Rain!

Rain!!! I don't think that I have ever been so happy to see it pour rain like it did on Friday afternoon. We have been in the dry season here for the past few months and when I say dry, it has been dry. God is truly in control... It is clear. If he holds back the waters, there is drought; if he lets them loose, they devastate the land Job 12:15

We were able to fill over 5 buckets. Thank God, because it would have been another weekend of unwashed dishes and unflushed toilettes. 

The children all had a blast running and playing in the rain while it washed away dirty little hands and feet. Not that they saw that positive side, they wanted to play soccer in the muddy water and put all the dirt back on. 

I am hopeful that this was the beginning of the end of the dry season. I only pray that as the rain continues to fall and we begin to grow weary of damp clothes and frizzy hair, we do not grumble and complain. 


More to come...

Cost of living

This week started off with Nicaragua Labor day, May 1st. Kids were off of school and we did nothing but lounge around and watch television... in Spanish.
My son walk around the house that day squinting without his glasses on, he had lost them at the beach 2 days before. (Apparently everyone knew but me) Ugh! Third pair this year.
Tuesday morning we decided that I would get a ride into town with Moses and pick out new glasses. I had him excused from class and we left at about 10:30am.
Going to Managua is never a quick run. Mostly because it is about a 30 min ride down hill so usually we try to get a few things done for each trip. We ran errands for a bit then headed to the ophthalmologist. the glasses were ready in a few hours but we had to come back the next day for them as we had too many other things to do.
I will break down for you the cost of Antonio Jr.'s glasses:
Exam - 30 Cordobas = $1.36
Frames - 400 Cordobas = $18.18
Lenses - 500 Cordobas = $22.72
Look on Antonio's face with his new glasses and haircut - priceless. (smile)

As we drove around Managua those two days, I watched as Moses showed kindness to everyone he came into contact with. He stopped and shared his lunch with two different people sitting on the sidewalk. He slowed down for someone and gave them a ride on the back of his truck. His job here at New Hope is never really over as he works day and night. He and his wife are truly precious brothers and sisters in Christ.

After being out of the habit over the long weekend and out Tuesday and Wednesday, I thought that Emily would have forgotten everything that I taught her in our potty training. Thank God, as she came over on Thursday morning she got right back in the habit. She actually did better than I expected as she hasn't had an accident since. 

Hopefully after another week or so she can graduate back to the orphanage (in underwear) with her siblings and I can move on to Frankie. 

He is a sweet kid with a great disposition, it will be a pleasure spending time with him. 

A couple of days ago my girls found out about a beauty salon down the road and have entered the wonderful world of eyebrow detailing. Cost....15 Cordobas = .68 cents

Tony have been asking me to get mine done for years, but frankly I was too chicken to sit through the painful process. The girls said that the woman at the salon used a razor... painless. hhhmmmm... I might try it.... maybe.

As the girls left the salon,  Antonio jr (their chaperon) went to change some money. There was an old lady walking by them who looked sad, dirty and poor. She didn't beg for anything but it tugged at their hearts to see her. Chantell walked over to her without saying a word and gave her the rest of her money. 

An older gentlemen later walked up to them on their way home and asked if they could buy him one mango. Cost 1 cordoba = less than .05 cents.

They bought it for him and while he ate, he asked if he could follow them home. Ezekial, a young Miskito boy living here at the orphanage was with them and he told the older man that he could not follow them home. 

Ezekial later told the girls that he wanted to follow them so he can find out where they live and ask for  things later on when he is in need. 

The need is great here, I know that the Lord is planting seeds in the hearts of my children.

Water is an issue here. It is constantly out. We ran out the night before last and had to survive on our purchased 5 gallon purified water (for everything). Yesterday during the day, the internet went out because of a mix up with the internet/phone company. So I snuggled up on the couch with a book and computer game to later have the electricity go off. Oh for goodness sake... LOL! Thank goodness, it was only out for about an hour and we had plenty of flashlights and candles to keep us company. Thank God for his mercy because this morning we had all three; water, internet and electricity. Pray that the Lord will continue to show us favor.  

More to come...

Easter week happenings...

What a great Easter vacation we had here. I did fold and end up going to the swimming hole with the family, but I have to say that I rather enjoyed watching them splash around in the water for a few hours while I read in the shade.

The next day I finally had the pleasure of meeting Selah Grace for the first time. What a precious child of God! 

