Blossoming

Yesterday morning, I was reading history to Katherine and all of the sudden I just wanted time to stand still.  I asked her to freeze while I fumbled for the phone to snap a quick picture.  I didn't want to forget the sweet time together.  I'm grateful for the Educational Resource Center that gives us a place to practice keyboard skills and provides things likes books and globes and math manipulatives.  Most of all, I'm thankful that I get the time with my children who are growing and blossoming like strong healthy flowers.

Maybe the flower analogy doesn't work as well for Benjamin, but he is certainly maturing in every way.  A survey team from Papua New Guinea came to join two of our own SITAG guys for a 2 1/2 week trip around the weather coast of Guadalcanal for a Talise language survey.  The SITAG young men were invited to ride in the truck to take the survey team out to their starting point, two hours up the road.  The team was surprised that all of SITAG came out to tell them goodbye.  That's what happens when you live in a tiny branch - we get to support each other because we are the only ones around to cheer and encourage.

Please pray for:

- Good weather/calm seas and safe travel

- Protection of the families while the dads are away

- Understanding and cooperation in the villages the team visits to collect language data

- A growing understanding and interest in Bible translation/literacy and that educated people can be found to become involved in Bible translation

We're so grateful for this team and for their willingness to live "bush true" for the next several weeks as they do language research.  Benjamin and the other teens bumped along in the truck and enjoyed every minute of it.

We missed this boy-growing-into-a man.  Our house was quiet and without some of its joy while Benjamin was gone.  We did have some extras join us for supper, which we enjoyed immensely! 

But this mama's heart sang when Benjamin got home around eight and scarfed down the food we had saved for him.