the.feeblefutts

2011-02-12T00:47:00.004-06:00

We’re a little slow getting you bumpdates these days. But to be honest, we’re a little slow getting out of bed these days. Not much has slowed since the last post, but I at least wanted to pause long enough to get you the bumpdates from weeks 32 and 34 [Ams had a kidney stone during the 33rd week so we didn’t take pictures].

2011-01-16T23:52:00.003-06:00

Well. A lot has happened in the week or so that we’ve been home. We’ve had Christmas... several times. We’ve had our teeth cleaned. We’ve hit the 30 week mark. We’ve been overwhelmed by Wal-Mart. We’ve spent half a day at the doctor’s office. And we’ve seen 4D images or our little girl!

Elsy Kate will be here before we know it. Amberley is feeling great. And even though you wouldn’t know by the looks of her mommy, Elsy is apparently pretty big.

Ams’ brother has gotten pretty handy with a camera in our absence. So, last week he took some time to photograph our little family. Take a look at his handy work below, and check out his website when you're done.

2011-01-04T20:42:00.001-06:00

London.

2011-01-01T06:44:00.000-06:00

Week 28.

2010-12-30T03:47:00.000-06:00

Starbucks.

2010-12-27T10:01:00.000-06:00

Amongst all of the other things going on during our last days in Delhi, I had the opportunity to take some engagement photos for a couple of our friends living in the city.

It was good to see them again before we left South Asia. And we look forward to their State Side wedding in April.

Congrats you guys. I hope you enjoy the ‘clicks’.

2010-12-22T07:10:00.000-06:00

Week 27.

2010-12-15T06:40:00.000-06:00

26 Weeks. And Ams is feeling great.

As of our last doctor’s visit Ams had only gained 1200gms [and I think it shows]. She continues to gain weight beautifully.

We’ll have one more doctor’s appointment before boarding a plane headed west. Hopefully, the doctor will give us clearance to board.

Can you believe we only have 11 more days in South Asia? Yeah. We can’t either. We are both elated and heavy-hearted about the thought.

Very soon we’ll have opportunities to catch up over coffee or hot meals. Until then, keep us in your thoughts as we make the transition.

2010-12-07T11:01:00.002-06:00

If you haven’t noticed by the lack of updates recently, Ams and I have been abnormally busy lately. Among many many other things, we have moved out of our flat, moved into another, coordinated a retreat, narrowly escaped a Man-Eater, celebrated a 4th Anniversary, and become nearly a month more pregnant.

I hope to post some visual updates [photos] of our recent events soon. But until then, enjoy the Bumpdates below.

Week 22

Week 23

Week 24

Week 25

2010-11-09T07:14:00.000-06:00

Week 20 gave us a scare, but here we are - week 21.

For those of you in the dark, we spent a couple of nights at the hospital last week. On Thursday evening, we were enjoying our time with the cousins. We were looking forward to a night at the Hilton, dinner and a movie, and celebrating Diwali the following day.

As we were walking around the mall, Ams stated that she didn’t feel very well - like she had a cinder block on her belly. I suggested that she call one of our friends, who tends to be versed on most matters, to see if she had any advice.

The friend advised us to call our doctor, just in case. We called the doctor. The doctor told us to come in. We didn’t leave for two days.

Turns out, Ams was having contractions - most likely due to dehydration and over-exertion. After some hormone shots and an IV, all is well.

Thanks for all your thoughts and prayers. Hope you enjoy the bumpdate below.

2010-11-08T00:32:00.002-06:00

I like to explore. I particularly like to explore Old Delhi. While I feel most of India’s capital city has succumb to extreme westernization, Old Delhi has some how kept its charm. When you get off the metro and come above ground, you step into the iconic India you only find in old editions of Nat-Geo.

Last week I got to help a couple of Tofte cousins navigate Chandni Chowk. Here are a few clicks from the Mirchi Market in Old Delhi.

2010-11-03T07:39:00.002-05:00

20 weeks. Whoa, whoa. We’re halfway there.

Unfortunately, it still seems like this whole thing is a universe away. I mean, out of this world, surreal. We have been, and will continue to be, so busy that sometimes it’s easy to get lost in what’s going on and what’s next.

Luckily, Ams continues to gain weight beautifully. She now mildly serves as a visual reminder that we are pregnant and will be having a young ‘un in March. Before you know it we’ll be packing our bags and wrapping up our travels in South Asia.

