Fall fun

Well, even though there really is no fall season here, we celebrated fall last night with our team. Melinda organized a pumpkin carving party for the kids and it was really a fun evening! We all ate supper together then spread out in a big circle and carved pumpkins. It was really fun and I'll write more about it later :) and post pictures, but I am not sure when...

We also had yummy treats! Pumkin pie, pumkin custard and apple pie- all homemade. Izzy and I made cookies yesterday during the day, too. And thanks to Doug and Larry, we had candy corn and M & M's to snack on, too :)

Melinda even had a little craft for the kids to do and she made carmel apples , also. It was really a great evening and it was very sweet for her to plan it! Noemy gave the kids a litte treat bag at the end of the night as well! It was both her and Coco's first time to ever carve a pumkin. Meg baked the seeds as well. YUMMY!

Because I spent the day at home, I was able to get the suitcases packed except what we'll pack the morning we leave! What a relief. I also have found the things I was looking for to take back for a few people! :)

Quick update

It has been a week since my last post...sorry about that...

We are preparing for a quick visit to the states. It is again time to leave the country (actually we are leaving a little bit early this time, but as a team, we are trying to work three different schedules and this time worked best for us and the team). So, we decided to head to the states for about 9 days. We leave Tuesday and will be back November 6th. We'll be visiting with two separate supporting churches and it will be very nice to reconnect with them and family and friends. We are thankful for the opportunity to be able to go back.

I began packing last week (yes, that is my Gran's influence- always be prepared) and I am glad I did. I pulled the suitcases out and they were covered in mold! EEEWWW! Mold is a common problem here, but we've never really had to deal with it much, so it was surprising to me. This week, I finished up packing the kids and I and yesterday I began organizing what I thought I'd bring for school. What a process! I don't want to take too much because of weight restrictions and everything, but I want to make sure we can have good, quality days while we are there, also. So, I've been organizing and printing some curriculum I have on the computer and figuring out what I will be packing. I will probably begin packing it later tonight.

I have to go looking for a few things to bring back as well and I am trying to figure this all out in my head. I know that it will all get done...I just begin stressing when I think of being gone all day Saturday and Sunday and then Moday morning as well...We'll make it there and that is what will matter :)

We'e having vehicle trouble. The rough roads we travel on every day are a leading cause of car trouble and almost every month now since we received the van, we've had it in the shop. Would you join us in praying that it would be fixed timely and also that God in his sovereignty would provide the funds for the re-occurring trouble we continue to have. We have not, unfortunately, seen an increase in support despite the many increase in monthly expenses we have. We trust God that all of this in His mighty and capable hands.

Also, please pray about this mold situation. This week, I noticed a huge increase on the patio outside the girl's room and the living room. I found mold in their closet and a couple of their things that were ruined. Then, today, I noticed mold on two of our photo albums. I am hoping it is just a passing thing. Please pray that it won't become a problem in the future.

The next time you hear from me might be from the states...Have a great weekend!

Blessings

Every Wednesday Matt is gone all day to La Carpio. You may be thinking, "I thought you were going to La Carpio, Brooke?" Well, I was for most of the "summer" months. However, once we started school, I quickly realized I was not going to be able to manage both a day away in La Carpio and also get in a full week of school with Ethan and Isabelle. So, once Matt finished his classes at ILE, we switched places and he now goes each week. God's timing is perfect because the week before we made the switch there was a group of 8 new boys wanting to be discipled that Matt is now discipling each week. Please pray for these young boys as they grow in the word of God and for Matt as their teacher, that he may be able to keep them under control and also understand their conversation and questions and answers. There names are Melvin, Gravin, Elvis, Noel, Michael, Ismael and Justo and Josue, who cannot read, but sits each week with the group and listens to the lessons.

Matt gets back around 4:00 and we leave for Tejarcillos prayer service around 4:30-4:45. The church in Tejarcillos has been struggling for some time. We have seen a dramatic change in the church since we have been here. We now see God building up the faithful servants he has in Tejarcillos and are beginning to see a community of believers forming. What is even more amazing is that we are starting to see entire families come to church together to worship our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

For some time now, attendance has been very scarce on Wednesday nights. Sometimes, it felt as if maybe we should not even have the service. However, in recent weeks, we have seen God working. We see God bringing adults back to the church. What was truly a church full of children when we first came to Tejarcillos two years ago, is now a church where God has placed two families who are truly committed to serving Him. We are trusting God will work in their lives to mold them into who he has created them to be, and also that God will use them as examples to others. We are convinced that God has plans to prosper His Church in Tejarcillos, not plans of harm. We know God has plans to give the Church in Tejarcillos hope and a future. (Jeremiah 29:11)

Last night was a beautiful service. I pray always that I will enter into the Court's of our King each time I enter a time of worship, whether at a service or in the privacy of my own home with praise and with an attitude of reverance for our God. Last night, this was made easy by the presence of our Holy God. About 35 of us were gathered on what had been a cold, rainy day, although the rain had stopped for a few hours. Before the service starts each week, a man named Fran, a leader in the church, has been leading a Bible challenge game. We are separated in to three teams. Everyone has their Bible and he calls out a chapter and verse and then says the book that we can find the passage in and then we are free to open our Bibles and begin searching. It has proven to be a fun way of starting the evening.

After the game, Pastor Rogelio started the service with a challenge for each of us and himself as well. "How many times do you personally sit in the service each week, get filled up with the Holy Spirit and the Word of God, enjoy the company of brothers and sisters, and then go home and in no more than a couple of hours forget the gift God just gave you? How often does this happen that we go to church or our discipleship group and then don't take the very lesson we have just learned and apply it to our lives? How wonderful it would be if we could just take the time to seek the Lord, remembering to take our burdens to Him. He is waiting for us to say to him, "I am so tired of this in my life. God, I trust you to help me rid my life of this sin." But how often we do NOT do that and the sin festers and grows in our lives and we find ourselves distanced from our Creator."

He then proceeded to ask if there was anyone who desired to come before the throne of Christ right now and lay down the burden's of their heart. What followed was a wonderful time of prayer and laying down our hearts before the throne of God. Each person there shared their hearts and personal prayer requests, after which was a wonderful time of prayer. I personally shared of how thankful I am that even though I fail my God every single day as His daughter, as a wife and as a mother, his mercies are new every morning and his grace and love are never-ending.

The service ended with several beautiful songs that served as offerings of praise to Jesus. One of the songs has become a favorite of mine. It is called Que Sería de mí. The words say:

What would I be if you hadn't reached me?
What would I be if you hadn't forgiven me?
I would have an emptiness in my heart.
I would wonder about without a course and without direction.
If it were not for your grace and for your love.
If it were not for your grace and for your love.
I'd be like a wounded bird that dies on the floor.
I'd be like a deer that cries for water in the desert.
If it weren't for your grace and for your love.

