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Well, it is a sweltering 75 degrees today (;-) The sun is so warm and the wind just right -- it's drying my laundry faster than I can keep up! A beautiful day for my hubby to come home. Yea!! We've whipped up a few surprises for the big welcome. Among them, cheeeeesecake. Daniel's favorite.
My Aunt Jean in Texas gave me this recipe. We had some for breakfast this morning, along with our rice & milk, and it was delicious!
1 loaf of day old French bread (Break into pieces.)
1 sugar cane cone, break into pieces and bring to boil with about 1 pint of water. Remove from heat and add 1 tsp vanilla.
1 cup pecans
1 cup raw peanuts
1 cup raisins
1 moon of Longhorn Cheese, shredded (Cheddar will make it look greasy.)
Spray or grease a 9x13" pan and layer ingredients starting with the bread in the bottom. (bread, pecans, peanuts, raisins, then cheese) Pour sugar cane mixture over top and soak all the bread real good. Put into oven 300 degrees F and cook for about 2 hrs. (approx.) Love to all, Aunt Jean
It's a very versatile recipe, too. She uses wheat bread instead of white. I omitted the peanuts. She adds craisins with the raisins. If you can't find the sugar cone, try a cup of brown sugar in its place. I plan to play around with this recipe some more. It can pass as a brunch item, or a dessert. I hope you try it!
...Thank you, Aunt Jean!
You know how a store will have a name to remember it by, such as "Amy's Alterations" or "Jiffy Printing"? Well, this photo is of the public restroom facilities near the market here in San Juan. The sign reads: Restrooms "The Relief". Aptly named, I'd say!
I spoke with Daniel on the phone this afternoon. He met several others at the TX-MX border who are on their way to Guatemala, too, so they are travelling together. Safety in numbers! While in the States, he was given a gas clothes dryer, which he is bringing down with him. (Woo-hoo!) 
It was strapped onto the back of our little car, and weighed it down quite a bit, making it difficult to drive over speed-bumps and potholes. A couple with whom he is travelling noticed the problem, and said they needed some weight on their pick-up to stabilize it, so they put the dryer on the pick-up, and the car is handling much better on the road.
The Lord has really blessed Daniel on this trip, and I'm so thankful he's not travelling all alone!
We had an accident in front of the house today. Joseph was coming down our little hill on his bike (which, by the way, has no brakes), and Johanna was crossing the driveway. The collision was unavoidable, and our little pedestrian went sprawling out on the ground. After I carried her inside, I was cleaning her wounds and talking soothingly to her as she tearfully recounted what happened to her. It must have been pretty traumatic, because she told me, "Mommy, when I die, I want to go to Heaven to be with Jesus!"
Me too, Honey!
We made playdough today, and had so much fun with it! I divided the batch up among the five who are big enough to play with playdough, and they each chose the color they wanted. Ever make playdough? Not in a long time, eh? Here's the recipe we use:
In a medium saucepan, mix together 2 cups flour, 1 cup salt, 2 tsp cream of tartar, 2 Tbsp oil, and 2 cups water. Cook over medium heat, stirring until it congeals into a dough. Allow it to cool slightly, then knead in some food coloring. Very simple, and very fun!
Daniel's mom, Wanda, called me today and told me about something very thought-provoking. Last week she and Daniel were working out at her back fence. Daniel had some good, godly music playing in the vehicle as they loaded it with some stuff to haul off. An elderly neighbor lady came out of her house, and approached them. They struck up a conversation, and Daniel started talking to her about the Lord, and showed her the truth about what happens after we die. Before long, he held her little hands in his, and prayed with her. She thanked him, and went back inside. Later that week, Daniel left Texas.
The reason that Wanda called us is that this morning, that lady was found in her home. She had passed away sometime during the night. I am so thankful for to have a husband who takes the time to talk to a lonely old woman, and especially for a God who extends His grace to everyone!
