Niger: Day Two

*Please bear with me in the length of this post. I think they'll get much shorter as I go, but there's so much to describe in the beginning.

Ryan didn't get much sleep the night before (only about two hours) because he was up revising the lessons he was to teach. This audience of new Songhai believers was so different from any Ryan had taught before. First, everything would be done through a translator, meaning Ryan would say a couple sentences and then stop while they were translated into Zerma. He was warned that it may be difficult not to lose his place in the lesson while waiting. Second, many of them were illiterate. Third, these people all had a background in the Muslim faith. Given the history of so many baptized believers turning back to Islam, it was so important to teach them to persevere in the faith.

I'm getting ahead of myself, so I'll start from the beginning. I'll begin by saying that this day was our sixth anniversary. I would never have thought we would spend an anniversary in Niger, but there was absolutely no other place we would have rather been.

Anyway, we all piled into this small bus at 6:30 in the morning and headed out to one of the villages. Before leaving Niamey, we picked up our translators, and then headed out of town. The plan was to drive for about an hour before arriving at the ferry, which we would ride to cross the Niger River. It was important to try and be at the ferry by 8 because it only ran every hour on the hour. On the way to the ferry, however, we got a flat tire. It didn't take too long to fix it, and we made it to the ferry in time.

Our first ferry ride was a little nerve-wracking just because there was Niger military standing guard with machine guns. We didn't know how they would react to us being there. On the ferry, we got out of the bus and saw this girl selling cola nuts (they're pure caffeine and apparently taste horrible). There were lots of children, but this girl stood out simply because she was so beautiful and her face looked so much older than her body seemed. We also got to watch some women coming to fetch water from the river.


Once we crossed the river, we continued our trek. Along the way, we picked up a man, who is the only believer in his village, so that he could sit in on the worship and teaching. Let me also mention that this was the bumpiest road I'd ever been on. They're in the process of paving the road and are hoping to complete it before the rainy season hits.

Just a sidenote--I'm leaving out the name of the village we went to as well as the names of people to protect the believers.

Some missionaries from Brazil live in the village we went to. Each day, we would meet at their home, which consisted of a large open area, two homes and a wall around the perimeter. Both the homes and the wall were made of these mud bricks.

There were seven Songhai believers who were there to be discipled through the teaching of each of the Southern guys. We all introduced ourselves and then gathered on some benches under the trees for worship. Worship each day consisted of someone playing the guitar and a couple of people playing jimbays (drums). The first song we sang was "This is the Day that the Lord Hath Made". We've sung that song many times before, but it never sounded as beautiful as it did in this West African village. The song was being sung in four languages (English, Zerma, French and Portuguese).

The next song we sang was all in Zerma, so we had no clue what was being said, but we mimicked all the movements that were being done. Watch the video to get a glimpse of what it's like to worship in Niger and to see what we were doing. After we finished, Cephas, one of the translators, told us what they were singing.



There is no one that is like Jesus
There is no one that is like Jesus
There is no one that is like Jesus
There is no one that is like Him

I walked and walked, but no one, no one
I searched and searched, but no one, no one
I turned around, but no one, no one
There is no one that is like Him

There was something that was really touching about seeing everyone act out the song and then learning afterward what it all meant. Anyway, worship was wonderful and was one of my favorite parts of each day.

After that, Ryan, Cephas and I stayed behind with the Songhai believers while the others from our team went out into the village to evangelize. Ryan taught two lessons--one on God's Holy Word and the other on the Assurance of Salvation. He was the first one of the group to teach, so he didn't quite know what to expect. He began by learning everyone's names, which was helpful in asking a question to a specific person. It was really neat to see Ryan teach in this environment. I imagine it wasn't too different from what it was like when Jesus or the apostles taught the early church. What I mean by that is that I can picture them sitting under some trees, dirty and hot, but being cleansed by the Holy Spirit as they were washed through the teaching of God's word.

Ryan did an exceptional job teaching, and we were both very impressed with the maturity that God has already granted these new believers. One of my favorite things Ryan said had to do with how Satan spoke through the serpent in the garden. He then said something like, "And Satan still speaks today...he speaks through Mohammed." I was so excited but couldn't believe he had just said that to all of these people who just turned from Muslim backgrounds. It was crucial to point out, though, seeing as how so many turn back to Islam.

We later found out that it was an answer to prayer that these believers would even worship and be together. Apparently the Brazilians have really been working with these new believers to break down walls of prejudice that exist between people of different villages, as well as between gender. The fact that the men allowed a Songhai woman to worship with them was huge. This was a huge step toward loving one another as Christ loves us.

Here's a picture of Ryan and Cephas.

