camping!

We're back from quite the adventure camping!

We definitely are making this an annual tradition!  


Highlights:
      - the girls LOVED it and were happy the entire weekend
      - unlimited toasted marshmallows
      - we had a blast with Lisa and Adam
      - we had a gorgeous hike today at Old Man's Cave
      - our new tent proved to truly be water proof
      - there was a pool nearby which got us through the 100 degree weather
      - the rain cooled things down for sleeping
      - we had a GREAT secluded camp site
      - when the entire community lost electricity and water, we were already prepared
      - we haven't laughed so hard in a long time!
      - Lisa captured the most adorable picture of our little family right after diving into the tent in the pouring rain

Not-so-highlights:
      - a rascal rat-coon woke us up at three am by opening and closing our cooler, rooting around, and stealing eggs and pepperoni, closing it in between each bite to keep his snack extra cool
      - the huge storm which knocked over trees around us and has left the entire county and all surrounding counties (even still) was more than a bit intimidating!
      - our camping friends who were supposed to meet us couldn't find us, there was no signal to call us, and there was no electricity for the rangers to find our reservation...so they were warm in their beds last night, but quite missed!
      - my dad wasn't able to make it, and was sorely missed
      - the broasted chicken place we always go to after camping was closed due to not having power (I know...we suffered :)
      - my camera was somehow lost on today's hiking trail and never found, and I am just devastated sick over losing that picture :(

SO glad we went, so fun to do something so different from the norm, so great to do something new with the girls that brought out little bits of their personalities that we don't always get to see, and very grateful to have these few days for a bit of "family vacation" before we get back to traveling and speaking and heading back to Haiti in just a few weeks now!

scatterings...

Things are a little scattered right now, so this will be, too!

1)  There are so many "rat-coons" at grandpa's house right now that if we leave the garage door open for an hour, we've got families of raccoons digging through the trash.  Lily loves them.  Everyone else, not so much.  

2) I'm sure it's been super hot wherever you are, too!  As uncomfortable as that is for everyone (well, we feel quiet at home, I must say :), it's been downright devastating for Uncle Adam and Aunt Lisa's hometown of Denver.  This week has been full of lots of prayers and lots of checking up with their friends and family, some forced to flee their homes.  We're thankful to have them here in Ohio for the week, and spent the 100 degree day yesterday at the pool!

3) Today, we are attempting a major first in camping!  We haven't been in years, and it'll be Lily and Sofie's first time.  Lily saw it on a Curious George episode a few months ago and has been SO anxious to have a go.  

Aunt Sharon and Uncle Martin's camper rather shifted her visions of what this is going to be like, but we've told her ten times this will be TENT camping, and once she got through the disappointment of not having a "kid shower" and a "kid oven", she got excited again!  

We're only attempting one night this first time (Friday night), and we'll see how it goes :)

4) Matt had the chance today to talk to all kinds of friends from home.  Maxi, Abel, Gertha, Noel, baby Thalia, their families...everyone is well.  We couldn't reach Micheline or Junior, but everyone wanted to know all they could about the girls and it was fabulous to catch up!  Every time we think about it too much, we are just sick for home...just keep moving!

5) We are less than a week away from leaving for the East Coast for Phase 2 of our speaking this summer!  We're looking forward to being with you, PA, NJ and DE!   

lessons from the Central State

It has been just a crazy few days!  A lot of crazy-good, and a little bit of just crazy-crazy...  Here's some lessons from the road.


1) Don't dive into a deep conversation about the theology of suffering at 6:30 am on the way to an airport you've only been to twice if you don't want to miss you turn, add an hour to your trip and arrive less than an hour before take-off with a car for long-term parking and 2 car-seats.  

2) On that note, don't take small children through airline security alone with an expired driver's license and two sippy cups in your bag.  


3) Don't think that the vegan ways of the day are popular in the Wheat State.  You will eat meat.  A lot of it.  And you will like it.  Because well...it's like nothin' else GOOD.


4) Don't think that a rural town means friends are few and far between.  It might feel small and quiet, but friends gather in a big, boisterous way.  NorthRidge seemed to be the hub and common-ground of the weekend, but it was downright thrilling to meet so many people who are genuinely anxious to do and be whatever He asks.  WhatEVER.  WhereEVER.  WhenEVER.  


5) Our support system isn't just functional--in the sense that it just helps us get things done in His kingdom-- but it's relational...a community that cares about us, with or without Haiti, with or without success, with or without Emmaus.  Praise the Lord!


