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We had a wonderful, quiet, stay-at-home Thanksgiving this year. No doubt we had a lot to be thankful for. Two blessings at the top of the list sat right at the table with us. They were both very excited about all the cooking. As you can see Elisabeth was hovering around Momma in the kitchen, so I attempted to occupy her time with a book, among other things. Hannah said “nummy, nummy” I don’t know how many times, always wanting to be picked up so she could see what was cooking. They both love food, and just seemed to understand this was a special, holiday meal. It was great to see them having fun and giving thanks in prayer right along with us!

I have taken a bunch of photos over the past few days, and will hopefully be writing a post informing you of additions to our Gallery soon. Above you see a sample of my work. Hannah seems to enjoy staring directly into the lens. When I move the camera up or down, her head just follows. As you can see I moved the camera toward the floor…so went Hannah. Happy Thanksgiving!

We were able to get twenty-one family photos online this week; all taken in 2007. You will notice the photos at the top of the page are from the beginning of the year, while those near the bottom were taken just a few days ago. We hope to continue adding pictures to this section through the end of the year, as well as begin working our way back in time with a 2006, and perhaps 2005 album in the future.

“Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right. Honour thy father and mother; (which is the first commandment with promise;) That it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth.” Something that seems so elementary occurred to me as I was reading this passage. Just as Paul had spoken to the husbands and wives directly in previous verses, he was also speaking directly to children here. Paul meant for children to be reading this scripture! It seems so ridiculous to point it out, but I am afraid sometimes that we overlook that fact. Children’s hearts are not changed by Bible stories alone, they are turned toward God by the very words of scripture. Many of our Sunday School materials tell stories, but never actually focus on the text. Read the Bible to your young ones, and get them a Bible of their own. God’s word is profitable to everyone, and is written for all, both young and old. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if our children were to grasp the concept of obedience as a result of their own reading, without need for a constant reminder from adults?

It has been another long stretch between Harper family updates; this time a little over four months. In our last letter, we left you in the dark about the specifics of our future plans to visit the Baptist Mid-Missions work in England. While we had been praying for an opportunity to take a ten day trip to the country for over six months, we were unable to confirm the details at that point. The fact is, I had not accrued enough leave time from my job, and was not certain traveling 27 hours with two toddlers was a wise choice. After learning we were expecting our third child (due January 27th), things got even more complicated. In early August, we decided to book a trip for October 3rd through the 16th, and determined I would travel alone.

I spent my first five days in the UK with Stan and Paula Boelman, who planted Fellowship Baptist Church in Luton nearly 26 years ago. My second five days were spent with Ken and Dawn Houghten, who also have around 25 years of experience, and currently minister at Buckingham Evangelical Church in Milton Keynes. Both provided wonderful hospitality, and did their best to give me a varied and informed experience in the UK. Their years of practical ministry to English people was invaluable in our process of considering missionary service there. We had a great time talking and traveling around their respective areas taking in the British countryside and history.

Some of my favorite moments were spent at church services and activities, as I had a few moments to talk with attendees, and observe how they fellowship and worship. One of the main highlights was an ordination and installation service for Bro. Paul Milner at Reynard Way Evangelical Church in Northampton. Pastor Milner spoke to my heart as he related his call to the ministry and concern for the spiritual condition of his country. He observed how few men of his age group had chosen a life of service to Christ, and wondered how God may use him; then chose to leave a terrific job and study for the ministry. I had never felt more comfortable or unified with any group of believers than on that day.

In short, this was a wonderful trip, which added a bit of knowledge to my fascination with British society and culture. Though I missed my family very much during my 12 days away, I left England with a desire to learn more. Therefore we continue to consider details and pray about what God may have us do. I hope you will join with us in asking God for wisdom to consider, and strength to do anything and everything He desires.

If you have any questions, please feel free to leave a comment here, or contact us by e-mail. We are always happy to hear from you, and respond with answers or more information. You may also want to check out our England 2007 album in the Gallery, where you will find a number of pictures from the trip.

We would ask in closing that you pray for a specific unspoken request, and remember Deborah as she looks forward to the delivery of our first son this January! We are so very thankful for your prayers and encouragement. You have been immensely patient as we have walked an uncertain road together. God bless you in your lives and ministries for the Savior.

After some significant planning, reworking, updating and picture-taking, I have finally posted an updated photo gallery. There are only fifteen photos available today (from my recent trip to England), but plans are in the works to have a lot more online soon. Keep in mind it took me almost a full two hours to resize, label and post this group, so I can imagine it will be a few weeks before other albums appear. (Dial-up internet is often frustrating.)

A few notes about the England 2007 album:

1. This is a very limited sample of the over 300 photos I kept.
2. Generally speaking it was too dark in the Churchill Museum for anything other than night-shot; hence the black and white, grainy look.
3. I will be adding fifteen or twenty more pictures in the next few days, and will hopefully also write a separate entry with trip details.

Access the Gallery any time by clicking the link at the top of the page. Select an album, then a photo. Navigate to the next or previous shot by moving the cursor to the left or right and clicking on the ‘Next’ or ‘Prev’ label. Sorry for the lengthy explanation; enjoy!