Poured Out

We got back to our place late on Sunday evening, tired and happy.  It was a good weekend.  The forecast predicted rain throughout, but we were blessed with sunshine all of Saturday.  My stomach is still not right, but by Saturday morning I felt much better than Friday night.  The four messages went well, the children slept well, everybody stayed safe and well.  All’s well!  We enjoyed fellowship with our friends.  The older girls enjoyed riding horses both days (I was impressed with how Hannah was doing – she told me last night she wants to be a circuit rider when she’s older.  I suggested she pray for that opportunity and she said, “I don’t need an opportunity, I just need a Bible and a horse!”)  Now I have a week and a half to be ready for the two seminars that are coming up.  We have lots of meetings with people arranged and more added to the schedule all the time.  We need to keep on this as the weeks are passing and our time will soon be over.  Thanks for praying for us.

Well it seems that what I have is going around, but hasn’t gone around our family.  My stomach is not right, but at least the aches have gone.  The children all seem fine.  Please pray for them all to stay healthy this weekend.  My brother-in-law, Dan, has no voice and so has stepped aside from leading the music.  The rain is pouring down.  There seem to be a lot of factors stacking up against this weekend.  So I’m praying for God to do something special in all our weakness.  We won’t have internet access until Tuesday, but we’ll update you then.  If you’re wondering, I’ll be preaching Friday evening, Saturday morning, Sunday morning and Sunday evening.  All from Luke.  All on spiritual growth.  Thanks.

Quick prayer request.  Yesterday Joel was sick (in the full meaning of the word).  Seems happier today.  I don’t feel 100%, but that could be stress from watching an important football match at lunch time here.  Anyway, please pray for us to be 100% for the retreat this weekend.  Thanks!

Well, of course.  Finally the heat has broken and the rain fell.  I hope this will help Melanie.  She’s been struggling with headaches again over the last days (so we wonder if high pressure is a factor since southern California was so tough on her).  It’s overwhelming having so many possible factors.  Please pray for patience as we try to figure out the best way to handle this difficult situation.

Sunday evening I spoke at Glow, here at Westside.  I spoke on Proverbs 28:13-14 – two great verses that are seemingly neglected (I’ve never heard them preached), but practically relevant for us all.  Now I am pulling things together for this next weekend.  I speak on Friday evening, Saturday morning and twice on Sunday.  Please pray for the preparation and for our weekend out at Eagle Fern Camp (for safety, sleep and strategic ministry).

It’s Saturday afternoon and I am grabbing an hour in the library to put finishing touches on my message for tomorrow night.  The library is a very nice addition to this town since we moved away, and a perfect place to work when I get the chance (free wireless connection, beautiful views, air conditioning!)  Yesterday, today, tomorrow and maybe Monday we have the joy of record high temperatures in the mid-90′s (that’s about 35 degrees for Brits and Europeans – mid-90′s celsius would really get people going on the global warming issue!)  Our house is unencumbered by air conditioning, so we are sleeping with windows open and cold wet face cloths for the girls . . . all good experience for them.  This morning we got a family picture taken – six adults and five children, and not too much drama.  So that’s the news from here.

Well, it’s been a very full week.  As Peter wrote, we all had the stomach flu last weekend.  Then after a couple of “well” days, we celebrated our nephew Matthew’s 2nd birthday and then Peter and I flew to Boston on Thursday for his graduation.  It was a great weekend together! Thanks to my mom and dad and Aunt Carol for watching our children.  Now we are back.  It feels like we can breathe a big sigh of relief because we are going to be in the same place for at least another month!  That feels good.  To be honest, I am pretty exhausted and feel a little be emotionally dis-oriented.  I know that sounds strange but I don’t know any other way to describe it.  We’ve been in so many places, met and re-connected with so many people, and then today went to our “home” church here in OR for the first time.  It was so wonderful to see so many friends.  It’s just hard knowing that we don’t live here anymore.  One of the hardest parts about doing what we do (serving in missions) is that no where is truly home.  Hillsboro feels so familiar, but it’s not home.  Caterham feels like home too but it’s really not.  I know I’ve written about this before on our blog . . . an issue that I struggle with from time to time.  This too I can offer up as a sacrifice to the Lord.  Pray for us as we spend time with friends this week and for Peter as he prepares for upcoming ministry. (GLOW youth meeting on the 18th and then church weekend away  23rd to 25th)

Just a reminder that we don’t have internet access at home – sorry we aren’t answering emails as promplty as usual and posts on the site are a little more sparse.  We’ll try to keep posting as much as we can.

It looks like we’re all clear.  All the kids and Dad have had it.  Melanie was in bed most of yesterday, and while not getting the full experience, it looks like she’s better today (just needing to eat and rest to regain strength). So thanks for praying, hopefully now we can feel like we’re actually here and not hiding!  Melanie and I leave on Thursday morning for Boston.  The graduation events are Friday evening and Saturday morning.  Appreciate your prayers for safe travel and for the children to do well with us gone.  Thanks!

We arrived in Hillsboro on Thursday afternoon.  But local friends here may be wondering where we are.  Well, we’re here, honest!  Just before we left the motel on Thursday morning, Hannah was sick.  Then again in the car.  Joel had been sick the day before, and very out of sorts.  We wondered if that was altitude related (or my driving!), but obviously not.  So we arrived just after lunch to our temporary house and Grandma, Grandpa and Auntie Amy.  It is great!  So many people have leant things, helped out, and gone out of their way to make the place our own little home for these two months.  Thank you all so much!  Thursday night I felt quite rough and had a strong headache.  During the night Mariah was sick, then I succombed too.  Friday evening Melanie was scheduled to fly to California for a Women’s Missionary Conference.  She felt a bit rough during the day, even in the airport (she called to chat through with me whether to go or not), but she decided to go by faith.  The rest of us stayed home.  Her visit was a success and she wasn’t sick, nor did she develop the headache that threatened – praise the Lord (by the way – no headaches in a week, the strict dietary rules seem to be helping so far!)  I’ll let her write a report in the next day or two.  She got home last night and we hoped we were in the clear to go to church today.  But sure enough, at 2am, Aliyah started complaining about her tummy.  Same story.  She’s recovering quickly though, so hopefully by tomorrow we should be clear – unless Melanie finally succombs too!

We don’t have internet access at home, but will be checking in regularly to our email at the all new Hillsboro public library (my new and temporary office!)  So thank you for praying, and if you’re at Westside, we’re here, honest!

Here are a few from the last few days:

  Here’s a happy chappy after his bear arrived by courier from England!

  Mariah was very brave, going first on Jay-Jay.

  And Hannah’s dream of riding a horse came true!

The carrots were for the horses, but Joel had other plans.

Here are the young Meads inside a redwood log at Muir Woods near San Francisco.

  And inside a still standing Redwood!

  Making friends in yet another CA church visit.