On a recent ministry trip to Port Elizabeth, on the Indian Ocean coast of South Africa, I lost something.  It wasn't a valuable thing, but it was very special to me.  It had sentimental value, and I had worn it for many years.  It was just a small, inexpensive, not very significant to most people thing.........an earring.  But I was just "sick."

I didn't cry, but I felt like it for days.  I looked and looked.......had our friends in Port Elizabeth look......and no earring.  I wondered why it "hit" me so hard, and why I felt so sad over something so seemingly trivial.

As I was praying about it one day, I began to get understanding.  We have gone thru so much change in the last few months - in fact, for the last couple years.  I guess my heart was beginning to get overwhelmed with it.  The small, simple, little earring was the symbol of all that has been "lost" - things that we have laid down, given up, and left behind.

I was able to pray into these things, and come to a deeper level of peace and security in my heart.  It was actually a very precious process and time of communicating with the Lord.  My heart was strengthened.

But I still missed my special earring that I wore very often.  A couple days later, I found it!!  It was caught in the lining of a piece of clothing that had been in the same suitcase with my jewelry.  The tears I didn't shed when I lost it, I now shed because I found it!

I've always believed, and taught, that God cares about every aspect of our lives.......that nothing is too small or trivial to bring to Him.  The awesome God, creator of the universe, cares about me, my daily life, the ups and downs I go thru, and all the little details that are important to me.  This was just another personal, very special example of that.  It made me love Him even more.

I know God rejoices over the lost sheep that was found (Luke 15:3-6) - something of great value!  And I kinda think He rejoiced with me over finding the lost earring.......and what He did in my heart in the process......too.

I'm not a fan of bugs! Creepy, crawly things give me creepy, crawly feelings. Someday I'd like to ask God exactly what He had in mind when He created some of these things.

So I wasn't exactly thrilled when I found we'd arrived in South Africa in the "season" of a very creepy, crawly little worm. They are everywhere! They're dark colored, wiggly little things. We are house-sitting in a home built on four levels. They are on the lowest level.......and all the way to the top. I often wonder how something so little can crawl up so high. Our dog, Sossy, has eaten a couple of them and promptly threw up. I have the same feeling just looking at them!

And then there's snakes! We heard they were around. We were looking at a house for sale the other day. I looked out in the back yard, and there was a good sized black snake crawling across the yard. I'm told it was a puff adder. Needless to say, that certainly put me off that house!

Floyd keeps reminding me that this is Africa. I keep saying I don't like creepy, crawly things.

"God made.....everything that creeps upon the ground. And God saw that it was good." Genesis 1:25 I think God and I disagree on this one!

While our friends and family were eating turkey dinners, watching Macy's parade, and arguing over football games.......we had a different kind of "celebrating" here in South Africa. There was nowhere to go for turkey and dressing, but we decided to take an American friend to lunch. We went to a quaint cafe at a vineyard nearby.......nestled up in the hills with a view of the ocean. We enjoyed the fellowship, and agreed that we have so much to be thankful for!

It's only been 8 months since we returned from a visit to South Africa and made the decision to move here. We would have never dreamed that our home would sell in less than 24 hours, that we could sort everthing/get packed up/sell things/and be out of our home in about 5 weeks. We would never have thought that we could get everything done for moving internationally......including the very involved visa application process......and be back here in South Africa in 7 months.

After we returned from our lunch, a neighbor called. She's an American lady married to a South African man. She had made pumpkin pie and had 2 pieces for us. Such a special touch to our first Thanksgiving away from the U.S.! We enjoyed every yummy bite. :}

I couldn't help but think with nostalgia about previous family Thanksgiving celebrations, but I couldn't be sad because my heart was filled with such gratitude. God is so good and has been so faithful to us!

"I will magnify Him with thanksgiving." Psalms 69:30

I've always been a little claustrophobic. I don't like small, closed-in spaces. I like bright, cheery, open, airy spaces. I've never panicked in a small, tight space (doing an MRI was challenging!), but I feel like someone is squeezing and pressing me when I'm in one. We've sometimes lived in very small spaces (especially in the inner city in Amsterdam), and God's grace was there for that season.......but it wasn't easy on my sense of space.

We are on a journey to find a home here in South Africa. Houses are expensive to both buy and rent.......so we've looked at lots of them, trying to find a bargain, and trying to find what the Lord has just for us.

