Wednesday, December 31, 2014

Seasons Change

Some seasons in life are longer than others, and we don’t always know when one season will end and a new one will begin.  However, we have to be able to recognize and discern when something’s time has passed and be able to move into the next season, no matter how difficult moving on might be.  Each season prepares you for the next…  Each season serves its purpose…

We thought our season here at the Footprints base was going to last longer, but the Lord is leading our family to move off base.  In fact, we are moving tomorrow, January 1, 2015, back to Pretoria to stay at our friends’ house (Fred and Rene), whom we stayed with when we first moved to Africa.  We do not know how long we will be in Pretoria, but they have been so gracious to us and are letting us stay there as long as we need to until the Lord gives us clear direction for the next steps.

The reason for the move, you might ask…..  Well, sometime in October the Lord had been showing me some things, but we placed them on the back burner so-to-speak because we didn’t know the significance of those things at the time until now.  We thought we’d be leading the Footprints’ children’s school for another year.  We thought we’d be building a home on the base and bringing more children into our family – a few that were really highlighted to us already.  We thought many things were going to happen, but the internal checks continued to happen and the Lord began closing doors.  At this point, we knew we had to revisit the things the Lord had been speaking to me about and showing me.  This meant humbling ourselves before the Lord and the director at Footprints.  Our hearts meant well, but the Lord was telling us to slow down our steps so that we did not get ahead of Him and what He has planned for us.  We’ve learned many lessons here, for which we are grateful.  We’ve met some wonderful people, of which we hope we can stay connected with.  Our unity has been tested, but we have remained victorious over the enemy’s tactics!

One day as I was seeking the Lord for guidance, He spoke to my heart saying, “Ask your kids how they’re doing.  It will be key to your next step.”  We ask our kids often how they’re doing, but Holy Spirit gave me strategies to help me dive deeper into their hearts.  A common thing that was shared by all of them was, “We miss family time.”  We have enjoyed our time here at Footprints, but community living doesn’t come without its challenges.  I felt prompted to have some people pray for our family over a 2-day period (not sharing any details with them about certain situations) and to share anything with us that the Lord might be showing them on behalf of our family.  A friend of ours shared a couple of things with us, and one of those things was that she kept hearing the words, “Listen to the kids,” throughout her prayer time.  This lined up with what God had been speaking to me about, so I knew there was something more to it and God was trying to get my attention about something.  I am so thankful for friends that clearly hear the voice of the Lord and are an encouragement to us!  A love shout out to you all!  As I was typing out an e-mail to another one of my friends, the Lord spoke to me through my own writing confirming what our next step should be.

Through much conversation and prayer, Josh and I were led to make certain decisions on behalf of our family, but we wanted the blessing of leadership here at Footprints as that would be the honorable thing to do.  About 2 weeks ago we met with the director and received her full blessing to move forward with the direction the Lord was leading us, which is to move off base.  What’s really cool is that the night before we met with the director, the Lord gave her a dream about me and our kids.  I won’t share the details but it correlated with what was going on in my spirit for our family.  God’s so good!!  The Lord has made it very clear that this next season of ministry is all about our kids and strengthening our family unit.  We are called to make disciples, and that definitely starts in the home.  Don’t get us wrong, family is always ministry for us so this is nothing new, but the Lord is asking us to set aside all other “good” opportunities to go deeper into the Lord’s heart as a family during the month of January….no one being left behind.  We sense it is in preparation for us and what is to come for our family.  He wants to toughen up our army for the front line.  My heart is that as a family our intimacy with the Lord will become stronger and that a lifestyle of worship and prayer will become a greater focus for each of us individually and as a family unit.  So, if you don’t see us post much on Facebook or write any updates for a few weeks, it’s because we’re dedicating this next month to really focus on the Lord and grow more intimate with Him as a family.

In the meantime, God put a place on Josh’s heart, and right now we’re praying into the meaning of it and if it’s somewhere He wants us to visit.  Josh had never heard of this place before, nor do we know anyone that lives there or has been there.  We’ve taken the first step to inquire of this location, and now we’re just waiting to see if the door remains opened or closed.  Please join us in prayer that we would have an answer by January 7th.

I want to “sign-out” with this verse: Psalm 1:3

“They (the faithful) are like trees planted along the riverbank,
bearing fruit each season without fail.
Their leaves never wither, and in all they do, they prosper.”

For those that are faithfully following Jesus, this says there is NO season that doesn’t produce fruit.  If you are going through a season and questioning whether or not there is any fruit, ask the Lord to show you His perspective because He’s always at work growing something beautiful in you, BUT you must stay connected to Him for it to grow.  Let Him be your source of nourishment and the center of your heart!

With the new year upon us, we’re excited for what God has in store for the Mason Family in 2015, but we’re taking it one day at a time and choosing life today and not worrying about tomorrow.  We pray that all of you will experience freedom, love, hope and joy beyond measure during the year 2015.  Happy New Year from the Masons!

Wednesday, December 24, 2014

Merry Christmas from the Mason Family

Our family would like to take this time to wish you all a Merry Christmas!  We’re enjoying our first “hot” Christmas the non-traditional way.  No Christmas tree, no decorations, no stockings, no presents to open first thing in the morning.  I’ve been pondering in my heart what I want our family’s Christmas day to look like.  To be quite honest, I don’t completely understand why we celebrate Christmas and Easter in the first place (just one calendar day of the year).  EVERY DAY should be about the birth and resurrection of Jesus, right?!?!  I think that a lot of holidays have become worldly and commercialized, and in years past we’ve gotten caught up in all of that.  Don’t get me wrong, it’s okay to give gifts on Christmas, but we have decided that our gifts to our children would not be the first thing they focus on Christmas morning, so we will not be setting out stockings or gifts until later on in the day when we feel led to.  We are choosing to celebrate in a different way this year, without all the distractions, although we do miss the fact that family isn’t near.

We have a tradition in our family that has been going on for many years now.  We write down everyone’s name on individual pieces of paper and then draw names out of a hat.  Whoever’s name we draw, we get to make them a gift for Christmas – a gift that comes from the heart.  The kids look forward to this time the most, so we have decided to give away our gifts to each other tonight on Christmas Eve.  We then plan to watch a family movie together and celebrate Jesus’ birth by having a “birthday” cake that Gracie made for Christian as his gift.

However, you choose to celebrate Jesus’ birth, let Him be the focus of your day…..and for those that have kids, really ponder about what you would want Christmas to look like if Jesus were joining in on your celebration because He should be the whole reason for the celebration and not just a small part of it!  Peace, love and joy from our family to yours!!

We asked our kids to share with you what’s been going on with them, so here are their thoughts….

CHRISTIAN (7) – Hello friends and family!  I hope you can come to Africa.  It’s been hot and raining here in Africa.  It’s really fun having new friends to play with here, and you will get new friends too if you come here.  Today is Christmas Eve, and I know you know that too.  Christmas is about Jesus’ birthday, and it’s not just about getting presents.  It’s about celebrating Jesus.  There are three termite mounds on this base.  Me and Josiah share a room.  I wish you could come and share a room with us too.  There’s this game called shegisha, and all of the Footprints kids like to play it and so do I.  I’ve seen millipedes, rabbits, snakes, biting ants and cockroaches here at Footprints.  God has given me pictures of places in the world like in Europe.  I saw flowers and lots of animals and people and it was really hot there.  There is a swimming pool here at Footprints.  Have a great Christmas!  Merry Christmas!  Bye!

