India Team Heads Home!

News from India has been, well, non-existent this week. Their internet access has been sketchy at best from what we have heard previously. We trust everyone is well and enjoying their last few hours in India. They had planned to spend Thursday and Friday shopping and sight-seeing in Mumbai.

The team begins their long journey home today (Friday). They are scheduled to depart just before midnight local time (mid-afternoon here) with a 16 hour flight to Newark, followed by a much shorter flight back to Halifax. Please pray for them as they travel… and for their luggage to stay with them. You may remember that several members of our 2009 Ecuador team lost their bags during the return trip, never to be found. That thought has probably crossed Rebecca’s mind, as she was on that team, too.

We look forward to having them back with us and hearing of their many adventures in West Bengal, Gangtok, Mumbai and points in between!

Wordless Wednesday

Guest Post: Tanya Payzant - Chalkboard Paint

I've been admiring all the creative things you can do with chalkboard paint in your home. Compiled here are some great pictures I've been finding on the internet. Using chalkboard paint creatively is a super cost effective winter project to get your creative juices pumping!!

www.decorpad.com
A unique way to keep track of all the pantry items you will need on your next grocery day.

www.instructables.com
Painting the top of a table with chalkboard paint.
What a neat idea for a child's bedroom, playroom,
or for a small table in your family room to play games on.
It would be perfect for a checker board, X's & O's, hangman etc.
In the summertime put the games table right out on your back deck!

I LOVE this idea. A chalkboard platter or plate.
This one looks like a piece of slate to me, but you could easily paint
an old wooden cutting board or platter for the same effect.
I've also seen small coasters painted with chalkboard paint.
You use chalk to print your name on the coaster.
That's great at a get-together, because you always know which drink is yours!

Love, love, love old doors and windows!

www.marthastewart.com
Isn't this calendar cool? You could do this in your back entry, or hallway.
Or make a much smaller version on a wall in your kitchen or computer room/family room.

www.annporter.wordpress.com
This idea would literally take minutes to complete.
Using painters tape, just tape off a square and paint it with chalkboard paint.
Voila! Now label all your grains, pasta's, or in my case. . . chocolate chips!!!!

www.thisblessednest.com
A menu board for your dining room. Watch yard sales for an old platter.

www.hiphostess.blogspot.com
You can purchase chalkboard paint in many colors, and hardware stores can tint your chalkboard paint to your color of preference!

Label your herb window garden.

Celebrate every season, and holiday in "chalkboard style"!

Where possible, I listed the blog or website where these pictures may be found.

Have you ever used chalkboard paint on a project?


Don't miss our special announcement NEXT WEEK!!!

India Update - Church Service in Gangtok

The adventures continue for our team in Gangtok!

Pastor Don found himself in a somewhat familiar spot on Sunday morning… the pulpit of a local church, but with a little twist since he doesn’t speak the local language. Thanks to the help of an interpreter, he was able to share God’s word with some of our brothers and sisters in Gangtok. Following that, the team planned to visit a nearby orphanage.

Monday will be a busy day, as the team will again be teaching at conferences for pastors and women. As we mentioned the other day, these conferences had to be shortened to just one day because of our team’s travel delays.

Your prayers are so very important as they continue to serve and minister to the people of India. We are so thankful for God’s hand on each member of this team and look forward to hearing what He has done in and through them during their time in India. Please keep praying for continued good health and stamina during these last few days. The team has specifically asked for prayer for their time… that it be profitable for both themselves and those they are teaching and interacting with.

*Updated from the StoneRidge Church blog

Team arrives in Gangtok!

UPDATE: taken from the StoneRidge church blog.

Our team is now in Gangtok! They received permission to travel on Thursday night and early Friday morning, a bus from Sikkim province arrived to take them on the five hour drive up the Himalayan mountains to Gangtok.

Because of the highway blockades and travel uncertainty, the conferences planned for Friday and Saturday in Gangtok had to be cancelled. Instead, the team is pulling together a one day conference scheduled for Monday. It’s expected that 50-100 people will be able to attend.

We are grateful for their safe arrival in Gangtok! Please continue to lift up Pastor Don, Colin, Tara, Lisa, Rebecca and Samantha in prayer. No doubt they are adjusting to being in another new community, as they roll with changing plans and embark upon this adventure in Gangtok.

Guest Post: Tanya Payzant - Diaper Duty

I have a "Positively Splendid" idea to share with you today. Positively Splendid BLOG is sharing an "upcycling" idea. She has made these super neat, lined canvas bins out of the boxes that diapers come in. Aren't they classy! The size of the box is just perfect. You could color coordinate the fabric to a particular room. The ideas for storage are limited to your imagination. I can imagine storing: toys, footwear, books, seasonal decorations, movies, video games and accessories, linens, craft supplies, mittens & hats, children's school work, etc.

If you are like me, the winter months are usually the time that you spend sorting through the clutter that drives us all crazy. These bins are perfect for helping us store the clutter that continually gets in our way. It is beneficial to teach our children to put things back where they belong. In a child's room, or closet it would be helpful to put a picture of the items that are to be store in each box right on the front. That way they know exactly where to put away their own toys, shoes, etc.

Just click on Amy's blog link above for the step by step directions on how to create your own bins. I'd love to know if you try this out. I'm hoping to make some too.

One problem.

Diaper boxes. ;0) (I didn't even know diapers came in boxes!)

Let me know if you'd love to give me some!!

News from the India team!

This is the latest news from the missions team that Lisa is presently serving on in India. It is taken from the StoneRidge Church blog.

