2020

It’s a new year, a new decade, a new chapter...and the right words are whispers waiting to be heard above the racket of real life.

The book of Joel is God’s command and plea to His people to correct their hearts toward Him. He tells them the end of everything we know, the disaster that will afflict humanity, and He says, “If you come back to me, I will still be faithful to protect you from that.” But the end of Joel is open. There is no final answer to the result of the people of God, because we are still living in the time when the answer must be made. That is the entire purpose behind the last two years of Bible school, and the key to goal of however many more years God chooses to give me: people need to know their Creator is waiting for an answer. Will they love Him? Will they accept His terms? Or will they be numbered among the ones who reject Him?

It’s a wild time to be alive.  On the one hand, Tanner and I are getting married in six months! (Ohmygosh six months) My wedding dress arrived and is ready for alterations as of today, bridesmaid gifts are here, my sweet friend Lydia is almost done with invitations...we are actually getting married! On the other hand, our church may not be behind us going on to the Missionary Training Center this year and that hurts. He is involved with the missions team; I teach Sunday school with another lady; we attend a small group that we love.  Yet we might not have been presenting the right questions to the right people, or pursuing moving forward as missionary candidates in the most visible places. It’s a confusing, dizzying place to be.

But my brother is right. All we can do is pray, and be willing to accept and follow the guidance given by the leaders we are blessed to be under. God designed things that way, not us. 

So, my reader, pray for us through excitement and disappointment. Pray that we would be still in these moments so that we might move only when the Holy Spirit says “go.” Pray that we would be surrounded by people who desire God’s will to be done.

Thank you <3

Pictures from Town

 

(J with a skull on a stick)

 

(Sunrise in town)

 

(The real Christmas tree)

(My small sparkler contribution to the fireworks) 

Let the Butiki Stay Inside

I love butikis.  No really, I do.  Forget the days when I would huddle, frozen in fear, at whatever was creeping along my wall. Butikis are my new best friends.  They're my knights in shining armor.  Why?  Because those hardcore lizards eat spiders.  They eat all sorts of creepy crawlies that would otherwise be eating me, and since I'm more bug-bite than human right now, I say let the butikis stay inside.

Aside from my newly formed allegiance with the lizards, New Years celebrations have come and gone.  All over the city, fireworks exploded from dusk until pretty much dawn.  Some of our neighbors set off their last fire crackers while we ate our breakfast this morning.  The near-constant explosions and the residual smoke made it really feel like a war zone.  It was both exciting and terrifying.  As midnight drew closer, anything that could be used to make noise was put to use: air horns, chain saws, car engines, karaoke, empty cans, you name it. 

So, Happy New Year!  And bring it on 2017.  I've been waiting for you.