December 7, 2008

Witnessing 101


While the girls were staying with their grandparents in Lexington, KY they met a new friend just a few doors down. Laura is a beautiful 9 year-old “ABC,” American born Chinese. After playing with her for a few days, Darby-Jewell requested that April ask Laura if she knew who God was. April and I explained to our little “Jewell” that she was the one making a relationship with this new friend. It would be a much better idea for her to ask Laura instead of us. Although Darby-Jewell is driven socially, she can at times be shy. Although she was not totally comfortable with the idea, she knew we were right. On the last day of our visit, the girls went out to play with their friend one last time. All the girls came in for a snack and a little rest. I was over at the computer typing and had a perfect seat for Darby-Jewell and Maria’s lesson on “witnessing when you think your friend is a Buddhist.”

After their “Manu,” (Grandma) had given all the girls their popsicles, Darby-Jewell became noticeably squirmish. Her face reminded me of times when I knew I needed to do something, but wasn’t totally comfortable. She quickly overcame her shyness for a greater fear of not sharing the greatest treasure and information for her new beloved friend who so desperately needed it. “Laura! Do you know God?” She exclaimed! Laura, partially caught of guard because of the timing and volume, replied in her sweet and soft-toned voice, “Yes, I know God.” Darby-Jewell scratched her head and paused for a brief moment with a puzzled look on her face. “But, you’re from China right?” “Yes, we’re from China,” replied Laura, “and we have God in China.” Darby-Jewell started with, “But…” then paused again.

After some confused and brief discussion between the two girls, Darby-Jewell exclaimed, “I just don’t know if we’re talking about the same GOD or not!” At this, Maria put down her popsicle for a moment and interjected, “Look…we’re not talking about some Rock! Some rock shaped like a FAT guy!”

The soft spoken Laura finally understood the confusion and spoke up. “My parents moved here from China 20 years ago. After they arrived, someone introduced them to Jesus, and they have loved Him ever since. I have gone to church all my life, and I DO know Jesus.”

A greatly relieved Darby-Jewell shouted with a smile, “Now that’s what I’m talking about!”

October 18, 2008

All I Want for Christmas...

is my two front teeth,
my two front teeth,
see my two front teeth!

The Jett family has had lots of exciting things happening in our lives lately. However, not much tops this when your 5 and 6 years old and you and your sister can't say "Sally sells shells by the sea shore" without cracking the whole family up!

Wonder if they will all come in by Christmas?

September 6, 2008

Norah visited her Grandparents and Aunt in KY!

Manu & Papa

Aunt Amanda


After the General Assembly in Texas, we made our way to Kentucky to visit my parents and sister for the first time with Norah. They quickly fell in love with her and enjoyed her coos and smiles.

June 26, 2008

Matthew's Birthday!

Started the day off with a beautiful view of the volcano, Cotopaxi.

We were so glad to visit with Uncle Edgar who was here for a medical missions team.

Dinner in downtown Quito


Home for pecan pie made especially by Mama!

June 25, 2008

Maria Grace lost her 1st Tooth!

Well, the big day came quickly for Maria who only two days earlier discovered that her tooth was loose. At 2 1/2 weeks before her 5th birthday, her first tooth came out. What a brave girl she was!

Just before the BIG moment!

Only a few tears later...it's gone!

With tooth under her pillow, she's ready for bed and the Tooth Fairy!

June 21, 2008

Norah Matteline Jett

Born Saturday, June 14
Quito, Ecuador
4:35 pm
8 lb. 6 oz.
21 in.



Our new family of six leaving the hospital on Father's Day!
What a great gift!


Big sisters holding Norah for the first time!


Daddy with his girls!


Norah at one week old!


Sisters!

June 1, 2008

11th Anniversary!

Yesterday, we celebrated 11 years of marriage! Wow! How time flies! We have been so blessed in our marriage. I have such an incredible husband who is my best friend. I thank God every day for his love, listening ear, leadership for our family and love for God. He is truly wonderful and I am so blessed!

I love you sweetheart!
Happy Anniversary!
~April

May 25, 2008

Baby's coming soon!


The baby will be here in about 2 weeks (June 10th) OR less! April is just about finished with the "nest" here in the house.

There is a newer hospital in the other valley called Cumbaya, "my Lord, Cumbaya!" It is in one of the prettier countrysides of Ecuador, and we both really like it. All of its facilities are new and it has a lot of amenities. Like a playground for our other girls to hang out in, Pizza Hut downstairs, and a water-birthing facility... ;)

You may not understand the stress of delivering outside the U.S., but for mommy, it has been a sigh of relief to find this place.

Please keep us in your prayers for a safe and healthy delivery of our baby girl!

May 23, 2008

Dramatization of the Vision


I recently found out that not only did one of our earlier updates not get sent, it was erased forever. So, one of the most powerful stories was lost, but I’ll try to recreate it. If you want to skip to the main event, scroll down to #1-5!

Hopefully, everyone knows that our vision is to make disciples, who can make disciples, who can… When a pastor and friend of mine said he wanted to come over with a team, my first thought was, “I don’t really do teams, but I don’t want to say ‘NO,’ so…” We talked about his gifts and callings and what he could accomplish here in Ecuador. He is one of the top Puppeteers in the U.S. He gives seminars and classes concerning “Children’s Ministry” all over the country, and about 1/4th of his church is made up of children.

