Secret of Life

I spent the first 22 years of my life in Pennsylvania. I was raised on the same farm and in the same house for just over 17 years of that time. When I got married, I moved to Arizona. My husband had grown up, moving around several times. He frequently has sand in his shoes, so to speak. He doesn't necessarily grow deep roots that can't be transplanted. Moving was hard, and it took me a couple of years to find where I fit. One blessing was that my husband's parents, and one of his sisters was living in the same area at the time. Friendships took time, but once made, they were like glue. Most of the friends I had were in the same place of life as me. Young mothers in the trenches, with babies and toddlers running around -- organized chaos. There were times I longed for green--green grass, green trees, being closer to stores and things. There was a time we traveled over an hour to church one way every week. The closest big mall and club store, like Costco, was over an hour and half away. I missed being so far from my family. At the time, our kids were my parents only grandkids. Now my youngest sister has children, but she lives overseas, so I guess I am still the closest.

Two years ago, when we moved to Arkansas, I was excited to cut the distance to my family in half. I was looking forward to living in an agricultural setting, yet only being 20 minutes from all the things. I was thrilled that my kids would have more opportunities to join in and experience the arts. I was thankful that we would have dad around more and that the kids and I would be working with him on the farm. A real family run business.

I lived for 14 years in the desert, and then moved to "green", in all the ways, and yet have only realized that now I am in the "desert". The last two years have been hard. At first when we moved, I don't think I allowed myself to really grieve the leaving. You don't realize what deep wells of friendship you have until you are uprooted. I wanted to be strong for my kids, we were overwhelmed with learning a new business, and just trying to adjust to daylights savings. Its been two years and I still can't handle "springing forward"! We live in a community that everyone wants to move to and no one moves away from. Trying to break into friend groups that have known each other since grade school is no joke. I also think, the older I get, the more introverted I have become and I just don't want to put myself out there.

But God has been so faithful. I have felt His closeness more, especially in the last few months, than I have in a while. He comes for my heart in the smallest and biggest of ways. He is gentle and kind and has awakened my heart in new ways, eager to have Him walk with me, to invite Him in. That's what He is after....for us to invite Him in. To ask Him what He thinks, to just sit in quietness and be in His Presence. Being still had become hard for me. I was afraid to sit and be still because then all the sadness, frustration, and loneliness would creep up and feel overwhelming. But He isn't afraid of those feelings. He wants us to let those out. Speak it out loud and release it. I've been trying to do more of that.

Ann Voskamp wrote in a blog post a while ago about how we can't love Jesus for what He can do for us, but because He is beautiful. He is marvelous. And we need to examine our motives and heart behind how we relate to Him. Even if we don't get what we think we want or need, He is still good.

I have been learning the hard way about the secret of life, which Paul talks about in the New Testament. Contentment. It can be fleeting, it can feel impossible, it can be a catch word. But I think God meant for it to anchor us to Him. To keep ourselves tied close to Him. Our circumstances may change, but if our contentment is anchored in Him, we don't need to worry.

Just some random thoughts on a Thursday.
Blessings....

A Friendly Reminder

It has been a while since I have posted. Life has just been carrying on. But I felt led to share something with my small corner of the world wide web. The last two weeks I have been struggling with pretty painful back pain. Some days I had to crawl around. Others I thought I was getting better. It can be a pretty defeating feeling at times. You start to believe that you are never going to get better. But God gave me this little, I don't know what you would call it, maybe manifesto? Anyway, maybe it will bless you…

I believe God is good.
Even when my back hurts and there is no relief in sight.
I believe God loves me.
That I am His precious daughter.
I believe that He is with me, even when I feel alone.
I believe my tears are precious to Him and that He saves them.
I believe I am the apple of His eye. I believe that He has the power to heal.
I believe that He could heal me right now, but even if He doesn't, I believe He is good.
He is healer.
He is faithful.
I WILL CHOOSE JOY.
I will choose thankfulness.
I choose trusting Him.
He is kind.
He is generous.
He is patient.
He is loving.
He is faithful.
He is gentle.
He is long-suffering.
He is FOR me.
Even when my feelings and my body say differently, I know in my heart, these are TRUE.

Some of my most sacred moments have been when I was in the worst pain. And as I slowly start to get better, I don't want to forget that. And sometimes you have to say these truths out loud to really believe them in your heart.

Bitter or Better

So it's 1 in the morning. Since becoming a mother, most of my nights end around 10, maybe 10:30 if I am feeling a little dangerous. But I've been awake since midnight and the Lord and I have been talking. And I had the feeling He wanted me to write, so here I am. Perhaps these late night thoughts will speak to someone….

