More prayers needed

I just sent out an email, so thought I'd quickly paste it here for those who are not on our list to receive it.  Please keep praying!!

I have come to the conclusion that something good, or even great is about to happen... Why?  Because we are under attack and have been for the last several weeks.  We are talking all areas, physically, emotionally, spiritually.  I'm not about to list all that has happened, I don't have the time (with electric like it is) and you don't have the time (it would be WAY too long to post).  But I'll give you some highlights....

• Our drain field is plugged up... can only flush or use water once in a great while.  (the OUT house is now IN house). 
• Our water lines ended up causing some major problems.
• Seems our well pipe may have broken, down in the well.
• Our well pump is having WEIRD problems, going on and off all the time, and Don has replaced EVERYTHING connected to it.
• Don is having problems sleeping trying to figure out everything.
• Can't get the online teaching Don has been watching, and it's his main feeding right now.
• Pressure water thank in the house....the bladder disintegrated.   
• Don's glasses broke (with the help of a little girl), sent them out, using his old ones.  Now the lenses fell out of those.
• Our refrigerator quit... but got that fixed.
• Karen lost the back of a tooth (not the filling part, the TOOTH part), then two days later the filling fell out.
• Both of us have had some physical pain that has been hard to handle.

But there are some upsides to some things too.... MFI had a glitch when loading the plane and somehow over 20 boxes meant for the Dominican didn't get off loaded there, but did here.  We cleared with customs to be able to take them home to return when MFI next flies to the Dominican.  But we didn't have a big enough truck to haul it all, with our cargo and EBAC cargo, too.  PTL, one of "our guys" agreed to drive to the airport and pick up the overload.  But a BIGGER PTL.... when customs saw the problems we were having, and I took our shipping list in to figure the tax, he simply smiled and said Merry Christmas and signed it off... no duty.  I just looked at him in shock and then hugged him and thanked him and told him I hoped his Christmas was very blessed by God.  He smiled and said, "it is."    

Abbie did most of the decorating of our tree.  She wanted to help so much.  So, I said, go ahead.  She did, and remembered we had the little one here.  She put breakable ones on the top, and non-breakable ones on the bottom.  Good thing, too.  Savanah UN-decorates the tree about 4 times a day now.  All the lights toward the bottom are in one place.  But we are leaving it that way.  It's a "unique" tree.  She has also pulled some branches off (and they won't go back in...the tree is very old and falling apart).  This kiddo is a smart cookie... she does something bad (I think to get our attention), but if we don't notice it, she'll bring to us whatever it was, or yells and then does it again.  Like most little ones, forget the toys... give me pots and pans and anything that ISN'T a toy and I'm happy.  Especially if it's something I'm not supposed to have.  She really is a joy to have around, even when naughty....I was sitting in my chair with my feet up... she walked by, leaned down and bit my toe, HARD.  I yelled, but everyone else had to cover their mouths because they were laughing so hard.  She is cutting teeth (now has 6), and seems to think she needs to bite everything.  We ARE putting a stop to that one, quickly.   

Abbie had her Christmas program for school and did a great job as one of the 3 female Kings.  The program was really nice.  I'll try to post some pics if/when I can get on to do it.  I'll also try to get a pic of our tree... and all the presents under it.  Some are empty boxes, but that's okay.  Some are for others that were sent through us and a few are ours.  It looks like a lot, but isn't really.  And of course Savanah thinks those are play things.  Oh the fun of having a one year old around.   

Add Noufie, who was supposed to have her baby by December 9th, is still here and still doesn't have the baby.  She is so anxious to have the child.  And emotions are running wild with her too.  It seems they don't induce labor here unless it's an emergency.  Humm.. wonder how LONG she has to wait before it's declared an emergency?  And they re-figured several times to make sure the due date was right.  Pray for her, too.

Well, I've given you a HUGE amount of things to pray for.  With Christmas only 4 days away, we sure could use some of those prayers to be answered before Christmas.   But you know the biggest and most important thing?  We have NOT lost sight of the Lord and that He knows what is happening and He is there with us in it and through it.  He has known all the feelings we have been having, and He knows how best to answer our prayers.  I guess His timeline and ours aren't the same right now, so we will continue to trust and depend on Him to help us through all of this.   

Our Christmas IS blessed by wonderful friends and family who have stood with us through thick and thin.  And have encouraged us and prayed for us and with us.  God has put a lot of wonderful, awesome, sweet, encouraging people in our path and we are so thankful for that.   

We pray that this Christmas you are totally depending on Him in and through all things, too.  Be it the babe in the manger, the sacrifice on the cross or the triumphant Savior, He is THE MOST IMPORTANT part of our lives!!  And we praise Him and thank Him and love Him, for who He is, what He has done for us, and the huge part He plays in our future!!  

Blessing to you all, and have a fantastic Merry CHRIST centered Christmas.