"Tip Your Head Back...

 

 ...We're Coming Through The Nose"

Anybody wanna guess the cost of 3 passports? Just to simply leave our great country on an airplane... Oh and I should tell you that we took the photos and printed them ourselves, so factor that in...Picked a number yet?
After $43.75 for a birth certificate for our youngest (no, you don't get a complimentary birth certificate when you're born), and then $105 + $105 + $110 for the passports, you're sitting at a healthy $363.75 just to legally leave the country...not to mention plane tickets. You've gotta be kidding.
Yes, and Erin gets to come too-- Fortunately (?) we dropped the $110 for hers 2 years ago so it's good for another 8.

Oh the phone just rang. It was the health department. So once you're out of the country, if you're picky and want to avoid acquiring stuff like Japanese Encephalitis (sounds desirable), you can own a vaccine for a measly $500 per person. Don't want to worry about rabies? Just tack on a meager $750 per person.

It's in moments like this that we remember you, and thank The Owner of Everything for giving us partners whose occupations provide goods and services people will actually pay for.

Airplane!

Last weekend we got to walk around and sit inside a WWII era plane that visited the Walla Walla airport. Needless to say Caedmon loved it! He was impressed by the 12 onboard .50cal "shooting deers" and its tires which were bigger than he is. Afterwards we walked around some smaller planes (in the background above) which Caedmon wanted to ride in, but he conceded to checking out their exteriors from the ground when he saw that many, which were covered in blankets, had already gone "nigh nigh."
This plane is flown and maintained by volunteers of the Commemorative Air Force out of Mesa, AZ, who actually pay to do their jobs.

Trying New Things

One of the things I (Erin) am looking forward to about moving overseas is trying new foods.  I thoroughly enjoy trying new foods and learning new ways to cook and bake.  Unfortunately most of my experimenting and learning recently has come from necessity.  For Christmas a dear friend gave me a vegan baking cookbook.  No we are not going vegan, but due to a cow's milk intolerance, none of the boys in our family nor I (since I'm nursing) can have any cow's milk products.  I was quite uncertain how we'd be able to enjoy baked goods without butter or milk.  Well my new vegan baking cookbook taught me how to bake cookies, cakes, and even scones without butter, milk, or even eggs (though we eat eggs without problems).  It has been so interesting to learn about baking without these standard ingredients and to actually have delicious baked goods to eat!  Then just yesterday I learned another new way for baking, without the oven.  What, you say, how do you bake without the oven?  Well, to be honest this too was out of necessity.  Our oven decided to quite working, which I didn't think much of until I came across a recipe in another cookbook I just got from my thoughtful mother-in-law.  I prepared cinnamon rolls from my regular recipe.  I then placed the rolls in a metal pan covered with tin foil which sat on top a little rack in a large stock pot filled with two inches of water.  I then boiled the water, "steaming" the cinnamon rolls until baked through.  It was AMAZING, it really worked.  The cinnamon rolls cooked through and were delicious.  The only difference was the tops and edges didn't brown or turn crisp, but they were baked!  Who knew you could bake on the stove. 

Part of the reason these new methods are so exciting to me is we don't know what types of conveniences or even ingredients we may have to live without while overseas.  I am very excited to learn there are ways to make some of our favorite foods!   

quick quiz

eternal life
Where does your mind go when you hear those 2 words?
[really...take a moment...what are you picturing?]
Is it something you've ever experienced? Or is it something you're waiting for, something far in the future?

Saturday night I (John) got to speak on the topic in a believers' meeting near Seattle. I presented my thesis: all of us are created to experience "eternal life" right here and right now. The apostle John defined it this way:

Do you know Them? That is, do you expect to hear from Him when you open His Word? Do you regularly speak to Him?
If this is something you experience, then you are experiencing eternal life already. If not, why wait? I waited 12 years from the day I believed 'til the day I began this human-divine dialogue. I wish I hadn't. If it sounds intimidating, well, it's not rocket science; in fact it's no more complex than any other relationship you have--speaking and being spoken to. What's more, you were created to experience it, so it'll come more naturally than you may think.
The next time you read His Word, know that He intended it to be living and active, just as it claims, and it is the primary means by which you can know Him even now.

Lewis & Clark...Interstate Edition

Missouri to the Pacific in 9 days -- Eat your heart out Meriwether & William

After 24 appointments with prospective partners between Missouri and Walla Walla, we head out Saturday for more! Why? We are trusting the Big Man Upstairs to build a rock solid foundation of askers and givers to launch us, the goers, into effective service among those who need His Word and Witness the most. We are grateful for safe travels and incredible hosts. Thank you!