320 – God Gives His Girl a Splendid Sign

September 23, 1988

Tim made heart-shaped sugar cookies. I made heart-shaped biscuits for Cheryl’s birthday dinner.

This is Dan’s last day of work at SouthCo.

I kept focusing again, as yesterday: love the Lord Your God with all your mind, strength, heart and soul.

Enter His gates with thanksgiving!

*We are Elim missionaries!!!

*I have not had pollen or cat allergies!

*The rain stopped so I could walk.

*The sofa room in Pletcher’s IS GETTING SORTED!!

*Cheryl was home yesterday in time for me to go for my haircut—by one minute!!

*God has filled my heart with purpose and confidence for this day.

*Larry Nobles can help Dan get seatbelts at the junk yard (so the boys will be belted in at the table in the motor home), and maybe fix the tape recorder.

*I was relaxed about the kids eating sugar last night (God help them and me in this!).

After dinner, exhausted, going out to motor home—looked up—3 long pillars of cloud across the entire sky. BLESS GOD. He is with us, He loves us—and here we go with our God!!!

Pillars of cloud was a sign of God’s love for me and His presence with me for many years

319 – My Strength is in the Lord!

September 14, 1988

The Billy Graham Crusade was held for four nights in Rochester. Timmy, age 9, went once. I’m not sure if Steve or Mark went. Dan went each night and was up front as a counselor. He had gone door-to-door handing out flyers in our village and one of our neighbors on Big Tree Street got saved. Our neighbor Leslie went with me one night and went forward. I went forward with her. Oh HAPPY DAY!

September 19

Dan called Phyllis in New Jersey. She is very excited to know the dates of our visit. When we leave next week, she will be our first stop. She said the East coast has more new Japanese immigrants and the Bay Area would have second and third generation Japanese. We are trusting the Lord for direction as to where He could use us. Our goal is to live somewhere for a year or so to get experience with be-friending Japanese people and to begin learning the language.

Deuteronomy 20:3-4 Do not be fainthearted or afraid; do not panic or be terrified by them. For the Lord your God is the one who goes with you to fight for you against your enemies and to give you victory.

God met me through the Word: the people and the situations that are strained are not going to overwhelm me if I will not be afraid and if I will trust Him. He will do the behind-the-scenes warfare!

September 21

There is a last-minute list of clothes that I felt we needed. It is pretty basic stuff and it seems our finances were such that we had not been able to purchase them.

September 22

The Elim Fellowship board met AND APPROVED US!! We are now part of an organization who will help us get a placement in Japan.

I asked God to speak to me plainly today:

Joshua 1, God to Georgann:

*Do meditate on the Word day and night

*Do what is in it, i.e., make it part of your life

*Results: you will be successful and prosperous

*Caution: Don’t be terrified

*Do be strong and courageous

*Don’t be discouraged

*Promise: The Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.

312 – We Had the Support of Our Friends

August 13, 1988

God, please send helpers! And please have a friend invite the boys to go swimming. IT’S YARD SALE DAY! [We made $956. God sent Larry and Stephanie Craft! PTL!]

The house is EMPTY and the Wilsons are already moving in!

August 14

The message at the Livonia church this morning impacted me: Hebrews 3:1 Consider Jesus. “All He did for me makes all He asks me to do for Him seem small.” Pastor George Davis.

I will fix my eyes on Him.

We went to the Belcastro’s for dinner and the Porters (our home group leaders) came also.

August 15

Numbers 2:34 So the Israelites did everything the Lord commanded Moses—so the Lemaires did everything the Lord told Dan Lemaire to do!!

August 16

Dan was offered two more weeks of work at his job at SouthCo. So rather than his last day being on the 2^nd he would finish the 17^th. He prayed about the decision for two days and felt he should take the work. That meant we would be here for the Billy Graham Crusade and also we would be able to give the Livonia School District our ‘intent’ letter to homeschool for the 1988-89 school year. We would then be covered as we head across the country.

All of the boxes are taped for shipping and are on side porch and in the mudroom. WE ARE MAKING PROGRESS!

