So much fun, so little time!!!

It seems like there have been several things happening in the last few weeks, and it only promises to get busier. So, I will just recap a few events...

Missionaries retreat:

For thanksgiving, we went to Guananjuato for our annual missionaries retreat. It is a highlight in our year to be with fellow workers in Mexico. This year was no disappointment. Jason and Heather Thorton from Oklahoma shared with us in a powerful way and just as refreshing was the fellowship with everyone. Are girls enjoyed playing with other kids non-stop also.


Isabella in her Thanksgiving shirt!




Downtown Guanajuato. It is a beautiful city and we enjoyed seeing it. Great place to take visitors!




We seem to attract children! This is what life would look like with twins...



The whole group of missionaries from Guadalajara, Leon, Mexico City, Tlaplan, Cuernavaca and Playa Azul. I think I got everyone.




Our happy family!


Leader's retreat:
The next weekend, we had a leader's retreat to get a head start on next year. It was a huge blessing to spend a weekend with our leaders encouraging them and being encouraged by them. We stayed close to home and stayed in Patzcuaro. It was cold at night, but the fireplaces were very warming. We were challenged to look at our cell groups and evaluate why it has been so difficult to multiply them...2009 promises to be a good year and we look forward to what God will do. We have a great group of leaders and God has truly blessed us and this church with them.



Sam and Isabella hanging out



The view from where we were at. It was beautiful!



Olivia looking mischievous.



One of our sessions with the leaders



The group at the retreat



Christmas movie:
Jose Luis and Adriana thought that a neat way to reach out to the neighborhood around where there cell group meets would be to show a movie in the park area and invite all the kids to come. So, last night they invited us to join them in doing this. It was an amazing activity. First, because it was all their idea, and they pretty much got it all together. They even had people who don't go to the cell offer to help with food and candy. They showed the movie "The Nativity" which was a great way to get into the Christmas spirit. They served popcorn and hotdogs for the kids and pozole for the adults. There were around 50 people there, which was just amazing! We praise God for their faithfulness and their desire to serve him and reach out to others.

Tomorrow we have our annual "Christmas Convivio." It should be a special time for everyone. We are expecting at least 150 (food always draws a crowd). Please pray with us that people will see Christ tomorrow in what we do, also, please pray for Sofia. She went to bed with fever tonight, and there are so many fun things for her to do this coming week!

Update: Tomorrow has come and gone and I realized that I hadn't posted this! The Christmas convivio was great!!! We had almost 200 people there and we were thrilled. You will have to wait until tomorrow for all the details. It is way past my bedtime, and Isabella isn't promising to sleep tonight.

Fun stuff I promised

I mentioned that some interesting things have happened, but Sam had the camera, and no blog is complete without pictures. Now Sam is back and I finally have time to blog about it (I should really be in bed!). The first thing that happened a couple of weeks ago is a city wide prayer night. The coolest part about it is that it was in one of the plazas downtown. On the night of October 31st, while a lot of people were doing other things, it is estimated that some 4,000 people gathered in the San Francisco plaza for a night of worship and prayer. It was really neat to see something like this happen. There were even city officials, including the mayor, there to support the activity. This is a first in Morelia, but hopefully not a last.
It's funny, because when we got home, Sam and I were talking about the evening and how neat it was. Both of us talked about how we needed to keep in check our critiquing of the evening and wanting to change this or that, but simply being in the moment. We praise God that churches would come together to do this and that people who have never heard his name would be touched by what they heard and saw. I am firmly convinced that the world will know who God is by the unity of the churches! The disunity of the churches is certainly a huge foothold for Satan.










The second big event was a baptism. This is one that we thought would never happen. On Sunday, November 2, Pina, Adriana's mom was baptized. She has known us since we arrived and knows what we do. She has participated on and off for all this time, but has not wanted to make any changes in her life. She has been critical of her daughter at times, but she has been watching and listening. When she came to talk to us about wanting to be baptized, we saw a woman hurt by life and wanting desperately to be loved and accepted. So, we open our arms wide and love her with the love of Christ. We rejoice greatly for her life. God has already given her a heart of service. She is always ready, willing and offering to help. We praise God for her life and look forward to her place in this community of believers.

