Our Journal

Ten Questions to ask at the start of the New Year

2011-12-31T09:14:00.000-08:00

A friend recently shared this with us:

1. What's one thing you could do this year to increase your enjoyment of God?

2. What's the most humanly impossible thing you will ask God to do this year?

3. What's the single most important thing you could do to improve the quality of your family life this year?

4. In which spiritual discipline do you most want to make progress this year, and what will you do about it?

5. What is the single biggest time-waster in your life, and what will you do about it this year?

6. What is the most helpful way you could strengthen your church?

7. For whose salvation will you pray most fervently this year?

8. What's the most important way you will, by God's grace, try to make this year different from last year?

9.What one thing could you do to improve your prayer life this year?

10. What single thing that you plan to do this year will matter most in 10 year? In eternity?

2011-12-13T12:40:00.000-08:00

Woodyard News Thursday October 6, 2011

PRAY

Pray for our workers serving in difficult places in North Africa Middle East.

Pray for those serving in Senegal seeking to plant churches there.

Pray for Ruth and Susanne's fight against cancer.

North Africa Middle East Conference

We just wanted to let you know that our time at the North Africa and Middle East conference went really well. We were able to meet with about 60 people either as couples or individuals as well as just to connect with people that are serving in that area of the world. This is the area that was impacted with the merger this past year. It was great to see how God has been at work in this region.

Senegal Trip

Patty’s trip to Senegal for the North West Africa conference was amazing as well. This time Patty was actually able to go to the towns where people are working and see more of their lives and ministry. It was exciting to see where people live, meet people they are working with, be a part of their lives briefly and to have their newsletters come to life. To get to each place she was placed in a taxi and taken to the next town. Whenever you entered a village along the way, there would be people standing on the side of the road ready to sell you anything, phone cards, reading glasses, sunshades, peanuts, food, fruit, material, tools, whatever you could think of was offered just outside the cab window! If that was not enough entertainment, watching the busses loading sheep, double bed mattresses, suitcases, furniture, whatever someone may need for the trip on the very top and then taking off packed full of people with always room for at least one more!

The conference was held in Dakar , Senegal and this was a great time of meeting others from that area including Nigeria, Guinea, and Mauritania. It includes other areas as well, but no one from those countries was able to attend the conference. One of the great things about Pioneers is that we are very much a multicultural organization now and it is great to interact with our leaders and members serving cross culturally as well at both of these conferences. Patty connected with people from Nigeria, Togo, Kenya, Senegal, Australia, New Zealand, Ghana, England, Canada, Scotland, Brazil, South Africa and many others. It is amazing to see God at work and using people from all over the world to reach the unreached!

Pray for Ruth Woods

We have two friends that are going through a battle with cancer that we would like you to be in prayer for over the next few months as they take on this challenge. One is Ruth Woods, a New Zealander, who worked with us in our early years in PNG. Ruth encouraged Patty as a young wife learning to live in PNG in many ways. She has a real servant’s heart and is usually taking care of everyone else. She has stomach cancer with a tumor that will be removed and then go through treatment. She also had a blood clot in her lungs that needed a stint put in.

Pray for Susanne Price

Our other friend is Susanne Price, who has served in Kenya with Pioneers and recently transferred to Senegal to begin language and culture learning. Soon after her arrival she found out that she has breast cancer and is now in the US going through all the poking and prodding to decide the best treatment. Her mother is also going through cancer at the same time.

Both Ruth and Susanne love and serve the Lord. They know that God is in control of all things. Although our hearts want them to have complete healing, we know that cancer is never an easy road so would ask you to pray for Him to meet their needs as they walk through this with Him.

We are blessed to have so many faithful prayer partners! Thank you for your prayers and encouragement.

Blessings,

Patty and Vance

2010-06-10T08:40:00.000-07:00

Impressions of our Middle East trip:
New Beginnings:
A few months back when we realized that there was a possibility of a trip to the ME my mind went flying in all sorts of directions. I was excited because I firmly believe in face to face contact with people. I often say I see with my hands! The communication world that we live in today is great for the day to day things needing to be done or quick yes and no answers, and even just fun bantering. However, to really get to know someone and put a personality and face together is more the way I operate! I am more of a relational person so being able to actually get my feet on the ground and connect with real people allowed me to take ownership to what we were entering into with the merger between our two organizations.
We covered four countries in 10 days and there is a lot to share. I thought I would break it into four different entries so that you could stop/start where you wanted to.
Our bags were packed, our checklists as completed as they would get, Mary Ann was well situated with lots of options, emergency contact info, money, and food. We set off for the airport in excitement for many reasons. There were going to be a lot of firsts ahead for us! That is always exciting. Thanks to a generous donor, we were both going! What a blessing! I really was not looking forward to a trip through the Middle East without my husband. Plus the next day was our 31st wedding anniversary as well as having been exactly 30 years since we first entered Papua New Guinea. We arrived on our first year anniversary. So it was interesting that we arrived for the first time into the Middle East on our 31st anniversary. I guess you can either look at it as “some things never change” or “even after all these years there is still lots of newness in our relationship!”
We connected with the rest of our team in Frankfurt, Germany. We were called the FOT (field orientation team). We really tried to come up with a better name, but never could settle on anything different, but had fun trying! These were the people we would be spending the next ten days with in four different countries. We had a great time together and worked well as a team. By the end I think we could have shared each other’s stories and passions as well as each other’s presentation. They were all great teammates and travel buddies!

