Children of Hope

Visiting my kiddos in Uganda

2011-10-25T11:29:00.000-07:00

2 years later, it’s time for me to bring this blog full-circle.

Re-wind to June 2009.

After 10 months of being on tour with the Children of the World (COTW) kids…after 39,000 miles of driving on a bus together....after visiting 160 different cities/churches...after thousands of priceless memories, it was time to let them go. It was time for them to return to their children’s homes in Uganda and Nepal.

The months to follow were extremely emotional for me, as I missed them so much. This is an excerpt from an email I wrote to a friend:

"I keep expecting to look out the window and see the kids running around....or to hear their laughter and footsteps as they come running toward me. But that's not reality, unfortunately...my heart aches as I miss the kids...my heart literally hurts (to the point of actually being able to feel it...)"

But this story has a happy ending! Little did I know that God would lead me to Uganda THE FOLLOWING YEAR to be a missionary for 1 year…and get this, my apartment was only one hour from Destiny (the children’s home where 7 of my COTW kids live!)

I visited Destiny twice. As I look at these photos again, I am blown away by how God has blessed me with the experiences I had with these beautiful kids. They have taught me so much about loving people, joy and laughter, and God. And if you scroll back a few entries on this blog, you can see how much they’ve grown up since 2008; it’s crazy! They’re now about 11 and 12 years old.

I hope you enjoy these photos from both visits to Destiny. (And sidenote: the purpose of the US choir tour was to raise money for Destiny. I got goosebumps when I saw the new dorms, etc that were built at Destiny because of people’s generous giving during the choir tour! Wow.)

August 2010: Unfortunately, Martin was in class so he’s missing from this photo. But those are the Destiny kids who were on my COTW team 2008-2009!

Jiiiiiimy!

As we drove away, these faces wished us farewell.

April 2011:
My friend, Josh, traveled on a different COTW team.

He came to Uganda for a week to visit his kids at Destiny.

silly gooses! (Jimmy and Gift)

Lincoln has grown up so much. He is a true gentleman and so sweet.

Are these girls the cutest or what?! (Zurufah is top row, 3rd from the left. Rose is bottom row, 2nd from the right.) It was amazing for me to see how close the kids at Destiny are. Truly like family.

Martin is incredibly bright. He wants to be a doctor one day. He was definitely the “leader” of the choir tour…love him.

Zurufah…doesn’t she look so much older? Precious.

Random kids took a break from washing their clothes to pose for my camera

I truly do hold out hope that I can return again to visit them one day.

So until then...

Letters across the ocean....

2009-08-28T19:08:00.001-07:00

I wish I could describe to you the joy I experienced last weekend during the two hours I spent with Prava. I went down to Virginia for the weekend; part of the reason was because Prava is doing another year of the COTW tour as a chaperone, and I knew she was in VA. She has been working with the new kids for the past month of "training camp"--teaching them the songs, dance motions, etc.

Early Saturday morning, I walked into the church where the staff/kids are staying....the same church where I spent a week in June with my Central team staff/kids. What an eerie, sad feeling to walk into the room and see little cots set up just the way it was in June. Except this time, the little bodies stirring in their beds were not children named Zurufah, Suresh, Martin, etc....this time, I looked into the faces of beautiful children. Yet they were unrecognizable. I had to remind myself that my kids are across the ocean, back in their children's homes....that was tough, and I'll admit that I blinked back tears (the memories flooded every part of me.)

The moment I saw Prava, she leaped up, and we nearly squeezed the life out of each other!! What a blessing to spend the morning with my Nepali "sister"--she is so wonderful and has such a servant's heart. I know God will give her the energy and stamina for another year of touring....and I think He is adding jewels to her heavenly treasure each day ;)

Of course we talked 13843 miles a minute! First thing's first--"how are the Nepali children??" [She spent a month back home in Nepal this summer.] Yeshoda is adjusting well to her new children's home and has some older girls looking after her, like sisters! Suresh has started school and is doing well. Neha is growing up still and has started school as well (and she's an auntie now!! Their sister had a baby.)

Prava slipped something into my hands....my heart skipped a beat as I looked down at two envelopes labeled "Auntie Ashley." Letters from Neha and Suresh!! I am so grateful to Prava for delivering this mail to me.....these letters alone are worth the 700 miles I drove last weekend!

I hope you enjoy the creative touches I added to these notes. Notice the adorable word usage and phrasing....and cute hand-writing! I don't deserve their kind words....I wish they knew how they've impacted my life forever. In heaven, I will remind them.

[Click to see full-size picture.]

Excerpt from Neha's letter:

"I always pray for you that you will get nice boyfriends [haha! hey, it can't hurt]....we've had fun memories together. When we played laser tag....I miss your hug and kisses so much."

Excerpt form Suresh's letter:

"I can't forget the love that you gave me. Thank you for taking [me] to the six flags and water park....You have taken [me] to the ocean too. It was the first and last that I have ever visited the ocean in my life...I always remember you in my personal prayers...Your loving child, Mr. Suresh Tamang."

For them....

2009-07-05T22:08:00.001-07:00

I've enjoyed writing in this blog, and many of the tour's memories and stories are preserved here. But this blog must come to an end, considering our kids returned to their countries two weeks ago. This is my last chance to brag on these amazing children, so I plan to wrap this up with a bang. [I will warn you that I may get somewhat sappy during parts of this entry.]

These pictures capture their personalities; I took the photos on a beautiful Virginia day several weeks ago (when all three teams were reunited at the end of the tour.)

My heart skips a beat when I stare at their faces--and all their personality traits and quirks flood my mind. Last week I sat down at a coffee shop to finish photoshopping these, determined not to get nostalgic and sad. No such luck: as soon as the first picture-- Jimmy's smiling face--popped up on my Macbook, the tears started welling up. It took everything in me to blink back the tears.

I hope these photos somehow touch your heart and bring a smile to your face. Consider where the kids come from and the hardships they've endured--yet, look at the peace and joy on their faces! We can learn so much from their humility and their experiences.

This final blog entry is dedicated to our thirteen kids. I wish they could see how much we (central team staff) love and miss them. More importantly I wish they could comprehend how much they changed us and touched our lives.

Suresh. I miss your bear hugs. That ever-present smile of yours! The way you worshipped on stage, holding nothing back. Your confidence in who you are...not afraid to go off and do your own thing when you needed some solitude. The love you gave us every day.

Zurufah. Your silly, dramatic facial expressions. Your fake laugh you forced when you wanted extra attention ;) Your heart which bursts with love for your friends/aunties/uncles on the team. Your vulnerability when you missed your family. I will always treasure the many, many notes you wrote and pictures you took the time to draw.

Sarah. Watching you transform in the 10 months--seeing God work in your life after you accepted Him as your Savior. Your sarcastic attitude. Your dry and hilarious sense of humor.

Rose. That enthusiasm and smile which can light up any room. Your continuous kindness and encouragement to those around you. Your compassionate heart.

Martin. A blossoming leader. That intelligent mind of yours which doesn't miss a thing! Your desire to do the right thing. That grin which stretches across your entire face. Being able to count on a hug from you every single day.

Neha. Your gentle (yet feisty at times!) spirit. That laugh of yours which I could hear from the opposite end of the bus. Not afraid to let loose and let your personality shine through. What a privilege to watch you mature and evolve into a young woman.

Lincoln. Servant's heart. Always willing to help out--not because it was convenient but because you desired to be a blessing. Your goofy side. Willing to take the leap and ask God to be your Savior.

Jimmy. That contagious smile of yours. Your unique and hysterical sense of humor. The five phrases you repeat constantly, such as: "ah! I 'ate that!" and "Who told you?" Your incredible athletic skills--and getting the hang of things right away. I actually miss you almost knocking me over from behind when you'd surprise me and jump on my back.

Yeshoda. A ray of sunshine that brightened our day. Your crazy giggles. Looking out for the well-being of those around you. Strong yet vulnerable and loving. Faithful. Loyal.

Maria. Your own person, not easily influenced by peer pressure. Genuine laughter. Sweet and gentle spirit.

Isaac. Your questioning mind, always curious about living for God, eternity, Jesus, etc. Your passion for the things and people you love. Comic relief when you did anything and everything (dressing up... ;)

Gift. I've never known a child as witty as you, continuously striving to throw in smart-alec comments or funny jokes. God-given intelligence. Fast learner (a good fisherman--even if you harassed me for my lack of skill.)

Ezera. Sensitive and kind. Easy to get along with. So glad you weren't afraid to show us your entertaining and silly side once you felt comfortable. Loving.

Thank you for being my family on the road!

[click to make larger]

Thank you, kids, for being ambassadors on behalf of your friends and family back home who don't have the opportunity to raise awareness of AIDS and poverty. Thank you for working hard. But more importantly for living and loving to your full potential.

The other teams...

2009-07-05T20:43:00.000-07:00

Throughout the tour, our kids frequently talkd about their friends on the East and West teams...since I was not with them the first month they were in the U.S., I wasn't able to meet the other COTW kids until several weeks ago in VA. I had a wonderful time hanging out with and conversing with East's and West's team leaders, chaperones, and road crew guys. Everyone was awesome. Of course I took some snapshots...

Suresh and Suresh! These two are buddies from the same children's home in Nepal. (Suresh on the left was on my team...Suresh on the right was on East.)

Suresh (East team) stole my heart immediately. He's such a lover--always willing to give or receive hugs.

Boys will be boys....no matter what continent they're from!

Josh (road crew for East) and Blanca (from Guatemala)

This just makes me smile every time....all the Nepalis that were on tour

Making grass chairs (oh, the creativity!)

All the chaperones with Ugandan girls from a particular children's home

Tiffany (East team leader) with two of her adorable kids

Catherine

Blanca (Guatemala)

Depesh and Suresh (Nepal)

They're home...

2009-06-19T22:01:00.000-07:00

Our thirteen children (and Prava) have arrived in their homelands (Uganda and Nepal.)

This will be one of my last blog posts on here....what a wild and crazy (and wonderful!!) adventure this last year has been. I can't thank everyone enough for their encouragement and prayers along the way. It really kept us going! I'm in awe of God's protection...sure, we had some reaaaaaally annoying times where our bus broke down on the road, but it could have been much worse! Sicknesses were even minimal.

I'm unsure how I can even attempt describing the emotions of this past week. Here's an excerpt from an email I wrote earlier:

"I'm sitting down--completely alone--for the first time in a while. I keep expecting to look out the window and see the kids running around....or to hear their laughter and footsteps as they come running toward me. But that's not reality, unfortunately. While it is wonderful to be "me" again, my heart aches as I miss the kids. There has only been one or two times in my life where my heart hurt (to the point of actually being able to feel it...) and that's what it felt like when I said goodbye on Sunday and Tuesday."

All three teams (Central, East, and West) spent approximately a week in Virginia before the kids headed home. During that time, I really enjoyed interacting with the other team leaders/chaperones/road guys. We could all understand the frustrations--and amazing aspects--of road life! I had never met the kids on the other teams, so I loved that as well! We slept in a building that USED to be a school---so we spent every hour with each other before the kids left to fly home.

Last Sunday at 7am, I watched our precious Nepalis pull away in a bus....Prava (chaperone) has become like a sister to me, and I miss not having her around. And of course Suresh, Yeshoda, and Neha are incredible and have impacted my life more than they will ever know. Later that day, I was saying more painful goodbyes to six of our Ugandan children (Martin, Lincoln, Maria, Rose, Sarah, and Isaac.) I was drained, yet I managed to summon every last bit of energy to let them know how much I love them and will miss them. I'll be honest: the day was painful, and I don't cry very often. But I believe I cried harder on Sunday than I had in two or three years.

Tuesday afternoon we said goodbye to the remaining four (Ezera, Jimmy, Gift, Zurufah.) Little Zurufah gripped me around the neck, and I picked her up and just held her, not wanting to let her go. Kory and I were the ones that stayed behind; Alan, Taylor, and Jay accompanied the kids to Uganda. Saying goodbye to my team-mates was an odd feeling :/ As the bus pulled down the road, all I could think was, "I should be on there with them....like I have been for the last 300 days.)

I have thanked God for giving me strength to get through the past few days. Though I'm sad and miss the kids greatly, I am not someone to lock myself in a bedroom and be anti-social. Sure, there is a time for mourning--but then you have to find strength to continue on. It helps that I'm in VA, surrounded by dear friends this coming week (not to mention, busying myself with several photoshoots.)

"So what's next for you, Ashley?" is the all-important question I've been getting :) My heart STILL longs to spend about a year doing missions in Africa, so that will probably happen by early 2010 I hope. But until then, I have a neat opportunity that has recently come into play. Since it is not completely for sure yet, I will explain it in detail in the near future.

Sometime next week I plan to photoshop and upload beautiful portraits of the children. I pulled each one aside last week when we were at the park. I'm sure you'll enjoy them, so feel free to check back.

For those of you who love numbers....

2009-06-08T13:03:00.000-07:00

The end is near. As I type this, we're headed back to Virginia to meet up with the other two teams (I am excited to meet the other kids for the first time!) We'll all be together for several days, and then the Nepalis (including Prava :/ ) leave THIS Sunday. Several days later, the Ugandan kids leave, and then I'm officially done on Wednesday.

I'm just enjoying these last moments with our team....we have grown to be like a family, spending every day of our lives together since September. We've laughed a lot, cried, and have seen each other through many frustrations.

