Hey All,
Just wanted to let you know that we made it to FL. It was a long trip, as we did a straight through run. We stopped just a few times to rest our eyes but we pretty much stayed on the road as much as possible. The girls were complete ANGELS. They never complained or asked to get out to play. They just played with their toys and the cat for the whole ride.
We made it virtual problem free until the 1329th mile, (total trip as 1338 mile) when we blew a tire on the trailer. We could see the exit for "home" but we couldn't get there. Our former neighbors from Iowa, the Prachars, came to our rescue. Travis picked up the girls and I, while Lance, Paul and a kindly stranger changed the tire and got the trailer back on the road. Thanks Neighbors, we appreciate you.
Now, we are trying to settle in. Lance started work today. We still do not have internet at the house but are hoping to set something up later this week. We will be in touch soon.
Thanks for all the prayers.
Never give in!
In His service, Lynn for the Anderson crew.
Monday, September 14, 2009
Monday, August 31, 2009
September Praise and Prayer Requests
What an awesome God we serve?! He is always perfect in His timing.
This month has been another amazing month. August has been a month of preparations and planning. We started the month thinking we would separate in September with Lance heading to FL to begin his work with Agape and I staying back with the house, but after more prayer and consideration, those plans changed quickly.
In the middle of the month, Lance and Chris Damewood drove the first load to FL. While they were there, they looked at houses, attended meetings at Agape, and scoped out the area for schools and churches. They had a very successful trip and while they were gone, God kept leading me to change our plans and go as a family in September. God continually reminded me in that week that He was in control and the house here was His business not ours. So Lance and I talked it over and we decided it was time to go, no matter what. The week Lance and Chris returned, we started packing and planning the trip. We lost focus on the house and let God do His thing. Six days, after making the decision to go, we received the offer on the house. (See previous post). Which by the way, has been accepted and is getting finalized. I believe God had this all planned from the beginning, but it took the act of us stepping away from the house to let Him step in. He is amazing and we are so grateful that He is in control.
So now the plans are in motion for the big move. We are packing the trailers this weekend and heading out the day after all the inspections are complete on the house. We hope that will be Tuesday, September 8th. We are not sure about how many stops we will make or if we will drive straight through. We are leaving those details up to how everyone is handling the drive. Remember, we are traveling with a 3 year old, a 4 year old, and a cat. Oh, please pray for lots of patience for that trip.
With all that being said, I think it is time to get to the prayer requests and praises for this month.
Praises
This month has been another amazing month. August has been a month of preparations and planning. We started the month thinking we would separate in September with Lance heading to FL to begin his work with Agape and I staying back with the house, but after more prayer and consideration, those plans changed quickly.
In the middle of the month, Lance and Chris Damewood drove the first load to FL. While they were there, they looked at houses, attended meetings at Agape, and scoped out the area for schools and churches. They had a very successful trip and while they were gone, God kept leading me to change our plans and go as a family in September. God continually reminded me in that week that He was in control and the house here was His business not ours. So Lance and I talked it over and we decided it was time to go, no matter what. The week Lance and Chris returned, we started packing and planning the trip. We lost focus on the house and let God do His thing. Six days, after making the decision to go, we received the offer on the house. (See previous post). Which by the way, has been accepted and is getting finalized. I believe God had this all planned from the beginning, but it took the act of us stepping away from the house to let Him step in. He is amazing and we are so grateful that He is in control.
So now the plans are in motion for the big move. We are packing the trailers this weekend and heading out the day after all the inspections are complete on the house. We hope that will be Tuesday, September 8th. We are not sure about how many stops we will make or if we will drive straight through. We are leaving those details up to how everyone is handling the drive. Remember, we are traveling with a 3 year old, a 4 year old, and a cat. Oh, please pray for lots of patience for that trip.
With all that being said, I think it is time to get to the prayer requests and praises for this month.
Praises
- God has brought a couple to our house who is "ga-ga" over the layout and design. (That's our realtors words, not mine) He created these people years ago and He knew they would love this place. Praise Him that He made this all happen.
- We have sold the ATV. We advertised that ATV for a few months but it only sold this week, so His timing is perfect, once again. We also get to use it until we leave, which makes the girls very happy.
- Lance and Chris had a very safe and productive trip to FL this month. We are very grateful for Chris and Linda's generosity. It was a huge blessing to have someone share the driving with and share the week with in FL. We are so thankful. Praise God for the amazing friends and supporters we have.