Daniel's mom, Wanda, called me today and told me about something very thought-provoking. Last week she and Daniel were working out at her back fence. Daniel had some good, godly music playing in the vehicle as they loaded it with some stuff to haul off. An elderly neighbor lady came out of her house, and approached them. They struck up a conversation, and Daniel started talking to her about the Lord, and showed her the truth about what happens after we die. Before long, he held her little hands in his, and prayed with her. She thanked him, and went back inside.
That was last week. This week she passed away.
We just never know who we are talking to, and when they are going to leave this life!
Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away. For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that. (James 4:14,15)
If you were to die today, where would your soul spend eternity? Click here to find out!
Today was errand day, and we got so much accomplished in town. We returned home exhausted, though, so it was such a blessing to me when Jessica volunteered to make supper. (She made biscuits all by herself. And I don't mean the canned kind. :o)
But the beautiful young woman pictured here is not Jessica. She is my cousin Shelley, whom I spoke with on the Vonage phone this evening. Did you know I have a cousin in Nicaragua? She is serving the Lord there, and has some wonderful discipleship ministries! In all our growing-up years, the Lord has never allowed us to live close to one another. She grew up in the North, and I grew up in the South. (She said "you guys", I said "y'all", etc.) Now she is a missionary in Nicaragua, and I in Guatemala. (I think we are living closer to each other now than we ever have!)
In spite of the physical distance that has always been between us, we've always shared a sweet, warm, better-than-cousins friendship that I cherish. I'm so proud of her and the work she is doing in Nicaragua! What a blessing to be on the same team, doing our part to gain some ground for the cause of Christ.
She is working on setting up her own blog, so when she does, her link will be in my right column, under "Great Links". Stay tuned!
We made our weekly visit to the dairy farm today. It is located just minutes down the road from us (we are just outside of town). We purchase fresh, unpasteurized milk there that is so good, no other milk will do! While I go to the cooler to fill two gallon buckets, the children run off to play in the hayloft, or gather eggs for the family that runs the farm, or play tag with their children. Today they had a couple of new calves to admire, too. So sweet! Wish I'd had a camera...
I thank God for my dear husband when he is here with us, but his absence makes me EXTRA appreciative. The other day, the thing I dreaded would happen, happened. The toilet stopped up. I hesitate to mention this, because I know there are women out there who will scoff, but you have to understand I had three brothers and a Daddy who always took care of these things, then married a sweet man who does the same. I call, "Honey, the potty's stopped up!" (Enter blonde gallant knight, wielding a plunger.)
I'm also taking out the icky trash. And even nature's critters seem to know I'm in charge. Two mornings in a row I've found a big ugly spider in my kitchen sink. While I don't run screaming from spiders, I don't particularly delight in killing them, either, and I'm not the catch-and-release type.
Six children to one parent, that's pretty good odds something is going to happen while my back is turned. It did! Jessica climbed the post of our laundry line outside, and was standing on the crossbeam, when Jillian came after her. (They were playing tag.) Rather than get tagged, Jessica took a flying leap! (Mind you, this post she was standing on is higher than my head.) She landed on her shins on the edge of the trampoline, then fell to the ground. One shin is badly gouged, and I am thinking about taking her into town for x-rays, just in case her rapidly growing bone is cracked.
*SIGH*
We miss the Daddy. He is irreplaceable, not just in the home-life, but in our hearts! We miss his leadership, and his guidance for the boys. We miss his teaching, instructing us from God's word. We miss his strong, stablizing presence. Without him, our home is not complete, and it is felt on every side!
My heart goes out to those women who really are single moms.
When one climbs onto their Daddy's lap, they all want to take a turn, or they just all try to pile on at once! We sure miss Daniel, and look forward to having him home again this week. Please pray for safety as he travels through Mexico.
from Matthew 28
1 In the end of the sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, came Mary Magdalene and the other Mary to see the sepulchre.
2 And, behold, there was a great earthquake: for the angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat upon it.
3 His countenance was like lightning, and his raiment white as snow:
4 And for fear of him the keepers did shake, and became as dead men.
5 And the angel answered and said unto the women, Fear not ye: for I know that ye seek Jesus, which was crucified.
6 He is not here: for he is risen, as he said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay.
Praise the Lord! And a blessed Resurrection Day to you, Brothers and Sisters.
