Matt goes to Israel & Evangelism Explosion

Hey my friends....

I still read your blogs daily as they come in my digest.  I have been doing much better, and my life is evening out once again. 

This morning my 19 yr old son left for Israel.  He attends www.ccbce.com a bible college in Hungary.  They had room for 50 kids from the college to tag along on a trip with Pastor Chuck Smith (Calvary Chapel Costa Mesa) and also Joel Rosenberg.  (He is an end times fictional writer and speaker)  They are also going to meet with Joels friend Netanyahu.  He was the 9th prime minster of Israel.  What an opportunity.  They will be there for 2 weeks.  Wish I could go.  They will do things like float in the dead sea, get baptized in the Jordan, stay at a dead sea resort and even ride camels in the dessert at night.  Obviously this is a tour and not an outreach, but man, what a blessing.  I am praying seeing all of this first hand would increase his faith. 

Lillia update is she is plugging along.  She was released from the hospital and now is staying at the Ronald McDonald house over there in Minnesota.  She is still having daily transfusions, but really seems to be coming along.  They are able to stay there for only 5 dollars a day per person!  So when you pull up to those little coin dispensers at McDonalds you know that the money is going to children and families needing help at a critical time in their lives. 

On the homefront....we got a new kitten.  He is pure black and we named him Thomas. He is a little too playful, but he will mellow out I am sure.

Tuesday night we went out again w/ our teams.  I met a lady in the Laundry Mat.  We asked her if she was interested in talking w/ us and she was!  She said she hoped to go to heaven because she was a CNA and helped others.  So we explained to her the gospel of Christ and it being a free gift and how she could receive it by faith and she prayed right there w/ us!  She said she had so been wanting to find a church cuz her husband had left her recently and she was really hurting.  I am going to meet with her later this week. 

We also prayed with another guy named Reynado. He moved her recently from Brazil.  He had a ton of really good questions.  One of the guys on my team is a retired teacher from one of our local high schools and has such a kind teaching spirit when he shares.  We explained everything to Reynado and he did pray to receive Christ, but afterwards did not really think he was saved.  We gave him a bible and he said he was going to read through the booklet we gave him and look up some of the verses and would like us to come back in 2 weeks to answer more questions. 

I used to be terrified sharing my faith.  It has gotten so much easier.  When you ask permission, you can never go wrong.  If they say they are not interested, that is okay, you move to the next apt. door or next person.  That way you can never be accused of shoving religion down someones throat.  The Lord tells us the harvest is plentiful and the workers are few.  I believe that now.  If there are 30 of us going out on Tuesday nights, and we have over 100,000 thousand people in Wausau (and its area cites), well, then chances are you will come across people who are hurting and want to hear more.  I find that about 1 in 10-15 want to hear more.  This is not to say that everyone who prays a prayer is truly trusting in Christ, for there are 4 types of soil, however, it is seed planting and sometimes it takes a person multiple times hearing God's word. 

I know for me, 2 men came knocking at my door.  It was May 8th, 1989 when I received Christ in Bonita CA.  I had just moved back in with my parents and these 2 men, (one was the pastor of Calvary Chapel San Diego) and the other was a missionary from Budapest, (yes Hungary where my son now attends) and my son Matt was just a baby and I was a hurting single Mom. 

God is good! 

If anyone wants more information on the program we currently use, google Evangelism Explosion.  There are workshops all over the US teaching people how to effectively share their faith.  Now that I know how, I will never wonder again how to include the 5 points and cover everything.  (Heaven is a free gift, Man is sinner and cannot save himself, God is loving but also just, Jesus Christ who he was and what he did and Faith, believing faith, not temporary faith.) 

Well, as you can tell, I am sounding better these days.   My Jonathan turns 5 this week and we are having a party for him on Saturday!  Now if this snow would just melt.....

I pray you all have a blessed week in JESUS! 

More sad news.......

