Art & Melodye Morrison

We're Home

2007-07-02T09:07:00.000-07:00

We arrived home yesterday to a very typical summers day here. The boys were able to visit the captain in the cock pit before our flight and were quite excited to see all the buttons and switches. Upon arriving in Tampa we were made aware of the airport concerns in both London and Scotland. The Lord blessed our trip home as it was uneventful and we found comfort in knowing that He is our protector and wills all things to His plan for His purpose.

We are glad to be home and look forward to seeing our family and friends and sharing what the Lord revealed to us through this recent leg of our journey.

In His Grace
Art and Melodye

Praise God Its Offical!

2007-06-29T14:23:00.000-07:00

We had our introduction to the Board of Directors. We were a little nervous as you are not official until you have met the board and they sign off on you. We went in and were please to see such a diverse group. Business men, some of the International Directors both women and men, young and retirees.

They asked why we has a desire to serve with Crossworld and why Kosovo. We answered with the Lord had laid upon our hearts and we overjoyed when they wished blessings in our service and prayed over us. So we are now officially appointees with Crossworld.

In His Grace
Melodye

Last day...

2007-06-29T11:01:00.000-07:00

Today is the last day we finished our last classes this morning and will meet with the board of directors for our final appointment this afternoon. These two weeks have been stretching and enlightening in a lot of areas. I have made friendships that the Lord has ordained to flourish. Families that from here on out we will pray for growth spiritually as well as for the countries the Lord has put upon on their hearts.

In our venture here we encountered different cultures, different theologies and through our bond of the crucifixion and resurrection of Christ we found a family, a community, a unique body that we will never be able to forget. That as we each are off to the fields He has chosen for us we know that although we are not together somewhere in the world we will have each other praying and loving one another

Tomorrow we will take the boys into the city for site seeing. They are excited they have waited for the past two weeks for this. Then early Sunday morning we will be on a plane home. We are excited to share with you all the things God has enlightened us to.

In His Grace
Art and Melodye

Days flying by....

2007-06-27T09:14:00.000-07:00

Art, the kids and I attended The Blue Church on Sunday with Josh Mills being encouraged by the awesome message. The body was very friendly and sought us out to introduce themselves to us and question us on how our CO training was progressing. The Lord enlightened us to the vision of their body to be a light to the nations. We were pleased to see that in their missions update they spoke of their teams/servants in Russia, Afghanistan, and Kosovo. Mark and Trish Edwards and Rebecca Schell from the team we are hoping to serve with are members of this church. Art and I were privilege to be there as they bathed in prayer their team that were preparing to leave on Tuesday to go to Kosovo and serve on the English camp team. One of the women was the teacher the boys had in Sunday school so they were able to hear her share of the things she will be doing while there.

The are quite active in their Judea/Sumeria realm of missions also. We attended a fundraising luncheon for the youth ministry team that will be going on a group work project serving in Virginia next month. It was awesome to hear these teens share how they are praying the Lord will use them and grow them to be more Christlike in their walk and provide them with a deeper understanding of his word.

Monday and Tuesday and today have consisted of a lot of classroom time to learn about support development. It is giving us a more biblical perspective of support raising.

Each morning a team of three lead us in worship whatever the Lord puts upon their heart. Art and I are scheduled for tomorrow with another young women here preparing for Afghanistan. We are enjoying the worship and devotions at the beginning of every morning really bringing our focus on what the Lord has to say to us.

As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, O God
Psalm 42:1

In His Grace
Art and Melodye

Chinatown, PA

2007-06-23T18:48:00.000-07:00

Today was our cultural outing we split into 2 teams. 1 team walked through the community surrounding the CW home office. This community is predominately Jewish community so they walked through and observed the things that make a community unified. Art,I and the boys went on the second team into Philadelphia and walked through Chinatown. We observed the interaction they had as a community we were to look for 12 indicators. Verbal(spoken language), written(language), numeric(Use of #), pictorial(2d representation), audio(sound and tone), artefactual(furniture,clothing,vehicles), kinesic(gestures), optical(colors), tactile(touch), spatial(space building and personal), temporal(time present and past) and olfactory(flavors and scents). So it was interesting to view a culture from this form of observation. We walked through the area looking for ways their culture was implemented in this small area. It was awesome to see a Christian church on the corner that had 3 services on Sunday. One in Mandarin, one in Cantonese and one in English. This church also has a school that teaches a bible based curriculum In the midst of a community that had idols of Buddhism and Hindu and God's light is shining. I was overwhelmed at the thought of words and songs of worship submitted to our heavenly Father in a language that you and I wouldn't be able to share an understanding but because we are worshipping the same Father we share a glorious bond that will forever make us brothers and sisters in His eyes.

