Sunday morning is in a few short hours, and we will visit a church that supports Marie. John will preach, I will teach a children's Sunday school, and by the grace of God, Amanda will have a good morning. Please pray for us now, our Saturday night, as we prepare to sleep, that all will sleep well, and that God's will will be done in the services tomorrow. ~ Anna ... See MoreSee Less
Just heading home from another Auslan class - it’s wonderful to have such faithful students and to enjoy lots of laughs along the way! Please pray that these signs will be remembered and that sweet fellowship between the Deaf and hearing in our church will continue to grow as they learn to communicate more richly.~ Marie ... See MoreSee Less
Thank you everyone for praying! Amanda had a bigger seizure about four a.m. and had an absolutely miserable morning. It looked like she was not going to do the EEG and honestly, we almost threw in the towel but the tech wanted to hold out a little longer. About an hour after we were supposed to start Amanda came in and apologized to everyone, asked if we could leave after the test and climbed into the chair ready to start. Our technician, Heidi wanted to collect lots of data so she let the test run about an extra thirty minutes. At the end, Amanda liked it so well, she wanted to stay longer. I am not in any way qualified to read an EEG but the last time I saw so much scribbling on a line graph I was looking at the Richter scale print-out from the day Mount St. Helens erupted. We will not get results right away but what we saw today did not look anything like internet pictures of a normal EEG.Amanda’s eyes blinked rapidly throughout the whole test and that was the top line of scribbles and the tech said the straighter lines at the bottom were the back of the head. There was a whole lot of activity in between. I asked Heidi to encourage the doctors to hurry in setting our next appointment.We just want to praise the Lord for the sudden change in Amanda’s willingness to sit for the test and for some of the visual signs we have been seeing at home to happen during the time she was connected to the monitor. I think we will be able to have confidence in the results whichever way they go.~Tricia ... See MoreSee Less
UPDATE: We got it! Thank you for praying.It seems like we ask for prayer for so many things, but if you would be kind enough to pray on our behalf for something more, please pray for Amanda’s EEG tomorrow, Friday at 1:15p.m. in Melbourne, Australia, which is 11:15p.m. on Thursday, Eastern Standard Time. Pray she will not be afraid to cooperate fully for the test, that if there are indeed seizures, they will manifest during the test, and that we will get clear direction on how to move forward.It has been a long week waiting for this test. We have already paid to be in two different hospitals for this test without getting it. Pray tomorrow will go well.It looks like we can extend our time in Australia if necessary, but we have to wait one more week for the right window of time to apply for a visa extension. We are happy either way as long as Amanda is getting the help she needs. There is certainly more work we can do here in Australia.~Tricia ... See MoreSee Less
The Saturday before Easter, the deaf ministry had a putt putt golf fellowship, and there was a good turnout. I had the opportunity to talk to two deaf about the Lord. Pray for their salvation. ~John ... See MoreSee Less
Last Saturday some of our team went to a deaf Christian fellowship, it was very neat to hear their stories and testimonies, and to see how Jesus impacted their lives in different ways, on the other side of the world, in a personal way.El sábado pasado algunos miembros de nuestro equipo asistieron a una comunión cristiana para sordos, fue muy agradable escuchar sus historias y testimonios, y ver cómo Jesús impactó sus vidas de diferentes maneras, al otro lado del mundo, de manera personal.~Timothy ... See MoreSee Less
Well, we are thankful for rain.We are thankful Amanda was so upset today. We are thankful for steam clouds rising up out of the mountains.We are thankful for four fire engines and a whole bunch of volunteer firemen.We are thankful no lives were lost.We are thankful for how God takes care of us.Today Amanda was in a lot of discomfort and pain. After she cried for over half an hour, we decided to take her for a drive to see if it would help her settle down. While we were waiting for everyone to get last minute items, I looked up to watch a storm moving in over the mountains behind the house. It was odd to see mist rising out of our back yard but there is a river that runs through not real far away. The mist suddenly turned black. I jumped out of the car, yelled to Marie to call the fire department just in time to see the smoke turn into a twenty-foot wall of flames. Behind our fence there is a shed where four or five homeless guys have been living. We do not know what they did that started the fire, but we are thankful no bodies were found in the smouldering remains of the building. The fire department arrived in about ten minutes, or so it seemed. There were four fire engines and a number of other fire and police personnel that came in other vehicles. The Yarra National Forest is just behind our house. It is a rainforest but they have had an extremely dry season. On our way to the house on our very first day in Australia they warned us the area was under high fire danger. We did have one rainstorm a while back, but three days ago it started to pour and has been rainy ever since. It rained all morning