We began the week last Saturday (Don’t worry, I know the week really begins on Sunday. Just giving you a little back story.) with a wonderful missionary family joining us for an informal meal of pizza and salad. The Karamitros family have been in China for ten years. They have five grown children. And they were such a blessing! Mrs. Karamitros was especially encouraging to me in the area of homeschooling. She was a mechanical engineer for Lockheed Martin before she and her husband began deputation. She commented that she has a personal mission of encouraging girls not to be intimidated by math and science. She gave me some sound advice regarding science curricula. It was so nice to chat with them. They were with us for the morning service at church, but had to scoot on over to another nearby church for the evening service.

Sunday afternoon, just as I was stumbling toward the coffee pot after a short nap, I noticed that a van was parked down at the church. Two very well dressed people, a man and a woman, were inside the building. I figured they were missionaries or passers-by who were looking for a church to attend while they were in town. I ran to where my husband was lying on the floor, reading. I whispered to him so as not to waken the girls sleeping nearby, “There’s someone at the CHURCH.” He hopped up, flipped on the light in the kitchen and stood in font of the window to see who it was. I was next to him. The two people were now beside their vehicle, they looked up at us! They saw us through the window! EEK! At this point, I was very embarrassed. They waved at us and Terry said, “That’s Brian and Dixie Wagahoff.” I ran out the door, down the sidewalk in my sock feet and embraced my childhood friend. I hadn’t laid eyes on her in almost three years! I hadn’t seen her kids in over nine! She had a daughter I’d never met (and the ones I had met were too young to remember me) and I’d had three children she’d never met. It was so wonderful to see her, to catch up, to meet her children. It had been too long.

They went to church with us that night and spent the night in our church’s missions house. They sang a special for us that blessed my heart. They ate supper at our house and we stayed up visiting – and the children playing – until the wee hours of the morning. We rose late on Monday morning and visited with them that day. We caught up on people we knew and most interestingly, they told us in vivid detail about the Joplin tornado. They survived it in the basement of their church. They showed us photos from their phones, described the wind, the fear, the noise, the damage…I just can’t thank the Lord enough for keeping my friends safe! It also helps me know how to pray for them as they heal emotionally, and they are still healing. It was devastating for them, especially for the kids. I have a new respect for tornadoes after hearing their story.

 They pulled away from our house to head back to Missouri at 4:30. I was sad to see them go, but so grateful at the same time. They had come down to see Dixie’s dying grandfather before he left this world of sorrow. They had to drive a bit further to see us; they had to go out of their way, and I’m so glad they did. Terry said after they left that their visit refreshed his soul. I agree. And the kids? Well, they had a marvelous time playing together! There aren’t many kids around here, so having four extra kids to play with was truly a gift from the Lord.

Here are a few photos I snapped right before they left.

All of that was on Monday. It made the rest of the week rather dull. No surprise visits, nothing spectacular going on. In fact, we had to start school up this past week. We had intended to start back the week of New Year’s, but many of us were sick. Lauren had a cold, I was getting over one, and Mitchell had a cough. I just postponed everything for one more week.

We started back on Tuesday. Each day has been long, like walking in slow motion. None of us are too eager to start back on….math!!! I hate math. No, I despise math. Math is my nemesis, and I refuse to let it defeat me! But I still hate it. We trudged through each day, somehow, and came out alive at the end. I am hoping that now that we’re back in our school routine, next week will go smoother.

I hope.

Other than just dragging, the week was blissfully uneventful. We read books, we played, we worked. No injuries, no illnesses, no devastating news. For this, I’d like to praise the Lord. Each day we are in His hands and we need His help whether the sun is shining or a tornado is blowing.

A few more photos from the week: