Redecorating...

The kids had fun with the chalk today! It was so nice to be outside!!!!

God Lives Here!!

As I walked passed the kids playing today, I overheard Mary Frances say "God needs his raincoat." So, I backed up to see where God was! Lo, and behold, Luke Skywalker is God!!! I asked why they thought he was God (they definitely were thinking it was a God figurine). They said because he was so big, and I must admit, if I was going to pick out a toy that represents how I view God, this would be at the top of my list. I have this idea that He is Big, strong, and blonde! I don't know why, but that's the image! What's even greater is that a family in our new church loaned us some toys while we are camping out without our things, and this toy was one of them! So, I guess you could say, as soon as we arrived at church, someone shared God with us!! Chase loves the dog next door. This is ASTRO! Whenever he sees the dog he says, "Mama, Dog, MY!!" We argue over whose dog it is, but he will not give it up! The dog loves him too!

Almost There...

We went by to check the house yesterday. We are so excited. It looks so good. We can't wait to move in - but I guess we'll have to!

This is the view driving up to the house. Always good to make a first impression with your back end, huh!? By the way, that reminds me...Do any of you moms realize that's what we do when we push strollers around? I mean, if no one helps you in the door (usually its a glass door - so everyone can see your rear-end before you even enter) ya back up to the door, press your butt up against it (so it will look bigger to those on the other side - as if showing it first wasn't bad enough), and open the door with it so you can then spin the stroller around and show everyone the face that goes with the butt they've already been acquainted with! Then, of course, all those people listen to you pleading with your kids throughout the store to be patient, come back, and to put down the glass pitcher!!! They're thinking, oh, that must be the butt lady!! Don't you love being a mom!?! I just joined the gym. Hopefully, I'll make a "smaller" impression soon!

Our new life.....

This is just our temporary home until ours is ready .... hopefully next week!
The kids are ready for church! I realized this afternoon that I should have saved these clothes for next week -- fourth of July -- red, white, and blue!! Oh well, who will remember, right? Aren't they cute?
Adele and Mary Frances playing dress-up. Mary Frances is Barbie! Mary Frances LOVES having girls to play with and dress up with! It makes me want to cry that she is so happy!
Chase is having fun too! He and Elizabeth were playing a game that blew butterflies in the air, and they were belly-laughing! It was so precious! He still doesn't want me to be far away, though!

Balancing in Gymnastics

Well, we just jumped right in! Mary Frances and Thomas started gymnastics on Wednesday. They loved it, and I was so impressed with how well they behaved. They sat when they were supposed to and did what Coach Frank told them to (the best a 3 and 4 year old could be expected to). I had a wonderful time watching them and getting to know the other moms. This place is going to be so great for us all, as soon as we get over the culture shock and convenience overload. We went from having to drive 75 miles to Wal-Mart to seeing one every couple of miles in addition to all of the other options: McDonald's, Gyms galore, Hobby Lobby,.... The list goes on and on. You name it and there is at least one within 5 miles! It is really overwhelming for us right now! But we love it!