This past week has been tough. Having five children down with the flu is not for the faint hearted. And don't let me fool you that I am tough. I have been beyond weak during this ordeal, and it ain't over yet. But tonight after dinner, I was lying on the couch, disappointment and frustration eating away at me. Silently in my head, I started naming all the injustices and inconveniences that I felt I was given this week. I will spare you that one, but a small voice whispered to me, "But what are you thankful for?"

And I felt quite convicted. Because I am a gift lister. I have a little notebook that I write down things that I notice during my days that I am thankful for. Do you think I touched it this week? Noooooo. "But Lord, if only I could cough this junk up and out and breathe deeply, I'd be able to be more thankful."

"In all things, give thanks."

"Oh, right. I am sorry. I will try."

"Right now?"

"I am thankful that even though we are under the weather now, it won't last forever. I am thankful for eyes that can still see beautiful sunsets. For a husband who even though he is sick, is still out working and providing for us. For friends who call or text to see how we are doing. For children who are playing and trying to get along even though they don't feel well. For little girls that want to cuddle and a little boy who will walk through a room and tell me he loves me."

"Feeling better?"

"Yes, Lord. Please forgive me. I forgot."

I forgot that when we close our hand to God, we think we are protecting ourselves and what is "ours", but we are only closing ourselves off from receiving His gifts. Sometimes they don't feel like gifts, sometimes we feel like we are on the punching block, but there is always something to be thankful for. Look for it. It's there. You might not see it that day, but a week from now, a month, it could take years. There are things I have experienced in life that have taken years for me to see the gift.

I want to live life openhanded. Not just so I can receive and receive from the Lord, and believe me, I do want to receive good things from the Lord. But I also want to give back to the Lord. Give back myself, and allow Him to mold me and change me, to draw me closer to Himself. To take my eyes off myself and what I feel I am owed or deserved.

We have an amazing example in Christ. On the night he was betrayed, he broke bread and gave thanks. The night before he was to go through the most agonizing pain ever experienced to man, He gave thanks. And there are many other times throughout Scripture where it is mentioned Jesus gave thanks. That isn't in there just to sound amazing. It's there to teach us an important truth. Even in the midst of intense battle and heartache, we are to give thanks. God is there.

I just want to encourage you today, friend, that God is there. Always there. But we must live open handed. Giving and receiving, and always, in everything, giving thanks.





"Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you." I Thessalonians 5:18

This past week the flu came to visit our family. And unfortunately, the flu doesn't know or care that it has overextended its stay. Alaina started on Saturday, by Sunday it had infected Larissa, Charlotte and Landon. By Monday it was Anne and my turn. Tuesday evening it was Nate's. And we are still suffering from the repercussions.  This picture of my son is basically how we spent Monday and Tuesday. 

A few months ago I had shared that I would be running in a 10k in January. I had started a fundraising page on Compassion International to raise money for children. Unfortunately, because of the flu and that the race is this Sunday and I still have congestion and coughing up my lungs, I have decided to not run. Not to mention that my son has started running a fever AGAIN tonight. Sometimes being a grown up  isn't a whole lot of fun. Like right now. But there are lots of other races and I will just do another one. Maybe spring or early summer would be better, when I am not apt to be sick. We haven't had the flu since our oldest was 18 months old. So none of our children have ever experienced the aches and chills and listlessness that accompanies it. It's actually been kind of funny to hear how they describe how they feel. Alaina kept saying that her body felt so heavy. And we'd kind of smile and say, you mean achy. That's what achy feels like. But recovering is a slow process and so we are taking it easy and not going out or doing anything until after the weekend.

I just wanted to let you all know, just in case you were wondering. Thanks for your support and encouragement.

I think I have a problem with social media. Well, not all social media. Just Facebook. And honestly, I don't "think" I have a problem, I know I do. Three weeks away, I kind of got out of the habit of checking email, Facebook, and reading blogs. And I thought that once I returned home, I would not go back to some of those addicting behaviors. Wrong!!!! After about a week home, I noticed I had slipped back into some bad habits. You know, Instagram, Pinterest, they don't suck me in like Facebook. I can literally space out on Facebook, completely become oblivious to what's going on around me. I found myself even getting on while on the phone. And if I posted a picture or a status update? I was constantly checking to see if anyone liked it or commented. The Lord very kindly showed me that I was seeking approval and affirmation through this form of social media and it needed to stop. So I deactivated myself Friday night, the 31st. Today is day 2 of my detox. I deleted it off my phone, my computer's opening page….just realized I need to delete it off our iPad, but I don't use that very often. It's almost a relief. For right now. I am sure after a few days the novelty of it will wear off, and I will start to downplay my need for it and talk myself into checking to see if anyone posted anything earth shattering, or if anyone has missed me. But I am sticking to my guns.

