Little ones to Him belong. They are weak but HE is strong!"

We have to stop some times and just ponder that little truth. It is often a bit of a side thought....Oh, Yeah great, and by the way Jesus loves me...yay, yay, yay.
It actually needs to be my EVERYTHING! That the son of God, creator of the universe, who sacrificially gave up his companionship with God and died on the cross so we can live a life that has forgiveness, joy and peace beyond our own comprehension is just that....beyond our comprehension.

We have a lot going on right now.

Richard is getting ready for the last House Boat Camp with the Generation 24/7 Ministry and I am basically keeping the kids entertained as well as selling one big furniture item after another. We got a few moving bids from big companies like Allied, United, and Mayflower, and have decided that it is too expensive to move anything more then just the basics. So we are only taken books we cannot replace and clothing. We have not decided yet if we should ship everything directly to Germany (where there is very little storage opportunity without having to pay a lot) or take it all to South Carolina and then ship it from there. - Please pray for peace of mind and clear understanding on what we need to do.
 
And so I come back to "Yes, Jesus loves me".

Richard and I where sitting down to watch the movie "Lincoln" last night. (It was a bit slow and I personally fell asleep after 5 minutes, but that is what I do with every movie, so don't let that be the indicator of how good the movie was...). Ana sleeps next door to the TV room and suddenly we heard her singing.
We turned the TV off and just listened. All was dark and silent and we heard her voice forming a melody and creating words. It was clearly the song verses and chorus of "Yes Jesus loves mEEEE". Not just is she saying words she also hit the melody pretty accurately. It does not seem like anything big, but we as her parents who have been praying for her to know God, and to know that she is deeply loved and wanted by the creator of the universe this was a special moment beyond description. So long we have waited to hear words and a voice from her and now the very first sentences she is forming are geared towards her God and King. If we are rejoicing over this worship we are experiencing how much is God and the Angels rejoicing! In German we call it "Jauchzet"!

 And as so many things with our kids, we are reminded about the real truth and the actual importance of life in the moments when everything is easy and reduced to simple truths.


 "...little ones to Him belong. They are weak but HE is strong!"

What's going on right now...Prayer request!

So whats going on right now at the Moore House? 

We just came back from a Joni and friends Camp at Mission Springs.

 It was one more week of gloriously awesome and beautiful fellowship. An example of heaven on earth. A picture of inclusion, caring and servant hood. We were spoiled beyond measure by the STM's (short term missionaries) who watched our children. They loved them and made this week unforgettable for us. Lydia is now old enough to understand how special this time is and was in tears when we drove away missing her friend Jenny. Ana did not understand anymore why she started hearing words like: "stay here..." or "no you can't just role on the floor anywhere you go", when mommy and daddy took over.. Lindsey was the person who cared for Ana. Ana was free to go from  ball pit to swing to water game to jump house.... And Lindsey followed her around and let her have the time of her life.
And our little Caleb was in love with his STM Liana and ended up showering her with kisses and hugs and even fell asleep in her arms or while she was pushing the stroller.
I don't have words! "THANK YOU" is coming from the deepest part of our heart.

For those of you with special needs kids or parents..you should truly consider going to one of these family camps! There is nothing like it out there!
http://www.joniandfriends.org/family-retreats/

Today we are back home. 

Richard is working the afternoon at a wedding and I have the kids by myself. It is pretty calm but Ana did have a poop accident, fortunately contained to her room but never the less, very smelly. I don't know how to get that carpet clean again. She has gotten into the habit of taking her diaper off after a bowel movement and then.....I don't need to say more.... I just can't be around her every second...and most of the time she does very well....until something like this happens.
It makes me sad, because I know she does it because she can't stand the feeling of a full diaper (don't blame her...) but can't communicate or call me to help her. As easy as she is often these moments are very difficult!

Also, I am trying to sell our furniture on Craigslist. Right now it is our large wardrobe (PAX from IKEA), a large red corner sleeper sofa (EKTORP from IKEA), and a living room table from the 70's. We had our first garage sale and I made the mistake of keeping some stuff here to sell at the next garage sale. And now it is driving me crazy because it is cluttering up the already very cluttery (I know....cluttered is the word I should use by I like "cluttery") living room...

