ordination exams. Friday, April 8, 2011 A group of pastors and I made an overnight bus journey north to G., a town in our state surrounded by unreached villages.  We conducted three days of ordination exams. I was shocked by how little Bible knowledge several longstanding pastors had – like identifying Moses, Joshua, Cornelius, or when the Flood happened.  But others had studied well and passed.  Their names will be submitted to Anugraha Presbytery for consideration of ordination. After passing my own ordination exam this month last year, it was very nice to sit on the other side of the table. Of course, after several full days of exams, we…

welcome home, daddy! Thursday, April 7, 2011 Four nights.  Three days.  We missed you.

  tea party on the porch. Thursday, April 7, 2011      

  he says she says. Wednesday, April 6, 2011   (We walk into a cell phone store today, and I go up to the counter.  Judah, meanwhile, finds his own store employee . . . ) Judah: “I’m looking for a phone charger for me.  Just one will be fine.” ————— (To me — in front of a group of strangers) Judah: “You uncultured swine” (The funny thing is he has no clue what that means.  Still, we are having conversations about the appropriate time to make Toy Story jokes) ————— Amie words: “muck” (milk) “choc-a” (chocolate) “Bahss!” – with a lisp (Buzz Lightyear) “moozie” (movie) “tay-too” (thank you) “pees”…

  hmmm . . . Wednesday, April 6, 2011     . . . not a very exciting start to summer vacation. So we’ve been doing a lot of this:  

  morning out. Tuesday, April 5, 2011   David first had the idea to give me a weekly chunk of time out back when Amelie was a baby and I really, really struggled with the transition from one to two kids.  Oh how I have been grateful for this habit.  It has come in fits and bursts . . . some weeks it happened, some months it didn’t.  Depending on our schedule, it has been in the morning or the afternoon or even an evening.  But we’ve fought for it, and many weeks I believe it has kept me sane. Back home I would typically spend my several hours at…

  last day of school. Monday, April 4, 2011   Judah’s last day of preschool was on Thursday.  The school year here runs from July through March, which is a bit of adjustment.  But it’s so hot already that it definitely feels like summer time. We had a wonderful experience at Little Elly.  The first month was heart-breaking with lots of tears, but once Judah adjusted, he loved it.  Judah clearly loves his teachers, especially the school coordinator, Bandana, pictured below.  We suspect he is spoiled rotten, as South Asians generally do with young children, but it is good to see him adjust to a South Asian environment and way…

  gratitude # 538 – 562. Monday, April 4, 2011   our country’s cricket World Cup victory this weekend watching a sky full of fireworks from our balcony end of school and my boy at home all summer neighbors congregated at the pool Judah trying to swim teammates who let us borrow movies family date-night on Friday . . . real beef burgers and pizza and chocolate cake Richey and Keli are coming back soon! business visas granted to teammates Richey and Keli are having another girl! skype-date with Pat, Cathy and Annie this morning Judah adores his cousin Annie a morning out family dance party to the Baumer remixes…

  the hike. Friday, April 1, 2011   As you have probably noticed, David has a newfound passion for hiking and camping.  He is determined to bring Judah and Amie up the same.  So David did a little research and one morning the three of them set out to Dolphin’s Nose.  Unfortunately for him, the hike was a straight decline . . . after a few hundred feet of holding Amie, holding onto slipping-and-sliding Judah, and trying to keep his balance, he opted for a nearby waterfall instead.   The kids had a blast. Maggie calls Judah our Thoreau, because he is a bit of a loner, and is never…

  at the lamberts’ Friday, April 1, 2011   I am kicking myself for not getting any pictures of our new friends . . . we must have been too preoccupied talking a mile-a-minute, sipping homemade chai, and chasing around after six kids. But they have a lovely house in the woods — English-cottage style — owned by the international school where Graham works.  Oh, if only I could find something like this in our city!