I wasn't able to post much these last few days, and here's why. My DH was on a Mission trip to the UK. He went to visit and minister with a group of wonderful people who are in various stages of restoration from the ravages of drug addiction. Betel is a worldwide organization dedicated to restoring homeless and substance addicted people to wholeness and new life.

In a word. It's church.

(some of the beautiful people at Betel)

My DH just completed his third trip there, and it was wonderful, it was awesome.

I was holding down the fort.

Now this is NOT the first time he has gone on a trip. In fact, it was his 5th. But Betel was his first, and it so changed his heart and life, that he's been compelled to return ever since. This ministry sits literally at the gates of hell and rescues people back from destruction. They live Proverbs 24:11 Rescue those being led away to death; hold back those staggering toward slaughter.

I do wonder sometimes why God waited until we had children to stir his heart to go. I would have loved to have gone together during those long childless years. But no. So I have learned that in whatever state I find myself in, to be content. (not always,but I try) I have learned to find the fun in being the head of household for a short time. I am always glad, though , to relinquish it at the end. It's fun for awhile, but I do feel relief when there is someone else to share the decisions, discipline, drudgery, dialogue and dirt!

This was the first trip where everyone was above the age of five. Easy!

NOT!

A week and a half before he left, the range went out. Thanks to repair sites on the web, we were able to diagnose the problem and knew that a new part would be $200. Should we replace the aging range (14 years old..we bought it used. (I found a neat site where you can determine the age of your appliances) or purchase the part and hope it solves it? After checking at Lowe's scratch and dent, we checked on an average (YES, SELF-CLEANING IS A MUST) range. They start at $1200, because it was a slide-in..... whoops. Gulp. Yep, $200 isn't a bad risk on a part. Nosirree!

So we ordered the part and waited. Either my DH or my Daddy could replace it.

The morning he left the refrigerator broke, and the part for the range had not yet arrived (editors note: this was the writer's fault as the part had not been ordered it) Because it had done the same thing just two weeks before, we discussed the "what-if's". In the end it took seven days for it to be officially deemed unrepairable by the company.

Then what. This appliance went bad on the 5th anniversary of it's purchase. I spent awhile "talking" (read:put on hold) to someone in India, Pakistan, or Hong Kong..not sure where, but they understood my southern English much better than I understood theirs. Of course the number for customer service was not an 800#. Finally, after being dropped once, and placed on hold innumerable times, (ON MY DIME) I was transferred to someone at the corporate office (in GA)who offered a substantial "rebate" should I choose to purchase another of their marvelous refrigerators to replace mine. OK, I will consider that, and after making certain that I had received and read the rebate information, I ended the call. Great. Trouble was, and I understand their thinking here, I could not upgrade. I must purchase an equal or lesser unit. OK, how do you tell that, and make certain that you don't disqualify yourself, because features and model numbers have changed a bit in 5 years. So I called the store our company is dealing with on a few kitchens and asked them. Fortunately their factory rep. was in their office (God LOVES me) and approved a certain model as "equivalent". I wrote down his name-but the store would have to order it.

In fact no one, anywhere ,within a hundred mile radius, carried it in stock. It must be ordered from the warehouse. They had plenty, I was assured. It might even come by Friday! Wouldn't that be great, and then it would all be normal by the time the man of the house got back home.

Not.

So my DH returned on Sunday night, near midnight, and on Monday afternoon, installed the new fridge. Most everything is back to normal here. I think, if I remember what normal is.

He brought back beautiful photos of England. Wow. It really was fun. I hardly noticed he was gone. (smile)


Belvoir Castle Here's my handsome man! Notice, ladies, that he is ironing , what a Reinassance Man I've got!

Thanks to this "Betelito" for the shot!