the Body

Whew!  

Lily and I are safely home from Kansas tonight...and I promise no more flying until after Nora joins us :) Apparently that made some people nervous :) We had SUCH a wonderful trip...encouraging, edifying, uplifting, fun, social, restful...just awesome.

One of the best parts, without a doubt, was getting good time with the Heckmans and getting caught up on their lives and our life in Haiti through them!!  They are some of Lily's dearest friends, as well, and she enjoyed being with them so much!

watchin' fireworks...

She also adores her Uncle Martin and Aunt Sharon, and it's no wonder, the way she is spoiled.  Riding around on Uncle Martin's bike was one of her very favorite things and she has big future plans for road trips and biker gangs.

 

 One of the many other highlights for both of us was Nora's shower...just so good to be with dear women and to pray together and craft together and catch up.

I felt so encouraged afterwards!  This is Randi, who is due exactly 1 week before me with her baby girl.  We've FB messaged through from 5 weeks together...and having face time together just moments before our girlies come was SO FUN!

It was also just really special that our dear Haiti friends could be there, getting to know some of our dear Kansas friends and celebrating all together.  So special!

So thankful for Sharon doing it all for us...

I know I've said this before, but I love this girl :)  Being back with Haylie was so good for my heart.

This was my very very first time doing sparklers or fireworks or anything...Lily's, too...very fun :)

We also had two awesome nights of really incredible firework displays...a very cool non-Haiti thing!

Worshipping with our NorthRidge family Sunday was also a real gift, and extra special to be able to sit in while the Heckmans presented a bit of their story and call and work at Emmaus!

Lily also got to do lots of boating and tubing, we got to have a few special meals with dear friends, and our last morning, we even JUST got to see Ryan, Cheyenne (who served with us for a short time in Haiti last year) and finally meet baby Grace!

I'm pretty sure Lily wouldn't mind one bit if she was adopted by the Heckmans, or if I had told her this morning that she'd be staying in Kansas with the Mishlers the rest of the summer.  

Our flight today was a VERY tight catch, but we made it, and now are safely home with Matt and Sofie...who had a great few days but seem very glad to have Mama home :)

I am so so so thankful we had the chance to do this little weekend away.  It was so restorative for me...so encouraging.  Spending time with godly women (and men, too) just leaves you feeling grateful for things you have forgotten to be grateful for...encouraged in places you didn't know you were discouraged...focused on things you have overlooked focus on...reminded of things you needed reminded of...rested in places you've been weary.

Such a powerful testimony of what the Body of Christ could and should and does look like, and how powerfully that changes things in peoples lives.

JUST by being His body and loving like He does.

Thank you, Sharon, Martin, Galen, Linda, Phil, Emily, Ethan, Haylie, Randi, Jessie, Emily, Judi, Charlie, Jane, Robert, Andrew, Nick, Shana, Ryan, Cheynne, Chris, Lisa, John, Luke, Jerre, Kevin, Dena, Caleb...  grateful for the way you Body of Christ.