We said goodbye and it was Ally that cried her eyes out. Parker and Jaxson were pretty down and said they missed their friends already. They are already talking about when the group will return! :(
Sunday, June 28, 2009
Pictures Galore!
Here is a slideshow of the ENTIRE week! It was easier to make a slideshow than to pick and choose pictures. Unfortunately, that makes the pictures harder to see and the quality isn't as nice.
We said goodbye and it was Ally that cried her eyes out. Parker and Jaxson were pretty down and said they missed their friends already. They are already talking about when the group will return! :(
We said goodbye and it was Ally that cried her eyes out. Parker and Jaxson were pretty down and said they missed their friends already. They are already talking about when the group will return! :(
Week-long wrap up!
What a WEEK!!! The mission team arrived on Monday night and departs tonight at midnight. My kids have made some life-long friends and will be extremely sad when they have to say goodbye tonight (especially Jaxson).Here are some stats/highlights from the team:
A team of 10 youth (ages 16-22) came from Mandeville, Louisiana (First Baptist Mandeville).
The youth minister, Michael Blue, age 31, was the only adult in the group (brave man).
Most of the kids have grown-up together in the church.
They are leaders of some sort in the youth group.
They brought 2 native Spanish Speakers (one is half Peruvian) and another girl that spoke excellent Spanish.
They are some of the most spiritually mature and Godly teenagers I have EVER been around. Their lack of wordliness was SOOOOO refreshing. They worked hard, prayed hard and loved hard!
They worked in an area that John has been frequenting for the past 6 months called Santa Rosa. It has 188 homes (shacks) and is much like Oasis.
They spent one day prayer-walking, one day building benches and inviting people in the neighborhood and praying for them, 2 days holding vacation Bible school and a church service, and another day doing follow-up in the people's homes.
We saw 14 adults commit their lives to Christ and about 100 kids come everyday. About 25 adults attended the services. We even had one woman approach me and express that she felt like she shouldn't pray to the Virgin Mary anymore. She said she went to her priest and he told her it was okay, but she said, "can you show me that in the Bible?" She has been studying the word dilligently and can't find "saint worship" anywhere. WOW! She said she wants to stop praying to Mary, but it will be hard after many years. This is huge! She is one of the women that gave her life to Christ this week.
We saw a HUGE interest in a desire for a Bible study/church in this area. They currently have NOTHING!!! YEAH!! PRAISE GOD! We left the 8 benches that we made for this community.
I had my mom's group on Thursday and was expecting about 15 people. I figured my bad spanish would've scared off at least half of them. We had 25 the first week. Well, over 50 people showed up on Thursday. Unfortunately, about 7 of them were men. We are going to try to stop this because I do not think it is Biblical that I should be teaching men. Anway, can you believe it - 50? It is truly GOD and not me! I am so excited. Please keep praying for this group of women who are learning to parent differently (ME TOO)!
The "nanny" stayed at our home until Friday night and did a great job. The kids love her and I was pleased with the 4 days she spent with the kids. She was suppose to stay until tonight, but by Friday night I just needed my life and family back. We paid her for the 2 extra days and sent her on her way. A house just can't have 2 moms!!!
We have decided that out of the next 4 teams, I will only do 2 of them. One is our Pastor and Associate Pastor for 4 days and the other one is a BIG team from Texas that has been loving on us for awhile. I can't wait to meet them in August. I just found that I can't do the long, long days at almost 7 months pregnant. I get tired and grumpy and miss my family A LOT!!!! I really feel like it's okay to help the teams, but my primary place is in the home and I miss it so much when I can't be here day in and day out. Plus, I need naps! LOL!!!! So, I will be holding down the fort except for a few days in July when the nanny returns and one week in August. I think I can handle that, but the thought of being out of the home for 1 week, every other week for the next 7-8, was just overhelming for me. We are both comfortable with the new plan. I can resume "light" homeschooling and continue the mom's group and my Sunday afternoon activities in Oasis.
Anyway, I need to get going to make some Rice Krispie Treats from the stuff that the team brought! YIPPEEE!!!! They don't sell the cereal here.
