well that stinks!

Okay so I had every intention to take tons of pictures of all the things that are differant about my life here than yours there where ever there might be. But of course the power went out for a week strait and then no internet for a nother three days and then I was struck with illness and well time has gotten away from me and it's been almost three weeks since my last post.
Well here is at least a little info on what is going on and I promise to get the camera out this week and post them soon!
Today we had join service. This is when all the churches come to the campsite and we worship and study together. I love joint service because I get to see many people that I don't normally get to see. We attend a service on Sunday's but there are two other services that we miss. So this gives us a time to visit with the many other believers here on the islands.
We had two child dedications today as well. It was a bitter sweet time. One family was whole and one was not. The whole family was all smiles and their joy we could see was so sweet! But the mother of the other boy was well not so. You see her husband died last year. She is raising three boys all alone now. Talk about needing a church to help raise this and the other two boys! The older boys are hard working and very nice boys. It is hard for me to think that they are now the men of the house. They work to support their mother and sibblings. So much for such young boys who are the ripe ages of 15 and 18. Definatly gives me perspective.
On a lighter note, there is one little girl that Justin and I have fallen in love with. Her name I can't remember because I call her tank. She is the only child who from the beguining was not afraid of us but rather making faces at us and even fake punching with Justin. She is missing her front four teeth and she is a bit on the stalky side. She is funny and always makes me smile. Today she wanted to hold my hand as we walked up the stairs. And while we were all eating the shared lunch she was sitting next to the dinuguan (blood soup) and kept dipping her fork into the serving bowl to retrieve just one more little piece. I couldn't stop her simply because it was just so cute! She lives with her aunt and uncle. I am not sure why, maybe her family has died, or something like that. I am just amazed at how she is still a happy little girl.
There are tons of stories like her's here. I know five boys and one little girl who's parents died within a year of each other and now the brothers are raising their little sister who is 7 years old. I heard that the oldest brother is only 22. Can you imagine being raised by your five older brothers? Or at the age of 22 raising your little sister and younger brothers? these people have so many hardships and yet they still trust that God will take care of them, that He will provide all that they need. Faith like a mustard seed in the One True God is what get's them through the day I am sure because with out it depression and dispare would overwhelm them.
Makes not having electrcity for a week not so bad ay? God really doesn't give us what we can't handle. He is also right there for us to cast our cares on. Praise Him for He is so good to us!
Well that is just another day here on the islands.
come back soon for pictures.
Blessings!
erin:)

Plans and security

Well a few weeks ago I was feeling, well secure. Knowing that God has called us here for a purpose. We have all we need. We had raised all our money for our house, But we lack our monthly budget by almost half. We have a giant house being built, well to island standards. We thought the budget was for the finished product. The info we got for the budget was only for the materials. That means it did not include labor, windows, sinks, toilet, doors, paint. This brought me to my knees. What are we going to do? How will this work? We are not even half way and our budget is 90% gone. We don't everything that I think we need to really live here. I know God is our provider and will figure it all out but I was no longer in that secure place that I like to be in. You know that place where you are in controle, you can make choises, where you are the master of your life. Well from what I am learning in God's word that is NOT as safe of a place to be as I so often think. We want to trust in our own understanding. But God, I love that line, But God has a differant plan. He has a plan for us for a hope and a future, but so many times our ways are not his ways. What we want is not what He wants for us. So as I am forced to sit back and trust him I want to thank Him for what he is doing. I want to Praise him because our house is still being built. We still have food to eat. We still have a visa to live here. We still are working and serving the Lord. We just have a differant plan, God's plan. I think that is a much better plan to have. I just forget that sometimes.
Has God ever changed your plans? How?

Blessings!
erin:)

days go by

Some times I don't feel like I am doing anything to out of the ordinary. Yes I live thousands of mils away from my family on an island in the Philippines as a missionary, but that is just life for me. All my friends tell me I need to blog more about this exciting live of mine, but I am just not a very good writer and I feel that I don't have much to write about.
Well last night it hit me my life is so crazy and differant than any one who reads this that although it is boaring for me it is quite the adventure. I have decided to do a photo diary of a day in my shoes... well flip flops for those of you think I am nuts and just want to know what I do all day. I am charging my camera for monday and then also tuesday since mondays we go to town. Those are my fun days!