6) Spending time with people whose blogs we read is even better than reading their blogs!  sidenote: I OH-SO-GREATLY wish that everyone had a blog!  I know you know everything about us.  But I know NOTHING about you!  I know my sister says they are only for the "older" generations like Matt and I and upward.  But I still really do.


7) Having people who rather consistently appear in the lives of our girls--stateside or overseas--is SO important, and such a joy to behold.


8) There are a lot of people out there whom we've never met (many until this weekend!) who read our blog and follow and PRAY.  


9) Lily cares deeply about being involved with other children her age the RIGHT way. She wants to watch what they're doing here in America, make sure she can do it the same as everyone else, and then jump in there tentatively, happy as long as there is no confrontation, unhappiness or loudness. 

10) Sofie does not care whatsoever what anyone thinks, and will throw herself at anything she wants and be as loud as she can.  And eat everything in sight.

11) Martin can be incredibly mischievous and ornery and a great blessing at the same time.  I don't know how he pulls this off.  He probably thinks it's a gift.  What I do know is that it is a gift that his dear wife isn't constantly smacking him.


and finally...


There is little better in life than to be surrounded by friends old and new who make you feel like we are all in this together.  If we love Jesus, and we're in the Word, and we're wanting to be for His glory, then we're all in this together.  One vision...His.  If you're sharing Him in your job or sharing Him in Africa or sharing Him in a church plant or sharing Him at the grocery store, then we're together.  


If we're all His children and anxious to make Him known in our lives and words and works and relationships, then we are all working TOGETHER...I don't think I've ever felt and realized that reality as much as we have these past few days.


B&J are working in a church plant in Nebraska and J&J are looking at preaching the true Gospel in the community next door and M&K are feeling called to live among an unreached people group and C&J are preaching the Gospel in the middle of the US and trying to mentor so many to closer walks with God and M&S are working to put missions into DNA and C is trying to challenge Christians to go deeper and... Matt & Stacey are trying to teach the Gospel in Haiti--We're just all working together as His children.

None better, none worse, none alone, none in the same walk and work.


What great comfort, support, energy, power and relationship is to be found in that...His body...His church!


While we are thankful to have thousands of miles safely travelled and to be safely back in O-H-I-O, we are so grateful for these few days we had in Kansas and to therefore feel a renewed passion for just being HIS.  With YOU.


Thanks, Sabetha!

When we talk about some of the great people in Sabetha, this family is WAY up there.  So thankful for Anna, Issac, Jane, Luke and Robert!

 Lily has spent at least 12 hours the last 3 days in this "kid house".  She ADORES Uncle Martin and Aunt Sharon's camper.

She has made pancakes, birthday cakes and candy canes for EVERYONE.

Taking pretend showers...

We head back to Ohio tomorrow...more reflections from our Kansas Experience then...

"ice cream social" should be done WAY more often.

And now you know why Lily loves staying at Aunt Sharon's house.

 Sofie is attempting here to secretly swipe Lily's babydoll, Gertha.

We had a blast of an evening with tons of friends old and new and quite literally gallons upon gallons of ice cream.  Really good idea, and really great people.  

 These pix don't do it justice, but every time I pull my camera out these days, someone asks, "Is that for the blog?" and then crowds either form or scatter :)

Lily met lots of Azi and Gideon's family, and finally pulled on my hand and asked, "Am I Azi and Gideon's cousin, too?"

We had such a good time.  Matt's preaching a few times tomorrow morning, twice at NorthRidge Kansas and once at NorthRidge Nebraska, and we're just looking forward to spending more time with these passionate-for-people-because-He-is people.

Lily is really into pretend calling people lately, and tonight pretend called Aunt Lisa several times and talked on and on about how "Can-Sass" is so much fun and Aunt Lee should come see her.  

made it!

If you tend to enjoy our blog as a part of your devotional life, this is not devotional :)  

As you can see, we made it to Kansas.  Traveling with two small children, one with the itches and one with a fever, after racking in >4 hours of sleep last night, proved amusing.  Top three of the day:

1)   Matt: "I need better underwear to fly in."

What does that even mean???

2)  Matt to Dad in a discussion about Stacey being overly frugal:  "Stacey, mother of compassion, pouring it out on every single person in Haiti ever day.  Until you get her to the market place.  Twenty-five cents for a cabbage?  I don't THINK so.  She'll take two thank you very much!"  Oh, man.  I was laughing so hard.  He might be right.

3)  Lily about a water fall display at an airport massage place:  "Look, a water fountain!  Where do you put the money in?"

