What's been going on here

My brain is too fried tonight to put together coherent sentences, so tonight you get the bullet points.

• Aaron returned home from Korea yesterday. We all agreed that two weeks is way too long to be apart. Taylor said it best in the car on the way home from the airport, "Our family is together again. I like that."
• New internship started yesterday. 11 interns. Looks like they'll be a great bunch.
• House of Prayer moved to a new building yesterday. Slight problem: building wasn't ready yet for occupancy. Prayer room is now in a church nursery. Now it really feels like a "Bethlehem stable". Good news is that 'Bethlehem Stables' work just fine, as long as He is there.

Update from Asia

One of the things that is usually hardest about Aaron traveling internationally is that communication is almost always more difficult and less frequent than when he is traveling within New Zealand. It's impossible to know on the front end of a trip what the communication will be like once he gets to his destination. Being prepared for the chance of talking and emailing very little, it has been great to discover that they are taking very good care of him over there, and have provided means for him to call home regularily. I've talked with Aaron every other day, sometimes daily, almost the whole time he has been there. What a gift, not just for me, but also for Taylor. She loves talking to her daddy on the phone when he is away!

He is doing well; preaching lots, and is very tired. He's commented many times on the food - he loves it! Lots of fish and sushi and some 'exotic' things - last night he ate octopus. Taylor was a bit confused when Aaron told her about eating octopus tonight, but I think she finally got over it! The conference has been going very well; the Lord is doing exciting things. He has also really enjoyed the time he's had with many of his friends who have come over from Kansas City to minister at the conference. All in all, it's been a good trip, but I can tell he is definitely ready to come home and be with his family. We're ready for him to come home, too! Taylor is going to be one excited little girl at the airport on Monday morning!

Here are some pictures of the conference:

Not that anyone really cares what I ate for dinner tonight....

....but I care, and since this is my blog, that's what I get to write about tonight! When I was a kid, we went to Cincinnati, OH to visit my Aunt and Uncle and cousins. While we were there, they introduced us to "Skyline" and the culinary wonder called "Cincinnati Chili". I apologize profusely to those of you who have never had the opportunity to experience the delicacy, and strongly urge you to try it if you are ever presented with the opportunity. For my readers who are completely lost by now, let me explain. It's a chili with a very different flavor, seasoned with cinnamon and allspice and also the traditinal chili powder; its quite hard to describe and unlike anything you've ever tasted. The best part about it, though, is that it's traditionally served on top of a bed of spaghetti ,with grated cheese on top of the chili. If you're in Cincy, you can get it "4 way" by adding fresh chopped onions, or "5 way" by adding kidney beans.

Well, while on vacation that year many eons ago, my dad found some postcard in a tourist spot that had a recipe for cincinnati chili on it. So he bought it, and ever since then, it had been a favorite in our family growing up. Naturally, I brought the recipe with me to New Zealand and made it a couple of times, but for some reason, it never tasted right to me. The flavors of the cinnamon and allspice weren't pronounced enough, and it tasted just like normal chili. Which is okay and everything, just not the taste I was after. So tonight, I decided to make it again, and this time, it did not disappoint! I'm happy to say that tonight's cincinnati chili tasted every bit as good as what I remember from my childhood, and I savored every bite of it.

Ready

I miss my husband. I am ready for him to come home. So is Taylor.

'Nuf said.

Diligence of another kind

It's going to be an early (or, rather, earlier) night tonight. Now, at just past 9:30, I am officially declaring all administrative work completed for the evening. But it's not off to bed.....yet. It became very obvious to me today that although this is a short season where diligence of the mind (i.e. admin work and planning) is necessary, that doesn't negate the need for diligence of another kind.....the sort of diligence required to keep this naturally cold heart alive and tender in love. Funny how easy it is to stop maintaing the inner life for the sake of the exterior one.

It reminds me of the words of one of my favorite hymns:

Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it.
Prone to leave the God I love.
Here's my heart, Lord, take and seal it
Seal it for thy courts above.

So, on that note, time for me to put the computer down and retreat to the place of quietness and stillness, where encounter with Reality happens.

