Falling Apart

My imagined conversation with God:

Me: Hey God.

God: Hello…

Me: I’m falling apart. Can You put me back together?

God: I would rather not.

Me: Why?

God: Because you aren’t a puzzle.

Me: What about all of the pieces of my life that are falling down onto the ground?

God: Let them stay there for a while. They fell off for a reason. Take some time and decide if you need any of those pieces back.

Me: You don’t understand! I’m breaking down!

God: No- you don’t understand. You are breaking through. You are shedding things in your life that are holding you back. You aren’t falling apart. You are falling into place. Allow those things that aren’t in My will to fall off. Quit holding onto the pieces that don’t fit you. Let them fall off.

Me: Once I start doing that, what will be left of me?

God: Only the very best pieces of you.

Me: I’m scared of changing.

God: You aren’t changing. You are becoming!

Me: Becoming who?

God: Becoming who I created you to be. A person of light and love and charity and hope and courage and joy and mercy and grace and compassion. I made you for more than the shallow pieces you have adorned yourself with. Let those things fall off. I love you. Don’t change… become who I made you to be.

Me: There goes another piece.

God: Yep. Let it be.

Me: So… I’m not broken?

God Of course not, you are breaking like the dawn. It’s a new day.

Edited, original author unknown

Words are Hard

I had the opportunity to visit Scotland several years ago and was captivated by the warmth of the Scots I met. I also fell in love with the beauty of the land.

While there I visited the Isle of Skye, Culloden battlefield and many castles. And a character with a fascinating story planted herself in my head and won’t leave me alone till I finish writing about her adventures. So I am in the process of editing, re-editing and editing again The Voyage of the St Andrew.

But, words are hard. It’s difficult to put onto paper the color, smell, taste, pictures and sense of the beautiful land. My feisty heroine seems to get into trouble even when trying not to.

Please join me as I try to keep up with my heroine and her adventures.

Roxanne

New Things

“Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know.”
Jeremiah 33:3

God has indeed shown me new things. I’ve had the privilege of serving in many places on medical missions. And He has given me the time and space to pursue my lifelong dream of writing.

I began writing when I was seven and have continued to pen various short stories and flash fiction pieces. But He has give me the opportunity to pursue this work seriously. While I’ve published several short stories and some flash fiction I am working now to finish my historical novel, “The Voyage of the St Andrew” set in the 1680’s Scotland.

In a little over a month I will attend the Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writer’s Conference. As I prepare, I am reminded of how much I depend on God in this adventure. Writing a novel is hard, as hard as surviving medical school and residency training.

Please join me on this adventure.

From the rising of the sun

Photo from my friend Judy Bowen, full-time missionary in Togo at the mission hospital.

Looking Back

Painting Toenails is a Great Part Of Mission Work

Looking Forward

Jim and Roxanne hope to serve in Ukraine the second week of October

Grace Bible Church will send a mission team to the Dominican Republic in January 2022

Below are some photos of previous Construction/Medical missions to the DR

We’re Home!

We may be in Wisconsin but our hearts are still in love with Togo and it’s people. Please pray for the mission there: Hôpital Baptiste Biblique (HBB)

Due to the limitations on travel they have had fewer short-term missionaries and this has put a strain on the full-time missionaries.

Our God is good and will provide just the right help at just the right time!

Around HBB

Mama with premie daughter

Bath day at the cuisines

This little guy was picking flowers for his mother

My translator, Fofo, with his daughter. His wife died several years ago. He is great at sharing the Gospel with our patients.

One of the full time missionary families had some additions while we were here

It’s Not All Work :-}

John and Betty brought an ice cream machine over in a container a few years ago

So we had an Ice Cream Social on Saturday.

What could be better than ice cream and a good book in the shade on a Togo afternoon? This is a girl after my own heart!!

Some of the little ones thought it was the perfect opportunity to play in the mud…till their dad came to wash them off.

And boys will be boys anywhere

Harmattan

At the end of the dry season the hot winds from the Sahara (the Harmatan) sweep down to the Plateau here and bring so much sand we can hardly see the mountains

And almost blots out the sun

COVID vaccination clinic at HBB

Ladies preparing a special lunch for after the Easter service at the Goudevé church

This Sunday School student is thrilled with her memory verse paper

I love this picture from church Sunday in the Goudevé village. We were trying to get a picture with the pastor and one of the other leaders in the church and the whole congregation ran up behind us to get in the picture! Can’t leave them out….THEY are THE CHURCH!