Honeymooners Show Up!

Last week we had some delightful company--my niece Susanna and her new husband Daniel on their way home from honeymooning at Grand Teton National Park! 

It was great incentive to get more work done in the basement bedrooms and bathroom. How we did enjoy having company around our table and to hear Daniel's fascinating tales of working two times, three months in all, at a refugee camp in Greece! 

But even on days when company comes, I try to take a little time to keep my writing projects moving. After months of editing and correcting various issues in my new book Lemons in January: True Missionary Adventures in Honduras, the manuscript is finally at the printer.

Lydia Kunselman, who works at the Allegheny Wesleyan Methodist Church office, helped a lot with revisions and corrections because she was ordering the book for distribution to the Women's Missionary Societies in the churches. We were both going over and over various spots in the book--going through first one proof and then a second, while my nephew Ezra patiently ordered the proofs for us. The books need to be in hand by conference time later this year.

One thing I've learned while getting one book after another published--

even if all you can do is take one step a day toward your goal, you can accomplish that goal!  

 There were many days I didn't even do one thing or make even one edit. I was too busy, or having to take care of my physical issues, or traveling maybe, or Jonathan had the laptop, on which was the publishing software. I've been trying to unpack or organize or clean at least a little a day to get settled in as Jonathan and Danny little by little finish details about the house and basement. 

It's been nearly a year, I suppose, since I ironed hankies for Jonathan, who has this little quirk that he likes his hankies ironed. 

(And I love to iron them for him! It's such a simple little job that tells him I love him.)

Oh, wait. Maybe I ironed them once or twice in Arizona when I was down there for cancer treatment! :)

 

There will always be cleaning to do, cooking to do, and ministry.

But stories, if not written down, can be lost. After finishing Lemons in January, the story of my school year adventures in Honduras in 1991-1992, I was reminded of the trip my brother Elon and I made to China in 1989. 

Both he and I kept detailed journals in small notebooks while we were there. One day recently I read through my journal and wrote down no less than 22 chapter titles.

God worked one miracle after another. 

Wonderful things happened.

Strange things happened.

Terrible things happened.

Frightening things happened.

There was a mad dash for freedom--and God brought us safely home. 

I believe God wants me to write about it.

Just one chapter at a time.

One page at a time. 

Until there is a new book once again.