Check!

So I had lots of lists in preparation for this time in the States. I've checked off many items, discarded whole lists, and have some yet to go, trusting in the Father to direct my path.

This is by far my favorite item on the lists, put there on recommendation by my mom a year ago: 

Walk thru woods & be amazed and happy seeing wild irises, big ferns, & little vine maples & spring green colors. 

Check! ...Well, pictured is a LaCamas Lily, but I've seen all the above:).

Getting Edgy

You just never know what your life will hold from one day to the next. One day you think you're just going out for pie with friends, then you end up throwing road laws to the wind, even though you're with an 11 year old, and ride back home in the back of a red pickup truck. Another day you think you're just going down the stairs from brushing your teeth, and you end up leaving graffiti in your brother's stairwell. (Not pictured, and slightly more edgy: what might happen when you're wandering past your favorite bench in the park and notice poorly done graffiti)

A moral for the blog post? Something about living in the moment I think, something about seeing the fun and capitalizing on God-given creativity... It has something to do with not worrying about tomorrow, because tomorrow has worries of its own. Something in there.

A Lot

I've been meditating on Psalm 16, especially verses 5 & 6: Jehovah is my chosen portion and my cup; You hold my lot. The lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; indeed, I have a beautiful inheritance.

I looked up the noun "lot" in the dictionary because it's not frequently in my vocabulary. You can see my brainstorming in the photo here...

A lot is a small piece of land that could be used for building something. I thought of how Jesus counseled us to build our house, our life, on a rock, on Him. And I thought of how the apostle Paul called believers in Christ temples of the Holy Spirit. So we're built on Christ and filled with His Spirit, held in the Father's hand. That feels safe.

Also, a lot is a number of units of an article... or a parcel of articles offered as one item. I thought of how each life is made up of a "parcel" of events, people, personality traits, talents, places, messages heard, etc. Right now I'm tied to two countries/communities and I'm considering the talents and messages that the Father has placed in my life as I look to the future. There's so much richness! Then I thought of how Jesus said that we will save our lives if we lose them for His sake. I don't know how exactly, but I let go of my claim to all these gifts and seek His will.

Finally, the use of lots is a means of deciding something. The lot just falls; in a way it's free because you don't earn the outcome. I thought of how James wrote that we're freely given every good and perfect gift from the Father of Lights. That's every mountain, every joy, every meal, everything good. And Jehovah freely gave us His Son to save us from our sins. His Son freely gave His life. We're saved by grace, not works.

So these are my musings on a lot... the lot held by Jehovah who gives us abundant safety in His Son and riches that we can use for His good will. These are good truths to dwell on as I rest.

Carley Cat

I really like it when I come into my room and find a Carley lump under the covers. At first they surprised me and I thought I'd forgot to make my bed, but then I noticed the squishiness and purring.

I've heard it's always good to put a cat on your blog at least once a year, so people keep reading... Cute Appeal I think was the technical term. Or, maybe it's the old axiom, "When in doubt and you haven't posted recently, consider a cat."

Also, I'm learning a lot from this cat. There are no better experts on relaxation than cats, and my focus right now is rest, as I shared on a previous post. Resting isn't natural to the culture around me, so I look to Carley culture... Lay around, eat, lay [your head] on a person, take a bath, eat, lay on a pillow, look out the window, meditate, lay on a bed, watch a squirrel. In short, "Be still and know that I am God." (Psalm 46:10)

Good News!

I got this photo from Tanzania via email recently. That's my friend Pascaria, the one who God enabled me to help with the surgery she needed. She's standing in the door of the kitchen at a cafe in Musoma. It's a cafe started by Australian missionaries to support women in difficult situations... like raising 6 kids without a husband, as does Pascaria. It's called Rehema, which means compassion in Swahili.

So she has a job! Now that she's healthy, that's the thing she really wanted. It's so neat to see from afar God answering her prayers.

Wycliffe Connection

I already shared some about my recent trip on facebook andprevious blog posts, but here are a few more highlights from the main event, Wycliffe Connection, an event for missionaries returning from the field.

Going clockwise: 

• A fountain pouring into Wycliffe's pond, symbolizing Habakkuk 2:14, "For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD as the waters cover the sea." I love the beauty of the Wycliffe campus.
• More beauty... The building is full of cultural and Biblical themed murals, this one by a friend: Michael Harrar.
• Wycliffe Discovery Center is a mini museum about Bible translation. It's very cool; if you're ever in Orlando let me know; I can pull some strings and get you in for free:)
• Meeting other missionaries... This table, from the first night, was full of people who've been serving with Wycliffe for years and years... such interesting stories!
• Feeling a part of the larger organization... Getting updated on organizational topics, seeing the president, worshiping with the Orlando staff...
• We shared our stories and prayed for each other, which was one way God used the week to give me spiritual refreshment.

With a Little Help From My Friends

Some of you have been wondering... "Those zig zag brownies! Was she able to finish the whole pan in time, before she had to leave?!" And you may not even have realized how well fed I was all week, at the Wycliffe Connections program, making it a challenging task.

The week was thoughtfully and lovingly designed for missionaries returning from the field. They gave us time to rest, to reflect, to share our stories, to learn about organizational issues and resources, to worship with our Wycliffe USA colleagues, and more.

One of my favorite parts was chatting with people who share similar experiences. My friends in the States are lovely listeners, and we connect on so many topics. However, it was a fun treat to be able to mention a unique cross-cultural joy or missionary life struggle and have the listeners know just what I meant because it's true in their lives too. 

So, let your fears over my brownies be allayed. I met some new friends, these two ladies who just finished a New Testament Bible translation in South America. (One worked on it 40 years!!) They gallantly helped me finish off the brownies for breakfast the last morning!