A Neglected Blog

The staff from our language school with Dano on his birthday.  I surprised Dano
with a lunch out with the staff from our language school.  We took them to
lunch to say "THANK  YOU for all you have helped us learn during our
time here!"  Also, that is how they celebrate birthdays here... on YOUR
birthday... you treat!  Counting me, there were 8 total for lunch.  Our total
bill was equivalent to about $30 US Dollars, and we ate well!  

Over the last 8 months this blog has been desperately neglected!  Of course, I’ve been keeping busy writing a little at our other blog, writing posts on facebook, and in my spare time… learning a new language, learning how to live in a completely different culture, homeschooling & caring for 5 kids, helping my husband, attempting to stay in touch with family and our partners, etc.  Being busy is not the only reason I have neglected this blog… but also the confusion of what to write where (this blog, our other blog, facebook, e-mail)… the confusion of knowing what I could safely share in any of these public places… and just plain exhaustion from living life and thinking about these things! 

During this time, God has been at work in my heart.  He’s given me much to write about, but I haven’t taken the time to write it down.  This is unfortunate for me… not so much for you… because writing often helps me process the things God has laid on my heart.  I am hoping at some point, I will be able to write down the many things God has spoken to me… the many things God has shown me through the beauty of His creation on this side of the world.  I hope to post them here… not because I think that my stories are worth publishing… but just in hopes that maybe if God has shared something with me that maybe it is something that someone else needs to hear.   Or it may be something to just spur you on to thinking about or reading God’s Word or spending more time in prayer for the unreached people in this world or spending more time thinking about something other than the troubles in your current life. 

This time has been full of troubles in our current life… nothing major compared to many… but challenges and trials that keep us returning to the feet of our Father.  Troubles that keep us dependent upon Him and upon the body of Christ!  We are so thankful for those who have come along side us to send us and to encourage us and to keep us here!  Even on tough days when we think how much easier it would be to be living in America, we are thankful to be here, and we aren’t ready to leave just yet! 

I hope to start writing here a little more… but don’t expect a post a day!  As a matter of fact… I can’t imagine that I will be writing a lot over the next month.  Not only will we be celebrating Christmas and the New Year like the rest of you, but also in less than a month, we’ll be moving to another island in this country so we’ll be busy, ONCE AGAIN, sorting, purging, selling, & packing!  In addition to all that… we’ll be making lots of PLANS & taking care of BUSINESS… confirming shipment of our belongings, airplane reservations, hotel reservations, doctor appointments, visa paperwork, closing out business here, and SAYING GOODBYE WELL to the many friends we’ve made here… nationals and expats.  This will be a challenging month.  These might be the hardest goodbyes we’ve ever said.  Usually when we say goodbye… we know we’ll see our family & friends again… if not on this side of eternity then on the next!  Many of our friends here are Christians so we’ll definitely see them again… but it may be on the other side of eternity.  We are thrilled that we’ll see them again… but it will be sad knowing that it might be eternity before we sit and visit again.  (Thankfully, we have the internet to stay in touch!)  The hardest goodbyes will be with the nationals that we know we will not see again unless God intervenes in a major way.  These are people like our neighbors whom we have grown to love.  People like our helpers who have been a major part of our lives.  Please join us in praying for them, for their children… they have the power to change this country with the help of the Holy Spirit.  A mighty revival could take place in this land, but it would only be possible with the help of the Holy Spirit.  Your prayers could definitely impact eternity.

Our Thanksgiving Guests
Normally we are always trying to learn the culture here, but on this day, we
wanted to share a little of our culture with our neighbors (and one expat friend
and his driver).  With the exception of our family, the expat gentlemen, and his
driver, no one in this picture is a believer. They are dear friends.  My heart is
heavy as saying goodbye approaches.  

So as I close this post, I don’t know when I will write again, but I do “plan” to post some prayer requests over the next month… so hopefully, you’ll be hearing from me again soon.  Please feel free to leave a comment here on the blog, but do not comment about the country we live in. Thank you!  

Blessings, Melinda  =0)  

Virginia Has a Frog!

A cute video I made the other day...  

This little guy snuck into the house & went under the fridge.  I didn't think I'd see him again.  Apparently I was wrong!  He must have come out only to be captured by our resident frog lover, Miss Virginia.  

No worries... we set the little guy free and he hopped away seemingly unharmed!  

Also... a quick prayer request:  Dano has his evaluation for Unit 2 on Monday morning (your Sunday evening).  Please pray for clarity for him as he needs to recall vocabulary, be able to construct sentences correctly in dialogue, and pronounce words correctly.  Thank you!  =0)  

Quick Prayer Request

A prayer request which you can share with others at church today: Dano Whited's "exam" for Unit 1 is Monday around noon (Sunday at midnight for many of you). It is either pass or fail. Please pray for him to pass. His exam is to carry on a conversation with his instructors for about 20 minutes. He will need to recall many words & phrases with ease which he has learned over the last month.

When he passes Unit 1, he will begin Unit 2.  He must complete and pass six units in order for us to move to our next place of service.  We have been told that many people must repeat Unit 1.  We're praying Dano won't have to!  He has certainly been hard at work learning & practicing the language.

