Random Pictures from our trip

WOW! I really don't have a double chin in real life :) Love this pict. of Jaxson as he is trying to hard to get it right.

John contemplating life after his father's passing!

This is the beach in Santa Barbara. If you look to the right you can see condos. That is where John's mom lives. We walked to the beach in 3 minutes.

The cousins trying to stay entertained during the long services and viewing. Don't they all look so cute with their scarves.

Parker is ACTUALLY smiling in a picture! Just had to share!

Pictures from the Funeral

This is the ENTIRE Pham Family with the exception of Grandpa. We are standing behind is gravesite in this picture. Look at the legacy he left!
Tata Pham - the widow! Please pray for her as she is grieving tremendously!

Half of our family with the awesome Jones' family that drove several hours to visit and encourage us during the weekend services. They also helped with Avery quite a bit!

People watching the slideshow that John and his sisters put together.

This is the place where people would bow and offer insense before viewing the casket.

The sisters were about to bow in sync. We all had to wear the white scarves to symbolize we were part of the immediate family.

Pictures of the Cousins

This was the first time in 5 years that all of the cousin's were together. These are ALL the cousins from John's sisters. You will notice they are in order of oldest to youngest. These pictures are from our time in California when John's dad passed away. The hotel had a pool! :)

Craft Day

One day awhile back John made crafts with the kids! :) Enjoy

Fun at the Beach in California

Daddy buried all the kids at the beach in Malibu, Ca.

Sickness be gone

Fever Fever go away! I am on my 3rd day of fever and being in bed. YUK! Being this sick makes me realize how much I love to be well! I haven't had a fever in 5 years (since Jaxson was born). That's the last time we all truly had the flu.

Everyone seems to be better except Avery. She is cuddled next to me sleeping with a 103 fever. Hopefully we are at the end of this.

The painter dropped off paint supplies yesterday to paint our apartment and he informed me that my family is sick because he noticed they don't wear socks in the house. I still can't win! I wish this flu was from not wearing socks, cause then we'd just put socks on and be well. And BTW - they do wear socks at times. It was hard for me to bite my tongue and not be defensive, but I did it anyway.

John had a bummer day yesterday of ministry. The Bible Study has been post-poned, but we are still doing 2 more this Sunday, so our hands will be full. Please, please, please pray Avery and I are well enough to go. :)

Finally - Ministry

A special thanks for all the suggestions and comments about my Poverty post. It gave me a lot to chew on, pray about and think on. I will definitely set some boundaries and change my strategy. Gracias!

Yesterday, as a family, we had the opportunity to go out to two of the areas we are working in. 2 other missionaries joined us as well. We went through the neighborhood inviting people to the Bible Study on Sunday, asking them how we can pray for them and just getting to know the people. For the most part, everyone was warm and friendly to us and seemed excited of our presence (except the men). An elderly lady, named Maria, was exceptionally kind and she started crying over our presence. She is a believer and said she has been praying and praying for "support." There are Christians in the areas, but apparently very little opportunity for accountability, growth, and encouragement. She just kept saying over and over what an answer to prayer our Bible study is. She is praying for her daughter and son-in-law. Our kids helped us knock on doors, hand out the invitations, played with the little kids and got a true sense of the ministry God has called us to. The only downfall was that Ally started throwing up on the way there and continued to do so several times.

John is going back out to another area today, but this time he has to go solo since 3more of us came down ill yesterday afternoon with fevers. Daddy and Jaxson have already had there time with the flu and now it is my turn, Ally's turn, Parker's turn and Avery's turn! I haven't had a fever in almost 5 years.

Please pray for John has he goes out alone today to continue to invite people and pray for them. Please pray for me as I try to run the house sick. :) John would stay home, but the study starts this Sunday and he has to get the word out.

We both feel so honored and HAPPY to FINALLY be doing what God brought us here to do. Doors have opened so quickly and easily and we definitely feel there has been spiritual warefare against us, we can't help but be excited about what God is doing and going to do in these areas.