Yesterday was our last full concert (the Nepali kids won't be in next Sunday's concert, since they'll be gone.) Prava, Taylor, and I definitely shed some tears...I was quite emotional, but I held it together as best I could--for the kids' sakes. Some of them had eyes filled with tears, but they were troopers and did a wonderful/enthusiastic performance.

I'd like to ask for your prayers during the next 9 days. I'm praying that God gives all of us strength during this emotional time (ESPECIALLY the kids, as I know it will be tough for them to say goodbye to us and return home).

I'll leave you with some interesting information. This was stolen from Taylor's blog....she calculated these numbers to her best ability.

During the tour:

39,000.... miles driven

60,000... adoring audience members

195... concerts

160... different cities/churches

160... different host families that have spoiled the children (and me ;)

way too many (for me, at least 200)... meals eaten in restaurants (blech! From now on, I'll probably only eat out five times a year.)

440... different gas station visits

70... games of Phase 10 the Aunties have played

20... bottles of Dramamine purchased for all our kids who throw up regularly on the bus

50... number of times the Dramamine hasn't worked and children have thrown up into plastic bags on the bus (always pleasant!)

800... children who have gotten sponsored (food, clothing, medical care, Christian education until they're 19 years old!) by our team

560... bathroom trips with all 13 kids

40... fried chicken & green bean dinners churches have provided us with

5... the longest time (in days) we have spent in one place

130... different parks we have visited for the kids to play

4... broken bones (all Ezera's fingers)

240... hours spent watching kids' movies (I usually read my book ;)

1,000,000 number of times someone has asked, "So, how did you get involved in this?"

1,000,000,000... number of times someone in a gas station/restaurant has looked at our group and said something like, "Now, what exactly IS this??? A fieldtrip or something?"

5... children on our team who have prayed to ask Jesus to be their Lord and Savior!!!

Some of these things have been far from wonderful (all the fast food!), but we've made lasting memories with 13 precious children. Which of course is PRICELESS!

A detour through Lancaster Co!

2009-06-04T19:51:00.000-07:00

The month of May could hardly get better! (Oh, it's June now, isn't it? Oh well, you get the point....) After hearing all about East team's and West team's multiple trips to beautiful beaches, WE finally got a turn to take the kids to the ocean. I realize the Atlantic ocean can't even compare to the Pacific's beauty, but we take what we can get.... :) Sunday evening's concert was held at a church in Ocean City, NJ. My host family lived in a house that was practically on the boardwalk....so after the concert, we took an evening stroll on the boardwalk which was quite lovely.

Brett and his sister, Ashten, live in Jersey. So they drove to see our Sunday night concert. The kids (and tearing down product) obviously kept me busy, so I didn't have a ton of time to chat, but it was great to see them again. And we ran into them later on the boardwalk which was an added bonus.

Monday was windy and frigid (if I'M wearing a sweatshirt on the beach, you know it's gotta be c-o-l-d!)...it warmed up SLIGHTLY, but the air was still chilly. Did that stop our kids from frolicking in the waves? Definitely not. In fact, for a long while they were the only ones in the water. Our whole team had a fun afternoon at Ocean City. We got a delicious lunch (I'm not a big fan of french fries, but boardwalk fries are delicious!) on the boardwalk, took lots of photos, relaxed on our beach towels, and all that fun stuff.

That afternoon I made the following phone call to my dear mom: "Hey mom, um....apparently we need housing tomorrow night and Wed night, and the office is wondering if the team could come to Lancaster (on our way to Pittsburgh)." My mom's amazing. She didn't want to miss this opportunity, so she scrambled to prep the house and grocery shop (if you know my mom, you'll understand that this last-minute stuff isn't ideal! :) Several wonderful host families came through, and I appreciate all of you!! Thank you Bjaneses, Mershons, Acebos, and Newhards--you were a blessing to the kids.

The next morning our tour bus pulled in to the church parking lot (next to my house), and as we stepped off the bus we almost fell over---we were greeted by the smell of cow manure. Welcome home! The kids were like, "ew! Pennsylvania stinks...." thankfully the smell passed :)

I can't even describe how wonderful it was to spend two days at home. A huge smile spread across my face every time I looked out the kitchen window to see the kids racing on bicycles or swinging on the swing-set my dad built. During the day, the whole team hung out at our house....the kids happily played outside for hours at a time. My mom made a spaghetti lunch for 24 people yesterday (some kids ate three plates. Where do they put all the food??) Then we went to the theater to see Up in 3-D (animated movies aren't my favorite, but I laughed all the way through this movie....) which the kids of course enjoyed.

We were home such a short time, but it was packed with non-stop action. It was wonderful to see friends and neighbors who I haven't seen in one or two years. I appreciate all the host families and of course my family--who welcomed the kids with open arms on such short notice. I'll never forget the last few days. I've taken numerous photos the past few days and will edit them soon, but for now here's a glimpse of the week.

Isaac (why the pink headband??), Ezera, Jimmy, and Lincoln cooking breakfast this morning. They made eggs--the Ugandan way. All by themselves. And let me tell you, they were the best eggs I've had in recent history!

Siblings (and Laura on the end, who was a great help)! With some uber cute Africans. The kids wanted to watch home videos of when I was a baby/toddler!

Making a video message for Jay's dad, so I snapped a photo of all the kids on our couch....

Val with Lincoln and Isaac. Val called me Tues night: "I saw Chelsea's Facebook status. Where ARE you? I'm coming over right now!" It was great to see her....we've been friends since our softball days (8 years?)

I wish our dinner table looked like this every night

Ocean City, NJ: with Yeshoda and Jimmy. It was chilly, but I eventually got brave enough to wear my bathing suit

Look at our crazy boys...their new thing is taking jumping pictures. I'm afraid that's my fault.

Brett and Ashten came to see us in Ocean City (here on the boardwalk with Sarah and Zurufah)

Reunited

2009-05-29T18:37:00.000-07:00

One week from this Monday, we will be driving back to Lynchburg to regroup with the other two teams (for a week or so, and I'll be done June 17.) I will then be hanging out in Lynchburg until approximately June 27 so that I can catch up with friends there and also do some photo shoots (I still have some openings if anyone is interested :)

The end of the tour is near...I have mixed feelings: it'll be wonderful to live out of acloset and not a suitcase! It'll be wonderful to plan my own day instead of having my life planned for me (God has taught me a lot this last year!) It'll be wonderful to escape to Panera or B&N when I need alone time to breathe. You get the picture. However, I'm not ready for the kids to go to their home continent.

The past few weeks have been spent galavanting the Eastern states such as Virginia (the D.C. area), Ohio, Pennsylvania, and now New Jersey (praying for a beautiful day on Monday, because we'll spend it at Ocean City with the team!!) Today we drove past signs on the highway for LANCASTER!! And on top of that, we stopped for lunch at Isaac's which was made complete by a Turkey Hill peach tea. Ah, what a heavenly day :)

This world seems to be getting smaller and smaller. When we arrived at the NJ church today, I struck up conversation (what else is new?) with their summer youth intern who went to Eastern College. Turns out she knows a church friend of mine. Also, I was in the pastor's home tonight and saw a photo of his kids. I recognize one of his sons who is a golfer at Liberty (I photographed some of the golfers my sophomore year for the yearbook.) So weird!!

I'll try not to let this blog post get ridiculously long, so I'll get to the point....in the last two weeks, I was reunited with family members and several friends. I can't tell you how wonderful it was to see familiar faces!

D.C.:

It felt surreal to spend an entire Friday evening with Janine, Dachelle, and Rachel. How lucky am I that all three of those girls live in the D.C. area? We chatted a million mph as we relaxed at Rachel's rock star downtown apartment. She's such a wonderful hostess who prepared chicken parmesan for us to enjoy. I'm so thankful that Janine brought her camera and snapped photos throughout the night....I'll post a few below. After dinner we stepped out into the night air and strolled over to Union Station where a fancy gala was taking place. The thought of sneaking in was slightly tempting; however, we weren't exactly wearing ball gowns. (It looked like a blast though!) After grabbing Starbucks, we went back to the apartment where we wrapped up the night talking on the outdoor balcony. It was a perfect evening with wonderful friends.

The weekend only got better! The next day I met up with my family in old town Alexandria, and we walked in and out of the cute shops. How great to see them again....Chandler is taller than me! On Sunday, my family (and Rachel!!) finally got to meet my "family away from family." They all adored watching the kids sing and dance across the stage....afterwards, they spent a few minutes getting to know the kids and fell in love with them (and the kids enjoyed meeting my family that I have talked lots about!) As my family walked away, Lincoln shouted, "See you in heaven!" which caused them to tear up....

Ohio:

Since we were near Columbus, I got to meet up with my friend, Aaron. As soon as he met Gift and Martin, they pulled him into the backyard to do flips and front handsprings. It was quite impressive to watch the three of them do this! I simply stood on the sidelines taking video (I can do a cartwheel, but that's it!) The evening was spent walking along a country road, getting sprayed with dust as cars drove past us ;) On Sunday he met all 13 of the crazy children at our concert....and he got to take part in a competitive game of Phase 10! It was fun to catch up with Aaron, since our paths had not crossed in the last three years.

I think this pattern of seeing friends will continue, because my friend, Brett, is planning to meet the kids at our Sunday night concert in Ocean City.

Gorgeous girls! <3

[Dachelle, Janine, Rach]

I haven't seen this girl since last summer!

My siblings are pretty cute, aren't they?

[D.C.]

My parents, still in love after nearly 30 years of marriage.

Hanging out in the "costume room" with Aaron

COTW coming to Lynchburg!

2009-05-26T20:05:00.000-07:00

This has been a fabulous month....I've been able to spend time with my family and several friends, so details and photos will come soon.

But for now, I want to let everyone in the Lynchburg area know that we'll be doing a concert there on June 14! 11am at the church below.

Shekijah Preparation Assembly

104 Fleetwood Dr

Lynchburg, VA 24501

I'm hoping that I'll see some familiar faces, but I realize it's a Sunday morning concert which may not be ideal. However, the kids are worth seeing, and I know you wouldn't regret it. If you have any questions, just let me know. (Unfortunately, our concert will be only 30 minutes that morning, but it's still awesome.)

We arrived in the Altoona, PA area today. It's good to see my home state after being gone for so long! On Friday we'll head to Ocean City, NJ for several days. My friend, Brett, may make it to the concert! And on Monday the whole team will enjoy the beach together (woohoo!!)

Less than 2 weeks left of road life! And then several days in VA with the kiddies before they leave for their countries :(

Bragging on my mom

2009-05-09T21:27:00.000-07:00

Two posts in one night....that's rare!

It's Mother's Day tomorrow. Just when I started feeling sorry for myself, because I'm so far from my mom, I was reminded of how good I have it. Martin prayed this at bedtime tonight, "Please help my mom know I'm ok and she shouldn't worry about me..."

Whoa. Ok, God, I have no right to complain. Sure, I haven't seen my mom since last summer. But growing up, I saw her every day. I'm taking care of a little boy who is half my age and hasn't seen his mom in that long either. Except even when he DOES get to see her again, he is unable to live with her and see her on a daily basis. Life is unfair....it shouldn't be like that. In Uganda, when the husband dies, all of his money/belongings goes to his family. The wife is left with nothing. (That's one of the main reasons most of our kids are living in orphanages...)

All that to say, the older I get, the more I appreciate my mom. I could write a novel on here about how wonderful she is, but for the sake of time/space, I'll make it brief.

When I was young, I appreciated my mom. But at the same time, I think I took her for granted. I guess I thought every child had a mom as amazing as mine....but the older I got, I realize that is certainly not the case. I am fortunate to have a mother like mine, who literally puts her family first in everything she does and every decision she makes. Her cooking is out-of-this-world (ask any of my friends!!), her patience is more than I'll ever have ;) , and her love for us seems endless. I can confide anything in her....and I appreciate that despite her busy schedule, she always finds lots of time to talk to me over the phone.

My mom and I are so different when it comes to our taste in movies, decorating, music, etc....but I'm finding that I'm becoming more and more like my mom in many ways, the older I get. I know this, because I've caught myself reprimanding/disciplining the kids the same way my mom handled me growing up! The little sayings and mannerisms are the same, unintentionally.

Not seeing her for nearly a year has been rough, but I appreciate and respect her even more. I love you and can't wait to see you soon!

My college graduation last May

(One of the last times I saw my mom...that will change next weekend)

tic. tic. tic. toc.

2009-05-09T21:10:00.000-07:00

The weeks are flying by. (I feel like I say this constantly.) Is it really May already? This means there are only six short weeks until the kids return to their countries :( I choose not to think about that....yet. Our kids have started referring to the fact that there are only a few weeks left. Some will be ready to return home, while others will not be. But inevitably, our time as a team (more like a family) is coming to an end.

This past week was quite enjoyable, with multiple days where Gift and Martin (I'm in a host fam with them) could just chill, play, and be boys (which translates to: ride scooters and Ripsticks outside for hours at a time...) Sunday night-Tuesday we were hosted by Tammy + Tommy, a wonderful family in Tennessee. The boys and I had an unusual treat of staying in a neat lodge-style house all by ourselves, several minutes down the road from the family. We appreciated the downtime on Monday (it felt like we were on vacation!).

