gratitude, #458 – 479. Friday, March 11, 2011   back home after eight days away open windows and sunshine and a fresh-air breeze this afternoon the second load of laundry in David did a Thom’s run and stocked us up on diapers and groceries and fruits and veggies Pizza Hut delivery in South Asia our kids squealing in their bathtubs we peeked in and found both of them squeezed into one tiny bathtub Amie prayed at dinner tonight Jesus loves it when Amie talks to him my new apron (my first apron) Anju is coming tomorrow! talking to my mom on the phone Love Walked Among Us, just as…

  into the himalayas. Wednesday, March 9, 2011   As the last item of orientation here in South Asia, Julie and I spent a week up north with the other team working here through our company.  We were so encouraged to be with families who have given their lives for this country and are brimming with wisdom. On our final two days, the women generously took the kids so that the men could trek into the Himalaya foothills.  It was simply stunning and an experience I’ll never forget.   In the above picture, in the bottom left, is a mountain goat.  We saw tons of monkeys, parakeets, barking deer, mountain…

  five things i miss about our city. Tuesday, March 8, 2011   From all of these idyllic photos, you may wonder if we are dreading our return to the south at the end of the week. Surprisingly, as much as I love it here, I actually miss our city.  Here are some of the things I miss … 1.Good coffee.  As a friend up here said, “Northerners just don’t do coffee well.”  He is so right. 2.An abundance of auto-rickshaw drivers … no walking a couple kilometers to catch an auto. 3.The shopping.  Okay, so it’s not the U.S., but you really can find pretty much anything.  And there…

  the himalayas. Monday, March 7, 2011   On Saturday afternoon, we made the hour-long trek up to M., a famous mountain town, once a British hill station.  It was well worth the kilometers of windy roads and motion-sickness to see the stunning views.  We saw a huge temple, Hindus on pilgrimage, Woodstock School, snow-capped mountains (and beyond them is China!), a crowded, cramped town built right into the side of the mountain, and at the top, stopped at a tiny out-of-the-way shop for jars of fresh local peanut butter.    

  “Take heart. he is calling you.” a guest post at (in)courage. Sunday, March 6, 2011   Recently, I wrote a post for (in)courage blog, and today I’d be thrilled for you to stop by and read it.  

  children’s home. Saturday, March 5, 2011   We spent this morning visiting a children’s home nestled at the base of the Himalayas.  The director works for our agency and is apart of the team we are getting to know this week. The children who live here are not orphans; their parents have leprosy, and so have to live in leper colonies.  The home is a place for the children of lepers to grow up and get an education and be able to avoid catching this contagious disease (kids are tested for some time after they arrive, and those who do show early signs of leprosy are treated and cured).…

  silliness. Wednesday, March 2, 2011     Today Judah had a holiday from school, so the four of us woke up and walked down the street to the dosa cafe for a South Asian breakfast.  The weather has been gorgeous lately … the kind that makes you want to be out-of-doors all day.  It started to get very warm, but then we had a big rain, and this week we’ve had sunshine and breezes and chilly evenings.  We headed to the Garden Shop to get bigger pots, fertilizer and soil for our growing plants.  My husband the gardener re-potted our four plants this morning and they look fabulous.  The…

  queen bee. Wednesday, March 2, 2011      

  he says. Wednesday, March 2, 2011   Jonathan: “Judah, will you thank Jesus for dinner tonight?” Judah: “Of course.  Ready, set, go!” —————- Judah: “Girls don’t like M&M’s.  They like pasta and carrots.” —————- Judah: “I’m a one-man show.” —————- Judah (to our friend Arvind): “Take a deep breath!” —————– me: “Judah, what is your favorite thing about India?” Judah: “Georgia”    

  gratitude, #435 – 457. Tuesday, March 1, 2011   One Thousand Gifts Ann Voskamp, who started it all “Thanks is what multiplies joy and makes any life large, and I hunger for it.” our family’s bookcase-top gratitude list good health after a month-and-a-half of sickness in our household a new pediatrician, who we love Judah is back at school David’s email update encouragement from friends Dad Gentino cooking dinner in a quiet apartment shepherd’s pie rain hope open windows auto rides through parts of the city I’ve never seen Colleen, Amie and I spent the afternoon at the mall Amie picked out her own new purse (let’s just say…