Christy Yoder, designed by God for a special purpose which only she can fulfill. Zach Yoder, fashioned perfectly by Creator to do those things which God prepared in advance for him to do. The two find themselves at breakfast one Tuesday morning, with a stack of buttermilk wheat pancakes, and they learn something significant about how the Artist put them together in this time, in this space. Take a look at the pancakes and discover with them what you think they saw. Left: Zach's stack Right: Christy's stack

Dear Mama Karissa

Dear Mommy Karissa, I can't imagine a world without you in it anymore. Since the first day I walked into the home that you and Papa Karissa created together, I've been changed. I know your bubbling laugh would rise at this, and you'd give glory where glory is due. That is what you do. Long before I married Zach, I knew what I wanted my home to look like, of the kind of missionary wife I wanted to me. It looks like you (but with frizzy hair.) When I remember the verse, "Those who have suffered in the body are done with sin" I think of you. Not that you were DONE with sin while on this earth, but that the physical struggle you lived with daily made you dependent on Jesus, more full of grace, and more compassionate. I want to be like that. I remember a day I arrived very worn from teaching in different homes. You took me in your arms and said, "Welcome home. It just feels right when you're here." and you took down the footbath for me. I sat on the back porch realizing that the Jackson family is like a warm footbath with fragrance rising to ease the ache from journeying in this life. I know you did this for everyone, genuinely embracing them. At the retreat this weekend, we talked about God inviting us into his family, and I was trying to think of examples of hospitality that lavished love and acceptance. I thought of the Jackson Village. I shared about you with people, and they cried because my description of you made them love. Who can't love you? Later, the speaker was sharing about the Trinity and how some relationships are exlusive, new couples in love, families without margin, etc. Then he said, "But Christy gave a great earthly example the other day of the Jackson family who are a testimony to this kind of embracing. The Trinity welcomes us like that, to be part of them." I nodded in agreement because I have never understood it like that. I want you to know that I love you. That in your weakness, you showed God's strength. He shone so brightly through your life. Your children are a beautiful example of the brightness of the Spirit in you. When you were leaving Tunnel Park after our wedding, and I said goodbye once, and thought it just wasn't enough...do you remember? I ran to you like a lost child and you all wrapped me up in your love and we wept? I'm so thankful you were there with Chris and Katelyn and Karissa. What a sacrifice to celebrate with us. I think my goodbye that day prepared me for today. I want to run to you now and give you one last hug, but I will give extra ones to Katelyn Jackson and Karissa Jackson and Chris and Lum Ngwa and Caroline and Donna L. Dibbits and many others who will miss you. Thank you for loving me, and watching me grow. Thank you for long talks on the veranda overlooking the beauty of your home...for listening...for sharing your life with me. The earth doesn't deserve beauty like you, and I know Jesus is holding you now, and enjoying you. He must have looked forward so to your coming home. I do wish he'd let you remain with us a little while longer, but for you, what joy! I love you, Mommy Kali, I love you so much.

Primer Pro Workshop

Six languages. 12 Primers. 3 weeks. Sound impossible? It felt that way too when we began on February 18th with 13 literacy workers with minimal computer skills and a lot of sounds to teach to the preliterates in their communities! However, on Friday, March 8th, we gave 5 of the six groups complete primers that they had designed and written original stories for using limited graphemes (letters or letter combinations that represent a single sound). With an hour of break between 8am and 5pm, many working into the night, they succeeded! This is truly a working of God's grace, and we pray that these primers will be used to bless thousands of people with the great gift of literacy in their mother tongue.

Survey

We have seen God do great things in our Survey Team in the last few weeks. We praise God for partnerships that have been developing by His grace, and for the goals that we are forming together. We have a renewed dedication to prayer in our team meetings, which are rich times of oneness for us. We continue to pray for our upcoming Scripture Use Survey, and wisdom in selecting the language area where we will carry it out. May we listen to God, our partners, and each other with sensitivity and obedience.

Can God use Rap?

Years ago, God gave me a good friend who created raps for any number of occasions to spice them up or add a touch of depth. He inspired me, and I am always amazed at how many opportunities I have to share this with others! In Holland Public Schools, my students sang raps in spanish about simple machines, mammals, and plants. In Cameroon at the parent run school, my students rapped also about simple machines, but this time in English. They rapped about matter, magnetism, Scripture, and many, many other things. Five years later my students sang these raps to me when I was leaving Cameroon. At GIAL in Dallas, Texas my group performed an ironic rap on "Inhibition." In Cameroon I write raps before birthday parties to present to my single friends with choruses that everyone joined in on. I've carried this tradition on on Nigeria. In Nigeria we rapped for the work Christmas party about Jesus becoming taking on flesh. My neighbor Jerry joined me in this, and later I recorded a rap for him called "You're a Masterpiece" which appears on this first album. A couple of weeks ago I presented to a group of education students at a nearby seminary on interactive teaching methods. I had them write raps they could use in their classrooms. Finally, I resurrected an idea I did at GIAL a couple years ago at the Primer writing workshop at NBTT on "Functors." With natural rhythm and God given enthusiasm, the participants sang about "the, is, at, and -ing" with great gusto. I am thankful for this friend and how his gift passed on to me has blessed so many. Who ever knew God could use rap in so many powerful ways?

Ati Gideon and Asukutuk

Their creativity and perseverance while we struggled to create the first Primer in their language was encouraging. These two men stretched their minds and their abilities to do what "I never thought I could do," as Baba put it one day. Praise God! Now we have to make final corrections and write the teachers guide before we put it into good use in the Kice community!

Off to the Wildlife Park!

A freeing, uplifting, beautiful experience was granted to me on Saturday, the 12th of January. Nine children and my friend Christy Dixon loaded into the car loaned to us by our friend Marinne and we went to the Wildlife Park. I felt the beauty of my childhood rise in my heart and they squealed over the chimpanzees performance to receive the reward of our bananas, the length of the boa constrictor, and the spiky feel of the elephants trunk. We played on the playground, swinging on swings, climbing the monkey bars, and experiencing the teeter-totter. What a gift this day was, a refreshment for my heart. Before I left the house I said to Zach, "I want to share with them aspects of the faith through the animals, but I don't know what to do!"-Me "How about a lesson about the lion?"-Zach "That Lion is so lame, though, and not a good demonstration of Jesus being the Lion of Judah!"- Me God really proved me wrong as the children started screaming wildly will Thank you, God, for these dear small ones you've given me to disciple and grow with.