Happy Birthday Nate 32

Feb. 2 we celebrated Nate's life. We love you, Nate (Papa)! Cheri, notice the lovely writing since I got new decorating bags! Watch for Elijah's 4th birthday cake coming soon in May! (P.S. Why do they rotate this picture? Just turn your head to the right!)

We had our friends over for dessert. Mom Becker, notice the lovely candles! I like this pic because Malachi is sorting the plates and cups, the same way I did when I was getting ready for my own 3 year birthday. What a cute guy!

Lighting the candles--notice Nate's hand holding Elijah back. Luke's eyes are wide-eyed!

Thank you, God, for Nate and for our friends! It is amazing how many people we could have in our one little house! Fun times!

The next day we had a little left-over celebration. Elijah got 3 candles and Malachi got 2. We had fun singing again and blowing them out.

Luke is 8 Months...& Ladies' Retreat

Yes, he is growing! Here's Luke Robert, born 8 months ago. What a cutie--a happy boy.

Mama loves you, Little Laddie (as I took the term from you, Mom).

What a happy boy!! I love this guy. We had a ladies' retreat with our visitor on Saturday, so I did the photo shoot there. What a lovely, peaceful place!

There's the Mamas and babies. We can't leave them for a day, so we brought them! Tied up a hammock and they napped. There's Bonnie, our speaker, who encouraged us greatly...and there's my friends! I love you all!

And another great friend, Emi! She came along to help with Luke while I led worship and enjoyed some time alone with God. Salamat! Luke is eating his little squash, called "calabasa."

Luke has 2 teeth now--I got this pic for his baby book! Great one, buddy! He is FINALLY eating other food, after I persevered for two months or more. Now he can eat chicken, potatoes, carrots, oatmeal, applesauce, bananas, calabasa, and rice.

I love being in God's creation--so refreshing. Look at this amazing gift God gave us on the way home--a rainbow as a background for the ocean. I'm totally in awe of our great God!

Here's a family on a boat--fishing for their dinner. They enjoyed the rainbow too!

Me and Emi, Luke, and the rainbow. This place is just beautiful-- I need to get out into Creation more often! So refreshing!

For the Grandmas

Christmas in January--our packages arrived! Thank you to the Grandmas--and Grandpas! Fun boys here!

The orange buddies--very handsome guys!

Mother runs in, puts on orange and sets up the tripod. "Smile!"

Very fun! Thanks fam!

Thanks to my mom for this--hours of fun. What a clever toy--very well-designed. Elijah "plays tracks" while I read my email.

I realized that my old computer *sometimes* will let us type in a Word document, so I am teaching Elijah how to spell and type! He is a good little student. His longest word was "UMBRELLA".

*NOTE: if anyone has a laptop or 2 to donate, I know 2 Filipino pastors who are in need of one.

Philippine Happenings--Flood & Outreach

THREE NEW POSTS:

1. This one is Philippine Happenings

2. The Second one below is "Encouragement in 2011"--I hope you can search for some of these in 2012!

3. Family Pictures--20 of them or so...especially for Mom, but others may scroll down and enjoy!

You probably heard about the flood in the Southern Philippines. That is where we live! Our island is very large, so it was on the other side of the mountains from us. However, we have been to that city and also friends of ours have relatives from there. In addition to that, something very similar could happen to us one day, so continue to pray for our safety!

Since we have lived here, there have been earthquakes, and typhoons in Manila, landslides in Leyte, and now this flood in CdeO. Someday maybe our city will get hit with something, yet God is sovereign!

"Such things must happen, but the end is still to come...There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of birth pains....when you see all these things, you know that it is near, right at the door....So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him." Matthew 24

From Philstar.com, Dec. 20, 2011:


MANILA, Philippines - Instead of toys, clothes and the usual items people receive during the holidays, the residents of Iligan and Cagayan de Oro cities will receive coffins on Christmas Eve.
As early as 6 a.m. today, volunteers and Philippine Navy personnel started loading 500 white caskets donated by local government units in Pampanga province to the BRP Dagupan.

