To top it all off...

I came down with a really bad cold this week. On Tuesday evening, after dinner, I started to get a sore throat, achiness and heat flashes. I went to bed and woke up Wednesday with a bad sore throat and all my joints hurting. I spent the day dragging just trying to keep going. I took some Ibuprofen before I went to bed that night and sweated all night long. When I woke the next morning I felt GREAT, having a lot of energy, I was able to do my work with ease. I thank God for His healing so that I could continue with all my work that is still ahead of me. I am feeling much better now, still not completely over it.

Thank you all for praying. Please continue to pray, it has certainly been a battle here as well as on the home front.

The work is going well. The electrician is nearly complete with his Rough-in. The Plumber still has not been able to start his work yet, because of the problems we have had the Plumber had to go start another job and has not been able to get back to us. He is to start his work on Monday. The apartment is coming together despite all the set backs that we have had. We have all the walls framed up and have started insulating and hanging the drywall. It is looking like an apartment now. We should be able to hang some kitchen cabinets on Monday.

I have a very busy week. Some friends want to see me on Monday evening, my Brother-in-law is coming up to see me on Tuesday evening, I have a meeting planned with another friend and I still need to do some shopping, as well as do some work on this apartment.  Don't get me wrong, I am very excited about this week with all the busyness seeing everybody and all, especially the fact that I will be seeing my own family on Thursday, that is the day I will be traveling back home. So, I can't forget to pack too!

I have some very exciting news too! My phone rang today and I answered it to hear Elaina tell me that she has repented of her sins and is now trusting Christ save her. I am choking back tears just writing this. Oh that was so good to hear! Thank you, Lord! Michelle hugged her for me but that just isn't the same. I am so looking forward to going back home.

Gary

Worth the trip...

I went to my first church service in Japan this afternoon which was also their first Sunday meeting in their building. This is significant because it is the first church planted in the area.

The first Steppin'-Out team worked on the building they are now holding services in. Our team was able to go to their first meeting. I feel privileged to be apart of the work going on here. Pastor Suzuki has been a tremendous instrument in this rebuilding process. His house was the first one to be rebuilt by Samaritan's Purse in the area. He has been a part of every house dedication that Samaritan's Purse has done with the homeowners, building rapport with them.

Pastor Suzuki started his sermon by telling us about a person in the community that had lost everything in the Tsunami and has recently committed suicide because they had no way of providing for themselves with the winter coming on. So this person thought that they would be better off no longer on this earth. Then he turned to 1 Peter 5:7; cast all your anxiety upon Him, because He cares for you.

There were probably 5-6 homeowners present at this service. This is significant because up until recently they worshiped other gods. We are bringing the light of Jesus Christ to Japan by rebuilding these precious people's houses. In an honor/shame culture (which is what Japan has), to open your hands and be given anything  goes against everything they believe in.  It brings shame to their family and their name. Now the barriers are being broken down by Samaritan's Purse by  GIVING them a house completely rebuilt.

I met a team of Brother's and Sister's from Malaysia and Singapore that are with Samaritan's Purse. They are staying at the church while helping with the rebuilding process. 

I have had a good time here in Japan. I am glad I came. This is our last week. We are finishing our 3rd house (which I will tell you about later) and plan to finish a 4th house as well this week ( I will tell you about this one later too). 

Please pray that God will keep us strong so that we can finish strong by bringing glory to His name.

We will travel to Tokyo next Sunday and fly out next Monday and arrive in Saint Louis on Monday as well but it will be Tuesday in Japan. The only way 1 day can be more than 24 hours.

Gary

Looking Back

I have spent some time over the last few weeks reflecting on the events of 2010 and am amazed at the journey the Lord has taken us on.  So many valleys and mountains we have climbed but the Lord has led all the way. 

We began last year living in Leeds, England working with WEC International, yet eagerly anticipating our move to Zambia, which was planned for March.  Through the challenges of planning another international move we had the excitement of knowing that the Lord wanted us to move to Zambia to work with just a few of the thousands of orphans in that country.  We saw Him move mountains to get us there and gently lead us when we arrived, only to realize after a few short weeks that due to lies and possible corruption we were unable to continue with our partner in the ministry.  Without this partner we couldn't stay in Zambia.  The pain was deep as I grieved over the death of the dream and listened to our children cry as they too dealt with the pain of leaving many desperate children behind.