It’s been one week since our team headed to India and it’s been a busy one between travel, teaching and changing plans! Everyone is doing well health-wise and enjoying rich fellowship.

On Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday they taught at conferences for pastors and women. Everything went very well.

Here’s where plans changed. On Thursday, the team was supposed to travel to Gangtok in Sikkim province for another conference. However, road blockades and strike actions by the Gurkha people made that impossible. Since there is only one way in and out by ground, they tried to book helicopters. Unfortunately, they were already booked solid due to the blockades.

For now, they will remain in West Bengal and keep an eye on the situation. Instead of traveling on Thursday, the team was able to have some down time and do some sightseeing. If they are unable to travel to Gangtok, they will seek opportunities to serve with other missions where they are.

No doubt God has a purpose in keeping our team in West Bengal, at least for the time being. Please keep praying for them… that they would make wise decisions about travel, that God would open up opportunities for them to serve where they are, for continued good health and that God would use them to draw people to Himself.

SRF Team arrives in India

We are so grateful to our God
for bringing us safely to India.
Please continue to pray
that God will use us mightily,
as well as for our health & safety
while we serve the Lord here!!

"Love is patient,
love is kind.
It does not envy,
it does not boast,
it is not proud.
It does not dishonor others,
it is not self-seeking,
it is not easily angered,
it keeps no record of wrongs.
Love does not delight in evil
but rejoices with the truth.
It always protects,
always trusts,
always hopes,
always perseveres.
Love never fails. . .
And now these three remain:
faith, hope and love.
But the greatest of these is
LOVE."
I Corinthians 13:4-8,13

Guest Post: Sharelyn Stone - Snow Much Fun

With the warmer weather this past weekend, it made the snow sticky and fantastic for snow sculpting. We had some family fun as we filled garbage buckets full of snow to make this giant sea monster.






For another snow fun idea, fill spray bottles with colored water, and let your kids paint the lawn. Just don't use yellow ;)

I wonder...

Well, today is the day I've been wondering about for, roughly, 8 short weeks.

For any of you who have ventured to another part of God's great big world as part of a short term mission team, you know exactly how I feel.

However, I had no idea THIS is how you felt...

I wonder what adventures await me in India? (well, beyond squatter toilets, that is)

I wonder when the butterflies in my stomach will stop their acrobatics?
I wonder who I will meet.
I wonder if there will be one, or more, women who I just "click" with?
I wonder what it will be like to communicate through an interpreter?
I wonder what I will see, what I will hear?
I wonder what I will eat? (ohhhh, my... butterflies again)
I wonder how many beautiful colors I will see?
I wonder which experience(s) will leave me breathless?
I wonder how many pictures I'll take?
I wonder what I will buy as a beautiful reminder?
I wonder how God will surprise me?
I wonder what I will learn?
I wonder if I will ever go back?

I feel very wonder full this morning.

Some day I'll share the stories that began as wonder, only to turn into an adventure that changed my life.

Wordless Wednesday

Guest Post: Tanya Payzant - Some of my Best Friends are Flakes!

For years I found my house so empty when I took down the Christmas decorations. Then finally I got smart, and decided to use all my snowmen, snowflakes, sleds, skates, mittens, etc in my decorating for January and February. It is still winter, after all! They no longer get lost in the Christmas decor. . . they have a place of prominence in my home!! *wink* I LOVE snowmen and snowflakes and have collected some pretty cute ones over the years. Today if I drive down the street and see a leaning snowman on a front lawn, it still brings a smile to my face!

In celebration of my "flaky friends" I've been saving some cute ideas in a folder on my laptop. It's pretty obvious that I'm not the only one who thinks snowmen are so adorable. Look at these "sweet" ideas!!

Photo courtesy of Bakerella.

Have you seen her cake pops? Oh my!

Instructions for Marshmellow Snowmen

Fruit roll up scarves on these cuties!

Photo courtesy of MarthaStewart.com

Fondant snowman

Super easy, "Donut Men!"

Break out that gingerbread man cookie cutter
that you thought you were finished with til next Christmas!!

Find out how to make these "Melting Snowman Cookies" here.

Oreo cookies dipped in white chocolate!! How easy is that?

Please post a comment if you try out one of these ideas. I'd love to know!

Sunday Scripture

"Dear Friends,
let us love one another,
because love is from God,
and everyone who loves
has been born of God
and loves God.
The one who does not love
does not know God,
because God is love.
God's love was revealed
among us in this way:
God sent His one and only Son
into the world
so that we might live through Him."
I John 4:7-9

Guest Post - Sharelyn Stone: Determined...

I was at Wal-mart this week, and finally bought myself a "jelly roll".

For those of you who are not familiar with a quilters jelly roll, it is a collection of co-ordinating fabrics pre-cut and rolled so neatly together and tied with a pretty ribbon. It really is hard to unroll it, since it looks so pretty.

I wasn't expecting to find time to use it so quickly, but the next day was a snow day, and the kids and I decided to sew. I untied the ribbon, to reveal my collection of fabric, and sewed this cute little bag while the kids made some bean bags.



I must admit, I am a project starter, and not really good at finishing them, so I was so pleased that I was determined to get it finished (and cleaned up) before Joe (my husband) came home from work.

In King's Pier this month our children are learning about determination. That is deciding it's worth it to finish what you've started.

God desires us to live our lives with determination too. He promises to give us the strength we need when we need it to finish what he has asked us to do.

So my challenge to you is to finish what you start... especially when it comes to doing what God says.

Wordless Wednesday