uno

Hey People!!

It's a rare weekend appearence for us.

I thought I'd use this opportunity to tell you fine folks what we've been up to...

UNO - ya, the card game.

Remember that we can't go anywhere at night, being that we're afraid of being on the receiving end of one of the many gunshots we hear throughout the night. (And, as an aside, they are becoming more regular as the weather warms up - surely someone will send me an article about violence and weather interrelativity...Google it people.)

So, we've been playing UNO one on one and trying to teach a few Africans how to play. Pretty exciting, huh? Ya, it is.

So, enjoy your evenings in the lovely autumn weather - but as you settle in for dinner on a patio or a nice walk in the park, think of us. And fear the day that we get together and Stef and I break out UNO. We are honing our skills and holding the WILD DRAW 4 card close to the vest.

Zihuatanejo

Stef and I watched The Shawshank Redemption the other night (actually over a
series of nights, but anyway). It is beautiful in a way that I can't quite explain.

It was Stef's first time seeing it. And you know how if someone you
love watches a movie you love for the first time, it's always a little
more exciting. Like you hope that they'll be moved by the same scene
you are and that they'll be as inspired (changed?) when the credits roll.

"Hope - maybe the best of things."



Love ya, WP.

we're back - two posts today!!

Sorry that we've been out of the loop for a few days. We are still struggling with the intricacies of African internet. We're happy to be back. As a thanks for waiting on us, we've got two for you today, the second of which is a poem I wrote almost 2 years ago which has become current to me again....

learning to live in a season of dryness

We heard some thunder Tuesday afternoon, looked out the window to see dark clouds, and we waited for life-giving rain. And there was none.

The ground still lays dusty, the plants are still thirsty, and we are still waiting for some sign that the days will change.

There was a strange excitement that came with the thunder. We decided to take a walk, ignoring the lightening and the potential that we would get soaked. The anticipation of being part of something bigger than ourselves, something refreshing and new, compelled us into the street.

Maybe that’s how it is with all new things in our lives. Seasons change and we grow excited, only to lament that the next season won’t come soon enough. We anticipate the leaves falling during the heat of summer and then long for the warm rays of a spring sun during the gray winter.

Wherever we are, we are always looking to what’s next, what’s new, and what will wake us up again. We are learning here to rest in the season we’re in, no matter how promising the coming season appears.

So, today, we continue to wait for the rain. And we’ll try to appreciate the warm sunshine that precedes it.

you are

i hear you
so clearly
and you make no mistakes
i chose you

so what did I do?

if you are who i know you are
if you are who I AM
then when you chose me
when you called me
i had no choice

so when do i choose?

you are the harvester
you alone gather the tares
you are the vinedresser

and the fire
all consuming
glory for your name

do you hold the strings of our existence
do you choose to hold me even when i resist you
is your will be done
done regardless

sometimes a simple picture is enough

Today is your lucky day!! Two posts!?!?!

This is us, in the church. Click to enlarge.

what is polony, anyway?

Ever had a polony-finger sandwich?

Neither had we until last week.

A kind-hearted soul made Stef and I polony-finger sandwiches. We poked at them and laughed at them, and then started making Fear Factor and Survivor jokes.

Eventually, we realized that unless we wanted to be really rude, we were going to have to eat them. (The old missionary credo followed: "Where you lead me, I will follow - What you feed me, I will swallow")

So, we laughed until we cried, mostly at the faces that the other made as we choked down the sandwiches. We still don't know what the "juice" was that was spread on the bread, nor do we ever want to. And we will hopefully never have to figure out what exactly constitutes "polony".

And, all things considered, it really isn't that bad. You see, we just got our latest donation of expired foods from the grocery store. So, it could have been 4-day expired, warm cole slaw or 3-day expired, warm (yellowing) sushi. Mmm...

Just another day in the glamorous world of turning darkness into light.