RAINBOW (Email to Parents)

Yesterday, I set out for the bazaar to take Judy’s suit to the tailor, look for a phone, and then go to Vimals’ family’s house to fix the David story. It was raining when I left, and pouring as soon as I got on the bike, hail too for a little bit I think. BUT, I have that wonderful waterproof jacket, that protected me, plus a nice fashionable plastic mask thing that attaches to my helmet to block some of the rain.

Needless to say, when I arrived in the bazaar, the bottom half of me was all stuck together because it was so wet. I could not have been more wet if I had jumped in a pool. And my face was soaked too...It was great though- no one else was out on the road! Perfect time to go driving. Everyone was huddled in shops and under trees to escape the rain- after all, who goes out in the rain? Only crazy foreigners who don’t know any better.

When I went into a shop, a puddle would form underneath me from all the water dripping off my salwar suit. And my flip flops are the super slippery kind, so I had a fun time trying to walk- I think I used some different muscles in my body trying to tip toe on the slippery pathway. I actually slid some too. If I was not a girl, I would have slid on my stomach- it would have been perfect for that!!!! But too bad, modesty and reputation had to get in the way!

After realizing I needed copies of my passport, phone bill and two passport pictures to get the SIM card for the phone (duh, have I not been through this before?)…I started driving to Vimal’s house, up the bazaar road, trying to avoid the ruts that had formed from the torrential downpour earlier.

I came around the corner near their house, and saw the most beautiful rainbow I’ve ever see in my whole life- in fact, I think it must have been the most beautiful rainbow ever made- except for Noah’s. It was between one mountain, all the way across the valley to the other mountain, full of color. It seemed like I was only about 100 feet from the end of the rainbow and had I driven further, I might have reached the end…Because of that, it was so big and bright and beautiful…what a glorious reminder of God’s faithfulness and promise to us…just what I needed.

Anyway, just wanted to share that with you! Have a great day!

~ Elizabeth
p.s. It doesn't look like a trip to Pakistan is going to happen this year after all....All well.

A large steel mill (Journal Entry)

Wow, Lord, you provided this reading from Streams in the Desert just for me today, as I start the week, coming out of a weekend of feeling frustrated, like a failure, worthless, and as if this work is completely impossible…

And on top of this reading- the sun just came out!!! :) I feel right now, like whatever happens today, this is going to be a good day- not good in the sense of the things that happen or don’t happen, but in the sense of attitude and being, and because you, above all, are indeed good.

Here is your promise and assurance to me from Streams in the Desert this morning:

I once visited the testing room of a large steel mill. I was surrounded by instruments and equipment that tested pieces of steel to their limits and measured their breaking point. Some pieces had been twisted until they broke, and then were labeled with the level of pressure they could withstand. Some had been stretched to their breaking point, with their level of strength also noted. Others had been compressed to their crushing point and measured. Because of the testing, the manager of the mill knew exactly how much stress and strain each piece of steel could endure if it was used to build a ship, building or bridge.

It is often much the same with God’s children. He does not want us to be like fragile vases of glass or porcelain. He wants us to be like these toughened pieces of steel, able to endure twisting and crushing pressure to the utmost without collapse.

God does now want us to be like greenhouse plants, which are sheltered from rough weather, but like storm-beatedn oaks; not like sand dunes that are driven back and forth by every gust of wind, but like granite mountains that withstand the fiercest storms. Yet to accomplish this, He must take us into His testing room of suffering. And many of us need no other argument than our own experiences to prove that suffering is indeed God’s testing room of faith.

It is quite easy for us to talk and to theorize about faith, but God often puts us into His crucible of affliction to test the purity of our gold and to separate the dross from the metal. How happy we are if the hurricanes that blow across life’s raging sea have the effect of making Jesus more precious to us! It is better to weather the storm with Christ than to sail smooth waters without Him.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
And it is certainly better to weather the storm with Jesus than without him!!! I can’t do this on my own, that’s for sure- so I should just stop trying!!!

Nomad girls!

We went to visit Jeff and Jimmy's nomad friends...

Here's a picture of us girls in some caps that the nomad women wear!

