Some like it very, very hot

Today, Kingsport is enjoying lovely blue-to-partly-cloudy skies with lotsa sunshine and a glorious 89 degrees. And you wonder why the commercials are talking about clinging to the last little bit of summer...this is the life, the absolute life, folks.

This is one reason I'm glad we will be serving in South Africa with our missions organization; it's not exactly the country of perpetual summer, and while it does have all four seasons, the climate is similar to that of South Carolina. That sounds great to me!

Well...it did sound great. It sounded just wonderful until I found out a little teensy-tiny detail about South Africa of which I had previously been blissfully ignorant. There is no air conditioning or--more horrifically--heat. No heat. There is no central heating. I might have a stroke.

I know what you're thinking. "What a spoiled little American girl! Doesn't she know that missionaries are supposed to live quite cheerfully without modern conveniences?!" Yes, thanks, I do. But I will confess that I thought our living conditions in the very big city of Pretoria would be strikingly different than life in a hut in the mountains of Africa (where our friends will be serving). And unlike some, I actually have experience with a heatless environment. Let me take you on a walk down an ice-covered memory lane...

The first winter we were married, Todd and I lived in a mouse-infested rental house (another story) with central heat and air...that didn't work.  Despite our appeals to the landlord, nothing was ever accomplished to rectify the situation, and I nearly died. Strike that...I should have nearly died. Unfortunately, I'm far too healthy to keel over from having to get ready in a 39 degrees bathroom in the morning, but suffice it to say I was miserable from November to March, or thereabouts.

Todd was fine...he went out and bought some long underwear and wool socks and I don't know that he ever made a single legitimate complaint. He just sat around in the cold, being happy. I, on the other hand, carried around a tiny little heater and plugged it in for some semblance of warmth in whatever room I had to be in for more than a couple of minutes. 

The tables turned, however, when summer time rolled around. My patient, selfless husband got a taste of what I'd felt all winter long. Come to find out, he absolutely can't stand being hot.  He went out and bought two box fans (let the record show that I only got ONE tiny little heater...) and he wanted to start eating on the floor in the living room, as he was convinced the lower he was, the cooler the air. I didn't mind eating around the ottoman (we still do that, actually) but I had to object to his suggestion of taking the mattress off the bed and laying it down on the floor (I already mentioned the mice). Lucky for him, his sister and brother-in-law were getting rid of their window unit, so we used that from the end of August through September, I think. Lucky for me, they also got rid of several large heaters :) Though, to be fair, it didn't really get that cold last winter. 

This unfortunate lack of modern comfort aside, I absolutely cannot WAIT to get to our new home in South Africa! Lord willing, we only have a little over four months before we'll be on our way across the planet. It has been incredible to watch God provide almost 85% of our support...such a miraculous blessing. 

It's starting to get kind of exciting around here...take a look at our new city. Isn't it lovely?! :) 

Summer Review

It's August. How does that always happen?

I haven't enjoyed a summer off like this one since I was, well, I guess 15, and let me tell you; it flies by now just like it did back then. However, unlike "back then," I'm not forced to end my summer the first week of August by returning to school ;) I plan to enjoy many more morning walks, afternoons by the pool, and several more of Panera's strawberry poppyseed and chicken salads! (a summertime speciality, so hurry and get one if you haven't already...or if you have :) ) Anyway, all that to say, don't let the onset of the school year convince you that summer is over. It's not.

If this blog were a journal it would be sadly under-updated, I'm afraid. I've done lots that the world (a.k.a., the four people who actually read this) has probably been just dying to know, but as I've let myself get this far behind, I'll just sum up with bullet points. Some of these endeavors will get their own post--believe it or not--but in the meantime...

This summer I have:

• Learned how to bake bread, and discovered I really enjoy it!
• Trained for an 8K with Todd (who, disgustedly, does not have to exercise...he just does it to humor me)
• Run around with my sister who was home from college. She told me I could be her "BFF" for the summer (a presumable honor, I understand), as she claimed she had no other friends without a life. I would say I wasn't sure how to take that, but unfortunately, I was. 
• Laid out by my sister's-in-law pool, where I got the tan of my life! (the aforementioned sister in the third bullet point has, up til now, provided regular and derogatory commentary on the general pasty nature of my usual summertime skin. One of us got pretty dark this summer, and I'll give you a clue as to which: it wasn't her)
• Traveled with my mother to both Pennsylvania (did you know that means Penn's woods?) and Illinois (...I got nothing). More to come on both of these later. 
• Tried lots of new recipes from broiled italian tilapia (win!) to portabella mushroom "burgers" (win!) to roasted vegetable medley (win!) to cauliflower crust pizza (miserable, miserable fail...don't ever do that to yourself)
• Photographed two weddings (a third to come next month!) and participated in two others. I love weddings. In moderation (see my previous post on "The Year of the Wedding"). 

I have generally enjoyed myself and the laid back life that God saw fit to grant me for a few months. It hasn't been all fun and games, of course, though I know it looks it from the highlights! No, Todd and I continue to pray and work toward the goal that Operation Mobilization has set for our support. We have seen the Lord provide commitments for 70% (yay!) of that goal so far, and look forward to seeing how he will bring about the rest. Lord willing, we hope to be able to leave for South Africa in January and join our ministry team after our training! We aren't really sure what to expect yet, and I'm thinking that's probably not a bad thing; but I'm not universally known for being go-with-the-flow, so the lack of details is somewhat of a challenge. But it leaves me wide open to be up for anything when I get there. That's what I keep telling myself, anyway. :) 

For insight on the life of a missionary in support-raising mode, I encourage you to read my friend Abby's blog. She puts it all much better than I could. 

I hate to post anything without something of visual interest, and while I know it's a stretch, here's a shot from our recent sister session (shot by Todd this time). You know moms...always gotta have an updated picture for the mantle. ;) 

Happy summering!