Twelve Days of Renewal in MN

Paul & Silje's epic wedding celebration was the reason for this quick trip. 

(Photos to come!  Wedding photos take time you know.)

While in town, we reconnected with many caring people 

and enjoyed every ounce of prime Minnesota summer.

Now, in no particular order!

A collage 

of twelve healing, beautiful, cheerful days 

with the people we call ours, 

in the place where we grew up.

At the wedding chapel!

Um. We tried.

Michael asked me to write this during a car ride on the last day.

Remember how I shared that for awhile there 2014-15 felt like the hardest year; one of the factors was the winter stay in the US, another was wondering if we had been forgotten by our sending body? 

This trip healed it.

First of all, the brothers and sisters of Hutchinson Free and Glencoe Buffalo Creek gave us such affirmation and warm reception. Thank you, thank you, people for your kindness and care. You strengthened us. We are honored to be a part of you. 

Someone who meant a lot to us passed away while we were in town. It was significant to process grief with those close, and express our support to the family by physical presence. I daresay that only God could have orchestrated the timing.

Family relationships were renewed. I grew in appreciation for the diversity of personality, gifts, perspective, experience and interests represented in our family members. I was humbled, humbled, humbled in respect and admiration for the beauty of each one.

Our friends and family are exceptional. We are so loved. 

counting the graces

thank you Father for

12 Years a Slave to vividly preserve history that must never be forgotten

K'nex building and swimming afternoon with...Daddy!!!

instantly taking the pressure off by just canceling that optional thing

red lentils hit the spot

restorative naps

Drew's patience and support when I was angry and feeling crappy

flowering lily pads on the mountainside lake

dreaming of hiking Tiger Leaping Gorge

Circling Planet Earth

In June Drew completed a full circle around the globe.

He kicked off in a remote village called Pingtan on the border of Hunan and Guizhou provinces, China. I don't know what the population of Pingtan is...a couple thousand?

Drew was helping a friend house-hunt and move stuff. We hope to move here next summer too.

Dropped off Titus in Changsha, China. 

Population 7,000,000. 

In our apartment, population 4. (We're not counting the newest tenant, the rat.)

And after a layover (I think it was in Guangzhou), he descended upon Delhi, India. 

Population 9,800,000.

It was here that his luggage was lost so he visited the tailor and acquired camel leather shoes.

Meet Roshan, Drew's co-worker and friend. He was happy to be home eating his comfort food!

After those meetings he made his way over to Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

Population 2,000,000.

That's the tallest building in the world, exceeding the camera's aperture.

(This whole time Drew is fine but wishing he was home! It wasn't his desire to go on this trip, but he was the only guy who could do it.)

Ok then he flew through Atlanta, GA, arriving somewhere in California to check in with the customer service team office. I can't even remember what city. Northern CA. I'll have to ask him.

Finally, he found us in Minnesota!

Here we are in the lovely town where it all started for us two: Hutchinson, MN. 

Population 15,000.

To completely circumnavigate the globe, he then flew through Seattle to Shanghai and back to home base in Changsha. (The kids and I followed a day later on a different flight path.)

counting the graces

thank you Father for

books about feelings to help angry, frustrated boys feel understood

expert medical advice from Mom & Stephen

unhurried days

Jared!

cabbage eggs for breakfast

enough experience and low expectations so as not to be stressed by a visit to an overcrowded Chinese hospital

flag comes down -- a small victory

neighbor's niece can come to our annual VBS

Hey! Played a show in a dirty little bar, wish you could'a been here!

I love sharing music. 

It's human, communal, celebratory, restorative, spiritual, poetic, philosophical, healing, unifying.

The best part was several of our friends came out to share the night.

Wish you could have been there with us!

Made new friends, too. This boyfriend-girlfriend acoustic jazz duo opened the show.

We call ourselves Brownstory.

Rach on guitar, Drew on violin, Noah on electric mandolin.

Noah's newest EP is here!

On the track embedded here, the girl backing voice, "follow me..." is yours truly.

But don't stop at just this song, check out the whole EP.

Rachel's pick -- Undivided Devotion
Drew's pick -- Laid Down Roots

And Previous Collaboration

The two bands together! Real good times.

We miss Noah, wife Naomi & kids already. They're in the US for the summer.

counting the graces

thank you Father for

opening my eyes and heart to the history and present systemic racism embedded in the US; weeping and repenting for this

humbling me through the ones I had judged

unusually cool, clean, overcast, perfect days

afternoon reading on the lush, deserted campus green while Titus and Mike played under willows and the bridge

slowing down to observe and capture photos of life around the Back Lake district

Drew's had a couple guys over to visit this week and last; he has male friends outside of the office!

connecting more deeply with K&S

HS-directed prayer

shedding layers of fear, anxiety, pressure; finding new degrees of freedom and gradually realizing how much greater you are

Titus more chilled out practicing piano