Headed HOME!!!

Today my almost-chaplain-candidate husband is headed HOME! It takes quite a while to get all the way down south, so he's been headed home for a day already. I am anxious to have him home so that our family can be all together again! Also, it will be exciting to hear all about the trip and what things happened and what that means about what to do next. Matt is trying to get his "packet" in to the Army this next week so that it can be reviewed by the March "meeting of the minds". These are the sign-your-life-away papers, so Matt asked me if I was sure about this... Sure I am! I'll be happy when this whole thing is finally in the works!

MEPS

Well, another hurdle hurdled! Matt had his MEPS (military physical) yesterday, all in one day, which is good. They had told him it would take 2. I've sure he's relieved! Now he has 5 more days till he'll be HOME! We can't wait...we miss him so much. It feels like a "dry run" for days ahead, when he will be away from the family for extensive periods of time. Here's a picture of him and his Mom. I'm sure she's enjoying this alone time with her son. I'm glad for them~she's an awesome Mom!

Simple Woman's Daybook...Feb. 15, 2010

For today... February 15, 2010


Outside my window...
just beginning to dawn...my favorite part of the day


I am thinking...
of how long this week will be without Matt


I am thankful for...
the reminder that things done without love are indeed vain

I am wearing...
jeans and a striped shirt


I am remembering...
to make a menu for this week!


I am going...
to be more scheduled this week

I am reading...
through my Bible;
reading the Horse and His Boy to the little ones

I am hoping (praying)...
for Matt's MEPS today and tomorrow


On my mind...
a move in our near future~LOTS to do!


Noticing that...
I am very warm!



From the kitchen...
pretty tidy :)

On the menu...
M ~ breakfast-cinnamon rolls; lunch-pasta salad; supper-tuna sandwiches
T ~ breakfast-scrambled eggs/toast; lunch-grilled asian chicken with rice and corn; supper-leftovers
W ~ breakfast-bakery; lunch-bbq gyros, salad; supper-ham/cheese sandwiches
Th ~ breakfast-pancakes; lunch-indian lentils and rice; supper-biscuits/gravy
F ~ breakfast-cereal/toast; lunch-Sourdough pizza; supper-leftovers
S ~ breakfast-restaurant; lunch-eggs/rice; supper-grilled cheese
Sun ~ breakfast-donuts/bread; lunch-ham/cheese sandwiches; supper-Make Mine Meatloaf with mashed potatoes, steamed carrots, chocolate sheet cake


Around the house...
quiet...quiet


I am creating...
several crochet projects!


I am hearing...
the clock ticking....

One of my favorite things...
chocolate!

A few plans for the rest of the week...
work on our homeschool lessons;
park with friends;
errands;
get the big kids ready for a little trip down south;
clean the church; clean the house in preparation for hubby's return!

Hallelujah!

Matt is on a trip to States, and he was really, really hoping to be able to get his MEPS while there. It was looking like it was not going to happen. Yesterday, though, he got an email telling him that it is scheduled for Monday-Tuesday next week! We are very happy about this, as it will be another step down in order to oficially become an Army Chaplain Candidate. Pray for Matt, as I'm sure this is not a *pleasant* examination :).

Next Step

Matt left on Sunday for his endorsement interview. It was today. He did awesome! He said that it was an incredible group of kind pastors/chaplains. He received their UNANIMOUS approval, and he was given "permission" to attend the seminary we really want to attend. Now he's hoping to get his MEPS scheduled for next week and enjoy a visit with his Mom and Stepdad. We're very thankful to God!

God doesn't waste anything

A couple of weeks ago on Facebook, I put "soon" on my status. Then I put "finally". I was thinking about those two words, and what people might think that they mean. They might be taken to mean, "SOON we will FINALLY be leaving Uruguay." That is not at all the way I feel about this. A friend wrote to me: "I heard the bad news about you having to leave and come back..." I don't understand WHY God brought us to Uruguay...no church has been established, no one has been converted, we've worked, but.... BUT GOD DOESN'T WASTE ANYTHING. For some reason, God brought our family here almost 2 years ago, and I'm sure it was His will. He alone knows the purposes for it. I know that He will perfect His will concerning us! Back to what I was saying at first, I meant that SOON we would be able to share our news. FINALLY we were able to. And I don't think it's BAD NEWS to be moving on. Sad, but not bad. I'm very excited actually! God, what will you do with seed sown here in Salto? I don't know, but YOU do! I praise YOU!

What a Friend!

Last night I was on Facebook chatting with an old friend. She is not old (because I am not old :) ), but we have known each other forever. I am privileged to be her friend :). Anyway, my friend, who works for a major airline, offered me her standby passes, which will allow our family to travel back to the States for about 1/3 of the price we have been planning on! What a blessing! Thank You, God! Also, she and her daughter are coming to visit us in March and she has offered to take 3 duffel bags of our stuff back with her! We are sure going to have fun while they are here. Just sharing the blessings!

What's Done is Done...

Today, Matt sent out our "change of ministry" letter. We all prayed together as a family before he sent the email. It was a sober moment, as we reflected on these past 18 years as a missionary family. We are so thankful for all those who have supported our ministry, in prayer and with funds. An awesome array of churches and individuals has participated in the Sanders ministry! We are so thankful. On the other hand...we are so EXCITED about the possibilities about ministry in the military! And (I thought I would NEVER say this), I am looking forward to living back in the good ole U.S. of A. again for a while. The next step, after Matt's trip to the States next week, is securing where Matt will be going to seminary. Pray with us about that. Then, it will be probably two long years of seminary, but we're looking forward to the whole journey. Woohoo!

New Journey

This is my first post on this blog, although I am not new to blogging. I had a blog before when we were missionaries in Venezuela, but things are changing so much that I wanted to start something fresh. My husband and I have been missionaries for 18 years. We are getting ready to embark on another journey, one which requires more faith on my part. We have been missionaries here in Uruguay for 2 years. We have not seen the results which we had hoped for, prayed for...*sigh* Back before Christmas, Matt began to have a yearning for a field he had thought of before, but had not honestly pursued before: the Army Chaplaincy. These have been 2 anxious, whirlwind months! There is MUCH to do to be able to get into the Army Chaplaincy. First of all, you must have a "religious" endorser. This might seem easy, but it requires a lot of patience and work! After much paperwork and such, Matt is headed soon to his initial interview with the board of whom we hope will be our endorser. That will be exciting! On that trip, he hopes to complete another crucial step: his MEPS (army physical exam). As we are currently on the field, we will be sending out our "change of ministry" letter, probably tomorrow. That is HUGE, as it really means that we are resigning as missionaries. That is kind of sad, after so much time. We are thankful for such awesome supporters and prayer partners as we've had! Another very important thing is education. Matt will have to finish his MDiv, and we are praying that we will be able to go to a seminary in our hometown. That would be awesome! We are very excited (and anxious) about the days ahead. After 16 years of living outside of the U.S., it will be strange to live in our country again. We are looking forward to this new journey though! Join us!