Thank you for standing with us & keeping us before the throne.  Your faithful prayers have made this transition MUCH easier!  

Blessings,

Melinda  =0)

!!!!!!!!!!!!UPDATE!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thanks everyone!  He passed!  He starts Unit 2 in the morning on July 11th.  I start Unit 1 on the same day in the afternoon!  Praise the Lord!  Puji Tuhan!  

Whited Update - Learning the Language & Our Help (5-28-11)

Our most recent e-mail update... edited since it is published on the web.  Blessings, Melinda  =0)

Greetings from SE Asia!  This is a long update… if you don’t have time for the details… just look for the prayer requests in red.  =0) 

Today, Saturday, marks our 3^rd full week in our permanent home!  But the 21^st marked our first full month in country.  It is hard to believe that we are already working on our 2^nd month in SE Asia!  Thank YOU for allowing us to be here!  Without your prayers & financial support, we’d already be headed home! 

Your prayers have covered us in amazing ways!  God definitely went before us and paved the way, and He continues to be with us each step of the way.  We have encountered bumps in the road, and we can definitely tell the “honeymoon” phase is wearing off in some areas as reality sets in.  If you are our “friends” on facebook, then perhaps you have seen some of the adventures we have encountered while living here.  Also, our new blog will keep you updated on our life & the new things we encounter:  (not going to publish that blog address on this blog... if you want it, please contact me).  Be sure to “follow by e-mail” if you don’t want to miss a post!  If you aren’t friends with Dano and/or me on facebook, then send a request.  You might help us out (since we are at max limit in brain functioning at the moment), and add a little note that you are requesting to be our friend to keep up with our adventures in SE Asia, or something like that.  We don’t want to accidently add a “friend” who is a “spammer,” but we don’t want to accidentally “ignore” you either.  =0)  On facebook, I am “Melinda McDonald Whited” and Dano is “Dano Whited.”

Many new people we meet here ask us why we are here and how long we will be here.  This is our standard answer:  “We are here to learn the language.  Then we will move [to another island] and help the people there.”  Sometimes we add that Dano is an aircraft mechanic.  Everyone is always glad we are here, and they are eager to help us.  Being white here is like being a celebrity.  It is really quite odd.  We have MANY requests (mostly from high school students) to have our picture taken with them!  So, as you may be concerned about our safety or us being hated by the local people, please let us put your mind to ease.  We are in no danger from the local people here.  They are very kind and accepting of our family.  We feel VERY safe.  While we would never use the “m” word to describe ourselves, it is assumed by everyone that if we are white, we are Christians.  They also assume we are rich.  Honestly, compared to the majority here, we are. 

As you may remember, our MAIN reason for being on this island IS to learn the language.  It didn’t take long to realize that our lack of language is a HUGE barrier in communicating ANYTHING especially something as wonderful as our reason for being.  So as you pray for us, please pray that our acquisition of the language would come quickly.  Please also pray that we’d be light even when we can’t effectively share our testimony with anyone.  May our lives lead people to wonder what we have.  May seeds be planted that create a desire to learn.  May the Lord send dreams to our many new friends that reveal Himself to them. 

Our “home” life is very similar and very different here in our new land.  We continue to homeschool.  We don’t plan on taking a summer break… the kids have had plenty of breaks over the last year!  I will continue to be a “stay-at-home” mom while I homeschool.  Dano will be “going to work” each day, but his “work” will be language school in the morning and using the language in the afternoon so he can report in class the next day.  We have a washing machine but not a dryer… everything is hung out to dry (therefore almost everything needs to be ironed… because it is so wrinkled & to help finish drying some things).  We don’t have a TV, but we do have some little portable TV/DVD players and our computer.  We do have a refrigerator, stove, & oven (not everyone has an oven…most of the local people don’t).  We do not have a dishwasher or a microwave.  We do not have easy access to food that most of you would consider “normal.”  However, we do have access to lots of fresh fruits and veggies and meat!  As a matter of fact, our neighbor/landlord is a butcher (and a meatball cook).  So whenever I want beef, I just ask him to bring me some the next morning.  So, we get VERY fresh beef.  Whenever I want chicken, I just need to be outside by 6:30 a.m. and a guy on his motorcycle arrives from the market selling chicken, fish, and vegetables.  We arranged to have a bakery deliver 12 loaves of whole wheat bread (smaller than in America) every Monday!  If we run out, one of us can ride our bike to get more.  Near the bakery are a few other small stores where we can buy fruit, shelf stable milk, and a few other essentials.  Other items may require a trip to the nearby town (with the help of a friend) or the large city about 30 minutes away (with the help of public transportation or a friend).  Something else that is VERY different is that we have help… well, in America, we would sometimes have help from a friend or neighbor with watching the kids or helping me catch up on laundry or dishes… but I mean we have official hired help!  As a matter of fact, as of Monday, we will have 2 helpers! 

