From the desk of…Sarah!
Merry Christmas to all of our dear friends and family! I am excited that Mom and Dad chose me to be the kid to write the letter this year. I love to write! My favorite is writing silly stories about my brothers and sisters. Mom says I have an active imagination. I think that’s a good thing, at least I hope so.
I am 7 years old and in 2nd grade. I like doing school at home most of the time. I like having friends over for play dates and overnighters the best. The very best thing that happened since last year was our new puppy Tank. He is a lab and he is getting bigger every day. December 14th is his “gotcha day”. That’s the day that he adopted us as his family. We all love to play with him and snuggle. He is snoring right now as my mom types this in. He makes me giggle. My mom’s favorite bumper sticker says “My Labrador Retriever is smarter than your honor student.” My dad took him hunting with my Grandpa and brothers over Thanksgiving. Tank did a good job, when he wasn’t being distracted by his new girlfriend Hershey (my Uncle Doug’s chocolate lab).
There's lots of fun things to follow in the rest of the letter, including those famous quotable quotes. Hope you enjoy it! Write back to me when you get a chance.
Love, Sarah
(aka "CiCi" - the nickname I got when Gina was born, 5 years ago)
PS - I almost forgot...I wanted to share with you some of my "special" words that I've made up. Here are a few:
Sarah’s Vocabulary words
Or “how to speak Sarah-ese”
Shammy-adj. extremely nice looking; “you’re looking very shammy tonight.” Other meanings could be embarrassing (“try not to be too shammy”), or hilarious (“you are just soooo shammy”).
Dee-lish-adj. delicious; spoken after mom hands her most any food, except veggies.
Yum-O adj. yummy; did we mention mom is a big Rachel Ray fan?
Sammy - n. what mom usually serves for lunch, often with peanut butter and jelly; "thanks for the shammy sammy, mom!"
Wow-Pow- interj. To show excitement for all things wonderful or surprising that happens in a 2nd graders’ world.
CrackaLackaTackin- v. To get up and go to work, come home, and the next day do it all over again; "Come on Dad, you gotta get crackalackatackin!"
Mommasita - Mom's nickname, now that Jess is taking Spanish.
Nudey Rudey- buck naked. The state of Sarah and Gina right before their shower together.
Thursday, December 25, 2008
Wednesday, December 24, 2008
Christmas Letter--Quotes!
And now for the moment you’ve all been waiting for…..the one…the only…the annual Schillinger tradition….the
Quotable Quotes!!!
Gina -- “OK, we need Sarah, Joanna, and Gina over here...Oh wait, I’m Gina."
Gina, singing -- "Romeo take me, somewhere…"
Mom -- "Honey, where did you hear that song?"
Gina -- "Well, when I yawned it got stuck in my head."
Gina, during the latest bedtime routine -- "I love you world record, I love you gold medal, I win!"
Sarah, during the latest bedtime routine -- “I broke the love chair, I fixed the love chair, I love you more than President Obama, I win.”
Joel, speaking before thinking -- “Oh gross, who would put ketchup on that? … oh, it was me.”
Joel, noticing a sign on the way into a restaurant -- "'Shirt and shoes required'…they didn’t say anything about pants!”
On Halloween:
Michele -- “What do you want to be?”
Gina -- “A princess.”
Michele --“What should Joel be?”
Gina -- “My bodyguard.”
The little girls ended up as butterflies, complete with glitter makeup and shiny wings. Fancy!
Gina, as Glenn headed out to the fire pit -- “Dad is going to burn hot dogs for us!”
One night, as Glenn and I were heading out on a date...
Glenn -- “Tonight, you’ll have to hunt for your dinner.”
Grant -- “I think I can hunt down a credit card and cell phone.”
“My eyes are getting sour.” -- Sarah, after Jessica wiped sour cream on her face.
“If we confuse our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive our sins…” -- Sarah, misquoting I John 1:9, which states that we should confess our sins.
Dad -- “How about a beach vacation?”
Sarah -- “Yeah, in North Dakota!”
Seems we may need to kick in the geography program a little earlier for her…
“Squirrels are God’s natural speed bumps.” -- Jessica, the newest driver in the house.
“When I grow up, I’m going to be perfect at driving.” -- Joel
Mom, noticing Jessica's horrible table mamers -- "It’s a good thing you’re not a dating woman!"
Gina, overhearing -- "I’m a datin’ woman."
Sarah -- “If you see someone that’s married, try not to be too shammy.” (see Sarah's Dictionary for the definition of 'shammy'!)
Jessica's cure for sneezes --"Think of COWS!”
(try it, it really works!)
Joanna, the fashion go-to gal with a habit of wearing mismatching colored and patterned socks -- "Matching socks? How redundant!"
Mom, with some serious buyers remorse on the puppy decision -- "Puppies ARE SO cute…until they’re not!”
For the record, we are back on good terms now. In fact, he slept in our bed on my feet last night. Better than an electric blanket.
Sarah, directing one of Dad's calls -- "Wanna talk to your love-girl?"
Sarah, completing the connection at the top of her lungs -- "Mom…here's your love-doctor!"
Glenn, trying to restore order at the dinner table -- "Everyone, sit down on your bottoms; that’s what they’re there for."
Grant, on one of his food phobias -- "Jelly beans…too risky. You never know what you’re going to get."
Quotable Quotes!!!
Gina -- “OK, we need Sarah, Joanna, and Gina over here...Oh wait, I’m Gina."
Gina, singing -- "Romeo take me, somewhere…"
Mom -- "Honey, where did you hear that song?"
Gina -- "Well, when I yawned it got stuck in my head."
Gina, during the latest bedtime routine -- "I love you world record, I love you gold medal, I win!"
Sarah, during the latest bedtime routine -- “I broke the love chair, I fixed the love chair, I love you more than President Obama, I win.”
Joel, speaking before thinking -- “Oh gross, who would put ketchup on that? … oh, it was me.”
Joel, noticing a sign on the way into a restaurant -- "'Shirt and shoes required'…they didn’t say anything about pants!”
On Halloween:
Michele -- “What do you want to be?”
Gina -- “A princess.”
Michele --“What should Joel be?”
Gina -- “My bodyguard.”
The little girls ended up as butterflies, complete with glitter makeup and shiny wings. Fancy!
Gina, as Glenn headed out to the fire pit -- “Dad is going to burn hot dogs for us!”
One night, as Glenn and I were heading out on a date...
Glenn -- “Tonight, you’ll have to hunt for your dinner.”
Grant -- “I think I can hunt down a credit card and cell phone.”
“My eyes are getting sour.” -- Sarah, after Jessica wiped sour cream on her face.
“If we confuse our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive our sins…” -- Sarah, misquoting I John 1:9, which states that we should confess our sins.
Dad -- “How about a beach vacation?”