Upon our return to England I had the joy of surprising my sister as I appeared on her doorstep, while she thought I was still in Zambia.  The look of surprise on her face - priceless.

We struggled through the next few weeks as we sought the Lord as to His direction for our lives.  We had the opportunity to remain in England, return to the States or try to return to Africa.  Wherever we looked we found the door to Africa closed and we knew our decision was between England and America.  After much prayer we were led by God to return to the States, the reason being that in this country we can adopt again - and that is truly the desire of our hearts.

But our return would not be easy as I had to apply for my residency permit to be reinstated.  We applied and waited.

During our wait I had the joy of seeing my 92 year old grandmother just days before she passed away in May, and visit my 98 year old grandmother (who passed away just a few weeks ago). I also treasure the time I was able to spend with my parents, brother and sister and their families and have many great memories.

Then came the almost unbearable challenge of seeing Gary, Daniel and Nicholas board the plane.  God in His goodness didn't let us know ahead of time that our separation would have been as long as it was, otherwise I don't know if I could have said goodbye.

The separation was long and hard, but as I reflect I see the Lord's goodness to us.  He sustained, protected us and gave us wonderful opportunities to teach our children what it meant to trust in the Lord, especially when life doesn't seem to make sense.

I have experienced the discipline of the Lord as we tried so much to hurry the process to get us home only to have the Lord delay the process as we weren't waiting on Him. 

I have experienced the incredible peace that passes all understanding, when I traveled to London for my final interview KNOWING that the Lord was with me.  Then I felt the wrenching bitter sweet emotions as I left my parents and siblings again, yet eagerly anticipating my reunion with my husband and sons.

I have watched the Lord bring my visa earlier than expected and see Him work out the details so that just 40 hours after it arrived we were on a plane headed for Chicago and back in St Louis in time for the girls to sing "Nothing is impossible with God"

I have relaxed in the arms of my husband's embrace after 4 months apart and have learned to appreciate him and our family even more.

I have seen the Lord, provide abundantly for our needs.  We returned to this country with nothing but our suitcases and an additional 150 cubic foot of items we shipped, yet I sit in a home that is fully furnished.  We have asked nobody for anything, but the Lord has been gracious and through the body of Christ He has provided all we have needed.

The biggest lesson I have learned from this past year, I think, is to just wait on the Lord.  I know that sounds so easy, and I still struggle with it because I'm not very patient, BUT I have seen Him at work and know that He will make my paths straight, if I just wait on Him.  Not always will the direction make sense to me, but His ways are always right and in His footsteps I will continue to walk.



Michelle

Moving Mountains

I know it's been a while since I've posted anything.   It has been a time of living in a new house, getting into a new routine and a time of searching as to what the Lord would have us do next.  But, before I continue with what is going on in our lives right now I know that I need to tell you about the Lord's goodness and faithfulness during our time in Zambia.

The first story (that I had promised to tell you) was about how the Lord allowed us to get there.

I have to admit that I was a little disappointed when we had to arrive at Heathrow airport 5 hours before our flight was due to leave because of a scheduling conflict with the mini bus that took us there, but the Lord was in the details and He knew it would take just about all of that time to sort out the issues we had.

The first issue was that there was a problem with Deanna's ticket, that alone took an hour or so to correct.  The kids were great during this time of waiting, most of them waited patiently until someone (I think it was Daniel) had the idea of using the waiting area as a race track with the small suitcases!!

We were excited when the ticket was sorted and we thought it would be easy going from there - we were wrong!!  As the lady was processing our tickets a notice came up on her computer screen asking if we had return flights or valid visas.  You see, we had purchased one way flights.  We thought we would be in Zambia for well over a year before going anywhere and because we were told we could get our visa in the country we didn't think it would be an issue.  A couple of weeks before we left England someone had raised the concern that we may not be able to get in on one way tickets, so I had called the Zambian High Commission, explained what we were going to Zambia to do and asked if one way tickets would be okay.  I was assured that we would be just fine and could get our visas once we were in the country.  Why should I doubt what the High Commission told me?

