momof6onmission

Never The Norm

2011-11-30T12:05:00.000-08:00

After a wonderful Thanksgiving celebration with our
families it was back to work as usual. Although I guess
my work is never the norm which is actually very exciting.
I love what I do and so far this week has been no exception.
Monday, Sarah, Leah, Deborah, and I all went to help out
at Pastor Andrew and Inna's house. Andrew is the Pastor
of the Russian church where I have been going. I am very
excited that I will have 2 new Russian speaking English
students and 2 couples to disciple.

Tuesday, I went to teach 2 other Mom's. I was surprised with
a wonderful home cooked meal. The children were cute and our
English class was great.

Today I am working on correspondence, newsletters, planning for
next year, and assisting Leah and Deborah with school. This
afternoon I will take the girls to church.

Chattanooga/Ukraine

2011-11-24T08:19:00.000-08:00

Saturday Mark and I had a wonderful time
visiting At Gordon and Gail Roderick's house
in Soddy Daisy, Tn which is near Chattanooga.
Pastor Alexander and Leana Kupenko are visiting
hear from Ukraine. It was great to catch up on
all the news from Ukraine.

Sunday the mixed youth ensemble sang beautifully
in church.

How Great is Our God

2011-11-18T13:05:00.000-08:00

How Great is Our God! Nash Bog Kak Velik - Russian.
Cuan Grande es Dios - Spanish

I just heard the new release of Chris Tomlin's song.
It is the Wold Edition with words sung in Hindi, Indonesian,
Russian, Spanish, Portuguese, Zulu, Africans, and Mandarin.
It is just a small glimpse of what heaven will be like when
people from every tribe and tongue will fall on their knees
to worship Him!

I have been to a beautiful Baby Shower for Dasha with Calvary
Russian Church. I had a great meeting with Tim Cummins. I got to
listen to my daughter give her testimony and sing in the ESL
Thanksgiving party.I got to help with the kids at The Falls.
So far an amazing week!

Byelorussian Missions

2011-11-11T12:41:00.000-08:00

One of my greatest joys this year has been the
opportunity to work with Byelorussian Mission.
Pastor Andrew and Inna Ryzhkov have a heart
for sharing the gospel with the lost and hurting
people from the former Soviet Union in Belarus,
Ukraine,and Russia. The people are hungry for the
word of God. Their hearts are ready to respond
if someone will only tell them the GOOD News.
"How,then can they call on the one they
have not believed in? And how can they
believe in the one of whom they have not
heard? And how can they hear without
someone preaching to them?" Rom 10:14
I am honored to be part of this great and exciting
work. Would you join us in ministry?
www.byelorussianmission.org

Missions Conference

2011-11-08T14:13:00.000-08:00

Last week we had a wonderful Missions Conference
at First Baptist Atlanta. It was a whole week of sharing,
learning,and fellowship with other missionaries.
It also gave us a time to share with many people about
missions and what we do. I met many new people. I spoke
in a Sunday School class. I also participated in the
Shower of Love while Mark was at the Men's fellowship.

Apartment Ministry

2011-10-31T16:58:00.000-07:00

After a very busy day yesterday at Missions Conference and an afternoonat Calvary Russian Church I came home and worked out a schedule forthe week. Today I called on 2 churches, went to the Dr. and then wentto The Falls for a Fall Festival. It was really fun seeing all the childrendressed up and decorating little pumpkins. I met a new friend, Carlos, whowill be doing computer classes for the program.I had a great talk withCarlos and Marco. I hugged on lots of Mom's and children!

PA TRIP

2011-10-25T17:03:00.000-07:00

Our family - Mark, Sarah, Leah, Deborah, and I, just
returned from a whirlwind trip to PA to visit with
David. We stayed with our friends, the Zimmerman's,
on their dairy farm. That is always fun. We got
to visit with David. On Sunday we all went to Bushkill
Falls which is on the border of PA and NJ. It is
absolutely beautiful. The leaves are not brillant this
year which was disappointing. Our friends said they
have had too much rain In the area for the bright color
of the leaves. It was still wonderful.

Afternoon at The Falls

2011-10-18T06:11:00.000-07:00

Yesterday afternoon we went to The Falls to
deliver some supplies that had been donated to
our ministry. It was great to see the families.
It was preschool day so only a few school age
children were in the room. We decided to stay
and help but none of the older kids had brought
their homework. Leah and Deborah played UNO
with them while I sat and talked with several
of the Mom's. It was wonderful being with all
of them again and we were knocked over by lots
of hugs!

Super Sunday

2011-09-04T16:11:00.000-07:00

Sarah and I had a wonderful morning at Calvary
Russian Church of Atlanta. The people are very
warm and welcoming. They have beautiful Russian
music and a message proclaiming Jesus Christ
and His shed blood as the only way for salvation!
I met several people there from Ukraine too!
Afterward we went over to sing at the Sunday
chapel service that is held at The Atrium an
assisted living facility in Dunwoody.

Great Lesson by Beth Moore

2011-08-27T08:59:00.000-07:00

NAMB

2011-08-25T18:02:00.000-07:00

Mark and I had a great meeting this morning at
NAMB with Mark Hobafcovich. It was a great time
of encouragement and sharing. Looking to the Lord
for His wisdom.

Spent this afternoon teaching English as a Second Language.
Praise God for His word and the opportunity to share
it with others.

Summer Ministry

2011-08-22T15:43:00.000-07:00

Summer has been full of ministry opportunities!
I have included a few pictures of some of our
favorite things.

