hos·pi·tal·i·ty

kindness in welcoming guests or strangers


Last weekend Tim and Rebecca had their 24th wedding anniversary. They were tied up with Chapel obligations, on a trip with 50 people to Paris. So this weekend after collecting money from the singles we've sent them to London for a night (actually sunday morning to monday night). Which leaves Elaine as the missionary, cook, meal-coordinator, mother, bedtime story reader, gardner, dog-walker, lunch-packer, and rootbeer float-maker.
Now, a lot of my posts, e-mails and phone calls make it sound like I'm just here being a homemaker, which is semi-true. This ministry is a whole-life thing. There is not one part of the Hawkins' life that is not affected by their ministry to the military community. Everything from making time to pay bills, reading to the kids, having time to read a book for their own pleasure, installing bathroom cabinets, any sort of regular bedtime, to how much milk is in the refrigerator.
I've said before that the Hospitality House is a "home away from home" but it is also the home of six (seven for the summer). If any of you have lived in a dorm room, away from family and everything familiar, or just had a long vacation in a hotel you know how good it is to finally sit in a living room on a couch and have friends around you. Keep the Hawkins in your prayers. They need to be able to have regular family time and not be reaching out to the community at the expense of their children, always a delicate balance.

I've survived the weekend (I started this post on Monday or something...It's now Wednesday). And what a fun weekend it was, when it's light out until after 10:00 you tend to squeeze every ounce of fun out of the daylight,I'm recovered but I have a cold.

A team of Airmen from the Transportation squadron at Lakenheath returned last week, and that brought a much loved member of the group back. I look forward to getting to know her. You can pray for Val though and her coworkers, they spent 8 months driving convoys across Iraq. It is true that the majority of AF jobs don't put you in imminent "combat" danger, but trans is one that does. Since last November she has been driving 5-8 hours a day in a truck, waiting for the next IED (Improvised Explosive Device). I know she is glad to be back on friendly ground where things are green and people are complacent and shallow. But it is certainly culture shock, and there's probably some Post Traumatic Stress going on too. Pray for her and her mental/emotional/spiritual health.

Today I'm off to Bury St. Edmunds with Erica. Erica is a new cop here, this is only her second week of work, and her first duty station. It's Market Day in Bury, I really love the market. It's classic: men yelling advertisements of their produce, smelly fish stands, and just about anything else you'd want to buy. There are fabulous ruins of an Abbey that once stood near the town centre which are now home to thousdans of flowers. :o)

Thank you all for your prayers and support.


Rom 12:13 Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality.

Heb 13:2 Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.

1 Pet 4:8-10 Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God's grace in its various forms.