hard day yesterday

So... yesterday was weird for me in a few ways.  I'm only going to share one story from that day, though.  While I was walking down the street to the train station here in L'viv, I came across a pool of blood on the sidewalk.  I looked to my left, and, sitting in the grass, there was a man who was in his late forties with bloodshot eyes, scraggly, bloody hair, and a really bloody shirt.  There was an old woman standing over him, trying to keep him calm and seated, because he kept trying to stand up.

I got someone to call an ambulance and tried to help them as best I could.  I didn't really know what to do.  I had my guitar in one hand, my backpack on my back, and a pizza in the other hand (I hadn't eaten lunch yet).  I tried my best to help the old woman keep the man calm and prayed for them a couple of times.  I stayed with them until the ambulance came.  When I was done, I gathered up my stuff and went to the train station and met a friend who helped me clean up myself and my stuff that had a little blood on it.

That plus a few other things really rocked me last night.  After I got home, I suddenly started feeling alone...  Then I was reminded that God is our help, our sustainer, and our comforter.  He did comfort me last night, when no one else was there to do it.  I'm very thankful that He's not just a God up there in space.  He's our Heavenly Father, and He's personally involved in our lives.

Right now, a, I'm sitting alone again, and the feelings are coming back, but I'm praying and God's faithful.  He'll get me through this time just like He did last night.

Soup I just made up...

I'm getting a little sick... but that's ok.  I use these times as opportunities to perfect my soup-making skills.  This is what I just came up with yesterday.  It's pretty good.

Basically just boil everything together...





Get-Well Soup
2 liters of water
1 1/2 cup sliced mushrooms
2 packets/4 bullion cubes chicken broth
100-150g of small raw beef cubes
5 whole garlic cloves (yum!)
fistfull of minced cilantro (Yes, I found cilantro here!!!!)
1 lemon worth of lemon juice
1 hot red pepper, sliced
2 medium potatoes, cubed and fried (careful not to splash oil in your eye like I did... ouch)
2 tablespoons ground basil
1 cup of lentils (optional)
salt and pepper to taste (before you add the raw beef so you CAN taste it)

Boil forever, then simmer for a long time... let it sit on your back balcony overnight to cool, and then reheat on the stove in small portions... at least, that's what I do.

Texas...

Wow.  I'm actually back in my home state hanging out with my mom and sisters.  They're out at school or jobs right now, so I'm about to go take a walk around the neighborhood, but they'll be back this afternoon.  It's been so long since I've seen them that I barely recognized Hannah.  She's so tall...  Mom's told me about the other boys in her class liking to hang out with her...  Somebody get me a baseball bat.  Haha.  She's nine, now.

They're all doing well.  Gloria is a nanny for a family near here, mom works for a Christian school, and Hannah goes to public school, and she constantly is in the newspaper for getting stellar grades.  My mom's been in the paper too for something... she showed it to me last night... I can't remember what it was.  I'm going to go see my older sister later this week, and I'll be back in Indiana early next week.

Please continue to pray for wisdom.  I'm considering going out and meeting with a couple of the Calvary Chapels here in San Antonio.

Spiritual Warfare

It's interesting... the things that happen when we try to do something for God. You start to get doubts, friendships go haywire, stuff in the family happens "all of a sudden..." but it all seems connected.

Yes, my friends, the spiritual warfare has manifested itself...

...and THAT is why I need intercessors. If you are interested in joining a prayer team, please e-mail me at dsnead@ccbci.org or call my cell (if you have it... not posting it here). I need people that I can just call and say, "Hey... the swords are really clashing right now... can you bring down some prayer support?"

Paul said in Ephesians that "...we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high [places]." I can tell you that I have underestimated them as of late... but I don't plan to any more.

God... please help me to take up the WHOLE armor of God every day, so that I can stand... having done all to stand (Ephesians 6:13).

Please pray for Mike, Michelle, Lindsay, Alex, Josh, and me... "Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints; And for me, that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly, to make known the mystery of the gospel..." (Ephesians 6:18-19)

There's many more prayers in the Word that are applicable to missionaries. If the LORD lays it on your heart, please find one and make it your special prayer for one of us... or all of us.

Thanks a lot and God bless!

God's Faithfulness

It's interesting how we can doubt God so much... but He still comes through for us. A couple of weeks ago, I was sitting in my room at CCBCi, and I was worrying about the trip and many other things. I prayed that God would give me the peace that surpasses all understanding, thanked Him for His goodness, and then continued to dump all my cares upon Him (Philippians 4:6-7). He's so good... He brought me to the point that I couldn't really complain anymore. He gave me peace, and that peace was not of my understanding. It surpassed it. God is soooooo good.

Newsletter

I'm now putting out a newsletter twice a month. If you'd like to receive it, please e-mail me at:
dsnead@ccbci.org