Renewed Vigor in Purpose and Passion

I have been away at a training course in Orlando, FL as my husband and I prepare to transport our whole lives to Cameroon, Africa.  It will be about two years before we get there, which is giving us a LOT of time to learn to trust in God and his provision.  However, we are OFFICIALLY missionaries with Wycliffe Bible Translators supporting bible translations for minority languages through the arts, theatre, and music.  If you don't already know what we are up to in this side of things visit www.gentlerevolutions.org to keep updated with us on that side of things!  Here are just a few pictures of the beautiful Wycliffe:

Isn't this gorgeous?  Phillip Shipley, a fellow missionary, took these amazing photos.  If I had any fears about not having family oversees, this trip reassured me that God always provides abundantly for our needs-and that includes providing family overseas.  I can honestly say that the 43 missionaries, young and old, that I met are now some of my great friends and new family.  I have never felt happier, more at peace, and full of purpose for the kingdom of God than I do now.

Another part of life that makes me really excited is cooking and walking with my husband.  The most joyous moments in life happen when we are creating fun, healthy meals together in the kitchen.  We have gotten in this habit of trying to get at least 10,000 steps a day.  Much of our work with Wycliffe right now involves sitting in a chair in front of the computer, so this is actually pretty hard to achieve sometimes.  But we were doing really great and I figured with the holidays just around the corner, bumping the step requirement up to 12,000 would be a fun and much needed challenge-with all the festivities upon us!  This has forced us to take long walks in the morning and evenings in addition to our work outs and it is beneficial for so many reasons.  It allows us to unwind together, to meditate in the midst of nature, to have intimate discussion and talk over what is running through our minds day in and day out.  As a result, we are communicating really well and have down time together that keeps us sane when our work load seems overwhelming.  How do we keep track of steps?  This little baby: my beloved fitbit.

So I have a challenge for you:  get in BETTER shape this month and in December.  Instead of trying to stay the same throughout all the holiday cheer, make it a point to progress!  Don't forget to have a treat every once and a while, but find new joy in healthfulness, in both diet and exercise!  Here's to the beginning of a great holiday season!