The Hendersons ~ On a Journey 4 Him Weblog...

Birthdays & Prayer for Washington D.C. Trip

On Friday, they shut down the Internet for "maintenance." It did not return until this morning!! 

Our immunizations went well on Friday. We got out of class half a day, including kids, to get our shots. This round, Sk. got the most! He received 4 (Chicken Pox, Typhoid Fever, Yellow Fever, and Rabies #2) plus the TB test, which also involves a needle. Sy. received everything he did but the chicken pox one. B. and I both received Rabies #2, the TB test, and our Typhoid consists of pills (4 total, taken every other day).  No fever or any side effects, besides B. having a gurgly stomach after his first Typhoid pill.

Friday evening, our quad family threw a party for Jared, Nathanael, Sk., and Sy., all who have had birthday or are going to have birthdays within the last 2 weeks. We have bakers in the house, and they made a delicious cake, cookies, and we had that and ice cream. They even included candles for each of them to blow out. The adults in our quad and several other that we have grown close to refer to themselves as "uncle" and "aunt" to our kids. They gave the kids lots of fun presents. We had a great time!

I had my 2nd ESL/EFL class all day Saturday. Now, I have a 2nd certification! Part of our job in Peru will be to teach English, so this will hopefully help. I received my first certification from our association from the North American Mission Board.

Sat. evening, B. took me to town, just to get out. "Aunt" Amy kept Sk. and Sy. for us. She treated them to Happy Meals and books from Barnes and Noble for their birthday. Aunt Amy will also be joining us in Peru, in a nearby city. The kids really enjoy her company.

On Sunday evening, the cultural worship was OURS...the Spanish version. B. read Psalm 117 in Espanol. The music was outstanding. We had the keyboard, cowbell, drums, guitars, and another type drum, in addition to some outstanding female vocalists. Uncle Andrew gave the service. I caught Spanish words during the service to realize it was about Joseph in Genesis. We crowded the chairs to give the effect of a tight area, as most Latino churches have.

Classes went on on Monday. HAPPY BIRTHDAY, SY., BABY!!!!  It's hard to believe our baby was five!!!!!  We had Coke floats after dinner to celebrate her birthday with our friends.

Today, for their birthdays, we took the kids to a place similar to Bouncin Wild, but much better! There were few people, and the price was fairly inexpensive for the kids to just walk in and jump. Afterward, we ate at Five Guys Burgers and Fries. It was delicious!!! 

Please remember to be praying for our Washington D.C. evangelism trip, which will be on Thursday!! We should be arriving around 9 AM your time back at home, and leaving around 4 PM. We will take our children. Pray for those we will encounter, and for our boldness as the Holy Spirit leads.

IMB Approved Recommendations to Suspend and Reduce Missionary Sending

People are answering God's call to serve internationally on mission for Him, but the lack of adequate funding has made it impossible to send out workers for His harvest.  It seems like we "barely" made it into the loop that is being able to be supported and "go". All ISC (which we are) funding has been suspended. Although our jobs are secure, many others being called as ISCers, Masters, and Journeymen will not get to go for a while, until funding is raised to support them. This is sad news in the world of our churches and for the International Mission Board!

Click here for important news about inadequate funding for sending SB missionaries internationally.

Please share this news with your church.  Encourage your church to give to support international missionaries through the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering, so people being called to fulfill God's great call will indeed get to go to ALL nations!

A Minute Alone

Ok, I am having a quiet evening. We got out of classes for half a day, but I am on the children's ministry team, so I helped my team with the bubble machine and hand out ice pops for those getting the second round of immunizations today.  They say today's are worse than last week's round.  This week, we will get our second rabies, typhoid, and a TB test.  Be praying for Sy. especially, since the TB one is a little weird. They insert something under the skin, which makes the skin bubble up like a boil.  She still thinks she only received one shot last week, because they give one on each arm at the same time to make the brain think you only received one. She bought it!