- Our temporary housing situation in FL is arranged. God overcame some hurdles for us and gave us a wonderful place to stay while we look at houses and get started at Agape. Lance's parents are allowing us to reside at their home in nearby Nokomis, FL, just 12 minutes from the airport and Agape.
- Praise God that He is God of all things. He has truly made this journey a joy and not a burden. He has take care of every detail and He is providing for our every need. We are so blessed to have been able to partake in all He has been offering to us. We are so thankful that He overcame our material possesions, our home, our fears, our uncertainies, and our less than perfect lives. He has made every step of this journey happen and we are so grateful to be witnesses to all He is capable of doing.
Prayer requests
- Please pray that the house will close on time and there will be no glitches that come up. The house sale is on a contigency of the buyers home in GA closing also, so please pray for their house in GA to close on time. God is bigger than any real estate deal in the universe and we are trusting that He will make all things happen on time and in perfect order.
- Please pray for the tractor to sell quickly and easily.
- Please pray for our move to FL. Pray for many helpers on Sat. and Monday to load. Pray for safe travels as we are on the road. Pray for patience, guidance, and alertness as we make the 24 hour trip.
- Please pray for our girls. This move has been something we have been talking about for almost 8 months. They have given up alot and been challenged alot. They are doing great but they are showing some signs of uncertainity as we pack up and make the big transition. Please pray for a sense of security for them and a understanding that we are doing this because of our love for God. Pray that this will draw them closer to Him and help them begin to see the purpose He has in this for all of us.
- Please continue to pray for a hedge of protection over this family. The more we step out to serve God, the more Satan would like to deter us. God has been faithful to shield us and we are thankful for every prayer that has helped to derail Satan's plans. We thank you for every prayer and we encourage you to keep praying that no weapon formed against us will prosper. Sooner or later, Satan will get the message that he has no power and God is in control.
Well, that should wrap things up for now. We are planning on discontinuing our internet in Iowa on Friday so we will not be on line again until we are in FL and are settled into our temporary home. Please feel free to contact us via our cell phones or on the home phone until is it disconnected. Thank you so much for all you have been doing for us. We appreciate every word of encouragement, every prayer spoken at the throne, every hand that helps in the labor of the move and every gift sent to Agape on our behalf. None of this is possible without YOU. Thank you for listening to God's call in your lives and for investing in our lives. You are a blessing and we love you all.
We will be in touch soon.
Never give in!
In His service, Lance, Lynn and the girls.
1 Thessalonians 1:2-3
We always thank God for all of you, mentioning you in our prayers. We continually remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.
Saturday, August 29, 2009
SALE PENDING
Praise God!!! We have a sale pending for the house.
Thursday morning we recieved a call from our realtor that we have a family that is interested in the home and he would like to talk it over with us. So, after talking to the realtor and praying for the potential buyers, we set up an appointment to meet them on Thursday night. They came over that night and we visited while showing them the house. Then at 11 PM, we recieved another call from the realtor that they had written an offer and he would send it over right away.
The offer was acceptable but needed a little tweeking so we countered their offer on Friday and they have verbally accepted our counter offer. After all the inspections are complete and acceptable, they will take occupancy on Oct. 1.
We have decided that we will leave ASAP to begin house shopping in FL and get started at Agape. Lance has already gotten his feet wet while he was there and he is very excited to get fully on board.
With all that being said, we are going to pack the moving trailers this weekend and head out the week of Labor day. We would love any help you can give us, so please check your schedules and let us know if you are available. The plan is to load one trailer on Sat. AM and one trailer on Monday AM. The more help we get the faster it will go. Thanks much for all of your prayers and support. We appreciate each of you very much and we thank God for you every day.
Have a great weekend.
Never give in!
In His Service, Lynn, Lance and the girls
Romans 8:28
And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.
Thursday morning we recieved a call from our realtor that we have a family that is interested in the home and he would like to talk it over with us. So, after talking to the realtor and praying for the potential buyers, we set up an appointment to meet them on Thursday night. They came over that night and we visited while showing them the house. Then at 11 PM, we recieved another call from the realtor that they had written an offer and he would send it over right away.
The offer was acceptable but needed a little tweeking so we countered their offer on Friday and they have verbally accepted our counter offer. After all the inspections are complete and acceptable, they will take occupancy on Oct. 1.
