I can't believe I haven't updated the blog in a month! My two day a week teaching job + homeschooling has taken up more of my time than I expected. I can't believe I didn't even take the time to wish everyone a Merry Christmas. Oh well! We did have a good Christmas, and hope you did as well. We were able to go home for a week - thanks to the generosity of our parents and Aaron changing his j-term class. We enjoyed our visit to Easley - although it wasn't long enough and somewhat busy! We are coming up on Aaron's last semester of school. I really can't believe that January 26 marks 2 years that we have lived in Louisville. It has gone quicker than I ever imagined it would. God has continued to bless us, protect us, provide for us - all in ways I never dreamed, and I am certainly so grateful for His provision. I'm looking forward to the new year ahead and what God has in store for us.

Now, I'll let you enjoy some Christmas pictures:

It was warm enough in SC to play outside!

Christmas Cards

I FINALLY did it! I ordered our Free cards from Shutterfly. We took our pictures back in October, but Aaron did not like the lighting. We had to wait for the semester to end before we had a chance to take a new one. I had decided to use the old pictures anyway and had created a card, but Aaron still was not happy with it. We took pictures this past Saturday afternoon - and guess what? I wasn't happy about those! Oh well, I figured I couldn't miss out on 50 free cards so I used one of the pics that was better than the others and went with it. I hope they arrive soon so I can get them out. If not, be prepared to receive cards from us for New Year's! Here's what it looks like:

Elegant Cross Religious Christmas Card

Shop Shutterfly for elegant custom Christmas photo cards.

View the entire collection of cards.

Thankful

So with Thanksgiving only a few days away (WHAT???), I thought I'd post 10 things I am thankful for:

1. Jesus - my salvation: that He was willing to go to the cross for me so that I could be rescued from my terrible sin - how could I not be thankful for that?

2. My Godly Husband - while we may not be perfect, we are perfect for each other! He balances out all my OCD issues, my emotional rampages, and keeps me grounded. He works hard for the Lord and our family. I love him :)

3. My precious son - who at 5 can make me want to scream one minute and cry the next! He is one of the great joys in my life.

4. My family - I'm thankful for the love and support our parents and other family members have shown us. I am grateful that they took both of us to church as little kids and teens and showed us what it means to live for the Lord.

5. My friends - old and new. God has graciously placed people in my path to encourage me, laugh with me, point out when I am wrong, keep me focused. I am forever grateful for each of you in SC and Louisville.

6. Shelter - after visiting Guatemala in October, I can't help but be thankful for the apartment I live in, the car I drive, the church I can go to. I am very well aware that there are people living in the worst circumstances we could think of (the middle of a dump, for instance), and I am forever humbled that the Lord chose to give me such a place to live, a place to worship and a nice car to get me there. True that they are just buildings & material possessions, but where would I be without these luxuries the Lord granted me?

7. FOOD! - okay, I must admit that I love to eat :) and really, who doesn't? Again, I am thankful that my family has food on the table for 3 meals each day - and not just mere rice and beans, but meat and dessert and snacks. I take for granted the abundance of food I have, and I realize that there are people out there who don't get in one week what I get in one day.

8. Southern Seminary/Louisville - so this may seem weird to some of you reading, but I am thankful for these two places as they have given me experiences I never would have had back in SC. God has used Southern and our move to Louisville to stretch me and grow me in ways I don't believe would have been possible if I had stayed in SC. He has shown me what it means to trust him fully. And though I have become idle and content here now as well, I can often think back to that first week, month and year here and see how He used it in my life.

9. Jobs - Even though Aaron and I are not working our dream jobs :), I am grateful that we have jobs that provide us with income to pay the bills. With the economy the way it is, I know there are many people without jobs and I am thankful that God provided for us.

10. Our church family - We have been so blessed by the people of Brushy Creek Baptist Church, not only when we were still there each week, but since our move as well. The love, prayers, and financial support that they have shown us is so humbling. I cry each time I open an unexpected card or see an unexpected check. God has used BCBC and its faithful to minister to us! Praise Him!

So there are 10 - and believe me, I could go on and on. I'm sure I could write for days and not name all of the things that I am thankful for and have been blessed by. But for space sake, these are 10 of the things on my thankfulness list for 2010. I thank God for each blessing He has given.

Why We Still Need Missionaries in Latin America

Here's a link to Dr. Sill's blog explaining why missionaries are still needed in Latin American countries.

