SPIRITUAL CHILDREN...

 [IN 1970 I MARKED THIS VERSE IN MY BIBLE.  
IT HAS BEEN VERY SPECIAL TO ME FOR ALL THESE YEARS.]
TWO YEARS EARLIER, DECEMBER, 1994, SAM BECAME OUR SPIRITUAL SON WHEN WE WERE IN UGANDA.

  WHEN WE RETURNED TO THE U.S., HE AMAZINGLY RECEIVED A VISA AND HE LIVED WITH US 

HERE IN OMAHA FOR 2-1/2 YEARS; AND WE PUT HIM THROUGH COMMUNITY COLLEGE.

THIS PHOTO WAS TAKEN DURING HIS FIRST TIME IN THE 

TWIN CITIES AREA, [FALL, 1996]

AND HE SURE LOVED WHOLE TWIN CITIES AREA AND THEN OUTSIDE THE AREA A BIT, SEEING THE ROCKINESS AND THE RIVER.  IT WAS A TREAT.  HE WAS HAPPY AND WE WERE HAPPY FOR HIM.

 

AND THEN, DAVE AND I WERE BLESSED TO BE IN UGANDA  FOR HIS WEDDING IN '99, AND, WHEN I WAS THERE TO BE INVOLVED IN SOROTI INVASION BY LRA IN '03/'04, IT WAS A BLESSING TO SEE THEM AND MEET MY GRANDDAUGHTER, STELLA.

THEN, THE SUMMER OF '08, THEY WERE SENT TO THE STATES FOR A SPECIAL EVENT, IN INDIANA, AND THEY SPENT SOME TIME WITH US HERE IN OMAHA.  SO THIS IS THE LAST FAMILY PHOTO WE HAVE, BUT THEY STILL ARE OUR FAMILY.  NO QUESTION CAN BE ASKED WHETHER THEY ARE TRULY FAMILY, AS FAR AS WE ARE CONCERNED. 
TO    US   THEY    ARE!

WE MISS THEM AND SO MANY OF 

OUR FRIENDS AND "FAMILY" IN UGANDA.
 

  

ISAIAH 54... THE BIG TENTS

 

OUTSIDE VIEW; 2 INSIDE

“Enlarge the place of your tent,
    stretch your tent curtains wide,  do not hold back;
lengthen your cords,
    strengthen your stakes.
³ For you will spread out to the right and to the left;...
   

OUTSIDE VIEW; FILLS HUNDREDS INSIDE

The Lord laid this on me many months ago to share with you.    And now I am.  It has been part of my life for many, many years.  Isaiah 54 is one of my most important chapters, and I have read it many, many times, and it is underlined nearly entirely.  

Here's the reason.  Now, you saw a small tent that is for a camping situation for my husband and I.  That is it.

THEN, when in Soroti, the car pulling up to the tent  that is shown above, so Jill and I could be introduced to them, and they would know we were coming a few times to interview regarding their abduction by the LRA [Lord's Resistance Army], and a rather bland outside photo was taken.  But walking in was pretty overwhelming.  HUNDREDS of kids were in there.  Here's one of those photos.

So, big tent.  This has been my life.

As a younger lady, I thought I'd have a pile of kids and raise them.  That was all I thought of.  Well, my body refused to have more than two.  I raised them.  And then I learned a little more of the Word connected to most of us.

Years ago, through teaching, writing plays and VBS, my world of kids expanded.  Then involved with those who had difficult issues in their own homes.  I've become a helper, a hugger.  

A son, daughter, granddaughter, but love many more, too.

Then, as my kids had grown up, the door to Uganda opened wide.  I now have children, grandchildren, sons, daughters, and dear adult friends in Uganda.  Needed a bigger tent.  Been spreading it around, adding the cords, strengthening the stakes.

TAMANG FAMILY

Three-and-a-half years ago, while walking up the street when the Lord told me to take the walk, He dropped in two people nearby.  I immediately discovered they were Bhutanese Christians, having been part of a local church nearby,  the fellowship hall is their own service.

I started with two. [Ram and Dawa]. Now, I have hundreds.  And they love me, think I'm special, precious.  Even if I'm cranky, they laugh and say, "Oh, Grandma, you are so funny."  If they don't speak English, they just chuckle and, sometimes, hug me if they see I seem stressed.  My husband is greatly loved by them, too.

So, our "tent" has expanded and expanded and expanded.  And the Lord has given piles of protection, piles of joy, piles of new loverly wonderful family.  We've been able to encourage, teach, and love.

If my/our tent expands and extends, that would be a good God thing.  My husband is a perfect tent fixer, too.  In a truly practical way.  He can rebuild, extend, fix, add very practically.  I am more of a grabber, runner, fixer-upper helper.  Dave is practical; I'm a knee-jerker.

Now, after all these months, I have finally posted what the Lord had been laying on me for so long.  Again, as I said, the whole chapter is filled with personal info re: my future in this world.  And, in preparation for my time in eternity, I hope I will see that even more of my tents were expanded through many family and friend situations during this past 47-1/2 years since I entered the Lord's "tent".

            HIS tents are GOOD!!!  Filled through GOD!!

KINDNESS SHALL NOT LEAVE

ANOTHER REJOICEFUL WORD OF THE LORD.

WE SEE MUCH CRASHING, ALL OVER THE WORLD,

BUT, HE WILL NOT "CRASH", RIP KINDNESS AWAY FROM US,

HIS CHILDREN.