Rain Rain

Stay for another day!

I am seriously loving these chilly, rainy days recently. I know all of the farmer's at the cusp of harvest would kill me for saying it, but it's true. This is the only time of year when I miss running. There's something about starting out so cold & tight and ending soaking wet & burning hot that makes you feel so alive.

I know. I'm crazy.

Plus, this weather practically begs for leggings & baked goods. I have been relenting to the pressure & am often seen sporting my cotton leggings while hovering over my KitchenAid. My most recent challenge was an oatmeal cookie recipe that was supposed to yield 40 but ended up producing a batch of over 65 cookies! I was thankful for the miscalculation because I was able to play with the ingredients----chocolate in some, honey in others, a few had cranberries & walnuts, others had raisins, and I reserved a small amount for good 'ol plain oatmeal. The problem is that I can never decide which one I want most and end up grabbing one of each. It's not good for the waist, but it's sure good for the heart. Yum.

I'm going to go eat one (*cough* five) now.

I love fall.

More India please!

Hey everybody!


We've been hearing your crys for "more India, please!"; here are some descriptors and links for

some of the things that began our introduction to our new home:

The Christ of the Indian Road: Here's a link to the book site on Amazon. This was one of the first books that we read about India. It blew our minds as we began to realize that the only thing we had to offer India was Christ. He alone would have to be sufficient to spread the gospel (novel idea, huh?). We were totally challenged by this book, not just for our lives in India, but for our lives whever we go.

Aradhna: http://www.aradhnamusic.com/ This is a musical group that plays a fusion of traditional Indian & western music for Christ. They are phenomenal and we are amazed at both their talent and ministry. We like to listen to their CD to relax and unwind, or to have some worship playing that soothes and stimulates the soul (I know that's a lofty statement, but it's really true!).







Vegetable Korma: Yummy! We remember how lost we were the first time we ate at an Indian restaurant--we needed a map. Let us be your 'menu map'! We have lots of favorites, but this one is a very popular dish in South India (where Chennai is), plus it is vegetarian (many Indians are vegetarian and we will also be while we live there!). For all you daring cooks out there, here's a recipe that you can try at home. Happy eating!


Mango Lassi: double yum. Seriously, this is so good and so easy to make! Here's the recipe. It's basically a mango shake but substitute yogurt for ice cream. You can spice it up with some fresh mint, cinnamon, or cardamom. If you are feeling really adventurous (and really Indian), you can put chiles in it. Make sure you go for a Mango Lassi or Mango Shake next time you're out to eat!








Nose Ring: Accessorize! Courtney's dream of getting a nose ring came true early this summer. For video of the piercing, click here....yeah, right. I don't think so. A more practical Indian accessory is the toe ring, or if you happen to be around a festival or Indian community--a henna tattoo! (Courtney's tattoo below)

Making Room

This is a communion meditation that I shared at Mark and Sarah's 20th anniversary at Hazel Dell.

"My favorite image to think about when it comes to communion time is the table. It's as though every time we gather, the Lord has made this great meal for his family to enjoy around his table. He invites us to sit down and remember what Christ has done for us.

Now the mark of any good family is it's ability to make room for one more around the dinner table. Whether that one more is your son's friend from Jr. High who hangs around for a couple of meals in a row and then decides he never wants to leave. Or whether that one more is the boy that your only daughter keeps bringing around year after year. Or whether that one more is your son's high school sweetheart who has become more of a daughter than a daughter-in-law. A good family will always find room for one more.

In Mark 2, Jesus says that no one puts new wine into old wineskins. If he does, the skins will burst and the wine and the skins will be destroyed. Jesus knew that new wine meant new wineskins. A new era meant a new covenant. And a new family meant a new table, with plenty of chairs. In Romans, we learn that the Lord wanted to extend his family tree by grafting on branches, making the way for you and me to know be apart of his family. Or, to put it another way, he was looking for a way to add more chairs around the table.

This morning, there is a meal before us, prepared by the Lord, to be served around his table for his family. And, like any good family, there's always room for one more. So pull up a chair, and let's enjoy this time together."

Peace,

Neil

Colorado

We arrived in Palmer Lake, CO (just north of Colorado Springs) two weeks ago to begin our last formal training time before we leave in December. The first two weeks of the program are focused on language learning. American English uses 44 of the 1,000s of sounds that our mouths are capable of making. Along with giving us some great material and guidelines for language learning, this program is also designed to loosen your tongue to be able to make some of the 966+ sounds we don't use in English in order to give you a more pleasing accent in the language you are going to learn to speak. The training has been so beneficial and we have the added bonus of spending our days with some amazing people in a beautiful state! Here's a snapshot...

