Love the memories.

We’re sort of back from our wonderful road trip! We still have Arizona to be in next week but after that we’re done! This is from when we first started ~ of course, I brought too much stuff. I packed for a month not thinking that people would be kind to let us use their washer and dryer. ( I can’t figure out how to align the pictures with the descriptions yet….)

As you can see in the second picture he took learning to “scoot” very seriously.

We visited the Liberty bell AND Benjamin Franklin! Can you even believe he is still alive and kicking!?

Clive had his Aunt Bailey to take care of him for a part of the trip ~ they both loved it! Bailey was a huge help to us in so many ways. Such a precious heart she has and I am so glad to have spent the time with her.

The trip was so good to us. We were so thankful to have been with all of you ~ you all made us feel so loved. Thank you for taking care of us, feeding us & asking the questions to make us feel loved. It was hard to say goodbye ~ that was something I actually forgot about before we began driving. I didn’t realize how hard that would be… but its just the way it is I guess. No easy way around it.

The Lord has been kind to me though. With all of this travel, boxes, suitcases, ziplock bags, hotels, I realized that in sort of a “fleshly” way, I’m getting even more excited about moving. I am excited to keep a home. :)

ps. I saw my old chair again today…. my friend is taking good care of her. She was so white, she almost looked shiny!

The guy at Walgreen’s – (yes, don’t go get them done “professionally” like my mom did and pay over 30$ dollars for them people! ) was so silly. He was the kind of person that didn’t give a hoot what people thought of him OR he was just one of those people that I call “unaware”. By the time Clive and I were done with getting these taken, he had sang at least three 80′s songs (loud), somehow got Clive’s finger in his mouth (ew) and offended another lady customer waiting in line. That was the fun part of the day. In the morning we waited in a very long line to get his birth certificate. Not as much fun. I thought maybe he could just take his morning nap in the stroller. I must have lost my marbles thinking such a thing. There were at least 4 other mom’s that had that same idea- except those babies were all crying. We waited 2 hours. There were 6 windows that could have been open, but on a monday morning – only 2. And then there was that 3rd mysterious window where you are wondering, “why isn’t she helping anybody?”. I was just hoping she would catch my eye at the time I wasn’t glaring at her, and see my agony and call me forth…. but alas, the 2 hours went slowly by. And then there was the gorilla sized guard that was yelling, “no credit cards!” – which was all I had. But of course we made it and lived to tell about it. If Clive wasn’t on his last shred of life when we walked out, I would have been a proud as a poppy walking past the line that was now as long as a block!

I am imagining this whole scene in Arabic right now….. :)

Here is my very favorite place to sit. A dear friend Emily & I would go and visit Ikea every now and then to look for comfy things for my room. We found this gem in the damaged section ~ can you even believe it? So this chair began when I began in California and ended with our move out of our apartment just a few days ago. I was glad to pass it along to a friend, but at the same time felt sad to let it go. Which sparked the process of letting “things” go…you know, the convicting material word, the one you heard all those sermons about growing up. Well, I am raising my hand today! I’ve found that things sneak up on you and are suddenly very meaningful, especially when they sneak up with memories. For some reason growing up, I’ve had this tendency to pretend that lots of inanimate objects are real. I remember making sure to eat all my cheerios in my bowl because I didn’t want the ones left to be lonely. I felt “bad” when the heavy snow broke off limbs of trees (no, not people) in the winter. Animals.. forget it. Extra strange, I know. So, the chair ~ back to the main subject. Why do I write about the chair? I’m writing to let you know that its hard to get rid of things. Simple as that. I have no spiritual insight on this except for that I know God is so very good to give and take away. He promises He will, but when He does, I act shocked. I tried to prepare myself , knowing I was going to have to figure out what to do with dishes from our wedding, stained dishrags, silverware from Beth, you know… the whole sob story but again, I had to stop myself and remember my Father does not give me Grace for the future trials just yet. He gives that sweet Grace for today, this very hour actually. I knew all along that we were going to move out of our apartment too. I remember when Bart and I first looked at our apartment, I cried. I felt like nothing I saw reminded me of a home that I’ve always imagined. Now, I love and miss it and will always be proud to call it our first home! This is exactly why I know that God loves me. He knows that the things I hate I will come to love. At this moment, I’m still feeling the fear of what its like to not really have a physical place called home ~ but I know that fear will be filled with more of finding out about my Savior. How He does it… I’m excited to sit and see.