We have decided that we will leave ASAP to begin house shopping in FL and get started at Agape. Lance has already gotten his feet wet while he was there and he is very excited to get fully on board.
With all that being said, we are going to pack the moving trailers this weekend and head out the week of Labor day. We would love any help you can give us, so please check your schedules and let us know if you are available. The plan is to load one trailer on Sat. AM and one trailer on Monday AM. The more help we get the faster it will go. Thanks much for all of your prayers and support. We appreciate each of you very much and we thank God for you every day.
Have a great weekend.
Never give in!
In His Service, Lynn, Lance and the girls
Romans 8:28
And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
August prayer requests and praises
Is August really here already?? It is hard to believe. This summer has been flying by and it seems everytime we sit down to rest, we realize another month has past. And since it is the first of the month, it is time to update all of you on our progress and our path.
This has been the busyiest time of our lives, hands down. Our family has not slowed down since we accepted this challenge back in Jan. We are still in the process of meeting with people and sharing our story, selling off our possesions here in Iowa, showing the house, visiting with family, and packing to move. And in the midst of all the busyness of these days, we are more and more convinced that our path is clear and we are doing exactly what we are being called to do. God makes His presence in our lives evident every day in very tangible and practical ways. He meets our every need and we are very humbled and grateful.
One of the most evident ways we have seen God's hand in our lives is through support raising. We reached our initial goal of support earlier this month. That means that we are 100% funded for the first year to work at Agape. Through the gifts we have received and/or have been pledged, we will be begin working at Agape as soon as possible. Praise God! But, that does not mean we are done, we will still be working on securing funds to help with moving expenses, training/conferences for Lance, and funding to secure the future years. We have reached our initial goal but we are not stopping there. We know that God has provided every penny and He will continue to fill every need. We are trusting Him for all things.
Our next step is for Lance to take a short trip to FL within the next few weeks. While he is there he will visit at Agape to check out the needs of the computer systems so he can begin plannning his work. He will also check on some houses for us and get to know the area. We would like to have a good idea of the market and a few possible houses lined up for when this one sells. That help greatly in the transition process.
We have seen God work in big ways in the past 6 months and we are so grateful for all your faithful prayers. Here is the list of prayer requests for this month:
Praises
This has been the busyiest time of our lives, hands down. Our family has not slowed down since we accepted this challenge back in Jan. We are still in the process of meeting with people and sharing our story, selling off our possesions here in Iowa, showing the house, visiting with family, and packing to move. And in the midst of all the busyness of these days, we are more and more convinced that our path is clear and we are doing exactly what we are being called to do. God makes His presence in our lives evident every day in very tangible and practical ways. He meets our every need and we are very humbled and grateful.
One of the most evident ways we have seen God's hand in our lives is through support raising. We reached our initial goal of support earlier this month. That means that we are 100% funded for the first year to work at Agape. Through the gifts we have received and/or have been pledged, we will be begin working at Agape as soon as possible. Praise God! But, that does not mean we are done, we will still be working on securing funds to help with moving expenses, training/conferences for Lance, and funding to secure the future years. We have reached our initial goal but we are not stopping there. We know that God has provided every penny and He will continue to fill every need. We are trusting Him for all things.
Our next step is for Lance to take a short trip to FL within the next few weeks. While he is there he will visit at Agape to check out the needs of the computer systems so he can begin plannning his work. He will also check on some houses for us and get to know the area. We would like to have a good idea of the market and a few possible houses lined up for when this one sells. That help greatly in the transition process.
We have seen God work in big ways in the past 6 months and we are so grateful for all your faithful prayers. Here is the list of prayer requests for this month:
Praises
- God completed the first year of funding for us to work at Agape. What an amazing story in the economy of the world today!?! He is sooo much bigger than the world.
- Doors have continued to open for us to share our story.
- More "stuff" has sold from the house and I believe we are almost out of things to sell.
- The house showings have picked up again and it is prime time for us to sell, now that funding is complete.
- We have had time to have some great family time with Daddy. This time of waiting, since Lance has been layed off to now, has allowed us to spend time together every day and really enjoy having Daddy time. The girls are really going to miss him when he goes back to work. This time has been a real blessing.
Prayer requests
- Please pray for our house to sell. We have given this to God. He is in charge and He can move mountians. We are confident He has a buyer already selected for this home. Pray for the buyer to come see it and fall in love with this house.
