One thing I’m learning about deputation is that our family time has decreased. Gone are the weeks we spent at home with lots of time for playing and going to parks. Our schedules have become quite packed. Since starting deputation we’ve tried to be careful to reserve days when nothing else is scheduled except a “normal” day at home. I’ve found that our kids seem to love these days – mommy too! (Nothing like playing with a bucket of water!)

When we arrived home from our last trip, Becca declared she wanted to “do school” all day. For Becca “school” means packing a backpack (sometimes with a lunch), walking out the front door, and coming in the side door to “school.” Recently Becca has been interested in patterns, so we played with patterns as long as the interest kept up.

After lunch we took a field trip to the spray pad. So far we’ve found Spartanburg a great town to live in. We’re thankful for the good location we’re in. We visited the library the other day (5 mins down the road) and were delighted with how nice it is.

Our “school” day ended with rest time and observing a butterfly on our porch. After Becca got home Josh asked her what her mommy did all day while she was at school. Becca replied: “she relaxed – which means she sat on the couch and read books!”

[P.S. from Josh: if you’ve tried to add comments to posts, but they never show up, could you let us know? Just shoot us a quick email. We heard from one friend that this has been a problem. We’d like to know if more people have experienced this.]

Living on the East Coast has increased our time spent with extended family. We’ve been able to have Josh’s family over twice. Both evenings we included some water activities for the kids.

We’ve seen my parents as we’ve traveled up North for services. They are very kind in letting us stay overnight to break up our driving.

Last week we were able to visit with my brother Dan and his wife Isabelle in Saratoga, NY. Dan & Isabelle treated us to a resort brunch, a steamboat ride on Lake George, and dinner downtown.

A few weeks ago we were able to get together with the Hanson family. Johanna and I became friends in 2004 and had a good many adventures before they moved to Boston. I had not seen Jo since our wedding. It was good to catch up face to face with Jo and be with their family. I’m thankful for the special friends God gives us.

We continue to enjoy getting together with friends and catching up on the past few years.

With our now very full schedule, it was a bit tricky to have my normal birthday celebration. So we’ve spread it out – ending a week ago Thursday with a meal made by Josh. I share a birthday with Dad Jensen, so on our birthday we celebrated together at his home. He turned 60 this year.

Three days later we had Mr. Moose over for dinner and had my cake for dessert. Josh made a delicious Brown Derby.

Last week Josh asked if I wanted my Josh-made birthday meal on Thursday. We fed and played with the kiddos and then had our meal after they went to bed – it’s my favorite way to “go out to eat.” Great food, great atmosphere, and happy children! I am blessed to have a sweet husband who took time amidst our busyness to make me a lovely meal and spend the evening with me.

We enjoyed our 4th year of participating in Chick-Fil-A’s Cow Appreciation Day. Isaiah was the only one who needed a new outfit – he’s a growing boy!

This is the first year we were able to celebrate with some cousins. The Erkens boys did a great job with their cow outfits.

We were also able to celebrate this year again with our friends Rene, Yani, and Amaris. They moved from Texas to South Carolina last summer, so we’re enjoying having our friends close by again!

We enjoyed our first week-long family vacation. We are so thankful to George and Nancy Corban who make Canaan Land available to ministry families. The week turned out to be very wet. We spent most of our time in our cabin during many downpours. We had lots of fun in our cabin playing hide-n-go seek, flashlight hide-n-go seek, Uno, Old Maid, tag, chase, having picnics, and making smores.

Tuesday afternoon it cleared up long enough for the camp train ride. Both kids enjoyed it, though Isaiah was a little nervous during the ride.

Friday afternoon we hiked down to School House Falls. Gummy Bears were are encouragement to make it all the way to the falls!

Since our cabin was farther away from the main camp campus, we were given a golf cart to travel around. The kids enjoyed riding around campus. We also enjoyed boating and playing in Noah’s Ark playground.

Josh and I had our 5th anniversary meal while at Canaan. Josh made a delicious meal and we enjoyed a quiet evening together. We’re thankful for the time we were able to spend as a family after the very busy months we had before. I’m especially enjoyed having lots of family time without any other pressures.

Isaiah took his first steps on June 24th. We were outside playing with chalk and he picked up some chalk and started walking away. For the next few weeks he preferred crawling, but last week he gave up crawling. We now have a walking and running little man in our home.