First Country:
After settling into the plane in Frankfurt we took off heading to our first country! I had heard lots of stories, read about the country and people tried to prepare myself in a variety of ways for our time there. I was writing in my journal as they announced our arrival and remember looking out of the window into the darkness and wrote “we are beginning our journey into the darkness.” I knew that this would be a spiritually dark country. We found our way to our luggage, through customs and out into the parking lot of the airport, where we were met. There were no women to be seen and many of the men had either guns or huge knives in their waistband. There were military men around with guns as well. I have never been a fan of guns and to see them everywhere was a little disarming. But it looked like it was just part of life there! I began to wonder if they were just standard issue such as cell phones in the US! Should we try to rent one while we are there???!! I did buy one of those awesome knives that we later found out that they were just part of the dress and distinguished tribes by them.
We had not made it to the car before we had someone begging. Just the few hundred feet we walked was enough to tell you that this was a poor country and begging was a big part of the life style here. However, I have to admit that they were the gentlest beggars I have ever met in my life. I did not feel threatened or scared when approached. It was never demanding or pushy or like they expected and deserved it. It was a sweet gentle touch and then a look into some of the most lost eyes I had ever seen. It was very hard not to give something. I had been told to bring candy to hand out to kids but was not prepared for this.
Driving into the darkness began one of many interesting rides we had. You really need to do some defensive driving training before going overseas to drive. Our drivers were all well experienced and seemed to really connect well to the culture when it came to maneuvering the roads! Exiting the airport there were military trucks with 50 caliber guns in the back every so often which seemed to be aimed right at us! There were decorations and colored lights as well as many flags of the country all throughout the streets. They were celebrating our arrival!!! Just kidding! It was a celebration of 20 years of unity between the North and South. I really think it was just a reason for a party because they did attempt to kill their president while we were there!
We had our day of meetings and all went really well. Discussions were great, questions were answered and relationships were developed. It was great to hear the stories of those living there. Unfortunately, for their protection, I cannot tell you much about this here, but would be happy to talk with you. It was amazing at how well things went! There seemed to be a sense of excitement about the merger there as well as acceptance. Of course there are details to be worked out and things that need to fall into place, but the time we had with the people was awesome. We ended the evening with a traditional meal from the country. The food was great! We had our own private room upstairs and just enjoyed relaxing and getting to know each other better.
The next day we split into two groups. One went to the old city and walked around doing shopping and getting a feel of life there. The other half of us spent the day going out into the country to visit a home that was build on a rock with some parts beginning in the 7th century. The wise man did build his house upon a rock and it is still standing! Before arriving we stopped to look out over a valley to see the house from above. It was interesting to have people coming up to you with guns, begging and not feel threatened or unsafe. I did not feel like they were going to rob us or demand anything. Just gently ask for money. They even offered to let us hold the guns and take pictures with them. One guy wanted Vance to do some target shooting!
The house on the rocks was interesting and gave an overview of what life is like with separate rooms for a variety of things. Men and women were often separated and even had separate living rooms in the home. I think that most of the women we saw wore long black cloaks and had all but their eyes covered. We did see many cute little girls in dresses and full of life and laughter. Their dads seemed to hold their hands, carry them and looked like sweet families. At our room we saw the little girls swimming with their daddy’s and brothers. But at some point they are taken away from that and dressed from head to toe in black and move into the woman’s world. I know I do not understand the whole thing, but my heart went out to these laughing little girls that were enjoying their father’s attention, knowing there will possibly come a time when she will not be allowed to interact with him.
That evening at dinner, we heard two loud booms. Those that live in the country did not react, they simply said, “this could be a good thing or a bad thing.” Another one calmly said, “It’s either bombs or fireworks.” I was rooting for the fireworks! Which it was in celebration of their 20 years!
After riding through the city, visiting the countryside, and listening to the stories of those serving there, I came away from the country feeling a bit sad and overwhelmed with how hard life would be there. Not so much in the physical sense, but emotionally, and spiritually. In order to serve there, it would mean a long term commitment, without much fruit if any. It would be out of obedience to Him rather than a burden.

Going to a wedding October 16th!

2010-04-21T07:20:00.000-07:00

Engagement Pictures

Check out this link to pictures of two love birds and a dog!

