Malta

There is much to share, but most importantly we want to THANK YOU for praying for us!  Wow, do we ever need the constant power of God to keep us steady.

God blessed us in an AMAZING way on our trip to Malta.  We were filled up in a unique way by the European missionaries we met and got to serve.  They were so appreciative of us being there, and must have thanked us a hundred times.  We had parents share with us as tears filled their eyes how grateful they were for Christians besides themselves pouring into their teens.  Most of the missionary kids do not have youth groups, and only hear about God from their parents.  They do not have Christian friends, and are often very alone in their faith.  The only youth group they experience is every two years at the Pioneers conference where we served.      

There is a great need for missionaries to be encouraged and refreshed.  We were thankful we got to play a small part in their lives, even for just one week.  We absolutely loved the kids we worked with (11-13 year olds).  They all spoke at least 2 languages, some even up to 4.  Chuck and I spent a lot of time laughing with them, but also shared about the life of Paul from the book of Acts.  I am so proud of Chuck for teaching and doing such a fabulous job!  

One of the most meaningful times with them included the teens going around the circle sharing about their biggest fears.  They were so transparent about their fears, and some tears were even shed.  Chuck and I were quite touched at their honesty.  Afterwards we had a time to pray over them, and to give those fears to God.  Another meaningful time was hearing the teens share about the miracles they had seen God do in their lives.  It was pretty amazing to hear the stories of the power of God they had witnessed.  

Often times missionary kids have a reputation of being weird and nerdy, but these kids were quite the opposite.  They were cultured, had a great world view, were much more grounded then the "normal" Jr. Highers we meet, and were very cool!  They certainly have needs and struggles just like all teens, but I could see a depth to them that was admirable.  

Thank you for praying for us!  God was faithful in hearing your prayers.  He kept baby boy and I healthy, which was a miracle considering my diet of Teddy Grahams, packs of muffins, and bread!  I believe God also allowed the teens to feel accepted by Him and us in a short amount of time.  Such a special time to see God work!  Thank you so much for your support!