Two Weeks Ago

So, from my last blog, you know we were in Tulsa after leaving Colorado.

On the way, we stopped in Hays, Kansas.

We took the kids to the Sternberg Museum of Natural History.

It was very educational.

Especially since secular Science doesn't believe The Great Flood happened. (read all about it in Genesis 6.)

All of these fish bones were found in the middle of Kansas!

Crazy, right?

I won't give a geology lesson, I promise.

But Ellie and Drummer Boy sure got one!

After the field trip stop, it was on to Tulsa, Oklahoma for a night of worship, and weekend services with some wonderful people.

Because I am the main photographer, and I was onstage the entire time, there are no pictures with Pastor Bill Story or Pastor Paul Aelmore from Bethel Worship Center.

It was truly a memorable time in God's presence. We just have to work on photographic evidence.

We stopped in on Pastor Danny and Sarah Borrell at Faith Center in Tulsa.

I really really love them.

Now we are back home.

I tried to blog about this a few days ago, and then a couple days ago again, but couldn't attach any pictures.

From now on, I guess I'll have to blog without photos to stay current.

It's just not as fun.

Wednesday, I have an interview with a local radio station, KAJN (102.9 fm).

They have been playing "Stars" from Declaration.

I hope I don't ramble.

Why are you laughing?

I can do that, right?

Home For A Whole Week!

Yep, the title says it all!

We're home to do laundry, finish up school, and catch our breath before embarking yet again on another two weeks of singing, loving on folks, and just enjoying the presence of God with other members of His family!

I am so proud of Ellie. Once we realized she had fallen behind in Math due to unforeseen band practices earlier this year, she made up her mind to finish before the second leg of our summer journey. Once home, she proceeded to do eight lessons a day in Math. With each lesson containing at least twenty questions, plus tutorials, the total per day was....well, I'll let you do the Math. I'm tired.

Needless to say, we are working on everything we didn't finish before we left in June, mainly the extra room, which is almost done!!! Yes!!

My dear friend, Emily commissioned me to do a painting for a friend of hers, with excerpts from a poem written for her friend's son, who is autistic. I based the painting around the theme of the poem: God created the stars, one was struggling to keep up with the other stars in the sky, so God found a home where it would be nurtured.

At first, I thought the bird represented how the star came to be home, but the more I worked on it, I saw the bird representing this amazing woman raising her son amid doctors' reports, the day to day frustrations, and incredible obstacles, but finding a way to keep her star in the sky, not allowing him to fall. On her tail feathers hangs a lantern, lighting the way for the rest of us to find inspiration and wisdom from her journey.

I will post a picture of the finished painting soon.

In Tennessee

We had a wonderful time in Tennessee. Here are some highlights of our time in Greeneville. We spent time with my dear friend, Jennifer Hillman, and her incredibly talented husband, Pastor Scott. Their church, River of Praise AG, was amazing. We arrived a couple days early to reconnect with our friends (I hadn't seen them in 17 years!). The tour around Greeneville became a history lesson for Ellie and Drummer Boy. And their parents as well.

Ellie girl with her new friends, Abbie and Mrs. Jennifer Hillman. We went to the Andrew Johnson Museum. Ellie is in period dress, part of the educational exhibit.

I think the stovepipe hat should make a comeback. At least on this kid. He can pull it off.

"Oh no! We're stuck in jail! Let us out!!!"

Enjoying the springtime feeling of almost zero humidity. Really.

A cannon ball lodged in this brick wall since the Civil War. Amazing.

Pastor Scott and Jennifer Hillman. Two of the most incredible people ever called into ministry.

Drummer Boy at Andrew Johnson's family grave site.

Biker Man and Drummer Boy studying history.

The service that Wednesday night was anointed, powerful, and had no time constraints.

We started at 7pm, and when Biker Man glanced at the clock a few minutes later, it was actually 9:20pm. We got so lost in the presence of God, that nothing else mattered. Pastor Scott sang and played guitar with me. And blew me away with his God-given abilities. Plural. Because he made that guitar sing beyond what I've thought humanly possible.

