Video!

Here is the first finished version of a highlight video of Israel.
It's hard to make a long story short, but we did our best!

To My M-Bark Family:

I've been going through my pictures from Israel.

Reliving the memories.

Some of those memories just make me laugh, and laugh...and I wanted to share them with you, the

m-bark bunch (a.k.a. if you are not an m-bark member, and somehow happened upon this post, now is as good a time as any to...scat.).

And, without further ado...

those pictures.

Some of us get excited about landing in London, others of us go over the top.

Here Austin and Zach bump fists With. Their. Eyes. Closed.

Good...*yawn*...one...*yawn*...man.

 Cherie: Oh, what did you say Shmo? You want on?

Cherie: "Why sure! There's always room for one more!"

We're all excited about being in Israel aren't we?

Aren't we?

hello?

"Duuuuuude! Awesem!"

(For those whom know this picture, it speaks for itself. *laughs*)

Some of us seem to be constantly proving our strength.

Anybody thinking "Barney Fife" about now?

And this would be Christy.

Having a date.

In Israel.

Thanks guys for not seeing your very own sisters until three minutes after we had walked up.

We love you too by the way.

Random photo for you:

PLEASE ADD YOUR OWN CAPTION HERE:

During a very violent game of, "rock, paper, scissors,":

please ignore the look on Trevor's face.

Warm-family-and-friends-bonding-time?

They have an App for that.

I have come to one life-changing conclusion:

We are weirrrrrd.

"I prefer...chiseled."

"Hey dad, did you get sun-burned?"

"No, but he just got son-burned."

I've always thought that if you had the opportunity to be in Jericho you should be somewhat excited.

But, it's not the first time I've been wrong.

And just because this post wouldn't be right without a picture of Gaylord on the camel.

I'm thinking about using this method the next time I want to just, you know, relax.

And finally, ladies and gentlemen!

What you've all been waiting for this whole time...

PS. I actually did this post hoping that the rest of you would follow my example? Why not post some memories, journal entries, or an inspirational thought? Please?

There and Back Again.

Well, HI!

 Loren's family has returned to the United States after spending a couple weeks touring Europe,

and stayed at our house for a couple of days and it was incredible to relive precious moments in Israel and laugh and cry and have our spirits stirred again like they were there.

They were planning on leaving on Tuesday.

The Lord wanted them to stay, so He made their transmission blow out.

And then after the transmission was fixed, He decided that that wasn't long enough and made something happen with squeaky pulleys the day that they were planning on leaving, and that bought us another ten hours.

So, we had a vonderful big little M-Bark reunion and spent oodles of time watching movies that Austin took on his shnazzy camera, and said plenty of "do you remember?"'s .

How does one sum up a trip to the land of Israel with a family like Loren's?

God is good, 

all the time,

God is good.

"Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid."

Matthew 5:14

 Signing off for M-Bark for perhaps the last time,
                Christy Barkman.

P.S. Thank you to all of our wonderful faithful readers.
We do apologize for the posts being few and far between, but, as Monica put it,
"If we blog tonight, Hallelujah.
If we don't, Amen."

Of Windmills, Tulips, and Hope

Hello world!

Greetings from... *drumb roll* HOLLAND!

We have spent the last two days here in this beautiful land of Windmills and Tulips and have been having a lovely time of it!

Living life dramatically is just so much more exciting than...than... ... ... not living life dramatically.

"Tourists!"

Here is where we saw wooden shoes being made.

Wooden shoe as far as the eyes can see.

Here, Austin sports a fashionable pair of cow wooden shoes.

*woot-woot!*

Just two good lookin' dutch girls.

Amsterdam.

Bikes everywhere.

Very cool.

Our hotel is a little more ritzy than we are used to.

We pretty much feel like the hilliest of hillbillies here.

It's fun.

Another wooden shoe picture?

For those of you who haven't had the chance of being charmed by Nikki's grin... this photograph is for you.

And for those of you who have had this incredible experience... enjoy it once again.

Today we visited Keukenholf a large and very beautiful garden.

Be aware of many random photographs of people posing in front of flowers.

Pretty much, there were a whole heap of pictures being taken.

See Isreal chase duck.

See Isreal climb.

I have decided to spare you from all the flower pictures that no one really wants to see (your welcome)... but I have to share just this one.