Birthday Party- Fiesta Last Night

2011-06-23T12:26:00.000-07:00

Yesterday afternoon we had another summer
thunderstorm. We lost electricity. I was glad
to get in the car and leave for the Fiesta
at the apartment last night. I prayed that
they had electricity and that the party
would not be ruined for the 2 precious girls
who were celebrating their birthday. God
answered my prayer. The rain stopped and it
was cooler so the outside activites went well.
We had great food. It was fun watching the kids
hit the pinata. A great evening!

Apartment Ministry

2011-06-18T18:17:00.000-07:00

I have been talking with some folks about literacy
missions. I actually had an offer to become
the director of a program.A few years ago I got
my certification in ESL-English as a Second Language.
I have used in lots on a one to one basis
in homes. Many People get trained to lead classes
but you really get to know people when you
work one on one with them. I am so excited
about working with Mom's in their homes. I
visited with some of the Mom's this week.
They are like my family. It is such a honor
to be invited into their homes. We are doing lots
of prep for our Honduras trip. We leave on July 2nd.
Some of the mothers have helped me with my Spanish.
Thursday we had a delicious meal of home cooked
Empanadas. What a wonderful meal and sweet time
of fellowship with 2 of the ladies and their families!

Vacation

2011-06-18T17:32:00.000-07:00

I certainly have not posted a blog in quite
awhile. For thoses of you who know me well it
is hard to imagine that I wouldn't have
anything to say but sometimes it is difficult
to be so transparent and so I have taken a
vacation from blogging. It however does not
mean that life or work stopped. No way!
Our family was in the final season of the Atlanta
Passion Play in April. I think that alone made
me stop my thoughts for awhile because words
could not express how I feel about the ministry
of the play over th last 35 years. We may
never comprehend the lives that have been forever
changed as a result of the APP. Heaven will reveal
that number!

We finished out the school year at The Falls apartment
complex. It was a great year and yes, people were
touched and changed as a result of ministry there.

Our family did go on vacation. A real one at Mrytle
Beach SC. It was wonderful to have ALL of us
together for a whole week of fun in the sun.

Now Mark, Deborah, and I are 2 weeks away from a short
term mission trip to Lempira region Honduras.

Atlanta Passion Play

2011-03-29T07:57:00.000-07:00

Sunday we had the Act II run thru of the
Atlanta Passion Play. This is where all of
the 2nd act is rehearsed. Just one more week
and we go to the Atlanta Civic Center for
the 35th and Final Season of the Passion
Play.

Lovely Ladies

2011-03-29T07:43:00.000-07:00

Last Tuesday we started back with Women's Bible
study at The Falls. I was able to share part of my
testimony with a translator and then Graciela
started sharing with the Mom's that were there.
It went really well and Graciela has agreed to keep
coming and working with the ladies. On Saturday
despite the bad weather we had a time of Women's
Fun and Fellowship. It is always good to see the
Mom's getting to have some time for themselves!

First Baptist Atlanta at The Falls

2011-03-14T08:41:00.000-07:00

Yesterday we had a great FIESTA/GAME DAY
hosted by the youth dept. at First Baptist
Atlanta! Our residents enjoyed eating pizza,
playing games, having their faces painted,
listening to a Bible story told by Pastor Stephen
and translated by Daisy one of the FBA students,
and of course the breaking of the pinata! It was
a wonderful outreach event to The Falls. Thanks
First Baptist Students for a job well done!!

Suprise Birthday Party

2011-03-08T19:34:00.000-08:00

Today at The Falls I was just finishing up
with the preschoolers when I looked up and
was suprised to see Marco, Paola, and several
of the Mom's and kids coming in with pizza
and cake and presents. I really was suprised.
Thanks to ALL who made it possible! I work
with the best people and the sweetest families
anywhere!

Bibles

2011-03-08T11:09:00.000-08:00

This year at The Falls, thanks to a generous
donation, we have been able to give all of
the school children a NEW children's BIBLE.
It has been cool listening to the reaction of the
kids and the Moms as they receive their very own
Bible.

Wonderful Week

2011-03-04T06:03:00.000-08:00

We have had a great week at The Falls. The kids
were all glad to see us after being gone for 2 weeks.
We were greeted with lots of hugs. The weather was
good not too hot or too cold. We got lots of homework
done. Yesterday we we happily surprised with a visit
from Marco and Paola. Everyone enjoyed seeing them.
Marco treated Leah, Deborah, and I to dinner at
Mega Taco! Great friends and co-workers for the Lord!

Newsletters and FBA

2011-02-27T12:23:00.000-08:00

Working on newsletters this weekend. It's
a double duty month getting ready for our monthly
letter and our letter about our trip to Honduras.
Spent the morning at FBA. Andy Stanley preached
about being a BOLD WITNESS for the NAME - JESUS!
Ate lunch at a different Mexican Restaurant. The
flowers at FBA are beautiful!!

Dedicated To My Ukrainian Friends

2011-02-26T07:53:00.000-08:00

Radist U Xristi- one of my favorite Ukrainian Hymns!

New Friend

2011-02-25T10:08:00.000-08:00

Usually when I'm out I look for people
from other countries and listen for different
languages. Many times a word to the people I
see in their language brings about conversation
and a opportunity to share the gospel. Wednesday
I was at church and I walked over to the costume
shop for Atlanta Passion Play. A young man walked
in to get a costume. I could tell by his accent
and his name that he was African. I have been
around the APP for a long time and I knew I did
not know him so I started a conversation by asking
him where he was from. He told me he was from West
Africa- Benin. He has only been in the states for
about a year or two and this is his 1st time in the
play. I introuduced him to Mark, my Dad, and a few
others so he would know some people as we get more
and more involved in the upcoming play. Later he ask
me to come back over. He pulled out a CD and told me
he was a singer and he wanted me to have it. I was
very excited. The CD is named "Confirmation" and
on the front it says Jesus Is Lord! I can't tell
you how I have enjoyed listening to Bruno sing
songs about the Lord in African style music.
What a blessing from meeting a new friend!!