Frugal, frumpy, flustered, fussy or fatigued, we are here, Sharon and Lily are at the grocery store (or the go-see store, according to Lily, whom I'm sure is getting terribly spoiled), Sofie is fussing through her fever and we are so happy to be in Sabetha!  This is only the third time we've been out here, but it's a special community and by the end of our trips we're always thinking...ooooh, we could do this Sabetha thing!

Sam and Cam, we feel kinda weird being in your corner of the world while you're in our corner of the world...wish you were here!

Kansas

Headin' for Kansas on a 7 am flight tomorrow morning!  


Lily has added "hand/foot/mouth disease"to her repertoire of current maladies, but her fever is gone (no longer contagious) and so we're going to go for it...Please be praying for our travels as that she is pretty miserable!  We can't wait for some good time with our NorthRidge family!


Thanks for your prayers!

crazy near

My Utmost for His Highest reading yesterday had me thinking hard about Peter and what and how he did what he did when he jumped out of that boat that day, arm outstretched to Jesus.  


Clearly, he wasn't thinking.  You're not thinking if, in the middle of lightning flashing and heaving waves you jump OUT of the boat.  He wasn't thinking, he was just doing.  He recognized Jesus, abandoned his reason, and went.  


That can preach.  There's good stuff there.  I was touched.


But wait till you hear what deep well I found in Matthew 14, where this story comes from.


Jesus wasn't just out on the water while they were boating.  Do you know what had just happened?  Like, that very same day?  


That very morning, Jesus got word that John the Baptist...not just His friend, His ministry partner, and Jis disciple, but His very blood...had been beheaded.  He just learned that John was dead.  Suddenly, Jesus was in the middle of something deeply sad, unshakably dark.  As soon as He hear it, He withdrew...withdrew to a lonely place.   


Jesus was in an understandably dark and lonely place.  He had lost his friend.  He very much so had the right to be alone and to be spending some time on His own, with His thoughts.  


But everyone followed Him.  And He felt compassion for them, and started healing them.  Jesus abandoned His self-consideration.  Let go of where He was, and didn't question what God was doing.  He just did what His Father had set before Him.  


But it was reckless, as the disciples soon pointed out.  Evening was coming, (think of how emotionally exhausted Jesus must have been by now!), and Jesus had kept everyone out late.  Now what were they going to do with everyone?  


Jesus surrendered himself again, performing one of the most bafflingly-huge miracles...feeding five thousand men and their wives and their children and their neighbors.  


And immediately He pushed the disciples into the boat and out to sea, sent the fed and healed multitudes home, and went alone to pray.


He must have been so anxious to spend some time with His Dad after a day like that...


But then the "wind was contrary", the boat was being "battered" by the waves and no one on that boat was at ease, that's for sure.  Jesus walked out to them in the fourth part of the night, and they were frightened.  


Check out this progression. (vs.27)


They cried out in fear.  Immediately Jesus spoke to them, "Take courage.  It's me.  Do not be afraid."


And Peter, though he had just spent the day with Jesus, jumps out to meet Him.


But wait...  Before Peter did something crazy, something reckless, something abandoned, he checked with Jesus first.  


"Lord, ask me to come to You on the water!"


Come, Jesus said.  


So he went.


He recognized Jesus, and self-consideration was out the window.  Jesus said "come", and he went.  He was reckless immediately, completely unconstrained.  


Surely it gave Jesus a whelm of joy to see his friend abandon ship like that.


But suddenly Peter began to take into account everything he saw, everything around him...his circumstances, the wind, the waves, the logic, science, his life.  Self-consideration came in and recognition of the craziness of what he was doing sank in, and so did he.  


"Lord, save me!" and immediately Jesus took hold of him.  




We don't know when Jesus' voice is going to come to us.  We don't know when or how or where He's going to speak, or what or when or how He's going to say it.  


But we have to be determined to recklessly abandon ourselves when He does.  When He does speak: Take courage.  It's me.  Don't be afraid....COME...we have to abandon ourselves and jump overboard.  


It's only through that abandonment of ourselves and our circumstances that we will even be ABLE to recognize Jesus and His voice. 


And yeah, sometimes that voice might ask us to do something "crazy."  Like, talk about Jesus in a place  and age where it's wildly unpopular.  Like, dress counter-culturally.  Like, change jobs.  Like, move.  Like, forgive.  Like, stop _________.  Like, start __________.  Break up.  Make a commitment.  Change your speech.  Change your attitude.  Do something different.  Do everything different.  Move to Haiti.  Stay in Haiti.  I don't know.  


But you know what?   Though Jesus' reckless abandonment had Him healing the blind and doing crazy food multiplication, you know where it led Peter?


