ivy and orchid

Last year, we were driving in Michigan at night and there was a terrible snow storm. The snow was so bad that all we could see was blinding white snow on the windshield. We couldn't see anything in front of us or even which part of the road we were on. Sometimes being a Christian feels like this. At times, God is so clear about what he is doing in our lives and other times, he is as clear as the snow on your windshield in Michigan. However, we do not have to worry because God has made promises to us: Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you . (Matthew 5:12)  We have the promise of our reward in heaven. We know that on the other side of the storm is the prize. So how do we get through the storm? . . .let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfec...

Throughout Lent, I thought a lot about what life would have been like when Jesus was on earth. Great multitudes came to see him and hear him talk, but how did they find him? It’s not like Jesus hopped on Facebook and created an event and he didn’t check in with Mary on the phone to let her know he was in Jerusalem for the month.  Thousands of people sought after Jesus to hear his stories and learn from his lessons. And today, we can do the same. Although Jesus now resides in heaven, we are still able to seek him and find him.  But if from there you seek the Lord your God, you will find him if you seek him with all your heart and with all your soul.   ( Deuteronomy 4: 29) A week ago, I was not actively seeking God, but I found him. I was on my way to Aldi’s to do some shopping and as I turned onto one of the busy roads in town, I passed a colorfully painted school bus in the parking lot of Walmart. Now this may not be exciting to you, but I dream about...

Last year, our family had the opportunity to spend a week in Cap-Haitien, Haiti as part of our "Vision Trip." The purpose of a Vision Trip is to give our family an idea of the culture we will live in, the people we will work with, the school we will teach in etc. One of the best parts of the trip was having dinner with a different missionary each night. This gave us a chance to get to know the missionaries and ask any questions we had. At this point, we had not begun raising support and were still apprehensive when it came to doing THE ASK. I remember one missionary telling us that he enjoyed meeting with people to ask for support and I thought he was crazy! I am an introvert through and through, so the idea alone of talking with people exhausted me, let alone asking for help. We have been raising support for almost a year now and let me tell you, it truly is a rewarding and fulfilling process. It is more than "begging for money" than I ever could imagine. Someti...

Last week was a hard week. If you couldn't tell by my last blog post, I was stressed out. I was overwhelmed by all I had to do. This bible verse just kept echoing in my mind: Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.   For my yoke is easy and my burden is light. (Matthew 11:28-30) I felt weary and burdened. I felt tired and mentally drained, yet I had so much to do in such a little time that I had to keep going                                                            but                ...

Recently, I was talking with my friend Cheryl about writing. You see, she is in the process of finishing a novel which is so impressive to me. The reason I do not write in this space more often is because I do not have anything interesting to say or I have too much to say and do not know how to organize my thoughts well. There has been a lot on my mind lately: 1. We are about three months away from the date we choose to leave. Do you know what that means? That means major de-cluttering, selling our house, finding our replacement at church, filling out all the paperwork that is necessary to move out of the country and saying goodbye. That is a lot so today, I decided the best way to tackle all of that was to do nothing. 2. The United Methodist Church chose the Traditional Plan. Let me tell you what the UMC means to me: People who are intelligent and funny and welcoming and accepting and compassionate no matter who walks through the doors. They have made us laugh and made us cry and...

2019 VOLLEYBALL FOR MISSIONS Saturday Feb. 23rd   Support the Teichmers' Haiti Mission Trip!  Co-Ed Volleyball Tournament   $150/team (up to 6)  $25/additional players (8 max)   Open to adults (16+) in the community All skill levels Double elimination format   Join us for a fun filled day of great competition - for a GREAT cause!!   If you are interested but don't have a full team, please let me know and we'll help put a team together.   Click below to access the form:   Click Here for Registration Form   Contact angie@newburghumc.org for details!     

The other day, Abigail asked me to rub her ankle before we went to bed. She often gets these pains after a long day, especially a long day of playing outside. As a kid, I used to get these "growing pains" as well. I remember my parents coming in my bedroom late at night because I was crying that my legs hurt. (It always helped just a little when they told me my legs hurt because I was growing. Such sweet words for a short person!). Right now, I am in the midst of my own [figurative] growing pains. The funny thing about life is we are never "there." We are always growing, always learning, always adjusting. Life is so easy when things are going well, but we don't understand the growth we need until things get a little tricky. Now I see that maybe I don't have as much faith as I thought I did. Maybe I need to toughen up because being a missionary is going to TEACH ME THINGS. I also know that while I am growing, I have a God who promises me rest when I need...