Three's a Crowd...

If three's a crowd...what's four? I say, "four's a blast!"

So far, it's been eight weeks since I moved into the glorified basement here at MMT. Okay so it's not really a basement, but it sure is cold like one! In the last eight weeks, I've had a great time getting to know the other students here with me. Last weekend we went roller skating at the local rink. Yeah, I think I'm still sore. We had a great time though. It was fun to take it back a few years. Here are a few pics showing evidence of our circular travels that night.

Having a little fun with the housemates (Brad, Me, and Kristen)

Another way we've been able to fellowship in Libby is with members of the singles group at Faith

Bible Church here in Libby. Sunday night we had a game night and provided fun through food, dominoes, and a game of sardines. Even though I don't attend this church, it has been so welcoming to our group and has reached out to our group since first coming here. Faith Bible has a long standing with relationship with International Messengers as many of the students that have come through the training center have attended the church and are supported by the church while overseas. To the right is a picture of Bambi (another one of the students) and me during game night. I'm not really sure what I was going to do with that water, but the look on my face suggests I had ulterior motives. Ha!

Here are three of the ladies that I've had the pleasure of getting to know while here in Libby. Check out the spread of food we prepared for them. I prepared the Velveta & Rotel dip in the crock pot. Funny thing about that though, when I went to the store to purchase the Rotel...I got some very strange looks from my housemates. They have NEVER heard of Rotel? Seriously? However, they DO have Dr. Pepper in Montana, which is something I'm very excited about. It'll be nice to indulge in that comfort a little while longer.

For Everything There Is A Season...

"...A time for every activity under heaven.
A time to be born and a time to die.
A time to plant and a time to harvest.
A time to kill and a time to heal.
A time to cry and a time to laugh.
A time to grieve and a time to dance.
A time to scatter stones and a time to gather stones.
A time to embrace and a time to turn away.
A time to search and a time to quit searching.
A time to keep and a time to throw away.
A time to tear and a time to mend.
A time to be quiet and a time to speak.
A time to love and a time to hate
A time for war and and a time for peace." -Ecc. 3:1-8

I've gone through many seasons in my life and many more I still must go through. The latest season has not been easy. For the last 7 weeks I've been living in Montana with people I do not know, going to church with even more people I do not know, and missing those that I know oh so well back home. There has been a stripping away of sorts as God is continuing the work he began in me, as well as brokenness in areas of my life that I have never given Him. There has also been a season of grief as I have chosen to leave behind the life I became comfortable with for a life I hope to never be comfortable in again.

The season of grief is not over, however. I left behind not only family and friends, but also a sweet kitty cat named, Moxie. Miss Moxie has been my friend for the last three years and it was with great anxiety that I turned her over to a friend upon my departure from San Antonio in August. The last I knew ( a few weeks ago), Moxie was doing fine and adapting nicely to her new home. However, some time over the last few weeks that changed. I received a call today from my friend stating that Moxie had stopped eating over the last couple of weeks and developed liver disease. I agonized over the news as I knew what I should do. While liver disease is curable with a very large bill and a feeding tube down her throat for the next two months, there is no guarantee that she will not do the same thing again. It seems that cats tend to stop eating when they are stressed or sad, as in, when their owner leaves. So it's with sadness that I face the decision to let her go.

Before owning a pet, I could not have imagined how attached you could be to an animal. Having owned such a sweet one for the last three years, I am now on the other side of the coin. I realize not everyone can understand it, but I know that the Lord gave this kitty to me. She was my friend in a time of great loneliness and the Lord used her to minister to me and heal me in such a sweet way. So I grieve tonight as I face the realization that her time on Earth will soon be over. I grieve that I cannot be with my sweet friend as she passes. Mostly, I grieve because I will miss her terribly.

My three year-old kitty, Moxie, that brought such joy to my heart.
How I will miss you my friend.

Nothing to See Here...

...do not look at the yellow "donate" button on the left-hand side of the screen. Okay, look at it. Upon the repeated suggested of a friend (thanks, Kelly ;-) I have added a PayPal donate button to my web page. Donations made into this account will go directly to the needs of the Joshua Project, therefore directly toward the youth/young adults we serve. Since the money I'm raising for Romania goes toward both my living expenses and the expenses of the Joshua Project ministry, it is a win-win situation. If anyone is interested in making a contribution that is tax-deductible, please send me an email at (heyamy7@yahoo.com) or leave me a comment with your address and I'll send you the appropriate information. If reading this post about money made you uncomfortable, read the blog below...it's much more interesting.