Reflection of God

One year ago today, I was struggling to cook black beans and was rescued by Priscila!
Today........
I spent time going over my lists for Boys Camp which starts on Friday. For two years, I have not been involved and I feel quite out of it! We have twenty two boys this year.  We are praying for the boys and their leaders that it will be a time of growing closer to God as they camp, hike, canoe and enjoy His creation.
What is a day of life in north Idaho like?  One day last week .... Jared came rushing in from the chicken house yelling for a gun. There was a skunk in the chicken house. We rushed out and I let him shoot the skunk. After this, I had to take a shower before leaving for Sandpoint to begin the job of buying food for Boys Camp. I filled one cart full, took it out to my car and returned to the store for another cart load. By the time I got home, it was late afternoon. It was a hot day and so Vernon and Jared and I went and jumped in the creek. It was so refreshing in spite of the clouds of mosquito's. The rains have helped produce a bumper crop of the pests! The creek is still too high for good swimming for Jared, but any time in the water is just great with him.  Jeremy and Janice came over for the evening. We had a good time with them. Janice and the girls stayed here for the night because we were having a birthday party for Janice the next day with friends. Jeana went to Newport with Jeremy since she was going to be working over there  for a day. That was one day in Idaho that flew by.
While I have been working on these things, I have been thinking of a life that reflects God. Do I have times that I 'park' God while I do what I want to do and then pick Him up again when I am finished? If I am a reflection of God, then there can be no such thing as "parking ' God.  I pray I will be a clear reflection of Him all the time, in all I do!

Habits and Weeds

Saturday morning we were out in the garden trying to get control of all the weeds that have been flourishing and multiplying the past two summers! Jared, being the youngest, was stuck with the small hoe that didn't work the best. He tried many different angles to diplomatically talk the rest of us into switching hoes. His 'hard hearted' sisters only informed him that he can use what he has.  The garden truly was a carpet of green, but we got it done even though the soil was still plenty wet. I had to think of how the weeds resemble habits! Leave a bad habit grow and it takes over our space and leaches the good out of our lives, as well as rippling out to affect those around us! I should take a habit check every time I work in my garden.
 Today is such a beautiful day! The sound of the creek, the wind in the trees, the sun highlighting the many shades of green, and then best of all, to have family to enjoy it with! Summer in Idaho is beautiful!

This is the Day the Lord Hath Made!

After days of rain and cold, very cold for the month of June, I have begun to thank God for the rain, the cold and the clouds! It keeps my attitude in better shape. When I follow that thought through, it is God who allows the coldness to come into our day, but it first comes through His hand! If it's okay with Him, it's okay with me.
I feel like I am sitting at the feet of Jesus today. He poured His love into my soul. For a few weeks I have been thinking a lot about passion for God and asking myself the question, "what is my passion?" This morning, our pastor began to speak and he said, "I am going to ask the question, what is our passion?" !! I felt like God was saying, "I love you, I have been listening to you and I am speaking to you through my word and through this man who is allowing me to use Him." Am I excited about serving God? Is serving God important to me? Is the Bible interesting to me, and if not, why not?  I have been challenged to renew my commitment to living passionately for Christ.

Enjoying Life!

When I looked out my window early this morning there were dark angry clouds boiling down over the mountain tops. It looked like rain would be falling any minute. Today was garden planting day and so I was thrilled when the clouds gave way to chilly wind and sun. Vernon tilled my garden one more time and I looked out the window in time to see Jared spinning and leaping and racing through the soft, freshly tilled dirt. He came bounding into the house for some dirt toys and said,"oh mom, I am having so much fun"! I decided footprints in my nicely tilled soil wouldn't hurt. I was just as excited as Jared and since the girls were working, Vernon helped get the garden planted. It was a special time and one I won't forget.... Jared 'helping' Vernon make the rows, putting the seeds in and then covering them, laughing as Jared raced from one end of the garden to the other...it has been a wonderful day! I even saved the last row for a flower row! We can't eat them but they will be a feast for my eyes!
This past weekend we went camping with Jeremy's. The week had been so rainy and chilly, we kept debating about whether we should go. Finally we decided to go, rain or shine. We got to our camp spot on Priest Lake and it was a great place! The campground was almost empty so we had lots of privacy. It was quite cold and we kept a nice fire going and had taken warm clothes along, but by Monday morning, we had sunshine and fairly warm. Sitting around the campfire laughing and talking with Jeremy and Janice and spending time with our granddaughters was so special! It was a wonderful time and we all enjoyed it so much. We missed Justin's and talked of trying to go camping with them when they come out to visit. I had to wonder what our Guatemalan friends would think of us - loading up clothes, food and bedding; boats, fishing poles and games, and heading out to a campground to sit around a campfire and cook over a campfire! They would probably scratch their heads at one more strange 'gringo' activity! I don't think I have ever camped on Memorial weekend before. It always seemed like a good weekend to avoid camping.  I thought of the meaning of the weekend, a time to remember those who have died. I think if Jon could talk to us he would say that spending the weekend treasuring and enjoying family is a beautiful way to honor his memory.

