Hello y'all!  Would you mind - May I just refer you to the blog of the team that returned last Tuesday from the most recent mission to Macedonia?

It IS the news for this month!  Remarkable.

Soon.  Very soon!

http://teammacedonia2013.blogspot.com/

~Елизабет

Floor Number Four

How does one get to floor number four? Try taking the elevator from floor number 3.  And that's what my parents and I did on March 23rd. 

The news struck suddenly like a lightening bolt.  On floor number 3 my Mom, Fran, was admitted into the hospital to do some tests - she had been very recently feeling "out of breath" when giving minimal exertion, like climbing stairs in her home.  Within a few hours, in comes a man in black with news that my mom will be moved to floor number four in 1 hour to receive immediate blood transfusions for Acute Lymphoblastia Leukemia (ALL).

What...?....?

The bone marrow and blood transfusion unit.  Strict isolation.  Blue cover coats and shoe covers must be worn from visitors.

Shock sets in with cold sweats of disbelief. My legs buckled.

Three weeks later Mom has gotten through the worst and is now on the road to recovery on floor number four.   Lord willing, she should be home in 10 days. This road is a long one and it won't be easy.  She has shown her true colors in the midst of crisis...resilient faith in the Lord's capable healing and His love for her, perseverance in pain, continued kindness in her character towards others, and her neverending wit.

And the news for today: floor number four is.....temporary. 

"Christ alone - Cornerstone,

weak made strong, in the Savior's love -

through the storm, He is Lord-

Lord of ALL."

Hillsong -  "Cornerstone"

 

 

 

~Elizabeth

SUPERNATURAL-SIZED FRIES

I wonder just how big those batch of fries WOULD BE if they were called "supernatural!"  I have no unearthly idea WHY I wrote that for a title....I think I am fixin' to find out as I write an unplanned blog!  Gimme a second....

* People joyfully opening their hearts to missions (of any kind)
* hanging out with family from Macedonia for 3 1/2 full days this week
* getting commissioned as a missionary from NP Church within 2 years of first mission to Macedonia
* specifically meeting 100+ people within those 2 years who are all now very involved with Macedonia-- where I never knew them before and now we're family
* newsletters and blogs and facebooks and SKYPES -- OH MY!!!!!!!!
* students of all ages in Skopje who are impacting me... like, off the chain
* parents who endure many trials and still thank God for each day
* having nothing but having everything
* officially commissioned as a missionary with GlobalX and North Point Church
* the Daube's Resort
* knowing I am loved unconditionally
* a loyal newsletter scribe TC
* truck breaking down, waiting over 2 hours for tow-man and in the meantime getting a bloody nose while waiting ; but while waiting singing loud "God's Great Dance Floor" in the truck  & eating dried cranberries and peanuts with a NEW, not OLD Coke...
*having a plethera of elementary school teachers at Little River wanting a clean car on Fridays and some Thursdays


YUP.  Thems up there are definitely SUPERNATURAL-SIZED FRIES. whoa.....

~ Елизабет

THE SERVICE OF ROYALTY

Hi :)

Downton Abbey.

Yup.  Got yer attention, huh?  Whooo-hoooooooooo!!!!!!!!!!  LOL 
 
The other week I was watching an episode with my Mom at her house.  One of the story lines has to do with the mother of Matthew Crawley, Isobel Crawley (a widow, not re-married), reaching out to unfortunate ladies and giving them a second/third chance to get off the streets/poverty, and giving them a path to see there's a life outside all that carnage.  Then one former maid of Downton Abbey shows up on the scene as a prostitute, and its Isobel (who is of royalty) that remembers and persues her and wants to help her in any way she can.  Everyone else at Downton is trying to "get rid" of this maid who is the cause of gossip.  I looked at my Mom and said, "I really love Isobel.  I love her character and how she is courageously reaching out to people who are so stricken and kicked around by everyone else.  I love how she willingly extends them a second chance in life and stands up for them when no one else will."

 

Well, thinking about it on my walk today, that's exactly how Jesus lived.  Everyday.  The King gave people His time showing them unconditional love and acceptance, no matter their faults.  He hung around the "unfathomable" tax collectors and sinners that everyone else would point to and look down upon. Even when 10 lepers came to Him and asked Jesus to heal them, only ONE out of the 10 lepers came back to thank Him...He already knew it, but He healed all of them anyway.  GRACE.  And then He died for EVERYONE and defeated death.  Unconditional love.  I want to be that every day for the kids and beautiful people in Macedonia. That is my prayer.

SO, on the Masterpiece Theater website, there is a link to take this silly test to see how you would be best suited to serve at Downton Abbey.  I was thinking, hhmmmm.....would I be the Lead Maid at Downton, or Mary Crawley's maidservant (then I could be married to BATES!!!) or the short, chunky, lady cook?  LOL--  I SUURREEE didn't want to be Carson or Ms. O'Brien ...LOL !!!  So I took the multiple choice test and the answers to choose from were so off the wall I wasn't sure how to answer many of the questions - but I chose the BEST possible answers.  Finally, I received my result: they showed me I was best suited for.....Isobel's service.

I smiled... 
Had no idea they were including the service of royalty. Hhmmmmm....

Here are people doing the same thing for women and young ladies-
In Georgia:  www.wellspringliving.com
In India: www.saribari.com
In Australia, Greece, and Ukraine:  www.theA21Campaign.org

----Елизабет
"Come to Macedonia and help us."  ACTS 16:9

ANONYMOUS - What's in a NAME?

