What's the Purpose?

I have to be honest, when Mark said, "We have to set a date to visit our friends this summer." I was not excited at the thought.  I could think of many excuses to not jump at this.  But, as God has done so many times with me, through Mark's nudging that he felt we were supposed to do this I hesitantly said ok.  However, when the "purchase" button was hit to finalize our flights "ok" was not the first feeling to flood this mamma's heart.  It was a begrudging submission to say the least.

Turn the pages of the calendar a few times and the time was getting close.  The enemy was a work stirring up doubt about the purpose of this undertaking.  Why not visit them in the States next year when they come to visit?  Wouldn't that make much more sense?  Aren't we just interrupting their lives, schedule, and family to be there for a week?  These and so many other question stirred.  Then an email came that said, "[our youngest] just said he is so excited for you all to come.  We can't explain it but the anticipation of your visit is already blessing us."

I think that was a turning point in my anticipation.  A realization that this was a trip God wanted us to take for some reason.  What that reason was I wasn't at all sure, but I knew we were supposed to go.

We packed up all the fun things that they had ordered and asked us to bring over... homeschool books, backpacking gear, a few items of clothing and a couple special treats as well. 

We bid farewell to our gals at the park half way between our house and the adventures waiting to be had at Grandma and Poppy's house.  As they drove off with Mom and Dad there was a lump in my throat for sure.

Friday evening we were off.  The flights were long, very long. But once we arrived at our destination, proceeded through customs and gathered our luggage we peered through the glass doors of the exit and saw two smiling faces waving over the crowd.  Though I didn't snap a picture right then, mentally that is the picture seared in my mind. 

They welcomed us into their home as we had a snack and chatted into the wee hours.  After a good nights sleep we began being.

Began being? 

What?!  Yes we just began being friends, being in conversation, being a part of their world that is across the ocean and oh so different from ours, being in awe of the journey they have taken...

This week they "took vacation" to just be with us.  To take a break from their usual routine and responsibilities.  They shared their new culture with us...

I was shocked at the elaborate beauty of this mosque as

 I took it in from the area set aside for women 

wrapped in the covering we put on as we entered.

The markets amazed me.  How different from home!

 So much more communication was needed to function here.  I loved to just stand there and listen as my friend rolled this new language off her tongue as she greeted faces that have become a part of this marketing experience.  To see how relationships have been built through the simple task of buying your food.

 We visited the museum and learned of where this culture has come from and where they are striving  to go.

This is a yurt that their people customarily lived in.

Not only did they invite us to explore their culture but to be part of their family, to meet their friends and have fellowship.   Each time we met a new friend they would tell us how much it meant that we would visit.  How the encouragement would not just touch our friends but overflow to their friends.  In the beginning of the week I didn't understand this but by the end of the week, seeing how they live so much in community it began to make sense.  

A fun day at the river was sweet.

Chatting as we kayaked down the river, indulging on food grilled there by the river, just being in the sun watching the kiddo play and laugh.

It wasn't just the extra fun we did throughout the week, it was doing the everyday together.  We shopped at the bazar, we cooked side by side, we made jelly.  

The guys helped move a friend, took an adventurous bike ride and laughed a lot.

They created a new game that mimics our "punch bug" game that calls out the notaries.  (It doesn't sound funny I know, but in the moment it was too funny and has continued since we left ;)

We lingered at the table long, just being friends, being a safe place to not search for the new language's word they might need, being real about this journey, being encouraged by their bold, brave  choices of obedience.

So what was the purpose of all this? To be their friends, to laugh, to love on, to encourage!  On this side of the trip I feel it was the most purposeful trip we have ever taken.  An new insight to see how we can continue to be friends and support them well from this side of the ocean.  All in all we were humbled to watch God work and allow us to be part of loving this precious family who has been obedient to love well in the uncomfortable and unknown.

We are home now, but part of our hearts stayed with them!!

Put on Love

"Put on love, love, love, love, looovvve..."  

You know how annoying it is when you get a tune stuck in your head?  Not this time, when I catch myself humming this little tune it makes me smile and think about our Memorial Day weekend.

 I think of all  these sweet faces that I got to spend the weekend with on our third annual Memorial Day Small Group Retreat.  

There was boating,

it took a few boats and several turns, but the time we had with the kids laughing and rowing was sweet.

There was a playground. 

There was a great lesson 

about what we should (love) and should not (sin) put on.

There was a game 

of Win, Lose or Draw. 

 I am still laughing about some of those precious moments in particular.

There was a fire,

that toasted many many marshmallows for smores.

There was geocaching.

There was even kickball.

There was a beginning of a milestone tradition.  

(More to follow on a that sweet time.)

There was fun, laughter and friendship!

But most of all there was LOVE!

Our Excitement and the Stack of Boxes are Growing!!

"Just send it to our house and we'll bring it!"  

