Burlington, Kentucky

"And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again." 

2 Corinthians 5:15

 

 

 Isn't my friend Afua beautiful?  You can see at a glance that she is beautiful on the outside, but she is beautiful on the inside, too.

Aaron and I have known Afua almost as long as we've known each other.  She played viola while we played cello, and she followed us to college in Florida becoming another member of the caravan as we drove the 1000 miles back and forth.



She played in our wedding, and we played in hers, delighted when she found the perfect husband.  They have encouraged and supported us while we have served the Lavukal in the Solomon Islands.



 Now they have a beautiful family, and we were blessed to stay with them on Monday night.  They are the kind of people who "no longer live for themselves, but for him who died for them and was raised again", and we were encouraged by our time with them.

 

La Porte, Indiana

Aaron has been telling me for years that I need to see his aunt and uncle's house, and we finally made it over to La Porte Sunday afternoon.  We did enjoy their house, built in 1903, but we especially enjoyed catching up with them.  I think Katherine would have moved in and stayed!



Fort Wayne, Indiana

We love making new friends and visiting new churches.  Last night we arrived in Fort Wayne, Indiana, and enjoyed a delicious supper with members of Christ's Community Church.

 



In 2005, Joyce helped us wade through the application process for Wycliffe Bible Translators, and we hadn't seen her and her husband since January 2006 when we did some training in Orlando.  It was so good to hug her neck again.

 



This morning we drove up to the church to find a sign welcoming our family.  It feels so good to be welcomed, doesn't it?



 

This gracious pastor and his wife gave us plenty of time to share about the work of Bible translation with the Lavukal.

 

 

This church is unique in its ministry to our family. In 2008, Their Logos kids group raised over $2000 toward the distribution of the Solomon Islands Pijin Bible.  This group also "adopted" our kids and sent them notes of encouragement throughout our time in the Solomon Islands.

 

And our kids made the most of the melting snow by constructing little snowkids to represent each one of them.

Lexington

 

My college roommate opened her beautiful and spacious home to our family while we were in Lexington.  One of my favorite places in her house was the little window seat nook where I could curl up in the morning with a cup of coffee and my Bible.

The last time we saw Amy and her family was almost five years ago, and a lot has changed for both of our families since then.  They've added two beautiful girls and moved to Lexington, and we've moved overseas.  I loved how our kids played so well together, just like they were cousins who had been together last week.

 



We enjoyed the Newport Aquarium together,

 



with its sharks



 

and great hands-on experiences for the kids.

 

 

 

Although we all had a blast,



my animal-loving Olivia enjoyed every minute.  Especially "kissing" the penguins.



Sarah crocheted a little hat for this little bear and left a lasting impression on her cute little "cousin".



 

We love this sweet family, and we're so thankful for them.  They have encouraged us and stayed in touch and supported us throughout our time in the Solomon Islands.



"Without friends no one would choose to live, though he had all other goods."  ~Aristotle

 

Memphis

 

 One of our least favorite parts of road trips is never being able to stay long enough or being able to see everybody.  We just try to enjoy every minute.  So when we arrived in Memphis, our first stop was a "drive-by", just long enough for hugs from a dear friend and adopted grandparent.

Then we drove over to see Aaron's Dad and Mom #2



who treated us to supper at Benihana's.  We'd never experienced anything quite like this!



This morning, we left Memphis with our tummies full of yummy biscuits and gravy and our hearts full of love.



 

Next stop, Kentucky...

Conway

 

One of the best things about our March 2013 Road Trip is that we have to drive right through the towns where our parents live.

 



So Tuesday night we got to spend the night with Aaron's mom and dad #2 and hang out with them for a while. 

 



I had already warned the kids that I had really missed Spring while we were in the Solomon Islands.  We've been pretending (fake forsythias just aren't the same) for four years,

 

 

 

and now I am thoroughly enjoying the daffodils, japonica, tulips, forsythia, everything that screams Spring to my Southern heart.

 



Aaron's mom had a yard full of beautiful and fragrant daffodils that thrilled me!

 



Friends and Colleagues

We love our small branch at SITAG (Solomon Islands Translation Advisory Group).  Not only are the members well-educated and fabulous at their jobs, they are also good friends.

 



 

The first day of our March 2013 road trip, God worked out the timing so that our SITAG boss and wife were in Arkansas for their son's wedding.  We finally got to meet the rest of their family and spend some time with them as they graciously served us lunch in the midst of a busy week of wedding planning.

Thanks, Wycliffe Associates!

Our family enjoyed the chance to say thank you to some Wycliffe Associates this morning.  They have made such an impact in the Solomon Islands and in the lives of our family.  In the Solomons, we have seen WAs build, sew, paint, teach children, learn to cook local food just like our neighbors, type, and attend piano recitals and birthday parties (all while sweating profusely).  We love Wycliffe Associates!

Texas Woman's Daybook

Just for today...Sunday, March 3, 2013

 

Outside my window...leaves are about to break out and one mockingbird always practices loudly at a certain corner of my exercise route

 

On my bookshelf... "The Song Forever New:  Lent and Easter with Charles Wesley" by Paul Wesley Chilcote

 

Noticing that...employing a pastry sous-chef leads to lots of cute toe prints when cutting in the butter

 

 

 

A heart of thankfulness...for so many things.  Friends who find a way to stay in touch in spite of the busy pace of life and my truly marvelous husband and children have to top the list today.

 

Pondering these words... "We settle for quasi-commitment, which produces quasi-contentment."  ~Lydia Brownback

 

From the kitchen...I tried a heart shaped coffee cake this morning from "The Great Holiday Baking Book" (because any day is a good day to tell your family that you love them).  Breakfast was delicious, but not pretty.

 

  

From the mobile learning room...the opening of the Suez Canal and the composition of "Aida"; a new math book for Olivia, Sarah's learning about the rate of change & slope in algebra, & lots of other fun stuff as we drive around several different states this week

 

A few plans for the rest of the week...we get to go tell the Wycliffe Associates in Dallas "thanks" tomorrow morning, spend the morning in the archiving department, and eat lunch with students interested in learning more about serving in the Pacific.  Tuesday, we leave for a twelve day road trip to share with some churches and see some amazing family and friends.

 

A peek into my corner of the world...spur-of-the-moment lunch guests today!

 

Since we live in the middle of the church parking lot, we get to see everyone leaving after church.  As we waved to some friends, they commented how good our lunch smelled (yay for crock pots and open windows!), so we invited them to stay and enjoy it with us.

 



What a sweet time with this family who is getting ready to go overseas with Wycliffe Bible Translators to serve in the IT department.  Smart guys like him keep the rest of running smoothly!



 

This week has felt so good because we've been back to "normal" life for a few days before we leave town again.  We had a surprise phone call early in the week from a friend we haven't seen since our Pacific Orientation Course in 2008.  Loved catching up with her one afternoon!  Such a camaraderie exists among those who have served overseas.



 

 Later in the week, we enjoyed more of that camaraderie with others who have also spent time overseas.

 

I love how God gives us "aunts", "uncles", "cousins", and "grandparents" to fill in during those times when our own families aren't nearby.



March will be a little bittersweet because this precious family heads back to the Solomon Islands in a few weeks.  This afternoon, we drove over to their house to visit, I mean, help out.



 

We're enjoying every minute we have with them. 

 

 

And getting a little work done while we're at it.