"Don't Worry" (Email to Parents)

Mommy and Daddy,

Don’t worry about the trip--- really…there will be enough to think about, for sure- but please don’t “Worry.” And if you get sick…it’s okay- I mean, it’s sad for you- but if we have to stay inside all day, close to the toilet…we’ll do that- I have lots of movies… :) I have lots of medicine too! :)

As far as my expectations. I have no idea what to expect from having my family enter into this world of mine over here. I don’t plan to have any expectations, but know that even subconsciously, I may have some. I know things will be different than what I expect- you’ll like and feel comfortable with some things that I would have never expected you to be okay with. You’ll hate things I thought you would love…that’s okay- I understand it will be like that. I've been realizing that people are different- and most people AREN’T like me! Haha…The fun part will be seeing all four of you interacting and figuring things out…because you are four different people too- and will all like and dislike different things- God made us each so unique didn’t he?

Don’t worry about “meeting my expectations” - If you hate India, hate the people, the food, the transportation….that’s okay…I am not asking you to love it. Yeah, I’ll be sad…but what has already made me happy is that you are coming here- to see me…do you know how much that means to me- and shows me you love me?

Whatever happens, I know that you are not coming here to adapt to the culture and live here. You are coming to see me- whatever makes that easier for you and comfortable is fine by me. If you can’t stand being in another home where you can’t communicate, if you get off the wrong side of the jeep (Don’t worry, there’s no right/wrong side:) ), if you need toilet paper on the train (:)), if you can’t eat the food, and need to make your own, if you need to take a nap for any reason, that’s fine!! Don’t worry about hurting my feelings, or not being or doing what you think I might expect. You’ll be here- and that’s the most important thing to me…and while I’ll try and make the trip enjoyable, if you just can’t stand it- please know I won’t take it personally!!!!!! :)

I love you, and can’t wait to see you!!

~ Elizabeth

Family coming to visit...(Email from Mommy)

So, I've been preparing and planning my parents trip....I sent Mommy and Daddy an email about the iterinary. It was a little overwhelming, and I ended it with a paragraph about not worrying and while there will be unexpected things that come up, we’ll be together and that’s the best thing about it all!

I received this email from Mommy in response…

I am especially comforted by your last words of encouragement. How did you know that my stomach would be starting to do flips as I read your email???! :)

I AM excited and I KNOW I can do this - and I REALLY DO WANT TO SEE YOU!!! as well as the rest of the stuff. But it is breath-taking and stomach-flipping! I'm so afraid you will expect us to be like you! For example, I'm sure we will not tolerate the water there - I am nervous about getting sick. Remember you DID get sick when you were first there...

I know it will be great and I am going to be positive and prepared and the best part IS that we will be all together. I can't wait for that!

The plans sound just fine. I really can't answer about the day in Kahan or the capitol- you decide.
Love and Miss you Lots,
Mommy

Playing "House" in the backyard... (Journal Entry)

Why do I like village life so much? It brings back memories of my childhood. When I used to pick grass- or even take the clumps from the lawnmower, and make a special stew. I used to collect pine needs, some brown and some green- that would be another side dish. Bowls I had made from mud, would dry in the sun, and then be used as containers. I would get nuts, and crack them with a stick or rock- making the oat like food for my horses and other animals. Using pine needles, I would clean the dirt floor of my home, behind the big tree in our backyard.

The only thing different between my childhood life and the village life here is that my childhood life was a life that I chose to play in, and escape to. For these people, they had no choice- this is there life, whether they like it or not. They make food from the same things I did, but they actually eat it. They draw water from rivers and actually drink it. They sleep in the floor, go to the bathroom outside, crack nuts with sticks, but they actually eat what’s inside. They use pine needles not to pretend to clean their floor, but to really clean it, after all, how else would you clean it? As a little girl I got to go inside at the end of the day, get a shower, crawl into a bed with a comforter on it that no little baby had gon to the bathroom on...here, it's all one life...there is no inside and outside...

Prayer for Kahan (Journal Entry)

I want to pray for the Kahani people today. I want to lift them up before you Lord. I want to pray for the work, the people, your glory…

I pray now for Anne- you know where she is, you know where her heart is. You know how close or how far away she is from you. You know if the stories she has already learned will make a difference in her life, or perhaps through her.

I thank you and praise you for already getting your word into Anne's village- by her sharing the stories with her family- only you know where those stories will go. Thank you for the other villages the stories have already traveled to- that is through the other girls in the sewing class.