Odds and ends

There have been some cool things happen here, but Sam has the camera with him with the pictures, and blogs just aren't as fun without the pictures, so you'll just have to wait for some of the updates.
Sam has been out of town this week. We have missed him very much and are all ready to have him back tomorrow. We were sitting on the couch and Sofia was lamenting how she missed her dad. I was trying to comfort her and talk about it, and she cries..."Daddy is the one that gives us our domingos (allowance)." Oh, that's a good reason to miss dad!
Here is one of our moments without dad around. It sounds funny writing about it now, but it sure didn't seem funny at the time. I'm learning to laugh at myself -- someone says that it's healthy! So, the night before Sam heads out is a long night with Isabella who is sick and fussy. As Sam heads out to the airport, he says "Don't hesitate to call the doctor." Now my dilemma begins whether or not this warrants a visit to the doctor. As I walk in from seeing him off at the door, I almost step in whatever Sofia just threw up. Oh boy, this is going to be fun! Sofia seems fine, so I send her off to school. Shortly after, Sam calls from the airport: "Guess who I ran into? The pediatrician. He says it's probably her ears, but here's the number of another doctor." Only Sam would run into our doctor while traveling, and only Sam would tell him all about our medical problems. So, dilemma number two, do I really want to go to a doctor I don't even know. But, Isabella is still cranky, and I really want to get some sleep, so I make an appointment. The only problem is that the appointment is in the afternoon, so it becomes a family event. I load all the girls up and off we go. As we wait for the doctor, Sofia and Olivia go to the play area at the end of hallway/waiting room, and Victoria is studying for her grammar test. When the doctor arrives, I send Victoria to get the girls. Sofia comes running, but Olivia isn't so sure...I can see there is trouble, so I head the 50 meters down the hallway to get her. As I hold her hand to come with me, she does the dead man's float on dry land. You know, it's the one where they become full size, double weight rubber dolls. I'm holding Isabella, so I can't even spank her to get up. Finally I pick her up and walk all the way back with a baby and toddler in arms. Finally, we're contained in the doctor's office. Immediately, Victoria gets called on for playing with the scales. As I'm talking to the doctor, Olivia gets the panicked look that she needs to go pee. I look down, and it's too late. Victoria offers to take her to the bathroom, which I'm glad for. They step over the puddle and before I know it, instead of using the bathroom in the office, they are out the door and down the hall for the public bathroom. Ahhh!!! Of course, as the doctor is checking Isabella out, she is all smiles, totally opposite what she had been all day. We survived. The doctor was very kind even when we apologized for the puddle on the floor (at least no one peed on him), and he assured us all was good, since he has 4 boys. What more could we do but top the evening off with a little Starbucks drive through (for hot chocolate, of course).
For some crazy reason, I thought it would be a good idea to take Victoria to the movies while Sofia was at camp. BIG, BIG mistake. Victoria wasn't the problem, in fact, she loved it. It was the rest of her sisters...Olivia walked up and down the aisle, played and tried as hard as she could to get out of my reach. Isabella fell asleep pretty soon, but with all my moving around to catch her sister, didn't last long. I was up and down for most of the movie. Fortunately, there weren't many people there to disturb, so it was okay. Mental note: next time leave the rest of the kids at home (not alone, of course!)
To close off lunch today, I got the girls ice-cream cones. It seemed like a good idea, but once again, not so much. Olivia's ice-cream fell off the cone at least twice before we got home. I'm very grateful for leather seats (Sam will be too when he finds out).
Enough rambling and off to bed.

Sofia goes to camp

This past week, our sweet little Sofia went to camp by herself for the first time. Along with only a few of her classmates, she spent overnight at a school camp. She seemed to enjoy herself very much! The principal told us about her zip-lining experience. He told us that as she was zipping along over the lake, she stopped mid-lake (not enough body weight to propel her across). So, rather than panic, she carefully followed the leader's instructions and pulled herself on across. He was very impressed that she wasn't scared at all. Of course, Sofia told us about it also, and has told us several stories. My baby is growing up!
Sofia never ceases to amaze me. Last week as I picked her up at school one afternoon, I walked in and didn't find her with her class. I did however find her surrounded by 6th graders! They were treating her like royalty, and she was eating it up!!!! The teacher said that Sofia claimed they were her sisters. Only Sofia...

