Two years ago, today....

Stephen and I went out on our first date, since I had gotten back from Peru. 

I am just starting to understand what everyone has meant over the years, about how you love someone more today then you did when you married them. 

Everyday God shows me how Stephen is the man I dreamed about all those days, I was longing to be married. Through the good times and bad times God reaffirms that we were made for one another. 

I can truly say that God has blessed me with a wonderful husband who loves and adores me. I am so grateful to God for bringing us together. I can't imagine my life with out Stephen being there. 

I love you Stephen. 

Please remember Andrew Pearson

Please keep Andrew Pearson in your prayers as he was in a motorcycle wreck several weeks ago and has seriously injured his leg/ankle. Here is an update from him:

"Just an update, the doctor called today and I have to have another surgery before the end of next week. It is a very specialized surgery and the specialist is not under my health insurance. I don’t know very much about it but I know it is a microvascular surgery and grafting to repair my heel pad and the skin which was torn off in the accident. As a result of this surgery they say I will be in the hospital (emory crawford long) for “several” weeks. I also wanted to say thanks to everyone who has stopped by. You guys have been great friends and a great help to me and I really appreciate it. Please keep praying and thanks again."

Made my day....

How can one phone call make my day? Well let me tell you. 

Stephen and I were working this afternoon and the phone rang. I thought it was probably a wrong number or someone trying to sale something because we don't normally get calls on Saturday's. 

So when I heard him say hold on a minute, my brain went into overdrive thinking about who could that be and why do they want to talk to me. 

Then I got on the phone and it was a young lady form a church in Tennessee , she explained who she was and that she was hoping I could come and speak at their lady's meeting they have at their church next month. Honestly, I was a lot shocked because I have never been asked to speak at a church out of the blue before. I got all the information I thought I would need and said thank you and let her go. 

I really just don't know how to describe the feeling I am having right now. I have this sort of butterflies flying around in my stomach at the idea of talking to people I don't know. Then I have this really scary what do I talk to them about thing happening. Along with a great since of wow I wonder why they asked me and what a great privilege it will be to share what God did while we were in Ireland. 

I am so thankful for the opportunity that God is giving me to talk to the ladies that will be at that meeting. Please pray that I will say and do what will honour and glorify the Lord, and be a blessing to the people he brings in. 

Being from the peach state down here in the south, when the 4th of July rolls around we know its time for about 50,000 people to, wake up before dawn, put on their running shoes and head off to the marta stations, highways and byways to swarm downtown Atlanta for a race called the Peachtree Road race, where everyone may not know your name, but they at least got your number.  

So today my family and I are headed off to see just how well we finish our race today. If we finish, I mean when we finish, we receive a T'shirt.  Now, to my knowledge this shirt is like any other tee you might come across in your travels, with one very big difference you have to cross the finish line before you to receive this trophy of what you have just accomplished. 

I am so glad I didn't have to stand in line to receive the gift of salvation. I am also glad that when I finish my race in life I know the prize is that I lived my life for and in the high calling of God through Christ Jesus.  That is the greatest Trophy I could ever have and one day I pray to hear the word's "Well done". 

I may not finish the peachtree in first place but at least I ran the race. So if you are reading this blog you may want to think about what kind of race you are running in life. Are you running to win fame or fortune? Maybe the race you should be really running in life is to see how many people you can tell about the God in heaven that sent is son to die for you and I, who gave us the strength to run any kind of race at all. 

"Well done" what are you waiting to hear at the end of your life's race?

Urgent Prayer Request

I just received a call that my sister is on her way to the hospital. 

She is going in for emergency surgery for her gallbladder. It has not burst as of now, please pray that they can get the surgery completed before it ruptures. 

Stephen and I are on our way to the hospital and see how we can help with the kids. I am sure Riley is a little scared and the other two may know something is going on, so please as the Lord to comfort them. 

Thank you for your prayers. 

Please Pray

Please be praying for this Macedonia missionary family who just lost their wife/mother to cancer. They will need lots of prayer at this time.

Sister Sandra Stewart, age 37, went home to be with the Lord on Tuesday, July 1, 2008. Sister Stewart was the wife of Mark Stewart, Our Field Director for the Middle East, and mother of two girls, Maggie and Millison, ages 8 and 6. Sister Stewart had been battling breast cancer for two years. Sister Stewart was a godly woman that cared for her family and loved lost souls. Her desire was that they could be the greatest possible blessing to all our missionaries and especially to those in the middle east.

Provoked, you say......

Like most of us, I read blogs and lots of them. 

So this morning I was reading Brother Tony's blog, on being provoked. It really made me think about the times I have been provoked in life. So I wanted to share one of the times with you and with him. 

Sometimes in life we have an effect on someone and we never know it. I have had somethings taking place in my life lately and it has really been impressing me to share with people, now what they mean to me or how they have made an impact on my life. 

Brother Tony & Mrs. Stacey, 

I remember the day you provoked me, to think about what God really had for my life.

How you sat across the table at John's house surrounded by young men hanging on your every word.

As I listened, my mind was wondering about how God was going to use them and how great it must be to go and tell people about the Lord. I looked around the room at their young faces and thought about where the Lord would send them, Africa, Asia, India ect...