I found that even on Friday night, family movie night, I would fix the kids up with a video and retreat to the computer. Now the computer is in the same room, but I wasn't actively sitting on the couch and watching with my kids. And I also found I would waste time during school time or in the afternoon when I should be doing something else, just scrolling. So now I am hoping this month of November my house will be cleaner, my laundry caught up, my meal plans completed, and my children interacted with more. Who knows, perhaps I will even blog more regularly?

Running the Race

Well, hello there! It's been a while since we've visited. I've been busy with beginning of the year schooling, and then a big trip to the East Coast and now we are knee deep in harvest. But I did want to get on and share with ya'll something special I have signed up to do. I signed up last week to run the 10k in the Rock 'n' Roll Marathon/Half Marathon race in Phoenix in January 2015. I signed up with Team Compassion to run as an individual and raise money for Compassion International. The money I raise will go toward their Child Survival Program (CSP) and for clean drinking water. My goal is to raise $1,000.00.

I started running a few months ago with a friend, mainly to get out and exercise and to feel better. I was really struggling with midday burnout and exhaustion. We run three times a week and it has helped me a lot. I am sleeping better, feeling better, and can be a better mama and wife to those near and dear to me. But the other day I read an inspiring post here. It inspired me to run for more than myself. Running for myself will get old rather quickly. I already find it hard to get out of bed and run when I know my friend won't be able to meet me. But to run for someone else, to have a goal to help others, will hopefully continue to be my incentive. Plus, my husband and I were just in Haiti in February, (you can read about our trip here) and we know how this money will impact the communities it is sent to. So that is what I am doing. I am running for clean drinking water and for babies to have a chance at life. As my feet pound the pavement and I am getting closer to that 6.1 mile mark (which is what a 10k is, for us Americans), I can pray that God will take the intentions of my heart and this small offering, and increase it a hundredfold. Will you join me? This is where you can go to my personal page and donate money to a great cause. I love this because I don't have to be responsible for any money. It never touches my hands.  Team Compassion .

So, moving on from that, I am also finding myself struggling with social media. I have come to the realization that a Facebook fast may be in order. I end up wasting so much time on there. Time that could be spent with my kids, reading a book (you know I have a stack of about 10 books to read), or writing on here. There was a time in my life when I thought I was going to be a writer. But even if I don't write a blockbuster novel, part of the reason I started this blog was to document our life for our children. I don't scrapbook or put together cute photo albums, so this is it. I should put diligence into my efforts, instead of getting sucked into the world of Facebook.

Thanks for stopping by and listening to my ramblings. May you have a blessed last week of October.

A Daybook

Yes, I am still here….I can't believe how the months have flown by. Here's a little of what's going on in my corner of the world…..

Outside my window….the corn is growing as high as an elephant's eye (know that musical?), my flowers are blooming, and the grass is green!

I am thinking….of all the activities we have tonight….piano lessons for three, a 4-H meeting, and worship team practice, and what am I going to do for supper?

I am thankful for….line dried sheets on the beds, healthy children, letters from two of our sponsored kids, my hard working farmer

From the learning room….I am reading some books on social justice and the Christian faith and how they are connected

From the kitchen….just made peanut butter chocolate chip oatmeal cookies - yummy!

I am reading….Good News to the Poor and Nurturing the Nations

I am hoping….it was will rain again - soon

I am hearing…. the radio and my children outside playing nicely, along with the intermittent crying and lashing out

Around the house…my floors need swept, my floors need washed, my stove needs cleaning, but the sheets are clean!

One of my favorite things….freshly mowed yard

A few plans for the rest of the week…we have a big surprise for the kids and I CANNOT wait!!!!

Here is a  picture thought I am sharing…..

This boy…be still my heart…turned 4 yesterday! Four years old. Where did the years go? I still remember pulling him up to my chest, all 9 pounds, 3 ounces of him after delivering him. I see so much of my dad in him…his smile, the way his eyes crinkle up and almost disappear, his laugh and his mischievous ways. There are no words to describe how full he makes my heart.