JADE (12) – It is so hot here! It does get cold here. I can’t wait for winter, which is summer in the States. It’s like an extra-long summer because when we left the States it was summer. I’ve made lots of friends here at Footprints. My friends and I have sleepovers and we go swimming together in the pool. I love having a pool here because I can just hop in whenever I want to! First when we got here it was all dry and everything was dead (the plants). Now since it’s been raining it is all green and alive. I like the rain, especially when I’m going to bed. Our roofs are made out of metal so when the rain comes down hard it is loud and comforting. All the kids and adults here are amazing and I’m glad I met them. I always help in the kitchen. I love helping whoever is cooking. I can’t believe it’s already Christmas! This year for our family tradition I got Gracie and I think she’s going to like her present. I can’t wait to give it to her! God has really been speaking to me about intimacy with Him a lot. So I’ve been reading my Bible and really pressing into Him more. I hope all of you guys have a great Christmas and a happy New Year. Merry Christmas!

GRACIE (5) – It’s fun here in Africa.  I play with my new friends.  I jump on the trampoline, and I play on the monkey bars.  I can go all the way across all by myself now!  I play in the sandbox and make sandcastles.  I got 2 new pairs of glasses because mine broke when I was hugging my mommy.  My mommy always calls me a “little fish” because I like to swim in the pool.  I’m learning how to swim.  I jump into the water while plugging my nose.  I’m not afraid of the water.  Merry Christmas, bye!

JOSIAH (4) – I love you all!  I wish you could come here.  I play with friends on the trampoline.  We put balls on the trampoline and bounce them, but if they touch you then you’re out.  The only way to get saved and back into the game is if another person jumps over the ball that touched you.  MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Friday, December 12, 2014

Simon Says...

This morning I woke up pondering things in my heart.  The Lord brought the game “Simon Says” to mind and told me to blog about it.  You know, the childhood game where one person is Simon.  If Simon says, “Simon says to touch your nose,” then you must touch your nose.  However, if Simon says, “Touch your nose,” but doesn’t say, “Simon says” and you touch your nose anyway then you are out.  Well, this isn’t new revelation to me but the Lord was speaking to me through this game.  If you put God in place of Simon in the game and God says to do something, you should do it.  If God doesn’t say to do something, don’t do it.  As a child playing this game, I would almost always get out if I tuned out what Simon was saying and just watched the actions of others.

The Lord was speaking to me about this and how we must listen to His voice for direction and not allow others to influence our actions or decisions.  He absolutely can speak wisdom through others, but I have learned to always take what is spoken to me to the Lord to process it with Him and “throw out the chaff”.  In Psalm 1:4 it talks about the wicked being worthless chaff, but the Lord was applying this particular concept to some situations we’ve been experiencing.  For those that aren’t familiar, chaff is the outer shell (or husk) that must be removed to get at the valuable kernels of grain inside.  Chaff was removed by a process called threshing and winnowing.  After the plants were cut, they were crushed, and then the pieces were thrown into the air.  Chaff is very light and is carried away by even the slightest wind, while the good grain falls back to the earth.  Chaff is a symbol of a faithless life that drifts along without direction.  Good grain is a symbol of a faithful life that can be used by God.  Unlike grain, however, we can choose the direction we will take.

In the last few months, we’ve allowed ourselves to be “carried away” by good opportunities, choosing to set aside some internal checks we were having and going after what seemed like the logical path.  One day the Lord spoke to me clearly and said, “What seems like the logical answer is not MY answer.”  I am constantly pondering Proverbs 3:5 in my mind and heart, “Trust the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding.”  Before any steps were taken I was sensing some things in my spirit about direction for our family.  In sharing those things with Josh, he heard me but didn’t take those things to heart or ask the Lord if He was in it or not.  Instead, he chose to follow what made logical sense to him.  In the end, I chose to submit to my husband because I wanted to honor him and be in unity.  We are aware of where we went wrong, and in hindsight Josh has learned that he shouldn’t have ignored the checks I was having.  I have also learned not to waiver or treat nonchalantly the wisdom the Lord imparts to me.  We continue to walk through this journey of life, continually being humbled by the Lord’s “teaching” opportunities.

When the Lord gives you a specific task, keep your gaze focused on Him and don’t be tossed to and fro by others’ opinions or exciting opportunities that come but aren’t doors you’re supposed to walk through.  There’s no need to question the “why’s” behind it – simply trust God because He sees the bigger picture.  When you begin to second guess the Lord, the spirit of doubt and confusion enters in and clouds your vision.  We know we have heard the Lord clearly on specific dreams and tasks He has given us, but it’s important that we get the timing right and not get ahead of Him.  Someone shared a testimony with me the other day, and I believe the Lord prompted him to share it with me at just the right time without him even knowing about our situation and challenges we were facing – and it all happened through casual conversation.  The Lord spoke to this couple a year ago that they needed to find a new house.  As they began looking, one would find a house that the other didn’t like and vice-versa.  Then they found a house that they both really liked.  That weekend (Saturday) they were going to purchase the house, but it turned out that someone else purchased it the day before they were supposed to.  At that point they gave up on searching and began wondering if maybe they heard the Lord wrong because it didn’t happen the way they expected or when they expected it.  A year later the word that the Lord gave them about finding a new house began manifesting and it’s happening with such ease and favor….all in His timing.

He has spoken to us (even our kids) through words and pictures/visions, confirming that we have done the right thing by slowing things down and staying true to the things He’s put on our hearts to do.  And, YES, that means saying no to other good opportunities that may come our way so that we will be available for God’s BEST opportunities to serve out His purposes through us.  One word of advice in the “waiting” is to keep your love on and protect your relationship with Him!  The enemy would love nothing more than to steal those things from you.  You can pursue dreams that God has given you, but if you turn off your love towards anyone during your journey when obstacles come, it means nothing [1 Corinthians13].

There is this incredible song by Kelanie Goeckler called, "Let Go Now."  I would highly recommend you take the time to listen to it right now as it carries a great anointing from the Holy Spirit.  The lyrics are extremely powerful and clearly convey what is going on in the hearts of me and Josh.  Here are some of the lyrics:

Holy Spirit overshadow me.  Take me by the corners of my soul and shake me.  Break me wide open to carry your heart.  All I want to do is lose myself in you.  Lean back in your arms and just let go.  Let it be, to me, according to your word.  Your ways are higher than mine.

I let go - your kingdom come.  In my life - your will be done.  Your ways are higher than mine.  I let go now!  Everything we were holding back before, we give it to you.  We won’t struggle against your hand – we just let go.  It feels so good to just let go!  I make my good plans, but you direct my steps.  I will trust in you at all times.  Your ways are higher than mine.
 
We are choosing to JUST LET GO and surrender daily to His ways because they are higher than ours!  What will you choose today?  Will you continue to hang on to the comforts of life, or will you choose to surrender your entire life to Him and let Him have His way in and through you……..?  I pray that God will have His way in you right now.  I pray that He is ministering to your heart this very second.  I pray that chains that have held you back are broken off right now.  I pray that all fear is broken off in your life and that Holy Spirit will reveal to you God’s purposes for your life and that you would be able to take a giant leap of faith to follow after His heart – even if it means letting go of something familiar to you.  It will be worth the risk!

Slowing down our steps because “Simon” aka God said to.  Letting go now…….. 

Friday, November 28, 2014

We've Got 90-Day Visas!!

