Berlin, Berlin

“So let us know, let us press on to seek the Lord.

For He will come to us like the rain; like the spring rain watering the earth.”
Hosea 6:3

A favorite verse since college days, probably 1980-ish. (yikes!)

I sit here at home in the early morning hours as the spring rain pounds the earth. Life and colors are rioting all around.

The rich hues of azalea & rhodies, joined by pink dogwood against a dense palette of greens. 

Last night (throughout the night!) the frogs, later joined by the rooster (!) ~ declared their vibrancy, also noisily joining the colorful palette that is spring.

I struggle to find the words to paint the picture.  For 2 weeks my mind has been immersed in a different language, on a different continent. 

Sometimes the German words are more accessible!

You see, three weeks ago yesterday I got the phone call from my brother, seriousness edging his voice.  I honestly thought I already had enough issues to deal with without adding yet another. 

We were 3 hours away on a field trip ~ to the site where Lewis & Clark first spotted the Pacific Ocean. 

Enroute I was making final arrangements to fly Jonathan from Ohio to visit a  friend in Minnesota for massage treatments to relieve his immense arthritic hand pain. 

In the back seat I had 2 teens determined to be miserable with this ‘boring’ trip, and to make everyone else miserable with them.

So, why this intrusion now?

I switched the phone on speaker when he announced that our dear aunt in Berlin, Tante Ida, had passed away this morning.  She’d been 101 years old. 

“The Memorial service is a week from Friday. 

I’m flying out. 

Will you come with me?” 

I looked at David, who’d been intently listening as well.  He nodded at my unspoken question with an:

“Absolutely!”. 

Into the phone I tentatively announced, “Absolutely.”  I hung up and burst into tears.  This was no time to leave for 2 weeks!  What with Mother’s Day, the last 2 weeks of Co-op ~ the boys *needed* me to edit their papers, help with their schoolwork, their practicing.  I’d miss so much; how would it all work?

The long and short of it is, it worked just fine!  My dear husband missed me tremendously and gave me a wonderful welcome home.  I had a simply amazing trip. 

• Reconnecting my roots in Germany; visiting my other cousins, aunts and uncles.  My cousins are turning 70 and 80 years old.  My uncles, 80 and 90.  Soon, much too soon, these beloved ones will be gone.

• Staying with my brother and cousin in Tante Ida’s flat…. where she’d lived since she helped build it from the rubble of Berlin in 1957-58.  Knowing that her address, which has been part of my world for as long as I remember ~ 27 Weimarer Strasse, ~ and which hasn’t changed a bit since I sat on her balcony 25 years ago this July, writing love letters to the man I still love, will be renovated and turned over to strangers.   

• Staying up much too late at night with my deceased father’s twin brother; fascinated with his stories of the war, of fighting on the Russian front, of my Papa’s miraculous release from the POW camp, after earning the trust and love of the despot who ruled the 20,000 man facility.  Onkel Erich still delighting in the jokes they made about Hitler and his henchmen; showing me his ugly war scars.
• Reconnecting with my brother through our long drives between relatives…uncovering hurts & issues that had long been festering….and finding resolution. Of him accepting, and perhaps even beginning to appreciate, his little sisters’ eccentricities  .   
• And ~ him teaching me to drive safely on the Autobahn ~ at speeds I probably shouldn’t have told my sons  =).  The timing of our trip fit perfectly for him, as he’d been invited to run in the most famous car race in Germany and already had his plane tickets ~ for the next week!  So, his driving instruction was as professional as it gets!     

Yes, it was indeed an amazing, amazing trip.  Then yesterday, waking up on another continent, and 24 hours later….of the same day….. watching my boys in their End of Year program for home-school co-op.    Hard to wrap my mind around it all.

And now, feeling refreshed, renewed, having new perspective….I desperately do not want to return to life with ‘business as usual’.   David has everything so neat and tidy (not my strong points).  Wanting to very intentionally keep it that way.  If I can. 

