Pictures From Tuesday's Adventure

Letter From Home

Remember the song "Letter From Home?" John Michael Montgomery came out with it awhile back and it was hit. The lyrics describe the feelings of a soldier upon receiving letters from his family back home. This week I was reminded of that song when I got a box full of letters from my kids' families and friends back in Uganda. Being able to hand deliver those letters to each of the kids was unbelievably exciting. The joy and excitement on the bus that day was contagious. I traveled from seat to seat in the bus, reading the each child's letter and looking at pictures of their families. They were so excited to show me pictures of sisters, brothers, aunts, grandparents, and even neighbors. For me, the most emotional moments came, however, in reading the letters. Almost every letter said thank you to the head teacher. I was reminded what an enormous responsiblity was placed on me and how grateful these parents are that we are giving their children an education that they never could. It brought tears to my eyes. In those moments when I'm tired, I don't know what to do, or I'm frustrated with school, those letters keep me going.

After a long week, God blessed me with the perfect day off today. Our host church here in Acworth, Georgia is right on a lake. Laura, Steve and I were able to take out a canoe and a kayak and spend the whole day paddling around the lake and swimming. What a terrific blessing....God always knows exactly what I need.

Just when you were wondering...

Just when you were wondering if I had dropped off the map...(for those of you who follow this on a regular basis)...here I am! I have not really been neglecting writing. Internet access has unfortunatly been very limited the last few weeks. April 4-16th we took a rest from our tour and headed to our base house in North Carolina. What a treat it was to have acres of land, a big house all to ourselves, and a lake nearby. The kids enjoyed playing soccer for hours, painting pictures, skipping rope, reading, and relaxing. Easter was great! Kings Park International Church put on a giant easter egg hunt for the kids and they loved it. Of course we also spent the whole week talking about the events leading up to Jesus' death and resurrection. I've never seen people (especially children) who feel so deeply the meaning of Easter. It's not about the easter bunny people!

On the afternoon of Easter I got one of the biggest scares of my "parenting" career. While I was single handedly watching five of the kids at the lake...Mo managed to get a small stick lodged in his eye. When I saw all the blood and the stick poking out I was pretty scared. Praise God for the woman who was at the lake with a suburban and took us back to the house. After an evening of prayer and uncertainty, Mo returned from the hospital with good news. The stick didn't wound his eyeball and he is okay! What a relief. God was watching out for us once again.

We are now back on the road in Georgia. It's been a bit difficult getting back into the swing of things but we are getting there. Two small but encouraging Wal-mart stories for you: Yesterday I went into Walmart on the way to our evening concert to get some change. The lady at the customer service counter said she was not allowed to "sell change." However, she called her manager over. The manager proceeded to tell me that they are not allowed to make change....but she said she would do it for me anyway. She mentioned she had heard we had a great concert that morning and many people were blessed. I walked out with $150 in five dollar bills! Amazing. A few moments later I was waiting for Andrew when a woman tapped me on the shoulder. She said she had followed our bus into the parking lot and searched all over Wal-Mart looking for us. She explained that God had laid it on her heart to give us something and she handed me a $100 bill! She gave me a huge hug and said thank you for the work you are doing. Wow! It had been a really long hard day already and I was on the verge of tears. It took everything in me not to burst out crying in the middle of Wal-Mart. So there ya go...God even works through the people at Wal-Mart (just when you thought there was nobody nice or helpful there).

Would you please keep our team in your prayers this week. It's been an emotionally rough week and people are dealing with some personal stuff that I am not yet at liberty to share. I covet your prayers for peace, comfort, and God's guidance for our team though. Thank you for your faithful support. I wish I could post some pictures, but I'm writing from someone elses computer. Next time :)

From Mississippi to Alabama

We crossed the border into Alabama today and we couldn't resist playing (yes, you guessed it), Sweet Home Alabama (the song) as we entered the state. We will be here one short week before heading to North Carolina for a bit of a spring break :). After spending a few weeks in Mississippi, these are my conclusions. It is a BEAUTIFUL state, especially in the springtime. Lots of trees and flowers. I might consider living here if it weren't for the unbearable hot/humid summers. It's hardly spring yet and the poeple here are already talking about the summer. The people are very nice and laid back. Most people joke about those who live in the backwoods and have no running water (though I never met anyone like that). I did have trouble getting wireless internet and cell signal in a lot of place though. O well, forces me to read more. I read the Shack in three days and am currently finishing up Eat, Pray, Love (both of which I really enjoyed). Each one has been a "make you think" book. I realize both could be considered controversial, but I enjoy processing them. I truly wish I could have read the Shack within a book club or something so I could discuss it with people. If you've read it and have comments or would like to discuss it, let me know....

