How great is our God!

Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen. Ephesians 3:20-21

When we pray, we pray as human beings. We cannot in our wildest dreams imagine the mind of God, nor can we know His purposes. This was brought home to us on Friday. We have asked everyone to pray about our visas, and we really were praying to be out the 10th or 11th, since we would only be delayed about a week. Earlier in the week, we had received word that our visas were due to be in the 3rd or 4th, so we thought that a reasonable date to pray for would be a week out from that. But, my friends, our God is not reasonable--he is abundantly compassionate and merciful! He controls not just the natural things around us--the creation--but paperwork and government workers, too.

On Friday, at the close of the morning session, our boss handed us a piece of paper with three statements/questions. At the top, it had the name of the person who does overseas travel for the IMB. Then it had the following: 1. We have the Hooks visas. 2. We rebooked them for the 3rd. 3. Is that okay? I literally gasped so loudly that Marc thought someone had died (I couldn't stop just waving the little piece of paper around!).

So here's the big news: we leave here, as scheduled, on Wednesday. That's right--this time next week, I will be waking up in Moscow. (Actually, I'll probably be doing the afternoon dishes, since it's eight hours ahead.) But do you see how big our God is? We prayed reasonable prayers, and he delivered miraculous results. If you don't see this as a miracle, you simply need to ask someone who has had to travel to Russia how long it takes to get their visa. Ours were processed in 6 days. That's just not done. Yet, God wanted us on the field at a specific time, and He made it happen.

Here's what I'm praying for today--open my eyes, Lord, to the possibilities in the world. I have prayed diligently for our neighbors in Russia. But Lord, make me pray big prayers for a big city. Help me to see what You can do, and not minimize you to the reasonable or logical. You are capable of anything. Maybe the reason we haven't reached the nations with the good news is simply that we haven't prayed big enough prayers. Forgive us, Lord. Forgive us for that.

So, today, I challenge you to pray giant prayers to our giant God. He is waiting to show you who He is. He certainly showed us this week! I love each of you so much. Blessings!
His,
Kellye

Laini, John-John, and the birthday cake

I have very little time this morning, but I had to relate to you our great news, and then I must tell you a funny story.

Yesterday, John-John's very close friend, Laini, asked Jesus into her heart. We, of course, were very excited about this, because we have spent more time with the Lewises than anyone here, and our families are very close, and we adore Laini, with whom John-John has spent a great deal of time. When we talked about this with John on the way to school, he asked how you knew for sure that Jesus was in your heart. We explained that once you pray for Jesus to come into your heart, the Bible says He never, ever leaves...He is always with you. Then he asked another question, and Marc told him we would talk about it at home. After all, we were on the path to the school, so we figured that this wasn't the time to have deep, spiritual discussion. John-John, however, had different plans, and so he prayed right there on the sidewalk and asked Jesus to come into his heart. We didn't say a word--he really did it all himself, with his words, and it was so precious and sweet. HALLELUJAH!

So, Laini's mom, Melissa, and I (after crying about them having the same spiritual birthday) decided we should have a birthday party for them last night, and invite all their friends, etc. So Marc went and bought a cake and Melissa and I decorated it. (Actually, Melissa decorated it and I stood there making smart remarks.) So we are literally headed from my quad to hers (they live right across from us), when I turn my head to say something and the cake slips off the holder and onto the floor. SPLAT! For a brief moment, neither of us said anything. Then, there was a lot of laughter. Lots of laughter. LOTS and LOTS of laughter. So we postponed the party until church this morning, and we're having muffins and cookies and cake. Sounds great, huh!?

