Priceless treasures for our kids!!

We have such wonderful friends & an INCREDIBLE community that surrounds us and supports us (that is one of the understatements of the year!!!).  It would take quite a while to type ALLLLLLL of the ways we've been blessed over the course of the past few months (not to mention the past 10 years of living here in Columbus!).  From amazingly thoughtful gifts to words of encouragement and prayers to financial support to fabulous parties thrown in our honor, we have felt SO LOVED, so cared for, so celebrated during this process of preparing to leave for Mercy Ships! 

Friday night was one of those times...a potluck dinner was organized by some fabulous people. As part of the event, some activities were planned for the kids.  I'm not sure there is much that blesses me more than when my kids are thought of and blessed...My favorite part of the event were these books that were created for each of our kids...simply blank "golden books" that were decorated...

The children (and adults!) were invited to draw pictures, share words of encouragement, prayers, etc. in the books.

 

All 3 kids looked at their books the whole way home and slept with their books Friday night!  They've looked at them every day since.  I have no doubt these treasures will be kept accessible through this entire journey and poured over often. 

For as excited as we are to be going and doing exactly what we know God is calling us to go and do, it is still hard to think about leaving.  But it's so sweet to have tangible reminders, like these books, of the love, prayers and support that are going with us...

Surely there will be more to come.

an invitation!

Once again, we're amazed by the kindness of generosity of our friends and church family....just wanted to share this invitation with all of you - please come if you can!!! And, if you need more incentive to come, Eli & Caroline will be baptized at the beginning of the event!

A Going Away Potluck For The Cash Crew

Friday, May 25  5:30 - 7:30 pm

the Milgen Room  at Christ Community Church

A time of fellowship, fun, and food is being planned for the Cash Family. Let’s share a meal and some laughs with them before they leave for Africa to serve with Mercy Ships.  There will be an activity or 2 for the kids as well!

Please use the last letter of your last name to determine what to bring to contribute to our meal:

A-J: Main dish

K-P: Side dish

Q-S: Salad (green, fruit or pasta)

T-Y: Dessert

Drinks, plates, etc. will be provided.  Do plan to come and send this beloved CCC family off well with lots of love and encouragement!  Any questions? email molly807@gmail.com

wanted to share the gift God just gave us

A dear friend sent the link to this song...so very thankful for the Truth and promises of God for our family...and for YOU.

newspaper article - disclaimers & other random stories

if you haven't seen it, our story was shared in our local newspaper this past Saturday...

ledger-enquirer article

though i MUST give a few disclaimers...not sure where the "they look forward to touring the countryside" comment came from.  i'm picturing us in a 1920s convertible with a scarf wrapped around my well done hair and nick wearing driving goggles.  we're just a laughing...and i'm wearing fabulous sunglasses. 

i THINK Mr. Gierer asked if we would be able to get off the ship and visit other places in the country/continent.  not sure what our response was - something like, "yes, we could do that if we wanted to during our time off."  who knows, maybe God will provide us with the opportunity to "tour the countryside."

AND, i didn't EXACTLY say the "This is a great country but people are spoiled." line the way it came across (or at least not the way i read it!!!).  i said something more along the lines of "i love our country...it really is a great place...but we are all so spoiled...i think being on the ship will give help break us of some of our selfishness."  (i certainly include myself in the "we" part of who is spoiled).

i know disclaimers are unnecessary...but it makes me feel a little better to explain. :)

