The song I'm loving right now

Sunday, our worship leader, introduced a song that was new to me....I LOVE it...for many reasons.

It is LOWEST PLACES by Laura Hackett

You said there be would be joy in the laying down
You said there would be joy in the letting go
You said there would be joy in the giving of my life
And now I see

Your river it rushes to the lowest place
Your river it rushes to the lowest place
Your river it rushes to the lowest place
Your river it rushes

Come and rush over me
Come and rush over me
Come and rush over me
Let the river flow

I bow down
I get low
I open up my heart to receive your love

I gotta get to the wells of joy
I have to dig for the wells of joy
I gotta get to the wells of joy
I gotta get lower, lower

Your river it rushes to the lowest place
Your river it rushes to the lowest place
Your river it rushes to the lowest place
Your river it rushes

You really need to listen to it on You tube to really appreciate it.

I also want to thank my wonderful husband so much for getting the lyrics on here. It took him awhile, but he was committed to doing it:)

When we truly surrender our lives...whatever He asks, whatever the cost, then we will experience true joy. I have experienced this myself. When I truly surrended my heart to what God wanted, even moving to a foreign country, it is then that I experienced Joy and Peace like I have never experienced before.

I like things to be clean

One of the girls, who went to Belize with us, told me yesterday, "Ms. Robyn, I was surprised how well you did in Belize considering it isn't the most sanitary place."

I admit it...I like things clean. My favorite thing is CLEAN sheets. I would change them every day if I had time. I change them much more often now that I am home. I love staying in a hotel because of the clean sheets...but of course, I don't touch that comforter (cause I know they rarely wash them). If you ever need hand sanitizer, I have it. I don't go on a trip without clorox wipes in my suitcase (just in case). I often take a bath before I go to bed and a shower when I wake up. I will probably shower a couple times a day when we live in Belize because I LIKE TO BE CLEAN. I can handle a cluttered house, but it is clean underneath (for the most part). I love clean clothes. I love when my kids take a bath because they smell so good. What else?

So, yes, going to Belize was and will be a challenge for me. There are dirt roads, so your feet are always dirty. It is hot so you sweat a lot, and thus you and your clothes are always dirty. If you don't take a shower before bed, your sheets will get dirty. But the blessing of living there is that I will have a washer and dryer so don't have to try to conserve my clothes...and I will just wash the sheets more. And I think I will just make the kids take more showers. After all, it won't hurt their skin in that humid climate.

I was going to skip talking about the bathrooms...but why not? I have issues with public bathrooms here in the states, but in Belize, you just never know what you will find. Sometimes there is no toilet paper...and you really need it because the seat needs to be covered. I learned very early on just to carry a roll with me wherever I go...just in case. One advantage of sweating all the time, is that you actually have to go to the bathroom less....which is good for me. Of course, sometimes it is an outhouse or a toilet with NO seat. Those situations become much more challenging for me.

I think the Belizean people clean more than we do, though. And it is harder work for them. I have never seen a dishwasher...just hand washing. Most of the people hang their clothes out on clotheslines. I even saw a lady cleaning her clothes in the river...it took her ALL DAY. Those things right there require so much more. It also seems that they mop more...its all tile. I will be teaching my girls to help:) I used to wash dishes when I was growing up, but it has just been easier to load them in the dishwasher rather than teaching my kids how to wash... I didn't look, but I assume we won't have a dishwasher, but thankfully we are taking our washer and dryer.

The thought of moving into the rental house immediately is a little hard for me. I would really like to rent a hotel and go over and clean the house before we move in. We'll see. Whatever the case, God will give me the grace to handle it. I have learned that a little dirt is even healthy. I think God is teaching me to "lighten up".

Our trip to Belmopan and Cell group

Some of the kids at our cell group. We met outside. It was just beautiful. Then the kids played while we visited.A couple of the moms with their boys. They were so sweet to us. The lady in white cooked dinner with the pastor's wife for us Friday night.
Raquel and one of her friends. Raquel is always ready to pose. She will attend UB while we are there and could possibly live with us. She is Pastor Caleb's daughter. We have watched her grow up.

On our way to Belmopan. The guy who picked us up from the airport gave us a tour and our own car. It was nice...AND LEE DROVE.

See, he did a good job.

The University of Belize...where we will spend our time ministering.

Mission Trip to Belize

Hello. Its been a while. Life has been sooo incredibly busy. Honestly, I really have a million things to do, but wanted to take a few moments to catch up on our trip to Belize.

First of all, I want to give Glory to God. He has done a miracle in me. Every trip I have ever taken out of the country has been very difficult for me. I could never imagine living in a place that is hot and humid, like Belize, without air conditioning. But God is so amazing. As I stepped off the plane when we arrived in Belize, I was hot, but could bear it. I looked at every person I passed as I walked on the tarmac into the airport. I saw each person as a soul that Jesus died for. It was so cool. Even Lee noticed the change in me as we had the long wait for our vans in the hot sun, long bumpy ride to the hotel and unloaded in the pouring down rain to go into a hot room. The sum total of all these things would have brought me to tears...in the past. But this time, I was different. I saw how blessed we were to have a room to stay in, that once the air conditioner was turned on, we could feel better. Even as the days went on, I just sweated...a lot...and I was okay. God is amazing in that way. He gives us grace.

