Missions Minded

We had a fantastic week in Georgia, North Carolina, and Tennessee visiting family and friends. Our travel arrangements left something to be desired, but once we got over the jet lag we really enjoying catching up and sharing laughs with parents, grandparents, brothers, sisters, aunts, uncles, and cousins! Here’s a super-pithy re-cap of our whirlwind week, plus pictures from the wedding we attended in Knoxville.

• Sunday, May 10 - We leave Managua at midnight, arrive in Atlanta mid-morning; eat at Outback (Mmm, steak!) with Nathan’s parents (Don and Debbie), Aunt Sandy, Uncle Allen, and Cousin Josh; we visit Cousin Katie at the pizza place where she works; we drive 4 hours to Don and Debbie’s house in Charlotte
• Monday, May 11 - Day trip to Greensboro with Nathan’s parents; visit with Grandma Dorothy at her nursing home; lunch with Nathan’s brother, Andy (who’s the soon-to-be co-chief resident at UNC Hospitals…also a certifiable genius); coffee with a friend (Jeff) Nathan met on Twitter (yes, seriously!); back to Charlotte
• Tuesday, May 12 - We renew our finger prints at the immigration office in Charlotte (still not sure why your fingerprints change every 12 months); board games, cards, and silliness with Don and Debbie
• Wednesday, May 13 - Nathan plays golf with Dad, Dad wins by 2 strokes, Nathan puts on a brave face and congratulates Dad while cursing the missed putts that cost him so dearly; Amber shops till she drops for clothes, cereal, and other miscellaneous items we can’t get in Nicaragua; dinner with friends Bradd, Corinne, and their 1-year old Dylann
• Thursday, May 14 - Debbie drives us to Knoxville; Chili’s for lunch with Debbie, Pam (Amber’s mom), and Ronny (Amber’s step-dad); high school awards ceremony for Amber’s brother, Bronson (another certifiable genius)
• Friday, May 15 - Amber shops until she drops again (this time with her Mom); Nathan reads till he drops at a Barnes & Noble; party time with the family at Brooke (Amber’s cousin) and Logan’s wedding (pictures below) where Amber’s “Papaw” shows everyone how to cut a rug
• Saturday, May 16 - visit with Amber’s Dad (Darren), sister (Brianna), other sister (Veronica), and her family; we eat out at O’Charley’s and Nathan vows to stop overeating (his vow would be broken the next day)
• Sunday, May 17 - Pam, Ronny, and Bronson drive us to Atlanta; the Braves game is rained out so we (over)eat at Cracker Barrel and check out Atlanta Underground (which isn’t great, by the way); we search Metro Atlanta for a movie theater, can’t find one, give up and go to the hotel; we watch the Survivor finale (which is awesome) and crash
• Monday, May 18 - early flight out of Atlanta, all-day layover in Ft. Lauderdale, arrive in Managua on Sunday morning; Zzzzzzzzzzz…

We’re taking the extreme red eye tonight from Managua, touching down in Atlanta mid-morning tomorrow! In case you’re interested — or if you think our paths might cross — here’s our itinerary for the week:

1. We’ll spend a couple days in Charlotte taking care of adoption related business: renewing documents, shuffling papers, and getting things in order for our next trip to Mi Familia later this month. We’ll also visit with my parents, Don and Debbie, and friends in town (like Bradd, Corinne, and Dylan!).
2. We have a day trip to Greensboro planned for Monday — visiting my grandmother, Andy (Nathan’s brother), Laurel (Andy’s wife), and hopefully a few friends.
3. Mid-week we’re off to Knoxville for the wedding of Brooke (Amber’s cousin) and Logan! We’re very excited about visiting family there.
4. Before you know it will be hopping another red eye back to Managua.

We’ll only be gone a week, so we’re going to pack in as much fun as we can! Adios! Hasta luego…

Unfortunately, there has not been much noticeable progress on our adoption since our original blog post on “Praying for Baby Babcock”. But we hope that’s about to change! Here is the latest news:

Tomorrow morning we are meeting with our attorney in Nicaragua and the Nicaraguan government agency in charge of adoptions (Mi Familia).

The purpose of this meeting is simply to explain our situation to Mi Familia, confirm that our dossier is in order, and to ask (or plead!) for the process to speed up. We may even bring pictures of Joseph and Josecito to really pull on their heartstrings!

To all of our faithful friends and prayer warriors, we’re asking you to please pray tomorrow around 8:00-9:00 a.m. Mountain Time. We’re asking God for favor with Mi Familia and for His guidance and wisdom — for us and the Mi Familia workers as they match us with Baby Babcock.

As always, thank you so much for your prayers, support, and encouragement. God bless.

It’s time to let your voice be heard! We’re asking you to decide on the next Missions Minded Video Podcast episode. It’s been awhile since our last one (the delay is either due to a Writers Guild labor dispute or just a case of writer’s block). So take a look at the choices and let us know which Discovery Channel or MTV-based “show” you’d like to see! Or if you have a better idea, select “Other” and leave a comment. We’ll announce the winner soon! Happy voting!

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During the week in Rivas with the Grace Church medical mission team we partnered with the local nursing school. And I had the opportunity — and great pleasure — to work with the nursing students. I worked with them on health education, supervised them giving injections, and taught them how to do urine and glucose tests. But my favorite part — by far – was talking to them about the importance of health education in their practices. This isn’t a surprise. I’ve always loved teaching nurses and nursing students. When I worked for Dr. Engelman in South Carolina I volunteered to train the new people each time a new nurse came to work at the office. It’s one of those things for me; even though it’s more work, I don’t mind at all because I love it so much.

March was so jam-packed with mission trips and ministry opportunities (and a little basketball too…Go Tar Heels!), that “Field Notes” took a month off. But it’s back with a double issue for March and April!  Read about our “Semana Santa” with Joseph and Tito, the Grace Church medical mission trip, and the conference in Costa Rica for ministries serving women in the commercial sex industry. Plus check out the latest praise reports and prayer requests in the March/April “Field Notes”! (page 1, page2)

Thank you for reading –- and thank you for supporting the ministry! Que Dios le bendiga.

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1. I was mentoring someone a few months ago and we were reading the book of Nehemiah together. “Visioneering” is basically a life application study of Nehemiah.
2. Of course the study on Nehemiah reminded me of “Visioneering”, which I first read in college and still have a copy of at my parents’ house, so I picked it up when we were at home in the fall.
3. A friend of mine sent me a copy of “Visioneering” out of the blue very soon after this. Now I have two. (By the way, if you need a copy, send me a note and I’ll give you the paperback version.)
4. We’re coming up on the 9th anniversary of when I first read “Visioneering” (I found some old notes I took from the book with the date on them.) It was extremely influential in my life. In fact, I would say that God directly used it to prepare my heart and my mind for cross-cultural missions, life and ministry in Costa Rica and Nicaragua!
5. Amber and I have a big decision to make in the next six weeks — a fork in the road that will determine the next several years of our lives. We’re earnestly seeking God about His vision for us. I can’t think of a better resource for seeking God’s vision than the Bible (especially the book of Nehemiah) and a “Nehemiah workbook” like “Visioneering”.

God, I think I’m catching on to your hints now; I’ll start reading ASAP!

Are there any other fans of “Visioneering” out there? I’d love to hear your thoughts on the book as I begin re-reading it.