We promised an update on our visa situation so here it is…..  Success!  Yesterday we were able to pass through Botswana and back into South Africa with no hiccups whatsoever!  The Lord granted us favor with the right guard being in the right place at the right time.  Our driver told us that we had a 50/50 chance of getting 90-day visas, but I quietly told Josh, “Not with God.  He’s 100%!”  I never doubted the Lord’s faithfulness in this matter.  However, He still asks us to pray and let our requests be known to Him and then take steps forward in faith believing that He’ll provide.  So, a big THANK YOU to those that were covering our visa situation in prayer.  It saved us from having to apply through a different process and paying $1,200 for our family. The Lord has truly blessed us with free visas for 6 months.  Come the end of February we will be looking into purchasing temporary residential visas that will allow us to stay in South Africa for a longer period of time.

Other than hearing the question, “Are we almost there yet?” several times during our travels, the kids did great.  We spent between 10-11 hours in the car, and only got out at the borders.  Our driver complimented us on the kids’ behavior.  On top of that, our driver honored our hearts by not smoking in the car with our children.  IN FACT, shortly before driving us to Botswana he decided to give up smoking cigarettes – said it was a bad habit/addiction he’s had for far too long.  His health will thank him for it.

We pray that all of you whom are back in America had a wonderful Thanksgiving yesterday.  We didn’t celebrate it in the traditional sense, but we choose to be thankful daily.  As you prepare to celebrate the birth of Jesus next month, I challenge you to make it about HIM and not about gifts this year.  In fact, everyday should be about Him!  If it’s not then you’re missing out!


Enjoying the journey of life with you!  Much love from the Mason Family!

Tuesday, November 25, 2014

Traveling to Botswana - Visa Extension

It is time for us to extend our visas so we can continue to stay in South Africa, and to do so, we must exit the country and then re-enter.  So, on Thursday, November 27 we will be traveling out of the country to Botswana.  We will be catching a ride with a guy that travels there weekly so the Lord is blessing us already!  We need to be ready to depart outside the main gate of Footprints at 7am and are expected to return by 7pm at the latest….in time to Skype with my family back in the States!  It’s about a 3 ½ hour drive to and from Botswana, so we will be packing our lunch and bringing some “entertainment” for the kids.  I’m sure they’re pretty excited to have a day off from school, although we might plug in some teaching along the way! ;-)  We will pass through a guarded gate at the border and then re-enter the country of South Africa – the exact process we’re unsure of.  Typically the border guards either grant 7 days or 90 days, so of course we are praying for the latter.  After our new 90-day (see, I’m already declaring it!) visa expires we will apply for a residential visa which lasts much longer and does not require us to leave the country.  We are asking the Lord for the following and would appreciate you joining us in prayer:
  1. 90-day visa extension.
  2. No issue with my (Mindy’s) visa.  Since my expiration date is different from the rest of the family’s, due to my leaving the country back in September, we’re praying that doesn’t cause a red flag.
  3. Smoke-free drive (the driver is in the process of quitting and is aware we’ll have children with us.
  4. Safety and smooth travels; grace with children in the car for 7+ hours.
We will post another update once we’ve returned from Botswana.  Thanks and much love from the Mason Family!

Sunday, November 23, 2014

Building a Home for Children

Years ago God gave us a dream of opening up our home to abandoned children/teens, and now we are getting to live out this dream because He is faithful as we choose to live in obedience!  The next step for our family is to build a home here on the Footprints base so that we have the proper living quarters to bring in more children and multiply our family size.  After the proper classes and training, we will take on the role of “foster/house parents”.  We’ve been praying about which children to “unofficially” adopt into the Mason Family, and the Lord has already highlighted 2 of them to us.  We feel an urgency in our spirits to move forward with building a home soon, so we would greatly appreciate your prayers over our next steps – that we would be led with His wisdom.  It has always been a dream of mine to design and build my own home, so I’m pretty excited that God is giving me the opportunity to do just that.  The cost of building a home here in South Africa is not the same as in the States, but regardless, there is a cost attached.  We’re getting out of the boat KNOWING that God will provide everything that we need to make this happen.  We know He doesn’t ask us to do something radical, seemingly impossible, without providing the means to do it.  BUT, we first have to take that initial step in trusting Him and being obedient.

God has been speaking to me a lot about faith and what it actually means.  During my last flights on my way home to Africa from my dad’s funeral back in September, the Lord directed me to read Hebrews 11.  It recounts many examples of people of great faith in the old days…  Noah built an ark because He trusted the Lord when He said a flood was coming even though there was no sign of it.  Abraham left his home without knowing where he was going because He trusted that God would lead Him and provide for him once he arrived there.  To me, faith can be described by Proverbs 3:5-6 “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your understanding.  In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your paths.”  Simply put faith = TRUST.  The way we live our life truly reveals just how much we truly trust God.  If you live a “safe” (i.e. logical, no-risk) life, maybe you’re missing out on God’s purposes for you.  Have you ever felt like God was asking you to do something and then you reasoned it away because it wasn’t logical, seemed impossible or didn’t make sense?  If God told you to sell all of your possessions and then use the money to feed the poor, would you do it or would you say, “But what about me Lord?  How are you going to take care of me?  How am I going to live without this or that?”  The God I know isn’t someone who calls you to do something and then leaves you stranded or doesn’t provide for your needs.  However, your perspective on what exactly your needs are might need a little adjusting.  What if God asked you to give away one of your vehicles to a homeless guy on the street, and you reasoned it away with the thoughts, “But what if this homeless guy is ungrateful for the gift or just uses it to go buy beer instead of to get a job?”  When did God ever say we were responsible for other peoples’ responses or actions?  NEVER.  We are responsible for our connection with Him and Him alone.  As a parent, I am responsible for teaching my children truth, but ultimately they must choose how they’re going to respond.  It is so freeing knowing that I don’t have to control my children or manipulate them into making the right choice, which is something I see often in this world and have been guilty of at times myself in the past.  Instead, I get to model making good choices for them, ask for grace and forgiveness when I mess up, and then watch them make good choices because they “want” to – not because they “have” to or are fearful that if they don’t they will be judged, punished or won’t be accepted.

Do you have faith for things that are logical or do you have radical faith to do something that doesn’t make sense to you and you can’t see the “big picture” but you know how to hear God’s voice and trust Him clearly to act without fully understanding why?  The serpent asked Eve, “Did God really say not to eat…..”  Since the beginning, Satan has been instilling doubt in man’s mind and causing confusion and deception.  Adam and Eve lived an alternative life to the one God originally had planned for them in the Garden of Eden all because of their disobedience and lack of trust in Him when they didn’t understand the bigger picture.  They had a moment where they allowed the enemy to get them to doubt, and look at what the results were….  Although, thank God He had a plan to restore man’s relationship with Him through Jesus.

Hebrews 3:14 says, “For if we are faithful to the end, trusting God just as firmly as when we first believed, we will share in all that belongs to Christ.  BUT, never forget the warning: Today you must listen to His voice.  Don’t harden your hearts against Him……”

You can’t obey God and walk in faith if you don’t know how to hear His voice and know how He speaks to you personally.  If you’re not hearing God’s voice, you’re either hearing your own or Satan’s, and yes even through man.  You can even hear God’s voice and still live in unbelief because hearing and acting upon His voice are two different things.  Faith requires action.  Faith isn’t just a set of doctrines that one believes in.  Faith is living out your trust in God.  Living = an action word. In Hebrews 3:16-19 – God says that those who live in unbelief (who disobey Him) were not allowed to enter His rest.  Examine your life – is there an area in your life where you’re not “at rest”?  Maybe it’s with finances, a relationship, a job, etc.  Could it be that you are not at rest because either a) you haven’t been obedient to what the Lord has asked you to do with $, relationship, job, etc. OR b) you haven’t fully surrendered those things over to God trusting that He’s got your best interest at heart?  Lack of trust in God prevents us from receiving His best.