Thank you for Mamta and her family- thank you for their willingness to test the stories, thank you for Mamta’s eagerness to help with the stories-

Lord, I pray for Achla, Nirmal, Neema (?), and the other boy- I don’t remember their names exactly. I pray that they would really enjoy the stories and grow in their faith. I pray for the girls- may they feel free to speak up in spite of Nirmal- thank you for Nirmal’s interest in the work and his interest in the story- realizing that there is stuff in the Book that he never heard before! I pray that they would be really good at figuring out how to make the stories natural and culturally appropriate. Lord, give them patience- and perseverance with this work…

Lord, please be with our landlord’s family tonight. May they see something in us- even see something in your creation, in even their own religion that directs them to you- you can use anything…

Lord, show yourself to our neighbors who lost their husband and father this past week- show them that there are no spirits flying around outside their home. Show them that their husband’s spirit is gone…but they can know where their spirits will go when they die, if they trust in You.

Lord- help me know how to pray for these people. As they get close to the time this evening of ringing their bells- show me how to pray for them….show them yourself. Should calamity fall on them before they will trust you?

Lord, please bring Precious know more of you- through Robin, through Vivian, through me, through YOUR STORIES…Lord, please give her interest and desire to keep working with us.

Keep Robin and my friendship strong and may we be an encouragement to each other- may we not become jealous or act as if we are in a competition- we are in this race together, true- but we are running along side by side- we may have different uniforms, or different shoes, but we are still heading towards the same goal and will reach it (or not) at the same time- together!!!

Lord, please be with other teams, girls and guys who are just figuring things out now- there is so much- and it really is stressful (At least for most people)- to learn to work together, in a place where you can’t communicate much to the people around you- and where you interaction with your partner is an example to others of Christ.

Lord- please guide our footsteps- there are many to take, and we are heading in the right direction- I think…but the path is long, and there are lots of little sidetracks too…Help us keep focused.

Father, thank you that we can trust you- thank you for motivating me to pray for these things today- help me to pray more.

Monday- I think I will fast for the K people.

Lord, I thank you for all you have done already- and look forward to what you will do in the future…

I love you.

~Amen

"Why Don't you Trust Me?" (Journal Entry)

Arms around her, Jesus said, “Why don’t you trust me?”
“I just don’t see how it’s going to happen…” she said, tears falling from her eyes
Jesus replied: “You can only see so far, you can barely see into the next second in front of you, why worry beyond that? I can see the next minute, hour, afternoon, day, week, month, year- I can see it all- and it is all very good.”
“It’s hard, Lord- I am wearing out- trying and trying again is starting to get old. I want to keep persevering, I want to please you, I want to accomplish this work. After all, there are people here who have never heard of you- shouldn’t that be enough motivation right there?”
“No, actually, it’s not. Nothing on earth will ever be enough motivation. Have you not yet realized that my glory, and my Name is what matters most? True, recording the next David story is important, and certainly part of bringing glory to my Name…but getting that next recording, or even getting another cultural story from a neighbor is not all that I’ve called you to be or to do.”
“What do you want, Jesus?” She asked, only half understanding. “I don’t know what else to do- how much to try, how much to give in, and how much to stand firm. I don’t know how much even to be still, and how much to take action. I’m getting discouraged with the people we’re working with who are letting us down…”
“Why? Don’t you know people will always let you down? Why expect anything more from them? I know, you should prepare for the worst and expect the best…generally a good guideline. However, perhaps what you are expecting as the “best” isn’t what I have in mind. Thus there is a conflict between your desired expectations and my ultimate plan.
“What do you want from this? What is your ultimate desire and outcome, Lord?”
“Oh no,” Jesus said, shaking his head. “If I told you that, where would the fun and suspense be? You wouldn’t learn all that I have planned for you if I just told you the answer to all the questions. It would be easier for me too- to just tell you all the answers. But, like a teacher who doesn't give out the answers to their students becuase they want them to learn, I too want you to learn. You are my child…I love you…never forget that. I am working even when you can’t see- trust me, and in the end, you will understand…

"I'm not meant for this" (Journal Entry)

You know, maybe I’m not meant for this. Maybe I’m not cut out to do what we’re trying to do…Honestly, I think I get too discouraged when something doesn’t work out the 5th time or the 10th time. I am discouraged and frustrated and feel like it’s impossible.

Do I have what it takes? I know I have something otherwise I wouldn’t have made it this far, but do I have what it takes to really do this and complete this task? This week our story-teller told us she can’t help us anymore…in an indirect way, of course…why can’t these people just be honest with you once in a while?

