What's Been Happening???

Wow, how time flies. I realize that my last post was in 2011.  Boy, does time get away from you and quickly.  2011 was a tough year as I lost my Dad on December 6th.  I was grateful to be able to return to the US for the funeral and to be with my family for a period of time.

I returned to the City of Heavenly Water February 1, 2012 and was able to finish my term.  We saw God's goodness in several being added to the Kingdom during that time.  Yet, my last year+ on the field in East Asia was some of the toughest times I had experienced over the last several years of living overseas.  There was much grief, loneliness, and spiritual warfare.  I cannot even begin to describe the emotional, physical, and spiritual toll that it took on me.

My term ended and I returned to the USA, March 10, 2013.  I came back to the US feeling numb in many ways seeking rest and restoration.  My first month was spent just trying to get my bearings about me and learn how to live in America once again.  The Lord blessed me with many speaking opportunities over the next several months telling others what He has been doing in East Asia.  It was such a blessing being around folks who have such a heart for the nations and spreading His love around the world.  I have also been able to visit with family and dear friends.  I even had a couple of projects to do for my Mom in which I was able to listen to good praise and worship music and sermons as I pressure washed her house and stained her decks.  Sometimes good old fashioned manual labor can be good for the soul.

In God's goodness, He has given me the time, rest, and restoration that I have needed.  He has been so gracious to me in allowing me to pour out my heart to some dear friends and receive godly counsel and instruction.  He has reminded me over and over again of His constant steadfast love for me.  The Lord has also allowed me this time with my precious Mother who has put up with me through these months of getting my feet back on the ground.  She is my hero and when I grow up, I want to be like her!

I praise God for His infinite goodness, mercy, and grace that would save a wretch like me and who would grant me such a time for healing.  I seek to know Him more and walk in His ways for His own glory.  So now, I wait....

I have been in the process of trying to return to Asia since November.  The wait continues as I pray and ask for God to open doors so that I may return.  Cloud City is my expected new home as I make preparations to return.  In the process of rejected visas, I have been reminded that God's throne is fixed and that He shall see His will accomplished.  No rulers or kingdoms on this earth have the last say.  Provers 21:1 says, "The king's heart is like channels of water in the hand of the Lord; He turns it wherever He wishes."  He will open doors in His time and way...so, I wait.  May He be glorified, even in the waiting!

Part Of My Heart

I made a recent trip back to my former city, The Crossroad, to see my dearest Cnese friend, Millie get married. She looked beautiful and it was special for me to be there for her wedding. Millie is my former tutor and Sister. She came to f@ith about eight months after I had moved in country. She has been a faithful friend. It was an emotional trip for me as I visited many old friends, classmates, and teachers. I spent three years in this city and was blessed to build some deep and sweet relationships. Wherever you live and plant your life, there is no way to move without leaving some of those roots behind. It seems that in all of the places I've lived, a little part of my heart is left there and these places will always hold a special meaning for me. It was great being back at my old stomping ground again and renewing friendships. How good Father is to give me friends wherever He has me go and plant my life...if only for a season. Praize Him for how He blesses us with dear friends.

Fight...Fight...

Living in another country is always interesting. I got on the bus one day recently to head downtown to do some shopping. As soon as I got on the bus and took a place in the middle of the aise, I heard these two women...one in front of me and one behind me. They were aruging. Sometimes in this culture, when people are talking, it sounds like they are arguing. Then, you find out they are just having a normal conversation. Well, after listening to these two women for just a little while, I realized they were really having an argument. They were speaking the local dialect and I could not make out much of what they were saying. Sounded like something very insignificant. The bus driver was even yelling back at them telling them to stop. The older lady behind me actually stood up and began spitting across the aisle at the lady. I was in the middle of this heated discussion and I wasn't sure what to do if a fight broke out. I started asking Father to not allow a brawl to ensue. The only word I could think of to shout was "ping an", which means "peace." These ladies argued the entire time I was enroute. Thankfully, I did not hear the Rocky theme song begin to play and a fist fight break out before I got off the bus. How wonderful to know that the Prince of Peace will come to rule and to reign in the future. I am definitely looking forward to that special day!

Celebrations

O, Christmas Tree!!!

Christmas Day with special friends!

The mask of Sponge Bob!

Me and my lao wai (foreign) friends!




















"Happy Birthday" to ME!

My yummy Birthday cake!

