Public of Georgia Registration on the Horizon…

 I know it is hard to believe but we have already started our preparations for the Pure Joy International Retreat Ministry, Inc. Public of Georgia Retreat for October 25-28, 2023.   (Tbilisi, Georgia)

If you know of a missionary serving cross-culturally in that part of the world that could benefit from such an opportunity, please ask them to go to our website www.purejoyinternational.org to register starting next week.  Please remember first come first serve.  We limit space to the first 50 registrants and then go to a waiting list. 

 If you did not get a chance to see some of the pictures from our Portugal Retreat in April 2023, please go to our website mentioned above and click on Retreats in the headings.

I hope that everyone is having a good summer as it gets on its way.  I know many of you will be working with church groups coming from the USA and other countries to help with projects you have going in your locations, others will be coming home to start a stateside stint, etc.  Praying for a great summer for all to His Glory!

Here at home in the USA many families are hitting the vacations spots for the summer.  Personally, I am getting ready to head to Louisville, Kentucky with one of my great nephews to the National Beta Club Conference.  Pray for me as will be surrounded by Intermediate kids, ages 9-12 years old.  (smile)

Please don’t forget to get the word out about the Public of Georgia Retreat.  The team is already solidified, plane tickets being purchased, and the hotel locked in.  Now all the details that include all of you that join us on these trips begin to take place, praying, giving, gifting, and going.  So, excited to share we have two more churches joining us in the journey of gifting this trip.  First Baptist Claremore, OK and First Baptist McGehee, AR.  We welcome your heart to join us as we minister to these ladies overseas.

His,

Vickie

 

 

Team Is Home Safe and Retreat Was Sooo Good…

 Thank you all for your prayers as we traveled to Portugal and home again.  Your time in prayer, gifting, giving, and going is what allows the ministry of Pure Joy International Retreat Ministry, Inc. to serve the ladies on the field cross-culturally. As I always say to you, “You are part of the ministry of Pure Joy International and a vital part of each team that goes.

There are no words for how good it feels to be back on the field again.  It was also great to hear from many of you that said, “I would not have been ready for this back in 2020”. I am not sure what each one of them meant by that, but I am counting it as good. LOL!

The LORD led each one of the speakers to address just what He knew the ladies and team needed for this season and time.  It was obvious each speaker, and testimony shared was shaped by HIM. The daily team devotionals coupled with our own time in the Word fueled us as a team to accomplish the ministry at hand. I can’t say enough good things about the team God put together for the trip. 

In case you wonder why I stopped blogging after a couple of days it is because most of us could get no Wi-Fi internet connection.  I think the number of people in the hotel, including us, was too big a drain on their system. LOL

I do want to share a few more pictures and will share with you some of the things the missionary women and the team members have to say about what the Retreat meant to them as they share.  Enjoy these pictures till then…

Thank you all for your prayers as we traveled to Portugal and home again.  Your time in prayer, gifting, giving, and going is what allows the ministry of Pure Joy International Retreat Ministry, Inc. to serve the ladies on the field cross-culturally. As I always say to you, “You are part of the ministry of Pure Joy International and a vital part of each team that goes.

There are no words for how good it feels to be back on the field again.  It was also great to hear from many of you that said, “I would not have been ready for this back in 2020”. I am not sure what each one of them meant by that, but I am counting it as good. LOL!

The LORD led each one of the speakers to address just what He knew the ladies and team needed for this season and time.  It was obvious each speaker, and testimony shared was shaped by HIM. The daily team devotionals coupled with our own time in the Word fueled us as a team to accomplish the ministry at hand. I can’t say enough good things about the team God put together for the trip. 

In case you wonder why I stopped blogging after a couple of days it is because most of us could get no Wi-Fi internet connection.  I think the number of people in the hotel, including us, was too big a drain on their system. LOL

I do want to share a few more pictures and will share with you some of the things the missionary women and the team members have to say about what the Retreat meant to them as they share.  Enjoy these pictures till then…

Thank you all for your prayers as we traveled to Portugal and home again.  Your time in prayer, gifting, giving, and going is what allows the ministry of Pure Joy International Retreat Ministry, Inc. to serve the ladies on the field cross-culturally. As I always say to you, “You are part of the ministry of Pure Joy International and a vital part of each team that goes.

