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1 Corinthians 3:4-9

"For when one says, "I follow Paul," and another, "I follow Apollos," are you not mere men?

What, after all, is Apollos? And what is Paul? Only servants, through whom you came to believe—as the Lord has assigned to each his task. I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow. So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow. The man who plants and the man who waters have one purpose, and each will be rewarded according to his own labor. For we are God's fellow workers; you are God's field, God's building."

1 Corinthians 3:4-9


Saturday, February 28, 2009

Audrey Ann

As I was tucking Audrey in tonight, I said to her what I have said many, many nights to both Ethan and Isabelle as they have grown and faced different fears through the nights: "Remember, God is always with you. You are never alone. He is right here with you and there is nothing to be scared of." She looked up at me with still innocent 4-year old eyes and said, "But Mommy, when you leave, God goes with you." I sucked in my breath to keep from getting choked up and said, "Audrey, God is so big and powerful and amazing that He is always right with me wherever I am AND He is always right where you are...even if you are in your room and I am in mine." She then asked if God was with Jesus when He died on the cross.
(Here is a really good look into her mind. She is ALWAYS asking questions- good ones, too, as you can see).

I explained to her that, yes, God was with Jesus on the cross.
She asked me if God made Jesus.
"Yes, God made Jesus, sweetie."
"And God made me, and you and Ethan and Sissy and Daddy and even all the people that I know and all the people that I don't know, right, Momma?"
"Yes, Baby, that is right."
"And God made everything?"
"God made the trees, the sky, the planets, the stars, the land the water- everything you see and everyplace you cannot see- God made it all."
"Does God have a wand?"
"No, Baby, God does not have a wand. God does not need magic. Magic like you see on tv isn't real. But God is. And He is able to all things, even things we cannot understand, like say a word and the land and water and sky are in place, like we see them today."
"Well, what words did God say."
"Well, remember the story of Genesis, when God created everything in six days?"
"Yes, kinda."
"We can read it again tomorrow, ok?"
"OK...Momma?"
"Yes..."
"What word did God say when Jesus died?"
(WOW...I'm thinking...where are these questions coming from?)
"Well, Baby, right before Jesus died, He said 'It is finished.'He said that because He knew that what God had planned was that Jesus needed to die on that cross so that He could save us from our sins. The only way to do that was for him to die."
"But Jesus came back alive, right?"
"Yes, he did, Baby. Yes, He did."

"And God doesn't have a wand?"
"No, God does not use magic. God is real and able to do all things even things that seem imopossible like Jesus being dead and then three days later, alive again. Wands are not real and God does not use a wand."

I told her that she asks really good questions and to keep on asking them. I pray that she does.

Isabelle Adair

Isabelle gave me an update today of the days remaining until her birthday. She has been doing this for about three weeks now :)

(Makes for a good practical math review...heeheehee)

She said, "Mommy, there is only 11 more days until my birthday! I just feel....happy!"

I said "Why do you feel happy?"

She said, "Because I am turning 7, Mommy!" (Duh...I should've known that!)

Then she asked, "Mommy, do you know what the best part of my birthday morning is?"

"No," I said, "What is the best part of your birthday morning?"

"When you come into my room to wake me up singing 'This is the day, This is the day that the Lord has made, that the Lord has made. We will rejoice, we will rejoice and be glad in it, and be glad in it.' I love it when you sing that on our birthdays!"

Sometimes, it is the littlest things that make our children happy. Pray with me that we, as their parents, will not permit ourswelves to become so busy and distracted that we forget to make special time for them. Pray that we will take time to make special little moments in each day with each one of them. Please pray that we will continue to establish family traditions with them as they grow that will make lifetime memories for them.

Thursday, February 26, 2009

some blog changes

Like the new blog format?
Leave me your comments...answer the questions if you can :)

Do you know why I chose red, white and blue for the background?

Do you know where the picture in the title was taken?

Wednesday, February 25, 2009

Love one another...

"A new command I give you: love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another." John 13:34-35

If you receive our monthly prayer letters by email, you know that we included this vers with this month's update. Just this week, God demonstrated His love to us in a tangible way through young people from Pensacola Florida. Each member of our family received specially made Valentine cards from the Sunday school class of Mrs. Dyster.

My kids were blown away (as were we) by the kindness of these kids. It was as each one of them knew us because of the uniqueness of each card.

Mrs. Dyster and your Sunday School class: We thank you for showing Christ's love to our family :)



Give thanks to the Lord...for the Lord is good

Praise be to God!
Last night...Audrey went to sleep on her own and slept the entire night! She didn't wake up until almost 7:00 this morning! (A big change from 5:30 or 6:00 when she has been getting up!) (Erin- no help from anything else, either! I forgot last night...imagine!)
God promises us he will answer when we call to him (Jeremiah 33:3) and I thank God for your prayers on behalf of Audrey. Please keep praying!

Jeremiah 33:11 "Give thanks to the Lord Almighty, for the Lord is good; his love endures forever."

Monday, February 23, 2009

Prayer for Audrey

Please pray for Audrey. She is not sleeping well at night and as a result, is demonstrating some pretty poor behavior. Please pray that she would sleep well at night and through the night and that God would grant us patience to keep the behav ior in check, but also sensitivity to her needs as well.

