Shawnda’s Journal (February 15th – March 14th)

Wednesday, February 15th – Today was an eventful day for us. Lissie went to the hospital at about 6:00 this morning b/c she was in labor. Cindy went to see how far along she was and came back and got me. We ended up getting there at about 7:00 am. We stayed with her until she had the baby at about noon. It was a good day, emotionally and physically draining, but good. She didn’t have anyone to be with her to help her through labor, so we were glad to be with her. The only problem was that she delivered during the day and they are really more strict during the day. So, we didn’t get to go in the delivery room with her, but we stood right outside and waited. Then we went inside afterwards to see her and her new baby boy! We are so proud of her and excited for her.

This evening we went to Mele Maat for the Bible study. They are going really well. The only problem is that really it is just women. The men haven’t been attending. There is a teenage boy though, so at least he’s there. Kaela didn’t go b/c she’s been sick and Cindy stayed home with her.

Thursday, February 16th – This morning I spent the day cleaning house and getting things ready for Steve and Samantha’s visit. We are really looking forward to them coming.

I worked on Bible class stuff this afternoon until it was time to go to the hospital and volunteer. I really wanted to make sure I got to see Lissie again before she went home too. When I got there, there were 4 babies lined up ready to be bathed, so I jumped in and helped. I bathed two and another lady that works there bathed two. I am really getting used to bathing those tiny babies. It’s good practice for me. I have always been a little scared of tiny newborns, but after volunteering at the maternity ward, they don’t seem so little anymore. It’s been a good experience for me. After I got the babies bathed, I went and talked to several mamas. I visited with Lissie for a while, some others for a while and then went home. Lissie asked Cindy and I to name the baby boy since we stayed with her during her labor. I told her we’d think of a name and come and tell her tomorrow.

Fiona came over and helped Cindy and I make salusalus for Steve and Samantha. It was a good time for us to spend together. I am really enjoying getting to know her better. She is a good friend.

We left for the airport to go get Steve and Samantha at about 9:35 this evening. We were so excited when they stepped off of the plane. It was good to see them. We are looking forward to a good week together.

When we got home, we were all tired, but stayed up and talked until almost 1:00 just trying to catch up on things. It was fun though.

Friday, February 17th – Our original plan for the day was to do our grocery shopping and just relax a little. But, then we decided to head up to the Mele Cascade Waterfalls. We ended up doing a quick trip to the grocery store and then heading up to the falls. It was a little disappointing that the water wasn’t flowing like it usually does. There hasn’t been enough rain lately, so the water was down. But thankfully there was water at the top so we could swim. We had a good time despite the lack of water and enjoyed the day.

This evening the Christians in Vila came over and we had a fellowship dinner to welcome Steve and Samantha. We sang out of the Bislama chorus books and then Steve shared a short devotional thought. It was really good – encouraging, but challenging too. The Christians really seemed to enjoy that. Everyone stayed around for a little while and visited and had a good ‘ole time.

Saturday, February 18th – We ended up doing our grocery shopping this morning. When we finished that, we made a big lunch, ate and then headed to the village.

We got to the village about mid-afternoon and enjoyed some time of just visiting and getting “settled in.” It’s really fun to see the village through Steve and Samantha’s eyes, so to speak. We get so used to things that we forget how different it is than the US. It’s neat to see them experience some new things (like breadfruit, lap-lap, boys climbing coconut trees, the beach right behind the village, things like that).

Eric taught a class this evening on “food laws.” Because there are lots of Seventh Day Adventists here, there are lots of questions regarding that. Last month there had been questions on food laws and “What day should we worship on – Saturday or Sunday?” So, Eric taught a class on each of these questions this weekend.

We went to bed pretty early, but none of us ended up sleeping well. At least it was only one night.

Sunday, February 19th – This morning Leisong gave Samantha an island dress to wear, so she did. She actually looked pretty cute in it (which is more than I can say for myself!) :o) They were also presented with other gift later in the day (some shells and a few mats).

