Tim & Joan

2011-07-04T21:32:00.000-07:00

Great time last night with good friends and some great kababs and mast moosir.

Thing One, Two, Three and Four

2011-05-27T06:14:00.000-07:00

Also known as Wesley staring as "thing 1", Isaiah as "thing 2", Selah as "thing 3" and Laleh as "things 4".

Laleh Eve and the 4 "Things"

2011-05-27T06:06:00.000-07:00

Laleh Eve. Born May 18, 2011. Umma arrived a few days later.

Space Coast

2011-04-07T14:28:00.000-07:00

We went to Kennedy Space Center and then Cocoa Beach today.

Feb Progress on House

2011-02-04T06:02:00.000-08:00

Here are a few new pictures from our place. New siding going up, deer in the yard, new paint in kitchen and living room and Jim and his helper with the new counter top. Very nice and tile to go up on the back of the counter in a couple of days.

Christmas Morning

2010-12-25T03:02:00.000-08:00

New Pajamas from Umma and snuggies from Grandma G.

Christmas in Portugal

2010-12-24T01:21:00.000-08:00

We are spending Christmas in Lisbon, Portugal with our daughter Hannah and her family, Mark and our three granddaughters, Sahara, Cambria and Tirza.

A Weekend Trip

2010-11-06T04:23:00.000-07:00

A beautiful new city and country for us.

Hatam Iranian Restaurant

2010-10-14T09:44:00.000-07:00

Moshen, I needed you here to eat this good grass they gave us. They did have some great bread and mast musir.

HAPPY 8TH BIRTHDAY BRIA

2010-10-10T05:33:00.000-07:00

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BRIA!!!!!!!!!

New Pictures.

2010-09-27T05:20:00.000-07:00

Some pictures for Sahara of a hotel near us. Then some furniture I was sure Letha would like. The food was about $3.50 for both of us and it was great chicken and hummus dip. Joan is standing in front of the mall and you can see the hotel near it. One picture is the famous hotel in Dubai through the window on the Metro train. Finally some pictures inside the amazing mall with a Persian and Egyptian section pictures. There were also India, China, Tunisia and a few other smaller sections.

Local Food

2010-09-24T11:25:00.000-07:00

At one of the Afghan restaurants across the street from our apartment.

Sharjah

2010-09-19T07:02:00.000-07:00

More pictures to come. These are in our 6th floor apartment and out the window.

Happy Easter

2010-04-04T19:13:00.000-07:00

What a great day to celebrate the Risen Lord. We went to church with lots of friends and then had a great lunch and time together. Thanks Moshen, Laleh, Behrang, Mehrnoush and Nader for joining us.

Middle Eastern Friendship Centre Website

2009-10-29T21:47:00.001-07:00

Check out the web site at www.mefriendshipcentre.com

Middle Eastern Friendship Centre

2009-10-05T23:12:00.000-07:00

What a great place. We daily have visitors from all over the world. Today I met a lady from Sudan, a lady from Morocco, and a man from Egypt. Saturday Joan had a conversational English class with two ladies, one from Iraq and the other from Syria.

The pictures include some of our very good friends that we have the privilege of working with at the centre. It continues to be a walk of faith as we depend on God for the resources to keep rent paid for the centre.

Good Friends

2009-07-20T19:45:00.001-07:00

What a blessings to get to spent the day with good friends that we had not seen for more than 6 years. We meet Jerry and Penny in 1989 and were partners in ministry for more than 15 years. It was so good to be with them. Katherine is a beautiful young lady and Benjamin taught us how to play minature golf. Thanks for driving all the way from Florida to see us.

Jasper National Park

2009-07-03T22:34:00.000-07:00

We traveled from Edmonton, Alberta to Blue River, British Columbia today. It was a beautiful drive. We went a little south of Jasper and enjoyed Athabasca Falls. Also just east of Jasper we saw two amazing elk on the side of the road. We had a quick stop at Mt Robson, the highest point of the Canadian Rockies. Enjoy the pictures. We will go to Kamloops tomorrow and then home on Sunday.

Hick Lake Swimming Lessons or "Why not to tie one canoe to another one."

2009-06-06T18:43:00.000-07:00

A Day at Hick Lake

2009-06-03T21:49:00.001-07:00

19 of us went to Hick lake last Saturday. It was a great time with friends, grilling, canoe rides, and even some unplanned swimming.

