Taylor's new favorite look

Yesterday we hit a long-awaited milestone in Taylor's life - for the first time I was able to put her hair up in the cutest little pigtails! She loved it - kept running to the mirror to check out her new look. Needless to say, mom is having lots of fun and enjoying this new phase - one of the many fun things about having a little girl!

Putting it all in perspective

Today we sent away the application for Taylor's citizenship by descent, and I am well underway with my process for becoming a permanent resident. It's kinda weird to think that soon I'll (hopefully) be able to live indefinitely in a country not my own. I went to see the doctor (who is a good friend of ours) today to get my medical forms filled in, and he reminded me that this process truly is part of my inheritance in God; part of my destiny. When he said that, something leaped up on the inside of me; they were truly life-giving words that were a timely reminder that this whole thing is so much bigger than me; that this has been part of God's plan for my life before I even dreamed of it. I once again feel safe in the sovereignty of God.

Mother-Daughter Date: Girl's Night In

Aaron had a meeting this evening and Nic went away for the weekend, so Taylor and I took advantage of our night at home alone. It was a rainy evening, and after a long week, I was quite a tired mommy. Tonight was the perfect night to enjoy cuddles and a movie. I saw on the TV listings that there was a Winnie-the-Pooh movie on from 7pm-8pm - perfect! So we had an early dinner, an early bath, and PJs on by 6:30. Then Taylor helped me make popcorn (not the microwave stuff - the real stuff in the pot)...and then we settled down under the blankets with our popcorn and cups of apple juice, ready to enjoy the adventures of Winnie-the-Pooh and the Heffalumps....complete with lots of cuddles. I'm not sure who needed the quality time more - Taylor or I. Due to my busy teaching schedule this week, I was gone a lot more than normal, and I could tell that Taylor was missing her mommy. Likewise, I was missing my little princess. I think it would be safe to say that we both enjoyed our evening together. This is the stuff that being a mom is made of.

Lots of teaching

Tonight marks my third teaching in as many days. I think it would be safe to say that it's worn me out a bit. For one who normally only teaches once a week (twice is a lot) - this has been a huge week! I've enjoyed it, but it sure has been a stretch for me.

And tomorrow morning we do intercession for the first time this internship, and since I'm leading, that means I need to spend a bit of time preparing for that one tonight.

I think this weekend will be much-needed!

There's a mouse in the house...

Actually, it would probably be more accurate to say that there are mice in the house. It came to our attention several days ago that there were a few extra (unwelcome) houseguests that made their appearance. This is the first time in my adult life I've had to deal with this sort of nusiance. The last time I remember sharing a house with mice was when I was a kid and we had them in the attic.

Anyways, After a few unsuccessful attempts at catching the little rodents, fortunately today, there is one less mouse than there was 24 hours ago. Even more fortunate, there is one person in this house who is willing to, um, 'take care of things' when the mousetrap is full. That person is not me. Enough said.

My Day in a Nutshell

Things I did today:
1. Went to the beach with Taylor and Ann and Christine
2. Tried unsuccessfully to prepare notes for class this week after Taylor was awakened by the man doing the lawns....30 minutes into her nap.
3. Made chocolate chip cheesecake bars with a chocolate-chip-cookie crust. Don't know how they turned out yet. They'll be ready to eat in a couple hours.

Things I learned today:
1. I like the beach in the winter
2. The beach is theraputic for the soul
3. I don't go often enough
4. The sovereignty of God really does fascinate my heart, when I allow myself time and space to meditate on Him.

It was almost 3 years ago to the day when Aaron and I stopped here in Mt. Maunganui for the weekend, walked along the very same beach that I walked on today, and had our momentous conversation about maybe moving to New Zealand someday. This was way before we knew anyone here or had any hint of a house of prayer starting here; we simply chose this place to come to on holiday for the weekend 'cuz Aaron remembered it being a nice place. Every time I remember that story, I stand in awe of the sovereignty of God over our lives. He is so faithful to speak, even when we don't have a clue He is speaking. And seriously, this is an incredible place to live. I can't believe that I really call this place home and that this beach is only a 10 minute drive from where we live.

Time to Say Goodbye....

I chose this title for this post because this evening we had a going away party for Ann and Christine (the two girls from the States who have been here for 2 months helping us out with the House of Prayer), and also for Alissa, one of the previous interns who is on her way to do missons work in Columbia with the street kids. Although it's sad to see them go, at least we got to send them off with our love and prayers.

