Basketball Education

The boys are playing basketball this year for our church team... when they learned a new offensive play in practice last week, they had to show us...

And our salad was close at to use for people, basketball and hoop.  (And no, we didn't reuse it for the meal!)

Trying to understand...

The set-up

The SCORE!!

One Of My Favorite Songs Right Now...

Everyone needs compassion, 
A Love that's never failing
Let mercy fall on me
Everyone needs forgiveness,
A Kindness of a savior 
The Hope of nations

(Chorus:)
Saviour, 
He can move the mountains,
My God is mighty to save,
He is mighty to save
Forever, 
Author of salvation,
He rose and conquered the grave
Jesus conquered the grave
So take me as you find me
All my fears and failures
Fill my life again
I give my life to follow
Everything I believe in
Now I surrender

(Chorus:)
Saviour, 
He can move the mountains,
My God is mighty to save,
He is mighty to save
Forever, 
Author of salvation,
He rose and conquered the grave
Jesus conquered the grave

(Bridge:)
Shine your light and let the whole world see
We're singing, for the glory of the risen king,
Jesus Shine your light and let the whole world see
We're singing for the glory of the risen king

Random Chinese Moments.

The last-last assembly was quite the dive... Sam (our guitarist) was finishing the last camp recap video and wasn't there to lead.  Somehow, someway I was recruited for leading the singing.  

Hmmmmm.....

I'll just say it was the most unique and scary assembly of all.  

Here's David's reaction...

Here is our leader with a most manly swim cap...

Jason 

A fellow Iowan, James

Not sure what to say about this... except that if you've not seen the week recap from week 4 with this little production in it, you are missing out!!

If you like this... I'll post more random moments in the near future.

Can you tell I've been thinking of a far off land a lot lately?!?!

"I want to go back..."

This is one of my most vivid memories from China this summer....

It was late Friday morning.  The last-last day of the summer.  I rode back with the kids to their orphanage in the little van.  On my lap was little Peter John.  At three years old, with one of the cutest faces a child ever had, he didn't deserve to be at the cold, stiff government run place.  None of them did for that matter.

After the hour ride, they had all piled out of the vans and went directly to the cafeteria for their lunch.  I walked with Icy, the translator, and a little girl, Emma to where they were.  All the kids were gulping down their meager bowl of thin soup.  I was taking it all in.  Holding in my tears over my pain for their hurt.  One of the boys who had been at camp that week came over to me.  Grabbing my hand, he dragged me over to his little foursome table.  I knelt down beside him as he ate his lunch.  

He began asking me something over and over.  I couldn't understand so I asked Icy, "What is he saying?"

What I heard broke my heart... it still does...

He was saying, "Can I go back with you?"

- - - - 

That's why I'm going back.

At the Neighbors....

This morning I spent some time up at the neighbors watching their kids while Veronica ran some errands... Here's the little cuties!

I see a future for Elliot in spaghetti-eating-contests!

Lanora

The Bib-Kids

Emma 

Elliot and Russell

-- It's the good life -- 

Utter Delight.

SOOOOOOO - - - - -

YES....

I'm moving to China!

Thanks for all your fun responses to my surprising question!  I wish I could say that this dashing young man has swept me off my feet and is taking me off to a faraway place where we'll start a new life together... but no.  I have to tell you though, the thought did cross my mind to change my plans and move to some of those other places you suggested!   But --- you can't change where God calls you!

It's been an ever developing story - my involvement with China and BMH - but the climactic moment was about three days before I left China in August to come home.  David was talking about how God was showing 

him that he needed to move to China and start a children's ranch.  (Basically a foster home for orphans in China)  I had heard him talk about it before and had always thought that would be a fun thing to be a part of, but it didn't hit me 

like it did that afternoon.

As we sat with a couple other people in that small apartment room talking, I was overwhelmed by this peace that settled over me and God saying "You need to go".  From that moment on, I knew I was heading to home to tell my family I was going back.  

So, contrary to my utter sadness in leaving the country last year, not knowing when I would return, or even if ever, I got on that plane in Beijing with a resolution and peace in my heart that I would be back soon.  It was so exciting to come back and get the amazing support from my family with my decision!  And tho' it's probably gonna be one of the toughest things I ever attempted in my life, I am excited to see what God will do through it all!