Recovery

2011-02-17T11:44:00.000-08:00

The last week I have been recovering from
surgery but it hasn't been easy. I did have
complications and had to stay in the hospital the
1st night. I had too much bleeding and had to
go into the Dr. early and have gel foam packed in
my nose. The pain has actually been worse than I
expected. Yesterday, I went to the Dr. and had
my stents taken out of my nose. My nose is healing
still bleeding a little. My throat is also healing
although I haven't lost the scab yet. My throat
biopsy came back yesterday. It was negative. PTL!

Surgery

2011-02-11T16:40:00.000-08:00

I had surgery Wed. morning. It was suppose to be
outpatient But I had a difficult time and ended
up having to stay. I had 3 great Christan nurses.
I wouldn't have made it thru last night without
the help of one nurse. I didn't get her picture
though. I didn't have the camera at the time.
My nurses today patiently helped me get up to
par so I could go home this afternoon. One
of the nurses goes to First Baptist
Atlanta. We had an interesting conversation. She
told me that her great grandfather was saved as
the result of missionaries coming to her home
country of Thailand. That has been passed down
to her generation. WOW! I apologize for the bloody
picture. That has been a problem I am having too
much bleeding. I was on oxygen all night last night.
Got home this afternoon and just ate some jello!

Changing Schedule

2011-02-08T08:40:00.000-08:00

Yeterday we were all set just to work with the
school age kids. We have divided the group since
we arelacking in volunteers. School age kids on
Mon. and Wed. and Preschool on Tues. and Thurs.
I had to send a few preschool Moms away and tell
them to come on Tuesday. They had forgotten.
We still had about 25 kids for just Leah, Deborah,
and I to work with. One of the Dads came in so I
put him to work helping the 1st graders with their
math. I do think we got more accomplished although
things were still a little crazy. One of the
boys came back for the 1st time in a long time. He
was misbehaving badly. He had a toy gun that he was
shooting at everyone. I had to tell him to go home.
He told me that he wasn't taking his medicine-
that his mom couldn't afford to buy it. So sad.
I noticed there was a note in his book bag from his
teacher to his Mom.

Birthday Fiesta and Baby Shower Fiesta

2011-02-06T17:27:00.000-08:00

Last night Mark and I attended a Birthday
Party for a sweet little boy who turned 4 years
old. We really enjoyed the evening celebrating
his birthday and meeting new people.
Tonight Sarah and I attended a Baby Shower.
The mom is expecting her 2nd child a boy. We
played baby shower games. I was fed a jar of
baby food by another lady who was blind folded,
Unfortunately I started laughing and couldn't
swallow fast enough so I ended up with food
on my face. Both evenings were alot of fun with
my special friends from The Falls.

Block Party with "Connect" Youth from FBA

2011-02-05T14:41:00.000-08:00

This afternoon we had a great Fiesta/Block
party with some of the youth from FBA
who are attending the Connect Conference this
weekend. There was plenty of food, fellowship,
games, balloons, and face painting. The youth
from FBA told the Good Samaritan Bible story and
we did a Valentine craft. Several of the
participants walked around the entire complex
and prayed for the residents. Four people prayed
to receive Christ. Thanks to First Baptist
Atlanta for coming out and hosting the event.
Gloria Dios!!

Homework, Puzzles, Crafts, and Cookies

2011-01-21T13:16:00.000-08:00

This has been an exciting week of afterschool.
Wednesday and Thursday we had more children than
we have had in the last 6 weeks or so. That is
quite a challenge since we are limited on volunteers.
We bounced around the room trying to help everyone.
The little kids did their "school", we did puzzles,
crafts, and then had our cookies. Things are sure
to get busier at the mission as more and more kids
come in as we get closer to the end of the
year and closer to testing. It should be fun!!

Back at The Falls

2011-01-18T16:34:00.000-08:00

After a week of snow days we were back helping
at The Falls today. I figured that the kids
probably had been tired of being stuck at home
so after we helped with home work I got out
play dough for the little kids and the girls
jumped rope in the room.

Snow Atlanta

2011-01-18T16:14:00.000-08:00

Last week it was a winter wonderland at The
Wilson house just like the whole North Georgia area.
We had fun in the snow, warmed by the fire,
hung out, watched movies, cleaned,
sorted, and thanked God that we did not lose
electricity. What a week!!

Bulldog Country

2011-01-10T14:05:00.000-08:00

Athens,Georgia, my Dad's hometown and home to
the University of Georgia. Both of my parents
graduated from UGA. They actually met while they
were at UGA and married after graduation. I
spent alot of time in Athens as a girl visiting
my grandparents and attending football games
behind the hedges. This week our daughter Hannah
moved to Athens and UGA as a transfer student. We
helped her move in on Tuesday and then we went
back on Saturday to take her a few things, eat
lunch with her, and just make sure everything
was good. She is in Mcwhorter Hall which is apt.
style housing. It seems she is getting settled
in. I hope she enjoys school and finishes well.

Amazing Weekend

2010-12-19T19:05:00.000-08:00

This has been an eventful weekend. We had a
ladies fellowship for the Mom's at The Falls
apartment complex in Duluth. The ladies came
and made Christmas ornaments and we all participated
in a cookie swap. It was alot of fun. Tonight
I went to see First Family Christmas at FBA.
Leah and Deborah did a good job and were actually
on the camera a few times. Afterwards I met Andrew
Ryzhlov, a Pastor from Belarus. The funny thing
is that I have heard about him for several years.
I always love practicing my limited Russian.
He has a wonderful ministry www.byelorussianmission.org.
I have enjoyed checking what they are doing in
Eastern Europe.

