I am going to tell you a secret... Missionary women are human, too. Sometimes we lay things on the altar submitting them to the Lord, and then we pick it right back up again. Other times we think we have fully laid something on the altar only to realize we don't fully trust the Lord like we should. Such is the case when it comes to our children. Sigh... The Lord often uses experiences on the mission field to help us see what is truly in our hearts so that we can grow and so that we can see Him for who He really is. I asked a group of some wonderful missionary women to share some tests God has used in their lives on the field to help them learn to fully put their children on the altar. The following is a compilation of some of the situations they shared with me. Please come walk with me as we lay our children Back on the Altar.
Whether you are planning a family fun night or are inviting guests over, this recipe may just be the dessert that will please them all, because everyone loves ICE CREAM! Add some Twix cookie pieces, milk chocolate, and caramel, and you just about can't go wrong! I first found this recipe here and have made it again and again since then.
INGREDIENTS
1 (1.5 quart) Vanilla Ice cream, softened
1 (16 ounce ) jar of Caramel Sauce
Caramel sauce recipe:
**I double this to have enough to equal 2 cups (16 oz)
150 grams sugar
2 Tbsp. water
1/4 tsp. lemon juice
120 grams heavy cream (at least 33%)
pinch of salt
In a medium saucepan, stir together sugar, water, and lemon juice over medium-high heat to dissolve the sugar. Heat on medium-high without stirring, washing down the sides with a wet pastry brush occasionally, until the mixture turns an amber color. Add the cream and the salt and simmer over medium-low heat, stirring from time to time, until the caramel is thick but not chewy (gauge the consistency by dripping a bit onto a metal spoon). Remove from heat and pour into a metal bowl. Cool at room temperature until it is slightly warmer than body temperature; it should still be quite 'pourable' at this point.
1 cup milk chocolate chips (I melt milk chocolate bars in the microwave, at 30 second intervals) with a tsp. or so of butter until desired consistency)
1/2 cup butter, softened
2 tablespoons sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
INSTRUCTIONS for Ice Cream Cake
In a 9×13 inch baking dish spread out the ice cream evenly. Cover and place in freezer. Freeze to set for 2 hours.
While the ice cream is setting start making the cookie topping. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cream butter and sugars in a medium bowl. Stir in vanilla and flour until well mixed. Spread dough into a foil-lined 8×8 inch baking dish. Bake for 15 minutes or slightly golden. Remove from heat and let stand until completely cooled.
Once Ice cream is all set and cookie topping is completely cooled, take ice cream out of freezer. Pour the caramel sauce evenly over ice cream. Break apart the cookie topping into big chunks and sprinkle evenly over caramel.
Melt chocolate chips in a microwavable bowl. Heat at 30 second intervals until melted. Stir and then drizzle over the cookie topping. Re-cover and place back into freezer for 6 hours or overnight to completely re-freeze.
Enjoy, without counting the calories! Life's too short! ;)
Change of location, change of culture, change of socks... Well, maybe not the socks!
So this year during MK Spirit Week we are going to embrace change.
Join the fun!
If you are an MK, come join the fun! Be sure to take pictures, blog about it, and share with us. We will do a blog link-up for each day. What? You don't have a blog? That's ok. We will have a place for you to email pictures. That way we can post them and share the fun with everyone.
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Monday:
Change Your Direction... a.k.a. Backwards Day!
Dress backwards, walk backwards, write backwards, sing backwards!
(Safety Disclaimer: BMW is not responsible for any injuries sustained if you actually walk backwards and fall into an alligator pond or your little brother's Lego pile. Matter of fact, if you actually walk backwards, you do so at your own risk. Only parents have eyes in the back of their heads. You do not.)
Have you ever wanted to swap places with Mom or Dad? Here's your chance! Dress up like Mom or Dad... have some fun swapping places. Take it as far as the REAL Mom and Dad will allow. Bonus points if that parent dresses up like you!
Have you ever had an overwhelming desire to be a platypus? Here's you chance to do just that! What? You don't like the platypus? Well, pick any creature of God's beautiful creation you desire. (By the way, you would make a great tuna fish!)
Have you ever wondered what it would be like to live in another country? (Yes, I know you already live in another country... I am talking about "another" another country.) Time to transport yourself to your favorite "another" another country! Pick any other country in the world and dress up, do a project, learn a song in their language... whatever you want to do! So throw on those hula skirts! Play the didgeridoo! Wrestle a crocodile! And post your pictures for all to see.