Friendship

I just praise God for deep friendships. They don't come easily and they take a lot of time to develop. Last night I was able to deeply connect with a friend I have had for 12 years. I met her from my husband and she is often a daily blessing to me over the phone. And tonight, I spoke with two other friends that I haven't spoken with in awhile (1 in over a year). And you know what, we picked up where we left off. It was as if there was never a separation in space or time with both of these friends. We just reconnected and went deep right away as we shared our struggles and desires. It felt as if a day had not gone by and the connection that brought us together (with both of these sweet gals) was still going strong! WOW! What an encouragement and reminder to me that God knits hearts together and He keeps them together no matter the circumstances or distance. I just praise Him for deep heart friendships!

Poverty

One of the biggest struggles I personally have here in Lima is the poverty. Do I mean that I struggle being poor? NO! I certainly am not poor by Peruvian standards. I struggle with knowing when to meet a need and when to look the other way. Or do I never look the other way because Jesus commands us to help the poor? In one day, I am approached by at least 15 different people for money. Often times, little children ranging from 5-8 years olds will come up to our car window, stop us while we are walking or they will hold a cup on a busy street corner begging for money- and there is usually no parent in sight. Last week, we had 3 little 7 year-old boys (I often ask their ages) juggling in the middle of a busy highway during red lights for money. John and I have a stash of change we keep in our pockets or car and we eagerly give to the children, the elderly and the handicapped. But I ask myself, is it wrong when I just say no cause I feel like I've given enough. Does Jesus ever say "enough?” Is there even the word ENOUGH in God's economy?

The other day I bought a Starbucks coffee and a woman came up to me and asked me if she could have it. I was truly flabbergasted that she just wanted to take the coffee right out of my hand. I told her no, but I gave her money to buy her own coffee.

Well, last night I took Ally on a date to Bembo's (yes, that's actually the name of a burger place) and the same lady was there and she asked me if she could have the food I had ordered. I was standing at the counter waiting for it and she was right next to me. She said something very quickly and I replied in Spanish, "I don't understand." The truth is that I didn't understand EXACTLY what she was saying, but I know she was asking for my food or for me to buy her some food. This was after she had asked the restaurant for food and they said no.

So, I'm standing there in awkward silence trying not to look at her thinking "There are so many needs. When do I say no? When do I say yes?" Should I give this lady money again or give her my food?" I stood there waiting while I had an internal conflict that I'm surprised no one could hear. I didn't do anything. I just took my food and left and watched as she went to the next person.

Of course I ask myself: Can she work? Is she doing drugs? What will she do with the money? Will she sell the food for money to buy alcohol or drugs (this is common too)? How many people has she swindled today? Am I helping her or enabling her? I can't afford to help every needy person, right (especially when it's every few minutes)? Do I just give freely all the time no matter the personal cost? Isn't that what Jesus did?

I still don't have an answer. I am praying for God to show me. We really try to give and give, but it seems that the needs are much greater than I can give or want to give. And then I wonder if God is asking me to sacrifice more! I don't know! If there was an ever an area that I felt lost or confused in, this would be one of them.

Open the windows, close the windows

Hubby had a fabulous day of ministry yesterday and I felt very honored to be serving him at home behind the scenes. John went to 3 different services (think 4 women and 25 kids). He left at 9 a.m. and returned at 6 p.m. I will let him blog about next Sunday's plan and his strategy for starting 3 churches in these 3 areas. One of the first services will be this Sunday in Tres Coronas (3 crowns) and the other 2 will just have Bible Studies. John is praying like crazy, trusting the Spirit and working very hard to get everything ready for next Sunday. He will be going out to the areas again on Wednesday and Thursday to invite people. Almost forgot, that 2 teenagers just stood up yesterday and said they wanted to have a relationship with Christ and accepted him as their Savior. God is definitely working, but there are a ton of strongholds in these areas:
drugs, alcohol, prostitution, robbery, incest and transvesites (just to name a few). The national spent a lot of time filling us in. These people are in desperate need of a purpose and a hope.

*******
Something interesting.....A Peruvian woman was in our house the other day and she told me how freezing cold she was in my home. She also told me how I need to shut my windows because my children are going to get sick from being too cold. The windows are only open a few hours a day to let the air circulate and keep things dry so we don't get mold again.

Well, last night we had a Peruvian couple over for dinner and she told me that I keep the house to warm. She said I need to turn off the heater and open the windows because my kids are going to get sick from going from hot to cold (the cold being outside). I had the heater on so that she wouldn't say she was freezing like the previous lady. How funny!