So for today I will tell you about what we did last week that was a bit out of the ordinary.

One day the men went shoping in town and brought back ckicks! These poor things are not for laying eggs they are for eating sooo we force them to eat constantly and when day 48 comes they will be dinner for a team that is coming to use our camp site. Praise the Lord I don't have to be the one to prep those poor things. the men do that part. It is a nasty job and they do it without complaining, thanks guys!

The other night I went to take a shower in our ruff outdoor dorm style shower toilet stall thing. I usually take a flash light just in case the electricity goes out. But this night it was already out. Justin also needed to take a shower and since they are dorm style we used one candle for both showers. We just put the candle on top of the wall and that is how we showered that night, by candle light, So romantic don't you think?

A week or so ago we had some visitors from the US. we took them to the first church that was started here on the islands. we had to take a hour boat ride then jump up onto a wall then hike through mud, giant spinny plants, shin deep water and a bit of jungle just to get to the church. As we were walking I asked where the handicap access was. It is HARD out here. They don't handicap parking, we have two deaf kids and no one to translate the message for them. The church is a very plain hall with some home made bamboo benches not pews with backs so no relaxing here. It does help keep people awake during the service I guess. The windows are almost the full length of the wall for circulation, No AC here. When visitors come we bring fans but when they leave the fans go with them.

So that is just a taste of life here. I can't wait to show you pictures of my day. I hope you can enjoy my adventure as much as I do!

Blessings!
erin:)

one year and not much to report

Well I just counted and I have only posted 5 times in the past year! How sad is that? Well I guess lots of things have happened but I am just not that great of a loger (yes loger not blogger) I don't log much of any thing. I need to becuase I would like to look back and remember all the good things God has done and to see what He has brought me through, So Happy 4th of July and I hope this leads to a few more blogs between now and next 4th of July.
God is good and so faithful! Praise Him!!
Blessings
erin:)

me and mommy's day out

Well I have arrived back in the adventurous land of the Philippines. We are staying at our friend's place and enjoying our time spent with them! Upon arrival we have noticed that they are a bit worn out, well my dear friend Susanna who is 14 weeks along and wrangling a year old toddler is in need of some time off! SOOOO we headed out this afternoon and by headed out I mean we were ready for adventure and stress release, and that we found! We were planing to take a taxi but upon finding a half empty jeep (half empty is a good thing in this instant, very optimistic) I jumped in forgetting that Susanna was not customed in jeep travel. She was up to the challenge and did a fantastic job jumping right in after me. We hopped off the jeep and walked through the mall to get to the train, yet another mode of transportation I haven't been on in a while and Susanna not to customed to. But since she is with child we got to take the short cut past the chaotic lines and crowds and hop right on the train and we got to sit a rarity for me!
We got off the train and walked through a second mall to get to the movie theater. We had hunted the night before for the perfect chick flick and Praise the Lord we had found one!! Letters to Juliette. I highly recommend it. It was clean, very chick flick and a total tear jerker! Just what these two missionary girls needed. An Adventure! We ate at burger king and had dairy queen for dessert. We took the train half way home and voted on a taxi from the train station because we can only handle so much adventure in one day!
We need this time to our selves some times because we are missionaries. Did you know that this is one the most stressful jobs in the world? I didn't. I have been reading a book on culture but also on the effects of culture shock and how we as humans and women deal with it. And I have to admit I have dealt poorly at times with my shock. I have displaced my anger, I had withdrawn from the people group whom I love so much and desire them to know Jesus, but not shown it because I didn't know how to deal at times. Praise God for friends like Susanna who can help me with stress and culture shock. And for a loving father in heaven who is our rest, strength and hope! We can lean on him and know that he cares for us! But also he has provided good friends who lift us up and pray for us and sometimes just take us out on an adventure!
blessings!
erin:)
PS thanks Susanna for being such a bug part of my life and this great adventure we call life!

being wrong stinks

Why do I always run the wrong way?
I make wrong turns.
Why do I look in the wrong places?
I do what I don't want to do.

