Friday Favorites!

It's been kind of a quiet week - I cherish those! 

Since we got back from South Africa, we've both been dreaming of turning our backyard into an area to Braai, pronounced bry. It's their term for "cooking out" but it's not like the cookouts we have here - they have big firepit/ovens outside with huts built around them and it's a BIG deal! Dan has been looking up recipes and I actually found out that September 24th is National Braai Day! We're so celebrating! 

 

Speaking of being outside - our garden is really starting to take off! We picked our first strawberry (only one!), our zuchinni is starting to have beautiful bright flowers, and we've already started to dry some of our fresh herbs. I can't wait to start our tally charts for our 2013 garden yield! We've got quite a bit planted in our little backyard garden.

Dan has been working away on editing the over 2000 pics that we took while we were in South Africa. So far he's got the first couple days finished - which makes it appear that all we did was go on a safari, but soooo not true! I promise the sweet pics of children and the proof that Dan went to Africa and "dug it" will be up soon! You can see all our pics over at Dan's flickr page! 

And speaking of sweet kiddos, I think that if the airline would have allowed for more than 50 pounds in our bags, I might would have tried to sneak a few of those precious children back with me! Dan and I don't know if adoption is part of God's plan for our lives but if it is, I'm all in! This week Jen Hatmaker, a really shoot straight kinda author and blogger, spoke some pretty straight forward truth about adoption and our role as Christians. If you're considering adopting, you really need to read her latest series that she posted on her blog. Wise words that cut straight! 

And other wise words - I'm reading Bread and Wine by Shauna Neiquest. It's a book about entertaining and cherishing community around the table. She says, "what people are craving isn't perfection. People aren't longing to be impressed; they're longing to feel like they're home." Oh man, I need to remember that when I have friends over and I'm stressing over how the table looks, or that I don't have enough serving platters, or that the pie isn't as pretty as I think it should be... I'm striving to just be present. Present over perfect. 

but sweeter and wiser words than any other that I have read this week, one of our May verses that we are memorizing together... I pray it encourages your heart! 

Commit your way to the Lord. Trust in Him and He will act! Psalm 37:5

a delightful date...

After a long week of early mornings and early evenings (thank you jetlag), we decided to spend our Friday evening at home, call in some yummy take out that Dan could pick up on the way home from work, and just relax outside on a beautiful Spring, almost summer, evening...

I couldn't help but make it into a simple yet fun backyard picnic date

and it was quite delightful! 

simply Jesus...

Two weeks ago, we sat in a one room church in the middle of a Xhosa village of  small homes, shacks, and lean-tos near the coast of south Africa. The room was filled with beautiful women and men, babies strapped on backs, barefoot children running in and out.  The men and women surrounding me were singing and dancing, all praying out loud at the same time, bursting forth in song as the spirit led them. They prayed for their new brother who was experiencing spiritual warfare since he accepted and started following Jesus. I'm saying they really prayed - liked stopped their service and we surrounded him and we were all praying, out loud, all together, at the same time.  We sang songs all together, simple songs that they really believed. Songs like "never give up". The doors and windows wide open for the whole village to hear.  They all marched their offering to the front of the room- joyfully giving what they had, and for some possibly all they had, as part of their worship.  The drums were loud and kept us on beat. The tambourine moved from hand to hand, and we danced and clapped and laughed and worshipped freely and beautifully. 

And I missed that today... 

Don't misunderstand- I worshipped today in a beautiful building with beautiful songs, being led by an amazing worship leader, and taught by a great pastor - but oh my, how my heart longed to dance and worship as we did two weeks ago... With our brothers and sisters in South Africa, barefoot and simply loving Jesus- with no cameras and lights and smoke, no distractions of responsibilities, no time constraints or schedules...

just Jesus...

Simply Jesus.

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Friday Favorites!

Biko Village, South Africa (taken by Matt Kuhn)

We've been home from South Africasince Monday and I'm still waking up at 5am. I'm also still crashing by 9 every night - but that's not really any different than before. Silly jetlag!  Dan is working hard on editing pictures and we've both enjoyed reminiscing about our amazing time there. Biko Village holds a special place in our hearts now - Can we go back!? Like right now....

Ann Voskamp is at it again with this incredible word about comparison. It's rampant in the world of facebook, twitter, blogs, and pinterest... everyone has to one up and make their world look perfect on the outside.  And many of those same friends have shared how they just don't feel like they quite cut it anymore... and at times, I've felt that way too. That's why I chose to trust that God loves me, gifts me, calls me and uses me just as I am. He also does the same for you too! So - you be you and I'll be me... and it will be pretty special!  

I found two great apps this week  - one a simple thank you app, the other an app from the Joshua Project that gives me a people group to pray for each day. That's two of my favorite things - praying for the unreached and saying thanks in fun and creative ways! 

Oh, and thanks to Lucy, our MPact Ministry assistant, I am now watching the second season of Call the Midwife. Oh my word - I love this show! I found the first season on Netflix a while back but they just have season one. Lucy did some digging around and discovered that you can watch all of the second season on the PBS app or online. It's a super PBS show that you have to check out! 

Tripe, a South Africa rural dish (pic taken by Matt Kuhn)

I'm glad I'm not eating Tripe today! (that's the meal we were served on Wednesday from the sweet ladies out at Biko Village who showed such love and hospitality. I'm not a fan of cow stomach and organs but we all ate it though and kept it down) Instead - I made our favorite spicy sausage pasta and turkey and black bean enchiladas this week! The pasta is becoming one of our favorite go to meals! 

I'm also enjoying catching up on the laundry, finishing the unpacking, and sitting with Jesus and Nola outside today... it's a beautiful day! Get out and enjoy it! 

God be gracious to us and make your face shine on us, so that your ways may be known on earth, your salvation among all nations.  Psalm 67:1-2 

oh, South Africa...

We returned home from South Africa with full and happy hearts. This was our first international trip together and we saw God work in amazing ways in and through us. We saw a roof go on a future church building. We taught children the basic stories of creation, Daniel, and Jesus' miracle. We saw and put our feet in the Indian Ocean We fed elephants, petted cheetahs and saw lions on our Safari. We ate ostrich and wildabeast and tripe - a dish that I would prefer to never taste again in my life. We attempted to learn Xhosa. We laughed (alot!) and cried as we worshipped and served an almighty God who is alive and active not only in Spartanburg but around the world in South Africa too.

There are no other words - except that it was an amazing week and we are simply overwhelmed and humbled.

For more stories and pics from our time in South Africa, check out our South Africa Team Blog.