Christmas for the Kids

When we first arrived in Georgia, we made efforts to get involved with a ministry to street kids in Tbilisi. We were only able to go once before Wade went into the hospital and just got to return to help at the center a couple weeks ago. The center was started several years ago by one of Megan’s friends and other people from the Georgian Baptist church. The kids come to a small, rented apartment just one block off the main avenue in downtown Tbilisi. The center is open two afternoons each week and provides the kids with songs about God, Bible stories, lessons in Russian/Georgian, crafts/activities, and a nutritious meal. Most of the kids who come are Kurdish/Azeri and their parents force them to beg on the streets. Often times, the kids are reprimanded by their parents for going to the center instead of “working.” They do not attend school and the options for their future appear quite limited. However, every child who enters that center each week, greets every helper with a big smile, hug, and kiss. The love and respect that they express so openly is truly warm and heartfelt! Even when we have seen the kids out on the streets, they see us from afar and come to greet us with the same love they express at the center. It’s quite humbling to say the least!

Last week the leaders put together a special Christmas party for the kids. The center was decorated with a small Christmas tree, garland, and snowflakes. They sang several songs in both Georgian and Azeri, listened to the Christmas story, and played some games. And, of course, Tovlis Papa (Santa Clause) came bearing gifts for each child and sweet treats for all!

A photo slideshow by Smilebox

In the past, the leaders of this ministry had sufficient donations from a donor to cover the apartment rent, food, and other supplies. However, this donor has left Georgia and is no longer able to sustain the ministry. The leaders are continuing on in faith that God will provide for them. Currently, they have funds to pay the rent in January and February 2011. New donations are needed to cover the future costs. Please be praying for these kids and this outreach. This ministry could change (and already is changing) the kids’ future in a way no one could ever imagine!

Wade's Birthday Gift

Wade celebrated his birthday last week. Instead of buying something to sit around, we took a trip that we both could enjoy. Our friend Jack also celebrated his birthday last week, so he and his wife Diana joined us on our adventure to Sighnaghi. The small town is located in eastern Georgia in the region of Khakheti. The air was fresh and the views beautiful! We had a very relaxing and enjoyable trip! For more information about Sighnaghi, click here.

This photo slideshow generated with Smilebox

a little of this and that

Welcome to Thanksgiving folks!

We’ve had several happenings over the past few weeks. Just haven’t taken the time to tell you about them. Shortly, after our last post we celebrated Thanksgiving with several fellow Americans. Since this is an American holiday, it was just another typical day here in Tbilisi, but it was special for us. We gathered at one family’s home with about 25 people in attendance. We had many delightful traditional foods, including a Butterball turkey that an embassy family generously shared. Turkeys are hard to come by here and very expensive if you can find one. Individuals with special connections (like the US embassy) get them special ordered and shipped here for the holidays. It was quite kind of them to share! Our Thanksgiving celebration included time around the table and many games. We really enjoyed our holiday!

Megan preparing Thanksgiving mashed potatoes

The final four finishing an intense game of Phase 10

A few days later several colleagues arrived from other countries in our area. They were in transit to leadership meetings in Armenia, Georgia’s neighbor to the south. Just before their arrival, our area director realized an additional driver would be needed to transport everyone to Armenia so Wade was the obvious pick. Unfortunately, there wasn’t any extra room for Megan so she stayed with our friend Natia while Wade was gone for a few days. It was a good opportunity for Wade to get to know some of our colleagues in this part of the world. It also was his first time to Armenia. Megan got to join in and visit some old friends before everyone departed. We had a meal together at our favorite Thai restaurant in Tbilisi.

Wade on a short hike up the mountain in Armenia

More recently, we made our first trip west of Tbilisi to a town called Zestaponi. It is about a 2.5 hour drive and a good part of the trip is through the mountains. Our country coordinator, Bob, invited us to go along and visit the local Pentecostal church. Bob introduced us to the church and let Wade share a testimony. He shared briefly about his time in the hospital and the miracle God did in his life. Bob spoke about the call of God. Following the service, they served us delicious Georgian cuisine. We enjoyed the fellowship with these believers and hope we will get to return there in the future.