Me and my lovely cake!



















Blowing out the forest fire!

Opening birthday gifts...always a treat!

Seeing off sweet folks at the airport who made
my birthday extra special!

Heart Friends

You know the kind of friends I'm talking about...those friends with whom you can let your hair down with and just be yourself. I had the opportunity to go visit some friends of the heart for 9 days and it was just what the doctor ordered. We had so much fun catching up and just enjoying time together. Very grateful for the way Father has placed these people in my life and how He uses them to encourage my heart each time we're together. Thanks a bunch to both H families!

An Egg-stra Special Meal

Eating a meal in my host country can always be interesting to say the least. I always think that using chopsticks is no big deal...until today. Meals here usually include each person having their own bowl of rice. You usually order one dish per person, which you put in the middle of the table. Then, you each have your own chopsticks and just kind of take food out of the dishes in front of you and put a little at a time into your bowl of rice. Then, you eat out of your rice bowl. One of the cultural norms here between close friends is that during a meal you may take your chopsticks and take something out of one of the dishes in the middle and put it into your friend's rice bowl. It's like you're giving your friend an extra helping.

This evening, I was having dinner with my good friend, Victoria. We ordered a meat dish and then this small kettle of soup. The soup my friend ordered had a green leafy vegetable, mushrooms, quail eggs, and noodles in it. I was trying to be culturally appropriate and give my friend a quail egg. Let me just say that those suckers are quite slippery. I grabbed the quail egg with my chopsticks and reached over to put it in her bowl. Suddenly, the egg went flying out of my chopsticks and landed in her lap. Victoria is such a good sport. She just picked it up and threw it back into her bowl...no harm, no foul. She then picked up the quail egg with her chopsticks out of her bowl and ate it. We laughed so hard over that and she just kept saying, "It doesn't matter."

I'm thankful for a gracious friend and this funny story we can talk about for years to come. Note to self: practice using your chopsticks or stay away from the quail eggs!

Watermelon, Cantaloupe

From my youth up, I was involved with choirs and singing in ch*rch. During those times, I heard that if you forget the words or lose your place, just sing "Watermelon, Cantaloupe" and no one can tell you aren't singing the right words. Last night, I attended a local ch*rch's Wednesday evening singing service, which lasted two hours. They did provide song books, but it was all in my host country's language. Needless to say, I did not know all of the characters. I did okay until they started singing more up-tempo songs. So, I found myself wanting to sing the "Watermelon, Cantaloupe" addition just so I could keep up with them. It was a blessing just to see these faithful and committed brothers and sisters singing praizes to the King of Kings.
After the singing time, some of them were headed over to a pryer meeting that would last from 10 pm until 5:30 am. May Father continue to bless the ch*rch here and may many more be added to their number for His glry.

Celebrating the 4th in a Foreign Land

Celebrating any American holiday can be a bit challenging when you live in a foreign country. There are no US flags waving around town. Daily life goes on and no one gets a day off from work. I saw no signs for fireworks being set off to celebrate our country's freedom (fireworks are just a daily part of life here, so it's not that special). There were no supermarket fliers promising great buys on hamburgers, hot dogs, potato chips, sodas, or other fun picnic treats. So, you have to make a concerted effort to celebrate, thinking on the meaning of this important holiday and trying to create some fun things from home as well. I was blessed to have the ingredients to make a yummy (if i do say so myself) cheesecake. I also found the things to make a pretty good cheeseburger. With my American flags waving inside and patriotic music playing, The 4th of July was celebrated in this foreign land from this small apartment. As I was thanking Father for our nation, the freedom to w_rship Him was what stood out the most. We have many wonderful freedoms, but the most important one to me is the freedom to w^rship Him. This privilege is one that parts of our world do not know. So, I celebrate our great nation and the freedom to give gl*ry to our King of Kings. I also pry that the people of this nation without this right would have the opportunity to hear about the One who can give them true Freedom!

Can You Ever Receive TOO Much Help???

Going to the supermarket here in my host country is an experience all on its own. I do have the luxury of an indoor supermarket that is nice with stocked shelves. The import section in my new city is about the size of the Asian import section in my hometown. I now know how those Asians feel living in small US cities.