Thanks for your continued support. We’ll see you soon. In the meantime, stay tuned for more bumpdates and updates on our travels on this side of the World.

2010-10-31T03:38:00.002-05:00

Because Ams was in Goa last Tuesday, I wasn’t able to get in the normal bumpdate clicks. Fortunately for you, I was able to take a few frightening photos of the world’s best mummy-to-be. Hope they aren’t too spine-chilling for you.

Stay tuned for the 20 week bumpdate to get a more revealing glimpse of Ams’ growing baby bump.

2010-10-19T06:53:00.004-05:00

Week 18. Time continues to fly by here in South Asia. And I’m afraid it’s only going to go by faster as we move forward. It’s been two weeks since my last ‘bumpdate’ - sorry to keep you waiting. If you’re curious, I’ve posted a week 17 photo below.
Aside from the developments in my wife’s belly, a lot has come about since the last update. The Commonwealth Games have come and gone. Ams is headed to the southern part of the country this week for a few days of R and R. A couple Toftes are on their way to explore our South Asian home. There’s a temporary move in the works for us. And believe it or not we’ll be headed back to the Western Hemisphere in a few short months - we even have the return tickets to prove it.

We continue to covet your thoughts as our travels here come to an end. We miss you all and will see you soon.

2010-10-19T03:21:00.005-05:00

Week 17.

2010-10-05T05:48:00.001-05:00

Week 16. These weeks seem to be coming faster and faster. I can’t believe we’re already at the 4 month mark. Before you know it, we’ll be back in the States... Maybe by then Ams will actually look pregnant.

2010-09-30T00:26:00.000-05:00

15 Weeks.

Sorry I’m a few days behind on this. Tuesday is usually our Baby Bump Blog day, but we spent the day showing off Agra to Ams’ Sister and Bro-in-law. We’ve had a great time parading them around South Asia. More than anything, it’s been such a blessing for Ams to have her Sis here to gab and giggle with about baby stuff.

2010-09-21T13:59:00.000-05:00

Fourteen weeks today and she’s gaining weight beautifully. Actually, she’s not gaining weight at all, but she’s still beautiful if you ask me.

2010-09-14T14:33:00.006-05:00

When we found out that we were expecting, we signed up for nearly every email pregnancy update known to woman. I just thought our inbox was bulging. Everyday it’s something ‘new’, something on ‘sale’, or some tidbit of information. Who knew there was so much going on inside a woman’s belly while they’re... incubating?

I have been amazed [and mostly humbled] to learn about the week to week growth of our lil’ tike. Just so you know, s/he already has a unique fingerprint on each of his/her no-longer-webbed fingers. And we’ve just begun the 13th week! Now what’s that argument about fetal indivuality/identity?

*Spoiler Alert: Our God is big. Real BIG.

I’m not going to give you a weekly nugget of gestational trivia, but I would like give you a glimpse of what the process looks like - on the exterior anyway.

Just to catch you up, I’ve posted weeks 10 through 13 below. Check-in every Tuesday to see how we grow a baby.

2010-09-06T13:58:00.000-05:00

I finally got some time over the weekend to put together a stop-motion video I had been thinking about making. In all, I had fun and enjoyed the process. Hope you enjoy.

Family Theme from joe futterer on Vimeo.

Oh, and there’s more to come...

2010-09-01T04:22:00.002-05:00

A few years ago, a couple of friends of mine and I had the opportunity to take a trip Cairo, Egypt. We knew a few guys there, had a few weeks left in our summer, and couldn’t think of a good reason not to go.

One of the obvious perks of going to Cairo are the Pyramids of Giza, or so I thought. I know I might be stepping on someone’s toes here, but I wasn’t impressed. Sure they are one of the Seven Wonders of the World. And they blow the minds of Architects. And the site is loaded with history. But they were filthy and under construction [what?!] and hyper commercialized. Not to mention a lot smaller than I thought, partially surrounded by the city and 50 meters from a Pizza Hut.

I have to admit that my expectations were a tad too high. But who could blame me?! Have you ever seen those things in the movies? They are isolate, gigantic, and usually have some transforming space robot lying dormant inside!

Needless to say, when our travels in South Asia began I was determined not to get so worked up about the Taj. After seeing the pyramids, I had sort of lost hope in the value of the Seven Wonders - and definitely didn’t want to be let down again.

After four trips to the Taj Mahal, I am still mesmerized by the marble masterpiece and I will go back. Sure it has it’s hiccups - like tons of people and elaborate scams - but hey, a country and it's people have to earn a living, right? Either way, I could spend hours looking at it and photographing it and studying it - and I don’t know that it would ever lose it’s wonder for me.