A house helper is called a pembantu (pem-bon-too).  It is expected that we hire a pembantu because as I mentioned… we are “rich.”  I was told by several people that we would most likely need 2 pembantu because of the size of our family and the age of our kids and our need to learn the language and the many more jobs that need to be done here due to the nature of the living conditions.  We have had just one pembantu since we arrived.  She worked for the other American family that lived in this house before we did (about a year ago).  I didn’t really want more than one pembantu, but after trying to make it work for over a month, seeing the exhaustion on our pembantu’s face (not to mention she is pregnant), feeling my own exhaustion, and everything still not getting completed, I realized we just might need another helper!  …especially when I realized that some families with only 2 toddlers have 2 pembantu!  Thankfully, another American family no longer needed one of their pembantu.  She has worked for Western families for over 30 years and comes highly recommended.  We have hired her as our cook.  The kitchen will be her domain.  She will cook & clean the kitchen & she will do much of the shopping.  She can cook both Indonesian (which we enjoy) and Western food (which we also enjoy).  She can also cook hard to find items like tortillas and bagels!  I plan to keep cooking breakfast… and I’ll still be cooking on the weekends…along with Olivia & the other kids!  Please pray along with us that our additional helper will be a blessing to our family and someone that will help us acquire the language more quickly.  Please also pray that our family will be a light to these two special ladies who will be in our home 5 days a week… seeing the REAL us.  =0) 

Back to learning the language…I will have a tutor come three afternoons a week.  Dano and I have already had 9 lessons with my tutor.  She is great!  She is a native to this country, but she is fluent in at least 4 or 5 languages (that I remember).  She is retired from the language school Dano is attending.  Since my visa is a student visa through the language school, I must attend the school, too.  As of right now, the plan is for me to attend in the afternoons starting in July.  (Your financial gifts have enabled us to attend school and hire the tutor.)  In addition to my tutoring, it is essential for me to also get out and use the language; otherwise, I will always sound like a toddler speaking the language.  This is another reason we need the two pembantu.  Our first one, Yanti (yawn-tee), is great with the kids (our new one will be, too, from what I’ve seen).  The kids love Yanti, and she is so sweet with them, and she keeps them safe!  So while I am inside tutoring, the two youngest are napping, and Dano is out and about using his language, she can watch the 3 oldest playing outside.  But we do ask you to pray for our kids’ safety & health (and ours, too).  Unless you have been overseas to an area like this, you just really can’t fully imagine the different environment we live in.  We don’t live in fear, but we certainly live with an even higher level of alert concerning our kids’ safety (if that is possible). 

Well, out of “fear” that I have already put you to sleep, I will close this e-mail with praises & additional prayer requests.

Praises:

For the most part, we have enjoyed very good health since we have arrived!  Occasionally, one or two of us will have some tummy troubles, but overall we’ve been great!  Wesley’s eczema has even been doing great!  What a blessing!  Emma’s cough has stayed away without any medication!

Everyone is eating well even though we seldom eat Western style food.  Olivia & Emma have lost a little weight but nothing to be concerned about. 

God has provided new friendships for us all.

We think we have found the church we will be worshiping with.  It is a challenge since the service is in our new language, but thankfully some of the members speak English.  What a great reminder of how important it is to be able to worship in one’s heart language!  Oh, how I miss that privilege!

We are so thankful that we feel safe especially with our children!  What a blessing! 

Prayer requests:

Summary of the ones above… our quick acquisition of the language, that we’d be lights in the process, that God would send dreams to unbelievers, that our helpers will be a great help as we are light to them, and for the safety & health of the kids (and us). 

Also, if you remember around 4pm CST (or 3pm EST or whatever time that would be where you are) every day… pray that we would sleep soundly through that early morning call to prayer for our neighbors.  It can be a little frightening for Wesley.  It can be just a rude awakening for me &/or Dano or the other kids… which kind of makes for a rough day sometimes.

Please pray for the pain in my tailbone to go away.  Somehow I injured it (before I started riding my bike), but it is a constant source of pain when I am sitting. 

Lastly, please pray for us as we continue homeschooling.  Please pray that we’d give our kids a wonderful education that prepares them for the future God desires for them, and most importantly that we’d disciple them to be soldiers for Christ.  May we not only do this by instruction and words, but may our example speak clearly to them in ALL we do! 

We’d LOVE to hear from you!!  Please don’t hesitate to write (email or snail mail).  We’d also love to know how to pray for you specifically.  Thank you again for standing alongside us as we serve!  You are part of our TEAM!!  Thank you!! 

Here to serve,

Melinda for the gang

Dano, Melinda, Olivia, Derek, Emma, Wesley, & Virginia Whited

To keep up with our family and ministry happenings

visit our blog or find us on facebook.

http://whited-underhiswings.blogspot.com/

HOW TO GIVE:

Send in a check made payable to WBT to:

WBT

P.O. Box 628200

Orlando, FL 32862-8200

                                                                                                                                                                                         

please include a separate note designating it for Dano & Melinda Whited Account # 215422

  

You can also give online or by phone:

http://www.wycliffe.org/Partnership.aspx?mid=7D4FD8 

or

1-800-WYCLIFFE

You can also visit this link for other ways to give:

http://www.wycliffe.org/Give/WaystoGive.aspx

Whited Update - We are in South East Asia! (4/27/11)

Email Update sent out around 4/27/11.  This post has been edited a little since it is being published on the web.  Sorry for being so late to add it here.  Another update is coming soon!  