When you trust in Jesus, the vine, you can partake of all His fruits – peace, love, joy, gentleness, patience, etc….  When you don’t trust in Jesus, you are choosing to sever yourself (the branch) from the source of life.  My greatest inner healing came when I realized that I had an issue with trust.  At times I was skeptical, at times I doubted, often I lived in fear of being wrong.  BUT when the Lord healed me of trust issues, I became FREE because the truth literally set me free!!  Do you want to be free with Him, to soar with wings like eagles into greater depths of His heart?  I pray that today you will surrender your heart to Him and ask Him to show you areas where you don’t trust Him and are listening to lies instead of truth.  Then allow Him to gently speak truth into your heart.  It will change your life.

As we are living out our own personal journey of faith, we would greatly appreciate it if you’d join us in prayer for the following:

1) God’s blueprints being downloaded to us for our new home
2) Wisdom on where and when to build
3) Clear direction with our finances, as we want to be good stewards
4) Names and number of children to bring into our family

We thank everyone that has covered us in prayer and acted in obedience as the Lord has led – whether financially or sharing a word the Lord has given to you for us.  God is good, all the time, even in the midst of a storm!  Hold on to what is true even when you cannot see!  Love and blessings to you all!

Sunday, November 9, 2014

Our Next Steps - Leading the Footprints School

Would you laugh if I said we moved once again – yes our 5th living quarter in the past 3 months?!?!  Well, it’s true!  Only, this time we just moved up the pathway to some new “cabins”.  Pictures will come soon (once we get unpacked and more settled).  Josh and I have our own bedroom/cabin, and the kids have their own joint rooms next to us – the girls in one and the boys in the other.  THANK YOU LORD for a room with a door AND lock AND walls for me and Josh!  Our gift from Footprints!  What’s even cooler is that I’ve always told Josh that if we ever built a house, I’d want to have a bedroom that has French doors that open up to a deck/porch.  Well, wouldn’t you know, God has given us just that….only the simple African version of it!  How cool is that?!  We are truly grateful for our privacy as a couple, and at the same time, enjoy having company come visit with us on our porch.  Josh is having a great time with some of the young adult guys here.  In fact, in a few weeks all of the guys on base will be heading back to the farm where our family was last weekend for a “guys’ weekend.”

Our time at the farm last weekend solidified some things for us.  For those that don’t have access to Facebook and the video we uploaded, we announced that the Lord has confirmed we need to stay at Footprints indefinitely until He leads us elsewhere.  That means we will not be heading to Pemba, Mozambique at this time.  The Lord worked differently for me this time in giving direction.  Often times He will give me details for direction and then an answer comes through those details.  This time He gave me an answer without having the details or next set of blueprints.  When we first arrived to Footprints, immediately Josh and I noticed the acronym on the Footprints sign that read: P.L.A.Y.  (Participating in the Lives of Africa’s Youth).  My spirit leaped as God reminded me of the vision He gave me earlier this year regarding a dirt/grass soccer field and Him telling me to “play.”  I wrote more about this vision in a previous blog post on May 24 titled, “It’s Official – Mozambique Bound!”  At first I didn’t want to accept that God was already giving me the answer to where we should be, without having all the details, but looking back I can see that’s exactly what He did.  He continues to teach me to trust Him in greater measures, even when it’s outside my comfort zone or typical way of thinking.  It’s a good reminder for all of us to not get set in “our” ways so that we end up missing how God wants to speak to us in “His” ways.  I remember telling my mom and a few others how God had been speaking to me about “feet” prior to leaving the States.  How many of you know that God will use whatever it takes to get your attention and speak to you?  Yes, even a simple word like “feet” might mean something, and I know it was one dot that connected to the next for our family.

We’ve posted on Facebook that some big announcements were coming.  First off, we’re excited to announce that Josh has taken on the role of Head Master “aka” Principal at the Footprints school here on the base, and I will be assisting him as needed.  I’ve been thinking about my dad A LOT lately, as he was a principal prior to his passing.  He talked about coming to Africa someday, and I wish we could call him up right now for some wisdom and advice.  He was great at what he did!  We are praying for more long-termers to come that have a passion and desire to teach children, so we thank you for covering this great need in prayer with us.  Josh will be involved with teaching 4 older girls, while I will continue to teach Gracie and some other children that are at her educational level.  We will both continue to play a role in Christian’s education, but his primary teacher will be one of the single adult ladies whom has a degree in Animal Science.  Jade will continue to do her independent studies for Math and Language, but she will begin attending a few classes with some of the other children that are close to her age.  We’re seeking wisdom on how to integrate our own children into the Footprints school, as it’s a bit tricky since our kids are only 2 months into their schooling and the other children are just about to end their school year.  We’ll continue to use our curriculum to teach and assess where the other children are at, at least for the next 4-5 weeks.  Once the next school year begins in January, things may look completely different, so prayers for the Lord’s blueprints to be downloaded to us would be greatly appreciated.  Our children will also be changing from a 4-day school week to 5 days.  When we shared with them the news about mine and Josh’s involvement in the school and how it will affect them, they all seemed pretty excited – especially Christian since he’ll get to join some of his friends.

Some prayer points to cover:
  1. Creativity for building relationships with the children and keeping learning fun!
  2. Peace over all the children - that they would adapt well to the changes both emotionally and psychologically.
  3. Wisdom and organization for all teachers – successful assessments for the next school year.
  4. Unity amongst Josh, myself and others on the team.
Tomorrow is a big day for us, as that is when we will begin to be involved with the school.  We’re excited, but at the same time, I’m being stretched as I feel somewhat unprepared for the changes that are coming.  Please cover us in prayer that nothing would come and distract or detour us from what the Lord wants us to do here.  Thanks and much love to you all!

And, on a side note, there is another announcement coming……….but you’ll have to wait until it’s time for that!

Wednesday, October 29, 2014

We've Moved....Again!!

Due to some technical difficulties and errors on our end with our internet access, I haven’t been able to post any updates this past month, but all is resolved now and we know what NOT to do in the future.  Currently we are living on the Footprints base in Lammermoor, South Africa.  This became our new home on Friday, October 10th after the Lord spoke to both Josh and I on separate occasions that this should be the next step for our family.  Mama Yolanda and other members of the Footprints family gladly welcomed us and have continually helped us to get situated into our new home.  I don’t have an exact count of how many missionaries and African children live on the base here, but right now we are the only “foreign” missionary family with young children that live and serve here.

Prior to moving on base, we were traveling back and forth daily from Pretoria to Lammermoor (45 minutes each way) for about two weeks because we were asked to prepare lunch and dinner for the Iris Harvest School (250+ people).  Josh was the main one cooking or coordinating meals, and it was a lot of fun to watch him in action in the kitchen.  Three Mozambican ladies came to help, and occasionally our kids or other students would help cook, serve and/or clean up.  We moved on base right as Harvest School was concluding, and it has been such a blessing for our family to have a home here on base now.  The kids are making lots of great friends, and Jade even got to have a sleepover with some of the girls last Friday night.  We’re encouraging Jade to connect more with the girls on the base that are around her age, and in time, I think it will become easier and more natural for her as she branches out more.  The boys have had no problem making new friends, and often times Gracie will join them in whatever they’re doing.  Each of our kids has at least one person their age that they can become close friends with, and that is such a blessing for us and the kids.  We live in a very safe place that is gated, and for the most part, we’ve all stayed healthy (aside from congestion and a slight fever that lasted only 1 ½ days).