The 500 donated caskets, however, may still fall short as the death toll from tropical storm "Sendong" in the two cities continued to rise.
As of 6 a.m. today, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) a total of 957 people have been confirm killed in the two cities and seven more affected provinces in Mindanao and Visayas. Of the total death count, 579 were recorded in Cagayan de Oro City and 279 in Iligan City.

"One of the worst disasters to strike the region in decades"



While there are many people dying, God is still at work in the Philippines bringing LIFE to many! This Christmas Nate helped with an outreach to 200 Filipino kids, sharing the good news of life in Jesus Christ!

Or maybe it was 300 kids?! I don't know...this is a lot of kids! There were games, dramas, and the Word of God was preached. That is one reason we love to serve here in the Philippines, to share the good news of life in Jesus with many people!

The kids also got a meal provided while they received the Word of God. This outreach is combined with other efforts that take place year-round with these same kids. Continue to pray for the people of the Philippines, that while people are dying daily and in floods, pray that many of the living will put their trust in Jesus as Savior and Lord...so that they can have the HOPE Christ offers!

Encouragement in 2011

I re-read my journals from 2011 and found a number of ways that I was encouraged. Perhaps you will find some encouragement as well by looking up the sermons or books or verses also in 2012!

• Coram Deo Sermon (CDO): Colossians 2.16-19 "What's Wrong With Religion" (references to CDO sermons can be found in the Sermon Archives at www.cdomaha.com


• CDO Sermon Mt. 2 "Jesus & Herod"--picture of humanity under sin, morality vs. gospel; works vs grace


• Dallas Willard "Renovation of the Heart" (book)--"If you do not prefer Christ more than anyone (even yourself) you cannot be his disciple" [Lk. 14.26]


• Willard "Renovation"--"self-denial is not an act we do with great effort and internal resistance. It is, rather, an overall settled condition of life in the kingdom of God...death to self..."


• 2 Corinthians 5.14-15 "For Christ's love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. And he died for all that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again."


• 2 Cor. 3.18 "And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect [or contemplate] the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit."


• Tim Keller "Counterfeit gods" (book)--Chapter on "Hidden Idols"--Jonah's idols, fear, pride "stress reveals the true nature of our hearts"; "shouldn't your love be like mine?"--come out of yourself to serve God and others


• Philippians 2.13 NLT "For God is working in you giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him."


• John Piper sermon: "Battling the Unbelief of a Haughty Spirit" --making much of God--Jer. 13, Give Glory to the Lord before it's too late (Piper sermons can be found at www.desiringgod.org )


• Piper sermon: "If your words abide in me" from John 15--memorize scripture!


• Keller sermon: Esther "The Man the King Delights to Honor"--"Humility is not thinking less of yourself but thinking of yourself less." (Keller sermons can be found at www.redeemer.com in the store under free sermons)


• "Love and Respect" marriage seminar


• Hope mountain ladies' retreat--visitors from Washington state


• Piper book club "Suffering and the Sovereignty of God"


• Tim Keller "The King's Cross" (book based on the gospel of Mark)


• Piper sermon: "Called to Suffer & Rejoice: For an eternal weight of glory" on 2 Cor. 4.7-18 (Sept. 6, 1992) "Therefore we do not lose heart (and reasons not to lose heart)


• Eric Metaxas book: "Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy"--one of the best biographies I have read! Mixes in history, theology, ethics, biography, suffering, war, prison, and more!


• "Give Them Grace: Dazzling Your Kids With the Love of Jesus" by Elyse Fitzpatrick and (her daughter) Jessica Thompson--Such an eye-opener! Do I parent from the gospel of grace or from moralistic and worldly teaching? I recommend to all parents!


• "One Thousand Gifts" by Ann Voskamp--practice being thankful


• "Death by Love" by Mark Driscoll!!! Letters from the Cross--read this book this year!

