AMY

This is for my dear friend Amy who I love so much!!! I am about to bust at the seams!!! I can't wait to see you!!!! I got my wedding album finally and I can't wait to show you. I have missed you soooo much. I'm sad for you that Claudio won't be coming, I was so looking forward to having the two of you come up to see our beautiful mountain home. I guess you'll just have to come and take pictures of it to take back and show him. Well I hope this was a long enough update for you Miss Amy Elise. I miss you so much, I can't wait to give you a great big hug.

Lots of Love!!!

How Great Thou Art!

I'm in the process of reading this book, In the Presence of my Enemies, which is the account of Martin and Gracia Burnham, 2 New Tribes Missionaries who were kidnapped while vacationing in the Philippines and were held hostage in the jungle for a year. Gracia Burnham tells a detailed story of the whole ordeal, but there was one part that I read recently that really struck me. Gracia told of a time during their capture where she reached a point of depression and anger against God for letting this happen to her. On the day when she finally reached a turning point and surrendered her circumstances to the Lord, and chose to believe that God still loved her despite what He was putting her through, the Lord brought the hymn "How Great Thou Art" to her mind. And there in the middle of the Phillipine Jungle with some of the other captors, they began singing these words:

O Lord my God, When I in awesome wonder,

Consider all the worlds Thy Hands have made;

I see the stars, I hear the rolling thunder,

Thy power throughout the universe displayed.

Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee,

How great Thou art, How great Thou art.

Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee,

How great Thou art, How great Thou art!

When through the woods, and forest glades I wander,

And hear the birds sing sweetly in the trees.

When I look down, from lofty mountain grandeur

And see the brook, and feel the gentle breeze.

Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee,

How great Thou art, How great Thou art.

Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee,

How great Thou art, How great Thou art!

And when I think, that God, His Son not sparing;

Sent Him to die, I scarce can take it in;

That on the Cross, my burden gladly bearing,

He bled and died to take away my sin.

Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee,

How great Thou art, How great Thou art.

Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee,

How great Thou art, How great Thou art!

When Christ shall come, with shout of acclamation,

And take me home, what joy shall fill my heart.

Then I shall bow, in humble adoration,

And then proclaim: "My God, how great Thou art!"

Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee,

How great Thou art, How great Thou art.

Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee,

How great Thou art, How great Thou art!

I think often we take for granted these amazing hymns that were written hundreds of years ago. And to think that God knew that Gracia Burnham would need that song a hundred years later while she was sitting, starving in the middle of the Jungle. What an amazing all-knowing God we have, who promises never to leave us, or forsake us.