Everyone came back from evangelizing, and we all then loaded onto the bus to head back to Niamey. The drive was good, and on the way back, we saw that same beautiful girl on the ferry. We stopped at a couple of markets on the way back as well. At the first one, we were immediately swarmed by kids as soon as we stepped off the bus. There were so many of them, and for that reason, it was often difficult to even move. At one point, Ryan and I kind of got trapped (not in a scary way--just the kids were so excited). Dr. Martin managed to slip away somehow because he wanted to get a picture of us being swarmed. He was able to get a few pictures, but then the kids all ran to him because they were excited about his camera. He didn't intend for it, but it was a great diversion so we were able to walk again.

The Songhai children are so precious. They were so excited to shake our hands, to feel our skin, to have their pictures taken and to see their own faces afterward on the digital screen. Many of them were begging for food or money, which was heartbreaking. We weren't supposed to give them anything for two reasons: it could literally start a riot or lots of fighting and also because we wanted them to know we were offering something better--eternal life.

The rest of the day was spent relaxing, playing Bo Bo and feasting on another wonderful dinner at the Wombles. What an incredible way to spend our anniversary!

Niger: Day One

*This slide show is of pictures taken throughout our time in Niger (not just on Day One). I'll post a few pictures pertaining to each day as I go.

We arrived in Niamey, Niger, at about 3 in the morning on Saturday, April 5. We were herded through customs, where there wasn't much organization. There weren't really any lines--it was just everyone pushing their way through. We carried everything we needed in our backpacks, but the team did check a couple of bags (mainly for toiletries). I was impressed that the bags made it to Niger when we did. We then met Brad Womble, the IMB missionary who would be helping us throughout the week.

We loaded onto a bus and headed to the guesthouse (pictured right), where we would be staying. We didn't know what the sleeping arrangements would be, so Ryan and I were so excited to find out we would have our own bedroom and bathroom. It was about 4 in the morning by the time we got ready for bed. We were exhausted (especially after getting very little sleep since we left Louisville at 10:30 on Thursday morning, April 3) and were so thankful that Brad said we would be able to sleep in. We were to meet for lunch at 12:30. Ryan and I slept really well and were eager to start our time in Niger.

We went over to the Wombles' house for lunch and then had our orientation. There we learned more about Niger and the Songhai people. Here are a few things Brad and Sally told us that really stood out:

•Average life expectancy: 27 years
•3 out of 5 kids die before the age of 5
•Highest infant mortality rate in the world
•Second poorest country in the world (behind Sierra Leone)
•Average annual income for a family of 10: $250
•Literacy rate among Songhai: 15%
•The Muslim/Animistic faith accounts for 99.8% of the Songhai people
•Out of 100 people baptized to the Christian faith, 93% turn back to Islam
•Malaria kills someone every 15 minutes

We were warned to be cautious about what we touched after being with the people because at any given time, we could have Yellow Fever, Malaria, Meningitis and Leprosy on our hands.

The Wombles also told us about how "pink eye" is perceived among the Songhai, which of course interested me. They call "pink eye" "Apollo" because they believe that it is caused by moondust falling in their eyes. They believe the moondust was stirred up by the Americans walking on the moon. To treat it, they believe they must crush red peppers to form a paste and then rub it in their eyes.

Brad also mentioned an experience with a family where two of their kids looked very ill and the other two kids were healthy and eating. Brad asked what was wrong with the two sick-looking kids, and they told him that they had determined they only had enough food to feed two of their kids. They had chosen two kids to live and were letting the other two starve to death.

We concluded the orientation with a prayer session. I was already broken-hearted for these people I hadn't even met yet. We were confident that God was going to do big things in the week to come.

That night (as we did every night while we were there) we met at the Wombles' house for dinner. A mission team from Hurst, Texas, was also there at the same time. Our two teams would do ministry in different places during the day, but we all met together at night. On their team was a girl named Heather, who is a chef at a restaurant in Fort Worth. We were blessed to have Heather cook a wonderful meal for us each night. Ryan was able to play some basketball with Brady, the Wombles' son. It was pretty cute because Ryan was showing Brady how to juggle the ball. (By juggle, I mean soccer-style--keeping the ball in the air by kicking it repeatedly.)

We concluded our night with some Bo Bo, which is a card game that Dr. Martin introduced to us while waiting at the Casablanca airport. Basically, four people can play. One starts out as King, one as Queen, one as Jack and one as Peasant. After each hand, you switch positions based on how well you did during the previous hand. Dr. Martin, of course, started out as King, but he was quickly dethroned. I think by the time we left Casablanca, he was residing in the Peasant seat. In this picture, note that Ryan is King, I am Queen (but taking the picture), Bob was Jack and poor Dr. Martin was Peasant. :) Anyway, all throughout the week, there was much smack talk about who was King.