Last Sunday we drove up Pike's Peak with our friends Jonathan and Lauren who are headed to Sudan this fall. To say they're the 'outdoorsy' type would be an understatement. Thanks to the Vissani's for sharing this friendship with us!

An evening hike to the reservoir armed with canned soup and corn on the cob. As you can see, it rained. But it was one of those nights that you will always remember.

The wildflowers in CO are gorgeous; when you go hiking you run into sprawling fields of them that make me smile every time. Our friends decided that we needed a picture in the middle of them. They were right.

An impromptu s'mores night with some of our fellow trainees. For those who know Courtney, this might end up being the highlight of our time here.


Here are some videos for you to enjoy. Just imagine a room full of 45 people doing this in unison all day long. The drills can be tiring, but it's amazing how much of an improvement we can see in just two weeks! Enjoy :)

Remember

"I don't know what happened. We did everything you're supposed to do. We taught them right from wrong, we got them involved in church, we prayed over every meal, we stayed married, we were affectionate, we always told them we loved them..... and yet they deny God."

This has been a hidden fear for me ever since the day it hit me that Neil and I were going to raise kids someday. You hear it from so many parents; whose to say that the same 'take your breath away' heart-breaking rebellion of a child wouldn't leave me perplexed and questioning God one day. What is the secret to success as a parent? Is there such a guarantee? The last two weeks have brought me comfort and peace in my pre-mature fear...

The Israelites were constantly in rebellion. God would do something great, they would praise him, then they would forget, rebel, cry out to God, and he would save them again. Then He would tell them to remember what He had done and to tell their children so that the cycle of suffering and rebellion could finally be ended. But they didn't. They taught their children the importance of the temple and they probably ate meals together, but they didn't tell their children of the great things God had done for them. They forgot how He had crushed their oppressors; their children didn't know to fear God. They forgot that He had allowed them back even though they had abandoned Him; their children didn't know He was Grace (maybe this is why they didn't recognize Christ?). They forgot how He was vexed over them; their children didn't know His punishment was Love. "Remember" is the central theme of Psalm 78 and I would argue God's point most of the time He addresses Israel as a nation.

"This do in remembrance of me." He was gracious enough to attach an action to the remembering.

I won't be a perfect parent. I will make sure that I tell my children not only of the great stories of what God has done in Scripture, but also the great stories of what He has done in my life and for the generations that came before me. That's all I can ask of myself as a parent. To remember. To remind.

And to learn to say "I'm sorry" a lot.

*and while I'm talking about parenting, thanks for 'reminding' me so much, mom and dad.

Let the little children come to me...

This morning I had the most beautiful interaction with a little boy that I had taught during the previous week at VBS. It was such a pleasure to teach these kids about God’s story inside of them, about India and about the special places and people that God has prepared for them to tell that story to. It was also really fun. I’m sure many of you remember from VBS days, but kids really latch onto their teachers during that week.

This morning, a little boy of about 4 saw me from across the room and came over to give me a hug. I thought the interaction would end there. Instead, he proceeded to hold my hand. Then he touched the fabric on my dress and told me it was beautiful. While he talked to me and told me about how his mother was getting coffee, he reached up to touch my face while I talked back to him. It was one of the most tender and innocent moments I have ever experienced. He had seen me from a distance all week and was finally able to interact with me face to face.

It makes me ache for Christ; to hug him, to hold his hand, to touch his garment and to hold his face while he talks sweetly to me.

Let us all, like little children, come...

Some highlights...

1. We walked into our temporary apartment on the Wheaton campus 2 weeks ago. It was late on Sunday night and we were anxious to unpack. We enter to find an apartment with a nice size living room, kitchen, 2 bedrooms--we were pleasantly surprised. That is, until we realized that bunk-beds was the only sleeping option.


2. We are going to an Indian church on Sunday nights while we are in Wheaton. Last Sunday, we were told to come hungry because they were having a potluck. We were so excited that we were going to have a smorgasbord of authentic, homemade Indian food. When we got there, we found out they had catered in Italian. Welcome to America!


3. I'm taught at VBS this week and on Monday I asked a group of second graders if they knew any Indians (since we are moving there). One little boy shouted, "I have family in Cleveland!"

-c