Sarah -- “Yeah, in North Dakota!”
Seems we may need to kick in the geography program a little earlier for her…
“Squirrels are God’s natural speed bumps.” -- Jessica, the newest driver in the house.
“When I grow up, I’m going to be perfect at driving.” -- Joel
Mom, noticing Jessica's horrible table mamers -- "It’s a good thing you’re not a dating woman!"
Gina, overhearing -- "I’m a datin’ woman."
Sarah -- “If you see someone that’s married, try not to be too shammy.” (see Sarah's Dictionary for the definition of 'shammy'!)
Jessica's cure for sneezes --"Think of COWS!”
(try it, it really works!)
Joanna, the fashion go-to gal with a habit of wearing mismatching colored and patterned socks -- "Matching socks? How redundant!"
Mom, with some serious buyers remorse on the puppy decision -- "Puppies ARE SO cute…until they’re not!”
For the record, we are back on good terms now. In fact, he slept in our bed on my feet last night. Better than an electric blanket.
Sarah, directing one of Dad's calls -- "Wanna talk to your love-girl?"
Sarah, completing the connection at the top of her lungs -- "Mom…here's your love-doctor!"
Glenn, trying to restore order at the dinner table -- "Everyone, sit down on your bottoms; that’s what they’re there for."
Grant, on one of his food phobias -- "Jelly beans…too risky. You never know what you’re going to get."
Christmas Letter--Top 12 Lists
We wanted to share with you our top 12 lists - one for each member of the family.
Jessica’s Top 12 -- My Monthly "To Do" List
Here are the things I wanted to accomplish each month of 2008:
January- Dissect everything under the sun in and out of Biology lab. Take pictures of everything I dissect.
February- Practice cello. Rehearsals for NCBC Orchestra. Practice Piano.
March- Win the "Shamrock Around the Clock" scavenger hunt with my awesome friends.
April- Survive Drivers Ed.
May-Practice driving, try to convince parents to let us have summer off of school
June- Help with Theatrical Camp
July-Pack for Mexico. Build a home for a family. Don’t shower or change clothes for 4 days. Journal every detail every 5 minutes. (Note: You can read my whole Mexico journal on this blog and see some pictures of this amazing trip!)
August- Help with flooded out homes and ministry organizations destroyed during the flood of ’08.
September-Shop for homecoming dress. Take Chem lab and Spanish class.
October- Eight Days of Hope flood relief work on my 16th birthday. Get my license!
November- Practice lines for Little Women MHSAP play. Design the t-shirts for the cast.
December- Convince parents to get a third family car. Help mud & tape a flooded-out house. Go to Nanna & Pappa's to celebrate Christmas
Joanna’s Top 12 - My Favorite Things List
These are a few of my favorite highlights of 2008. Sorry it's longer than 10.
1. Playing basketball with friends. Mom’s first attempt at coaching is mildly amusing but fun.
2. Baking cupcakes for sleepover with friends
3. Going shopping with mom and friends
4. Making sandwiches for flood relief workers with my friends. Going to bday parties for my friends, who only want gifts for flood victims. Cool…
5. Making treats for my church group ("RAP") with my friends
6. Practicing soccer with friends
7. Going to knitting club with friends
8. Attending theatrical camp with my friends at New Covenant Bible Church
9. Doing Impactors drama team and Deep Impact Bible study with my friends
10. Making smoothies for play dates with my friends
11. Taking pictures and videos with my friends
12. Being baptized at Palo Lake by my Dad; several of my friends also were baptized
(…can you guess the common theme here?!?)
Joel’s Top 10 - My Monthly Goals
These are things I wanted to accomplish each month of 2008:
Jan. –try to be high score in bball games. My coach is a former pro-basketball player.
Feb.- try to beat uncle Doug and the cousins in polar bear games at the hotel swimming pool and snow bank outside.
March-try to finish my school. Why does it have to take so long? And why isn’t recess more of a priority for mom.
April-try to eat all the yummy cake Nanna brought for my birthday.
May –try to score the most goals in my soccer game.
June-try to remember to pray for the people who are flooded out of their homes
July-try to make a bday card for Poppa’s 76th! Try to make the Michigan cousins feel welcome when they stop in for a visit.
Aug.-try to talk Dad into shooting hoops with me after work
Sept.-try to talk Mom into buying me drums, cuz I love to pound on pretty much anything that is standing still.
Oct.-try to score the most touchdowns in flag football
Nov.-try to shoot pheasants with my Grandpa and to eat all of Grandmother’s yummy Thanksgiving food.
Dec.-try to remember Jesus is my best friend and the whole reason we do Christmas anyway!
Gina and Sarah’s Top 10 (OK, 12 again) -- Our Daily Duties
Here are the things we like to do every day:
1. Play Littlest Pet Shops make-believe in our room
2. Take Tank out to the screen porch to play. Let him lick every inch of our faces. Poppa thinks he has calmed down since he was a puppy
3. Eat apples and clementines for a little snackeroo
4. Play Butterfly or Tackle with Daddy. Giggle ‘til it hurts!
5. Do Reading lessons with Mom, hopefully before lunch cuz she tends to nod off after a big meal as we snuggle on the couch with a big book. "Fancy Nancy" is our favorite book! We even nicknamed our Nanna “Fancy Nancy”. She rocks!
6. Ride bikes, roller-skate, or scooter in driveway
7. Do art time with Play-doh and paint…messes-R-us !
8. Make cookies and pretzel rings for teacher treats
9. Decorate the Christmas tree again. It’s looking like the Charlie Brown Christmas tree this year cuz mom let us do the decorating. Lights only go up as high as we can reach. It’s so awesome!
10.Perform in the Christmas program
11. Take gina’s stocking to bed every night. it is called “banana split monkey”. It’s hot pink with a sequin star and cute smiling monkey peeking out.
12. Play in the snow (make snow forts, throw snow balls, sled down our hill, try to avoid trees
Mom’s Top 10 -- The Most Magical Moments of 2008
These are my best memories of 2008:
1. Jan. –Glenn and I coach 2 basketball teams for upwards league. record snowfall on top of a nice thick layer of Ice. Dream of going back to Sanibel. No go…
2. Feb.- still colder than cold. Glenn enjoys his 42nd bday party with family
3. March –hooray-Sarah turns 7 and Jojo turns 11 ! bday season is in full swing…
4. April –Joel is 9 and still making us laugh.
5. May-Soccer season keeps our Saturdays hopping going between 3 fields. Finally we thaw out
6. June – floods hit CR and surrounding towns hard.
7. July-Glenn and Jess leave for Mexico. Crazy long bus rides, but GPS tracking allows us to follow along as they travel. Technology is cool…
8. Aug.-19 years married to 1 amazing man. More in love than the day we were wed. Fun day spent in Galena, IL. Grant turns 13 ! Yikes—2 teenagers and 1 tween in the house.
