Partnership Tour in Pictures

Restoration

Rusty wrote this article for the Hillsboro church e-bulletin a couple of weeks ago. I thought it was very well-written, so I decided to share it here. (Read to the end for a picture of Alex in his new bed!)

For those of you who don't know, both of my parents have passed away. Dad died 14 years ago after a lifelong struggle with a heart condition. Mom died 3 years ago this month from a brain tumor. He was 52 and she was 64 when they died.

I don't share all of this with you for sympathetic reasons, but because I often wonder about what they passed on to me and what I will pass on to my own children. One thing my father passed on to me was the hobby of making, building, or restoring things out of wood. I've actually had little time for this hobby over the years and I still have a lot to learn. Two weeks ago I mentioned in our worship service about a set of bunk beds that he had made for my sister and me to use and enjoy. Now I'm in the process of refinishing them and making them 'new' again so that my children, Alex & Stephen, can use and enjoy them. I have really enjoyed restoring a perfectly fine set of beds that my dad took the time and energy to make. Had I not pulled them down out of the rafters of a really dusty old barn in Oregon, they would have gotten thrown in a pile of rubbish and destined for a bonfire. I was able to finish one of the beds the other day. We then went and purchased some mattresses for it. For the first time in a long time, Alex, our oldest, is sleeping well. It brings me a sense of pride and accomplishment knowing that my little boy, who was sleeping on a mat on the floor until last week, is now sleeping on a good solid bed – a bed that my deceased father made for his little boy.

As I was working on the bed, it got me thinking about why do we, as human beings, have such an innate desire to make or create things? We encourage our children to be creative in school. Our places of employment often praise or reward creativity and innovation. When employers are looking for a new hire, they often look for someone or something that can bring a sense of revitalization or refreshment to the program. We are often attracted or excited by the newness of things.

Again, I have to wonder why? Why did God instill within us an appreciation for newness? Of course we appreciate and value the old and its aestheticism. But there is certainly more of a draw towards the new. Even if it's old, like a classic car or a bed in the rafters of a dusty barn, it is appreciated more when it is restored and brought back to life.

I think God feels that way as well. You see, when we are separated from Him, He has no relationship with us. But when we return to Him, as a new creation, we become washed by the Lamb, white as snow, made in the likeness of His Son. God gets to see His own creation become alive and new again. Eph 2:10 calls us his "workmanship." In the Greek this word is 'Poema' and is where we get our word 'Poem.' When we are in relationship with Him, we represent His best, His workmanship, His poem. We were handcrafted to display His wonder, to be a testimony or witness for Him.

May we live our days knowing that we are masterfully created or recreated works of art.

Life at Six Months

Stephen was 6 months old on October 6th. We happened to be in Michigan for a visit at the time, so I made an appointment for him with our family doctor there for a check-up. He now weighs over 16 pounds and is 27 inches long! He has graduated to wearing 6-9 month size clothes. The outfit he is wearing in the picture was one of Rusty's when he was a baby.

The major milestone in Stephen's sixth month was the introduction of solid foods to his diet. I waited until we we done with all our traveling simply because I didn't want to mess with baby food while we were on the road. He was so ready for that first bite of food! He smacked his lips and said "mmmm" through the whole first meal. We started with banana, avocado, sweet potato, and rice cereal, and we have gradually added other fruits and veggies. One thing I am really enjoying doing right now is making my own baby food. I don't do homemade exclusively, but I cook and puree fruits and veggies when I can and freeze them in icecube trays. Once frozen, I have little cubes of food, the perfect single-serving size for a baby. I have quite the little stash growing in my freezer!

September 2009 Newsletter

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And Now We Breathe

So... it's been awhile since I updated. We're mostly settled in our house here in Nashville. And by that, I mean that we've unpacked most of what we need to live comfortably for the next 3 months. There are no pictures on the walls, and most of the windows have blankets tacked up as curtains. I'm not bothering to decorate. No sense in getting too comfortable here!

We had about a week in our house at the end of September before we were traveling again -- up to Pennsylvania to present to a church up there, and then over to Detroit to pack up the rest of our stuff from my parents' house. The boys and I have all been sick with some nasty cold that took forever to shake... theirs turned into pink eye and ear infections (times two) before all was said and done.

And as if the traveling, moving, unpacking, and sickness wasn't enough to deal with, last weekend, we played host to a gathering of our team and everyone's parents for the Family Workshop with MRN. It was about 30 people all together, and we decided to host the meeting in our home since it is plenty big enough. But that meant a lot of extra work with setting up, plus cooking all the food for everyone. I was so thankful to have my parents here to help out. With me being sick, I think my mom probably did more work than I did! Anyway, the weekend was a big success, but I am glad it's over and just trying to rest and recover this week.

I have lots to blog about -- Stephen's 6-month update, Alex's new bed, and a slide show of pictures from our Partnership Tour is in the works as well. Keep checking back for new posts over the next several days!