2010-02-04T12:15:00.000-08:00

CLARION CONSULTING

Later this month we will host a Pre-Field Connection for those preparing to go overseas soon. We will assist in helping people understand the Clarion instruments and how they are wired so they and then go through some team building exercises to prepare them for teamwork in the future. Check out the web link above. This is what others are saying:

"The Clarion model of team development has proven very helpful. As team members come to understand themselves and each other better, teamwork is greatly enhanced -- individual strengths of each person are maximized and weaknesses minimized in the context of building far more complementary relationships."
Steve Richardson
President, Pioneers

"I have commissioned many team assessments over the last 15 years but have found this one to be, by far, the most practical and helpful. I'm excited about...taking our team through it."
Pete Kelly
National Director of Leadership Development, Campus Crusade for Christ

"I brought Jay in on two occasions to be part of our Wildfoote Leadership Weeks, focused on the development of high capacity leaders. Jay demonstrated a remarkable ability to help these leaders discover their gifts, passions, personality, and abilities and to discern where the convergence of these characteristics could lead to effectiveness. Many leaders referenced this as a defining moment for them. I would highly recommend the services of Jay Galligher and Clarion Consulting for your organization, business, and/or team."
Tim Barnes
Executive Pastor, Richwoods Christian Church

"I've read the Seven Habits and other such books, but never really made progress. The Clarion approach helped me in three important ways: I better understand myself, I better understand how I interact with others in team settings, and the coaching helped me follow through and begin executing my plan for personal growth."
Dave McClure
Siemens Corporation

2010-02-04T11:21:00.000-08:00

Great is Thy Faithfulness
Welcome to another decade!! It is Hard to believe that 2010 is already here. We have so much to look forward to this year and the years ahead. In May, we will celebrate 30 years with PIONEERS. As we reflect back to May 1980, when we first left for Papua New Guinea, we are so thankful for all He has allowed us to experience through the years.
CONNECT
In February, our team is hosting CONNECT, a one week conference for our missionaries. We will spend our time listening to their stories as a group (after we kick it off with a super bowl party), small groups and individuals. It is also a great time for them to connect with God and other missionaries serving with PIONEERS. Pray for us as we focus on those coming from our areas of the world. We have a family with 5 kids coming from Chad. There are two people coming who are preparing to go to North Africa and a single lady from Senegal. Missionaries that came to CONNECT in the past said, “I had no idea what God had for me here." "At CONNECT, I learned that I am not alone." "I appreciated the honesty and how personal it was." Please pray for us during this week February 7-12.
Trips in 2010
What else is happening in 2010? So far, we know that, We will be going to Colorado to receive training in debriefing missionaries. In the fall we are planning to go to Thailand for the International Leadership Conference, where all of PIONEERS field leaders will come together for a week of meetings. This will be a great opportunity for us to get to know PIONEERS field leaders from Africa, The Middle East, India and surrounding countries.
Family Update
Our kids are also facing lots of challenges and changes this year and we would appreciate your prayers as they move forward in what the Lord has for them. Jessica’s husband, John, joined the army and is now at his training school in AZ. In April they will receive their orders and they will be moving from Orlando. Jessica has done a great job at keeping things going for their home and family while John has been away. We are going to miss having them close by and hanging out with our grandsons! Thanks for praying for them.
Jonathan is moving back to Germany in February. Through a variety of circumstances and situations he believes this is the best thing for him and his family. We are disappointed they will not be living nearby, but we are excited that they will be back together as a family! We would appreciate your prayers for them.
Randy recently moved to Washington from California and plans to go to school there. The cost of living is much better for him there and he has found a part time job and housing. Pray for him to find a good church and that he will be able to settle down in his new town - Bellingham.
We are thankful that we still have Mary Ann around for a while still! She keeps us young and excited about life. She loves her life and is growing in Him as she has to trust Him in many areas!

Answered Prayer

2009-07-28T09:21:00.000-07:00

Thanks for Praying!

We have been asking people to pray for Randy since he moved to California on July 2nd. Today he begins working part time at a local coffee shop and he is excited! Please pray that he can find another part time job or that this will become full time. They told him that the work load increases when college students start returning for school.

God is Good!
Last week I called him on his cell phone while he was riding his bike. He said, "let me stop so I can talk." While we were talking he said, "hey, there's $11.00 on the sidewalk, I'm making money out here!" His phone rang right at the moment when he was at the money! I was calling him to see how he was doing and to say we are praying for him and he said he had just interviewed for a job. Later that afternoon he called and said they wanted him to come in over the week-end for orientation.

Europe, Belize, Iraq, and California

2009-07-08T09:55:00.000-07:00

July 2, 2009…Our third child, left home today to go to college in California. I thought that it would not be hard to handle since I have done this numerous times before. His older brother and sister left to go overseas to school in Europe, mission trip to Belize, military service, off to Iraq twice, and eventually, finally entering into marriage to begin their own families.

One would think I would be able to handle my third child leaving just fine. I thought that I was doing great with it until his younger sister asked, “When will we see him again and what is going to happen to his room?” She did not like the answer to either question as it hit her that he really was leaving home! That gave me a few days to begin to ponder his leaving. Of course, my mind went back to so many memories that brought a smile to my face and tears to my eyes! I spent the next few days fighting back the tears and trying to be the brave mama that we all want to be when we know our kids are doing the right thing and we are proud of them but also realizing how much I will miss him. I can remember feeling this same way with his siblings!

It is not like this is the first time he has left home. He went to bible school in Sweden and Germany while we were in France and traveled through Europe on his own for three months. It had become a family joke about all of our farewell and welcome home meals we had for him! What is the difference? Why is it different this time? Each of the other times there was an end date and a return ticket. It is hard to imagine that those two things can change how we see things and how we respond.