Friday, February 20, 2009

playdate

Ethan and Isabelle had a play date this afternoon after we were done with school. I honestly cannot remember the last time they went to a friends house to play...They were so thrilled and excited! Just recently we have connected with this family and it really is such a blessing for the kids to have friends that they can play with. They live really close to us, too :) We walked there today! Please pray that God would allow us relationships and fellowship with other Christians as we continue life and ministry here.

Wednesday, February 18, 2009

My mom called me tonight to tell me our friend Beth lost her battle with cancer this morning. While all who knew her can rejoice that she is now with Jesus, it is never easy to let go of someone you love. Please pray for her family, her church family and especially for my Aunt Sandy. Beth was her best friend. It is not easy to be so far away in a time like this.

Friday, February 13, 2009

"I do..."

Just wanted to wish everyone Happy Valentine's Day tomorrow. Although we, my hubby and I, have never really gotten into the commercialism of Valentine's Day nor celebrated with purchasing gifts, there is special signifigance to the day for us. Ten years, February 14, 1998, Matt got down on one knee and proposed to me...and I, of course, said "YES!"

We never imagined then where life would take us. It has been one crazy ride...and I look forward to many, many more years!

Hope you all have a wonderful day tomorrow or whenever you celebrate with your special someone!

Wednesday, February 11, 2009

The Droke's are here!

Just an update to say the Droke family is here! Ron Droke has been here for about a month. He has started the grueling process of language school. the rest of the family arrived yesterday (his wife Meredith and their three youngest kids. Their oldest is in college in the states).

Please pray for them as they reconnect as a family and begin the adjustment to life in Costa Rica.

They are a wonderful family and we are so excited to have them here serving alongside of us.

Thank you for praying.

Monday, February 9, 2009

"One Big Bone!"

This morning, Isabelle was working on her math. One of the story problems asked what woulod happen if you put one dinosaur dinosuar bone that was 4 feet long end to end with one that was 2 feet long. After reading the problem to Isabelle she responded with "We'd have one big bone!"

Thursday, February 5, 2009

The Big "C"

Cancer. I hate it. It is sneaky, conniving, and it destroys life. I think by now, the year 2009, everyone must have been touched in some way or another by its effects. When I hear the word, I immediately think of the first part John 10:10 which says that the theif comes only to steal and kill and destroy. Cancer is a disease that steals from the body it infests, with the ultimate purpose of killing its host and in the process destroying the hosts life. Personally, the lives I've seen the disease take are far too numerous for my thirty years. Both of Matt's grandmother's have lost battles to different types of the disease. Many times, cancer accomplishes its purpose and does steal life, kill and even destroy the life sometimes. There is no known cure for any type of cancer and until the day when medicine is advanced enough to find a cure, it will continue to act like the thief in John 10:10. The eternally good news comes in the second part of that verse, however. In the second half, Jesus says, "I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full." Life with Jesus is the one and only cure to all things of the world. No matter how long or how short our time on earth is, without Jesus, it has been wasted. The thief has accomplished his purpose if your life was wasted and never lived to the fullest with Jesus. My plea to you today is that if you have never given your life to Jesus, if you do not believe that Jesus is God's only Son, born to the Virgen Mary, and that He died on a cross for your personal sins and then rose again from the dead and then went to be with His father in heaven, where He remains now, consider your eternal future. 1 John 5:11-12 says, "And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life." The real truth is that every minute, every hour, every day that you do not have Jesus Christ as your personal Savior, the thief (Satan) is robbing you of your life. There is an old hymn that I love called "I Need Thee Every Hour." I love it because the truth is, although over 10 years ago, I gave my life to Jesus, I still need him every single minute, every single hour of every single day. The thief (the devil) does not just mess around with those that do not know Jesus, he comes at those of us, who in Christ are his enemies (1 Peter 5:8), like a roaring lion, looking to kill, scripture says.

Some of those I've seen lose their battle to cancer, praise the Lord, are now walking streets of gold with Jesus. Others, I unfortunately know, did not ever give their lives to Jesus and therefore will not share eternity with him. I believe honestly that one day there will be a cure for cancer. God created man in his image and He (God) has given man the capacity to accomplish great things. I believe that man will advance medicine to the point past his own good, actually, and quite possibly may have already done so. But what I pray for even more than a cure for the disease called cancer, is that one day all will know Him (Jesus) as their Savior.

Please pray today for a good friend of mine named Beth in Wabash, Indiana as she struggles to battle the ugly cancer that has tried to destroy her body and rob her of life for almost two years now. Thankfully, she has been sealed forever with Christ (Ephesians 1:13) and has lived abundant life with Him. When God calls her Home, she will be with Jesus forever. Please pray as the battle rages in her body and she fights it in the hospital.