Two teen boys facing issues of rebellion and resistance which we’ve never encountered before.  God, give wisdom, wisdom, in how to reach their hearts and bring them back to you.

Now that its summer break, finding ways to use our time well, crying out to God for projects, classes, in order to not throw away these days but, after resting, to delve into the things we’d love to pursue.  I want to take a computer class so I’m not such a dud; fervently wanting to get a healthy menu plan in process….  Oh God, without you, it will indeed be ‘business as usual’.  I say, “Abba Father, you called me away through most inconvenient circumstances.  I am now grateful, and want to make the most of it.” 

Perhaps others are also wanting to ‘make it a new day’.  Perhaps, together we can share our dreams, our plans, and encourage one another to press on towards what God has put on our hearts.  With that said, what are your dreams, plans for advancement this summer?

"Freedom Immersion" ~ Free at last!!!!!!!!!!!

 What is freedom?  Have you experienced it? Oh my, when tasted, it is so glorious!

This week my dear husband David and I attended "Freedom Immersion" class, a T-F, 9-5 seminar in Tacoma, WA.

We went to class Tues in utter desperation and hopelessness.  The intensity of life at home, primarily through struggles with a teen son, worked to divide my husband and I, and, ultimately, to surface issues that simply needed to be dealt with, which we were helpless to do a thing about.

In the wrap up Fri night, David exlcaimed, "I have a new wife!"  To which the teacher responded, "You have both changed so much since you walked in Tues morning, it just radiates from you two. It's obvious to us all!"

I confessed to David that, as they were praying with us each day and declaring, "God is going to restore you",  I thought, "Yeah right. I choose to believe that in faith, on a thread, but I sure don't see it happenin'".  (This summer one of our older guys had commented, "Mom, with you and Dad's differences, it's only through Christ that you're still together!"  Sobering reality.

In explanation, one thing that came out was, each of our God-given strengths was an area in which the enemy had damaged our spouse.  So, when we walked in our strength, we caused pain (trampling!) to our spouse, which came back as wounding arrows.  Fascinating.  (Do you believe the enemy was on assignment here?!!) 

 

And now, God, in His grace has freed, delivered us. 

I am in utter amazement of what God did in one week.  From beyond desperate to healed and whole. We are transformed.   I BELIEVE IN MIRACLES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

THANK YOU JESUS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  

 

 

Revolving Door Summer!

**note** I am so ready to post this, I'm just having fits getting the pictures in, so I'll start with this 'incomplete pix' version, and add in as I can!

Finally a moment to update, yes, it’s about time!  This’ll be a long ‘catch up’ version.

This summer has been one of the busiest, most intense ever.

As of last Tues (Sept 18), I have finally been home for my first “consecutive two-week stretch” since the end of June when we took Caleb to the Academy!  (let's all cheer!)

Living out of a suitcase/ revolving door home overview:

May 5:  Jonathan arrives home for the summer

June 26:  we take Caleb to USAFA in CO Springs (except for Jonathan, who holds down the fort…and his job!) 

June 29: Leave Caleb at USAFA, head out for 3 weeks in Spain & Morocco

Week 1:  Did VBS for a conference for N African mission workers

Week 2: Melilla Spain: I helped distribute materials to locals (esp Muslims);

guys designed and built a shed for the  (Chr.) radio station headquarters there

Week 3:  Al Hoceima:  Into the ‘interior’ of Morocco, where no church has been known to exist since the first century.  Now a flourishing band of believers light this region; first known Christian weddings were held 2 yrs ago.

The guys dug foundations while I worked with the women....

Sad story ~ our hundreds of incredible pix of Morocco were accidentally lost from the laptop forever.... a moment of silence please!!  Now, just pretend they're here; my favorites included:

1) those of me working with the little widow while the guys dug the foundation for her new house . (Grueling work with primitive tools in the 100's degree days).  Imagine:  pictures inside the comfy mud home she'd made with her own hands, us making bread together ~ grinding the home grown wheat on her homemade 'stone-grinder', to baking it in her mud oven, in a fire made from dried cactus leaves, old shoes, whatever we could find to burn.

