Beth's Bapatla Bazaar

Welcome to the bazaar! There are a few items remaining and if you're interested, send an email with your bid to bapatlabazaar@gmail.com Just about any reasonable bid accepted! We have raised over $650.00 at this point, so anything else is icing! Thanks to all of you.

Prints by my dad, Cantey DuBose

As long as I can remember, my dad has been drawing as an avocation. For the last 15 years, Daddy has taught pen and ink drawing to student at Furman University's Learning in Retirement program. He has also been commissioned to draw civic and private buildings, homes, and churches. For two years, he was commissioned to draw the homes in the Greenville Symphony Guild's Fall Tour of Homes. Recently, Daddy's been working on drawing portraits. I am happy to offer prints of several of his pen and ink drawings, two pen and inks with watercolor, and several sets of botanical print notecards.

4. Mabry Mill, Blue Ridge Parkway, Virginia

pen and ink print
7 1/2 x 9 1/2 inch print in 11 x 14 inch mat

5. "Spring bouquet"
pen and ink with watercolor pencil
7 1/2 x 9 1/2 inch print in 11 x 14 inch mat

7. Botanical notecards (several sets remaining)

Notecards with photos by Kandyce Kingsley

I will be traveling to India with Kandyce. She is an amazing photographer and I am very pleased to offer three sets of notecards with her original photographs. The sets are Indian children, images of India, and Colorado sights.

16. Colorado sights notecards

Pillows by Annette Conrad

My friend and model of selfless service, Annette, also has a flair for fabric. She began making pillows to sell a few months ago and is offering two sets. Each pillow has a zippered closure in the back.

22. Two pillows, terra cotta with geometric flowers,
front and back,16 inches square

Watercolor paintings by Kathy Kingsley

Kandyce's mom, Kathy, is an artist and art teacher. She has gone to India for the last few summers and taken art supplies and projects to do with the children in the orphanage. She has offered two original watercolor paintings I haven't met Kathy yet, but I can't wait to greet her in Hyderabad in July!

23. Fish, watercolor
10 1/2 x 14 1/2 inches

Knitted items by Chris Helms

Chris is a sweet friend, homeschool mom, knitter, gardener, runner, knitting teacher. She is a dear and she has offered a couple of items from her stock of knitted gifts.

26. Pink and white baby hat and washcloth

Custom leather shoulder bag by Cindy Sheppard of CK Footworks

Cindy is a shoemaker and designer in leather and makes an assortment of shoes, bags, and accessories. She is offering a leather shoulder bag in your choice of leather color and clasp. Take a look at her website for more information on Cindy and her work and to see the color and clasp choices for this beautiful "Budget" shoulder bag.

The shoulder bag is gone but if you are interested in ordering
from Cindy, visit her website, CK Footworks.

Well, that's all that's left. Thanks, yet again, to the wonderful, generous artists and craftspeople who made it happen. I am blessed by you all!

beth's bapatla bazaar:
an art and fine handcraft auction
things lovely and handmade

You've read the stories. You've connected the dots. (here, here, and here). You know that I am, Lord willing, heading to China and India this summer on a long dreamed about trip. This trip is both personal and missional. I have thought hard and prayed long about how to raise the necessary funds. I have consulted with a number of friends who have generously offered their treasures and now I am pleased to welcome you to Beth's Bapatla Bazaar: An Art and Fine Handcraft Auction with a wide variety of things, lovely and all handmade.

If you've ever visited a developing country, you know that shopping is done mostly in open-air markets. In India, these markets are called bazaars. Why is this the Bapatla Bazaar? Because the orphanage where we'll spend about two weeks in India is in Bapatla. Thanks to dear Kandyce for the name and this lovely header photo which was taken in the bazaar in Hyderabad, another place we'll stay for a day or two while in India.

My next post will list the 25 items up for auction. If you would like to help me on my way, join in and place a bid on the item of your choice. Check back often to see if you have the high bid, keep bidding, and help raise the funds needed for this China/India trip.

If you are interested in simply giving a gift, email me at bapatlabazaar@gmail.com and I'll tell you how you can do that.

I am humbled and so thankful, in advance, for all of you who will join in the fun and help to make this trip a reality.

A trade

Yesterday, Amber and I made a trade. I got...

the use of a truck so I could pick up a load of composted cow manure for the veggie garden. So much better and cheaper than the bagged stuff at the hardware store. I also met a very nice semi-retired farmer who invited me to come dig plants from his garden.