9. Sept-Gina turns 5! Everything she says is hilarious – unfortunately she’s beginning to realize that fact. Her confidence has soared this year. So much cuteness in 1 little package.
10. Oct- watching my baby turn 16. It’s true what they say about mommy-hood “the days drag, but the years fly”
11. Nov. watching Jess play Hannah,the march family’s maid (dream of her rehearsing her role at home a little more…)
12. Dec. celebrating the daily joys of remembering what Christmas is really all about with the kiddos !
Glenn's Top 12 - Signs I'm Getting Old
Here are sure-fire signs I'm getting up there:
1) My biggest fear preparing for a trip to Mexico with Jessica's Sr High youth group was the unknown condition of the restroom facilities
2) I eat 2 grams of Fiber One with every bowl of Lucky Charms
3) A teenage driver! Yikes!
4) I'm going to a wedding of my dear friend's....daughter.
5) ...uh...I can't remember the rest.
One last thought to share...God says those who trust Him will flourish like a green tree, bearing fruit even in the midst of a barren wasteland, even in a year of drought (Jeremiah 17:7-8). We were made to cling to Him, yet I see that I trust so many other things, and snub God the minute things don't go the way I think they should. Oh, to trust Him, even in a year of drought! May you and your family be like that green tree, as you learn with me to trust in Him.
Jessica’s Top 12 -- My Monthly "To Do" List
Here are the things I wanted to accomplish each month of 2008:
January- Dissect everything under the sun in and out of Biology lab. Take pictures of everything I dissect.
February- Practice cello. Rehearsals for NCBC Orchestra. Practice Piano.
March- Win the "Shamrock Around the Clock" scavenger hunt with my awesome friends.
April- Survive Drivers Ed.
May-Practice driving, try to convince parents to let us have summer off of school
June- Help with Theatrical Camp
July-Pack for Mexico. Build a home for a family. Don’t shower or change clothes for 4 days. Journal every detail every 5 minutes. (Note: You can read my whole Mexico journal on this blog and see some pictures of this amazing trip!)
August- Help with flooded out homes and ministry organizations destroyed during the flood of ’08.
September-Shop for homecoming dress. Take Chem lab and Spanish class.
October- Eight Days of Hope flood relief work on my 16th birthday. Get my license!
November- Practice lines for Little Women MHSAP play. Design the t-shirts for the cast.
December- Convince parents to get a third family car. Help mud & tape a flooded-out house. Go to Nanna & Pappa's to celebrate Christmas
Grant's Top 12 - My Monthly "To Do" List
Here are the things I got to do each month of 2008:
1. Jan –chisel ice
2. Feb–shovel snow
3. Mar-go to Des Moines with friends to visit my grandparents, the state capitol, and science center
4. Apr-read large novels in 1 day
5. May-go fishing with Grandpa
6. Jun-help demolish flooded out homes
7. Jul-go to Nanna and Poppa’s farm, eat yummy food, then get my braces
8. Aug-turn 13, eat cake
9. Sep-go to science coop with Mr. Langholz
10. Oct-hang out with friends
11. Nov-hunt with Grandpa and dad; bag a few pheasants with the help of Tank
12. Dec-go to movies with Jess
Joanna’s Top 12 - My Favorite Things List
These are a few of my favorite highlights of 2008. Sorry it's longer than 10.
1. Playing basketball with friends. Mom’s first attempt at coaching is mildly amusing but fun.
2. Baking cupcakes for sleepover with friends
3. Going shopping with mom and friends
4. Making sandwiches for flood relief workers with my friends. Going to bday parties for my friends, who only want gifts for flood victims. Cool…
5. Making treats for my church group ("RAP") with my friends
6. Practicing soccer with friends
7. Going to knitting club with friends
8. Attending theatrical camp with my friends at New Covenant Bible Church
9. Doing Impactors drama team and Deep Impact Bible study with my friends
10. Making smoothies for play dates with my friends
11. Taking pictures and videos with my friends
12. Being baptized at Palo Lake by my Dad; several of my friends also were baptized
(…can you guess the common theme here?!?)
Joel’s Top 10 - My Monthly Goals
These are things I wanted to accomplish each month of 2008:
Jan. –try to be high score in bball games. My coach is a former pro-basketball player.
Feb.- try to beat uncle Doug and the cousins in polar bear games at the hotel swimming pool and snow bank outside.
March-try to finish my school. Why does it have to take so long? And why isn’t recess more of a priority for mom.
April-try to eat all the yummy cake Nanna brought for my birthday.
May –try to score the most goals in my soccer game.
June-try to remember to pray for the people who are flooded out of their homes
July-try to make a bday card for Poppa’s 76th! Try to make the Michigan cousins feel welcome when they stop in for a visit.
Aug.-try to talk Dad into shooting hoops with me after work
Sept.-try to talk Mom into buying me drums, cuz I love to pound on pretty much anything that is standing still.
Oct.-try to score the most touchdowns in flag football
Nov.-try to shoot pheasants with my Grandpa and to eat all of Grandmother’s yummy Thanksgiving food.
Dec.-try to remember Jesus is my best friend and the whole reason we do Christmas anyway!
Gina and Sarah’s Top 10 (OK, 12 again) -- Our Daily Duties
Here are the things we like to do every day:
1. Play Littlest Pet Shops make-believe in our room
2. Take Tank out to the screen porch to play. Let him lick every inch of our faces. Poppa thinks he has calmed down since he was a puppy
3. Eat apples and clementines for a little snackeroo
4. Play Butterfly or Tackle with Daddy. Giggle ‘til it hurts!
5. Do Reading lessons with Mom, hopefully before lunch cuz she tends to nod off after a big meal as we snuggle on the couch with a big book. "Fancy Nancy" is our favorite book! We even nicknamed our Nanna “Fancy Nancy”. She rocks!
6. Ride bikes, roller-skate, or scooter in driveway
7. Do art time with Play-doh and paint…messes-R-us !
8. Make cookies and pretzel rings for teacher treats
9. Decorate the Christmas tree again. It’s looking like the Charlie Brown Christmas tree this year cuz mom let us do the decorating. Lights only go up as high as we can reach. It’s so awesome!
10.Perform in the Christmas program
11. Take gina’s stocking to bed every night. it is called “banana split monkey”. It’s hot pink with a sequin star and cute smiling monkey peeking out.
