Thoughts

Theonest (from the Home of Innocence)

I have heard people say, "We should help our own before we help anyone else."  Meaning, don't give to those outside the US while there are still people who need help here.  What are your thoughts on this?

A friend of ours is doing an English paper and sent some interview questions to Mike.  He asked me to help answer a few of the questions.  Here are two of them:

#3.    How is helping orphans or street children in another country important to our society?
We must realize that these invisible borders we have traced across this earth do not sever the tie we have to people around the world.  When we mistakenly believe that we are able to ignore suffering because it “belongs to someone else”, while we live in relative prosperity we not only rob them but we rob ourselves of the connection that comes from reaching out to our “brothers and sisters” around the world.  We were created with feelings, and to ignore or shut out the cries of the needy is to shut down & kill a part of our own hearts.  To be truly “human” means we care when we see suffering, even if that person looks different from us or speaks differently than we do.

#12.    Is there anything you would like to add that would help others understand the needs of these children?  They are children just like yours.  They laugh at jokes, they cry when they are hurt, they run, they play, and they long for someone to tell them they are special & to know they are loved.  They have not chosen the life they have, but because of choices made by others they are forced to live a life of survival.  They have hopes and dreams like any other child.  They want to be teachers, doctors, lawyers, business owners, and more.  They hold on to the hope that someday they will be able to go to school, someday things will change.  They know how precious opportunity is & most of them, if given the chance to go to school and move beyond survival, will seize the opportunity.  It is so beautiful to see them soar!

What are your thoughts on this? What do you think when you hear people say something similar to "help our own first"? I would love to hear from you.

God Bless You,
Lisa

P.S. Please pray for us as we consider a home for rent in Rwanda, from a missionary family going on furlough (we would be able to rent beginning Sept. 1st). We are praying to see if this is the home God wants us to be in.

Coffee Shop Fundraising

For everyone in the Vancouver, WA area: From April 26th to 29th the Engedi Cafe will be donating 100% of proceeds to Ten Talents International.  Come in & enjoy a specialty coffee drink or all fruit smoothie in their relaxing atmosphere & donate to Ten Talents International at the same time!  Here is the information about Engedi:
Monday – Thursday,  6:30am - 3:30pm
“Refreshing Ministries One Cup at a Time”
Location: The lobby of the US Digital Outreach Center
1400 NE 136th Ave Vancouver, WA 98684
Our Mission: To be a refreshing oasis to our local community by helping fund the US Digital Outreach Center and in turn create a ripple effect sharing Christ’s love.  100% of proceeds help support the 23+ ministries in our outreach center!   
Did you know?:  All recipe ingredients are free of preservatives, colors, & artificial sweeteners!   You’ll love our fair trade, organic Café Femenino espresso and even if you’re not a coffee drinker, our real fruit smoothies and hot cocoa made with homemade chocolate sauce are delightful.    
About our name: “Engedi” is an actual place in eastern Israel which for hundreds of years has served as a refreshing oasis in the middle of the desert to weary travelers.  Our hope is that you too will be refreshed by our delicious drinks as you refresh our Outreach Center with your visit.
About Café Femenino coffee beans:  A new specialty coffee, Café Femenino is giving strength, unity, and hope to women in other nations around the world.  Vendors selling Café Femenino beans donate a portion of their profits directly to women coffee growers to help break the cycle of abuse and poverty in third world countries.  This gives them their very own money for the first time in their lives and helps provide grants to fund leadership training, education, nutrition, develop alternative income sources, and improve conditions for their families.


We look forward to seeing you soon!

If you are unfamiliar with the location of the US Digital Outreach Center (also the location of our Ten Talents Int. office), it is located inside the US Digital Building on 136th Avenue, north of the DMV/Winco and south of 18th Street.

There is even a small children's area in the cafe area, so even with little ones in-tow you can stop by, be refreshed, and give at the same time!  Tell your friends! 

God Bless You,
Lisa

More Prayers For Our Kids

I read this today on Lysa TerKeurst's blog, and it was so good I wanted to share it with you...

