Dear Family and Friends,
We have less than 8 hours left before we leave on a train for Budapest. I find it difficult to believe that we will finish all that needs to be done, pack, and make the train by 8:00 a.m. on Thursday morning but God is in control of the details. I decided to burn my daytimer this afternoon given the pace of the last two days!
Since I last wrote, the team managed to paint an entire room in New Life House (photo of the room will be attached later), buy and decorate a Christmas tree for me, distribute gifts to needy families in two villages and to an orphanage. They also assisted me in buying and wrapping presents for Crizantina’s family and visiting her family today to bring the presents and food. This would normally be a simple task but because it snowed all day yesterday, the field that we cross to get to her house was yucky slosh and Carolina (our car) bottomed out in the very middle and was what I thought to be eternally stuck. The team members and I carried the gifts another 200 meters to the house while Pavel, assisted by the men in Crizantina’s family, tried to push the car out of the muddy pit. In about 15 minutes, Andrew came tearing into the house expressing extreme remorse for not having his video camera. Crizantina’s brother-in-law explained that two horses had pulled out the car in a matter of seconds. The men waited on us while we visited Crizantina’s family and the horses pulled us all the way to the road. (We have video footage!) Your Santa Claus may have reindeer with a sleigh. Mine drives a carriage with two horses. A big, “Thank you, Jesus” seems appropriate here!! Praise God for blessing us exactly when we need it!
Crizantina’s family members were absolutely precious when they prayed for me today and asked for God to heal my Grandfather. I was overwhelmed with emotion. Jodi, who has emerged as the team cryer, joined me in shedding tears as we left. Crizantina looks wonderful and she continues to heal nicely.
I ask that someone please check Meg’s bags in Charleston. I believe that two small boys from the orphanage may have been packed away in her suitcase and gone unnoticed by us. She is determined to get these two little brothers adopted together. She asks for your prayers for these two little ones, Bobi and Adi.
I would like to ask you to join us in prayer for my friend, Michelle Mills, who was to join the team for their trip here. On Sunday, her grandmother unexpectedly died and less than 24 hours later, her father passed away. Our hearts are extremely heavy as we think of her and her family. If you would like to contact her, I ask that you send words of encouragement to me and I will forward them to her.
I will be at my mother’s home during the Christmas holidays and I will be in Charleston for the New Year. I will not be able to check my email again until sometime on Christmas day. May each of you have a very blessed Christmas Day!!
Basking in the Son,
Michelle
Posted on December 23rd, 1999 by Michelle
Filed under: Michelle's Journal