I love the words of this song. They are so true. What would I be if not for Christ's grace and love?

Generally, after the service we have a time of fellowhip and coffee is served. As Rogelio closed the service, the couple that is in charge of the coffee realized something had happened with the coffee maker and the coffee was not ready yet. So, instead of everyone hurrying off to their homes, no one moved. It didn't seem to matter that the service was over and we had no coffee to share. So, a few people offered to share songs of praise. A woman who was at the service for the first time sang the first stanza and chorus of Because He Lives. It was by far perfect, but she sang it joyfully and for the Lord. Then, two of the teenagers got up with Audrey and sang one of our family favorites, called La Niña de Tus Ojos. This is a song the girls love and know all the words to. After that Fran and Ariel led the congregation in one more song about the freedom we have in our God. It was really beautiful watching people freely make offerings to God. Of course, I thought it was neat that the two youth and Audrey were singing together :) By then, the coffee was ready and still, people seemed eager to sit and chat with each other. It was 8:00 before people finally started to gather their things and begin leaving. Rogelio was smiling so big after the service. I thanked him for sharing and for the evening. He commented on how beautiful it was.

Jeremiah 29:12-14 says, "Then you call upon me and come to me and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you, declares the Lord, and will bring you back from captivity."

Matt and I pray fervently that God will bring back the people of Tejarcillos from captivity. Would you join us in praying this as well? Would you pray for the spiritual growth of the people already actively ivolved in the church. Would you pray that God would allow these servants to evangelize to the lost and that God would bring new believers to be part of this church. Would you pray that the discipleship of all the believers would remain the priority of the leadership of this church. Would you also pray that as the church grows, God will continue to uphold the cause of the oppressed, give food to the hungry and release the people of Tejarcillos, who are prisoners of sin, from the bondage they currently live in. (Psalm 146:7)

School days...

Here is an update on the last week of school...

We've been studying South America, learning about different animals from the rainforest, as well as other interesting facts, and practicing skip counting in Math as well as reviewing basic math skills.

We did a couple experiements throughout this study that were very interesting as well as fun!

One day Ethan was reading a National Geographic for kids magazine and found an experiement he wanted to try. It was very simple so we decided to do it. It is called Kitchen Fishin' and you can find it at www.kids.nationalgeographic.com

Here are a few pictures detailing the experiment:

We first poured water into a bowl. We pretended that the water was the ocean. Next, we sprinkled pepper into the bowl and pretended that we were releasing little fishes into the ocean to be free.


Then the assistant stuck one finger into the bowl and pretended that it was a shark. Can you see what happened to all the fish? They swam AWAY from the shark. (All the pepper went to the edge of the bowl once we stuck our finger in).


Finally, we removed our finger and then we took some sugar and sprinkled it into the bowl. We pretended this was food for the fish. What do you think happened? The fish came swimming back to eat the food! (The pepper gravitated back to the center of the bowl towards the sugar)

How did this work? What is the secret?

The secret is a little bit of liquid soap placed on the finger of the assistant before sticking it into the water. The soap acts as a repellant and the sugar acts as a magnet and attracts the pepper to it. It was really a fun way to begin a discussion about magnets and how they work.

A different day, we were discussing many different types of birds that are found in the rainforests and tropical forests. The curriculum had some interesting facts about eggs and the strength of their shells as well as an experiment to demonstrate their strength. Lucia helped us with this experiement. We usually end up doing experiments the days she is with us, which makes it all the more interesting because we then have to explain the experiment in Spanish. I usually explain it to Isabelle and Ethan and then they both have a part to explain to Lucia in Spanish- it gives them a lesson in Spanish as well :)

So, the experiment called for us to remove the egg yolk and white from four eggs by cutting a small hole in the smallest end of the egg and then pouring the inside out. Then we were to place the eggs on the table in a rectangular pattern, with the end with the hole down.

Lucia and Ethan with one of the hollowed out eggs.


Setting up


After getting set up, we were to add weight slowly to see just how much weight the egg shells could hold. I forgot to make the holes even all the way around and so the first batch didn't hold very much, plus we used heavy books to start with.


Two had cracked, but we used the other two and smaller books to try agin. The last two egg shells held 5 small books and one larger notebook! They really are strong!

Here are few pictures of our school room.

This is the starting point of our day. We spend most of the day working here at the table and everything we need is in this room. It is so great to have this extra space and it helps me stay organized. Everything is out where I can see it and most things are within an arm's reach.


After we moved, we finally broke down and bought a bookshelf. We'd done without for the past year mainly because we couldn't find one we really liked that was within our budget. We found this one for half the price we'd seen other places and it is working great!


This is the reading chair. We have reading time every day and this is a favorite spot to read individually. It also doubles as the spot both Matt and I use for our quiet times. I love this chair because I can sit in it and curl up with a book (on the rare occasion that I have time to do tht!) and it is big enough to cuddle in as we read together :)


Ethan in his spot at the table. Both he and Isabelle have their own spots at the table with me in the middle :)


This is our prayer map. We've got pictures posted of the other missionaries we know and where they are serving. We'd love to post your picture, too :) Just email us a copy or put it in the mail! Praying for specific families who are serving around the world is part of our daily routine as well.

Kiddie quotes

Here are a few quotes from the kids I thought I'd share:

This morning as I watched Isabelle walk over to me after waking up, she looked as if she'd grown inches just overnight! (It probably helped that she was wearing Audrey's pj's that were way too small for her. Yes, they have begun wearing each other's clothes already!)Anyway, here is how our conversation went:
Mommy: "Isabelle, you look so big today! Did you grow last night?"
Iz: "Well, yes, a little bit. God makes us grow a little bit every day, ya know?"
Mommy: "Well, I guess you are right. It just looks like you grew ALOT last night!"
Iz: "Ging-ging always tells me she hopes I stop growing, but I tell her I can't. God just keeps me growing!"
Mommy: "Well, sometimes I really want you to stop growing, too, because I just love you so much the way you are now...But I also can't wait to see how God grows you up, either."



Last night as I was putting Audrey to bed we had the following converstaion:
Audrey: "Momma, know what?"
Me: "What, baby?"
A: "Last night after you had shut all the lights off and you and Daddy and Sissy and Bubby were all in bed, it was dark in the livin' room. I opened my door and looked out and saw Alex sittin' on the couch. He didn't look at me. He wasn't watching tv or playin on his computer. He was just looking at something...I don't know what."
Me: "Oh, really?"
A: "For real, Momma! I saw him. He didn't look at me!"
Me: "Was he sleeping?"
A: "No, he was just sitting there. Looking at something. I went back in my room and closed the door and when I opened it again, he was gone."
Me: "Oh! Where did he go?"
A: "He just left the house! I don't know where he went. He just gone! For real Mommy! He was here!"

