Nothing out of the ordinary

Just a short post this week :) My dear brother and his lovely bride to be are with us this week, so I have been totally soaking up every moment I can with them. It's been over a year since seeing them. I live a long distance life with most everyone I love... hazards of the trade, I say. With out any further adieu, the post of the week:

our dear classroom

Usually it is a bit more open whilst we meet therein as to allow heavenly ocean breezes to waft to and fro. ;) But most mornings we meet here 8-12 (Mon. and Wed. we meet from 9-12) for our guest speakers to enlighten us in the truth of God's Word.

Afternoon Prayer room time on Tuesdays and Thursdays 1-3pm
Interceding for unreached people groups.

Go to http://www.joshuaproject.net/ to see what we pray for each afternoon. It's truly amazing how so many have never heard the good news about how Jesus loves them and died to save them!

This was an unusually clear day, in which Hualalai, was visible from my front door. It was named the protector as it shields our side of the coast from the fiery lava spews from surrounding volcanos. Hualalai is considered an "inactive" volcano. Normally, "vog" (volcanic ash) or clouds block the mountain from full view.  There are days when the clouds meet this mountain in a way that it seems heaven kisses earth.

This kitty is ready for Christmas. Are you? I'm not what you would call "a cat person" seeing as a simple pat on the head of an innocent kitten brings an onslaught of sneezes and ichey eyes to my person. But I thought it was sweet that this feline felt comfortable resting at the foot of this Tannenbaum.

"How do I feel about Christmas being in a foreign land?", you ask.

I'll use bullet points to help outline my feelings...maybe a sign it's a bit late for me to be blogging...

• I've spent the past 6 years trying to figure out what "normal" holidays look like...no scratch that..my whole life has been a veritable moving puzzle board of questions regarding normal holiday antics.
• I spent my younger elementary years in Taiwan during the holidays as a "MK" (Missionary's Kid)
• I moved to Florida away from extended family for 8 years of life
• High School felt the most normal as I finally got to spend Thanksgiving and Christmas with extended family
• College took little me completely away from all family (it was a personal decision to go to college in FL, so technically it's not college's fault) so then everything got switched around again. 
• Married life and "sharing holidays" became a habit I now accustomed myself to. So sometimes in Kansas, sometimes in Washington.
• Christopher and Kaelin being here now are bringing Christmas early. By the time they go home, I'll have 2 days before departure (Dec. 18), so I think I'll be in post-Christmas mode at that point.
• Truly, I have no idea. I'm just gonna go with the flow of what the Indian culture has to offer. Usually, that kind of mind set serves me well. I chuckle when I think of Jonathan's first Christmas with my family and my first Christmas with his. We come from such different families; it really was like a being in a new culture for each of us. But we both were so richly blessed by the new culture that welcomed us in to partake of the joys each offered.

So I look forward to this experience, and I expect it to be quite an extraordinary one. Good night all!