The Victor Maxson Family

A giveaway at our business blog!

2012-01-17T09:34:00.002-05:00

We're having a giveaway of some products from our shop over at our Country Cottage Lights blog. Be sure and go check it out and spread the word. Thanks for the support, y'all! It's a blessing to see God providing through brothers and sisters in Christ!

~Bethany

Check it out! Our new site/ store is up!

2012-01-12T12:06:00.004-05:00

We are attempting some home businesses in an attempt to make it possible for Victor to stop his job and spend more time on ministry and family.
My part in that has been making and selling candles. So far, we've done pretty well, but not quite as much as we need. So... I designed a website and etsy shop to be able to sell to a broader audience. Would you be able to help me out a little? Go take a look at my site, store and blog, and then come back here and leave a comment with anything you see that I could improve on. If you do that, I'll send you a coupon code for 10% off your entire order in my etsy shop.

Also, if you're able to help me get the word out, I'd really appreciate that. The more traffic the better the chance of realizing our dream!

Thanks for the help,
~Bethany~

P.S.
I'll try to post a family update soon!

We're here!

2011-08-01T17:46:00.000-04:00

We've arrived safely here in Iowa and we're working on getting all settled in. Victor is looking for employment, but as of yet has not found anything.

Our first service went well yesterday and God seems to be blessing. Please keep praying as we seek wisdom and direction to start a church here in Griswold, IA.

The girls are doing well and are settling in nicely. We are staying in the apartment above my family's ice cream shop and have enjoyed a few meals down there:)

Rachel is growing by leaps and bounds and now has a total of six teeth. She tries to let go of things while standing and even take a step. She's a joy to have around.

We will try to keep everyone updated on here as well as by email when we get a chance.

~Bethany~

Recent Pics

2011-07-13T16:07:00.000-04:00

Here are some recent pics of the girls. They are growing up so quickly.

1.Rachel has taken to climbing lately. Her favorite thing is to climb on to the outside of her walker and try to flip in. Putting her in it is something else, though:)

2.Rachel with Grandma Maxson a week or so ago when we went to visit. She seems to be doing a little better since grandpa died.

3.Daddy reading to his girls while mommy makes dinner. They LOVE their time with daddy in the evenings.

4.While trying to pack and having this little one be super clingy, I bundled her up and put her right next to me so she could sleep near me one day.

5. And of course the other two want to be near mommy right now as well:)

July Newsletter

2011-07-07T20:47:00.001-04:00

Dear friends,

Thank you so much for praying for guidance and the will of God in our
lives! God has had a good purpose for our time here in Florida, and
it has been a blessing to be with the church here and my extended
family. We were greatly saddened by my grandfather's passing in early
March, but it was also a great blessing to be with the family at that
time.

It has been my desire to be involved in ministry ever since I came to
Florida, and I have been looking out for opportunities, and praying
for guidance. On May 20th, I was getting off the truck at work and
slipped and broke my arm. This put me out of commission for several
weeks and gave me a lot of time to pray and think about things.
During this time the Lord reminded me of the need of a church plant up
in Griswold, Iowa, where my in-laws live. This is really the only
place where we had a Macedonian call. I spent some time in prayer
over this, and then wrote my father in law about our thoughts. They
have been meeting regularly for Bible studies with another family. He
said that just that week they were considering starting up a church
and looking for a pastor. We were encouraged to see God's hand of
providence guiding us in this direction. Griswold, Iowa is a small
rural town in southwest Iowa not far from Omaha, Nebraska. It is my
plan to lead a Calvinistic Baptist church plant there. My last day of
work is the 15th of July and we plan to move up there on July 25th,
God willing.

As I look forward to this great undertaking, I realize my own
unworthiness and inability to really do anything to advance God's
kingdom apart from His grace. Please pray for us! We need grace
against Satan's attacks. We need great grace to persevere and for
fruit for our labors. I plan to get a job when up there to support my
family, so please also pray for an opening there. We will look
forward to updating you again in the future.

Thank you for your prayers.

Yours in Jesus' name,
Victor and Bethany Maxson

Fourth Anniversary Family picture...

2011-04-07T17:39:00.000-04:00

Fourth Anniversary...

2011-04-07T11:30:00.004-04:00

2007

2008

2009

2010

Today we celebrate four wonderful years together. This is a photo snapshot of four years. I'll try to upload a recent family pic soon.

A quick family update...

2011-03-31T10:45:00.000-04:00

Dear Friends and Family,

I just wanted to send a quick update on our family to those who have asked and wanted to know how we are doing.

Victor is doing well and working for an electrician in Ocala. He is learning alot and seems to be doing well. He is also continuing to be involved in ministry when he can, and will be preaching at Faith Baptist this Sunday. Please remember him in your prayers as he seeks the Lord on what he should share and how he should share it.

I am thoroughly enjoying being a wife and mother. Some days are hard, but God's grace is sufficient and I am learning. I am still trying to get back into things like cooking, cleaning, shopping, etc. here in the states as it is different from Africa.

Hannah just turned three in January. She is such a big girl and I'm enjoying watching her grow up. She has become quite a little helper these days helping with housework and holding Rachel, etc. She's a joy to be around.

Our little Sarah will be turning two this Sunday. It's hard to believe how quickly time goes by. I still remember her birth and Africa and it's hard to imagine that two years have already flown by. Sarah is really beginning to talk and she is a little ball of energy. I wish I could get her energy, but instead I just have to channel her energy in the right ways.

Rachel Elizabeth is a little joy in our lives (most of the time:). She's working on getting her first two teeth, which makes her a little fussy at times, but generally she's our little sunshine. She is getting so big, so fast. We love her and enjoy having her around.

And so, that concludes my update. I am attaching a picture of us after Joy (Victor's sister) and Jared's wedding.

Please keep in touch. We love hearing from everyone.

Love In Christ,

Bethany

Happy Thanksgiving and a few pictures...

2010-11-25T11:43:00.000-05:00

Dear family and friends,

We are rejoicing in the Lord's goodness to us and we have SO much to be thankful for! We are thanking the Lord for His saving work in our lives, and for His leading us in the way that He wants us to go. We are also thanking Him for our third little blessing that He has given to us, Rachel Elizabeth. Each of our little girls are so precious to us.

We've attached a few pictures of the family including one with a better view of Rachel's hair.

We are also looking forward to joining lots of extended family today in celebrating this wonderful holiday and sharing a time of thanksgiving to our great and wonderful heavenly Father who has done so much for us. God is so good...

Love,

Bethany

A Great Trip!

2010-09-09T22:46:00.000-04:00

Praise God for His great goodness! We got in the day before yesterday, and are now in the apartment above the family's ice cream shop in Griswold, IA. Our living room and dining room windows look out over the main street where we can see the local grocery store across from us, and the bank just next to that. The town is really small, only maybe 700 people. About a block away from us we have a nice little playground where the girls enjoy going, with a good variety of slides, swings, and other fun climbing things for them to do.

While we have a small grocery store across from us, it is more the size of a convenient store and tends to be rather expensive, so we will do most of our shopping either in Atlantic or Omaha. Atlantic is a small town of about 7,000 people and is about 20 to 30 minutes away. We went to the Wal-Mart there today for groceries and other things we needed to get set up. Omaha is the big city about an hour west of us where the Turacks go to church. It is kind of neat to be out in the country like this (though we are in a small town). It seems in a way like moving back in time compared to some of the big cities in the States.

You all might like to hear a summary story of our trip around the States, so I will try my hand at recounting the details:

Well, things did not start out so great for our trip over here. Our flights were booked close together so we did not have much time for rest between flights. Hannah threw up on the way to Dakar, Senegal. Then while we were there they told us that the ground power unit was dysfunctional so they had to work on it with the doors open on the plane and the air conditioner and most lights off! That was interesting.

Well, we finally made it to Orlando many hours later, and found that our bags had not arrived! We were almost too tired to care, but after eating lunch at Burger King, Jesse Saint, who picked us up, encouraged us to go back to check if they were on the next flight. Praise God they were! We were so relieved.

We spent nine nights with my brother Benjamin and his wife Kimber-Leigh. They were very kind and hospitable. We spent most of the nights eating at other people's houses in the church, and enjoyed visiting with as many as we could. We got to visit with the Lytles, the Saints, the Joe Canovas, the Anders, Pastor and Mrs. Hardings', and Aunt Sue and Uncle Scott and my cousin Trisha, and Jared Blanton. The weather in Florida was a shock for us since we were used to cool in Malawi. It was very hot and humid, in the upper 90's. The church there was a great blessing to us and we had good services with them. I shared with the church on Wednesday night. They also had a baby shower for Beth. We were humbled by the kindness of the church there.

Saturday, the 20th we drove two hours up to Jacksonville. A brother in the church in Williston has lent us a very nice Honda minivan which he bought to share with others. It has been a real blessing to us. We got to Beth's aunt's house in Jacksonville and spent a couple hours with them. We had a good time with them. Then we went to Tom and Emily Smith's house, where we stayed the next two nights. While we were there we went to Collins Road Baptist Church and I shared in their evening service, after which they had a meal. They were also very kind to us and did a sort of paper/money shower for our new baby as well.

We left on Monday for Pensacola, where we stayed at the guest house there for three nights. We were able to visit the ministry there and the church prayer meeting on Wednesday. It was really nice to see the Pollards, Frakes, Randy Trayer, Miss Lynn and Clarence Simmons. Tuesday we went to the beach and the naval air museum. Wednesday I went to the ministry prayer meeting and spent some time in prayer. Thursday we left for Houston, and were able to visit with the Kempf family on our way where we had a delicious lunch and Hannah got to have a little "tea party". Once in Houston, we surveyed the area in terms of housing and jobs, and visited the church there on Sunday. Grace Family Baptist Church is a pretty big church with about 350 people or so. They recently started a new church plant to the north of them, and 100 of their people went to be a part of that. Many of their people had come from the north. We were very encouraged by the service and there was a pot luck meal following. The people were very welcoming and encouraging.

Sunday afternoon we left for San Antonio, where we stayed at Steve and Ruth Helms house. The girls liked running in their yard. Beth's brother John and his daughter Lola came over for a couple hours on Monday, and chatted, which was nice. Then we went out to eat with John and his wife Lisa at a Chinese restaurant in the evening. It was good to see John again and Lisa for the first time.