What is the right direction to go in? Why does everything have to be so unknown? Who in the world would want to help us with this work? Why am I afraid to take chances? If I knew what chances to take, then would I take them?

Father, I feel like I’m giving the enemy a foothold here in expressing all these doubts and fears…but I’m not sure what else to do.

Perhaps I should praise you for what you have already done…
- praise for water coming today
- praise for indeed getting exodus re-recorded today
- praise for having a motorcycle to transport us
- praise for the beautiful weather outside today
- praise for financial support that I’ve never had to worry about
- praise for a supportive family
- praise for support from the local pastors, and encouragement from other questers
- praise for Deepika’s willingness to do more scripture recordings
- praise for uncle’s relationship being somewhat restored, and their invitation for this festival tomorrow.
- Praise for our landlord perhaps finding another person to try back-translating with
- praise for food to eat every night
- praise for the cooler temperatures- and ability to sleep well
- praise for minor health issues, and minor body pain (back and foot)
- praise for language learning…always can be better, but still, praise for what I do have…
- praise for the friendliness of our neighbors- no hostility toward us or our work- even though they may not fully understand what we are doing
- praise for a bed to sleep on
- praise for my little bear that Natalie sent me
- praise for cards and emails from home
- praise for speakers and mp3 players that do work most of the time
- praise for communication via email and phone
- praise for His Word to comfort and direct us
- praise for clothing, and praise for new clothing
- praise for the fun times we have with Panna
- praise for the beauty of the K people when they smile
- praise for the K people when they speak so fast to each other we can’t understand one single word, but they can- how cool is that?
- Praise for tears that keep up humble
- Praise for music to encourage and motivate us
- Praise for the sun shining so we can dry clothes on the roof
- Praise for knitting needles, and crochet hooks
- Praise for ER, Alias, Lost and other shows that we can watch and enjoy each other’s company
- Praise for my prayer calendar on the wall next to me to remind me of all the people upholding me and this work in prayer…
- Praise for tasty cakes, and oatmeal crème pies- so yummy!
- Praise for ability to walk, run, laugh, see, smell, hear
- Praise for the fact that I’m a child of God

Another thing: what is “my best”- am I doing it? Would I know if I wasn’t? What does that look like? And I know it’s different for each person- but what is it for me? And can that sometimes include, doing what I might think of as “nothing?” Or is my “best” mean always doing something? If I’m not doing anything, that isn’t my best, right?

I really wish I knew- Lord, please show me what you want from me…for the work, my relationships with the people, with Robin…from my heart, to yours…what do you want?

I feel like I’m hardly doing anything, mainly because I don’t know where else to look to find people to help us. Where else can I try? Randomly meeting people doesn’t work real well, I’ve tried it, more than once. Should I try again? Okay, fine, but is that a waste of time? Well, you say, if you don’t have anyone else, then why not go for it? What are you waiting for? I don’t know. If I knew it was going to work, I might be more inclined to do it...

Ugh.

They didn't come... (Email to parents)

Mommy and Daddy,

I don’t really feel like going into all the details, but the girls who were supposed to come didn’t come- well one did, but left before we really got started. Anne came late- we were able to get the Exodus re-recorded, though it’s a terrible story- so unnatural,…I almost feel like starting over on it…

But leaving that aside- I talked to Anne and Mamta a long time about why they have been coming late, and that we can’t get any work done if they are going to continue like this. Finally when I asked if they were too busy, and if it would be too hard to keep doing the stories. They said, "yes”- I asked Anne if she would teach someone else how to do it, and she said yes…

I called another girl in, and we arranged to meet on Thursday at 10:30 (their sewing class starts at 11, but they can’t come earlier than 10:30)- I’m already discouraged because the new girl said she can’t come earlier than 10:30. I asked if after Thursday, she could come earlier, she said no. I asked if it would be better for me to meet her after the sewing class, she said no, she lives in the village and has to go home…It already sounds like she is backing out….

I cried part of the way home. Robin was with me on the motorbike. I talked with her some about. I told her, “I have a hard time just giving up on people especially before we even try them- any work. It's probably a waste of time to do it becuase we'd have to drive 1/2 hour over there, and then she can't even meet very long. But then I think, if she can do it, and does a good job- then driving an hour, hey, driving 2 hours should be worth it, huh? Well, maybe…but are there others we should try? I mean is it wasting time to pursue something that had a lot of odds against it?

