Careful what you ask for!

Finley overwhelmed by her fame.

"I want to know you more Lord."    "I feel like there is something more! What is your plan for us, Lord?" 

Ever pray a prayer like that before? I have.  And He answered.

In April we said we would pray about Makarios.  Within a few days we had "peace that surpasses all understanding".  In May we started getting our house ready for the market.  By June we were having yard sales, craigslisting our belongings, packing, storing, and trying to raise partnerships.  By August we were in Colorado for Missionary Training (MTI).   August 24th we were on a plane to the Dominican Republic with about 20 pieces of luggage and our 5 small children.

We arrived at the hottest time of the year,  shortly after the hurricane (Irene I think).  The power goes out several times a day as a normal,but there are inverters at the Makarios house.  But due to the storm, the inverters were not working properly... no A/C (ever) and now no fans.  No screens.  No place to put our unpacked belongings.  No furniture except beds. Dirty water.Tarantulas. Mice. Mesquitos. Cock Roaches. Lizards.Spiders.  Exhausted from the previous 4 months.  And we pretty much jumped into training.  Not to mention chasing a curious 2 year old and a crawling 9 month old who is teething. If the mooing cows next to our window wasn't cutting down our sleep hours, the 4 kids in one room above us did!

Culture shock? yes. Homesick? yes. Spiritual Warfare? yes. Discomforts?yes!!

My first five weeks here were... lets just say I was tempted to climb the highest mountain and jump off it as an airplane flew by hoping to catch a ride.

Each day as my expectations got further from reality, I crumbled.  I crumbled to the point of questioning God's presence, plan, and exsistence.  "Why are you not helping me through this transition Lord?" I would pray.  I spent time crying out to Him to help me adjust to the place He was calling us.  That is what He does, right? He gives strength, right?  He gives peace, right?  So why was I being excluded from that for 5 long weeks?  He sees everything, right? Doesn't He see me sobbing in the stairwell?  Doesn't He see me avoiding getting out of bed in the morning?  Where are you God? was my thoughts. 

My first ride on a moto! Personal space?

On a few occasions He brought John 15 to mind.  "I am the true Vine, and my Father is the vinedresser.  Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit.  Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you.  Abide in Me..."    Abide in Me is all I kept jumping out at me.  That is hard when you don't think you hear His voice or sense His presence.   It is hard when you wonder if the plan was the right plan.  I was starting to read a book by John Piper and it mentioned the scripture , Psalm 90:14, "satisfy us in the morning with you steadfast love, that we may rejoice and be glad all our days."  Wait a minute!  Was I satisfied with His love when all of my comforts, I mean ALL, were taken from me?  I knew that my joy must not have been IN the Lord or why would I struggle so deeply? Yes, there is a sense of normalsy to struggle when going to a third world country, but could it be that when I was in the USA that I had joy because of His blessings and not because of the Giver Himself?  Whatever the answer, I knew this was worthy to ponder.  Lord, help me understand what it is to have JOY IN THE LORD.  See, as things were stripped from me, I realized I was without joy.   I started praying for supernatural strength and power.  I knew there was nothing I could do.  I needed the supernatural to stop the oppression I was experiencing, clear my head, change my heart, and give me peace.  About 4 days ago... I sensed the supernatural peace flow over me.  I haven't cried a tear since.  Praise the Lord.  Get my attention? Yes He did!  Did He give me a plan that wouldn't of been my choice? yes.  Did He use it to show me my sin? yes.  Did grace come along side of that? yes.  John 15 says that I am clean.  So He forgives me for not even being aware that my joy wasn't foundational in Him, but His blessings.  Do I know Him better? yes.  I know His character better.  He prunes, though painful, because He loves.  He loves me.  Now I know how to pray for what He has revealed to me and in me.  Psalm 90:14 is my prayer. Would you please pray for me that I will be satisfied in Him alone and have joy in Him alonel.regardless of the discomforts,culture shock, homesickness, and warfare.