So that is where we are right now....

Lydia is about to help me make dinner...mashed potatoes and hotdogs....All the ways hotdogs are used in our house are quite remarkable and Caleb has figured out how to turn the microwave on and off and on and off....always with a scream of delight ("YEAHY"), thank you very much! And Ana is mad because I locked her out of her room since the carpet is full of .... you know what.
I really don't know how to clean it. I sprayed it with Oxi-clean spray and am washing the linens and the cover and the pillow...yup all had a distinct coloring....And then she got into the jar of peanut butter...but that is a story for another day....





If you would pray for us at this time of transition: 

- Pray for a week without stress
- Pray that our furniture can be sold for a descent prize.
- We are going to Chicago on Sunday the 23rd of June till the 29th of June, for a Missionary training week. Pray for a safe trip and kids that are sleeping ok in a (again) new environment. Oh, and I so hope the beds are not too hard....but that is minor since I realized that if you are exhausted you start to sleep anywhere....
- Please pray for me since I am leading worship during this week.
- I am grateful that Caleb is eating a bigger verity of food. Makes life a bit easier.

The Privilege of Raising a Child With Special Needs...

My brother came to visit. He had gone to Peru to check out a possibility for himself and his family to work at a hospital in a small village in the Andes mountains. Samuel is a anesthesiologist but his heart has always been beating for missions. As we talked through his thoughts on Peru I reflected on our path that led us to finally follow God's calling to go to Germany. Just like Samuel we always had a passion for Missions. We knew that there would be a day we would go. We started going, stepping out in small steps through our English Camps we started at Creekside Community Church. Every time we saw the need in Germany our heart was aching. 
I personally grew up on the mission field. My parents were missionaries to the Chuuk Islands in Micronesia. We stayed on one of the outer island called Polowat. My memories of missions work and living in a foreign country are filled with wonder and amazement. When we returned to Germany I knew God was calling me, but I also had the feeling he was calling me to a "first world country". I kind of felt bad about that for going to a first world country. It looked like I wanted the comfort and security of all the fancy things these kind of societies can offer.
Well,
and then we had Ana.
We know a wonderful family who was prepping to go to Africa. They were expecting their 4th child and were excited to go as bible translators to a remote place. Their 4th child had Down Syndrome. She also had a severe heart problem and with a deep feeling of failure and a huge amount of questions like: "WHY GOD, WHY!" they had to give up their dream of being missionaries in a third world country.
Having said this, are we not in God's will if we plan for something, convinced God is leading, and then stand still and have to do something else....
No,
everything that God does is a perfect way of leading us to the actual goal he has for us. Now we look back and understand why I/we have been called to a first world country. Even though we need all the medical support and educational advances a first world can provide for our special needs child, she also is opening doors we could never have dreamed of.
Children in general open doors we could never have dreamed of. We are excited to live and reach out to the community we are going to be part of just because we are a family with small children...just because God has granted us the privilege to raise a child with special needs.
Germany is a very success driven country. Many things they do they do very well. Imperfection is a sign of failure and an automatic disadvantage.
And again,
what a privilege to live as a family who embraces their child with special needs. To show that we love her because GOD MADE HER! He made our family to fit together and live for his glory. Lydia and Caleb will be little lights in a dark world because they love their sister. Yes, there will be an awareness that will come, but by God's grace we will all grow in our appreciation for his ways. 
Please pray for our children. Pray for my brother who is contemplating going into missions, pray for those families who are struggling to accept their child with special needs...pray for continuous joy.

Do everything whole heartedly!!! Tut alles mit Leib und Seele....!

Colossians 3:23-24 23 Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, 24 since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving. Was ihr auch tut, tut es mit Leib und Seele, so als wäre es für den Herrn und nicht für Menschen, im Wissen, dass ihr dafür vom Herrn das Erbe empfangen werdet. Dient Christus, dem Herrn! Kolosser 3,23-24 .

A Lifeline of Joy and Restoration | Blog | Joni and Friends

A Lifeline of Joy and Restoration | Blog | Joni and Friends

We were highlighted in this article last year when we went to Joni and Friends Family Retreat, and we hope and pray disability ministry is a huge part of our ministry in Germany.