This plant was my best friend… ha ha, just kidding :)

Hi everyone! Its amy! Yes, this is my very first blog entry ever. I’m hoping this gets easier ~ good grief, I just realized there is a bit more pressure here than just a simple sentence for a Facebook status! I think I’ve decided to just tell you about life~obviously. But I just wanted to let you know that God has blessed me in every way & hopefully you will see that with each “entry”. I really wouldn’t have much to write about unless He made it to be. Thank you for reading the things that we write and for caring about our family! We have loved meeting each and every one of you and feel overwhelmed with joy that you take the time to love on us. You make us feel like we’ve been on the field for 10 years already. Its funny when we go to churches, before I answer any question I want to say, “Ok, so you know we’re not real live missionaries yet, right?”.

The first picture is of our big time garage… I mean apartment sale. Our manager was kind enough to let us trash the front yard with as many things as I could carry out at the ungodly hour of 6.30am. Now, I know that’s not extremely early… but when you have a little cute monster… it makes it early. Very early. Most things we just sold for $1. Ugh. At first this was hard. I just wanted to say to these people, “Don’t you know that those jeans have been in the Czech, and have little rips from getting caught in my new bike and have been on my first date with Bart?”. A crummy dollar??? Really now. But as the day went on, I really forgot about everything we sold. We made $400! To be honest, it seems like we have the same amount of things in the apartment? How is this possible? Its felt good. I’m thankful that I don’t have a big old house with rooms to fill up. Then that would be difficult. The girl in the picture pretty much bought as much as she could… she had to come back and fill her car up twice! We barely understood each other but when she came back she brought me some fresh warm carrot cake! Now that’s understandable!

Here is our happy little guy. I can get a picture of a smile OR I can get his eyes wide open. Catching both would simply be a miracle. We love him. His Pa has been having even more fun with him as he gets older. Wrestling is on the horizon I think. Bart took him for his first car wash the other day and I’m not sure who enjoyed it more. I’ve been having fun too… more sleeping has been happening! He’s been the perfect traveler so far & its been a huge blessing because he’s well…. a traveler. He’s been in a plane once or twice every month since he’s been born.

Love him. After 3 years, even more.

I’m not sure, but if there is meat in the Millennial Kingdom, it will be bar-b-qued. I don’t know if it is because I’m from Kansas, or if it is because I grew up watching/helping my parents cook meat on our grill, or if it is because there is simply no combination so lovely as meat, smoke, and fire…whatever it is I love bar-b-que. I always have. In college I worked in a welding shop where we built a smoker that was worth more than my first house…I felt bad about taking a paycheck I enjoyed working on it so much. I simply love biting into meat (Pork especially), and feeling the bark give way to your teeth, and then to discover the moist, tender, supple strands of meat come apart in your mouth. Then, with your tongue in ecstasy, you lick the sauce off your lips. Wow, I love bar-b-que.

I love bbq so much, about a year and a half ago I built my own smoker out of scraps we had in our construction yard, behind our office where I work. That’s me with my Big Ugly Drum Smoker  in the first picture. I’ve done everything from double 10 pound bone-in Pork Butts, to Salmon on it. That ugly drum used to hold highly toxic concrete sealer (I burnt/cleaned/sandblasted it out)…and now it produces some of the finest bbq I’ve ever tasted.

In California, there really is no good, real bar-b-que. I wish that were an exaggeration, but it is not. I’ve tried hard to find an authentic place, and there have been a couple come close, but not make the “real” cut. So, I’ve had to start at the ground level with my bbq evangelism. His name is Marc (he is the guy who designed our prayer cards). He has actually built his own smoker, almost identical to mine, with a few improvements of course, and now he is well on his way to turning California into a bbq state. For those of you who care, the following emails will give you some tips on smoking Beef brisket.
Happy smoking!

