First...I received an award while I've been 'gone'. This one is so cute and school-like! Thanks, Rox! I love your blog, too! My friend Roxanne sent this award my way and I'm so glad to know her.
Also I do have a card that should have been posted two weeks ago!
Gasp! My SBS9 green and purple card challenge began mid August and here I am just posting now...hoo boy. SBS9 sisters, please comment here and link your challenge card in the comment. I will add all your cards to my blog and on the last day of the first week of school (Friday, September 5th) I will randomly choose an SBS9 sister winner! Here's my card to get you inspired!! {Gina K stamps, JOY sticker from creative memories and my SBS secret sister, Lulu and the new kiwi color from SU as well as PTI's purple paper and ribbon; and two OTC brads} :)
Also, I want to share this little booklet that I made for my trip to Mozambique...you see, I have both prayer and financial partners who support my trip when I go...and because they commit to pray for me the whole month...I pray for them, too. This is the way I kept track of who to pray for while I was on my trip. The stamp set is Clear Artistic stamp's Delicate moments. I stamped a piece of vellum for the cover, cuttlebugged it, glued it to a covered piece of piece of CS with SU's
Winter designer paper, and used Nestabilities oval diecut to make the book and pages with the same DP. I attached the vellum piece with a glue stick. Then I calligraphered the name(s) of those individuals who supported my trip on each page. I originally had ribbon on the ring, but they kept falling in the dirt floors in Africa, so I put them as markers in my bible instead! :)Me? Oh, I am working on my report from Mozambique, editing a friend's book, stamping thank you's for my mission supporters, prepping my lectures for my college class, organizing for school stuff {for both me and my girls! Our exchange daughter, Em, arrived from Denmark two weeks ago today! See her below?} Oh, and I'm coodinating a mission month for church with new speakers every week in September. Oh, and getting ready for that cruise I told you about last spring. Yes, six more weeks to go for that and boy, will I need it!
I am so missing blogging, stamping and hanging out with all of you! Know that you are all on my mind, but God has been so good to me with all of my 'projects', how can I complain?! And for those who continue to keep my mom in prayer...she remains in the hospital (she was out for a few weeks while I was gone, but back in a few days after I returned!)...so continue to keep her in prayer, please! A lot going on there too! I am longing for the routine of school just so there is a routine. I'll post more soon! Blessings to you all and happy fall!
It was an exciting time full of blessing (the church services were amazing musical services) and adventure (one of our team killed a rat in the dining building and four of our team fell 12' from the scaffolding when our first attempt at putting up the roof trusses collapsed) But God was in control of it all and we all are safe, sound and home. The days were long (10-11 hours) and we were exhausted and filthy from all the construction dust and such, but thankfully there were showers (slightly warmer than cold) and our hosts prepared good food, so we were ready to go again by 6 am every morning. Sadly, the opportunity for using my puppets with the kids did not present itself this time. School was in session during the day so we were not around too many kids. I did meet a few at the bible school where we stayed as their families were up late grinding corn...my puppet Pedro made a new friend, Dominga. 
There were also a few kids at the house where we prepared and ate our lunch, so I did get to hang out with them a few days. Mostly though, it was all about the building of the church. I can now say I have been a carpenter, mason and all around menial laborer! And it was fun and very rewarding. The church members were there working alongside us and it was a blessing to toil together for the Lord! We are all healthy, if a bit sore of muscle, and no one missed a day of ministry. How Good God is! Oh, we didn't really see animals on this trip as we were in a city all the time, but here is a termite hill just a stick's throw from my tourquoise tent! 
