Chaos on the East Coast

This past few days have been quit exciting. Starting with flying to my mom's, spending the night, and then borrowing her car to go visit Daune's great aunt and cousin in NJ. Like all good Italians, we had Italian food for dinner. Duane & I took a bus across the river to see Tines Square all lit up. 

After spending the night in NJ, we headed back to PA for my family reunion, which is at an amusement park. Did I mention it's been about 106 degrees and humid? Being in the air conditioned car 3 hours was great, but everything else, was...good India prep... We had a great time with family and enjoyed the water rides to cool off. 

After the Reunion, we headed straight north. We stopped at Watkins Glen, had dinner, and hiked almost the whole canyon in less than 1 hour. (It had cooled down to the 90s).

We hopped back in the car and got to my friends house in time to watch the sunset over Lake Ontario.

We spent that night at my friends, who I haven't seen in 3 years, and used to babysit for back when their 10 year old was a baby. What cute kids! Makes us want our own...but not yet...

Sunday we spoke at their church. It was great! It was Duane and my first time speaking together, and it went very well. They had M-worker Sunday, with us, a guy who's been in Chna, and a family serving in Africa, each getting to share. 

After Church and lunch, we headed to my hometown. We were going to wait till Monday, but we had been invited to a friend's get-together, so we went...although I hadn't been able to get ahold of the people we were staying with, and we were coming a day sooner. They weren't home...

You would think being in my hometown it would be easy to find someplace to stay, but mostly I had only a few phone numers and a list of people who I already knew were out of town this week, and it was after 9pm. Who do you call? A friend who has high schoolers who always have tons of friends over spending the night. They also are packing to move out of state later this week, so we just added to caios and got to spend time with them. It was great.

Finishing Well

Even though we were more than ready to go home on Sunday, the last day of our road trip was probably one of the best.

Rebecca (who I meet in Idaho 2 years ago), read that we were going through Kansas City, so she offered to host a little event for us. We arrived at her house Sunday afternoon and were greeted with the wonderful aroma of fresh hummus and Indian curry.

Rebecca had invited a bunch of friends over for dinner, and about 10 came. There really should have been more people, because Rebecca's cooking is AMAZING!

Over dinner, Duane and I shared about what we have been doing and our plans for India. We had lots of great conversations, and a fun time.

The Rock

Through a friend, of a friend, of a friend, we were told of Mark Anderson, who works in Agra, India. He happened to be in Denver a few weeks ago, so we drove up there and met him and his wife. He put us in contact with a guy in Kansas city, who serves in Lucknow, India. This guy also did the D-school in Colorado Springs, making him just a friend of a friend.

Anyway, last Sunday, we visited The Rock of KC. What a great Church! Then we had lunch with our new friend, his Indian wife, and the church's Mssion's Pastor - who has been to several countries...

That was really fun - sharing stories from China and India. We also got lots of helpful advice about living in India and learning Hindi. I can't wait to go back to India!!

Kansas City

Two days in Kansas City was not long enough.

We stayed at the Vaughn's house, which seemed like a great place to rest, but we were pretty busy.

We had lunch with one of Duane's friends, and then spent the evening at International House of Prayer (IHOP).

I have always wanted to go there, because I love soaking in Jesus' presence. However the down-side to a 24 hour prayer room which seats 1200, is that people come and go all of the time, which is rather distracting to people like me.

For me, I like to soak with small groups of people, and if there's lots of people, than there should be passionate worship. I like to put worship in those boxes...

More Romania

For the most part, this road trip has involved meeting lots of people who Duane, Quinn, and Vanessa know from China trips. So we sit around the table and laugh about the crazy stories of good times in China. I've heard so many stories that when I'm old and confused, I'll probably laugh about the good-old-days when we were in China...

Every once in a while we mix in visiting one of my friends. So on our way from Nashville to Kansas City, we had a dinner break at my friend Erika's house.

What fun to hang out with one of my friends and talk about our trips to Romania!!

We were on the same team for the Romania trip in 2001, but I also got to see Erika again in Romania the following summer.

Since we both grew up in NY, we did see each other a couple other times, but the last time was Michelle's wedding in 2003...so it's been a while...

Narrow Gate

Some of Duane's friend's work at Narrow Gate. It's a 6-8 month discipleship program for young guys. While growing closer in their relationship with God, they also learn skills such as wood-working, or metal-working.

Duane & I spent an afternoon there, hanging out with his friends, and got a tour of the property.

On of the coolest things is Moses' face in a tree. Some lady made that with a chain-saw, and then used a chisel for the finer details...

The Storm

While in Nashville, we had a great storm, with thunder, lightning, and 65+ mph wind. In Tennessee that means Tornado Warning!

