My Life Of, "Boy, I Meant To Do Better At That"!

Have you ever wondered what would happen if you actually accomplished all those lists you make, the good intentions of finally throwing out that potato salad from the 4th of July Picnic or taking on that job of getting your life"organized? I look at the last entry of this blog and keep trying to justify my not posting all that has happened and just can't find any. So with all my little lists crumpled up and thrown into the trash and setting that job of organizing in the back of my "To Do" folder, I have determined to just get done what I can. Oh, and yes, I did finally throw that potato salad out. I didn't know potatoes could turn that color!!

The month of June was spent in revivals, camp meetings and Mission conferences here in the states. We traveled many a mile with the hand of God wrapped around us. God keeps on amazing us in how HE supplies our needs. God even gives us special blessings we don't even ask for! We had a friend call us up and ask us how many miles we had on our 2000 Excursion. Well, we thought it was a strange question but told him that at that time it had a little over 300,000 miles on it. He then told us he wanted to buy us a newer Excursion. You could have blown us down with a feather!!! After some searching and "surfing" our friend found a 2003 Excursion for us up in Wisconsin!

We drove from North Carolina after we closed a revival and drove straight through to the dealership in Wisconsin, did the paperwork, wrote a check and drove both trucks down to northern Indian to start another revival. This wouldn't be a big thing except the GPS took us right down Chicago during the worst time of day and I WAS DRIVING THE NEW TRUCK!!!!! Praise the Lord we got to the church without one problem just my frazzled nerves and lack of sleep. God is so good in his care for us. I don't know why he supplied this truck for us, but I've learned through my many years as a Christian that God doesn't make mistakes and there is always a purpose for what HE does. Sometimes he makes us wait before he reveals the whys and sometimes he just tells us "Cause I said so"!!!!

The Church building in Honduras.

In July we were honored to take a crew of 9 men from the Trinity Baptist Temple Church in Saginaw, Texas with us to Honduras to build a church and a Community Pavilion (picnic shelter). It was hot, dirty, weary work for all of us. Well, not so much for me... I mean I did work, but not like these guys! It seemed like they moved a mountain of dirt one shovel (and I use that term very loosley) and some of the poorest wheel barrows we have ever seen. But the willingness of this crew to do any type of job, the intensity of work and humbleness of wanting to help the neighborhood children was so moving. I watched as on of the men took off his shoes and gave them to a man who had no shoes. On the last day of the trip these wonderful men gave away their work shoes, gloves, work clothes to the neighborhood men who had pitched in help us work on the church. One of our bricklayers even left ALL of his tools with a 78 year old man who has been laying bricks almost all his life.

Christian and Jesse with one of the girls.

The Mountain school where we feed about 80 kids.

We still need about $3000.00 to finish out the roof, windows and doors and the wood for the pulpit and pews. We took one day to take the men out to the feeding center up in the mountains and we had a blast with the kids. While there we watched these men huddled together talking. When we asked what was going on they said they were trying to figure out a way to build playground equipment out of what might be available in Honduras. They are already drawing up plans for a return trip to help us help make the lives of these children just a little better. We cannot thank these men for the sacrifice they gave in coming with us to work like they did, but I know GOD CAN and WILL reward them.     One of the men had brought a huge bag of little bead bracelets that his little daughters had hand made for all the children.  They had even gotten the Children's Church involved in doing something for someone else. Most of these children came to school without food, with out pencils or paper. They sat at tables with chairs with no backs and some were even missing  a leg and a  piece of wood holding it up.  The teachers are working with the barest of supplies and they are only paid a pittance as a salary.

Our focus isn't on these children having a place to play, or a place to go to school, or to have paper and pencils, but to hear the Gospel message that Jesus Christ loves them and gave his life for them so they can have eternal life through HIM.

The best part of this summer has been that we had a little time to go see our wonderful grand children. I am always so excited about seeing them whenever I get a chance. I got to spend my birthday with them this year and we had a blast. The kids each bought me a present using their very own money they had received by doing chores and even wrapped them all by their selves! From Jacob I got a Red Fire Fighters helmet, Lydia bought me a great big package os sidewalk chalk and Lily Jean bought me a baby doll! We had cake with more candles I cared to count and the candles were surrounded by toy fire engines!!! Thanks Brad!! I was so moved by the thought my precious grand children put into getting me a present. Okay, so they took them for themselves as soon as I unwrapped them but I didn't care one bit!!!
I think Grandparents enjoy their grandkids because we can revert back to our own childhood without everyone wanting to rush us off to the Nursing Home!! We "swam" in the kiddy pool, drew pictures of ourselves on the sidewalk, ate ice cream and popsicles, played ball and just had a great time of being a kid. Sometimes we get so busy with making a living that we forget to live! I found out how much fun playing hide and seek was again! That excitement of hiding and then running after each other, falling into a heap of love and laughter brought back that little girl who had gotten lost inside of me. I even discovered that I can still do a cartwheel and walk the next day without too much pain!
I love being a grandmother and all the wonderful things that come with it. I keep praying that I can be the kind of Nanny that will not only be fun but that will be able to be a witness of God's love, grace and salvation.
Well, I really didn't mean to recap the whole summer so I'll leave the rest of the excitement for the next blog which I plan on doing in a few days. Really, I really do mean it this time! So I will leave you with the ramblings that have fallen out of my head and hope that you enjoy them and come back to hear about all the other wonderful things I did on my summer vacation!!!!!