One area of the supermarket that I try to stay away from is the laundry detergent/health and beauty aids area. In other parts of the store, the staff just kind of let you look and don't try and make suggestions. But in this part of the store, they are VERY willing to make suggestions and tell you what they think is the best brand for the best price. On a recent trip, I needed to buy some body wash...very simple, right??? As soon as I walked up the aisle a swarm of employees started coming up to me and giving me their suggestions. I turned around and counted them. I counted eight women around me picking up bottles for me to try out and give my approval. This was a culture stress moment for me. I wanted to scream and run out (REALLY)! It was quite overwhelming. It was Father who helped me to calmly continue on my quest for this body wash and finally find a suitable fragrance. I politely thanked them ALL and headed for the checkout. Whew! Moral of the story...buy your body wash in a small store with only one clerk:)

A Visit To The Countryside

After being back in my host country for 2 months and making friends, I had the opportunity to make a trip out to the countryside to visit a Sunday group. As I was sitting in the service, I couldn't help but think about the conditions and how so many Americans would not have sat for two hours on a hard bench with no back without complaining. Of course, I'm talking about ME. In my heart, I was complaing that I was so uncomfortable. Yet, I didn't hear the others there saying they were uncomfortable. They were just seemingly glad to be there. I can definitely learn a lot from this bunch. It was a blessing to see how they wrshipped Father with such a passion.

Following the service, we were invited to a member's home for lunch and some pryer time. These folks don't kid about prying. They get with it and it is fervent. They were so welcoming and such a blessing to me. It was an honor to sit with them and have fellowship. One of the things that came to mind during this time was the fact that Father is at work all over the world. Out in the middle of nowhere, there were people wrshipping Him. The world may never see or know them, but the King of Hven knows them and that's all that matters.

Traveling In My Host Country

Travleing around in East Asia can always be fun and exciting. These pics are from a trip with friends out to visit different areas close to my city. There are always interesting places to visit and things to see. Thankful to see such a very different culture from different angles. Enjoy the pics!

Home grown electricity in the making!

Visiting an ancient city

Taking a rest in a minority group housing setting

The geographical center of Asia

Sitting in the middle of the geographical Center of Asia

Getting to the point at the geographical center of Asia

Supporting My Peeps!!!

Lady Bug and I anticipating the beginning of the Ceremonies!!!

Cheering on the US as our athletes were entering the stadium!!!

The Big Event

As we prepare for the beginning of the Games, I wanted you to see a few pics of my city as we all get geared up for this exciting time for the world.

Visiting Friends

On a recent trip to another city, I had the opportunity to spend time with dear friends and receive encouragement and refreshement. So thankful for our time together.

A trip to Mickey D's!!!

How about a chicken foot to gnaw on???

Girl time!!!

Some camel hang out time for the small and the smallest!

I Came, I Saw, I Climbed!

During a recent trip out of my city, I had the opportunity to visit with some precious friends. One day, they took me to this neat area with this good sized mountain. Well, we climbed the mountain, all 6,424 steps (exaggerating, well maybe...). My calves were so sore the next day, I could hardly walk. It was a great time and a wonderful opportunity to be out in nature.

I Feel the Need for Speed!!!

July 4th proved to be a fun day with time in the park, a great meal at a local Tex-Mex restaurant owned by Texans, and the watching of Independence Day! As many of you know, I have felt the need for some time to be behind the wheel of a motorized vehicle. Well, that need was finally met through my trip to the park. It didn't last as long as I would have liked, just two laps, but it was enough to give me what I needed. Thanking Father for our nation, the many freedoms with enjoy, and the numerous ways He has blessed us!

Burnin' rubber!!!

Checking out the latest news!

Jack, Jill, and Lady Bug playing around!

This little girl workin' out in her beautiful white dress! Yikes! Get out that stain stick!

Me, Jill, and Lady Bug on the log ride!

Lady Bug hangin' out!

The result of the log ride...WET!!!

Goin' to the Mountains

Our gang recently took a trip to some mountains close by our city and the day was just perfect. We enjoyed mountains, a waterfall and some other fun things along the way.

Isn't Father amazing to make such a beautiful display of water!?!?!?!

How about these mountains?

This water was EXTREMELY cold!

We took a horse pulled cart up close to the waterfall and the horse carts had their own parking lot complete with this really fancy sign that says, "Horse Cart Parking Lot."

K and C braved the icy water and let us know that they were "OK"

Is this a bus? NO! It only looks like one. It is a bus turned into a bathroom. Yes, it's true. Men on the left and women on the right. What will they think of next?!?!?!?!