Friday's Photos from the Farm

Here are a few photos from around the farm. It is starting to green up and it's so lovely to see. Color is a beautiful thing! 

And the kids have enjoyed the warm weather and being able to play outside! Enjoy your weekend!

Compassion Haiti Trip 2014, Day Four

Sorry it's taken a while for me to finish up about our trip. We did make it home! Unfortunately, we came home and three days later the house came down with the stomach flu. And it decided it wanted to stick around for over a week! I guess it takes a while to make its rounds through seven people. I also had catch up to do for the office, so back to Haiti…..

Thursday morning we checked out of our hotel, loaded up our luggage and head back to Port au Prince.  We went to the Haiti field office for Compassion. This is the main hub where the letters come to and are translated and then sent out to the projects, among many other things that happen here.

Compassion's motto: Releasing children from poverty in Jesus' Name.

Compassion's mission statement

We went on a tour of the office. We also got to meet the staff and ask them any questions we had. There was also a little time where a staff member from each department came and told us specifically what they do. My favorite was this guy below. His name is Abel. He was a sponsored child. He went through the program and was sponsored even through the LDP program (Leadership Development Program). After finishing university, he got a job at the Haiti office and is now sponsoring two children through Compassion! I love seeing everything come full circle. He was just a really neat man. So excited for the future of Compassion and the country of Haiti. There is so much hope for this country within the walls of this office.

Abel telling us what he does

After our time at the main office, we went to a Best Western in the city and had lunch. It was a great time to visit with each other and continue sharing our thoughts about the trip thus far.

 After lunch, we got to do some shopping along the street. Haitians are known for their art. Their paintings are amazing. We brought home two paintings of typical Haitian life. They are so beautiful.

After we checked into our last hotel, we had dinner and met with three LDP graduates. It was neat to hear their stories of breaking the cycle of poverty, getting an education and going back to their towns to encourage and some even work to help educate their neighborhoods. The desire and passion of these students to make a difference in their country is so inspiring.

 Friday morning we had breakfast and then had to load up and head back to the airport. It was time to leave this beautiful place.

But we took the time to get a couple more team pictures before we left. We were such a diverse group of people, but connected so deeply because we love our sponsored children, and now have a great love for this country of Haiti. It was such an amazing experience.

view from our plane of the ocean below

 Once we returned to Miami and got through customs and picked up our luggage, it was hard to say goodbye to these amazing friends we had met during the last several days. I am so glad that God put together this team of people from all over the country and world.

So now what? I am trying to process and figure out how we come home from an experience like that and don't forget. I know we want to raise our children with an international view. God isn't American. Life doesn't begin and end with America. There is a whole world out there, desperate for compassion, for the love of Jesus. And the only way they are going to hear it and know it is through us. God has given us the amazing privilege of being His hands and feet.

So one of the obvious ways is through sponsoring children. Children are the future of our world. Mothers and Fathers are most often reached with the Gospel through their children. Sponsoring children can be through organizations like Compassion, World Vision, or many others. It could be deciding to take in foster children. There are so many ways to reach out to the children.

There is also helping with basic necessities. I know in Haiti one of the major necessities is being to have access to clean, healthy drinking water.

So maybe we need to rethink our "need" for that cable/satelite package that gives us more channels then we will ever watch. We could perhaps change a child's life for eternity.

Maybe those expensive lattes we get every day could instead be used to change the life of a person.

 Or that huge data package for our cell phones that we never use up each month.

Or perhaps we could choose to go meatless one meal a week and eat rice and beans and think and pray for our brothers and sisters in other countries who are struggling to put food on the table.

Maybe it would be praying for the nations around the world, using resources like Operation World. All I know is that we are not to be inactive, not doing anything. Even if we aren't called to be missionaries in foreign lands, there is plenty we can do in other ways, right here, right now.

Compassion Haiti 2014 Day 3

Here we are! The day we had been waiting for. We were going to meet Andy! I felt excited and nervous all at once! What if he didn't like us? What if he was disappointed? What if we didn't have a connection?

Yvonne called our name and we got up to go meet Andy. He came with his older sister, and a staff member from his project. Andy had to travel 3 1/2 hours to Port au Prince, and then spent the night there and then made the 1 1/2 hour trip to us. This was his first time spending the night away from home.

When we saw him he went to hug me and I could have started crying right there. He was smiling and was so happy to be there. We were off to a good start!

 He loved swimming in the pool. There are a lot of children in Haiti who haven't ever seen the ocean or have gone swimming in a pool before. We spent most of the morning at the pool. Nate even borrowed some shorts and got into the water. For those of you who know my husband, the water isn't his most favorite thing. He doesn't know how to swim. But this precious little boy was worth it.

