Everybody loves a good piece of cake, don’t they? Nice and moist — not too sweet and it melts in your mouth?! — But then there’s the icing! — Mmmmmm — you smear it on thick and creamy — and then you can top it off with slivered dark chocolate and almonds? Or maybe you’d rather smother it with fresh berries and then drown it in whipped cream? You take a really good thing and make it even “gooder”! J
THE CAKE — That’s kind of the way Paul and I are feeling about this era of our lives! We feel like we’ve got the “cake” (47 years in ministry) — God’s used the sugar and rich butter — whipped it good and mixed in the flour, leavening, milk and seasonings and whipped it some more. We’ll call those “ingredients” the ten years in the jungle with the Ayore people in Bolivia; the twelve years in Mexico and seven years in Paraguay in leadership, and now these last fifteen years in the States, serving on the Board. And then there’s been the fire to bake that cake and make it edible and servable! Binding it all together is God’s amazing enabling grace and faithfulness that He’s showered down on us in abundance.
THE ICING — But now we’ve gotten to the ICING on that cake! J Last week, Paul stepped off the Executive Board. It has been a pleasure and honor to be a part of the leadership team of New Tribes Mission. WE ARE NOT RETIRING! This change has been planned allowing for a smooth transition. Three years ago we moved here to Missouri and our time has been divided between the Missionary Training Center (MTC) and the responsibilities with the Board. Now, we get to do what we both LOVE to do — we get to pour our lives and hearts into training our young missionary candidates and to work alongside the amazing staff that God has here in this place. Paul will be involved in teaching more classes, and we will be even more involved in the member care aspect with our staff. What a blessing to be able to serve God in this way! We have loved every area God has led us into!
Of course, my “cake” analogy does have some flaws in itJ “The cake” is certainly not perfect! And God continues to “tweak” the recipe! J Every now and then He has to throw it back into the fire! Each of you has been a VERY important ingredient in our “cake” — our lives — and without your prayers and support it would have “flopped” long ago! YOU are the “icing” in OUR lives!!! Thank you SO MUCH for your continued prayers and support!
We’re so thankful that my pain level is more under control and it’s a blessing to be able to have the freedom to be as involved as my body allowsJ. The pain shots are effective for around three to four months and I’m able to have them up to four times a year — I’m due for another one soon. My prayer every day is that I will live above my discomfort and reflect Jesus through it all! Paul continues to do very well and we have so MUCH to be thankful for.
Pray also with us as we prayerfully take on additional ministries here at the MTC. There is an endless world of ministry open to us!
Thanking God that we are in the “icing” of our lives,