Fatigue is beginning to set in and the temptation for focus to falter is sometimes overwhelming but He has been ever faithful in renewing our hearts and minds. We try not to let the loneliness of not being home near family to upset us. It is very hard to be missing worship in our home Church being feed by teaching of the word but as I have said we will be attending church with Josh Mills tomorrow.

May your worship before our King be full of praises to His holiness.

In the year King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord seated on the throne high and exalted and the train of His robe filled the temple. Above Him were seraphs each with six wings, with two they covered their faces, two they covered their feet and with two they flew And they were calling to one another

HOLY HOLY HOLY s the Lord Almighty; and the whole earth is full of His glory.
Isaiah 6:1-3
In His Grace
Art and Melodye

The Lord is blessing us

2007-06-22T04:49:00.000-07:00

Thursday brought a day full of information as well as a day of examination for the two of us. We met with or psych counselors and the general flow was definitely with the spirit of the Lord. We were evaluated by the testing we sent into them before the CO and it was interesting to see the results. The they spoke with us about using a few training modules as a preparation for the field. They did say that there are some experiences that I had as a child being raised by my mother that I truly need to grieve over I had never thought of as being a stumbling block I thought the Lord had allowed me to forgive her for the life she subjected me to but as they pointed out to me I had hardened my heart to the prospect of dealing with that heart issue. Please pray for me that He will be firm and enlightening on how He would have me to draw out that issue and seek His healing hand in that area of my life.

The children are enjoying their time in the MK program. The are raising funds for children in Guatemala and then preparing a package to go to those children. The curriculum is Young Peacemakers and I am thankful that they are learning it in relationship not just to the conflicts they may encounter at home but also in the field.

Wednesday night we listened to a speaker by the name of Dave Scoville that had served in Papuya, Indonesia for over 30 yrs and the stories he shared were enlightening to the Lord's plan for the nations He can take a people that has never encounter the words in a Big Book and use them to call to him a people that had in the past be one of violence and idols. Dave has written a book entitled The Incredible Dani and is leaving soon to go back so that a film can be made depicting the field as he was there. Art and I were amazed once again at the provisions of the Lord.
We are doing our best to not be homesick but we are missing the teachings and fellowship at home as well but we are resting in His hands as to what He would have us learn while we are here.

In His Grace
Art and Melodye

Lord give us strength

2007-06-20T04:56:00.000-07:00

Day 3 consisted of more teachings but best of all we had to take a language aptitude test(yuk) I always thought the Lord had blessed me with the abilities of learning phonics well but He taught me yesterday not to lean on my own understanding and find strength in Him and boy did He show me that when I do I am subject to fail and the numbers showed. Art(Jimmy) is fellowship with the men here and enjoying the deep theological discussions. The women have such a sweet love for the Lord and His purpose in their lives I am enjoying sharing prayer and discussion time with them.
We miss you all and will write again soon
Art and Melodye

day 2

2007-06-18T17:35:00.000-07:00

Greetings to everyone,
This is Art and Melodye is letting me post todays blog. I must say I am very excited about what is happening here and how God has already seem to grow each of us in such a short amount of time. There is alot of work that goes into this training and we have several (and I mean several) assignments to complete. We have both already had a one on one interview, and we have a psycological interview on Thursday. (We are not excited about the psycological).
Well James and Bobby have made some friends who are their age. It is exciting to see them help their new friends and welcome them into the family like they have always been their brothers...
Melodye is doing fine and is also making friends with the ladies. Its nice to have this time away from home and to be in the "Grace Camp" environment. No TV, no radio, no sheriffs office, no anything but God time and being in Him...
Well it is time to go, I have another study to complete on purity...
Please continue to pray for us as we are being stretched and molded at this time. There are cool things happening and some very strong and difficult things happening. I still can't believe we are at missions training and that we are going to be missionaries. That sounds so foreign to me...
It is all for HIM and may He be PRAISED...

