(Hearing about) Success in the Death Zone

Wow; what an amazing morning. This morning, Eric Alexander shared with an intimate audience about his experience leading a blind man to the top of Mount Everest.

Leaving my house before 6:30 am isn’t a normal occurrence, and I am not a big “mountaineer” type person. Honestly, I attended this morning’s Priority Associates breakfast because I am married to the coordinator. Consequently, I wasn’t expecting to be so greatly blessed or encouraged. Was I in for a surprise!

Eric Alexander did a fantastic job sharing his story (detailed in his book, The Summit and a movie, “Farther than the Eye Can See”) of leading his blind friend to scale the world’s tallest peak. Eric’s entertaining and winsome presentation, however, included far more than just technical details of the climb. I left feeling inspired to scale my own mountains, even if they are simply the piles of dirty laundry by the washing machine or baskets of clothes waiting to be folded.

Eric encouraged everyone who attended, but he did far more than share an inspiring story. He shared how his relationship with Jesus made it possible to achieve such amazing feats. And though the audience was small, his words connected to the heart of many present. Only God knows the impact that has been made for eternity.

Now begins the true measure of success for an event like today; continuing the relationship with those who attended. Chris and I will begin contacting everyone, to see if we can come along side them in their spiritual journey. From brief conversations this morning, this promises to be a memorable adventure.

 

Progress in the Bathroom

The bathroom has undergone a major transformation. The tile is finished and the tub is in. Yeah. Check it out; haven’t Chris and Chuck done a great job?!

With some help from our neighbors, Chris moved the tub into the bathroom. It looks even better than we thought it would.

Mirror, Mirror, finally on the Wall. Yeah.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The end is in sight. What an amazing transformation!!

When It Rains, It Pours

For the first fifteen years of our parenting adventure, we had hardly any illness or injury. The last year has made up for that, in a big way. Right now, five of our eight children are struggling with health issues. From possible congenital defects (that went undiscovered for years) to joint injuries requiring surgery and possible fractures, besides frequent illness and our son’s almost constant crying, it has been tough. If we have learned anything it is how faithful our God is. What an awesome God we serve!

Right now, though, we need extra prayer for our two oldest. One has been referred to a hip specialist in Tacoma for suspected hip dysplasia. The other is waiting for surgery to correct an ankle injury and may have fractured her patella. Please pray for wisdom for us and the doctors, for accurate diagnoses, and for clear treatment plans.

Thank you for visiting our website and for your prayers. God bless.

Homeward Bound

Sarah is on her way home! Though she told us repeatedly she did NOT want to come, Michele kept her promise to bring her back. As long as 17 days seemed when it started, the time has gone by quickly. We are very excited to welcome Sarah back, to hear about what God taught her and showed her during her time, and just to hold our girl in our arms again.

Thanks so much for your prayers; God has carried us through the last two plus weeks, with grace, comfort, and peace that passes understanding.

Be checking back frequently; we are planning to post Sarah’s photos as soon as we can.

Leap of Faith

Tomorrow we’ll put our daughter on a plane. She’ll travel half way around the world to bless orphans in a place about as far removed from our time and place as you can get. It is not an easy step, though we are both convinced this is God’s call on Sarah’s life. The details have come together in too miraculous a way to question God’s hand.

That reality, however, does not change the fact that we love our daughter and feel very strongly the burden to care for and protect her. Trusting God with our barely thirteen year old and allowing her to travel to across an ocean to a completely different continent, in a different hemisphere, with someone other than her mama and daddy, is a huge leap of faith.

Suddenly, I have a new and very different perspective on short term missions. It has always been my privilege to go, not to send. And not only has God asked me to send, but He has asked me to send my little girl! Tomorrow, as I watch her walk through security and move toward the concourse, without me, it will be difficult not to cry. Actually, I know I will cry!

Even so, I can not hold on to my little girl. She isn’t mine to hold; she is only mine on loan until God calls her home. So tomorrow, I will watch her walk away through tear-stained eyes, gripping tightly to my husband’s hand and clinging to Jesus’ heart.

Will You Get in the Wheelbarrow?

Have you ever heard the illustration of faith about the young tightrope walker over Niagara Falls? You know the one, where a brave (or foolhardy, depending on who you talk to) man strings a tightrope across Niagara Falls, then proceeds to mount the rope in preparation to walk across the chasm, white waves churning beneath him. 

The tightrope walker inquires; did those standing around him believe he could walk across the falls? As the crowd watches, the tightrope walker embarks. The farther out on the wire he gets, the quieter the crowd becomes, until finally, not a sound can be heard except the wild waters
boiling below. After several tense moments, the young man returns successfully to solid ground. The crowd explodes, cheering and slapping the young man on the back.

The curious crowd mills around, waiting to see what this fearless adventurer plans next. They are not disappointed; the crowd parts for a wheelbarrow. Again the young man asks, do the spectators believe he can walk across the tightrope with a wheelbarrow? Having seen his successful endeavor, everyone responds with enthusiasm; YES!

A critical question silences the cheers; who is willing to get in the wheelbarrow? 

Our daughter, Sarah, has been given an opportunity to get in the wheelbarrow. God opened the door for her to go to Africa, and she is walking through it. Just yesterday (Wednesday, January 11), Sarah sent out a letter, asking friends, relatives, and ministry partners to help her buy airline tickets; she needed $1200 by evening. People responded. The money came in within five hours.

Now, she is waiting for the remaining $1000+ needed for in-country expenses to come in. Today, we’ve seen God provide almost half the money!

Sarah is not quite 13, but she will be when she heads to the “dark continent.” It is crazy to think of letting her go, except for t

he fact that we are completely confident this is God’s plan. We are at peace, and even feel excited to see God give our daughter such an incredible opportunity.

If you want more information about what Sarah will be doing and where she will be going, please visit www.toddingram.com. Donations are tax-deductible and can be made either by check, credit card, or paypal. Just make a note that the funds are for Sarah Rodgers’ trip.

Come back to check out photos and stories of what God does while Sarah is in Kenya, as well as our on-going (but hopefully soon to be completed) remodeling project.

New Christmas Traditions

The day after Christmas can be boring, even depressing. The packages are gone from under the tree, anticipation easily gives way to disappointment as loved ones head home and reality sets back in. Even the music, which was so magical just days ago, is a reminder that Christmas is over.

In anticipation of this reality, we began looking for traditions to make the most out of the season. That quest led us to an amazing adventure. We spent this morning at the local crisis shelter for women and children.It was AWESOME!

Eight kids and three mamas joined us; we had quite the crowd . Kids were slow to warm up, but big girls really helped out, loving on the little ones and making each one feel special. Expecting kids to be a bit shy, we started with games, then made zany New Year’s Eve hats. Everyone loved the activity and the hats turned out great. Everyone had so much fun that we lost track of time!! Before we knew it, the morning was gone.

Perhaps taking your children to a crisis shelter the day after Christmas is a bit unusual, but we have always been unconventional. And, the family has all agreed; we want to go back. Now we just have to figure out when!