Jessica and I were in the bathroom, getting ready for the day, when she sighed and made this comment: "Mom, you don't fix your hair and adorn yourself like most other women do. But you know what? Thou excellest them all!"
Her opinion of me blessed my heart deeply, and also humbled me. I am utterly unworthy of such a high compliment. Another scripture comes to mind, besides the one she alluded to:
As the fining pot for silver, and the furnace for gold; so is a man to his praise.
Why did that come to mind? Because now every time I have dealings with her, I find myself being more careful what I say to her, my tone of voice, my countenance. I WANT TO BE WHAT SHE THINKS I AM! She thinks I am lovely and sweet and kind. Her brief but heart-felt comment has had a purifying effect on me, causing me to notice the flaws I need to remove from my character.
So this is another tried-and-true proverb, a treasure that I can put to use. Why not praise my children more often? It will help to purify them, it improves my attitude toward them, and it doesn't cost a thing.
The children and I are at the end of Matthew in our nightly Bible reading, which corresponds nicely with Resurrection Sunday! Last night and the night before, the Lord was teaching his disciples about the end times, and it is so exciting to think about! Tonight, however, He communed with His disciples, partaking of the Passover, and revealing to them the whole meaning of it. Then He was in the Garden of Gethsemane, groaning beneath the burden of the knowledge of what He must endure in order to be my Saviour. Nevertheless...Thy will be done.
It was God's will that you and I be saved, and so the most horrible injustice in history was done to the only One who could possibly redeem us from death, sin, hell and the devil. His body was to be broken, like the bread. His blood was to be spilled out, like the wine.
Tonight we only read the beginnings of how He suffered. So far, I have never been betrayed by anyone in my closest circle of friends, then forsaken by all. I have never been taken before a judge and had false witnesses accuse me. I have never yet had anyone spit in my face or beat me up, or make public shame and mockery of me. But Jesus endured all this, and much more, for my sake. I weep my gratitude, bow before Him, and whisper Thank You, Lord.
After what happened to me Sunday morning (see post below), Pastor Oto wanted to go file a complaint with the city about the hole left in the street right in front of the church. He got convicted, however, that he did not have the spirit of Christ regarding the matter, so he decided to leave it alone, and just pray about it. This week, he was talking to some of the neighbors one day, and he asked if they had heard anything new about the road work. They said, Oh yeah, the order to finish the street has been written and signed.
Work is to resume on Monday.
{{{ H A L L E L U J A H ! }}}
I spoke with my dear husband this evening, and learned that God's hand of protection continues to keep him. There has been some nasty weather in the DFW area, and the highways are all wet. As he was travelling in the slow lane, his car was suddenly struck by another vehicle, and was sent spinning on the highway, coming to rest next to a guard rail, facing the wrong way. Amazingly, the car was not damaged very much, so he pulled over to the other side to where the truck that hit him had come to a stop. The fellow asked him to pull over with him further up the highway, and then proceeded to take off without waiting for Daniel, much faster than was safe on the slick highway... Who knows why he did that. All I know is that the Lord protected my love, and I am so grateful!
One of the many good things we have picked up from the Guatemalans is to eat a light, meatless supper. This is a meal we had recently: black beans, chips and homemade salsa, with a tamale on the side. The children love it!
Today I've been meditating on Psalm 31, which begins, "In thee, O LORD, do I put my trust..." and that is the theme of the whole psalm. What needless fear we experience when we fail on this one thing! He is worthy of my trust. Why?
He is my rock and my fortress - verse 3
He has redeemed me - bought me at a supremely high price. (Do you not take care of things you have paid a high price for?) - verse 5
He will have mercy upon me - verse 7
My times are in His hands - times of joy, sorrow, growth, suffering...and when I will leave this earth. All in His hands, and no other - verse 15
His goodness is GREAT! - verse 19
He is kind - verse 21
He hears my supplications - verse 22
A Christian who is afraid to stand, afraid to fail, afraid to be in front of a crowd, afraid to be alone...is a Christian with misplaced fear. We are to fear one Person above all: God!