It was a great day, and we were all very excited to head out to the village and proclaim the name of Jesus.

Strange Shaking

Last night, Ryan awoke to the sound of everything shaking. It was mainly the sound of our windows rattling. I vaguely remember Ryan asking me what was going on. In my sleep I was trying to tell him it was just a train going by (not that we live close to a train track), but apparently what came out of my mouth was something about the gutters. Anyway, the shaking only lasted about 30 seconds. It was about 5:30 in the morning, and neither of us were terribly coherent. Ryan woke this morning to find out that the shaking was caused by an earthquake. That's right, an earthquake.

There was apparently an earthquake measuring a 5.2 that occurred in Illinois, and a 4.5 aftershock reached Kentucky and even all the way down to Atlanta. The strongest earthquake on record with an epicenter in Illinois occurred in 1968 and measured a 5.3. I guess I can cross this off the list of things I thought I would never experience.

Our First Mission Trip, Part I: Casablanca

As many of you know, Ryan and I recently went on a 10-day mission trip through Southern Seminary to Niger, West Africa. This was the first mission trip that either of us had been on, and we are so thankful that we were able to experience it together.

There were 11 of us who went, and I was the only girl. (There was another girl who signed up to go, but she dropped out fairly early into the process.) I was anxious about going to the other side of the world with a bunch of guys, but everything worked out fine. While we were there, the guys discipled a handful of new believers by teaching foundational truths from the Scriptures, and the rest of the time was spent sharing the Gospel with people in the village we went to.

Niger is reportedly the poorest (or second poorest) country in the world. Physically influenced by the French, the people of the Songhai tribe, more importantly, have been enslaved to sin, blinded by Satan, and have rejected Christ. The people of Niger are dominated by Islam and animism. You can learn more about the West Africa Region, and specifically about the Songhai people.

Below are some prayer requests that Ryan sent out in an email before our trip:

•"The Lord would soften the hearts of the people with whom we will share the Gospel (that they may see Jesus and believe and repent)
•The Lord would grow the faith of the believers in Niger (that they may be found faithful, even in the face of persecution)
•The Lord would use us to encourage the missionaries on the field
•In all that we say, think, and do, Christ would be glorified
•Strengthened faith, for greater belief in the One who is Lord over all people
•(For Kelli) Confidence as the only girl on the team, that the Lord would use her in ministry
•(For Ryan) Illumination and faithfulness to teach the Word to the believers (I’m teaching on our first day in Niger, which may have the added challenge of recovering from travel. My first lesson is on God’s Holy Word, and we’ll be looking at Genesis 1-3; my second lesson is on Assurance of Salvation, and we’ll be studying the early chapters of Hebrews)
•Our marriage would rightly exalt Christ and his church (especially in a place where men have multiple wives, whom they also abuse physically)
•Trust in the Lord in response to demonic attack"

I listed all of these prayer requests because God answered every single one of them, and we are so grateful to those of you who were praying for us. We certainly felt covered in prayer.

On the way to Niger, we had a 12 hour layover in Casablanca. By the time we arrived in Casablanca, we had already been traveling for almost 24 hours (1.5 hour drive to Cincinnati, flight to New York and then flight to Casablanca), so we were pretty exhausted.

Because our layover was so long, the airline put us up in a hotel so that we could shower, rest and eat. After doing all of the above, we headed out on a tour of the city. We were all excited about the opportunity to see Casablanca, but it wasn't quite what we had expected. The coast was pretty, though there wasn't really any beach where we were, and there were some really beautiful houses. Much of the city, though, was dirty (as in lots of trash everywhere) and very low income. It was strange to me to see opulent houses right next to run-down subsidized housing projects.

Mohammed, the guy driving us around, claimed that this was the hotel was where Churchill, Eisenhower and some other big names gathered to plan D-Day. It was known as the Casablanca Conference. (Some of you history buffs may be able to verify that.)

It was nice to see another part of the world, but we had all had our fill of Casablanca by the time it was ready to leave. We were all eager to finally arrive in Niger.

Meeting our Niece

Last weekend, Ryan and I headed to Nashville. Ryan's mom was also able to fly in from Texas. It was our first time to meet our niece, Isabel, and though we weren't there too long, we were also able to be at Aby's third birthday party, which was fun. It's amazing how quickly kids grow up. We saw Joshua and Aby 3 months ago, but they both seemed so much bigger!

One morning, we headed to the Pancake Pantry, which is one of our favorite breakfast places. Joshua and Aby both got chocolate chip pancakes and made such a mess. They were so cute covered in chocolate!

