surprise!

...i'm posting again. did it catch ya off gaurd? just a little? well, no worries. i'll keep this short.

i took some photos a few weeks back of some of our garden produce. figured it was worth putting somewhere. so here we are.

we expanded the garden this spring and created another veggie box - this time about 12 x 4 in size. our smaller box is now dedicated to herbs. sorry, no exciting pictures in that department.

the husband is pretty stoked about his banana pepper plant. we've had a few pop up so far - and with the break from summer's excessive heat the last few weeks, our green peppers (not pictured) are showing promise of churning up some goods. maybe. we also purchased another pepper plant, which now we can't remember what it was. don't worry - i won't try it as i think it was a spicy little guy.

unfortunately, we have yet to enjoy any of our cantelope as some little critter has chewed through all three well before they were ready for us to enjoy. we planted a little late this year, so our tomatoes are just now popping out lots and lots of goodies. oh life's cheap thrills. 

happy friday!

good friday

i feel like i haven't sat down since returning from india last month. as expected, work was busy, and i essentially traveled and worked overtime for three weeks straight - from the moment i hit US soil. i am finally catching up with friends and getting to share what all has been on my heart and what all i experienced while in india. and that is a great feeling.

but with all that being said, i seemed to have skipped past lent. i remember thinking about lent as i prepared for india - but with all the hustle and bustle leading up to the trip, it simply slipped my mind. our church growing up didn't put much emphasis on the whole lenten season so it seemed fine to just sail into easter again. but our church here in indy does a great job being intentional about what these 40 days mean, the purpose of today and most importantly the life and celebration of sunday.

even though i didn't give up diet cokes for 40 days or become more intentional about one thing or another, i do feel like i have had more of a "god consciousness" this last month. such a great reminder that our god can bring us to him despite our busyness or forgetfulness of the season.

today i think about good friday. and what it means. how our lord died for us. for these sweet faces below. for his sacrifice. today we remember the crucifixion. we remember his death for our life. and we will celebrate on sunday his resurrection.

i think about these girls every day. i think about their social injustice and their joy for the lord despite their stories and suffering. and i think about the life i lead here, the comfortable life, that at times can be hard but is also easy compared to the things i saw and the life they live. i think about what this all means. i am thankful for their lives and thankful our lord died for them. for you. for me.

home

as i am sure most of you have already heard, i made it back safe and sound to the states...just in time to catch the entire butler game in all its buzzer-beating glory!

i am still processing all of the things i experienced - the joy, the love, the smells and sounds, the people, the pain and so much more - but i wanted to make a quick post to all of you checking the blog for updates and ways to pray.

our time in india was so blessed and there are so many things i can't wait to tell you about! until then, a couple pictures...

in almost 24 hours...

...i will be heading toward the airport to begin this much anticipated journey!

i can't say enough how amazing it has been to have so much love and support from my community as i get ready for this trip. honestly, the preparation process alone has been incredibly impactful and encouraging to me (and brandt)!

i am feeling pretty good and as "prepared" as i imagine i can be. i still need to pack (don't worry, all items are out and ready to go) and run a few last minute errands before i leave. i am so excited, but at the same time nervous that i am not fully prepared for what i will experience - whether it be high emotions or just the crowds or smells of the country. i am looking forward to some time away and being "unplugged" from all the clutter that usually clogs my mind. but also know i am going to miss my daily routine with my loving, amazing husband and stinky dog.

whether i come back with a bleeding heart for india or a bleeding heart for God, i am not sure. but i am excited and open to whatever God is going to teach me while i am there and how it will impact our lives. 

we will be updating the church's blog (listed below) a few times throughout the week, so please feel free to check in on how we are doing, ways to pray for us and the girls, etc.  

http://cgvisiontrips.wordpress.com/

final prep

somehow our departure snuck up on me, and i leave in three days! i am beyond excited and just need to do my final packing. i did a day of errands this past weekend - buying a frozen pizza and some chips for the husband and more dog food for our poor pup who is in store for what i can imagine will be a LOT of male bonding. i also cut up a TON of veggies in hopes that my husband doesn't consume mcdonalds every day i am gone! (i am only halfway joking when i type this)

something our church does before each trip is ask the team to create a "prayer shield" which outlines some of the daily prayer needs the team anticipates. they then share this with the elders of the church so our group is constantly surrounded in prayer.