Devotional time in the McClain house

Every morning, I set my alarm to get up before 6:00 am to have my time with the Lord. Almost every monring, Audrey beats the alarm to wake me up. She is very much like me in that once she wakes up she cannot go back to sleep. So she is usually up with me during my quiet time. This morning, as I began to pray, she came over to me and whispered something to me and I stuck out my to touch her as I have come to do, she stood there for a minute then walked away. After I had finished praying, I looked over at the couch and she had gotten her Bible out and was looking at it. I asked her if she had been sharing her time with Jesus and she said "yes, momma!" Our children can learn so much from our examples.

I also wanted to share with you that for several months now, Isabelle has spent a few minuites each night writing or drawing in her own perconal devotional book. Sometimes she writes out things she is thankful for, other nights she just simply draws a pictures as she thinks about what she is thankful for. But this is something that is important to her each night and she really enjoys doing it.

For about a month now, Ethan has been reading through Genesis and also doing his own devotional in the mornings. He has missed some mornings and it has taken him some time to get used to doing it every day, but each day, he reads one chapter each day and then answers three questions, "What is the main idea?" , "What does God want me to do today?" , and "What impresses me most about this passage?" I love reading what he writes and helping him walk through the things he struggles to understand.

Please pray for our children as they begin to walk and grow in their faith. Pray that their faith is something real to them and not something their parents talk about. Please pray too, as they grow and mature, they will seek to make decisionsfor Jesus.

Monday, February 2, 2009

Back from Nicaragua

We had a great time in Nicaragua. We went back to the same place we went in last August. It was nice to receive a warm welcome back from the staff. We really enjoy thhe atmosphere the place has. The staff is mostly all family and they stay on the grounds during their work week. So you really get to know them, if you take the time. This time I made a great connection with one girl who works in the pulperia and the kids made "friends" with a brother and sister that work there as well.

thank you for praying for our trip down last Wednesday. We couldn't have planned it better. God answered our prayers of safety and a taxi driver and even down to the movies on the bus! the trip went well and the only movie shown was the Chihuahua movie. (Cheesy, yes, but defienetly kid- appropriate!). Then, at the border, we found a nice man who works tourism there and he helped us find a taxi driver, named Carlos. Carlos drove us to the hotel. He is a Christian and shared his testimony with us during the hour long trip. He is a very nice man who has only been a Christian 7 years, but has a wonderful story of how God saved his life from an addiction to alcohol and freed him from being a slave of a lifetime of sin. It was really such a blessing to meet him and we told him how we prayed for God to direct us to someone whom we could trust to take us to the hotel. We shared with him that God answered our prayers by allowing us to meet him.

We enjoyed the few days we had at the hotel. This time we stayed in a one room apartment and loved it! There was a small pool that the four apartments shared and the kids loved it! It was freezing cold- but they didn't seem to mind. We also scouted out where we'll stay next time! We'll be going b ack in late April or early May with Matt's mom, Sue. She'll be coming back to visit us during the time when we have to leave the country again. So, she is going to go with us and we'll all head to Nicaragua! The kids spent the whole time this trip planning "all the things we'll do next time with Mimi!"

The climate was really different this time. Even though it is summer time there as well, it was really windy and there was a significant difference in the temperature in the water- much cooler this time. No one seemed to know why, just one of those weather things that happens sometimes. Usually it would be really hot...eithere way- it was still a great trip

Carlos came back to pick us up early Sunday morning, although he told us he normally does not work on Sundays. He drove us to Rivas, which is where we were to catch the bus back to CR. Before he dropped us off, though, he showed us his street and also took us by his church, which was really neat. He lives right in the city and it was nice to for him to share part of his life with us. We shared with us that he has family here in Costa Rica. He actually has a sister that lives in Desamparados, which is about 15 minutes from us. She does not know the Lord and he asked us if he could give her our number, which we agreed. We invited him to call us if he is ever in CR. And he was pleased when we asked him if we could call him when we are back in April. We pray God will allow us to continue the relationship we've begun with him.

The rest of the day was not quite what we expected...but all in all we made it home safely and that is what is most important. There was some confusion with our bus tickets and the bus company actually re-sold out tickets, so when the bus arrived, there was no room for us on it...So, after waiting on the street corner for almost two hours, we watched as the bus drove away, knowing the next one would not be by for 5 more hours. We made our way to the ticket office only to find out that the next bus with available seats was not coming through until Tuesday...YES...TUESDAY! At this point, I was crying...thinking what were we going to do? Well, thankfully, my observant husband saw another bus company right down the street and so we walked down and found out that we could purchase tickets for the 11:00 bus (which meant only about an hour wait). Thankfully Matt had brought extra money (just in case!) and we had enough to purchase the tickets! So, we caught the next bus, which we actually thought was a better company than the first one we took. There was a huge hang-up at the border and we were there for close to two-hours, on the bus...but mad it through with no problems. The drive back through CR was long and slow, due to much slow-moving traffic. We finally arrived back in San Jose around 7:00 PM and then home about 7:40 or so. the girls and were in bed by 8:15! We were so tired. Matt and Ethan stayed up to watch the SuperBowl and then went to bed.

We are tired today and have a lot to do...but we'll take it slow and settle back in.

It is always good to be back home!

Thank you for praying for our trip!

Please pray for us to settle back into a school routine this week. It is always hard to settle back in after being gone like this.