We were in Kentucky Tuesday-Friday, and I absolutely loved my time with that host family (Wade and Lisa). Their children were precious! Logan played so well with Gift and Martin, and I instantly fell in love with little 6 yr old Emily. Her southern accent was darling. The night I arrived, she asked me if we could paint our nails. She also asked me to help her with homework, so I did (I now know I could at least homeschool my kids through Kindergarten!) I loved her sweet spirit, her humor, and the fact that she is so girly yet also into hunting, fishing, etc. Lisa (her mom) was an amazing cook, and she spoiled us with homemade EVERYTHING (apple butter--yum!!--, strawberry jam, applesauce, and cinnamon buns.) I think my bedroom at their house was the most unusual I've stayed in....each night when I went to sleep, I had 8 pairs of mounted deer eyes staring right at me. Slightly unnerving, but I'm a big girl, so I could handle it :)

Emily and me

I hope you all have had a relaxing and rejuvinating weekend. And a huge congrats to my dear friends at Liberty who graduated today! (Erin, Dachelle, Sheila, Christi, Chad, Mitch, Sarah...the list could go on.) I was there in spirit and prayed throughout the day for y'all. So proud of you guys.

"Gracious Uncertainty"

2009-05-02T20:09:00.000-07:00

Two years ago, I was sitting in a communications class, taught by dear Dr. Kelly. He read the "April 29" day in My Utmost for His Highest. I can't remember what I was going through, but I do remember being impacted by it and returning to my dorm room to highlight the main points in my own copy of the devotional book. Later on in the evening, I sat on my floor with Anna and Dachelle (if I remember correctly) as we poured over the text, discussing the problems we were facing in our own lives. It lifted our spirits.

Fast forward two years later...two days ago, I flipped open my copy of My Utmost for His Highest. On the "April 29" page, there were the markings I made several years ago. I saw the title: "Gracious Uncertainty" and instantly knew it would be a much-needed reminder of God's perfect timing.

In a month and a half, this tour is over. The kids will return home (I can't think about that right now!), and I am unsure of the next step for my own life. Does that scare me? Most definitely! But God has never failed me. And He never will. If we are willing, He will use us. So even though my future is uncertain at this time, I know He will continue to guide me.

Here are exerpts from "April 29" (My Utmost...) for you to enjoy. Read it slowly and carefully (maybe even out loud.) I pray it encourages you, wherever you are in life.

Gracious Uncertainty

Our natural inclination is to be so precise— trying always to forecast accurately what will happen next— that we look upon uncertainty as a bad thing. We think that we must reach some predetermined goal, but that is not the nature of the spiritual life. The nature of the spiritual life is that we are certain in our uncertainty.

Certainty is the mark of the commonsense life— gracious uncertainty is the mark of the spiritual life. To be certain of God means that we are uncertain in all our ways, not knowing what tomorrow may bring. This is generally expressed with a sigh of sadness, but it should be an expression of breathless expectation. We are uncertain of the next step, but we are certain of God. As soon as we abandon ourselves to God and do the task He has placed closest to us, He begins to fill our lives with surprises. When we become simply a promoter or a defender of a particular belief, something within us dies. That is not believing God — it is only believing our belief about Him. Jesus said, ". . . unless you . . . become as little children . . ." (Matthew 18:3 ). The spiritual life is the life of a child. We are not uncertain of God, just uncertain of what He is going to do next. If our certainty is only in our beliefs, we develop a sense of self-righteousness, become overly critical, and are limited by the view that our beliefs are complete and settled. But when we have the right relationship with God, life is full of spontaneous, joyful uncertainty and expectancy. Jesus said, ". . . believe also in Me" (John 14:1 ), not, "Believe certain things about Me". Leave everything to Him and it will be gloriously and graciously uncertain how He will come in— but you can be certain that He will come. Remain faithful to Him.
-Oswald Chambers

Adios, Texas!

2009-04-29T12:46:00.000-07:00

After spending a majority of our time in Texas, we have said "Adios!" to the state for good. From now on, we will be slowly making our way towards the Eastern states, which greatly excites me (I get to see several familiar faces in the next few weeks!). In this last stretch of the tour, we'll be performing in Arkansas, Tennessee, Kentucky, the D.C. area, Ohio, and New Jersey.

There's so much to update about, that I hardly know where to start.

Prava and I enjoyed a day off on Monday. Our hotel was snazzy for being a Holiday Inn (apparently they're revamping their look. I loved the decorating!)

The highlight for me was seeing one of my best friends since I was 14....I haven't seen Zack in three years, so it was awesome to catch up with him. He and his girlfriend (Marisa) drove two hours to spend the evening with me, which meant a lot. They live in Arizona but happened to be in Texas visiting relatives. Marisa is a sweetheart, and we hit it off instantly (chatting about our favorite books, hot tea, etc :) The three of us went to "Half Price Books" to browse. Surprisingly, I left the store without making a purchase (I didn't say I wasn't tempted ;) But I'm still reading "Jane Eyre" (I know my mom is happy to hear that I'm loving it!), and after that I have a list of other books to read.

Then we walked through World Market, followed by a yummy dinner at a Mongolian grill (Yum! I highly recommend it.) My favorite part of the evening was just sitting down, having thought-provoking theological conversations with Zach and Marisa. We exchanged opinions about topics such as "Can you lose your salvation? (ie, walk away from God)," "Do you have to be baptized to go to heaven?" etc. It was just a fun time with wonderful people.

Also over the weekend:
-A lady in Walmart asked me if Prava was my DAUGHTER. She's 19!!! Granted, she could pass for being a 12 year old....but do I really look like I'm 30??

-I saw "Seventeen Again" with Taylor, Prava, and Alan. Matthew Perry + Zac Effron were a funny combination. Cute movie.

-Our kids performed seven times in 24 hours at the same church. Kay Warren (Rick Warren's wife) was at the church for a conference, so we met her and got a photo taken. I'll be honest; I'm not a huge fan of Rick Warren, but she seems like a neat lady who has overcome battles with cancer and is still serving the Lord in great ways. [In this photo, Kay is in the back row wearing blue. Also, Noel and Cossandra--from the VA office--were visiting, so they're in the photo as well.]

I put numerous Easter photos in a Facebook album today, but here are a few.

On a random note, is anyone following this season of American Idol? I never have time to watch it when it airs, but I've gotten into it lately (watching the performances online.) I'm hoping either Kris or Danny wins. I absolutely loved Kris's rendition of my favorite Sinatra song, "The Way You Look Tonight." :) Adam just creeps me out, though he is a gifted performer.

A multicultural Easter!

2009-04-13T11:45:00.000-07:00

"Auntie Ashley..." Ezera whispered with a giggle, "you are the only Mzungu here!" As if I hadn't already noticed I was the only white person in a housefull of Hispanics, one Nepali, and three Ugandans! :) Our "weekend church" in Lubbock, TX, was a Hispanic church, so all our kids stayed with Hispanic host families which was neat. I spent Friday evening in a house crammed with nearly 30 individuals who were not caucasian ;) The teenagers/kids watched "High School Musical 3," and since I had no other option, I was forced to watch it for the...let me think here....6th time! Embarassing, yes. However, keep in mind that only one of those times was actually by choice. (I do still enjoy belting out the songs though...)

It was neat to spend some time in Lubbock after hearing about it from Marc and Amy. Wish they could have been here to give me a tour of the city. They are such wonderful people whom I met in Lynchburg last summer. Good memories of RUF summer Bible studies at their house. Seems like a lifetime ago! At one of those Lynchburg Bible studies, I met Alyssa who was visiting from Texas Tech. Since our concert this morning was only minutes away from TT, Alyssa came to see it. It was wonderful to see a familiar face. Thanks for taking time to come, Alyssa!

I hope each of you had a meaningful Easter! Mine was unlike any Easter in my past. It started out in the Hispanic church, and let me tell you, those people knew how to worship. One of the best things ever (in my humble opinion) is worshipping our Savior with people from different cultures. It reminded me of the time I spent in Mexico in high school. We may have many differences (the language, the way of living, etc) but we serve the same Lord.

Next up was the surprise Easter egg hunt for our kids! On Wednesday, Taylor/Prava/and I went to Walmart and bought 250 easter eggs. It only took us about 30 minutes to fill them all with candy! After the concert, we snuck out to a nearby park and hid all of the eggs. That alone was quite an adventure, because the cold wind was blowing like crazy (I gave up trying to hide the eggs IN the trees...) plus we only had a few minutes before the kids arrived. So out of desperation, we ended up just scattering some of the eggs on the ground. (Not too challenging, but the kids still loved it.)

I don't know when I've ever seen children so excited to hunt for Easter eggs. They jumped up and down and screamed for joy when they discovered that they would be participating in this exciting, American tradition. (First time for them, of course!) The rest of the day, they kept talking about what a fun Easter it was. But more importantly, they know the real reason we celebrate Easter. We reminded them several times this past week of its importance. And last night during bedtime prayers, the four boys each took turns praying and thanked Jesus for "dying on the cross for us and rising again so You can live in us forever and ever." There's nothing quite like watching our kids scrunch their faces and squeeze their eyes shut as they earnestly pray.

[I will do my best to upload Easter photos soon!]

I'll close with a humorous story which has nothing to do with Easter, but hopefully it makes you laugh....

Before I tell you about the following conversation I had with Rose, you need to understand something. Our kids don't eat much beef in their countries, so they approach it hesitantly (of course meat like that isn't quite as safe to eat in their countries.) They don't realize that they eat beef many times a week here in America (spaghetti, hamburgers, barbecue sandwiches, etc.) So last week on the bus, Rose was sitting next to me. We drove by cows, and she genuinely asked me the following question:

"Auntie Ashley, have you ever eaten cow??"
I simply just smiled and let her continue....
"It is soooo good, Auntie! I had it ONCE--in MY country. If you ever get the chance, you have to try it!!"
When I recounted that conversation to Taylor and Prava, we died laughing. Little does Rose know that she eats "cow" almost daily!

News Story!

2009-04-06T20:30:00.000-07:00

It's amazing how huge the kids' smiles are when they know that the TV cameras are rolling! Yesterday morning, the local ABC station was on site to do a story on the kids. I thought it was presented professionally and passionately...take a look.

click here to watch the news story. I hope you enjoy it! (Sidenote: do you see Ezera--front/center--dancing with his cast on!?)

[I am hoping to find time soon to update about our time in New Mexico! When we finally made it, after being delayed by the Amarillo blizzard.]

Too cute for words...

2009-03-26T19:58:00.000-07:00

You may have noticed the new photo at the top of my blog. Here are some more...I did a mini photoshoot with our kids last week.
It was a gorgeous day in North Little Rock, Arkansas. We wanted some cute shots of them in their new spring clothing. I just used a point-and-shoot camera, but they turned out well, I think! The photo editing was enjoyable :)
More to come...
All of them mid-laugh. <3

Jimmy's hearty laugh

Recent highlights

2009-03-23T12:42:00.000-07:00

When it rains it pours! In the past week: Ezera broke three fingers, then Gift got a fever, then they both felt fine for a day or two, but the bad luck streak continued. Saturday night, Gift and I were playing catch outside. I threw the baseball, and he caught it with his eye rather than the glove. Ouch! An ice pack enabled him to have a quick recovery. The same day, it was Ezera's turn to join in the fun of having a fever. Not to mention, all three of us (Gift, Ezera, and I) have been coughing/congested for about two weeks.

All that aside, last week was an especially great week for many random reasons. I attribute it mainly to our streak of incredibly wonderful host families.

And the highlight of last week happened Wednesday evening after our concert. I fixed the boys a snack while they showered, and then we continued the bedtime routine. They had their hearts set on a Bible story, so I read "David and Goliath," stopping to explain key details so that they understood. After the story, we continued talking on their beds....somehow the topic of demons came up. I assured them that we have nothing to fear if Christ lives in our hearts, explaining that demons cringe at the sound of Jesus' name. Then I asked them, "Boys, is there a time when you have asked God to forgive you of the bad things you've done--and then asked Him into your heart?" Gift said, "Yes." Ezera's reply was, "I don't know..." as he started getting shy. I shared with him about the importance of following Jesus, and I told him it's a choice that I can't make for him. He decided he wanted to ask Jesus to be His savior that night; he refused to wait any longer. I truly doubt I will ever forget the priceless moments like that one! How encouraging to know that Ezera will be joining us in heaven one day.

We spent several days in Little Rock, AR, and I was able to go by the capitol building and governor's mansion. Here are two photos. The view going across the bridge (entering the city) was beautiful at sunset! Too bad I had to take it through the car window.

Recently, I've really been missing social interaction with others my age. Host families usually consist of older couples with no children at home or families with kids (who of course are way younger.) I rarely come across individuals my own age, much less get to spend time with them. That's why last week I was surprised (but happy!) to have the chance to enjoy the company of several college students. Thursday evening, my host family's college-aged nephew came over for dinner. His friend came too, and the three of us hit it off. We covered a variety of topics from "The Invisible Children" to Africa to worship music to college life. The guys ended up staying late into the evening, and we had a blast playing basketball ("knockout") with the kids, and then just talking in the living room with Tracy and her husband (host fam).

In addition, my weekend host family was a blast! Bruce was the pastor of the church, and his wife (Janet) had me laughing over her amusing stories. Their son, Blake (14), was great with Gift and Ezera (of course they had a blast swimming!), and Grant's their college-aged son who was home on spring break; we had fun laughing over a previous American Idol episode! It might sound silly, but I think the Lord knew that hanging out with peers last week would refresh me.

