The first of August will mark exactly two years since our personal belongings were removed from a lengthy storage in a Napier warehouse.  When our things were deposited there, we had no idea so much time would pass before we saw them again.  It wasn't too hard to leave them.  We had been well taught. 

In the late 1980s a missionary wife wrote a prayer letter that told about losing most of their family possessions due to an island hurricane.  That letter was read aloud during the mid-week prayer service in the church Lori attended.  The missionary wife wrote that her response to the damage was, "Lord, we just lost a lot of your stuff."  Bobby Finch, the staff member reading the letters that night, took time to pause and point out this godly attitude toward personal possessions.  Lori has never forgotten the thoughts shared that night during her high school years.

We did have some reservation leaving equipment in a warehouse without any form of climate control.  We had heard horror stories of other missionaries leaving things in storage, only to return and find there had been a water leak, much mould growth, items stolen, etc.  Each time we were tempted to worry about such consequences, we stopped and prayed that God would protect the items he wanted us to continue using in service for Him.

Twenty-eight months later, we were overjoyed to welcome the truck that delivered our family heirlooms, toys Heidi had missed, ministry equipment, library, piano, and all the other things that make up a functioning household.  To our utter astonishment, not one item was damaged due to the lack of climate control.  Everything was in top notch order, as if we had packed up two weeks earlier.  Apparently, God was happy for us to continue using everything!

On this anniversary, as we have again rejoiced in these events, it is fitting that we recently came across the following quote from David Livingstone.  It is our prayer that we will always remember that everything we have is on loan from God for the purpose of serving Him.

"I will place no value on anything I possess save in its relation to the kingdom of Christ. If anything will advance the kingdom of God, it shall be given away or kept only as by the giving of it or the keeping of it, I shall promote the glory of Him to Whom I owe all my hopes in time and eternity."     David Livingstone

The whole of New Zealand bragged about being the first country to usher in the new millennium.  "They" (whoever that is) offered prizes for the first baby of the millennium.  We couldn't deliver, and our baby didn't arrive until the eighth of June.  We celebrated her 8th birthday on the 8th of June 2008. 

We offered a birthday party this year. (Most years it is just a family affair).  We had to limit the number of children to twelve.  Our socialite would have preferred to invite every child she knows.  The group of twelve wasn't easy to manage at a large local park, our birthday girl's choice of location.

The best activity was her idea, too.  Scott dressed up in his camouflage and hid in a small bush walk (forest of trees) at the edge of the park.  The kids were supposed to walk through and find him.  It was much more difficult than they expected.  The kids searched 20 minutes without success, so Scott put out his bright white tennis shoes as a clue.  The kids found him laying on the ground nearby.  We should have had the video going!

She requested a Tigger cake.  "Tigger?  For an 8 year-old?" we asked.  "I like him," she said.  Yes, we thought, there is a personality similarity.  So we made and ate Tigger.

Heidi's favourite birthday gift was a digital camera.  Heidi's aunt and uncle upgraded and gave their old one to Heidi.  Facebook users can see the classic moment here.

The 27th of May was a significant day.  It passed without much ado beyond our normal routine, but in an office building somewhere in Hamilton a clerk put stickers in our passports.  These weren't just any stickers.  We have waited 13 years for these stickers. 

When we were married in June 1995, we began our endeavour to obtain New Zealand permanent residence visas.  Our Christian university degrees weren't recognized by the New Zealand Qualifications Authority, and we began a long search to find another source of the needed "points" to qualify for the system.  In April 2003, through the wisdom of a friendly lawyer, by the grace of God, and an obvious case of "God turning the heart of Pharoah" a short-term law reprieve saw us slide in with the proper points due to the fact that our daughter, Heidi, was born in New Zealand during a very specific window of time.

However, our permanent visas weren't really permanent.  We were restricted to remain in New Zealand.  If we left New Zealand, we would lose our permanent visas if we didn't return within two years.  Several trips back to the States reset this clock on more than one occasion.

We have now lived in New Zealand, with our permanent visas, long enough to demonstrate our commitment to the country.  The stickers on 27 May award us the freedom to come and go from New Zealand with no time restrictions.  New Zealand is home for us, and we would be happy to die here, if God so wills it.  However, we are pleased that the New Zealand government has given us the passport freedom to obey God's travel directions.

