When my heart is Overwhelmed ...

Recently ... 
                      life was busy ... 
                                                   days seemed often to happen in a blur ...  
                                                                              
just as though your little life was a roller coaster ... 
full of all those legitimate things that are just a must in life: 
 - meal preparation
 - schoolwork for children
 - tennis lessons for 3, swimming lesson for 1
 - extra singing and audio drama practice for 3 with another 3 onboard ;)
 - washing, ironing, mending too
 - trying to be a helpmeet to my dear husband wherever and however the Lord leads
 - the constant character building lessons not only for children but also for me!!!
 - meetings both the English assembly meetings as well as Spanish gospel meetings and  
     Bible study
 - food preparation to do with these meetings
 - throw in a Spanish "sunday school" preparation now and again 
 - many kilometres (as well as the time and to be ready in time before for travel time) to and
    fro from meetings
 - did I say, housework and grocery shopping 

well, it would seem like I'm complaining, wouldn't it ... but no, don't take it like that ... it's just that life is busy ...

then ... 

all of a sudden the enemy of our souls throws a little spanner into the works, 

no, it's not big, it's not important ... but oh, how it weighs down the soul ... especially because you can see his evil hand trying to destroy God's work and the blessing seen in God's work. 

Your heart agonises ... you pray ... you feel there is no easy way out ... yes, it may be true ... but you KNOW it is not God's doing ... 

When to God's Word you turn ... 
                                                            and ...
        
God gives you the words your aching heart needed to hear:


When my heart is overwhelmed: 
                                                            LEAD ME TO THE ROCK 
                                                            THAT IS HIGHER THAN I !!!!!

Psalm 61 v 2

Colombia, Venezuela, Panama, Los Angeles 2015

Well, days come and days go by ... and experiences become treasured memories tucked away deep inside your heart. What does come out is gratefulness to our Lord for His tender mercies and loving care as He guides, and walks the way with us ...

to my mind comes a hymn that is very special to me:

Each step I take my Saviour goes before me,

and with His loving hand He leads the way,

And with each breath I whisper "I adore Thee"

Oh what joy to walk with Him each day!

Each step I take ... I know that He will guide me ...

To higher ground He ever leads me on.

Until some day the last step will be taken.

Each - step - I - take - just - leads - me - closer - home.

At times I feel my faith begin to waver,

When up ahead I see a chasm wide.

It's then I turn and look up to my Saviour,

I am strong when He is by my side.

Each step I take ... I know that He will guide me ...

To higher ground He ever leads me on.

Until some day the last step will be taken.

Each - step - I - take - just - leads - me - closer - home.

I trust in God, no matter come what may,

For life eternal is in His hand.

He holds the key that open up the way,

That will lead me to the promised land.

Each step I take ... I know that He will guide me ...

To higher ground He ever leads me on.

Until some day the last step will be taken.

Each - step - I - take - just - leads - me - closer - home.

And so ... each step I take just leads me closer home. :)

After our few days in Los Angeles, we flew to Barranquilla where we stayed nearly a week with the believers there. How touching it is to be picked up (nearly at midnight) by believers and shown hospitality when you have never met personally before!! The amazingness of belonging to the Lord's people, indeed!!!

Just a few days after we arrived, Mum and Dad Smith, and Ferne, arrived there also on their return from the missionary conference in Canada.

It was so nice to be in Colombia once more ... but then to travel down to Sincelejo, the city where I'd lived since I was 8 years old ... that certainly was going home!! How I loved each moment of those maybe 6 weeks in Sincelejo .. sitting on the same seats at the hall ... walking the same few blocks to go to the meetings... It felt like I'd just gone back in time.

Whilst in the north of Colombia, we were able to visit many other different areas as well (Caucasia, El Tesoro, Los Manguitos, Macajan, ... Pereira and Santa Rosa ... Cartagena).

At the beginning of July we travelled by bus to Valencia, Venezuela. Our base was in Maracay, although there were a couple of weeks with mum and dad in El Mene, some nights, days  or maybe a week away for Willians with special meetings. A highlight of our time, or should I say life saver , well, special moments to relax, recover spirits and go on ... was our 2 weeks with Victor and Mary in Valencia. Only the Lord knows what a blessing it was to be in their home!!

After Valencia, we spent a week away as a family ... aaaaahhhhh :)

Michelle also had her first birthday in Maracay ... it was so nice to spend both the day of her birthday as well as the Saturday afterwards with family and friends.

not too sure about these presents

with the cake she was given, as well as dress :)

birthday girl with abuela and grandparents

the family

From Maracay, we travelled to El Vigia and Merida, then on to San Cristobal, San Antonio and across the border to Cucuta, where we stayed for a week.

We flew from Cucuta to Bogota then on to Barranquilla where I stayed for a week with the children and Willians went down to Sincelejo for a short visit to see Manuel Gordon who has since gone home to be with the Lord. <3 font="">

From Barranquilla we flew to Panama city, took an overnight bus to Cuidad de David, where we then stayed with Marcos and Sara for 2 weeks. The time in Panama, though busy with meetings, visits of Marcos and Willians, and lots of schoolwork for us ... was a refreshing breath ... after the heat in Colombia, now to be in a cooler area, overlooking the breathtaking creation .... aaaaahhhhhh.

the amazing view from our "home" in Panama

with the believers in Dolega

Marcos and Sara, serving the Lord in Panama

From Panama we stopped over in Los Angeles, and once more blessed to be able to stay with special Christian friends who made us feel very welcome and at home. Another big blessing was to be able to enjoy time sitting and listening to God's Word in special meeting in the assembly at Culver City. God is good indeed.