For the last few weeks or so, almost every time we return home from anywhere there is a box or two by our door.  At first the girls would instantly ask at the sight of the box, "Mom, what did you order?  A new book?  Flour for my pancakes?..."  

Now a few weeks and several boxes later they ask only one question, "Is that for our friends too?" Yep, pretty much!  

As the stack of boxes has grown so has our excitement for this trip.  The "things" that were between us and our  trip on the calendar are growing fewer and fewer.  

Sophie's big violin recital at the Peace Center,

 Sophie's Challenge Class had their final assessment and celebration,

 our co-op closing program

and a few really fun field trips,

and finally yesterday our Parent Practicum for CC were all enjoyed and marked off the list.  Now it's time to focus on the trips ahead.  What we need versus what we have is being surveyed.  The school white board is now the trip list headquarters.  

Our focus has shifted to our prep and prayers against the fiery darts that are sure to come (and already coming if we're being totally honest;)

Thanks for praying with us as we prepare. 

~ Please pray we are productive in getting everything ready. 

~That I won't get so focused on the to do list that I won't stop and enjoy my girls over the next two weeks.

~That we will see the snares of the devil as just that and rest in the fact that God has already fought the battle and prepared us for the work ahead.

~And, that we don't forget the marshmallows.  When we asked if we could bring something from the states that they miss they asked for marshmallows for smores.

"Thanks Mom"

"Thanks Mom!!"  

For so many things!  My sister says it better than I ever could over here thewrightstuffforus .  (Thanks for putting it into words so well, Gretch.)  

And thank you for teaching me how to be Mom to them...

And wife to him...

Without your example I would have even more blunders in these roles.  You are my go to when its time to celebrate or cry.  When the girls have victories you celebrate with us like few others.  When we hit a road bump you pray life few others.  AND when I call and ask you for three straight weeks of your summer and mile upon mile of travel because we have these crazy adventures in the works you answer "yes" without flinching!

I love you more than you know Mom! 

(And by the way, be prepared for me to have more some, any pictures of you and me together.  I have none?!?)

This Smile... A Year in the Making!!

 Though it is a bit fuzzy when cropped to this size, this smile will remain crisp in my mind!
One year ago my sweet Haleigh took on challenge of becoming a "Memory Master."  Hours and hours we poured over the twenty-four weeks of material.  It was a crazy weekend leading up to the testing with Sophie's Artios play, food prep for the cast during practices and plays, and lots more.  There are many excuses I could use but in the end Haleigh did not become a Memory Master.  (Becoming a Memory Master mean mastering all twenty-four weeks of material, recalling it all without prompts or missing any of the facts.  And there are LOTS of facts.  Its an all or nothing test.)  It was crushing to her, to me. Or was it?  In that moment of as she cried and felt the disappointment my heart broke.  When we got home she had me quiz her on each piece of information that she had missed.  Then we celebrated her hard work by getting her ears pierced.

Fast forward to the start of co-op 2014 - 2015 and Haleigh decided this year she WAS going attain the goal she fell a bit short of the past year.  We tried to stay on top of the material throughout the year.  We worked hard and put in the hours and hours of work memorizing the Latin, the states, the trails, the geometry formulas, the irregular verb conjugations, and on and on.  We were on track, feeling good about the end goal when WHAM!  Haleigh and Mark came down with the flu, allergies flooded her, frustration and worry flooded me.

The weekend leading up to the test was less than fun.  We proofed (covering all the material in one sitting) the three times we were supposed to proof but it was not pretty.  The reminder that she did not have to test was discussed, but she was adamant that she wanted to do this.  She had to know she could!  (Even though just weeks after she had tested last year we found she has some learning challenges that would give her every reason to not expect herself to reach this high goal she had set.)

I wanted to shield her, what if she couldn't do it?  I watched her at the closing of co-op last year as she fought back the tears hard as the list of Memory Masters was announced and she was not on it.
BUT, last Monday morning she woke early, reviewed all the material one more time, and we headed to the test.  I couldn't eat, I was a mess as I proofed other students.  She was taking it all in stride.  I wanted to cushion the testing because I felt there was reason to lower the bar for her just a bit.  But God kept pushing me out of the way whispering, "When she gets it you will not doubt that she reached that bar at its highest point."

 As I peeked through the window and got a thumbs up from her proofer I was sweating.  Mark was texting often to see how things were going and why on earth it was taking so long.  This testing that started at 9:00 was finally over at 2:00 with one proud Memory Master and one Mama over the moon with excitement, thankfulness, joy and another lesson from The One who loves her even more than I do!!

This past Thursday was our "Closing Ceremony" for co-op.  When the part of the night came and our dear director was about to announce the Memory Masters I am not sure which of us was closer to bursting!  Haleigh was beaming as she lined up with the others who had reached the goal.  

She did it!!  Memory Master 2015!

A friend once told me, "The more you trust God, the more you will love God."  Over and over God has asked me to trust Him with my Haleigh and oh how He has been faithful and oh how I love Him!