On the way to Zestaponi, we stopped to buy nazuki (sweet bread...it's the darker-colored bread). It is best when
purchased fresh and hot at these road-side stands in Khashuri.

Wade's mouth was watering as he waited to get to Khashuri!

Mmmmm...it was sooooo good!!!!

Lunch with Kote, Bob, and one of the pastors near Zestaponi

Observations of a Georgian Hospital

Posted by Wade

During the past several weeks, we have had many questions about the level of care by the doctors and the adequacy of the hospital here in Georgia related to my gallbladder surgery. There are some very distinct differences and there are a few similarities. We had the same questions just before dialing the number for the ambulance.

Speaking of the ambulance, the first use of an ambulance in Georgia is free for each person. The medics, two ladies, arrived at our apartment around 8:00 pm, shortly after our call. A Georgian friend of ours called for us and went out to the street to help the crew find our apartment. Without her, I’m not sure if we would have even been able to get help with our limited Georgian. After their arrival, they gave me a quick examination and a shot for pain (which didn’t help). They knew immediately it was probably a gallbladder issue based on where the pain was and the type of pain.

We walked downstairs to the ambulance where the ambulance driver was smoking while waiting for us. That wasn’t shocking really because many Georgians smoke and come to find out many of the hospital employees smoke (including my surgeon). The ride in the ambulance wasn’t a typical American ambulance ride. Megan, our Georgian friend, and I sat up for the very bumpy ride in a small ambulance about the size of a minivan. Luckily it was only a few miles to the hospital.

Upon arrival, I was immediately admitted to the emergency room with prompt care provided (no waiting or filling out paperwork first). I was in a large room with three other people but it was big enough for six patients. All the emergency care nurses and doctors were in the room too so it was quite loud in there at times.

We left that night but went back the next morning because the medicine provided was not working. I again went directly to the emergency room. The same doctors reevaluated and ordered stronger pain medication. More tests were run and I was later admitted to the hospital and moved to a different room that I shared with one other man. The bed was probably the most uncomfortable bed I have ever slept on. There was no TV, no food service, and no nurses bringing drinks; the family, and in this case friends, were required to bring any and all food and drinks for the patient. The room was cold because the window had a crack in it and the heating system had not been turned on yet. It was turned on the day I left the hospital.

I saw my doctors more frequently than I would have expected in America. They were always checking on me and open about what was going on. The various doctors seemed to work together very well as a team in deciding what to do. They did so on the spot as needed.

The restrooms were a disaster…really. There was one restroom in the department where I was staying which had two stalls. It was shared by both men and women. We had to bring our own toilet paper and soap. Frankly, they were gross, but it was all I had. There seemed to be a lot of “cleaning” going on. Much of the time someone was in the act of cleaning, but we don’t really think things were getting that clean. However, occasionally things smelled like bleach making it seem a little cleaner. The light bulb also went out in the restroom and seemed to take a few days to get fixed. Therefore, a flashlight was also needed.

The nurses were great! Even though we couldn’t communicate that well, they seemed to really care and understood that I did not like needles. They were as careful and gentle as they could have been. They didn’t have a fancy button for me to ring for help, but always seemed to help when I needed it. They were always welcoming to Megan to stay as long as she wanted. However, the security guards were a pain as sometimes our friends could not get in and sometimes they were hesitant to let Megan in. They seemed to have been given some authority that they felt they needed to exercise regularly simply because they could.

Payment for services is interesting in Georgia. The cost is a fraction of what it is in America, but you are required to pay before you leave the hospital. So, before I checked out from my 10 day stay, we had to pay. Luckily, it wasn’t the cost it is in America! Upon leaving the hospital, my surgeon gave me his cell phone number to call with any issues or questions. Each follow-up appointment was scheduled by a phone call to the doctor who would say, “Come anytime between 3:00 and 4:00.” There is much less waiting time to see the doctor too.