Partnership Tour: Helena to Nashville

We were in Helena, Montana until mid-September. We visited with several churches about our plans for Angola. I also attended the annual area-wide ladies retreat, and Rusty went to an area-wide minister's meeting. So, we made lots of new contacts, and we hope that at least some of those will lead to future partners in our ministry.

We left Helena on Tuesday, Sept. 15th. We stayed in Sheridan, Wyoming that night, then drove all the way to Sioux Falls, South Dakota the next day. We took a little side-trip through the Badlands National Park -- gorgeous! We have certainly seen some amazing country these last few weeks.

We were on a tight schedule since we were trying to make it back to Kentucky by Friday evening for Hillsboro's Family Retreat. However, when we got to our hotel in Sioux Falls very late on Wednesday night, we checked our email and found out the retreat had been cancelled. So we stayed an extra day in Sioux Falls. Our hotel had a very cool water park in the atrium (part of the reason we chose it), complete with a two-story water slide and a pirate ship. Alex had a ball, and we all enjoyed the down-time as a family.

The other bonus to the Family Retreat being cancelled was that we were able to arrange at the last minute to meet with the Memorial Road Church of Christ missions committee in Oklahoma City that coming Sunday! We have been on their radar for awhile now, but finding a time to meet with them has been challenging. So this was definitely a "God thing." From Sioux Falls, we headed south and stayed Friday night in Big Lake, Missouri at a state park that had a little motel. On Saturday afternoon, we arrived in Oklahoma City.

Sunday was very full with church at Memorial Road in the morning, the missions committee meeting that afternoon and then a get-together with old friends from Japan that night to celebrate Lj's birthday! So glad we got to be there for that! On Monday morning, the boys and I went to the zoo with Kari, Stone, Charity, Freedom, and Courage. Rusty spent some time on campus at OC. That afternoon, we drove to Tulsa (through a monsoon!) and stayed the night with Tom and Leslie Walden. We visited with them about our plans for Angola and heard about the missions program that he heads up at the Park Plaza Church of Christ -- very exciting!

Tuesday, we left early in the morning and drove to Memphis. We had found out about three days prior that Hillsboro had managed to secure a house for us to stay in during our next four months in Nashville (hallelujah!). So we made arrangements to go ahead and move our stuff (that has been in storage in Memphis for the last 10 months) to Nashville since we were already passing through. We picked up the U-haul truck that afternoon, and Rusty spent most of the evening packing and loading. We finished the next morning and drove to Nashville, arriving just in time for church that evening.

Since we got back, we have been busy getting unpacked and settled into our house, which is about 5 minutes away from the church. It is nice to have a place of our own again, even if it is just until January. The house is much bigger than the four of us need, but the extra space will certainly come in handy while we are sorting and packing things for the container over the next few months.

Thank you for your prayers while we were on the road these last few weeks. Amazingly, we had NO car trouble and NO sickness during the entire time we were gone!

Life at Five Months

Stephen celebrated his 5-month birthday while we were in Montana. As you can see from the photos below, he has gotten really good at pushing himself up when he is on his tummy. He is quite proud of this achievement and just loves it when we show our excitement and enthusiasm (as we were doing when Rusty snapped this pic). He is also rolling over a lot more. Our days of leaving him lying on a bed or a couch are numbered!

Interestingly, since Stephen has mastered the art of rolling over, he has decided that he prefers to sleep on his tummy. After several nights of putting him to sleep on his back and waking up the next morning to find him on his tummy, I gave up. I now put him to sleep on his tummy, and the neat thing is that now, if he's still awake when I lay him down in his crib, he will put himself to sleep sucking his thumb. I don't remember Alex putting himself to sleep at such a young age, but he was never a tummy sleeper, or a thumb sucker for that matter. Hmmmmmm.

Stephen is also starting to babble a lot more and will try to carry on a conversation with anyone who pays attention to him. He is getting closer and closer to being able to sit on his own. He has the strength to sit unsupported... now, it is just a matter of balance. With his increased upper body strength, I have been able to switch him to the hip-carry position in the sling. It is easier for me to get him in and out of it, and he seems to like it better, too, now that his feet dangle down.

He is the sweetest, most low-maintenance baby ever. I have a feeling, though, that the "low-maintenance" part may change with his increased mobility!

Happy baby

Sweet baby

Mischievous baby (Is this face a portent of things to come?)

Chime In: Traveling with Kids

We have done our fair share of traveling with little ones in tow since, well, pretty much since we became parents. It is not without its challenges; however, we are very blessed to have two very good travelers. They have their moments, but then again, we all do. After sitting in a car or a cramped airline seat for hours on end, even grown-ups can get cranky!

