pruning...

It is 12:44am...technically Monday morning, but I'm just finishing up Sunday night. This is when my house is quiet, and I can think. There are dishes in the sink, crumbs on the table, evidence of a dripped freezer pop on the dining room floor, and papers piled on the kitchen counter. They will remain there until the morning. Or maybe the afternoon....next week? We'll see....

I was deeply convicted this morning as I listened to my pastor's sermon. He talked about worship...about who or what we worship instead of worshiping God - the creator of the universe. He also talked about how we prepare to worship...about how we come before our God. Yes, He loves us unconditionally as we are, but I realized that I've taken the "come as you are" idea as more of a "this is what you get" attitude. This is the attitude I'm bringing to my Savior and Redeemer. I have knowingly harbored flagrant bitterness, anger, and pride in my heart for some time....and worry...don't even get me started on worry! And I haven't wanted to let go of these things - sometimes it seems easier to hang on to those things rather than lay them down at the feet of Jesus and admit that I don't know it all and that I can't fix it all and that it's okay to TRUST. Oh, why is trusting and surrendering so difficult? Season after season, I find the Lord still peeling away the layers of surrender....and season after season I find Him gentle and good. I'm exhausted by my own bad attitude...even more exhausting is trying to cover it up! Good grief! This is not a new realization, however. God has been tapping my shoulder about these things all summer long, and at one point He made Himself startlingly clear....it's time to own up. Deal with the attitude, and let go. Easier said then done, we all know....

It is now 1:30am, and I almost deleted this post for obvious middle-of-the-night-emotional-confessions-you-may-regret reasons...but I'm going to have to keep it real here and leave it. Anyone reading this who knows me will understand and think nothing of the vast shifts in tone of my blog posts! (This is how my written journals are...I was so hoping that my blogging would be more consistent, but here we are....)

Thank you, God, for loving me enough to prune away the dead branches so that I can grow. I trust you.

this fall......

"Mom, can I tell anybody yet?" This is the question Janie has been asking for weeks. No, we're not having a baby. No, we're not moving. No, we did not get a new pet or matching tattoos. (although that last one might be fun!):)

We are going to Mexico! The Adams family will be traveling to Mexico for two weeks in September to serve at a developing Christian camp called El Monte. Our church's missions team has encouraged us to go and to ask people to partner with us in prayer and in the cost of the trip, so we're sending out our letter this week. I told Janie (our in-house reporter of anything that happens in our family) that she couldn't tell anyone until we sent out the letter. I don't know why I made her wait. I just did. ?

In the support letter, I had to keep the story of how this whole idea came about pretty short. But since a blog is limitless and without boundaries, I can recount all the minute details of all the things that have fallen into place -- and hopefully not bore you readers to death! This opportunity is something we probably never would have thought of planning on our own. But we truly believe the whole thing has been orchestrated by God....and we're game!!

(disclaimer: long story about to ensue....feel free to exit at any time! :)

On a Sunday morning in February, Tim had run in to church early because we had one of our missionaries visiting, and Tim needed to get his media presentation into the computer. The missionary was Paul Wilson. The Wilsons have worked at Camp Forest Springs in Wisconsin for the past 20 or so years, and have recently moved to Camp El Monte - 90 miles south of Mexico City - to develop the ministry there. So Paul was in the states and visiting Grandview to give an update on the progress at El Monte.

(backtrack) Tim and I have always been interested in camp work. I worked at a camp in college and absolutely loved the lifestyle. On many, many roadtrips when Tim and I have spent the time "dreaming" about what we would do if we could choose anything....we have often thought of how great it would be to work and raise our kids in a camp setting. We even looked into it at one point, but didn't really get anywhere...and besides, we have a business we're running, etc...too many logistics to worry about. Anyway, we knew about the Wilsons and knew they had moved to Mexico to start a camp, but that was about it.

