Wendy’s four-month-old laptop crashed last Friday. The past ten days have been some of the busiest for Wendy’s job and the loss of the computer was agonizing. We took the laptop back to the Greek Squad on Friday and they immediately started the process of trying to recover the data off the hard drives. It would be a process of days to get the lap top back and even then Wendy would have to restore all of her software, all of her settings and rebuild her on-line life from scratch. Needless to say, she was angry, frustrated and depressed all weekend.

The situation only got worse on Monday when the Geek Squad called to inform her that they needed her "restoration disks". Just an hour earlier I had left for meetings in Des Moines. Bad timing. This meant that she would have to drive to Des Moines and personally wait for up to five hours for the computer’s system to be restored so she could take it home. Wendy reluctantly took her book and found herself sitting on a bench outside of the Jordan Creek Mall reading as she waited.

A girl approached Wendy and asked to use her phone. Wendy obliged. Upon completion of the call the girl commented on Wendy’s tattoos. A conversation started. Wendy felt that still, small voice in her heart telling her this was not an ordinary conversation. This was a divine appointment. Seemingly, for no reason, the girl started to share the intimate details of her life to Wendy.

The girl had been abandoned by her parents and lived in a series of foster homes and orphanages. Wendy knows abandonment. She could relate. The girl had been adopted. Wendy knows what it’s like to be adopted and to live in a family with adopted children. The girls adopted parents raised her in the Open Bible Church. Wendy was raised in the Open Bible Church. The girl had run from her family. She ran from God. Her life was a mess. Wendy knows about running from God. She knows mess. She also knows God’s presence in mess.

Wendy didn’t need to mention God. The girl raised the subject. Seeing "Rev. 21:5" tattooed on Wendy’s shoulder, the girl asked about the verse and then asked "Are you a Christian?"

The discussion continued. Wendy silently prayed that the computer guys wouldn’t call her to pick up her computer until after this conversation was over. The two sat on that bench for a long time. The girl  inexplicably poured out her heart to a stranger whom she met on a park bench outside of a mall. Wendy listened, related, and loved, reminding her that no matter where she runs in life – God does not let go. God has a plan for her life, and He won’t let go of her – even as she tries to let go of Him. The divine appointment ended with a hug, and with Wendy’s promise to pray for her. The girl walked away.

Within ten minutes her phone rang. The computer was ready.

Wendy’s computer crashed late last week. She was left with a big void, not having the computer or the files necessary to do much that is on her plate for work. So, she read. Her nose was in a book all weekend.

One of the things that I’ve come to love and appreciate about my wife is that she doesn’t hold in her emotions. Personally, I think it’s great. I never have to guess what she’s feeling. She makes it perfectly clear. It also makes watching movies and television more interesting. Wendy jumps, guffaws, screams, talks to the characters on screen, writhes, buries her head in my shoulder, and sometimes squeezes my hand until the blood drains from it. Watching a movie is a fuller experience as you experience it through Wendy’s reactions.

Reading is the same for Wendy. She talks to the book, laughs out loud, utters exclamations and cries. As she ended the book Jimmy by Robert Whitlow this weekend – the tears began to streak down her face and sobs followed. I didn’t mind. I got to hold her as she gathered herself and we enjoyed a wonderful laugh together at the moment.

I’ll be the first to admit that I haven’t always been very good with my emotions. I’ve stuffed my anger until it oozes out in all sorts of unhealthy ways. I run from "bad" feelings and find myself in places I don’t want to  be. I hold my praise in check when I get the feeling God would rather have me dancing in my underwear like King David.

But I’m learning from my wife how to let go. And that’s a very good thing.

Wendy and I took our friends Ann and Mary Jo to see Monty Python’s Spamalot at the Des Moines Civic Center. What a riot. Not only was it a retelling of the comedy classic Monty Python and the Holy Grail, but they added several new twists and turns that kept us all in stitches. If the phrase, "I’m not dead yet" immediately illicits a chuckle from you – you should see this show.

Taylor returned home last night from Colorado. She attended the Desperation conference at New Life Church in Colorado Springs with the church youth group this past week. She sat down with Wendy and me late last night and went through all the cool things she learned and what God had taught her through the conference. Really cool stuff. She bought a book on Praise by David Crowder and read most of it on the way home. She read several passages to Wendy and me that had us laughing.

Our youth pastor also asked Taylor to be an official photographer for the youth group. She’s going to be taking/posting pics onto the youth group website. Taylor has always had a great photographers eye – it’s awesome for others to notice her gift in this area. Good for you, Taylor!

I received another phone call from Madison today. She must have been calling from a satellite phone because she was only given a minute or two to talk. She said that she was "in the middle of the rain forest". The village they are working in is very primitive. She reported that their team was overjoyed to find that they actually had a toilet where they were staying. "It’s not a good toilet – you have to pour a lot of water in it to get it to flush – but it’s a toilet". The team has been leading VBS classes for the children in the village during the day and going from hut to hut providing what assistance they can to people.

Madison seemed to be in better spirits today. There was a lot of joy in her voice. The picture is from the Global Expeditions website. I believe this was taken of Madison’s team doing team-building exercises before they left for Costa Rica.

Thanks for your prayers. Please continue to pray for Madison’s safety and that God will do great things in her and through her!

I received another phone call from Madison today. She must have been calling from a satellite phone because she was only given a minute or two to talk. She said that she was "in the middle of the rain forest". The village they are working in is very primitive. She reported that their team was overjoyed to find that they actually had a toilet where they were staying. "It’s not a good toilet – you have to pour a lot of water in it to get it to flush – but it’s a toilet". The team has been leading VBS classes for the children in the village during the day and going from hut to hut providing what assistance they can to people.

Madison seemed to be in better spirits today. There was a lot of joy in her voice. The picture is from the Global Expeditions website. I believe this was taken of Madison’s team doing team-building exercises before they left for Costa Rica.

Thanks for your prayers. Please continue to pray for Madison’s safety and that God will do great things in her and through her!