I thought about how much God had done for me and I wished one day God would use me to reach someone for him. I thought about where I had come from and just how much my life had changed. How such a short time before I was sitting around a table much like this, surrounded by so called friends wasting my life in sin. I thought about, how God had changed everything in the last few months; my friends, my home, my job, not one part of my life was left untouched by the loving hand of our Lord and that's when you said it.

"So when are you going to Peru?" What a question. Man o man, I was caught so off guard, so surprised. One because you noticed me and pointed me out of the group, two because I didn't know that anyone would want someone like me to go.

As I stammered for the words, searching for something in my brain to come out of my mouth, while everyone was starring waiting to see what I would say. I am sure John was a little nervous, my foot and mouth disease was really bad back then.

I honestly don't even remember what finally made it's way out. I do however clearly recall what made it's way in, God sent the holy spirit to prick my heart and sew a seed of hope within me that God could use someone like me. That he saved me for a purpose and that I was starting to see for the very first time that he was lining things up for him to use my life, in a way that only he could.

Oh, how that seed of hope would be watered in the days to come. I just get plum excited when I remember that day. When I think about how God moved in and began to rearrange my plans, for his plans, for my life.

How God in heaven would provoke me to action. How I would start going to mission conference's for the fun of it,  how I would enjoy learning in bible classes, how he would change the way I dressed, my music and I wouldn't care. So much had already changed in my life and the great part is it is still changing today. 

I don't know exactly all he has planned for us and I pray he will use Stephen and I to provoke others to action for the cause of Christ, the way God used you and Mrs. Stacey to provoke me and so many others along the way. 

We love you both very much.

Stephen & April

Ahh what did you say? ?

This is a response from one of the girls we worked with in N. Ireland. I thought you might get a kick out of how they talk and write over there. I am glad Stephen likes to write books, cause I really need a Text messaging and emailing for Dummies, some time before we move. I am so glad God had her email me today, I was really thinking about them this week a lot. 

Awwww Thank Yhoo, Yea Every One Has Bein GOOd lol ......I Dont Run About WIFFF THEM Any MOre lolz ............. WELL CANT WAIT TO SEE YA AGAIN I REALLY MISS YHOO  . Well WBZ Again .............XOx0 LUFF YHOO """"!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  MISSS YHOOO  XOX0O

Any one want to translate, just kidding I am not that bad off, yet.  Please continue to pray for these young people and for us. We desperately want to get back to Northern Ireland. We need 25 more churches to take us on. Please pray that God would send us to the churches he would have take us on. We really want God's will to be the focus of our life so the when is up to him. 

Good Friends.......... like these

Okay, When I first meet Martin and Carrie, the day we landed in Northern Ireland I was a lot nervous and honestly just plan scared. Although, I tried to cover it, I am just one of those people that wear their emotions all over their face, which I am going to have to work on being in the ministry. So I am sure the only one I was fooling was myself. 

From the very start we hit it off well with the Wickens Family. They are extraordinary people with a great love for the Lord and desire to reach the people of the British Isles and the world with the truth of the Gospel. 

It was so exciting to hear Martin and Stephen talk about ways to reach the Island. It was also sad listening to Martin explain how there are churches all over the country that have no Pastor and no prospect of one. 

Martin is doing a great work over in Newtownabbey with the young and old a like. The people of his church just adore all of them. They are respected in the community and they have a great relationship with fellow believers. 

It really was such a blessing to share a part of their lives and the work they are doing in N.I.. Martin and Carrie opened every part of their life up to us while we were there. They let us live in their home, work in their church, shared their friends, and let us drive their car (if you knew how we drive you'd really understand that one) put us on their insurance. 

Carrie helped me a just to the culture and truly I have never meet a more acclimated missionary wife then Carrie, she was such an example of how to adapt to your surroundings, food, weather and the people. I don't know how she does everything. She is definitely on my list of Proverbs 31 ladies, I want to learn from. 

I can not explain what a tremendous blessing they have been to us. Our time in Northern Ireland was exciting, educational, and gave us evidence of where the Lord is leading. 

I don't really know who reads my blog but the Lord does, so that being the case I would like to say this. If you or anyone you know would like to have a part in a ministry that is helping to reach people just like you and I. People who need a friend, people who need to know someone cares about them, people who are lost and need to know that there is Father in heaven that loves them, not because of who they are but because of who he is. 

Then Martin and Carrie Wickens are the missionaries for you. I know they have a web site that has all their information on where to send financial support and we know where to send the prayer support already, so give them a google and learn a little bit more about this great couple and how the Lord is using them in Northern Ireland. 

I am so thankful God gave us the opportunity to meet Martin and Carrie, as well as work and live in N. Ireland. It was a life changing time for us in so many ways. We just Praise the Lord for allowing us to be part of what he is doing there at this time. 

Everyone has a ministry.

As, I was reading today and thought I would share this. 

If you're saved, you're in the "Master Ministry". If you have a husband, you're in the "Marriage Ministry".  If you have children, you're in the "Motherhood Ministry". If you belong to a church, you have a "Membership Ministry". If you live in a neighborhood, that's in a city, that's in a state, that's in a country, that's in a world full of people dying with out the Gospel, you have a "Multitude Ministry." 

from the Mrs. Ministry, by Cathy Corle. 

What Ministry are you taking part in? It is never to late to start making a difference in our generation.