Connecting with the World

The past two weeks Robin and I opened our home to two Japanese exchange students- Saki and Mai (Mai is pictured above with Eden at Balloonfest). As one woman said when I preached at local church, "I guess moving to London, planting a church and homeschooling three kids wasn't enough for you!"
While it was very consuming, it was completely worth while.
We have been blessed with a beautiful home, and it was a blessing to share it with these girls.
I hope by now that everyone who has followed this church-launching adventure is aware that part of our mission is "Connecting with the World."
The past two weeks gave our family a small taste of this mission, and a taste for how difficult it can be. On one level it was awesome- we laughed until our sides hurt and seized every moment to explore our city. We went bowling, to story book gardens, to the beach, to soccer games, to church and swimming pools, to the shopping mall and to get lots of ice cream!
But it was also very frustrating on some levels- our entire schedule changed, life revolved around the girls schedules, our family dynamics had to adjust, and after ten days we still couldn't understand a word each other was saying!
Life had to recalibrate to the most basic level- food, bathroom, shower, sleep. But after a few days we started to get the hang of it- an even enjoyed it. Soon the girls were jumping on my back, having tickle fights, and taking food right off our plates.
Connecting with the world is central to our mission- it's not and add on- it's essential. The proverbial third leg of a three legged stool- take it away and the whole thing falls. Connecting to the world is perhaps the most difficult, but in a real way, the most rewarding part of our mission. It brings us right back to God, experiencing the joy of being His hands and feet in the world.