I immediately called Michael down on the coast of Ecuador where his family and 2 other couples have been planting a new ministry to the largely un-reached/ un-churched people of Atacames, Esmeraldas. There they basically start the new ministry by going into the public parks, playing games and giving food to the children there.
After a while, they get an invite from one of the parents to go into their home. From there, they start a cell group style meeting. As you can imagine when doing a Bible study in one of those homes, all the neighboring relatives come which include: Grandma, Grandpa, Cousins 1-10, Aunts & Uncles, Brothers & Sisters, Moms & Dads, and close neighbors. There can easily be 20+ people in some of the first meetings. After several house churches evolve, community events begin to grow as well as training of the new converts. During the past few weeks, the first walls went up on the new church building.
Getting back to my friend...You can now see how important those initial contacts with the children are. They can literally change the whole community and eventually build a church. So, we decided to bring my friend in for a couple of weeks. He was to give his seminars to the students here at the seminary in Quito and down on the coast with the new converts and missionary families.
It is easy to see the importance of training the soon-to-be pastors and missionaries from the seminary, but I want to focus on what happened at the coast.

1. The first blessing was that I was able to do the translating for the whole event! I was a little nervous at first, but was very pleased. I don’t know if I’ve ever had such a payoff moment. That one event seemed to make the year of my life spent in Costa Rica doing language training all worthwhile.


2. The 2 couples besides the Mills are from Bolivia and Argentina. April and I met them almost 12 years ago on our first trip to Ecuador from Lee. They are now graduates from the Seminary and are working here in Ecuador as missionaries, making disciples on the coast!


3. We spent the first day or so teaching the leaders and new converts how to make puppets. Puppets are so expensive and most often the people here depend on mission groups to bring some from the States as gifts. We removed that excuse! Now they know how to make Sesame Street and Disney quality puppets out of materials in their own town.


4. We spent the next day or so teaching them how to use the puppets correctly, and how to declare the Gospel with them. They also learned how to make balloon animals, drawings, and other clown tricks for the kids…anything to help declare the Gospel!


5. After spending another afternoon with just the leaders discussing Children’s ministry in general, we devoted an entire Saturday to actually using their new found gifts and talents (what an idea)! We went to the 3 local parks that the missionaries had been working with for the past half year. Then we went up into the mountains where my real story begins:


5 continued: Josué had just found the place a few weeks before. It was a small village that had no church and had NEVER heard of Jesus the Christ, Son of the living God. It is becoming more rare in Latin America to find such places, but they are there, usually among the outcast, racially unaccepted or poverty stricken areas. Josue went up the week earlier to get acquainted with some of the locals so that we could have some acceptance when we got there. We took the long bus ride up, walked up a difficult trail full of unpleasant smells and strange mud.


When we got to the village, we found what you might call the town center and park deserted. As some of us set up the small puppet stage and got out the balloons, the others went around asking people to come out to the “show.” Our little battery operated boom box and animal balloons eventually called the people and their children out of hiding. I translated again while my friend did a small portion of the service. After he was finished, we stepped back and let the newly equipped team do the rest.


I cannot describe fully what happened during that next half hour. I stood breathless as I watched a hand full of newly trained disciples using the puppets they made themselves declare in a simple and understandable way the name of my Savior to a people who had never heard. The sweet name of Jesus filled that stale air that had never carried such a beautiful sound before, like a perfume.


Then I looked at the leaders of these new disciples. Graduates and disciples themselves from the seminary that I love, and it dawned on me! I was literally watching the dramatization of the vision God gave me over a decade ago. I was watching Disciples make Disciples make Disciples! I started to weep.

Friends…This is what I will forever do with my life! In whatever form it may take, we must all make disciples who can make disciples who can…

May 19, 2008

Redeeming the Time


For those of you that don't know about our court case with the Mustang, here's the summation: My Dad and I often restore old or new cars to help curb some of our deficits in fund raising. We like old Mustangs and our largest investment to date came in the form of a 1965 model K-code fastback. That’s the one with the Shelby engine, for you car buffs. Well, to make a long story shorter, it was FAKE! The previous owner changed/forged a false VIN#.

Now after almost 3 years and 4 canceled dates, we are still in a court battle. We can not sell the car to anyone because we’d then be liable, but we cannot get Fast Freddy to give our money back. Needless to say, this was the opposite of curbing our mission deficit that has averaged $2,000/mnth over the past year. The court date was the main reason we returned to the States in March. For the 4th time, the court case was postponed, and yet we were in the States!

However, God is into redemption. He knew of many details long before we bought the return airfare for the court date. Read the other post about the passing of April’s grandmother which God knew of and perhaps turned into one of the main reasons we were there.

My parents also sold their home and the garage housing all of our “worldly goods.” The sell of their home is an incredible testimony as to what God is doing in their lives, but I’ll let them post that on their own blog. We were forced, but thankfully able, to move all of our things-as well as theirs-to their new 40 acres on the hill (cattle included).

We were happy to come home to Ecuador and rest after a difficult and totally different-than-planned trip to the States, but we are thankful to God for redeeming the time there.

May 5, 2008

Grandma's Passing


In mid-March, I was blessed with the opportunity to visit with my Grandma just days before her passing. God knew just the exact date and time I needed to be in the States.

It was such a special visit with her. She was waiting for me the night I arrived in her chair in the living room. She greeted me with a hug and her special smile and, of course, patted my tummy aknowledging our baby girl on the way.

The next few days were filled with caring for her and spending time with her until she was asleep for the night. I especially remember the day I had my turn caring for her alone when we read her healing scriptures together. I feel blessed to have had that special "moment" with her.

The days passed, and I was able to experience her death on Palm Sunday and her funeral and burial on Good Friday. I am so thankful for the timing of God to give this gift to me. It is a visit with my family I will cherish forever.

I love you Grandma!
~April