12. Play in the snow (make snow forts, throw snow balls, sled down our hill, try to avoid trees
Mom’s Top 10 -- The Most Magical Moments of 2008
These are my best memories of 2008:
1. Jan. –Glenn and I coach 2 basketball teams for upwards league. record snowfall on top of a nice thick layer of Ice. Dream of going back to Sanibel. No go…
2. Feb.- still colder than cold. Glenn enjoys his 42nd bday party with family
3. March –hooray-Sarah turns 7 and Jojo turns 11 ! bday season is in full swing…
4. April –Joel is 9 and still making us laugh.
5. May-Soccer season keeps our Saturdays hopping going between 3 fields. Finally we thaw out
6. June – floods hit CR and surrounding towns hard.
7. July-Glenn and Jess leave for Mexico. Crazy long bus rides, but GPS tracking allows us to follow along as they travel. Technology is cool…
8. Aug.-19 years married to 1 amazing man. More in love than the day we were wed. Fun day spent in Galena, IL. Grant turns 13 ! Yikes—2 teenagers and 1 tween in the house.
9. Sept-Gina turns 5! Everything she says is hilarious – unfortunately she’s beginning to realize that fact. Her confidence has soared this year. So much cuteness in 1 little package.
10. Oct- watching my baby turn 16. It’s true what they say about mommy-hood “the days drag, but the years fly”
11. Nov. watching Jess play Hannah,the march family’s maid (dream of her rehearsing her role at home a little more…)
12. Dec. celebrating the daily joys of remembering what Christmas is really all about with the kiddos !
Glenn's Top 12 - Signs I'm Getting Old
Here are sure-fire signs I'm getting up there:
1) My biggest fear preparing for a trip to Mexico with Jessica's Sr High youth group was the unknown condition of the restroom facilities
2) I eat 2 grams of Fiber One with every bowl of Lucky Charms
3) A teenage driver! Yikes!
4) I'm going to a wedding of my dear friend's....daughter.
5) ...uh...I can't remember the rest.
One last thought to share...God says those who trust Him will flourish like a green tree, bearing fruit even in the midst of a barren wasteland, even in a year of drought (Jeremiah 17:7-8). We were made to cling to Him, yet I see that I trust so many other things, and snub God the minute things don't go the way I think they should. Oh, to trust Him, even in a year of drought! May you and your family be like that green tree, as you learn with me to trust in Him.
Sunday, December 21, 2008
Christmas Letter--Nothing Screams Parenthood Like...
One last thing...
If you happen to see us wandering aimlessly through a crowded mall and we have that glazed, hollow look in our eyes, don't worry! It probably just means we're experiencing big family anxiety. We try to live normal lives like everyone else, but the clues to our chaos are all too obvious. Here are some tell-tale signs that we're over our head with kids...
If you happen to see us wandering aimlessly through a crowded mall and we have that glazed, hollow look in our eyes, don't worry! It probably just means we're experiencing big family anxiety. We try to live normal lives like everyone else, but the clues to our chaos are all too obvious. Here are some tell-tale signs that we're over our head with kids...
Nothing screams parenthood like:
- 100,000 Playmobile guys strewn all over the basement floor
- Living room décor a la Little Tikes plastic yellow, blue, and red
- Those annoying white, little kid stick-figure stickers on the rear window
- Shopping carts disguised as racecars, fire trucks, or school buses (mandatory, according to Gina, the 5-year-old)
- The hill in the front yard looks like a luge run
- Disgusting noises in the small toys section of the grocery store as the little girls find the whoopee cushions
- Half of the grocery budget spent on toilet paper, Band-aids, kleenex, and cheese...Oh, and don’t forget the chocolate for momma!
- Sleepless nights thinking, “how in the world are we going to put them all through college?"
- A calender that looks like a toddler went crazy with a Sharpie
- Mount St. Laundry
A Merry Christmas from all of us to all of you! God bless you this Christmas season.
Sunday, July 20, 2008
Mexico Journal 2008
Jess' journal :D
Friday July 4, 2008. 8:30 PM
Today seemed to take forever…sooo anxious to get going! Right now, we’re on the bus, somewhere past Williamsburg, not quite to Des Moines. So far, we’ve had to stop once already because the weight on the trailer was uneven. That took about a half hour…so, we’re a little off on time. We left church at 7:15 and got 10 minutes before stopping.
Tonight we had to be at church at 6. Announcements, attendance, prayer, then goodbyes.
Well there you go. Just a little excitement. Nearly hit a deer! Thank God that it moved! :D
9:15 First sighting of fireworks! But it just doesn’t really feel like the forth…well, we’re going to Mexico to learn to appreciate everything we have here :)
9:30 Now we’re on our second stop, they’re ‘looking at something’. The fan on the bus, I think.
Saturday July 5 1:30 AM
Can’t sleep…can’t get comfortable. We’re in Kansas. The fan on the bus is dead, today after breakfast they’re going to get that fixed. Kinda disappointed that we’re not going through Colorado anymore…
8:00 AM. McDonalds in Oklahoma City.
We’re getting an extra long breakfast this morning while the bus is being fixed. We had another stop last night for gas at 3. I don’t think I slept at all…but I’ve got my coffee now :D So last night, we traveled through Iowa, Missouri, Kansas and Oklahoma. Lord willing, we’ll make it to Albuquerque tonight. Not much to do at the moment…just sit tight and wait. How long will this take?
10:00 AM still here, sitting outside McDonalds on the side of the road…waving at cars :) Just had a group prayer time for the bus. The repair man is still working on it, he may need to order new parts. But God’s plan is perfect…I can’t wait to see how this works out. How will we get to Mexico?
1:06 PM We are sooo blessed!! Thank God for a cooler morning with a nice breeze and lots of shade at McDonalds. There were plenty of choices around for lunch, and lots to do around. And it wasn’t even raining! :) Now, a church just offered to let us stay in their church- air conditioned, with just about everything we need!
4:45 7 games of mofia later…this place is amazing! So, this trip is now definitely nothing like I’d expected, but actually I really think it’s better. We didn’t have one extremely long ride, just a few not as long ones. Praise God! Getting pizza soon, then hopefully we’ll get our bus back.
6:00 So…remember back to this morning, in front of McDonalds on the side of this street, our entire group joined in prayer for the bus? Okay, so story goes…while we were praying, a church van happened to be driving by. Pastor Tye saw it and he tried to wave it over. Well, because they saw us praying in the large group, they pulled over, found out about our problem, then contacted their youth pastor to get us this church! Prayer works, praise God! So the bus is still being worked on, probably till 8 now…But, at least the bus didn’t over heat and break down on the road…in a way, well, it isn’t the way we had planned, but we really are blessed.
11:00 PM Just had a pow wow…the bus should be ready, hopefully we’ll be on the road by midnight. Some good discussions and prayer time and devos going on. Someone brought it up that maybe God was purposely keeping us out of Colorado to avoid some accident or traffic jam or something. Everyone’s talking about the great bonding going on…yes, this definitely ended up to be a blessing. Praying to be on the road soon and hopefully get some sleep!
Sunday July 6
12:44 AM we’re on the bus :D BEDTIME.