Christmas Cards

I know it is still a week away from Thanksgiving, but it is time to begin thinking about Christmas cards! This has been a tradition for me since Aaron and I married in 2000. Only recently, though, have I been drawn to the awesome choices of cards from Shutterfly. Over the last several years we have used Shutterfly for our printing needs. They are my favorite company (no joking here!), and I even referred a new friend to them for her printing needs. I'm telling you, I can't speak highly enough of them. So anyway, last year I sent out (for the first time) one of those email letters as our Christmas card because it was the easiest way to let everyone know what we were up to. I did, however, order a few cards for family and they turned out great! I had a difficult time choosing last year, and I can't imagine how to pick from the choices they have this year. Check them out here. Here are a few of my favorites:

Now do you see why I am having a hard time choosing? Any suggestions on which ones you like best?

I'm also thinking of gifts for grandparents this year. In years past, we have given picture calendars, collages, and photo mugs. Did I also mention that they have wonderful photo books??? I am currently working on a photo book for our Guatemala trip.... it's taking longer than I expected! Hopefully, it won't take me that long to choose a design for the Christmas card - at least I already have the picture in mind that I hope to use! :)

Learning to Read

Here is a short clip of Briggs beginning to read! Makes me happy ... and a little proud since I am his teacher :)

Is My Music Warping My Child?

Below is a link to Dr. Moore's blog: Moore to the Point. Good question and answer on the topic of music.

Is My Music Warping My Child? My Response

Next ...

Now that we have been to Guatemala, we are hit with a couple of questions:

1. How was the trip?

2. What was it like?

AND then comes the big one once the other two are out of the way .... When are you moving there/Are you moving there?

Our answers:

1. the trip was great! It was very eye opening and I'm thankful that I surrendered to God's leading to go. I tried way too hard to get out of it and would have missed one of the greatest blessings of my life!

2. It was beautiful in places, and quite frankly, ugly in others like the city dump area. The people were so welcoming and genuine. The food was good, and I really mean it! Two nights in particular, the food was better than lots I've had at great restaurants in America. It was all around a neat place. I never knew that there were so many mountains in Guatemala (give me some slack here, because I am no geography buff!).

So as for the moving part, well, we just don't know. We talked with each other on Sunday night while we were eating at the airport in Atlanta about waiting for that "a-ha" moment and it never happened. Maybe it never will. Does that mean we won't move to Guatemala? Certainly not. We were both just waiting for a certain yes from God and we didn't get that. We will see. Throughout this whole process, this whole journey, there's only been one constant - that we want to serve God and and be obedient to Him. That is the only thing we know for sure, 100%. Everything else is still up in the air and left up to God. I will say that we are fairly certain about working with Hispanics (Latinos, Spanish-speaking peoples - which ever you prefer to call it). We have felt that since the beginning of our calling and so far that hasn't changed. We are still praying about where God would lead us and are open to where He wants to use us for His glory. We ask that you would join us in our prayer.

Jeremiah 29:11 - For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

Guatemala 2

Guatemala 3

Pics from Guatemala

Have been trying to post my slideshow of pics from Guatemala, but it won't upload. Will try again this evening once I get the computer back from Aaron.

Guatemala Posts

Just a note to say if you wish to read all the Guatemala posts, you need to start with the post titled, "Guatemala." I did not post them in order.

Guatemala Again!

Friday, October 8, 2010 - Written about Full Day 2 (Thursday)

I don’t know if I can even remember yesterday at this point! It is Friday night at 9:30 and ….