In His Grace,
Arthur

Happy Fathers Day

2007-06-17T16:09:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was a long day but we enjoyed every minute of it. We had a late night visit from Josh on of the young adults that served in Kosovo with Art and we spent an enjoyable time remembering our time together in Kosovo. This morning we had worship and prayer and what a sweet sound of a group of believers that though small in number singing richly and joyously in praise to our Father. We heard a lesson from the president of Crossworld Jim ONeil. After we spent time sharing our testimonies and why we where here. I am amazed at the backgrounds of all that are here I am still in awe that God chooses people from all walks of life, all nationalities, all ages to serve His purpose. Most of the people have attended bible college and have been on many missions trips in their lives. Then I look at my self someone with no college degree or formal biblical training, a mother, and a wife but yet He has laid the people in Kosovo on my heart He is calling me out to share and build relationships in a land that has suffered great tragedy and loss pain that is beyond my understanding a land that is desperate need of hope. My prayer is that all I do and say would be honoring and glorifying to Him that I would not lean on my own understanding but fall prostrate before the King crying out that His will for my family be fulfilled as He would have it. I long for Him to pour in to me His mercy and grace His love and wisdom to fill me with peace and understanding I desire to be molded into the image of His son and be a tool in the hand of my heavenly Father.

For the Lord gives wisdom from His mouth come knowledge and understanding.(Prov 2:6)

In Christ
Melodye

We've arrived!!!

2007-06-16T18:26:00.000-07:00

We're here. We arrived in Philadelphia ahead of schedule. Praise God that the boys did well on the flight. James was a little nervous when we took off but did fine when we landed. He is actually looking forward to the return flight so he can visit the captains cockpit.. We are now at Crossworld HQ waiting to go out to the Traber Ctr where we will meet up with the rest of candidates going through CO. The weather here is nice. The boys are enjoying playing outside. The HQ is an old 1950's mansion and the architecture is unreal. We shared lunch and had a sweet fellowship with two women, Ursula who is from Germany and has spent several years serving in Columbia in a compound that is now being closed. She is patiently waiting on the Lord and where He will have her serve. The other women's name is Savannah and believe it or not she graduated from the same high school(Northside) as Art(Jimmy). She also is quite close to Mr Keller and his family who was his science teacher. They had a wonderful time sharing with each other and talking the progress at the church and school.
As I listened to these two women speak of Savannah's recent trip to Germany and the heart her team has for the Turks I was remind of how inferior I am in the my deep understanding of Islam. I have realized that Muslim religion is a fast and growing and is extremely prominate abroad. As Ursula pointed out the German Christan's have become lazy and tolerant, I wondered have I become tolerant? am I standing firm and speaking out against false gods in the name of our one true God? Pray that He will stretch me and my husband and mold us to be bold in His name.
We had dinner and a quick orientations tonight. We have met a sweet family, the Alsbrooks, training to go to the eastern Europe. They are a family of 3 boys and 1 girl. James and Bobby hit it off immediately and having been playing ever since. The size of the # here for CO is less than we thought (about 40) so it will more intimate. The Traber Ctr is beautiful it is owned by BCW ministries and fits our needs perfect Art says its like being at Grace Camp for two weeks away from the hustle and bustle and down to the meat of God's word.
We miss you all
In Christ
Art and Melodye

2007-06-16T18:25:00.001-07:00

Were Off......

2007-06-16T04:03:00.000-07:00

Well the journey has begun. Daniel and Katie brought us to the airport hotel and shared dinner with us. The boys enjoyed the extra time with Daniel watching all the planes land and take off. I think that Daniel's excitement to see it all has rubbed off on the boys and they seem to be looking forward to the flight. Please continue to pray that the Lord will strengthen our minds as well as our bodies for this trip. I seem to be suffering from ear pain which I know from experience will get worse once we are up in the air. Art and are excited that we are embarking on the next step in our family going into the missions field. Continue to pray for Kosovo as the long term team is preparing for the English camps for the children. Pray for a good turn out from the Serbians as well as the Albanians. Pray for continued relations between the long term team and the municipalities during both camps as well as their follow up with the families after. Pray that the Lord will soften the hearts of the children and their families to be receptive to the volunteers teaching and visiting their homes.
Art and I will miss you all and will continue to update you on our progress and growth.
In Christ
Art and Melodye

Summer is here

2007-06-13T04:37:00.000-07:00

Its hard to believe its summer the year is just flying by. Things have been quite busy the boys just finished basketball and enjoyed every minute of it. Its hard to believe that they are growing up as fast as they are. James will be starting 5Th grade in the fall and Bobby will be starting 3rd grade. They both love school but are looking forward to homeschooling while we are on the missions field in Kosovo.

