Heading to training

We're half way to Colorado.. We did 700 miles in an SUV yesterday with 8 people in it ! There were many times when David and I just smiled and KNEW that people were praying for us . Although we did have the maybe "typical " she did ...he's got my .... I'm dying....  kinda stuff...really, for the most part it was very peaceful.PLEASE continue to pray for us . We have about 4, 000 miles left to drive before we are home again in May. I will keep you posted with photos and thoughts as we go.

* VERY EXCITING NEWS* We are at 90% of our monthly support. PLEASE ALSO pray that our last 10 % will come in this month ( April) . IF it does , we will be able to pretty much know that we'll be in Guatemala in June !!!!!! 

Welp, we're heading back on the road again.... I'll try to post photos for all of you who are curious as to what it looks like from the road (and interior) for a family of 8 to take a 4 week car trip across 4,000 miles in an SUV! 

We love you all and thank you for praying ! 

Living like the Road Runner (if you're old enough to remember the road runner - smile), 

Mel

A Calming in the Storm

Just a quick little word from the beach. We had terrible weather today and were under a tornado warning most of the day. I called to the front desk to ask the sweet lady what the protical was for a tornado and she assured me that we were safe "UP " (literally) in our room. She said that our windows (large windows) would withstand winds up to 160 miles an hour. I called home and asked my sweet husband if that sounded smart to him. He gave me the sign off to stay in our room and so we did. Both of us ( Gracie and I ) were still nervous. The waves were really large and the sky was VERY black. There was thunder and lightning ..... so we prayed. During our prayer I was reminded that the Lord knew that we were here...not just at the beach but he knows the very room that we are in, he has allowed the storm to rage, he knows that we girls have come to his feet to ask for mercy and peace during this scary time and do you know what he allowed us to do while it blew over? ....sleep ...yep. A 4 hour nap (smile) ..... A great lesson in letting go happened today. Now if I can just go home and apply that to packing. Living life under the shadow of God provides not only assurance of my eternal home but peace in the craziness of life here.......waves, heavy wind, black skies, lightning.....there is always rest in Jesus. 

Peace,

m

Happy Birthday Gracie !

Our sweet daughter Gracie is one year older today ! Happy Birthday Grace... we love you - 

R&R (Yes, Rest and Relaxation )

There are some things that are truly wonderful about being a girl . There are also many things truly wonderful about being a mother of girls. Travel is one. My girls love to GO. Praise the Lord since we are going to be on the "go " for quite a little stint. My girls and I love to hit the road and do "girl trip " things. One of which is a yearly trip to the beach. Thank you David for allowing us this great love ONE MORE TIME ! 

*Next post will prayerfully be from somewhere near water, sunny skies, salty air, lots of breeze (but not to much - the whole sand in your mouth and eyes thing -yuck ) , lounge chairs and the sound of the ocean...... ahhhh...... I could almost relax right now..almost (smile). 

On the road again, 

M

Moving Day ! (again)

" Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven , where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is , there your heart will be also."

That's right ... today, the Evans are on the move ( again ). We are officially homeless and unemployed as of today. We are moving in with David's parents and will be with them while we're between places as we go to field training in Colorado and raise our last bit of support.We own only the items that will go to Guatemala, Colorado and those things that are to sentimental to sell. Is it hard ? no, not really.It is strange and the strangeness of it all can bring tears to my eyes and cause me to take a deep breath. HOWEVER, when I take on the perception that Christ offers me in Matthew.... it's all rubbish and my eternal home is secure. It was bought with blood and established through salvation in Jesus. Things of this earth will come and go BUT nothing can cause the glory of the Lord to be tainted and if I seek out him alone and his ways then I am the richest girl in the world ! Not to mention owner of VERY valuable real estate in HEAVEN ! 

Praying that you'll be there too,

M

Saying "See You Later"

If there is a way to say good- bye in the south it must include several things.... 1. You MUST have great friends there 2. there MUST be really good food 3. Usually a good bon- fire is required and 4. something CHOCOLATE ( I've already mentioned good food but to all chocolate lovers this really is it's own catagory ) 5. Prayer 

This past weekend, we were blessed with an amazing goodbye in very southern style. ALL of the above was there ! Silly friends, funny memories, too much great food and circles of prayer. The men gathered around David and the women gathered around me and the Lord fell over it all. Precious ! Thank you to everyone who made the last week so special for our whole family . 

And as I was reminded while there.... as believers in Christ there really is no good - bye ONLY see you later ! 

Be back soon Loganville, 

Melinda

Where We've Been

I thought that it would be funny to title this "Where We've Been " and then confess to having NO IDEA where all we've been !!!!  I (Melinda) got taken away for a weekend in St. Simons by precious friends, my husband sent me away for a weekend  ALL BY MYSELF ( for the first time ever in 37 years.....18 years of married life - I'm not kidding ) , Tyler turned 6 years old, we've had our phone services changed over, water delivery canceled, packing up for Guatemala, Colorado and the things (very few things ) that I would call "keepsakes", raising support, and saying goodbyes to friends out of town....whew !!!! I have shed so many tears and am thinking that I have run out of them ! 

Support update : As of this past Monday we are at 86.1 % of our monthly support !!! This is HUGE... Just last week we were at 81 % . PLEASE pray that the Lord will continue to bring this last support in. We have heard from our organization that once we're at 100% we can be in Guatemala in 30 days !!!!!! It is so hard to comprehend that after aprox. 10 years of feeling the Lord call us into foreign missions we are within only a few months of actually landing (literally) there. We will be at field training until May and then on a family vacation until the end of May and so we are hoping to prayerfully be in Guatemala in June ! 

Thanks for stopping in and catching up . I hope that this didn't come across as to blah blah blah but it has been very good for me to type this out and realize why I just took a 2 hour nap today (smile ) ! 

Peace, 

M