Day 748. Last night I headed to bed just after 11:30 pm, and it was once again Emmy who crawled into bed with me, while Tammy stayed in her bed until the morning. Just before 7 am they were getting into enough trouble that it was time to get up, dress them and go to breakfast.
We had our corner table again, and first Tammy sat in a high chair and Emmy on the bench, and then they switched. And then Emmy threw a bowl and plate on the ground and they both broke. Yesterday it was the egg plate. They kept asking to go slide, as they could see the slide, but it had been raining until the morning and everything was wet.
After breakfast we returned to our room, put their shirts and jackets on, and left to go to the pharmacy once again to get a Covid test done. While there, Randy let Sammy fall to the ground, and the poor little guy had another fall while in Daddy's care at night. After the test we walked back to the hotel room. I still had some preparations to make for church tonight, and the kids were high intensity as usual, and then I did what we don't usually do, and I turned the TV on. They were glued to the screen for a while, but thankfully it was jsut the right program for their age. Still, we didn't have it on for long, and it was once again hard to get everything done, but I did my best.
At 10:45 we all left again, this time taking the car, which they were all excited about, and driving 5 minutes to the parking garage by the restaurant, where we had also gone yesterday. We met our friends at the restaurant, and again had a pizza and a pasta dish all together. Of course they never sit still and like making things fall over. After lunch we returned to the hotel and put them to bed. By 1 pm they were in bed and fell asleep rather quickly. I was in the middle of the three mattresses, making sure they were all going to sleep. Once they were, I lay down myself, and so did Randy. We were woken up, when Sammy woke up and crawled out of his bed talking. He usually wakes up first and did after an hour and twenty minutes. Within minutes the other two were up too, and the nap for all of us was over.
It was playtime for them, and preparation time for me, once again. Randy tried to take them into the hallway and staircase outside, but it wasn't long before he returned with a crying Tammy. You could tell they had not had enough sleep at lunch time. The TV was turned on again for a little bit, they had food, and Randy tried to keep them busy. At 5:15 pm we left to drive the few minutes to church.
We got to church at 5:30 pm, walked up the stairs into the sanctuary, and greeted everyone there. Then they set up a table for us, and I started putting all our materials on the table. A few minutes later the service started. We were all sitting in the first row, but at times Tammy and Emmy were with our friends in the row behind us. After half an hour of worship, we had communion, and then they showed our Mali video presentation, and it was time for us to come foward. The service had started at 6 pm, and they were already getting tired. They didn't stay long up front with me. Randy went to the back of the sanctuary, where they stayed for the rest of the service. I gave an update on Mali, prayed, and started preaching.
Now this was the first time since they were born that I actually preached anyway, and not just spoke a few minutes, and I was curious how it would go. A few times I heard them say "Mommy" and they came forward to me, but they never stayed long. People would take them away, and one time I picked Emmy up and continued talking. The message itself went really well, even though I did not have as much time as before the triplets to prepare. God was obviously there and directing my words.
Once I was done preaching, I prayed and then asked anyone who wanted prayer to come forward. I also called Randy and the kids up. I was surprised that they were not asleep, especially having had a short nap at lunch time, but was also glad they could pray with us. I believe in family ministry. Holy Spirit in children is the same size as in adults, and God can use them powerfully. We switched them around between us, and Randy had an interpreter, who was also holding children, as was the pastor. They were laying hands on people with us, and God used Sammy in a special way. God had put it someone to pray for him, and so Sammy got prayer as well.
Another guy had a ministry to the handicapped, and I could feel the anointing and God's leading. I put Sammy's hand on his heart, and he started sobbing as God imparted His heart to him. I had Sammy's hand on him the whole time I prayed for him. And then I handed Sammy to him to hold.
We haven't done all this since the little ones were born, and it was so wonderful to be ministering again, to see people cry and laugh and shake and fall, as God was touching them, and the prophetic just flow out of my mouth. I loved it! And we were praying for a long time, it seemed for everyone in the room. I finally went to our table in the back, even though most people were already gone, and still sold a few books at least, and had some good conversations. Different people were holding Sammy, when I needed my hands, and enjoying it, while Randy was still praying for a few people up front.
It was getting late, but a few people had it on their hearts to pray for us, and so we sat down and they did. They were praying for the ministry, for us, and for my back and eyes to be healed. We thanked them, said our good-byes, packed up, loaded up the car and left to drive the few minutes back to the hotel.
It was nearly 9:30, when we got there. Amazingly the kids had held up pretty well until this late. We even showered them before putting them to bed, and then they fell asleep rather quickly, with me sitting between their three beds to keep them in there. Especially Sammy seemed awake and kept crawling out of bed. By 10 pm they were asleep, and I turned the computer on to download the pictures and write the report. As time went on, my eye lids got heavier and heavier and it got harder and harder to write. I finally gave up and turned the computer off before I was done. It was after midnight, when I went to bed exhausted but so excited and thankful for what God had done tonight. Even with the long pause and less time spent with Him, the anointing was still there, as strong as ever if not even stronger. He's so good!
