A Time to Rest.

Here we sit, enjoying hot tea and chai, inside this toasty warm little coffee shop called Billy D's. Ted and I have spent many hours here this week, reading, talking about future plans, surfing the web, occasionally we've run into YWAMers (everywhere we go, we usually do!). It has been a relaxing week, totally opposite of the past week! We've finally caught up on our sleep which is a blessing.

We've had our ups and downs this week, adjusting back into our normal living here in Denver. It has been difficult at times.

Here are a few of our fun little adjustments: 

• Snow, slick roads, winter coats, mittens.
• Our messy apartment. (Two pack rats + Marriage = a lot of piles.) :)
  
• Greasy food. Getting sick after eating the greasy food...
• People. Lets just say in Thailand, you were always, always, greeted with a smile.
• Coughs, sniffles, tons of tissues.
• Toilet paper in every bathroom here!
• Starbucks everywhere you drive. (You know those old cartoons with a little angel on one shoulder and the devil on the other, well I'm certain starbucks is the little red guy on my shoulder.) Though you'd be proud to know...Ted and I have both dropped soda and coffee since before outreach!
• No translators. 
• Just being the two of us, not the 27. We miss our team so much though!
• Not having rice at every meal. Believe it or not, we miss Thai food so much, in fact we are going out for Thai today!
• Driving not walking, stop lights, speed limits that are followed.
• From flip flops to winter boots.
• Noise.

One very difficult thing that Ted and I have both already struggled with is the temptation of comfort. Moments when we are completely lazy and possibly creating a pattern, which we do not want!

Every moment that our minds are tempted to stray away from the calling and desire that God has in our life, He always gently, sweetly, and sometimes with a touch of humor, reminds us of the very thing Ted and I long for the most; to be overseas sharing the love of Christ through building deep relationships with the people of each culture which He sends us. 

Ted and I have been to Barnes and Noble twice this weeks, researching and re-igniting our passions. We've gone up and down the travel section, searching through country after country. It's been really fun, and it's helped us to talk a lot more about our passions. We've shared the photos and our desires to travel, and we both stated many times..."Let's go here someday!". We pretty much want to travel the world, there is so much out there, so many people to meet and build relationship with, and so much to raise awareness for!

There is one thing that I have wanted to get into for a while now, and with much encouragement of my sweet husband I will finally share this. I think I have held back for so long now, due to fear of man honestly. Mostly because I know close to nothing about this very thing...photography. I really long to understand more about photography. As we were in Thailand I really explored raising awareness of what is going on in Thailand, the religion, the people, the culture. 

Anyhow, Ted and I decided to pursue his desire to video and my desire to photograph, each of these desires to be used to raise awareness about cultures and what is being hidden within each culture. Right now we have a cheap digital camera and a fairly nice video camera that for now, can be our tools. But we've decided to raise support for a really nice camera, so when we travel in 2009, we can begin raising awareness. It's amazing how the photos turn out with a really nice camera! A person who knows nothing about photography, can pick up a nice camera and shoot a beautiful photo. 

Anyways, we are still praying about sending me to night classes at the community college for photography, but then again there are also a lot of opportunities among our community at YWAM, of people who have had professional experience with photography and want to talk to me. The same for Ted and his desire to video. Please pray for guidance in this area!

Also, please pray for our future plans. We have a lot of heart, passion and desire, but we need to begin to put our feet to action! We will let you all know our plans, once we know for sure! One thing I do know...they ARE overseas, and they are exciting!

Thanks for reading this long, exhausting blog! :)

Love, Jami