Jody in Nepal

Jody's off to Nepal!

I just got back from the airport, having dropped Jody off with a team of 11 from Southeast. He is heading on a mission trip from Nov 3-16 to serve alongside an organization called MountainChild at work in the remote areas of the Himalayas. We learned about the organization from our time spent in Korea, as our pastor who started LifeChurch in Korea, Jack Reid, also founded the organization.

Since Jody and I returned to the States and I have been working at Southeast, I was able to introduce MountainChild to the SE Missions/Outreach department. It has been a divine connection, and I'm thrilled to see how God has strengthened the growing partnership. I am sure it has everything to do with a mutual love of the mountains and the deep desire to see God's Kingdom expand to the most unreached of peoples.

In fact, these villages MountainChild is trying to reach really do bring a whole new meaning to the word 'remote.' For some of these peoples, it takes a long bus ride from Kathmandu to a stopping point, and then several days trekking just to get to some of these villages. Incredible. I love MountainChild, and I'm so glad my husband is up for the adventure!

We started marketing the trip at Southeast back in May/June, and I knew from the very beginning that Jody had to go. I mean, it includes all his favorites:

Jesus.
Our friends from Korea who are living in Nepal.
Friends here in Colorado.
Hiking/Trekking.
Mountains.
Did I mention mountains?

Mid-July he made the commitment, and we began the process of preparing him for this trip. God was incredibly faithful, and Jody was able to raise all the support he needed, including covering the cost of the equipment he needed for trekking (though he had a lot of what he needed already from our various adventures over the years). We are humbled and grateful for everyone who has stepped up to support us. We thank you all from the bottom of our hearts!

I am very excited about this trip from a professional and a personal standpoint (in ministry it's really hard to separate the professional from the personal, because isn't it ALL personal?!), as the team will be doing several things. First, they will be constructing a bio-sand water filtration system at MountainChild's newly acquired School of Frontier Missions right outside Kathmandu (seen in picture below).

Then, the team will be trekking into the remote village of Gatlang to assess the needs of a clean water facility there, as well as do an assessment of any other long-term needs there. Thirdly, there will be a soccer camp for the children in the slums of Kathmandu, using awesomely indestructible soccer balls that we purchased from One World Futbol Project.

As always, our heart and MountainChild's mission is that through such tasks as providing clean water, hygiene and sanitation training, and ultimately through all of MountainChild's 5 CORE ISSUES (Health, Education, Trafficking, Child Labor, and the Environment), that the Gospel might be preached and the name of Jesus would be heard and proclaimed to people that have never heard of Him!

Here's a few glimpses of the awesomely precious faces they'll see when they trek in to Gatlang.

Please be praying for Jody and for the team. And for me and the dogs and chickens... that we don't get too lonely around here. ;)

Succulents: Embracing the Desert

Though I was born in Colorado, my 'growing-up' years were spent in Virginia. Lush, beautiful, green Virginia. And I went to William & Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia.

So when I think of a garden, I think of this:

This picture is actually of the John Blair Garden in Colonial Williamsburg, a place where I spent hours and hours during college. I miss it a lot.

Especially since last weekend was Homecoming Weekend. I miss you, girls.

Anyway, since living in Colorado I have had to embrace a new kind of beauty. The desert kind of beauty, which is browner. Much, much browner. But beautiful nonetheless. And it's not all brown. There is one genre of plant that I have come to love a great deal: succulents.

They look like this:

They are unique in that they store most of the moisture in their stems and leaves in order to survive in more arid climates. And Colorado is definitely more arid than Virginia. :)

So I was on Pinterest last year, and I saw the most glorious project ever: a succulent wreath tutorial here. I was in shock and awe, and I decided immediately that I needed to do this project.

Apparently, you can cut a bit of the succulent plant off (which is then called a "cutting" or a "clipping") and this piece of the plant can then be placed in soil and can develop roots and become another fully stable and healthy plant. Incredible! I'd never heard of that before.

So I began the process of snagging a few succulent plants from Ikea, and over the next year, my succulents began to grow big enough that I could start taking a few clippings without killing the whole plant.

