Best Friend Info...

I was thinking that my best friend's probably couldn't sleep last night trying to imagine what my hair looks like. So I figured I'd grant them a good night's rest. Here is my highlighting job - Costa Rican Style.

I'm sure only Steph, Heather and Kitty care....so this is for my girls. :)

God Likes High Heels

Five-year-olds say the cutest things - mostly unintentional, of course.

As we were walking to church this morning, Ally was wearing her church shoes that have a small square heal on the bottom of them. She loves to wear these shoes because they make her feel like a big girl. Although they definitely look like "little girl" shoes, she calls them her "high heels."

As the clippety-clop of her shoes made its way down the street, Ally looked up at me earnestly and said, "I think God likes high heals. You know why?"

"Why does God like high-heels, Ally?"

"Because they say "clippety-clop, clippety-clop."

HUH??? WHAT??

"And when a donkey walks it says clippety-clop, clippety clop, too," she informed me proudly.

Wait, there's more!

"And Jesus rode in on a Donkey! So God likes high heels."

Amen, sweetie!

Now I have a good excuse to put on some high heels; because GOD likes them!

Kids are precious, aren't they?

He Seduced Me!

I had my first cross-culture salon experience today and I came out okay! It was definitely different than the way I get highlights in the States, but the end result is muy bien. I'm a little nervous my hair might start falling out from all of the chemicals, but hey, I look good today, right?

I had the pleasure of hearing my hairdresser's lovely testimony of her meeting with Christ. When she got to the part of encountering Jesus, she said, "He seduced me!"

WOW!! My eyes filled up with tears and so did hers. That is the kind of love our Savior, Jesus, offers. It is passionate! Intimate! Alluring! Faithful! Beautiful beyond description!

I will never forget those words, "He seduced me!"

As I was leaving the salon she had me pull a verse out of a little jar of verses. The verse God gave me today is:

"Antes de darte la vida, ya e habia yo oscogido; antes de que naciera, ya te habia yo apartado; te habia destinado a ser profeta de las naciones." Jeremiah 1:5

"Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations." Jeremiah 1:5

Another clear reminder of my purpose in this world. The seduction is not accidental, it was planned before I was ever even born!

Have you been seduced? If not, your beloved is waiting!

++++++++++++++++
Your Love is Extravagant by Casting Crowns

I had this song in my head after my conversation with her. It describes her encounter perfectly:
Your love is extravagant
Your friendship, it is intimate
I feel like moving to the rhythm of Your grace
Your fragrance is intoxicating in our secret place
Your love is extravagant

Chorus:
Spread wide in the arms of Christ is the love that covers sin
No greater love have I ever known You considered me a friend
Capture my heart again

Spread wide in the arms of Christ is the love that covers sin
No greater love have I ever known; You considered me a friend

Capture my heart again
Your love is extravagant
Your friendship, it is intimate

One Semester of Spanish - Love Song

WARNING:
This is HYSTERICAL! Probably because I've completed about one semester of Spanish in 3 weeks.Check out this guy's facial expressions and torso gyrations.

Finally, a song I CAN understand!! John's worship song is a little too complicated, but I can TOTALLY get into this. I hope you can, too!

Let me know if you need me to translate this for ya!!!



If you were wondering what my Spanish sounds like and my level of fluency, this video describes it PERFECTLY!!!

What learning Spanish sounds like,,,

John wrote:
Last night, I had the opportunity to sit in on a planning meeting for an upcoming local ministry event, and the first opportunity I have had to use my Spanish with new people. And it was ridiculous. I could not put together a coherent sentence to save my life. I think I said 5 sentences the whole night and every one of them was a train wreck. What made it worse was that, out of courtesy for a struggling gringo, everytime I opened my mouth to speak the whole room fell silent to hang on my every word. As I struggled to connect words together, you could see on their faces just how painful it was just listening to me. And when I was done with the sentence there was that dreaded confused look on their faces. I promise I can talk in full paragraphs at this point, but last night was a disaster. Blessings, John.

+++++++
Jessica wrote: I have 2 HUGE tests tomorrow. One in grammar and one in Spanish conversation. Thank you for your prayers.

Get up out your seat!!

John wrote:

I'm back, but just for a second. As everyone around me can attest, other than when the kids are awake, I take every second to study. In fact, I was just studying conjunction in the.... that would be too much information, but use your imagination. I study between classes when everyone else is talking and just taking a break. I study when walking to school. I just study. So I am really sorry you haven't heard much from me. But soon once we get past studying verbs, I will have more time. We pretty much have to memorize hundreds of verbs and their conjugations. "You can't talk without verbs" is the saying around here.

Anyways, I don't really get too excited about much. But in a church we visited a while back, we sang the most amazing praise song I have heard in years. I have been singing the only two words I can remember for the last few weeks. Even our kids know it now. The words are, "Toma, tomalo", which means "Take, take it (all)". I was searching around the internet and finally found it. Here are the lyrics and the link to the song. The song is also in English (by Hillsong), but I like the Spanish version. And when I get to heaven, I will be singing it in Spanish!! So learn it now and we can all sing together. Long distance Spanish lesson free of charge. Good luck staying in your seat and not dancing around when you hear this. I know I may be creating a stumbling block for my Baptist brothers and sisters. Just duct tape yourself to the chair.

Tómalo (Take it All)
Álbum: Unidos Permaneceremos

De todo lugar-----------------(From every place)
los perdidos vendrán,---------(The lost will come)
en libertad,-------------------(In freedom)
a ti clamarán,-----------------(They will cry out to you)

llevaste la cruz,----------------(You carry the cross)
moriste, vivo estás,------------(You died and rose again)
mi Dios,-----------------------(My God,)
a ti mi vida te daré.------------(to you I will give my life.)

Enviaste a Jesús,--------------(You sent Your Son)
por mi salvación,--------------(For my salvation)
Por la eternidad---------------(For eternity)
en ti tengo perdón,------------(in you I have pardon)

Busqué la verdad-------------(I searched for truth)
y te encontré a ti,-------------(And all I found was You)
mi Dios,----------------------(My God,)
a ti mi vida te daré.-----------(to you I will give my life.)

Jesús, por ti yo viviré,--------(Jesus, for you I will live)
de ti nunca me avergonzaré--(Of you I will never be ashamed.)
Te doy todo lo que soy,------(I give you all that I am)
toma, tómalo, toma, tómalo.--(Take, take it (all), take, take it (all).)

Eres el----------------------(You are the One)
que vista al ciego da,--------(that gives sight to the blind)
Brillas en la oscuridad,------(Shining in the darkness)
La salvación del mundo.----(The salvation of the world)
en tus manos, está.---------(is in your hands.)