Wednesday we packed up the car, and headed up to Vision Forum to see some of my old work-mates. We found some people there but others were at home as they are now going to a 4 day work week because the economy is so slow. Michael Gobart took us out to eat at a Mexican restaurant and we had a good time talking with him. I called my old friend Chance Winberry, and he said he would love to get together but he had just wrecked his car the day before and was working on it. Well, we went to see him and tried to encourage him a little, but he ended up encouraging us. He is a very cheerful and joyful, and godly man. It was a blessing to see him again.

We drove a couple hours north on Wednesday till we reached Coleman, TX, where the Shamburgers stay. They are family friends, and we enjoyed our time with them. From there we traveled to Amarillo in the panhandle of TX where we spent the night at a motel and the next morning first noticed a significant change for the cooler. That was really nice! It was really western there with a lot of people wearing cowboy hats and boots, and jeans! We then traveled up through New Mexico past Capulin Volcano through Trinidad and Pueblo to Canon City. Grandma and Grandpa Roper were glad to see us and we had a great visit with them. We stayed in their camper where they had beds set up for all of us. We got to see Uncle Mark too and cousin Gary and his wife Janie. We went over to my grandparents' cabin in Beulah and had lunch there one day before we went to the ranch. I even saw a black bear in Beulah! We then went back to the cabin from the ranch so the girls could rest but they weren't very tired so we picked up pine cones in the back yard till Grandma and Grandpa got back. Sarah was determined to grab the flowers and got two bee stings as a result. We were thankful that she was not allergic to bees! We went to their church on Sunday with them. It was a really special blessing to be with my grandparents, though it was only a short time.

We left on Monday morning after breakfast. It wasn't easy to say goodbye. We tried to find a Honda dealership that changed oil, but they were all closed for the holiday (Labor Day), so we went to Colorado Springs Wal-Mart where we had to wait about 1 1/2 to 2 hours for the oil change! The car is pretty complicated and has something in it that tells you when you need to change the oil, but they weren't able to turn it off. So it still tells me that I need to change the oil about 1000 miles ago! We drove and drove and then stopped for a delicious salad bar in North Platte, Nebraska. About 11 PM we finally stopped in Grand Island, Nebraska, where we spent the night at the Days Inn there. We were exhausted. The next day we only had 3 hours of driving, and made it in to Beth's parents house at 2 PM, with several stops. We chatted with them some and then came out here to unload and then went to her Grandpa's house to pick apples and pears and tomatoes.

It is nice to be resting up a bit, though I cannot say we are totally settled. We probably won't be for a while. But we feel much better than when we were on the road!

We praise God for His great mercies on our trip and thank all who had a part in making it special! God bless you all! Thank you for your continued prayers for us as we seek God's will for our lives.

Picture Update...

2010-06-07T13:44:00.000-04:00

Here are some recent pictures of the Victor Maxson family! Hope all are doing well.

With love,

Bethany

1. Last night we heard explosions outside (we've heard them before, not too uncommon) and then our power went off. Today when we got home, there was a guy out back fixing a line that had blown.

2.Victor has been practicing his photography skills lately and Hannah is a great subject.

3. My beloved husband loves to bring me flowers out of our yard. Here is one of his beautiful arrangments!

4.Today we went to a beautiful restaurant called Cafe Mandala. The food was delicious and the girls had lots of fun playing in green grass and on the see-saw, swing and boat! Here is Hannah on a swing just her size!

5.Here is my beloved husband and little girl! Today we have been married for three years and two months!

6. Hannah and Sarah in a canoe that is used for fishing on lake Malawi

A little update...

2010-04-09T08:29:00.000-04:00

Sorry for being so bad about posting on here... alot has been happening lately.

1. We found out that we are expecting #3 in November of this year. We are quite excited to meet this new little blessing.

2. Sarah turned 1 on April 3rd. She's growing up so quickly and is such a sweetheart. We enjoy having her around.

3. Victor and I celebrated our 3rd anniversary on the 7th! We praise God for blessing us with three years together!

I think that brings us up to date. I'll try to post a little more often if I can...

Maxson family portraits...

2010-03-02T13:08:00.000-05:00

1. Hannah and Grandpa

2. The Maxson young men.

3. The Maxson young ladies.

4. All the Maxson ladies.

More visit pictures...

2010-03-02T13:06:00.000-05:00

1. The four Maxson cousins with matching outfits from Aunt Joy.

2. Hannah letting Sarah smell a flower.

3. "Here these smell more!"

4. Sister secrets... how sweet.

5. Hannah

6. Sarah

7.Hannah and Sarah's "car" that they use to drive to Shoprite, Sana and the market:)

8.I loved this picture of Sarah! She'll be walking soon I'm sure.

9.Hannah and Paul get along pretty well, most of the time.

Recent pics

2010-03-02T13:03:00.000-05:00

Here are some pictures from Ben and Kim's recent visit. It was nice to be all together again.

1- Hannah climbing a tree with Aunt Faith and Uncle Samuel.

2. The Maxson family all together.

3. The three Maxson girl cousins in dresses Kim made for them.

4.They all like to sing together as well.

5. Sarah loves Uncle Paul. He makes her laugh.

6.Sarah and Renae playing together with a puzzle. Sarah is about three months older.

Fw: Picture update on the Maxson Family

2010-02-03T10:05:00.000-05:00

Thanks Bethany,

Your family is so cute!!! The girls sure are growing up fast aren't they? We would like to see some pictures with you and the girls together too. It is good to hear that you all are happy and healthy!

With my love, Teri

----- Original Message -----

From: Victor Maxson

To: Blog Post

Sent: Wednesday, February 03, 2010 9:12 AM

Subject: Picture update on the Maxson Family

Here are a few pictures and a little update on what we've been doing here in the warm heart of Malawi!

1. Sarah is growing up SO fast. She might be an early walker. It's hard to tell. She's much more daring than Hannah was. Here she's holding on to Daddy's fingers and walking! She LOVES it!

2.And yet, all that walking can really tire you out. So much so that you can't even finish your dinner (she now has 8 teeth and is working on more and loves to eat with us).

3. On Monday the 25th, we took a trip to Zomba to visit an old friend of Victor's who has recently gotten married. We enjoyed our visit with them and the wonderful food they served. Then we went to the botanical gardens and enjoyed a relaxing time together. Here, Hannah found a fun little "swing" and enjoyed it for a little while.

4.Here's Daddy with his two precious princesses as he calls them. So sweet!

5. Hannah is very good at finding fun things to play with, and here she's found some rocks to play on. What fun!

6. Here, Daddy was trying to get Sarah to look at the camera, and Sarah (who loves to copy) is doing the same thing.

And that brings us up to date. Ben (Vic's brother) and his wife and two children are here visiting but they're staying with the Maxson's. I'll try to get some pictures at some point and post them. Our camera is poor quality, though, so I've been having a hard time getting good pictures lately. Maybe someday we'll get a better camera, but for now, this is good enough.

~Bethany

Picture update on the Maxson Family

2010-02-03T09:12:00.000-05:00

Here are a few pictures and a little update on what we've been doing here in the warm heart of Malawi!

1. Sarah is growing up SO fast. She might be an early walker. It's hard to tell. She's much more daring than Hannah was. Here she's holding on to Daddy's fingers and walking! She LOVES it!

2.And yet, all that walking can really tire you out. So much so that you can't even finish your dinner (she now has 8 teeth and is working on more and loves to eat with us).

4.Here's Daddy with his two precious princesses as he calls them. So sweet!

5. Hannah is very good at finding fun things to play with, and here she's found some rocks to play on. What fun!

6. Here, Daddy was trying to get Sarah to look at the camera, and Sarah (who loves to copy) is doing the same thing.

~Bethany

Maxson family new year update...

2010-01-20T10:15:00.000-05:00

Just wanted to give a little Maxson Family Update along with a few recent pictures.

As a family, we're doing well. We had a wonderful time in the states and came back feeling refreshed. What a wonderful time of seeing family and friends and hearing God's truth presented.

Victor is doing well. The ministry here keeps him busy, but he still manages to find time to play with the girls and spend quality time with the family. He is beginning to be the coordinator for the Sovereign Grace Theological Seminary here in Malawi. He also teaches at church each week, disciples two young men in our home and teaches church history once a month at a mens leadership seminar.

Hannah is growing up quickly. She turned two on January second, and ever since, has seemed to start growing up even faster. She is trying to talk and has quite a little vocabulary that she can use. She loves taking care of "la-la" (Sarah) and making sure she doesn't get into any trouble (one of her favorite phrases is "no-no, la-la"). She also loves playing dress up with shoes, scarves, a purse, dollies and anything else she thinks she needs (play phone, gift card, etc.).

She keeps mommy on her toes and loves to imitate me. She even asks me to tie her baby doll on her back some times like I do with Sarah.

Sarah is also growing up quickly. She is crawling very well now and even pulls herself up on the furniture. She likes to try to copy whatever Hannah does even if it means crawling up the stairs behind her and into daddy's office. She is now working on her 8th tooth and really enjoys joining in eating at meals with us. She is generally quite joyful and a joy to be around.

And finally, God has been blessing me and working in my life. It's slow and painful at times, but I am willing for Him to do whatever it takes to make me more like Himself.

I am enjoying getting back into life here and seeking to be more efficient in my use of time and energy. Victor bought me a crock-pot for my birthday and I have been using it SO much. It's such a blessing to be able to throw everything in in the morning and have dinner done late afternoon. I've also been doing quite a bit of sewing for the house lately and I'll try to post some more pics of that when I'm done. Yesterday, I spent most of the day planting a garden with sweet corn, tomatoes, green beans, spinach, beets and squash. I'm hoping to get an herb garden in one of these days real soon with basil, dill, mustard, echinacea and a few others. Hopefully I'll get some return for my labors. I'm real new at this gardening thing.

Well, that's where we're at. Please continue to pray for us and the work here. Even though it is going fairly well, still there are many discouragements and trials. We love to hear from people as well, so please drop us a note...

~Bethany~

Pictures----

1.Our little princess

2.Sarah playing dress up with Hannah. Notice the couch covers in the background. I made them to cover up some horrid red and brown plaid:)

3.Hannah playing mommy.

4.Hannah and Sarah playing in the laundry basket while mommy folds clothes.

5.Hannah playing dress up.

6. An adorable Sarah face.

A few more pics from Iowa...

2010-01-08T03:01:00.000-05:00

Sorry this is out of order. Here are a few more pics from our time with my family.

Hannah's 2nd birthday...

