While it certainly isn’t this green in the middle of February, this is the Maryland I know – the land of mouthwatering crabcakes, farm-fresh fertilizer-air, higher speed limits (as opposed to Pennsylvania at least), black-eyed susans and the Chesapeake Bay. I grew up here; my family has most of its roots here, and I have discovered that even though I love my new home in Pittsburgh - Maryland has only grown into my heart more over time. To sound as cliche as possible: I suppose you can take the girl out of the country, but you can’t take the country out of the girl. :]

Maryland helps me reminisce – about childhood adventures through backyard woods and neighboring horse pens, about playing video games and make-believe with my little brother and decorating live Christmas trees in our living room every December. I remember having to learn how to feed our two cows whenever Dad went out of town on business, learning how to drive my first car (a Chevy cavalier named Little Beeper), snuggling under blankets with Mom and playing in haybales stacked in our barn with my brother and our dog. I remember nuances about my simple hometown like the stars coming out at night and deer creeping across the cornfields. I remember leaving doors unlocked and helping Mom set the table, rescuing stray cats, writing small adventure novels in my head, watching cartoons with my brother and setting up the sprinkler during sticky-hot summers. I remember things like the sound of wind in the trees, the times our livestock escaped and my Dad had to chase them back to the barn in his truck, or shopping with Mom and watching her prepare Sunday pot roast and the best mashed potatoes on the planet.

I guess, once I get going, I remember a lot just by association with the state of my youth. My childhood was not as picaresque as it sounds – not by any stretch of the imagination. There were fights and tantrums, ice storms and stretches of loneliness, car-accidents, financial hardships and stress of work and school on every member of my small family… like anyone else’s. But when I get to take a roadtrip home to Maryland, I somehow don’t recall these memories first. Instead, I remember the juicy bits, the happy times like prime footage selected for a film award show. I remember and I smile and my heart glows inside with joy.

I know this sounds ridiculous, but I’m an optimist, so forgive me for gushing. I love my hometown and its simplicity. I love my family. I love the 4-hour drive from Pittsburgh to Westminster and the joy of winding down and away from the monotonous box of daily/weekly tasks. Vacation, however short, is oh-so-good for the soul!

For a few days more, I’m home [my other home, that is], and I wouldn’t have it any other way.

photo credit Steve McCurry

… I was in Harar, Ethiopia. Somehow this post got written, but never published. For those of you who have followed me through my missionary journey, I thought you might enjoy this overlooked article. [I am so homesick!]

I love when we have holidays in Ethiopia and all the children are off school…

Between the Orthodox and Muslims, there are many holidays throughout the year. Just recently there was an Orthodox holiday in honor of a saint, and the following day was a Muslim holiday in honor of Abraham’s sacrifice of Isaac. It was really amazing to be out and see more children than usual.

I took Naphtali with me to one of the playgrounds and met some new friends. It was easy to tell which children were Muslim – many of them were wearing bright shades of green or were dressed up in shiny suits or tiered dresses!

Later in the day I met some girls who were all wearing headscarves in shades of purple or green. They told me they were family and when I stopped to speak with them and take some photos, they literally began to scream with laughter. It’s amazing how entertaining a digital image of yourself can be.

These encounters made my day… and my week. The more holidays the better!

[There were more photos from this outing too, I have to post more when I have time - the children are just precious!]

Lovely girls in Harar, Ethiopia - source: impatientoptimists.org

I’m watching snowflakes fly by the window, enjoying the cozy presence of a mini-rosebush (compliments of a beautiful friend of mine) and daydreaming about Tanzania. It is a good Valentine’s Day.

Tomorrow I have the pleasure of hosting a Pajama Themed Valentine’s Party for some amazing 4th and 5th grade girls at church. Tonight I get to spend time with my lovely friend, here in Pittsburgh for only a few more weeks before returning to Peru. Today I have eaten more chocolate than I intended, but that’s one of the joys of this day, I think!

My mind dashes from one remarkable adventure to the next. I can’t help remembering the people of Harar, Ethiopia while I do some research for Dar es Salaam, Tanzania (I’ll be taking a brief mission trip there this June!). And then I think about all the US-adventures God has given me in the present. Somehow it all runs together…

I guess what I really want to say is that my heart is full of love today. God is so worthy of praise and He works everything to good for those who love Him! Look around you today, find someone to love, find something to be thankful for, find joy in something, someone, somewhere.

** I found some amazing Harar photos here by Jake Lyell. Please click over and check out his work – the faces steal my heart.

Dancing with Dad; source: we heart it

Sometimes I wonder if we have forgotten how to long. We wake up, practice morning rituals and plunge into our day with To Do Lists and a task-mentality. We rush and we grumble, or maybe we have a good day that stands out a little more than the rest. We eat, we work, we love, we fill the gas tank and pay the bills. At the end of the day, we come home and watch TV or read or call a friend. We go to bed and perform variations of the same theme the next day.

But isn’t there something else out there for us? Something more? SomeONE?

