The Jalowiecs

Before and After...

2012-01-27T23:17:00.002-05:00

I do play on photoshop a little. Mostly to try and do something to combat my Red Face. No matter what I try, my face always looks like I have a sunburn. If I DO have a sunburn, people wonder if I need to visit the Emergency room for severe burns!

See what I am talking about?!

This is the picture straight from the camera. Whoah!! Can you handle it?! This is the dead of winter here in Upstate, NY. I should be PaLe!!! Nope. Red :/

This is my first idea. I duplicated the layer, adjusted it so my face was a more "normal" color (I added a green filter... hey it works in makeup!) and then erased everything in the duplicate layer to reveal the rest of the picture below. Not too bad. Definitely could be better!

This is using a PW action. They are so amazing! Click "Play" and Voila!! This is Fresh and Colorful at about 30% over the adjusted pic.

This is Colorized. I love this one!

This is a B&W action over the adjusted picture, and reduced to 10%. Like this one too!! Mostly, I like the subject matter. They are my loves! :)

Deputation Departure...

2012-01-27T23:05:00.001-05:00

A day later than planned!!

We had plans and made preparations to leave Friday early in the morning in order to get to Tennessee by that evening. Well, Thursday night... at 9:30 pm, the truck started to feel like it was driving on a washboard. And it wasn't. Dan was able to look at the truck in the driveway of a friends house, and discovered a Very Hot left rear wheel. The calipers were totally siezed. Plan B... we aren't leaving Friday AM!

Dan got up early today and began the phone calling campaign to auto parts stores. He makes these calls nearly as often as he makes calls to pastors for deputation...! It is shocking that even though our truck is circa 2000, nearly every part we have had to buy is IN STOCK at these little parts stores! I think it is because our truck isn't too popular up North. By this point, all other 2000's have completely rusted out!! Thankful for a Florida vehicle!

So tonight, we are prepared to leave tomorrow am. Early. Very Early. Too early if you ask me, but we do have 12+ hours to drive. I get it!

Last chance to take a few pictures... here they are!

The Jalowiec Ladies :)

Liv loving on her sissie...

and her bro.

The Jalowiec Crew. I am so blessed! They are the greatest kids on the planet! :)

2012-01-27T22:46:00.002-05:00

Instagram. Frametastic. So FUN!!

Ohiopyle, PA

Dan and The Flying Act

Olivia's Collage of the week.

The CRaZy Weather! One day on top... and the next below!

The Night Before...

Ohiopyle...

2012-01-27T22:07:00.001-05:00

While in Southern PA, we went to a little town called Ohiopyle. It has about 700 year round residents... but annually the town hosts over 2 million people! Over 900,000 people come annually to white water raft down the Youghiogheny River. I have no idea how to say that!!

It was quite the raging river to be sure! I have no idea how many gallons per second... but I know it is alot. It was FReeZiNG the day we were there, and to even think of being in that water made my brain freeze.

Raging!!

We went to a little coffee shop that is open year round... and to be sure he was in his slow season! The coffee was hot, and that was all that mattered to us! He is the one we got all of my statistics from, so if they are incorrect, you can visit him, and let him know.

This is a nice bridge right over part of the river through town, and it was quite a sight!

Savannah enjoying her hot chocolate! :)

The sun was trying to peek through all of those clouds. If I was proficient in photoshop, I am sure I could make these all look so much nicer... I am just glad to have them all in one place so that perhaps one day I could make them into a book to show my grandchildren. Someday!

Liv walking back from an "end of the bridge" venture!

If you look at the snow in front of her you can see "Jalowiec 2012" written in the snow.

The Ladies in front of the river. Freezing I tell ya!

Family pictures seem few and far between now. It was great to have everyone all in one place for a while! We had a wonderful retreat!

This was a sign in the coffee house. I did photoshop this... the wall is actually the brightest yellow you have ever seen... and the plaque is gree. I just couldn't let that one go!!

It was a lovely winter outing,and perhaps someday I will go there in the summer. Not sure if I will partake in the rafting but you never know!

Nemacolin in Pictures... Mug Shortage

2012-01-27T21:45:00.000-05:00

We got to the house, and there were mugs, but they held about 7 ounces. Not happening!! There is a Walmart near by... and they sell Fiesta Wear knock offs for $1.50 a piece! So....

We bought one for everyone! There weren't enough colors for us each to have our unique color mug, so nail polish to the rescue! We did arts and crafts.... like any home school family on vacation would do!

They all had their own design, color scheme, method.

They were diligent to the task... so certainly all earned an A.

Decisions... decisions... some struggle with creativity more than others. No matter! Just PAINT!

Some did extra credit! Si painted his... and Jane's!

This is the Nemacolin Fat Bird. He is the bird from the imagination of some artist. He is named rightly as the fat bird. They have blue and orange ones all over on little signs marking the trails etc. So I did a blue bird...

on an orange mug! I can see that nail polish may not be the most permanent of mediums to have chosen, but it served the purpose, and no one grabbed some one else's drink! Success!

Nemacolin in Pictures... Walden Pond!

2012-01-27T21:30:00.000-05:00

A beautiful home with space to roam and for each of us to enjoy each other... and also get away!

This is the view looking out the dining room. It overlooked a beautiful golf course... which of course you must imagine looking at this!

This is the view from the road....

And from even closer. I didn't get any pictures of the inside, because as soon as we descended on the place it was not fit for photography!! Suffice it to say... it was lovely!

Nemacolin In Pictures.... Wildside!

2012-01-27T21:17:00.000-05:00

There was a place called the Wildside... they took it seriously!

Actually there was bowling, Pizza, video games, ...

But mostly there was sisters. And way too much temptation to abuse her while they could!

He is enjoying this. Really!

Levi, "... I know there is more to do here than we could imagine... but I am a little bored..."
Josiah, "Yeah, I know what you mean. Whatcha thinking?"

Levi, "Hmmmm I have an idea coming to my brain... wait for it...!

READY... SET... GO! AAArrrgHHH! This is fun!

Wow... Boys really only need a flat surface and a free minute to entertain themselves!

Micah soon tired of Liv's attention....

His turn!

It didn't last too long, but he gave it a good show.

Yeah, Right. Good thing we took this picture quickly... it was over before it began! Good try!

So... Dan can't fly...

2012-01-18T21:13:00.001-05:00

It is shocking how slowly news travels in the absence of wi-fi!!

We are enjoying our final night of nearly a week long vacation, and on day 2 while skiing, Dan had a little accident. Basically he hit a patch of freshly made snow that more resembled slush and did a 180 and hit full force on the top of his head, and then the momentum of the 45 degree hill propelled him into a full flip and a half. He ended up on his tush... Dazed and confused!

He heard "CrUnCH" and thought for sure it could have been his skull gauging by the throbbing pain he was experiencing. Then he realized he couldn't move his head. Poor Olivia was right behind him. Thankfully Dan had just taught her how to stop or she would have flown right on by him!
It was determined that a visit to the ER was the wise option. He couldn't move his neck and he landed right on his head. Yes... A Dr is a good idea!

Three 1/2 hours later... Strapped to the oh so Comfortable rescue board the Whole Time, and one CT scan that was read by some outsourced radiologist in New Delhi... and he was pronounced to be in one piece. Very much the worse for his aerial stunts... But no broken bones!

Three days later.... Many bags of ice and doses of Ibuprofen later... And today...Not his highest score ever but doing quite well considering!!

Wish I was this clever...

2012-01-12T23:01:00.001-05:00

(Click HERE for the whole post... these are just a few I copied! ) There are 25! These are my quick-pick faves!

Gutter garden: Create a window-box veggie patch using guttering.

Turn your muffin pan upside down, bake cookie-dough over the top and voila – you have cookie bowls for fruit or ice-cream. Click here for recipe.

Add this item to your beach bag. Baby powder gets sand off your skin easily – who knew?!

Overhaul your linen cupboard – store bedlinen sets inside one of their own pillowcases and there will be no more hunting through piles for a match.

hull strawberries easily using a straw.

Definitely some neat ideas!

Friendship...

2012-01-12T22:46:00.002-05:00

As a followup to the last post... upon returning home from church Wednesday night, I found this in my email. I have edited it a little for the sake of anonymity, but these are the kind of friends that make life rich and full. Truly I have some of the most amazing friends, and there would have been nothing to bring us together had it not been for the bonds of Christ! I think of some of my closest friends, and we come from such diverse backgrounds. Without Christ, I would likely have never met them.

I asked my friend her permission to post this here as this is like a digital scrapbook for me, and I want to keep this one. Forever. She said yes :)

"Hi,

I came home and told my hubby what happened tonight and he had a wide eyed look on his face similar to mine behind the tears.

Speaking of those tears, I have to explain something. Yes, much of it is a selfishness of not having you a few minutes away so that we can meet up or I can swing over, and missing the family that has become such special and irreplaceable friends to us .

The bond that our boys share, and of course.....#1. Even #4 went to bed in tears thinking about Savannah and said, "she's not going to here for even MORE birthdays, mom!!"

My emotions run much deeper than that. How about seeing the hundred or so people come down and pray with you tonight? THAT was intense, and you know how Hubby always says I have no compassion/sympathy? Well it's all about compassion with you. I see you getting yourself prepared spiritually for the mission field at the same time you are preparing for your kids to become adults in a big world. I see the 'Mother' side of you, and I know the spiritual and emotional obstacles you will have to overcome in the next few years. THAT makes me emotional.

We used to joke about how much I care about your family.....now we KNOW God purposed that so I can be in continual prayer for you. (and myself!) He gives me insight on things I see from outside the box and I quietly take them to Him in prayer. He knows my heart when I tell Him...."Lord how do I pray for something I DON'T want... (like you leaving) yet I know you want them there?" Ugh - this constant battle in my heart.

It's the denial thing. I truly can say I love you like my sister. We may not have the memories of childhood "sister battles", but we have a sisterly bond because of our Heavenly father. My Faith is in Him and like I told #1 tonight, He will give a perfect peace in us when the day comes that we take you to the airport. It's this anticipation thing that's ruining us... LOL!

Like pastor said, "you've been here long enough...."!

OK, I am done now and need to get some sleep. Can you imagine what a wreck I would of been if I said this in person?? geez what a basket case you have for a friend. Who would of known so many years ago while walking into FBBC .......that's what you get for running late that day ha ha ha

Love ya

~Me "

Love that girl. And her family.

A Night To Remember...

2012-01-12T00:07:00.000-05:00

Dan had the honor... and daunting task to preach at our home church. It is kind of akin to teaching a class to every teacher and professor you ever had in your whole life... and every aunt, grandma and high school bully all at the same time!

He has been preparing for this night for a few weeks now. I was getting sweaty palms for him...!

Our church streams on JustinTV and you can listen to the whole message here if you would like to. I highly recommend it! Dan was preceded by a true friend and mentor in the faith, Mike Ireland, who jokingingly said before service that he was Dan's opener. He really set the tone for the message amazingly well, and I am sure that was a thing of the Lord!

I dont have a camera... it was a casualty of our chaotic move in January. I did go to justinTV and take a few screen shots of the service!

It was a great message on "open doors", and how the Lord will give us opportunities that are not going to be easy, but they will lead to the Abundant Life! There will be doors that are challenging, that require change, that have a season of "being open", and lastly filled with ADVERSITY. It was a great and challenging message. Truly one born of experience with following the Lord through many doors... several of which we had thoughts of turning back around and going right out them again! Alas the Grace of God kept us where the Will of God called us!

Pastor Grace closed the service in a very unique way, and truly we are blessed to be part of such an amazing home church. He complimented Dan telling him, "Dan, the Lord has blessed you with a good mind. I love you and I appreciate you. That spoke to my heart." Wow! God is good!! Not to say I don't agree with Pastor, but his words carry quite a bit more weight than mine :)

Then he hugged him. **pass out tissues here**. Pastor has been my pastor since I was a pre-teen. First he was our youth pastor, then the Sr. Pastor of the church in the early 80's. He is someone we both look up to and respect. This was quite an evening for us. An honor. Humbling. Challenging.

Then he asked us to come to the front of the church, and made some comments that were completely unexpected. He said it was his goal and prayer that if the Lord wills, and with the help of our church, we will be ready to leave for the field at the end of the year.

THIS year.

2012.

For sure.

That has been our prayer for months. The Lord has given Dan and I complete peace about planning for then. It is only when I thing about the reality of gaining the additional 40% support and the massive start up fund that we will need do I begin to wonder if that peace is based on reality, or my delusional dreams!

Well it seems the Lord has led my Pastor to the same conclusion, and where two or three are gathered together, there HE Is in the midst of them!!

Mike Metzger, Pastor Grace, Mike Ireland. Heros of the Faith to us.

He then called anyone from the congregation who has a connection to us or a vested interest in us and our ministry to Zambia to come down and gather around us and lay hands on us. Then he asked three people to pray to that end. WoW!! A Surreal moment that is burned into my memory as one of the most encouraging and affirming events I have experienced.

