There goes my mother-of-the-year award

My little man

The best way to deal with sin has never been to attempt reform but to adore the Savior. We win over our lower nature through adoration. While we worship the enthroned, inner Christ, we cannot be controlled by our negative preoccupation with sin. --Calvin Miller

I know! Two posts in one week after a month-long silence--weird! But something happened last night that I wanted to share. Nothing earth-shattering. Just a reminder of how God works in our lives.

Let me start by saying that I am overly tired. I am homeschooling my three kids, teaching a class at the local Christian school, teaching ESL to Russian-speaking preschoolers, and starting a Sunday School class at my church. On top of that, I am working through a Bible study with friends, trying to keep up with housework, cooking, and a husband who travels a lot, and when he's not traveling is perpetually on deadline. I am hoping to be done with the class at the local school in a couple of weeks, since that is not something I am committed to in terms of ministry here--I am just filling in for a teacher who hasn't come, yet. One of the things I am learning to do is say 'no' to things that are good, but not the best that God has for me. It's hard, though--I want to help. I want to make things better for others. But my family is definitely suffering as I try to do too much, and teaching the extra class is definitely the thing that has to go. Marc and Sarah Beth have also been gone for about 10 days, and they don't return until Sunday night, so that adds to the stress of my life at the moment. So--I'm tired.

By the time I got home last night with Hannah and John (we teach preschool ESL at our church on Tuesday afternoons), I was really worn out. When Marc is out of town on Tuesdays, I don't even attempt to cook after we get home, so I take the kids to McDonald's. And then, because we were there, and when you carry your groceries you are ALWAYS picking things up, we went by Tesco, which is as close to a Wal-mart as we're going to find here. Add 15 minutes standing up on the crowded tram, and it was a recipe for a grumpy Mom. And I was definitely feeling grumpy. When we got home, I had to grade tests, read an assignment, and type out assignments for the extra class I'm teaching, and so I basically ignored my children while they occupied themselves. I didn't finish doing those things until around 10:30 (see why the class has to go?), and then I realized I was late getting them to bed. Hannah is never a problem to get to bed, but John is ALWAYS difficult to get to sleep. We never have a night where he doesn't come out with "just one question" or some other excuse to get up. He just hates going to sleep. By 10:45, when I was still asking him repeatedly to get his teeth brushed, I was annoyed. By 11:00, when he yelled from his room that the music was making a funny noise, I was beyond annoyed. When I went in to turn it off, I pulled the covers around him and sighed as I walked out of the room. He said, "Mommy, are you okay?" And without thinking, I replied, "Yes, I'm okay, John. It's just that you're so difficult, and I would love to have just one night where you were easy to deal with." As I closed the bathroom door, I heard his little voice say, "But you love me that way, right Mom? You still love me that way?" Ouch.

Of course, I ran in to kiss him and assure him that I love him any way he is, that even when I am tired and grumpy, I love him just the way he is. He smiled, turned over, and pretty quickly went to sleep. But I was up for a while. I was upset with myself for being so careless with my words. It reminded me, too, of the many times I am confronted with my own sin, and in my own little voice I say to God, "But you still love me, right? You love me even when I'm like that?" He always does the Godly equivalent of pulling the blankets around me and covering me with kisses, just like I did with John. And it reminded me, too, that while I am looking at the twig in someone else's eye, I might want to examine the log in my own. I'm not exactly low-maintenance myself. I might want to calm down on the "you're so difficult" talk, since I'm pretty sure my husband and children (and maybe anyone else who knows me) could say exactly the same to me.

I don't have any grand conclusion to draw for you from this incident, except that I am grateful for a Father who loves me in all my high-maintenance, type-A personality, difficult-to-deal-with glory, and I'm thankful for the chance to wake up on a new day and try again to be the mother God created me to be, and not the stinky, careless Mom I can sometimes be without thinking. Wherever you are in the world, I pray that you are waking up to try again to be all God created you to be, and that you are only a few days away from your husband coming home from Russia. Blessings to you and yours!