Worship this morning was good. There was a good group. Steve preached and Eric translated. It was a good message of encouragement on growing in the Lord by reading and studying the Bible and praying. It was really good because it was so practical and easy to translate into everyday life.

This afternoon we all ate together. We had breadfruit lap-lap for the first time and I actually liked it. It has now become my favorite type of lap-lap (too bad breadfruit only grows about two months of the year!) We shared the big meal together and enjoyed visiting. Later in the afternoon we walked down to the beach with a bunch of kids and went swimming. It was lots of fun – kids jumping in all over the place, sneaking up on us in the water, throwing around a football, etc. When we got back, it was about time to start the afternoon class.

Once the class started, it started raining. It got so loud (on the corrugated tin roof) that Eric was practically screaming to be heard (not real good on the voice). But, he made it through and it went well.

We spent the rest of the afternoon into almost the evening just sitting and talking at the church building in Epau. Steve and Samantha had given Ata and Rosie the game, Trouble, for a thank you gift for us staying with them. Winnie loved it. So, we played that while we were waiting too. Then Aaron came and we loaded up and headed on our way.

When we passed Eton on the way home, Eddie motioned for us to stop at the church building to have tea. We ended up staying there for about 30 minutes, but then had to get home. We were all tired and glad to be back in Vila.

We ended up staying up and visiting for a while, but were all tired, so we went to bed.

Monday, February 20th – Steve and Samantha wanted to drive around the island, so we had that planned for today. So we headed out fairly early this morning. We stopped for a while in Paunangisu to visit with Harry and his family. Harry rode with us the rest of the way into town. After Paunangisu, we stopped and visited at Epau. It just happened that we got there at about the time the kids were on school break for lunch. So, Kuma climbed a coconut tree so Steve and Samantha could try a coconut. Ata cut away the outside and broke it open for them so they could eat it. Then we said our goodbyes and headed on our way to Eton beach. We stopped at Eton beach to eat lunch and swim/snorkel. We spent a few hours there and then headed back to Vila. None of the Christians in Eton were around, so we didn’t stop there.

This evening we ate fajitas. They were yummy, but I think it was all a little too rich and spicy for me. It was a pleasant evening, but not a pleasant night for me. I was up all night pretty sick.

Tuesday, February 21st – Since I was so sick last night and didn’t sleep well, I slept late this morning. I had to rush a little to get things done for Ladies Bible class. I wasn’t even sure if I was going to go at first b/c I was still feeling really weak and queasy. But, after I got up I decided that I wanted to go. I didn’t eat, but enjoyed the class and the fellowship. We picked up Fiona and Rose. All of the ladies were there and we had a great time. Samantha presented a lesson on practical Christianity from Colossians 3. It was really very good. I think the women really appreciated it and it challenged them to grow in their Christian lives.

After the class and lunch we discussed plans for Ladies class. They want to change it to Saturdays. So, we will start meeting next Saturday. The first one will be to clean up the land so that it’s ready to go (the rocks & sticks cleared away so that they can mow it instead of having to use the bush knife every time). The other three Saturdays in the month of March will each be lead by one of the ladies (Rose, RoseHanna and Cindy). Fiona and I will lead at least one Saturday next month. But, we decided to just make plans for the month of March so that if we didn’t like it or wanted to change it after the first month, we could. Hopefully it will encourage all of the ladies to participate.

This afternoon I literally just rested. Cindy took Steve and Samantha souvenir shopping, but I just wasn’t up to it. I have felt weak all day, so I just decided to rest. Eric is not feeling well either, so it really hasn’t been our day.

I went to the hospital this evening just to tell them that I had been sick, still wasn’t feeling well and that I would volunteer later in the week instead. Then I came home and rested some more.

Wednesday, February 22nd – We spent the middle of the day at Preaching in the Park. It went really well. It is always a great afternoon. It is such a good way to get to talk to people about God and the church and to get local Christians involved in it too! Steve preached, along with Morris, Shem, Eddie, and BobSaul. We were so excited to have all of the local men preaching today instead of our guys. This is exactly what we want. We made a few good contacts that will be followed up on.