Art and I have been finding strength in our Father with all that has been going on. My father had a heart attack in March and needed cardiac stenting he is recovering well but seems to be more aware of his age now(64). I have returned to work full time to help satisfy our debtors so that we may leave for Kosovo at an earlier date. The office is busy but I love those people I see as well as my co-workers. Art is glad for the summer and needs the extra rest as each school year seems to be more and more trying. However he is ever vigilant in sharing our Father with those he encounters and offering biblical based counsel for all those in need.

We are preparing for our new candidate training with Crossworld we leave this Saturday. Pray the boys will do well this s their first time on a plane.

I will post again soon.
In His Grace
Melodye

Can it be....

2006-12-10T19:16:00.000-08:00

Well it is already December and it feels as Kosovo was a lifetme ago. Upon our return Art went straight to GRACE CAMP and from there school started.. Things have been typically hectic for a new school year Art was tied up with football every friday night through the first week of November. He has been overwhelmed at the school as the kids seem to think that the world is just something that is there to amuse them with no consequences for their actions. I am always amazed that these kids are so privilged compared to other coutries yet its not good enough. I wish they could all could experience what Art and I experienced this summer on our trip. We interacted wth famlies that had lost loved ones in the war, people who have no financial support as they have been out of work for too long. People that desparately need hope in their life that need a relationship with our Father. As we pray that His sovereign hand will move mightly through that land we are humbled by His grace and mercy He shows us daily. He has burdened our hearts with a true love and compassion for these people and pray that He will use us as vessels in His plan for this country. Our desire is to reach as many people stateside as possible enlightening them to the needs in Kosovo. We pray daily that by sharing wth those we encounter that it will spark a passion in them for this country.

Please pray for Art and I as we hope Lord willing to attend candate training this summer in PA to prepare for our one year trip to Kosovo. Pray for the Long term team that it is there now at what is the beginning of a long cold winter. Pray that they will be focused on the task that the Lord has set before them that the bitter cold will not squash the fire in their hearts for His word.

May the Lord bless you all this season of the birth of His son.
Melodye

Parents Night

2006-08-06T13:47:00.000-07:00

Tuesday July 25

Today was the last day of camp we spent time with the kids and practiced for the program we will put on for the parents tonight. In crafts the kids were told to color a sheet and then write thank you letters to someone at camp that they wanted to thank. In my group at the beginning of camp I started off with 5 kids and at the close of the camp ended up with two boys that came faithfully each day. Both of these boys wrote their thank you letters to me. They wanted me to know that they appreciated me coming from America to help them learn English. I cried as I realized I longed to tell them that it was not I that chose to come but the Father who ordained my travels to this country. I longed to share that in a country where the people seem to mbe without hope for their existence the almighty Father supply all the hope that will ever be needed He is sufficent for all their needs.

After lunch we all spent time in prayer that God would soften the hearts of the parents and family memberstonight that they would be gracious to one another. Parents Night went well the kids were great. I was proud of all the kids as they showed the families all the things they had learned. One of the boys in my group had been nervous about standing in front of all the people and singing but when it came time for their turn he was one of the first ones up to begin. His parents were excited to see him participating as was I. Dr. Mark shared with the familes that God had brought this team here to show compassion and love for them all and He calls us to share His vision of peace and co-operation amoung their country. As I looked out into the crowd of faces for some sign of recognition that they understood I was reminded that we are just sowing the seeds and He will in His perfect plan raise them up and bear fruit to glorify Himself. Art and I said goodbye to these children that we had come to love as one of our own. It was difficult to say goodbye to their families they had embraced us as a member of their household. Tears were shed by us all but we knew our Father had brought us here to catch but a glimpse of His glory.

