Molly Piper

Is it just me, or is summer flying by?

[Photo: Katie Roche]

We’ve been having a really good summer so far, but man, is it going FAST!

Here’s the line-up for the coming weeks

• Insane as this sounds, I’m doing a yard sale this Saturday. I’ve never done one before! I’m doing the yard sale to pay for gas for our upcoming adventures!
• Insane as this sounds, we’re going to be spending a couple weeks in Denver in July. That means a 14-hour drive with four small children. Thankfully Miss Katie will come with us, and she & I will explore Colorado while Abraham works (the new company he works for is based out of Denver and he’d have to be there anyway, so we figured we’d all go)! God has totally hooked us up with a free house to stay in, so we’re really excited. I’ve never been to Colorado before!
• And then, if we weren’t insane enough from the Denver trip, we’re going to do a quick turnaround in Minneapolis, then drive 14 hours the other way to Pennsylvania to see my family and friends there. I’m just thrilled about this, because we haven’t been there since Christmas 2009 when I found out I was pregnant. A few months later we found out it was twins, and we haven’t gone anywhere since. Oh man, it’s gonna be so crazy and so fun! I love going to Erie, Pennsylvania.

Adventures abound as we fly through summer!

What are your adventurous summer plans?

Once upon a time, an overwhelmed, frazzled mother of four small children went to a magical land…

A magical land of

sun

sand

scenery

and…

sickness.

Wait…what?

Yes, yes that’s right. But that’s only a small part of the story. We’ll not discuss that now. Let’s imagine instead the magical sun.

And the sand.

And the breathtaking scenery.

The magical land had breezes that blew straight out of heaven–no edge, no chill. They were brisk, but somehow soft. The sun warm, but never too hot. The winds blew the cares of her other life away. And then sun shone through the frazzle, making it melt away.

The sickness part seemed a small price to pay to be able to take in such beauty. Not even tonsillitis could dull her enjoyment. There were these magical things there (perhaps you’ve heard of them here in your land?) called antibiotics and ibuprofen and they made even her sickness feel manageable.

The no-longer-frazzled mother drank in every drop of her time in the magical land.

But like all good things down here, it ended. She had to fly away from the magical land, her flower-laden neck the reminder of the magical land in the midst of metal tubes and uncomfortable seats.

When she came back to her land, where the winds blew cold and the snow fell and fell (even though it was springtime), she had only to close her eyes and imagine the place she visited, where all the cares and frazzle were no match for the ocean and Vitamin D.

The End.

[from Watari Goro on Flickr]

I’m all nervous about hitting the publish button on this post, but…

In a few short days, I’ll be traveling to sunny HAWAII!

I’m so insanely excited, but so self-conscious about receiving such a lavish gift.

So who’s giving such a gift?

• My dear friend, Kate, who’s an incredible doctor, presenting a case presentation poster at the American Academy of Neurology conference (the reason we’re going). Her generosity is stunning. She showed up at our house a couple months ago and told me she’d had her case presentation accepted by the neurology academy, and that she’d be presenting in Hawaii, but…she didn’t want to go by herself. So…would I want to come with her??? Kate and I have been friends for almost 15 years, so this is certainly a way to celebrate the Lord’s faithfulness to us in friendship!

Which leads me to the next amazing gift:

• My amazing husband, sending me happily on this dream trip. I know I wouldn’t be as happily sacrificial if the tables were turned. As soon as Kate asked me to go, I was all like, “Ummm…uhhh…I don’t know…” and Abraham chimed in, “OF COURSE you’re gonna go!” What a fantastic husband.

Which leads me to the next amazing gift:

• My in-laws, who are willing to take the babies for a couple days so Abraham can still have a little fun with the big boys at our church spring retreat. As soon as I heard the dates for the Hawaii trip, I knew there would be a conflict with our church’s spring retreat (which is a highlight of our church year). Not wanting Abraham to have to miss it, his parents and sister have stepped in to make that possible for Abraham and the big boys. AWESOME!

And the Giver of all these gifts:

• My loving God, who hears little heart-whispers into a long winter and sees my joke flight searches to warm places. Just a few days before Kate showed up and asked me to go with her, I’d been searching flights to Hawaii one afternoon, because of how depressed I was feeling about the endless winter. The price was laughable, and so I just stopped looking. But God saw. God knew. And God gave.