Kiwis are well-known for their adventurous spirits and extreme sports.  Bungy jumping was invented here.  One town advertises a vacation of skydiving, bungy jumping, high-speed jet boat ride and a helicopter ride...all in one day.  We shouldn't have been surprised when a friend at church told us they were going to pet lion cubs.  We didn't think we had heard them right.  When Heidi, our animal lover who wants to be a vet, got wind of the activity, she put it on her list of things to do.  When her marble reward jar was full, she requested this activity as her reward, of course.

We did a bit of research and learned that the "lion cubs" were actually now a year-old and we had one week to get there and pet them before they were to be released from this boring life and allowed to live with the mature lions.  Although the event would surely have been more exciting with very young active cubs, their sheer size made petting them an awesome privilege.  In these photos they are about half the size of a full-grown lion.  They were impressive.

Heidi would want you to know that there were clear instructions not to pet the cubs on the head.  When we returned to their enclosure for a second visit late in the day, Heidi forgot the warning and was very impressed with the speed of both the lion cub and the keeper.  The keeper grabbed Heidi's hand away, but not before Heidi saw the lion cub turn his head.  (The photos posted here are earlier in the day.)

This is an encounter our children will never forget.  Would this even be possible in sue-happy USA?

We are continually awed by the incredible creatures that make up God's creation.

My [Lori's] sister Hollie publishes a monthly newsletter for seminary wives.  She asked me to keep a journal for a day so that she could publish it along with a similar journal kept by a 50-something pastor's wife.  Hollie's thoughts were that our seasons of life, and therefore ministry contributions, are so different, it would be reflected in just one day of activity.  I agreed to keep such a journal and then found it very entertaining.  Perhaps you will, too.  I publish it here with several disclaimers:

1. Revealing this to the world is dangerous.  We are opening ourselves to criticism.  You might read it and think, "This lady needs help!  She hasn't got a clue how to organize a day!"  If you read it and find areas where we need to improve...please pray for us...and feel free to send us constructive criticism.
2. Every homeschool is different.  How we do school may be completely different than how you do school.  For us, our system works because it is flexible, and it works well...on most days.  Some days we finish school early in the day.  Some days we don't.  We are continually tweaking our system as we find better ways to use our time wisely, productively, and enthusiastically.
3. Every day in our house is different from the previous day.  Some days we are hardly at home.  Some days we have people in and out all day long.  The day I chose to journal was a stay-at-home day with little outside contact.  No matter what the schedule, every day I try to focus on the care and training of our children and squeeze in as much other ministry activity as possible.

It is our hope that this journal may amuse you (Proverbs 17:22), encourage you (Proverbs 25:25), or inspire you to pray for us (James 5:16).  For clarification, on this particular Tuesday in January, Heidi is seven and Daniel has just turned four.

6 a.m.  Scott’s alarm clock awakens me, so I get up and have my devotions, then join Scott for breakfast and we chat over our cereal bowls.

7 a.m.  With Scott gone and the kids still sleeping, I take advantage of the quiet time to get some work done in the office.  I make a Skype call to Illinois to verify some details on our absentee ballot papers, answer some emails, and complete other miscellaneous office tasks.

8:30 a.m.  The kids are ready for breakfast after having an unusually late sleep-in…I enjoyed the extra time in the office.  I clean out the refrigerator while the kids are eating their cereal and toast.  Breakfast is leisurely with lots of chattering and laughing.

9:10 a.m.  The kids pick a DVD to watch while I shower then make a couple beds and put away yesterday’s ironing.

9:45 a.m.  Kids and I work together to sort laundry that is waiting to be washed and empty all the rubbish bins and put the garbage out for pickup.  I have to stop a fight between the kids and spend a few moments marvelling as to how an argument over riding bikes comes out of sorting laundry.  I also severely bang my hip on the corner of the chest freezer and realize I’m in too high a gear and need to slow down a bit.

10:00 a.m. Heidi does her morning bedroom chores while Daniel and I water the garden and pull a few weeds.

10:25 a.m.  We all move to the kitchen.  Heidi empties the dishwasher while I clean up the breakfast mess.  Daniel tries to set up a tea party and decides mid-way through set up that this is a bad time to set up a tea party on the kitchen floor.  He decides to change the blanket from a tea party tablecloth to a cape and I help him get it attached to his body.  I also take time to inspect Heidi’s room and discuss the shortcomings, while simultaneously de-cluttering a bit as I walk through the house.