ahead of the fire. The wet ground and the quick response of the fire department caused the fire to be contained mostly to the shed and one big tree. The fence along the back of our property line caught fire and is charred badly but it didn’t burn through. The men out back have been burning fires even during the burn ban, and I can only imagine what could have happened if this fire had started a week ago. Thankfully, no one was trapped inside of the burning building and as far as we know no one was hurt. The building is mostly destroyed, but the frame work with the tin roof is still standing. As the fire department was packing up to go, the Lord sent some more rain and soaked the ground once again. After a few hours, most of the smell of smoke dissipated. When evening came, a fireman was still parked in the lot of the church next door, watching for any flare-ups and possibly the return of the vagrant men. We are reminded again of God’s protection and His mercies that are new every morning. We are thankful to be under His care.** Video in the comments ** ... See MoreSee Less
It is Sunday morning here in Australia. Amanda went to bed early and stayed asleep through most of the night. The seizures continue in her sleep but they are not of the magnitude they were last week. I find myself awake often, listening for her breathing and checking whether the muscle tension is there or whether it has left her once again. She loses consciousness in her sleep. Last night was the longest either of us has slept in weeks. I was surprised to wake to morning light and also surprised she did not wake when I stirred. I am not even sure whether it is a good sign or a bad one. If she seems good when she wakes, I am going to try to take her to church. Last night, she said she wanted to go. The night before last, I woke with questions on my mind about the genetics of Amanda and her biological brother who died. I started doing some digging and I think I may have discovered something useful. We have always known Amanda has a rare set of genetics but in recent years they have discovered a form of epilepsy associated with her genetic make-up. The seizures will not show in a scan and, if I understand the abstract correctly, the EEG rhythm will be abnormal but not what is normally seen in seizures. We sent two journal articles to the neurologist that we will see on Friday. I think this means genetic testing is in order. Not every doctor here can order genetic testing, but a neurologist can. If things go well on Friday, and we are praying that they will, we could be on a path to finding something that will treat the cause and not just mask symptoms, which is what it seems we are doing now. We are praying about whether we should try to extend our time in Australia for the sake of continuity of care. The mission house where we are staying was booked up immediately after our departure but this week the potential renters cancelled saying they had found more suitable accommodations closer to where they wished to be. The church that owns the house will hold the house available pending our decision. They have rented the house to us for about a third of any accomodations we could find and will extend that price. We are amazed again and again at how God provides. We can only stay longer if we are granted extensions to our tourist visas. Even though we are not sure yet we are going to apply for the extensions now so the option is at least on the table. Maybe there is something more God has for us to do here in Australia or somewhere nearby. If we can not extend the Visa, we could probably fly to New Zealand for a few nights and return but unless something changes Amanda is not in any condition to get on a flight right now. While Amanda has been resting better the last two nights, I have had some time to be still and sort out some things with the Lord. I know he makes no mistakes and I believe he sees something here that we can not. I don’t know what the future holds for Amanda, but I know God holds it in his hand.I know he brought us to Australia to do a work and although things have not gone according to our plan, they have gone according to his. I believe that somewhere in all this there are souls in the balance. Before we left the hospital we made gift bags of chocolates with tracts and invitations to the church with every team and shift that attended to Amanda. Maybe there is a medical professional somewhere that God has been drawing. Maybe there are deaf people who just need more time to warm up to us so they can realize the gospel of Jesus is a personal gospel and the only hope of going to heaven. I have to wonder, what if there is someone out there we know, or have not even met, who has taken a compassionate interest in Amanda’ story and God is using it to draw them to salvation in Christ. Ultimately, what matters in all of of these difficulties, is that Christ would be lifted up so he can draw all men unto him. If Amanda could have a chat with you right now, the first question she would ask you is, “Are you saved?” If you do not know for certain, contact us. We can help.~Tricia ... See MoreSee Less
Seven days is a long time to wait when the seizures keep coming. Amanda just wants them to stop. Tonight she told us everything keeps going black again and again. ... See MoreSee Less
