In Need of Prayers

Vivien is finishing up her packing and preparing to fly from Texas to Haiti this weekend. We are all very excited for her to get here and we're hoping her adjustment to life in Port au Prince will be smooth.

Her first week will be spent with a team we have coming on Monday. School will start for our kids on September 7th. Parents never enjoy seeing a child jet off to far away lands ... please take a minute and pray for the Ingram Family this week and weekend. Pray for Super Viv as she makes this big move. May their hearts be full of peace.

(Photo of Viv with her Mom and Dad)

Britt and Chris started back to school on Monday. (Sic em Bears!) Britt sounded happy about most of her classes. I think there is an required arts elective that already has her rolling her eyes, but she will prevail while becoming more informed and APPRECIATIVE of the Theatre Arts. We love them. We miss them. Sometimes it feels like there is not time to stay in close enough contact. But we are constantly praying for these two beautiful young adults. We are SO SO SO psyched that they are going to come to Minneapolis the weekend of the Marathon and the WWV Banquet. Isaac and Noah are both chatting about all the things they will do with "their big brother". They basically worship Christopher. Britt is pretty much chopped liver now that Chris is officially part of the family.

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Today I taught a gal that is working at the guest house how to cook American breakfast foods. As I mentioned to my girl-friend this morning --- there is some irony in that - because - I do not cook and I do not eat breakfast ... but now Michelene knows how to make - scrambled eggs, fried eggs, pancakes, french toast, bacon and sausage. She will test out her new skills on a team Aaron Ivey is bringing on the 31st.

(Isaac snapped this photo - I am not actually seven feet tall. Michelene is just tiny, as is Jeronne behind me.
But you cannot really see Jeronne. Like an eclipse I entirely block her out. )

Early this week something happened to my coping mechanism. I got all crabby and felt like a weight was sitting on my chest. I have been doing a bad job of taking life one day at a time. We returned from our Jacmel weekend and the realization of the multiple things happening in the next four weeks punched me in the noggin - hard. I won't bore you with the list ... but it is a lot at once. I then began to freak out and feel totally incapable. Troy, being the wiser, calmer, less freakish of the two of us has been grabbing my shoulders and shaking me. After a good shaking, he starts praying for me to trust God with my fear and anxiety.

It is helping ... but I need to further calm myself and go back to my "one run at a time, one day at a time" approach. In reality I am scared about the upcoming 15 days of training. Up until now I have felt confident - but now -- I am freaking myself out over these long runs and obsessing (OCD style obsesssing) about the temps, humidity, heat-index, sunrise time, and my ability to finish the training well. It's dumb of me. Very dumb.

Just as they are supposed to be, my legs are stinkin tired and sore. Nine training runs from now the taper begins. With God's help I can do it. (End of self-pep-talk.)

This is the entire 18 week training schedule that hangs above my desk ... (crossing off a week is SO exhilarating).
This is what is left. This Friday's 18 and the week of 9/6 are causing the most anxiety. I need Troy to keep shaking me and praying with me. I am sure he will. He is good like that.

Lastly Tonight -
Please be praying for Lori Moise of the Real Hope for Haiti family. She is ill and in need of rest and healing.

Lord, we pray for your child Lori. We ask Father - for complete healing. Please guide the doctors and give them discernment. Return Lori to good health. Be with Licia while she handles the ministry duties and Zach while he is away and unable to help his daughters with this. Thank you that they are not alone. Thank you that you are with them. We pray you would wrap them all in your love and give them peace as they ride out this storm. Amen.