IHG
Melodye

Practice for Parents Night

2006-08-03T05:40:00.000-07:00

Monday July 24

Camp went well today we practiced for parents night. The children will be participating in the songs and skits. After lunch I went to one of the neighboring villages. We visited a child in my group named Enis. Debbie and Lara(the interpertor) and I had a nice visit. His father was home so we were able to visit with them both. When asking the father about his feelings of the camp being together this year his response was that the war was in the past the kids needed to move forward. He seemed quite positive. When the mother finally sat down from serving we asked her the same question she responded that the kids needed to learn to work together but she could never forget. We explained we understood sometimes it is hard to forget. She then explained why. This village was occupied by troops during the war homes were burned crops were ruined the troops would kill whole families. Apparently one night soldiers came into their home demanding gold and when they said they did not have any they carried her husband out into the streets and pulled their guns on him and told him they would kill him if they did not give them their gold well obviously he lived because he was sitting with us. The same man that had said they needed to move forward had suffered a horror filled experience and wanted to forget and move on. This family was so gracious and loving to us as we were closing the meeting the mother asked us to attend a wedding celebration with her. We went with her down the road and witnessed a very joyous gathering the bride had not been presented to the party so her mother in law ushered us in to see her. She was beautiful as every bride is. I was still in shock that we were crashing a wedding and they could not have been happier we were there. While we in this village Lara was able to reconnect with a family she had shared a tent with in a refugee camp in Macedonia during the war. She was questioning Enis' mother as to whether she knew them and as went on the street their they were. She had not seen this family since 1999 but they knew her on sight. As Debbie and I witnessed this reunion we were reminded of His sovereignty in all things that He orchestrates all encounters in our lives and they all glorify Him. After returning to the kombi to go back to Lipijan Bobby one of the interns was able to share with Lara about how we endure our hardships. I was amazed to see the seeds that have been planted many times before being watered and nutured by others so that if He wills fruit to bear it will do so in lovely blooms.

IHG
Melodye

Are we home?

2006-08-01T04:50:00.000-07:00

Its hard to believe but yes, we are here. The last days we spent in Lipjan were very busy. We spent nearly all our time trying to visit as many of the kids families as possible as well as prepare for Parents Night. So in order to truly allow you to be a part of what we experienced in those last days I will begin with Sunday and make several posts to bring you to our arrival in Tampa on Thursday night.

Sunday July 23rd

We had worship and church this morning. Dr Mark spoke regarding the strenghting and uplifting of the body. Art and I were quite encouraged. It is an unexplainable feeling to know as we sit in this room pouring over His word that the people that walk the streets of this country are lost that the children I have come to love as part of my own family do not know that the things their families have endured are all orchestrated by His sovereign plan. As Art and I spent time in prayer and reflection we were once again reminded we were not sent to save this land but just to plant seeds that He will bring about a harvest in His timing for His glory.

After services a group of us went to the mountains we stopped at a resturant on the side of the road. It was set in a beautiful area surrounded by trees and a mountain stream that ran right next to it we did get some wonderful pictures. After lunch we continued up the mountain. Dr Mark explain to us that this area was inhabited by the Serbians, as we passed hotels that had once been for tourists he explained to us that during the war they were occupied by refugees. By looking at them it seemed that families were still living there. These are families who left behind all but what they could carry and retreated for safety into the mountains. Upon the continued trip our final stop was Brezavicha which during season is a ski resort. It was a breath taking sight of God's creation. Jeff and Dan felt the need to "conquer" the mountain so they along with kombi driver climbed to the top of one of the mountains and then down again. Art and I enjoyed sitting with our feet in the creek. Did I mention it was like a bucket of ice cubes. However it did feel nice on a hot day.

After returning from our day trip Art and I spent time with Jeff and Debbie discussing what a year in the field would be like. We were all encouraged by one another and enjoyed the time in fellowship and prayer. Another two days of camp to go.

IHG
Melodye

visits are going well..

