Friday, July 30, 2010
Monday, July 26, 2010
Just popped in to say that our team is here from our home church in St. Cloud. I am so glad that we are leaving the same day that they are or we would be so sad staying here once they leave. We are having a great time of ministry.
The baby is now saying "Hola and Ciao" (chow) on a regular basis. He also says mama, dada and it sounds like he tries to mimic other words. But the hola and ciao are incredible! :) We think he is going to be a very early talker. He'll be 10 months on Wednesday.
Hope you all are doing well. So crazy to think that in just a few days our first term in Peru will be over and we will be in sunny Florida.
The baby is now saying "Hola and Ciao" (chow) on a regular basis. He also says mama, dada and it sounds like he tries to mimic other words. But the hola and ciao are incredible! :) We think he is going to be a very early talker. He'll be 10 months on Wednesday.
Hope you all are doing well. So crazy to think that in just a few days our first term in Peru will be over and we will be in sunny Florida.
Saturday, July 17, 2010
Break
We leave in 2 weeks from yesterday. Lots to do and much activity in these days. No time to blog! I will be back in 3-4 weeks! Blessings to you all!
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
waving bye-bye
This morning after I was done feeding the baby, John carried him out of the room for a second. I said, "Bye Bye! Bye Bye!" And I waved my little hand at him. Low and behold, he waved bye-bye back to me and then proceeded to do it on command 3 or 4 more times this morning. I'm going to try to snap a picture of it. It is so precious. So when I say "Bravo" he claps his hands and now when I say "Adios" I hope he will wave good-bye. This morning I went into where he was playing and I said, "Miguel!" He looked right at me and smiled and came to me. He definitely knows he as two names. I think I call him Miguel or Miquelito more than I call him Miles. Such a smart boy and one of the greatest joys of my life.
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
Please pray
http://joshuajoelhunter.blogspot.com/2010/07/up-down-up.html
Please pray for Ava, a 5 year old little girl who was diagnosed with a rare form of brain cancer. She is diagnosed with 12-18 months to live with little hope for successful treatment. I use to work with her father, Josh Hunter. I read his blog from beginning to end and her sickness just came out of nowhere like 3 weeks ago. Please beat down heaven's door for this little girl. She is too young to die.
Please pray for Ava, a 5 year old little girl who was diagnosed with a rare form of brain cancer. She is diagnosed with 12-18 months to live with little hope for successful treatment. I use to work with her father, Josh Hunter. I read his blog from beginning to end and her sickness just came out of nowhere like 3 weeks ago. Please beat down heaven's door for this little girl. She is too young to die.
Goodbye
This morning at 9 a.m. our fired empleada showed up to beg for her job back. It was so sad. She was crying so much and then I started crying and then John was about to tear up. It is so hard to have tough love at times when you know it is hurting someone, but yet at the same time know that it is the best for everyone involved. She was crying so hard, it just broke my heart. We affirmed our love for her over and over, but we also had to discuss the events that led up to our decision (which by the way we had already repeatedly discussed). She took full responsibility, which is a rare thing in this culture. If you think it's hard firing someone in English, I can assure you it is 20X harder in a foreign tongue.
One of the things that I was thinking was that we have now had 3 empleadas. 2 of which we have had to let go for different reasons. And everytime we have always ended things on good terms with lots of hugs and kisses. Our workers spend about 16-24 hours weekly in our home, so they see the inner workings of EVERYTHING - the good and the bad. The fact that Maria was so sad to leave our family is, in my mind, a testimony to the Glory of Christ in our Home. It is often not easy to live set apart or differently than the rest of the world. My prayer has always been that our workers would enjoy being here and that they would feel the love we have for one another and for them. As sad as it was to see her sadness, I knew that God had been glorified over the past year that she worked for us or else she would've left with her middle finger up while slammin' the door and dusting the dirt off of her shoes. I feel like a failure on so many levels every single day as a Christian. Even letting her go made me feel like a failure, but at the same time I could truly see that it was the best decision and also that we had been really good to her and God was given honor through her time here. And in some small way that helps ease the sadness.