**Note: a HUGE thank you to my Dad, Dave Bruce, for sharing so many of these books with me on the kindle, and also to him for sharing links to sermons and sharing an ipod with me loaded full of sermons!!! THANK YOU DAD!!!!

December--Becker Fam

Here's our 3 boys, all touching their toes like Luke. Why did blogger rotate the pic? How do you turn it back? Anyway, just turn your head to the right for the correct view!

Here's Nate and 2 boys biking around. Notice they bought fruit and flowers for Mama! Nate saw this pic and commented, "No wonder I get so much attention." Think they stand out?

Nate's "Final Exam" in the high school music class.

Fun with the hats--Christmas music. I don't believe in Santa, but I do like the cute hats.

Here's Malachi on Christmas Eve in our back yard. This is how we spent the day! First we swam and played with water.

Then the boys helped me make cookie dough (not play-dough--this is REAL!).

Elijah loves the hands-on activities, and he loves eating balls of dough.

We did not eat or mangle all the dough. You see, we did make SOME cookies. I did run out of white sugar and therefore could not make any more!

Here is my "Three Layer Lemon Cake" in the making. I have been listening to Coram Deo Omaha's podcasts on "The Holy Spirit." Thune says that we cannot single out God the Father and God the Son and neglect God the Holy Spirit (Triune God). When I was sharing this cake with Emi I had her taste the different parts as I made it, but I said, "It is really the BEST if you take a bite with ALL THREE layers at the same time." Then I realized God had just given me a picture or a "taste" if you will, of the Trinity--not as good to single one out but REALLY great if you have all three as one--the three in one.

[The angel answered Mary]: "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God." (Luke 1.35).

Later on Christmas Eve, our friend Sojo came to help decorate the cookies.

Then Sojo's papa came in his "Chariot" to get the kids (and Nate).

We went to their house for a lovely chicken dinner. Here's the Becker fam 5!

Celebrating Jesus' Birthday--blowing out my Trinitarian candles!

Christmas Morning in the Philippines! We are red and green waiting in the rain for our Jeepney ride to church.

Here is an oil Christmas tree at a gas station. Funny! They make trees out of all kinds of things here, Beer bottles, gasoline and oil in bags (as pictured here)...very creative.

Then, December 27th Luke turned 7 months! I didn't have a new shirt for his pics, but then God provided when my friend offered me one of hers from England!

What a fun little guy!

Sing and Play Noel--H.S. Concert

Here is a link to WEDDING PICS from Daniel and Erin's photographer. That is better than me not blogging pics, I guess!
http://www.kellihuntblog.com/2011/11/erin-and-daniel-omaha-wedding.html

Friday night was Nate's High School concert, "Sing and Play Noel." (Notice the decorations we bought from that lady, pictured in post below). The high school music program is really growing! It is fun to see students that Nate has invested in for many years now at a higher playing level.

We also continue to praise God for the auditorium and lights and stage. I'll never forget to praise God for that blessing, after all the times we had rain on the outdoor covered court performances, and wooden platforms for a stage.

Here is the vocal music class. What a group! They are like a select group, so talented, but also so devoted to the Lord. What an encouragement.

We had a little fun with hats...even Mr. Becker. I don't believe in Santa, but I do like the hats. The audience liked this one the best!

I am a proud wife. What a musical man! Luke was a peaceful angel (Sarah, notice the shoes! A.M. notice the necklace--what would I do without you).

This coming Friday will be the K-8 concert, so look for those pics ahead and be praying for us as we finish up another semester in 2 weeks!

24 Pics from Cebuano Ladies' Retreat

It's time for the first-ever Cebuano Ladies Retreat! They're all ready to go! (Mrs. S, I put this one in there for you...what do you notice about this picture?)

The ladies are excited and ready to board the ferry!

The theme is "Awit Sa Kalipay", the Song of the Happy/Rejoicing One. Ladies will learn that it is not we who sing only to God, but He sings His love to us (Zeph. 3.17).

