Long Walk

We have enjoyed another week here in the US. This week we came to visit Henderson, the city where Angie and I were raised and were I attended Seminary. We drove around the town for a little bit and it was amazing to see some of the changes that had taken place over the last two years. We stopped and chatted with friends and family as well. Thursday and Friday my Dad and I went for an overnight hike. I enjoyed it. We ended up walking about 10 miles over some rough terrain by the end of the trip. When we were kids we would travel to Tyler State Park for a few days every year as a family and camp out. I have many wonderful memories from there. It was great to be able to visit it again. I have attached a map with the trails that we walked on Thursday (red) and Friday (blue). Today we visited some more family. Sunday I will be visiting, preaching, and sharing in two churches. We have less than a month before our return to France. After trying to help Caleb with French homework, I feel like I will need a week or two once we get back to freshen up my French. We did watch Ice Age III this morning in French and that helped some. God bless, JASON

Two States, same day

Things have continued to go well. My sister's new baby, Elijah, was born Friday, finally. He was a week late. We have been trying to keep the kids caught up on their homework. We had been waiting for an email from Caleb's teacher giving his assignments. We got the email a couple of weeks ago, but it just had a few assignements. We printed them and had him work on a few. Then a few days ago we told him to get his homework out, and he brought us a big stack of papers out of his backpack that the teacher had made copies of. Evidently he "forgot" about all of those. We enjoyed the weekend. Sunday we shared with two churches in Palestine and one church in Virginia. That was made possible by phone. The pastor in Virginia had me call during the morning announcements at his church as a "surprise". As a first for me, I shared in four services, in two different states in one day. Attached picture is our kids with their cousins (before the new addition came). They had a wonderful time spending all last week together. God bless, JASON

Kidsitting

We have enjoyed the last few days. My father has had several funerals this week and so we have helped in watching the 8 grandchildren. Yesterday I made out about 20 thank-you cards. I think today I will call the consulate and make sure that all our paperwork is in order. I would also like to pick up some post cards to send to our friends in France. I hope to let the kids go out and play in the yard. We had fun Monday getting some yard work done together, but yesterday it rained most of the day. Attached pictures is of lightning that I captured during the storms that we went through in Arkansas. God bless, JASON

Tornados and Doctors

Here are a few hilghlights from the last few days.

While attending church Wednesday night at the church where the conference is being held. About halfway through the services they announced that we were under a tornado watch. One had been spotted 30 minutes away and had was moving our direction. This was not our first tornado experience. All the kids classes were already moved into the hallways. The dismissed the adults and we took our children and left for our host home. We had some amazing views of the lightning on the way. On the way and after we arrived we saw some amazing lightning. When we arrived we could see on the radar (pictured) that we were right at the center of the storm but a tornado did not form over us.

Angie visited the Doctor, Thursday and was put on a strict diet, no sugar, salt, or carbohydrates, and medicine for the high blood pressure. It will be tough not being able to enjoy many of the foods that she would have liked to have while we are here.

Friday and Saturday, after the seminar ended, someone offered to watch our kids for us so that we could attend the ministers wives retreat. They let the men attend this year. We had a wonderful time, it was short but I really enjoyed the sessions and meeting some new people.

We drove back Saturday afternoon back to my parents, were they were watching my older sisters 4 kids. My older sister is supposed to be having a baby any day. Services went well Sunday, we enjoyed just being back with our home church. Today I had planned on going to a pastors and missionaries conference, but we decided not to attend, we did not want to take the kids out again so soon after getting back. Other attached picture is of a "world" missions cow. God bless, JASON

On fire.