Thank You, Lord, for the good gifts and perfect gifts you continually give to me. You truly are worthy!!

Next Step... TICKETS!! :)

Just another day...

2012-01-10T17:21:00.004-05:00

Bloggers like to read other bloggers. Forget that we don't know them, or that we may never even meet them. They are virtual friends that are actually real. I know, makes no sense to do that, and my kids often wonder what is WRONG with me when I am laughing hysterically or crying while reading a blog of someone (whom I don't know!) about their children's adventures and mishaps.

The best one I have read in a while is from Glennon at Momastery. This just made my day today!

"When Chase was three months old, he developed a very strange orange rash on his face. It started small, just around his mouth, but started spreading further, past his nose and chin. After a week of watching it grow and deepen in color, we started worrying about jaundice and took him to the pediatrician. The doctor examined Chase’s teeny face and left the room.* When she finally returned, she said:

“Mrs. Melton, I couldn’t help but notice that your skin is tinted the same orange-ish color as your son’s face.”

Nother. Long. Pause.

Say what? I said, eventually.

The doctor looked uncomfortable, but continued:

“Are you, by chance, using a self tanning lotion?”

Ummm….yeah.

“And you’re using it…all over?”

Well….yes.

“And you’re still breast feeding, right?“

Double Pause.

Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.

We don’t go to the doctor anymore unless we are currently on fire."

Laughing and crying... must be that kind of a day for me!!

"Who Are You? Who, Who, Who, Who?"

2012-01-05T12:42:00.002-05:00

Sad, but a song comes to mind from the vast resources of my pea brain, unbidden, for nearly every event in life. I share this ~~talent~~ curse with a few other fellow Earth dwellers that I know and when we happen to be in similar circles of events in life, it can be... well... an experience to say the least.

I think it is due to an undocumented but extraordinarily high IQ... others tell me it is not. It certainly speaks to my ability to remember random useless facts that I latently and permanently store in my brain thereby reducing the ability to remember really important things... like where I put my car keys or what day and time the dentist appointments are for the children. Yes... the same appointments that take 6 months advance planning to get.

Regardless of the reason, it is my gift in life, and the title of the post is the song that came to mind for this particular post. I know a good, godly, Christian young woman pursuing the mission field with her husband should never think of "those songs" anymore. Here is to being transparent. I think it is why this was the order on the test...

Character Strength #4
Honesty, authenticity, and genuineness
You are an honest person, not only by speaking the truth but by living your life in a genuine and authentic way. You are down to earth and without pretense; you are a "real" person.

Character Strength #18
Caution, prudence, and discretion
You are a careful person, and your choices are consistently prudent ones. You do not say or do things that you might later regret.

Accurate order on those two traits to be sure!

What TEST you ask?

So glad you asked!! That is the point of this whole rant!

Liv, being the College student that she is... and may always be... ( I love YOU!!) had to take a "Character Strengths Profile" ~~test~~ survey for a class, and me being the lover of learning and self improvement (forget that it was #21 on the list for just a minute...!!) wanted the link to take it myself! It takes a little while to complete, and today was the perfect "down day" with nothing better to do!

I really love and hate these tests.... err "surveys" all at the same time. Those "Always" and "Never" words get me every time! And though there are 5 options to each answer, that is just not enough varying degrees of options to me!

OK ... the test!! Here is THE LINK!!

Character Strengths Profile

...then click "begin the survey". At the end you can pay $20 or $40 to get a lot of details about yourself.... a great option if you are trying to avoid an alternative of expensive counciling, in which it is a good idea. Otherwise let me save you the money and say... you are narcissistic in which case you need not take the test as it is all about you anyhow! (Was that harsh? ... back to strength #4 on my test [I mean survey!] ...!)

The "free" option gives a ranking 1-24 with a blurb about each trait. Sufficient if you ask me. The pic above is the listing of mine, as this is where I put things I want to keep. Read on if you want to know the scoop on yours truly! I am sure if you know me at all some will be a shock.... (like #2.... didn't see that coming!) ... but that #24 is #24 says alot!! Ugh! :/

Anyhow, have fun with this!

December ReCap...

2012-01-04T12:49:00.000-05:00

Our days have been relaxed and hectic all at the same time if that is even possible!!

One of the hi lights was dinner out with my "Ladies Prayer Group". Not all were able to come, so this is by no means an exhaustive pictorial, but I was so thrilled to have a night out with some of the most amazing women on planet EARTH!! They treated me to a dinner at The Plum Garden, an Oriental (... yes that means I have no idea if it is Japanese, Chinese, or Indian!) restaurant where they prepare the meal in front of you on a HuGe griddle, (probably not the right name for it!) complete with fire and pyrotechnic visual hilarity. This is about a minute long... he was quite... ummm... talented?

Of course he flung rice balls to EvErYoNe!! I only got a picture of Jane trying to avoid the assault. We were about 50/50 when it came to catching them. If you missed the first one... he was more than glad to let you try again!! Poor Amy was likely to have been choked at his first rice ball selection... nearly the size of a GOLF BALL!! She kindly asked for a smaller one!

I opted not to post the pics of the inevitable "fails".... suffice it to say there were pieces of rice in places rice should never go. And likely if we search hard enough we will still find a grain in our clothes... even after washing!!

Jolie and Jen

My friends are so beautiful outside and in, and they spoil me terribly. I love it!! Some I have known literally all of my life, and others I have been acquainted with for years and have only recently kindled a wonderful relationship with them.

Kim and Jeannine

Most are from my home town, which inherently gives a very close connection... the kind of "you know you are from ____ when..." sort of thing! But all are precious and I have an intimate connection with each of them. Collectively we make for a pretty rowdy bunch!

Tonya, Kim, Amy, Colleen, Kelly, Jolie, Jane, Kim and Jeannine. Loves!!

This was the best of the group shots. Taken before all were there :( A cell phone in a darkly lit room does not make for a good picture! I tried to enhance it a little... nice try! :-/

Suffice it to say, I have a wonderful support group from my home church, and it extends to several ladies outside of church as well. I love that they meet every month and I am blessed and honored and humbled all at the same time. They truly love me and my family in a precious way, and if they don't really... well they sure fake it good!! (I know, bad grammar!)

Christmas was a terrific weekend. Our family went to Dan's as well as my parent's home for the holiday. Church was beautiful, and everyone had a great reconnecting. Perfect! I received a gift of flowers from a nice young gentleman... trying to score points with me maybe, but they were beautiful nonetheless! I actually think he is just a nice young man :)

I actually got two bouquets due to a delivery error at the florist, (sent the first to me on the wrong day) and they sent another to me on the right day! Double treat! They were quite beautiful, and a lovely bright spot in our little home :)

We received dozens of Christmas cards that we loved to get. Many had pictures of the families and while we expect our children to grow up, it is always a surprise to see other children change so dramatically! I realize ours have as well when I compare the new card to previous years!

We have more than enjoyed our month home. Dan has been working every day on scheduling and calling and such, and our calendar continues to fill up for more meetings in the coming months. He also has been speaking at different events and ministries here at church. We feel like time home is just the Lord allowing us to keep connected with our home church, which is growing and changing. Each return greets us with new members and families to get to know! That is a huge blessing to us. We love knowing our home church is still about the Father's business! Praise God the Gospel is preached faithfully and clearly without compromise!

New Year's Eve was spent with great friends. Just the two families together was such a nice treat! Usually it is a chaos of people and trying to get any real conversation is nearly impossible, but this was just the opposite. Our children were all over town, but they are still young!

New Years Day we spent celebrating the birthday of our oldest son, Josiah. 18!! Whew! He got his license a few weeks ago, and in NYS have to wait until 18 for all restrictions to be off, and he had little time to wait! It is nice to have another driver... no more midnight milk runs for mom and dad! Celebrating the small things in life!! :)

My favorite preaching pic of Dan! :)

Dan is preaching for our home church Wednesday night next week. It is quite an honor, as we are so seldom home but the opportunity was available, and he was thrilled to accept the invitation. He has known about it for several weeks, and is still quite unsure what to preach on. Truthfully, I would be worried if he knew already!

January is definitely going to bring many wonderful things, and I will be sure to document them. I have enjoyed this break from our norm of deputation, and sometimes find it hard to believe how different our lives are in just one year. We are at 60% of our goal to leave for Zambia full time, and wonder just how different things will be next year at this time. For us, next year at this time we hope to be in Chipata!! Who knows though. December 21st, 2012 is supposedly a big day in the future... maybe it will be very different for the whole universe!

A Guest Poster today... Abby Burton!

2011-12-12T13:07:00.000-05:00

One of the joys of deputation has been getting to know so many others who are also on deputation. One thing about missionaries is you never know when you will see them again. After leaving for the field the schedules of furlough and returning to the states is so varied, we often say "good-bye" acknowledging that it may be the last time we will see them this side of glory! The picture below is of us with one such family.

The are the Burtons heading to Papua, New Guinea, and we have had the joy of not just getting to know them, but for our path to have crossed a few times since then! They are from San Diego, CA, so the likelihood of us ever meeting apart from deputation was truly slim to none!

We have loved our time with them. We are "opposites"... meaning I am more like Doug, and Dan is more like Amy so we all get along GREAT! We all enjoy games and conversation and serving the Lord with passion! They are going to an area of the world that makes our field of calling seem like a first world retreat, and that they also are traveling with teen aged children really encourages my kids to know ..."They are NoT alone!"

Beth, Savannah & Abby

Below is an excerpt from a blog post of their daughter, Abby. (I hope you don't mind my reposting it here!)

"Where to start…

This weekend has been one of memories that I will not soon forget.The first and most special memory is one of dear and special importance.

We have been in La grange, Georgia this past week and have had some tornado warnings around this area. One particular Tornado warning happened on Thursday the 17th of November. My mom and Mrs. Jalowiec , Beth and I were in Cato. We heard siren’s go off in the distance and since we are from California we did not understand what was happening. One of the store employees told us that it was a siren for a tornado heading our way. They said it was about 20 minutes away. There was two employees at the store and they were both getting kind of freaked out. One of the employees decided to go outside and see if she could see any funnels forming.

As soon as she opened the door thought a bolt of lightning literally touched down within inches of the store window. We all screamed and the employee shut the door fast. Well my sister got really scared, and if you know my sister you know she does not scare easily. She kept asking my mom if we could leave but Mrs. Jalowiec had driven us and she was still shopping. None of us were strangely worried. We all had a peace about this tornado heading our way except Beth and the two employees. Mrs. Jalowiec was trying to figure out a way to be a witness to these two employees when Beth asked my mom yet again if we could leave. Mrs. Jalowiec turned and asked, “Beth If you were to die right now are you a hundred percent sure you would go to Heaven?” Mrs. Jalowiec told me later that she asked the question only for the benefit of the 2 employees. Well my Mom and Mrs. Jalowiec had some clothes they wanted to try on and by this time Beth was not leaving my mom’s side so she went with my mom. Beth ended up coming out of the fitting room by herself and almost directly afterwards the one of the employees told us that the tornado just switched directions and went right underneath us. We all thanked the Lord and bought our clothes and left. We thought it would be another cool story to add under our belt.

But that is not the end of the story.

My sister came to me on Saturday the 19th and told in the Cato’s fitting room she had knelt on one knee and asked the Lord to save her. She had realized through that storm that she was not saved. And when she had come out of that fitting room a different person, she finds out that the tornado switched directions. It was like God planned for that tornado to come towards us for that specific reason. I am so thankful for that tornado. I can tell you my family had a hard time going to sleep that night.

As if that one blessing was not enough God kept adding more and more blessing to our family. The Jalowiec family that have come to be good friends, were heading to Louisiana yesterday for thanksgiving. We don’t know f that would be the last time we see each other on this earth so it was going to be sad to say goodbye. Well as God would have it they left their trailer here at the church we are staying at and are coming to pick it up on Friday. We then get to spend all Friday together and can say are goodbye’s then. So even though we still have to say goodbye it is a delayed goodbye."

Needless to say you never know what will happen when you try to be bold for Christ! I had hoped the conversation with me and Beth would open the door for some dialogue with the clerks. I was able to invite the cashier to church, but I had no idea until a few days later the impact the Lord effected on my unsuspecting cohort in witnessing! The Burtons- and my family also- are rejoicing at the salvation of Beth! Also on a side note.... Josiah and Micah have made professions of faith in Jesus Christ during deputation. Josiah after an amazing Resurrection service, and Micah after several weeks of real challenges to his heart and mind starting with some hard preaching on end times in Revelation. God is SO FAITHFUL! We are thrilled to be journeying this road of deputation "with" the Burtons, and are thankful that some of it has been together in physical location, and not just heart!

Christmas Card Picture Preview...

2011-12-09T17:43:00.001-05:00

I am not really spoiling much here as these aren't the ones we chose for our Christmas card. (If you want a Christmas card, let me know... I will be glad to get you on the list!)

