| all weekend i've been thinking of things i wanted to write about on xanga, so lets see if i can condense it down into something that will actually get read ;) we decided to take an impulse trip to south florida to soak up some sun and visit josh's friend Wole. josh and i had separate seats on the plane which was a bummer at first, but it worked out for the best. an indian husband and wife wanted to sit together but some man wouldn't take her middle seat, and i was free to give up my aisle seat to him. so then i ended up next to an older italian man who was very friendly and we started talking. he asked so many questions and also told me a lot about himself. throughout our 3 hour conversation, i ended up telling him my testimony, how God brought my sister home so that she could hear and believe, how my mom became a believer, my friendships in highschool, the missions trips i'd been on and what we did, the miracle story of Martin in africa and the dreams of his witchdoctor mother, how God saved baby Joshua, and our plans to continue mission work. we talked a lot about people that are doing good things in africa (oprah, bill gates, angelina, etc.) and how great that was, and i think he understood me when i told him that i cared greatly for those peoples lives, but even more so for their souls. he said he loved to read all the time, and then admitted that he hadn't really read the bible much because it was confusing to just pick up and try to read. recently i had just bought a bible called "the story" which tells the entire story of the bible (with real scripture) in a condensed and chronological novel-form. he refused to take mine but assured me he was going to get his own that night. the whole time we talked, he acknowledged a "higher power" in his life and in this world... hopefully it wont be long before he gives glory to GOD. when we walked out of the airport, we were both completely shocked by the weather. i had actually forgotten what that much sunshine felt like.... i couldn't stop laughing about how i was wearing shorts and josh had on flip flops and green palm trees were blowing in the wind. it was AMAZING. we drove in a cab with the windows down, then took a long train ride further south, then hopped on a bus that took us to our little hostel on the beach. so four hours after we landed, we were laying in the sand in our bathing suits, taking pictures and making sandcastles. we ended up staying at wole's instead of the hostel and he was so kind. cooked us dinner, breakfast, and then took us to walk around miami before our flight left on sunday. getting home was kind of a nightmare with cancelled flights and getting bumped off the standby list, but we got home nonetheless and ate pizza and watched the giants win the superbowl. then this morning... we woke up to learn that we will be moving to san antonio soon! i think we've already told most of you this GREAT NEWS so theres not much left to say. we're pretty excited. reading that story bible has helped me so much to be reminded of the israelites and their journey. God brought them out of egypt and traveled with them through the desert, but as soon as they began to doubt his presence or fear the future, they would forget all that he had done for them and all that he could do... even while they were eating the manna that he had given them. i had always thought that was so ridiculous, but i could see how it was tempting to be afraid that God would forget about us in cold cleveland... and to forget about all the great things he had done... even while we were sitting in the home that he provided for us. so that was our prayer this morning before we found out about the trade... that we could be faithful in good times and in bad, in deliverance and in wandering, and to be joyful in all circumstances. even now, knowing that we can move... i still hope that we will never forget all that he has done for us in cleveland. |
