Snippets

I hear a tiny voice calling, “Em,” from somewhere outside. I walk down the stairs to see a 6-year-old girl standing in the doorway. Delighted to see her, I ask for a hug and she jumps in my arms without hesitation, sqeezing her arms around my neck. Adorable.
She informs me in that tiny voice that today is her birthday. We eat breakfast, read a story and I load her up with some clothes and vegetables to take home. Later, at church, her brothers and sisters compete for space on my lap and next to me on the bench. I love these kids!

I also enjoyed taking my neighbour to the zoo in Georgetown last month....
One of my favourite activities is doing Bible Club at our local public school. Children crowd inside the classroom while more peer in from the windows. I basically have to shout the entire time because it's so loud all around. My voice needs a break by the end but it's worth it.
Kids gather for Wednesday afternoon children's church.
"... for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these." -Jesus said. -Matthew 19:14b

PS.

The conference in Florida (a couple weeks ago) was great! I saw old friends from Jamaica and made new ones from other countries. It was like a taste of heaven to pray and praise God in unity with people from all over the globe who are serving with various ministries. A lot of love. And a few Baptist-Charismatic jokes, too. It was inspiring to see how major organizations are joining together to do what Jesus asked us to do..."go and make disciples of all nations..." and it reminded me that I'm part of something so much bigger than myself.

Fear and Choices

The night before I left for Florida, gunmen entered several random homes in the village of Luisignan (near Georgetown), and murdered 11 people including children. A ten-year-old hid under a bed while the rest of his family was shot to death.

The gang leader who admits to being the mastermind behind the senseless killings vows to strike again and says that the next time it will be worse -unless his estranged girlfriend is returned to him. Nobody seems to know her whereabouts.

Last week there was a shootout in the village of Buxton where the perpetrators are said to be hiding out and some of them were caught.

Then there was a kidnapping threat in Parika and everyone was frantic to get their kids out of school.

Meanwhile some soldiers and police have been wounded or killed in other recent clashes. It's no secret that the police force is crippled with corruption and now they are receiving increased criticism (to put it lightly) due to their response to the sudden violence -apparantly it took them 2 hours to get to Luisignan after residents called for help.

This is part of a conversation I had last night with a friend who is a policeman in the capital. I'm thankful for the handful of talks we've had about God and faith. The first one sprung from the symbol of courage tatooed on his hand.

Em: “It's not the best time to be a policeman right now. There's a lot of fear. How are you?”
Michael: “Me n'ah 'fraid, you know. Everybody gonna die someway an' if it's time for me to go it mean God ready for me. You no think so?”
Em: “Well, I think God made the world and put certain laws in order and the things we do have consequences... If someone decides to drive drunk and they hit me and I die, I don't believe that's how God would have me go, but He allows us to make choices, you know? And the choices we make affect the people around us. I don't think it was God's will for those 11 people to be killed but those gunmen had a choice to do good or evil. We also have opportunities to choose right or wrong and with the help of Jesus, we can choose what is right.”

Michael was pensive, we chatted a little more and he went home. He's got a lot ahead of him without many role models besides some corrupt officers and hopefully some honest ones. I believe Michael has the capacity to choose what is just and good whether he wears a unifrom or not. I pray that he will know Jesus and depend on Him for courage in times of decision.

Please pray for Guyana - people are fearful. And pray that those who lost loved ones will turn to God for comfort and healing as they grieve.

I believe that Jesus changes lives and that when we pray and walk rightly with God, nations change, too.
"He will swallow up death forever. The Sovereign LORD will wipe away the tears from all faces; He will remove the disgrace of his people from all the earth. The LORD has spoken." Isaiah 25:8

My God is so BIG!

I have struggled to choose joy and express gratefulness these past couple of weeks. But Decker's email came at just the right time to remind me that God is bigger...

He's bigger than my anxiety of the unkown, bigger than my forgetfulness and the gap in my organizational skills, bigger than the barrel of missing qualities I imagine will make me the perfect missionary or Christian, and bigger than the unwelcomed loneliness that swoops down on weekends.

He is big enough to take me to a mountain, big enough to reach His arms around me when I stand in the middle of a vast field and big enough to hold up my head on a bustling street.

I am back doing the activites I enjoy in Parika -teaching Ody, doing church stuff, connecting with kids and grown-ups in the community, and watching (a few minutes of) Nigerian movies with Tim and Beeno.

Construction has picked up again -when we decided to continue building, God started providing the flow of funds. It is satisfying to see the work move forward in a physical sense.

