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Newsletter 7 March 22, 2005 To all family members and friends, ‘Grace and Peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.’ I just love how Paul starts out his letters that he writes in the bible. He makes it personal and focused on God. It is always so nice to get a letter from someone you are close to. God has blessed me with many wonderful letters from friends and family since I have been here, even people I have never met before. This past month has just been one blessing after another. A friend had written in her last newsletter a quote from her daily devotional. It goes: “Instead of raging against the Lord for the way He manages our lives, let us carefully consider all the benefits He bestows. Take a piece of paper; sit down alone in a quiet spot; write down one by one the good things—the delights and the pleasures He has made possible for you. List everything—the sound of music; the laughter of children; the sunrise; the scent of a rose; the clasp of a friend’s hand; the loyalty of a dog. If one is honest, there is no end to the list.” Phillip Keller As I have taken time out each day to reflect on the blessings in my life I have been amazed even more by what God is doing around me. To the naked eye it does’t look that grand and to some they might even wonder if anything is happening at all. But when a child or adult smiles at you or a rainbow is nestled in the hills of Wales after a good rain your heart melts and you forget about the negative. This past month the weather has started to get warmer, have longer days, the sun is shinning much more, and the daffodils are blooming. I don’t know about you, but it is like drinking a refreshing glass of water on a hot day. It has been wonderful to take walks with the children and talk about life (and even have sprinting races and loose your keys), play cricket with the girls and rugby with the boys, and even go to the swimming pool with some of the kids at the local sports center. It cracks me up when it gets into the upper 50’s here the kids are all talking about taking out their little swimming pools and wearing sandals and shorts. Still a bit too cold for me personally, but to them it is the beginning of a great season. It is these moments that I remember Jesus spending time with the people and loving them for who they are. “Be completely humble and gentle, be patients, bearing with one another in love.” Ephesians 4:2 I have also learned so much through my roommates her at Llanfair. It is through them that I have been able to learn and grow in my relationship with the Lord. The other day on our normal Monday night meeting we went bowling to have some fun together and have a different style of meeting. It was the girls from Madagascar’s first time every bowling. We all had a much-needed laugh together. How important it is as Paul states in Ephesians 4: 15-16 to be united in love, “From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.” We are all different but each equally important to the work that goes on here in Penrhy’s. I have been challenged this past month, but am so thankful for the challenges because it is from those that I have learned the most. Something that I have been taught over and over in my life and especially this year is the lesson about God’s timing is not ours. But the Lord hears and answers everything. “For no matter how many promises God has made, they are ‘Yes’ in Christ. And so through him the ‘Amen’ is spoken by us to the glory of God” 2 Corinthians 1:20. This past month we received a project director to help with things at Llanfair and already change has been made. He and his family will be moving to Penrhy’s permanently in April during Easter break. And in July we will be receiving a minister and her family. She is currently at a church in the Northern part of England. A lot of people say that the as volunteers we came at a difficult year and in some respect yes we did. It has been a challenge without a minister or many staff at the church, yet in some respect it been awesome to see a little part of Gods plan unfold for the church during this transformation time. Another little gift that God has blessed me with is the visit of a good friend from home this past week and my parents and my aunt this upcoming week for Easter break. I am so excited to share with them some of the things in Penrhy’s and for them to meet the people that I have been talking about. I am always encouraged by my family and am so blessed to have them in my life. I look forward to sharing more of the lessons that I learn next month. You are all in my prayers and I continually thank God for all of you. As Paul ends his letter, ‘The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit, brothers. Amen’ In Christ’s Love, Kari |