10:45 a.m.  Heidi begins her schoolwork and starts with reading aloud to me.  Daniel is set up to make applesauce popsicles while I’m mixing up our favourite granola (muesli) cereal recipe.  The kids ask for a snack, so they munch on nuts, too.

10:55 a.m.  We interrupt the reading to solve another sibling issue with character training.  Everyone was busy, why is there another argument??!

11 a.m.  The phone rings and one of the other ladies from church has called to find a listening ear.  The kids run off to play while I’m on the phone.

11:25 a.m. I call the kids back to the kitchen and we carry on with the reading, popsicle making and cereal concoction.

11:40 a.m.  We switch tasks as Heidi does her reading worksheets. Daniel runs off to play, and I prepare lunch while the cereal is in the oven.

11:50 a.m.  I serve the kids leftover spaghetti and a choice of fruit.  While they eat I clean up the applesauce popsicle mess.

12:00 p.m.  I realize I’m sitting down for the first time since 8:30 this morning.  I enjoy the chair while eating my lunch.  In between bites I spell out words for Heidi, who is back to her reading worksheets.

12:10 p.m.  I clean up the lunch dishes, clean spaghetti off the floor, and put away the cereal making dishes and supplies.  I stop a few times to help Heidi with instructions on the paper airplane she and Daniel are trying to make.  I also make a quick dash out to the garage to swap laundry loads between appliances.

12:30 p.m.  Since the kids are playing so nicely together, I take advantage of my solitude to pray for the friend who called earlier.  I also put a frozen roast in the oven to thaw at a low temperature, take another phone call, and feed a few houseplants.  The peaceful moments are ended with the realization that there has been an unsuccessful visit to the bathroom, so we go clean up that mess.

1:00 p.m.  I switch the laundry again and do a bit of paperwork while waiting for a Skype call.

1:15 p.m.  The kids and I talk on the webcam with my sister and niece in Pennsylvania.

1:45 p.m.  I send Heidi to do her devotions while Daniel and I clean up his bed (the kids played there earlier) and get him settled down for a nap.

2:00 p.m.  I get Heidi started on her spelling assignment, and then I make up a grammar review page to supplement yesterday’s grammar lesson.  I also field a couple more phone calls and familiarize myself with the next grammar and math lessons.  We also address a few character issues which surface during the spelling and grammar work.

2:45 p.m.  We watch the math lesson demonstrated on DVD and begin the math lesson. I take the opportunity to have a cup of tea and put my feet up.

3:30 p.m.  My piano student arrives for his lesson.  I send Heidi off to take a bath.  Before the lesson is done, Heidi comes to sit and listen.  After the lesson I agree to let the piano student stay and play for a while, and we wake up Daniel.

4:30 p.m.  I supervise the children playing a game and help solve rule disagreements while I’m folding and putting away the clean laundry and do a bit more de-clutter.  I’m struck by the increase in noise level with the extra child around.

5:30 p.m.  I ask Heidi to set the table for dinner as I’m preparing dinner and cleaning up several mysterious spills in the kitchen.  I stop to solve the occasional play dispute between Daniel and the piano student.

5:45 p.m.  Heidi’s table set-up passes inspection and I dismiss her to go play, and then I spend a few minutes chatting with the piano student’s parent who has come to pick him up.

6:00 p.m.  As I’m putting the food on the table, Scott calls to say he will be home late.  The kids and I sit down to eat.

6:25 p.m.  I give one child permission to get up and play. The other child chooses to sit at the table and look at the sole piece of broccoli still sitting on their dinner plate.  I call a church family to arrange inviting them to join us for lunch in our home on Sunday, clean up dinner, and address an obedience issue with one of the children.

6:45 p.m.  Help Daniel get in the bathtub and remind him of proper bath etiquette (i.e. no spraying water on the walls, one boy needs one washcloth, and other such things).  Then I go help Heidi finish her math assignment.

7:00 p.m.  Scott homes home, so I take time to welcome him and talk a few minutes.

7:10 p.m.  Daniel needs help washing up, and I get Heidi going on her handwriting copy work.  She decides to do it while cuddling up next to Scott on the couch while he eats and catches a bit of the evening news.

7:20 p.m.  I put away the rest of the dinner dishes, pack tomorrow’s lunch for Scott and chat with him a bit more.

7:45 p.m.  We all go on a walk together.

8:15 p.m.  Scott sits down to have family devotions with the kids.  I see a fly on the kitchen blind and spend a few minutes catching it to feed to the two praying mantises Heidi is keeping in her bug house.