We are rejoicing this morning, as you can well imagine. What a blessing to have John become a believer during such an important time in our lives. What fun to have it happen when we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses. And what a blessing to have it happen on the same day as Laini, who we love so much. All around, I must declare: God is good all the time! Below you will find the pics of our two new believers, and the before and after pics of the cakes. Blessings!
His,
Kellye

Striking a chord

Who may ascend into the hill of the LORD? And who may stand in His holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who has not lifted up his soul to falsehood and has not sworn deceitfully. Psalm 24: 3-4

Oh, my friends! The response to my last blog was bigger than any response I've had so far. Between comments and emails, you certainly let me know that my confession of perfectionism struck a chord in a whole lot of people. Why is it the people of God have such a hard time being real with one another? Why is it we wear a mask to church, when in reality, that should be the place we are most ourselves? The verses above strike me as saying that God expects us to have clean hands, a pure heart, and an honest soul. I'm going to be honest, I don't think the majority of people in our churches have an honest soul. This goes both ways--when we ask someone how they are, and they answer that all is well, even though their world is falling apart, and when we ask someone how they are and pray that they don't really tell us.

I'm going to reveal a little more here than many of you may want to know. The turning point in my Christian life, the moment I started on the path to being a real person who sought a real God, came when I made two decisions. First, I was going to let go of some circumstances in my life that had made me tremendously bitter and unhappy and that were left unresolved. Second, I was going to start being honest about who I was. Now, that didn't always make people happy with me. Sometimes the real me isn't very nice nor is she very sweet. But it's who I am. And as much as I want you to know my name because that's so personal to me, even more do I want you to know my heart. I lived for years with the fear that if people really knew me, they wouldn't like me very much. What I've found has been the opposite. I don't know that more people are in love with me, but I do know that my circle of influence has greatly enlarged. I don't think that has anything to do with me, but I think it has to do with people longing to see how God is at work in someone's life. And there is no area of my life that God is not at work. I hope if you've seen anything on this blog, it's that God is doing something real and big and tremendous and downright outlandish in my life. If you haven't seen that, then I'm not doing a very good job of communicating.

Well, I must run, because we have class from 8-5 today, so it's time to get the kids up and out of here. I cannot believe we only have a week of FPO left. Amazing! I have learned more in the last 7 weeks than I learned in all the classes I've ever taken put together. How I wish each of you could sit through FPO, just to gain the kind of knowledge I've gained. To watch seasoned missionaries cry over the lost in their part of the world. To gain lifelong friendships with those whose hearts are knitted with the same passion as yours. To learn witnessing techniques that really work. To learn how to learn a new language. It's so much to take in, but I am so grateful for the experience. I came here feeling so unprepared to be a missionary. And it's not so much that I'm prepared now, but I'm prepared to learn. Does that make sense? Anyway, we will be in class all day most days this week, so pray that we will have ears to hear and eyes to see specifically what God has for Marc and Kellye Hooks to learn. I love you so much! Know that to me, your hearts and souls are so beautiful. I am so glad that you are making this journey with me. I never feel alone. Thank you for that. A mighty God is using you in a mighty way. Blessings!
His,
Kellye

Going barefoot in Russia

Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us. Romans 8:35

I have had a NIV translation of the Bible my entire life, or at least as long as I can remember. So when Marc bought a NASB, I was a little leary. But when I found out that Kay Arthur's Inductive Study Bible only came in NASB, I knew I wanted that Bible, so now that's the translation I am using. There are times that it's just enough different to throw me off. But there are times I love it so much I could squeal in glee. This is one of those times. Can anything separate us from Christ? No. We overwhelmingly conquer everything through Him. Overwhelmingly conquer...come on, that's good stuff. And since this week we learned not only about the persecuted church, but also about how to acquire the new language, we needed to hang on tightly to the verses that say we are going to overwhelmingly conquer something.

We'll be doing something called barefoot language learning. (Hence the title of this post.) It is how the vast majority of missionaries acquire their language. We will not be sitting in class for hours on end. Instead, a tutor will come to our home, and we will decide what we need to learn that day. For example, today I want to learn to buy chicken, so I learn all the sentences and phrases and vocabulary that go with learning to buy chicken. It's a very, very practical approach to learning a new language as an adult.

