Little Trips...

Jack--first on left with some friends.

It was an "Ah HA!" moment.

Truly the type that makes you stand a bit taller, listen more attentively, lean in a little closer,and review the message--rewinding to hear it again--for confirmation of a message that so matches what God has been speaking to Mommy and Daddy..."Yes, Lord? We're all ears!"...

This time it was little Jack (our Kindergartener) who took our breath away.

Cute little Jack,
With that swingy hair and the wide open eyes...
Little puppy one moment--little preacher the next!!

A group of the children had just exited our kitchen to play Stratego in the Family Room. Only Jack and I remained,--a rare moment-- sitting on the floor, leaning up against the dishwasher. The dishwasher--still working the grime off the night's dishes for 10--busily worked behind our backs as we took a moment to rest against its humming door. (oh, how thankful I am for my electronic helpers!!--I really should name them!!) :)

Jack snuggled in and then looked up with such an earnest expression--you know the one--the type that both breaks your heart and makes you willing to say yes to any reasonable request!--

"Mommy, I HAVE to ask you a question."
Yes, Jack? (sweet heart thump)
"Mommy, I need to know something.
Yes?
"I want to know if there REALLY is a Hell.
I can take it, Mommy. REALLY."

And looking into those eyes--seeing how the Truth would register--knowing the Truth--slayed MY heart too--tears rose and I glupped out,

Yes.
Jack.
There really is a Hell.

"OH, NO!!!
" Mommy,
" Mommmmy!
" You HAVE to TELL me...

"... What happens to people in Hell?"

My stomach sank--like I was hearing it for the first time...
Like I was realizing the finality for one of my friends or dear family member...
A face came to mind...Then another dear face...Then another!
Truth struck in the gut.

Well, Jack,

Big blue eyes fixed on mine...

Honey...They burn up.
It never ends.

"OOOOHHhhh, noooo! NOOOOOO!"
It wasn't that this information was unbelievable--his spirit was grieving. To hear pure grief for the lost crying out was Love's raw sound.

"But you have to help me TELL them."

Tell what?
To who?

"YOU HAVE to tell them everything!! So they won't burn up"
Who, Jack?
He names friends from his school.
"MOMMY, I KNOW--they DON'T know Jesus!--we have to TELL them!"

We pray for his friends, we go over the simple message of Jesus's love and good news for his friends. We agree to speak ALOT of how to tell his friends about the love and salvation of Jesus.

Then he sits up and gets out of my lap and leans forward on the floor and reaches over and puts my face in his chubby hands.

"Mommy, YOU don't know anyone who is going to Hell, do you?"

The room feels heavier...

Yes, honey I...

"NOOOOOOO!

"WHHHyyyyy? WHY hasn't anyone TOLD them???"

He just settled back on my lap and we rocked there together, aching for the lost--in tears over the lost that we know...that we live with and among...every day...

Praying, crying , rocking there...

--just burdened.

In a moment, Jack sat up straight--full of something to say.

"I got it! I know what to do!!"
And a gift of evangelism/missionary call was imparted...listen to this...

"I KNOW what to do. What we need to do is to get ALL the Bibles in the house and go to school and TELL everyone about Jesus... AND we need to make sure they have a Bible so that they can grow... THEN we need to go tell everyone in our City about Jesus and...(he stands up, really excited)...then we need to go on LITTLE TRIPS ALL around America and tell people about Jesus...

And Mommy, (he pauses) I really don't think SCHOOL is as important as telling people about Jesus SO I think i need to stop school for a while and just go on little trips to tell people about Jesus. ACTUALLLY...the WHOLE WORLD needs to hear about Jesus so we are going to need LOTS of bibles and are going to need to go on LOTS of trips all around the world to tell people.

(he earnestly thinks of another layer)

...And oh, oh,oh! SOME people in the world are HUNGRY and they need FOOD. And if you don't have FOOD you can't LISTEN very well. SO we are going to have to bring a WHOLE BUNCH of food and bibles on our little trips."

"Can we do it, Mom?"

"Can we go on little trips?"

And in that moment--especially after recently asking God in my own prayers for more of Himself for more of a burden for the lost--it was as if my prayer was answered with a new question put in its place--from the Master Himself--'what IS your answer? WILL you go...on these 'little trips'?'

' Well?'

I hugged Jack tight with the energy and Joy that only the Spirit of Jesus pours on and prayed an answer into his ear.