2006-07-22T07:17:00.000-07:00

Boy it is hard to believe that we only have 4 days left before we say goodbye to Kosovo and return to the states. As it will be a bittersweet departure we will fly out of Pristina on Wednesday afternoon. Art and I have been attending our visits and enjoying the interaction with each childs family. My first visit was with Mendim he has been faithful in attendance since the beginning of camp. We took two female translators with us. Mendim is the only boy in a household with 3 sisters but they do not let him take advantage. He seems to enjoy spending most of the day playing fotball at the center with his friends. I was excited to meet his mother. She is a teacher and teaches at the elementary school not far from here. His father is in management at the petrol company. They are doing well finance wise compared to other familys. This family has recently had several loses but graciuosly opened their home and spent time with us. The mother shared that during the war the Serbian army came into their home and accused her husband of having guns and took him out for questioning. He did not return, after a week they were scared to stay and fled to a neighboring village only to assume he was dead After 6 weeks her family recieved word that he was still alive and shortly after their return to Lipjan he was released. I am in awe at how these families have suffered in a way that I Lord willing will never expereience. This mother was encouraged that the children (Serbian and Albanian) are interacting well I think that might be the teacher in her. I am sure that the father is encouraged as well but it must be hard after suffering at the hands of the armies. Trish made a comment that Art and I have been praying about since our arrival. For every story you hear of suffering from an Albanian family there is one as bad if not worse from a Serbian family. I feel that the parents desire for Kosovo to be unified but are afraid that if they reach out they may insult or anger the families that lost loved at the hand of war. Each night we share something in debriefing that has made us smile during the day and I am encouraged by all the things I am hearing. But if I leave you with one visual for today that can express what I as a mother am experiencing here let it be the visit the center recieved from the serbian family of Nicola and his cousins today to meet the teachers that these children have come home excited to share about Watching a father(Art) and mother(Joanne) shower praise on a family that is teaching their children that people should be respectful to one another regardless of their nationality and they need not be ashamed of who they are. The Lord is moving mightly during this camp I pray for the continued revealation of this country. I pray that the Lord will provide the long term team during the departure of the short term teams with strength and endurance for the watering of the seeds that have been planted. May God keep the people of Kosovo on our hearts as we begin to see the bearing of fruit however long He has designated it to be.

IHG
Melodye

Arts incident

2006-07-20T10:48:00.000-07:00

Hello all,
Well it is Thursday and it was the in the first part of the camp. We had just finished games when my partner, Tim, got a new Albanian addition to his group. The boy is known as Shindit and is called a "townie". He has no parents and the town and his grandparents kinda raise him. He has no manners and is really seeking attention. This brings us to "The Incident".
I don't want to focus on the negative because there is so much positive about what happened. We all went to craft time and my group of 6 boys (3 Albanian and 3 Serbian) were at our cramped little table. Tim and his group of 3 boys were at his table. Shindit began to curse and say bad things in Albanian. This caused the other boys to laugh. Shindit became more bold and then began to threaten Tims Serbian boy that he was going to beat him up after camp. At this point he was told to stop cursing and to stop his actions. He refused and continued to curse. He then turned around and started threatening one of my Serbian boys, Nikola. Nikola is very small being 12 years old. The other boys are 14 and a little bit bigger. He wanted to know where Nikola lived and said he was going to go to his house and beat him up. He was over at the wall when the teacher told me there was going to be a fight. We told Shendit to go back to his table. As he walked away he turned and acted like he was going to fight or threaten Nikola again.
At this time Nikola was pushed to the back of the room and the other 2 Serbian boys, Nino and Vuk started to protect him. At this time the most amazing thing happened. The 3 Albanian boys Arjainit, Ardian, and Granit stepped up to Shendit protecting Nikola. Granit grabbed Shendit and told him to stop what he was doing, go back to his table, and to leave his friend alone. This was amazing to see an Albanian step up to another Albanian to protect a Serbian. I praise God that bondage to hate is being broken. This is huge to see them getting along because they have hated each other for hundreds of years. I praise God that the children are starting to learn unity and that there is a begining of change.
I pray that God will continue to change these people and call out His people. I pray that I have been able to plant seeds that He will use to change this country. It has been an amazing day and I ask you all to pray for these children and their families. Please also pray for Shendrit as he said he does not want to return to camp. I pray that God shows him his Glory and changes him as well...
In His Grace,
Art