I really don’t know- I talked to Vivian about it for about 45 minutes today, we brainstormed about others we could try…Didn’t come up with much…

I’m supposed to go an get a cultural story from our neighbor this afternoon, and we are supposed to go and meet the some other girls to try back-translating (asking someone to listen to a recorded Kahani story and put 'back' into English so we can understand it fully).

Anyway…any thoughts let me know- please pray for wisdom to know how to spend my time…Maybe time would be better to spent in prayer?

And you know, persevering and keep trying wouldn’t be so hard, if I knew what direction to even look in…

Love ya. Wish you were here.

~ Elizabeth
P.S One praise: water did come today.

No water today (Email to parents)

Mommy and Daddy,

Still no water came today. We filled up pitchers with the drinking water we have. All our neighbors are getting a little concerned. Some are cleaning out their water tanks, because, well, why not- it’s a good time to do it, since there is no water in them anyway…

A praise: Robin was able to get another recording of Abraham story from Precious last night and Precious said she would do another story…

In spite of no water, I’m feeling stinky, but fine about it. Weird. I do wonder what we will do when water stops coming altogether. Actually, I’m already convinced that a miracle is happening with the water that is currently coming from the pipes. It comes from our tanks, and our tanks are nearly empty….

Anyway, keep praying- Satan can use no water to create more tension and frustration which in turn affect our attitudes and interactions, and thus affects the work…he is so sneaky!

It also looks like rain today- hey, I might get a shower after all- while I'm on the motorbike on the way to storying session- perhaps I should lather up before I go out!

Okay- love ya!

~ Elizabeth

----WRITTEN LATER-----

So Anne didn’t come at all today…I drove over there for...well, nearly no reason. I got to take a bath, unexpectedly, at Pastor Moses’ house- that was nice.

I called Anne after 20 minutes- she was at Mamta’s house. I talked to Mamta, she said they had some work they were doing, they would come after 20 minutes. 30 minutes later, I called again, they still had work, and it didn’t look like it would get finished any time soon. I said okay, I have to go- can you come tomorrow? Anne said “maybe”- and for me to call her tonight to find out if they got the work done or not. I have told her we just need to do this one more recording, then I’ll use some of the other girls- but still, it’s been a struggle to get her to come. Since she didn’t come at all today- I think my patience has gotten pretty slim – and considering, we hardly got anything accomplished last week because she was late the whole time. We don’t have to just wait around, but need to move on to the next person...but it's hard.

I asked three of the girls who have shown some interest in the stories, to come tomorrow at 10am to do stories. They all said they would- that will be interesting. We’ll see what happens.

"The Chosen Path"

The Chosen Path - By Kathryn Lay

“The path of the just is like the shining sun, that shines ever brighter unto the perfect day.” ~ Proverbs 4:18

Never before had I ever attended such a large memorial service for someone. So many people had turned out to mourn the loss and celebrate the life of my dear friend Linda.

As I sat in the pew, my emotions struggled with the sorrow of losing a special friend, the pain I felt for her husband and four young children, and the horror I felt for her three-year battle against cancer. Yet as I sat there listening to the service, I was blessed by hearing of her strength, her love for God, and trust in Him, her care and concern for others in the midst of her pain and fear, and her ability to have planned and written this amazing memorial.

The pastor said something I will never forget: “Linda often said how God had blessed her by teaching her so much through this time. Although she would not have chosen to go down this path, she thanked Him for what this time gave her in her walk with Him, and the quality time she spent with her friends and family.”

I shivered at the thought. How could my friend have thanked God for leadin her down such a devastating path that ended in ther death and separation from her husband and children?
What if God asked me to do something like that – something more difficult than I ever thought I could handle? Yet from painful experience, I knew He asks us to trust Him even when life doesn’t make sense and our hearts are bruised and battered.

But what if there were two paths from which to choose? What if Linda had beaten her cancer? What if she had never had cancer at all and been allowed to live a full life? If she had known beforehand that she would grow so much closer to God and her family through the cancer, which path would she have chosen? What path would I choose?

If made me think of my own journey with God. Fifteen years ago, my husband and I decided it was time to start a family after we’d been married for two years. He had finished college and begun his first teaching job, and we were ready. Getting pregnant was the next step on the golden path we planned to walk.

Time went by. Ten years, in fact. Ten years of disappointing pregnancy results, a false pregnancy, painful treatments, jealousy of our friends who were having children, and emotional pain that left us angry and bitter. We prayed and begged God to give us a child, to make us a family. I felt defective and set-apart from other women- terrified that God’s plans for us might include leaving us childless.

