Preparing for Baby

There are few things that are as exciting a awaiting the arrival of a baby.  The joy of planning, the fun of buying new things, and the excitement of setting up a baby bed...what could possibly be more wonderful?!

I wake up during the night and feel the strong kicks of our baby boy, and my heart just over-flows with gratitude to God for this precious gift.  Riding in a car and sitting through a church service are becoming very uncomfortable at this stage of my pregnancy; but ever so worth the discomfort, knowing that soon this little one will be in my arms.

Our Little Andrew and Debbie hug my belly and look up to my face and say, "Our baby will be born soon, Mommy!"  Truly, children are an heritage of the Lord!!!

In preparation for the arrival of this Little One, I got a lovely Baby Shower from the ladies in our church.  It was such a special event, as the following pictures will show.

The ladies worked so hard on the decorations...

...and everything looked just beautiful.

 

"For thou has possessed my reins:

thou hast covered me in my mother's womb,

I will praise thee for I am fearfully and wonderfully made;

marvellous are thy works...."  Psalm 139:13,14

 

One of the ladies and her daughters made these adorable favors.

 

It was a very special blessing to me to have had my sister-in-law, Jolene, as the special speaker.  She gave such a heart-touching lesson, and with each point in her lesson, she took a gift out of the bag.  Her lesson had 9 points, so Baby received 9 gifts from his Aunt Jolene!

 

 

 

Besides Jolene's gifts, I received many others from the dear, sweet ladies in our church.  As I opened each one, in my mind I imagined my sweetheart baby wearing them.  We have the most giving ladies in our church.  Each gift is very special to me!

 

 

It won't be much longer now! 

Please remember me and Baby Boy in your prayers as we approach his birth.  Please pray for my doctor, and that the Lord would give me the strength I need to go through labor and delivery.



Christmas At Home

Dearest Readers,

Thank you to each of you who read my blog and pray for us.  I love hearing from you, and knowing how the posts I write are a blessing to you.  That is always an encouragement to me.

Due to a 3-day stay in the hospital (I had a bad infection and contractions, which the doctor feared could conduce to a pre-term birth), and many days on bed rest, I have not been able to post photos of our Christmas Banquet. 

I know that many of you prayed for us that evening, and I wanted you to know how the Lord blessed that evening.

Mom always plans, saves her money, and works hard all year long preparing for this Annual Banquet. I can say that all her time and money that she sacrificed was rewarded as the Lord blessed in a great way.  I know that the years to come will reveal more fruit from this ministry.

The theme of the Banquet was "Christmas At Home," and as every year, the decorations were so beautiful.  (Great job, Mona, on planning and working so hard on all the decorations!)

We had special music, sung by 9 of Mom's grandchildren, as well as a special presentation by the children in an orphanage in a nearby town.  Our hearts were blessed by the music presented by all the children that evening.

We also had a very special surprise that day:  Philip and Liz had to make a quick, unexpected trip down, and they were able to be here for the Banquet.  That was such a pleasant surprise for all of us.  Liz sang that evening and it was a sweet blessing to me to get to accompany her once again on the piano.  (I miss you, Philip and Liz!!)

Pardon the glare in my eyes! 

Our special speaker for that night was my uncle, Tommy Ashcraft (Mom's brother).  It had been about 12 years since he had been here, and it was such a treat to have him and be able to fellowship with him once again.  I snapped this picture of  Mom and Uncle Tommy the night he got here.

 

His message ("Anxiety") was a blessing to all, and several ladies told me afterward that the Lord spoke to their hearts through the message.

 

 

Another grand treat we enjoyed that night was hearing

a special song by Mom and Uncle Tommy.  They both sing so beautifully,

and hearing them sing

 "Down From His Glory"

together was just so special!

 

"Thank you, Uncle Tommy, for coming. 

It was so wonderful having you here!"

 

Something Mom does every year at the Banquet is to recognize and honor the mayor's wife, or any former mayor's wives.  If it is their first year to attend, she gives them a Bible with their name engraved on the front.

 

This year, we had 5 special ladies present:

2 former mayor's wives, a representative of a mayor's wife in a near-by town and the wife of a mayor in a near-by village, and the mother of the new mayor in our town.  Each was honored with a special gift.

