Enjoying our Family

WHEW!!!  Its been a whirlwind of a few days for us.

All last week, we prepared for my inlaws to come.  It seems that we have known for so long that it was coming and now the dates finally arrived.

We ate lunch with our friends right by the airport, which was perfect, because we only had to drive a few minutes. Oh, and by the way, they had DR PEPPER for us for lunch...can you believe it???  MMMM....

  As we drove the van to the airport, we looked over and saw my inlaws plane...so cool, how small the airport is.

It seemed forever waiting for them to come through customs, but it actually wasn't that long.  I was so choked up when my mother in law walked out, followed by my father in law.  Such excitement for all of us.

 They brought lots of American goodies for us from a few people and themselves.  It was better than Christmas.  All the special foods we have missed so much!!!  And Erika couldn't wait to take a bath and wear her new princess jammies.

 Sunday, we had the special treat of having Tricia sing for us.  It was beautiful and you could really feel God's presence as she sang.  In fact, the whole service this past Sunday was so awesome.  Worship was amazing.  It is so exciting to watch everyone grow.  And Howard and Tricia got to experience our typical full house for lunch on Sunday afternoon.

 Today, we got up early and headed to San Ignacio to see the Mayan Ruins.  But had to take my mother in law on the bridge to YWAM.  We were so proud of her because this is the scariest, highest bridge...Yeah, Tricia. 



riding the hand-cranked ferry




wonderful Mom with her awesome son



It was quite hot today.  We ate lunch at one of our favorites, Hodes, then headed to Spanish Lookout.  After a little shopping, we ate ice cream at our favorite eatery.  We all came home and took cold showers and relaxed this afternoon.

Tomorrow back to real life:)

Speaking of real life.  In the midst of having a great time with our family, I got some hard news Saturday night.  My cousin, Bruce, had been killed in a bicycle accident that day.  I have not seen Bruce since I was little, but have such great memories of him.  And have seen his parents many times over the years, even though they live in New York.  They came to Texas and we went there.  They drove all the way from New York for my wedding 19 years ago.  My heart is broken for my Aunt and Uncle.  To lose a son so young.  My cousin served the Lord his whole life.  And was serving as a chaplain in Japan for the Marines at the time of the accident.  Bruce's wife has a blog, much like mine, chronicling living as an American family in a different country.  I recently began following the blog, after the earthquakes over there, when my friends here in Belize told me they are good friends with Bruce and his wife and gave me the blog.  Here is her post today, a tribute to a wonderful man.  http://westgoeseast.wordpress.com/  Saturday night when I received the news, I just couldn't stop crying.  But even though I have not seen Bruce for years, my life has paralelled his in many ways.  He served with Campus Crusade for Christ for many years and then felt called to go to Japan as a chaplain recently.  We have pastored for years and recently came on the mission field.  Bruce was around Lee's age.  And this hit so close to home.  How would I feel, being in his wife's position, all alone now, in a foreign land?  I shared this for two reasons.   Please pray for Bruce's wife and 3 children.  And also, Bruce has left a legacy.  He served God with everything he had and with great joy.  I am so proud of him.  My heart aches for his family.  These things are so hard to understand.  And appreciate your husband, your kids, your wife.   And live your life for Christ...because eveything else is just in vain.   Life is fragile.  And noone knows when their life could suddenly be turned upside down like this.

I am thankful to have Lee's parent here.  I am doing better today.  But to have family here at a time of hearing hard news has been a blessing for me.  We miss everyone from home, and it is just a breath of fresh air for me.  Just like we never left.

Pray for cool weather.  It actually is not as hot as it could be, but it is still pretty hot during the day, but Lee's parents are troopers and seem to be doing great.

Anticipation

With Anticipation, we wait today.

I have been baking, cleaning, shopping, all in anticipation for our first guests to arrive from the US.

It is kind of like Christmas Eve around here.

Just trying to keep the kids busy and out of the way...

so I can get done what I need to do.

Tori finished school today:)

Yipee:)

And she finished strong.  I am proud of her.

We have baked No Bake Chocolate cookies, banana muffins, have the chicken thawing for tomorrow, oranges ready to squeeze, have our list for market for the morning.

We are ready and excited for Memaw and Papaw to come:)

I am ready for Erika to have some undivided attention.

She is ready too.

I am anxious to see what they think of Belize.

I can see my father in law, now, enjoying sitting in our wooden chairs on the back porch, just enjoying Belize, enjoying his grandchildren.  I can see my mother in law enjoying going to market, enjoying reading books or coloring with Erika.

We are looking forward to doing some fun things with them.

And just some "living" things with them.

Because Living here is so different.

