Skype Sunday

Jacob and I enjoyed a Skype call with Aunt Tracy and Uncle Lee, and Ben and Beth! We got to see their faces and even their popsicles! (Of course the GOOD camera is traveling at the moment with Dave so the resolution is not at its best!)

The first picture here is kind of fun because you can see the desktop background of my new computer, plus a picture of Jacob taken several years ago in the top right corner!

April 28: mini-update

People have been praying for us, and God has answered those prayers!

A very kind friend has offered frequent flyer miles, and Joey has tickets home from college! His support is not quite all in yet, but he is still planning to go on the short-term trip to Ireland with his rugby team from May 14-27. Please keep praying for his support, for the friends that the team will meet in N.Ireland, and as always for them to be safe and injury free (as much as possible with rugby!)

And some of you knew that my laptop had ended its useful life, but another one was able to be ordered and delivered in record-time and arrived with a team who arrived yesterday! That seems like it could not have been possible in human terms! Pray that I'll be able to work well with it to finish my work for my class this week.

Please pray for Dave this week as he visits with missionary and Liberian colleagues in Liberia. He is conducting an audit of their finances, and helping them to continue to develop systems that will help them in their ministries. He left yesterday and will be back next Friday night.

We are thankful for your prayers and encouraging notes! We are looking forward to visiting with many of you beginning in June!

Many blessings,
Mary

Cat

Jacob took this amazing picture of one of our cats. (If you think you know which one, Joey, feel free to guess!) Jake takes lots of great pictures, but he doesn't care a whole lot about seeing them afterward. So I end up being the one to upload them to the comp, and am consistently struck by the way he captures things.

Psalm for the week

Psalm 131

O Lord, my heart is not lifted up;
my eyes are not raised too high;
I do not occupy myself with things too great and too marvelous for me.

But I have calmed and quieted my soul,
like a weaned child with its mother;
like a weaned child is my soul within me.


O Israel, hope in the Lord
from this time forth and forevermore.

Support team on web cam!

One blessing for which we are very thankful is our support team from our home church. They pray for us, and encourage us in many ways. On Sunday evening, we got to visit with members of our support team via Skype, and for the first time we were able to see them as we talked, with their web-cam. (And I guess I should say that "Skype" is a blessing as well!)

It was very cool to "see" them, almost like looking in a window, as we talked! The kids made funny faces, showed us Lego people and stuffed animals, and we really enjoyed it. And it was fun to "meet" the new fiance of one of our team members too! We are looking forward to spending time with these dear friends when we return to the States!

ocean and sky

We enjoyed a dinner by the ocean last night, and would love you to enjoy the beauty of the ocean and sky with us! Click here to view the rest of the photos...

Walk in the park

When Dave got home from work yesterday, he and the auditor (MW, staying with us) and I took a walk in the park. Dave and MW walked the dogs, which was quite nice as it allowed me to take some pictures without having my arms yanked out of the sockets!


We laughed to see that what happens when you park your car here too long...















We enjoyed the sight of some beautiful birds near the water. This is just a guess, but this was possibly the mother bird who took off quickly when we arrived...
















while the young ones tried to stay inconspicuous.














We think they are cormorants. Click on this one to see it larger, and notice the widespread wings, tail, and webbed feet.
























































And this one, we think, is a type of kingfisher. It was a real pleasure to enjoy these beauties of God's creation in the park!

prayer

a prayer for today from The Valley of Vision

O Love Beyond Compare,
Thou are good when thou givest,
when thou takest away,
when the sun shines upon me,
when night gathers over me.
Thou has loved me before the foundation of the world,
and in love didst redeem my soul,
Thou dost love me still,
in spite of my hard heart, ingratitude, distrust.

I hoist sail and draw up anchor,
With thee as the blessed pilot of my future as of my past.
I bless thee that thou has veiled my eyes to the waters ahead.
I thou has appointed storms of tribulation,
thou wilt be with me in them;
If I have to pass through tempests of persecution and temptation,
I shall not drown;
If I am to die,
I shall see thy face the sooner;
If a painful end is to be my lot,
grant me grace that my faith fail not;
If I am to be case aside from the service I love,
I can make no stipulation;
Only glorify thyself in me whether in comfort or trial,
as a chosen vessel meet always for thy use.

this week

What's going on for the Deckers this week?

Sunday: worship service 10:00, MW (the auditor) arrives in the evening. Dave will pick him up at the airport. We'll give him something to eat if he would like that!

Monday: Dave and MW drive up to Thies to work on the Senegal audit. I'll take Anna W. to the tailor, and have lunch with her here. Take her to the school at 3:00. Buy tickets for the play to be held in a few weeks. Keep working on class work/reading.

Tuesday: Dave and MW return from Thies in the late afternoon/evening.
12:30-- SIM Dakar team meeting at our house. Keep working on class reading/writing.

Wednesday:Dave and MW working on WAFA audit. Jacob youth group in the evening.

Thursday: audit continues
Friday: ??
Saturday:??

Need to keep working on my online coaching and counseling class in free time, as well as planning meals, household management, etc...

Vacation Pictures

Finally got the vacation pictures posted for you to enjoy! (And if you look closely at this one, or click on it to see it enlarged, you might be able to see the hermit crab inside!)

Click on the links to see the photos, or just scroll down to April 2, 3, 4!

Go-Karting

Guys having fun

Gorgeous sunsets

a fun bonus picture from a walk on the beach!

April 16: Psalm for the week

Psalm 121

I lift up my eyes to the hills.
From where does my help come?
My help comes from the LORD,
who made heaven and earth.

He will not let your foot be moved;
he who keeps you will not slumber.
Behold, he who keeps Israel
will neither slumber nor sleep.

The LORD is your keeper;
the LORD is your shade on your right hand.
The sun shall not strike you by day,
nor the moon by night.

The LORD will keep you from all evil;
he will keep your life.
The LORD will keep
your going out and your coming in
from this time forth and forevermore.

April showers?

Our friends have mentioned this being a very cold April in some places. I think of the old saying, April showers bring May flowers, not sure what April snow brings! Living here in Dakar, which seems very desert -ish much of the time, April showers are slightly different. When we noticed two drops of rain on Sunday evening, some of us got excited about it!
We enjoyed celebrating the Resurrection of Jesus with a sunrise service, and a later-afternoon egg hunt, dessert and bonfire. Its a blessing to have good friends with whom to share these special days!

We've had a little April shower of breakdowns around our house as well: the door handles won't stay on! The gate lock has gotten almost impossible to open! The compressor in the refrigerator died! (While we were gone for four days!) The hot water heater died... Jacob's bike has broken down...
And yet we know that GOD is working for good in our lives and in this country, and we are thankful for His constant presence with us! We know that He will provide all that we need.

April 13

Because I know and believe that Lord is my refuge, and my strength and a very present help in times of trouble, I don't have to get all riled up when the refrigerator dies while we're on vacation, and the hot water heater does the same. I can trust Him to continue to work for good in my life even when my laptop stops working. He will be exalted among the nations, and in the small details of our daily lives. Thank you, Lord!

truths about God from Psalm 46

God is:

our refuge
our strength
a very present help in trouble
with us

God has:

brought desolations to the earth

God:

makes wars cease
breaks the bow
shatters the spear

GOD WILL BE EXALTED AMONG THE NATIONS