Just a quick update.

Jeff and Bradley are home. Blessing.

Jeff brought some funky thing back with him and is running a fever of 104. Not a blessing.

I am completely bogged down in a trial that I never should have accepted because when did I think I had time to do this? Not a blessing.

I only have 149 pages left to proof. Blessing.

The package we mailed to India finally arrived this week! Blessing.

The children's choir musical is on Friday. Mixed blessing.

Children's choir is about to be over for the summer. Blessing.

Dress rehearsal is tomorrow night. Not a blessing.

Bryant can dance. A blessing to share.

A Word from Brad

Dear Mommy,
We went to the Lincoln Memorial yesterday. We also went to the Washington monument, the World war 2 memorial, and the White House. We bought shirts for me, Bailey and Bryant. I got one that said, “I (picture of a heart) DC”. So did Bailey. Bryant got one that had a picture of DC. We rode a train to DC. Our hotel is in Virginia. We might come home tomorrow if it does not stop raining. Then we will have to miss 2 things. George Washington’s house (Mount Vernon) and the Arlington Cemetery. I have a surprise for everyone. We went to the space and rocket center. Me and daddy rode the simulator. Not the big ball, the red machine. We saw rockets, jets, and a the Space Shuttle. We took lots of pictures for you to see. We will send them to you.

Love, Bradley

A Word from Jeff

Jeff sent a few pictures from the trip to the Mall yesterday, which included the World War II Memorial, the Washington Monument, the Lincoln Memorial, the Vietnam Memorial, the Capital and the White House. It was a beautiful day filled with sunshine and even some surprises. One of the state Senators from Alabama, Jeff Sessions, was at the WWII Memorial yesterday to greet several veterans touring from north Alabama. They met one of his aides and he told them to go over and meet with the Senator. Granddaddy had the opportunity to talk with him for a little while and enjoyed it. He even received his business card and an offer to call him if he ever needed anything. What's funny about this is that Jeff Sessions is a Republican, and Granddaddy is a staunch Alabama Democrat. Perhaps this will finally put a chink in his armor? Probably not!

What a cool thing for the four of these guys to get to do together. I know none of them will ever forget it.

Hulon and the Senator.

The weather isn't as good for them today as the beautiful one they had yesterday. Since it's cold and rainy, today will be an inside day. I think the Smithsonian was on the list. I'm sure it will be great, whatever they do!

I love these guys.

Bailey and I went with the BBC Homeschool group to Huntsville yesterday to the Space and Rocket Center. It was so much fun! The day was absolutely gorgeous, and my dad went with us so we had our own personal tour guide for much of it since I learned yesterday that he actually worked on the engine for the first shuttle attempts when he worked for Pratt Whitney in West Palm Beach. How sad that I never knew this before. Who knows what else I don't know about my folks!

This lady showed us a couple of fun experiments involving Alka-Seltzer and pressure. The one she did with water, oil, food coloring and alka-seltzer was the best. She made a miniature lava lamp, and Bailey turned to me with amazement and said, "We gotta try that at home!"

We will definitely have to go back with Bradley, because he would have loved it so much. There was tons to see and do, and since he's so interested in space right now I know he would have eaten it up.

Other than the exhibits, there are a lot of great simulators. Some of them Bailey wasn't quite tall enough for, but it didn't seem to upset her too much. We did the Mars Mission simulator and she loved that. We ended the day with a movie in the IMAX theatre that was awesome. It would have been even more awesome if we hadn't been in the front row, but we didn't have much choice!

The two biggest attractions are the G-Force simulator, which I wasn't brave enough for, and the Space Shot, which I was! There was a kids area that had a mini-version of the Space Shot, and Bailey and her friends rode it over and over at least twenty times. She would have gone twenty more if we had let her. But there were important things like sno-cones waiting.

Here she is on the mini version...

And here is her crazy mama on the real thing!

Yes, we were as scared as we look. But it was exhilarating! If I hadn't had to wait in line I would have absolutely done it again. I was so proud that it didn't make me nauseous!

It was a lot of fun to get Bailey away and do something with just her. When Bradley's not around to dominate, she'll talk your ear off!

Okay, I can't resist. Hope all of your weekends are a BLAST! :)

Jeff and Bradley left yesterday morning to meet up with Jeff's dad and granddad in Knoxville headed to our Nation's capital. For Christmas this year, we registered his granddad, Hulon Ogle, with the World War II memorial. Jeff told him when we gave it to him that it included a trip to DC to see it for himself. So this is the weekend.