All in a Day's work, part dos

It has recently become clear to me that my earlier post about the whiteboard was more than just cute. Or an insight into my crazy life. Or, as Randy Bohlender accurately pointed out to me, a telltale sign that I am, without doubt, a visual learner. All this is true, but there is more. That post saved the day.

Not more than 48 hours after I posted a photo of the whiteboard (still proudly displaying our prayer room schedule), I had another meeting with our prayer room team. Towards the end of our meeting, there was a long pause of silence as we realized that although we saved the electronic version of the schedule on the laptop, and although the document was still present on the desktop, there was absolutely nothing but a blank white page staring at us when the document was opened. And we had erased the schedule off the whiteboard at the start of our meeting. We feared the worst; we had lost the schedule we had worked so carefully to construct. It would have to be re-created. We stared at each other, dumbfounded.

Until a little snicker emerged from the end of the table as I remembered the five (count them, five) pictures I took two days earlier as a memento to our newest piece of office equipment (with the blog in mind, of course). We all had a good laugh as I confessed to them that I actually took pictures of the whiteboard, but who's laughing now that we still have our original schedule intact?

Herein lies a great lesson that can be learned. Is is possible that the humble whiteboard could be more reliable than a computer?

Long live the whiteboard!

Destiny

I have just clocked in a few more hours of work, getting ready for the internship that starts in just over a week. For the first time in days, I feel like I'm starting to get my head around it all and like it's going to come together. No doubt this week will still be pretty insane, but I'm daring to think that maybe the worst of all the preparation is over. Maybe not. But it was a nice thought while it lasted.

Oh, and did I mention that we move into our new building at the end of the month?

As crazy busy as it all is, I do have to confess that I absolutely love this. I thrive on the challenge of taking something that is undefined and unplanned and that has many un-knowns and giving it structure and organization and putting all the pieces together so that the finished product runs smoothly and all the important bases are covered. I don't really know the technical term for all that I just described, but whatever "it" is, it sure is my power-alley. As "The Leadership Challenge" would say, this is one of those leadership experiences where I am feeling like I am at my "personal best". The preparation for this internship also has the added dimension that my leadership skills are being stretched and sharpened at every turn. With Aaron away in Korea, the onus falls on me to lead our team well, to make sure that everyone is on board with all that is happening, and to see to it that everything comes together with nothing (and no one!) falling through the cracks. Though I am feeling the weight of that responsibility, something in me resounds with the truth that I was made for this.

Of course, this is not all that I was made for. In fact, there are other times that I feel this sense much, much stronger. Like when I get to sit in the quiet of my room and simply love Jesus. Like this morning when I was leading worship in the prayer room. Like when I get to have cuddles with Taylor in bed in the morning because it's my day to stay home and be "mom". Like when our home is full of young men and women that we get to mentor in leadership and in life. The incredible thing is that in this season of my life, I continually find myself in these different settings where that familar phrase echoes inside me again, I was made for this. Truth is, I would be hard-pressed to come up with a job description that I'd like better than the one I have now.

Is this what it feels like to be walking in destiny?

All in a day's work

So, about that meeting I mentioned. It really reminded me of the good 'ole "Division 4" days, for any of you out there reading this who actually know what that is. (Translated = the days in Kansas City when Deborah and I ran the prayer room). Today our task at hand was to come up with the new worship leader schedule for the next few months. To aid in this process, off I went this morning to the stationary store to buy a big white board. It has unanimously been decided that this thing is worth its weight in gold, has no doubt already paid itself back after just a few hours of use, and we're all wondering why it took us so long to actually buy one. Because a picture is worth a thousand words, here is the product of 2 hours worth of 3 people's brain power. I know - it doesn't look that hard. It really shouldn't be. But there are many factors that play into producing a schedule that works. Believe me, it gets even more fun when we're doing a 24 hour schedule. I speak from experience.

We're really a professional operation now - we now own a white board! Note our high-tech easel......

Beautiful Day in the Bay

It was an absolutely gorgeous day today. Sunny and warm - at least, in comparison to the recent weather we've been having. So, one of the (many) things that Taylor and I did today was go to the park with some new friends that have just moved here to do the internship. This couple has a son who is 18 months old, so the moms and kids headed to the park and had a really great time. It was refreshing to be in the warm sunshine after so much cold rain; it was even hot enough that we had to put the A/C on in the car on our way home!