- Please pray for our travels. We will be spending time alot on the road in the next month. We are traveling to Green Bay this weekend for a family reunion and then Lance will be traveling to FL.
- Please pray for our housing in FL. We are having some issues with where we will stay once we arrive in FL. The timing of the sale of this house and the availablity of a new house will have to come together for the move to be smooth. We are confident God can make this happen.
- Please continue to pray for a hedge of protection around our family. We have experienced alot of satan's tactics to discourage us but we are holding on to faith in our powerful God. Just like Nehemiah, we are not stepping off the wall.
We are grateful for all of you and for your time in prayer for us. We are humbled by all that God is doing and we are thankful to be allowed to be a part of this amazing adventure. Many thanks for all you who are encouraging us and standing with us. We could not do this without you.
Have a great month and stay tuned for updates on the house.
Never give in!
In His service, Lance, Lynn, Grace and Hope.
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
Happy Birthday, Hope!!
It's another special day in the Anderson family. Today, we celebrate Hope's 3rd birthday. Hope is our 2nd child and we are so blessed to be her parents.
Hope is a wonderful little girl. She is very active and very imaginative. She and her sister make up games and stories all the time. I don't know what "land" they are in half the time, because I am not always allowed to play. Hope loves to ride her bike, swing on the swing set, swim, ride horses, ride the ATV, play with her doll house, dress up, ride horses and tickle her dad. Hope is a singer and she is constantly making up new songs or adding words to songs she already knows.
Hope is our reminder that we are to never give up. As the second child, she is constantly trying to catch up with her sister. If there is something Grace can do, Hope will be next in line to give it a try. She has a very persistant attitude and she will not stop until she conquers whatever she is working on.
Here are some picts of Hope from today and from 3 years ago.
Hope's hospital photo (sort of looks like a mug shot)
Grace and Hope on the day we got home from the hospital
Hope finally let me do her hair after almost 2 years.
Hope in swimming lessons
Hope's favorite part...jumping in.
We are so blessed to have Hope in our lives. I can not imagine our family without her. We named her Hope because we wanted to be constantly reminded of the greatest gifts God has given us. Jeremiah 29:11 "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." We have hope in the Lord and we are grateful to also have Hope in our family.
Happy Birthday, Hope! We love you!
Never give in!
In His service, Lynn
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
July Praises and Prayer requests
Welcome to our monthly report of all God is doing in our lives (praises) and all that we need you to pray to the Almighty for us(prayer requests). June has been a BIG month for us. Here is why....
If you ask Grace and her preschool class, "How much does God love us?", you would hear this response, "This much!" and they all outstretch their arms as wide as they can and then they wrap themselves in a big "Jesus hug." Well, this month has been one big "Jesus hug". This month has been amazing and everyday we are reminded of how much He loves us and how much He can do when we trust Him with all our hearts, minds, soul and strength. God has worked so hard this month on our behalf. We are so humbled and grateful.
At the beginning of this month, we checked our database and found that we were at approxiamately 50% of the support needed to begin at Agape. We had exhausted all of our resources of friends, family and referrals. We had completed all of what we thought we could do, so we completely turned over to God the other 50% of the funding needs. We knew that if He wanted us to go, this would be quite clear as the funds would be finished by Him. (BTW-We know He raised the first half, we think He just let us do some foot work to let us feel like we did something :) Well, He secured 40% more of the funding within the next ten days. Over those ten days, we received some incredible seeds into the ministry. Seeds planted by people who heard God's calling in our lives and believed in what God was going to do with this ministry. We are speechless and are in awe of how He can move mountains. We are also extremely grateful for those who have placed their trust in us to fulfill what He is calling us to do. Thank you for coming along side us and for allowing us the privilege of serving Him with our careers and lives.
This month has been full of surprises. We received support from people we don't even know, yet they have heard what God is doing in our lives and want to be involved. We have received support from two churches that got our information before we had the chance to start the process ourselves with their missions boards. And we have received support from friends who are also in ministry but want to continue to be "givers" and support other missionaries. God has been extremely busy working in the hearts of our supporters and we are incredibly grateful for each and every one of you and your willingness to listen to His voice.
So, here we are...... we are in the last mile of the marathon. We are close to finishing the first challenge placed before us. We are in the process of rounding up our unfulfilled pledges. If you have made a pledge and have not started giving yet, please sign up on line or let us know if you need a new pledge card so you can get started this month. We would like to have all pledges processed before we leave. We are also working on finding the last few supporter needed to reach the 100% mark. Next, we will be concentrating on our next challenge of selling our home here and finding a home in FL so we can start moving.
