September 28th is my sister's birthday, and the day my mother went to be with
Jesus. Two joyous occasions, separated by thirty five years to the day.
Birth, death, rebirth. Ultimately, victory for my mother as she
folded up her old, worn out tent.
2 Cor 4:16-5:7 The Message:
"So we're not giving up. How could we! Even though on the outside it
often looks like things are falling apart on us, on the inside,
where God is making new life, not a day goes by without his unfolding
grace. These hard times are small potatoes compared to the coming good
times, the lavish celebration prepared for us. There's far more here
than meets the eye. The things we see now are here today, gone tomorrow.
But the things we can't see now will last forever. For instance, we
know that when these bodies of ours are taken down like tents and folded
away, they will be replaced by resurrection bodies in heaven -
God-made, not handmade - and we'll never have to relocate our "tents"
again. Sometimes we can hardly wait to move - and so we cry out in
frustration. Compared to what's coming, living conditions around here
seem like a stopover in an unfurnished shack, and we're tired of it!
We've been given a glimpse of the real thing, our true home, our
resurrection bodies! The Spirit of God whets our appetite by giving us a
taste of what's ahead. He puts a little of heaven in our hearts so that
we'll never settle for less. That's why we live with such good cheer.
You won't see us drooping our heads or dragging our feet! Cramped
conditions here don't get us down. They only remind us of the spacious
living conditions ahead. It's what we trust in but don't yet see that
keeps us going."
That little taste of heaven he puts in our
hearts is what keeps me pressing on. I don't know about you all, but
some days, I can't wait to go home.
Tuesday, May 22, 2012
September 11, 2001
On September 11, 2001, we were in Wuhan, Hubei Province,
People's Republic of China. About 6am, we heard a knock on our door. A
women in our travel group informed us that we needed to immediately
turn on the TV. We did, and we looked in horror as we watched replays
of the World Trade Center coming down. The actual event occurred after
we had gone to bed, so we did not see it happen live.
We were in China to adopt our second daughter, Sarah Mei Jei. She had been placed in our arms on Sept. 6. Two days later, I suffered the most extreme food poisoning episode ever in my life, and was close to going to the hospital. I was helpless for about several days. A very gracious Chinese doctor on call at our hotel, had come to my room and visited me, and given me some antibiotics and several Chinese remedies to help me. When the terrorist attack occurred, I was just beginning to get my strength back.
Our immediate thoughts were that we would never get to return to the US, to our home. We were certain that there would be a nuclear event, probably nuclear reprisals against Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, any place that Muslim terrorists called home. We just knew that the US would be at war with every Muslim country in the world! We were ordered to not leave our hotel, and the Embassy was notified of our whereabouts. All international flights into the US were disallowed and cancelled. We began trying to sort out our options. We managed to talk to our family and assure them that we were safe. It was many hours before we knew if Brad's cousin who worked in the Pentagon was okay - thankfully he was.
We started thinking about what it would mean to us if we never were to return home. What if we lost our home, our pets, our bank account, our cars? What would that mean? And what is home anyway? We realized it is where our hearts are - and are hearts are definitely with our children, so we were home. After many tears, and fighting off panic, and much prayer, a peace came upon us that passes all understanding, a calm in the midst of a storm. God's Spirit, the Comforter, visited us in a mighty way, and remained with us. It was amazing, as we began to consider life post 9/11, and the possibility of living in China with our two Chinese daughters! A sense of freedom and excitement came over us. Brad was convinced he had much to offer the Chinese as an expert engineer in cold formed steel, and I thought I could teach English. And we would end up being tentmakers in China, sharing God's love with the people who have captured our hearts. Talk about a new beginning!!
After a week or so, we realized that God wanted us to return home, and that things would go back to the way they were before we left for China (well, sort of....except for the A10 Warthogs that routinely circled out my kitchen window between my house and the mountains). We settled back into our old routines, and set about the work of winning over our newest daughter, loving her, wooing her, and living life to the best of our abilities.
The lesson God had for us was this: Are you willing to leave everything for Me? We found out that we could. But just like Abraham and his son Isaac, just at the last second, God provided another way. How about you? Are you willing?
By the way, this is not a one time test that we passed and don't have to repeat again, but that is another story...
We were in China to adopt our second daughter, Sarah Mei Jei. She had been placed in our arms on Sept. 6. Two days later, I suffered the most extreme food poisoning episode ever in my life, and was close to going to the hospital. I was helpless for about several days. A very gracious Chinese doctor on call at our hotel, had come to my room and visited me, and given me some antibiotics and several Chinese remedies to help me. When the terrorist attack occurred, I was just beginning to get my strength back.