i thought this would also be a good thing to share with you all, in the event you either a. want to know what we will be doing each day or b. would like to intentionally pray for us each day. 

if you want to pray for us by name, here are all my traveling companions: brad, jill, carol, sonna, tom, whitney, bob and joann

Sunday, March 13
We arrive in Chennai at 12:30 a.m. As we arrive in Chennai, India that God would give us rest and divine strength during the day. Pray that we would rely on God’s strength, wisdom, and His revelation. We will visit Home of Love today.

“Praise be to the name of God for ever and ever; wisdom and power are His. He changes the times and seasons; He sets up kings and deposes them. He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to the discerning. He reveals deep and hidden things; He knows what lies in darkness, and light dwells with Him.” Daniel 2:20-22.

 Monday, March 14
We will go back to Home of Love today. We will be documenting the stories of the girls. Please pray that this will be a healing time for the girls to share and for us to be full of grace while listening to their stories.

“O Divine Master, grant that we may not try to be comforted, but to comfort, not try to be understood, but to understand, not try to be loved, but to love. “ Prayer of St. Francis

Tuesday, March 15
We will visit Christian Mission Charitable Trust (CMCT) (orphanage, handicraft center, hospital, etc), have lunch at human rights organization and tour Chennai. Please pray that in spite of jet lag and culture shock that we will be strong and full of attention. Please pray this prayer for us:

“Bind us this day, the power of God, to hold and lead. His eye to watch, His might to stay, His ear to hearken to our need: the wisdom of our God to teach, His hand to guide, His shield to ward: the Word of God to give us speech, His heavenly host to be our guard.”

Wednesday, March 16
Today we take a 5 hour train trip to Salem (Bethel Agricultural Fellowship), visit with girls, tour campus, love on babies, and have a female infanticide discussion with Dr. Titus. Pray that our team as well as the children in the orphanage would be encouraged by a faith in the God who created all cultures and nationalities. Prayer that this will be a special day for us and the girls as we love on them and tell them they are special.

“And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High; for you will go before the Lord to prepare His ways, to give knowledge of salvation to His people in the forgiveness of their sins, through the tender mercy of our God, when the day shall dawn upon us from on high to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.” Luke 1:76-79

Thursday, March 17
We will spend the day at Bethel and return to Chennai in the evening. Pray that God will give us an outpouring of love to give the children, just like the love He lavishes on us.

“ O love, how deep, how broad, how high, it fills the heart with ecstasy, that God, the Son of God, should take our mortal form for mortal’s sake! For us He prayed, for us He taught; for us His daily works He wrought; by words and signs and actions thus still seeking not Himself, but us.” The Hymn

Friday, March 18
Team debrief and rest, and begin travelling home. Pray as we leave Chennai that the seeds planted in the hearts of the orphans and in our team would continue to grow. Praise God for a life changing experience!

Phil 1:9-11 And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ—to the glory and praise of God.

Saturday, March 19
Pray that our hearts would continue to be opened by what we have seen. Pray for wisdom as we are wrestling with the idea of how we should now live when we return home. Pray for travel safety as we begin our trip back to the states and brokenness for our shortcomings as followers of Christ that leads to a change in our lives.

II Cor 7:10-11 Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death. See what this godly sorrow has produced in you: what earnestness, what eagerness to clear yourselves, what indignation, what alarm, what longing, what concern, what readiness to see justice done.

 Monday, March 21
Jill and Brad travel back. Pray that they have continued safety and wisdom as to how the Lord will lead and use them through IGP.