Greetings from the other side of the world!    

We had HOPED to send out an update to remind you that we were leaving last Tuesday, April 19^th… but things got so rushed at the end, I was not able to do so.  HOWEVER, we KNOW you were covering us in prayers because our journey over here was just wonderful (not perfect… but it couldn’t have been much better considering we were traveling with 5 small kiddos).   Our trip from taking off in Nashville, Tennessee to landing in SE Asia was about 30 hours long.  The majority of that time was in the air.  We had very little to no down time between flights.  We arrived in country Thursday morning, April 21^st (which was Wednesday night, April 20^th in Tennessee).  Right now during DST in America, we are exactly 12 hours ahead of the Central Time Zone… so that is only 11 hours ahead of the Eastern Time Zone.   

We thank you for your prayers and the ones you continue to say on our behalf.  Things are falling into place so wonderfully it can only be explained by the hand of God!

Thank you, also, for all the financial gifts… monthly or one time!  Each one has enabled us to get here, and will continue to allow us to set up home here and continue serving without interruption.  Today (Tuesday, April 26^th) we purchased our beds to be delivered once we are ready to move into our permanent home.  We also looked at appliances.  Tomorrow, we plan to sign a contract on that permanent home and pay for 10 months’ rent upfront… that is the way it is done here.  It is only through your gifts that we are able to take care of these transactions.  Thank you! 

We are being well cared for here.  I wish I could take this time to share all our adventures with you thus far… but I’m afraid you might have something else to do!  =0) I will tell you that two gentlemen (a little younger than us) from our organization came here to meet us & “show us the ropes” for our orientation.  We are staying in temporary housing (which is pretty nice) while we firm up our permanent housing (which will be very different) while we are here for language studies.  The two men leave on Friday!  We are going to miss them tremendously.  Thankfully, they have introduced us to lots of other people (Americans) we can go to for resources.  We are so thankful for them and the sacrifice they & their families have made being separated to make our transition easier.    

I will continue to keep up with our “under his wings” blog (hopefully), and I have begun a new blog… (I won't be posting our new blog's address on this blog in hopes of keeping the two separated.  If you are interested in our new blog which is about life here, please contact me via e-mail or facebook for the address.)  Please “follow” this blog or “follow by e-mail” for updates at the blog.  It is pretty simple.  Then whenever I am able to start writing about our adventure, you won’t miss anything.  =0)  Just today we got our own internet access!  =0) 

Our specific requests at this time:

Full “recovery” from jet lag… especially the kids!  We have already come a long way since last Thursday! 

Continued good health for the whole family.  However, Wesley has some very swollen glands.  Please pray for his body to effectively fight whatever he’s fighting.   Also, please pray for Dano’s knee to heal up quickly.  He twisted it , causing it to swell.  It is improving, but it is still aggravating him with all the walking we are doing.  He can walk fine though, thankfully!  =0)  

Wesley’s eczema to “calm down” and be HEALED!

For all the details to be worked out for our permanent housing and our acquisition of all the household items we’ll need to set up house so that we may move from our temporary housing and get settled. 

Protection as we travel along the roads where the driving rules are so different… and perhaps non-existent.  ;0) 

Pray that our family will be a light in the darkness. 

We are so thankful for our God and our Savior, Jesus!  We are so thankful for you and your partnership so we can be here! 

Love,

Melinda for the Gang

Dano, Melinda, Olivia, Derek, Emma, Wesley, & Virginia Whited  =0)

To keep up with our family and ministry happenings

visit our blog or find us on facebook.

http://whited-underhiswings.blogspot.com/

HOW TO GIVE:

Send in a check made payable to WBT to:

WBT

P.O. Box 628200

Orlando, FL 32862-8200

                                                                                                                                                                                         

please include a separate note designating it for Dano & Melinda Whited Account # 215422

  

You can also give online or by phone:

http://www.wycliffe.org/Partnership.aspx?mid=7D4FD8 

or

1-800-WYCLIFFE

You can also visit this link for other ways to give:

http://www.wycliffe.org/Give/WaystoGive.aspx

Whited Update - VISAS & TICKETS!! (4/8/11)

Ministry e-mail sending out today...

Friday, April 08, 2011

I don’t really know how to start this e-mail except with the GREAT news that we have our visas!! 

This afternoon at 2:08, I got a call from SE Asia… it was in the wee hours of the morning (Saturday) there!  Dano’s future boss called to let us know that he had just received word that our visas were approved!  He wasn’t sure why he received word at such an odd hour, but it worked out to be the best thing for us!  We were able to purchase our tickets for about $1000 less (total) than the tickets we were going to buy if we’d found out our visas were approved first thing Friday morning!  I’d say God’s timing is perfect and more economical!  ;0)  We do believe that with your generous gifts, we will be able to fully cover the costs of our tickets!  Thank you, Lord!  Thank YOU for all your generous gifts and prayers!   

We’ve also sent our passports to New York to have our visas put in them at the Consulate’s office.  Now if the “government shuts down” as I keep hearing people ask, I don’t think it will affect us since the US government is not the one handling our visas and since I didn’t use the USPS to get them to NY!  BUT our passports being returned to us in a timely manner is a point of prayer! 