The more I allow room for God in my life – because yes it is He who is the SomeOne, the Being that causes us to put the frames of life in different perspectives – the more I find that I barely know Him at all. The more I draw close to His presence, His heart, I realize how much He longs to be with me. With us. And so the more do I long to be with Him.

He longs to speak, to unveil secrets within His own heart, to pour love on His earthly children; He looks for those who pause for Him, who turn their ears and hearts to Him.

This is the ultimate journey – to climb closer to the heart of God, the One who created the fire of stars and the snowcapped mountains of earth. Who formed men from dust and breathed life into them. Who showed us the true meaning of love by His humble descent to created form, by living among us, teaching us, bleeding and dying for us, raising to life for us, smiting the grave and carving a way for our souls to return to our Maker-Father God.

I want to know This Heart. I want to hear This Voice. I want to be near This One.

The truth of the matter is this: God loves you. He desires to speak to you. He wants to hear your voice. He rejoices over you. He is thrilled by your personality, your interests and your dreams. He wants to show you much more of His love, of His plans than you could ever imagine. He has good things for you. Today. If you dare to search Him out – to read His Word and sit still in His presence.

Go and look for Him. You will not be disappointed.

Holy Spirit, help us to truly long for Jesus…

“I will get up now and go about the city, through its streets and squares; I will search for the one my heart loves.”

- Song of Solomon 3:2

“You will seek Me and find Me when you seek Me with all your heart.”

- Jeremiah 29:13

source: lifesadventuresandbeyond.blogspot.com

A formidable amount of time has passed since my last post. In blogging world, that should never happen. I suppose my only excuses could be re-entry shock and feeling that I had absolutely nothing to say after leaving Harar… but that doesn’t quite justify silence, if you ask me.

So, I’m here now to try and make up for that!

I have been in the US for a little over nine months now – more time back than I spent on the field! The adjustments have been crazy, my heart still skips for the nations, and my desire is still to work with unreached people groups. YET I stand watching Jesus perform dozens of miracles all around me, and I realize that I haven’t quite left the Adventure behind…

After months of stumbling through grocery stores and traffic lights, walking around with my mouth wide open and spending much time in tearful prayer… something incredible has happened: I have discovered contentment.

And I don’t say this lightly. God has truly blown my mind over these nine months – preparing me, moving me into new things and proving His inescapable grace, love and provision.

Before I left for Ethiopia, I remember looking around in amazement at all the things God was lining up and doing around me. All the things that spoke in bold colors of the faithfulness of God. It felt as if I were going through the right motions, not really causing anything to happen, but He was making miracles happen, blessing me with amazing relationships, encouragement, confirmation, finances – every little detail my heart needed at that time. I had never walked with Him like that before.

It’s so beautiful to me that I can say He is doing that again. Many days I stand amazed that He has brought me here to Pittsburgh and set up things for me. I wonder at new friends in my life, new responsibilites, new gifts of His neverending love!

To recap in brief: I am back working at PNC Bank, but God opened up a new position for me there and at a location literally two minutes from my house. I am living with an amazing friend who went to MCM with me and who is also a missionary; she teaches me every day how to forgive, how to walk in obedience, how to draw closer to Jesus. I am working with the kids’ ministry at Allison Park Church, where I lead a small group of 4th and 5th grade girls and help with kids’ service on Sunday mornings.

Best of all, as I walk in this newfound peace from Him, I am making new friends… many of which from other nations. I stand amazed at the people God brings to my desk at work, or at conversations I get to have on the job. I never would have thought that so many Jesus-opportunities would come crashing to my doorstep here in the US!

I grew up in church, and since I was a young teenager, I remember hearing about the importance of living as a missionary in your hometown, in your own nation. I recognized the significance and liked the novelty of the concept; I even thought I had grasped it. But my heart has always longed for adventure and new places and other ethnicities and cultures. It is amazing to me that now, for the first time in my life, I feel like I am truly living as a missionary in my own country.

Please continue to pray for me and for these new friendships and opportunities in my life. Above all else, Jesus must become greater and I must become less, and His love must be shown to everyone, everywhere. Even here in the US. :)

Oh, and I will do my best to blog more. Really. Because suddenly, it seems that Holy Spirit has given me a lot more to say…

In the sunlight
Beyond the waters
Through the wreckage
You will lead
In the eye of the storm
Through the storming crowd
By these crowded streets
Your Glory sings

Your eyes of thunder
Your waves of mystery
Your beauty
You wanted me to see
And with the heart of one God
And the blood of one Man
The veil fell away
And You made me to see…

I want me and You
to stick like glue
You tore down the veil
so I could walk on through
Could You keep me on the
path that’s always true?
So all I have to do is
keep my eyes on You.

All I have to do
Is keep my eyes on You, Jesus.

-Keep My Eyes, lyrics by Brandon Willett

God bless you today as you walk with Him.

J.M.W. Turner's "Snowstorm"

“for He guards the course of the just
and protects the way of His faithful ones.” – Proverbs 2:8 (NIV)

This verse floors me. No matter where we go or what we do, no matter how difficult or easy or beautiful or ugly things are, God makes it a point to overshadow His kids.