[Weekend host family! Janet and Bruce; Grant, Blake. Ezera and Gift modeling their new spring shirts!]

Poor boys!

2009-03-16T21:35:00.000-07:00

You know they're becoming Americanized when:

Me: Tomorrow is St Patrick's Day....
Ezera (In his thick, Ugandan accent): Patrick--from SpongeBob?

I just put my head in my hands and then ATTEMPTED to make him understand who the real "Patrick" is :)

Speaking of Ezera, he fell off a scooter this weekend and broke not one but three of his fingers. I spent Sunday morning in the Emergency Room with him to take x-rays, etc. He's been such a trooper through it all....the numerous changes of the ice bag, the pain, the splint, and the many dosages of nasty liquid medicine (which practically turns his face inside out!)

He's now with Gift and me in the host families, so I've been able to keep an eye on his injury. He's a typical boy and was outside today hitting baseballs one-handed! He's been quite giddy/loopy, thanks to the pain medicine.

Today was a much-needed, restful day with our incredibly wonderful host family in Fayetville, AR. We stayed home the entire day (which hardly ever happens!!) which was a blessing, considering that Gift came down with a fever today. You know Gift is sick when he hardly eats, is not his witty self, and when he willingly crashes in his bed at 8:30!

Hard to believe March is half over, with only 3 months left of the tour. I have a feeling it will fly by. I'm quite excited spring is on its way!

This would be me....

2009-03-12T12:37:00.000-07:00

My dad WOULD be the one to send me this comic in an email today. I think he was implying something ;) Thankfully this hasn't happened on our tour so far...I only drive once a month (on my day off) so that may be the reason. I'm working on my sense of direction, and I think it may be improving! After driving alone in San Antonio (5 lanes of traffic going the same way) I realized I'm making progress.

I hope this comic makes you laugh!

Yearning

2009-03-07T21:07:00.000-08:00

"What are you afraid of?" I remember a gentleman asking me that question last August in a job interview. "The unknown," I replied. Thankfully, a few weeks later I landed this traveling job, which meant Ashley didn't have to worry about her unknown future anymore!!....at least for another 9 months.

Well the Lord loves to keep me on my toes, and you can bet I pray daily about what God has next for me--come June 18, when this tour is finished. I'm yearning for answers regarding the unknown in my life....

I want to encourage you today with an Elizabeth Elliot quote. I recently read her book, Passion and Purity, which was thought-provoking! These words have been playing in my mind the past few weeks.

"If the yearnings went away,

what would we have to offer up to the Lord?...

How would we learn to submit to the authority of Christ

if we had nothing to submit?"

-E.E.

Elizabeth Elliot wrote those words about the man she loved while they were separated for several years (until they were able to get married.) So she journaled those words in reference to romantic love. That's the background of the quote, but I think it's great encouragement for any area of our lives.

Pause for a minute and ask yourself, "What am I yearning for?" We all have something that we're wishing for. That we're hoping for. That we're constantly praying about. Even though those things can be burdening and possibly stressful, I am thankful that through prayer we are kept on our knees before the Lord.

Whatever is on your heart, give it to God today. I remember a college friend of mine always saying, "God loves to keep us desperate." Aren't those the times you feel closest to Him?

Which side of Kansas City?

2009-03-01T22:01:00.000-08:00

For the past week, I feel like we keep going back and forth between the "Kansas" side of Kansas City and the "Missouri" side of Kansas City. Right now we're on the MO side of the city...I think! I never thought I'd have to stop and think about what state I'm in--but this job does that to ya.

This morning I was sitting next to Yeshoda as the kids waited to go on stage. After staring into my eyes, she told me, "Auntie, your eyes look like kiwis!" She explained that since my eyes are green with a gold-ish circle towards the middle, that's why they look like kiwis. I'm not sure how I should take that....!

Here are some snapshots from last week. [Don't miss the previous post--such silly faces.]

Suresh looking glamorous. I'll confess that I was the one who used hair clips to give him those funky pony tails on top of his head---but just long enough to snap a photo! Then he quickly messed up his hair and ran off to play soccer (to feel masculine again!)

Taylor chose hair clips for the girls. L-R: I did Sarah's and Zurufah's hair, Prava did Rose's, and Taylor did Maria's. Cute, huh?

Matching Sarah! That headwrap belongs on her head for the concert, but I briefly stole it.

Snow!! Over the weekend, we had a sweet host family with two awesome teen girls. Kara (in the picture with Neha and Zurufah) is a high school student who recently applied to Liberty, so it was fun to answer her questions about the university.

Kara, Zurufah, and I before heading to a bball game Fri night. Neha opted to relax and play cards at home :) [I love the shirt, AJ!]

We trained these boys well--they give great massages! [Don't let this picture fool you. We're rarely THAT relaxed!]

[P.S. Happy birthday, Dad! I won't give away your age, but I think you look quite young still :) Wish I could be with you to help celebrate.]

Behind closed doors

2009-03-01T21:53:00.000-08:00

Behind closed doors of the costume room, this is what our kids are REALLY like!

I didn't even know those girls were capable of making such faces!

Check out Sarah's crazy hair (after removing her hair clips...)

Day off in Kansas City

2009-02-21T21:08:00.000-08:00

Leaving the frigid weather after a week in Iowa was no disappointment! Our host families in Sioux City, Cedar Rapids, and Marshalltown were very welcoming, but it's good to be in a slightly warmer climate.

I've had a rejuvinating weekend off in Kansas City, Kansas. Yesterday it was warm enough to be without a jacket, though I about FROZE today running across the parking lot.

Many thanks to Kendra and Dustin for inviting me over to their home tonight to hang out. I met their family when they hosted Neha, Maria, and me back in September (a few week into the tour!); it was wonderful to see them again. I happened to have a day off in their city today, so Kendra asked me to come over to fellowship with some of their church friends. Thirteen of us adults (six married couples with children...and me! ;) plus about ten little kids spent the evening together in their homey basement. I was amazed how easy it was to strike up conversations with both the wives and the husbands; they were a blast and so welcoming!

I spent the first part of the day getting my hair trimmed at the mall, followed by helping Prava with her shopping needs. It's always enjoyable to spend "girl time" with her when we're not distracted by the kids. Last night, the six of us (Jay, Taylor, Alan, Kory, Prava, me) went to the movie theater to see Slumdog Millionare. Striking movie. I highly recommend it. I loved the Indian music, the talented actors from India, the heart-warming and heart-wrenching scenes...everything about it was just wow.

Taylor wrote out some "quirks" belonging to our kids...so I am borrowing this from her blog. Here are a few of the humorous ones. Never a dull moment!

*When we watch animal movies on the bus, the kids compare each character to someone on the team (i.e. Lincoln is "Baloo" and Suresh is "Mogli" from "Jungle Book").

*Sarah is our roller coaster of emotions, up and down all day long. She has her funny moments though, and has started occasionally referring to us as "Girlfriend," as in "No way, girlfriend!" or "You're crazy, girlfriend!"

*Ezera says "No thanks" probably a hundred times a day, but he pronounces it "No sanks."

*Isaac and Zurufah (our two littlest Ugandans) have some kind of romance going on. Isaac is constantly battling with himself over whether or not he loves her. This usually depends on whether or not the feelings are returned on that particular day.

*If Yeshoda or Neha mess up on any of their solos in the concerts, they immediately sticks their tongues out and roll their eyes (an unattractive reflex that we are trying to overcome!). Must be a Nepali thing!

A God of details!

2009-02-16T22:23:00.000-08:00

This isn't what my title refers to, but this is too funny not to mention. Today, four of our girls discovered that our human heart is NOT shaped like this <3 . [That's the best heart-shape I can make, using keyboard keys.] They literally were under the impression that the hearts inside our body looked like the stereotypical heart shape. Zurufah's mouth practically dropped to the floor as she stared at the picture of a REAL heart that I showed them. She insisted that HER heart looked like this: <3 . I think the Valentine's hearts were getting to their heads...

[Speaking of hearts, does it get much cuter than this!? Today, the 4 girls with me in the host family made belated valentines for their aunties...I will treasure these forever.]

This weekend, God showed me once again that He is a God of details. And if He cares this much about the small seamingly unimportant areas of my life, then I know He has my entire future in His hands. I pray daily for my unknown future, and so far so good as I am assured of God's faithfulness--not stressing too terribly much.

So here are the two most recent God-things:

1) I have talked with several women in the past two weeks who have raved about Beth Moore's Bible studies. I was convinced that I was supposed to start one (it was too ironic that multiple people randomly suggested Beth Moore's studies to me the past few weeks.) So I was planning to buy one this weekend in Kansas City on my day off. Well, dear Janine mailed a package to me which arrived this past Friday. It contained random books, chocolate, tea :) , etc....and a Beth Moore Bible study! It's titled "Living Beyond Yourself" and concentrates on the Fruits of the Spirit. I've already started it, and I look forward to digging deeper in Galations. Lord knows I especially need to do the week on "Patience"--just ask the kids about the countless times I say "kids! you need to be quieter!" in the costume room. Needless to say, I smiled a lot when I saw the book; I love God's timing.

2) When our team arrived Friday afternoon at our Iowa church, Taylor needed me to sort through some of the profiles of children who need to be sponsored. As I leafed through the stack of Ugandan kids, I saw a familar face: Ezera! My heart skipped a beat. I knew without a doubt that God had literally put this opportunity in my lap. I could take it or leave it. But I felt for some reason as if I'd be disobeying if I ignored it. I stared at his smiling face in the picture and knew it'd be such a blessing to sponsor a child in the choir! Over the weekend, I told Ezera I had started sponsoring him. His response was: "Eeee! Are you lying?" (a phrase all of our kids say. A lot.) I assured him that I was being truthful, that I loved him, and I was excited to do this. He hugged me as he said, "Thank you....thank you, Auntie." Was it purely coincidence that the Lord gave this opportunity--to show His love to a fatherless child--on Valentine's weekend?

Schedule!

2009-02-07T20:25:00.000-08:00

So I lied. One of my friends told me she tried to comment on my blog but it wouldn't let her since she doesn't have a blogspot account. I told her I had it set up so that anyone could comment. I just discovered that I was incorrect. But I fixed it so that anyone can comment....I think! So feel free to test it if you're bored. ;)

A friend of mine in Lynchburg noticed that Children of the World is coming to Liberty on February 18. She was under the impression that I would be there. Sadly, I will not, because we (the Central team) will be in Iowa. Lucky us ;) It's the East team that gets to be at Liberty. For all my friends in Lynchburg, try to make it to the concert. You will not regret it.

Speaking of schedules. Thank you, Taylor, for typing this for your blog. Here's what we're up to in the near future. If any of you happen to be in these random towns, please let me know. :)

Feb. 1 Spring, Texas
Feb. 4 Kilgore, Texas
Feb. 6 Conway, Arkansas
Feb. 8 Searcy, Arkansas
Feb. 8 Cave City, Arkansas
Feb. 11 Neosho, Missouri
Feb. 15 Sioux City, Iowa
Feb. 18 Cedar Rapids, Iowa
Feb. 19 Marshalltown, Iowa
Feb. 22 Kansas City, Missouri (day off for Prava and me! Woohoo)
Still more cities to come in February...

March 6 Rogers, Arkansas
March 8 Lavaca, Arkansas (who names these cities?)
March 11 Ferguson, Missouri

March 12 Waynesville, Missouri
March 15 Bentonville, Arkansas
March 15 Prairie Grove, Arkansas

March 18 Little Rock, Arkansas
March 22 Owasso, Oklahoma
March 22 Broken Arrow, Oklahoma
March 29 Rio Rancho, New Mexico (day off, hopefully)
Still more to come in March, as well...

On a random note, I watched the movie One Night With the King last weekend, and I learned more about the Esther story from that movie than I ever did from sunday school. I am ashamed to say it, but after watching that movie I realized how little I knew about Esther. So this past week, I've been reading it each night. It is so fascinating to me. The girls spent 12 months getting "beauty treatment" before they were brought in to meet King Xerxes. Crazy! Also, I really wish I could ask God some Q's concerning the story of Esther; I think I'm failing to see the "true love" aspect of Esther/Xerxes' relationship. I just don't find anything romantic about the fact that he was attracted to Esther that night in his bed chamber (after he kicked his wife out of the kingdom for not obeying him) and then decided she'd be his new queen. I wonder if Esther loved Xerxes as the Bible instructs a woman to love her husband. These are all thoughts I've been pondering this past week. Yet, God's hand was over everything, and of course Esther saved her people because of her marriage to Xerxes. Don't get me wrong; I'm not belittling the story of Esther, but it's just not your typical "love story." God's ways are mysterious, though, which we all know!

Sunny Houston...

2009-01-31T19:57:00.001-08:00

I just updated about our time in San Antonio (see below post), but here are some photos from our time in Houston last weekend. The downtown aquarium had a ferris wheel outside, so we rode it at sunset. The view of the Houston skyline--as the sun was setting--was stunning! My little camera doesn't do it justice.

Zurufah, Maria, and me with our Houston host family.

Someone tell me why there's a tiger at an aquarium!?

Too cute for her own good! (She was 4 year olds which made me miss my kids from this summer!)