With all that said, it is time to get to those praises and prayer request....
Praises
If you ask Grace and her preschool class, "How much does God love us?", you would hear this response, "This much!" and they all outstretch their arms as wide as they can and then they wrap themselves in a big "Jesus hug." Well, this month has been one big "Jesus hug". This month has been amazing and everyday we are reminded of how much He loves us and how much He can do when we trust Him with all our hearts, minds, soul and strength. God has worked so hard this month on our behalf. We are so humbled and grateful.
At the beginning of this month, we checked our database and found that we were at approxiamately 50% of the support needed to begin at Agape. We had exhausted all of our resources of friends, family and referrals. We had completed all of what we thought we could do, so we completely turned over to God the other 50% of the funding needs. We knew that if He wanted us to go, this would be quite clear as the funds would be finished by Him. (BTW-We know He raised the first half, we think He just let us do some foot work to let us feel like we did something :) Well, He secured 40% more of the funding within the next ten days. Over those ten days, we received some incredible seeds into the ministry. Seeds planted by people who heard God's calling in our lives and believed in what God was going to do with this ministry. We are speechless and are in awe of how He can move mountains. We are also extremely grateful for those who have placed their trust in us to fulfill what He is calling us to do. Thank you for coming along side us and for allowing us the privilege of serving Him with our careers and lives.
This month has been full of surprises. We received support from people we don't even know, yet they have heard what God is doing in our lives and want to be involved. We have received support from two churches that got our information before we had the chance to start the process ourselves with their missions boards. And we have received support from friends who are also in ministry but want to continue to be "givers" and support other missionaries. God has been extremely busy working in the hearts of our supporters and we are incredibly grateful for each and every one of you and your willingness to listen to His voice.
So, here we are...... we are in the last mile of the marathon. We are close to finishing the first challenge placed before us. We are in the process of rounding up our unfulfilled pledges. If you have made a pledge and have not started giving yet, please sign up on line or let us know if you need a new pledge card so you can get started this month. We would like to have all pledges processed before we leave. We are also working on finding the last few supporter needed to reach the 100% mark. Next, we will be concentrating on our next challenge of selling our home here and finding a home in FL so we can start moving.
With all that said, it is time to get to those praises and prayer request....
Praises
- Praise God for that the support raising is going very well and God has moved mountains for us in this department.
- Praise Him for the addition of the Clear Lake E Free church and Clear Lake Christian Church who have joined us as financial supporters. The E Free church is where Lance attended church for 18 years before moving to Iowa City/CR. The Christian Church is where Lance's parents are members.
- Praise God for the great responses from the Clear Lake Christian Church, Clear Lake E Free church and the Valley Church when we presented at these churches. It was an honor to have these opportunity to speak to these congregations. Thank you Lord for making these opportunties happen.
- Praise the Most High for the large seeds that have been planted in this ministry on our behalf. Thank you God for the contacts you have.
- The Iron Sharpens Iron conference was very successful and lives where transformed that day. 400 men met with God and grew stronger in their walks through that ministry. Personally, Lance met some incredible mentors and we were able to get plugged into some Venice, FL churches through our house guests for the conference.
- Praise God that the girls have had great patience and behavior when we met with supporters and spoke at churches. Everyone we meet with has been sensitive of our children and making them feel at home. Thank you for all of you who have gone out of your way to make our girls feel loved.
Prayer request
- Please pray that God will bring the new owner of our home to the house soon. We have said from the beginning that the support piece and the home sale piece would happen simultaneouly. As we are approaching the finish of the support raising piece, we are ready for the house to sell so we can dive into our new lives as missionaries.
- Please pray that supporters will continue to join us. We are less than 10% short on our annual gifts, so we need to have that void filled in so we can get started. We will constantly be in need of new supporters, since one time gifts will need to be replaced in the following years. Support raising and relationship building is a key part of our ministry. Please pray that we will continue to find joy in telling His story and sharing the amazing things He has done for us.
- Please pray for good weather for the weekend of July 3-4. We will be having a Bake sale/rummage sale for our move to Agape at the Shueyville Methodist Church.
- Please pray for a hedge of protection over our family. The enemy loves to find ways to attack and he is constantly looking for a foothold. Please pray that we will remain strong in Him and listen to His voice.
