Daily doings: Right now, things are a lot less hectic than they usually are. I have recently started taking orders again for my business so that is picking up speed. My day usually run about the same; Chores and play with Darius. Then after Dinner dishes are done, work on sewing orders. I am pleased with the way things are calmly working right now.  :)   Things will definitely pick up pace in the spring as it will be time for more outside activates ( helping get the gardens started and such) plus CARES season will start again at SIFAT so I will be spending a lot more time there. I am really excited right now because they have a retreat scheduled sometime in March with a Deaf youth/adult group from Texas and Haley has asked if I might be able to be there as volunteer staff  for the week! You can read more about this in my Deaf Missions section to the right.   Two weeks ago I began my journey in learning the Spanish language and I am so thrilled about it! I have always been interested in the study of languages and I think it would be incredible to learn as many languages as I can. I started learning German about a year or so ago but life events and the lack of a teacher cut it short. I still hope to learn, but my sisters and I realized that Spanish would be more useful to us right now. Being involved at SIFAT me we meet so many Hispanics who come for training and such. We started praying for a teacher and asking around. And boy did He answer! Not long after, and I am not exactly sure how it came about, SIFAT found a man willing to teach the staff and a few volunteers for a very minimal cost! PTL The course is 21 weeks long, one night a week and we are 2 classes down :) Our teacher, Marcus, is absolutely wonderful and has an even more incredible testimony. I pray that God will bless him for his service and let me know how much he is appreciated!

Homestead On Hold   Starting at the end of Summer, for most of the Fall and on into winter last year, I spent a lot of time really focused on (one might even say obsessed with)  my future homestead. How I wanted everything to work, what I felt that God would have me do with it and all the possibilities for it. The Landscape and layout of it, the building methods which would be used on each building and the size and quantity of everything involved. Even though they did not say it with their mouths, I think my family became weary of discussing the topic or rather listening to me talk about it. Finally, much to their joy I am sure, I finally realized something. I had no money and was not going to have any unless I buckled down and got busy saving what I was bringing in from my businesses. And no matter how self-sufficient you plan on making it, you need money to start! I am glad that the Lord help me see that, while my intentions are great and my plans marvelous, I need to be more  focused on what is here and now and let Him take care of my future. So I will not be posting much on here for a while about my future Self-Sufficient Homestead/Farm Camp for Inner-city Kids/Teaching facility for other aspiring Homesteaders/ Hands-on Christian Farm camp for Deaf youth/ U-Pick Strawberry Farm. As the time starts drawing near when this Homestead becomes something of a reality (like when I actually own some land of my own) I will certainly start sharing about it again! Til then!

I came across this and I think it absolutely and most unfortunately needs to be hanging in all the modern churches of America today!

Color Pencil Drawing

Sweet little Madeline McJunkin

Color Pencil Drawing

Clarence and Emma

Sunday- February 17, 2008   I did not update last week because I was super busy and I was sick so I thought I would go ahead and do it today. However, when I set down to write, I could not decide what I should write about first. So I  think I will just post a recent email survey that I got. I think those are so fun! I just said " I " 12 times in 4 sentences. That has to be a record! Last week was busy although I feel like I didn't get anything done! Darrius was sick for most of the week too, so we just hung around the house. Then I spent all day Friday and Saturday at SIFAT with Erin cooking and cleaning for their Mission Team-Training Retreat. We did not get home till 11 pm last night! I was exhausted but I did have a good time :)  OKay- Here's the survey- 1.What time is it       6:41 pm 2.What's your full name  Sarah LeAnn Lewis Burrell 3.What are you most afraid of  The Ocean and Snakes (and I dream about both frequently) 4.What is the most recent movie that you have seen in a Theater The Curious George Movie ( Only because I love Haley) 5.Place of birth  RMC in Anniston Alabama 6.Favorite food  My Mom's Lasagna 7.What's your natural hair color? Brownish-blonde 8.Ever been to Alaska  Ask me in 3 years!! Then the answer( I pray!) will be YES 9.Ever been toilet paper rolling My momma raised me better 10.Love someone so much it made you cry     Wouldn't you if you were in love with the King of Kings and  Lord of all? 11.Been in a car accident  If you mean with another Car, no. If you mean with objects that are standing (or sitting) still, then yes, 4 when I was behind the wheel. But none life threatening, to me, anyways. 12.Croutons or bacon bits  Actually, I can't stand either, but croutons would win over bacon bits by a land slide 13.        Favorite day of the week  Well, I don't know that I have a favorite, but it would not be the weekend because I miss Darrius too much! 14.Favorite restaurant   Red Lobster (Lobster Pizza with no lobster on it) and Olive Garden (Chicken Alfredo Pizza) 15.Favorite Flower  Lillies and Hibiscus Flowers 16.Favorite sport to watch  I don't see sports as anything of interests really so, none. Although I think Ice-skating is very cool to watch, if you can call that a sport 17.Favorite drink   Sweet Tea and Cran-apple Juice (but not together :) 18.Favorite ice cream  Cake Batter from ColdStone or Cookies and Cream from Bluebell 19.Disney or Warner Brothers  I don't care, I guess. 20.Ever been on a ship  No, and I plan that to NEVER change!  21.What color is your bedroom carpet  Beige with little brown, tan and black flecks 22.How many times did you fail your driver's test  I passed the first time, But I probably shouldn't have at the time. 23.Before this one, from whom did you get your last e-mail  Thelma Carlson (Hi Thelma!) 24.What do you do when you are bored  When I find the time to get bored, I'll letcha know. 25.Bedtime   I plan to go to bed at 9 but usually I don't actually get there till 11:00 or so. 26Who will respond to this e-mail the quickest  Since I'm not forwarding this, I can't answer 27.Who is the person you sent this to that most likely will not respond?  ? 28.Who is the person that you are most curious to see their responses   ? 29.Favorite TV show  Don't watch regular program-TV but I do love Andy Griffith on DVD 30.Last person you went to dinner with  and when? Well, Last night I ate with about 60 people (strangers mostly) and the staff at SIFAT. I don't know if this counts because we (me and Erin) made the dinner! 31.What are you doing right now besides being on the computer?    Drinking water and listening to Luna barking outside the window in the rain. 32.What are your favorite colors  Lavender and yellow 33.How many tattoos do you have  I was born with a brain that says sticking needles in my flesh and marking myself with ink is a bad idea. 34.How many pets do you have  Well, since I live on a farm, I have lots. But the ones that are personally mine are 1 Siberian Husky (Julie), 2 Fish (Cindilu and Chuck), 1 Bird (Lilli) and 3 cats ( Jasmine (sick), Sammie (sweet and loving) and Kedah (not so sweet) 35.Which came first, the chicken or the egg  The Chicken, obviously. I don't really understand why people deliberate over this. But I guess if you are goofy enough to think we came from primordial ooze, than we can't really expect much better. 36.What do you want to do before you die   To be able to look back, even through all the mistakes I made, and know I lived a life that He could be proud of. That's enough for me. 37.Have you ever been to Hawaii   No, Hawaii is probably one of the last places I would pick as it is all about the ocean, beaches, and I would have to board a boat or plan to get there. If I can't walk or drive there, I don't need to go.  38.Have you been to countries outside the U.S.  No, but I will have to go through Canada to get to Alaska... 39.How many people are you sending this e-mail to  I'm posting this on my page  40.Time this survey ended   7:45 pm ( I had to stop and feed the kids (goat kids I mean)     Something to share? Leave a comment! Full name: Email address: Comment:

