3 weeks as a single mom

For the last two weeks, I have been going it alone.  Why?  Because my beloved is in Ukraine.  He will be back next week.  Normally, during this time of year, there aren't many meetings scheduled because of the holiday's, so Brian wanted to take advantage of the time and go to Ukraine to help out there.  Our home church and others so graciously helped financially with the trip.  It was a real blessing.  But I on the other hand, am missing him terribly!! 

Haven't posted anything for the last month because we have been so busy.  Had several more churches take us on....YEAH!  We praise GOD for HIS faithfulness!!!  He called us, he's going to get us there!!

Our church surprised us and got us tickets to Dixie Stampede in Pigeon Forge.  I just hated that Brian wasn't here to enjoy it.  We meet our home church family their in Pigeon Forge, and we all sat in the same section.  The kids nor I had ever been to anything like that.  And there was so much food we couldn't eat it all...so we brought home doggy bags :{)

It was good for me to be here, in Albemarle, with my family for all the holidays (and while Brian is away).  For I know in a year or so, I will be spending many holiday's without them.  But knowing we will be doing God will for our lives will help the homesickness....and also the prayers of His people!

We hope all of you have a WONDERFUL Christmas season!  And remember the gift that was given for our redemption! 

For if through the offence of one many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many.  Romans 5:15

Enjoying the Rest

As any missionary knows deputation can be hard on a person...exspecially children.   Even though my kids take it with a grain of salt.  It is so nice to get a breather between meetings.  Just to be at home with all the normality and familiarity.  Even if that means doing more school...lol....  It will be nice when we are finally in Ukraine and can establish a schedule and have some structure.  Because deputation is as far from structure as a lemon is sweet! 
 

Missions Conference and Adpotion

 

This past month has been a busy month for us!  Brian has been asked to preach many times this month at many different churches.  Recently we were at a 3 day missions conference in Lexington ,NC.  Bro. Stinett Ballew was preaching.  We always love to hear Bro. Ballew!  We were also privileged to meet many other missionary's and reunite with some we have meet previously.  During the time we were there....the pastor took all of us missionaries to a local farm.  The kids really enjoyed themselves.  They had all kinds of animals, and they even got to feed the goats.  My favorite part was the hay ride around there large property. It was so relaxing.  The best part is, this church took on every missionary that was at this conference....including Bro. Ballew.  PTL!!!

This month marks 1 year from the time we submitted to the will of God to go to eastern Ukraine.  Wow...I can't believe it has already been 1 year.  The Lord is really working and opening doors for us!  He is raising  our support and we give Him all the glory for it all!!!

On top of all the meetings we have been to...we have been trying to wrap up all the paperwork and meetings with DSS that we need to finish Zach's adoption.  He is so excited to be a Faulkner. :{) Lord willing...his adoption will be complete in December!!!

Knoxville, TN

We just got back from Knoxville, TN.  We attended a 400th Anniversary
meeting for the KJB.  It was a 2 day meeting with about 10 preachers preaching. Between preachers, they would only sing congregational songs like they did back in the old days.  They also sung many songs I did not know, older ones that are not in our church hymnals, and some that are but on all the verses.  Some songs had 10 verses, and we sang them all.  Many of the Hymns told a story, so if you did not sing the whole song, you would miss some of the story.  They are creating these new hymnal with all these complete songs and more.  I can't wait till it is complete and we can get our copy!!!  Brian also got to sign a replica of the 1611 Authorized KJB.  We really enjoyed ourselves.  We also got to see and fellowship with some friends we haven't seen in awhile :{)

While in Knoxville, we got to visit the Sunsphere in downtown Knoxville.  It was really high.  Made me a wee bit dizzy looking down from the top!  Orion was really scared, he stayed as close to the inside as he could, the other two boys were wanting to run around there in circles.  There was a amphitheater right there at the Sunsphere...so the boys got up on stage and started singing.... We also visited a Chocolate Factory, a little one.   It smelled so good.  You could almost taste the creaminess of the chocolate through your nose :{)  Overall, we had a good time, and was refreshed through the preaching and fellowship!! 

Busy...busy....busy....