Feliz Navidad Fiesta

2010-12-17T09:22:00.000-08:00

We had a great Christmas Party at The Falls.
Everyone ate pizza, chips, and Christmas cookies.
played games and gave away prizes. Mr. Marco read
about the birth of Jesus from Luke 2 in Spanish.
A wonderful year end party for the children in
afterschool. Feliz Navidad!

NRP and ER

2010-12-15T06:24:00.000-08:00

Yesterday was quite an adventure. First I drove 162 miles
to Ranger, GA and back to take an NRP(Neonatal) and Class.
I left at 7:00am and got home at 4:30 in the afternoon. When I got
home I found out that Deborah was coughing up blood. She
had fallen very hard on the back of her head the night
before. We had watched her all night and she seemed okay.
But after I got home I called the nurses line and we decided
that since she has a past history with a skull fracture
and she was experiencing more symptoms- headache, dizziness,
and the blood,I needed to take her for a CT scan.
The scan was okay - she did not have a skull fracture. They
did however determine that she has something going on in
her sinuses. We are to follow up with a pediatric ENT today.

Extreme Cold & Christmas Miracle

2010-12-10T07:49:00.000-08:00

What a challenging week it has been
in apartment ministry at The Falls. First
we had to deal with the extreme cold. I am
thankful that I have a set of "long johns"
because I have worn them everyday this week.
Thankfully one of the men, Senor Omar, from
The Bridge church came to work on the heat
in our building. Our room is very large but
we now have a little heat coming out. PTL!
We are still in coats though! Yesterday
a 5 year old little boy did not
arrive home on the school bus. His Mom didn't
know what to do. So I spent about an hour with
her trying to track down her son. I even called
the police. We found him about an hour later
walking home off Satellite Blvd. Thankfully
he was fine. The kids at the mission called it
a Christmas miracle!!

Babysitting Spencer

2010-12-07T16:42:00.000-08:00

Today we watched Spencer. He is in
preschool now so we haven't seen him for
a few months. It was fun spending the day
with him again. I hope Mommy gets better
soon.

Sunday School Brunch

2010-12-04T12:51:00.000-08:00

I had a wonderful time this morning at a Sunday
School Brunch for the ladies at Fred and Janelle's
House. Great food and fellowship and a time of
prayer and encouraging each other and of course
lots of laughs!Thank you Fred and Janelle!!

Assisted Living, Fighting at the Mission, and Church

2010-12-02T11:04:00.000-08:00

Yesterday we were so busy. We started the day
by going to Buckhead to sing at an Assisted
Living Home for Seniors. We sang 4 songs. 3 of
the songs were Christmas Carols. Mom played the
piano for us and Dad preached. Later we went
to Duluth to work with the kids at the Mission.
Things seemed to be going okay when 2 of the
children got into a big fight. Fists were
flying. They were kicking and slapping each
other and of course yelling. So I had to
get in the middle and grab both by one arm to
separate them. I'm sure I probably looked funny
because yesterday I was in a skirt and of course
I am a really large person but it had to be done.
I sent both children home and told them they could
not come back until next week. When we left
the apartment we went straight to church. Leah
and Deborah had girls ensemble after church so
we didn't get home until 10:00pm. One long day!

Thanksgiving Celebration

2010-11-18T16:49:00.000-08:00

Tonight we had a Thanksgiving celebration at The
Falls apartments for the families who participate
in the afterschool program. We shared with them
how Thanksgiving started in this country. We shared
a section of scripture. We sang a few songs and
then we all shared a meal together. At the end I
gave each family one of Dr Stanley's "Messengers" in
Spanish. Thanks to FBA for getting these for me to
give our families!

Beautiful Time of Year

2010-11-16T14:34:00.000-08:00

I love Fall! To me it is the most beautiful time
of year. The colorful leaves and crisp air kind
of rejuvenate my spirit. Yesterday it was raining
so the attendance at afterschool was down. It was
still good to see the children and to help them
with their work. Today we had a meeting at The Falls.
This afternoon I went to one of the apartments in
Clarkston. Leah and Deborah enjoyed working with the
kids there. Many of the children we know but some are
new to the program there. I am grateful for my time
to share with the director there. Thank you, my friend!

The Falls

2010-11-09T18:30:00.000-08:00

So far this week has been a good one. Working with
the children can sometimes be a challenge especially
when there isn't enough help. It seems like someone
is always saying "Miss Cathy, I need help." Today I
encouraged some of the older kids who had no homework
to help the younger kids. Then God blessed us by
sending a high school student who could help one of
our middle school girls who doesn't know English.

World Missions Conference

2010-11-07T13:33:00.000-08:00

We have had a very full week with the
World's Mission Conference at First
Baptist Atlanta. We had awesome speakers.
We had wonderful times of fellowship with
other missionaries from all over the world.
We made new friends and saw old friends.
We shared about what God is doing in
our ministry. Thanks to ALL who made it
possible!!

Cold Fiesta!

2010-11-06T17:22:00.000-07:00

Today First Baptist Duluth came out and did
a Block Party/Fiesta at The Falls It was very
cold and windy!! They did a great job and ALL
who came out enjoyed themselves. The kids
also played hopscotch and drew pictures with
sidewalk chalk.

Exciting Week

2010-11-02T07:19:00.000-07:00

This is my favorite week of the year!
Missions conference at FBA is always
exciting for me because of it's focus
on reaching the lost people around the
world. Yesterday we had a great day
working with the children at the mission.
Afterwards we were invited back to one
of the family's apartment for coffee.
It was so enjoyable to have great
fellowship with this sweet family.
We all got to meet our "newest" baby.
She is so beautiful. I have been praying
for this mom and the new baby.

