the benefits of less friendships

what i have entered into is the awareness of an "away" home and a "home" home. here now, my circle of friendships in waterloo is dim and very small. on any given weekend i may experience the company of my texan friends for a day or maybe even less than that. the waterloo house's company may be all that exists for that weekend outside my family. part of me feels it is necessary to check my pulse and see if i am truly alive. the contexts are extremely different. if i am not careful with which mentality to have at the moment i could get lost in a desire to experience the fellowship i once had very prevalently and be left to disappointment. being here the mentality should be, "you have friends, you just don't know them yet," and with it a chance to be me all the while start over on those character flaws i felt so strongly to terminate back home. in the meantime (which is not to say or suggest is less important or uneventful) i am able to spend massive quantitative time with my boys and beautiful wife. to my advantage in order to find quality i must go through quantity when it comes to family. perhaps this is why so many family members seem to miss a quality language with their other members due to them not wanting to spend quantitative time. my heart leaps for joy when i read a text that my wife is on the early train home for the day. i love pulling up to dutch's school and seeing his face light up to see me...then quickly i give him a banana for the ride home. i sing praises when titus and i are able to go for a quick afternoon stroll around our area after lunch. and even as the sunlight pounds my windows flooding my living room with light i begin to see that i love both quality and quantity just the same with my family.

redeeming slave girls

i had to share this email i received today. it blessed me tremendously.

Greetings from Asha Nepal
How are you? Praise the Lord God and His Son Jesus Christ who has given us true salvation as well as freedom in Him from our bondages of sins. We are so much privileged to help sexually exploited women and their children. We are honored for your partnership and support. Please be praying for Madhu as she is getting married with a man in south Nepal on February 7th. Madhu was sold in brothels and had to stay there for about 10 years as sex slave. She got HIV there. We had rescued her and given her sewing training. Now she is getting married and they are planning to have a tailoring shop after they get married. The man who is getting married is aware about madhu and her past life. But he is so much happy to marry her. It is Jesus working, not us. Because of Him

Bimala and Asha Nepal family

very touching and very encouraging that redemption is taking place as you read this.