love does.

I just read this little gem...

If you haven't already read it, I would highly recommend picking yourself up a copy.  You won't regret it :)

The book is reminder to love deeply and to love well.  To fully engage in this beautiful life that we have been given.  That our words are powerful and that encouragement makes the world of a difference.  That I want to leak Jesus and love out of an overflow of what the Lord has done in my heart.

Here's a little bit of goodness from the book...

"He's asking us, 'Will you take what you think defines you, leave it behind, and let Me define who you are instead?'"

"There is only one invitation it would kill me to refuse, yet I'm tempted to turn it down all the time.  I get the invitation every morning when I wake up to actually live a life of complete engagement, a life of whimsy, a life where love does.  It doesn't come in an envelope.  It's ushered in by a sunrise, the sound of a bird, or the smell of coffee drifting lazily from the kitchen.  It's the invitation to actually live, to fully participate in this amazing life for one more day.  Nobody turns down an invitation to the White House, but I've seen plenty of people turn down an invitation to fully live."

...

And here is one of my favorite pictures from the week...

Carolina and Yazmin's little baby :)  He is absolutely precious!

full heart.

Sometimes I start feeling restless if I can't just jump in a car and drive somewhere with good music and a large cup of coffee.  It's a little more difficult living somewhere where I don't have a car and where, even if I did, I'd be scared half to death to actually drive it.  So yesterday, instead of hopping in a car with a large cup of coffee, I grabbed my ipod and caught a bus to Jaibon, a place that always has this special way of making my soul feel more alive.  

I sat in the kitchen with a dear friend while she made lunch for her family and I curled up in a chair with coffee in my favorite mug and we talked about life and what had happened the past couple of weeks.  I made the familiar walk up the long, dirt road that leads to the orphanage and hugged precious little ones that have stolen my heart and spent time with the older boys who have grown up so much and remembered a time I treasure when I used to live there too.  

And by the time I got back on the bus to head home, my heart felt so full.  I found myself staring out the bus window, with a smile on my face that I couldn't hide.  Some moments when things are really hard and I'm missing people from my other home, I forget how much of a gift it is to live here... but in other moments, I can't contain my smile because I'm so blessed to be here and walk through life with these incredible people.  So there I sat on the bus, all by myself, staring out the window, with a silly smile pasted on my face. 

And it was even more refreshing than my own car and a large cup of coffee.

...

Here's a glimpse of life around here...

 Ari, one of the twins, who has grown up SO much!  Ari's tooth has now grown in, so unless you know their personalities extremely well, it's even harder to tell them apart :)

One day last week school was dismissed early and all of our students ran out of the gates in one giant stampede.  This picture was taken after the running stopped :)

Coco sent us Starbucks packets to make pumpkin spice lattes... we were more than excited!

Carolina and I at the house.

Celebrating the birthdays of two very special women :)

Jochi

Jonel... trying to get Dobi to look at the camera.

...

Loving these words...

"He performs wonders that cannot be fathomed, miracles that cannot be counted."

Job 9:10

around here...

Friends from the completely opposite side of the island came to visit!


 Ari and Yessica... two incredibly special girls.

Ari... SO grown up!

We taught emotions at school last week... this is definitely the best "scared" face.

Francisco Javier :: our 2nd grade English class.

Ronny and Jose... Ronny's smile might be my favorite toothless grin right now :)