Spinning around India

Hi dear friends! Just a quick update from India. Our New Year is off to a good start. We had a week of rest for the holidays and last week was back to "work." Evan visited some english classes partnered with World Vision. We spoke almost everyday at different home groups in mostly slum neighborhoods. It is so sweet to visit the humble, hungry, believers in their homes. And we really saw God show up and touch people's lives with His love. We were all blessed. This week we will continue to visit home groups. Pray that the light of Christ would shine through us and that God's message for His children would be in our hearts. The people live in very difficult situations and India as a nation is having a lot of struggles so they really need the light & hope that comes from the Living God.

I also stayed busy with a lot of hula hooping! I am having daily classes with some girls here that we are training up to lead the hoop ministry once we are gone. They are learning so fast and are so good with the kids! There is big vision and opportunity for hula hoop ministry here! We also took hoops to Kids outreach in different locations. Most kids here have never seen a hula hoop! They LOVE it and then I get to share the Gospel through the 5 colored hoops :) We will continue that this week, as well as teach some workshops at dance schools in the city. Please pray that our last few weeks here would be the best yet! I want to give & take everything God has for me during this time. I know there is more to come. More joy & love & Spirit. You can keep us in your prayers for finances as well as we hope to fly home at the end of this month before going on to Kona to staff a DTS. It is an honor to partner with y'all in this mission to reach the nations with the name of Jesus.

ps. I just finished reading Bill Johnson's book Face to Face with God It is seriously the best book I have read in a VERY long time. It challenged me so many times to stop, think, and pray. So good. I leave you with one of the many great quotes. "That is the nature of the Christian life. We give away what we have, and as we do, the world around us conforms. It is a superior kingdom." True, and something we can all do wherever we are.

Living Shampoo Free

Yes that’s right, 9 months shampoo and hair product free. No I don’t have dreads and I have nice, clean hair! Missionaries and world travelers rejoice! Evan has also been shampoo free for about 2 years. I don’t usually post this kind of stuff but I have people ask me about it so thought I would share. I read several blogs and tried several ways but this is the routine I have found to be the best, even in a variety of climates and cultures. I use a mixture of baking soda and water to clean my hair and an apple cider vinegar rinse to condition about twice a week. At first I used a small amount of baking soda mixed with water in a small cup. It would be almost paste like and apply it to the top and crown of my head. Some people do this once a week or less, some people completely stop using this. I started using this recipe to make a batch that I keep in a bottle and find that my hair is great doing this twice a week. I’m much happier with the texture and look of my hair with this routine. I don't remember now which site I got my recipes on but here is the baking soda mix: www.inashoe.com/2009/10/shampoo-update-7-months-counting/ Here are a couple of other blogs that I found really helpful and informative in the decision and process.

www.fulfilledhomemaking.com/no-poo-shampoo

www.thehairpin.com/2011/04/how-to-quit-shampoo-without-becoming-disgusting

www.naturemoms.com/no-shampoo-alternative Here is the recipe I use for Apple Cider Vinegar Rinse: 3/4 cup water 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar 2 T. aloe vera gel (I have never included this) 1 T. honey 8 drops peppermint oil 8 drops tea tree oil. Combine all ingredients and shake well. After cleansing, pour all over scalp and hair. Allow it to sit for a few minutes.

It does take a while for your hair to adjust, but don’t let it stop you. It took about 5 or 6 weeks for me; just plan on a lot of ponytails, braids, and headbands for a while. You have a lot of extra oil when you use products because shampoo strips your hair of natural oils. It over compensates. Expect a lot of oil as your hair adjusts to its natural production. In the mean time, use the baking soda to cleanse the oil. When I came back to the States to summer heat and humidity of South Carolina it had to adjust again. But I was using less than twice a week and didn’t use the vinegar rinse. When I went back to the vinegar rinse it makes a big difference. I am convinced the apple cider vinegar rinse is the key to having good hair with this routine. Feel free to ask questions but these blogs have a lot of answers to a lot of specific questions! Good luck!