Later that day, we were able to enjoy the wonderful weather as we played outside. Ryan and Brandon played basketball, and the kids played on their toy cars. Joshua tried to get Wally to ride on his motorized jeep, but Wally wasn't having it. He was able to wiggle out of Joshua's arms before I could even snap a second picture.

Isabel was so tiny and sweet. Babies are such a gift from the Lord! We're eager to get to spend more time with her soon.

Chi-Town

Ryan and I recently made a trip to Chicago with our friends Tory, Kedra, Abigail and Nathan. I had to do some continuing education, so we all decided to make a weekend of it.

We weren't sure if we were going to be able to make it to Chicago due to bad weather, but we were able to get out of town before it hit. After we left, Louisville got one foot of snow! I can't believe we missed it! The city pretty much shut down the next day. I haven't seen that much snow since I was a small child living in Denver. Unfortunately, by the time we got back, most of it had melted.

Chicago was a blast. Getting there and back was an adventure in and of itself. I never knew Indianapolis could be such a confusing city. I think we spent 3 hours there on the way to Chicago. If you're unsure of how that's possible, just ask Tory. :)

The weather in Chicago was very cold, and it was snowing, but nothing like it was in Louisville. We had fun walking the Magnificent Mile, though we weren't able to tolerate the freezing cold too long so we ducked into shops and restaurants. Luckily, we got a fantastic deal on the Intercontinental Hotel, which is right in the middle of everything, so we didn't have to walk too far. Our hotel, by the way, was beautiful! I had to take pictures.

We also took the scenic route on the way home. We were all exhausted, but I think that those were some of the funniest moments of the trip. Praise the Lord for the gift of laughter (something we experienced a whole lot of) and precious friends!

No Mas

Glasses and contacts, that is. (At least for the next 10-15 years until we need reading glasses.)

Ryan's surgery went well--he's already 20/20 in each eye. We couldn't be more excited about both of our results. We are reminded, though, that the degradation of our vision is a result of the Fall. God created the world good. However, Adam's (and our) sin corrupted the world and our bodies and our souls. So our eyes and our lungs and our hearts fail. Yet all is made right by Jesus' obedience, death on the cross, resurrection from the dead, and ascension into Heaven. And while we're thrilled for the restoration of our vision, we most eagerly await Christ's return, when we (with all who love Him) will realize the final, full, and lasting re-creation of not only our bodies but also the whole world!

Last night, I decided to get together all of our old glasses and unused boxes of contacts. It will be fun to be rid of these, not only because of all the drawer space all of it has occupied, but to know that we can wake up each morning and see without the need of these things. It is difficult to break the habit of reaching for your glasses as soon as you wake up, or not worrying that you need to take out your contacts before you go to sleep.

Before









During









After


(By the way, Ryan was instructed to wear these sunglasses to protect his eyes until he could get home and put on the fun safety goggles.)

One Down, One to Go

LASIK, that is. It's been a little more than a month since I had LASIK, and let me tell you, I couldn't be more pleased with the results--20/15 in each eye, which is better than 20/20.

Well, tomorrow afternoon, Ryan is scheduled to have LASIK as well. Those of you with great vision probably can't appreciate this, but after wearing glasses/contacts for most of your life, it's a pretty incredible thing to be able to see without them.

We'll keep you posted about the results, but tomorrow morning will be the last time Ryan will have to wear glasses. He can't wait!

Isabel Katie Bishop

Our niece, Isabel, was born Tuesday, February 26 at 8:39 in the morning. Isabel was 7lb 10oz and 19.5in long. Both Isabel and Jill are doing well, and we're really looking forward to meeting Isabel soon! Isn't she adorable!?

Extreme Makeover: Home Edition Airs on Sunday!

We posted several blogs in November about the Extreme Makeover: Home Edition that was done a few blocks from our house. Well, the house has been done for a few months now; the outside of the house is beautiful, and we’re finally going to get to see the inside. The episode airs this Sunday night at 8 EST on ABC. Watch as Patrick Hughes, who was born without eyes and is wheelchair bound due to the inability to straighten his arms and legs, is given a home that is designed to meet his specific needs.

Snow!!

On Monday night, a snow and ice storm came through Louisville. It continued to snow through Wednesday. I haven’t heard the actual total accumulation, but I know they were predicting up to 4-8 inches of snow. That’s the biggest storm to hit Louisville since we’ve been here.