Fall Craft and Homework

2010-10-26T19:07:00.000-07:00

Today was a good day at the apartment. The
kids were in a hurry to get homework done
because management was having a movie for
the families tonight- "How to Train a Dragon."
I also had a craft for the younger kids. The older
guys were also interested and even one of the Mom's
made one. What really made my day though was to hear
that one of the boys that struggles with his school
made a 100 on his paper! That is worth celebrating!!

Family Wedding

2010-10-26T08:59:00.000-07:00

After the baby shower on Saturday we went to
our nephew's wedding. It was beautiful. We
had time to fellowship with some of Mark's
family after the ceremony. My camera was
acting up so I didn't get alot of pictures.

Baby Shower

2010-10-26T08:38:00.000-07:00

This weekend we had a baby shower
at The Falls for one of the Mom's.
It was great!

Nurses and Nursing

2010-10-21T11:26:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I finished up my 2 months in Macon.
I have been doing a Nursing re-entry class.
Along the way I have made a lot of friends at
The Medical Center of Central Georgia. My preceptor,
Stacy, was great. This week I met a nurse visiting
here from Japan. LaQuinta has been my home away
from home. I am glad to be done however,so that in a few
weeks I can start looking for a night nurses job
to help supplement our income.

Clarkston and School Supplies

2010-10-15T14:29:00.000-07:00

Today Leah and I made a trip to Clarkston to
take some of the school supplies that First Baptist
Atlanta collected for us to Bennett. Bennett is one
of FBA's Faith Promise Missionary and a fellow
North American Mission Board Missionary. He taught
me a lot of what I know about apartment ministry
and working with refugees and immigrants. I also
enjoy our time of "catching up" and sharing about
what is going on in ministry.

Cool Kids & Cool Days

2010-10-14T18:50:00.000-07:00

Today was a beautiful cool crisp day with wonderful
weather and a special time of tutoring with really
cool kids.

Garage Sale Remix

2010-10-09T14:36:00.000-07:00

Today we had another garage sale at The Falls. All of the
money that we make goes to help with the cost of heating
and air conditioning for our building. We had a fairly good
turn out. After the sale we loaded my truck 2 times and
Paola's van once and took the left over stuff to Goodwill.
A long tiring day. You should see this 50 year + woman
climbing in and out of the pick up truck.

Busy Week

2010-10-08T17:36:00.000-07:00

What a busy week we have had. Of course we had 4 days
this week of working with the children at The Falls in
our after school program. On Tuesday we had choir with
the kids. As I mentioned before,I had a meeting with
our apartment manager Carlos on Tuesday. Wednesday Leah
and Deborah had to be at church a little early because
the Youth choir was singing. I was surprised when I ran
into Pastor Tito Ruiz at FBA. He is the Spanish Pastor
at The Bridge, a church who works closely with us in
our ministry. I was able to introduce him to my parents
and my brother. Thursday morning I went to First Baptist
to pick up school supplies that had been donated for us.
Then it was off to the Doraville pregnancy center to pick
up some baby formula. I had a great time catching up with
Deborah Hayes who runs the center. Today we were invited
to lunch by one of our sweet Mom's. She cooked a real
feast of tilapia, rice, beans, salad, and homemade tortillas.
It was delicious! We spent the afternoon setting up
for the garage sale that we are having at the apartment
tomorrow. Leah and Deborah and their choir is singing
tonight so we rushed them down to church.

Manager Meeting

2010-10-06T04:57:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I had a meeting with the new manager at The Falls,
Carlos Martinez and my NAMB supervisor, missionary, and
friend Tim Cummins. The meeting went very well. We discussed
upcoming events for the residents and things that we can do
to make our work there better. God is so gracious to give
us this ministry. It is our prayer that we would have His
wisdom and His love as we work with the sweet people at
The Falls.

Monday and Apartment Ministry

2010-09-27T16:05:00.000-07:00

We had a great day at the apartments today.
It was finally cooler and amazingly the kids were
better behaved. We also had some of the Moms present
who volunteered to help. After the children went home
we stayed, cleaned up, and them had a meeting with
some of the moms who are helping to discuss the
upcoming events.

God's blessings in Macon

2010-09-27T09:15:00.000-07:00

I spent the weekend in Macon at the Medical Center. I worked
36 hours- 3, 12 hour shifts. Sometimes it is a little
frustrating to me to have to be returning to Nursing
so that we can get by. I know beyond a shadow of a
doubt that God called me to full-time missions! I am
passionate about my calling. I love the people that I
work with so much. It doesn't matter what country, what
walk of life, what religion that they are. I love them.
I know that God loves them too! Missions is my heart and
soul and I can't imagine going back to life the way it
was before.

I have had to come to realize that God has allowed me to
be in this place for a reason and that He will sustain me
during this time. I had many experiences with patients
this weekend. Some were good and some were not so good.
But God lifted my spirits yesterday when I met a Dr. a
Pediatrician from Nigeria. Of course I ask him what
country he was from (imagine me asking that)! I shared
with him that I had several good friends from Nigeria and
that I work with a missionary from Nigeria. He
ask me about my work and what I was doing in Macon. I told
him that I was doing Nursing re-entry but that God had
called me into full-time missions and that I work with
refugees and immigrants in Atlanta. As it turned out
this Dr. has been on several medical mission trips and he
thanked me and gave me words of encouragement about working
in missions. What a blessing!