SOOOO…

In a few days, I’ll be somewhere that looks kinda like this:

[from Cody Anker on Flickr]

One thing I learned the other day (reading a kid’s book about Hawaii, because that’s all I had time for), is that Hawaii is technically a subtropical climate. I didn’t even know there was such a thing as subtropical, but apparently it has something to do with the weather being so stable (pretty much always in the 70s & 80s and sunny). I’ve never been anywhere tropical or subtropical so I’m pretty much psyched for whatever!

I hope to post more about it this week, or maybe even while I’m there. Aloha, my friends!

If you have twins you are not going to have a lot of time for meals. It’s just reality. I know they tell you if you’re nursing that you need to eat healthy, well-balanced meals and snacks. The more children you get, and the closer they are to each other in age, the chances of that decrease almost exponentially.

So I’ve taken to always having snacks in the van. Some of you might be thinking, “Duh! I always do that!” Well, I suppose I’d often have snacks in my purse, especially when I was pregnant, but I never had the quantity necessary for how often I need them now that I can rarely get a spare moment to eat at home. And most of the snacks weren’t for me, but for the kids.

Here’s what I consider for mom snacks:

• They have to have a shelf life. Anything perishable is not gonna work for me and my brain right now. I just need to be able to get in the car, realize I’m starving, and have something available.
• In my arctic world, you have to pick things that won’t freeze!
• Decently healthy. I’m not a super-duper health nut, but I’m not a junk food junkie, either.

I find that my private stash of snacks often includes crackers and nuts. They fit my criteria quite nicely.

My quick cracker of choice is Cheez-Its. I have to be careful not to gorge on them, but they’re still my faves, and if I just eat a few, I figure it’s okay. I’m sure I’ll get emails about how bad they are for me or how they’re made with carcinogen-soaked cow stomachs or something. Whatevs, I guess I must like carcinogen-soaked cow stomachs. And Cheez-It people, if you read this, I love you and will not believe the haters!

Anyway…if you’re a mother of twins, stock the car with snacks for you. You’re gonna need them!

What are your favorite on-the-go mom snacks?

For Thanksgiving we traveled Up North (in Minnesota that’s a proper name for all destinations north of the Twin Cities) for an awesome time with our dear friends, the Mathises.

Funny thing about those Mathises–we’ve known them for years and have been good friends, but last year, Megan & I were both pregnant with TWINS together! Her twin boys were born one month before ours. So on our trip, there were TONS of babies! I’m so thankful for Megan’s wonderful family, willing to have all of our craziness with them for 3 days.

I don’t have time for much more than this today, but thought I’d show you the twins on their first Thanksgiving.

Here’s Mr. Whitsun:

And Baby Cadence with her Mommy:

Finally, the double double trouble!

I know it’s late for Thanksgiving posts, but I’m on my own timetable this year! Can you believe all those babies??? Sometimes I just laugh out loud when I think about it!

As many of you know, last weekend I traveled to Birmingham, ALABAMA!!! (A couple times during the weekend I’d think to myself, “This is really surreal–I’m in Alabama….)

Did you know that the license plates say “Sweet Home”?

Growing up in the North and not traveling much as a child, it’s still weird to me that I get to go on trips and see new places (especially places that are so different than ones I’m used to). I love that! I was the navigator for my little duo (me & Shannon, formerly/presently of Rocks in My Dryer) and it was so delightful for me. And no GPS, I’ll have you know! I like the adventure of exploring a new place, and even getting a little bit lost.

There’s something about cell phones and GPS systems that makes us rely less and less on each other and more on satellites and Google. Now, I’m all for those tools, don’t get me wrong, but I like having to stop and ask a random gas station worker for directions. I like getting to have that conversation about where I’m from, what brought me to Alabama, etc. It keeps life interesting!

Anyway…

Your prayers were answered! My time in Birmingham was exhausting in a good way and refreshing in all the right ways. Spending time in the Word and being with new and old blogging friends was amazing. I was in awe most of the time, marveling at just how good God is, allowing all of us to be together and get to know each other better.