Please pray for John as he is now going to give his sermon in Oasis and will not have my help with the kids that live there. Normally we go, but we are staying home to get some much needed rest and rap up a few things before we have to say good-bye to the team at 8 p.m. tonight. We will miss them all so very much! :(
Friday, June 19, 2009
Mom's Group
Our first group for the mom's group was a huge success. We had about 25 moms and 2 men who joined us. The neighborhood decided that this is so important (for moms to be encouraged and how to properly raise their children) that the leadership required 2 women from each block to attend. WOW! They all seemed very happy to be there and said the talk was very much needed. I talked about how the wise woman builds her house with her own hands and how the foolish woman tears it down (from Proverbs). And I compared the differences between each woman and charged them with the challenge to decide which woman they are and which woman they want to be. I talked for about 20 minutes and I felt like it went extremely well for the first time. I had some mistakes with my Spanish, but there was a woman there, who is apart of our church, who helped fill in my gaps (just a few) if she knew what I was trying to say. Praise God for her. At least 3-4 women, afterward, said this group was very much needed and that the talk was very good. Praise be to GOD!!!!!
One lady helped pour the coffee and pass out the bread (they were timid to do it themselves) and a few people stayed after to help clean up. All of the women said that next week they want me to share on how to get their kids to obey without screaming! WOW! We changed the time from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m. because most of them said that more people could come if we changed it to earlier.
The night before the talk, I was awoken with crazy spiritual warfare in my head. It continued ALL night and into the morning. It was one of the strongest attacks I have had in years. I definitely know that this group is from God and that the evil one has no desire for these women to change, grow or learn anything about Christ. Please keep praying. It was super intense! John and I prayed and prayed and definitely felt the victory yesterday.
I think, for both of us, this group is one of the most exciting things we have done. John is totally into is as well and that makes it all the better for both of us!
Our first team arrives on Monday night. We are preparing and about ready for their arrival. It will be a team of youth from Texas. :) My first youth team, but since I love teenagers, this should be fun.
On another note, Avery came down sick very quickly yesterday afternoon and her fever quickly spiked to 104. She was delirious and kept crying, throwing up and covering her ears (in the middle of the night) saying that the music was hurting them and it was to loud. There was no music. This morning I asked John if he thought we were going to have to take her to the hospital last night and he said he was thinking the same thing at one point. She seems better this morning, but we are waiting for the afternoon to see if the fever spikes again!
Well, I am off to our last day of Awanas with the other 3 kids. Have a great Father's day to all of you beloved dads.
And on that note, I just have to say that John is perhaps one of the best Fathers I know. I am so blessed to be married to a man that loves his kids, and me, so much.
One lady helped pour the coffee and pass out the bread (they were timid to do it themselves) and a few people stayed after to help clean up. All of the women said that next week they want me to share on how to get their kids to obey without screaming! WOW! We changed the time from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m. because most of them said that more people could come if we changed it to earlier.
The night before the talk, I was awoken with crazy spiritual warfare in my head. It continued ALL night and into the morning. It was one of the strongest attacks I have had in years. I definitely know that this group is from God and that the evil one has no desire for these women to change, grow or learn anything about Christ. Please keep praying. It was super intense! John and I prayed and prayed and definitely felt the victory yesterday.
I think, for both of us, this group is one of the most exciting things we have done. John is totally into is as well and that makes it all the better for both of us!
Our first team arrives on Monday night. We are preparing and about ready for their arrival. It will be a team of youth from Texas. :) My first youth team, but since I love teenagers, this should be fun.
On another note, Avery came down sick very quickly yesterday afternoon and her fever quickly spiked to 104. She was delirious and kept crying, throwing up and covering her ears (in the middle of the night) saying that the music was hurting them and it was to loud. There was no music. This morning I asked John if he thought we were going to have to take her to the hospital last night and he said he was thinking the same thing at one point. She seems better this morning, but we are waiting for the afternoon to see if the fever spikes again!
Well, I am off to our last day of Awanas with the other 3 kids. Have a great Father's day to all of you beloved dads.
And on that note, I just have to say that John is perhaps one of the best Fathers I know. I am so blessed to be married to a man that loves his kids, and me, so much.
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
LIFE
Jenn has already come and gone! We had a wonderful time. We took a boat ride out of the city for 4 hours to go see a special island filled with seals. It had over 8,000 seals on the island. We couldn't get off of the boat except for to swim, but we passed on that because it was very cold and stinky. It was a beautiful boatride (except for my seasickness). Ally and Parker came with us and they enjoyed it as well. We also took a 3 hour tour of the city that was wonderful. Unfortunately, it only shows you the prettiest, nicest parts of the city. It doesn't show you the "true" Lima. The Lima that we work in each Sunday. After excercising, shopping, ministry, and eating, it was time for her to fly out last night. It was sad to say good-bye, but we are thankful for her visit.