Since we have to be out of this house & return the van on the 15^th  (next Friday), we are moving to an extended stay type hotel in Nashville near the airport large enough to house our family, and it has a full kitchen in the room, plus some meals that are included buffet style in the lobby.  It also has a shuttle service that will be able to take us to the airport! 

Our tickets have us fly out of the Nashville airport on Tuesday, April 19^th in the afternoon.  From there we will go to NYC then we will fly east to Singapore then to our final destination!  We will be arriving at 8:25 a.m. on Thursday (which will “really” be 8:25 p.m. Wednesday back in Tennessee!)! 

Does this make you a little anxious as you read this?  Me, too!  But I am CONTINUALLY casting all my cares on Him because I know HE cares for me!  (1 Peter 5:6-8) And I know that I don’t need to be anxious about anything because with prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, I can present my requests to God!  (Philippians 4:6)  Isn’t it EXCITING to have God’s Word to encourage us and comfort us in these times?  I can’t imagine life without HIS promises!  Unfortunately there are around 2000 people groups who don’t have HIS Words in their heart language.  So when you start thinking, “WHY ON EARTH ARE THEY GOING THERE????” remember we are going so that those, who also bear the image of our Creator, may have the delight in knowing their Creator… the one who sent Jesus to be their Savior.  We think they are just as worthy as we are and deserve to have God’s Word, too.  So, THAT is why we are willing to go!  THAT is why we are excited to go!  May the Lord use our lives to bring Him Glory!  May the contributions we make through aviation bring about more followers of Christ!   Thank you for standing with us in prayer!  Thank you for sacrificing financially so that we may serve and go!  Thank you for all the gifts toward our airfare.  Thank you for the faithful monthly gifts that enable us to continue!

As you pray,

Praise the Lord for His perfect timing in granting our visas!

Please ask for our passports to be protected & returned quickly as they are on their way to New York to have the visas put in them.

Please pray for our family’s health as it seems they are fighting allergies or little things. 

Please pray for Wesley’s eczema to be healed.

Please pray for us to wrap up all the loose ends of storing & shopping & packing so that we can be out of this house by the 15^th (that is next Friday!).

Please pray that all our extra expenses will be covered.

Please pray for our children as we make ANOTHER transition from one home to another then another then another!  Please pray for us as parents to make theses transitions just another fun part of our adventure!

Please pray specifically for Wesley; we endured some pretty rough storms this past week… tornado warnings & thunderstorms that knocked down a lot of trees in our neighborhood.  My sister was here with the 4 youngest while Dano & I were taking care of business in town.  Marcia took GREAT care of the kids, but now Wesley (4) is worried about when the storms are coming back.  Thankfully, he is sleeping through the night again, but please pray that his little heart would be filled with God’s perfect peace.

Please pray for Virginia’s safety as she has just learned how to climb out of her pack n play (AKA her bed)… what timing! 

Again, we truly thank you for your faithfulness to our family!  You make our service possible and enjoyable!  Thank you for staying in touch and letting us pray for you!

Serving Him,

Melinda for the Gang

Dano, Melinda, Olivia, Derek, Emma, Wesley, & Virginia

To keep up with our family and ministry happenings

visit our blog or find us on facebook.

http://whited-underhiswings.blogspot.com/

HOW TO GIVE:

Send in a check made payable to Wycliffe Bible Translators to:

Wycliffe Bible Translators

P.O. Box 628200

Orlando, FL 32862-8200

                                                                                                                                                                                         

please include a separate note designating it for Dano & Melinda Whited Account # 215422

(gifts with this designation that are not our normal monthly gifts will go toward our airfare costs and/or our hotel costs)

  

You can also give online or by phone:

http://www.wycliffe.org/Partnership.aspx?mid=7D4FD8 

or

1-800-WYCLIFFE

You can also visit this link for other ways to give:

http://www.wycliffe.org/Give/WaystoGive.aspx

Pampered Chef Catalog Show - STILL OPEN

PARTY STILL OPEN! I'm trying to earn some free Pampered Chef items for this mission house. If you want something, please click on the link below, choose "shop online", type in my name as the host, then when you check out have it delivered to your house. Closing the party SUNDAY, NO FOOLING!  Sorry this keeps changing... it is due to my crazy life & the crazy life of my PC consultant!  =0) Thanks! =0)


http://www.pamperedchef.biz/chefisobel

Thank you to everyone who has already placed on order!  =0)

Virginia's First Haircut

Virginia turned 2 last month, and I decided she needed a haircut this past Monday... not so much because of her age, but because of the way her hair looked!  You'll see some "before" shots below.  She had some unusual hair!

She was our only child to be born with a LOT of hair (at least comparatively speaking), but as usually happens... most of it fell out.  However, she did manage to hang on to some long straight hairs around the top which have just continued to grow.  When her other hair came in, it has that sweet baby curl to it... BUT it was hard to see because this strange straight hair kept it covered... but just kind of sat on top of the curls for a not so cute look.  =0)  So I always tried to pull it back (the straight part) or blend it in... not very successfully!  =0)  So when the other girls and I were going to get our hair cut, I decided Virginia was going, too.  I wanted those long straight hairs cut!  =0)  See the before and after below!  I was thrilled!  And Virginia was GREAT!  Like she was there for the 15th time and knew exactly what to do!