For those that like details, we are now staying in a one-room bunkhouse.  At first the girls shared a bunk bed, as well as the boys.  Josh and I put 2 bunk beds together for a few nights so we could be close to each other, but then we were blessed with a queen-sized bed which has been wonderful, and the kids all have single beds now.  To give me and Josh some privacy, we strung rope across the room and hung up sheets as a divider between “our room” and the kids’.  This week we brought in a table and some chairs for homeschooling.  It’s community living here so we share a common bathroom area and kitchen (detached from where we live) with others on the base.  Right now lunch and dinner is provided for us, but we are responsible for our own breakfast.  Long-term missionaries have access to a washing machine, so that has come in very handy for me (and Jade who’s been doing her own laundry for close to a year now).  We have clotheslines for us to hang our clothes on to dry, which I think is so awesome.  This is something I’ve always wanted to build in our yard even when we lived back in the States.

Currently, we homeschool our children Monday through Thursday, usually from about 8:30am-12:30pm.  I love starting off our days with worship and then Bible.  Our iTunes is having troubles to where we currently can’t obtain most of our music, so we’re hoping to get that resolved soon.  Prayers appreciated for that, as we love to worship through song and dance together as a family.  Josh teaches all of the kids Geography and Science, and then I have taken on the role of teaching Language Arts, Math and Reading to Christian (2nd grade) and Gracie (Kindergarten), in addition to planning some simple activities for Josiah to learn.  Jade (7th grade) works independently on her Math/Language Arts that is CD based, although we still have involvement with assisting her in those subjects as needed.  She just started a big science project that Josh put together for her.  Our kids enjoy being homeschooled, and Mom and Dad love being their teachers!

Fred and Renee, the couple whom we first lived with, have blessed us with the use of one of their vehicles – a Land Rover – that seats our entire family plus an additional 8 kids if needed.  How incredibly awesome is that!!  We have a bigger vehicle now than we’ve ever had.  We don’t own it, of course, but the vehicle primarily stays with us at Footprints and we can use it whenever needed and simply pay for the gas to drive it.  Gas is a little more expensive here than back in Idaho, but we don’t find ourselves needing to drive it much right now….and besides, the Lord is our provider and He knows our needs.  Just as His word says, “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything.  Tell God what you need, and thank Him for all He has done.  IF you do this, you will experience God’s peace.”  Philippians 4:6-7.  Notice how this verse is conditional.  “IF” means it requires something of us.  What does it require?  SURRENDER AND TRUST!  You can’t worry (hold on to something you shouldn’t) and trust God (experience His peace) at the same time.  You must let go (make your request known to Him) and then trust (receive peace) that God will come through for you.

Don’t panic about your needs no matter how big or small.  Either you trust God or you don’t.  It’s not a gray matter but rather black and white.  The Lord knows your needs and He will provide.  That doesn’t mean God is handing over a credit card and saying, “Here, spend my resources as you wish.”  Just because I’m a daughter of God doesn’t mean I’ll get everything I want or “think I need”.  He knows what a person truly needs and He knows the position of one’s heart.  As I think about this, I’m reminded of when we lived in the States.  For years we talked about needing a bigger vehicle so that our entire family could fit in one vehicle when we went places, but we never felt released by the Lord to buy a bigger vehicle so…..we either crammed into one or drove two cars.  We chose to be obedient over what seemed logical, and in hindsight we know why.  We are thankful we didn’t try to purchase something that we thought we needed, when in reality we did just fine without it.  If you think about it, there truly is a lot in life that you CAN live without – you just might not want to.  The only time a want or perceived need becomes a roadway to destruction is when you start believing that you can’t live without it.  The only thing we can’t live without, person in this case, is JESUS!  What it comes down to is – what are you willing to live without so God’s Kingdom can be furthered through you?  What are your priorities?  Where your treasure is, there your heart is also.  Don’t misunderstand me.  God likes to bless His children with good gifts.  He likes to give us things we want, which is not a bad thing, because He’s the best Daddy ever.  BUT we show honor to God by being obedient, thankful and good stewards (wise) with the blessings He has given us, even if He doesn’t provide or bless us in the way we originally wanted or expected.  Someone shared a testimony with us a couple of years back and I feel prompted to share it in this blog post.  I hope I don’t butcher the details.  A couple had been saving up to purchase a home and wanted enough cash for a down payment.  It’s definitely not a bad thing to want your own home.  One day when they prayed again about what to do with the savings they had, God led them to give it away to a family who needed money to attend Iris Harvest School.  This couple had a reasonable want, but they sought God for direction and were obedient to His leading.  As much as they wanted to purchase a home, I find this to be such a beautiful picture of obedience even when logic and personal desires would say to use the money for their down payment.  I don’t know how the entire story unfolded with this couple purchasing a home, but I do know that God is faithful and when you choose obedience above all else, the reward is eternal.  Sometimes we can want something so badly that when we pray about it we receive false peace that God wants us to have the same thing, so we find ourselves making decisions based on false peace.  Things may appear good for a while, but without realizing it, we are detouring God’s original plan and blessings for us.  That is why it’s so important to know the voice of the Lord and how He speaks to you so you can discern the difference between His plans and your own - His voice, the enemy’s and your own.

We had a wonderful time speaking with Mama Yolanda on Tuesday about her vision for Footprints and the vision God has placed on our hearts.  We believe this time with her brought more clarity for us and why we’re here instead of in Pemba right now.  We will share more details after we have some time to process things as a family and with the Lord.  This weekend our family is going to Fred and Renee’s farm to spend time getting to know each other more, have some fun fishing and exploring (wish you could be with us Ethan!), and spend some time praying with each other over how the Lord might want us to partner together in ministry.  Their farm is about 2 ½ hours away.  We will leave Friday morning for Pretoria to pick them up, leave later that afternoon for the farm, then return to Footprints Sunday evening.  We’ve been looking forward to this time for over a month now.  Prayers over the weekend would be greatly appreciated as we seek the Lord for our next steps.  If the Lord gives you a word for our family, shows you a picture, gives you a dream, anything at all, please feel free to e-mail us at any time with what you believe He is saying on behalf of our family.

We’d like to tell you what the next chapter in the Mason Family life might look like, but you’ll have to keep following along for the next few weeks to find out…..because we don’t even know ourselves, haha!  Oh the suspense!!  Thank you for joining us on the journey!  Love, peace and joy to you all!

Sunday, September 21, 2014

Bitter Sweet Day

Thursday, September 18th was a sweet day for our family, because as you know, our 3 youngest children gave their lives over to Jesus.  However, it was also a bitter day for us as well.  Not only did Josiah fall from the top railing of a balcony (about 20 feet high), which could have been fatal…but my father, Rob Campbell, passed away from an unexpected heart attack.  We are saddened by the loss but also rejoicing that he is with Jesus!  AND I am thankful I didn’t have to experience 2 deaths in my family in one day.

