Last Weeks

All of a sudden the year is coming to an end, and with it, a desperate attempt at saying 'goodbye' well and documenting these last days at Asbury.  While transition is an inherent aspect to life in campus ministry, this year it's especially bittersweet.  

On Wednesday, I woke up with no voice at all.  At. All.  Of course, Wednesday was a day that it would have been really nice to be able to talk.  Student Development threw us a farewell reception, along with another couple who works on staff.  They gifted us a print of the student center under a signature mat.  Wow, a really neat gift we'll treasure always.

From that reception we went back home and prepared for our appreciation dinner for our senior cabinet members.  I have been in an especially sentimental mood (I wonder why?) and it was very photo driven. ;-)  I made a bunch of prints for everyone to take home with them of various memories together over the past few years.  I also made a photo scrapbook (thank you Shutterfly!) as their outgoing gift.  Nathan, Jonathan, Bryan, and Josh made a music video (a parody of a popular sitcom theme song) with a verse for each graduate, and we read tributes to each senior from everyone not graduating.  All in all, we tried to let them know they are loved, appreciated, and will be missed greatly!

As per tradition, we laid hands on the seniors and prayed for them.

Below, last year's cabinet and this upcoming year's cabinet...  They gifted us with a solar-powered globe with a William Carrey quote enscripted on the base.

Saturday we spent the morning sprucing up the grounds with the special help of 7 guys on cabinet.  (We bribed them with hamburgers on the grill).  The sidewalks were edged, beds mulched, volleyball court edged and tilled, geraniums planted, and a lot of other little things that added up to big improvement (just in time for this flurry week's of graduation visitors).  Sorry I have no photos of this!  We were busy!

Sunday night we had one final Global Cafe`.  While we normally don't have one the night before finals week, you can't blame us for finding an excuse to do it just one more time.  We set up the chairs (and Reni ran his laps up and down the rows)...

 ...the worship band warmed up one more time...

 ... and we got to say some final words.  We also got to hear from Jonathan and Faith, the special folks who will be moving in after us, and pray for them.  We have the utmost confidence in them and know that God will really use them to touch the lives of students. The Powers' gifted us with a notebook of messages from former cabinet members spanning the 13 years we've been here.  What a priceless gift!  It was also very fitting that the Barkers were in attendance last night too.  They are retired missionaries from Japan who served a stint as directors of the center from 1981 to 1993.

 Then, because it was so nice outside (and the grounds looked so great after Saturday's work), we played some volleyball and hung outdoors for a bit.

The photos don't do justice to Ellie's joy at capturing a butterfly (with 2 plastic cups!).  Going to bed last night she told me her next goal was to capture a bird!

Then, for one last time we pulled the tables together and had our Sunday night meal with our cabinet (I opted for carry-out Chinese so I could enjoy more fellowship time after the service).  One of the things we'll miss most...

Thanks for humoring me with this extra long post.  It won't be the last of my transition posts. Though it's finals week, we're eeking out every hour to create more memories with our friends!

Titus Women's Retreat

This past weekend I was able to attend my second retreat of the year!  I know, I'm very blessed since I attended the Created For Care retreat less than a month ago!  Truth be told, had I not committed last fall to attend and document the sessions via video and photography, I could have found a good excuse not to attend this year. We've traveled out of state five of the last seven weekends and this upcoming week promises to be one of the most difficult we'll face in terms of saying our goodbye's...

Nevertheless, I was SO glad I attended.  I've been going for the past 3 or 4 years and I can't think of a warmer, more loving group of women to be with.  Two years ago I shared with them about the journey the Lord was leading us on to adopt Reni.  Then, last year I was blessed to share lessons God was teaching us through the experience of adoption, and then this year I shared about the new chapter in God's story of our family with our upcoming move to Albania.  The ladies were so sweet as to give us a share of the missions offering gathered and promise to pray for us as we proceed.  Wow.  So humbling. Needless to say, I feel a part of this unique group and it's such a privilege. And that doesn't even touch on the wonderful messages, fellowship, times of prayer, and sharing in our small table groups!  One can't attend this retreat and not be touched and challenged.

Some fun surprises were some ladies I got to be with... two special friends who also happen to be a part of our adoption group (we were not short of conversation whilst enjoying the beautiful drive through Amish Country!)  and two of the three "Harriman Sisters", Anne and Maria!  Maria is a new mommy to a special cutie recently home from Congo!  I overheard someone remark how many adoptive moms and grandmas were in the room and my heart cheered! ;-)  Scroll down to see images from the weekend and a brief slideshow set to music.

 The Inn at the Amish Door...

Speakers included Aletha Hinthorn (I LOVE her daily devotionals, really -- go subscribe via e-mail), Stephanie Hogan, Fiona Richardson (our favorite friend from Yorkshire and one of my travel mates), Betty Crouse (her missions stories are so inspiring!), and Linda Boyette.

