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Showing posts from July, 2022

2022 Summer MLO Blog 10

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2022 Summer MLO Blog 10 Returned Home with a Head Full I returned home last Friday morning at 3:30.  After many delays and some struggles, we made it back to Texas. Thankfully, we and our luggage all made it safely. I came back with a head full of memories, plans for the future, and unfortunately with a sinus infection as well, which turned into covid. On top of that, walked into a house with no AC in temps that have been hovering over 100. Needless to say, not the most comfortable of environments to get rest in, but I was Home and back in Baby Doll’s arms, or at least in the same house! Lol Trying not to get her sick we avoided direct contact, but to no avail, she became sick as well. However, we are praising God that we both are on the mend and never got sicker than a head and chest cold.   As far as reflecting back on the summer’s MiLO, Mission Learning Opportunity, I can honestly say that my head and heart are full of memories, thankfulness and blessed beyond measure through the re

2022 Summer MLO Blog 9

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  Summer MLO Blog 9 While on the global mission field, one has to have a support team, family, behind them back home. I have been blessed to have an army of faithful supporters back home, praying, giving and faithfully following what is going on while away.  No one is more loving and faithful than my beautiful bride of 32 years, Baby Doll. She has been behind me, as well as with me, many times these past 16 years and without her, this would be improbable, if not impossible. Her love and support has carried me through some tough times and knowing she’s there, always lifts me up. She’s back home keeping the home front working and dealing with the everyday issues while I’m away.  It’s in that support that I walk. I am blessed by it and can’t wait to get back home to be with her. It’s also why I mention her and the strength she displays each time I’m away, because that takes energy, effort and confidence, not to mention the responsibility and feeling of being alone to handle it all. That b

2022 Summer MLO Blog 8

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  Summer MLO Blog 8 I was blessed to be asked by the children’s library to come by and read to the little ones. It was such a beautiful time of reading to them and then they read to me. It was a rainy day and no one knew for sure how many would come, if any, but 5 little ones and their mothers came and joined us at the new library. The other library was destroyed by the earthquake. I spent the morning there reading and then afterward, Irena, one of the librarians we have known for years, sat down and talked with me. She told me how hard it has been since the pandemic and then the earthquakes. She said how hard it had been for her and so many others, and how good it felt to see me and to know that H i S Print would be coming back. Irena expressed her interest in the hope that our team had when they visited, and that gave me the wonderful opportunity to share Jesus with her. When we finished, I asked her if I could pray for her and she didn’t hesitate! Keep Irena in your prayers, when Go

2022 Summer MLO Blog 7

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  Summer MLO Blog 7 I knew that coming here this year after being away for almost three years was going to be emotional and prayerfully, a time of rebuilding and deepening of relationships we have built through the years. Well, God truly blessed us with doing just that and to a deeper place than I anticipated. With so much that has gone on in the world and the difficulties and struggles that occurred with the pandemic, the isolation that resulted; then the earthquakes that hit this area and the chaos and havoc they created; the people we met with were beat up emotionally and drained spiritually! Coming here allowed us to provide a ray of hope that God used to show them He cared. Listening to their stories and the testimony of what they have gone through these past several years was heart wrenching, but also heart warming as they shared their love for us and the blessing it was for them to see us. On more than one occasion we were asked, "Are we coming back?" and "Are we

2022 Summer MLO Blog 6

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  Summer MLO Blog 6 I don’t think I can adequately put into words what this MiLO has meant to me! The opportunity to reconnect with so many we had not seen in 3 years is priceless!  Add to that all the doors God opens to establish new relationships as a result of what HiS Print has built and having shown His love over the years... amazing! Branka and me in Branka's home Robert and I had the blessing of being accompanied by Lordan to go shop for supplies and make a delivery of food, fellowship and love for the Food Pantry. We went to the home of Branka who has become a dear friend of ours over the years and is house bound due to her medical condition. When we came into the room, she was smiling from ear to ear. As we sat down and visited, we began to shed tears together over her life story and the loss of one of her sons over the past year. The joy in her heart, even in her physical condition and despite her anguish over the loss of her son, was absolutely infectious. Her smile and

2022 Summer MLO Blog 5

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  Summer MLO Blog 5 Deep breaths and rest, that was the rule of the days for Friday and Saturday. With the team from Holland gone and the house empty other than Janko, Robert and me, it was a chance to clean, do laundry, and rest. Janko hired two people who came and stripped the beds, collected the used towels and did the laundry from the rooms. They cleaned, vacuumed and remade the beds for the next group. What a blessing it is to witness this, involve the community at H i S House and give them the chance to earn much needed money. I was tempted to take a picture of the stack of laundry but resisted. Let me tell you that with 18 beds occupied for 6 days, there was plenty of it.   We had a nice lunch with Kristina on Saturday after her dedicated hard work for the past two days, not to mention the work she did in the kitchen for the team every morning for lunch. The food here is amazing and we are never cut short on portions.   Lunch with Kristina As we were cleaning up the cafĂ© area, I