I never was able to finish that thought until now – Wednesday, October 11, 2010. Will I even be able to remember last Thursday? It seems so long ago! I could have journaled the old-fashioned way, but I did not take any paper with me because I was relying on being able to use the computer. There just did not seem to be enough time! Thursday we went to the school in Pacux and read Bible stories to the kids and did crafts with them. They listened pretty well. There were 4 or 5 groups of about 30-50 kids each. We first took pictures of the groups and printed them for their teachers/classrooms. Then we divided off into age appropriate groups for the Bible stories. I’m not really sure which age group I ended up with, but it was lower elementary I would say. During the picture time, they were pretty wild and wouldn’t line up and acted crazy. Typical kids, huh? During story time, they listened pretty well, although a couple of the boys got up and walked over to the grassy area to pee. It is ok in their culture for men to go outside whenever they need to. After the story we did a craft and passed out stickers. They LOVED the stickers and wanted more and more. We finally had to say, “no mas (no more).” They kept asking over and over. We then left from there and went back to the hotel for lunch. If I remember correctly, we had some chicken burritos that day. One of the ladies took pictures of all our meals. I wish I had done that. Maybe I can get copies from her! After lunch we headed back to the school for the 7^th graders. The school only goes through 6^th grade, but Highview started a middle school for sponsored kids and will add a grade each year until they graduate! The ladies (Jodie, Amy and Stephanie) talked with the girls about purity, passed out some books and gifts to them. Corey, Richard, and Aaron talked with the guys about purity and wise choices. It was great to see our translators interact with the young girls. Ingrid really talked with them about purity and making the right decisions to follow Christ in their lives and when they choose a spouse. A couple of the ladies, Renee and Nancy, got to meet the two girls they sponsor for school. It was really neat. After that, we left for the market in Rabinal. It was a local market for the people of Rabinal to buy food, clothing and such. It had some interesting things. I took pictures but tried to be inconspicuous by hanging the camera at my side and snapping. Some pics turned out ok and others didn’t, but I didn’t want to offend anyone by snapping pictures all the time. We ate ice cream after a couple of hours in the market and then headed back to the hotel for supper and lounging for the evening. We were able to Skype with Briggs another time on Thursday, which made this mommy’s heart happy! We packed up and got ready for Friday at the park with the kids and the LONG bus ride back to the city.

On Friday, we ate breakfast at the hotel in Rabinal for the last time (I think it was eggs and toast, beans, and fruit) and got ready to head to the park in Pacux for playing with the children. I was not feeling great that morning … tummy ache and all… so I took it easy and was left in charge to keep an eye on everyone’s belongings. Others played with the preschool kids who came. I also helped face paint a little because it was right near the bags and it was something I could do without making myself feel worse. I even learned a few Spanish words while at the face painting booth and was able to ask the kids what they wanted … Corazon, estrella, pescado, cruz …I was so disappointed that I had forgotten to take my Spanish dictionary, but all was well in the end. I still wasn’t feeling great when it was time to board the bus for the LONG, winding, narrow roads back to Guatemala City. That ride was a lot better than Tuesday’s for sure, but was still crazy with all the washed out roads and stuff. We again stopped at Edwin’s for a bathroom break and for him to pick up the coffee that people had ordered. We forgot to order some so we didn’t get any L. We arrived finally in Guatemala City and went to the market there. It was really nice and we got Briggs and Aaron matching Guatemala soccer jerseys (although Aaron wanted a soccer coat but thought it was too expensive) and I got a Guatemala bag. I had a deal working with the guy (because you can barter with them) when Aaron stepped in and messed up the whole deal! I still got a good deal, but would have had a better one (and all I did was say I don’t want it and walk away, whereas Aaron was trying to make offers.) Anyway, it all worked out and everyone enjoyed the market. We then went to a restaurant (don’t know the name) that was so good! We had steaks (awesome!), potatoes, rice, corn, and appetizer, dessert and coffee… all for like $20.00 per plate. I even got to try to make tortillas. Mine was not circular, maybe more like rectangular! After supper we headed to our hotel, Vista Real, one of the top rated in all of Central America. It was definitely 5 star! Wonderful, wonderful, wonderful! It was nice to have steaming hot water coming out in a powerful stream! We also had a pillow-top mattress with at least 10 pillows on the bed. It was awesome! Breakfast there was ok, but everything else was magnificent!! We slept well that night!