On Sunday we had a good turnout at church, despite the drizzles. I hesitate to even call it sprinkling. It was just wet outside, but people still showed up nonetheless. We even had 4 new women come. The new leaders (David and Alberto) are rising up to run the service, lead worship and do the Bible study. YEAH!! John preached and did a great job (in my humble opinion). We even have a consistent "national" volunteer to help with the children. I particapted/helped in the Bible study and really enjoyed it.
This Thursday is my first mom's group. All of the women seemed really excited about it and they took a lot of invitations to pass out to their neighbors. We have no idea how many to expect. We could get as few as 3 or as many as 30. Only God knows. This Wednesday, I will be sharing about having a Positive Attitude in the home and how it affects our children and their behavior and outlook on life. I am starting with the verse from Proverbs that says "A wise woman builds her house, but a foolish woman tears it downs with her own hands." As I have been preparing, God has given me some wisdom to share. And I must say, that teaching this type of material has brought me to a completely new level of accountability in my own home, for which I am very thankful.
The "Nanny" came yesterday for about 11 hours and helped us with the kids. We wanted to try her for a full-day when we were around more to help and guide her. She knows how things run around here, for the most part and the kids enjoy her. She is extremely shy and quiet, so I am having to get use to this. I talk, talk, talk so it is quite different relating to someone who barely speaks. But she does very well with the kids and following our routine. We are still working on the manipulating factor from the Pham kids.
Next Monday night our first team comes in for the summer. I am concerned about my ability to handle such long days. I have decided that if I have to, I will just not go every single day. I have found that if I go, go, go for many days, I easily crash and burn. I need consistent, rest, downtime and naps. Oh yeh, and a good nights sleep.
Well, we are excited about all that is happening. Please keep praying. I will keep you posted. John is leading a Bible study today, 2 tomorrow, and he is helping a Peruvian, who is from America but here for the summer, start another study in a brand new area! WOW! God's Word is definitely being preached by the Phamily as much as possible. :)
On Sunday we had a good turnout at church, despite the drizzles. I hesitate to even call it sprinkling. It was just wet outside, but people still showed up nonetheless. We even had 4 new women come. The new leaders (David and Alberto) are rising up to run the service, lead worship and do the Bible study. YEAH!! John preached and did a great job (in my humble opinion). We even have a consistent "national" volunteer to help with the children. I particapted/helped in the Bible study and really enjoyed it.
This Thursday is my first mom's group. All of the women seemed really excited about it and they took a lot of invitations to pass out to their neighbors. We have no idea how many to expect. We could get as few as 3 or as many as 30. Only God knows. This Wednesday, I will be sharing about having a Positive Attitude in the home and how it affects our children and their behavior and outlook on life. I am starting with the verse from Proverbs that says "A wise woman builds her house, but a foolish woman tears it downs with her own hands." As I have been preparing, God has given me some wisdom to share. And I must say, that teaching this type of material has brought me to a completely new level of accountability in my own home, for which I am very thankful.
The "Nanny" came yesterday for about 11 hours and helped us with the kids. We wanted to try her for a full-day when we were around more to help and guide her. She knows how things run around here, for the most part and the kids enjoy her. She is extremely shy and quiet, so I am having to get use to this. I talk, talk, talk so it is quite different relating to someone who barely speaks. But she does very well with the kids and following our routine. We are still working on the manipulating factor from the Pham kids.
Next Monday night our first team comes in for the summer. I am concerned about my ability to handle such long days. I have decided that if I have to, I will just not go every single day. I have found that if I go, go, go for many days, I easily crash and burn. I need consistent, rest, downtime and naps. Oh yeh, and a good nights sleep.
Well, we are excited about all that is happening. Please keep praying. I will keep you posted. John is leading a Bible study today, 2 tomorrow, and he is helping a Peruvian, who is from America but here for the summer, start another study in a brand new area! WOW! God's Word is definitely being preached by the Phamily as much as possible. :)
Thursday, June 11, 2009
Nanny update and other stuff
The nanny showed up on Wednesday night! We stayed with her for about 3 hours before we headed out to grab a bite to eat at a local sports grill. We watched the first half of the Magic game (in English). The only bummer was that the nanny didn't seem to have control of the house and we were called no less than 8 times. We arrived home at 9:30 p.m. to 2 kids wondering the house and refusing to go to sleep. This would NEVER happen if we were home. The kids seemed to like her, but I am wondering if it is because they were able to manipulate her! LOL! We are going to have her a few more times before our teams come. I'm still not totally convinced she is the woman for us. But hey, she arrived early and she actually arrived!
