"Does your husband love you?"

So, sitting in Church for two hours or more on Sunday Nights with a two year old and 9 month old is a little difficult to say the least. Tonight, I decided to go down stairs after the first hour and let Joshua play with the other kids. I sat right inside the door to the apartment and the doors always stay open. Tonight, a 22 year old muslim girl was walking by and came in to talk to me (thanks to my beautiful white children that everyone wants to touch). So, we had the basic conversation of what's your name, how old are you, where are you from, etc. Then, I asked her if she knew of Jesus. She said yes, and then said a few words that I don't understand yet. Then, I told her basically everything that I know how to say in arabic about the Lord. She grew a little quiet and then started asking me about my husband. She asked if he was American. Then she asked me if he was a good man. "Yes", I said. And before I could say anything else, she asked, "Does he love you?" (This is a question I have been asked more than once since I have gotten here.) I then explained to her that my husband does love me very much. I told her that my husband loves Jesus and Jesus loves him. And the Bible teaches him to love his wife. I pray to tell these women that "yes, my husband is a good man, and he does love me, but it is because of the Lord. I want them to see the love of Christ.

Please pray for this young lady. She is 22 years old and currently engaged. I believe with all my heart that the Lord brought her into a CHURCH tonight because He is trying to reach her.

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Eid Al Adha

I woke up to sounds of a big celebration this morning: Firecrackers, music, and kids laughing and having fun. It made me sick. Today, is a holiday for the muslims called Eid Al Adha. It means sacrifice. Simply put, everyone got up and went to the mosque around 5:30 this morning. Then, they went to their homes and took their animals they had bought and slaughtered them. If they had yards, this was done in their yards, but for most of the city it was done in the streets and many of the streets are filled with blood. After that the meat is butchered, and all of it is eaten within the next three days. This is done with hopes of improving their chances to go to heaven.

As we walked around our neighborhood this morning, we watched as the poor people stood outside the gates of the villas, waiting for some meat. It is very important for them to eat some of the sacrificed meat. I watched as one lady received a peace and held it so proudly. Her children were rubbing on it. It brought them hope.

Lord, please use us in this needy land. We know that you are the living sacrifice and their is no need for any other. Use us, Lord, to spread Your Word. Send more laborers into the field for Your glory. We love you, Lord Jesus!

God is so good. God is so good. God is so good to me! The last couple of weeks have been difficult, yet rewarding. The weather is finally cooling down!! Yay! I thought we were over the worst of the heat when we had a couple of cool days in the beginning of October, but it warmed back up to the high 90"s and we even saw 5-6 days in October over 100 degrees. Now, the weather is absolutely beautiful. Highs in the low 80's and lows in the mid 60's. We are trying to spend all the time we can outdoors and take advantage of this!

I have had a chance to meet up and begin a relationship with a girl that works at Pizza Hut. Her name is Rasha. She is about 26 years old, been married for about a year and is a follower of Islam. Our conversation is limited right now, but I pray to be a witness to her more as I learn the language. Please be in prayer.

I have dealt with some culture shock during the last couple of weeks and have been a little homesick. I think some of it is because it is normal for the amount of time we have been here and some of it is because I have been thinking about the holidays coming up. The holidays will be different without the big family get-togethers. However, it is my desire to see the Lord glorified here in Egypt and I am so glad to be here, doing His work. Also, David, O what do I say! There's no words for my husband. He is the most incredible man I know. He is the most godly man I know. His life convicts me. When he prays for something, I Know the Lord is going to answer. He treats me like a queen. He is an amazing dad. And, he is a bold witness to those he is around!! So thankful that God gave me the most wonderful husband in the world!! I sure do love him!!

Also thankful that my kids have been so healthy since be have been here!!

I didn't mean for so much time to pass before writing. Things have been so busy. We have settled into our new house and it is beginning to feel more and more like home. Joshua had a difficult time for a while. I believe he went through some culture shock, even though I never predicted that one since he is so young. We celebrated his second birthday last weekend! We had a nice party with americans, egyptians, and family that attended via skype. Sandy is six months now, and is such a blessing! She is a wonderful baby! She cut her first tooth a few days ago. I can not believe how fast both of my children are growing and developing. Please pray with us for wisdom and persistence as we train them up for the Lord.

Language school has been difficult, but rewarding. It is so nice to be able to pick out a few words when people are talking and to be able to say some sentences. I stay with my children in the Church nursery on Sunday mornings. That used to be one of the most difficult times for me. I was lonely, and even though I was with other women, I wasn't able to talk to them hardly at all. This Sunday I left feeling so good about what I was able to say and understand. Don't get me wrong, I know I have a long way to go, but we're making progress.

David is doing great! I am so proud of him; I always am! He is so determined and works so hard to get this language down. He is a bold witness to those he is around. Not to mention, that he is the best husband and father in the world!! I truly love him more and more everyday!

Always thought I would dread cooking from scratch on the mission field, and it is more time consuming. However, it has really become a hobby. I love looking for new recipes and trying new things. I made a buttery apple cake tonight. Just tried a bite. It was ok. David likes it. I'll probably give most of it away tomorrow because we don't need it (health and weight wise), but hopefully it will make someone happy and it was very inexpensive.

Thankful for God's Goodness!

We have pretty much finished setting our house up and are getting ready for language school. I am so thankful that my husband came and found us the perfect apartment. The pastor we are working with told us that he believes our place is a gift from God. I agree with him. We have begun learning some of the language by talking with people, but we start classes in just a couple of days. David is doing great. He learned some arabic before we came which helped tremendously when talking to taxi drivers and getting our furniture. I thank God for giving me the best husband in the world!

The kids are adjusting well and are starting to get on a flexible schedule. Joshua is already using some arabic words! Not just repeating them! We are thanking God for his goodness to us!

Progress

It was really hard for a while after Mom and Carrie left, but I am doing better now. We have gotten more of the necessities for the house, but still need a few more pieces of furniture and appliances. We found a language school, and yesterday we checked out a daycare which was walking distance from it. All I was thinking about the whole time we were there was that kids movie - Matilda. Wow, the lady that ran the school had a strong sense of darkness about her, and we were told at least 10 times that our children would have regular health checkups because they had doctors on call and would receive their vaccinations there. Scary! I wouldn't trust them with my children's daily needs and I sure wouldn't want them giving them medicines. We will be checking out another nursery and will be meeting women we have recommendations for. Pray for the Lord to lead in this area as I need to leave my children a few hours each day to learn the language. Oh- by the way- we can make it home 99% of the time without getting lost! :) Praise the Lord! We are making progress.