I forget who I have faith in and I forget His mighty power! I forget that He is my redeemer. He can make mourning to gladness!

I run to friends when I am down.
I turn to my mom when I am lost
I look for joy in music
I let my mind carry me away from my Jesus

Then my Father comes and gently draws me back.
He speaks to me in simple ways.
He shows me my weeknesses in love.
His Spirit comforts me.

This week He spoke through a bulletin, the old kind that hip cool churches are trying to get rid of. (Don't do it) it simply said "we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ" just that simple and it hit me like a rock, a soft loving rock. Well then the other day I was sharing with a friend this blessing and we looked it up in God's word and the rest of that passage in Romans chapter 5 helped me imbrace that peace. God got my attention and well Romans is so what I needed. Chapter 8 verse 35-36 reminded me why we are here, "For His sake" WOW boy I have things wrong a lot of the time!

Thank you God for giving me your Spirit.
Holy Spirit, thank you for being my comfort.
Thank you for your Peace!

I just needed to pray to my Father in heaven
I need to turn to His word more
I need to seek His face and His Kingdom
I need to make things right with God so that I can have peace.

Stomach of steel

So my poor little nephew is staying home from school today because he woke up sick at 2 Am this morning and well we have decided it was the leftover P.F. Chang's I brought home for him. I ate most of the leftovers but he has his fair share and well after it all came up I realized that my tummy was not feeling so well either. BUT I just ate breakfast and drank my coffee and one unmettionable trip to the CR (comfort room) and I am feeling much better. I think God made me with a stomach made of steel for a reason. many times I have to eat not so well cooked items and well NOTHING seems to bother me, poor Justin on the other hand has to keep an eye out or else he gets all torn up!
Thank you God for this skill, blessing, talent, gift what ever it is I am blessed to not have stomach issues!

A new year with new Adventures

Well here we are half way through January of 2010 and I have found myself involved in one of the greatest Adventures of my life, a BABY!!! I have been having some small medical problems and after a chat with my mom decided it was time to take a pregnancy test! And for the first time I saw two lines, what the heck two lines = Baby! "what am I going to do!" I thought to myself. I hed the test and tried not to draw attention to my giddy confusion. I did not do a good job but was able to keep Justin from figuring it out. But i couldn't keep it in when our friends the Wagner's came over for Prayer and Bible study. I told Susanna first and she was thrilled. and she helped me figure out a unique way to tell Justin. this was all on Wednesday the 13th and I managed to hold it in until the 14th at about 10P.M. I couldn't stand it any longer and I broke down and started to be "needy" as I had planed. then I asked Justin if he could do just one more thing, get my glasses where I had hid the Positive Test... hee heee! He was amazed and also confused. We have been praying for this for years and know that it would happen in God's perfect timing but we were beginning to think children weren't in our future. We had even thought of adoption. But this changed it all!

Well it's been 12 days since then and I still have my little medical problem and we are just laying in the faithful hands of God to carry our Baby to full term. We had a doctor's apt on the 18th but it was too early to see anything on the ultra sound but we do have a due date of September 18 and we are too excited for words!

But days go by and I fear for our baby, I know God is in control and that this little one is a gift from Him and He will take the best care of our baby! I will not Worry, I will not Fear, I will Trust Him even when I can not see.

Justin and I are so very excited and we realize this is the greatest Adventure we will will ever be on! It has brought us to our knees and we know that God is going to be our travel guide on this trek!

Well here I am June 2 and as most of you know we lost our little baby. I haven't posted in a while and well this why I think, I had this post waiting to be posted and now it's not! God has a plan and although I have no clue as what it is, I am learning that I can have peace with God even in this trial. It's been almost 4 months since all this has happened and I am feeling it harder now than before! Ten of my friends are still pregnant, ten of them are still going to have a baby. They get to have showers, and ultrasounds and they get to shop for cute baby things and still DON'T and that makes me sad! I am so happy for them but I think it stinks that I can't be there with them. What I hate most is that I make some of them uncomfortable beause I am not there right along with them. I wish I had a magic word that could make it all bettter but alas I don't. I wish I could rewind and start my life all over again with all this understanding I have now.