Sorry for the delay

It has taken me quite awhile to recover from our trip to Pine Ridge!  Exhausted isn't even the word!   So, here are some pics and I hope you enjoy.  We had a wonderful time serving others as a family and I pray that we get to return next year, as it was very hard to leave the kids (as usual) this year!  Love,  Melissa

Trip 2 to Pine Ridge (2010)

We have arrived!

We are resting up in Hot Springs, SD tonight before heading onto the Reservation tomorrow morning!   Had another good 8 hour day of travel and I must just say - I am SO glad to be out of the car!    Hey, how about the pic of the truck from Estill Springs, TN?  We passed that truck in mid-Nebraska.   I am fine sitting in the hotel room the rest of the night getting my VBS stuff ready.  Chris, of course, wants to drive the 25 miles over to Wyoming to turn around and drive back to the hotel so he can say he has been to the state of Wyoming!  HA!  :)   Here are some pics from the last 24 hours - God has blessed us with great travel! 

Well, Lincoln we have arrived!

We rolled into Lincoln, Nebraska tonight and it is such a pretty city.  And OF COURSE we had to eat at King Kong's and I had the best gyro of my life - no joke!   Love it!  Tomorrow we have about 8.5 more hours of driving tomorrow before we get to South Dakota.   We are so excited to hit the Rez and can't wait to share many photos and stories with you when we return.     Thank you all again for supporting us with your contributions and prayers.   Love,  The Browns

SOUTH DAKOTA BOUND

Well, guys we load up Thursday afternoon, pick Jacob up from Synodic camp at 7 p.m. and head to St. Louis.   After sleeping in (hopefully), we will drive to Lincoln, Nebraska for one night then head on out to the Rez.   Please keep us in your prayers as we go love on the Lakota Sioux children and bring them some hope, love, joy and the Gospel of Jesus Christ.   I am so excited and can't wait to share our experiences with you.  I plan to blog along the way, Lord willing.   Remember two things - I love you, but most importantly, God loves you.

Melissa B.

The Brevity

Some of you know my story, some of you don't.  But it occurred to me this morning that it is really good for us to look back sometimes at where we have been so that we can reevaluate where we are headed.  I also believe it is good cleansing for the soul to share where we have been and the things we have dealt with in life.  So, with that said, let me give you some background.  I was raised in Chattanooga, TN by my stay-at-home Mom and Army serving Dad.   My parents sacrificed a lot so that I would be able to attend Christian schools and I am so fortunate for that.   My brother and sister were 12 and 10 years older than me and I was the "baby" of the family.  From the time that I can remember, I always felt SO much love in my heart for others.  I remember thinking that I wasn't normal because I loved people with such a fierce passion.  I was also very insecure, due to many different reasons and this eventually led to my "falling in with the bad crowd" during high school.   I was a people pleaser and I loved to make people laugh - I wanted them to like me.

When I was 20 years old my Mother suffered a massive heart attack and died.   My world was blown apart.  I was devastated.   We weren't on the best terms when she passed away and this obviously was a crucial point in my life that defined me.......shaped me.  I was angry with God and I walked away from Him completely.

Fast forward 5 years and my first child was born.  I don't know why, but it has been my observation through the years that the birth of a child brings many "prodigals" back home to Christ.  And that is exactly what happened with me.  I wanted Christ again, I wanted Him for my children.

Three years ago, my brother (an alcoholic) suffered a fall that left him quadriplegic.  He lived in Chattanooga and at this point we were living here in Winchester and thus started an almost year-long process of driving back and forth to try and make sure he was receiving adequate care, etc.  It was excruciating.  I loved my brother dearly.  He had such a sweet heart, but let his addiction rule his words quite often, but God gave me the eyes to always see his heart and not his actions.   In 2008 we received a call that my brother had choked while in the nursing home he had just been moved to.   He had to be airlifted from that facility to downtown Chattanooga and as a result was without oxygen for over 20 minutes.  We rushed to Chattanooga and our family had to make the decision to take him off of life support.  As his caregiver, I had to sign the papers to do so.   Once again, life changing......life shaping.   I held his hand as he died and as he slipped away I wondered once again - "why God?".    So, I decided to seek Christ like I had never sought Him before.  If God really did love me like his own child then I wanted to know him more about Him, figure out what I believed and get some healing.

And this is why I share this very brief version of my 40 years here on earth - God is good!  He IS faithful.  He can heal you heart.  He can make you whole.  He has done it for me - I am living proof.  I am a testimony of His love.    Is my life perfect? - well, heck no!  Do I still struggle with sin and disbelief? - well, yeah!  But I have a peace.  A peace and joy that surpasses all understanding.   And learning about and getting to know my God has brought me to places I thought I would never be.  Like taking seminary classes and doing mission trips.   I guarantee you no one thought that was where this girl has headed!

So my question for you is this?  Have you given God a try?  Have you read His Word and tried him out?  If so, why not?  What would it hurt?  For you see, this life is brief.  The brevity of it is overwhelming, trust me I have lived it.

Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.  Galatians 6:9.