Weekend Warriors

The fence is in, the barn is almost finished, and the new place is starting to look and feel more like home each day.

Life looked like a Chevy commercial the past couple of days with all of the work vehicles around this weekend. My parents and some local helpers spent the whole weekend putting up a whole lot of split rail fence. A job well done, I'd say, especially considering the way they dodged the gasline. I can't claim much credit for any of the finished product. My job: Junior Credit Card Swiper. I did a couple of odd jobs here and there buying construction materials and food, but all the credit goes to the Weekend Warriors. Here's a look at the weekend in pictures:

One crazy thing that makes me smile

Meet Hannah. She's my sassy Australian Shepherd puppy who absolutely loves to keep me on my toes. There's no snooze button on this 4-legged alarm clock. She'll do whatever it takes to wake me up, even if that means hitting me in the head with her water bowl.

She's beautiful and has all the dignity and delicacy of a WWF wrestler. And I have to admit that's exactly what I love about her. Lately she's had to spend a lot of time inside and seems to keep herself busy by herding the flies that make their way in from the yard. She'll chase them all around the house with great enthusiasm. From time to time I'll hear a clatter and thud coming from the kitchen where Hannah has jumped into the air and body slammed the cabinets in pursuit of a stray fly. 'A' for effort.

I've been grateful for her companionship and crazy antics throughout this transition of leaving behind some dearly loved friends and life in Venezuela to walk into this next glorious chapter of life.

Emily + Jeff = Love

Jehova jireh, my God provides. Saturday our family got a third vehicle and we are all now able to independently transport ourselves. I'll be driving my old car, lovingly nicknamed Jeff Gordon...nothing fancy, but Jeff absolutely fits my needs and then some.
Thanks for praying!

Praying for a car

One thing that's been interesting about living at my parent's new house is the fact that the three of us share 2 cars, live 20 miles out of town, and have really different schedules. We're juggling things around well enough, but it would be a huge blessing if the Lord would provide a vehicle for me in some way. I've had to laugh sometimes about my mom dropping me off for work, waiting for my stepdad to come pick me up, or my personal favorite: my mom leaving messages for me with the coffee shop guy who makes me my Earl Grey tea while I work and wait for my parents to show up. Oh, no, that's not embarassing at all.

Start this thing up again

I'm writing this assuming that people still check it from time to time...even though it's been ages since I've posted.
I just moved to a brand new country: Texas. They tell me it's still in the Union, but this, my friends, is a whole new ballgame. The language here is different and sometimes I wish I had my own Texas to Yankee pocket translator. Like when the store checkout girl asks me, "How are y'all?" I just don't know what to make of it. There's only one of me. Do I know her? Is she asking about my family? Is she seeing me with double vision?? I'll chalk it up to poor subject-verb-reality agreement. My question is answered as I hear her greet the family behind me, "How are all a y'all?" Got it. I might just become fluent.

I actually just returned from New Staff Training with Campus Crusade in Orlando. I'm currently in the process of finding a team of ministry partners to help send me to my next assignment in Salt Lake City, Utah. And while I don't know much about what ministry looks like there (yet) I know that I am really excited to go.
While I was still in Orlando, I got a phone call from the student leadership meeting in Salt Lake and was able to say hi and answer some questions via speakerphone. I've got to admit that it was one of the most encouraging and welcoming things that's ever happened to me. Like I said, I am super-excited to head to Utah.

Home!

The return to Merida has been a great success so far, praise the Lord! It has been so great to be back with my team and with the students here. There has been lots of hugging and catching up. Without a doubt I feel loved by everyone I work with here.

I had a little over a week after coming back to readjust and get ready for our National Conference. It was a lot of work for our staff team of 35 to put on the conference, but to see God at work in the hearts of the 200 students that attended made all of the exhaustion worth it. More than that, it was an honor to be a part of creating an atmosphere where students were able to get away from their daily routine and be refreshed and challenged in their walks with the Lord.

I thoroughly enjoyed goofing off with my friends from the staff teams in other cities in Venezuela, getting to know students from all over the country, praying over students in Spanish, and, yes, playing on the teeter-totters with my teammates. My health held up surprisingly well with all of the activity and stress, so that is a great praise. We are home again in Merida recuperating from the conference and getting ready to take a well-earned rest on the Venezuelan coast.

