Birthday Full of Blessings

 


I am a year older and wiser than the last time I wrote. (I know you can tell just by how I expressed myself so eloquently in that opening sentence.) I have lots of great news to share! I'm just not sure where to start... So, I'll work my way backwards from most recent.

You may recognize the lovely face of Bri in the picture above. She came to visit me from San Antonio, Texas! She was nervous to travel to tornado alley (I am currently in Carl Junction which is in the southwest corner of Missouri) in the spring, but God kept her safe and the skies clear. For those who don't know Bri, she was my sister-in-arms through the last two years I was in Ecuador, through a pandemic and our missions team imploding and God's beautiful restoration and preservation of his work in Ecuador. It was so fun to share life again for a few days. One day I took her around SW Missouri. The next day I took her to see SE Kansas. And the last day we visited NW Arkansas with my folks. It was a whirlwind of exploration, but nary a tornado in sight. (See what I did there?)


The second bit of good news is that I now have both background checks (the last five years of my life span life in the US and Ecuador), the US one has been translated and both now have the famous apostille (it's an international legalization certificate that the US doesn't easily provide)! Thanks to all of you who have been praying for that. I'm now waiting to hear back from the consulate in Chicago with an appointment and further instructions. Prayers still appreciated for a quick appointment and that all the documentation will be approved!



The third bit of news is that I have raised enough financial pledges to meet over 75% of my monthly budget. This means I have enough to go! As soon as I have my visa stamped in my passport.

A big thank you to all the churches and individuals who have helped me get this far through your prayers and donations. I am so grateful that God has provided even the airfare and moving costs to get to Tenerife this summer.

News from the Tenerife church


The church in Tenerife celebrated Mother's Day this past Sunday. I guess Mother's day is on the first Sunday in May rather than the second like in the US. The kids' Sunday School class prepared a special skit to celebrate their moms. And the church gifted them with roses. I have shared special moments with many of these ladies and it is beautiful to see them honored. I am excited to share life with them again soon.

Until next time,

Peace.


Erin



To give click here.




To pray for Tenerife, click here.





Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Whirlwind of December

Image
Merry Christmas! Happy New Year! Happy Kings Day! These past holidays had a definite Venezualan/Canarian/American flavor.  Many people in the church, including the Dyes, are from Venezuela. And you can't celebrate Christmas in Venezuela without "hallacas", which are made of cornmeal dough, like tamales. The filling is made of braised meat (beef, pork, and  chicken) with raisins, capers, and olives. You make it into a little packet tied up in banana leaves and then boil them in a huge pot for an hour or so. Priscila and Mama Emma cooked everything over a couple days and then the ladies from church came over to assemble over 150 of them one day. As the ladies arrived they set up an assembly line. The Venezuelan ladies guided the rest of us as to how to cut, scoop, press, fold, tie, etc. I got assigned the end of the line where I was the only one cutting string. hehehe It was a fun and productive time! The best part was when we enjoyed a late lunch of hallacas all together.
Read more

Life is Tough, but God is Good

Image
Every time I sit down to write an update and I have to come up with a title, my first thought is "God is Good". Then, I keep thinking and come up with something more specific. But, you'll notice this time I went with it, although with a modification. I took... ahem, I mean, "borrowed" the title from a memoir my mom wrote last year. I promise I'll not use it again here, though it is fitting to every update I've written in the past and will write in the future because both phrases are unalienable truths. And because BOTH are true, I can always trust God. ‭Isaiah 26:3 NIV‬ You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you. A couple of months ago, the Dye family was looking at travel dates for their three-month furlough. Their daughter Angela is graduating from Johnson University the first weekend in May, but they usually don't leave for furlough till June because that's when the school year ends for Miah and
Read more

Adjusting... Adjusting... 123

Image
Tough times make us relatable Today is my 117th day in Tenerife (don't worry, I'm not keeping track, I just asked Google... hehehe), and I'm happy to say that the shiny newness hasn't worn off yet. That doesn't mean that I'm struggling to find my way, or that I'm not struggling in any way. In fact, I had a tough moment a couple of weeks ago when I got a text from my 10 year old nephew asking me to pray for him because he had Flu A and his nose was bleeding all over the place and it was only 7 am (Missouri time). I wanted to be able to go hug him and pray with him and help him feel better. I know his parents and even grandparents are there for him. But in that moment, I felt the distance to be so far and I may have shed a couple tears as I prayed for more than just his bloody nose.  I'm not going to philosophize or wax poetic about the beauty of the nostalgia of being far from loved ones, but it is a blessing to have loved ones near and far. In fact, ever
Read more