So, that is what has been going on in my heart the last month.  Not fun, but worth it.  Worth it to know Him better.

Thank you all who have been praying for us.  Thank you for your encouraging words also.  I am grateful for the body of Christ.

Jen 

Thristy

Internet really is an amazing blessing (when it works).  Today we used Skype to video chat with our A-Team (Advocacy Team) that is our go to team in the US.  It was so encouraging. It did kick us off a few times but the call was a success.  I felt as if we were back with them for a moment.  We would not have made it here if it was not for them and all their help and many more.  We are blessed with friendships in NC and praise God for them, along with all our partners financially and prayerfully around the world.  Our Skype name is on the right side of our blog with the rest of our contact info.  www.themenoldminutes.com   Let us know how you are doing!

Tate, Oliver, Sylvia, Finley and Megalina - New friends

This weekend felt a bit more normal.  We hung out as a family and i did not do a whole lot of work.  Didn't feel the best since i had the "amoeba", small parasite in my stomach.  I took a regiment of medicine for the past 7 days and i do feel incredibly better but things just don’t feel the same.  I am reading the book A Hole in Our Gospel by Richard Stearns, the World Vision president.  I mention that since he describes how devastating it is that billions of people do not have clean water.  I have been drinking bottled water since we have been here and so i must have eaten something that had the parasite in it.  It is a water borne parasite. 5 others got the same thing - i think i had it the worst.  Water borne diseases knock the life out of you and then it is hard to do everything else.  Work, take care of your family, and be motivated to do well.  We are blessed to have bottled water, most have to fetch their own water and boil it or just deal with how dirty it is.  Many people around the school go to the river to bathe, drink, do dishes, and more.  You lose hope eventually because suffering is your reality.  Survival is more the focus and if you can't get clean water then this is an everyday deal.  Sure your body might somewhat get used to it as many kids do here but eventually untreated diarrhea kills and a child dies every 15 seconds worldwide from waterborne diseases.  Water is crucial to our existence.  Praise God I have medicines to help me, clean water to drink but ~1.2 billion in this world don't.  Working among the very poor is going to be challenging to my heart and mind.  Not sure how to process all this but God is working on my heart and mind as I think about clean water and all the people that don't have it, all the kids that are hurting and dying...  Next time your thirsty, think about how precious it is to grab cold clean water to drink or even take a shower, drink coffee, wash your dishes, water your yard...  

This experience has highlighted a lot of things for us that we just didn't think about in the US.  Clean water, clean food, can't stop by subway for lunch, electricity working (out most of the time and our inverter which stores power in batteries did not work the first 3 weeks we were here), air conditioner(get a reminder of this at the grocery store when we go), dryer (we hang dry our clothes), a yard for our kids to play in, the ability to trust workers to get the job done (had screens put in that are falling out and have had to do the rest myself), and much more.  All these things i have had to choose mentally to not miss them too much.  God is teaching us so much about trusting Him.  He is our provider and strength.  I am thankful to be able to walk through this and hope in sharing you too can appreciate all that the US is blessed with and think as well how you might respond to your abundance.  

Caught this in our apartment and all her babies leaped out of the sack she was carrying.  Thank you for sticky mouse trap paper!!!  We have caught two tarantulas as well=)  This is a banana spider

This week Jen is flying back to the US for her Brother, Ed Lischner's wedding.  We are excited for them and wish we could all go but tickets are quite expensive for 5 kids.  I will be flying solo with the 4 older kids here as Jen will take Parlyn with her.  The Makarios School opens this Wednesday.  I am excited to see the kids again.  I saw them in February and May trips.  There will be new faces.  There is a medical team coming Oct 29th so that will be the first team to come stay with us and that we will coordinate.  So we have another month to continue to get settled, help out with the school, and learn Spanish.  It’s coming slowly and my head hurts trying to listen. It will come and i can’t wait to be able to speak and share my heart with them and hear theirs as well. 