As I held her tiny body in my arms, I thought of the first time I met Jocelyin in Waspam. I didn't know what the outcome of her pregnancy would be or if I would even be here to see it for myself. But I am so very grateful that the Lord's hand was on this little one and I am believing that her life will be a testimony of God's love. 

Jocelyin by the way is doing great. She is healing up very well from her c-section and blending in with the other girls in the house nicely. (She is a character.)

On Good Friday our Pastor decided that we would do some street ministry. The plan was to pick a spot, bring a ton of plastic chairs and a movie screen and show the Passion of the Christ. What an awesome way to reach the average person walking down the street! Everyone got matching t-shirts and were very excited to get going. 

 I stayed behind to watch over five two year olds including Catiana, Ruby the 13 y/o and 7 y/o Louviana who is almost completely blind (she doesn't realize this of course and couldn't believe that she wasn't able to go).

From what I heard, it was a great success. The children as well as the adults were very touched by the movie and bible tracts and bibles were passed out. 

Easter morning was a bit different here for us as there were no sunrise services that I heard of. No New Easter dresses and suits for the kids. No Easter baskets or decorations to be found. But as I explained to my children begging for their ritualistic Easter candy, the day is all about Jesus. Not that there is anything wrong with the way we have celebrated it in the past, but if that is what they were looking forward to instead of the cross, then we have missed the mark. 

We did do one thing that we do every year. We had a wonderful dinner that Tony prepared for us all . (Lauren,the children at the orphanage and the Pastor and his family). I am always surprised that the food stretches to accommodate all 36 of us. Everyone said that his dinner was delicious!

 After dinner I braided hair for some of the girls as they wanted to get as cute as possible for school the following day. I think this week alone, I spent over 30 hours braiding, which I find ironic that I have voiced many times in the past that I do not like to do hair nor will I sit around doing it. I have not only had to do my girls hair, over and over again. But I have done many other young girls hair. Straight hair, curly hair, wavy hair, kinky hair, long hair and short hair. Even have braided boys hair! I just have one thing to say about that... Do not, I repeat, Do not tell  God what you will or will not be doing!

More to come...

A bit reserved...

Just a few days ago, I was having a conversation with Tony about the changes that God has done in our lives since we have been here in Central America. We recounted all of the things that God has shown us about ourselves here.
If you know me, even a little bit, you could say that I am a bit reserved when it comes to relationships. Tony and I did a great job of keeping to ourselves. My kids would often call me a crab, because I didn't do the weekly get together, the after church lunches or the play dates with the other moms.  With embarrassment I can tell you that I have often ducked away in the grocery store to avoid a lengthy conversation with an acquaintance. If you asked me, I think we shied away from those relationships because it meant being open to things that we were not willing to be open to.
I have always carried around this thought in my head, that the closer two people are the more likely it is that one day, someone will get hurt emotionally. If I had it my way, I would of kept everyone at an arms distance so that I would not hurt or be hurt.
Now, I now that that is not what the Lord wanted for me, but never the less its the wall of protection that I had created for myself.
So, How did I find myself in a ministry surrounded by people 24 hours a day?
Where I must interact, talk, share and pray with... everyday?  God is not in the business of letting you sit happily in your comfort zone!

Being here makes it almost impossible to keep to yourself. I have this daily desire to leave the home that we rent every morning, head over the the orphanage to wipe noses, change diapers and hug children. During these small chores I chat and share with friends. God is slowly but surely chipping away at the wall, don't get me wrong, it feels pretty yucky to me. (smile) But I am willing to bet that God knows what He is doing.

I have succefully, by the grace of God potty trained 2 of the little ones. I am now on my third...Emily.

She just turned 2. She is a feisty one, but bewteen my stubborness and hers, I think we will get this potty thing down  : )

This week is Holy week and the kids are out of school. I asked a couple of friends what Nicaraguans did for Easter. Well, for starters there are no Easter egg hunts, colored eggs or fluffly white Easter bunnies in the picture. Families usually head off to the beach for the week and relax by the water. Being the crab that I am, that didn't sound like fun to me so I have opted to stay home and read while Tony and the kids head off for some swim time this week. : )
Hopefully I can convince Tony to put on a nice Sunday dinner next weekend for all of us... 30 plus, Ha!

More to come...

Can't out give God...

