We are sooooo boring!!!

We have a mouse. I, for the most part, have become accustomed to the critters we have everywhere. That last statement was a lie. I hate the critters. I have mostly stopped reacting though…I lied twice in one paragraph. Sorry.

Right now Levi Sisco is stalking what he believes to be the dwelling of said mouse because he is going to destroy it. I’m rooting for Levi.

We had a spider this week as well. Ironically, the spider was larger than the mouse! It was so big it moved a bag…a large bag. You could hear it hitting the floor when it jumped down from the wall. It made my husband scream like a tiny women. (I hope that picture keeps you warm at night)

We, however, haven’t seen a single cobra. None came in our luggage or followed our car. It’s very liberating!

We are all getting used to city life. Things like indoor toilets and occasional electricity are pretty good. Things like really loud neighbors and no grass are taking some getting used to. We have ventured out to see the neighborhood and visit the center. Poor Maggie spends the whole time waving at everyone who walks by because that’s what life in the village is like. My sweet little “bush baby”.

We have spent some time with just our family recently and it has been very refreshing. It has been a great way for us to renew and just get life here set up. We have also been getting to know our neighbors and spend some time at the center with some of our favorite people.

This is such a boring report! Isn’t that nice? Normal…but what is normal?

This time has also been a great time for reading, reflecting and studying. We are a family of readers. We are not ashamed of our nerdom.

I have, for some time, really dreamed about being BFF with Jen Hatmaker. Pretty sure if she met me, she would love me back. So much of what she says puts words to my heart and the journey we have taken over the last few years. I just finished “Interrupted”. It is wonderful. It speaks to the heart of the church. However, darn it; it also convicted the crap out of me. Ugh.

The writer Paul, in full disclosure, is not one of my more favorite authors. I know, that takes out a large portion of the New Testament for me, but I just feel annoyed sometimes by him. This generally means God is speaking to me, but I ain’t havin’ none of that. Then I decided to read 1 Corinthians after my homey Jenny (she loves it when I call her that) referenced it. Chapter 9 was my undoing.

I have a tendency to hide. I have 5 kids. Staying in my home and doing the homeschool mom thing is very easy for me to fall on. Now, don’t start cutting me slack and saying it’s my most important job, it’s so hard, blah blah blah. It may be true, but loving my family and doing what is good for them does not absolve me from ministry. I signed up to follow Christ and he was no couch potato. He WENT OUT and ministered to people. He was all things to all people. (He still is, by the way)

1 Corinthians 9:19-23  I am not anyone’s slave. But I have become a slave to everyone, so I can win as many people as possible. When I am with the Jews, I live like a Jew to win Jews. They are ruled by the Law of Moses, and I am not. But I live by the Law to win them. And when I am with people who are not ruled by the Law, I forget about the Law to win them. Of course, I never really forget about the Law of God. In fact, I am ruled by the Law of Christ. When I am with people whose faith is weak, I live as they do to win them. I do everything I can to win everyone I possibly can I do all this for the good news, because I want to share in its blessings.

Oh, I struggle. I am rebellious by nature. I hear my mom and dad clapping across the ocean. It isn’t being someone’s slave that bothers me. It isn’t serving others that gets to me, it is conformity that gets me. To bend what I know and like to fit someone else in hopes to lead them to Christ. How selfish!! And let’s not stop there, it isn’t just winning people to Jesus, but also discipling them to a greater knowledge. So, and this is my downfall, the immature Christians who have looked to other sources for an understanding of God need me to put aside my ability to understand and explain pretty much everything that has ever been and ever will be in order to show them how to live like Christ. Woe is me.

We are here to minister to people in a way that meets their needs. This includes Christians or people who call themselves Christians that just don’t get it, in a way that they get it. This means worship like they do, eat what they eat, meet them where they are rituals and all. ("We" means you too. If I have to be under conviction you have to be there with me, sucka)

This week’s goal; minister outside of our walls, in a way people in this new community need. Less of me, more of thee.

A parting story you may enjoy. I brag on how wonderful my kids are to anyone who will listen. They are awesome. But as you will see, very human. (Some of my kids more human than others)

Aubrey has been doing extra chores for some allowance. We think it is important and they really work hard. She told me the other night the reason she is saving up money is because she wants to buy Anna a birthday present. It warmed my heart. I was relaying this story to Michael and ended it with “Our children are so kind and loving to each other.” It was at this moment we hear yelling from the other room. Anna: ”Hawa if you speak again, I will beat you!” Michael and I look and each other and he says, “Definitely love.”