Each day the boys help us and then swim or play with the neighbor kids. Each night someone has invited us over to dinner. Eddie and Joan Carl gave us a goodbye party! We have made so many fine friends.

August 18

We moved into the Pletcher’s house until the 29^th, maybe longer if they extend their vacation. God, YOU ARE GOOD.

310 – Walking by Faith, Day by Day

310 – Walking by Faith,

Day by Day

August 4, 1988

My life is a constant death to self. WHAT? I shouts my flesh! OH NO! But then I must say to my Lord: Thy will be done! Have another baby? WHAT?? Thy will be done! Go back to Reno? Thy will be done.

August 5

When I asked Paulette, who with her husband and 3 children had set off early this year for 3 months in their van on a similar type of excursion, “What are we in for as we take off in the motor home by faith that God is leading us we know not where?” Her answer was: “Fun, desperation, and answered prayer!”

August 6

Today I said – OH LORD! I NEED TO HEAR FROM YOU! But how can I hear you in Leviticus? So I went to Larry Lea’s book on prayer. In praying Jehovah-Jireh it says: God has ordained your success and one of the references is Deut 28:1-4 I was not consciously thinking of anything for me, only worshipping and praying, but this is what I read—this is what my God let me to!!

If you will fully obey the Lord your God and carefully follow all His commands I give you today, the Lord your God will set you high above all the nations of the earth. All these blessings will come upon you and accompany you if you obey the Lord your God: You will be blessed in the city and in the country. [regarding our traveling!!] THE FRUIT OF YOUR WOMB WILL BE BLESSED, and the crop of your land and the young of your livestock, the calves of your herds and the lambs of your flocks. [regarding the baby vision!!]

August 8

After the kids were in bed, just as I was about to bring up the subject of the baby vision—Dan said: we’ll do well with the Calvert (homeschool materials) because we’ll have to do a certain number of pages a day and it will be very disciplined, and WE WON’T HAVE A BABY! So I launched into my thoughts about babies, everything that had been on my mind (the possibility of me getting pregnant or whatever else God has in mind). He was a bit shaken but a while later at bedtime he said: IT IS WELL WITH MY SOUL.

Leviticus 9:2-3 After Aaron atoned for the people’s sin FIRE came out from the presence of the Lord and consumed the burnt offering. The people shouted for joy and fell face down.

Your glory must be so awesome, Lord!

Marsha (my sister) called—I was honest and told her the boys had prayed for me today. I have been nervous about our going out from here by faith. She told me about David (her son) and the 450 Mormon missionaries who are all SELF-supported going out all over the world.

305 – It’s Coming Together

July 25, 1988

The Lord has provided the Pletcher’s house for us to stay in from the time we have to be out of our house for the entire two weeks until Dan is off his job at SouthCo! They are leaving on vacation August 17 and will be gone for two weeks! They have been our longest NY friends. The day after we arrived, Cheryl came by with treats for us and they quickly brought us into their family. They have been faithful and devoted friends.

My doctor turned a checkup about my ankle into a physical for the Elim Fellowship application. $136 – Praise God.

In my devotions today, God gave me a promise for our family’s health on our trip:

I am the Lord who heals you. Exodus 15:26

July 26, 1988

Insurance for the motor home is $271 for a year through a company in Lima. Thank YOU!

Another encouragement for the trip: The Lord delivered his people out of the enemy’s hand as they prayed and kept their trust in Him. Exodus chapter 17

The-Lord-is-my-banner! Exodus 17:15

Banner means: He is my hope and my refuge and my praise!

July 27, 1988

We are sending out a newsletter to our friends to advise them that we are leaving New York. Dan said to keep it short because we have so many gaps in THE PLAN!! Thank you that You know what we are undertaking better than we do and You will enlighten us as we go! I feel we are to concentrate on one step at a time.

A command: Do not be afraid! Exodus 20:20

July 28

Up at 3-4am to pray in tongues. God showed me I didn’t believe He was very reliable and why…I turned it over to Him, and I got release.

