Rattlesnake at Succor Creek!

Today was filled with adventure. One of our homework assignments was for our family to attend a church of a different culture, so we went to the Peace in Jesus Vietnamese Lutheran Church. None of us were quite sure what to expect, but we all had a wonderful time. Everyone was warm and friendly. We couldn't sing in their language, but we recognized several of the tunes so we knew the jist of what they were singing. In our hearts we were able to sing and worship with them. I admit I didn't get much out of the sermon, but still enjoyed watching and observing. The pastor obviously was passionate about what he was sharing. We even picked up a few words by the end of the service. Then this afternoon we joined another MAF family and went hiking at Succor Creek, Oregon. We cooked on the grill and enjoyed the amazing scenery. On our walk, I came very close to stepping on a rattlesnake and after I got over being seriously startled, I just had to take pictures! And video! From a distance, of course. We certainly had something to talk about on the way home and thanked God for his protection and the beauty of his creation.

Class has begun

Friday was our first day of non-technical orientation at MAF. We had class all day, followed by pizza and ice cream with the kids Friday night. The new apartments here don't have televisions yet, so we watched old episodes of our favorite tv shows on-line with the laptop. We are excited to get to see some of our old candidacy classmates again and spend time with them. The kids have been enjoying their time with friends they haven't seen since last summer when we were here for deputation. Also, MAF is hosting activities and classes for the missionary kids to better equip them to adjust to new cultures. Yesterday they got to try foods from several different countries. It feels like we are back in school, we were even assigned homework! (Mostly reading, and nothing overwhelming.)

Mighty Mountains

Wow! In just one day we: saw antelope and sheep galore, drove to Firehole Canyon in Flaming Gorge National Recreation Center, saw wild horses in Green River Wyoming, and drove through a snow storm! We crossed Wyoming and are now in Ogden, Utah. I finally remembered to move my camera from my suitcase to the front of the van so I got photos today! I did a quickie scrapbook page for you. If you want to see it larger, just click on the image. Daniel and I have been reading a book together called "Mountain Born", about a little boy growing up on a mountain. His family raises sheep for a living and the book describes shearing in one chapter. We had the priviledge of seeing both wooly flocks of sheep and some that had been recently shorn and still bore the telltale marks, so Daniel got to see the difference first-hand. Emily especially enjoyed the antelope. I think David would say the highlight for him today was seeing the wild horses. All five of us were reminded constantly today of the creativity and majesty of our God.

Tired

Image via Wikipedia

This morning we left early and drove up the western edge of Missouri, cut the corner of Iowa, and drove all the way across southern Nebraska into Cheyenne, Wyoming. My limited experience of Nebraska is that it is rather boring, and quite stinky. We saw, and smelled, a plethera of cattle. It's been a long day and we are all tired, but very happy to be out of the van for a while.

Isaiah 40:28-29 (New International Version)

28 Do you not know?
Have you not heard?
The LORD is the everlasting God,
the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He will not grow tired or weary,
and his understanding no one can fathom.
29 He gives strength to the weary
and increases the power of the weak.

Let the Driving Begin!

Today we started our big road trip. We are on our way to MAF headquarters in Nampa, Idaho for orientation. We drove to Pleasant Hill, MO and are staying tonight with David's brother and his family. Other than rain, we had an uneventful trip, which is unusual for us. We usually have someone get sick or the van breaks down, or both, so we are grateful. Tomorrow we get up early and hit the road again. We borrowed a car-top luggage carrier and somehow it seems like we have even less space than we had before we borrowed it. Must be some sort of Murphy's law or something. Part of the space problem is because we packed all of our school stuff so the kids can keep up with their schooling. And Josh's guitar. And I MIGHT have purchased too many snack items for the road.

The Grave Couldn't Hold Him!

Happy Easter! Our life has been crazy with illness, car troubles, travels, and school. I have neglected my blog. And we are about to hit the road again, but I wanted to share this video with you because I think it is excellent. It is a portion of a sermon by S.M. Lockridge that has been put to music and video. Let me know how you like it.