These really inspired me today.

Hand painted by God.

Our God really is a God of the small details too!

(Awkward photo alert!)

Then afterwards...the highlight.

Corrie Ten Boom's House.

Wow, wow, wow!

In Israel some of us went to the Houlucost Museam.
Everything those people went through was enough to put me in a daze for hours.
And what was worse, they had no hope. They needed Jesus!
So different from today at Corrie Ten Boom's house. Corrie had hope, she had a message to share with the world. Corrie had Jesus!
And we have that same hope, that same message! We have Jesus!
wow!

Now in closing, a quote from Corrie:

"There is no pit so deep

 that God's love is not deeper still."

Assumption. Fact. Truth. All in a days worth of vacation.

Have you ever tried to sum up a day before the day began. You can't! That's the beauty of a new day; you can't give a detailed report until the sun is setting, and today becomes...well...yesterday.

    But in interest of the mood of the day, I will do my best to give a report before the day begins, than report as the day unfolds in truth and fact. Take note in the contrast of plans  in conjunction with the fact of reality.

The start time right now is 10:35 and the truth is I just got done eating a scrumptious breakfast here at the Premiere Hotel.

 Before I continue on I would just take a moment and bring to your attention that today is infact mothers day. The truth is that my mother is a really amazing mother and person! Thanks mom for being  my mom. Your love, training, and prayers is something I hope I will never take for granted. Love you!

Explication of post. 

1. Assumption = An idea of what might happen, was written at breakfast time.

2. Fact = What actually took place in accordance with the same time  I made the assumption this morning.

3. Truth = Random information collected as the day transpired. Just as if it were a real journal.

We will start the day with a few truths.

11:52 Truth: Millers pullout of hotel and travel northeast towards York.

11:54 Truth: Almost had a reck in the roundabout.

11:58 Truth: Teresa Is quoting Shakespeare.

12:04 Ok now for the first Assumption: The Milers leave the hotel and travel Northeast.

12:04 Fact: Israel spots people playing cricket and proceeds to explain to his sisters what entails a cricket game.

12:08 Truth: Quote by Mom "Recent research proves that caffeine stops slugs in there tracks."

12:07 Truth: Jerica is asking how much further we have to go yet.

12:27 Truth: because I'm trying to journal and navigate at the same time we missed our turn. No problem...just u-turn.

12:45 Assumption: we stop along the side of the road to take a picture of sheep.

12:45 fact: entering into the peak district national park.

12:49 Assumption: dad finally gets the picture of cows that he's been so desperately trying to get.

12:49 Fact: dad doesn't get his picture of cows. Kelci and Teresa are on the verge of falling asleep, and all I hear from Monica is click, click, click. 

12:54 Truth: Clicking from Monica has ceased.

1:07 Truth: Van is quiet, except for Nikki humming her own tune, with an occasional pause to point out a cow or a dog.   

1:34 Assumption: The girls take mom out to tea for mothers day.

1:34 Fact: Looks like we are cruising down the motor way at 80mph.(Intaking tea at high rates of speed can prove to be slightly challenging, thus we will forgo the tea at this point in our journey.)

1:59 Assumption: the guys are hanging out talking guy talk and trying to make plans for the rest of the day.

1:59 Fact: We are here on the map.

2:10 Assumption: Israel ask when the girls are coming back.

2:10 Fact: Girls unload van to take mom to Betties tea house.

2:12 Assumption: They return, We all talk about what we want to do next and and decide that since its getting late we should make our way to the ferry.

2:12 Fact: I escorted the woman to a really nice British walking street with all kinds of neat shops, and tea houses...and there was a man on the street playing the piano. Very nice! 

2:13 Assumption: Dad almost gets another parking ticket.

2:13 Fact: I walk back to the van.

2:30 Assumption: Someone makes the comment that this is really beautiful countryside.

2:30 Fact: Unavailable for comment.

2:53 Truth: Navigating in York is intense!

3:16 Assumption: Arrive at our ship, boat, ferry. Whatever you want to call it, I've never seen the likes of it before. Maybe I will call it" house on water."

3:16 Fact: standing in the chocolate section at Tescos shopping center stocking up on our chocolate supply and other nameless snacks for our voyage tonight.  (this would be a good time to insert the fact that I like vacations allot.)

