Smattering of thoughts

So many things.

I know an itemized list doesn't do it justice. Here we go.

-I wonder about being numb to mission. About whether that is a good or bad thing. People, on their first trips, often come back really moved about what they saw or did. I've seen it in others and in myself; not 'moved' so much anymore. It's like I've seen it before. But maybe that's a good thing - it's not a novelty anymore, but now just a deep, integral part of my life system that I cannot do without.

-Along the same lines. I look at my pictures with the kids. I remember my first mission trips - avoiding the locals, the children especially, ha. Now, within hours of being off the plane in the first ten minutes of being in Batey Siete I had become a jungle gym for every snotty nosed, dirty Dominican child. And it didn't even cross my mind to hesitate.  I looked around and people, first-time girls I would see as more maternal/prone to children in the 'real' world, were stand-offish. Pastor Jorge walked beside me that day as I hefted 2 children on my back at the same time to mention that "This child, his father has never done this."

-I'm still in conversations with churches exploring some work options. Matthews church wants me to contract out some design work for them. Orange wants me to do some Advent staging. Christ Church wants me to come jam. Who knows what Bible Church and Kings Park want. And Brookwood (via Bible church pastor sending them my name so they contacted me) just wrote me this email:
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Clay,

thanks so much. I got it, and will pass this on to our team.

I have looked at a number of resume's and something about you stirs my heart. I'm teaching a conference in Statesville tonight, so I'll call you sometime later today or probably tomorrow.

thanks again,

Bob
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-I like the ocean and the sun.

-People in the DR speak what I would call redneck Spanish. They drop letters all the time (Buen Dia instead of buenas dias) and combine words just because (Como estas becomes Como tu ta?). It was just like the English my family speaks in Texas.


Annnddd now for some e.e cummings:
Here is the deepest secret nobody knows.
Here is the root of the root and the bud of the bud and the sky of the sky of a tree called life;
which grows higher than the soul can hope or mind can hide.
And this is the wonder that's keeping the stars apart....I carry your heart.
I carry it in my heart.

:) Still confused. But alive. Really alive.