Today the love of my life turns the BIG 40!!!! While he is probably going to dislike the fact that I publicly announced this on my blog, as he keeps saying it is a birthday he wants to forget….I am going to celebrate it and celebrate him! I could write a list of 40 reasons why I love this incredible man, but I would make him blush, and I could write a list of 40 things you probably didn’t know about this special man, but honestly I could write a book and wouldn’t know what 40 things to pick. So instead I am going to write a list of why I am grateful to our Creator, the one that breathed life into us, for this incredible husband of mine.
So my grateful list will be dedicated to the one that the Lord choose for me to spend my life with. Happy Birthday my LOVE! I can’t wait for the next 40!! :o)
I am grateful for my wonderful, incredible, sexy, amazing husband (don’t worry I censored the rest of the things that I really wanted to say) because:
1. He loves the Lord with all of his heart and soul and seeks to live his life for HIM, even when it is so hard, so difficult and he has been put down for it.
2. The Bible is the most important book in his life. It is what sustains him, keeps him going, encourages him, challenges him, excites him and he shares that with me and his kids. It is the inherent Word of God that he respects, defends and adheres to.
3. He is willing to stand up and speak out for those that do not have a voice, for those that God has really put a burden on his heart for.
4. His heart breaks and aches for the down trodden of this world. He gets so upset for those that are suffering, less fortunate, hurting, and for those that have been wronged. He has the most amazing, sensitive heart. He does take it really personal which worries his wife at times.
5. He has taken the narrow road his entire life and has been falsely accused, wrongly accused, put down, tossed aside, rejected, maligned, yet he still keeps on going, keeps on sharing the gospel and acknowledges that Jesus is Lord of his life. His testimony amazes me, inspires me, even though I know it has been hard and there have been so many struggles and he doesn’t like to share the dark parts of his life openly, God really has been with him and has a plan for his life.
6. If it weren’t for him and for the amazing ways that God used him to work in my life, I really don’t know where I would be. My spiritual journey has been strengthened, encouraged, challenged so much by him and by his willingness to listen to God. So many amazing stories I could tell about how we met, the events, the dreams, the times that God really spoke to us and showed us that this union of ours was meant to be. God is great and so is my husband for being willing to listen to Him and not give up on me and put up with my many faults and crazy stubbornness at times! ;o)
7. He is an incredible Father to our kids. He plays with them, sings with them, dances with them, talks to them, listens to them, kisses and hugs them and tells them how much he loves them and most importantly how much Jesus loves them. He is so involved in their lives, he cares so deeply for them. He admits when he makes mistakes and asks for their forgiveness, he apologizes when he gets short with them and tells them that no matter what he always loves them. It really is incredible to watch this daddy with his little angels.
8. He is honest, open, and extremely forthright. He is not afraid to speak the truth. I have the utmost respect for him and see what an amazing man of integrity he is.
9. He loves to travel and explore as much as I do. He loves to experience new cultures, new foods, new lands and new languages. How will God use this I wonder? :o)
10. He has this whacky sense of humour. He makes me laugh and makes me smile as I think about all of his quirky sayings and actions. I do have to admit, that most people don't get his sense of humour (and it took me a bit too)! :o)
Happy 40th birthday John!!! I love you with all of my heart and feel honoured to celebrate your birthday with you.
Wednesday, 16 February 2011
Saturday, 12 February 2011
Hard decisions, hard discussions
There are times in your life when you do have to make some pretty difficult decisions and have those hard discussions. As adults we are generally mature enough to handle them and discuss them, but sometimes not always humble enough to accept what is being said, but still there is supposed to be a maturity---right?! :o)
How do you deal with the difficult decisions and those hard discussions when having to explain them to your 4 year old and almost 2 year old? This was our week and it broke our hearts to have to have this discussion and make the decision we made.