***Please pray for Maria as she is going through a lot right now and needs direction as well as a stable job. She currently has two other homes she works for so it is not like she is without work completely.
One of the things that I was thinking was that we have now had 3 empleadas. 2 of which we have had to let go for different reasons. And everytime we have always ended things on good terms with lots of hugs and kisses. Our workers spend about 16-24 hours weekly in our home, so they see the inner workings of EVERYTHING - the good and the bad. The fact that Maria was so sad to leave our family is, in my mind, a testimony to the Glory of Christ in our Home. It is often not easy to live set apart or differently than the rest of the world. My prayer has always been that our workers would enjoy being here and that they would feel the love we have for one another and for them. As sad as it was to see her sadness, I knew that God had been glorified over the past year that she worked for us or else she would've left with her middle finger up while slammin' the door and dusting the dirt off of her shoes. I feel like a failure on so many levels every single day as a Christian. Even letting her go made me feel like a failure, but at the same time I could truly see that it was the best decision and also that we had been really good to her and God was given honor through her time here. And in some small way that helps ease the sadness.
***Please pray for Maria as she is going through a lot right now and needs direction as well as a stable job. She currently has two other homes she works for so it is not like she is without work completely.
Monday, July 12, 2010
A new empleada
We had to let our house helper go on Friday. It was a hard decision that she made quite easy by her choices. You guys know how much I love her, so that made it a little sad.
Anyway, we have a new woman, Mary, starting tomorrow and she will work for rus 2 days a week until we leave and then once a week while we are gone and others are living here and then she will be our empleada once we return. She also cooks and came with glowing recommendations, a superior "I can" attitude and a personality that is full of life. The kids loved her already. I am so thankful that we found someone so quickly and it's like there wasn't even a lapse in time. Did I mention she cooks? Now we don't want to go back to Florida so that we can stay and enjoy her yummy Peruvian meals.
My friend, Angela, who lives in this neighborhood hooked me up with Mary and even the days she is available are exactly what we need. So thankful!
Anyway, we have a new woman, Mary, starting tomorrow and she will work for rus 2 days a week until we leave and then once a week while we are gone and others are living here and then she will be our empleada once we return. She also cooks and came with glowing recommendations, a superior "I can" attitude and a personality that is full of life. The kids loved her already. I am so thankful that we found someone so quickly and it's like there wasn't even a lapse in time. Did I mention she cooks? Now we don't want to go back to Florida so that we can stay and enjoy her yummy Peruvian meals.
My friend, Angela, who lives in this neighborhood hooked me up with Mary and even the days she is available are exactly what we need. So thankful!
Grace.....oih how I need you?
I am still in shock over my language evaluation. It's quite amazing, actually. All I can say is "Thank you, Jesus."
Right now, I am going through something extremely personal that I cannot publish on my blog. It has shaken me in a way that it should not. It has really got me thinking about the verse that says, "Your grace is sufficient for me."
As a Christian woman, I have a hard time living in grace and letting it just be enough. What if everything in my life completely fell apart, would the grace that God has extended to me, through faith in Christ, be enough to sustain me? It should be. But sadly enough, this situation has squeezed me and I see that at moments it definitely is not enough for me. Why not? I am shaken to my core in a way that just brings me to tears and sadness. And if you knew the situation, you might even laugh and say it's not that bad. But it feels like the biggest deal in the entire world, right now, and I am having the most difficult time experiencing God's peace and comfort. I feel guilty that it is ALL my fault and I have this image of God shaking his finger at me in disgust.
Anyway, I have to reconcile this situation to my faith and truly receive God's grace, live in it and experience the peace that comes from knowing no matter what happens in this lifetime, that it is all so temporal and something better is promised to me in the future. Once I figure out how to do that successfully and actually do it, I will surely let you know. :)
We have a busy day around here, so I need to get going.
Right now, I am going through something extremely personal that I cannot publish on my blog. It has shaken me in a way that it should not. It has really got me thinking about the verse that says, "Your grace is sufficient for me."