I guess she's missing Alex!


Yesterday, Ethan and I finished reading the biography of Nate Saint. We had been reading it as part of our curriculum study on South America. The curriculum includees several biographies of missionaries throughout the year. As of late, the story of Nate Saint and his life have been a regular topic in our household. We were into the last chapters of the book.

For those of you who do not know the story, Nate Saint was a missionary serving in Ecuador, who along with a group of four other men serving in the same area, was brutally killed at the hands of the very people who they were trying to take the message of the gospel to. Later, members of his family and even a wife of another of the men that were killed, went back to these very people, and shared Christ with them. Now the village and others around it are for the first time learning about Jesus and has been changed for the glory of Christ.

During these last chapters, the account of the men's death is told in a very respectable way. Ethan and I had already talked about what had happened to Nate Saint and the men. Matt and I also watched the movie, The End of the Spear, which portrays the story, with him together a few weeks ago.

Despite knowing the story, reading through the events of what happened were very difficult for him and admittedly for me, too. He began softly crying, but asked me to continue reading. He got pretty choked up as the author describes Steve Saint's, who is Nate Saint's young son, thoughts about not being able to share a specific moment with his dad. Also, when his young daughter realized it was her birthday the day she found out her daddy was never coming home again.

We made it through the book and later began discussing it at lunch with Lucia, who was with us yesterday. We enjoyed a wonderful discussion with her as she lovingly talked with Ethan about the sadness of the story, but what purpose God had in allowing it.

Later at dinner, Ethan said that he was pretty sure God wouldn't call him to the jungle of Ecuador because Nate Saint had died and now the Waodoni knew about Jesus. I said he was right about the Waodoni, however there were many areas in the world where people still live just like the Waodoni's and no one has ever went to share Jesus with them.

He said, "Well, God did call us to Tejarcillos and people get killed there, too. I guess it doesn't matter where God calls us, we just go and share Jesus no matter what!"


Thank you, Father, for my three beautiful children!

Pictures

Here are a few pictures of the last few weeks...Enjoy...more to come later from recent homeschool experiements :)


Alex and the kids before he left for Nicaragua on his trip around Latin America


Alex and Audge


Alex took us all out to eat at Fresa's on his last night. It was really fun and a nice time of fellowship :)Not to mention some fabulous pinto :)


Alex, his cousin Caleb and his friend Greg before the big trip :) We enjoyed getting to know Caleb and Greg and Ethan loved having some guys to hang with.


Some crazy dancing kids I saw one day


Ethan and Audrey dancing away (I'm thinking this will be a wedding slideshow photo)


Ethan and Isabelle dancing (this one, too)


Some crazy silly faces :)


My sweet little girls


Power Puff Rangers (a combination of Power Puff girls and Power Rangers)


Our cat, Gatita (Her name is "Cereal" but we call her "Gatita" y todavía estamos buscando "Leche")


Isa


My baby. Look how much she has grown...where have these last few years gone?

Pantalones Cortos

I just have to tell you about a little task I've set myself to completing! I have been searching for a good book to read without much success. I have looked in several bookstores for what they have in English, but the selection is so limited and what they do have is outrageously overpriced...I'll just have to wait to hit Barnes and Noble when we go back to Indiana...

However, during my search, I began browsing through the youth section, and found a book in Spanish called "Ramona la valiente." Which, in English, is Ramona the Brave. We LOVE LOVE LOVE the Ramona and Beezus books by Beverly Cleary and have been reading them for over a year. So, when I saw this one I picked it up and began reading it, OUTLOUD in the bookstore and to my complete enjoyment, realized I could actually understand what I was reading!!! I have been very frustrated that it is very hard for me to understand what I am reading when I try to read in Spanish. So, this was a true joy for me to find this book and be able to understand it. I know it will be fun for Ethan and I to read through it together! (Yes, I bought it for about $4.00 paperback).

Later, as I was telling this story to a friend, she asked me about another book called "Pantalones Cortos" that she and her husband had read. It is by a Costa Rican author and is a collection of diary entries written by an 11 year old boy. It is written at a fourth-grade reading level, which for me is the perfect reading/comprehension level! She gave me the book and told me to enjoy it! I have been looking for it for quite some time, but the bookstores have been sold out when I had went. So, this made me even more excited than before.



This particular book is full of sayings and slang native to Costa Rica, which is great for us. I started reading that day and can't get enough of it! This morning, I was reading outloud to Ethan and it is amazing what he understands. There were several times I asked him what a passage meant and he knew right on. Some things I asked him if he knew because I did not know- and he did! At times, he would just laugh outloud! The book is really funny and the main character, Arturo, is much like the character of Ramona, in the other book I bought. So, we've laughed alot while reading this one. There are of course, some things I do not understand, so I am taking notes as I read and will ask around about what the variuos sayings and words mean. But the absoultely wonderful thing is that I can sit and read a passage one time and totally get what it is saying! Maybe those of you that have studied another language can back me up here- but this is like a feeling of jubilation- let me tell you! Not to mention all the new phrases I am picking up.

This probably isn't very exciting to you, that I am excited to be reading two books written for 10 year olds, but it is a huge thing for me...and I thought I'd share :)

Vale la pena

I've been thinking for days about how to write what I am about to say. It has taken much time to process an event that happened this past weekend and today I am going to share with you in an attempt to seek your prayers.

First I'd like to share scripture with you:

Suffering for Doing Good
8Finally, all of you, live in harmony with one another; be sympathetic, love as brothers, be compassionate and humble. 9Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult, but with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing. 10For,
"Whoever would love life
and see good days
must keep his tongue from evil
and his lips from deceitful speech.
11He must turn from evil and do good;
he must seek peace and pursue it.
12For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous
and his ears are attentive to their prayer,
but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil."
13Who is going to harm you if you are eager to do good? 14But even if you should suffer for what is right, you are blessed. "Do not fear what they fear; do not be frightened." 15But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, 16keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander. 17It is better, if it is God's will, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil. 18For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive by the Spirit, 19through whom also he went and preached to the spirits in prison 20who disobeyed long ago when God waited patiently in the days of Noah while the ark was being built. In it only a few people, eight in all, were saved through water, 21and this water symbolizes baptism that now saves you also—not the removal of dirt from the body but the pledge of a good conscience toward God. It saves you by the resurrection of Jesus Christ, 22who has gone into heaven and is at God's right hand—with angels, authorities and powers in submission to him.