This was my experience with making a wreath:

1. Finding clippings was harder than I thought, especially clippings that are colorful and vibrant and diverse. It was also more expensive than I thought. I didn't have immediate access to a garden full of free succulents that I can get clippings from. So it took me longer to accumulate a variety of succulents to move forward. In fact, it took me about a year. And probably $50-75, if I'm really honest.
2. Each component/ingredient listed on the blog posting I found to be necessary to successfully complete the project. Perhaps others are more 'craft-savvy' than I am, but I honestly wanted to succeed, so I don't know how I would have done it without each key component.
1. Metal wreath frame - I needed both "sides" to contain the moss.
2. Sphagnum moss - I needed two bags. Three bags might have been fine if I wanted a very full frame.
3. Floral wire - It was very helpful for wrapping the moss around the frame. Mine was bright green, but it does "hide" under the moss, so it's not noticeable.
4. Floral pins - This helped hold the clippings to the moss. An absolute necessity for me. One bag was sufficient.
5. Rooting hormone - I had a year's worth of time to "test" this out on a bunch of clippings. I do believe it does make a difference. I think it cost $5-7 at a nearby nursery, but a little goes a long way.
6. Clippings - As I said earlier, you need a LOT of clippings to make a well-rounded, eye-catching wreath. I thought I had a lot of clippings, and when it was all said and done, my wreath didn't look at all as cool as the picture. Ha! So you do need a lot of diverse clippings to make a fun wreath.
3. Never trust bloggers when they say a project costs $10 and it took them an hour to do while their kiddo was down for a nap. As much as I'd like to say that, it was not true for me. It was more expensive, and it took a couple of hours - at least to do it WELL. The moss doesn't like to stay in the wreath. It was messy and unruly. I did eventually tame it, but it took longer, and somehow it still didn't look like the tutorial. Ha!
4. The tutorial was nonetheless helpful. I won't throw the baby out with the bathwater. The tutorial was helpful. It's a great place to start. Check out the links. Do your research. Go to Hobby Lobby and to your local nursery. And - if you want some cool clippings - I've seen some great ones on Etsy. 

This is how mine looked when it was done. Give it 6 months to a year. Hopefully it will be fuller and more vibrant. I may even add another clipping or two if I see a fun one. I've heard the lifespan of a succulent wreath is ~5 years. We'll see how it looks in a year or two!

And with the extra succulents I had, I filled in this pot below. Both the wreath and the pot will remain inside during the cold winter months while they take root. I'll be doing some research to see how succulents handle the cold, especially as a potted plant. My guess is that they're hardy plants, but not so hardy they could handle sub-freezing temperatures.

Jump on board the succulent plant bandwagon. They're so much fun! 

It's so true!

In the past few years, Jody and I have grown in our desire to make small steps towards self-sustainability. We recognize our limitations, as we live in what feels very much like a city-suburb.

Nonetheless, we know there are a few changes we can make to move towards shrinking the gap between us and the food we eat.

And then we saw this video. Hilarious.

  

 

What makes it so hilarious is that it is so true! Our minds naturally move in that direction, and what seemed preposterous a few years ago seems so normal now.

I never would have imagined a few years ago that I would have chickens....

Who knows? Check back with us in a few years, and we might just be living on a farm in the middle of nowhere. :)

Celebrating the gift of marriage

Last Sunday, Jody and I celebrated six years of marriage. I can't believe it. On the one hand, it has been the greatest gift and joy ever. On the other hand, it has been a tough six years.

I am so grateful for my husband. Jody is a gift from God, and I truly do love him more and more every day. He serves, sacrifices sleep and comfort and works so hard. But most importantly, he strives to obey the Lord in everything.

I could not ask for more.

Our wedding date six years ago was Saturday, August 25, 2007. And unlike anyone we had heard of at the time, we decided that we would wash each other's feet during the wedding ceremony. We felt - and still do feel - that marriage is best described with one word: servant, and Jesus best explained that Kingdom principle to His disciples in John, chapter 13, by washing their feet.