I know they are going to have such a great time. Hopefully Jeff will keep sending me pics for the blog. This one is from this morning. They are off to the Mall today. It's supposed to be a gorgeous day, and I'm praying it's just that.

Maybe I'll give Bradley access to the blog and let him keep us updated... that could be interesting!

GREAT NEWS!

I just found out that the money has been wired to India for Ramu! I am so excited to see what is going to happen next. Thank you so much to all of you who are involved in this, either financially or through prayer.

Our God is a Great Big God!! :)

You know those times when you absolutely can not laugh or else you will completely spoil the point you are trying to make with your children? I've never been so glad that it was dark as I was tonight in the car.

I've been trying for months, if not years, to get my kids to stop making potty jokes. There is nothing as funny to them as inserting the word "poop" or "fart" into any sentence. And I'm just sick of it. I've tried all kinds of different punishments, but so far nothing has worked.

So tonight B&B were just totally wild in the back seat. I had already threatened that if they didn't calm down they were going straight to bed when we got home. I think they thought I was bluffing. Even though they had a very hearty snack before we left at 5:15, they hadn't technically had dinner yet and were expecting this upon arrival.

So Bailey is doing something with her electronic diary, and Bradley says, "Change the password to 'poopy'"! Tee-hee, tee-hee. She readily agrees and yells "POOPY!" I snap. "You are both going straight to bed when we get home!"

"But MOM, we haven't had dinner yet!"

"Sorry. Should have thought about that when I warned you."

Tears. Weeping. Rending of clothes. Gnashing of teeth.

So now it's time for that teachable moment. "You know, the Bible says that you are not to let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouth. That means you are only to use your mouth for encouraging others, learning and teaching and praising God." (I'm kindof learning this right now myself, actually.)

Bradley pipes up in his snubbiest voice, "Yes, ma'am... those are words to live by."

Thankfully I swallowed the laugh, but my face would have been a dead giveaway!

Some days are better than others...

Yesterday was a less than stellar day of parenting. I felt like the words that came out of my mouth were virtually all spoken out of impatience. Brad and Bailey lost many privileges, and none of us were exceptionally happy with the way things were going. Things between Bradley and I were the worst.

So after he left for Scouts, I left a note on his bed. I knew he would be getting home in the middle of my Bible study and would probably be asleep before I got upstairs. This is how it went...

When I came up to my room, this was beside my pillow...

Ah... grace. I love that kid. :)

Okay. The most incredible thing just happened and I am compelled to share.

If you've been keeping up with me lately, you know that God has dropped some pretty earth-shattering revelation on me over the past few weeks, much of it in the form of John Eldredge's new book, "Walking with God." If you haven't gotten the book yet, in a nutshell, he describes how you can walk with God on a daily basis, developing an intimacy with him by listening to His voice. This isn't natural to us, and it has required some serious divine intervention for me. Just slowing my brain down enough to hear has to come from Him. And He has been overly and abundantly gracious to do this very thing.

Last night as I was asking God what He wanted to say to me, I very clearly heard the word "vulnerable."

I said, "Vulnerable? What does that mean?"

He said, "Be vulnerable." That was what I got. I didn't understand at all what it meant, but I was completely ecstatic that He had indeed spoken.

I've pondered all day over what that might mean. Being vulnerable sounds a little bit scary to me, because doesn't that mean I'm open to being hurt? Haven't I cried enough lately? Am I supposed to be vulnerable to God? Vulnerable to Jeff? Vulnerable to strangers on the highway? What does that mean?

To be honest, I really wasn't expecting an answer to come right away. I'm assuming this is something God wants to reveal to me in His timing. But He led me to read about David tonight. (That's another totally cool thing about this - actually asking Him what He wants me to read before I open the Bible. What a concept! :)) So I just went to 1 Samuel where David's story begins. Very soon into it is probably his most famous accomplishment, the victory over Goliath.

As soon as I saw the title, I heard, "Be vulnerable for me." So I'm thinking David was certainly an example of being vulnerable for God, right? He put his life on the line in a very real way when he got ticked off over "this uncircumcised Philistine that should defy the armies of the living God."

As soon as he started asking around, Satan tried to attack him through his brother Eliab. "Why have you come down here? And with whom did you leave those few sheep in the desert? I know how conceited you are and how wicked your heart is; you came down only to watch the battle." Enter ridicule, provocation and distraction.