Sofia waiting to head off to camp




Sofia and friends on the bus to camp

Problem solved!

In Mexico and most Latin American countries, people are fairly concerned about getting cold because you might get sick. They feel especially strong about this with kids; therefore, their babies and kids are dressed from head to toe many times including tights, hats, gloves, coats, and always, always, shoes. Well, we don't fit that mold very well. Often times the girls are without jackets (because they're not cold) and at home shoes are optional. I'm especially not a big fan of shoes for babies, because they fall off and I have to keep track of them and I don't really see the practical need for them. Well, this weekend, I found the perfect solution to this problem -- tights that look like shoes!!!! They are so, so cute and it looks like Isabella is wearing shoes (so no one is concerned about her health) and I don't have to keep track of shoes that fall off. I love it! They have socks like these, but I couldn't find any. So, if you know where I can find them, let me know!









We ate lunch at Chili's (not unusual for us), and on Sunday's they have a lady that does face painting. Sofia always gets her face painted, except today because she is sick and up to much of anything. Olivia always wants to get her face painted, but at the moment of actually letting the lady do it, she backs down. Today, however, she let the lady do it and she looked so cute. You can see the end result here.

Norman Rockwell Saturday Afternoon

Yesterday afternoon was a rare occasion...For starters, we didn't have any activities planned, so we enjoyed a family day at home. It was very nice. Actually, our time together started the evening before with a fun walk/ride around the neighborhood. Then, on Saturday afternoon, the girls did some crafts they had wanted to do, and I didn't find any excuses for not doing them. After lunch at home we enjoyed an afternoon of music and fun. The girls each played their instruments and Sam helped them. They are each doing a great job and enjoying guitar and violin. Sam sang them the song that he wrote for me at camp way back when. They thought it was pretty funny. He even wrote a new song for our family today. We wrapped up the evening with playing with the neighbors and watching a new movie. Everyone seemed to have a good time. These are times when I am especially grateful for the family God has given me and reminds me that we need to be deliberate about making more times like these.




Olivia doing a little cooking during the family fun






Victoria and Sofia having a good time!




Sam and the girls playing guitar

Weekend in San Antonio

Last week I had the blessing of getting away to San Antonio, TX for an extended weekend. Sam held down the fort with the three oldest and Isabella and I headed north. Oak Hills Church hosted a Children's Pastor's Conference in Spanish. I had known about it for a while, but hadn't really contemplated going until I realized that it might actually be a doable thing. It was a tremendous blessing for me. Isabella and I stayed with our good friends David and Janie Padilla. They have known Sam for a long, long time, and I have known them since I was in school at ACU. I used to babysit their girls and my claim to fame is that I taught them to eat cookie dough! Their mom was petrified, but they have grown up to be well adjusted young adults, and no stomach trouble. Amazing!!!
Anyway, back to the topic at hand. The conference was so good. It was just the breath of fresh air that I needed. I met some really neat people from all over the USA and Latin America. I think that a big part of it was to see quality materials, resources and very talented people in Spanish. It was good. I was renewed in the vision for what we want the children of this church to be about. I also really enjoyed to see how Oak Hills is doing some of their bilingual ministry in San Antonio. It was very cool to see how the worship flowed from English to Spanish and back. Something Sam and I have dreamed about for churches in the USA. Of course, the opportunity to have to keep track of only one kid and not have the usual responsibilities was a breath of fresh air also.
Sam did an amazing job at taking care of things on the home front. They had a great time, did homework and made it to school everyday. So, all is good. The fact that he was so encouraging in having me go and taking care of the girls made the time all the more enjoyable. Isabella did get a little clingy, to say the least, so it felt like I held her for most of the time we were gone. She did well on her first plane ride. She cried a little, but mostly slept and ate. It put her in a great mood as we went through customs, so they were all enjoying her and not terribly concerned with giving us a hard time. As we buckled in for the plane ride home and the plane started to move, she started the action in her diaper. It was not pretty!!! By the time we made it to the bathroom it was quite a mess and she needed a whole new set of clothes. Let me tell you, those airplane bathrooms are small enough as is, but when you have to change a diaper in them...they're really, really small. Never a dull moment!
In spite of all of that, it is great to be home!