8:45 p.m.  We get the kids teeth brushed and send them off to bed with a few books before we turn their lights out at 9 p.m.  I go back to the office and sit down to do some administrative work for the church.  I spend the rest of the evening working on some purchases for the church, loading up Scott’s mp3 player with sermons for him to listen to, and take care of some ministry correspondence.  Scott and I also spend a bit more time together discussing some of these things and enjoying one another’s company.

11:30 p.m.  I crash in bed much later than I would like to admit.

We've been blessed to have both sets of our parents/grandparents visit us this summer...almost back to back.  We had a four week lull..reality check, really...between their visits.  The time was anticipated for months..in fact, we barged through many months on the calendar without taking a break, knowing that we had five weeks of family time coming.  There has been no shortage of ideas for activities.  We have been to the beach, to the mountains, to the gardens, to Sky Tower, visiting friends, picking blueberries, bottling pickles and more.  And we aren't done.  Next week, Lord willing, we will dust off our lonely canoe and take it down the river as well as making a visit to pet "lion cubs" which are now a year-old and deemed too old to pet effective 31 March!  Watch for the pictures of that one. :)

We haven't been playing all the time because ministry work never takes a holiday.  But, we've managed to make family fun a priority for a few weeks, and we've all enjoyed the R & R...to a degree.  This week Scott and his parents did the one-day hike through the Tongariro Crossing.  All three of them found it gruelling and, upon arriving home, Scott admitted he is "too old to be doing that "because he is "not in his 20s anymore."  Well, what about the other people in his hiking party?!  Apparently, the photos they took are more enjoyable than the hike they did in order to take said photos.  You can find some of those photos in the "Where We Are" album. 

There are lots more new photos in the other albums, and more to come...we're still on "holiday", so posting on the blog is legal activity.

Here is a quote we have recently discovered and added to our list of favourites:

I am not what I ought to be.  I am not what I wish to be.  I am not what I hope to be.  Yet I can truly say, 'I am not what I once was.'  By the grace of God, I am what I am.

John Newton, with similar thoughts to the Apostle Paul in Romans 7:15-25

We have a new nephew/cousin.  He has entered the lives of Lori's youngest sister and her husband in the far, far away land of Florida.

Ethan David Barnes

7 lbs 7 ounces and 20 inches

Born at 8:41 am on 1 February 08

The name Ethan is especially nice, we think.  There is a precious little Ethan in our church family here in New Zealand. 

Are you like us and associate names with people you already know?  Certain names bring up bad images, for instance, nightmares of elementary school playground bullies. (Don't worry...no one in our list of friends or family carries any of the "bad" names on our list.  Those names just didn't make it onto our list of possible baby names when we were searching for those).  Ethan is a great name for us to remember.

We are quite confident this little Ethan will develop his own bank of memories in our lives with a personality that means "Ethan" to us.  In the meantime, we'll enjoying cuddling the Ethan we can get close to and tell him all about our new little friend in Florida.

Our sweet little boy has turned four.  He is a classic case of "all boy."  In his last month of being three he learned how to swing by himself, learned how to ride his bike without training wheels, and adopted a
yo-yo as his most beloved toy.  The yo-yo is a refreshing change since he spent the majority of his third year worshipping balls...any size, any shape, any game.

Today he said, "Mom, I wish I was you."  Mom was thinking, what?  So the response was, "Why do you wish you were me?"  Daniel's answer, given with a look of great admiration, was simply, "Because I like you."

He thinks literally.  Just before Christmas, we decided at the last minute to try and watch a local children's handbell choir that was performing in a concert at the local cathedral.  We had no tickets and couldn't find anyone who knew how to get them, so we decided to go "and try to get in."  Daniel thought that comment was a little strange and said, "Isn't there a door?"

In Sunday School, when the class was asked what is the first thing they think of when someone mentions God, Daniel's answer was, "Someone very important."

We've posted more pictures of him in a new photo album called "Daniel".

Both of us (Scott and Lori) are currently reading David Clotfelter's Sinners in the Hands of a Good God.  There are two bookmarkers in the book, and when one of us is ready to read some more, we have to go track down where the other last left the book!  He closes each chapter with a personal prayer written from "the cries and yearnings of [his] own heart as [he] meditated on the topics discussed." 

We have long desired to improve our own prayers, and plan an extensive study on that topic in the near future.  But, we digress.  That is a topic for another entry sometime.