That was only one part of our adventures today, though. The day started when we left the house at 9am, went to the post office, the video store, and then the pharmacy to get Taylor's passport photos done. Then it was off to the prayer room, then to the grocery store, then to the stationary store, then to pick up our friends, then to the park, then to the butcher, then to our friend's house to drop them off, and then home. Just enough time for lunch and a quick story before Taylor's nap, and then I had a lengthy meeting to sort out prayer room stuff. The meeting ended, and my friend Anna stayed on to help me get dinner ready for a few girls who were coming over for the evening. We enjoyed a great Italian dinner (chicken parmesean, salad, and garlic bread), and now that the kitchen is clean I get to catch up on emails and blogging and then prepare for intercession tomorrow at 10am. Phew! What a day! Full, but a really good day. The park and having the girls over for dinner tonight were definitely the highlights. My afternoon meeting was, too, in a different sort of day. Let's just say, it really brought me back to my Kansas City days! I think I'll sleep good tonight.....

Vacation Report

Our time away in Taupo was wonderful, though undoubtedly not long enough. It felt like we had just started to unwind when it was time to load up the car and head home. But no complaints here; a few days away was better than none at all. Some of the highlights of the trip were going for walks with the girls, going out for lunch with Marty and Candice, staying up late and playing Texas holdem with the guys, buying 4 punnets of delicious strawberries for only 99 cents each (It's the middle of winter here, remember. That is totally unheard of!), and simply enjoying lots of time with friends. The worst part of the trip by far was being sick all night Friday night, and the strangest part of the trip was being asked out on a date while shopping at Pack 'n Save - by an employee. Wow.

To say we hit the ground running as soon as we got home would be a profound understatement. It's full-go here at the moment! The day we got back was devoted to laundry and house cleaning, but also included the arrival of a couple coming from Australia to do the internship, and also a meeting with one of our former interns who has been in town for the last couple of weeks. I've also been helping Aaron to get ready for his trip to South Korea. He leaves later on this evening and will be gone for about 12 days. And of course, there is an internship starting in less than two weeks that we're not even close to ready for. Wow! Lots on my plate for the next couple of weeks; but it's all good. Who would want life to be dull and boring, anyway?

Vacation

Remember when you were a kid in school and there were those glorious "half days" right before Thanksgiving or Christmas vacation? You showed up at school never to do any work; just to have parties and eat copious amounts of junk food. Then, by the time mid-day rolled around, the final bell was ringing and everyone was streaming into the hallways and practically running out the door, knowing that vacation had just begun and there would be no more thoughts of homework or papers or tests or pop quizzes or anything of the sort.

Well, that's kinda how I felt today as I finished leading the 10am prayer meeting and Aaron and Taylor and I climbed into the car to head home. No, there were no parties or junk food in the prayer room this morning, but our vacation does start today, and for the next several days, there need be no thoughts of intern accommodation or transportation, curriculum, preparing notes, schedules, handouts, and legistics. We are on vacation!

This afternoon my job is to pack suitcases and then make multiple lists of the all-important things we can't bear to leave behind. Taupo doesn't have grocery stores, you know. The way I pack, you'd think we were headed into the bush, miles away from any civilization. But hey, I'm a woman. And a mom. I get to.

So tomorrow we head off to Taupo for several days to meet up with some good friends of ours who currently live in the States, but are back in NZ for a month visiting family. Marty is Kiwi, Candice is American. Josh (NZ) and Misty (USA) are also going to join us, and then we're in for a good 'ole time. Especially Saturday night when the All Blacks play. Josh, Aaron, and Marty all together in a room is bad enugh as it is; can't even imagine what the three of them together will be like during a rugby test match. Let's just say I hope New Zealand wins. And Taylor sleeps through the rucus coming from the living room.

I'm leaving my computer at home so I don't get sucked into working while we're away, so unless you hear from me briefly tomorrow morning before we leave, this will be my last post until we get back. Cheers!

Time to Party!