Becca and Isaiah enjoy playing our piano. One day when Becca was playing, Josh and I started dancing. Isaiah got really jealous because he wanted to dance with Mommy.

Isaiah participated in his first finger painting session – I believe the pictures prove it was quite a success!

My good friend Steffanie Arnold came for a visit. I enjoyed catching up with her and reliving some of our childhood memories!

Isaiah continues to be a happy little boy. He loves chasing Becca around our new home. He loves to eat and sleep and play. We’re so thankful for our boy.

While Josh and I were in Cambodia Becca and Isaiah spent time with their Grandpa and Grammy Sutter. We are very thankful for the way my parents gave up two weeks of their summer to watch over our children. We were glad to leave them in good hands. . .as Becca said, “Grammy knows what little girls like.”

Aunt Emily was a big hit with Becca and was greatly missed when she went off to CEF summer training.

Uncle Joey is now known as the uncle who gives candy canes at Christmas and Pepsi!

Uncle Sam, Aunt Ashley, and Cousin Colette came to visit for a day. My parents took them all to visit a farm.

Uncle Jon, Aunt Ashleigh, and Cousin Megan were up in PA for their summer visit.

Great Grandma Buecher spent several days helping my parents watch our kiddos. Isaiah enjoyed helping her walk Toby.

Great Grandma Sutter and Great Uncle John were able to visit with our kiddos when they were up for Emily’s graduation.

We were happy to return to Becca and Isaiah and so thankful for all the love and care they received while we were gone. (Picture on left is right before we left. Picture on right is when we returned from Cambodia.)

On Friday, we drove half an hour to Blang, a nearby Jarai village. The village is situated just off of the main road (paved!) that goes to Vietnam. There’s electricity running to a house or two in the village. We spent our time visiting with a Jarai Christian leader and his wife. The husband wanted to give us his testimony of coming to Christ: it’s a beautiful story of how the love of Christians was used by God to draw him to a firm faith in Christ. He spoke in Khmer (his second language), with J.D. interpreting for us.

Saturday lunch we had an EMU get-together at the Kanes’ home. It was helpful for us to spend time with the Crowleys, Kanes, and Farmers. All three families helped us get a good perspective on the challenges of transitioning to life in Cambodia. We were helped not only by asking questions but also by observing each family’s life together.

I especially enjoyed being with the MKs. These are a very special bunch of children!

Sunday morning we said goodbye to the Crowleys and went with the Farmer family to a Khmer village church. We had to leave the service early to start our 8-hour drive back to Phnom Penh so we could make our midnight flight back to the States.

We arrived safely in the States Monday afternoon without any flight delays. We are very thankful to be back with our precious children. We appreciate all your prayers for us as we traveled and appreciate your continued prayers as we seek churches and individuals to partner with us in our ministry to the Jarai.

One last picture: our mosquito netting in Ban Lung.

June 10^th – Monday we went to bed preparing to head to the Ratanakiri (a northern province) in the morning. However, that night the tone of our trip changed. . . Josh woke up sick with some sort of stomach virus. He spent all Tuesday in bed with little improvement. Wednesday Josh was weak and miserable, but we decided to try making it halfway to Ban Lung. Our plan was to drive four hours and stay in a hotel, then drive the next four hours on Thursday. Josh’s sickness lasted four days. Saturday he woke feeling better and actually showed a real smile. (Pictures below show our dinner at the hotel halfway to Ratanakiri – delicious! –  and JD’s breakfast there the next morning.)

There is something about sickness that drains the body and wearies the soul. God allowed Satan to fire arrows of doubt and discouragement at Josh during his time of sickness. Below is an except he wrote in our post Cambodia update:

My own impressions were colored quite a bit by jet-lag for the first couple days and then, as that was wearing off, the physical and emotional drain of being sick. I found the heat of Phnom Penh somewhat more oppressive than I’d remembered. I much preferred Ratanakiri, which is milder and greener.

Our survey made me painfully aware of how attached I am to comforts such as air conditioning, good water pressure, and clean bathrooms. I had prided myself (based on my previous two trips) on being adaptable and unattached to basic American luxuries. I’m now making it a matter of prayer and reflection to prepare my heart for the changes that await us in Cambodia. In many ways, this is basic Christianity, the willingness to suffer (or in this case, be mildly uncomfortable) for the sake of eternal goods.