Mid week and still having a blast

2006-07-19T11:17:00.000-07:00

Another great day at BLC the kids are enjoying all of the things they are sharing. Again we had an awesome turn out for the game hour for the community. We have had a serbian family that has been coming for game time and Tiffany played volleyball with them when she took a break an Albanian girl then started to play that is a great stride for this culture its a reminder that God works mightly in all He does. As the teens are preparing to attend Lifeline our prayer would be that God would break down any barriers that He would ignite amoung our kids a fire that will not be smothered by the ways of the world that they would have a desire to see the world not in a tourist atmosphere but as our Father sees it all nations that He created for His glory and His honor. Not to breed hate and anger but to worship the only person worthy of honoring. Riverside is blessed as a body to sit under true teaching of the word to equip us to share His will for us all. We are blessed that as I think of the people He has put in our body and as I watch our teens learn and dive into His word I am humbled that a young lady such as Tiffany can sit with a fellow sister and point out an unbiblical concept. That God gave her the words to convey truth straight from His word. as I listened to a coversation Jeff was having with 2 local girls working at the camp regarding "our Bible" they said that because we have diffrent translations of the bible NASB, NIV etc that we change that there are too many diffrent story and that "they" only have 1 bible and that they have never changed. as they continued their conversation I was reminded of how lost these people are and how they view our glorious Father is vile to Him that is why we have come not only to teach them english but to show them God in our words our expressions and our actions. Continue to pray for strength and endurance as the week ends.

IHG
Melodye

First day of home visits

2006-07-18T08:21:00.000-07:00

We had another fun filled day at the Better Life English camp. Things started off great I had 4 kids in my group 3 boys and 1 girl and 2 of them are brother and sister. I showed the kids pictures of the boys and shared their names and ages we then to english class and learned about familys such mom dad sister brother aunt uncle neice nephew cousin. when the teacher asked me to show a picture of my family I pulled out the pictures of my boys and my kids told her their names and their ages I was shocked they were so interested and they loved that Art is husband and we are here together. During game time we played an equivelant to capture the flag and the all wanted me to play so as your reading this try and imagine me running around chasing kids that make James look slow. The girls were good but the boys enjoyed making me run the would call my name so I would chase them. We had snack and then craft the made pictures and Anita gave me hers to keep I am so touched at how much these kids are open to the friendship and any affection we can offer. After lunch we had open game time for the community and I spent an hour playing UNO with a group of girls that enjoyed beating me I was so pleased to see their smiling faces as we tried to bridge the language gap and learned from and taught one another. I attended a home visit with Art and another team member Tim today there were 3 boys that are attending camp and one that attended last camp in this home. The mom was so gracious she is pregnant and due in the next 3 weeks. She served us coke and turkish coffe along with the coffee she gave us turkish delight and chocolate. Their since of hospitality is unlike any I have ever seen no longer will I complain about people stopping by unannounced. We spent time getting to know a litlle about their family. During the war her and her family fled to Macedona and It seems that most families have some family members that live elsewhere her brother lives in Germany and her husband brother lives in London.

Please pray for us that our Father will continue to provide us with strength and endurance as our bodies are tiring. May we continually glorify Him in all we do.

IHG
Art and Melodye

Camp is up and running

2006-07-17T11:01:00.000-07:00

Camp started today and it was a grand success. We had about 15 serbian children come and they were mixed amoung the albanian children. The kids are older this year 12-14 yo so they seem to warm up to the leaders quickly During the course of the morning they had english class learning the basics "hello how are you? I am fine. My name is ______. I am ___ years old. after that they had games helping them work together as a team They had a snack and then made a craft to take home. I was amazed at how smoothly the day went and how much the kids truly enjoyed the interaction with each other as well as the leaders. Art and I went to the market and walked around it was quite crowded they only have it once a week so everyone does there shopping then. We were able to go and visit Akmed and Habib which are friends of Mark and Trish. Akmed was explaining how poor this culture is and how all the young people are leaving and goin to Europe. I was burdened for him and his family as he explained how things have gone downhill since the war As I sat and listened to this man I began to truly realize that these people are so much poorer than they think They have no hope. They have no one to put there hope in. These people are truly lost and confused. They desperately need our Father to touch their lives to tear down the lies and fill their lives with truth I am brought to tears at the very thought of a life without hope and I pray that our Father will mightly move through this land in a way that they will all fall to their knees in submission.