On Tuesday morning, Ryan and I went out and played in the snow before I had to go to work. We had a snowball fight, tried to play fetch with Wally and even built our first snowman together. Wally was pretty cute. Because the snow on the ground was also combined with ice, Wally was sometimes able to walk on top of it without sinking. I say sometimes because after every few steps he took, one of his paws would sink down. You could tell he was startled about the ground giving out underneath him. He also walked with his back two legs spread further apart—I guess this was to help him balance. Our sweet Bear was so funny running around the yard!

Our snowman was about three feet tall. Unfortunately, we didn’t have time to make a mouth for him because I needed to get to work. Our silent snowman is still standing, but with the warmer weather coming through, I don’t think he’s going to last long.

Ryan and Trent's Birthday Party, Part II

So, I’m only about a month late, but I wanted to post some pictures from Ryan and Trent’s Birthday party. (Their birthdays were January 13 and 14, respectively, so the last two years we’ve done a combined party.) It was a fun excuse to hang out with great friends.

Unfortunately, I didn’t remember to pull out the camera until after a lot of people had left, but I was able to get some pictures of everyone playing Four on a Couch. The boys won overall, but the girls definitely put up a good figh

Christmas Party at the Wellums'

Each year our Sunday School class has a Christmas party at the Wellums’ house. This year’s party was a hit. We did a potluck dinner, with each of us bringing a dish that was a Christmas tradition in our family. It was fun seeing what everyone brought.

We also did a White Elephant gift exchange. Some of the more memorable gifts were a hula-hoop, a giant stuffed Tootsie Pop, New Kids on the Block tapes, and of course, Benny Hinn’s book, He Touched Me.

It was great to celebrate the Christmas season with so many dear friends.

Surprise 30th Birthday Trip

My sweet husband turned 30 a couple weeks ago. I wanted him to feel truly celebrated, so I planned a surprise getaway for him. Ryan didn't even know we were leaving town until Wednesday night, and we were leaving Friday morning. We normally do road trips to celebrate our birthdays and our anniversary, so that's what he figured we were doing.

Anyway, after I got off work on Thursday night, we dropped Wally off at our dear friends, the Giddens's house. We headed home and started packing. This was tricky since Ryan didn't know what to pack, and I didn't want to tell him and give away our destination.

So we packed as best as we could and then headed to bed. I had told Ryan that if possible I wanted to get a really early start in the morning. Well, at 5:45 on Friday morning, I got out of bed and into the shower. Sweet Ryan didn't understand why we had to leave so early, but he willingly got ready and helped me get our suitcase closed. Right about 6:30, which is when I said I wanted to try and leave by, Ryan asked if he should put our luggage in the car. I told him yes and then ran to our front window. I saw that Trent was waiting for us outside, and then I ran back to the garage, where Ryan was loading the car, and opened the garage door. Ryan was so confused that there were headlights shining into our garage. As soon as the door was up, we saw Trent, dressed in a tux, mind you, getting out of his car and coming to take our luggage to his. He made such an excellent chauffer.

When we got settled in the back seat of the car, Trent turned on some classical music "to prepare us for our trip" and then he handed Ryan a book entitled "Ireland". It was pretty funny. At this point, Ryan knew we were flying somewhere but had no idea where.

Trent dropped us off at the Louisville airport, and I got us checked in while Ryan stood off to the side. We got to our gate, and Ryan accidentally saw the destination said Las Vegas. He was trying to be so sweet and ask if that was where we were going. It was so funny watching him because I knew he had no desire to go to Las Vegas. I just played it off and didn't really answer him. That flight was on its way to Las Vegas, but we got off in Chicago, where we had a layover.

As we waited for our next flight, I started giving Ryan hints about where we were going. You all know what a brilliant kid Ryan is, so I had to give him some really obscure hints. Hint #1: Rack of Lamb. Ryan thought about this for awhile but wasn't coming up with much, so I gave him another hint. Hint #2: Clint Eastwood. Again Ryan thought, but wasn't figuring it out. Hint #3: Gooey. I told him the last hint would be the most obvious. These hints I'm sure seem more obscure to most people, but we had talked about going to this destination, so it made a little more sense to us. Ryan eventually figured out our destination--Carmel, California!! For those of you are still trying to figure out my crazy hints, Carmel backwards is lem rac (rack of lamb), Clint Eastwood used to be the mayor of Carmel, and carmel is of course gooey.

Anyway, Ryan had so many questions to sort through before he finally showed how excited he was. It was pretty cute watching him work out everything in his head--I could totally see those wheels spinning.

Our flight to San Francisco, got delayed, but we eventually got there. We rented a car to drive down to Carmel, and we even got a FREE upgrade to a convertible! Yea! We were so excited! It was the middle of January, but it's warmer there, so we were able to drive around all weekend with the top down and the heater on.