They Hayes have a really cool old truck, and the sun was setting with a great glow so we all hopped into the bed of it to try to catch the last bits of it.

We were a little late in getting the full effect of it all, but it was fun none the less.

Nick and Devin were our photographers. I think for complete amateurs who never even dreamed they had photographic skill, they did very well!!

An out take or two... or 200 with a large family is totally expected. We told the guys "Just keep clicking!! There should be one that we will be able to use!!"

This was a cool look... I like it with the black and white too. The guys look like twins here with their matchy-matchy shirts. They did not like that at all!!

They get all weird when they don't like something...

See what I mean?!

Stay tuned! I will publish the Actual Card... as soon as I get them all mailed out so I don't spoil the surprise!!

Thanksgiving...

2011-12-09T17:12:00.001-05:00

I had one condition to agreeing to be away from home on Thanksgiving. This past Thanksgiving was perhaps (more like our HoPe!) our last Thanksgiving in the states for a while, for we sincerely pray that we will be in Zambia next year by that time. God knows our timing and also if & when we will be ready!

All that being said, my one condition was that we would be with the closest thing to family 1300 miles away... at that is "The Hayes".

in Oct 2009

This is the same family that kept our three youngest children when we went to Zambia on 2006. A three week time period in which my children experienced sickness the likes of which I never experienced with them. It was "Ma Hayes" that got All the puking, fevers, puking, and more puking. I, to this day, don't think I understand the completely sacrificial way they cared for my family that week. I pray their reward in Heaven will be rich and sweet for that act of mercy and selfless love alone! That was also the same three weeks Ma Hayes turned my once coffee loving youngest child into a tea drinker, but that is another story!

Oct 2000

It is also the family that has three boys that are nearly twins to each of my own male children. All alike and different at the same time, and within months of each other in age. It is perhaps one of... if not the only place that everyone has someone to be with... including the adults. "Mr" just takes turns between the adults and the kids.

We were so thrilled to be in their "new to them" home in Southern Louisiana for Thanksgiving. It was wonderful and warm. The fellowship was even warmer and more wonderful! We have been there four times since they moved there, and this was the first time Olivia was able to join us.

I also had one major request that I added to my "one condition"... that we could fly her to where we would be for the holiday. I say "request" loosely. It was more of a demand veiled in sufficient submissive womanly eyelash batting and extra back scratching. There would have been temper tantrums and feet stomping and crying and hunger strikes (who am I kidding?! It was Thanksgiving... That was for sure an idle threat!!) if she couldn't come.

It was a terrific week. We LOVE them all and are so very Thankful for them. We were able to get our Christmas pictures taken there as well, which was a special treat in that it allowed outdoor photos with smiles without teeth chattering!

Bye Bye Montana..

2011-11-22T21:10:00.001-05:00

We are learning to hold onto vehicles very loosely. What may look like tragedies... are often blessings in disguise! Isn't that the way of all things though?!

While this Montana served well it's entire lifetime, the time for it's final resting place in the firefighter's practice fields. Burn Baby Burn! Nearly 190k miles and it saw us safely through many situations! Alas, it was time to say good bye. Thankfully the accident was not the fault of our daughter! Insurance did very well by us. We are so thankful for insurance!

In with the new! This is Liv's new car. It is proving to be very quick on the pick-up, very safe in a rear crash test, and also very deer repellant!! All of this has been determined in only a few weeks. I hope it is true things come in threes... and then are done! :)

An Ordination... a Commissioning... and an Engagement!

2011-11-22T20:40:00.001-05:00

In Uniontown, PA, Bethel Baptist Church had a service to top all services!

First, a great young man was ordained and commissioned as Pastor of a brand new church, Bridge Baptist Church.

Second, new Pastor Douthitt asked his lovely girlfriend to be his bride. She said YES... whew!

Awww! That is one way to get the spotlight off of himself!

Third... the preparations for the first service! Signage... check!

Pastor Douthitt... Check!

Double Rainbow from God... Check!

Amazing first service! Nearly 60 in attendance... and we are their first missionaries! AMEN!

Charter members of Bridge Baptist Church, Masontown, PA.

Savannah made this on her iPod... Kind of looks like them, don't you think?!

Pastor Douthitt and Amanda. So excited for the work the Lord is planning to do through them, and with them! So happy to have been a part of this special week with them!

In EveryThing... Give THANKS!!

2011-11-22T19:43:00.001-05:00

We are convinced the Lord is concerned and in control of every detail of our lives. Because of experiences like this one!

When we are traveling for a couple of days in a row, the optimal situation is that we are able to find a place to park the camper overnight to sleep somewhere safe. Often what we will do is map out about half way, and have the numbers of several churches in that area that we will call en route, and hopefully one will be able to let a vagabond family park in their lot overnight. It is certainly better than a WalMart parking lot or a camping world! :/

In a great situation, we will have electricity to plug into. If they have a water hose we can hook up to, we are living high on the hog. If they have a sewer hook up... WOW! We have hit gold!

Well after we left Daytona Beach, FL on a Thursday, we needed to get to Pennsylvania in two days time. That meant at least 16 hours driving, so about half way we did our research. Rock Hill, SC, was our place. We wrote down all the churches that showed up on the IFB list, and began calling.

After calling 7 churches.... NO ONE would allow us to stay! Shocking! That had never happened to us to date! Usually people are very gracious and we find a place after one or two calls. We were shocked! SHAKE OFF THE DUST MAN!! :)

Plan B!

We looked at the map, and have friends that live in the tri-city area near High Point, NC. That is over 9.5 hours away. LOOONG day of driving! That is GPS time... we usually add an hour for gas stops and potty breaks. (Is it OK to say that?!)

Anyhow, Dan called the pastor of a church we had visited with our friends, and sure enough we can stay. With electricity AND water!! High Cotton!! We planned to leave the next morning, Friday, bright and early.

While driving to get to NC, Dan had to add water to the radiator a couple of times. We realized we needed to have it looked at, but figured it would wait until PA. I think the Lord knew the hills of W. Virginia were ahead of us, and we would have been in deep doo-doo had we waited. Dan went to several parts stores to get the "check engine" light code checked (just a day in the life!), and after he left one of the stores, there was radiator fluid pouring out of the truck!

Plan C!!

There was a crack on the place where the hose clamps on to the radiator ... busted! Wouldn't you know, they had the radiator! Divine direction for sure as it is a 2000 vehicle, and not a popular one at that! The Lord knew we were going to need to be at a place where tools were available for the repair. And a vacuum for the ant extraction!

Well the guys made quick work of the repair. Thankfully a radiator is one of those repairs that can be done in a relatively short time... with minimal number tools. A few wrenches, a garbage can for the old fluid, and some elbow grease!

Savannah took up her position... the nearest swing set!

They got it out in short order...

The offending part! Dan was a little frustrated because the poor guy knows with a little time and some JB Weld he could have repaired the radiator and saved himself a few dozen dollars! The broken radiator actually looked great... sadly. I think he would have felt better if it was a wreck!

New part in... clap the hoses, fill with fluid...

Tighten it all up, and VOILA!! DoNE! We now know why Rock Hill was less than friendly. God needed us in High Point!! AMEN to the Divine Guidance of the Lord! We were also able to visit with some great friends for dinner and dessert. That is always a good thing!

There have been many times of distress and potential danger when the Lord puts a butterfly in the middle of it. (Right Savannah?!) While this little guy was already passed his fluttering days, it was still a great reminder of the Lord in all situations!

Recap: For the sake of documentation!

2011-11-22T18:40:00.001-05:00

In early October we were in Florida, camping in Blue Springs. BeauTiFuL!! It is an aquifer with water at 72 degrees year round. It is also a Manatee refuge where they stay during the cold months. The camp sites are more like a jungle than a traditional campground, which may explain the illegal transporting of native Florida wildlife across several state lines. I will explain!

Where we were camping, there was a very small area for the camper and we were surrounded by Central Florida foliage complete with creatures that thrive in that environment. This lovely creature decided to INVADE our camper.

Here is a nicely labeled picture with the proper latin name... we are if nothing else a ~~home~~ camper schooling family ready to take advantage of learning at any cost. Including my sanity!

We had seen a couple of them during the five days we were there, but knew as long as SHE didn't show up, we were fine. After leaving the camp site, we had stored the camper in a church yard for about 5 days while we were in a conference in Daytona. We were being spoiled for a few days and were able to stay in a house for the week :)

Well she did show up. They must have thought that a Springdale was such a lovely location for a nest and all that wood in there! Complete with eggs. MANY Eggs!! Our vacating the joint for a week was there perfect opportunity to multiply... undisturbed! :/

After Florida, we were in North Carolina ... in a church parking lot. Thankfully! I have a couple reasons for being thankful for that.

One: We ended up needing to replace the radiator in the truck. Post to follow! :)

Two: They had a vacuum cleaner! Had we not seen the nest as quickly as we did, what a nightmare that would have been!!

They poured out of that cupboard like soldiers in a war fighting for their lives.

They lost.

I stood over the site of their intended home for over an hour, vacuum hose in hand and ant killing spray in the other. They were not going to win... I refuse to share the camper with them! They are UgLY!

Now... the radiator! :)

A few Books I have read...

2011-10-29T15:12:00.003-04:00

Warning... don't read them unless you want your life to be challenged, convicted, and perhaps worst of all... more Conformed into the Image of Christ...! (Oh MY!)

Made to Crave

I have yet to finish this book. It is not one I will be able to plow through as easily as a piece of Raspberry White Chocolate Cheesecake and a Tall Chai Latte. It is one that I need to really have a chisel, hammer, pick axe, and a nut cracker to thoroughly get all I should out of it. Well, perhaps I dont need those implemts, but I need to let God use hem on me as He wants. The title intrugued me... the first chapter terrified me. I am not quoting here, but one point she makes is we spend so much time and energy building up walls around our selves, that it seems so wasteful to just tear them down. I mean all of that work and energy for nothing! Instead of tearing them down and chucking them into some landfill of our minds, repurpose every brick and build a pathway of faith and belief to God. Let the labor of healing from some very wrong thinking patterns create hope through the truths of the Word of God, which alone has the power to transform our minds. Very challenging read!

_______________________________

One Thing You Can't Do In Heaven

Another one that is more important than the previous is this book. It is more important because it has lasting impact on the sould of people that will surely drop off into eternity into one of two destinations. I talked to a young guy of 17 who said, "It is a terrible book!! I finished reading it at 11:30 at night, and couldn't sit in my house any longer! I had to get some tracts and go out and tell someone about Jesus!"

That is exactly the same feeling I had. Compelling, convicting and challenging!

_______________________________

Under the Overpass

This book was just given to my husband yeaterday, and I finished it today. Wow! It is not that I should do what these two young men did, but I should be more aware that I need to follow what the Lord tells me to do!!

I vividly recall an evening not very long ago, when we were traveling in Florida on deputation. We were going into a dollar store, it was nearly closing time, and outside the store there were two young people sitting on the concrete near the grocery carts. They looked to be "travelers" ... or homeless. Something inside me wanted to buy them some milk and some "good" snacks in the store to give to them. It would have not changed my day whatsoever to do that... a few spent dollars would not mean I couldn't eat or feed my children, but I never followed through on my thought. I say my thought, but truth be told, I know it was the Lord speaking in his still small voice.

I ignored him, giving (lame) excuses that I had my children with me. Yes, how horrible would it be for my kids to see me showing compassion on some young people? That would have been terrible. I then thought it was so close to closing... did I really want to go back into the store? Were they really homeless? Maybe they were just young kids hanging out. Blah... blah... blah. Whatever they were, I walked away and did not act on my thought, impulse, nudging from the Lord... whatever it was. And now, several months later, I regret it.

Through reading this book, I began to think that the way I may view a homeless person is nothing compared to what the Lord sees when he looks at me. Truly my sin and filth that I live with and tolerate every day is more sickening to Him, and yet he loves me with an unending, uncomprehendible love. I can only marvel at His goodness.

"No Reserve, No Retreat, No Regret"

_____________________________

Radical

We read this a while in the van while we traveled on deputation. It gives some real every day examples of people and ways to live for the Lord in a radical, turn-your-world upside down on purpose for the Lord, and begin to live for the eternal, and not for the temporal. It was a wonderful read, and certainly timely as it was the week after we moved out of our rental house and then had an accident that totaled our trailer... which was to be our home. We felt a little radical about then. And certifiably something, we just didn't quite know what yet! I posted on some of the thoughts and emotions we went through that week, and now when I look back on that time I am thankful for the test, blessed by God's provision, and amazed with His undeserved and endless grace. Truly what we may call "radical" is nothing more than a real understanding on Romans 12:1.... it is reasonable! thank you GOD!

I hope you have a chance to read one ... or all of these books! Would love to know how they affect you... and better yet, the effect they have on you!