Needless to say, when his last day at home had come, it was tough! I did all that needed to be done, hide my tears and put on the brave face. I did warn him ahead of time, that I would probably cry when he left but was not crying because I did not want him to leave but because I would just miss him. I will not forget the look of love he gave me as he gave me one last hug, looking deeply into my eyes saying he loved me and goodbye. It was as if he was searching to see if I really was going to be okay. I tried to be brave, but the tears eventually had to flow out! I watched him go through the security and turn to smile and wave again just before heading over to the train. My son, so tall and handsome and ready for what lies ahead for him and ready to take on the challenges that life will offer. Proverbs 23:24 came to mind, “The father of a righteous man has great joy, he who has a wise son delights in him.”

This has brought about a day of thinking about what God must have felt as he willingly let his son come to earth, take on the human form, knowing all that he would experience. He knew what was ahead for his son, the full picture as we can only make assumptions of things that lie ahead for our kids. God knew the full story, the good, bad and even the ending of his son’s life! Yet, he willingly let him go! He let him go for me and you because of his great love for us. I was just saying goodbye for a short period of time to our son and it was not for anyone but him and the pain was great. Imagine what the Lord felt? Did he give his son a final goodbye hug? We do know that he was proud of him and pleased with him. I feel challenged by this and want the Lord to remember me and have a smile come to his face, to look at me and see a “righteous person that brings him great joy!” I have more than my share of failings, but I know I am loved by the Lord and he does delight in me! I pray you too are assured of that as you face your challenges this week.

A Day at the Flea Market in France

2009-07-08T09:20:00.001-07:00

One day in May on our last trip to France we took a van load of things to try to sell at a flea market in a small beach town in south of France. I knew that we were in trouble when talked to a lady at the information desk and she asked how we could sell things to French people when we were English!!! Anyway, we bravely said we would be fine! My second clue should have been when we entered the area and the man would not stop long enough to listen to what I was asking and just kept insisting that we get out of the van and fill out the papers since this was our first time. I was trying to make sure we were at the right place, because there were two different flea markets in the same area. He just kept insisting this is it and how it is done....just get out of the Van and give us your identity papers!!! So we got out and it was fun watching them try to figure out why our identity paper (driver’s license) was so small and where was all the right information. We did hear Vance's birth date numbers repeated over and over....where were these people when we were trying to learn numbers????

So we bravely reentered our truck and picked what we thought would be a strategic location and as we stepped out of the truck a group of people came over and watched us try to open the doors to get to the tables to begin set up. We were told to arrive between six and eight for set up, so thought we had plenty of time to organize ourselves and be ready for people at 8:00. I do not know if I have ever experienced anything like the next few hours!!! People came from all over the place, like a swarm of bees, they started taking things out of the truck and unpacking them....just attacking the stuff. It was totally out of our control. They ripped open every box we had and emptied them on the ground. They opened everything thing inside the boxes too, which separated things that belonged together. Everyone claimed what they wanted and started asking How much? How much? How much?....I had to just back away and watch...where is a video camera when you need one!!??? It looked like a tornado had just gone through our truck and stuff. It was about 11:30 before it let up and we could begin to organize it. No one seemed to care if it was neat and order or how it looked. We were greenhorns at this and they knew it and just took over. We did not have to stress over how to display things. Of course, our goal was to get rid of it so everything was very cheap and they couldn’t refuse. We sold about 3/4th of what we took.

Although at this point we did not feel like we were even in France, we did fine with the language and whenever we were stuck there seemed to be someone that understood either English or what we were trying to say. I actually had a few people compliment me on my French...not sure if they were trying to sweet talk me into a lower price, but I will take it as a compliment. One lady used her English on me and I used my French on her. Vance had fun learning all about wheeling and dealing with some men from North Africa. I think he even made a few friends. One guy kept coming back just to talk with him. Some people would say they wanted something and would need to go find the money. They would disappear and come back in about 5 minutes with the money. One lady did this about 5 times. Even if the thing was only 50 cents she would leave and come back with 50 cents in the smallest coins. I guess she robbed her kids piggy bank!

One guy got really excited about our washing machine inside the van. He was jumping around and talking really loud in French to me and Arabic to his friends. Vance said it is like new and we could not go any lower on the price. Then he started looking inside and found dried soap and a bobby pin. He had a crowd around showing them every little scratch and anything wrong with it. Vance kept saying it runs like new and we couldn’t go any lower. Then he ran to me and tried to get me to go lower on the price but I refused. Finally after about 20 minutes of discussing this with everyone around, running back and forth between Vance and me and doing a lot of jumping and waving his arms he gave Vance 50 Euros and told him to fold it up and hide the money somewhere because he would be right back. He came back gave us more money, so Vance helped him load it in his car. He drove off looking very content and the drama was over.

cough, sputter, shake...

2009-03-30T21:32:00.000-07:00

We have now been part of the Member Development Team for almost a month. It is hard to believe that time flies by so fast. It has been busy weeks with the first week being part of a program called Pre Field….. and this week being our candidate orientation program. During Pre Field I worked with our missionary children. It is always fun to be a part of what God is doing in TCK (third culture kids) lives. We also both were part of the Clarion Consulting team. It was a good experience for both of us. It’s a joy to see people putting together their gifts, personality, and abilities and coming up with a few statements of what their best contribution is to the ministry the Lord has called them. Lots of aahaa moments!!! This week has been full connecting with visiting missionaries looking to add new members to their team and helping with the interviews of candidates looking to begin their journey of going overseas.