Hello Walls!

Ahhh the north lands! We are officially home! What a feeling to walk into our house that has thick walls, no 'glass house' effect here! The house looked beautiful, spacious, and welcoming. We walked in and closed the door. I have thought about these thick walls. They provide warmth and protection, but they can also give an opportunity to close the door and close others out. Am I going to become someone who retreats behind walls or am I going to live open and honest about who I am and who God wants me to be? Living in a 'glass house' doesn't give options  to 'put on a front'. I don't believe God wants masks. I believe He wants honesty, openness, and humility. That is something I can be, regardless of the house I am living in.
 The air is cold, the weather has been varied, snowflakes falling, rain and mud and a bit of sun. I have been very cold and have been diligent in keeping a fire going in the wood stove. It is a wonderful cozy warmth.
 How does a person answer questions about how we are doing, are we glad to be back, what was our most terrifying experience?
Coming back to all things familiar has left me feeling like I am floundering, feeling like I should feel relationally connected to all my friends, yet, there seems to be this vacuum,10 months of  living in two different worlds. I realize it will take time and effort to connect. Who said things like this are easy? Easy, no, but important and necessary, yes!

Farewell!

It's over, done, finished,terminada....or is it? We have said our tearful goodbyes and gazed out of the plane window till Guatemala disappeared from sight, and so that window of our lives has closed, but over? No, nothing can erase the memories and the love for the ones we told goodbye to. When we talk about Guatemala City traffic, there is a panoramic film that flashes across my mind, buses smoking their way along the streets, people, multitudes of people walking, talking, buying food from the many vendors who have their little stands set up, traffic police with shrill whistles waving us  on, color, vibrant colors everywhere. When I hear names,like  Marta, it is not just a name, she is a person with a wonderful sense of humor, a kind heart, a hard worker who never and I mean never complains, and someone who is serving the Lord no matter who else chooses not to! It was very hard to say goodbye! Every time I walked into the kitchen and saw Ruth, Elba and Marta, putting off their work to cook one more special lunch for us, empanadas and fresh pineapple, I would start crying and had to laugh at myself at the same time! Isn't God good? When we got to Guatemala, I believed God would be with us and give us strength to survive, now I can look back and see how He poured out blessings to full and overflowing! I can't find words to describe the kindness and love that was so graciously extended to us! If we don't see each other again here on earth, we will see each other in Heaven. Now we are back in the states, slowly making our way home. We are in SC, having a good time visiting Vernon's family for a few days, and then heading to CO to visit our son and his wife. Spring is here in the south, the dogwoods are blooming and mushrooms keep pulling Vernon into the woods. He found one. Today there is fishing on the 'to do' list. A lot of excited boys and men!
So, the thought for the day........ embrace the day, it will never come again!

Count Down!