So my kids are going to get sick if I keep the windows open and they will get sick if I have them closed and the heater is on. Looks like I can't win! Just had to laugh!!!!

AND THE ELEVATOR IS WORKING AGAIN!! ANOTHER YAHOOOO!

Bummin

A little bummed today. Why? Well, because today is a HUGE ministry day in the South Cone. We have had it planned for almost 2 weeks. John is going to 3 different locations to lead Bible Studies or preach with a national partner. The entire family was going to go. Unfortunately, little Jaxson Dean is still sick with the flu. He has been running around 103 for 6 days now. We thought he would be better by now. So, I am home with Jaxson and Avery taking care of them while John went with the national and the two older kids. I will let you know how it goes for them. This is the 2nd week in a row I have had to miss. :( Bummer!

The other reason I am bumming is because the elevator is NOT working AGAIN!!!!!! At least we had 2 good days of it. Right?!?

I keep telling myself that everything is in the Lord's hand and I will be able to be involved in ministry when the Lord sees fit. But for now, my priority is at home. Maybe next week! :) Si Dios quiere.

Plugging IN

Okay, so I am going to start blogging again whenever I feel inspired. This prayer, ministry and picture thing isn't working for me. There are so many things I want to share and I feel I can't with such a structured and rigid blog. So, I'm just going to continue to share our life happenings and things that are happening in the ministry and what God is teaching us so that you can stay connected with us as much as possible as we live countries away.

So....I made a friend. She has 5 children and homeschools as well. I found a woman on the internet who is a missionary that has 5 children, but she is in America. She then e-mailed me the info. of her friend that actually is in Peru NOW. Well, my new friend is AWESOME! We have had several great phone conversations and connected immediately. And she is a runner as well! I am the only other homeschooling mom she knows in Lima. She is a wealth of knowledge and also a very Godly woman. I already feel so blessed to have met her.

Today she hooked me up with a local Awana's program for my children. It meets at a local private international school at 1:45 p.m. I took Parker and Ally because Jaxson is still very sick. He could use your prayers by the way. Well, the kids LOVED it and Parker made a new friend named Justin who happens to be my new friend's son. I also met 5 other missionary moms whose children go to that school. Everyone was so friendly and it just made me realize how much I need English fellowship. Even if I think I don't want it or need it - I DO!!!! Even being around other little kids today was such a blessing to me. It reminded me of the mom's group back home and I was just encouraged to be around other missionary mom's who are struggling to raise their kids in this culture. I suddenly didn't feel so alone anymore. I am super excited to take the kids back - not only for them, but also for ME!!!!!

Also, the kiddos started basketball (in Spanish, of course) yesterday. I met another nice mother, named Claudia, and she speaks very clear. I am hoping I can continue to get to know her. The kids enjoyed their basketball. You won't believe when I tell you it was $15 for 2 months (2 x a week for an hour each) for the first kid and $10 for each additional kid. NOT KIDDING! It was a great class and is definitely great for physical education and Spanish learning.

I am really starting to feel settled. The only thing is that I feel like I am faltering spiritually (now I am really being transparent). I had a nice time with the Lord this morning just repenting and seeking Him. I still have such a long way to go and I am seeing some areas in my life that definitely need changing and some lies I have been believing. I am trusting God to break these strongholds.

On another note, I am meeting my German friend tomorrow for our 13 mile run. I officially joined the running club and am enjoying running with Isabelle. We speak English because I can't understand her Spanish with the heavy German accent. But John told me not to feel guilty and just to enjoy her friendship. It is nice to have her send me e-mails and then my other new friend called me one day this week as well. It felt like home! WOW! What a nice feeling.

The elevator is working!

Family Happenings

Elevator still isn't fixed! Boooooohooooohooooo! John is ready to move. :(

Today was a big day of sorts. We broke down and hired an empleada to come deep-clean our house 2 x a month. She was here for 9 hours. Yes, it is THAT dirty. She also did laundry and cleaned sheets. She charged us $18. :( I felt so bad, but yet so happy to have my house cleaned so well for so little. She did a great job and cleaned very, very well. And....she speaks very clear and we had good conversation. She will be back in 2 weeks and hopefully in November she can start coming once a week. This city is just so filthy, I could not keep up with it. It's nothing like Florida when you could deep clean every so often. I sweep 3-5 times a day because it's so dirty. Anyway, I broke down and hired someone and my life is all the better for it.

