To all of you mom's...particularly my own wonderful mom...

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!!!

You are the best. :)

As for diseased chickens...last night I had the pleasure of joining the Ibsen family to watch the high schoolers put on "Fiddler on the Roof". They did an INCREDIBLE job! I wish you could have all seen how fantastic it was! While watching it, two things stuck out to me....Cori and I decided that arranged marriages may not be so bad after all! :) And second...the main character played by Brandon last night was wonderful. My favorite line from him was, "YOU CAN KEEP YOUR DISEASED CHICKENS!!!" Seriously, though, I think it was perhaps one of the best high school musicals I have ever seen! And I've seen my fair share of them!!

This weekend is the "6 hour Dakar", known to me last year as the "Dakar Rally"...I can hear the cars racing on the autoroute as I sit here typing this. Well, this morning at 8:30, we had to drive clear around the city because of the race and roads being closed in order to get to a place we call the "secret beach" for the baptism of 10 of our students. There was an impressive crowd there to witness these kids publically declare their faith in Jesus. I've never been to an outside baptism, particularly one in the Atlantic...and it sent chills down my spine to participate by watching. As I looked around, I couldn't help but think of our brothers and sisters around the world who really do have to go to a "secret" place to publically declare their faith and who risk persecution for this declaration and display. It just reminded me all the more of how we need to be praying for our brothers and sisters all over the world who risk their lives daily to spread the Good News of Christ.