ABC Family

Our life has been taken over by the Lord! Literally! We find ourselves, for the first time, totally and completely dependent on Him and His people. This is so very humbling and exciting. We are learning so much and growing daily in our faith. Yet we know that we will never be fully prepared for what the Lord has in store for us. We keep plugging along, praying that we are doing everything that we should be doing to get us to the mission field. However, we know that most of the work will be done by the Lord.

Jeremy is becoming a proficient speaker. Anyone who knows my husband knows that he'd much rather be behind the scenes. He's very happy sitting in the sound booth at church every Sunday rather than being the one at the podium. However, the Lord is growing him. He's been asked to step out of his comfort zone and it's wonderful to see the change in Him. We've (ok...Jeremy) spoken 6 times in the past 14 days and have four more speaking times lined up for the next 7 days. One of our pastors asked that we go around and share what the Lord is doing in our lives with all of our church Sunday School classes and we're trying to make the rounds. It's so wonderful to speak in these classes. Some of these people we know well. Some, we just kind of know but have never been able to really talk much. And still others ask if we're new to the church or the communtiy when we enter the door of their SS class. It's funny because we're there every time the church doors open, yet our church is bigger than we thought. It seems so small and intimate, yet with two services it's hard for everyone to know everyone. This is one of the many blessings the Lord has already shown us through this process. We're building relationships, we're making new friends, we're connecting with our Body of believers. The results have been astonishing! All classes are different. Some make us laugh, others make us cry. Some want us to take 5 minutes (and they really means it! ;)) Other classes would probably have us speak through lunch if they could. Each class has its own personality and each class is wonderful in its own way. We are so very blessed and can't wait to see what else the Lord will show us through the classes!

We do have three churches that have asked us to speak so we're very excited about that. We're praying that the Lord uses us to spread His word and His mission to as many people as are willing to hear. This is His ministry and His work. We are so privileged to share what He's doing in our lives and others' lives on the mission field.

Speaking of others' lives, we were blessed beyond measure last night to be able to meet with Dr. Jack Chinchen and his lovely wife, Nell. We also met their daughter, Marion, and her sweet family. The Spencer's are home for a year on furlough and Jack and Nell are home for just a couple of months. The Chinchen's were "bush" missionaries in Liberia for seven years before they started African Bible Colleges in 1978. They now have three campuses in Liberia, Uganda, and of course, Malawi! This family is so very special and I can't wait to get to know them more.

Jan and Thad Harper (missionaries for 11 years in Africa and the Middle East and wonderful friends of ours who first introduced us to ABC) hosted these two families. Their son, Josh Harper, and his sweet wife Rebecca were also there. Josh and Rebecca just came back from Malawi after serving for a year as teachers at the ABC Academy. Melissa Morgan, who leaves for a year in Malawi on Aug. 10th, was also able to meet the family and introduce herself. It was so wonderful to count the number of missionaries all under this one roof! 16! All connected to ABC. All servants of the Lord! The Lord is so gracious in allowing us to meet these fellow missionaries before we even arrive. It just makes us so much more excited! Can we go tomorrow??

Jeremy and I are off for a few days on the beautiful Florida beach. His parents are spoiling the kids for the week and giving us a much needed break. We realize it'll probably be the last for a very long time. We'll keep you updated. Please remember to keep our family in your prayers. We are totally reliant on the Lord and you, His faithful servants, to be our Prayer Warriors during this exciting and trying time in our lives. Thank you for your support! We love you all!

Jill

Mother/Daughter day!

I spent most of today having a "girls day" with Tink. We haven't been able to have much Mother/Daughter alone time recently so I asked if she wanted to go shopping with me this morning. Oh, she's getting so big and we had a wonderful time. Our first stop was at Seattle Drip for a coffee drink and muffin! Yay! We love coffee drinks and this was extra special for us because we never afford them! The next stop was the school supply store where I wanted to look at bulletin board items for my school room at ABCCA. I'll be teaching 3rd grade so I needed to come up with a theme for the classroom and something for the door and the AR board. We decided to do monkeys (it fits, don't you think!?) and there are tons of items for monkyes around the store. Who knew monkey's were so popular! I'm getting so excited about getting into the classroom and meeting the kids.