To Live is Christ

"If I am to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labor for me. Yet what shall I choose? I do not know! I am torn between the two. I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far; but it is more necessary for you that I remain in the body. Convinced of this, I know that I will remain with all of you and for your progress and joy in the faith, so that through my being with you again your joy in Christ Jesus will overflow on account of me." Phillipians 1: 22-26

These word from Paul struck me really hard yesterday. As we are so caught up in school, kids and getting through each day, God pulled the brakes on me once again. Please don't interpret this verse that I quoted as a suggestion that I would LOVE to die. It is a suggestion, however, that to live is about Christ. And more specifically, the purpose of my life should be so that others will have JOY in Christ because they were around me (us). At school, I find myself all about the books and about learning and doing well. Is that bringing anyone closer to Jesus and spreading joy in Him. Probably not! Not that there is anything wrong with wanting to do well and glorify God in my studies. But I think Paul is saying that the first focus of life is Jesus and the second to help others progress in their faith and in their Joy of Christ. Taking a moment to pray for someone hurting or asking someone about their day or simply giving a hug a hug is a good start for me! Simple things! And to speak of Him more often and more frequently. I need to live like I might not have tomorrow. Live's should be changed today. I'm not going to wait until I have language to start effecting live's around me. Another thing that struck me was that Paul was writing to fellow believers. He had a 2-fold ministry. 1., to those who were unbelievers and 2., to strengthen and bring Joy in Christ to fellow believers. This really spoke to my heart. I, too, have a 2-fold purpose. My heart's desire is that living would be about OTHERS - believers and non-believers alike.!

Boy, I have such a LOOOOONNNNNNGGGG way to go. And i'm in need of some serious help. But I'm glad that God is in the business of changing people and I don't have to do this myself.

Lord, I pray that we may have such a passion and ferver for you that to live would truly be about Christ! I pray that our joy may overflow and that it would be such a sweet, sweet fragrance to others that they too would follow hard after you.

Various Highlights

Top 10 things you should know about today:

1. John was asked if he would like to move to a higher level Spanish class since he is doing so well. What an honor for him. He declined b/c he loves his teacher and feels like he is moving fast enough.

2. Ally did her first real cart-wheel after practicing 24/7 for 4 days straight. John found a how-to video on the internet and she watched it over and over and finally twirled herself beautifully.

3. We have about 15 unanswered e-mails we need to respond to. Please forgive us. It's all we can do to keep up with school, the kids and the blog. When time allows we will respond.

4. Ally started crying at the table tonight. Totally random! She was talking about how much she misses Florida. I have been very careful not to let her hear me say this. Well, the tears started flowing. Shortly thereafter Jaxson started crying about how much he misses his "skateboard on a stick." Parker then started crying about how much he misses Gunner. And Avery, well she was crying because everyone else was crying. It was a beautiful mess. We were surprised that it took 9 weeks for the kids to finally breakdown. They cried for about 5 minutes and then all was well with the world again.

5. I stink at phonetics. Stink. I sound so gringo and no matter how hard I try it just doesn't get any better. Part of the problem is that I can't hear the mistake I am making. UGH! Anyway, this guy in my class told me that it was okay that I wasn't that great in phonetics because I am a "superstar" in conversation. Leave it to me to be able to do well at talking. Isn't that a girl's favorite thing?

6. God has TOTALLY been giving me a sound mind. If you know me well then you know my ability for short-term memory is not very good. It is amazing how quickly I am learning vocabulary words. It is not me, but TOTALLY God because normally my brain doesn't hold much!

7. Parker is getting A's & B's in school.

8. Jessica's leg is hurting again because she did push-ups like a doe-doe. Even after her PT told her not too. No more of that, that's for sure. No working out period! None! Nada.

9. Jessica is so glad to be married to John. He is such a nice guy and a very dedicated father, husband and child of God.

10. Our kids are so sweet and cute and cuddly and just overall precious. I'm not just saying that. They really are precious.

God is good. He is just so good and loving to us everyday. We are thankful for His sacrifice on the cross. We are thankful He brought us here and that He is not through with us yet. Not even close! We rejoice in His love.

*****************
Here is a picture of ALL of the IMB missionaries here at language school. Our friends took the picture and the reason we are in color is an inside joke. Sorry, you had to be there.

The Genuis Among Us....

I'm sure by the title you thought I was referring to John. Although his IQ is 7 points, and only 7 points, above mine, he is NOT the genius I'm speaking about. Take a look at this picture.

Just a semi toy right?

Take a closer look.

Look at that engine. She's a real beauty isn't she?

This semi is made entirely of lego pieces. Our little 7 year old genius, Parker, constructed this entire semi by himself with only legos, instructions and a few tears. Not bad, huh?

Parker is a bit hyperactive, but legos calm him down and help him to sit still and stay focused for long periods of time. The results are semi-spectacular!

Who needs hair anyway?

It IS a rite of passage as a child to cut your own hair at least one time between the ages of 1-5. Well, our third child, Jaxson (3), has officially entered into that rite. I was hoping he would kind of whiz past this stage since his hair is the stuff that shampoo commercials are made of. You pray that when they do finally cut their own hair that it might not be so noticeable; when it's the bangs and they get it right up to the scalp, what's a hairdresser, i mean....mom, to do?

Snip and Clip - that's the solution! Thank God for clippers!

This isn't the most attractive hairstyle, but if your going off to war then it's just perfect.

BEFORE

AFTER

It's a good thing he's so cute!

Another Phamily

Check this out. We got an e-mail yesterday from another Pham in Germany who is a missionary that happened to come across our blog online. He has a Phamily, too. There Phamily is identical to ours. Boy, girl, boy, girl and the ages are almost spot on! The wife is Caucasian and the father is Asian. Even their website title is eerily similar. Thought you might enjoy meeting another set of Phams. It's kind of twilight zonish, but neat at the same time if that makes sense.

phamilynews.blogspot.com

Destinee and Elijah: More Prayer Please

Friends! Today is a big day. 8 month old Elijah McClamb is having a major surgery to correct a birth defect in his abdomen. It's complicated to explain, so I'll just tell you what the doctor's are going to do. Currently, his intestines and organs are pushed up into one of his lungs only giving him 50% lung function which puts him at incredibly high rate for infection. Plus, he neds 100% on both lungs. The doctor's are going to push everything back down into it's proper place and suture it in place so that he will have 100% lung function. His diaphragm will then work normally! The risk for infection is always great in this kind of surgery. Please pray he will be infection free, complication free, that his parents will continue to be covered in the Lord's strength, grace and peace. Just pray for the overall day and for everyone involved. His parents, Jenny and John, covet your prayers and are so thankful! Your prayers ARE and WILL make a difference.

