Alan's 40th

For my PI cronies - especially those around the world - you'll like this post.

Alan is 40!

So his family had planned this big surprise party about a week after his birthday. James and Lauren were not going to be in country for the surprise, so they decided to celebrate with Alan and a small gathering of friends - and, you know, throw him off the scent of any kind of surprise.

Next thing you know....in true PI Mobilization fashion....we've got a large 80's/Superman/karaoke party happening. Yes, folks, that's a Superman cake with Superman plates and napkins, the whole gang dressed like the 80s bringing pics and yearbooks from the 80s, with some crazy-alan-karaoke in the background. As Sarah P would say - it was off the hizzle!

I know you're dying to see this...just hold on...

the guest of honor
Lauren and her side-ponytail (btw, baby #3 on the way!)
whoa, yeah! Lauri gets the best-dressed award!
but Chloe was not to be out-done...(give her props for the crimped hair)
Diana and I...what you're missing here, though, is my pointy flats with white socks (imagine it!)
John, what were you singing here? too bad the 80s was a smidge earlier than John's goth days
Zoe stole the mic from Lauren and really was singing "Purple Rain"
"Turn around - every now and then I get a little bit lonely and you're never coming round..."
Happy Birthday Alan!

Lamenting

One of my favorite-books-ever-must-have-it-with-me is "A Diary of Private Prayer" by John Baillie. Check it out on Amazon, friends, you need a copy. It's a prayer book that has morning and evening prayers for a month. Last night's entry was so poignant; it brought me to my knees. I'd like to share it with you, but I suggest printing it out and spending time in solitude as you reflect....

"Holy God, to whose service I long ago dedicated my soul and life, I grieve and lament before Thee that I am still so prone to sin and so little inclined to obedience:

So much attached to the pleasures of sense, no negligent of things spiritual:
So prompt to gratify my body, so slow to nourish my soul:
So greedy for present delight, so indifferent to lasting blessedness:
So fond of idleness, so indisposed for labour:
So soon at play, so late at prayer:
So brisk in the service of self, so slack in the service of others:
So eager to get, so reluctant to give:
So lofty in my profession, so low in my practice:
So full of good intentions, so backward to fulfil them:
So severe with my neighbors, so indulgent with myself:
So eager to find fault, so resentful at being found fault with:
So little able for great tasks, so discontented with small ones:
So weak in adversity, so swollen and self-satisfied in prosperity:
So helpless apart from Thee, and yet so little willing to be bound to Thee.

O merciful heart of God, grant me yet again Thy forgiveness. Hear my sorrowful tale and in Thy great mercy blot it out from the book of Thy rememberance. Give me faith so to lay hold of Thine own holiness and so to rejoice in the righteousness of Christ my Savior that, resting on His merits rather than on my own, I may more and more become conformed to His likeness, my will becoming one with His in obedience to Thine. All this I ask for His holy name's sake. Amen."

Jump In My Car

"That's right, it's Hofficial... your favourite cult icon wants to take you home!" ...okay, those aren't my words, but they're pretty funny. If you've been around me in the past couple months, you probably know I've become a Hasselhoff video fan. This guy is off the charts...not really in a good way, I might add. Check out his latest video, which I do think is ridiculously funny!

on the way home...

On the way home from Louisville, I stopped in ATL to see some friends. I first caught an Indelible Grace concert -- impeccably timed! I love this band and enjoyed singing my little heart out along with them.
I stayed with good friends Wes and Nancy Simmons, who just relocated to the Atlanta area. Sadly, I did not get a picture with them, so I stole this one from their blog. :) They spent 3 years in Orlando at RTS and I enjoyed our friendship so much!
After a late Saturday morning breakfast with them, I drove to Jacksonville to spend the night with my family. Here are Ella and Emily, my super fun nieces.
My brother Nels, and his wife Ashlee. I went to church with them on Sunday morning, which I always enjoy. They have a great church in Jax called Christian Family Chapel.
After church, we went out to the beach to have lunch at my brother Rich's workplace, Sticky Fingers. He did an excellent job and we made sure to leave him a good tip. :) EVERY time he came to the table, Emily kept saying "Hey Uncle Rich!!" like she hadn't seen him in weeks. It was pretty funny... Do you want more stories? I can tell more stories. I have tons of stories about my nieces. :)

Places to go, People to see

Sheryl and I went to downtown Louisville one night so I could check out the music scene. We caught a set at The Jazz Factory called 'Bluegrass meets Jazz.'

