Lately....

I woke up this morning to the pitter patter of rain and......continued sleeping!

Thursday and Friday were great days because we had our monthly outreach events for women. On Thursday evening, the tateeks come (old ladies) and on Friday the younger women come. Thursday was good, but Friday was GREAT! Thanks to one of our volunteers from the Arkansas team last week, we had a great event. The theme centered on beauty and Women's Day (a holiday they celebrate here on March 8th). We had stations set up where the ladies could get a quick manicure, face mask, hand massage, foot soak, and of course there was coffee, tea, and cakes as they mingled and visited the stations. The young women loved it! To get the mood a little more serious, we gathered everyone back and Gretchen and I sang a duet together. Next, it was time for the lesson from the Word! True beauty flows from the heart, true beauty comes when we look to God, and true beauty does not fade. The women were so happy to be there....they are hungry.

I'm still settling into my apartment---I've got some more shopping to do and I need to take some of the owner's funky pictures off the wall! It's really cool and also strange to move into a furnished apartment. The owner left random junk here.....like a million jars. Weird!

Pick up your sword and fight....

I don't quite know where to begin. I haven't been able to post in a while and a lot has happened.

First thing's first: We just said goodbye to a wonderful team from Arkansas. They blessed us TREMENDOUSLY and it was a tearful goodbye. Their job while they were here was to lead a 3 day seminar for shepherds and leaders. And, WOW!!!!! The Father showed up mightily. People from many different groups were there to learn and be a part of the seminar. They were so hungry for knowledge.....90 people showed up! It was overwhelming and wonderful. The atmosphere was indescribable. I really can't say enough great things about the team that came.

Secondly: Ben was healed. That whole situation brought me to my knees in a way that I haven't felt in a long time. I went to the hospital to visit him and his family. The situation looked hopeless. I could spend another whole blog entry describing the conditions of the hospital. So, the Father of course was his only hope. When the doctors saw that he was better they were amazed and said that "God is standing on his head".

Thirdly: When Dad is working in big ways, guess who else is working???!!!! Yep, that Lion who is seeking to devour anything and everything Good. So, please get on your knees for this place and this people. We need you so much right now.

Lastly: I feel so blessed to be here. Recent events have put things in perspective for me.

This was a very short summary of life lately, but at least it gives somewhat of an update!

The enemy attacks....

Friends....

Please lift up my dear brothers and sisters here in Armenia.

My good friend Arax and her mother are spending their days and nights at the hospital. Arax's brother, Ben, is in the hospital. He suffered a grand mal seizure for 5-7 minutes and is now experiencing neurological problems. Healthcare here is totally inadequate. I went to visit them today and I walked away choking back the tears. That place is filled with so many hopeless people....all we can do is trust in the Great Physician. I love Arax dearly and to see her hurt for her brother makes me hurt.

My friends Haykush and Gorgan lost their cousin in a terrible car accident last night. He was a middle aged man. Gorgan had to go to the morgue and get the body...he was terribly shaken after seeing the horrific sight of badly broken bodies. (4 people died in that car accident).

My friend Lusine lost her great-aunt last night.

There are so many awesome things that we are expecting and planning here within the next month.....the enemy is doing everything he can to hinder that work. Please ask that these difficult situations would somehow bring Glory to Him. Also, lift us up as we need to be there for our brothers and sisters, but also need to be working on the many preparations for our upcoming projects.

The best part of waking up.....

My phone rang at around 6:30 this morning and as I sleepily said "hello?" I woke up to my niece, Macy, saying, "Aunt Jaclyn, I asked Jesus in my heart tonight". When I asked her why, she said that Jesus was knocking on her door. She went on to say that she prayed with her daddy.

If you have lived with me or been around me in the mornings, you know that I'm not a morning person. But, this was by far one of the best wake-up calls I've received!

My sister, brother in law, nephew and niece were all headed on a M trip with their children's ministry. As they were discussing what they would do when they got there, Macy realized she didn't have a testimony to share.

These are the times that I miss home and family because I just want to hug her and see her smile! Happy Birthday, Macy.

Moving and Miracles...

I moved!!! My new apartment is about a 10-15 min walk to our M center and about a 1 minute walk to my supervisors apartment! Wooohoo! My new place has 2 bedrooms, 1 bathroom, 1 office with lots of bookshelves, a spacious living room, a kitchen, a balcony, and a washing machine. I don't have internet, any hangers, or a microwave yet. I also don't have a dishwasher or bathtub (only shower) . But, all in all, it's a good place!! I'm working on getting my things organized and making it a little more of my home.

Small miracle...
So, when I arrived in Yerevan I couldn't find a black bag full of my earrings and a couple of necklaces. I searched through all my suitcases after I unpacked. I kept searching. I had my parents search at home. Nada! Well, when I was unpacking my suitcases at my new apartment, guess what I found! The bag of jewelry! I don't have ANY idea how it hid THAT WELL for that long, but it did. I was so happy when I found it. Sister, if you are reading this....yes, the jewelry I found includes the cross necklace/earring set you gave me from J Spencer!

I will try to post some pictures of my new place soon.