There are no words for how good it feels to be back on the field again.  It was also great to hear from many of you that said, “I would not have been ready for this back in 2020”. I am not sure what each one of them meant by that, but I am counting it as good. LOL!

The LORD led each one of the speakers to address just what He knew the ladies and team needed for this season and time.  It was obvious each speaker, and testimony shared was shaped by HIM. The daily team devotionals coupled with our own time in the Word fueled us as a team to accomplish the ministry at hand. I can’t say enough good things about the team God put together for the trip. 

In case you wonder why I stopped blogging after a couple of days it is because most of us could get no Wi-Fi internet connection.  I think the number of people in the hotel, including us, was too big a drain on their system. LOL

I do want to share a few more pictures and will share with you some of the things the missionary women and the team members have to say about what the Retreat meant to them as they share.  Enjoy these pictures till then…

A Beautiful Day in Portugal… (Sunday afternoon)

 The team had a full but wonderful day here in Portugal. We began our morning with a wonderful devotion from Kim R. and a sweet time of prayer and team fellowship. Oh, and of course we ate breakfast first. (smile) You can just assume we are eating several meals a day. (LOL)

Then Valerie M. our contact missionary on the field came to the hotel and took us on the Metro to downtown Portugal for a city tour and to the Lisbon Story Centre. The Story Centre is a museum dedicated to the history of Lisbon. https://youtu.be/huRuUfRPYog   Here is another link if you want to see a little bit more about things we learned. https://onu.missaoportugal.mne.gov.pt/en/about-portugal/history

A couple of us ate dinner at the Time Out Market https://www.timeout.com/lisbon/time-out-market while others shopped and ate along the way at some of the outdoor food areas. 

We had good fellowship and lots of laughs along the way. It is exciting to see the team continue to grow together as they are learning more about each other. We had another sweet devotional time by Deb. P to finish our evening. We also discussed our preparation work time for tomorrow.

I wanted to include one pic that stood out to me yesterday at a random moment. There are more pics to come but I did not want to wake anyone up when I was working on this to get them.

Love the bike hanging on the balcony. (smile)

 His,

Vickie

 

 

The Team made it to Portugal safely...

We had a good flight over. Weather here is nice in the upper 60's to lower 70's. We were met at the airport by our Valerie our contact missionary. I would like to say thank you LORD for her presence at the airport. You might not believe this but none of the team can speak Portuguese, LOL.

Once settled in at the hotel we had lunch, then several of the team members headed to the local mall. Hmmmm, imagine that fifteen women and someone wanted to go to the local mall. But not just any mall, this one has history. It is called Campo Pequeno.

Built in 1892 in a Moorish style with small cupolas atop its four main towers, Campo Pequeno's bullring (Praça de Touros do Campo Pequeno) accommodates up to 9,000 spectators. It was loosely based on the Madrid bullring of Las Ventas, and bullfights take place here on Thursdays in season. During the rest of the year, it is occasionally used for concerts and other shows, such as a circus. After being closed for many years for extensive renovation, it reopened in 2006 with a new retractable ceiling and a shopping mall, restaurants, cinemas, and a supermarket. Parking space for 1200 cars is also available. 

The team members not at the mall spent the later part of the day trying to help Vickie (me) find my phone. I know that surprises those of you that know me. Ha, Ha, Ha    We did find it and let me just say, it is a God story in and of itself. He is already affirming He is present and at work here.

Enjoy some of the pics of the day. Keep praying for the team and the missionaries that will be attending the Retreat. 

His,

Vickie

4 Days and Counting…

Well, it is finally here.  We are 4 days away from boarding the plane to head to Lisbon, Portugal.  The team is getting so excited as we finish up the final preparations.  Trunks are packed along with working out the smallest of details that must happen in the next 4 days.

