Poured Out

Yesterday, we had a morning in the garden trying to clean it up a bit.  After a few trips to the tip, cutting the grass, cleaning out the rabbits’ hutch, and attacking bushes with shears, it looks much better!  Mariah and Joel alternately frustrated us with their arguing (actually it was toward lunchtime when they started that!) and entertained us with their singing!  Here is one of the more melodic moments . . .Mariah singing accompanied by the tennis racket!

In the process of cutting the grass, Peter inadvertantly ran over a . . . . worm.  Ah, the cruelty.  The girls were really upset and tried hard to revive Flower, the worm.

I kind of forgot about Flower . . . we fed our hungry children, had our traditional rest/read time in the afternoon and then went out to a special farm where we got to have some special Italian gelato . . . .yes, you are seeing correctly.  They are blinking in the bright English SUN!!

After the ice cream, we headed to the fields to pick raspberries and strawberries.  We were amazed at how many berries we were able to pick at this time of year!  Of course at the end of the picking session, Joel ended up with a grand total of ZERO berries in his basket!!  The berries combined with the chocolate ice cream he had had, made for a lovely sticky face! (I kissed off one smashed berry!  The things we moms due when we don’t have wipes!)

Getting back to Flower, today after church, the girls informed me that despite their best resuscitation efforts, Flower had died.  They were having a funeral and could I come, please.  I could not find the camera so I didn’t get a picture of Mariah playing the role of the horse, pulling the funeral hearse (child-size wheelbarrow) and Flower, wrapped in a tissue on top of a bed of straw.  Hannah (the preacher) announced, “Dearly beloved, we are gathered here to mark the burial of Flower the worm.  Then she read what is on Flower’s gravestone: (click on it to make it bigger)

Then, Aliyah (the grave digger), dug the grave and laid Flower in it while Hannah sang “Alleluia over and over again.  I couldn’t help it.  I threw back my head and laughed really hard!!  They didn’t seem to take it personally.   My kids are so sweet.  Then tonight, when I came in to read to Hannah and Aliyah, they had prepared a special tray for me with mint tea and olives (my favorites – never had them together before though!) and blackberries that our neighbour gave us with a little note that said, “We love you Mummy.”  Ahhhh.  They are too sweet.  I had to take a picture to remember that moment.

Since I so rarely get time to post photos on the site (and several have requested photos of the rabbits!) I thought I’d put a few more on from this past month.  Here is Hannah with Daisy:

And Aliyah with Dandelion (Dandy): (oops, its Daisy again, I’ll try to get one of Dandy on here soon!)

Had to take this picture:

Joel has a thing for hats at the moment . . . this time it was a Kenyan hat with a builder uniform:

I don’t always have the patience to let the kids cook with me, but here they are helping me make pasta sauce: (sorry for the steam!)

How many Mead kids can you fit in a plastic car?

I told myself I’d get a first day of school photo, but I forgot til the end of our school day when we were all cuddled on the couch reading our science for the day.  Don’t you like Mariah’s school uniform?

And lastly, a photo of us at the wedding we went to last weekend.  The girls had been looking forward to dressing up for weeks.  And Joel . . . well, he good naturedly let us dress him up in his little suit we borrowed from his cousin, Matthew.

I am thankful for my family!  “It is good to give thanks to the LORD and to sing praises to your name, O Most High.  To declare your lovingkindness in the morning and your faithfulness at night.” (Ps. 92:1-2)  Speaking of night . . . it’s late at night here and Peter has just come home from being gone all day in Chippenham.  He had a tremendously encouraging day!  I will not make this post any longer than it is already and go and be with him.  Thank you to all of you who read our blog and pray for us faithfully.  We value you so much.

Is it just me, or did this week fly past?  All the normal activities – school work, some instrument practice, playing football with the girls in the back garden a couple of times (Aliyah is a terrier!), etc.  For me it was a fairly normal week, whatever that is.  Working from home on tax returns, in the car on more interesting study (weather was great!), planning meetings north of London, midweek Bible study, attending a parenting course with Melanie, a good workout the other evening, an afternoon off to hang out with Melanie, an hour off to take the children on a nature walk, cooked dinner for the children once, etc.  Now today we plan to get the back garden under control, then we’re off to visit a farm with a friend this afternoon.  Tomorrow I drive 2 hours to Chippenham for the day.  I always enjoy visiting that church and will be there for the next two Sundays.

The first official week of school is done.  It went well.  Last night Melanie packed 18 ladies into our front room (comfortably seats about 6!)  They enjoyed a meal together and then a movie.  Today we have a wedding to attend, then tomorrow is abnormal for us – a normal Sunday.  That is to say that I’m not preaching anywhere, so I’ll get to enjoy my own church and my own family.  We seem to have some coughs and colds in the family, but thankfully no signs of E.Coli (our children were at Godstone Farm during the dangerous E.Coli days last month – 49 infected from there so far).