The Padilla Family -- David and Janie, Cassandra, Adriana, Joshua and Jon Austyn






Isabella hanging out with her new friends -- David and Jon Austyn






Isabella looking cute (this was after she had to have a full change of wardrobe due to an explosive diaper!)

The joys of motherhood...

Have you ever had that moment when you are holding your baby and you are just brought to tears at the amazement of this little life? I have had that moment. I know, I could blame it on hormones, sleep deprivation or something in my eye, but it wasn't any of that. It was simply being in awe at Isabella and her life. She's so beautiful and has such a beautiful smile and she smells so sweet (most of the time, anyway). I was brought to tears. It's a sweet moment in time.
Probably in the very same day, I had moments of being brought to tears for other reasons...like being in the middle of cleaning up one mess, when another is created and at that very same moment Olivia has decided that potty training isn't all it's cracked up to be, so what the heck, the floor is just a good a place! I find myself breathing deeply often, and occasionally growling. I only figured out about the growling until I heard Olivia growling at something and wondered where she picked that up.
It is a fun ride, but I am ohhh so grateful for the people around us that help in amazing ways, especially on Sundays. There have been a couple of Sundays when I have literally been holding Olivia down with my legs while juggling Isabella and the other two on the sides. It's quite a site, I'm sure.

Enjoy the pictures!




Isabella looking lovely (courtesy of Marilyn Holland)




Victoria taking good care of her sister, and Olivia with her "I'm scared" face




Sofia showing off her violin. She is taking violin classes and enjoying it quite a bit.

It's time for Sara to leave.

The last of "Team Mexico" -- Sam and I, Isabella (under covers), Sara, Summer and Phyllis



We knew that this time was coming, but we kept thinking it was far off in the future or that maybe it wouldn't happen at all, but indeed, the time has come, and our teammate Sara has packed up and returned to the States. This has been an intense and emotional week for all of us. Sara's mom came up a couple of weeks ago to help her pack and sell most of her things, and this weekend, her dad along with Don Box arrived in their minivan to load up all of her things. Phyllis has been here also for the past week, which has been such a blessing for all of us. We had a very special day at church yesterday. After services we had lunch to celebrate the time Sara has been with us. The cell leaders did an amazing job at planning the event and deciding how to best honor Sara. After lunch, each family had a note for her and a rose which we all gave to her and put in her new wooden trunk (it's pretty cool,if you ask me). You will have to wait for her to post something about it so you can see it. There were many tears, but there was also a peace and a joy in our midst. Many people don't get the chance or don't take the chance to say goodbye in a healthy way, so this was a great way to show and participate in one of those facts of life.



Sara with her parents, Ron and Marilyn, Phyllis and Don Box at the table of honor yesterday




Some of the church members enjoying lunch with Sara



The whole bunch stayed at our house Saturday and Sunday night. In spite of the circumstances, it was fun to have them all in our house -- they got a great taste at the hustle and bustle of activity in our midst. It also gave a special opportunity to spend some time with Sara and her family during this special time. Very early this morning, they loaded up her car, drove to her house to pick up the minivan and headed out. We have gotten word that they are safe and sound across the border and headed to spend the night somewhere (probably San Antonio).



Good buy Sara

It was tough to see her drive away and know that she won't be back to be a part of the work here, but we know that she is headed for something great. We praise God for her time her, her commitment to the ministry here, for the way she has opened her heart to the church here. We will miss her very, very much!


Our sweet Victoria...