Today my good friend and running partner, Jenn, comes to visit. I am so excited I can't concentrate. I probably won't be blogging while she is here.
Well, I haven't been on Facebook, or the computer at all, much for about 5 days and I can't tell you how wonderful it has been for me. I feel so free and liberated. When I have time, I want to share with you a testimony about "Facebook" and the internet in general and how God using it's lack of presence in my life to grow and strengthen me.
I am at Starbucks right now planning for my Mom's group (please keep praying) and am about to meet with another missionary woman. We are studying "Becoming God's True Woman" By Nancy Leigh DeMoss. The more I read, the more I see how I continually fall short. I praise Jesus for His grace.
Everyday I am more overwhelmed with the fact that God would choose to use an irritable sinner like me to reach His people. I am so humbled by who I am and who He is. I pray that I can effectively share His love and plan to the women in the south cone. I sincerely mean that!!!
Today my good friend and running partner, Jenn, comes to visit. I am so excited I can't concentrate. I probably won't be blogging while she is here.
Well, I haven't been on Facebook, or the computer at all, much for about 5 days and I can't tell you how wonderful it has been for me. I feel so free and liberated. When I have time, I want to share with you a testimony about "Facebook" and the internet in general and how God using it's lack of presence in my life to grow and strengthen me.
I am at Starbucks right now planning for my Mom's group (please keep praying) and am about to meet with another missionary woman. We are studying "Becoming God's True Woman" By Nancy Leigh DeMoss. The more I read, the more I see how I continually fall short. I praise Jesus for His grace.
Everyday I am more overwhelmed with the fact that God would choose to use an irritable sinner like me to reach His people. I am so humbled by who I am and who He is. I pray that I can effectively share His love and plan to the women in the south cone. I sincerely mean that!!!
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
ALL things baby!
Well, many of the teams that are coming this summer have asked what we need or what they can get us for the baby. I figured it would be easier if I put it on the blog.
Because we had to move from the U.S. to Costa Rica (and could only bring 18 bags) and then from C.R. to here, we have ZERO baby stuff! We have been pricing things here and I almost have an anxiety attack because of the prices and/or quality. It is not like America in that there are NO yard-sales, 2nd hand stores or friends to pass stuff down. Although my good friend Kitty is sending a few goodies with my friend, Jenn and another missionary gave me a few goodies from her baby.
So, we are starting from scratch. I registered at target, but it was before we found out that "it" will be a boy! :) Most stuff is non-gender specific, unfortunately, but it still is a good spectrum of what is needed.
Here is a short list of things we could use:
Towels (2)
crib sheets (yellow, brown, white or green - 3)
Baby blankets (thin and/or thick)
pack-n-play sheets (2)
Playtex ventair bottles (2 or 3)
pacifiers (4)
baby socks
baby clothes (we will be ending winter and going to summer)
baby sleepers (dresses or button up)
desitin, lotions, powders, shampoos, gas drops, baby tylenol
mittins, hats
small baby toys for the hands
The baby's room will be a light/medium bright green! :)
I am sure there is other stuff I am forgetting, but this is all I can think of for now!
Because we had to move from the U.S. to Costa Rica (and could only bring 18 bags) and then from C.R. to here, we have ZERO baby stuff! We have been pricing things here and I almost have an anxiety attack because of the prices and/or quality. It is not like America in that there are NO yard-sales, 2nd hand stores or friends to pass stuff down. Although my good friend Kitty is sending a few goodies with my friend, Jenn and another missionary gave me a few goodies from her baby.
So, we are starting from scratch. I registered at target, but it was before we found out that "it" will be a boy! :) Most stuff is non-gender specific, unfortunately, but it still is a good spectrum of what is needed.
Here is a short list of things we could use:
Towels (2)
crib sheets (yellow, brown, white or green - 3)
Baby blankets (thin and/or thick)
pack-n-play sheets (2)
Playtex ventair bottles (2 or 3)
pacifiers (4)
baby socks
baby clothes (we will be ending winter and going to summer)
baby sleepers (dresses or button up)
desitin, lotions, powders, shampoos, gas drops, baby tylenol
mittins, hats
small baby toys for the hands
The baby's room will be a light/medium bright green! :)
I am sure there is other stuff I am forgetting, but this is all I can think of for now!
Nanny Drama!!!
