Our favorite market

Spending time in warm climate certainly has its advantages; one being fresh fruits and vegetables. An immense variety of textures, color, and fragrances greet us each day when we stop at our favorite little roadside market to and from our work project. Some of our favorites are strawberries, sweet cheeries, oranges, melons of all kinds, squash, avocados, fresh pineapple, sweet onions, giant red, orange, green pepper and two that might be unfamiliar to you.

jicama (slightly sweet, crisp and wonderful raw but also delicious steamed)


plantain (NOT a banana but a slight banana taste-boil and mash with butter)


Just this morning as we drove past the market I saw a sign advertising a new shipment of California sweet corn. Do we dare try it? After having experienced the ultimate in sweet corn on our Iowa farm can this even compare? We shall see, since tonight we've decided to buy it and give it a try. I'll share the taste test results soon.

Scuba in Tobago

Paradise!








While in Tobago I had a number of scuba "firsts"!

First time on a night dive-a bit scarey but well worth the stress.
First time going to 100 feet-didn't seem any different than 50 feet.
First time swimming to an underwater wreck-eery as you descend through murky water then suddenly see a huge "ghost" ship under you.

While viewing underwater life and it's beauty I was reminded of the Bible verse in Romans 1:20: "For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities-his eternal power and divine nature-have been clearly seen; being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse." You can't help but believe in a fantastic creator as you marvel at schools of colorful fish swimming in perfect symphony!
Scuba diving has certainly opened up a whole new world for Hunter and I to explore during our retirement. We recommend those of you considering retirement to think about getting scuba certified. It is keeping us young in heart and mind if not in body. Ha!

Three weeks of fun with my grandson!

Epitaph

An epitaph is a summary statement of commemoration for a dead person. Why, you ask, would I want to blog on this morbid subject? Let me explain.
Hunter and I are currently work a MMAP project in Benson, Arizona. One day last week I traveled with a group of ladies to the city of Tombstone. It was a fascinating peek back in history to a time of swinging door saloons, street gunfights, drunken cowboys, and gaudy brothels. Tombstone boomed with 10,000 or more residents during the late 1800s, when the silver mines were dripping with wealth. Humility was a character trait not found in this area as evidenced by the slogan stamped on Tombstone-The Town Too Tough To Die!






Let's return to the topic of epitaphs. During the day we took a stroll through Boothill Grave Yard with its more than 250 graves.





Read the epitaph on the following tombstone marker:


Another marker had the following statement:
Here lies Lester Moore
Four slugs from a .44,
No Les, no More.
(Moore was a Wells Fargo agent and had a dispute with a man over a package. Both died.)

Wyatt Earp, sheriff of Tombstone had the following on his grave marker (not one on Boothill)
"Nothings so sacred as honour and Nothings so loyal as love.

Winston Churchill's epitaph reads: "I am ready to meet my Maker, Whether my Maker is prepared for the great ordeal of meeting me is another matter."

George Washington's last words imprinted for all to see read: "Looking into the portals of eternity teaches that the brotherhood of man is inspired by God's word; Then all prejudice of race vanishes away."

After thinking about this challenge for a day or two I'd like mine to read:
"Used up for Jesus".
Now the question remains-what would you put on your gravestone for future generations to read?

The rest of the story....

You can see from the previous blog that we now have experienced watching our home "fly" down the interstate at 75 miles per hour behind a wrecker who was obviously trying to make up for his 2 hour lunch break! Why did we need the tow? Let's back up a bit.
On Saturday, February 28th, we arrived in Odessa, Texas, where we were scheduled at a Cummins dealer for a routine computer upgrade on our motorhome engine. We spent a leisurely week-end getting acquainted with this oil town and visiting a local church. Bright and early on Monday, the 2nd, we pulled into the dealer fully intending to be on our way again by late on Monday afternoon or early Tuesday morning. With books and computer in tow we left our rig and made our way to the local library to tap into their internet. The day rolled on quite nicely and we returned to the shop only to find the upgrade would take one more day. OK-we'd get some shopping done and be on our way the next day. Wednesday dawned clear and we were ready to "hit the pavement", which we did around 8:00 a.m. 90 miles down the road Hunter looks over at me and says the dreaded words: "We have a problem". Mind you-I HAVE heard that one before! Anyway, with lights flashing on the dashboard and words reading "stop engine" we pulled into the next truck stop and called Cummins. They said they'd send a wrecker, return us to their business, and check it out. 3 and 1/2 hours later we finally were hooked up to a wrecker and returning to Odessa.
The problem---??? The computer module failed. Another night was spent in Odessa. Let me tell you-I KNOW my way around that town. I could direct you to the laundromat, library, Wal-Mart, Christian bookstore, Ihop, post office, and even the hospital, which we thankfully didn't need but drove by several times! Ha!
After saying all of this we do know that our stay in Odessa was God's plan because Hunter had the wonderful opportunity of sharing Christ with several mechanics. On our way out of town, the second and final time, I smiled and turned to Hunter with the thought that maybe God wants our mission to be evangelism in the maintenance departments servicing motorhomes across the United States. If so praise God, for he uses every circumstance to reach others!!

A picture is worth a thousand words-right?

More on this "event" later!

Yahweh Yireh

Did you know there are many different names for God in the Bible? I am currently reading a book, "Praying the Names of God", that describes in detail 26 of His various names or titles. Through a study of these names I am gaining a much deeper understanding of who God is, His character traits, and how I can better address Him in my prayers.

Just yesterday, standing in the middle of a busy highway, I "called out to" Yahweh Yireh-The Lord Will Provide. I've learned that in praying to Yahweh Yireh I am praying to the God who sees the situation beforehand and is able to provide for our needs. When God tested Abraham by asking him to sacrifice his one and only son in Genesis 22:1-14 God provided a substitute lamb after Abraham proved himself obedient.

I "reminded" God of that story and that I believed He was indeed the God who Provides for our needs all the while watching Hunter crawl under the belly of our 43 ton motorhome trying to put air into a flat tire! When that wasn't successful I had to stop traffic as Hunter turned the vehicle around and slowly drove it back to the Cummins dealership where it had been for a day getting an oil change. I continued to pray, knowing that God would provide in His timing and in His way. We were able to get a tire repair shop, after hours, to come to our location and put air in the tire. That night was spent dry camping in the Cummins lot, a procedure not unfamiliar to us-ha! God again proved himself faithful. Satan may want to discourage us with one problem after another and cause us to "give up" on our mission work BUT we will not let him!

I encourage each of you today to trust that God is indeed faithful. He is Yahweh Yireh and will provide for your needs if you but ask Him. Remember though, the prayers will be answered according to the artist drawing He has for your life. The shapes and colors may not be of your choosing but they will work together to create a masterpiece if you allow Him to control the brush!