Amanda didn’t see the doctor we thought she would today. Instead, the secretary routed us to a Chinese lady doctor who is deaf, studied linguistics and has done medical missions trips in the Philippines with Baptist churches. She has agreed to be our primary doctor here in Australia and thinks her role will be to help us get whatever we need while we are here. She had her secretary fax the referral for the EEG at the Neurologist we wanted to see. The technician made friends with Amanda in the hospital and she just sent an email with an appointment for Amanda on April 12. That’s eight long days away but it is something. We will move it up if we can but we are praising the Lord for all of this. It’s baby steps but at least they are in the right direction. ... See MoreSee Less
I am just sitting here with Amanda. She says another seizure is starting and I have every reason to believe her. They just don't stop. They come wave after wave all day and all night. She keeps pleading with us to make it stop and we don't know how. We spend all day long guessing, and second guessing our every care decision. Every day she seems to be losing knowledge and abilities. She is not interested in anything, not even her stuffed animals or video games. Her favorite video game is Toontown and it seems she can't remember how it works.From all we have read, it seems a Keto diet would be beneficial but right now I am happy for every last calorie we can get in her. She is refusing most food and keeping her hydrated is just as big of a challenge. She has lost a lot of weight. New clothes she got before the trip are draped over her body. Two different hospitals have promised EEGs and not delivered either the in-hospital test needed or the out patient appointments they promised after not doing them in the hospital. It is true that Amanda didn't cooperate with the inpatient tests but both hospitals chose to attempt late in the day when we told them she deteriorates through the day and morning would be best. The hospitals want referrals and we don't have them. There is a general practitioner right across the street from us so today I walked over to see if they could help. They booked an appointment for tomorrow morning at 10:30. Hopefully he can get us referred for an EEG and maybe a parasite specialist. We have discussed bringing her home but we don't think she could handle it at this time and we are trusting that God has answers for us here in Australia. We think Amanda has been having nocturnal siezures for almost two years and now they have gotten bad enough to break into the day. She is afraid to sleep at night and last night was the first time in a long time she slept through the night. This is a result of anxiety medicine helping her stay more calm through the seizures. Anna sat up with Amanda until midnight last night so John and I could get a full night's sleep. It was really nice to wake to silence at daybreak this morning and find Amanda asleep in Anna's room. I wish I could say I have walked this full of faith and trust, but the truth is I have never been so scared for one of my children and I have never felt so helpless in my entire life. I do know whom I have believed and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I've committed unto him against that day. We need lots of things right now but ultimately, Jesus is still the answer. Still, these have been incredibly difficult days.Amanda has been more calm today but never stops indicating that her body is not right and that the sensations of her contracting muscles feels overwhelming. Someone asked me if no news is good news, but no news means we are so busy we don't have time to pick up the phone. Amanda is afraid to be alone more than a couple of minutes at a time. I am so thankful for the Go DeaF Missions Team. Anna, Marie, and Timothy are taking up all the slack and have made themselves servants in every imaginable way. They are cooking, cleaning and taking out the trash. They are teaching our classes and filling in every possible gap. With their help, we are still doing the work we came to do, it is just organized differently than we expected. Our specific prayer requests are for Amanda to get an EEG, for doctors to find and treat the cause, for Amanda to start sleeping through the night, and for her to not be afraid to shower. For the ministry we are praying for someone to have a burden to work with the deaf of Melbourne, for God to raise up Christian interpreters, and for deaf to be saved. We also have an unspoken request that is very dear to our hearts.Thank you for all the encouragement and prayers ~ Tricia ... See MoreSee Less
Well, Amanda has napped on and off all day. The seizure activity has slowed considerably. She is asleep now at 6:30 p.m. and I am praying she will continue to sleep all through the night. She is still very confused and emotional but her strength is gone. She has not eaten anything at all today, but she did have a bottle of Powerade. She keeps telling me there are no stores and there is no food in Australia so she can’t eat. It matters not at all that I have food in my hand to offer her. We all got some sleep last night but could really use a full night tonight. In all this, God has been faithful and we are grateful. We know he has a plan for Amanda in all of this. In caring for Amanda we have had to hold her and restrain her. She is upset with us because she feels we hurt her and didn’t understand her fear or pain. In all we have done, it was always to help and protect her. I wonder how many times I have pulled away from the Lord upset about the hurt he brought into my life when really all he was doing is keeping me from something worse. If she would just trust us, we could help her get better and if I would just trust the Lord more, he could make my life better, too. He loves us so much more than we could ever love our children.Here comes Amanda, so much for staying asleep. Maybe now she will be ready to eat. ... See MoreSee Less
