The Day the Lord Made Just For Us

This past Friday morning was not our usual "sleep-in a little later than usual" Friday.  We actually rose earlier than we do on a normal school day.  We quickly grabbed breakfast and put on our "Sunday Best" instead of our "Friday Casual."  It was the day that we had been waiting for, praying for, the day we thought we'd never see...Adoption Day!  After three very long, very heart wrenching, very stressful years, it was finally going to come to an end.  Our foster son was going to officially be ours; no more worrying about what the next court hearing would bring.

We left the house all giddy and met several of our family members at nearby gas station to begin the caravan to the courthouse.  I joked about being in labor, yelling occasionally with a "contraction", and the boys laughed about me "birthing" a 5 ft, 4 inch, 95 pound 13 year old in a few hours.  The 35 minute drive seemed to take hours, but we finally arrived at the courthouse---four carloads full!

Next, came the hard part, the sitting and waiting for our turn. 

At least this time, we had lots of family to keep us company while we waited.

Finally, they called us into the courtroom where the judge questioned Philip to make sure that this was what he wanted.  After she confirmed that being adopted into our family was what he desired, she signed the papers!  His name was changed.  He was officially ours.  No one could try to take him away from us.  After three years of fighting for what was best for Philip, it was decided that we were what was best for him!

This would be the last time we would have to appear in this courtroom.  The judge that had seemed so cold throughout our three year journey seemed to be just as relieved and excited for this case to finally be over and for Philip to finally have closure.  She quickly came down and posed for pictures with us and allowed the kids to go sit in her chair which they had secretly been hoping to do all morning.

 













I'm pretty sure that we all floated out the courthouse afterwards since this huge weight had been lifted from our shoulders, but the day wasn't nearly over.  We still had something even more special coming later that day.  Philip was going to be baptized into the Church that afternoon.  Our awesome pastor had agreed to hold a special Mass that day so that Philip would "not have to wait any longer."

After a celebratory shopping trip and lunch, we headed back home to prepare for the next ceremony.   He had chosen to wear a suit for this very special event.  He looked so handsome!  But best of all he was wearing the biggest smile that I had ever seen him wear.  When we arrived at the church, we found it already filled with family and friends waiting to celebrate this special Mass with us.  Some had left work early to be there.  Some had traveled all day just to be there.  We felt so blessed.

As the first reading began, my eyes began to fill with tears.  The reading was Saul's conversion and baptism. (Acts of the Apostles 9:1-20)  Philip's conversion had happened about a year after he moved in with us about two years prior to this day.  He had been sitting in on many family rosaries, daily and Sunday Masses, retreats, youth group talks, etc.  He knew he needed to be baptized.  He knew he wanted to receive Jesus.  His devotion to his personal prayer time, to reading the scriptures, and to learning about the faith, assured us that his eyes had been opened and God was preparing him for something, something BIG.  This reading was perfect for today---conversion and baptism!

Then came the responsorial psalm.  The psalm was Psalm 117.   Yes, praise the Lord for His faithfulness and mercy!  Perfect!  But the people's response to this psalm was from Mark 16:15.  As it was being read, I saw a huge grin come over our oldest son's face who was serving on the altar.  "Are you kidding me?" I thought as I chuckled.  This was the verse that had been appearing everywhere during our discernment of missions.

He said to them, “Go into the whole world and proclaim the gospel to every creature."

One of the prayers that we had had for months now was, "Lord, IF you are REALLY calling us to be foreign missionaries, we can't go without Philip, and we can't take him unless he's legally ours, so handle this so that we know that you are really calling us."  This responsorial was our answer and our confirmation---He was really calling us into foreign missions and He had taken care of that roadblock earlier that day.

One would think that those two were enough mind blowing readings for the day, but God wasn't quite done.  He still had some showing off to do.  The day's Gospel reading was none other than John 6:52-59.

...Jesus said to them, “Amen, amen, I say to you, unless you eat the Flesh of the Son of Man and drink his Blood, you do not have life within you. Whoever eats my Flesh and drinks my Blood has eternal life, and I will raise him on the last day...

Not only was Philip going to be baptized at this Mass, but he would be making his First Holy Communion too.  He would be eating Jesus' flesh and drinking His blood for the first time.  This Gospel was not another "coincidence" either.  It had also been hand picked by God Himself for just for us on this very day.

Numerous times these past few months, the evil one has tried to make us doubt our Catholic faith and our belief in the Eucharist.  Many times lately I have prayed for God to take away these doubts planted to distract us from our call to be Catholic missionaries.  My prayer has been "Lord, I believe, take away my unbelief." (Mark 9:24)  That Gospel reading was the answer to my prayer.  God was confirming to me that the Eucharist IS the body, blood, soul, and divinity of His son Jesus Christ.