We got the kids a puppy before Christmas. We knew we were moving and would have a yard (with a fence) and wanted a 'guard' dog. We looked at the SPCA, looked in Kijij and then we found him in the paper. Our beloved Samson. We got him from a farm and he was 9 weeks old. He is a Great Pyrenees, a breed that we really love. They are huge dogs, horses would better describe them once they are full grown. They are big, white, fluffy and gentle. They have this stoic, majestic look to them. Amazing with kids, but fierce protectors. Some pictures on the internet show this breed facing off with bears. Not to mention the stories you hear about these dogs protecting their property, killing wolves, coyotes, etc. They are working dogs and a lot of sheep and even cattle farms use these dogs with great success. You would never guess that these dogs have that aggressive, protective side because they are so docile, gentle and submissive around the family.
When Samson came, he was showered with affection and he was instantly a member of the family. There was no way that Zech wanted his Samson to be outside (he is not an inside dog and he is trained to stay in a designated area when he does come in). He was afraid that someone would take his dog, or that his dog would get lost. It took a bit of convincing him that Samson belonged outside.
The kids adore him and the first word out of Genesis' mouth every morning as soon as she woke up, was "PUPPY". Now she asks 'where my puppy'? every morning when she gets up. They give him hugs and kisses and Zech tells Samson all sorts of stories and talks to him like he is his best friend. When Samson whines for attention, Zech runs over and tells him "it's ok big guy, I am here". It really is amazing to watch. We thought that our kids could grow up with him and that he would be a permanent part of our family, until we came to a pretty startling realization.
We have been having all sorts of issues with Genesis and this exzema. The tests came back negative for Celiac (praise the Lord that we can rule that out). We have had her off eggs and are cutting back dairy (not that she has a lot). Nothing has seemed to work, however we will be doing some further testing (this coming week). We were at some friends place on Sunday and they have a dog in the house. At first he was gated in the kitchen, but once he calmed down he was allowed to mingle with everyone. Genesis was naturally obsessed and he was all over her too. He was licking her face and would follow her around. When we went to leave, we were putting on her coat and looked at her face. It had broken out in a bright red rash, swollen and puffy. Even her eye was all swollen, red and teary. Our friend and John knew instantly that this was where the dog had been licking her. We went home and bathed her and it took a bit for the swelling to come down and the redness to go away. We were shocked! Samson is not in the house much and we never really thought about her being allergic to dogs. The exzema started before we got Samson, but since we have had him it has not gotten any better. Plus, we are dog lovers, and there are no known dog allergies in our family's.
So we tested it out. The next day John brought Samson in the house for most of the morning, and sure enough her rash flared up. Wow, now the difficult decision and discussion had to be made.
You see we could keep him as he is primarily an outside dog, but how can I tell my almost 2 year old that she can't touch him, play with him, love him because he makes her itchy, makes her sick? It is not fair and we really want her to get better. I can't send her outside and tell her not to touch her best friend, while everyone else can. Maybe if she was older I could explain this to her and she would be able to understand. Plus we have always said that an animal (even our beloved Samson) will not come before our kids. So we had the hardest discussion with Zech on Wednesday.
John tried to tell him in the afternoon and the poor little guy teared up and was so upset. He didn't want to listen and got angry. When I came home, I sat him down and we talked about it. I told him that it makes his sister 'owie' and that Mommy and Daddy really do not want to give him away, but we love him and his sister so much that we have to do what is best for them. It was not going very well. He was upset and yelling at me "but mommy, Samson is our dog, he is my dog, this his home. I will not let anyone take him, I am so angry." It broke my heart, it is so hard to have these discussions with a four year old, who can not quite see the big picture, who only sees it as if we are trying to take his 'best friend' that he loves dearly away from him. Desperate, I also told him that we could not send Gigi away, so we had to send Samson away. He is fiercely protective and loves his sister so much, I knew that perhaps that would get through to him and it did. There was no way he was going to send Gigi away.
