sojothomps @ ourplace

This was my 1-year anniversary present to my husband back in August 09. It's our story of how we met, connected, and are living out our dreams. On white paper, with a black marker, I drew the main border that frames the piece, and then bordered out the 7 individual stanzas that would tell the story. Then with each stanza, I spent tedious hours drawing the lines and cutting out each of those lines and curves. I wanted to make sure that the major lines were attached so that when held up in the air, it would be just one piece of connected stenciled work. After it was cut out, I took another piece of white paper and color-penciled in different shades of green, a color that, for me, grows. Then with glue on the back of the black, the cut-out piece was pasted on top of the green. The very last step was to paste the piece onto a wooden board that I got from the lid of a musk melon box. Now ready and waiting to be hung at our new house in Nepal one day, hopefully soon.

The first 'stanza', starting at the top, represents John two and a half years ago when he was trekking up the Himalayas on a short-term trip. The Himalayas held for him a lot of substance and something that was adventure, grounding and mysterious, a place to which he knew he had to return. As he was trekking, he shared his heart with the village people, and he said a lot of prayers committing to being part of these mountain people's lives. There was also a reoccuring prayer that he describes as the scare of his life, the need and desire for a wife. This was before he knew of my existence.

The next box is me. Zoomed into my face, representing the introspection that was my life two and a half years ago. I had gone on the same short-term (10 days) trip as the one John had been on, but instead of trekking the mountains, I was down in the city of Kathmandu, with the children at the home, experiencing one of the biggest changes in my mind - the acceptance of my past. I had grown up as a missionary kid in Nigeria, where I was put into boarding school at the vulnerable age of 8, in total confusion and abandonment, as I had interpreted it in my child's mind. So I grew up with misunderstandings about what true faith and devotion in Christ meant - why would God let our family go through this, I always asked? A story I hope to write in more length and depth one day soon. On this trip, I still had questions unanswered but when I saw the children at the home, I saw something fresh. A truth that I had known in my head all along but one that I couldn't soften myself to internalize. On this trip, the sights and smells and sounds of Nigeria strongly gushed back in a way that I can only explain as the triggers of memory through commonalities in developing nations. With my senses opened and a spirit that was eager to soak up truth, I saw in these children my own childhood. On the first day we arrived, they held my hands tightly and showed me their bunkbeds, their few possessions and their life in a hostel. This was me. Then all the figures in my life up to this point, all the events and losses and gains connected in my head. It made sense to me for that brief moment why God had let me go through what I had. It was to show me that no matter how bad the situation may seem he is always there. He was there so present and evident in each of those kids' lives. It wasn't that their situation was 'bad', in fact, they were all probably far better off in the safety of this home than back in the conditions that they were found in the mountains. But their situations were still imperfect, as all of ours. For me, the separation of families was and is tragic and I breathed that conviction from personal experience. And I knew that these kids had something in common with me. But despite the situation, Christ was in them and with them always. And I knew he had always been with me when I was alone in my dorm room. He had brought me to this home to tell the story of what God would do in these kids' lives, to offer them a real personal testimony and hope, and I was there to finally let go of my past of bitterness. So I shared my story with the children on the last day and somehow managed to make the whole room cry. And John happened to have returned from the mountains that day. He heard me and something piqued his fancy. So he prayed.

He prayed that we would sit next to each other on the plane ride back to Korea. I secretly had a hopeless interest in him but never took my imagination too far as he seemed unattainable. But I did secretly wish that we were sitting together too. Sure enough, we found our seat assignments next to one another, with an hour delay in take off, which was an extra hour for us to talk. Talked for the entire 4-5 hours and made the connection. We started dating and he asked me if I wanted to come with him on a trip that he had been planning way before he knew me. Two months in Australia and New Zealand. It was make it or break it. But we walked through jungles, forests, and beaches in NZ, forming roots in our relationship that would take us to new and trusted territory. Before we knew it, we knew it was right and sweet to get married.
So the bells rung. We got married in Korea and although the wedding planning was not bliss, the day and marriage itself was bliss. We continued to look up to where our roots had been established and with the joys and challenges that came with marriage, we continued to grow and solidify our call in life. To love God, ourselves, each other, and others.

We set up house in the apartment provided by my job. It was spacious for two, and we had a spongy schedule that allowed us time for each other. It seemed perfect for our plan to set our first year aside to solely building a foundation into our marriage. We knew we wanted and needed this foundation that would keep us standing with whatever good or bad shot at us in the future. At this point, we knew Nepal was still in the future. But we thought, oh, why not wait a few years, have some children, save some money, then go. So in that first year, we continued to learn about each other and get comfortable in Korea, but soon it became time when we knew we were avoiding something. Commitment to something bigger than ourselves? Yes, I kept saying I was not ready to commit to life in Nepal. Not yet. Well, we continued to pray and sort through our fears of committing to the unknown. In prayer, and with time, we found that the Spirt was leading and equipping us to go. We had committed the first year to US, and the first year was up. Now it was time to act out love into the world.

In prayer, we decided to extend our home to others. For us, this meant we needed to return to Nepal. We wanted to include the children at the home in Nepal into ours, in whatever capacity that may be. And through them, continue to extend this love to the Himalayas. Through the institution of a home, or 'family', we wanted to continue expanding the roots that we had found 2-3 stanzas ago. So we signed up for the 4-month internship so assess whether or not God was really leading us back to Nepal. We completed the training with an assurance that yes, he wants us back, longterm.

The final box. Arms extending upward, giving praise and glory to God. On the mountains, the Himalayas. We foresee our family, whoever and whatever will be part of our 'home' in the near and far future, to spend the rest of our lives learning how to return all glory to our big and gracious God. "As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it. You will go out in joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and hills will burst into song before you, and all the trees of the field will clap their hands. Instead of the thornbush will grow the pine tree, and instead of briers the myrtle will grow. This will be for the LORD's renown, for an everlasting sign, which will not be destroyed." Isaiah 55:10-13.

from pasadena, california, i (john) finally write an entry:

my wife and i have been traveling around the states since just before Christmas.
it's been difficult at times,

but then again we've had awesome times too...