JOYFUL! JOYFUL!

In honor of American thanksgiving and all things pumpkin spiced I decided to see how many things I could count to be thankful for… here are a few

1. The rooster and hen who have made their home outside my window

2. Saturday flag football games

3. Long walks and good talks with Havvah and Laura 

4. Homemade guacamole with a side of cookies for second lunch 

5. The sound of the rain on my tin roof

6. My tuesday night bible study girls 

7. The sweet ladies who sell fresh fruits and vegetables outside the hospital

8. Game nights 

9. Bernard who lets me milk his cows any time I want

10. Fall Parties

11. Baking adventures with Havvah

12. Purity's smile 

14. Little hands

15. Seven wonderful years with this woman of God

“The brave who focus on all things good and all things beautiful and all things true, even in the small, who give thanks for it and discover joy even in the here now, they are change agents who bring fullest light to all the world.”  –Amy Voskcamp

Meet Mercy

“And in His last hours before His earthly end He doesn’t run out to buy something or catch a flight to go see something but He wraps a towel around His waist and kneels low to take the feet of His forsaker and gently washes away the grime between his toes.”

As part of my rent in Kapsowar a lady comes once a week and washes my clothes. Her name is Mercy. Mercy has been working at station for two years and has a smile that lights up a room but the thing that has struck me the most about her is the attitude she serves with. She is simply delightful and I think when she is washing Jesus is truly delighting in her.

My goal for this week is to more like Mercy and more like Jesus when it comes to serving others. 

Sweetly Broken

“It has always seemed to me that broken things, just like broken people get used more; its probably because God has more pieces to work with” –Bob Goff

Walking down the street here allows me to see some pretty awesome stuff, but one of my favorite things to do is watch the kids play.  The things they find and use as toys are not only creative but its also teaching me a lot about the beauty in finding a purpose for broken things.

There are so many things in this world that are broken and recently I have been thinking a lot about the idea of brokenness…. brokenness of things, brokenness of humanity, and my own brokenness. Thankfully being here has also made me come to love brokenness, especially my own.  Jesus can use me, not just when I’m broken, but especially because I’m broken and this truth has been so fun to learn while I have been out here.

“My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness. Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong”

2 Corinthians 12:9-10

“From the bow of brokenness, God launches the arrows of healing.” –Louie Giglio


IN OTHER NEWS!!!! KATIE AND CARSON ARE ENGAGED!!!! I cannot wait to be yalls third wheel all the way down the aisle! Love you both!

Carson, we were dreaming about this day way back in 2009... see