Life moves on...

Yes, it does! In fact, at a rapid pace. The week was so full that I forgot most days to capture those fleeting moments for posterity. I will try to fill in the gaps somehow. Like last week, this one culminated with a BIG day on Saturday. I could overwhelm you with photos of Saturday's event so that you will understand why the week was hectic, but I won't.

It all began with Missions Sunday. Our special speaker was Marvin Newell. I have a book he wrote, it survived the house fire. Though somewhat damaged, it remains a very inspirational read.


Here he compiled the stories of all the Moody Bible Institute graduates who have been martyred.

For lack of a photo for Monday, I will show you the finished harpist sculpture as some have asked to see it.
If you have the time you could watch a time lapse [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uQ_4dYfsndY] which condenses the 200 hours of the the process into 6".

 Tuesday, the daughter and I met up at water aerobics. She always did love the water!

Leah enjoying a swim after the session

Wednesday we received very sad news. Martin's family was hit by a van--two children died, ages 3 and 5; mother and three others hospitalized; one teenager and newborn released the next day. He is one of the Amish men who worked on our house.

In the evening I attended the monthly writer's group. Our guest was a young Taylor student who writes primarily for children (upper elementary age). She already has two books published.

It is always interesting to learn from another writer's journey.

All throughout the week Mike and I were preparing for the celebration on Saturday: washing windows, mowing the lawn, hanging pictures (Mike), among other things; cleaning floors, food purchase and prep (me), among other things. Some of those other things involved the usual, such as volunteer and exercise activities, as well the occasional, like helping dear friends.

Among the many errands Friday, I stopped to visit Viola. We shared a light lunch--a huge orange each.

Saturday Leah came over and we spent hours together preparing for the  fiesta--an open house/wedding shower for Kayla and Matt. They found a house for rent and will be moving in May. Many people wanted to bless them as they begin life on their own.

Gift Table

Opening Gifts

As you can see I enjoy going down to Mike's pottery 'store' and choosing appropriate pieces for each occasion.

The younger ones enjoyed playing outdoors most of the time.

The weather has been so beautiful. Our woods is greening and closing in on us.

Friends From Afar

I saved a few photos and stories from the last two weeks to feature in a post of their own.

Amigos de Cataluña
You may remember that last fall I interpreted for Rafa, a gentleman from Spain, and that I arrived at the men's breakfast wearing a man-mask. (Oh, now you remember?)  His daughter Laura was along on that trip. ( You can see us here and here.) 

This time I was privileged to meet Yoli, the wife and mother of the family.

Once again my services as interpreter were required on two occasions:
--Monday evening at a gathering of all those interested in the camp they represent and where Rafa now works full time in maintenance. (Go to L'Arcada for more information.)

--Friday morning in a class at Indiana Wesleyan University (in a classroom where I used to teach!) It was a fun experience.

Before that we had gone to breakfast and had a great laugh at our ineptness with the waffle machine. We either did not see or did not read the directions for use, or there were none. And we most certainly missed seeing the oil spray to prep the iron before pouring in the batter. So we ended up scraping and scratching out two very stuck waffles onto one plate. I told them I felt like a foreigner in my own country. I think I was so distracted enjoying our lively conversation in Spanish that I could not focus on the waffle-making. (Excuses, excuses.) In any case it was memorable!

Freunde von Österreich
Dave and Brenda Babcock have spent over forty years working in Europe and beyond.

I met Brenda in a Christmas crusade in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, the month before we were married.

The following year, Christmas and winter, she was on our team in Germany. In fact, she helped me out the weeks before our oldest was born when I could no longer get around.

They were engaged to be marrried, but Dave had been arrested and was in prison in Turkey for distributing Bibles and Christian literature. Eleven arrests, jail and prison time, five trials, and a five-year sentence were only the beginning of many life trials over the years. In the end, however, Dave and the guys with him were held six months only and then deported.

So Dave and Brenda were married in June of 1971 in Germany, and I played the organ at their wedding. I don't think I would be able to do that now.

Needless to say it was delightful to catch up with them again. I was privileged to meet with them on four different occasions during the few days they were in this area. And the last time Mike was there as well. Then we stopped by the Red Barn to show them what's going on there with the pottery.

Interestingly, Dave uses the decade concept that I have gotten into lately as a way to process and organize our life stories. As they travel around visiting their supporting churches, he shares stories from each decade of ministry. We were on the same team back in the beginning, and for awhile lived on the same street in Vienna. Our older children played together. It is good to remember and to rehearse all that God has done.

God, who has called you into fellowship with His Son Jesus Christ our Lord, is faithful. (I Corinthians 1:9)

Remembering...

...our dear friends, the McMullins

Three weeks ago, we were on our way to Wisconsin to celebrate the life of Randy. A little over a year ago we did the same for Marlene. It is still hard to believe they are both gone, absent from this earth. They had been so full of life. Their home always a beehive of activity, ever involved in giving to others, especially missionaries.

When I got back from Cincinatti, I found this photo. The family sent it along with a couple of documents dated June 10, 1982.

The photo was probably the last one taken together, some 10 years ago. They were passing through our area. The visit was brief, the fellowship sweet. We always shared deeply. Never even a thought of the parting to come. How sobering to look ahead and think of all the goodbyes that await us, maybe our own.

The documents we had signed and left with the McMullins on one of our short furloughs from the ship ministry, were our wills. I had totally forgotten about this step of preparadness for such an event. Our children are grown up so they no longer need to go to Nocha and Dallas if we die.

All the reminiscing got me thinking about starting the Memory Monday posts with the Omro chapter of our journey. Check out the first entry next week.

Basking with Basques

to bask= regodearse en; deleitarse en
To expose oneself to pleasant warmth: sunshine (lit.), spotlight (fig.).

To take great pleasure or satisfaction; to enjoy, relish, savour.

Basque=vasco

A member of a people of unknown origin living in the western Pyrenees in France and Spain (Euskadi).

The language of the Basque people; of no known relation to any other language (euskara).

We are still basking in the warm afterglow of a wonderful weekend.

Our house guests--the Ybarrolas, un verdadero vasco and his esposa, otherwise known in our family as Curly Steve and his wife Lorie--were here to expose our church people to an unreached people group.

Steve was one of the young men on our team when we lived in Europe. He was especially kind to our small daughter and she gave him the nickname that described his 'big hair' at that time.

He also spent some time on the ship Doulos with us when our youngest was a baby and remembers picking him up by the straps (?) and flying him around to Sammy's great delight.

The Ybarrola relatives live in a village in Northern Spain. Steve's grandfather's ancestors go back 500 years living in the same house!

Since the time our ways parted, 30+ years ago, Steve has reconnected with his ancestry, lived 15 months in the area with his young family, revisited his people regularly, and become an anthropologist expert in the Basque culture.

We thoroughly enjoyed the renewed fellowship with Steve and immediately fell in love with Lorie. And next summer we hope to be 'aunt & uncle' or 'grandparents' to some Basque young people as our church gets involved in Impact Basque.