2010-01-08T02:58:00.000-05:00

Our little girl is two. It's so hard to believe. It seems like just yesterday we were rushing to the hospital, after 20 hours of hard labor, eagerly awaiting her arrival. I remember holding her in my arms and marveling that God gave her to me. It's been two years of learning and growing for me. Learning how to be a good mommy and how to give up my "rights". So much has happened and yet, by God's grace, on January 2nd, Hannah turned two. I've posted some pictures from her birthday. Grandma T. gave her a little build-a-bear kit for her birthday and we had fun putting it together while Sarah took a nap!

Home and getting settled...

2010-01-08T02:50:00.000-05:00

We're home! Sorry it's taken me so long to post. We arrived home safely on the 30th and have been settling in ever since. I've been meaning to post a couple times and just haven't found the time. We kinda hit the ground running.

Since we've gotten back we've expierienced the usual power and water outages (although not as much as before) and the weather was hot right when we got here. And yet, God has blessed us. The rains have come a little and cooled things down a bit. We have gotten caught up on some much needed rest. Different ones in the church seem to be growing and it seems like God is starting a work of revival. God has been granting us grace through our many trials (like the fridge stopping working and losing some food because of it).

And so... we step back from the everyday and look up and say... "Thank you, Father. You've been so good to us." For truly He has been.

On our way back to Malawi...

2009-12-28T10:08:00.002-05:00

Well, that's it. Our trip is almost over. We're in the airport in Omaha waiting for our first flight of a long string of flights. Please pray for grace as we fly! Also pray for strength for me, as it's been very hard for me to leave my family again.

I'll try to post more once we get home (if not sooner!),

Trip update...

2009-12-23T12:53:00.000-05:00

Here's another picture update on our trip. We're in Iowa now and really enjoying ourselves. The girls have enjoyed seeing snow for the first time! They're also really enjoying being with their other Aunts and Uncles and Grandma and Grandad Turack.

1. Hannah LOVED making sugar cookies with Aunt Angie.

2. In the snow with Grandad, Daddy and a couple Uncles.

3. Daddy pulling Hannah and Sarah in the snow.

4.Mommy and Hannah enjoying some snow ice!

5. Sarah loves grandad.

6. Hannah and Sarah enjoyed playing playdoh with daddy and daddy even made Hannah a beautiful ring. She loved it!

7. Grrrrr..... Sarah has some adorable faces and she's crawling really well now!

8. She has some really sweet faces too! She's growing so fast.

9. Hannah enjoying a little kitchen at grandma and grandad's house!

10.Mommy, Hannah and Sarah at the ice cream shop having dinner.

11. Hannah and one of her favorite uncles!

12. Grandpa sharing life stories with Victor.

13. Hannah and Sarah. Sweet sisters!

14. Yesterday we went to visit the grave of my beloved grandma. Oh how we miss her!!

I'm not sure if I'll be able to post again before we head home, but if I don't, I'll post when we get home. We head home on the 28th. Please pray for safe travels!

~Bethany

A few more pics that didn't get posted...

2009-12-10T13:47:00.003-05:00

Here are some more hospitality pics. We got these pictures while enjoying wonderful hospitality and fellowship at two family's homes.
Also, Sarah has been adjusting to the unusual weather. She's still not so sure about this cold stuff and having to wear all this stuff:)

A few more stops... and now the conference...

2009-12-10T13:35:00.003-05:00

We're now at the conference. We were able to spend the day with my family at the creation museum yesterday, but sadly, I didn't get many pictures on my camera. I figured there were plenty of other cameras and with two little ones, my hands were full. At the end of the day, we got to enjoy a concert by Buddy Davis. What a treat!
Right now, Victor, Mala and Nate are at a pastor's lunch and will be listening to a few speakers before the start of the actual conference. Should be fun!!
I'll post more later...

In Ohio...

2009-12-08T11:57:00.002-05:00

We're here in Ohio now. Today we're taking it easy. My family is coming in tonight and we're looking forward to seeing them again. It was such a blessing to see them on Sunday. Everyone had changed so much. I'll try to post some pictures at some point in the next few days!

Yesterday our trip went fairly well until the evening when Sarah decided that she was tired of travelling and screamed for the lasst hour or so of the trip. When we got to the house, we discovered why... it's no fun to sit in a dirty diaper for an hour. Sorry Sarah!

This trip has been a blessing so far. We're enjoying just taking a break from the rigors of missionary life and fellowshipping with many different families. It's been like a breath of fresh air. We're really excited about this conference!! What a blessing it will be. If you want to see more about it, go to the Sufficency of Scripture site.

We'll try to update more later...

A few more pics...

2009-12-05T15:36:00.005-05:00

The Lundquist Family

Me and Sarah with two of the Dohm girls.

Sarah watching Jake's antics and being quite amused!

Playing a game at the Zamora's house.

Sarah in her adorable flower sleeper. She's SO cute.

In the states...

2009-12-05T15:09:00.005-05:00

Ben's family and our family with the Maxson grandparents.

Me carrying Sarah Malawian style. She LOVES it.

Daddy and his girls on their way to church.

Hannah and Isaiah. They had a lot of fun together!

Daddy and Hannah and Sarah in the airport in South Africa.

We're here! It's hard to believe, but we've already been here for over a week. The time is going by so quickly. We've had a wonderful time in the states. It's been a great time of relaxing and refreshing. We have really been enjoying the delightful hospitality of so many in the two churches we've been in so far.

We're looking forward to seeing my family tomorrow, Lord willing. It's been over a year since I've seen them, and I haven't even met my littlest sister! I'll try to get pictures!

Thanks for the birthday wishes...

2009-11-20T15:02:00.000-05:00

Dear Family and Friends,

Thanks for all the birthday emails. It means alot to me that everyone remembered me. I've attached some pictures of our trip to Zomba mountain for my birthday. Victor made it a really special day for me...

~Bethany

Playing house...

2009-11-19T04:46:00.000-05:00

We've been really busy lately getting ready for our trip, so I decided to take a break today and have a little fun with the girls. I built them a "House" and they LOVED it!! Definitely little girls!

One week till we head to America. It's coming so fast. I'll try to post about it as we go.

~Bethany

Trip to Lilongwe and Hannah in Pigtails...

2009-11-03T09:25:00.000-05:00

Here are a few somewhat recent pictures of the Victor Maxson Family... Some are from our trip to Lilongwe to get Sarah a passport and make her an American citizen (officially, as she already was one). We stopped at Dedza pottery on our way and had lunch. That's where most of the pictures came from.

Then there are some pictures of Hannah that I took today with her hair in pigtails. Her hair is growing quite a bit and I'm finally able to put it in pigtails!! It's so cute!

Then of course, Sarah didn't want to be left out of the photo shoot so I got a few cute pics of her as well...

One last bit of news... we are planning to go to America as a family in the end of November through December. A pastor in the states has invited us to come for a conference and is paying the way for Victor and Mala (a young man who is an elder in the church here) to go and the rest of us are taken care of as well. We're very excited as we'll be able to attend this conference, see lots of old friends, see my family and also visit Ben and the church in Williston. It will be a nice trip. I'm hoping to post about it while we're in the states.

Till later...

Bethany

(Blog Post sent from email)

Recent pictures from the Maxsons ...

2009-10-05T05:54:00.000-04:00

Here are some recent pictures from the Maxson family here in Malawi.

1. Hannah likes to carry Sarah on her shoulders, and Sarah likes it just as much! (Of course we have to hold on to her!)

2. Here's a really recent family picture (we took it yesterday at the baptism)

3.The church had a baptism yesterday and Victor baptized three guys. Charles was first.

4.Jonathan was second.

5. And Mike was third. (as you can see, they had not treated the pool even though the guy told us that the green was from chimicals.)

6.Hannah after the baptism.

7.Mada holding Sarah. The girls at the church love to hold her.

8.Hannah and Sarah in matching outfits. I made Sarah's and Aunt Joy made Hannah's. I also made myself a purple jumper in the same basic pattern (you can see it in the family picture).

9.Two little sisters that really love each other!

10.Sarah's rolling and pushing up and wanting to crawl anytime. She can also sit up by herself some, but she's not real stable. She's working on getting her third tooth as well.

11. Our beautiful daughter is growing up quite quickly. She loves to run and play and read books and wash dishes and play in the dirt:P What a joy she is to us!

I'll try to write some more about what we're up to soon!

Bethany

Homemade salsa...

2009-09-28T10:20:00.000-04:00

One thing I have enjoyed about being here in Malawi, is that I've learned to make things from scratch that I never would have even tried in the states because it's so easily available. One of those things was Homemade salsa. I've included the recipe below and hope to include more recipes soon.

Homemade Salsa

3 onions - diced

4 cloves garlic - crushed

4 sm green peppers - diced

6 small tomatoes - diced

1 tsp. salt

1-3 tsps. Peri-Peri or Cayenne (depending on how hot you like things)

2 tsps. fresh cilantro crushed

Cook onions, garlic and green peppers in about 1 TBSP oil until clearish but not fully browned. Add the diced tomatoes, salt, Peri-Peri (or cayenne) and cilantro. Simmer for 30 minutes over med low heat. Place in a container in the fridge and use as needed.

Picture titles

2009-08-25T08:21:00.001-04:00

Here are the proper titles for the pictures. Sorry about the mix-up.

Bethany

1-3. Some of Sarah's adorable faces.

4. Hannah in her princess dress that daddy bought her.

5. Daddy with his girls having morning devotions.

6. Hannah feeding herself (a new favorite activity!)

7. Mommy and Sarah out in front of the house with our front yard in the background.

Pictures

2009-08-25T08:09:00.000-04:00

Here are some recent pictures of us! As requested I've included some of the old folks as well as the girls!

Bethany

1. Mommy carrying Sarah on her back Malawian style.

2-6. Some of Sarah's adorable faces.

7. Hannah in her princess dress that daddy bought her.

8-9. Daddy with his girls having morning devotions.

10. Hannah feeding herself (a new favorite activity!)

11. Mommy and Sarah out in front of the house with our front yard in the background.

Purity

2009-08-16T15:47:00.000-04:00

What does the bible have to say about a pure heart?

Psalm 24:3-5

Who shall ascend into the hill of the LORD? or who shall stand in His holy place?

He that hath clean hands and a pure heart; who hath not lifted up his soul into vanity, nor sworn deceitfully.

He shall recieve blessing from the Lord and righteousness from the God of his salvation.

1 Timothy 1:5

Now the end of the comandment is charity out of a pure heart, and of a good consience and of faith unfeigned...