Amanda has been sleeping two to three hours at a time starting late last night and all day so far. Some of the seizure activity has reduced and the full body tremors have subsided a lot. Seizures are still happening but are not as violent. She even smiled a couple times today. She is still very confused and emotional. Still, the sleep is a good sign and maybe she will wake up hungry. -Tricia ... See MoreSee Less
Sorry, it took all day to post. Amanda woke up this morning in a seizure that caused her feet to twirl in alternate directions. I don’t think there was a time all day long that she was not seizing somewhere. She finally took her first pill about an hour ago and has been sleeping about thirty minutes. She ate about two cups of grapes throughout the day and drank twenty ounces of Powerade. It is not enough, but it is something. Hopefully, now she can sleep through the night because this is one tired momma! Today, I sat with her most of the day talking her through the seizures. She is in and out of coherency. It seemed to calm her that I could understand what she was feeling and where. She was not agitated like she has been. I realize now that she has been having these for a long time but they were milder and there was not much to see. I know I watched her have a seizure while I was interpreting in the camp meeting in Texas and again in Lake City. It is so heart-wrenching to have her keep telling us she feels trapped and see that she clearly is and we don’t know how to get her out. The seizures bring on a doomsday feeling and she keeps telling us she is dying. The day we took her to the hospital, she told us she was going to be going to meet Jesus later that day. She said she was excited about seeing PJ again. She asked me to make an announcement on Facebook and tell all of you to come to Australia for her funeral. She requested that her Aunt Renee come to do the floral arrangements and she asked for red roses. There were no concerns by the ambulance or the hospital that Amanda has anything terminal, but her fears cloud my heart. My prayers feel so shallow, not much past, “ God, help! I don’t know what to do.”We came here to serve a small church and help build their deaf ministry, but as it has turned out, the little church is serving us in countless ways. People all over the world are holding us up in prayer and I think that is the only way we are making it through. I have never walked though such dark scary days.Amanda can communicate very little to us about all she going through; sometimes nothing past her most basic needs; yet, in the hospital she asked many of her doctors and nurses whether they were saved. When they said they didn’t know, she could get her mind clear enough to tell them they only needed to ask Jesus to forgive their sins to be saved so they could go to heaven where she would see them again. About the only other thing she told them in the hospital is that she was “upset” and “angry” because she is “stuck.”Hopefully, the medicine is going to help and in the next week or two we can get Amanda to be still enough for an EEG. A good night’s sleep would go a long way too. Laying here beside me in the bed, her arms and legs are writhing and she cannot be still. So many of you have sent messages that you are praying, notes to encourage and ideas to try. They are all welcome as we try to sort this out. Keep them coming. We have our hands full about every minute so we barely have acknowledged them but they help and we are thankful. We are amazed to know we are blessed with so many wonderful friends. Thank you for loving us the way you do. ~Tricia ... See MoreSee Less
Amanda had a series of seizures that lasted over three hours today (probably five). She is discharged with oral medication. The hospital said there is nothing more they could do for her. She has barely eaten all week and is not drinking very much either. Pray for her appetite to return. ... See MoreSee Less
Praise the Lord Amanda is asleep. I am at a hotel and slept through the night. I feel like I had a ten minute nap but I am getting ready to head to the hospital. I am going to try and do a Live update in about 40 minutes. ~Tricia ... See MoreSee Less
We should get the EEG tomorrow! Amanda had an episode in front of the neurologist. We think we are close to a diagnosis and things are starting to make sense. She is having such a horrible time. It is so heartbreaking to watch. ... See MoreSee Less
God has a purpose and a plan for everything in life that we often cannot see as we are walking through it. It is only long after the events that we begin to see the fruits and how God is weaving everything together. Missions work can be that way. You work and continually seek more opportunities to reach people and impact their lives with the saving message of the Gospel. And you sometimes wonder, "Am I making a difference?" It is a continual battle against a spiritual enemy. But along the way, God sends encouragement through little victories that keep you going in the midst of set backs.This month with the Go team in Australia, God has allowed me to witness this first-hand. The work is slow with many challenges along the way, but God gives the victory. I have met so many wonderful people during my time in Australia who have been a blessing to me and to the rest of the team as we strive to reach the Deaf with the message of the Gospel. We know that in the end, God will give the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. ~ Carol ... See MoreSee Less