I will start off by sharing about Josiah’s fall and end with a tribute on behalf of my dad.  Some of you may have already read about this on Facebook, but for those that don’t use Facebook this will be news to you.  Extended from the kids’ bedroom is a balcony with couches, etc.  We have told the kids that they are not allowed on the balcony unless mom or dad are with them.  Early on Thursday evening Josh was downstairs preparing dinner for the entire household and I was in our bedroom typing my latest blog “3 Special Salvations – Our Children.”  Suddenly I hear a scream from the kids and am wondering who’s fighting with whom.  Then the scream became more alarming and I knew something wasn’t right.  Josh and I both heard it and ran towards where the scream was coming from – outside in the back.  We found Josiah sitting on the tile flooring outside all by himself.  I immediately go to him and pick him up.  Then Gracie tells us that Josiah fell from the balcony.  We had her repeat what she was saying because it was too unbelievable.  It turns out that he and Gracie were playing on the balcony.  Josiah was on the couch, which leans up against one of the side railings.  He then proceeded to climb on top of the railing.  I’m not sure exactly what happened after that, if he decided to climb over the railing and stand on the little ledge or if he just stood up on top of the railing, but Josiah tells us that he then decided to let go.  Of course, doing so he lost his balance and fell to the ground.  We checked him for a concussion and any protruding bones, bumps, bruises, etc., and miraculously he had nothing but a scratch on the bottom of his left pinky toe.  The moment we found him we began praying over his body and that no injuries would result.  We also PRAISED THE LORD for sending angels to protect our sweet, brave little Josiah.  There’s no way he could have fallen that far without help from above.  Josiah was a bit rattled, understandably, but he woke up the next morning saying his feet (mainly left one) feels great.  Josh and I have scoped it out and put pressure on it to see if he flinches in pain at all, because we’ve noticed him favor his foot and limp a little, but he says it doesn’t hurt at all.  We continue to declare wholeness over his entire body, and my heart cannot express how grateful I am that he was protected that day.  What causes a righteous anger in me is that the enemy knows Josiah just gave his life to Jesus that very morning.  I don’t think he liked that one bit and would love to end Josiah’s life early, but I know all of heaven is rejoicing because Josiah is part of God’s family FOREVER no matter what, and even earthly death cannot separate him from God now!

I don’t like how the enemy comes to steal, kill and destroy.  He’s a punk!  On the same day that Josiah gave his life to Jesus, I received heartbreaking news that my dad, Rob Campbell, passed away unexpectedly from a heart attack.  I will rewind to how that all happened.  It was actually the morning of Friday, September 19th in Africa when I woke up early and picked up my phone to see what time it was.  I believe it was around 6am.  I had received a private message via Facebook from someone saying that they were sorry to hear the news and that they love our family and are praying for us.  I was puzzled at first but then thought maybe they were referring to Josiah’s fall from the balcony so I thanked them for their message and then moved on.  Although, there was still something not quite right to me about the message I received because I had spoken to this person in years.  I then noticed that I had been tagged in some Facebook posts so I began reading those.  The same pattern of “I’m sorry for your loss” and “our prayers are with you,” were plastered all over Facebook.  At that point I sat up in bed and noticed Josh was reading posts on his phone.  He said that he read some posts about “Uncle Bob” so he said to me, “Don’t worry, it’s about Uncle Bob.”  I said, “Yes, my cousins and aunts and uncles call him that.”  In my spirit I knew something was wrong and sensed that my dad had passed away, but it wasn’t confirmed until my sister, Amber, sent me a message to have me call her.  Fortunately, we can make phone calls back and forth through Facebook for free…..something we discovered not too long ago!  She informed me that Dad passed away that afternoon from an unexpected heart attack while at a cross-country meet in Kimberly.  Some middle school girls found him lying on the ground (he may have possibly hit his head during the fall) and tried to roll him over but couldn’t so they cried out for help.  Some others went to find my brother, Ryan, whom also helped coach.  My mom was back in Shelley at the time.  They tried to resuscitate him, but I believe after 40+ minutes my brother told everyone he was gone.  I can’t imagine being my brother, Ryan, and seeing my dad lay their lifeless, but my understanding is that he had peace and was comforted.  My dad passed away doing something he loved.  For those that don’t know my dad, he was passionate about running and coached for many, many years.  I allowed the tears to come as Josh wrapped his arm around me, but immediately my heart broke for my mom.  As I explained to my kids, “Grandma just lost her honey.  He’s not on earth anymore where we can see him, but he is alive with Jesus.”  My sweet, little Christian has been so sensitive about the situation since he heard the news.  He came up to me later that morning and said, “Mom, it’s okay to be sad.”  Then he gave me a big hug!  He also asked if it would be okay if he told people in the house about what happened so that they could pray for “grandpa”.  He colored me pictures all throughout the day, even one of grandpa as an angel.


Some call it “Campbell stubbornness” but I’d like to call it determination – that’s one thing I inherited from my dad.  He’s always been a hard worker and was blessed with many incredible talents – teaching, coaching, painting, building things, creating new foods or concoctions (okay, that’s a Campbell inside joke) – just to name a few.  He will be forever in my heart and honored in our home.  His grandchildren will grow up knowing all about him.  I tell Christian all the time that he has Grandpa Campbell’s smile and it’s soooo true!!

For those that know my background, they know my beliefs are different than my family’s.  HOWEVER, all week long our family has been talking about John 3:16.  I know my dad believed in Jesus.  In the body of Christ, there are many doctrines or teachings that have been developed that divide the church (which is unfortunate), but the truth is that JESUS is the way, the truth, and the life and no one comes to the Father except through Him [John 14:6].  The greater our understanding of this truth is, the greater we’ll walk in freedom!  I asked the Lord to show me what my dad was up to, and this is the picture I got:

My dad was laying on the ground, younger in his years, and a puppy dog was licking him on the face.  He was smiling and laughing, rocking back and forth on his side - full of joy!  Sometimes pictures I receive are symbolic, and I believe the Lord was saying that joy and childlikeness has fully returned to my dad and that he’s having a GREAT time in heaven!!

I will be flying back to the States, arriving on Tuesday, to attend my dad’s viewing and funeral service the following 2 days.  The Lord is my provider and I trust in Him for this journey!  Please cover Josh and the kids in your prayers while I’m away.

On behalf of everyone that has shared their condolences, love, prayers and support – THANK YOU!!


Thursday, September 18, 2014

3 Special Salvations - Our Children!!!

Every morning before starting school, we spend time as a family worshipping the Lord through song and dance, and then we talk about whatever the Lord has placed on our hearts to talk about.  Sometimes we pray for things on our hearts, sometimes we talk about our feelings, sometimes we share pictures God may be giving us so that we can discuss/pray into the meaning of them.  Who knew that this morning was going to be a very special day for our family and 3 youngest children…..!


After worship and prayer, we began by reviewing the Bible verse we’ve been talking about this week: John 3:16 “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.”  After Josh had them repeat it a few times, I asked them who the “Son” was referring to.  I don’t want to take for granted and assume that they already know.  It’s good to ask probing questions to affirm one’s understanding of something.  I then felt led to explain to our kids what “perish” meant and the difference between that and eternal life.  When we receive Jesus into our life, even when we die physically on this earth, we will live forever with Him in Heaven.  As we were about to move on, I had these thoughts going on in my head: I’m sure my children have already received Jesus.  They go to church.  We’ve talked about it.  There’s no need to ask them now………..But then Holy Spirit prompted me to ASK them if they believe in Jesus and have received Him into their lives/hearts.  Christian seemed unsure if he had or not.  Gracie and Josiah said no.  I went on to tell them that receiving Jesus into one’s life is a personal choice that we must all make at some point – there is no right or wrong age for when we do it, there is no right or wrong way for how we do it.  Why?  Because God looks at the heart and not at our religious approach or traditions.  I told them that if they ever want to receive Jesus into their life to let Mommy and Daddy know and we’d help them, or they could just ask Jesus into their lives on their own.  Growing up I know how detrimental it is to make decisions for yourself and not based on others’ expectations of you, so I said nothing further and didn’t want them to feel pressured or manipulated into making the choice today.  Right as we were about to move on, Christian says, “I want to receive God/Jesus into my heart TODAY!”  This was a bold decision for Christian because often times he tends to shy back and fears the “unknown” – like what it will look like to allow Jesus to live in Him through the Holy Spirit – but I am so proud of him for choosing to be bold and be an example for his younger brother and sister!  I mean, his whole face lit up and he was grinning from ear to ear when he said it!!  When Gracie and Josiah realized what was happening, they too decided to receive Jesus into their hearts!!  I will briefly mention, so as to not exclude Jade, that she gave her life to the Lord already when she was younger and has been seeking after Him ever since!  Josh helped the kids to vocalize their decision to God through prayer (a simple conversation with Him).  Of course, joyful tears were streaming down my face!!

