3 Weeks and Counting...

Hope this blog finds each one of you doing well and experiencing Jesus second by second. Things are getting serious around here! We are having our final team meeting this Saturday with all the ladies that live near by. Our next time together will be for packing purposes and the next will be because we are heading to the airport in Memphis to fly out!

I have been under the weather this past two weeks and ask you to lift my body up in prayer. In November 2005 I was diagnosed with breast cancer. They did a lumpectomy and took out several lymph nodes. In January 2006 I began chemo therapy and finished that in April. In June I began radiation and finished up the end of July.

I laughingly tell my friends I’m dealing with more problems as a result of the chemo and radiation then I ever had to going through the process! Some of that is because I forget my limitations at times. In the spring of this year I took a try at some aerobics offered at our church. The aerobic exercise we did using long rubber bands resulted in me tearing the tissue in my left breast. My surgeon says when this happened, due to the burned up tissue from radiation that all the bacteria in my body threw a party in that one breast! That is one party I wished I had missed!!! The result was that 4 days later I ended up in the hospital for 3 days while they pumped high powered antibiotics into my body by IV and by mouth.

Well, Friday two weeks ago I lifted some bottled water the wrong way and guess what? PARTY TIME!!! Yes, same breast and I think all the same bacteria friends showed up and possibly a few cousins!! Did I tell you I have this problem with forgetting what my limitations are? Ha,ha,ha... Anyway, I was down all last week and have had two serious little visits with the surgeon the past 4 days which have been painful! So painful today in fact, that I think that the procedure did not only help give my breast some relief but I think it might have solidified in my mind that I HAVE LIMITATIONS!!!!

Praise God that He puts people in our lives to help us where we are limited whether it is physically, mentally, spiritually, etc. In conclusion, I would say to you that I used the first incident as an excuse to NEVER do aerobics again and I feel good about that! ha, ha ... When I get through this second incident I will share with you the wisdom I’ve gleaned. I’m thinking it might be something as simple as NOT LIFTING ANYTHING WITH MY LEFT ARM!!!!! Ha,ha,ha

Praise God From Whom All Blessings Flow

It is with great joy and excitement that I write this blog entry. Excitement because it has been an absolute JOY to read the blogs that the team has been posting this week about their individual journeys to be on this team. Imagine, that could be you some day! Talk with your Women’s Ministry leader and or Women’s Mission Union Leader about possibly being a sponsoring church for future retreats. Also, I’d be lying if I didn’t tell you that every time one of you sends us a check to sponsor a missionary my heart skips a beat!! Thank you for being a part of this journey for God’s kingdom!

Well, I have an absolute blessing I want to share with you today. I have asked Don to allow me to post this today because I want you to understand that when we take a woman on board as a member of a particular trip we realized we they are leaving husbands and children behind just as are the attending missionary women. That is why we pray for the husbands and children of the team members and attending missionaries. Yesterday I received the following note from one of our team members’ husband. It so touched my heart that I asked him to let me post it. He agreed, if I’d check the spelling! Ha,Ha,Ha Praise God that Techno Barbie is checking for all of us!!

Enjoy because I know I did……

Hi Vickie:

I'm Don Jenkins, Mena's husband. I have not met you, but I'm looking forward to that day.
I'm so thankful God has allowed you and Mena's paths to cross. I have never in our 42 years of marriage seen her so excited about the team trip to Quito. I firmly believe God has used you in inviting her in taking this trip, which will change her life forever. God has placed upon my heart to say THANKS.!!!!!!!!!! These are exciting times because we continue to see more clearly why God has brought us back to our home roots. These last three years have been the most exciting days of our Christian walk.

In addition, thanks for the prayers of the team members during the last two days during surgery. We needed it. She came through with flying colors. I can say all that with ease because she did all the suffering. She is doing find but continue to pray for full recovery. She still plans to make the NY trip however; we will see what the next few days allow.

Please know I have been praying for the team and will continue until your return. My prayer for this day is Ps.32:8, I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will guide you with My eye". May God bless you and have a great day. DJ

Be Careful What You Pray For !

Last year I had a daughter get married in December and the other daughter graduated from high school. I was studying for a teacher’s test and teaching 5th grade. What a year! God was faithful, and I knew I couldn’t have done it without Him. I’m taking a break this year from teaching, and have the “empty nest”. So, when Wendy called and asked me about going to Ecuador I was very excited and a little overwhelmed. I feel like God is in this for me to go. I had been praying about something I could do for Him. They say be careful what you pray for. There you go!

