9 December 2011 Mom writes:
Hello dear special daughters,
Another weekend is here already. Life is so busy, and time moves along so quickly. Here are the happenings of this past week.
December 3. 7:15 Saturday evening. Just finished hanging the curtain on the small window in the meeting room. Daddy helped put up the hardware. And he helped me put up the curtain on the big window earlier today. We had to cut a small round pole for that one because the curtain is heavy, and we don’t have any heavy duty curtain rods.
Praise the Lord for a beautiful day! People came early for lotu this morning — earlier than usual. David took charge of lotu. Gave a short talk from James 1:5, then went over the prayer points that are on the chalkboard and took other prayer requests. He had Eric and Amos pray, and he closed in prayer. The ladies got right to work after lotu scrubbing walls. The men were supposed to be working on the platform, but Daddy noticed they were just sitting outside talking. He went out to see what the problem was and found that they were just waiting until the ladies finished their work. He encouraged them to get busy, as it would be quite a while yet before the ladies finished. So they got busy measuring and cutting poles and preparing the ooqdi for the platform. Some of the men went after more ooqdi. When the ladies were done, they went and sat outside for a while to rest. Then the men started the building process.
After the ladies rested a while, they came inside and helped make unleavened bread for the Lord’s supper tomorrow. Then they wanted to see the pictures from Mike’s baptism and other church events. After that the ladies left, but the men worked until after 5:00. They did a nice job on the platform, and we laid linoleum on it too. The meeting room is looking really nice. May it be used to honor the Lord.
At 11:00 this morning, we called Christy and Connie. That was the highlight of the day. This afternoon, I got toksaves written up and also a ministry update. Put all the pictures I took today into the picture file.
I am looking forward to a nice bath this evening.
“I will mention the lovingkindnesses of the LORD, and the praises of the LORD, according to all that the LORD hath bestowed on us, and the great goodness toward the house of Israel, which he hath bestowed on them according to his mercies, and according to the multitude of his lovingkindnesses.” Isaiah 63:7
December 4. A warm night. Very foggy when we got up this morning. Made pancakes for breakfast. Had breakfast and quiet time. Got things ready for the Lord’s supper today. Got the world map glued onto cardboard to put up in the meeting room. By then it was after 9:30. Not too much time left before lotu. Started cutting out pictures to use during the New Year meetings. 10:00 came, but the only one around for lotu was Eren. I gave her a picture book to look at while she was waiting. Later a couple other little girls came and looked at the book with her. 10:30 came and went and still nobody else here. Finally around 10:35 or so, David showed up. And Mike came too. A few more children. Daddy had David come in and get started with the singing. One by one more people came in. Daddy started preaching this morning on Romans 12:1,2, God’s mercies. He started with a brief review of the outline of Romans that he’s covered so far, then a brief introduction to the chapter.
At 12:00, we had our break, got a little snack, got the things put out for the Lord’s supper, and started the second meeting a little after 12:30. Following the Lord’s supper, there was time for special songs and testimonies. I sang two songs, “Tell Me the Story of Jesus” and “When We All Get to Heaven.” Apekio sang one from the red song book, an invitation song (Can’t remember the name of it, but the theme was “why do you wait?”). And Tomas and Rebeka sang the theme song “Sios I Gat Glori,” while Finias played the keyboard for them. Maik gave a testimony of some dangerous events that occurred in his life in the past and how God spared his life and how he feels God has something special for his life. I had just about finished singing the first song when the rain started. After that, we sang some congregational songs until the rains slowed down and people didn’t have to try to sing above the noise of the rain on the metal roof. Rain started pouring into the middle of the meeting room, and Daddy went to get a tub to put under it. I went and shut windows in the house. Even though there weren’t very many specials, it was late when we finished and had dinner — going on 3:00. Don’t know what time we went for nap, but I didn’t wake up until Daddy turned the radio on at 5:00 to hear the news.
As I was in the middle of writing these journal notes this evening, Sipora came to visit. She is home for a couple months holiday. Just finished her first year of a two-year vocational course at an EBC school in Compri — learning home economics, such as sewing, baking, etc. She stayed and talked for almost an hour. She is just as excited about how God has been working in her life as she is about the practical things she is learning. It was a joy to talk with her.
“For since the beginning of the world men have not heard, nor perceived by the ear, neither hath the eye seen, O God, beside thee, what he hath prepared for him that waiteth for him.” Isaiah 64:4
December 5. Lots of fog this morning. Sunshine until after nap — around 2:00. Then the rain came, but not as hard as we thought it was going to be.
Today was a somewhat quiet day. Nobody was allowed to work here because they haven’t finished cutting the grass on the airstrip yet. They told us Friday that they would finish it today. But nobody came. They did another project — made a water pipe to bring water to Ahninyauntapeq. After adding on a short piece of shelf to the office desk so we can have room for the other printer, Daddy went up to the airstrip and cut grass for a while. Two boys came and helped him — Topias and Desi.
While he was gone, I washed greens, pumpkin and potatoes for dinner. Then worked on some songs in the computer. After he came back, we put the world map up in the meeting room. Then I started getting the food cut up, peeled, and whatever needed to be done to it to get it ready for cooking. Dinner wasn’t ready until nearly 12:30.
After nap, Daddy added the wood strips on the window sills to try to keep rain from coming in under the louvers and over the sills. I found a piece of felt material for a backdrop for the easel. Then put a couple cloth Bible times maps on the easel on top of that. Worked on the New Year’s notes before getting supper.
“29And he that sent me is with me: the Father hath not left me alone; for I do always those things that please him. 30As he spake these words, many believed on him. 31Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; 32And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” John 8:29-32