Decompressing

This past week has been strange, to say the least. Life resumed for me, as it always does when I come home from a trip. The kids from BGC were glad to see me, and I was able to share with them what I did. I really missed them. I went back to the Alley and resumed my duties there. I really did miss my co-workers there. I didn't miss the work so much, Lol. I had the chance to present my trip to my Sunday School kiddos, as I do every year. The strange part is the fact that part of me is still in St. Maarten. Parts of my heart are in the church that we worked in, the school that we got to visit, the orphanage there.....and many other places on that island. I have woken in the night thinking that I am supposed to be somewhere with the missions team. One night I was in the airport, scared that I was going to miss my flight. I have gotten on my shoes, begun to get dressed, then I look at the clock...turn on the light...I wake up a bit more...and it hits me that I am in my bedroom in Hutchinson. This type of thing happens to me all too often. After a major trip (it's happened after all 4 of my Mexico trips), a job change, a move...does this happen to you as well? To take it a step farther, a couple of nights I have found myself thinking that I need to get to the Philippines. That's a new one. To be decompressing concerning past or current events is my normal. But I have not done this concerning a possible future event. I know that sometimes God speaks to us in the form of dreams, and I keep getting that nagging sense that God wants me to take a mission trip to the Philippines. Does that mean that's where God is eventually going to take me? I cannot answer that, but must leave it to The God who knows, and will direct me when HE sees fit. For now, and I'm saying it again, God has me in a waiting mode. Evidently, there are things here that God needs me to be a part of. I don't know that those things will be, but I know better than to try to rush God. Besides, I still need to raise the support I need to actually go. So, to those of you who are wondering why I'm still here, and why I'm not yet on the field, I hope that answers some of your questions (because I have been asked quite a few times, Lol).

I came home to some beautifully flourishing crops. My tomato plants look great, with green tomatoes popping out all over the place. I picked my first red tomato yesterday, with great rejoicing! Until I saw that the underside of the tomato looks like someone's rear-end. Yikes! I guess I could cut that part off, huh? My green beans are getting ready to sprout some green beans, and, as an afterthought, I planted some birdhouse gourd seeds, seeing that people like to use those gourds for different projects. That really took off! I don't have any signs of any gourds yet, but the vine is very strong. I also have honeydew planted. The honeydew has eluded me for years, and we'll have to see if this is the year that I can get honeydew to grow in my garden.

I also came home to 2 baby birds in the nest on the back porch. They were just 2 eggs when I left. By looking at them, I assume that they had been born just a day or two before I returned. This is the second batch of eggs for this nest. Three birds out of four survived the first batch, and now 4 and 5 will soon be flying away as well. It will be interesting to see if any more eggs show up. We will be watching. I plan to leave the nest up there, and see if the robins return to it one day. It's been a privilege to be a witness to this miracle.

That's just a little bit about what's been going on in my life. I have some errands to run before I take off for the Alley, but I wanted to give you a quick update. Thanks to those of you who read this faithfully. Some people "like" it on Facebook, and I get comments and inbox messages. I appreciate you all. I pray that God will bless you in a special way today!

…………………………………...............'til next time!................................................………............