After School Aides we went to the mall (which is right across the street). It's funny because Tink didn't even remember that mall. We just never really go shopping and I had to tell her it's the place where we get your photo made with Santa. She finally recognized it once we got there but that just shows you how much we shop. If I need something I go to the one store that I need that item from and that's it. But since this was a girls day we went to the mall. We found some great clearance items at Belk and were able to pretty much complete Tink and Prince's clothing needs for the next year or two (and all at 75% off!). We're trying to stock up to be prepared for the kids growing, etc. Princess already had a good bit and we still need a couple of things for them all but we're slowly building everything up. I never knew how hard it would be to get prepared for a move like this. It's one thing to think of the things you need for your house but it's another to plan for the things that your kids will need. Plus, we're trying to plan for birthdays and Christmas time while we're there because the items that will be available to purchase there seem to be very expensive... if they are available.

After a fun lunch in the food court, and a stop in the photo booth for those silly instant photos, we were off to both of our favorite store, Barnes and Noble! Tink had some birthday money to spend and that's where she wanted to spend it. She bought the original "Wizard of Oz", "National Velvet", and a book of Shakespeare stories. She's always loved Shakespeare and is constantly asking me to read her one of the story books that we have of his stories. She made me track her down another book full of his stories and it's beautiful! How many 8 year olds have even heard of Shakespeare?? She's a pretty amazing girl.

Jeremy and the other two stayed home and worked on the house. We're getting ready to put a sign in the yard and praying that the Lord will bring the people that He's chosen to buy our house soon. We know that the Lord has called us to Africa and raising support and selling a house is no problem for him! I can't wait to see Him work.

We'll be speaking in two different Sunday School classes in the morning so please pray that goes well. I'll keep you posted! Three churches have approached us about speaking so things are moving steadily alone. The Lord is Faithful! I am simply in AWE of Him!

Teachers Needed

We are so ready to be at ABC! I know the Lord will provide in His own timing. He is teaching us so very much through this fundraising process and we're learning to rely totally and completely on Him. It's so very humbling. At the same time our human emotions get in the way and we'd just jump on a plane tomorrow if we could.

I received an email from ABC the other day stating that they are still very much in need of teachers for this upcoming school year. They were hoping that our family would be there by August so that we could help fill that need. I have been assigned to a third grade class and I'd really love to be able to take those children. Oh, it's so hard. I know the Lord will provide!

Here is a little about the Academy: We are a small school (K-4 through 9th grade). We have about 300 students and growing. Our main objective is to offer a quality Christian education with good materials and resources from the United States. We keep tuition at a minimum by using volunteer teachers. We try to keep all our class sizes at 20. Our classes are 50% expatriot (any nationality other than Malawi) and 50% Malawian. We have Christian and non-Christians at our school. ABC Christian Academy is owned and governed by the AFrican Bible College Mission. We are always looking for Christian volunteer teachers to spend 1-2 years in Malawi and teach.

We are still looking for several teachers at the ABC Christian Academy for the upcoming academic year 2010-2011. We need one K-4 teacher, one Third grade teacher, a Sixth grade teacher, a P.E. teacher, and a middle school English teacher (grade 6th-9th).

If anyone feels led to serve the Lord in Malawi this upcoming school year (or anytime at all) please let us know and we'd be happy to put you in touch with someone who can answer any and all questions.

Please pray for us as we desire to follow the Lord in His calling. Pray that our support will arrive and that the Lord's people and His churches will see to it that His work is done in Malawi, Africa! God bless!

The Blessings of the Lord!

Our support is coming along and we're so very humbled and excited to see the ways the Lord is leading His people to support this ministry. I am in awe of Him and His love and grace in our lives. To think, we deserve NOTHING and honestly don't feel worthy to ask for anything from Him. Yet He is our ever-present provider and sustainer. He is Love! And He shows His love for us daily, if we'll take the time to look!

