Exciting News

When we first formed the “The Wandering Watson’s” I said there was a real reason for the blog. I have not been able to contain my excitement, so most of you have probably already heard me talking about it.  In fact, I couldn’t find a cool way to announce it either, so here we go...

We will be spending next summer in Nepal!

What are we going to do for a whole summer in Nepal? Well, we are going to be working closely with Gajendra Tamang as he sets up and works with Kathmandu area children in the newly built Hope Center.

The Hope Center is going to be a multi-functional facility where Gajendra will regularly provide children with a safe place to go after school where they can receive tutoring while having some physical needs met, but most importantly, they will have opportunity to learn about Jesus.  There are other uses for the building such as hosting conferences, youth and children’s events, and trainings. Right now the Hope Center is non-existent and stands only as a well-thought-out idea on paper.  The land is there and the plans are drawn, but the purchasing of the land and the building of the facility is not quite there yet; however, we are fully confident funds will be raised, and the Hope Center will be up and running before the end of the year.

What’s crazy about this whole thing is that Parker has never been to Nepal!  In fact, he has never been to Asia.  I first talked about my love for India and Nepal on our first date, and ever since then it has just been a “summer trip” to me.  Not long ago I remember riding home from church with Parker, and I said, “I want to live in Nepal.”  Parker didn’t really respond, so I kind of set it aside and said, “Oh well.”  We were supposed to take a two-week trip to Nepal this summer, but we decided it was not a good time to leave family and head to the other side of the world, even for just a few weeks. Then one day Parker completely knocked me out of my chair and said, “Hey, let’s spend next summer in Nepal.”

Unbelievable!!! So, we are going to Nepal!  Hopefully for six weeks next summer.  There’s a lot of details to still hash out, and we know it is going to take a great deal of money for us to go; however, we are going to be creative in how we raise our funds knowing He will provide.  India and Nepal have always been a special part of my life, and I love how God has already prepared Parker’s heart for it. Maybe he is just tired of hearing me talk about it and he just wants to experience it for himself. Whatever the reason is, I am extremely thankful that, for the first time, I will have my best friend exploring and serving with me. You can bet that there will be a lot of wandering going on.  

Let it Be

Summer is here!  I can always “feel“ summer when Memorial Day festivities are over, and I settle down, sleep in (until 7:30 of course), and get some things done that I have pushed aside for months.  As the final bell rang at the end of the last final exam, I shouted, “We can go!!!!!!” and raced down the hallway leading the students out of the building.  Boy, I can honestly say I have never been so ready for summer in my life, and this is the first time I have truly sang, “School’s out for SUMMER!” as the kids left the building one last time.  It was one crazy year.  I ran back to my classroom, cranked up Adele’s Pandora Station, entered my final grades, and rode home windows down singing to the top of my lungs.  However, as this summer began, there were also several things on my mind that have kept me from relaxing like I should.

I am a worrier.  Parker is not, and I am forever grateful for that.  As I went through one of my worrying phases, what if this and what if that and trying to plan and solve all the worlds problems riding down the road the other night, I asked Parker at one point, “What if this happens, what are we going to do?” Parker’s response as he stopped at the stop sign, and looked at me was simply:   “Let it be.”

I keep thinking there’s some formula that I can solve that will tell me everything, and I keep working out the problem over and over again in my mind and I just cannot seem to get the equation right. 

This summer, I am going to try and focus on three little words... “Let it be”.  I cannot control what happens in life, when it happens, or how it happens, so why worry?

I know there is a reason we didn’t go to Nepal this summer, and for many other things going on right now, so I am just going to “Let it be.” 

This quote from Oswald Chambers will forever be one of my favorites:

“To be certain of God means that we are uncertain in all our ways, we do not know what a day may bring forth. This is generally said with a sigh of sadness, it should be rather an expression of breathless expectation. We are uncertain of the next step, but we are certain of God.”

I am embracing this uncertainty while being certain of God, and knowing that He has it all figured out, and He is going to blow our minds.  That’s the “breathless expectation” that I too often confuse with worry. 

So what’s my goal this summer?  Soak up some sun, enjoy family, and “Let it be”