Silent Night

I'm sure most of you have seen one of these.

They are running around craft shows, and Pinterest boards, and Etsy shops. I thought it might be fun to make my own version into a blog post and call it our Christmas letter for 2015.

In This Family...

We do crazy.
This past year we discovered our family's photography sweet spot- the silly "outtake" shot. I have discovered my kids will cooperate through a photo session for this one simple promise, "We can do a crazy one at the end if you smile one billion times first." And anyone who is brave enough to call our cell phones (there is a reason I prefer written communication) knows that crazy is the space we call home. If you don't believe me you probably don't actually know us. For example, this year one of our children earned the nickname "the wet bandit" when he flooded our home while we were gone on a date night. (Unfortunately this is a true story that was very unfunny at the time. But we've come to survive on the sentiment, "If its going to be funny later it might as well be funny now.")

We do mess ups and I'm sorry's.
I mean lets be honest, doesn't every family? No perfect here. We do our share of "practicing self control" (formerly known as a "time out") for both our kids and ourselves. And while we feel somedays like we pound first time obedience into the ground, we are pretty sure God could say the same thing about us parents too. Obedience was our "word" for 2015 and its a tough one for both the big and small people who call this family their own.

We do helpful.
We could list the things we don't do well, but that wouldn't make a very good Christmas letter now would it? One thing we are pretty sure our kids could tell you is that in this family we help. We have a fancy family motto, "Humiston's are helpers." (Don't you wish your last name started with an H too?) Don't worry the motto is much more popular when it involves helping other people and isn't being applied to helping your sibling clean your room.

We do loud. Really well.
I'm pretty sure if you know us, or have spent any amount of time with us, or especially if you sit near our pew at church you know this to be true. We are not a quiet crew. We like to talk. And wiggle. And make noise. I'm on a journey to embrace it. I still break out the "Mama needs a little quiet," every now and then but for the most part we are who we are and I'm pretty sure we have extroverted down.

We do dinner around the table.
We like to eat. And we love to share food. There is always room around our table. At least figuratively anyway. Wether its a houseful of our friends (who have like a billion kids when we get together these days) or our hungry college students there is always plenty of good food to eat.

We do messy like nobody's business.
We have four kids. I feel like that is all I really need to say. Your house is messy too. Someday we will miss this...right? (I'm going to be honest I'm not really convinced on this sentiment, but it is a popular one.)

We do laughter.
We have a few giggle boxes who live here. I almost broke my leg on a "trap" Titus set for me one night when I was gone. My kids think they could write a joke book. They can make anything into a knock knock joke. And the laughter is what I hope never stops, but when it fades to a dull roar I will most definitely miss that someday. (When I'm not missing the mess, insert tiny eye roll here)

We do camping, road tripping, and good old memory making.
We love to camp. My kids ask when family camp is before school is even out for summer. (Its Labor Day Weekend...when summer is over.) This year we took a true road trip. It was a blast. We fulfilled a 10+ year goal to go to the Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta. The pictures don't do the fun memories made justice. And we might have temporarily lost David. Now there is a good story of the memory making variety.

We do traditions.
We recently had to make a list of things we love about our family. One of the things the kids said was, "traditions." My husband now knows he has failed and I have successfully brainwashed our children into my idea of what makes this Humiston nation great. We have traditions for all sorts of things. We have dance parties during the movie credit music. We have our own holiday. We have special Christmas ornaments and Gotcha day celebrations and things we "always" do. I love it. And I'm pretty sure my husband secretly does to. (Well most of it anyway.)

We do sharing.
I'm pretty sure our family has reached the size where it is no longer an optional experience to share. Thank you little yellow house, what hasn't killed us yet is making us stronger. I really do think if God ever moves us to a larger living space we will miss the days we were all crammed in together.

We do hard transitions and unexpected blessings.
This year brought a few transitions for us to navigate. One of them has been Jeremy changing jobs and working the night shift. Its been hard at times, but mostly its been blessed. We love our batman leader who saves the world at night and sleeps during the day. He sounds most impressive when seen through the eyes of one of our children who was asked, "What does your dad do?" To which said child replied, "He sleeps." For me the most unexpected blessing of the year has been running. It has been like a good gift I didn't know I needed. Running & training with a group of other moms has been one of my favorite parts of this past year. (And that is a sentence I NEVER thought I would type!)