I expressed to the kids how they just made the best decision of their lives!!  I shared with them how, ever since they were born, I’ve prayed that they would all know Jesus at a young age – and when I say “know”, I’m referring to having a personal relationship with Him.  I shared with them how Mommy didn’t understand fully what this meant until I was almost 25 years old, and even then God took me on a long journey of discovering who I am as His daughter!  I shared with them how angels and a cloud of witnesses in heaven were rejoicing over them at that very moment!!  They just smiled!

We’ve been praying over our kids that they would see angels and that God would speak to them in their dreams, amongst other things.  We invite angels into their rooms and into our home every night.  Jade began to share how she’s seen angels before.  She said one time she saw a very large angel laying in our bed in Pemba, Mozambique 2 years ago.  It was during the first few weeks when we were there and our entire family was sleeping in one room.  She said we weren’t laying in the bed at the time, just the angel was, and his feet hung way over the bed….he was VERY large.  She then shared how she saw another angel at our old rental house that we just moved out of.  The angel was standing in the corner and its wings were encircling our entire home.  Then Christian said one day he saw Jesus.  We asked when that was.  He said at the hospital.  We asked when he was at the hospital, and he said, “When I was a baby I saw Jesus in the hospital.”  We asked what Jesus looked like, and he said Jesus had brown hair and was wearing a white “thing” (he didn’t know what to call it) and that Jesus looked a little older than Daddy. 

I love how our kids are learning that they can have a close relationship with God/Jesus/Holy Spirit NOW, and that they’re not far away or a figment of the imagination like many think.  For those reading this whom haven’t made the personal choice to accept Jesus as their Lord and Savior, it’s never too late!  God loves you right where you’re at, and He wants you to experience His love like never before.  That is the gospel in its simplest form.  Many have accepted the idea of Jesus or teachings about Jesus but still don’t know Him.  Some live in bondage of fear, offense, lies, bitterness, unforgiveness, hurts, pride, control, etc., but God’s word promises us an abundant life – a life full of peace, love, joy, patience…..FREEDOM!!!  His word also says that we shall know the truth and the truth will set us free!!  When you know Jesus, it transforms your life and you are free to love Him no matter the cost!  For me to love Jesus, it cost me my pride, it cost me giving up my right to be right, it cost me surrendering my life to Him – oh yes – there is a cost.  It will require you to let go of things, but in the end it is so worth it.  At some point the Lord is going to have me type up my testimony, my story, but until then I will leave you with this………………

Psalm 118:24 - Today is the day the Lord has made, let us be glad and rejoice in it!!  Thanks for rejoicing with us!!

Saturday, September 13, 2014

Footprints

To go to villages in Africa where they have very little and yet do not complain, that’s where I want to be!  To see children line up with excitement – bowls and cups in hand – waiting to be served a simple meal of porridge and cabbage with juice to drink………..it’s priceless!

We’ve had the opportunity to go to an Iris base called Footprints in Lammermoor, South Africa on Tuesday, Thursday and Friday of this past week.  The first day was a bit more challenging because our own kids were still experiencing jet lag and were tired.  Christian became very dehydrated and began throwing up after a few hours of being there and playing with the children, so we ended the day earlier than expected and headed home.  Christian woke up the next day feeling much better, and we have remedied the dehydration problem by purchasing water bottles for each child.  We fill them up multiple times a day, and they have all done great with drinking water now.

During our second visit, we were greeted by many sweet smiles from the smaller children that live on base.  I am proud to say that I have learned all of the little ones’ names.  I believe there are 28 children that live on the base, but we have yet to spend much time with the older ones.  Josiah has made friends with a few boys his age, specifically Duncan and Mikey, and I like to think of them as The Three Stooges!  They all have quite the personalities and keep us laughing!  The children have enjoyed the area as they have a playground, sandbox, trampolines, horses (Captain & Charlie) and other pets.  I’ve been told that there are pet snakes somewhere, but I have yet to see them…Jade is okay with that! ;-)

We went with a team on outreach to a village called Allveville.  We brought yogurt and frozen fruit drinks with us and simply loved on the children there.  I encountered great teaching opportunities with our children during this time.  Gracie and Josiah were both wanting yogurt, but I explained to them that they wouldn’t be having any unless there were some left over (which we gathered there wouldn’t be).  We brought a backpack with snacks for them anyways, just in case it was a longer day than expected.  I wanted our children to know that it wasn’t because they were “undeserving” of these special treats, but I took the opportunity to explain to them why we were there and what we were doing.  I basically taught out of Matthew 25:35-40 and explained to them how these African children sometimes go without meals and rarely get special treats like this.  Jesus commanded us to go and feed the poor so that’s what we’re doing.  Josiah and I then went on a walk to where the garbage piles were.  I told him that the children live in these little homes surrounding the piles of garbage and sometimes there are people who even live in the garbage dumps and look for food there because they don’t have food to eat like we do.  He said, “Ewww.”  I told him it’s sad and that’s why we’re here to help them.  He was really soaking it up in his spirit because as we walked back to the group he said, “Mom, can you tell me that again?  I want to hear it again what you just told me.”  He then asked me to walk over to the garbage dumps so that I could explain to him the truth of God’s word again.  It so touched my heart that he was actually absorbing in his own heart what I was speaking about!  There was one little boy there whom Josiah really connected with.  He began playing chase/tag with him and both were giggling the entire time.  The boy found it funny that we hid behind a parked vehicle so he couldn’t see us and then we slowly snuck up behind him (because his back was towards us) and surprised him!  Shortly after, it was time for us to head home.  Josh did enjoy his time there, not only hanging with the little children, but also visiting with a couple of the teen boys there...encouraging them with their dreams.  What a glorious day!

The next day, Friday, September 12th, we went to Donald’s Village to feed the children there (after spending some time at Footprints and making paper airplanes for some of the children).  As the village children gathered, they lined up with their bowls and cups (for possibly the only meal they’ve had that day, I’m not really sure) and some other team members dished them up porridge, cabbage and juice.  They were thrilled!  I was blessed to pray for some ladies while there and speak into their identity.  In case anyone is wondering, they do speak English where we are.  While playing in the dirt, Gracie was swarmed by a bunch of children.  Everyone loves her blonde hair (which I just cut about 6” off of).  She handled it rather well and didn’t shy away from them like she normally might.  I did check in with her to see if she was okay, and she just kept on playing in the dirt.  Gracie may be shy at times, but she does have a boldness and fearlessness in her!  I see more and more how content our kids are to simply play in the dirt – the simple life.  One of the team members brought nail polish so Jade enjoyed painting the little girls’ nails yellow and pink.  There was music playing, and I tell you what, these little African girls can dance!!  It was such a place of joy!