On Thursday morning Jocelyin, the precious 15 year old, gave birth to a healthy baby girl. What a blessing that was. Lauren the house mom, was there with her the whole time and was able to stay with her during the c-section. God has truly answered our prayers and both her and baby are doing fine.

Selah Grace

 The night after her operation I spent the night at the orphanage to help out with the children as it was also the night off for the nanny in charge of the babies and Lauren was due at the hospital till the following morning. After dinner, devotions and countless questions about if they could watch a movie, have coffee or just play...they were off the bed. The next morning we were up at about 5:30am and I helped with babies and breakfast while I waited on the daily help to arrive. The workers were there by about 7am and I was out by 8am. 

This was no ordinary day for me as I was on my way to a women's retreat in Playa Montelimar Nicaragua. 

I was so excited and was to meet Lauren and 4 other woman at the Christian English school in Managua as we would all carpool there. Tony and the kids also had a treat as Friday was also the day for a field trip at the school. Tony was able to go as a chaperon and he brought along Catia and Kevin with the help of our helper...Gloria! They really enjoyed themselves at the zoo, the lake, downtown, a museum and a famous market. What a full day with 300 plus children...LOL! So glad I was not there! 

I on the other hand was enjoying the most relaxing time ever! This place was just amazing!

(Looks like stock photos, I know but this is where I spent 3 awesome days!)

This resort was unbelievably beautiful and full of things to do and eat! What a wonderful idea it was years ago for these woman to come up with a yearly conference for missionary women living in Nicaragua. We were surrounded by like-minded sisters in Christ who were just open and so excited to hear from each other and learn about what the Lord was doing in all of our lives. The theme of the conference was "Women of Grace" The speaker brought with her 5 friends who lavished us with free haircuts, manicures, professional photographs and encouragement.

Over and over again I heard from the speakers and the missionary woman that no matter how much they tried to do because of the love they have for Christ, the more the Lord blessed them. I certainly felt blessed being there at that conference and God reminded me once again that I can not out give Him. No matter how hard I try to give my all to my Lord, He blesses me with more than I can imagine.

More to come...

Still here...

I've been contemplating these past few days if I needed to change the title of my blog. After coming back from Waspam, Tony and I had a decision to make. Do we leave Costa Rica that has been so kind to us and come to Nicaragua, or do we go back home as if we weren't greatly moved by being here.

Well, after a few heated and many calm discussions, we decided to move to Nicaragua.
Tony took on a volunteer position at the New Hope Christian school and I took on the job of helping to care for the children at the orphanage and our very special pregnant teen due April 27th.

We decided that it would be a great learning experience for the children to attend the school. This would not only speed up their Spanish speaking and comprehending skills, but it would give them a chance to be amongst the local children in town. As far as the US is concerned they are still considered homeschooled and I will continue the file their reports at the end of the year.

After the first day of school during lunch Chantell recounted how Tony had asked her classmates what they had for dinner the night before during his music class. She was shocked when most students shook their heads to say that they had not eaten anything for dinner. These children get a lunch after school everyday and for most, it is all they have to eat... all day. God is so good to have provided this place for so many of these children.
After the first two weeks of school it was imperative that we head back to Costa Rica to tie up some loose ends. We headed for Tica Bus and slept most of the way there. The ride took longer than usual but I was excited to see Costa Rica again. When we finally arrived, we walked to the nearest bus stop and hopped on. We got off near Central Park in San Jose and got something to eat. I wanted to do a bit shopping but it was late and frankly I wanted to get to the house.
After another 30 minute ride on our third bus for the day, we arrived in Guatuso down the hill from our house. We waived at a few people going up the hill and I forgot how horrible that walk up the mountain was until I was half way up.
The house was quiet and dark, kind of sad really. We decided that we would all take a long hot shower one after another as we have no hot water in our room in Nicaragua. But wouldn't you know it, not only did we have very little water coming out of the faucets, but the hot water was also not working....figures.

