Friends Sharing with Friends
LOVED ONES
When I sit down with a friend after a long time of absence, there is usually an exchange of sharing and listening that happens between us. It is not forced. We have no sequential plan of topics. We simply share what is on our hearts. Because so much has happened between the last time I wrote and now, this post for me will be like that. I want to tell you of some things that have happened and the things that have mattered to us recently. I have embedded subtitles so that you can choose what to read. It matters to me that you know what is happening with us and our kids. Again, feel free to read just a little, but I am going to share as much as I can. ♥️
I recently took a very close friend to one of my happy places. Isn’t it beautiful?
CENTRAL ASIA
For months, Jeff had been planning a trip to Nepal and Central Asia for the purpose of scouting places that we could bring families for outreach. It was the thing he was really looking forward to. On Sunday, January 12, he had everything packed and ready. The last thing he needed was his passport, but it was not where we kept it. We discovered that it was in a loaned travel bag and wouldn’t get to us for three weeks.
We cancelled as much as airlines would allow and regrouped. What we were able to be reimbursed is now set aside for future outreaches.
We have dealt with disappointment before. We have learned that we can get upset or consider it an opportunity. We leaned into the opportunity. I prayed and felt strongly to send him to Idaho to see family and friends, both to encourage and be encouraged. Central Asia has been set aside for another time. Jeff has had to wrestle through the disappointment, but we believe that ALL things can be worked together for our good and God’s glory.
In Idaho, he got to hike to the top of a mountain with his brother and Rachel, and after two seasons of not skiing (one of his greatest passions), he was able to enjoy a ride down the hill. We are thankful for God’s goodness.
ELEAH
Our sweet girl left for Central Asia in December. She is doing well! She is learning so much about life, people and the Lord. We have been incredibly blessed that we get to talk with her!
One of the beautiful displays from a market where they get food.
I am constantly proud of how she is willing to give up control of her life in order to bless others.
This is the meal a local family made for her and a couple of teammates. The food where she is sounds amazing!
One thing the team could use prayer for is health. Almost everyone has been pretty sick the whole time.
THE KIDS
ELI
It was no surprise to us when we adopted that our kids would have many things to overcome. Eli is still working on his GED even though he has had some hiccups. Currently, he is staying with some very good friends of ours while Jeff is away. He turns 18 on March 1. Although he will legally be an adult, there are still many areas where he needs support. Please pray for Eli, Jeff and me to have wisdom as we make decisions together for his future.
NATALIE
She is most excited about being a leader of her robotics team at school. She will be traveling to the mainland soon to go to robotics competitions. Her love of math, design and engineering have all come together in this particular field. Despite being very good at left-brained life, she still leaves messes everywhere, sings constantly and loves baking! I wouldn’t have it any other way!
We also were blessed with the opportunity to see my mom & Rick and my siblings’ families. During this treasured moment, we were singing songs from Les Miserables.
AREANA
She is growing up! You will often find her volunteering her time to work with young kids on campus, clean people’s cars and go out of her way to do kind things for others. Areana has become an origami specialist and thinks of the perfect creation to give to each person she knows. School is something she loves, even math! She used to hate math, and now she admits that she “kinda likes it”. Card games are her expertise, and she genuinely tries to be a blessing to those around her. She has come a long way!!!
She also loves to goof around!
ZECH
He switched schools to the same where Natalie attends and is really enjoying it. It’s the first time in a long time that he has come home with good reports about LEARNING!! When I went to his student-led conference, his advisor told me that his research paper was one of the best they had seen. I was so impressed by his speaking skills as he shared about his projects. Of his own volition, Zech is also reading four chapters of the Bible each day. He is waking up early in order to do so. That is quite amazing for my guy who loves to lay in bed!!! We are incredibly proud of who he is becoming.
He is still a total jokester and wanted me to take a picture of his “healthy” choices.
CALEB
Wow! Talk about a huge transformation! Last semester, his 7th grade class joined the Word by Heart school on campus. He memorized 12 passages of the Bible and tells them as stories. He is so good at it!!! He also got straight A’s!!! We are so proud of him on so many levels! We also have seen in him how much meditating on the WORD can change a person’s heart. Personally, I enjoy his company and appreciate the way he volunteers to do things like take out the trash or fix broken things. He is very handy to have around!