This evening Steve and Samantha went to Etas with Aaron and Cindy. Kaela went with me, Eric, Flexon and Fiona to Mele Maat. I am so glad Fiona wants to join us too. It’s good for her to learn more, be involved in reaching out to others. She seems to really be wanting to grow and be involved so this is a way we can help her do that.

Thursday, February 23rd – We treated the Heinens to a roast/potato and carrot send off lunch. It was really yummy and we had a good time squeezing in those last few moments of laughs before they headed home. At the airport we prayed together and put them on their plane. It’s hard to see them go because we had such a great time with them. They were such an encouragement to us. We really enjoyed their visit and hope many more can come see us over here (and that they can come again). We do our best to describe what life is like here, but until you’ve been here, it just isn’t the same.

This evening Eric said he wanted to walk into town and have a romantic dinner. Well, in all reality neither of us were really hungry, but we went to get something small. He took me to this place on the other side of the handicraft market. It looks right out on the water, we sat under a coconut tree at a table, placed our order and then talked and watched the sun set. We ended up only eating an apple muffin and each having a fruit smoothie. It was wonderful to have a little alone time and enjoy each other’s company for the evening. When we got home, we decided to watch a movie. It was a lovely evening.

Friday, February 24th - I spent the morning getting caught up on cleaning the house (I kind of let it “slide” while we had guests. Who wants to clean when you can be visiting with guests?) Anyway, I did laundry, cleaned the bathroom and kitchen and swept. It was nice to get it done and over with, but it sure was hot!

I spent the rest of the morning finishing up Bible class stuff for Sunday. Then Eric and I headed into town to run some errands and go to the grocery store for a few things. When I got back from town I went and volunteered at the hospital for a while.

This evening we had team night, ate stir fry and played cards. It was a really fun time. We always enjoy those fun evenings together.

Saturday, February 25th – I had a nice morning/afternoon of scrapbooking! I got some scrapbooking magazines from a friend in Tulsa and got some great ideas to try out. They inspired me, so I decided to try and get some pages done. It was lots of fun!

Antony came this afternoon. He is glad to be here and we are glad to have him. He’s a great guest b/c he feels at home here and he comes and goes as he needs to. He has been a blessing to our team since we’ve known him. We are looking forward to Todd and Danny coming in a few days. It will be so exciting to get the church building started. We are looking forward to “breaking ground.”

This evening we had a fellowship at the park. Gomon decided when and where and we met to pray and encourage each other. It was just us, Antony, the Mesas, and Flexon and Fiona. That’s okay though, we had a good time.

Sunday, February 26th – Winnie (a girl who lives at the farm) was there today. We actually met her the very first time we came to Port Vila (2003) and haven’t seen her since we’ve lived here. It was really good to see her and that she came to worship with us. She says that all of the Christians out at the farm want to worship with us and can’t wait until the building is built so that they can just walk.

Bible class went really well with Seselo, Noel and Marta (a girl from Etas). They seem to really be enjoying this class just for them.

There was a great group for worship today. It’s always encouraging to have a large group. There were also lots of visitors today too. Everyone stayed around after worship and visited and then we watched chapters 1 –3 of the Matthew movie. It’s really good – everyone seems to really be enjoying it.

This afternoon some of us watched a movie and then we went to SeaView to have some pizza for dinner. It was a nice time of fellowship with Antony. We really like him a lot.

Monday, February 27th – Cindy and I did our weekly grocery trip today. I also washed some clothes for Priscilla and hung them out to dry. However, it was really rainy today, so they didn’t dry very quickly.

I did several things this afternoon around the house. I cleaned up the back bedroom (for our guests), organized some Bible class materials that I have let pile up and spent some time grading some Bible correspondence courses.