So....back to the title of this post. As soon as I typed it, I immediately thought of that song that Andrea Bocelli and Sarah Brightman sing, "Time to say goodbye" (Yes, one of my hidden loves is Italian opera....). It's a very moving song - the vocals and music on it are just incredible, and the last several months it has become one of my favorites to listen to in the car as I drive around town. Tonight for the first time, I tracked down the lyrics translated into English, and it's no wonder something in my heart connected with this song. This is one of the translations of the chorus I found online:

Time to say goodbye -- I'll go with you
to countries I never
saw and shared with you,
now, yes, I shall experience them.
I'll go with you
on ships across seas
which, I know
no, no exist no longer...

How bizzairre is that? Here I was totally engaging with this song these last few months, feeling so strongly it was the song I was singing in my heart as I left America......Only to now for the first time to read the lyrics in English. Of course, I wasn't saying goodbye to Aaron....(so I'm probably taking the lyrics slightly out of context).....but in leaving my friends and family, my life there that was comfortable and that I loved, I was saying goodbye to my country and all I ever knew....it seems like quite an appropriate song for the last six months. No wonder I liked it. And I think that I like it even more now that I know what they're actually saying!

26 Today...

Today was my birthday. After spending the morning in the prayer room (complete with a small birthday celebration during morning tea, thanks to the interns!), I came home to a decorated house, a great pile of presents (including flowers from my hubby), a piano cake that Nic made, and one little girl who was soooooo excited it was her mommy's birthday! She even helped me open my presents. :-)



This afternoon I enjoyed the rare luxury of a nap on the couch - and reading those cooking magazines I started last night. And last but not least, we left Taylor home with Nic after we put her to bed, and Aaron took me here - one of our new favorite places to go these days. This place is a hidden gem - literally only 5 minutes from our house - one of the many great things about New Zealand that one just can't find in the States.....or, at least, in Kansas City. Not to make you jealous or anything........

More ramblings....

I've just come home from teaching class this evening. I really enjoy doing Friday nights. It's great for me to have another time in the week with the interns, and also a great chance for me to explore this whole 'teaching' thing. The best (and hardest) thing about doing Friday nights is the hours of preparation. It's a challenge, but also really good, because it forces me to stay diligent in my own study. Tonight I taught "The philosophy and values of the (harp and bowl) prayer model, part 1". I'll continue part two on class Tuesday afternoon and part 3 Wednesday afternoon. Hmmm.....lots of teaching next week.....

This past week has been fun. We've really enjoyed having Josh and Misty staying with us - it's been good to catch up with friends and enjoy many games of cribbage! It was awesome having Andy here, too. Unfortunately Bek and Abigail weren't able to come this time.....just a good excuse for them to come back again sometime soon as the whole family.

This afternoon I went to the dentist and got my teeth cleaned for the first time in, oh, about 7 years. The good news is that I had no cavities......I guess the fact that I love to brush my teeth has paid off. Thanks so much, Sue!

And with that, I'm off......to lie on the couch and read a couple of cooking magazines that I've been given before it's time to head off to bed......

Happy Birthday, Kylie!

Taylor's friend, Kylie, turned 3 today. So this afternoon, we went over to her house for a little 'afternoon tea' birthday party. Taylor had a great time playing with her and the other kids who were also there, and I enjoyed catching up with Isabel and the other moms who were there.

This weekend we finally got a couch and bookshelf delivered that we ordered a while ago, so I was able to unpack our library of books that have been packed away in 10 boxes for the last 6 months. Yeah! I've also been looking for a while for a new white, square dinnerset, and I found a great one on sale this week. It was about half the price of the sale prices of the others I had been looking at......so I bought 3 sets! Now we're ready to feed a crowd.

Good thing, 'cuz we're going to have a full house this week! Not 12 people, mind you......but our friends Josh and Misty have officially moved out of their house here in Tauranga because they'll be on the road off and on for the next six months. They'll be back in town for 5 days this week, so we've offered for them to come and crash at our place. And mid-week, we also have Andy coming from Taupo to teach a couple classes for the interns. It will be fun!

It's lining up to be a busy week. Guess I better go make the bed in the guest room and clear out all the boxes so Josh and Misty can have a nice place to stay........