This first picture is of a little girl, that was just especially cute and sweet. I had the oppurtunity to pray over her on our last day of VBS. I don't know a whole lot about her life. She seemed to be a girl that is loved and taken care of. She always came dressed cute and her hair done. That is one thing I love about the Belizean people. They have pride. They may not have a lot of money, but they keep their homes and kids clean. They love their children, but many of them have to work, so the kids are alone all day. In America, we would see that as wrong, but in Belize, it is survival. They are working hard so they can feed their kids.

Moving on, this is in the airport the morning we left to Belize. The girl on the far left is Sierra. She will also be moving to Belize the summer after we do. It was her first trip to this country. I am so excited that she will be there with us. And so are our kids. The girl in the middle by Tori may eventually join us as well. I hope:) She is going to Bible college in a couple of weeks. I am so proud of all of these girls, including my own, and the way they served the people of Belize with no complaining.

And this is my sweet Victoria, encouraging her team at VBS. They were the Green Geckos.

Josh, on our way to Belmopan. It was too squishy, so we stuck him in the trunk...and he thought that was super fun!

My Favorite: This is Tori's best friend in Belize. Every time we go, we see her. The day we went to the park, there was Shemira, just sitting there quietly waiting for us. These girls met when they were 5 and 6. Now they are 11 and 12...Tori has passed her up in height:) It is amazing how God has given them a bond all these years.

There are so many things to tell about our trip to Belize. I now feel that it is my home. I can't wait to go. I love the people. I love the simplicity of life, so unlike our lives in America. I love that God is preparing all the details for us. We even think we found a home...if they will hold it for us. It seems just perfect. I will post pictures if we get it. There was a Christian family that spent their day showing us around. That day, God physically showed me that He will take care of us in Belize.

Grandma Blakeley

Last night, as I was getting ready to leave, my mom called. Grandma Blakeley has been in the hospital and has congestive heart failure and is not expected to live very much longer(a few months).

I am so heartbroken. I love my Grandma more than I can explain. I know she has lived a long life, but I guess I just always expected her to be here...

I am so thankful that we just saw Grandma in June. God gave that trip to me. I only got one day with her, but that was awesome. She was able to meet all 3 of my children and they got to spend time with her. The last time I had seen her was 11 years ago when Tori was a baby, then 9/11 happened and she would never get on a plane again.

I am full of emotions this morning. My mom is about to take off to spend time with Grandma...5 weeks and then maybe more later. I am preparing to go on a missions trip to Belize, our future home. I am cleaning, and packing and a million other things.

I am thankful that I have had a wonderful Grandma...she is the only one I had, my other grandma died 18 days before I was born. I have also been so blessed to have be loved by my husbands grandmother. They have so much to offer. They know what the important things in life are. They have so much real experience. They already raised a family, and knew how to be good wives.

I pray that my mom and her have some special times over the next few weeks.

And I pray that I have an awesome time next week...and that Erika enjoys being with her grandparents...so she can have good memories like me.

Friends

Today I had a good day with one of my friends...and yes, I know you will eventually read this. Such a good time that we totally lost track of time... We laughed when just minutes apart our husbands called, hers already home asking what was for dinner and mine calling to say he was on his way for dinner...that was not started yet.

Friendship is priceless.

Friends are all different.

Some of my friends are prayer warriors.

Some friends are friends because our kids are friends.

Some friends you can say ANYTHING to and they will still love you.

Some friends are in your life so you can minister to them.

And some so they can minister to you.

There are friends that make you laugh your head off until you cry.

And those that you are comfortable enough to just bawl your eyes out.

There are friends that you lose touch with, and those you never do.

I am thankful that God has always given me good friends.

Someone recently told me they didn't have any friends. That made me sad. I can't imagine not having friends. In fact it was a heartcry I made to the Lord several months ago regarding our move...and do you know the Lord loves me so much that he gave someone I barely know a word...that He had already prepared friends for me in Belize.

So, if you have a friend, and if you are reading my blog, then we are probably friends...take the time to have a chat, over a cup of coffee with that special person. The laundry will eventually get done, your true friends dont care if the house is a mess, and the dinner will eventually get made.

Take time for your friends...while you have it.

What I Love

Its been a great day today.

The kind of day I LOVE.