God had used this Mass to confirm that everything we have been doing and that everything He is calling us to do is His will for our family.  He confirmed that He does hear our prayers and answers them in His perfect timing.  He confirmed that He will always be there for us guiding our path and showing us the Way.  He confirmed that we have an awesome faith community behind us to help us through this journey with their prayers and support.

This was the day that the Lord had made just for us. 

If you'd like to help support our family's foreign mission, you can send tax deductible donations to Family Missions Company, 12624 Everglade Road, Abbeville, LA 70510.  Please write "Seilhan Family" in the memo line.  Or donate online at http://www.fmcmissions.com/portfolio/travis-and-melissa-seilhan/.  You can donate once or set up a monthly donation to our fund. Please know that donors/benefactors are prayed for daily.

Praise Him in the Storms

This morning I went out to find our oldest son who had disappeared from his schoolwork to tend to his chickens.  (He is now in the fresh egg business which is much more interesting and profitable than school work.)  While outside, I noticed a large limb that hangs over our bedroom swaying in the wind.  I knew a storm was coming in tonight; the winds were already pretty strong.  I said a quick prayer as I looked at the swaying limb, "Please, Lord, don't let that branch fall on my bedroom tonight during the storm."

I then hollered for my son to come out of the barn and back to the house.  I went about my day schooling, baking for our fundraiser, and running kids here and there.  Later, that afternoon, I could hear the winds picking up, so I sent our son back outside to pen his chickens up early before the weather got too bad.  A few minutes later he comes running back into the house to tell me that there was a "tree" on the house!  I immediately ran to my bedroom to see if it had come through because I knew exactly what limb had fallen without him telling me.  No sign of any damage in the bedroom "Praise God!"

I then ran outside to see how bad it looked from the outside.  That's when I found this:

I panicked as a gust of wind blew the leaves into the air.  It was 2:00 in the afternoon.  I had a huge limb on my roof.  The roof looked like it had several holes in it.  My husband was in the air somewhere between Houston and Wyoming and would not be home to take care of this before the rains began.  The storm was going to be here soon with lots more wind.  And LOTS of rain. And we are trying to sell it.  And I have people coming to see it later this week.  And so what do I do now?

I thought about crying and asking "Why?" but then I remembered my prayer.  "Please, Lord, don't let that branch fall on my bedroom tonight during the storm,"  and my Facebook post this morning about how God takes care of his missionaries. So instead I said, "Thank you, Jesus! Praise you, Lord, for not letting it fall during the night during the rain." I left the pity-party before it ever got started and began to make a few calls and sent a few texts.

Within 15 minutes, a neighbor owning a tree service business (Beaver Tree Service----awesome guy) shows up at my house to help remove the tree limb from our roof.  My dad shows up (like he always does) and has already called a carpenter (Paul Dupuis-another awesome guy) to come patch the roof for me before the rains start.

The next thing I know there is a huge crane in my yard lifting the giant limb from our roof, and there are several men up there assessing the damage it left behind.  I ran in to check on the baking situation (Missions Fundraiser was already underway!) and came out to find that they had already removed the part of the roof that was damaged.  I offered them the blue tarps from the shed, but they didn't need them.  They weren't just patching it for the night.  They were fixing it!

In less than 3 hours from discovering the fallen limb, the tree had been removed, the kids had hauled off all the little branches, and the roof on that part of the house had been replaced!  It was something that only God could have orchestrated in such a short time.  I am slowly learning to praise God not only in the clear skies, but in the storms too! 

Top 5 Questions Asked

Since declaring that we are officially CraZy (see Yes, We Know We're Crazy and Yes, We're Still Crazy), the big question has been "Where are y'all moving to?" and then "Do they pay you to do this?"  Followed by "So, you will get jobs where ever you are?" Then "How are y'all going to live?"  And finally, "Doesn't that scare you?" So, here's the answers to all your pressing questions.

Where are we moving to?  First, we are moving south of Abbeville, LA.  We will live at Big Woods, Family Missions Company's community base, for about two months (September/October) of studying and training.  We will spend the month of November in General Cepeda, Mexico for hands-on training.  We will return home for Christmas.  Then in January, we will be sent out to our first mission post.  We won't know the destination until our training is almost complete.  This is probably the most difficult part.  If we knew where we were going, we could start researching and studying the culture.  We could begin learning the language.  But that's not how it works, so we continue to learn to trust God and His plan for us.

Do they pay us?  No, Family Missions Company does not "pay" us to be missionaries for them.  We will have a small "stipend" each month based on the amount of money in our mission account and the cost of living where we will be stationed.  The amount of money in our mission fund will depend on how much we fundraise and receive from our benefactors/donors/sponsors.

