avoid the adventure… and what an adventure it prove to be!

Now you must understand, in Austria we drive small compact cars. Since being in the states I have driven everything but such an economy car. I have driven driven Suv’s and big vans, why not a huge truck… To me it was like trying to manover a submarine. Sitting behind the wheel, I felt totally lost and had to adjust everything… the mirrors, the seat, the pillows (yes, pillows) which didn’t aid much in reaching the gas pedal. Then there was the fight with the seatbelt! This was not the time to have that safety device NOT work! Well, with everything adjusted as much as possible, I was on my way only to discover that the truck was almost out of gas!!!

I needed the truck. I needed to get to the church. There was no time to do anything but keep going, praying there would be enough gas to get me to the church on time. No, I was not going to a wedding but I did have to be at the church on time to practice the song I was going to sing in the morning service! Getting gas for this machine would have to wait till after the service. The feel of the truck was something I had never experienced before. First, I was so high up, it was like being on top of the world! Keeping the vehicle on the road wasn’t as difficult as I had expected, none the less, there was a continual pull and the steering wheel was constantly in motion. The truck lacked guts at times but I reached my destination in one peace.

The gas held out, but ironically, I got to the church only to be told that I would not be able to practice. There were tecnical difficulties with the other soloist therefore there would not be enough time before the Sunday School class was to start. Oh well… Now I had time to deal with the practically empty tank. I won’t say how long I searched for a switch, latch, button or lever that would open the door to the gas tank. There was none! It was incredible. It was very frustrating! Nada! Perhaps the door needed a key to open it. Investigating this only opened up another problem… there were two gas tanks! Which one was I supposed to use?!?!?! To compound things, I couldn’t even get ahold of my sister to get answers. What was I to do? I decided to leave the problem for my dad… after church.

As interlude, let me share what else made this such an adventure… I am short of 5′2″ (only sometimes are my eyes blue!) and the cabin of this truck is pretty high… perhaps you can then imagine the fun I had getting in and out of the truck… in a skirt!!!

Well, after church dad did check out the truck and we decided to just use the first tank which turned out the be the correct one. The door didn’t need a key, a lever, switch, button or anything else. It opened just fine.

Other challenges with the truck had to do with parallel parking, making U-turns, backing around corners, and other interesting manovers that are magnified with the size of the vehicle. But all in all, I survived. It wasn’t so bad but I wouldn’t want to drive the truck on a regular basis. A new Profession… I don’t think so!!

27. September: Singing in the morning service

30. September:  Speaking at First Baptist Church in Moses Lake. 6:30pm

2. Oktober:  Speaking to the children at First Baptist Church in ML. 6:00pm

3. to 18. Oktober:  Edgewood Baptist Church

19. to 30. Oktober:  Greenacres, WA with Ray and Nancy Paulson

more to come…