Taking it all in

If we were at home in the States we would be heading back to church for evening service after a big family meal and a good ol Sunday nap but its after midnight here so we will try going to bed soon. Our bodies still haven't quite figured out that we have gone to the other side of the world and are now 7 hours ahead of what we were used to.   For example, yesterday we laid down for a nap at 9 am after being wide awake at 5am and were shocked to realize it was after 4pm when we finally woke up.  

    Needless to say, we couldn't sleep last night so we were up at 2am cheering on the Florida State Seminoles against Clemson. We couldn't watch the game online so we had my brother , Ray, the ultimate FSU fan and our catalyst for now being Noles, to get on Skype and hold the tablet towards the TV. It worked great and we were so excited to be watching this overtime showdown when suddenly our internet package ran out! The store wasn't open yet to purchase more so we were left wondering who won and couldn't go back to sleep.

    The sun rises here around 5:20am so it's nice to get out shortly after and take Nola & Pip for a walk before the sweltering heat sets in.  Walks with them have been pretty amusing here because people are so shocked and mesmerized to see them since it extremely rare for  anyone here to have pet dogs, especially the size of Nola & Pip.  We have had many people ask to take pictures and one man even tried to purchase them from us for $5,000!

       It's been great to use them as conversation starters with the people of Qatar.  But this morning was special with them because many of the school kids were out waiting on the bus and were very excited to see dogs.  They had never walked a dog before so we let them pet and walk Nola & Pip which brought them great joy and excitement.  This is why we are calling Nola & Pip our mission pups.  

      Qatar is an Islamic nation and while they have recently accepted Christianity into their country there are still many barriers and laws such as not being allowed to hand out Christian material or convert someone to Christianity.  So, even though we knew God sent us here to be a light for Him we weren't sure how we could make much of an impact for Him. This morning though, God spoke to us and said "just exist to show my love." 

     It may not seem like much to us who are used to thinking we have to quote scriptures to someone to get them to believe in Jesus but it can be the planted seed that God waters into a relationship with Him. And with everything going on in the world right now, especially the strife between Muslims and Christians, we see how powerful it can be if we can truly exist to show His love.  This may be the only chance these children (and adults) here can see that many Americans and Christians have peace, joy, and love in our hearts that we want to share with them. This may eventually lead them to searching for themselves about why we bear these fruits and lead them to Jesus.

   When we lived in Georgia we went to a church with a mission statement that read "we exist to show God's love in such a way that people would exchange ordinary living for an extraordinary life through the transforming power of Jesus Christ". We are now seeing how much God can do with us if we simply live by that statement and leave the rest up to Him.   God can use anybody and anything (even chi-weenies) to reach people and it is privilege to be a saved by His grace and now be a part of His works. 

    We also got to go to the doctor today to meet the lady who will deliver our daughter, Jincy Rose, into the world.   It was different at first because we had to sit in separate waiting rooms designated for men and women and were asked to show our marriage certificate because it is illegal here to be pregnant and unmarried. 

    Thankfully, we were at a private facility that allows husbands to come in with their wives and be present at the birth of the baby because government hospitals here don't allow that.  But we were more than thrilled and thankful to learn of the great care Jincy and I will be under for the remainder of the pregnancy and delivery. The nurses, doctor, and facilities  were excellent!   No disrespect to the medical care I received in the U.S but we left this appointment feeling more comfortable and informed than any of my previous appointments in the last 8months.  We had an ultrasound and learned that Jincy now weighs 5.8 pounds and is in a great position for birth.  They also monitored her heart and movements for 20 minutes which was the longest we have heard her precious heart beat.       

           After the appointment the challenge was getting back to our temporary apartment safely because the driving here is a bit scary, but thankfully we made it!   We are looking forward to taking one day at a time and seeing what the good Lord has in store for us. We appreciate your continued prayers and support!! 

Verses on our hearts: 

"But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me."

   -2 Cor 12:9

"By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another." 

 - John 13:35