~From a Missionary wife's heart~

I remember when I had just become a missionary, and everything was DIFFERENT, NEW and H-A-R-D...and my missions director's wife teasingly said that she was "jealous" that I got to go to the missionfield...Help us! I told her that she could go in my place. =) Then a little later on I heard a M. K. who was now a missionary herself say, "My Mom always told people NOT to feel sorry for us because we were missionaries!" As a new missionary...I had to think that over for awhile...the way I was feeling right then, I didn't mind if people DID FEEL SORRY FOR ME!! =) My house had been torn apart, my things divided 6 different ways (1. to keep, 2. to sell, 3. to give away, 4. to take to language school in Costa Rica, 5. to take to Colombia with us, and 6. to take on our 8 month deputation where we nearly lived in the VAN with 3 small children...Noah was 6 months). I was also wondering where the "REAL HEATHER WAS", was fighting Culture shock in Costa Rica, trying to be a wife and Mommy of 3 children...while attending school each day and trying to learn a new language, and I was missing my family, my friends, my country and my CULTURE big time. But...God has helped me since then, and I can honestly say today "PLEASE DON'T FEEL SORRY FOR OUR FAMILY BECAUSE WE ARE MISSIONARIES!" For we are in GOD'S will here in Colombia...and there is SATISFACTION being in God's will!! I can say that had I been drawing out of a hat for what I WANTED IN LIFE...I would not have chosen to leave my country, family, and friends, AND MOVE TO DANGEROUS COLOMBIA...but I serve ONE THAT LOVES ME MORE THAN I CAN EVEN FATHOM, AND SO IF HE SAW IT BEST TO CALL US TO COLOMBIA, WHO AM I TO QUESTION?! I also will say that LIFE IS NOT EASY ON A MISSION FIELD...but that I have decided that God being my helper, I will PURPOSE TO ENJOY BEING HERE...FOR THIS IS WHERE GOD HAS PLACED ME! (US!) Many of you have heard the expression, "If Mamma ain't HAPPY, ain't NOBODY HAPPY!" And I've found that to be true. I could go around moping and WISHING I were back in the USA, or wishing I were with my family and friends there, and I'd be miserable, my family would be miserable and I would WISH my life away. But, I'm determined to ENJOY our years here, and make it a WONDERFUL experience for my family. Both Phillip and I feel that God gave us our family FIRST...before he gave us a ministry...so we put our family FIRST after God. We never want our children to have to say,"My Dad was always gone serving others," or "My parents never had time for us"...NO...We are a family, we go places together, we minister together, and we serve Jesus and enjoy life together. Now there are down times, and discouraging times (that's part of culture shock, and even life) but I try to bake something yummy, play games with the kids, take them to the park, or do something fun, and practice what Phil 4:4 says:

~Rejoice in the Lord ALWAY: and again I say, REJOICE.~

So, Don't feel sorry for us, .....but THANKS to each of you for your thoughts, LOVE, concern, and PRAYERS FOR US!! =) Your prayers help us be the lights here in Colombia that we want to be for Jesus! Thanks Bunches!