On Saturday, we ate breakfast and headed out to Tabitha’s House and the Guatemala City dump. I HAVE NEVER EXPEREINCED OR SEEN POVERTY LIKE I DID THAT DAY. People actually live in the midst of the dump. I mean, they live with the trash. The government gives them this square spot of land right in the middle of the dump to make their homes. “Houses” were constructed out of a little wood, a little cardboard, and some tin for a roof. It literally was the hardest day because it was so emotionally draining. Ruth had asked me to work with the kids, and then when I realized Aaron was going to be downstairs, I opted to stay with him, because I was so overwhelmed and feeling out of my comfort zone. I just could not help but wonder why God would allow me to be born in the United States with all the blessings and privileges that come with it, and these people were born in the dump with all the curses that come with it. I just could not fathom it. As I sat there and watched, I saw the women sing praises. I heard Susan share her awesome testimony with the women there. And then, I saw God move! One young girl (who had been raped and held for several months and was now pregnant) jumped up before the “invitation” had even been given. She accepted Christ and I believe 2 other women did that day. It was such an awesome thing to see. After that, we all ate McDonald’s (it was the 2^nd time for Aaron and me because we ate it at the mall on Tuesday when we arrived - which is more than we eat it in the US!). I wondered if the women and their kids had ever had the greasy mess of food before? We compiled food bags and got ready to enter the actual dump area to pass it out. Geovani (one of the translators) told us not to take our camera since it was so big so we don’t have any pictures of our own from there, but some of the other ladies took pictures and were willing to share. What poverty and hopelessness I felt in there … and yet, I believe God was there. We prayed with several families. Several of them proclaimed Christ and one of the ladies homes I went into prayed a prayer of rededication. The lady I specifically prayed with (Fildelfina??) told Aaron and me that even though she didn’t have much, we were welcome to stay with her anytime we needed. She proclaimed over and over “God is big (Dios es grande) and God is good (Dios es bueno). I just could not believe that someone living in those conditions could say those things and mean it, but I saw her face and know she was sincere. It is so hard to even think back about it now to write it down. It just (as Aaron said) sucked the life out of you. I can’t imagine waking to that everyday of my life. They rummage through the garbage for things to recycle, for food to eat, for clothing – for just necessities of life in order to survive. Many of the women we spoke with had been raped and had numerous children because of it. I know there hearts were weary, but I could sense a glimmer of hope in them because of Christ in their lives. I would never have imagined or believed that I could feel God’s presence of all places – in a dump – but it was there just the same. After finishing at the dump, we went back to the market, just to walk around and get a change of scenery. We then went to Kakao for supper and had another delicious meal. We ended the night by saying goodbye to our sweet translators. We couldn’t have survived the week without them – well, maybe Aaron could have because he held his own pretty well, but the translators God blessed us with were just as passionate about ministering to the people as we were. It truly was a blessing to be a part of this trip. I’m thankful for the opportunity to go there. I learned that God is the God of Guatemala just as He is the God of Louisville, Easley, and everywhere else in the world. “There is no one like our God!”

More Guatemala

Thursday, October 7, 2010 - Written about Full Day 1 (Wednesday)

Yesterday I was finally able to get myself under control. Aaron encouraged me to stay positive. We had breakfast after that and I had to go outside with everybody so that kind of put me back on track a little. We had eggs, toast, and fruit for breakfast. We had chicken soft tacos the night before. Last night we ate steak with tortillas, rice, black beans and fried potatoes. The steak had some kind of red sauce on it. It was not my favorite.

We went to Pacux yesterday, which is only about a 5 minute ride from where we are now in Rabinal. Aaron and I walked around the village with Richard, Corey and Edwin while the women did devotions and crafts with the women in the village. I honestly knew immediately that Pacux is not a place that we could live. If God sends us there, we will go; however, it does not seem like a good place for us to relocate our family. It is a very poor village, but the people seem happy. They had smiles on their faces when they saw the bus pulling up. Kids at the school wanted their “photo” taken over and over – mainly, I think, so they could see themselves in the window. Most of the kids found someone to hang onto and hugged closely to that person for as much of the day as he/she could. Later we walked around the village in groups and prayed for the women that we found at home. Three different groups prayed for Gabriel and his family. Two shared the gospel with him. He was shot a month ago and is very anger and wants revenge. That afternoon, Richard & Corey were supposed to meet government officials to talk with them about the school here in Pacux, but they were not available. They wound up finding another Baptist church having a women’s only service at 4:00. We went there and a few of the ladies spoke and Corey spoke. It was interesting because the church was led by a couple from Mexico who felt led to come to Guatemala to start a church. Aaron and I chuckled to ourselves because we would have never thought missionaries from Mexico would come to Guatemala as missionaries! After that we came back to Rabinal to the hotel to eat. We finally got to talk with Briggs over Skype. It was great to see his face and hear his voice! We are going to try again tonight. We went back to Pacux after that to their Wednesday church service. It was different than the other service we went to. It seemed a little more upbeat. The other church played traditional hymns, but the people there seemed a little more involved in the service. We passed out juice and cookies to all who came to the church and then went back to the hotel for the night.