And some of the best news came on Saturday night at our little (awesome) Compassion get-together dinner. Through the blogging trips that Compassion has done, 5,000 children have been sponsored. That means that God has worked in 5,000 of you to change the life of a child in poverty, probably someone you’ll never meet. But you will change their life!!! It was such fantastic news.

Here’s a picture of our group (the ones who were able to make the trip to Birmingham):

You can pop over to Shaun’s site (the guy in at the top left of this picture) to get descriptions of everyone in this picture. But let me say this: I love these people. LOVE them.

And My Man (taking my cues from Beth Moore here) kept the home fires burning through the weekend like he (almost) didn’t even need me here. He hauled all four children to the Christmas tree lot and brought a beautiful tree home and set it up so that I’d be surprised when I got home on Sunday night! And making room for a Christmas tree required some furniture re-arranging in the living room, which he did beautifully! Seriously, my man…he’s incredible.

I wish I had more time to tell you about the weekend. But as I type there’s some people who need me.

This weekend I have the privilege of traveling to Birmingham, AL for a Beth Moore event called Deeper Still.

The main reason I’m going is because there’s a group of Compassion Bloggers doing a reunion during/after this event. Here’s what I’m looking forward to:

• Getting to meet one of my blogging mentors (seriously, she helped my blog so much) Shannon, along with TONS of other awesome people who’ve done Compassion Blogger trips.
• All of my blogging teammates from my El Salvador trip will be there!
• Meeting some of you??? If you’ll be there, come say hello. I’ll probably be lurking somewhere near the Dayspring booth at times.

But, as you all know, I have 4 children, 2 of them infant twins. So how am I making this trip happen? Well, it takes a village (or a small army sometimes). I’m very deeply thankful for:

• My amazing husband, who’s braving all four children alone. I have full confidence in him as I leave, and I’m so thankful for that. AND, the fact that he wants me to go and have fun. If the tables were turned I’d be whining and probably annoyed that he was leaving. He makes all kinds of joyful sacrifices on my behalf, and I’m so thankful. Love you, Abraham!
• My awesome in-laws, who donated their frequent flier miles to help me pay for an airline ticket. With twins arriving, times are kinda tough for us financially, and my in-laws are always so generous and gracious. Thank you, John & Noel.
• My mother-in-law and my sister-in-law taking care of all four children tomorrow while Abraham’s at work. You are so great with them, and I don’t have to feel nervous about their care at all.
• My friend Shannon in Minneapolis, who’s driving the car pool both ways tomorrow and taking care of Morrow during the morning kindergarten time. Shannon, you have such a gift of servanthood. You’ve made this transition to twins so much easier by loving and serving us. Thanks for helping me get this time away.

Also, I’m really looking forward to time in the Bible. Since the babies have come, my times there are brief and infrequent. In no way do I feel like my roots are deep, and I don’t feel very strong. I feel like I really need this time for the sake of my soul.

Please pray for my small army and for me as I travel. As much as I am excited, it’s hard to leave. I’ll miss my family!

And hopefully I’ll be seeing some of you in Alabama (which is a state I’ve never visited, so I’m getting to add a state to my list! YAY!)

No matter how much I wanted to, I didn’t wake up in El Salvador today. My week with Compassion International is over, and I’m grieving that.

I got home Friday night around 11pm and woke Orison (our then-4-year-old) and he greeted me very drowsily. In the morning he didn’t even remember it! But when he woke up Saturday morning, he was FIVE! That’s right, I got home just in time for his birthday.

We spent the day pretty quietly together as a family. But Abraham and I were so tired that by about 5pm we both knew we needed to get out of the house or we were going to be miserable until bedtime. In some random moment of insanity, Abraham suggested that we take Orison to ride a few rides at the Mall of America (something he’s only done a couple times and would be totally thrilled by).

So… it was Saturday night at the Mall of America. Not for the faint of heart, my friends. I don’t think we’d ever been there on a Saturday night before. It was so.stinkin’.busy. So full of people with waaaay too much.

As we were talking toward the amusement park area, I told Abraham, “I’m feeling a little sick to my stomach.”

