Ranch dressing dry mix

I have a very supportive husband. Not many men would put up with the kind of travel schedule he has endured over the years. Not many men would be willing to move to the other side of the world to a place they have never seen in order to follow their wife's career. My man has and is doing these things.

Kenyon loves his ranch dressing. He loves it on pizza, spaghetti, sandwiches, even with nachos. I figure he can eat anything (even loads of Cambodian food) if he has ranch dressing. So, I picked up about 20 packets of dry ranch mix just in case it isn't available in our new locale. I don't know who invented these things and I'm sure this wasn't their intended purpose at the time, but I am grateful that such an item is available. If you ever come to visit, bring us some candy (skittles, resees pieces or crack sticks) and bring Kenyon some dry ranch mix. It's things like this that make a foreigner feel at home anywhere in the world.

What food item would you crave if you were away from home for an extended period?

I am redeemed...

Kenyon and I have been attending a great church in North Carolina. It is full of diversity in a city that seriously lacks diversity. It is full of people committed to doing what God asks and following where he leads. The teaching is good, but I personally enjoy the praise time. It isn't perfectly orchestrated, but it is powerful. One of the frustrating things about a job that takes me all over the world is that I was unable to serve my church. Due to my demanding travel schedule, I was simply an unreliable volunteer so I attended when I was in town, but was otherwise uninvolved. I complained about this to a friend and she told me I needed to get over it, I was already giving so much of myself that I should be okay with just showing up somewhere and being blessed. That was hard for me to accept, but it was my only option.

A couple of weeks ago (one of my last weekends in town) I was able to attend a Sunday morning service and they played one of my favorite songs; Say So by Israel. It brought me to tears, the words are something I believe deeply, and in the midst of preparing for our next adventure I was overwhelmed with emotion. You can watch the song performed live here. Our church gets roudy when this song is played, I love the energy and conviction with which they sing this song. The lyrics are below:

Say So by Israel
What does it mean to be saved?
Isn’t it more than just a prayer to pray?
More than just a way to Heaven.
What does it mean to be His?
To be formed in His likeness?
And know that we have a purpose.

To be salt and light in the world, in the world
To be salt and light in the world

Let the redeemed of the Lord say so
Let the redeemed of the Lord say so
Let the redeemed of the Lord say so
Say so, say so

Oh that the church would arise
Oh that we would see with Jesus’ eyes
We could show the world Heaven
Show what it means to be His
To be formed in His likeness
Show them they have a purpose

Let the redeemed of the Lord rise up
Let the redeemed of the Lord rise up
Let the redeemed of the Lord rise up
Rise up, rise up!

I am redeemed!

What is your favorite praise song right now?

traveling light

Kenyon and I have been busy packing and liquidating our stuff. It's took some effort, but we packed all of our household items in nine boxes...kitchen and bath supplies, games, holiday decorations, spices, books...everything we think we will need over the next two years in nine boxes! We've dropped them off and they will be shipped by air to Cambodia. Actually, they might arrive before us. After we unloaded I took a picture at the warehouse so you could see the sum of our wordly possessions. Our clothing for the coming years will be in our checked baggage.

How many boxes do you think it would take to pack up your possessions? You might be surprised, I know I was shocked at how much stuff I've accumulated over the years.

trash

When Kenyon and I first moved to the mountains of North Carolina I found one change incredibly inconvenient - trash disposal. In my entire adult life, until now, I simply stored my trash in a receptical at my home and it was picked up weekly by the city garbage collector. Easy, convenient, low mess or hassle. Curbside trash pick-up is rare here. We must take all trash to a public facility. I had often found this to be a big hassle, especially when trying to get out of town.

Last weekend I took a picture of our trash disposal location. Why? Because I realized I had become accustomed to this activity. I realized that in actuallity it had probably helped us reduce our waste because we were so keenly aware of how often we had to go to the trash or the amount of trash we were disposing. It must have helped, because for the first time in my life I am recycling.

Do you think others would become less wasteful if they had to haul their own trash? Does curbside pick-up encourage wastefulness?

Boone friends

Recently, we attended a party in our honor...a going away/birthday party...with our friends in Boone. You've seen many of these folks before at other parties we've hosted or attended. Though we are leaving Boone the end of the week I don't really feel like I am saying good-bye to these people because I will still be working for my employer who is based here. Enjoy the photos!

We love you, friends! We've enjoyed our times with you and plan to keep in touch.