I returned yesterday from Romania – what a great few days!  The organizers had done a great job in getting 100 pastors and church leaders together for this first Langham training in the country.  They were from multiple denominations and from all over the nation.  The conference was held in Sibiu, not too far from Bran (where “Dracula’s castle” is located).  Mark Meynell and I shared the teaching and preaching, but the real work was done by the local organizers.  The morning Bible studies from Philippians were well received, as was the instruction in preaching and the workshop practice times.  It was enjoyable to lead the feedback for half of the groups as we shared a lot of joy together, but also engaged fully with the preaching preparation process.

Once the conference ended on Saturday, I travelled a couple of hours to Codlea with our good friend Fausto.  There I was able to visit him and his family (also sent from the same church as us).  We enjoyed a walk through town to see the youth centre where they have their ministry.  On Sunday morning I preached in a local church, which was also an enjoyable time.  Fausto and I drove back to Bucharest on Sunday evening where we met up with Mark (from the conference) and Sorin (one of the local pastors) and enjoyed the evening together.  Then Monday morning Fausto dropped me at the airport.  A quick trip, but well worth it.  I hope I’ll be able to return to Romania in the future.

I promised myself I’d be off the computer by 9pm tonight.  Ha! It’s 9:30.  I really am doing “work” so maybe I have a good excuse.  I’ve been organizing things for our Oasis social event this Friday night.  Please pray for the evening to be a great time of fellowship – we’re having a bring and share meal (potluck for you Americans!) and then we’re watching the film, Fireproof, together.  Pray that the film will be impactful in the ladies’ lives.  So far, at least 13 ladies are coming.  The next book we are reading is “Secret Believers” by Brother Andrew – a book every Christian should read, about what happens to Muslims when they become Christians.

I just had to write a post tonight.  The girls came down to dinner tonight with big Cheshire-cat grins, holding their calendars.  They wanted to tell me what they’d written on their calendars for today – “Rabbit Dedication.”  Hmmm.  I needed a little explanation.  They proudly told me that they’d dedicated their rabbits to God.  They said that everything they had was God’s and they wanted God to know that He could use their rabbits if He wanted to if it would help Him in any way.  I laughed (only a little) and then told them how proud I was that they wanted God to be in every part of their lives and that He might just use their rabbits for His purposes!  Mariah chimed in that they had held the rabbits up high to God while they dedicated them!!!  I would have to say that might have been a first – a rabbit dedication! At least its on the calendar so we’ll remember the date!

Another first today . . . Joel started Sunday School. Sniff, sniff.  Yes, my baby boy entered the big kids’ world at church.  He apparently did very well and he told me he said really loud, “Jesus is the Son of God” and the teacher clapped for him.  I will have to hear more from the teacher sometime.  Oh yes, he was “chosen” for sitting up the straightest and quietest in the singing and prayer time.  From what I hear, it’s a great honor to be “chosen” – especially cause you get a sweet!

And another first . . . tomorrow is our first day of school.  The girls asked me if we could start Saturday and again today – nothing like eager minds!  So we’ll start tomorrow.  I have been working hard to prepare everything.  Of course all my ducks are not quite as “in a row” as I’d like them to be.  But if I waited til they were, we might never start.  So, ready or not, here we go!  Pray for all of us, as we study and learn together.  Pray most of all for eager, receptive hearts to what the Lord wants to teach us this year, myself and Peter included.  If you are interested in our daily or weekly schedule, subjects we’re studying, etc. I can send them to you so you can pray for us more specifically.

I’ll really, really try to get some photos up here soon – of the rabbits and the first day of school too!  (P.S. Not only is it the first day of school tomorrow, it’s the day Daddy gets home!  Pray for a safe flight.  He lands around 5:10 and will be home as soon as the traffic on the M25 will let him. I have greatly missed him and only with God’s help can I be patient enough to wait another day!)

Sorry for the boring post title.  It’s been a fuzzy brain day – tonight I tried to brush Joel’s teeth with Mariah’s toothbrush (that one got lots of laughs from the kids), forgot about a dentist appt. (they had mercy and won’t charge me) and accidentally posted the US grandparents a letter with the UK postage for the other grandparents on it (let’s hope it somehow arrives!)  So, you can’t be flying high every day!  I am now in the third day of this lovely little cold/flu that I probably brought with me off the plane.  Tonight I am feeling some better.  I have had a very sore throat, aches, chills and a stuffed up nose and head (which has affected my hearing quite a bit).  Most of that is gone now, but I still have the stuffed up head.  Nothing major, just enough to knock me off my feet for awhile.  A good friend very kindly took my children so I could sleep a bit the past few days. (As well as the cold, I think jet-lag has also been playing a role in my strange sleeping patterns)  I’m thankful I’ve got nothing worse than a cold.  But I thought I’d post an update because I know some people were wondering how I was doing with Peter gone.  I am doing fine and very thankful for God’s strength and help.

