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After a week of maintenance problems with our water heater, (you wouldn't believe how a small leak could turn into a major ordeal when the plumbers tried to install a new water heater) power outages, a dead laptop, water outages, no email, AND a book deadline on Saturday, I haven't been keeping up my blog the past few days. So more pictures and updates soon!
Blessings,
Wednesday, March 29, 2006
Monday, March 27, 2006

ONE OF THOSE DAY. . .
I’m sure you’ve had one or two of “those days.” Days when nothing goes exactly the way it’s supposed to. And for me, it’s just noon!
I knew it was going to be a jam packed day, because it was Scott’s only free day this week. At five till seven Scott dropped off Gabriel at his ride, and I took the little ones to school, with Max the cat in tow who had an eight o’clock appointment at the vet. I met Scott at the mechanic where we waited to have his truck dropped off. There’s a problem with the brakes. Not something to mess around with.
I’m home by seven thirty, ready to whip out a chapter. I have a deadline on April first, but with it pretty much finished, I decided to try and write four chapters for my next deadline and finish the story this week. My in-laws arrive next week from the States, and I’d like to spend time with them before they head off to
I sit down at my desk and turn on my laptop.
Nothing happens.
Strange. I’d worked till about ten thirty the night before and everything had been fine. I try plugging it in to the charger.
Nothing.
Saturday, March 25, 2006
IT’S JUST A SMALL LEAK. . .
Or so we thought. The small leak in our water heater turned into a bit more than that with a little help from our plumbers. I walked into the kitchen while they were fixing it and water was flooding from the ceiling onto my counters and the floor. We hurried to get buckets, move everything off the counter, and lay down towels across the floor. They finally got the water stopped (I still don’t understand what they did) and replaced our hot water heater, but will have to return on Monday to replace our ceiling!
Needless to say, it’s been a busy week. Gabriel turned nine! Hard to believe that my little boy is growing up so quickly. He loves his new school and is doing so well. Friday night, he participated in the school’s Big Walk fundraiser, and he did 77 laps which equaled about 30 kilometers. His feet hurt today, but not enough to stop him from riding his new bike for a while this afternoon. We live at the top of a big hill, though, so coming home I followed him, but he was so tired after riding around at the school, so I attempted to put it in the trunk of our little car. Thankfully, a nice man in a truck stopped and drove it up the hill for Gabe.
Scott’s been going to our second round of BTCL Bible classes all week and they continue to go well. He’s putting a report of his trip to
I have a book deadline next Saturday, so I’m busy doing all the last minute edits. The book’s a novella collection called
An anonymous, old-fashioned love note-a literature student's homework assignment-has been misplaced by its author. Jason finds the love note and mistakenly believes his new employee, Nicole, is hopelessly infatuated with him. When Zak finds the note on his tool cart at the garage, he's convinced Ellen's snobby friends and wealthy parents no longer pose an obstacle and plots an all-out strategy to win her heart. A matchmaking sister uses the note to ignite romance between Samantha and friend Garrett. And the note causes a collision of mistaken identity for Callie and Darryl and results in true love for two lonely souls.
It’s a fun, lighthearted story you won’t want to miss, set in a small town in
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Blessings!
Lisa
Wednesday, March 22, 2006
THE FACES OF THE CHILDREN. . . Not far from us, children live in squatter camps, temporary shelters made from tin, cardboard, and other scraps of material. In the cities, children stand on the street corners begging for a few rand. And then there’s the issue of HIV/AIDS. Millions of children under the age of 18 have been orphaned from this epidemic throughout southern Africa. Unfortunately, the problem only continues to get worse.
The difficult thing we are seeing is that traditionally in the African culture, families have relied on extended family members to care for orphaned children. But what does a grandmother do when all her children have died and she now has five, six, seven, or even eight children to raise on her own.
We are thrilled to be able to work with men like Cornelius, a Christian man who directs our orphan ministry in
We want to affect the lives of these precious children one at a time.
“And Jesus took the children in his arms, put his hands on them and blessed them.” Mark 10:16
If you’d like more information how you can be a part of this ministry and help support an orphan from
Blessings!
Lisa
Tuesday, March 21, 2006