We do love.
Because even though we sound fancy in a Christmas letter, most of the time we resemble a hot mess more than having it all together. And so we are banking on 1 Peter 4:8 to be true. "Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins."

But we don't do simple.
Our other family motto is, "We don't do simple." It started as a funny way to express our sometimes complicated life with four children and two five year olds! We've had fun on Facebook over the past year using this phrase to describe our days. For example, "We don't do simple, we do stitches." But it holds a lot of truth too. Belonging to Jesus has made our life complicated in the very best way. We don't have permission to just sit around caring about only us. Immanuel. He came to the mess, and put on flesh. And so we too are called into the mess of life. The complicated. Our prayer this year as a family has been that we would "love well and share Jesus."

We don't do simple, but we do share our Savior.

Wishing you a very merry Christmas from our entire crazy crew to yours!

Photo Credit: Creative Touch Photography

Why We Go Back

I'm home from West Africa.

I've actually been home 16 days. Its good to be here. My kids were sick with fevers, my husband transitioned to working the night shift, there was pink eye...again. It was time for this side of the ocean to have me back.  And my mama heart was so ready to love on my sick kids and give my absolutely amazing (and exhausted) husband a break.

I've kicked the jet lag and now I'm waiting for my heart to catch up.  Because as much as I loved coming home, its hard too. And it has caught me off guard that its hard.

Can you really have reentry stress when you are only gone 10 days to a place you've been before? 

Apparently if you are me you can. Don't get me wrong in some ways its definitely "easier." The sights, sounds, and smells of the Big Mango have become familiar to me. I've been enough times to expect something to go wrong, to anticipate the heat, and to find the lack of electricity normal.

So what makes going back so hard?

Its the return to the convenient life when I still remember a whole lot of people have never lived it and that our missionaries are struggling to live without it when most of them have grown up with it.

(Did you know there is a refrigerated food section...in the PET FOOD?! This almost did me in at Walmart yesterday.)

Its the lack of ability to articulate a story when people ask, "How was your trip?" Because its not as sensational as the first time even though it rocked your world, but in a very different way. The kind of way that sometimes takes a bit to process.

Its the heartbreak of leaving people and a place you are falling deeper in love with each time you visit and not knowing a date on the calendar when it will be your turn to go back.

Its your body operating in the day to day, while you heart is still thinking about the kids in the orphanage and their need for forever families. So in between refereeing sibling squabbles and trying to find the missing book bag you are trying to figure out just exactly how God wants you to be a part of it all.

So if its hard why do we go back? What makes it absolutely totally worth it?

We are learning how to be our very best at blessing those on the field.

Each trip I learn what these sweet people miss. For some its chocolate. For others its berries. And coffee, good coffee is in high demand. The first year I had to guess and ask and I'm still learning but I'm getting better at just being able to bless.

We are watching these kiddos grow up.

(B & I in 2012)

(B & I in 2015)

I've never been, or raised a missionary kid. But I've tried to read up and I have LOTS of friends who fall in this category. MK's spend a lot of their life saying goodbye, often to people they don't know if/when they will see them again. I love being able to say, "We'll be back."

We remember in our house daily there are those still waiting for a family or living out a life where they will remain in the orphanage long term.

Visiting helps us to know whats going on at the orphanage. What kids need families so we can advocate. What their physical needs are as they care for the least of these on our behalf. 

So we can send needed items.

 And we can raise money for rice. (Stay tuned on that one..hint hint)

It allows us to invest in the word of God going forth in West Africa indirectly but in a much needed way.

We aren't the ones doing the Jesus sharing with nationals. Almost all of our time is spent with expatriates. Primarily through a VBS for missionary kids. And we are good with that. Because I'm not as well equipped to do the ministering. I don't have cultural context. Or street cred. Or language skills. But my missionary friends do. Getting on the field there takes a LONG time. Its a multistep process. Staying can be complicated. So if we can encourage and bless them and in any way help them to keep going that is a worthy investment. 

