D-Day

Tomorrow my hard-working Dad is defending his dissertation at 8am. 

Please join me in praying for:

* a confidence in all the work that he has done

 * clarity of mind and speech

* sleep and rest tonight 

* a sense of peace 

LOVE YOU DAD!!

Huallaga Quechua

I've borrowed this post from my teammate Tommy's blog.  It's too good of a testimony not to share.    

First let me say that I could never create a story on my own that would describe our trip last week with the Riverland Hills Church. I don’t think the most creative writer of fiction could either. It was an adventure that few have experienced and only the obedient and faithful could survive. This past week 14 Believers and an incredible group of Huallaga Quechua and Spanish translators presented themselves for service in Huánuco. They were continuously challenged by:
1. rain and more rain
2. mud and more mud
3. illness,
4. thievery
5. oxygen levels at elevations of 13,000 feet (only 63% of what you are probably breathing right now)
6. unfamiliar food
7. 6 hours (minimum) of travel daily on single lane roads where one couldn’t lean over far enough to see the bottom
8. trucks and taxis stuck in the road and blocking the way
9. an incompetent missionary driver who backed into a ditch (name withheld by request)
10. fatigue
11.   cancelled flights
12.   and I know I have left something out!

All were rewarded with occasional sunshine, breathtaking views, friendly people, smiling faces of children, barley coffee, and fresh boiled potatoes.

But more importantly, they were rewarded with continuous protection by the One who called them to GO. It is only by God’s power we can do anything. One person said he believed that the enemy did not want us to be there as we were constantly being attacked. I hesitate to give any kind of “credit” to the enemy but in this case I must agree. And these are the kinds of places we must go to.

The teams’ response, in spite all of the above, was to begin planning another trip to this area. This is what God’s people do and in doing so glorify Him.

Again, thank you for your prayers and I hope you are going to places where you aren’t wanted!  ; ) 

(The above picture was taken in Llacsa at the medical clinic. It is at least 4 hours from town, at the end of the road and at an elevation approaching 13,000 feet. There is a very modest church building there but no resident remembers a worship service ever occurring or a priest visiting the village.)

SO PROUD!!

Today, my hard-working, studious dad received his invitation to defend his dissertation for his Ph.D.  Over 20 years ago, Dad began working on this degree. He decided that trying to do it from Asia (think pre-internet, email, iPhones, etc) was not going to be very feasible, and he didn't like the amount of time that it was going to take during his kid's childhood.  Isn't he the best?!

About four years ago he began intensely working on Ph.D and now it's time to defend the dissertation and graduate!

This proud daughter will be posting pictures of the future Dr. McSteve in full regalia at graduation!

No Tsunami Threat

Thank you so much those who have written and asked about my safety after the tsunami in Japan.  With the west coast of the US and Canada on high alert, statements had been made about the entire west coast, down to the tip of Chile needing to be on high alert.  This statement was just issued in Lima from a Marine representative:

There is no imminent danger of a tsunami of grand magnitude in Peru. There is no reason for evacuation of the coast. Take simple preventative measures: avoid the beach today and tomorrow.

Please be in prayer for the Japanese people, and the safety for those in Hawaii and other high risk areas.

The Sound of Music

I have some great friends staying with me this week.  We went through missionary orientation together and survived language school together too.  It's been really fun laughing, catching up, goofing off, staying up late, etc.  Tonight was movie night for us.  What did we settle on?  A classic, The Sound of Music.  I've probably seen it 100 times and it was just as good tonight.  We've been talking about the cast and making of the movie, and I got curious.  


Did you know....

• Christopher Plummer said about Julie Andrews, "Working with her is like getting hit over the head with a valentine's card everyday!"
• Julie Andrews had a four octave voice range.
• Nicholas Hammond (Friedrich) grew 6 inches during the making of the movie.
• When the film was released in South Korea, it did so much business that some theaters were showing it four and five times a day. One theater owner in Seoul tried to figure out a way to be able to show it even more often, in order to bring in more customers. So he cut out all the musical numbers. (Not one of my birthlands most shining moments!)
  
• Julie Andrews sang "Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious" to the children in the cast to entertain them between shooting. Since Mary Poppins(1964) hadn't yet been released, they just thought she'd made up the song for them. 

Thanks imdb.com for lots of great trivia!

30 Days of Lists

It's no secret that I'm not an incredible blogger and I don't journal regularly.  Every year I think that I'm going to start keeping an awesome journal about life, work, ministry, funny overseas stories, etc, but it never seems to happen.  I get side tracked with the hussle and bussle of life and always think, "oh I'll catch up later."  Later comes, and I'm too tired, or it's too much to write, I'm not creative enough.  Fill in an excuse and I've probably used it.

Tonight while blog-stalking (I mean catching up) I came across a 30-day challenge for those who can't, don't or won't journal.  A friend from my childhood linked this blog and I was completely inspired to take up the challenge when I read:

30 Days of Lists is our encouragement and challenge to you that you CAN journal just something every day - even something as small as a list. 

Every day through the month of March we will be posting a list prompt - anything from weekend goals to celebrity crushes. At the end of the 30 days you'll have a collection of entries creating a small snapshot of your life right now.

I am an obsessive list maker, so this is right up my ally!  If you could see the clipboard that sit beside my workspace, you might just shake your head.  It is covered with lists for grocery shopping, things to do, people to encourage, clothes to pack for a trip and meals to cook when I get back.  Yes, I love my lists.

Stay tuned, a different glimpse into my life is coming this month.

Thankful Thursday

Honestly, I've not been very thankful today. It's been a crazy productive kind of day, but it has felt like every thing that was out of my control, wasn't happening as fast as I wanted it to.  Sensing anything wrong in my attitude? Stubborn, selfish, sinful me didn't notice my problem until I was complaining to a friend. Nothing about my attitude was glorifying to the Lord.

Late in the afternoon I received and email from some friends serving in Central America and this quote they included was exactly what I needed to read today. Thank you Lord!

Only to be what (and where) He wants me to be,
Every moment of every day:
Yielded completely to Jesus alone,
Every step of this pilgrim way:
Just to be clay in the Potter's hands,
Ready to do what His word commands;
Only to be what (and where) He wants me to be,
Every moment of every day.

~from a gospel chorus by Norman J. Clayton

This is the kind of attitude I need to strive for, and it is the life I want to lead. One that is completely yielded to Jesus, just to be clay in the Potter's hands, every moment of every day.

How thankful I am for truth that convicts me of my sin.