Memories

I think I did....ok, yupp, I did get slightly teary-eyed when Anne walked through the door yesterday. You see when you grow up overseas, away from family, especially in Torchbearers, and you don't get to see your extended family very often, the staff becomes an extension of your family - your aunts, uncles and cousins.

Anne and her family (two her daughters are a year older and a year younger than me) lived right next door for some of the most formative years of my life and we spent many afternoons running back forth (along with other friends from other families at the center as well!), drinking endless cups of tea with each other and getting into trouble...and wrestling through the difficult emotions of teenagers...learning what it means to grow up in a ministry environment, working out our faith (at public German schools).  And doing all kinds of creative projects.  (in the picture above - left to write, the McCalls, Anne and my parents at a visit to His Hill, the Torchbearer center in Texas)

Even I was surprised at the memories that flooded my mind when Anne walked through the door yesterday - so many childhood memories of what seems like an eternity ago. And in the evening our kids sat wide-eyed listening to Mom and Anne tell stories and laughing, laughing, laughing.....I know life was not always easy growing up - but quite frankly the hard times are an even further distant memory. And I pray that our kids memories of their time here at Timberline will be the same!!

This will be short - but here are a few urgent prayer requests:

Please pray for our staff - they are worn out and are in much need of this break right now! Please pray that these next few days will be truly and deeply refreshing for them!

Please pray for staff housing - the Thomas family has moved off-campus to Tabernash and it looks like more moving for other families could be underway in the next month or two. Affordable and live-able housing in Grand County is so difficult to find since this is a resort area.

We're so glad that my parents and Anne are visiting. Dad leaves tomorrow for England but Mom and Anne will be here for a week - what a treat to laugh and talk and catch up and remember! Tonight we're having a staff women gathering here at the house and a time for Anne to share her faith story. Would you join us in prayer that this would be a refreshing time for us as permanent staff ladies to reconnect with each other and if the need is there to have some honest question and answer time, that the Lord would open the door for this?