I am praying for a miraculous cold front with lots of rain to blow through.  He could do it.  He is God.

We are thankful to have a 4 bdrm home, so they can stay with us instead of a hotel.  So all three of mine will bunk together for a few days.

It will just remind them of the good ole days in the apartment.

On another front, yesterday I had a really neat, intense prayer time at lunch with one of the ladies in the church.  Our kids were all so good.  It was definitely the Lord.  But it reminded me of my friend, Laura, who I used to pray with.  It was neat.  And I feel that God heard our prayers.  He is so awesome.

So, I am off to make brownies for our crew coming to do the Life Manual tonight.  Then finishing a few things off before our company comes.

Anticipation is the best feeling:) 

I HOPE I CAN SLEEP TONIGHT...

Just a typical Wednesday

This morning, we started out with a family Bible study time.  Lee had challenged the kids to learn the books of the Old Testament.  He gave them a monetary incentive and Tori got an extra incentive to teach Erika.  And she was successful.  I taped Tori too, but it did not turn out...and did not get the camera rolling quick enough...but watch Erika.  We are so proud for her to learn these being only 4 years old.

And they were all excited to receive their reward as well.  Next week's challenge: learn the books of the New Testament.

Erika knows the books of the OLD TESTAMENT

Then we worked on school and household chores.  We are very excited that Lee's parents will be here the day after tomorrow.

Today was very HOT again.  That makes living a little slow.  Because when it is soooo hot, you just dont feel like doing much.  Everyone is telling me it is unusually hot...whew.  I am ready for some relief.

Lee had planned this week to take me out tonight.   And it was such a blessing.  I made hot dogs for the kids and they cleaned up while I showered and got ready.  We went to a little Italian restaurant that had been recommended to us.  It was very nice.  It was awesome to sit in air conditioning, with no kids.  Just very relaxing.  And nice to know that the kids are big enough to help with their little sister.

front table...just shows niceness of restaurant

le menu

my hungry date...he got a steak, of course

my food...the portions were huge, so I brought half home to the kids...they enjoyed it.


This was Lee and my first time out alone since arriving in Belize on February 2.  I must say it was long overdue.  But I enjoyed the short, but sweet time of just being with my husband.  Of course, the air conditioning and someone else cooking was nice, but it was nice to just be able to have uninterrupted conversation.  We were welcomed home by our crew, and I am so thankful for each one of them.  We are also thankful for our sweet waitress.  We invited her to come on Sunday.  Praying she will.

The next few weeks will be full of visitors, which we are so excited about.  I will try to keep you updated.



Belize Reality

 A couple of days ago, we went to the property at the river that Winnie's dad owns.  It was a slow ride out there, as the road is all tore up...and as we came back, slowly, we were listening to a Belizean Christian radio station.  And there was this real cool song that came on, but we were definitely a little surprised by the lyrics...not your US christian music lyrics, for sure.  But then we were listening, and this was written and sung by someone we know.  The girl who teaches Erika ballet, the girl who designed and sewed all the clothes for the fashion show, and the girl whose parents met at YWAM several years ago, and came and built a church, a community, in a community next to Belmopan.  Her parents are from Canada and the US, but I think all four children have been born here in Belize.

As you listen to this song, we love it because it truly captures the culture of Belize.  It was produced for an album trying to help kids wait for marriage (for sex) and stay safe because AIDS is the number one killer here.  It is not taken lightly and children are taught and warned.  There are signs everywhere.  Yet, this disease spreads.  There is a culture that needs to be broken.  Sex before marriage is taught as wrong and shameful, but they are not waiting.  And there are sad consequences all around us because of it.  Not to mention the many girls that are abused and used against their will.

She refers to the boys on bicycles.  And this is such Belize culture.  And wearing "slippers"...that is referring to flip flops.  And the ladies in the wooden chairs.  The halls at the hospital are lined with wooden chairs.  "Far away"....girls are looking for the prince charming to take them away from it all...  "first year"  is the first year of high school...

I am in awe of this all talented young woman, a Belizean, raised here on the mission field.  She is about to go away to style school for the summer.  It is neat to see such a young lady using her talents...so many of them.

Listen to this song, CLEAN, by Rebecca Stirm

Sometimes in the busyness of life, we just need to Stop and Reflect

I was just reading one of my friends' blogs and it just made me think.

This past year has been so crazy and so full of change.  And these last few months, I have literally had to relearn how to live.  I have had to relearn how to shop, cook, clean, do laundry, and yes, even drive in my new home.  I have had to learn how to be home all the time and not go to the church office, not send my kids off to school, and now not send my husband off to work.  He just showers and goes to the office in our bedroom.

