Hello from the Henrys!
First, Micah and I would like to thank you all for your prayers. I know we have dropped off the radar so to speak for the past few months, but we continued to feel your prayers as we made decisions about our ministry and God's will for our life.
While we never doubted that we would return to Slovakia, we did not have any peace about the timing and were concerned with some logistical issues. The thought of returning in November filled us with panic and fear rather than peace and excitement. Deciding not to return was difficult, but we did not believe that returning at that point would have been a healthy choice for us or for YFC Slovakia.
We have spent the last few months praying and seeking the wisdom of people we trust. We have taken a class in finances and concentrated on strengthening our marriage and our relationships with God. (Our marriage was not in trouble, but we are still new at this and had some things to figure out.) We have also learned a lot about trusting God's provision. We have adopted Tommy Walkers song "I Have a Hope" as a theme song of sorts. We believe that this time in the US has prepared us to minister more effectively when we return to Slovakia.
We believe that God has released us to go back to Slovakia. We have peace and are excited to return. Because we have been home for over 3 months, Youth for Christ/World Outreach requires us to go through a "return to field" process. It should not be a long or difficult process. We can not purchase plane tickets until this is all finished. Due to the need to complete the process we are planning to arrive in Slovakia in mid to late March.
The main concerns at this point are our budget and support. We need to re-confirm with our donors that their pledges will continue. We will be contacting those who previously made pledges within the next week or so. We trust that God will provide for our return. If you feel led to make or renew a pledge please let us know. Consider the possibility of a special gift to help us get back to the field.
We appreciate your prayers as we tie up loose ends here. If you have questions about any of this, want to just say "Hi," or make plans to get together before we leave, please send us an e-mail.
Stasi & Micah
--
The Henrys
MicahandStasi@gmail.com
2.23.2009
2.18.2009
I Have a Hope
The song i'm singing today.
I Have a Hope
Tommy Walker
I have a hope, I have a future
I have a destiny that is yet awaiting me
My life’s not over, a new beginning’s just begun
I have a hope, I have this hope
God has a plan, it’s not to harm me
But it’s to prosper me and to hear me when I call
He intercedes for me, working all things for my good
Though trials may come I have this hope
Chorus
I will yet praise Him, my great Redeemer
I will yet stand up and give Him glory with my life
He takes my darkness and He turns it into light
I will yet praise Him, my Lord my God
My God is for me, He’s not against me
So tell me whom then, tell me whom then shall I fear
He has prepared for me
Great works He’ll help me to complete
I have a hope, I have this hope
Goodness and mercy, they’re gonna follow me
And I’ll forever dwell in the house of my great King
No eye has ever seen all He’s preparing there for me
Though trials may come, I have this hope
2.17.2009
Tuesday
I did in fact get out of bed today. Although after reading my mother's sugestion that it may have been a "Whimsical Monday" I am a bit nervous since Tuesdays are notorious for being Whimiscal!! I am afraid that Whimsy may be like Pringles "you can't have just one"
2.16.2009
I Don't Want Any More Adventure
I am not going to get out of bed tomorrow.
This morning i had to take the kitten to Ohio to get fixed. I left Grove City around 5:30 and took the kitten. I didn't even get lost!! Well, kind of. I took a wrong road, but fortunately every road in Ohio is laid out in a grid so the road i needed to turn onto still went across the road i was actually on. In fact, I got to the APL before i really realized that I was "lost"
I feel bad about leaving the poor kitten for surgery. Meghan picked her up and Fidget won't be home until Micah comes back on Wednesday. He is in Ohio to drive his dad to Cleveland for eye surgery.
On the way home, i was passing a convoy of bucket trucks and heard a sound like something fell off and hit the road, I looked back and didn't see anything. I figured worst case the gas tank cover fell the rest of the way off. But since I didn't see it on the road, I figured it was best case and one of the bucket trucks dropped something.
A few minutes later a light that looked like a battery lit up on the dash. I called Micah to make sure that It was not really a light that was supposed to look like dynamite.
Dynamite might have been closer.
Fortunately, I was close to an exit and I was able to get off the highway. Unfortunately I did not really understand that the car was just going to literally stop. I was at the top of the ramp thinking I was going to turn and look for a parking lot and let the car die a peaceful private death. It was not to be. The engine Just STOPPED! Dramatically and publicly. With smoke pouring out from under the hood and everything.
A number of people stopped to check that I was Okay. The first car I think stopped because I was looking under the hood of a smoking car in tears. Micah called Ben to come and get me. In the meantime another car stopped and pushed the car off to the side they told me that the thing that was smoking in the front left corner was the alternator, commented that it was definitely burnt up, mentioned that the belt looked bad too, and also, quite helpfully, pointed out that the rear passenger tire was flat.
I cried some more.
Then I turned my iPod on and sang at the top of my lungs.