Busy...busy...busy...has been the theme of our lives lately.  Were not complaining though.  The Lord has opened so many doors.  We have visited many churches and have met many wonderful people. We were also privileged to see some folks we haven't seen in a long time.  We praise the Lord for His goodness.  Praise ye the Lord. Praise, O ye servants of the Lord, praise the name of the Lord. Blessed be the name of the Lord from this time forth and for evermore. From the rising of the sun unto the going down of the same the Lord's name is to be praised.  Psalm 113:1-3

 It has been a blessing to have Pastors of different churches calling to schedule meetings, even the Pastor of one of our supporting churches called to see if Brian could preach their Homecoming.  What a blessing.   It's always a blessing to be in churches were the Pastor and the people have a heart for missions, wanting to full fill the great commission that our Lord gave, not only for their own towns, counties, and state, but in other countries, were the Word of God is not as widely spread.

We have only had one or two days each week that we can be at home.  Just enough time to unpack, do laundry, then pack up again.  We have been praying about getting a small pull behind trailer.  It's all we can do to fit everything we need for a week in the back of our mini-van.  :)  If we have to be gone longer...we might have to start strapping luggage to the top of the van...lol...

We were all excited last week, for we were able to see our friends at our home church.  They were having a surprise b-day party for our Pastors wife on a night that we were at home.  For we have not been able to attend services at Emmanuel for a couple of weeks...so it was really good to see our church family!!!

VBS at our home church is next week, and I am helping Brian teach the 7-9 year olds.  So the few days we have at home this week will be spent preparing the decorations for our classroom while Brian finishes the lessons.  On the road again Saturday and Sunday, back on Monday, just in time for Bible School.  I knew deputation would be busy...but was not as prepared for it as I first thought.  :)  But by the grace of God, we will make it through deputation and be in Ukraine in no time.  Trusting the Lord will continue to work in the hearts of Pastors and people to help us get to the field God has called us...which is all white and ready to harvest!!!

WOW...God is Jehovah Jireh!!!!

There has been so much going on...even with Brian not working...he's making phone calls and contacting Pastors...  I have been trying to get our house ready to rent/sale.  Money has been tight...we need to do some work to the house...and buy homeschool supplies...and other things....  We just started praying and asking God to provide the money we needed to get all the stuff we needed to get done...done.  What support we are getting now just covers our bills....so we do not have much left over.  But God provided.  There was some insurance money coming to us...but Brian had to sign a release to get the money.  I had forgotten all about it until the other day...then someone in our church left an envelope full of money on our pew.  It's amazing how God provides for our needs.  He is truley a God that provides!!!!

Casting In All We Have

Over the last couple of weeks, we have had a lot of downtime.  It's been good for us.  We are currently trying to rent our home.  So I have been packing away items we do not use on a regular basis.  So when we do have someone to rent our home, it will not take nearly as long for us to get out of the house.  We still need to paint and do some minor repairs before anyone else moves in...and some of that we are trying to do now...while we have the time to do it.  Brian has been spending many hours in his study making phone calls and sending emails to churches and Pastors.  Working hard to try and fill up our schedule for the next year.  We are still hoping and praying we will be in Ukraine by next June. Mark 10:27  And Jesus looking upon them saith, With men it is impossible, but not with God: for with God all things are possible. And were trusting that the Lord will help us to gain favor with Pastors and churches so we can soon impact Eastern Ukraine with the gospel of our Lord and Savior!!! Mark 9:23  Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth.  And we are asking everyone we know to help us pray to that end...believing that the Lord will answer our prayers....for Jesus said....Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.  Mark 11:24 

We know the Lord is soon coming back...and we want to be able to make a difference in Ukraine while we are still serving the Lord here on earth.  And we're also praying for God to burden the hearts of His people to help support missionaries who are trying to do the will of God, but have to wait on the obedience of Gods people to do so.  I believe that God calls a missionary to go to the mission field. But God also calls ALL His people who can't go to be involved by assisting those missionaries (in any way they can) to fulfill the will of God in their lives.  I was reading in my Bible the other day about the widow women who gave 2 mites...Mark 12:43-44  And he called unto him his disciples, and saith unto them, Verily I say unto you, That this poor widow hath cast more in, than all they which have cast into the treasury: For all they did cast in of their abundance; but she of her want did cast in all that she had, even all her living.... If we would be honest with ourselves....the majority of the time, when we give, we give out of our abundance.  Especially when it's time to give to missions.  But this women gave all she had.  I know I have heard many, many messages about giving of ourselves fully to God.  "Lord, I submit it all to you"  But do we really mean what we say?  Are we really willing to give it all to see someone saved, even if it is not on our side of the world?

Fellowship with fellow Missionaries

We just got back from visiting with some fellow missionaries.  They are leaving in the next couple of months to go to Peru.  I was able to learn a lot from the missionaries wife about deputation...how deputation affects our kids and our families.  It seems I still have so much to learn, and it also seems we will never get to Ukraine.  But we are watching as this family, which have been on deputation for 2.5 years, are finally realizing their goal of going to Peru. And one day it will be a reality for us too.  Hopefully sooner than later. 