I finally told him that we need to pray that God will provide us with an acreage one day and then we can get lots of animals. Once Daddy finishes his schooling, we can get more settled and God willing get an acreage. So that really seemed to work, we then talked about all of the animals that we could get, a cow, goat, sheep, chickens, cats and then he said that we could get Samson back (eek, but I quickly explained that it wouldn't be the same Samson, but yes another Samson). That seemed to stop the tears and gave him something to pray about. The next morning I asked him if he remembered what we talked about and to my surprise and delight he said:
"Yes Mommy, we have to give Samson away to another family because he makes Gigi owie, but I am praying that God will give us an acreage so we can have cows, chickens, sheep, goats, cats and another Samson puppy. I can build a barn and I want a tractor! I will milk my cow and the chickens give us eggs."
That's my boy and you know I am really going to Praise the Lord for helping us with this and for helping my little boy with this. I then asked him what his sheep would eat and I stumped him. He looked up at me with his big, brown eyes and said "I just don't know mom". So then we had a discussion about what Sheep eat and that they will be used to 'mow' our lawn.
So our be-loved Samson has found a new home. It was amazing how fast we found him a home. John put an ad in Kijiji Thursday morning and by that evening we had 4 calls and then we gave him to a family that has a ranch, two female companions (they want to breed), plus he is a Vet. I still pray that He will give our little boy and little girl some sort of understanding, as much as they possibly can at this age. This was the beginning of those hard decisions, those hard discussions that have and will continue to present themselves as we seek to live life and grow together as a family. I hope that they will get easier ( I am sure they won't), but know that we always have the Lord to lean on and guide us and that gives me a strength and peace that is indescribable.
How do you deal with the difficult decisions and those hard discussions when having to explain them to your 4 year old and almost 2 year old? This was our week and it broke our hearts to have to have this discussion and make the decision we made.
We got the kids a puppy before Christmas. We knew we were moving and would have a yard (with a fence) and wanted a 'guard' dog. We looked at the SPCA, looked in Kijij and then we found him in the paper. Our beloved Samson. We got him from a farm and he was 9 weeks old. He is a Great Pyrenees, a breed that we really love. They are huge dogs, horses would better describe them once they are full grown. They are big, white, fluffy and gentle. They have this stoic, majestic look to them. Amazing with kids, but fierce protectors. Some pictures on the internet show this breed facing off with bears. Not to mention the stories you hear about these dogs protecting their property, killing wolves, coyotes, etc. They are working dogs and a lot of sheep and even cattle farms use these dogs with great success. You would never guess that these dogs have that aggressive, protective side because they are so docile, gentle and submissive around the family.
When Samson came, he was showered with affection and he was instantly a member of the family. There was no way that Zech wanted his Samson to be outside (he is not an inside dog and he is trained to stay in a designated area when he does come in). He was afraid that someone would take his dog, or that his dog would get lost. It took a bit of convincing him that Samson belonged outside.
The kids adore him and the first word out of Genesis' mouth every morning as soon as she woke up, was "PUPPY". Now she asks 'where my puppy'? every morning when she gets up. They give him hugs and kisses and Zech tells Samson all sorts of stories and talks to him like he is his best friend. When Samson whines for attention, Zech runs over and tells him "it's ok big guy, I am here". It really is amazing to watch. We thought that our kids could grow up with him and that he would be a permanent part of our family, until we came to a pretty startling realization.
We have been having all sorts of issues with Genesis and this exzema. The tests came back negative for Celiac (praise the Lord that we can rule that out). We have had her off eggs and are cutting back dairy (not that she has a lot). Nothing has seemed to work, however we will be doing some further testing (this coming week). We were at some friends place on Sunday and they have a dog in the house. At first he was gated in the kitchen, but once he calmed down he was allowed to mingle with everyone. Genesis was naturally obsessed and he was all over her too. He was licking her face and would follow her around. When we went to leave, we were putting on her coat and looked at her face. It had broken out in a bright red rash, swollen and puffy. Even her eye was all swollen, red and teary. Our friend and John knew instantly that this was where the dog had been licking her. We went home and bathed her and it took a bit for the swelling to come down and the redness to go away. We were shocked! Samson is not in the house much and we never really thought about her being allergic to dogs. The exzema started before we got Samson, but since we have had him it has not gotten any better. Plus, we are dog lovers, and there are no known dog allergies in our family's.