Guatemala

Here are my personal (candid) journal posts about Guatemala:

Wednesday, October 6, 2010 (Written about Tuesday Travel)

It is 8:00 America time and 6:00 Guatemala time. I am sitting here with swollen eyes trying no to cry even more as I am so overwhelmed and want to be home right now. Yesterday was probably the longest day of my life, and if I am honest, probably one of the worst. Waking up at 3 am is not good for anyone, especially someone like me who does not handle stress, fatigue, and new things well. I did fairly well on the flights – once we were up in the air. I hated taking off and landing. Once we finally got to Guatemala, we got on a bus and stopped at the mall to get lunch. It took quite awhile because American currency had to be changed for whatever Guatemalan currency is. I’m guessing we sat there for a couple of hours. The food choices there were American so we got McDonald’s. We finally left for what was supposed to be a 4 hour drive to our destination in a city called Rabinal. It takes more like 6 hours on VERY narrow, winding curves where at least half of the way there was no road because it had been washed out from the mudslides they had a week or two ago. We stopped at a halfway point and got ice cream, which was good, but I could have done without. By that time, it was probably 6:00 American time and we still had hours to go. I prayed all day for peace and that I’d be able to just go with the flow, to not get stressed out, but it didn’t happen. We stopped again at Edwin’s house (one of the translators) to get water. Everyone else got out and went inside (we were told this was just a stop for him, but everyone got out – which was fine), but I sat in the bus by myself in the dark in the middle of some city in Guatemala crying. I just wanted to be back home and we had not even made it to our destination yet. I guess some of the fatigue was beginning to catch up to me. We finally continued on, making our way through even narrower roads, up high mountains, back down mountains, all in the pitch black dark for there were no stars or moon shining to light the path. We made it safely to the city, only to find the road to the hotel was washed out. We had to back down yet another narrow road, turn around and try again. We went down another road and got stuck and all had to get off the bus in order that the driver get unstuck. All said, I think we finally ate supper at what would have been 10:30 or 11:00 American time. We made it back to the room around 11:15 or 11:30 where I really had a break down. I had not been able to talk to Briggs or family to let them know we were here safe, and I knew deep down inside my heart that I could not live in this place. I want to serve the Lord and I want to be obedient, but even as I sit here crying again, I just don’t believe this is someplace that I can confidently bring my family to raise them. Today is a new day and breakfast will be soon. We will go to a town 5-10 minutes away called Pacux where Aaron and I will go look at the school there and the rest of the women here will do discipleship with the women of the town who are all Mayan descent. I’m sure in a day or two the shock will wear off and I will see the light at the end of the tunnel. For me, I think that weekly mission trips are good (but extremely difficult), but that I am not suited to do this in life. I feel better able and equipped to work among Hispanic people that are already at my doorstep in America.

**This is the journal from the first day. You will see that some of this is the fatigue talking, some of it not. The only thing I am sure of anymore is that I want to serve the Lord wherever He leads.

Happy Birthday!

FIVE years ago today at 10:05 am, a 6lbs. 14 oz. little baby boy was placed in my arms (after an emergency c-section), and I knew my life WOULD NEVER be the same! I am so thankful that God blessed me with the privilege to be his mom! I can't believe that the little boy who will always be "my baby" is 5 years old!!!! Where has the time gone????

Here are some pictures from that day:

He began sucking his thumb immediately!

Thanking God for my miracle

His tiger lovey

Melts my heart :)

5 Things I Love About Briggs

(there are so many more than 5!):

1. I love that he will call me in the middle of the night sometimes and ask if he can give me a kiss!

2. I love that he loves his daddy so much!

3. I love his smile and his eyes and his feet, and well, all of him!!!

4. I love that he loves the Clemson Tigers!

5. I love that he has grown into a cute little 5 year old who sometimes seems smarter in years than a 5 year old should.

And so many more things I could go on and on about!

Happy Birthday to my favorite little man!

Never Say Goodbye

This morning as we said goodbye to our neighbors and friends, The Johnsons, this old Bon Jovi Hit Song came to mind! That's not surprising, though, being the 80's girl-at-heart that I am! It was a very sad day for Briggs, though, as he realized that his best buddy was moving away and not coming back. Goodbye is SO hard. He was crying, I was crying ... I think every body around was crying. As I consoled him, I thought about the great day that lies ahead for those of us who Believe - who have been rescued from the pit of hell through the salvation of Jesus Christ - when we enter into heaven and there will be no more goodbyes, no more tears, no more leaving our best friends behind. What a happy thought to know that one day, My Savior will wipe away every tear and they will be no more!! I'm thankful to serve such an awesome God who loves us more than we can imagine!