1 Peter 3:8-22 (New International Version)

We've asked for prayers many times for protection for our family. This has been a long-time prayer request. We live in a society where an armed guard is present at every bank, many grocery stores and even stores like Aldi or Big Lots. We have bars on our windows and doors and a high wall along our back patio topped with a thick roll of razor wire and broken glass. We have anti-theft devices on our vehicles and multiple locks on our doors.

We minister in cities where drugs, violence and theft are a way of life. The areas we serve in are known to be "bad areas." I once had a taxi driver tell me he normally would not go near Tejarcillos, but since I was a young women with my daughter (I had Isabelle with me), he'd take me because of why we were here and what we were doing(I had explained that we were missionaries and this was the area God had called us to). He was fearful that something might happen to us and warned me to consider the cost.

We have personally felt the effects of this type of society as well as have others on our team in the form of theft, damaged vehicles and even being threatened with a knife. Recently, even more so as, the violence in all three areas has dramatically increased.

Last week, a young man was killed near the homes of several Los Guido church leaders for his tennis shoes. The question in the front of my mind has been "Is a life worth no more than a pair of tennis shoes?"

Yesterday in a local newspaper, it was reported that a baby between the ages of 1 and 2 was shot and killed as his mother unknowingly walked into the crossfire of a shoot out while carrying him. A young life innocently taken and mother forever changed because of senseless violence.

Last weekend, I was with our three children along with other members of our team at the base of the Pines in Tejarcillos, as we witnessed a robbery at gunpoint not more than 3 feet from us. I praise God for his protection and that through his grace our children were virtually unaware of what was going on just a few feet from them.

The afternoon we witnessed the robbery, as we sat in the porch area of Pastor Rogelio's house, the question came up, "Is it worth it?" ("Vale la pena?") One church leader shared his strong feelings of anger at what he'd just seen, especially because he knew the two teenagers who committed the crime. He asked us to pray for him, as his former life used to be full of things of that sort and he never wants to fall into that life again, yet the anger inside him at what he sees on a daily basis, fights to take control.

1 Peter 3:9 stands out to me. "Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult, but with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing."

Verse 11 says, "He must turn from evil and do good; he must seek peace and pursue it."

"...Consider the cost..." the taxi driver warned me.

How easy it would be to try fight the crime we see, to strike back, to let our anger overcome the love Christ has placed in our hearts. How easy it would be to turn from La Carpio, Los Guido or Tejarcillos and never go back, believing the lie that God wants us to stay where we are safe and our children are protected. I thought it, believe me, I did. There is nothing I've ever seen that has rocked me to my knees more than this.

What a blessing verses 14 - 18 are. What a sweet reminder of the blessing we have in Christ Jesus. Again, I admit, pretty hard to choke down as well. Verse 14 says that those that suffer for what is right are blessed and then in verse 17 scripture says that it is better to be in the will of God, doing what is right, and suffering, than doing evil. Praise be to God that what we have seen and been through is on the far end of the suffering and persecution scale of many in this world.

Verse 18 puts it all into the right perspective. "For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive by the Spirit..." Jesus Christ died for the sins of all men, whether good or whether evil. Men (and women) who commit crimes all over the world, even the man that we saw commit the armed robbery the other day. Christ was put to death and his resurrection saves us from eternal condemnation and separation from an eternity with Him in heaven.

Alex reminded us of these scriptures Sunday as he preached in Los Guido and also of the story of the five missionaries who were brutally killed in Equador and about whom the book, The End of the Spear, was written. I read this book before we made the decision to come to Costa Rica to serve. I knew then, as I do now, that the cost of serving Christ is high. It is not to be taken lightly. The wives of those missionaries that were killed, later went back to the same village to live with the very men who had brutally killed their husbands. They lived in that village with their children and today, the entire village has come to know Jesus Christ as their personal Savior. Five lives were lost but so many more were gained for the Kingdom.

Luke 14:25-27 speaks of the cost of being a Disciple of Jesus Christ.

25Large crowds were traveling with Jesus, and turning to them he said: 26"If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters—yes, even his own life—he cannot be my disciple. 27And anyone who does not carry his cross and follow me cannot be my disciple."

I remember reading this verse before we came to Costa Rica and even sharing it with my family, as a way of sharing with them what I believed to be God's call on my life. I still believe this to be true today and the call of our lives has not changed. God has still placed the call of taking the gospel to Costa Rica, specifically these three areas, and more like them all over the country.

I am shaken and, yes, scared. But 2 Timothy 1:7 says, "For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline." Pastor Rogelio ends each of his prayer letters with this scripture and it is by the holy power of these words we must strive on. Matt and I have to be very aware and continually seeking wisdom from God about where and when to include our children in the daily ministry. But we also know that God did not call us here to minister without them. We know He has great lessons for them to learn as well.

I share all of this with you today, because while it is my desire to live only in the fear of the Lord, I sit here today, fearful of the safety of my husband and children, of Pastor Rogelio and his family, of our church leaders, of the youth, of the innocent children whose lives are affected and changed in unimaginable ways due to the extreme violence they witness every day, and of our team. I fear the feelings that may come into my heart if the violence reaches a higher, much more personal level. I cannot with absolute certainty, say I would have the strength to go back like those women did. My prayer is that I would choose to follow Christ, no matter what He asks of me, but my flesh is weak, and that would be a great test of my faith. You can pray for my heart to always be rooted in the strength and wisdom of Jesus.

We ask all of you faithful prayer partners to fall to your knees at the feet of Christ on the behalf of the churches in these areas, for the youth and young adults who fight a daily battle to resist the trap of a life of violence. Pray for them as they may, in their own house, witness unspeakable crime and violence. Pray they would seek to use the resources provided by our God as a means of escaping this cycle of life. Pray for the young children who are effected by this violence, who may lose fathers, mothers, brothers, sisters, aunts, uncles and others to this violence. Pray that God would use the churches to be a light in the darkness in these areas as they continue to take the gospel to all men. Pray for our team to make wise decisions and continually seek wisdom from the Lord. Pray we would seek His gudance and follow His path. Pray for our family as well.

My heart desires to live as 1 Peter 3:8 descibes, "Finally, all of you, live in harmony with one another; be sympathetic, love as brothers, be compassionate and humble."

I am encouraged by 1 Peter 3:15. "But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have."

The hope in my heart comes from only from Jesus Christ and it is because of Him, and only Him, that I am here, that I go against what my mind tells me and continue to return to a place where someone might one day see something that I have or think I have something of value and take action to get it that may result in an injury or worse. At times, it is almost unbearable to think of things like this. However, in those moments, it is the Holy Spirit that graciously reminds me "How can you not, my precious child, when you know what HE did for you?"