San Antonio, TX

2009-01-31T19:16:00.000-08:00

I'd love to experience one big, fluffy snowfall this winter. But the chances of that happening are slim. I can't complain though, because while my friends and family in VA/PA are dealing with ice, I am in Texas where the weather was almost 80 degrees last week! I wish I could share some warm weather with you northerners :)

Yesterday was Neha's 12th birthday. She insists that she is only 11 years old, because she doesn't want to get older. I thought only 30+ year olds did that?! ;)

Beautiful Nepali girls: Neha (on left) and Yeshoda

Last weekend, we were in Houston. Then we drove 5 hours to San Antonio. And now we're back in Houston for tomorrow's concert. Gotta love it ;) The kids usually do well in the bus. Lately we've been playing a lot of Uno; "Auntie, can I sit with you?" I heard that A LOT last week, especially from Gift, Isaac, and Ezera. It's mainly because they like to beat me in Uno and feel good about themselves. You'd think a 21-year-old college graduate would be fairly good at a simple card game. But you've never played Uno with our kids! They play it constantly--in the bus, in the costume room before concerts, and in the host family homes. I think 8-year-old Isaac beat me six games in a row the other day. Yesterday I played with four of our boys, and I actually beat them all. They congratulated me and were excited, because they know it's rare when their Auntie wins :P

How cute are Zurufah and Maria in this photo!? We had a tea party with a host family a few days ago. The girls loved acting like princesses! (As if miss Zurufah doesn't do that enough ;)

Last Wednesday, we were together as a team all day until our evening concert. So we took the kids to downtown San Antonio. We saw the Alamo which was awesome! And then we took a boat ride on the "Riverwalk" which was better than I had pictured. It's more of a canal (not a river) running through San Antonio, and the architecture and trees are beautiful. Who knows if I'll ever return to San Antonio, so I appreciated the sightseeing.

What a cute bunch of kids, eh? :) In front of the Alamo.

Two weeks ago was my monthly day off. It was fun to hang out with Prava, Kory, and Alan as we enjoyed our Saturday in Midland, TX. I explored a used bookstore and added three more Nicholas Sparks novels (my guilty pleasure) to my collection. I think I'm only missing "The Wedding." I looked for some classics like "To Kill a Mockingbird" and "Wuthering Heights," but I had no luck. :/ Alan treated the four of us to a movie that night; we went to the theater to watch The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. It's the strangest love story I've ever watched. I absolutely loved it.

I spent one night with a host family in Midland, TX, and they took me to see the home where President G.W. Bush grew up. He spent many years of his life in Midland (in fact, he didn't move away until his two daughters were born). It was neat to walk through his childhood home and even touch the dresser he used as a young boy.

President G.W. Bush's room as a young boy

Holding nothing back...

2009-01-24T23:01:00.000-08:00

Surrender.

I'm not good at it.

Surrender.

But Lord, can't I try to do it on my own?

Surrender.

How about I try to handle things for a while, and if it doesn't work out--THEN I'll surrender?

~~~

I don't purposely have those conversations with God. But it just happens. That's often my attitude, as I offer my struggles to God, only to snatch them back two days later.

I miss the worship times at Liberty; I really do. We sang this song, and it was always moving. I have it on my ipod at least. Lately, I've been reminded about the importance of surrendering our desires and our plans over to our Savior. He knows the desires of our hearts, and it might not always work out the way we WANT it to, but when has He ever failed us?

All I’ve got
All I am
All my dreams and
All my plans
I’m holding back
I’m holding nothing back from you

I surrender it all
I lay it before you
For all of my days
I’ll give you the glory
You caused me to see
My heart is divided
Lord, take all of me
‘Cause I have decided
...I'm holding nothing back from you.

-According to John//Nothing Back

Renewed...

2009-01-17T23:38:00.000-08:00

The past 2.5 weeks have been a whirlwind. My poor, neglected blog is finally being put to use tonight :)

I have been blessed with many incredible host families since I last updated, and I wish it wasn't 1am right now, or else I'd take time to write more. For now, I want to share a neat "God thing" that occured this week. [Sidenote: I use the term "God thing" to explain an instance which is undeniably God at work. I discovered that terminology at age 13 while reading The Christy Miller series, in which the characters are constantly referring to "God things."]

Earlier this week, our team found out that we were in need of housing for Thursday night. It was incredibly last-minute, but World Help managed to set us up with a church in Wichita Falls which we had visited back in October. On Thursday MORNING, the church called around and found host families to keep us that same day!

The minute I met L'rona and Michael, I could sense their genuine excitement to have us. I soon discovered why: (here's the God-thing!) Michael is going to Africa on a short-term missions trip NEXT WEEK. Because of that, Wednesday night they prayed that God would SOMEHOW give them an opportunity to be around some African children (so that their two little girls could better understand the people whom their Dad will be witnessing to next week.)

Their prayers were literally answered the following morning when they woke up. L'rona received a phone call from a friend. The friend mentioned that two African children needed a house to stay in that night--and asked L'rona if she wanted to house them.

Needless to say, L'rona and Michael jumped at the opportunity and were astounded. "You and the girls were an answer to our prayer," they told me on Thursday afternoon. You can understand why I got goosebumps! Wed night, when they were praying for an opportunity for their daughters to interact with African children, they had never heard about us (Children of the World choir) and had no idea we were in town.

Zurufah, Maria, and I were incredibly blessed to stay in their home. They're an amazing couple, and I wish we had more time with them. Before I tucked the girls into bed, Michael pulled out his guitar, and we all sat in the living room and worshiped the Lord while singing, "Blessed Be the Name," "We Fall Down," and "Shout to the Lord." It uplifted my spirit, that's for sure.

God had us at their house for multiple reasons...It was amazing to see His fingerprints all over it! To top it all off, L'Rona put me on the phone with her older brother who started an orphanage in Kenya. We discussed my passion and desire to spend some time in Africa in the near future. Before hanging up the phone, he offered to pray for me. It was a prayer that completely reminded me that God wants nothing but the BEST for His Children.

Sometimes Africa feels so far away, but I felt renewed after the time we spent with L'Rona and Michael. I know that if I continue to trust the Lord, His timing and purpose will blow my mind. As my friend, Aaron, told me the other night: "It's as if God was telling you: 'You know that dream you have to go to Africa? I haven't forgotten...."

I'll leave you all with lyrics to the song, "Yours," by Steven Curtis Chapman. Christi played this song for me (knowing about my love for Africa) this summer when we were driving in North Carolina. This was before I even knew that I'd be spending nearly a year taking care of orphans from Uganda!

I walk the dirt roads of Uganda
I see the scars that war has left behind
Hope like the sun is fading
They're waiting for a cure no one can find
And I hear children's voices singing
Of a God who heals and rescues and restores
And I'm reminded
That every child in Africa is Yours

Holiday merriment

2009-01-01T23:10:00.000-08:00

I hope each of you have had a wonderful holiday season. I absolutely love the anticipation of Christmas, and I’m disappointed it’s over so quickly. But hey, it’s a new year. A clean slate. Make it the best year yet….why not? Take risks and don’t hold back. I look forward to what 2009 holds: the new faces I’ll meet. The many cities I’ll visit. The new adventures waiting for me.

Before I dive into a recap of our holidays, I have to share a funny moment between Martin and I on the bus yesterday.

Me: “Holy smokes!” (I don’t remember what I was reacting to.)
Martin: “Auntie, what is the meaning of that? *pause* The Holy Spirit smokes!?!?”

The mental image made me laugh so hard. As you can tell, we have some quick-witted individuals ;)

On a more serious note, I have some exciting news to share! Sarah (age 9, from Uganda) became a Christian!! It is so awesome to see God working among our team. Taylor led Isaac to Christ in October. And now Sarah has asked Jesus to be her Savior. Two weeks ago, Sarah and I were hanging out in my room at a host family’s house. She brought her Bible in to me, and I felt lead to read her the story of Jesus’ crucifixion. I gave her a simple explanation of the gospel and asked her if she knew where she’d spend eternity if she were to die. She shook her head, not knowing the answer. I encouraged her that accepting Christ into her heart is the best decision she could EVER make but I would not force her to make that choice. She would have to decide on her own.

(Not so) coincidentally, several hours later, the entire team was waiting in the costume room at our concert. Alan presented the gospel to the kids. As they listened, I prayed silently that Sarah would truly understand.

Two weeks passed, and last night as I tucked Sarah into bed, we had the following conversation:
Me: Sarah, have you thought about what I talked to you about several weeks ago? About Jesus?
Sarah: *nodded with a smile on her face* as she whispered, “yes.”
Me: Really?! And what have you thought about…?
Sarah: *a huge smile broke out on her face as she said, “Jesus is in my heart!”

I rejoiced with her, and we prayed together. I wanted to make sure she asked God to forgive her for her sins.
I can’t even express my excitement as I told Sarah that now she’s my sister in Christ. She is eager to go to heaven with Him. I pray that even when she returns to Uganda she can be surrounded by people who will help her follow the Lord.
Needless to say, that was an awesome ending to the year 2008 : )

We’ve enjoyed New Year’s week in Kentucky, visiting Taylor’s family and hanging out as a team. After driving from Houston, TX to Louisville, Ky (an awfully long 20 hour drive. I don’t recommend doing it with 13 children ;) we arrived here on Monday night. The highlight of the week was taking the kids to an aquarium near Cincinnati yesterday. I love the Baltimore aquarium and was also very impressed with this one. The penguins provided great entertainment, as did two exotic birds fighting each other for a bit of sweet nectar. And “petting” sharks was also pretty nifty. I’m glad we all left with both of our hands still in tact!

And last but not least, Christmas day was so special. Words can’t sum up the energy and emotions in that living room on Christmas morning. The kids walked out to the Christmas tree in awe, saying “woooooow!” as they saw the presents and stockings. They truly appreciated receiving new clothing, watches, and toys. (Thanks to the many host families that gave—making it all possible.) It was a unique once-in-a-lifetime Christmas, and I’m so thankful for the memories we made that week.
All the "Aunties" and "Uncles" Christmas Eve after putting the presents under the tree (while the kids were sleeping and excited for Santa to come)

Thanks, mom, for sending some goodies for the kids' stockings! (Jimmy, Suresh, Isaac--all smiles. Too cute!)

All our kids first thing Christmas morning

With Yeshoda after she had a mini-makeover from Taylor

Jimmy--look what he caught!

Enjoying the peaceful lake (behind the house where we stayed for Christmas)

A quick glimpse at 2008...

2008-12-28T23:07:00.000-08:00

How often do we count our blessings? I rarely sit still and reflect on wonderful memories, experiences, etc that God has provided me with. But tonight, I decided to take a few minutes and ponder some memories from this past year.

This list hardly scratches the surface, because I could go on and on listing good memories and highlights from 2008. But here are a few people and experiences which made this past year a wonderful one!

*Seeing the Lord change my grandma's heart when she asked Him to be her Savior. After years of prayer, my family rejoiced immensely. (January)

*Photographing my first wedding alone in January.
(Hard to believe it was only11 months ago....I was able to gain more wedding photography experience throughout the summer as I photographed a variety of weddings.)

*One of my absolute favorite memories with my close girl friends was on a beautiful spring day after Spring break. Our friend Brett, a talented photographer, took us out on a photoshoot for several hours as he captured our friendship (the laughter, the shenanigans, the bond between us...)
[see below photo]

*Dressing up in a fancy dress and going to the Jr/Sr banquet with friends
*Sitting proudly in the audience watching Chelsea graduate high school
*Sitting excitedly in Liberty's football stadium during my own college graduation, ready for what the real world has in store for me.
*Buying my 1st car!
*Having the honor of being a bridesmaid in Amy and Zach's wedding :)
*Turned 21 this summer and had a blast with some close friends who were in Lynchburg
*The summer RUF Bible studies at Marc and Amy's house
*Watching So You Think You Can Dance and HSM: Get in the Picture throughout the summer with Anna, Ryan, Chelsey, and AJ

*And of course, I am incredibly thankful for the Lord's faithfulness and grace. He tested me, particularly during the trying summer months, to see if I would rely on him during the period of uncertainty (not knowing where I'd live, what my job would be, etc). He made me wait....and wait...and wait...until the last minute and then provided me with this chance of a lifetime. It was certainly a curveball, because I was planning to soon head off to the missionfield in Africa to spend some time there. But here I am touring the U.S., caring for 13 energetic orphans from Africa and Nepal. My life changed so quickly when I received the phone call that I was hired for this job, and though there are struggles that come with being on-the-road for 10 months I wouldn't trade this experience for anything.
~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~
It was a blast to form new friendships throughout the year (Kate, Whitney, Chelsey, Marc/Amy) as well as re-connect with old friends. I appreciate everyone who shared 2008 with me.
I anticipate 2009 will be challenging, adventerous, and memorable.
I truly hope each of you can take a minute and reflect on the joys that the past year has brought you. And let's never forget to tell our friends and family how they have made us the individuals we have become.

Christmas in Texas!

2008-12-23T22:29:00.000-08:00

This doesn't even begin to show all the piles of gifts for each child...

With our host family over the weekend....Sarah and Yeshoda decorated the tree

With Suresh

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Auntie, I wish I could hear from my family to find out if they're safe....or if they're sick...I just want to hear from them." I had just sat down next to Martin to watch Prince Caspian with the team last night, and he made the above comment. That's enough to break your heart. There wasn't much I could say to encourage him, but I reminded him that I'm so thankful that we're a team and that we're his family until next summer.

I'm telling you this because I want you to treasure your family this Christmas (and every day, really!) I miss my family so much it almost hurts, and I will greatly miss our family Christmas traditions. However, I keep reminding myself how blessed I am to have parents, a sister, and a brother whom I can talk with via phone several times a week. I can't imagine being in the place of our kids: having been abandoned by at least one of their parents....and then not even being able to talk to the other parent while they're here in America for a year. The kids are so much stronger than I would be, and I told Martin that last night.

So this Christmas, give your family extra hugs and tell them how much you appreciate them. And please say a prayer for the orphans around the world who do not have a family to wrap them in their arms and whisper "I love you"."

On a lighter note, we are having a very special Christmas week here in Texas. An amazing host family (from the Lonestar Cowboy church a week ago) invited us to live in their beautiful lake house for the entire week while they are gone on vacation. Can you imagine opening up your home to 19 strangers, having only met them several days earlier!? I am so grateful for their kindness....and the fact that the house is so cozy and completely decked out for Christmas (Prava and I even have a 3-foot Christmas tree in our room to enjoy!)

For the past 36 hours, I have done nothing but the following: finish Christmas shopping for the kids, wrap gifts, eat, sleep, eat, wrap gifts, wrap gifts, ice skate with the kids, and finish wrapping gifts. Prava, Taylor, and I turned a bedroom into "Santa's workshop," and we wrapped about 130 gifts at least! It's been a blast, though, and I can't wait to watch the kids open them on Christmas morning. I was determined not to wrap any presents on Christmas Eve, and sure enough we finished all the wrapping tonight. So hooray for that.

Amidst all the busyness of the holiday season, I'm trying to remind myself to treasure this time with the kids. They went ice skating for the first time today, which was certainly entertaining! And Friday will be a blast if the weather is nice---we're surprising the kids and taking them to Six Flags!!! (Thank you, Taylor, for that idea :) They've never ridden a roller coaster, so I can only imagine their enthusiasm.

Merry Christmas, everyone! Have a blessed holiday as you remember the most important birth in history.

p.s. Congrats to my friend, Lauren, who I grew up with....she is officially a mommy to precious Maksym. I haven't seen her since she got married in Aug 2007 :/ Miss you, Lauren!

Tornados, snow, and Santa--oh my!

2008-12-13T22:19:00.000-08:00

As you can tell by the title of this blog entry, last week was anything but boring. We spent several days in Mississippi and had an enjoyable time. The only unpleasant part was taking shelter in my host family's bathroom during a tornado warning....thankfully, the house wasn't hit. However, houses a few miles a way were damaged.

The day of the tornado, it was 70 degrees outside; the weather there was bipolar, because the next day it SNOWED. I woke up, hopped out of bed, and was incredibly excited to see a snowfall. I pulled Maria and Zurufah out of bed and went outside with them. They smiled so big and hardly knew how to react to the fluffy white stuff falling from the sky. Our kids had never seen snow before in their entire life.

On Thursday evening, I went with several host families to take a few of our kids to the Bass Pro Shop (funny story: I went to TWO different Bass Pro Shops last week--one in AL and one in MS. And for a girl like me who is not into hunting/fishing, that was one time too many ;) The visit was worth it, though, because the kids got to meet Santa Claus. They got their pictures taken with him, and they spontaneously sang "Oh Come, All Ye Faithful" for Santa who thoroughly enjoyed it. I admit that I am pretending that Santa is real, and the kids are enjoying it. (I'm not exactly LYING---just fudging the truth a bit. ;) The girls' eyes got so wide when they talked to Santa and saw him pull candy from behind their ears. It was priceless. I just hope that we don't run into a Santa Claus that looks a lot different than the one we met last week--like a younger Santa, an Asian Santa, you get the picture...[I don't know how I'd explain that one! Our kids aren't dumb.]

Today I had a most enjoyable day off in Lake Conroe, Texas (near Houston). Eating lunch with the staff at Panera made me so excited, since the last time I ate at Panera was when I lived in Lynchburg this summer. The broccoli cheddar soup and frontega chicken sandwhich hit the spot! Prava, Taylor, Alan, and I saw the movie "Twilight" which was true to the book but was different than I imagined it while reading the story. Nevertheless, it was entertaining and enjoyable.

Tomorrow morning, the kids have three concerts at a church called Lonestar Cowboy Church. I am not lying; that's really the name of it. It's the most unique-looking church I have ever seen in my life. The church buildings and property look like a ranch, complete with a rodeo arena out front (the church holds rodeos/events there.)!! The sanctuary building has a rustic, cabin feel to it...and has a deer-antler chandelier decorating the lobby. I have a feeling I'll be seeing many fancy belt buckles and cowboy boots tomorrow morning! Before I close, here are a few photos for your enjoyment.

[Suresh deciding that pepperoni would taste great with his gingerbread cookie. Gag.]

[How adorable is that puppy dog? Neha, Rose, and I certainly enjoyed the puppy at this host family's home.]

[The girls had a fun time dressing up at a boutique the other week.]

[Enjoying the snow with Zurufah and Maria---it was their first time ever experiencing snow. :) ]

Happy December!

2008-12-05T12:28:00.001-08:00

My favorite time of year is finally here....there's something magical about all the beautiful lit-up neighborhoods at night. And the smell of cinnamon candles burning in decorated homes. I'm quite lucky that I get to see an assortment of Christmas decorations in many homes this month! This past week, I went to Lowe's to get a Christmas tree for a family I was staying with. I was unusually excited about something so simple--but I loved the smell of a REAL Christmas tree (we've had a fake one in our house for years, due to allergies. Beautiful but not the same!)

Our team has been unusually stationary the past two weeks....last week we were in Georgia for Thanksgiving, and this entire week we've been in Alabama in the same town. The pace of life hasn't been quite as crazy.

We made some special memories with the kids over Thanksgiving: taking them to the movies to see Bolt, playing soccer with them at a nearby college field (I haven't ran that much in a looong time. Our boys are INTENSE when they play soccer!), eating yummy food, and just laughing together.

I enjoyed this week in Dothan, AL. Taylor and Jay lived in Dothan before taking this job last summer, so we performed at their old church and at the school where Taylor was a teacher. The host families this week were all so welcoming and kind. I stayed with a family last weekend who own a lake house, so we spent several nights in a cute house overlooking the lake. I took the boys out on canoes the next day which greatly excited them. The house was crowded with company for the Alabama vs. Auburn game (which I didn't get into, but it was still fun.)

Quick random story which hopefully makes you smile (I've told it to several people this week, and they laughed, so I hope you do too.) Taylor and I were asking the kids if they know who Santa Clause is. Ezera replied enthusiastically, "Jesus!!?" Taylor said, "No really, who is Santa Clause?" Then Ezera, thinking to himself that he'd get it right this time, said, "Satan!"