Some fun tips...

2011-10-29T14:23:00.002-04:00

OK so the link to embed doesn't work, but I just saw this link on a friend's FB account, and loved it!

(thanks Andrea!) Click the picture or HeRe for a youtube video on dozens of different ways to wear a scarf!
Deputation has many challenges, but one of them is clothing variety... or the appearance of it! Long ago I learned scarves are a wonderful gift to a wardrobe. Now they are a necessity! How else can a girl spice up grey, black and white! Some of my favorite souveniers are scarves... $5. knock off pashminas on Canal Street in downtown Manhattan or handmade creations from an Amish gift shop in northern Ohio... they are all my faves! I dislike coats, and a well chosen scarf can go a long way on a cold day! Enjoy! :)

The Guys on the road...

2011-10-03T12:41:00.000-04:00

They are all teens, all BoY, and all around just plain fun.

One of the huge benefits of traveling is once school is done, we are free to travel to whatever is close and enjoy some things that we are not able to in Rochester! The favorite destination is anything with WaTeR!! When we were in Largo, we loved to go to Indian Rocks Beach. It was hot, and the water was only slightly cooler! :/ The guys liked to try their version of extreme anything you can come up with, and even though they had some very young eyes watching them, it deterred them not one whit.

Little Braden and Bailey are twins, and children of a pastor at NTBC. This is their first year homeschooling their older children, and they are all about field trips, and we were more than happy to join them!

I hope my boys weren't the influence for them trying this. It was comical, and they nearly had more sand in their hair that fell into their eyes than was left on the beach!

This is Josiah displaying his ability to turn the sand into a trampoline....

... and front flip. At least it was a soft landing! Well, kind of!

Here they are debating their next move... or showing off their muscles... I am not quite sure which! I caught them off guard, so I will tent to believe the former! :)

Not sure what this was... I think a conch. When Dan and I were in Bahamas they made them into a salad that was more like a salsa with these nasty creatures chopped up into it.

Levi made a good show of "eating" it...! YuCK!

We were in Tallahassee on the weekend of the FSU and the OK Sooners game . The town was pretty much decked out with everything Seminole, and most every car we passed had painted windows advertising their school spirit. Sadly, FSU lost the game, but we were able to go to the stadium before we left the area. It was pretty neat to stand where just the day before there were thousands of excited fans cheering their hearts out for their team.

Just a few more perks of deputation! We are currently in Daytona Beach area and have driven by the Daytona 500 speedway. There are plenty of field trips planned... but unfortunately not enough time to do them all! Maybe when we come back to this area... for no doubt we will be returning! Probably the only thing that is a pretty much sure thing of this nomadic journey of deputation!

9/11 Memorial Lights

2011-09-12T16:48:00.001-04:00

We went downtown Brooklyn to the waters edge that over looks the South Street Water front in Manhattan. The 9/11 lights are only used on the anniversary, and we were in the city this weekend. Not by our planning, but we were glad to be a part of this special anniversary as 10 years has passed. I was able to get some pictures, and although it was a very cloudy night, they had an etherial quality about them. I wish we could find our better camera, but our phones do well enough for my non-photography specialist self.

The pictures are from early evening to dark, and the clouds got heavier as the night wore on.

Walking to the river front, I took this one through a fence, and the branch in the foreground looks pretty cool.

You can't really see it clearly, but the Statue of Liberty is at the cluster of lights on the far left of the picture. From a different angle, I would love to see her centered in the lights. That would be breathtaking.

Micah took this picture with an app called Photosynth. It allows you to take multiple shots and then stitches them together for a panoramic or 3D view. It is quite amazing. Maybe I have my photographer with me after all! Here you can see The Freedom Tower pretty well lit up in red white and blue.

As the sun fully set, the clouds got lower and lower. They almost looked like a ball of light where the beams shot through.

May the Lord of Glory so shine in our lives and hearts!

Post Irene Clean-Up...

2011-09-12T15:02:00.001-04:00

While traveling on deputation, our family is often asked if we sing, play instruments, do dramas (we have enough, thank you!) ... anything creative! Sadly we are not a musical family, nor are we terribly creative. We are however blessed with three strong sons, and a very wise father that has trained them in multiple trades and skills. They know everything from painting, roofing, car repair, landscaping, and tree removal... just to name a few!

We have been in Connecticut since labor day, and Hurricane Irene preceded our arrival. She didn't do the mass damage they predicted, but what she did do, she did well! One of the families from a supporting church lost half of their massive Maple tree, and were given quotes of exorbitant amounts to get it removed. We went over Sunday evening, and by the light of our headlamps of the truck, figured we could, if nothing else, give them a slightly smaller job to hire out.

Dan first cut off the lower of the two large branches extending past the tree it landed in...

then it was on to decide how to drop the upper branch.

He didn't want to obliterate the neighbors garden, if at all possible. While assessing how to best make the cut, he noticed a large, dead branch hanging just above the limb, and resting on the one he wants to cut.

While it is dead, it is also water logged and would pack quite the force should it fall on his head!

Levi and Micah devise a scheme to get the dead branch out first... successfully and without any concussions!

Then on to the sawing...

And falling... PeRFeCtLY, I might add! Chopping and dragging and more cutting and dragging!

They were tossing the logs over the wooden fence, that you can see here has suffered some for the cause!

But it was better than walking the logs around the very large and interminably long fence... a whole 10 more feet!

In their de-fence, errr I mean defense... those logs were very heavy!

Once the large branches extending the tree were down, it was on to the main trunk that was lodged in the neighbors tree.

I wish you could get the scale of that tree. It was seriously huge. And it was raining all day on and off, hence the orange rain coat in some pictures. Which was pointless as it got soaked after 3 minutes, but it seemed the right thing to do! Notice the water line on the pants...!

The saw had a 20" blade, and would make it through 2/3 of the tree on the thinnest part. At the base it was at least a 35" diameter. Pretty huge! And heavy, perfect to lodge a saw in!

It is a little blurry... cell phone pics and rain dont agree...!

But if you look you can just see a chain dangling from the cut. They took the whole saw apart and spared the bar. Thankfully as (obviously we don't travel with chain saws...!) all of the equipment was borrowed.

But once it was safe to try "plan B"...

the base of the tree was attacked.

If you can see Levi's head there in front of the tree... he is pretty close to it and he looks like a little boy next to it! Some seriously massive logs were cut and stacked, and unbelievably.... the entire tree was taken down! They never thought they would accomplish the whole job, but after 8 hours it was finished. Praise the Lord there were no (major!) injuries, and they have a lot of wood to burn for next winter!

I say no major injuries as there always has to be some excitement. Aside from some scrapes, a few toes being whacked by a falling limb, and a minor stabbing between two brothers (not even related to the tree job... on Lunch break nonetheless!), all was well. We were thankful to be able to be a blessing to these folks, and they were very glad to have that tree down!

Singing wherever they can!

2011-09-12T14:33:00.003-04:00

While at a Bible Conference in Naples, NY with the Street's, some of the kids did an impromptu help with worship! Savannah is second in from the left, and her friends are all around her! Always fun to see her jump in whenever she can!

We spend a little of each day at Keuka Lake, one of the finger lakes. It was warm and clear! Perfect for BFF's to hang on the dock...

Livvie and Savannah

... and to skip rocks with the guys!

Isaiah, Sam and Savannah

What a beautiful week, and what a wonderful conference! We learned some great truths that were compelling, provoking and encouraging. It doesn't get any better!

We are scannable!

2011-08-17T17:14:00.002-04:00

Been seeing those handy scannable blocks all over?

Yup, so did I... and I had no idea what they were!! So I checked it out, and here you go! We are scannable now!

What that means, what we will do with it, and how far reaching it will be is yet to be seen!

How about a sticker on the car? Maybe on our prayer card? I don't quite know yet, but technology is getting crazier and crazier all the time!

We will start with the bad..

2011-07-23T23:43:00.000-04:00

We have been in Tennessee since Monday night and the week has been amazing! We were at a conference for the first few days, and then have been traveling and sight seeing a little the past few days. Dan will present at a church Sunday morning, and then we will visit another church Sunday evening, and then early Monday AM we will head home to Rochester.

Anyhow- I have had such a wonderful time! We have heard some amazing preaching and learned some very valuable things pertaining to our ministry. And we have seen some things that ... call me sheltered but... they shocked me. I mean really shocked me!

Will you look at these?! Do parents think these are cute? Do they think it is a jOkE?! Have they no fear of ANYTHING?!

Shocking.

Appalling.

So very VERY SAD!!

Here is their "disclaimer".

"W.V. is for fun and if by keeping one of these dolls with you it helps any aspect of your life then it is a good thing."

Good thing like taking only a small dose of arsenic instead of a whole bottle.

Then on the very bottom, it says "handmade this is not a toy" OK, then WHAT is it?! Exactly!! Serious and demonic and such a sad symptom of where our world has gone. Like I said I will start with the bad. I have more to chronicle the week, but I wanted this out there. We seriously need to pray for our country, our families, marriages, and children!

Where has the month gone?!

2011-07-17T15:02:00.002-04:00

What we had thought would be a casual few weeks of not traveling turned into a flurry of non-stop activity! We have traveled from NY to CT to FL and back, and then to Ukraine and back, and Dan has gone to NYC and back! WHEW! I am filled with things I want to try to digest and put into posts, but it all is so compressed in my head!

We are leaving (aGaiN!) tomorrow at 6am to head to Tennessee - an "all female trip" except for Dan! The boys will be at Mt Lou San for a week at teen camp, and the rest of the J's (including the elusive O!) and Grandma Jane will be going to Johnson City, TN, for the week.

As a start to the "fill in" of the past month, I am embedding a video I made of our time in Ukraine with the Ireland family. What a wonderful (nearly) 2 weeks we had! We journeyed with them to each of the churches they have established, and Dan taught and preached several times. They organized a church picnic that had to be held indoors because of the rain. Ukraine did it's very best to make us feel right at home and it rained nearly every day we were there! We weren't too upset though. Any Rochestarian worth their salt can handle a few days of rain!

Cyrillic Alphabet

The thing I found the most unexpected was the absolute lack of gleaning passive information. Ukraine is a dominantly Russian speaking culture, although many do speak the Ukrainian language as well. I had absolutely no knowledge of Russian, I couldn't even say "Yes", "no", or "excuse me"... which really was no big deal turns out. They seldom use that phrase! :) Not that they are rude people in any way. They are very hospitable, and very friendly. There is just so little room for "personal space" if one had to say "excuse me" every time there was a bump, nudge, or accidental push, nothing else would ever be said!

Money symbol

I also had absolutely no knowledge of their alphabet. Some of the letters are the same, but they say a different sound. Like "KNIb" is "Kiev"!! (only the N has to be backwards!) I went to the store with Robin, and every jar, bottle and squeeze pack was a mystery purchase to me! Dan asked Kayla (16) to accompany him to the candy aisle to interpret for him! MUST get the right chocolate! Who cares if we have horseradish sauce instead of mayo... chocolate must be understood!

equal to about $175 USD

Also they use hryvna (gre-vna) as currency. It is 8 to $1. 00 and they sell everything in metric. I was a little out of my element at the local store to say the least! I was thankful this was not a solo venture as I would have learned the hard way on alot of purchases! It made me very conscious of the fact that when I get to Zambia I will be making these adjustments as well, and I will need to be very prayed up and prepared! I was overwhelmed just trying to figure things out, and I knew I could always ask Robin, and worst case scenario I was leaving in a few days! In Zambia, it will be many, many months of learning through trial and error I am sure! Perhaps now I know a few things I will learn much better before going! Like metric weights and their relation to how much I will need to buy!

Probably the most impactful thing I learned is an absolute need for us (and ANY foreign field missionary!!) to LEARN THE LANGUAGE of the people we will be ministering to. We have planned all along to learn ChiChewa, a tribal language of the Eastern Province in Zambia, but after being in a foreign land where I knew absolutely nothing of the language, I felt all the more persuaded of the unquestionable necessity of it. I remember Robin asking over and over for prayer for her language skills and knowledge. She has been on the field for 16 years, and she still studies it for hours nearly every day. WOO! She converses with them wonderfully, (in my opinion! We always ended up with what we were needing at the store, and none of the church members looked at her strangely so...!) but it does not minimize the fact that she is still working on mastering the language. Why? To REACH THE PEOPLE for JESUS CHRIST!!!

I was blessed, humbled, encouraged, and compelled after our time with the Irelands! I hope you enjoy the video, and will get a glimpse of our time with the Irelands and in Ukraine. The song you hear in the beginning is played and sung by Edic, a member of a church in Belio Tsercov. I just LoVeD the song, and hopefully will have an English version of it someday. It sounds like such a beautiful love song of praise to the Lord and for the Word of God- who knows... perhaps one day we will sing it in ChiChewa in Zambia!

Ukraine with the Irelands from Janice Jalowiec on Vimeo.