The next morning we packed and cleaned, then we cleaned and packed. Our mover/driver was to show up at 6pm Saturday night so we made sure that we were ready by then. As 6pm rolled around, he didn't show up. We called and he assurred us that he was on his way. We waited... 7pm, 8pm, 9pm, 10pm, 11pm then midnight. By this time, Tony and we beginning to worry. What if he doesn't show up, what will we do? It was too late to call someone else and our flawless plan of bringing the things we wanted back with us to Nicaragua and packing the rest in the storage room of the internet cafe would be ruined. We would miss our bus and have to pay for new tickets. Just when we were about to give up hope, we heard his horn outside. Tony worked for the next 5 hours driving back and forth, loading and unloading. The last load was to drop us off at the bus stop.
Well, now that we are back and here to stay, we are getting settled in. The kids are used to the school routine now and I enjoy the time with the two youngest during the day.
Yesterday was frightening as Jocylin went into premature labor. We weren't sure if it was really labor or not but from the look on her face and the tears in her eyes, we didn't need a Miskito translator to tell us that something was wrong.
When we arrived at the hospital after first visiting the clinic, the doctor informed us that there were 20 other patience in front of her and she would just have to wait. Well, thank goodness Charity made the call to move her to a private hospital instead. They were able to stop the labor progression and put her on bedrest.
Pray for her as we are believing that she will be able to deliver naturally.
More to come...

Rescue...

Tonight I was able to watch a dvd of our time in Waspam. My children all commented that it looked like a National Geographic channel special and I felt the same way. We boarded our small 12 seater plane on Wednesday afternoon. I had never been on a plane this size and was nervous about the flight. I had to remind myself that the Lord was in total control.

We were in the air for a little over an hour and it took me a little while to get over the uneasiness in my belly every time the plane tipped to the left or the right. The pilot and co-pilot were literally a few feet away from me and I kept an eye on them watching for any sign of a problem.

The landing strip was nothing more that a dirt road with livestock running across it. A cow was shooed off just before our little plane landed. I was relieved to be on the ground again but everything around me was so very foreign. Children stood around watching us as we unloaded. We had two barrels of food to give to the Casa de Esperanza orphanage there and looked around for anyone who was able to help us get them to the hotel. Fortunately the Town office officials showed up in their truck and gave us a lift. The Town of Waspam was like stepping back in time. There were only 2 taxi drivers available and most people either walked or rode a bike. We were there to move the orphanage from one location to another. The home that they were in did not have running water or electricity. The new landlord assured us that this new home would have both.

The hotel we were to stay in was small but very comfortable. Coffee was always available and so was the internet. Our room was air conditioned, though we never turned it on and the only draw back was the lack of hot water.

Our first stop after dropping off our bags was to pick up a rental van from our friendly neighborhood rental car lady.

Trust me when I tell you that this van was nothing to be desired. Before we could drive it we had to wait about an hour for her to bring the battery to start it. On the way to the gas station to fill up with some diesel it ran out of the little it still had inside of it. Fortunately the four men with us took care of the van that needed a little tlc the whole time we had it.

We headed to the orphanage and met the 4 children there. They were beautiful kids of which two had the misfortune of contracting chicken pox. We had to get a hold of the local pediatrician (who happen to ride by us on a bicycle) and asked if he would come by and take a look at them.  He came by a bit later and said that they were at the end stage of the chicken pox and just needed a little cream to help with the itching.

The day was a success and we were able to move all of the furniture over to the new home and the children settled in nicely that evening.

The next morning we headed out to the Rio Coco River and watched people load their belongings on canoos that would take them up river.

Some of these people lived a very long way away and going up river was the best means of transportation for them.

We spent a little more time in the orphanage that Thursday as we had to get the electricity on and find out about the water. We were told the water would be on about 2-3 times per week. Well, I guess that is better than never.

I was fortunate to meet a lovely 14 year old young lady that Mi Familia (Waspam’s version of child protection services) sent to the home a few short days before we arrived. She was 7 ½ months pregnant and my heart went out to her as she looked very young. Charity (New Hopes director) did her best in speaking to her through a translator as her only language was Miskito. It was later discussed that she would be better off in the Hope house in Managua, at least until she had the baby.

The rest of the day was spent running around town getting things done.

Friday was by far my best day. We were up bright and early with an appointment with the vice Mayor and two police officers that would escort us to the remote areas of Waspam to look for children that may be in need. We picked up a few drinks and snacks and headed out to pick up our escorts. The police officers were armed with a shot gun and a hand gun, not sure if that is the proper names for them but never the less one was small and in a holster and one was long and hung on the younger officers back.

The rode to the remote village was not an easy one. The van literally jumped up and down with the dips in the road as we swerved left to right trying to avoid bigger ones. Twice we had to cross a bridge that you couldn’t pay me to walk across let alone drive a van full of people across. I just closed my eyes and reminded myself…God is in control!