_________________

On Fri, Apr 30, 2010 at 10:33 AM, Marc Riggs <xxxxxxxx@gmail.com> wrote:
Thanks Bart!

Marc

Well…you like to start with the hard stuff… :)

Brisket is the meat that made the “Texas Crutch” famous. Foil has been used since it was invented for bbq, and before that, roasting pans were used and the meat enclosed in them instead of foil. In my opinion, once you’re past 5 hours, the heat source doesn’t matter, the smoke has made a “bark” on the outside of the meat, and almost “sealed” the smoke’s penetration off. I’ve tested this with Pork Butt several times, and just again yesterday. I had pork butt on the smoker for 5 hours and finished it in the oven for 4 more hours…perfect smoky goodness. Is this cheating? Absolutely. Does it taste perfect? Absolutely. So what is your goal? Authentic perfection? Then no foil, no smoker, only a piece of beef over wood coals in a hole in the ground… Too authentic? Then start it on the smoker, give it 4 to 5 hours, but, DO NOT dry it out (No temperature spikes or you’re done with Brisket). Jerky and BBQ are two entirely different things, and when you’re aiming for one and hit the other…that is bad news. After 4-5 hours, wrap it in foil and place it back on the smoker if you want…this is purely for effect and then you can pull it off when the guests arrive :) Or, once you wrap it in foil, throw it in the oven and forget about the temperature hassles. The best part about bbq is that you are the only judge that matters. As for the rub recipe I gave you, I’d use a bit less paprika on the beef, more garlic and onion powder and less salt…not much adjustment, just a little from Pork to Beef.

Also, I’d check it at an internal temperature of 180, don’t feel like you have to pull it off…if it’s not tender, then keep it wrapped, and leave it on the heat for another 30-45 minutes and check it again–might even need an additional hour or so if it was a tough old cow. But, 180 is a good temp to check it. Fat side down? Perfect. The people who say fat side up don’t have a “pit” style bbq like we do, they are using an offset, dry smoker that enables the fat side up to “baste” the meat. As far as keeping it moist, you can’t. All spraying something on a smoked meat does is help make a bark quicker and thicker. In reality, the longer it takes for the bark to form the thicker your smoke ring will be. The thicker your smoke ring is, the father the smoke penetrates into your meat, and the more beautiful your final product. So, you can spray it down if you want, but it just complicates things in my opinion. I had a smoke ring 3/4 of an inch on my pork butt yesterday, that is unheard of with a dry offset smoker.

As far as time until finished…an hour and a half per pound is a good gauge, but with your style of smoker it will probably be less if you keep it close to 215…moist heat cooks faster than dry heat (which only maters before you crutch the meat, then the oven and the smoker have the same cooking effect).

Time in bbq isn’t the enemy, toughness is. So, let time be your friend and cook it through done-ness to tenderness!

Enjoy your brisket!

Peace,
Bart

_____________________

So, if you see Marc, make sure and ask him how his bbq skills are progressing!

For more than a millennium this letter was the most popular letter the world over. It was popular across all classes of every society. It was essential to many cultures. It was found in nearly every country. It could even be found in almost every language. No noble decree could be made with out one, and rarely an evil plot was devised apart from this letter. But today it has nearly been put out to pasture, left to graze itself to winter where it will die a slow quiet death on a long cold night. In our modern times, some governments will not even recognize it as an official letter. Many people have almost forgotten how one is formed. No, I am not talking about Z, or even Q. I’m actually not talking about a letter like a, s, d, f, etc.. I’m talking about a letter as in a form of communication between two parties. Specifically, what I’m talking about is the handwritten letter.

When you get something in the mail, often times your name is printed on a label so you may or may not take the time to look into the subject addressed by the letter. In our apartment, this type of letter rarely has its seal tested. But, when a letter, or card, appears and has been addressed by an organism with a heartbeat, you know you open that letter. What is it about this special form of communication that no email, or blog, or text message, or mass mailing can duplicate? Well, I don’t know the exact answer to that question, but I do have a few ideas.