When he told Saul he wanted to go for it, you can hear the condescension pouring from his lips, "You are not able to go out against this Philistine and fight him; you are only a boy, and he has been a fighting man from his youth." Enter doubt.

But David was determined to do what he felt the Lord leading him to do. And every five-year-old in Sunday school knows how that turned out.

At this point I'm hearing God tell me to be vulnerable for Him. Whether I'm perceived as a complete weirdo or not doesn't really matter any more. I'm hearing from Him, and I wouldn't trade it for anything.

So back to the cool thing that happened. Before I opened the Bible and started reading, I felt led to pray for Ramu. Some of you may have been wondering what has been going on with him. Well, from our end, not much. The money is sitting in the church account ready to go, but there is a hold-up on determining exactly the best way to get it to him. So I'm waiting. This is not my strong point. But I'm trying to just sit back and let things happen.

However, over the past few days, I've allowed some doubt to creep in. Even though I had two or three different confirmations that we were indeed supposed to be doing this for Ramu, that was a few weeks ago and my attention span is sometimes short-lived.

So I began to pray for Ramu. I asked God, "Did we do the right thing? Were we supposed to raise that money? Is this in Your will?"

I immediately heard, "Yes, child." So tender.

"Are you sure, God? Am I hearing you right? Are you in this?" I could almost hear Him laugh as He said, "YES!" Okay. Thank you. I just needed to hear that. I can wait again.

So then I opened my Bible and read and saw the story of David and Goliath and I'm just really feeling so encouraged. Thank you, Lord, for revealing a glimpse of Yourself to me tonight. All I want is to know You more.

I opened up my e-mail to check it before closing down my computer. There in my inbox is a precious note from one of my dearest college friends. This is what it said...

Hi Leigh Ann,

After reading your blog a few weeks ago, I was so saddened by the story of the little blind boy who could possibly regain his sight through surgery, and I really felt the Lord leading us to help out in some way.

Richard and I would like to give some money toward that, but I'm not sure exactly how to do that, or even if that need has been met already. If there is still a need for money for his surgery, to whom should I make the check payable, and where do I send it?

Love,
Amy

Now, you may think that is coincidence, but I know better. God is listening. It's time for us to listen back. We will be astounded at how much He wants to tell us!

I just deactivated my Facebook account. I hope no one is offended. It was driving me insane. I figure if seeing the word "Facebook" in my inbox causes me to break out in hives, it might be a good sign that it is not for me.

Hopefully this doesn't make me socially irrelevant. If anyone needs me to confirm that we are indeed friends, just ask. I'm happy to do it over coffee.

It occurred to me tonight as I was sitting and laughing with the girls in my Bible study that I feel different today. I have actually experienced joy today, more than once. What is so awesome about this is that I've been praying for God to restore my joy, and I know some of you have been praying that over me as well. Isn't it spectacular when God answers a prayer, and you know it could have only come from Him?

For a lot of reasons, joy has escaped me since I've been home from India. There have been moments where I would start to experience it, and then it was like Satan came out of nowhere and just snatched it right back. It's truly the closest I've ever felt to depression, and it's not fun.

I was talking to a friend yesterday about the feelings of guilt I've had over joy. It's as if it wasn't right for me to be joyful after everything I saw and experienced in India, even though a lot of what I saw is amazing and beautiful and there is much to be joyful about in that wonderful place. But it's like I've put this burden on myself that until I figure out exactly everything God wants to teach me right now, I'm not allowed to have joy. And I know that's the last thing He would want.

If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father's commands and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. (John 15:10-11)

I just want to praise Him for hearing my prayer and answering. I feel like each day brings me closer to victory. I know that the journey before me is long, but it feels so good to know I'm not walking it alone.

Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good. His love endures forever!

This book is changing my life. It is changing how I pray, how I see God and how I get through the day. It is honestly that good.

Try it. You won't be disappointed.

Why We Went Camping...

After dinner tonight we swung by Wal-Mart to buy some things for our family campout tomorrow night. Yes, we are completely nuts for going when it's done nothing but rain for the last 48 hours, but parents will do many things for the love of their child. Since we got rained out on Bradley's actual birthday, we're going to try not to have to postpone it again. On the bright side, I don't imagine the campground will be too crowded.

Anyway, as Brad and Bailey and I were walking around waiting on Jeff to finish checking out, a cheerful employee stepped out and asked if she could help me find anything. I answered, "No thanks. We're just wandering."