Oh how great is thy goodness, which thou hast laid up for them that fear thee; which thou hast wrought for them that trust in thee before the sons of men!
For he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me.
My first "flowers" from John Benjamin. He's so sweet, and loves to please his Mama!
Today started out with a bang - almost literally. Just as we were about to leave for church, baby Joel decided to make a huge mess of things by doing something I won't go into detail about. So we were late leaving.
The street in front of the church has been under construction for some time now. I guess the city ran out of money for the project, and the street is paved until just before it gets to the church's driveway, and there is a gaping, concrete sewer hole (that might some day be a capped manhole) right where we turn into the driveway. As I was maneuvering this difficult turn, I was a bit hasty because of our tardiness, and managed to get my back tire just over the edge of that sewer hole, and I was STUCK.
It was not long before a crowd began to gather. Several Guatemalan men gathered 'round to survey the situation and discuss a course of action. I could see it written on all their faces - Female driver, eh? Yep. I sent the children on to Sunday School, and pretty soon some of the brothers from the church came out to rescue me. All I could do was sit there, feeling the heat rise in my face, and waiting for instructions.
Hno. Oto said he just knew something like this was going to happen some day! He asked if I had a camera, but I didn't. So you'll have to picture in your mind our long, yellow GMC van blocking a whole intersection, with its big ol' rear wheel stuck in a concrete sewer pipe, and traffic backing up in three directions! Not a pretty picture :o}
Long story told, they were able to jack up the back axle and build me a ramp to back out of the hole, and then we went to church.
The sermon was wonderful - just what I needed! It was on Moses' song of praise to the Lord when He delivered the Israelites from the Egyptians. I remembered that the best thing to do when things aren't going well is to praise the LORD! What better way to honor the Lord? Praise Him when you don't feel like it - take your eyes off yourself and bless HIM in spite of yourself! That's what I did, and He filled my heart with gratitude for all that He has done for me. The LORD is my strength and song, and he is become my salvation!
This dear little girl is the baby of Pastor Jaime and his wife Maribel. She was born with fluid on her brain - enough to make her head unusually large. Please pray for her. I do not know exactly what causes this, nor how they hope to correct it, but Jesus knows! May the Lord give the doctors and surgeons wisdom, and comfort her family, and provide their every need.
Perhaps you saw it in the news. I saw it and bookmarked it. It's a good thing I did, because after that, it was gone from the front pages, and you would have to be looking for it to find it.
"It" is an article I read entitled, "Study Finds 1 in 4 US Teens Has a STD". This is a shocking statistic. What is even more shocking is the general reaction to these findings.
Some doctors [no names given] said the numbers might be a reflection of both abstinence-only s-x education and teens' own sense of invulnerabilty.
The overall STD rate among the 838 girls in the study was 26 percent, which translates to more than 3 million girls nationwide, researchers with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found. They released the results Tuesday at an STD prevention conference in Chicago.
"Those numbers are certainly alarming," said s-x education expert Nora Gelperin, who works with a teen-written Web site called ******. She said they reflect "the sad state of s-x education in our country."
"S-xuality is still a very taboo subject in our society [oh, REALLY?]," she said. "Teens tell us that they can't make decisions in the dark and that adults aren't properly preparing them to make responsible decisions."
O that my ways were directed to keep thy statutes! Then shall I not be ashamed, when I have respect unto all thy commandments....Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to thy word. With my whole heart have I sought thee: O let me not wander from thy commandments. Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee. (From Psalm 119)
"This is pretty shocking," said Dr. Elizabeth Alderman, an adolescent medicine specialist at Montefiore Medical Center's Children's Hospital in New York.
"To talk about abstinence is not a bad thing," but teen girls -- and boys too -- need to be informed about how to protect themselves if they do have s-x, Alderman said.
