Only 12 more days!

Less than 2 weeks and we will be in 100 plus degree weather with 90 percent humidity! Yesterday we visited a monastery, for those of you who do not know, it is a buddhist temple. There is one on the corner of Quincy and 112th in Holland I think. We asked questions about the religion and practices as we prepare to enter their culture in a few weeks. The monk was very nice, but did not speak English fluently.  Josh responded to one of the monks answers with "oh, thats cool" and the Monk just laughs and replys "no, its going to be really hot!" The monk just kept laughing at us and saying how we as foriengers are going to visist during the hottest time of year.  Oh man, the Veltema sweat is really going to come out :)

We are getting excited, nervous, excited, and more nervous as we prepare for outreach. Monday night Josh and I spent time in a local Goodwill buying some outreach clothes, ones that we will be able to leave there due to sweat stains, and ware and tare from handwashing and no dyers. Of course on our way back to the base we had to stop at Safeway (a local grocery store) and pick up some ice cream.  The food at the base is getting old (not saying its bad) but sometimes I just miss eating whatever I want, and of course my sweets. So, Josh and I enjoyed some Mocha Almond Fudge ice cream. Many of the students on base think its so funny when Josh and I to get excited about "new" places like Safeway since many of the stores in Oregon are not in Michigan. We usually have five min conversations everytime we go somewhere asking "do you have this, we have this..." Also, we still have our Michigan acents. Soon its crazy to think that we all will have crazy accents trying to speak in Thai.

This week we had Dan Baumann's sister speak, Lis Cochrane.  Lis has been in YWAM
 for over 25 years. She has spent most of her time in India starting YWAM bases and many organziations. She is very dedicated to using Business as Missions, and is dedicated to providing jobs to people in order to raise money. Check out http://www.affirmglobal.com/, for more information. Also check out Pure Hope Pakistan for another project she is apart of. Lis talked about Missions and our calling this week and where it is found in the Bible and when it started.  Josh was super pumped about this week since it was a lot of history. We learned more facts about the unreached people group (a people group among where there is no indigenous community of believing Christians with adequate numbers and resources to evangelize itself) during a service on Thursday night. Josh and I could go on for hours about this!

Oh, update on the mustace: its gone! Josh won the "what stache" award.

Even in Oregon we get super excited about ice cream...