Our days in Guatemala are numbered! We are trying to get a lot of work done, savor the last days, and hold on to budding friendships even as we feel the tug of separation. In the midst of all this I find myself looking ahead to the special people who are waiting for us in the states! The days are flying by! Monday, Vernon and Jeana went to the dentist and Jeana had 4 wisdom teeth cut out. Yesterday, Jeana told me she learned a new word in Spanish, 'ardilla'. She must have looked in the mirror! I love humor and a person can handle a lot of things if they can laugh. We had a fun day on Tuesday taking the school children on a special school day. We piled every one into the van and went to the Children's Museum. It is great place with hands on science, activities and lots of fun things to do. From making huge bubbles and standing inside a bubble, to wall climbing, and fighting their way through the germ jungle, to name a few things. After a picnic lunch we headed home and got to relax a bit. It was a beautiful, hot sunny day and we savored the warmth and wondered how chilly we will be when we get back to Idaho. This afternoon, our family and Danny Beachys family went to zone one, one more 'last' thing to do together. We were impressed with ourselves. We left at 2:15, went to 2 fabric stores and the tourist market and were back home for supper by 5:30!!! It was fun to be together and we are going to miss them when we leave. Tonight we all worked together to knot 2 quilts that Sharon and her mom had been working on. It was live comedy for some of the time. Put Vernon, Craig, Tristan, Lee, and Edy in front of a quilt, trying to thread needles and tie knots, it's bound to be funny. I wish I could have taken a picture of Vernon and Edy, the intense look of concentration on their faces as they tried to force a thread through a small needle. It took them quite a while. We really did appreciate the help and now we can relax a bit and I can finish this blog I started writing on Monday! Jared is racing around trying to catch one of the new vs boys. Jared is on the rip stick and Lee is on a bike. I am hearing yells, laughing and one time a loud crash that I didn't investigate because I heard Jared and knew he was ok! :) Tomorrow is a farewell party for our family and Sharon since we are both leaving next week. I suggested we go awol. It is very sweet of our friends to go to so much work, but I am afraid I will cry. I guess that's ok. Thought for the day, "If it matters to you, it matters to Him". I know these last days are important to God even more than they are to me! Go ahead tears, come if you must! I wouldn't trade the privilege of learning to know so many wonderful people just to escape the pain of having to say goodbye!

Dying from Laughter?

Can a person ever die from laughing? Last night I was wondering. Vernon and I were reading some great books by Dr. Robert Leslie about his experiences as an emergency room doctor. The author is a gifted writer and there were sad stories we cried over and some  we laughed at, but the final story was just too much! We wept and howled with laughter and it took a long time to finish the story because we were trying to read through the tears. Isn't funny how comical we can look with our faces all stretched out of shape as we try to open our eyes wider so we can see past the tears? I woke up this morning feeling very healthy! It just goes to prove that the Bible does have all the answers! It even talks about how good laughter is for us!
Vernon is headed to the bus station to pick up the girls. They did a quick bus trip to Santa Rosita 'once more', and got to tell the village people, as well as the workers, goodbye. This week looks full. We have guests coming and going and I think we will have a lot of people around here for the next two weeks. Pray for us that we do the most important things first! Hasta Luega.

All Days are Special, Some More Than Others!

Today was a special day. Jeana and Elba had a birthday. The day started early. Vernon had get up at 5 and head for the airport to pick up someone. Jody and I made breakfast; eggs, beans and tortillas. It felt like a disorganized morning. Craig and Linden were trying to get home for breakfast after doing Brian's chores, but were caught in traffic. We finally sat down to eat half hour late and then the boys finally came in and a bit later Vernon got back. Jeana didn't hear Jody call her and so she slept in. We were finished eating and here Jeana was in her room waiting to hear the breakfast bell and she sent Jared over to tell me that she would be glad to help if I needed help! Needless to say, she felt a bit sheepish when she came in to the kitchen and we all started to laugh and  sing happy birthday. We do have clocks in our house, a person just needs to look at them! We had a fun time singing this morning. We had sang a few songs for our morning devotion and some how we just kept going. It sounded so pretty and was a great way to get the unorganized morning going! The rest of the morning was a rush of getting food ready for our birthday lunch. Vernon left early with the grill so he could get it going. It was quite a job to get the grill down the hill to the area we wanted.  At 11:00 the rest of us headed out  to 'our' park., our  green oasis not far from the concrete jungle we live in. In 'our' park, the air is fresh and we are surrounded by green trees and beautiful flowers. By the time we arrived, Vernon was done grilling. We had steak from the states that Craig brought down in his luggage, and potato salad and cabbage salad. Que rico!! For dessert, Elba chose pound cake with fresh strawberries and milk and Jeana chose fruit pizza. Muchisimo deliciosio. (pardon my spelling) The weather was chilly and rainy, but we had a wonderful time eating, laughing and making everyone ride the zip line before they could have dessert. It truly was a special day!

What a life!