But as I read my friend's blog, I was reminded by the Lord, that He has answered my prayer to be home---all of me---with my children.  Not constantly torn with errands for the church, doing the finances for the church, etc.   Of course, I am still in ministry, but at this point, Lee handles all administration.  And it is nice.

This year has been a learning process of figuring out how to homeschool my kids.  And I dont just mean the curriculum.  That was the easy part.  It is figuring out how to manage our time, but still be able to enjoy the flexibility of them being home.  So we can take a field trip whenever it is convenient.  They can go to market with us, the post office, other life skills are being poured into them.  They are learning what it means to live within a budget.  They are learning household skills as well.  Yet, still managing our time to finish their book work.  I panicked often that we would not finish.  But Tori will finish this coming week and Josh will finish the next.  Not too bad.  And their grades are great.

And I do love having them home.  I love not having to rush them to school or rush to pick them up.  I love that if we are in the middle of something, it is our schedule, not the schools.  I love that they dont ever have homework.  They finish during the day, and then can ride their bike, do a craft, whatever they want.  I remember my kids going to school all day and coming home to hours of homework.  I hated it because they did not have time just to relax.  My kids are happier now.

I love that we eat all three meals together.  Before, we ate dinner together.  Most of the time.  I love that Tori is learning to cook.  And Josh is helping in that area as well.  And Erika is my little baker.  I love that.  Before I just did not have time to do those things.  Now they are a necessity.  It is just cheaper and healthier to make things from scratch.  And tastes so much better too.

I have a pot of beans cooking once a week.  If I have to run an errand, Josh keeps them going for me...because they take all day.  Tori prepares a craft and lesson EVERY week for our children's ministry.  Do you know what committment and skills she is learning?  I am available to help her, but she mostly does it on her own.  Josh is pouring into the teens around us.  He is in ministry....real ministry at 15 years old.  And I love that too.

Tori is learning Piano and Josh is learning Guitar.  And they want to do it.  That is the best part.

  But learning to homeschool has been a great process.

And I am thankful that I am home with my kids, that my kids are homeschooled, and my husband works out of the home.  After the busyness of us all going different directions in the past, this is a nice calm season we are in.

Living on one income and not having my own "stash", like the past, is an adjustment as well.  But living on the mission field, we are so blessed.  And learning what things are really important.  And it just takes us another step in our marriage...learning once again how to live on the budget:)  and not having my own little account to compensate me going over:)

But I am thankful for the reminder today of how blessed I am to be home with my kids.  To enjoy their unique personalities.  Josh only has three more years of high school.  Then hopefully he will stay around a little for college, but it is hard to take that in.  And Tori is not far behind him.  I want to learn to appreciate each day I have with them.  And laugh with them...and talk with them...and get to know them even more.

Emotional Day

We tend to mark our lives by significant days.  Today is one of them for me.  I always remember Mother's Days, Easters, Christmas', Birthdays of myself and immediate family.

This week as I was blogging, I realized that I do not have a good pic of Josh and I.  The girls are always ready to pose...Josh always is running off.  So, I played the Mother's Day card and said for my special day, I wanted a picture of my handsome son with me.  Don't you love it?  And isn't he tall?  Taller than me, now.  And I am so proud of him.  Except when he irritates the females in the family:)  I always tell about Tori serving with the children.  But Josh does a lot too.  He operates all the powerpoint, helps set up and tear down things, and basically does whatever he is asked to do to help.  And he ministers, as there are a lot of kids close to his age in our church body.  Josh is an incredible blessing and very spiritually mature.

Three Mother's Days ago was a significant one for me.  It was when we first had Erika come and live with us, and we were traveling home from a fun week in Florida after doing a wedding on the beach.  It was  time of joy and answered prayer for a third child.

Today was significant for many reasons.  I was sad not to be with my mom or in laws today.  But the day was happy, too.

It started out crazy.  There is one floral shop here in Belmopan...and it was closed yesterday, so Lee and Josh got up real early to buy flowers to pass out to the moms today.  They were so busy, so they came back home.  I suggested we go ahead and load up and go set up at the George Price...and the added benefit of AC sounded nice too.  We got there and noone was there.  The other church that meets there was not there and the man who opens for us was not there yet.  After several attempts to try to contact someone, we left the older kids there with all the stuff we had already unloaded and went back to get the flowers.  Meanwhile, the guy came in and the kids had set up.  We rushed to tie ribbons and notes on the flowers so that the ladies could keep one flower and give one away.  Something that we did in Katy as well.  And our waitresses at lunch were clearly touched, by the way.