She looked at me with a smile and said, "Well, you know, Tolkien (which she pronounced Toll-kee-in) said, 'Not all those who wander are lost.'"

How about that? Philosophy and groceries. This angelic lady had no idea what comfort she gave me tonight.

I smiled all the way home.

My dear sweet friends,

Thank you so much for your comments and e-mails and prayers. You have been such an encouragement to me over the past couple of days.

One of the things that I grieved the most over leaving India was how strongly I could feel the prayers of our intercessors. I can't even explain it accurately, but I just knew that we were being covered by people all over the world. Partly because you told us you were doing so, but it was this overwhelming sense of peace. I never felt like we were truly in danger, even when I was cringing and clutching the arms of whichever unlucky soul happened to be sitting next to me on our van rides of terror. I believed whole-heartedly that God had us under His wings and was keeping us safe.

You've made me feel like I am being prayed for again, and I can't tell you what a welcome comfort that has been, like a favorite old sweatshirt. I truly feel so blessed that I don't even know how to respond.

God is teaching me how important it is to pray continually. He really means it when He tells us to pray without ceasing. I think we go through periods of crisis where we do this out of desperation. But when things are good for the most part, we forget how important it is to constantly keep that line open. I sincerely hope that when this season of my life is over, I will not go back to taking that access to the Father for granted.

One of the things that I'm trying to implement is praying immediately for someone when they ask me to. Not just saying, "I'll be praying for you," because quite honestly how often have I said that and not really given the matter another thought. Not because I mean to, but just because of the busyness of life. I'm so tired of being so self-absorbed that I'm of no real use to anyone else. I never want to be that person again. With God's help, I won't be.

I've just completed my ten-week study on the tabernacle by Beth Moore. On the last day of that study she discusses the difference between casually following Christ and pursuing a daily fellowship with Him. She asks, "Can you live with the mediocrity of life in the outer court when you have been invited to dwell in the excellence of the innermost place? If you dare enter, you will never be the same."

My most sincere prayer is that I will never again find myself stuck in the outer court. I'm learning that to be with Christ in the Holy of Holies is not an easy thing, however. There are things that He requires, among them the pursuit of holiness. It's a daunting task, but He also promises to give us what we need to make it happen. All you have to do is ask.

Are you willing?

If there's one lesson that God has taught me over the past month, it's be careful what you pray for. If you pray and sincerely ask God to change you and bring you into a closer intimacy with Him no matter what it takes, be prepared for Him to do it. And chances are that it is not going to be all that pleasant.

Those who know me well will tell you that I'm not the same person I was a few weeks ago. My journey to India was only the beginning. The changes that began in me there have done nothing but harbor more since I've been home. Things that used to be so important to me are just gone. As hard as I've tried to pay attention to what's going on in politics (which I admit isn't really all that hard at all) I just can't make myself care. The whole thing seems utterly pointless. Rationally, I know that who becomes President next year does matter, but emotionally I just can't get there. Perhaps if there was a greater difference between the three potentials I might be more into it. But it just seems a little pathetic to me right now.

For the past year, I've prayed that God would burn things off of me that were dead and keeping me from going to the next level with Him. Apparently, He took me seriously. Some of what He is teaching me is just too personal and painful to blog about. But some things are about materialism and greed and our tendency to horde stuff. My family spent this past weekend cleaning out our bonus room and just purging it of all the things that never get used or played with. Yesterday, the kids and I took a huge load to Safe Haven, a family shelter in downtown Nashville. As we were driving through the neighborhood, I turned everything off and had the kids just look around. I want them to understand that the way they live is just not the way it is for the majority of people in this world, including people very near where they live. I'm not sure what else we're going to do to try to change their worldview, but I'm determined to try.

I will say this, though. I've never been more convinced that my God is real. If He wasn't, then there would be no Satan. And I assure you that we have an Enemy, and he crawls around like a devouring lion seeking the perfect time of attack. He is doing his best to knock me down right now, and my only strength comes from the Word of God and the knowledge that he has already been defeated.

I'm learning what it means to rejoice in your suffering. That never really made sense to me before. But when you know that your trials are a result of God pruning you and disciplining you, there is so much hope there. I believe that He wouldn't be allowing any of this if He didn't fully intend it for my eventual good. There really is comfort in that. He started this work in me, and He will be faithful to complete it. I know that He is answering my prayer to bring me closer to Him, and that He wouldn't do that if He didn't love me. I discipline my kids to make them better people. He is doing the same.