This has been an especially emotional time for Victoria, which breaks my heart as well. I know that it's part of learning about being a mother and watching your child hurt, and in a sense be unable to change that. We have talked about it and hugged and cried together. It's been a special time. It has touched all aspects of my life. It has taken me back to when I, as a young teenager left Argentina and all the emotions in that. I have thought more of what this was like for my parents, of how incredibly difficult it must have been for them. The reality of the moment is in my face with my own emotions and with helping my children walk through this time. And it takes me to think about the day when we may pack up our things and move into the next phase of our lives. I'm not ready for it, which is okay. I don't have to be ready for it.
So, in a sense we are flying solo now, yet we are surrounded by people here who are committed to what God is doing in this church, who are ready to step up into what needs to be done, who are our friends, our co-workers and our brothers and sisters in Christ. God is good.
I know that Sara would appreciate your prayers as she faces what is next in her life...

Update...

I guess it's not very nice to post about scary things happening here and not follow up, so, just so we can all rest at ease, I'll follow up. Our neighborhood has been very quiet without any exciting activity. Many of you may have heard on the news about some bombings in Morelia. It is truly very sad, but the night of the Mexican Independence (September 16, not to be confused with 5 de Mayo), some grenades were thrown into a crowd of people. Eight people were killed and some 100 people injured. Nothing like this has ever happened in Mexico, much less Morelia. It has really unsettled people since the drug war activities now crossed a line into terrorism where innocent people are hurt. Last week, it was announced that they had found the culprits for the bombings -- three men who confessed to the crime and who were related to one of the largest drug cartels in Mexico. Interestingly enough, this has not brought much comfort to most people. Many are leery of the police system here that would find guilty people so quickly or at all. Many feel like these are just scapegoats so that the government will look good in doing their job. This attack is having some profound effects on the city of Morelia. Much of it's revenue comes from tourism, and nobody wants to come here right now, and people from here do not want to be out and about as usual.
The president has really made it public that he is fighting against the drug cartels, and they are fighting back vigorously. There have been some 3000 deaths related with the drug cartels in this year alone. Many of the measures to fight the drug war has been on corrupt policemen, which indicates some of the root of the problem. Again, we feel safe here and do not feel in danger. We also take precautions in what we do and try not to get into harm's way. We do see this as an opportunity to reach out to people who are afraid and hopeless. Please pray with us that the president's efforts will truly make a difference, and that people will turn to the only source of hope and security.

What Mom shouldn't know...

This is one of those things that you only tell your mom once everything is over...like running out of gas by yourself in the middle of nowhere at midnight, or deciding to stop in the Metroplex on the way home from college for a quick Phil Collins concert, or that you just got your necklace ripped off in a train in Argentina, or that your kid's head only has a large bruise and scrape after being run over by her sister. These are all hypothetical, of course!
So, on to what she shouldn't know(so, don't read anymore, Mom). On Friday morning, Sam calls me on my cell phone and tells me not to go home because on advice from our neighbor there are soldiers all over the neighborhood. So, what does a woman do in this predicament...go shop (okay it was only grocery shopping). When we got home in the early afternoon, there were soldiers all up and down our street. They were guarding a house two doors down from ours. They asked if we had any information about the neighbors and assured all was okay. Yeah, right! How come they needed all those guns, if everything was okay. As I was bringing the girls home from school, I warned them that there would be soldiers so that they wouldn't completely freak out. When we drove up, they had to step out of the way and move their large truck so that we could get into our driveway. The soldiers were in front of our house all night long and the next day. Apparently the neighbors, who had been here several months were involved in illegal activity. At around 11:00 Saturday night, they towed one car off from the house and drove away two others. They sealed the house and left. That was it; they were gone. Everyone sighed a sigh of relief. Today we read in the paper that this was part of an operative in several places in the neighborhood, and it was one of the largest military operations so far. From 4 or five different houses they confiscated guns, grenades, military uniforms, drugs and the list goes on. What they didn't get, according to the paper were people.
So, what do we do with all this? Were we nervous? Yes. Scared? A little. But, we choose not to live in fear. We are careful in what we do, but we continue on. We also see that our neighbors all kept a low profile and didn't seem especially surprised or afraid. Many people here are leery of everyone, even the military. So, they keep quiet and stay of their way. We serve a big God, one that is bigger than all this. He has called us to be in the world, but not of the world and He protects us from the world. We praise him that we have been protected.