Some friends of ours are in the process of adopting an adorable 16-month-old baby. I can read the excitement in their emails, so giddy they are about welcoming the little guy into their home! You would think, by reading the detailed account of his story, that they were childless, and had been waiting for years to have a child to love.
They have seven children already.
Another couple had no children, and had been in the process of adopting this boy. They had him in their home, but before long were calling the birth mother and the foster mom, "demanding they take the child back". Parenthood wasn't all it was cracked up to be, after all. What makes the difference between their attitude and that of our friends? I think it is the lack of God's perspective about the value of children.
God's holy Word says that children are "an heritage of the LORD" and "his reward". "Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them"! I don't know how much a quiver is, but it is clear that if we evaluate children as God does, having lots of them makes us happy! Jesus Himself, a single man humanly speaking, was not loathe to be surrounded by little children, but insisted they be allowed to come to Him.
I congratulate our friends on the treasure God has brought to them. God bless you, David and Dotti! And congratulations also to Catherine, Brandon, Christina, Joshua, Clara, Michael and Caroline! Welcome home, little Caleb. :-)
This photo was taken in the busy market just minutes from our house. Easter week is the "Semana Santa" here, and the market will be bustling and more colorful than ever!
All my sweet children are tucked away in bed for the night, and I look forward to tucking myself in soon. We've had a busy day, and tomorrow promises to be busier!
We lost our electrical power around mid-day. Fortunately, I already had most of the laundry washed, and hanging it out on the line requires no electricity! :o) After two phone calls, the company finally sent out some guys to look for the problem. It was around 5:30 p.m. by then, and the sun was already behind the mountain. The house gets gloomy real fast after that, if we can't turn the lights on! But we fired up the Coleman lantern, and the children took turns acting out Bible stories for the others to guess. We had a good time! And those guys had our lights back on by 8 p.m. or so. Praise the Lord!
Tomorrow, we go to town. I have a whole list of things to do and people to visit before we get back for instrumental practice at the church.
And - oh - how 'bout the new look on my blog? You like? It was created by the talented lady at bloggeruniversity.blogspot.com. Thanks, Annie!
testing one, two, three...
still working on getting this thing just right.
I just talked to Daniel on the phone. He is in Mattias Romero, Mexico, a place we've stayed before. Tomorrow they hope to get to Tampico, then Veracruz the next day, I think. Please pray for him, for the missionary couple he is guiding, and that their RV will not break down in Mexico!
It's time to put the children to bed. They are getting a bit restless, kinda like cats do in the evening. It's either put them to bed now, or GO NUTS! :o)
Did you reset your clocks today? Well, we didn't! Guatemala tried doing DST last year, and it did not go over well with the locals.
We presented Joel Daniel in the church today, dedicating him to the Lord. (Actually, we dedicate ourselves to raise him for the Lord, right?) May he love God and serve Him from his youth! And the Lord give us wisdom to train him up in the way he should go.
After Sunday School, there was a little party for the pastor's son, Aaron, who turned five years old. He is Joseph's little buddy, and they enjoy playing together even though Joseph doesn't speak Spanish very well. I imagine them being really good friends as they grow together.
Speaking of growing, you will see from this photo how quickly John Benjamin is maturing. Note the "Don Jose" facial "hair". Okay, so it's not really hair, it's black beans. But we were impressed! :-D
My dear husband has come home to us, and it has been a wonderful afternoon! He brought some nifty souvenirs from Panajachel, the tourist town by the lake up there, and some mp3's of the wonderful preaching he and Joseph enjoyed this week. I can hardly wait to listen to them all! But first we have been swapping stories of things that happened this past week. Joseph was a blessing to his Dad, and I am so glad they had the one-on-one time together at the camp. There was an elderly (but active!) couple there who had been in Central America helping build a church building. They travelled down in their RV with a Spanish-speaking guide, and were now needing to return to the States. They asked the brethren if one of them would be able to guide them back up through Mexico. Daniel felt led to help them out, so he is planning to leave for the border on Monday.