B. and Sy. are in the quilting quad right now. They've finished pillows, a quilt for both she and Sk., and today they worked on her a small purse.  I stopped by, and they seemed to be enjoying themselves. I took Sk. to kids' recreation in the gym. He was anxious to go! 

I am in the computer lab. printing things out for Sk. to do Bible storying on Thurs. He wanted to lead the morning worship with storying, and his friend, Julia, will lead the music.

Pray for renewal of strength and adequate rest. I am feeling very tired. Today feels like it should be Fri., when in actuality we've only had a day and a half of class!!  It's been pretty intense though. We've been looking at doctrine, sifting throughout the Bible.

Well, it's about time to call home to family. Better run. I slipped away, so they might wonder where I am.  HAHAH!  I better go!

A Nice Weekend!

Thanks for your prayers on Friday! We received our immunizations, day one of three!  Two more immunization days to go!  Sy. woke up moaning and wallering around in the bed, in a sweat! She'd had 5 immunizations before we left home (for school + a flu shot), so she was NOT looking forward to more here!  We had been told to have short sleeves, have Tylenol in us, and to be READY. They had us on a strict schedule to follow. We picked the kids up from school at 12:45 and returned to our quad, an hour before our shot time. Fifteen minutes we headed to wait in another room, and then were called to the clinic. When we walked in the clinic, everyone was cheering us on. Sy. and B. were called in first. She started hollering "NO!" We could hear her from outside, even though she keeps telling everyone she did NOT cry. The nurses were great. They gave one on each arm at the same time, so as to give the sensation of "one" pain to the brain. Sy. still declares that she only had 1 shot on Fri., so we will let her believe that, even though she did receive 2 cute bandaids. Sk. wanted me to hold his hand, and he didn't even flinch with his two shots. B. also received two. I received FOUR!!!  I had received 3 before we headed to Virginia. Lucky me. I had started the HEP shots, so I have to continue on in the cycle of shots, plus I got rabies and polio as the rest of the family did. 

On Fri. night we ventured to town. Sk. has gotten into a habit of throwing a fit in the stores these days. Please pray that God will give him understanding that we need to buy only for our needs these days (not our wants!), and that we have limited luggage!!! We are trying to be patient, but it has been a little trying.

On Sat., I went to ESL classes (English as a Second Language), which will be part of our job to teach Lima students English or help them improve their English when we get there. I'm already certified by the North American M. Board, but I wanted to get refreshed on the course. I was proud I did. It's a lot different from my previous experience. Plus, I am getting all kinds of ideas, including finding out what kind of learner I am, so I will focus on all kinds of learners instead of just teaching to my type of students. :)  The class lasted from 9 til 5, but it seemed to fly by!  I will finish the class up next Sat.

While I was in class, B. took the kids to the quilting quad where they finished up Sy.'s jr. sized quilt. Very cute!!  Sk. started his. He already made him a pillow, and that will be Sy.'s next project.

One of our affinity group couples flew home to TX to graduate from college this weekend.  CONGRATS, Priscila!!  Several families came to visit loved ones this weekend. Now, during our small group worship time, we are practicing our Bible storying skills, as we will use this technique to peoples who are illiterate. It's been very fun, especially to see Sk. and some of the other quad family's kids get into retelling the story. Sk. and a friend, Julia, are going to lead our worship time on Thurs. in telling a story from the Bible. Today, they both shared scriptures from memorization using their "color" witnessing booklets. God is going to use our children in mighty ways!!

Today for lunch, we were invited by our new family members who are M's in Europe, Uncle E and Aunt S & kids, to eat Chinese with them. WOW.  I have never eaten Chinese like this before.  YUMMMMM. I tried out sushi. Sk. beat us all. He ate tons of stuff, including 8 pieces of sushi (eel, etc) , a crab, tofu, yellow fish and rice, BBQ CHICKEN FEET (OH YUCK!!!), and many, many other curious items. I liked the sushi. Apparently, Sk. did too!! 