Here is the picture from the newspaper of all that was collected. The three cars in the background were the ones from our neighbors.

On U.S. Territory

Last week we were on U.S. territory briefly. We had to go to the American Embassy to get Isabella all registered and legal. It was a fun trip. Victoria and Olivia stayed home with friends (what a blessing!!!) and Sofia and Isabella came with us to Mexico City to the American Embassy. The toll road from Morelia has improved quite a bit, with several loops, so we made good time. It was great to be in the big city with the smell of fumes, the hustle and bustle of people, the taco stands, the skyscrapers. It reminds me of Argentina...
So, we were doing great until we made a wrong turn and a cop spotted us. He was so helpful to get us on the right road quickly so we could make our appointment, but as many cops in this country, he wanted his due reward! Enough said...As you might guess, security is tight at the embassy, so they took all our cell phones, electronics, car openers, scissors, and liquids. Then they put our stuff (diaper bag) through the xray machine. This is where it gets embarrassing...I had taken some things out of the diaper bag, but not exactly cleaned it out. So, when the lady tells me there was a cell phone in the bag, I had to look for it. I started pulling stuff out, and it never ended. There was a flashlight, little dolls of all sorts, jewelery, socks, empty communion cups, old wet wipes, etc, etc...AT the bottom, sure enough, there was an old cell phone that the girls played with. I turned it in and promised there were no more questionable things in my bag. The soldier asked if we had any dirty diapers in there, since they could be bombs (I still don't know if that was a joke of not). Thank goodness, there were no dirty diapers.
We got our business done, Isabella's report of birth abroad and passport, and we got Sofia's passport corrected since her last name was spelled wrong. One little bit of information we found out is that if there is a mistake in a passport and you wait longer than a year to correct it, you have to get a whole new passport and pay for it! Sofia's passport was one year and a couple of weeks old!!!!!! You win some and you loose some...
We topped off the day with a trip to the Santa Fe mall where we window shopped (can't really afford much of anything there) and had lunch at Italianni's. Yummy! It felt good to be on U.S. territory where people spoke English and appreciated our rights as U.S. citizens. On the other hand, outside the window where we were working on our stuff, there was a long line of Mexicans waiting to apply for a visa to the U.S. From what I hear, they don't always get treated very nicely. It's sad, but a consequence, I suppose, of all the ones who don't bother to try and get a visa. I would show you pictures, but much like customs in the airports, pictures are a very big no, no. So, just imagine it.

Moving up in the world

It's hard to explain, but sometimes it is really difficult to get much "business" accomplished in one day. This is possibly due to long lines, a lot of bureaucracy, many people needing a job; therefore, you have to do many things to secure their job (get a stamp here; get a paper there, make a copy here, tip the parking lot guy there, etc., etc. But, Mexico is moving up in the world, as evidenced by my ability to get some key things done today with three of my kids in toe. As Isabella napped, Olivia woke up from her nap and Sofia chatted incessantly about life, I first drove to the one and only ATM drive through in town (a city of 1 million people) and was able to get cash out. This ATM only works about 60% of the time. With cash in hand, I drove to a drive through set up to pay your light bill, seeing how the electric company is not too merciful on paying late and very quickly turn off the electricity. Again, without getting out of my car, I payed our electric bill in record time (no one was at the drive through, because most people opt to stand patiently in line at the electric company). I was so thrilled about what I accomplished, that what better way to celebrate than driving through one of the few other drive through in town -- Starbucks! It was great! Now, if I could figure out some way to do grocery shopping from the car...

