I jumped and dropped the lid of the rice pot with a clatter. “Danny – you scared me!” I said. He wrapped his arms around my waist and leaned in for a hug.
It was 5:45 – time for me to be up and starting breakfast, but I usually don’t see the kids for another 30-45 minutes.
“What are you doing up so early?”
“I wake up 3:30,” he said.
“Why?”
“I not want to sleep. I want to see Grandpa,” he said.
Today is the day he has been talking about all week – the day Paul returns from Mae Ai and the preachers’ training. We all miss him, but Danny, our youngest, is the one who clings to Paul the most. He has never known a father before. Now that he has one, he is Paul’s shadow. The trips to Mae Ai are hard on this little guy. Every day, he has said, “Grandpa come back tomorrow?”
“No, not until Friday,” I told him.
“Yea – Grandpa come back tomorrow!” he said yesterday, and I was glad to finally be able to say, “Yes, tomorrow.”
The training has been going well, and Paul has been encouraged by the response of the men. This week he taught the men from Thailand. They brought church problems with them this time, as they often do, and Paul patiently counseled them and gave them direction from Scripture. Some of the problems are a bit different than those found in the US. Dwangsawan has been preaching for several months in the village of Salikam. The Gospel is beginning to make a difference in the village, and the local witch doctor has taken notice. He’s making things difficult for the Christians. Please pray for this fiery little preacher and the new work in that remote Lisu village.
Also, Matthew, another Lisu preacher, is planning a big evangelistic outreach week after next. We will be in Mae Ai for the preachers’ training for the men from Myanmar and Laos, so we won’t be able to be with them, but several other Lisu Christians are joining in this effort. Please pray that the Lord will bless and many will be set free from the darkness and bondage of spirit worship.
Also, the kids have been good while Paul was gone, but we so feel the need for a place where we can raise kids and teach preachers at the same time. Please continue to pray with us about that.
Today is the last day of school. Their three-week semester break starts tomorrow. Three of the children will be picked up by family members tonight and Paul will deliver the other three tomorrow. Some of the kids – notably Andy – are excited about spending time with family in the mountains. Some of the others (as you might guess, Danny and Molly) are already negotiating for an early return.
We feel these times with family are important for the kids. We don’t want them to lose their language and their culture. We hope some day they will return to the villages as teachers, doctors, preachers, etc. to help their people. To do that, they will need to stay connected during their growing-up years.
What will I do without my houseful of kids? For a few days I will catch up on projects and then I hope to take a couple of days off to just chill and recharge. We are looking forward to special guests for the last two weeks of the break. Robert and Mary Hudson will be visiting from America. We will be going to Mae Ai for one week, then traveling to villages and maybe doing some sight-seeing the second week. We may have to take them clothes shopping. They are bringing so much stuff over for us that I’m not sure they will have room in their suitcases for anything of their own! Fair warning – when folks offer to bring or send us stuff, I take them up on it. I hope I didn’t overdo it this time.
The sun is shining and the washing machine just played the song that lets me know the load is finished (musical washers are much nicer than ones that just buzz). Time to hang out the last big load before the kids leave. Then my giant-sized washer and I will have a rest from laundry for a while.
May the Lord bless all my readers today, as He has so richly blessed us!
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