So you'll have to forgive me if you don't recognize me right now. I don't really even recognize myself at this point. I don't even want ice cream anymore. What is that about? That doesn't seem necessary. :)

Perhaps once all of this gets sorted out the old LA and the new LA will merge together into someone we can recognize and love. Until then, I hope you can be patient with me and love me anyway.

Thank You!

I'm so blown away. In just the past couple of days, we've raised more than what we need to get Ramu's testing underway. Hopefully the money will be in the hands of Baptist Church Hyderabad by early next week, and the wheels can begin to turn. I'm overwhelmed by the generosity of so many. I've had two different people tell me that God had led them to set aside some money to give to something, but they just didn't know what it was until they heard Ramu's story. They both said they instantly knew this was it.

When I went back and read what I had initially written about Ramu, I was reminded that the day I met him JD told me that he believed that Ramu was going to be healed one day. At that time, it hadn't even occurred to me to try and do anything to make this possible. I wrote, "Why was I born into the vast wealth of America and these little ones were born into such poverty and their choices are so limited? What do I do with this?"

How amazing that God would have given me at least one answer to this question. Perhaps I was born into America so that one day I would come to India and meet a little boy named Ramu and be able to bring some of the resources of my great nation to his aid. I'm so grateful that my friend Dana jumped on this so quickly and kind of shocked me out of my grief over his situation into action. What a lesson that sometimes God just asks us to pray for others, and sometimes he wants us to act on their behalf.

I truly believe that Ramu is on his way to restored sight. But I still hope with all my heart that you will join me in praying for him. First, pray that he is a candidate for surgery, and that in the three years since his last scans there hasn't been any injury to the optical nerve that would hurt his chances. Second, pray that through this journey, God will be glorified in a mighty way. I pray that the people of that sweet village would not see his healing as a miracle from America, but from the great Healer, and that many more of those precious gypsies would come to believe in the power of Jesus Christ and his resurrection. Wouldn't that be worth way more than we could possibly raise?

My dream is to return to India next year and be able to visit that church again. I want to be able to look in Ramu's eyes and see the love of Christ radiating back at me in place of the complete fear and desperation I saw last month. Oh, please join me in praying for that miracle.

JD told me that day that Ramu has the voice of an angel, and that whenever he hears him sing he is brought to tears. I can't wait to hear him for myself one day.

My Ramu Letter

Dear Friends and Family,

As many of you know, I recently had the privilege of traveling to Hyderabad, India, on a mission journey with eight other members of my church. My experience there was more than I could have ever hoped for or imagined, and I saw God moving in powerful ways. The people of this amazing country are burned into my heart, and I pray that God never allows the passion I have for them to fade.

One day while we were there, we visited a village church where I met a little boy named Ramu. He seemed about my oldest son's age, probably around 9. The pastor that we were with told us that his name was Ramu, and that he had been blind since birth. His father died a few years back, and his mother is suffering from tuberculosis. We had an opportunity to pray for this family and this precious child, but I had to pull away from the prayer time because I was so overcome with grief. The look of fear on this child's face was unlike anything I have ever seen, and the look of sheer desperation on his mother's was more than I could bear. They so earnestly wanted us to bring healing that day, and we couldn't.

Since that time, Ramu's face has never been far from my thoughts. Through talking with some of the local ministers, I found out that he is a candidate for corneal transplants, and there is a great possibility that his sight could be restored. I wrote about this experience on my blog from India, and my dear friend Dana immediately jumped on it and asked why we couldn't raise money for his treatment. I was overwhelmed by her readiness to do this for a child she had never met, and it filled my heart with a determination to pursue helping Ramu.

All I know at this point is that the initial testing and hospital stay is going to cost $1250. I still don’t know the exact cost of the actual surgery. But even if it's double that number to get it done, I feel like it's easily doable. We all have so much, and if we each give even a little, great things can be done.

I know that you all get hit up for money constantly for one thing or another, so I hope this doesn't just get lost in the shuffle. I completely understand if you can't give right now, but please join me in prayer that a miracle will be done in Ramu's precious life. You can read more about my experience with him at http://leighannswords.blogspot.com/2008/02/namaste-last-day-was-such-long-one-that.html, and I'm attaching a picture of Ramu so you can see him for yourself. He's such a beautiful boy.

