Spring

It's hard to believe that we're almost to the end of the spring semester! Ever since getting back from Honduras, it seems like time has flown! We've had something going on every weekend. Here is an update from our eventful lives!

The Friday after returning from Honduras, we headed on I-40 East to Dickson to spend time with Austin's family. We enjoyed hanging out with his parents on Friday night and on Saturday morning, we piled in the van and went to Murfreesboro for our nephew's 1st birthday party! The decorations were so cute and it was so great seeing Adam, Leslie, Ailidh, Ewan and Arica. We also got to see Uncle Ben and our younger cousins Rachel, Andrew, Sarah and Daniel! We wish we lived closer to them. Ewan did such a great job opening his presents, with the assistance of his big sister.  After the party, we went to Demos' with Austin's mom and Arica. We also met Arica's roommate, Rikki. We enjoyed a time of food and fellowship with them before heading back to Dickson. Sunday was a relaxing day. We ate lunch at Mr. Gatti's pizza with Austin's mom, Arica and Rikki. They went to the youth production of "Beauty and the Beast" at the Renaissance Center while we played the arcade games, then got involved going through some of Austin's things in the basement back at the house. We enjoyed the rest of the afternoon in Dickson and ended up eating dinner with Austin's mom and grandparents at Applebee's. It was so great to finally get to spend some quality time with family! We're so thankful to finally have weekends that we can make trips like these.

Ewan opening one of his favorite presents!

We spent Easter Sunday at First Baptist Church Humboldt. The Annie Moses Band led worship and the sanctuary was packed! Dad came up from Birmingham and we enjoyed having him so much! After the service, we came home and had beef stew with Sister Shubert's rolls and strawberry shortcake for dessert. We were also joined by Mary and her good friend, Robert Fryman. Dad also surprised Austin, Mary and me with lovely Easter baskets, complete with chocolate eggs, jelly beans, a chocolate bunny and Chick-fil-A coupons (of course!). Easter afternoon, Dad and Austin began working on fixing our fence. They were able to replace the post where a gate would attach and they straightened up another post.

Dad and his girls on Easter Sunday

The weekend after Easter, we took a long-anticipated trip to Paducah, Kentucky. We enjoyed visiting with Grandmommy and Granddaddy and eating wonderful food! Saturday, we went to see "The Three Stooges" with Uncle Patrick and Aunt Sherry. It was great hanging out with them! On Sunday, we went to church at First Baptist Paducah, and visited with some wonderful people, including the Nelsons! When we got home, Leigh's barbeque chicken and an array of delicious vegetables were waiting for us! We also got to see Uncle Richard and Aunt Gina. It was great having the entire family (that lives in Paducah) together for Sunday lunch. The visit was short, but so worth it! We look forward to going back soon!

This past weekend was Variety Show at Union. Groups prepared for the show months in advance. Their hard work was so evident in the quality and creativity of each performance. Mary participated in the ZTA show, whose theme was "Pirates of the Caribbean". Mom and Dad both came into town for that.

Austin, Mom and Me waiting for Mary after the show

Mary is in the back left corner! 

Since Mary had to be at the Civic Center all day Saturday, we took advantage of that time to complete  projects around the house. While Dad, Austin and our very helpful next door neighbor, Dan, continued work on the fence and gate, Mom and I went to work on the interior of the house. The night before, we made a trip to Lowe's and bought a new fixture for the downstairs hallway, a new bathroom light fixture and new knobs for the kitchen and bathroom cabinets. Mom and I enjoyed installing the knobs in the kitchen while Austin installed the light fixture in the hallway! I'm so blessed to be married to a man who is so handy! :-)

Mom cleaned and polished all the kitchen cabinets, cleaned in and around the stove (she even had the guys pull it out from the wall!), washed most of our downstairs windows and vacuumed those difficult to reach areas in the kitchen. I put a fresh coat of white paint on the baseboards in the hallway, downstairs bathroom, kitchen and family room. I also re-painted the doors to the laundry room, study, guest room and downstairs bathroom. It's amazing what a difference a fresh coat of paint can make! Once we were done with painting and cleaning, we went to Lowe's again and picked out flowers for window boxes for the windows on the front of our house. I was so excited about them, that I ended up installing and planting them about 11 on Sunday night! Overall, we felt so blessed by my parent's generosity of their time and energy to make our house look great! It was wonderful to spend some quality time with them and enjoy supporting Mary during V-show.

