Snow, anyone?

This is how it started. Not so bad, right?

Pete loves the snow. At least there's one of us who does.

This is our well access, which is about 18 inches above ground.

The mailboxes...

Trash cans piled high.

And our deck...

Moose, eating an icicle he hacked off the roof overhang. Yum yum.

This is what we see when we open the back door. Yay.

I am NOT a cold-weather lover. I like my flip-flops and t-shirts, thank you very much. So this whole "2 feet of snow" thing we have going on right now isn't my cup of tea. But I deal with it. Mostly because I want to go visit my sister like I was planning to and I don't want God hearing me complain. :) So! Didja get this much snow at your house?

Leah

It's Hairditerary

'Scuse me while I cough my brains out.

*cough*cough*cough*cough*cough*cough*cough*cough*cough*cough*cough*cough*cough
*cough*cough*cough*cough*cough*

But it's not my fault. It's hairditerary. No, not hereditary. Hairditerary. Many moons ago, when I was but a papoose, the Padre had bronchitis/pneumonia/meningitis all at the same time, mostly caused by a spinal infection from the Navy forcing him to get a flu shot. And he nearly died, as you might imagine. Because of that, he now has scar tissue on his lungs and coughs *extremely* loudly and frequently. Fast-forward eleven years to our family trip to Disney World. I get croup. Yes, I was twelve years old and had croup. So now I have scar tissue on my lungs and cough loudly and frequently. It's hairditerary, the Mother Ship says. That version of the word comes from ancient days in the iFiddle family when great-great Aunt Ethel used to say things were "hairditerary." See, you learn something every day.

Leah

Random Dozen!

1. Which Wizard of Oz character are you most like?

Mostly I feel like the scarecrow...if I only had a brain. I'm constantly forgetting things, forgetting where I was going, what I was doing, losing my train of thought...it's not good.

2. When you're deciding what you're going to wear each morning, which item do you select first? Why?
Usually I decide if I'm going to wear slacks or a skirt/dress, and that depends on the weather. When it's freezing and snowy I don't wear skirts much. Then I usually pick a top.

3. What kind of animal do you think the world could live without?

Cats. They're so pointless and not even nice.

4. How many Christmas trees are in your home?

None. Christmas trees come from pagan idol worship, which as a Christian I'm not that crazy about. Weird how that worked out, huh.

5. Would you prefer to be emotionless if it mean you didn't have to feel a heartbreak?

No. I love loving other people and knowing I'm loved. I enjoy the Lord. To never enjoy anything would be pretty depressing and boring. I will say that even though I'm young I HAVE experienced heartbreak, and it had nothing to do with a boyfriend (I know you just thought that). My neighbor's little girl, who I was very close to, was killed in a car accident. I cried for four months straight. I still cry every time I see her picture. It was three years ago.

6. Do you ever experience holiday let-down or depression?

Only when it's Punkin's turn to be with her husband's family. I mean, how lame is it when I don't even get to see my sister at Thanksgiving?

7. Do you like Michael Jackson's music?

Oh sure, there's nothing like listening to a child molester.

I listen to Christian music.

8. Why is it that we never judge people who have their teeth fixed for cosmetic reasons, but every other cosmetic procedure has a stigma?

Because it's gross to look at someone's nasty teeth. It's not gross to look at someone's crooked nose or scar or something.

9. Enjoy horseback riding?

I've only been twice, but yes, I liked it.

10. Shoes--practical or stylish?

Can't they be both? My shoes are!

11. What was the name of your first pet? Feel free to post a pic.

Red Dog. He was a gigantic Mastiff who drooled everywhere and ate the siding (yes, literally ate cedar siding) off our house. He scared the UPS man to death and drank out of a five gallon bucket. He was massive. And awesome.

12. What percentage of your Christmas shopping is done?

None! I don't celebrate Christmas yay!



Leah

Teen Missions International: Not Your Average Summer Program

So here's the story (extended version) about the last post. In 2003 Punkin' went to Cuba with Teen Missions International (TMI). She had kind of a rough summer. But she said it was a good experience in that it "gets you over the whole girly image" and "lets God change your life." So I decided I was going to go the next year. And I did. I originally signed up for Honduras but it got canceled because too few people signed up for that one. So I went to Poland. I know. COMPLETE other side of the world. But God knew what he was doing...some of my closest friends are from that trip. And I got to tell a 16 year old girl about Jesus who had never heard before. Ever since then I've wanted to go back and couldn't, mostly because of tuition bills. But this summer that's going to change, and God-willing, I'm going to be an assistant leader to Hong Kong.

So here's a look at what TMI is like.

You register for a team at www.teenmissions.org. In a few weeks, you get your support package, with letters to send out to friends and family asking them to support you with prayer and financial support as well. There's a bunch of paperwork helping you keep track of how much money you've received and how much you still need, a list of prayer partners, and envelopes in which to forward the checks people send you to TMI. There are also prayer cards to hand out to remind people to PRAY. Prayer is a big part of Teen Missions. Gradually, through God's faithfulness, your support comes in. Due dates are relative with TMI, just so you know. In June, you leave for Bootcamp. Yes, Bootcamp. You spend slightly over two weeks being trained for your project - construction classes, singing, puppets, drama, special classes like backpacking or motorcyling for some teams, as well as Devos (devotions) every morning after the OC (Obstacle Course), learning to bathe out of a bucket, wash your laundry by hand, and sundry other interesting experiences. :D Every day of Bootcamp ends with a Rally, where we sing praises to the Lord, cheer for our team, listen to a report on countries around the world (known as Shake the World), and hear preaching from the Word of God.
Bootcamp ends with Commissioning, a candlight service where each team member and leader intending to go to the mission field lights a candle, signifying our willingness to take the light of the Gospel to the nations.
After Commissioning, teams fly out to their various locations around the world. Some teams minister through construction projects, attracting the attention of the locals enough to witness to them, and minstering to the missionaries there. Some teams assist in local evangelism through songs, puppets, and drama. Some build AIDS orphans rescue units in Africa, teaching the orphans to farm their own food and make clothes so they can live. Some dig wells.

All minister to the lost.

After the project time, the teams fly back to Bootcamp for Debrief. You see, TMI packs your days FULL. From 5:30am to 10:00pm. Never a second wasted. So it's kind of hard to go back to "normal" life where we think nothing of spending an hour on facebook. Debrief helps the teens adjust back to their home lives and helps them sustain the spiritual growth they've experienced over the summer. It also teaches them how to share their stories back home.

All this, with teenagers. Last summer over 1,000 souls came to Christ through the work of teenagers. And I was told I need to go to Bible college before God can use me. Uh-huh. Riiiiiiight. Somehow I don't think God agrees. God moves at Teen Missions. He changes lives. Through teenagers. When was the last time you felt the Lord move at church?

So this summer I will, God-willing, be traveling to Hong Kong with TMI. When my heart first inclined toward that team, I thought, Asia, Lord? Really? I guess I just never thought I'd end up there. But then again, I never thought I'd end up in Poland either. I'll quit trying to tell God what to do now. I'm done. He's perfectly capable without me.

I ask you to go to the Teen Missions website and pray about serving the Lord this summer on one of their teams. Go ahead. Ask God what he can do with you.

Leah

It's official:

I'M GOING TO HONG KONG! Teen Missions 2010 baby! (A more subdued story about how this came to be will follow when I have more than seven minutes to write. Kthanksbye)

Leah

The Lord Is My Shepherd

Hopefully this video will work...this is my friend Amy singing a beautiful arrangement of Psalm 23. Lovely!


Leah