A big day for Parker! Parker had a permanent retainer of sorts put in his mouth. He can no longer suck his thumb and this will correct his cross-bite. Please pray for him as he went to bed crying because he can't suck his thumb. He's very bummed, but he is 8 years old and has to stop sucking or his teeth and jaw will be ruined!

Other news on the family front:

The kids are starting basketball tomorrow (Spanish). :)
The kids are starting Awana's on Friday (English)
The kids are going to "try" a kids's club at a church on Saturday (Spanish).
We found a place for swimming lessons in Spanish (close by) and we also found a place where Ally can take piano lessons (all the kids can take whatever kind of musical lesson) in the future. We just need to get a keyboard. All of these things are very, very cheap in comparison to American prices! :) VERY cheap, in Spanish and nearby.

I'm not going to sign them up for everything at one time, as I don't feel God calling us to a life of busyness, but I am trying to get them plugged in a little bit here so they can make some friends (still have none) and can start to feel like they are at home. I also want them to continue to learn and speak Spanish. I am very excited about these new prospects!

A blog outside of my normal blogging schedule

Went to the library today trying to have a "normal" experience. Hey, I know the library. How hard can it be? Hard enough to almost bring me to tears. I kept asking, "where are the books?" Here's how it works. You go to the card catalog and find the book you want. You then give the information to a person who goes back to a undisclosed room to retrieve the book. You cannot see the books. You cannot touch the books. You cannot browse the books. You cannot borrow the books! UGH! Okay, so I obviously didn't have a normal experience and I didn't get any books because I can't actually think of a book in Spanish that I've been dying to read in the library.

BUT....they have a big kid's section full of books that we can read and touch. But we can't take them home. And the bummer was that we arrived at 10:30 a.m. and the kids's section is completely closed until 12 p.m. So, we didn't get to do anything. And....we just didn't realize that you can't actually borrow the books. So...I guess going to the library won't be part of our homeschooling routine.

And a little antecdote about Jaxson Dean. He is so different than Parker. Parker loves to read and do math and is very studious. Parker excels at all things analytical. Jaxson cries everytime I ask him to write his name or sound out a letter. But.....he loves to exercise and do sports. Yesterday, he begged me to do a workout video so he worked out for 30 minutes to a video and then kept saying, "I'm really tired. But I can't give up because Sportacus doesn't give up."

And then, he wanted another video so that he could do weights. He really wants big muscles and is almost fanatical about eating healthy. "Would sportacus eat this?" he asks me. Anyway, I let him workout with my 1 lb. weights to a video. He did a few minutes of it before we realized he had a fever and was getting sick. But how interesting is it that he dreads writing his name, but yet loves working out at 4 years old (almost 5 in 3 weeks). How different God made us all!

Just wanted to share how unique each child is. He is totally going to be the athletic, jock type who loathes school. But hey, at least he'll be in good shape! :) Which is fine since we can't bring home books from the library anyway.

$9

To answer a few questions from my post about things I bought in the U.S.:

Yes, I can buy Desitin here. $9 a tube. You read that correctly.

Yes, I can buy Spray-N-Wash here. $9 a bottle.

Yes, there is construction paper here, but I figured I should get it in America in case it was like $9 a pack or something. HAHAHAHA!!!!

I also found some craft supplies here, but the prices are double what I would pay in the states. EEEEKKK!!!

Hope this answers all the questions.

No new prayer requests this week. Oh wait....yes, 1! Please pray we can find activities for our children to be involved in and that we can afford them! :)

John is getting better. He isn't 100% yet, but functional. Jaxson is getting what John had. Good news is that I feel GREAT and haven't seen a doctor in almost 3 months (10 weeks, really). Gotta love that. I'm not going unless I'm dying.

Didn't make it out to the church we were going to attend in an area of ministry yesterday because John was too ill. He slept pretty much from Friday night until today. So we are shooting for next week. On Sunday, we are going to spend the entire day with a national who is working very hard to start Bible studies and churches in our areas.

