Glenn and Chris wanted one more backpacking trip/male bonding excursion so Kate and I are letting them have it! What was supposed to be a 3 day trip had to be shortened to a day hike due to bad weather on the horizon. They were as disappointed as Kate and I were!
While Glenn and Chris have been gone, Kate and I had massages. (Sorry, no pictures!) Kate needed one due to such a hectic schedule these past three weeks (two weeks in France, half a week in Marietta visiting Chris's family, and half a week with Glenn and me visiting in their home, plus going to work full-time now.) I needed one, well, wanted one, because I love them!
Day hike in the Smokies
For most of the week after Christmas, Glenn and I met up with friends to say our good-byes, usually over a meal. It has been such a blessing to us to get caught up on everyone's news and to enlist their prayer support for us as we leave. We treasure our friends that have added so much to our life over the years, such as Karen and Stephen Holloway, that we have been friends with since seminary days!
Brant and Peggy Callaway
(Brant was Glenn's good friend since childhood)
Kristin Cook (friends like her are few and precious)
During the days between Christmas and New Year's, Glenn and I went with the senior adults of First Baptist Church of Marietta to view the Nights of Lights on Lake Lanier. They were all beautiful, but this was my favorite as it depicts the real reason for celebrating Christmas!
On December 30th, Chris and Kate returned from France where they had been celebrating Christmas with Kari and Jonathan. They had a great time and if you want to read about their trip, you can click here or go to their blog at www.candkborders.blogspot.com
Borders Family Christmas, better late than never!
In the evening of December 30th, the Borders clan met for their annual Christmas get-together. This year it was at Glenn's brother's house and the food, most of which was done by sister-in-law Becky, was delicious!!!
Darden Borders and Glenn
Sarah Borders and her "friend"
New Year's Eve party at the Gay's
What better way to start off the new year than to begin it with good friends?
While everyone else is playing, Cile works on the computer. What a geek she has become!
As the new year began, we headed to Maryville, Tennessee so that Glenn and Chris could go on this long awaited 3 day backpacking trip, but Glenn and Chris ended up "doing a job" for one of Chris's clients for two days, and then we helped Chris on his "screened in back porch"and laundry room for two days. Then bad weather set in and cut their trip to a day hike!
Chris had framed it in before we arrived.
While Glenn and Chris closed in the laundry room, Cile primed the screened porch (minus the screens). Chris hopes we (meaning Cile) will be able to paint it before we (meaning Cile and Glenn) leave on Tuesday.
We have two more days here in Maryville before we head back to Marietta for our last week in the U.S. for a while. It will be one of the "saddest days of my life" when we leave our son and daughter in law behind.
On a happier note, this is one of the blessings we get as missionaries! This "Story of Christ" quilt was made by a third grade Sunday School class at First Baptist Church of Marietta last year and was given to me by their teacher, Nancy Swanson.
We've been hearing via email from some of our friends that we came to love at the International Learning Center as they have arrived at their places of service. Most of the 12 going to Central and Eastern Europe with us are already overseas; we are two of the last to depart, so we are excited and ready to go (figuratively speaking!). This, however, is what awaits us when we get back to Marietta on Tuesday!
PACKING! We've got to pack our 7 suitcases (these 3 are Cile's) and figure out what to do with the things for which there is not enough space! We will send a stack of books "Media Mail" to Budapest, and store the rest to pick up on a later trip to the U.S.. Pray that we make wise decisions as to what is needed, and to leave behind what is unnecessary!
Keep us in your prayers and we'll update one more time before our departure!
4 comments:
Great post, Mom!!
I really like Kristin's new do, and Sarah's too. I'm glad you guys got to see the Calloways and Holloways before leaving.
Looks like you've been having fun with Chris and Kate. Did they tell you our plans to all come out to Budapest in the summer of 2008? ;)
By the way, I found lots of tourist articles on Budapest this week. It is apparently THE up and coming European hotspot.
Love, K
I'm so glad you got to store up some precious memories to last you for a while! Adam and I pray for you nightly and will continue to do so. And, we'll figure out the international shipping rules so we can send you a little bit of "home" every now and then, too. Hope we can see you again before you leave!
Yeah! I'm glad you got your tickets! The picture of your suitcases looks like ours right now...we leave on Tuesday!!! We too have a pile of "get on a later trip back to the US" and a "hope it fits in" pile. Blessings to y'all. I'll let you know when we get our blog up and running. ;)
Charity
I just had to pass this one on... I read a daily devotional by Dr.s Henry and Richard Blackaby, and the one for today put you front and center in my mind! What a wonderful example you are, to West Cobb Baptist, North Cobb Christian, and to me and Adam specifically! LOVE you... Pam
Compelled to Serve
1/15/2007
"Your people shall be volunteers
In the day of Your power."
PSALM 110:3
"One mark of revival, during which God comes to His people in power, is that God's people are compelled to offer their lives for His service. Many churches lack people who are willing to get involved in carrying out God's redemptive work. The mission fields are crying out for Christians to go and share the gospel with those who've never heard it. What we need is not more pleas for volunteers, but an outpouring of the power of God. When God comes among His people in power, there is never a shortage of volunteers or resources for His work!
When Christians today are asked what aspects of the Christian life are most important to them, missions is not usually ranked as a priority. This is because we have lost track of why God called us in the first place. We were not saved from our sin simply so that we would qualify for heaven. God delivered us so we would have a relationship with Him through which He could carry out His mission to redeem a lost world.
Only the power of God can free us from our natural self-centeredness and reorient us toward the mission of God. There is no need to pray that God would come in power. That is the only way He ever comes. We need hearts that are so responsive to Him that He will choose to demonstrate His power through us. Is your heart so filled with love for God that you are watching for the first opportunity to say with Isaiah, ""Here am I. Send me!""?"
You can learn more about Dr. Blackaby, his writings, and his ministry at www.blackaby.org, or write:
Blackaby Ministries International
P.O. Box 16338
Atlanta, GA 30321
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