Here are the things that terrify me about learning Russian: I will look stupid. I will sound like I'm from the south of Russia. Nobody will want to talk to me because I'm babbling like an idiot. But here's the big one: I will make mistakes and not do it perfectly. If you have only known me from a distance, then you don't know my terrible, awful secret, but if you really know me well, you are well aware of this about me: I am a perfectionist. When I do something, if I do not perceive that it is absolutely perfect, I am terribly disappointed in myself. My fears about being a full-time mom in Russia all revolve around making mistakes and messing them up forever. The hardest thing for me to face here has been the toll my perfectionism takes not only on myself, but on everyone around me. One night, I was worried about John--that he had upset someone, that someone would think we were not good parents. And our friend said, "Kellye, you have to get over this thing with John. He's a great kid. He's not perfect, but he's a great kid." And I realized the only person in the room who didn't see John as a "great kid" was his mommy. Why didn't I see all the good stuff in John? Because I was too busy looking at what wasn't perfect about him. Then I sat down to really assess my views of my family, and I found I concentrated on weaknesses and not strengths. Now I never did that as a teacher. I could always find something good to say about and concentrate on in every child. So why would I do that as a parent and wife? Because somebody might think that I am not perfect because I did not marry a perfect man nor am I raising perfect children. Oh, my friends...it was a come-to-Jesus moment in my life.

So here is my confession to you: I am not perfect. (I know...you already knew that!) Sometimes, I leave my dishes overnight in the sink. I nag my husband about getting his schoolwork done. My children are sometimes absolutely wild Indians running around. I struggle to memorize scripture. I do not always have an hour-and-a-half quiet time. My prayer life often seems lacking to me. I have gained three pounds since coming here, though I am exercising daily. I worry more than I should. I can be highly critical of people. I sometimes care more about getting things done than about the people around me. I do not have all the answers. And I cannot for the life of me understand why God called someone like me to go half-way around the world to tell others about Him. (Whew...that was hard for me. I need a nap, now.)

There is something freeing about acknowledging your own imperfection. It lets me just be me. I can let down the intensity level for a minute and have some fun. One of the things I have come to appreciate about Marc more and more as we've been here is that he's a lot of fun. People really like him, because he's fun and he cares about them, about what's going on in their lives. I'm sometimes too busy in the kitchen making sure everyone has something to drink to really sit down and visit with people. Undoubtedly, Marc is going to make a great missionary. And the reality is that I'm going to make a good missionary, too. I want badly to do well. But I'm learning that the secret is to give myself and those I love desperately a break.

So today, I'm cutting us all some slack. We're headed out to an old-time festival here in Rockville, and we're going to learn how to make hay bales or something like that. Then we're shopping, and we might even eat some fast food. We're going to spend the whole day together, and then we're going to a giant bonfire and s'mores party tonight here on the farm. It's going to be a fun day, and I'm not going to worry the whole day about what anybody else thinks of me. (or my three extra pounds)

So here's my challenge to you: if you're a perfectionist, give yourself a day off. Enjoy your family. Laugh at the silly things they do. And praise God for the olive trees He's planting around your table. (Psalm 128)

His,
Kellye

The visas, a conversation in Russian, and the persecuted church

Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. Hebrews 11:1

I have only a few minutes this morning, but I definitely wanted to update everyone on what is going on here. The great news is that our Letters of Invitation are in, the visa applications and all the stuff that goes with them are on the way to the travel agent, and we are well on our way to being only a week to ten days delayed. That's not too bad! I know that many, many of you prayed on Sunday in your Sunday School classes (or Family Life Groups if you are at FBC Middleburg), and your prayers paid off. Isn't it nice to see that God is absolutely listening? Isn't that a comfort to you, especially during those times when it just seems that nothing is going right? I am not always good at faith--that is Marc's department (and my Momma's). But I am more and more realizing that God is already at work where I am and where I will be, and I just have to join Him where He is. It's exciting, I must confess.

One of our big worries has been learning the language, and even in this God is faithful. We borrowed the ILC van yesterday and went to overnight our stuff to the travel agent. While we were out, we splurged and had dinner at Chili's and then went to Payless to buy shoes for Hannah (who is going to be really tall if her feet are any indication--I swear to you, she's grown a size bigger since we got here). The clerk was Ukrainian, and she and I had an entire conversation in Russian. Now, before you get too excited, it was the kind of conversation that an adult would have with a two-year-old (and not even a particularly bright two-year-old), but we still understood each other. I was so excited to practice my Russian, and she was so excited to hear someone speaking to her in Russian. It was so fun. I did not get the chance to witness to her, because all I could think to say was, "Ya Eesus Hkristos" which loosely translated means, "I am Jesus Christ." I'm pretty sure that's NOT what I wanted to say. :o) So I'm going looking for a Russian tract that I can practice and go back and witness to her. I am really, really excited about this. It's hard to be bold. It's hard to mess up and not speak a language perfectly. But the payoff! If you could have seen her face...it made me even more determined to really get the language down quickly.