Trust me, I'm in this picture. See that bright blue spot in the upper right-hand corner?

It's official!

Or at least the one way ticket is non-refundable....
I'll be leaving for Venezuela on Tuesday evening and getting to Merida on Wednesday morning. It will be a big day for me physically: 18 hours of travel. Bring it on. I am ready for the next challenge and I am ready to see some familiar and dearly loved faces at the Merida airport. That's enough to get me through any airport weariness or patience-wearing situation. And hopefully I won't get into too much trouble without Bryon always asking me where my passport is...sheesh! The man is relentless. Although it's not entirely unwarranted...one little incident and now I have a reputation.
I have two days left here in Kansas. My mom took some time off from work, so we'll get to have some good, quality time together before I leave. I am excited about that time and blessed to have it, too.

Let's hear it for the Fast Shoes

Sometimes it really feels like this recovery process is slower than slow. I had hoped to be back in Venezuela by now, but I'm not. And I'll be honest and say that the slowness of all this jazz has frequently been discouraging. BUT then there are days like today when I am able to celebrate small victories. I walked over a mile and a half this afternoon AND even took a handful of running steps! My leg muscle is down to almost nothing these days, so I'm sure I will feel the consequences of my actions tomorrow, but I'll gladly take them. Lately I've been feeling like a prisoner in my own body and today's micro-adventure gave me a sweet, sweet feeling of freedom that I really needed.
Still no word on when the doctor will let me go back. I'm praying for soon, but trusting that the doctor will help us make the wisest decision.

Milestones and setbacks

When my sisters were little they had a pair of shoes for everything. There were shiny shoes they'd pull out of the closet just for dancing, school shoes, rubber-soled shoes for running, the next pair of hand-me-downs shoes they were waiting to grow into.... My youngest sister, Tracy, even had a special pair she called her "jumping shoes."
I 've never really vocalized it, but I've always thought of my latest pair of running shoes (which haven't seen much action lately) as my fast shoes. Look at these bad boys with their metallic blue trim and tell me I don't run like the wind when I wear them. Okay, I'll admit it, I don't do much of anything like the wind....maybe more like a lazy summer breeze?
Today I took the fast shoes out for some adventure: instead of twice around the block, we ended up going over a mile! It felt great and I just kept smiling and smiling. Praise the Lord for continued improvement!
While I am celebrating today's achievement, I'm also acknowledging that it's been a bit of a rough week with some disappointments and setbacks. Most notably, my doctor asked me to delay my return ticket to Venezuela by at least 2 more weeks. He'd like to see me be stronger before I jump back into things. (He'd let me if a had a pair of jumping shoes like Tracy, but since I don't...nuts!) It's the wise decision, but it hit me hard. My heart is homesick for my team and students in Venezuela and at first the 2 week delay felt enormous. I'm still not excited about it, but there's really nothing I can do at this point other than make the best of things and continue to rest in the Lord's care.

Feats of athleticism

Well, folks, I am pleased to announce that I am feeling better and better each day. Today will be the third day in a row for me to walk around the block. Once. Per day. Unattended. My muscles seem to think that this training program is a bit intense...at least that's what they scream to me when I wake up in the morning. They scream at me, I laugh at them, and we keep moving forward. It's a rather humbling experience. I never thought I would be rejoicing over something so small, but here I am. So, praise the Lord for continued improvement!

Some answers!

I'm slowly adjusting to the winter temperatures here at home. I'll admit to becoming more of a pansy after the so much time in Venezuela. Thankfully my brother's dog, Athene, has adopted me and I've been grateful for her warmth and company...not to mention the fact that she made for a very low-maintenance Valentine's Day date. (Take-out Chinese, in case you're wondering...and she didn't even eat off my plate. I know, my standards are high).

AND it is my great joy to inform you that we have an answer regarding my health! Doctors here think that a previous illness threw some of my body chemistry out of whack and that is the cause of the fatigue that I've been experiencing. The best news? It's an easy fix. A little medication and some simple changes to my daily routine and I should be right on track. We don't know exactly how long it will take for a full recovery, but we are hopeful and still praying for March 4th. Overall, I am encouraged...ready to take on the world (or at least the walk to my mailbox) and excited to rejoin the crew back in Merida. I sure do love my team!