Testimony of Former Muslim

2010-09-18T13:23:00.000-07:00

One of my friends shared a link to Afshin's testimony.
It was amazing! I wanted to share it with you too. It is
well worth listening to the 19-20 minutes in both parts!
To HIM be the glory!

Rn Re-Entry and Afterschool

2010-09-16T15:50:00.000-07:00

For the past few weeks I have been taking a Rn Re-entry
or Nurse refresher class. I have not worked in a hospital
since 1992. I never let my nursing license lapse but most
hospitals will not talk with me about a job because I do
not have recent experience. I am taking the class at the
Medical Center of Central Georgia in Macon. It is a large
600 bed teaching hospital. The medical and nursing students
from Mercer come there to train. First I had to do classroom
and computer training. I took health care provider CPR
yesterday. I made a 100 on the test! Now I am in the middle
of clinical training. That includes 160 hours of me working
at the hospital with a preceptor. I have already worked 58
hours. I should be done in about 3 more weeks.

Maybe you are wondering about our ministry. Yes, our desire
is to continue with North American Mission Board. We love
what we do working with refugees and immigrants. Things in
ministry are especially hard right now financially. My
husband Mark has been working 2 jobs for the last 11 months.
Our support is way down. People can't afford to give
because of the economic situation in our country. So we had
to do something so we can eat and pay our bills. I am planning
on doing both jobs. MY HEART AND PASSION IS MISSIONS! I do
believe that God has a reason for allowing me to be in this place.
I have to take care of my family too! Please pray for us as Mark
and I are both so very busy.

We have had so many great days recently at the apartment.
There are so many families who want to participate in our
programs. We have a great need for volunteers to help us.
The children are precious. We can make a difference in whether
these precious people are told about Jesus and what He did for
them on the cross. In fact I would not trade any of my "mission"
experiences for all the money in the world.

"That All Peoples May Know Him"

Garage Sale at The Falls

2010-09-06T18:53:00.000-07:00

Last weekend we had a garage sale at The Falls.
We are trying to raise money to get some heat and
air in our building. Our space is great. It is one
large room with a walk in closet in the back. But
we have no way to get any air flow except one door
that goes to the outside. We don't have any windows
and we are in a space with the laundry room on one side
and maintenance on the other. In the summer it is hotter
inside than it is outside. My daughters laugh at me
sometimes when I go home my hair and clothes are soaking
wet from sweat. And yes it is sweat not perspiration!
Sometimes we go outside to cool off. We have had an
extremely hot summer here in Atlanta so that is telling
alot. We actually can't wait to wear our coats inside the
room again.

We raised about $350. It was a fun but hard day for
all of us who worked.

1st Day back for the Afterschool Program

2010-08-24T17:57:00.000-07:00

We had a leadership meeting Sunday afternoon to pray
and plan for the upcoming year of ministry at The Falls
apartment complex. The Falls is a large complex - 520 units.
It is at about 92% occupancy. The majority of the residents
are of a Hispanic background. We also have Asians, Indians
and other people in the complex. Most of our participating
families are Latino.

Yesterday was our 1st day back. As we waited for the kids
it was calm sitting in the rearranged, redecorated room.
Marco, Paola, Sarah and I spent the better part of the morning
getting the room ready. Then the fun began as the children
started to fill up the room. It was a wonderful and a little
crazy 1st day back!

Summer Vacation Bible School at The Falls Apt.

2010-08-24T17:22:00.000-07:00

We had a great Vacation Bible school at The Falls a few weeks
ago. Here are a few pictures of our memories.

Awesome Song

2010-08-20T09:41:00.000-07:00

Ukraine 2010

2010-08-19T08:04:00.000-07:00

Sarah and I went to Voron'kiv Ukraine for 2 weeks this summer.
We assisted the Baptist church with a children's camp
and a youth camp. It was Sarah's 3rd trip to Ukraine and my
6th trip. It was great seeing old friends and making new
friends. I am grateful to all of our prayer and financial
supports who made it possible for us to go. It was awesome
seeing the Lord at work in Ukraine!

Summer Break

2010-08-19T07:17:00.000-07:00

We certainly have had a long break this summer.
Not from life but just from blogging. We went on
a family vacation to Myrtle Beach SC, Sarah and I
went to Ukraine for 2 weeks. We had VBS at The Falls.
Leah and Deborah were in "Joseph and the Amazing
Technicolor Dreamcoat" at First Baptist Atlanta
for the last 2 weeks. Now summer is over and it
is time for us to start back to school and all our
regular activities. I am going to attempt to catch
up a little with the pictures.

Peoples of the World

2010-05-20T19:08:00.001-07:00

Great Pictures. The song is not bad either!

Crosspointe meeting and Decorations

2010-05-20T08:57:00.001-07:00

On Tuesday Tim Cummins, Mark, and I had a meeting
with Crosspointe Church on ministry at he Falls.

Last night we went back over to the apartment complex
after church and decorated for our big party to end
end the school year that we are having for the
children. Some of the residents came out to help us!

Soddy Daisy Tennessee

2010-05-15T18:59:00.000-07:00

This morning Sarah and I left home at 8:30am to go
to Soddy Daisy, TN for a meeting with our Ukraine team.
We are going to Voronkiv Ukraine for 2 weeks from
June 25th - July 10th. We will be going with 4 other people
to do a children's overnight camp for 1 week and a youth
overnight camp for 1 week. We expect around 75 children
and about 40 youth. I have been trying to brush up on my
Ukrainian. My brain is in a slight fog right now since I
have been around so much Spanish and am trying to learn
Spanish. Last week I ask 2 of the children at The Falls
if their snack was "smachno?" They looked at me puzzled right
as I realized that is the Ukrainian work for tasty- I muttered
to myself(wrong language Cathy) and then came out with
"Delicioso?" To which they all said Si!