So anyway, here we were at the check-in counter with another problem the message on the computer screen said that we had to have return or onward tickets or a valid visa before British Airways would allow us on the plane.  The reason being is that the Zambian government had the right to fine British Airways $7500 (5,000 pounds) per person if they allowed someone to come to Zambia without the return flight or proper visa.  I explained to the lady that I had spoken to the High Commission and was assured we would be okay.  But British Airways wasn't going to budge on their policy for us - and we certainly understood why.  Allowing this family of 8 to fly could potentially bring them a $60,000 fine!

So what were we to do?  The lady recommended we purchase return flights that were fully refundable.  She called the ticket desk and found out the cheapest would be $3,000 (2,000 pounds) a person.  WHAT!!!  She suggested that we put it on a credit card until we got to Zambia then get the full refund.  One problem - we don't own a credit card.

Several years ago the Lord told us to get out of debt, we did and also got rid of our credit cards.  If we truly believe that He will provide for our needs then we don't need a credit card which would only tempt us to rely of credit instead of Him.

I have to admit that now I started to cry, then I prayed "Lord, you didn't bring us this far to have us turn around and go home.  I am looking to You to move the mountains that stand in our way.  Please Lord let me see a miracle here."

Gary stayed at the check-in desk with the kids while the lady to took me to the ticket counter to see if we could find any cheaper flights.

She explained to the ticket agent that were going to Zambia to help the orphans and that we needed the cheapest refundable onward ticket that she could find.  They started looking.  The cheapest they could find was a flight to Johannesburg, but that would still cost us $400 (250 pounds) each which would have been all the money we had to buy food and set up life in Zambia.  I asked them to look again to see if there were any other options.  After about 10 minutes of searching the ticket agent looked up at me and said very seriously "If you tell anyone that we have had this conversation I will deny it - I will say I have never met you before"  "Okay?" I replied.  Then she went on to inform me (very quietly) that all we needed to satisfy British Airways was an itinerary of a flight on which we would leave Zambia so she would print us off an itinerary and - here's the best part - it wouldn't cost us a penny!! Wow!!  My jaw dropped and I realized that God had just moved a mountain for us.


The two ladies left me to find a place where they could print the itinerary and I walked back to Gary and the kids with tears in my eyes.  When I reached Gary I told him that God had just done the impossible and informed him of what the ticket agent was planning to do for us.


We waited for about 20 minutes before the first lady came back to us.  She apologized for taking so long and told us that they had to find another code to use on the computer so what they did wouldn't be traced back to them.  Also, during the time they were working on the itinerary a manager came in and asked them if they were having trouble.  She jokingly replied to him "You have no idea!!" Thankfully he never looked at what they were doing otherwise their jobs could have been in jeopardy.


Five minutes later the ticket agent came back out to us and gave us the itinerary which showed we had onward flights to Johannesburg in the beginning of April.  She handed it to me and again emphasised that she had not done this for us or spoken to us before.  At times like that a simple 'thank you' did not seem enough but that was all I could give her.  Then she moved back to her desk.

Amazed at what the Lord had done, we then gathered ourselves together and moved on to the departure lounge.

We have had people say things to us like 'you should never have gone to Zambia', 'it couldn't have been His will because you had to come home' but we know that the Lord is in control of all things.  If He didn't want us in Zambia at that time He never would have moved the ticket agent's heart to print us an itinerary, or make the eyes of the manager blind to what they were doing.  God, only God is in control of all things and He wanted us in Zambia for that time, so He moved the mountains. 



Michelle

Proverbs 30:7-9

A HUGE Blessing

 

Do you remember that we were allowed to borrow this van from a local family? Well, a couple of weeks ago we ran into some insurance issues with it, so we called the owner and told him about the problem. We were fully expecting, and prepared, to stop using the van, but instead the owner asked if he could come over to discuss the problem.

When he arrived that evening he told us he thought the best way to solve the insurance problem was just to give us the van. We asked how much he wanted for it he said "nothing"!!!

Not only was he generous to give us the van, he has had it serviced for us and will be paying for the repairs it needs.

What a blessing it has been to travel around the area freely and especially how it has made our journey to church a lot easier.

We thank the Lord, again, for his constant and marvelous provision for us, and the man and his family for their very generous gift.

We have been truly blessed.