- Please pray for our girls. Our greatest hope is that they will come to know Him as their Provider, Protection, Shelter and one true Love. Please continue to pray for them to have gentle spirits and open hearts.
This month we have been really clinging to Scripture that points us to the end of this race. We know the end of this race is just the beginning yet this Scripture helps us stay focused on completing what He has called us to do. In Acts 20:22-24, Paul says good bye to the elders of Ephesus with these words, 22"And now, compelled by the Spirit, I am going to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there. 23I only know that in every city the Holy Spirit warns me that prison and hardships are facing me. 24However, I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me—the task of testifying to the gospel of God's grace. " These words remind us that it is not about us or our lives, but it is all about Him. We are trying to stay focused on what God is doing in our lives and share that story with others while giving Him the glory. We are concentrating on remembering this is about the Great Commission and doing our part to share God's good news.
Thank you for all you are doing at the throne of the King on our behalf. We appreciate all of you that lift us up to Him. Your prayers are very important to us so please let us know how we can be praying for you also.
Have a great 4th of July!
Never give in!
In His service, Lynn for the Anderson family
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
June Surprises and updates
Oh, what a great God we serve! Our God is so big and so faithful. He has been once again taking us to heights we have never known and we have seen the amazing things He can do. The last 2 weeks have been crazy, but He is our rock. Our schedule is insane but He is the constant. Let me fill you in on the things He is doing for and with us....
1. The month started with the Iron Sharpens Irons conference and some very cool house guests. We had two of the speakers from the conference staying with us for the night. Chuck Stecker and Ray Morgan from A Chosen Generation stayed Friday night before the conference. And even though our visit with them was very short, we loved having them here. Their ministry is about raising Men of Honor and Women of Virtue and it is really awesome. I have listened to Chuck's presentation from the conference and let me tell you that man has a message every parent needs to hear. I highly recommend that you check out their website and blog at www.achosengeneration.org. I wish we would have had more time to pick their brains but none the less, we were honored to have them with us for the short time they could be here. Did I mention that they are experts on Venice, FL? They totally plugged us into the Venice, FL area with churches and men's ministry leaders. Go God, he did it again! Now, we have 10 new websites to check out from our favorites and we can start church shopping before we even get there.
2. The Solon garage sale was a bust because of rain but we all survived and Goodwill will have full shelves for a few days.
3. Last week, we made a surprise visit to the Wisconsin High School State soccer tournament. Since it was only 120 miles off the beaten path to some business in Indiana we decided to surprise my family with an appearance at the game. If I would have been on the ball, I would be inserting some great picts here but since I was so busy keeping the girls from blowing the surprise, I failed to capture the look on my sister, Dad's and Mom's faces. Just imagine, what their expressions were when Grace "sneak attack hugged" them from behind in the crowd of hundreds. It was priceless. It was so worth the extra miles and hours in the car to see the family and to see Katie play an awesome game. The girls dragged Colleen away from the game every minute they could to roll down the hill and play in the grass. Thanks Colleen for being so patient with the girls.
4. The day after the game we spent 14 hours in the truck, driving to Indiana and then home. It was actually only 9 hours of driving time but with traffic delays and brief stops, it took us 14 hours. The trip was a real test of how long we can go on our drive to Florida when we move. The girls were perfect and they were a blessing as they only had one incident of whining. God really took care of us and we know He was our protector and our peace. We had a great trip and although we were tired the next day, it was nice to have that business out of the way.
5. This weekend was very eventful on the support raising front also. We recieved notice from the Clear Lake E. Free church that they will be supporting us at Agape. Praise God!
6. As we sat down and analyzed our database, we realized that God is closing the gap on the support front. We are over the 80% benchmark and are close to finishing up the race. We have plenty of work to do to finish this task but God is constantly reaffirming the direction He has for our lives and He is always showing us He is in control. Praise Him that He knows what He is doing with us even when we can't always wrap our heads around it.
So, there you have it.... that is what we have been up to lately. Praise God because He has done most of this and we have just been along for the ride.