It was a long but fruitful day. Sarah and I drove home through
a bad thunderstorm. We got home around 7:40pm. I have been
working since we got home. I am just now eating dinner at 10:10pm.
No pictures today - sometimes I just forget!!

Macaroni Necklaces

2010-05-10T15:13:00.000-07:00

Today was a slow day at the apartment
where we serve. Monday's are typically
a little slow and today it was raining.
I actually enjoy it when it is like this
because I get to spend more one on one
time with the children. Today the children
finished up their work early. I had
planned a craft for the preschoolers-
making necklaces out of macaroni noodles.
When the older kids saw what we were doing
they wanted to participate as well. A few
of the Mom's even joined in on the fun.
Everyone left wearing macaroni necklaces
and bracelets.

Apartment Ministry and Tortillas

2010-05-05T04:47:00.000-07:00

Monday and Tuesday we had very good days at
The Falls. On Monday our numbers were down
some because of the bad weather. Tuesday we
were back up to full and over flowing capacity.
Yesterday I had a headache when I got there so
I was trying to hurry everything along. However
at the end, one of the sweet Mom's started
talking to me. Her husband was out of town and
she wanted us to come visit at her house.
Ministry is all about relationships so 3 of my
girls, myself, and Bret and Susie all went to her
apartment. She taught me how to make homemade
tortillas. She is very fast making them and I
was very slow. They were wonderful. We ate
them rolled up with cheese in the middle. What
a great time of fellowship we had!!

Twins Party

2010-04-29T06:42:00.000-07:00

Last week was a really big week. We had a birthday
party for 2 twin girls that come to our program.
We had about 90 people there. It was crowded but
fun. The children had a blast with the pinata!
We have been so busy as a family in addition to
work. The van had to have some major repairs, the
truck had a flat tire Sunday morning on our way to
church. Hannah is having her wisdom teeth out Friday.
I have been working on newsletter but keep getting
sidetracked with other things. Whatever happened to
a day of rest?

Musica

2010-04-20T18:49:00.000-07:00

Today at The Falls we had a good day. Tuesday is our choir day.
We had preschool music at the beginning and then older
kid music at the end. This is still fairly new for our kids
but they did a great job of singing today. In a few more
months maybe we can perform for the parents and at a church.

A First Time for Everything

2010-04-19T17:59:00.000-07:00

Today we were at The Falls. Monday's and Tuesday I teach
about 20-25 Latino preschoolers. One of the little boys
is especially cute with big round brown eyes and a smile
that will melt your heart. However, he is very attached
to his mom. Sometimes she leaves for a few minutes with
her baby. Today was one of those days. She left, he started
crying. I went over to him and said Esta Bien- It's okay,
Mom will be right back. Big tears were rolling down his
checks so I picked him up and started around the table
to hand out coloring pages to the other children. Right
as I rounded the corner of one table he started vomiting.
It was profuse!! It got all over him,all over me, and all
over the floor. I put him down and began cleaning him up
with paper towels. I went over to the trash can and tried
to get as much off me into the trash and then I set about
cleaning chunks of throw up off the floor. Another mom-
one of our helpers(it was her 1st day) came over and helped
with the preschoolers while I went to the bathroom to take
off and rinse off my polo shirt. I put it back on wet. The
little boy was taken home by his mom. I came back and told
everyone its okay - but I am going to smell. I told them
there is a first time for everything. I have cleaned up
alot of messes being a RN and a mom of 6 but I have
never had it all over me and not be able to change clothes.
My families are so sweet though and several were concerned.
A little while later one of the moms came back in with a
clean t-shirt for me to wear. I am so blessed to work with
such wonderful people and families. God really is in control
even when the circumstances are not ideal.

I did not get pictures although thinking back later if it had
been video-taped I think we could have made TV!!

Local Missions Fair

2010-04-18T17:49:00.000-07:00

We had the Local Missions Fair at First
Baptist Atlanta today. I met some new people
and Mark, Leah, Deborah and I stood by our
table form 8:00am until 1:00pm. Afterwards
we went to the Passion Play cast and crew
party and watched the video of this years
play.

Nepali Fellowship

2010-04-10T10:50:00.000-07:00

I just returned from a wonderful morning of
fellowship with Nepali Christian women. They
were beautiful in their native dress. We heard
beautiful songs and testimonies. We shared a
traditional Nepali meal. It was wonderful!

DInner and Decorating

2010-04-09T18:40:00.000-07:00

Tonight Sarah, Leah, Deborah, and I out to dinner
at La Botana in Chamblee. Then we went over to
help Ruthie North decorate for a Nepali fellowship
that is happening tomorrow morning in the old Northwoods
Baptist Church Building on Chamblee Tucker Rd.
Northwoods is my home church where I grew up,
was baptized, and where we married.

"Divine"Appointment

2010-04-08T05:44:00.000-07:00

Yesterday we were so busy. It is spring break
for public school so I don't have to go over
to The Falls because there is no afterschool.
I have been trying to catch up on other things
and have been out alot. Normally I go to church
on Wed. evening but last night I had an appointment
late and then Mark was off from both jobs so we
decided to go eat out. Mark ask where I wanted to go
and looking for a good cheap place I said Cracker
Barrel. It wasn't busy when we got there and we
were taken to a table near the back. As soon as
we sat down I noticed the 2 foreign men directly
behind us. I could her bits and pieces of their
conversation and was a little surprised to hear
them talking about the gospel, pastors, seminary,
and church. I told Mark we need to meet these 2
men. As a missionary I have learned that sometimes
you just have to be bold so I got out one of my
NAMB cards and stood up to walk over to their
table. Mark was holding back but I told him I
thought it was important for me to meet these men.
So we boldly introduced ourselves and told them
about our ministry. It turned out that one of the
men was a Spanish Pastor of Christos Community church
and the other man was the Indian Pastor of Atlanta
Indian Church. What an awesome time we had talking
with these men. We have mutual friends in ministry
and even plan to work together some. The Spanish
church is very close to my apartment complex.
Isn't it just amazing how God gives us wonderful
"Divine" appointments if we are sensitive to HIM!

