Cactus Flower

  How does a missionary know when it's time to move along in a ministry?  Recently in one small community where we have gone weekly for Bible study with adults and children, we decided to throw in the towel, so to speak.  In the beginning we had been invited to have Bible study in a home.  The man and wife called in their neighbors and friends.  For a while there was a good number. I started staying outside with some of the children and playing some games and having a small lesson.  Those children called their cousins and friends.  Before long there was a good-sized group of kids.  They would arrive early and began to bug the lady of the house for water and even snacks.  She got tired of them and told them all to go away. She still wanted us to have Bible study for the adults, but she didn't want all those kids coming early to her house.  It was quite the sticky situation.  For a while Byron would go to her house, and I would round ...

Gramma Michele has been a little tired of late and got a little behind on her letters - video and mail.  But today, I sat down and got it done!  Hope you all like this one!   Don't forget!  I love you!

  I hesitated and wasn't sure I really wanted to, but it seemed it was time.  Time for new dogs!  The old ones haven't gone on to doggie heaven yet, but that was all the more reason to make it happen now, and the fact that our neighbor's dog had nine puppies!  My husband and I both remember how much harder it was with the last round of puppies we had.  Teaching them from scratch was harder than having an older dog who knew the lay of the yard and the rules of the house! So here we go with two new pups. We decided on names after asking our grandchildren and boys and daughters-in-law.  The choices were good, well some of them.  R2 and C3 didn't make the cut.  Miss Priss or Missy and Cocoa came close.  We finally settled on Sahara for the more yellow one. (Although it is still up for debate and might get changed.) It was a name that Byron had wanted when we got our other yellow dog, Tiny. And the marbled brown dog got the name of Ginger.  W...

  It's been a long month, but it's done.  And today starts another.  I'm counting done the days before I see some loved ones again.  Time is always ticking, isn't it? This month we focused on getting more of the people in our congregation involved in the ministry. Remember these monthly videos are not meant as a report of our missionary activities, but they tell a story nonetheless.  They are made specifically for my grandchildren.  Enjoy.

Yesterday the sand rail started sputtering up a big hill as we came into Abreus. Byron adjusted something or another before we left, but just outside of the community it started up again. The poor little car lost all its get-up-and-go.  It was already dark and we were way behind schedule. Years ago, I would have asked a million questions and began to worry about what in the world we were gonna do and if we would have to sleep in the bushes. Last night I didn't have a care at all. I trust my driver and I had just had a great cup of coffee and a few crackers at house where we have a small group Bible study. Faith is just like that - no cares in the world, just trusting in God to take care of the matter, even if it's big or small.  Often over the past year, trust has been hard.  Many times, it seemed that all of our hopes and dreams for the ministry had been thrown to the wind.  I began to feel that I was asking the same question every week, What are we going to do now?...

The sky folds into paper thin,  each crease a trace of storms within.  Roots beneath the ground arise,  whispering of forests to the skies. A lantern sways, its flame will chase, turning shadows into paths of lace. Constellations sing and guide, echoing dreams where hopes reside. You are the tide’s unseen hand, building bridges from salt and sand. Though footprints fade, You will stay. May I remember Your grace each day. [AI guided poem]