Peter put all his self-consideration aside and jumped out of a boat in the middle of a storm in front of his friends in the middle of the night...just to be close to Jesus.


The same Jesus he walked with every day.


He recklessly abandoned himself, stepping out on the knowledge that it was Jesus and that he had heard Jesus' voice, just to be with Him.  


Let your actual circumstances be what they may, but keep recognizing Jesus and listening for His voice, maintaining complete reliance and understanding of your life on Him.  We will only recognize His voice more clearly through recklessness--being willing to risk our ALL, even if only to be nearer to Him.  

happy fathers

I know that I say this everywhere we go (because it's true!), but we had a really good and nourishing time at Livingston this morning.  It was so encouraging, inspiring and joyful to be with this body of believers and to be reminded so heartily of their prayers.

While support raising is no-where-close to our favorite thing about this calling He's given us (and probably one of the most stretching!), 

it is GOOD and so meaningful to hold the hands of the ones who are praying for you

...to hear from their lips their prayers and hopes and burdens

...to vocalize and identify what God is doing NOW in Haiti and in us

...and to share our time and our children and ourselves with those who are sharing their time and prayers and gifts with us.  

And of course, it was especially meaningful for me to be sitting in pews I remember sitting in as a little girl with people I remember sitting with, to be there on Father's Day with my father and my girls' father (and my fabulous sister!) and to hear Matt share his heart and the Word.

This church is so beautiful, and my attempt at capturing some of its' height gave me this funny picture of Matt :)

In Sunday school we shared a few testimonies and a bit out of Exodus, but for the main service, Matt preached from Psalm 51 about repentance, forgiveness, and the need for a clean heart, a new heart.  David's heart and plea in this Psalm is just such a fantastic testimony of repentance and beautiful model of unmerited forgiveness and grace on God's part.

It was a powerful message and gave me lots to think about...

Then afterwards we got to spend the afternoon with lots of good friends from Livingston, which was SO fun!  There was another baby for Sofie, another 3 year-old for Lily, great food, really good conversation and lots of laughter all around.  Couldn't have imagined a better day!

Lily and Micah were making zoo forts, whatever those are!  They knew :)

Very thankful for this man, for my daddy and the girls' grandpas, for Livingston UMC, 

and for the many of you around the world reading this who may not be able to hold our hands and play with our girls, 

but whose prayers and sacrifices are joyfully given on our behalf 

to the Firm Foundation on which we stand.

Thank you.

catch up

Just to catch us up from the last few days...

Tuesday we drove to London, Ohio, to work on the books with our accountant/pastor/board member friend, Jerry.  He and I got to work out some QuickBook issues Emmaus has been having and to get ready for a new school year.

We did all that at Dave and Ann's, and then when we finished had a great time with their family and with Troy and Kristen's family (and with the Dingus's for a bit) cooking out, cathing up and watching the kids play.  It was Becca's 11th!

oh yeah.  That's a DQ ice cream cake!

Lily adored her time with Becca and Sarah, the food was fantastic, and better than anything was just the friendships.  This gang has just always greatly blessed us by being interested in, well...US.  They care about our lives and are happy to share theirs with us as well...just like so many of you!  We are just truly blessed, and had such a good time with them, clovers and all :)

The following night we had a truly wonderful time at New Promise Church in Kirtland, Ohio, where we were able to share with the youth group and with the adult meeting, and have a meal and dessert together.  I'd never been to New Promise, and we were thrilled to find such an interested, God-seeking and open group of believers there!  Thank you all, especially to Fran, for your warm welcome and hard work to prepare for us!

Then, Matt left Thursday for Wilmore, Kentucky, for a morning meeting Friday, a dinner meeting, and a game/meeting of golf in the middle.  He really enjoyed his time there with Dr. Bryan, Dr. Phil (watch for their session to be aired this fall...just kidding) and Dr. Smith, and the girls and I enjoyed some time with Aunt Lisa, playing bubbles and eating...

 you know!

Tomorrow we're to be blessed with the chance to be with our Livingston UMC family in Columbus!

The Missionaries

"Watcha doin, Lil?" I asked her last night at New Promise Church while she was bent over a pink piece of paper with her new friends.


"Colorin' a card for the mish-on-ar-arians."


"For the missionaries?  Oh, that's nice.  Who are the missionaries?" I asked.


"I dunno.  I'm just colorin' wiff my friends, mom."

---

Frankly, we're not nuts about the word "missionary." 


It is a very loaded word.  


And it makes people act weird.  