~~~~~

Some of you are curious about what a typical week is like for our team. There is no such thing as a normal week, but this is the basic schedule. (There's never a dull day, let me tell ya! And I am definitely learning flexibility because of this job.)

Friday: We usually drive most of the day to our weekend church. We go home with a host family and spent Fri evening with them.

Saturday: Either we spent the day with our host family or the church plans something for the team to do (a museum, playing at the park, etc.)

Sunday: A tiring day! We wake up early, get to our weekend church usually around 7am for soundcheck, and then we have two or three concerts that morning. After the services, the church feeds us lunch, and then we hop on the bus for several hours. We get to another church Sunday evening, and the kids do yet another concert. Then we meet a new host family and go home with them that night.

Monday: Either we spend the day with our host family or the church plans an activity for us

Tuesday: Travel day. We drive most of the day and arrive at a new church (where we perform Wed night). We meet a new host family and go home with them.

Wednesday: We're often together as a team this day, and then the kids perform in the evening

Thursday: Often a travel day....we drive to our weekend church either on Thurs or Fri.

And it keeps going....and going....and going :)

Hope you all have a blessed week!

Happy Thanksgiving!

2008-11-24T20:53:00.000-08:00

I know it's a few days early, but I wanted to make sure I wished y'all a very happy Thanksgiving. I hope you can spend the holiday with your families and enjoy it to the fullest. We left Alabama this morning, and we arrived in Americus, Georgia. Jay's parents have opened their home to the entire team this week...so we'll be spending Thanksgiving here in Georgia. I'm looking forward to making memories with the kids as they celebrate their first Thanksgiving! I will miss our annual Thanksgiving at our house with my cousins (and this year, my sister's boyfriend will be there which would have been a blast!), but this is an opportunity of a lifetime.

I'm sure we'll be playing lots of board games and "Spoons" (which we taught the kids how to play tonight---see pictures in the post below.) I made a quick Walmart run to buy Sorry, Chutes and Ladders, Trouble, and Old Maid. As well as a soccer ball (our kids, especially the boys, are champion soccer players : ) and a kickball. Tonight, the kids were asking, "Antie Ashley! Can you please come out and play hide and seek with us?" So we spent about an hour outside in the dark hiding and seeking in trees, behind garbage cans, and anywhere clever.

This past weekend was a blast. I stayed in a host family with four bouncy, energetic girls: Rose, Neha, Zurufah, and Maria. It definitely kept me on my toes! Our host family was incredibly sweet, and they outdid themselves in order for us to feel welcome. They took us to see Madagascar 2 which is hysterical. I just really enjoy the humor in the Madagascar movies, so I laughed pretty much the whole way through it. So did the girls--I had to cover Neha's mouth several times in order to stifle her laughter! :P I also made a quick run to the local used bookstore (always a treat!) and picked up some good reads including "The Lucky One"--Nicholas Sparks' new book, which I'm eagerly anticipating.

I'm always amazed what a small world this is. Last night, the kids sang at a church in Alabama. I met a girl from Liberty who was home on break. We started talking and discovered we have some mutual friends, we're both passionate about Africa and spending time over there, etc. It was encouraging to meet a fellow LU student in Alabama of all places.

Have a blessed holiday and enjoy it to the fullest.

Some pictures....

2008-11-24T20:26:00.000-08:00

[These look small, but you can click on them to see them full size.]

With Lincoln and Gift in a host family's home (Alabama) last night. Kenzie and Aiden were their precious kids.

Enjoying a beautiful fall day with Suresh and Martin in Mississippi. It was perfect weather for throwing the football (and I taught them how to better play frisbee.)

We're spending Thanksgiving week in Georgia. Here's Alan and Prava playing Spoons with the kids. We taught them how to play tonight, and they got really into it.

Taylor playing Spoons with the kids.

Walkin' in Memphis....

2008-11-15T20:27:00.000-08:00

Ahhhh, a day off! And in Memphis, TN, nonetheless :) It's been quite a wonderful weekend and has gone by way too quickly. This morning, I woke up at 8:30 and drove down the street to Starbucks to buy a pumpkin spice latte for myself and a caramel machiatto for Prava. [I actually look forward to driving when I can...which is about once a month on our day off.]

After breakfast, Prava and I did a bit of shopping. The afternoon was spent at Taylor's sister's home in Memphis; they had us staff over for a delicious Thanksgiving meal. (I get two Thanksgiving dinners this year--yippee!) Creamy mashed potatoes, a boiled turkey (wonderful!!), green beans, pineapple, chocolate pie....mmmm. Taylor's sister has four adorable children who persuaded me to play several rounds of Hide and Seek. There are only so many hiding spots indoors, but the coat closet and the shower worked pretty well :P

Downtown Memphis at night is quite an experience! Prava, Alan, Kory, and I drove into the city tonight and spent a few hours on the famous Beal Street. We enjoyed dessert at the BB King Blue's Club. Despite the mob of people in the crowded place, it was really enjoyable to relax while watching a live blue's band play energetic oldie's songs. At one point in the evening, I got a phone call from Christi, and she told me I was on speaker phone with Erin, Anna, Lauren, and Dachelle who were right there. It was a blessing to hear from them, but it only made me miss them more. :/
[Alan, myself, Korey, and Prava tonight in Memphis. [Yep, my sweatshirt is a bit large for Prava, but it kept her warm!]

[The live music inside the blue's club tonight....]

[A picture of this famous theater]

In the past week, we've traveled to Mississippi, Alabama, and Tennessee. Tomorrow after our morning church services, we'll be headed back to Mississippi for our evening concert and then to stay for a few days.

Last weekend, when I was staying in a host family with Martin and Suresh, poor Suresh became sick with a high fever. I gave him a cold bath which helped bring his fever down, and we spent a lot of time the next day reading books and watching movies (The Lion King!) as I nursed him back to health. It feels like just yesterday that my mom was taking care of me when I was sick, so it was odd to play that role when Suresh was sick.

The kids sang at an E-Women's conference in Jackson, MS last weekend. There's nothing like 3,000 women/moms enjoying our kids sing---their enthusiasm is awesome as they all say "awwww" the whole time the kids are performing. haha. Afterwards, Taylor, Prava, and I stayed to watch Avalon which was a great time of worship.

Hope this finds everyone having a wonderful weekend!

I will leave you with a picture taken in the costume room before a performance last week...Maria put pick-up-sticks in her hair, and this was the result.

Several states later...

2008-11-06T22:52:00.000-08:00

[Check out the photos from the past week below this post]

It's funny how I updated about a week ago, yet so much happens in a span of 7 days. In the past week or so, we've been in Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, and today we arrived in Jackson, Mississippi.