Sometimes you think you have all the time in the world. Other times, you realize the sobering truth... You never know what the day may bring and what doors will be closed.
Today, my thoughts and prayers are for, the missionary kid. What blessings they are! They love their unique lives on the mission field, for the most part, ;) but, every now and then they wish they could give a hug to a family member they left back "home" in the US, or enjoy a special treat like they had during their family's last furlough. One of those yummy treats our kids miss is pudding! I wanted to share several recipes for pudding that I was so excited to find upon first arriving on the field. Every now and then pudding is still a special treat for our family. All of these can be made ahead by combining the dry ingredients and storing them in an airtight container to be added to milk and cooked later. Hopefully, we can satisfy a craving for your favorite pudding with one of these recipes!
Vanilla Pudding Mix
3 cups nonfat dry milk (I use whatever dry milk I can find!)
4 cups sugar
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1 tsp. salt
3 cups cornstarch
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
Combine all ingredients except the vanilla and store in an airtight container until ready to make.
To prepare: Mix 1/2 cup of the dry mix to 2 cups of milk. Heat and stir constantly until the mixture comes to a boil. Cool, then add 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract. Serve.
Combine all ingredients except the vanilla and store in an airtight container until ready to make.
To prepare: Mix 2/3 cup of the dry mix to 2 cups of milk. Heat and stir constantly until the mixture comes to a boil. Cool and serve.
Coconut Cream Pudding Mix
3 cups nonfat dry milk
4 cups sugar
1 tsp. salt
3 cups cornstarch
1 1/2 cups shredded unsweetened coconut
1 tsp. coconut extract (This is not available here for us so I substitute with vanilla extract)
Mix the extract and shredded coconut in a small bowl until the extract is absorbed. Add the coconut to the other ingredients and store in an airtight container until ready to make.
To prepare: Add 2/3 cup of the dry mix to 2 cups of milk. Heat and stir constantly until the mixture comes to a boil. Cool and serve.
Butterscotch Pudding Mix
2 cups nonfat dry milk
5 cups brown sugar, packed
1 tsp. salt
3 cups cornstarch
Combine all ingredients and store in an airtight container until ready to make.
To prepare: Add 1/2 cup of the dry mix to 2 cups of milk. Heat and stir constantly until the mixture comes to a boil. Cool, then serve.
Did you ever stay in someone’s home, and as a result your family was changed forever? This happened when my husband and I were traveling for a summer with a singing group for our college. We met so many wonderful people that summer. One couple, in particular, was a pastor and his wife, with their very young children.
I have to admit, when we pulled up to stay with them in their tiny trailer with their two babies, I was a little nervous. Despite my anxieties, however, when we walked into the pastor’s home, the living room was the picture of peace. Two babies were playing quietly on the floor and our hostess, who looked happy and refreshed, had soup and sandwiches waiting for us.
After lunch, the littlest baby started fussing. The pastor’s wife picked up the baby and excused herself to the baby’s bedroom. Not a moment later, the mother was right back in the living room with us and…everything was quiet! “He’s already asleep?” I asked in great surprise.
“Oh no. But, he’ll be asleep in just a moment.” Just like that. No struggle. No crying. I was shocked. The baby awoke about an hour and a half later singing in his bed and was very happy to get his little snack. When bedtime was just as easy for both babies, I was in complete awe of this mother. “This is the mother of the year,” I thought.
The next morning, we were greeted by two happy babies eating their breakfast. I was amazed with this mother! Here she was with two young children, a toddler and a baby, and she was not complaining about her lack of sleep or how hard mothering was and on top of that she was being a blessing to others! I was ready to write down any advice this mother had! “How do you have such well-behaved babies and how do you get them to sleep so easily?” I finally asked her...
To read the rest of this post by Katie McElreath click here. Katie and her family are missionaries in Ethiopia.
So, what if you have family in both places? Where is home? You have parents in America, and your husband and children in your place of service.
Often missionaries are torn between two places, the place where they grew up, where parents, siblings, and childhood friends live and the place the Lord has called them to serve.
Where is home?
Oh, we have a Heavenly home, you say. This world is not our home, we're just passing through. But for the here and now, for where we are "just passing through" where is home?
I am only one person, and I cannot speak for missionaries everywhere, but here are my thoughts and then I'll share the thoughts of other missionary women.