2 Timothy 2:22

Flee also youthful lusts: but follow righteousness, faith, charity, peace, with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart.

1 Peter 1:22

Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently:

Pictures of the girls...

2009-08-15T04:26:00.000-04:00

Sorry for my lack of communication lately. Life's been busy with moving into town, ongoing sickness and water and power outages fairly often. We still love everybody and think of you often. I wanted to send some quick pics of the girls that I got yesterday. As you can see, Hannah and Sarah are both growing quickly. Sarah's shirt is wet in the pictures due to getting teeth numbers 2 and 3. She surprised us with number one:) It's hard to believe how fast they're growing up!

Until later,

Bethany

Some recent girl pics...

2009-07-26T14:49:00.000-04:00

I've been having fun doing lots of sewing lately. I try to squeeze it in whenever I can. I've been making stuff for the new house as well as clothes for the girls. I've posted some pictures of the girls in some matching skirts I made for them. The bonnets were made by a family in the states who help support us. Hannah LOVED matching with Sarah. They're so cute together. Hannah loves to ask to hold Sarah and give her big bear hugs and Sarah LOVES it! One of the pictures was a little blurry, but they were so cute I included it anyway.

Some recent pics...

2009-07-07T15:26:00.000-04:00

Here are some recent pics!

1. Angie, your little niece takes after you... when mommy and daddy are busy, the best way to keep yourself happy is to find the baby powder and give your dolly a little powder bath:)

2. Here is a pic of the leadership training seminar that is hosted once a month.

3. Sarah loves to join us at the table, and Hannah loves for her to do that:) (Note daddy's arm behind Sarah:)

4.Here is our precious princess getting some beauty sleep. She is getting so big, and growing up so fast! We love her dearly...

5.And last but not least, here is our precious Hannah doing what she loves to do: copying mommy and pretending. Here she has set her "table" (the bottom step) and she's all ready to eat. One day last week, she and I had a "tea party lunch" at the coffee table since Victor wasn't able to come home for lunch. So was so grown up acting as she sat on a paint can at the coffee table and fed herself and drank a little every now and then, and then helped mommy clean the table afterwards. Such fun! And Sarah watched it all from the couch:)

Maxson Family Newsletter - July 2009

2009-07-05T15:16:00.000-04:00

Dear praying friends,

Greetings from chilly Africa! We're in our cold season, and experiencing temperatures down to 53 F.

This past month or so has been one of joy mixed with sadness. Beth's grandmother in Iowa passed away on May 25^th from cancer that she suffered from for quite a while. While we rejoice that she was a believer and is without pain with Christ, we also sorrow for ourselves as she was a dear grandmother.

The leadership training seminars on May 16^th and June 20^th went quite well. We had over twenty people show up for each. Dad finished the sufficiency of Scripture and then dealt with regenerate church membership. These are vital truths that are sorely lacking here. I taught on the early church and Middle Ages. Percy Chisenga is teaching on systematic theology, and gave an introduction in May. In June he dealt with the topic of Bibliology or the doctrine of the Scripture.

Dad and I both are involved in personal discipleship. We have decided to give one service per month to the Malawian brethren who are training for leadership. This has worked out quite well.

We also praise the Lord that the house in Williston has finally rented out beginning this month, which is a great blessing and answer to prayer.

Our girls continue to bring great joy to our hearts. Sarah is an adorable, smiley baby. Hannah is saying small words, and understands a lot of what we say!

Beth continues to love and encourage me. Her main ministry is supporting me and caring for our girls, but she also has a burden to be more involved in the lives of the young ladies in the church. Pray for her as it is not easy to be so far from family and friends.

Some Prayer Needs

We are still waiting on God for housing in town, so we can be more available for the people of the church.

Continue praying for revival and the full establishment of the church here. Pray for a permanent location for the church also. Our venue is suitable for the bookshop but will soon be outgrown by the church. The last two Sundays we had about 45 people, and only one or two empty chairs!

God has met our needs, over and above what we deserve. We praise Him for that. Pray for grace and wisdom to reach out and care for others in this needy land. Thank you for your prayers and generous support! God bless you!

In Christ,

Victor, Bethany, Hannah and Sarah Maxson

The ultimate healing...

2009-05-27T07:55:00.000-04:00

Dear friends,

Many of you may remember that Grandma Gwinn was diagnosed with colon cancer a year ago this month. After one year of treatments, chemo, and a surgery, God gave her the ultimate healing on Monday and took her home to be with Him. She is now painfree and in a better place. We praise God for that, but also grieve for our loss. We all loved her dearly and will miss her SO much. It won't be quite the same now with her gone.

Please continue to keep my family in your prayers, especially my mom, as they seek to make the funeral arrangements and minister to others while greiving themselves.

In Christ,

Bethany

Victor and Bethany Maxson's Prayer Letter

2009-05-13T10:42:00.002-04:00

Dear praying friends,

How thankful we are to God for His goodness to us! Since we wrote last, we have seen God's hand in wonderful ways in our lives! Our praise fails to do justice to the greatness of God's mercy to us! We would like to praise God for the following blessings:

· Sarah Hope's birth - April 3rd

Praise God for adding Sarah Hope to our quiver! She is a sweetheart with long, dark hair, and beautiful blue eyes. She is growing well. Hannah likes to kiss her and hold her too! Pray with us for the salvation of our little ones, for wisdom in training them, and for their health and safety in this dangerous world. Beth has recovered well, and we are thankful!

· Our Second Anniversary

Our second wedding anniversary came and went on April 7^th without a big to-do, since Sarah had just been born. However, we were able to go up to Kuchawe Inn in Zomba on April 21^st, for a special "vision" time of remembering where the Lord has taken us, and planning and dreaming together about the future. It was a priceless outing with the beautiful girl God has given me!

· Church Covenant and New Venue

Late March saw the church covenant, a joyous time of commitment by 18 people. In April we finally found a suitable location for the church to move to in Limbe, a small office room which we use in the week as a bookshop and Sundays for church. The bookshop has some great potential for ministry as well. Not only are we getting sound Reformed literature out at reasonable cost, but it also provides a meeting place in the week for those who want fellowship, counsel or prayer. Please pray for this ministry as well. May 3^rd the people corporately chose the name Antioch Baptist Church, as we are no longer in the Chichiri location. It is our desire that Antioch Baptist Church would be a training point and launch base for biblical truth and missions within Malawi like Antioch in the New Testament. Pray for us as we would like to move closer to town to provide more opportunities for hospitality and interaction.

· The First Leadership Training Seminar – April 18th

The first leadership seminar was a blast! Several from Grace Baptist in Zomba came with Pastor Chisenga. Also we had visitors from within Blantyre along with men from our church. We had glorious teaching on Zambian Reformed Baptist history, the sufficiency of Scripture, and early church martyrs. It was a joyful time of fellowship and study! Please pray for the next seminar on Saturday, May 16^th! Pray that these would help equip the men here to be ready and able to teach others (2 Timothy 2:2). A dear church in NC has lovingly sent some study aids as gifts to the men here, for which we are very grateful.

Pray for us, dear ones! We are so thankful for your sacrificial giving and care in so many ways! Please feel free to contact us with any questions. We love to hear from each of you!

In Christ,

Victor, Bethany, Hannah, and Sarah

Hannah homemaker...

2009-04-30T09:12:00.000-04:00

Yesterday while Victor was out doing ministry, Hannah and I set about to do some housework. First, we put on her "Keeper at home in Training" apron (mom made it for me when I was a little girl, and now my little girls are wearing it). Then we set about doing the dishes. I washed and Hannah rinsed (with a little help). Then we swept the floor. Then we made bread. Hannah's favorite part of that, was when I told her to Puuuush on the dough. She loved it. Then she made her own recipe while I cleaned up.

Now all we need to work on, is getting dressed for the day before coming to breakfast. (Actually, when mommy is responsible for getting three people ready in the morning, some things slip:)

More to come soon...

Bethany

Some sister pictures...

2009-04-28T03:54:00.000-04:00

Thought you all might like to see some pictures of the sisters (and mommy). Victor and I took these the other day!

Love,

Bethany

Our delightful 2nd anniversary celebration...

2009-04-23T09:04:00.000-04:00

This past Tuesday, we travelled to Zomba as a family to celebrate our 2nd anniversary. It's hard to believe that two years have already passed. And... that we have two little ones as well.

We spent most of the day up on Zomba Mtn. at Ku Chawe hotel. It was a wonderful day that we spent together with the girls. We ate at the restaurant with a beautiful view down on the city. Then we let Hannah run around in the grass some and then had a delightful time of talking together about goals, hopes, dreams and the way God has brought us thus far. After that, we had a sweet time of prayer together recomitting ourselves to one another and to the work God has called us to here. Victor did such a wonderful job of planning it and making it a special day for me. And the girls were wonderful!

I hope you all enjoy the pictures I've attached. I think most of them are self explanatory:) Sorry if they're not the highest quality, we have to lower the quality so we can send them with our connection here!!

With love,

Bethany

Announcing Sarah Hope Maxson

2009-04-12T04:57:00.000-04:00

Dear friends,

"To God be the glory, great things He hath done!"

We praise God for the birth of a healthy Sarah Hope Maxson, on April 3rd, 2009, at about 12:00 noon at Blantyre Adventist Hospital. She was 20 in. long, and about 8 lbs. Praise the Lord for a shorter labor period (14 hours), for Beth's sake especially! Baby and Mommy are happy and healthy, and recovering well. How thankful we are! We are also thankful that we were able to get a needed Rhogam shot for Beth, though it took a trip to Lilongwe the day after the birth for Nate and I. God is good to His people!

Thank you for your prayers!

In Christ,

Victor, Bethany, Hannah and Sarah Maxson

Quick update...

2009-03-05T05:12:00.001-05:00

Just wanted to post a quick update. We're at the end of a long battle with chicken pox. It's run it's course through everyone here, and I was the last one to get it:( Right now I'm still recovering as is Hannah (Victor was earlier and is recovered).

Please pray for speedy recovery and a return to health and strength for me before the birth in a few weeks.

Thanks!

Bethany

Another quick update...

2009-02-14T12:33:00.000-05:00

Looks like I might be able to update about once a month. We are adjusting well to most everything here. Right now, the power is out while I'm typing this, so it might take me a little while. We've been having seeming more power outages over the last week. It's usually not very long though (not like three days after we got here when the power and water were out for four or five days).

We had an interesting time adjusting when we first got here. Not only were we without power and water, but a week after we arrived Hannah and I came down with the measels. Then, as we were recovering, Victor got it for a week.