After altar time, and praying over needs, people meeting with Jesus on a more intimate level, it was time to leave. Around 11pm. (We had to get on the road and drive four and a half hours to Nashville. So I could be at Mercy Ministries the next morning. At nine. I'll post pictures of the chapel at Mercy in another post.)

I leave you with this picture of Jennifer and me at the close of the night at River of Praise.

Update

We thoroughly enjoyed having Tanya and Sergii come to stay. Our kids were influenced somewhat by the Australian company, as it seemed to creep into their speech. "Mum, I want to go fuusst!" said my daughter, apparently unaware she sounded as Aussie as they come.

It was a blast. Here are some pictures of the Susidko's visit.

The Susidkos

At Jungle Gardens on Avery Island, Susidko and Campbell children

Elijah and Annasophia

At the Tabasco plant, Avery Island

Elijah, Annasophia, & Nikita

The lovely Annasophia

Tanya and her daughter

On another note, we have been traveling since June 18th, working our way from Mobile, Alabama, to Charlotte, North Carolina, and now we are in the mountains of Greeneville, Tennessee. Blogger was not cooperating last week during the five minutes of internet service I had.

We have seen some amazing times of prayer and worship. I love getting into God's presence with other worshipers! I will post more soon. Please keep us in your prayers as we continue to be a voice of God's love to His body.

Busy

I've been BUSY. Really, really busy.

Of course, there's the XMC stuff, with graduation coming up, I want the worship and music to be perfect. Practice, practice, practice.

But I've been unusually busy at home too.

We closed in our garage last year, to make our two bedroom house a three bedroom.

It's just now getting finished.

The motivation for this sudden burst of renovation exertion?

My best friend from high school is coming to see me.

And her husband. And their three wonderful children. All the way from the Ukraine, where they are missionaries.

I haven't seen Tanya (that's her name, by the way) in about fifteen years.

Fifteen. Years.

Tanya is originally from Australia, where I went to high school. I graduated with two other students. I was in the top three of my class. (You'll catch it later, I promise.)

Anyway. We realized, when Tanya announced their plans to come over, we had nowhere to put them. Hence, the re-starting of the renovation.

I'm so glad it's finally getting done. I'm so tired of getting it done.

The point is, I've been too busy to blog. And I figured a renovation might be a tad too boring to blog about. But there it is.

I'll try and post some high school pictures of Tanya and myself at some point soon.

She said it, I knew it.

I am a missionary kid. Raised by parents who traveled the globe, mostly before I was born, but we moved to Australia when I was fifteen. I have it in my blood to travel to the furthest regions, and minister in the process. (And I get that if I didn't embrace the way I was raised, and appreciate it, I would want no part of it now.)
Well, I have always wanted to go to Africa. My parents ministered there in the 60's. (Long, long before I was born, so I never had the chance.) Mom and Dad were in Nigeria and the Congo. I have a little elephant my dad gave me when I was younger that I used to play with. Now it sits on the cabinet in the living room, a reminder of what is still in me to do. I have no idea what God has planned when (yes, I said when, not if) we go to Africa, I only know it's in my heart. Especially Kenya and Uganda.
Monday, some of our Master's Commission students left for Kenya. I wish I was going.
We have some dear friends from Uganda, Elisabeth and Moses Kitakule. I was their children's piano teacher for awhile. Thanksgiving day, Elisabeth called to see if I wanted to meet their dear friends, Hazel and Peter from Kenya.
Oh boy, you bet!
So Ellie has been longing to go to Africa since she met the Kitakule's. Now she wants to go to not only Uganda, but Kenya as well. I love the fact that she is expressing what I already know. We are going to do missions. As a family!! Just as I cannot escape the calling and burden for the lost I was raised with, neither will my children.
Ellie looked up at me after her friends left and said, "Now we HAVE to go to Africa."
I feel exactly the same way.