A piece of pie can bring peace!!!!

Greetings to ya'll,

Since writing the last blog so so sooooo much has happened in events and what God is doing on the inside of Joel and I.

Captain Jake was able to come up and preach at the three churches. He was our guest speaker so we took him around to each of the three churches. Joel and I did everything but the message and it was wonderful!!!! The message was off the hook and it was nice not to have to preach on Sunday. I love being fed the word of God. Joel and Jake had a great time with "GUY/MALE" bonding. Joel and I also took Jake around our cabin to show him the sights and what this part of the country had to offer. Thanks Jake for such a wonderful time. He will be (God willing) back in January to do another round of preaching at the three churches.

Being over the churches is a stretch for Joel and I. WE have never done this kind of thing before, EVER. It really is overwhelming and mind blowing at times but with God leading and guiding us we can look back on each day and see where the Hand of God was in each situations. WHICH IS AWESOME!!!!!

One of the things that makes me chuckle, laugh, giggle and is a challenge all in the same breath is that in Clark Fork across from our church we have a baptist church. Rumor has it they don't like us, which I find fun, funny, and a challenge to kill them with kindness. I love it I love it I love it. I wave to them and say good morning in a very girlly high pitch voice. (Not to make fun of them, I feel if I were to do it in a serious voice and they were to not respond I would feel rejected. I am being very serious on the inside with wanting to greet them!!!) Some have greeted me back very suprised. Others have turned the other way.

The other day was so much fun. WE (the church) after service put up Christmas decorations. on the inside and kind of on the out side. WE put up the tree on the inside and Mary, Joseph and Jesus on the outside. A man from the church started yelling at us or "evangelizing" Saying we shouldn't worship a Catholic holiday, and we shouldn't go to bars and he was going to sit there and preach the gospel to who would ever listen. Well being we were the only one's on the street besides him my guess was he was preaching to us. Hehehe so fun, RIGHT? Me being the adventurous one and wanting to conquer with kindness I went inside grabbed a piece of pie we had had from "fellowship" time and went out to give it to him. Every one else had gone inside by this time. I really didn't know what the man was going to do. He could have thrown it back in my face or threw it on the ground and stomped on it. All of these scenarios were playing in my head as I approached him. I said "Hello sir would you like a piece of pie" He looked at me smiled and took it. Just before I turned away to walk back to the church he said "Thank you and God Bless you" I was so pumped you wouldn't even believe it. A few minutes later both Joel and I got in our car to leave and the man and I waved at each other and said Good bye to one another. I was loving it. Thank you GOD!!!!

Other things have happened with the three churches. Joel and I both felt really really really strongly to start a prayer meeting at each church. We find it so important to cover the church, the people, our loved ones, community, and anything else on our hearts in prayer. There have been a few who have came out. One woman had never been to a prayer meeting and asked what happened at a prayer meeting so we explained it to her. It really is great to pray as one body with the saints!!!

We had a death in the church. A lady lost her life to Cancer. That was really hard. I cried and cried. I don't really want to go into details or talk about it but God is good and has been speaking peace over me as Joel and I mourn. Please pray for her husband as he grieves over her death.

Bible studies have been good. We have homework every once in a while. Last homework we had was "Do good people go to heaven" "Did Jesus sin" "Is questioning/doubting God sin" You know even when Joel and I have answers to the questions we like to have homework so everyone can go and study the bible on our own and seek out God. I love it.

One last thing to praise God for. I was really wanting some girl friends that I could talk to that I knew and they knew me. I prayed to God asking for this and within 30 minutes if not less Kippin my best friend called. We talked and I felt better and over a course of a few weeks I have had at least 5 girls from around the country who I know through Friend Ships email or call me saying that God had put me on their hearts or that they had been really wanting to talk to me. Thank you God for providing what I need when I need it. Thank you for answering prayer!! You are a good and awesome God!!!

Well that is it. The following pics are from being in Idaho and from our "American" Thanksgiving we had at my parents place. I love family. It is so good to be with loved ones.

WE love ya'll very much and miss all of you that are far away from us. May God richly bless your day. And know that Jesus came to give us life and to give us life in Abundance!!! Amen

God's love through Jesus,
Dess

Joel and I

My Sister Tammie, Mom, and I

My Nephew Dean and I