This month Jonathan and I returned the little car we were leasing from a mission tech organization that loans cars to people on furlough. The organization has a heart to serve missionaries in practical ways. Sometimes it is strange but as missionaries we can seem to become attached to our cars….I guess it is because we spend so much time in them traveling, and even at times it is the most consistent thing in our lives. Well this little car acted like she did not really want to return to Texas! We have had her since May and have had no trouble with her. However, on our trip out, she decided to cough, sputter, shake and cut off in traffic and then if that were not enough, the cooling fan would just come on in the night and the battery would be completely dead in the mornings. Do you have jumper cables in your cars? Is that just a missionary thing these days? We asked lots of people and none of them, not even hotel or restaurant managers, had cables. Fortunately, we did not have to walk too far to finds some at the gas station, after finding someone to give us a jump and eventually putting some carburetor injection cleaner stuff in the tank, we were slowly on our way! By the time we arrived, I was happy to turn the little car over to the nice man on the other end, although I had become a little attached and loved the gas mileage we were getting!

Vance and I both have been busy learning all we can about Africa and the ME. We are learning about the countries where we have people living and serving as well as much as we can about the individuals. There is amazing and fascinating work going on! God is moving and we are excited to become a part of what He is doing! We have also been learning more about being a part of a team. So far everyone seems to agree we are on a great team. It is the Member Development Team and our motto is “championing growth and renewal”. Sounds exciting, doesn’t it? Do we not all want someone to be our “champion” and to help us in growth and renewal in our Lord?

2009-03-21T19:37:00.000-07:00

Check out this music video from around the world!

STAND BY ME

Reentry

2009-03-15T11:03:00.000-07:00

February 25, 2009

As I have been trying to process and think through and letting go returning to France and learning more about Africa and the ME while settling here in Orlando, I have been working through a reentry book that we often recommend for missionaries. The Lord has used this little book in reminding me through His word and studying about His time with His disciples….their ministry with Him was just about three years and they experienced some amazing and incredible things during that time and not all of it went their way or how they expected the Lord to work. Recently, I was reading about the end of their time with the Lord here on earth and all they went through seeing Him suffer, resurrect and then His last promise and His ascension. I have been contemplating what where they thinking? How did they feel? How do I relate this to ending our time in France? I think the end of Luke it says that they worshipped him and returned to Jerusalem with GREAT JOY. As I work through this transition, I can worship Him as that is natural and normal for me, however, I have been praying for GREAT JOY, but realize it is a process and that the disciples had to go back and to the houses and have people pray with them. I know that many of you have been there praying for us and be assured that your prayers are being answered. Also in Acts, the Lord sent two men in white, that asked the disciples what were they doing just standing there “staring into space”?? They left and went to pray and worship the Lord. This is actually where my great joy can come from! Thank you to those that have prayed for us throughout our decision making time.

You are God Alone

2009-01-26T07:09:00.001-08:00

Christmas Season

2008-12-17T11:52:00.000-08:00

Christmas season is in full swing now! Being back in the US and in Orlando has taken me down Christmas past memory lane.

Trips to the airport always seems to be apart of memories for me, even back in our PNG days the airstrip played an important part of Christmas memories! The excitement of packages from home, mail, special foods, team mates and Christmas events all took place via landing and taking off MAF planes!

I recently took Randy to the airport and after he left, I walked passed the huge Christmas tree that sits in the airport. Memories began to flood my mind. I remember standing there when our first born returned home from Bible school in Germany to enjoy the holidays with us. The excitement of having Jessica home from Belize for Christmas! My parents had visited during one of our first Christmas’ in Orlando. A smile crossed my face as I thought of the joy and excitement of having my parents for Christmas day in our home! Then again, when they arrived on Christmas day soon after the arrival of Jonathan from Iraq. No words could express the joy, excitement and thankful heart of having him returning safely home from Iraq to be with us for Christmas!

I stood there and looked at the massive beautifully decorated tree and thanked the Lord for so many blessings and great memories! They were not memories of all the work that had gone into being prepared for Christmas, shopping for the right gift, decorating, cooking, cleaning, preparing for people coming and going, wrapping gifts, baking, Christmas cards to mail, fitting in things that we want to do through the season, but were sweet memories of the Lord’s faithfulness and of the excitement and joy of seeing people I love! My heart was lifted up as I look forward to celebrating Christmas again with family and friends.

I realized that many people walked passed the big tree, some in a hurry and missed out seeing it. Others just glanced and walked on, some decided it was worth digging their cameras out to take a picture. One cute little girl captured my heart as she came bouncing full of joy and excitement toward me chatting away as her father hurried along to keep up with her. She came right up to me and asked if I could see the tree! Her whole body expressed her joy, excitement, and wonder at the tree. We chatted a few minutes about it. As she bounced on her merry way having created her first memory of the tree, I collected another one.

I watched her bounce, jump, skip and move on with such enthusiasm for life, Christmas and people. I felt a little jealous and even challenged by this sweet child! I so often get caught up in the “to do” lists and lose sight of what really matters and what is precious in the memories we create now! I asked the Lord to fill my heart with His energy, joy and enthusiasm for life as I continue through this Christmas season and celebration of His birth and my salvation!