Will we work?  Yes, we will probably work harder than we've ever worked before, but, no, we will not have regular paying "jobs" in the community where we will be living. Our ministry of proclaiming the Gospel, feeding the poor, caring for the sick, visiting the imprisoned, etc. will be a full time job all by itself.  If we were to get a job, then we would not be able to do what God is calling us to do effectively.  He's not calling us to be part-time missionaries (which is what we would have preferred!); He's calling us to be full-time missionaries.

How will we live?  We will live very simply, much like the people in the community in which we will be living.  One of Family Missions Company's charisms is Embracing Gospel Poverty.  "We are beggars for the Gospel. We detach ourselves from our possessions and live on the providence of others in order to serve the poor and live in solidarity with the poor. Though poor ourselves, we live lives of generosity to the poor, showing a preferential option for the poor, as the Church teaches." 

Does this scare us?  Not at the moment.  It only scares us when people constantly bring it up! Satan likes to plant those doubts often.  We wouldn't be human if we weren't a little frightened about living in a foreign country without jobs depending on others to provide for our own families' basic needs.  But when we do get "scared," we go to Him in prayer with our worries, anxieties, and fears, and He calms them through scripture---in the Mass readings or in the LAUDS readings or in a daily prayer book or a daily bible verse app.  He continuously sends us confirming "messages" through others, through social media, through songs, through our kids, and through numerous other outlets in our lives.  God is always faithful, and His timing is always perfect.

The last thing people usually say to us is "Let us know if we can help in any way."  Here's how you can help us:

PRAYER:  Put us on every prayer list you find.  Ask your friends, family, and neighbors to add this "crazy, Cajun family" you know or heard about to their prayer list.  Prayer is what has gotten us this far and will be what gets us through the rest of this journey.   Pray for the sell of our house and car.  Pray for us to have the strength and courage we need to continue to follow this call.  Pray for the people that we will be sent to minister to that they be open to God's Word.  Never underestimate the power of your prayers. We are all going to be amazed when we reach Heaven at how many mountains were moved by a simple, yet sincere, prayer for someone.

BE SUPPORTIVE:  Love us and support us with smiles and encouraging words.  Please don't fill our heads (nor our kids' heads) with all the horrible things that could happen or tell us how lonesome we will be or remind us of all the things and people we will have to leave behind, don't keep questioning us about whether we've thought about this or that.  We've thought about it all.  We've prayed about it all.  We are learning to trust God totally and completely through this process; please be positive and encourage us.

DONATIONS:  If you feel God calling you to become part of our mission to "proclaim the Gospel to all Nations" monetarily, you can donate to our mission fund in several ways.

(1) Spring clean and bring us your "junk" to sell at one of our upcoming garage sales. Or have your own garage sale and donate the money to our mission fund. (Thanks to a great friend for that idea!) 

(2) Save your loose change over the next few months and add it to our kids' Coin Drive.  (We cashed in $50 already!)

(3) Make a one time or monthly donation to our mission account by mailing a check to Family Missions Company, 12624 Everglade Road, Abbeville, LA 70510. Please write "Seilhan Family in the memo line.  Or donate online directly to our Mission Fund at:

http://www.fmcmissions.com/portfolio/travis-and-melissa-seilhan/

Please know that all of you are in our daily prayers. We pray daily for our benefactors---those who support our journey through prayer and through donations. We couldn't do this without both.

We know that this journey is not an easy one. We know that we are not worthy to be called to such a journey. We know that we still have a long way to go in our faith journey.  But we also know that God will provide the strength, courage, wisdom, patience, perseverance, faith, and the love and support we need to do what it is He is asking of us. He promises this to us all, no matter what our call is. 

Mexico Christmas Project Update #2

Here's a link to Family Missions Company's website where the project update is.

The Ultimate Gift Update

Here's the links to the original post and the first update:

The Ultimate Christmas Gift

Update #1

A note from the family:

Thank you to the Seilhan Family and those who contributed to this project and to Raul and Marta, my friends who remained very close to us during this process. For that I thank them for helping me. May God bless you and give you strength. May your spirits continue to be full of love and harmony, so that you can continue helping people like me that need it. Thank you for the room and roofs that you built for my benefit and my family’s benefit. Thank you once again. – 
Maximina Martinez Logo and the Tapia Martinez Family

 

Yes, We're Still Crazy

If you didn't read our first post about being CRAZY, you might want to go back and read it here so that you know what I'm talking about.

It's now almost official.  We turned in our applications yesterday to Family Missions Company to become full-time missionaries this September.  All we have to do is wait for our references to send back the forms saying how wonderful we are, so that FMC can approve our application packet, and then it will be officially official!