Thank you Wesburn Baptist Church members for taking such good care of us. You've been a big blessing to us all by stopping over, bringing food, and driving us where we need to go. We will update you on Amanda when we can. ~ Anna ... See MoreSee Less
Timothy has been helping me teach songs in sign language. In this video, he is teaching this song in Auslan, A-B-C-D-E-F-G,Jesus died for you and meH-I-J-K-L-M-N,Jesus died for sinful men, AMEN! (shout Amen)O-P-Q-R-S-T-U,I believe God's word is true,V-W,God has promised youX-Y-Z,A home eternally.~John ... See MoreSee Less
I want to praise the Lord for the opportunity that John and I had last Sunday to preach in Australian sign language at Wesburn Baptist for their missions day.Many times we hesitate to serve in areas where we do not feel the most capable, often forgetting that any successful outcome in our service to the Lord does not come from our ability or skills in any way. It is easy to forget our total dependence on God when we think we are skillful in the area that we are serving.I am thankful for Bro. John who encouraged me to come out of my confort zone and preach in a language that is new to me, knowing that if anything turned out well it was all because of God.Quiero alabar al Señor por la oportunidad que John y yo tuvimos el domingo pasado de predicar en lengua de señas Australiana en Wesburn Baptist para su día de misiones.Muchas veces dudamos en servir en áreas donde no nos sentimos los más capaces, olvidando a menudo que cualquier resultado exitoso en nuestro servicio al Señor no proviene de nuestra capacidad o destreza de ninguna manera. Es fácil olvidar nuestra total dependencia de Dios cuando pensamos que somos hábiles en el área en la que servimos.Estoy agradecido por el Hno. John quien me animó a salir de mi zona de confort y predicar en un idioma que es nuevo para mí, sabiendo que si algo salía bien era todo gracias a Dios.~Timothy ... See MoreSee Less
Please pray for my mom (Carol) today as she returns home to Florida after spending a whole month with our team in Australia. As the Go Team was preparing to purchase plane tickets, I said to John and Tricia, "Mom would really love to come." They said she was welcome, so she bought her tickets the very same day we bought ours. Mom has a heart for the Lord that I have been blessed to grow up under, and I continue to be blessed. I had hoped she would come on this trip, although I knew with all her church responsibilities and after school Bible clubs, she would have to work hard to get substitutes for all her roles. Because of responsibilities and a cake she is going to bake for a friend's wedding, she could only stay one month at the most. It has been such a joy to have her accompany us (especially for me!) and experience my daily life and see how we do ministry. It's great to have her around anytime! She has been a great help with Amanda, being a friend, comforter, and helping John and Tricia try possibilities that could help Amanda improve. I have thoroughly enjoyed having her in my Auslan class for these past three Mondays. Yesterday we had a nice day with just Mom and Tricia and me, and today Mom flies home. Please pray for safety on all three flights, and that she makes all her connections. I'm so thankful for this month God allowed her to spend here in Australia. ... See MoreSee Less
It’s been a busy day preparing for Wesburn Baptist’s Mission Day tomorrow, with practising special items of music and preparing meals for the international banquet between services. We’re also looking forward to a social event at the end of the month. Please pray for tomorrow’s services, for John and Timothy preaching and for the Deaf who come. ~ Marie ... See MoreSee Less
Teaching Auslan to these two little girls is a joy and a treat. I can't wait to have more fun with them next week. I'm so thankful for this comfortable room and sofas to hold the class at a church member's house. Having Mom here with me has also been such fun. I think back to when I was a little girl attending Mom's classes and Bible clubs, and learning from her, and now to have her in the class I'm teaching is a strange shift in position, but I am grateful to share the experience with her. ~ Anna ... See MoreSee Less
Last Saturday, we went to the deaf pizza event in South Melbourne, and it gave us the opportunity to meet deaf people. Also, we met the organizer, and he asked who we are. We explained Go Deaf Missions, and he was thrilled for us to be there and will keep us posted to other deaf events. That is the Lord going before us, and we thank you for your prayers.~John ... See MoreSee Less
Second week in Australia and every day I'm falling more in love with the flora, the fauna, and especially the people!Look at the pictures I took and you will know why.Segunda semana en Australia y cada día me enamoro más de la flora, la fauna y sobre todo de la gente!Mira las fotos que tomé y sabrás por qué.~Timothy ... See MoreSee Less
Have you ever wanted to learn ASL?🤔Well now you can!💪You can learn from the comforts of your home anytime you want at your own pace!🫵🤟😃Email me at 6dignans@gmail.com with questions or join right here...⤵️ARTofASL.org/payments#artofasl #learnasl #coda #jointoday #youcanlearnasl #americansignlanguage #deafculture #BlessGod #heartlanguage LUKE 1:37🙌🙌 ... See MoreSee Less
I hope this video of Tricia, Timothy and Anna signing "This Blood" at my home church, Wesburn Baptist Church, will be a blessing to you all.~ Marie ... See MoreSee Less
