Artsy Fartsy

Trying to learn how to use the stitch assistant on my camera. Not so successful.




Rice patty through the slats of a shelter on the field. Need to know more about focusing with my camera. Don't know what it can and can't do.

"Blue skies,
nothing but blue skies..."








Trying to catch raindrops on camera on a rainy day last year in KL.

I've taken to collecting coral that is shaped like letters. I'm a bit limited in the words I can do, but hey, still pretty cool, I think

A close-up on the rice

Drip, drip, drip . . .

That's my nose right now. Don't you hate it when you have a cold and literally your nose drips like a faucet? Seriously, I should just stick a bowl under my nose . . . .

Exploring

I spent a day out at the cliffs, just me and a few of my favorite things (Bible, journal, guitar, iPod, computer, camera). Discovered some new territory and caves and a new fish I've never seen before. He was in a big tide pool just outside the cave.

Living Light, Sept 18, morning

Open my eyes to see wonderful things in your Word.

He opened their minds to understand at last these many scriptures. Then he explained to them that only they were permitted to understand about the Kingdom of Heaven, and others were not. And Jesus prayed this prayer: “O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, thank you for hiding the truth from those who think themselves so wise, and for revealing it to little children. Yes, Father, for it pleased you to do it this way.” And God has actually given us his Spirit (not the world’s spirit) to tell us about the wonderful free gifts of grace and blessing that God has given us. How precious it is, Lord, to realize that you are thinking about me constantly. I can’t even count how many times a day your thoughts turn towards me. And when I waken in the morning, you are still thinking of me! Oh, what a wonderful God we have! How great are his wisdom and knowledge and riches! How impossible it is for us to understand his decisions and his methods! For who among us can know the mind of the Lord? Who knows enough to be his counselor and guide? For everything comes from God alone. Everything lives by his power, and everything is for his glory. To him be glory evermore.


Ps. 119:18. Lk. 24:45. Mt. 13:11. Mt. 11:25, 26. 1 Cor. 2:12. Ps. 139:17, 18. Rom. 11:33, 34, 36.

Buds

A few of my little buddies.
How wierd does my head look?



Visitors came with balloons
and a pump.
I'll tell you who was pumped!


Home on the right

Watermelon Art

My teammate at work with her amazing culinary skills. I cut up the fruit salad to go inside the basket, I'll have you know. :)

5 Shakes in 1 Day

Yeah, the other morning I woke up to a fairly strong earthquake. C flew out of bed and started changing her clothes. I sat up, but was too tired to cover up properly and run outside, so I just sat there, trying to decide if it was worth it or not. Eventually it went away and I laid back down. A couple hours later, An even stronger earthquake shook the village out of homes. We all sat outside, people watching the ocean to see if the water would retreat (signals a tsunami). About 15 minutes later, while still sitting outside chatting, we felt another tremor. And then another tremor about an hour later, and then another that afternoon. That's a record for me! During the night we thought we felt some more movement, but who knows? So maybe it was 6 shakes in a day, or else it could be sort of like that feeling you have in bed after a day of playing in the ocean. :)

(later found out online that the earthquake was only around 5.7 on the Richter Scale)

Home SWEET Home

Thought I'd put a few newer pictures up of the house. Sorry some pictures are a bit dark, but hopefully you can still get an idea. Since the last house pictures I posted, a breakfast nook has been added (okay, well, all-the-meals-nook), which is fun.








In the wide picture above, you see (from left to right): part of a stool from the table; the shower area, blocked off by a wooden divider; a maroon bucket which holds shower and dish-washing water and is accessible from the shower side and the sink side (still have to draw water from outside, but plans are in process to hook up a pump to the well out back); a sink; the propane tank and stove corner; dishrack; drinking water stand (yeah! no more boiling drinking water!); the everything kitchen counter, including the box oven on the second shelf.








My neighbor has lined flowers along the backside of the kitchen, and they are growing up, making the jungle view even prettier! Don't know if you can see them....
Electricity is completely unpredictable, so kerosene lamps are posted all around the house for those frequent nights without electric. Sometimes it's easier to leave both on, to avoid getting up and down switching back and forth between the two. On the right is a peek view from the kitchen area into the bedroom where the new desk/bookshelf sits. I love this house. It has been so fun to build it bit by bit.

Ode to Ophi

By the way, Ophelia is gone. Not really sure what happened to her. While away on survey (staying at "the new Hilton") I left her with the neighbors. Usually we would bring her to camp where our other teammates are, but we had decided she was a big girl now. Anyway, when we came back, she was nowhere to be found. Everyone said someone stole her, so that's what we figured, but then a couple days later we were gone again, and the neighbors smelled something and found her under our house. Not sure what happened. :(

I think she was destined to be a good mouser, eventually without the help of the traps. I don't think we'll be getting another cat--not that it wasn't fun having a little ball of fur on which to pour out my affections. These traps do a good job.

The Cliffs

Just about a 20 min hike from the house are some amazing cliffs overlooking waves that crash onto exposed coral. And TALL trees! How do those coconut trees hold on horizontally with virtually no root system?








DOES it get any more beautiful than this? CAN it get more beautiful? What WAS the Garden of Eden like? What WILL heaven be like?