Our emphasis this week is the persecuted church. The couple teaching the class live in an African country, and were in another African country where basically the entire church in that country was wiped out. The stories they told...they broke my heart. But you know what I thought was really, really interesting? I had imagined that the believers living under persecution would want the persecution to stop, that a cessation of troubles would be their prayer request. Instead, they want us to pray that they hold up under the persecution and don't allow themselves to be silenced. Amazing. The thing the presenter said over and over was, "It is not a tragedy when a child of God is killed and goes to Heaven to be with God eternally. It is ALWAYS a tragedy when a non-believer dies and goes to hell for eternity." I am praying for a heart that is broken for the lost of the world. I am praying that as I sit on the balcony of my apartment and look out over the 50,000 or so people who will be in the block around me, that I am struck not by how different their language or customs are, but how much they need what I have found--Jesus. I am praying for boldness and a sense that I must give away the faith that has brought me so much peace and joy. Aren't you longing for that, too?

On a different note entirely, yesterday was my sister's 30th anniversary. Unreal! You know what that means? We are getting so old!!!! Anyway, they are in Florida with my other sister and brother-in-law, and they were at Momma and Daddy's last night. I got to talk to them all, and it was so fun. Have I mentioned how crazy I am about my family? What a blessing they are to us. I am just in love with every single one of them. So if you are where you can hug one of your siblings--do it today! They are the people God gave you for your whole life. I would love to wrap my arms around my sisters, trust me. So you do it for me! I love you guys. Thanks for reading this. Blessings to you and yours!
His,
Kellye

A nearly perfect day...and some homesickness

...for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses. We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ. II Corinthians 10:4-5

I don't know about you and your walk with Christ, but I can tell you that I am becoming more and more aware of the "lofty things" that I have raised up against the knowledge of God. Most often, they have to do with what I want, what I think I need, what I think of myself. My prayer this morning was simple--no formula, no prayer I've memorized, just a simple plea: more of You, Jesus. I'm begging and pleading for more of You. Maybe it's this place that has stretched me to my limits, or maybe it's just the natural progression of a maturing Christian, but I am having to moment by moment take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ.

Yesterday was a nearly perfect day. We woke up to a cool morning with mist across the lake in the back yard. We had time for a good quiet time. Then Marc began making chili for us and our friends in a huge pot he got from the cafeteria. One by one our children came out of their rooms saying the same thing: "It smells like home!" Then we had about 25 people for lunch, all talking while we ate chili and chips and cookies. What fun! Then we went to the auditorium, moved couches in, and watched the Florida/Tennessee game. The wife on the couch next to me is from the St. Augustine area, and we really enjoyed watching the game with other Gator fans. How about Tebow! Not bad for a sophomore! We were really proud of him, and just of the way he carries himself. I am sure he's not perfect, but he certainly seems that way on camera, doesn't he? After the game, and the Gators' trouncing of the Vols, we headed back to our quad for more chili with our friends. It was just a wonderful day where we didn't have to think or take in any new information. What a blessing!

But you know what? They put up that aerial shot of the Swamp, and I got this funny feeling in the pit of my stomach. At first, I couldn't identify it. Nausea? Sadness? Oh...homesickness. That's what that feeling is. I miss Florida. I miss the Gator sticker on the back of my car. I miss talking about Florida stuff in class. There aren't many of us here from Florida. I don't know...it was hard in a weird way. I was so glad to get to watch the game, but it made me homesick. Of course, we miss people very much. But this was the first time I missed the place--the heat, the stickiness, my house--you know, just everything that's Florida.

