We have kept busy the last few weeks. Read on to see a few highlights of our lives in the last while.
A few weeks ago we had a gospel crusade in the village of Petersfeild, which is right here in Laborie. Each evening Jared and I left around 5 to load up the sound system and get it set up in the area of the crusade. By 6:15 were were playing music and then by 7pm we were starting with the gospel preaching. The village is very sinful and it seems many hearts have been hardened to their need for God. Most Grenadians would claim to be Christian people. However their lifestyle is not one that is separate from sin. I have a friend from that area that I bake cakes for occasionally. Each evening she came and sat in the tent and on the last evening of the crusade she stood to make an open commitment to the Lord! How we praise God for working in her heart and we continue to pray that she will be given strength to stand up among the peer pressure. She has no heritage like you and I know, so there many areas in her life that needs Gods grace and convicting. We have been blessed to have her and her 3 young children join us at church most Sundays. Please pray for Kerri. Also pray for her boyfriend, we long to see him see his need for a savior and walk with her in this journey.
The school year seemed to drag on and on and on! But somehow we have finally made it to the end. Last week was fiercely busy as we prepared awards, planned a graduation ceremony and party. In Grenada, students graduate from 6th grade into secondary school, which would be similar to our high school. This year there were 4 students graduating from Laborie. They asked me to make them a red and white chocolate cake. Some parents supplied ice cream, homemade pizza, and other Grenadian pastries. Jared welcomed the opportunity to have the graduation speech once again and took the opportunity to remind the graduating class as well as the packed school house that in our short time on earth, we are to rejoice in our youth! But to remember that every thought, word, and action will be brought into judgment. It really matters how we spend our short vapor on this earth because it will affect our eternal destiny.
The last day of school is always a beach day. All the children look forward to this day all year long! Thankfully God blessed us with a beautiful sunny day and the children were delighted to be packed into the two buses, heading for Grand Anse beach. After a morning we had pizza together and as we headed back to school, Jared and I breathed a deep deep sigh of relief! Finally we had made it to the last day! We have been feeling more and more stretched thin and now finally the responsibility of school lifted for several weeks!
But that certainly doesn't mean we are sitting around! There has been an abundance of visitors around recently and while we love visitors, they are extra work! Somebody needs to cook for them, somebody needs to show them around, and give them a give view into life in Grenada. There was an Olive Branch board member and his family here for about a week. I was responsible to have the breakfast foods at their house and I also was on the schedule to host them for 3 meals in their time with us. Right now there are also 2 girls here from WATER a program through SMBI. They are with us for a month so we have been trying to make sure they are not given to much time to sit around and wonder what to do!
Aside from that, my mind is filled with wedding thoughts! Today Jared and I are coordinating a wedding for Lynette Bauman, a missionary girl from Canada who lives in the Limes, and Carlus Edwards, a Grenadian man who has been teaching at the Limes school and is now a church member of Limes Mennonite church. Last week we had a bridal shower for her and with that behind us, I am now focusing on this special day. I have piles and piles of notes, so very many things to remember and lots to get in order for their outdoor wedding! Who needs to be walking down the aisle while this song plays, who needs to be making an announcement at this time, the popcorn machine needs to be plugged in and running a few minutes before the ceremony ends, and the centerpiece table candles need to be lite just before the guests are invited to sit down for the meal. The list could go on and on but I'll just ask each one of you to say a prayer for Gods blessing on the day. Coordinating a wedding is a big deal and while I do love things like this, it being outdoor and cross cultural only adds to the things that I think about at 1am! I feel quite unsure of myself at times but I'm trusting God will give me the strength to make it through this weekend and that the day will glorify Him.
And you know, in the mists of our business we still try to take time for the local children. Jared told some of the local boys that if they come on Sunday morning before church, he will make pancakes with them. From time to time on Sunday mornings before I am even out of bed there are little friends here for pancake making with Mr. Weaver! The perk is that I usually get a pancake for breakfast and the dishes are usually washed by little black hands. We also try to spend time with the youth group as we are still pretty much youth ourselves, right?! From time to time we enjoy a hotdog roast on a point or spike ball on the beach. It seems like after the teachers have been in school all week, they are looking for something to do on the weekends and after we have been busy all week, we are looking for a little rest. So maybe we aren't so much youth after all but either way, we enjoy investing into the relationships with the missionary and church youth.
As we press through this time, sometimes I can be temped to sacrifice time with Jesus so that I can get everything done. I very well know that is the key to getting less done but somehow it always feels like if I hurry my devotions, I'll have 10 extra minutes to get something done. Recently as I was in the kitchen working for several hours, my feet were getting tired, the oven was heating up the kitchen so much that the fan was almost worthless, and I had a pile of dishes to wash. I was half heartedly listening to music but the song that was playing caught my attention. Sweet hour of Prayer. The words spoke to my heart as I realized I needed to slow down a little and have time to make all my wants and wishes known to the Father. What a privileged I have to cast on Him my every care. This is the last thing that I should want to hurry up or get through. The dishes in the sink, the dirty floor, or the next thing that needs to be done can just wait while I am called from a world of care into an hour of prayer.
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