Use of the truck was in exchange for...

dinner (chicken breasts with sour cream cilantro sauce, spinach and red pepper quiche, and mixed collard and mustard greens with a banana smoothie on the side). She took her plate home and got back to work on tiling the bathroom floor. She didn't have to stop to fix something to eat and I hope she got closer to finishing the job.

It was a great trade for both of us. Thanks, Amber!

Connecting the dots...part 3

Here’s the final “dot” to be connected in the story of this summer’s China/India trip.

When we first moved to Charlotte and were involved in starting the church here, we met Matt and Michelle. At that time, they were both working as teachers and dreaming of the day when they could return to China. They met in China as college student English teachers. When we met them, their hearts were clearly still in China and their desire to return was unwavering.

We enjoyed their friendship and input in our church for about three years. Our boys expressed their affection for M and M by making them the targets of various pranks. I know of an “unplanned” swim by Matt as Thomas sneaked up and pushed him in the pool (egged on by Michelle), and of salt in the sugar bowl. There may have been more, but these are the ones I recall. Any couple that puts up with the teasing and pranks my boys can dish out quickly wins their (and my) undying admiration. But there was so much more to admire in addition to their fun-loving spirits.

What did we see in them…commitment to obligations, eagerness to serve, faithfulness in relationships, willingness to engage in difficult tasks (like taking a group of low income elementary school children who’d never been out of the city on an overnight camping trip…talk about courage!), and most of all a deep, deep love for China and her people.

During the last year, Michelle was here, she asked me to meet with her on a regular basis. Those times together forged a deep bond that has held tight over space and time. I had the privilege of being one of the "older women" in the life of this young woman who was eager to learn, eager to grow, aware of her weakness, and determined to press on. You younger women who are reading this may not realize it, but it is a huge blessing to be invited into the life of a younger person who is seeking encouragement in the walk of faith. I expect I was encouraged as much as, if not more than Michelle. I certainly continue to be blessed deeply by our friendship.

As Michelle neared the end of her teaching commitment in Charlotte, plans shaped up for their return to China. In 2005, they left the states. She and Matt spent the first two years doing language study and their first child, Vera, was born. Then they moved to the city where they now live.

Their work in China is incredibly inspiring. It is also life changing for the special-needs children they serve. They have started programs for these children in two Chinese orphanages. The children in the program receive excellent care and teaching that would not otherwise be available to them. In addition, Michelle has worked with children who are born with club feet. Before their second child was born, she went weekly to the orphanage to do physical therapy with club feet babies. Her efforts made the difference for children who might not have been able to walk without her intervention. M and M have also worked hard to set up foster homes for high risk babies and now have a network of Chinese families who open their homes to these neediest of children.

Ever since they moved to China, I have dreamed of going to visit.

When are you coming?” Michelle has asked many times.

“One of these days….,” I’ve replied.

Well....it looks like “one of these days” will be here very soon. I can hardly wait!

From our current morning read-aloud...

...Jayber Crow by Wendell Berry, a quote I like:

Though it verged on the world of flow and travel, Squires Landing was a world in place. We were too busy to go anywhere. Besides the landing and the store, we had to look after the farm and the garden and the many branches of Aunt Cordie's housekeeping. Aunt Cordie was always surrounded by food that was growing or getting fat, or being gathered or canned or cured or dried or cooked. We ate very little from the store which stocked mostly the things people couldn't raise....

I love it when I can bring food to the table straight from the garden, but I don't think I'll ever approach Aunt Cordie's productivity.

Some new food posts...

...over at Good Food, including a bread photo tutorial (or how I make bread without a recipe) and my new favorite meal.

The Rescued Daisy and Three Mason Applications

"Three years ago, I rescued a sad looking plant from a neighbor’s kitchen window sill. It had been a bright red gerbera daisy, blooming and filling her kitchen with color. But after a few weeks of inattention, the plant began to wither and droop...."

Read the rest at the Childlight USA Weblog. I feel so privileged to be asked to write for Childlight once in a while. If you are a lover of the ideas of Charlotte Mason and seek to incorporate her philosophy of education into your learning life, you might consider attending the CM conference at Gardner-Webb University this June. The conference theme: For the Beauty of the Earth

my happy gerbera daisy, blooming in December

Connecting the dots....part 2

This part of the story goes waaaaay back. It is a story of God's grace in bringing lives together, of loss and reunion, of music and sisters and brothers, of home and adoption in our hearts.

About ten years ago, when Coty was a professor of economics and we lived in a small New England college town, a young college student - I think she was a sophomore at the time - entered our lives. She was introduced to us by her Japanese professor who was a good friend of ours. Minako, the professor who was in our church and small group Bible study, thought we'd enjoy meeting Jenn since she was an accomplished cellist. Our son Andrew, 9 at the time, was learning to play the cello. So it was a nice fit. And Jenn's parents were in Taiwan so she was hungry for family. That's how it started. A needy college student and a big family with room at the table.

