Notes from the Knackered

So I won't tell you where that term originates from, but it's slang for "exhausted". This "back to work" week has been busy and tiring, and I thought I'd share a few updates. I've found this writing to be quite therapeutic after a long day,so forgive me if I "over post" now that I have ready access to Internet!
Since Monday, I've had no traumatic driving experiences. Thank you all for your concern! Work has been smooth as well, though it's just a lot of S L O W training at the moment and I'll look forward to getting out of the dungeon that is our training room and into the real world that is the Perth Claims office!
Also this week, Rusty and I began sponsoring a new youth discipleship group at our church. It is called The Way, which has several meanings but the most meaningful to me is that early Christians referred to themselves as being "On The Way" and that is what we are doing with the teens that have committed themselves to this group...embarking on a journey to learn what it means to be disciples of Christ and truly live that out. I'm so excited. We'll be doing Bible study, practicing spiritual disciplines, taking day trips, and learning to live out Christ's call to love and serve our neighbor. It is in this vein that we are taking a trip to Kenya in April, and I am truly "over the moon", as the Scots would say. I'll say more about this later, but I'd just appreciate your prayers as we prepare for this amazing journey through study, prayer, and fundraising.
Another highlight of the week...last night I got to babysit Ms. Hope Thames for the very first time. That little girl has truly stolen my heart, and it was very special, even though she peed on me!
Finally, I'd like to give a shout out to our amazing neighbors John and Isobel, who volunteered to watch Mitzi the past two days since Rusty and I were out between 7:30am and 9:30pm! Not only did they watch our dog, which is huge, but tonight we came home to find a fresh batch of Scotch broth in the fridge AND a missing laundry basket, which she took to wash. I've probably moaned to everyone about this by now, but we, like many Scots, have no dryer and we've gotten used to drying our laundry on a rack, which can be difficult in the cold, damp months. Isobel lived here for several years and knows this, so she took our laundry to wash and dry in the main house. Amazing.