I spoke to Peter today and he is doing really well.  He taught on how to prepare a sermon today (4 hrs.) and will lead a seminar discussion again tomorrow and preach the next day I believe.  He said the participants are very eager and there are about 100 there.  All is going very well.  Thanks for praying for all of us.

Aeroplanes are germ recyclers.  I don’t say this in view of my flying on two of them tomorrow, but because Melanie was on a couple two days ago.  Last night she came down with flu-like symptoms.  Swine flu?  Hope not!  I’m leaving at 3am tomorrow morning to get a very early flight out to Romania via Germany.  Please pray for Melanie to recover sufficiently by tomorrow to be able to function.  I probably should have flown out today, but decided to go at the last moment possible – now I’m thankful that I made that decision.  Please pray for Melanie and for my trip to Romania.  It would be a real problem if I come down with the same thing, or if she does not recover quickly.  Thanks for praying!

I am always slightly hesitant to share positive feedback via prayer letters since doing so can feel somehow vain (I’m not criticizing those who do, just sharing my own struggle with doing so myself).  On the other hand, by not sharing the feedback I am failing to share encouragement to other members of the team (since the ministry we are involved in is only possible because of our team of prayer partners).  So I thought I’d share a message I received yesterday from an OM worker who was at the conference a couple of weeks ago:

I just want to let you know, I have been so inspired through the seminar on reading the bible at the GO conference. Since that day I have had my 2x 20 minutes bible reading and studying every day and it is so much fun.
It seems that I get to know God in a new, fresh way. I love it.
So keep on going with this seminar, it is so basic, so inspiring and so good!

Messages like that are worth so much in terms of motivation for ministry.  Thanks for being a part of this.

After a 16 hr. trip, door to door, I am home from my trip to Oregon.  I was greeted at the front door by gleeful children flying at me, shouting, “Mommy!!!!!!” (or was it “Mummy?”)  I guess I was missed!  Actually, Mariah kept declaring that she didn’t miss me, all the while clinging tightly to my neck with a huge grin.  Maybe half an hour later, she admitted she actually did miss me!  First things first, I got introduced to the new members of the family (rabbits), Daisy and Dandelion, in the first 2 minutes after walking in the door.  The kids also excitedly showed me 2 new bookcases that have joined the Mead library system.  Good investment, since my suitcases are filled with books from the US!  After opening my suitcases, passing around a few gifts from Grandma and Auntie Amy and Mom too, I took a shower to revive myself and we headed off to church as a family.  Yes, I was a little zoned out but it was wonderful to sit together as a family and see friends again.

My trip was so special.  Thanks to everyone who prayed for me.  I used the long flights (about 17 hrs. including layover) over for reading four books (don’t think I put a book down for more than a few minutes and that was just to eat!)  I need to put some more reviews on my bookshelf.  What a treat to feast uninterrupted on great books!  I had a fantastically wonderful time with my sister, her husband, my nephew Matthew (age 3) and my new niece Claire.  We didn’t do a lot of going out but just had lots of relaxed time together.  I got lots of bonding time with my nephew Matthew – I think this trip was the most concentrated time I’ve ever spent with him.  He’s so fun to be with – what a precious boy he is.  And what can I say about Claire, other than she is just beautiful!  I got lots of cuddle time and EVEN got blessed with some of her first smiles. (I felt a little guilty that they didn’t get displayed for her parents first, but I guess these Claire smiles will have to last me many months to come before I see her again!)  Amy and I just got to “do normal life” together.  Since we live across the ocean from each other, the time just being together was very sweet.  I will miss all of them so much.

I only had one bad headache on Thursday afternoon/evening and then had one on the way home on the plane that mercifully passed after about 4 hours.  I was able to see my naturopathic doctor and have some tests done too so we’ll see what the results have to tell us.  Overall, I have been feeling quite a bit better.  Please keep praying  for healing and for me to find God’s grace sufficient when I am weak.  I was thinking a little bit about 2 Corinthians 12 on the way home on the plane (thorn in the flesh passage).  Are these headaches my “thorn in the flesh?”  I don’t know.  If so, God has a purpose in it (to keep me from becoming prideful – see verse 7) and can show his power through my weakness.

OK, off to put dinner on the table for the family.  Peter has done a fantastic job being daddy without me.  What a great husband I have to let me go across the world for so long.  Maybe the week has caught up to him . . . as I write this, he is dozing while sitting up on the couch!  As for the children, they are in the back garden with . . . you guessed it, the rabbits!  I will post some pictures below.

As you may know, we are technically part of OM’s SouthEast London Fellowship which incorporates George Verwer’s Special Projects and various other OM folks based in this area.  Here is the latest four-page newsletter from the fellowship, which includes a brief article from us.

Click here for the newsletter