May/June Update...

2011-06-18T10:51:00.000-04:00

I like to post my updates here just for the records. Someday I may put this blog in a book for my great grandchildren. Why shouldn't they follow the insanity?! It may explain some of their own issues in their life! I am all about helping the future generations!

Too small to read? Double click the image... it will get bigger!

The Sway Bar Update...

2011-06-18T10:42:00.000-04:00

I thought a little pictorial would do well in this situation. I was glad Liv was there to snap away with the camera! I almost felt like I was there!

The "Situation"

Assessing the Situation... in true Union Fashion! How many people does it take to lift a car?

Up we GO!!

I hope they listened to Dan... Chock the wheel!

Steady now... this could be dangerous...

Camera skill here... the perspective!

We got this one sent to us mid process... "Is This SAFE?!"

Up and tire Off... check!

And the tool sacrificing begins...

Who is the foreman, who is the laborer?

Check!

"I think this one goes first..."

Yup! Looks right!

On to the other side!

Don't you love rusted northern cars?!

OK this is next...

Wow! That is really TiGHT!

Impressive- the "cushion"!

Here are the real inspectors!

Peonies! Full Bloom :)

More grunting and pushing and forcing...

The naughty part!

Yup. No job is quite complete until a tool is...

broken!

No Problem! We have MORE!

Wow. That looks really hard!

Really ReaLLY hard!

No so hard. Hmm??

Those are van fixing accessories!

OK, now that looks hard!

Broken tool... repurposed! There is a spiritual lesson here I think...!

One Last Bolt...

Out with the OLD...

(in with the new!)

Looks the same.... hope this works!

Who knew liking to do Jig Saw Puzzles would be a benefit!

Oh PLEASE don't fall!

"OK... Here it COMES!"

Got IT!

Almost set now...

Righty- Tighty...

Which way on this thing again!?

Should there be extra parts?

Oh, good! That worked!

Wheels on... CHECK!!

A job well done!! No noise, drives great!

So... Why were we in Florida for 18 hours?

2011-06-17T15:13:00.005-04:00

We are Traveling tons lately- after Dan thought June was going to be a lazy month to recuperate!!

We sold our van to a church in CT (that we LoVe!!) and the Lord had THEM call US to tell us they wanted it! We didnt even "know" it was for sale...!!

We knew the van didn't like towing the trailer. Even with it having a new transmission just in January, already it was showing signs that it would do the job of towing but it wouldn't be too happy. ANd when we were all done, we would likely have nothing left of it to sell or even give away at that point!

Well after we sold our van we began looking for a truck that was diesel.

We found one! :)

It was in FLORIDA!! :/

** Please realize that in between those two tiny little sentences belongs many paragraphs detailing hours of prayer, searching on Cr@igslist, Cr@zedlist, eB@y, and DoZeNs of phone calls to friends, mechanics, and pastors for advice and council and still more prayer!! I will not give you a minute by minute play by play, but I had to mention that! **

SO... we (Dan and I aLoNe!!) drove the sold van to Connecticut to the church that bought it... they drove us to LaGuardia where we caught a plane to Florida... then we drove the new truck home! ANd this ALL transpired within TWO WEEKS!!!!

Selling the van, finding a truck on eB@y, bidding for three days and winning the auction, arranging flight plans, getting the cashiers check for the guy in florida, driving to CT, flying to Florida, getting temp plates from the FL DMV (they are very nice BTW!!) and driving the two days home! Amazing!

And Here It IS!!

The guy we bought it from picked us up at the Airport in Ft Myers with the (unregistered and slightly illegal at the time) truck.

(It was all good... he works for Law Enforcement. He is laid off....!!)

Anyhow!!

We were able to make the decision to buy it based ONLY on phone conversations, pictures, the eB@y vehicle report, and the Leading of the Holy Spirit! ( !! ) When we saw it for the first time, we were a little disappointed at how WoRN out it looked! It has 152K miles on it, but this was extreme! The leather seats were beyond dirty. They were disgusting! Like someone took chocolate mudpies and dirt and grease and smeared it all over them! Look!!

Center seat Half Cleaned...

THANKFULLY, we were given advice to use the cleaner in the following picture to clean them. I already posted on this, I know, but can you understand my excitement here?!

Center Seat Fully Cleaned!
Let me tell you that was icing on the cake! I know a 7.3 liter turbo charged diesel engine should make my blood sing, but it just doesn't have the same effect on me as it does Dan. Now some clean leather seats, you are talking my language!!

Whoever had the truck must have been a little conscious of the grime they would subject it to, because there is plastic covering all of the carpet. Look here...

This is the back bed of the truck. This grey vinyl is pretty thick. I hope it isn't covering anything terrible. I don't have the courage to look underneath it!

This is the plastic behind the drivers seats in front of the middle bench. It at least is clear, and I can see what is underneath. Makes me think Old Gramma but...

Here is the plastic in the front, this is the drivers seat area. There is a pretty big cracked area and Dan was wondering if we should keep it or get regular carpeted and rubber mats.

Then we went through a dunkin donuts drive through.

It started out great... the lady so sweetly said, "I am sorry could you repeat that? I couldn't hear you over the engine!" Dan just grinned that man grin thinking "Oh YEAH!! This is a TRUCK!!" (Insert the Tim Allen "Man Grunt" here!)

THEN... We pulled out of the dunkin donuts, and the g-force of said truck launched his LaRGe

1/2-coconut-1/2 blueberry-flavored-cream-and-sugar-iced coffee all over the front floor!! Did I mention it was a LARGE?! But thankfully the floor was covered in a plastic runner so no harm done, except now I had to share 1/2 of MY coffee with him!! (I still didn't finish what I had!) Also note the paper towel under the mat soaking up what went through the little hole! I think we are getting more plastic runner!

All in all we think this will be an answer to our prayers, and give us much less stress towing into headwinds, hills, and heavy weather! Thank you Lord! He certainly is interested in His Children!

Amazing!!

2011-06-16T16:24:00.003-04:00

I am not one to endorse products... Well not much at least! It is just when something works I get so happy! We are driving home our "new to us" truck and this is a before picture of the middle bench seat...

It is half finished and can you see a difference?? I am telling you we are shocked! I thought the seats would always be a little less than desirable but here is the completed after.

(drum roll please...)

Wow!!! I included the miracle product in the picture and will not type out the name, but let me just say it isn't just for porcelain!!

Why we have a new truck and about the broken tie rod I will post as soon as I get on a real computer! This just couldn't wait though!

It always happens after you leave...

2011-06-13T17:38:00.002-04:00

So we are traveling to Connecticut without the children and after a few hours get this picture texted to us.
Why we are traveling to CT we will let you know in another post. Suffice it to say our boys are learning a crash course in car repair! Can two teens fix a broken sway bar? Can it be done in a driveway? Inquiring minds want to know!
Be assured, as soon as I know, I will update this!!

It Looked Like a Good Idea...

2011-06-04T11:01:00.000-04:00

True. We were gone for a month.

True. A nest is very fragile, and the weather can be perilous.

True. A covered shelter is a very good idea when deciding on a location for your home.

True. She was very thorough and quite industrious. That was a Whole Lot of Stuff in there!

True. The eggs were so cute and blue and warm.

True. We may have baited the poor unsuspecting creature with an abandoned plastic Easter Egg from a few weeks prior. Perhaps a "Birdy Vacancy Sign"? Or perhaps their equivalent of a "Space For Rent"?

But perhaps the greatest Truth... We USE OUR GRILL!!

In any event - and not to shock you out there with some ill placed sense of duty to helpless wild creatures - the nest exists no more. The eggs will for certain never hatch as they are splatted all over the back yard, and we once again have regained the use of our grill. That little momma is quite diligent - and testing Micah's restraint on practicing with a moving target - as we continue to find bits of grass brought back on a regular basis. We clean them out, and she brings them back.

I think we need to grill chicken tonight. Perhaps the smell of seasoned Pork Ribs did not strike a chord of "That could be me!" with her. I think chicken should do it!

Not that I would eat a Starling, mind you. Much too much work for so little reward!!

Fighting the Wind...

2011-06-01T15:57:00.000-04:00

We have experienced so many different conditions while driving. Everything from rain and lightening to snow and ice. None of them have been fun, but by far the worst condition and the most exhausting for D. is a strong headwind. For whatever the reason-a pretty big one is the raised temperature on the tranny's temp gauge- this is the last condition we would choose if given the option to choose!
Surely there is a spiritual application here. The Holy Spirit is typified in Scripture as the wind, air, a force. I think the Lord is showing us in a very real experiential way just what it is like to go against His moving! Thankfully when it comes to God whatever direction He is moving in is the right way to go!

Memorial Day in CT

2011-05-31T13:35:00.000-04:00

By 8:03 am, all the parades in this area of CT were cancelled due to crazy thunderstorms, but the parade in New Haven was still on... rain or shine I guess! We were going to Haven of Rest BC to pass out tracts, and the city routes the parade right down the street of the church! Perfect! The church is in a former storefront, so there is lots of parking and space to set up chairs and such. While I didn't get any shots of the parade, I did get a few of this pretty cool car!

This belongs to a member of the church, and to say the least he is a True Blue Patriot! He has customized his Jeep to reflect his passion for the USA....

AND his passion for Jesus Christ!

Ray and his Jeep

"If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble

themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked

ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and

will heal their land."

II Chronicles 7:14

He takes it places throughout the summer, and asks if they would like to see under the hood, and of course they say, "yes". Under the hood he has the 10 Commandments printed which makes a very nice transition to witnessing! Now that is going Out of the Box for Christ!

Lord, Teach Me...

2011-05-28T18:23:00.000-04:00

We have been "home" for only 8 weeks since August 24, 2010. (By home, I mean in Spencerport.) That is a pretty staggering statement to me, knowing exactly what that entails in vivid, personal clarity!

Savannah Livvie and Sam <3

More so what that means is, my children also have been gone from friends, church, events and activities that most kids take for granted. They have been amazing and exceptionally gracious. Their attitudes have had so few moments of freaking out, (for MUCH the lack of better terms!) I honestly couldn't give one example. I know they will have great reward in heaven for their stamina and perseverance, but I personally don't remember that being a huge motivating factor for Me when I was their ages. I am just saying.

At Cathedral of the Pines overlooking Mt. Monadnock

So what motivates them? For the most part, and this is just a guess here, sheer obedience. I think they are learning more and more what it means to "lose your life" for God's sake, and I know the Lord is giving them grace for every day. It is wonderful to hear their unrehearsed answers to people's questions like, "So do you want to go to Zambia?", and "So what is it like to live in a camper for several weeks on end?"

With Besties :)

I remembering looking forward to this time of deputation traveling with my family knowing how quickly these years fly by. I am Very Much enjoying nightly routines of games in the camper, and seeing my children interact with people they would have otherwise never have met. I love that the guys have a great relationship with their little sister, and even if there are other choices, they often choose each other's company.

J's & B's

I love seeing people ask my guys to come work with or for them. When they return without fail they tell us how well they worked, and what nice young men they are. I am bragging a little, but truly it is like taking credit for the beauty of the sunrise. The Lord has gifted us with wonderful children, and we are blessed.

One of the greatest blessings is the gift of friendship with people. The body of Christ is vast and far reaching, made up of people from backgrounds and cultures as diverse as snowflakes. The bond of Christ knits our hearts with people in ways I could never have imagined.

Friends from NH

I have met people all over this East coast that if I lived within 30 minutes driving I would often sit over coffee with. People come to my mind and I just miss them, even though the accumulated time I spent with them was barely the span of a church service. I may not even know enough about the details of their lives to "intelligently" pray for them, but I still lift their faces up to the Lord, as truthfully in some cases I don't even know their names. Why the Lord has given our family this gift of time called "deputation" I may not fully know this side of Heaven. That it gets tiring sometimes is understandable. That I, too, get homesick for family and church is definitely an understatement. But for all of my being a "goal oriented" person, I am really enjoying this time.

The Lord is gracious and patient and kind and good. Oh, and He is so much more than that!

Oops on the previous post...

2011-05-26T22:38:00.002-04:00

This is the one I meant to upload!

2011-05-26T15:14:00.000-04:00

Though the mountain was slightly shrouded in clouds, the picture Is still a keeper! We are trying to figure out a way to have Liv in all these shots- our family seems so incomplete without her! Maybe we will do a spin off of a previous post and make her into a paper doll and brings her every where we go! Our own "Livi Live" or something. I am sure we will come up with an idea eventually :)

Cathedral of the Pines

2011-05-26T15:08:00.000-04:00

Chipper, Leah, and Savannah!

2011-05-24T15:25:00.003-04:00

There is just something irresistible about a pony!

His name is Chipper and he is adorable.

This is Leah with Savannah, and she sometimes shows him at 4H shows and such. Too fun and quite a nice treat for Savannah too!