Before
(writing on the chalkboard Kim
has for the kids to entertain themselves
and it works GREAT!)

Before

Before

The During Pictures:

"After" of the front before it is dry

Another "After"

If I had known how much better it would look after a haircut, she'd had her first haircut a long time ago!!  Now we can see her cute curls!!  =0)

No Visas Yet! 3-30-11

Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.  Romans 5:1-5

We come to you again this week asking you to pray for our visas to be approved ASAP. 

The verses above encourage us to persevere!  We are nowhere near a point of suffering, but we are at a point where we need to rejoice in these delays and to continue to persevere!  What a wonderful promise from God of His love being poured into our hearts by the Holy Spirit… a gift from God!  Thank you, God, for allowing us to gain access to you by faith through Jesus Christ!  Thank you for GRACE!  Father, may we never be disappointed since we can REST in knowing we have HOPE in you… and you hold everything in the palm of your hands! 

The extra time we’ve been given due to the delays is needed to finish up all the “things” we need to take care of here.  It allows us more quality time with family.  It should allow us to have more “adjustment” time once we reach Southeast Asia before we start our language studies.  We can rejoice in these things. 

We are daily casting our anxieties on HIM with the unknowns and the extra items the government officials in SE Asia continues to request.  We know HE is faithful to carry our burdens. 

Praises:

Our Emma had a WONDERFUL 6^th birthday!

Derek turns 8 this weekend, & we plan to have another family celebration!

We are getting many things checked off our “to do” list!

New gifts for our airfare!  

As you continue to pray for our Visas…

please also pray for our family to stay healthy.  Pray that our bodies would work as God designed and fight off any infection we may come in contact with.

please pray for Virginia & Wesley’s protection as they both need 1 more vaccine… then we will be DONE!

please pray for us to be diligent about getting all the details taken care of before we leave & making good priorities to finish our “to do” list.

please pray for the remaining funds we need for airfare… and that we’d get an amazing deal when we purchase our tickets! 

Thank you, again, for standing alongside us and allowing us to serve!  You are truly our Aaron and Hur, holding us up in this battle!  (Exodus 17:8-13)

Serving with you,

Melinda for the gang

Dano, Melinda, Olivia, Derek, Emma, Wesley, & Virginia Whited

To keep up with our family and ministry happenings

visit our blog or find us on facebook.

http://whited-underhiswings.blogspot.com/

HOW TO GIVE:

Send in a check made payable to Wycliffe Bible Translators to:

Wycliffe Bible Translators

P.O. Box 628200

Orlando, FL 32862-8200

                                                                                                                                                                                          

please include a separate note designating it for Dano & Melinda Whited Account # 215422

(gifts with this designation that are not our normal monthly gifts will go toward our airfare costs)

   

You can also give online or by phone:

http://www.wycliffe.org/Partnership.aspx?mid=7D4FD8 

or

1-800-WYCLIFFE

You can also visit this link for other ways to give:

http://www.wycliffe.org/Give/WaystoGive.aspx

Visiting the Cemetery

This morning my siblings and I, along with Dano, my kids, and my oldest niece, took a trip to Pegram to the Middle Tennessee State Veteran's Cemetery.  Not too long ago they were able to place Daddy's marker at his gravesite.  We wanted to all go together to see it.  We also wanted to take some flowers.  We took real flowers because the lady at the cemetery had told us that the deer will eat whatever you leave... even if they are plastic!  Below are some pictures from our morning.  We had a fun time together despite the reason for the trip.  We even got to enjoy lunch together.  =0)

Derek was the first to add flowers... I missed getting
a picture of him doing it.  

Wesley, Derek, Olivia, Emma, and Virginia
(It was a little chilly.)

Pampered Chef Catalog Show

I'm doing a Pampered Chef Catalog Show. I need a couple of items before we go.  I thought I could do a catalog show and bless this mission house in TN with any free products! If you want something, go here:  http://www.pamperedchef.biz/chefisobel  Click on “Shop Online” then enter my name (Melinda Whited) as the host. Be sure to select to have stuff sent directly to you... I won't be delivering anything. =0) If you need any suggestions, let me know!  I LOVE Pampered Chef!  The stones are wonderful, the garlic press is GREAT, the apple wedger is the best, the quikut paring knives are handy (and cheap… I’m ordering some to take with me).  I think the Kitchen Spritzer is essential.  Goodness… I could go on and on… but I’ll stop now!  If you’re able to order, that is wonderful.  My party closes on the 30^th… so you might order by the 29^th… that is NEXT Tuesday!  THANKS!  Oh, you could book your own catalog show with Isobel if you want to!  Her and her husband serve with MMS in Ohio (the mission organization we used to serve with). 

Blessings,

Melinda  =0)  

Whited Update - Visa Delay 3/23/11

Our final prayer card picture (thanks to Kristin!)  Our prayer card has our
names and birthdates added along with my ministry e-mail and where
we will be serving.  If you'd like one, please contact me and
 I will send you one via e-mail.  