Prayer Requests:

- Health – our family and our team as well

- Learning Spanish

- School starts this week - for the kids to know Jesus and for the teachers not just to survive but thrive=)

- Dealing with the poor - how does this work?  Easy to read and say but doing is much harder.  

- The Snapps - Chris and Erika have been here for two years and since we are replacing them somewhat they are leaving many friends, transitioning back to the US.   

Transitions

Cooking for the team.

Making Plantains.  Look like bananas but taste like french fries

Belle helping hang laundry.

After spending the last 4 months uprooting, the chaos of moving and resettling is much more than we realized.    It has been somewhat of a challenge trying to settle our new home and learn everything again.  What we grew up with in the US knowing how to speak, where to go to get food, and everything else is different here.  However, we are learning Spanish and how to get around!  We are also thankful for our new Dominican and Haitian friends.  I can't wait to share pictures with you but its kind of odd if you take a pic the first time you start getting to know someone so they will come later!  The people are very helpful and understanding but it is still so hard to not be able to communicate well.  Our housekeeper speaks Creole and a little Spanish so we both don't know much Spanish but that is our somewhat common ground.  Not ready to learn Creole just yet!  So you can imagine it has been trying in staying organized when we are still in the chaos phase and trying to wade our way in to the "replanting" phase.  MTI gave us a great picture of what we are doing in crossing a bridge to another culture.  Pretty wild to see it happen so quick before your eyes.  Praise God for the pruning process though.

Yesterday the previous host couple(Chris & Erika) that are staying til October 1st left for a mini vacation. Wednesday night I prepared my first meal for 20 people solo!  I was wondering what it would be like cooking a casserole in a huge kettle like pot... in an oven that has heat level choice of 1-5???   I picked 3 that seemed to do the job!  Wednesday evenings is staff Bible Study so occasionally you eat together and then do study.

Josh is feeling more confident in what to do in his new role as director on the Dominican Republic end and hopes to do well with it once we are completely on our own!  Its a new norm to get used to dad working from home... his presence is tempting to utilize him :)

The kids are still doing okay.  Aribella likes to help me hang laundry on the lines and cook.  The boys are still chasing every creature that has legs.  When we were at church last Sunday, about 5 Haitian children were lined up against this wall. There was a small spot open between a few of them and I see our little Finley march right over and fill it in... no doubt she LOVES people!  Parlyn is learning to crawl... she likes to try to pick up the several ants that run by her. 

The Lord has been teaching me so much about depending on Him in the midst of trial. 
~the heat and humidity (cooking in it, caring for kids in it, nursing, anything in it!)
~loss of power several hours everyday (try timing laundry to get washed and then having to get it on the line while the sun is still out or not raining)
~the endless creatures that sneak in all day or you awake to something crawling on you
~all the kids sharing a room has led to everyone awakes when anyone awakes!

Our new Alarm clock among the roosters!

~trying to learn a language
~piles of stuff from unpacked suitcases and nowhere to really put it (no dressers, but purchased wire cubes yesterday!)
~no furniture for our place yet
~can't find a vehicle yet so kind of trapped (we did fit our family of 7 in the back seat of a small truck for church though!)

I don't say all that to complain, just to give you a picture of my last several weeks.  These are my discomforts that the Lord is continually reminding me that sometimes following His will does not promise ease.  What He is doing is showing me 1)how thankful I can be for what He did provide us in the states 2)that this is others everyday life 3) what I need is to rest and rely on Him for everything, especially in the discomforts of life and 4) He really is STILL PROVIDING

Psalm 25 1-2 "To you, O Lord, I lift up my soul; in you I trust, O my God..."
Psalm 27 13           "I am still confident of this: I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living"

I was challenged yesterday morning with these scriptures.  Do I really trust in the Lord? What evidence is there, if so?  Do I really believe in His goodness?  How do I answer these questions in the midst of "good" and the "not so good" times?

Pray for me that I can say YES to both the questions and that there will be evidence of it so that I may glorify Him in my life.

