Missionary Monday ~ Your Fall Decorations!

 

This week's Theme - Your Fall Decorations!

Do you decorate for the fall? 

Do you have ideas how to decorate on a budget?

Please share!

 Here are a few of my decorations that I brought from America.
 

 

Next week's theme - Your Choice

Link up your favorite post, or just simply link up your blog.

Do you have a theme idea for our Missionary Monday?
Please leave a comment!

 

 

 

 

Sunday Scriptures ~ Psalm 72:19

 

Have a blessed Sunday!

 

Missionary Monday ~ It's Autumn Time!

 

This Week's Theme - It's Autumn Time!

 

What does this season look like for you where you live?

I live in Australia, and currently it's the beginning of the wet season.

This beautiful tree greets me when I'm out and about.

You'd think it's yellow leaves, but it's not!  Those are little yellow flowers!

 

 

 

Next Week's Theme - Your Fall Decorations!

Do you decorate for fall?  Share your photos!

(Keep in mind we'll soon have our Christmas Blog Hop!)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sunday Scriptures ~ Galatians 6:9

 

Have a blessed Sunday.

 

 

Fellowship Fridays - Deputation Part II

Deputation Tips Part II

Staying Tips

Some enjoy it, some endure it.  Some love it, some hate it, but most missionaries do it!  It's called deputation.  Deputation is a time of visiting churches in order to present your call and burden while making churches aware of the need for the Gospel to your particular mission field.

Below are a few tips or suggestions for how to be a blessing at each place and church you stay!

Clorox Wipes - Portable, handy and quick.  You never quite know where you will be staying and sometimes the places (motels or otherwise) may need a little cleaning before you want your babies roaming free.  With these wipes you know you'll kill any germs before little hands come in contact with them.  Also, they are great for cleaning bathrooms, etc… before you leave. 

Allergies - Be up front about any allergies you may have.  Let the Pastor know ahead of time before he places you in a home with animals to which you may be allergic.

Baby Powder and many plastic bags for diapers - Not every home that houses missionaries has children.  In which cases they may not appreciate stinky diapers in their trash!  A handy trick I learned was to use baby powder (or baking soda) and plastic diaper bags (you can find these at dollar stores), place the diaper in the bag, give a few puffs of the baby powder an/or baking soda (kills the odor) and tie the bag shut.  Unless the family housing us had children OR specified what to do with the diapers, we would place them in our trash bag in the car and dispose of them later at a gas station.  Some families really don't mind if you throw diapers in their trash, but others don't appreciate the extra, smelly garbage.  It's best to err on the side of caution to prevent offending anyone.

Always make your bed - It's always a good testimony to leave your room neat and clean.  Also, when leaving a home it's always a good idea to strip the beds and leave the room in clean condition.  Ask for a vacuum cleaner, and dusting supplies.  Be a blessing to your hosts and try not to make too much extra work for them after you leave!

Leave the house as nice or nicer as when you arrived - Leave your room, Prophet's Chamber or Guest House in as good or better condition than when you found it.  If you have time before leaving wash the bedding and remake the beds, or fold bedding and put it away.  Remember to Be a Blessing!

If you break something replace it - One Prophet's Chamber we stayed in had a full length mirror leaning against the wall.  In the early morning as we were preparing to leave the mirror was bumped, fell over and broke into at least a hundred pieces!  Thankfully, it was the type that is easily found at Wal-Mart and was easy to replace.  If something doesn't work mention it to the Pastor.  You want to make sure he knows you didn't break it and you want to make him aware if something needs replaced, fixed, etc…

Hostess Gift - If you can leave a hostess gift, do so.  It's a way to show appreciation to the host family for opening their home and taking in complete strangers for the night or week!

Thank You Notes - I'm sure every missionary knows the ins and outs of writing thank you notes!  Always remember to send one to the family who hosted you as well as to the church.  Be sure to mention the ladies who cooked for the missionaries, the love gifts, etc...

Thanking Ladies for Meals - Many times the ladies cooking the food are over looked.  The food is delicious and they work hard, but because they are "behind the scenes" many times it's easy to forget to say a special "thank you" to them.  I know that they always appreciate the missionary taking the time to thank them personally for all the hard work they do.  

Help As You Can -  If you see something that needs done, go ahead and do it.  As a young girl I remember a missionary family that stayed in our Prophet's Chamber.  The day they were supposed to leave my parents and I stopped by to collect the bedding, towels, etc. from the room.  As we entered the parking lot we noticed their car was still there.  As we walked into the church we saw the whole family hard at work, vacuuming, dusting, etc. the whole church!  That made an impression on my parents and on me as a child. They said that was their way of saying "Thank You" for the place to stay… by cleaning the church building.