2) The picture of me and the flower from the '100-year plant', which was supposed to bloom every hundred years.  These were everywhere; Titus climbed the tree-like plant to pick one of these 18"  bright yellow flower pods.  It smelled so strong I had to put it out of the house!

3) Joshua jumping off the 40' cliff diving rock.  It was a surprise to us all, but it takes so long to fall that far that I had time to grab my camera, turn it on, and shoot him in perfect 'pencil-jump' form above the swirling waters.  Incredible shot.

And of course, all the pictures of the people, the food, the ferry across the Med, Gibralter, etc etc.  It was a grand collection of an incredible trip.

July 16: Return home for 3 whole days.  (Do I hear ‘laundry’??)

July 20: 1 ½  weeks sailing in the San Juan Islands with our friends, the McIntyre’s    Where's the pix

of the Captain?  (Still coming!)

Aug 9: Head to Texas for David’s graduation from Honor Academy! (Yeah David!!)

Aug 12: Jonathan returns to Cedarville U, Ohio (while we were in Texas, boo!).

Aug 13:  David returns home with us to begin life in WA, hooray!

Aug 17:  Shabana comes to stay with us until the wedding (Dec 1), double hooray, PTL!!!!

Aug 24:  Church camping in Wenatchee suitcase (we’re packing again?! Home for 3 days then…

Aug 30:  Fly out to CO to see Caleb for Parents weekend!!! (Awesome time!)

Sept 4:  School starts, Hooray!! Stable schedule at last!! (haha, hasn't happened yet!)
Sept 5:  Mom is taken to hospital. Last stages of disease of dementia.

Sept 6:  Mom into hospice care, expected to live 1-2 weeks  (but the Lord only knows!!)

Sept 10: Let’s try again with school  (Mom's 88th bday today, she's moved back to Weatherly Inn)

Wow, what a summer.  “Are we there yet?!!”

....Update..... my Mom is now eating again and has stabilized.  She is in a hospital bed, very weak, but has good color and looks content.  Her time is in His hands.

Due to the pain and arthritis in his hands, our gifted young man, Jonathan, has been told, piano is over for him.  Done. Grieve and move on with life.  The death of his life vision. 

And yet, looking to the Lord to see if He will yet revive that Isaac for a greater good and glory, which only God could accomplish.  We will wait upon the Lord.

And for the wonderful news.... so exciting as David and Shabana are preparing for marriage (December 1!!). 

It's so wonderful having Shabana's presence in our house, just changes the dynamics of everything having another woman here!  (they are soo cute ~ and happy ~ together  =))

Monte Olivos, Spain

Welcome! To the Mount of Olives  (look at all the olive orchards)

A little water turns it into a paradise....

Today is 07/07/07.  The 4^th of July came and went (and I've been trying to post this since then!), but no one seemed to notice.  No fireworks, no remembrance of liberty on our shores....

Rather, here we are, an ocean away, amidst rolling hills laden with ancient olive orchards, as far as one can see.

Workers from all over N Africa are here for a miss. conference.  The first morning I was simply overwhelmed to lift my voice in worship, in unison with brethren from at least 6 countries and 4 continents.  “Shout to the North (and the east and the west)” and “Every tongue will confess you are Lord” now hit a new, deep level.  In this place, everyone has an accent, cause everyone’s a foreigner from somewhere!  (Ireland, England, China, Hong Kong, America, Switzerland….).  This morning a couple led worship in dance, in which we all participated.  It was so, so beautiful.  Touched something very deep inside me.

The children we are working with this week are precious. 

Meanwhile, Caleb is grunting it out at boot camp, do keep him in your prayers.

Mr. Mac welcoming the 'workers'

Sweet little Richard.... and the girls making bread like the widow made for Elijah, out of flour and real

olive oil during our VBS.

A moment with my Sweetie ~

Crazy games ~ making garbage bag rafts (yes, they work!)