The prayers are poignant.  This one we have read, re-read, and read together.  We have copied it.  We are praying it ourselves.

"My gracious, loving Father, the doctrine of eternal punishment shatters me and reduces me to confusion and embarrassment.  I have often spoken with disdain of those who at various times of history have been complacent in the face of terrible suffering on the part of their fellow human beings, but what is to be said of someone who can be so little troubled by the thought that millions of his fellow creatures are destined to an eternity of torment?  Should this thought not drive me to far greater efforts in prayer, evangelism, and service?  Surely the truth, Father, is that this doctrine has penetrated only superficially into my heart and life, such that I have hardly begun to know what it is to take Your wrath with perfect seriousness and to struggle in prayer for and in witness to those who are lost.

That I may draw close to the spirit of Christ, I ask again that You strengthen my mind to understand sound doctrine, humble my proud heart to receive it, and embolden my spirit to proclaim and live it.  I would gladly reject the doctrine of hell; but if I may not, then let me so receive it as to be haunted by it, and so believe it as to be incapable of cravenly withholding Your truth from those in danger of everlasting loss.  In Jesus' name I pray.  Amen."

We took our camera and tripod to Hamilton Gardens this afternoon in hopes of producing a professional style photo to replace the outdated photos on the refrigerators of various people who claim us as family or friends.  The results are amusing and somewhat reminiscent of the previous generation of Silsbees trying to get photos of Scott and Craig with similar results.  The instructions were simple, "Smile at the orange flashing light."

There are lots more in the "Un-Professional Photos" photo album (find it on the right side of the screen).  If you happen to like a particular photo and want to print it for your fridge or dart board, let us know which one.  We can email you the higher resolution photo if you like.

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We were tickled to see a 10 week Christmas preparation guide in the newspaper on 18 October.  (Yes, we're slow to post here!)  You Northern Hemisphere people may enjoy a laugh, too.

1. Spring-clean the house
2. Get the garden fixed up
3. Take care of all those little "fix it" jobs
4. Make the Christmas cake
5. Sort out the Christmas pudding
6. Do the shopping
7. Write the cards
8. Help organise the work party
9. Make the holiday arrangements
10. Catch up with all our friends

What made us chuckle even further is that we were actually in the middle of doing #1, #2 and #3.  Have we truly become a Kiwi family?  For what it is worth, we have not ticked off ANYTHING on the list.  Hopeless...

Yesterday Heidi asked if she can arrange the Nativity scene when we put up the Christmas decorations.  We are pleased that her pre-Christmas thoughts are on a spiritual plane.

As a family we have sought to place Scriptural art in every room of our home, both for the benefit of ourselves and for our many visitors.  Because we are seeking to more deeply understand a definition of grace (beyond the cute acronym "God's Riches at Christ's Expense"), in August we purchased large letter tiles which spelled G-R-A-C-E and hung them above the window in our dining room.  Those letter tiles have often resulted in dinner conversation on the topic of grace...what it really is, how it affects us, etc.  Noteworthy, then, was an opportunity to publicly broadcast some of those thoughts.

On 13 September the following article appeared in the Hamilton Press:

What you get, you always deserve
by Mynda Mansfield, teacher writer and spiritual educator
     I was quite startled to discover in the dictionary that one of the definitions of grace is the unmerited favour of God.  I was startled because I believe that this is misleading.  The nature of our relationship to the Divine is that of co-creator, and when we play our part, so does God.  What we receive, we always deserve.
     There is a fine line between assuming a stance of passivity, expecting God to deliver, and doing or being all that you can and then surrendering to divine grace.  It is the act of surrender, once you have done all you know how, that creates the void required to activate the mysterious and invisible workings of grace.
     The void is created as a result of the endeavours of the human beings to resolve issues or to generate constructive situations in their lives and who acknowledge that they need help.  As the Tao Te Ching advocates: "Do your work, then step back."  It really is a matter of meeting the Divine halfway.  Or in simple terms: God helps those who help themselves.
     But to say that grace is "unmerited" implies that it is only bestowed upon those whom God judges to be worthy.  This concept of a judgmental force that would withhold love is created by the human mind.  The longing of God is to fulfil His divine desire to have all hearts and minds return to true function and there is not one aspiring seeker, regardless of the level of consciousness attained, that He would not bless with grace if it was requested.
     As we grow in awareness of our purpose for being on earth, learning to be spiritual beings in a physical body, we grow in our desire to serve -- in ways both secret and seen; we listen, we encourage, we ease the burden, we pray, we bless, we hold people in the light.  And we empower them to take the steps required to create the void that will be flooded with the beauty of Divine Grace. ■

On 3 October the following response appeared in the Hamilton Press.

