The week that was . . .

I've had trouble getting back into the swing of missions. The events of this past weekend threw everything upside down. Finally today when I was hugging Annie, a young missionary friend, I began to cry. I needed that . . . and more. Please pray for healing for our whole community.

Meanwhile out on the mission field . . .

Kelly and I enjoyed a visit with one of our favorite families last week. This house is always filled with children.We love the kids. Can you see why?At the community center, my advanced sewing class is learning how to pin and cut patterns. Some of these women are just figuring out how to use straight pins, measuring tapes, and scissors. It was a laborious process, but they did very well. I'm really proud of them. We are making sunhats for little girls. They'll be so cute! And thank the Lord for Brittany. She's our wonderful volunteer on Thursdays. She helps both the sewing and the yarn classes -- as well as setting up and managing sales events. The yarn class, under Shirley, was busy picking colors and getting to work.To make dishcloths the correct size, we gave the women measurements in inches. Nope, they told us. THIS is the way we measure in Bhutan and Nepal.One of our students has a unique flair with her crochet! She brought in this glass goblet and the teapot and teacup she had embellished. What do you think?Very creative!
Sunday evening, Tim and I went to a Hindu wedding. Indira had met her fiance only once before the wedding!We were offered the opportunity to put sticky red rice on the wedding couple as a sign of blessing. Tim also bestowed a verbal blessing on the marriage.Several friends of mine from Jefferson City had given me beautiful tea sets to pass on to refugees as part of my ministry. We gave a beautiful set of four cups and saucers, teapot, creamer and sugar bowl for the wedding. Thanks, Libby, for sharing your bounty!I loved meeting up with friends I hadn't seen for a while. Remember Beena? She was our first sewing student. She got a job and could no longer come to class. But she has promised to call me "every Saturday." And I know she will!The food was yummy. Curried vegetables, rice pilau, pickle, and sweet rice with raisins. If you like Indian food, you would love this!One of the amusing things about my life among refugees is realizing that I am indeed the Jolly Green Giantess! All my friends and students are tiny little creatures. I tower over them! Like a mother hen, I can tuck quite a few pretty little chickadees under my wings. Sometimes I find myself walking down the hall with a whole line of chirpy chicks following along behind. And don't dare mess with my women -- or you will face the wrath of the Big Mama!
Tim and I drove over to the apartment complex where our young missionary friend was attacked. She has gone home to Kentucky now to continue her recovery. We were very touched to see this sign posted outside the window of the empty apartment where the mission team lived until this week.
I guess that's the essence of our faith in Jesus Christ, isn't it? As He said on the cross, "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do," we try to echo that grace and mercy with our lives among the refugees. Pray for all of us.