Okay - I got this e-mail from Destinee's mom this morning. Please see my post a few days ago so you can know what is going on with Destinee. Instead of re-typing the letter, because I have to leave the house right now, I will cut and paste the letter. Please, please, please continue to pray. You will see that part of this letter is very sad for 2 reasons: 1., because somebody else's child has to die so that Destinee might live and 2., because Donna has already lost one child 4-5 years ago. A little girl named Kendoll who was Destinee's age (11). This has got to be extremely challenging for Donna who is faced with losing another little girl. But we believe God is going to heal Destinee from this sickness and she is going to have an amazing life glorifying His name all the days. Please pray for the insurance company to have some sense. A lot of times they don't. Please continue to lift up Destinee and her entire family (parents are Donna and Laurin) of 7 brothers and sisters. Here is the letter:

"Dear Jessica: Laurin and I thank your family so much for putting her on your blog. We can't tell you all how much that means to us. God is so good. Destinee, from the stand point of the liver transplant team said, she is a candidate. Now we are waiting for our insurance to put it in black and white that they approve it before the hospital puts her on the list, which they said she'll go high up on the list. We asked what does that mean and the Dr. said could she could possibly get a transplant in a couple of weeks. She has to have a cadavers liver because she needs all the plumbing or pcv pipes. ( artery and veins) So that means that someone else's child has to pass away. My heart just aches for the other family so please pray for that families peace, too. Pray our father will wrap his arms around them. Our family has been in that position and our Lord carried us through it. Destinee's fever has broke and hopefully we are going home today. Kat and I are still training for the marathon. It's my stress reliever. I am dedicating one race to Destinee and the other in memory of Kendall. So I know with God's help I will finish. Love - your sister in Christ, Donna!"

Thank you dear friends!

What does a rooster say?

Our third week of language school is over. Only 49 more to go, but whose counting?

In America, a dog says "woof, woof." In America, a rooster says, "Cock-a-doodle doo." Or at least WE think that's what they say.

In Costa Rica a dog says (in a very low almost squeaky voice) "wow, wow. wow, wow."

You know what I have to say about that - WOW! It sounds nothing like a dog to me!!

In Costa Rica, a rooster says "Kee, Keelee, kee. Kee Keelee kee." Seriously folks, pull your self off the floor, I'm NOT kidding.

When our teaching was making these noises, we were trying to contain the tears from our laughter. I'm sure it doesn't seem so funny in print, but why don't you practice these sounds that the animals make ONLY in Costa Rica and you might get some giggles.

I guess the nationals and the animals ALL speak in a different tongue. Who knew?? I'm glad to know you will be able to rest better tonight since I have shared some very important, must know facts.

Word Up.....

My family in a word:

John - SYSTEMATIC

Parker - TENDER

Ally - METICULOUS

Jaxon - CHARISMATIC

Avery - SPIRITED

Jessica - TENACIOUS (John picked this word for me)

Good day, Good day

Top 5 reasons why today was a good day:

1. We needed a date - REALLY BAD!! Our friends called us out of the blue on Monday night and offered to watch our kids so we could go out. They had NO idea of our need, but God did. They came tonight and we went out and enjoyed a great Italian dinner that had no hint of latin flavor in it whatsoever. It was yummilicious!

2. My friend is coming to visit in November and we had a mandatory IMB conference scheduled for that weekend. I was told I had to attend. My friend was going to have to come with me or sit home alone. Once again, God worked it out and today I was told that the conference was moved to another weekend. And, I found out the weekend she is here is also a 3 day weekend. That's God right there.

3. My physical therapist, Rosa, and I get along so well. I gave her our prayer picture and then she asked for my e-mail and phone number. I asked her if she would like to go to the mall sometime to watch a movie or hang out. She got so excited - as did I! She is my first real Tico friend. She is so patient with my Spanish and she helps me a ton. I really enjoy being around her and am excited to have a friend and I know God has plans for our relationship. I've been bouncing around all afternoon because 1. It's great to have friends and 2., It's especially great to have a Spanish speaking friend. I will take a picture of her and post it soon.

4. A great language learning day. I seriously had the NICEST taxi driver in the world. I can't stress enough how great it is when I find someone who is patient and interested enough to carry on a kindergarten conversation. Not only do I have Rosa, Louisa, Estrella....I had a great taxi driver, too. Just another kiss from Heaven.

6. My friend Amy, 31, a fellow runner from St. Cloud and Kitty's sister, found out her stage 3 Hodgkin's Lymphoma (she was diagnosed in March) is in REMISSION! Now this deserves a "whoop" as my friend Heather would say. Whoop! Whoop! We lift our hands up to heaven thanking God for this miracle and for her life.

5. My kids. My husband. And my leg is healing really well! :)

What a day, what a day, what a day!!

The Highest Compliment

There are lots of different things you could say to me to make me feel good. But today I discovered the mamma-jamma of compliments.

I went to get my jeans and my underpants. After searching high and low in my drawers, John found my Jeans snuggled nicely in Parker's drawer next to his pants. Because we're like the same size, you know!

And my underpants, where could they be? Of course, tucked nice and neat with Ally's underpants. Because we're like the same size, you know!

Our Empleada is now my new favoritist person in the ENTIRE world. She thinks I'm the size of a 7 year old boy and a 5 year old girl. I could starve myself for a year and still not fit one leg in either of their clothes, but it's nice to know that my Empleada thinks I'm a junior! :)

So if you ever want to make me feel good - forget acts of service or encouraging words, just fold my clothes up and hide them with my kid's stuff. We'll be best friends for life!

Urgent Prayer Needed

Written by Janey Neibor, posted by Jessica Pham for your prayers!

Destinee is the daughter of my friend, and a fellow runner, Donna Fields. John had the privilege of having Destinee in his Awana's Sparks class and she was truly the highlight of his week. She needs an ABSOLUTE miracle from the Lord. Despite this troubling time, she is still smiling and bringing glory to Jesus. She loves Him with all of her heart. I beckon you to get on your knees for her and her family. She has 7 brothers and sisters. Please pass this on to anyone in the world who you know will pray. I know we are in the midst of the Lord healing her. Thank you for joining us.

“He will cover you with His feathers; you will take refuge under His wings. His faithfulness will be a protective shield.” Psalms 91:4

Dear praying Friends:

Sunday night, my hometown church - First Baptist Church, St. Cloud, Fl. presented a Talent Show organized by the youth as a fund raiser for one of their own. Destinee Fields, a young middle school student (11 years old), is in dire need of a miracle. She was recently diagnosed as having a rare form of cancer in her liver and has already completed two rounds of chemotherapy. At the show, she was presented with a hand made comforter signed by members of the congregation to be used as encouragement and a visual representation of our hugs wrapping around her. After the show last night, she traveled a couple of hours to Gainesville to the hospital where she is to be evaluated by doctors to determine her eligibility for a liver transplant.

Because the Chemo has made her immune system suppressed, she is susceptible to all types of sicknesses. She had most of her tests done today, but around 4:00pm she spiked a 103 fever. They are giving her something for a very sore throat so that she will be able to eat. She will have to stay in the hospital for 3-5 days due to the fever. This evening she was wrapped in the comforter that was presented last night. Her family was comforted by her comforter tonight.

Pray for Destine this whole week:

• Pray she will be able to complete the evaluations she needs to determine her eligibility for a liver transplant. She was to be tested M-W this week.
• Pray this temperature will not prevent this evaluation, as the Doctors only meet once a month...which is this Thursday. Ask God to give the Doctors wisdom on the best way to treat this type of cancer, as it is rare in America.
• The Doctors will meet on Thursday to determine if she is a good candidate for a transplant. Ask God to grant them His wisdom and if she is eligible, to provide a donor liver. It can be a part of a liver from a live person as the liver is an organ that regenerates itself.
• Pray for a donor to be discovered.
• Pray for Destinee to be able to fight this fever. She needs platelets to be able to build up her immune system.
• Pray for God’s healing hand.
• Pray for both her and her family to experience the unbelievable peace that is their’s through seeking God during this time.
• Pray they will seek shelter under His wings.
• Pray for the body of believers to consider how to meet their physical, emotional, spiritual and financial needs.

