Nearly 3000 miles later, and we're back. Whew! Ben and I have been busy traveling. Earlier this month, we drove from Columbus, to Raleigh, to Atlanta, back to Raleigh, to the beach, back to Raleigh, and finally back to Columbus! The trip was great, but I don't think that either of us want to hop back in the car anytime soon.

Holly, Ben and I went to Atlanta to see Kate the Mate and her husband-to-be before they headed off to the Land Down Under. It was so good to spend some time with Holly and to see Kate again. I'm going to miss that girl. There isn't a nicer Aussie out there. Being with the girls again made my sides hurt from laughing so hard. We ended our time in Hotlanta revolving on top of the fancy-pants Westin hotel. Nice.

It takes Holly, Kate, and I a few tries to get a nice picture. We just can't stop talking!







Check out Steve's suit! Looks like he's ready to get married to a lovely girl, named Kate.




So does it look like an Olympic-sized swimming pool? Something's fishy...




We visited The Yun family during our visit as well. It was so great to see these two preparing to be a mom and dad. They will welcome their little girl into the world next month!




Late one afternoon, the Gatlings decided to load up the truck and head to Falls Lake for a dinner picnic. The four of us plus two dogs and two kayaks equals a lot of fun.





We always have a nice time back in Raleigh. We are both kind of surprised at how much we enjoy hanging out with our family. Not that they aren't great...I suppose we have just grown up a lot lately. Another crazy thing is that we are beginning to see more and more of our parents in us now. It's a neat time in life.

We were also able to visit Bay Leaf's College and Singles Bible study to catch up with some friends.




Alas, the time finally came to leave The South and head back to Ohio.

I turned twenty-seven last Saturday and for the first time in my life, I found myself hesitating before telling people my age. Ben spoiled me as usual. When he took our dog, Dakota out for her morning walk, he made sure to shut our bedroom door so that she wouldn't wake me when she got back inside. (That's her thing. She wakes Ben up in the morning to go out, then she runs back to the bed and pounces on me.) With Dakota patiently waiting outside our bedroom, Ben was hard at work. He finally opened the door and let Dakota jump on me. (I'd like to think she was wishing me a happy birthday.) Downstairs, breakfast awaited me...pancakes, bacon, and coffee...along with a beautiful bouquet, card, and the perfume I've had my eye on for awhile now (Rosewood by Banana Republic...just FYI.) Later that night, a bunch of people from our small group came over for a cookout and games. It was a great birthday.



This pretty bouquet came from a girl in our small group.



Here are some folks from our small group...a great group of people!



So we're back just doing summer stuff here in Ohio. Ben's quickly becoming a grill master. I've picked up running seriously again as I'm training for the Columbus Marathon. (It's on October 21 if anyone wants to join me for some painful fun...anyone?...anyone?...) I'm working 3 days a week, still as a nanny, and Ben's fellowship is continuing through the summer so he is taking some summer courses. We're enjoying ourselves. Everything seems so carefree in the summer, doesn't it?

On Sunday, Ben and I stood about twenty feet away from Tiger Woods. He's a nice looking fellow with a pretty smile. My boss gave us tickets to the final day of the Memorial Tournament here in Columbus. Here's the funny thing...we know virtually nothing about golf. The only player that I had even heard of was Tiger. Ben however, knew a few more. Anyhow, we stalked Tiger until we were directly in front of him as he...uh, putted?...shot?...drove?...as he hit the golf ball. It's funny that I can get a little star struck even when I'm not familiar with the celebrity. It seemed like we should have been watching him on TV. Of the people we have talked to about our Tiger sighting, do you know who was most impressed? My grandma! She loves him and frequently "watches him on Sundays." :) The only other celebrity that I have ever spotted was Dr. Burke (Isaiah Washington) from Greys Anatomy. He was standing in line with us at the airport in Costa Rica. He was with his wife and children. I wasn't positive that it was him until I heard a Costa Rican girl say, "Es el doctor! Es el doctor!" I was right! I've seen Grey's Anatomy maybe three times in my life, but I don't forget faces. What I'm wondering is, why can't I spot a celebrity I'm really fond of...like....um....Lisa Ling. She seems pretty nice...

On a more serious note, I'm reading a lot of quality books these days. The last book I read was A Bed of Red Flowers: In Search of My Afghanistan by Nelofer Pazira. It seems at though God decided to break my heart with this book--in a very, very wonderful way. You see, for quite some time now, I have found myself worrying about returning to Afghanistan mainly because of how different I felt (I hate that word) in comparison to when I was preparing to go to China. Back when God was leading me to China, I loved all things Chinese. I wanted to eat Chinese food, read books on China, see movies on China, and Lord help me if I encountered a Chinese person! I would fall to pieces. I wore this bleeding heart on my sleeve for China. And praise God for that. I simply did not "feel" that way about Afghanistan and it worried me. A lot. While running one day with a friend, I voiced my fears to her. It was the first time that I could put my thoughts into words. So, I started praying and reading. A week later, I finished this book. Over dinner, I sobbed trying to tell Ben about it. It's not remarkably written, but it painted a picture of the country and people that Ben and I hope to return to someday. Afghanistan has known war for decades. It would be safe to say that any Afghan you talk to has lost at least one family member, probably more, due to war. Life there has been brutal. Can we fathom a life where rockets are going off as children walk home from school? Where family members, neighbors, and friends get brought in for questioning one day, never to be heard from again? Where boys, not young men, BOYS are the sole breadwinners for their large families because dad has been killed? Where widows and orphans are all too common? Afghans knows death well.

The bottom line is that God used this book, filled with accounts of suffering, to catch up my feelings to my calling. I am very aware that my feelings are really not important, but God knew the depth of my fears and concerns and brought me great comfort in Nelofer Pazira's story. Also, I believe that God used this woman's story to remind me that in and of myself, there is nothing for me to offer. He is the only one who brings healing, hope, and restoration. It's just not about me.

When he saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were weary and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd. Then He said to His disciples, "The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few.