Guatemala Work and Friends

Daddy, Evan, and Ray C. working at the church. We were helping build a church that was destroyed in Hurricane Stan in 2005. We weren't able to do as much work as we would have liked, but we were a help to the people there. Everything must be done by hand. Here, the guys are digging a huge hole for the bathrooms. The job could have been done in 30 minutes by a machine, but they are hard to come by and very expensive. So, they got less than half done in 3-4 hours with about 5-6 men working on it! WOW!! Construction is different in Guatemala. Just ask the two experts we took with us!
Uno.Dos.Tres.....ARIBA!!!!!!!We brought this parachute last year. The kids love it. It is so bright and colorful and attracts a lot of kids to Bible school each day. We go under it, bounce balls, and shake until our arms hurt! They love it!
The village children in Chuacrus were so proud of their tissue paper flowers. The children are always proud of the art work. They will always bring up their work when they are finished for us to see. It is so sweet. They will very accurately color one coloring sheet for 30 minutes. They are so artistic, too. And I believe that is because their minds have not been watered down by TV, video games, and staying inside all day. They have to use their brains to do anything. There are no simple conveniences in their lives. And yet, they still SMILE!!
Hose Daniel, Jacqueline, and Ray C. -- Hose Daniel hung out with us most days in Pana. He ate with us and sold us some of his "goods." He is a friend of Lloyd and Melanie's. His father left when he was very young, and he is his mother's only child. I believe he is 15. His mother had left for several weeks while we were there to sell her things. So, he was on his own. He told us he was renting a place, but I'm not sure where he was staying! He is a sweet guy, AND he loves the SEMINOLES!! He has been Americanized a little!!! But, when he saw Bill wearing a Gator hat, he went up to him ad playfully hit his hat and gave him a thumbs down! It was hilarious!
After a week and a half of Passport troubles, my daddy finally made it. He arrived on Saturday and was a wonderful part of our team! I was so glad he was able to make it. Leaving him here was hard for me. WORD OF ADVICE: If you plan to travel out of the country in the next year or 2, go ahead and get your passport now. The day after we left, they suspended the new law requiring passports for anyone traveling by air to Mexico, Canada, the Bahamas etc. They were too busy and weren't getting people their passports in time for travel! Many thanks go out to Senator Saxby Chambliss from Georgia and Representative Allen Boyd in north Florida! They made it happen!!

Buses and Kids

Caution: When in Guatemala, do not ride a chicken bus!! This is a chicken bus, named because anyone is welcome to travel on it even if they are carrying livestock - like chickens! They pile as many people on as possible and move on to their destination. They drive very fast, and as a result, about once a week, one falls off the mountain!

All of these buses are old buses from the U.S. that we don't want anymore. They are all decorated extensively with bright colors and named. Mary Lou has one of her own that travels in Panajachel - the Maria Louisa!! :)

These boys were hanging out at the work site. They were in school that day, but they were playing around during their 1 hour break for snacks - a very healthy snack of candy, chips, coke, and fake pork rinds. And we wonder why they are malnourished. The snacks are cheap and fill them up. They don't get much else! Check out the left shoe of the boy above. This is what most of their shoes look like. Next time I go, I am filling my bags with shoes! It is so sad. One of Elena's brothers was wearing sandals at least 3 sizes too small. His toes were hanging off by an inch!

And yet, they are still happy. They find joy in things we take for granted! I am so grateful for the opportunity to know these precious people whom I have fallen in love with!

I've been overheard...

...saying the following interesting things as people I called have picked up the phone and not even gotten out hello...

* ...did you wet your pants? (Her answer was "No! Who is this?")

* ...would you lick the bathroom floor? (Luckily that was my mom!)

*...I've gotta go! The baby's in the oven (He was really in the drawer under the oven, but that was the best I could get out quickly!! That person called my husband immediately and said he might want to come home!)

I'm sure I can add to this as the weeks go by!! I just thought it was funny since the wetting your pants thing recently happened and brought up other similar memories!*

Anniversary Celebration...

Today, we celebrated our 9th wedding anniversary! Wow! I don't feel old enough to have been married for 9 years and to have 3 kids! It was a chaotic day but we spent it together! We opened a bank account, visited our incomplete new house, played at the playground, and went back and forth from the church for several reasons - camp for kids, kitchen utensils, gymnastics, etc. After a hectic day of running around, we dropped off all the kids at our friends' house with 2 babysitters to care for all 5 kids. Then, we all went out to eat. But first, Ray C. surprised me by taking me to the chapel in the church where we renewed our wedding vows.

Renewing our vows was very special. Our friend Mike is one of the pastors at the same church, and he officiated! It was so nice to repeat our vows and renew our commitment to one another. I am so grateful for a husband who loves me so much and is attracted to me. I am thankful that He loves the Lord and considers me a partner in ministry. God has been so good to us, and I am looking forward to what He has planned for our future. And of course, his good looks don't hurt either!! :)

We Made It!

Well, we made it to Houston! The kids are so confused, but they love it. Thomas and Mary Frances are going to camp at the church in the mornings this week. They love the church and were surprised at how big it was! They are enjoying making new friends.

Chase and I went to the new house today, and it is FABULOUS!! I can't believe it is mine. We are hoping to be in by the end of the month! We're just praying for an electric meter to arrive tomorrow so we don't get behind schedule!