And while we had mentally prepared ourselves for the actual process, we didn't realize how cumbersome it would be during the wedding ceremony. Untying shoe laces. Taking off socks. Wetting and then drying the feet. Then trying to put the socks back on after you wet and dried the feet. Then we had to switch places! It took a lot more time than we thought. I felt so clumsy in my huge dress.

And everybody was watching.

Six years later, I realize now more than I did then that the footwashing during our ceremony truly is a perfect metaphor for marriage. :)

Life with Jody is wonderful, and I am truly blessed. But marriage can be hard and messy... and with social media and life in ministry, I am realizing how people are watching Jody and me to see how we will handle the stresses of life.
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Jody decided we should celebrate our anniversary with a wonderful surprise trip to Snooze, a breakfast joint in downtown Denver. It was so much fun to get out of our little bubble and to make the trip downtown. We never go into the city, it feels like, so I really enjoyed the novelty of a new area and, of course, the good food!

Then, Jody surprised me even more with such a great gift - the first three seasons of my current favorite show, Downton Abbey. The package was waiting at our door when we got back from Denver. I was so excited that I squealed and squealed and jumped up and down with excitement. It truly was not on my radar; I had no idea what he had up his sleeve.

Jody's response to my response was: "You didn't get this excited when I proposed." Hahaha!

And now, as I look to Year #7 of marriage to Jody, I am reminded of my calling as his wife - to submit to him, as I submit to the Lord and to pray for him.

I praise God for you, Jody Been!

Moving Outside!

I get several questions about the chickens on an almost hourly basis. So, despite the busyness of life, I did not want to fail to provide an update. Ha!

We purchased our coop from a lady on Craiglist and picked it up last month. It's made of reclaimed wood and should house 6-8 hens. It has several roosting polls, a large door for easy access and cleaning, a door and ramp for the hens, a window for ventilation, and a door on the opposite side to access the nesting boxes  to get the eggs. Overall we have found the coop to be a huge success. We love it!

For the run, we decided to go with a chain link dog run, plastic corrugated roofing and hardware cloth / mesh around the base and open spots. The chain link dog run we got off of Craigslist, as well. It's 6'x10', which is the average amount of space recommended for six hens. For the safety of the hens, we dug a foot deep and ran the hardwire cloth (2' total in height) around the base of the run. We also put a slanted roof on - for complete protection and so the snow and rain will flow right off. 

All last week Jody worked hard to put everything together. We made several trips to Home Depot for odds and ends, and last Saturday while I was at work, Jody finished everything up. He made this awesome waterer that will keep the hens' water clean.

The food container is nothing special - just a suspended container we were able to pick up from Murdochs - but it seems sufficient thus far.

Jody constructed this dusting box (pictured below on the left), made of diatomaceous earth and sand, for the girls to take dust baths in. We'll see if they use it.

With everything in order (as far as we could anticipate without really knowing what we're doing!), we felt confident that we could transition the chickens from the brooder in our laundry room into their new home. 

They moved out last weekend. 

Jody did such and incredible job! We are both tired, but we are thoroughly enjoying watching them as they explore their new place. :) Hopefully all the research and hard work is going to pay off. 

Feel free to stop by and visit! The chickens LOVE visitors! :) 

Oh, and we're still accepting name suggestions.

Week 2 with the chicks

Here's a video of the chickens from this past week. Hilarious creatures. Growing like weeds. :)

Still Exploring

Time is passing quickly these days! I cannot believe that July is almost over, and August is upon us. So much is happening that it's hard to stay afloat.

The front door is wide open. It rained slowly and steadily a fair amount in the last 24 hours, so it's clear and cool outside. 

Right now, Eu-mi is sleeping in her crate (exhausted from yesterday's hike), and Penny is chilling here in the living room with me. The baby chicks are in the back room, doing their chicken things. :) Don't worry, I'll post pictures soon. Jody is visiting a church member in the hospital. And I am home, enjoying the quiet. The house is mostly clean, the laundry is mostly done... dinner has not been done yet... but I am just resting. It's great. I am so grateful for time to just be.