As to what I'll be doing.... I - along with the other Americans who are going with me - will be starting - in a sense - my own little foster home.  It will be me, a Chinese intern, and two kids, ages 16-20.  We will be living together in an apartment in the general area of Kunming, China.  We will be settling in together after camp, somewhere around September first.  We will be there until December fifteenth.  (I coming home for Christmas!!!)  

During the three months we are together, we will be teaching the kids life skills, character building, devotions, English, relationship skills and more.  The goal is to provide them with the three most basic needs in life; Jesus, a family, and education.

It's gonna be an amazing time, not only with the kids and interns, but also with my American friends.  I know God has great plans and lessons to teach us all and I can't wait to see what He has in store.  

But this brings me to the sad part of leaving my family and friends my home country.  There will be lots of adjustments and I covet your prayers!  Also be praying for David and the others that will be on the team.  Pray that God will hand craft the group of people that should be a part of this first foster project.  Also being praying that God will provide the funds for me to live there for six months.  There are lots of little details to be put in order in the next nine months, but I know that the God who is writing this life story of mine is well able to provide!  One other thing you could pray about would be that of trying to learn the Chinese language a little better.  I've gotten a little beginners kit for speaking and reading Pinyin, but it is EXTREMELY OVERWHELMING and I get discouraged when I think of trying to master it.  I am just trying to get the tones and words soaked into my thick brain! ;)

Lastly, thanks to you all for the support and friendship you have offered me... I think also of you blogging friends out there who have been an encouragement to me.  I want you to know I appreciate your comments, emails, and prayers!  That's what helps to carry you when you are off in a foreign country alone.  I will be counting on you all to keep me up to speed on what happens around the homeland while I'm gone!  

Until then... I'm looking forward to getting back to here -

And doing lots more of this -  

: : : : 

:: And after he had seen the vision, immediately we endevoured to go into Macedonia, assuredly gathering that the Lord had called us for to preach the gospel unto them ::

Acts 16:10

An Announcement...

I have been trying to think of the best way to tell all of you friends out there some really big news...  and since I couldn't come up with anything great, I thought I would say it like this.

I'M MOVING.

(Can any of you who don't already know... guess where and why???)

Our Program...

Here's some pics from our little program we pulled off at the Kalona Fall Fest...

Wal-Mart Fun

David and I were talking today about completely work related things when he started telling me these random things to do in WalMart.  It was our comedic relief for the day!!!

Have you had yours???  

• Set all the alarm clocks in Housewares to go off at 5-minute 
  

intervals.

• Walked up to an employee and told her in an official voice, 
  

"Code 3 in Housewares. Get on it right away."

• Went to the Service Desk and tried to put a bag of M&M's on 
  

layaway.

• Moved a "CAUTION - WET FLOOR" sign to a carpeted area.
  

• Set up a tent in the camping department and told other 
  

shoppers he'd invite them in if they would bring pillows and blankets 
from the bedding department.

• When a clerk asked if they could help him he began crying 
  

and screamed, "Why can't you people just leave me alone?"

• Looked right into the security camera and used it as a 
  

mirror while he picked his nose.

• While handling guns in the hunting department, he 
  

asked the clerk where the antidepressants were.

• Darted around the store suspiciously while loudly humming 
  

the "Mission Impossible" theme.

•  Hid in a clothing rack and when people browsed through, 
  

yelled "PICK ME! PICK ME!"

• When an announcement came over the loud speaker, he 
  

assumed a fetal position and screamed "OH NO! IT'S THOSE VOICES AGAIN!"

BIG CHANGES!!

Hey Friends...

We have discontinued our 'iowatelecom' email addresses, but in the process failed to save everyone else's email address.

I you think that I had your email address before and you'd still like to hear from me... can you send it to my new account which is

nicolechmelar@gmail.com

Thanks!!

On the Subject of Humility

"Lord, my heart is not haughty, nor mine eyes lofty: neither do I exercise myself in great matters, or in things too high for me.  Surely I have behaved and quieted myself, as a child that is weaned of his mother: my soul is even as a weaned child.  Let Israel hope in the Lord from henceforth and for ever."

Psalm 131

* * *

- If I can try a little harder and do better why do I need God??