So we tested it out. The next day John brought Samson in the house for most of the morning, and sure enough her rash flared up. Wow, now the difficult decision and discussion had to be made.
You see we could keep him as he is primarily an outside dog, but how can I tell my almost 2 year old that she can't touch him, play with him, love him because he makes her itchy, makes her sick? It is not fair and we really want her to get better. I can't send her outside and tell her not to touch her best friend, while everyone else can. Maybe if she was older I could explain this to her and she would be able to understand. Plus we have always said that an animal (even our beloved Samson) will not come before our kids. So we had the hardest discussion with Zech on Wednesday.
John tried to tell him in the afternoon and the poor little guy teared up and was so upset. He didn't want to listen and got angry. When I came home, I sat him down and we talked about it. I told him that it makes his sister 'owie' and that Mommy and Daddy really do not want to give him away, but we love him and his sister so much that we have to do what is best for them. It was not going very well. He was upset and yelling at me "but mommy, Samson is our dog, he is my dog, this his home. I will not let anyone take him, I am so angry." It broke my heart, it is so hard to have these discussions with a four year old, who can not quite see the big picture, who only sees it as if we are trying to take his 'best friend' that he loves dearly away from him. Desperate, I also told him that we could not send Gigi away, so we had to send Samson away. He is fiercely protective and loves his sister so much, I knew that perhaps that would get through to him and it did. There was no way he was going to send Gigi away.
I finally told him that we need to pray that God will provide us with an acreage one day and then we can get lots of animals. Once Daddy finishes his schooling, we can get more settled and God willing get an acreage. So that really seemed to work, we then talked about all of the animals that we could get, a cow, goat, sheep, chickens, cats and then he said that we could get Samson back (eek, but I quickly explained that it wouldn't be the same Samson, but yes another Samson). That seemed to stop the tears and gave him something to pray about. The next morning I asked him if he remembered what we talked about and to my surprise and delight he said:
"Yes Mommy, we have to give Samson away to another family because he makes Gigi owie, but I am praying that God will give us an acreage so we can have cows, chickens, sheep, goats, cats and another Samson puppy. I can build a barn and I want a tractor! I will milk my cow and the chickens give us eggs."
That's my boy and you know I am really going to Praise the Lord for helping us with this and for helping my little boy with this. I then asked him what his sheep would eat and I stumped him. He looked up at me with his big, brown eyes and said "I just don't know mom". So then we had a discussion about what Sheep eat and that they will be used to 'mow' our lawn.
So our be-loved Samson has found a new home. It was amazing how fast we found him a home. John put an ad in Kijiji Thursday morning and by that evening we had 4 calls and then we gave him to a family that has a ranch, two female companions (they want to breed), plus he is a Vet. I still pray that He will give our little boy and little girl some sort of understanding, as much as they possibly can at this age. This was the beginning of those hard decisions, those hard discussions that have and will continue to present themselves as we seek to live life and grow together as a family. I hope that they will get easier ( I am sure they won't), but know that we always have the Lord to lean on and guide us and that gives me a strength and peace that is indescribable.
Proverbs 3:5-6
5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; 6 in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.
Friday, 11 February 2011
And the Winners Are.....
Thanks so much for all of the comments. I really love that everyone is so honest and open. It is really hard to be faced with difficult choices, difficult decisions. Some things I could totally relate too and others like Casey's story about hitting and killing a man who jumped in front of her car to commit suicide, was unbelievable, unfathomable. Wow!
Please keep the Chalmers in your prayers. They will need the prayers and support to get through the adjustment and transition that they are about to embark on, especially as a family.