The Talent Show was greatly attended and was a huge success!

Thanks for your prayers. Your prayers make a difference.

“As long as we view prayer simply as a means of maintaining our own Christian lives, we will not fully understand what it is really supposed to be. But when we learn to regard it as the highest part of the work entrusted to us – the root and strength of all other work – we will see that there is nothing we need to study and practice more than the art of praying.” Andrew Murray

Forgetting English

In the midst of trying to feel settled here so that I can try to get my mind off of being homesick, I realized that I am really needing to connect more with the nationals. So much of our time is spent with Americans because we go to a school with Americans, we are from America and well...we speak English. So it is just natural and easy to congregate towards what we know.

But I've been thinking a lot about this lately and I need to forget English. I need to stop speaking it, thinking it, writing it....just forget it. Of course, this is like impossible, but it's a good idea nonetheless. Today, John and I only spoke Spanish at lunch. It was a quiet lunch! Actually, we did well and I learn a lot from him because he speaks so slow and very gringo. I wish all Latins spoke like him. I guess that would make them un-latin then, huh?

So I'm thinking about needing more Spanish in my life. On top of speaking to the Empleada for at least an hour or more everyday, I do get to go to physical therapy three times a week starting this week. The IMB approved paying for my taxi rides so this is a huge financial relief. The blessing in this is that means extra hours of Spanish speaking for me. My PT, Rosa, said she enjoys speaking to me and we always have fun looking stuff up and trying to figure out what I'm trying to say. Sometimes I don't even know what I'm trying to say. I have decided that I want to turn the conversation to spiritual things this week, but I know like ZERO churchy words so it will have to be super simple, but I know the Lord can give me the words and the strength.

I'm still not getting to my point. So, I decide I need to be immersing myself in the culture and trying to limit my English speaking as much as possible. The Lord totally gave me the idea to ask my neighbor Estrella if she is in a Bible study. I went outside and called her name, "Estrella, Estrella." Her name means star in Spanish. I'll write another blog about the sweetness of this woman and how God has placed us next to her for so many reasons. She quickly came out with her beautiful smile. Anyway, I asked her if she was in a Bible study and she said yes and said that I am more than welcome to join her. She agreed that I need to participate in as many Spanish activities as possible. She only speaks Spanish and the Bible study is with nationals and is solamente in Spanish as well. WOW!! She told me to try to look on the internet and see if I can start learning some spiritual words because that will help me in the study.

Then, she told me that she goes around to different "places" in the area and teaches little children very simple Bible stories on Saturdays. She invited me to come with her and I think she said I can help her teach the stories. Of course, I'm still a few months off from doing this, but for now I can go and watch and learn. WOW!!! What a cool opportunity. And I think I can start this Saturday. I cannot wait!

God is just amazing. Just amazing! He is so faithful to know a need before I even ask and then to meet it immediately once I realize the need. My heart and mind have been burdened all weekend with wanting to get plugged in and God just opened the door in an instance. I shouldn't be amazed at His provision, but it always seem to blow my mind - even after all of these years of walking with Him.

So, the Bible study is Thursday night from 6 p.m. - 7 p.m. and I seriously cannot wait. I'm sure I'll only understand like 10% of what is being said, but it's definitely a start! :) Praise God, I'm on my way to forgetting English!

Homesick

It is a joy to do what God has called me (us) to do.

But I REALLY miss my home town, my friends, family and old routine. I have never lived outside of St. Cloud except for a few years in college and then I was only 30 minutes away.

This past week I have cried every single day for one reason or another. I wouldn't say this is characteristic. I am not crying because I don't want to be here, but because I want to be there, too. I'm not going to dwell on all of the things I miss and desperately want to do or see or the people I want to embrace. That might start a flood of tears and it's also counterproductive.

I linger between guilt and acceptance most days. Guilt for missing a warm bath, my daddy's hug and a run with my friend Jenn at the lakefront. Then I accept God's perfect plan for our lives and I am filled with an unexplainable peace.

This life is not ridiculously hard, but being away from the people that have our hearts is the most painful experience I have had in life so far. There is no sacrifice that we are making that is NOT worth eternity. So, this life becomes challenging because of the pain that resides in my heart. I believed I would be immune to this, but I am not. God is using all of these things to show me that He is enough. Now, I just need to believe Him.

Parker's Birthday

Yesterday we celebrated Parker's seventh birthday. Our hearts are overflowing with love for this little guy. He is so amazing in many, many ways. Here are just a few:

He loves God's truth.

He loves to tell others about God's truth.

He is kind to all people.

He has the cutest smile.

He has the heart of an angel.

He has never met a person he didn't like.

He loves his family with all of his heart.

He is just precious, precious, precious to us. You just have to meet him because he is ridiculously sweet. Sweeter than those donuts we ate on his birthday. I hope one day you get the pleasure of making his aquaintance. He will bless you as much as he has blessed us.

We rejoice in Parker and that God gave him to us 7 years ago! Happy Birthday, big boy!

School

I'm sure you are trying to imagine what our school looks like. Imagine no more:

The special effect is supposed to be of rain because it rains A LOT here! Supposedly 300 inches a year. At this point, I believe it. :)

Florida Football

Today we watched Florida cream Tennessee at our neighbor's home - Michelle and David. They live four doors down. Here are pictures from the big day.

The final score: 59 Florida, 20 Tennessee

We had a BLAST!!

Independence Day - Costa Rica Style

Yesterday, we celebrated Independence Day of Costa Rica at school. We had a mini-parade through the campus. Everyone participated...all the way from Avery's age to the teachers. Each person held an "el farol" as we marched around celebrating Costa Rica's independence.
An "el farol" is a mini-house for a candle. We ended up at the flag pole where we celebrated the freedom of the Ticos in Costa Rica. It was very moving for me as I was so grateful for the freedom the people have here. The flag was raised and the anthem was sung. Good times!

Pictures

I do have Friends! These are my buds Cindy and Kandi. They are as sweet as pie. They are IMB missionaries that have been here since January.

John bought me this coconut as a special gift. I had been asking for one for weeks. I finally got it and it tasted TERRIBLE. The kids didn't even want to drink it.

Smarter and Prettier

In regards to my last post:
I was speaking with the academic advisor 2 days ago and she was telling me how awesome my husband is (you know- smart, easy-going, tranquillo; all of the things I am not). She mentioned how super-duper impressed she is with him and his ability to learn Spanish. He had Spanish in high school, but he talks like he had it for 2 years in college with college being last year. Seriously! Even she can't understand how he talks so well because he didn't do that great on his pre-evaluation grammar test.

Even though I am progressing at a satisfactory rate you wouldn't notice because John can write paragraphs (no, this is TOTALLY not normal) while I am still conjugating verbs very slowly in my head and wincing each time I try to make a thought - a thought which is usually incomplete by the way.