Week following the trip
Pray that as we immerse ourselves back into our culture and routine that we would continue to wrestle with what God has revealed to us and that we may use this experience to change how we love our neighbors- locally and globally.

thankful

i can't begin to tell you how thankful i am for the people i have in my life who have offered me so much support and encouragement as i prepare for this trip. whether it was unexpected financial donations, intentional conversations, prayers or following this blog - it really brought things into perspective for me - that people believe in me and believe in my heart.

it seems funny to type, and it isn't that i don't believe in myself - but there is something special about people taking an extra step to show their support, in so many ways, that allow you to look past daily disappointments or unmet expectations and see how God is really moving in your life.

i am blessed with people who do want to know my heart and be a part of this experience with me, and i couldn't ask for more as i get ready to leave.

thank you.

people have been asking me if i am excited for the trip and if i am feeling "ready". i can't figure out how to even communicate how much i need this trip right now and how excited i am.

so for now, my typical response stays at "come hell or high water, this trip is happening. it wasn't by accident and i can't wait to leave!"

southpaw

that's me! though my left hand may have caused a lot of arguments in our house growing up (i.e., "i don't want to sit next to her, she will bump my elbow and mess me up!"), it is something that i really love and embrace about myself. it makes me special. i am one of 8-15% of the population, after all.

that being said, i have learned that in india the left hand is considered to be unclean as it's used to perform matters associated with going to the bathroom. so while i am there, i have to eat with my right hand. i also learned that people will not accept money from you if you offer it from your left had - so you must pass objects from your right hand only.
perhaps it was the indians who designated spiral notebooks, scissors, computer mice and can openers to be right-handed items.



doing some more research i then discovered, oddly enough, that the people of the andes mountains (where we went in november) believe that left-handers possess special spiritual abilities, including magic and healing!

who knew - one day i am magical, the next i am dirty. this could be a challenge.

*as i sidenote, i thought you would enjoy knowing that "scoochy", "scrammy-handed" and "left-kelly" are also nicknames for lefties.

prayer

today i am making a “to-do” list of remaining things to accomplish before we leave (which is in THREE weeks if you are counting down like me). things on the list include “get malaria pills, find long skirts/dresses, call doctor for ambien” and so on.

but as i start to check off items on the list, i am also trying to be intentional of what isn’t on my physical piece of papert but just as important to focus on daily as we get closer to leaving – prayer.

for me it is easy to get caught up in checking things off my list and “feeling” ready to leave, and i often forget that the best way to prepare for this trip, and for it to be that experience i am “expecting”, is to really fall back on the most powerful and impactful tool.

i told you i would keep you posted on ways to pray for our team, so here are a few quick ones if you have the time today:

please pray for our team’s safety while we are there and for us to be prepared for everything we will experience - the culture shock, the poverty, the orphans, the death, the stress of travel and to fully experience and engage with the joyful little girls we will meet


jill and brad – karis, their sweet baby girl, is about four months old, and they will be leaving her for the first time for our trip.


carol – fundraising and support as the financial deadline approaches

sonna - she has six kiddos and is also a teacher. she has a lot to do in preparing to leave with lesson plans at school and leaving her hubby home along with them for 8 days

for those of you checking in on the blog (whether you got sucked in a while ago with my newlywed tales or picked up the blog when I sent it to you about the trip) i am so thankful for your friendship and support. thank you for the role you play in my life and for challenging and loving me in so many ways.

links to learn more

i thought it would be good to provide a little background and some links to a few organizations so you can have more insight on what has encouraged this trip.

brad and jill, who founded the invisible girl project, met on a common ground mission trip a few years ago. soon after, jill moved to chennai to work for the international justice mission, and brad joined her a year later once they were married. it was during this time in chennai they first learned about female infanticide.

IJM has operations in 11 countries across the world, working to ensure justice for human rights (slavery, sexual oppression and other violent acts). while we are there, we will meet with some of jill's old co-workers to learn more about what IJM is doing around the world.

much of our time while in chennai will be spent learning. which relates back to my previous post about gaining a better vision.

however, while we are there, we will spend some time with the girls at home of love. i have [eagerly] volunteered to be the designated photographer for our group during our time in india and am excited to help document our time while at home of love. of the few things we have "planned to do", recording the stories of the girls here is one of them. our team will be talking with the girls to learn more about them - what they like to do, their favorite things. the hope is that in documenting them, home of love will soon be able to seek support opportunities, similar to other organizations offering child sponsorship.

hopefully this post and links give you a little more insight to what our vision is for this trip and a few ways you can beginning praying for our team.

great expectations

last night we had another team meeting in preparation for our trip. our tickets are purchased, we have an official packing list and our [flexible] itinerary is set. one month from tomorrow we will be setting out on an incredible journey to india!