It was pretty good! It was basically a traditional bluegrass band (banjo, mandolin, dobro, stand up bass, guitar) playing jazz music. I think this was just a bunch of local guys who play together on Wednesday nights at this local joint.

Enjoying the show.

Then we walked over to Fourth Street Live!, the famous music area in Louisville. What did we stumble upon? A free, outdoor concert by Little Big Town! Here's my fuzzy picture of them.

Then, true to family form, I had to stop and see a Frank Lloyd Wright home in Frankfort, KY on my way home. Ain't she a beaut?
This is now a private residence, so I didn't get to take a tour. But I took lots of pics to pass along to my dad, the real Wright fan in the family.

On all our family road trips, if there was ever a Wright house within about 100 miles, we'd trek over there to take a look. :)


Wright got a lot of his inspiration from Japanese architecture. So when I drove up to this house, I found myself fighting back tears. It reminded me so much of Japan! This house could almost be dropped anywhere in Japan and look normal. It was ridiculously emotional.

Welcome to Louisville!

Isn't it beautiful? I arrived in Louisville on Monday night, 7/3, enjoyed a home-cooked meal by Mrs. Nelson (sheryl), and just hung out for the evening, catching-up and getting some ice cream. They took me to their favorite ice cream joint called Graeters...oh my goodness...it was so good. I went a few more times that week.

July 4th, Independence Day

Lunch with Sheryl & Michael at a BBQ place..yum!
Waiting for the fireworks to start on the banks of the Ohio River. We had a cookout in the afternoon with some of Sheryl & Michael's friends from seminary, then all went downtown to see the show.
Michael & Sheryl Nelson. Michael just finished his first year at Southern Seminary working on his Masters of Divinity. The school was really pretty itself and was set in a gorgeous, old area of town. Sheryl is a 5th grade teacher at Okolona Elementary School. At my request, she showed me her school and classroom. It's weird to be all grown up! :)

Red, White, and Bluegrass Festival

Sunday, July 2
Morganton, North Carolina

Though I didn't get to enjoy as much as I intended (I felt sleep deprived), the festival was fantastic. Bluegrass music is so great; you should try it sometime. Anyway, we heard a couple of bands called JD Crowe & The New South and The Lonesome River Band. I bought CDs, if you care to check them out. These are pretty well known bands in the bluegrass circuit with incredible musicians and some sweet harmony.

Festival-ing it up with my Dad
What? (scooting closer) Are you serious? (straining to see) Are those KIDS?! How OLD are they?! These little guys were unquestionably amazing! I would have totally bought their CD...the four guys you're looking at are between the ages of 11 and 13 and just finished "Bluegrass Camp." Don't laugh. Their musical ability would put you to shame! I certainly was shocked.

Backing up a bit...

rihrihrirhrihrihrirhrirhrih - Rewind about a week! You'll find my parents and I at a 50th Wedding Anniversary party for my Dad's cousins. This was really the reason for our family reunion weekend: we were celebrating the marriage and family of Hally & Norma Merrell! It was a fun party. We got all dressed up and enjoyed dinner to the tune of a stringed quartet at the Yacht Club. Sure, it's not your traditional family reunion. But here are some pics!

Mom, Dad, and my Dad's sister, Pat (whose real name is Elizabeth, but she was born on St. Patrick's Day and the nurses' nickname for her stuck!)
I sat at the young table. :) Finishing up the meal with Morgan, Katie, and Linda.
With my Dad's sisters - Aunt Carol and Aunt Pat.

Do I still have Readers? Am I boring you?

Oh man, it's Saturday night and I'm pooped. I've driven a lo--ng way in the last two days, but I've finally made it to a familiar place. I'm about to get real comfy on the couch and pop in a movie at my brother's home in Jacksonville, Fla. This is my last stop on the Great Summer Roadtrip of 2006, but I won't see my home for another week. At 6:30am on Monday morning, our first group of PIONEERS summer teamers (the Edge) return from overseas. We'll be debriefing a group of about 15 all this week at work, so I'll be staying down there. It'll be fun; I've been looking forward to it since they left in May!

But back to Jax...yes, that's right, I'm here to hang out with my favorite little girls in the world, Ella and Emily Hansen. We're planning on a trip to the beach tomorrow after church to have lunch with Uncle Rich and catch some sun. And then I'm off to a dinner meeting in Orlando for the Edge.

Pictures coming soon...

Happy 4th of July!