Overall, the experience in some ways made us wish this would have happened in America, but we will say that when it comes to essential care, the Georgians do genuinely care for and take good care of their patients. We appreciate the nurses and doctors very much and the good care they gave me! We really feel like God led us to the right hospital and best doctors for this rare and severe gallbladder problem. When I was first admitted to the hospital and we still did not know what was happening, God gave us this verse:

“Praise the Lord. Blessed is the man who fears the Lord, who finds great delight in his commands. Surely he will never be shaken; a righteous man will be remembered forever. He will have no fear of bad news; his heart is steadfast, trusting in the Lord. He is heart is secure, he will have no fear; in the end he will look in triumph on his foes.” ~ Psalm 112:1, 6-8

Pray for Wade

What a week it has been! Most of you reading this probably already know what has happened this week, but we still wanted to post a little update. Wade started having some minor abdominal pains on Saturday and Sunday but it just seemed to be an upset stomach due to some food we ate. Throughout Sunday night, the pain became more intense. We got some medication for him on Monday but still thought it was food related. By late in the day, he decided he needed to see a doctor. Our Georgian friend, Natia, came over and called an ambulance. After the medics checked him, we decided he needed to go to the hospital. He was in the emergency room from about 8 pm until midnight Monday night. The doctor gave him a prescription for pain medication and sent us home. The medication was not strong enough, and Wade was still in severe pain. By 6 am Tuesday morning, we were back in the hospital ER. Luckily, the same doctor and nurses were still on duty which helped to get better care. On Tuesday afternoon, they moved him from the ER to a basic hospital room. On Wednesday afternoon, they did another ultra sound and decided that surgery was necessary to remove his gallbladder. The condition of his gallbladder was quite severe. The surgery began about 9 pm that night and the surgeon came to give his report about 1 am. At 2 am Thursday, they took him to the ICU. Since early afternoon on Thursday, he has been back in his hospital room for recovery. He is progressing each day…eating more and walking more laps around his area of the hospital. The surgeon has been by to check him daily and thinks everything is looking normal for the recovery process. We hope that he will be able to leave by Tuesday or Wednesday but we are taking it one day at a time.

We know that many people have been praying diligently and God has heard our/your prayers! It’s been a long week indeed, but God has been ever faithful! He has taken care of Wade and has had us both in His hands through it all. We give our Lord all the praise for what He has done for Wade! There is much more to share about this week, but we are still processing it all. We do ask for your continued prayers for Wade. Please pray for a quick and complete healing and that there would be no infections. We are truly humbled by the goodness of our God and the love that has been poured out on us by Him and our family and friends. We are also grateful for the prayers of many who don’t even know us. God is good…all the time!

Language Lessons and Lessons of Life

Last week we began our language lessons here in Georgia. Each day so far Wade has felt a bit overwhelmed by the amount of information but has caught up by the next lesson. We are excited to understand the language better so we can communicate more clearly with those around us. It is very hard for us to want to talk to people but to not know how to say it in Georgian. Hopefully that will change soon.

Last Tuesday, we had a great opportunity to practice our Georgian. We went with a friend to a children’s ministry focusing on street kids. These kids usually beg all day at the direction of their parents. However, on Tuesday and Thursday, a group of Georgians have a place for them to come as an alternative. Since they don’t go to school, there is some learning involved, but they also sing praise songs, have a Bible lesson, and are served a meal. When the older kids work on some learning activities, the little ones play games or go to the park. Tuesday we helped with the little ones by taking them to the park to play. Wade made friends with Giorgi (George) who was a well-behaved little guy who had a knack for sports. He was very athletic. He was a tiny bit frustrated with Wade not knowing his language; however, after 15 minutes of playing frisbee, they were friends. He liked the trick throws most. Megan made friends with the little girls and was in charge of helping them on the slide. They really loved the attention and time Megan spent lifting them up the slide and catching them on the way down. While these kids do not know the life many of us in America have had growing up, we do and it really makes you think about life and the blessings we have been given.