OUR SNAKES SPEAK ENGLISH. . .at least according to Jayden our four year old. He told me if he sees a snake he just has to tell it to go away, and it will. Needless to say, I had to have a reminder about what to do if they really do see a snake. Never expect a snake to cooperate with your directions!
Blessings,
Saturday, March 18, 2006
ANOTHER HUMID SATURDAY and MILDEW. . .
Scott, Allen and Janelle should be on their way home now. They will fly into
As for the humid weather. . .It’s driving me nuts. Mildew is beginning to take over my house. We’ve got a serious problem in our bathroom ceiling. Knew about that when we bought the house. The whole bathroom is going to have to be gutted soon. But now, with the weather wet, cold, and wet, things never dry. My clothes are mildewing, my shoes are even mildewing. The bedding always seems damp. It’s getting bad.
Nothing here, of course, is climate controlled which makes the matter worse. I pulled out my book on how to clean anything for some advice. They say you should burn a 60-watt bulb in your closets continuously. But that’s a bit of a problem if you don’t have a light in your closet.
So, I’m off to wash a few loads of laundry and hope my clothes aren’t ruined.
Any advice?
Lisa
Thursday, March 16, 2006
MAX'S MYSTERIOUS DISAPEARANCE. . .
While I am in the midst of writing a cozy mystery for my publisher, Max's disappearance has nothing to do with my latest deadline. Max is our five month old kitten, dedicated to ridding our house of mice and other pesky rodents. . .Until he disappeared two days ago.
I have to say, that despite the fact that I hate him sleeping in our bed (no matter how many times I toss him to the floor or lock him in the scullery he always manages to find a way back), he is a sweet cat. If you sit down to read or watch TV, Max will be right there, curled up in your lap, purring away. He loves to play, loves the kids, and even loves our two huge German Shepherds. So needless to say, we were all quite distraught we hadn’t seen Max for 24 hours.
Wednesday, March 15, 2006
ERIC LITTELL AND JESUS FREAKS. . .
Gabriel and I just finished reading the story of Eric Littell, the Scottish runner who won a gold metal in the Olympics. Wow! What a powerful story. Not only was Eric a man who used his running for God, he later dedicated his life to serving God in
We haven’t all been asked to lay down our physical lives, but we have been called to deny ourselves, take up our cross daily and live for Him.
It’s heavy stuff, I know.
If you haven’t heard of the book Jesus Freaks, then you’ve got to pick yourself up a copy. The book is filled with stories of people who have given their lives for Christ and His message of freedom. Stories of those who stood for Jesus.
"It is said that there are more Christian martyrs today than there were in 100 AD--in the days of the Roman Empire. According to the World Christian Encyclopedia, there were close to 164,000 Christians martyred around the world in 1999." from the book, Jesus Freaks (dc Talk and The Voice of the Martyrs).
"Remember the Lord's people who are in jail and be concerned for them. Don't forget those who are suffering but imagine that you are there with them." Hebrews 13:3
“What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet loses his soul?” Matthew 16: 26.
It’s something to think about.
Blessings,
Lisa
Tuesday, March 14, 2006

Into Inhambane. . .
Scott, Allen and Janelle have arrived in the hot city of Inhambane, Mozambique. They had to cross the water on a water taxi a couple of times, and Scott even got to try his hands at the control of the small plane they were taken in on. The plane was flown by a mission aviation pilot, in order to get to the remote places they will be visiting.
During this time they will be looking at two unreached tribes with prayers that God will direct them as to which group He is calling us to target for a church planting movement.
They have a number of people they will be connecting with, though we are all praying that there is fuel. The truck that normally delievers the fuel to where they are going is broken down, so this of course will determine their actual scedule. Life is never dull.
Please pray for their safe journey! And that God will guide them to the people He wants them to see.
Lisa
Monday, March 13, 2006
we live in here in
ir frie
nds.
Friday, March 10, 2006


GAME PARK. . .
Tomorrow we've decided to take our day off and head out on a game drive. It's so nice to be only an hour or so away from Kruger National Game Park, though we don't go near as much as I'd like to.