I confess that before our survey trip last summer, I purchased a bottle of Children's Benadryl with the intention of using it as a sedative (if necessary) on the long international flights. Luckily, I never had to use it as most of our flights were overnight, and Alex slept pretty much the whole way. But I have flown enough in my lifetime to know that there are few things more horrible than being stuck on a plane for hours on end with a screaming kid, whether you are the parent, or just a fellow passenger. So I had it in my arsenal, just in case.

Road trips are a little different, since you can set your own schedule and stop and get out of the car when you need to. A real lifesaver on our Partnership Tour has been a cheap portable DVD player we purchased on Craigslist before we left Michigan that allows Alex to watch videos in the car. And, although Rusty and I typically avoid MacDonald's like the plague, the PlayPlaces are a great way for Alex to burn some energy after we've been in the car for several hours. When we have a long day in the car, we will usually let Alex play while we eat our food, and then he eats his Happy Meal in the car after we leave. It maximizes the time we spend there and means we don't have to fight with him about eating when he would rather be playing.

With Stephen along, we have to stop every 3-4 hours so I can nurse him. Rusty will usually gas-up (even if we still have a fairly full tank) and take Alex to the potty (even if he says he doesn't have to go) just to minimize the amount of stopping we have to do. Sometimes, he will go on the hunt for a city park where Alex can play while I'm nursing Stephen. Or, he'll pull over at a rest area where he and Alex can throw frisbees for a few minutes.

So, fellow parents -- what are some of your tips and tricks for traveling with small children? What works and what doesn't when you're on the road or in the air?

Partnership Tour: Portland to Helena

We are winding down the Partnership Tour -- by this time next week, we should be on our way back to Nashville. Our time in Portland was a real whirlwind of activity. We blocked out a few days for family time with Ronda, Robbie, and Johnny. The rest of the time, we were spending time with friends and extended family (my grandmother and cousins as well as some of Rusty's cousins all live in the Portland area), taking care of some business related to Rusty's mom's estate, and visiting with churches and missions committees about our plans for Angola. Fundraising in the Northwest is especially difficult right now, due to the economic downturn as well as Cascade's recent closing. However, we are getting the word out; now we will wait and watch God work -- after all, he is bigger than all of the limitations we perceive.

Although we enjoyed our time in Portland immensely, it was a crazy busy time since both Rusty and I know so many people and have so many connections there. We were almost glad to get back on the road again! We left Portland a week ago Tuesday, stayed the night in Vancouver, WA with our friends the Onsomu's, and on Wednesday, headed west to Coeur d'Alene. We stayed Wednesday night with old college friends Ben and Christina Heater and their kids and were able to visit with some folks at the Dalton Gardens Church of Christ about Angola.

On Thursday, we drove to Helena, Montana. We have enjoyed the last few days here with Uncle Roy and Aunt Margaret Ramsey, former missionaries to Kisumu, Kenya and teammates of my parents. It has been fun reminiscing about the past with them -- the other night, we even watched some of their old family movies! There are not many people anymore that I can connect with when it comes to my childhood in Kisumu, so I have enjoyed that aspect of our time with them.

For Alex's part, he has enjoyed the experience of four-wheeling! The other day, we took their two ATV's up into the hills near their house. Rusty and I rode one, and Uncle Roy and Alex rode the other one. (Aunt Margaret stayed back at the house with Stephen.) We had such a great time and saw some gorgeous scenery. Alex keeps asking when we are going again!

This past Sunday, we presented about Angola to the church in Great Falls on Sunday morning and the church in Billings on Sunday night. Then, on Monday, we drove back to Helena, stopping to visit friends David and Alison Ellis in Bozeman (David and Rusty were at Harding Grad together). We will be here in Helena for another week, and then we'll begin the long journey back to Nashville. Please continue to pray for us as we travel and fundraise!

Note: I have been meaning to post some pictures of our team time in Colorado last month. Teague, however, beat me to it. Rather than post many of the same pictures on my own blog, I'm linking to her post here. For Facebook users, Katie uploaded a bunch of pictures there as well.

My Boys

This picture makes me smile every time I see it. I am such a blessed woman to have these three in my life!

Life at Four Months

It doesn't seem possible that Stephen is already 4 months old. We are on the road right now and haven't been to the doctor for the standard four-month well-baby checkup, so I have no idea how much he weighs. I am guessing about 15 or 16 pounds. We'll find out next month, I guess. He is, in the words of his Aunt Teague, "stout."

Major milestones during the fourth month included rolling from back to tummy and starting to laugh. He is spitting up less and drooling more. He will chew on anything he can get in his mouth -- toys, burp cloth, blanket, my finger, or his personal favorite, his own hands. He continues to be a content and easy-going baby; he hardly ever cries and is still sleeping well despite our crazy schedule. Everywhere we go, people comment on what a good baby he is. I am so thankful because I don't know how we would do what we are doing right now if we had a high-needs infant. I'm sure we would manage, but traveling would be so much more difficult.

Thank you, God, for our healthy, happy baby boy!