Usually, on missions trips, I am the one who posts the most, but in the frenzy to pack and get Amanda to the last minute cardiologist appointment, I inadvertently left my phone at home. To make things worse, the 5G international internet we purchased is not working as we expected and our internet has been spotty and extremely slow. At first it took a few days to find my phone. It was in Anna’s car which I had taken to the appointment. We were late leaving for the airport by the time we got back. I left the phone on the dash where I had been using it for GPS. A few days later we found that the post office could not send it. After we tried UPS we learned the Australian post would not accept a mailed phone. The tendonitis in my hands is doing better but I will not have my phone until May.A couple of days ago, Timothy discovered that he had an old phone in his backpack quite by accident. We were able to transfer my number to his device but It does not have a SIM card from our carrier. We are waiting for it to come in the mail now.In the meantime, the uncle of a friend arranged for us to get a Starlink Sattelite and a guy from the church came and installed it late tonight and now everyone is happy. I do have my tablet but it is wi-fi only and it was not doing well on a hotspot with the spotty internet. It works with the Starlink just fine and it has never worked so fast before. Now I can write!I just want to say that the Lord did an absolute miracle in getting Amanda in to a cardiologist before we left. All the doctors said it was impossible but God said it wouldn’t be too hard for Him. He got us in, and I just want to praise Him for it!It helped so much to have the cardiologist say Amanda was okay to fly and tell us she could take something to make her drowsy for the flight. We had a good trip and she did well.Anna’s mom Carol is a pediatric nurse. She suggested we start feeding Amanda proteins every couple of hours. We are not certain if this is what is making the difference or it is just the prayers of so many people but this week is the best week Amanda has had in well over a year. She is still not her old self, but it has been good for my heart to see her smile and hear her giggle again. We have not heard anything from the cardiologist yet and will try to reach him again soon. We do not know yet what the halter monitor showed. One of our prayers for this trip is that we could find a Christian interpreter that would have a burden to come interpret for the Deaf at Wesburn. On Sunday afternoon we went with some people from the church to wade in the river that runs a ways back behind our house. A lady saw John and David signing and came to introduce herself. She is an interpreter and lives right here in Wesburn. She had no idea there were Deaf who went to church here. We don’t know yet if she is a Christian, but she said she would come to hear John preach on Sunday. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if this would be the answer to our prayer! Luke 1:37, “For with God, nothing shall be impossible!”-Tricia ... See MoreSee Less
Sign language classes have started on Mondays and Fridays and have been well attended, especially the Monday class. It’s fun learning a new sign language, though I’m still trying to learn ASL better. Being with the team and getting to use sign language every day certainly helps, though sometimes can be confusing as they use a mixture of Auslan and ASL signs. Yesterday we attended a deaf event in Melbourne. It was a wonderful opportunity to meet more deaf people and open up opportunities to share the gospel. The event leader was very happy to have us there and invited the team to come to any event they are having. Some of the people there knew some ASL so with a mixture of ASL and Auslan they were able to communicate and lay some good ground work for future events. ~ Carol ... See MoreSee Less
We’ve just had our first Friday night Auslan class tonight. We are having both Monday and Friday evening classes in different locations, to provide more opportunities for people to come. It was wonderful to have a time of relaxed fellowship after the class, and for me to see new relationships forming between our team and the people of my church. I’m humbled at how God has brought us all together!~ Marie ... See MoreSee Less
Monday was our first time teaching Auslan! John taught the adults and I taught the children, and we had a great time. My little girls laughed at the way I say "kookaburra," and asked me if I could say "mirror" the way they do: "mirra". With their help, I am sure I can learn the Australian accent by the time I leave. ~ Anna ... See MoreSee Less
Last Tuesday, our team helped Pastor Andrew Leng of Wesburn Baptist Church by moving the last of their things out of their house rental and cleaned it thoroughly. It allowed us to be a blessing to the pastor and his family, and to let them focus on getting settled into their new home. ~John ... See MoreSee Less
It’s surreal for me that we are all together again in person - still pinching myself! It’s been wonderful to be together in my home country, and to be able to share some of my favourite places and experiences with our team. I’m looking forward to our Auslan and interpreting classes, visiting churches, and meeting with the Deaf Community over the next few months. ~ Marie ... See MoreSee Less
