A Family Favorite....Frisbee Fridays (and Fridays in general!).

We like Fridays (not sure there are too many people who don't).  There are so many reasons to like Fridays...some of our favorite reasons include waffles, ultimate frisbee and family movie night! 

Thought it would be fun to share a bit more about frisbee.  Most photo credit goes to Emma and Caroline. 

Most Friday afternoons the kids come home from school (well, so far they've come home from school every Friday that they've been in school...the "most" here is referring to how often we go to frisbee: "most Friday afternoons" :) keep reading).  We hang out for a bit (with varying numbers of other children in our cabin...sometimes it's just the 3 Cash kids...sometimes it's quite a few other kids as well!) Then, about 4:45, we (gently) kick everyone out and start getting ready for frisbee!  We get dinner (to eat afterwards since the dining room is closed by the time we get back) and change clothes and get our water....then we head down to the dock.  

We load up in Landrovers with some of our favorite friends and head to the ultimate field.  Sometimes it's quite the ordeal to get out of the port (depends on the ships that are docked and the cargo they are offloading).  Sometimes it's quick and easy.  More often times than not it's a game of patience.  

The field is about 3 miles away....and is usually occupied with a football team when we arrive. Another lesson in patience as we wait for them to wrap up their practice and relinquish the field that Mercy Ships has reserved (You think your children are good at the "5 more minutes" game?! These guys are super awesome at that game....5 more minutes has been known to turn into quite a few more minutes than 5!)

So we finally make it to the field and make it onto the field and the games begin!  The past few months we've had enough people for 2 full games....there's a variety of abilities out there...thankfully no one takes it too seriously (that wouldn't be much fun for them!).  We run around and laugh and get sweaty and dirty and it's WONDERFUL. 

The Cash kids play...sometimes there's a frisbee involved in the play (Eli has quite the flick!)...sometimes there are bubbles present (and maybe even a princess dress coupled with soccer shoes )....sometimes dirt is the only accessory needed.  Emma definitely made something akin to a dirt angel last week.  We don't mind a bit....they kind of don't get to interact with dirt much on the ship.  

It's good to play...good to be outside...good to connect with friends and meet new people (it's amazing the connections that can happen as a result of playing frisbee!).  There's usually a beautiful sunset - or at the least a wide open sky to enjoy.

Another fun part of the evening is when the choir starts singing at the church beside the field...that usually happens around 6:30.  Wow...what music.  In December we were able to hear them practice Christmas songs....the other night it was "How Great Thou Art" (in French, I think).

And it's in the familiar things like tossing a disc or picking up the cones when the game is over....in the dividing up of teams and running up and down the field that we feel the ache of missing friends and family in Georgia.  And it's in those very same things that we experience the provision of God - knowing that He's taking care of us and giving us so many good gifts - gifts like exercise and fresh air...and new friendships...and a fun activity to share as a family.

Once the sun goes down and it's way too dark to play, we load our sweaty, nasty selves back in the Landrovers and head back to the ship for the best 2 minute showers of the week.  After showers, we warm up dinner and dive into family movie night (we rotate through who gets to pick the movie).

And there ya have it...a look into a few of our favorite hours of the week.  A wonderful way to end the work/school week and start the weekend.

Surely there will be more to come.

glimpses into our world. life lately.

Thought it would be fun to share a few random pictures.  It's kind of nice to have them all in one place. Just a few glimpses into bits and pieces of our life lately. 

Emma Visiting the Wards (thanks to 'chelle for the pictures!)

Sweet Moments

Emma and Miss KJ

New Visors/Hats from Yaya's trip to Key West! 

 Fun new prizes from a care package

Couple of shots from the afternoon we spent at the Italian Consulate's home (in thinking about our life/future we didn't see that one coming)

 Emma and her monkey hat from Mr. Jay (we miss that guy)

Emma & Caroline's Beauty Parlor...we love the ladies who allow our girls to work their magic on them ....

Michelle

Deb

Moments that are ordinary and extraordinary all at the same time. Amazing.

Who says the first born has the most pictures taken of him?  The third one wins the prize this go round. 

Surely there will be more to come. 

Pray With Us

"How can I/we be praying for you?"  That's one of our favorite questions to be asked....and one of our favorite questions to ask.  In preparation for this past week's community meeting, we asked a few of our managers/leaders that question.  Here are their responses....we'd like to invite you to join us in talking and listening to God about these situations.....

Off Ships/Hope Center

• For those in the Off Ship team who are serving outside of the Pointe Noire area -- especially Franck and the Agriculture Team.
• Unity and peace as we work in our department off ship, that the daily pressures will not take away our purpose and passion.
• For perseverance and strength to finish the field service well.... not just finish it but really finish it fantastically!!

HR

• Transitions of Crew and leadership over the summer
• Urgent recruiting needs:
• Head Housekeeper in Crew Services
• Managerial Trainer in Staff Development

 Transportation

• Vehicle breakdowns due to driving conditions - rain, mud, rivers, sand.
• Vehicle damage and crew safety while driving.  
• Prayer for the safe arrival & speedy clearance of our new airport commuter bus - due March 11.
• Health of crew and day crew.
• Stability and perseverance of crew and day crew as we finish out the field service.
• Smart and appropriate decisions to be made by our crew and day crew drivers.
• Thank God for the blessing it is to have such a capable fleet of vehicles and team to maintain them.

 Academy

• Pray for Hannah who graduates High School in May. That God will make a way for her future and what he has planned for her!
• Pray for the families who are leaving the ship, for a smooth transition to new schools, friends and lives in their new homes
• Pray for the New Principal and his family
• Pray for the students and families who will be staying next year, that God will build them up and encourage them during this season of change.
• Pray for new families who are coming, that God will make a way and provide as well and welcome them into our community.
• Praise Point:  Full teaching team for next year already approved. Pray that God will continue to provide for them in radical ways.

 Hospital Day Crew

• good understanding of the patients need / nurses need so they can translate correct
• strength for the coming months to continue their job - some make long hours -it's not easy
• good relationships with the patients/crew and other day crew so we can live and work as one united community

Thank you for joining with us in prayer....what a gift to know that God hears us - and responds! - when we pray.  And it's not just when we intentionally "close our eyes and bow our heads" or when we "get down on our knees" (or whatever other posture one may choose) - it's when we whisper His name...or cry out "help, God."...it's when we don't even know the right words to say (cause it's certainly not about having the right words to say).  It's any time we invite Him to be involved and present in any thing. Prayer is a gift...a privilege of speaking and listening to the One who cares most and is the source of all power and authority.  

How can we be praying for you?  Feel free to email us with your response cashcrewship@gmail.com

Surely there will be more to come.