Other prayer requests:

~still in the midst of transition
~finding a vehicle
~I am traveling with Parlyn to Charleston for my brothers wedding for 4 days in a week ( josh will be here with the other 4 kids)
~Other staff here looking for places to live and settle themselves
~language learning

Thank you so much for your prayers!!

The Menolds

Hola from Menolds

We are into our second week almost, feels like months! We have been Having Staff training the last four days- both the American and Dominican staff. It has been fun getting to know fellow believers and singing worship songs with them. I loved closing my eyes & hearing a worship song being sung in Spanish & English. The picture of praise and worship of the same God in different languages does something to your soul...

Update on us:
Kids seem to be transitioning fairly well. There is about 13 staff staying in the Mak house plus our 7 so it's a lot of activity right now. The Miles family has 3 kids so they are enjoying new friendships. Our families are the trailblazers for bringing kids to the D.R. - so many "creations" in that area!

Since we have been here the inverter which supplies power when the public power goes out (which is several times a day) has been having problems. So often we are w/o power, making it hard to get internet, make contacts, have fans in use, sometimes showers by flashlight! I am even writing
This and saving it until net use is available.

I am having a harder time transitioning than Josh- as many of you know, I hate camping with a passion.... And often I feel the discomforts of camping. No air, open windows for needing a breeze sake, bugs, spiders, hot and sticky all day. We don't really have a kitchen table or futon to sit on yet. I want to make our 2 bedroom apartment "home" for our family but everything takes time here, and most everything is more costly. BUT, having said that, God has been reminding me to REMAIN IN HIM regardless. John 15: 4 "remain in me & I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself;it must remain in the vine...". John 15:2 "...while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful". We felt called. We obeyed. We are being stretched. He never promised ease. I love reading paul's messages in the new testament. He is a great example of pressing on for the sake of the Gospel. Pray that our family will press on in the midst of trials & discomforts.

I was able to sit down & write out JOYS that he has given us... Many of you are and have been one of those joys. THank you for you prayers!

The funnies: Josh was meeting some lady in a village & meant to say " it's nice to meet you" in Spanish , instead accidentally told her he loved her! Still laughing about that.
Today Josh,Parlyn , & I took a GuaGua (8-10 seat van) and they fit 26 people in- Josh was standing on the outside of it holding onto the open door as we did about 60 mph down the busy road! I just prayed a quick shout out to Jesus!

Prayer requests:
Transitioning to life and quick learning of language
And our remaining 15% need of partnerships monthly


Adios!

Jen

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We made it!

So hard to believe the kids are nestled in their new room in their new home fast asleep.  Hard to believe we are sitting here relecting on the fact that today actually came and occured!  Hard to believe that in 4.5 months ago we felt peace to move here and with that the choas of preparing was initiated.  Hard to believe that 20 pieces of luggage made it here!  Hard to believe saying goodbyes were so exhausting.  Hard to believe that GOD HAS BEEN SO GOOD! 

Well He certainly has!  I was even praying for something as small as 'Lord, let there be enough overhead bins for our 6 carry-ons and 6 backpacks (just picture trying to get 2 strollers collapsed at boarding, 6 heavy carry-ons down the narrow isle of a plane & in the overhead bins, 6 backpacks under the seats, and everyone situated in seats 22 A,B,C,D,E, & F).  It went smoothly!  Thank you Lord!  The hardest part of today was saying more goodbyes.  We learned at MTI that if goodbyes are painful, then you have loved well and been loved well.  I can certainly say that it is true that we have been loved well.  That is what has made the last few weeks so bitter sweet.

The Body, our sisters and brothers in Christ have allowed us to see Christ and His love through all the ways they have encouraged us and helped us.  I think I am still processing all that has gone on since April... feel like I am ready to breath now.  I have been challenged by some very wise people to make this our home while we are serving here.  I am excited to take that challenge on.  We were welcomed with about 15 neighborhood kids hanging out at the house gate cheering as we drove in.  Finley of course was doing her pagant wave back to them. 