This Thursday evening, my good friend Jennifer, from St. Cloud, will be flying into visit us. We are thrilled about her visit. She will be staying until late Monday night. It's not a long visit, but just enough to get to spend some quality time with her and show her what we are doing here and also sight-see Lima a little bit. We cannot wait to hug her neck!!
On June 21, our first mission team of 5 will arrive. We have been searching for a reliable Peruvian woman to help watch our children (mostly Jaxson and Avery) while I help with the teams. Parker and Ally usually go with us and help translate and make friends with the teams. I am needed for guidance and translation. Plus, I love being around the teams. They are such a HUGE source of encouragement. Anyway, in the past 2 weeks we have tried 3 different "nineras" (nannies). The first one was wonderful. The kids loved her. She showed up on time. She did a great job. She is a relative of our maid. But at the end of the night she informed us she already had a full-time job and is only available for evenings. Huh? Somehow it wasn't relayed to her that we need someone during the days at certain times during June, July and August (and possibly September when we are packing and moving). So next, we scheduled a lady to come this past Sunday night. After an extensive phone conversation (she is a relative of another maid that works for our mission), things seemed organized and good to go. Well, she never showed up and did not return our phone calls. So that same night, we called a back-up we had been told about. She said she could be here in 2 hours. Her bus broke down and she never made it. It's not that we WANT to go out, we are just trying to find someone as the clock is ticking away. So last night, we tried again with a different lady. She was suppose to arrive at 6 p.m. and showed up at 7:40 p.m. (after I was in my pajamas and ready for bed). John paid her for her bus and sent her home. We can't have someone who arrives almost 2 hours late working for us. So 3 strikes and still no one!
So tonight....take a deep breath.....we are trying our maid's OTHER relative after I run with my friend Isabelle. We won't even be able to head out until after 7:30 p.m., but this is about the only time we have to try someone else because of our friend visiting. John told her if she doesn't show up on time that he will send her home. I'm wondering if she will show up at all. John has spent over 5 hours on the phone with these various women trying to coordinate, give directions, work out pay, etc... and NOTHING has worked out so far even though they seem kind and eager over the phone. Needless to say, he is a little frustrated and stressed.
Life is fun here. You never know what a day will bring forth. We are hoping for the right, temporary, nanny to help us for a little while. We are mainly trying to use women who are relatives of people we know and trust. Maybe today will be the day!!!
In case you are wondering, a nanny here gets paid between $10-$12 a day to work about 11-12 hours. That is the standard rate, even if you go through a fancy agency. Crazy, isn't it?!
On June 21, our first mission team of 5 will arrive. We have been searching for a reliable Peruvian woman to help watch our children (mostly Jaxson and Avery) while I help with the teams. Parker and Ally usually go with us and help translate and make friends with the teams. I am needed for guidance and translation. Plus, I love being around the teams. They are such a HUGE source of encouragement. Anyway, in the past 2 weeks we have tried 3 different "nineras" (nannies). The first one was wonderful. The kids loved her. She showed up on time. She did a great job. She is a relative of our maid. But at the end of the night she informed us she already had a full-time job and is only available for evenings. Huh? Somehow it wasn't relayed to her that we need someone during the days at certain times during June, July and August (and possibly September when we are packing and moving). So next, we scheduled a lady to come this past Sunday night. After an extensive phone conversation (she is a relative of another maid that works for our mission), things seemed organized and good to go. Well, she never showed up and did not return our phone calls. So that same night, we called a back-up we had been told about. She said she could be here in 2 hours. Her bus broke down and she never made it. It's not that we WANT to go out, we are just trying to find someone as the clock is ticking away. So last night, we tried again with a different lady. She was suppose to arrive at 6 p.m. and showed up at 7:40 p.m. (after I was in my pajamas and ready for bed). John paid her for her bus and sent her home. We can't have someone who arrives almost 2 hours late working for us. So 3 strikes and still no one!
So tonight....take a deep breath.....we are trying our maid's OTHER relative after I run with my friend Isabelle. We won't even be able to head out until after 7:30 p.m., but this is about the only time we have to try someone else because of our friend visiting. John told her if she doesn't show up on time that he will send her home. I'm wondering if she will show up at all. John has spent over 5 hours on the phone with these various women trying to coordinate, give directions, work out pay, etc... and NOTHING has worked out so far even though they seem kind and eager over the phone. Needless to say, he is a little frustrated and stressed.
Life is fun here. You never know what a day will bring forth. We are hoping for the right, temporary, nanny to help us for a little while. We are mainly trying to use women who are relatives of people we know and trust. Maybe today will be the day!!!
