Making Progress

Well, I was getting very discouraged lately. I have been laid off from one of my half time jobs for some time now (I am now just working for DHS half time). I have still been applying for lots of jobs (and even getting interviews, but not getting hired). Debora went to an AGLOW (www.aglow.org) women's prayer meeting the other day and came back with some encouraging words, like we are right where God wants us, etc. I had a hard time believing her and was reminded of the woman who in 2 Kings 4:16, tells Elisha not to lie to her (about her having a son). I felt like telling Debora the same thing, "Don't lie to me." That was just too good of news to be true. And I even got angry about it. If it is true then what is wrong? I'm not where I want to be. How can I be where God wants me to be, if I don't even want to be here?

I read Dan Miller's book called "48 Days to the Work You Love" recently. I don't even know what kind of work I would like or what I am passionate about (aside from sharing the gospel and teaching the Word, but I don't see how I can get paid to do that). The book came with a workbook and two audio CDs and Debora has encouraged me to complete the workbook and listen to the CDs, which I want to do, but haven't done yet.

I know that if I get a full-time career job, I will not be satisfied or happy, but at least I will be earning enough money to give me the freedom to try out some other ideas (my line of thinking - probably not God's). I saw an ad in the Nickel the other day about breeding worms. It looks quite promising, but it could also be a scam (www.ecologytek.com). I have thought about starting an adult foster home, but I would need to buy a house for that (or at least get a two-year lease on a much bigger house).

I listened to some CDs from Mark Hankins Ministries called "Instructions for Rich People." They were inspiring. He mentioned the two tests every Christian must pass. The test of poverty or failure and the test of success or wealth. Debora and I have passed the test of poverty with a very high score, I think. But I really failed at the test of wealth. After selling our house in LA, we were quite rich for a while, but I hoarded our riches and lived as if we were still dirt poor in constant fear of losing our wealth. I'm asking God if He will let me retake that test.

When we moved to China, I told all my friends and family that we were probably never coming back to the US. We had dreams of God using us around the world (and we still have these dreams, but they have been postponed). Failing the test of wealth while in China has really put us back a few steps (in my mind - maybe not in God's). We came grovelling back to the US forced to live off of others generosity (though sometimes for me it is hard to tell when people are being generous to us or pitying us).

Anyway, we have started giving again and being generous ourselves, even though we can't afford to, but somehow that is the way it works and is supposed to work - that we understand. I am still learning what it means to "seek Him first." And we know that He is leading us and that we have nothing to fear, but that we can be thankful always and rejoice on all occasions. Our seventh wedding anniversary is tomorrow (tax day) and I need to find some way to make it special. Pray for me. :)

Here are some more photos of the family too (Othniel's birthday, Elisha's birthday, building an igloo - though the kids are blocking the doorway in the photo, cool hair, and me and Josiah).

Christmas

After our nice quiet Thanksgiving, we had a nice loud Christmas. It was great to see my (Jesse's) mother and two of my sisters and both of my nieces again. We had hundreds of presents to open which took all day (we had to take breaks to eat). The day after Christmas, we went snowboarding at Anthony Lakes (well, Debora and the kids and I went sledding in our new sleds - my sisters and nieces skied and snowboarded). At the sledding hill, there were lots of people. Some had campfires and hot chocolate (like they were having a tailgate party). I took turns riding down the hill with my kids (and my wife). I sent Othniel down by himself a few times. Then Debora took Esperance half way up the hill and let her go and she went flying down the hill and launched over the snowbank into the parking lot (she caught some good air). Fortunately there was a man there to catch her and like a pro, she didn't even fall off (she did say that next time she wanted to go a little slower).

A few days before Christmas, I got offered a job with DHS (Oregon State Department of Human Services) as a Human Services Specialist Eligibility Worker for Seniors and People with Disabilities (quite the title if I do say so myself). It is only half time, so it works well with my other half time job. I started right after Christmas and haven't done anything yet. I am still being trained how to use the computer systems.

I have also learned that I am not a very good blogger. My sister has at least one entry per week on her blog and I am barely getting one entry per month in.

Photos: Family Portrait, Kids in their new nightgowns and nightshirts (home made by a friend), Debora with our new puppy (Chester), Othniel sledding, kids with Christmas tree

Thanksgiving in our new home.

We had a very nice Thanksgiving without any extended family to stress us out (not that we don't love and miss them, you all know we do, but it was nice to spend some time just the seven of us). I stayed up late Wednesday making my traditional pumpkin cheesecake. I also made stuffing, cranberry sauce (with fresh berries), yams, pear cobbler and peach pie. Debora made the turkey, the ham, gravy, sauce for the ham and broccoli. We ate leftovers for four days. We are very thankful for all that He has provided and we are optimistically looking toward the future.