Mostly, was just knocked over that the Lord was suddenly birthing and displaying in my kitchen, after dinner, in one of my littlest sons--what Richard and I had been experiencing and asking for/waiting on in this past season of our walk...What we have been practicing walking out in our daily lives...while knowing...hearing...God is bringing more fullness to this...

Confirmation, awe, wonder, worship...

So, Jack goes to school the next day with Joy about telling his friends about the love of Jesus. The next day, he is down with an illness, and the next...and the next..He continues to talk of "little trips" filling out his vision...

A corner of my kitchen fills up with bags of bibles ...
and books--"cause the children that we are going to see need things to read"
FAVORITE toys and treasures
and boxes and cans of food too.

I do not forget, but there is a lull in time and life is full of many things to wonder over here in the midst of other ministry here at the Tucker camp...
I sign an illness note 3 days and a weekend after our first conversation and drive Jack up to the Elementary School after watching to see if he was well enough to head into the classroom that morning.

We enter the classroom to much attention.

"LOOK!! IT's JACK T. (there are 2 Jack's in the class and this is the way to keep them straight...)
"Jack T's back!!"

Our most wonderful, Ms. Fitch (we just LOVE her!) stops what she is doing to ask how Jack's trip around the world has been.

(I am not the quickest to think on my feet--just horrible at small talk or thinking quickly--just think she is making a reference to a fiction story or is playing pretend and I play to it with a feeble joke)

"No, Really, (Ms. Fitch is absolutely serious) "Jack TOLD all the boys and girls about his LITTLE TRIPS."

Ohhhhhh,my.

I'm hit with a wave of Wow and just am unable to speak.

...the boldness of my little boy--so clearly making Jesus known and believing what the Spirit has called him to...Just telling it like it is.

This time I answer more fully to his teacher...and store up wonder in my heart...
I hear the question again,

'WELL? What's your answer?'

...to be continued as God reveals more...

Love and Grace and "little trips",

Gillian

What I'm Singing Today

This is the song of my heart. How beautiful our Jesus is.
Jesus is real.
Jesus is a King.
and He's coming Back Soon.
Make time to soak Him in today...



Be Blessed,
Love, Gillian

Graham's post

Life through the eyes of our 8th grader, Graham today. ;) A more colorful view of life here in the Tucker home!-- Meet Graham, may his photos take you back a few years to those middle school days--zany as they may be :))...



Eyes for an awesome Dad/Buddy.



Hey, Ash!



Graham's love--he named her Anna-belle, "Annie" for short (love it!)



Head of Graham's fan club. :)-- little Ava girlie.



AWWWwww a boy and his dog--life couldn't be sweeter! Outfit ordered for Annie by Graham himself!! The boy has style!



HMMmmnnn--Graham makes our lives colorful and fun--you're "the bomb", Graham!

To Market, To Market

Definitely one of the highlights of our week!!
Just love getting out and about with little Bruik and Ava.
Bruik still remembers eating Ethiopian food and so this Market is a neat connection to Ethiopia. We see Ethiopian nationals each time we are in the store and they visit with us and hug and kiss our children like we are back in Addis--very sweet.

Ava and Bruik with a cartful of goodies at the International Market on Thompson Lane.

The eggs in the cart are from a local Mennonite Farmer--Farm Fresh--Yum!
See the Injera Bread in our cart as well? We know the lady who makes it. Abay Injera is tender and delicious.



And who can resist chocolate covered wafer candy? The kind shop owner GAVE these to the children.



O.K. Mom, that's enough, let's head on home now...
We'll be back soon!!



Have a great weekend!
Love, Gillian

M showing Jack and Bruik his wrestling medals.

Its been an incredible journey for our foster son and daughter and us this school year.

In the end of our Tucker Praise countdown from this week...2...1... We want to celebrate VICTORY for M!!

This fall he joined his first team ever--a wrestling team at school. The coaches and families poured SO much into him. He has come home beaming, telling stories of the whole gym chanting his name. :) God has given him some GREAT natural talent that was uncovered as the months went by. He even impressed a retired professional football player that saw unusual talent in him at a recent meet--"this guy is raw talent--he could do anything". Different messages in this new season of life...Stand tall, M! We believe you could head toward WHATEVER you want in life in this life hidden in Christ. A destiny. A "Hope and a Future" is in store for you for sure!

"Mom! LOOK!!"--medals brought one-by one through the door,big broad smiles on this teddy- bear- of- a- big -13 -year- old kid. Confidence splashing over in other areas too. New friends, new mentors, a community on the edge of its seat--cheering for a miracle on the mat...