We are pretty confident that we will be accepted.  I mean, how many people wake up one day and say, "Hey, I'm going to sell everything I own, join a missionary group, and let them send me to wherever they want to send me!"  I really don't think that they have a huge amount of applications to sift through.  And since they have already conned us into to being on committees for a conference they are putting on this fall, I'm pretty sure we won't be turned down.

That means we have six months to pay off all our bills, sell all of our belongings, and raise enough funds to support our first couple months of mission life. Six short months!  It sounded much better when we were able to say "next year."  Now that "next year" has become "this year," it's starting to get a little real for me.  I like to have all my ducks in a row.  I like to know things ahead of time and right now we know nothing. 

Our biggest "unknown" right now is our house. We have someone trying to sell their place to buy ours, but are unsure of how long we should wait.  And if that sell doesn't go through, what next?  We have several other people interested in buying our place, but also someone interested in leasing it while we are gone.  Did He really mean sell everything? Can we, should we keep the house? 

We love our place and always dreamed of retiring out here and having our kids build on our property. The kids have fought over who will get the house and who will have to build their own. We have worked very hard on remodeling the old farm house, fencing in a pasture, cleaning up the barn and still have lots left that we wanted to do.  We'd love to be able to come back here one day, but is that what God wants us to do?  

This is something we have prayed about constantly.  And decided long ago that it will work itself out if we just completely trust the Lord.  But now that we only have 6 months left, it's hard to just sit back and let God take care of it.  I want it sold right now or have the lease papers worked up and signed asap.  Please pray for us and for God to show us the path we are to take---either way.

Then there's the furniture and stuff.  Most of it isn't worth much, but we do have a few things we'd like to keep for our return.  Again, we ask the same question "Did He really mean everything?" Or can we keep some of our stuff?  And if so, what do we really want to keep and what needs to go?

The other big issue, which was partly already solved, is the sell of our Traverse.  Besides the house note, it's our only big monthly expense.  We figured if we sell it soon, we can use the monthly note money to pay off some of the smaller bills faster so we could start building up our mission fund.  But weren't sure what we'd drive if we sold it.  Well, God is awesome!  Someone offered to give us an older mini van.  So, now we just need to sell the car!  Anyone in the market for a 2011 Chevy Traverse? :)

Last on our "need to-do now" list is to begin fundraising.  We have a garage sale planned for the first weekend of March.  We will hopefully be getting rid of some of our "unnecessary" items like the things stored on the top shelf of the pantry and in the tops of closets that haven't been used in years, but will gladly take your junk too!  If you're in our area, do your Lenten/Spring cleaning asap and bring us your give away piles!

So, the answer is, yes, we are still crazy. Yes, we are still planning to sell everything and follow Christ proclaiming the Gospel to all the nations.  And no, we are still not worthy nor are we qualified.  But God keeps assuring us that He will give us what we need to do what He is asking us to do.  All we have to do is TRUST.  That's the hard part.  Not my will, but Your will be done.

Consequently, if you need someone to offer up your Lenten sacrifice for, we could definitely use the extra prayers and graces.  Or if you are looking for a good cause to give your Lenten alms to, pray about helping to support our future mission. 

Thanks in advance for the prayers and support!
The Crazy Seilhans


Tax deductible donations can be sent to Family Missions Company, 12624 Everglade Road, Abbeville, LA 70510.  Please put Seilhan Family in the memo line.  You can also donate online to our account at http://www.fmcmissions.com/portfolio/travis-and-melissa-seilhan/.  You can donate once or set up a monthly donation to our fund. Please know that donors/benefactors are prayed for daily.

Another Day in Court

Nothing was depending on today's case review.  It was simply a "procedure" since the adoption hadn't been finalized yet.  I had no worries this morning as I got up, got dressed, and headed out.  Although I thought today was going to be different, it really wasn't.

I arrived at the courthouse early as usual and found a spot in the hall to stand and hold up the wall near the already filled waiting room.  I was on top of the world.  There was no one I needed to be cautious of, no one to keep my eye on, no one to stare me down.  I know that I was all aglow because people kept giving me the "What are you so happy about today?" look.  I didn't care nothing was going to steal my joy today.

That was until I heard that awful sound...yes, the clanking of chains as the elevator opened (See My Day in Court).  Out came a line of young teenage boys cuffed and chained together at the ankles.  I was here again on "Delinquent Day." No matter how many times I've heard and seen this over the last three years, it is still just as awful as the first time I heard and saw it.  I immediately began to pray for each one of these boys to feel the love of God, for them to know Jesus, and for the Spirit to pour out the graces they needed to change their future.

