Body Builders Bootcamp

Tedd and I attended a Bodybuilders Bootcamp in Fayetteville this month.

What in the world is that, you ask? Well in my own words :) it's a conference for missionaries, teaching biblical and practical principles for fundraising in order to support one's ministry.

We were at first very reluctant to go. It seemed unspiritual to spend so much time talking about how to raise money. I think we felt proud, too, because we'd never formally "raised support," and we felt above that somehow...not a very godly attitude. However, we prayed for open minds and humble hearts, and we did enjoy our time there with other believers and walked away with a couple of things:

1. We realized that we've never really asked people face-to-face to support us, and that asking in person is a more old-fashioned, "noble" way of doing things.

2. We've never tried to pursue 100% of our monthly budget by asking more people to join our support team. We set our budget with the guidance of our organization and within a reasonable standard of living, but we're at about 80% and we just settled there, "getting by."

3. Most importantly, we realized that we are guilty of being "budget-driven" rather than "vision-driven." There's always a necessity for balance, of course, but we've leaned more on the side of setting our goals based on $$ rather than setting our goals based on our God-given vision. We have decided to prayerfully set goals and focus on vision and then raise our finances accordingly, not the other way around.

So these are some things we took away from the conference. It was also very beneficial to me (Em) to really think about what I want to do more than anything else in the world for God...that kind of passion would not be held back by money or practicalities.

And here's a picture of the group that attended. Can you find us???

Cabin Retreat

This past weekend, the three of us packed up to go to a family cabin way out in the woods.  The purpose of the "retreat" was to get a little R&R and to spend time focused on prayer for the year ahead.

We read a book together, played a lot with our sweet boy, got in a great family hike, and of course, prayed a lot.  It was so refreshing and we feel a bit more clear-headed about our plans for this year.

Here are a couple of photos from our trip:

And a little video that makes me smile....

New Partnership in Guatemala

Emily here!  I apologize, because I should have posted this a month ago and to be honest, I completely forgot.  However, better late than never, and the following is an account of our trip to Guatemala in November from Tedd.

Tedd writes:

Over the past 8 years, we've made half a dozen trips to Guatemala.  This last trip, though, was perhaps the most significant of them all.  I'm excited to announce that we formed a new strategic partnership with a local organization called LAMP.

LAMP is short for Lámpara a Mis Pies which means "Light to my feet" and shares the same vision and mission as LEI (Literacy & Evangelism International) -- to teach people to read so that they can read God's written revelation and have a better life.

Byron Feliciano at the Guatemala RLTI in 2009

LAMP was started by Wycliffe missionaries Karen and Andy Vaters.  As it grew, they trained nationals to lead and operate the organization.  We met the current national director of LAMP, Byron Feliciano Temaj, in 2009 when we hosted a literacy institute in Guatemala.  Since that time we've been in contact with each other, praying for and encouraging one another, and brainstorming how we might be able to work together in Guatemala.

Many times in ministry you see duplication rather than coordination of efforts to build God's Kingdom...so we're hoping that this partnership will bring glory to God as we unite together under the same vision.  We're all looking forward to seeing what God will accomplish through our new friendship with LAMP.  Please pray He'll give us wisdom and vision.

Hanging out in the kitchen at Byron's family's home.

(Some of) Byron's family.

Byron with his wife and daughter

Tedd, Ian, and I were pushed that week in Guatemala as well, battling some nasty colds and spending far more hours than we would have liked on crowded buses.  But despite our discomforts, we had a great adventure staying with the Mam people and getting to look in on the literacy classes; and with that, we give you photos:

At the well

Practicing the typical Mam baby carrier.  Ian likes it!

Ian playing in the grass with a Mam baby, Abigail.

Mary, a LAMP worker, carries Ian around in typical Mam fashion.

The turkey wants to sit in on the literacy lesson?

Literacy class in Mam.

Mam child practicing her writing.

Literacy class in Mam.

Byron teaching a literacy class in Mam.

Neighbors want a photo with Ian.

Mam Literacy Class

Back in Nicaragua (Ian's First International Trip)

Our time back in Nicaragua has been a total blessing.  Our only regret is that we can't stay longer!

