Fun Times with the Grandkids

Weeks after I have returned to the states, I think about my wonderful time I had in Lima -- really just doing life with our kids and grandkids!!

One day I suggested to Alison that she and I take the kids to the BIG mountain of dirt at the end of their street. I knew they would enjoy climbing, getting dirty and playing with the trucks in the dirt. Remember it is winter now in Lima. We all got our coats and hats on and headed down there. As we were walking Alison suggested that she drive to the end of the street and Carter could be in the car and not out in the winter coolness. So the kids and I walked to the mountain and Alison and Carter met us in the car.

After Daniel arrived we took them again - this time the kids rode their scooters and we also played at the soccer/basketball court. Behind us in the picture is the "grated garage" where Alison and Justin park their car each night. This is the area just outside their apt. You can tell there is like a cul-de-sac area the kids use their chalk on the street and up the hill the street is blocked off creating a slope that the scooters really work great on. Corban, being the risk taker that he is - whizzes down first. Cailyn's scooter goes slower and she is more cautious!! She always makes note they are not racing!! She is getting more comfortable with unpredictable situations.

So Many Jobs

There are so many jobs in Lima that we do not have in the states. Of course there are many more people in this town than there are in the towns I have lived in. There are jobs for people in so many areas that we do not have in the states. They offer to wash your car while you are in the grocery store or at Starbucks!

There are jobs for people to hand you a paper as you enter the grocery store parking lot. As you leave you give the paper back to another worker. One day we were told that we exceeded the two hours allotted to us to shop and that we would be charged NEXT time if we did this again. There culture isn’t into confrontation and so the charge was put off to another time. Hahaha! We had stayed that long in the store because there is a coffee shop upstairs and we had visited (Alison, Justin and I) and then shopped while the older kids were in preschool.

There are other jobs for people who ride a bicycle and have a box of snacks attached onto the bike. This man was selling treats on the street outside of Cailyn’s school as the children got out of class.

There are also little islands in the middle of the street where there is a small area that you can stop to get gas. You just pull over and there is a person to put gas in your car. It reminded me of the pit stops in the car races .

They even have jobs in the grocery store for a guard. Wong is the name of the grocery store chain that they have there.

There is a lady who comes to the apt. complex that Alison and Justin live in (gated area with four apt.) once a week. She mops down the concrete on the ground level and the stairs going up to each apt. door -including the entry way of each apt. There are so many things that heighten your awareness of your home culture. There are so many different ways things can be done!!

Lima, Sweet Lima!!

My mission of coming to Lima to help out with Baby T arrival has come to be. We have enjoyed almost four weeks with Carter Ethan!! He is a very quiet baby, really only crying for short amounts of time. He has plenty of people who want to hold him and he is passed around. Corban has learned to come in slow for all of the kisses he wants to give and I definitely can see that God has gifted both of the older children with compassion and encouragement to their little brother. Corban assures Carter that "his big brother is right here" and "I will be back from school really soon" and as Corban goes for nap he will remind Carter "I won't be gone long". Pretty much all that we are saying to sooth Carter is repeated by the children. Cailyn said today, "I know you don't want to go long in the poopy diaper"!! She is really tender not only with her words but also with her touch!! They both are running to get wipes and pick out clothes for Carter!

I have been able to do laundry and helping with the cooking! I have found several items in Alison and Justin's kitchen that I think I need. Pampered Chef muffin pan and a lime juicer. I love enjoying some new recipes and Alison has helped me very successful with eating gluten free!!