Beautiful Sunday Morning

2011-05-22T09:03:00.000-04:00

After over a full week of rain and cold it is wonderful to wake up to sunshine and chirping birds. We are thoroughly loving the scenery here in New Hampshire near Manhodnock Mountain. We have yet to see it though, because it has been clothed in clouds since we have been here! With this break in the weather I am going to for sure get some pictures!

We are enjoying the final day of a missions conference in Swanzey,NH, and Dan gets to preach to their teens. We feel right at home!

Some Very Cool Photography...

2011-05-16T12:05:00.000-04:00

I received an email from Amy my Cali friend (Thanks!) and just loved the photography! There were more than what I am putting here but these are my favorites! Our family had tried to do this kind of thing and while they weren't horrible, they were nothing like this! I was going to add them and see if you could tell which were mine, but then I decided against it. You're welcome! :)

Pretty cool, huh? If you want me to forward the email to you just let me know. There were 26 pictures in all. Some I would love to frame and out in a collage, but not having a "home" to have a wall to out them on at the moment ... perhaps now is not the time for that!!

Travels with Flat Stanley!

2011-05-06T22:12:00.000-04:00

I was honored with the task of traveling with Flat Stanley today. He is a little friend given to me by Trenton, a little man we met in Florida. "Hi Trenton!!" Anyhow, I knew we would be going to New York City, and what better place to take a little Stanley from Florida!

His first experience was the subway. We took him on the A-Train from Brooklyn to Manhattan. That meant he had to go under the East River to get to the Island!

Savannah was a pro by this time, so she made sure to hold him tight and keep him company. The train is VeRy BuMpY!!

We arrived at Ground Zero, and we were able to get him WAY up on top of the building to see the whole memorial site. The cranes were huge, and the empty space left from the destroyed buildings is enormous.

We then took him to the Tribute WTC Gallery. There were timelines of all of the 9/11 events all over the walls and a replica of the Statue of Liberty with many of the memorial notes and flowers left at the original site.

Here is Stanley next to the model of the memorial site. It is almost perfect size for him!

I think he has a desire to become a fireman now... though I don't think it is the best profession for a man made of paper!

There are so many hats to choose from! He couldn't decide on one... I guess so many choices are a bad thing!

Now for a boat ride across to Staten Island! These ships are three levels and run 24 hours a day!

Say Good Bye to the South Side for a little while!

Here we are half way to Staten Island, and there she is! Lady Liberty! It was a beautifully sunny day with the wind blowing. We did our best to keep hold of the little guy!

He got a little adventurous and thought he wanted to swim but we convinced him that was not a good idea!

Flat Stanley is going into his little yellow envelope tomorrow to head back to Florida. I hope he had a good time in The Big Apple! Stanley, tell Trenton hello for us! When Darren is old enough... maybe his Flat Stanley could come with us to Zambia!

Welcome to Manhattan!

2011-05-06T12:39:00.000-04:00

While I have been to NYC a few times, it is always fun to see it through the eyes of someone new... and even more exciting when it is my own children! Josiah, Micah and Savannah have never been to the city, and everything was a new frontier to discover! Savannah was a little unsure of what The Subway was in the first place, and when we went to the A train at 80th St in Brooklyn, the anticipation was fun to see unfold in her. There were many teachable moments, and I was impressed to see her understanding everything so quickly.

She made mention that it was fun to see all of the people, but she knew it was impolite to stare. I share her sentiment! It was quite an adventure as on the first leg of the journey into Manhattan, a "pregnant, homeless" woman came in with a box of candy bars and began giving her schpeel on how if we buy her candy bars her child wont have to cry because it is hungry... Very sad. On the train back, there was a man selling DVD's from a backpack. "Get your shopping done here...!" and watch out for the bootleg police!

We first went to the American Museum of Natural History. We were also told the price for admittance is a "suggested donation". Whew! We suggested a bit less than they did!

This was the craziest of all the exhibits to me. I meant to take a picture of the plaque telling its description... it is called an Okapi. It has zebra striped legs, a head like a horse, and little horns and a purple tongue like a giraffe! Maybe when I get to Zambia we can travel to their region and see a real live one!

We walked from the museum to Central Park. It is much less intimidating in the daylight than I would have imagined. After all of the movies and shows that have crime scenes in that park, I was a little jaded about it all!

I am learning my children love heights. And climbing. We went down to the little pathways and bridges, and the next thing I knew they were all scaling the rocks. I saw no signs saying not to, and there were park employees doing gardening that didnt say anything to us, so we let them!

Up, up, and still higher up!

Savannah has no problem keeping up with her brothers!!

Then we were off to more important things... Times Square!

The m&m's store... so fun!

I just love these guys! Once again, I have yet to find our regular campers, and all of these are with a cell phone. Ugh!

If you look to the far left of this picture you can see Micah and Savannah (Purple and Red hoodie jackets...) in the big teletron picture!

Today is Dan's birthday, and we plan to head down to the Trade Tower site, and possibly China Town. I will see if I can get a purse from a back room somewhere. The teens from the missions trips have taught me well...!! More to come, I am sure!!

NYC...

2011-05-04T18:49:00.000-04:00

Whew! From ROC to Herkimer, to Connecticut to NYC all in about 12 hours. And that includes an overnight! We are presenting our burden for the souls of Zambia Africa at a church in Queens tonight. Very Excited to meet the people of this church!

Then we have two days for sight seeing in the Big Apple! We will be exposing the kids to the subway, Central Park, several of the museums and possibly Little Italy and China Town. I will be thankful for my experience here with the Summit Teens Missions trips! On those trips each adult is responsible for 5-6 teens every venture. Here I will only need to keep track of TWO... hopefully I can do a good job!

More to come!!

Constantly Settling... yet Never Really Settled!

2011-04-27T11:39:00.000-04:00

This journey of deputation has been filled with amazing adventures and equally amazing challenges. One of the biggest for me lately has been the constant state of transition. We are seldom in one area for more than a week or two - and that includes where we call "home". Since January we have been in Rochester a total of 10 days, and the next longest stay in one location was three weeks in Mississippi when we were "in between" campers.

We are now settling a one bedroom basement in-law apartment that will be "home" for us when we are in Rochester. Boy oh boy it seems huge compared to the camper, but it is still only one bedroom and any cooking we do will be on the grill or in the electric skillet. Savannah commented, "There just isn't any big table to do anything on...!" The largest table that will fit is 3'x2'! Please don't confuse my informing with complaining. It is what it is, but somehow it feels right and very much like home.

However, if any of you have ever moved you know the expected challenges that come with it. One of the biggest things our family faces is, what do we refer to the spaces in the home as? Is this the entry way or back door? Is my purse in the back room or the hallway? The kids beds are also in the living room area, and the main closet is also their clothes closet. When I need them to get something for me, I have to tell them 8 ways from Sunday where and what it looks like...! It is a little exhausting sometimes!

The other challenges are settling the different spaces. Do the bath towels go in the hall closet around the corner? What about laundry baskets? The kids beds are in the living room, but do the dirty clothes go there too? What was once our book cases are now our dressers. What would have been an ottoman is now a table to do school on. And the kitchen and food goods... where do I put the cups vs. the plates? Thankfully (I am really thinking glass half full here...) there is only one place to even consider in this little place... and who needs pots and pans where no stove is?!

What is perhaps the craziest thing of all, it is truly easier living in one consistent, though painfully small space like the camper than constantly transitioning from place to place. And while there are so many unknowns and uncertainties, the things I do KNOW are what ground me and give me great peace.

Transition, adjust, shift, and manage. Those words describe what my emotions and expectations have been doing. I am an adult with 44 years of life and experiences to draw from and still struggle at times to make heads or tails of it all. I pray my children find a source of God's overwhelming peace and supply for themselves, as truly that is only how this will be OK in the end of it all!

So much to tell...

2011-04-18T21:39:00.000-04:00

We have had a crazy several weeks! I will try to catch up all the happenings of our family, such as our trip to South Carolina and an amazing church called Pretty Place, our adventures of moving into my mom's basement apartment, and also the Father Daughter dessert bake off... but all of that will have to wait!

We are currently in Spencer, Ohio for MTS (Missionary Training School) through Good Shepherd Baptist Missions. Our attending this week was completely orchestrated by the hand of God, and believe it or not was made EASIER as a result of us losing our transmission. I know, "HOW?!" but just believe me, it is true. Ask me sometime, I will be glad to give you details!

Anyhow, it is a week long school for missionaries and their children just beginning or in the midst of deputation. There are pastors and speakers with experience and expertise in every facet of ministry, and their combined years of service nearly equal Methuselah's age. We are scheduled to learn everything from Holy Ghost power in ministry, financial planning, goal setting to how not to shoot ourselves in the foot... ministerially speaking! There is a full class schedule from 8 am through 5 pm, and after today, which was Day One... I am SO GLAD the Lord directed us to this school!

Just last night Dan and I found ourselves in a "discussion" and in the very middle of it he said, "THIS is spiritual warfare!" We were going down a path of division and argument over absolutely nothing, and I was so thankful that Dan heard the still small voice of the Holy Spirit and spoke OUTLOUD that this wasn't going to continue!

The very first session was on the Holy Ghost, and how when we neglect and disregard His leading in our lives what may look like a well oiled machine that looks productive to this world is AbSoLuTeLy 100% ineffective for things of God. Busy for the sake of being busy is NOT what our goal is! If it is not profitable for the Kingdom in some way, WHY do it?! What a perfect foundation to start this week!

I will be sure to make good notes and journal this adventure. Our children are participating in a conference of their own while we are in sessions as well, and I am excited to see where the Lord may take them... if they allow Him to. I am buckling in for an exciting ride!

I Wasn't Expecting That...

2011-04-03T09:06:00.000-04:00

I have recently discovered Mr Cle@n M@gic Er@sers. (refer here to understand the @!) Don't ask where I have been all their lives.

I vaguely remember my sister telling me of how they rescued her from major rental fees after they cleaned up sharpie marker her daughter had used to decorate the walls of a hotel.

And I have seen the ads for them on TV. How can they be missed?!

But I never really purchased one and put that bad boy to work on anything. Until now.

Living in an almost entirely plastic environment in my little camper (meaning whatever is normally porcelain or stainless is plastic. (Yes, I know. Fun.) Gone are my days of Ajax-ing everything. My mom faithfully instilled in me that Ajax and bleach... truly all you need!

No more abrasives for me. Well at least not cleaners!

I had bought a pack of these erasers thinking they would remove nail polish that had been spilled on carpet, and while they may have been successful if I tried them immediately, 30 minutes after the fact they were not successful. It said "Magic" but I believe powers darker than what I am willing to conjure would have to have been employed. Not going there.

Anyhow, the two pack ended up in the camper after the big move out, and while cleaning the camper I grabbed one of those bad boys and proceeded to clean every surface... almost magic-ally! They are great! I even revived our little toaster that I had though doomed to be varying shades of tan and grey. Now it is white again!

Why didn't people tell me?

I mean they have been selling these for years I think, and surely some of my friends knew of their wonderfulness and maybe just thought I didnt need the help? Maybe they figured I would find out by myself? Maybe they thought I wouldn't like them? After all they are a little pricey if you just look at the initial cost.

After I evaluated my thought process wondering who might have withheld such wonderful knowledge from me, my thoughts went in a completely different direction.

If I got a little miffed about people not telling me about stupid sponges, how upset will people I know get when they end up at the Great White Throne judgement and think, "Why didn't you tell me about this?!"

Oh! that I will tell everyone about Jesus! Truly he IS wonderful and can make all things new. Really new!

Strange where my thoughts run this beautiful Sunday morning. Thank you Jesus for another day to PRAISE YOU!

Words...

2011-04-01T15:38:00.000-04:00

This is not an expository of the book of James. If you want an amazing Biblical study of words, the tongue, and their power both to build up and tear down, I encourage you to go there.

If you are in the mood for a bit of humor and good natured fun-poking at the English language and our electronic management of it... keep reading!

I like words and am often told I use them too quickly, over exaggeratedly, or in an overabundance. Whatever the case may be, I like them! My daughters seem to carry the gene as well, as one is in college learning how to capture them at the rate of 225 per minute, and the other one, at the age of 8, uses words like "actually" and "lurking" and "inappropriate" with great skill and flair!

Having home schooled for nearly 15 years now, I've had my share of spelling challenges and writing papers. While great effort has been exerted into getting the males of my home to love the English language and all the joy it brings, I am more and more convinced there is a genetic code that makes one love it. If you don't have it, you don't love it. Sounds cruel and harsh, but that is my theory. I believe one can acquire a love of reading for the furtherance of other pursuits, as this has been evidenced in my hubby's life. He now loves to read, but for the gain of knowing God and His truth. He has never been found looking in the fiction book aisle.

I think there is a gene for spelling as well. Just a theory!
I have another theory. The game MadGab is a direct product of voice recognition software. I can't prove any of this.

