Friday, October 31, 2008
A Powerful Message
I know that this has been popular for the last few days, but I didn't see it until this morning. I thought it was pretty powerful.
Sunday, October 26, 2008
Thrity Years Ago
Can you remember what was going on 30 years ago? What were you doing?
Here’s a few reminders of life 30 years ago.
Year End Close Dow Jones Industrial Average 805
Interest Rates Year End Federal Reserve 11.75%
Average Cost of new house $54,800.00
Average Income per year $17,000.00
Average Monthly Rent $260.00
Cost of a gallon of Gas 63 cents
1LB of Bacon$1.20
Dozen Eggs 48 Cents
You were probably watching the following shows on TV:
• Happy Days
• Little House on the Prairie
• The Rockford Files
• Good Morning America
• Jim'll Fix It (UK)
• Saturday Night Live
• Wheel of Fortune
• Charlie's Angels
• Quincy, M.E.
• The Muppet Show
• CHiPs
• The Love Boat
• Three's Company
It is also the last time that Richard and his 3 brothers were all together. Finally, it looks like a reunion is in the works! His brother, Mark, and family will be in Boise for Christmas this year (they are Wycliffe missionaries in Spain), and we are planning to be with Caleb in Casper, WY. We are planning to meet in Boise the weekend before Christmas, along with Richard’s two other brothers who live in Nevada and Washington. It will be fun to have them all together for the first time In so many years!
Here’s a few reminders of life 30 years ago.
Year End Close Dow Jones Industrial Average 805
Interest Rates Year End Federal Reserve 11.75%
Average Cost of new house $54,800.00
Average Income per year $17,000.00
Average Monthly Rent $260.00
Cost of a gallon of Gas 63 cents
1LB of Bacon$1.20
Dozen Eggs 48 Cents
You were probably watching the following shows on TV:
• Happy Days
• Little House on the Prairie
• The Rockford Files
• Good Morning America
• Jim'll Fix It (UK)
• Saturday Night Live
• Wheel of Fortune
• Charlie's Angels
• Quincy, M.E.
• The Muppet Show
• CHiPs
• The Love Boat
• Three's Company
It is also the last time that Richard and his 3 brothers were all together. Finally, it looks like a reunion is in the works! His brother, Mark, and family will be in Boise for Christmas this year (they are Wycliffe missionaries in Spain), and we are planning to be with Caleb in Casper, WY. We are planning to meet in Boise the weekend before Christmas, along with Richard’s two other brothers who live in Nevada and Washington. It will be fun to have them all together for the first time In so many years!
Saturday, October 25, 2008
Bernal Water and Light Show
We enjoyed seeing Bernal's big attraction last night: the water and light show. It is really well done, especially if you consider that we are in a little town in the middle of Mexico!
Credits: strongshoes, JOTH,Irene Alexeeva, Misty Cato.
Credits: strongshoes, JOTH,Irene Alexeeva, Misty Cato.
Thursday, October 23, 2008
I've been tagged by Kimberly at: http://luckyfamily4.shutterfly.com/
1. I have lived in 6 countries in my adult life:
Canada
United States
Bolivia
Colombia
Panama
Mexico
2. I have 7 kids born in three different countries:
US
Bolivia
China
3. I have homeschooled these 7 kids for 20 years now, and have another 12 to go!
4. I would rather stay at home than go out and about. I have no problem staying at
home for days on end, and have projects on end to keep me busy: quilting,
digital scrapbooking, kids, etc. I am not really a "people" person, though
I do enjoy having people come to my house to visit (so I don't have to go out
much.) My husband is the opposite, and loves to go out to visit others.
5. I never imagined that I would travel to China, but I have been there 3 times in
the last 4 years. While there we spent time traveling by train over quite a
bit of the country. Check the map at the bottom of my blog to see where all
we have been.
6. I like to cook and bake. In fact, I have been doing just that for 25 people all
week, which is why it has taken so long for me to get this done.
7. Not wanting to get too political here, but my maiden name is McCain, and the
famous one is my dad's 3rd cousin. Too bad I don't know him personally.
I am supposed to tag 7 people.
Charlotte here
Kristy here
Lancy here
Lavonne here
Karen here
Julia here
Carol here
1. I have lived in 6 countries in my adult life:
Canada
United States
Bolivia
Colombia
Panama
Mexico
2. I have 7 kids born in three different countries:
US
Bolivia
China
3. I have homeschooled these 7 kids for 20 years now, and have another 12 to go!
4. I would rather stay at home than go out and about. I have no problem staying at
home for days on end, and have projects on end to keep me busy: quilting,
digital scrapbooking, kids, etc. I am not really a "people" person, though
I do enjoy having people come to my house to visit (so I don't have to go out
much.) My husband is the opposite, and loves to go out to visit others.