I'll be in Florida for a global missions conference from Jan.27 – Feb. 3rd. http://www.call2all.org/ Hooray for high-speed internet, washing machines, and Starbucks! I'm sure the conference will be good, too.

God bless you. -Em

Job 38:12-13
“Have you ever given orders to the morning, or shown the dawn its place, that it might take the earth by the edges and shake the wicked out of it?"
...
“For He is our God and we are the people of His pasture and the sheep of His hand.” Psalm 95:7

In the Village

She came to us with arms waving frantically, telling us that she was fed up with her grand-daughter and ready to leave her at an orphange. The girl repeatedly bit at her arms and often cussed-out her grandparents while running out on the road. She had been at our VBS (children's church) that morning but now she had run away again. Her grandmother was at her wit's end, worried that the police would arrest her and her husband if they picked up the girl on the road again.

We offered to look for her and a few minutes later, returned to our ministry house with the girl and her grandmother. I can't imagine the horror this young girl has experienced in her 10 years -being thrown out by her mother and rejected by her step-father -to the point where he cut up her face numerous times, leaving deep gashes on her cheeks, lip, and ears.

Allie's face was expressionless and eyes blank but as we prayed for her, even her eyes changed, becoming bright and focused and the best part was when she slowly turned her mouth into a smile. Beautiful, though crooked because of the scars.

The next day her grandmother reported that Allie was different – and we encouraged grandma to speak words of life and blessing to her grand-daughter -to help her know that she is not abandoned and rejected but incredibly special and loved.

Aleesha hugged us all the day we left and clung to me sobbing. I don't think she had ever felt so valued before we came.

So, we ran a VBS in a village near the Suriname border last week and we had evening service every night and lots of people came -but if Allie had been the only one to show up, she would've been worth it.

Stories from Christmas

We started with the children's homes where we sang and tumbled and ate cake with the kids who gleefully gasped at their presents...and in the end were mostly enamoured by a box. The atmosphere was more solemn at the AIDS ward in Georgetown Public Hospital...Kay lie curled up on her side, bones jutting out from joint to joint, breathing laboured due to the fluid collecting in her lungs. She held the soft towel from her giftbag to her face, gently exclaiming, “It's too much, it's too much,” while her blind eyes stared into nothing. Smiling, she revealed a gold tooth, marked with a “K” as we belted out O Holy Night at her bedside. She probably won't live more than 3 days. I asked Jesus to take away the pain in her chest and minutes later she was no longer wimpering.

While we were singing to a man near the nurses' station, Daniel pointed out a tearful visitor – and the lifeless body 4 beds away. The nurses covered the dead man's body ¾ of the way with his sheet and pulled a curtain in front. I waited for an opportunity to approach his lone visitor. Tears falling, she told me she had planned see her brother this morning but wasn't feeling well. By the time she reached the hospital in the afternoon, he was dead. I prayed for her, then she left.

A light-hearted memory of the afternoon was when one of the patients – a young man – drummed his fingers on a dairy creamer container, keeping rhythm with Steve's rockin version of Silent Night.

And then there was the conversation with Mr. J- “I used to believe in God but now I don't see the use...He should've never created us without our consent...”

In the children's ward we gave out toys and balloons and apologized to the nurses for buying mini-trumpets and noise makers -but the kids were loving them! We listened to moms and one dad about the strain and difficulty of seeing their child suffer and I prayed with a weary single mom, offering affirmation of her devotion and care for her son.

I was delighted to feed and hold the teeniest 1-year old boy I have ever seen. Adorable -really just wanted to be cuddled. His mother abandoned him at the hospital a month ago. He was malnurished and is still very underweight but he's better than before and the nurse said there is a family that wants him. Thank God.

We stood in the center of the room and sang more carols while the kids played with their toys and 9 year-old Sasha looked on from behind her oxygen mask - her cheeks were tear-stained from the latest procedure and her enormously distended belly prevented her from lying comfortably.

And finally, there were the little old ladies at the seniors' home, repeating, "God bless you!" between songs while clutching their shiny gift bags.

The best blessing is to be a blessing.

Thank you, Dr. Kandola, for giving so that we could give in Jesus' name.

Merry Christmas, Everyone!

"...And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace."

Isaiah 9:6b

Leadership & Lights

I've been reading the Psalms quite a bit lately and I noticed that David has been in some really uncomfortable situations, being pursued by enemies and feeling the weight of God's silence when he wanted to hear Him the most. And it made me think of the times (there are plenty) when I feel all squirmy and I just want to run from leadership and bake cookies forever. Starbucks is also on my default list.

