Young Update

Several things going on the next week that we'd really appreciate your prayer about:

Lots of you have been following our adventures this past year in establishing a new international business - with the goal of becoming a business as mission company and supporting ourselves in a way that would allow my husband to disciple our six sons by having them work alongside him. We are on the verge of a breakthrough - possibly just a couple of days from getting this thing moving. Won't you please pray for the sale that is pending to go through?

Monday I am taking the exam to retain my certification as an IBCLC - international board certified lactation consultant. As you know, I don't work outside of the home, but this certification has been a real blessing in my Titus 2 ministry. When I help a mother with her nursing problems, it is so much more effective when she approaches her doctor, to say "my certified lactation consultant suggested we look at..." rather than "my friend Melanie said". This is a very intense six hour exam and I have just not had the time to study like I did five years ago when I last took it. Please pray I will pass this thing.

Our dear son is on a "mini-vacation" (4 days) with my brother and his wife, their 11yo, their 2yo nephew and grandmother and the governess. Everyone has been working so hard that they are all a bit cranky and the children are feeling a bit sad. Please pray for our son's testimony with them during this family time. I don't think any of them know our Lord and I feel sure some have never heard the gospel at all.

A busy and important few days for all of us. We are so grateful for your prayers.

Please Pray for the Business

Dear Friends,

Hal is meeting with a customer tomorrow morning and may receive that order we've been praying about so long. This customer is a fellow believer and we really enjoy working with him. Would you join us in asking for God's protection and blessing in this venture if it is His will?

Thank you so, so much!

Preserved!

O Trinity of love and power!

Our family shield in danger’s hour;

From rock and tempest, fire and foe,

Protect us wheresoever we go;

Thus evermore shall rise to Thee

Glad hymns of praise from land and sea.

We had more excitement than we planned on the 4th this year!

The Lord enabled us to visit our favorite spot - Hal's family's lake house on the 4th of July on the way back from a customer visit. We had a wonderful 4th of July dinner of hotdogs, fried chicken, and baked beans, then walked out on the dock to enjoy the evening. It was a beautiful site on the lake - there were hundreds of boats out - with their running lights they looked like lightening bugs (fireflies for you yankees out there). It was a very clear night and the fireworks from the military Recreation Area and the Sailing Club were gorgeous. We all sat quietly out on the dock and sang patriotic songs as we watched the fireworks. It sounded great out there on the water.

As the fireworks came to a close, Hal started telling the boys stories of patriotic heroism. Right at the climax of a story about the Navy Seals, "Crunch. Crack! Gloosh!" The dock collapsed under us and left us all in the water. I yelled, "The baby!" Hal shouted back, "She's safe! I've got her!" and I shouted, "Sound Off!" The boys, all trained to call out their names in order of age (we do that whenever we start the van to leave somewhere), called out their names. All safe! David started crying and I said, "Are you hurt?" "Well, no." he said and stopped crying :-)

Caleb had been standing at the far end of the deck, where it collapsed most completely and had gone down all the way to his mouth, then clinged to the boards as the water was over his head at that point, and he wasn't able to get out immediately. Hal was between me and Caleb. Matthew and Samuel were close to the end that still clung to the boards of one side (thankfully next to the pier part). They climbed up to a safe part and then came down to lift and carry their younger brothers out. When they got out safely, they came back for Susannah. She didn't want to leave our arms, but was very thankful to get back on dry land! Then they helped me out and Hal was able to help Caleb climb out. Hal, our captain, was the last to leave the danger zone!

When we got back to the house, we prayed and thanked God with all our hearts that he had preserved us all! It was pitch dark, and hard to see, we were fully dressed, and with the boards breaking, it would have been very easy for someone to have been dragged under. God was so merciful to us!

When everyone had put on dry clothes, we all cuddled up and took turns telling "our stories". It was a blessing to hear the love and concern each of the children had for each other. Hal and I were both incredibly proud of our children. The boys each "played the man" by being calm and courageous to keep from panicking, and to work to get their family safely out of trouble.

About the dock: it turns out the two joists that have supported the middle of the deck for 25 or more years rotted out of the pilings and just fell out - you can see the rotted wood for about 12 inches where they were "attached" - looks like a pile of punk, not a piling! Part of the reason this thing has rotted is the county's ridiculous rule that you can only improve your lake property by 10% a year without an outrageously expensive permit. Hello, county council, not everyone that has lakefront property is rich, sometimes they've just had it a long time.

And so, it was a very memorable 4th of July, and the biggest fireworks were in our hearts as we realized God's mercy and favor to us.

Gone Fishin'

We're up at the Lake and I'm very surprised to find a wifi network that we can access tonight. How strange - we don't even have a telephone or tv up here! I'm so glad I can give you an update.

Number one son is feeling much better and seems to be finding his sea legs in the new environment. I am so thankful!

David caught his first fish - a little catfish - yesterday! And Samuel caught his grandpa - a huge granddaddy of a cat - about 18 inches long and a good five inches across the head. That old fellow was delicious!

We are all enjoying a much needed rest with lots of fishing, swimming and swinging - in the hammock that is! Hal is doing a combo rest and work thing - Monday he has a very important customer call ( and hopes to get an appointment for another - you could pray about that) and another call yet on Tuesday. We so appreciate your prayers for God's blessing on our endeavors - and for His soon provision.

The rest of us will reluctantly be coming back to reality in a few days. In the meantime, if I can get another signal - I've been writing one of my blog rants in my head for several hours - can't wait to share it with you!

Safely Met!

Our son has been safely met by my brother in Asia!

Must tell you all that I felt an urgent need to pray for him this morning after his plane landed, probably while he was clearing customs - sometimes a challenge in that country. After some time, I felt a release and didn't need to pray anymore. Just a few moments later, the phone rang and my brother was calling, "I've got your son." Amen. Thank you, Lord!

Homeschool Moment: The Great Circle Route

Tonight over supper we were talking about the flight our eldest son is taking today to Asia. We first looked at the flat world map on our kitchen table (I covered it with roll plastic bought at Wal-Mart and we've got a US one on there, too - we have a big table!). It looked pretty obvious that his plane would travel right across America and the Pacific to Asia. Not so, Grasshopper! I asked one of the children to run go get the globe. If you hold a piece of string between where you are and where you are going in Asia and try to get the string as short as possible, you will be surprised at the actual route. It is much closer to travel north to go west to Asia from the U.S. East coast! It's called the Great Circle Route! Check out this Great Circle Mapper. It looks confusing, but just type in two airport codes (you can look them up on the same page and map! For example, if you type in "JFK-NRT" (JFK, New York to Narita, Tokyo, Japan) and press "Display Map" it is amazing! You may not recognize the continents at first because you are looking down at the North Pole!

BTW, we'd sure appreciate prayer for Eldest Son! He has just a little more than an hour to make it through one of the busiest, most confusing airports in the world to make his connection and his plane is running a little late!