demolition time...

It is remodel time here at YWAM LA! There used to be a mailroom, bookstore and bathrooms here but in a weeks time through the efforts of all of our base staff and students...it's gone. I had taken some great shots of the walls falling down and us (yes me, too) actually working on this demolition but I accidently formatted the pics on my camera and lost them all! But here are a few of my favorite workers, Reid and his good buddy Aidan, working hard on what we call "The wall that wouldn't die."

Look how hard he is working and after a full day of school, too! I will tell you that the next day, a Saturday, he was right back out there working on the wall again. We are in a new phase of our building plan. This will soon become our new bathrooms and cafe.
Look at the determination on Reid's face. aaawww!

How quickly we can tear something down, yet to build up takes so much longer....Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing. I Thessalonians 5:11

A day to give thanks!

Mikal arrived home on Monday, the 20th! I woke up, in tears. I went to bed in tears. Just grateful to have him home, I really am. Here are some pictures of the moments leading up to his Welcome Back reception!

First thing we see are trucks and more trucks being unloaded with all their bags of stuff. You know his things are there, somewhere. The excitement is mounting. And then....

The buses begin to roll in...five of them, 200 marines returning from duty! Coming home from war..here they come..you can hear the shouts!

I look over at my daugher-in-law, Heather, her face says it all.

aaaww, there he is!

A beautiful smile, he is happy to be home!

we are happy, so happy he is back! What do we do, we go eat! He drives like he still driving in a convoy, that's ok, eventually we got there, I can't remember what i ate, all I know is he was at the table!

I wonder...

I wonder if it's normal for my heart to break so much for the guys we work with. Leaving jail tonight, how could my heart not break. I pray and ask God to break my heart with the things that break His. So here I am. Why am I surprised?
I wonder, what does hope look like. I googled hope. I found this picture. I wonder why does hope look a lot like surrender? Is it because when we surrender, that is when we receive hope, I think so. It looks so easy, doesn't it? I wonder why, we make it so hard? Tonight was a good night, I saw hope tonight.

so close

Mikal leaving for Iraq the first time in 2004. His first tour of duty has come and gone, and now he is wrapping up his second. I can breathe again. Whether I like to admit it or not, somewhere in the back of mind, I'm holding my breath. He is days away from his return, he will celebrate his 22nd birthday in Fallujah tomorrow. Happy birthday, son! His little brother prayed morning and night, faithfully for his platoon and for his brother. What dedication for an 8 year old, a 9 year old and now a 10 year old! I know Mikal will never be the same, and I know Reid will remember praying for his brother day in and day out while he was at war, asking time to time "did he call?" I don't know how I've gotten so lucky...I just know I have. This is just our story, but there are so many more, friends still there, in harms way....so we will pray and know that there are many just like us holding their breath, waiting for the day.