Computer problems!!!

The couple on the left are missionaries to Guana and the couple on the right are in the Phillipines.

Sorry for no journal entry last night. There were some major problems with my computer and Monty was up into the wee hours getting them worked out. It seems there are people who can hack into computers, use them for their own purposes and end up causing problems (to say the least) to the one who has no idea their computer is being used by anyone other than themselves! Amazing how satan can take every single thing in the world and use it in a destructive way! Thanks to Monty's perserverence all is working okay, for the moment.

Last night we had some pretty powerful storms come through and the rains lasted most all night. Once again I see what happens when living below sea level and heavy rains come!! Flooded streets become the norm.

We did have the opportunity to travel to the far west side of the city last night and even walked through a mall! Surprising how real civilization becomes the abnormal site! It doesn't take long to return to what is the norm for us, streets with no people and houses with no life! Even the stray dog that is running around our homes can't understand what is going on!

Most of my day was spent trying to get some paperwork done for the church and Pastor Teresa. It's surprising the things that are lost in the storm. All of the offering envelopes were destroyed. It's those little things that really add up. I was able to contact a printing company across town who agreed to print new ones for a reasonable price. Just the thought of having offering envelopes with the name of the church on them as soon as this Sunday brought a smile to Pastor Teresa's face!

Today Monty and Allen spent the entire day underneath the van that belongs to the church. The brakes had gone out and needed replaced before anyone could drive it. With a couple of trips for parts and a day to devote to it they got it done and ready to go. Not an easy task in the heat and humidity either! But with our teams starting back in this weekend and continuing steadily over the next 2 months it will be needed on a daily basis.

This evening we went to Pastor Teresa's home for dinner, our usual Wednesday night affair. She always has a wonderful meal and a message for us. Tonight she "hit the nail on the head" as some would say. She challenged us to think outside the box when it comes to praying for people, not waiting for them to approach us and ask for prayer, praying for those we might not think of and basically stretching ourselves. She also encouraged us to be ourselves, be who God created us to be. We knew God brought us here, directly to her, for many reasons and each time we meet together we see another reason! She has such a "real" way about her, something not often found in pastors. Having her for our mentor is such an amazing blessing for the both of us!

I want to let you know that we will be "off the air" for the next 2 nights. We will be traveling for our mission school graduation. Although I look at it as an "ending" I know God is thinking of it as a new beginning. It is alot to mentally and spiritually take in, being ordained ministers and graduated missionaries in less than a week! It's given me so much to think about over the past few days, I have felt "different" and to this point I am unable to get my feelings and thoughts into words! Shocking? you think; No, reality!

By the time we return there will be 2 teams of volunteers on their way here, 12 on one team and 54 on the other. Get ready for a fantastic week of blessings and miracles!

Until next time . . . Susan and Monty