We are ready, almost!

We have been preparing all summer long for this moment.  We are pretty much ready.  

We have the canned food.

 Different kinds of kraut made.

A huge freezer full of garden greens, broccoli, and cauliflower

Big Sacks of potatoes

 Buckets of carrots in Sand

The back 40 mowed down

The front 40 mowed and looking neat

Piles of wood everywhere!  This is where we are still a bit behind.  Still have more to saw, more to stack and more to split.  Haven't got a wood shed yet .  :0(

School has begun in earnest.

Sorry for the pictures of messy desks.

Ok, let it snow!!!!!

God Is At the Helm!

Dear Friends (all those who have been praying for me, our church and our Bible Study group),

  Life has been very interesting.  The Devil has been true to character in attacking me and trying to destroy a good thing.  God has been true to His word in defending His cause!  The last Bible study was a blessing to me.  Ok, so I was the one who was facilitating it but I was indeed truly inspired by his word and strengthened by the interest of the people.
  It came as a surprise then, when on Sabbath, I had a hand push against my chest to stop me, a door closed right in my face, and on the other side was heard very emphatically, "I don't like her right now!"  I was a little taken aback.  I had not pushed my own agenda anywhere!  I had been very kind to everyone!  I have tried to never step on toes or create any ripples!  I've been praying everyday to be like Jesus! My heart sunk.
  It was another attempt of the Devil to get me down. I recognized that right away.   How can I tell people of the love of Jesus if I am feeling angry and won't forgive this person for hating without cause!  How can I preach forgiveness if I am holding a grudge?  This was a ploy of the Devil to stop the Bible Study/Prayer in our church or at least the effectiveness of it.  However, I felt suddenly defensive.  How come the Devil keeps trying to use people to destroy what I want to do for God?  But then,  the question came to mind, "How could I keep this project going when suddenly I am feeling so defensive of it?"  It was never mine to defend from the beginning.  Oh boy,  The Devil knew that one minor offense could produce in me a whole deluge of carnal reactions!  I needed help!
  I got on my knees and began to pray!  "God help me to be forgiving.  Help me not to keep reliving it.  Help me put the offense completely aside and to treat the offender like Jesus would."  I called my neighbor friend and she came for a bike ride with me.  We sat in my favorite prayer place as I told her that I was struggling spiritually and needed strength from God.  She held me up.  She told me that since the Bible Study/prayer group began, she has felt peace in heart and forgiveness for the first time.  She has rearranged her schedule so that she can wake up at 5:30 every morning and pray and read her Bible.  She told me how she feels so blessed because of this Bible Study/prayer thing.
  I realized again how effective this ministry could be if, even under duress and threat of closure, I let God defend His own cause and leave myself out of it.  I began to sing every time I felt myself being drawn back into the trap of being offended.  I made a fresh raspberry pie for the offender.  I wanted and still want only to show the love of Jesus.  The Lord even provided information on a much broader perspective as why this person is so reactive.  My heart was broken by the story!  It was enough to bring me to tears.  I was brought to my knees on their behalf.  I was sincerely humbled by the story and completely repentant of my own inward thoughts.  God have mercy on me!
  It was an attack from the Devil to break me down.  God used it to help me see my own weakness and to Glorify Him when He made me strong!
  The Bible Study/Prayer group continues on.  Now our Pastor who seemed so discouraged just weeks ago, is excited for the possibilities that are becoming evident.  Praise God from whom all blessing flow!
  We had a close knit group of 5 people last week and it's looking like this week will be more.  Please, to all those who have committed to pray for this thing,  keep praying.  God is about to work some major miracles in Whitehorse!  Don't give up!  The Devil is angrier then ever but God is strong and our faith is being built!

Farmer Me

My neighbor lent me his tractor today so that I could bush hog my over grown field and have it ready for bigger gardens next year.  I had lots of fun.  I love driving tractors.

 Toto' concentration!

Kraut

Today my friend and neighbour came over to make more Sour Kraut.  We had a lot of fun with it this time.  It was fun last time because we were just learning but we got into different kinds of recipes this time.  We made the regular Russian style kraut with both green and purple cabbages.  We also made Latin American kraut which tastes rather Spanish  (hmmm, that was a little redundant  LOL) and we make Korean style kraut which I think they call Kimshee (sp?).  So fun!

Here is the Latin American Kraut with the regular stuff behind it.

And here is the Korean style kraut.

Happy Day!!

Sweet Reprieve

Last night was Bible Study/Prayer group again.  I was so discouraged last week after the first meeting and had to pray daily for God to help me not to just throw a good thing out the window.  I had both encouraging and discouraging friends talk to me about it after and I decided to be encouraged and not let the Devil get me down.
I didn't know what to really expect this week but a new person showed up and two people that came before didn't come.  One because of her work schedule, I'm sure and the other, because she wasn't comfortable with it, I'm thinking.  Whatever the case is,  we had a nice study last night on prayer.  Specifically the Lord's Prayer.  I was blessed and I think they others were also.  I pray that God will send more people next week. It is so nice to not feel discouraged at the moment.  Please keep praying for us!