This weekend I was floored when I received an email from my cousin, Terri Cochran. Late last night (after we should have already been in bed...hehe) an email came through saying that this past week her church, Pinegrove Baptist Church in Picayune, raised an extremely generous amount of money during their VBS offering to go towards the ministry our family is preparing for in Africa! I called her just a second ago (as soon as we got home from church) and she mentioned that every day as the offering plate was passed the pastor would ask the kids where the money was going to. The kids would all respond, "The Kysers!" I started crying! I wish we could hug each child and family that poured their hearts into this offering! I'm in awe of Him and His use of this small little church in Picayune (small in size only!!!! Boy, do they have a heart for missions!!!)! The Lord will use His people in mighty ways! And the best part is that He will use them for His glory alone! He will enable churches and people to do things seemingly impossible to the world. In that...He gets all of the glory!!!!

Praise God from whom all blessings flow! Praise Him all creatures here below! Praise Him above ye heavenly hosts! Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost!

VBS Week 2010

VBS was held at our church this week and I was honored to be the 2nd grade missions teacher. What a blessing those kids were to me! We learned so much about different missionaries around the world and there were 9 professions of faith out of the 2nd grade! 11 total!!! The Lord was really working!

We were very honored to be the recipients of the missions offering this year for our VBS. I've never been in the position to be on the receiving end of an offering and to be honest...I feel a lot more comfortable being on the giving end. But the Lord is teaching our family so very much. One of the things He's teaching us is to be able to humbly accept His gifts and the gifts of His people so that, in turn, we will be able to go to Africa and give even more! For this short period we will be the receivers so that we will be fully equipped to be the givers again! (It's still hard though.)

Bro. Joseph (our wonderful Children's minister) set some goals for the missions offering. If we got to the first goal then he got a pie in his face. If we reached the second goal then Mrs. Kathy (our worship leader for VBS and wife of our Minister of Music) would get a pie in her face. If we reached our final goal then Bro. Greg (our pastor) would be the recipient of a pie as well! On Friday we reached our final goal and our family was asked to put the pie's in our precious Ministers' faces! Oh, that was hard. Tink and I put the pie in Mrs. Kathy's face. We tried to be good and not smear it too much! I knew she didn't want whipped cream up her nose. But Bro. Joseph and Bro. Greg were not so lucky. Bro. Joseph's wife, Jennifer, put the pie in his face and she smeared it all over the top of his head and all over his face! yuck! And Jeremy and Prince put the pie in Bro. Greg's face! Jeremy emptied the bottles of whipped cream into the pie plates! It was a huge pile. Bro. Greg thought he'd be smart and put his cap that covered his head over his face...but Jennifer and Jeremy still made sure to get his face! It was a lot of fun and the kids had a blast! What a great memory!

We do love our home church so very much and are so grateful for the support that they have shown thus far in our missions effort! We are so very blessed and can't wait to send them back many many pictures and stories of how their VBS money is going to help the people of Malawi, Africa!

The Waterbottle!

Isaiah 65:24

This is a story written by a doctor who worked in Africa . One night I had worked hard to help a mother in the labor ward; but in spite of all we could do, she died, leaving us with a tiny, premature baby and a crying two-year-old daughter. We would have difficulty keeping the baby alive; as we had no incubator (we had no electricity to run an incubator). We also had no special feeding facilities.

Although we lived on the equator, nights were often chilly with treacherous drafts. One student midwife went for the box we had for such babies and the cotton wool that the baby would be wrapped in. Another went to stoke up the fire and fill a hot water bottle. She came back shortly in distress to tell me that in filling the bottle, it had burst (rubber perishes easily in tropical climates).

'And it is our last hot water bottle!' she exclaimed. As in the West, it is no good crying over spilled milk, so in Central Africa
it might be considered no good crying over burst water bottles. They do not grow on trees, and there are no drugstores down forest pathways.

'All right,' I said, 'put the baby as near the fire as you safely can, and sleep between the baby and the door to keep it free from drafts Your job is to keep the baby warm.'

