A Valentine may bring you chocolate, but God provides you with something even sweeter, His Word.
How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth!
- Psalm 119:103
I am reminded of God’s love for me on this day, the very first valentine day when God sent His son to die for my sins on that Calvary cross! I Hope you will enjoy this Valentine Day’s message from DaySpring e-card below, have a blessed Valentine Day!
I was sipping the fragrant Maubisse coffee when the Mr C, vice-principal of the primary school asked this question, with a expectant look when we visited his home this morning. He was asking if we would like to help him teach English in the school.
We were pleasantly surprised by his request as we were just having a casual chat & not even talking what we liked to achieve in the next 2 months. This was the family that we were most concerned in terms of damaged relationship & had been praying for open doors to rebuild relationship before we leave in August.
As they lived opposite our temporary abode last year, they had observed much about what happened among the OLOY team members. They had also spent some time with members of the team but had some misconceptions about the reason(s) why the team broke up & left separately.
We were really thankful for their graciousness in not asking why the whole team left & then only 2 of us returned after 7 months. Instead they welcomed us back with open arms & even invited us to help teach English in the primary 6 class of 50 students. They had let the past go & focused on the present. This could only be possible because God is at work!
By day the LORD directs his love,
at night his song is with me—
a prayer to the God of my life.
- Psalm 42:8 (NIV)
As I look forward to be a school teacher (mestra eskola), 3 times a week, I rejoice at God’s goodness throughout the day and night, taking care of my worries & putting joy in my life. Thank YOU Jesus, I love you!
With love from Maubisse,
Lydia
Zoro & Brinco - our security guards
“R, the floor is wet, stay inside for a little while longer please …..”, this is what I have been saying every morning for the past 3 days. I have just mopped the porch. It has been raining non-stop day & night since Friday and our dog, Zoro (the white, handsome male dog) has just dirtied the porch, again!
Even though we use a piece of zinc sheet (those for roofing) as the gate to our porch, the agile Zoro is able to jump over to seek shelter from the rain, when we are asleep, of course! His wet paws left many muddy prints on the white-tiled porch every night. So I have to mop the porch every morning to make it clean & safe when the kids come in for classes later. It can be tiring doing this every morning followed by a long day of teaching, singing, cooking, washing but the delight I find in the Lord keeps me strong & focused on the reason why I am here. And the intercession by my prayer partners help to keep me going without being worn-out!
I also think of how these 2 lovely dogs are protecting us especially at night with their barking at anything (people or animals) that pass by our house. They will give chase if these people or animals refuse to move away. The kids have been warning me not to get too near to Zoro who is always fighting with other dogs & very protective of his territory (which includes our house, the pig sty, the coffee & avocado trees behind our house)! I cannot thank God enough for providing these 2 dogs who are willing to stay with new owner (they actually belong to my landlord who is very kind to leave them with me)!
Brinco, the female dark-colored dog, is limping in her right hind leg. She is very wary of human as her leg was hit by stones threw at her by the kids. Dogs are everywhere here in Timor but they are not of the same class as those in Singapore. They are not kept as pets. They are kept as working animals, to guard the house, the crops & the valuable animals (like pigs & goats which are bred for sale).
I am cooking rice & vegetables for them everyday as they are now in my care. It’s quite nice that the rental of the house comes complete with security guards! And I hope in time to come, I will be able to get near to Zoro & Brinco to pat them, just like what I do with dogs in Singapore 
!
Love from Maubisse,
Lydia
14.6.2010
This morning when I was at the market, my shoe laces got entangled that I tripped and tumbled to the ground. R was horrified. Everyone was shocked. But no one laughed … & that was good.
A Timorese man came forward to help me up & he looked really worried if I was hurt badly. When I finally stood up after taking time to tie my shoe laces, and said “no problem”, many cheered! And that’s compassion.
I have heard many horrific story that people were robbed when in difficult situation (like this fall on the ground), but God has kept me safe from bad people & serious injury. I only had slight abrasion on my right knee & palms (which I used to break the fall).
There are people around us who are suffering.
Moved with compassion for their pain,
let’s be those who stop to help
– Marvin Williams
I have experienced compassion today from God & the community, I want to be just like the Samaritan in Luke 10:30-37.
With love from Maubisse,
Lydia
10.6.2010
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