It was pretty exciting to watch the wind and rain. We also spent a little while in the basement, which is our host's workshop. If there had been a tornado, and if tornadoes could destroy basements, we would have been impaled by tools, nails, screws, etc. Ouch! Fortunately, there was no tornado in our area, just a great thunder storm.

Weird Things We Learned...

We were at a local restaurant with some friends. We noticed zip-lock bags filled with water, and hanging from the sealing.

What is that about?

Are there gold fish in there?

A red-neck sprinkler system?

Can we throw darts?

So we asked about it, and we learned that apparently this is an all-natural way to keep the flies away, and we didn't see any flies, so I guess it works. Next trip to India, we'll be taking lots of zip-lock bags...

http://animals.howstuffworks.com/animal-facts/water-bags-repel-flies1.htm

Chillin' in Nashville

The past few days in Alabama were great, but it's time to move on. Saturday evening, after making sure the car was happy, we headed up to Nashville...

After a great church service, we went out for lunch with some friends (who I just met).

Lunch was at a cute little house turned into a restaurant with all natural, home-grown food goodness.

Once we got back to our host's house, we took their dogs to the park. It was great to just chill and enjoy this beautiful summer day...

B'ham, 'bama

The past few summers, Duane has been in Chna hosting outreach teams, and a few of those teams came from Church of the Highlands, so he has lots of friends here in Birmingham, Alabama.

After 13ish hours in the car, we arrived at 2am on Tuesday, so I was pretty out of it.

The next day I figured out who's house we were staying at, "oh, that's Adam, the guy who is in our wedding. That makes sense, because we're in Alabama, and that's where he lives..."

Our days here are more laid-back than the 3 days spent getting here. We have coffee dates and dinner dates with various friends of Duane, Quinn, & Vanessa. It's nice to put some faces with all these names I have heard of in Chna outreach stories... For some reason I am surprised every time someone speaks and the words come out with a southern accent...ya'll talk with the same accent, well isn't that just great?

We went to the Wednesday evening service at Church of the Highlands. That was wonderful. I love worshiping Jesus, and good sermons are always good too...although that place is crazy big. Their youth theater room is bigger than a lot of churches...

Day trip to Atlanta

We drove over to Atlanta to meet Vanessa's parents for lunch. Traffic was crazy, and we forgot about the time zone change.

None-the-less it all worked out. It was great to meet them, and lunch was delicious!

Apparently the cold weather followed us here, which makes it our own faults that we don't get to enjoy the sunny south...but it is kind of cool to see sky scrapers scraping the sky...

Friends in Texas

Today I saw a friend I hadn't seen in 6 years. It's weird to remember back when I was in high school, and babysitting for various families at Elim. Getting close to them, and then every year saying good bye to someone, wondering if I'd ever see them again.

Seeing them again is great!!! Although it is crazy how much happens in 6 years. Some of the changes are pretty lame, but overall I'd say life is better now than ever before :). I also realized how much I have changed and grown since high-school.

Although it's crazy that my little friends are growing up and going to school, and unavailable to meet me for a lunch-date...but it was great to see Kristy (aka Chloe's mom), and I guess an 8 year old isn't going to remember that girl who babysat her when she was a baby...

For some reason once I do see someone again, instead of saying "bye", it becomes "see you later" even if that might mean another 6 years...but I hope it's not that long...

Church in Denver

Sunday we went to Church in Denver. Fred spoke about the state of the world today and what the church needs to do to get our country back on track.

We had a booth set up in the foyer with a bunch of books - biographies of famous M-workers such as Amy Carmichael and Hudson Taylor. We also had fliers and such with more info about what we do, for those interested in joining missions.

This was my first networking/recruiting event since joining NSI in Jan. I enjoyed meeting people and sharing with them more about what we do. I also loved visiting their church, and participating in anointed worship, and of course hearing Fred speak is always a little mind-blowing.

Road Trip!!!

What We Do...

At this point, Duane's & my role in pioneering the North India Initiative is mostly networking. We meet with churches, ministries, and individuals in order to find out what ministry is already going on in India, and to mobilize more people to get involved. Later this year, we plan to go to India to meet with long-term workers and see how we can best serve their ministries.

In the future we will be taking church groups and outreach teams to India. The type of outreaches we do will be determined by the gifts and interests of the outreach team, but also by what is most beneficial and strategic for the long-term ministries in India.

Road Trip...

Duane & I are using this next month grow our financial support team, so we have a good financial foundation on which we can start our marriage and pioneer the ministry God is calling us to do.

