Humanity & Harvest

I got up this morning to find my mom in the garage surrounded by bags of corn she picked up at Shepherd Farms.  She & Doris had gotten up early to meet the trucks as they came out of the fields.  At $2 a dozen, it was worth it.  They got fresh peaches, tomatoes, pecans... and they were not alone.  Mom reported long lines of cars and mobbed trailers of produce.  So, the two of us sat outside in the cool morning breeze and shucked 122 ears of corn; my feet resting on the galvanized tub. 

It's amazing how human it is to MAKE food.  From the earliest days of humanity, we've been hunters & gatherers.  (Of course, today that translates into list makers & list getters.)  But there is something so absolutely primal about digging into a pile of leaves and coming out with sustenance... and it's catching on.  Over the past few weeks, I've read articles in Oprah's little journal & Newsweek about the influx of small farms.  Stories abound of new farmer meet & greets that doubled or tripled organizers' attendance expectations.  It seems that average farms run 400-500 acres.  These new little farms are 4-5 acres, are trending to younger owners and are going organic.

While in Colorado, Suzi & I used a solar panel for the first time to power the lights in our trailer.  We hauled water from a hand-pumped well.  And you know what?  We managed 2-3 gallon showers & didn't leave the lights on.  While we were traveling across Colorado and Kansas on Hwy 70, I was amazed at the huge wind farms... dozens of turbines in that "flyover" territory harnessing free electricity.  Don't get me wrong, I know they make a lot of noise and disturb bird migratory patterns and make the cattle skittish, but at least someone's trying.

Now, I've not gone moldy green, but I turn off the water when I brush my teeth and I always look for ways to keep paper & plastic out of the landfill.  If we'd all be a bit more conscious of what we're leaving or using, this little bubble we call a planet may keep us afloat just a little longer.

Mountain Livin'

We've hit the road with the boats & the T@B in tow this week to spend some time with Suzi's parents in Colorado.  Every year they head out for awhile to escape the heat of Missouri and we try to carve out some time with them.  On the way from Kansas into Colorado, we caught the tail-end of a summer storm blowing through... It's been nice here, cool and dry so far.

You can follow along with us as we hike around & hopefully hit some water!

Running it out...

Ever had a cramp in the leg and someone suggested you "walk it off?" What happens when you're on a horse and your hip cramps up? What do you do then? "Whoa, there... Let me hobble around here for a bit while the rest of the ride goes on ahead!"
The cramp worked its way out and I stayed with the ride as we trotted around the New Mexico landscape last weekend. We were up for my cousin's (Stuart) wedding in Los Alamos. Amazing country... absolutely amazing history as well. Bonnie took us to visit a family whose house is certified to be circa 1760... but they have records going back into the 1600s!
The wedding was nice, seeing family was great and the ride was, well, a harsh 30 hours roundtrip... but we did it and have pictures to prove it! Click here to goto my Facebook album to get all the views.

Bumper Munchies

So, we pulled our 2001 Ford Focus out of storage this week and immediately noticed a little something missing... much to our chagrin.  It looks something with teeth liked the taste of the bumper and gnawed its way through.  Odd.  Didn't count on coming back to driving a chew toy.

Home... Again

So, to wrap up the last week... Jeremy & Shandrika had a beautiful baby girl, Natalie.  Nothing like the crack of dawn wake-up call from a father at the hospital!

 

The church went on a trip out of the city for last Friday's service.  We had a great buffet, games and worship in hills north of Amman, near Jerash. Check out our website for more pix and details.

Of course, on Sunday there was quite a bit of tears and some long hugs goodbye.  We have really come to love the people in Amman... all of the nationalities that make up our church there.  We will miss them terribly.  The Lord knows what's next for us... whether there or somewhere new, we've made some great friends and, hopefully, impacted some folks for the Kingdom.

We left Tuesday morning after dropping our gear off on Monday afternoon, going to Marka for service and inviting Sandra, Muteib & Madaline over one last time.  It seems we've gotten to know this route home fairly well... It's our third trip home from the Middle East.  Thankfully, all went well, in spite of a few changes in the baggage policy that sent my roll-on to the baggage carousel.

We got home to beautiful weather and amazing green grass... which I find myself walking thru even if it makes the trip a little longer!

Just Another Week...

We're headed into our last week in Jordan. The group pictures have begun in earnest!

It seems almost amazing that four months has passed so imperceptibly. There's been no shortage of projects and issues to devote our time toward... what we've produced only time will judge.

The weekend began innocently enough, although Jordanian traffic took one last swipe at us on Saturday. Thanks to Muteib, I've learned the power of rubbing compound and was able to clean up the worst of it.

Then the evening found me under the familiar grip of a sickness that's all too common in these parts of the world. Again, ending as I began this trip in 2008 (involuntary weight loss... what better way to go home)!

We've gone through the transition of finances, personnel, processes, etc with Linda Reed, our supervisor, who returned last week. The coming week will be full of last minute craziness, packing (which Suzi has already started) and more incoming personnel from the States.

This past week, I attended my last OWWA Bible Study. We had a great time and many of the girls were ministered to... This group of ladies is so special to us. We hope that when we return, they'll all be gone to their respective homes. While they're in this state of flux, we do what we can to provide some sense of balance, love and compassion. They're just precious, quick to laugh and, with soft hearts, to worship, as well.

Tuesdays are Days OFF

Several years ago Suzi and I realized that ministry was about balance and balance meant getting away from the crowds and going "up into the mountains"... sometimes to pray (ie Jesus himself) and sometimes just to take in the view and take a deep breath. At the time, we were working full-time secular jobs and staying up all night with ministry stuff. It's not unheard of. I think many ministers deal with some sort of workaholic syndrome driven by any number of issues. But I'm convinced that too many ministering families burn up because they don't take a sabbatical. Not the "month off to go on retreat" sabbatical... I'm talking about regular time off. Whether it's setting aside some time with the spouse for dinner out or a day with no calls or meetings just to read in the sun, we have to recharge our minds and spirits.

When we came back to Jordan this year, we decided, based on our work & service schedules, that Tuesdays would be our day off. We make no plans or meetings; if our phone rings, we answer, but, unless in the case of absolute emergencies, we ask to handle the issue later in the week. Our staff is aware of this and respects it. Sometimes we go out of the city and sometimes we veg on the couch. It gives us something to look forward to and keeps us focused on the task at hand. Most of the folks who attend our services only get Friday off. That means their day off is our day to minister ("work"). These are the concessions you make in our line of work... but to compromise on restoring yourself is a setup for burnout later on.

So, today we slept in and went to the King Hussein Mosque park for a picnic of PBJ on flatbread and walk in the gardens. It was a beautiful day and the views of the city from mosque were amazing. My phone did ring once with a request. And I set up a meeting. For Wednesday morning.