Fresh Perspective

What a privilege it has been to be mentored these last 5 years by Doctor Dianne Mathews.  Affectionately known as Dr. Di…..with no pun intended.   She is an incredible teacher and full of grace to us nurses.  I’m never afraid of how she will respond to decisions I make, though I don’t treat her kindness flippantly.  Her life is a story worth telling.  And it will take me several blogs to do so.  For now, I thought I would tease you with the things that delight Dr. Di.  For even though she enjoys patient care and gains much satisfaction from it, her real love is teaching AND puttering around with plants and animals and rocket stoves.  Her blue eyes come fully alive, when she knows that there is a project involving dirt, teaching and community development. Just two weeks ago Dr. Di taught students from our seminary how to build a rocket stove.  The purpose of these stoves is to use way less fuel (wood) and create almost no smoke.  In m...

I’ve almost found my groove for this school year…….but honestly, I’m still wading through adjustments.  The biggest adjustment is that Jacob is in school half time.  This has been a giant step for him and delightfully positive.  We would not have taken that leap without the wonderful encouragement of Jacob’s special education teacher.  She has faithfully walked with us these past 3 years.  Even when Mrs. Kolb could not be here for three-fourths of last school year, she still encouraged me weekly with her supporting emails.  God brought her and her husband back last school year in March.  Roger, her husband, had recovered from an extensive skin cancer surgery on his foot.  Abruptly, last Friday, the Kolb’s flew back to America because a tumor was discovered in Roger’s brain.  We are believing that God will do EXCEEDINGLY MORE than we ask for Roger and bring healing to him once again.  Please join us in praying for him.  Many many stu...

I didn’t know it would be so easy to get medical equipment for our up and coming medical aviation program. All I did was ask, link needs to Amazon and my blog, and YOU gave.  Thank you.  Much work is being done to set this program all in motion.  Please know that your gift of faith and love will bless many many in need.  I can’t wait to tell you stories about how God will use these tools of insight to bring accurate diagnosis and healing. Please pray for God speed, blessing and open doors as we try to set dreams into motion.  Thank you for responding.

The longer I am a “missionary” the harder I grapple with “Romance”in the field.  Please don’t get me wrong.  I am not dissatisfied with my spouse of 20 years.  But honestly, dating and being romantic, in a third world country is daunting.  It’s not that we haven’t made valiant attempts at it, but drunk men on the road with long knives, a very long tiring drive to a decent restaurant (3 hours round trip), the lack of easy safe places to go, just take it out of us.  We won’t mention (or maybe we will) the hot weather, constant non stop demands and pressures, and the spiritual warfare that is never ending.  UGH!  Romance?! On our summer trip to America, a church friend asked, “What is the biggest challenge you are facing in the field right now?”  Never good at hiding my honest feelings I blurted, “Romance!”  That got a few passer-by eyebrows raising.  Hopefully it got a few more saints praying!!!!!  ha ha A few days after that fantas...

I’m not sure why the word, “Messy”, keeps coming to mind???!  Other than, that is what missions seems at best.  Messy.  Nothing is clear cut.  Simple.  The way planned.  Or easy.  Well maybe I shouldn’t say, “nothing”.  Yet, messy, best describes how I feel after just finishing week #1 back in the mission land. Mind you, it is hard enough to land in 3rd world country, Papua, with 5 men/boys pulling me along.  Trying to get them settled, in a routine, unpacked, fed, listened too.  There are groceries to buy and veggies and fruit to soak in bleach water.  Gone are the nicely packaged pre rinsed 3 times, organic power greens, to make that amazing salad in 5 minutes flat.  And where did this mold come from that is lining all the bathroom drawers?  Yikes, one car would not start……  Yes, mind you, all of that was enough to make me think MESSY, MESSY, MESSY…..but we also landed with 3 young adult girls in tow. Please don’t...

As we finish our third week in America today, we are reminded daily of how generous Americans are.  They have opened up their homes to us and fed us.  They have gifted us with a week away for Darron and I.  And very practical things like deodorant and Taco bell sauce!!! : ) Yet, many of you are still asking:, “How can we help?” We have medical items that are needed.  This is the link.  You can click and purchase whatever you feel led to give. https://www.amazon.com/gp/registry/wishlist/13BG4CELV2KMT/ref=cm_wl_list_o_3    For some reason when people click on this link out is wanting to mail to them.  Our mailing address is: 1052 Mount Pleasant Rd.  Cookeville, TN. 38506. In more detail these items are needed because this year at our aviation program we intend to target 5 villages (remote and unreached) and along with Indonesian doctors and nurses focus on bringing health to them.  Our goal is to visit each village 9 to 10 times throug...

Numbers shouldn’t define who we are.  In nursing school we were often talked to about knowing the patient name, not just their room number.  Yet numbers have crept into the very depth of my soul.  We are a family of SIX.  We have FOUR boys.  We have now been missionaries for FIVE years.  We will soon be married for TWENTY years.  Numbers remind us of passing time and changing seasons.  As only THREE people sat at our dinner table tonight, I thought maybe you would enjoy an update on this summer season we are in.  Currently our TWO airplanes cannot fly.  Please pray about that.  While this has been discouraging, I have admired what Gary has been doing with his on ground time.  SEVEN HUNDRED PLUS truck loads of gravel have been added to our grass runway so that when it rains it is not so soft and muddy.  Also a drainage ditch is being added.  This has been a huge project to manage and have vision for.  Also Gary ...