As a Christian woman, I have a hard time living in grace and letting it just be enough. What if everything in my life completely fell apart, would the grace that God has extended to me, through faith in Christ, be enough to sustain me? It should be. But sadly enough, this situation has squeezed me and I see that at moments it definitely is not enough for me. Why not? I am shaken to my core in a way that just brings me to tears and sadness. And if you knew the situation, you might even laugh and say it's not that bad. But it feels like the biggest deal in the entire world, right now, and I am having the most difficult time experiencing God's peace and comfort. I feel guilty that it is ALL my fault and I have this image of God shaking his finger at me in disgust.
Anyway, I have to reconcile this situation to my faith and truly receive God's grace, live in it and experience the peace that comes from knowing no matter what happens in this lifetime, that it is all so temporal and something better is promised to me in the future. Once I figure out how to do that successfully and actually do it, I will surely let you know. :)
We have a busy day around here, so I need to get going.
Sunday, July 11, 2010
Espana Gano!!!!!
YEAH! Miles' team won the world cup. He was so happy he poohed his pants. Oh wait, that didn't have anything to do with his team winning. :)
He sported his Espana shirt all day and looked as cute as ever in it. I sure am glad that out of 5 shirts, one that I chose won the whole series. And the fact that it is a Spanish speaking country makes it even better.
Woohooo Espana!
He sported his Espana shirt all day and looked as cute as ever in it. I sure am glad that out of 5 shirts, one that I chose won the whole series. And the fact that it is a Spanish speaking country makes it even better.
Woohooo Espana!
Saturday, July 10, 2010
Discipline
Discipline. I need more discipline in my life. Not the kind of discipline you give to your children when they disobey, but the type of discipline that develops good habits and keeps you on the right track.
Discipline like:
Waking up early to be with God everyday.
Going to bed earlier so that I can wake up early to be with God everyday.
Spending deliberate time with each kid.
Being disciplined in my eating and exercise and not all over the map with it.
Being purposeful in speaking the name of Jesus from lips.
Being intentional about sharing what God has rescued me from and praising him more to others (not just on my blog).
Keeping my mouth shut when I ought to.
And being disciplined enough to do hard things that are good for my life.
The most successful people in the world, I guarantee you, are not lazy or purposeless. They are the exact opposite and every day has a purpose for them. I know what my purpose is, but I am definitely not intentional everyday. I am praying, today, that God will make me more focused, intentional, disciplined and obedient on ALL levels.
He will die for lack of discipline, led astray by his own great folly. (Proverbs 5:23)
No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it. (Hebrews 12:11)
Discipline like:
Waking up early to be with God everyday.
Going to bed earlier so that I can wake up early to be with God everyday.
Spending deliberate time with each kid.
Being disciplined in my eating and exercise and not all over the map with it.
Being purposeful in speaking the name of Jesus from lips.
Being intentional about sharing what God has rescued me from and praising him more to others (not just on my blog).
Keeping my mouth shut when I ought to.
And being disciplined enough to do hard things that are good for my life.
The most successful people in the world, I guarantee you, are not lazy or purposeless. They are the exact opposite and every day has a purpose for them. I know what my purpose is, but I am definitely not intentional everyday. I am praying, today, that God will make me more focused, intentional, disciplined and obedient on ALL levels.
He will die for lack of discipline, led astray by his own great folly. (Proverbs 5:23)
No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it. (Hebrews 12:11)
Friday, July 9, 2010
Drum roll please....language evaluation results
Have you ever heard of the song by Rebecca Saint James that goes like this?.....
"God.....truly God!"
The language results are in and I echo those words. God....truly God!
John and I BOTH received Advanced High scores. Advanced HIGH! The next step is superior which will take several more years. It was fully expected that John would make Advanced High, but me? No way. The evaluation they use is for ALL languages and is recognized by the United Nations. So it's not just something the IMB made up.
All I can say is that God showed up in a big way and that he rewarded me for focusing on my family and not my language. I tried very hard to not sacrifice my children on the alter of ministry or language.
What does all this mean? We are free! We met the IMB's requirements for language learning and we NEVER have to take another language evaluation again. Never!!!
I'm skipping and hopping and jumping around like a little kid (not as I type this, of course) with my hands held high. God....truly God!
"God.....truly God!"