I will post pictures of some of our home-improvement projects as soon as I can!

Another aspect of our weekend was the passing of our dear family friend, Chuck Colson. Well known in the political world for his reputation as President Nixon's "hatchet man" and involvement in the Watergate scandal, he became a Christian during his time in prison and devoted the rest of his life to serving the Lord. He founded Prison Fellowship Ministries, where my dad worked for almost twenty years in Washington, D.C. Mr. Colson challenged Christians to live out their faith and to be obedient to taking care of those who cannot take care of themselves. I've known Mr. Colson my entire life, and always looked up to him as a kind, impressive man of God, and a kind of "Great Uncle" in a way. It's interesting that now, as an adult, I can see what an impact Mr. Colson made on this world. He will be greatly missed.

God is so gracious, and one of the ways He provided grace to our family was through joining Mr. Colson in an Alabama county prison last Resurrection Sunday. I will never forget that service and getting to witness how the prisoners who were in Christ were not bound by their physical surroundings. True freedom is in Christ- not in anything else.

Easter 2011 on the bus to the Prison

Here are some thoughts that my Dad compiled about Chuck Colson:

Seven Lessons from Chuck Colson

Chuck Colson, our beloved brother in Christ, completed his life sentence on April 21, 2012.  Reflecting upon 18 years of ministry with him at Prison Fellowship and our friendship since, I recall seven principles he proclaimed and lived:

1.   “We each have an infinite capacity for self-delusion.”  Pride stalks us.  Never believe your own press releases.  Be radically committed to accountability.

2.   “Overcome evil with good.”   Contend for the Truth vigorously, knowledgeably, courageously and winsomely.  Be salt and light, and trust God’s sovereign ability to redeem any life and any situation.  Never give up.

3.   “Remember the bruised reeds.”  Prisoners, their children, the unborn, the infirm and the vulnerable each bear the imago dei.  As you touch the least of these in Christ’s name, you will make the invisible Kingdom visible.

4.   “Unity in the Body of Christ pleases God.”  The prayer of Jesus in John 17 is timeless, reveals His heart, and invites all of His followers to be one with Him and with each other.  

5.   “Jesus the Prisoner died to save us.”  The One who rode into town on a borrowed donkey was betrayed by a snitch, busted, and strip searched.  After refusing to cop a plea, he was sent to death row, executed, and buried in a borrowed tomb – but not before he promised a place in heaven to a fellow prisoner who prayed, ‘You’re innocent.  I’m guilty.  Remember me.’   

6.   “Trophies of God’s grace surround us.”  No one is beyond God’s redemption.  His grace speaks mightily through souls He has raised up from the dark holes of prisons to proclaim His light, life and forgiveness to the world.  

7.   “Never try to outguess God – He has a better sense of humor.”   If all you can give God is your greatest embarrassment, failure and brokenness, give it to Him.  Then, watch and be amazed! 

                                                                                                                Claude Rhea

Honduras

“Though my father and mother forsake me, the LORD will receive me.”  (Psalm 27:10)

The Orphanage at Sunrise

Several weeks ago I (Elizabeth) had the privilege of going to Orphanage Emmanuel  in Guaimaca, Honduras with the Union University GO Trip program (and the best team EVER!). Words can’t really describe how wonderful and humbling the experience was. I’ve spent the past few weeks trying to process everything. This was my first international mission trip, so I tried not to have expectations before going, since I knew the experience would be different than my overactive imagination. My one hope going into the trip was that I would somehow reflect the love of Jesus to the kids and the workers there. I wanted to be a blessing, but instead I came away blessed.