As they entered the court room, I witnessed first hand how those boys probably got to this point.  I saw a young girl of about 12 treated so badly by an older girl.  The lady with them kept trying to referee between the two.  At one point she tried to remind the older girl that she had been that age once.  But the older girl mumbled under her breath about not being like that and told the younger girl that she got on her last nerve.  The older lady spoke up again to which the older girl replied, "I can talk to her however I want.  I'm her momma."  At this point, my heart sank.

I had watched the hurt and shame in this little girl's eyes all morning each time the "mother" that I thought was an older sister spoke to her.  She would turn her head towards the wall and hide her face.  At this point I begged God to intervene for this little girl.  I begged Our Blessed Mother to wrap her arms around this little girl and her young mother.  I pleaded with Jesus to reveal His love to them and teach them how to love.  I prayed over and over for this mother and child.

Once again, the clanking of chains came. Again, it was a group of very young teenaged boys.  This time there was another mother pointing them out to her teenaged daughter while telling her that that was going to be her very soon.  I wanted to scream at these mothers.  I wanted to tell them that their daughters were created by God and that He loved them no matter what and that they should too.  I wanted to grab these girls and hug them and tell them how much Jesus loved them and that they were everything to Him.  I wanted to load them all in my car and bring them home with me.  And again I prayed for God's mercy and love to pour out on these people. 

I wondered if any of these kids had anyone to show them love, to tell them that it's OK to mess up, that God was there to forgive them, to show them forgiveness, to help them get back on track.  I wondered if these parents had ever felt love before and if they knew how to give it.  Did anyone ever tell them how much God loves them and cares about them?  I felt so hopeless watching generation after generation of anger and hate fill this room. 

A few moments later a man and grandmother came to stand beside me.  I overheard the excitement in their voices as they confirmed to each other that everything was going to be alright.  I saw the smiles on their faces when the bailiff confirmed that "he" was indeed in the building and was in the holding room on another floor. This father and grandmother were there just to get a glimpse of this boy and to show him love and support as he entered the courtroom. As I bowed my head to thank God for that little bit of hope, I noticed the man was holding a Bible in his hand.  I smiled, "Yes, there was hope for one of these boys."

Later in the morning, a very nice young lady came to help hold up a wall in the hall across from me.  We began to chat after realizing that our boys shared a lawyer when the lawyer came to inform both of us to be prepared for a long day.  We laughed with each other about how after our very first court day, we knew to plan on being there the entire day.  She was another foster mom that was nearing the end of the first process and anxiously awaiting the move to "adoption."  We chatted until a lunch recess was called.  We joked about being the first ones back after lunch to get a seat on one of the few benches in the waiting area.  And of course, we were the first two lined up waiting to go through the metal detectors.

I took a seat and opened my book, but was distracted by my new friend's fidgeting.  Finally, she got up and crossed the room and asked about a young boy that had just gotten up.  Then she took out the photo album that she had showed me earlier this morning.  She asked if it would be OK to show it to the boy when he returned.  The lady agreed.

When the young boy returned, he sat and viewed the pictures of this baby.  He smiled at each one.  Tears welled up in my eyes knowing that this was the "father" that would be giving up his rights later this afternoon.  He was no more than a kid himself.  Another kid who had no one, but the two state workers that escorted him to the courthouse.  He returned the album politely and then returned to reading the newspaper and chatting with one of the officer.

I buried my head into my book before my heart could break any more.  I wondered why God had me here again on "Delenquent Day".  Didn't He know how much this kills me to watch?  I looked down at my book, Full of Grace by Johnnette Benkovic, and began to read:

Like Mother, Like Daughter: Called to Be Intercessors
Just as Mary, our Spiritual Mother, intercedes for each one of us before the throne of God, we, too, are to intercede for the needs of the world....The effective intercessor is one who accepts the mission...

In Ezekiel 22, God list for the prophet the many crimes of Jerusalem: sexual promiscuity, usury, a disregard for the dignity of the human person, godlessness, and murder. But then God says something to Ezekiel..

And I sought among them for a man that might set up a hedge, and stand in the gap before me in favour of the land, that I might not destroy it: and I found none. 
(Ezekiel 22: 30)

...God is looking for people today to stand in the gap and make intercessions for the needs of the world. 

At that, I closed my book, I knew then why I was called to wait three hours in the waiting area again on "Delinquent Day" for my three minute review hearing.   And now I beg you to join me interceding for these young people, their parents, their children, and their future---our future depends on it.

Mexico Christmas Project Update

God Always Has a Plan

Praise God!  We have all the money needed to help this family in Mexico. (Read about them here.)  And once again my plan was NOT what God had planned for this special project.  His is always so much greater!

