Gary's Latest Sermon

If you weren't attending church at Fair Oaks yesterday morning, you missed out!

It was a special day for many reasons: Gary's father and his wife were in town visiting, four of our high school girls shared a special musical performance during the service, and Gary was able to preach for the second time at Fair Oaks, while Pastor Steve was away.

If you'd like to hear Gary's message, "The Power of His Presence", you can click here to listen to it online.

Missin' the Java House

Weird... I've just now come across my second blog reference, this week (!), to the Java House in Nairobi, Kenya.

Who knew such a random thing could trigger such homesickness (I'm talkin' real tears, people) for a place I only actually lived for one month?

I SO should have bought the T-shirt.

I miss you, Java House.

On a Lighter Note...

Everything I need to know about life, I learned from Noah's Ark

One : Don't miss the boat.

Two : Remember that we are all in the same boat.

Three : Plan ahead. It wasn't raining when Noah built the Ark.

Four : Stay fit. When you're 600 years old, someone may ask you to do
something really big.

Five : Don't listen to critics; just get on with the job that needs to be done.

Six : Build your future on high ground.

Seven : For safety's sake, travel in pairs.

Eight : Speed isn't always an advantage. The snails were on board with the cheetahs.

Nine : When you're stressed, float a while.

Ten : Remember, the Ark was built by amateurs; the Titanic by professionals.

Eleven : No matter the storm, when you are with God, there's always a rainbow waiting...


Thanks Mom!

Stefan's Desert Experience

I just got this e-mail from one of my former world race teammates, Stefan. He is leading a group of South Africans on a similar journey around the world this year, called the Global Challenge. He reports:

We currently find ourselves on the edge of the Sinai Desert in Egypt. A few days ago we as a group spent the night on top of Mount Sinai… You will remember that this is where God spoke to Moses as a friend and also gave him the 10 commandments. It was a cold and windy night, but I tried to spend it in silence. Sleeping on the rocky-Plato, I tried to imagine myself what it must have been like for Moses all alone on that mountain for 40 days. I also wondered if he maybe slept facing the stars on that same rock I was lying on… and also, was he as cold as I.


So many great things have surfaced in us as a “church”. As a team we are in the process of reflecting on what God has done in and through our lives in the past few months. Just last night we had a session on: What is your destiny?

I would like to just share with you some highlights that came out of this:

The first question that was asked to the group was:

“What in this world would be the one thing that you could change if you had the chance?”

In the comments that followed we had various candidates standing up for almost every challenge mankind face today: Poverty, abuse, immorality, equal opportunities, world evangelism, education… to name a few. In each case there was someone in the team who felt in some way a burden for one of these causes…

The conversation progressed further to what could stand in you way of contributing to these causes…

Some of the things mentioned were: unbelief, pessimism, negativity, lack of support and us looking at the big picture and thinking our own contribution would be insignificant.

Taking part in this open ended conversation we actually led ourselves to the answer:

Surely it is in Gods plan that men are saved, people fed, children educated, abuse stop… and lives are changed. However where this all start is actually very simple.

Each one of us, you included have the opportunity to make a difference. I believe God wants all of us to be surrendered instruments in His hands. Instruments that is obedient and willing to be used in which ever way He chooses. We should live from the vantagepoint that God believes in us to do His work on earth and that for Him to use us we need to be faithful.

For God to use you to build a thousand orphanages through out Africa, you will have to start with one. For you to be a world evangelist, you will have to start with one. For you to lead others to a better life, you yourself should live that life.

It is my prayer that as we travel through Africa in the last few months of this year, God will help us to be obedient and faithful in the small things, so that we will in future also be faithful in the great things.

Please continue to pray for us.

Thank you for all your support!

How Rich are You?

Find out by going to the Global Rich List.

By entering your income, you can instantly find out how rich you are compared with the rest of the world. It definitely brings some perspective, as it's easy to forget how blessed we are here in the United States.

The site also provides some eye-opening examples of how far your money could go:

$8 could buy you 15 organic apples OR 25 fruit trees for farmers in Honduras to grow and sell fruit at their local market.

$30 could buy you an ER DVD Boxset OR a First Aid kit for a village in Haiti.

$73 could buy you a new mobile phone OR a new mobile health clinic to care for AIDS orphans in Uganda.

$2400 could buy you a second generation High Definition TV OR schooling for an entire generation of school children in an Angolan village.

-YS Update 8-15-07

Congratulations, Earlene!

I was delighted to open today's Contra Costa Times, and find a front-page (of the food section) honorable mention of one of my favorite church ladies!

Apparently, Earlene Boyd is a top-ten finalist for a recent "invent an expressive pie" contest. Earlene, one of our church deaconesses, is quite famous for her baking skills, and when we know she's bringing by snacks for youth group, we always try to show up hungry. Here's her winning submission:




Over Indulgence Chocolate Puddle Pie

Makes 1 9-inch pie

FOR FILLING:

-1 cup pecans, coarsely chopped

-3 ounces bittersweet chocolate (Ghirardelli bar), coarsely chopped

-1/2 cup (1 stick) butter

-1 cup sugar

-4 tablespoons cornstarch

-2 eggs, beaten

-1 teaspoon vanilla

-1 9-inch unbaked pie shell

FOR PUDDLE:

-2 ounces semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped

-3 tablespoons whipping cream

FOR TOPPING:

-1/2 cup whipping cream

-2 tablespoons confectioners' sugar

-Grated chocolate

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Put the pecans in a pie pan and toast them for about 10 minutes. Set aside.

2. In a microwave-safe bowl, melt together the bittersweet chocolate and the butter in the microwave for 1 minute. Remove from microwave, and stir until melted and smooth. Set aside.

3. In a medium bowl, mix together the sugar and the cornstarch. Stir in the beaten eggs and vanilla, then stir in the melted chocolate mixture until well-mixed. Stir in the toasted pecans. Pour mixture into the pie shell, and bake for 40 minutes.

4. When the pie is almost finished baking, make the "puddle." In a small microwave-safe bowl, melt together the semisweet chocolate and the 3 tablespoons whipping cream in the microwave for 30 seconds. Remove from microwave, and stir till melted and smooth.

5. As soon as the pie comes out of the oven, poke holes, at 1-inch intervals, all over the top, with the greased end of a wooden spoon. Then, using a small spoon, fill each of the holes with the melted ganache. If some sink in, fill them up again, until all chocolate is used.

6. Set the pie on a rack to cool. Whip together the 1/2 cup whipping cream and confectioners' sugar until thick and creamy. When the pie is cooled and ready to serve, cover the top with the whipped cream. Sprinkle with grated chocolate.
-- Submitted by Earlene Boyd

Per serving (based on 8): 570 calories, 5 g protein, 49 g carbohydrates, 43 g total fat, 18 g saturated fat, 110 mg cholesterol, 130 mg sodium, 3 g fiber. Calories from fat: 68 percent. -- Times analysis

I want to go!

Global Youth Workers Conference 2007

October 11th-14th, 2007

Quito, Ecuador

Home Sweet Home

Yes, that's right... we're back!!!

Nothing like your own shower, kitchen, or bed. Gary and I are exhausted, and trying to take it easy before church tomorrow.

Peace!