Stone Mountain

2010-04-06T11:06:00.001-07:00

I got up early this morning because it was
suppose to be almost 90 degrees today, unheard
of for April, and the girls and I had been planning
a trip to Stone Mountain. We left for Stone Mountain
around 9:45 am after Sarah Cate and Bethany got to
our house. It was the 1st time for them to climb
the mountain. So Sarah, Leah, Deborah, Sarah Cate,
Bethany, and I all equipped with water bottles made
it safely up and down the mountain. The pollen was
terrible with the wind blowing but it was still an
enjoyable time. Afterwards we all had pizza for
lunch.

Jesus Saves and Christ Has Risen From The Dead

2010-04-03T15:13:00.000-07:00

Easter Eggs, Resurrection Story, Pizza and Popcorn

2010-04-03T13:26:00.000-07:00

Today we had an Easter Fiesta at The Falls! It was
a great day. We had an excellent group of parents
and kids with well over 100 people. We had an
Easter egg hunt. Bret told the Easter/Resurrection
story using a big evangecube. The older children made
salvation bracelets. The younger children made a Jesus
Lives cross. We all had pizza, popcorn, and soda. There
was a contest for the best decorated egg with prizes.
We finished up with the children breaking confetti
eggs on each others heads-a Mexican tradition.
Several of the Mom's stayed and helped us clean
up. Thanks to all for a wonderful day! I truly am
blessed to be able to serve the Lord sharing His
story with wonderful people who deserve the chance
to KNOW HIM as their LORD and SAVIOR!

Cleaning Bathrooms

2010-04-02T15:34:00.000-07:00

This afternoon Leah and I went to clean, sweep, and
mop the bathrooms at the mission. I hate to say
it but the girls bathroom was much worse than the boys.
We have to teach the little girls that it is okay in this
country to actually put the toilet paper in the toilet
and flush it instead of putting it on the floor. I can't
say it was really fun, but necessary. We also did some
straightening to get ready for the Easter Fiesta
tomorrow!

Busy Week

2010-04-01T23:19:00.000-07:00

This has been a busy week at The Falls. Mon.- Wed.
we had SO MANY children. Thursday there was less
because of spring break.

I have being feeling bad all week with a bad cold and
cough and it has not been easy going over to
the apartments to work. However, I always receive
a blessing for being obedient and this
week was no exception. The children are precious. One
little boy age 5 calls me, "Miss Caffee." It sounds like he
is saying Miss Coffee. He is very polite and always says
"Thank You Miss Caffee," when I give him something.
The other day a 1st grade little girl was crying. He
called me saying, "Miss Caffee, she is sad." When I went
over to her he was patting her on the back. I leaned over
and gave him a kiss on the check for being such a kind
little boy.

Of course there is always one child who is not the best. We
have that too. In fact we have several children who will
exasperate us. I have found myself talking pretty hard several
times to a few children who just would not behave and who were
distracting the others and us from doing what we needed to do.
My girls said I sounded like Mr Bennett, when I told them,
"I love you BUT you either straighten up or leave because
you are distracting the other children who are trying to
get their school work done." Saying that I am sounding like
Bennett is a good thing because he runs a great afterschool
program and mission in Clarkston. I have been watching and
learning form him for a few years now. Tough Love!

Wilson Family Picture

2010-03-31T17:33:00.000-07:00

Sunday morning we had a family picture made by my brother
Danny at First Baptist for our prayer cards and for
the missionary wall at church. I think it turned out really
good.

Last Weekend of the Atlanta Passion Play

2010-03-31T17:25:00.000-07:00

I am going to attempt to get caught up on blogging. I got sick
during the last weekend of the play. We still had a great time
living the life of Christ on stage at the Civic Center. Mark,
David, and Hannah were able to see the play Sunday afternoon.
It was a little strange for them to watch it instead of being
in the play. Hopefully many peoples lives were changed as a result
of the Passion Play!

Kids, Kids, Kids

2010-03-23T17:27:00.000-07:00

Today at The Falls we had kids coming
out of every corner. We had 2 new
children who were brought by a worker at
the school. Apparently their Mom thought
they had been coming to our after school
program but in reality they were lying
to her. We hadn't seen them before. The school
worker and friend explained that they were
not doing well in school. I told her that
we would help as best as we could but that
she could look around the room and see that
we didn't have enough volunteers to work
personally with each child. Today we had 5
worker including my 2 children and myself
to work with about 50 children.

Yesterday we had 6 new kids- 4 preschoolers
and 2 school age. At our program we have one
big room that we all meet in. It can get very
noisy. We are praying that God would provide
us with more space.

Atlanta Passion Play

2010-03-22T06:25:00.000-07:00

We had a great week of performances at the
Atlanta Passion Play. I am praying that many
peoples lives are changed as a result!
David arrived yesterday morning and was put
to work as stage crew. Our family all went out to
a late dinner last night. It was good to all be
together again!

Atlanta Passion Play

2010-03-21T06:20:00.000-07:00

We had 2 great performances yesterday. Everyone had a great
time eating picnic style outside between the shows!

Atlanta Passion Play

2010-03-20T04:02:00.000-07:00

Some of my girls in the dressing room
at the Atlanta Pasion Play.