At the retreat center, Weng-Weng gets the journals and gifts ready on each person's bed.

Look at that smile!! SO HAPPY! The ladies had a make-up night called "Fruity Mama" (some pics were excluded here--silliness!). It was some of their first time to wear make-up or own it, and some of them felt like this: "I dreamed to be a beauty queen--now it is my dream come true!" They encouraged one another that they were made in the image of God, and we can celebrate what He has made--beautiful sisters in Christ!

(This make-up was a gift from one of our supporters. Look at all that came about just because of that gift--thank you!)

Emi leads in prayer. I couldn't do anything without her!

Early morning--Dawn Prayer. Sisters went down the pier to pray together at sunrise over the ocean. Most peaceful and beautiful experience ever!

Here are the sisters praying together and lifting their hearts to the Lord!

Unity, love, and joy. Thank you, Lord, for these ladies, and for hearing their prayers.

My camera went with me on Friday, but I came later with Luke on Saturday. I had my first Cebuano sermon ever in my purple bag (Sarah will notice) and my mandolin (Micah will notice). I hopped off the passenger ferry and grabbed a motorcycle (Daniel and Erin will recognize--I thought of you; last time I was here it was with you!). I felt like a real missionary--bringing music and God's word to the people in their own language on an island in a foreign country!

Luke had a lot of other friends too; 5 babies were there with their nursing mothers too.

God graciously gave me my first song in Cebuano--straight from Zephaniah 3.17 "Ang Ginoo nga inyong Dios, anaa uban kaninyo..." It was so fun to hear the ladies singing it together!

Here I am preaching my first sermon in Cebuano. It was amazing how God gave me such understanding, a fluent tongue and eyes to read my notes. The ladies laughed and cried with me, and I really feel it was a supernatural gift of ability in language just at that moment. Praise the Lord for that. May His Word bear fruit in their lives! (Thanks also to Ate Bebe for translating my sermon and recording it for me so I could practice!).

Here's the lovely ladies, the chosen ones. One woman, who normally sells vegetables in the mountain, said "This is the best thing I have ever done in my life!"

Another woman said, "I'm a new Christian, the only one in my family and in my neighborhood community, and this is the most refreshing time for me. It feels like a family for me of sisters in Christ!"

Here is Ruen on her "Date with God." Emi and I wrote a Bible study for the time after my sermon so ladies could read for themselves what God says to them about His great love for them! It was their first time for that! (Beckie and my Canadian sisters, I put this one up for you!)

One woman said of her date with God: "It really was a date with God, because He paid for everything!"

Ladies really felt the love of God with all the special gifts and experiences they had. Praise God for that!

Here's God's Word: "The Lord your God is with you, He is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you. He will quiet you with His love. He will rejoice over you with singing." Zephaniah 3.17. It is the first time for them to learn that God is singing over them!

All the food was provided for. Ladies said it was the first time they didn't have to worry about what is the food they will eat and they don't have to prepare it. Just enjoy! What a gift--a true retreat.

Ruen is jumping for joy! She prayed for a long time for "rubber shoes." Our partner in the U.S. found a whole box full of them, and now she is wearing them at last! God answers prayers!

That afternoon my friends, Jeralyn and Louise, came to join us and share in the crafts. They taught the ladies jewelry-making and card-making. It was a "smash hit", as my sister and I would say. They just kept making more things and having fun and fellowship!

Hard at work--very creative!

They made me feel so loved, but I put this pic up for all those who helped me make this retreat possible, as though I were the representative receiving the boquet for each one of you. You know who you are!! And Emi, I could never do anything without you!

My lovely friends came to join me in the joy of giving! The Canadian, the American and the Irish woman...what a trio!

And here we are saying good-bye! Luke is a little missionary already! His name means "light," and indeed he has been shining the light of God in the Philippines!

The ladies wished it was longer! Also their husbands said, "What about us?!" So if anyone wants to take this up as a project feel free to pray about that! I always have more ideas! =)