Yesterday's 4th of July celebration did not disappoint. It was a long-awaited feast, perhaps the best part of which being the oreo cheesecake. The company was as good as the food; we invited two couples to come over to join us, which made it all the more fun.

The other highlight of the day yesterday was the breaking-in of the new waffle maker. 'Twas a long time in coming due to a certain fast, but it was well-worth every day of waiting. It produced some terrific large-hole waffles that will no-doubt become a regular appearance 'round here - most especially on Sunday.

Today's highlight of the day? My trek up the mount. I managed to dodge most of the raindrops that fell today, only getting rained on for part of the way up. Not too bad considering that it has been raining on and off all day. Once I got to the top, I got this crazy idea to see if I could get down in half the time it took me to get up. Great idea- if it wasn't such a rainy day. So, I was flying down. I was making great time until I got to the really muddy part. No, I didn't fall. That in and of itself was quite a miracle, however my left foot did manage to find perhaps the biggest mud puddle I have ever encountered in my life, and by the time I stepped out of it, my shoe and sock and the bottom of my pants were covered in mud. You would have thought that would have caused me to learn my lesson and slow down, but no, I still needed to see if I could get down in 7 minutes or less. Then my right foot found another mud puddle; fortunately not as large as the first one. I finally made it to the base of the mount 8 seconds over my goal. If only it wasn't so muddy........

This is how we celebrated

Although the food part of the 4th of July celebration is on hold until Sunday, Taylor and I still celebrated in good fashion! This morning we made an American flag out of paper and cotton balls:

And decorated the house (thanks to Graeme Walsh's donation of American decor).

And of course, a celebration is incomplete without music, so we found an instrumental version of the "Star Spangled Banner" online and thereby introduced Taylor to this dimension of her American heritage. She had a ball, I felt quite patriotic, and all in all, it was a great morning.

Happy 4th of July!

Yes, 4th of July celebrations will be alive and well here in New Zealand, albeit a few days late. We're going to wait and celebrate on Sunday with a good, proper 4th of July cookout menu - in the middle of winter. No American hot dogs to be found in New Zealand, so hamburgers and sausages it will be, with homemade baked beans (no decent beans in a can here, either), a cheesy potato bake, some sort of yummy veggie dish, enough chips and salsa and guacamole to sink a ship, and (drumroll, please).....a cookies 'n cream cheesecake for dessert. Not the most patriotic dessert, I know, but the idea received a unanimous vote in the Walsh household, so cookies 'n cream cheesecake it will be. We can't wait. It all sounds pretty yummy. Especially since today is the last day of the global bridegroom fast and any mention of food is a welcome one! :-)

A weekend of celebrations

We sure had lots to celebrate this weekend! Friday was Aaron's birthday, and of course Taylor especially was so excited that it was her Daddy's birthday. She is now at the age where she understands what birthdays mean, which is really fun. I think that holidays and birthdays are always more fun when there are kids around; they just help to bring out the festive aspects of special days that adults can sometimes overlook. So of course we had lots of fun shopping for daddy's birthday present, decorating the house, and decorating his cake. Then we had one of our good 'couple friends' over for dinner to celebrate with us over steak and wedges. Yum! After Taylor went to bed, the 4 of us played several rounds of Cribbage - continuing a 'boys vs. girls' tournament that started at least 2 years ago when we all were back in Kansas City. It was really a lot of fun - and we all agreed that we needed to do it more often.

Then yesterday was our 6 year anniversary! We had planned to go out to dinner (which we did, and thoroughly enjoyed). As we were just finishing up eating, we spontaneously decided to book a hotel for the night to have a little local getaway. Nic was more than happy to have Taylor for the night, so after scoring a deal on this hotel in town, we were off on our last-minute mini-holiday. I have to say, I was very impressed with the customer service at the hotel (arguably some of the best I've encountered in New Zealand - it reminded me of America), and the rooms and the hotel itself were awesome. Definitely a place I'd go back to again. We had a great time away; it was just what we needed.

After a long rainy day today (last weekend we had the wind; this weekend we've had the rain...all weekend long) , we're feeling somewhat rested and ready for the week ahead.