We've looked at so many that I'm beginning to feel like I'm in a giant maze of houses!!! They're all around me......pressing in on me. It's hard to see the way out of the maze. I realize we're making a decision that will affect the rest of our lives. This will be our home for a long time. So many options / decisions / questions / concerns....... the maze just twists and turns. It's hard to see the "answer," the end of the maze.

We recently submitted our application for our permanent residence permit to the Dept. of Home Affairs here in South Africa. There were a couple of significant obstacles to this process. Because of these obstacles, there was a possibility that the application wouldn't be accepted into the system for processing now. As it is, it will take 12-24 months for the process. If we had to wait to submit the application, it could take several years. It seemed like the Lord put us with just the "right people," and our immigration lawyer had such wisdom in saying just the "right things." In only and hour or so we left the office with our application "in" and the process started! It was truly quite amazing. When we looked at the crowds and lines, we knew we had just had a miracle! (A week earlier some people had become so angry and frustrated with the difficult process, that a brawl had broken out!)

Our next stop was the shipping company that is organizing our furniture and belongings coming into the country. We received word a week ago that the ship carrying our container will arrive on Christmas day - a nice gift. :} When we walked into the offices of the shipping company, a manager greeted us and introduced himself. He had read some of Floyd's books, and said he would do everything he could personally to make the process go smoothly for our belongings to clear customs and be delivered to us. This can be a difficult and confusing process. The Lord sent us a "man of peace" to help us along! Another wonderful miracle!

"....I will make straight all his ways." Isa. 45:13 God has been doing that in truly miraculous ways! We are very grateful.

As we have begun the search for where we'll live here in South Africa, I have found myself frustrated/discouraged/anxious at various times. Houses to buy are expensive. Houses to rent are small and expensive. I miss my cute, cozy, little house in Grandview! I keep telling myself that God has it under control and that He has a plan. I need to be patient and keep looking to Him. The "nester" in me wants to find my "nest" and get settled. I'd especially like to have a place so that our furniture can go directly in there when it arrives. We've been told the ship will dock on Christmas Day. That's a nice Christmas present. :}

Yesterday morning I was looking out at the deck (we are house-sitting for a friend right now) and saw 2 birds - a male and female. They both had something green in their mouths. I thought at first it was a big leaf, then I looked more closely and saw it was a big green grasshopper.......breakfast! I was struck by the thought that our Heavenly Father was caring and providing for them. I immediately knew He was saying to my heart that He would do the same for me.

"Even the sparrow finds a home, and the swallow a nest for herself." Psalms 84:3

I'm sure God has a "nest" for us here in our new country!

Leaving home, family, friends, your country, your security - I've done it before, but I don't think I can say it becomes "easy" because it's happened before. In the 7 very intense months we had of preparing for our move to South Africa, God's grace was certainly there each step of the way. There was almost a physical under-girding I could feel from the Lord.

On the flight from the U.S. to South Africa, as we were flying across the ocean, I felt an incredible sense of insecurity. It surprised me. It was as if everything known and familiar was gone (I'm sure saying goodbye to our grandkids on the phone didn't help) - and there was a big emptiness of the unknown. This, too, seemed almost physical and very huge.

I was able to immediately start talking to the Lord about it. His presence and comfort was so real and close at 35,000 feet!!! He is such a rock and security. I'm so grateful for His faithfulness.

There's still a lot of "unknown" things, but I know the One who will work them out. I'm sure His grace will be equally abundant on this side of the ocean.

So at age 58 and going thru things I've done before, I'm finding it all new and different......but God is the same. I'm so thankful for that.

We've just spent a delightful week with our grandchildren - Kezia, age 4 1/2 and Luke, age 3. To have 2 darling kids running towards you with arms open wide yelling "Grandma! I missed you." - how can you not love that? They are both so cute and winsome, bright, eager to learn, funny, and huggable. We are getting ready to say goodbye, and I'm sure there will be some tears all around.......South Africa is a long ways away!!

I can't help but think what a gift and miracle these 2 little ones are. The doctors said Misha could never have children after her long illness - and then Kezia came along. We rejoiced in her life. Then, when Luke was born and we almost lost him and Misha, we and the doctors knew it was a miracle that they survived and that they didn't have any permanent brain damage. The doctors have said that their story will go in medical books because it's never happened before. Many of you prayed, for which we are eternally grateful.

I have only to look at these 2 beautiful faces to have worship and gratitude well up in my heart. God has been so good to us! I've thanked the Lord repeatedly these last days for the miracle of these lives.

This is Sally McClung's blog, come back to find out what I'm doing.