This was our translator, Frankie.

 During lunch, I asked Andy what his favorite toy was to play with. He told us that he doesn't have any toys. That took us so off guard. I should have realized that because the two homes that we visited had no toys in them. But still…no toys? The thought seemed so foreign, especially coming from America where we have an overabundance of toys and entertainment in general.

So Nate then asked Andy what toys he would like to have. Andy replied that he would like cars, trucks, and machines. I had gone shopping for him about a month earlier. I wish I could say I had prayed about what to get him, but honestly, I had just gone down the aisles and picked out what I thought an 8 year old boy would like to play with.

Nate went upstairs and came down with Andy's bag. I found him a CARS book bag at Target. It was the only one left. He unzipped it slowly and started pulling things out.

Love their faces!

He pulled out a Jesus Storybook, written in Creole. He had a tablet and new crayons. He pulled out an Arizona Cardinals T-shirt. And then he pulled out 5 matchbox cars and a lego set that made three different kinds of heavy machinery. I felt so humbled at the kindness of Jesus, that he would allow us to be the catalyst to answer this dear boy's wish. That was an amazing moment.

All smiles!

 Our time was coming to a close, so we asked Andy to draw us a picture of his home. After he drew a picture of his home, we took turns drawing a picture of ours.

Here is a picture of our whole team with our sponsored children

Just before saying goodbye

We then prayed for Andy and his family and then it was time to take a big group photo and then say goodbye. The day was already over! Saying goodbye to that little boy was one of the hardest things I have ever done. It was so hard to let him go. We knew what he was going home to. The unfairness of it all seemed to hit us. Why him? Why does he go home to no clean water, electricity, no bathroom? Where supplying the basics takes up most of the day? And then, why us? Why do we get to live in a nice home, with clean water at five different spigots, a dishwasher, refrigerator, and three bathrooms?

And as we watched him get in the van and drive away…it hit me. God designed it this way on purpose. He not only blesses us with what we have, but He also allows us, desires us, to be His Hands and Feet. To take what we have and share it with those around us. Its our responsibility.

Yes, we could take Andy home with us and his physical surroundings would be improved, but that still doesn't help the problem. But Compassion does. Compassion equips these children with the tools they need to rise up above their circumstances and to make a difference in their country. They have a pride in their country and a strong desire to see Haiti become a better place. By sponsoring a child in Haiti, you are helping equip the next generation of leaders in that country. And not just leaders, but Believers. That is amazing.

Compassion Haiti 2014 Day 2

Our second full day in Haiti we traveled only about 40 minutes away from our hotel to visit another project. This time we were focused on the Child Development Program (CDP). This program focuses on children ages 3 up through high school. The children did a presentation for us. They sang songs, some sang solos, and a girl even played the trumpet. We also introduced ourselves and told where we were from. We then led the children in a rousing rendition of "Hallelu Hallelu Hallelu Hallelujah!" Oh, that was pretty fun. The kids got a kick out of that. There was lots of cheering going on! :)

After that, our team broke into four small groups. Each of us did a different activity and the children could pick where they wanted to go. One group played out on the "field", which was a dirt, concrete, stone field. Another did crafts, the third did face painting and fingernail painting. The group I was in jumped rope. What fun that was! I can't remember the last time I jumped rope. And the kids were awesome at jumping rope. Some could jump double dutch, some could jump with partners and jump around each other while jumping rope. I was happy I could jump in! :)

After playing a few hours, we then had lunch with the staff and learned about what each one's job is at the project. We also got to see where they are constructing new school buildings, built to code and strong enough to withstand strong earthquakes.

Me and Sara. Everyone on our team was just so awesome.

Roof of the new school rooms

Safety blinds

We then went on another home visit after lunch. It was a quick walk across the street and then down a turkey path to a bunch of houses scattered here and there. We went with our translator and one of the staff members from the project. The home we went to was a four room house, with one of the rooms being rented out to someone else. It had a concrete floor, concrete walls and a tin roof. There was no kitchen in the house. It was outside under a roof with tarps around it for walls. Inside there was no electricity, running water or bathrooms. There is typically a community "bathroom" which can range from a hole in the ground to an outhouse. 