6:00 AM :) I slept at least 4 hours…it was amazing. Finally, I’ve been to Texas, and just now, we crossed into New Mexico. I’m seeing mountains in the distance, the view is just gorgeous.
It really doesn’t bother me that I’ve been wearing the same pair of clothes for 3 days now, without any showers. It’s just preparation for Mexico :)
So…Friday night we left, drove 12 hours, spent 16 hours in Oklahoma City and we have 17 to go…Lord willing, we should be in El Paso by 4-5. Listening to the adults is fun. They’re still discussing yesterday’s events. How the new fan cost $1702. But we have nothing to complain about. The mechanic said the fan was indeed busted, and we would’ve had a breakdown in the middle of a desert. Then, we have to be thankful for the mechanic who came in on a holiday weekend and worked all day and half the night on our bus. He sure didn’t want to be there, but he got it done.
6:50 PM We’re at the church in El Paso now, gonna have a pow wow. So some of us went to the mall and had Subway for dinner. Well, when we got to this church, there were already 2 other youth groups staying there. And this place really isn’t all that big…But God has already worked a few things out and it’s not as complicated as it first seemed. Everything will be okay.
Monday July 7
6:30 AM (crossing the border) Crossing…going over the bridge…praying…can’t get through here it sounds like. Apparently we got the wrong bridge. Getting directions…Now we’re offering the Mexicans money to let us through…
Okay. So we couldn’t cross that bridge cause the scales would’ve broken with our weight. So now we’re back in US, after passing through customs. Now we have to cross on a bridge downtown, which the Casas staff says isn’t so safe. So, we had to unload all the food off the bus. There’s dogs on there right now to make sure it’s ‘clean.’
2:20 PM We made it back safely into Mexico at about 8:30—two and a half hours after we left the church. We were safe driving through though, and made it to the SHOC. It feels wonderful to know we’re staying here for a few days. We arrived, gathered our tools, and back on the bus to go to our worksites. Got there about 10:30 and met our intern, Renee. We started with prayer then unloaded the trailer. I wish I could record everything we did, all the jobs, but there was so much going on and I don’t know half of it. There’s kids running all over the place, and most are very eager to help us out and be around us. Our site isn’t terribly interesting. Right next door is team 24. We had to work at it a bit to make our ground level, but finished right before lunch break.
So right now, We’re back at the SHOC. Had lunch, now it’s ‘siesta’ time. Most people are asleep.
9:10 PM It’s pouring outside at the moment. Thank God for this wonderful shelter to stay in. It was so cool…we loaded the bus to leave the sight, then it started raining. God, you rock!
Today’s weather has been just weird. This afternoon at about 3 we went back to the worksites. All afternoon we made and poured the concrete and some started building walls. I carried large buckets of rocks and sand all afternoon. (We worked until 8 tonight. ) About halfway through the afternoon this major dust storm started. It was quite exciting.
Tuesday, July 8
2:00 PM Wake up call today came at 5, we left the SHOC at 6. The sun rise this morning was spectacular. You can see soo much sky around here. There was also a clear and distinguishable rainbow in the sky.
And it happened again! This morning was beautiful, and right as we were loading the bus to come back for siesta, it started raining! God’s ways are amazing. And He also protected our slab of concrete through last night’s storm!
Today we worked on building the walls, setting up the frame, putting in the windows and the black board stuff.
Because of the rain, it was pretty cool outside today. It felt sooo good. You know, the more I think about it, the more I see that we are sooo incredibly blessed. God is working every little thing out so well for us. Even the bus incident turned out to be a blessing. Coming here is the best possible thing for me this year, I’m so sure of that already. I don’t know if there’s ever been a week like this before where I’ve seen God work in so many ways around me. I mean, He always does, I just don’t always notice. This is bringing me so much closer to Him though!
Got to play with some girls for a bit today. Thank God for the people on our team who speak Spanish, so we can communicate with them! We played ‘tia tara’ with them and by the end, they were singing along with us.
8:45 PM Oh wow. What an amazing, productive day! Yesterday, we worked sooo hard, just like today, except it took all that effort to make a big slab of cement. Today, the entire house frame is up, blackboard and chicken wire, the roof, electricity and so much more is done. It’s so encouraging- God is soo good. At the end of the day, our intern was so happy with us. We joined hands and prayed. At that moment, I felt so happy, and so close to every single team member. Every single one of them is such a blessing, and so encouraging to me.
Wednesday July 9
12:05 Right now, we’re on the worksite eating lunch. We’ve been here since about 7. Lots of drywalling and installation going on. It’s been raining and drizzling all morning. It’s a little humid, but chilly now and then. Just perfect.
One way I saw God at work today. Working through our intern. If she would’ve put the dry wall only 3 inches more to the left*, it would’ve been in the new pond that’s formed from all the rain we’ve gotten. But most of it stayed dry and we won’t have to throw it all out! Praise God!
(a Mexican girl took my journal here and wrote some of her friend’s names in it. It was such a sweet moment :) since she only wrote a few names I won’t add it though…just ask, I’ll show it to you)
4:15 PM So, picking up where I left off, lunch was just short and social. These little boys kept bringing these huge bugs to our meal. Then there were those precious children who played with Charlie’s hair. Yeah, that was pretty much the best lunch ever. :D
After lunch, back to work, I did mostly dry wall. Then, this down pour came and we had to stop to dig trenches. But the way I see it, it really is a blessing. We were able to see what happens when it rains that much, and show the families what to do when it rains. God really does have a perfect plan here.
Today…we didn’t get a siesta because…
When we were coming back, right in front of the SHOC compound, was this big water semi that got stuck in the mud. When they found out that it had just delivered our water to us, we decided to help it out. We all piled on the bus so they could use the bus to pull the trick out of the mud. It took a while, but we did it, Praise God!
We’re about to have a service here at the SHOC with all the other teams that are working—about 300 people will be here. Not sure how I like having to clean everything up and miss siesta…but I’m sure this will be good. God is at work.
I AM SO STINKIN DIRTY AND THAT’S ALL I CAN THINK ABOUT!!!!
Lol
After the service… 7:45
Remember last winter, during the winter retreat, how it was about missions but I wasn’t feeling ‘called’ or excited about it? Well, if the working and seeing God at work hasn’t gotten me excited, (YES it has duh!) this service was exactly what I needed. I’m pretty positive that I want to come back here, maybe live here when I’m older. To see God at work like this every week, all summer, to bless so many beautiful, precious Mexicans…it’s something worth giving your talents, and your life to!
I absolutely love all this. Of course, I’ve only been here 3 days, I’ve only experienced a bit of what it’s like, but it’s all an adventure. It’s all about faith, and trust in God, it’s amazing! My life back home seems so lame!
10:05 PM The interns just gave us their testimonies. Ours is awesome, it’s all still very convincing, they all enjoy their jobs here. They make it sound so fun! I had a blast just listening to them.
