December 31, 2008

Marvelous Light


Into marvelous light I'm running,
Out of darkness, out of shame.
By the cross you are the truth,
You are the life, you are the way

I had been listening to this song all day and what a day it had been too, the middle of November....I left my apartment in Antigua ear-ly (sing song voice) as in 4am early, getting on the shuttle, forcing myself not to announce happily to every tired person in that packed van, that I was flying home to GET MARRIED....



....getting married to the boy I played hide and seek with when we were ten....but, we had grown up, had very separate journeys and God has brought us back together which is a WHOLE other story and miracle... but, I was deep in love that day and about to get on a plane in Guatemala and get off in Texas and step into wedding party central where just about everyone I loved most in the world were going to celebrate with us, this very miracle.




I made it to the airport and even made it to my gate an hour before we were supposed to depart. Even very happy, in love, brides to be, can get a little sleepy and a certain Kelsey had kept me awake until the wee hours of the morning delighting me with Pre Christmas for Madi....she bought out Old Navy and Target, so if anyone noticed that little girl size 2 winter stock was running low, it was because my Madi was being decked out by Kels, who had flown in the day before from Minnesota!! So there I was sitting at my gate and I fell just a little asleep, ipod playing and slept right through my flight's departure and even more embarrassing, they called my name three times on the loud speaker the laughing flight attendants told me later. I felt immediate peace about missing my flight, well maybe not immediate -- immediate... more like 20 mins of panic, then peace that God's hand was in this. I found out that I either could repeat the same flight the next day or leave later in the afternoon and spend the night in the Mexico City airport and arrive the next day around noon...I was already short on time so opted for the latter. I grabbed a taxi to the Marriott to spend a couple hours with my friends Kirk and Kelley
here to bring home their two little boys...our marathon battle of an adoption.



Word spread fast and Scott didn't want me staying the night at the Mexico City airport and while we were discussing possibilities, Peter (my bro) The Amazing made reservations for me at a hotel in Mexico City and his e-mail said..."..this is my early wedding present, enjoy and be refreshed in the Lord" By the time I was about to board the plane that afternoon, one of the flight attendants approached me and said " We have talked and we would like you to ride first class" Settled info my cushy first class seat I grinned to myself at the Lord and turned my ipod back on to have to turn it off again when I saw the the cock pit door open and one of the captains walked out and asked if he could sit with me for a minute. He told me that he felt like the Lord had laid it on his heart when he saw me that he needed to speak with me, so he gave me first class and asked who I was and what was I doing in Guatemala....so there we sat, the Guatemalan captain and the girl from Texas who lived in Guatemala....in first class. We talked about orphans and special needs children... we talked about adoptions being closed and the children who had already gone home and the ones still in Guatemala....we talked about the lives and stories of these children and both agreed that one could never just walk away, nor would you ever want to...those faces forever imprinted on your heart and mind, forever worthy of the fight for the lives, forever "our calling" forever His heart! He offered his help and his friends' help and gave me about ten different ways to reach him, so he could be apart of these children's lives. We shook hands and knew the Lord was present. I turned my ipod back on and that song "Into marvelous light" was playing and I looked out the little airplane window and cried...this was God...this was Guatemala!!



I barely even know where to start blogging again, but because I have been blessed with the most amazing friends and family in the world who love and support me despite long scattered blog posts like this, for them I am going to jump back in and start blogging again.... about our lives in Guatemala and His moving heart and hands that we are privileged to see here!

ALOT has happened this past year....we have had many mission teams come which has opened up so many new minsitry opportunities ( more on that soon!) Madi has graduated to pigtails, loves to be read to and is talking up a storm, so many of my children's adoptions have been completed and they have gone home ( I have some MIRACLE stories, You Guys!!!!) to their families, Madi loves to help me clean the house and for some reason is pretty convinced that she needs to do this in her bathing suit ( I am pretty fond of seeing her brown legs anyway, so don't argue.)



I wake up to a HUSBAND who has a heart full of passion for the Lord and ministry and blows me away with his wisdom, we moved into a new apartment, I still walk past the same children begging as I did last year....we just know each other's names and lives now, I have had my wonderful family all come visit us at different times...



....there have been tears, laughter, life changes and lives changed, God has moved and He has been faithful...I just can't wait to share it all with you!!!

It's good to be back.....Hi Katie!