Our immediate thoughts were that we would never get to return to the US, to our home. We were certain that there would be a nuclear event, probably nuclear reprisals against Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, any place that Muslim terrorists called home. We just knew that the US would be at war with every Muslim country in the world! We were ordered to not leave our hotel, and the Embassy was notified of our whereabouts. All international flights into the US were disallowed and cancelled. We began trying to sort out our options. We managed to talk to our family and assure them that we were safe. It was many hours before we knew if Brad's cousin who worked in the Pentagon was okay - thankfully he was.
We started thinking about what it would mean to us if we never were to return home. What if we lost our home, our pets, our bank account, our cars? What would that mean? And what is home anyway? We realized it is where our hearts are - and are hearts are definitely with our children, so we were home. After many tears, and fighting off panic, and much prayer, a peace came upon us that passes all understanding, a calm in the midst of a storm. God's Spirit, the Comforter, visited us in a mighty way, and remained with us. It was amazing, as we began to consider life post 9/11, and the possibility of living in China with our two Chinese daughters! A sense of freedom and excitement came over us. Brad was convinced he had much to offer the Chinese as an expert engineer in cold formed steel, and I thought I could teach English. And we would end up being tentmakers in China, sharing God's love with the people who have captured our hearts. Talk about a new beginning!!
After a week or so, we realized that God wanted us to return home, and that things would go back to the way they were before we left for China (well, sort of....except for the A10 Warthogs that routinely circled out my kitchen window between my house and the mountains). We settled back into our old routines, and set about the work of winning over our newest daughter, loving her, wooing her, and living life to the best of our abilities.
The lesson God had for us was this: Are you willing to leave everything for Me? We found out that we could. But just like Abraham and his son Isaac, just at the last second, God provided another way. How about you? Are you willing?
By the way, this is not a one time test that we passed and don't have to repeat again, but that is another story...
Sucking Mud Really Sucks
Last October, I was privileged to be able to take my daughter deer hunting in the plains of eastern Colorado. The little patch of ground we were hunting had a deep irrigation ditch to get across, and then a little stream to cross as well. I knew about the water, and purchased some really good tall rubber boots. Liz and I came to the ditch, and I ferried over our gear and guns safely. I then returned to ferry over Liz by giving her a piggy back ride. We got to the other side without incident, although it was a bit muddy at the edges because it was a cattle crossing area. We hiked on and then came to the stream. We crossed at one place and then began hunting.
Eventually, we found ourselves about a half a mile from where we crossed, and I decided that it looked safe to cross where we were instead of backtracking. So I stepped off the embankment, and promptly went up to the top of my boots in a vile, black, smelly mud! I immediately fell backwards back onto the embankment, got Liz to take my backpack and rifle, and began pulling for all I was worth!
I succeeded in freeing my right foot from my boot, then pulling the boot out. However, no matter how hard I pulled, my left foot would not budge. After about ten minutes of struggle, I got my left foot out of the boot. I was thinking about how awful it would be to walk back the 1.5 miles to the car with only one boot... Liz was trying not to laugh, but found the whole ordeal hilarious. She kept bringing me bigger and bigger tree limbs to try to pry or dig out my boot, but I kept breaking them off in the sticky muck. Finally, she brought a really big limb over, and I pried and dug and pried. Finally, amidst the sucking noises, I noticed by boot was beginning to move. After about twenty minutes, my boot finally came free, praise God! Oh, the stink of that mud was indescribable, but I shall try. Imagine rotting, wet vegetation. Then imagine cow urine. Then add in cow poo and mix together. Oh, and I forgot: the smell of that plant near streams that smells like a skunk. When I finally rolled over with my boot in hand and covered in black goo, I was able to laugh. I have to admit, it was pretty funny when it was over. During the ordeal, I did have a few moments of panic when I thought I might not be able to get myself unstuck, or at the least, I would loose my boot.
As I was driving the long drive home, I thought about how powerful the suction of the mud was, and how difficult it was to extract myself from it, and remembered the first time I went into debt to buy something. Signing that piece of paper looked so innocent and harmless, but when I stepped into that debt... Now, years later, we are working hard to extricate ourselves from the sticky, gooey, smelly muck of consumer debt. We bought a boat, a car, and most recently, a travel trailer with cash. We have vowed to never go into debt again for retail purchases.
Right now, we are fighting that sucking mud that really sucks hard, but I now have hope that someday, our feet will come out, we will roll over and look at one another, and laugh because we are free. Thanks, God, for the lesson learned from that stinky mud!
Eventually, we found ourselves about a half a mile from where we crossed, and I decided that it looked safe to cross where we were instead of backtracking. So I stepped off the embankment, and promptly went up to the top of my boots in a vile, black, smelly mud! I immediately fell backwards back onto the embankment, got Liz to take my backpack and rifle, and began pulling for all I was worth!