Recently, Amy and I have been blessed by several hand written notes. Two from men who will play giant roles in the future of our ministry, one man from Kansas and one man from Lebanon. The subject matters of both letters could have been easily covered by an email, yet a handwritten note was used instead. I kept them both. Partly because I hate throwing things away that I like, but mainly because of the kindness that I found in them. Not only the content, but the tangible sincerity that only ink on paper can communicate.

The picture at the top of this blog was also a hand written note. The cursive is impeccable, penciled with the proficiency of a top notch first grader, and the illustration is adorable (not to mention I’m skinnier in the picture than I’ve been since I was 5). We received several of these kind notes from Mrs. Mollica’s first grade class at Grace Community School, in Sun Valley CA. Mrs. Mollica has her own special connection to missions, and in her wisdom, has begun shaping her young class to be men and women who take seriously their role in God’s global plan for missions. Even if they are only 6.

I thought I would put this final letter in for your enjoyment, click on it to make it bigger. Notice the model of airplane we will be using to get to Lebanon…resembles a spaceship, somewhat. Apparently either our first grader thinks we are from out of this world, or that Lebanon is near Mars.

Willie Roaf. Brian Waters. Casey Wiegmann. Will Shields. John Tait.

All of those men were big enough for their own sentence. Unfortunately, many people probably have no idea who they are. In short, three of the five I would bet my pension(not that that’s saying much) will end up in the National Football League’s Hall of Fame. Funny thing is, not many people outside die hard football fans care who they are, or what they did. Why? Because they left no stats behind. They set no records. They rarely got awards.

Look for example at Casey Wiegmann, one of the NFL’s most consistent, solid, smart Centers…ever. He had 2 fumbles his entire career. That number is ridiculous! To think he started for the Chiefs for 7 years and had two bad QB center exchanges out of approximately 5600 (7years*16games*50plays/game). Will Shields pulling around around the left end on a sweep, moving his 6’3″, 315# frame like a Safety…that drove far more fear into opposing defenses than any quarterback, or running back, or pass route, or formation shift. Yet nobody knows who they are. Not matter though, because those five guys mentioned above where a key part in one of football’s greatest stories. Priest Holmes’ 27 touchdown record setting season in 2003. In fact, as a former offensive lineman, I would say that not only were they a part of that  great season for Priest Holmes, but they made it happen. There is no possible way with a lesser offensive line that Priest would have been able to do what he did. A running back in the NFL with out a good offensive line is a tackling dummy. But, who do you think got the record for those 27 touchdowns in 2003? Not Willie Roaf. Who do you think went to the Pro-Bowl for knocking the cleats off every strong side linebacker who blitzed on running downs? Not John Tait. Who do you think got all the post-game interviews? Not Brian Waters. Who do you think was credited for reading the defense and predicting where the hole would be(which is one reason Casey Wiegmann will be in the Hall of Fame)? Not Casey Wiegmann.

Now, I have nothing against running backs. I love those little guys. When I played, I enjoyed nothing more than seeing their scrawny tails running like they stole something 40 yards down the field. But, I learned early on as offensive linemen, nobody but your parents care what you do. Thankfully, I had good parents.

All that to say, I want to take just a minute to thank my offensive line. There are a few people recently that really deserve a shout out for a job well done.

Some of you have seen our prayer cards. That is no template off of Microsoft Word. It was designed from scratch by a guy I work with named Marc Riggs. He obviously has skills, and out of the kindness of his heart decided to do our Prayer Cards for us. He did an outstanding job, and personally, I think he designed the best prayer card I’ve ever seen, it just happens to be ours.

If you were at the Shepherds’ Conference, or at Grace Bible Church in Hutchinson when we were there, you might have noticed a banner we had. It is a high class, custom tool that we now have to communicate our passion for the Lord’s ministry in Lebanon. Shannon Roehr not only designed it for us, but helped me find the best quality, cheapest price on the internet through her contacts where she works. Well done, Shannon.