So the Winners for this Month's giveaway are (which was easy and I didn't have to draw names for):
1. Christina (I will deliver yours next week)
2. Casey (I have your address and will pop them in the mail)
3. Melinda (please send me your address and I will send them to you)
Thanks for your comments! :o)
Thanks for your comments! :o)
Friday, 4 February 2011
Wonderful Wednesday
I am late!! I was trying to get this up on time, but we have had a bout of sickness hit our family and most evenings have been spent 'cuggling' my little man and trying to get better myself. Day three and he still is not eating and burning up, so please pray for this little monkey!
I am really excited for this months give-away. This month I am featuring an incredible family that we have had the pleasure of getting to know in Caronport. They are 6 months away from embarking on an incredible journey to Africa. A journey that I know is going to have such an amazing, profound effect on them. Amie just opened an Etsy shop and is selling these wonderful "C Coffee Cuffs". I really wanted to help support them and bring some awareness to the journey that they are about to embark on. I know that they are still in need of support to fulfill their financial obligations before they leave. I also know that they would love the 'prayer' support too.
I have a little interview that Jon completed for me and it will give you a little more insight into what they are doing and the journey that God is taking them on. We are super excited for them and know that God is going to do incredible things through them and in their lives. The Chalmers are an amazing family. You can also read more about their preparation, journey, etc. on Jon's blog and you can check out Amie's blog too--she also has a post about her Etsy shop.
1. When did you first think that God was laying it on your hearts to go to Africa? Tell us how you came to know that this was God's calling for your lives?
For Amie it has been since she was a child. She has always wanted to be a missionary in Africa. She signed the pledge cards at mission conferences and had committed her life at a young age to do something like this. So, she came to Briercrest College to pursue her education to go over. Then she met me. I had no interest at all in going over to Africa. But, thankfully, she made the decision to stick with me and marry me despite that and just trust God in His leading. So after pastoring a small rural church in Sask. for 4 years we felt called to come back to Seminary at Briercrest. About half way through my degree I had the classic student crisis like what am I going to do with this Master's degree when I am done. Amie and I talked through my giftings and desires. We came to the realization that I wanted to teach. So we began exploring options basically worldwide through missions organizations. That is when we came in contact with Africa Inland Mission. We loved their vision of "Christ-centered churches among all African peoples."
2. What will you be doing in Africa and how long will you be there?
I (Jon) will be teaching at a bible College called Pwani Bible Institute in Mombasa, Kenya. Pwani has a 4 year degree bible program and they train pastors, ministry leaders, and church leaders for ministry in Africa. Students are men and women ranging in age from 18-60. Amie is going to be caring for our three children Elijah (6), Grace (5), and Ian (1). At this point she is planning on home schooling them at least for the first year we are in Mombasa. So, in some senses life will look like here in North America. I will go to work and come home in the evenings and Amie will be able to care for the kids. Except, it won't be nearly as neat and organized as it is here! One can't plan ahead too much in Africa! As far as time frame and length of service in Africa. We are leaving this July and are committing to a 4 year term with Africa Inland Mission. It is kind of crazy to think that the only life our youngest son Ian will remember when we come back will be Kenya. He will have no reference of our life here in Canada.
3. Where in Africa will you be going?
We are moving to Mombasa, Kenya. It is the second biggest city in Kenya. It is a Port city located right on the Indian Ocean. The city itself is heavily influenced by Islam even though Kenya as a nation is predominately influenced by Christianity.
4. What has been your biggest challenge in preparing to leave thus far?
I think for us it has been the challenge to trust God's plan for our preparation to leave. It has been God constantly challenging us to dependence upon Him. Our work plans for this year completely fell apart. We thought we had everything lined up to make for an easy year before we left for Kenya but in the summer my job fell through. Leaving us completely at a loss. Amie was working part-time at a Subway/Coffee Shop in town and was able to ask for more hours. Obviously, this was not ideal and we both have had to take on new roles for this year. God has taught us a lot in that. Included, in this theme of dependence has been trusting God to supply for our needs in going to Africa. Because Africa Inland Mission is a faith mission we have to raise up our living expenses and all our one-time costs. Again, this is something we can't control. The last thing we want to do is manipulate or push people into financially participating in this ministry. But, it is a constant struggle not to count numbers and people as we prepare. We have decided that we will take up every opportunity God gives us to share about the amazing work He is doing in Kenya and explain our needs but leave it at that. God has been so gracious and we have spent many miles on the road this year visiting with churches and people.