This past couple of months have just been really really hard.  There are so many hurting people in this world and some of them are part of my family and closest friends. Life is really hard sometimes but we know that GOD is good all of the time....so here is a recap:

Lillia~ Lillia's surgery went really well, however after more chemo, she is currently in Minneapolis Children Hospital.  After a HUGE treatment she has now undergone her bone marrow transplant on March the 5th and she is a very sick little girl.  Many mouth sores, body sores nausea, etc....I spoke with her mom Kim just this morning and they fear she may have pneumonia, so please pray for Lil.  She is almost 3.

My husband Ken's sister Kim was diagnosed with Multiple Myeloma.  She has numerous cancerous tumors in her bones and will be starting intense treatment next week.  She is hospitalized up in Canada right now where she lives and they will be medi-vacing her to a larger city Edmonton here very soon.  She had complained of back problems and such, and was under the care of a chiropractor when she broke her humorous (arm) getting up.  That is when they discovered the tumors.  Kim and her husband Dettmar are both strong believers but could still use prayers. 

My girlfriend Mary back home in San Diego lost her 28 year old daughter Krystal last week.  She leaves behind a husband Chris, a 5 year old daughter Hannah and a son Max who is just 4 months. 

I have lost 2 pets recently too, which just add to the mix, Orry our cat who was 10 and Tinkerbell our dog who was 11.  They died within 2 months of each other and that is always sad anyway.

Me, I just keep plugging along in my faith.  I have shed many tears and the Lord is showing me how to transfer the burdens of my family and friends back over to HIM.  I am learning to not only trust HIM in all things, but to thank him as well in all things.  His ways are higher than mine and HE knows what HE is doing.  I do not understand the whys and I need not question HIM.  His grace is sufficient. 

I have been going out again with Evangelism Explosion.  4 weeks ago I prayed a gal Linda who has been attending womens bible study with me on Wednesday nights at our church.  Tuesday night when our team went out we met Carolyn and Gary who both prayed and received Jesus as their Lord and Savior.  That was the highlight of my week.  God is good and salvation for the lost is the most important thing.

My son is still at bible college in Hungary with my niece Victoria.  This weekend Victoria who cuts hair went out with a team with her scissors to set up a free haircutting station in the square near Budapest as an opener to sharing the Gospel of Christ with the lost.  Hungary was under the communist rule for so many years up until 1991 so a lot of the people are still oppressed however some are open to the Gospel!  So they are taking the good news to the streets!  We pray this is fruitful for them this weekend! 

I pray this finds all of you well.  Stay close to Christ and in his word as we know that his word is the only thing that has any power to change hearts and lives.....

Sheila <><

Sinus Pain

I have had sinus pain since Saturday night.  I have been to the doc 2 times.  Once for antihistamines, and Tuesday for an antibiotic.  Today I am happy to say the pain is subsiding some.....however I have been very lazy cuz I have felt so yucky, no workouts, etc.    Well, hopefully I am on the mend.

Update on my girlfriends daughter~Lillia~

Lillia went in to have another MRI yesterday.  She is almost 3 years old now.  Her neuroblastoma tumor had no change after her 6th round of chemo.  (nor any change after round 5 either)  They have decided to go ahead with the surgery on the 17th of January.  They will be sending her to Milwaukee and attempting to remove this large tumor that is wrapped all around her heart.  If by the time they get in there and cannot remove it, they will send her to NY where there are doctors who have performed these delicate surgeries and may have better success. 

Please pray for Lillia!  She is on my heart and mind constantly.

Have a wonderful weekend!  love, Sheila <><

Happy 2008!!

Well, I figured it was time for an update on Xanga!  I have been using other sites such as facebook, myspace, etc....However I still love Xanga!  Only Xanga allows you to really get to know NEW people. 

Christmas was nice.  We spent it here in WI.  Went over to my M & FIL's.  My hubby's sister and her family flew in and it was a good time.  We played sequence which was fun.

Today I started War on Weight.  I was doing really well last year, and then I kinda gained back some of my lost poundage.    bummer.

Matt is home from College for another 4 weeks, then he will return to Hungary for another semester.  It is nice having him around....most of the time. 

Well, I pray this finds you all well in the New Year! 

Blessings, Sheila