Jenn would come over to play the cello with Andrew and help him. She would stay for meals and we all grew close to her. At the end of the year, when classes were done and before she headed off to a summer music camp, she spent a week with us. Our friendship was cemented and we felt like she was an "adopted" daughter. I was particularly happy to have another girl in my life, since as most of you know, I am the mother of only one very special daughter and five...count 'em...five wonderful boys. I always enjoy a little extra female company around!

The next year, Jenn studied abroad and the year after that we spent in Cameroon (West Africa). Our times together were intermittent, but perhaps because of that, all the more precious. Jenn was going through lots of hardship and we were moving in a new direction in our lives but whenever she came to visit in our home, we felt close and happy. She was always one of those people with whom we instantly felt comfortable and who just blended right in to whatever family activity was going on at the time.

Until late 2004/05. That year Jenn disappeared from our lives. She was living in China and though we had an address, we lost touch with her. We emailed but didn't hear from back from her. We wondered if we had the right address. We worried. We waited. But there was no word. What we didn't know then was that she was in a desert of sorts, going through a very dark time. She had distanced herself from friends in the US and the longer the separation lasted, the harder it was to reestablish contact.

Finally, in July, 2006, we had an email. And then, praise God, a visit. She was in the states on business and came to see us. Rejoicing! Great rejoicing!! I think for all of us, it felt a bit like the prodigal had come home. Our long lost daughter had come back to us!

Since that time, we've had yearly visits. Last summer, she came for a week. We played music, swam, talked to the wee hours, laughed, cried, read Scripture, prayed, talked some more. We email and talk on the phone occasionally. It doesn't seem to matter how much time passes these days, whenever we talk our hearts are close and the conversation is sweet. She is family.

When I began thinking about the trip to India, my thoughts began to hover around the idea of going to China, as well. Same side of the world, right? I might as well go to China, too. Jenn and I talked and she was very enthusiastic. And now, it looks like I might actually get to see my China daughter on her side of the world.

God is very good. He places the lonely in families. He has, time and again, expanded the borders of our lives, bringing more spiritual children in. We "adopt" them into our family and get blessed beyond measure.

Who'd have thought ten years ago that an invitation to dinner and a little cello help would lead to a reunion and retreat together on the other side of the world. But that's the plan and Lord willing, a couple of months from now, Jenn and I, who have walked together on the beach in the southeastern US, will walk together on a beach in southeast China. I am amazed and grateful and very excited.

Jenn and Andrew strike a very "Chinese" pose on the hammock at the lake last summer

Connecting the dots....part 1

Over the next few days, I'd like to share with you the story of how this summer's plans for travel to Asia began to be hatched. And next week, I'll be sharing some lovely handmade items and artwork with you as I work to raise the funds for this incredible trip. I'm really excited about that. But for today, part 1 of the story of the summer....

The seed is planted

On July 9th last year, I received an email from Jonathan, my oldest son, that said...

"Speaking of Bapatla, Kandyce and I are hatching a master plan for getting all of you out to India next summer... Next summer, after my first semester working at MESP ends Kandyce will come out and visit me in Egypt, then the two of us will fly to India, where we'll meet you..."

He was, at the time of that email, in India and thrilled to be there. It was his first visit to that country and he was falling in love...with the country and more importantly, with a very special young woman.

That was the start of a year long campaign that included more emails like this one...

"All the kids at the orphanage were excited when I told them I wanted to come back next summer with my parents. A few of the teenage girls especially.... So, Rayvati, Surayka, and Mercy all send their greetings to my mother."

this one...

"Kandyce and I talked on the phone awhile back and decided we were both going to use all of our coercive abilities to get you and Daddy to India next summer!
Expect more in the mail over the coming months!"

and this one...

"You may have gotten a couple of DVDs in the mail recently...or so I was just told. If you haven't, you can ignore the rest of this e-mail. If you have, the adorable kids throughout them are the same kids who I want to introduce you and Daddy to this summer, the beautiful young lady with the cute smile is Kandyce, and the older lady who looks exactly like her is her mom. All the pictures and videos are from our trip last summer. Pinckneys in India '09!"

Emails came from Kandyce, too, usually with photos like this one, and accompanying vignettes...

I'm not sure if I should disclose this information, but there may or may not be a secret plan to strongly (ahem) encourage you and Coty Naana to come to Bapatla next summer ... I wouldn't ever pass up an opportunity to spend time with my dear, sweet kids there- they have taught me so, so much about love, joy and what it is to look like Jesus over these past 4 years, and every time I return to the home to see them, I feel more and more at home.