Well, I should go. We have house church in half an hour, and I'm sitting here in the kitty cat pajamas. We're pretty casual in our group, but not that casual. Tonight's cultural worship is African, and I hear we're going to be outside for some of it. Cool! This week, we concentrate on the persecuted church. That should be interesting, enlightening, and heart-wrenching all at the same time. Pray for us that we will finish well. And pray that when we wake up tomorrow morning, the next step in our visa process, our Letters of Invitation, are on our email. Pray really, really hard for that, please. I love you guys so much. Thanks for reading this. Blessings!
His,
Kellye

Bible stories, the birthday party, and our visas

But as for me, I will hope continually, and will praise You yet more and more. My mouth shall tell of your righteousness and of Your salvation all day long, for I do not know the sum of them. I will come with the mighty deeds of the LORD God; I will mention of Your righteousness, Yours alone. Psalm 71:14-16

This has been our week to "hope continually," since it appears that we are delayed because of visa issues. I won't go into a long, detailed description of what has happened (it's not just us--everyone going to Russia is waiting), but suffice to say that it appears we will be delayed for a while, in spite of the best efforts of very talented and earnest people at the IMB. After trying to work all week long to get us out on time, we were told last night that there was no way to do that. But they tried, and I am grateful for that. I could be upset, but it wouldn't get me to Russia any faster. Just pray that our Letter of Invitation, which we have to have before we can go forward, is on our email Monday morning. That's our best prayer right now.

This was also a week of different strategies for spreading the gospel. Our favorite was Bible storying, which is exactly what it sounds like. You might think it's only for oral cultures with no written language (there are a huge number of those in the world, which I didn't know until this week), but it's really a technique that could work in many different cultures, including ours. It was fun. We've been practicing it all week, and it's been really enjoyable.

Oh, the birthday party. Monday was the birthday of one of our quadmates, another young lady headed to a large country in Asia, and another young lady headed to Western Europe. Our quad (how did I get put in the party quad?) threw a birthday party for all three in our living room. Let me say this--these are not large spaces. I know there were at least fifty people there. Since Russian tradition is to offer poems and songs at birthday parties, I sang a duet in Russian with my dear friend (and neighbor in Moscow) Teri. It was very intimidating, but it was so fun. She is also an OBU alum (there are seemingly millions of us here), and we have had a great deal of fun being together. She leaves to head home to Russia soon, and I am going to miss her the couple of weeks we're apart. What a blessing it has been to have her here.

Well, we're off to D.C. today--all of us. The entire FPO community, including children, is taking a field trip to D.C. Marc and I and the kids will be with good friends from our small group, and we'll be headed to the embassies of our countries to prayer walk. I have my Russian dictionary, and I am determined to speak some Russian today. Pray for us--I'm shocked at how scary that is. We went to a European market which is owned by a Ukrainian woman (all Ukrainians speak Russian first), and when we held a conversation with her in Russian, I promise my heart was beating so hard and loudly that I was sure she could hear it. It's hard to put yourself in a position to look stupid. But it's also the only way to learn the language. We also hope to see my cousin Rachel, who works in the House of Representatives. She is the "baby" of that side of the family, and we are really, really hoping to be able to see her today. What a blessing that would be to us--she's never seen John, and I don't think she's seen Hannah before, either. What fun!

Pray for us while we're gone today. I challenge you to learn a sentence in another language today, just for fun. Then think of me trying to learn how to order meat at the butcher. My family may become vegetarians just out of necessity! Blessings!
His,
Kellye

Help! I'm an I living in an E world!

When I am afraid, I will put my trust in You. In God, whose word I praise, in God I have put my trust; I shall not be afraid. What can mere man do to me? Psalm 56:3-4

Parts of our FPO (Field Personnel Orientation) experience have been fun, parts have been very moving, parts have been very enlightening. And parts have been reality checks about the world in which we live and to which we are going. These verses have taken on so much meaning for me in the last three days. I will not be afraid. I refuse to be afraid. My Father will guide me in every situation, and everything that happens to me (or more importantly, to my children) has been sifted through His righteous right hand. I will not be afraid. He is mighty, He is big, and above all, He is faithful. That's what I've learned to rely on in the last three days.