Below are a few photos of my last few visits to the Taj...

2010-08-27T08:16:00.004-05:00

South Asia is spiritually overwhelming [period]. There are mandirs and mosques and temples and holy places and holy people and religious symbols and spiritual slogans literally everywhere you look.

And if you haven’t ever been to a spiritually diverse culture, sometimes you need some help wading through the mess and making sense of it all.

We definitely don’t claim to be experts on South Asian Religions. In fact, we are far from it. But I do find joy in pushing people into the deep end, just to see the expression on their faces when they come up for air. I know that sounds mean, but unfortunately I think it’s the best way to introduce this culture to people. You can’t just read about it in books and magazines or watch a documentary on it. You have to experience it.

So, that’s what we do. And that’s what we did with Bread. He spent 3 weeks going to mandirs and mosques and temples and holy places and seeing holy people and religious symbols and spiritual slogans. And what was the expression on his face when he came up for air? A look of joy, exhaustion, enlightenment, mild confusion, and... well, pink eye.

Below are some photos of the Lotus Temple. It is the largest of the 8 remaining Baha’i temples in the world. Baha’i is just one of the many religions found in South Asia, but it tends to incorporate them all. If you don’t know much about the Baha’i faith, you should check it out.

2010-08-25T04:05:00.002-05:00

Once again, it’s been a while since my last post. Fortunately for you, my wife stays on top of things.

Seeing that it’s been nearly 4 months, a lot has happened [naturally] since I’ve last filled you in on our travels in South Asia. We’ve been to Thailand, the Taj [twice], the mountains, and a holy city. Along the way, we hosted a few foreigners for 7 weeks, A’s family has come and gone, and a friend as close as a brother came on independent study.

My hope is to fill you in on all of these things over the next couple of days. So stay tuned.

Below are a couple of photos from our trip to Varanasi. We had the opportunity to take a morning boat ride while we were there. It was humbling to see the devotion given to what much of South Asia believes to be their life blood, the Ganges River.

The people of Varanasi, as well as other communities along the river's banks, sleep on or near the ghats, wash their clothes in it, brush their teeth and bathe in it, and even play in it.

This trip makes my second trip to Varanasi. And at this point, I don’t know if I will ever return. I do know though that the glimpses I have gotten of this place will never be forgotten.

2010-05-05T04:59:00.003-05:00

Feliz Cinco de Mustache.

2010-04-24T11:06:00.001-05:00

Elephants in Jaipur, the Pink City.

2010-04-20T04:06:00.001-05:00

We recently traveled to the historic city-state of Goa for a week to help proctor home-school exams. Let me just say to all you younger folk, it’s not so much fun being on the proctoring side of the exams either. But we had a great time.

At the end of the week, we had a couple of days to explore Old Goa and spend some time on the beach. Goa has a strong Portuguese flavor to it - it was a good break from what we know as India.

I didn’t hardly spend any time taking photos because I was enjoying the beach so much, but I did manage to take a couple of clicks.

2010-04-08T22:48:00.001-05:00

After traveling in South Asia for over a year now, it seems odd that we’ve just now made it to our first wedding. In the States I felt like we were going to a wedding ever other weekend.

Anyway, these are a few shots I took at the wedding. It was neat to see how this couple was able to merge two cultures in one event. Not that these photos depict that... Nonetheless, we had a really good time and had some amazing food.

2010-03-19T10:18:00.003-05:00

A few weeks ago we had the opportunity to participate in Holi. It’s a really neat holiday commemorating the triumph of good over evil. In celebration, everyone throws water balloons, plays in the park, and dumps color on everyone. I’m not sure why it’s celebrated the way it is, but it was fun regardless.

I had high hopes of photographing Holi. Unfortunately, I had so much fun playing Holi that I didn’t exactly get the photos I was expecting.

Anyway, enjoy the photos and check out this wikipedia link to the Holi Holiday. And don’t forget to see my wife’s blog posts on Holi and our adventures in South Asia.

2009-12-10T07:47:00.004-06:00

It’s been months since my last post. In fact, it’s been since August. As it was, August flew by. It was filled with births, birthdays, and anniversaries to celebrate. In the meantime we’ve been traveling here and there, really everywhere.