5. I never imagined that I would travel to China, but I have been there 3 times in
the last 4 years. While there we spent time traveling by train over quite a
bit of the country. Check the map at the bottom of my blog to see where all
we have been.
6. I like to cook and bake. In fact, I have been doing just that for 25 people all
week, which is why it has taken so long for me to get this done.
7. Not wanting to get too political here, but my maiden name is McCain, and the
famous one is my dad's 3rd cousin. Too bad I don't know him personally.
I am supposed to tag 7 people.
Charlotte here
Kristy here
Lancy here
Lavonne here
Karen here
Julia here
Carol here
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
Sunday, October 19, 2008
Didn't have time to post here today about the work team, but I did on my other blog. You should be able to check here to read about that.
Hmmmm...did I finally figure out how to make this link work? Hope so.
Hmmmm...did I finally figure out how to make this link work? Hope so.
Saturday, October 18, 2008
Busy Week Ahead
Well, busy week behind, too! At noon today Richard and Marco are meeting a work team from my folks church in Nixa, Missouri at the airport. There are 12 coming down, including my folks and by brother. They will head out to the Pyramids for a few hours then should get here to the house between 8 and 9 tonight. We would have all loved to have gone to the airport and Pyramids too, but we have a lack of available cars to transport them all, so just Richard went.
Most of the group will be staying here at the house/church, with the three men staying down at Walter's house (our old house). We are in Mexico, so there was a lot of last minute things to do. We ordered the last door for the Sunday School room about 3 months ago. It finally arrived Thursday--the paint still wet. Richard, Gadiel and Walter put it in yesterday afternoon. We were still waiting for the last piece of glass for the window, too. It was ordered at least 3 months ago as well. The other windows were finished about a month ago, but he was short one glass and said he would bring it Tuesday. Just ended up being about a month later. So, I still have to go upstairs and set up a bed, clean up and make the beds today. I hate doing things last minute, but after all, I am in Mexico.
Yesterday Martha, Dula and Yolanda came over and we worked on getting salsa made, cooking up chicken and other stuff for the week.
We will be working everyday over in Tequisquiapan, getting the wall up around the church property there. They really can't begin construction, or even have materials delivered, until they have a wall up. Otherwise, sand, gravel, or block will disappear.
A week after the team leaves, we will be heading north. The kids have to leave the country by the 5th, as their visas run out. We want to vote, and decided we may as well leave on the 3rd so that we can vote in Missouri on the 4th. We have voted absentee before, but the mail service here has gotten worse, and we decided that we didn't trust our ballots to actually arrive back to be counted.
Ok, back to work for now. I'll try to post pictures each evening here so that those of you in Nixa can see your team at work!
Most of the group will be staying here at the house/church, with the three men staying down at Walter's house (our old house). We are in Mexico, so there was a lot of last minute things to do. We ordered the last door for the Sunday School room about 3 months ago. It finally arrived Thursday--the paint still wet. Richard, Gadiel and Walter put it in yesterday afternoon. We were still waiting for the last piece of glass for the window, too. It was ordered at least 3 months ago as well. The other windows were finished about a month ago, but he was short one glass and said he would bring it Tuesday. Just ended up being about a month later. So, I still have to go upstairs and set up a bed, clean up and make the beds today. I hate doing things last minute, but after all, I am in Mexico.
Yesterday Martha, Dula and Yolanda came over and we worked on getting salsa made, cooking up chicken and other stuff for the week.
We will be working everyday over in Tequisquiapan, getting the wall up around the church property there. They really can't begin construction, or even have materials delivered, until they have a wall up. Otherwise, sand, gravel, or block will disappear.
A week after the team leaves, we will be heading north. The kids have to leave the country by the 5th, as their visas run out. We want to vote, and decided we may as well leave on the 3rd so that we can vote in Missouri on the 4th. We have voted absentee before, but the mail service here has gotten worse, and we decided that we didn't trust our ballots to actually arrive back to be counted.
Ok, back to work for now. I'll try to post pictures each evening here so that those of you in Nixa can see your team at work!
Pray for Orphans
Watch this video, and see if you aren't challenged to pray for orphans. Or maybe do more.....