I love shopping with my oldest daughter

I love getting things done

I love cooking a big, healthy meal for my family

I love watching old movies

I love the way my kids smell after a bath

I love when my house is clean

I love clean laundry

I love a good thunderstorm

I love new clothes, even if they aren't for me

I love when my 3 year old settles down and lets me hold her

I love seeing the amazing teenagers my babies are turning into

I love when my son talks to me and shares his life with me

I love going on a trip

and I love coming back home

I love a good day at the pool and the sun on my skin

I love lotion...I have bottles all over my house

I love the SMELL of coffee more than even drinking it

I love to burn candles

I love SMORES especially with burnt marshmallows

I love that this year I will have been married as long as I was not

I love that I married my best friend

I love my church family

I love to worship even though I am not a good singer

I love to listen to music on ITouch with my headphones when we travel

I love that I have friends who I can talk to

I love that God is not finished with me yet

and that He is personal

and that He is patient with me

and I love having a blog...

Keeping Busy

This has been a great summer...

to swing and discuss world matters with our older cousin,

eat homemade ice cream (by your amazing Aunt Jodie),

To swim and then climb on rocks with your cousin that you have grown up with,

To ride in a canoe with your favorite Daddy in a very peaceful lake, only disrupted by an alligator or two...but you're not scared...you are with Daddy...

We have been so incredibly blessed to get time with our family and friends this very special summer before we go on the mission field.

We were able to spend some time with special friends today for breakfast. Just sharing our lives with each other...our walks with the Lord. This year has been such a new and at times, scary, journey for me. But I must say two things: I know that we are in the very center of God's will, and I am closer to Him than in so long. We are on an amazing faith walk where we have to trust Him...trust that we have heard His voice and trust Him to speak to others to partner in what He has called us to...and we are seeing it happen.

I am at a place where I depend on Him more. I have to. I need His strength, His peace, His presence. It is the air I breathe. If I don't have Him, I cannot do this in my own strength. I cannot move away from all that I know and love. But if He has called us to Belize, and He has, I know He has something so special for us there. And we may be that something special for someone there...or will be able to be the ones to introduce the Belizeans who do not know to SOMEONE very Special...that He would move us to Belize to tell them about Him.....

I am starting to get excited about our new life there. It will be soooooo different and only those who have been there can understand. There are not paved roads, people walk everywhere. There is no WALMART...how will I ever survive? My heart aches to reach the children of Belize. They are young and have so much life ahead of them. I am anxious to go to the orphanages. I cannot take the kids with me, but I can love on them, and spend time with them, and my own children can learn compassion. Although, my children do have compassion...I believe it will grow as they live amoung others who sometimes do not have basic needs met. We won't be able to solve their every need. But we will be able to introduce them to someone who is always there.

We are living in such a TRANSITIONAL time... a time of holding, waiting for the next step, just a temporary time. There are things that need to be done in the next few months, but at this moment, I am ready...I am ready to go. I am ready for what is to come.

And until that time, we will soak up every bit of time with family and friends we have and just enjoy and love the people that God has put into our lives.

Tomorrow we head to the waterpark with friends...

Belize in 10 days....

Alligator-ville

Look at this brave girl. She rode in the canoe with her daddy and was so brave...even with all the alligators in the water. It is amazing how much more she could do this year being older. She was great.

Yes, I did try to keep him from the alligators, but just couldn't do it. At least he brought her back first!!!

One of the best parts about the cabin is that they pick us up in a carriage driven by horses each morning and take us to breakfast. So Fun!!!

The kids loved the pool. How could they not? With the cave and rocks, it was amazing. They also rode down by the big slide into the lake. I was not so daring.

Erika loves her cousin, Tyler. They sat on the swimg dicussing important world matters, like what they thought of Toy Story 3.

We had a great couple of days at Artesian Lakes. My brother and sister-in-law blessed us with this trip and my mother and father-in-law came as well. They would like to have a yearly tradition of going there. It is so beautiful and relaxing...except for the fact that we have a 3 year old. The older kids are finally old enough to just go have fun, but we constantly had to keep an eye on Erika. It was great just spending time with the family before we leave to Belize.

When all else fails, Praise Him Anyway

Yesterday was just one of those days where it seemed that nothing went right. It had a lot to do with the non-stop rain and the fact that I still had a million things to do, when I would have rather holed up inside with a book and a bunch of movies.

When Lee came home, I shared some of the things I was feeling. Some of it is just mourning our move. I am getting excited about Belize, but sad about what we leave behind. And I am not a big fan of change...and that is my life currently. Anyway, Lee is always so positive and makes me think things through. It was quite late, and he had to go pick Josh up from the church. So he took Tori and it was just me and Erika.

That was just what I needed. She was so sweet and loving to me. We plugged in my ITouch to the speakers and just started dancing to some worship music. You know what? My mood did a 180.

So, even as seasoned Christians, sometimes we just need a reminder to PRAISE. Because when we truly praise and let it all go, He'll take it...and you can't help but be joyful.

And today has been a great day. I am trying to clean and pack to go out of town, but Tori and I had a great time shopping at Walmart and I know it will all eventually get done. It always does.

How is your day going?