a benediction for your homecoming

May the love of the Father

the tenderness of the Son

and the presence of the Spirit

gladden your heart

and bring peace to your soul

this day and all days, Amen.

May God the Father

prepare your journey

Jesus the Son

guide your footsteps

The Spirit of Life

strengthen your body

The Three in One

watch over you

on every road 

that you may follow.

a long awaited day....

hardly able to contain the excitement on the sidewalk.... 

WHOOHOOO!!! 

happy tears :) 

WELCOME HOME!!!

It's a banner day indeed.... 

WELCOME HOME!!!

Bless us, most loving provident God,

may this coming home be a re-creation and experience of hospitality and hope.

May all who enter this home, may all who walk through these doors

know and feel your love and presence.

Keeping watch on our going out and our coming in,

no one is stranger, all are guest; no one is alien, all are friend.

May the life celebrated in each room in this house

give delight and honor and reverence to you.

Amen

-Jan Craven

extraordinary

As you reflect back on your last year in Malawi, 

may you be reminded of the EXTRAORDINARY things God has done.... 

we can hardly wait to celebrate your homecoming!!!! 

waiting game...

As you are stuck in Blantyre and trying to get home, our prayer for you is for patience and a big exhale.....  Sending our love as you are waiting (and trying not to scream.) 

joyful host to our homecoming....

I found this prayer about homecoming and thought it was beautiful.... Know that we are so excited to see you soon!! (I just heard the news from Erica that your flight has been delayed.... UGGG... so sorry! We are praying for patience, perspective and grace to abound...) 

"Gentle Shepherd ... King of Love, we come to You as we are, not as we pretend to be. The truth is, God, that when we lift our heads above our path, we all too often discover ourselves lost in a maze of choices. We confess from the very beginning of this worship that we are lost... Were it not for You, O great seeker of our souls, patient parent to our childhood, joyful host to our homecoming; Were it not for You, O Lord, we would be lost forever. But, because of You, there is room for us at the great Love Feast. Gentle Shepherd ... King of Love, seek and find us as we are, not as we pretend. Be patient with us, and teach us how to wait. May the echoes of Your celebration reverberate in our midst this hour, transforming our worship from a mournful plea to a joyful song. Gentle Shepherd ... King of Love, lead us. Amen."  http://www.myredeemerlives.com/prayers.html

And in light of the prayer above about us begin given room at the table for the feast, here are pictures from communion at small group on Sunday. Gotta love that the animals were all welcome. We sure are an inclusive bunch. 

What is Enough?

Yesterday our power went out for about 6 hours and Taylor was kind of frustrated that we could not go about our normal routine. I reminded him that on most days you all have lived with this kind of uncertainty without knowing when you would have power or water.  I imagine that your perspective of "enough" as this quote talks about below has been forever changed and we want that to rub off on us all when you get home....

"The wisdom of the few, struggling trees on the Plains, and the vast spaces around them, are a continual reminder that my life is cluttered by comparison. At home, an abundance of books and papers overlays the heavy furniture I inherited from my grandparents. A perfectly simple room, with one perfect object to meditate on, remains a dream until I step outside, onto the Plains. A tree. A butte. The sunrise. It always makes me wonder: What is enough? Are there enough trees here? As always, it seems that the more I can distinguish between my true needs and my wants, the more I am shocked to realize how little is enough." -Kathleen Norris The Cloister Walk 

a few smiles from yesterday morning 

when Eva and Anna babysat for Greta and Riley.