Hello!

Greetings dear friends! It has been so long since I last wrote--I hope you all don't think I've fallen off the earth! No, I haven't fallen away life has just been busy! :o)  School is almost finished for this year; I am really looking forward to having time for other things--things like catching up on letters and making dresses!

Our dear home is beginning to look more and more home-y. We had HAD a schedule for moving from the basement to the upstairs but the vast amount of rain we received last two seeks ago moved things along. :o)  My family and I had been blessed to travel to Illinois to my grandparent for Easter Sunday (and we had such a good time). But while we were gone we had our dear friends and at the time house-itter call and notify that our basement was flooding!  (Oh No!) I praise the Lord for the help our friends gave us--one family came and vacuumed water out and lifted our belongings off the floor while the poor house-sitters (who got WAY more than they bargained for) did their very best to mop up floors and live in a clammy and moist area. We are truly blessed! The Lord was also good to us in that He was faithful in meeting our needs--His grace was more that sufficient as we were up late vacuuming water.

The first night wasn't so bad; we got home from our trip and immediately went to work--I think our adrenaline was pumped up. However, when the waters began to seep in the second night I will say that I was tempted to cry a few times! (And while they won't admit it. . . I think the boys considered doing so too! :o) But God was so faithful and my sweet family kept lifting and encouraging one another. My brother and I kept trying to find reasons to laugh (to keep our spirits up) and so in honor of the situation I compiled a few of our funny ideas and up-beat conversations:

1. "Look on the bright side, it could have been sewer water!"
2. "It's a good thing we haven't put carpet in yet!"
3. "The wise man built his house upon the rock . . . and the rains came tumbling down!"  (Notice that the rains did come )
4. Dad: "I think you're just pushing the water around."
    Me: "What do you mean? I had to fight the beaver and cross the swamp to get this far!" (After I had been
    mopping a puddle for quite some time).
5. Me: "Well, I guess I can be a farmer's wife. . .I passed test #3."
    Brother: "What do you mean?"
    Me: "Well, I've plucked chickens (test #1), I've done hay (test #2), and now I've had to deal with some sort of hardship (test #3). You can't be a farmer's wife without passing those. :o)
6. "Teacher, I don't have my homework finished because it floated away!"
7. "We could have had carpet down here and this could have been sewer water!" (I repeated this one on purpose because out of all of the above I think it was the most important reason to smile!)
8. "At least we have an upstairs to move into."


:o) I'm so thankful for all of the help we received during that time. We were blessed because we only got about 1 1/2 inches of water in our basement and I believe some in our area got much more.

Since we have moved upstairs alot of progress has been made. I have put some before and after photos for you all.

                                                               Kitchen: "In the Beginning"

Kitchen: Progressing 

Kitchen: Now :o)

                                                                     Left to Right View

Dining Room: Before

                                                                  Dining Room: Now

                                                     
                                                        Laundry room with floor and paint

                                                               Dining room light fixture

We're getting there! :o)  Soon the appliances will be in (I cannot wait to have an oven to cook in! Hmm...what should I bake first--crescent rolls or cookies? Or perhaps a hearty casserole?)  And I literally am bubbling over with anticipation when I think of being able to use a real sink! Hurray!

Today is a very special day. My dear friend and sister Allie is having her 20th birthday! Praise God!

I have so enjoyed Al--she is growing into such an godly young woman. She is my late night bedtime giggler, my fellow home-keeping trainee, the gardener, the fisher, she is the fire-cracker queen,my sister in Christ, and my friend. God bless you Allie as you enter this new era in life--the Golden Twenties! :o)

I love you!

Don't leave yet, I have one more thing to share with you all! :o) Missions is something which I feel the Lord has placed a desire for in my heart and I have sought out various opportunities to try and prepare myself. I found out this week that I have been accepted to attend a three month missions training program in Ghana, Africa! Praise the Lord! The program is with Charity Christian Missions--I will spend three months a a student in study and hands-on experience all while learning more and more of what is means to be disciple of Christ. I am really looking forward to this opportunity and I trust that Christ is in control.

Dear friends, please keep me in your prayers these coming months. Pray that I may rest in the Lord's timing and will and that he would prepare my heart. Also, please pray for my authorities and fellow classmates--that they each may receive a special blessing as they also prepare! And finally, please pray for my family as I prepare to go. . .I think that will be the hardest part! (For both them and myself!) I thank you all in advance for I know you will remember me. . .I'm truly am thankful for you all. Even though I cannot physically see you I am always so excited to be connected by Christ.

Thank you for sticking with me through this longer post! I hope to soon talk about all the blessings I received from the Ladies Conference!

May the Father bless you as you walk in Him! With love,