On the Road Again...

Yeah! We are home.....at least for awhile. We arrived back in Missouri Saturday evening just in time to unload a few things and have dinner. Some friends prepared dinner for us and bought a few groceries for our breakfast the next morning. Other friends had a yummy smelling candle burning in our apartment to welcome us home and some yummy cookies. How encouraging to be surrounded by such good friends! We had plenty of help unloading our trailor and then the work began of trying to settle in again and make another place feel like home. It is a little bit of a challenge as we are unpacking, yet packing at the same time. In four weeks, Tim will be done with classes and we will be moving home to California. Always on the move! Micah had his four month check-up today and he is growing so fast! He has not been sleeping that well the last several weeks with all the moving and the doctor laughed and said, "No wonder!" Already in four months of life Micah has lived in four houses, three states, taken four plane rides, and traveled who knows how many miles! That is a lot for a little guy to take in!

Well, we hope to post some more pictures here soon of our time in Oklahoma now that we have good internet access again. It was such a learning experience in SO many ways. Please be praying for Tim's Cherokee language helper Ord Dreadfulwater and his wife Jennette and their salvation. Hopefully Tim will get a chance to tell you more about Ord and his time with him, but we just wish that we would have been able to have more time with him. Ord still holds very tightly to his believe in the spirits and is very antagonistic towards "white man" and his religion. He is a friendly guy and seemed to really enjoy working with Tim and Philip, yet they could never be sure when he was deceiving them as he has been known to do to students in the past. What good practice for the field because this is exactly what the tribal people do as well!

Until next time!

Back in Oklahoma

Well, the boys and I made it safely to Oklahoma and are settling back into the life here. Out of the forty students that were here, there are only about twelve left now. The students that left were doing a different program than Tim and other linguistic students. (For those of you who remember when Tim and I did the Polish practicum, this program was similar- just in Cherokee) So it is MUCH quieter around here. Although, a couple of days ago we were host to several hundred ladybugs that decided to move in with us. They poured into the hallway outside our room and we had to walk quickly and carefully to avoid them dropping on our heads or cruching under our feet. If any of you know the smell of dead ladybug you know how horrible it can be. YUCK!!! Many of them came into our room as well, but some quick action on Tim's part with bug spray and a broom kept it somewhat under control. We had to deal with this same problem when we lived in Pennsylvania (there they would drop into our dinner) so I think God is trying to prepare us for the road ahead. A road fill with bugs. Again....YUCK!!!

On a happier note, it is very nice to be back together again as a family. We enjoyed a relaxing weekend together and now Tim is back to the grindstone. The next several weeks will be very intense, maybe even more so when we return home, but the practice that he is getting is invaluable. While Tim will not be using the Cherokee language in our future ministry, the practice that he is getting in analyzing a language will be a great help and save time later on.

I really enjoyed seeing many of you on my visit home and we look forward to reconnecting more during our more extended stay come December. Tim's classes are done December 2oth and we plan to begin our travels the 21st....hoping to make it home in time for Christmas! My parents are coming out and bringing their van to help us move home and my mom and I will be flying home with the little ones so that our travels will quicker. We would appreciate your prayers in the of the work and adjustments that lie ahead- especially for the kids.

Tiffany

Tribute to a Jewel

With Tiffany being gone the past week I have spent a lot of time thinking about her and reflecting on our relationship. As much as I despise being apart from her I am thankful for the fresh awareness and perspective that her absence brings. I fall in love with her all over again every time we are apart. Whatever pride I have cultivated suddenly vanishes with her departure because I realize how small of a man I am without her.

My heart cries the words of King Lemuel as my wife fills my thoughts…

“An excellent wife who can find? She is far more precious than jewels. The heart of her husband trusts in her, and he will have no lack of gain. She does him good, and not harm, all the days of her life.” Proverbs 31:10-12

“An excellent wife who can find? She is far more precious than jewels.” I remember the days before we were married and before we even knew each other well. I was determined not to be swayed by a relationship as I prepared for Bible School. I thought God would be for me in that but my little world was shattered by the person I least suspected as being my future wife. I marvel at God’s hand in choosing for me the most precious gem to be had. I cannot imagine being married to a woman more precious than my wife. Thank you, Lord for choosing for me the perfect companion, a jewel beyond worth. It is all of your doing and none of mine.

“The heart of her husband trusts in her, and he will have no lack of gain.” There is no one in the world that I trust more than Tiffany. In her absence I’ve learned how much I long to confide in her with every area of my life. I never realized until she has been gone how much I do desire to talk to her about even the smallest things in my life. I love sharing even the dull moments in life with her. She is my companion and the embodiment of “best friend.” It is only in knowing her that I have come to understand what it is like to know someone so deeply and have a friendship that is so sweet and so desired.

“She does him good, and not harm, all the days of her life.” Time and time again I have been awed by the selfless service of my wife to me and to our family—and it is not only service but joyful devotion to our needs. I could not be more thrilled to have her by my side as we go through life raising our children and serving the Lord. Simply her presence is a reinforcing strength providing courage that I lack without her. Her wisdom often exceeds what I can muster. But of more benefit is how God has gifted us and given us the ability use our strengths as one. She is the joy of my life and I could ask for no better partner and co-worker in life and ministry.