i can't begin to tell you how excited i am for this trip. not only because i love to travel and am excited to get to know the people of india, but for the relationships that will form, the things i will learn and the things that will most likely break me and open my eyes up to something that could completely change my life. 

as my husband so tenderly puts it, i am an "easily excitable person". i go from zero to sixty and am full speed ahead at most anything. i am a dreamer and find so many things fascinating it is hard to resist the draw to fully engage. however, in doing that, i also tend to put unrealistic expectations on a LOT of these things. 

it would be a lie to say i don't have big expectations for this trip. however, we have a pretty big God that can fulfill them. and even though i have expectations - they are simply for an incredible journey. as for what happens when we are there or what i learn, see or do...i honestly can't even begin to imagine it all to even set an unrealistic expectation in the first place.

so here's to trusting God has something great in store and sitting back to enjoy this journey!

snow, ice and everything nice

so during my blogging hiatus, it appears i also took a break in my photo taking. except for this one of milo enjoying the snow. ok, so maybe this was posed. and maybe he didn't enjoy it. though i should note he usually does demand to wear this hat before going outside. gotta keep the brain warm!

vision

in the back of my mind, i've always thought it would be an amazing experience to go on some type of "mission" trip...at some point in my life. the key point being "some point in my life". there have been a few times i have even considered a specific trip for a hot second but was soon swept back into my normal, everyday life. "maybe later" i would think. later was always a better time. and if i am being really honest, sometimes it even seemed a little too "churchy" to take the plunge.

well friends, later is now. in just a little over a month i will be heading to Chennai, India!

what i love about my church is that this isn't the typical mission trip. in fact, they call them "vision trips" instead. which to most may sound just as equally weird and churchy, but once you break it down, it really makes sense.

the purpose of this trip is to gain a better vision. a better vision of what is going on in the world. a better vision for how God is working in every place - even the most desolate areas. a better vision as to how our lives can play a role in this work. a better vision for how God is speaking to us and trying to work in our lives.

it has been quite a journey for this trip happen. stating the most obvious is my career in college athletics - march isn't really the best time to ask to be gone, let alone out of the country. it also came out of nowhere for me. but i was really prayerful about the decision making process and knew that if this was a door to be opened, God would do it. and He not only did this for me once, but twice, as potential issues arose with work and each time they were sorted out in a comforting way.

since i'm not one with much of an attention span, i'll space out some upcoming posts about what we will be doing in India, the "vision" for this trip, our preparation process and other details so you can follow (if you want of course)!

giving

for those of you who are interested, below is information re: financial contributions. thank you so much for your prayers, support and interest in my upcoming trip!

for tax donation purposes, please make checks out to "Common Ground Christian Church". to keep the donation tax deductible, please do not write anything in the memo line. donations should be mailed to my home address mentioned in my e-mail and will need to be received no later than thursday, february 24th (note - the envelope should be address to me but the check to CGCC).

life trip

so maybe it takes an ice storm to break my blogging hiatus. but here i am again, several months later, sharing what is going on in our lives as “semi-newlyweds”.

a lot has been going on since i last posted. one major update being that we took our first “life trip”!

this past thanksgiving, we ventured to peru, south america, to see one of the new seven wonders of the world - machu picchu. it is just like you see in the photos – but you are there in person to see the clouds rise to reveal the view and roll in again covering this lost empire as you stand in the ancient incan ruins. we had quite an adventure during our week long trip – we conquered the city of cuzco, made it through some language barriers, suffered a little deet poisoning, ate alpaca (a peru llama) and guinea pig (and no, we will not let our future children have them as a pet…ever), did some climbing and hiking and spent an evening in the mist at a natural hot springs at the base of mountains in the jungle enjoying some drinks (there were a lot of necessary prepositions for that sentence to even begin to describe that moment).

all in all, i can’t believe we were able to experience something so amazing! not only did we begin our journey of “life trips” together (which i am reminded are big trips to be spaced over our life time – key word being “life” as my husband says), but we were so lucky to see something so amazing and unique that God created on the other hemisphere of this world.

below are a few pictures from our trip!