Enjoy!
Lisa

Wednesday, March 08, 2006

GO INTO ALL THE WORLD. . .
One of the goals we have as missionaries is to reach out to under reached people groups and tribes. In
We are now getting ready to start a work in
The need is great. Please pray that God will go before us, and that He will raise up the people He’s chosen to go with us into 
These are some pictures from one of Scott's last trips.
Blessings,
Lisa
Saturday, March 04, 2006

SUMMER IS GONE. . .

These are a couple pictures I took yesterday of the mist rising in the valley. It's the view from our house and one I never tire of. On a clear day you can see for miles, but on cloudy, overcast days the mist settles into the green mountains and valleys around us, leaving a stunning picture.
Friday, March 03, 2006
SO YOU WANT TO WRITE. . .
Raise your hand if you’ve ever dreamed of writing the great international bestseller. Patty, in her comments, called writing a journey, something I’ve always referred to it as. Like any journey, it has it mountains and valleys, its peaceful seaside stops and trips into the harsh badlands.
Thursday, March 02, 2006

OH THE JOYS OF TECHNOLOGY. . .
I have to say we are very blessed to live in
t can’t send them. Hopefully it will be fixed soon as I wanted to respond to some of the comments that have been left recently.
Had an interesting phenomenon here the other night. I kept seeing weird shadows on the lights outside and opened the door to see what it was. Much to my surprise there were hundreds of butterflies flying around the lights. Now we always have moths flying around at night of every shape and size. They nose dive into your hair and are basically annoying. Once dusk hits, we run around closing all the windows and doors not from the fear of a break in, but from the insects. I suppose it’s the rain this time of year that brings them on in full force. The picture of the butterflies in the rafters really doesn’t show you just how many there were, but the instant I opened the door and stepped outside to take a picture, I had to jump back inside, because they were literally everywhere!
I’ve included a couple pictures of the butterflies as well as a photo of our oldest with his second place trophy for his last relay race. Go Gabe!
Lisa
Monday, February 27, 2006
I just took a peek at Gina Holmes blogspot and saw that her interview with me is up. Take a look at www.noveljourney.blogspot.com.
Blessings,
Lisa
Sunday, February 26, 2006

WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING ABOUT REBECCA’S HEART. . .
I’m excited that I’m already receiving feedback from my readers for Rebecca’s Heart. I loved writing Rebecca and Luke’s story and am thrilled to know that many of you are enjoying reading it.
“Thanks a million for keeping me up till 2 in the morning--with Rebecca's Heart. LOL. I absolutely love it! It's my favorite over all else you've written.” --Saundra
“I read your book this weekend and couldn't put it down. It was wonderful. I cannot believe the huge progress you have made in your writing. Michaela's Choice was good, but this was terrific. Wow! Great character development especially.” -- Lynne
“Lisa’s new book is AWESOME! I could not put it down & read it all in one setting. She made the characters come so alive I could swear I was in
If you’ve read Rebecca’s Heart I’d LOVE to hear from you as well. Let me know what you think. Also consider filling in the tear page in the back where you can write your comments about the story and send it to my editor. They take seriously the feedback they receive from the readers, so mailing in the reader survey really does help! Also consider posting a review on Amazon.com or Christianbooks.com. This will help other readers know what you think. Remember, my Heartsong novels won’t be for sale in the bookstores or Amazon until three months after they’ve hit the book club.
For those of you who have enjoyed my Massachusetts series so far with Michaela’s Choice and Rebecca’s Heart, look for book three, Adam’s Bride, due to be released this November!
Blessings!
Lisa
Saturday, February 25, 2006
ICU AND EARTHQUAKES. . .
Sounds weird, I know, but that's been my week. Wednesday afternoon my four year old slid down the ladder of our jungle gym and hit his head. At first we didn't think much about it. There was just a small scratch on his head and it seemed like another typical boy bump. After an hour, though, I realized that something wasn't right. He was lethargic and making no sense when he tried to talk. Jayden's best little friend's father is a doctor, so I called him up to see if he though we should take him into the hospital. While his vitals seemed fine, Jayden was in a daze and making no sense, so the doctor drove Jayden and I to the hospital in Tzaneen. Scott was already in Tzaneen for one of our leadership training classes and met us at the hospital. A cat scan showed a definite concussion, but thankfully no bleeding. They admitted him into ICU so they could monitor him closely. Even though their was no bleeding, the doctor said if his condition began to deteriorate, we lived too far from the hospital and it was better to keep a close eye on him.
The first night was rough. He threw up about five times, pulled his IV out as well as the oxygen mask. I got little sleep that night as I lay next to his restless little body. At one in the morning, the bed started shaking. Half asleep and not knowing what was going on, I wondered if there was an earthquake, but thought that they didn’t have them here. Maybe a truck was rumbling by out side the window, but I didn’t hear a truck. The bed kept shaking and shaking. Finally I went back to sleep. The next morning we all found out that there had been a 7.8 earthquake in
Thursday, Jayden still wasn’t his normal self, so they kept him in ICU. He slept most of the day and was restless, not wanting to eat or play. The doctor insisted on keeping him another night.
Friday morning he woke up about four and wanted to eat and play. For the first time I breathed a sigh of relief. We were making progress. The doctor had him on a liquid diet, so he had Jell-O and juice for breakfast a couple hours later, but Jayden was not happy about this. When we asked him what he wanted, he said anything except Jell-O. He was smiling finally and played with a sticker book that had just come in the mail from his Grammy. At ten, the doctor moved him to the regular ward to see how he would do without the medication. He ate a chicken burger for lunch and that brought big smiles to his face. Finally, at eight Friday night I was able to bring him home. He’s still tired and getting his strength back, but once again I have my baby smiling again.
The whole experience has made me so grateful for God’s blessings. From the doctor who drove Jayden and I to the hospital to his wife who went to check on our other kids. To those who prayed for us and send encouraging messages by email to those who stopped by the hospital to pray. To those who made me eat, brought me food, and kept my kids, to teachers who didn’t gripe at Gabriel for not getting his homework done. To the wonderful doctors and nurses who God used to give Jayden the medical attention he needed.
Our hearts full of thanks!
Lisa
Wednesday, February 22, 2006
I'M ALWAYS AMAZED. . .I'm always amazed at the contrast of life here. We left for Johannesburg on Saturday, through the beautiful Limpopo mountains and tropical vegetation. Banana plantations, tea plantations, mango trees, macadamia nuts, and pine forests fill this area. Once we're out of the mountains, we drive through a flatter, more arid place as we go toward Petersburg. The land here is scattered with cactus and miles of small homes.
The city, with its traffic and congestion, does have a few things that kids enjoy like McDonalds and movie theaters. Petersburg is an hour away and the closest place with a real mall, movies, and pizza places. The picture below is a gas station outside of the city. I love the thatched roofs here. Even a lot of the houses have them here, but you have to be careful if you have allergies.



Another contrast from the big city is the squatter camps we pass along the side of the road. A year ago, this camp had a few dozen shacks. Today, this picture shows only a small part of the hundreds of shacks that line the highway. These high density areas are filled with people who've moved to the city trying to find work but with nowhere else to live then what they can put together themselves.
Cathy asked me in her comments yesterday about the safety of renting a car while she's here. You shouldn't have any problems renting a car, though you will find the prices much higher than in the states. Crime in the big cities is high, but common sense will help you stay out of trouble. When we lived in Joburg, we took extra precautions. I tried to avoid driving alone at night, kept my eyes on my purse at the grocery store, and other things that you'd do in any big city anywhere in the world. I know that all I can do is to be smart and trust God to the rest.
Tomorrow I'll let you in on the latest buzz on my new book, Rebecca's Heart.
Blessings,
Lisa
Tuesday, February 21, 2006

HOME AGAIN. . .
old school. He did a great job for his team!
We returned Monday, but Jayden came down with the flu. Not fun to travel almost five hours with a sick kid, but since I had a doctor’s appointment before we left, we took him in as well and he received a shot for nausea that helped. He seems to have bounced back quickly and is fine tonight.
this opportunity.
Lisa