Sunday, a day of rest.... Brian preached about this and he talked of how we can have rest in God. He is the one who carries our fears and worries.... when we allow Him to! I did get to have a relaxing afternoon and it was a special treat because by 5 pm we had guests coming in for the night. We fed about 29 people. I made a big pot of chili with corn bread. One of the guests politely allowed me to flounder through my 'spanish' welcome and details of what the food was and where he was to sleep, then later I heard him talking in perfect English!!!
It is wonderful to have our girls back with us again. The week was very busy and there are undone jobs waiting for this coming week! Jared was a flexible student, bless his heart, and some days we did school in the big kitchen while I cooked, some days it was in his class room while I finished painting the doors and trim in the room close by. Some days it was in segments... do math..go to market....do language...wait for mom to get the laundry hung up.........This week is off to a more organized start! Actually, I woke up at 3:30 am to make breakfast for 13 of our guests who had to leave early to catch a plane. A good travelling breakfast of atol, granola, bananas and cinnamon rolls. After my early morning, I had most of the laundry ready to hang on the line by 7am. I could have fit in with those Amish ladies who have their wash flapping on the line before breakfast. :) 
One thing that happens every day down here is the ringing of the bell and a request for 'comida, por favor'. How does a person know who is really hungry and who is getting a free lunch on their way home from work at the factory? There are a few 'regulars' who come every day. I wish I could share the salvation story along with the food!
The March calender is up on the wall and our names are on it! 'Vernon's saldran :(' Talk about mixed feelings! We have a lot of things to do yet, work wise and fun wise, not sure how to fit it all in. Vernon and some of the children went to the dentist today and looks like we have some dental work to do before we go home. Jeana needs her wisdom teeth taken out. She is not impressed since she HATES going to the dentist. Tomorrow is a big day. It is Jeana's birthday and also Elbas birthday. We are having a special lunch and surprising them both with a plan to go to the park and grill and eat and have a great time! I am hoping to get some more rooms painted this week. Maybe I should just tell someone to hit me over the head now before I start! I always question the 'why' of more painting, but it is so rewarding when the ugly old paint is all covered up! Tonight I told Jared to sweep for me and I could see this lethargic wilt come over him and the broom handle became so heavy! He got more energy when I gave him a time limit. I need to go spend some time with him.
Feliz Noche!

Another Week

Life in this glass house has been rushing on. The first weekend of February, I was sick and heard the days go by while laying in my bed. I felt vulnerable, laying there, feeling like I didn't want to move, talk or look at anything. In a few days I was feeling better but I am still fighting my way to feeling totally well again! Good health is such a wonderful blessing!
Over the past week we have had a lot of guests. We had some work days like canning quarts of salsa, tomato juice cocktail and tomato soup. The next day, we painted the houseparent bedroom and bathroom. It was an all day job but looks so much better. I have the doors and trim to paint yet and Vernon has to fix the floor and then we can get it all set up. We again had a full house over the weekend. Saturdays always seem to go by at high speed, and I have forgotten how it feels to have a Saturday to do my own thing :). Saturday night at 11:00pm, Vernon and I got a call to see if we could take a woman to the hospital. She had been real sick for a few days and had a lot of pain. So we headed out into the city. We made sure we had a spare tire and we prayed for safety. The streets were dark and quite empty. There were groups of people walking and a few loners who were carrying big liquor bottles and I wondered if it was a drink or a weapon. We picked up the woman and her daughters and headed for a hospital in Trebol. It didn't seem like they saw gringos there very often especially at that time of night. I helped the daughter walk her mother to the gate and then went back to the van to wait with Vernon. After the women came back out they said that they had been told she probably had appendicitis, but she would have to wait a long time to get help because they were working on so many gunshot people right then. We decided to try another hospital and headed to zone one. It is one thing to drive down to zone one late at night when you can go to the bus, get passengers and head back home. This time we were parked along a dark street with men wandering back and forth. We sat by the curb for a few hours while the women were in the hospital. One time I woke up to see a man come up to our window and plaster his face against it. We 'slept' on, ignoring him. It was comforting to know that God was there watching over us. The diagnosis was different this time. The examination showed it was her blood sugar and her kidneys were being affected. We got back to the mission at 3:30am. The woman was feeling a bit better by 9:00am and we took the three women back home. I realized all over again how fortunate we are to have a God we can have a relationship with and who we can trust in. As we sat at the hospital a woman came out crying with such a hopeless cry for her 'papa'. Life is hard and yet how desolate and empty it is when we don't know God or turn to him for help.
This week looks interesting. The girls are in Antigua for Spanish school and Sharon is in El Salvador!
We were a small group for supper, total of 10! I am schooling Jared and it will be a challenge to keep up with that and my work. I guess what doesn't get done today will be there tomorrow.......waiting.