From there, it was home sweet home .... with thankful hearts ... to the Lord for each day He allowed us to be, go, do, spend, enjoy, ....

More of our time in Los Angeles

Well, time has steadily marched by and right now we are loving being in Panama!!! And ... on our way home!!! ... Hence, I will try (yes, try!! :) ) to fill in on our travels with some photos, as I realize that if I were to write everything ... it would NEVER be done!

So now, let me go back in time to Los Angeles, California, once more!! :)

Traveling around on public transport. Once we figured it out, it was great! We even did bus exchanges :)

Looking down Century Avenue towards the hotel and airport. We ate at Pollo Loco that evening: delicious!!

Los Angeles 2015

We flew to Los Angeles on the 14th of May ... and stayed at a hotel that we'd booked some time before. Let's say the hotel had also been a matter of concern!

Our desire in staying 5 nights in LA was to spend the weekend with the Lord's people at the Spanish speaking assembly in East LA. We had tried numerously to contact the believers there but never seemed to get a response. We already had booked and paid for our hotel, which seemed quite reasonable in price and also close to the airport. After paying for our hotel, we seemed to stumble across all kinds of reviews about our hotel ... causing our hearts to be heavy, yet holding on to the fact that the Lord was in control of everything ... and He had allowed us to book in there ... and He would provide something else if it was His will.

Well, we arrived at the hotel ... and yes we had a lifetime experience all right. Here we are sitting in a lobby (those of us who managed seats) ... we are worn out with jet lag ... and we cannot have access to out room until about 3pm!!! (it was probably not even 10am and we'd flown in about 7am!!!) so we were set to camp out in the hotel lobby for several hours!!! (along with our 8 big suitcases and hand luggage.).

Pretty soon Michael was curled up in his chair asleep, Willians E sprawled out in his asleep ... Willians had taken Michelle out for a walk and Timothy with them to find some food as he was hungry!!!  I'm trying not to sleep ... conscious of the sort of folks we have coming and going and our heap of luggage, incl a laptop, ipad, cash etc in our belongings!!!

Whilst all this was happening, I was called and told we could now have access to our room. I finalized paperwork, etc and then had the challenge of getting 2 sleeping boys, and our luggage (that weighed a ton) to our room ... our that door, past the swimming pool, through another cafe area and up the steps!!!!

Once more, the Lord intervened ... and someone was using a luggage trolley?? on wheels ... and yes, I could borrow it when they were finished!!! Well, we piled those suitcases high!!! and managed to wake the sleeping boys to help push, pull, ... if it would even budge!!! Honestly, my faith was gone!!! I just KNEW that those suitcases were too heavy and I with the help of the boys were NOT going to get it out the door, over uneven ground ... and way down there!!!! ...

Well, the Lord once more gave strength and made that trolley move  ... even as to get it over a hose that was filling the swimming pool with water (well, that is another story ... not for today!).

When we finally reached the bottom of the steps ... two big burly afro americans in their rough american english offered to help me carry everything up the steps! I half turned them down, not wanting to have to pay anyone to help!!! God gave grace and they grabbed on to a suitcase in each hand and marched up the steps ... (and no, I didn't need to pay them either!!)

We were so thankful to the Lord when we got into our "room" to find it huge!!! A big spacious room with a sofa, a small table in the corner, a sink and small fridge ... and off there ... 2 very big bedrooms (one with 3 single beds)(the other with a double) and the bathroom!!!

When Willians arrived with the littlies, we were settling in and setting up Michelle's cot that we brought with us!!!

God's Timing is Perfect ...

It is not a secret that our hearts are often found longing for "home" ... that home being both Venezuela and Colombia.
Yet, at the same time, we knew that the Lord alone would open up the way for us to go "home" when it was His timing ... His will. And so, we continued to pray and wait patiently in the Lord.

As we waited, one day ... the Lord answered our prayers ... and 4 months later ... we were boarding our flight "home"!!!

It will be impossible to blog about everything on our 5 month trip, especially not knowing how much or how little internet access we have along the way ... but I will do my best when I can.

One of the many little things that we were waiting on the Lord ... for before we traveled was to have someone to leave in our home. The Lord answered and sent us Yosel, a young Venezuelan brother who arrived in Brisbane to study English, just 2 weeks before we left. [ It is amazing how the Lord works!!! Yosel had been in contact with a couple of Australian brothers about a year ago, telling of his desire to go to Australia to study English. These brothers passed Yosel's email on to Willians and I believe they were in contact but that was it, until Yosel wrote again in recent times telling of his coming to Brisbane! And not only that ... but what was weighing heavy on our hearts with our being away was help with the Spanish work and Spanish gospel meeting held fortnightly in Brisbane. The Lord sent Yosel!!! We are so glad that the Lord answered our prayers and sent Yosel, our new son!! ]

{just on a different note, since being away, my brother has been over home a couple of times ... he tells us ... "wow!!! he's never seen our home so clean and tidy in his whole life as it is now ... that Yosel is there!!! ... I could say I don't know what to think ... but no, let's say the truth ... I'm so glad that the Lord has sent Yosel along}