A Little Fear on Our Way Toward Departure

Oh Seattle! We felt so loved!

It's nice how love produces love. We felt loved and now we think everyone we talked with in Seattle is the greatest :-) Seriously though, we felt really cared about by all the supporters, mission teams and friends that we met with over the last ten days.

Of all the people we told our "Why we're off to Africa" story to, my favorite was a class of thirty 16 year olds I spoke to at my niece's public high school. I asked them what they can buy for $2. They said a candy bar, a cup of coffee, a cheeseburger. They thought they could maybe make it for a couple hours on $2. We talked about the fact that 2.7 billion people live on less than $2 a day.

I really enjoyed being with that group. It made me happy to be able to tell them about stuff.

Anyway, it won't be long now till we book our tickets for April or May and I suddenly have this weird feeling...

We've been running around raising funds and getting things in order to move and pretty soon we're gonna be there and the dust is gonna settle and you know what? We're going to look around and say "OH MY WORD? WHAT HAVE WE DONE? WHAT ARE WE DOING BACK IN AFRICA??"

I realize it's normal but it can feel a little weird to know something is right and to want it really badly and to be scared to death of it at the same time.

Chick Flick and Comfort Food

Today we had no appointments and it really felt like a true Saturday. Tanya and I walked some nice miles in the rain and then stopped by the coffee shop before returning to the house where our families awaited.

Later in the afternoon we went for a chick flick (Music and Lyrics) with her daughter/my neice, Anna. Byron took the other kids to see Bridge to Terabithia and we met outside afterward. Heather held herself together during the sad ending of their film (I warned her it was going to be a sad one!) and then burst into tears when she saw me.

Auntie Tanya thought we should introduce her to the concept of Comfort Food so we went immediately next door and bought hot chocolate chip cookies at Cow Chips. Yum!

After this, Tanya insisted on buying me a pair of extremely cute and comfortable shoes. I have this big sister who likes to buy me presents so doesn't that make me the most fortunate little sister ever?

We came home to hot cups of tea while Trevor played around on the guitar.

A walk, a coffee break, a chick flick, comfort food, new shoes and tea with people I love...

A pretty good way to pass a day :-)

News Flash: All World Problems Solved!

My sister and I walked down to the lake and back up again this morning. While we walked we were able to come up with solutions for all the world's problems!

Amazing, eh?

The world, yea even the very universe, should be in order now. Just wondered if anyone noticed the difference :-)

On My Mind

Today I'm thinking about my friend Conny who just last week voluntarily responded to a plea from southern Sudan for medical personnel and today is there! Lammert and Conny are our Dutch colleagues, people we love and have loved working with. Conny is a medical doctor in Geneva, now off to administer meningitis vaccines in an emergency situation where there is an outbreak.

Conny is a hero today, walking into a dangerous situation that she is totally un-familiar with because she heard of a need and knew she could help. Lammert is a hero for encouraging her go.

I'm thinking of Trevor in bed looking a little improved as his fever has come down. His cold turned out to be bronchitis and he's on antibiotics now. Yesterday I told him I'd be taking him to the doctor when we got back from our lunch appointment. He opened his bleary, fevery eyes and croaked out "What do I need a doctor for?" Hhhhmmmm. I have to say that of all the kids, Trevor is the one who is always sicker than I realize. By the time he says he feels bad, things are usually serious. It's not that he's trying to be tough; he just kind of doesn't realize he should speak up sooner. I fell asleep last night remembering how he looked as a three year old with a bad case of amebic dysentery. His little round face was so sober.

Today I'm thinking about the humbling feeling of people's love and support. Being up here in the NW reminds us again of what an incredible thing it is to share what God is doing and how he's leading, and to feel the care and interest and rallying around of friends.

I'm getting a Ben Harper song in my head.... "I am blessed! I am blessed! I am blessed to be a witness!"

Monday, Seattle

It's Monday and, not surprisingly, grey and drizzly in the greater Seattle area.
We're at my sister Tanya's house. This is our landing place in this city, the place we invade while we run around seeing everyone we need to see.

Trevor has a sore throat and is lying on the couch watching a Death Cab for Cutie dvd and Colin is out for pancakes with his Uncle Don and cousin Anna. Heather is in the barn brushing one of the ponies. Byron has been doing some computer thing and I've been trying unsuccessfully to find contact information for two couples we'd like to see while we're up here. We have an appointment this evening but today is a holiday and we're free. We'll go to the thrift store (charity shop) and look for sweatshirts. Travel tip: Seattle has great thrift stores. And great music. Trevor and Anna were downtown last night to see The Presidents.

It's been a strange morning so far. The phone rang very early with the news that Rachel's father died very suddenly today in England. Rachel is our English sister, married to our little brother. Her dad has been a very dear friend of our family since we were all kids. We are all stunned. Rachel was able to book a flight out of LA tonight. British Air kindly waived the 24 hour requirement for using free miles and were exceptionally helpful when they heard the circumstances.

Life is fragile.
People are precious.

I realize this is not news to anyone, but today it feels raw and stinging to me.

Happy Valentine's

Valentine was a good dude and that was nice of him to secretly officiate the weddings of lovers during the time when the young men were banned from marriage (in order to stay frustrated and strong and be better soldiers!)
OK, so here's ten songs I'd like to hear today to celebrate that love is a nice thing:

1. Follow You, Follow Me (Genesis)
2. Pistol (Dustin Kensrue)
3. Can't Help Falling In Love (Elvis)
4. I'll Follow You Into the Dark (Deathcab for Cutie)
5. The Sweetest Thing (U2)
6. Good Vibrations (Beach Boys)
7. Jersey Girl (Bruce Springsteen)
8. Brown Eyed Girl (Van Morrison)
9. I'm a Believer (Monkees)
10. Sugar Sugar (The Archies)

Mac-less in Seattle

Little Mac is in the shop (in Memphis apparently) and I am without. We leave for Seattle on Thursday so I get to say the "in Seatlle" bit.