Selah-Two Weeks Old

2009-04-24T11:15:00.000-07:00

Umma and Grandchildren Together

2009-04-23T17:55:00.000-07:00

Joan's tulips are blooming here in Vancouver but I think she is enjoying being Umma in south Asia.

Selah Elle DeLaughter

2009-04-10T07:53:00.000-07:00

Selah Elle DeLaughter arrived today. 6 lbs. 5 ounces. 16.1 inches long. Grandchild number 6.

Cold Update

2009-03-10T21:17:00.000-07:00

I am home tonight in Vancouver and a warm +28F. It was -44F today in Edmonton with a wind chill of -63F. Hard to believe but truth. By the way, I didn't like the cold.

COLD

2009-03-09T18:36:00.000-07:00

I have never been this cold before. It is suppose to be -32 in the morning. The picture is at the hotel I am staying at in Edmonton, Alberta.

2009-01-22T00:33:00.001-08:00

STRAIGHT INTO THE CITY
Psalm 107:7 (NASB) “He led them also by a straight way, to go to an inhabited city.
While serving in Africa I would sometimes travel “out in the bush” where there where no roads much less signs to give direction to the village or city I was looking for. It was a great relief to find the way and finally see the place I was looking for. Even in a big city that you are not familiar with you can easily become disoriented and even lost. It can be frightening until you find your way again.
This passage in Psalm 107 reminds us of the needy nation of Israel that was wandering in the wilderness. When they prayed to God in their distress, God took particular care of them. They were lost. They were scattered and without a place to call home. They were imprisoned in a sea of pathless sand. They were sick and in danger from the elements and from the enemy. They were hungry and thirsty without the supplies that they needed. They were tired and in need of a place of refugee. They were without direction and did not know where to go.
This passage is about how God gathered them and caused them to become a people. He made them well again and led them to a place of safety and supplies. He led them also by a straight path. He caused them to go to an inhabited city, a place of rest and refugee.
Moses, while in the wilderness, along with everyone else, experienced all the struggles of wandering in the hot, sandy, trackless desert. In Psalm 90 out of his experience with God in the wilderness journey he writes, “Lord, Thou hast been our dwelling place in all generations. Before the mountains were born, or Thou didst give birth to the earth and the world, Even from everlasting to everlasting, Thou art God.”
People go to the city for many reasons. All over the world people are running to the cities. How we view our city and what God is doing there will make a great difference to how we face each day and the challenges and opportunities of the city. Often cities are described as places of crime, danger, evil, and dirty crowded places. Cities are actually places of refugee, rest, medical care, supplies, community, and protection from the elements and enemies.
What can we do to make sure we view and live in “our city” as God intended for us to live, love and reach out to the lost. See your city as the right way, the straight way that God has lead you and your family. Make your “dwelling place” a home and a place of refugee. Give thanks to God for clear direction and for the inhabited city that He has lead you to.
I believe God intended the city to be a place of refugee where man can find Him. Is it not true that even in the city we have been given the opportunity to bring salvation to the masses that are lost and without direction, a city full of countless individuals whose souls need to find rest in Jesus? Every struggle and difficulty that comes with living in the city also provides us with many opportunities to be a light in the darkness, to give hope to the hopeless, to feed the hungry souls, to proclaim that God is what the masses are unknowingly searching for in their hearts.
When you think about going home what images come to your mind? As children our homes were intended to be places where we were kept warm and feed and where our parents took care of us. Jeremiah reminds us that God wanted to be a father to Israel. “With weeping they will come, And by supplication I will lead them; I will make them walk by streams of waters, On a straight path in which they will not stumble; For I am a father to Israel, And Ephraim is My firstborn.” Jeremiah 31:9.
Our cities are full of lost people. People who don’t know the way to God and in some cases do not want to even think about God. They would rather wander in their spiritual wilderness and try to find their own direction. Perhaps worse than being lost is that they are lost and do not know it. They are headed out into the desert and to sure death without knowing the only One who can give them hope, direction, rest and salvation.
Even as believers who have once known the call of God and His clear direction in our lives, we can feel lost and wonder what am I suppose to do in this mass of a city and masses of people. I have been lost physically in my city more than once. I have learned to be comfortable with this situation and particularly with the once uncomfortable lost feeling. It is amazing how in my “lostness” God has put someone in my life that I can share my faith with and the hope that I have in Christ.
Getting off the wrong bus in downtown Vancouver I went to a restaurant/bar to sit down for a few minutes and to have a diet coke. I ask the guy sitting next to me for directions and which bus I should take. He engages me in conversation about who I am and what am I doing in Vancouver. He immediately guessed by my accent and my lostness that I was not from around here. I was able to share with him my faith in Christ and how I am trying to live out my faith in this city.
God knew where I was at all the time and He had a “divine” appointment for me. He led me straight to this man. When I am feeling lost it is because I am looking at it from my perspective. From God’s perspective, He always knows where I am at and where He is leading me to go. When I “feel” the most lost is when I must completely trust Him. I can be lost physically but also at times we can feel we have lost direction in our purpose for being in the city. We can be overcome with all the vastness, bigness of it all, task and place.
Psalm 107:1-22 reminds us to call out to the Lord and then to thank Him for his clear and straight direction and for the refuge and rest that we find in Him. When I have been lost in my city it is always good to come home. As I get closer to my house I begin to feel the blessings of my “home” I can relax, have something to eat or drink and just marvel that God is using me in this city, my city, my urban place, my city of habitation.