one other fun story - i was in the post office today mailing some books to a friend (books that he let our family borrow YEARS ago...bet he never thought he was going to see those books again).  i was also hoping to get a money order to pay for our visas for our field service in Ghana.  the kids weren't exactly being perfect - especially emma...but i'll take some of the blame, i had her up past her nap time!  i was staying pretty patient....but i wasn't exactly being perfect either (am i ever? absolutely not.).  so we're interacting...emma is pushing a box that's under the counter and eli is trying to be responsible and put it back where it belongs...but his actions make emma scream...and she just pushes the box again...and then i am trying to get this box of books packaged up and keep emma from screaming and keep eli from doing the thing that is making emma scream and make sure caroline is staying close -- and the tape i brought (post office approved tape!) ran out as i tried to tape the box (something - or Someone! - told me to check it before i took it!  i didn't...)(i hadn't taped it prior to coming because i wasn't sure if sending it media mail in the box i had would be cheaper than buying a flat rate box)...so then i used the "priority mail" tape that was out and available...but the sweet lady said that wasn't the right tape since i was mailing the package using media mail (which was way cheaper than i thought it would be!!  quite a few books = heavy box). so i rip off the priority mail tape and in doing so, i begin to realize that i'm going to have to buy a new roll of post office approved tape...which just makes me cringe and wheeze and want to stomp my foot - because i know we have multiple rolls of post office approved tape at our disposal - it just wasn't with me...but i decided i would rather spend the money on the tape (which is actually good tape!!) than pack up the kids and haul them away only to have to haul them back another time.  so...(this story is much longer than i anticipated...and it really isn't that great of a story - just a heads up)  i finally get the books boxed up and taped up and addressed and we get back in line (rather short lines today, thankful for that!!!) and then it's my turn and she weighs the box and i go to request my money order...but realize that i don't have my lovely post-it where i wrote the exact name of who is getting the money order...i say it's for "um...ghana...embassy of ghana...umm...ghana..." (i'm still distracted by the fact that i'm buying more tape...and trying to keep my kids in some sort of decent order)...she says "oh, i don't need to know who it's for...just the amount."  ok!  whew.  that's good...at least i won't get it wrong and have rejected visas...and i hand her my credit card...and she swipes it and says "are you....are you the one that was in the newspaper?"  "why yes, yes i am."  and she is so excited to meet us (which is especially funny to me for some reason...maybe because of the unruliness of my children...or maybe because of how i came too close for comfort to not staying patient...or maybe how God is so kind to turn a routine trip to the post-office into an opportunity to talk about Him...).  so we chat for just a second...and then she says "is this a credit card?"  "yes, ma'm"  "i'm sorry but you can't buy a money order with a credit card...a debit card will work or cash."  i have neither.  oh well.  nice try.  i'll go back another day...and maybe i'll get to see my new friend who whispered that she's praying for us. 

lessons learned:
when the Holy Spirit prompts you to check the roll of tape, check it.
the goal is to stay patient with your kids - regardless of who is or is not looking
you cannot buy a money order with a credit card
don't keep emma up past her naptime if at all possible

fun fact:
this is the THIRD post office worker that has been super excited about what the Lord is leading us to...we've got a lady at the Milgen Road PO, one at the Wynnton Road PO and now one at the Double Churches Road PO praying for us. i like it.

other fun fact:
most of the "stuff" in the picture from the article isn't at all what we're taking to africa with us...it was just the "pile" that came in as we moved all of our stuff from 19th ave...it was waiting to be sorted. 

one last random thought:
it would have been extremely cool if the "space" between me and nick had made the shape of africa...it almost does backwards...but not really.  oh well. maybe next time.

thanks for hanging in there for this rambling post. 

surely there will be more to come. 

Read more here: http://www.ledger-enquirer.com/2012/05/05/2036881/cash-family-sells-home-belongings.html#storylink=cpy

"Wow." About all she could say was, "Wow!"

Any Lily’s Purple Plastic Purse fans out there?  (a book we’ve read and enjoyed – it’s got fun vocabulary words and pretty good moral – but we do have to change some of the phrases.  I’m pretty picky about some things).  A couple of times in the book, in reaction to whatever is going on, different characters say   “Wow.” About all she could say was “Wow!”

 

That’s how we feel about last Friday nights’ fundraiser.  "Wow."  About all we can say is “Wow!”  We had such a wonderful evening…full of laughter & sharing & kind words & incredible generosity. 

To give the background – and to fully explain the faithfulness of God in and through this event – we need to go back to January. As you probably know, in January, we went to Texas to “check out” Mercy Ships.  We spent 5 days in “Foundations of Mercy Ships.”  The entire time we were asking God “is this what you want us to do?” (phrased in dozens of different ways).  As we left there we still weren’t certain…but were certainly feeling like it was probably going to happen…and on the way home, through conversations (10 hours of kid-less conversation.  Beautiful.),  one of the main concerns that surfaced was the raising of support (that's never the most exciting thing to think about!).

Fast forward a few hours to Sunday morning at church.  In passing, Joy Crumpton asked how our adoption was going – innocent question, right?  Well…."let me tell you what all is going on Joy….not sure about what the adoption process is going to end up looking like…we’re thinking we may be called to go join Mercy Ships…" fill in a little more information.  And then Joy says “if you do end up going to Mercy Ships, I’d love to help you with your fundraising.”

What?!!  God sends someone to say “I’d like to help you with the very thing you’re most concerned about.”

That’s just like our God. 

So fast forward a little more…We’re definitely going to Mercy Ships.  No doubt.  Lee McBride and Nick are having a conversation about something unrelated to us and Mercy Ships…the conversation moves to that…Lee says “I’d like to do a Clergy Collar Comedy Tour” fundraiser for you. 

What?!  A free fundraiser?!

That’s just like our God. 