Hhhhhmmm. I will be using Byron's computer parts of every day since I have work that has to be done, but in the mean time I might clean the house or write a snail mail letter on a real piece of paper or even open a book or something. Byron is NOT good at sharing his PowerBook but I love him anyway. That's the benefit he enjoys of being irresistible.

In Seattle I plan to drink gallons of tea with my sister and commiserate with her regarding the state of the world and perhaps cook up crack-pot plans of solution. We'd like to self-medicate with live music but since that always takes money we may just keep making more tea.

Girl Beautiful (or Wondering How to Raise a Healthy Woman)

Heather is still very small and there's so much I haven't learned yet...

I wonder about how to raise my daughter to know what beauty is and what beauty isn't. I wonder about how to raise her to feel good about her body and to know that her sexuality is a sweet and good gift. I wonder how to help her know to protect it, savor it, love it and be responsible with it.

I had lunch with my lovely friend Deb Hirsch last week. We did a lot of laughing and had a lot of good conversation. We did moan and groan a lot about Hollywood ideas of beauty. Botox, face lifts, boob jobs, AAAGHHH!

So many lies to untangle about what beauty is and does. They come loudly from the secular world with power and a venom that kills. They come more slyly from the church, yet with equal destruction.

I have significant amounts of fear and trepidation about raising a little girl through her teen years. A very dear friend, (who will go nameless to protect the privacy of her pubescent daughter) told me that sometimes "I swear I can see the hormones coursing brilliant and hot through her skinny body."

Now beside the fact that this is the finest string of words I have read in recent days, the truth of her observation cuts into my consciousness. This is no small task ahead of us. We head into the years before us with only the promise that there is a guide on even the most storm-swept of trails. Maybe if we hold his hand very tightly we will manage to feel our way forward and find the way.

Oh little Miss H! May you be blessed with wholeness and joy.

Girl Beautful, be well, be full, be free!

My Heart: Here and There, Part 2

So you might want to read the post below to make sense of this but...

I had lunch today with about 50 other women who gather monthly to pray for people who are working for good around the world. I love these ladies. Most of them are in their 70's and 80's, and some of them are younger. I spoke at their gathering last month and felt their love as I always do when I'm with them.

Today Jean Gill spoke. She and her husband lived in Japan for 27 years and they care a great deal for that country. But her heart expands beyond that one experience and when she spoke of the situation in Cambodia, she cried.

There were 7 of us at our table and 5 of us were international people. There was Marcie who was raised in Japan and then went with her doctor husband (and their kids) to Nepal for a few years to care for those with leprosy. One woman grew up in S. America, another in Taiwan.

Here we were, a group of women who have lived all over, all with hearts broken for peoples and lands far from this place. Quite suddenly it dawned on me: These international people whose lives have been interrupted (and a little messed up) by needs that moved them to action in far-flung places, these are my people. I was overcome by a feeling I rarely have... among them I felt at home.

We were together for lunch, united by the fact that our hearts are here and there. I literally felt the hair on my arms stand up. What a privilege to be counted among this tribe.

By the way, Portugal beat Brazil today 2-0. This international lady is very happy!

My Heart: Here and There

Milord just rang. He's Colin's Nepali friend in Lisbon. Our whole family loves him. He got the time difference wrong and forgot that Colin is at school right now but he was just reminding us that Portugal plays Brazil today. That's always a huge game. I wish I was in Lisbon to watch it in a little cafe with some nice Portuguese coffee.

I was sitting in the airport in Nairobi last November when an add for the sports cable came on the big screen TV. Scenes of major soccer games flashed across the advertisement and suddenly the screen was covered in thousands of Portuguese flags and scarves waved by fans at the World Cup.

It was the middle of the night at a dingy airport in Kenya and I was excited to be in the process of moving back to East Africa, but when I saw those flags I started to cry.

Gosh, being international really messes up your heart!

Boys Home and Prayer Room Begins

Byron, Jesse and Trevor got back from Phoenix at about 1am last night. They were pumped, a little hyper in fact.

The road trip to the conference was a great success. Pete Greig opened his Friday night talk with his naked in the elevator story, a truly great tale. Go buy The Vision and The Vow and read it for yourself :-)

I am happy, happy that they had such a good time, that the sessions were so good, that they had such a sweet time with Jason and Linda and fam, that the boys finally got to meet Pete, that they traveled safely and made good time coming home, and generally just had fun together.

Jesse was here briefly. In at 1am and out the door at 6:30am. He took an early train back to Santa Barbara so that he could spend the day getting the prayer room ready. Tonight they open their 24-7prayer week on the Wesmont campus and there's a definite buzz building. Byron and I will each take a couple of days up there to help host the thing.

God bless their week as students tag team day and night in the presence of their King.

Together

We've been all over the place.

There was a point a couple of weeks ago when I was in Ireland at meetings, Byron was in the Netherlands attending a memorial service for a dear friend, Trevor was in India, Jesse was in Santa Barbara and Colin and Heather were in LA! It was crazy!

Trevor got back from India and Singapore on Tuesday morning early. He had a wonderful three weeks with my Dad, staying in Indian homes and discovering new friends.

This afternoon Jesse arrived by train from Santa Barbara and for a few hours this evening, all six of us Bordens have been together. Tomorrow morning Byron will be driving to Phoenix with Jesse, Trevor and three friends, to attend a conference for students.

But tonight the six of us jammed into one booth at a favorite local Mexican eatery. We scarfed down the chips, devoured the burritos and laughed a lot.

It was divine :-)