Photos: Debora's friend came over to teach her how to cook Philipino food, Thanksgiving Dinner, Standing in front of our house in Union, Jumping on the trampoline

Moving in to Our Own House

Yay! We were house hunting for about two weeks (we can't live with the Benders forever). We looked at numerous places in Baker City, North Powder, Haines, Imbler, Cove, Union and Elgin. We only looked at one house in La Grande (we really didn't want to live in La Grande). We were looking for a place in the country with outside space for the kids to run and play. We also wanted at least a three bedroom with a big enough living room and kitchen to move around in. It seemed like every house was either huge with no outside place to play, or tiny and in the country with fields and forests all around. Finally we found a house in Union that we really liked. A good size living room and kitchen, a huge laundry room (with washer and dryer, so we don't have to buy our own appliances) and three medium size bedrooms with two bathrooms. It has a great big back yard with a garden and it is the last house on a dead end street with a big field next to us and a view of the golf course on the hill and a giant barn behind us. At the same time, it is only four blocks from the post office, six blocks from the grocery store and seven blocks from the library and park.

Anyway, we are mostly moved in. We found enough furniture to make it livable (we could still use a couch).

I (Jesse) found a job at the Mt. Emily Safe Center facilitating a Boys Council meeting for middle school boys. It is only part-time and I am looking for more work.

Still in Oregon

Well, here we are still in Oregon. Now that we have had the baby, we need something else to do. We don't really feel ready to go overseas again, so we are looking to settle and since we are here in Oregon it might be as good a place as any. So we need a place to live and a way to make money (a good job for Jesse). Let us know if any of you have any ideas. We are willing to relocate if we feel God opens up a door for us somewhere else (in this great United States).

Meanwhile, the kids are still enjoying the fresh air and playing outside (they have chalk on their faces and noses in the picture, because they wanted to be Indians - or rather, Native Americans). We went for a hike at Anthony Lake where they loved climbing on rocks and running around.

Here in North Powder, I have been selling things on ebay to try to make some money (I even read the ebay for dummies book). The user name I have been using is aspenjw so you can all look up my items and buy some if you want. I have been selling medical and dental items (the midwife's husband is a dentist and buys surplus lots of medical/dental equipment from the government - then whatever he doesn't want, I sell it on ebay for him). A few days ago, someone gave me 3 boxes of records that have been in storage for the last 20 years. Hopefully there are a few rare ones in the lot.

Josiah's Birth

Debora woke me up in the middle of the night to tell me that her water broke. Then on the next afternoon, 15 September 2009, at 2:26 pm, Josiah Jachin Parsons was born. He weighed 8 lbs 1 oz at birth and was 20 and a half inches long. He was born in the water in a big plastic animal feeding trough that our midwife bought for just such a purpose (in case any of her clients wanted to have a water birth). He was born in the sun room off the back of the house in a very peaceful setting with birds chirping and the fresh air coming in the open window. Our best birth yet. Debora says that she did not have any fear during the birth (praise God), but that she still did feel pain (if we have a sixth, we will continue to pray for a painless birth). :)

Josiah, like all babies, was not very cute immediately after the birth, but now, at 12 days old, he looks a little more normal (some might even say cute). We took him to church with us today (his second time out of the house). It is pretty funny to have five kids in five car seats in the back of our car (Esperance has a booster seat still).

North Powder and Baker City

The drive to North Powder in our new car took 6 hours. Since there were six of us, Othniel had to ride in the front in his car seat and Debora rode in the front in the middle next to me. The other three kids rode in the back in their car seats. The two seats in the very back had to be folded down so we could fit all of our luggage in the car (and amazingly enough, it all fit, a testament to the size of the Buick Roadmaster Estate Wagon). We only had to tie the double stroller and another car seat (for the new baby after he was born) on top of the car. A day or so after we arrived there was a Celtic festival in Baker City and a car show, so we went and watched the bagpipes and the kilts and the kids even got to try throwing (fake) logs and hay bales (pillows) in a Celtic kids competition.

The Benders have a big boat with a small motor and there is a reservoir about 1/4 mile away from their house, so we took the boat out a few times before the weather turned from summerish to cold. They also have a 12 passenger van, so on Sundays, we can all ride to church in the same vehicle. The back seat sits four, so one day all four of our kids sat in the back in their carseats. Now that Josiah is here we have five kids in five car seats.