I find myself relieved to be on the backside of an incredibly busy month! I'm not even sure I remember the calendar changing to April and all I know is that it is suddenly May! I regret to inform you that as I was attempting to download pictures from my camera to share of all that has gone on, for some reason there was a glitch and my pictures were erased, so I won't be sharing any pictures in this blog. Ah, technology...both a friend and foe! Anyhow, in the spirit of moving on from that disappointment in my day I will try and share a word picture of all that has gone on.
We had the privilege of hosting two teams this month. One came to learn and experience a bit of the work we have going on here and the other came to serve. Teams definitely change the dynamic of our week, but in a way that can be very refreshing. We love to share about our life here and all that God is teaching us so it really is a joy to partner with folks who want to come out here for various reasons. The second team that came helped us utilize the Easter season by organizing and planning a women's party AND a drama for our Easter service. This is the first time we have had a team come in to do a drama for us. Every Christmas and Easter we put on big community productions, and as I was the one to lead that production last Christmas I can tell you what a huge burden was lifted off of our team's shoulders by these guys coming in prepared to share and serve the people here. They did a fantastic job of sharing about Hope and really connecting with the culture and people. Once again....a HUGE thank you to the team who took the time out of their busy lives to make this happen!
This past weekend we helped a friend prepare for his wedding and went on another picnic. The picnic was earlier in the day on Friday while the wedding was that evening. This picnic spot is probably my favorite spot of all that we have been to. We started driving back into the mountains pretty early on in our journey and then just kept heading further and further back. At every turn of the road the landscape opened itself up into an even more breathtaking display of fields, wild flowers and mountains...as well as brilliant yellows, reds, greens, browns and a beautiful blue sky! This country is so incredibly beautiful and words (and even pictures at times) just can't do it justice. I guess maybe you should think about coming out and seeing it for yourself:-) Our spot was nestled into some lush green trees and alongside a babbling brook (arg, I keep thinking of all the pictures I took...). Someone had built a few pavilions into this area so there are nice areas to set up our picnics. A new feature to this picnicking area that I haven't experienced before were some roaming musicians! For a mere 5000 dinar (about $4.50) they would sing a song about you! As we danced around our friends kept handing over money so they would keep singing. Their group was composed of two men, one playing a jimbay type drum and the other playing an instrument called a shimshall, It was sort of a mix between a recorder and a clarinet. It was a very cool experience. I just wish I could have understood my whole verse, but it was just too quick! I heard something about smiling and beautiful, but soon my turn was over and they were onto somebody else. Our friends bought little rubber balls for our boys so they spent the day playing with those and having a blast eating way to many cooking and getting lots and lots of kisses.
That evening I stayed home with Ethan while Scott and Zeke went to the wedding ceremony. Ethan has been getting several new teeth and has the tendency these days to shriek and cry so we thought it best to keep him home. However, Zeke had a great time participating in it. This is the first wedding where he has been somewhat aware of what is happening. He did do the classic kid thing, though, and ask questions in a voice loud enough for those around him to hear. Questions like: "why are they getting married...are they having a baby?" Gotta love how kids think! He came home with lots of details to share with me. Boy do I love my little guys! They bring so much joy to our lives!
SO this month will be a little bit more normal as classes continue and we take advantage of the few remaining weeks to enjoy picnics. We will be preparing ourselves to receive our new interns who will be arriving in early June. We will also be getting ourselves ready for a very busy summer. These are good times and as we take time to listen we hear God speaking to us about balance. Until moving here I don't think we fully understood the importance and necessity of a sabbath day. Anyhow, we are a work in progress!
No comments:
Post a Comment