So while Tim was at church that morning, he and Paul struck up a casual conversation. They talked about the camp and about how we've always loved the camping atmosphere. Somewhere in the conversation it came up that Tim is an electrician. It just so happens that amidst the building projects at El Monte is a specific need for an electrician. So one thing led to another, Tim and Paul really began to connect, and Paul suggested we come to El Monte for a visit. So Tim came home between services to pick the kids and I up, and he tells me all about this. Now....normally, this suggestion for "coming to visit" a camp in a foreign country would be a complete pipedream for us. Mainly for financial reasons. I have never thought we'd ever travel outside the U.S. as a family....we think camping at Scott County Park for more than two nights is a big vacation!!! :) However, last summer when we refinanced our house, we set aside a chunk of money for a family trip. We hadn't decided how we were going to use it yet, but we were keeping it saved to go somewhere. So when Tim told me all about his conversation with Paul, we realized we might actually be able to go! Looking back, I think that having that vacation money set aside is what God used to open our minds to the possibility. Otherwise, we would have blown it off, I'm sure.

Within a week of the initial conversation, we were able to meet with Paul again while he was passing back through the Quad Cities. We had an amazing conversation about God having our attention. He certainly did have our attention! Paul encouraged us to listen and obey....for whatever reason...if it's to come to El Monte..if it's to re-open our thoughts to camp ministry....or if God is just (just - lol) drawing us into a deeper relationship with him. So that's what we've been doing. We've been listening and obeying. We felt like the next step was to get passports so we could go whenever we were ready. Having those in hand makes things seem a little more real.

Our pastor heard about our plans and encouraged us to go to the missions team. He said since we would be going to El Monte to serve, why not ask people to partner with us? So we did, and the team was excited about the idea. What started a year ago as plans for a family vacation have now become a family short-term missions trip! No Way!! You might be wondering why ALL of us are going. When I started writing the support letter, I felt like I had to justify why the kids and I are going. Of course we'll all work and help; but they need an electrician, and obviously only one of us fits that description. We have been completely encouraged to go as a family both by Paul and our missions team. One thing I so appreciate is that the staff at El Monte asked me to write a little "resume" for our family....such as what each of us is good at, where our passions are, etc...kids included...so they can get to know us better ahead of time and consider where we'll each fit in.

In the meantime, we've been in communication with Paul and El Monte about what we'll be doing while we're there, what it will be like, etc. We got to spend an afternoon with the Mitchell family - they are an El Monte missionary family who are in the states for the summer. While they were in the area, they met with us to talk more about the construction projects and answer any questions we had. Our kids got to hang out with their kids, and we learned about their life in Mexico....which includes tarantulas. (I'm going to pretend I don't know that.)

Tomorrow I am taking the support letters to the post office. That's like really putting it out there....signing our names to this thing. I know people take short-term missions trips all the time. But I never dreamed that we'd get to do something like this as a family. The kids are super excited, and I know this is an experience of a lifetime for them...to experience another culture and contribute to it. Janie and Sam have absolutely LOVED their church camp here in Iowa, so they understand that they'll be helping at a similar place in Mexico. Did you know that FIFTY PERCENT of the population of Mexico is below the age of 20?

The next step will be purchasing plane tickets. We've been watching prices and getting ready to jump on them when the time is right. The plan is to go for about two weeks toward the end of September. It's coming up quickly!

So, there you have it. I'm sure there are details I left out, but I've had to write this blog over about three days....I can't concentrate at the computer for very long without someone asking for food or help with their shoelace or something, you know. If you get a letter, please don't feel obligated to financially support this trip. Throughout the whole process, I have felt like finances have been a good indicator of an open or closed door, and I know God will work out the finances if we're supposed to go. I will unabashedly ask you to pray for us, though. Of course, safety is a concern. Getting six people organized to actually GET there. Oh, boy! But mainly that we will just listen and obey. That's really what I want to do. I've addressed letters mostly to immediate family and church members, so if you don't get one and would like one, just let me know. If you're on Facebook, you can check out lots of pictures of the camp at the "El Monte Mexico" page. Also, their website is www.elmontemexico.com .

If you've read this far, thanks for listening to me ramble. I'm humbled because I feel like we're going to benefit WAY more than we'll be contributing to the camp. But perhaps that's how these things work. I certainly hope there will be mutual benefiting! On that note, I'll wrap it up.......I will post updates as they occur!

.....off to brush up on Espanol.....

a face only a mother could love.....

Ketchup on cheek. Runny nose. Finger in nose. Father behind camera giving instructions to pose for nose-picking picture.

