Family

Family

Wednesday, August 21, 2013

A Testimony of Grace

CONNECT WITH MY HEART
(see below for details on what we've been up to and lots of pictures)

How can you explain the days that go by so fast yet the pace of life here be so slow. Doesn't make sense I know but it is the life we now live and are adjusting to.  Is it the pace or the mere fact that a normal daily task can take that much longer to complete due to the lack of resources or conveniences we are used to?  I did not realize how much I valued a sense of accomplishment until feeling exhausted at the end of the day, as if I had just run a marathon, but never reached the finish line.  It is funny how restless I become when my agenda and God's do not match up.  My flesh wants to fight against that but  the Spirit of God in me reminds me that my value isn't measured by my accomplishments but by the abundance of God's grace I enjoy every day....who I am because of who He is!  God gave me this verse recently:

Jeremiah 2:13  "For my people have forsaken me, the spring of living water, and dug their own cisterns.  Broken cisterns that cannot hold water."

How many times I fill my own cistern with my ideas, my agenda, my to-do list, my plans.  I can fill it so full my cistern cracks...then leaks leaving me thirsty.  Accomplishments in and of themselves are not bad things until they become about me, my ego, and my performance.  If I really take a minute to think about it, I like getting tangible rewards sometimes more than I care about spending time with God.  I like the sense of accomplishment especially work done for the Lord.  I can justify it's righteousness because of who the work is for.  The end result...dry and thirsty!

How ridiculous for me to try and fill my broken cistern and then scrape out the little bit of stagnant water in the bottom, when right beside me is a continuous stream of living water.  Oh my wandering heart, relying on my own efforts to satisfy the longings of my soul and the urgent need of water...trying to control what I am not in control of.  Any attempt to fill a need, even the need for accomplishment, is like trying to fill broken cisterns.  It produces nothing of real value but an emptiness because of my unwillingness to turn to the true God who could give me real life which is everlasting and fulfilling...the need to trust God alone to satisfy my thirst.  Not my accomplishments, not checking off a to-do list and not meeting my plan of expectations.  We are all thirsty.  I believe there are thirsts and longings in our lives that are placed there by God.  I am realizing that God has a way for these longings to be met in me.  I must not forsake the "Spring of Living Water" for my broken cistern.  My needs are real, but I must satisfy those needs according to God's way rather than my way.  What feels out of control the Lord uses to bring His child (me) under His control.  And He continues to teach me how to live in the grace filled moments that surround me every day.

Who am I without accomplishment?  I can feel like a failure.  I am focusing on things that are seen instead of what is unseen.  I want to value my accomplishments or lack of them and be able to hold on to the loosely just as Paul writes in Philippians 3:7-9:

The very credentials these people are waving around as something special, I'm tearing up and throwing out with the trash - along with everything else I used to take credit for.  And why?  Because of Christ.  Yes, all the things I once thought were so important are gone from my life.  Compared to the high privilege of knowing Christ Jesus as my Master, firsthand, everything I once thought I had going for me is insignificant.  I've dumped it all in the trash so that I could embrace Christ and be embraced by him.  I didn't want some petty, inferior brand of righteousness that comes from keeping a list of rules when I could get the robust kind that comes from trusting Christ - God's righteousness (The Message)

Whether I am able to accomplish or unable I need not be thirsty.  My fulfillment can only be found in Christ alone!  Even if the finish line never seems to come for this day (things to accomplish)...the "Spring of Living Water" never runs dry and will refresh my soul giving me the ability to endure the race.

Drinking from His cup today!


CONNECT WITH US

Thank you for all your prayers over these past weeks.  We know God hears them and is answering them in the way and timing that is best.  We are still waiting on the house.  We have a premature offer in and are waiting for the owners to find a new home so we can proceed with finalizing the offer.  We truly believe this is the right house for our family and that God is asking us to wait and trust in His timing.  Please continue to pray for patience as we wait expectantly to take the next step in the process.