Hope you're having a great holiday. I've made it to stop #2 on the Great Summer Roadtrip of 2006: Louisville, Kentucky. I'm staying with my best friend from college, Sheryl, and her husband, Michael, who is up here working on his M.Div. at Southern Seminary. In less than 24 hours up here, I've already laughed buckets of tears. Most people don't see that side of her, but Sheryl is absolutely hilarious. Don't get us started.

Since "brilliant" is my middle name, I naturally left the USB driver at home and therefore cannot load any of my trip pictures on my blog. Again, I know you're on the edge of your seat, but you'll just have to wait.

By the way...as it turns out, it IS possible to have a personal dance party in the car while you're driving I-40 through Knoxville. I'm not sure about anywhere else, but I successfully pulled that off while navigating through the Smokies yesterday. Just thought you'd like to know. Guess which CD I was dancing to?

Set list from yesterday's drive:
JD Crowe and the New South - new bluegrass CD
"True Believer" by Nicholas Sparks, book on tape
Michael Jackson Greatest Hits
Iron & Wine
Caedmons Call - their newest one
more Nicholas Sparks
Johnny Cash Greatest Hits
another Iron & Wine
Michael Buble
more Nicholas Sparks...almost done, I think, but the book is 10 hours of listening material, and I'm not that impressed.

Adios, amigos.

Road Trip!

Yes, folks, this post comes to you from the hills of central Carolina -- Huntersville, to be exact. I'm currently finishing up day 2 of the Great Summer Roadtrip of 2006. And, well, it's been....interesting. Let me just say two words: family reunion.

Well, my family isn't all here. My brothers probably don't even know where I am, let alone know they missed a family reunion. But it would have been WAY more fun with them around. Sad. I wish they were here. Anyway, my dad's cousins are celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary this summer and threw a big weekend party up here around Charlotte, NC.

Various events this weekend included introducing and reintroducing yourself to people, commenting on who's changed and who's grown up, trying to remember the last time you saw each other, and eating, eating, eating. Stay tuned for pics. I know you're on the edge of your seat.

A few reflections....

1. It's entertaining for me to watch people's reactions when I answer the question "So, what do you do?" Most people don't know how to respond. Missionary work? Honestly, their replies usually leave me laughing inside.

2. Apparently, I've graduated from the question "are you dating anyone now?" to "any marriage plans on your horizon?" ....what??

3. My mom is one surprising gal. Not only did she sing along with me to both Johnny Cash and Caedmons Call on the way up (?), but she was determined to hear some live music before leaving the pub on Friday night. Who's that yelling at the band to begin? Oh my gosh, it's my mother. (check please!)

4. The best part (and maybe why I came...) was reconnecting with some distant cousins who are kindred family in the Faith. I'm so encouraged by their lives. You know, there are just some people that you don't see very often, and you may not have a whole lot to talk about with them, but you really enjoy spending time with them. Do you know people like that? Well, these people are my family. I like them.

Tomorrow I say goodbye to...where am I again?...oh yeah, Huntersville, and head over to Morganton about an hour away for a much anticipated bluegrass festival. Yeah baby!

Ever heard of the Black Widow?

No, not the killer spider. I'm talking about Sonya Thomas, the "Black Widow" of the Competitive Eating circuit. This chick can EAT! She's 5'5", weighs 100 pounds, and currently holds 27 world records. I've been following her for several months now (via the Offbeat news on usatoday.com), but just found her official website at www.sonyatheblackwidow.com.

Her impressive records include:
--8 lbs, 2 oz. of Chili Cheese Fries in 10 minutes
--44 soft shell lobsters in 12 minutes
--46 dozen (552) oysters in 10 minutes
--52 hard boiled eggs in 5 minutes
--48 soft shell chicken tacos in 11 minutes
*professional use only. this not to be attempted at home.*

Oh my gosh, I think I'm gonna be sick...

Now before you think this is just a typical "fatty American" sport, let us not forget to mention the king of all eating, Japanese competitor Takeru Kobayashi. Check out his all-time hot dog record at www.watchmeeatahotdog.com.

You see, folks, you can really do anything. The sky (or your stomach) is the limit. When you climbed up on your grandfather's lap at 3 years old and he said you can be anything you want to be, it was really true!

a shout-out to my peeps!

I have to literally shout-it-out to tell you how much I loved working with these guys during Edge orientation. (yes! i'm still talking about the Edge!)