What would I do different?

What if I was living life, doing things my way and serving God enough that I would be sure He would be satisfied, but  my personal interests would be number one? What if I was told I have cancer and it is terminal and there is nothing to be done? What if I was 16 years old?  What value would the things I thought so important have? What would really matter? When the layers are peeled away, the Only thing that matters is... the destiny of my soul. Is God most important or am I? Sounds so simple! Yet how far reaching the consequences! God doesn't 'put' us in heaven or hell, We Choose Where We Want to Go!!
Last night, a father and son came in for the night. They left for the hospital early in the morning. The father and son heard the news that he has a non treatable cancer and his life expectancy looks short. The young man is 16 years old........What would I do different?

Another Day

Did you ever hear the saying, "a watched pot never boils"? Try applying that to red beans! Today was reunion de pastors, and I was making supper for about 28 people. The menu was my made up, use whats left over, and stretch it to feed a big group menu. I made a chili soup with left over black beans, cooked rice to put the soup on and then had tortillas to go with it. Dessert was left over strawberry danish and vanilla pudding. I was cooking the food and found out there were more guests than I had planned for, so, I quick cooked some red beans to add to the bean filled chili. I kept watching that pressure cooker and willing it to cook harder and hotter. Three minutes before meal time, I added the slightly chewy beans to the chili and served the meal. I got some Guate compliments on my good rice, but the gringo beans were a bit of a stretch! I enjoy seeing the variety of people who come through here. Some of the pastors have life stories that make me look at them in awe and see that their God IS big enough! I've had that song run through my mind today about " He's big enough to rule the mighty universe, yet small enough to reign within my heart"! That's the God I serve! He loves me so much He gave His only Son for me! So I can spend eternity in Heaven with Him, if I choose to!
Why would I choose not to?????

Choices

Today I was looking at my son who is now 8 years old! Just having that number change seems to make him look older. He is learning some life lessons. Next week, two of his school mates will be spending the week with the other two school mates while their parents are in Antigua for Spanish School. This looks very unfair! We have talked of how it makes sense to the mothers to have their children stay somewhere other than the compound where so many people are coming and going. That is head knowledge and he can understand, but the heart knowledge, that is different. I told him he will get to make choices. Most likely, he will feel jealous and left out. I told him he gets to make a choice about how long those feelings stay. He can choose to be thankful for what he has and enjoy his friends when he has opportunity to be with them. Or, he can choose to feel sorry for himself and be miserable.
I know one reason God gives us children. We can learn so much from them! As I read over this post, I had to think about my own head and heart knowledge. What about feelings that come into my heart? How long do I allow the negative ones to stay? Do I choose to focus on things to be thankful for?
Today I feel a real need to be completely open before God. I feel these next weeks are going to stretch me in new ways, and I want to face each day with the confidence that I am walking through each day and situation with a  heart that is open to Gods prompts. Pray for me.

And Then They Were Gone!

How time flies! We left for the airport at 5 am this morning. I was holding one granddaughter as close as I could. Kate was on Jeana's lap, concentrating on sleeping a bit more. Our family is gone, but what memories we crammed into that short time!
Now.... reality! After short nights and busy days, we have to get back on schedule. As soon as we got back from the airport, Vernon had to run to the bus station to pick up Tianna, who is coming from El Chal. Today looks like a full day. I expect us all to 'feel' tired and grouchy, but maybe it will be a day to ignore 'feelings' and do the next thing and do it for God. In a perfect world, I would look at all I do through the lens of 'I am here to serve God and all I do today is for His glory'. In this imperfect world, I sometimes forget to look through that lens and instead, look through the lens of  'whats in it for me?'
Today, I choose to use the God lens and be the best cleaner, cook, listener and observer I can be, for Him!