But then I remembered the difference between Saul and David's responses to their appointed tasks. Saul hid himself among the baggage when he was supposed to step up and lead the nation. David came against his giant with zeal for God and confidence in His character.
And so I pray...Lord, help me to trust You and know You like David did – to look to You and believe in Your love for me. And help me to step up as You lead me.

Here are some recent photos and happenings...

They light up my life!

I am so delighted to be around kids all the time! I'm beginning to feel like a true auntie even though I make crummy paper airplanes out of church bulletins.

Monkeys!
The landscaping guys have started a vegetable and fruit garden behind the dormitory. With much of the bush cleared out back there, we have better access to a shady reading spot (watch out for snakes!) and to a path that leads through our land to a large canal. Karen and I were walking back there a couple weeks ago and heard a lot of rustling overhead. We looked up to see monkeys swinging from the trees! Steve with Basil and his crew.

The bridge in progress -completed November 29th -praise God for His provision!
Me and Beeno -she's my latest roomie.
Ladies Night
Staff and students from the base enjoyed an evening of glamour attending “Coming Before the King” in Georgetown – a banquet celebrating the value of women; highlighting topics like domestic violence, suicide and child abuse. I got to wear a beautiful Indian garment that Beeno bought me. The skirt was long and flowy and I felt very elegant -except when I stepped on the skirt and then got it caught in the taxi door. It was nice to get dolled-up and give the mom's a break for a night.

We're nearing the end of the lecture phase for the DTS and we'll begin outreach after Christmas. Our destinations are Suriname and Curacao (an island in the Netherland Antilles). Raising finances is not easy in third-world/developing nations but the students have been successful with a couple of fundraising events. I am impressed with their determination and trust in God. If anyone would like to give toward a student's tuition or outreach, please email me at: bluemountainsunrise@gmail.com or guyanayouthwithamission@yahoo.com

Thanks for staying up to date. I'm looking forward to writing about the Christmas parties we'll be hosting at a seniors' home, children's and AIDS ward at the hospital and at the orphanages we visit on Fridays.

Deck the halls! -em

September Happenings

You know you live in Guyana when...

-You read an article about piracy in the daily news and it's not about music, it's acutally about pirates – aparently there's been a surge of pirates on Guyana's waters and the government is cracking down on their activity.

-You sweat so much from moving grass that you end up inhaling sweat beads through your nostrils, mimicking the sensation that you've suddenly gone under water and didn't get a chance to hold your nose.

-The neighbour's cow just knocked over your garbage can again.

Last month we had a team from Jamaica help us put the columns up on our new building. They worked like mad for 10 long days in the hot sun and got so much accomplished. Meanwhile a youth group from Georgetown also came to our aid in construction. We had so many people carrying in sand and rocks from the road, every bucket we had was in use. I even carried sand in an old igloo cooler when there were no buckets available! We were grateful for the help and the good company and we praise God for another step toward getting the building completed. Plus, it was fun for me to catch up with my Jamaican friends. Here we are at St. George's Cathedral in Georgetown. It's either the world's tallest or oldest standing wooden structure, unless that's one of those made up facts.

The guys also helped with some electrical work on our house. Turns out our ground wires have current – so that's why Steve keeps getting zapped by the microwave!

Since the team left, construction has come to a halt due to lack of funds and our need to focus on DTS. We have 3 couples in the school and one Alaskan girl. All the couples have small children so there are a lot of little ones running around which I find delightful.

I'm continually amazed by how God comes through for us. Last week, a family came by with loads of vegetables and today, the ice factory down the road decided to give us water to fill 2 of our tanks (450 gallons each) for free!

And God is faithfully working in me, too (Phil. 1:6). Space is limited here and I find that being around people constantly -as wonderful as they are-with no place of escape -exposes selfishness that I wasn't even aware existed in me. I'm thankful for those instances when my need for God's grace and mercy smacks me in the face -it's His kindness that leads us to repentance (Romans 2:4).

I heard someone say that the way you treat people is the only real evidence that you've connected with God. I pray that His fire burns away the stuff in me that doesn't reflect Jesus so that my life would be evidence that He lives and loves us.

God is faithful to bring me to my knees to look for Him like a lost coin and faithful to show up in conversations with neighbours and others we meet in the day.

In your prayers:
-Thank God for the DTS and how well it's going!
-Thank God for all the help we received in construction!
-Thank God for His provision in everything.
-Please ask God to send rain to keep our water supply replenished.
-For direction and unity among the leadership team as we decide on outreach locations.
-For opportunities to serve our community.
-For funds to continue construction.

Thank you so much!

eM