Speed cars and Sundaes

Angela and I were talking today over a delicious slice of tirimasu at an old oak tree garden on the lake about how the timing of the weather we get on tour could not be more perfect. From starting in Chicago we watched the leaves change and slowly fall over nine states until we reached Christmas camp. Since heading south from there it has only become warmer and continues to feel more like spring- today at lunch Angela and I ducked under sprinklers as we wandered around blooming flowers and inbetween shoots of bamboo. And then coming home tonight to the house it reminded me of late spring- when the weather is so sunny that it bridges on summertime and the memories of family and friends crowding the kitchen- fixing dinner with the windows and doors open to let in the breeze and the sun. What a wonderful day.

Tonight the boys and I were raced around town in "the speed car" as Mo called it. Nelson said that "the wind blew so fast in my hair that I lost small small amount when we were flying in the street". On my ride with Patrick he says: "Wow wow! Auntie Laura we are going so fast you are going to loose all your hair! I love to go fast fast never slow slow." It was honestly a lot of fun.

Time is going by so fast- it's been a three night stay here and now I am frantically finishing laundry as I realize I need to pack again for tomorrow...I feel like I have only been here a night. Andrew left this morning to go home for his two weeks of vacation- and so from now until July we will have an incomplete team for several months as people take turns going away from their break! It feels like only a month ago that when sitting in Makindye for one of the mornings reading our manual that the chapter on the logistics of vacations seemed too far away to talk about...Sometimes I get ahead of myself and think of everything there is to do, happen, and look forward to before the end of tour and then, in my mind, it's already over! I need to slow down and take the moments like tonight for every memory that it leaves me with and grab hold of it.

Even this past Sunday morning marked our 100th concert since starting tour- I always take notes on what there is to improve on, but it is good also sometimes to sit back and just reflect on how far the children have come since their first time singing in an American church- when they were distracted by every decoration in a church, and not sure of themselves.

In celebration of the kids performing their best concert this past week, before arriving at this church stay we stopped to treat them to icecream sundaes.

There will never be more time in a day, a week, a month- but as we almost finish another week I realize I need to stop more often, and make more time. The words of Uncle Abraham from Africa ring true tonight- "In America people have clocks and watches everywhere- but ironically they never seem to have enough time- but here in Africa we don't race against minutes- we just enjoy the company of others first- and we always have the time to enjoy it."

Wherever this finds you- and tonight as I go to bed- may that be a good, simple, reminder to us all.