Sunday afternoon and in a little bit we head for the airport to pick up Justin. My cup is full! If only Justin's wife could have come along, it would be full and running over! How do I describe the joy of seeing family walk through the airport door and know it is for real, they are here to visit us! My heart is full of joy to hold and hug my granddaughters and to see and visit with my son and daughter in law and to have my in laws, padres me premida esposo, here with us. We have been  happily introducing them to people here and as I am writing this I hear peals of male laughter rolling from the kitchen as Vernon, Jeremy, Linden and Tristan play a game of Acquire. We have been touring the country a bit, saw Antigua, the Topical map of Guatemala that covers one third of an acre,  went to Children's Bible club at the park, went to Lucinda's market, walked the streets a bit, and the next three days are going to be packed full. Oh yes!
And it's time to leave. May you all have a wonderful week treasuring the family God has given you.

Fresh Chicken Soup and 'Tones'

We went to the market today and one of the things we bought was a 'fresh' chicken. I cooked it up for soup. This 'fresh' chicken has a great flavor and I try to ignore the gross ugly yellow color of it's skin. The soup was very good. I cooked the chicken with onion, pepper, celery and cilantro. Next step was to saute onion, garlic, carrot and guiscil. After dumping seasonings in and stirring everything together, we had a simple meal of soup and french bread. I am going to miss the fresh fruit and veggies so much!!! I hate to think of going to the grocery store and buying expensive produce that has been refrigerated for who knows how many weeks! We rushed around to get lunch cleaned up, cinnamon rolls baked and a second lunch cleaned up, after Vernon and the guys came in from doing concrete work at the church. Our plan was to take the whole family and go grocery shopping as soon as school let out.. Sounds like a  desperate idea for some family time. We did our Walmart stop and treated ourselves to some fresh fruit smoothies then headed to Clubco. As we wheeled through the store, sometimes whirling and careening, with Jared driving, we got into a discussion about tones in voices. Some of us are very sensitive to 'tones'. Some of us wonder what the others are talking about! So how important are 'tones'? I think we can talk and never recognize just how we are coming across by the 'tone' we have.
The conclusion to the whole matter is, to give grace, to be considerate,  and to refrain from taking 'tones' personal! Also, being together as a family is wonderful, no matter if it is only grocery shopping!

Caught in the middle

We have purchased our tickets to fly back to the states! Once again I am experiencing the feeling of being caught between two ways, only this time it is from the other side. How true that change brings grief and joy!  The other day I was checking out ticket prices and I found myself crying. Ruth happened to come along just then and was very concerned. Had something happened to my family? No, I had to wave my arms around and try to explain that I was looking at tickets. She laughed and patted my shoulder. I'm sure I am a puzzle at times! Then I went to show Vernon the info and started crying again and his loving response was to laugh and then say he thought I must have heard some bad news from home! So I went to find Jeana and we had a good cry together. I have mourned at the alter of lamentations that Jody will stay behind to finish teaching. My mother heart wants her to come back with us, but I know it is right for her to stay.
We had some guests from Spanish Lookout, Belize for two nights. They were here to support their family who had a new born baby here for surgery. Sounds like the baby can go home tomorrow. So thankful for a good ending.
Tonight Priscila made a special meal for us as a thank you for helping with the Girls Retreat! Here we felt honored that we got to help. Our menu was all you can eat shrimp, cooked in garlic, butter and seasoning, cabbage salad, fried zucchini and peanut butter pie. I have lost all illusions of going back to the states looking gaunt and thin!!!! It was a very good time and another special memory.

Salute to Widows

I had a 'reliving' moment today when our school went on an excursion. There were six students with their three families. We planned to go to the Children's Museum, but it was closed so we headed up to a special park that is like a wilderness oasis after living in a concrete jungle. It was a lovely day and we hiked and tried out all the neat swings. Towards the end of our hike, Vernon went ahead and started to grill some pork chops he had picked up for a special treat. The boys were racing ahead, leaping and running and shouting, Brian and Janelle and Danny and Linda were hiking along the trail holding hands. I was walking behind and I had a 'reliving' moment. I remembered the loneliness that can hit a widow any time, any where. That is reality. People can be ever so thoughtful and kind, but there are so many painful moments a widow has to face and accept, alone. I intend to enjoy and appreciate my husband and family every moment. Too often, we take those we love the most for granted and don't appreciate what we have until we lose it. To all you widows, I salute your courage and strength. God is good, He is with you and He makes a way. To all you couples, appreciate what you have and be thankful for each other.