 

 

The wife of the mayor in the near-by village wept as she thanked Mom for having this banquet.  She said it was the first time she had ever attended an event of this type, and that her heart was blessed to have been able to attend.

 

 

**Just a note**

~~The village where this lady and her husband serve is one of the villages where Dad took the Gospel by donkey 36 years ago.  This village, which now has much easier access, has a Baptist church pastored by one of the Indian men won to the Lord through Dad's ministry 30 years ago.  This Indian pastor now has 6 other works in surrounding villages, and other churches have been started by 5 of his preacher sons.~~

 

 

The church choir worked hard for over 4 months, preparing a special cantata and Christmas play.  All the hard work and sacrifice paid off, as the Gospel was presented through song, and a clear salvation presentation was presented through the play.  

 

~~Great Job, Mona, organizing and working so hard on this cantata!!~~ 

 

There were 2 ladies saved that evening, and the following Sunday, one of the ladies came with her family and has been faithful to attend the church services and other church-related events.

 

Once again, thank you, THANK YOU to all who prayed and sent encouraging notes.  I know you have a big part in this banquet, and we do appreciate it!!!  May the Lord bless you for your investment in this Banquet.

 

In Loving Memory: Dad Lopez

If you have never read the book, Peril By Choice, by James Heffley (the story of John and Elaine Beekman), I encourage you to purchase this book and let your heart be stirred by these missionaries' great courage.

They made a difference in the lives of many Indian people, one of which was my father-in-law, thus making a difference in the life of my husband (one of ten children) and in the lives of our children.

I loved my father-in-law. He influenced my life...being a simple farmer, living a simple life in a far-away Indian village;  but having a fervent love for his Lord, for his Bible, and for his family. We miss him! I thank the Lord for the privilege of having been his daughter-in-law.

 

My father-in-law passed away (suddenly) on November 14, 2009, at the age of 80.  In his memory, I wrote the following poem a few days after his death.

 

Dad Lopez

 

His shoes may not have been the best

That he wore on his feet

But I know that Dad Lopez walked with God

For he radiated a joy so sweet!

 

His hands were rough from many years

Of working in the fields

But he used his hands to work for God

And he lived a Christian life that was real.

 

His clothes were old and worn,

He didn't care for things that were modern or new

But he was clothed with God's righteousness

And to his God we was always true.

 

He didn't know much about technology

Or of the fancy things of this world

But he knew how to love his family

And he knew how to love his Lord.

 

His speech was not very eloquent

His words were simple and plain

But he used his words to express his love for others

And he was thankful, and he never complained.

 

He was never served by

People of high society in this life

But someone who served him with all her love

Was his sweet and cheerful wife.

 

He was never taught how to be a good husband

Or how to be a dad

But with his actions and his words

He expressed his love and affection that he had.

 

I'll never forget how every night

When gathered around the table

He'd sing sweet songs and read to us

From his beloved Ch'ol Bible.

 

It was this Bible in his native language

That he helped the missionaries to translate

And as he read from God's Word in Ch'ol

What sweet memories he did create!

 

His house was not at all fancy

Just a simple wood house with a tin roof

But we know that he's in Heaven, walking streets of gold!

What comfort we have in this truth!

 

He's got a mansion all his own!

Built for him by God Himself!

Dad Lopez sought first the kingdom of God

And he never sought for wealth.

 

And Dad Lopez was never around people

Of great wealth or fame,

But now we know he's with his Lord,

Who's name he faithfully proclaimed.

 

For now he's gone, and we miss him

But we know that one day we'll be together

Someday in Heaven we'll be re-united

And be with him forever.



Dad Lopez teaching our Little Andrew to grind corn (2008)
 

Dad Lopez (Gregorio Lopez) was saved by God's grace when he was just a young man.  He was only 19, married, and already a drunk.

 

God's grace led Missionary John Beekman to the mountains of Chiapas, back to a village called Amado Nervo, where Dad Lopez lived.  Not intimidated by this young drunk's cursing, name-calling and rock-throwing, John Beekman faithfully proclaimed the Gospel of Christ, which is the power of God unto salvation.  Dad Lopez, coming to his senses one night picking food out of a trash dump, remembered the words of the missionary who said that God loved him and wanted to save him.