"Angela Thomas was speaking just after me at the E-Women conference and she shared something so powerful, I feel compelled to share it with you.

She described how she prays every day for the Spirit of God to lay across her house. And she prays her kids will feel it. She prays they feel the Spirit of God when they eat their cereal and when they blow dry their hair and they kick their shoes underneath their bed and when they hang out as a family.

She prays the Spirit of God laying on top of them will become their normal and what feels right. That way if they leave home and start sticking their toes outside the will of God it will feel so wrong, they will just have to run back to Him.

I love that. I want my kids to crave the covering of God as well. So, I've started praying for the Spirit of God to lay across my house each day too.

I know with 5 kids I will probably experience some times where toes venture out. But I'm telling you right now, their mama's prayers and the covering of God will be right there to step on them every time.

Yes ma'am."
Isn't that good?  So good.  Our God is good and he wants to cover our children, our loved ones.  He loves them more than we do & his heart is broken more than ours when they venture outside His will.  Why not start praying a prayer today that you know God wants to answer?  I think I hear an "Amen!" out there somewhere...

God Bless You,
Lisa

More Mexico

Mike successfully returned from Mexico on Friday night. The orphanage there has many needs & it will definitely take some discernment to decide which needs the team should focus on during their brief visit.  Mike also came back from the trip thinking that he & another person should leave a few days before the team, driving down his van with luggage (with the luggage surcharges the airlines have now the money saved would pay for the gas), project supplies, and donations for the orphanage.  This has opened up an interesting situation- it looks like Nate & I might be going to Mexico after all...  (I am excited but trying not to "jump the gun".)  We would transfer Mike's ticket to me & I would fly down with the team.  There could also be another ticket open for Nate because of the team member riding with Mike.

The reason "why?" the team needs me to go, besides being with the team on the flight to San Diego, is because they need a team cook!  Ack!  (That's my inner Cathy coming out.)  Cooking for a team of 16 people is a bit intimidating- even more so because of being in a different country, and in a strange (different) kitchen.  Of course, if I cause myself to think back to our time in Rwanda last year, there were days when our Rwandan kids were on break from school and we had 7 extra kids staying in our home.  So, along with our house helper, I was cooking meals for 12 people.  16 isn't too much of a stretch from there... right?  (gulp)  And when I was 18 and I did a Discipleship Training School with Youth with a Mission in Kona, my chore there was to work in the kitchen.  Of course, someone else decided what the meals would be & the portions, I just did the work I was told to do!  I am concerned about figuring out correct portions/amounts for that size of a group.  I also will have to make some compromises to how I normally cook (see my other blog) - like, will I make homemade bread for 16 people everyday?  Somehow I doubt it!  The good news is that Ensenada has a Costco & a Wal-Mart!  Can you believe it?  Ensenada has changed since we were there last (mission trip in the mid 90's).

KaLia told me last night that she wishes she could be the one in charge of planning the meals & cooking.  She allowed that I could be the one, but I must let her help!  (Let's see if she still wants to help when it's washing dishes time- ha!)

So, I am excited to go and be a part of the mission to Mexico & scared of the responsibility at the same time.  Plus, if I'm busy in the kitchen, and Mike's busy working with the team, what would Nate do?  Still requires some prayer & listening to God for clarity.  You can pray for us too, and all the Mexico trip preparations, as well as the team members who are going & our ministry while we are there.  And let's also start praying now for the van to drive down to Mexico with NO mechanical problems at all!

Thank you!
God Bless You,
Lisa

Mike is in Mexico

Mike left our house at "o-dark-thirty" this morning to go to Mexico for 3 days.  He is going to visit the orphanage that the mission team will be working with in June & deciding what kind of project the team will be working on there.  Please pray for him to find all the resources he needs and for everything to come together for this trip.  He could also use your prayers because he has been struggling with a cold- not a good thing anytime, but especially when you’re traveling & trying to get things done!  You can find out more about El Sauzal orphanage by visiting their website at www.elsauzal.org

God Bless You,
Lisa