Heading up, Moving out....just for a few weeks

For weeks now I have begun to lay out items on the bed in the guest room to take to Lima, Peru! I have a craft supply closet and I have a grandchildren closet. I put things in there as the months go by between visits with Cailyn and Corban. So I now get to gather these items and use them when I go visit. I'm very excited!! Some of the items are recipes for slime, glitter pens, hands on math manipulatives, DVDs I have gotten on sale at Mardels, toy men for Samson,Jesus, the boy with fish and bread, and new Bible story books My clothes are always secondary. I put them in my carry on and all of the items are packed in a black duffle bag - that will be the one bag I can check. There is currently an embargo when you go into Peru allowing one checked bag per person. You can't even pay to have a second bag. The embargo will be lifted at the end of August so when Daniel comes to Lima in September he will be able to pay for a second bag (and it isn't just that nice little 25.00 fee it was in November - thankful none the less). He will be bringing the new pack-and-play that Alison and Justin bought and had sent to our house, contacts for Alison, Juice Plus that we can not mail to Lima and many other items. Carter Ethan made his arrival early. I will be there about 9 days before the due date. Corban continues to ask if he can call the baby Spiderman! God has given me a job once again that lets me off for the weeks I want to go to Lima. Thank you, Matt, at Mardel's. It was three years ago almost to date that I went for Coban's birth arrival. I asked that you pray for all of the people who will serve and help me on this day of travel!! Today, Aug. 11th is when I fly from Abilene to Dallas to Miami and on to Lima!! Also pray for Daniel! He will join me at the end of my time and we will fly back to the states together!! His banner over me is love. Song of Solomon 2:4 Peace.

Seeing God

God uses every day happenings to show Himself. Lord, please open our eyes so that we see you every day.

There have been occasions with Daniel’s dad that help us understand where some of his thoughts are even though he does not use many words that are understandable. For instance, we know

he wants sugar in his coffee because he puts sugar packets in his pocket and gets it out as we bring him his coffee

he is so very glad to see his wife because of grin and motions to her to come closer

he enjoys his food when he leans his head back and makes some hmmm, humm sound

he is interested in the other people in the home because he wants to face the people when we sit him at a table to eat

he is aware of God and still prays – even though we do not understand the words. After Hannah and Jason visited with him months ago it was very clear when he shook Jason’s hand he began to pray. His prayers are not short - they are long and meaningful to him.
On Saturday, I asked if I could read out loud my Bible lesson scripture and Daniel’s mom said yes. As I read the story of Lazarus – Daniel’s dad hung his head with his eyes closed as if he was resting. (this was a common position of his before the stroke.) When I got to the part of the healing he let out a yes, yes…even though he continued to hang his head and have his eyes closed. I knew now that he was listening. When I finished he “woke up” and said, “And He ……(couldn’t understand words) but it seemed to me he was saying Jesus healed others . He ended his comments with his left fist raised in VICTORY! I said, “Yes Jesus healed others too” He agreed and then continued with “Not only……” while pointing his finger to the right and then to the left. I interpreted that to mean Jesus didn’t just heal in that town but others. When I said that, Valentin agreed. What JOY to know that he remembers Jesus and the stories.

We enjoyed seeing new flowers out front and new cushions in the rocking chairs on the front porch. The home is taken care of very well. We enjoyed a time of Bible reading and Daniel clipped his parents nails as we sat enjoying a beautiful day!!

DC is even more special now

Washington DC has always been a neat place to visit with all of its' history. But when your entire immediate family arrives there, it is even more special!! Alison and Justin decided to use vacation time to come to DC to visit Hannah and Jason and asked if we would come up too. No argument on our end!! It has been since Dec 2010 that all of us had been together so I started planning activities that would be fun to do when we were together. The Thompsons arrived first and were able to do some Smithsonian touring with Hannah and Jason. They are very intentional hosts and are getting better at it all the time. We were able to stay with Alison and Justin and the kids in a location they rented which was located within walking distance to Hannah and Jason's condo. There just happen to be a grocery store in between us so that was wonderful. A park to run in was right outside our door and we had fun kicking the ball and the grandkids got some energy out!! We rented a van so we could all fit when we went out in the evenings!! The pictures will tell the story!! Our first stop was National Zoo. If you are wondering what ages and stages we are at....well...

I asked the family to plan a picnic in front of Albert Einstein statue. It was a JOY that Cailyn and Corban finally had a statue without a boundary fence. They could climb on this statue.

This night was all about CELEBRATION - Jason's graduation, Cailyn's birthday (June 6, 5yrs. old) and Hannah's birthday (June 4).