After about 2 hours we pulled to the side of the road and walked the rest of the way.

We arrived at the home of an extraordinary child named Ruby. She is 12 years old and has weighed in at an astonishing 18 pounds.

When I first met her she was sitting at the doorway of her house staring out at us. I had never seen a child so small for her age. Charity had seen her before and had worked very hard trying to persuade the Father to give permission for us to offer her some help. This time he agreed. After we held her for a bit and gave her and her sisters lollipops and kisses, we told her we would be back to get her in about an hour.

We walked a few more kilometers and met up with an elderly woman who was separating the husk from rice. She was hitting the rice with a very heavy wooden mallet in what looked like a very large wooden cup. We were so fascinated by her that we had to stop and just talk to her. Of coarse she spoke to English or Spanish, so the Vice Mayor did all of the translating. When we asked how old she was, she told us that she did not know.

I wish I could explain how it felt to be among the Miskito people. As we walked to the next home I watched the children run around us. The live stock roamed freely together, none were caged in. The chickens ran with their chicks behind them likewise the pigs wallowed in the mud with their young. Horses and cows walked by close enough to graze my back pack. I had to remind myself to keep an eye on the ground because as you can imagine there were lots of piles that my sneakers were trying their best to avoid.

We stopped by one home of a grandmother who was caring for 3 year old granddaughter. She had a disability that made her unable to stand, walk, talk or eat solid food. She was the size of an 18 month old child. She was not malnourished or uncared for, but the grandmother said that she was unable to continue to care for her. She said that she would get her ready and agreed to let us take her to get her some medical attention at New Hopes expense then reunite them in the future. We waited outside as she got her ready and she agreed to come back with us to town to fill out the necessary legal paperwork.

After a few more stops to talk with the villagers and pray with a mom who had reently lost her daughter, we headed back for Ruby.

She was dressed in a small dress probably for a one year old. As soon as she saw Charity she smiled and held out her arms. Tony held her all the way to the van and her mother followed behind us.

The ride back to town was uneventful except that Ruby was terribly afraid of the van. She cried a bit in the car before she calmed down and put her blanket over her head.

Having the officers with us was a good idea, especially when we would get to a road blocked by workers who would look up at us and go right back to their work in the middle of the road. The officers would then jump out of the van brandishing their weapons to which the workers would promptly move out of the way with apologies.

I was exhausted that night and slept very well. The next day was Saturday and we were scheduled to fly out at noon.

We spent the morning running around trying to tie up loose ends and get things done. I was to fly back with the 3 year old and hand her over to the missionary doctor. Ruby was being seen by a pediatrician who let us know that she was severely dehydrated and sick. He suggested that she stay at clinic for a bit with an IV and take some medication. After purchasing items to take care of the home and sitting with Ruby at the hospital for a while, we headed out to catch our flight. The plane was scheduled to land and take off in within 15 minutes and Charity and her husband Leo had not arrived with the 3 year old. I was beginning to think that they were not going to make it, but as we stood in line outside of the plane I could see their van racing down the road.

They made it! The grandmother handed me her grandchild with tears in her eyes and my heart was very heavy for her. She kissed me on the cheek and I kissed her back, I wanted to cry with her. I told her that her granddaughter would be ok, and that she would see her soon and a woman in line translated to her.

We boarded the plane and it was off in a matter of minutes.

Thank goodness she slept the whole flight and I took the cue to do the same. Tony took more pictures of the scenery.

When we landed we were greeted at the entrance to Managua airport by our drivers and the doctor who would care for the baby. She was very happy to receiver her. I was happy to be back in Managua, but was very sad to leave the children needing help behind. Tony is very interested by the prospect of flying back and forth every month to help out over there, so please keep us in prayer. 

more to come... 

New year, new beginnings.

Happy New year! The Lord has seen fit to grant us another year of life. Praise the Lord!
We spent our New Years eve in church, as usual and the Holy Spirit did not disappoint. We were surrounded by his presence.
I wasn't sure how New Years eve was celebrated by our Tico friends and neighbors but realized on our way home, that it was going to be another big deal. People were in the streets talking, laughing, grilling and getting their fireworks ready.
At midnight New years day, the sky lit up. It was grander than the ones from Christmas day and it went on for more than half an hour. I can't even begin to explain how magical it was. The younger kids ran outside and watched from the back yard. The older teens ran down to the front gate of our Finca and watched. Tony and I being the old fogies that we are decided that the view was just fine from our dining room windows. What an experience.
In a few weeks we will be on a bus to Managua Nicaragua to help out at an orphanage. I am so excited to see what the Lord is doing there. If you were to ask me a year ago if I would be living in Costa Rica or planning to go to an orphanage in Nicaragua...well, no one would of even asked.
How could we do such a thing with so many children, how would we ever afford it? Just not possible! But God is continuing to prove to me through grace and mercy that all things are possible. He is awesome! The bus line is called TicaBus, pretty similar to our greyhound buses in the US.