On our way out of SF, we stopped at In 'n Out Burger for a late lunch. Neither of us had eaten it, but our friend, Todd, raves about it. It was a two hour drive to Carmel, so it was dark by the time we got there. We got settled into our room, went and had dinner and then walked around the town a little.

Let me pause here to say that we have heard about this little town since before we got married. Several people saying it's their favorite place to go. It's a small town on the coast of California. It's very non-commercialized. No chain restaurants or hotels. It is the cutest town I've ever seen. The buildings are all so beautiful, and there are flowers everywhere year-round.

I was somewhat worried about taking Ryan to Carmel in January because that's when they get most of their rain. There was some huge storm system that went through California the whole week before we got there and ended the night before we arrived. In Carmel, they had 80-100 mph winds and the streets were flooded by the ocean. All this to say, that it was beautiful and sunny the entire time we were there. Thank you, God!

On Saturday morning, we had breakfast at this incredible little restaurant. They had the best raspberry pancakes ever! We then walked down to the beach and hung out there for awhile. It was breathtaking! Everything was so beautiful. Off to our right, you could see the 18th hole of Pebble Beach Golf Course. Carmel is extremely dog-friendly, so there were dogs running all over the beach--most without leashes. The dogs were so well-behaved. They fetched balls and frisbees out of the ocean. I just can't describe how wonderful it was just sitting there taking it all in.

We then drove the 17-mile scenic drive through 3 nearby golf courses, including Pebble Beach. We were constantly stopping to take pictures because it was all so beautiful. As I'm typing this, I'm remembering the sound of the waves rolling in, smelling the saltwater and the flowers. It was so peaceful!

We finished our drive and grabbed a late lunch at a local restaurant. Most of the restaurants have seating outside because the weather there is so mild all year. They have overhead heaters for the winter. We then headed over to the Carmel Mission to look around. The sun was starting to go down, so after taking several pictures, we drove back to the beach to watch the sunset. We were just a few minutes too late, but we loved watching the ocean again.

That night, we drove into Monterey, which is only about 5-10 minutes away and had Chipotle for dinner. This may seem like a strange choice, but we only get to eat Chipotle 2 or 3 times a year since there's not one in Louisville.

The next morning, Sunday, January 13, was Ryan's 30th birthday! We went and got some breakfast at another local restaurant. The food wasn't quite as good as the day before, but the presentation of the food was so impressive that I had to take a picture.

We then walked down to the beach again. We even walked along the water, but my goodness, when those waves rolled over our feet, it was so cold! We then walked around town, looking at some of the little shops. They were all so cute!

We then got in our red convertible and drove farther down the coast. We stopped at the Bixby bridge, which is where lots of car commercials are filmed. Every time we turned a bend, I was amazed at the beauty of what was on the other side. My words are so insufficient to describe this place. Not to mention, that as we're driving, the smell of the forest around us was amazing! So fresh! We got back to Carmel just in time to watch the sunset on the beach. Again, there aren't words to describe the beauty of God's creativity, and unfortunately, pictures just don't do it justice.

For dinner that night, we at at P.F. Chang's. Some friends of ours, the Crums, recently ate there for Jenny's birthday, and it seems like we all ate the same heavenly cake--the Great Wall of Chocolate--seven layers of decadent chocolate cake surrounded by berries and a raspberry sauce. YUM!!

We headed back to our room for the night, where Ryan opened his birthday presents. It was a great day, and I'm so incredibly thankful for the 30 years that God has blessed Ryan with and that God has chosen to bless me with knowing Ryan for almost 10 of those 30 years!

On Monday morning, we headed back to the same place that we did on Saturday morning for breakfast. We were both hoping to get the raspberry pancakes this time, but bummer, they were out of raspberries! We were so sad because we'd really been looking forward to it, but I got strawberry, and Ryan got blueberry. Both were still pretty good. We walked around town a little bit more, and then we packed up our car and headed back up the California coast. Our waiter on Sunday night mentioned that Santa Cruz was a fun place to go, so we stopped by there on our way back to San Francisco. They have a boardwalk, there, but apparently nothing happens there during the middle of a weekday in winter. Oh well!

When we got to SF, we went to Boudine's at Fisherman's Wharf. It's this great little bistro with this amazing sourdough bread. Their chili in a breadbowl is phenomenal. We then drove over to Union Square, which is just this huge shopping area. We walked around there until we were able to meet up with the Millers. We got to know Jeff, Heather, Rayah and Ashlyn shortly after we moved to Louisville. While Ryan was starting his first semester at Southern, Jeff was finishing his last. Anyway, they graduated a few months after we met them and they headed back home to the San Francisco area, where Jeff is a pastor. Jeff and Heather showed us around SF some, but it was getting dark, so we weren't able to see much. When then went and ate dinner, picked up Rayah and Ashlyn and then headed back to their house. Ryan and I were so humbled by their hospitality. We were all pretty tired, so we headed to bed not too long after we got home.