His,
Kellye

What's next? Only God knows

The gorgeous view from the Alps above Berchtesgaden, Germany. This is where Hitler's Eagle's Nest is located. Literally breathtaking.
Moon over Salzburg, Austria. This is now one of my favorite spots on earth. So beautiful!
The two of us at a lake--Mondsee?--on our way to some sights related to The Sound of Music. Yes, Marc was a patient, good guy, and let me drag him around to different spots from the movie. It was a great trip!

Look among the nations! Observe! Be astonished! Wonder! Because I am doing something in your days--you would not believe if you were told. Habakkuk 1:5

Well, my friends...it's been a while. I am usually a more faithful writer than I have been since I wrote last a month ago! But between our trip to Austria, Marc and Sarah Beth's trip to Russia (leaving me as a single parent), and my teaching schedule, which has me out of the house teaching something most days...well, I've been busy. I'm only able to write this morning because I let the kids stay up kind of late last night, and they are still asleep. Those of you who know John certainly know that once he's up and going, there is little time (or quiet) for thinking reflectively and writing.

I'm working through a Bible study with some of the ladies here in Prague which focuses on God's greatness. I'm enjoying the study, which is written by James McDonald, and I'm daily amazed at the things I'm learning about God that I thought I already knew. It's not that there are big revelations to me, but more that at a time in our lives where we are constantly seeking God's will for what is next for us, I am in a position to see how God is above all and in charge of all. When we decided to come to the field five or so years ago, it was a major shock to our systems, because the future suddenly didn't look like we thought it would look. Now, as we wind down this term (our leave date is August 10) and contemplate what God has for us, we are, again, faced with a future that may not look exactly like we planned. And it's not that we weren't listening to God when we made plans, because we were. I just think that maybe we don't always dream big enough or see the world in the way He does. We see the world and the future through human eyes, because that's what we have, and it's hard to see through His eyes.

I would be lying if I said thoughts about the future haven't stressed us out a little. Not knowing exactly what's next...well, I'm a type-A girl, and not knowing makes me CRAZY! But there is comfort in this--we've said yes to whatever He has for us, and He has a plan. And His plan is better than anything we could dream up for ourselves. It might not be easier than anything we could dream up for ourselves, but it's definitely better. We know, because we've been on the front row for the amazing things He's done in the last five years of our lives, and He never fails us nor forsakes us. It turns out when He said in the Bible that He wouldn't do that...He wasn't kidding. Those weren't just nice words. He's a God of His Word. He can be trusted. So we trust and obey. And we try not to think too much about where we'll be this time next year, because we know He has a clear view of what we cannot see right now.

Well, Hannah is awake, so it's time for me to get going. Wherever you are in the world, I pray that you are trusting the God of Everything with the things you cannot see, and that the forecast for your part of the world does not include snow. Blessings to you and yours!

His,
Kellye

Making a case for the hard choices

My precious babies. Love them.

For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus. Philippians 1:6

Let me start by saying this: This isn't what my life at 42 is supposed to be. First of all, by now I should be a principal of some school. I should live in a house. I should be on the praise team at my church, singing every week with my friends. I should be visiting colleges with Sarah Beth. I should be with my Mom and Daddy. That's what my life should look like at 42, according to the plans I made for myself way back when. Of course, my life looks nothing like that. I'm not a principal of any school. I volunteer at the local international school by teaching 10th grade English until their regular teacher makes it to Prague. I volunteer at my church by teaching English to preschoolers. I live in an apartment that isn't mine. I definitely don't sing on the praise team at church. In fact, I struggle to understand 50-60% of what goes on at my church. In the 2+ years since I left my home church, the only time I've sung in public was at Bella Notte at the kids' school last fall. I did not get to visit colleges with Sarah Beth, and I'll barely be back in the States in time to take her to college next summer. And though I saw my Daddy last Christmas, when he came to visit us in Moscow, I haven't seen my Momma in 2 years. Yep...life has definitely not turned out the way I planned.

Lest you think this is my version of a pity party, let me tell you that all of those things were my own choice. I chose to come to Europe. I chose to learn another language. I chose to leave my parents. I chose to leave my home church. I chose to leave my job. No one forced me to do any of those things. I chose all of them. We could go to an international church here in Prague (lots and lots of English speakers here), but we choose to go to Russian church. Not because it's the easier choice, but because it's the right choice for us. I long for and miss Russia very, very much, but I know that Prague is the right choice for us right now.