When I was a young Christian I went to visit my sister in Texas and she took me to her church and introduced me to her friends there. One thing struck me. Even though I had never met these people before, they felt like family. The same thing is true here in Australia. I have met some wonderful people at the church here and it feels like family because we are family. We belong to the family of God and although I may never see them again after I leave Australia, I look forward to spending eternity with them in heaven.Yesterday morning Tricia, Anna, and I went to a ladies' meeting at the church and except for the Australian accent, it felt like home with a few minor differences. Generally, when I go to a Bible study or prayer meeting we start with a devotional followed by prayer requests and prayer. But here they started with prayer requests and prayer followed by a devotional. I liked that. I might just suggest we try that at the Bible study I attend when I get home. ~ Carol ... See MoreSee Less
Last Sunday, our team was at Wesburn Baptist Church in Wesburn, Victoria in Australia. We thank you all for your prayers and support as we begin our three months mission with the deaf ministry of this church. ~John ... See MoreSee Less
El sábado pasado, dos días después de nuestra llegada (y todavía lidiando con el desfase horario), John y yo fuimos a un desayuno para hombres que estaba organizando la iglesia. Disfrutamos de nuestro desayuno hecho en Australia, y de un buen compañerismo. ¡Fue un gran momento para mí, el conocer a algunos de los miembros de esta iglesia!Last Saturday, two days after we arrived (and were still dealing with some jet lag), John and I went to a men's breakfast that the church was organizing. We enjoyed our Australian-made breakfast and good fellowship. It was a great time for me to meet some of the members of this church!~Timothy ... See MoreSee Less
We hit the ground running when we arrived in Australia! Pastor Andrew met us with Marie and her housemate Sharon at the airport. It took some doing but once we found the correct section of the parking garage where their vehicles were parked, we loaded up all fourteen suitcases with seven backpacks. We drove for about an hour getting out of Melbourne and stopped off at a bakery for lunch. We all enjoyed some Aussie meat pies and tried a few deserts. We continued on another thirty minutes into the Yarra Valley to our accommodations. We have an entire house to ourselves in an absolutely beautiful spot at the edge of a national forrest and we are a stone’s throw away from a little grocery store. A river runs through somewhere back behind the property line. The trees are filled with diverse birds, including huge white cockatoos which seem to dominate the forest. We are surrounded by mountains covered by a thick canopy of trees. All day long we can hear the chatter of birds and the screeches of cockatoos. The house is great! It has a large kitchen, a dining room/den combination with a terrace off the back, five good-sized bedrooms and a comfortable living room, complete with a fireplace, big enough for three sofas. The tall, dark, hardwood panel topped with a narrow shelf in the living room and hallways make me want to know the history of the house. It is so stately that I wonder if it originally belonged to a suitor or a politician. I have not been inside many Australian houses but most of them seem to be smaller than this one. On the other hand, from the street view, I would never have guessed this house to be so large. I am excited we get to stay nearly three whole months basically in one great place! We seldom get to do that even at our own home.It took a little bit of time to figure out bedrooms but I think we got everyone arranged with a space where they are comfortable. We moved a bed for Amanda into our room and she has been sleeping through the night every night which is good for both of us. (On a side note, the nurse at the cardiologist suspected immediately that the changes in Amanda were caused by Covid, she has seen this in other patients.) David, Timothy, and Marie have rooms to themselves and Anna and her mom Carol are sharing a room until Carol returns to the United States in a month. The rest of our first day was spent unpacking and checking out the little grocery store. The town has the grocery store, a pharmacy, a gas station and a pizza parlor. All of them are small and all of them are right here. We ordered a Hawaiian pizza and a meat lover’s pizza for dinner.We also began a shopping list for things we would need and all the things we forgot to pack. I am so grateful the Lord allowed us to get Amanda to the cardiologist at the last minute, but spending the entire final morning in the US at the cardiologist was not the ideal way to set out on a three-month trip. The last minute things I think of and grab were all missed. My apologies to everyone I left hanging about whether we caught our flight; in the frenzy of getting to the plane, I left my phone at home. Our house sitter is mailing it at the low, low cost of $75 and I should have it some time next week. I also left my hair brush, my shampoo and conditioner, a few clothing items, and my binoculars which I really wish I had being so close to the forest. I really want to find a koala and a kangaroo out in the wild. After all, we are in Australia!On our second day, half of us stayed home to unpack and David had school. The rest of us went out to pare down the shopping list. We started by picking up a few items Marie had at her house and then we went to K-Mart, Aldi, and the reject store. The city is over an hour away so it took considerable time to collect most of the things on our list. We picked up a casserole at Aldi that resembled shepherd’s pie, only it turned out to be kind of spicy. We ate it just the same and