I succeeded in freeing my right foot from my boot, then pulling the boot out. However, no matter how hard I pulled, my left foot would not budge. After about ten minutes of struggle, I got my left foot out of the boot. I was thinking about how awful it would be to walk back the 1.5 miles to the car with only one boot... Liz was trying not to laugh, but found the whole ordeal hilarious. She kept bringing me bigger and bigger tree limbs to try to pry or dig out my boot, but I kept breaking them off in the sticky muck. Finally, she brought a really big limb over, and I pried and dug and pried. Finally, amidst the sucking noises, I noticed by boot was beginning to move. After about twenty minutes, my boot finally came free, praise God! Oh, the stink of that mud was indescribable, but I shall try. Imagine rotting, wet vegetation. Then imagine cow urine. Then add in cow poo and mix together. Oh, and I forgot: the smell of that plant near streams that smells like a skunk. When I finally rolled over with my boot in hand and covered in black goo, I was able to laugh. I have to admit, it was pretty funny when it was over. During the ordeal, I did have a few moments of panic when I thought I might not be able to get myself unstuck, or at the least, I would loose my boot.
As I was driving the long drive home, I thought about how powerful the suction of the mud was, and how difficult it was to extract myself from it, and remembered the first time I went into debt to buy something. Signing that piece of paper looked so innocent and harmless, but when I stepped into that debt... Now, years later, we are working hard to extricate ourselves from the sticky, gooey, smelly muck of consumer debt. We bought a boat, a car, and most recently, a travel trailer with cash. We have vowed to never go into debt again for retail purchases.
Right now, we are fighting that sucking mud that really sucks hard, but I now have hope that someday, our feet will come out, we will roll over and look at one another, and laugh because we are free. Thanks, God, for the lesson learned from that stinky mud!
A Our New Adventure: 1971 Aristocrat 17 STL Lo Liner
This year, I began working for Brad and drawing a salary, for several reasons. One of the reasons was so that I could fund my hunting trips, which would be a huge incentive for me to work lots for Brad so that I could hunt more! (Sometimes it is difficult to be around a person 24/7 and work for them...)
Well, I am proud to say that I have been working and saving all my money, and have been able to horse trade and sell some things and get a new used rifle for hunting this year, as well as to purchase an old 1971 Aristocrat Lo Liner! This little travel trailer will keep me warm and snug in relative comfort on my hunting and fishing trips, and I won't have to stay in hotels any longer! I am actually relieved, because during hunting season, being in a hotel is not a quiet and peaceful place to be... Guys stay up late hooping and hollering, and then clunk around in their boots at 4 o'clock in the morning. There is so much strutting and gabbing and posturing going on in those hotels, it's hard for anyone to get any sleep. So I will be relieved to sleep on my foam mattress in my little trailer parked out in the boonies on BLM land with only the jackrabbits, sage grouse, and antelopes as my neighbors! My girls are so excited about the trailer, they can hardly stand it! Gone are the days of answering the call of nature in mosquito infested forests during a cold rain! And now we will have a warm place to play games and wait out the weather, and pop popcorn and drink hot chocolate, whiling away our time! We have board games loaded in one cabinet! One of the games is a vintage Monopoly (thrift store find), with the little metal pieces, and yellowed dice! Sarah commented on how different the old Monopoly was from the newer one we have in the house.
The girls and I are leaning towards naming the trailer "Momma's Gone Huntin." Here are pictures of the trailer the day after we towed it home.
Now, here is what I know:
The plumbing and wiring is a mess, the toilet does not work, the water doesn't work, the stove top does work but the oven does not, the fridge I haven't figured out yet, the central heat - not working yet, hot water heater not installed and so old as to be questionable!
What does work:
The inside lights, 110v lights and outlets, the trailer running lights, wheels roll.
What I am working on:
I pulled out the Monomatic toilet as it was absolutely gruesome (40 something years old). I initially tried to service it, but the job was so gruesome, and the plastic parts so brittle, that I gave up. We currently don't have the water system working, so I have a new Porta Potty arriving in a few days. Cleaned around the toilet flange and was going to put a new flange in with a knockout cover to close up the old hole, but that didn't work. So now, I am going to have to build a little platform to cover the flange and provide a flat surface for the new Porta Potty, which is self contained and not hooked into the plumbing system.
I cut out a huge bird's nest of wires that were melted and fused together. In the process, the porch light and oscillating fan stopped working! Brad pulled out his Ohm meter and helped me get things back to working. I did not realize that little fan ran so fast once I got it hooked up right! I installed a 12v radio/cd/ipod player and speakers in that same area, but am having to wait a few more days until Brad gets back to hook up the electrical. Cleaned connections on 12v battery and cleaned battery compartment. Not thrilled to be sleeping on top of a voltage converter and a RV battery!
