Our House, in the middle of the....

...Farm! I've been wanting to give you a sneak peak of our home in Zambia! I'm figuring that you will think it is actually pretty nice! I think it is NOTHING like people envision! It's not a hut, and it's about the same size our home is now! It's located about a 20 minute walk from the school, and is on the "outskirts" of the compound (what people think of a village... only it isn't a village, it's a compound). The house sits on about a 6 acre farm that LifeSong owns. We are kinda on the front middle acre, with a wall around it. Anyway... check it out... Shane got to stay last night in the house for the first time! Now, if he could just get water in the house he'd be doing a lot better! Pray that happens this week!!
This is the front... obviously. Shane is hoping to get a screened in porch on the front so that in the evenings we can sit outside without getting eaten by mosquitos.
One of our bathrooms! Don't be jealous of the pink tub... KG will like it! Getting tile on the floor to... from what I hear.
This is the living room and dinning room! spacious huh?
This is where the work happens.... ha.
Here is our front yard. I think those are mango or avocado trees (the big ones) and some lemon and lime trees... so I'm told... YUMMMY!!
We are so grateful for our new home... and I have visions of what that home holds for us.... Praying it glorifies God in a mighty way.
On a different note...I'm thinking that we are getting into our new groove. The first week is over. This is our last week in TX... too bad it's gonna be the hottest one yet... 108 they say. AND I'm missing my only winter (in Zambia) right now... won't get another one for another YEAR!! Blast! ;)

Not a piece of cake...

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Let me just be honest... while it is easy to blog about the good things... funny things... exciting things... it's certainly not easy to blog about the hard things. Yet, to fantasize something is not truth, it is only a lie.
This is hard. Are we surprised or caught off guard by it? Not really... but that doesn't make it easier. While I'm fighting daily demands whining childrenpacking up a house...
He's having reality smack him in the face of how hard life in Zambia really will be: the HUGE learning curve, the endless to do list, being alone, Rats, death, etc...
And before we know it, things we thought we had given over and surrendered, we find holding once again. Fear, anxiety, desire for comfort... the list goes on and on. But, we must combat it with truth... and of course, Jesus never disappoints with His word:
"In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one. and take the helmet of salvation, and sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God." Eph 6:16
"Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid; for the Lord God is my strength and my song, and he has become my salvation." Is 12:2
"For nothing will be impossible with God" Luke 1:37
"But he said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.' Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me." 2 Cor 12:9
"I AM A MIGHTY GOD. Nothing is too difficult for Me. I have chosen to use weak ones like you to accomplish My purposes. Your weakness is designed to open you up to My Power. Therefore, do not fear your limitations or measure the day's demands against your strength. What I require of you is to stay connected to Me, living in trusting dependence on My limitless resources. When you face unexpected demands, there is no need to panic. Remember that I am with you. Talk with Me, and listen while I talk you through each challenging situation. I am not a careless God. When I allow difficulties to come into your life, I equip you fully to handle them. Relax in my presence, trusting in My Strength."
~Jesus Calling~
(Shane... I believe this one was just for us both... I know we are well aware of our weaknesses, especially when we are apart... But we MUST rely on the TRUTH and true strength that comes only from the LORD... and He is here with us both... I love you & the man you are...)

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................................................... feel it??? That's called writers block...
It happens to me when there are so many emotions mixed with so many demands. Where to start? How do I sort through all this? Where's my mom and a big glass of something?
I talked with the Mr. today... and after a delayed flight or something like that... He and my dad finally made it to Kitwe and are settled into the SHAMA-BINGA-BABY! That's the super sweet lodge... It's really just called the Shamabinga Lodge and Resort... but we like our name for it, personally. It's really quite a beautiful place... and you can't beat the kind people who own it! See here....

That is also where the Zambia bloopers was taped.
In the next day or two I'll give you a tour of our home in Zambia! Quite exciting!!

On the home front... yeah, that's the part I'm not quite ready to process yet. Let's just say things are quite busy here... and leave it at that. ;) I've got a little over a week to be all packed up and leaving TX... one. step. closer.

Twas the Night before...

2 Years ago today... We saw THIS sweet face for the first time...


In less than 3 hours... the Mr. will be boarding a plane to take him to THIS place...