Tiffany, “Many women have done excellently, but you surpass them all.” I love you with all that I am. I find no greater joy in life than loving and serving you. Thank you for your unrelenting faithfulness, your unwavering devotion, and your truest friendship.

California Here We Come!

Before we left for Oklahoma, we decided that it might be a good idea for me (Tiffany) and the little guys to take a trip home to California at some point during our six weeks in "Cherokee land." We knew Tim's work load would be heavy and we thought that going away would give him a chance to really focus on his studies and for us to get a break from the conditions in Oklahoma. So, at this time I am in California enjoying the beautiful weather and visiting with family and friends. It is very difficult being away from Tim...we will be gone for two weeks and this is the longest we have ever been apart...so this is a bittersweet visit.

Now that Noah is a little older, this is the first year that we have been able to take part in festivites of the season. On Sunday, my parents and I took him out to Avila Barn to go on hayrides and search for a perfect pumpkin in the pumpkin patch. He had a lot of fun and we were able to get some good pictures.

Trying to find that perfect pumpkin

I Found It!!!

Going on a Hayride!

Our days here in Oklahoma

We thought we would give you a little glimpse into what we are doing here in Tahlequah, Oklahoma...

I (Tim) and my friend and partner in this project, Phillip, meet with our Cherokee language helper, Ord Dreadfulwater, (yes, that is his name) every morning for two hours.

Then the rest of the day is spent processing the information and entering it into a filing system on the computer.Phillip and I work together as we try to decide what sounds we are actually hearing in the language.

We will use this data that we gather for phonemic (part of the process in creating an alphabet) and grammatical analysis over the course of our time here.

When we are finished here in Oklahoma right before Thanksgiving we will return to the New Tribes Campus in Missouri and for the next weeks will be working on formally writing up all our findings analysis conclusions.

Tiffany and Micah taking their own picture. I just have to put this in...aren't they cute!!

I (Tiffany) spend the days much as usual, just in not such an ideal situation. It can be difficult at times to even use the bathroom or get a drink of water since both are far away from our room. Noah seems to adjust quickly to anything that comes his way, but Micah has had more difficulty. They say babies pick up easily on the stress of their parents and there was a lot of stress that first week. His sleeping is still not back to normal, but hopefully he will settle soon.

In the weeks before we left Oklahoma I was doing a Bible study with several of the ladies here called, “Calm My Anxious Heart.” This study dealt with many of the things I had been struggling with…anxiety about my kids, the future, living overseas, etc. and reminded me of God’s truth and His grace. One of the first topics in the book was about being content in your circumstances. Wow, did I need to be reminded of that our first week here. We arrived here already a couple days late and so Tim had to jump right into his studies. I was left in a “house” that was not unpacked with a baby and a two year old while I was still very weak from being sick. I realized that I had a choice. I could become bitter and make life harder for those around me, or I could choose to be content. I could not change my circumstances, but I could change my attitude and perspective. The Lord had already supplied the grace that I needed to endure those rough days. That time was a real struggle and I realized that all too often I was depending on myself to get me through instead of the Lord.

Oklahoma at last!

Well, we made it! We arrived in Oklahoma Tuesday evening (Oct. 9th), just minutes before dinner was being served in the dining hall. That evening we quickly unloaded our trailer and began set-up in our new “home.” I had meant to get a before-and-after picture but in all of the chaos that never happened, so you will just be getting the after shots. The room was just what I had expected….big, concrete, and full of old metal bunks. We took a tour of a couple other rooms to see how others had arranged theirs. Things were a bit stressful because it was the kid’s bedtimes and we needed to work fast, but we got it done. We had the dilemma of turning one large room into sleeping and living quarters, with areas that the kids can sleep in, with at least some limit on light and sound. We split our room in half. You can see where we all sleep through our door of mattresses and upright bunk beds.

Noah has his own little corner on one side...

We are in the middle...

And Micah is in the other corner!

It is amazing how many functions a bunkbed can serve besides sleeping. When taken apart or stood on end they can serve as any of the following: a wall, closets, shelves, or a couch!

Our living room...

It took some work and imagination, but I think we are finally getting settled into our new home.

Here are some different pictures of our time here so far...

We are thankful to have bathrooms and showers...they're not the prettiest, but they'll do.

This is the lounge area in our building where we can do things in big groups and most of all the kids can run around and play!

This guy was caught trying to hang out in our room...but that is not allowed! You can see the cap to a water bottle in the picture. We also saw a tarantula outside yesterday and a few days ago we found a brown recluse hanging out in our room, too! I guess company is never hard to find :-)

Noah loves playing with his friends! The sand box is a popular hang out for the smaller crowd.

Well.....

We are STILL in Missouri! We were supposed to leave Friday, but as I mentioned in my last post Noah had come down with the flu. Well, Tim got it as well Wednesday night. We thought we might be able to leave Saturday and so we continued packing, but Micah was sick Friday night. Saturday night we did a last run through on the house, finish laundry, etc. all in hopes of leaving Sunday morning. Well, Sunday morning I am sick! This has been one long and drawn out move. We are getting pretty tired of living in a house full of boxes with most things we need in the trailer. I am feeling somewhat better now so if all goes well we will leave tomorrow, (Tuesday) morning. Praise the Lord for good friends who have our room in Oklahoma all cleaned out for us and many people expecting to help us move in. HOPEFULLY, we will be able to settle in quickly so Tim can catch up on all that he has missed. What a week!


Tiffany