We all had breakfast together the next morning before all going our separate ways--Jeff to work, Rayah to school and us to the airport. Our time with the Millers was brief, but we were so blessed to get to spend some time with them.

Thank you to Trent, Tory and Kedra and Jeff and Heather for everything you did to make this such a memorable trip for us! Praise the Lord for sweet friends who go out of their way to help someone out!

Was Blind, but Now I See

Ok, so I wasn't blind, but my vision was pretty bad without correction, and after having LASIK yesterday, I can see!!

Before my surgery--wearing my glasses for the last time

Ryan and I arrived at the surgery center yesterday afternoon at 1:30. We were immediately taken back into the area just outside of the operating room. As soon as I got there, one of the ladies started putting drops in my eyes. I swear, I must have at least 20 drops put in each eye by the time it was all said and done. Anyway, I was given some post-operative instructions and then was given a packet of paper to look through--it was a list of different artists and albums. She told me I could pick any CD off the list to listen to during my surgery. I finally chose Michael W. Smith's worship album. I haven never heard this album, nor am I terribly familiar with Michael W. Smith, but the only other Christian artist listed was Steven Curtis Chapman.

So, they finish prepping me for surgery, and I sat and waited for them to finish with the guy ahead of me. He came out, and it was my turn. Dr. Bennett made some markings on my eyes before I went into the OR, and then I headed in. I took one last look at my blurry husband, knowing the next time I saw him he would be a lot clearer.

I laid down on the table, and they got started. I was able to watch LASIK being performed quite a bit while I was in optometry school, so I had a pretty good idea of what to expect. Dr. Bennett was great at letting me know what I should feel and see at each point in the surgery. It was nice knowing that Ryan was in the room right next to me, watching everything they were doing on the monitors.

The procedure went by pretty quickly. I can't remember what song was playing when they were doing my right eye, but I know that during my left eye, "Open the Eyes of My Heart" was playing. For those who aren't familiar with this song, here are the lyrics:

Open the eyes of my heart, Lord
Open the eyes of my heart
I want to see You
I want to see You

Open the eyes of my heart, Lord
Open the eyes of my heart
I want to see You
I want to see You

To see You high and lifted up
Shinin' in the light of Your glory
Pour out Your power and love
As we sing holy, holy, holy

Open the eyes of my heart, Lord
Open the eyes of my heart
I want to see You
I want to see You

Open the eyes of my heart, Lord
Open the eyes of my heart
I want to see You
I want to see You

To see You high and lifted up
Shinin' in the light of Your glory
Pour out Your power and love
As we sing holy, holy, holy

(Repeat two more times)

Holy, holy, holy
We cry holy, holy, holy
You are holy, holy, holy
I want to see you

Holy, holy, holy
Holy, holy, holy
You are holy, holy, holy
I want to see you

Holy, holy, holy
Holy, holy, holy
Holy, holy, holy,
I want to see you

Anyway, I thought it was pretty ironic. My surgery was over after about 17 minutes, and then I was given some cool sunglasses and taken out to the waiting room to rest for about 30 minutes. It was incredible how much better I could already see, even though my eyes had just been operated on.

We were then called back in, and Dr. Bennett took another look at my eyes to make sure my flaps looked ok. He said everything went perfect and looked perfect. I slept most of the day, but by last night, I was able to see the TV without any correction.

Wearing my cool sunglasses after LASIK

Look--no glasses or contacts!

Resting with Wally (Notice my cool safety goggles)

I had my first post-op appointment first thing this morning, and my right eye was seeing 20/15 (which is better than 20/20), and my left eye was 20/20. My vision will just continue to get better as my eyes heal.

LASIK

Because I haven't blogged much lately, most of you don't know that I'm having LASIK today. After about 15 years of wearing contacts and glasses, I should be able to see without any correction!

LASIK stands for Laser-Assisted In Situ Keratomileusis and is a procedure that permanently changes the shape of the cornea, the clear covering of the front of the eye, using an excimer laser. A knife, called a microkeratome, is used to cut a flap in the cornea. A hinge is left at one end of this flap. The flap is folded back revealing the stroma, the middlesection of the cornea. Pulses from a computer-controlled laser vaporize a portion of the stroma and the flap is replaced. No stitches are needed--the corneal flap re-adheres to the cornea by itself.

Click here to see a diagram of each step in the procedure.

