Passion for Paraguay

I have been going back to my journals and blogs to feel what life was before the accident. Connecting to Julies last sermon has helped me think what she was wrestling with, and some of the discussions we had over dinner conversations.  Julie had increasingly began preaching in our local church and other locations when she was invited. During our first years as missionaries, she resisted the idea of public speaking, blaming language and other responsibilities.  Her last sermon, about three weeks before the accident was on "The Vine", based on John 15. She spoke with eloquence and determination. She loved grapes and was always in touch with nature. Our plan was to plant grapes in May-June of 2012. We had designated a section on our property for this purpose.  People in church still remember Julie's power point illustrations and her way of presenting a profound truth about the Christian walk. Guess what I will do this coming May and ...

I can’t say enough how Julie's words in her journals have blessed me. Over the 12 years of our marriage, we occasionally read to each other entries from our journals. But only occasionally. Why read each other’s journals when we had each other in person? In person, we could talk and share insights, struggles, and dreams. We met every morning for Paraguayan tea time. It was a ritual, a sacred date that we considered one of our daily highlights. Missing the 6am tea time was almost a transgression of a family tradition. Today during my early tea time, I opened a journal from six years ago. Julie was sharing her struggles as a mother, wife, and daughter of the king. A few months after Timmy’s birth, she wrote: "It’s my first Mother’s day ever. Thank you God for the privilege of being a mom. What a life change I have had in the last six months. Timmy has consumed so much of my time and energy but it is all worth it. Timmy is sitting up unassisted and soon, will ...