Compatibility Training

Ministry Update

The Lord gave us a wonderful meeting in Detroit Lakes, Minnesota, at the Berean Baptist Church where Tim Riley is the pastor. The church had just finished a building program and, according to Pastor Riley, really needed the meeting. There was not a service in which there were not first time visitors present, and several key people who had been struggling made some public decisions during the meeting. It was a blessing to be able to be used of God.

Some time ago our trailer’s propane system had sprung a leak. Because of this leak, we simply shut the supply of gas off and went without propane for several months. Summer is a good time to run that way, if you must. The greatest problem of running without propane is that you have no cooling when you are driving down the road, the refrigerator needing propane to cool. We were getting by, but praying that God would allow us to get the leak fixed.

On Sunday, a man in the church came to me and asked if there was anything that he could do for us during the week. He told me that his business was heating and air conditioning. I told him about the propane leak and made an appointment to get it fixed. In the providence of God, there was enough spare black iron pipe just lying around at the church (it had been a bar and grill before the church purchased the facility and renovated it for church use) to fix the problem. I had to purchase some fittings and clamps, but the total repair bill was just under $10. Praise the Lord, as winter comes, we have propane again.

Family Update

Things have been hectic the last few weeks – but then, that is usual. In fact, you should probably just assume that things are crazy around our house all the time, and if there is ever an exception, I will let you know. Some of that is a result of my husband scheduling back-to-back meetings in opposite corners of the USA. People ask me, “Where are you going next?” (By the way, I never know if they are just being polite, or if they really want to know where the circus will be next week so that they can stay away.) I launch into our itinerary with an auctioneer’s flair, “Well, let’s see… We are in western Nebraska this week, and next week we will be in eastern Minnesota, then the week after that, we will be about ten miles from here. Then we have a 500 mile drive for another meeting and then a 900 mile drive in the opposite direction, but the next week, we go right back…” When their eyes begin to glaze over, I pause, at which interval, they breathe a sigh (perhaps of relief that they are not in evangelism) and say “WOW! You sure do get around!” Yes, I have to agree, we do get around. I must also say that our schedule is much more area-targeted than it used to be. You may have heard of dying the death of one thousand screams. I told Paul that would be his fate if he ever pulled another “Mexico to Minnesota in three days” trip again.

The death of one thousand screams could be riding in the car with four tired, bored, cranky, hungry kids for three days. Make that in Nebraska, on a two-lane road with no rest areas or restaurants for 200 miles, and no berm so that we can pull over and fix our own lunch. Every couple considering marriage should try this stunt at least once to ascertain if they are really “compatible.” I will even loan you our kids. Heh, heh, heh. They are highly trained at testing compatibility, creating the most realistic stressful conditions. For instance, they begin by lulling you into a false sense of tranquility by playing happily with their own toys until you pass the last exit to civilization. Then, as if by previous arrangement, a fight breaks out. Child B no longer wants her toy – she wants the toy that Child C has. Snatching it with an evil laugh, she foists her toy upon the now enraged Child C, who promptly throws it to the floor and bursts into loud, indiscernible complaints interspersed with tears, waking Child D, who had been sleeping for 20 minutes. Child A whirls around in his seat to see the fracas, meanwhile kicking the leg of Adult X, causing him to accelerate rather abruptly. Adult Y, who had also turned around, gasps audibly and erupts with threats about Cracker Jack revoking Adult X’s license. This causes Adult X’s blood pressure to rise and he offers Adult Y the option of driving. Adult Y snaps back that she would rather have the option of walking, but the ensuing melee quickly diverts her attention once again. While Child B and C are arguing, Child D decides that “Carpe diem” is his motto for the afternoon, and grabs a handful of Child B’s hair. After extricating Child B from the tight-fisted grasp of Child D, Adult Y extracts apologies and promises of kindness from all parties involved. Child D, however, having had a power nap, is now hungry two hours sooner than anticipated, and begins wailing loudly. At this point, the pastor usually calls, wondering if we have been abducted by aliens. After assuring him that we have only been waylaid by wild Indians, the conversation ends with him saying something like this: “Sounds like you’ve got your hands full!” If he only knew! Child A begins to whine about his hunger pangs forcing the issue to the table, as it were. Adult X tells the children, who are now chorusing together about their lack of sustenance, that there is plenty to eat if they like grass, trees, and buffalo chips. Adult Y announces in a threatening tone that they WILL stop at the VERY NEXT AVAILABLE PLACE, right, DEAR???? Adult X now drives doggedly, eyes darting back and forth for the slightest widening of the road, but to no avail. Finally, he pulls over close to a driveway. “Why are you stopping here?” queries Adult Y. “Do we know these people?” Adult X says no, he is just stopping so Adult Y can make lunch. Adult Y peevishly argues that she isn’t going to sit in the ditch in front of someone’s house and make lunch – just keep driving. Adult X drives, the cacophony behind him urging him ever onward, ever faster. The children grow quiet as their stomach juices eat their tongues, and some of them even fall into a trance. Then one of them breaks the silence by hallucinating out loud, “Look! McDoodles!” Sure enough, there it looms, the nemesis of all travelers with young children. Adult Y begins whining, “Oh, do we have to go there?” She well knows that, despite its innocent sounding Scottish name, this establishment is actually descended from the ancient patriarch Montezuma whose revenge is only somewhat abated by the passage of centuries. Adult X grimaces, but pulls into the parking lot anyway. The children erupt from the truck, screeching, “YAY! McDoodles!” Meanwhile, Adult Y searches her purse for a bottle of TUMS and swallows half a dozen, handing the rest of the bottle to Adult X. Thirty minutes and three gallons of grease later, the family is herded back into the truck. Adult Y blots the grease off of her tongue with an extra napkin and settles in for the rest of the drive. Two hours and fourteen potty breaks later, they arrive at the church, thoroughly exhausted.

School is going smoothly, and we are all learning new things. Abigail has taught me this year that all the vowels say “uh” and all the consonants say “um.” It is getting a little easier each day for her and she is really excited. Josiah has a lot more work this year than previously, which is a sore trial for an eight-year-old with a big imagination. He is learning division and punctuation as well as creative writing. His piano lessons are improving, and two weeks ago he played a duet with me for the offertory. It was really exciting for both of us! Esther is my little helper – always wanting to wash the dishes and go to the store with me. Daniel is beginning to realize the potential of movement. He can crawl faster than a speeding locomotive, and wreak destruction and havoc faster than his siblings can believe. He loves the vacuum cleaner, and I think his extreme interest in it can be attributed to the fact that it is the only thing that can eat Cheerios faster than he can.

Josiah has been struggling with his asthma a bit the last week or two and it may be due to the change in seasons. Please pray that we have wisdom as we treat his asthma, and that he would remain healthy. We have been blessed with some wonderful meetings, and the Lord continues to meet our needs and open new doors of ministry for us. We are so thankful for your prayers, and we appreciate the part you have in our ministry.