Michelle

Diesel Money

The family that have lent us the van needed it back for a couple of days over Easter. This worked out great, as we had train tickets to go to my parents and therefore didn't need it. We had purchased the tickets back in February because they are a lot cheaper if you purchase far in advance

Before they picked up the van I filled it up with diesel. Later that day Gary picked up the mail and there was an envelope with the words "Diesel Money" written on the front. There was enough money in there to cover what I had put in the tank.

The Lord knew what we needed and again He provided. We thank the generosity of the giver and our Lord who provided.

Michelle

New Car

He may be too young to drive but Nicholas did enjoy pretending to drive our new car. We still have the loan of the van but this 5 seater works perfectly for running around Leeds (with just a few kids) when I get my shopping etc. Best of all, it is very fuel efficient.

The car is a family 'hand-me-down' - my sister gave it to my Mum about 4 years ago and now my Mum has passed it on to us. Thank you for your generosity.

Michelle

Hospitality

1Peter 4:9 Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling.

The people here in West Yorkshire have been incredibly friendly toward us. We have now been here 2 months and in the last month we have been to people's homes for dinner on 3 occasions. Each time by people that really don't know us.

On the first Sunday we went to Leeds Reformed Baptist Church we were invited back the following week with an invitation to lunch. We had a great time with a South African born gentleman, his English wife and one of their 9 grown children. It was great to fellowship with these former missionaries and to share stories of God's goodness and faithfulness.

That same week we met a man on the bus who lent over and asked us if we were the new family at WEC. We told him we were, and the conversation led to a meal invitation with this Iranian man, his Swiss wife and their 3 children. Again we enjoyed a wonderful meal with great fellowship with other Christians.

The following week we were welcomed to the Pastor's home after church and enjoyed a great time there too.

We also have 3 more invitations for dinner coming up after Easter.

What amazes me is that these people are opening their homes to us. Obviously we are a large family, it is not easy to find room to seat us in these small English houses nor is cheap to feed us, but the hospitality of the local people is huge.

Michelle

We Have Wheels!!

 

The Lord has been so good to us. We moved here with no money left to be able to buy a vehicle. Thankfully we have been able to get around using our legs and buses, but it hasn't been easy. The buses aren't cheap when you have to transport 8 people and grocery shopping is a little challenging!! Carrying the food has been a work out for my back. So, we asked the Lord if it would please Him, could He give us a vehicle.

This week He did just that. We do not own this van, but we have been lent it for a period of probably 6 months. It is an 8 seater Toyota van. It is also a diesel vehicle which will help keep down the expenses of running it.

We took our first trip in it last night, and apart from getting lost, everything went well. The kids love it as you can turn the middle seat around so they can face each other. Jeremiah was so impressed he wanted to sleep in it last night!! They are so excited that we don't have to catch 2 buses to get to church anymore (well, at least for 6 months).

I am amazed at (and incredibly grateful for) the generosity of this family. They had never met us yet are willing to lend us their van and for such a long period of time.

The best part is that we never asked anyone but God for it. Like always we took our need to God, and God alone, and He generously answered our prayer.

He is faithful!!

Michelle

New Bikes

 

At the end of 2007 we had promised the children new bikes but instead of buying them for Christmas we told them they would get them once we arrived in England (thinking it we would arrive in the Summer 08, not February 09).

We knew the bikes would be cheaper to purchase in the States so we went to Walmart and picked out bikes. We were going to order them on line but for the first time since we lived in House Springs we could not get a dial tone for our internet service. We decided that maybe God didn't want us to order them right then. We were right because just 2 days later we found out that it was going to cost us $800 just to ship them to England. The Lord had saved us a great expense.

 

So after we arrived in England we ordered the bikes from Argos (similar to Service Merchandise). We had picked the bikes out from the catalogue. Again the Lord was good to us as almost every bike we had chosen was on sale. The only bike that wasn't on sale was Deanna's. Although, because of the sale we did find a nicer one which was now cheaper than the one we had originally chosen for her.

The kids have really enjoyed riding their bikes around the campus here, but I am not letting them loose in the park yet as we are still waiting for their helmets to arrive!!

The Lord continues to provide for us and the kids - and for that we are so grateful.

Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights. James 1:17

Michelle

Where do I find my security?