Now, here's a little thought to close with....last night, the girls and I were playing with the bumblebees in our front bush. (Don't ask why..my girls just love bugs?!) After we caught the bee and looked at him for a while in our bug catcher, we decided to let him go so we opened the end of the bug catcher. The bee struggled and struggled trying to find a way out. He rammed his head into the plastic over and over. He did not realize that we had opened the other end and all he had to do was fly away. He struggled for almost a full minute before he finally saw that he was already set free, he just didn't know it. How many times have we tried to find our own way out of a situation? How many people do you know that are ramming their heads into the plastic of this world? Many times we try to force our way out rather than seeing that God has already shown us the way out. We often fail to see He has opened the door. As it says in Galatians 5:1 "It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery." Yes, Christ is the way to freedom and He is the only way to be set free. No matter how big or small your problems, He will deliver you if you place your life in His hands and trust Him with all your heart.
We hope you are having an eventful month too. Please pray for the new owners of our home. We are ready to have them discover this house and come to make an offer.
Never give in!
In His service, Lynn for the Anderson crew
1. The month started with the Iron Sharpens Irons conference and some very cool house guests. We had two of the speakers from the conference staying with us for the night. Chuck Stecker and Ray Morgan from A Chosen Generation stayed Friday night before the conference. And even though our visit with them was very short, we loved having them here. Their ministry is about raising Men of Honor and Women of Virtue and it is really awesome. I have listened to Chuck's presentation from the conference and let me tell you that man has a message every parent needs to hear. I highly recommend that you check out their website and blog at www.achosengeneration.org. I wish we would have had more time to pick their brains but none the less, we were honored to have them with us for the short time they could be here. Did I mention that they are experts on Venice, FL? They totally plugged us into the Venice, FL area with churches and men's ministry leaders. Go God, he did it again! Now, we have 10 new websites to check out from our favorites and we can start church shopping before we even get there.
2. The Solon garage sale was a bust because of rain but we all survived and Goodwill will have full shelves for a few days.
3. Last week, we made a surprise visit to the Wisconsin High School State soccer tournament. Since it was only 120 miles off the beaten path to some business in Indiana we decided to surprise my family with an appearance at the game. If I would have been on the ball, I would be inserting some great picts here but since I was so busy keeping the girls from blowing the surprise, I failed to capture the look on my sister, Dad's and Mom's faces. Just imagine, what their expressions were when Grace "sneak attack hugged" them from behind in the crowd of hundreds. It was priceless. It was so worth the extra miles and hours in the car to see the family and to see Katie play an awesome game. The girls dragged Colleen away from the game every minute they could to roll down the hill and play in the grass. Thanks Colleen for being so patient with the girls.
4. The day after the game we spent 14 hours in the truck, driving to Indiana and then home. It was actually only 9 hours of driving time but with traffic delays and brief stops, it took us 14 hours. The trip was a real test of how long we can go on our drive to Florida when we move. The girls were perfect and they were a blessing as they only had one incident of whining. God really took care of us and we know He was our protector and our peace. We had a great trip and although we were tired the next day, it was nice to have that business out of the way.
5. This weekend was very eventful on the support raising front also. We recieved notice from the Clear Lake E. Free church that they will be supporting us at Agape. Praise God!
6. As we sat down and analyzed our database, we realized that God is closing the gap on the support front. We are over the 80% benchmark and are close to finishing up the race. We have plenty of work to do to finish this task but God is constantly reaffirming the direction He has for our lives and He is always showing us He is in control. Praise Him that He knows what He is doing with us even when we can't always wrap our heads around it.
So, there you have it.... that is what we have been up to lately. Praise God because He has done most of this and we have just been along for the ride.
Now, here's a little thought to close with....last night, the girls and I were playing with the bumblebees in our front bush. (Don't ask why..my girls just love bugs?!) After we caught the bee and looked at him for a while in our bug catcher, we decided to let him go so we opened the end of the bug catcher. The bee struggled and struggled trying to find a way out. He rammed his head into the plastic over and over. He did not realize that we had opened the other end and all he had to do was fly away. He struggled for almost a full minute before he finally saw that he was already set free, he just didn't know it. How many times have we tried to find our own way out of a situation? How many people do you know that are ramming their heads into the plastic of this world? Many times we try to force our way out rather than seeing that God has already shown us the way out. We often fail to see He has opened the door. As it says in Galatians 5:1 "It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery." Yes, Christ is the way to freedom and He is the only way to be set free. No matter how big or small your problems, He will deliver you if you place your life in His hands and trust Him with all your heart.
We hope you are having an eventful month too. Please pray for the new owners of our home. We are ready to have them discover this house and come to make an offer.
Never give in!
In His service, Lynn for the Anderson crew
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