everyone seemed to be happy with it. It usually takes about three days to get over jet lag when traveling so far. The time here is sixteen hours ahead of Eastern Standard Time. We worked at reducing the jet lag by staying up nights and sleeping in late the week before we left home and everyone, including Amanda has adjusted pretty well to the time difference. Yesterday, I stayed home with Amanda and the rest of the team drove about two hours to a community deaf activity. Unfortunately, a burst pipe had caused them to cancel all the afternoon activities so the event was pretty much over when they arrived. They did meet some deaf people and a couple of interpreters and stayed for about an hour talking. I spent the day organizing and had dinner almost ready when they came back. Everyone is getting up soon to get ready for church. We are looking forward to worshiping the Lord with a couple of deaf friends we met on previous trips to Australia. After the service, we are going to fellowship over lunch.~ Tricia ... See MoreSee Less
I am overwhelmed by God's goodness to me in allowing me to travel to Australia with the GoDeafMissions team. To see firsthand the work that they do to bring the Gospel to the deaf and to have the privilege of being a small part of that work. Over the last few weeks, I have seen God remove obstacle after obstacle to bring the team to the beautiful continent of Australia. We arrived Thursday morning after approximately 25 hrs. of flying time. Yesterday was our first full day in Australia. The day was spent recovering from jet lag and making preparations for the next 3 months of living and serving here. I look forward to seeing what God will do in the month that I will be with the team and how He will use me and grow me in the days ahead.~Carol ... See MoreSee Less
Definitely feeling the symptoms of jet lag...It is currently 2:50 in the morning and my body clock says it's 10:50, I'm wide awake, "ready to start a productive day", only the sun isn't ready yet, I'll try to go back to sleep.Estoy definitivamente sintiendo los síntomas del Jet Lag...En este momento son las 2:50 de la mañana y mi reloj corporal me dice que son las 10:50, estoy completamente despierto, "listo para empezar un día productivo", solo que el Sol aún no está listo, intentaré volver a dormir. ~Timothy ... See MoreSee Less
We have been making doctor appointments for Amanda left and right, trying to get answers before we go to Australia. We have just launched a bunch of new labs and have more to send off as soon as the sample kits arrive. We see the primary care doctor on Wednesday; it was the first available appointment they had. The appointment is only to get a referral to cardiology. We are hoping to get seen quickly so we can get her cleared for Australia. This is not exactly how we anticipated starting a missions trip. We have insurance on our flights so we can cancel or postpone if necessary. The primary care doctor said she doesn't expect to find anything serious but we still need to check. ... See MoreSee Less
We were planning to head to Lake City today, but rounds of coughing all night convinced us we should give this a couple of more days. We are taking everyone out to walk in the sun on the beach to see if it helps. We had so much planned to get accomplished for this past week that didn't get done. With only nineteen days to get ready for Australia, it feels pretty cramped. With as much of this junk going around, I am really thankful we can get it out of the way before going to Australia. I am praying everyone's cough is completely gone by Monday. This sickness has been particularly hard on Amanda who was already dealing with a lot. She was doing really well but is pretty discouraged right now. I hope some sunshine will do her a lot of good! ~Tricia ... See MoreSee Less
Last November I chose a church to visit out of a Google Maps list. The pastor let me give a testimony. Today the pastor informed me they will begin supporting me in February!Praise the Lord! ~ Anna ... See MoreSee Less
Happy New Year! We thank everyone of you for your prayers and support. Because of that, in 2023, we went to Dominica and Cayman Islands, received a VISA for Timothy to join our team in the US full time, rested for Amanda to recuperate (she is showing improvement), traveled to several meetings (youth meetings, camp meetings and a missions conference). Timothy received support and was given opportunities to preach, and David shared his testimony several times, preaching once. God has blessed us much, and we look for a great year in 2024. ~John ... See MoreSee Less
Happy New Year! We are taking the week to spend some time with the kids in the mountains. The reports of lots of snow turned out to be exaggerated; we were hoping for more than a little dusting in a few shady spots. I am not sure what happened to all that blizzard weather the newscaster was talking about, but it certainly didn't make its way here. As soon as we get home, we are revving up for what already looks like a very busy year, starting with a three-month trip to Australia at the end of February. Slowly, but surely we are seeing improvements in Amanda. Please keep praying. ~Tricia ... See MoreSee Less
Tonight was the first night at a three day youth meeting in Georgia. Three young guys (ages 15-20) preached short messages, and it is encouraging to see a new generation of preachers. It reminded me of my first Sunday School lesson for the deaf at age 15. I was so nervous and taught my 30 minutes lesson in seven minutes, shaking so hard. ~John ... See MoreSee Less
