Today was a wonderful day! We woke up and began getting ready for church. Yes we are far from home but our church is worldwide and we were able to find the nearest location for church. Our family and friends decided to do a special fast for Brianna and the baby and for the biopsy to go well. Fasting is an opportunity to go without food and water for at least 2 meals to allow us to be more spiritually connected with Heavenly Father. As we give up the physical needs, our spirit is able to draw more strength from the Lord. When we fast, we ask in deep sincerity for blessings and put our faith and trust in the Lord. We attended church with the family that reached out to us on Wednesday night. It was so nice to be around so many people and feel of their love. We were able to worship together and draw closer to our Heavenly Father as a family. While we were at church, the family that came over on Wednesday asked us if we would like to join them for dinner. What a wonderful blessing and another prayer answered in a way that we may not have expected.
We headed back to the hotel following church and played UNO Dare together as a family. IT WAS THE BEST! We laughed so hard and just had a wonderful time together. UNO dare allows you to either take the draw twos and wild draw fours or to do a dare that is provided. Some of the dares are like Talk like a robot until your next turn or don't smile until your next turn and if you fail, you draw the cards! SUPER FUNNY! It is nice to have her parents here so that we can laugh with them and just feel comforted. Following the game we decided to take naps. We only rested for about an hour when one of Brianna's cousins (Ted) showed up (photo below). He and his family live in MN and so they traveled about an hour and a half to come and spend some time with us. Ted, and his two daughters Cambell and Sophia came to visit with us for a couple of hours. It was so much fun spending time with them an just watching those sweet girls. They were very bright and happy. Ted and his family gave us a card and told us that they were praying for us. They headed out to head back home and we headed to dinner.
We had dinner tonight with the Brewer family (picture below). What a wonderful family. The Brewers have 7 kids and they are all so wonderful. When we got there, the kiddos were jumping on the trampoline and I asked if it would be okay to go and join them. I was told that would be okay. We played popcorn where you jump up and down and then land on your bum and whoever goes the highest is the judge for the next round. It was a lot of fun and it was nice to just spend some time with the kids. After a few minutes we were told that it was time for dinner. Sister Brewer was gone on a trip so it was just Brother Brewer and the kids. Dinner was AMAZING! It was so nice to get a home cooked meal instead of going out to dinner again. What a blessing it was to be in their home tonight. They were filled with so much love and laughter and we truly felt as though we were part of the family which was such a tender mercy. Following dinner and dessert, I went to the trampoline with the kids again for a little longer while Brianna, Kim and Terry talked with Brother Brewer inside. We all came inside and decided to play Ninja for a couple of rounds. Ninja or as I call it Ninja Destruction is where you get in a circle and you take turns going around the circle attempting to slap each others hands. (it is better than it sound I promise!) We had a lot of fun playing and it was such a nice time being with family (although we aren't technically family we are all brothers and sisters right?). After a few rounds of Ninja, we decided that we should head back to the hotel and get some rest. We will never be able to thank the Brewers for their love and their sacrifice for us tonight. It was truly a wonderful evening and we all felt so much peace leaving tonight. Once at the hotel we simply relaxed as a family and now we are getting ready for bed.
Over the past several days I have been thinking of the song below called Blessings by Laura Story (Lyrics found below). I think too often we think that the blessings that Heavenly Father are limited and that is simply because of our human minds. Brianna and I wanted to share these lyrics because we know that God does live and that He does hear and answer our prayers. However, He often answers in His own way and in His own time. We find great strength knowing that God knows us and loves us. We know that He lives. We know without a shadow of a doubt that He knows us and He knows what we are going through. He loves us and we know that in His due time, the Lord will allow us to understand the reasoning behind all this and allow us to be healed in one form or another. Healing will come and it will be through Him.
Brianna and I wanted to thank each of you again for your love, faith and prayers on out behalf. We feel your strength and we feel of your love. We cannot thank you enough for all you are doing for us. Many have asked if there is anything that you can do. At this point, we just asked for continued prayers for strength, understanding and for safety. We love you and we thank you.
Blessings by Laura Story
We pray for blessings We pray for peace Comfort for family, protection while we sleep We pray for healing, for prosperity We pray for Your mighty hand to ease our suffering All the while, You hear each spoken need Yet love is way too much to give us lesser things Cause what if Your blessings come through raindrops What if Your healing comes through tears What if a thousand sleepless nights Are what it takes to know You're near What if trials of this life are Your mercies in disguise We pray for wisdom Your voice to hear And we cry in anger when we cannot feel You near We doubt Your goodness, we doubt Your love As if every promise from Your Word is not enough All the while, You hear each desperate plea And long that we'd have faith to believe Cause what if Your blessings come through raindrops What if Your healing comes through tears What if a thousand sleepless nights Are what it takes to know You're near And what if trials of this life are Your mercies in disguise When friends betray us When darkness seems to win We know the pain reminds this heart That this is not, this is not our home Cause what if Your blessings come through raindrops What if Your healing comes through tears And what if a thousand sleepless nights Are what it takes to know You're near What if my greatest disappointments Or the aching of this life Is the revealing of a greater thirst this world can't satisfy And what if trials of this life The rain, the storms, the hardest nights Are Your mercies in disguise
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| Brewers, Geddie and Turners |
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| Terry, Kim, Cambell, Sophia, and Ted |
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| Geoffrey, Brianna, Cambell, Sophia, and Ted |
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