In the home was the grandmother, the matriarch of the home. She had her daughter living with her who had three children. The daughter's husband left her when she was pregnant with the  baby. There was just a heaviness about the home. You could tell there had been a lot of pain and sorrow experienced there. We talked to them a little and then prayed with them. We asked the grandmother what she would like prayer for, and she answered that she would like her family to know and believe in Jesus. As we gathered around to pray, this dear woman, who looked like she was in her late 70s, and couldn't get around well, sank to her knees for us to pray for her. I have tears again just thinking about it. One of the other team members worded it so well, "It was as if she had the weight of the world on her shoulders as she knelt there for us to pray for her."

So while this home visit was hard, it was good to know that Compassion is there, partnering with the church, to love these children. To teach them about the Friend that never leaves them, even in all the uncertainty  and difficulty of life. And to give them a hope.

It begins

So we have started our trip to Haiti. Honestly, I have never felt let such conflicting emotions about a trip. It has felt so....opposed. Which I guess shouldn't surprise me. Anytime God desires to stretch and take us to new places, or use us to bring Him glory, there will be opposition. 

I ended last week feeling excited for the trip coming up, but over the weekend I started getting a head cold. And then the thought of laundry, cleaning, packing and organizing suddenly felt very overwhelming. Nate came down with the same cold. We got up Tuesday morning and just felt completely exhausted and drained. Nate mentioned he didn't know how we were going to get this done. But we determined that nothing was going to steal our joy.

So Tuesday evening we left and drove throughout the night. We stopped Tuesday afternoon and spent the evening with family in Louisiana. Now we are headed to Florida. We should at least make it to Tallahassee tonight. Tomorrow we will finish up. Sunday we fly out of Miami for Haiti. 

In order to help us prepare for our trip, Compassion sent us a sponsor guide. It details what we need to pack, how to pack, what we will be doing and seeing, as well as the specific area we are going to. There is also a place for journaling with questions to get you thinking. The first question is what does it mean to have compassion? I guess when I think about a compassionate person I think of someone who not only sympathizes, but empathizes. They are kind and loving. They will help a person in every aspect: emotionally, physically and spiritually. The next question is how would you define poverty? Not too long ago I would describe poverty as being poor. Maybe not having a "livable" house, no food, education or job. I would have focused more on the physical environment. But after doing some reading and "growing up", I would say you could have all the amenities in the world and still be poor. Your spirit can be impoverished. And that is the poverty that is so dangerous. 

So as we near Florida and our coming trip, my heart feels excited and nervous. I can't wait to go.

What we've been up to….

I haven't got on here in a really long time. I can't believe that one of my last post's was in October, and here it is, the week before Christmas. Life has just been zooming by. I feel like a lot has happened. Harvest wrapped up, and we said goodbye to one of our close friends, not really goodbye, but they moved to Kansas. And so we won't be able to get together as often as we'd like too…..

Childhood friends are some of the best and the ones we look back on so fondly. We love this family so much!
It was then Thanksgiving, and we had a surprise birthday party for my wonderful mother-in-law…

She was totally surprised! It was great.
We got our tree and decorated for Christmas. It feels so much different then last year, trying to move in at this time. Much more relaxed and enjoyable.

And we received this from Compassion International….

It's our sponsor tour information box!!! It has our name tags, luggage tags, bubbles, stickers, and a tour book, explaining about our trip.
Yes, Nate and I are headed to  Haiti in February! We are so excited! For a few years now, I would get emails from Compassion about going on a sponsor tour, but we also had a tiny baby, still nursing infant, or I was expecting a child. This is the first time that it worked out.
So we are flying down, touring the Compassion facilities and seeing what they do down there, and we also get to meet our child and spend the day with him!
Friday we went to Tucson to get our shots for the trip. By the time we got home, we both had sore arms, and I had a fever and headache. Saturday and Sunday I was nauseous and Sunday evening I broke out in a rash. Today, Tuesday, the rash is almost gone and so are all the other side effects. And we haven't even taken the rare diseases (at least for the U.S.) yet. We have typhoid fever and malaria pills to take. But it will all be worth. We are so excited. I am hoping I will be able to blog about it either while we are there or at least take lots of pictures to blog about once we get back. The kids will be spending time with Nate's parents and their other cousins, so they are super excited about that.

But this is a little of what's been going on around here. I am looking forward to being stretched and grown by the Lord on our trip and just in general in the coming year. There are lots of changes coming to our life, some in good, but bittersweet ways. We will be losing another set of dear friends early in the coming year and that is always hard. Especially for our kids to understand. Moving is never easy, but we must be obedient and faithful to where God calls us to go. It's the "Great Adventure" and we get the privilege to come along!