The Lord has been faithful and has always provided everything we have needed. Over the last few months trusting Him in the area of our finances hasn't been too hard as we have managed to reduce our bills enough so that a check that we receive each month covers the majority of our bills. But last month the Lord started to ask us where we placed our security. Was it in Him or the monthly check. We believed He asked us to give away our check and totally rely on Him for what we needed.

Both Gary and I struggled with this decision, but slowly we are learning to obey and agreed to give away our check. Once we had committed to do this we were amazed at how clearly the Lord led us in where to give.

We were prepared to give it all away, but once we had parted with just over 60% of it Gary had a peace that we had given enough. So the month of December continued and we had no idea of where the money would come from to pay the bills. We told the children what we had done, not to worry them but so they could see God's goodness when He did provide.

There were a few occasions that we would look at the bills that were due and start fearing, but once we focused back on God we were at peace again. Thankfully we were given 3 gift cards which helped, but still we waited for the Lord to provide for all the bills.

Then, on the day after Christmas we received a letter from the Federal Government stating that they had miscalculated our economic stimulus check which we had received in May and were now refunding us what they owed us - just 7 months late!! Amazingly the total of the stimulus check was $20 more than the amount we had given away.

Immediately I checked my bank account to see if it had been deposited. It was placed into our account on December 19th, the same day that I had written the largest check that we gave away. We didn't know about this until December 26th as it was deposited into an account we don't often use.

God is so good. Not only did He provide for our needs, but he also gave us the blessing of helping others in need and, most of all, seeing that He is faithful. While I still have a long way to go, this month God helped me put my trust and security in Him just a little more.

Where do you find your security?

Michelle

Our Home in England

 

The picture above is the best we have of where we will be living in England. This is the Training Building at Springhead Park House, Rothwell, Leeds. Our home will be the middle floor of this building.

We have not asked for anything for our new home, but back in the Spring my sister let people know that we would be moving to England and many offered items that they no longer needed. So she and my brother-in-law have been collecting for us and a couple of weekends ago they delivered it all to our new home.

Below is a list of what has been given to us.

Microwave
Toaster
Slow Cooker
Brown Casserole dish
brown soup dishes
cereal dishes
weighing scales
Cheese grater in box
2 jugs
toast rack
Jelly mould
3 x veg dishes
3 x large / medium small
Large glass dishes
Teapot
Butter dish with lid
6 x hot & cold mugs in box
Large Pyrex mixing bowl
Large green thermos
Container with lid
Pizza dish
Polyester cup with lids
Hand held grater
Ice cub tray
Potato peeler
Ladle
Large fork
2 x small saucepans
Cutlery - 11 forks, 9 knives, 9 steak knives, 8 desert spoons, 10 or so tea spoons
Dinner service set all matching (all round unless otherwise stated)- 6 x large plates, 6 x small plates, 6 x large oval plates, 5 x small coffee cups with 6 saucers, 5 x bowls
4 x white tubs - good for herbs - I guess
1 x small plate
4 x bowls
3 x large cups (mug size) with 5 saucers
Plastic cutlery tray
1 x fridge (medium size - half way between a small English one and large American single one)
1 x washing machine
Double bed with mattress
Double bed with mattress
2 Chest of Drawers
Small trunk / chest
1 single bed with mattress - adult size
1 single bed with mattress - 4 foot size - ok for Deanna (never used)
1 single mattress
Wardrobe - single - with 2 drawers
Small Chest of Drawers
2 x set of king or double (will need to check size) duvet covers
1 x laundry basket
2 x bedside lamps
1 x lamp shade
2 x set of single duvet covers for kids beds
2 x Sofas - 1 is 2 seater and 1 is 3 seater - both with removable / washable white covers
tons of cushions
Display cabinet
Coffee table
Large Chair
Hoover
TV - 14 inch
VCR
Up display spot light - really nice
Round table (was the one in the kitchen at Vicarage)
Toothbrush holder
2 x large towels

As you can see we have most of the stuff we will need and I have been told that since this list was compiled in the Spring more items have been added, including more beds, tv and other things. We really have been blessed by God's provision through the generosity of others, especially my sister and brother-in-law.
THANK YOU!! THANK YOU!!