The following noon, as I did most days, I went to have prayers with any of the orphanage children who chose to gather with me. I gave the youngsters various suggestions of things to pray about and told them about the tiny baby. I explained our problem about keeping the baby warm enough, mentioning the hot water bottle, and that the baby could so easily die if it got chills. I also told them of the two-year-old sister, crying because her mother had died.

During prayer time, one ten -year-old girl, Ruth, prayed with the usual blunt conciseness of our African children. 'Please, God' she prayed, 'Send us a hot water bottle today It'll be no good tomorrow, God, as the baby will be dead, so please send it this afternoon.'

While I gasped inwardly at the audacity of the prayer, she added, 'And while You are about it, would You please send a dolly for the little girl so she'll know You really love her?'

As often with children's prayers, I was put on the spot. Could I honestly say 'Amen?' I just did not believe that God could do this.

Oh, yes, I know that He can do everything; the Bible says so. But there are limits, aren't there? The only way God could answer this particular prayer would be by sending me a parcel from the homeland. I had been in Africa for almost four years at that time, and I had never, ever, received a parcel from home.

Anyway, if anyone did send me a parcel, who would put in a hot water bottle? I lived on the equator!

Halfway through the afternoon, while I was teaching in the nurses' training school, a message was sent that there was a car at my front door. By the time I reached home, the car had gone, but there on the verandah was a large 22-pound parcel. I felt tears pricking my eyes. I could not open the parcel alone, so I sent for the orphanage children.. Together we pulled off the string, carefully undoing each knot. We folded the paper, taking care not to tear it unduly Excitement was mounting. Some thirty or forty pairs of eyes were focused on the large cardboard box. From the top, I lifted out brightly-colored, knitted jerseys. Eyes sparkled as I gave them out. Then there were the knitted bandages for the leprosy patients, and the children looked a little bored.. Then came a box of mixed raisins and sultanas - that would make a batch of buns for the weekend.

Then, as I put my hand in again, I felt the.....could it really be?

I grasped it and pulled it out. Yes, a brand new, rubber hot water bottle. I cried.

I had not asked God to send it; I had not truly believed that He could.

Ruth was in the front row of the children. She rushed forward, crying out, 'If God has sent the bottle, He must have sent the dolly, too!'

Rummaging down to the bottom of the box, she pulled out the small, beautifully-dressed dolly. Her eyes shone! She had never doubted!

Looking up at me, she asked, 'Can I go over with you and give this dolly to that little girl, so she'll know that Jesus really loves her?'

'Of course,' I replied!

That parcel had been on the way for five whole months, packed up by my former Sunday school class, whose leader had heard and obeyed God's prompting to send a hot water bottle, even to the equator.

And one of the girls had put in a dolly for an African child - five months before, in answer to the believing prayer of a ten-year-old to bring it 'that afternoon.'

'Before they call, I will answer.' (Isaiah 65:24)

VBS Week 2010

I've just started working my 8th VBS in a row! We are doing Saddle Ridge Ranch at my home church, Morrison Height Baptist Church. It's a lot of fun and this year they asked me to be a missions teacher (go figure)!

I love having the opportunity to teach the Word and to teach missions to these precious 2nd graders that are in my room. Today we learned about a family from South Africa who works with the XHOSA people to run an ostrich farm! It is amazing to me the different ways the Lord allows His name to be proclaimed throughout all of the earth!!

As a family we were very humbled a few days ago when our Children's minister asked if they could donate the missions money received during the 5 days of VBS to our support raising efforts. We were asked to turn in pictures of our family, the ABC campus, and Malawi to be shown each day as the offering baskets are passed. Wow, I can only say that I was speechless. We are simply in awe of the different ways that the Lord is leading His people to help us raise support to get to Malawi. I am honored to be able to see the fruit of His labor in person. So many times the Lord blesses us and we don't recognize or realize it. How many gifts, honors, blessings has He given that I'm unaware of or that simply went without giving thanks? I pray each day that I will see His work around me and in His people. And that I will remember to praise Him for all that He is doing and will do! The Lord is sooo good! He is awesome! And when you open your eyes to see the everyday blessings, big and small, in your life you will live again in AWE of Him!