Broken Trees

Nearly six weeks after our ice storm, I can still walk through my neighborhood and drive through my county and see evidence of the storm’s destruction. Broken trees line the roads and occupy the lawns and yards. They aren’t just missing a limb or two, they are pathetic, bowed, broken off in multiple places, and bare. Since every tree is affected, it’s almost eerie. The weight of the ice and the force of the wind were just too much for them to bear. Some of them were destroyed completely. Some, with time and nurturing, will eventually fill back out and be beautiful again. Last week as we were driving, I was looking out the window at the broken trees and began to think about how like the trees people are. Our community, nation and world are filled with people who are broken and damaged spiritually and emotionally under the weight of their sin and the oppressions and stresses of this life. They are hopeless without Jesus. He can make them into what they were meant to be, beautiful and full of life. Lord, here I am. Please give me a heart to serve and reach those who are "broken". Don't let me pass them by. Give me your eyes to see them.

Titus 2 Blog Party

I just discovered Michelle's blog - She Looketh Well - today! Michelle is hosting a Titus 2 blog party, a chance for us to meet other bloggers and have some fun. Go check it out! So, anyway, here is my Titus 2 Blog Party post and introduction. Hi, I'm Nancy Burton. I'm a new blogger, since the first of the year, and still getting the hang of it. In fact, I didn't know how to even put those links above until today and I had to ask someone how to do it. I'm a Christian, a missionary wife, and a home school mom. Right now we are "prefielders", still getting ready to go. We are scheduled to depart for language school in August and are pretty excited about the adventure God has us on. He is using this time to stretch us and grow us. We have made incredible friendships, learned more about the internet, computer programs, writing and corresponding, budgeting, flexibility, trusting, and waiting, just to name a few areas. Trusting and waiting have been in the forefront. The one thing I am constantly reminded of is that I am not in control, nor am I supposed to be. I have been forced to trust God more and wait on Him more than I ever have before. I am sure this will serve me well when I get to Africa. I started blogging because my teenage son kept encouraging me to try it. He was having such a good time with his blog, keeping in touch with his friends from far away that I thought it might be a good way for my friends and family to keep up with me, especially once we leave the U.S. I still haven't decided on a permanent name for my blog (suggestions, anyone?) or gotten around to learning how to personalize my template. Even though I am new to blogging, I have already discovered some cool blogs and benefited from the wisdom that others have been willing to share on their blogs.

Praying Scripture

I like to pray Scripture verses. It's something I learned from one of the Beth Moore Bible studies I have done. When I first heard someone use Scripture in prayer, it seemed new and different to me, but I realized that as long as it is in correct context, what better way to know you are praying in line with God's will? And there are so many amazing verses of praise to God that I can use to lift up His name! It has also helped me to become better at memorizing Scripture. Imagine being in the middle of a prayer and telling God to hang on a minute while I find that verse I wanted to talk with Him about. Praying Scripture really added a new dimension to my prayer life. Recently God gave me Psalm 63:1 to pray for myself and my family: "O God, You are my God, earnestly I seek You; my soul thirsts for you, my body longs for You, in a dry and weary land where there is no water." I pray my children will earnestly seek Him and that they will have a longing and a thirst for Him. I also pray that anything other than God that they might turn to for satisfaction in life will be like David's "dry and weary land" and will cause them to turn back to God for true satiety. I'll just share one more. Proverbs 21:1 states "The king's heart is in the hand of the LORD; He directs it like a watercourse wherever He pleases." I am praying this for our nation's leaders, all of them. Whether I voted for them or not, whether they are Christians or not, God is in control. So I pray He will direct their hearts for His glory and the good of our nation.

A week or so ago we went up to Columbia, Missouri for part of our ministry partnership to meet with some families and old friends. It was a great time of renewing friendships and we were so blessed to get to fellowship and pray with people who have meant so much to us over the years. One friend took this photo of us before we left. No, Daniel did not have a growth spurt. He is standing on the hearth.