In case you are wondering, a nanny here gets paid between $10-$12 a day to work about 11-12 hours. That is the standard rate, even if you go through a fancy agency. Crazy, isn't it?!
Sunday, June 7, 2009
WOOHOOO! A fresh ministry vision for Jessica from God!!!!
God has given John and me a fresh vision!
Instead of tutoring on Thursday mornings like I have been, with John's help, I am going to start a Mom's Group in Oasis.
This week we are going to start inviting and spreading the word, as well as coming up with a particular plan on what to teach and then next Thursday I am going to start the group.
This will be a time of encouraging the woman as wives (those who are married) and mothers. We will cover everything from child-rearing, discipline, character-traits to being a Godly mother, wife and woman. We will have coffee and bread and childcare (that would be John) for all of the women who attend. Initially, it will be very small and inimate, but I am hoping it will grow and we can expand it to include activities for kids and maybe even an activity (easy craft) for the mom's. Of course, I can't do this by myself so for now we are sticking with teaching and snacks. The purpose of this is to instill Biblical Truths about womanhood, parenting and marriage into the hearts of these women. Many of them have NEVER been taught the first thing about child-rearing or raising Godly children. The culture here is to have the school system teach your children any and all things. If you know me, then you these subjects are such a passion of mine.
John and I feel very passionate and excited about this and are so sure this is what God is calling us to do. I have been praying for SUCH a long time for how God wants to use me with the specific gifts that He has given me and this was completely John's idea (from God, of course). It's the first ministry opportunity, since we have been here, that I feel confident and eager to do. This is something I can continue to do while the ministry teams are here this summer. It will not take more time away from my family since I am giving up tutoring to start this endeavor and it is something we can continue after the baby is born. And...it will certainly help my Spanish as well as remind me of what I "personally" need to be doing in my home (practicing what I preach, essentially)!! :)
Please be praying about "what" I should teach, who is going to come and that the hearts be open and ready to receive these truths. And please be praying that God would use my bad Spanish to share His love and plans for these people.
I am super, duper thrilled! Thanks for praying. Please continue as we try to get this up and running very quickly! We are counting on God's continued direction!
Instead of tutoring on Thursday mornings like I have been, with John's help, I am going to start a Mom's Group in Oasis.
This week we are going to start inviting and spreading the word, as well as coming up with a particular plan on what to teach and then next Thursday I am going to start the group.
This will be a time of encouraging the woman as wives (those who are married) and mothers. We will cover everything from child-rearing, discipline, character-traits to being a Godly mother, wife and woman. We will have coffee and bread and childcare (that would be John) for all of the women who attend. Initially, it will be very small and inimate, but I am hoping it will grow and we can expand it to include activities for kids and maybe even an activity (easy craft) for the mom's. Of course, I can't do this by myself so for now we are sticking with teaching and snacks. The purpose of this is to instill Biblical Truths about womanhood, parenting and marriage into the hearts of these women. Many of them have NEVER been taught the first thing about child-rearing or raising Godly children. The culture here is to have the school system teach your children any and all things. If you know me, then you these subjects are such a passion of mine.
John and I feel very passionate and excited about this and are so sure this is what God is calling us to do. I have been praying for SUCH a long time for how God wants to use me with the specific gifts that He has given me and this was completely John's idea (from God, of course). It's the first ministry opportunity, since we have been here, that I feel confident and eager to do. This is something I can continue to do while the ministry teams are here this summer. It will not take more time away from my family since I am giving up tutoring to start this endeavor and it is something we can continue after the baby is born. And...it will certainly help my Spanish as well as remind me of what I "personally" need to be doing in my home (practicing what I preach, essentially)!! :)
Please be praying about "what" I should teach, who is going to come and that the hearts be open and ready to receive these truths. And please be praying that God would use my bad Spanish to share His love and plans for these people.
I am super, duper thrilled! Thanks for praying. Please continue as we try to get this up and running very quickly! We are counting on God's continued direction!
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
YEAH God!!!
God is rocking our world once again. On Monday, I received an e-mail from another missionary asking us to go to the zoo with her and another family of 6 that recently arrived here. This missionary was celebrating her 30th Wedding Anniversary, while her husband is in the U.S., and she wanted to be with families on this day. So we all went to Mickey D's and the zoo and had a wonderful time.