The United driver agreed to hold our furniture on the truck until we need it next week. We just hope his supervisor doesn't tell him any different before we are ready to move!

I have no idea where I am. I can't even get to the house we're staying in! This place is so huge, but I love it! I am so excited to have an opportunity to make friends that I can have for a while. Everywhere else we've lived, I knew we would be moving, but I am hoping to be here for a long time.

I thought I'd leave you with a list of things we are thankful for in Texas and in our new environment:

1. stairs inside the house and not outside
2. lush grass and the ability to walk through it barefoot since there are no sandspurs. I feel like
a kid again running through the grass barefoot!!
3. a fenced-in backyard
4. children at church the same age as each of ours
5. young adults with interests like ours
6. Target
7. Wal-Mart
8. Kroger
9. Health food stores
10. GPS - although the purchase is a sensitive topic
11. a pool in our neighborhood
12. air conditioner
13. neighbors
14. stores with "SUV" carts for carting all 3 children


Well! I'm off to bed to study my new Houston map before falling to sleep. I'm the last one up and it's not even 10. Ray C. was asleep by 8:30. I would like to have been, but mom's don't often get that luxury. I am thankful for the sleep I get and for the nap I got today while my husband watched the kids!

Houston Bound

The moving truck pulled out around 4:00 yesterday, and I went to bed at 8:30! I've spent the day today cleaning. We went to the beach for the last time, and we tried to have a nice seafood dinner at an outdoor restaurant on the island, but it was too much for the exhausted children! So, we boxed it up and came home. It was frustrating, but it comes with having kids this young!

I can't believe we are really leaving tomorrow! I am excited, but I expect tomorrow to be an emotional day. It will be hard to leave this place. We will miss all the grandparents in the church. They have been good to us. But, we are looking forward to the children having friends, and rekindling relationships we never thought would be local again!

We are so excited about doing life with our friends from Seminary. God has been so good to us. The children are concerned about all their things. They just really don't get this whole thing, but they are looking forward to playing with their friends, going to school, having stairs inside our house (not outside), and leaving the sand spurs behind!

I still don't know where we are going when we get to Texas, but we'll be getting there on Monday or Tuesday. Our house will not be ready for another week or two, so we will have to stay somewhere else. Our things will stay on a truck trailer in Dallas until we are ready for them!! It will be an adventure!

Lord, thank you for the opportunity to live in such a beautiful place and enjoy nature in a different way than we have grown up! Thank you for calling us to ministry and providing for us along the way. Thank for our families who support us, and thank you for staying by our sides all along the way! Bless our ministry in Texas. Protect us from opposition. Show us where you are at work where you can use us. Work through us that our lives will make a difference in your world. You are good, and we love you!

Amen!

Village Lunch in Panamache

Friday and Saturday we were in the village of Panamache. We provided a medical clinic, bible school, and we worked on rebuilding the church that was destroyed in Hurricane Stan 2 years ago. We loved the people in the village and they loved us back!!

On Saturday, the ladies in the church wanted to prepare for us a typical meal. We were all a little concerned about eating the food because “gringos” don’t do so well with locally prepared foods. Our systems are just not accustomed to the way things are prepared. They don’t use sanitizer and soap like we do. In fact, they just have a bucket of water and rinse their hands in it – over and over!!

So, after much concern, Lloyd and Melanie encouraged us to accept this gift that the pastor said his heart wanted to give us!! Lloyd actually said, it would be worth it for everyone to get sick if we accept such a generous gift from them! OH the power of words!!!! Five of us stayed back today with stomach problems. It was not a fun night last night, but we are all recovering. However, Ray C. said this morning, after spending a significant time in “el bano” himself, it was definitely worth it! They were thrilled to serve us. The women spent hours preparing us rice, fresh salsa – much better than we can buy – beef (which is a delicacy), and tamolitas – a mixture of cornmeal and water boiled in corn husks. It was delicious! After serving our food, they brought out “water” for us to drink. They had already poured it into the cups and started handing it out. We were very scared to drink it! It looked like watered-down skim milk. However, once again, we felt that we must accept the drink. I was scared to drink it, but it was deliciously sweet. I don’t know how they made it, but I really enjoyed it – probably for the last time in my life!! ☺

As we gathered in the temporary tin church building and the women began setting the steaming food before us on Styrofoam plates, I was overcome with tears! They gave us such a beautiful gift and many may have skipped eating so that we could. I was so humbled by their generosity, and yet they are so grateful for all the help we are giving to them!