Please pray about this. If you feel the Lord leading you to give, please write out a check to Brentwood Baptist Church or BBC, and put the words “India Fund: Ramu” on the memo line. You can drop this off at the church or mail it to Jamie Bennett, c/o Brentwood Baptist Church, 7777 Concord Road, Brentwood, TN 37027. Please do this as soon as you are able to so that we can get the ball rolling. The pastor of the church knows that we are attempting to raise money for him, and he is very eager to see how the Lord provides. What an incredible opportunity to be a part of something so much bigger than ourselves.

If, by God’s grace, we raise more money than we actually need for Ramu, please be assured that what is leftover will go to help take care of his mother’s ongoing medical treatment with tuberculosis, and any other needs that could be met in that sweet church. Their building is supposed to be complete by the end of this month, and a church dedication service is planned for March 31st. I so wish I could be there to see it.

Thank you in advance for giving this careful consideration. I know the Lord will bless you for it!

“The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor." Luke 4:18-19

Birthdays and Easter Eggs

With all this talk about India, I neglected to share a pretty important event in the Swords household. Since I didn't have my computer last week to download these pics, I missed posting on Bradley's birthday. But my firstborn turned nine last weekend. Unbelievable.
I'm sure the picture doesn't do it justice, but this is his very first self-made birthday cake, thanks to Bailey's Easy-Bake Oven. I think it's supposed to be an oreo cream cake. He was so proud of his efforts. I'm not sure even he ever got brave enough to taste it, though.

We were supposed to go on a camping trip with the Abbotts, but the weather didn't cooperate with us. If it had just been cold, we still would have gone. But the weather was really stormy on Saturday, so we decided to postpone it for a couple of weeks. All was well, though, once we decided on new plans. First we went to see "Horton Hears a Who" and then it was off to Chuck E. Cheese, the perfect consolation prize for any disappointment in life.

From there we went to Maggie Moo's for dessert. Bradley hates cake, so this is a much better option for him than the traditional route anyway.

Last Sunday it was our neighborhood's annual Easter egg hunt. Even though Brad was running a fever and had the beginnings of strep throat, his enthusiasm was undeterred. How hilarious to see these kids running for plastic eggs as if they were made of gold. Or video games.

Today is Easter. Since it was 35 degrees when we left the house, I decided to punt on Bailey's sleeveless dress and sandals. I figure in a few weeks we'll dress up and take pictures and pretend they were taken on Easter. Why not, right?

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This year for the first time we got the kids up at 5:45 a.m. and all made it to church for the 7 a.m. service. Jeff and I sang again at 9, and then hung out until the service was over so the kids could leave with Mom and Dad and go on to their house. We sang again at 11 and then headed out. It was exhausting, but so worth it. The music was completely exhilarating and emotionally draining. I love singing about the resurrection, because without it my faith is meaningless. I have no doubt in my mind that Christ is alive and well, and that there are some great things in store for us to do.

At Mom's house there was another Easter egg hunt after lunch. Bryant was sleeping, but my nephew Cooper, Brad and Bailey had a ball finding the eggs Granddaddy had put out for them. I think I was passed out on the couch at this particular moment, but Jeff got a few pictures for me.

This year Mom did something really fun with the eggs that I've never seen before. Instead of filling them with candy (yeah!) she had typed up little messages. As they opened the eggs, they would read things like, "Give Granddaddy Reid a hug and kiss," or "Build something with Legos and see if we can guess what it is." It was so creative and the kids had a blast with it. What I especially loved was when they were supposed to ask my grandparents about favorite Easter memories of when they were kids. I loved hearing my 93-year-old granddad tell about dying hen eggs and hunting for them.

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Here they are doing the bunny hop, a very graceful endeavor, I assure you.

March 23rd also happens to be Bryant's birthday. So my baby turned two today amid all of the craziness of Easter. Peggy made him the most adorable cake, as usual. Oh, to be so talented and creative! If you can't see it well, it says, "Hoppy Birthday Bryant." So clever. :)

Although he slept through the dinner and egg hunt, he did wake up in time for some cake. He'd been talking about it since yesterday when he saw it. It's so fun to hear him communicate more and more each day, even if he does get a little overly adamant about what he wants.

Aunt Krenan scored a hit with the Sesame Street garage. There's an elevator and everything. Hours of entertainment in one little box.