Kinda glad God doesn't give us a flash forward of our lives... we'd never believe it if we saw it in advance!!
(for those who have emailed and left messages... thanks. We are doing pretty good. Of course, 2 days down... 37 to go! ask me again in about 20 days.)

The next 24 hours...

There really are no words to describe the emotions... You KNOW God has called you to it...After the initial hesitation and physical illness (no, really)... We're IN completely...The preparation to get to this point was really... sometimes hard, but not horrific...And you suddenly realize that you will "never be ready" for this... When you THINK your faith is strong... but then it's time to actually jump...You realize that it takes WAY MORE than what you have.
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I can't do this... alone. I'm dreading the next 24 hours, where I'll say goodbye to my best friend and husband... the leader of my family. You say "this is worth it"... but there are moments I doubt it. The dread of tears shed... by me... by my kids... by my man... ugh. 6 weeks is a L.O.N.G. time (you military wives out there, feel free to make fun... I'm a complete wimp!)
Despite all these emotions... I lift my eyes from my feet *attempting* to tread water and I look for HIS face. And there... We find our strength... JOY... and ability to look PAST the next 6 weeks and into a life God has most certainly called us to.
Please pray for us... Pray for the Mr. as he travels from here to TN... and then to Zambia on Monday.
It's then... the stories will begin. Our life in Zambia begins... NEXT WEEK!

Our Story...

Our story... wow. So much to say. Where to start? How do we even adequately express all that God has done in our lives? The redemption, the stretching, the beauty from our messes, the so many blessings, the stripping of control, the journey we never thought we'd do... wow.
Here's just a small glimpse of "us" and "our story" ... at least from the past few months... This will be added to the "Our Story" section soon.


***A HUGE shout out to Corey Lamb and the communications team at our church for putting this together as part of our send off. YOU.ARE.AWESOME. ***

Flashback to one year ago...

As the "end" approaches to life as we know it in Texas, I've been quite reflective. I went searching and reading through old blog posts (ah... that's the purpose of blogging...) and read our FIRST blog post on this blog... which was exactly a year ago this week. I actually Laughed Out Loud (not just saying it). Because if my life were a movie in which I had written the script for (which a. it is not and b. glad someone else is writing the story of my life)... one might think it was a foreshadowing of things to come...
"Over the past 8 months, we have been "cocooning"... even in blog world! ha! We brought E home from Ethiopia the day after Thanksgiving and put our blog to private at that time. I think there were things on my heart and mind I wasn't ready to share with the whole world. During this time, we have been refined... re-defined... and ready to re-enter the public blog world...haha!
It truly has been one of the hardest, and yet most beautiful times of our lives. God has litterally stripped us of all "assumed control" and has shown us what it is REALLY like to gravel at the feet of Jesus. He's revealed parts of our hearts we didn't want to see... and it has left us with choices to make. We simply want to "leave it all on the court" in this life... and we want to challenge others to do the same. To start this blog... I want to just copy one of my posts from this past 8 months to give you a glimpse into the McB journey...
Here's the thing... I don't know why... but God is bringing us to a place we've never been before. I don't know what that looks like or what he will do... but I'm pretty sure it's gonna look crazy to anyone who doesn't understand the WHY of what we are doing. I just don't want to live my life with regrets, or boundaries placed upon my life by ME... or Society... or anyone. I want to only accept the boundaries placed within my life by God Almighty. I really want to GIVE HIM MY ALL.... What does that look like? My time... energy... service... love... money... house... comfort... car... TV... reserve... I just want to LOVE LOVE LOVE. him... others... the people on the street we want to avoid looking at... people I disagree with... those who are hurting... those who are blind... the self-righteous... the sick... the poor... the orphan... the diseased... those without clean water... the homeless... the druggie... the prostitute... the atheist...the sex-trafficer... the victim... the offender... I really want to LOVE like Jesus. And I'm starting to think that may start to look pretty crazy... At the end... when I stand and look at Jesus...I want to know I loved with HIS power and not what "I thought I could do." Simply Love with the love of Jesus...

We are excited to start this new journey.... one of learning... stretching & growing... one of meeting the next McB... one of shedding the unnecessary. We hope you will join along...laugh at us... see the messes we make... and see the Maker redeem!"

Yeah, I had NO IDEA what God was up to in our hearts... and honestly, still don't. What I know is this: HE IS ABLE.

"Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever." Eph 3:20-21