The Year of Yes

While we were in Switzerland this past summer Chris made a deal with God. (As much as anyone can make a deal with the Guy who created the Universe.)

He is giving God one year. 

We're hoping for clear direction for the future while we follow the asks and go where He leads during this time. We want a burning passion for something or somewhere, a clear cause, a specific nation, or people group. If nothing surfaces, then Chris would like to implement his own plan. Plan B? 

We are half way through this Year of Yes. I wonder, is He sitting, smirking while slapping Jesus on the arm, "Hey, let's wait til day 364!"

The first few months were spent in Switzerland where our days were filled with class, lovely people, walks in the woods, and enough chocolate and bread to send Chris and I home with tires around our wastes as souvenirs. 

The next three months planted us in this Asian country running roughly the same routine. Days filled with class, lovely people, walks on the trail behind our base or into town.

The trail behind our home and our beautiful neighbors.

However, here our living conditions are quite different than what we are used to. We spend much of our time chasing after clean water. Maneuvering to get a hot shower. Walking to the store for necessities (like toilet paper & cookies) and picking up momos to eat with our daily dal bhat.

Our daily dal bhat dinner fashioned into a certain logo.

The days have grown colder here and there's no heat. This country is at the same latitude as Florida, which sends us in search of sunlight during daylight hours to warm up our bodies. However, our meetings are in a cement building. This creates a class-in-a-fridge type of atmosphere. Nights take on a camping-in-the-mountains ambience as we bundle up in our blankets in our rooms shortly after the sun goes down.

Cuddled up listening to stories.

Good News: Between the dropping temperatures and daily power outages, we've been able to listen to three books together as a family. Win!

There are days when our western bellies revolt against the eastern bacteria which has led each of us to take our turn longing for regularity-both physically and geographically. Bowel movements have never been such a popular conversation piece as they have these past months.

Good News: The eastern bugs have eaten up our Swiss tires.

However, the difficult days are tempered with the days I watch the kids play outside in the dirt creating their own games for hours.

Landon creating fun with what he had on hand.

Lunch with friends.

My faith is set aflame while sitting with friends and hearing how they came into the family through healing miracles that Hindu witch doctors couldn't do. Stories of dogs being raised from the dead, to prove to another witch doctor that our God is alive. Tales of praying over a water buffalo who won't give milk, milk the family needs, and it being healed. Stuff biographies we've read to the kids over the past 10 years are made of.

Be that as it may, contradictory thoughts emerge. Bundled in winter gear, sitting in a cold plastic chair having my quiet time my gaze falls on the Muslim building just across our yard that just called their attendees to prayer. Behind that, Buddhist prayer flags dangle from a pole set atop a house. I watch people walk past our gate to offer their Hindu offerings at the nearby temple. The world's four major religions represented here on this little dirt road deep in the hills of Asia.

What do Buddhists believe about creation? Where do they think the beautiful mountains that stand tall to the north of us came from? What are the wonderful works that the Hindu gods have done?  What do they believe is the reason for human existence? I've read about all this before, but it didn't matter to me then. It matters to me now. 

The beautiful mountains to the north of us.

Do I really believe what I believe? 

I want my kids to ask themselves this question too. I want them to ask the hard questions while we still have their hearts. I want to wrestle through the answers with them.

I've been reading through the Psalms these past months. All the sentences comparing our God to other gods stand out on the pages. How do the wonderful works the God I tell people is true stack up against the works of the Hindu gods? What do other gods do for their followers? What has ours done for us? What do other gods demand of their faithful ones? Again, what does He demand of us?

Landon wearing Chris' Dhaka topi.

My answers to all these questions are still jumbled and knotted. But, there is a yes in the middle somewhere. I wonder if when all the twisted knots of thoughts, questions, dreams, and visions unwind and the same happens for Chris-if that is when Plan A will emerge.

In the midst of all this, Sweet Asher has completed the course. When the girls, Chris and I finished ours in Switzerland, Asher set his sites on completing it here. On Saturday, he bravely stood before an eager crowd and recited for AN HOUR all that he has hidden in his heart. Great job, Son.

Landon asked me shortly after if he should start learning stories in our next round. Sweet boy idolizes his big brother. 

And with that, TODAY is our last day here. There will be a graduation, six bucket showers, a walk into town for $1 haircuts, our last round of buff momos and lemon tea, followed by a few fitful hours of sleep awaiting the dawning hours. Then we'll say goodbye to strangers who have become brothers and sisters. Crazy to think the next time we may see many of them is when we stand shoulder to shoulder with the angels praising the One who brought us together in the first place. 

Reading our intercession sheet filled with prayers for Montana!

While we're airporting (Yes, we've made it a verb-and it is one of Lily's and my favorite pass times now!) we'll sit and pray together as a family. We're going to ask Him to give us the reasons why we came here so we can rejoice together over this chapter of our lives that we are about to close. 

So, Dear Friends. thanks seems too trite a word when it comes to expressing our deep gratitude for your prayers for our family. 

We've had a variety of sicknesses due to bacteria and viruses, yet nothing lingers as we pack our bags. We've had numerous injuries-some that could've had devastatingly permanent effects (heads bouncing off bricks and what not), but I believe angels scooped in as a result of prayer and lessened the impacts by turning heads and bodies just in time. 

We are beside ourselves with excitement at the thought that one week from now we'll be curled up on our couch with our friends, drinking hot chocolate in the shadow of a tree wrapped in Christmas lights that are not hung there to ward off demons like the ones hung here from roofs and banisters. 

We will be home for two weeks before we pack up and set off again. We would love to see you while we are home. 

Until then, 

Running beside you,

Johanna