Nerves of Steel? Not This Girl.

Although, I am pretty good at faking it.

I fancy myself the "adventurous type", but in reality I am a bit of a homebody, lovin' my "comfort zone", living vicariously through the adventurous ones who flow in and out of my life.

And, of course, there's my dearly beloved husband....who has broaden my horizons over the years.  Together, we've shared some unique "adventures" that I never would've even considered had my answer been "no" that fateful evening over 22 years ago - ha, ha! 

So, I guess there must be a hint of that risk-taker's spirit deep inside me...a tiny piece of "traveler's heart", maybe?

Which is why, on and off through the years, I have prayed, "God, send me."


Although we have prayerfully and financially supported folks in the mission field, a little piece of me has always wanted to experience being a missionary, ministering to people in need somewhere else in the world....I never really wanted an overseas vacation, I wanted to witness, firsthand, the nitty-gritty of another lifestyle and culture, and have the opportunity to connect with people who lived far away from my relatively comfy life in the United States.

His answer seemed to be, "Not now." every time I brought it up.  I know He knows what is best for me, but I was a bit envious of those in my various church families who traversed  to all kinds of interesting places, meeting needs and sharing the love of Christ with folks far away, whether for a couple of years or months or even a week.


Well, finally, back in September 2017, while I prayed about our church's involvement, hopefully a long-term partnership, with this little village in Guatemala, God said, quite clearly, "Go."  Not, just to me, but he stirred Grace's heart, too.  Maybe, because the two of us tend to find strength in each other?!

Now that the trip is only two weeks away, I am getting very nervous about leaving my comfort zone!!  Oh, boy!  This one is going to stretch me, for sure.  I feel so ill-equipped.

The native language is Spanish, and I recall very little from my high school Spanish lessons.

We're supposed to be building a little school, and I am not very handy at all.

With so many other expenses in our lives right now, should I really be spending over $1,500 on this?

I am not a "traveler"; I have some minor, annoying physical health issues that may get in the way...

... I really want to take two full suitcases, but that's not allowed.

I mean, how the heck am I going to fit everything I could possibly need for a whole week into just a carry-on and and backpack?  What about my hair products?

(LOL, right?!)

I know....I'm ridiculous.  God gives me the opportunity I ask for, then my brain goes into overdrive, coming up with a thousand reasons why I should back out of it...


...I'm not going to, though.  I'm very glad to be sharing this experience with Grace.  We named her "Grace", not just because it happens to be the name of Don's great-great aunt, but because I considered her my "undeserved gift from God".  Here I was with healthy, active twin boys, and I desperately wanted a little girl...

I'm anticipating the wonderful ways she will grow through this experience, too!

On the homefront:


Don and the crew gathered a bunch of things from the storage unit last weekend, including our fave artwork and my farmhouse kitchen cabinet!

The two glass shelves of the cabinet suffered damage on the journey from New York, apparently, so Don promised to replace them as soon as he can.  I'm looking forward to pulling my pretty teapots and dishes out for display.


Don was finally able to at least begin "terra-forming", moving dirt to extend the driveway and grading the slope on which the house sits.  With great anticipation, I visualize the new grass growing and the flowerbeds we'll create come springtime!



And, this weekend, he and Nate will start on the girls' rooms.  Yay!

I'm lovin' how my great room is shaping up!  It's a comfy, creative space.  I bought these old apple crates about ten years ago for book storage, but I think they tie in nicely with my "farmhouse" theme, so we're using them as end tables and storage for our extensive movie collection.  We're hoping to find more crates at a local orchard or vineyard to build a unique coffee table, too!



I'll show you more in an upcoming post!





It's gonna be a busy few weeks, but I'll be sure to post pictures and share....especially about our trip to Guatemala!


Enjoy your weekend, Friends!

A porch on the front and a mudroom on the side will change the exterior look.  Watch for it this summer!