Whaazzzuuuppp friends, family and all you ANONYMOUS PEOPLE (who are most likely friend or family)!  ")

What is the meaning of anonymous?  The Merriam-Webster dictionary reads:

1.       Of unknown authorship or origin

2.       Not named or identified

3.       Made or done by someone unknown

Soooo…the word “unknown” is the best synonym! LOL

Many of you are aware we are in the middle of adding investors to the 5-year mission in Macedonia.  I have truly been humbled by the response.  In December, the “unknown” have placed over $10,000 in one-time investments.  Incredible.  Awesome.  God.

Though names were not revealed, I totally respect your decision to remain unknown.  But God knows who you are and that is enough… immeasurably more.  I hope all unknown investors are able to read this blog if not today, soon.  I thank you all for your belief, trust, and am so happy you are jumping into the river rapids with us. JESUS FLOATS.

I leave you with this: What’s in a name? THIS is what’s in a NAME:

 

(Paul is in Athens, in the country of ACHAIA, bordering MACEDONIA which he just arrived from….)

22 Paul then stood up in the meeting of the Areopagus and said: “People of Athens! I see that in every way you are very religious. 23 For as I walked around and looked carefully at your objects of worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: to an unknown god. So you are ignorant of the very thing you worship—and this is what I am going to proclaim to you.

24 “The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by human hands. 25 And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything. Rather, he himself gives everyone life and breath and everything else. 26 From one man he made all the nations, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he marked out their appointed times in history and the boundaries of their lands. 27 God did this so that they would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from any one of us. 28 ‘For in him we live and move and have our being.” – ACTS 17:22-28

Елизабетче                                                                                                                                                          

Merry Christmas time to you all :)  I love this time of year. 

A lot of things have happened since returning from the training at New Mission Systems International.  The week I returned from training in November Nikola Galevsky, the Pastor of Soulcraft Church in Skopje, was in town for conference at North Point Church in Alpharetta!  I was able to visit with him as well as attend a dinner gathering with most all the people that have been on a mission visit to Skopje (about 25 people!).  My parents and best friend also got to meet Nikola which is really neat - who gets to do THAT??  Too cool!!  Nikola was able to give us all updates about Soulcraft, Skopje, and the 25th of May orphanage. The accessibility God has granted us with Skopje is fantastic.  Awesome God!

Recently members on the Care Team (a group of 10 that will be my "posse" in America while I'm in Skopje for 5 years) helped put together an official NEWSLETTER for the mission in Macedonia!  We'll be sending out updates once per month.  If you'd like to be on the receiving list of the newsletter send me an email or comment on this blog and I'll add you to the list :) Whoop-whoop!

Last night, our mission team that went to Skopje in October 2012,  had our wrap-up dinner/gethering to catch up on everyone's life for the last 2 months and to talk about our time in Skopje.  Everyone on the team was simply overwhelmed with love, emotion, and the "let's do something" attitude about the mission.  Hearing everyone's perspective was refreshing and needed. Many team members have been keeping in touch with some of the older kids since our return.  Many will be returning to Macedonia with next year's GlobalX teams and I love hearing that!!!!  That's the thing - when people GO to Skopje, they GO BACK....  AND......the kids know it.  That's the beautiful part. Just beautiful.

You know????  Anybody want to jump in the river rapids yet? Jesus will provide us floaties.....
I'm just sayin.................Аs Promised.
~Елизабет

P.S. So far, 3 couples that have been to Macedonia THIS YEAR ALONE  have had or are now expecting their FIRST CHILD.  It reminds me that God is the creator and master of all life and He is always bringing NEW life. Amen and AMEN.





 

Howdy everyone! I have returned from a 2-week New Mission Systems International orientation.  Much validation came from this meeting!  I realized that I have connected myself with an agency that is resilient during turmoil.  That showed me strength in the people that serve at NMSI and the perseverance of the team as a whole to allow God's strength and love to push through the dark to get to the light.  Oh - how I need that kind of backing in America when I am over seas.  It sorta fits my personality. Get out the swords of the Spirit! HA!  I have that kind of backing from North Point/GlobalX teams, but how awesome of God to show me that it exists in NMSI.  Rock on, GOD!  Total awe!

I was really impressed to be able to SKYPE with missionaries in "different seasons" - one lady has been overseas in the Ukraine for 6 years now working with orphans who are mentally/physically disabled.  It was a blessing and a humbling experience to hear her story and to learn as a single woman what its like to be on the field doing God's work!  Also met a couple on SKYPE who is currently almost 100% funded, that are at the 5-week MTI training in Colorado, learning overseas cultural immersion and language learning.  Then after the holidays, they are off to Cambodia for 3 years.  How cool it was to hear their story - right where they are at - to learn how they affiliated with NMSI, sold EVERYTHING, raised partnership ministry in a short time, and now: BOOM - almost outta here - but also hearing about some of their difficult, personal thoughts and decisions.  To learn from these missionaries was invaluable!

Overall, God has shown me more of His plan by bringing me alongside NMSI to serve for His Glory and Kingdom.  SO, all 4 legs of the chair are holding up the seat:  Soulcraft Church - GlobalX - NMSI and God/Me.  How wonderful. How awesome. How grateful it is to be here.  Too cool.

Now what?  Off to working on partnership ministry.  May God show me the way and may the future partners and I have eyes to see and ears to hear.  Come on May 2013.

----Елизабет