Our most recent stop was at the Taj Mahal. This was our first [most likely of many] trip to the Taj. I’ve posted a few photos below of our trip. You might also want to check out the links to the left. There are links to Ams' blog [who updates much more often than I do] and to my flickr where you can see more photos from our travels in South Asia.

Also, if you keep scrolling you’ll find some photos in a previous post of our trip to the Boys and Girls Christian Home in Maharashtra, India.

2009-12-10T07:39:00.002-06:00

Nearly a month ago, we popped in for a visit at the BGCH while on ‘assignment’ in Mumbai. It has been our best experience yet. We couldn’t have enjoyed it more.

The home was in great shape, the staff was more than hospitable, and the kids were wonderful. I’ve posted a few photos below so you too could catch a glimpse of the home. Thanks Brad for all you do to keep the BGCH going...

For more info and views from the home, check out their website: http://www.bgchm.org

2009-08-16T10:32:00.002-05:00

We’ve come up with a new place to hang our thoughts, stories memories, requests, videos, photos, and much more. Well maybe not too much more, but you get the point. We are giving a trial run to having our own web site. It is by no means a permanent transition to the world of personal domains, but dependent upon your response it may become that way.

The address is: http://web.me.com/feeblefeet/Site. Like I said, we are just feeling things out. We may actually buy our own domain if you prefer the site. Because the address isn’t the easiest to remember at this point, you can simply click on the link above and it will take you to the new site. Please add it to your bookmarks/favorites and visit us often.

Know that we would appreciate any comments you have on the new site. Feel free to praise it, criticize it, and give instruction or insight for improvement. Also, please express whether or not you prefer the new site over the blog. Our hope is that the new site will better serve you, so we need to know if it accomplishes that purpose.

We have provided a link to our email in our new site, or you leave your comments regarding the matter below. Thanks

the.feeblefutts

2009-08-04T06:13:00.006-05:00

I am sure many of you are well aware, but we have had an eventful past 24 hours.

In December, while we were on a family vacation with the Baumans we found out that Bethany was pregnant. It was sort of our last hoorah before we started our prevailing adventures in South Asia.

Of course this announcement brought a host of emotions, the greatest of which was excitement. We were obviously excited for the next chapter of Beth and Lar’s lives, excited that the Baumans would get to spoil a grandchild of their own without us having to be the guinea pigs, and excited that we would get to be an Aunt and Uncle for the second time.

But what harsh timing on part of our Father. The news also brought us to a point of reality. That reality is that we are missing life events as we travel in South Asia. And this reality makes us sad. We love our family and friends and don’t want to miss sharing life with them.

But thank goodness for technology. And thank goodness for friends like Brandi and Jeff Akin. When we found out about the pregnancy, we had a pipe dream of being Skyped in for the occasion. Unfortunately, the world of wireless has not been introduced to the conveniences found in hospitals. That’s why we are so thankful that the Akins provided their 3G card for our use on the day of Carson’s Bridge Class shower as well as his big arrival. Thanks.

The following is a log of the previous 24 hours of our lives. Note that this documentation is subject to Indian Standard Time. Also, if birthing and pregnancy terms make you squeamish, feel free to skim. Oh and if Emily Blackwell is reading this, don’t pay attention to the time column.

MONDAY, AUGUST 3, 2009

8:51AM - We receive a cell phone call from Beth and Lar.

8:52AM - We call them back using Skype so we can see them. Beth calmly tells us that her water broke. We were the first to know :)

8:58AM - The Bauman household receives the news while we were Skyping Brant.

9:54AM - Lar calls to let us know that they have settled into a hospital room.

10:30AM - We go for a run in an attempt to curb all of the emotions and excitement [we carry the cell just in case].

11:12AM - Mommy Bauman calls to let us know that Beth is already dilated to a ‘good’ 5cm and is about to receive her epidural.

12:26PM - We talk to Beth on Skype after her epidural has set in. She is already dilated to 7cm.

12:54PM - Larry announces that they are calling in the Doctor.

12:55PM - Beth asks for someone to make sure that her feet are still attached to her legs.

1:15PM - Dr. Birch arrives.

2:40PM - Brant claims to hear ‘labor sounds.’

2:52PM - There is gossip among the peanut gallery about crying coming from Carson’s hospital room.

3:05PM - Our power goes off and we go into conservation mode.

3:07PM - Our power comes back on. We stay in conservation mode. Brant gets update. No news.

3:21PM - Dr. Birch comes out of Carson’s room and visits her office for a moment. Quickly goes back to the room.