Fireproof

2008-11-22T18:32:00.000-08:00

We finally went to see the movie Fireproof. It was very well done with the theme of how to fireproof your marriage. The song, "While I'm waiting" reminded us of the time we've been waiting for our visas for France. Watch the music video below....

Preparing for PIONEERS Pre-Field Connection

2008-11-08T08:15:00.000-08:00

This week-end we are preparing for Pre-Field Connection at PIONEERS Orlando office. Missionary appointees that are getting close to departure will be coming for a week of additional training to complete one of the final steps to the field. Patty will assist with teaching the school age Missionary Kids whose families will arrive on the field soon. The training for the MKs helps them prepare for culture shock, a new language, and the many changes they will face in their new country.

Vance will be helping the candidates with Clarion, a tool used to help with personal and team developement. We are both now Clarion Consultants and hope to use this to help people understand how to use their God-given abilities and gifts to serve on a team more effectively.

Back in the US

2008-11-05T07:21:00.000-08:00

We left France on November 3rd after waiting to see if our visas would arrive in Albertville. They never arrived, but we expect them to come within the next month and a friend in Albertville will pick them up for us. We hope to hear news soon that they have arrived!

On to Germany

2008-10-29T06:22:00.000-07:00

After having time and connecting with who we needed to in the Savoie area, we decided since we had some waiting time we could head toward Germany for a few reasons. One was to connect with a family, we knew in Orlando that had until recently lived south of Paris doing member care for about 4 years. Recently they moved to the Black Forest area where there son attends the Black Forest Academy. It was great to get advice from them and understand a bigger picture of their vision and to reconnect after a few attempts! On Sunday we went to Black Forest Christian Fellowship, a church on the campus for students, staff and local people who speak English.

Of course we also have 3 cute reasons to enter Germany and their names are Clark, Hailley and Alexia and their mama, Sabrina. I had been holding my breath hoping we would have a chance to visit them, but was not sure if it would work out! I am very thankful that we have been able to spend a couple of days getting to know them. I highly recommend being a grandparent!

Clark, who just turned 3, has really grown and he uses both English and German interchangeably as it seems to fit what he wants to say! If all else fails he uses his own language! He loves working on the computer with grandpa.

Hailley, 18 months old is tiny and shy. Her favorite word for grandpa is “nine” “no” in German. She has let him hold her a couple of times and given a few kisses but mostly she is shy with grandpa. Grandma can get away with a lot more! I am enjoying it because usually little ones like Vance more. I am sure if we are here long enough he will win her over! She does love her little sister and showing us all her major parts, such as her eyes and nose and hands.

Alexia, who is just about 6 weeks old, is so tiny and seems to handle all the attention well. She is at the sleep and eat all the time stage, except when mama wants to go to bed, then she is ready to check out the world around her!

I am so thankful for this time with them!

Albertville

2008-10-29T06:12:00.000-07:00

We returned to Albertville and spent some time with Mireille our language partner. She is always a joy to spend time with!! She knows how to speak slowly and simply so that we can understand and she has learned how to listen to us try to explain things in French. We learn a lot when we talk with her because she is patient and corrects our mistakes. She is a retired kindergarten teacher so she has plenty of experience with speaking and listening to simple French. We have been encouraged that we are actually still able to communicate some!

We were also able to connect with other staff at the language school we attended. There has been lots of upgrades done and still things being worked on. It was great to catch up with different friends there. Corine who works in the nursery and the office has been a huge help with our visa process.

We had lunch with a family from GA headed to Senegal. We have been praying for them over the years as they were deciding on going into missions work so it was good to catch up first hand with them during the language learning process which is a step toward what the Lord has called them to in Senegal. We could relate to a lot of the changes and challenges they have had so far learning French. They will have to learn another language in Africa as well.

The mountains are vibrant with color and such a solid reminder of God as our creator!!! Mountains tend to bring peace to my heart.

Chambery Visit

2008-10-29T00:20:00.000-07:00

Thursday,October 23rd
We got up early to go to the government office in Chambery and turned in the letters stating that we are healthy enough to live in France and showed them that we have a letter saying to pay the tax for the visas. They took the letters and said the visas must be mailed to Albertville.

We were disappointed but we did expected this would happen because we know that things must be done through the right channels. It was hard to leave Chambery not having them in our hands, but great to know that we have accomplished the next step. We were told it could take up to a month. We are praying they arrive before we fly out on November 3rd.

Trip to France

2008-10-22T23:10:00.000-07:00

Sunday, October 19

As I sit and think of what to write, I realize I can choose to tell all the good things or all the bad or just combine the two, realizing that those that read this will either see the good or bad depending on their own outlook on things. I am usually a positive person, see the good, and trust the Lord for the best! I have to admit that this whole visa situation has been challenging for me! As we have prayed about and prepared to come to France, in hopes of having this part of our journey completed, I have found myself wavering back and forth about the outcome! The Lord has used scripture to remind me of his love, purposes, and control of all things! Here is an update on our trip so far…..the good and bad, you can decide how you interpret it!

