Marsha's Blog

 Good Morning and Happy New Year. I’m writing this a little early.  I’ll explain our schedule in a bit, but what Oswald Chambers mentioned in our devotional reading today, January 2nd, really resonated with us (as he often does). He said that we often think that to do something for God requires a plan.  To some extent this is true, but there’s also a case for (Oswald says) simply trusting God and following His lead. When we first mentioned going to this far Asian destination that I’ve been alluding lately to for security reasons, (and please, if you respond, keep the language safe),  so that Tony could share his discipleship course, many of our friends shook their heads and clicked their tongues.  Only a few said, “We’ll pray with you”, and for that we were very very thankful.   This month-long trip has been full of wonder; but also wondering a time or two if we were going to survive. And then worrying that we would survive, but it would be awkward. An...

 Good Morning Friends ….. from one of the remotest places we’ve been for quite awhile. Can’t say much because it’s pretty closed up here, but suffice it to say it continues being an adventure.  (I’ll talk later) We had lunch with some of Tony’s students and my jaw was hanging just hearing some of their amazing histories.   But today I want to tell you a story about a woman that I can talk about from a country nearby. She’s my specialist Dr. back in Australia.  On a recent visit, I noticed a small plaque with a cross in her window and asked point blank (you can do this in Australia),  ”Are you a Christian”? She smiled at me for the first time ever and then went on to tell me her story.  It seems that four generations ago, a missionary wandered into her village in the extreme north of Burma.  After arriving and settling in just a short time, he was able to introduce the village head man to Jesus Christ. Today, there are over 80 descendants, includin...

 Good Morning Friends, Tony said I shouldn’t make this a travel blog so I won’t.  Suffice it to say we’re still traveling, yesterday arriving from Japan to Hong Kong.  If you can imagine Hong Kong being even more crowded (and charming) than ever before, you’ve got it. We’re having a wonderful time, although going from one basically non-Christian country to another, it’s been a real stretch to feel any kind of Christmas spirit. And unfortunately it won’t get any better next week, being in a place where we’re prohibited by law to even speak with anyone about Christ and the real reason for the season. But then, with the Holy Spirit close at hand, I’m praying for some quality time with the Babe in the manger, no matter what the situation may be. Thanks as always for your prayers. Here in Hong Kong, church and old friends are of course always a blessing, even though we saw everybody just a few months ago. We had hoped to slip in unannounced this time before they had a chance t...

 Good Morning all. When Tony slips back into his “country” roots, he likes to sing a song some of you might remember. We first heard it sung by the Cathedrals and the chorus goes like this: Ain’t gonna need this house no longer Ain’t gonna need this house no more Ain’t got time to fix the shingles Ain’t got time to fix the floor Ain’t got time to oil the hinges Nor to mend the window pane Ain’t gonna need this house no longer I’m gettin ready to meet the saints Well, as Tony would say, “That song just preaches itself!” And it’s true, whether you’re talking about an old house or an aging body. This week, we’ve had the wonderful chance to spend a few days in our own “old house” in Japan. It was built with materials shipped from America and put together by an American team of volunteer carpenters, working with a few local Christian Japanese builders. That’s a story in itself that I’ll have to share with you sometime. All this happened about 35 years ago, and as they say, “If only thes...

 Good Morning All, Well, I figure if you've had a good Thanksgiving, half of you are travelling and the other half are still sprawled out in a food coma.  Actually, I always enjoy the leftovers more than the feast itself, as it's far too exciting and busy to take it all in the first time.   You'll recall that we had our 'family' dinner last week to accommodate the kids, so I'm fully recovered now ....... and am in packing mode, as we leave this next Tuesday for our 4-week nostalgia/working and sightseeing trip. But something very comforting caught my eye this last week as I was reading through a VERY long book of the Bible, Ezekiel.  If you haven't read it, strap yourselves in because it's (mostly) definitely not boring. But my ears began to prick up, and a bit of comprehension started to set in when I finally got to Ezekiel 37. Keep in mind that Solomon’s original temple had been destroyed by Babylon so many years earlier. And yet God says to the prophe...

 Good Morning Friends. This coming week, we release the brakes and hurtle into Thanksgiving celebrations. My Southern Hemisphere friends having been asking me to explain all the hype, and I discovered once again the subtle differences between us.  “It’s basically a harvest festival,” I began, then realized that the seasons here are opposite; so Australia today is in more of a planting time than a harvest time. “Well, the first pilgrims to America nearly died from the hard winter ….” No, that doesn’t work either. A “hard winter” on the Gold Coast is when I have to fasten the top button on my shirt. “Football …” nope. “Indians helping the pilgrims …” Well, that had a small chord of recognition, but on the other hand, I’m not sure exactly what part the Aboriginals here played in the lives of the first settlers, who for the most part were convicts. One thing we could agree on, though, was the need for a time to remember family, and get together. Whether we’re enjoying a big turkey...