I drug myself to another class at the gym. I don't even know what you would call it. Oh yeh, crazy! It was crazy. It wasn't dancing, wasn't totally a step class and wasn't necessarily aerobics either. Here in Peru they have these crazy long routines that everyone just knows - except the new girl of course. Gotta love it! I think I'll go back for more. :)

WOOOOHOOOOO!

Pictures will have to wait until I have more time and I apologize for always posting a day late. Such is life.

Big news around here:
The elevator is STILL broken. Not a joke that everyday they say tomorrow. One day tomorrow will come! :)

Hubby is VERY ill. He has a fever of 102 with body aches, chills and a massive sore throat. I'm thinking possibly strep or just the flu. YUK! He could use your prayers.

WOOOOHOOOOOOOOO! As you may or may not know, I had 2 knee surgeries last year and at one point was told I might not ever run again (a huge hobby and obsession of mine). Well, a year after my surgery (it took about 9 months to completely recover) I ran 11.5 miles (today). I am still in shock and aww that my knee has been restored and God has given me back my passion. It's interesting that He waited until after language school to restore it to 100%. Guess he wanted to keep me focused. I am running a half-maration (13.1) miles in Lima on November 11. I will be giving praise to God the WHOLE way for allowing me to run again. I hope I never take it for granted again. And that God has given me a friend who speaks English to run with is like a cherry on top.

No new ministry news. John has been too ill to do anything. Tomorrow we do have plans to go to a church in one of our areas. Let's hope that doors continue to open.

Looking Up

We are LOVING the vehicle.

Elevator is still broken. I'm not exaggerating when I say that everyday they tell us it will be fixed tomorrow. UGH!!!!

We felt an earthquake on Monday night. I thought maybe John was shaking the couch and then we realized what it was. It lasted for about 15 seconds and was some pretty good shaking. Jaxson came out to say his bed was moving and then we received a call from a fellow missionary asking us if we felt it - so we know it wasn't just in our heads. Glad nothing "major" happened, but it was a neat experience.

We went out to a ministry sight today for about an hour. The women crowded around us like we were celebrities. They were so welcoming and accepting of us. I shared my testimony 2 times, a chronological Bible story and the Roman Road. It was kind of weird, but during the conversation, I would just break out and ask them if I could. I know God's word doesn't return void, so I just put it out there. One lady, Victoria, told me that she doesn't even know verses in Spanish and she was thankful that I brought God's Word to her today! :)

I have made a new friend from Germany. She is 24 and speaks 5 languages - English being one of them. We speak a little Spanish, but primarily English. She is obsessed with running and losing weight so we are a great fit. We are meeting tomorrow to go running. :) We talked about running a half-marathon together in November. We run about the same pace. Yesterday we both went to club and thought we were going to do an easy 5 miles. NOPE - we did a grueling 7 miles with hills (more like mountains) and were both whooped at the end.

Hubby is VERY sick with the flu. He is definitely run down and tired from everything. The lack of sleep, stress and mold haven't helped him much. I am trying to let him rest as much as possible.

On Sunday we will be attending a small church in one of the provinces in which we will be working at. And, we are trying to get a Bible study/church service going in 2 areas. Things just got delayed with the death of John's father.

Things seem to be looking up again as we are trying to find our groove once again.

Finally, some GREAT news

When I came home from running this morning, I checked our e-mail only to find out that are VAN IS OUT OF CUSTOMS!!!! I seriously ran into our bedroom and started jumping on the bed as John was still sleeping. I said, "Our van is here. Our van is here! Can you believe it?" I almost hit the ceiling I was jumping so high. John rolled over and said, "Really?" Hardly the excitement I was hoping for but, hey, he was sleeping. When I told Parker the news, he started jumping up and down with anticipation and giddiness. So we did the happy dance together. And John was thrilled once he woke up!

We just picked up our brand-new, 2007 Hyundai something that is provided by the International Mission Board. WOW!! We are so blessed. We are family of 6, but guess how many seats are in the van (it's dark blue by the way)? 12!!!! yes, you read that right - 12! We can carry 6 extra passengers and that's not including doing the lap thing that is so common here in Peru.

Now if you could just pray for our safety as we figure out how to drive again after 15 months of walking and taking taxis! The driving here is insane and it's every car for himself :)

Oh yeh, and we found out that the elevator is "suppose" to be fixed tomorrow. You guys are sending some faith filled prayers our way.