*A humorous recent event occured during our last stop in Texas:
It was a peaceful night in our host family...I sent 9-year-old Gift to the bathroom to take his evening shower. Little did I know what he was about to do. Shortly thereafter, I was about to tuck Gift and Lincoln in bed when my jaw dropped open as soon as I looked closely at Gift's head. "oh my gosh, Gift! Why are you missing a big chunk of your hair in the front!?? What did you DO!?!" He stood there, looking stunned (he knew he was guilty though.) I ran downstairs to the shower, flung open the door, and found a razor laying there....Gift had apparently decided he needed a haircut, so he attempted to do it himself. It looked absolutely ridiculous, and I suppressed my laughter as I scolded him. (He also had a chunk of hair missing from the back.) After tucking the boys into bed, I called Taylor, and we both laughed and agreed we never thought Gift would be the one to pull that stunt. The next day, Jay shaved Gift's head...and the other Ugandan boys wanted shaved heads too. They all look quite handsome with their new haircuts.

*A generous church invested in the lives of our kids by giving them each an awesome Bible, so we passed those out last weekend. I've been really encouraged (and convicted) to watch how eager the children are to learn more about the Bible and to read stories. Last week I read a Bible story to my boys at bedtime. One night was Daniel in the Lions' Den, the next night was David and Goliath, etc. Their English keeps improving, yet I still have to stop and paraphrase while I read. These are the times I treasure...I hope they can return to Uganda/Nepal with a deeper knowledge of God's love and the Bible in general.

*Exciting news! Our little Isaac joined God's kingdom last Sunday when Taylor lead him in a prayer of salvation. He asked if he could know God and accept Jesus into His heart. What an awesome thing!

*It amazes me how clever some of our kids are....the other night, I was with Gift and Lincoln at a host family's house, and I exclaimed "Oh my word!" about something. Without missing a beat, Gift looked at me and said, "Which word?" Our outburst of laughter only encouraged him to say, "Antie, which word?" every single time I say "oh my word." He's our quietest boy, but he is hilarious when he gets going!

*We spent the last few days in beautiful Arkansas. The fall-colored trees in the mountains of AR were breathtaking. My mom is hilarious and mailed me a package which contained some Halloween candy as well as a baby pumpkin. She's the best :)

Now we're singing at an E-Women conference in Jackson, Mississippi this weekend.

Photo update

2008-11-06T22:34:00.000-08:00

Last week, I stayed with 5 of our boys in a host family home. They wore me out! Their energy is endless. Lincoln is missing from the photo, but here are the others: (left to right) Jimmy who's cheesing for the camera, Isaac, Ezera, and Gift.

Alan and some of the kids at a pumpkin patch/exotic animal place (more on that in a second.) The kids' smiles here are wonderful (it's hard to take a picture where everyone is smiling!), but Alan looks slightly silly (he was imitating the kangaroo's expression. ha)

Playing with a lemur in its cage! I'd love one for a pet....hmmmm....

We took the kids to a place that raises exotic animals. It was one of the most fun days thus far (in my opinion.) There was a huge variety of animals we got to see up close....notice the beautiful tiger in this picture.

Look at these cute little guys! A breed of porcupines....way too adorable. Don't they look like something out of a cartoon!?

Gift, Suresh, and Jimmy painting pumpkins!

There's never a dull moment with our team. Here's Mr. Isaac (who is 100% all boy...seriously!) with a cheek covered in gold glitter (he was decorating pumpkins.)

In love with this darling baby kangaroo...

With sweet Yeshoda and Neha

Heading to Arkansas....

2008-11-04T12:32:00.001-08:00

This will be a quick post, but I hope to write a longer update with photos this weekend.

I just wanted to say that I am really looking forward to when the anticipation of Election Day is over. Hopefully you all voted....I voted absentee which was a hassle, but I'm glad I did it. I'm not a huge fan of either men, but I think McCain/Palin is the better choice. I just want to find out who our next President is instead of hearing so many complaints about the candidates. By the way, I strongly feel that if you didn't get around to voting, then you don't have a right to complain about the man who will be our next president.

On a random note, have you guys ever watched "Jon and Kate Plus 8" (they're from Hershey, PA...!) or "17 Kids and Counting?" They're shows on TLC which I have recently discovered, and I enjoy watching them. I have so much more respect for mothers since I started this job and taking care of the kids! :) I have no idea how the parents (on "17 Kids and Counting") have survived---there's no way I could ever have 18 children. It makes me want to faint just thinking about it :P

The latest from Texas....

2008-10-28T12:54:00.000-07:00

[Just posted some photos below...]

Sometimes Texas feels like a foreign country, for some reason. The landscape is so unlike what I’m used to—but it’s usually quite gorgeous. The people are friendly, though some have been very….unique. A man passed me at church the other day and said, “Howdy.” I didn’t know people actually did that!? Also, the houses are vastly different from the East coast. I love staying in a variety of homes….I’ve learned that many Texan homes are one story (more land here, so they can build out rather than up…) Anyway, it’s been quite an experience living in TX for several weeks. We’ll be heading back to Oklahoma in several days.

I spent the past two days staying with an older couple along with two of our boys: Gift and Lincoln. It was relaxing and enjoyable, and yesterday I made a trip to a used bookstore where I hit gold: I bought 9 books for $20! Five of which are Nicholas Sparks novels….everyone has a guilty pleasure, right? : )

Random, humorous story from this morning: I was peacefully sleeping when all of a sudden I woke up, half scared to death as I heard music BLARING in my room across the intercom system. Not just any music…..that might have been bearable. But this was heinous music similar to the Gaithers. (Sorry if I just offended anyone.) And after a few minutes of music, I heard the husband’s voice come across the intercom system and say, “Wake up everyone….it’s 7 o’clock. Wake up!” I stumbled out of bed quite quickly, for fear of what may happen next if I didn’t get out of bed ;) Then we got ready quickly and headed out the door to meet the team at the church. (Tuesdays are travel days.) //End of story

This past weekend was oh-so-lovely. I had my first day off in 5 weeks—needless to say, it was much needed. Knowing I would have some time off, I had planned to find a Target and a Border’s Bookstore. Well, let’s just say when we pulled into this Texan town, I knew that wouldn’t be happening. It was a town in the middle of nowhere---they didn’t even have a Walmart or a Blockbuster. We made our own fun Friday night though: Alan, Kory, Prava, and I stayed at a hotel and we set up our projector and watched a movie.
Saturday, Taylor and Jay met up with us and we all ate breakfast at the Blue Bonnet café, which is apparently world-famous especially for their delicious pies. The café has been featured in many magazines, and famous people have come there including presidents, Willy Nelson, etc.

That night, I went to see High School Musical 3 with Taylor and Prava. I will admit that I loved it….sure, it was cheesy, but I smiled practically the whole way through as I watched the energetic dancing and enjoyed the songs. We’re taking the kids to see it in the near future, and they will LOVE it! It was fun spending some time with just the staff and getting to know them better.

Last week, I experienced downtown Ft Worth, Texas, with Gift, Lincoln, and our gracious host family. We stopped at “Central Market” which is a Texan thing---a huge, unique grocery store with a huge variety of specialty foods. I ate the best ice cream I’ve ever had (technically it was Italian gelati). The flavor was chocolate hazelnut, and it tasted JUST like Nutella. Yum!

That's the general re-cap of the last week and a half, since I last updated the blog. Thanks for stopping by. Miss you all! And I'd love to hear from you, whether that's email or phone.

Now on to some photos....

Photo post....

2008-10-28T12:31:00.000-07:00

Here are some photos from the past week or so....

Above is the beautiful opera house in downtown Ft Worth, TX. It's rated in the top 3 opera houses in the world.

With Gift and Lincoln, the boys I'm currently staying with in host family homes. It was a chilly morning, as you can see.

With sweet Rose! (I spontaneously dyed my hair....)

From the top of the tallest building in downtown Ft Worth, TX.

Enjoying a day off.....Taylor, myself, Prava

Schedule...

2008-10-28T11:50:00.000-07:00

Taylor had this on her blog, so she inspired me to copy/paste it onto mine. Here's our schedule for the next few months. Let me know if you'll be around and want to come see the kids sing and dance :)

Nov. 2 Muskogee, Oklahoma
Nov. 5 Clarksville, Arkansas
Nov. 6 Jackson, Mississippi
Nov. 11 Fayette, Alabama
Nov. 14 Jackson, Tennessee
Nov. 16 Memphis, Tennessee
Nov. 16 Falkner, Mississippi
Nov. 19 Beebe, Arkansas
Nov. 20 Hernando, Mississippi
Nov. 23 Cullman, Alabama
Nov. 23 Anniston, Alabama
Nov. 24-28 Thanksgiving in Georgia
Nov. 28-Dec. 4 Dothan, Alabama

Dec. 7 Gulfport, Mississippi
Dec. 7 Daphne, Alabama
Dec. 10 Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Dec. 14 Montgomery, Texas
Dec. 17 Holliday, Texas
Dec. 20 Corinth, Texas
Dec. 21-26 Christmas break with the kids in Texas!
Dec. 28 Cypress, Texas
Dec. 29-Jan. 4 Christmas in Kentucky

Dallas, TX

2008-10-18T00:44:00.000-07:00

During my high school years I developed a love for Lonestar's songs, especially their hits such as, "Not a Day Goes By," "Front Porch Lookin' In," and "I'm Already There." Several of Lonestar's songs hold many memories for me and reminders of goodbyes...others are just fun, toe-tapping tunes.

Those songs were written by Richie McDonald, who was the lead singer for Lonestar until last fall. (He's now pursuing a solo career.)

He wrote a song for the Children of the World choir, and it's titled "Blessed Are the Hands." Our kids had the opportunity to sing it with him today at a Christian conference in Dallas, TX. (I posted a video on a separate blog post...) Afterwards, Richie sang several of his songs (like the titles I named at the beginning) which was awesome to hear. Before we left, I was able to meet him and thank him for his music. I also mentioned the "I'm Already There" photography slideshow project I did for photography class at LU.

Our kids during soundcheck: singing with Richie McDonald, former lead singer of Lonestar

Richie McDonald and me

Random, fun times in Texas

2008-10-18T00:22:00.000-07:00

I'm enjoying Texas and wouldn't mind living here, but I don't think I could handle the heat and humidity during the summertime....the people (for the most part) have been really hospitable and kind down here.

Last week in McKinney, TX, I had the pleasure of staying in the host family with Zurufah and Maria again. I walked into the family's house and saw a homemade "Welcome" sign with our names on it! Andrea and her three kids were so much fun, and they really made us feel welcome. Her girls loved playing with Maria and Zurufah; one night we made bead necklaces. Mine turned out ugly; I'm not gonna lie. Maria made a funky one for me, and I love it and will treasure it. Andrea bought us several movies for our long bus trips, including "The Parent Trap" (with Lindsay Lohan) and"Prince of Egypt." Thanks to kind host families, our team DVD collection is growing!

Random, cute story from our Walmart trip: I bought a neon green shower sponge. Maria and Zurufah seemed excited when I chose it, for some reason. A few minutes later I understood what was going on in their minds when they said to me, "Antie! You put in your hair....You wear it tonight to the concert," as they demonstrated. I laughed so hard as I realized they thought it was a hair accessory. I explained what they're used for, and the girls said passionately, "In Uganda, people wear [them] in their hair...." Well, if I ever go to Uganda, I'll know how to fit in ;)

Wednesday night the kids sang, and it was their best concert yet.....they had so much energy and really channeled it into their singing/dancing. We were proud of them! The church members and host families were so giving and had such servant's hearts, helping us in any way possible.

Yesterday we arrived in Dallas to sing at a conference today. Taylor and Jay thought it'd be fun to take the kids roller skating last night, and it was a blast! Besides swimming, that seems to be the kids' favorite activity thus far. Today, we woke up at 5:45am to go to soundcheck at the conference center. After singing in the morning, we were able to take some time to relax at our hotel's swimming pool. Taylor, Prava, and I sat out and watched though....the water was FREEZING. But that didn't keep the kids away. When they climbed out of the pool, they were little ice cubes.

Alrighty, enough of my rambling. Time for some photos.
(Oh, and I want to wish my wonderful brother a happy 14th birthday on Sunday. 14---how did that happen!!!? It seems like just yesterday that I brought him into my third grade classroom for show and tell. <---Yeah, I really did. ;) I love you, Chandler, and wish I could be there to celebrate with you. Miss ya!

Rollerskating! Gift, Prava, Zurufah, Taylor, and Sarah

This morning, when Prava and Suresh were BOTH wearing my suit jacket simultaneously.

Suresh rockin' out in my suit jacket....he was cold. Or so he said. I think he just liked my jacket, because he was asking to wear it throughout the day.

video

2008-10-17T23:03:00.000-07:00

Richie McDonald (Lonestar) wrote a song for the Children of the World Choir. Our kids got to sing it with him at a conference this weekend in Dallas, TX.

Austin, TX

2008-10-14T12:33:00.002-07:00

With my favorite Nepali girls, Yeshoda and Neha (well, besides Prava.) New UT hat!
Austin, TX. Doing the Longhornes symbol (for University of TX sports)

For the time being, I'm staying in the host family homes with Maria (on left) and Zurufah (on right.) They are entertaining and precious.

