church visit. Sunday, February 27, 2011   Three pastors and I travelled an hour outside our city to visit a special church a part of the network we are working with here.  You can read about it in our March email update.    

  last stop. Saturday, February 26, 2011   The last stop of the trip was the city of P., which you will be familiar with if you’ve read The Life of Pi (I’m ashamed to say I have not). We went on from our village church visit, down the coast a couple hours, to see the city.  We ended up spending our time at the beach instead of exploring around town, since all day we’d promised the kids a swim in the ocean.  We ate dinner in a little French town close by … in an Italian restaurant, of all things, feasting outdoors on flat-bread pizza and homemade pasta.  …

  evening swim. Saturday, February 26, 2011      

  and more gratitude. Wednesday, February 23, 2011   “… but Jesus sent him away, saying, ‘Return to your home, and declare how much God has done for you.’” – Gospel of Luke 8.38-39 This morning I feel a swell of gratitude in my heart.  It started last night, when I made myself sit and work once again on my list.  And I found, like I have before, that once I start it is hard to stop.  Why do I fight gratitude tooth-and-nail?  Why is it so much easier to focus on what I don’t have?  To live in the realm of “I wish …”  or “I miss …?” I…

gratitude, #410 – 434. Tuesday, February 22, 2011 back on the playground after four days of sick kids tile floors are a blessing during stomach bugs everyone kept their food down today a very healthy family the majority of the time God is protecting our bodies here in South Asia dripping red watermelon in February last night’s rain pictures hung on the wall hand-written letters our Vonage phone a two-hour chat on Maggie’s bed this afternoon the cross-breeze in the Iverson’s fourth-floor apartment I live in a home, in a city where I feel very safe the dream of more kids one day Yogi tea, brought from home discovering new-to-me…

  another church. Monday, February 21, 2011   Pastor J. took the guys to check out another church in our movement, in a neighboring village, and in the process they got to see another slice of village life.    

  fortress on the beach. Monday, February 21, 2011   While we waited for lunch to cook, Pastor J. took us a couple of kilometers away to see the ruins of a Muslim fortress.  It was majestic.    

  hanging in there and a fun dinner. Sunday, February 20, 2011   I am slowly beginning to emerge from the fog. I spent almost the entire week holed up in our second-floor flat, battling sickness – first with every home remedy I could find on the Internet, then, finally succumbing to the usual antibiotics. And now it is Sunday morning, and I feel the tiniest shred of energy seeping back into my bones. Judah and Amelie have been sick this weekend too. Judah had an upset stomach on Friday and threw up in the afternoon.  We had a invitation to our neighbors’ for dinner Friday night, and we briefly…

  st. thomas shrine. Thursday, February 17, 2011   Outside of C. is a hilltop shrine to the apostle Thomas, at the spot where he was believed to have been martyred.  There is a gorgeous view of the city from the top.  We had a fun time exploring in the cool evening breeze, but Judah took a big spill on the way back down the gravelly path, scraping his forehead, both knees, and his arm.  Poor guy.  Now, a week later, he still has his battle scars.    

  the y. Thursday, February 17, 2011   Our next stop was C., the third biggest city in our country (very similar in size to the city we live in). We stayed at the YMCA.  It’s not as sketchy as you’d think — they function as regular hotels here.  Although, to be perfectly honest, the hotels were a low point of the trip for me.  But at least this one had a great courtyard for the kids to run around and let off some steam.