In the meantime, we have been getting the girls ready for school by meeting the Principal and staff, attending a parent/school staff orientation, getting fitted and buying school uniforms, purchasing books and needed supplies, labeling everything including covering all books, attending the student orientation to meet their teachers and visit their classrooms.  Thank you for praying for them as they started their first day of school this past Monday.  Their first day went great!  We have seen God's presence go with us and before us as we step out in new territory.  Praise God...Raeleigh's teacher is a born again believer!!!  We had a great visit with her and found out she even attends the church we have been visiting these past few weeks and learned last Sunday she is very good friends with the youth leader there.  Another major answer to prayer is the connection Skyler made with a girl in her class.  Her name is Monica who previously resided in Guatemala and attended the mission school there.  She too is a believer!!!  She loves music and worship like Skyler and also wants to one day be a missionary!  Only God could orchestrate a divine appointment like that.  An appointment when you know God ordained that moment in time for her to see His hand at work in her life.  Thank you God for knowing their needs and providing for them in ways I never could.  All part of letting go and surrendering to God's good and perfect will.  I am not saying it still isn't hard for me...it carries with it many tears...it is another area of such uncertainty with a response that only demands complete trust and surrender.  What I do know is that God has called me to lay them at His feet and allow Him to carry out HIS plan in shaping the future he is calling them to...   We covet your prayers for them as we continue to seek God's provision and protection for them each day. 

We are also thanking God for the connections we are making here with staff as well as in the community.  We are meeting other missionaries and learning more about their ministries and the culture in which they live.  We have made some connections at the Union church including meeting the worship director then the youth leader and finding out more about the youth group that meets every Friday night.  No doubt God is leading the way in the direction we are to follow.  Please pray for good solid Biblical training, a connection to the ministry as well as new friends.

This past weekend, we were able to take a break for some family time.  The Mullinax family invited us to a water park that is next to the Pacific Ocean for an afternoon.  What a great time of rest and rejuvenation for us all!  James and I also celebrated our "16th" wedding anniversary and were able to grab a little time away for a nice dinner.  You should have seen us ordering our meals :)  We better get going on that spanish tutoring :)

James and Makai had a few stomach issues this past week.  Praise God they seemed to have healed quickly.  Makai has had a lot of mosquito bites and Raeleigh injured her knee (minor).   Please pray for our health and protection especially with the many things that can cause illness and infection.

This week James and I began our orientation and training at the Envision Wired site.  We are getting in depth knowledge on the mission and vision here as well as the God-sized vision for the ministry Broken.  We are learning the in's and outs of the different aspects to ministry and received an introduction to our language learning and culture training ahead.  Please pray that with everything before us, God would grant us the ability to retain the needed information and learn the language quickly so we are able to make connections with the culture and its people.

To know God means to give ourselves daily to Him.  Above all else, we want His name to be glorified here in this place!

Together we can Be The Change!

The Schuenke Family

Crazy spider as big as the spread of an adult hand 
Spider eating a butterfly


Raeleigh being a jokester with Daniel, the intern
Skyler and Sharla making a pie for Elijah's birthday
Yummy blueberry pie (blueberries cost $20+ )
Interns and kids watching videos on site
Hannah the intern giving Felice and Raeleigh an updo
A poor community in the densely populated city of San Salvador
Makai and Adinei (a volunteer) while looking for homes
Staff drinking Coke out of a baggie sold at the corner market
Getting books at orientation for school (yes a pool in the middle of school in the background)
Ice breakers during orientation at the international school
High school ice breakers and group activities 
Small group activity (girl to the left named Monica) 
Raeleigh sharing fun facts about herself to the 4th grade class 
A new El Salvadorian friend, Tatiana
Raeleigh, Felice and Tatiana 
Makai, Arrow and Raquel (missionary kids on staff with us)
Family fun at a waterpark right off the Pacific Ocean 
Makai having a ball 
Richard (Site Director) and the kids playing games 
Melissa, an intern, with the missionary kids in the Pacific Ocean
Skyler taking in the beauty of God's creation 
Black sand from the volcanic lava rock covers the beach
Pacific Ocean tide
Horses on the beach 
Skyler and Sharla making dessert for a barbecue on site
Cupcakes decorated as owls from Oreo cookies and M&M's
A new friend, Michael
Interns and the kids playing Settlers 
Raeleigh's first day of school in the 4th grade class
The girls first day of school in uniform right outside of class
Skyler's homeroom class 
School Swimming Pool for PE
School Gymnasium and Cafeteria
International School Main Offices and Playground
School Mascot
Mullinax and Schuenke Families (and Melissa, an intern)