“Literally?” He asks. (All too often I’m actually sick to my stomach, so he has to make sure….)

“No… more heartsick.”

“So, you’re sick to the stomach of your heart?”

“Exactly.”

I mean, the day before I was still seeing tin-roofed, dilapidated shacks that people call homes. The day before I was still in the thick of El Salvador and it’s poverty. And I was still there in my heart and mind. But somehow my body was travelling through the Mall of America.

Walking paradox, no?

I keep thinking about objects in space, and how they have to very carefully calculate how the object will reenter the earth’s atmosphere, or else any number of catastrophic ends will result (blowing up, exploding, catching on fire). Perhaps a trip to the Mall of America wasn’t the best reentry strategy.

I’ve already cried a few times today, my emotions just barely below the surface. I feel okay with that, though. If I were just pushing it all down and refusing to let it touch me, that would be unhealthy. My mentor tells me, “Don’t be afraid of tears. Tears are often a sign that the Holy Spirit’s at work.”

So that, for now, is my reentry strategy. Try to let the tears come as they need to. Remember what I saw. And try to avoid the Mall of America.

My El Salvador Posts

• “This Child Deserves to Know Jesus!”
• More Than Just Beautiful Faces, but Beautiful Nonetheless
• A Hero’s Welcome Given by Heroes
• Mothers Becoming Moms: Child Survival Program in Action
• You’ve Been Cordially Invited to Break Your Heart

We all made it safely to El Salvador today (with all of our luggage)! Thanks to all of you who prayed for us and thought about us throughout the day.

First thing’s first: flooding. I mentioned that Hurricane Ida had passed through and substantial flooding had killed around 100 people. Many people have lost their homes, and some of the Compassion projects have incurred damage. Some of the Compassion-sponsored children have lost homes or been evacuated from their homes because they’re in areas at high risk for further landslides.

Thankfully none of the projects that we’re scheduled to visit were damaged. That makes things a lot easier, itinerary-wise, for our trip leaders (as you can imagine).

Today was a full day of travel and then meeting up with our tour guides. We drove through downtown San Salvador, had a wonderful lunch, and then went to the Compassion National Headquarters.

They’ve been in this new building for about a year, having moved from a bunker with no windows for offices. It was a beautifully-maintained, well-run, organized office! What a blessing to this hardworking staff! I seriously have never seen an office of people so happy. We met every staff member and they just basically kept one-upping each other on the happiness scale.

We had a presentation by Brother Guillermo, the country director for Compassion El Salvador. And wow, what an awesome, Godly man!

One thing that you should know about Compassion in El Salvador is that they have just added a new program, the Child Survival Program, this year. As Brother Guillermo was sharing about that and showing a couple stats and pictures, he said something that stopped my heart. He was showing a picture of a baby girl, probably about 3 months old, and he said in such a sincere, passionate voice:

“This child deserves to know Jesus!”

The tears filled my eyes as he said it again:

“This child deserves to know Jesus!”

And of course we, as sinners, have no rights to God. But that he loves us so much despite our sin that he still gives us access to Him is staggering. That we can share in his love, his grace, his joy, his peace, his wonderful plan of salvation… it’s amazing to me again today.

I’ve seen and heard so much already about Compassion’s model for their programs worldwide. They focus on the development of 4 key areas: physical, cognitive, socio-emotional, and spiritual. They are deeply invested in meeting these needs for their children. They have project managers that are continually evaluating each project to make sure they’re addressing all of these areas and they operate a training department to help the churches and projects in their weaknesses to achieve their goals. It’s so cool!

I just want to encourage you today to think and pray about sponsoring a child from El Salvador. They deserve to know Jesus.

Just got a link from our trip leader, Shaun Groves, sharing the news that there was a hurricane in El Salvador last night, and that 91 people are believed to be dead.

Read the story here.

Of course we have no idea at this point how this will affect our trip. Almost certainly, children and families sponsored by Compassion have lost the little they had in the last 24 hours.

So pray for us. Pray that we can love people well in the midst of their disaster, if that’s what we come up against. Pray that we will trust God in ways that are beautiful and attractive to the people that we encounter, even as we proclaim that we trust in the God who controls the winds and waves.