The language results are in and I echo those words. God....truly God!
John and I BOTH received Advanced High scores. Advanced HIGH! The next step is superior which will take several more years. It was fully expected that John would make Advanced High, but me? No way. The evaluation they use is for ALL languages and is recognized by the United Nations. So it's not just something the IMB made up.
All I can say is that God showed up in a big way and that he rewarded me for focusing on my family and not my language. I tried very hard to not sacrifice my children on the alter of ministry or language.
What does all this mean? We are free! We met the IMB's requirements for language learning and we NEVER have to take another language evaluation again. Never!!!
I'm skipping and hopping and jumping around like a little kid (not as I type this, of course) with my hands held high. God....truly God!
Thursday, July 8, 2010
Miles
I need to snap some photos of Mile's skin condition. It is not improving. We went to the doctor yesterday and we saw the dermatologist and pediatrician and they both have differing opinions to what the source of the problem is. I am more apt to follow the ped. since he is more homeopathic and I have such a great history with him over the past 2 years. I will surely miss the doctors here. I am dreading American healthcare. Anyway, if you could pray that God would give us wisdom how to best treat it and for little Miles, I would greatly appreciate it.
We are leaving in 3 weeks. I can hardly believe. I am filled with anticipation and excitement. It is surreal that after so many years of waiting for this day that it is right around the corner.
I kind of through homeschooling out the window until we get settled in the states. It is too difficult to transition, do everything that needs to be done and homeschool. I want homeschooling to be a pleasant experience for all of us.
Well, I am still waiting on our language results. Hopefully we will receive them today or tomorrow. I will let you know when/what I find out.
We are leaving in 3 weeks. I can hardly believe. I am filled with anticipation and excitement. It is surreal that after so many years of waiting for this day that it is right around the corner.
I kind of through homeschooling out the window until we get settled in the states. It is too difficult to transition, do everything that needs to be done and homeschool. I want homeschooling to be a pleasant experience for all of us.
Well, I am still waiting on our language results. Hopefully we will receive them today or tomorrow. I will let you know when/what I find out.
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
Very thankful that the language eval is over. I think I actually did very well. I am hoping for an advanced low. 2 years ago I was an advanced medium. My friend, Angela, who is also a missionary told me that if I go down a level than that is actually a good thing because it is an indicator that I am focusing on my family. :) I like that kind of thinking. I should know by the end of the week and I will be sure to inform you once I receive the results. John said he didn't do very well.
Also, will you please pray for this little girl named, Ava. I use to go to church with her father and we also worked together at Northland Community Church. His father is the pastor at that mega-church. Anyway, his five year old daughter got a really bad headache and it turned out to be a cancerous brain tumor. She has a very rare condition that is fatal. My heart is aching for them. Please pray for them. You can follow them on their journey here....
Pray for Ava
This has reminded me of how fleeting life is and how tomorrow is not guaranteed. I want to cherish every moment with me kids, which is why I need to sign off now. Thanks for praying and have a great day!
Also, will you please pray for this little girl named, Ava. I use to go to church with her father and we also worked together at Northland Community Church. His father is the pastor at that mega-church. Anyway, his five year old daughter got a really bad headache and it turned out to be a cancerous brain tumor. She has a very rare condition that is fatal. My heart is aching for them. Please pray for them. You can follow them on their journey here....
Pray for Ava
This has reminded me of how fleeting life is and how tomorrow is not guaranteed. I want to cherish every moment with me kids, which is why I need to sign off now. Thanks for praying and have a great day!
Monday, July 5, 2010
Parker Again
Since my last post, I have finished almost all of the Narnia collection besides one of the books. The last one is called the Last Battle and it is the last book. And I finished The Hobbit. Umm, I don't think it is the most appropriate book ever for like five and six year olds. I think my sister Ally would have nightmares. Seriously. I like it a lot, a lot, a lot.....AAAAAA LLLLOOOOOOTTT! I am excited that I am going to finish the last book because my mom said after I finish the collection, I can watch the movie with her and my dad. The only thing is that my brothers and sisters are not allowed to watch it. I like your comments on my last blog.
