Training and A Family Nature Walk

Today was a really great day.  It's our second day of training here in Springfield.  We got to hear from the Executive Director John Bueno about the Assemblies of God World Missions, from Randy Hurst about being Nonpolitical as Missionaries, and from Curtis Cole (of Chi Alpha) about Building and Keeping our Support Base...many of which are you, our readers!

I wish that I could sit and talk to all of you, "I have so much to write to you, but I do not want to use paper and ink.  Instead, I hope to visit you and talk to you face to face, so that our joy may be complete." 2 John 12

I think I finally figured out the answer to why we're travelling so much this summer...I want to see you all, or as many of you as we can, face to face....so that our (yours and our) joy may be complete.  Isn't it so wonderful when you take the time to sit and chat with someone, to have coffee with them, to share a meal?  I really believe that it deepens the relationship and the ties that bind us together.  I know we can't make it all over the country, there just isn't the time.  I just pray that as we travel around, and even once we settle in Tanzania, that we, and you, will continue the effort that we've been putting into our relationship.  We can do that through email, Skype, and phone calls.  I do believe that it is God's plan that everyone invest in missions, not all can go, but you can invest in someone else's calling and walk that journey with them.  Thank you for making a choice to heed that still small voice and invest your time, prayers, and finances with us!

Some of the training we had yesterday was about priorities and investing in MKs (Missionary Kids)...well, we have three of them, and it's hard when you get busy, you tend to just want to put them to bed so you can have your own quiet time and decompress after a full day.  Last night and tonight, after dinner, we made a choice to be different.  Last night we did a family movie and haircuts.  Not everyone's idea of fun, but we were together.  Tonight, we took a long walk along the little creek that runs on the side of CBC.  It turned into a fun little nature walk and we got to talk about the bugs, the fish in the creek, the algae that was growing on it, the swan we saw...oh, and I got some great pictures too.  It was so nice to get out and have some fresh air and time together as a family...  No car, no appointments, just the 5 of us.  Pure Bliss!

Love this picture of the two of them...just sitting and talking about the plants

Classic Sissi face!

Just some pretty flowers, I think a better camera would have done a better job of focusing on the front flower...maybe next time!

Just looking at the water, rocks, and algae

The back of Bowie Hall, where we're staying for the next two weeks

Running to her mommy

Jumping up and down

We really liked the way the wood crossed on this tree

Can you see all the little fish, there were probably about 100 of them in this depression

Fixing his shoes

A swan!

Oh yeah, he's the Cool Man!

A feather mommy

Time to walk up the hill and get back