Please pray that these kids may hear and believe Jesus not only on Tuesdays and Thursdays, but every day of the week. Pray for their protection and safety as well as they go out on their own much of the time to beg. Pray their parents will treat them better and that they too will come to know Christ.

We're in GEORGIA!

Hard to believe, but it’s true…we are in Tbilisi, Georgia! We left from Kansas City on Monday evening and flew through Chicago, Munich, and then to Tbilisi arriving about 24 hours after we left. We actually arrived about 4 am local time on Wednesday morning (Georgia is 9 hours ahead of the central time zone). After the long journey, we were greeted by four friends. They helped us with our luggage (all of which made it here!) and toted us to our new home. We are living in a furnished apartment owned by the organization. It is located about half a mile down the street from where Megan lived last time she was in Georgia. We got all our bags up to the third floor but encountered some difficulties getting into the apartment. One of the locks got stuck and caused us a 45 minute delay getting into the apartment. Just glad we eventually got in because we really didn’t want to haul the bags back down the stairs and we really wanted some sleep. Our first day we did a little shopping for food and other basic items and got our cell phones set up. After getting our bags partially unpacked, we crashed a little after 9 pm and then we were wide awake at 4 am Thursday morning. Let’s just say we accomplished a lot of our settling in before noon but we are on the verge of crashing again as we write this post (it’s only 8 pm…pause…actually it’s 9 pm now…had to take a break to do some cleaning because the water finally came back on…it’s normal for it to be off part of the day but it’s usually back on earlier than this)! Eventually, our bodies will get past the jet lag.

Surprisingly, we haven’t had any Georgian food yet, but it’s sure to hit our mouths in the next day or two! However, we were treated to some American-style pizza by our friend Natia. She works at a little shop called Ronny’s which is new since Megan was last in Georgia. She even topped off the dinner with some chocolate chip cookies…a rare find in Georgia! Today we were treated to lunch at a fantastic Thai restaurant by our colleague Bob. Our friend Kote also joined us for the meal. We tried a few new dishes and enjoyed some of the ol’ favorites.

We’ve been several places around the city already and noted many changes, several of which are improvements to the city’s roads, buildings, and general means of doing business. But so much of it also is very familiar for Megan. Being in America, Georgia often seemed very far away, but being back feels like 2 ½ years could not have passed since last being here.

We do have a special prayer request already. Our colleague Bob just found out his father is critically ill with cancer. He is returning to the states tonight to be with his father and care for his mother. We hope he will be back in a short time, but he has much to tend to with his family. Please keep Bob, his father, and other family members in your prayers with us. We’ll be diving in and taking care of a few details around here in his absence.

Here and There and Everywhere

It feels like we’ve been here and there and everywhere over the past month and that will continue for a few more weeks. Our days have been filled with visiting friends and family, wrapping up work with both of our employers, and moving out of our apartment. Over the past month we have been so blessed by everyone’s prayers and words of encouragement. Our friends at our church (OP First AG) have blessed us time and time again. We are so grateful for those friendships and prayers! Wade’s co-workers threw him a surprise going away party. Even though a few people spilled the beans, he put on a good surprise face when he walked in to the party. Megan’s work had a cookout feast with enough food to feed an army. Both employers expressed their well wishes in overwhelmingly kind ways but with sadness in seeing each of us move away. We were both so blessed to work at great places of employment and work alongside some great people. It’s hard to walk away from positive experiences like that, but we walk in faith that God is taking us on a path that is even better than the one before.

We officially moved out of our apartment last Friday and relocated to Megan’s parents until we depart for Georgia. Our final here and there activities mostly include visiting friends and family in various places. We also are having a garage sale and wrapping up our packing for Georgia. Our fundraising is lacking by about $1,000, but we have been allowed to purchase our plane tickets. Our official departure date is October 4th! God has provided abundantly in so many ways! We give Him the praise for bringing everything together in His timing! We would appreciate your prayers as we make our final preparations over the next few weeks.