They were very kind :)

My title for the day is an inside joke.
I expected this week to be very busy and I wanted to be organized and have things comfortable and ready for all our guests. Tuesday morning they were all here and I thought I was too busy to get sick and lived in denial till Wednesday morning, the busiest day. There was a virus with dengue like symptoms going around, and I had to accept that God had other plans for me. I learned some lessons on my sick days. The first was that I was surrounded by wonderful people who took over and did what ever needed to be done. The second was that God was kindly reminding me that time with Him is priority and I had been falling into the pattern of 'just doing one more thing' before spending time with Him. Thankfully, I am feeling much better and my heart has a deep appreciation for the ladies who 'loved by serving' this past week.
 I will admit I was wondering how it would feel to have all the 'board' here at one time. I learned that they are a very nice group of men and we enjoyed the privilege of hosting them. Vernon enjoyed himself very much and had a wild thought to try to pick the pocket of one man he was picking up at the airport! He was sneaking around behind the guy, trying to decide if he should act like a dignified house dad or just be himself, when the man  turned and said,"hey, Vernon, I know what you are trying to do"! I have to laugh every time I think of it because I'm sure Vernon was all crouched over with a huge grin on his face just thinking about it!
Last night we, Marta, Priscila, Jeana, Jody, Rhoda and I were doing dishes. I went out to fill the big water jug with pure water. I got distracted. I was in the kitchen and kept wondering why I heard splashing water. When I realized why, I let out a YELL. Jeana screamed a loud scream and leaped into a defensive position, (she thought I had seen a spider). We all charged out to the water jug and sure enough, there was water splashing out of the jug and running down into the cellar! Rhoda calmly said, "well, it looks like we have a lake". We couldn't help laughing at all the drama. Once again, I have a very clean cellar floor. Vernon very logically explained, "honey, you can't walk away from the jug when you are filling it"!   Oh.

A New Book

This year, I have been thinking of the opportunity I have to write a new book. It has 365 pages and I get to decide what is on each page! If I can live this year remembering that 2012 is my new book, maybe I can make more wise choices and fewer hasty ones.
This year my first few pages have some good memories on them, such as:
How wonderful it was to see Marta and Priscila back from their holidays and part of 'the family' again.
Making a Guatemalan meal of rice and beans for a work crew at the church and realizing that God  heard my prayers for rice and beans that would taste good.
Going shopping with Vernon and stocking up on groceries for the upcoming weeks.
Having the girls help me in the kitchen with baking and cooking.
Cleaning, cleaning, cleaning!
Playing settlers with Vernon, Jared and Craig! (interesting)
Having the honor of grilling chicken for the girls retreat that was going on this weekend, and then getting to help serve a special meal to them. It was amazing to see so many girls, most of whom have given their hearts to the Lord. I thought of how each girl has a story, and of how God loves them all so much and has a work for them to do.
Sitting around the dining room table today and having a very interesting and enjoyable conversation with a bunch of 'strangers'. There were guests who were headed to Antigua for Spanish school, a temporary helper from an out post who was in the city for dental work and then there was Duane and Sharon Eby, a couple we had never met but who had lived in Guate for 17 years and now serve on the MAM Board. We have enjoyed learning to know them and enjoy their insight and humor!
Having a song service at the new, not yet finished church and enjoying the beautiful sound.
 These are some of the things written on the pages of my new book. I have written of laughter, annoyance, patience and impatience, treasuring family and friends. What a challenge!
This next week is going to be a full one. I expect I will get to make lots of choices about getting uptight or not:) Monday most of the MAM Board members will be flying in. They will be here most of the week and some will be staying longer. It seems like there could be the pressure to perform, but I refuse to give in to it! I want to be who I am and be more concerned that I am the woman God created me to be.This past weekend was a special girls retreat, a time for the youth girls to be together and be taught, challenged and encouraged in their Christian life. After such a time, I am expecting some tired girls and also I am expecting that they will be tested, I call them confirmation tests, on all and any decisions they have made this weekend to serve God with their whole heart. Pray for the youth girls in Guatemala that they will be faithful to God and follow Him.