When we first talked about helping this family when we were in Mexico, we had planned on coming home and using Travis's Christmas bonus to pay for the majority of the work ourselves.  We planned on asking friends and family to help out with the difference.  When we returned home, we talked with the kids and they were all on board with giving up almost all of their presents to help fix this family's home. 

I waited to write the first blog about our project, because we were waiting to see how much more we'd need after the bonus came in.  In the meantime, we mentioned our idea to a few family members and some close friends and were overwhelmed by their support.  One family offered to help pay the difference right off the top.  The bonus hadn't come in yet, so we weren't sure how much that would be.  But we were anxious to start collecting the rest of the money so that the carpenter could start on the project as soon as possible, so I wrote my blog knowing that God knew how much "extra" would be needed.  I knew He would take care of it.

Within a few days, we had several hundred dollars.  I was amazed at how generous our friends and family had been.  We kept waiting for the bonus to come in, so that we could tell the other family how much the difference would be.  I sent them an update one day and to my surprise they decided to go ahead and donate a very large amount which would cover almost the entire project!  I was so overwhelmed with joy at their generosity. We knew that with the Christmas bonus we'd definitely be able to cover the few hundred dollars left and have enough to help some of the other projects Family Missions Company had going on.  God was awesome!

We continued to wait, and wait, and wait for the Christmas bonus to come in.  It never did.  Finally, we got word that there would be no bonus this year.  Wow!  That was a blow to our plans, but I knew God had a plan.  I could now see what had been unfolding right before us.  The family mentioned above had given the exact amount that we had figured we'd be able to give out of the bonus.  Emily had raised more with her baking in one week than I thought she would.  Friends and family donated larger amounts than I expected them to give.  One of our local church parishes even donated to our project.  A blog reader had also given a substantial amount online for our project.  I knew that God had been working, we'd have that last $500 bonus or no bonus.

Sure enough within a few days of finding out that there would be no extra bonus coming in, I received a $300 check and a $200 pledge from two wonderful friends who both said, "I wish we could do more."  They had no idea when they wrote their checks that that was the exact amount that God intended them to each give.  That was the exact amount needed to finish the project.  I was speechless even though I had known that that last bit would come in. 

Once again, God humbled our family (mostly me) and showed us that we are not to try to do things on our own.  So many times lately we have tried to figure out how we could sell everything and stock pile at least a little for our future full time mission ministry.  We don't want to have to depend on others for financial support.  That is one of our biggest anxieties about our call to full time missions---having to ask others to financially support our family and our mission work.  It makes us both ill to think about not being able to provide for our own family's needs.  

God continuously tries to prove to us that He will take care of us and our mission.  If you read our blog, you already know how hard he's trying to convince us and that's only half the story!  You'd think by now we'd have learned!  I sometimes imagine Him taking that deep breath that we parents take when we've been saying the same thing over and over to our kids, and they still do not listen to our instructions.  I'm so grateful that our God is patient!  I think I'd have given up on us a long time ago!

A HUGE and heartfelt thank you to all of you that donated to this project, to all of you that prayed for it, and to all of you who continue to listen to the promptings of the Holy Spirit and support us in this crazy journey we are on!

Merry Christmas to you all!  

May many blessings shower your family in 2013!

The Seilhan Family

PS  I will post another update and hopefully some pictures as soon as the project gets underway in General Cepeda.

Thanksgiving Mission Trip, Part 6

Listening to the Prompting of the Holy Spirit

Remember how I said I keep feeling like we had to bring glasses in my first post?  Well, on the first day this lady showed up needing glasses. 

 

She tried on every pair in the box we had brought.  It was as if none of them would work for her.  I said a quick prayer asking Jesus to let there be a pair for her.  Finally, the last pair in the box was perfect.   She was so overwhelmed with joy when the words of the Catechism of the Catholic Church became clear enough to read!

There are no words in any human language to describe the look on her face.

I am so grateful that God allowed me to be at the Mission House when this lady came knocking.  Not only did he once again humble me by showing me true joy in a pair of $2.00 "cheaters", but He also confirmed that He will be with us to guide us every step of the way on our new journey.  All we need to do is "Be Still and Listen" to the promptings of the Holy Spirit.

I am so grateful to the "garage sale" man who was also listening to the urging of the Spirit to bring us the extra money that was used to purchase all the eyeglasses.  There were several others that came during the week for glasses, and thankfully they were all able to find a pair to work for them including a girl about the age of our girls. 

Are you listening? What has the Holy Spirit been prompting you to do? 

Thanksgiving Mission Trip, Part 5

The Ultimate Christmas Gift

On Thanksgiving Day, the girls and I met this family and once again God moved in our hearts.