For the record

All of you four faithful readers know this already, but just for the record, we have a new baby. Isabella Joy is now a month old! She was born June 17th at 10:40 pm. Just so everyone knows, I did it fast and furious so everyone could be home for a late dinner and a good night's sleep (no discounts from the doctor's though). It is amazing that although this was our fourth time to experience a new birth, it was equally amazing and awe inspiring. Bringing a new life into this world is such an experience, it's hard to put into words.
We love her dearly and can't imagine our lives without Isabella. She is so beautiful! I don't think she looks like anyone in the family -- she is her own little person. She has an intense look, long fingers and a very cute toes. In a way, my life has come to a screeching halt (not such a bad thing), and on another note, it never seems to end. We are glad for a more relaxed summer schedule.
I would love to show you and updated picture, but our camera is missing, which makes me very, very sad!

Top 10

Top 10 reasons I haven't been blogging in the past couple of months:
1. Victoria
2. It is really difficult to type with one hand (while holding a baby with the other).
3. It is much more fun and easy on the brain to read other people's blog. Some of our friends have been having some amazing adventures this summer like Eric and Mattias biking across California or Pete and Sara swimming, biking and running in all kinds of events with their kids having a summer to remember.
4. Sofia
5. As incredibly exciting things have been in our lives, it is just not as exciting to write about two months later.
6. Olivia
7. Blogging is always interesting, but pictures make it so much better. We haven't taken many pictures and our camera has gone missing (I really, really, really want it back).
8. Isabella!
9. We've been too busy enjoying the fellowship of several visitors.
10. Writer's block

So, all that to say that we are still here...Alive and kicking enjoying a full, loud house! I'd say that I'll be posting more often, but no promises...

Baby Gonzo

Some of you have been asking about our baby in waiting. Sorry, we haven't said much about it. Unlike with your first kid, where everyone knows within a week of conception that you are expecting and what you'll name the kid, but the fourth, we're not quite as jubilant (don't worry this baby will never read this!). In this case, no news is good news, since it has been a fairly uneventful pregnancy. I will say however, that age and gravity catch up with you!!!! I'm not the spring chicken I was 9 years ago with Victoria.
So, all medical evidence points to a girl. Sam and a few others are holding out for medical error and hidden appendages. I'm getting all the pink stuff ready, again. We only have about 4 weeks left to go, so it shouldn't be much longer until you can meet our precious baby. Until then, here are a couple of images from the 3-D ultrasound we had a few weeks ago. If you can't make anything out, just let your eyes relax and think baby! You can see her face from different angles here -- nose in the middle, eye on the side with her arm up around her head. Have fun making it out!

Goodbye to Stacey and Salvador

Salvador and Stacey with their children: Mariah, Luis, Salvador and Ezekiel


On May 5th, in the middle of the night (crazy flight schedules), we put Stacey Torres and her four children on a plane back home. You might remember them from previous blogs. They made the difficult decision that it was time to head back to the States. So, they gave away their belonging in Ciudad Hidalgo and headed home. It was a tense evening as Stacey had to talk to immigration here since she and her kids have been living in Mexico with expired visas for 2 years. At the airport, Sara and I stayed with the kids (it is 11 o'clock at night) while Sam and Stacey went to the imigration office. After an hour we were sweating bullets, but Sam finally came out to get money. The immigration officers were gracious and charged her fines for a lost visa rather than an expired one, which would have been $2800 for each of them!!!!
So, with mixed emotions for them, we hugged them goodbye. God's divine intersections are always amazing. We pray that they will settle back into life in the States. It won't be easy. Please pray with us that they will all re-adjust, especially the kids.

Some VERY excited kids headed to the airport long past their bedtime!

Happy Mother's Day

For mother's day, the school always puts on a music festival where the kids dance. This year was exceptionally good. Each group danced a typical Mexican dance. They all did an amazing job, and even the junior high kids seemed something less than bored, embarrassed and put out to have to dance. The costumes and numbers were all very well done. I guess I was especially impressed, because in years past, the numbers have included dubious outfits, a lot of hip movements, and not my choice for grade school kids to swing to. So, this year was really good.
Victoria did a dance typical of our state, Michoacan, and Sofia did a number from Jalisco. They did great and looked beautiful. Here are some pictures of the grandiose moment! There aren't any of them in action because they were both on the back row most of the time and it was hard to get a good shot of them.