This evening Antony and the guys watched the Super Bowl (Antony recorded it and brought it for us). Cindy and I went to her house and watched the home video of our first trip in 2003. It was weird to see all of these things that are so familiar to us now and how they were so new and different to us then. We also spent some time reading and just talking. The guys enjoyed their Super Bowl game and the snacks that went with it.

Tuesday, February 28th – This morning I swept the house, vacuumed the back room’s rug, hung clothes, and watered my plants. Then Patrick and one of his friends came over to study with Eric so they sat on the porch and studied for about an hour this morning while I caught up on my email. I think the study went well. Patrick has been coming to worship every week for about a month or month and a half. He seems to be really interested. He does the Matthew questions every week, has brought his wife some, goes and sees Shem and studies with him, comes to fellowships, and asks questions. So, we are encouraged by him and his interest.

This afternoon I spent working on my Bible class organization. I am going ahead and doing a rough plan for the months of March and April. Then I am doing a rough plan for May and June for Flexon. He really liked teaching, so he and I are going to teach on a two month rotation. He was going to take my place anyway when we went back to the States in May/June, but now he’s going to teach the whole two months. Then I will teach July/August and he will teach September/October, and so on. I am so glad he likes to teach. Fiona is interested in helping, but not teaching at this point. That’s okay though, we’ll take all the help we can get! Maybel (a girl from the farm) is interested in teaching. She will either help us or Akisa and Cindy. Either way, it’ll be great to have more helpers/teachers. Eventually Cindy and I want to have all ni-Van teachers. We’ll help whenever they want us to, but we don’t want to be the leaders. It will just take some time to train and teach the teachers, but it’ll get there.

This evening Daniel and Flexon came over for dinner and Bible study. We really like those two. I volunteered at the hospital while they were studying.

When I got home from the hospital, Eric told me that he set up a study for me with Daniel’s sister. That was really good. I was so excited to hear that. I have been praying for a long time that God would bring someone into my life who is interested in studying. I am looking forward to meeting her tomorrow.

Wednesday, March 1st – We woke up this morning to a dead dog. JunTao (one of our dogs) has been sick (we think with worms) and was dead when we got up this morning. That was sad, but I guess just part of life. We aren’t too attached to them, but were still sad that she died. I think our other dog (Rex) will miss her a lot since they were “partners in crime.”

I did some Bible class preparation this morning and prepared a little for the study today with Edna (Daniel’s sister).

She came at around 2:00 and was such a neat young lady. She was really interested in studying. We sat and talked for a long time just about ourselves in an effort to get to know one another. Then we did a short study about why it’s important to study the Bible. (Because it’s God’s word and we need to read it to know what He wants, because it is the power of God for salvation, because it is what will judge us in the end, and because it has the answers to what we are supposed to do with our lives now.) It went really well and she was excited about continuing the study. We are going to start meeting on Thursdays though so we’ll have longer (she has a longer lunch break on Thursdays). I am really excited about the possibilities with her.

Pretty soon after Edna went back to work, they guys got back from the airport. They had gone to pick up Todd and Danny (Todd - NZ and Danny – Todd’s father-in-law from Alabama). So, they got settled in and then left with the Bakers to go to Etas. Eric, me and Kaela went to Mele Maat to study with Selena and her family. Thankfully there were two men there tonight. There haven’t been any men there lately, so it was encouraging to have them there. Hopefully once we get to the point where they need to start making decisions, some of the men as well as the women will be ready to obey the gospel. We are hopeful for them.

Thursday, March 2nd – I spent the morning working on Bible class stuff, typing visuals/handouts, and planning. This afternoon I made some copies, ran to town for some things for the fellowship tonight, and worked on Bible class stuff some more.

The guys were busy all morning and afternoon at the church land with various preparatory things.

This evening we had a fellowship at our house. Not too many people came, but we were glad to have everyone who did. Todd shared a short devotional thought that was encouraging and very appropriate. He talked about the foundation that they were laying at the church building and how it made him think about the foundation we have in our own lives. Is our foundation really Christ or have we let something else that will eventually fall take His place as the foundation of our lives? It was a good message. After the devo we ate some snacks, visited and played cards.