Uncle Peanut

Our dear friend and teamamte, Alex Fine, will be leaving Tuesday, after having completed his one year term here with CLF Costa Rica. This weekend was his last to be in the ministry areas and today was especially tough, as it was his last church services in both Tejarcillos and Los Guido. Alex has officially been named a member of our family and will forever remain as one. He is known as "Uncle Peanut" to our three children and they love him as if they have known him their whole lives. He has made a huge impact in the lives of so many here in the ministry and in our family as well. We will miss him greatly, but at the same time, we know that he will go into the world and take the message and continue to make an impact for Jesus wherever he goes.

Would you please pray for him as he begins a month-long trip around Central America and also as he searches for what God has planned for him in this next chapter of his life.

Also, if you could pray for the adjustment of our children to daily life without Uncle Alex. Thanks!


Alex and his family and our family

Homeschooling update

Well, we had a really great week of school despite me and Audrey both being sick this week. I suppose we will experience periods of great accomplishments in any given week and some where we hardly accomplish any...However this week proved to be one that we accomplished so much. We began studying South America and specifically this week, Brazil. The kids enjoyed hearing some common words they knew both in English and Spanish spoken (I am sure incredibly INcorrectly, however spoken nonetheless...) in Portugese, the main language of Brazil. We also began studying the rainforests and other tropical forests, and we reviewed our trip to the forest last week with Matt's parents. We also attempted to make a Brazilian chocolate dessert that appears to be something like a cookie, maybe something like a Mexican wedding cake, but much more moist...Anyhow...I say attempted because it didn't quite come out like we thought it would...It is made with sweetened condesed milk, cocoa, and butter...and you are supposed to cook it and then roll the dough into ball and cover them with sprikles...however, they never set up...Kelly (she is curretnly serving with our team) was with us the day we were doing this and she and I had also decided to try to make the Nicaraguan version of an arepa. An arepa is a wonderful Venezuelan food that Coco has made several times and we just love. It is something like a pita, but more moist, and you cut it open and fill it with really whatever you'd like: cheese, vegetables, meat, etc. But the Nicaraguan version is a littler sweeter and more like a pancake. We ate them a couple of weeks ago in La Carpio and Melinda had figured out how to make them and so Kelly and I thought it would be fun to make them, too. So, we had made them by the time we realized that the Brazilian cookies were not going to become cookies but more like a sweet chocolate icing of sorts. So we, well, Ethan says that it was his idea, to combine the areaps and the Brazilian cookie-wanna-bes and make our own multi- cultural dessert...And they were fantastic! It was also a great lesson about making the most out of every situation, no matter what!

Earlier that same day, we took a field trip to a nearby greenhouse. We have studied how plants and animals work together in their exchange of different gases and also the greenhouse effect. So, in order to get a better understanding of exactly how a greenhouse works, what it looks like inside and how plants grow...we headed to the greenhouse. It was fun and the gardener was nice to let us look around.

It is funny the looks I get when I explain that I am the kids teacher and I teach them all their classes in our home. Sometimes, the looks are simply because the person I am talking to has never heard of such a thing. Other times, it is somewhat offensive as if I am not sending my children to school because I think the schools are not good enough. Often times it is just a look of "This woman is plainly crazy!" But, it is one of those cultural moments I just have to learn to live with. Homeschooling is just not heard of here. Apparently, according to Meg, children can be homeschooled here, but they have to complete 6th grade (I think) before they can begin taking classes in their home. (Meg would like to homeschool Mariana and Valeria in the future).

Anway, the gardner gave me one of those "crazy" looks, but was very kind and we looked all aroud and he even gave us a little lesson on orchids and how they grow, which was an added bonus!

We are reading about Nate Saint right now. The kids really love the book and my prayer is that one day my children have the courage to stand firm in the call God will place on their lives, whatever it may be, even when there will be persecution, suffering and that they will never feel peace staying "comfortable."

If I haven't said it before, I'll say it now: I LOVE homeschooling!"

home sweet home...

Well, Matt's parents left Tuesday morning realllly early...it was very hard to have had them here then have them leave...I think this will always be the hardest part of serving so far away from family and loved ones. But we made the most of the time we had here with them and look forward to another visit from them sometime soon.

We are currently staying at the mission house. Thre are these crazy bugs here that live in the wood and basically eat it, but I don't think they are considered termites...I don't know the specifics, I just know that they leave these little wooden balls as evidence of their existence. Anyway, since we moved in to our house, we've noticed them, but only in the girls room. So, our landlord is tearing out their ceiling and replacing it and then fumigating the entire house...So, we've got to stay out until Saturday morning. Thankfully, we have are able to stay at the mission house. But, the point is, I have more pictures to post, but I won't be able to until after the weekend...stay tuned!

Audrey said the cutest and sweetest thing to me tonight...

We were laying in bed together and I was reading her a story. I could tell that she was watching me and all of a sudden she said, "Mommy, I like this part of your lips" and she touched my bottom lip. Then she said, "Mommy I want to be like you" and smiled the sweetest smile up at me. Earlier, she was cracking Kelly and I up with some really hilarious things she was saying. Sometimes it is as if she is so much older thanwhat she really is...

One thing you could pray for...I have felt sick again for the past few days. This is the fourth time since February that I have been sick with basically this ame thing. A mild sore throat, dry cough, body ache and just really tired. It lasts a few days then goes away...but the tiredness I guess really hasn't ever went away...I think it is probably time to go to the doctor...but I have really been avoiding going. Could you pray with me about what this is?...if anything...thanks :)

Oh yeah...we had a GREAT homeschool day tofay...We needed to do some catching up and we were able to get through almost two days worth of material today! It was really fun today! Keep praying for more days like today :) We are studying the rainforests and other tropical forests as well as South America. Both Ethan and Isabelle are on their way to knowing all the countires on South America- let me remind you they are only 8 and 6!!!! Homeschooling is amazing!

Manuel Antonio

We have enjoyed the past few days with Matt's parents, Roger and Sue. They arrived late Tuesday night and we were up until almost midnight with them just talking :)Wednesday we went to La Carpio with them and it was, to say the least, an eye-opening experience for them both. But, it was a good day and we enjoyed watching them both interact with the people whom we love from La Carpio. That night, they stayed with the kids and Matt and I went to the prayer service in Tejarcillos. I think they enjoyed time with the kids alone and were all watching a movie when we got home :)

Thursday morning we left around 5:30 in order to get out of the city before 6:00 am. Thursday is the day we are not supposed to drive in the city limits or we could get a ticket. So, in order to be out of those limits, we had to leave pretty early. The trip took about 4 hours and that included stopping for breakfast. We had not expected to be able to get into our room right away, but thankfully it was ready when we arrived and so we got in right away. We unpacked and got ready to go to the beach. We drove down to the beach and found it was not quite what we had expected...but made the best of it. It was very touristy, but we had a great time regardless. We came back that afternooon and all of us jumped in the pool at the hotel. Later, Sue and I made tacos for supper.