What hit me most as Josh dealt with being sick and the discouragement that came with it was how hard it was for me to be strong for two . . . and how much harder it will be when we have kids here too. We will adjust to living in Cambodia (heat, language, etc) – it will become our loved home. Fighting discouragement and unbelief together as a couple and as individuals will be an ongoing battle. Pray for your missionaries – especially when they are fighting sickness. It is a time when Satan knows they are weak. . . praise the Lord that our God is always a strong tower of refuge.

One thing we did Thursday afternoon after we arrived in Ban Lung was to drive around the town with JD. JD took us up to a hill overlooking the area. . .a place where a giant Buddha was reclining. The view was beautiful – a fresh breath after being in Phnom Penh. God has called us to minister to the people of Cambodia. It will require us to give up much. Satan will tempt us to despair, but we can look upward and see the One who has made a way for us to approach into the throne of grace and call upon God to rescue us and give us grace to do His work for His glory.

Next week I hope to wrap up the summary of our visit to Cambodia – with pictures from our village visit, our time with the missionaries in Ban Lung, and a few pictures from a Khmer church service.

Gone fishing for the week – will continue Cambodia Chronicles when we return.

We arrived in Phnom Penh Saturday afternoon, 14 hours later than we expected. Jeremy Farmer picked us up and took us to his home so we could spend Saturday through Tuesday morning with his family. We had dinner with the Farmer family and their other guests (Bonnie Ruth’s mother, sister, brother-in-law, and niece) as well as JD & Taylor Crowley, and Yo Shirato.

Sunday we attended a Khmer church. Jeremy Farmer’s Khmer teacher translated the service for us over wireless headphones. Sunday afternoon I accompanied Bonnie Ruth to Lucky’s – a grocery store very similar to what we have in the States, except the prices at Lucky’s are much higher!

Monday Josh and I accompanied the Farmers as their family got some vaccinations. After that we visited the Russian Market. The Russian Market is an indoor market – think: dark, hot, and smelly. (It’s not Russian, however.)

Monday after lunch Josh and I took an 45-minute tuktuk ride to The Cheoungek Genocidal Center. It was a sobering experience.

Our impressions of Phnom Penh: it’s very hot, lots of concrete, not a lot of green, smelly. . .not exactly our dream place to live, but we will make it our home and adjust to Cambodian city-life. We plan to live in Phnom Penh for our first year or two in Cambodia while we study the Khmer language and surround ourselves with Khmer speakers.

Monday night our time in Cambodia took a turn – Josh woke up sick. . . (more next week).

Josh and I just returned from our trip to Cambodia – we have much to share, but for today I’ll simply share our Shanghai pictures. On our way over to Cambodia we had a 25-hour layover in Shanghai. We were able to leave the airport and spend the day with some college friends (Desiree Talbert and Natalie Cary). Desiree and Natalie both teach at  Shanghai Institute of Health Sciences. Both friends went out of their way to make us very welcome in China. We stayed in the guest suit and got a good night of sleep before we spent the day touring the city with Natalie, Desiree, and Mrs. Tufts (another member of the team there).

We’re very grateful for the friendship and kindness Natalie and Desiree showed us during our time in Shanghai.

Unfortunately, our 8pm flight from Shanghai to Cambodia was canceled because of bad weather. It was a crazy situation. There were several delayed flights in our gate area. It was crowed and hot. Eventually several of the Chinese people started expressing their frustrations over canceled flights, poor communication, and poor customer service rather loudly. The police were called 3 different times. Finally around 2AM Josh was able to get confirmation that our flight was indeed canceled. We spent what was left of the night in the airport and around 7AM figured out how to get our rebook tickets to fly out of Shanghai at 10AM.

Happy Father’s Day to our wonderful Daddy! We miss you and can’t wait to see you this week. Thanks for loving us and doing so many fun things with us. We love you!

June 1st was Isaiah’s 1st birthday. He didn’t seem too excited about having a party until he stuck his face in the cake. He loved his ice cream cake.

One of our favorite parts about Isaiah’s birthday was watching Becca help him open presents. Becca wanted to give Isaiah a dog. (She also helped pick the dog out.) She was so excited about it. After Isaiah opened the dog and held it, Becca squealed and said, “He’s so excited!” Becca also was very sweet in creating tabs on Isaiah’s presents for him to have easy tearing spots.