So hard to believe we have not been overseas since the fall of 2019, that was our last retreat.   Of course, the Portugal Retreat was scheduled for April of 2020 just over three years ago when Covid showed up in full force working against travel in country and out of country.  

We are so glad to be traveling once again to minister to the missionary women.  Also, it has been fun to be reminded of how many hands touch this ministry in preparation for a trip to minister to the women.  Whether you are going with us or have helped along the way in preparations for this trip you are part of the team serving Pure Joy International Portugal 2023! To all of you that have given financially to support a missionary and or team member, thank you.  To all of you that are praying for the missionary women and the team now and while we are on the field, thank you.  To all of you that have helped with the gifting, thank you. To the team members representing churches in 5 states, thank you.  What a blessing to be able to serve alongside all of you with your different hearts for serving. 

On a final note, please pray for the spouses, children, family members, friends, etc., that are pulling extra weight both for the team members and the missionaries so we can all attend the Retreat.   

Keep us close in your prayers as we fly out Friday and return on the 30^th.  Watch the blog for pictures that will be posted along the way starting Friday through the next week. 

Forever Thankful,

His,

Vickie

 

 

Planes and Avocados …

Monday, I flew out of Little Rock, Arkansas early to Dallas Fort Worth International Airport to complete my Global Entry Pass as we start to travel overseas again.  It was the closes place I could get in for an interview before we leave the country for Portugal.

It was a strange feeling being back on a plane again.  The last time I was on a plane was when we traveled to San Paulo, Brazil to minister to missionaries in that part of the world.  I had forgotten how crazy it can be in airport settings.   But it also brought the sweet excitement that starts taking place as the team closes in on our departure out of the country.   Hard to believe we are a little less than two months away for boarding planes to Lisbon, Portugal.

Please continue to pray for the missionaries that will be attending, the team that is going, details that continue to need to be taken care of before we leave.  As many of you already know from experience, the spiritual warfare that takes place before a team is headed out of the country to minister to others is intense.  We appreciate all your prayers.

Another thing I have missed is people watching in the airports.  And I also, love the things you can learn.  For example, today I was riding the tram from one terminal to another and the older couple sitting across from me were joyfully sharing some things they had learned on their vacation.  I never really caught where they had spent the vacation, but it obviously brought then great joy.  Anyway, they had spent some time with a young man that grows avocados.  They were surprised to learn that while some avocados can look great on the outside and even nice when you cut them open, if they are not grown in good soil there is no flavor to them. Their discussion immediately triggered in me a trip we had taken to Senegal Africa.   I will never forget the first meal we went to in the evening.  They had an incredible spread of fresh fruit, strawberries, watermelon, berries, etc.  It was so inviting, with brilliant colors, fresh looking when cut open, etc.  My taste buds were jumping in my mouth waiting to bite into that fruit.  Especially the watermelon.   I will be honest and say I put some extra on my plate.  When I took the first bite, I honestly could not reconcile what was going on in my mouth with what was going on in my brain at that moment.  I immediately took a bite of all the fruit I had put on my plate.  Same outcome.  No taste at all.  Absolutely bland.  I would be lying if I told you I was not disappointed because I was.  Talking about having expectations that didn’t get met!

Stop and think for a minute of the number of times just today that your expectations didn’t get met.   Something as ridiculous as you ordered a burger and they got your order wrong, your spouse said they would pick up some bread for dinner, but they forgot, your friend said they would pick you up at 9 a.m. and it is now 9:15 a.m.   If we consider the times throughout the day we get frustrated with others it we might be surprised to see how often it is tied into what we expected as an outcome.  Don’t hear me wrong.  I’m not saying all expectations are wrong!!  I’m just saying look at where frivolous expectation could be tripping you up in your daily walk. 

Saw this quote that is rather amusing because there may be a little more truth to it than we like.  “My expectations were reduced to zero when I was 21.  Everything since then has been a bonus.”

Oh, and by the way regarding both the avocado farmer and the fruit that was bland.  Both needed soil that had more nutrients in it.  As the couple on the tram explained, they needed to be fertilizing the soil much more.  The same would be true of the fruit I told you about.