Some other choice ones

2009-01-07T00:00:00.001-08:00

A Blast from the Past

2009-01-06T23:20:00.000-08:00

A few fun pictures from a past season of life. I love them all. There are more to come. I bought a scanner for my old slides.

MERRY CHRISTMAS

2008-12-24T13:46:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas from cold and snowy Canada. We have about 2 feet of snow in our yard and it is still snowing. It is beautiful but we hope our guests can make to our house for dinner on Christmas Day. We are so glad to have Letha with us for Christmas this year. Heidi and Doug were coming but the weather has changed those plans. Maybe they will make it for New Years Day. Enjoy the pictures and keep Christ the center of your Christmas.

Ready for Christmas

2008-12-03T07:54:00.000-08:00

Fireside with friends

2008-11-22T21:07:00.000-08:00

A great time by the fire with Moshen and Laleh on our back patio

Grouse Mountain

2008-10-11T17:44:00.000-07:00

We had a great day on Grouse Mountain today with our friends Mosen and Laleh. Mosen and Joan walked the 2 miles up the very steep trail and Laleh and I rode the gandola. We enjoyed the lumberjack show and the grizzly bears at the top.

A few more pictures

2008-10-03T17:10:00.000-07:00

11493 Millar Road

2008-10-03T16:15:00.000-07:00

We moved out of the townhouse in south Surrey on Tuesday and moved into a house in north Surrey on Wednesday. We had some good help from some great friends that made the move much easier. Here are some pictures of the house. It is one story with a wooden desk in the back and a large cement patio on the rest of the back of the house. A nice two car garage and a great gas fireplace in the living room. Come see us.

Summer is over

2008-09-21T07:57:00.000-07:00

Well, summer ended yesterday and now we have begun the beautiful fall season. Leaves are beginning to change quickly here, the days are getting shorter, and we are getting ready to move. Not far this time but about 25 minutes Northeast of here. We will still be in Surrey but instead of south Surrey we will be in NW Surrey near the Faiser River and less than 1 KM from the church we attend. This location will put us more central to the rest of the metro Vancouver area.

Our new address beginning October 1st will be 11493 Millar Road, Surrey, BC Canada V3V 2V1.

Off to Portugal

2008-07-10T08:49:00.000-07:00

Hannah, Mark, Sahara, Bria and Tirza are on their way to the airport in Seattle to fly to Lisbon, Portugal. The picture is all of them and their luggage loaded in the van and departing out of our garage in Surrey, BC. We pray they have a great trip today to Frankfurt and then tomorrow in to Lisbon. Also one picture from last night of our traditional family meal. It was great. Sorry you missed it DeLaughters and McClures.

Prayer for a friend

2008-06-14T17:23:00.001-07:00

Today I received a call from a friend in Damascus, Syria. He is a friend who is origianlly from Iraq but now lives in Canada. He is in Damascus trying to get permission for his wife to come from Iraq to Canada. She lives in Iraq but the Canadian embassy is in Syria. He called asking for prayer for the process as so far they have rejected there application. If they reject it again he will return to Canada but she will have to return to Iraq. The timing is critical as they really wanted her to be in Canada for the birth of their first child. Pray with me for N. and his wife S.