After we recovered, we settled down to adjusting to daily life. It wasn't very easy, but God's grace got us through those early days and we seem to be doing better now.

The "big thing" right now is the chicken pox. It's slowly moving through our two families. Right now, about half of the people have it, including Victor. Hannah and I haven't gotten it yet, but I'm assuming it's only a matter of time.

We have decided on a doctor and hospital here, and I've been going for pre-natal check-ups. It's a little different culture, but we're working through the differences:) My official due date is March 31st (about 6 weeks from now).

Hannah is doing well and growing up SO fast. She's walking and starting to try to talk. She seems much older than she is, and is always surprising us at how smart she is.

Victor is really doing well here and getting right into the ministry. So far, he's taught every Sunday since we got here, but I think tomorrow will be his first to miss because of the pox.

I'm going to try to post more later as well as try some pictures. We'll see though, because our connection here is REALLY slow. So please bear with me!

To those faithful few still here...

2009-01-27T02:15:00.000-05:00

Since we passed the two month mark of being here yesterday, I figured it was about time to come on here and post. It's taken us a while to settle down, and the internet doesn't always work right, so I haven't been able to post on here before now.

I have it set up now, where I can email posts to the blog, so hopefully I can post a little more. I'll try to post real soon and bring everybody up to date on what's been happening over the last few months. I will say... it's been exciting.

Till then...

Bethany

We're on our way...

2008-11-24T13:04:00.002-05:00

We're here at the Orlando Airport with all our luggage checked in! We'll be leaving soon for about 40 hours of traveling. Please continue to keep us in your prayers as we travel and get settled in Malawi!

Bethany

A beautiful morning sunrise.

2008-11-15T08:15:00.001-05:00

One more update and some pictures...

2008-11-15T07:54:00.004-05:00

We're in the countdown now, getting ready to leave for Africa in about a week. Right now, though, we are up in Carrabelle visiting with Victor's Grandparents and Ben and Kim. Grandpa rented a cabin for us and Ben and Kim. It's a really cute cabin right across from the beach.

Yesterday when we got here, Grandma had cooked us an early Thanksgiving meal. It was DELICIOUS! After lunch, we all went walking on the beach together. What fun and special times. Hannah got to walk on the sand in her barefeet with mommy and daddy holding her hands. We didn't get any pictures of that though...

Victor walking along the beach talking with his Grandpa.

Grandma, Kim, Isaiah and Ben walking along the beach.

Standing around on the beach.

Ben with Isaiah and Victor with Hannah.

Grandma and Grandpa Maxson on the beach.

Hannah sitting on Great-Grandpa's lap.

Hannah (10 months) and Isaiah (almost a year). Cousins and friends.

Our beautiful new house - a gift from God!

2008-11-03T15:07:00.000-05:00

Our happy little girl!!!

2008-11-03T14:53:00.001-05:00

A quick update...

2008-11-03T14:49:00.001-05:00

It’s been a while since I’ve posted, as we’ve not had connection to the internet. A lot has transpired over the last few weeks. It’s been exciting to watch God work and orchestrate everything so beautifully. He always provides for our needs (and wants even) sometimes before we ask Him.

We are now in the house in Williston. We’re in the process of remodeling so the house is a little bit of a mess, but God is blessing and we are making progress. Right now, we’ve torn up the carpet and we’re working on painting, cleaning, etc. We’re also preparing for our big trip in about three weeks. We have tickets to leave on the 24th and arrive in Malawi on the 26th! There’s lots of packing and sorting to do. We’re trying to decide what to take and what to leave. Please pray for us on this, as it’s not easy!

Hannah is doing well. She’s been a real sweetheart through all of this. I’m sure it’s not easy for her, but she’s taking it pretty well. She has six teeth and is working on more. She also likes to say “Amen” when we finish praying!

Victor is doing well, and staying busy. He’s got a lot on his plate with working on the house and working out trip details. He’s doing a good job of it all though and also being sensitive to Hannah and I!

I’ve already reached 18 weeks (almost halfway) in my pregnancy. Sometimes we get so busy, that I even forget that I’m expecting. This time is VERY different from last timeJ. We’ll be getting a sonogram on the 20th of this month. I’m looking forward to seeing our little one (and possibly finding out whether it’s a boy or girl!).

We would appreciate your continued prayers on our behalf as we continue to plan, prepare and then leave!

And... one more giveaway!!

2008-10-19T14:37:00.000-04:00

And the winner is... Ruth Ann . If you could email me at maxsonblog@yahoo.com with your shipping info within the week, that would be great! THANKS!

I have yet one more giveaway to do. This is one of my favorites because it's ... MUSIC!

This giveaway features a CD by the Marini Sisters. This paticular CD is entitled "This is the Day". It is a beautiful CD of harp music celebrating the joy and beauty of godly marriage. Out of 16 songs, it includes titles like:

He Has Chosen Me for You
As for us
How Beautiful
Servant Song
Make Them One
Jewish Wedding Medley
And so many more....

I have thoroughly enjoyed this as well as some others of theirs. If you would like some beautiful peaceful music to bless your home, I would really encourage you to get some of these CD's. Here is the best place to buy this:
Old Christian Music.com

To enter to win the CD I'm giving away, go to this site and tell me what your favorite CD by the Marini Sisters would be. Then go to Marini Made Harps.com and tell me which of their harps is your favorite.

This contest will be open through Monday, when I will randomly select a winner and announce it here!!

Also, watch for more pictures soon when I get some time.

Mugged by a frog while sleeping...

2008-10-15T22:46:00.003-04:00

The life of a little girl can get so interesting at times. Tonight I was changing our sheets and heard Hannah wiggling around in her bed quite a bit. When I went over to see what was up, this is what I found...

A few more cute pics of Hannah...

2008-10-11T22:12:00.006-04:00

Grandma Roper just sent us some really cute pictures of Hannah from when we were visiting them in Colorado. I thought you all might enjoy seeing them!

2008-10-11T22:00:00.000-04:00

We're home!!!

2008-10-07T16:07:00.004-04:00

As some of you may have gathered by now, we've been "home" for about a week. Right now, we're staying with some friends while we transition to our home. That really sounds weird to say, but a Christian brother has bought us a home! We will be using it while here in the states and then renting it out while in Malawi. The money from renting will then go toward our support! We are very excited to have a place of our own, even if it's only for a short while. Our plans are still to go to Malawi in November, but of course our plans may change:)

Right now, we're working on the details of the house (I'll try to remember to post pictures if I can) and also packing to go and working on those details.

We had a wonderful trip and God richly blessed us. Hannah travelled REALLY well and even though I dealt with my usual morning sickness, it wasn't as bad as it was with Hannah. Victor did a wonderful job (I thought!) at speaking and presenting the work, as well as interacting with those we came in contact with. As far as we can tell, it looks like all of our support will be provided. Praise the Lord!!

I will try to do my best to keep this blog up-to-date, we'll have to see! We probably won't have internet at the next house, so we'll have to go to the library. So... my posts may not be very often, but I'll try! Also, I posted more pictures from our trip below. Just scroll down past the pictures you've already seen, and you see the new ones.

Our Trip Photo Album

2008-10-05T21:32:00.003-04:00

In Texas at last:) The state capitol!

Grandma and Grandad Turack (aka Mom and Dad) with their two granddaughters and their youngest son at the moment (#10 on the way in March).

Grandad with Hannah... She really took a liking to him!!

Hannah with her Uncle ... she liked him too

Angie, me and Ruth S. holding Hannah. My family hosting a music night at Mr. Sid's house. It was a lot of fun!

2008-10-05T20:12:00.002-04:00

During our drive from Texas to Iowa helping my family move, one of the trucks had some engine problems so we were delayed a few hours here at this truck garage.
As you can see, after a few hours of waiting, everyone started to get a little anxious to get back on the road.
Because of the delay, we didn't get in till 2 in the morning. I'd forgotten to take a picture of the truck we drove before then, so I took one here. It was 26' long, and we had a trailer on back with our car. The cab was big enough, so that Hannah and I were able to ride with Victor the whole time. That was fun!

2008-10-05T19:40:00.004-04:00

Hannah with my Uncle Dave
Hannah with Great-Grandma and Great-Grandpa at breakfast.
Hannah being held by Aunt Angie on the hammock.

2008-10-05T18:56:00.003-04:00

From Iowa, we travelled to Colorado to visit with Victor's grandparents and Uncle Mark.
Here's a picture of them down in the Roper Canyon.
While in town, we also got to visit with Victor's Aunt Lois and her husband and Uncle Paul and his wife on Sunday. Hannah with Victor's Uncle Paul. She really took a liking to him.
We also got to see great sites like the Royal Gorge. Here Hannah was driving a train with some help from Daddy!
And here's a picture of us in the Roper Canyon. I hiked all the way down with Hannah on my back (Victor was carrying fencing) and then Victor carried her back up. As you can see, I gave up early this time and started wearing maternity clothes at twelve weeks. It's really just more comfy:)
Here is a picture of the Beulah United Methodist Church where Victor's Great-Great- Grandfather was a minister in the late 1800's. There's a lot of Roper history in these mountains and we enjoyed seeing it and hearing about it.

2008-10-05T15:59:00.002-04:00

The last family we stayed with, was the Pierce family. I have known Anna for about five years and we've become very good friends through writing letters. We enjoyed our time with them!

By this point in the trip, Hannah was ready to be home.
"Are we really HOME!!!"

From Sweltering Texas to Breezy Iowa

2008-09-16T16:39:00.002-04:00

Lately our updates have been sporadic due to our extreme busy-ness, and the scarcity of good internet connection along the way. Now for a long overdue post . . .

Indiana
Our time in Indiana was short but special. We stayed with the Johnson family. Michael Johnson is a pastor of a Baptist church south of Indianapolis, and we were humbled and blessed by their hospitality. We left early in the morning and got as far as Tulsa, Oklahoma, where we stayed at a sort of run down Howard Johnson, which was fairly reasonable.

Texas
Leaving Oklahoma early the next morning, we arrived at Beth's parents home in San Antonio late Wednesday night, September 3rd. We spent a busy week with Bethany's family, helping them pack, and prepare to move. Some highlights of the time were as follows:

Sing Along at Sid Sytsma's house
On Friday, September 5th, we had a sing along at Sid's place, with the Shorts, the Wallaces, the Walkers, Carolyn Christian, Ruth Helms, and Chance Winberry. It was very special to spend time with friends and worship God together.