We went back to Rio Blanco to visit our literacy students, accompanied by LEI's media director Kenyon Gerbrandt, to film their testimonies of what it was like to be non-readers and now what it's like to be literate.  It was exciting to see that several are still reading, and well enough to be reading their Bibles and participate in church.

We were received so warmly; we were touched immensely by our friends' love for us, despite our one-year absence.

It took me about 3 hours before we were on the bus, looking out at the gorgeous Nicaraguan landscape, when it hit me like a ton of bricks that I really truly love this country.  I've missed it.

And, all thanks to our wonderful God, Ian has been healthy and very happy here.  It's been a challenge wrestling with an active little baby in this heat and with limited places to put him down to let him move around, and culturally speaking, it's taking some getting-used-to when it comes to strangers grabbing Ian without permission and taking pictures of him on their phones....BUT, he's been a total trooper and we've been so blessed to be here as a family of three!

Now for a few pics...

Ian taking a bath out in Likia

Kenyon filming a literacy student

Road Trip - August 2011

We recently returned from a long road trip up to New Jersey with baby Ian.  He handled it like a trooper, but it sure wasn't the same as traveling with just the two of us!

The trip was full of silly songs, peek-a-boos, and chewy toys - all to keep Ian preoccupied as we trekked the 24-hour roadtrip.  Even an unopened bag of chips proved to be entertaining...whatever it took!

The trip back was a little easier because we stopped to visit ministry partners and friends along the way.

With Mike & Chris Lenz

First stop, West Virginia.  We had a nice dinner with John & Chelsea Smith, the kids of Mike & Chris Lenz.  Then we spent a couple days with the Lenzes and visited the church they pastor, which supports us through LEI, and we were able to share a bit and sing, as well as fellowship with the believers there.  We always feel encouraged and spiritually uplifted when we visit!

We also made some new friends during our stay...

After leaving West Virginia, we stopped in Kentucky to visit Ian's great Aunt Karen.  I'm disappointed I forgot to take a picture, but it was a really nice visit.

Then, next stop, Nashville.  We stayed the night with the Dysons, friends of LEI and missionaries to Africa for several decades, who have a wealth of amazing stories to share.  Tedd and Kenyon worked together to film a few of the Dysons' stories about literacy work in Africa to tag on to the literacy training videos that are in the works for LEI.  We really enjoyed our time there with them!

And last stop before home...Uncle Evan!  My brother Evan (no pic again, bummer) is also getting involved with a ministry in Conway, Arkansas, called Young Life.  He's prayerfully decided to go on staff, a position that is funded by donations and gifts from fellow believers, and I'm so excited for him...Young Life is certainly a passion of his!  

moving into our bedroom in our new (old) home

And then, finally, home.  Where's home now?  Well, just after getting back to Arkansas, we packed all our belongings and moved into "the Queen."  A very big event in our lives, for sure!  Now we're trying to work on as many projects on our old home as we possibly can before we go back to Nicaragua for a short visit in the Fall.

Visiting Nicaragua again will be very different than ever before now that we're with our little one.  

For those of you who pray for us, we ask your prayers for:

• Wisdom for Tedd and me as we travel with the baby, and as we seek out more literacy training opportunities.
• Health and safety for Ian (and that his passport will arrive in time)!
• For closeness to the Lord and discipline to daily read His Word and spend time in prayer.

Thank you all for your love and prayers.  We will check in again soon!

ILTI 2011

The International Literacy Training Institute (ILTI) this year was no disappointment to these ILTI fans!  Each year, friendships are formed and partnerships are developed, and we're happy to say that, despite the small group this year, many of the participants are going to be working full-time with Literacy & Evangelism International (LEI)!

Here are some pics of our time spent teaching and "fellowshipping" at the ILTI 2011:

tedd works w Pastor Phil Truesdale

Jacinda holds Ian during naptime

I taught the writing section

An owl drops in to chill for awhile at the LEI campus

I snuck up to it until I got really close!  I was so excited!!

Sila from the Congo practice-teaches the "What is Reading?" chapter

Ian was very flexible and hung out with us in the classroom while we taught & observed.

Ladies praying for Emily W. after she gave her testimony during chapel time

"M.K." from India teaches the Hindi primer lesson

Amy & I pretend to be students so the participants can practice-teach

Christa practice-teaches

Jacinda explains the Bible story lessons

Ian spends the evening outside in his diaper while his mommy & daddy play volleyball!!