I can't believe how fast another year has flown. It stuns me to think that Bradley is now halfway to eighteen. Knowing how fast he arrived at nine, that doesn't seem all that melodramatic to say. I'm trying to slow down and enjoy the moments with them, as they pass by at such a breakneck pace. I know that if I don't make time to listen to him now, he won't make time to talk to me in a few years, and that thought terrifies me.

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As for Bryant, he is just a fantastic kid. He makes me laugh constantly, sometimes simultaneously with making me want to string him up by his fingernails. How much more fun could life be?

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I pray that you all had a joyous Easter, and had at least a little time to reflect on what it means to serve a God who is alive and actively pursuing relationship with us. What an undeserved and amazing gift. I'm awed by Him.

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Today we sang a song with the following lyrics. I can't think of a more perfect way to end the day than to reflect on these words.

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More than a baby in a manger,

To whom nobles would humbly bow their knee.

Or the young Man who heaven knew as Savior,

He is alive in me.

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More than the Man who walked on water,

Or the One who caused blinded eyes to see.

Greater than all the signs and wonders,

He is alive in me.

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More than the Man who heard "Hosanna!"

From the same who cried, "Crucify the King!"

Freely He gave as they demanded.

Still He's alive in me.
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More than the man, mankind rejected

With nails in His hands and through His feet.

But the end told much more then they expected,

For everyone knows, in three days he rose

With power forever to redeem you and me.

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He Lives. He Lives.

Conquered the grave, covered our sin.

He Lives. He Lives.

Death could not hold the promise within.

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He lives.

You just thought that I was done talking about India. I have a feeling that won't happen for a really long time, actually.

Last night marked two weeks since our return to the States. So it was the perfect time for a team reunion. Ashley opened her home to us, and when I got there I laughed out loud to see the enormous sign from the Meerpet Church Dedication plastered to the front of her house. It was classic.

The first couple of hours were spent just hanging out together, enjoying being a team again. We ate and shared plenty of pictures, memories and laughs. We were also working on a package to send back to India with gifts for our many friends there, so we spent time writing thank you cards as well.

When the actual meeting began, we each had a chance to share how we've been feeling over the past couple of weeks. Kim talked about ten myths of re-entry, almost all of which I have felt or said at some point since being home. There was a general feeling of unrest with everyone, as I think we are all still trying to figure out what to do with our experiences there. None of us want to go back to being exactly who we were before we left, and we're all trying to figure out how to merge who we were then with who we are now.

After sharing, we prayed together. This is one of my favorite things about this team. When we pray, no one is in a hurry. Everyone has time to lay their heart out before God, and there's never a sense that we need to hurry up and get through. Sarah was there, and she was able to lay out some specific requests for Baptist Church Hyderabad, such as praying that they are able to acquire the movie theater next door to them to add on some much needed space. I so love that Sarah is here with us, because I feel like I have a lifeline back to India whenever I am with her. She's an amazing person, and one whose example I want very much to follow.

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We also spent some time talking about the different projects that are possible going forward with a partnership between our church and BCH. I'm so excited about being a part of these things, and I want to just jump in and get them going. As long as the Lord allows me to, I will definitely be going back there in the near future, and I can't wait to see who He handpicks to be on the team next time. I have no doubt that he chose each one of us individually, in spite of our faults, and that He was able to use us to pursue Kingdom work. He truly is a Great Big God.

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After we were done meeting, we all just kind of hung out for a while. There was a definite sense that no one really wanted to leave. We all knew that this was most likely the last time we'd be all together again in the same place, and we were trying to suck the life out of every last minute.

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I love my team. I love that I will hear Jeremy on the radio one day and be able to say, "I went to India with that guy." I love that Charmaine's heart is so burdened for those in need around her, no matter how different from her they may be. I love that Dick can make me laugh until I cry. I love Ashley because what you see is what you get, and she is a math genius. I love that Roger can come up with a movie quote faster than lightening, and that he is earnestly seeking the path God wants him to take. I love that Kim can take a group of strangers halfway around the world and never show one ounce of worry, no matter how frustrating airlines and Indian time can be. She showed me that it really is possible to step out of your comfort zone and be available to whatever God asks. I love Nelson's passion for God's word, and that he can argue himself in and out of a hole in less than 90 seconds. I love Laura for her ability to see people for who they are and love them anyway.

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I love that each one of them holds a special place in my heart from here on, and that no matter how far away from each other our paths on earth may take us, we can rest in the promise that we will all be together again one day.