October 24, 2022
Fall Colors and Many Projects
Greetings from the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains! Everyone in these mountains says we experienced a radiant fall this year, the best in years. It has been enchantingly peaceful, hasn’t it? For us it is the first fall we have been in the USA for 10 years! One day I woke up to the morning yellow glow of the forest coming in our picture window (more on that window later). It looked like a life-size wall photograph! It is a reminder that fall is my favorite season.
We are enjoying new experiences and making new friends! Emmanuel is finishing up his soccer season with a more confidence and some new skills. He is working on his bicycle kick and jinga moves to be like Pele. This has been a way for him to make new friends and integrate into life here. It has been a blessing and fun for us to connect with other soccer parents, old and many new friends. We even joined the club of parents with glider folding chairs. If you aren’t familiar with gliders, check them out as they make spectating more enjoyable. Emmanuel is talking about learning how to downhill ski or snowboard, so now we are trying to figure out how to do this.
We are enjoying experiences in the woods, fall photography, hiking, and I (Lindsey) have joined a masters swimming group. We have more freedom of movement in America and take every opportunity given to us. Our church has been a wonderful community to fall back into. We continue to meet with a similar group of people as we did when we first went overseas. It is lovely to see Emmanuel feel like he belongs in the children’s programs here. We were able to reconnect with our friends the LaRochelles who are visiting from DRCongo. It is fun to see the joy on their faces as they play together again. My dear friend Erin came out for a few days over fall break and we went up Grandfather Mountain, enjoyed the fall colors, and went to an indoor waterpark. What fun we had!!!
My friend Mel and I climbed Calloway Peak in the Blue Ridge Mountains. It was an 8 mile hike round trip, through the fog to a rocky crag looking all the way to Tennessee. Interestingly there is still a remaining plane wreckage from 1978 on the trail near the top. Muted lighting made for striking photographs of moss and fungi, etc. There were so many shades of green which I tried to capture on camera. At one point we were sure that we weren’t alone (!), with strong smells and muddy prints all around. We never saw the bear, but we felt quite sure that he saw us! They say trust your instincts right?
We always enjoy working on projects when we are back in the US. Warren is very handy around home so we are able to do a lot ourselves. The home renovation project that I was most impressed with (and that also gave me a heart attack) was removing a picture window that had accumulated water deposits on the inside. Initially it seemed like Warren was calling around for estimates/advice on replacing the window. Then I came home one day and found that he had taken the HUGE 6 foot window out and already separated the two panes of glass. This was a moment where you can’t exactly go back to what you had before. We cleaned both sides of the glass and re-glued it together and it is still holding together. We have enjoyed the trees changing from this vantage point in the living room…a true picture window. We are renovating a duplex unit he has had for many years which has included new flooring and countertops.
End Times
We are studying the book of Revelation in church. I am relieved that God will be in control of all of the events in the end times. It will be terrible day to witness the destruction that will come on the earth and those who rebel against God. Yet, destruction is necessary to re-build a world that is so incredibly broken. There are angels that bring destruction…the seals, the trumpets, and the bowls. There will be worldwide destruction and chaos. Imagine the world going silent and dark as with the seventh sign. There are multiple prophesies in the Old Testament talking about end times, “revelation awaiting an appointed time.” Even Habakkuk 2:20 says, “But the Lord is in his holy temple, let all the earth be silent before him,” as with the famous seventh seal. Yet God in His mercy is in control of it all and does not want all to perish, but to repent and believe in Jesus. Yet not all people will do this, leaving no choice for Him to judge the earth.
Even today as I read Psalm 94, I am reminded of the terrible injustices in the world. It feels like the older I get the more I see the twisted, proud, hateful, deceitful heart of man and injustice that seems to reign in the world. How many innocent children have been affected by senseless violence? How long, O Lord? How long will people abuse their power over others, as if there was no consequence to them? I think immediately of Ukraine, DRC, Yemen, and countless other places. In this world we are not truly free to live as God created us to. But this injustice and suffering is not unnoticed by God and this will come to an end someday. Then everything will be made new and there will be no more curses, sickness or pain and I will be out of a job!
Psalm 94:1-7; 20-23
“O Lord, the God of vengeance,
O God of vengeance, let your glorious justice shine forth!
Arise, O Judge of the earth.
Give the proud what they deserve.
How long, O Lord?
How long will the wicked be allowed to gloat?
How long will they speak with arrogance?
How long will these evil people boast?
They crush your people, Lord,
Hurting those you claim as your own.
They kill widows and foreigners
And murder orphans.
“The Lord isn’t looking,” they say, “and besides, the God of Israel doesn’t care.”
Can unjust leaders claim that God is on their side-
Leaders whose decress permit injustice?
They gang up against the righteous
And condemn the innocent to death.
But the Lord is my fortress;
My God is the mighty rock where I hide.
God will turn the sins of evil people back on them.
He will destroy them for their sins
The Lord our God will destroy them.”
We appreciate you friends and family and we enjoy hearing from you! Pray for us as we are living in intentional community in North Carolina this fall. Pray for Emmanuel’s studies, friendships, and spiritual nourishment. Pray for wisdom for us as we look to returning to Congo in 2023 and in the meantime as we are encouraged by time with family and friends.
With affection,
Lindsey
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