So we have someone who is willing to help in support raising and we have a fundraiser.  We ask Joy if she’d be willing to help organize the event (knowing that she is the QUEEN of organized…the QUEEN of doing what she says she’s going to do..the QUEEN of putting on a fantastic event.)(but also knowing that her offer to help with fundraising may not necessarily mean she's willing to completely orchestrate an event!).  She says “yes.”  Amazing. That's just like our God to put all the puzzle pieces together.

So Joy does all the work (though she says she didn’t do much.  she says that Nick did a lot…Nick says he didn’t do much…) and we show up to Christ Community last Friday night, April 27…

The event comes.  People show up!  (for some silly reason I had this idea that no one would come…)

At the end of the night, Joy gave Lee a piece of paper and Lee shares that over $8,000 was given to go towards our Mercy Ships cost.  

 $8000?!?!  AMAZING.   

My hope was something like $3,000 or $4,000 – so more than double what I had hoped for came in.

But THEN, maybe 10 minutes later, Joy came up and said “we have a new total…” Apparently there were some other gifts that were not included in the original total...some gifts were given directly to Joy, some were in the "collection bucket" at the booth we set up…so there was a new total...over $17,000!!!!! 

$17,000?!  “Wow.”  About all she could say was “Wow!”

Through the thoughtfulness & generosity of Lee McBride, the generosity & amazing organizational skills of Joy Crumpton, the willingness of dozens of people to serve and the HUGE generosity of our God through hundreds of individuals more than $17,000 was given.  Our God keeps going above and beyond – but what I’m realizing is that He’s not going above and beyond – He’s just being God.

Amazed. Grateful. Awed.

Surely there will be more to come. 

immunizations & icecream!!

Thursday was the day!!   After much research and many phone calls (and probably a bit of procrastination if we're being completely honest)(there's just been so much to do!!!) we got our immunizations - at least some of them!  The only place in Columbus that gives the Yellow Fever Vaccine (that I could find!) is the Urgent Care on Armour Road.  

We had to wait a while...Caroline can be the pictoral representative for our whole family.  I thought I took pictures of the others...but I was actually videoing them...oops.  Everyone waited patiently! Caitlin the Cheetah (leopard?) even got to come along for moral support.

 

 

We put on our brave faces, rolled up our sleeves and took our shots! The staff were fabulous to accommodate our entire family in a really small space!  They were kind...and even let me have a Dora band aid!

And the reward!  ICECREAM!!!!!!  (and I love how God even provided buy one get one free waffle cones...and a free cone for emma!)  This picture was taken from inside Bruster's by the girl who served us:

Icecream choices:  Nick: double chocolate chunk; Dianna: 1/2 birthday cake, 1/2 cotton candy explosion; Eli and Caroline: orange sherbet; Emma: "pink" (strawberry).

Emma and I shared a bit...

Overall, "immunizations & icecream" was a HUGE success!!!   We won't be rejected trying to get through customs in whichever African country we are trying to enter - we have our "yellow cards" (I guess if we are rejected, it won't be for lack of yellow fever vaccine!!)

Surely there will be more to come!

God Loves a Good Yard Sale (especially when He's the reason it was so good!)

The Most Amazing Yard Sale Ever (well, maybe not EVER...but still pretty amazing!) is over!!!

 

One big disclaimer...all of the "stuff" in the pictures is NOT ours.  Yes, we are getting rid of pretty much everything...and, yes, that IS alot...but not NEARLY all that you are going to see in these pictures are Cash family possessions.  Thanks to the generosity and willingness of others to contribute their stuff, we had QUITE the yard sale Saturday!

Eli's Room Pre Yard Sale

The Dining Room Pre Yard Sale

And I didn't even get pictures of  the upstairs, living room, hallway or front porch Pre Yard Sale.  So multiply what you're seeing in these 2 pictures by about 4 (at least!!) and you maaaay have an idea of all the stuff that was in our house this past week!

And it was in the midst of all this that God used Jesus Calling  to say "relinquish the fantasy of an uncluttered world...find Me in the midst of it all."  i appreciate (i think) that He gave me SUCH a tangible example.  I wonder where He was in the midst of it all...maybe behind the books?  or in one of the containers?  maybe He was hanging out in the stroller section of the front porch.   I'm kidding...He was there - in the midst of the books....surrounding every container...definitely in the stroller section.  I'm not going to pretend that it was easy for me to deal with this clutter...it wasn't...but He kept on patiently reminding me that this was His provision...and that this was temporary (we've got pictures below to prove it!).  