Baptism at Fredricksburg Christian Fellowship
Sunday, Sept. 7th, we attended the baptism service at FCF which was held at the Clarks house in Boerne. Bethany's brothers, Seth and Joseph, were two of the ones baptized. It was a beautiful setting to testify to one's faith in Christ, and we were encouraged as various ones stood forward sharing their personal testimonies with the group.

Travel to Iowa
On Wednesday, Sept. 10th, we left Texas for Iowa sometime in late morning. The last couple days had been full of packing the two 26' Penske trucks the Turacks had secured to move their belongings. Finally all was cleaned and packed, and closing date on the house had come! Mom and Dad Turack went up to the north of town to sign papers as we finished up some details at the house. We followed later and made a big caravan, with a 15 passenger van and trailer, and two huge trucks pulling a car each. John Hamilton and his wife Connie joined us, and helped with driving one of the trucks. We spent the night in southern Oklahoma, and then headed up to Iowa. The second day was really long as we had a breakdown in Pryor, OK, and it took about 3-4 hours to get the truck fixed! Praise the Lord for His great mercies! We were totally exhausted but happy to be there when we got in at 1 in the morning!

Now we have been helping unpack and work on the "new" house Mom and Dad got, which actually is an old farmhouse which needs a lot of repair. We have been able to spend some time with Grandma and Grandpa and the family which is very special.

Our plans are to leave on Thursday and spend some time with my grandparents in CO before heading back to FL.

We appreciate ya'lls prayers!

A quick update...

2008-09-01T08:34:00.003-04:00

Just a quick update... we've been without internet for the last week or so, so thus the lack of posts. We were in Ohio for a week and really enjoyed ourselves. I'll give more details when I have more time. From there, we went to Michigan to share with Alton Bible Church yesterday. We stayed with a sweet family in the church who runs a dairy farm we were able to go see the farm and really enjoyed that. On Sunday we enjoyed lunch with the Benjamins. They were a sweet family with lots of little ones that Hannah enjoyed playing with. As usual, I forgot pictures!

From here, this morning we're headed to Indianapolis on our way down to Texas to help my family move. When we stay at a hotel, I'll try to upload some pictures and write a little more about our stay in Ohio.

Just wanted to update ya'll...

A cute Hannah picture...

2008-08-18T12:26:00.002-04:00

Here's a cute picture of Hannah that I thought you all might enjoy seeing. We were in the car on our way to church yesterday, and she was really sleepy and holding her doll so cute!!

Another trip update...

2008-08-18T12:02:00.004-04:00

After we left Williamsburg, we travelled on to Wakefield, NC to visit Hope Baptist Church where Scott Brown is the pastor. Unfortunately, the Brown's were out of town, so we were unable to visit with them. We really enjoyed staying at their house, though and visiting with the church where Victor shared the work. (Sorry, I forgot the pictures here.)

On Thursday, we headed on to Robbinsville, NC to visit with Victor's grandparents. We had a really nice visit with them. They paid for us to stay in a really quiant little hotel in town. I DID remember pictures here:)

After we left Victor's grandparents, we travelled on to Linden TN to visit with the Courter family as well as to visit a church in the area to present the work. I haven't gotten any pictures so far, but if I do I'll try to post them.

Well, that brings you up to date. I'll try to continue to keep up with the posting...

Our Williamsburg Excursion...

2008-08-12T12:09:00.004-04:00

Here are just a few pictures from our visit to Williamsburg. It's a beautiful place rich in history.

The Gardens at the Governors Palace

A beautiful arch made of trees

Victor wanted to take "at least one picture of me" :)

Ok... one more:) Hannah was such a good girl for us

A royal carriage going down the road

Our sweet little girl in her stroller

The governors palace!

My beloved husband and daughter!

The coat of arms on the palace

Trip update #1...

2008-08-12T08:43:00.004-04:00

We've had a good but very busy trip so far. We left for our trip on Thursday afternoon. Originally, we were going to leave on Friday and travel the whole day to Virginia. Thankfully, Victor was wise and knew that I was a little too ambitious when I said I could do it in one day fine. I think I was remembering back to my pre-motherhood days when I didn't have a seven month old and I wasn't expecting number two:) Anyway, I was very glad we split it up into two days. It made it much easier.

On Friday evening, we arrived at my Aunt's house in Virginia Beach. We really enjoyed spending the next few days with her! She was a very gracious hostess, and made sure we had comfortable accomadations, delicious meals and plenty of visit time.

The highlight of the day on Saturday, was visiting my grandma (Dad's mom). She seemed to be doing well, and she really enjoyed seeing Hannah.

On Sunday, we visited two churches in the Virginia Beach area. The first, Covenant Heritage Reformed Fellowship, was actually in Newport News. Victor shared the with the church and after the services, we were invited to the home of Marc Moss, one of the elders. We were overwhelmed with the hospitality, and it was a wonderful time of fellowship with other believers!

From there, we went to Suffolk to a smaller home church, Suffolk Christian Assembly. The elder, Scott Wilson, is a full-time farmer with his family. Their farm is called Full Quiver Farm. Everyone greeted us so cheerfully and made us feel very welcome. Victor was able to share here as well, and everyone was very receptive. It was a delight to visit with these two churches and share the work. I wasn't able to get any pictures of the churches or fellowship, but I did get some pictures of Hannah all dressed up for church.

On Monday morning, we had a slow morning and got packed up and headed to Williamsburg for some family time and to learn about our country's heritage. We are staying a couple nights in the Governors' Inn, which is fairly economical for this area.

Here is another couple of pictures of our cheerful little girl excited to be in Williamsburg!

We're on our way...

2008-08-08T22:47:00.002-04:00

We've left on our long trip. We'll be travelling for at least six weeks and visiting in at least 8 different states during that time, it should be fun and exiciting. Please pray for me, as I'm in the first trimester and haven't been feeling real great the last few days. We'll try to keep you all up-to-date as much as possible. I'm not sure how often we'll have internet access, but we'll see.

Right now we're in Virginia visiting with my Aunt, Grandma and Cousin. From here, we'll head to Williamsburg on Monday, Lord Willing. If you are interested in seeing where we will be when, you can go to our site and click on calender. We'll try to keep it up to date!

Help my brother out...

2008-08-04T19:37:00.002-04:00

Dear readers...
My younger brother Dnaiel has entered a contest to try and win a scholarship. The way you win, is be making a 30 sec. video, posting it on YouTube and then the video with the most views wins. You can help him by going here and watching his video. But... you must resist the urge to watch other videos there as well, because if you do, that makes it harder for him to get enough:)

We all apreciate your help in this. You can also leave a comment with feedback for my brother here!

Thanks! Bethany

An awesome deal from the Money Saving Mom!!

2008-08-01T05:00:00.000-04:00

Have you heard the big news? TODAY ONLY you can get an incredible ebook package from MoneySavingMom.com--over $100 worth of money-saving ebooks, homemaking helps, and encouragement for only $11.97! I'd highly recommend you run over here and check it out. What makes this deal so good is that this ebook package includes the ecourse Supermarket Savings 101--this course alone is worth much more than $11.97 and will teach you how to drastically reduce your grocery bill. If high fuel and food costs are discouraging you and leaving you strapped for cash, you definitely need to buy this ecourse. You'll learn how to cut your grocery bill by up to 50% or more and have fun saving money at the same time! I took this course myself, and it was SO helpful. I would highly recommend it. Go here to read more about this huge sale! Hurry, though, the offer ends tonight--get this money-saving ebook package at a ridiculously low price while you can!

Number 2 on the way...

2008-07-31T09:17:00.001-04:00

I just wanted to share with y'all that we found out yesterday that number 2 is on the way for us! We're very excited and trusting the Lord to give strength in the coming months. I'll keep y'all posted!

Delight thyself in the Lord... part 5.

2008-07-30T08:41:00.006-04:00

(If you're new to this story, go here!)

And so... I moved on with my life. It wasn't easy. I was continually wondering 'was I too hasty? Did I make the right decision?' And for some reason, I couldn't get it out of my head that Victor would be very dissapointed and discouraged. But then I would ask myself 'Why should I care?'. The next few weeks, were very difficult for me. But finally, things were about to change... let me give you a peek into my journal to tell this part of the story.

Ocotber 20, 2006
One month from today, I'll be 19 years old. It's so hard to believe. I feel like I'm getting too old too fast.

A month from now we'll also be in Williston. Who knows what that will hold.

In so many ways lately, I've really wished I hadn't said "no" to Victor. Did I answer to hastily? I pray daily that he would ask again. Oh, if he only knew that if he asked again, I would say yes (to a correspondence)! I just keep turning everything over to God. In the end of it all I want to find myself in the middle of God's will, whether that means marriage to Victor or not.

God, Give me patience to wait...

October 28, 2006 :) 1:30 a.m. :)

Tonight has been so crazy! And it's not over yet!

We went to Beth w.'s Bridal shower tonight. I enjoyed talking to Ruby C. during dinner. She's such a sweet and Godly lady.

We brought Jessi home with us cause John had dropped her off at the shower and then gone home to visit with dad. Once we got home, we visited for a while and then they headed home.

After they left, Daddy and Mommy went to pick up the twins from working at the Hamiltons. When they got home, Daddy sat me down and told me that Victor had been on his heart lately and said he also sensed a change in my heart and feelings toward him (Victor). I was a little surprised, cause I had decided that I would just pray and wait on God. The only person I'd shared my feelings with was Angie (my sister). Who knows where this will go. God has changed my heart and life so much lately. Only He knows what will come of all this! He is so good to me.

During the devotional tonight, Sis. Jodi made a comment that really stood out to me. She said "God promises that those who trust in Him will never be ashamed or disappointed. The only times we are ashamed or disappointed, are when we place our hope and trust in ourselves."

Oh how very true that is...
...Nevertheless, Father, not my will, but Thine be done!

October 29,2006
Daddy emailed Victor yesterday, and got a response this morning. He said he will pray about it and then get beck with us.

Later that day...
I'm beginning to understand what Victor went through back in the beginning of September. I have nothing to do, but wait and pray. I only hope I don't have to expierience the same response. God, grant me the grace to accept your will!!

My biggest prayer and goal, is that God would be glorified no matter what the outcome!

He alone is worthy of our honor and praise.

Oh, that I could come even close to giving Him the glory due His name.

October 30, 2006
Still no word! Oh, my soul, why are you so anxious? Put your trust in God!