Then six years ago, through my friend Linda who so recently had died, we were shown a way to adopt a child who had been neglected, abandoned, or abused. Because of Linda’s friendship, baby Michelle came into our lives at nine months old, healthy and happy. I thought about our little girl and the two paths idea. Suppose God had given my husband and me a choice during our time of struggling with infertility and said, “Years down the road, you will adopt a loving, special little girl who will bring you great joy, or, you can have three birth children in the next five years.” My choice would have been to have those three biological children. My patience wouldn’t have waited for the promised daughter. I would never have chosen to go through those childless years and then spend another year in classes and being probed and prodded about our lives by strangers.

But I would never go back and change the circumstances. I can’t imagine life without my daughter, or the things she’s taught us, or the experiences we have gone through as adoptive parents. My prayers would have taken me down an easier path, but God chose a more difficult and fulfilling one for us. Yet, how can I compare the painful death of my friend to the glorious adoption of my daughter? Only in that Linda and I both came to a crossroads where we had to accept God’s will for our lives and conquer our fear.

Would I have chosen such a difficult road for my husband and me to become parents or for my friend’s painful death and sure passage into Heaven? No, because I could only see the steps in front of me. I couldn’t see around God’s curves. My fear was of the unknown future.
Thankfully, God doesn’t always ask me to choose. Instead, He sets me on the path best followed and gives me the strength to walk it, asking me to hold His hand and trust Him even when I’m afraid. The future is in His hands.

"Oh my goodness!" (Email to Parents)

So, pretty much nothing I had planned for yesterday worked out…

I did mail some notes and cards that needed to be mailed. I watched “End of the Speak” with Robin and Vivian- really good…

When I called Sam to ask about another girl, Asha, helping us- he said, “she’s not smart, she can’t do it” – You know, I think he needs a lesson in being more optimistic!! Anyway, he said he would introduce us, no problem…and that sure, we could try whatever. When I called him later to find out the time, he said Asha is going out of town for 10 days or so….so…won’t be able to do anything with her until she gets back. He also asked “Have you just left me, there’s no work for me anymore?” I said, “not right now, and when there is some, I’ll tell you.” Honestly, with his attitude, it’s hard to work with him...but I don't want him to get discouraged. Hmm.

Anyway, Robin got in touch with Preciuos and is supposed to go to her house this afternoon. She also got in touch with the girls we met last week, and has a mtg. with them at 6pm tonight.

The landlord just came and asked if I could meet this “person” (guy/girl?) on Tuesday to see if they might be able to help us with the work in some way. I told him I might be able to go, but if he was a “common gender” person, it might be strange. The landlord said, “I’ll go with you, and I’ll come back with you- then you can tell me if you feel strange or not…meet him first, and then tell me…if it doesn’t suit you, no problem, I’ll try and find a lady for you…” Oh the situations you get yourself into over here!

I need to call Anne today and ask her if she got admission to the technical school- and when it starts, etc. If I go meet this new person on Tuesday- that will mean not being able to meet Anne, which, probably isn't the best use of my time- should I do it anyway? Hmm...

Today, we taught Panna to say, “oh my goodness." She was so cute, and had great pronunciation!!! It was really funny! That was a highlight to the day….

~ Elizabeth

Everything is so unknown... (Email to Parents)

Mommy and Daddy,

It's August- wow, where did the time go?

I’m doing a little better with the feeling drained, but not too much- mainly just pressing on because it’s the right thing to do. Today’s session was completely not what I had planned, and an hour shorter, since Anne came really late…but still some good was gained from it.

Did I say that I think a big part of the draining factor in this work is living in the complete UNKNOWN. Not even knowing who will be there tomorrow, if the stories will be tested, who will help us, who will stop helping us, I could make a long list. The one factor that is the same is our Father….though, I need help to remember to do that.

Almost hit a donkey on my way to work! (Email to Parents)

August 4, 2006 (this is longer than originally planned!)

I got the Exodus story reviewed today with Anne- made the changes, but did not re-record…she struggled to tell it. There were a lot of changes, I think that’s why. I know it’s also not natural at all, which makes it harder. I asked her if I could come to her house tomorrow (Saturday)- would plan on spending the night. Both Mamta and Anne were unsure because they had some stuff to do in the bazaar, and didn’t know what time they would return.