Breaking It Down

Many of you received our last newsletter a few weeks ago. We shared that we were at 90% and trying to reach 100% by the end of July. The last day of July is tomorrow, and we are at 91%. We’ve had several people respond, but we also were made aware of some donors that could not fulfill the remainder of their pledges. So we’ve covered the shortfall but still need that last little bit to make 100%. We’ve presented a few scenarios below to show you how close we really are and how you can help.

**If 7 people could fulfill a monthly pledge of $50/month for 24 months, we would reach 100%.

**If 17 people could fulfill a monthly pledge of $20/month for 24 months, we’d be on our way.

**If all our Facebook friends (excluding the friends who have already given) gave a $20 cash donation, this fundraising process would be finished.

**Any other combination of giving will add up to what we need…no gift is too small!

We really have come a long way and are nearly done with this process! We only ask that you give as you are able because we know everyone has different levels of being able to give. We feel we have saved about as much as we can to help fund our assignment. Please consider helping us finish our fundraising so we can be on our way to Georgia!

It’s as easy as clicking here to make a credit card donation.

Or you can print off a pledge form/contribution form here and mail the form and a check to the following address:
Assemblies of God World Missions
1445 N. Boonville Ave.
Springfield, MO 65802-1894

Be sure to add our account number 2947588.

It’s that simple!

A Taste of Georgia

We found this news clip about the Georgian supra (feast) on the BBC News website (click here). It gives a little glimpse into the Georgian culture, traditions, and delicious food. Thought you might enjoy seeing some of what we will experience in Georgia!

BAK 2010

As quickly as our bike ride across Kansas came upon us, it seemed to pass by us but in slow motion. It took us about 7 hours to drive to the Colorado/Kansas state line about a week ago and 40 hours of riding time to get back home. It’s hard to believe we really did cross the whole state and saw a bit more along the way at an average speed of 12.8 mph for the whole ride. We thought that was a pretty good average for us to maintain for the trip especially considering all those hills we had to climb. Yes, we said HILLS…long hills with the wind against us and either the harsh sun on our backs or stinging rain drenching us. Going down those hills increased our average a bit. On a few hills we reached speeds of almost 40 mph…what a rush! Whoever said Kansas was flat was crazy and obviously has never ridden a bike across Kansas. There may not be any rocky mountains in the state but there are definitely some tough hills, and on a bicycle, you feel every slight incline.

Our two longest riding days were 75 miles each and most others were about 65 miles a day. Along with additional riding to sightsee or get around town Megan had a total of 508 miles. Wade went for his first century (100 miles) on our second 75-mile day. He and our friend Rick, a veteran BAK rider, ventured out for an additional 25 miles so Wade’s cumulative ride total was 533 miles. Quite an accomplishment!

The ride was an organized recreational ride with the organization “Biking Across Kansas.” This was the 36th annual summer trek across the state for BAK and our first ride of this length. At each overnight city (see the June 2nd post), we stayed at the local high school, camping out on the school grounds and using their facilities for showers and restrooms. Some people also slept in the gymnasium. At many locations, local groups set up tents selling food, snacks, and drinks for us to purchase, and at others, we ventured out to the local restaurants to find food.

By far, the best part about the ride was meeting many of the 800 riders and the local townspeople in the towns we passed through or stayed overnight. We met riders of all ages from 8 to 88 and about half the riders were on BAK for the first time. Most were from Kansas but the ride draws riders from neighboring states and even farther away as well. We met several friends who we seemed to see about every day who encouraged us to keep pedaling as much as we encouraged them. The local townspeople were also encouraging and proud of our ambition to tackle such a big challenge. They were also incredibly hospitable in every town.

The second best part about the ride was the food…good home cook’n all the way across the state! We ate pies, cookies, cakes, more pies, homemade ice cream, and of course many normal meals with meat, vegetables, fruits, lots of pancakes, and the like. We were told that riders burn 3,000 to 5,000 calories a day so we had to eat more calories than usual to keep us going. Plus, most towns we went through hardly get a few visitors a year so when 800 visitors come passing through in a day, they had to pull out all their best cooks to feed us. You almost feel obligated to eat their delicious food after all the hard work they put into preparing it for us.