The Beauty of Christ in Children

This morning my three girls woke up early in the trailer we were sleeping in here in rural Mississippi. As I awoke to the sound of birds chirping I also heard their whispers. Since it was not time to get up yet I told them they could read their Bibles while I went to shower. I returned to find them reading quietly in bed and as I entered they all clamored to tell me how many verses they had memorized. How many people can say they get that response when they wake up their kids in the morning?! The first words out of little Racheal's mouth this morning were "I will give thanks to the Lord because of his righteousness and will sing praise to the Lord most high." Rose then quoted John 3:16 and Esther could hardly wait to tell me Proverbs 3:3 (Let love and faithfulness never leave you. Bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart.). Music to my ears this morning and it put a song of joy in my heart as we ate breakfast, took some pictures on the dock by the lake, and sang prasies to the Lord at the top of our lungs all the way to church. Just when I am tempted to forget how special these children are or how privileged I am to be their auntie, God gives me mornings like this morning.

This afternoon the children have spent several hours rehearsing some new easter songs. I am grateful for a quiet afternoon to be outside with the Lord. After listening to a sermon by Major Ian Thomas I spent some time contemplating what it really means to empty myself and become a vessel to be used by the Lord. I know that God uses those who are available and often those who feel like failures, who are least qualified. David...Abraham...Jonah...Paul...and the list goes on. I've made decisions to empty myself and be a vessel. I want to be available to the Lord and I know it is a process, but I am just really trying to figure out on a daily basis what that means and how I can allow the Lord to change me, empty me, use me. It can be such a struggle to put off ourselves and be filled with the Spirit. Even 10 minutes after I was thinking these things and making promises to the Lord, I found myself being impatient with the children. O Lord please help me to be your servant to the world!

Musings about Mississippi

Mississippi is another state I never knew much about...until now. It's beautiful here. The tall trees remind me of home in a way and the people are great. Most have grown up here and never really left. "A great place to raise a family" as so many people have told me. Except of course for the excruciating heat and humidity in the summer. We've jokingly been invited to come back then....no thank you. I'm good to be in Michigan in August :) I don't know about the rest of you, but I think it is safe to say that many people do not realize that parts of Mississippi were hit harder by Hurricane Katrina than New Orleans was. Whole towns were completely wiped out. I've been inspired by the many stories I have heard of people re-building their lives with God's help. One family I stayed with had the most amazing stories to tell. I was close to tears the whole night and yet excited to hear about how God has worked. I was so inspired I wrote down three pages of notes and took some pictures of the families home. I hope someday to write a book about it. It's worth writing.

On a random note, I have a somewhat funny story to share with you. Yesterday as Laura and I were about to leave for a nice afternoon of shopping...I decided I needed to take a picture on a tire swing hanging so peacefully in a wooded yard. With Laura poised to take the photo I smiled and jumped on. Before I knew what had happened I was sprawled on the ground in a giant mud puddle, with a huge tree branch on my head and a very bad headache. It was quite shocking. Needless to say I spent over an hour on the couch with a bag of ice on my head, hoping and praying I did not have a concussion. I had visions of the last time I had a concussion in New Zealand and ended up puking all over someone's bathroom (so sorry Ayers, if you are reading this). Thankfully I didn't get sick and other than a long lasting headache and sore couple of lumps on my head I am okay. Praise God. Thank you for your continued prayers and HAPPY SPRING!!