If you’re reading this blog, then there is a man who you probably don’t know, but you’ve become familiar with his work. Amy and I worked closely with a website design company for 5 months and had a website nearly completely designed…when they went out of business. Thankfully they returned our money, but there we were, 5 months of work and time, gone. Tim Ma, who I had never met, heard of our need, and decided to fill it. Are you kidding?! This guy has major talent. This whole site is custom, and has come from his brain. It is his baby, and he treats it well. You are actually reading a WordPress blog that he has some how plugged into our website. Obviously I don’t understand all that he has done, but I can look and see that it is good. Tim, thank you for your many hours of work, and your kind heart in service to our Savior.

Lastly, on our homepage you might have seen a video. I think it is one of the best missionary videos I have ever seen (and I saw a lot of really bad ones on youtube when we were trying to construct ours). I can say that with a clear conscience, because I didn’t make our video. Lucas Wimer, who I work with, filmed and edited the movie for us. He did an excellent job, and like Tim, spent long hours on it, helping us meet our Shepherds’ Conference deadline. Lucas, thanks for making us a legit video that we are proud of, instead of one we hate showing. Excellent.

There are more people who need thanked. Many people who are helping Amy and I with so many things, big-small-and-in-between. But, I’ll leave it at these four for today. Thanks guys (and Shannon), we really couldn’t have done it without you.

It began with a late night of work…leaving around 11. Rushing home to finish packing…getting to bed about 1. Getting up a little before 5 so we could get Clive, his gear (which seems to be growing with him), our bags, our ministry material, and ourselves to the Fly-Away (stopping at Starbucks on the way of course) all by 6am. Fortunately we made it with no problems and were at the airport in plenty of time, which is refreshing for us…it doesn’t always seem to work that way in LA. You might have guessed why. So we could come back to KANSAS and visit Grace Bible Church of Hutchinson.

We were picked up from the airport by one of the pastors, Thad Bergmeir (who just published a book I can’t wait to get my hands on), and taken quickly to the hotel (where we had a very kind gift basket waiting on us! & Clive’s Gramma!) to unload our stuff, and get ready for our first appointment. Supper! One of the kindest things GBC has done, is set up our schedule where at every meal we are meeting with a family or two from the church (we just got back from lunch at the Ribaudo’s…mmmmm). As we all know, there is no easier way to get to know somebody than over a meal. By the way, after our supper appointment, we attended a “small group” of about 9 couples, half with little ones. It was a blast to get to interact with these sweet new friends in the same stage of life as we’re in.

Tomorrow morning I will be speaking at a men’s breakfast for the church followed by an open house at the church in the evening, and then on Sunday morning I will be presenting the ministry to all four of the adult Sunday school classes, as well as giving a brief overview in the main worship services. I can’t say enough kind things about the people and leadership of GBC. We have from the very beginning, felt like part of the family here. Everyone is so excited about the ministry the Lord has given us in Lebanon, and happy to listen to our future plans. The pastors are full of wisdom and encouragement and really understand our desire for strong churches here in the states, and are excited about filling that crucial need.

Well, Amy and Clive are ready to go and our dinner appointment awaits!

Warm greetings to all of you out there.

This year was a little different for us. The Shepherds’ Conference allowed all of GMI’s “Missionaries in Training” to have a small table to meet pastors and other men who were interested in our prospective fields of ministry. It was a refreshing to see so many men, so excited about what God was doing around the world. A second, more selfish, reason Amy & I love Shepherds’ Conference is the time we get to spend with old friends. Every year the men who come from Flint Hills Christian Church enjoy the Cheese Cake Factory on the Tuesday before the Conference. It is a wonderful tradition, and this year was no exception. It is always such a blessing to spend time with them and hear their love for the church God has entrusted to them.

We were also blessed to have one of the brothers from Lebanon join us at the conference! Brother Salim made the trip this year and was, as always, a real encouragement and blessing. His abundant joy in everything continues to amaze me. We had a great time thinking about the future when someday we will be going to the same church. It was also very humbling to us as his greatest concern was how the church in Beirut can support us. What a special group of people. They truly would give all they have for the sake of the gospel and it is exciting to think we will get to be a part of their church body soon.