Anyhow... Here is a funny poem that is so hard to read! I hope it is hard to read for the majority of people... but something tells me it isn't.

Candidate for a Pullet Surprise
by Mark Eckman and Jerrold H. Zar
I have a spelling checker,
It came with my PC.
It plane lee marks four my revue
Miss steaks aye can knot sea.
Eye ran this poem threw it,
Your sure reel glad two no.
Its vary polished in it's weigh.
My checker tolled me sew.
A checker is a bless sing,
It freeze yew lodes of thyme.
It helps me right awl stiles two reed,
And aides me when eye rime.
Each frays come posed up on my screen
Eye trussed too bee a joule.
The checker pours o'er every word
To cheque sum spelling rule.
Bee fore a veiling checker's
Hour spelling mite decline,
And if we're lacks oar have a laps,
We wood bee maid too wine.
Butt now bee cause my spelling
Is checked with such grate flare,
Their are know fault's with in my cite,
Of nun eye am a wear.
Now spelling does knot phase me,
It does knot bring a tier.
My pay purrs awl due glad den
With wrapped word's fare as hear.
To rite with care is quite a feet
Of witch won should bee proud,
And wee mussed dew the best wee can,
Sew flaw's are knot aloud.
Sow ewe can sea why aye dew prays
Such soft wear four pea seas,
And why eye brake in two averse
Buy righting want too pleas.

There are also some peeves that people who like language have. Like incorrectly using its and it's. There are dozens of similar stumbling points for many people, and while it seems trivial, it really is a simple thing to correct. IQ points aside, one will appear much smarter by just getting those little details correct!

I wish I had saved the FB posts that griped about peoples bad grammar and in the post used bad grammar! I understand both sides, for on one hand while I notice the errors in others, many of my own errors pass by me!

So for the sake of brevity, I will conclude this with a few fun links to blogs I like to read. They are down time stuff for me. Things that replace TV and knitting in my life.

This is Grammar Girl's blog. She is fun and informative at the same time.

Here is Lillie Ammann, another writer/editor who publishes her tidbits of knowledge and whit.

I am sure they will thank me for the links, as there will be so much more traffic on their site for all of the interest in this topic! Or maybe not!!

March 21 Came and Went...

2011-03-22T10:07:00.000-04:00

... and I was struck with this thought, it never once occurred to me that it was the first day of Spring! And then in reading Proverbs 22 today, I read verse 2. “The rich and the poor meet together: the Lord is the maker of them all.”

I know it is a stretch, but it made me realize that God is good to us all, wise and foolish, rich and poor, and some things he gives freely whether he is acknowledged or not.

There are people all over this world that wake up with evil spirits, thoughts and intentions, and yet it is God that gives them life and breath. People every day get good jobs and never thank God for the intelligence he has given them. People have children, buy houses, eat food... HAVE A PULSE!... and never once give even a blip of thought to God, let alone THANK HIM for these gifts!

Then there are others who wake up with grateful hearts and a burning desire to follow God, and they are riddled with cancer and cannot even get out of their bed for the pain and exhaustion. We all know people who are suffering with illness, job loss, car problems and really big struggles, who are trying to follow God. It seems like there is an imbalance, an unfairness in it all, but verse 2 tells me it is God who made them all.

It is not up to me to decide who gets what- either blessing or apparent trial. God is over all, and I have to KNOW to the core of my being that God Loves his children! II Corinthians 8: 8 “...and to prove the sincerity of your love.:” and 11 “Now therefore perform the doing of it; ...” What is it if I say I love God, and then complain if I have trials? Do I only love if it is easy? Do I believe that God loves me with a perfect love, and anything I go through is a direct action of that towards me? It certainly makes the things I go through much easier to bare keeping that in the forefront of my mind.

Life is not easy, but every day I am learning more and more of what The Lord means when he said, “Take my yoke upon you, and LEARN of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart; and ye shall find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” Matt 11:29-30.

Total Fluff and Fonts...

2011-03-20T22:57:00.000-04:00

I Love Fonts! I know... some of you are wondering what I could possibly mean, and why Do I Care about them?! But many years ago, I was turned on to fonts by my lovely daughter Olivia and her bud K8. I have googled them ever since and found some great sites that offer free fonts in every shape and size. I wish I could show them all to you, but that would not be possible!

So I have tried to take my most favorite ones, and put them here for you... with the name of the font for you to google and get the file should you love it too! Maybe not as easy to read but at least you will get an idea of them...! You can click the image and it will let you magnify it if you want!

Like I said, all of these have been FREE on the web. Just download and install in your system font file. Super easy on a mac, maybe a little trickier on a pc but IT CAN BE DONE! I have done it! So you know it is possible for even the most basic user! :)

I just love this font though. Whenever I do any graphics it is one of my first GOTO choices. If you look around at graphics, it is actually pretty popular out there as well.

But just by switching up the font choice, I think the mood of the message actually changes. Like you would have a very HARD time believing me if I told you I was struggling with depression if I wrote it in this font!

Maybe you would be more likely to believe me in this one though!!

And I could say just about any mean thing to you with this font, and you would leave feeling happy inside just because!

This is perfect for that party invitation for the kiddo's birthday party, don'tcha think?!

And this is just a cool casual note on a little post it for that special someone just to say Hey! Been thinking of you!!

Merry Christmas looks all the more dreamy and magical with stars surrounding it! Used this one on my card this year! :)

If I could get myself to write like this all the time, I think I would write notes more often. You?

Or I would even if my penmanship resembled this one. Neat, a definite righty slant... I like it!

this one is just crazy. Fun, but Crazy! \

I LOVE THE Scrolls And Grunge Of This Font. Whenever I have Used It, I Often Erase Alot Of the Craziness Around the Letters To Clean It Up A Little. Only The CAPITOLS HAVE ALL OF THE SCROLLS THOUGH> COOL HUH?

This is perfect if you digitally scrapbook. Think of all the hours saved!! If only we could get paid for saved time!

And I also appreciate a good chisel font. It is perhaps the most difficult thing to get really right by hand, so THIS is perfecto!

So now you know what I do in my spare time! I love a blog called Kevin and Amanda, and they have a bunch of FREE FONTS here... http://www.kevinandamanda.com/fonts/

They will even make a submitted selection of handwriting into a font if you think it os "font worthy"! I know someone whom I would like to get to submit her handwriting to them. Perhaps I will suggest she do just that!

Another really cool site...

http://www.waldenfont.com/default.asp?sc=30&gclid=COv9kLLU3qcCFRUq2godfQw3_Q

Just google free fonts and search away! Warning... make sure you don't have dinner cooking... it might get burned because you will be so distracted!

Sunset... Sunrise...

2011-03-19T17:45:00.000-04:00

We are thoroughly enjoying our time while in Florida. The churches we have been a part of are wonderful and welcoming! The weather has been stellar... especially taking into consideration our alternative if we were home!

We also are a family that loves the outdoors, and when that includes sun, sand and surf... all the better!

Before we left Largo we went to Madeira Beach and were treated to a beautiful sunset. We were meeting wonderful new friends (Joel and Kim and their guys) at The Candy Kitchen so we went a little early to catch the setting sun on the beach. It was BrIsK this particular evening, but we managed Just Fine!

I just kept taking a picture every minute... it is shocking how quickly it just disappears once it has hit the horizon!

The gulls and sand pipers were getting their last meal of the evening...

I love the double glare off the sun and the bit of water on the shore.

Here is Siah braving the cold wind and brisk water. The sun is a ball of glowing gold... so pretty!

The last peek of the night. It was actually quite hazy which made it quite etherial.

Then we went to Daytona, which meant if we wanted to catch the sun on the waters edge... we had to get up early! Thankful for the time change to standard time, which meant sunrise at 7:31. Whew! Not TOO early!

We went to 5th Avenue public beach access... not very romantic sounding but free parking!

We actually got there at 7:15 so we had several minutes to wait for this bitty sliver to show up...

Dan had his devo all planned out for the fam. He is good like that! :)

The guys doing... I don't know... what guys do! Muscles are always involved though.

Lookin, lookin, lookin...

I should have done my hair... who knew the guys would be so thoughtful to take a picture of us :)

You know I dont see the sunrise alot... especially over water. I am still amazed at how quickly it just moves up the sky.

Daddy snuggling Vannah... she was very cold even with the blanket wrapped around her :)

Almost ready to light the whole sky...

And it is up! It is neat to be on a peninsula where we can see the Sunrise and Sunset in just a few days! Quite a gift of beauty we are treated to... twice a day!

If we were doing Deputation in the 50's...

2011-03-12T12:37:00.000-05:00

This would surely be my vehicle of choice!! I am not even sure they DID deputation in the 50's!

While we were at New Testament BC there was a car show held in the church parking lot. There were over 40 cars from the area all ranging from a new 2011 California something or other Mustang. It was pretty and rare etc. Blah blah blah. Then there was a car I had never heard of called a Noble. It was cute.

But this 'Ol Suburban was amazing! There was three of them there like this one; two brown and cream, and then this one. They also had a Suburban panel truck! Talk about one of the first SUV's ever. I had fun with some PW actions on it. This one was called "fresh and colorful".

This is "PDub's B&W". Looks quite a bit more appropriate in black and white considering it is nearly 70 years old.

And this is called "Vintage" action. SO COOL! I will post some pictures of the cars all my boys were drooling over and coveting. They were crazy horse power and such. One truck was over 100 hp, and the owner had never even gotten close to the potential of it. There were others that had OVER $70,000 in MODIFICATIONS!!! That is unbelievable! And crazy thing... that was not their only vehicle like it! Wow! Talk about not knowing what to do with your money! I guess if it makes them happy.

Sadly, they will surely regret it one millisecond after death. Oh that we will all live to lay up treasure in Heaven! May I live that way each day!

A "Bit 'O Home-y"

2011-03-04T11:23:00.000-05:00

We were thrilled to learn that the B's were going to be in Tampa! We were only 30 minutes or so away, so we made plans to join them at Fowler Ave. Baptist Church to help with an afternoon kids camp called "Backlot". A tremendous outreach to kids from nearby homes. Many are from less than advantageous situations which could be read on many of their faces. Many of these kids were facing two strikes against them the day they were born. So SAD!! Every one of them needs Jesus, and many of them would have never heard if not for the vision of this church to reach them.

It is a weekly activity and they take two vans out to get the kids from wherever they can find them... truly not a hard search as right across the street there are thousands of low income houses and apartments on hundreds of acres of land. Literally a mission field full of people.

The church is blessed with a HUGE back yard, hence the name of the program, "Backlot". They organize the kids as best as possible and play games and share the Love of Christ with them. There is a devotional time where they are carefully presented with the Gospel. I say carefully, for as many know the world is filled with people who "said a prayer" when they were young for whatever the motivation, and truly have never understood the Good News unto Salvation. People who errantly rely on a few spoken words and then live life however they want believing they will be kept from hell by a "safety net" made of dust.

Oh! that the Gospel would go forth in TRUTH and that people would accept it carefully, with true repentance and sadness at their lost and fallen state without Christ! Those that receive it with gladness are quite possibly sold a gospel that sounds much like the prosperity preachers... "Just believe God and all your troubles will melt away and Life will be great!" There is truth in that, but only in the fact that our troubles are no different, just our response to them! They melt away in the light of the fact that truly we know in whom we have believed and that though in this flesh there dwelleth no good thing, our HOPE is in Christ!

In the only two hours we were there, surely our influence will not go very far. Truly they impacted us far more than we impacted them! The Pastor, however is there every day, every week, praying for them and loving on them, and available to be a hand in the stead of Christ. The church is a beacon of Light Spreading the Gospel - shining in a dark corner of Tampa. I know the Lord is honored in that place!

We were truly blessed to be able to share in the day's events. Beyond that we were able to sped some quality time with some of our dearest friends, and that was certainly the icing on the proverbial cake! Even Savannah remarked at how nice it was to be with "people we really know". Sentiment shared by All I will tell you!

A Tea Time Treat!

2011-02-27T21:04:00.000-05:00

I think if I had been driving I would have passed right by because this little treat was in the middle of regular residential houses in Largo. A couple of the staff wives brought me and Savannah, and the other missionary wife, Ana, out today to this tea house. It was cozy and filled with everything tea, girl-ish and flowery.

Someone had a knack for making mosaic benches and counters for an outdoor bar-type seating area, and they also had a penchant for collecting everything and anything that struck their fancy. I think this business stemmed more from their love of collecting than for making delicious meals!

I could have photographed for hours and never taken a shot of everything. It truly was a sensory overload in some aspects, and a complete delight in others!

The floor was painted so beautifully with large tropical flowers, and I was sad that the sun was shining so brilliantly that I couldn't get a clear shot of the whole area. (Even as I typed that, I debated striking it as the date on the calendar read February 26, and I KNOW back home everyone is currently hunkered down in frigid temperatures and feet of snow! I almost feel a little bad about complaining about this lovely, skin-drenching-with-VitaminD sun! Almost!) (That is the worst of my evil side. Really!)