We love the baby!!

The participants (& the Lodi)

Tedd works w/ Emily W.

Sila & Alexis (Congo) work together on teaching a primer lesson in their native tongue

We're so excited about each participant and their passion to work in ministry.  We anticipate that God will do many great things in and through their lives, and we await opportunities to see them again in the future (maybe even in their countries)!!

FAQs

The following questions are those that we get asked quite a bit, and then our answers which seek to be open and transparent:

Our family! Father's Day '11

When will you travel again?

We're planning another trip for the Fall. We hope to go to Nicaragua and Guatemala to talk about the possibility of another Literacy Leader Training, to interview some of our former students, and to pursue a potential LEI partnership with a literacy organization in Guatemala.

Will Ian go with you?

The plan is yes. We're working on getting the vaccines he will need. I (Emily) have already traveled by plane with Ian once to PA (when he was 3 months) and he did very very well. Based on other experiences as well (in a car for several hours, on a train, waiting in the airport), he's a good little traveler.

There is some anxiety, of course, that comes with taking your children to third-world countries. I'm sure all missionaries struggle with this to some degree or another. We are trusting that God will keep Ian safe and healthy; we're also depending on God to build our courage and create a deeper trust in Him as we step out into the "big bad world" with our baby.

Tedd working at "The Queen"

What are you doing now while you're in the States?

Right now Tedd is working a lot. He stays very busy working on "The Queen" (an old house we're renovating) and he's also putting in many hours a week doing e-mail correspondence for his LEI role. He attends meetings, skypes with missionaries overseas, and networks literacy workers.

While I'm here, I'm a full-time momma, and that is a hard job! I can't believe how much time is consumed just attending to the baby, and a happy easy baby at that. But when the baby is sleeping, or during short bursts of "free time," I'm trying to keep our house clean, cook meals, and do some graphic design work for LEI. I also manage to get out of the house with Ian some and that's always fun, plus I try to make some time for blogging, a hobby of mine. :)

Tedd teaching at the ILTI

Together, Tedd & I will teach a literacy class at the International Literacy Training Institute (ILTI) in Tulsa this summer. We love attending the ILTIs; each year we experience heart-warming fellowship and spiritual growth.

Will you be living overseas again?

It's likely that we will spend significant time overseas again someday in the future, but beyond this Fall, we don't have definitive plans for another long stint overseas. We lived in Nicaragua for awhile last year to experience what it's like to actually live & work overseas, but we're taking that experience now and using it to train others. So, for now, we're training and promoting, which requires that we take trips back and forth from the U.S. to different Latin American countries.

There's still a part of us that is drawn to Asia, so who knows what will become of that.

How do you guys get money for what you do?

We're a "faith-based" non-profit organization, which means that everything we do through LEI is funded by the donations and regular giving of individuals (and churches) who are passionate about the work we're a part of. These donations go toward our living expenses, plane tickets, travel overseas, etc.

We've also invested in our own "tent-making" business by buying (with our savings) and renovating a handful of apartments in AR and renting them out for some extra income. This helps us to work on our home renovation project ("The Queen") and to pay for extra things outside of ministry expenses.

We try to live, financially speaking, in a way that is mindful of the hard work others are doing in order to sacrificially give toward our cause. We try to live frugally and resourcefully.....we keep the thermostat at 85 in the summer and 63 in the winter : )

So about "The Queen:" what will you do if you live overseas again?

The Queen is meant to be our "home-base," a place to keep our stuff, a place to live whenever we're in the States, a place to use our gifts of hospitality, a place for our kids to identify as "home" regardless of where we are in the world, a place for me (Em) to "nest," and so on.

There is a rental house that came with the Queen's property, so we spent time in 2009 renovating that and it rents out now to pay for our expenses on that property. So regardless of where we are in the world: a) we have some people on our property watching out for our house, and b) the expenses are paid whether we live there or not, as long as the rental is occupied.

Have any other questions for us??
These are the questions that we're commonly asked, but if you've got another, ask away! Thanks for being interested!

Coming up next on our blog, we'll fill you in on all the fun we had at the ILTI 2011. I'll also show you some of the latest graphic design stuff I've been working on. I'm getting excited about a new one in the works!