Briggs and Daniel

"D-Day"

Tuesday marks the day for Briggs and I to begin NSCA. I'm sure this will be challenging for both of us. I have been out of the classroom since 2003 and have never taught 1st grade! This should be interesting :)

Briggs is not excited or happy about school AT ALL. He would be happy to play all day long and is not concerned with reading or writing or really even learning for that matter! I hope he will adjust quickly!

If you think about it, say a prayer for us on Tuesday; I'm sure we will need it to make it through that first day :)

When It's Time to GO

I've just read this book for my SWI class: Cross Cultural Ministry. It is a great book to read, especially if you want to know what it's like on the mission field from someone who has been there.

I'll also share a question posed to us last night in class: "What is keeping you from calling & requesting information about missionary service?"

Calling All Prayer Warriors!

Hey Praying Friends,

As usual, I'm calling on you to help us pray! We are considering going on a mission trip with our church here in Louisville to Guatemala in early October. It's not something we originally planned on doing, but the opportunity came our way so we are looking to God for confirmation to go. Please pray with us!

Week One Down!

So week one of (home)school is down ... how many more to go???? For the most part, I must say that the week was a success! Monday and Friday showed some problems, but I am pleased overall with my little man's progress!

He was excited to realize he doesn't have school on Saturdays and Sundays :)

Magnets!

We have magnets! If you would like one to put on your refrigerator, please let me know!

School's In Session!

Today marks the first day of kindergarten for my little man! We opened with prayer at 8:00 this morning, and thus began our new routine for the next year. We started off SLOW (he is NOT excited about school or doing any work), but things got a little better as the morning progressed. Today we only had school from 8:00-9:45. I figured we are not on a time schedule and so we will work at a slower pace until we get into the routine of school. Our supplemental school starts September 7 so I hope we are going strong by then. At that point, I will work on reading, writing and math at home (and I will still do some science, history, etc) on Mondays and Wednesdays (I hope to take Fridays off!). He will do some language arts and math on Tuesdays and Thursdays, but the bulk of his time at school will be science, history, art, Spanish. I hope this will be a really good fit for the both of us. I will be teaching first graders while he attends kindergarten.

I am nervous about teaching him to read .... but then I have to remind myself that people do it everyday, and that originally ALL parents taught their children at home - way back before there were public or private schools. :)

Aaron also starts another semester this week. He begins classes tomorrow and will be one busy man! He is still working 30-40 hours per week, and he will be taking 12 semester hours again. With each seminary class he takes comes at least 1000 pages of reading per class .... can someone do that math for me??? Needless to say, he DOES NOT do any reading for pleasure during the semester! His schedule has him leaving at 8:00 am on Tuesdays and Thursdays and being at Southern until 3:45. He will go straight from school to work... so pray for all of us this semester! It will be challenging on all of us! On a bright note, though, it is his next to last semester of seminary! If all things stay set as they are now, he will graduate come May!!!

All in all, I think this will be a fun, interesting year. And come May, we all will be happy to celebrate summer!

RADICAL

Just want to say that Radical by David Platt is a MUST read for any believer. It will challenge you, maybe make you cry (it did me!), and help you understand how to let go of the American Dream!!

Go get it today :)

Where Everybody Knows Your Name

Although I like Louisville and have made some of the greatest friends I could ever have (friends I know will last a lifetime),

Sometimes [I] want to go

Where everybody knows [my] name,
and they're always glad [I] came.
[I] wanna be where [I] can see,
our troubles are all the same
[I] wanna be where everybody knows
[My] name.

Full Cheers Theme Song:

Making your way in the world today takes everything you've got.
Taking a break from all your worries, sure would help a lot.

Wouldn't you like to get away?

Sometimes you want to go

Where everybody knows your name,
and they're always glad you came.
You wanna be where you can see,
our troubles are all the same
You wanna be where everybody knows
Your name.

You wanna go where people know,
people are all the same,
You wanna go where everybody knows
your name.

Looking forward to heading to Easley soon! :)

First Grade Teacher

Beginning in the Fall, I will be teaching sweet (???!!!) first graders! NCSA is a homeschool supplemental education program. Parents focus on reading, writing, & math on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. Students come to school on Tuesdays and Thursdays for writing/language arts review, science, history, Spanish and art. I am nervous and excited all at the same time. I think it will be a great challenge to do two new things at once: homeschool Briggs and teach first grade. I know the Lord will grant me what I need when I need it.

Cow Appreciation Day

Who can pass up free food? Not me!! Briggs and I dressed up as cows and headed over to Chick-fil-a with some friends for Cow Appreciation Day! I'm sure my son will thank me for these pictures later!!

