Refresh My Soul: Past Vacations

St. Augustine, Florida

I've been thinking a lot about vacation recently. Hot season has arrived and my already weary soul is so ready for some rest! It's actually been a long time since the hubby and I have planned a vacation. What I mean is that most of our trips have been tagged on to conferences or taken because we live in unique places. Even our honeymoon was decided based on the cheapest thing out there. But for the first time we have saved and saved so we could go somewhere new for our 5 year anniversary in September. When I floated the idea by my precious mother she decided it would be a great family vacation! So now all of us and little man will be heading on a 7 day Alaskan cruise in July! Say what?! Bucket list location for sure. Reed and I love cold weather and mountains and living in one of the hottest places on earth we are eager for some cooler weather. 

I have often met people who don't take vacation. They throw around the phrase, "You can sleep when you're dead." Guys, don't be this person! Vacations are good and healthy! One of the best pieces of advice we got when we were preparing to move overseas was to "vacation" every day, every week, every month, and every year. What that look likes practically (for myself) is this:

Daily I spent time with God, reading, relaxing, praying, working out, and even napping at times!

Weekly we take a day where we don't do work, we sleep in, watch movies, laugh, explore new places. 

Monthly we have a date night (or family night). We go to a nice restaurant, swim in a pool, take a trip out of town.

Yearly, we take a vacation. Visit somewhere, stay in a hotel, order room service, get a massage, and DO NOT feel guilty about it. 

So for this month's refresh the soul I'm taking us back to some of my favorite vacations since being married. And if you have a vacation planned for this year, comment below, or share your favorite vacation you've been on. We are always looking for new places to explore! 

Nice, France

Grand Cayman Island

Epcot Center, DisneyWorld

Amman, Jordan

Central Asia

New York City, New York

Daytona Beach, Florida

Fairhope, Alabama

RMNP, Colorado

Estes Park, Colorado

Verrana, Italy

Antalya, Turkey

Paris, France

Istanbul, Turkey

Rocky Mountain National Park (Colorado)

Gulf Shores, Alabama

Grand Lake Lodge, Colorado

Marseille, France

St. Paul de Vence, France

Annency, France

Austin, Texas

Lyon, France

Amman, Jordan

Galveston, Texas

Monaco

Albertville, France

Murren, Switzerland

The Labor of Rest

As most of you may know the hubby and I work for a humanitarian organization. As humanitarians we’ve had the privilege of traveling a lot and seeing a lot…both good and bad.

So it’s easy for us to understand our company’s new mission: to reach the toughest places on earth. Because we’ve been to these toughest places—back roads in Africa, treacherous mountains in Central America, and far away villages in Central America.

But for people like Reed and I sometimes our “toughest” places look different. You see, when Reed and I are stuck in a mudslide, flying a small plane to a remote village, or just experiencing a new culture for the first time we are in our element—we come alive! We get that feeling that overtakes you when you think to yourself, “This is what God created me for!” It’s us at our best…

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But what most people don’t know is that we only spend about 10% of our time on the field or “at our best.” The other 90% of the time we must work diligently from behind a cubicle, tracking shipments, designing banners, answering emails, writing reports and so on. And as I think about what the majority of our time as a humanitarian worker looks like I realize that sitting behind the cubicle is our “toughest place.”

And for now that’s okay, because it’s the path God has us on. But there is something you must watch out for when you sit inside the cube world—schedules. As Americans we are taught to obey schedules and of course if you can get ahead of the schedule, well, you’re a better man than most.

Seem ironic, because if you’ve ever visited another country you know that there are very few places that hold schedules to such a high standard as us Americans. Living in South America for a couple years taught me the Latino Time Table, which I’m a big fan of since I was no longer late to anything!

So what do we do with our entrapment to schedules? Well if you’re me, you forget about it and make it happen. You stay late at work, sacrifice your social life, and ultimately your health.

Lately I’ve realized just how much pressure I’ve been putting on myself to stick to my schedule and deadlines. But this week it came to a head.