Victoria and Sofia (you can appreciate Sofia's attempt at a hair cut, focusing on her bangs)



Victoria with her classmates (Here you can appreciate the distinct separation of boys and girls prevalent at this age)


Victoria and Sofia with some of Victoria's classmates and their moms. This is the group of women I am closest to at school. God is opening doors into their lives, which is exciting.


Sofia and her English teacher, Miss Mari Carmen. She is so sweet, and really the epitome of a kindergarten teacher. We love her very much!



Our beautiful blond Mexican!

Happy Anniversary Church!

Last weekend we celebrated five years since the Iglesia Rio de Vida started. Wow, that's all I can say is Wow! (for a more comprehensive understanding of this statement, read "Lilly and her Purple Plastic Purse). It was an amazing weekend! We knew it would be a lot of work, but we came out of the weekend full and blessed and amazed at God's greatness.
We had several visitors from Richland Hills who joined us. These included Ron and Marilyn Holland, Duane and Debbie Jenks, Phyllis Needham, Carol Maples, Don Box and Norm Meyer. It was great to have them be a part of the activities, but more to be blessed and encouraged by their words and prayers.
We started the weekend with sightseeing on Friday (me and my little chicks all stayed home for this). That evening we had a night of praising God, prayer and the ever necessary potluck! People from the church here got to meet our visitors and hear a little bit about their involvement in this work. On Saturday we met with our leaders. This was again, an amazing time and a very emotional time. Each of our leaders shared how a little of their testimony on how they came to know God, how they came to this specific body of believers and what God is doing in them now. It blew us away! and we had already heard their stories! Our guests shared a little about how they have been involved in this ministry and what God is doing in their lives. They gave us all words of encouragement and prayed for us. Since this was also Mother's Day, we opted for a very nice, quiet banquet at the office. The food was yummy, the conversation flowing, and no noisy restaurant to battle with. A perfect choice!

Friday evening's praise and prayer time


Banquet time on Saturday


Now, this is only half way through the day. After a little rest time, we headed downtown for some local sightseeing and dinner. As much as it frustrates us sometimes, connections in Mexico are everything, and this day God used it in our big favor. A friend of ours works at a restaurant right in the middle of downtown, and when Sara stopped to say hello, he offered us the terraza of the restaurant to have our own private dinner overlooking the city. It was beautiful! The weather was gorgeous, and we got to watch the lighting of the cathedral ceremony complete with fireworks. Everyone was awed and amazed that we could have planned something like that (except we didn't plan any of it! Hard not to take credit for it). To top the evening off, as we headed to our cars, we were serenaded by a rondalla -- this is a group of young men in tights (a Mexican irony with machismo so prevalent), who sing and play various instruments. They were quite impressive with their dances and tunes.

The view from our restaurant


Enjoying the rondalla


The guys in tights


As if this were not enough, Sunday was icing on the cake. We had our usual celebration time with several first time visitors, and we even had a couple of baptisms. Mayte and her son, Julio, decided to be baptized, so we rejoiced all the more! We had 130 people be a part of the activities this day! After services, we enjoyed yet another yummy meal, a mariachi band to serenade the mothers and cake. In closing the activities, we watched a video diary of the last five years (it brought tears to my eyes more than once) and then we opened the floor to those that wanted to share about what this church and ministry has meant to them. Again, we were overwhelmed by people's thoughts and feelings. By the end of this, we all needed a nap!!! Sunday evening, we closed our time with our visitors over tacos (I know, more food!) and a time to look into the future. Again, we were blessed and encouraged. We especially took time to think of former team members and their contribution to the work here and even to mourn their not still being here.
As I said, our cups were running over by the end, and I had just expected to be drained. The last five years have been a wild ride with it's definite ups and downs, but we praise God for what He has done, is doing and will continue to do through us and in spite of us. Praise His name!!!


Olivia getting ready for a full day!


Duane preaching with Sam translating




Mayte and Julio with Aldo and Sandy who have studied with them


Mayte being baptized



Cake


Mariachi band serenading



Some of the ladies enjoying the day!