Not In Kansas Anymore

A dozen lifetimes is not enough to experience all the world has to offer. A while back, we read a novel titled Replay, about a guy who died at age 40, only to wake up in his college dorm room as a 20 year-old. After reliving the second half of his life, he dies again at age 40 and returns again to a time during his 20s (repeat several times). He decides to take his life in a dramatically different direction each "replay" until he discovers life's true purpose.

We are in the process of searching for the occupation of our lives to follow the conclusion of Jubilee. God has burdened our hearts in so many ways, I sometimes wish we could live more than one lifetime together and pursue a different pathway each time.

Our visit to the Elders farm in KS this past week was inspiration for one of those lifetimes. The story of how we met the Elders is a long one . . . suffice it to say it involves a Moscow connection and a Christmas tree near Wichita, but nonetheless we do know them. Their hard work, hospitality, traditional values, frugality, strong faith, and love for conversation resonates in our spirit and reinforces many of the lessons God has taught us in our years together.

Mid-Winter Week at the liberal arts school the Elders are a part of provided the formal excuse for us to visit them. We enjoyed delivering and attending a number of lectures, as well as participating in cultural tours and service projects as part of the week long event.

Our hosts also graciously allowed us to stumble around the farm as we attempted to help in various chores, from weeding the garden, to feeding the 11 newborn goats, to prepping logs for their on-location saw mill.

Ready for the mill

The work was actually fun for us, but one of the highlights of the week was the long-awaited horseback riding . . .

Learning the ropes

Thanks Elders and Northfield community for an unforgettable Mid-winter week.