Monday, September 22, 2008

~Our Sunday~

The Lord gave us a good Sunday. Sunday evening we were to meet our friend John and his children for they were going to go to church with us. So our family walked the mile to where we were supposed to meet them, and they weren't there. About 10 mins. later they called and told us where they were and we understood that they were going to come to meet us where we were. However, we understood wrong...and they didn't show up. So, Phillip knowing that he needed to get to church on time to get the doors opened told me that he was going to have to go ahead and take a taxi the 45 mins. to our church. So, I told him that he could take Sarah and Noah and leave Kimberly with Elijah and I and we would wait for our friend John and his children and come in a taxi with them. So, they left and we were waiting for our friend John, when 10 mins. later my phone rang and Phillip told me that he had just met up with John and his kids on his way to our church and that they were all headed to church together...and that that meant that Kimberly, Elijah and I needed to get a taxi and come alone. UGH!! I HATE trying to get taxis to take us to the areas of our churches for most taxi drivers don't want to go and complain the whole way, drop us off half way up the mountain, charge us more, etc. But...Phillip was praying and God gave us a nice taxi driver who took us up there without complaining and didn't try to overcharge us either. Praise the Lord!
~Our Sunday night crowd. Thank the Lord there were 37 there.~
~Part of the 37 that were in church Sunday night. (That brown part on the wall was fixed while we were in the States and now we plan to re-paint the inside of the church.)~
~Paula, (John's daughter) Kimberly, Sarah and Noah nearly home from walking the mile we walk from where the bus drops us off.~
~Part of the children in the class.~
~These 2 ladies are teaching the younger children so that the adults (mostly parents of these children) can hear the message and learn more about God without having to try to keep their children quiet.~
~Our friend John and his son Phillip holding Elijah on the way home from our Sunday night service. They have been such an encouragement in coming and helping us in our churches some.~
~On the bus coming home from our Sunday night service.~
John and his family came in for a snack and while we ate we watched the inspiring life of John Huss...a martyr for Jesus.
~For over a year we have been saving the offerings from both of our churches and just this past weekend the Lord helped us to buy chairs for both churches using their own offerings.~
Now I leave you with a Prayer request!! It's not easy taking our baby Elijah to the poor areas where our churches are (fleas, lice, sicknesses, disease, etc.)...but I am trying to go as often as I can. I DO NOT want the people touching his hands or his face for most of them have NO RUNNING WATER in their houses and who knows when is the last time they have washed their hands. I DO NOT want Elijah getting sick, and his bottom 2 teeth are coming in so he ALWAYS has his hand in his mouth now! I know that our church people want to greet Elijah (and I want them too)...I just try to ALWAYS hide his hands in his blanket so they cannot touch his hands...but babies always are moving so it's hard to keep them covered. Well, on Sunday night...a lady walked up to Elijah and I heard another lady tell this lady (a mother of 10 children) that I DID NOT want people touching Elijah's face and hands....and she said something like, "I don't care, I'm going to touch them anyways" and before I could stop her she was kissing and touching Elijah's hand. GRRRR!! I quickly turned Elijah away from her and told her that she couldn't touch his hands for he was teething and ALWAYS put his hands in his mouth. I did my best to clean off his hands...but still get frustrated when I think of the incident! It's a fine line...I don't want to offend any of our church people, but neither can I risk my little baby's health. Just please help me pray that God will protect Elijah from sickness, or diseases. I think that you mothers will understand my heart and will help me pray. Thanks!

6 comments:

sherryldickinson said...

Boy! I am the one that needs to be walking all of the miles that you guys are walking! Bless you for all you are doing to help the people of Colombia to draw close to Jesus. The new chairs look so pretty, and will be much easier to sit on than the backless benches. I can understand how the ladies want to touch little blond Elijah because he is so attractive. Jesus tells us in his Word, "Be not dismayed-Have not I commanded you- Be strong and of good courage." He will take care of baby Elijah. Smile. "None can keep alive his own soul", so, Elijah is in the safe keeping of Jesus-you can trust Him. I love you for sharing all you have with those people there. It touches our hearts, just as it touches the hearts of the people there. Keep looking to Jesus-He's our Father, and loves us so much. I love you guys so much, too. Bless you for what you are doing! Love, Mom D

A Moment in the Life of a Mother said...

We'll be praying for Elijah's safety. I can understand how you are worried about him. Jesus will take care of him. Nice to see the new chairs. YOu are doing a wonderful work there in Columbia. God bless.

Danny,Liz,Becca,Ben, Abby and Caleb said...

Heather~

I understand how you are feeling about Elijah being touched! We have a few people at our church that I am not comfortable touching Baby Caleb and the one lady always wants to kiss him. Could you carry hand sanitizer with you and ask that they use it before touhing him or would that be too offensive? Another idea is to put mittens on him. You will be in my prayers as God gives you wisdom and grace to handle this!

The Dickinsons said...

Liz, Thanks for your comment. I could carry hand sanitizer with me but when you have a church full of little kids and adults, (and most of them untrained to obey) that is all I would get done is handing out my hand sanitizer...they would think it is pretty neat for they probably don't even know what that is. I have tried the mittens...but since he has his teeth coming in his hands are ALWAYS in his mouth and he just soaks those too. Thanks for your prayers.

Vonnie said...

I will claim God's protection over you all as you work for Jesus in Colombia!! He will protect all of you!!

Anonymous said...

My parents were missionaries to Haiti, a long, looooonng time ago, when I was very young before the days of hand sanitizer. I was a blonde and the natives LOVED to hold & kiss me and make over me since I looked so different. Mama would cringe since she KNEW how unsanitary their lifestyle was. Finally, she had my older siblings take me up to the house immediately after service so I would be in less contact with the people and to wash my hands.


None of us had any serious illnesses in all the years on the mission field nor did we catch anything from anyone (except one sister who got head lice). I think God protected us. He can and will protect you too.

There are some pretty scary germs here in the US hospitals so God has to also protect us who live in the States.

(Maybe you could put the sanitizer on Elijah's hands. If it isn't harmful to have it on his hands in his mouth, that might be an easier option than putting it on other people's hands)

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