In Philemon 20 Paul is encouraging Philemon’s obedience. He says, “Yes, brother, let me benefit from you in the Lord, refresh my heart in Christ.” This is my hope and prayer, that the Lord will use us to refresh these women. Please pray for my fundraising. I know the Lord will provide if I’m to go.

Gratefully yours, Marla Fergus

Nicki Bartlett's Calling

In the last few months my heart has been overwhelmed by the Holy Spirit instilling within me, to the point of pure anxiety, to go on another Women’s Retreat, mission trip. The reason for the anxiety, I was not aware of any future plans for another mission trip.

Well about 4 weeks ago, after a Sunday morning service at church, Vickie Arruda approached me, inquiring if I was going on the Ecuador mission trip in November. My prayers have been answered. It’s all in God’s timing. Hallelujah!! And Praise God!!

I can’t wait to meet and hug on all of the missionary women. Even though I have not met any of them yet, I feel like they’re all in my heart already covered in sweet, love.

Ruth McWhite

It is so much my joy to be on board with this trip. God let my path cross with Vicki's when I was serving as a chauffer for a mutual friend of ours who was recuperating from chemo. Then we got to spend another few days together in Richmond, and we have just kept up through email. When Vicki asked me to be a part of the team, I only had to look at the Father's face and get a quick nod to send back a RESOUNDING YES! Ecuador is so much a part of my heart. It was the place where I thought I would spend the rest of my life. Cholera, contracted in the mtn. town of Riobamba, put an end to that dream, but our family will always love Ecuador. In fact, one of my boys found his bride-to-be there -- on a mission trip with us. She was in school here on campus with him in SC, but they really met in Tena. Also my third child was born in Quito at Metropolitana.

Anyway, having lived through some of the realities of missionary life, I have such a desire to be a part of this team coming in to bring fresh hope and love and joy from the Father's heart.

Julie Cobb - My Quito Journey...so far

My name is Julie and I am going to Quito with the Pure Joy team in November. Here is where this chapter of my journey begins. At the beginning of August I got an e-mail from Linda stating that part of the team that I had worked with in Senegal in 2002 was taking a retreat to Ecuador and they needed an interpreter for a Deaf Misisonary. She asked if I would please pray about it and consider going. I spent several days thinking and praying about it before I said anything to anyone. One Saturday evening, while we were out walking, I approached the subject with my husband. His response was immediately positive and supportive. I shared with him that I was concerned that I might be “rusty” with my signs since I don’t get as much day to day practice as I used to.

The next morning I got a phone call from Charlene, a lady in my church who also signs, and she said that the sister of one of our members would be visiting the church that morning and asked if I could interpret. I explained that I could do the songs, since Charlene would be in the choir, but I asked if she could then do the sermon so I could go on to my class. We agreed that was how it would go. When I hung up the phone my husband just looked at me for a minute and said, “Weren’t you just saying you needed some practice?” He was right!! This was the opportunity I needed and God dropped it in my lap and I almost missed part of it. As soon as I got to church I found Charlene and told her I would do the entire service and quickly explained to her what was happening. At the end of the service I had the assurance I needed that I still had the skills God had given me. I knew that this trip was definitely the next chapter in my journey with God.

Mena's Story

A few weeks ago while standing by a young, pretty, little 16 year old girl at church, we were making small talk and I mentioned I was trying to eat right and get in shape. She answered in her sweet, kind voice, “Well, it’s never too late!” I could hardly keep from laughing aloud because to her I wasn’t long for this world. Thinking more about this recently I began to think she was prophetic in what she was saying. It’s never too late!
There are some unchangeables in all of our lives. We can’t go back and undo some of the wrong choices we made or some that others have made on our behalf. But we can forget what lies behind and press on toward the goal for that which God has called us. But, time is short. It is short for all of us even if we are 16 or 60!

This brings me to my point. I believe that in June God began preparing me to go on two mission trips this fall. It was not a typical preparation because I was in fact mad. I was mad at some circumstances in my life, but truly after some time I realized I was just mad at myself for the sin of gluttony and laziness I had allowed to become part of my life. I began walking almost daily and when I began it was such drudgery. On my walks I began to sometimes pray, sometimes memorize scripture, and sometimes just meditate on Him and His creation and His goodness to me. Now I look forward to that daily time.

Then God allowed two opportunities for trips. In my heart for the past year or so I thought if there were two places I would like to go it would be Africa or Ecuador. Well, I’m not going to Africa but in New York I will be working with missionaries who are focusing on the West African population. When Wendy approached me about going to Ecuador I had just committed to go to New York. It didn’t seem practical or reasonable to go again in November. But, when I met in Morrilton with the team recently I knew it was His plan for me to go. It might not seem right or reasonable to anyone else, but time is short and I want to press on!