Then, just one week ago, M placed in an important tournament. This terrific kid is going to the STATE level!!! "MOM!! I'm going to STATE!! It was haarrrd. I even had to wrestle a girl at a time. Gross. It was real haarrd. I did it...I'm goin' to STAAATE!!"

About a week from now. Pray him through, won't you?

Blessings,

Gillian

"It's Just Painful"--by Jack T. :)

Praise # 3--Number Three-- Just a little "HEE"!! I had planned on "reporting" something else in our "praise countdown" today--but like alot of life here at the Tucker house...we were interrupted! :)



Someone told me when I was a young(er) ;) mom to view these little happenings as little opportunities from God.

--Not a sidetrack to the plans of the day(frustration) but a redirect.

--some of my biggest "interruptions" have brought the biggest rewards/lessons/fruit in the kids or me...

So, in the busyness, I'm ever asking for God to keep me alert to what He's up to in our midst.

After all, its those conversations between loads of laundry when one of my 13 year old sons will spill a secret from his heart,

the willingness to be pulled away from my weeding project in the front yard that leads us to discover God's fingerprints on the wings of a butterfly my little daughter has found.

--or to be invited to a bird funeral by the 3rd graders--how hilarious that one was--The bird was only stunned by a neighbor cat and ended up shaking off that dirt and flying away!!

--Often the joy that buoys my days comes in these little moments of shared life--they are gifts!

This morning we were in full swing --3 already breakfasted and out the door--some more at the elementary bus stop--my Kindergartner, Jack was ALMOST late and my preschoolers were rolling into their before school schedule thing--

When Jack laid his hand on my arm.

(This is our "interruption rule" gesture--a hand on mom's arm to let her know you need her attention---otherwise we would ALL be talking over each other)

" MOMMMMMMMY, listen".

"MOMMMMMY!" I almost hurried him out the door before I understood he was concerned about his teacher's doctor appointment.

You've GOT to listen to this gem--this is Jack in his cute glory,
Oh, my he brings me joy!!
He thinks in the video that his teacher is 100 years old!

--did you TELL him that, Ms. Fitch?

You are the BEST!!

And he's really concerned about her.

He says next that I shouldn't have laughed cause Ms. Fitch would RATHER be at her desk ANY day than be "poked and pressured" at the doctor's office.

We love you, Ms. Fitch and truly think you are the most wonderful Kindergarten Teacher in the World!! We hope it wasn't too painful for you! :)

Check out the bedhead in the video too--the little bird's nest that we tried to wet down and comb through (didn't really help!) after our little talk "interruption" and before jumping on the bus.

Enjoy your interruption opportunities today!

Happy Friday!

Love and Joy to you,
Gillian

" It's Just Painful", by Jack T.

Number 4 in the countdown of praise this week...

Number 4....in the countdown of praise this week...

#4 The Mihnovich Four....

It is so amazing to hold the answer to your prayers in your arms! I speak for many of us who counted down the days to first the release and then the arrival of the Mihnovich children. These four children --JUST arrived to America from Ethiopia --see Tracy's blog, Unveiled Faces at the sidebar here--this little family group is completely and utterly precious.

We have the honor of being backyard neighbors with the Mihnovich and Worton families and so cul-de-sac time is a festival of nations--Ethiopia the prominant one!! To see our previously adopted children from Ethiopia and birth children all running joyfully around with the new lambs from Ethiopia is a heavenly sight. I praise God to be included in such JOY!!

Each one of these children, especially the ones in transition have a inner beauty and tenderness to them that is a gift to behold. Yes, transition has its mighty challenges but God has given such a beautiful Mama and strong Daddy to these children. To see the multitude of kisses,to watch the incredible sports potential with bikes and balls--Wow!!-- to see the children safe and comfortable in their home of one week, to hear little Isaiah say "Mommy" and "Daddy" in his Amharic accent,to witness the grin and the gleem in James' eye when you mention his Father will come home tonight, to see Nati relaxed and going about the business of being a young teen boy, to feel a tender hug from Mercy and to look into her deep eyes--to watch her play baby dolls with Neighbor, Mackenzie a sister of newly arrived, heart-melting Micah. To see my children in the mix, growing up in a sea of children from many lands--that each of these children already understands that Love has taken them in--is sacred ground. It reminds me of a promise God used in our own transition and holds out so freely for this one, "Your sons will be taught by the Lord...And Great will be your childrens' peace".

Love to the Mihnovich family who is living an incredible truth --that Love truly "covers all" things. Miracles in the midst...miracles to come... Grace to you.

Love, Gillian