The Lord has blessed Orphanage Emmanuel. For the first time, I truly understand that when we participate in missions, we are not simply bringing the good news of the gospel to others. We are joining the Lord in the work he is already doing in that place. No matter what task our team worked on, we knew it was of service to the Lord himself. Our activities included: pouring concrete, welding, fixing engines, planting vegetables, laying bricks, sewing curtains, milking cows, cleaning the barn, and, of course, spending time with the children. By being there, our team more than doubled Orphanage Emmanuel’s staff (of about about 20).

Orphanage Emmanuel is the home to about 600 kids. Most of them are not orphans by definition but all of them have either been taken away from their families by the state, or their parents have abandoned them. Most have endured physical or sexual abuse. As David Martinez (who started the orphanage with his wife, Lydia) told us, these kids have no natural reason to be joyful. It is by the grace of God that they can thrive and be normal, happy children.

Honduras is an impoverished nation, and this was evident to us during the drive between the airport in the captial city of Tegucigalpa and the smaller, rural town of Guaimaca. Trash and filth is everywhere and people live on top of each other. I never saw a finished road (surviving the bus ride was an adventure!). The family structure in Honduras is practically nonexistent; this is why children live out on the streets, sniffing glue so they don’t go to bed hungry. Other children who have been abandoned try to provide for their even younger siblings. Thus, the cycle of poverty continues.

At Orphanage Emmanuel, the children get clothes, shoes, their own bed, three meals a day, an education (through high school- the Honduran government only requires through the 6^th grade!), and most importantly, they learn about the love of Jesus! Every morning before breakfast, they sing worship songs and participate in a Bible study. There is a beautiful chapel where Wednesday night and Sunday morning worship services take place. Monday, Wednesday, and Friday afternoons, they participate in a longer Bible study. These children are living examples of God’s grace and redemption.

Many of the girls on our team became close to some of the preteen and teenage girls. Like most girls that age anywhere in the world, they like to pass notes! I had the privilege of being able to translate the notes (since they were in Spanish) so the girls on our team could respond. These notes were full of encouragement and reassurance that God has a plan for each of our lives and that accepting His love and sacrifice is the most important thing we can do in this life. We were all touched and challenged by their faith. I look forward to singing praises to the Lord alongside them one day in heaven!

Our daily schedule was: get up, go to circle, eat breakfast, do work, eat lunch, do work, hang out with the kids, eat dinner, hear a testimony, do team time, and go to bed. One of the highlights of my day was to hear the testimonies of the staff. I loved hearing about how God called them to Emmanuel and continually provides for their needs. Everything at Emmanuel: the land, the buildings, the staff, the children, the animals, the plants, have been provided by the Lord. We heard story after story of God’s provision of people and resources at just the right time. The faith that the workers live by challenges me. It gave me a new perspective on what I call “mine.”

The trip took place in what would seem, from a worldly perspective, a terrible time. Spring Break is in the busiest part of the semester. The week after the trip had so many important activities happening in our office, and, being the detail oriented person that I am, before the trip, I was stressing out! However, to the Lord, it was the perfect time for him to get me away from “my own world” with my daily worries, email and phone, and go to a place where I had to rely on him for strength and purpose. I am learning to rely on him for the details of my life. 

Last Thursday, our team got together for a reunion at my house! It was so wonderful to be together again! As we shared what the Lord taught us during and after the trip, I was overwhelmed at God's faithfulness! Before going on the trip, we prayed for unity and that the Lord would do a work in our hearts! It is so obvious that He has! 

Worship

I had fun giving rides! The children just kept piling in.

They were curious about my necklace!

Farm girl! Preparing the cows to be milked!

Sharing a laugh!

Our Team!

Here is the link to a youtube video that Leslie Roberts made of our trip if you want to see more!  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sNpOQ6S-A0I&feature=youtu.be