Wednesday, July 11, 2007

Smattering of Questions


1. Does anyone have a car that Ben could buy for less than $5000? Our Taurus died yesterday (the car Ben primarily drives) and once school starts, Sarah will also need wheels. So we are needing two vehicles.

2. Could I get some homeschool moms to recommmend a good kindergarten curriculum? Joel has started to read so it doesn't have to be easy-peasy stuff. But I have the benefit of many (oh, how many!) years of hindsight and REFUSE to go at a breakneck speed or get caught up in bookwork. Will not. I am going to look seriously at the first of August since I am STILL trying to put some semblance of a graduation ceremony together for Sarah!

3. Will a chipped tooth heal without a dentist? Last night at a picnic I bit into an olive pit. OUCH!!! I thought I cracked my jaw. Thought all of Darlington heard me say, "oooo!" I'm waiting for the dentist to call with any opening today.

4. Have you ever had the privilege of hearing a testimony of someone who came to Christ without ever having heard the gospel from another person? My parents' congregation met at Susquehanna State Park and I got to sit across from Valeria and Andrei from Russia. Andrei had served about 14 of his 17 year prison sentence (mid 1990s) without having read a Bible, without having been visited by a clergyman or hearing a radio preacher, without having any family or friends reach out to him in Christian love. In his cell one night, he says Yeshua revealed himself to him with the need for repentance and salvation. Immediately he responded and was a changed man. Even though he is tatooed blue from neck to knuckles, the joy on his face and his gentleness is absolutely remarkable.

5. When is the last time you prayed for a Muslim or an Arab? We were challenged last night by Victor Blum from Jerusalem, "If you are going to pray for peace in Israel, you must pray for Muslims and Arabs." Muslims, Andrei told us, believe that killing ten Jews forgives their sins back to their grandfather. That's why they don't hesitate to strap bombs to their waist. It's an act of begging forgiveness for themselves and the past two generations. So Victor said, "For every Muslim or Arab that is saved, that is one Jew's life saved as well." I had never thought of it like that.
6. Can you guess what the closet above is for? You probably can tell it's medicine. Well, this was a medicine cabinet in the Baby House we visited. This plus I think one other cupboard in a separate room is all they have for over 150 children's medical needs. The government gives orphanages $1 a day for all their needs. Bedding and medicines are sorely lacking in most of them. So, next time you are paying for the third variety of Robitussin for your little one, please pray and consider giving an equal monetary amount to an orphanage on your child's behalf. Need a way to give? See http://www.gainusa.org/ and click on "Donate." No,I don't get kickbacks from my mentions. You could also give to Compassion Int'l and memo your check "for medicine."
7. Do you know what the most popular pie in the world is? Our very own Joel told us. Please see Kidbits for your laugh of the week!

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