Home Moldy Home

We arrived home 48 hours ago to a house FILLED with mold. And when I say filled, I am not exaggerating in the least. Even the metal hinges that hold the cabinets together were covered in mold. Needless to say, we have scrubbed, washed, bleached and dehumidified CONSTANTLY for the past 2 days. The dehumidifier pulled 1/2 gallon of water alone from our kitchen. We had to wash every pot and pan in the kitchen because they too were covered. We are still finding mold covered things. And all this after a red-eye and 36 hours of no sleep and a 10 day trip of sadness.

So we woke up this morning to Parker not being able to catch his breath. We listened to his lungs and felt that we could hear something strange. So I ventured out, after not having spoken Spanish in almost 2 weeks, to a hospital I have never been to, that I didn't even know the correct name to extremely nervous about my inability to communicate. That taxi driver even commented that I speak (a little Spanish) "poco espanol." That really cheered me up! :)

Turns out Parker was having an allergy induced Asthma attack from all of the mold in the house. He doesn't have asthma, but you can have attacks if your allergies get bad enough. 2 breathing treatments later and we were good to go.

Also, I have swept up 2 or 3 piles of dirt in the house and that is with out us being here. It truly is a dirty, dirty city with dirty air and the mold just grows like a cancer - especially without the dehumidifier running or the windows being open.

So, that has been our last two days. :) :) :) :) I'm still smiling!!!!! At least on the outside.

I won't have time to blog tomorrow, so here are the prayer requests:
1. For our vehicle to arrive this week.
2. For the elevator to be fixed this week.
3. For the mold problem to seize this week.
4. For Parker to continue to breathe well.
5. For John's broken heart to mend (he is walking around like a zombie and is very sad).
6. For us to get back into the swing of life and ministry with happy hearts. :)
7. For a seamless transition from our visit to the U.S. Sometimes this is difficult because life there is so much easier and comfortable for us.

Thanks for reading and praying. We are remembering that this life of mission's may seem like a big ol' adventure (and trust us it is) but it is also an opportunity to realize we are not in control of anything and to continually turn back to God. I am still working on this!

Shopping Fun

A few days in Santa Barbara was exactly what we needed. We stayed in a one bedroom apartment with John's mom, but it was very restful and beautiful. The kids spent 2 1/2 days in the pool or at the beach (AMAZING) and we managed to eat at Chipolte's (2x) (I'm name dropping for my missionary friends), Panda Express, Subway, Taco Bell, and Krispy Kreme. Not to mention, the countless trips to Target I made in the last 10 days (like 7 times - are you jealous yet?) and the 2 fun runs to The Gap! Don't worry, we only bought one jacket in the gap for John (think, on sale) and I only purchased household necessities at Target and a slow cooker (finally). Can you believe they don't have slow cookers in Peru? Jenny, I am bringing you back some lip smackers. :)

Here's a list of important, but necessary things I purchased that are not available in Peru or are astronomical in price: (anything on this list you couldn't live without?):
1. Spray n wash - 6 bottles
2. Paper Plates - not styrofoam
3. Scotch Scrubbing pads for dishes
4. Downy Wrinkle Releaser
5. Bagels and Cream Cheese (strawberry)
6. Whole Wheat Pancake Mix (from Trader Joe's) - totally organic.
7. Markers and construction paper and other craft supplies.
8. Downy Fabric Softener
9. Pond's Cream for the Face
10. A highlighting Kit
11. Special purple shampoo for fake blonde hair (hehehe)
12. 8 packs of Altoids
13. Lots of extra gum in the green pack
14. Lip gloss, foundation powder, mascara and eyeshadow (gotta love maybelline)
15. Taco Seasoning
16. Pull-ups, baby-wipes and desitin
17. Chocolate Chips

So as you can see, I didn't go crazy, but definitely had a good time picking up some things we love and miss from Peru. I'm very excited to bring a little bit of America back with us!

We are leaving tonight at 2:00 a.m. California Time and will arrive tomorrow at 2 p.m. Peru time. I'm tired just thinking about it!

I can't wait to get HOME!!!!! I definitely missed hearing Spanish all around and felt very comfortable at one Target that I visited where no one spoke English. I was like, finally, I am comfortable. Talk about reverse culture shock.