Below: (top left) the Harriman sisters, Anne and Maria -- of course they're married now and have different last names, but I don't think they'll mind, right girls?), (top right) um, it's Amish country -- it's a given the food is yummy, though it seemed an anomaly to find a TV in our room, (bottom left) -- I love all the wonderful books that are available at these retreats-- lotsa Helen Roseveare, Isobel Kuhn and Amy Carmichael!, and (bottom right) my other travel buddy, Meg Easley, quite possibly the coolest girl who doesn't know she's cool.  Check out her graphic design company here.

Sunday Scripture

This photo of Edinburgh Castle was captured by Nathan in 2009...
(feel free to share without permission)

Company! Shaker Village visit

Sunday was a lovely day.  Really, the weather was glorious.  I look at the image above and I can feel the warm sun and cool breeze (and also remember the wonderful lack of humidity). An added bonus to this Sunday was the presence of our new friend, Brandon!  Brandon is a fellow WGM missionary headed to his first term as a missionary to Japan. This weekend, however, he was visiting us so he could share a little bit of his story at Global Cafe`. Since he had never been to Kentucky before (he heralds from a small town near Pasadena), we thought lunch after church at Shaker Village would be a special little experience to share a slice of central Kentucky history with him.  I'm sharing some of my favorite images here so if you have never been to Kentucky before, you too can get a glimpse of some of the special treasures this state holds (it's more than bourban, 'bacco, and 'bettin')!

These two were great!  I love making these memories together as a family before we leave!

We were really touched by Brandon's testimony Sunday night, which really begins with his grandparents who pioneered WGM's work in Japan in the early 1950s.  I was surprised to learn that as Japanese-Americans in post-war America, they were turned down by every mission agency they applied to except for WGM.  They went on to have a significant impact in University ministry, influencing today's generation of (aging) pastors in the Japanese evangelical church.  Decades later, their grandson (Brandon) is following the Lord's prompting on his life to invest himself in the same ministry as his grandparents, at another pivotal point in Japan's history.  Since Nathan's trip to Japan last May, our eyes have been opened and our hearts burdened for the great, great need for the Gospel in Japan.  We urge you to take some time to read and study about this place that is called a 'graveyard for missionaries' and pray for Brandon.  He will be working in Tokyo (pop 35,000,000), one of the world's largest spiritual orphanages.

Off to the races!

This weekend we crossed another thing off our 'bucket list' of experiences to complete before leaving Kentucky!  After years of good intentions, we finally made it to Keeneland's (Lexington's site for thoroughbred racing and sales) Saturday morning breakfast buffet (I believe it's only offered in April and October).  This was actually probably the best year to attend because the activities were right up the alley of our kiddos!

Racing didn't start until the afternoon, but we got up close with the horses receiving their morning workouts.  Bucky the Bugler (bottom right) is someone I photographed last summer when he performed the "Call to the Races" at a local wedding to open the ceremony.  

They had a score of other activities, including face painting, a racing game, rub on tattoos, and goody bags that included a yo yo and coloring/activity book and crayons.  And it was all free!  We like free!

Standing in line for the breakfast buffet I met someone who grew up 5 miles from me in central Illinois!  Small world, eh?

Shaker Village sponsored a little petting zoo!  They had a miniature donkey, puppies, and chicks!

I definitely recommend this for families, however it might be worth it to pay for parking.  The shuttle from the 'free' parking lot didn't start running until 10AM, well after breakfast was over.

Sunday Scripture

Part of Psalm 68 which was read in church this morning...
Photo captured during our July 2010, pre-court visits to see Reni while he was still residing in the orphanage.
(feel free to share without permission)

2 Years Ago Today...

Celebrating one of God's greatest gifts today...

You can read here how we learned about the baby boy who would become our son.

Ellie Quote

If you follow us on Twitter (our three most recent tweets are always displayed on the right-hand margin of the blog, for those of you who receive these posts via e-mail or Google Reader feed), you will know that our tweets are predominantly Ellie quotes.  She just has a cool way of viewing things in her world and last night was no exception.  

We were going up to the art gallery above the cafeteria to see our friend Meredith's senior photography exhibit.  Outside the gallery are these beautiful praying hands carved by a Columbian artist who gifted them to the University.  

Ellie bounded up the stairs ahead of us to the second floor.  

She hollered down the stairs to us and said,

 "Hurry up!  You've got to see this giant 'high five'!"

In our defense, we lace our fingers when we pray.

Bridgewater's next top model...

  Over the weekend, we tried to get some photos with all four of the grandkids.  Our first attempt didn't last very long or yield much (it happened to be the chilliest, windy-est morning we were together), but I did manage to get these pics of my adorable 3-year-old-niece, Pippa.  She was a natural for the camera, as you'll see!