A Day in the Rain

Last Friday night, one of my best friends, Ashley, convinced me to buy season passes to Silver Dollar City in Branson. I had been debating for quite some time...I wanted to get Six Flags passes instead, but Ashley is a good debater and very convincing! I may still get passes to Six Flags, but not right away.

So Saturday I spent my afternoon with Ashley and 2 of our youth girls, Hattie & Toni. We had an absolute blast! It was raining in Springfield when we left and on the way down to Branson it started to clear up! We were seeing beautiful blue skies and big white clouds instead of the dreary rain clouds that preceded us earlier that day. Needless to say we got very excited about the clear skies!

By the time we parked our car and headed for the tram that took us to the park, the outlook had changed completely. Rain clouds filled the sky again and we were left wondering how long we had until we got drenched. We weren't disappointed! No sooner than when we entered the park, the rain started pouring and with every second it got heavier and more intense. We ran for shelter which happened to be a roof covering that lead up to a restaurant. Within seconds the downpour of rain turned into torrential downpours and crazy winds! We bolted inside of the restaurant (mainly out of sheer panic) and the ladies working the hostess booth looked at us crazy. So then we ran back out like mad men and back out into the storm. We headed across the path to the Blacksmith and his shop for protection. At that point, things had turned into pure chaos. People were running everywhere and yelling and I remember thinking..."this is not a good disaster plan", lol. Inside the Blacksmith shop we agreed to make our way to the Opera House to see the Chinese Acrobats and wait out the rain. So that's precisely what we did. Of course, the Opera House has to be on the complete other side of the park and in the back. Why not! About halfway there, the rain got heavier and the wind picked up and Ashley lost her balance completely, slipping and twisting her leg back behind her and falling to the ground. It's honestly a miracle she didn't tear cartilage and mess her knee up. Instead, she had a couple of scrapes, but could still walk and got up laughing hysterically at the scene she had just made. We were all laughing at this point. We were soaked to the bone, running across the park in flip-flops (we thought that would be a good idea so our feet wouldn't be wet all day...still don't regret that idea though), and yelling like crazy people while we laugh hysterically at how ridiculous we must have looked. It was really quite the sight. We finally made it to the Opera House and had to wait outside in the line for about 5 minutes before we made it in to the dry protected land of goodness. We were ecstatic to be out of the rain.

But I have to say that in all that craziness we had a blast and I'd do it all over again with these girls any day of the week! The rest of the day was great. Sunshine protruded from behind the dark rain clouds and gave way to a warm & wonderful day. We were able to ride several rides and eat kettle corn (our favorite part!) before we headed home...ahead of another storm system coming in.

Monday morning I was reading up on some news and discovered that just a few miles south of us from SDC, there was a F-0 tornado!!! That explains some of the winds we experienced! Who knew!!!