In short, missionaries will always have home in two places. I spent 32 years in America, and have been in Australia 3 years. How does one just pack up and move from a place they've known their entire life, and no longer call it home?
On Christmas morning, I remember sitting there looking at my dad, stepmom, brothers, and nephew, then looking at my husband and children. I realized then that at that moment, home was right there. It was so simple. Most of my loved ones all in one room. I wanted that moment to last forever. But, alas, time moves one.
I am now sitting in my home in Australia. A part of me will always want to be there in America with my family, but a part of me will always want to be here, to the land where God has called me, to the people He has called me to.
We have a pull between two places, home and home. Most of us know that as much as we love our "old home", time has moved on, our family has moved on, things and people have changed, and we will never fit in that "old home" again.
We look at our "new home" as home, yet as long as we have family and friends there we all have a little yearning for our "old home". Thus, we will always be torn between the two.
I asked our ladies in the Baptist Missionary Women group on facebook, "Where is home?" And here are their responses (I know it's a bit lengthy, but if you want to know how we feel, please take the time to read)...
~ Home? What is that? I know for my kids and husband the hardest question for them is "where are you from?" I just don't get why we have to define home or put a location on it.
~ Home is where family is. Or, home is where your wifi connects automatically (that's is, if you have wifi...)
~ Being "real" at the moment, I find myself very conflicted when thinking on this. Most days, I genuinely feel that (where we are serving) is my home. God called us here, I live here, my things are here. But there are those days in my heart that I long to be "home" - where my children and grandchildren are.
~ Home is not a house or a place, it's where we as a family are together. I will never forget my son yell "home sweet home" when we arrived at our hotel room after a long day at a missions conference.
~ We have lived here for almost 15 years now. I will be honest... I look forward to going home some times. Although, that is where my church is, but really no longer where my friends are since my real friends are in the ministry also. My family is spread all over. But, when we've been in the states a few weeks, I'm ready to go home again, which then I say is back (where we are serving). I love being in the states where I can read everything in English, but I feel more comfortable here (where we are serving) in my house with my things. It's a hard thing to say really where my home is. Is it where we live now? Is it where we serve, where are hearts are? I'm home here. But I miss so much in the states. And when I'm in the states, I miss so much from here. So , where is home? That's a hard question.
~ Missionaries are kind of a people without a country. That said, we love our field and have no desire to live in any other country. When we refer to home it's the mission field.
~ Home is where my family is...and if I ever get the idea that I'm "home sick" it's never for a specific place, just for a stationary place (because we're on deputation). I just try to think about how in years past, women would travel half the world with all they owned in one box and set up a tent for home or dig a house out of the hills in the parries or whatever. I just try to make myself think like that and realize that home really is what you make it.
~ Not having "home" for years on end was turning me into a mess. I realized I needed to invest myself wherever I was, for the time I was there. It hurts a little more to leave it, but the comfort of embracing where I am is healing. Sometimes it takes a while, but it's worth the effort! Love people around you, connect with them, get involved in the ministry if possible, Love the place God puts you and the people He puts you with. I have "home" in many different places! ~ Home is where my heart is which means it is in too many places to name. ~ Home is wherever God's will is for our family. At first, living in this country it didn't feel like home, but it was home nonetheless. Being in God's will brought peace enough to endure until it felt like home. This year, it feels like home. ~ 'Home' is relative to a missionary wife, or at least to me. It is a tentative term. It sounds super spiritual, but it is in truth a sad heartfelt cry when a missionary says home is Heaven! Home is where we are welcome, comfortable, in control, surrounded by loved ones, etc. this is neither the mission field, or the states for me- and it is in ways both. I can honestly say I do not feel completely at home in either place, and yet I so love both places! I am content knowing the Lord guides and places us where He wants us, and that is our home for that time; but it will change, It always changes.
I share all this to also show that we are real people, we are not super spiritual Christians. We miss our family, our friends, our home church, Cracker Barrel, Wal-Mart, and the list goes on, but at the end of the day, we are right where God wants us, and we wouldn't have it any other way.
So, we may not necessarily know how to answer you when you ask "Where is home?" or "Where are you from?" Don't feel sorry for us, having two homes is an adventure!
On Christmas morning, I remember sitting there looking at my dad, stepmom, brothers, and nephew, then looking at my husband and children. I realized then that at that moment, home was right there. It was so simple. Most of my loved ones all in one room. I wanted that moment to last forever. But, alas, time moves one.