The seminar has been going very well. I think the expression "on fire" could be used here in regards to myself (i.e. to be very excited). I would recommend it to all missionaries and pastors, and church members. There is a wealth of information that is presented. Missionary finances, deputation, church planting, missionary kids, cooking on the foreign field, culture shock . . . the list goes on and on, as well as good preaching. We also love the opportunity to meet with other missionaries. After the classes on Friday, Andrew blackened his eye on the table. It looks real colorful now, if you want a picture email me or comment and I will send you one, because Angie will not let me post it here. He seems to kind of enjoy showing it to everyone. A man we were eating lunch with asked him today, what happened to his eye. Andrew replied, "table." We had a great weekend, visited in two churches. Lilia was sick Saturday night and our hosts, the Raburns, who are also putting on the seminar, volunteered to stay and watch her so that we could all go to church. I visited a revival service tonight with another missionary. Attached is missionary kids playing together (you can see our display in the background) and Bro. Raburn ( lynnraburn.com) speaking during the seminar. We heard that Limoux got another bit of snow. We hope that all our friends are staying safe and warm. God bless, JASON

Praise Styles

I heard this illustration at the World Missions Seminar and thought I was great and worth repeating. . .
A Funny Little Story About Hymns and Praise Songs

By Author Unknown


An old farmer went to the city one weekend and attended the big city church. He came home and his wife asked him how it was.

"Well," said the farmer. "It was good. They did something different, however. They sang praise choruses instead of hymns."

"Praise choruses?" asked the wife. "What are those?"

"Oh, they're okay. They're sort of like hymns, only different," said the farmer.

"Well, what's the difference?" asked the wife.

The farmer said, "Well it's like this ... If I were to say to you, 'Martha, the cows are in the corn,' well that would be a hymn. If, on the other hand, I were to say to you, 'Martha, Martha, Martha, Oh, Martha, MARTHA, MARTHA, the cows, the big cows, the brown cows, the black cows, the white cows, the black and white cows, the COWS, COWS, COWS are in the corn, are in the corn, are in the corn, in the CORN, CORN, CORN, COOOOORRRRRNNNNN,' then, if I were to repeat the whole thing two or three times, well that would be a praise chorus."

As luck would have it, the exact same Sunday a young, new Christian from the city church attended the small town church. He came home and his wife asked him how it was.

"Well," said the young man, "It was good. They did something different, however. They sang hymns instead of regular songs."

"Hymns?" asked the wife. "What are those?"

"They're okay. They're sort of like regular songs, only different," said the young man.

"Well, what's the difference?" asked the wife.

The young man said, "Well it's like this ... If I were to say to you, 'Martha, the cows are in the corn,' well that would be a regular song. If on the other hand, I were to say to you,

Oh Martha, dear Martha, hear thou my cry
Inclinest thine ear to the words of my mouth.
Turn thou thy whole wondrous ear by and by
To the righteous, glorious truth.

For the way of the animals who can explain
There in their heads is no shadow of sense,
Hearkenest they in God's sun or his rain
Unless from the mild, tempting corn they are fenced.

Yea those cows in glad bovine, rebellious delight,
Have broke free their shackles, their warm pens eschewed.
Then goaded by minions of darkness and night
They all my mild Chilliwack sweet corn chewed.

So look to that bright shining day by and by,
Where all foul corruptions of earth are reborn
Where no vicious animal makes my soul cry
And I no longer see those foul cows in the corn,

then, if I were to do only verses one, three and four, and change keys on the last verse, well that would be a hymn."

World Missions Seminar

We have arrived in Arkansas for the World Missions Seminar. Last Sunday services went well. I spoke in two churches and was well received. We love sharing about what God has done for us. In the evening service the kids even sang a special in French. We have enjoyed staying with my grandparents and helping them out the last few weekends as well. I feel like I am making up for lost time. I have a question I would like to pose to the readers. I mentioned that we were needed some additional paperwork to receive our visa's. Some of the items needed would have cost a consideral amount of money. I was still in the process of gathering all this information when to our surprise our Visa's arrived in the mail. Now what should I do? Should I get the needed things and send them in, call and ask if we need to send anything in, or just not send anything and count this as a blessing? We have them in hand and so there will not be a problem getting into France. This is an interesting situation to say the least. Meanwhile, I am going to get ready for the services tonight, we have already enjoyed being with some missionary friends of ours as well as meeting some new missionary families. Attached picture is of the kids playing in the snow at my parents house, in Texas, what a surprise! We pray God's blessings on you all. JASON