No Greater Joy!

We are continually receiving weekly reports from home (Honduras) of spiritual growth among the believers as well as growing attendance in several of the works. Construction of the mission church in Quebrada de Lajas, under the direction of our co-worker and fellow missionary, Jason Stevens, is going very well and the people in that community are excited about having their own church building. Last month, our evangelistic teams from our main church, Iglesia Bautista Nueva Esperanza (New Hope Baptist Church), saw 25 people in the outlying Lenca communities come to know Christ as their personal Savior!

Only a pastor, missionary or Sunday School teacher can truly understand the unspeakable joy you feel when you see those whom God has placed under your spiritual care (your “children”, so to speak), walking in the truth of God’s Word and having a burden to share the Good News of the Gospel with a lost and dying world!

God willing, we will be on our way home next month! Mike is waiting for me to be free to go home with him. (He says he is NOT going back until I can go back with him!) Just the thought of finally being home with our dear people once again fills me with “joy unspeakable and full of glory”, as the old hymn goes!!

But as always, in the life of a foreign missionary, it is a bitter-sweet joy. It seems that, no matter where I am, I am missing someone and my heart is longing after loved ones. When I am here in the States, my thoughts are consumed with our precious people in Honduras. When I am in Honduras, I ache to see my family, my children and grandchildren! (How sweet Heaven will be when there will be no more “goodbyes” and no more tears!)

As I leave the States this time, two things will make going home especially difficult. I will leave my mother living alone as a widow. Always before, I knew she and Dad had each other on which to lean. But, Dad is now in Heaven. Also, I will leave an additional grandchild behind.

Brayden Lane, Born March 24, 2012

Our newest blessing!

For the last six weeks, I have been in Tacoma, WA, helping out after the birth of our newest grand baby. On March 24, Brayden Bobby Lane was born to our son, Brandon, and his precious wife, Kathy. His older brother and sister, Dakota and MaKayla, could not be any prouder of their new baby brother. And rightly so! For he is truly a little sweetheart (as are ALL seven of our grandchildren!) Yes, I am proud of them all!!

However, as much as I love my “grandies”, you will never hear me say, “Had I known how great having grandkids would be, I would have skipped having kids and had the grandkids first!” I LOVED having kids!! Besides my salvation, our two children were, and continue to be, the greatest gifts and the greatest blessings that God has ever bestowed upon Mike and I! When they married, their spouses just increased our blessings and happiness by two-fold! And our seven grandchildren are just the “icing on the cake” and the “cherries on top”!

On Monday, April 30, I will be leaving my son and his family, my newest grandchild and his two older siblings. The time of my departure is approaching much too quickly! Instead of focusing upon leaving my loved ones, I am trying to focus on the positive side and looking ahead to seeing my dear loved ones in Honduras. At times, I succeed in this endeavor and, at times, I do not.

Something else that is fast approaching is Mother’s Day. Always, at first I think of my own precious mother and her example to me of unconditional love. She and Dad did not send us, but instead, faithfully took us to church. I remember her singing hymns as she worked around the house and many times, even after I was grown and married and would come to visit, I would find her worn, red Bible open on the kitchen table where she had been sitting and reading. Whatever I may be, I owe to my own dear mother and her example to me.

Secondly, I think of what a blessing, responsibility, and privilege it is to be called by that name: Mother. God entrusts these precious little gifts to us and He expects us to, not only instruct them in the things of God, but to be an example of the believer. In addition, if we lead them to accept Jesus Christ as their Savior, our children are the ONLY things we have on this earth that we can take to Heaven with us when we die!

As a mother of two and grandmother of seven, I have been TREMENDOUSLY blessed of God!!! I want to share my blessings as a mother with you. Now mind you, I am NOT bragging!! Just sharing my blessings and my great joy!! What a joy it is to see my children and their spouses, and my grandchildren, faithfully serving the Lord!

Since 2000, our son and his wife, Kathy, have been on staff at the church where Mike was the pastor for fourteen years. Brandon is the Minister of Music and Kathy is one of the secretaries. During my visit here, I have had the privilege of, not only hearing my son sing and play the piano in church, but also, I have been able to hear him teach his Family Foundations Class and preach in the pastor’s absence! What a joy and what a blessing!

Last month, our daughter and her family left Idaho and a church in which they had been serving the last few years and dearly loved. Their hearts were broken to think of leaving such precious friends - friends in the Lord who had become more like extended family. Her husband’s work had moved them to Elko, NV. However, as much as they missed their “family” in Idaho, they immediately found a church home, began to meet new “family” members, and find ways to serve the Lord in the new place to which He had brought them. I received a text message from her just this morning asking for prayer. They have asked her to be the speaker at the Mother/Daughter Luncheon at their new church!

Another joy and blessing that I would like to share with you is the fact that, as of last November, ALL OF MY GRANDCHILDREN (except for the newborn, of course) HAVE ACCEPTED JESUS CHRIST AS THEIR SAVIOR!! They are ALL being raised to know and love God’s Word! They are ALL being raised to love and appreciate the sacrifice that a Holy God made for a lost and dying world so that they might be able to spend eternity with Him in Heaven.

I have attached, for your viewing pleasure (or not), videos of my greatest blessings and continual joy!! Yes, I’m a proud Grams! And if you take a moment and watch my six older grandchildren as they share their praises to the Lord, you will know why “I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth.”