On March 27 the leader of NSI will be speaking at a church in Denver. Duane & I, along with a few of our co-workers, will be there to connect with people who want to get more involved in missions. From there Duane & I will join another couple in Austin, TX and then road trip with them to Birmingham, AL; Nashville, TN; Kansas City, MO; Denver, CO and finally back to Colorado Springs on April 13th. In all these places Duane & I will be meeting with current supporters and potential supporters, as well as networking with ministries and people who focus on reaching India. Please be praying that this will be a fruitful season.

Road Trip Calendar:

March 27 - Denver, CO

March 28 - Austin, TX

March 29-April 1 - Birmingham, AL

April 2-7 - Nashville, TN

April 8-10 - Kansas City, MO

April 10 - Lawrence, KS

April 11-13 - Denver, CO

A Weekend in Casade

"Weekend" would be an understatement since Duane & I spent 5 days in Cascade. Some highlights from our visit:

* The Cascade Food Pantry is now officially open. They've got a building, a couple of freezers and refrigerators, and plenty of food!! I remember meeting with Lori last summer when this was all just a great idea, so it was supper encouraging to see the result of that pioneering project.

* We attended the DTS graduation and got to hear stories from their India outreach. It is always great to hear the amazing things God is doing in the lives of people I've met and places I've been.

* I will also forgive my friend Christina for waiting until after I leave, to join staff in Idaho. But this way there's a good chance we'll cross paths in India as well as in the USA.

* Duane met with Joe T. He just completed the DTS in Idaho and is planning on joining staff with us in Colorado. Next on his agenda is spending 6 months in India.

* I crashed the Youth Group's Mexico Team meeting and then Duane & I attended their Valentine's Banquet fundraiser. It's a great group of teens, and I can't wait for God to rock their world as they experience missions first-hand.

* I got to see the sweet bridesmaid dresses which Carrie & Chris bought in India. Everyone else will have to wait till the wedding to see the dresses...

* My wonderful friends threw a Indian-themed bridal shower for me.

At the beginning, everyone shared how they knew me or a fun memory with me. I was really encouraged hearing how I had been a blessing to the ladies from church, a faithful worker with my co-workers in YWAM, a role model to the girls in youth group, and servant to the community. 

Wow, that's sounds conceited, but my point is, it's encouraging to know that my life is making an impact on those around me, and I feel very loved and missed. I am sad to leave again, not knowing when I'll be back...

Reminiscing

Since I'm a facebook/blog stalker, I happen to know that one of my friends lives in PA now. So on my way to visit my mom, I stopped by Susie's and said "hi." I hadn't seen her since we graduated from college  almost 5 years ago.

We met back at Elim when we were 5 and 6 years old...were pen-pals for several yeas when I lived in PA, and she in VA and New Zealand...then we went to Elim together...and now we're both in full-time missions with YWAM...although I am a few years behind her on the whole getting married and having cute kids...that weird, because it wasn't that long ago we were kids...

...My 6th birthday party...

Our Important Dates

- Our romantic beach walk, when I realized I liked Duane (24th)

- Flirting on the beach (26th)

- When he told me he liked me and I said, "I thought so" (28th)

- We started dating (3rd/4th)

- Our first official date (5th)

- I was given a carnation (24th)

- God told me that the carnation, romance and Duane were all from Him (28th)

- We drove to Moab to go camping with his parents (28th)

- We "accidentally" looked a rings, and played a joke on our friends, telling them we eloped (1st)

- Duane gave me carnations (5th)

- Our engagement pictures (15th)

- My good-bye party where Duane was given a certificate to take 1 staff member of his choice to Colorado (17th)

- A hike in the snow to the train tunnel to take cute pictures (22nd)

- The day Duane proposed and we got engaged (15th)

- And of course our wedding, which will be on May 21st

Duane & Becky's Story

Once upon a time, there was a man named Duane, who loved India. So he came to Cascade, Idaho to work with more people who also love India. That's where he met a cute dread-head named Becky. Together they had fun, hiking with friends, and soaking in the hot springs.

Then their team went on a Faith road trip, which ended up being 3 weeks long. That resulted in suspicious things such as: Duane getting really protective when the home-sick NYC kid gave Becky a hug, because she was from his state. “Sorry” the boy said, “she must be your girlfriend…” Well, not yet, but it sure did appear to be true…Or in San Francisco, when Becky had the worst sinus infection ever, took nightquil and slept for two days. Duane was really concerned…you would have thought she was dying…

Then in Mendocino, California, there was that long walk, barefoot on the beach, watching the sunset, and talking for hours. It was the most romantic date ever, except for the part where Becky didn’t know if Duane liked her, but she knew she was falling for him.

A couple days later, in Discovery Bay, Duane said to Becky, “would you like to go down to the beach and watch the sunset with me?” The response was a smile and a nod. As the sun set he confessed that he liked her, and she said, "I thought so" and awkwardly left him hanging, so he had to ask, "um, do you feel the same way?" "Oh, yes!!!"

After a long, flirtatious drive back to Idaho, the couple talked to their leaders, and officially started dating.

At last it came time to meet the parents on a camping trip in Moab. The couple had fun, mountain biking, hiking, and sleeping outside in hammocks! As a joke they took a picture of them wearing rings, and e-mailed it to some friends. This is referred to as the time they “accidentally” looked a rings… but it worked out conveniently for Duane. Dresses as pirates they returned to their excited friends. It was rather disappointing to admit, it was just a joke.

As they prayed about what their future would look like, rather than Duane stay in Idaho, it seemed that it was time for Becky to move on. At the pirate/hippie good-bye party, Becky was given a “thank you” so big that it didn’t fit on the card, and Duane was awarded with the right to take one staff member of his choice to Colorado.

The day after Becky arrived in Colorado Springs Duane insisted they go for a walk in the Garden of the Gods. She put her camera in her pocket, and noticed he had something in his pocket, which didn’t look like his phone, but it wasn’t a ring box either, so she wasn’t too suspicious.

As they walked, he talked about how this was his playground, and finally it was going to be a romantic spot, now that his princess was here. As they rounded a corner of “Twin Spires” Duane talked about how the 2 different colored rocks somehow merged into one, like a married rock, if that is possible. There were flowers and a card on the ground. Becky figured he must have had a friend put it there. Since he is a romantic guy anyway, this might just be a “welcome to Colorado” gift.

The card had pictures of them on the front and inside a picture of Duane with…her mom and step-dad? Duane said, “I just had a crazy weekend in Pennsylvania, and I called your Dad too,” as he got down on one knee and pulled out a ring and put it on her finger. She kissed him, for the first time, (since they weren’t going to kiss until we are engaged), and now they were engaged!

A distant voice yelled, “so, is that a yes?” That’s when she noticed our photographer stalker, and discovered that the random thing in Duane’s pocket was the voice recorder…so yes, they have it all on video…

All Expense Paid Road Trip

Sounds too good to be true, what is the catch? Oh it's a long drive on dangerous mountain roads, a mission not for the faint of heart.

Some friends of a friend were hunting out in the middle of nowhere. Due to the storm they were unable to fly back to Cascade, instead they had to fly the opposite direction. Duane and I were asked to take the van and drive 7hrs to go rescue them. Since it is winter, the direct route through the mountains is closed, so we'd have to drive south out of the mountains, east across the plains, and north back into the mountains.

We were hoping to leave last night and get to Boise before the storm hit here, but we were too late, and the heaven dumped lots of snow. So we waited until this morning.

Still unsure of how safe the roads would be for a big van, we tested out the situation by taking the Subaru to my chiropractor appointment. I messed up my hip on yesterday's hike and now it hurts to walk, and it is hard to go up stairs, get in the car, or roll over in bed, without manually lifting my leg... pathetic...

Duane has nick-named me his "hobblet," but I think he is happy that he finally doesn't have to tell me to sit down and stop doing work on Thanksgiving break...instead I am sitting here blogging...

So the chiropractor throughly beat me up, cracking everything - neck, shoulders, elbows, wrists, thumbs, fingers, back, hips, and knees (my feet are fine). My right hip had slipped out of place on yesterday's hike, as did my kidney, causing extra pressure on the muscles around my hip, but the Chiropractor put it all back together...painfully... 

On the drive back to Cascade we got a call saying the weather cleared enough that our friends might be able to fly someplace closer...so we're waiting to find out where to pick them up and when...or if they even need us at all...

The Epic Vacation

Our first official date (a whole month ago), was a 10 mile bike ride on the local dirt roads. Certain "friends" gave me a hard time about that, "what, trying to see if he's good enough for you?" To start with, he likes biking, and it's an easy ride, we held a conversation the whole time and stopped once for water and a picnic dinner.

This weekend, I met his family. We rented bikes with shocks (sweet!), and helmets are required (why?), not to mention biker gloves, and shorts with the extra padding.

Then we did 7 miles uphill, through sand, and over rocks and places I never knew bikes could go. I think they were trying to kill me...what, trying to see if I'm good enough for your son?

But the way back down was super fun! In the past couple years I've gotten over my fear of going fast, but I do still like to feel in control, so I walked the bike through a couple scary places, and only once did I think I was going to flip over the handlebars, but I didn't.

On the second day we did an "easier" but "more scary" ride. Up a mountain along the edge of cliffs. Is this safe?

The top of the mountain was AMAZING! They call it a play ground...for big kids, with bikes. We had a blast going up and down and all around, but not off the edge...because that would hurt...

Other events included hiking 8+ miles in Arches National Park, sleeping in hammocks under the stars, and arriving back in Idaho dressed as pirates... savvy?