One of Caleb’s mentors, Tasha. We are SO BLESSED by the amazing people God places in our kids’ lives.
The Word by Heart class
You can’t tell here, but he only has a few inches to grow until he is as tall as I am. I know, I know… that isn’t hard to do!
JEFF
Below, Jeff is talking with the new students who moved into our building at the beginning of January. Every three months, we get a new batch of residents. I love how Jeff shares with them the importance of honoring one another in community. Although he could go through a list of rules, he speaks from the heart and teaches about the importance of letting our whole lives be worship to God. Even leaving the laundry room cleaner for the next person than it was for us can be done as worship to God. Let EVERYTHING we do be done to bless one another and God.
I haven’t told Jeff I am putting this in here, but I want to honor my wonderful husband. He worked 18 hour days for three weeks during Christmas break (not to mention the many weeks leading up to that). He committed to gutting and remodeling one of our rooms and didn’t have much time to do it when I lost my voice and needed him to be in our 2nd grade classroom. For the last many months, he was basically doing two full-time jobs with lots of other work on top of that. It was a lot, yet he kept his eyes fixed on Jesus and leaned into the Lord for strength. We are so blessed by his leadership! Above is the brand new dorm kitchen.
2nd GRADE
In order to start planning for our upcoming Family DTS (it starts on April 9), I have had to pass the teaching baton to a lovely couple! When the opportunity was first presented, it seemed like it would be too much to add teaching to our already full schedule, but I AM SO THANKFUL WE SAID YES! I will miss our students so much!! I am thankful to Randy and Vickie who also said yes. Please keep this wonderful couple in your prayers as they take over for the rest of the school year.
Randy says that they went from retired to reFIRED! I love this!!
THE PARABLE (Matthew 25) AND FOOD FOR THOUGHT
24 He also who had received the one talent came forward, saying, ‘Master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you scattered no seed, 25 so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here, you have what is yours.’ 26 But his master answered him, ‘You wicked and slothful servant! You knew that I reap where I have not sown and gather where I scattered no seed?
I have been thinking a lot about how people can attribute negative circumstances to God. I think what I most want to say about this is that we humans have free will and not everything that happens comes from God (the passage speaks of how he reaps where he has not sown and gathers where he has not scattered seed). He is so good that he can turn evil choices and regular life circumstances (from this fallen world) into good if we love him and are called according to his purposes. (Romans 8:28)
In the above parable, God didn’t rebuke the servant for not having a lot to give, he rebuked him for believing that his master was “a hard man”. In other words, the servant did not believe in the goodness of his master. In verse 26, God is not affirming the beliefs of the servant, he is questioning them.
God is good. Bad things happen (to followers of Christ and those who aren’t) because of sin, evil desires and this fallen world. God takes what is wrong on this planet and uses it for good, but he is not the cause of every bad thing. He has a plan to REDEEM this world from death and darkness. He is GOOD all the time. God can take what our enemy meant for evil and turn it into GOOD!!!
It is possible that a faulty belief that God is the cause of bad things in life is what keeps us from taking risks with the things He has given us. We can hide our talents, fearing failure and believing we won’t please a harsh God or that He doesn’t have good things for us.
Friends, I pray that if you have ever been caught in that kind of thinking, you would soften your heart and let him lead you into GOOD things. It doesn’t mean you will always have success as the world sees it or that trouble won’t come knocking at your door. BUT GOD IS GOOD AND TURNS EVIL INTO GOOD WHEN WE ARE CALLED ACCORDING TO HIS PURPOSE! (See Romans 8:28, Genesis 50:20) May you have faith in our benevolent God.
YOUR TURN
Friendship is one-sided if only one of us shares. I would LOVE to hear from you! We pray for our friends and family regularly, so please let us know how you are doing. We care and want to hear. We are so thankful for the people God has placed in our lives.
Love,
Tori, Jeff and the kids
A mix of our kids, Word by Heart students and Jeff’s work duty crew – all there to hear Caleb share his stories.
The wonderful staff from the school on campus. (Not knowing there would be a picture, we had already given our leis away!)