Ben drove to pick me up off the side of the road. I got all my sceaming out before i got in the truck. Ben drove me home to PA and then took Micah and his tools back to Ohio to fix the car.
They left me home alone and I finished the rest of the chocolate cake.
The list of good things:
I almost didnt take the cell phone this morning, but i remembered and came back upstairs for it.
I was wearing my wonderful new boots and so my toes stayed warm and when Micah called three times to ask if i was warm enough, i was able to tell him he didnt have to worry about that.
The car broke down closer to Jefferson than Grove City.
Micah was going to Ohio this evening anyway.
The car did not break down tomorrow morning at 5AM on the way to Keith's eye surgery.
Ben had the day off to help.
Ben has a SuperDuty dump truck and a trailer that is good for hauling broken down cars.
The keys only got locked in the car once (and I didnt do it!)
And they got the car fixed.
"He giveth more grace..." But i'm not sure i'm going to risk getting out of bed tomorrow!
This morning i had to take the kitten to Ohio to get fixed. I left Grove City around 5:30 and took the kitten. I didn't even get lost!! Well, kind of. I took a wrong road, but fortunately every road in Ohio is laid out in a grid so the road i needed to turn onto still went across the road i was actually on. In fact, I got to the APL before i really realized that I was "lost"
I feel bad about leaving the poor kitten for surgery. Meghan picked her up and Fidget won't be home until Micah comes back on Wednesday. He is in Ohio to drive his dad to Cleveland for eye surgery.
On the way home, i was passing a convoy of bucket trucks and heard a sound like something fell off and hit the road, I looked back and didn't see anything. I figured worst case the gas tank cover fell the rest of the way off. But since I didn't see it on the road, I figured it was best case and one of the bucket trucks dropped something.
A few minutes later a light that looked like a battery lit up on the dash. I called Micah to make sure that It was not really a light that was supposed to look like dynamite.
Dynamite might have been closer.
Fortunately, I was close to an exit and I was able to get off the highway. Unfortunately I did not really understand that the car was just going to literally stop. I was at the top of the ramp thinking I was going to turn and look for a parking lot and let the car die a peaceful private death. It was not to be. The engine Just STOPPED! Dramatically and publicly. With smoke pouring out from under the hood and everything.
A number of people stopped to check that I was Okay. The first car I think stopped because I was looking under the hood of a smoking car in tears. Micah called Ben to come and get me. In the meantime another car stopped and pushed the car off to the side they told me that the thing that was smoking in the front left corner was the alternator, commented that it was definitely burnt up, mentioned that the belt looked bad too, and also, quite helpfully, pointed out that the rear passenger tire was flat.
I cried some more.
Then I turned my iPod on and sang at the top of my lungs.
Ben drove to pick me up off the side of the road. I got all my sceaming out before i got in the truck. Ben drove me home to PA and then took Micah and his tools back to Ohio to fix the car.
They left me home alone and I finished the rest of the chocolate cake.
The list of good things:
I almost didnt take the cell phone this morning, but i remembered and came back upstairs for it.
I was wearing my wonderful new boots and so my toes stayed warm and when Micah called three times to ask if i was warm enough, i was able to tell him he didnt have to worry about that.
The car broke down closer to Jefferson than Grove City.
Micah was going to Ohio this evening anyway.
The car did not break down tomorrow morning at 5AM on the way to Keith's eye surgery.
Ben had the day off to help.
Ben has a SuperDuty dump truck and a trailer that is good for hauling broken down cars.
The keys only got locked in the car once (and I didnt do it!)
And they got the car fixed.
"He giveth more grace..." But i'm not sure i'm going to risk getting out of bed tomorrow!
2.08.2009
Apartment Bathrooms
Last April, I walked into the bathroom and saw this:
Later in April, a large portion of the log was in the form of shaving on my Living room floor.
Saturday our Bathroom door went from looking like this:
(note the "cat door" in the bottom right corner)
to looking like this:
But in between, it looked like this:
And I Didn't photograph the kitchen!
This is why if you have a husband like mine and an apartment as small as ours, you need a shopVac in your life.
Later in April, a large portion of the log was in the form of shaving on my Living room floor.
Saturday our Bathroom door went from looking like this:
(note the "cat door" in the bottom right corner)
to looking like this:
But in between, it looked like this:
And I Didn't photograph the kitchen!
This is why if you have a husband like mine and an apartment as small as ours, you need a shopVac in your life.
What Sunday Afternoons are for
This could only be better if I could have taken this picture while I was asleep on the couch and if there was football on the TV. I miss it already.
YAY STEELERS!! I am celebrating a week late because tonight Ben is coming to cook for us. Silly Ben, he bet against the Steelers! I am extra glad because this means that we do not have to clean out Ben's truck. I will try and get a picture of Ben's truck so you will understand just why I am extra relieved on top of WOO HOOO!!!! 6 SUPERBOWL RINGS!! GO STEELERS!!!!
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