4:00 Assumption: Get checked into our rooms, waiting for push off.

4:00 Fact: Unavailable for comment.

4:01 Assumption: Nikki wonders why were not leaving yet.                                                   

4:01 Fact: Not much is different from 4:00.

4:03 Truth: Intensely navigating in York.

4:39 Assumption: We hang out feeling lazy.

4:39 Fact: This Video will explain.

4:47 Truth: The van is lively right now with lots of singing and laughing, and enjoying the country side.

4:56 Truth: Dad nicely lays on the brake, but rather wanting the clutch instead.

4:59 Assumption: Imagine this we actually have some time to play a game.

4:59 Fact: Imagine this, we are still traveling along in Bingly the van. Navigating our way to the quant town of Hull. 

5:09 Truth: I tell the girls that in Israel we sang spiritual songs, in England...we haven't. Last half hour has been silly and girly songs by a certain  three older girls in the van... Not pointing fingers...just sayin.

5:35 Truth: We made it to the town of Hull. We check-in to the ferry. Got question by border control, come to the conclusion that we are tourist and that we don't know much. We fired back with our questions as well...but unfourtionally they were able to answer all our questions (which I won't make a list of here) but we did feel slightly smug when we asked if they had any wifi on the boat, they were unable to answer. We had stumped them with a come back question of our own. OK, why I just posted that I have no idea.

6:00 Assumption: An hour has passed and Austin almost won the game.
6:00 Fact: We just discovered our rooms! Close fellowship never hurt anyone.

6:40 Truth: The woman discover the first shop onboard the P&O.

6:44 Truth: On board the P&O I just got asked if I'm alright...I hope I'm not getting sea sick already, we haven't even mbarked yet.

7:08 Assumption: The girls decide they want to go shopping on the boat. Maybe I should have put this before we play a game...no rest comes to the sisters until all shops have been discovered within a 100 mile radius of there current location.

7:08 Fact: Take family pictures on the deck of the P&O. Continue to explore our ferry.

7:25 Truth: Entering the P&O Ferries Restaurant to eat, the ticket master told us: "you have American accents."

8:24 Truth: Just finished eating a grand meal onboard the P&O Ferry. Since I've been deprived of meat the last few weeks; meat, meat, meat and more meat was in the diet tonight. Oh yeah and one apple to top it off.

8:39 Truth: The P&O has now ventured out to sea on it's voyage. Final destination? Rotterdam Netherlands (aka Holland.)

Express you feelings with one word.

Dad: Satisfied.

Mom: Loved

Teresa: Miserablyhappy.

Kelci: Dreamy.

Monica: Urgency :) 

Jerica: Excited.

Israel: Amazing.

Nikki: Good.

9:04 Assumption: Us older kids think it would be fun to go drink some water and tea at the coffee shop and have a talk. While in the process of doing this our ship m-_____ it's way across to the other side.

9:04 Fact: mom informs us after looking at the kids menu that P&O stands for Pip&Ollie.

9:07 Truth: The kids leave the restaurant and go play in a designated area just for kids.
 

10:07 Truth: The day is calming down now. The ship has been explored. The kids are playing peacefully. Mom is getting ready to checkout and finish her shopping for the day. The girls are trying to convince me to buy some souvenirs....but all I need is a good heart to put all the good memories in :-)

11:24 Assumption: It's been a good day, I'm tired and happy. It feels much like a vacation! Good night all.

11:24 Fact: I'm sitting here looking over my notes, and wish that the wifi would start working so I could post this.

11:34 Truth: I'm going on a little stroll around the ferry before I retire for the night.

12:44 Truth: It's been a good day, I'm tired and happy. It feels much like a vacation! Thanks for venturing with the Miller family today. I'm now tucked away in my bunk abroad the P&O. When I wake we will disembark the P&O and mbark into Holland where a new set of adventures await us! Good night all! Austin for the Millers.

A mans heart plans his way, But the Lord directs his steps. (Proverbs 16:9 NKJV)

Author's note: It's 1:26am...I'm tired and unwilling to go back through and fix mistakes...it shall appear to you as a journal entry. I also would like to thank my sister Monica for allowing me to use some of her pictures!