Well, our kids made some instantaneous best-friends yesterday. In fact, two of the kids spent the night with us because the kids were so connected and didn't want to leave each other's side. I haven't seen Jackson, Avery and Parker connect like this in a long, long time. The little boy that stayed the night is named Jackson as well and he is 6 (between Parker and Jaxson's age). Both boys loved having him here. And the little girl is 9 and is named Caroline. My Ally is only 7, but is SUPER mature, so these two girls got along perfectly. Their personalities are very similar and they just talked, laughed, giggled and had a wonderful time.
I can't even express the joy that my heart has today knowing that my kids are making more and more friends and are really starting to feel like Peru is their home. God is really working in this area.
BTW- Avery has some great friends too. She loves Elijah and Lukey (it's all she talks about) and she is close with a little girl named Arianna who lives in the S. Cone. They love each other a lot!
And I am making a lot of friends, too! Too many to write about! God is so faithful. I am so glad I wrote that blog awhile back so that you guys could starting praying. Because ever since the prayers started, the friends have been rolling in!!! YEAH!!!!!!
Well, our kids made some instantaneous best-friends yesterday. In fact, two of the kids spent the night with us because the kids were so connected and didn't want to leave each other's side. I haven't seen Jackson, Avery and Parker connect like this in a long, long time. The little boy that stayed the night is named Jackson as well and he is 6 (between Parker and Jaxson's age). Both boys loved having him here. And the little girl is 9 and is named Caroline. My Ally is only 7, but is SUPER mature, so these two girls got along perfectly. Their personalities are very similar and they just talked, laughed, giggled and had a wonderful time.
I can't even express the joy that my heart has today knowing that my kids are making more and more friends and are really starting to feel like Peru is their home. God is really working in this area.
BTW- Avery has some great friends too. She loves Elijah and Lukey (it's all she talks about) and she is close with a little girl named Arianna who lives in the S. Cone. They love each other a lot!
And I am making a lot of friends, too! Too many to write about! God is so faithful. I am so glad I wrote that blog awhile back so that you guys could starting praying. Because ever since the prayers started, the friends have been rolling in!!! YEAH!!!!!!
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
OB Update
Yesterday, I met with my new homeopathic OB, who will deliver the baby at home. She is a German woman that has lived in Peru for well over 20 years. She speaks English, German and Spanish. She runs her own little private clinic, near my house, where women can birth in the clinic. She also delivers babies in the privacy of a woman's home. She has been delivering since 1996.
She spent over an hour and a half with me yesterday (you won't find that in America). She answered all of my questions and I did the same for her. The visit was lovely and I feel very confident that she is the person that should deliver the baby in our home (wherever that might be at the time - LOL). She is exceptionally organized and on top of things. She gave me a list of things I need to do this month and one of them was to run. My last doctor here continually discouraged me from running (which I completely didn't agree with), but this Dr. agrees that it one of the best things for my body and for the baby.
I will see here again in 4 weeks, on June 30 and at that time I will pay for the birth and all of my appointments. The grand total comes to $1,000.00 American dollars for everything. What a great deal, huh?
Everything is still looking great with the baby. I am measuring 22cm for 22 weeks and he had a nice, strong heart-beat. My weight gain is about 12-14 lbs. (depending on what scale I stand on and what I am wearing).
I left the appointment extremely satisfied that FINALLY I had found an English speaking doctor who can give me a homebirth. Don't get me wrong, I loved the other guy too, but he only works in the hospital with a 70% c-section rate.
Thanks for praying for all of this with me. John and I are really at peace and are more excited than ever to welcome our new baby into our home at the end of September, beginning of October! :)
She spent over an hour and a half with me yesterday (you won't find that in America). She answered all of my questions and I did the same for her. The visit was lovely and I feel very confident that she is the person that should deliver the baby in our home (wherever that might be at the time - LOL). She is exceptionally organized and on top of things. She gave me a list of things I need to do this month and one of them was to run. My last doctor here continually discouraged me from running (which I completely didn't agree with), but this Dr. agrees that it one of the best things for my body and for the baby.
I will see here again in 4 weeks, on June 30 and at that time I will pay for the birth and all of my appointments. The grand total comes to $1,000.00 American dollars for everything. What a great deal, huh?
Everything is still looking great with the baby. I am measuring 22cm for 22 weeks and he had a nice, strong heart-beat. My weight gain is about 12-14 lbs. (depending on what scale I stand on and what I am wearing).
I left the appointment extremely satisfied that FINALLY I had found an English speaking doctor who can give me a homebirth. Don't get me wrong, I loved the other guy too, but he only works in the hospital with a 70% c-section rate.