Our favorite ride day was day #4 from Osborne to Minneapolis. The scenery was beautiful through the Blue Hills, the weather was the best we had all week, the hills were challenging yet not too tiring (and we got to fly down them after we climbed up the hills), almost all the ride was on rural county roads meaning very low traffic…it was just peaceful. Our lunch stop was in Hunter, population of about 75 people with 800 visitors. The whole town, young and old, came to help serve us lunch. They were just the nicest, most hospitable people! Even the little girls who refilled our drinks at lunch were so eager to help and came around every two minutes to see if we needed a refill. They were incredibly organized and well-prepared for the masses of people passing through. Thanks, Hunter! Following lunch, we also found 2 pie stops before we reached Minneapolis. The best was put on by a 4-H group in Barnard. They must have had at least 10 different kinds of pies. We chose to split a piece of blackberry pie which was delicious!

Have we enticed you to try BAK? The pie alone is reason to pedal harder, faster, longer to reach the next great location in Kansas! But there is also the great sense of accomplishment. In spite of all the strong winds, heat, humidity, rain, hills, tired muscles, we did it! It was often mentioned that riding across Kansas is character building…so true! We faced many challenges and yet we pedaled on to the end. We even faced a heavy down pour as we came in for the finish in Leavenworth, quite fitting after the week we had. Yet even as we rode in, it all felt worth the challenges. It was an adventure that we will remember with fond memories.

Ready to Ride

Hard to believe, but the long bike ride across Kansas is upon us! We start riding in 2 days along with 798 other riders! The official route map is below (notice that the terrain is not all flat!).

We will be riding almost 500 miles across the northern part of Kansas, passing through Goodland, Colby, Hill City, Osborne, Minneapolis, Herington, Osage City, Eudora, Leavenworth, and everything in between. News and photos will be posted during the week by the BAK organizers on the BAK website (click here). Information can also be found on Facebook, Twitter, and Flickr under the name “bikingkansas.”

In reading through some of our official materials, the best advice the organizers can give us is “BE FLEXIBLE.” Hmmmm…now that sounds a bit familiar! It’s also the number one advice we received at our missions orientation last fall. Guess we’ll get to practice our ability to be flexible on the bike ride before we will be living in Georgia.

We’ll give our own update on the journey along with photos when we return. Please keep us in your prayers over the next week. Pray for endurance, safety, favorable weather (light breeze, low humidity, light cloud cover, no rain…come on…this is Kansas…just pray the high winds, high humidity, blistering sun, and thunderstorms won’t be extreme), and of course, that we would have some fun along the ride.

And by the way…our fundraising is at 85%! Think we can get to 100% by the end of June? We hope so, but we still need your help to make that happen!

Spring Update

We are refreshed as we enjoy time in the warm sunshine! Our busy season has passed at work, and spring has definitely sprung! We hope you are also enjoying the fresh start of a new season!

“Because of the Lord’s great love

we are not consumed,

for his compassions never fail.
They are new every morning;

great is your faithfulness.”

Lamentations 3:22-23

Our excitement continues to grow as we anticipate posting updates from Georgia and putting to good use our time and talents as we serve in Georgia! Since our winter newsletter a couple months ago, we went from being 60% funded to 75% funded! We are so grateful for the supportive response we have received since beginning this journey. Our prayer is still to have our fundraising complete in June so we can arrive in Georgia by late summer. We have already been in communication with our country director about plans for our arrival, but before we can fully transition from fundraising to packing or buying plane tickets, we have to raise the last 25% of our support.