Pray for orphans.
Pray for orphans.
Wednesday, October 8, 2008
One Year with Janelle
Today we are celebrating the one year anniversary of meeting Janelle. Last October 8th, 2007, we met a scared, confused little girl, who wanted nothing more than to go back to what was familar and known, and escape from us. In fact, she did try to escape from our hotel more than once.
Fast forward a year, and see what difference God, love, parents, brothers and sisters, and time makes. It has not always been an easy or fun year, but I can say that we have all learned and grown as the year has progressed. Janelle had to learn pretty much from scratch. All of her years of growing up in an orphanage did not teach her how to live in a family. Her academic education was pretty limited. She had not learned much in the way of common sense. Though she can speak and write one of the most difficult languages in the world (Mandarin) she was like a baby having to learn English from the beginning. Throw in the fact that we live in Mexico, and she hears Spanish everywhere other than at home, and that makes it more difficult. I know that I am often frustrated with her lack of English---so I know that many, many times she must be frustrated, as well. Because of the lack of a common language, she is often misunderstood, and misunderstands us. Just another complication in her life
Being 13 can be a difficult age for any child, but more so when you are thrust into a whole different life--one that you didn't ask for--because someone else made the decision for you.
But, this adoption was in God's plan. He has equipped both Janelle and our family for all of the difficulties of this year. The positives far outweigh the hard times. Janelle has blossomed, and learned so much.
Janelle has learned what it means to be part of a family...to care for each other, look out for each other, and work together. She is learning to choose to do what is right, and not always choose the easy way to do something. She is learning to say, "I'm sorry"--a big step for her, as it has been very difficult for her to ever admit that she is wrong. She has learned what it means to have a dad who has endless patience and love towards her.
We started school at the kindergarten level, learning the A B C's, learning to read, write, add and subtract. Now, just one year later, she is working at 4th grade level in most subjects, and about to start 6th grade math. We are hoping that after this school year she will be ready to try 7th grade work, and be at the level of other kids her age.
Most importantly, she is learning that there is a God who loves her. This is something that she did not learn in her orphanage, and probably never would have heard if she had stayed there. She enjoys going to church, even though it is all in Spanish, and she can't understand a lot. She has memorized many verses, along with her siblings, in morning devotions. She knows who Jesus is, and we trust that not too long in the future she will be able to understand what He has done for her.
It has been a good year....and we look forward to another year of seeing God's work in Janelle's life.
Fast forward a year, and see what difference God, love, parents, brothers and sisters, and time makes. It has not always been an easy or fun year, but I can say that we have all learned and grown as the year has progressed. Janelle had to learn pretty much from scratch. All of her years of growing up in an orphanage did not teach her how to live in a family. Her academic education was pretty limited. She had not learned much in the way of common sense. Though she can speak and write one of the most difficult languages in the world (Mandarin) she was like a baby having to learn English from the beginning. Throw in the fact that we live in Mexico, and she hears Spanish everywhere other than at home, and that makes it more difficult. I know that I am often frustrated with her lack of English---so I know that many, many times she must be frustrated, as well. Because of the lack of a common language, she is often misunderstood, and misunderstands us. Just another complication in her life
Being 13 can be a difficult age for any child, but more so when you are thrust into a whole different life--one that you didn't ask for--because someone else made the decision for you.
But, this adoption was in God's plan. He has equipped both Janelle and our family for all of the difficulties of this year. The positives far outweigh the hard times. Janelle has blossomed, and learned so much.
Janelle has learned what it means to be part of a family...to care for each other, look out for each other, and work together. She is learning to choose to do what is right, and not always choose the easy way to do something. She is learning to say, "I'm sorry"--a big step for her, as it has been very difficult for her to ever admit that she is wrong. She has learned what it means to have a dad who has endless patience and love towards her.
We started school at the kindergarten level, learning the A B C's, learning to read, write, add and subtract. Now, just one year later, she is working at 4th grade level in most subjects, and about to start 6th grade math. We are hoping that after this school year she will be ready to try 7th grade work, and be at the level of other kids her age.
Most importantly, she is learning that there is a God who loves her. This is something that she did not learn in her orphanage, and probably never would have heard if she had stayed there. She enjoys going to church, even though it is all in Spanish, and she can't understand a lot. She has memorized many verses, along with her siblings, in morning devotions. She knows who Jesus is, and we trust that not too long in the future she will be able to understand what He has done for her.
It has been a good year....and we look forward to another year of seeing God's work in Janelle's life.
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