Price per passenger is $22 one way, which is about what it cost to get from Maine to Boston. The trip will be approx 7 hours, not including the stop at the border to get our visa's. This trip not only fulfills our requirement to exit the country every 90 days, but gives us a pretty awesome reason to. 

It has always been a desire of mine to feed the hungry, care for the orphan and spread the gospel and I am humbled that I may be able to do just that. 

Between all of these exciting plans, school is back in session tomorrow. Kids have had 2 weeks vacation and have spent 99% of their time on the laptops and the playstation. I am very happy to get back to school if for nothing else but to put away those distractions until next weekend. I much rather them explore the neighborhood, read books, bake or play together. 

I have kept a mental list of all the questions I have been asked these past 2 weeks such as: 

"Why did the moon turn that color during the eclipse?" 

"Can a spider really get big enough to kill a bird?" 

"What continent is Central America considered part of, North America or South America?"

These and many more will be part of their curriculum this week along with their math, literature, history, writing and Bible Study. 

We will also begin our FAFSA application this week for my oldest. She has decided that she does not want to leave us in the Fall and will be enrolling in an online University majoring in psychology. She has been prophesied over as a missionary when she was 16, so I'm excited to see the path that God puts her on. 

More to come...

Feliz Navidad!

So yesterday was Christmas, I was going to wait to post until I had gathered the information needed to write about homeschooling but thought I'd share how our day went. On Christmas eve, eve we set out early in the am and spent hours shopping for presents and ingredients.

 (See our bus coming?)

We decided that we would give out loaves of banana bread to our friends, neighbors and local merchants. For two days straight my 15 year old baked a whole lot of bread, don't worry she loved every minute of it. On Christmas eve hubby and a few of the children set out to deliver these treats wrapped in clear bags, tied with bows and mini xmas cards. The recipients would not let them walk away empty handed, so they returned home with two bags full of Tamales! They were banana leaves stuffed with masa or rice, chicken or turkey, carrots, garbanzo beans, raisins, etc. depending on the person who made it.

We were told to boil them in water for about 15 minutes and enjoy. We had never eaten them before and enjoyed every bit of them! We went to church that night and enjoyed a wonderful service. One of our fellow sisters in Christ walked half way home with us as we discussed how chilly it was that night. She spoke of her home being very cold as it was made of mostly metal and right beside a river. She said that she was believing that the Lord would provide a better home for her and her children. So for my believers out there, please keep Marisol in your prayers.
When we returned home, the older kids began their tradition of baking sugar cookies as I read Christmas stories to the younger kids and put them to bed. We were up cleaning the house around 11:59 when all of a sudden a myriad of fireworks began to go off. We looked outside of our windows to see the most spectacular fireworks show I had ever seen. It was beautiful! From the view in our dining room, you could see miles and it was a grand way to bring in Christmas day!
Christmas morning was wonderful as we celebrated not only the birth of Jesus but of my 10 year old daughter also. The kids were up at the crack of dawn as usual. Didn't matter that I told them that santa made Costa Rica his last stop, so they were welcome to sleep in a bit. (smile)
We kept gifts to a minimum this year and I was happy to see them enjoy the little that they did receive.  Though we could have, we saw no need to give ipods, ipads, laptops or cellphones. Instead they received much wanted clothing items, journals, craft items, beaded jewelry and the most prized gift of all... an am/fm/cd radio. I'm not bashing anyone who did opt for the more high tech, expensive gifts... but for us, we have decided that there are way more important things for them to value.
What an awesome day God gave us.
As we near our time to travel to Nicaragua next month, I am increasingly excited to see what God will do. We have been in touch with an orphanage with 14 children, of which 6 are babies! If the Lord wills it, we will go and minister to them in whatever way we can. I pray that we stay in God's will now and forever, Amen!
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
More to come...