Another thing I learned this week is about my personality. If you've never done a Meyers-Briggs personality profile, it's so interesting to do one and then see how your personality lines up with what you think of yourself. I know this will surprise everyone who knows us, but it turns out that Marc and I are pretty much polar opposites. Surprise!!! The two areas that were especially opposite were introvert/extrovert (He's an E, I'm an I), and perceiving/judging (He's a P, I'm a J). Perceiving means he's a person who loves spontaneity and fun and does not really cherish order. Judging means I'm a person who loves order (has anyone out there seen my checklist?). Again, is this a surprise to anyone? It wasn't a surprise to us at all, but it was really interesting to hear them talk about how to use this tool on the field, not only with nationals, but especially with team members who have different personality types. It hit us both pretty much on the head, though I came out as a Feeler--someone who makes decisions based on people's feelings--and I've always come out as a Thinker before. I was just barely a Feeler, though. Marc was a definite Feeler. Again, he cares so much about people that it wasn't a huge shock to anyone that his type came out that way. What it did emphasize to me was the grace with which God chooses our life partners. Certainly, there are moments when being opposites makes life hard. We don't always respond to each other the way the other person wants us to respond. However, 99% of the time we are such great complements for one another. If I'm a Feeler, I guarantee you it's because I've been married to the kindest, most compassionate man alive for 17 years. Every day we are together, I am more and more overwhelmed by the great gift God has given me in Marc. I honestly don't know any woman alive who is more loved or treated better than I am. I never let my feet hit the floor without thanking God for Marc.

Well, I smell muffins in the next room, which likely means the muffins I'm baking are just about done. John and Hannah are still asleep--they played with their friends at the playground last night for two hours, and then we had an old-fashioned ice cream social with some friends. Last night was so nice--the guys found a room with a tv and watched the Texas A & M game (Marc had already watched Oklahoma tear up Miami), and a bunch of wives just sat out and talked and talked and laughed last night at the playground. I am so thankful for the women here. Nobody has anything to prove. Nobody has to know more than anyone else. It's just a very, very encouraging environment. How I appreciate the people in my life who are being used by God to mold and shape me into the woman He created me to be. In an odd coincidence, one of the ladies I sat with last night is from the church where my cousin Chris and his wife Christi attend. It was so fun to hear her talk about people I love so much. It made me smile to think of them.

Well, my friends, muffins await, so I must go. If you're an I living in an E world like I am--try to talk to someone today. If you're an E living in an E world--try NOT to talk to somebody today. Know that you are loved and prayed for! Blessings!
His,
Kellye

Top Rockers for Jesus

There are some things about this place that simply cannot be adequately explained. The sound of different voices praying aloud in thirty different languages, the joy of knowing people who "get it," the comraderie of shot days...these are not possible to totally explain to you. However, I think the following story will give you at least an inkling of why we love this place and these people so much.

About three weeks ago, Hannah and her friends formed a Christian rock band--the Top Rockers for Jesus. Now, if you're like me, you probably formed a thousand such bands in your pre-adolescent life, and not much became of them. However, Hannah's group seemed so determined, meeting every afternoon after school, writing their own music, practicing a lot, etc., that we were kind of glad for her to be involved, even if the "concert" never came to fruition.

Monday night at 7 was the scheduled concert, and we didn't really expect anyone but parents to be there, because it was the first day of our security training for the first group (ours starts Thursday), and people had been in class all day. Literally--8-5--all day. I had sat in class all day and wanted nothing more than a shower and my bed. But it was my kid's event, so I figured I had to show.

When we arrived, the quad was packed. I don't mean a few people, I mean dozens and dozens of people. Even some volunteers from a prayer-walking team showed up. I could not have been more touched. These wonderful people, who had either sat in class all day or been doing security training all day, showed up to see these four girls perform their concert. And frankly, they were pretty good. They had written some of their own music, they had practiced their choreography, and they did about a twenty minute concert. At the end, the girls prayed for each other and for the assembled group. It was, all-in-all, a pretty amazing evening.