I love the poetry of the Bible. The simple profundity of the Creator of the Universe speaking to His people through the written word. You don’t even have to be much of a bibliophile for these passages to resonate in your heart. The Word of God is alive.

When I read this passage, I think not only of God – a big, grinning, bear-hug-giving Daddy – holding my hand, but also of Christians in forgotten parts of the world who are persecuted, who are huddling in prisons or dodging governmental attacks on their lives. I think about how something like this must hold weight in their hearts. How the very words of God must be able to sustain them in the most difficult of moments, in the darkest hours and loneliest experiences. The Word of God carries them; they cannot be heroes on their own, but only by the grace of Christ and the life-giving presence of the Holy Spirit. I think they must gain courage knowing He protects them.

I also think about the many people I know who are just like me. Maybe we aren’t being stoned for our beliefs, but we are in places of change, sifting for hope among the shattered pieces. We are finding our niches, learning to trust this Abba, stretching our wings and pushing into new territory.

No matter who we are: we need Him. We need to know who He is. Or else, we will fail. Nothing else can sustain us, no one else can give us a steadfast heart, a steadfast faith when everything else is crumbling or at least shaking a little bit. Jesus is the source of hope.

I’m in a very real place of change. I start back to work today after 10 months of building my own schedule day to day, a large chunk of that time having been spent in Harar, Ethiopia. I still think in third world terminology, I still stress out in front of the deli counter, I still marvel at the feel of carpet under my bare feet. And I still struggle, like everyone else. I still need the weight of the Bible, the hope of the cross, the strength of the Savior.

I need to know that God “guards my course,” that whichever way it may wind, He still steers the ship; He still holds my heart. And you need to know it too, whether you realize it or not. He has a plan. When you dare to trust in Him, to put the course in His hands, He will lead you down the good path.

Be blessed today :)

Driving to the airport was surreal. Watching Ethiopia’s lumpy landscape fall away below the airplane was even more surreal. The trip was long, but I made it, baggage and all!, to American soil. The US customs line felt a little bit like the entrance to Disney World with its adornments of flat screen TVs showing random footage of American plains, cities and fair-haired children paired with uplifing music. This was the beginning, apparently, of all the things I’d have to get reacquainted with.

The customs officer was a nice lady who was mildly surprised by the length of time I’d spent in Ethiopia. “Bet you’re glad to be home, huh?” she says, stamping my passport so I can get into the country. “Well… no,” I say, still caught in the throes of goodbye to my former home. “I like Ethiopia,” I add poorly, trying to justify my unpatriotic answer.

America is not so bad, though. After almost two months in my hometown, it’s good to know I can navigate grocery stores and multi-lane intersections without going into catatonic shock.  Each day is an adjustment, of course: sometimes I still think in Amharic [or speak it, so forgive me if you don't understand me, ishee?], or hesitate before shaking someone’s hand [gestures are somewhat different in Ethiopia], or want to forsake all silverware and plunge into my plate with my bare hands.

BUT I do savor the littlest things: the hot running water, the apples and berries, cereal and sandwiches, bookstores, downloading music from the internet, spending an afternoon talking with a good friend, worshiping in a church that speaks my language. It is good to be back.

Yet [for those of you who know me this is no surprise] my heart is already beating to leave. Yes, I know – fresh off the boat from the mission field and already praying for a new assignment – I must be crazy :). In a nutshell, my work in Ethiopia is finished for now. The local people are running the work – they are amazing heroes – strong in the faith – leading people to Jesus nearly every day. So I am eager to do all this again somewhere new… I do not know where I’ll go next. But this blog will remain open! I will continue to dream about and pray for the nations and keep you posted on what happens in this great adventure.

I am immensely thankful for all of you who have spent time reading my words, who have prayed and encouraged me, who have given and worried and loved. Your participation in this has brought many to salvation and further growth in Christ!

Please do not forget the church in Ethiopia! In fact, you can click over to the PRAY page to read how you can pray for them this month and check back for updates.

As the adventure continues, I will do my best to keep blogging. Thank you for reading! There’s more to come…

no surprise - saying goodbye to these precious ones was difficult...

Some of our incredible disciples at work on the new building for Harar Church of Joy

monkeys at the Dire Dawa airport!

1 final sambusa - our sweet neighbor Debritu made sure I was sent off right - with over a dozen of these yummy lentil- and rice-filled pastries!

the painting of Harar that made me cry in the airport.I'll be back one day!

She’s a handful. She’s spunky and crazy and full of confident outbursts. She makes some wild faces. But she will also make you laugh. She’s two years old and her name is Betty (short for Bethelem). And I just love her!

I used to help babysit her while her mom was in Bible School – she has two other sisters, one 14 and one 8 months. Of course Betty always wanted the most attention. But you gotta love her. Finally, today, I got to visit Betty’s sweet family in a village near our house. So much joy for me!

This is an older photo from when we girls were playing dress up with one of Betty’s sister’s scarves. So many precious shots, but this one – ah, this one - captures all the wild joy that is Betty. :)