If you have been thinking about supporting us, now is the time to act. God has blessed us with 75% of our budget thus far through about 70 donors, and we know He will provide the remaining 25% through many more people. For us to complete our fundraising, we need approximately 30 people to pledge to give $30 per month over the next 2 years. Our donors have given one-time gifts and pledges of all different amounts…all of which have helped us reach 75%. If you would like to donate to support us, you can give online by clicking on the “Online Contributions” link under “Contribution Links” on the top right of our blog. You can also print a pledge form and mail to AGWM for one-time gifts or monthly pledges.

Once again, we appreciate your consideration and look forward to using your investment to further God’s work in Georgia.

Praise & Prayer

Well…we gave fair warning that the blog would see little activity during busy season, but April 15th is soon coming (yay!!!) and then we’ll get back to more frequent posts. For now, here is a quick update on a PRAISE report and some prayer requests.

You should have received our last newsletter about a month ago. We were at 60% of our budget then…and now, we are at approximately 71%. That’s a rough estimate as we haven’t been able to update our spreadsheet the past couple weeks, and we’ve had a lot of activity. This is definitely a PRAISE!!! We are so grateful for all who have given to help support us! It has been amazing to see how God is pulling it all together!

It’s been on our minds to give out some more specific prayer requests for our prayer partners. If you are praying for us and Georgia…thank you! Here are a few things on which you can focus your prayers. We are very much in the preparation phase so that is what most of our requests revolve around for now.

· We have several upcoming decisions that require wisdom that only comes from the Lord. We desire to be on God’s timeline and seek His wisdom for the decisions and our arrival in Georgia.

· Even though we still have several months before we’ll be able to leave, we don’t want to take for granted the time we have now with our family and friends. Pray this would be a blessed time leading up to our departure.

· Pray for our upcoming bike ride across Kansas…June 4th-12th…lots of training is necessary for this ride. Pray for endurance to finish the ride!

· It’s not too early to be thinking about language. Wade has much to learn and Megan has much to review…basically, we both have a lot to focus on and expand on in the language area. It’s always an area that needs attention and there’s always more to learn.

· Pray for us as we transition our attention more and more on Georgia and being prepared and ready to do what God asks of us.

· We need the final 30% to come in through cash or pledges. Pray for opportunities to open up for us to share with more people about Georgia and this financial need.

· Pray for Georgia and the people we will encounter as we live there. Pray for them to have open hearts toward the gospel and opportunities to plant seeds.

“And pray for us, that God may open a door for our message,
so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ.”
Colossians 4:3

These are just a few things you can focus on as you pray. Again, we are very appreciative of your prayers! God and the prayers of many are what will sustain us in Georgia.

our small but MIGHTY WARRIORS

Posted by Megan

Last weekend, we had the great pleasure of sharing about Georgia and missions with the children’s church at the church where I grew up. It was somewhat surreal to be the one standing and sharing about this in the same room that I first started to think about being a missionary and to kids that are the same age I was when God put missions on my heart. I am still impressed by the missionary stories I heard when I was their age.

Wade and I taught the kids all kinds of things about Georgia, including some Georgian words and phrases. (Kids, did you remember to say “Gamarjoba, mama!” to your dad and “Gamarjoba, deda!” to your mom???) We also had two great volunteers who first showed us how we greet each other in America, and then they (bravely) demonstrated a Georgian greeting that we taught them. Wade, who is anxious to get to Georgia, came prepared with this large backpack packed full and 3 Georgian hats. He “interrupted” my sharing about Georgia a few times to tell me he was READY TO GO…but, of course, I had to finish sharing some things with the kids…plus, we needed to recruit some more prayer warriors. Just as we had hoped, the kids willingly agreed to pray for us and Georgia. In fact, they prayed right then! We will know we are girded with God’s protection when those kids are praying for us! THANKS, KIDS!

After our time of sharing, we showed the kids a short video about Georgia, had some Q&A time, showed them various things from Georgia…pictures, books, alphabet, maps, money…and let them taste some gozinaki, a sweet Georgian treat made of walnuts and honey (see our December 13, 2009 post for the recipe). The kids also went home with a gift…a bag with their name on it in both English and Georgian. The little sack was filled with some information about Georgia, our prayer card, and their very own picture of a Georgian kid that they can pray for. Their teacher put it best when she told the kids they may be the only person in the whole world that is specifically praying for the kid in their picture. What an impact the prayers of those kids could have on someone they will possibly never meet on this earth!