There is a lot of debate in the missions community about short term missions. Some love it. (Mostly those who go short term.) Some hate it. (Mostly those who stay long term and see the damage that can be done.) 

**Random Side Note: If you would like a super comedic look at what I'm referring to check out THIS video.

Around here we have found our place in an unknown land called long term short term missions. 

(My husband likes to say our family motto is, "We don't do simple.") 

Investing long term in West Africa through regular short term trips. 

And even though my heart is still trying to sort it all out. And sometimes its hard to go back and forth between our two worlds. 

For us its totally worth it. 

A Legacy of Hospitality

Sonny & Betty Litwiller- A Living Example of Hospitality

During my internship at Jefferson Street Christian Church I had the privilege of living in the basement apartment of Sonny & Betty Litwiller's home. It was a time that blessed me deeply and left a lasting impression on my life. Below are the words I was able to share at Betty's celebration of life service this past weekend.

I remember that house, that was many people’s home.

I don’t think I’ve ever met anyone who used their house as a place of ministry better than Sonny & Betty Litwiller. You were welcome to move in and make yourself at home. And they never expected a dime, just a good conversation now and again when you passed through. The only thing they wouldn’t put up with was not becoming a part of the family.

I remember the food.

Betty made sure that anyone who visited her home, or who lived there for that matter was well fed. I didn’t know you could fry a pumpkin blossom till I met Betty. But she insisted I give it a try. I hadn’t heard of peach cream pie either, but it was one Betty always loved to make. She was never short on teapots, which we used to throw a tea party for her granddaughters along with fancy hats and food. And of course one of my strongest memories is making apple butter around the kettle in their garage. While you ate a hot dog or visited with friends they would stir up something you weren’t soon to forget. And of course everyone got some to take home.

I remember laughter. Chances are you too remember a funny story about Betty.

While I was living with the Litwiller’s my husband Jeremy asked me to marry him. So he got to join the family too. Betty of course hosted a shower for me in that same house I had grown to love. And then her and Sonny traveled to our wedding. I still giggle thinking about the mishap she had. Somehow she dropped her camera in the toilet. She never could revive her camera, and boy was she disappointed to loose those pictures. And of course they had to wrap up the “gag” gift that had been rotating around their friend group and give it to us as a wedding gift. Weren’t we lucky!

Her and Sonny were never short on their practical joking. Sonny had this rubber alligator he used to hide all over to be ornery to me. I’d find it in my bed, swinging from the door, or stuck in one of my drawers. I hadn’t forgotten the alligator. When Sonny passed away Betty packaged it up and sent it to me. I’m not sure I’ve laughed more when opening a package. Betty was thoughtful like that. Sharing fun memories, even as she grieved her loss so deeply.

Every time my kids have played with it I’ve thought of them. My kids know to be gentle with it because it belonged to someone mommy loved. Just a few weeks ago I was telling Jeremy I wanted to send it back to Betty. Her tone had sounded much sadder than usual in her Christmas card. I knew she was missing Sonny. What a joy it is to think of them together. No doubt enjoying sweet laughter again.

Many of you got to experience a lifetime of memories with Betty. Even though I only lived with the Litwiller’s for about six months it seemed like much longer. My husband and I often dream of a house in the future chosen with intentionality. Not so we can have lots of space or store lots of things. But a place where we can live out the type of service we saw modeled in Sonny & Betty. That desire has taken root in our lives and it was planted as a seed when I saw it lived out in Betty. Her genuine hospitality left a lasting impression on my life, and I’d venture to guess the lives of many others who stayed with them over the years. 

1 Peter 4:8-10 says, “Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms.”

I have never met anyone who was a living breathing example of that scripture more than Betty Litwiller. 

Webster defines hospitality as generous and friendly treatment of visitors and guests.

That was Betty. Generous. Friendly. Keeper of a house where guests were always welcome.

And I’m planning on staying in her “basement” again someday because I have no doubt the Lord had a special place prepared for her because of the hope she had in Him. I can’t wait to visit, and I might just bring my alligator!