Tonight, we worshipped Central Asian style. Ladies wore floor-length skirts and headwraps. Men wore long pants. All wore long sleeves and took off their shoes before entering our room to worship. The worships are all in the heart language of whatever specific worship it is for the week. The music was beautiful, including many instruments such as the flute and piano. We had a great time!

Continue to lift us up. We appreciate all the prayers.

A Tired Week

We've made it to our fourth week here at FPO!!!  Time has went by quickly. We've been at an all-time low, meaning we've been extremely tired. Staying up late and getting up really early has finally paid off.  Although the classes have been interesting and will be very helpful on the field, it's been very hard for us to pay attention. Yesterday, I thought I was going to fall asleep in class. Brian even pretended to use coffee stirring sticks to hold his eyelids open.  Last night, I decided to call it quits, laid homework aside, and I went to bed at 9:10. It was awesome. I felt MUCH better today.  This Saturday will be my first weekend class. I am taking ESL class, which will be two Saturdays in a row. I'm already certified by the NA M Board, but it's been a while since I've been trained, and I will get another book. After all, this will be one of our jobs when we hit the field. B. doesn't want to take it, so he will keep the kids.

Tomorrow is the first of 3 immunization days.  UGH.  S. had to get 5 before we came here, but she hasn't complained too much about it. They are broken up, which will hopefully be a positive things. We're not sure how many we will get tomorrow. We will only go to class for part of the day, and we'll pick up the kids and go to our shot appointment. Pray they will do well!!! 

Today, I met a new friend that introduced herself to me through this blog.  She and her husband are here on candidate conference! Isn't this a small, small world!??  How cool is that!?

We will be going to Washington DC soon to witness to others. Our kids will get to go with us!  We are working in teams. Pray for Cheyenne, Priscila, and us for our trip in the following ways--

• God to give us a spirit of boldness to share the Gospel in an urban setting    
• God to give us great enthusiasm to witness with great joy about our Savior
• God to give us Divine Encounters in sharing to those He has prepared for Himself
• God to give us wisdom for identifying the people group and to learn from their activities
• God to give us safety and enjoyment in visiting the capital city.

We also have several friends who are finding opposition in getting their visas to enter their respectable countries, and others who still need to sell their houses and cars. Please pray for God's will and way in these matters.

Thank you so much for your prayers and correspondences. We miss you dearly. If you would like to drop us a line in the snail mail, comment to us (or email us if you know our addy), and we'll send you our mailing address. The kids really enjoy checking the mail to hear from everyone. They will soon be celebrating their birthdays too (Sy.-May 25, & Sk.-May 27).

FPO--Field Personnel Training

A Rainy Week at FPO

Our weekend went well. Sat. night we got out of the quad. We used one of the ILC vans and ventured out with many people from our region. We visited Lifeway and WalMart. It was nice to just get "out." We also rested all weekend. It was nice to sleep in and nap on both days. On Sunday evening, we had our first cultural worship session, which was resembling an African service. The language used was primarily Swahili, songs and sermon. It was very interesting. We ladies wore long skirts. To not know what was being taught, it was a good service.

This week has been cool and rainy. Windbreaker weather. So far, I've been able to keep to my running and walking routine without having to exercise in the gym.

We have been learning about rural and urban anthropology. Yesterday, we learned about other religions. We are being taught about culture shock. Many stories have been passed onto us from M's who have been on the field. Very interesting!

We had special lunches Monday and Tuesday. Monday's consisted of a tortilla, rice, beans, and salsa, from the Med. and Caribbean areas. We were not allowed to use utensils, except to dip the food onto our bowls. Yesterday's consisted of Pac Rim food, which was VERY tasty. It didn't look that great, but it was very delicious. We used a different combo of items to put onto our beef and rice...raisins, mango "relish", peanuts, sunflower seeds.

The kids are enjoying it here. They are enjoying their new quad families, new friends, and teachers. Of course, we all miss everyone back home. 