I went out walking tongiht at 8:30. It was simply me and my blessed Savior. I poured out my heart to Him as I slowly walked over the moonlit gravel. It was a wonderful time, and I earnestly besseched my loving Heavenly Father for wisdom and guidance for Victor. It was then that the thought dawned on me, that Victor would be beginning his day with our heavenly Father at that time.

Oh God, grant us wisdom and patience! Help us bring glory to your name! Help me to put my trust in you and to wait patiently!

November 1, 2006
Well, we recieved an email from Victor this morning...

Now that I have time to finish this:) Daddy got an email from Victor this morning that said that his (Victor's) feelings had not changed and that he is open to a correspondence. Daddy has begun and I'm really excited to see what will come of all of this. The Maxson's plan to return to the states (they had been doing missionary work in Africa) either late December or early January... I'm really looking forward to seeing them all again!

And so, Daddy's correspondence with Victor had begun. They covered many issues and yet, found agreement! And so... what comes next?

(To be continued...)

Giveaway # 4 ... Garlands of Grace headcovering!

2008-07-28T14:41:00.009-04:00

Congratulations to lady_MSnow for winning the Blue Cecily! The Garland's of Grace girls also gave me a bonus headcovering to giveaway. Ruthann was the winner of that one! Congratulations ladies!!

The sisters over at Garland's of Grace have sent me one of their beautiful, feminine headcoverings to give away. This one is called Cecily's Light Blue and Lace and is valued at $10.99. To enter this giveaway, go to Garlands of Grace and pick out your favorite "garland". Then come back and leave a comment stating which is your favorite!

This giveaway will be open through Friday morning when I will randomly choose a winner.

(Also be sure and check out my post about this AWESOME deal!!)

Giveaway # 3... The Chic Sisters Apron Pattern!!

2008-07-28T09:56:00.009-04:00

Congratulations to MamaHill for winning the Chic Sisters Apron pattern. For the rest of you, you can always go to MarieMadelineStudio.com and buy one for yourself. It's only $9. Very reasonable and you can use it over and over again! I would highly recommend it!

It's time again for the bloggy giveaway carnival. For those of you who entered my last giveaway but didn't win the apron, you now have a chance to win the apron pattern!! The Long ladies emailed me and said they would like to giveaway an apron pattern to one of my readers.

They sent me this pattern (along with the cottage pleated apron) to try and review and let me tell you, I LOVE it!!! The pattern is easy and the finished product is adorable. I'm sure mine didn't turn out half as pretty as the ones the Long ladies make, but I was still very happy with it. I'll post a finished picture of it as soon as I get Victor to take a picture of me in it (I keep forgetting to ask:). In the meantime, you can enter this contest by going to Marie Madeline Studio and clicking on the fabric link. Then scroll through their fabrics and choose two that you would like to use (if you had your choice) to make a Chic Sisters apron. NOTE: you can only choose two, not a set, so open the set link and get the names of only two fabrics. Then come back and leave a comment with your name and two favs!

This giveaway will be open through Friday morning when I will randomly choose a winner. This contest is only open to US residents!

Thanks! Oh, and be sure to check out my other giveaways by clicking on the header at the top of my blog and scrolling through the posts!!

(Also be sure and check out my post about this AWESOME deal!!)

Giveaway #2 winner is...

2008-07-22T15:46:00.002-04:00

Candice!! Congratulations on your new Chic sisters apron! I will contact you shortly.

For the rest of you, stay tuned on Thursday for a new giveaway (or two!).

Giveaway #1 winners are...

2008-07-21T16:03:00.002-04:00

Lisa, from Homestead Simplicity has graciously agreed to give two of my readers a copy of her ebook. So... the winners are Christy and Butterfly211. Ladies, I've emailed you your ebook copies!

If you haven't entered our apron giveaway yet, please do before tomorrow night when I draw a winner!

Delight thyself in the Lord... part 4.

2008-07-18T10:00:00.001-04:00

The next morning, I woke up with that fresh sense of the love of my Heavenly Father for me. We were heading on to Florida that day and I was excited at the prospect of seeing old friends. Little did I know what was about to happen.

I sat down with my bible and a glass of water for my morning devotions. I was really enjoying them, when my cell phone alerted me that I had a text message. I read it. It was from mom and it said "Call dad when you get a chance and can talk in private." Hmmmm.... that's funny.
I finished my devotions and then went to the room where I was staying. It was empty and so I sat down and called Dad.

I can remember being really uncertain and a little nervous but trying not to sound it. Dad asked how I was, asked how our trip was going, and then asked if I was in a private place where I could talk. I said Yes, and he began by telling me that he had recieved a letter from a young man who was interested in me. My heart began to beat a little faster, and I began to wonder who it could be. I thought of a couple of younger guys that we knew that daddy might even consider, but the answer came soon enough and it took me totally by surprise. Here's what Daddy read:

"Dear Mr. Turack,

I am the oldest son of Frank and Evelyn Maxson, missionaries in Malawi, Africa. Your daughter came to visit us late last year with the team who came with Pastor Harding. I am writing you because I have a serious interest in your daughter Bethany. I have observed her quiet godly manner, servant heart, and desire for serving God. After prayer and discussion with my parents (who are aware and approve of my writing), I want to ask if you will allow me to correspond with you about this.

Since I understand that you may know little about me I will try to explain what I can. Any questions on what follows or any other matters I will be quite willing to answer.

As I said I am the eldest in the family. I am 26 years old. Though I realize that there is an age gap between myself and Bethany (7 1/2 years:) I do not believe it would prove to be a real barrier.

I have been homeschooled from kindergarten all the way through high school, and am very thankful for it. The Lord has given me godly and wise parents from whom I can learn a lot!"

Daddy ended reading the letter there, and there was silence for a minute. I was totally shocked! Of all the people I'd ever known, he was the absolute last one I would have guessed... I had a knot in my throat and could hardly speak. I really didn't know what to say.

(Let me take a little break here to give you a little history on my reaction... you see when I visited the Maxson's in Malawi, I saw very little of Victor. What I did see, he seemed quiet, withdrawn and very serious. When all the young people were playing games, he would go to bed with the adults and things like that. He even told me the other day, that he used to be more the "hermit" type before we got married.)

And so, with that background, you will understand my reaction. And yet, I was torn... You see, at the age of eight, I had commited my life to mission work, wherever that might be. Victor had plans to marry and return to Africa as a missionary... I struggled with that letter for the rest of the trip. There was a continual nagging thought in my mind 'Could this really be it? Could Victor really be the one I've been waiting for?' I would push that thought out of my mind though, and try to focus on the events at hand.

As I said, I was struggling for the rest of the trip. When I got home, it didn't get any better. I was so confused. Part of me was all for it, part of me was totally against it. Finally, knowing I had to give an answer to Victor, I told daddy that I had no peace. Here's a short exerpt from his response letter to Victor:

"Dear Victor,
Thank you for your communication last week concerning Bethany. We have talked and prayed about this and though Bethany loves your family and enjoyed her time with you all she does not have peace from the Lord about pursuing a marriage relationship with you. "

And so, it was all over... or so I thought!

(TO be continued...)

Giveaway #2 - Chic Sisters Apron from Marie Madeline Studio

2008-07-17T20:10:00.004-04:00

Our second giveaway is from Marie Madeline Studio. The Long ladies have graciously agreed to giveaway one of their Chic Sisters Aprons to one of my readers. They sent me the pattern for this apron, which I'm working on making and loving it. I had planned to have it done, but Hannah and I got sick this week, so it's still a work in progress. I'll post pictures when I'm done. They also included this Cottage pleated apron. I LOVE this apron! It's so cute and perfect to throw on when I need to get some housework done, but don't quite feel like it:) Also, they really put alot of time and care into their products and you can tell.

So now... here is a picture of the apron to be given away:

To enter this contest, all you have to do is stop by Marie Madeline's new web site and take a look around. Then come back and tell me two things in your comment:

1. Your favorite product that they make or sell.

2.Your favorite fabric (or set) that they sell.

Also, don't forget to leave your name and email/website so I can get back with you when the contest ends. The contest will be open through next Tuesday when I will randomly select a winner.

Stay tuned... I have two more contests coming up in the next week or two!!

Giveaway #1 - Homestead Simplicity: A Primer from Homestead Originals

2008-07-15T09:37:00.003-04:00

Our first giveaway is a Homestead Simplicity e-book from Homestead Originals. Lisa sent me a copy of this book to review, as well as a copy to give away, and I am REALLY enjoying it. It includes tips to make your kitchen more efficient, frugal recipes that are also delicious, canning info and ideas, pantry stocking info and ideas, how to make your own non-toxic cleaning products, laundry tips, natural remedys and SO MUCH MORE. You can see more about this e-book or order your own copy here.

But first, you might want to put your name in the comments to try to win a copy of this book. All you have to do, is go to the Homestead Originals site. Look around and then come back and tell me what your favorite item on the site is. Then, on Monday (21) morning, I will randomly choose a winner from all entries.

(Stay tuned... up next is an apron giveaway from Marie Madeline Studios)

Coming soon...

2008-07-14T15:26:00.001-04:00

Tomorrow (Lord willing) I will be starting a couple weeks of giveaways! Be sure and check back often. Also, my wonderful sister has sent me the letters, so I will be continuing our courtship story soon as well!!

Stay tuned...

Our 4th of July weekend...

2008-07-08T11:35:00.006-04:00

Look at those big, blue eyes!!

We had a wonderful 4th of July weekend. Victor had Friday (the 4th) off, and we spent the early part of the day getting caught up on some ministry things including getting a Malawi ministry brochure ready for printing.

On Friday evening, we went to the Mitchell's house for a time of fun and fellowship. And believe it or not, I actually remembered to take a few pictures. We didn't get any of me playing volleyball, but I did get some of Victor playing football, and the hayride, singing, etc.

On Saturday, we spent the day cleaning up, cleaning out and washing the car, working some more on the brochure and writing letters.

New mission to Malawi website...

2008-07-07T21:32:00.000-04:00

Please check out our new Mission to Malawi website. I finally got it up and going and would like to let people know about it. Also, please pass the word along and feel free to give me any feedback you think might be helpful.

Courtship story to be continued...

2008-07-03T21:03:00.002-04:00

For those reading our courtship story, it will continue as soon as I can get a letter that is very important to the story.

See, I have it printed out... in storage in Texas with my parents. My dad has it on a computer... but it's packed in their hopes of moving. So... when I get the letter, I will continue:)

Westbound coupon train...

