defining adventure::

Adventure is defined as a risk taken in hopes of a favorable outcome.  For Derek and I, that's a pretty good definition of life!  The only thing I know to be certain in this world is Jesus Christ.  Apart from Him life is a huge unknown and I'm figuring out that I have two options: spend my time sweating the details and stressing about concepts that continually elude me, OR step up to the edge, inhale a shaky breath, and JUMP!  Throwing caution to the wind is NOT always the right answer, but surrendering to the unknown and choosing to embrace life as it comes is absolutely terrifying and magnificent!  [disclaimer: I know the One who holds my future and I know that this life is temporary; therefore I can say these things with assurance!]  If there's any ONE thing I am learning on this journey it's that nothing is 'a given'; my next meal, the people I lean on daily, even my next breath.. everything is temporary in this world.  The only thing I can stake my life on is the hope that Jesus gives.  The only thing I can rely 100% on is His strength.

So, where am I going with this??  Let's jump back to that definition of adventure- taking risks hoping that it will turn out for the good.  I've already got eternity squared away with my Maker; there's no 'hoping for a good outcome' in that situation because I already KNOW the outcome of surrendering my life to Him and let me tell you, it is goooood!  So, with eternity figured out and all the strength, hope, grace and JOY I could ever need for THIS life, what could possibly keep me from living right here/right now to the absolute fullest?!  What's to keep me from living with reckless abandonment?  

I live in a jungle.  I fall asleep to a symphony of crickets, frogs, and occasionally the thrashing sounds of a wild boar!  Sometimes we have lights and a working refrigerator; sometimes we don't!  We have no source of income, and no promise of one in the near future.  We're meeting new people, trying new foods, swimming to new depths (literally- as we learn to equalize the pressure in our ears!) and meeting God in a whole new way!  Yes, we took a risk by selling everything and buying one way tickets to Hawaii.  Yes, it's a risk to invest our time, effort, and money into a crop that we might not be able to sell because of the ever increasing 'borer beetle'.  But it feels SO good!  We have truly taken on an epic 'adventure'; one of life changing proportions!  We don't have answers for all of our questions; we don't see light at the end of all the tunnels, but we have hope that goes BEYOND this world and we're choosing to live this adventure to the fullest.

It's been a week of ups and downs, which I think is the root of my delving a bit 'deeper' in this post.  Thanks for bearing with my ramblings :)  

We've become more 'civilized' in our greenhouse; a propane burner has expanded our menu and we're not surviving on hot pockets and cereal anymore!  We eat off of actual silverware now (but Derek is strangely attached and won't stop eating off the plastic spoons??), and I've finally unpacked most of my suitcase!  We finished clearing one of the sections of land, which equaled an ice cream party!  Then we started picking all the old coffee that wasn't harvested last year and found that beetle in almost all of it- not so much of a party, but we did have some more ice cream!  We met neighbors and hashed out various methods of trapping/containing this beetle.  We went back to the same church and were truly blessed by the people there.  They are unbelievably welcoming and we felt like family within 13 seconds!  They already have Derek brainstorming improvements to the sound system and there's talk of me starting a nursery?!  

I'm learning to take things as they come, whether that's the day in front of me or just the 15 ft. weeds in front of me!  I don't have to have all the answers.  All that is required of me is a surrendered will and a willing spirit, and the possibilities of adventure are mind-boggling!  God is stretching us and challenging us; uniting the Derek-Bethel team on a whole new level!  Until next time... embrace the adventure!  

-B