Recently I've been blessed by people from all over the world (some of whom I do not even know!) who are praying for my health and my team. It's been both encouraging and humbling as I continue learning just how much I need other people. Thank you.

Taking the next step

Doctors in Maracaibo were unable to give us any answers, so we made a tough decision to return to the US to continue pursuing a diagnosis and treatment for the weakness I've been experiencing in the past month. I arrived at my parents' house in Kansas on Monday after 20 hours of travel - a grueling day for me since I get tired from even the smallest of 'adventures' outside of the apartment. I was able to take all of Tuesday to rest and am feeling ready to see a doctor here in Wichita this afternoon.
I am blessed that my mom works at one of the hospitals here in town and has been able to take care of a lot of details with appointments and insurance for me. Calling her resourceful is an understatement and I think she will be my greatest asset for getting on the road to recovery and back to Merida as soon as possible.
It is surreal to be back home so suddenly and there are moments where I hardly know what to make of it. I'm at home, yet feeling so far away from home! I traded palm trees and ceaseless car alarms for a quiet, bleak winter landscape. Teammates and friends are now thousands of miles away and this morning I find myself wondering if I've just woken up from a very long dream. Phone calls and emails assure me that I haven't, but it's a bit mind-boggling nonetheless.
Right now I am scheduled to return to Venezuela on March 4th. We'd like to ask you to join us in praying for answers to this little medical mystery as well as a full recovery before March 4th. Thanks so much to all of you who have been joining us in prayer and for the encouraging emails you've sent!

From Maracaibo, with love

It's been a long time since I've posted anything. A few days after my last post I got pretty sick. And for the past several weeks I've struggled with some health issues that have really lowered my energy and ability to get around. Recovery has been very slow and we are still trying to figure out what is actually going on. It's been a long process, and frustrating at times. Right now I am visiting another Crusade staff team in Maracaibo while trying to get some answers and better medical care.
I've been blessed to spend time with friends that I am staying with here. At times I have been overwhelmed by their hospitality, and while I might be passing through a difficult season in life, I don't see much to complain about. Praise the Lord for that.
It's already been 5 days here in Maracaibo, and while I think we are closer to answers about my health, we are still without a concrete answer and still without treatment. I'm praying the answer comes soon and that I will be able to rejoin my much loved team in Merida within a couple of days. Thanks to so many of you who have sent encouraging emails my way! They really boost my spirits and are WAY more fun than the vitamin-B IV they use here to give me a boost.
And if you have a minute, would you praise God for my incredibly outstanding teammates in Merida (Bryon, Amber, Claudia, and Sam) who have encouraged me, supported me, and helped maintain my sanity (what's left of it) throughout all of this?

Reason #913 why I love Venezuela..

Big Carrots.
I have no knife big enough to cut it, but maybe one of my neighbors has a machete?

Pray with us

It's been a full holiday season with lots of traveling, visitors, more traveling, and even a bit of relaxation. But now we've come to that place where we need to shift gears and get ready to step into the next phase of this great adventure that we're on.
Over the next few days our team will be focusing on seeking the Lord and asking Him to lead us regarding the direction of ministry in the coming months.
-Please pray for each of us individually as we meet with the Lord: Emily, Bryon, Amber, Claudia, and Sam.
-Pray that we will each be reawakened to our desperate need for His leading, His wisdom, and His strength.
-Pray that we will start the year refreshed in our walks with the Lord.
-Please pray also for our protection as we begin pressing more deeply into our relationships with Jesus--we certainly have an enemy who would like nothing more than to thwart our attempts call on the Lord. (Many of us have recently been laid low with extreme fatigue, physical weakness, or headaches).
Lately I've been growing in my awareness of the futility of actions I take and decisions I make in my own strength and wisdom. I am realizing to a new extent the enormity of my need for Jesus and it drives me to my knees in desperation and dependence. Please pray that I stay in this place as Bryon and I lead our team into the next chapter of the story that God is writing here in Merida.