Anyway, I told the academic advisor that it has been challenging for me to watch John sour, oops, I mean soar, (although I am thrilled beyond words for him), while I am moving like a turtle missing one leg in comparison.

"He is just sooo smart," I said.

She looked at me and said, "He may be smarter, but you are prettier." :)

Hi five! I like that woman.

(all jokes aside, John is totally a handsome hunka, hunka burnin-love).

I looked her and said, "Awww...that's sweet, but a pretty face won't help me learn Spanish."

But maybe it will buy me some patience with people I'm trying to wince at. :)

nothing special

When the weekend comes I promise you will get a real blog.

For now, tomorrow is Parker's birthday. He will be 7.

As always, I have to hit the books.

My knee is doing SOOOOO great! It is feeling better and better. The therapist said I could possibly run in 6 months. I cried. It's okay. I like my flubby belly now. Why risk losing it, right?

John is ridiculously smart. He can learn 60 words in 20 minutes and then apply them ALL the next day. I can learn 60 words in a month and apply 10 of them in my lifetime. This is very hard for me to see and experience.

More to come this weekend.

Please be praying for my friend's John and Jenny McClamb (fellow missionaries in language school). Their little baby boy, Elijah, will need a major surgery on July 21. He is now recovery from pneumonia. He is only 8 months old. God is giving them so much strength, but they need continued prayers as they walk through this in a new culture and language, while in language school and with 2 other babies - a 3 year old, Caleb, and a 2 year old, Lukie. Thanks for your prayers.

P.S. Thank you to all of my faithful readers and for all of your uplifting comments. It is such an encouragement.

What are we really doing here?

John wrote:
We just started our second week of school. I can’t believe it. We’re past the application process, the appointment process, the training, orientation, and more orientation here in Costa Rica. No more anything. No more talking about it, dreaming about it, wondering if we will ever start. We are finally doing what we have waited so long to do. And what is that? Well I will get there shortly.

But first let me tell you what a normal day for a father and mother, who are in language school with 4 small children, looks like.

5:00 am – 6:00 am: Wake up, shower, time with the Lord.
6:00 am – 7:00 am: Wake, dress and feed kids and prepare lunches. (who has time to actually bathe them).
7:00 am – 7:30 am: Walk to school, drop off kids and get to class.
7:30 am – 12:00 pm: School. Grammar, Phonetics, Conversation
12:00 pm – 1:00 pm: Pick up Jaxson/Avery, walk home, eat lunch, lay kids down.
1:00 pm – 2:15 pm: Hopefully get one hour of studying done and practice Spanish with our maid. Jessica goes to knee therapy.
2:15 pm – 3:00 pm: Walk back to school, pick up Parker/Allyson, back to our casa.
3:00 pm – 5:00 pm: Spend time with kids and complete any errands.
5:00 pm – 5:30 pm: Dinner
5:30 pm – 6:30 pm: Bathe kids (you can relax. yes we actually do bathe them), kids homework, homeschool in reading Parker, Avery and Jaxson. Help Parker with his homework.
6:30 pm – 7:00 pm: Devotions, “herd the cats” for bed, bedtime.
7:00 pm – 9:00 pm: Cram all homework/studying we can in, while trying to keep at least one eye open.
9:00 pm: Lean over, kiss the stranger next to us in bed and go to sleep for the next day.
9:30 pm: Finally fall asleep after actually talking and reacquainting with each other.

So now that you know what we do, go take a nap for us (at least two hours please) and come back and finish reading this thing.

Welcome back. So does the above schedule answer what we are REALLY doing here. Well, I hope not. Because what we have been reminded here is that, though we are here to learn language, we are not students. We are missionaries. “Sent out ones” who are here to also learn Spanish. So plainly put, we (you and me) are here (on this earth, in our jobs, on our teams, with our friends, in our schools, in our neighborhoods) to be spreading the gospel to as many people as we can. And as Jessica and I learn more Spanish we will be able to accomplish that better everyday here in CR. I am thankful for the reminder that we all need to ask ourselves once in a while, “What am I really doing here?” So please be praying that God gives us opportunities to do what pleases Him most, give Him glory for what He did for you and me at Calvary.

I Heart BLOGGING!

Okay, I'm crossin' the picket line. I guess no one, except my BFF - STEFF, thought it was funny.
Anyway, I love blogging and I miss it. I do like your feedback too though! But it's NOT worth NOT blogging. A girl's gotta have some kind of outlet.

So I have like 3 hours of homework so I have to go. But here is a quick recap of the day.

1. Spanish is hard.

2. Parker starts 2nd grade tomorrow.

3. Spanish is hard.

4. I am trying to switch out of one of my classes.

5. Spanish is hard.

6. Our empleada is the best. The electricity was out for many hours today (like it is at least 2 times a week or more) and she couldn't cook. She saw my list on the fridge and headed to the store. How awesome is that?

7. Spanish is hard.

8. Please pray for my friend's John and Jenny McLamb. There 8 month old baby, Elijah, was put in the hospital tonight for pneumonia. :( I will keep you updated.

Homework is calling my name. I'm trying to ignore it but it keeps getting louder and louder.

Thanks for all the comments and prayers you faithful friends. We love and need you ALL very much.

Blogger on STRIKE

I write and write.

You read and read.

Hardly a comment most days - occasionally from 1 or 2 faithfuls. And I know my blogs average 50 viewers per day.

My friend Heather gets like 4 comments on each blog. Hey, where's MY comments?

So, until I have 20 comments on this blog, I am on STRIKE! :)

I enjoy writing, so I hope I can cross the picket line soon.

Oh yeah...not 20 comments from one person. That would be a violation of union rules.

The Good and the Bad

John wrote:

Hopefully we have done a good job sharing about the good things about life here in Costa Rica. There are so many blessings that we have by just being here. The great weather in the morning, until the rain comes in the afternoon. Opportunity to learn Spanish at an amazing institute that has been around for 50+ years. The great 650 sqft house that we live in – which we have come to learn is the perfect size for us. We have, for the most part, been protected from the culture shock that we were bracing for. Wonderful neighbors and other missionary friends. The list goes on and on. That is why you have not heard much from me until now. Other than the amusing day to day activity, there hasn’t been much to say that Jessica doesn’t cover in her postings. We do, after all, spend 24/7 together and pretty much experience everything together.

But as Jessica wrote about in her previous posting, her cousin Brian is getting married. We talked to her aunt on Thursday and she told us that he was going to propose to Miranda (his bride to be) on Friday night at their weekly Xi Alpha Christian Fellowship meeting at U.F. in Gainesville. They were schedule to stand before the members and talk about their summer mission trip to Africa. Both families were going to be there to “watch them both talk about Africa”, but were really coming to witness the proposal. When I heard that I was really sad, because if we were still in Florida, our hometown is only 2 hours from Gainesville and we could have been there to share in their special night.