Friday, March 3rd – The guys spent the entire day working at the church land and have made some really good progress. They came home for lunch for about an hour and a half and then went right back to work until dark. They are working so hard and exhausted by the time they get home.

Cindy and I spent the day working on Bible class stuff and other things around the house. The ladies are supposed to be meeting at the church land tomorrow morning to help out. That will be fun (and tiring).

This evening we had a meal together, but everyone was so tired that we didn’t play games or anything. Everyone went to bed early because we are meeting at the land at 6:00 in the morning.

Saturday, March 4th – We got up this morning at 5:00 to get to the land by 6:00. After eating and the running around and picking people up, we got to the land at about 6:30. Cindy and I helped the guys make these posts out of reinforcement wire for about an hour or so and then Ure and Gomon got there. Ure, Cindy and I prayed and then started on picking up the various pieces of debris around the yard. We put the sticks in a pile to burn and the rocks in a pile to use later for making flower beds, etc. RoseHanna and Mabel came a little later and then we cleaned a path around the pile of stuff to burn so that it wouldn’t spread to the building. That was kind of back-breaking work. But, that’s okay. We ended up working until about 10:00. Then we all sat down to rest, prayed and went our way. It was a good morning’s work. I have a feeling I’ll be sore tomorrow. But, it sure is nice to be a part of the work at the land.

This afternoon I worked on Bible class stuff a little more and then by the time the guys got home I was rested. We ate hamburgers and then played a game before heading off to bed.

Sunday, March 5th – It was a really encouraging and uplifting day today. Bible class was great – the kids are doing really well and both Noel and Seselo had their memory verse learned. That was exciting. I love teaching that class. Mabel helped with the class today - she really likes teaching, so she and I are going to work together to teach the class during my two month rotation. She is a sweetheart and I really have enjoyed getting to know her.

Todd gave an excellent lesson on how we can be a successful church – by working together, being committed, and teaching the truth. It was really encouraging and motivating. Exactly what we need.

There were so many people here today. It is always encouraging when everyone shows up and we can worship together as a family. There were also lots of visitors there. That’s always encouraging and motivating.

This afternoon we had the monthly fellowship meal at our house with lots of people here. We ate, fellowshipped and enjoyed each other’s company.

This evening we went to SeaView to eat pizza and then enjoyed a few games when we got home. The guys decided that they needed to go to the land at 5:00 tomorrow morning, so some went ahead and went to bed while the rest of us played a few more rounds.

Monday, March 6th - The guys left at about 5:00 this morning to try and beat the heat. I didn’t get up with them, but I got up fairly early compared to normal days. I cleaned this morning and tried to get caught up on housework that I have been neglecting since we have company. It’s just one of those things…

We went to the grocery store, market, etc this morning. But, it’s a public holiday so all of the butchers are closed and Rainbow Gardens too. So, it looks like it will be another morning of grocery shopping tomorrow.

This afternoon the guys came home for lunch and stayed about 3 hours or so. They try to wait out the hot part of the day if they can and then go back in the late afternoon until the sun goes down. Hopefully this will help them and they can continue to do it everyday.

This evening we ate spaghetti and played a dice game that the guys from New Zealand brought. It is a fun one.

Tuesday, March 7th – It is really hot now. We all can’t get over how hot it is. We thought December was bad. Then February came and it was really hot and we thought, “It can’t get any worse than this…” Famous last words. March has been a sauna! It is ridiculously hot. That said, the guys are enduring it every day out in the sun (no shade) and I don’t see how they are doing it. Even just running around in the car to get groceries today was like riding in an oven (and that’s even with a slight breeze coming through the windows).

Flexon came by this afternoon to tell us that he wasn’t coming tonight b/c he’s sick. He had been to the hospital to get some medicine. Also, since the guys are working until dark every day, we cancelled tomorrow night at Mele Maat too. We’ll just pick back up with everything next week.