Be A Blessing - It's easy to become stressed and tired with all the traveling and packing, unpacking, staying in different places every night, etc… However, we need to remember that each church sees us that one time and the impression we leave with them is the one they remember!  Try to be a blessing at each place you are.  Remember, you are doing this for the Lord!  It can be awkward at times to stay with complete strangers.  Everyone's personality is different and you may "click" better with some people than with others.  People are People, some seem friendly, some seem rude. some seem shy and others are outgoing.  However, make the best of each situation and don't take anything personal!  

My siblings and I used to love to visit with missionaries and hear their stories over the dinner table.  You never know whose life you may affect with what you say and how you act!  Be a Blessing and I'm sure you will receive one in return!

Missionary Monday - A Day in the Life of...

Please meet Laura Consford and her family...
 

 

 

Is there such a thing as a "typical" day on the mission field? It seems there is always something unexpected that comes up, but we just learn to go with the flow.

We are the Consford family, currently serving in Ghana, West Africa. Joe and I first arrived in Africa in 2004. At that time, we did not have any children. We now have three children, Gilbert (7), Danny (5), and Bonnie (4). Each addition to the family has brought a little more excitement. There never seems to be a dull moment around our house. Our children say some of the funniest things. I do not know where they come up with some of their great ideas.

Here in Takoradi, Ghana, we have the unusual opportunity of being able to put our children in a Christian school. Another Baptist missionary started a school several years ago. They use the A Beka DVDs and have a teacher and a monitor in each class. Last year was the first year that our children attended there. They were a little overwhelmed at first since they were the only white children in a school of 250 students. They have just started their second year. They were all excited for school to start again. The school is only four miles from our house, but it sometimes takes almost an hour to get there due to traffic and road conditions.

When school is in session, a "typical" day begins at 5:30 for me. I get up, make breakfast, and get lunches packed to send to school. After I get Joe and the kids out the door for school by 6:45, I have time for my devotions and computer time. Then, I get started on my chores for the day - dishes, laundry, cleaning, baking, etc. Filtering water is also a daily occurrence. We have well water and rain water as our main water sources. So, the water has to be filtered before using it for cooking or drinking. At one point, we all got sick from the water. Since that time, we have stepped up our filtering system. Our water goes through a chlorination process and then four different filters before we drink it, and it takes constant care to keep the water moving along to the next step.

When the children are out of school, they are still up early, usually around 6:00. I still have all of the same basic things to do. They are old enough now that they can help out around the house. They clear the table, wash the dishes, sweep the floor, etc.

As is the case on many mission fields, there are not many "quick fix" type things available. So, meal preparation takes a little longer sometimes - making your own tortillas, soups, pizza dough, etc.

When the children get home from school, they usually swim or play outside for a while to get some of their energy out. They do not play much during school. They also like to help me make supper.

After supper, we like to play a game as a family. I grew up playing board games, and I still enjoy playing games. The main thing we are working on right now is not getting upset when we lose; it seems that someone always ends up in tears.

We have had "load shedding" recently. The idea is for the power to be off in different areas at different times, but the power in our area seems to be the first one to go off. We live up on a hill. Sometimes at night, the power is off in our area, but we can see lights all around us. We do have a generator, which is a necessity to keep food from spoiling and to keep the fans turning. It is a little frustrating at times because we never know when we will have "load shedding" or how long the power will be off. We do have a gas stove; at least the food keeps cooking when the power goes off. The other night, the power went off during supper. Bonnie said, "I guess we are having a candle breakfast." We sometimes get behind on the laundry because the generator will not run the washing machine. If the power is on, the washing machine is in constant use. That is better than doing it by hand. I know that I have it much easier than missionaries did years ago or than modern-day missionaries who are in very remote places.

Joe stays busy with sermon preparation, visiting, and transporting the children to and from school during the week. On Saturday mornings, he goes visiting. We also have Bible Clubs on Saturday mornings in different neighborhoods.

On Sunday mornings, I work with the children seven years old and under. I usually have around twenty-five in my class. Most of the children who have not been to school yet do not speak English. I usually have a Fante-speaking helper in my class. On Sunday nights and Wednesday nights, I play my clarinet as accompaniment during the services.

I usually go into town with Joe one day during the week to go grocery shopping. We have a couple small stores that carry refrigerated items. There is also a large market area that has a variety of items - fruits, vegetables, fabric, etc. We also buy some things in bulk at the market - flour, sugar, powdered milk. After we get our shopping done, we usually eat lunch somewhere before heading home. We do not have any fast food restaurants in our town, but there are some good places to eat; it just takes a while before the food comes.

My next goal is to learn Fante, the tribal language in our area. We have had difficulty finding a teacher. My husband studied Fante for six months when we were in Ghana a few years ago. (We started out in Ivory Coast but had to leave several times due to civil war.) So, he knows a lot more than I do. We learned French before going to Ivory Coast, but I have never studied a tribal language before.

Thank you for the opportunity to share our daily happenings here in West Africa. We have a blog which started out as a daily e-mail to family and friends to let them know what happens each day. You are welcome to follow along at http://consfords.blogspot.com/.