Today, after a hairy start, we had our largest crowd.  All personally invited as a result of someone already in LifeNet, which is how we want to grow.  One young man's mother came, quite by accident.  She had planned to go somewhere else to visit with a friend, and the church was closed today???  So she decided to come with her son.  And her little girl came as well.  And I believe they will be back.  Then, one of our young couples had three visitor friends come.  We were missing some of our regulars, but had 27 people total.  The neatest thing is that we are slowly seeing the people connect.  And each week, they sing a little more for worship.

Victoria had 6 children today.  And they made gifts and cards for their mothers, while learning about Isaac and Rebekah. The kids made this cute gift with the cupcake liners for our moms from my friends' blog.   I am always so impressed how this little 12 year old girl does so well with the children.  She definitely is gifted from the Lord.  We have one family in the church mostly because their little girl loves to come so much for the children's ministry.  I am so thankful that Tori allows the Lord to use her. 

We broke into small groups at the end, which is a little uncomfortable for visitors, I am sure.  But God moves in those small groups.  I had two of the visitors and to hear them share and pray aloud at the end, just broke my heart.  God is doing something so powerful and neat here.  And we get to be a part of it.  Lee had taught on worship and one of the questions was What did you learn new about worship today?  And the visitor said   "I have never been to a church where people clap  (and I wasn't sure where she was going with that), but I liked it!"  Another thanked God for bringing her here today and was looking forward to this new beginning.  It was awesome.

Another significant thing is one of our young ladies did not want to come today.  She was upset about something at home, but pressed in and came anyway.  Through tears, she shared with me just how thankful she was that Lee and I came to Belize.  This also broke my heart.  See, God constantly reminds us and shows us of His calling us here.  For those who did not have any church fellowship they belonged to.  That we get to start from scratch with them and pour into them.

After an awesome service, we enjoyed a nice lunch.  The Lord told me last year at Mother's Day, as I was surrounded by my 3 children, and 3 children that were not mine, that my next Mother's day would be the same.  And, it was.  I had my three and two others that I am their spiritual mother at the moment.  We had a great lunch and went home and watched Blind Side.

In the evening, one of the other young ladies that we meet with often, who missed this morning, came over.  And she gave me a Mother's day gift.  The thing that meant so much is that she is special to me.  And her gift spoke to me that the feeling is mutual.

So, today was significant for many reasons.  Reminders of God's calling.  Seeing fruit coming forth.  And I go to bed with a full heart.

Some days are hard, but days like this make it worth it.  I am so blessed to be a mother to Josh, Tori and Erika.  And even more blessed that they are willing to share me as we minister to other kids.  Tonight, we had a full table for sandwiches for dinner and ended the evening just having a good time playing some games.  I am thankful God has given us a home and relationships here.  And it has only been a couple of months.

Style Show

I really enjoyed the style show last night.

For those on Facebook, you have already seen my pictures, but I will put them up anyway:)

All of us girls spent time showering, doing our nails and hair and makeup to be beautiful for the show.   That part was a lot of fun, but a reminder that we have no air conditioning too...hard to get ready when you are sweating, but we did manage somehow.

They gave Erika cookies to give me for Mother's Day:)

Last night was very enjoyable and relaxing.  Having a four year old, it is still iffy if I should take her to something like this.  But she was awesome.  She loved every  minute of it and  let me cuddle her.  She sat on my lap until about 3/4 of the way through, when her "friend" Maggie danced.  She wanted to go up front to watch.  So sweet.  She is fascinated by dancing.  Just as long as we can keep the dancing godly.  I am thankful for her to be taking ballet at a Christian dance studio.  But I just really enjoyed the girls. 

The clothes were all beautiful.  She handmakes each item and it is made to fit the person who orders them.  This may be a nice birthday gift in the future for my girls.  The clothes are pretty reasonably priced and most were modest.

I am thankful that we had something fun to do last night.  Entertainment is sometimes hard to find here in Belmopan.  And last night was just a wholesome, fun evening, that I was not worried what I was taking the girls to.  And Lee and Josh had a good night as father and son having the house to themselves.

It is still hard being the new person.  I know a few people, but not many.  I was thankful that one of my friends and her little girl came.  So we were not just by ourselves.

And I ended the night coming home and chatting with one of my friends on Facebook.  We stayed up late as the kids watched Narnia.  Erika could barely hold her little eyes open as I finally laid her in bed.

It has been a  nice Mother's Day weekend.  Lee and the little girls just brought me a coke and chocolate...nice gift.  And we will go out for lunch tomorrow at a nice restaurant...two blessings...I dont have to cook and I get to eat a yummy lunch:)

Happy Mother's Day to all of you who are mothers (most of my readers) and especially to my mother and mother-in-law.  I am a blessed by godly examples that go before me.