Sunday, Oct 19

After attending a friends wedding, hosting Mary Ann’s Sweet 16 with a houseful of teenagers that ended up as a girls spend the night party, and packing suitcases, Randy drove his very sleepy parents to the airport at 5:30 in the morning. We had tickets to fly “standby”….which we did quite well for 13 hours before having Jessica and Mary Ann pick us up to return back home around 9:30 that evening. We met quite a few others flying standby and enjoyed getting to know them as the day went on! It is amazing to watch people react all day long to things not going as expected! God has truly created each of us as unique individuals!

Monday, Oct 20

We were told that Monday would be the same in Orlando and there was a better chance of flying standby out of Gainesville, so early the next morning Jonathan took us to Gainesville! These trips to and from the airport allowed us some time with our kids although most parents would agree that being driven by your kids is challenging!! It reminded us of how grown up our kids are now and how blessed we are!

Gainesville airport is like stepping back in time! It is very small, has very small planes and everyone is super friendly, full of smiles and thank yous! When we checked in they asked how we got there from Orlando. We told them that our son drove us there and they said, “Ah, he is a good son.” Of course, the first flight was overbooked by one! However, the second flight had plenty of space! We were excited because it meant we would make it for the international flight out of Atlanta. We did have a chuckle when the pilot announced that the air traffic controller had delayed our departure for a few minutes. There were no other planes in sight! To our surprise, by the time we approached the counter in Atlanta, our seats were confirmed and we were spared the last minute excitement of whether our names would be called before that runway door shuts with a bang! I am sure glad we do not have to worry about entering Heaven like that!!! I know my name is already there! We were so excited to have our boarding passes in hand that we did not even bother to look at our seat numbers. As we entered the plane, showing our seats numbers to the stewardess, she told us to cross the cabin and go to the left! That was into first class!!! Need I say more about that!!! All that space is amazing and those chairs are like lazy boys! Of course, we are now spoiled! They did run out of the beef, and we had to have some great tasting chicken and shrimp!!!

Tuesday, October 21

We arrived in Paris at 6:30 in the morning. We arrived 30 minutes early, but being “trapped in the plane” for about 30 minutes after landing made us arrive on time. They fixed the problem, and we were released to begin our journey! It was dark, cold and rainy! As we entered the airport, we were reminded of our first time entering Paris and how foreign everything was! This time, we could read the signs and understand the announcements as well as just breezing right through immigrations and customs!

At 8:00 am we found ourselves in our rental car, dark and rainy trying to find our way out of the Paris airport and onto the expressway toward Grenoble! Fortunately, the traffic was horrible and everyone was driving real slow so we could not miss any of the signs!! It took about 2 hours to get out of the Paris area, into the open roads and beautiful country side! Even in the rain it was gorgeous! We had planned on staying the night on the way, however, since things took so long to get to this point we decided to get as close to Grenoble as we could for our appointment. On the way we stopped and met Bridgette and Lucian who have done an incredible job of remodeling a 200 year old house into a Bed and Breakfast that they call Rapha House. The purpose of this house is mainly to host missionaries and pastors in need of rest and restoration.

We continued on our journey still in the rain, very sleepy and eventually in the dark looking for a place to spend the night! Again, we realized how much easier it has been this time! Just knowing a little of the language and culture our coping skills have increased! We found the cheapest place available not realizing they did not have bathrooms in the room or Internet! We were really too tired to worry about it! Not long after showering off the day of traveling, killing a spider in the bed, and a few prayers, we were both sound asleep!

Wednesday, Oct 22

We were up early, had our power bar for breakfast, and out the door so that we would be first in line for our physicals! Vance encountered a larger spider above his head in the car that needed to be removed while driving 110 km an hour in the slow lane! As we approached the town, driving down the small streets, searching for a street named Rue des Allies, still amazed at how old and large the buildings are, how small and narrow the streets are, how much history has passed through this town shows in the street names, some of famous men in French history, others of dates in history, I had to constantly reign in my thoughts and heart. Do you ever play the “what if game”…what if we do not pass the physical? What if they are on strike today (very usual in France to have a “strike day”) What if they cancelled our physical? What if I do not understand everything they ask? Of course, I can only play that game so long before I have to just say, “Lord, I know you are in control of all things and have us here right now for a purpose, calm my heart and thoughts!”

We were greatly relieved when the doors rolled up and we entered with about 30 other people….so much for being first in line as the doors rolled up everyone crowded in! We managed to be third! We were the only ones seated to the right and everyone else went into another room!!! Imagine the questions that went through my mind then! It was not long before we were called back down another hallway and explained to go into a small room and remove our clothes! Fortunately, it was just our upper body! Unfortunately, they do not give you those little paper cover ups that seem way too small and rip so easily when you have them, but I would have loved to had one today! We had to walk into another room, with someone in there and into a small box that took a chest x-ray! After redressing, we were checked by a nurse for the basics, height, weight, eyes, blood sugar, etc…then we saw the doctor. He took our blood pressure and asked if we take any medications or have had any surgeries, sicknesses or diseases on a list he showed us…we tried to explain that the only thing on the list we have had was malaria! He seemed happy with that answer and began to check off lists, and sign his name and stamp seals on about 3 pages and then handed us our papers and x-ray and said, “a souvenir for you from France!” We were told to take our papers to the City Hall in Albertville where we should be able to pick up our visa! Off we went for the 11/2 hour drive to the City Hall with the hope of making it there before it closed! We knew we would need to pay our tax stamps before we would receive our visa, but we just wanted to be sure they were before paying for the stamps.

