Wonderings and Wanderings

I leave for Kenya Monday morning at 9:30 am. The team covets your prayers for safe travels and for God to bless every aspect of our trip. 

We finished our second day at the beach but we weren’t out very much.  Most of us (okay – all of us) are burnt – some worse than others.  We, Missourians, are not

Our Beach House for the Week

 prepared for the beach sun.  Which is a shame because today was a gorgeous day outside!

Rick and Theresa (the other two sponsors) were up around 8 am and headed out for some morning adventures.  Rick hit the nearby golf course and Theresa checked out some local antique shops. I got up about and hour or so later and worked for little while before the seniors stirred.  Most just chilled inside or did sporadic trips outside.

The group went into Gulf Shores in the afternoon to do some souvenir shopping and to eat out.  I stayed back at the beach house to get some work done.  I leave as soon as I get home for Kenya and a week after I return from Kenya, I head to the Dominican Republic.  I have a lot to get done before I head out on those trips.  So it was great to have the afternoon to focus in on those events.  I also did laundry, washed some dishes and made puppy chow – a favorite snack of the kids.  

When the sun was lower in the sky, we headed out to enjoy the evening.  The seniors got in the water, I took several pictures and we walked some on the beaches – picking beach houses that we would purchase if we could.

This is such a fun and relaxed group.  They’re laid back and get along together great. They enjoy spending time together -whether watching “The Office” or playing Scattergories.  It has been a lot of fun which is the point of the trip – to just spend time together before we go our separate ways.

Tomorrow we are headed back to town for the afternoon for some watersport activities.  All of the seniors are going to jet ski for awhile and then four of the seniors will go parasailing.  Should be a fun day!

Today is the first day on the wonderful beach for our senior trip.  I left with two other adults and six seniors Monday morning at 12:30 am and we arrived in Gulf Shores at 3 pm on Monday. Great drive down and now we are enjoying the relaxing beach house.  The seniors love it here and are a great group!  We do miss our three soccer girls that weren’t able to come because they are just too good at soccer and won their district soccer game.  We wish them the best for tonight’s game in Jefferson City!  Go support them if you are in town.

We had a great pasta dinner last night and I think everyone was in bed by 11 pm.  Tired from the first day’s drive. 

Today we’ve been sunning and funning.  The girls have been laying out all day and the guys went to town and bought skim boards.  Its been pretty hilarious watching them learn how to use them.  We are hoping to make some awesome videos before the trip is up.

I’m working this afternoon on upcoming trips and the like.   Just couldn’t get it all done before I left town.  But this isn’t too bad of an office.  :)

My office for the week

Tonight is Mexican night and I think the plan is to go rent some jet skis tomorrow afternoon!

We had a good devotion time last night as we talked about our fears for what lie ahead.  Graduating high school is a huge transition with lots of unknowns – roommates, bills, grades, new cities, etc.  I told them the story of my nephew Blake who woke up with a fright Monday morning.  During the night, his teddy bear had fallen between the bed and the wall and the only you could see was its paws sticking up .  When Blake woke up and saw the paws, he thought it was a monster coming to get him. Scared him really bad but he laughed about it later.

Such are our fears often.  We see something not too clearly and it looks horrible and like it is out to get us.  But in reality, it is really something that isn’t scary at all.  And no matter what, God is there to care for us.  I Peter 5:7 reminds us to “Cast all our anxieties on Him because He cares for us.”  What a great promise to take with them on this new journey.

Wish all of you could be enjoying such a gorgeous place!  

With sand between my toes,

Melissa

Perhaps you will think me a traitor or sell-out.  Perhaps merely a trend-follower or wanna-be.  Perhaps I don’t care.

As of today, I am a Mac user.  After 20-some years of faithful PC use, I own my first MacBook Pro. And so far, I love it.

I did a lot of investigation before I made the leap.  I talked to several folks – especially those who switched from PCs to Macs and I didn’t find one that regretted the switch. The Mac was more user-friendly, app loaded, and great for the creative side of my work.  I’m looking forward to making some awesome videos and publications with my Mac – especially with the numerous mission trips coming up.  I’ve been investigating my options for blogging from Kenya and the Dominican Republic.  It is my hope to help members of our congregation come along with us and see their prayers and donations at work.

There are many, many things for me to figure out with this new toy.  If you have any suggestions, things you’ve learned, advice you would give to a Mac newbie, I’m all ears.

I’ve had some late nights recently. That happens during seasons of my life when I have a lot on my mind. Why the brain doesn’t choose to work in the daytime, I have no clue. Perhaps there is just too much noise and only in the silence of the night can my mind get my attention. The silence grabs my face in its hands and forces me to look.

Part of it is the incessant “to-do” list – a barrage of reminders of tasks that have to get done in the fleeting days I have remaining until the summer hits and I’m gone nearly as much as I am home. I keep getting surprised by something that pops up that I had forgotten. This leaves me a little unsettled regarding what else I may be forgetting that just hasn’t “popped up”.

I’m also torn between the irrelevance of some (many) of the tasks in light of the realities for so many around the world. Extreme famine and drought in parts of Eastern Africa. Continued abduction and slaughter of children in Uganda, Sudan, and the Congo. Innocent civilians who suffer from the power struggles of leaders. Young girls – some as young as 6 or 7 – who are sold for sexual acts with men who get off on evil that is unspeakable.

There is so much that breaks the heart of God. We are taught to keep it at a distance, to bury it, to hide the ugliness.

Because when you see it for yourself, feel it for yourself, taste it for yourself … you can never forget.

Or can you.

Speaking from experience, I confess you can.