Grace Never Deserved
by Scott Silsbee, Pastor, Good News Baptist Church
   ...I was quite startled to discover that Mynda was quite startled to discover that the dictionary definition of grace is "the unmerited favour of God."
     The reason that I startled is because this is a good, biblical definition.  There are a number of comments from her article that I would like to respond to.  First, we need to understand that a Christian is saved by God's grace.  Second, salvation is an act of God that is totally unmerited.  Finally, nobody in this world has ever been able to merit God's favour.
     Thankfully, I will not receive what I deserve, because if I did then I would receive eternal punishment.  Instead God gives me grace, which is something I don't deserve.
     Some people seem to think that God's grace runs out the moment one becomes a Christian.  From then on, we tend to base our relationship with Him on our performance rather than on His grace.  For example, do you think of His grace as something that makes up the difference between the best you can do and what He expects form you?  Do you feel you deserve an answer to prayer because of your hard work and sacrifice?  If any of you think this way, then you don't understand God's grace.  Unfortunately, Mynda certainly does not understand God's grace.
     God will still deal with us on the basis of His grace, whether or not we understand it.  It is when we don't fully understand grace we forego the abundant freedoms that come from not having to measure up.
     How do we come to hold such an inadequate view of grace?  Pat of it is our sinful nature, which we all have.  In our pride, we not only hold a better than average view of ourselves, but we like to think of ourselves as self-sufficient.  For example, Mynda said, "God helps those who help themselves".  On top of all that, we live in a culture that generally affirms hard work and rewards us according to our efforts.  In fact, the Scriptures themselves exhort us to do good works and pursue holiness.
     But it still holds true that, unless we understand grace, we stand to miss out almost entirely on what God has in mind for us.  My prayer is that you will search the Scriptures to find just how inexhaustible and generous God's grace really is.  You will never be able to ask for too much, and you will never need too much.  But you should note what the Scriptures say:  "God resists the proud and gives grace to the humble."
     Once the magnitude of that grace begins to capture your imagination, setting you free from all the entanglements of performance and legalism, don't be surprised if you find yourself lost in a love that forever changes the way you go about life.  May Mynda and you come to understand God's amazing grace. ■

Scott's letter resulted in a number of comments from the Hamilton public, several families visiting the church, a letter of thanks from Mynda Mansfield, and spawned several additional published letters.  On 17 October the following response appeared in the Hamilton Press.

Understanding Grace
by S Svengren
    In response to Pastor Scott Silsbee's letter (Hamilton Press, October 3) entitled 'Grace Never Deserved', let me say that the pastor himself is in need of help in grasping what God's grace in fact is.
     Grace, as defined in Pastor Silsbee's dictionary states that it is the "unmerited favour of God".
     Be that as it may, God chooses to endow grace upon his children, regardless of whether or not they are 'deserving' of it -- in truth whether or not they are Christian, Muslim, Buddhist or Calathumpian.
     Grace -- this word that has been much bandied about by Christendom who itself lacks understanding -- is indeed a favour or gift of God provided by a loving, congenial Heavenly Father who knows the needs of His children upon the Telestial earth.
     Grace is extended to the animal, plant and mineral kingdoms additionally...in fact wherever life in all its forms exists there also will you find Grace defined, ie, the conditions provided for all species of life to thrive in their own environment.
     The sun which activates the seed planted in the soil, and the process of photosynthesis whereby the life within the seed reacts and grows to a mature plant able to sustain life, is but one example of the grace of God.
     Without this all-encompassing "unmerited favour of God" there could be no life at all upon this planet.
     The concept of eternal punishment for choosing to come to earth to gain experience is erroneous and needs to be addressed.
     Mistakes are a necessary part of mortality and are not meant to be used for instilling fear and guilt.
     It is true that God helps those who help themselves, for in so doing they become co-creators with God, fulfilling the measure of their own creation and becoming 'gods in their own sphere'.
     The continual condemnation of the offspring of God (the human race) by religious zealouts has done more than its fair share of harm.
     That mindset wherein all are "undeserving, unworthy and sinful by nature" is majorly flawed -- especially considering that this earth was in the beginning created specifically for them (God's offsprings) to come down to for experiential purposes.
     Salvation -- (the act of being saved from spiritual death/separation from God) is a gift from God to his offsprings and all creation who chose to experience physicality upon the earth.
     Simply put, once born upon the physical earth, forgetfulness of former things spiritual ensues (spiritual death).
     Once physical death occurs, however, all memory of former things spiritual is restored (salvation from spiritual death).
     This was a necessary part of the plan of salvation, forged in beginning times and voted on by all who were candidates for eventual earth experiencing.
     There was nothing whatsoever "unmerited" in this.
     Understanding the process whereby world are brought into existence creates a precedent -- and all the creations of God must have a means of being returned to God.
     This was provided for by means of a Saviour God.
     By means of "Role Playing" do all things obtain experience upon the telestial earth.
     To understand all things, one must "act out all roles" -- even prideful, judgmental, mean-spirited and self-righteous roles at time.
     It is wise to remember that you are not the role -- you are just the actor trying to understand all things from all perspectives. ■