Can’t believe our little boy is 1!

Our last Saturday in Texas (May 25th) we took a day trip to the Fort Worth Zoo. We love the Fort Worth Zoo and will miss being able to visit – it’s a fantastic zoo. Isaiah was excited to be able to see “Jeremiah” (a zebra) in real life.

One thing both kids enjoyed was the large glass areas where they could see the animals close up. The animal statues are always a highlight.

Sunday after church we started our trek east. Sunday we drove to Jackson, Mississippi. Monday we drove to Atlanta, Georgia, and spent all Tuesday with Grandma Martin. We also saw Josh’s Uncle Doug and two cousins, Autumn (and kids!) and Bethany. We were also able to see Trey & Angela’s family (they also have two kids) Monday evening for dinner (Trey is Josh’s cousin on the Jensen side).

Wednesday we drove to SC and spent Thursday with Josh’s family. We had an early birthday celebration for Isaiah with them (we had another on his birthday in PA). Friday we drove to PA.

On a side note – Josh and I left yesterday afternoon to fly to Cambodia. Becca and Isaiah are with my parents in PA. We’ll be in Cambodia for about 12 days. We appreciate your prayers during our trip.

A very happy 1st birthday to our sweet little man. We are truly blessed to have you as our boy.

The weekend after Josh’s graduation we spent two nights at a cabin in the hill country of Texas. Our friends Micah, Anna & Adam Martin invited us to spend some time with them at their uncle’s place. It was beautiful and very relaxing. A perfect way to rest after our very busy weekend before – weeks before – months before – years before. We enjoyed spending time with our good friends and having a day and a half with no schedule.

Since Dad and Mom J came down for Josh’s graduation, we decided it would be best to pack up our apartment, load a truck, and have them drive our belongings to SC. It made for a very busy weekend (guests & graduation plus moving). Thankfully, I had a lot of help packing things up the week before. One of my best friends, Rebekah Pringle, flew in for 5 days to help with the packing. I don’t think it would have gotten done without her help. Another friend, Jan, came on Wednesday to pack up Becca’s room. Another friend, Anna, took Becca out for a morning so Jan could pack her room. These friends were a great help to us.

Monday morning we had a very educated moving crew. Three people with doctorates, one working on his Ph.D., and another working on his masters’. Dad J oversaw the logistics of loading the truck. Mom J finished packing up the kitchen. A friend from church, Megan, watched Becca and Isaiah while we loaded the truck. We are very thankful for everyone who helped us in packing up and moving our belongings. [And I’m so thankful I didn’t have to drive a huge truck from TX to SC! Thanks, Mom and Dad! -Josh]

We are now living with the Woods while we wrap up our last weeks in TX. We’re getting a chance to say goodbye to some of the friends we’ve made. Graduation weekend, we had a picnic with Dad and Mom J. and were able to get together with one of Becca’s NICU nurses – Miss Kathy. We’re so thankful for everything Miss Kathy did for Becca during her preemie days.

We enjoyed visiting with the Johnson family. We’ve made many good friends in Texas and are thankful for them all.

Sunday we celebrated Josh’s Ph.D. graduation. We thank the Lord for His faithfulness to us these past 6 years. We have seen so many prayers answered concerning Josh’s Ph.D. requirements.

We are very thankful to all who had a part in Josh’s degree: family, professors, and friends.

I’m very proud of my man. He has worked hard and has accomplished his goal. He started as a single man and finished with a wife, daughter, and son. He has pressed on when things were discouraging and did not give up. He truly is my heroman. Now we’re a “paradox” (say it a few times and you’ll get it)!

Last weekend we had a great visit with the people of North Houston Baptist Church. Pastor John Bray and his wife Jen welcomed us all into their home for the weekend and we enjoyed our fellowship with them. Josh preached in the morning service and gave our missions presentation in the evening service.

Both kids did great on the drive and during our stay. Becca absolutely loved playing with 7-year-old Charis. We’ve never seen her enjoy another friend so much.

This week we’re packing up our apartment in preparation for our move. Sunday Josh graduates and Monday we load the truck. Busy times.

A big thank you to Grandpa Sutter for sending Flopsie some real bamboo! It’s been a part of almost every meal here.