2008-07-03T21:02:00.002-04:00

The westbound coupon train is back on track and moving on to stop number 8-W. Those of you still waiting, keep your eyes out for it, and keep it going.

Our little girl is six months old today...

2008-07-02T08:02:00.004-04:00

It's so hard to believe that six short months ago, we were holding our little girl in our arms for the first time and looking into her beautiful face. I don't have time to do a real long post, but I just wanted to post a few pictures, and I'll try to post more tomorrow. If you'd like to leave a comment for Hannah, I'll read it to her. I think she'd really like that:)

Six months ago...

Now!!!

Act now to save marriage...

2008-06-27T07:59:00.003-04:00

Yesterday I recieved this email from a good friend of mine. It states:

U.S. Senator Roger Wicker has introduced the Marriage Protection Amendment in the U.S. Senate. This constitutional amendment would keep liberal activist judges from forcing homosexual marriage on every American.

This constitutional amendment simply states: "Marriage in the United States shall consist only of the union of a man and a woman. Neither this Constitution, nor the constitution of any State, shall be construed to require that marriage or the legal incidents thereof be conferred upon any union other than the union of a man and a woman."

Liberal activist judges in Massachusetts and California, each by a 4-3 margin, have already forced homosexual marriage on their citizens! There is nothing in current law which would keep one judge from legalizing marriage between three men, or two men and four women, or any other combination.

The only way to stop other liberal activist judges from forcing homosexual marriage on Americans is an amendment to the U.S. Constitution. That is why your action now is so critical.

I already went and signed my name. I would encourage each of you to do the same. It is so sad that marriage is being scoffed and made fun of now a days. No one seems to take it seriously. And since marriage is supposed to be a picture of Christ and the church, it makes it so much more serious...

To take action, click on this URL http://capwiz.com/afanet/utr/2/?a=11547266&i=1234&c. It's very simple and takes only a few minutes.

Delight thyself in the Lord...part 3.

2008-06-27T06:39:00.003-04:00

Sorry for my lateness in returning to finish this post. Life has been busy of late, and I've had a hard time finding "free time".

Let me try to pick up where I left off. If you haven't read the first two parts of this, you can go see part 1 and part 2 to bring you up to date.

So, as I was saying, I really began wondering if any guy exsisted that came anywhere close to my standards. At the time, I knew a few young men, but they really weren't what I was looking for. Sometimes I wondered if my standards were too high. Would I really be able to find the "man of my dreams"?

The answer came (at least partly) in December of 2006. For many years I had corresponded with a girl who was the daughter of a missionary my family supported. Finally the opportunity had presented itself for me to take a trip to Malawi Africa and meet her and her family. A pastor friend of ours was taking his daughter and some others over and so I was invited to go along. I was very excited about the prospect, as I had wanted to go there for quite a long time.

The time came and we took the trip over there. When we arrived, Joy was there to meet us along with her dad and a few siblings. I thoroughly enjoyed my ten day stay, and was actually quite sad to leave. It was good to get home, though and I soon fell back into the swing of things at home. But during this whole time, the thought of marriage to Victor really never crossed my mind. He seemed like a nice guy (what little I saw of him) but he was a whole 7 1/2 years older than me, and he just didn't seem my type.

(Let me interupt this story here for a mintue and encourage you young ladies out there about something. When a young man is brought into your life by your heavenly Father, try to put "feelings" out of the way and try to determine rather if this is God's will, and NOT do I think we "go well together".)

As I was saying, life went on. I graduated that year. I was as busy as ever. September rolled around, and one of the girls from the trip was getting married. Our pastor had been asked to speak the Sunday after the wedding, and since they had an extra seat in their van, I was able to go along and attend the wedding.
While travelling our to Florida where the wedding would be held, we stopped at a small church in Louisianna where Pastor was going to preach on a Wednesday night. The services where held at the Pastor's home in his garage and after the service, most of the young people went outside to play, visit, etc. I didn't really know anybody, so I wandered out into the yard and sat down on the huge trampoline and looked up into the beautiful night sky. For some reason, I had one phrase from a bible verse going around and around in my head. It was the phrase "Thy maker is thine Husband." (A horrible misquote I'm sure but that's basically what it said.) As I lay their looking at the beautiful stars in the night sky, I was reminded that I had been dwelling too much on marriage. I needed to let it go and focus on my life here and now and seek to serve the Lord in whatever ways I could while I had the time.
Shortly before I had left on this trip, I had had breakfast with a friend of mine who was in her late twenty's and still waiting on God to bring her husband to her. She had encouraged me to focus on my heavenly Father and serving Him, and to remember that it's not all about getting married. In fact, we don't deserve to ever get married. Rather, it is a special blessing given to us by our loving heavenly Father.

And so, with those thoughts swirling in my mind, I lay on the trampoline looking at the stars and feeling the sweet peace that comes from trusting in your Heavenly Father to provide everything you need.

That peace, however, was short lived...

(To be continued...)

A cute video of Hannah playing with Daddy...

2008-06-20T20:19:00.002-04:00

Delight thyself in the Lord, part 2

2008-06-13T12:00:00.002-04:00

On the Valentines day when I was 16, it dawned on me that I was nearing the age where I would be old enough to get married. Because of this, I wrote out a list of what I wanted in a husband. This list was not physical but rather it was character and lifestyle. Here is the list I wrote:

A strong walk with and desire for God and His will.
A heart for missions.
A love for music.
A love for children and desire for many.
Level-headedness - not easily shaken up.
Servants heart- ready and willing to serve.
Leader.
Love for others.
Strong in body and spirit.
Likeness in convictions, faith and beliefs.
Like desires and goals.
Cheerful - have a ready smile.
Content with his lot in life.
Obedient and submissive to elders.
Willing to lead in family devotions.
Leader among his peers.
Loves my family and my family loves him.
I love his family and they love me.
Humble.
Pure.
Tender.
Protecting.
Romantic.
Forgiving.
Has a source of steady income and can support a family.

And so, here was my list. Through out the few remaining years until I got married, I often wondered if anyone even exisited with those qualifications. And yet, he did...

(TO BE CONTINUED)

Delight thyself in the Lord...

2008-06-13T11:48:00.003-04:00

Recently, I've been thinking back to our courtship and engagement days. It seems like so long ago. I still remember the overwhelming feeling of wondering if this was truly God's will for me. I knew once the decision was made, it was fianal. There was no going back.

It was a difficult decision for me, because I really didn't know Victor at all. When he emailed Daddy, I was totally shocked. 'Why is he interested in me' I thought. Our family had known the Maxsons for many years, ans we had supported their work in Malawi. But, the first time I'd ever met their family, was on the trip I took in Dec. 2005. During that trip, I hadn't really noticed Victor, and what I did see, didn't really make me think 'He's the one for me!!'.

So now, you might understand better why I was so shocked and uninterested when Victor first wrote daddy.

And yet as time wore on, my first response of NO! turned to maybe and then eventually to a Yes!. I still was a little uncertain, but every time I would think 'This doesn't make sense. I should just end it now' I would hear a little voice "behind me saying, this is the way, walk in it."(Isaiah 30:21). And so, I continued to walk by faith, trusting the Lord to direct my steps and bless my obedience to Him. And you know what... He has more than I could ever imagine.

(TO BE CONTINUED)

Last weeks CVS adventures...

2008-06-09T13:10:00.004-04:00

Last week, I spent a good amount of time carefully laying out my cvs shopping trip and getting coupons together and breaking up transactions, etc. I went shopping the last week in May for a months worth of groceries, and so far it's working pretty well. From what I figure, it will save us not just time but also money by doing it this way. So... for the next few weeks, I plan to focus on CVSing.

Anyway, back to my story. We needed diapers, and I wanted to see how cheaply I could get the Pampers. So... I headed to CVS with Hannah on Thursday, did my shopping, checked out and when I got to the car, I looked over my reciepts and ECB's to make sure everything was right. Somehow, I ended up paying $0 oop (thanks to a gift card for taking some items back) and I had earned $9.80 ecbs. I'm still not totally sure how that all worked, but I'll take that any day. Below is a list and picture of everything they paid me to take out of the store:)

3 jumbo pkgs. Pampers diapers

2 chex mix

2 dawn dish soap

1 brut deoderant

2 pkgs. bandaids

2- 2pks. OralB toothbrushes

2 listerine smart rinse

Hannah kept trying to eat the diapers while I was trying to take the pictures.

Cute Hannah pictures...

2008-06-07T12:40:00.005-04:00

Here are some cute pictures of Hannah that we got today. As you can see, her new thing is sticking her tounge out. I think it has something to do with her teeth. I'll try to post some pictures of this week's CVS trip next week. Right now, we're getting ready to have Victor's brother and his wife over for dinner.

I'm back...

2008-06-03T15:26:00.004-04:00

For those of you wondering where I'd gone... I'm back. Last week, Victor had hurt his back and was home from work all week. For a couple of the days, he couldn't even get out of bed! He's a little better now (and back to work), but we'd appreciate your prayers for his continued recovery.
Hannah is doing well. Time is flying by SO fast though. Yesterday we celebrated her five month birthday. WOW!! Right now she's sitting beside me telling me a very animated (and sometimes sad:) story!
Here's a picture update on her...

Hannah-Daddy time always a special treat
Our little "mommy". We have to keep the paci in her mouth to keep her from eating it though:)
Hannah helping mommy cut and file coupons:)
Hannah and Mommy outside!

Eastbound coupon train...

2008-05-22T10:13:00.002-04:00

The eastbound coupon train is traveling on... it has left stop #7 and is headed to (or already arrived?) at stop #8.

Those of you on the westbound train, I'm not getting much help with figuring out what's wrong. Any help would be appreciated. Did you recieve it? Did you NOT recieve it? Any info would greatly help me to get things going again...

Thanks!

Eastbound coupon train...

2008-05-22T10:13:00.001-04:00

The eastbound coupon train is on track... it has left stop #4 and is headed to (or already arrived?) at stop #5.

Those of you on the westbound train, I'm not getting much help with figuring out what's wrong. Any help would be appreciated. Did you recieve it? Did you NOT recieve it? Any info would greatly help me to get things going again...

Thanks!

Cute Hannah pictures...

2008-05-21T16:13:00.003-04:00

When we moved here to Florida, Victor bought me a really nice new cell phone with a camera on. Since then, I've gotten some really cute pictures of Hannah, but wasn't quite sure how to get them off. Well, today I figured it out, and here are two of them!!