Something that stood out to me…”If God closes a door, don’t try to open it. God look for something else.” Thought provoking…
Dinner tonight was the best!! Mexican food! With the most hilarious people ever! :D
Thursday July 10
5:15 PM WE’RE DONE!! Praise Jesus! The house is finished. We finished well—God carried us through. I haven’t fully taken in how big this really is. We built a house in 4 days! It’s beautiful!
Today we were up at 4:30 and left at 5:30 for the worksites. The weather couldn’t have been better. It was cloudy, a little chilly, but no rain. Later in the afternoon, the sun came out…for the first time since Monday.
It was amazing; we worked 11 hours straight, with only some water breaks and lunch, made by one of the Mexicans. Another wonderful Mexican meal!
7:40 Now, we’re on the bus, about to leave Mexico. The dedication was beautiful. We all gathered in the house—our team and the family. Charlie translated the entire service. We prayed to begin, and then some of the team members shared something with the family. We then presented the keys and a Bible to the family. Renee read a Bible verse and said a few things. Then Bryana and the father nailed the Casas Por Cristo plaque on the roof.
We took some group pictures…(no! dos mas! Uno mas! Miguel: no mas! :D) and handed out some house supplies and treats for the kids.
After hundreds of pictures, precious hugs and teary goodbyes, we left the family and loaded the bus. They waved goodbye as we left…oh I left my heart and mind with them…
I can’t believe we’re done. IT WAS TOO SHORT.
I can’t wait to come back. This trip was exactly what I needed. It’s incredible. God, thank you for leading me here…
I get to shower today!!!!!!!!!!! Don’t remember if I’ve already mentioned that…but I’m really excited :D
9:45 Back in Texas now! Made it safely and quickly through customs though waiting in the car line seemed endless.
It’s the best feeling in the world, knowing that because of our youth group, 3 more Mexican families have a good roof over their heads.
Friday July 11
12:05 AM Back at Park Hills church in El Paso, showered, fed and ready for bed. Pizza for dinner…felt odd eating at 12…
7:40 AM Ready to go, we’re having all our parties now…yeah, first the sweeping one, now the lost and found one…
(whole lotta personal stuff here :)
-How thankful I am for dad and Allyson…
-Rereading journal and devo book, seeing how God answered every prayer in the best way possible.
-seeing how much he’s blessed me.
-my life won’t ever be the same blah blah blah…:)
2:50 PM On the road again. Just took a sight seeing stop at the awesome amazing Carlsbad Caverns. At first they were forcing everyone to take the elevator…but a few of us got away with walking down instead. It took about 45 minutes…haha there’s another hour to add to my ‘greatest hours of my life’ :) I’m so glad we got to experience this, and I could still see God at work, blessing me more than imaginable, more than I deserve…oh but I’d still much rather be in Mexico. No doubt.
We ate lunch 750 feet down then rode the elevator back up. On our way to Lubbock, Texas to our hotel!
10:30 PM we’re at our hotel, got here earlier than planned…that’s a first :) it may not be the greatest, but after where we have been, it’s much easier to appreciate this. A real bed! Yes!!
Saturday July 12
11:15 AM Been on the bus since 8. Right now, we’re at a stop in Groom, Texas, having quiet time next to the giant cross and amazing sculptures. The bus ride to here was probably the best yet…it’s a wonderful feeling to be so included and loved by all these people.
9:55 Thank God for this amazing day!! Oh, another great bus ride, listened to Charley all the way here, to Wichita Kansas. Major brain overload! Haha. But today was just a great day. God still continues to bless me so much. God, please bless these people as much as you’re blessing me…thank you so much for giving me them…
Ate dinner at Spangles. I love these people, and am sooo going to miss all this fellowship when I get home.
Sunday July 13
1:05 AM Just finished our team 25 debrief. It was amazing, encouraging, funny...I love this team. I love everything right now. :D
11:25 AM been on the bus since 8…okay truth is, I don’t want to go home. I can’t believe we’re going home! Why am I letting them take me home? We shouldn’t be going home! Ahhhhh
11:30 PM yeah, I’m home now…Oh what a wonderful day. A perfect day. A perfect way to end such a perfect trip.
We stopped for lunch at 1:30. Drove a ton. Got our team shirts. I LOVE CHICKEN WIRE!!
Pulled into the church parking lot right on time. We quickly and impatiently unloaded the bus one last time. Oh, I do love my family…I guess I did miss them a ton :)
After a few minutes of greeting, we went in for the service…(yes I recorded the entire thing, but we won’t go there…)
Got home at 9. Tomorrow I’m running away.
JUAREZ, MEXICO, OR BUST!!!
Friday July 4, 2008. 8:30 PM
Today seemed to take forever…sooo anxious to get going! Right now, we’re on the bus, somewhere past Williamsburg, not quite to Des Moines. So far, we’ve had to stop once already because the weight on the trailer was uneven. That took about a half hour…so, we’re a little off on time. We left church at 7:15 and got 10 minutes before stopping.
Tonight we had to be at church at 6. Announcements, attendance, prayer, then goodbyes.
Well there you go. Just a little excitement. Nearly hit a deer! Thank God that it moved! :D
9:15 First sighting of fireworks! But it just doesn’t really feel like the forth…well, we’re going to Mexico to learn to appreciate everything we have here :)
9:30 Now we’re on our second stop, they’re ‘looking at something’. The fan on the bus, I think.
Saturday July 5 1:30 AM
Can’t sleep…can’t get comfortable. We’re in Kansas. The fan on the bus is dead, today after breakfast they’re going to get that fixed. Kinda disappointed that we’re not going through Colorado anymore…
8:00 AM. McDonalds in Oklahoma City.
We’re getting an extra long breakfast this morning while the bus is being fixed. We had another stop last night for gas at 3. I don’t think I slept at all…but I’ve got my coffee now :D So last night, we traveled through Iowa, Missouri, Kansas and Oklahoma. Lord willing, we’ll make it to Albuquerque tonight. Not much to do at the moment…just sit tight and wait. How long will this take?
10:00 AM still here, sitting outside McDonalds on the side of the road…waving at cars :) Just had a group prayer time for the bus. The repair man is still working on it, he may need to order new parts. But God’s plan is perfect…I can’t wait to see how this works out. How will we get to Mexico?
1:06 PM We are sooo blessed!! Thank God for a cooler morning with a nice breeze and lots of shade at McDonalds. There were plenty of choices around for lunch, and lots to do around. And it wasn’t even raining! :) Now, a church just offered to let us stay in their church- air conditioned, with just about everything we need!
4:45 7 games of mofia later…this place is amazing! So, this trip is now definitely nothing like I’d expected, but actually I really think it’s better. We didn’t have one extremely long ride, just a few not as long ones. Praise God! Getting pizza soon, then hopefully we’ll get our bus back.