5. What will be your biggest obstacles upon arrival?
The CHANGE! Cultural and also just the amount of moving we will do in Kenya. We go through a series of different training opportunities before we actually are allowed to begin ministry. First there is a month of training for all new AIM missionaries that we do near Nairobi. After that we do a homestay with a Kenyan family for 2-4 weeks. Where we live with them and learn about the culture. After, that we will move into our place in Mombasa. At that point we will begin language training in Swahili, which may last another 4-6 months. Although, I will teach in English it is important for us to be able to connect with the people in their mother tongue.
6. Any prayer requests for your last 6 months in Canada?
1. Physical strength and endurance for the traveling and visiting that we must yet still do. 2. That we would be filled spiritually and emotionally with strength as we begin to say good-bye to family and friends. 3. For our children, and that they would make a smooth transition into life in Africa. 4. For the rest of our support to be pledged or coming in before we leave.
I am giving away three sets of "C Coffee Cuffs". So three lucky readers will receive these awesome gifts. Tim Horton's has started charging for extra cups (their coffee is so darn hot, you need it), so ours will stay in the van. You can check out Amie's Etsy shop to see the various styles, colours, etc.
When I started doing the Wonderful Wednesday giveaways, I knew that I wanted to include a mix of international organizations, local organizations, and also local people that are doing extraordinary work for His kingdom. To me, it is important to recognize these people and the struggles, hardships, praises, etc. that they face. It is important to see and realize that we are not alone and I truly love hearing stories, testimonies of real life people close to me and seeing how God is and has been working in their lives. So please, most imporatnaly keep the Chalmers in your prayers and if you feel led to, buy some Coffee Cuffs or donate to help ensure they have the support before they leave.
Before I forget, in your comments,( if you want) tell me about a major change that has happened in your life and how you dealt with it?
I am really excited for this months give-away. This month I am featuring an incredible family that we have had the pleasure of getting to know in Caronport. They are 6 months away from embarking on an incredible journey to Africa. A journey that I know is going to have such an amazing, profound effect on them. Amie just opened an Etsy shop and is selling these wonderful "C Coffee Cuffs". I really wanted to help support them and bring some awareness to the journey that they are about to embark on. I know that they are still in need of support to fulfill their financial obligations before they leave. I also know that they would love the 'prayer' support too.
I have a little interview that Jon completed for me and it will give you a little more insight into what they are doing and the journey that God is taking them on. We are super excited for them and know that God is going to do incredible things through them and in their lives. The Chalmers are an amazing family. You can also read more about their preparation, journey, etc. on Jon's blog and you can check out Amie's blog too--she also has a post about her Etsy shop.
1. When did you first think that God was laying it on your hearts to go to Africa? Tell us how you came to know that this was God's calling for your lives?
For Amie it has been since she was a child. She has always wanted to be a missionary in Africa. She signed the pledge cards at mission conferences and had committed her life at a young age to do something like this. So, she came to Briercrest College to pursue her education to go over. Then she met me. I had no interest at all in going over to Africa. But, thankfully, she made the decision to stick with me and marry me despite that and just trust God in His leading. So after pastoring a small rural church in Sask. for 4 years we felt called to come back to Seminary at Briercrest. About half way through my degree I had the classic student crisis like what am I going to do with this Master's degree when I am done. Amie and I talked through my giftings and desires. We came to the realization that I wanted to teach. So we began exploring options basically worldwide through missions organizations. That is when we came in contact with Africa Inland Mission. We loved their vision of "Christ-centered churches among all African peoples."
