Arizona

We have been in Arizona for about a month now. We came to Chandler, AZ to bring some friends back here and are staying at Julian's brothers house. I always had a desire to see the place where my brother was born. (I love you, Tim!) One of the things we have done with the kids is go to the Phoenix Zoo. Samuel's favorite part was the area made especially for kids with things to climb on. Cody and I also went to the movies and saw The Cross. I think everyone should see this movie. It is a documentary about Arthur Blessitt. Arthur answered the Lords call on his life to walk around the world carrying a cross on his shoulder. He traveled to every country on every continent. He started in 1969 and walked through the last country this year. He shared the gospel along the way with the people he met. It was a really powerful movie and I just wanted to love people and tell them about Jesus after I saw it. Sharing the gospel with people has been a struggle for me in the past. Because I have been afraid that I wouldn't have the right words or that they would reject me. The truth is that God says if we open our mouth He will fill it. And if someone rejects me for telling them that Jesus loves them, they aren't really rejecting me, they are rejecting God. So, if it doesn't hurt to share the gospel with someone, why not do it? I don't know when Jesus is coming back, but I believe He is coming sooner than the majority of the Church believes. I want to spread the good news of Jesus Christ to everyone that I meet because I don't know where their soul is headed. People get ready, Jesus is coming! The harvest is ripe and the workers are few. The Lord is good and I love getting to work with Him here on earth. I want to encourage you not to be afraid to share Jesus with someone. You may be the vessel the Lord uses to offer them eternal life.

Yesterday the Lord helped me talk to 4 people about Jesus and it was awesome! Afterwards I realized that it wasn't as hard as I thought it was going to be in the first place. Two of the people spoke Spanish and no English so this was a bit of a challenge. Amongst all of the other broken up Spanish I told them, "Jesus Christo amor tu." I hope they understood what I was trying to tell them:) Meeting these two Spanish guys really gave me a renewed desire to learn Spanish again. Earlier that day I wished that I had a Spanish book and the Lord provided one for me later that day. I found one sitting in the middle of the road. Someone must have thrown it out their car window!

Samuel is 16 months old. He can shake his head "no" and he loves to jabber on the phone. He likes to follow the other kids around and be where the action is at. And at the same time, he isn't afraid to venture off by himself. He loves anything with wheels, skateboards, tricycles, skooters, stollers...if it has wheels he either wants to push it or ride it. He also likes to throw balls, run after them and has even caught a football. He has a total of 12 teeth and but doesn't like to sit still and eat for too long, cause he would rather be on his feet doing something :) He helped me put some silverware in the dishwasher yesterday. He also likes to play in water. Yesterday was the first time he would get in the swimming pool with mom and dad. He will let me walk in the pool while holding him in my arms. Unfortunately, he got his first bee stings yesterday at the pool. He reached out and pick up the bee, and got stung in his right pointer finger. His finger did swell up, but Daddy was able to get it out with tweezers and he was ready to go play again.

It has been 4 months since we left Missouri with a couple suitcases and Samuel's carseat. The Lord has been faithful to take care of us as we go on this journey with Him. We have never gone a day without food in our bellies, a roof over our heads and every other need met. God is awesome and greatly to be praised.

Below I have included a poem that Cody wrote a couple weeks ago.


Shifting shadows and abstract voices
Rule the insanity of deceits choices.
Pride parades itself in fiction, fantasy, and make belief;
The absence of love and the enemy of reality.
Truth is love and love is truth,
Constant, unshakable, the plumb line is truth.
Hope, peace, and grace are fragrances of love;
Pillars of the kingdom reigning above.
Love inhabits eternity;
Three in one harmonizing the holy symphony.
Burning passions and embedded impossibilities;
Love's highest calling was dying on a rugged tree.

Love was embodied in the helplessness of an infants cry;
The genesis of Love's mission to lay down and die.
There was no injustice He did not taste;
Compassion raged against the hatred of the human race.
Love lived to die that we might love;
Like a lamb to the slaughter He came from heaven above.
Like an unmovable stone, He tarried on sufferings road;
Bent on mercy He carried the fullness of sins load.
Love chose the cross to display His power;
Death, hell and the grave vanquished in the same hour.
Three days underground love buried the curse of mans sin;
Like a jealous warrior, Love was the victor and rose again.
Love's name is Jesus the Christ;
The beloved Son of God, who spilled His blood at ransoms price.
If you ever face the lie that you are not loved this day;
The proof is at the cross where Loves body did lay.