6:00 So…remember back to this morning, in front of McDonalds on the side of this street, our entire group joined in prayer for the bus? Okay, so story goes…while we were praying, a church van happened to be driving by. Pastor Tye saw it and he tried to wave it over. Well, because they saw us praying in the large group, they pulled over, found out about our problem, then contacted their youth pastor to get us this church! Prayer works, praise God! So the bus is still being worked on, probably till 8 now…But, at least the bus didn’t over heat and break down on the road…in a way, well, it isn’t the way we had planned, but we really are blessed.
11:00 PM Just had a pow wow…the bus should be ready, hopefully we’ll be on the road by midnight. Some good discussions and prayer time and devos going on. Someone brought it up that maybe God was purposely keeping us out of Colorado to avoid some accident or traffic jam or something. Everyone’s talking about the great bonding going on…yes, this definitely ended up to be a blessing. Praying to be on the road soon and hopefully get some sleep!
Sunday July 6
12:44 AM we’re on the bus :D BEDTIME.
6:00 AM :) I slept at least 4 hours…it was amazing. Finally, I’ve been to Texas, and just now, we crossed into New Mexico. I’m seeing mountains in the distance, the view is just gorgeous.
It really doesn’t bother me that I’ve been wearing the same pair of clothes for 3 days now, without any showers. It’s just preparation for Mexico :)
So…Friday night we left, drove 12 hours, spent 16 hours in Oklahoma City and we have 17 to go…Lord willing, we should be in El Paso by 4-5. Listening to the adults is fun. They’re still discussing yesterday’s events. How the new fan cost $1702. But we have nothing to complain about. The mechanic said the fan was indeed busted, and we would’ve had a breakdown in the middle of a desert. Then, we have to be thankful for the mechanic who came in on a holiday weekend and worked all day and half the night on our bus. He sure didn’t want to be there, but he got it done.
6:50 PM We’re at the church in El Paso now, gonna have a pow wow. So some of us went to the mall and had Subway for dinner. Well, when we got to this church, there were already 2 other youth groups staying there. And this place really isn’t all that big…But God has already worked a few things out and it’s not as complicated as it first seemed. Everything will be okay.
Monday July 7
6:30 AM (crossing the border) Crossing…going over the bridge…praying…can’t get through here it sounds like. Apparently we got the wrong bridge. Getting directions…Now we’re offering the Mexicans money to let us through…
Okay. So we couldn’t cross that bridge cause the scales would’ve broken with our weight. So now we’re back in US, after passing through customs. Now we have to cross on a bridge downtown, which the Casas staff says isn’t so safe. So, we had to unload all the food off the bus. There’s dogs on there right now to make sure it’s ‘clean.’
2:20 PM We made it back safely into Mexico at about 8:30—two and a half hours after we left the church. We were safe driving through though, and made it to the SHOC. It feels wonderful to know we’re staying here for a few days. We arrived, gathered our tools, and back on the bus to go to our worksites. Got there about 10:30 and met our intern, Renee. We started with prayer then unloaded the trailer. I wish I could record everything we did, all the jobs, but there was so much going on and I don’t know half of it. There’s kids running all over the place, and most are very eager to help us out and be around us. Our site isn’t terribly interesting. Right next door is team 24. We had to work at it a bit to make our ground level, but finished right before lunch break.
So right now, We’re back at the SHOC. Had lunch, now it’s ‘siesta’ time. Most people are asleep.
9:10 PM It’s pouring outside at the moment. Thank God for this wonderful shelter to stay in. It was so cool…we loaded the bus to leave the sight, then it started raining. God, you rock!
Today’s weather has been just weird. This afternoon at about 3 we went back to the worksites. All afternoon we made and poured the concrete and some started building walls. I carried large buckets of rocks and sand all afternoon. (We worked until 8 tonight. ) About halfway through the afternoon this major dust storm started. It was quite exciting.
Tuesday, July 8
2:00 PM Wake up call today came at 5, we left the SHOC at 6. The sun rise this morning was spectacular. You can see soo much sky around here. There was also a clear and distinguishable rainbow in the sky.
And it happened again! This morning was beautiful, and right as we were loading the bus to come back for siesta, it started raining! God’s ways are amazing. And He also protected our slab of concrete through last night’s storm!
Today we worked on building the walls, setting up the frame, putting in the windows and the black board stuff.
Because of the rain, it was pretty cool outside today. It felt sooo good. You know, the more I think about it, the more I see that we are sooo incredibly blessed. God is working every little thing out so well for us. Even the bus incident turned out to be a blessing. Coming here is the best possible thing for me this year, I’m so sure of that already. I don’t know if there’s ever been a week like this before where I’ve seen God work in so many ways around me. I mean, He always does, I just don’t always notice. This is bringing me so much closer to Him though!
Got to play with some girls for a bit today. Thank God for the people on our team who speak Spanish, so we can communicate with them! We played ‘tia tara’ with them and by the end, they were singing along with us.
8:45 PM Oh wow. What an amazing, productive day! Yesterday, we worked sooo hard, just like today, except it took all that effort to make a big slab of cement. Today, the entire house frame is up, blackboard and chicken wire, the roof, electricity and so much more is done. It’s so encouraging- God is soo good. At the end of the day, our intern was so happy with us. We joined hands and prayed. At that moment, I felt so happy, and so close to every single team member. Every single one of them is such a blessing, and so encouraging to me.
Wednesday July 9
12:05 Right now, we’re on the worksite eating lunch. We’ve been here since about 7. Lots of drywalling and installation going on. It’s been raining and drizzling all morning. It’s a little humid, but chilly now and then. Just perfect.
One way I saw God at work today. Working through our intern. If she would’ve put the dry wall only 3 inches more to the left*, it would’ve been in the new pond that’s formed from all the rain we’ve gotten. But most of it stayed dry and we won’t have to throw it all out! Praise God!
(a Mexican girl took my journal here and wrote some of her friend’s names in it. It was such a sweet moment :) since she only wrote a few names I won’t add it though…just ask, I’ll show it to you)
4:15 PM So, picking up where I left off, lunch was just short and social. These little boys kept bringing these huge bugs to our meal. Then there were those precious children who played with Charlie’s hair. Yeah, that was pretty much the best lunch ever. :D
After lunch, back to work, I did mostly dry wall. Then, this down pour came and we had to stop to dig trenches. But the way I see it, it really is a blessing. We were able to see what happens when it rains that much, and show the families what to do when it rains. God really does have a perfect plan here.
Today…we didn’t get a siesta because…
When we were coming back, right in front of the SHOC compound, was this big water semi that got stuck in the mud. When they found out that it had just delivered our water to us, we decided to help it out. We all piled on the bus so they could use the bus to pull the trick out of the mud. It took a while, but we did it, Praise God!
