These people are on my mind today....

All of this thinking about Africa has had me remembering and dwelling on this couple.  This is Johann and Anna Toensing, my great-great grandparents.  Have you ever thought about people in your family tree and wished that you could have met them?  That is where I have been in the last few days.....thinking about Johann and Anna.  This picture is actually a photo of an oil painting of this couple, done in the early 1800's.  It is most likely their "wedding picture".  Johann was born in 1801 and Anna was born in 1806.  They were married in 1827.  And this was in Germany.  What is so interesting about this couple is that 3 of their children went off to the "mission field".  Their daughter Marie married a man that was set to go to Africa to bring the Good News to the Zulu nation.  Their two sons set off to "the new world" - the United States of America - to bring the Good News and establish churches.  This all happened around 1870.  I don't think this was very "ordinary" for families in Germany in 1870.  In fact I imagine that it was very, very unusual.  But they were committed to mission work.  They encouraged and supported their children to GO!

I never knew my great grandparents, or even my grandparents.  So I never got to talk to them or ask them about this.  I never talked to my dad about this subject.... but I did talk many times with my mom.  She was so encouraging!  I know that the same spirit that must have made Anna Toensing be willing to send her children off into the unknown for Jesus, was operating in my mom - Nona Etta Toensing Johnson!  She listened over and over to my stories from the various mission trips I experienced.  More than that, she asked me to share with her friends and her church.  She told me that she could never have gone "out of her comfort zone" and experienced the things that I had.  But she knew that there was a mission sending seed sown in her lineage.  She had heard her father tell the history of his own family. She knew about her great aunt and uncle in Africa.  I have been so blessed by my family tree.  By those prayers prayed for the sons and daughters and grandsons and granddaughters and even for me.

So here I am.  With a place in my heart for Africa.  More than that, I feel that I have a message to share.  I don't know what is ahead in the next weeks and months.  But I know that Jesus is leading and directing and bringing together all that needs to happen.  And I am more convinced than ever that my life is on a path that was designed long before I was born.  And that began with Johann and Anna Toensing!

Jesus, thank you for the reminder that you have everything under control.  Even when it may seem really grey (or maybe even totally black) you have that path all laid out.  Holy Spirit, help us to see our family tree with your eyes!  And remind us to pray for all of those future branches and leaves that will be added in the years ahead.  Amen

A day of contrasts...........

Hello from my vacation - Day 1 (in reality Day 2 since we left home yesterday around noon).  But this was our first REAL day of vacation.  The photo gives away our destination for today - Toronto, Canada!  I picked this particular picture because that is a Canadian National Train at the base of the CN Tower.  Yes, that's right.  There is a train museum (actually the original "Roundhouse") directly across from the CN Tower.  Now anyone who lives in the Chicago area knows that in the last couple of years we have NOT had a love relationship with the Canadian National Railroad!  Since their takeover of several tracks lines in our area, you may spend HOURS waiting at railroad crossings.  When the takeover was in the works, towns were assured that there would not be any problems.  However this has not been the case!  There are lots of trains on tracks that used to have 2 trains a day, and there are long waits at crossings that never had waits before.  But I digress.  I thought it was interesting that the old trains were in the shadow of the NEW technology.  The Tower, the brand new Aquarium, The Sports Stadium, and the train museum all share a block of land.  It seemed like an unlikely mix.  I like the contrast of the old train with the CN tower!

This day of contrasts actually started this morning on the drive into Canada.  We were told to expect a long delay crossing over the bridge into Canada at Port Huron, Michigan.  One web sight suggested that you should be sure to allow at least an hour for border crossing.  We left our hotel and proceeded to the bridge at 7:30am.  As we drove onto the bridge there was 1 Semi truck ahead of us.  And no other cars.  There was only one "Car" lane with a green light and we drove right up to the booth.  The entire transaction included passing over our passports, two questions, and a grunt from the agent.  It took us about 2 minutes!  And we were in Canada!  Quite a contrast from what we had expected.

As we adjusted to Kilometers for speed instead of MPH (thankfully our Navigation system shows the speed limit in MPH - already converted!) and to gas prices being shown in Canadian Dollars PER LITRE (which looked really good at $1.38 - UNTIL you realize that converts to about $5.00 per Gallon - OUCH!)  What a contrast.  Going the speed limit of 100 felt actually kind of slow at 62mph. 