3:27PM - Larry announces Carson Jack’s arrival. [4:24AM Arkansas time] Auntie Ams and Cha Cha Joe celebrate by drinking a Coca Cola and eating some Peanut M&M’s.

3:31PM - Doctor says ‘Mom’ and ‘Baby’ are doing just fine.

3:47PM - We get to see Carson Jack. He’s B-E-A-UTIFUL.

4:14PM - We get official word on length and weight of Carson... 7 lbs 1oz and 20.5 inches long but we hear he will shrink a few inches over the first couple days.

4:18PM - We get to see Carson get all cleaned up. Don’t tell, but the hospital broke every rule for us. Thanks.

TUESDAY, AUGUST 4, 2009

7:04AM - We wake up to a cell phone call from Brant. Carson wants to see us.

7:10AM - We Skype with Beth, Lar and Carson. CJ is wide awake. Beth looks great and Lar can’t stop smiling. Had to cut the call short because Carson was sucking on Lar’s t-shirt. Guess he was hungry.

The morning after Beth’s big announcement was a bit somber for us. Ams was dealing with being gone for Carson’s arrival. And I was dealing with having to deal with us being gone for Carson’s big arrival. Thankfully we were with family. And thankfully Mommy Bauman could sense the tension.

During Amberley’s time with our Father and her mother that morning, their prayer time turned from material issues to that of eternal value. That morning they asked that Carson’s birth would combine with a spiritual birth for a South Asian.

What wasn’t placed in the timeline above was an answer to that prayer. Ams and a friend have been meeting with a girl for the past few weeks that they met on a college campus. Last week the girl committed to reading John’s account as well as solely praying to our Father.

During their meeting yesterday, Sun [we will call her] didn’t make any decisions to put sole trust in our Father’s Son. But she did confess to believing that He is the one true path to freedom.

How cool is it that? A prayer that was prayed nearly eight months ago would be answered so bluntly within hours of CJ’s arrival.

So... What wonderful timing our Father has. We have been giddy for the past 24 hours. We have a new nephew who is healthy. Siblings who are new parents. And a new hope that we are where we are for a purpose and time such as this.

2009-07-25T02:19:00.008-05:00

We haven’t been feeling much like Superman lately. For the past week or so, Ams and I have been a little ill. Between the two of us we have experienced almost every possible symptom. After almost 5 days in confinement to our home, we finally started feeling better.

While we were stuck in our home, we found out that somebody comes to our door nearly everyday. Sometimes it is a neighbor, sometimes it is the mail carrier, sometimes it is just some random survey, but usually it is just the trash boy making sure we don’t have any trash [or extra money] to give him. Needless to say, we have gotten used to the doorbell ringing and somebody being at our door.

Yesterday, our doorbell rang as usual. However, When Ams went to the door no one was there. While surveying the situation, Ams noticed that there was a man at the bottom of the stairs trying to tell her something... ‘BOXES!’ he was saying. It was the man who delivers packages to our house.

We had heard that several weeks ago the Bridge Class [our SS Class] had sent some packages our way. Well... they made it yesterday! It was like Christmas in July and definitely the most exciting part of our week. In fact, every time the doorbell rang during our confinement, we hoped that the packages would be at our doorstep.

It’s amazing what all can fit inside a couple of boxes. Included were some photos of Jax [already on the fridge], various food items - a taste of home if you will, Feltner’s tees, bathroom supplies [already in use], fingernail polish, an awesome candle, and loads of love, care and encouragement.

So thanks Bridge Class for all of your support. We love you and can’t begin express how appreciative we are of your involvement in our work.

2009-07-06T01:35:00.010-05:00

Sorry for the update delay. We have been busy as of late, and have been a bit removed from access to the internet. Luckily, a lot has happened and we hope to get you caught up in a series of posts. We’ve moved ourselves and the Pals into new places, toured Delhi and it’s historical landmarkers, and visited inland Thailand.

Before we show you our pad, we’d like to show you around Delhi a bit. The Pals left a couple of days before we did to go to Thailand, so M left us with a few places to visit. We, along with our taxi driver Amit, decided to make a day of it...

We started off our day at the Intercontinental Hotel where we were supposed to eat breakfast. It’s a 5 Star hotel and we caught wind that it might be a bit expensive, so we had cereal instead.

Next we were to visit a couple temples, but one was closed. We were, however, able to visit the Iskcon Temple [Photos Above]. It is a huge temple devoted to Hare Krishna. We were surprised to note the number of similar temples listed that are found in the states.