Arriving in time, we eagerly presented our medical clearance! The lady turned to look in here little card holding box, as we have watched her do before and she turns to us and says, “Do you have your cards?” Vance and I look at each other as if to say, “Did she say what I think she said?” I answer, No, we do not have our cards. She looks surprised, checks her box again, and told us that she would take our medical results and write us a letter in a month then we can come and pick up our cards then! YIKES, not what we wanted to hear! We explained that we were returning to the US next week and would like them to take with us. She said we could go to Chambery (more than half way back from where we came from today) and see if they will give them to us! Please be praying that we will be able to receive them tomorrow! We left there not completely disappointed, but with hope of what tomorrow can bring.

We went by the school to pick up a key to the place we had planned to stay and there was no one around that knew about the key or where it was, so we decided to go ahead and get a start on our journey for tomorrow! It is still raining and we were again driving in the dark through mountain passes, I know we will not get anywhere in time to communicate with our families tonight to see how they are but we move along content that we can trust the Lord and we still have hope as we await tomorrow!

ALEXIA MAY WOODYARD

2008-09-25T09:32:00.001-07:00

Our new grand daughter, Alexia, has safely arrived. She entered into the world yesterday September 24, 2008 at 11:51 p.m. in Nurnberg, Germany. She weighed 3630 gr. (8 lbs. 1 oz) and 51 cm (20 inches) long.

Thanks for praying for her safe arrival. We are excited to have another grand daughter and look forward to meeting her someday!!!

Click here to watch a slide show of Alexia's arrival!

September Update

2008-09-21T07:50:00.000-07:00

Visa for France-We are waiting to hear from France concerning our appointment for our physicals. We were told that they were planning to set a date for sometime in October. We plan to make a quick trip to process and receive our visas as soon as we hear something. Pray that we hear something soon.
New Ministry Partners Needed- We appreciate our financial and prayer partners that have stood behind us through the years. Please continue to pray that our monthly support will reach 100%. It is important that we reach our full support level because the cost of living continues to increase in France. Raising the additional support has been difficult at this time. We have had individuals who have had to stop supporting us as well as new churches that have told us that they are unable to support us or take on new missionaries at this time. We are encouraged that some have been able to increase their support. Pray as we continue to trust Him to provide our full support so we can return to France.
Ministry Opportunities- Pray as we look to Him for direction and wisdom as we minister to those we come in contact with during our support raising time.
Family
Mary Ann is adjusting well to going to school with 4300 other students at the 2nd largest high school in Florida. Pray for her as she makes new friends and faces new challenges. She is taking Spanish and knowing French helps, but it is sometimes hard to keep from using French rather than Spanish in class.

Randy is excited about going to Daytona State College next semester to begin a degree in Photography. He will need to find housing and a job in that area. Pray for us as we apply for scholarships and grants.

Jessica and John are expecting their second child in February. Little John is 18 months old now and beginning to expand his vocabulary and grandma is enjoying time with him! John is an electrician and due to the economy his work is slowing down. We would appreciate prayer for all of them.
Jonathan has had different jobs since he came to Orlando in the spring. Sabrina and the kids are in Germany hoping to move to America. Pray that Jonathan will find a good steady job so his family can join him. There is a lot of "red tape" to go through to get them here. They are expecting their third child anytime now!

We appreciate your prayer for our family as they each face
their own challenges!

Happy Cows speak French!

2008-08-28T11:56:00.000-07:00

2008-07-11T10:28:00.000-07:00

(Blog by Vance) Why Micah 6:8? I wrote Micah 6:8 on the home page of this blog because it was the verse read to me at my graduation from High School in 1976. Since it was given to me as I was transitioning into adulthood and seeking God's will for my life, I've been reminded about this verse through the years. No matter where we lived and no matter what we were doing I remembered what He required of me... "to act justly, love mercy,and to walk humbly with God."
Check out this verse in other translations using the search tool below.
Multi-translation Bible Search Tool

A New Way to Walk the Dog

2008-07-08T14:29:00.000-07:00

2008-07-08T14:25:00.000-07:00

Everyone loves to plant flowers on their apartment porch.

2008-07-08T14:17:00.000-07:00

During the Rugby season in France, Goliath was given blue, white and red ribbons and he became a fan for the blue team. The night we were watching the game at a restaurant in Vias he was also given lots of food from people around us. Everyone loves dogs there.

Wow! It is hard to believe these places are 2000 years old.

2008-07-08T14:13:00.000-07:00

Catch Me if You Can!

2008-07-08T14:08:00.000-07:00

When we arrive home our dog, Goliath, always acts like we have been away for a week and he is ready to play chase for ten minutes before he settles down.

France's Blue, White and Red Flag

2008-07-08T14:03:00.000-07:00

2008-07-07T09:03:00.001-07:00

We had a great forth of July at our friends home in Orlando. We went outside and watched 360 degrees of fireworks around the neighborhood.

HAPPY FOURTH OF JULY

2008-07-06T17:37:00.000-07:00

We just wanted to wish each of you Happy Fourth of July. We are looking forward to being with family and friends this evening!