So why would I make these choices, which seem to go against the grain of everything I thought I wanted for myself and my family? Simple. The call of God is unavoidable. It's compelling. He's nothing if not persistent. Beyond His sacrifice of His own son, His grace and mercy and overwhelming love for me compel me to obedience. And obedience, for right now, means that we are often faced with the choice of what's good and what's best. None of the things I mentioned above are bad things. They were all part of the ministry I had in the States. And I firmly believe that if I'd stayed there, continuing in those things, God would have blessed them as He had for years. But I would have missed out on having a front-row seat for the display of God's miraculous nature that I've had since coming here. I would have missed out on knowing Him the way I know Him. The work here would certainly have gone on and prospered without me, but my life would be less, somehow...less than what it's supposed to be. Less than I was created to be. Less.

And so, this morning I am making a case for the hard choices. Make one choice today that you know He's asking you to make, and then watch what happens. I promise you the blessings will come. Not financial, and certainly not ease of life, but something far greater--you'll know Him more. You'll trust Him more. It doesn't mean the hard choices will get easier--that hasn't been my experience--but it does mean that you will, more and more, become the person God created you to be. That doesn't mean that He'll call you overseas, so don't panic. It also doesn't mean that what is God's best for you is God's best for someone else, so don't get too wrapped up in what other people should do, because that's probably not any of your business. (For my family, I'm channeling Miss Louise--take care of yourself, and you've got a mighty big job to do.) But it does mean that it's probably time to talk to the guy in the next desk about your faith, or the neighbor, or the kid in homeroom with you.

On a totally separate note, the leader of our company announced his retirement yesterday. Our company is infinitely better because we've been led for the last 17 years by Jerry and Bobbye Rankin, faithful folks who are the embodiment of servant leadership. My favorite story about "Uncle Jerry," as he's affectionately known among those who work with us, is that early in our training he came for a three-day session on spiritual warfare. In the middle of his first day there, he was taking questions, and he pointed to someone at the next table from us, calling him by name. At first, nobody thought anything of that, because we all had nametags. But you could feel the shock spread across the room as we all, one by one, realized that the young man who had asked the question wasn't wearing his tag. Dr. Rankin knew his name because he'd prayed for him. He'd prayed for all of us. We knew then that he was someone worth following, because it was clear who he was following. We are sad at the thought of not having the Rankins at work on behalf of the millions of people who don't know Christ, but I am confident that God will continue to use them in significant and amazing ways.

Wherever you are in the world, I challenge you to make the hard choice today, and I hope your husband is coming home from Russia, too! Blessings to you and yours!

His,
Kellye

Tearing down some statues

. This picture in front of Lenin's tomb really says it all, doesn't it? Hannah and Sarah Beth are giggling, John is making some kind of strange gesture, Marc is trying to look normal, and I look like I'm going to kill someone. (I was trying to look stern and Russian...but crazy was what I came up with, huh?) We are an interesting group.

For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. II Corinthians 10:3-5

It is downright chilly this morning in Prague, and the cats and I are enjoying a rare quiet morning together. Our friends took John and Hannah yesterday to their house, and we are meeting them in Plzen this morning, so the house is VERY quiet. It's pretty nice, I have to tell you. Actually, the cats are sacked out on the couch, curled up with John's jacket that he left there yesterday, so I'm pretty much enjoying this time to myself. We went out to dinner last night (a rarity for us), and we just thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. I pray I will never become so accustomed to the beauty of Prague that I fail to be awed by the city at night. It truly is one of the most beautiful places in the world. Today we will get on a train to Plzen and enjoy the Czech countryside outside our window. Not a bad way to spend a morning. Of course, the big news today is that it's the start of college football season--yes, for those of you who know us, Marc IS making his famous chili for us tonight. We have plans made for an entire afternoon and evening of watching football with our friends. It's not a bad life.