A Time of Uncertainty

The time is nearing for BJ to graduate from college and we move on to the next step in our lives. The problem is getting to that next step. We have been praying and searching for what God has planned for us and have really felt it in our hearts to move to St.Louis. How that might happen...has not been revealed yet to us. BJ has to complete an internship somewhere this summer to complete his degree & receive his diploma. He still gets to walk in May (in 2.5 weeks), but he will have to sign up for one summer session and complete the internship. He's applied to a place in STL and we are still waiting to hear if he's been accepted or not. We have full confidence he will. He applied to a place that we are both familiar with and know people. In fact, we had a great opportunity to work with some of them last fall and got to meet some great people because of that. We know he is well-accepted there, but the internship is a new program for them so the process of getting this off and running has been a very slow start. It has been a long year so far of waiting and praying. We feel strongly in our hearts that this is where God wants us to be, but we're just waiting for the logistics to be worked out. God will have to do some moving on my end for me to find a position and have a full time job, but for now we're focusing on BJ completing the internship and getting a full time job in his field.
It's not been an easy process for us. I'm naturally a patient person with lots of understanding. So most days I feel confident and great and I (thankfully) do not struggle with doubt. But just like any normal human being, I have my weak days and I break down. It's hard to have your life on hold and not have any idea when things will become "set in stone" or finalized. At this point, we don't even have a projection date. We hope to be moving, but we don't know when that will be. We hope it's soon. Even though we love the people here and are really starting to get involved in everything surrounding us...that will make it even harder to break away, but we still feel this is the path that God has for us. What makes it even more difficult is our friends here don't want us to go (which is understandable), but they don't usually want to talk about the situation with us because they don't want us to leave. That has been hard too, keeping things to ourselves until they become finalized. I am one that when I have something on my mind, I prefer to talk it out with someone so I can think straight again. Which is why you are finding me here at the moment. I figured if I can't vent outloud, I'll vent online. Besides, I don't think there is anyone that actually reads this anyway...at least, not anyone I know.
I have read verse after verse about standing on the promises of God and remaining strong, having courage...all of it. Not saying that I know it all...because I don't. Every day, God teaches me something new. But for this week...I'm just praying that we receive more information to help get us closer to the end result. I'm ready for the end of this season and ready to start making the decisions and get moving. This time of our life of uncertainty is necessary to help us grow and trust in God...to put our faith in Him...and we have...we continue to every day. But we are definitely ready to continue on in our quest for where God wants us. This week we hope to hear some more information on the internship...every day I wait in prayer and petition. I know our answer will come soon. I know that God will reveal Himself in a mighty way that only He can. I know that our season of uncertainty is nearing an end. I just pray I continue to have the strength I need to fulfill this time. I know I'm growing weary, but I know I have the Bible to stand on and the peace of God rests deep within me.

Words of Wisdom for Newlyweds

It's ocurred to me over the past 3 months that absence really does make the heart grow fonder. BJ & I have been married for over 6 months now and out of that time, we've spent 13 days apart in January and 4 days this month...going on 6 more. The middle of January I had the incredible privilege of traveling with my place of work to Thailand. We launched/dedicated our study bible in the Thai language. It was so great to see the people of Thailand so excited about receiving a study bible in their language. And then after that we were able to spend a few days sightseeing around Bangkok and 2 days in Hong Kong as well. During that time I was gone, BJ & I were able to communicate through email and we could talk on the phone periodically. I was blessed to be able to call him 2 times a day, once in the morning and once at night. I relished every phone call. It was a difficult time to be away as I missed some exciting things that happened at home and with our youth group and of course sleeping alone in a giant bed was not my idea of fun, but the trip was well worth it and it was a chance of a lifetime. But now as I'm writing this, I've been home alone for 4 days and still have 6 more to go.
BJ has been blessed to travel to Jamaica with Evangel University and capture everything on film. He's using this footage to create his final video project for his senior capstone. While this trip is shorter than mine was, this one is definitely harder to accept. Their phones don't work over there and the internet connection is not always strong. And his time on the internet is very limited as they are staying at an orphanage and have to wait for the kids to go to bed before making any personal contacts at home. For the first time EVER we went 24+ hours without talking to eachother by any means! That alone was a huge challenge for the both of us. But now we have managed a schedule to communicate and that is working great. We'll both be very excited when he is able to return...but we're also very glad for the opportunity he's receiving right now. What an experience to go to another country and experience a different culture. We both have been so incredibly blessed this year and we're only 3 months into it!

So as I would not normally encourage newlyweds to spend 23 days apart in their first 6 months of marriage...it is a good and challenging experience. And let me tell you, the reunion after spending all that time apart is awesome! And it just encourages you and assures you that you made the right choice in a partner cause while they are gone...you realize every day, more and more, just how much you really love and appreciate your spouse. It's not easy and it's definitely not preferred...but if you have to do it...take that moment to really enjoy who you've married and how they fulfill so much of your life. It's a great relationship strengthener.

I'm nearing the downhill countdown of my husband's time away and each day I'm getting more and more excited for it! I look forward to every night that I get to chat with him on skype...but more excitedly I'm anticipating going to the airport the night he arrives and waiting by the luggage carousel only to see him bound through the double glass doors and I can run to him with open arms and feel the warmth of his touch again. Just thinking about it makes me smile.