Why I'm glad my parents were "overboard and strict"

I was a little girl who LOVED to read. I was 4 years old when my mom started teaching my older brother how to read. I climbed up on her lap and she taught us together. By the time I was 7 years old I was reading 200 page adult books cover to cover in a couple of days. 

I got my love of books from both my Dad and my Mom. We lived in a teeny tiny trailer house with 4 kids and 4,000 books. Well honestly I don't have any idea how many books it was, but it was a lot. Every spare inch was filled with books. When I was 12 my dad finally got his dream library.

BUT

My parents were EXTREMELY strict on what they allowed us kids to read. 

I mean they were overboard strict. 

NOTHING secular... even if it was clean.

NOTHING fiction even if it was awesome.

I wasn't allowed to read all the normal books that little girls read.
Nope, I never read Little House on the Prairie. 

I didn't read Little Women 

I didn't read Uncle Toms Cabin.

I didn't even read Snow white or Cinderella.

Honestly, I was in my teens before I even had an understanding of who those "people' were.

So what did a book loving little girl like me read? Anything I could find on those book shelves that looked even remotely interesting!! 

One of the first books I ever remember reading was when I was 7 years old. 

I read "Christ's Witch Doctor" by Homor Dowdy. 

I read about Elka, a 7 year old boy living in the jungle afraid of evil spirits. Afraid of his father killing his baby brother. 

I read about Elka, a 15 year old boy who "became a man" by letting hundreds of large ants sting his legs over and over until they became so swollen he could barely walk. 

I read about Elka, a terrified teenage boy who became a Witch Doctor to his people. 

And then I read about a young man who gave up his life and all things comfortable to bring the Gospel to the Wai Wai people. 

I read about Elka who was the first in the tribe to give his heart to Jesus. I read about revival spreading through the jungle and fear being driven away by the power of Jesus! 

This book amazed me! 

From that day until this I read every book I could get my hands on about missionaries to the unreached.

When I played games I didn't play that I was a rich princess in a castle with a handsome prince. 

I played that I was riding on "Bwana Pauls Pie-wagon" fleeing from a panther in the jungles of Africa. A story taken from "Cowboy boots in darkest Africa" by Bill Rice. 

And as I got older I didn't dream the American dream. I dreamed about Missions.
I was 14 years old when found out that there were still people on the planet that had NEVER ever heard the gospel even one time. God stirred in my heart and I told him I would go anywhere that he wanted me to go.

Did you know that 70% of Evangelical Christians today do not even realize that there are un-reached people groups left on earth?
Did you know that most Christians have never even considered being a missionary?

Do you know what else? I would probably be on that list of 70% if not for the way I was raised. 

With nothing funner to read I poured myself into the missionary books and pretty soon they became my life. Even though I was 15 before I ever left the USA I pretty much grew up immersed in missions. They were familiar. They were normal. They were my dream.

Today I am married to a wonderful man who has the same vision I have. To see every people group on earth hear the wonderful news of Jesus. Together we are praying for Missionaries. Together we are praying for God to open the doors for US to go to Brazil. And I believe the credit goes to the way I was raised. 

So even if my parents were over board. Even if I did have some resentment as a teen...

Today I say with ALL of my heart.
THANK YOU DAD AND MOM!!!!!!!!

Thank you for giving me the love to read.
Thank you for showing me that my life is not about me. 

Thank you for showing me the world around me. China. Africa. South America. 

Thank you for showing me Hero's of the Faith. 

Thank you for giving me a vision. 

Thank you for giving me a heart for the un-reached people of this world. 

*Disclaimer. I am not saying that all books secular or fiction are bad. I don't even think my parents believe that. (I saw the grandkids reading stuff I wasn't allowed to read. hehe) My only point here is that I am so thankful that my parents stuffed me with meat and potatoes instead of cupcakes and jelly beans. They are kinda like the modern day health food nuts who instead of limited the sugar to holidays and weekends, cut it out all together. I know kids who've never tasted cotton candy or a pink cupcake. It's pretty much the same. 

It's 2 in the morning and I can't sleep... so bear with me on this post....

May, June and half of July have come and gone so fast it seems I hardly saw them, and yet so much was packed into them it seems like half a year.

We started off May with a trip to Wisconsin for Doug's sister's wedding. Congratulations to Aaron and Joyce Stewert!

The day after the wedding we were able to spend some time with my side of the family. First time I had gotten to see any of my siblings or my parents in over a year. It was wonderful to connect with all of them again even though the time was short. 

In June Doug and I went back to KY to spend a weekend with our church family there. Monday morning after a lovely visit Doug headed back to PA to get back to work. The kids and I stayed in KY at a friends house. Wednesday my friend and my Mother-in-law gave me a ride to the Gallilean Home in Liberty KY where I met up with a friend who was to give me a ride to Wisconsin. Thursday morning we hit the road. Praise be to God we all survived, but I don't really EVER want to ride for 17 hours in the car again... especially not with a 3 year old and a 16 month old :-D 

You may be wondering why the kid and I were headed for wisconsin again so soon after the wedding. Well, here it is! 

Each summer my friend Angie Conjurske hosts a beautiful camp called "Camp of Hope" for girls 12 and up. It's a free camp, a fun camp, a heart searching camp and an amazing camp! It's not actually "camp" at all as we get to stay in a wonderful place that used to be a spa. Very comfortable beds and hot showers ;-) Anyway... since she started the camp 4 years ago I've volunteered there. I didn't make it last year and didn't expect to go this year either. Well one evening my husband and I were talking and he told me "I think you should take the kids and go to camp this year" so it was settled! I was going! 

My "job" at camp is to make all the girls play ridiculous games and have lots of fun. Fill up the free time and keep people out of trouble. But we had tons of of serious time as well. I can't even tell you how much I enjoyed the fellowship. So many godly young women in one place and such wonderful times of prayer. Anyhow here is a couple pictures. The first is a group pic of everyone at camp. The second is a picture of the staff. 

After two and a half weeks without our dear Daddy and Hubby he finally joined us in Wisconsin! We were so happy to see him! That was the longest that the children or I have been away from him. 

On July 4th we had another wedding to attend. Doug's childhood best friend, Bobby Kulp was getting married! 

Congrats Robert and Sarah! 

July 5th we got on the road and headed back to PA. This time we drove through the night so the babies would sleep. They were so tired from all the traveling and visiting we did that they slept 14 hours straite in the car! 

Poor Doug was so sick when he got to Wisconsin that he was taking Tylenol to make it through the wedding ceremony (he was a groomsman.) Still sick as a dog when we traveled home. After we arrived home he lay on the couch for a whole week before he finally got back to work yesterday. 

We are Praising God that he is finally back on his feet. 

What about Brazil? Still waiting. Still praying for God to provide and still hoping to go this year. 

Goodnight (morning) you all ;-)