Marc and Hannah returned from Poland on Tuesday, and they had a wonderful and productive trip. We are headed back to Poland for Thanksgiving, and I can hardly wait after seeing their pictures. It's gorgeous. It is definitely a perk of this life that we get to do some traveling around Europe. I began teaching English lessons on Tuesday afternoon (that is a tale for another blog), and on Friday I agreed to help fill in for an English teacher at the Christian school three blocks away. (I can't help myself. It's a sickness, really. All you have to say to me are the words 'English' and 'teacher'--it's like Batman's signal in the sky. I gotta buy a cape.) Again, that's a topic for another blog. Something interesting happened with John this week, and I really want to share it and tell you how God used it in my life.

If you have been a reader of this blog for a while, you know that John is hyperactive. Now, if you haven't dealt with hyperactive kids, you probably think that means he just has a lot of energy. He does have a lot of energy, but there are a host of other issues that come along with hyperactivity. Let me go on the record as saying that I firmly believe God created John for a purpose, and that his hyperactivity is part of that purpose. John could be the guy to cure cancer, because he does not see the same world you and I do. He has John-vision, and I thoroughly believe that some day, that is going to be a tremendous blessing not only for John, but for all of us who love him. It does, however, come with some challenges, one of which is a tendency toward obsession. John is not a let-it-go kind of guy. And the things he can't let go are often strange to me. For example, this week, it was his "statue."

John's "statue" was a plastic cup filled with water and a McDonald's toy that John put in the freezer as a science experiment. John loves science, and he often asks to "make an experiment," and as long as it isn't going to hurt him or blow anything up, I generally agree. You cannot imagine the many things that have been frozen in my freezer over the years. So when he asked to put this in the freezer to see how it would freeze, I agreed. What I didn't know was that we would spend two days checking on it every ten minutes. In the middle of math. In the middle of reading. "Can I check on my statue?" was the question of the day. I finally asked him, "John, do you think you're becoming a little obsessed with this?" "Yes, Mommy. But I just can't help myself." Finally, in what was a pretty big moment of growth for him, John came and asked if he could destroy his statue. "I just think I can't stop thinking about it if I know it's there, Mom." I agreed that this was a wise decision on his part, and then we had the fun of watching it melt and seeing how long that took. I was proud of John. It's hard for him to let go, and he did it on his own. That's big and giant for my little hyperactive boy.

It occurred to me later in the week that I could use some statue tearing down of my own. While I don't have anything in the freezer besides hamburger at the moment, there are some pretty persistent things in my thought life that keep me from being who God created me to be. Things like my perception of what I "bring to the table" on the field. Things like who I think I'm supposed to be as opposed to who God created me to be. Things like what the next step in our lives is. Those are some pretty hefty "statues" that have been keeping me metaphorically checking the freezer every ten minutes instead of focusing on this moment, on what God has laid in my lap in terms of ministry, on what my family needs from me now instead of next year. I don't know about you, but in my life, sin creeps in through my thought life. I'm unlikely to do something outrageously sinful in the eyes of the world--murder, adultery, theft--I'm probably going to leave those alone. But God sees my thought life, and His word says He is just as mortified by what He sees there as He is by those "obvious" sins. It's those things that keep me from Him, that keep me at a distance from the person I am supposed to be. And I really want to be that person. I really do.

Well, it's time for me to jump in the shower and get going. Marc is still asleep, and I have cinnamon rolls in the breadmaker to surprise him. Today is a big day for all of us--we are truly college football fanatics. I'm going to enjoy every second of it. Wherever you are in the world, I challenge you to look around at your own statues that need tearing down, and I hope that your husband is making his fabulous chili for college game day, too. Blessings to you and yours!

His,
Kellye

Who are your Russians?

I love this picture, not just because it's a good pic of the girls in Moscow, but because you can see the outline of the African continent that S.B. has embroidered on this shirt. She is passionate about Africa like I am passionate about Russia.

For God so loved the world...John 3:16a

What is this story you would lay down your life to tell? Steven Curtis Chapman, "No Greater Love"

It's another gorgeous day in Prague, and I am up early with the cats, one of whom is literally sitting across my forearms as I type. They are not our cats, but they are sweet, and we really do love them, although waking up at 5:30 every morning to the sandpaper tongue across my cheek is not my favorite thing. We spent a lovely, wonderful weekend in Plzen with our friends, enjoying the beauty of the city and getting to know our new country a little better. We can take the train and be there in about an hour and a half, so I'm sure we will do more of that as time goes by. We are blessed to be close to people we love so much.