Then to top it off we will not be able to attend his wedding next June, since we will still be here in Costa Rica, and are not allowed to leave the country. Brian is the closest thing I have ever had to having a brother. I am the youngest of 5 kids. There’s me, 8 years and then my four older sisters. So the bond that Brian and I have developed over the last ten years, since Jessica and I have been married, has blessed me more than he or even Jessica knows. Going to concerts together, playing baseball on Sundays and just sharing life together. Also, I like to believe that I can take the credit for the fact that he is a fellow Florida Gator. When I found out he was considering going to FSU, I took him up to UF for one weekend during his senior year in high school and converted him to Gator Nation. I even remember the day the I stood in Brian’s kitchen and he told me that everything that he looked for in a wife and helpmate could be found in Miranda, and more.

Up until now, I can say that through this whole process of selling our stuff, selling our home, leaving my career, friends, family, culture, language, comforts, (and to be totally honest) the earning potential I had, and transitioning my entire family - I have not really been very sad. Jessica can attest to the fact that I have, for the most part, seemed rather un-phased by culture shock, emotion or any separation anxiety. But for the first time, I am feeling the effects of the cost of the call to overseas missions. Houses, furniture, toys, cars, jobs, careers, dreams, and yes, even friends can be replaced. But one thing that I realized cannot be replaced in life is event experiences. When Brian’s wedding day comes and goes, like last Friday night when he got down on one knee and asked the girl of his dreams to spend the rest of her life with him, I will never be able have that day back. No amount of money will rewind the clock. And for me, that is the hardest part of this journey (so far).

Where's John Been?

John wrote:

To start off, I am sure some of you out there have asked yourself, “Where is John?” “Is he even there in Costa Rica?” Yes, I am in Costa Rica. No, I haven't lost all my fingers in some freakish pinata accident that prevents me from pushing letters on a keyboard. We have been here for, what, 7 weeks and I have yet to post one letter on our blog. Which while I am writing this sounds funny, considering at ILC, as part of my duties on the Computer Help team, I taught a class on blogging. Also, I am the one who started our family blog and wrote the majority of the blogs while we were still in the states. For weeks now, Jessica has been asking me to post something. Anything, just so people would think she wasn’t here by herself.

So what happened? Well, a couple of reasons. The first is that for me it takes a lot of energy for a guy like me to blog. For some, and you know who you are, I have seen your kind before (in fact I live with one), writing thoughts out or producing creative writing is like breathing. It just somehow effortlessly falls onto the page. Freaks!! But for me, an Asian engineer, it’s a monumental task. Ask me to create a spreadsheet for your home budget, no problem. I mean, I will write a sentence and before I get the sentence done, I backspace through half of it and rewrite it. So something that should only take 5 minutes is a 30-minute project for me. And it wasn’t until I sat down to write this that I realized how much the transition and life here has drained me of energy. I sat down to write this, got through the first sentence, got up, went into the bedroom and told Jessica, “It justs takes too much energy to write.” Though I love life here and feel as if I am thriving, I have just enough energy to make it through the day. Not to mention the mental effort it takes to learn the language quickly. After seven weeks, I am straight up fluent. “Hola! Como esta?” and “Yo no comprendo!” just roll of my tongue. Don’t even have to think before saying it. It’s a miracle they don’t stick me on a plane and send me back to the states with how bad my Spanish is. So writing has taken a back seat.

The second reason is that the more Jessica writes, the less I want to write. Reading Jessica’s blogs and then mine, is like driving around in a Porsche and then getting out and being pushed around in our jogging stroller, complete with the broken wheel courtesy of Delta Airlines. I am back, and though they may be short and have more grammar and spelling mistakes than there are sentences, I will post my recollections of “Our Life Overseas.”

Day of the Children

In Costa Rica, there is a special holiday just for children. Very similar to a mother's day, but for kids. We attended our neighbor's "kid's" fiesta and it was a ton of fun. There is one word that will describe this party - sugar. In fact, there was so much sugar that one boy was throwing up in the sink. The food went like this - in this exact order: cookies, candy-bar, juice, popcorn, potato chips, ice-cream, more candy and a bag of candy to take home. We got a good taste of the culture and we had a great time. Parker even asked if we could stay here in Costa Rica to be missionaries because he wants to make sure there is a children's day every year. Here is a slide show so you can feel like you were with us:

Fun Stuff

Doesn't this look like Ally? I sure thought so!

Our first "Tico" party - Day of the children!

"I love egg salad sandwiches."

John purchased these roses for me last night from a highway vendor - literally in the middle of the highway for $3. How romantic! I love them!! And I love, John!

Parker and Ally's first day of gymnastics.

Getting some balance!

The kids at a nearby playground!

You know you're raising a Gator when.....

ALL OF HIS HOMEWORK IS ORANGE AND BLUE!

We are the proud parents a future Florida Gator!

Getting married - and I'm not going!

My cousin, Brian and Miranda, and the kids!

Here's Brian - Solo -smile!!!

If you've know me for longer than a few days, then you know that my cousin's Brian and Christopher are a very, very special part of my heart. Calling them cousins doesn't do justice, because of the closeness and bond that we share. They are more like brothers. I was ten and eleven when they were born. I have watched them grow from toddlers to men of God in 21 years. In fact, I even helped drop both of them off at college on their first days of school a few years ago. Brian at the University of Florida, of course, and Christopher in Ithaca, New York at Cornell. I felt honored to be able to share in such important moments of their lives. We threw a congratulationatory party for Brian when he was was accepted to UF. And with Christopher, initially, I was the ONLY person who believed that God would make a way for Him to go to Cornell and I encouraged him to pursue his dreams no matter what the nay-sayers in St. Cloud may say.

I have been around for cross-country meets, diving championships, baseball games, proms, scholarship banquets, graduations, bible-studies, hard days, good days and pretty much ANY event that was important to them. John and I have been "mini" parent to these boys. It has been a beautiful journey as my husband and I were able to help guide them, nurture them and disciple them in Christ. Saying good-bye to them was especially difficult. When I was hugging Brian's neck, the last thing he said to me was, "You'll be able to come home for my wedding, right?"

Of course, Brian, of course! I wouldn't miss it for the world. Hurricanes, earthquakes, tsunami's couldn't keep me away from that special day. The day he gives his heart to the woman God created for him. I am just weeping as I type this because we have journeyed with Brian for many years in his pursuit of finding the woman God would have to be his help-meet! And now he has found her.

Last night, my cousin Brian asked his friend Miranda, a beautiful, beautiful woman who loves Jesus with all of her heart, to be his wife. He proposed in front of his entire Chai-Alpha Christian group at school. My aunt called me this morning to tell me all of the details. I wept for joy as she recalled how he professed his love for her in front of 150 people. They have such a pure relationship and the purity showed through last night as he confessed, "I just love you. I just love you so much. I know you are the woman God has for me. Will you marry me?" He was on his knee, of course.

Well, that leads me to my point. They are getting married in June! Okay, can you hear the sobbing and waling on my end? If you know anything about the IMB then you know why I am so heart-broken today. It is not, in fact, hurricanes, tsunamis or earthquakes that will be keeping me away. There is a rule that says I am not permitted to leave Costa Rica the entire year we are here - no exceptions unless an immediate family member is dying or dies. No weddings! Nothing! I totally understand this rule, but I am so sad and this feels like the first real sacrifice. I can't even think about them exchanging vows while I am just sitting here thousands of miles away waiting for a phone call to say it is official. We have talked about this big day for years and it will soon be here and I will not be there. I am having a hard time accepting this. Why? Why can't I go? How can you be involved in someones life for 21 years and miss one of the top 5 days in their life?