I worked on the Bible study that I have on Thursday with Edna. I am going to try a different set of studies than what I’ve used in the past, so I will be working on “revamping” them to work here in Vanuatu.

Wednesday, March 8th – Cindy and I spent the day running around. We went and visited Fiona (just to see her). We also went by Kalman’s work place to see if he would give us directions to his and Lissie’s house. We haven’t seen Lissie since she had the baby, so we wanted to go visit her. Kalman wasn’t at work, so we decided that we’ll come back tomorrow at lunch time when we know he’ll be there. We went to the grocery store downtown again (we found out that they have good chicken for the same price as the chicken shop) and to a few shops downtown. Then we headed out to Mele Maat to let the people out there know that we couldn’t study tonight, but that we’d continue next week.

When we got back home I spent some time working on Bible study preparation for the Bible study I have tomorrow with Edna (Daniel’s sister). Aaron and Cindy went to Etas and the rest of the guys stayed and worked at the land until dark. Kaela and I just hung out all evening by ourselves. We played, read, sang, ate, and watched a little of a movie. She’s potty training, so that adds a new dimension to the babysitting experience, but I’m used to it, so it’s okay. She’s a sweet little girl and I love getting to spend time with her.

Thursday, March 9th – Cindy and I ran some more errands and then went to Kalman’s work with hope that he would be able to take us to Lissie. He was more than happy to do so. We got to visit with her for about half an hour and then we had to take Kalman back to work. She has to go to the hospital tomorrow for a blood test (she thinks she might have malaria) so she is going to bring Wayne (the baby) over here to stay with us while she’s at the hospital. We are excited to be able to keep him for a while. By the way, he is so tiny. He looks like he’s the same size as when he was born three weeks ago! But he’s eating enough and healthy, he’s just small.

This afternoon I waited for Edna but she never showed up. It was disappointing, but I think she just forgot. So, sometime next week I will go see her at work and remind her to come next Thursday.

I went and volunteered at the hospital this afternoon for a few hours. I gave a baby a bath, visited with 3 or 4 mamas, and helped the nurses cut and fold some gauze. I enjoyed it (especially since I haven’t been in a long time it seems – since I only went once last week and didn’t go on Tuesday like I normally do).

Friday, March 10th – This morning Cindy and I ran to the airport to send a package to my adopted sister on Ambae. On the way back we stopped by the land and saw how the guys were progressing. It’s amazing how much they have been able to accomplish in a week and a half.

Lissie brought Wayne over this morning and headed to the hospital. She pulled # 76 and they were just on # 32 so she came back and visited with us for a while. She did eventually get in to see the doctor and thankfully she was alright, she doesn’t have malaria. She ended up spending the day with us. We always enjoy our time with her, and it sure was fun to have Wayne around. Kaela just adored him. While I was carrying him, she would go get her little baby doll and carry her around (imitating me). It was really cute. She kept saying, “Wayne – sleeping.” I guess b/c we’d warned her over and over not to disturb him while he was sleeping. She loved babies.

The guys finished the concrete work today! I am so proud of them. They have worked so hard to get this done. I am also proud of the local brethren that have been involved in the work. Gomon and Morris have been a big help. Sam (from Etas) helped out a couple of days and sent relatives to help when he couldn’t. Steven wasn’t able to help b/c of his illness, but he and RoseHanna came and visited the guys to show support and encourage them. Some of us women helped clear the land, and there were lots of Gomon’s students that helped too (they have done the entire fence and helped with other things along the way). It’s been a great team effort. To commemorate the teamwork, once the concrete was poured, we put three coins in there to harden with the concrete. Todd put a NZ coin, Morris a Vanuatu coin, and Danny a US coin. It’s just a little reminder that brethren from Vanuatu, New Zealand, and America have been working together to get this building for the Christians here in Port Vila. It’s amazing what the Lord’s people can do when we work together!