That's what I love about this place and these people. My children belong to everyone here. Their children belong to me. My children have gained an entirely new family here. Will it make up for the beloved family we are leaving behind? No, not really. We still cry some because we miss Mimi and Poppy or Gigi and Raleigh, but it helps to know that Aunt Teri and Uncle Ed live just up the orange line from us in Moscow. It helps to know that Uncle Larry and Aunt Melissa and their kids are going to be in our region, so we will see them from time to time. These are things that make the leaving a little easier.

Well, I had better run. We are taking one more sweep at our suitcases tonight, attempting to get rid of some weight. Then we are going on the dreaded walk to the road. Then the typhoid pill and baths. Does that sound fun? I know...you're a little jealous that you aren't leading a life where you get to take four doses of a live typhoid virus. But, not everybody is called to this kind of excitement.

Please pray for us for the next three days specifically. We are in security training. Not much I can say, except that it's emotionally exhausting, but very good, very important training for us. The world, my friends, is a dangerous place. I'm glad to be part of an organization that recognizes the danger and teaches us how to handle it. But pray for us.

I love you. Thank you for reading this. And watch your papers--who knows when the Top Rockers for Jesus might be coming to your town?
Blessings!
His,
Kellye

What was hard about today

But now, thus says the LORD, your Creator, O Jacob, and He who formed You, O Israel, "Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name; you are Mine!" Isaiah 43:1

Today was one of those days that is hard for reasons that are hard to define. We had a lovely morning--John-John played with his friend Laini, Sarah Beth and Marc did computer stuff, Hannah and I went for a beautiful walk, the apartment got cleaned (it's tiny, so that only took about thirty minutes). We had a ministry event with a church plant in Mechanicsville, VA, where we did some surveying in teams. Then we had a cookout with the rest of our region. There was a beautiful lake with geese and ducks where the kids could feed the animals. We had actual desserts--oreos and nutter butters (we NEVER have dessert). I truly adore the people I work with. I cannot explain the ways in which our hearts are knitted together. It wouldn't make sense even if I could find the words. So what was hard?

I'm homeless. I went to these big, beautiful homes, and I didn't exactly covet them for their size and beauty, but for their existence. These people were relaxing on a Saturday afternoon in THEIR living rooms, on THEIR couches, watching THEIR tvs. I don't have any of those things anymore. I don't have a place to belong right now. I was hot and tired and thirsty, and I would have rather cut off my left arm than talk to one more person.

It was college football kickoff day. If you know us AT ALL, you know how much we love college football. And we didn't see a single game. My beloved Gators played, and I was out knocking on doors. Even if I'd been home, I don't have a tv. Marc is in the other room listening to the Oklahoma game on his computer, with his head bent low to hear what's going on, because the connection isn't great. He didn't make chili today. Let me say that again: Marc Hooks did not make chili on the first day of college football season. And it made me sad. Or if not sad, melancholy.

Don't get me wrong--we really had a fabulous day. Marc and I love to do ministry together. We took the girls, and we were so proud of them--they struck out on their own with other people (Hannah with another family and SB with a set of journeywomen). And I know I've already said it, but we really enjoy so much the people we are working with. They are funny and irreverent and totally committed to God and His purposes for their lives. There are deep conversations, certainly, but there is also a whole lot of laughter. We are quickly becoming a kind of family.

Some days, like yesterday, which was shot day, are days to power through, and it's almost like there isn't time to think about much but the task at hand. But other days, like today, are slower and seemingly perfect, and those are sometimes the most difficult, because they are days when we have the time to think about the little comforts we are leaving behind. I am homesick for my family and friends, but I'm not pining away for Florida in particular. I'm just lonely for a home. Of course, in a few weeks, I'll have a home, won't I? It's in a highrise apartment building in the largest city in Europe, so it's not like any other home I've ever had, but it'll still be home. And I can promise you this--Marc will be up every Saturday morning during football season to make his chili, and he'll be up in the middle of the night listening to Oklahoma football on his computer and trying not to yell and wake us all up. Who knows? Maybe there's a big contingent of Gator and Sooner fans in Moscow. I've seen stranger things happen! Blessings!

His,
Kellye