Michelle

Saving Money

About a year ago the Lord led me to a blog called Money Saving Mom from which I learned a lot about saving money and being a better steward of the money that God has given us. So during this year I have been refining my skills with finding the deals!

One of the places I have really been able to save is at Walgreens. The pictures below show just some of what I have been able to purchase there last month.

3 large boxes of Kleenex
2 12oz bottles of Sunlight Dish liquid
4 toothbrushes
Alka Seltzer cold medicine
6 bottles Pert 2-in-1 shampoo
Loreal Cleanser
6 bottles of Dimetap cold medicine
Rimel Liquid Foundation
9 bottles hair product for the children
12 AA Energizer batteries
3 Skippy peanut butter
4 48oz Breyrs Ice Cream
2 Scrubbing Bubbles Bath Cleaner
3 Aqua Fresh toothpaste
7 jars of Ragu sauce
1lb Spaghetti
3 78oz Laundry Detergent
2 10oz Dawn Dish liquid
2 large box Puffs tissues
5 18oz Softsoap Bodywash
1 Softsoap hand soap
1 11oz Palmolive Dish liquid
2 packets Ricola cough drops
4 bags of Chocolate candy



Before sales and coupons the total of the above items came to $267.64
After sales and coupons the total came to $83.22
Then I had a Walgreens gift card (from deals I had done in September) which was for $57.19. So I only ended up spending 26.03 in cash for all the items above plus I have earned over $40 for my November gift card.

That was what I call a deal.


It has been a treat to be able to purchase good quality items for my family, but the Lord has reminded me that while it is good to receive, there is so much joy to be found in giving. I have found much joy in being able to share many of these items with others. I was first introduced to this idea of shopping wisely and sharing from Shop, Share and Save by Ellie Kay.


So, if you haven't been saving money at Walgreens ... you might want to give it a try. You will find all the details on how at www.moneysavingmom.com

Michelle

Passport Photos

We knew we still needed to get passport photos taken but were in no hurry as we can't apply for their passports until their registrations come back, but last week we found a deal we couldn't turn down.

Normally passport photos at Walgreens cost $7.99 which multiplied by 6, plus tax would come to just over $50. Last week Walgreens had a sale for buy one get one free. That was a good deal, but what made it a great deal was on Friday and Saturday they had a coupon for $5 off $20.

So what normally would have cost us over $50 ended up (after sale and coupon) being only $20.17.

I thank the Lord for allowing me to find that great deal.

Michelle

God's Provision for Jeremiah

On Saturday we were at Walmart buying shoes for Elaina and Naomi. While we were there Jeremiah saw a pair of cowboy boots and asked if he could get them. Cowboy boots weren't in my budget so I suggested that he asked God if He would allow him to have a pair. Little did we know the Lord would answer so quickly.

The following evening at church a friend approached me with this question "What is Jeremiah's shoe size?" I told her I thought he was about a size 12. Her reply was "Someone has just given my son a pair of cowboy boots that their son has grown out of - so would Jeremiah like my son's boots?" They were a size 12 - perfect! Jeremiah was so excited that he had to take his shoes off during church so he could wear his new cowboy boots.

What a loving Father we have that he is concerned about and provides for His children.

James 1:17 Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights

Michelle

Daniel

Four years ago Daniel was diagnosed with ADHD, Bipolar and Intermittent Explosive Disorder and was placed on 4 different medications to keep him well. We were far from happy about him being on all this medication as we knew there had to be many side effects, but we did not have any alternatives. Then in the Spring of 07 I attended a homeschool conference where I listened to a doctor from the Pfeiffer Treatment Center who explained that they were able to treat many things like ADHD, Bipolar, depression etc with a combination of amino acids, vitamins and minerals. This excited me and gave me hope.

So just about a year ago we took Daniel to the Pfeiffer Treatment Center in Chicago where they performed over 180 tests to discover exactly what the problem was. After several weeks we had the results which showed he had a pyrrole disorder. Which, in short, meant he had too much copper going to his brain which caused the impulsive actions usually associated with Bipolar. They prescribed him specially made vitamins which he has been taking for the last year.

In April, after six months on these vitamins, he was retested and his levels were much improved. He no longer showed a pyrrole disorder and we have been able to begin the long weaning process of withdrawing him from his prescribed medications.