Swimming Lesson time

It was a busy week last week.  Swimming lessons were for 4 days in a row and it is half an hours drive to town each time plus all the cleaning up of the garden and getting school done.  I find it a bit overwhelming.  However, since the swimming lesson kids are all home-schooled, it gives me ample opportunity to hang out with all the mothers and chat.  It is easy since we all have homeschooling in common already.  I consider it a great opportunity for friendship.   This week we have two days of lessons and next week another 4 days again. 

I love the view from the swimming pool windows!

Oh, we finished up the garden with harvesting and hanging the onions.  There were not so many but next year, I'll plant a lot more onions.  They did really well.  I love it also when they are all hung up and looking so "pioneerish".  LOL

The Garden this Year

The garden this year has been a real blessing.  I haven't had a garden like this since I was a kid.  We just so happened to buy a home on 2 1/2 acres last year and this spring we tilled up a garden from the sod and built a greenhouse from scratch.   I wasn't sure how it would grow but I was very happy with the results.  I knew before I left on vacation this summer that I had a beautiful garden but I was worried about whether it would actually produce veggies or not.

This is before vacation

I guess I need not have worried about the veggies

This is when we came back.  This was a small gift from our garden to our neighbors for their birthdays.

All the veggies from the garden were huge and delicious

 Broccoli head = 13 inches across

Since we've been back we've done down 16 jars of sour kraut and have more to go, 

23 jars of pickled beets, 8 jars of dill pickle relish

frozen tons of spinach, kale, swiss chard, broccoli and cauliflower.

We dug up about (guessing) 300 lb or potatoes, and 5 buckets of carrots

And joy of all joys, even though it got too cold for tomatoes we picked several boxes of green tomatoes and layered them in newspaper in the back closet of the house.  Now we are eating yummy tomato sandwiches from our very own greenhouse!  We should be eating them as they ripe for a few months.

 

God has been so good!  Not to mention all the fruit my mother, sister and kids helped me can while I was down south.  My house is full of food and my neighbors even got quite a bit.  I'm so happy!

Oh,  by the way, I found my camera!

Attack!

Wow, this morning has been hard for me so far and I'm not even out of my housecoat yet. 
Yesterday was a busy day with lots to do.  I had a Bible study/Prayer group planned for the evening and spent the morning writing members of our church for support as well as friends.  I encouraged everyone to come, hoping there would be a good response and a desire to not only support but be encouraged spiritually.  I have been praying for this even for weeks and have felt a little bit of resistance. 
There has been some "Well, good luck!" kind of responses and some, "Is this prayer meeting?  Why isn't the pastor doing it?"  I prayed my way through each discouragement and asked for God to help me.  I went to the meeting nervous and feeling unprepared.  I presented a little on how to study the Bible.  Everyone (all six) who came listened.  Some participated a little in conversation.  It was made up of all shy people.  It was hard.  I did most of the talking.  After the Bible Study I introduced united prayer.  My neighbor lady who is new in faith and just learning, cried through the whole prayer.  I'm thinking that prayer touched a chord in her heart somewhere.  I hope she feels comfortable to come again.  She is such a nice lady and a good friend.

After returning home however, a cloud of complete discouragement decended on me.  I was so completely overwhelmed with, why am I doing this and who do I think I am?  Perhaps people think I am trying to take control and take over the pastor's place.  I do not know how to do this.  I need help!  The discouragement continued all though the night and I did not sleep well.  This morning I prayed and asked God for strength.  I will call the pastor and ask for guidance too.  But he is more discouraged then I. 

I believe the Devil has his grip on the Yukon and does not want this place to be evangelized.  Last time we had a pastor come up and do a series of meetings here, he became so discouraged that he canceled several of the last meetings and left before even baptizing the two people who did want to give their hearts to Jesus.  Our pastor, of course, did that for them.  But I tell you.  The Devil is not going to stand for work being done here. 

Please, I beg anyone who is a Christian out there to pray that we can reach the people of the Yukon for Jesus!  I need prayer too.  I need a partner church to pray for our church.  Another church that is concerned, and already has an established group that prays to pray for our church.  We are floundering and I'm praying!

And...just to add to all of that,  my camera which I put on the table yesterday is gone and it cannot be found anywhere.  I had some pictures to share from the garden and what not but I cannot find my camera anywhere, anywhere.  I'm praying about that too.  God knows I need miracles today!

Busy Monday :0)

Today was similar to yesterday but it changed from Sunday to Monday.
Today we picked carrots and put them in buckets of sand.  We picked 5 buckets of Carrots and I gave one bucket away to a friend and neighbor who came by with her little son today and helped us pick them.
She is my neighbor who is also excited to join my prayer group and Bible study.  So,  I'm happy for that.  We are meeting on Wednesday evening for the first time.  Hurray!

I had to cut farmer me from the picture.  It was too much for me to look at!  :0(

Busy Sunday

Cleaned up the greenhouse today then dug up the potatoes and onions.

Also went to visit a former church member and help her with her eaves troughs on her roof.  

Then had a wonderful prayer time with a friend from church. 

don't want them to turn green while they are hardening.

Today

This is where I love to pray.  It is a short bike ride on a little trail through the woods

across from our house.  When you break out of the trees at the end of the trail, it takes your breath away with the beauty.  I always feel so close to God here.