Speaking of my kids, I'd like to introduce one of them to you. The sweet girl on the left of the attached photo is Mary, and I think now she's 15 years old . In the years I've known her, her English has improved rather dramatically. She's one of the older girls at the home, and every night I stayed up talking with Mary and a few of her friends. She's able to communicate so well that she was able to even tell a few jokes this year- which was surprising and wonderful as the last time I saw her (two years ago) we weren't able to talk about much more than basic Telugu and English vocab words... Oh, my kids. I can't wait for you to meet them- they'll call you Amma (mother) or even "Mum."

Is it any surprise that I have been dreaming of a trip to India for many months?! I've held the dream mostly in my heart, talking with some family members and a few friends about it. We've been praying, Coty and the boys and me, Jonathan and Kandyce, my small group from church.

We've been asking, "Lord, would you open the door for a trip to India? Would you give me the privilege of spending time with J and K and seeing this country and these very special little people that have claimed a place in their hearts? Would you give me the opportunity for a greater understanding of your heart for the orphans and widows by meeting some Indian Christians who have opened their hearts to these precious children? Would you pour out such a blessing this summer?"

Looks like God is saying, "Yes!" In a big way.

My passport is on its way to the outsourcing company that handles Indian visas so as of yesterday, I'm one step closer...

Connecting the dots....

These last weeks have been an intense time of praying, dreaming, asking questions, exploring options, talking, imagining, thinking, hoping, consulting, listening, planning, and now...

stepping out in faith...

as I connect the dots on summer plans...

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If you discern an "Asia" theme here, you are on the right track.

Lord willing, I will spend about a month in China and India visiting some very special people.

Plans are still in the making so stay tuned for a more complete picture very soon as the dots get connected........

Seder

The charoset is finished...

The parsley is picked from the garden...

I will take these contributions to the seder meal we will share tonight in small group as we remember redemptive history and look toward our celebrations of Christ's death and resurrection in the days ahead.

I forgot to tell you...

...that the pool is now open. Coty and the boys took the cover off a little over a week ago and the pump's been running. Only one of us has braved the frigid water. Is that a grimace I see on the face of the intrepid pool man?

Once you're in, I guess it's not too bad. At least, if you keep moving those arms and legs and getyour heart rate up. Coty is a pool runner, not a swimmer, in case you're wondering. He uses an aqua jogger to keep his head above water. Not that he couldn't without it, mind you, but it's much easier to concentrate on pool running form if you're not worrying about swallowing mouthfuls of water.

The water is still a little murky and green but every day of filtering helps. And, oh it is so much nicer to look out my kitchen window and see the water instead of the ugly black winter cover. A welcome sign of spring in the backyard.

When will I get in? I assure you, not til it gets considerably warmer or someone gives me an insulated wet suit!

My church family

The service was over and we moved to the fellowship hall so the Korean congregation, whose building we share, could move into the sanctuary for their service. As we stood around with our cups of coffee and tea, greeting one another, carrying on conversations, meeting new people, and seeing old friends, I was struck with how diverse my church family is and how particularly sweet the fellowship seemed to be. I thought about the description of who we aim to be as a church, a goal that headlines the website and graces the front of the bulletin every week. On this particular Sunday morning in April, it is a goal that appears well on it's way to being realized. For that, and for the evidence I saw "true, joyful community" yesterday, I give hearty thanks to God:

291. Two week-old babies, one American, one Kenyan, one baby born into a family with two parents and two big sisters; the other the firstborn son of a single mom, PhD student who has church family as help and support.

292. Twenty-something young men who love, encourage, tease, laugh with, play soccer with, teach Sunday School to, and just generally enjoy the teen guys at church.

293. Families with young children on the playground, talking while children play on swings and slides in the sunshine.

294. Visitors being greeted and engaged in conversation with many regulars.

295. Our precious Congolese teen girls, three sisters, here on a visit from Raleigh and the happy news that they are moving back.

296. A Chinese man sitting at a table with an American man poring over Bible and sermon notes.

297. One family heading home for a lunch to be prepared by Chinese friends and playtime with sons who "get along famously," the mom Cindy told me.

298. Realizing that there are at least nine and probably more languages spoken by people in the fellowship hall.

299. An elderly African American couple, bulwarks of this little church, who have been away traveling and were back and receiving lots of hugs and warm "welcome home's".

300. Pastors who faithfully press on to make this vision of "diverse, joyful community" a reality.