Friday morning we decided to head to Manuel Antonio National Park. The park itself contains three beaches, one of which is considered one of the best beaches in Costa Rica. So, we bargained a price with one of the guides and eventually settled on an affordable price for us and hired him to direct us through the forest and. We were all so glad we hired him because he showed us so much that we never would have seen without his guidance. He also brought a telescope that he set up so we could view the insects and animals that he was describing. This was great because we could use it to take so much better pictures. After about two hours of walking we made it to the first beach, which is where we stopped. It was the beach that is considered one of the best, and it was almost like swimming in a natural pool. It is called Playa Manuel Antonio (playa tres), simply, Manuel Antonio beach (beach number 3). We saw so many amazing creations. Right away we saw a three-toed sloth high up in a tree with a little baby. We saw several different insects like a poisonous pygmy grasshopper, poisonous butterfly, dragonflys, forest crabs, owls, bats, deer, and monkeys- white-faced monkeys, spider monkeys and also howler monkeys. After walking through the trails, we stayed at the beach for several hours. We had brought lunch with us and so we ate and then enjoyed the water. It was raining but that didn't stop us from enjoying the water. It was so calm and we were able to go out quite far. We stayed until the park closed- about 4:00, then headed back to our hotel. After swimming in the pool for a little bit, we all got cleaned up and then went down to the restaurant and ate supper there (Sue and I were too tired to cook, although we had brought enough food to cook both nights...) We enjoyed a great evening with each other and the food was FANTASTIC! It was a barbecue place and we had chicken and ribs! They were so good! I haven't had bbq ribs in over a year and they were great!

Saturday we slept in a little and then the kids went swimming for a little bit. Sue, Matt and I got packed up and ready to go. We had decided to leave a little bit early and head to a spot we had seen many times but had never stopped at. We thought there was a spot with a beach and a restaurant and we thought we try it for lunch. We ended up finding it and it ended up being pretty good. After a short walk along the beach, we headed back to the house. We all rested for a while and had supper and then watched some old home movies before going to bed.

Today we went to church in Tejarcillos and afterwards enjoyed lunch with Neris and Rogelio in their home. This afternoon we have been relaxing. Tonight we are eating supper with the rest of our team. We are not sure of our plans for tomorrow, which is their last day here...

Here are some pictures of Manuel Antonio...


Mama sloth and baby (oso perezoso)


Golden web spider: This spider spins a web so strong it can capture a hummingbird.


If you look closely you can see several bats hanging on the tree trunk. It was absloutely amazing to all of us how our guide, Mario, could spot the things he pointed out to us. The use of the telescope was really so wonderful.


This is a poisonous pugmy grasshopper. It becomes poisonous because it eats poisonous plants, which in turn, create venom in him. The venom houwever is not harmful to himself.



This is a beautiful butterfly that is poisonous as well. It becomes poisonous through the same process as the grasshopper above. You can tell the level of poison from the intensity of the color of its wings. We saw othres that were not as poisonous and had much less intese red on their wings.


This was a huge bamboo tree. Mario said it was only about 50 years old. I thought it was so beautiful.


beautiful dragonfly


This lizard was hiding in the brush


Two walking sticks (I believe they were mating...)

The trip to the park was like a dream field trip for the kids. Ethan told me several times that it was one of the best days for him. He thanked me for bringing him there, to which I said to be thankful that Pappy and Mimi had come, because we would not have been able to go had they not come. The day was filled with so much learning and it was wonderful. Even though we never cracked open a book, we spent the entire day learning about the forest and the animals that occupy it. I have several things planned for the following week that we will continue to learn about what we learned in that day.


This was the view from the lookout that was at our hotel. One morning I sat up here and watched all the birds waking up and singing. It was wonderful. I wish I could have gotten pictures of all them.


The beach...


Mateo and Brooke <3


Mommy and Izzy


Pappy and Audrey dancing


Pappy and Iz dancing

More pictures to come later :)

Mis suegros...

Just a quick note to say that Matt's parents (my inlaws or "suegros") are arriving in about an hour!!YEAH!! We are very excited and have many things planned for a short trip...but it will be great! Tomorrow we will be in La Carpio with them in the morning and then we'll give them a night with the kids at the house while Matt and I go to the prayer service. Thursday morning we are planning to leave very early to head to a beach in Costa Rica called Manuel Antonio- it is supposed to be one of the best beaches in Costa Rica! (we'll take any excuse to go to the beach, as we do not have many opportunities!!) We'll get back Saturday and then have church Sunday. Monday we had talked about taking a hike to the cross, an area located above Tejarcillos. There are actually three crosses and we hope to be able to make the hike to the top of the mountain. We'll see how the week goes!

The wedding Sunday was beautiful and the time spent with them was wonderful! We were able to spend the entire day with them on Monday and the leaders from Tejarcillos as well.

We've had a great week and look forward to this time with Matt's family. PLease pray especially for the opportunity to share the gospel with them, for their hearts to be opened, and for God to work through all those they'll encounter in this next week. We believe God has planned for them to be part of his family and our pray is that this might be the time they would choose to follow Him. Please join us in these prayers.

No update yet on the house in Frankfort- please keep praying!

Down on Main St.

Please pray for the sale of the house we were living in before we moved to Costa Rica. In the way that only God does things, this house has not been a financial burden to us while we have been on the field. However, it has become a financial burden to the owners, who are our dear friends.

We ask that you life the sale of this home in your prayers. There is a showing of the house tomorrow, Sunday 9/14, for a family that seems quite interested. Our prayer has always been that the house be sold to a family that would continue to minister to the hurting people in the neighborhood.

Please pray that God would provide all the details that need to be in place for the house to be sold and the financial burden be lifted from our friends.

"Padrinos"

Well, another first in our Latin life happened yesterday. This one is unforgettable in such a sweet way...

Jonathan and Rebeca, the young couple we were witnesses for a week or so ago in their civil wedding ceremony, will be married tomorrow, Sunday, in the ceremony in the church. Yesterday, they asked us if we would be "padrinos" for the wedding ceremony. I actually was somewhat confused because I hadn't heard that word for awhile and wasn't exactly sure what it meant, but I thought it meant godparent (which it does...) but in the case of a wedding, it means "best man" or "bridesmaid"- the honor attendants in a wedding ceremony. So, it was quite an honor to be asked this and we feel so blessed that they would consider us for this role.

