Retreat

Right now I am sitting in a 100 year old British bungalow. All I can hear outside are crickets chirping. No dogs. No horns. Just the sounds of night.

We are in the middle of our team retreat up in the mountains. Our little bungalow is situated in the middle of a tea plantation. The surrounding area is absolutely beautiful. All of our meals are provided for and served to us by a gracious staff. We get served things like fish with chips and rhubarb with custard. We have tea twice a day in the garden. During the day, we meet in the library which smells of dusty books and has a spectacular view of the valley. Last evening, after dinner, we had a bit of a chill so they lit a fire for us in the parlor. (And I am writing all this with a British accent of course..)Its all so Jane Austen-esque.

Its been good to wander the tea fields and gardens. Its been good to be quiet and seek His face. Its also be a great time of fellowship and worship. I am honored to be on a team with such wonderfully creative, sincere seekers of God.

Of course there are always the pitfalls....What would life be without the pitfalls, right? First of all, I am allergic to my room. My nose apparently doesn't like 100 year old British bungalows. Within seconds of going inside, my throat gets scratchy, my eyes start watering..the whole works. Thankfully, I found some allergy medicine so I can at least sleep at night. And then- the monkeys. They are fearless. They sit outside our windows and doors, just waiting for the right moment to pounce. Snacks have been stolen and mornings have been disturbed.

But despite the monkeys and allergies, its been good. And I am thankful.