Pictures

A few family pics:

Belle of Louisville Cruise on the Ohio

Aaron's Brother

Here is a picture of Aaron's brother (he's the one scratching his head) enjoying a Toby Keith concert while in Afghanistan. We are thankful for Caleb and all the other Marines (& other service men and women) who are serving our country!!

Tu Eres Todo Poderoso Translation

Lyrics:

La unica razón de mi adoración/ The only reason for my worship
Eres tu mi Jesus/ Is you, my Jesus
Mi unico motivo para vivir/ My only motive for living
Eres tu mi Señor/ is you my Lord

Mi unica verdad esta en Ti/ My only truth is in you
Eres mi luz y mi salvación/ You are my light, my salvation
Mi unico amor/ My one love
Eres tu Señor/ is you my Lord
y por siempre Te alabaré / and forever I will praise you

Chorus

(Tu) Eres todo poderoso/ you are all powerful
Eres grande y majestuoso/ You are great and majestic
Eres fuerte, invensible/ Strong, never changing (like unfaltering, unwavering)
y no hay nadie como tu/ there is no one like you

ERES TODO PODEROSO - DANILO MONTERO

I have absolutely NO IDEA exactly what this song is saying; however, we sang it at the Indiana Hispanic campus tonight and I AM LOVING it!! Thought I'd share it with you. I'm going to find a translation too.

Happy Father's Day!

Thankful for a Heavenly Father who gave me such a wonderful earthly father & blessed for my son to have such an amazing dad!

Published!

I can now say that I have 2 things published on the Ministry to Children website I wrote about a few months back! Yay!!

Check them out:

http://ministry-to-children.com/worship-preschool-lesson/

http://ministry-to-children.com/lessons-learned-at-3-am/

Nigerian Cuisine!

On Wednesday night, we had two friends from Nigeria come over. Aaron met them at school. Moses and Abel are here studying as well. They went to an African market and bought us some Nigerian food to eat. They came to our apartment and cooked it for us! It was definitely a cultural experience! We had:

-goat

-chicken

-dried stock fish

Each of the meats were boiled, then fried.

Each of them were mixed in a stew of tomatoes, peppers, onions, tomato paste, vegetable oil and Nigerian spices. The stock fish were mixed with the same stew, but with spinach and collards mixed in.

Below are a few pictures of it cooking. We forgot to get the camera back out when it was finished!

The Next Steps ....

We have been thinking about "the next steps" ever since we decided to embark on this journey with the Lord. It has constantly been in the front of our minds.

The Lord has called us to missions.

What are the next steps to take?

We must sell our house.

What are the next steps to take?

We are going to move to Louisville.

What are the next steps to take?

And on, and on, and on ....

We are seemingly at another "what are the next steps?" kind of moment. Aaron will finish his M.A. in Missiology next May. That is only one year away - and almost overwhelming to think about! My how time flies!!

We began with our hearts and minds set on Hispanic ministry somewhere overseas. We have yet to feel a call anywhere else. We very much feel that God has asked us (told us) to go somewhere in South America or Central America to serve His purpose with our lives. Our original plan was to do this by joining up with the International Mission Board and being commissioned by them. Never once did we consider going to one of these places as self-supported missionaries - until now. God has so revealed Himself to us, and we fully believe that whatever path He has for us, He will provide a way for us to take it. We have learned of great needs for teaching and discipling in these areas (as well as others). Our hearts have turned towards this type of missionary service. We have learned that being a missionary doesn't necessarily mean going and taking the Gospel to everyone, everywhere. While some missionaries are called to do just such, some are called to teach and disciple those people that the other missionaries have just won to Christ. This is where we feel the Lord leading us. Aaron has been privileged to attend Southern Seminary, and to have Dr. Sills for several classes. His website Reaching and Teaching, and his latest book of the same title have allowed us to see the great need for theologically sound doctrine to be taught to these new believers for years before the nationals are really able to take over and disciple and teach on their own. This is the area that we feel the Lord leading us to serve in, and thus, we feel that going with another agency is the best thing for us. While we are not totally shutting out the possibility of going with the IMB, the chances are getting smaller and smaller. Funding is down at the IMB, and they are not sending as many missionaries as once before.