2. What will you be doing in Africa and how long will you be there?
I (Jon) will be teaching at a bible College called Pwani Bible Institute in Mombasa, Kenya. Pwani has a 4 year degree bible program and they train pastors, ministry leaders, and church leaders for ministry in Africa. Students are men and women ranging in age from 18-60. Amie is going to be caring for our three children Elijah (6), Grace (5), and Ian (1). At this point she is planning on home schooling them at least for the first year we are in Mombasa. So, in some senses life will look like here in North America. I will go to work and come home in the evenings and Amie will be able to care for the kids. Except, it won't be nearly as neat and organized as it is here! One can't plan ahead too much in Africa! As far as time frame and length of service in Africa. We are leaving this July and are committing to a 4 year term with Africa Inland Mission. It is kind of crazy to think that the only life our youngest son Ian will remember when we come back will be Kenya. He will have no reference of our life here in Canada.
3. Where in Africa will you be going?
We are moving to Mombasa, Kenya. It is the second biggest city in Kenya. It is a Port city located right on the Indian Ocean. The city itself is heavily influenced by Islam even though Kenya as a nation is predominately influenced by Christianity.
4. What has been your biggest challenge in preparing to leave thus far?
I think for us it has been the challenge to trust God's plan for our preparation to leave. It has been God constantly challenging us to dependence upon Him. Our work plans for this year completely fell apart. We thought we had everything lined up to make for an easy year before we left for Kenya but in the summer my job fell through. Leaving us completely at a loss. Amie was working part-time at a Subway/Coffee Shop in town and was able to ask for more hours. Obviously, this was not ideal and we both have had to take on new roles for this year. God has taught us a lot in that. Included, in this theme of dependence has been trusting God to supply for our needs in going to Africa. Because Africa Inland Mission is a faith mission we have to raise up our living expenses and all our one-time costs. Again, this is something we can't control. The last thing we want to do is manipulate or push people into financially participating in this ministry. But, it is a constant struggle not to count numbers and people as we prepare. We have decided that we will take up every opportunity God gives us to share about the amazing work He is doing in Kenya and explain our needs but leave it at that. God has been so gracious and we have spent many miles on the road this year visiting with churches and people.
5. What will be your biggest obstacles upon arrival?
The CHANGE! Cultural and also just the amount of moving we will do in Kenya. We go through a series of different training opportunities before we actually are allowed to begin ministry. First there is a month of training for all new AIM missionaries that we do near Nairobi. After that we do a homestay with a Kenyan family for 2-4 weeks. Where we live with them and learn about the culture. After, that we will move into our place in Mombasa. At that point we will begin language training in Swahili, which may last another 4-6 months. Although, I will teach in English it is important for us to be able to connect with the people in their mother tongue.
6. Any prayer requests for your last 6 months in Canada?
1. Physical strength and endurance for the traveling and visiting that we must yet still do. 2. That we would be filled spiritually and emotionally with strength as we begin to say good-bye to family and friends. 3. For our children, and that they would make a smooth transition into life in Africa. 4. For the rest of our support to be pledged or coming in before we leave.
I am giving away three sets of "C Coffee Cuffs". So three lucky readers will receive these awesome gifts. Tim Horton's has started charging for extra cups (their coffee is so darn hot, you need it), so ours will stay in the van. You can check out Amie's Etsy shop to see the various styles, colours, etc.
When I started doing the Wonderful Wednesday giveaways, I knew that I wanted to include a mix of international organizations, local organizations, and also local people that are doing extraordinary work for His kingdom. To me, it is important to recognize these people and the struggles, hardships, praises, etc. that they face. It is important to see and realize that we are not alone and I truly love hearing stories, testimonies of real life people close to me and seeing how God is and has been working in their lives. So please, most imporatnaly keep the Chalmers in your prayers and if you feel led to, buy some Coffee Cuffs or donate to help ensure they have the support before they leave.
Before I forget, in your comments,( if you want) tell me about a major change that has happened in your life and how you dealt with it?
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