When we arrived, there were literally kids everywhere.  They had one older boy sitting on a crate with a very old bicycle turned upside down in front him trying to fix it.  There were a few little ones playing with some old toy cars and trucks on a dirt mound on the side of the house.  Soon other kids and several ladies came filing out of the house to greet us.  They quickly began pulling out crates for us to sit on and even covered them with some of their clean clothes so that we would be more comfortable and wouldn't get dirty.  They didn't stop until we all had a place to sit under their makeshift porch (a torn tarp extending out from the doorway).

After we sat down and began to chat, another lady came to the doorway with a newborn baby.  The baby was a month old.  The same age as my newest niece whom the girls and I were missing so much!  As I tried to count up all the people that seemed to live here, more arrived.  Some were curious neighbors, some were more family members that lived up the hill.  The missionary explained that although not all lived here with the mother-in-law that they pretty much all "stayed" here during the day which meant that they probably had their meals here which is why we had brought two dispensa (food) bags to this home.

The mother-in-law peeled onions for a local grocery store and one of her sons that lived there was a butcher in town.  Neither job was full time.  Both were "as needed."  The two jobs together was not near enough to support these families.  Jobs in General Cepeda are very hard to come by.  I later learned that some of the sons had gone to live in Saltillo (closest big city) for awhile in order to find work, leaving the women and children here because it's more expensive to live in the city.  On top of barely having enough to feed their children, these women also did not have their husbands here with them.

I remembered back to when Travis had to work away from home for only a week at a time.  I remember how difficult it was for me and for the kids.  I remember how lonesome we were for each other's company even though we spoke on the phone every night.  I remember how tough it was to be a "single" mom every other week.  I remember packing up our three babies and going to my mom's or grandma's house daily, not only for a little help, but for a little bit of adult conversation. 

As we sat visiting outside under the torn tarp, I began to notice that there was clothing hanging out of the exterior walls.  I got up, pretending to go see the goats with the girls, to get a better look around.  This is what I saw on the side of the house.

 

I went back around to the front to inquire some more about this family.  I found out that in the last couple of years, they have had a kitchen fire and a flood.  Yes, a flood in the desert.  A few summers ago, there was a lot of rain and this house, at the bottom of the hill, had flooded and had suffered a lot of exterior damage.  Houses in Mexico are built from adobe (mud) bricks.  "Wealthier" families have an outer layer of cement covering the adobe to protect the mud from washing away when the rain does come.  This house did not have that outer layer of cement protection on the exterior walls and the walls were crumbling.

The family had used scraps of tin they found to patch up this side wall.  The clothing that I originally saw hanging out of the house had been stuffed in the cracks to keep the cold out.  My heart ached even more for these women and children.   The mother-in-law allowed me to go inside and take a look around.  The ceiling had a large black tarp on it to keep the rain out because the roof leaked.  General Cepeda is in a desert area, so they don't get much rain which is good thing in this case.  But when it does rain, the water drips off the edges of the tarp down the adobe walls.  The inside walls were damaged also.

Back outside, I felt God tugging on my heart.  I knew that I was being called to do something.  I knew that He had sent me here for a purpose.  But what?  What could I do?  I felt like I needed to take pictures to show Travis.  Would I offend them if I started taking pictures of their poor living conditions?  So, I sat and just prayed.  We were about to leave when I just blurted out to the missionary translator, "I want to help these people.  Ask them if I can take pictures of their home?"

I'm not sure what all was said back and forth between the missionary and the mother-in-law, but eventually I was told that I could take pictures.  We walked around the house and found yet another crumbling adobe wall and an unfinished addition.

We returned to the mission house for our Thanksgiving Feast, but I could not get this family off my mind.  Travis and I talked about it and were in agreement that we must do something, but what?  We talked to our missionary friend that had been the translator that day.  We asked if she could bring us back to the house, so that Travis could look at it.  She decided that we should also take one of Family Missions Company's Mexican missionaries (and local "carpenter") back with us the next day to see what exactly could be done.  He knew this family well and was happy to help us figure out where to begin. 
 
When we returned to the house, Travis was able to explain to me what he had learned from his two roofing projects and pointed out the inadequacies of the current roof.   He also noticed that this house didn't have a floor either.  I was too busy looking at the "tarped" ceiling and the crumbling walls that I hadn't noticed the bare dirt floors.

As we walked back to our car, he also noticed that there were a large number of extension cords strung together coming from the house, crossing the rocky, dirt "road," and heading up the hill into a neighboring house.  The electricity that they did have came from a neighbor---a neighbor who probably could barely afford to take care of their own needs.  Yes, the poor are the most generous of all.