Next we traveled to the Akshardam Temple [I wasn’t allowed to take photos there, so I’ve posted one provided by their website]. It’s the newest temple in town - complete with a light and water show, a souvenir shop, and several food kiosks. In all, it was the most beautiful and well kept temple we’ve seen.

After the Akshar Dam, we were able to see Raj Ghat. Among other things, the Raj Ghat is a large piece of greenery in the city that is home to the Ghandi Memorial. By this point it was midday or later and we were having to walk around on concrete barefoot so we didn’t stay too long.

Next we made our way to Old Delhi. We were excited to see this part of the city because it has so much to offer. We took a Bicycle Rickshaw Tour of the town and were able see the Red Fort, Jana Masjid, a Jain Temple, a Sikh temple, and the spice market made famous by the ‘Amazing Race.’

After seeing the old part of the city, we took a quick taxi tour of Connaught place, a semi-western market, on our way to India Gate and Parliament - The Washington D.C. of India that fits on both sides of a mile long section of road.

We finished our day at a couple of markets that we had heard a lot about but hadn’t seen yet. The first, Sarojini Nagar Market, is where you can find all of the reject apparel from America’s best retailers at fractional prices... so we bought a few things. The second, Dilli Hut, is the token souvenir shop for the city. So if you come visit, we’ll take you to see it.

It was quite the event, but we learned a lot about the people and city we serve. It seems so much more familiar now that we have returned from Thailand. Speaking of which, we hope to get a post out to you in the next couple of days about our adventures in Thailand. Thanks for enduring the length of this one and please stay tuned for the next.

2009-06-20T23:22:00.002-05:00

Happy Father’s Day to all of our Fathers. To Dad, Daddy Bauman, David, Jacob, Lar [soon to be], and all of our Grandfathers too! We love you and hope you have a wonderful Father’s Day!

We hope you like the photos. We thought they would be a good throw back. Although, Dad you look the same, but where’d your shirt go? And Daddy Bauman where’d your hair go?

Love you guys! Have a wonderful time on your trips.

2009-05-30T09:19:00.004-05:00

When it rains, it pours... especially in the Himalayas. Last week we treated ourselves to some dessert coffee from Cafe Coffee Day, a local Starbucks esk coffee shop. Usually we study at the guesthouse, but we needed a break from the usual. So we headed downtown [literally ‘down’ town] for a change of scenery.

Whenever we go to town we try to use as much Hindi as possible, even though we know we can manage with simple English. On our return trip up the hill we noticed it was getting fairly dark, especially for 4 o’clock in the afternoon. Afternoon showers have become more regular since Monsoon season is nearing. We knew we had to hurry, but we needed to get some fruit from our favorite Fruit Wala.

Shortly after buying some mangos and bananas it started to rain. So, we started to run hoping that we could get out in front of the storm and take refuge back at our own place. Unfortunately, we didn’t get very far before we realized our efforts were hopeless. We ran for the first awning we saw and took shelter. Almost immediately, the store owner invited us in, asked us to take a seat, and rolled down the storefront door. For nearly an hour, we made small talk as she patiently sifted through our broken Hindi. We were encouraged and even surprised by how much we already know of the language, even if Amberley accidentally introduced me as her wife...

We only have one more week in the Himalayas before heading back to the big city. M and T have found us a place to stay and we are excited to finally get settled. Please continue to ask that we would finish strong at language school and that the transition to our new place would go well. We continue to remain healthy and know that it is not apart from your diligence. A wholehearted thanks.

The following photos are just a couple images of from our excursion to town last week.

2009-05-10T08:03:00.000-05:00

Happy Mother’s Day to all of our Mothers. To Mama, Mommy Bauman, Sherrye, Katy, Beth [to be], and all of our Grandmothers too! We tried to come up with a couple of ways to show you that we love you... this is the best we could do. Anyway, we love you and hope you have a wonderful Mother’s Day!

2009-05-06T08:09:00.005-05:00

Amberley looked at me today and said, “Happy One Month Anniversary!” And I thought to myself..... we’ve been married longer than that!

Today is actually the one month ‘anniversary’ of us traveling in South Asia. We have had a wonderful time, and have already made tons of memories. I have been attacked by a cow in Haridwar, lost my wedding band while rafting on the Ganges, and have experienced the best home-made Himalayan peanut butter and cheese. Amberley has bought hand-made shoes for less than 5 US Dollars, spent Easter with national believers, and experienced a mouse in a sleeper car. Most importantly we are so thankful that we haven’t experienced any form of illness while here. We know that this wouldn’t be possible without your faithful support and constant pr@yer. Thanks.

