how well do you know me...?

how does this go? 5 lies and a truth? 5 truths and a lie? ummm...ok. here it goes...i was "tagged" by my sister, whatever that means. see if you can figure me out..

1. i have seen vanilla ice in concert.
2. i have set foot in 10 different countries.
3. i can drive a tractor.
4. i've delivered 28 babies.
5. i can touch my tongue to my nose.
6. i shot my first deer when i was 11 years old.

5 fact, 1 fiction...take your guess folks.

shall i tag...kristin? yes.

trouble makers

Christians should be trouble-makers, creators of uncertainty, agents of a dimension incompatible with society.
-Jacues Ellul

how will i know the way?

today i sat in the balcony in church. i didn't understand much. an indonesian girl at least told us what chapter the scripture text was coming from. John 14, the first several verses. i read through a couple times...
"Do not let your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father's house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you. If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also. and you know the way where I am going."
i asked God to speak, to bring His word alive. questions flooded my mind. how did they feel? what were their tones and moods and reactions? what would be my reaction..?
i know Jesus is talking about big houses and Him getting it all ready for us to be roomies, but i think i'd jump in right there with Thomas, my voice edged with panic, "Whoa, whoa, whoa!! going?!! you're leaving?? what do you mean we know the way!!??! the Father's house? is this a joke, because i'm not laughing??!! i don't know where you're going, i don't know the way!"
Jesus calmly replies, "I am the way..."
i saw the confusion right away. maybe because i get hung up there quite often. they were going to have to see past the physical. the disciples had been walking in the footsteps of Jesus, literally, for a long time. now all of a sudden He's out? gone? going to the Father's house, whatever that means? there wasn't a yellow brick road to follow, no road signs.
"You know the way where I am going...I am the way."
don't we still find ourselves right there...longing for mapquest printout step by step directions to the Father's house, longing for physical directions when Jesus has given spiritual directions? so how do we get there? walking "the way" of Jesus, asking Him to show us how to see with our spiritual eyes. Where would He be walking if He were here in ____? in the shopping mall? in the churches? in the slums? where would i find His footsteps? that's where i want to walk, that's where i want to find myself...doing what He would have done. doing what He is doing. doing what He longs to be doing. Yesterday i heard a church leader say, " we incarnate the life of Christ because He is in us."
hmm...
so maybe He didn't check out after all. i think He walks with us...in us...around us...through us...

well, there are my thoughts for a sunday morning pondered and scribbled...

tribute to sudan

this is my life...

Mother and child healthcare seminar

Day 1

Day 3

We had anywhere from 30 to 40 women come each day to learn how they could love God and take care of the people in their community.

I found alot of healing on this dusty road to Congo. This tree was like a wise old friend with it's patch of golden leaves and spacious shade and deep roots...i like trees.
Our dear little friends...sammy, josephine, dosa, and another neighborhood kid.
Bethany, me, and rachel on the way to an island clinic in Uganda. Island treasures that welcomed us and...
bid us farewell.

More of our Sudanese friends/translators/sisters.

This dear woman had been working as a traditional birth attendant for more than 30 years. She helped deliver the healthcare worker who now runs this clinic. She told us she was our mother, dear woman...

"let's go little sister!"

how beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news...

We did 2 weeks of teachings in a village under an enormous mango tree. i had so many "is this really my life?" moments.

Many of these women have been refugees most of their lives. My friend taking my picture with my camera.

Our beautiful students/teachers.

Our sources of joy and laughter and fun!

Who needs a stroller?

I grew to love these dear women...I think Rose (the one with the belly) has delivered since we left. She wanted me to catch her baby, but baby didn't want to come. I pray she had a joyful delivery...

Cheese!

Most popular house model...it works for the kitchen, living room, bedroom, dining room...

hi from singapore!!!

hey everyone!!

we're in singapore getting indonesian visas!  we'll fly out tomorrow morning to hit up the last leg of this journey.  new places, faces, language, food, culture...again, again.  i was just pondering with my friend ashley..."i'm not sure i've got it in me to do this all over again in a new country."  this morning during a team time of worship all my heart could muster up was "Lord, You are worthy of whatever i have left."  now talking with ashley i'm thinking, "oh jill, you're so dramatic..." haha has God ever left me high and dry?  we decided all it boiled down to was loving God and loving people day to day.  that's it.  Mother Theresa said, "Following Jesus is simple, but not easy.  Love until it hurts, and then love some more."  That's where i feel like i'm at.  i loved alot of people in india.  and then i loved some more people in africa, until it hurt.  until i cried.  until i didn't know what to do with myself.  and then we had to leave.  i had to leave my loves behind.  i still hurt.  "...so this is what it feels like to leave behind a love, or to be separated from a love.  my heart is heavy as i sit watching the African sun set behind the field of green grass and mud huts.  i'm tempted to listen to old school love songs and feel sory for myself.  the foxes have holes and the birds have nests, yet the Son of man has no where to lay His head..."  (journal entry from march 25, uganda after we left sudan)  So this is where i am...love until it hurts, and then love some more....

i'll be back to updating with lots of pics as soon as we get settled in.  yea!