Which brings me to another interesting contrast.  A friend of mine recommended Tim Hortons.  So as soon as we saw a sign for one, we pulled off.  I guess I would say that Tim Hortons is sort of a combination of Dunkin Donuts and Starbucks.  We loved their coffee.  It reminded us of the "old" McDonalds coffee.  At a later stop at a "On Road" (which is just like the tollway Oasis) there was a Tim Hortons and a Starbucks.  There was a long line at Hortons - like 50 people.  And there was only a couple of people in line at Starbucks.   What a contrast to the US!  There is always a line at Starbucks. 

 

Yes, I saw lots of interesting things today.  We walked the harbor front and most of the surrounding area.  The culture here is really a melting pot mix also.  We saw a diverse group of people.  I spent a lot of time remembering the mission trip I was on in 2009 to this city.  We are in the same area.  I have been thinking about the children that we met on that trip and wondering if any of the seeds we sowed have begun to grow.  I love knowing that the Holy Spirit can use a very small seed to grow a very big plant. 

 

And it is a bit of a contrast for me to know that I am just a tourist on this trip, rather than a missionary.  At least not an OBVIOUS missionary.  On the 2009 trip, we wore bright orange shirts that clearly spoke a message (a large cross).  We were doing a street drama that included a boom box and loud music and costumes that made people stop and watch.  And the message was clear.  Today I was just an average "touristy" older women with a camera.  In 2009, we were sowing lots of seeds through our message.  Today my message was hidden.  But my hidden prayer is for the Holy Spirit to water all of those seeds sown 5 years ago, as I walked the same streets. 

Yes, it is a reminder that we can all be missionaries as we walk the world.  Our prayers can bring the power and presence of Jesus where ever we are.  And it is a good reminder that we can activate all those seeds sown in the past, by praying the outpouring and watering of the Holy Spirit! 

 

Thank you Jesus for the power of reminders!  Thank you for the promise of the Holy Spirit, who brings life to all of us.  Help us all to see ourselves as your ambassadors as we go through our busy lives and even as we vacation!  Bless Toronto, Jesus!  Amen



Once again, it's the little things that amaze me!

SPOILER ALERT!  IF YOU DON'T WHAT TO HEAR ANYTHING ABOUT THE BOOK "MARK OF THE LION" STOP READING THIS BLOG POST!  I will be discussing the ending of this book!  I am not going to name names or divulge details - just what Yahweh impressed on my heart as I finished reading this wonderful book.

A little while ago I wrote a blog post (A little more of my story...) and it included a picture of my great-great-great grandparents.  If you have not read that post, go there now and read it.  This post will not make much sense if you don't know that story.  I know that Yahweh has been reminding me of that post and that story over and over again.  There must have been something that I needed to be reminded about or something else I needed to see/learn from that post.  Then, over the last several days, I have been reading a series of three books that were recommended to me by my daughter.  I have posted about this in the last couple of days.  This morning I finished the series.  As I sat with tears streaming down my face, looking at the last paragraph, I flashed to my blog post of just a few days before and my great-great grandparents.  While I remember clearly that this book is a FICTION story, based on Biblical truth, I felt woven into the plot line. 

In the end of this book, in about AD100, there are a small group of Christians, worshiping and serving the Lord - in Germany.  They were telling everyone that they could reach, the Gospel message and the saving grace of Jesus.  And then they were sending out missionaries.  One to the Vikings. 

Pause here to catch my breath.  Yes, I felt the connection to my family.  So in 1850, in Germany, my family sent out missionaries to  the ends of the earth.  It was as if I saw - maybe for the first time - the real connection in my life, to the time of those who actually walked with Jesus.  And then, just to cap it all off, they sent off people to share the good news, to the Vikings - my Swedish and Norwegian ancestors.  I went back and looked at that picture of my great-great-grandparents.  And I marveled at the power of the Gospel.

This is my mom and dad on their wedding day in 1936.  My mom is of German/Norwegian heritage and my dad is Swedish.