Ye Olde Lemonade Stand

Caroline (in the green shirt) had her lemonade stand on Friday during the "pre-sale" -- it was beautiful to see the people that gave her business -- those shopping and also the random people who happened to stop by (and our street isn't really one to draw too many random passersby). Some neighbors who were out running went home, got money and came back.  A dad and 4 teenagers randomly showed up out of no where and purchased lemonade.  Our mail man even bought some!  

Her couple of hours on Friday ended up being quite enough lemonade stand for her and she forewent the opportunity to have her lemonade stand on Saturday (as well as the massage chair operation!) for the chance to spend the night with some fabulous friends (looking back, I think that was a very wise decision! I think she had tons more fun traipsing around the woods at "Too Far" than she would've if she'd been at our house all day).

1 of 3 - a pretty early picture

The actual yard sale on Saturday was really incredible.  Faithful friends showed up bright and early Saturday morning to haul the load from inside to the great outdoors.  Everything managed to fit in the yard (I had my doubts).  We had our "heavy weights" doing their thing with a TV and hard to maneuver cabinets and such.  People showed up and started buying stuff....and there was a steady stream of people the entire sale!!  Not once did it feel overcrowded...and not once was it empty.  I appreciate our God so much.  He orchestrated a beautiful pace for the day! 

2 of 3 - about mid way through

You can see some stuff is starting to go.  It was neat to get to see friends come and go throughout the day...and I even met some new folks - Blake and Brian (good luck with re-selling all the stuff you brought from us!!), Sarah (a neighbor down the street that I've never met before!), that sweet lady who shared her story of loss with me (I'm sorry that i don't remember her name....), a fun and fabulous lady named Winnie (that lady got a big bang for her $30).  I think I may highly recommend yard sales for that reason alone - it gives you a wonderful opportunity to interact with people that you most likely wouldn't normally get to interact with (not to mention the "getting rid of stuff that you don't need" aspect of it)(and the "getting money for stuff you don't need" aspect)

Jenn's Library O' Wonders

I must brag on my friend Jennifer Wenndt for a moment.  This lady has some organizational and yard sale SKILLZ.  She managed to take some unruly stacks and multiple boxes of books and organize them into a rather nice library that was easy to peruse and nice to wander around in.  If you EVER need someone to help you get organized (especially in the "clean out/get rid of" department) or help you pull off a great yard sale,  Jenn is your girl!.  She was also our cashier for most of the day...I couldn't thank God enough for her and her willingness to do that.

For Kim.  That kid killed our balloon.

After about 7 hours, most of the stuff really was gone (which was amazing to me!!!) (though I'd come to terms with the fact that even if it didn't sell, it would still be going to God's kingdom/missions as Vapor was coming to pick up the leftovers!).  By the end, we were running the "super special deal of the century" - we let people have a box or trashbag and load it up with whatever they wanted for $5.  That was a fun blessing to be able to give folks (that's how I met the sweet lady whose name I can't remember!!!!). 

3 of 3 -- Pretty much done....Hallelujah!

Vapor came and did their thing and loaded up what was left...Hollie and Kim helped me haul the tables back to the TA office...I pulled a little trash to the street...then ran (and walked a bit cause my energy was slightly tapped out) around the park to collect the signs that the girls and I had put up Thursday night... and called it all a success.

Eli's room post-sale (thanks for washing the sheets, YaYa!)

The Dining Room Post Sale

My "all-done happy face" self-portrait

 All in all, we could NOT have asked for a better day...God provided EVERYTHING we needed (and about $2500 to go towards our Mercy Ships costs!!!!)....We are a super blessed family to have the community of support that we do. The yard sale could NOT have happened without the hands and heart and effort of so many (especially in light of the fact that nick was out of the country on a once-in-a-lifetime trip with his son and his dad!)...from dropping stuff off, to helping me sort and organize, to advertising on facebook, to keeping me sane the week leading up to it, to showing up to shop, to praying all throughout the process, for hauling stuff out, for picking up lunch, for bringing sustenance in the form of doughnuts and fruit and juice and milk, to sharing your coffee pot, to bringing mini-chocolate chip muffins, to sharing a hug, to sweeping the floor and folding the clothes in the dryer, to carrying heavy stuff, to just BEING AWESOME and BEING MY FRIEND...I am thankful for each and every person who made this yard sale a success (what am I doing, giving a speech at the Oscars?!)

At the end of the day I was taking some boxes of books to our church (we have a super cool "lending library") and, as I was getting the last box from the car, the bottom fell out of it and the books spilled out onto the parking lot (I'm a little baffled how I got it to the car in the first place...it wasn't taped at all!).  And as I was picking up the books, I had the realization that THAT was the absolute worst thing that had happened ALL day...and THAT wasn't so bad at all. 

Surely there will be more to come.