I don't really know why I am blogging except to say that I had thought this transition was pretty smooth and easy. The heart ache wasn't very intense, but today the intensity and sadness and hurt and little bit of anger are so real! So strong! I'd rather never run again than miss my cousin's wedding. UGH!!! I know this is part of the journey. A very real part and this is where my beloved comes and scoops me into His arms reminding me that I am His and he is mine and that He will take away the heartache and pain. I believe he will! But for today, I know it is okay to be sad.

I am super excited for my cousin and his lovely. They are precious children of God and I know that the Lord has amazing plans for them and I don't "need" to be there to witness the beginning of it. I just wish I could be.

First grade or second grade?

We are trying to move Parker to the second grade. He is being evaluated today by the second grade teacher. John and I feel that it is a no brainer and this is his only opportunity to not fall behind and to stay on track. If he stays in first, he will be repeating skills and not adding much and then next year he will be behind in homeschooling. I just ask you to please pray that the teacher has the wisdom to move him up b/c I don't really want to have to go to the principal. If he stays in first grade I will have to homeschool him to keep him on track. Kind of hard after he's been in school all day. He will be 7 next week. We just weren't sure, initially, what grade to put him in because it is different in different states and countries. After reviewing the first grade curriculum, we feel that second grade is best. Thanks for praying.

Some funnies in class

In my grammar class there are 8 students. I seem to be the highest strung of them all. I know your shocked about that, but try not to be. Yesterday I was asking questions about what we should know for our upcoming test, what exactly we are going to be tested on, and most importantly, WHEN is the test? I kept coming back to the WHEN of the question b/c she wasn't giving me a straight answer. I want to make sure I'm fully prepared, so most every question I ask refers to the test. After all, doesn't a runner train for the race? So shouldn't a student prepare for the test? "Tranquillo," was her response. It means relax, easy, no stress! She doesn't know me very well, does she? Anyway, today we were going over our homework and I asked her if the "test" was going to be similar to the homework. This was my first test question for the day. Okay, so what if class had only been in session for like 15 minutes? She, and the rest of the class, started laughing. Because apparently, with me, it's ALL about the test! :) The rest of the day was filled with jokes about the test! I had to inform them that I am a type-A runner. I think they understand now. By the way, the test is next Wednesday.

During my phonetics class we always have to do these sing-songy things that help us pronounce sounds right. Like we would kind of sing ubru bru, ubru bru. Well, today we had upu pu, upu pu. Say that out loud. It translates ooh,poo-poo, ooh,poo-poo. Oh my word! You would've thought that that is the first time I have ever heard poo-poo. I am giggling even as I type this. For some reason, it totally tickled me and I could NOT pull it together. As we kept going over more and more sounds, I only laughed harder each time she came to me. Eventually, I was laughing so hard that tears welled up in my eyes and I couldn't say a word. The teacher was laughing too, because I'm sure she knows how hard it is to not laugh when you have a bad case of the giggles. I'm so glad she was patient and so were my classmates. They were giggling at an acceptable rate, but I was a little bit out of control. What can I say? I have 4 kids and I guess "poo-poo" is a funny word around here. Just say that to my kids and they'll be on the floor laughing. :)

Sizzle

My brain is fried - literally.....I can't make a complete thought much less try to write a blog. I don't even know what language I speak anymore. Is it Spanish? English? Spanglish?

School was awesomely (i like making up my own words) intense! So much speaking. Lots of new friends.

I had a doctor's appointment after school so I came home, ate, studied for an hour, headed off to my appointment and spoke like 3 more hours of Spanish. The taxi drivers were getting a kick out of me practicing my alphabet and my new greetings with them. It does make for more fun than a silent ride. Since I can string some coherent sentences together I feel more obliged to at least try. My entire physical therapy session was in Spanish. Like I said, my brain is sizzlin'.

Just wanted to give a HUGE shout out to all of you fine friends who have prayed for my leg consistently. The doctor told me today that there is a 50/50 chance I might run again and if I do it won't be til like January or February. I was fine with that until I realized that is like 6 months away. Patience. I need patience. Anyway, Last week my chances of running again were at a zero, so I'll take 50/50. The doctor was also ASTOUNDED at how my leg looks. He could not believe that it is not swollen, it bends, it looks beautiful. I know it is from all of the prayers. Even the physical therapist was shocked that I had had surgery 5 days ago and was doing so well. Goodbye crutches! :)

John is sitting next to me reciting his vocabulary and it is stressing my brain out so I need to sign off and go crawl in bed with a good book or something. Besides, I told you I wasn't going to blog anyway. Goodnight!

Confessions of a Runner

About 5 years ago, after I had birthed 2 babies in 18 months, I decided I needed an outlet; not to get away from my family or anything, but something to help me relieve tension. I decided I would run. I couldn't even walk to the end of my street without searching for an inhaler, but I was determined that running could be my thing. Get the endorphins going, lose some baby weight, set some personal goals. Perfect! I'll do it.

I walked for 6 weeks before I ever ran my first mile. The first time I walked 4 miles, my backside hurt so bad that even sitting was painful. All this pain from walking! What was running going to do to me? Alas, I ran my first mile, since puberty, on Thanksgiving Day 2002. Okay, so maybe it was more like shuffling, but my feet were steadily moving one in front of another and I did manage to get to the mile point before I collapsed on my hands and knees. And the dry-heaves didn’t last very long. And so what if I had to walk back. I made it there, right?

One mile soon turned into 10, 10 into 20, 20 into 3 marathons, then 100's of 5k's, and 1000's of miles logged. 5 years, millions of calories and 2 knee surgeries later, I am typing a blog about the one thing I can't do - running.

Even as I have been bed-ridden for 4 days, recovering from a knee surgery that was pretty much self-inflicted because of my running passion, I am wondering why I am still dreaming about the day that I can lace up again. Seriously, I have this recurring dream that I finish running 1 mile pain-free and then I stop. I decide not to go any further just in case it hurts. And my friend, Kitty, is always there cheering me on. She is a cheerleader, you know? Okay, not like a cheerleader who does cart-wheels, splits and spirit-fingers; of course, she would if I asked her too and if she wasn't 9 months pregnant. She is quite the encourager. She is also a runner. A very fast runner.

So I have this dream and I wake up totally euphoric. Even though it's only a dream, at least I ran. Dear friends, what in the world is my problem? I am sitting here with a bum leg from RUNNING and if I could do anything in the next hour, guess what it would be? RUNNING! How ridiculous is my thought process? If something is obviously hurting you, then you should stop doing it right? NOPE - not if you're a runner.

All jokes aside, God has used the last 9 months to show me that running is not the end all, be all in life. Although it does get the endorphins going, keeps me fit, competitive, goal-oriented and sane, it is NOT everything to me. Although at one time it probably became that - I say that ashamedly. God has taught me through this trial, that it is totally OKAY to love running. It's fine! It's great! No problem; as long as I don't love it more than I LOVE HIM. That is the problem I got myself into. Once again, hard to admit. But why not throw it out there because God knows anyway?

