This weekend we drove to Fair Park in Dallas to see the exhibit of Ancient Treasures of the Holy Land. I see it's in Dallas until July 28. You can see archaeological finds of the Bible lands and hear stories associated with them. I noted the evolution of pottery, how items such as lamps became smaller and more elaborately decorated. The displays were great, but the stories were worth listening to and made the experience more cohesive.

We had a close call last night. A huge storm with hurricane force winds ripped through central and northern Texas, with gusts over 85 mph. Our corner of south Dallas was not spared and many trees were either uprooted, split or snapped. This morning we noticed a cedar tree that split in two and nearly smashed our neighbor's roof. Hopefully we'll have electricity by this evening. At least we have candles for tonight. Our mobile home is fine, just a few chairs blown over. Even our newly planted flowers made it through in good shape.

May 1 in Pango village in Vanuatu is an annual holiday dedicated to those who 'brought the light' to their area. It's a great story of Samoans, some of whom were stranded here who later welcomed Samoan missionaries who just happened to be family. It's quite a celebration that includes a mix of Christian denominations. If you ever get to visit Vanuatu, it's worth visiting Pango village. I'm sure someone would be glad to share their story.

Pango is also the site for the South Efate Language group who are actively involved in publishing Scriptures in their own language. A number of these translators participated in a translation course that we ran back in 2005.