So lets see here. My home church was here this week. It was super good to see them. It was fun to get to serve them and make them feel welcomed and taken care of for the week. It adds a whole new dimension to the job when doing it for some one you know.

It has been a good week. I have been learning lots. We have been coming in to the US on Sundays for church. The church we have gone to is teaching on the book of James. It was been good with some practical things to keep in mind. Also Just the real convos that I have been able to have in the past week with my team members has been great too. Lots of talking about God and sharing what we have been reading. The most resent is Romans 14. i have been thinking a lot about this summer and how it all relates to life.

Anna the other day when we were walking around downtown TJ asked me if I have thought about going home and how that will go and all. And I have and what I have come to is this. It will be really hard to come home. I love it here and I love it at home. That is not the hard part. the hard part is how do I take what I have learned here in this completely different life and use it back home. I mean down here it is slower and simple for the most part, you are surrounded in general with good people who will lift you up and support and challenge you to grow. Now I can try all I want to take back these things to Madison or home or where ever but the truth is it is hard. Because all I know is the life style and routine I lived at home. how do you go back and not fall back into your old pattern? That is the challenge and thought of the week. I have learned down here that a lot of things don't matter. that is the simple life. I don't need the newest coolest thing. And not that I was super like that before but even more so now I don't need it. I can get along just fine without it and it is just another thing to add to the growing pile of junk in my closet. That is I think the easiest to take and put in to practice the rest involves life changes and commitment and thought out planing which is a lot of work but no need to worry about that now I have another month to think about that.

Let see what else. It was good this week to get lots of hugs. Our team doesn't hug that much it makes me sad. but I got a lot this week from my dad and friends and family so that was super good. Also I got back rubs and gave out a few too. It was good to see everyone. Super fun to get to see the difference in how each group from the same church built the house.

I went to the Mexican Circus yesterday which was interesting not Nealy as good as the American or Russian ones.
Also yesterday we walked about Tj. I was amazed by this one guy. He was a shop owner in a market and sat there with a paint brush dusting off every stain glass window piece he had. Now this amazed me b/c here we are in a super dusty place. He know the second he puts that down it will be covered in dust yet again, but still he sits and takes such care with each piece to dust and place it in the perfect spot. Just the care and attention he showed put me back. I don't know How many shop owners int he US would do that.
It kind of goes back to the way it is down here. The families we worked with this week all at least once got food for the team. you know it is they have nothing yet give it all to us. WE have everything but give just enough to make us feel or look good. One family cooked and said that it was a little food but made with a lot of love. You know things like that. WE handed three families keys to house this week. WE made a difference in those lives. And not just those but many more. 20 kids attended a VBS the group put on. and one little girl who roamed one site said we were nicer to her then the people around here. how cool those kids and that little girl will never forget the group that came down. the impact that the group has on the community is almost endless. I watched one group had over the keys to a crying mother and that is when you know that no matter how stressful week or what else is going on in your life it was all worth it.

So I leave you with that. a reminder that as long as you are impacting someone for God it is worth the pain and the stress the struggle and sweat.

Prayers for the week..
That we would all have a renewal of spirit (we have been at this for a month now and some of us getting tired. not of the work we love it but physically and emotionally.
Praise we all had a healthy week!

Love you guys. Thanks for all the support and prayer Have a good 4th of July.