An uplifting reminder: The Lord is their strength, and He is the saving refuge of His anointed. Psalm 28:8

304 – The Exodus

July 23-25, 1988

By day the LORD went ahead of them in a pillar of cloud to guide them on their way and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, so that they could travel by day or night. Neither the pillar of cloud by day nor the pillar of fire by night left its place in front of the people. Exodus 13:21-22

Moses answered the people, “Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the LORD will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again. The LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still.” Exodus 14:13

These scriptures in my daily reading, just on the day when I need them, embolden me and invigorate my faith. We will be like the Israelites who had God’s loving support with a pillar of cloud and pillar of fire to guide them. I believe He will guide us that carefully. AND we are not to be afraid in this faith journey, but to stay in FAITH in God and trust Him to take care of us!

We believe we are headed for California, but are contemplating visiting relatives who live in this part of the country before we head west. And a woman who works in a Japanese church is very interested in us joining her church to work in evangelizing the Japanese somewhere in Pennsylvania.

Dan is very interested in stopping along the way to preach the gospel in parks and on street corners.

I am resisting this. It seems like a distraction.

He suggested we go to church and be open as we worship God. The Lord touched me. He showed me Our God Reigns and that He considers the feet that take the gospel are beautiful. He brought to my mind the Jesus freak hippies on the beach in Hawaii. I count their reaching out to me as very significant in my coming to the Lord two months later!

Exodus means: a going out; a departure or emigration, usually of a large number of people. Six is a pretty large amount.

294 – Fasting for Answers–Got No Answers

294 – Fasting for Answers– Got No Answers

May, 1988

On Day 14 we ended the fast. I journaled our daily experience. We kept our life going normally, except I took shorter, slower walks. Our energy level roller coastered, so on day 8 we began taking one teaspoon of Barley Green in water. It took care of my leg cramps and I experienced increased stamina.

I noted on Day 11: Very tired. Slept 9:15pm until 5:30am. No walk, prayed with Dan instead. Possibly will go on diluted juice 3x a day. Dan is. I will pray. At noon, diluted apple juice gave me strength for another busy day. We had Tim’s birthday party. I had no more weakness after the juice. My face looks thin and sort of old and haggard in the mirror. Dan almost blacked out in the afternoon. It scared him. His job at Southco is very strenuous and demanding. If he stops his fast, I will. It has been wonderful doing this together.

Dan recalls: Like a lot of fasts the fruit of that time of close communion with God was not quantifiable. It was a time to seek God without distraction. We had an extraordinarily open-line to God while we were in the fast and for some time after. We did not get a download of the blueprint of what to do next. We ended it with as many questions as we had when we began it, and we had done it in order to answer those questions. But I think it answered questions we didn’t ask. God assured us of His favor, and His partnership, and His covering. We do not go alone. Faith is substance. Jesus is alive, and making Him known is paramount. I had no qualms about ending it before the target of 21 days, no condemnation, no failure, no incomplete. We did what we did, and it was a great experience. I remember we ended it because I was looking at a piece of land with a client who wanted some plans drawn, and I had squatted down to look at something. When I stood up, I went blind for about 5 seconds, no vision. I figured I was pushing it far enough.

During those two weeks I increased my babysitting days (at Jodie’s request), Dan’s Aunt Yvonne came on Amtrak for a five day visit, I taught Sunday School, Dan began his Vacation Bible School project of building Noah’s ark, we had people over for dinner twice, I took the kids on a homeschool field trip to the science museum in Rochester–getting back in time to babysit the after-school bunch. I made friends with the local ‘notorious’ devil worshiper’s mom in the Laundromat. [The teen died last week in a tragic accident.] We had friendly fellowship and with my other Laundromat friend, Barbara, we agreed to meet next week.

Rejoice with those who rejoice and weep with those who weep. Romans 12:15

293 – No Waffles Today

April 24, 1988

I felt like I heard the word ‘fast’ as I was coming down the stairs to breakfast. I tried hurriedly to eat a waffle. Every bite got ‘stuck’ in my throat, and then it was hard to swallow! I gave in and hurried upstairs to lay on the bed to rest and to listen.