The kids seemed to really enjoy their evening tonight as we had dinner with the Snapps and Uptons.  Ollie even got to ride in his first Gua-Gua (he was looking forward to that)!  The kids ran through the house exploring and quickly to the backyard to chase the rooster!  Ollie said , " this place is weird" (his vocab for 'different').  The boys spent more time chasing the lizards in the house.  They all got showers and I think I successfully saw them all not drink the shower water! 

It is hot with LOTS of humidity.  That will take some getting use to.  Continue to pray for the remainder of our monthly support needed, health, safety, and transition.  Will update more this week! 

We miss you all!

Colorado/MTI

Hello everyone!
I apologize for being M I A for a few weeks.  Once we arrived in Colorado for our 3 weeks of training we dove in!  There is soooo much that I am not even sure how to put it all into words.

First, the kids are doing great and have made great friendships as well as have had great teachers.  They each have age appropriate classes that parallel with what the adults are being trained on.  Parlyn got her first two teeth, Tate lost a tooth, Oliver turned 5, Aribella will turn 7 on the 17th, and Finley is a celebrity here!  She seems to be the entertainment for all ages.  The kids are having a blast!

Secondly, Josh and I are enjoying the beauty of mountain after mountain!  Last weekend we decided to 'site see' and drove to the top of Pike's Peak... a mountain at over 14,000 feet up on a non-guard railed road!  It was like 50 degrees at the top and took us about 3 hours to drive to the top and back down.  Amazing getting a 'birds-eye-view'.  The day after that, my adventurous husband found a dirt road that ended up being 27 miles long, 2hours drive, in a canyon, and they called it "the Shelf" we later found out.  The road was wide enough for one vehicle, was dirt, had not railings, and was at least 200 feet up on the side of the mountain wall!  If you looked up the mountain wall was about 400 feet up and the valley below was about 200 feet down! It literally was a shelf on a mountain.   And we were in a mini van!  The sign recommened 4WD! Ha!  It was so narrow that you could not turn around.  So my cautious side had no choice but to enjoy God's beauty... and that word beauty doesn't describe what we saw.

Okay, back to the program.  Thus far we have covered subjects like Lifestyle choices, expectations, cultural differences, conflict provides opportunities, spiritual vitality, who we are under stress, transitioning, and embracing rest/keeping the sabboth.  We also spent a lot of time on handling conflict since 75% of missionaries leave the field due to not being able to deal with conflict appropriately with teammates.  It was very enlightening! We learned that Josh is a "shark" and I am a "fox" when we deal with conflict! It would take too long to explain what each of those mean, but there is advantages and disadvantages to each!  It is helpful to know things like this when dealing with someone when in conflict.  "The key for successful personal relationships and ministry is to understand and accept others as having a viewpoint that is as worthy of consideration as is ours".   

It has just been very encouraging being here with other missionaries.  Everyone seems to be having similar feelings, struggles, excitement, and transitions.  God has also used these new friends of ours to minister to our hearts as well. 

God has continued to be Jehovah Jirah!  We are probably at 85% monthly support.  Which is awesome especially since we have just begun this journey in April! Our vehicles are sold, we are packed for the D.R., and we think we may have our home rented. 

Please continue to pray for these things:
Transition into a new culture
Remainder of Partnerships
House sale or rent
Our departure goes smoothly ( 16 suitcases, 5 kids, 4 carseats, strollers, backpacks...ugh)
That our eyes will stay focused on our Father

I will hope to update you later this week!

Blessings-
Jen

On our way!

Wow!! We are on our way to Colorado for training. We could not have made it to this point with out all the help babysitting, cleaning, packing, storing, meals, support in prayer and financial. Thank you everyone! We are at DFW awaiting our next flight to Colorado Springs, CO where we will attend MTI- Missionary Training institute for 3 weeks. Then on the 24th we fly to the DR. The kids were great on the first flight but they are terrorizing Gate C7:) Thank you Mcdonalds pancakes and syrup for energy!




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Location:Dallas/FT. Worth Airport