I forgot to tell you that I have read Charlotte's Web like 4 or 5 times. It is a good book, too!
From, Parker
I forgot to tell you that I have read Charlotte's Web like 4 or 5 times. It is a good book, too!
From, Parker
language evaluation
My language evaluation is in 3 hours. I am really nervous.
Yesterday, John played Mr. Mom and I spent 14 hours with the mission team. I was la jefe (the boss) for the day) while we did door to door invitations, a small VBS for about 20 kids and a small Church service for about 15 adults. I think I did a decent job. We had a great day and it was good to switch roles for a change. That is the first time we have ever done that. I REALLY needed it!
Did I mention my language evaluation is in 3 hours? UGH!
We are celebrating the 4th of July TODAY with a bunch of Americans. I would be looking forward to it if I didn't have to have this eval. first. :) I hope we have a ton of fun celebrating America's independence in Peru. That seems kind of strange.
Anyway, off to take a shower, have a quiet time, drink some coffee and prep for this evaluation. I hope my tongue is NOT tangled today.
Yesterday, John played Mr. Mom and I spent 14 hours with the mission team. I was la jefe (the boss) for the day) while we did door to door invitations, a small VBS for about 20 kids and a small Church service for about 15 adults. I think I did a decent job. We had a great day and it was good to switch roles for a change. That is the first time we have ever done that. I REALLY needed it!
Did I mention my language evaluation is in 3 hours? UGH!
We are celebrating the 4th of July TODAY with a bunch of Americans. I would be looking forward to it if I didn't have to have this eval. first. :) I hope we have a ton of fun celebrating America's independence in Peru. That seems kind of strange.
Anyway, off to take a shower, have a quiet time, drink some coffee and prep for this evaluation. I hope my tongue is NOT tangled today.
Saturday, July 3, 2010
I have all the kids books for our upcoming homeschooling year. We did manage to get in 2 days this week. This next week will be absolutely crazy with busyness. And unfortunately, it is not stuff I can get rid of. It is things that HAVE to be done before we leave. One of them being my language evaluation (yes, AGAIN) on Monday morning via Skype. I will be doing it with Rebecca Alexander (for you IMB folks). I am glad to be doing it with her instead of a stranger, but I'm not so sure how it will go over on Skype. We'll see.
John is with the team ALL day today until 11 p.m. tonight. Tomorrow night I am taking the girls to a special place that they ate at last year called Crepes y Wafles. It is so delicious.
I am a bit bummed to find out that our raise will not start for several months. If you can believe it, there are things we have not yet completed for the IMB. I am so tired beyond belief of their checklists and things to do and never ending "requirements." So, we will be living off of like $1,5000 a month (for a family of 7 because every "unit" makes the same no matter how many kids they have) in the states or something ridiculously low like that. In all of our busyness, I am going to try to have to figure out, all over again, how to eat cheap in the states. It is so stressful to move from place to place and figure out how to shop and cook, to save money and feed a large family on a tight budget. I know it can be done because I have a friend who does it. I just have to gear up for it. Thank goodness for Wal-mart and Publix.
Well, I better get off the computer and stop escaping the reality that is screaming (that would be my kids :), all around me. Love em! HAve a great Saturday!!!
John is with the team ALL day today until 11 p.m. tonight. Tomorrow night I am taking the girls to a special place that they ate at last year called Crepes y Wafles. It is so delicious.
I am a bit bummed to find out that our raise will not start for several months. If you can believe it, there are things we have not yet completed for the IMB. I am so tired beyond belief of their checklists and things to do and never ending "requirements." So, we will be living off of like $1,5000 a month (for a family of 7 because every "unit" makes the same no matter how many kids they have) in the states or something ridiculously low like that. In all of our busyness, I am going to try to have to figure out, all over again, how to eat cheap in the states. It is so stressful to move from place to place and figure out how to shop and cook, to save money and feed a large family on a tight budget. I know it can be done because I have a friend who does it. I just have to gear up for it. Thank goodness for Wal-mart and Publix.
Well, I better get off the computer and stop escaping the reality that is screaming (that would be my kids :), all around me. Love em! HAve a great Saturday!!!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
