Wednesday, February 9, 2011

Snowing Again!

Winter has hit Arkansas in force this year!  This is our 3rd snow this winter and it is a dandy! Fortunately, we are home, we have electricity, and have no where we need to be! Being an "adult" it is hard to admit that I still fight the urge to run out and go sledding.  I can picture me now standing at the top of a big hill waiting my turn in a line of 10 kids that are 1/2 my size and 1/3 of my age! It would be awesome!

Being young with snow on the ground are some of the best childhood memories!  I would stay outside with Tate Finkbeiner until we could not fill our hands or face.  When we reached our breaking point, you simply went home got some hot chocolate, loaded up on junk food, got your clothes out of the dryer and headed back out.  I bet on a snow day I walked 15 miles up and down hills. We inevitably wanted to build a ramp of some kind that usually was more hard work than the ramp was worth.

I was one of the fortunate ones who had a sled that you could steer.  I am still not really sure where mom and dad got it because you never see them for sale in AR, but it was an good one. Especially on ice! I could fly down a hill on ice!  I wonder if my parents still have the sled?

On another note, this week was Narcisse's Birthday!  So...we celebrated in style!  Lasagna and birthday cake!  Hard to beat.  My parents, the Smiths, Dina, and Theophile were all able to make it! Narcisse of course was excited and appreciative. He even told Theophile "not to be jealous" of all the attention and activities! It was a great time!

I am heading back to the Jungle in June.  I am really excited about the opportunity and adventure.  Plus I am co-leading with my buddy Lee.  This trip is unique and I have never been on a trip like this.  It is a relationship building mission.  Our church is the only church that is active along the Suriname River!  We have been going in for the past 8 years simply with medical teams to do a little evangelism and medical services, but this past Sept we built a permanet structure in the jungle for a missionary family to live in from our Church. They have been there for 2-3 months now and are really starting our ministry there.  This is where the trip comes in!  Our goal is to go and interact with the tribes along the river learning about their culture, history, and practices. We will also be planning future church trips and identifying needs and opportunities.  It is exciting being on the front line of a jungle church plant.  You really are on the front line of a spiritual war and it is an amazing place to be because God always shows up!  More to come on Suriname in the near future!

P90X update: I have already lost 10 lbs! in only 3 weeks!  I am in a rest and recovery week thankfully!  only 8 more  weeks to go!


 Birthday Boy!  The Big 21!


Landon Michael Smith decided to join the party!


Wonderful cook and host!


This picture just makes me laugh.

Narcisse wanted to wear everything he got!

Tory and I bought Landon this outfit! Love the frog!

Home Office! Look at the snow in the background!

1 comment:

  1. Hi Mark and Tory! It just started to flurry here, but they've already closed the schools early. Joan is up in Bentonville and she said it's pretty snowy there. :) Sledding sounds fun, I'd go!

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