I’ve been battling stomach problems my whole life, but in the past 6 month they’ve finally irritated me enough to see a doctor. So while I continue to fight the daily routine of pain and fatigue and figuring out the 5 things I can eat that won’t hurt me, I somehow started to come down with sore throat. “No big deal,” I thought. “It will go away,” I said...Ugh, 12 hours later and I’m still pining away for my hot water and lemon essential oils.

Then I realized something. If I won’t stop my schedule God will.

No, I don’t have cancer or need brain surgery as some of my friends are actually facing today, but I do need rest. And not just the kind I get at night. I need time away from work, a chance for my body to heal, and an opportunity to sit still and hear from the Lord.

But it’s hard. When I know I have friends facing more significant health battles than me, I don’t want to acknowledge that I’m weak or need prayer. I don’t want to tell people about my struggles after hearing about co-workers who may not be with us in a couple of months. But that’s selfish. If we do not share our burdens with others then we are depriving them of their chance to intercede on our behalf. And we are also telling God that we can handle this without him.

So I stand convicted and ask for forgiveness. The Lord has my attention as I’m forced to lay on the couch and stop working. So let’s share in each other burdens no matter how big or small. Feel free to email me or leave a comment in ways we can encourage and pray for each other.

I leave you with a segment from The Balanced Wife blog:

“I'm afraid of what will happen if I take my foot off the gas or stop trying to squeeze the most productivity out of the day- it already feels like I'm always behind, and that feels heavy. But He is our respite. Spending time with him will teach me to live freely and lightly. What I know and hold to today is that when my labor on earth is done, I want to have spent more time worshipping my Father than my schedule.”

Central Asia Recap

This past October we had the privilege to travel to Central Asia. I had never been to this part of the world so I was needless to say I was beyond excited. Reed, however, had been before back in 2007. While the trip was a whirlwind (aren't they all) we managed to spend 3 days in the mountains getting to know a wonderful family. While we were there, we distributed food, clothing, and water filters to a nearby boy's home and some surrounding villages. Back in the capital we went to several schools, spent time with the local staff, visited a leper colony, and even went to a wedding. All in all it was a great trip and we both hope to go back very soon. Next week on the blog Reed will be sharing the story of one man we met named Kuzratalo.

Below you can see the whole team and the family we stayed with in the mountains. Many of the team members were able to make connections with the older boy and continue to follow up with him on facebook. (Isn't technology great!?) To the bottom right you can see the matriarch of the family, or who I like to call, Grandma. She lost her husband last year and has managed to do nothing but continue to provide for her growing family. It was a joy to get to serve alongside them. And of course I had to take a picture when I discovered a box full of Baylor Bear shirts in our clothes we brought to hand out to a local school. 

A sweet couple who lives in a leper colony.

The couple to the left showed us this photo of their son's new marriage. Aren't they beautiful?!

Meet Kuzratalo

JANUARY 18, 2013

*Guest Blog by my beloved hubby, Reed Gardner.

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After a long scenic drive through the mountains we finally arrived at our destination.  It was a small village that few choose to frequent.  Due to the high rate of Tuberculosis in this village, they are seen as outcasts. Even government officials were surprised when our team showed up ready to distribute food, clothing, and other aid to this small, forgotten town.

My wife and I had the privilege of meeting a sweet elderly man named Kuzratalo.  He lives in the village with his brother. He has lost all of his other family members due to tuberculosis, but you wouldn’t know it by the joy on his face and his radiant smile. We were able to give Kuzratalo and his brother a box of food and clothing.  As we carried on conversation through a translator, I shared with him that the woman who was that caretaker at our guest house was praying for my wife and I too have 10 children!  He laughed and said “Ten is not enough; I am going to pray for 20!” Needless to say my wife was not too happy with that response!

Before we left, Kuzratalo walked up to my wife and reached into his pocket and pulled out a 5 Somoni bill (the equivalent of about $1).  With a smile on his face he preceded to hand it to her.  Through a translator, he said that he wanted to give us a gift to remember him by, and that we were always welcome to visit him in his home.  Unfortunately we could not visit him that day, but judging by the smile on his face I believe we have an open invitation should we ever return.

We came to help meet physical needs through food and clothing, but perhaps the best thing we had to offer that day was the gift of friendship. Kuzratalo now knows that he matters and that he has not been forgotten.  We certainly won’t forget him either…