We left there knowing exactly why God had called us back to Mexico, why Travis & the boys had been on roofing projects during both trips, why the girls and I had been on this home visit team.  He was calling us to greater humility.  Over the past two years, we had changed our life dramatically. We had simplified our life to the point of being ridiculed by friends and family.  We had curbed our spending on luxuries drastically.  We had begun to support more "causes" out of our need and not our excess.  We had grown in our faith so much with each "sacrifice."  And were happy to be where we were and not where we used to be.  Yet, He wanted to show us that we still had a long way to go!

We found that total cost of repairs (replacing the existing roof, repairing the crumbling walls, adding cement to the exterior walls, and giving them a cement floor) would be around $1500-1800.  Not as doable as the doors and windows, but still very doable.  We just had to figure out how raise the money and how to get it back to this family.  Since being home, we have prayed about it and have discussed it with FMC, and have figure out both.

We decided to make this "The Ultimate Christmas Gift" named after one of our favorite movies The Ultimate Gift.  Instead of wasting so much money, which we all do no matter how hard we try not to, this Christmas we are not giving our kids or our extended families (& friends) gifts that they don't need, want, like, or will be tossed out at the next garage sale.

Instead, we are going to give this family something needed, something that will last, something that will be whole-heartedly appreciated, something that will change their lives---a roof, solid walls, and a floor because we found that the ULTIMATE GIFT IS GIVING to those who truly need the gift.
 
If you'd like to help us in giving the Ultimate Christmas Gift, there are several ways:

1. Contact me or Travis privately.
2. Buy baked goods from "Emily's Bakery."
3. Send a check directly to:
              Family Missions Company
              12624 Everglade Rd
              Abbeville, LA 70510
   Please put "Seilhan Project" in the memo.
4. Go to Family Mission Company's website and donate online using your debit or credit card.  Please put "Seilhan Project" in the comment field at the bottom.

Want to "gift" this to someone?  We will send you a picture of the family and a "gift certificate" telling them that you donated to this wonderful cause in their name!  I'm sure they will be more than happy not to have to pretend they needed another picture frame or pair of fuzzy socks! :)

If you don't feel called to help with our project, we challenge you to find another "Christmas Project." There are thousands of great causes that you can get involved in and millions of other families that are truly in need.  But most importantly involve your kids!  Have them "give up" a gift in order to help someone in need.

Mexico Christmas Project Update

Thanksgiving Mission Trip, Part 6

Thanksgiving Mission Trip, Part 4

Pre-term Labor and Bed Rest


On another one of our home visits, the girls and I met a lady that was on bed rest.  She was 8 months pregnant and had been to the hospital the day before with pre-term labor.  They gave her an IV and some medicine to stop the contractions and put her on bed rest.  She was in great spirits when we arrived and was joking about being so bored just sitting there doing nothing.  Flashbacks!  If any of you knew me during my pregnancies, you'd remember that "bed rest" was my life for about three years straight!  I knew that "bored" feeling all too well.

But I also knew how much time your mind has to come up with all the worst scenarios for your unborn child.  She later asked for us to pray for the baby to be strong and healthy.  You could see the worry in her eyes.  I remembered all the fears I had with each one of my pregnancies.  I also knew that our youngest was born a few weeks early and here she was 9 years later---perfect as can be.  I asked our missionary translator to share a little of my story with the lady and to tell her that God listens to a mother's prayer.  Pointing to Olivia, I showed her proof of answered prayers.

We left there and I continued to think of this women throughout the day.  I prayed for her all day as I thought about how blessed I truly was during those three difficult years.  I was surrounded by family.  My grandma or my mom delivered food to me in bed while Travis was at work.  I had a TV, AC/Heat, books, movies---more comforts than I can remember.  I also had awesome team of doctors and a state of the art children's hospital that was taking excellent care of me and my babies.  I had a car ready and available to rush me to that hospital at any moment.  She did not have that.  She did not have any of the luxuries that I had and yet she had a much better attitude than I can remember having.

I remember being miserable.  I remember feeling sorry for myself.  I remember crying and asking, "Why me?  Why again?"  I was probably not a very nice patient for my relatives tending to me and my needs.  I was probably not a good friend to those who visited me and tried to cheer me up.  I didn't know it at the time, but I was so blessed during those difficult pregnancies.  As I had testified  the earlier in that week, I was transformed into the woman I am today because of those difficult times.  Thank you, Lord, for opening my eyes once again to Your plan.

Yes, I had been placed on this home visit team personally by God, and He still had more in store for me.....


***Please pray for this mother and all those expecting mothers who do not have the comforts most of us have during our 9 months of waiting.


Thanksgiving Mission Trip, Part 5