In Need of Prayer

I receive updates from Voice of the Martyrs, and this week's top story is one I want to share. It's hard for us Americans to conceive of the kinds of things our brothers and sisters in Christ face every day. The least I can do is pray for them...maybe you will too?

PAKISTAN - Religious Minorities Told to Convert or Die- VOM Source

Christians in northern Pakistan have been receiving letters threatening them with death if they refuse to become Muslims. The Voice of the Martyrs' contacts in Pakistan report Peshawar's minorities are living in fear after receiving dozens of letters mailed to them in August. VOM contacts report, "There have been numerous threats sent to Peshawar's Kohati area. The letters say if we don't become Muslim we will be killed." Praise God it has only been threats so far. Pray God protects Christians in the area. Pray the testimony of believers in Pakistan will draw nonbelievers into fellowship with Jesus Christ. Psalm 27:1, Romans 8:31

I Enjoyed The Day

Yesterday was a very nice day. It wasn't perfect. It had a few bumps. There was some bickering in the van on the drive up and there was some whining at the zoo and it took a while for the kids to settle down and get to sleep, but I really enjoyed myself yesterday. We got up, loaded the van and drove to Washington for breakfast. The kids ate well (always a plus) and were well-behaved during the meal. After some initial bickering, the kids settled down and listened to a story on tape while we had a beautiful drive to Seattle.


We went to the zoo where we saw part of the spectrum of God's ingenious creation. Who knew there was such a thing as a legless lizard? (It has eyelids and can regenerate it's tail so it's not a snake.) Okay, it was kind of creepy looking, but interesting nonetheless. They had an area with about 20 huge hydrangeas all in bloom, that was just gorgeous! Instead of the smell of animals, most of the time we kept getting whiffs of something incredible like jasmine or honeysuckle. Best of all for this cheapskate, the zoo was free since they have a reciprocal membership with the Oregon Zoo where we are members.

Abigail wearing her diving mask from Ivar's.
My family walked way too far out of their way so that I could eat the world's best clam chowder at Ivar's. On the way there I was wondering whether it was really worth the walk, but after eating a few spoonfuls, I decided it was afterall. It was the kind of meal I always hope for. No one fussed or whined about the food, there were no spills or disasters. Food was shared, conversation was enjoyed, and we all loved watching the entertainment...seagulls catching food right out of the air that people outside our window were throwing for them.


We missed seeing the sites at Pike Place Market, so we'll have to try going back again another day, but we did see the Space Needle both in daylight and after they lit the lights. The kids didn't complain that we didn't take them on any of the amusement rides at the Seattle Center (though Ryan was disappointed we didn't go to the top of the Needle, he didn't make a big deal out of it), and surprisingly they didn't even complain about the walking, which we had done tons of.


We were all ready to get to the hotel, and we crossed the world's longest floating bridge into Bellevue to the excited laughs of my daughter. She thoroughly enjoys life, and today's adventures kept her completely enthralled. It was a relaxing day (if you don't count the walking) of seeing the sites in a beautiful city, and I'm so grateful I am blessed with my wonderful husband and kids with whom I was able to enjoy it!