We miss you all terribly and would love to hear from you all. I am feeling much more home sick than I thought I would and Lord willing will be home to see you all soon.

IHG
Art and Melodye

Blessings be to you all

2006-07-16T02:43:00.000-07:00

Dear friends as I sit here writing to you it is 5:51am Sunday morning your time. I pray that God prepares your heart for the worship and teaching you will sit under today. Family of Riverside you are a blessed people to have God present amoung you with the leadership He has provided as well as the clear biblical teaching you recieve. We had church today and Dr Mark taught on Nehemiah he started towards the end as they celebrate with the finishing of the wall in Jerusalem and ended with how the beginning of the book starts with the confession of one man. It was a sureal experience to worship our Father standing on foreign soil in a country that desperately needs to hear his call. We sang "Lord we ask for the nations", as Jeff Diehl played on the guitar I was moved to know that as we worship our glorious Father the people that passed by us out on the street were utterly lost. They are who we are asking for to be touched by the majestic spirit of our almighty Father. May each of you be moved by the words you will mediatate on today as a body of believers. Hold His word close to your heart for it is a part of you, a part that has been bestowed upon you as a blessing to share with those around you. Let not the sun set on this day that you do not give thanks in all you do to the glorious Father that has pulled you from the ashes and declared you are righteous.
IHG
Art and Melodye

What day is it?

2006-07-15T07:33:00.000-07:00

We have arrived safely after 3 plane rides and 8 hours worth of layovers. When arrived at the airport yesterday we met Mark Edwards and he took us to our host home. We are staying with Shaban(a fellow police officer Art is pleased) Velemay his wife and their four girls Fiolla, Abataree, Shkorta, and Lulay. This is the same family that Christina and Mindy stayed with last year. The were truly glad to see us and have been so sweet in their hospitality. Tiffany is sharing a room at the same house with a young girl from Canada. The team is a little smaller than last year but we are meeting some interesting people. They have 100 12-14 year old kids sign up for the camp that will begin on Monday. Jeff and Debbie Diehl as well as Josh have been showing us around and sharing with me some of the things that have been occuring in the community. We went on a prayer walk through the town this morning and I was in awe of some of the ruins I witnessed left over from the turmoil but there are new buildings being built amoung the rubble. Josh says that building does not always mean the economy is up as the numbers of unemployment seem to be the same. As we have been going around the town Art, Josh and Tiffany have been seeing people they met and spent time with last year. The are geniunely happy that they have return and have been excited to know they will be staying for a while.
Please pray for me that I will overcome my fear of the language barrier as they have and I will begin to form relationships of my own with those I encounter and that we will always emulate Christ in all we say and do. That He will provide us with rest and endurance during the full and upcoming week. We are praying that He will use us as a tool to do a mighty work here in Kosovo and that He will till the hearts of the people to allow the seeds to be planted. Ultimately we pray for His sovereign plan to be accomplished in His timing and that we will accept His will for this time we spend here among this people.
IHG
Art and Melodye

We're off

2006-07-13T04:46:00.000-07:00

Art and I will begin our trip with Tiffany Griffith today which including layover times will amount to roughly 20hrs. We will have two lengthy layovers one in Atlanta and one in London. I myself have never been any farther than Philadelphia so I am excited to be embarking on an international trip.

Art and I have been meditating and spending time with our Father asking Him to reveal to us what His desire for us to learn and experience while on this trip would be. My husband has a love for this country that his Father has impressed upon his heart, I pray He will reveal to me the same compassion and heart felt bound with this culture, with these people. We recieved word from Jeff and Debbie Diehl yesterday. They joyously relayed to us that the first english camp serving both the Serbian and Albanian children together for the grade school children has been completed. My husband was overwhelmed to read in the email that when opening the Better Life Center for parents night they took a lesson from their children and sat intermingled with one another. Only the hand of our Father could have orchestrated this and touch the hearts of two people groups that have such anger and turmoil between one another.

As we leave I would ask that your yarpers not only be for traveling because we are confident in His will to deliver us safely to accomplish His plan. But also for the preparation of the hearts of the teens we will enconter during the English camp we are participating in. For our father to be glorified in all that we do. Our father is sovereign and will use every word we say and every action we complete to facilitate His plan in His timing.

IHG
Melodye