Recently, I have been attempting to be better about posting pictures and updates from our world, so here are some pictures from a hike we took near Sedalia (south and west of us by about 30 minutes) two weeks ago. 

It was a lovely hike, full of greenery and wildflowers. For all of us - Jody, me and the pups - it was so refreshing to get out of the city feel and into the mountains. On this trip, all I could think of was how green everything was. How strong the smell of pines was, filling the air. How the aspens rustled in the breeze... and how quiet it was besides that sound. 

This was at the start of the hike. Usually Jody leads the way, and the pups follow him, stopping occasionally to sniff at something that catches their attention. I am last in our posse, making sure the dogs are okay, and that their leashes have not gotten stuck on any stump or in between some rocks. Plus, I like to snap pictures along the way. :) When I've gotten the picture I want, I usually have to race and catch up to Jody (aka Speedy Gonzales).

On this day, in particular, the sky was a beautiful blue and the sun was shining, and a light breeze had picked up. It really was the perfect day for a hike in the foothills. And for both of us, it was so enjoyable to visit an area that is new to us. We've never visited the small, quaint town of Sedalia before; neither had we explored the foothills behind it.

Our trail

This was our first good view of the surrounding area. It is a highly wooded area and trail, which kept the temperature down but also kept us from getting a good idea of the surrounding country. 

There were flowers everywhere. Beautiful, varied wildflowers of all colors. I tried to get pictures of several of them, as the areas that we have hiked don't usually show this much color. So lovely!

And then it was time to put up our hammocks. Our "portable Sabbaths," as Jody likes to call them, are our intentional retreat from a busy, fast-paced world. We take our hammocks up to the mountains, follow a trail until we see a good spot off the beaten path, and then we set them up, secure the dogs, and grab our books, snacks, water... and then we chill. We might read, eat, sleep, pray, or just listen to the sound of the wind moving through the trees. It's heavenly.

If you don't have a portable Sabbath, Jody and I would highly recommend that you invest in one. For us, it's our way of purposely choosing to living contrary to the world's value of speed, task and productivity. It's like choosing not to have a Smartphone. It's intentional. And it's wonderful. We can return to our busy lives of ministry with clear minds and hearts.

This is my view, as I lay in my hammock. Look at that beautiful Colorado sky. 

Or... this is my view. Just a wooded area in the foothills. Nothing special. But what's incredible is that Jody and I were laying in our hammocks as several groups passed us by in our hammocks as they were hiking on the trail. And, as far as we could tell, they had absolutely no idea we were there. I don't know about you, but I find that kind of crazy.

How many times do I pass people or situations, completely unaware of them or what's going on, because I'm so busy or absorbed in what I'm doing? So over-stimulated that I can't process another bit of information?

We set up the wienie dogs on a little blanket, with some water... Most of the time they're cool with the situation. Other times, they whine to be acknowledged or brought up onto our laps in the hammocks. Wienie dogs don't like to be left out, you understand. They're social critters.

I do love 'em, though! 

And I'm grateful for dogs that love a good adventure and are always game for another trail. And, bless their little hearts (and legs), they'll go as far as they physically can handle. Sometimes we have to pick 'em up and carry them, but they certainly try to hold their own. :)

An aspen

We are working our way through a book that has several hikes near the Denver metro area, and this hike was on it. So far, so good. We loved the trail and loved exploring an area new to us!

They're growing!

We have had the baby chickens for one week now. In that week we have learned that baby chicks largely do not need much. 

Food.

Water.

Heat.

We add the electrolyte mix to the water to help them. And the grit to aid in digestion. But largely, they are fine. They do chicken things.

Peck.

Scratch.

Dig.

Sleep.

Flap their fledgling wings.

Eat.

Drink.

And more pecking, scratching and digging. :) 

It's hilarious to watch them!

They are growing every day. And quickly. So quickly, in fact, that Jody and I have begun to chronicle their growth before it's too late.

We also wanted to catch a quick video of them eating out of Jody's hand. Enjoy!