a new cafe in town :D

greg and i spent some time getting this place ready with a new menu, new look, new ideas and hopefully it will take off running :D people you see pictured are workers and of course brookie and hazel :D

making digital money???

Track and Field Day 2010

ha ha...you can't see paul but he is running this race too :D
just getting a late start

good ol bean bag toss

in his spare time at the track...rather than competing...gavin is off catching bugs

i love how little kids run a race...with a smile on their face!

even here...gavin ran the whole time smiling :D

Connecting

So we are getting our PEARL name out there in the community and networking with those who want to work with us in the human trafficking areas. it's a great thing when God just puts people in your path and they have all the answers and encouragement you need for a month! i nearly cried this week when i met a guy at the grocery store who may be just what we need in many areas. these pictures are from our team at a bazaar where we talked to many leaders about what we are doing and what they are doing here so we can work together. i think it was a great start for our town! (and beyond)

i have started working on ideas for selling things...trying new things...here are some lamps i have made out of bird cages. i think it's a better idea to sell in america...but ya know...if we just keeping making and dreaming...and rising and rising...the lambs will become lions

you can't see a lot of the detail on this one but it's good to make :D

and i just like my mother's day flowers :D

hazel got ahold of the camera :D

a few hours at the local pool

summer time is almost here! but here it feels like summer all the time! we can swim year round...we sweat constantly...it's always sunny unless it's raining...life is good :D

i prefer kid talk over grown up talk any day!

Paul, Eli, Hazel and Bethany were making necklaces with me. And this was some of the conversation that day:

Paul: Man! That little bead is so small that God couldn't even find it!
Bethany: yes He could! God sees everything!
Paul: God made the world and we and this house are soooo small to God...he CAN'T see this bead.
Bethany: Yes! God made the bead, he CAN see it!
Paul: Mom....
Mom: Well...(getting my best theological voice) God is very big and He did make this world but I believe that God knows every little detail about us...even as little as you looking for the bead. He sees you...and knows you are looking for that bead.

about 5 min later

Bethany: "i once saw a rainbow in america!"
Me: "oh yeah? didn't you just see one over your old house here in indo too?"
Bethany: "no, that was at my YOUNG house."

about 5 min later

Eli: I LOOOVE american toliets!
Paul: oh me too! you know why?
Eli: cuz you can sit on them?
Paul: yeah...and just rest if you want to. they are sooooo great! i love them too!

Hazel: do you like my necklace?
Bethany: are you kidding me? it's terrible! (pause while hazel looks at her)
Bethany: no its not hazel...i would NEVER say you make something terrible...you're my best friend!