Immediately following is the update I sent out last night... below it are the two previous updates I sent out that I neglected to post on the blog.  Thanks for remaining so faithful to us!

------------------

Well, I’ve been waiting to send out an update hoping I could tell you some good Visa news… but I guess I need to go ahead and send out an update that asks you to pray some more!  Our visas have NOT been approved yet, but we are hopeful they will be in the next week or two.  The government has been asking for more paperwork regarding our education & degrees & certifications… we have been giving them everything they ask for!  Once they are approved, we will purchase our tickets to leave.   

We did get some GOOD NEWS today… we can stay in this house in Hendersonville until April 15^th!  That gives us 5 more days of “wiggle” room!  =0)  That enables us to breathe a little easier!

More GOOD NEWS is the wonderful time we had at our dinner that Keith organized for us.  It was a night of sweet fellowship with family, old friends, & new friends.  Thank you, Keith!

This Friday we are celebrating Emma’s 6^th birthday with family (although her birthday isn’t til next week)!  We’ve also had a couple of busy weeks with dental & vision appointments with more to come and an appointment with a lawyer to make sure all our “affairs” are in order before leaving!  Shew… no wonder we can’t finish sorting all our stuff! 

I’m sure there is lots of more info I could give you… but I will leave it at that! 

We know the enemy can be busy at work; we know prayer can change things; and we know God is sovereign!  Thank you for praying on our behalf!  We know God hears your prayers!

Please pray for the Lord’s will to be done in HIS PERFECT timing.

Please pray that the enemy would be bound from our visa process and any part of our lives! 

Please pray that the government would find favor with our family and “Mr. H” and grant our visas ASAP.

Please continue to pray for our family’s health… we have been enjoying good health, praise the Lord!!  An AMAZING PRAISE is that Emma’s cough is COMPLETELY GONE… she doesn’t even need any medicine anymore!  Thank you for your prayers!  Not only is this just wonderful for her HEALTH & our peace of mind… it will save us around $150 a month in medicine!    

Please pray for God to provide the rest of the money we need to purchase our tickets.  We have 100% of what we need for our visas.  We have approximately $5000 toward our airfare.  This is great!  Thank you!  Depending on when we purchase our tickets, we’ll need at least $7000 total to purchase our airfare. 

Attached is our NEW PRAYER CARD!  Please print it out (or have it printed at Wal-Mart or wherever) and put it somewhere that will remind you to pray for our family on a regular basis.  (As mentioned in the caption above... I've only attached the picture.  If you'd like a prayer card, please contact me.)

Thank you for allowing us to pray for you! 

Serving alongside you,

Melinda for the gang 

Dano, Melinda, Olivia, Derek, Emma, Wesley, and Virginia Whited  =0)  

To keep up with our family and ministry happenings

visit our blog or find us on facebook.

http://whited-underhiswings.blogspot.com/

HOW TO GIVE:

Send in a check made payable to Wycliffe Bible Translators to:

Wycliffe Bible Translators

P.O. Box 628200

Orlando, FL 32862-8200

                                                                                                                                                                                          

please include a separate note designating it for Dano & Melinda Whited Account # 215422

(gifts with this designation that are not our normal monthly gifts will go toward our airfare costs)

   

You can also give online or by phone:

http://www.wycliffe.org/Partnership.aspx?mid=7D4FD8 

or

1-800-WYCLIFFE

You can also visit this link for other ways to give:

http://www.wycliffe.org/Give/WaystoGive.aspx

---------------------------

Whited Update - Visas & Dinner (3/16/11)

Our last update was a call for prayers of healing and encouragement… we just wanted you to know that God answered those prayers abundantly!  Thank you!

Olivia’s illness was very short lived and didn’t even require a doctor visit!  Everyone else got well or stayed well.  We were very encouraged in our spirits by God’s Word, your words, and several circumstances that took place!  Thank you!  We have been able to spend time with our family & celebrate Virginia’s 2^nd birthday.  This week my sisters & kids are on Spring break… so our kids are getting some fun cousin time this week! 

Another fun event this week is the dinner that Dano’s friend from high school has organized for us THIS Friday!  If you are in the area, we hope you can make it!  If you are on facebook, you can RSVP http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=167384173305150… if not, Keith assures us that you can just come… there will be plenty!  We sure hope you can come to say goodbye… even if we haven’t seen you in years… come to say goodbye!  It is a “come as you are” event!  No need to dress up… but if you are coming straight from work, don’t worry about dressing down first.  If you are wearing your muddy workboots, that is okay, too!  Just come as you are!  And YES, KIDS are welcome!  Our crew will be there!  There won’t be any activities planned, but kids are welcome to come and eat… then they’ll be able to play in the fellowship hall.  For the most part, it will just be a casual dinner get-together.  At some point during the evening, we will be sharing about what we’ll be doing and showing some pictures of where we are going.  There is no charge for the dinner.  It is from 6:30 to 8:30 at Bethlehem Baptist Church in Springfield at the corner of HWY 76 and Bethlehem Rd.  E-mail or facebook if you have questions!   