We began removing (with Dr.'s approval) his medications 3 months ago. We took away half a dose at a time and have only taken away another pill every 3/4 weeks. This has to be a slow process so he doesn't have any effects of withdrawal. So far he has been able to come off of the risperdal and lithium and he is doing incredibly well. We still have 2 medications (adderall and tenex) that we are hoping to be able to get rid of, but it all takes time. Not only is his behavior excellent, but we have also seen his mind beginning to wake up. His reading ability has improved and seems to have a slightly easier time in learning new concepts. Hopefully we will see more improvement as we try to take away the last medications. He is having a hard time going to sleep in the evening, but hopefully as we reduce his Adderall that problem will go away.

Daniel will have to continue to take his specialized vitamins for life. He will have to be tested every couple of years (or more often - depending on how he grows) to make sure the vitamin levels are right. This is a far better alternative than the normal prescribed medications with all their side effects.

We are so grateful to the Pfeiffer Treatment Center for all their help and to God for leading us to them.

Please continue to pray for Daniel. That we will be able to eliminate all the medications and that the vitamins and minerals will be sufficient to keep his body chemistry at a normal healthy level. Also pray that he will be able to get enough sleep. Thank you

Michelle

Grocery money

With the higher food prices, my grocery money didn't seem to go very far this month.

Last week I was counting how much I had left and was a little discouraged because I had no idea how I was going to make it stretch. I took my concern to God and amazingly the very next day we received a card in the mail with $50.00.

So thank you, friend and thank you Lord for your continuous provision.

Michelle

Difficult .... Impossible .....

One thing we were told while in training at WEC was that often when we try to do things that the Lord wants us to do they may seem difficult at first, then become impossible and finally they are done, only by the miraculous work of God, so we can give Him all the glory.

Well, we now find ourselves in one of those situations.

Since we have been back in Missouri we had planned to leave for England in September. This would have been possible if the children had been automatically entitled to British citizenship. Once we discovered we needed to register them as citizens first we realized it would delay our departure. We still had a glimmer of hope that a September date may still be possible when I was told at the beginning of July that they could process the applications in 2 months, if not quicker. Since then there has been delay after delay. First, our caseworker mailed our supporting paperwork to us without a stamp, thus delaying it's arrival by 3 days. Next, we mailed the completed application to my parents in England (the Registration Office doesn't accept international mail). This should have taken 5/6 days, instead it took 9! My parents forwarded the package on to the Registration Office. We assume it arrived in a timely manner, but are unable to check because that Government office spent several days last week on strike!!!

So, it did seem difficult to get to England in September, now it seems impossible as we still have to get passports and Gary's visa after the registrations have been approved ...... will God get it done? We can only wait to find out. I do know that He is in control of all circumstances and we will reach our destination when He decides it is time (Proverbs 16:9 In his heart a man plans his course, but the Lord determines his steps). In this I take great comfort.

Michelle

A New Wardrobe

I have a Father in Heaven that has given me more than I dreamed of, or hoped for.

It has been a long time since I have purchased new clothes. Recently I noticed that most of my clothes were wearing out, even my 'going out' shirts were fraying at the seems. As I looked through my wardrobe I did desire some new clothes but knew it wasn't in our budget and quickly reminded myself that I have plenty of clothes - they may be worn, but they still work. God promises to provide what we need (Matt 6:33) and I really didn't need any new clothes. I put the matter out of my mind, but God decided to bless me anyway.

Last week we were visiting with friends and I commented on how pretty her earrings were. She promptly removed them from her ears and told me she wanted me to have them. I tried to refuse, as this was not my intent when I complimented her, but she insisted. So I grateful received the gift.

The next day, in church, another friend told me she wanted to take me shopping at the sales in the mall for new clothes. She gave me a very generous budget and took me shopping. I ended up with many items including a jacket, skirt and many shirts.

Just 3 days later I received a call from another friend who inquired as to my shoe size. She knew we would be doing more walking in England and had a couple of pairs of shoes that might work for me. She kindly gave me 3 pairs, all fit and only 1 pair had been worn just once before.

So in just 5 days the Lord saw fit to provide me a new wardrobe, from jewelery to shoes, from 3 friends. I am so grateful for their generosity and the Lord's provision.

Michelle