Saturday, March 11th – Danny’s plane left this morning at about 7:00. We sure enjoyed him. He’s a neat man – a great Christian, a hard worker, and a funny guy too. C

All of the ladies went out to the farm to meet with the Christian women there. RoseHanna and Ure were sick, so it was just me, Cindy, Fiona, and Rebecca who went. But, there are 5 Christian women there, so we had a good group. It was a wonderful morning. I enjoyed it so much. We prayed together and sang for a while, then we ate cookies and juice and made two salusalus (leis) for Todd and Antony’s wives who are coming in this afternoon. It was so fun visiting and working together on the salusalus.

We went to pick up Jeana and Jeanette. They are so sweet. I know we are really going to enjoy getting to know them. We feel like we already know them since we know their husbands so well and have asked lots of questions about them, but it will be fun to get to know them ourselves. We’re looking forward to a good week.

This evening we had a fellowship at Mike’s house. It was really good. There were lots of people there and a few visitors too. I love fellowships – they are so uplifting and encouraging to me (I think to everyone).

Sunday, March 12th – What a wonderful Lord’s day! Bible class went really well. I tried something new, but the kids did well. I had them look up the story and answer questions about it, then retell it to the class. They did really well – it took a little longer than I anticipated though. But, next time it will go quicker b/c they will already have an idea of what they are to do. I really want to teach them to use their Bibles instead of just hearing stories, I want them to see where those stories come from! They need to get used to finding books, stories, and answers in the Bible. I try to vary the ways I teach a lesson. This one was a little like self-discovery, others are like “lectures” where I give them all of the information, others are with visuals, etc. But, I think they like the different approaches, it keeps them interested. I really enjoy that class. Mabel helped again today and is going to come over tomorrow so we can prepare for next week’s lesson together.

Seselo, Noel and I were a little late (they had already started singing) because our lesson took longer than expected, so I sat in back with them. It was a little strange sitting in the very back, but it was still a good time of worship. The singing was good. I am always so proud of Flexon and Alsen when they participate in leading worship. They both did a good job. Flexon was chairman and Alsen led our thoughts for giving. It’s neat to see them getting involved and leading. Gomon preached and Morris led the Lord’s supper. Sam and Pbles (from Etas) continue to help with the Lord’s supper and giving. It’s a good way to get them involved and used to being in front of people.

We watched the Matthew video after worship today and it went really well. I think everyone is really enjoying that.

Monday, March 13th – The guys went to the land this morning to clean up everything at the work site. The ladies stayed here and visited while they were gone. We really enjoyed spending some time just talking to Jeana and Jeanette. They are such sweet ladies and I’m so glad to be able to get to know them better.

This afternoon Cindy and I did our grocery shopping and ran to the market. Mabel came over and we worked on Bible class. She is really interested in learning how to teach. She said she’s always been interested but didn’t really know what to do or how to get started. So, since I already had the visual made for this lesson (temptation of Jesus – I made it a few years ago) she is going to teach the lesson. We went over the lesson to make sure she knew it, talked about a lesson intro idea that we got from a book, and came up with the week’s “homework” for the kids. It only took us, at the most, an hour and I think it was helpful for her to see how a lesson comes together. I told her that once we have the building finished and an actual classroom, we’ll have lots of materials and visuals in the classroom that anyone who wants to teach can have access to. She said she thought that would be good. I think it would also be good to have a teacher-training workshop for all of those interested in teaching the kids (or even just helping). So, we’ll start thinking about that.

Tuesday, March 14th – Cindy and I went to visit Ure this morning since she was sick and didn’t come on Sunday. We are going to try to start making more visits to Christians during the week. We were glad to get to visit with her. She is precious.

This afternoon I spent some time working on Bible class preparations. I was supposed to go volunteer at the hospital, but it started pouring right at the time I was going to go, so I stayed home. Daniel had to work late and Flexon had family come in unexpectedly so neither of them could come tonight. Eric and I just enjoyed a relaxing night. We ended up playing cards with the Bakers and Antony for a while and then went to bed early.