University of Texas (their famous tower building.)

"Antie Prava" with Zurufaha. Austin, TX

The beautiful capitol building in Austin, TX

Hi everyone, I hope you all are having a wonderful day. It’s a rainy, cozy day in Texas (and humid!! It definitely doesn’t feel like Ocotber. I’m still wearing shorts and flip flops.)

Last weekend was spent in San Antonio, and it was a very long two days—due to the interesting family I stayed with. I felt like I was living in a zoo; they own 13 animals, and they all live indoors. I had to sleep in a room with snakes (snakes give me the heebiejeebies whenever I look at them. Cages don’t comfort me; snakes can escape!) They had 5 snakes, 3 dogs, and 5 cats (I found out I’m more allergic to cats than I thought :/ ) Finding cat fur on my bath towel, in the bathroom, on the floor, on the couch, etc made me shiver. Does anyone else find animal hair disgusting (Amy, I think Zach would have died ;)

So after escaping that situation, I was incredibly happy when we arrived in Austin, Texas, on Sunday evening. I stayed with Zurufah and Maria in the home of a sweet older couple who outdid themselves in order to make us feel welcome.

Yesterday they took us into downtown Austin which was a treat. We watched the Grand Canyon movie at the Imax theater—in 3D. I loved it, but poor Zurufah was gripping on to me the entire time. She didn’t enjoy the 3D effects.
Next, we saw the gorgeous capitol building and then drove around the University of Texas campus. One word to describe it: massive. Quite unlike Liberty’s campus...it was like a town within the town. 70,000 students attend the University.

I’m officially a bandwagon jumper. I now have a new, lovely burnt orange baseball hat—for the UT Longhorns (the number one college football team in the nation, after beating Oklahoma last weekend.) So I think I’ll make friends quickly with other Texans in the next few weeks ;) haha

We’re on the bus, about to arrive in McKinney, TX which is near Dallas. The kids will be singing at a conference in Dallas over the weekend, which means we’ll be at a hotel (they are incredibly excited whenever they can swim!)

"A Child's Prayer"

2008-10-10T14:14:00.000-07:00

Our kids sing this song during their concert, and it's a great reminder of who we are helping on this journey...and my purpose for being here.

[Everytime I hear the kids sing it, I think of the little boy I sponsor in Kenya and wish I could meet him someday....]

I was alone, I was hungry

Would someone come, does anyone care?

Days would go by, no one to hold me

Longing for love, does anyone care?

Just like a dream you came to my rescue

Glad you weren't too busy to hear this child's prayer

Chorus:

You brought me hope

You brought me healing

You brought a smile into my life

With your loving touch,

My heart is mending

Here in your arms I'm resting tonight

Not just existing, now I'm living

My life has a purpose, my heart has a song

Days full of joy, nights warm and cozy

Nothing to fear, I'm no longer alone...

Texas, here we come

2008-10-07T11:25:00.000-07:00

I'll be a temporary Texan for the rest of October. Right now we're on the tour bus heading to Wichita Falls, TX. [We have a handy little Sprint wireless card which allows us to get internet on this computer even when we're driving. So the kids are watching Air Bud and I'm taking a few minutes to blog.]

In the next few weeks, we'll have concerts in SanAntonio, Dallas, Denton, Livingston, Kingsland, and other Texas cities. I've only spent two days in Texas--El Paso-- (after a youth group missions trip to Mexico) so it'll be fun to spend time in TX.

I thought I'd post my address incase anyone wants to send mail ;) <----yeah I'll admit, that was a strong hint!

World Help

Attn: Ashley Gillman

PO Box 501

Forest, VA 24551

For things that aren't letters, like UPS/Fed Ex, it would be sent to:

World Help

Attn: Ashley Gillman

1148 Corporate Park Drive

Forest, VA 24551

It would pretty much be amazing to hear from y'all via mail, but I know it's a hassle!

So I have a lot of time to read while we're traveling, and I want you all to recommend your favorite book titles. I'm reading "True Believer" and "Nights of Rodanthe" by Nicholas Sparks, and then I want to read "Crazy Love" by Francis Chan. But obviously I want to buy some more books...so recommend away!

On a random note, I think this trip is making me never be tempted again by fast food. I'm sure Taylor, Jay, Prava, Alan, and Kory would agree. I've been to MickyDee's three times in the past week. I wish I had time to run (even though I don't enjoy running). I did, however, talk to my mom on the phone yesterday while walking a neighborhood for an hour.

Everyone's healthy, so thanks for your prayers. Keep praying that God just opens peoples' hearts during the concert so we can keep giving hope to children around the world.

Until next time...

Ash

Photo post :)

2008-10-03T09:21:00.000-07:00

I just wrote an update about the past week, so be sure to check that out. But here are some photos as well!

Last night's Japanese Steakhouse experience with our awesome host family. (Owen and his dad watching in awe.)
Little Owen with his new friends: Rose, Zurufaha, and Isaac.

This is Isaac, from Uganda.

That's Kendra (who I mentioned in the last post), whose family I stayed with for the past 3 days. Neha and Maria, from the choir, were also with us. And then Kendra's three kids are in the picture as well. All so sweet!
Suresh is my cuddle buddy. He has a hilarious personality and is alwwwwwwaaayyys smiling, especially during the concerts. Here, you can see the "birthday cake" (3 months late, but that's ok ;) he made me with playdough.
Sedalia, Missouri. There's a beautiful mural of Scott Joplin (father of Ragtime music.)

Some of you know how much I love cats (<---completely sarcastic.) I'm also allergic to them. Anyway, I stayed at a family's house, and they owned the breed of cat which is the world's largest domestic cat. *shudder* So this picture shows Yeshoda (Nepal) and Suresh (Nepal) with Fluffy. Or whatever its name was ;)

Ooooooklahoma where the wind comes sweeping down the plain....

2008-10-03T08:40:00.000-07:00

Hello, all! :) Or maybe I should say "yeeehaw," as we are headed into the great land of Oklahoma. We'll be spending a few days in Tulsa, which I'm looking forward to. When I was 15, I went to Tulsa with my family to check out ORU for college. If I had not decided on Liberty, I probably would have ended up at ORU. My parents actually met at school there, so it'll be fun to be back in the town.

It's hard to believe that nearly a week has passed since I last updated. There is very little time to go online, but I will update my blog every chance I have. It's wonderful knowing some of y'all read this and are praying for the team and for myself. Thank you!

It has been a fantastic week, with several "fun days" which enabled us to catch our breath from the busy concert routine. (Last weekend, we had 5 concerts!)

My host family in Sedalia, Missouri showed me around the town. Scott Joplin, the father of Ragtime music lived in Sedalia, so we saw some sites relating to him and to Ragtime. Pretty nifty.

I also ate something that sounds absolutely nasty, but I loved it :) At a diner in Sedalia, they are famous for "Guber Burgers." And that consists of: a hamburger with melted peanut butter on top! Plus lettuce and a tomato. Mmmm.

This past Tuesday night, we arrived in Overland Park, Kansas. It's an incredibly nice area a few miles from Kansas City. I want to shout out to my incredible host family, the Shaws :P I stayed at their house with Neha (Nepal) and Maria (Uganda). The Shaws have three beautiful children who are 2, 6, and 9. The whole family absolutely spoiled us :) Last night they treated us to a yummy meal at a Japanese Steakhouse (it was my first time experiencing that. So awesome.) When all the kids went to bed each night, I enjoyed having some downtime and getting to know Kendra and Dustin (the parents.) Kendra gave me a book that looks awesome. It's called "Crazy Love" and it's by Pastor Chan from CA. Has anyone read it? Thank you, Shaw family, for a wonderful stay.

Please keep praying for us. Praise the Lord that many people have decided to sponsor children. To us, that is the most important part of what we're doing. We repeatedly tell our kids in the choir: "Because of you singing, dancing and worshiping Jesus, you are changing kids' lives all over the world. Now they can have food, medicine, schooling, etc."

I wish you all could get to know our kids. Last weekend, during one of the concerts, I was hit with a wave of emotion while the kids sang "How Great is Our God" (by Chris Tomlin.) All I could think about was "This is what we'll be doing in Heaven..." Hearing young kids worship our Savior like that is an experience that money can't buy.

Till next time...

-Ash

Kansas City, Missouri

2008-09-27T08:31:00.000-07:00

Hello dear friends!

Here we are in Missouri for several days. The kids are taking a nap, so I'm taking this time to blog and say hi to y'all. The kids sang at the E-Women conference this weekend, which meant we woke up at 5am to be at sound check shortly after 6am. Remember the Christian singing group, Avalon? I used to be a big fan about a decade ago ;) Anyway, the members of Avalon were at the conference and ate dinner at the table right next to us last night. I thought they looked familiar, but I had no idea it was them until later. The neat thing is: one of our boys, Martin (Uganda), gives his testimony at each concert. He quotes a song about "There are no orphans, there are no outcasts with God." It's actually an Avalon song, and he was able to meet them last night. Avalon sang the song just for him later on during their concert (we didn't get to hear it, unfortunately.)

There is so much to update y'all on but so little time! There is very little time to use the internet, though I do hop online via my ipod touch occasionally so I would greatly appreciate hearing from you.

I am adjusting to the huge change in my life, though I miss my friends and family (obviously). But what a blessing to be part of these kids' lives. Hopefully sometime soon I can write a short synopsis of each kid so you can "get to know them."

In the past few days, I've been to TN, IL, and now MO. I had my first host family experience in IL. I stayed with a sweet, older couple and got to ride in a red, open-air jeep. whee. Almost every night will be spent in a host family during the tour; however, occasionally we're in hotels (when we sing at conferences.)

It's been fun learning random Nepali and Lugandan words. I've been teaching them that when I call then "pumpkin," it's a term of affection. One of the Nepali girls, Neha, was apalled when I called her pumpkin. She said, "No! I am not pumpkin!! Pumpkins are round and fat. I am not. I am not circle." haha Some of the Ugandan girls love when I call them pumpkin, and they respond with "we love you, Antie Pumpkin." (The kids call us "Antie Ashley" or "Uncle ____" It's an adjustment, since I was "Miss Ashley" all summer with my daycamp kids. I like it though.)

Please pray for all of us: for strength and endurance. Road life is not easy; I don't know how Jay and Taylor do it. Their energy is amazing. Also pray that the kids will do their best at every concert, remembering they are changing lives in their home countries every time someone here decides to sponsor a child. And pray that God prepares the hearts of everyone who comes to hear the kids.

We're in MO for a few days until Wed, when we head to Kansas followed by Oklahoma shortly after that.

Love,

Ash

1st stop: Tennessee

2008-09-20T20:18:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I began this journey by meeting the team in Tennessee.
I'll briefly tell you about the adults on the team, since I will be mentioning them I'm sure!

-Taylor and Jay are the team leaders, and they're married and in their mid twenties.
-Prava (19) and I are the chaperones for the team. She's from Nepal and is such a sweetheart.
-Alan (22) and Kory (22) are the tech guys. They run sound and help set up and tear down the stage.

We had a concert tonight, and we have two at the same church tomorrow morning. After that, we'll drive to Knoxville, Tennessee and do another show in the evening. We're spending the night with all the kids at a hotel tomorrow night, so that should be fun. Most of our kids are from Uganda, but three are from Nepal. They are all precious and have showered me already with hugs and kisses on the cheek.

During the concert tonight, I just kept thinking about how I used to love when Children of the World came to Liberty (while I was a student there.) I never would have imagined I'd have the opportunity to tour with them! I love singing along with them while they sing and dance, since I know the songs (I bought the CD last year :)

I think one of my favorite things ever is seeing kids from other countries praise the Lord with smiles on their faces.

Nkwagala! ["I love you" in Luganda, the language our Ugandan children speak.]

The next chapter of life begins....

2008-09-20T19:52:00.000-07:00

One of my fears is uncertainty. It is a constant battle to trust the Lord’s plans and that He will work everything out. This summer, I struggled every day with my future...I had no idea what I was supposed to do next. Last week, it became clear.

I’ll make a long story short: This past Monday, I found out that World Help hired me to travel with the Children of the World tour for the next 9 months!! I’m a chaperone to these precious kids, and I am so excited about this opportunity. I was placed on the “Central Team,” so we’ll cover states such as TN, MO, AL, OK, and TX (most of October will be spent traveling Texas!)

On Friday, four days later, I had to pack up my life and leave Virginia. Until June 2009, my life is spent on the road...sleeping each night in a host family’s home or sometimes in a hotel.

If you’re interested, check out some videos of the Children of the World choir here:http://worldhelp.net/Children-of-the-World/cotw-videos.aspx

What’s the point of this “Children of Hope Tour?” you may ask. We are raising awareness of World Help, and we encourage people to sponsor a child. We travel to different churches and the kids put on concerts where they use their vibrant personalities to sing and dance. The money raised through this tour goes toward a current project: to build “Villages of Hope” in sub-saharan Africa–to help give shelter to AIDS orphans.

I would very much appreciate your prayers. This adventure will not be easy; I can tell it will be challenging and stretching. I miss some of you so badly that it hurts; it's painful suddenly leaving everyone I love. But I'm excited for this, and I want God to change me. I am so blessed to spend my days with thirteen amazing kids from Uganda and Nepal. Their lives are a reminder that no matter what you go through in life, there is hope found in Christ. Hence, they are Children of Hope.