Yeah

Howdy Y'all.

Not sure what to say really - don't want to spew Christian drivel at you but I feel honesty is the best policy. Think the Bible says some stuff about that.

The last two weeks have seen us get kicked about and chucked around, and we've come out a little black and blue. Literally but also on the inside. John's hospital jaunt took precedence over my tooth for a week or so but this week the tooth decided to implode, taking a couple of other teeth and some of my face with it. Non melodramatic translation: wisdom teeth suck and i've had one out, one pending and i'm on four kinds of medicine to combat the infection that likes to pound on my nerves... and all this costs money. But through some bizarre hook up (prayer) it's not costing anything like as much as it should and this is good.

So the last couple of weeks have been heavy - pain isn't fun and neither of us are in a state to look after the other. If we were living by ourselves we'd be screwed but we're not, we're surrounded by beautiful people full of God's spirit. Lifts to hospitals, shedding tears with and for us, cups of tea, hugs on sofas and offering anything they've got have been the responses of our family here.

And it's this that bouys us up, that lifts us up to where we couldn't get before. It's this kindness that flows against our culture that shows me who my God is. People haven't offered what they've got to spare, they've offered what they need themselves. No strings attached. And I don't know how to thank them so i'm writing it here and praying that God will give us chances to bless them back, and the humility to just sit back and accept what's been given.

So what's going on? Darkness likes to show it's teeth and then light punches it in the face. Bye bye, teeth. (A dental theme has emerged.) We're not backing down from this thing. Yes it would be easy to flee home and get free healthcare and look after ourselves and see dearly missed friends and family. But we didn't sign up to a life of easy options, we signed up to a life that looks the dark in the face and laughs, clenched fists at the ready. Want to be a force for goodness, want to show with our whole lives who this beautiful, loving GOD truly is.

So yes, it's been hard. But it's beautiful being here and the future is an exciting place. Let's go there.
Also, I like this song:

Next week's teaching is about Identity In Christ, by someone called Dan Sneed who apparently is given to random personal prophecies for people in the class. Pick me! Pick me! This week's teaching has been phenomenal, it was on evangelism and I think we've both remembered who we are. The teaching here often feels like a sunrise.

What an amazingly poncy thing I just typed. Oh well, have got to get the laundry into the dryer. Have a fun day.

bye xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx