CATCHING UP

Yes, yes! Thanksgiving has long since passed! I know I am way behind the times.
That was partly do to technical problems, and partly due to procrastination.
But hopefully, I've moved passed that and this blog will be up and running again.
Both Thanksgiving and Christmas have passed us by.
So let me catch us up a bit:

 This year Johnny and I went to Preston, England for a mission trip together, where our church is helping to plant a new church. It was an eye-opening experience for us.

We are used to planting churches in the Asian culture, so we learned a lot.

Former members of our church here in Longview, Texas, are from that area. They had lived in the States for many years, until the Lord pressed on them to return to their "roots" and plant an evangelical church.

So this is what we did most days while there.... dropped flyers in everyone's mail slots to tell them about a fun event the new church was sponsoring at the nearby park.

 

 

At the park we had all kinds of activities. Here is Johnny at the face-painting table.

Because we were in Preston during the American Thanksgiving season, the Greens with whom we were visiting, made sure we enjoyed a real traditional American Thanksgiving meal, complete with turkey and dressing, sweet potato casserole, pumpkin pie and more. It was a great time to be reminded of all the God has done for us.

I find when my attitude is mainly one of just being thankful for what I have and what I'm able to do, I don't spend so much time complaining about life or supposed injustices.

Jason and Nicola Green and their four children.

EMERITUS WEEK

It happens once in every 5 years!

September was the time and this was our first. We were excited to

go to Ridgecrest. There were 6 going from our church, so we traveled

together to Houston, then flew to Atlanta, and on to Asheville, North Carolina,

and then a bus ride up the mountain to RIDGECREST.

Emeritus Week is a celebration week to honor those who've served

with the IMB for at least 15 years.

There were over 1100 IMB retired missionaries there, with the
accumulated total years of  28,929  served around the world!

We had general meetings like this every day! We got to hear IMB president

Tom Elliff preach (he's terrific and uses storying in his messages).

We met up with so many old friends, and then got to meet new ones as well.

Of course, we met up with our Indonesian family.

Can you Norwood kids name these folks?

Or these?

 

We gathered all the folks who have ever served on the SAPIM/LEAD Team

for lunch one day. There were 22 of us.

We got to connect with lots of our friends from the Philippines also.

Here are Phil and Retha Brewster, Trudy and Jim Crittendon,

Glen and Marvella Thompson and me.

Lots of good fellowship was done in the dining room.

We were thrilled to run into so many from our original "orientation" group

of 1972. So we got together and caught up on the last 40 years.

It was a great week.

But is took awhile to recover from all the travel and excitement!

Those years on the field were great years.

How thankful we are that the Lord led us in some surprising, rough, happy and

blessed paths, and for that week of memories with old friends.

During the week we were challenged to "keep on".  We're not home yet!



FEET

I had heard about this from the TV. While it seems gross on the one hand,

it really is helpful on the other!
These little fishies eat away the dead skin on your feer or legs,
leaving your appendages nice and smooth.

Do we have these in the States?

This one is called "Fish Spa and Therapy"

and is at the local mall here in Palembang, Indonesia.

While this is a blurry picture, it will show you the set up.

It is set up in one the hallways of the mall.

After washing our feet, the "operators" led us to sit

on the bench and put our feet into the water. They suggested we not

swish our feet around in the tub, because that stresses out the fish.

However, it is really hard not to once the fish start to work,

nibbling on your legs and feet, 

as seen in the faces of our granddaughters!

Here, they're holding hands to help each other keep their

 legs still, while their squeeling.

You see the fish working on mine and Johnny's legs.

SPEAKING OF FEET.......

I was noticing our grandson, Aaron's feet. He is 14 and starting

highschool this week in Penang, Malaysia. (He's so excited).

Look at the size of his foot now - compared to his Dad.

Kris' foot on the left. Aaron's foot on the right.

Now let's compare with my own foot:

Aaron's foot on the right, my foot on the left.

How tall will he end up being?

As I write this blog, Aaron is being enrolled in the

highschool in Penang, Malaysia where

many of the Asian missionary kids go for high school.

It is a beautiful campus located on the beach.

It has a rich and long history. We're

all excited for this new adventure in his life.



Trip to Java

Jana, Kris, and the boys live on the island of Sumatra.

But Jana and April and Noel grew up on the neighboring island of Java.

While April was in Indonesia, she wanted to visit her "hometown" and show her

husband and daughters where she lived for 16 years.

She also wanted to take them to the family vacation spot, a remote beach "resort".

Johnny accompanied them on this trip, and also

got to visit the folks we had worked with so long ago.

They enjoyed a time of reliving memories together and of worship again
with the villagers  once again.

Our home for 16 years. They got to meet some of the neighbors we knew then.

Johnny, April and family  went out to the village to contact our friend and Christian

leader there. They made a plan to meet with as many of our believers as would be able to

come the following Saturday night.

About 35 folks showed up. Two of our old friends from those years (30 years ago)

came although they are now in their 90's.

The little children of those years are now grown and with families of their own.

They came, bringing their children with them.

What precious saints of the Lord these are!

Then, Johnny, April, Eric and the girls all head to the old family

vacation spot: Pangandaran - that is, THE BEACH.

It was a great trip for them. Meanwhile, I stayed behind to enjoy more

time with the Kelleys in Palembang.

Johnny's big souvenir of the trip was to bring back ear infections!

He continues to suffer infection and hearing loss.

We'd appreiate your prayers.