Most recently we have been learning Hindi at a renowned language school in Northern India - just south of the Himalayas. In short, the Hindi is good, the weather is great, the view is even better, and the mangos are awesome.

The following photos are just a few views from here. We took the standard first day of school photos for our parents - We knew they would enjoy them. The rest of the shots are a few of the many views here.

Again we are so thankful that you continue to remember us before our Father. As you know, we are diligently working on fluency in the Hindi language. Please continue to bring us before Him, asking that he would write the language on our hearts. Only in Him is it possible...

2009-04-24T03:43:00.005-05:00

So we’ve been traveling... During our training we took a train trip to a nearby holy city to observe the Indian culture from its core. The following photos are just a few glimpses of what we saw. Haridwar, this holy city, boasts of being on the banks of the mighty Ganga [Ganges]. Every year millions of people visit this city to wash in the river in hopes of gaining salvation.

We met travelers from various places and of varying degrees of devotion to their worshiping. Sadhus are holy men that roam about South Asia visiting temple after temple. Theirs lives and possessions are reduced to nothing so they can be totally devoted to worshiping. Below is such a man. Pal and I were able to spend a large portion of the day with a couple Sadhus trekking, drinking chai, and learning about their culture and beliefs.

Haridwar is not only known for the Ganga, but also for several unique temples. One of these temples is found at the highest point in the city. In order to get there, you can travel by cable car [gondola] or take a long set of stairs. I was surprised to find people of all shapes, ages, and sizes making the trek to the top.

In all, Amberley and I have enjoyed our experiences and are excited for the experiences to come. Needless to say, we have experienced many ‘firsts’. Haridwar was one that truly opened our eyes about how little we know about the people we serve.

Our most recent train excursion has brought us to a city in the foothills of the Himalayas. For the next six weeks we will be living in Mussoorie going to Landour Language School.

Thank you so much for the thinking of us. We have yet to experience any real health issues and know that it is not apart from your support. Please continue to remember us when you talk to the Father. We really hope that he will write the Hindi language on our hearts.

2009-04-12T02:46:00.009-05:00

So... We’ve been a bit tired on this side of globe. I don’t know that we have ever experienced jet lag to this extent before. Fortunately, I think we have finally managed to overcome it. All of you who have been waiting patiently on an update, thanks. You can expect much more frequent postings from here on out.

It has been so good to see our Pals, and the boys too! I don't know that we have allowed them to stay on schedule though. Needless to say, we aren't the only ones on the team who have been a little tired. We have wrestled with the boys, made forts, dyed Easter eggs, and even watched American Idol. I’m afraid to admit that their exhaustion is partly our doing.

Speaking of Easter, we were able to go to a sunrise service this morning in a very nice park here in the city. It was neat to experience Easter among national believers. We all wore South Asian garb in an attempt to fit in as much as possible. Which proved to be a difficult task with all that was going on in the park while we were there - even at 6 o’clock in the morning. Included in the festivities were marching bands, all sorts of worshipers, and exercisers of all ages and shapes.

Up to this point, we have experienced quite a bit. We have been exposed to numerous forms of South Asian food and coffee, rickshaws [auto and not], one of the finest metros in the world, traffic like nowhere else, tons of people, Hindu temples, Indian cricket and ultimate frisbee, and many hours of acquisition training. These things may have added to our lag.

Thank you for keeping us in your thoughts in spite of your lack of information. Please remember us as you talk to the Father, asking that we will transition and acclimate well, learn the language quickly, and thrive not merely survive in this culture.

2009-02-20T16:01:00.003-06:00

This week began the first of several weeks of ‘clinics.’ In other words, we have been sufficiently poked since the last time you heard from us.

Fortunately, Amberley and I have never had any reason or been in any situation where our blood type was determined. Unfortunately though, this meant our Monday afternoon was spent having lab work done - which proved to be a humorous experience. In case you were wondering, Amberley turned out to have ‘O POS’ blood running through her veins, while my heart apparently pumps ‘O NEG’. Maybe this explains our temperature preference difference.

Tuesday, following our lab experience on Monday, we received the first five of many immunizations to be had before leaving for the field. The photo above gives you a little glimpse of what we will be experiencing every Tuesday for the next couple of weeks.