Plzen is on the way to our favorite place in Czech Republic--Karlovy Vary. It is the most beautiful place on earth, in my opinion, and we can't wait to visit it again this fall. It is surrounded by beautiful hills, and the natural beauty coupled with the grandeur of Czech architecture is nearly breathtaking. But it isn't the beauty of Karlovy Vary that makes it our favorite place in Czech Republic. It's who lives there. You see, Karlovy Vary is so Russian that its airport has daily direct flights to Moscow. It is a favorite vacation spot for Russians, and many of the workers are also Russian. The signs outside shops are often in Russian, German, English and Czech. (It's very near the border with Germany.) It is, at its very core, a Russian town in the Czech Republic. We fell in love with it the second we stepped foot in it almost a year ago. Some day, we would love to live and work and minister there.

You don't have to know us very well to know that we are passionate about Russians. One of my very best friends said to me recently that it only takes being in a room with us for about an hour to know that we are deeply committed to Russian people. Talk to us for very long, and we will bring the conversation around to Russia and Russians. We go to church every week and only understand about 60% of the sermons--all three of them--because the church is ministering to Russian-speaking people and seeking to evangelize a Russian-speaking neighborhood. Russian phrases pepper our language, we speak Russian often in our home, our children study Russian as part of school...because we love Russians and want to be able to communicate with them. We now live in a city where we could speak nothing but English and do ministry...but we seek out places where we know Russian-speakers will be. Why? Certainly not because it's the easiest road we could take. But God has placed in us a burning desire for Russians to know Him. He has placed within us a burden for Russians to know the truth that will set them free. I read a Time magazine article Sunday about the levels of alcoholism amongst the Russian people, and I went outside and sat and cried, because it broke my heart to think of these people I love so much, who are literally drinking themselves to death. I am not a selfless person. I am not naturally inclined to think of anyone but myself and my family. I am as self-absorbed as the next person, I promise. But when God gives you a burden for a group of people, He makes it unavoidable. Talk to our friends who are passionate about Czechs, our friends who are passionate about Serbs, about Brazilians...God-given passion is inexplicable and unavoidable.

So maybe you think that kind of passion is only for missionaries. I don't see anything in the Great Commission that says, "If you're a missionary, collect the funds and go tell the world about Me." Nope. Pretty sure it's for all of us who call ourselves Christ-followers. In doing some research for Marc on Unreached Unengaged People Groups (UUPGs), I visited a website the researcher for our company sent me. It was staggering. Page after page of people groups who have never heard the name of Jesus, who have no access to the Bible in their language, who have no known evangelical presence. Four pages for Russia alone. (Yep, that's the first country I looked at--I can't help myself.) Twenty-eight pages for the U.S. (though in fairness, many of those are not totally unengaged). Whoever you are and wherever you are, there are people who desperately need to know the good news about Jesus Christ. They live next door and across the street from you, just like they live next door and across the street from me.

So here's my challenge to you--if you are already passionate about a group God has laid on your heart, do something about it this week. Pray for them. Find out about them. Figure out a way to minister to them. And if you aren't passionate about any particular group, ask God to lay someone on your heart. If you ask and honestly seek His passion, I promise He'll be faithful to give you what you seek. The more I know Christ, the more I know for sure that His gift of salvation was meant for everyone, and the more I'm convinced it's my responsibility to share it with others. Wherever you are in the world, I pray that God has given you a passionate burden to see others know Him, and that you are trying out a really good recipe tonight, too. Blessings to you and yours!

His,
Kellye

There's a sweet, sweet spirit....

John and his "friend"--he was supposed to greet kids as they came into the ministry event on Saturday, but was soon distracted by the other children. He mostly played with everyone he saw.

But the lovingkindness of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear Him, and His righteousness to children's children, to those who keep His covenant and remember His precepts to do them. Psalm 103:17-18

The bells are ringing as I write this, which means it is 7 a.m., and I must get moving. I've been up since 4:30, but stayed in bed until 4:50 in an effort to sleep until the alarm went off at 6. And as is the usual story, the more time I have to do stuff, the further behind I get. Something weird about my personality, I guess. I should already be exercising in order to get my shower and have the kids up by 8:15, and clearly I'm not exercising while writing this. So I need to get a move on in order to stay on schedule on this, our first day of school.