So my running journey has brought me to a place of realizing that I am not just Jessica, the runner. Although you can always attach runner to my name and I'd be very happy to see that. Most importantly, I am Jessica, God's Girl. I am Jessica, the missionary. I am Jessica, the wife of an amazing husband, John. I am Jessica, the mother of 4 cuties! I am, starting tomorrow, Jessica, the language student. I am many things that have NOTHING to do with running. Hard to believe! It’s only taken me about a full year to grasp the concept of my identity outside of running. All the things that I AM cannot be taken away from me like running can or like running has been. I will, no matter what, always belong to my beloved, Christ! That will never change. It's an everyday guarantee! Running is not!

My dreams about running will probably continue and there is no harm in that. They bring me immense joy and I do long for the day that my feet can be nestled all snuggly in my Asics as I take a nice, slow jog through San Jose - breathing in the fumes and dodging cars. But my reality has brought me something much better than any running dream can - the realization that I am God's and He is mine.

Now that is something worth dreaming about!

Solomon 6:3 “I am my beloved’s and my beloved is mine.”

Tomorrow is the biggin'

School starts tomorrow - yippee! Although I might NOT be saying that in a few weeks.

Our new Empleada is great. She has a big vocabulary so I don't understand like 80% of what she is saying. She smiles a lot, is very friendly and works hard. Praise God! And hey, I'm learning like 8,000 new words a day.

We apply for our student visas tomorrow. Please pray it goes through without a hitch. Last year there were some problems and the students got tourist visas and have to leave the country every 3 months. Time consuming and expensive. No thanks!

I go back to the surgeon tomorrow for a follow-up. I hope I can get off of these crutches. All is well except my incision doesn't look right - kind of like an open wound or something. I'll get his opinion tomorrow.

Something funny - I was trying to tell the Empleada that I need her to clean the bedsheets twice a month. Instead I said, "You can clean the bedsheets twice a table." LOL!!! You gotta laugh or I'll never learn.

A Gator Kind of Day

Because we are Gator fans (John is an Alumni and I was accepted but was too poor to attend) and missionaries, we are Gator missionaries. There hasn't been much talk about our beloved NATIONAL CHAMPIONS because there wasn't much to talk about. Until today! So brace yourselves. We will now be sharing about mission stuff and the Gators. Thus, we are Gator Missionaries.

Because I am sure that you care and you won't be able to sleep unless you know this, our beloved team HAMMERED Western Kentucky today in a 49-3 victory. Not only did they dominate but the game was called with 8:23 left in the fourth quarter because of lightning. We are doing a little gator chant....

"It's great to be a Florida Gator. It's great to be a Florida Gator."

Okay, so I probably shouldn't be bragging about winning against a team like Western Kentucky. It's REALLY no big deal. But what is a big deal is that our team is back and even though they have some odds to overcome, like losing 11 seniors from last year, they still have potential and we are rooting for them all the way.

The best news of the day is that we found out we can watch the games on gatorzone.com for $9.99 a month. It has lots of special interviews with Tim Tebow and Urban Meyer and the like. Well, now that football season has officially started we can "get our gator on" on our blog site. So be prepared that it will go something like this: God, Gators and then life! :)

We hope you are as excited as we are about college football season.

Bedridden and Blogging

The creative juices are definitely not flowing today, but I thought I might leave an update since the only other activities I can participate in right now are movies, books, and phone! All of which have lost there appeal. But you can still call!

I forgot to tell you what the surgeon said to John. The incision is only one inch and not 2-3. Praise God. My IT band was much wider than normal from inflammation. He said it had attached to the fibrous tissues around it so he cut it away from everything it had attached to. He also cut about 30% of the band to release it (thus, a lateral release) and then he perforated the bone (not sure which one) to bring lots of blood to that area to help with healing and inflammation. That basically means he put small small holes in it so that the blood supply will increase thus promoting healing. Usually the IT band area doesn't receive a lot of blood. Anyway, this perforation is what seems to be very painful, in my mind. The good doc told John he was very "optimistic" that this would help me return to normal functioning. I see him on Tuesday so I will be able to ask lots of questions then.

Anyway, my leg is hurting pretty good. Yesterday I felt like I could put some pressure on it and hobble at least to the bathroom. Not today! No pressure. Nada! I think the numbing stuff wore off and now I can feel everything. I am okay as long as I lay in bed and don't try to walk. It's hard to imagine that I will be walking without crutches this time next week given the sharpness of the pain that radiates up my leg when my toe touches the floor. But seriously, I am doing great and this is to be expected. I am enjoying all of the TLC from my family. The kids are all fighting over who is going to snuggle with me. You gotta love that.

They all had to go to "family" orientation this morning until 12:30 p.m. Ally told us this morning that a girl in her class said she was going to punch her. UGH! John is going to take care of that this morning as well. We have taught our kids to repay evil with kindness as the Bible says, so Ally promises her response was good. The whole story usually comes out when the situation is layed on the table. Ally is a very sweet girl. She can be bossy at times but she definitely wouldn't threaten to punch anyone.

Anyway, we found a new Empleada and she starts on Monday. I don't really feel comfortable sharing the other story in my blog, but let's just say that we loved the other one a lot in a spiritual and personality sense, but we had another area that we couldn't see eye to eye on and we all felt it was better if she found another family and if we moved on as well. She said we were very, very special and we feel the same about her. God confirmed to us and to her at the same time that we both needed to move on. We feel that God wants us to have this other Empleada, Louisa. The reason I say that is because originally I passed her up because of some major red flags. Turns out now that she is the ONLY Empleada left. So if we want some help then she is the one we have to hire. I prayed about it a lot yesterday and really felt that this is what God wants given the strange circumstances. We interviewed Louisa yesterday and although she doesn't have the strong spiritual aspect as the last lady, I think her work ethic and flexibility to help wherever is needed will be perfect for us. We are hoping she will soon be a part of our family.

Last but not least - on Thursday as I was meeting the new students from school I met a young man from Florida. He asked me what part of Florida I am from and I told him he had probably never heard of it. Well, he HAS heard of it because he is from the SAME town and graduated from the SAME high school as me and we went to the same church for many years. I am about 5 years older than him so our paths didn't cross much. His name is Heath Williams. Can you believe it? Someone from my hometown high school is in language school with me. And then, I met another family and they are from West Palm Beach, FL and I was telling them about the guy from St. Cloud. Guess what? This family lived in Kissimmee for 5 years and they are good friends with Stacey and Chan Kilgore who use to be youth pastor at my current church. What a small, small world. Once again, God is just reminding me that he will bring reminders of home wherever I am. :)

Okay - this is really the last thing. We are meeting with Parker's teacher on Wednesday after school to see if he is in the right grade. And Monday we are turning in our stuff for our student Visas. Please pray that both situation go smoothly.

If you made it through this entire blog then pat yourself on the back. Good for you and thanks for reading.