Another step we would take is coming back to Southern after 2 years on the field for Aaron to work on his D.Miss. This would allow us to go back and he could teach at one of the seminaries to earn income, and we could do ministry without having to seek funds from supporters. It all sounds crazy to some - and sometimes even to us! - but we know that God will provide and take care of all the needs that we have in order that we serve Him in the capacity that He has called us to.

As always, we seek your prayers as we progress in our journey! We are so grateful for friends and family who lift us up. We couldn't do this without you!

And Another One Bites the Dust ...

Semester that is! Aaron finished his last exam at 9:45 last night! It is such a great feeling for him (and me) to know that another semester is done! This one was especially hard since he was taking 12 hours (and just in case you don't know, 12 seminary hours are a little more challenging than 12 college hours) and working full time. We are definitely ready for a break!

Yesterday was also our 10 year anniversary!!! I still can't believe we have been married for 10 years! We had a crazy kind of day, but it was still good! Aaron surprised me with a beautiful ring last night.

It is a sapphire and diamonds because the 10^th year anniversary color is silver or blue. I truly have been blessed to be married to my best friend, the love of my life, and a godly man for 10 years. I am looking forward to the next 10! Since he had exams and had to work yesterday, we are celebrating tonight. Our friends, James and Brittney, are having Briggs over for a camp out, and Aaron and I are going out to eat. I hope we go to Havana Rumba - it has become my favorite! - but as long as we go out somewhere with each other, I don't care!

Stay at Home Mom - What?

"I love being a stay at home mom" is one of those phrases I never thought I'd hear myself say! As a teenager, I was dead set on being a career woman. I thought that IF I had children, my husband could stay with them. Then as a young married adult, I didn't even know if I wanted children. And now, I can't imagine my life any other way! The past year and a half while living in Louisville I have been staying at home full time. I never thought I would even get to do something like that - let alone enjoy it! I have been so blessed by a hard working, dedicated husband who has allowed me this season of life to stay at home with Briggs. God evidently placed a different view in my life because I would have never imagined myself staying home. I ENJOY being here, cooking, cleaning, taking care of my family - and isn't that how it's supposed to be? I am so privileged to have such a great family to care for, and I look forward to continuing to do so for many, many years!

Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift! - 2 Corinthians 9:15

FUN, FUN, FUN

About a year ago, I began to look online for homemade recipes for things like wipes, laundry detergent, etc. I found lots of recipes, and honestly became overwhelmed at all the different choices & recipes! I did make a batch of wipes, but since we really don't use wipes anymore, I only made them once. Yesterday my dad sent me an email saying that a lady he worked with had made homemade laundry detergent and paid less than $10 for 6 months worth!! I knew that I was heading out to the grocery store today - and that laundry detergent just happened to be on my list - so I decided to make some to see how it works, how much it costs, how long it will last.

I also made homemade body wash and another batch of baby wipes. What fun!!

Homemade Laundry Detergent:

2 cups finely grated Fels Naptha soap (or I think you can use Ivory)

1 cup washing soda

1 cup Borax (this was on sale at Kroger, plus I printed a coupon for $.35 that was doubled)

Mix it all together in an air tight container. Use two tablespoons per load.

I am washing my 2nd load of clothes already!

This recipe came from Tipnut. There are other recipes on there as well. I searched homemade laundry detergents. There's probably about 10 different recipes on there - some are powdered (what I used) and some are liquid.

There is also a recipe for dishwasher detergent. The great thing is that it uses the Borax and washing soda bought for the laundry detergent! The bad thing is that I won't get to try it for awhile because I just bought a new bottle of detergent on Wednesday! This recipe is also found on Tipnut.

The baby wipes came from eHow. It is really easy to make and they turn out great! I actually had the paper towels that have two sizes on them. I tore the paper towels at the smallest perforation and then stacked them all together and cut them in half. We only use wipes for cleaning off hands so I'm not really picky about how big they are. I then folded them accordion style, overlapping them so they will pull out like regular wipes. We've used one already, and they work just as well as the store bought ones!

The body wash calls for 1 cup of Suave or other cheap non-scented shampoo - although I guess you could use scented if you wanted. You add 1/2 cup of water and 3 tablespoons of table or Epson salt and shake it up. I just happened to have a half bottle of Suave shampoo, and we were needing body wash, so I decided to try this recipe too! I can't remember the website I found it on, but there are tons out there. You can add essential oils and things in for scent. I will try this in the morning.

So this has been my fun for the day! I LOVE doing stuff like this - and with Aaron at work, and the pouring rain outside, it made for a perfect project day! I even had plenty of time to clean house after these projects too!