Wonderful news from the Mehanna Road........

I haven't been able to post this yet because of so much going on with us. Jeff made it home safely and our jewelry show was good. But the great news is that Jeff said he visited Mo his last day on the Mehanna Road and when he got there Mo was up and getting around, fever gone! He was planning on going back to work. He hadn't been well enough to do this for over two weeks. Jeff and Mark got ahold of some antibiotics once they were finally able to go back into town and took them out to Mo a couple of days before they left but Jeff said that Mo was already feeling better the day after they sat and prayed with him.
What a cool thing, huh?! Who knows what would have happened if Jeff and Mark hadn't visited Mo in Niger at the just right time.
God is very cool!

Update from Niger..................

Jeff has been in Niger since Friday. Today I got an update from Jeff and I wanted to share because it is something that I would like to ask for prayer for.
Jeff told me that he went to visit his friend, we'll call him Mo because I don't know if I am allowed to share his real name. Jeff met Mo on his first trip to Niger and was privileged to help disciple him for several days. Mo had been baptized by our Pastor when our church first started the Africa missions. He is one of the few converted Muslim men that has not wavered in his commitment to Christ.
Jeff said that when he got to Mo's hut that Mo was "....very, very sick with a high fever that has persisted for two full weeks." Usually Jeff is excitedly greeted by Mo at the front door of the hut but this time Mo could not get out of bed. The medical care is so poor along the Mehanna Road that often times people die of simple things that turn into terrible infections. They die of Malaria which is easily treated with the right medicines. It is very sad. I don't know yet what illness Mo is suffering and I suspect that he doesn't know himself.
Jeff said that they prayed and sang over Mo and that it was a very powerful experience, still he doesn't think his friend will live much longer.
Please pray for Mo and for Jeff and Mark (his friend who he went with). I know this trip has been wonderful for him so far but how do you say goodbye to a friend who's suffering when you know it may be the last time you"ll see them on this earth. My heart is breaking for all of them.

Happy Birthday Ben!!!!!!

Today is Ben's 7th or 10th birthday depending on who you ask. According to the Ethiopian government he is 7 and the more we get to know Ben the more we agree with Ethiopia. He is very immature. Very little brother-ish if you ask Aiden. But this is good and he is handling it fine because that makes him the same age as the kids in his class.

He is so laid back that he is willing to be three years younger. That is fantastic. Most people don't start saying they are younger til much later in life. Secretly I am relieved because I didn't really want to be the mom of a 16 year old 7th grader!

So for Ben's 7th birthday party we went to Incredible Pizza last night and took 2 of Ben's friends. They had a lot of fun riding go carts and playing video games and mini golf. We let Ben open one present this morning which was actually a soccer bag full of soccer gear. For lunch Aiden and I went with Ben to the cafeteria and the boys ate McDonald's cheeseburgers. This afternoon I took fruit kabobs to school for him to share with his friends. Ben requested a spaghetti dinner tonight and we will open presents and eat the cake that Ben picked out. Then we will watch a family movie.

Ben with his soccer gear and new sunglasses

Ben with his friends Matthew and Jacob

Ben told me today that he remembers having a birthday with Eyatah, his Ethiopian mom but it was not like the birthdays in America. He has had such a very good day. He is such a very good boy.

Kind of in love..............

Carla and I made these tonight and I'm kind of in love:

License Plate Initial Funky Junk Charms


Click here for Junky Monkie Blog

We are working our butts of for this show we are doing in Plano at the Plano Center. I am nervous and excited both. I hope other people are kind of in love with our creations too!