This was the Edge staff for the week. About eight of us in this picture are full-time at PI, and all of the others are volunteers - *star* volunteers, I might add. (We call them O-Staff.) Most O-Staffers went on Edge trips in the past and came this year to help with all of the logistical behind-the-scenes dirty work like putting notebooks together, cleaning rooms, making copies, running the powerpoint, helping the kitchen staff, hauling mattresses all over campus (thanks Tropical Storm Alberto), etc. The best part, though, was watching the O-Staff connect with students - encouraging them and praying with them for the mission journey they were about to embark upon.

My main responsibilty for Edge orientation was to oversee this awesome crew. They really worked hard...going non-stop from 6:30am to midnight with multiple responsibilities, constant smiles, and great excitement! We all were super blessed by them. Personally, I wasn't feeling very well and everyone was so kind to pray with me and maybe even fetch me a few smoothies. :)

I really enjoyed hanging out with Genavieve, Jessica, Jennings, Andrew, Danny, Alissa, Katie, and Jonathan. Their journeys of faith are so unique and awesome to hear. All are on the road to missions in some capacity, so it's invigorating to hear and share in their vision and passion.


At the end of a long week, we played at the beach for an afternoon. Miss you guys! May the Lord bless you and keep you and make His face to shine upon you and be gracious to you. With great expectation, I look forward to hearing how God draws you closer to His heart and sends you forth into the nations!

yeah, can't stay away from the pics. Here are some fun teams serving our God overseas this summer. Now you see some of the faces I see...pray for them!


teaching ESL and helping with an orphans/widow project in south asia


teaching ESL and discipling youth in croatia


surveying new areas and learning from african missionaries in ghana


camps and outreaches in greece


getting to know university students in island southesast asia


hiking to new areas in east asia reaching nomads


teaching ESL and building relationships with university students in Thailand

words

I really want to put up more pictures, but I should write some words. What do you think?

It is such a privilege to be a part of the sending force of missionaires all over the world. I realize that I often take my job for granted. Sometimes I want to complain about my desk responsibilities. I often sit longingly wondering when it will be my turn to move overseas. In rush hour traffic, I wonder why I drive so far to my office.

But then I see faces. I see Indonesian faces, I see Kazakh faces, I see Kenya tribal leaders, I see the eyes of Afghan women through their burqahs, I see crazy colored hair framing Bosnian faces --- and I hear their cries for truth, their searching for hope, and their longing to be loved. There are more faces. There are faces of second-career folks, mommies and daddies with young families, and singles just out of college. These faces look different; they have an eagerness to go and live among the other faces. They have an eagerness to share truth, give hope, and love the unloveable. And then, like last week, there are the fresh faces of students who are highly teachable with a keen sense of questioning - asking, "is this what God wants me to do with my life?"

Ooooh, I love those faces. All of them. They are why I'm here in this cubicle typing emails and sending out information packets and talking on the phone. Somehow, God has allowed me to have a small part in impacting the nations because He is worth it!! He is worthy to be praised from every nation, every language, every culture. I really, really want to GO one day, but for now, my role is to SEND. Maybe that impact is even bigger?

Thanks, God, for allowing me to be a part of this whole grand story you're writing. You are worth it.

part II

(Editor's note: it seems as though at the end of the post below, I was no longer authorized to post pictures. I was cut off. How rude. See current post for the continuation of that exhilarating picture story. Thank you.)


Is God asking you to give up something for the summer? Nail it to the cross.


Praying for the nations - I chose this spot on the dock as my station focused on praying for the island nation of Indonesia


Last minute preps by Joe on his session about security

More tomorrow!

the Edge - 2006

Woo Hoo! 101 more to the nations this summer...look at their beautiful feet! How beautiful are the feet of those who bring Good News. (Okay, so their faces aren't bad either..)

Wow, I have so much to write. But I'll give you a snapshot of my last week in pictures.


Arriving in Tropical Storm Alberto's fury


Lots of luggage...piled up to be weighed (we're not paying excess fees!)


Registration with lovely Autumn. Welcome to PIONEERS!


Worship Band "2:8" - can you tell me where they got their name?


Worshipping together - love it!


Team Building activities - getting everyone from one board to another

Um....what?!?!

What is this?! It's too early! Pray for us...this tropical depression looks like it's going to hit on Monday. If you were keeping track - this is the day about 85 students are flying in to Orlando for their PIONEERS training before going overseas for the summer. The rain would seriously mess up airport arrivals! (And the fact that the students are sleeping in tents...at this rate, probably soggy tents.)

But, God's not surprised. So PRAY with us that we would be flexible, God would be glorified in our attitudes, and all of our students would arrive safely.

THANKS, FRIENDS!