Sigh.....

A young man in the making......

Sam. Nine and a half. Sports lover, particularly football and baseball, but interested in all of them. Inventive. Creative. Fiercely independent. Growing up too fast for his mother, but still hugs his mother. Smile that lights up my day.

He's been at camp this week...having fun, eating root beer floats, playing capture the flag, growing in his walk with God (even if he doesn't realize it! :). I've been at home having fun with the other kiddos and worrying about storms in northwest Iowa. But in about an hour we'll go pick him up. It's just not the same when one of us isn't here.

Tim took this picture at Pine Lake when we dropped him off last Sunday. Once he met his counselor, he was off. But we were still able to sneak some shots of him before we left....is this young man really my boy? Sometimes I don't realize how fast the time goes.....

more questions, questions.....

Okay, let's see if I can remember the stream of questions in the car tonight....it's 9:30pm and we're driving home....

Pete: Is it bedtime?
Me: Yes.
Pete: Did you change it?
Me: Did I change what?
Pete: Our bedtime. Is 9:30 our bedtime now?
Me: Well, in the summer 9 or 9:30 is about your bedtime.
Pete: It used to be 8:30. Did you change it?
Me: Yes, I guess I changed it (not feeling the need to explain that if we get home late, that changes bedtime...not like this hasn't happened a million times before..)
....a few minutes later....
Pete: What are activities?
Me: They are things that you do to occupy your time.
Pete: But what ARE activities?
Me: (sigh)
Janie: (understanding her brother's brain better at this point than I am) Peter, they are things like sports or crafts or playing Star Wars or taking a walk...
Pete: I'm doing an activity right now. I'm blinking my eyes......
Me: (audible sigh)
Janie: (audible sigh)
Pete: (crossing I-74 bridge)Does this bridge ever fall down?
Me: Um, no. If it did......(never mind)
Pete: Why doesn't this bridge ever fall down?
Me: Well, they have people to check it to make sure it's still sturdy...um...
Pete: Do they check it every day?
Me: Well......
Pete: How do tornadoes come?
Me: Well, the weather has to be just right, and they just appear....(stupid answer, I know...I'm getting exhausted by now)
Pete: Can they come to Illinois?
Me: Yes..
Pete: Can they come to Moline?
Me: Yes....
(Now pulling into driveway to find that Tim is not home - had to work late)
Me: Poor Dad, he's still working (it's almost 10pm)
Joe: How long until the end of his shift?
Me: (not sure where Joe got that idea....) He doesn't have a shift. He just works until the job is done.
Pete: I thought a job took five minutes or you get fired.
Me: (realizing that he's thinking of the time I yelled at the boys about slacking off and how when they get a job, if they take an hour to do a job that should take five minutes, then they'll get fired..I think I may have blogged about that...)
Janie: some jobs should take five minutes, like putting away your clothes....
Peter: How many hours has this day been?
Me: (another audible sigh...perhaps a groan) Pete, just go inside and we'll have a bedtime snack...

I walked inside and went straight to the computer, trying to keep this string of questions fresh in my mind. As I was typing, Pete came in and told me he was going to give me an "after bedtime snack hug". And he did. :)

mosaic!!

A woman from our church has taken Janie and I - along with a few friends - under her creative wing. She is in the process of covering every door in her home with the most amazingly beautiful glass mosaic. Woven into her mosaic is a "journal" of her walk with God. They are absolutely amazing. This year, she decided that we younglings were ready to take a stab at it. And she encouraged us to do something BIG. So we did, and four months later, we're still working! She is one patient lady! And very generous, too, because she lets us use all kinds of material in her studio...it's like being in a candy store! And she asks wonderful questions during the class and says things like, "I love to see the colors you choose, because it tells me so much about you!".

I thought I'd share a little of our progress. These were taken a short while back, so we've covered ground since then. The first two are of Janie's. She's covering a wooden "cube" cabinet. Mine are the second two..the top of a dresser that belonged to my sister and I when we were little. It has been so much fun to learn this art...it's like a therapy session once a week! :) We'll post more as we cover more surface! Thanks for letting us share!

mothers day work crew photos

These are a couple of pics from my mothers day work day before my camera battery died....