We were thrilled to be able to serve them over the last several days and to meet some of their emotional and physical needs! Thanks be to God!

Pastor Hose, his wife, Juana, and 2 of their 5 children. They were so sweet to us and thankful for our help. Juana and some other ladies from the church made our lunch on Saturday!
Our first day of Bible school, we had to separate the children into boys and girls because there were so many - 120 girls and 86 boys!! It was crazy! This shows the boys playing a relay race and hitting Bill's hands at the turn around. As always, livestock was everywhere! The turkeys joined in the race!

Guatemala

I am so excited to be in Guatemala again! I love these people. The little old men and women are so precious to me. I am so amazed at how hard they work! There is NO retirement here.

Yesterday and today we are working in a little Mayan village called Panimache. We had hundreds of people show up for our medical clinic, hundreds of children for Bible School - yes, I said hundreds!! And, we worked on constructing the church buiding that was destroyed in Hurricane Stan in October 2005. The church family is so grateful for our help. We went to their service on Thursday evening, and they prayed for us. Isn't that amazing? It was very humbling!

We sang and played with between 2 and 300 children yesterday. I am scared there may be more today. Of course, it would be wonderful, but we aren't quite sure what to do with them all! We also took their pictures and framed them with popsicle sticks!

We had a medical clinic where we worked with a local doctor who is a Christian. We will work with her and her husband today and then two more days after that in a different village. We saw very many sick people. The older people have arthritis, and we can only give them tylenol for a month of relief. One child had lice so badly that the bugs had chewed thru her scalp and left a terribly infected hole! Many have parasites, amoebas, etc. We aren't able to do as much as we would like, but any comfort is better than nothing!

My dad has been delayed because his passport just came in yesterday, but he wil arrive this afternoon! I can't wait to see him and experience this with him! God is so good, and He lives in Guatemala - in the hearts and pueblos of the people here!

Our New House

The house is almost finished! We are so excited!! Flooring and landscaping is happening this week!

Another Feather in my Hat

Thomas came in my room trying to cough up something today. When I asked what he ate, he said he thought it was a small butterfly. OKAY!! I said, "Well, how did you eat a butterfly?" "Well," he said, "I saw it so I put my straw on it and tried to blow, but instead it went up my straw and in my mouth!"

I could not stop laughing. That was so hilarious. The thing "bugged" him for over an hour. He said it tasted horrible! So, don't try butterfly. Apparently it does not taste like chicken!! He tried everything he could think of to get it down. He drank, ate, stood on top of his head -- yep, he said that if he was upside down, maybe it would come down his throat and he could get it out. He did that for a little while but then concluded that didn't work either! So, he stuck his hand down his throat saying, "maybe this will work." Well, I felt so bad that it was bothering him so much, I agreed that would probably help. SO....I got a feather in my hat and an addition to my description as a mom for sticking my hand down his throat and helping him "cough" up the butterfly. BUT, there was no butterfly! Oh well! He eventually stopped complaining! It must have gone down fine!

Apparently there is no end to what a mom must do to help her children. I am:

the maid
the chef
the butler
the chauffeur
the launderer
the events coordinator
the enforcer
the bathe-er
the mender
the referee
the nanny
the food police
and more...

But, I am also pleased to be...
the audience for puppet shows and music theatres
the dance partner
the rocker
the teller of good-night stories
the boo-boo kisser
the hand-holder
the protector
the "best mommy in the world"
the recipient of many compliments from my adoring "fans"
the one who gets to share her half of the King Bed with 3 children at 6:00 in the morning
the woman God chose to raise 3 of His blessings in this world!

I pray that:

* I never forget how He has blessed me and how my attitude should reflect that.
* they will love Him and the people He has created
* God will use each of my children and their individual gifts and talents with which He has blessed them to change the world!