I know you may be wondering why you only see three Band-Aids in the photo, when I clearly stated that we received five shots. Well... let me first say that the shot process is extremely fast - that is, you go in, lift op your sleeve, then ‘bang’ and you are rushed out of the room. The entire experience takes merely moments. Amberley’s ‘clinic’ went so fast that two of her Band-Aids weren’t even covering the wounds. She didn’t figure they did much good, so she removed them before the photo.

Well, that basically concludes the documentable excitement of our week. Stay tuned for more buzz from the Feeble Futts...

2009-02-12T21:50:00.008-06:00

Things just don’t seem to slow down here at the ILC. Unfortunately, unless you want views of Amberley and I in class, there just haven’t been many photo opportunities. We did want to give you a little insight on our lives, so the snap-shots posted are just for you.

The photos above are taken outside of our quad. That is, our new home. We are very fortunate to share our living space with others. Across the great room from us are a pair of Journey Girls, beside us are some M’s on stateside, and catty corner is a family with a 16 month old boy. The folks in our quad all provide so much to our experience and growth here at FPO.

The photos below were taken at the Mapping Ceremony. At this ceremony, every M unit was to share who they were, where they would be serving, and share a prayer request they had while preparing for the field. The unit then placed their photo on a map indicating where they would serve. Needless to say, it was a neat experience.

We are still so thankful for you and your support during our time of transition. Feel free to shoot us an email, we would love to hear from you. Contact us at: feeblefeet@gmail.com

2009-01-27T23:36:00.006-06:00

Needless to say, we are already behind. It is only our second post and we have already proven our chosen name to be appropriate. It isn’t like we are writing memoirs, theologizing, solving the world’s toughest math problems without a TI-83, or even making light of life’s idiosyncrasies. We are simply filling our 8 readers in on what we have been doing.

Thanks for your dedication, and sorry for the delay.

A lot has happened in the past 18 days. We have been commissioned, moved to Virginia, officially become employed, settled into a quad [what?], endured an ice storm, been taken off the Homeland Security hit list, and have been incredibly humbled by our family, friends, and FBC - not that they are separate entities.

In an attempt to stay away from the cliche... ‘Thank You.’ The gifts, kind words, prayers, hugs and handshakes, e-mails, and the like have really meant a lot to us. Moving away from home has been exciting, emotional, and [thanks to you] encouraging. You truly have aided in making our transition painless.

In the following days, we will begin our training sessions, continue filling out paper work, get an armful of shots, sleep very little, and hope for a break every once in a while.

As we continue to get better at keeping you informed, please continue to lift us up. We are so proud to have you as partners, just sorry that you have to carry so much weight. Hang in there.

More feeble feats from the Feeble Futts are to bound come... eventually.

2009-01-10T16:53:00.006-06:00

Where to begin? I must admit, I have spent a significant amount of time deciding that I’m not quite sure where to begin. There are a number of points I would like to address, but I don’t know that there is a best way for doing so. Maybe I should begin with a warm welcome and an expression of gratitude for taking the time to visit our blog.

So, welcome, we are the FeebleFutts and thanks for stopping by!

I have never thought of myself as a ‘blogger.’ That is, neither creative nor well spoken enough to gather and produce thoughts worthy of readership. In fact, the disclaimer notes that neither of the authors of this blog are particularly phenomenal writers and therefore you shouldn’t expect to be astounded by the works you find within. You will however, hopefully find a witty journal, detailing the most recent chapter of our lives... of which we are quite excited. So again, welcome to our world, please visit us often. Our hope is that through this blog you will feel ‘linked’ and updated to what we are doing.

If you are wondering about how we stumbled across the name of this blog... well, we are too. We spent several months ‘discussing’ an appropriate name for this site and barely came to a conclusion. It’s not an easy task you know. Before settling on the present name, we had gone through several others. We wanted the title to not only be catchy, but also to give you some insight to our journey. Included in the Futterer Blog Name Graveyard [among many others] are: beautifulfutts, therickityricshaws, and ouryatra. There are no patents out against these names, so feel free to use them.

Because the nature of our journey entails bringing good news, the first name, beautifulfutts was created. You see, Romans records the idea that beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news... and have good hairstylists [appropriate, right?]. In honor of my dad, I also thought it would be punny to replace the plural form of foot with futts, an abbreviation of our last name. Because beautifulfutts sounds a little conceited, we decided to move on to other options.

In this process, we recognized and acknowledged that there is nothing special about us, and that we are merely broken vessels, weak, and incapable of producing any good aside from our Savior. That is, we are feeble, feeblefutts.