Kind of like some of us.  Maybe we could use a little Word fertilizer to make sure what you see on the outside really permeates through our being.  Just saying…

 

His,

Vickie

Stay Strong in The LORD…

 

This week unlike many of the weeks over the past year I have heard the voice of so many struggling with the things they see around them in this world.  The horizontal will always drag us down.  Yes, we live in this world but never forget we are sojourner's in this world.  It is not our home.  Takes some time to read these word from Psalms 37.

He Will Not Forsake His Saints

¹    Fret not yourself because of evildoers;

be not envious of wrongdoers!

²    For they will soon fade like the grass

and wither like the green herb.

³    Trust in the Lord, and do good;

dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness.

⁴    Delight yourself in the Lord,

and he will give you the desires of your heart.

⁵    Commit your way to the Lord;

trust in him, and he will act.

⁶    He will bring forth your righteousness as the light,

and your justice as the noonday.

⁷    Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him;

fret not yourself over the one who prospers in his way,

over the man who carries out evil devices!

⁸    Refrain from anger, and forsake wrath!

Fret not yourself; it tends only to evil.

⁹    For the evildoers shall be cut off,

but those who wait for the Lord shall inherit the land.

¹⁰    In just a little while, the wicked will be no more;

though you look carefully at his place, he will not be there.

¹¹    But the meek shall inherit the land

and delight themselves in abundant peace.

¹²    The wicked plots against the righteous

and gnashes his teeth at him,

¹³    but the Lord laughs at the wicked,

for he sees that his day is coming.

¹⁴    The wicked draw the sword and bend their bows

to bring down the poor and needy,

to slay those whose way is upright;

¹⁵    their sword shall enter their own heart,

and their bows shall be broken.

¹⁶    Better is the little that the righteous has

than the abundance of many wicked.

¹⁷    For the arms of the wicked shall be broken,

but the Lord upholds the righteous.

¹⁸    The Lord knows the days of the blameless,

and their heritage will remain forever;

¹⁹    they are not put to shame in evil times;

in the days of famine they have abundance.

²⁰    But the wicked will perish;

the enemies of the Lord are like the glory of the pastures;

they vanish—like smoke they vanish away.

²¹    The wicked borrows but does not pay back,

but the righteous is generous and gives;

²²    for those blessed by the Lord shall inherit the land,

but those cursed by him shall be cut off.

²³    The steps of a man are established by the Lord,

when he delights in his way;

²⁴    though he fall, he shall not be cast headlong,

for the Lord upholds his hand.

²⁵    I have been young, and now am old,

yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken

or his children begging for bread.

²⁶    He is ever lending generously,

and his children become a blessing.

²⁷    Turn away from evil and do good;

so shall you dwell forever.

²⁸    For the Lord loves justice;

he will not forsake his saints.

       They are preserved forever,

but the children of the wicked shall be cut off.

²⁹    The righteous shall inherit the land

and dwell upon it forever.

³⁰    The mouth of the righteous utters wisdom,

and his tongue speaks justice.

³¹    The law of his God is in his heart;

his steps do not slip.

³²    The wicked watches for the righteous

and seeks to put him to death.

³³    The Lord will not abandon him to his power

or let him be condemned when he is brought to trial.

³⁴    Wait for the Lord and keep his way,

and he will exalt you to inherit the land;

you will look on when the wicked are cut off.

³⁵    I have seen a wicked, ruthless man,

spreading himself like a green laurel tree.

³⁶    But he passed away, and behold, he was no more;

though I sought him, he could not be found.

³⁷    Mark the blameless and behold the upright,

for there is a future for the man of peace.

³⁸    But transgressors shall be altogether destroyed;

the future of the wicked shall be cut off.

³⁹    The salvation of the righteous is from the Lord;

he is their stronghold in the time of trouble.

⁴⁰    The Lord helps them and delivers them;

he delivers them from the wicked and saves them,

because they take refuge in him.

His, Vickie