Doug & Heidi McClure

2008-05-27T23:51:00.000-07:00

May as turned out to be a great month for us. We are so blessed and want to give God all the glory for the good gifts He gives to us. We are so pleased to welcome Doug McClure into our family. We have prayed for all of our daughters that God would lead them to godly men who would love God and and want to to thank God for the marriage of Heidi and Doug on May 18th. We look forward to celebrating this marriage with a reception for them on July 5 from 1-4pm at 1st Baptist Church in Longview, WA.

TN to WA

2008-05-03T22:24:00.000-07:00

Well we are almost there. We left TN on Tuesday and traveled to Hannibal MO and had a great visit with the Booth family there. On Thursday we drove across MO and then up I-29 through Iowa and then headed West on I-90 through South Dakota. About midway through SD highway I-90 was closed due to a blizzard at Rapid City. So much for seeing Mt Rushmore. On Friday morning we traveled 200 miles straight South and hit I-80 at N Platte, Nebraska and tried to go West again. At Ogallala, NE we found I-80 was closed for the day and the whole night. Again due to high winds and snow. We left Ogallala this morning about 7:30am. The road was opened about 5:30am. It was a bit snowy but we made it through. We drove for 900 miles today and ended up in Boise, Idaho at about 8:45pm. We should be able to make it into Longview tomorrow. What's up with all the snow in May?

Mark and Hannah's Appointment Service

2008-04-16T21:01:00.000-07:00

What a great privilege it was to be able to attend the appointment service of another one of our daughters. Mark and Hannah were appointed by the IMB to service as missionaries in Lisbon, Portugal. They will, along with Sahara, Cambria and Tirza move to Richmond, VA for orientation on April 28th and then on to Portugal in early July. Joan is in TN helping them get ready to move and Tim will join them next week to assist in finishing everything and get our house there ready to be sold.

Pray for Mark and Hannah and their girls as they say their goodbyes and begin this exciting journey. Also continue to pray for Kara and David and their boys in India. Pray for Letha at SE Seminary in North Carolina and for Heidi who has a new job in Longview, WA.

I have also included our family picture from January. God is good.

The Crowd and our friends.

2008-03-19T22:53:00.000-07:00

Persian New Years Eve

2008-03-19T22:25:00.001-07:00

We had a great time with our friends at the Iranian celebration of New Years last night in North Vancouver.

A trip in the van

2008-03-01T23:14:00.000-08:00

Tonight I was the designated driver to a meeting in nearby Burnaby. I had planned to pick up a couple of my Middle Eastern friends to go to our planning meeting for our conference in July. I ended up with a van full of 7 of us. There were three guys from Kurdistan, two guys from Egypt and a lady from Kuwait. Although most of the conversation was in Arabic I enjoyed all the fun that everyone was having. We had a great meeting and made good plans for the meeting to celebrate the community of faith and to encourage one another in our witness to others. What a privilege to be a part of this vibrant community of faith that loves the Lord.

Sunday in Canada

2008-01-28T16:26:00.000-08:00

We knew it could snow some in Canada but through Dec and Jan it seems to snow almost every Sunday. Yesterday we had to drive through more than a foot of snow to take our Burundi friends home after church. We wonder sometimes how much they are understanding but they sure seem to enjoy everything. On the way home Brickmas who is four years old was singing , "My Redeemer Lives" in perfect tune. As we looked at all the snow Shantal said that it looked like there was ugali in all the trees and covering all the ground. She thought it was very funny and that her family in Africa would never believe it. What fun they are.

Kids and Grandkids

2008-01-09T13:30:00.000-08:00

Having a great time with family all together. Happy New Year to everyone.

Christmas in TN

2007-12-20T11:35:00.001-08:00

We are off to TN for Christmas and the New Year. We can't wait to see all the kids and grandkids. We will return to Canada on January 13. Have a good trip Kara and David and boys. See you all soon.

More snow men and angels

2007-12-02T20:11:00.000-08:00

Snowmen and Angels

2007-12-02T10:53:00.000-08:00

We built a snowman for the grandkids to see. (Sahara, Wesley, Bria, Isaiah, Tirza). We also needed a snow angel since our pastor was preaching about angels today and we did not go to church due to almost 6 inches of snow and still snowing. Video of mom making the snow angel available upon request.