 

___________________________________________________________________

 

Thank you, Laura, for giving us a peak into your life.  Did you enjoy reading this?  We would love to hear about a "typical" day in your life.  Please email us at baptistmissionarywomen @ hotmail . com (no spaces).

 

 

Fellowship Fridays - Deputation Part I

Deputation Tips Part 1

Traveling Tips

Some enjoy it, some endure it.  Some love it, some hate it, but most missionaries do it!  It's called deputation.  Deputation is a time of visiting churches in order to present your call and burden while making churches aware of the need for the Gospel to your particular mission field.

All those hours in the car and spending so many nights in unfamiliar places can be hard when you add small children to the mix.  Most missionaries on deputation are young families with small children.  I love to see the young families, with bright eyes and fresh faces eager and excited to get to their mission fields!  However, deputation may be challenging for the young mother who juggles her wifely and motherly duties with all the other responsibilities and challenges that deputation brings.  

Here are a few things that helped me on my deputation journey with two small children.  For you missionary wives that have "been there, done that" please feel free to add any comments of your own with advice or tips that have helped you.  For you missionary wives that are on deputation right now and have anything to add, please do!  You are experiencing this ministry right now and may have many things to share.

This week we'll discuss the "Traveling" aspect of Deputation.  Next week we'll discuss the "Staying" aspect of Deputation.

In no particular order… Traveling Tips!  

Clorox Wipes - I took these everywhere!  Sometimes you may need them to tidy up a place you are staying, especially motel rooms.  I would always wipe down everything I thought my babies would touch.  Also, they are quick, easy and portable for cleaning up after yourselves in a prophet's chamber or someone's house.  Our rule of thumb was to leave the place as nice or better than when we arrived.  

Baby Wipes - We always kept a container of these in the car as well as one in my diaper bag.  They are handy for quick hand and face washes, quick clean ups, etc…

Paper Towels - We always kept a roll of these in our car and they were always handy.  

Color Wonder - I'm not sure if they still have this in America, but this stuff was amazing!  It was always a great treat for my kids to color with markers.  Color Wonder was great because they could color with this and there was no concern of them getting the marker anywhere but the paper.  Great when you are guests in someone's home!  

Good Music - Our oldest kids were very young during our deputation years, but they still loved music! Sometimes all they needed during a fussy, tired time was some music to sooth them and send them right to sleep!

"Special" Toys - When space permitted we would keep a small container of some favorite toys in the car.  The only time they played with these was in the car, and when we were guests in someone's home.

Clothes - You really don't need as many as you think you do!  It's hard to decide which cute little outfit, or adorable dress you want to pack, but the truth of the matter is, your kids can wear the same things every Sunday and the only ones who will know that are you and them!  After several months on deputation I realized that I only needed a certain number of outfits for Mission's Conferences, etc… Certainly take into account the age of your baby and know that sometimes a change of clothes in mid-service is necessary, but also realize that laundry facilities are almost always available.

Packing System - I found what worked best for me was to have the suitcases organized, i.e. one for the parents, one for the kids, (obviously this will be different for different family sizes) a toiletry bag and garment bag.  

"Home" - We traveled with our Pack-n-Play when space permitted.  It was nice for our baby to sleep in her own bed every night.  Each child also had their own special blanket (and still do several years later...same blanket!) that they kept in the car with them and slept with at night.  It was a functional piece of "home" that they could bring with them and also served a valuable purpose (Since my husband liked to keep the temperature of the car at sub-arctic temperatures! :-))

Ice Chest - We were thrilled towards the end of our deputation when we were lent a mini-van and moved out of our Dodge Neon.  The van was roomy enough to fit a cooler, the pack-n-play and all of our luggage… with room to spare!  We kept the cooler filled with bottled water, juice, milk and sometimes sandwich fixings.  It was always nice to stop off somewhere for a picnic and for the kids to run off some energy.

Snacks - Sometimes a cranky toddler is just a hungry toddler.  We always kept a variety of good snacks for the children in the car.  These came in handy on long trips when the exits seem to get father and farther apart… and there are no food places in sight.  

Bags - The hard truth is that sometimes kids (or adults!) get car sick!  Before we started any trip we would have several plastic bags double bagged together and in an easily accessible place in the car.  They hardly took up any space, but when someone got sick it was just a simple matter of tying shut the top bag and disposing of it at the first rest stop we came across.  No messy bucket to clean or rinse out and you can use the aforementioned baby wipes and/or Clorox Wipes if everything didn't quite make it into the bag.  A trash bag is handy too… a place to keep all the trash in one spot until you stop for gas and can throw it away and then start another one from your stash.

Family - Deputation is probably the only time (until furlough) where you will spend countless hours sitting with your husband and children.  Use this time to bond with your children by playing silly road games, singing songs, learning Bible verses, even language study!  Strengthen your relationship with your husband, enjoy this time of togetherness before you enter the completely new and wonderful, but somewhat scary and very different life on the mission field!