".....Lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world." Matthew 28:20

Scott and I are looking at taking a break from the mission field for a while as we prepare for the birth of a seventh child. Our last birth was an ordeal of moving from place to place, capped off by an emergency c-section, and we are hoping to welcome this baby with a little more tranquil living situation. As we have been thinking and planning this possible move, we have gotten a wave of bad news about different situations in the world. Wars and rumors of wars, fires, recession and increasing government control are all bits of the news we have heard. Just as we are looking for a rest from a high-pressure mission field full of crime, where in one weekend we heard of a friend's baby on the verge of death, another man losing his wife in childbirth and a young mom being raped by a passerby, it seems our homeland is ramping up the pressure as well.

I am encouraged by reading Eric Liddel, Olympic gold medalist who was immortalized in the film Chariots of Fire. As he was facing internment in a Japanese prison camp, while serving the Lord in China during World War II, he had this to say, "Help me in the day when I need it most to remember that: 1. All things work together for good to them that love the Lord. 2. I can do all things through Him that strengtheneth me. 3. My grace is sufficient for thee, for My strength is made perfect in weakness."

He chose to meditate on God's word, instead of the circumstances and daily proclaimed Christ by his acts of service. When a job needed doing he quietly went to work on it, encouraging many others by his cheerfulness and willingness. As we care for our children each day, there are many opportunities to  model peaceful, servant leadership, and in doing so encourage others in whatever their circumstances may be.

Jennifer Pepito-TOS Chapel Editor