in the thick of it

i have thoughts swirling around my heart and head and trying to articulate them seems allusive.

  We finished our church retreat and in so many ways it was perfect. We escaped North up into this beautiful area nestled in the mountains with cool air and green trees and views of valleys, mountains and the seas in the distance.

 It was laid back, it was full of time to connect, the girls ran all around so happy for a place to explore and be with friends.

Michel, our pastor 

of course the women were all sitting around chatting and the men were always playing some game

Rosie is the baby whisperer

Melanie, Ryan, and Isaac led worship Saturday night

someone was always stealing baby hope for snuggles..

King, the puppy, was a HUGE hit with the kiddos

What struck me was this. I love that in the middle of intense war raging all around us, i am with a group of people who retreat together to pray and ask God for His heart for us in this time. When so many people are filled with fear as they ponder the "what if's" of the future for this region...we simply worshiped and asked God to fill us afresh with promises.

 It felt so right. I loved that as a people the thing we discussed was what we would do if an enemy
showed up at our door step and we had to die for Jesus. we were not talking about budgets, programs, building projects..time and place for that for sure...but no we were talking are we willing to lay down our lives.

 and it hit me again that i was made to live here, on the front lines.

 The pressure we are living under is intense. the unstable government. the lack of jobs. lack of water. lack of electricity, over a million refugees in a country that does not have these resources for it's own people...tough times here.

 you can feel it, it is palpable, and yet as we pray and sing and trust in HIM who is able to do abundantly more...fear lifts. Faith comes.

Layla's buddy Lorraine

Sophia and this sweet  little girl were running around ! it was her first real friend separate from Layla