Thanks for praying for all of this with me. John and I are really at peace and are more excited than ever to welcome our new baby into our home at the end of September, beginning of October! :)
Sunday's Race Report
Sunday, I woke up bright and early, 5:45 a.m., to head out for the marathon festivities. I arrived to see between 6-7,000 people getting ready to run. The marathon and half-marathon started at 7 a.m. The start was filled with loud music, in English, and tons of balloons and cheering people. I seriously got teary-eyed watching the start of the marathon. I know how much training and effort goes into running one and it is such a humbling experience to beat your body that way. I was so proud of all of the runners and couldn't help but get choked up knowing that their "big" moment was about to start and all of their effort would finally pay-off.
The 10K started 30 minutes later and was filled with as many people as the half and full-marathon combined. Once again, lots of loud American music, balloons and cheering. Imagine a sea of people in yellow Addidas shirts. Very cool!
The race was a nice course, with bands every mile or say (playing English music), but didn't have a drink station until almost mile 2.5. Although the weather was cool, it was very, very humid (90%) and this made me extremely hot. I felt pretty terrible from mile 2-3, but after a drink and a little walk break, I felt much better. I wasn't able to walk as much as I had hoped because I would've been in the way of other runners. I didn't walk the first mile or the last 2 miles. And when I did walk, it was every five minutes for 1 mile.
Around mile 3.5 I heard some chanting and wasn't sure what it was. I turned around to see at least 1,000 military men/woman jogging in formation. They were slowly catching up to me and I was so sure I would get trampled by them, but I couldn't run any faster to get out of the way. Well, for the last 2 miles, I ended up in the midst of them - ENJOYING EVERY SINGLE MINUTE of it. They were so organized and in perfect formation. They ran as a team and everyone ran the same pace. Now that must be difficult! They had a very good clip going on and were chanting the entire time. Once again, I teared up just praising God for such wonderful motivation, the opportunity to be amongst people serving their country, and because of the awe I had for their dedication and teamwork. They are only as strong as their weakest leak. I appreciated running next to them and it was definitely one of my ALL time favorite race experiences.
I finished up the 6.2 miles in 1:08:03 which is an average pace of 10:58 per mile, 21 minutes slower than my personal best that was set a little over 2 years ago. But this race experience ranks up in my top 5 of ALL-TIME! For me, having a great time and enjoying the race has become so much more important than the time I can finish it in (for now). The entire event was pretty much perfect and such a blessing from our Lord. And to think that a year and a half ago, I couldn't run at all!
Next up, a 7.5K on June 21. :)
The 10K started 30 minutes later and was filled with as many people as the half and full-marathon combined. Once again, lots of loud American music, balloons and cheering. Imagine a sea of people in yellow Addidas shirts. Very cool!
The race was a nice course, with bands every mile or say (playing English music), but didn't have a drink station until almost mile 2.5. Although the weather was cool, it was very, very humid (90%) and this made me extremely hot. I felt pretty terrible from mile 2-3, but after a drink and a little walk break, I felt much better. I wasn't able to walk as much as I had hoped because I would've been in the way of other runners. I didn't walk the first mile or the last 2 miles. And when I did walk, it was every five minutes for 1 mile.
Around mile 3.5 I heard some chanting and wasn't sure what it was. I turned around to see at least 1,000 military men/woman jogging in formation. They were slowly catching up to me and I was so sure I would get trampled by them, but I couldn't run any faster to get out of the way. Well, for the last 2 miles, I ended up in the midst of them - ENJOYING EVERY SINGLE MINUTE of it. They were so organized and in perfect formation. They ran as a team and everyone ran the same pace. Now that must be difficult! They had a very good clip going on and were chanting the entire time. Once again, I teared up just praising God for such wonderful motivation, the opportunity to be amongst people serving their country, and because of the awe I had for their dedication and teamwork. They are only as strong as their weakest leak. I appreciated running next to them and it was definitely one of my ALL time favorite race experiences.
I finished up the 6.2 miles in 1:08:03 which is an average pace of 10:58 per mile, 21 minutes slower than my personal best that was set a little over 2 years ago. But this race experience ranks up in my top 5 of ALL-TIME! For me, having a great time and enjoying the race has become so much more important than the time I can finish it in (for now). The entire event was pretty much perfect and such a blessing from our Lord. And to think that a year and a half ago, I couldn't run at all!
Next up, a 7.5K on June 21. :)
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