PRAYER NEEDS--

Our friends, W. & J., need to sell their home SOON, as well as paperwork for their visas to go through smoothly and quickly!

My friend, D., needs to sell her car SOON!

Pray that the rotovirus and allergies (Sk. has a cough/Sy. has a stuffed up nose) will die down around here so we all may focus on His work at hand!

Pray for B.'s cousin who has pancreatic cancer...in his 40's, with a wife and several young children.

Pray for my nephew, who is 1, back home who has the virus.

Pray for my parents (health and safety) who will be traveling soon to TX to see family!

Pray for upcoming trips to park and Washington DC for people to be placed in our paths, for our bold witness to them, and for their acceptance of Christ.

Drawing Nearer to the LORD

This week has really went by quickly!  We have had a lot of INTENSE classes about things that we need to learn for our futures.  Our number one priority is DRAWING CLOSER TO THE LORD.  I've really been hit by that. With selling, moving, finishing up work, and getting here, He's been put on the back burner, which I am not so proud to admit. Without HIM, we cannot do ANYTHING.

Our classes with Dr. Rankin were EXCELLENT!!  Spiritual Warfare.....We usually think of the big things that the devil can hurl at us, when, in fact, it can be the the tiny things that we allow him to do that causes great sin in our lives, which is ultimately what he wants! When we do not spend our quiet time, Bible-reading time, and prayer time with the Lord, confessing our sins, listening to Him through His Word, speaking to our hearts, and living for HIM, it leaves wide open spots for the devil to creep in.  Once the devil sticks his ugly claw in and takes a foothold, he can really start to mess with our minds.  That's where he gets us!!!  OUR MINDS! Our nature is to be so full of ourselves, when instead we should die to self (our own wants and wishes) and live our lives fully for HIM. Think about it. We all do it. The devil cannot get in our minds UNLESS we let him. One little thought, one little word, one little action. Where does it lead me?  Deny myself or give in to please Satan and my sinful nature?? 

Yesterday, we met with our regional leader. We checked out a Rosetta Stone cd for Spanish and received another book that we are supposed to read in our spare time.  :) 

Tonight, about 20 of us met at our company leader's house, along with Dr. Rankin, his wife, and several others. We had ice cream with all the trimmings and just sat around and chatted with them. We had a great time.

The kids are adjusting well here. Thanks for your prayers. Besides Sy. getting a semi-black eye at the first of the week when she ran into a bye bye buggy, everything has went smoothly. They are making great friends with all of our quad families and others. They are enjoying their classes and activities learning about Peru. There is a poster hanging on Sk.'s classroom door. It asked how the students felt about moving. His answer said, "It is just the right thing to do."  It is amazing how God has worked in their little lives to get us all ready for His work.

Many evenings we let them play on one of the several playgrounds here. They enjoy playing with the other kids, especially their quad neighbors. We are fed 3 times a day here, and they take care of the dishes. WOO HOO!!  Our apartment is equipped with a small stove, sink, table, 2 bedrooms, a full bath. All 5 apartments (I guess it's really not a quad! Ha!) open up into a great room, with couches, lamps, tables, and room for playing board games and such. The kids have not even complained about no tv or Nintendo. It's such a joy to see them actuallly spending quality social time with others instead of being glued to a screen.

Prayer Requests--

• continued health (emotional, spiritual, and physical) for us and all family members
• good management of time for spiritual growth in HIM, along with all the assignments due
• that we will be filled fully each day with HIM
• that we will absorb, comprehend, and be able to use what is being taught
• our teachers to be filled with Him so He may use them effectively for teaching us
• our leaders and team members of North REAP
• our leaders to have much wisdom in making BIG decisions for future changes here to better the company and its objectives and to be able to decipher which areas need prioritizing
• the people of Peru to have their hearts and minds open to His Word and for many seeds to be planted
• for smooth transitions for the next few places we'll be journeying