Don't be that guy

Every caught yourself saying this?  Most of the time when I do it has something to do with parenting and something that I told myself I never wanted to do.  I didn't want that guy.

Today was one of those days.  Monday is a day for me to be home and taking care of admin stuff. Sometime personal, newsletters, emails, etc, but sometimes still for work.  Most of the weekend and today I was trying to get our Children of Promise website redone.  I am still a bit new to all the ins and outs of wordpress so it probably takes me longer than the average, but I am learning.

I was, am close to being finished.  My son has been asking me for some time to build a table and to help him build some ramps for his finger-boarding (think teck decks, but with more life life skateboards)/  I finally told him he could have an old table out back that I use for my weekend wood working projects.  He managed to rummage thru my scrap pile and find some pieces that would work. I heard him trying to hand saw some things.  I busy working away in the dining room.  I looked at my watch....it was almost 3.  I thought to myself, we have somewhere to be at 5, so why go to all this trouble now.  Our garage serves as an extra bedroom, so all my tools are stored thru-out the house. Seemed pointless to get it all out just to put back.  After a bit of hand sawing he asked if he could use one of my power saws.

Sure I said, help your self.  After a few minutes, he came inside and asked how to do it.  I helped him trace a few lines out on the wood.  After about 15 minutes and a lot of sawing, he yelled out to me asking how to cut the diagonal line.  I tried to tell him how.  He pushed back and said come show me. Reluctantly, I went.  I made the cut.  Thanks he said.  I went back to work.  I really wanted to get this finished today before I left.  I mean come on a website with as much traffic as mine (sarcasm) can be down for more than 3 days, can it?  He came back inside.  Help me make lines for another one please.

This one he cut all by himself.  Then he showed them to me.  We had to start over, as they were just a bit crooked.  We quickly made new ones and I cut them for them.  He needed a little bit of help with the gluing and that was it.

I went back to work.  No I didn't get it all done.  No its not the end of the world.  Later while we were in the kitchen.  Eating quickly between one thing and another that we needed to get to tonight, he says this.  "Dad, thanks for helping me with my ramps.  You don't get many chances for memories like that."

Dads, (and moms) don't be that guy.  Stop and give them everything you have for a moment.....they don't come often.

Just a friendly public service announcement.

Two for the price of One

Everyone loves a bargain and I have the best one for you. Our friends have just moved to Zimbabwe, to be missionaries there, and they are selling their car. We are desperately in need of a second car. In helping us to purchase this vehicle it also helps them buy one in Zim. Its a 2 for 1 deal.

We are feeling like now is the time for a second car. We have been praying about it for a long time and just trust that God is saying now He will provide. We sent out a letter a few days ago to our supporters and immediately got some donations. Between what we have saved and donations we are at R17,450/ $1455 of the R50,000 / $5000  we need. We do have some other donations that will come in over the next 3 months but we are trusting that this is the time and God will provide all of it this month. Not just for us but also for our friends who need their car sold. The dollar to Rand is extremely good right now so our dollar is actually stretched. It is R12 to a $1.

                                                             Subaru Forester 2002
If you would like to support us you can donate at our website www.therenderfam.com or if you are local in South Africa you can deposit to Capitec account # 1328767584 branch # 470010 name on the account is JJ Oosthuizen (a friends who is letting us use this account)

Here is the letter I sent to our supporters giving more detail to the need.

Hello friends,

I am writing you about a true need we have. I do not like to ask but we are just going to put it out there and see if some will help.

We have had 1 car for 5 years. This has never been easy with 7 people in a family but now it's gotten to the point of not working at all. God has blessed our ministry very much and with that brings more time working in the townships and meetings away from home and not as much flexibility. When Shelby leaves with the car he can be gone all day and then me and the kids don't have transport, if I go with Shelby then both of us are gone and the kids are alone at home. The problem is our kids are at home and unable to do anything, sports, friends, clubs. I feel that our kids are feeling this pressure, that we are ministering to others, and I never want our kids to feel like their needs are not being met. So before that happens I want to put our need before the body.

We have friends that just moved to Zimbabwe to be missionaries there. They are selling a great Subaru for $5000. If we can buy this car it would help us get a much needed second car and help them purchase a car in Zimbabwe. Kind of a 2 for 1 :)

Please if you can donate we would appreciate it! I know that God will work this out one way or anotherwww.therenderfam.com and go to donate.

Thank you for loving and praying for us!

Blessings,

Shelby and Andrea Render

2014, this blog may be more for me than anyone else.

It's hot here! Which is weird for us Americans living in the Southern Hemisphere. It doesn't "feel" like the Christmas or end of the year season. But, it is.

Which makes me think lots of things don't always "feel" right but it doesn't mean that it isn't happening or right. This last year was chalk full. We packed it tight. We really lived it. I actually wasn't excited about the start of 2014, I didn't "feel" like going back to school or "feel" like taking a 2 month cross boarder outreach. Now I can't imagine not having done all of that. It stretched me, in my thinker, in my core, physically, mentally and spiritually and it was a good thing. I came out a bit more refined (on the inside).

Sometimes it feels surreal that we were in the Middle East when Isis was starting their brutal attack on Iraq...with our children in tow! We witnessed salvations, prayed with countless Muslims, heard horrific accounts from Syrian families. We also had a peace that passes understanding moment when the Muslim brotherhood came against us, but God saved us. This just happened a few months ago. Time keeps on going.

Then in October we had the immense pleasure of stepping into leading Children of Promise. Sometimes nothing "feels" right when you work in a culture that is so different than your own. Injustice is in your face daily and your belief system seems to be rubbed by sandpaper on a day to day. I can't say it's been easy but it has been God. I see Him in the unlikely places in Masi. He seems to be everywhere, just give Him an opportunity and He is there. If we go out to share or pray, He is always there. When I don't "feel" right He is there.

2014, was a year that didn't always "feel" good or go my way. It was painful, it was hard, it was full of great sacrifice, it hurt but God...He showed up. He provided every month, He saved our lives, He allowed me to see a devout Muslim man come to Christ before my eyes, He taught my hands and feet to be more like His, He helps me hug and love children who need Jesus, He gives me love for the unloveable, He stirs my heart to change and shows me my need for an even deeper continuing change. He very practically helps me overcome my germ issues and go into dirty, smelly places at times. He gave me precious friends that are like family.

We aren't anyone special, we just are a normal family that decided to go and did. We suck on a daily basis. We parent badly, our kids are not perfect, but we love Jesus and I pray that that one thing shows. We love Jesus! In any circumstance He is always right and makes all situations right, even the ones that don't  "feel" right.

We had lots of memory making things happen this year. We traveled to many Countries, Brie graduated from High school, our dogs had puppies, Drew feels like he is called into missions, Gabe has worked hard at his skating and is getting so good, Eli is a natural surfer and is in the water every day honing his craft, Finley is a delight and one of the most clever little people I've ever encountered. Shelby and I are blessed to have this family as our little tribe and we get to do life with them. 2015 May take our family in different directions but one thing I know is God will be there and He holds our hearts and lives.

Be blessed this New Year. I pray we can all live deeply and in the present, that we can live the life we are called to live. That we can show Jesus wherever we live and to those around us. Happy New Years friends! 

With much love,

Andrea