These village children may live in shacks, wear dirty/holey clothes and not have much food, but in my experience I have never heard them complain.  I don’t think they deserve to live that way, but I do believe we can all learn a little something from them.  When you begin to focus on your troubles or lacks, then the enemy pounces on the opportunity to enlarge them and tell you lies so that your situations or circumstance become worse in your mind than they really are.  That is why God commands us to focus on the positive [Philippians 4:8].  When things don’t go exactly the way you expected or envisioned they would, stop for a minute and ponder the following – God, where are you in the midst of this?  Help me to see where you’re at work so that I can grow closer to you!  Because the truth is, God is always at work.  Don’t accept the saying that “everything happens for a reason” because not everything that happens is part of God’s plan, but God will use everything in our lives for good if we allow Him to.  We just need to make sure we’re magnifying the positive instead of the negative in our lives.  This is called having a heavenly or kingdom perspective, and when you focus on the truth instead of the fact, it will set you free!

Monday, September 8, 2014

We Made It To Africa!!

Our traveling experience with Emirates Airlines has been incredible!!  We thank God that he blessed us with affordable plane tickets through the best international airline company known.  We’ve experienced very little turbulence and extremely smooth landings and take-offs.  AND I’m happy to announce that no one’s ears hurt either!!  We experienced no popping or blocked hearing upon our landing in Africa.  Thank you to those that covered this in prayer. During the flight from Dubai to Johannesburg, Africa (which was non-stop), I (Mindy) finally caught some sleep.  It was an 8-hour flight and I do not know how long I slept, but all I know is I woke up to a voice on the intercom announcing that we’d be landing in 20 minutes.  The kids slept most of the time too.  An 8-hour flight only felt like a couple of hours to us.  We did put the 2 youngest children (Gracie & Josiah) in pull-ups during our flying travels, just to be safe, but we are happy to say that they both stayed dry the entire time!  Christian even got to experience losing his 1st tooth all on its own too!  He actually had 3 baby teeth pulled shortly before leaving the States because an adult tooth wasn’t coming in properly, but this was the first tooth that fell out all on its own and while flying of all places!!  It’s not every day you lose a tooth on the plane!

One thing to cover in prayer is the kids’ glasses.  We only have 1 pair for Gracie (for those that don’t know she got glasses about 1 week before leaving).  Both she and Josiah are currently farsighted.  We “had” 2 pairs of glasses for Josiah, but the nose piece broke on his newest pair so we have reverted back to him wearing his old pair (which are actually better) and are praying that super glue will do the trick with his other glasses.  Pray that we have no more problems with glasses.  Even better yet, pray that eyes are healed!!

Upon landing in Johannesburg, South Africa we were faced with an escalator and no elevator.  It’s very challenging to get all your little ones on the moving escalator along with their suitcases and backpacks.  Fortunately, we were blessed by 2 people who insisted on helping us.  When we got to the bottom, an airport worker got carts for all our carry-ons and backpacks, another huge blessing because at this point the younger kids were tired and could no longer carry theirs – which meant Josh and I were carrying 2, sometimes 3, backpacks on our shoulders in addition to pulling 1, sometimes 2/3 suitcases on wheels.  Our shoulders were fairly sore at this point.  Wishing our favorite masseuse was here to massage us!!  You know who you are! ;-)  Aside from that, our kids did very well traveling and doing their part with carrying or pulling their own luggage.  What troopers!!

After our carry-ons and backpacks were loaded onto carts by the worker, she continued to lead us to customs and passed the ginormous line of people waiting.  That’s right, she took us to the VERY FRONT of the line (which looked a mile long!)  This probably saved us 1 ½ to 2 hours of waiting in line.  Then she and another lady worker helped to locate our 3 tubs, which don’t come through the regular baggage claim conveyor belts, and got us more carts for our remaining 9 suitcases.  After loading everything onto 5, yes 5 carts, they assisted with pushing them out to the front doors where we waited for our shuttle driver, Ralph, to pick us up with his car and trailer.  He arrived around 5:30pm and took us to Pretoria (about 1 hour away) where a couple named Fred and Rene have opened up their beautiful, did I say beautiful, home to us!

A team of young adults met us at the gates where they unloaded all of our luggage for us.  Our family was given 2 rooms to sleep in and a bathroom.  We were prepared for Pemba, so for those that are familiar with that area, our kids keep asking, “Where’s the red dirt and ocean?!”  There are many young adult missionaries living in the home with us, but in the future things will be changing.  We don’t know how long we will be here, but we are praying for clarity and clear direction on that.  If you receive anything from the Lord related to our family, please feel free to share it with us via e-mail or private message in Facebook.  Even if it doesn’t make sense to you, it very well might make sense to us!  A very delicious dinner was prepared on our behalf, and we enjoyed sitting with everyone in the dining room (which isn’t a custom with everyone’s different schedules but they wanted to honor us and we felt very honored).

We’ve posted various updates on Facebook, but for those that don’t use Facebook, we are experiencing some jet lag in our family but there’s actually a funny story behind that.  So, as you’ve read in our last blog, our kids were wide awake at 4am in Dubai.  For their first morning in South Africa, they woke up at “5:30am” so we looked at this as progress…..!  We decided to spend some time talking with the kids about how they’re feeling so far and then for those that wanted to they prayed over various things.  We then decided to worship together to a few songs – fast, lively songs like, “This is What You Do” and “Deep Cries Out”.  We did try to be somewhat quiet because we didn’t know who’d be awake at 7:30am.  Josh also read Psalm 91 over our family.  Afterwards we decided to head downstairs for some breakfast.  Not long after, one of the young adults came down and said he was headed to preach to some students.  He normally has to be there at 7am.  In our minds we’re thinking, um, you’re a little late this morning.  That’s when the light bulb went off…..!!  After asking him what time it was, it turns out it was only 6:45am instead of 8:45am like we thought.  That means the kids actually woke up at 3am instead of 5am like we thought, oh my!  It turns out our phone clocks were still going off the Dubai time zone and hadn’t recalculated, our bad!  We hope we didn’t wake anyone with our family worship time. J  Although, as our Vineyard Meridian Pastor Reeni pointed out, waking up to a family worshiping the One they adore isn’t so bad!

Today was our first full day in South Africa, and both Josh and I felt like it was to be a day of “chillin’.”No plans, no “we have to get unpacked/organized”, just simply hanging with the kids.  It turns out we all needed it because we ended up taking a family nap around 9/10am and slept until about 1pm. We decided to wake the kids up so they’d actually go to sleep at a decent time tonight.  When I woke up my phone said 3pm, and I was worried that I had missed our Skype session with my parents at 2pm, but then Josh pointed out that the time on my phone still hadn’t updated to the South African time zone and it was really only 1pm.  Phew!!  Unfortunately, the Skype session never happened because Grandma and Grandpa Campbell (my parents) were having connectivity issues.  Pray that gets resolved soon!  We are being diligent with getting the kids adjusted to the time difference from America (8 hours different) so we kept them up for the remainder of the day so they would actually go to sleep at night.  They managed to fall asleep around 9-9:30pm, with the exception of Christian whom stayed up playing Legos and coloring in our bed until 10:30pm.  Please pray that the kids sleep in until at least 7am.

Our plans for tomorrow morning (Tuesday) are to head to the Footprints base in Johannesburg to meet the director, Pastor Yolanda, and the rest of the team.  Excited to love on some children!!  We’ll write another blog on how that visit goes.  It’s now midnight so I’m going to try and get some rest.  Until next time………..