Wednesday, August 14, 2013

Our First Week

Well we have been in El Salvador just over a week and boy how the time is flying by.  Based on everything we have been doing if feels like we have been here much longer.  Things take a lot longer to accomplish here so basic daily living can sometimes be challenging.  We are still living out of a one, no window (and not much air flow) room with our 10 suitcases at the Envision site while we search for a home.  Realtors and house hunting is definitely an experience down here and much different than the states.  We have been fortunate to look at several homes before today but none of them right for our family.  Our biggest request is security/location and a place for the kids to be kids.  Today we may have found the one!  We have an offer in but are waiting on some other details to be worked out.  We trust God has the perfect place for our family and know He will provide it at just the right time.  Please continue to pray for discernment and patience as we move forward in the process.

Days here seem to go by fast...the sun rises early but sets early as well.  It is the rainy season so most days the sun is out and hot in the morning, cloudy in the afternoon and rainy at night (sometimes afternoon too).  The rain comes down hard and sometimes with extremely loud, earth shaking thunder.  The average temperature is mid to upper 80's...although our first days here were in the 90's.  Night time cools off a bit especially if it rains and is around low to mid 70's.  Mosquitoes are pests and can be annoying at times but not as bad as they could be (we haven't had to use our mosquito nets over our bed yet).  We have been fortunate not to have seen many exotic bugs so far....a few cockroaches a couple inches in length and a few lizards and salamanders is all.  Thank goodness none of them were where we are staying, however, we do know they do an extinguishing of cockroaches every other month at the Envision site which we have not experienced yet.  I assume they come out of hiding in the walls and then die.  Let's just pray we are out and in our home by then :)

God has protected us from any major illness so far.  The girls had a day or so of being under the weather but bounced back quick.  Not sure if it was the heat or the food.  Please continue to pray for protection and mindfulness as it is an adjustment getting used to the extra precautions we have to take with the food and water.  Overall, we are doing well and getting excited to find and get settled into a home here.  We are so grateful for a place to stay but it is really made for short term living and can weigh on you after awhile.  Please pray we can endure the length of time needed to stay here while living out of suitcases each day (so thankful to be living out of 10 and not 20 :)  Because of all the interns here and there being only one washer, we have to make the best of sharing our time and hanging our clothes on a small line.  We ended up hanging lines in our room and hanging our clothes there for lack of space.  The other night someone upstairs was taking a shower which backed up and flooded the floor.  It happened to be right above our room and water leaded through the ceiling onto the bunk above where I was sleeping.  So glad it wasn't over all of our stuff since the mattress absorbed a lot of it.  These are just some of the things we experience in a day but really very minor.  Oh the conveniences we have and how we take them for granted.  We see how some have to live each day and as we are reminded of that, we give thanks to God for what he provides and how he chooses to provide it.  We are blessed...it is all perspective!

Please pray for the kids as school registration and orientation is this week.  We are visiting the international school and trust God will guide our steps as we explore new territory.  I am learning the areas I still want to control which are only motivated by fear... the very things God is using to humble me, deepen my dependence and glorify himself.

We had our first church experience last Sunday.  We attended a small Bible believing church spoken in english.  So thankful that in the midst of the vast darkness, a small ray of light exists where we are able to worship with God's people in spirit and in truth!

Thank you for your continued support and prayers!  We thank God every time we think of you and remember you in our prayers humbled to serve the Lord with you.

For the Sake of His Glory,
The Schuenke Family


Raeleigh with a talking parrot teaching her some spanish
Our sweet girls
James and I enjoying a moment
Elijah and Sharla (Envision Site Associates)
Dinner with some of Envision Wired Staff  eating "pupusas"
Being entertained by spanish musicians
A beautiful view of San Salvador at night
One of the oldest streets in San Salvador
Skyler under the weather
James cleaning the living space outside our room
Hanging clothes to dry in our room while a little one is sleeping
Makai thrilled he found a McDonald's
Union Christian Church entrance
The beauty of the Lord