They are a sweet young couple and my heart's desire is to see them grow in their walk with the Lord. Jonathan currently works long hours for a decent wage for Costa Rica, however small for our American standards. But he works hard all week long to provide for Rebeca, her daughter Sheila, and the baby Rebeca is about to deliver. However, he has such a strong desire to serve the Lord in a greater capacity and it is my heart's desire to see God use him in mighty ways in the growth of the Tejarcillos church and in even more ways as well.

Please pray for this young couple and their new life together. Please pray that Matt and I can be encouragers to them both, that we can always speak Truth into their lives, and that our friendship would continue to grow.

Stains...

I have a friend whose blog is titled "A glimpse into my heart...stains and all..." Isn't that just a great title? My friend and I have shared our testimonies with each other- both complete with many stains...but what I love about her is that you can see Christ so clearly through those stains and the mark they've left on her life...

I know many people with the thought that missionaries are these "superspiritual" people who've got this thing we call life figured out. Maybe you are thinking that missionaries are those people who have it all figured out so they are the ones qualified to go, right? If you are one of those people and do not want your bubble burst (and it hasn't already been burst by reading previuos entries about our lives...), take heed and do NOT read any further...The reality is that, most of us (at least most misionaries that we've met over the past two years) are exactly the opposite of "superspiritual." When I hear the word "superspiritual" I think of the Pharisees. Which leads me to not want any part of "superspiritualism." What you'll find in our lives are pasts that were marked with stains that are now washed whiter than snow. But along the way, we fall, and thus stand up and once again, find our knees stained from the fall. The beauty of our God is that his mercies are new every morning and his grace is sufficient to get us up and standing once again and to keep us moving forward, forgetting what is behind and straining forward to what is ahead. (Phillipians 3:13) Our lives are full of examples that show how weak and un-qualified we are for the life we've been called to live. However, unfortunately at times, I beleive we've also exhibited moments that come close to being "superspiritual." I personally have (figuratively) covered my knees in an effort to hide those stains. I have trouble letting it show sometimes that I DO NOT...I repeat...I DO NOT have it all together. But, it is super hard for me to admit that sometimes. I do not like to fail...so I try really hard to make it seem there are no stains. But thankfully my God won't allow me to live my life that way. He has given me a Companion who will not let me hide for long. The Holy Spirit has helped me work through this desire to hide my stains from the world this past year. He has given me friends like the one I've been talking about in this post to help me see the better way, although maybe much more difficult, is to allow God to shine through those moments when my stains are the most noticeable. I am so thankful for the many people God has blessed me with the privelege of calling friends. Praise be to Him who is greater than he that is in the world!

One other thought, the one that actually lead to this post came to me as I was reading in a devotional book called Voices of the Faithful. It is a compilation of hundreds of devotionals from actual IMB missionaries from across the world. Beth Moore gives the intorduction to each chapter- and I just love her way with words and her willingnes to embrace the stains she carries and use them for God's glory. Many people speak of sacrifice today. Living here in Costa Rica sometimes does not seem like a sacrifice with the almost perfect weather (not counting the rain) and most modern conviences. The one thing that really feels like a sacrifice is being away from family and loved ones. If there is one thing that makes everything else seem out of whack it is that for me. For Matt it is something else. But what I cry out most to the Lord about is the deep pain that comes from not being near them. Recently we've been trying to plan a reunion for November with our families. We have to leave the country and had thought about trying to meet at least our parents and possibly a few other family members in Florida. (Florida because sometimes we can find fairly cheap flights from here to there). So, we've been looking for quite sometime. While the flight is fairly cheap, it will still be over $1200.00 to fly there and then we would have the cost of the hotel and a rental car...So, we've pretty much decided not to do that. We've thought about heading to Indiana and for a laugh checked prices for tickets. We can fly to O'Hare for less $350.00 a person, but you can do the math and with 5 of us it just is not cheap...So, here I sit today and wonder "Why, God, does it have to be so hard to be away from them and so hard and so expensive to even get to see them once or twice a year?" Well, my answer came in the form of several scriptures that are dear to my heart... "If anyone would come after me, he must take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life for me will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will save it." (Luke 9:23) My single greatest challenge is daily dying to myself in order to allow Christ to live more fully in me. This involves the endurance to deny myself the pleasures of my flesh- like having my family and loved ones close by. The second scripture that spoke to me was Galations 2:20, "I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me." WOW! To love me so much, that he gave his life for me...and I cry to him because I miss my family...And finally, the third scripture God gave me today was Romans 12:1 where we are urged to "offer our bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God" and this is being our spiritual act of worship. This is the part that really hit home tonight. The sacrifice of leaving behind my family to follow the call God has placed on our lives is only bearable when I remember that what we sacrifice for Christ, He will turn to gain. It is not my life to live anymore. I've been crucified with him and He now lives in me. But when I feel most deeply affected by the distance that physically separates my family and I, God is asking me to turn that into worship of Him. I asked myself tonight when the most moving times of worship have been in my life. They've been when I've felt intense, deep pain. And that is how He spoke to me tonight. As much as I desire to spend time with our families, that may not be what he has planned for us for November. I've got to praise Him either way. No matter how deep the pain, I've got to use it to worship Him and to bring Him glory. Beth Moore says it best this way, "God seems to whisper, Worship Me with it, (Beth). Bring that ache to My altar, and I will esteem it as a lavish offering. Trust Him. Worship him. And count your loss but gain."

More about being a homeschooling missionary mom...

Well, today is another example of my life as a missionary homeschooling mom...

Isabelle woke up this morning with a horrendous cough. (It was mild when she went to bed last night...but way worse this morning). She seems to physically feel ok, but she is extremely tired and has the unintentional "I'm sick" look on her face. So, she asks me what we have to do today and I begin to explain our day of school for two hours, then Mommy leaves for La Carpio and school with Daddy for a fwe hours more...then we all meet back up and head to Tejarcillos for the prayer service. Audrey, who had been quietly eating her fruit loops, looks up at me with her sweet little face and says, "Mommy, can you please just stay home with me today?" OK- OBVIOUS OPPORTUNITY TO SPEND SOME QUALITY TIME WITH HER!!! So, even though I had already lifted to the Lord what I should do today (ministry or family), without knowing that Isabelle was worse this morning, but knowing that we were behind in school this week...I went to the Lord again in prayer. So, I made the choice to stay home today from La Carpio and have spent it homechooling two children, one who is sick, trying to make the most of my day with my youngest little one and getting some other much needed things accomplished. Matt took over for the nature walk with the kids (not really a walk because Iz wasn't feeling that great to go on a real "walk") outside in the area around our house. They gathered some intersting leaves from the plants growing right on our street. During this time I went on a walk with Audrey to an area near our home to get a few things done and to take advantage of the no rain and sunshine. And it was an excuse to take her and get her favorite treat :) and a frozen cappuccino for me...it isn't the REAL thing but it is a close second and it cost about $1.25 for a 20 oz size!!! So, we enjoyed some one on one time and being able to talk- and can that girl ever talk!!!! So, we got back and ate lunch and she laid down for her nap...Matt and I made some decisions about his parents visit and what we are going to do while they are here and also spent some time working on Math (not our formal curriculum but with the Pattern Blocks I ordered) with both Ethan and Isabelle.