We’re about to have a service here at the SHOC with all the other teams that are working—about 300 people will be here. Not sure how I like having to clean everything up and miss siesta…but I’m sure this will be good. God is at work.
I AM SO STINKIN DIRTY AND THAT’S ALL I CAN THINK ABOUT!!!!
Lol
After the service… 7:45
Remember last winter, during the winter retreat, how it was about missions but I wasn’t feeling ‘called’ or excited about it? Well, if the working and seeing God at work hasn’t gotten me excited, (YES it has duh!) this service was exactly what I needed. I’m pretty positive that I want to come back here, maybe live here when I’m older. To see God at work like this every week, all summer, to bless so many beautiful, precious Mexicans…it’s something worth giving your talents, and your life to!
I absolutely love all this. Of course, I’ve only been here 3 days, I’ve only experienced a bit of what it’s like, but it’s all an adventure. It’s all about faith, and trust in God, it’s amazing! My life back home seems so lame!
10:05 PM The interns just gave us their testimonies. Ours is awesome, it’s all still very convincing, they all enjoy their jobs here. They make it sound so fun! I had a blast just listening to them.
Something that stood out to me…”If God closes a door, don’t try to open it. God look for something else.” Thought provoking…
Dinner tonight was the best!! Mexican food! With the most hilarious people ever! :D
Thursday July 10
5:15 PM WE’RE DONE!! Praise Jesus! The house is finished. We finished well—God carried us through. I haven’t fully taken in how big this really is. We built a house in 4 days! It’s beautiful!
Today we were up at 4:30 and left at 5:30 for the worksites. The weather couldn’t have been better. It was cloudy, a little chilly, but no rain. Later in the afternoon, the sun came out…for the first time since Monday.
It was amazing; we worked 11 hours straight, with only some water breaks and lunch, made by one of the Mexicans. Another wonderful Mexican meal!
7:40 Now, we’re on the bus, about to leave Mexico. The dedication was beautiful. We all gathered in the house—our team and the family. Charlie translated the entire service. We prayed to begin, and then some of the team members shared something with the family. We then presented the keys and a Bible to the family. Renee read a Bible verse and said a few things. Then Bryana and the father nailed the Casas Por Cristo plaque on the roof.
We took some group pictures…(no! dos mas! Uno mas! Miguel: no mas! :D) and handed out some house supplies and treats for the kids.
After hundreds of pictures, precious hugs and teary goodbyes, we left the family and loaded the bus. They waved goodbye as we left…oh I left my heart and mind with them…
I can’t believe we’re done. IT WAS TOO SHORT.
I can’t wait to come back. This trip was exactly what I needed. It’s incredible. God, thank you for leading me here…
I get to shower today!!!!!!!!!!! Don’t remember if I’ve already mentioned that…but I’m really excited :D
9:45 Back in Texas now! Made it safely and quickly through customs though waiting in the car line seemed endless.
It’s the best feeling in the world, knowing that because of our youth group, 3 more Mexican families have a good roof over their heads.
Friday July 11
12:05 AM Back at Park Hills church in El Paso, showered, fed and ready for bed. Pizza for dinner…felt odd eating at 12…
7:40 AM Ready to go, we’re having all our parties now…yeah, first the sweeping one, now the lost and found one…
(whole lotta personal stuff here :)
-How thankful I am for dad and Allyson…
-Rereading journal and devo book, seeing how God answered every prayer in the best way possible.
-seeing how much he’s blessed me.
-my life won’t ever be the same blah blah blah…:)
2:50 PM On the road again. Just took a sight seeing stop at the awesome amazing Carlsbad Caverns. At first they were forcing everyone to take the elevator…but a few of us got away with walking down instead. It took about 45 minutes…haha there’s another hour to add to my ‘greatest hours of my life’ :) I’m so glad we got to experience this, and I could still see God at work, blessing me more than imaginable, more than I deserve…oh but I’d still much rather be in Mexico. No doubt.
We ate lunch 750 feet down then rode the elevator back up. On our way to Lubbock, Texas to our hotel!
10:30 PM we’re at our hotel, got here earlier than planned…that’s a first :) it may not be the greatest, but after where we have been, it’s much easier to appreciate this. A real bed! Yes!!
Saturday July 12
11:15 AM Been on the bus since 8. Right now, we’re at a stop in Groom, Texas, having quiet time next to the giant cross and amazing sculptures. The bus ride to here was probably the best yet…it’s a wonderful feeling to be so included and loved by all these people.
9:55 Thank God for this amazing day!! Oh, another great bus ride, listened to Charley all the way here, to Wichita Kansas. Major brain overload! Haha. But today was just a great day. God still continues to bless me so much. God, please bless these people as much as you’re blessing me…thank you so much for giving me them…
Ate dinner at Spangles. I love these people, and am sooo going to miss all this fellowship when I get home.
Sunday July 13
1:05 AM Just finished our team 25 debrief. It was amazing, encouraging, funny...I love this team. I love everything right now. :D
11:25 AM been on the bus since 8…okay truth is, I don’t want to go home. I can’t believe we’re going home! Why am I letting them take me home? We shouldn’t be going home! Ahhhhh
11:30 PM yeah, I’m home now…Oh what a wonderful day. A perfect day. A perfect way to end such a perfect trip.
We stopped for lunch at 1:30. Drove a ton. Got our team shirts. I LOVE CHICKEN WIRE!!
Pulled into the church parking lot right on time. We quickly and impatiently unloaded the bus one last time. Oh, I do love my family…I guess I did miss them a ton :)
After a few minutes of greeting, we went in for the service…(yes I recorded the entire thing, but we won’t go there…)
Got home at 9. Tomorrow I’m running away.
JUAREZ, MEXICO, OR BUST!!!
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
Pictures from our Mexico trip
Mexico!
July 4-13
(I apologize, I couldn't get the pictures in the right order. Oh well. Enjoy!)
On the way home, we made a stop at Carlsbad Caverns.
Before walking into the cave
Just a picture of one of the rocks inside. It's called the 'Whale's mouth'
One of the precious Mexicans we got to play with. He's one of the 6 kids in the family we built a house for.
Daddy and Alexandro, the trouble maker. :)
Our Casas Por Cristo intern, the pastor who helped us find this family, and the father of the family.
The father nailing the Casas Por Cristo plaque on the roof
Three of the girls in our family
It rained 3 of the 4 days we were there. On Wednesday we had to dig trenches to keep it from flooding our house!
Putting the stucco on the outside.
Outside the house, once the doors were on
The inside of the house. We put ceiling fans in each room.
Setting up the house frame.
We built a 'large' 3 room house in 4 days
Nailing the blackboard in
Here's me with one of the neighbor girls on our site
Lifting the roof up
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