We were asked by our friends to share some pictures of us in those Georgian hats. Unfortunately, we only walked away with one photo last week. Jill, sorry for any embarrassment, but we had to share it…you look very stylish in this hat! Thanks for letting us share with the kids and for connecting us with some MIGHTY PRAYER WARRIORS!

Jill, Children’s Ministry Coordinator

And just for fun, here is an old picture of Wade and I in some Georgian hats made from sheep’s wool:

From Holiday Season to Busy Season

We all have those times at work
when we are busy and often very busy.
Our "very busy" is here.
With audits of companies typically beginning
a few weeks after their year end
(which is often 12/31),
we are getting ready to work very long hours.

With long hours comes stress and weariness.
However, we always make it through somehow.
We know this is because God gives us strength.
Praise Him!

So, if you are busy and stressed,
take a moment to remember it will all be ok in the end.
We pray God is with you and with us.
We pray we all make it through the difficult times.

We'll see you on the other side of busy season.
Hopefully, with a few blog posts in between,
but probably not as many as we might like.

Holiday Season

Our Christmas and New Year’s holidays seemed to fly by too quickly after much anticipation. Tomorrow it’s back to work. Our Christmas celebration began with just the two of us on the 23rd of December with us opening our presents to each other (yes before Christmas AND even before Christmas Eve). We knew we wouldn't be home for Christmas, and who doesn’t love a reason to celebrate early!

On Christmas Eve, we were off to Chanute to visit Megan's parents, grandma, and brother Gregg. Our trip south included about 30 minutes of driving in sleet and snow. The snow continued through the night and didn't stop until there was almost a foot of snow on the ground leaving us with a white Christmas. We played about 8 games of Settlers of Catan with Gregg and as well as a few other games. We had a great time eating delicious food, visiting with family and a few “old” friends, and playing in the snow.

On Christmas weekend, we continued our travels over to Mt. Vernon to stay with Wade's sister Raylene. Megan (Wade's sister) and her family also came from Nashville to be with us for Christmas. We had fun playing more games…Keesdrow, Scrabble SLAM, and Dominoes…and, of course, wrestling with Jayce (Wade's nephew). Our time at Raylene’s included more eating…her famous homemade apple pie, a scrumptious breakfast of eggs, bacon, hash browns, cinnamon rolls and more, and an endless supply of Christmas sweets. Our family Christmas dinner together was at Re Rico Grill, a Brazilian steakhouse in Springfield. Wade tried to challenge his nephew T.J. in who could eat the most meat…T.J. definitely won. We also drove to Branson to visit Diane, a missionary who Megan served with in the nation of Georgia. It was great to visit such a dear friend and to get caught up with what is going on in our lives. We were amazed to hear some of Diane's recent stories and experiences in Georgia, all of which excited us more about our mission assignment that we hope to begin this summer.

Our Christmas continued over the New Year’s weekend with the rest of Megan’s family in Lee's Summit. It was exciting to watch Megan’s nieces and nephews open their gifts. We also enjoyed playing more Catan and trying out a few new games that were Christmas gifts. Our Christmas/New Year’s celebration led us right into Caeden’s birthday (Megan’s nephew). We continued our tradition of giving him a gift of time with us (who wouldn’t want that?!?!). The 3 of us ventured downtown to see the world famous Harlem Globetrotters take on the Washington Generals in an entertaining game of basketball. It was a first for all of us. We really enjoyed the “show” and, of course, watching the Globetrotters win the game (they always win!).

The Christmas season is amazing and it is another way to remind us all how great our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ is. Our God is awesome and this celebration along with getting to be with our families was very memorable. We cherish those memories! We hope your Christmas was merry and bright, and we wish you much peace and happiness in 2010!