Mardi Gras Headquarters

I never really knew anything about Louisiana except for New Orleans, which I associated with Mardi Gras and Hurricane Katrina. During our short stay here I've gleaned a better understanding of this state and the people who call it home. As far as Mardi Gras is concerned I haven't met anyone who could explain it to me as more than a giant party the day before lent in which people take part in all kinds of behaviors they plan to give up until Easter. Ridiculous if you ask me. I did enjoy a wonderful day exploring the French Quarter area of New Orleans though. I loved the quaint streets, shops, restaurants, and of course all the live music! We ate lunch at an outdoor cafe where we were serenaded by a guy with long dread locks who sounded just like Louis Armstrong. What more could you ask for? I also enjoyed a tasty lunch of fried alligator! I've been to a lot of big cities and I must say New Orleans certainly is distinct and has a lot of interesting people, including old men with purple hair on the street who wanted to read my palm, witchcraft specialists in the doorways, and crazily dressed men in wierd glasses wandering the streets. I was just glad I wasn't alone. We took a nice ferry ride across the mighty Mississippi River and made it back to the church safely. It was a great adventure.

Whatever would make people want to live in a state that is constantly battered by hurricanes beats me, but I've met a lot of people who keep re-building and are determined to stay. Over cups of tea and chocolate cake I have had several interesting conversations with people about the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, the corruption of politicians in Louisiana, and the ongoing struggles. I've learned that no matter where a person lives, home is home to them and they love it. I guess since I have such a nomadic lifestyle and love for traveling, home has been many places for me, but I've gained a greater appreciation for having a home town and family nearby, since I have been on tour. I've been a "part" of many families and observed and learned a lot about people-how they live, how they treat one another, and how they view God and the world. I'll forever be grateful for this experience that has taught me so much about life.

Milepost

Today is concert 100...........Wow! Time flies when your having fun. Yesterday I pointed out to Jackson that it was the last day of February. He replied, "Auntie, I don't know why but the months go faster here. In Uganda the moon moves slow slow, but in America the moon moves fast fast." I explained that the moon is the same anywhere you go in the world, but I can't deny that time seems to go faster in America. In the midst of a fast paced life...I still try to make time to slow down and smell the roses (I actually did literally bend down and smell a rose yesterday :). Take time to stop and smell the roses wherever you are today......

An Afternoon at NASA

Monday we took the kids to NASA's Johnson's Space Center in Houston. Even though they don't have a lot of background in science or aeronautics they had fun. We got to explore what the inside of a space shuttle looks like, including how the astronauts sleep, shower, and eat while they are in space. I tried to explain to the kids how astronauts eat freeze dried food, but they didn't really understand. I ended up buying them freeze dried ice cream. They liked it, but didn't believe that it was ice cream. It didn't look like ice cream or really taste like ice cream, so how could it be ice cream? Explaining the lack of gravity in space also proved to be a challenge and some of the kids were a little freaked out by the realistic looking people that were somersaulting around inside the space shuttle. One of the highlights was experiencing what it would feel like when a shuttle takes off, complete with smoke pouring into the room. I think 3 kids jumped into my arms! As a teacher, the whole afternoon was fascinating to me. I enjoyed learning about the history of NASA and space travel and their plans for the future. I even got to stand inches away from the actual command module from Apollo 17 that went to the moon! So cool!

We wrapped up 3 months of Texas travels today and headed to Louisiana. It's wierd to not be in Texas anymore and see the flag everywhere :) I am looking forward to visiting many new states though in the coming months. Soon after crossing the border we stopped at a rest area by a lake. I was a little disturbed that one of the first things I saw in Louisiana was a "no swimming" sign with an alligator on it! Welcome to Louisiana...yikes!

Small, Unforgettable Moments

This morning I poked my head into the bedroom to find Nelson, Jackson, and Geofrey silently laying in bed reading their Bibles...When I asked if they had read the whole Bible yet this morning they just smiled and said, no..but a lot of chapters. They shared with my what chapters they had been reading in Genesis, Matthew, and Revelation. When I asked Jackson if he understood everything he read he said, "no, but I keep reading the other words around it and then I figure it out!" We prayed together to start our day and I went back to my room smiling and quite humbled. I rolled out of bed this morning and hopped in the shower, but my little boys woke up early and spent time in God's word. Wow. In the midst of my exhaustion this morning was a good reminder to me that it's more important than ever to be immersing myself in God's powerful and active word. Even though the tiredness never seems to really go away and life can be an emotional rollercoaster, I find joy in the little moments with the kids and it keeps me going :). Thank you for your continued prayers and support. I can't do it without you...