Where are Randy, Tori, and Timo?

This has been another fast paced amazing week in America for Randy, Tori, and Timothy. They returned to Fort Worth (our American home) from Lubbock Monday evening. Tuesday was a full day of reconnecting with the local Brooks boys! (My sister's 2 sweet boys) Payton and Benjamin spent the day playing at my parent's house with Tori and Timo and having fun with Uncle Randy! Tuesday evening, the Brooks, Randy, Tori, and Timo, together with my parents went to a Jump House where I am told that Tori had so much fun that she told Aunt Becky, "I'll be coming back here for the rest of my life!" A jump house is a large warehouse with lots of bounce houses inside of it and Tuesday night, apparently no one was there except for my family and Becky said they were playing very loud praise music! How Fun!! After bouncing to complete exhaustion and drenched in their own sweat, they went for ice cream! Unfortunately, everyone forgot their cameras!

Wednesday, Randy called me from Target! The kids were taking naps at my mom's house and he was having so much fun, of course, walking the aisles of Target. We talked for almost an hour as he pushed his basket and gathered the things on our list! He even let me hear the sounds of "It's the most wonderful time of the year" as he walked the Christmas aisle!!! One of our favorite things to do is go to Target together and living in Benin has given us such an appreciation for this great store! I loved sharing the experience with him via cell phone!! Tori and Timothy also had a free visit to a pediatric dentist office on this day, courtesy of Monica Head who is a dear friend but who feels a lot more like family. She is my sister in-law Kendra's sister! She cleaned Tori's teeth and the Dentist even found a small cavity and filled it on the spot. God is so good to provide for our family in so many ways!!!

Wednesday evening Randy spoke as a part of a panel of other visiting missionaries at Richland Hills. I so wish I could have been a part of that, even just to be there in the audience and get to listen to them all speak. I am told that Randy did a wonderful job sharing about our life experiences and the amazing ways that we get to see God work in Benin. Most amazing of all that God could, and has used us...We are sinful, flawed people who have had the opportunity to take the Words of Christ into receptive villages, speaking a language that is not our own, and these dear people have heard it and received it in great numbers...that is God and that is amazing! Tori also had the opportunity to speak to the 4 year old class last night about her life and they were able to ask her some questions. My sister sat in the class while Tori spoke and shared with me this morning some of the precious things that she said. This was such a blessing for me to hear about! Maybe Becky will post more about that experience...hint hint Becky!!

I am writing this and not Randy because his schedule has been so full of activity that when I spoke with him this morning, he had not yet unpacked from Lubbock and he was packing again because they were about to leave for my parent's ranch in Baird. The ranch is such a fun and peaceful place and I am so looking forward to hearing about his time there. Saturday is the opening day of deer season and Randy will be out there Friday night with my Dad, brother Andy, and brother in-law Tony. My mom and sister will actually have the kids back in Fort Worth Friday night. I know these guys will have a great time hanging out together. Sam and Tim, I know they sure wish you guys could be there too!

Sunday is Tori's birthday and she will officially be eight years old, although she has already celebrated multiple times!! This has been a really special year. They will all be at the ranch on Sunday and not returning to Fort Worth until Monday evening. Next Wednesday is Randy's birthday!

Missionaries always have such full and crazy schedules when they are home on furlough and our time in America is certainly no exception. The perk is that our families usually do everything they can to come together and the time is such quality and conversations are so good. You get to the important stuff first! Furlough is certainly not a realistic view of normal American life, at least I don't think so! How would I know?