Ramblings and random happenings from my day

Today was my day to go into the prayer room for the morning. I enjoyed some great study time - I'm preparing notes to teach about the harp and bowl prayer model to this new group of interns. I'm planning on teaching it totally differently than I did last internship, soI'm really excited to give it a go and see how it works this time. It was great to sit in the prayer room and enjoy an awesome devo while having some great study time....it had been a while and was much-needed! I also lead the 10am devo, which was also much-needed for my heart. It was one of those worship sets where there was an 'open door' into the heavens from the very beginning; no striving, no 'hitting the ceiling', and boy, was it fun! I only wish worship sets like that were more common for me.

We had class this afternoon at our house, and wrapped up with each of the interns sharing their stories. Sue Cole also came and shared her story and some stuff that has been on her heart; we really enjoyed having her there!

Tomorrow is my "home" day - promising to be a bit slower-paced than today. I love my schedule and the opportunity I have in this season to be a mom, and also to be involved in ministry. It really is such a great balance - after my "prayer room day", I'm so ready for a "home day", and after my "home days", I'm so ready for a "prayer room day". How wise and kind of the Lord to put us in this sort of situation with this sort of flexible schedule. I'm so grateful!

Fun day

Today is one of my days to stay home with Taylor while Aaron goes into the prayer room. I didn't have much pressing this morning, so I was ready to gear up for a fun morning. I invited our neighbor to come over for "morning tea". She's a young single mom, with a little boy who turns one in a couple of weeks. We had a great time together, and of course, Taylor loved playing with "baby Sam". After they went home for Sam's morning nap, Taylor and I decided to take a walk down to the grocery store to pick up a few bits and also to check out the local little shops (bakery, pharmacy, butcher, etc.). It was only a 15 minute walk from our house - just enough to get the blood moving, but not quite enough to get tired out! :-)

This afternoon we had class at our house....and after Taylor's nap? We went to her favorite place - you guessed it - the duck pond!

Time now to head off to bed....the alarm goes off at 6:30 tomorrow morning - it's my morning at the prayer room!

Feeding the Ducks

We found a duck pond only a 10 minute walk away from our house - and now it's Taylor's favorite place to go and thing to do! She loves throwing little bits of bread to the ducks, and even got one to eat out of her hand once. This sort of entertainment never grows old - the last picture says it all!

New Beginnings

Today marked the start of the second internship program. This afternoon, the new interns all came to our house for a short meeting/introductions/registration, etc. and then this evening we hosted a BBQ with the new interns, the former interns, and some others in the THOP community. It was a great evening - a time to strengthen bonds with friends and a time to welcome the new ones into the family.

I'm a bit sad knowing our week off is over, but at the same time, I'm ready to get back into the prayer room, get back into the routine, and keep walking forward. The next several months promise to be good ones....a trip home to the States in September, a visit from some of our closest friends in November, and Graeme and Sabrina here in December. Not to mention the fact that it's nice to begin an internship knowing that we're settled in our house, have been here for 6 months already, and feel a bit like I now have my feet underneath me. Looking back to February, I'm not quite sure how I did it. There sure was lots of grace! :-)

Love Sushi

We've had two girls from Kansas City visiting us here for the last month or so, and helping out with the House of Prayer. It's been great having them here.....they've been a massive blessing in the prayer room singing and playing guitar and leading worship, and it's been fun having them join into our spiritual family here. But I have to say, one of our most favorite times with them has been every week when they come over and cook Chinese food for us. And boy, have they produced some yummy stuff out of that kitchen! Last week they made sushi for us - not the "raw fish type of sushi" - more like those yummy California Rolls. They were so, so good....and we've told them they aren't allowed to go back home unless they make us another batch!

Sushi-making in progress:


The finished product:


So, Anne and Christine, I don't know if you read this, but if you do.....you guys are awesome!

Week Off

This has been the most wonderful, needed break we've had in a long time. Actually, I think it would be safe to say that this is the most "down-time" I've had since we started packing to leave KC. Yes, we have had other "mini vacations" since now and then, and even a full week off at Easter, but this is the first time I've really been able to unwind - mentally, emotionally, and physically - since, say, last August. And boy, does it sure feel good!

Taylor was sick for the start of the week, but is now feeling much better and is back to her usual self. We've had a fun week, spending lots of time together, since neither Aaron nor I have to go to the prayer room. Taylor has been a big help for Mommy in the kitchen this week, helping me make muffins, homemade tortillas, apple crumble, granola, and a handful of other yummy things.



Taylor has also been a helper keeping up on the gardening this week. We'll know she's really being a helper when she's able to movitate me to actually do some gardening. Although - to give myself a bit of credit - I did plant some cilantro in the herb garden yesterday. Now we'll just have to see how long it survives.