My surgery is at 1:30 this afternoon, so in just a few short hours, I should be able to see pretty well without my glasses. What's even better is that I get to have it done for FREE!! Praise the Lord for the power of technology!

Why Trucks are Cool

We don't own a truck, nor would I particularly want to own a truck, but I have learned that there are several cool things about them.

About two months ago, I rear-ended a truck. It was totally my fault--just not paying attention, and praise the Lord that no one was hurt. Anyway, I got out of my car and immediately checked to see what damage was done to the truck I hit. Again, praise the Lord because there was seriously not a scratch on the truck. I couldn't believe it, especially when I turned around and saw that my car looked like this:



Anyway, our car ran just fine (aside from the missing headlight and turn signal), so we continued to drive it. Over Christmas we didn't drive it much because we only needed one car, so about a week later, we went to drive our poor car, and it wouldn't start. We were reluctant to pop the hood to jump it because we figured it wouldn't go back down. We had only gotten one estimate to fix it (which incidentally was more than the car is worth). We knew we needed to take it to get another estimate, but things have been really busy lately so we've just been sharing our one working car.

We jumped our car this morning and were so excited that the hood actually did go back down. We took it in to get another estimate, which was still more than we wanted to put in the car. We then headed to Walmart to see about getting another battery. While we were there, the attendant mentioned that it might be the alternator that was bad and therefore not allowing the battery to stay charged. They ran some tests as we waited to find out the verdict. We also said a little prayer while we waited that it if it was God's will that it would just be the battery that needed to be replaced. We were so excited to hear that the alternator was fine. We left there with a new battery and a car that actually runs. Thank you, God, for this answered prayer!

The car is still pretty sad, but it's such a good reminder to keep things in perspective. We are incredibly blessed to have not only one, but two cars that run. Who cares how ugly it is?! It's also a reminder to me to be more concerned about the internal beauty of a person, as opposed to the external. Proverbs 31:30 says, "Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised." Let us be ever aware of our need for God. This world will fade away, just like the beauty of a person, a car, a flower, but God is constant.

Psalm 103:15-19
As for man, his days are like grass;
he flourishes like a flower of the field;
for the wind passes over it, and it is gone,
and its place knows it no more.
But the steadfast love of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear him,
and his righteousness to children’s children,
to those who keep his covenant
and remember to do his commandments.
The LORD has established his throne in the heavens,
and his kingdom rules over all.

Christmas

Ok, so once again I'm behind on my blogging, but hey, better late than never, right!?

Christmas this year was at our house. We've never had a house (or a place big enough to hold a family Christmas), so this year was a special one.

Ryan's mom flew into town December 21. We spent the first several days of her trip shopping and wrapping. After I got off of work on Christmas Eve (sidenote- you'd be surprised at how many people came in to get their eyes checked on Christmas Eve--I guess not everyone waits until the last minute to finish shopping like I do), we went to the Christmas Eve service at church. We then headed home for our array of appetizers: chips and queso (a tradition I grew up with) as well as, crackers, cheese and cream cheese covered in strawberry preserves. It was so good!

On Christmas morning, Ryan and I exchanged our presents to one another, as well as opened our stockings with Ryan's mom. Ryan had a prepared a Bible study for us to go through together to help turn our minds to the reason we celebrate--the birth of Jesus Christ our Lord.

We then went to see the movie, Enchanted. I was skeptical about it, but we all really enjoyed it. Brandon, Jill, Joshua and Aby drove up from Nashville that night and arrived in time for the lavish dinner that Ryan worked so hard to prepare. We all sat down to an elaborate feast of Honeybaked ham, turkey, sweet potato casserole, green bean casserole, roasted potatoes, pistachio pudding and of course, Sister Schubert's dinner rolls. I gained five pounds just now thinking about it.

Anyway, after the kids went to bed, we all played Mexican Train (dominoes).

The next morning, we woke up, had an apple sausage casserole for breakfast and then opened our Christmas presents. Such sweet memories of watching everyone open presents. A personal favorite of mine was watching Jill open her "moon bag", which was a makeshift present until her real gift arrived. Jill, you're so sweet and such a good sport!

We then headed up to our church lawn to play some Bocce ball. Unfortunately, our game was cut short due to all of the mud on the ground. After making a trip to Indiana for a Mexican lunch, we drove back home. Brandon, Jill, Joshua, Aby and Mom all packed their things and loaded in the car to head back to Nashville. It was sad that they were only able to stay for such a short time, but we were just thankful to see them at all.

Ryan's mom stayed with Brandon and Jill for about a week, and then we met them in Bowling Green to pick her up. Her flight out was the next day, so we didn't get more much time together, but our time was sweet nonetheless.