I spoke to Dan, sensing that I felt the Lord was saying to do an extended fasting and prayer season in order to hear what He had to say about the next few years in our preparation to go to Japan. A friend had given me a book, Your Appointment With God, by Gwen Shaw. I began reading it and began to have a great desire to fast and to get closer to My Father, to be able to love the unlovely, and to be set free of the bands of wickedness, to be free of the burdensome yoke on me. I was not experiencing any anxiety about fasting, which was further confirmation that this was of the Spirit and not of the flesh.

Dan was VERY interested.

I wanted to stay home from church and continue reading the book and pray. But instead I asked God to speak more to me at church.

We were now attending a church in our village, Livonia Community, that was up the street and that we walked to on non-icy Sundays.

Pastor Davis spoke on spiritual warfare and took us to Daniel 10:11-12. Of course, the idea of a Daniel fast came to my mind which confirmed my desire to fast 21 days. Praise God.

Dan was in full agreement and we prayed. I whizzed up some vegetables and we had some soup and this became the first day of our fast.

Is this not the fast that I have chosen: to loose the bonds of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, to let the oppressed go free, and that you break every yoke? Is it no to share your bread with the hungry, and that you bring to your house the poor who are cast out…. Isaiah 58:6-7a

Then your light shall break forth like the morning, your healing shall spring forth speedily, and your righteousness shall go before you; the glory of the Lord shall be your rear guard. Then shall you call, and the Lord will answer; You shall cry, and He will say, ‘Here I am.’ Isaiah 58: 8-9

That was what we wanted: every yoke broken…and ANSWERS to our cries.

288 – Learning to Walk in Joy

January 17, 1988

God is teaching me to walk in JOY. During the week of prayer I went forward for prayer for heaviness of heart. But I am still continually defeated by it. I finally took Dan’s suggestion and called Janet last night. He said her testimony in the Lord is growing. She proclaims:

“THE DEVIL WILL NOT STEAL MY JOY! Jesus purchased that joy with His life, death, blood, and His glorious resurrection. If I have not the Lord’s JOY, I have no strength, because THE JOY OF THE LORD IS MY STRENGTH. I must have energy and strength. I must have joy. By my will I speak it out, I pursue JOY, I confess His Lordship!” Nehemiah 8:10

It ministered to me. I am sending her the words to the song, I Will Survive—I had asked the Lord to tell me who could really sing it unto Him. That would be my strong-in-the-Lord friend, Janet.

Dan exhorted me to wake up each morning and immediately begin praying in tongues –not to begin calculating how many hours of sleep I got, or how many times I was up with the kids, or what happened yesterday, or what’s on the agenda today. It’s a good word.

You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of JOY; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore. Psalm 16:11

For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but of righteousness and peace and JOY in the Holy Spirit. Romans 14:17

The fruit of the Spirit is love, JOY, peace…. Galatians 5:22

287 – The Enemy Has Nothing in Me

January 8, 1988

Last night we went to the Week of Prayer meeting at Elim.

The prophetic word that came was: take up the cross and deny yourself daily or you will deny Me.

Dan and I danced together during the praise service—everyone in the building (it seemed) jumped and shouted! The Holy Spirit came on me in a DEEP PLACE.

There is a new President of the Bible School. He reminded us:

God took us out of the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son. Colossians 1:13

God disarmed the rulers and authorities – Colossians 2:1-5

The ruler of this world is coming and HE HAS NOTHING IN ME. John 14:30

God is LIGHT and in Him is no darkness AT ALL! 1 John 1:5

Brother Webster barred his soul of his past! We sat open mouthed. His point was that we need to be cleansed and keep clean and be healed so that God can use us. God needs us to go into dark places, but we cannot have darkness in us.

The dark places are the enemy’s footholds, and he must have no nook or cranny in us where he can take a stand and do battle against us from the inside! In his new position as president of the school, the devil will have NO PLACE in him, he has exposed the junk.

Darkness is: areas of hold out, rebellion, appetites, addictions, etc.

We have become accustomed to sin and we ignore its presence residing in us. No more.

I saw two areas in me that I wanted expunged! Many went forward for prayer. I love to go up for prayer!

Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. Psalm 51:2

And THANK YOU!!