VISA UPDATE:  We have been told that we should receive our visas THIS Friday if all goes well!  Please pray specifically for this.  “Mr. H” is the one that is working to get the approvals for us in Jakarta.  In Indonesia, relationships are more important than policy and process like we have in the US.  Please pray specifically for “Mr. H”  as he works on this.  Pray for attention to details for all the needed documents.  Pray that the staff at the government offices receive him well and that he is able to maintain a positive and effective relationship with them. 

When we receive our visas, we’ll be able to purchase our tickets!  If you’d like to help us purchase our tickets, you can give at the dinner mentioned above or you can give according to the information below.  It sounds like our visas our going to cost more than we originally thought.  They may be closer to $3000 instead of $2400.  If prices haven’t changed too much, it looks like our airfare will be close to $7000.  We know God is able to provide all we need!  Thank you for many of you who have already given toward this need!  What a blessing!  Thank you to each of you who give to us so faithfully each month so that we can serve! 

We are making progress with our belongings… finishing the sorting & purging & shredding & storing!  Please pray we finish this quickly so it will be behind us and we can begin PACKING for our departure!  We will need to begin purchasing items to pack that we will want to take plenty of.  For example, we’ll want to take plenty of sunscreen with us.  We’ve been told by several that we’ll want to bring enough sunscreen (SPF 75) to last for 3 years!  That is a lot of sunscreen!  A lot of things are available where we’ll be going to language school, but some things are not.  Some folks who are there have really been blessing us by giving us their opinions on what we might want to bring.  So, soon we’ll be making those decisions/purchases based on their recommendations, our desires, and what we have “space” for.  We won’t be shipping any belongings (other than Dano’s tools).  Everything we take will be our checked baggage.  This is limited to 2 bags per person… 50# per bag… and the bags can only be a certain size.  So please pray with us to have wisdom and discernment as we pack! 

Please also pray with us as we tie up loose ends.  On Thursday, Virginia gets her Typhoid Fever vaccination (now that she has turned 2).  We need to get legal papers all taken care of.  We are all trying to go to the dentist and get our eyes checked.  We need to get our international driver’s licenses (simple… but just another thing to do).  Etc., etc., etc. 

THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU for standing with us.  Thank you for your interest in our ministry and family.  THANK YOU FOR YOUR FAITHFULNESS to our family in prayers and financial gifts. 

Please let us know how we can pray for you! 

Serving alongside you,

Melinda for the family

Dano, Melinda, Olivia, Derek, Emma, Wesley, & Virginia

-----------------------

Whited Update - Encouragement Needed (3/9/11)

Wow… God is so faithful to our family, and it is His promises that we rest in.  However, we are standing in the need of prayers for healing and encouragement! 

1.       We moved successfully to the mission house in Hendersonville, TN.  It is good to be “home” again.  This move was ONLY accomplished through the amazing help of our friends who helped us get everything ready and who actually helped us get here.  You can visit the blog to read that story!

2.       Our kids have been sick with strep throat, but not just throat symptoms… they have had gastrointestinal symptoms, too.  UGH!  The three youngest were finally getting over it when Olivia’s symptoms started in the wee hours of Wednesday… but her throat doesn’t hurt… so is this the same thing or something different??  We think Derek had it before we left, but who knows.  We know we are exhausted.  I think I’ve taken the kids to the doctor more in the last week than I have in the past year!  Please pray for HEALING & pray for ENDURANCE for us. We are EXHAUSTED. 

3.       We came to TN to spend our last 5 weeks with family… well one week has gone by & we have seen very little family due to the illnesses.  We’ve only seen my brother & Dano’s mom & step-father.  The kids are dying to see their cousins (and vice versa).  It is challenging to be so close… yet so far away.  Please pray that we would be able to have quality time starting soon.  Also, Virginia’s 2^nd birthday (and party) is this weekend.  We hope to be able to celebrate with family! 

4.       PLEASE PRAY FOR OUR VISAS TO COME THROUGH SOON SO THAT WE CAN PURCHASE OUR TICKETS.  We have this house until April 10^th…. 

5.       Please also pray for the remaining money we need to come in for those tickets.  How much do we need?  It will depend on when we are able to purchase the tickets! 

6.       Please pray for the many loose ends that we are trying to take care of & the continual sorting & discarding & donating of our belongings. 

I hope this e-mail does not seem too discouraging.  I strive to be encouraging to you as we communicate… but we feel heavily burdened now.  We know God is able to handle these burdens, and we cast them at His feet… but we still have the day in and day out stuff to take care of… like throw up!  =0) 

May the Lord bless each of you.  I know many hearts are burdened with the trials of life.  Please know that we are here to pray for you.  Don’t hesitate to share your requests with us.  A verse that was encouraging during Daddy’s battle with cancer was Romans 10:12  Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.  I hope that we will be found faithful in prayer even when we don’t get the immediate answers we want.  We are trusting in God’s sovereignty knowing that we are here for His Glory and knowing that He always knows what is best. 

Serving alongside you,

Melinda for the gang

Dano, Melinda, Olivia, Derek, Emma, Wesley, & Virginia

104 East Ridge Ct.

Hendersonville, TN  37075