This evening we received some bad news from family in the States. Perhaps I will be able to share it here in the future, but for now, if you are a praying Christian, then please pray for our family. The Lord has got to work a miracle, or two souls will be lost! The timing of Daniel's trip to help that elderly couple, could not have been more perfect, as he will be able to minister to the family, however briefly. Thank you for praying! I will keep you posted as I am able.
We tried this new recipe, and it yields a big 9"x13" pan of delicious brownies... The sides were great, but it was a little flat in the middle. Could it have been our altitude? (We are at 8,000 ft above sea level.) They are delicious anyway, even the flat ones from the middle of the pan. If you try this recipe, let me know how it works for you. (Make sure there's milk in the 'fridge before attempting this!)
1 c butter or margarine
2 c granulated sugar
1/2 c cocoa powder
4 large eggs, beaten
2/3 c all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking soda
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 c (12 oz pkg) semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 c coarsely chopped nuts (pecans, walnuts, or - oooooh! - macadamias!)
1. Heat oven to 350F. Grease 13x9-inch baking pan.
2. Melt butter in medium saucepan over low heat. Add sugar and cocoa; stir to blend. Remove from heat. Stir in eggs.
3. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, salt and baking soda; stir this into the chocolate mixture. Add the vanilla, chocolate chips, and nuts.
4. Spread into prepared pan.
5. Bake 30-35 minutes, or until brownies begin to pull away from sides of pan and begin to crack slightly. Do not underbake. Cool completely in the pan before cutting.
Well, we are now midway through the week-without-the-Daddy. I will be SO glad when he comes home! He doesn't even have to do anything to help around the house (although that would be nice :o), but just having him here, engaging me in adult conversation, and loving on the children. And me.
We haven't had too many incidents. There was the time I dropped a big bottle of drinking water, which cracked and spewed water all over the kitchen floor. (Jessica ran to my aid, helping me get the crack on the top side, and find all the pitchers in the house to pour the water into. We had a good laugh!)
...Then there was the time when J.B. was fretting and crying about something (it was hard to tell what - he doesn't talk very well yet), and he finally started sneezing, and out flew a four-inch piece of spaghetti noodle. You can guess what we had eaten for supper.
...And there was also the time I heard spooky scratchy sounds coming from a dark corner after I had put the children to bed and the lights were out. In the dimness, I was able to make out a small something-or-other moving on the floor by the wall. At least it wasn't a human intruder! But I couldn't tell WHAT creature was in the corner, and I was afraid if I moved it would run, and you know where they run - ALWAYS IN YOUR DIRECTION. I cautiously crept to the opposite wall to switch on the lights... I couldn't see it from that angle, but I went to get a weapon - the broom - before moving in on my target. ("I will not scream and wake the children... I will not scream and wake the children... I will not....") Fortunately, nothing made a rush at me. It was just Sandy the turtle, who should be renamed Houdini for her amazing ability to ESCAPE from her aquarium.
Other than that, things have been pretty normal. Some of you know that we have construction going on to complete the second floor of our cinderblock house. The concrete floor has been levelled so that flooring can be put in, and it has windows and is mostly painted. The bathroom door arrived yesterday, and they installed it. I can't wait for Daniel to see!
I'd better quit for now. I'm hearing that scratchy sound again, over in the corner....
Daniel took this photo of the south side of Santa Maria, a dormant volcano visible from most parts of our city, Xela. The small ash-covered cone is Santiaguito, the smaller volcano over Santa Maria's shoulder, that blows off steam, smoke and ash several times a day.
New arrivals! Early this morning, our dachshund Canela gave birth to four little cachorros. Three are black, and one is brown. Oscar, the proud papa, was close at hand to make sure everything was okay, and also to collect some rubs and pats of approval.
Daniel will be away all this week, until Friday, so we're a bit lonesome around here. He is at a preachers' conference in Solola, about two hours from us. Joseph went with him, so the house is waaaay too quiet.