Things here in Prague continue to go really well. We are in love with our new church, a small Russian-speaking church plant across town from us. It takes us about 45 minutes to get there--which is about half of what it took us to get to church in Moscow, so I'm not complaining. We had a great event on Saturday, with lots and lots of children from predominantly Russian-speaking homes showing up to play games and make crafts. What was really exciting for us was that the church members came and stayed--it wasn't a 'missionary-only' event. The church members seem excited about and really committed to their church, and it's fun and very rewarding to be involved in something like that.

Yesterday, Marc preached a sermon on church history and its impact on the 21st century church. It was really interesting, which surprised me. Not that Marc was interesting--that didn't surprise me at all, since I've found him interesting for about 20 years, now. But the topic seemed a little dull to us at first, and involved a good amount of research. It was honestly really interesting to listen to the connections between church history and the church today. It was a great day at church. I'd judge that I understood somewhere in the 50-60% range, which is great compared to what I sometimes can understand. (I read and write Russian pretty well, but my understanding and speaking have definitely lagged behind.) I was able to hold conversations with other people, and I even picked up most of the announcements (except I missed one critical word--baptism-- which made one announcement confusing). No person on any field anywhere struggled with language as much as I did, I promise. You try learning a new language while homeschooling three kids--it's almost impossible. And I can remember days when I would just cry at the thought that Irina was going to show up and make me talk my way through some scenario in which I had to use verbs of motion (don't ask, they're a nightmare). But I am so thankful that we were given language that has enabled us to follow God's call on our lives to minister to Russians. It's still a struggle every day, and I know that I'll NEVER feel like I'm fluent in Russian, and after three sermons and lots of music all in Russian we come home pretty exhausted...but I'm grateful that I can hold a conversation and understand a good amount of a sermon.

Something that really touched my heart as a Mom yesterday was the lady who sat behind John. It was SOOOOO hot in that room. Poor John (whose Mommy wasn't really thinking) had on long pants and a short-sleeved shirt, and he was sweating to death. (Russians are really superstitious about drafts, so there was no air flowing through that room, I promise.) Add to that three sermons, two sets of songs, and the Lord's Supper all, of course, in Russian...and my hyperactive little boy was really struggling through the 2.5 hour service. At one point I looked over at him, and he had laid his head against the back of the chair, and the sweet woman behind him was just stroking his hair to help him stay calm. She did that through the whole service. After the service was over, she hugged and kissed him and me before leaving. I thought she was just really precious. There is a sweetness to the fellowship between believers, regardless of differences in culture, age, and language. It is one of the best things about this life. No, my kids don't understand a lot of what goes on in church...but I think they know they are loved by the people there. So we love our church...but I'm definitely praying for cooler weather next Sunday!

Well, it's time to exercise, shower, make breakfast, and get the kids up for their first day of school. John was not very excited about starting this morning, but Hannah is ready to go, so hopefully, it will be a great first day. Wherever you are in the world, I pray that you are thankful for the sweet fellowship of other believers, and that you found ready-made blinis in the refrigerated section of your grocery store, too. Blessings to you and yours!

His,
Kellye

Being encouraged

We have had the chance to see some amazing things. Here is one of my favorites--Christ the Savior Cathedral in Moscow. This picture was actually taken from a boat on the Moskva river.
Statue of Jan Hus in the middle of Old Town Square, Prague. Jan Hus was a 14th century reformer, burned for heresy about a century before Luther nailed his theses to the door. He was from Bohemia, which is now part of Czech Republic.
Beautiful Prague. So different from the beauty of Moscow--lots of beautiful spires everywhere, because the churches here are mostly Catholic. Very different from our onion domes in Russia--the hallmark of Russian Orthodox churches. I would be lying if I said I didn't miss the domes a little.