Darrius

Having a wonderful time in the woods!

Ministry and the Deaf Community UPDATE: January 24, 2008   I am actually really excited about something God may be doing right now. Haley came home from SIFAT a few nights ago and told me about a retreat that they had booked for a Deaf group from LLUMC in Texas. She asked if I would consider coming during their week in March to work as volunteer staff. Not as an interpreter, but so that they would have someone on staff who could communicate, had some experience in working with deaf people and some understanding of deaf culture. I was thrilled and absolutely terrified at the same time! My brain was screaming " what? Are you insane? I do NOT sign well enough to get involved in that and there is no way I can let anyone think that I know something about this stuff!". But, on the other hand my heart was like  "Yes! Finally a chance to get involved in something that I have felt God calling me to since I was 12 years old!" Crazy how all this can go through your thoughts at the same time, huh? Well my heart won the argument once I finally remembered something. Yes, I am not the best signer in the world ( by a LONG shot!!!) and no I have not figured out everything about the culture of my deaf brothers and sisters. But, That's okay. because I made a promise to my Lord and Savior a long time ago that where He would lead, I WOULD go. I returned this life He gave me back to Him, to use as HE wanted. If this is a door that He opens, I am walking through it. And I know in my heart that if He is with me, then I don't have to worry about whether or not I know the signs for everything. He'll help me. He knows the limits of my skills better that I and only He has the right to say what I can and can't do. This gives me unspeakable peace and I don't really know how I would ever do without that peace!    I told Haley that I would love to come and be a part. I know that it will be such a wonderful experiance for me and I don't want to miss it because of selfish fear. So she is going to let Jamie ( not sure what Jamie's official title is but he handles the retreats and L&S) and plan a meeting for us to get together and talk about it. In the mean time I am studying some areas of ASL that I know I will need more knowledge in and praying about it a LOT! BTW, your prayers would me a big help too! :)   November 2007 What an exciting day! My good friends, Laura and Elaine,  whose children I was nanny to, are both teachers at ASD. They wrote a few weeks ago and asked to bring a group of their students down to the Farm for a field trip. As it is near Thanksgiving, they are studying the Pilgrims and wanted us to show these kids what life as like and what people did during time period of the "Pilgrims". They arrived this morning and it was such a awesome sight. All the kids ( 7 in all I think between the ages of 10 and 14) were so excited and wanted to know about everything. It was a very windy day, but it was very beautiful! The showed the herb and winter gardens, explained how these pilgrims used herbs for medicine and cooking. They made Candles, did basket weaving, learned about wool and spinning and had time to meet all the animals. We ended with popcorn and cider and I have to say the time we spent with them made my heart sore! Watching them interacting and learning about things that are completely foreign to kids today, hearing and Deaf alike, was absolutely marvelous :) I can hardly wait till next year!       May 2007 I worked for several years as a nanny to 2 deaf families ( the Vivanco and Boland Families) who graciously took on the task of teaching me to sign and about deaf culture! I am now almost fluent in ASL ( I also attended classes at the local trade school) and have a great respect for the deaf community and its culture. I also learned from friends that the deaf cmmunity is one of the largest unreached groups in the world! My eyes were opened to the huge need for 'fishermen' to spread the gospel to the lost among the deaf nations. I feel God has laid a burden on my heart for these brothers and sisters, whom I lift up daily in prayer. Here are some websites for deaf missions: working with deaf and hearing alike, to spread the Word to all deaf people! Keep them in your prayers and your eyes open to the great need of witnesses for Christ!      Silent Blessings Ministry Deaf Missons Website Here are some great sites for learning ASL(American Sign Language) ASL University Online ASL Web Browser