Do you know how it is to feel like something was actually written just for you?  Well, this morning I had that feeling.  It was amazing.  Once again, I just can't imagine the plans and purposes of Yahweh for His creation - for the earth and all who live.  The plan that took a small group of ordinary people, filled with the Holy Spirit, covered by the love of Jesus, under the plan and direction of the Father they managed to reach out to the world.  And they were able to do this with NOTHING.  With only small parts of the written Word.  With no cars, no planes, no telephones, no internet, no computers, no blogs.  It had to be Yahweh. 

Yahweh, thank you so much for Francine Rivers and this book - one of many in her library of books.  Bless her, Father, with more of your compassion and direction as she continues to connect us to you and the Bible.  Thank you for opening my eyes in a new way to your destiny.  Yahweh, your kingdom is increasing and your glory will fill all the heavens and all the earth!  Amen

A little more of my story...seeds were sown!

Part of the reason for doing this blog was to tell my story.  And I have found that I have a lot of story to tell!  Last night my husband and I went to a state park (Starved Rock) so that he could take photos of the sunset.  It was a glorious evening.  Not so hot that you were sweating without air conditioning and just a light breeze.  We scoped out a couple of potential photo shoot places and settled on a roadside pull off just outside the park.  We were about an hour ahead of sunset so we just sat in the car, with the windows down and sunroof open and enjoyed the peacefulness.  There were birds flying everywhere and fish jumping in the river and the cicadas were singing as the sun sunk into the west. 
In the peace, I started to think about what I wanted to share on this blog.  It wasn't long before the Lord reminded me of this..........





This picture, indeed represents a "God-moment" in my life.  This is the opening page of my childhood Bible that I received from my parents when I was in 2nd Grade.  That in itself is a story.  One that I have mentioned before.  We in the United States are so fortunate to have the written word available to us.  In many families, children are not given Bibles because there is some kind of fear of not treating the Holy Scriptures properly or it not being understood by children.  Once again, I am so thankful that my parents didn't think this way and purchased this Bible for me when I was 7 years old.  You see, Yahweh has used this page in amazing ways!  And this is just the inside cover of the incredible book.  I want to point out the red stamp on the lower right hand corner.  This is the story.  One day in Sunday school, a missionary visited our small church.  He spoke about his time in China. His message was about the many men, women and children who had come to know Jesus as he had lived and walked among them..  He told of a man that had come to know Jesus and how his whole life had changed.  This man had carved this "seal" with the missionaries name, out of a wooden block.  He was so filled with gratitude for all the missionary had done, by risking his life to come to his country.  The incredible thing is, the man had been born with no arms!  It was carved with his feet.  At the end of that talk, this missionary (and I am so sorry that I don't know his name) came around and stamped his seal in my Bible and said "Someday you will be a missionary!"   I went home that day and told my mom the story.  She shared with me, that day, the following story. I asked her to repeat this for me many times - even in the last years of her life. 

On that day, my mother told me that we have relatives that are missionaries to Africa.  She shared how my grandfather had wanted so badly to be a pastor. But it had not worked out.  The times were difficult and there was not much money.  Yet there was a connection to these distant cousins who had left Germany to serve Jesus.  My mother remembered praying for these cousins and then recounted the faith and trust in Jesus that had blanketed her life - in spite of tough circumstances. 
And the seed was sown into my heart and my spirit that God had a plan and a purpose for my life.

 

Here is a photo of my Great-Great Grandfather and Great-Great Grandmother

Johann Conrad Toensing and Anna Clara (Welcher) Toensing

(8/17/1801 – 8/23/1869) (5/10/1806 – 8/28/1876)

Married 9/5/1827

This couple had 7 children.  They sent two of their children to Africa as missionaries and two of their children came to the United States. (One of the children who came to the US was my Great-Grandfather)   Once again I am so thankful for photographs that put faces to names.  And I am thankful for their faith and trust in Yahweh shown in the lives of their children.

 

Thank you Yahweh, for leading me to this story for my blog.  Thank you for the seeds that you placed into me that brought me to this place today.  I am so thankful for my Spiritual heritage.  Thank you for blessing my mother and her generations with your presence and your peace.  Amen