Today, I discovered there are no holding tanks. The gray water drains onto the ground... If the potty were hooked up, I would have to have it connected to a septic line to dump it. The water pump is making noise but not pumping. I removed it and cleaned it and will reinstall tomorrow... Found PEX plumbing disconnected and some other vinyl tubing running from the pump to the kitchen faucet. Looks like all the PEX is disconnected, which means that the lines to the bathroom and to the water heater may be suspect as they are cut and open. Also, tried to get a propane tank refilled, but no one wants to touch it as it has the old style valve on it that was outlawed about six years ago.
Planning on reinforcing framing around battery, putting a 1x6 on bunk bed edge to stiffen it and to prevent anyone from rolling out of the bed by accident, replacing screen on the door, finishing reupholstering the cushions, and a million other things.
Six days until maiden voyage, stay tuned!
Well, I am proud to say that I have been working and saving all my money, and have been able to horse trade and sell some things and get a new used rifle for hunting this year, as well as to purchase an old 1971 Aristocrat Lo Liner! This little travel trailer will keep me warm and snug in relative comfort on my hunting and fishing trips, and I won't have to stay in hotels any longer! I am actually relieved, because during hunting season, being in a hotel is not a quiet and peaceful place to be... Guys stay up late hooping and hollering, and then clunk around in their boots at 4 o'clock in the morning. There is so much strutting and gabbing and posturing going on in those hotels, it's hard for anyone to get any sleep. So I will be relieved to sleep on my foam mattress in my little trailer parked out in the boonies on BLM land with only the jackrabbits, sage grouse, and antelopes as my neighbors! My girls are so excited about the trailer, they can hardly stand it! Gone are the days of answering the call of nature in mosquito infested forests during a cold rain! And now we will have a warm place to play games and wait out the weather, and pop popcorn and drink hot chocolate, whiling away our time! We have board games loaded in one cabinet! One of the games is a vintage Monopoly (thrift store find), with the little metal pieces, and yellowed dice! Sarah commented on how different the old Monopoly was from the newer one we have in the house.
The girls and I are leaning towards naming the trailer "Momma's Gone Huntin." Here are pictures of the trailer the day after we towed it home.
1971 Aristocrat Lo Liner
The table folds down into a twin size bed.
Little fan goes really fast now!
I am loving the avocado green!
Long cushions fold down and pull out to make queen size bed, and above that is a fold down bunk bed, which will be Sarah's perch!
Magic Chef Stove Top and Oven
Dometic Propane Fridge
Cushions fold down and pull out to make queen size bed. Battery and convertor are underneath those long cushions!
Welcome to the gourmet galley!
The plumbing and wiring is a mess, the toilet does not work, the water doesn't work, the stove top does work but the oven does not, the fridge I haven't figured out yet, the central heat - not working yet, hot water heater not installed and so old as to be questionable!
What does work:
The inside lights, 110v lights and outlets, the trailer running lights, wheels roll.
What I am working on:
I pulled out the Monomatic toilet as it was absolutely gruesome (40 something years old). I initially tried to service it, but the job was so gruesome, and the plastic parts so brittle, that I gave up. We currently don't have the water system working, so I have a new Porta Potty arriving in a few days. Cleaned around the toilet flange and was going to put a new flange in with a knockout cover to close up the old hole, but that didn't work. So now, I am going to have to build a little platform to cover the flange and provide a flat surface for the new Porta Potty, which is self contained and not hooked into the plumbing system.
I cut out a huge bird's nest of wires that were melted and fused together. In the process, the porch light and oscillating fan stopped working! Brad pulled out his Ohm meter and helped me get things back to working. I did not realize that little fan ran so fast once I got it hooked up right! I installed a 12v radio/cd/ipod player and speakers in that same area, but am having to wait a few more days until Brad gets back to hook up the electrical. Cleaned connections on 12v battery and cleaned battery compartment. Not thrilled to be sleeping on top of a voltage converter and a RV battery!
Today, I discovered there are no holding tanks. The gray water drains onto the ground... If the potty were hooked up, I would have to have it connected to a septic line to dump it. The water pump is making noise but not pumping. I removed it and cleaned it and will reinstall tomorrow... Found PEX plumbing disconnected and some other vinyl tubing running from the pump to the kitchen faucet. Looks like all the PEX is disconnected, which means that the lines to the bathroom and to the water heater may be suspect as they are cut and open. Also, tried to get a propane tank refilled, but no one wants to touch it as it has the old style valve on it that was outlawed about six years ago.
Planning on reinforcing framing around battery, putting a 1x6 on bunk bed edge to stiffen it and to prevent anyone from rolling out of the bed by accident, replacing screen on the door, finishing reupholstering the cushions, and a million other things.
Six days until maiden voyage, stay tuned!
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