The next thing we knew three tour buses carrying 90-100 middle school students came to check out Einstein. Wild and fun for all!! Do you notice the teachers guarding our family, hahaha.

Next was game time - 1. How many straws can you put in your partners hair in 60 sec. 2. Can you stack five dice on a tongue depressor in 60 sec. 3. (no pictures)Can you put a 16 piece puzzle of the front of a Fruit Loops cereal box together in 60 sec. 4. (no pictures) How long of a chain can you make by hooking baby safety pins together in 60 sec. 5. Can you knock down water bottles with a hose on your head that has a tennis ball in the end of it in 60 sec.

Where Has the Time Gone?

I really can't believe it was in February when I last wrote. Well, we are doing great and enjoying each day!! God continues to work in our lives and it is a wonderful journey to wake up to each day!!

I'm always surprised how fast jobs come my direction!! Don't know if you remember but I started working for CenterPeace after being in Abilene for about one year (July,2009). By Christmas 2010, God opened a door for me to work at Abilene Educational Supply. As the AES closed there was this window of time for me to make a quick trip to DC, Aug. 2011. Then as I was having dinner out one Friday night I ran into a friend we had met in College Station - enter my third job which was with Team Financial Strategies. This is a financial planning company in Abilene. I sure learned a lot there!! This was a temporary job and before I could end my time there God handed me a job at Mardel's Bookstore. This is where I am now. I started in the second week of March. I am part of the education department and specifically homeschooling. Need I say, how excited I am to be learning and helping others gain new resources in education. One of the JOYS of life. I have enjoyed reading reviews online of some of the homeschooling resources so I can speak to customers about details.

Another activity we have been busy with is visiting Daniel's parents. We try to go as often as possible. We keep the road between Abilene and Bastrop hot!! It takes us about 4.5 hours to drive. Daniel takes Friday off from work and we drive down on Thursday nights. Our weekend is Friday and Saturday and we drive back home on Sunday morning so we can get to Hope church on Sunday nights. Hope only meets at 5:00pm on Sundays so it works out great. Daniel is one of the two elders there and so we feel the need to stay in touch with all of the families. It is certainly a JOY for us. Daniel's parents continue to learn each day how to live in two separate locations. This past weekend when we arrived Daniel's dad was all smiles when he realized he and his wife both had shirts on that matched. He was so happy to see her. He always wants her to sit close to his wheelchair.



Reading is always a part of my life. This year I am enjoying a read through the Chronological Bible, The Daily Bible. It has been good and has reminded me of the days of teaching Bible Quiz at the A&M church of Christ in College Station. Those were some fun days with lots of teenagers!!

I'm also enjoying a short study about the parable of the sower and I share my thoughts with a friend over the phone from CS. We have laughed about how a tiny study could have so much to share. I am the type of person who has lots of books going at one time. I read a bit and focus on one and then the next time I sit down I pick up another. It makes for slow finishes but lots of variety.

We are planning a trip to DC soon. Our whole immediate family will be together for the first time since Christmas 2010. We are very excited. The question is what will we explore while there. Of course, the family members are always the main attraction but I'm sure we will take in some sights!!

Our community at Hope has really enjoyed the working of the Holy Spirit this semester as our preacher has encouraged us to watch out for the gospel being lived out in front of us. We share on Wednesday nights the things our eyes have seen and experienced in the past seven days. There is an excitement when you are watching for the hand of God. I will leave you with a story Alison told me last night. This is surely the work of the Spirit in Lima, Peru. This past weekend their community of people who are walking together and learning about Jesus were worshiping and fellowshipping in the park. There was a lady who walked up and asked some questions about the activities. She began to say she was interested and wondered if someone could teach her. Now, I"m telling you that kind of desire and openness is from the Spirit!! She actually lives close to Alison and Justin and so they have made contact with her. Kami Clancy and Alison plan to meet with her next week!! What an adventure we are all on.

Tell me what are you up to and do you see the gospel being lived out in front of you???