Of note is the declared 200 word maximum for letters to be published in the paper.  Clearly, God has intervened.  And another letter must be written.

"For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works. These things speak, and exhort, and rebuke with all authority. Let no man despise thee."  Titus 2:11-15

If interested, you can click on the newspaper images to access the new digital version of the paper which shows these letters in print.

Two men in our godly heritage recently left this earth within a few short days of each other.  We aren't able to attend the funerals.  This inevitable event comes with the job description for overseas missionary work.  We wish we could be part of the family gatherings to commemorate their lives and the contributions these men made to our lives.  We loved them.  We will miss them.  We will see them again in heaven.  We have many wonderful memories.  This blog entry is therapeutic and helps to bridge the thousands of miles between us and our relatives.

Edward H. Dunworth
7 September 1920 - 5 October 2007
Lori's great uncle on her mother's side (he married grandpa's sister)

In my immediate family we called him "daddy long-legs."  On one occasion when Uncle Ed and Aunt Bea visited us, my sister, Joy, who was five at the time, thought Ed was tall...very tall...with quite long legs...rather like a daddy-long legs spider, she thought.  There were lots of those in Virginia where we lived.  The nickname stuck.  We said it fondly, and always with a giggle.

He had a sense of humour.  We girls arrived home from school one day to discover a strange white car sitting in the driveway.  Our first inclination was to check the license plate, but it was covered with a towel!  We couldn't figure out who it could be.  Uncle Ed knew the Arizona plate would give away a lot of information, so he covered the plate to keep their identity secret until we got into the house and saw them.

The miles between Virginia and Arizona meant we didn't see each other often.  But when we did spend time together, everyone felt at home.  His grandsons were dynamite cousins.  We had SO much fun. 

Uncle Ed loved and spoke often of his church and faithfully served as a deacon for over 25 years.  He often emailed and assured us of his prayers for our ministry here in New Zealand.  This photo was taken in 2004 when we stopped for an Arizona visit on our way back into the USA for furlough.

James L. Histand, Sr.
4 January 1921 - 11 October 2007
Lori's grandfather on her father's side

This parting photo was taken in June 1998, just before Scott and I came to New Zealand the first time.  I found it hard to say goodbye that time.  We went to see my Grandpa and his wife, knowing full well it might be the last earthly visit.  Although still in decent health, Grandpa was in his upper 70s.  God gave us nine more years, and we were able to visit again several more times.  We made sure to get there each time we were in the States. 

A letter I recently wrote him is still on its way to the US.  He loved letters from his grandchildren.  I once saw a photograph of all our letters to him.  He had stacked them next to a yardstick and measured how many inches high the stack of letters sat.

He liked to give us our birthday money in $2 bills.  We could hardly bear to spend it because the money was so unique.  His generosity spilled over for many years, and our own home is testimony to both his financial wisdom and selfless stewardship.

He, too, loved the Lord and was so proud that four of his granddaughters married a man in Christian ministry.

My dad had two sisters and no brothers.  I have three sisters and no brothers (but several fine brothers-in-law!).  The Histand name has been cut off in our branch of the family.  Grandpa's middle name was Landis, his mother's maiden name.  My dad is JLH, Jr. Our son Daniel, born within hours of Grandpa's birthday, has two middle names.  One of them is Landis...to help carry on some of our family history.  The photo of the two of them together was taken the last time we saw Grandpa, just before returning to New Zealand in 2006.