While everyone else settled back into their school routines this past month, I continued my trend of operating out of a non-routine.  Ivan and I spent two weeks in Colombia mid-September for the yearly Tricolor Retreat (YL staff training for Venezuela, Ecuador, and Colombia).

As always, it is a wonderfully encouraging and challenging time together.  It's exciting to hear about what God is doing in other areas and have a little "YL family reunion" with those we've come to know and love. 

Praying for the YL Venezuela Team

One of my favorite moments was sharing with each other the high's and low's of the past year and then praying over one another.  It's a time where we get real with each other and about life.  That's what family is for after all.  Real life.  When my sister asks how are you or what`s up she doesn't get the surface answer of good or nothing.  I'll go straight to the real deal and tell her what`s up like Guess who just hoarded down a bag of chips for lunch?  Yup this girl.  It was that or cow tongue on the menu.  Ummm no thanks.  or I`m about to host the most awkward birthday party of my life.  Family is who knows not to mess with you in the morning 'til you've had your cup of joe.  That's what Tricolor is for me.  It's the family reunion.  A mixture of all personality types who under other circumstances might never be friends but since you're family there's a bond and you realize life is better together.  They get the real answers.  Because they ask real questions. 

This year, each morning, a different country was in charge of preparing breakfast for the group.  It reminded me of family vacations to the Outer Banks with cousins piled into bunk beds, that one uncle who buys all the kids ice cream, the aunts armed with sunscreen, and laughter all around.  Families took turns cooking for the whole group (quite a feat) and it was glorious chaos.  Everyone talking at the same time.  Laughter erupting at one end while others engage in serious conversations at the other. 

2 Peter 1:5-9

For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love.  For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.  But if anyone does not have them, he is near-sighted and blind, and has forgotten that he has been cleansed from his past sins. 

We spent some extra time in Colombia and with recommendations from our mentor, we went to a beautiful beach and took time for the two of us.  While it did rain every day we still had a great time exploring a new place and taking a break.  It didn't quite resemble those loud, boisterous days of long ago with family in N.C. but there was still plenty of laughter and real life.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Of course there was a motorcycle involved

This is Noah.  Ivan can`t stop himself from finding teenagers and talking to them about YL.