So, how do we do this, anyway? How are we as parents of three young children in the prime learning years supposed to balance the draw of ministry with the nurturing of our family? Today, it was obvious for me. Today was a day that our three kids needed me to be their mom. Why or how could I choose anything else? Isn't that what God has gifted me to do as my first and most important ministry. And won't that send a better message to the women I minister to and serve with than anything else I could ever do or say? That is the message the Lord laid upon my heart today and I thank him for the opportunity to be home today.

So today we ask you to pray for our family as we grow more and more as servants of the King and watch God work in the ministry here. Matt and I both are sharing the homjeschooling responsibilities, but really the brunt of the ministry is on his shoulders. And so we ask you to continually petition the Lord on our behalf to keep our God first, our family second (our marriage first and then our children, and our ministry third. Thanks for praying!

Homeschooling as a missionary mom...

So, I thought I would give you a look into our homechooling day. This is my first time homeschooling and I really have no idea what to excpect or sometimes even what to do for that matter (Lord, please allow my children to learn despite my weaknesses). We've been officially "doing" school for a week now. So, we start the day with the Bible lesson. This varies from day to day and week to week, but generally there is a scripture to memorize each week and then a passage from a great text we are using. We are actually going to be looking and studying different people groups and countries and the prominent religions of the world throughout the year. Ethan and I have had some great discussions already and we've only looked at Buddhism and Animism (there are many different forms of this but it is basically the belief of evil spirits and the need to make peace with them). I am so proud (boasting in the mightyness of our God!) that Ethan was able to give me a solid defense of the differences of Christianity and these two religions. It made my heart swell! We have begun preparing our world map with pictures of all "our missionaries" from all over the world now that we pray for. Then we make an easy transition to geography. I love the emphasis on geography in this curriculum, which is so totally ironic because I remember hating geography in school. We are studying maps and globes and their differences, and have moved into studying the different parts of a map like latitude, longitude, the compass rose, etc. And the kids also make geography notecards to learn the terms we are using. We have science every day, and the kids make a notebook page for every lesson. They are going to be priceless to me in the future I know it! We are going to need to rent a storage space if we homeschool all the way into high school..that is for sure. The kids really caught on to the idea of notebooking- capturing their thoughts on the lesson by drawing a picture and/or capturing them with words. We have silent reading where they each read for about 15 minutes each day and we try to read together at some point during the day- I have to work on this because it is totally my fault that we have not done this well. I hope that by Friday or Monday we will have started Math. We also have different activities that allow them to work on their handwriting and English compostition skills, although I have chosen to not use a formal English curriculum, but am relying more on dictation and verbally retelling the story at this level and a few other tecniques that I researched.

So, maybe you are reading this and have homeschooled before...maybe you have never homeschooled and like me have wondered or are wondering "Just how does that work?" Well, I think that if we lived a normal life, our daily schedule would be fairly similar from day to day. I think that because our lives are becoming so intricately intertwined with ministry, our daily schedule is just not so normal...We have committments within the ministry, different schedules for every day of the week and our "Saturday" or day off is actually Thursday. So, Monday we start school around 11:00 am and work into the afternoon and even after we get into the ministry area. Tuesdays is about the same. Wednesdays we start at 8:00 and I leave for La Carpio around 10:30. Matt takes over then and takes the kids on their weekly nature walk. This is a part of the curriculum I LOVE as well! The go outside and spend time looking at the world God has given us to live in. They find something unique in nature that they want to journal about and they either draw a picture of it paint it paste it in their notebook- somehow capture the piece of nature. Then we try to research and find out what it is and as much information as we can about it...Also, Matt has plans to take the kids through the discipleship book we use in the ministry as well. Thursdays, we are going to try to keep free from school if possible, but we may do some catch up on these days. Fridays are a normal day of 8:00 - 12:00. We will try to do art projects on Fridays as well.

The kicker is that both last week and this week already, there are pulls from the ministry that get us away from our routine. Last Tuesday for example...and then today turned into almost the same kind of thing- we were home for about 2 hours in the middle of the day today, which part of the time was used to eat lunch and the other to do some of our lessons. Then, we left agian and did not get home until about 7:00. This is bound to happen again and again...My question for those who've had HS experiencing (or even if you just have advice...) How can I make this work? I am going to have to really get them to focus tomorrow and the rest of the week. The crazy part is that I am completely not stressed about it because I have peace that God will take care of all these days like this for me and somehow they'll all three come out bright intelligent young people...at least that is my prayer!!!! Could you join me in my prayers about this...

So, today I did at least get a glimpse of hope that it may be working...I was talking with Isabelle on the way to Tejarcillos and she was asking me how to spell something and I asked her to sound it out. I was helping her with a sound and I said the sound of and 's' to illustrate the double 's' in the word and Audrey said "S" as plain as if she has always known that that sound went with that letter!

Today we were talking about the Towere of Babel and how God mixed all the people up and made all the languages. The first part of that passage (Genesis 11:1-9) of scripture talks about the "plain" of Shinar. After reading the passage I had Isabelle retell the story in her own words to Ethan and I. She starts out like this: "Well, first there was one language and then the plane landed and they started to build the city." I was really perplexed. Where in the world did she get that a plane had landed anywhere-especially since we were reading Genesis! I mean maybe if we were in the New testamnet and you know, she thought Jesus lived in more modern times or something...but...I was confused. So I asked her where the "plane" was in the story. Ethan said "Mom it said that they found the "plain" and settled there." So, that was a good lesson on words that sound alike but are spelled differently. And a cute one at that!

BY THE WAY!!! We need your PICTURES!!! Can you send us your pictures? We are trying to post as many of you as we can on our Wrold map so we can remember you in prayer each day! Please email us a recent picture and include your whole family if you can!!! That would be great!!!!