Snow days

2007-12-02T09:35:00.001-08:00

Almost 5 inches and it is still snowing. It is beautiful except on the roads.

The Brothers

2007-11-26T10:18:00.000-08:00

We had a great time with our family in Longview for Thanksgiving.

A Good Day at Church

2007-11-18T15:00:00.000-08:00

We had a good day at church this morning. We took three of our Burundi friends with us. Aline, Shantal and Gaudace had a good time singing with us and then learning the stories of the lost coin, lost sheep and lost son. They are such sweet girls and it is privilege to be a part of their lives. The picture includes little brother Brickmas and a neighbor Anita.

Retreat Time

2007-11-15T09:25:00.000-08:00

We just returned home from a pastor and wife's retreat on the other side of the Rocky Mountains. It was a great time of fellowship and getting to know some new friends. Also what a beautiful drive with Elk and deer and a few mountain goats along the way. Even a bit of snow on the way home for Joan to enjoy.

Good Friends

2007-11-05T22:18:00.000-08:00

What great friends God has given us. Friday I spent a couple of hours with my good friend Ali who is from Kurdistan. Sunday night we had dinner and Bible study in Amin and Sepideh's home, our Persian friends, along with 5 other Persian guests and one good friend from Morocco. Tonight we had dinner in the home of George and Nicoleta along with their children. They are from Romania. Later this week we will travel with Alan and Wanda to Alberta. They are some of our good Canadian friends. We thank God for all our friends.

Doaktown, New Brunswick

2007-10-26T22:51:00.000-07:00

The is the cabin and the river nearby where I stayed this last week in Doaktown, New Brunswick.

Family postures

2007-10-19T08:55:00.001-07:00

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BRIA

2007-10-09T23:38:00.001-07:00

Our beautiful grand-daughter Cambria Rose is 5 years old today.

A Dog's Life

2007-10-06T11:25:00.000-07:00

A few of our former friends.

Zip line in Whistler

2007-10-01T09:13:00.000-07:00

Whistler, BC

2007-09-30T14:40:00.000-07:00

We spent a few days a couple hours north of us in Whistler, BC (site of the 2010 winter Olympics). We were with my brother Tom and his wife Glenda. We were in snow one morning and then played golf in the sunshine in the afternoon. We also saw a total of 8 bears. Notice the bear behind us on the golf course and also mom on the zip line.

Travel to Vancouver City

2007-09-17T09:30:00.000-07:00

Two ways to get to downtown Vancouver. You can cross the Fraiser River on one of the bridges or you can go by Sky Train.

Hick's Lake and Bridal Falls

2007-09-10T21:36:00.000-07:00

We spent a beautiful day with our friends Sepideh and Amin.

The Mind of Christ

2007-09-09T08:46:00.000-07:00

Sunday morning here and we are soon to head to church. This afternoon we will also attend and speak at the Arabic Fellowship that is only about 4 blocks from our house. Briefly the message for this afternoon is about having the same attitude as Christ and following His example of how to bring glory to God. It is from Philippians 2.

If there is any encouragment in Christ then be of the same mind as Christ.

If there is any consolation of love then maintain the same love. Serve one another and think of others first even as Christ did in emptying himself for our behalf. Romans 5:8

If there is any fellowship of the Spirit then be united in spirit. Serve God together in a community of united hearts. Jesus came to earth to dwell among us and to serve us.

If there is any affection and compassion then be intent on one purpose. Become obedient even as Christ was and pour out our lives as a drink offering and let God work out His purposes and His glory through us.

Have a great Sunday.

New Friends

2007-09-05T14:30:00.000-07:00

What a blast it is to be in all the different homes of our friends here in Surrey. Yesterday we were in a Chinese friend's home. She is married to a Moroccan. Tonight we are going to our Iranian friend's home for dinner. Last Thursday we had dinner in an Egyptian friend's home. We hope this week to visit again with friends from Lebanon, Palestine, Kuwait and Iraq. It really is a lot of fun. They are all such great people. Some are believers and some are not. It is all very interesting and we thank God for what He is putting before us.

2007-09-03T15:38:00.000-07:00

Can you give the time and place of these pictures?

Beginning blog

2007-09-03T10:18:00.001-07:00

Well, I am entering the blog world just for the fun of it. Maybe I will post a few different pictures for a while and see who can guess where they were taken. We also have some great friends here in the Vancouver area that we would like to introduce you to from time to time.