Conversations that are flowing nicely and full of laughter seem to stop when The Missionary walks by.  Friends who knew you before you were The Missionaries assume you have shriveled up in the Spirit and are very careful to be neat and proper versions of themselves.  Strangers seem to forget general conversation etiquette, like "How are you?", and say instead, "You must be The Missionaries"...and nothing else.  

Perhaps in fear of forced conversion, it often seems that people are trying to get away from us as quickly as possible.  They assume we couldn't possibly have anything in common, and have only one motive in mind: to judge, convert and conquer.  


We absolutely never tell people that we are missionaries--avoiding at all costs conjuring up images of slide shows, jean skirts and teepees--and immediately ending any hopes of normal conversation.  At most, we share that we live in Haiti.


We've known missionaries over the year who also want to avoid the whole "missionary" stereotype, and so instead try to paint themselves as "not your average missionary" or as being very different from other missionaries, which never made much sense to me, either.  


We're not like other missionaries any more than any Christian is like other Christians.  I don't assume that as an electrician you are exactly like other electricians, nor that you are a teacher like all other teachers.  We're all just supposed to be like Jesus, right?


When it comes down to it,  I just love Lily's answer.  She's been a missionary her whole life, daughter of missionaries, and she has NO idea.  What she does know is that Mommy and Poppy tell and teach people about Jesus.  She tries to tell people about Jesus.  That's just what we do.


Not because we are The Missionaries.  We tell people about Jesus because we love Him, just like if you ask me "How are you?" I will tell you about my girls because I love them!


We had the awesome opportunity last night to share with 25 teenagers a bit of our calling, and while the idea of "missions" got us a return of blank, bored stares, the idea that we are ALL called to be living and telling about Jesus--you know, missionaries--hit home. 


We don't care a whit about being missionaries, like or unlike other missionaries.  

Just about being Christ-followers, and raising Christ-follower girls, and sharing Christ with those who do, and don't, follow Him.  


Just like you, Missionary!

Video

If we're coming to your church this summer, you're probably going to see this video.  But if we're not, you can check it out at home through YouTube.  


Check it out for a short recap in photos of our 2011-2012 school year!

New Bedford, Aunt Bex and 7 years...

These last few days have been fun and meaningful...time is just flying!

While Bex was here, we ran up to Columbus and the second Lily saw kids playing in the fountain, that was it.

At New Bedford, Lily got to go to Sunday school for the very first time...and LOVED it.  Aunt Lori was such a patient teacher, and even though Lily wasn't impressed to have only boys to play with, by the end of the day she was bossing them around just fine :)

The luncheon after the services was wonderful, and a beautiful cake was an extra treat!  Lily was sure it was her birthday, and devastated that she hadn't been told!

After church, Pastor Doug took our family out on the lake, where the girls got to boat and swim in a lake for the first time and Matt got to water ski for the first time!

We had just a really fantastic time with New Bedford...you continue to be such a faithful and praying group of family and friends!  THANK YOU!!

Lily was mesmerized with the build-a-bear store, though couldn't understand why a bear would need underwear, clothes, shoes, sunglasses, hats, etc.  That made 6 of us.  Still a really fun place to play, and thankfully, Lily has been so un-stored in her life that she is completely content to play in a store and leave it without any expectation of actually taking anything with her...like this mustache. 

 While enjoying our few days with Aunt Bex, we went to visit another Asbury College friend, Lisa.  Really Good.

 While I didn't get many pictures with Bex, our time with her was so precious.  Bex is just downright inspiring.  On the hardest days in Haiti, I think of Bex, and simply persevere alongside her.  

Haiti may not be the easiest place to share the Gospel, but it's not illegal.  And it might be difficult to see sincere conversions, but asking people to follow Christ does not threaten their very lives.  It's a very challenging mission field, the place God has led Bex to.

But it's not the challenges that make Bex inspiring, but simply her faith.  She has been called to go, so she went.  She feels called to share, so she shares.  She feels called to stay, so she stays.  No violence or suffering or unspeakable heartbreak has changed any of that.  There isn't an ounce of "woe-as-me" in Bex, not a line of complaint, and being with Bex is the same as it's always been, just a joy.  We love you, friend!

Finally, we celebrated our 7th wedding anniversary yesterday on a day that was WAY colder than it was seven years ago :)  Aunt Lisa, Uncle Adam and grandpa babysat and we went out to eat and to a movie (What to Expect...a good bawler).  It was fantastic to have some time alone, though we found ourselves jumping up every time we heard a kid crying!  We hadn't been on a date for...a long time.

So thankful to have had these seven years and to look back at how very faithful He has been...even when we weren't so sure!