 

He was gloriously saved.  His is a story of God's love for the un-lovable.  How grateful I am that God looked down from Heaven upon that young man, and led that fearless missionary to give him the Gospel.  I never tire of hearing how Dad Lopez faithfully served his Lord, along-side great missionaries, translating the Bible into his native Ch'ol dialect; then helping to start the first Bible Institute to train the Ch'ol young men to take the Gospel to other Ch'ol-speaking people.

 

In loving memory:

Gregorio Lopez Cruz
 

Born: May 5, 1929
Saved: May 3, 1948
Died: November 14, 2009 

 Lopez Family, January 2009

Pondering Upon a Phone Call

On Monday night, we received a phone call from Martha, a lady whom Mom has known for many years, and who has come to Mom's ladies meetings and Christmas Banquets regularly.

Martha, now in her 70s, told me that she is in Mexico City, getting treatment for cancer that has spread throughout her body.  She said, "I wanted to call and thank Billie for always remembering to invite me to her special meetings, and also to ask you all to pray for me.  I will not get to go to the Banquet this year, but I thank you for the invitation."

She got saved at last year's banquet. 

Martha is the third from the left (in the lime-green top), being honored at last year's banquet

Martha, a sweet old widow, who is the daughter of an ex-mayor of our town (in the 1940s) has been on my mind all week.  I am asking the Lord to keep her in my mind and on my heart so that I'll keep my focus on what this banquet is really all about:  giving the Gospel to ladies, some of whom might be there for the last time.

How many Marthas will be at our banquet this year?  Would you please pray with us for the salvation of the lost ladies who will be present?

Dear Readers

I want to remind you that our annual Christmas Banquet is just around the corner!  We are only 17 days away from this special event!

Invitations are being taken to ladies all over our city (and in other surrounding towns, as well); special music is being practiced, and this year our church choir is presenting a special Christmas drama/cantata; corsages have been made, to be worn by our guests of honor ("First Ladies" of our city...former mayors' wives, as well as the mother and wife of the present mayor).  There are many details yet to be taken care of.

One of the things Mom does every year is to buy a Bible for the first-time "First Ladies."  This year, she is buying 5 Bibles.  Every "First Lady" who has attended a Banquet in the past 14 years has received a nice Bible.

Our present mayor's wife's name is Martha, and his mother's name is Dolores.  Please pray that these ladies will be able to attend, and hear the Word of God preached that night.

If you would like to help with the purchase of a Bible, or if you would like to give an offering toward this banquet (there are other expenses that still need to be covered), please send me a note.

Mom giving a Bible to the Mayor's wife of a near-by town

at last year's Banquet

Please pray with us that all the details will come together; pray that the name of our Lord will be glorified, and that as our Saviour is lifted up, He will draw these dear ladies unto Himself.

(To read last year's Banquet post, please click here.)

B is for Boy!!!

This is a photo I took of the the card we gave to Mom last night

as a way of announcing that we are expecting a

B  O  Y !!!

 

We went to the doctor on Thursday and saw our baby on the screen for the first time.  How exciting it was to see him moving around.  All seems to be fine, for which we are so thankful!

 

The ultrasound showed that I am 28 weeks along,

and that Baby weighs 1.618 kg.

 

Little Andrew is so very excited, but our Debbie-Girl, so desiring a baby sister, felt so disappointed.  When we got in the car to leave, Andrew told her we should be thankful that the baby is healthy.  "And you know what, Debbie?  Just remember that you will always be my Special Little Girl!  And besides, you will be like another Mommy to our Baby Boy!"

That seemed to cheer her up and helped her see the positive side of things.

 

Thank you to all who have prayed for us.  Please continue to pray for Baby and me.  Time seems to be just flying by! 

Before long, I will have my Baby Boy in my arms!

 

Love from a very grateful Mommy!

 

 

 



Sharing Pictures

 In May, our children were "train bearers" at a wedding, and my husband snapped these pictures of the children.

I wanted to share them with you. 

Enjoy.