We are in the process of trying to sell our home, and also rent it out to cover our mortgage.  We are looking for somewhere to live that is very inexpensive and closer to town.  We have had 2 yard sales, selling everything that we don't use on a regular basis.  That includes a lot of our furniture.  I am ready to sell it all just to get to Ukraine as soon as we can.  But I know it's all in God's timing, not mine.  Please pray with me that our schedule will soon be booked until God's ready for us to step foot on Ukrainian soil again.

Confidence

I found this sweet little poem, and loved it....I though you might like it too =)

Confidence

I know that when the path seems long,
   Jesus is there to keep me strong.
I know that when the way looks dark,
   Jesus is there to cheer my heart.
I know that when I can't go on,
   Jesus won't leave me all alone.
He doesn't care how big the load,
   Jesus is there.  My load He'll hold.

Long Time, No Blog

It has been awhile since I’ve had a chance just to sit down and update my blog. A lot has happened in the last year. We took our survey trip to Ukraine in June….I tuned another year older in July….we took a respite at the beach for a couple of days in August….our family “officially” surrendered to be missionaries to Ukraine in September….in October was the first time Brian stood in a church to present our burden for Ukraine and also we received our first support check this month =)….and November was a busy month…we visited 2 other churches and was privileged to hear Stinnett Ballew in a missions conference at our home church. In December through March, we were able to present our burden to many churches, including one in Baton Rouge Louisiana. That is the single longest trip we have taken so far!!! We have also had several more churches take us on for support!!!  PTL!!!!! 

My husband’s last day of work is today, April 1, 2011. We are praying that our schedule will soon be full… We would love to be in Ukraine by next summer!!!!


We now have a Facebook page….http://www.facebook.com/faulkners2ukraine

And a web site….http://www.faulkners2ukraine.com

You can see our survey trip pictures from our trip to Ukraine. It’s amazing how different it is…but how much the same it is. Their manner of life is so much simpler in many ways. But how they need the Lord…they don’t have a Baptist Church on every street corner like we do here in the south. They need the truth…not tradition (which they have a lot of). Please pray that we will do the Lord’s will in Ukraine, and also while we are on deputation!!!

You can also see on our web site and on our Facebook page, “Our Journey on Deputation”. I have tried to get pictures of every church we go to. Hopefully, I will be more consistent on my blog posting, and not wait a year before I post again…lol….

Louisana

We had a wonderful time in Louisiana!  The trip took us 13 hours to get there from NC.  This is the single longest trip we have taken so far.  We past through 5 different states to get there.  We were going to support the O'Brien family while they were in Louisiana.  We stayed in the prophets chambers at Temple Baptist Church in Baton Rouge.  Brian was able to give his burden at the Wednesday evening service.  The Pastor and his family was so hospitable to us, providing us a place to stay and paid for several of our meals.  We just pray God will bless them abundantly for there kindness to us!!!

Our visit with the O'Brien family has stirred the fire even hotter, giving urgency to our need to be in Ukraine!!  We're praying that God would work a miracle and raise our support speedily so we can be in Ukraine as soon as we can!!!!!!!  There is nothing to hard for God. *Jer 32:17 Ah Lord GOD! behold, thou hast made the heaven and the earth by thy great power and stretched out arm, and there is nothing too hard for thee:*  Please pray with us, that the Lord would grant us favor with every church we visit, that He would open all the right doors, and that our schedule would be full with churches that can and will support us!!!  Please also pray that our fire would not be put out by the strain of deputation!!!

The Begining of our Deputation Journey

We have been on deputation since October, and it has already been a blessing and a adventure, especially for our kids.  We are currently on deputation part-time, but that will soon be changing.  On April 2 we will be "officially" full-time.  We are depending on God for all of our needs.  We are taking that first step into the Jordon river, just as the Israelites did before going into Cannon Land, and waiting to see the Jordon part for us to walk across. 

We have only been in NC thus far.  So far we have been to Albemarle, Kannapolis, Hickory, Cleveland, Burlington, Lexington, Taylorsville, Boone, Rockwell, Newland, Troutman, and Charlotte (just to name a few).  We are very excited for we will be having our first "out of state" visit next week.  We will be heading to Baton Rouge, LA.  None of us have ever been to Louisiana, so it will be a adventure for sure.  Anytime we travel with four kids it's an adventure, but this trip will be even more so, for we will be in the van for 13 hours....