I wonder if it could be true they don’t want me to come? And I’m just not getting the hints? Do I keep trying? I did tell one shopkeeper near NTD that I would visit his family tomorrow, so I’ll try to do that- and then go to Mamta’s house, I guess….is that really the best use of my time?

I mean, technically, it’s a “Day off”- so I can do whatever, even if it’s a “waste” of time in regards to the work- I can just visit people and enjoy that…but even on my “Free time”- perhaps I should be intentional in who I visit…there are neighbors RIGHT next to us…shouldn’t I visit them? Hmm.

The girls in the sewing class keep asking to hear the stories- they haven't heard these stories before, and most are pukka Kahani girls and women…so that's encouraging! One cool thing was a new girl came in today and randomly, kind-of under her breath starting telling the Fall story. I looked at her, and said, “how do you know that story?” She said, “She told me”- and pointed to one of the girls who had heard the story from Anne two days prior to that. “She told me, and I learned it.”

Wow…that’s cool! Something to praise the Lord about…in addition to EVERYTHING ELSE…really, there is so much to praise Him for- and thinking on that, and those things, I can get motivation from that!

I almost hit a donkey on the way to work this morning- that was a new one. And drove through the normal herd of goats on the way back. :) If nothing else, my life is an adventure…yes, maybe having an adventure EVERY day is a little draining…but honestly, who could ask for a better life than this? Not all days are easy, in fact, perhaps most are hard...but let's not focus on that!!

Last night, looked through pictures from the beach again…I have these moments of really wishing to be home…one moment is wishing to be laying on my puffy comforter on my bed, leaning against the pillows, reading a book with Natalie…snuggling together…

I have moments of teasing Mark as I walk into my room, and he in his room- teasing him from my room, and he laughs and defends whatever it was we were talking about. Then of course, there are hot-tub moments, with snow all around, getting out to go inside, and your feet basically freezing off because of the ice and snow. These days, I think about eating hamburgers (yes, beef!), with ketchup, fresh lettuce, and corn on the cob- eating around the picnic table. Natalie maybe in her swimming suit, sitting on a towel- and when she’ll get up, there will be a little wet print from where she sat. I think also about being around the fire, listening to Grandfather tell about his army days, or about Grandmother. I also think about sitting at Trisha’s table in her living room, eating ice cream and talking about possibly marrying Rahul. Somehow I can’t wait to come back and do everything I didn’t do when I was there…more than anything, take time to really hang out with my brother and sister.

Then my thoughts turn to where I might be in two years from now…will I be back here, or in another country? Will I be doing stories? What about the normal, “happy” life back in America? Do I want to try that for a while, live that life for a bit? Honestly, I’m afraid I might get stuck there…which isn’t bad or wrong if that’s what God wants…

I think about leaving Mark, Natalie, Mommy, Daddy again- no…somehow I don’t think I can do it. I keep thinking, no I can’t come back, I can’t leave my family again…not without my own family at least. And then I wonder- by saying this, what God might call me to, in order to stretch me. Of course I can leave family. I did it once, I can do it again- not in my strength by any means, but if God calls, then He will also give the strength…Not saying that will happen…but it is a realization…It is also SO FAR away, and takes too much energy to comprehend right now…

I can’t wait until you all come here…already envisioning you coming through the doors in the Delhi airport arrivals area (or Thailand airport), and just seeing myself running toward you, and hugging you for about 10 minutes…

It’s raining now, I should go open our water tanks, so some water can get in- we were down to about 2 inches of water in the tanks this morning. I don’t think anymore water came today yet either…

Love ya, and miss you a lot!

~ Elizabeth

A trip to Pakistan?

Vivian and I just discussed about taking a trip to Pakistan. Yup, you heard correctly! How cool would that be? She needs to do a visa run around Christmas, and while we wouldn’t plan to be away for Christmas, I told her if she wanted to go to Pakistan, I would love to go with her. We'll see!

Proverbs 20:24 (Email to Ruth George- relative)

The LORD directs our steps, so why try to understand everything along the way?
Proverbs 20:24
Ruth,

This verse is quite timely…thank you for sending it to me.

There are so many things to be decided about the project, and actions to take- and it’s completely confusing at times…and frustrating to know which direction the Lord wants us to take…But, true- why waste time trying to figure it all out?

Thanks for sending this verse!!

~ Elizabeth