Wait for the Lord; be strong and let your heart take courage; yes, wait for the Lord. Psalm 27:14

It is a gorgeous, blue-skied morning here in Prague, Czech Republic. I am enjoying mug number two of "real" coffee, after drinking (and being thankful for!) the instant stuff for a week. We arrived home yesterday evening from a week-long camp in the mountains along the border of Czech Republic and Poland. Absolutely beautiful. I cannot imagine being there, seeing the incredible beauty, and not knowing for certain that some power higher than mere man created all of that. Chaos and randomness look nothing like those mountains, trust me. Chaos looks like my living room at the moment, which is full of the laundry I am desperately trying to get done in order to pack Sarah Beth's suitcase for her trip to the States this week. We enjoyed ourselves very much, but we were definitely glad to be home. This next week will be spent seeing Sarah Beth off on her trip and preparing to start school with the other two the next week. We are also going to be finishing up putting the house together--we still have not a single picture on the walls, and our stuff is definitely not as organized as it must be for Marc and the kids to work here. So it will be a busy week.

The English camp we worked at this past week was very interesting to me, very different from the kind of ministry we've done in Russia. Although many people on the field in Russia are working with the Russian Baptist Union, we did not, at least not in Moscow. It isn't that we avoided them or anything like that, but Marc's job didn't entail a close relationship with the RBU in Moscow. Now, he has several extremely close, important relationships with RBU churches outside of Moscow, places he has been as part of his travels around the country, churches he adores and where he is mightily adored. There are some really exciting things going on around Russia, great partnerships between folks in the States and churches on the ground. But because I stayed in Moscow and didn't travel with Marc, I never really got a feeling for what that kind of partnership could be--beyond going to church every week and trying to understand the sermon.

This week was really interesting for me, because although there were Americans there--four families working for our company and a team from Montana--we were definitely not in charge. A wonderful, loving Czech Baptist church was in charge. What an encouragement they were to me--just watching their passion and their clear sense of mission to reach their own people. And the love they showed us--amazing. We spent the first night at the home of one of the families in the church, and we were treated so well. Then a great day Sunday in church, where there weren't enough seats for everyone. Then a delicious lunch provided by the church. And even the folks who couldn't speak a word of English (my Czech is currently limited to 'yes' 'no' 'please' and 'thank you'--all of which I say like a Russian) were so friendly and wonderful. Marc has had that kind of partnership experience, so I don't know that it was a big deal for him, but it was for me. It was just an encouraging week all around.

I'll be honest with you--I have no clue where we'll be in a year. Could be coming back to Prague, going back to Russia, or headed home to the States to stay for a while. I just don't know. But I do know this for sure--the experiences we have had in the last two years, the things we've seen, the people we've met--I wouldn't trade a single minute of any of it...even the hard minutes. Just when I think I know God, have Him figured out--He does something else amazing, and He shows me some other aspect of who He is. I knew God in Middleburg, Florida. I really did. But the way in which I know God now...worth every hardship of the last two years, every stupid language blooper I've made, every tear I've shed for my children...worth it all. You know why? Because He is worth everything I have to give. I knew that before. But I KNOW it now. And I'm thankful for that knowledge.

One last thing--this week marked the anniversary of my Mimsey's death. I never get past August 6th without a few tears, and I guess I never will. She was a precious, priceless woman with a gentleness and a kindness that I can only vaguely hope to attain some day. I don't think I'm much like my Mimsey, but oh, how glad I am that I had all those years with her in my life. So last night, while Marc was getting McDonald's to take home for the kids, I bought some peach ice cream and cried a little, thinking of all the times I sat on her back porch, turning the hand crank of the ice cream maker, listening to her hum a tune in the kitchen. And because he knows me better than I know me, Marc came up and whispered, "They'd be so proud of your life." So I smiled and cried a little more...and walked home to the kids I know she would have been so crazy about if she'd lived long enough to know them. So even though August 6th always makes me a little sad, I am so thankful for the idyllic summers I spent with both sets of grandparents in Clarksville, Tennessee, for the relationships with my grandparents, and for the Godly influence they had on my life. I am, indeed, a blessed woman. Wherever you are in the world, I pray that you are thinking about the ways God is encouraging you, and that you don't have a pile of laundry calling your name. Blessings to you and yours!

His,
Kellye