While the tea was to be a treat for us ladies, I doubled the moment to include it as Savannah's last tea party while still 7! Her birthday is March 3 and it seemed too soon to celebrate this as her birthday, so the other option worked!

Here she is in a bus renovated to be everything child and tea and pink. Her little companion is Bailey, one of the twins that escorted us. Bradon (her brother) was NOT as enthusiastic about this place!

It was time to get to the table to enjoy the brunch, and Bradon quickly decided he was done with all things pink and flowery. His mommy saw a teeny spot on his thumb that may have been the cause of the problem, and we asked for a little ice to put on it. They brought out their ice, and it was absolutely perfect for a finger boo-boo! It was like a little frozen mushroom cap, and it fit right over his thumb.

It kept him a little entertained for a few minutes, but thankfully we were nearing the end of our visit, because he really just wanted his bed, and we needed to get him home!

I want to have an Ice Maker like this! Aren't they great?! How crazy that in light of all there was to see, I was thrilled with the ice! It was a wonderful treat with some equally terrific ladies! Thanks so much New Testament BC, and Janette and Kim! We had a delightful time!

A Job Completed

2011-02-26T18:18:00.000-05:00

While we were in our state of homelessness, we were so blessed to stay with the pastor and his family of Lakeview Baptist Church in Saucier, MS. What they had been expecting to be a few days of us parking our camper in their yard became nearly a full three weeks of us living with them- the kids in his sisters RV and Dan and I in their son's room. (He is in college.) For the first week we were treated like guests. After that they realized we weren't leaving any time soon, and we quickly became family status... which we were thrilled to take!

The church was in the beginning stages of a mini remodel, and we were glad to be of assistance in some small ways. This family cannot sing in four part harmony or play instruments to melt the heart, but we can pull nails and chisel out concrete!

Here are some beginning shots of the guys working on getting nails out of the removed wood. It was going to be reused as strips to nail the sheet rock onto.

Prepping inside to get all of the flooring covered. The beams in the ceiling were going to be painted a creamy shade of white, and the rug was not slated to be replaced, so this was quite prudent!

Nearly all covered, and you can see the back wall is the wood that was getting removed.

Micah was making a good show of working with the chop saw... but that didn't last long. He was actually a great help in keeping Savannah occupied by finding her little critters to play with.

She was thinking about naming the little guy... but I (wisely!) discouraged this. We were in the first week of a 10 week long venture, and I was not about to tote him with us all along the southern coast!

He wasn't the cutest or the nicest one we had seen either. This one clung on for dear life so much so that she was getting a little freaked out that HE had CHOSEN US to be his ticket out of there.

A couple of good flicks and he was off her finger. Whew! That was not going to end well if he didn't decide to leave willingly!

Here Josiah is using a reciprocating saw... I think that is what it is. (I learned something watching my Daddy all those years!) They had to remove the boxes around all of the windows and make new ones that were deeper to be flush with the drywall once it was hung.

Micah also helped Savannah find a new adventure in the bamboo bushes. They cut down tree after tree and made a mess really, but it was an easy clean up and they had a riot with it. Simple children to please!

This is post sheet rock up and painted, and the carpeting was cleaned while all of the chairs were out of the area.

We stopped by after an evening out, and Levi was showing off all of his work. I know he has only been in the first picture so far, but he really did do a lot of the labor!

This is the day we left Gulfport. We made one final stop to the church to see it nearly all put back together. The chairs were in place, and most of the boxes were around the windows...

The ceiling was all painted and the back wall was now a compliment to the main sanctuary in style and color.

This is a shot of the main platform nearly finished. All of this was done within a week! We were certainly not the only people working- there was a crew of four men there every day, but still it was completed in a much shorter time than they expected. It was a blessing to be a part of this church, even if primarily with a little sweat. We have been so blessed by the people of this family of the faith, and we continue to pray for them and their leadership, and the work the Lord desires to do with them. We are also grateful that even though we aren't the traditional "musically talented" missionary family, we are given opportunities to be a blessing in the area of our family's giftedness... demolition and reconstruction!

The Pick Up DAY! Part 2

2011-02-19T14:13:00.002-05:00

Sorry for the suspense filled night... I know you were dying to know the details...!

Just a preview!!

After we - astutely I might add- realized the van would not be fixed before we would need to get the camper, we just decided to leave... broken hinges and all. That surely was a job for another day!

So here it is Tuesday at 2:45, and we need to drive 50 minutes to PawPaws Campers in Picayune, MS. Simply by pronouncing the name of the dealership you know we are in the south, even if you are from a foreign land and have no idea what state abbreviations mean. There is no other way to say that than with a southern drawl. Kind of like the sandwiches they have here... "Po Boys". Other wise known as subs, grinders, hoagies, or "subway" for you more traveled folk! Southern through and through, I am tellin' y'all.

Ok... back to the pick up day!

Just a bit of background info here.

Mississippi has rains that pretty much will flash flood. (Or hurricanes... remember Katrina?!) For that reason, there are large gullies along the sides of the roads for the water to run into to prevent the roads from being impassable. They also build the roads up quite a bit, for as we all know from 3rd grade Science class, (we are all smarter than 5th graders here, right?!) water will take the path of least resistance and flow to the lowest point. It makes for passable roads, but they have not mastered the "shoulder of the road" thing. They put the rumble grooves ON the white line... if there is a white line... which is also the edge of the road. Period. No SHOULDER! Just a little dirt... then the gully. Wow! So UnLike NY! There is a visual for you...

Now the other fun piece is... this a logging industry haven. They grow super huge Southern Pines that the rest of the world knows as telephone poles. I personally knew they had to come from somewhere, and now I know one major source of them.

Anyhow.

In order for the pines to grow tall and straight, they have to keep the ground brush free of the junk that will not only make them grow less, but will also make harvesting quite a challenge. Ever walk through thicket? Well me neither, but Dan tells me it is a pain. I guess he has done it a few times while hunting. Who knew?!

Anyhow.

In order to keep the ground cleared, they start brush fires that to these Yankee eyes look nothing short of a full blown forest fire to rival the ones in Southern California. I am talking acres of burning ground that billow black smoke hundreds of yards into the sky, and project the heat to any vehicle that may pass by. Just imagine it! It truly is a startling thing to me, yankee that I am! (I know you southern friends are so familiar with this... liken it to seeing 4 feet of snow on your lawn. The "shock factor" comparison is similar!)

Anyhow.

We got to PawPaws, put the whole hitch thing into the receiver, and then got the clamps onto the tongue of the camper for the load leveling bars, put the chains on, hooked up the electric, and both nearly felt like we were going to be physically ill. After what seems like anything that could go wrong has in the past three weeks, we were- to say the least- ~~filled with angst and anxiety~~ nervous.

We pulled it out of the parking lot quadruple checking every angle, turn, mirror and tire... and every creek of the axels and squeak of the hitch and rattle of the chains brought back visions of metal being ripped off the van and 32' of camper sliding free-form on pavement... I was not doing well to say the least! One look at my man... and he was faring little better!! We have traveled campers for YeArS at speeds of 75 mph through wind, rain, sleet and snow and navigated out of tight parking lots behind dealerships with 70 ft. drops separated only by broken and rusted fences... we are not novices here! We were visibly shaken just getting this thing out of the parking lot!!! (OH... just keep praying for us!)

Now we have the 50 minutes to travel this back to Saucier where we will park it until we leave for Florida in a couple of days. Now comes the time when that little bit of background information comes in handy.

We were traveling a small country road between Rt 59 and Rt 603. I cannot begin to tell you the name of the road, but it was very much like the one pictured above. Except it had no white and yellow lines. Just a narrow paved road edged with a little bit of dirt and gullies. Then we catch a visual of some black plumes of smoke, and first-hand we experience acres of brushfire RIGHT UP TO THE ROAD!!! We are already completely unnerved trailering this camper, and this had to happen! These are not actual pictures. I was ~~too busy covering my head and crying out like a baby for mercy~~ enjoying the scene to have the presence of mind to take an actual picture.

We were so comforted to see the 'ol boys that owned the land standing nearby, each with a shovel in their hand just in case it got out of control. You know, a man can do a lot with a shovel.

The fire went RIGHT UP TO THE EDGE OF THE ROAD!!!! I am not kidding here!!

Savannah... please comment and tell people I am dead serious when I say these things! I expect this in Zambia... I ExPeRienCed this in Zambia... but that is a 3rd world country!!!

I have stress in my neck just typing this because it is making me relive those moments. I no longer cared about the creaking of all the metal, it was certainly going to be a fire ball that would do this camper in! I didn't even look at Dan for fear he would mirror my emotions, and we would just curl up in two little balls and never be heard of again. I am sure it was only a few hundred yards of fire that we passed through, but I so understood the teeniest tad of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego's plight for those brief moments.

Dan somehow managed to hold it all together, and the camper stayed centered on the narrow little road, and we did make it to our destination. And when we got back we just thanked the Good Lord for his abundant mercy in our lives. Mercy alone is truly why we are not consumed!!

Here is a nice picture to leave you with. The trees somehow survive the flames, and the ground is much cleared of the ground scrub. Oh the things we are learning on deputation. Not only about geography and regions unlike our own, but of God and his amazing love for us. Truly we are blessed and thankful for all of these events. Who knows what we may need to have in our arsenal of personal experiences when we get to Zambia! God knows... and we continue to TRUST HIM in it ALL!!

The Pick Up DAY! Part 1

2011-02-18T18:16:00.001-05:00

On Tuesday we were scheduled to pick up our new HOME!! We were excited and terrified all at the same time! We have had some unusual and exceptional experiences traveling a camper, and all of them have wreaked havoc on our resolve to never worry! Unfounded and irrational fears are one thing, but we have a little track record of the unexpected and unbelievable happening... many times before the first installment is even paid on the vehicle! So needless to say, we were both a little ~~sick to our stomachs~~ uneasy. We were supposed to get there around 10:30 am which would allow for the plans we had for the rest of the day, but it was NOT going to happen the way we planned. As we are learning... few things do!

Dan took the van to have the frame looked at. Kind of important to make sure it is all good after 8,000 lbs of camper get ripped right off the frame. You think?!?

Well, there is a "frame specialist" guy here who took a look at it, and said it is fine- except a little spot (that is not a safety concern) and if Dan wanted him to he could weld a piece onto it to make it extra doubly safe. (umm... YES PLEASE!!) He then proceeded to look at some of the factory welds and also all of the lovely NYS rust-in-progress all over the under side, as well as the door hinges. (Our passenger doors have never closed right since we purchased the truck, and the left door hinges were just plain BROKEN!) He said he could take care of all of it... as well as install the hitch and spray a special "bondo-black-change-rust-into-metal" stuff under the rear end... for an UnBEliEvAbLe price. This was Monday afternoon, and Dan said "SURE... if you can get it all done by Tuesday morning". (Remember our appointment to get the camper...?!) He gave Dan his word, and said "if everything was that easy he would sleep like a baby every night". Famous last words...

Dan got there Tuesday morning, and he was spittin' and bashing' and mumblin' and bangin' all over those hinges... AND the other things weren't even started!! WHAT?!?!?

Arrange to come back in three hours...

The hitch and other things are finally done, but the door hinges were barely half done. And there were some nice new custom work done on the paint job! We took the van to get the camper... ** look for a post on that next**... with the agreement we would bring the van back on Thursday morning to get the job finished "while we wait for it".

This is now the new and improved easy to close "finished hinges"...

Shored Up right hinge... still a little rusty but closing well! :)

and after 12 HOURS here is the final product on the left originally broken and rusted hinge. BeLiEvE me when I say this looks AMAZING compared to what it looked like mid-progress!! (Well except for the gouges to the paint..!!)

The New Hand Made Hinge...
and my Newly Pedicured toes in the reflection! Thank You Lovely DANA!! :)

This also explains the reason for the original estimates we had received for this job. Several times what we paid!

It not only wasn't done on Tuesday morning, it wasn't done Tuesday afternoon. Or Thursday Morning when we brought it back again... and then finally THIS MORNING (Friday!!), Dan waited an additional three hours to get the job completed. Not what we had originally expected to be sure, BUT... the frame is great, there is a new undercoat on the van, the hitch receiver is installed, some factory welds are shored up... and my doors close GREAT!! All in all... we SO are thankful for this vehicle! It certainly has been through a lot!

Please STOP the madness!

2011-02-18T16:17:00.000-05:00

NO, nothing tragic has happened... ! WHEW! I can hear the collective sigh of relief! :)

But we have been going full steam for 7 full days... with no end in sight!

We left last weekend having purchased our lovely new camper, but still had yet to get a new hitch receiver put onto our van, and ALSO need to replace the hitch and load leveling bars (the hitch BrOkE and the bars BenT!) Turns out the receiver was an older style, and the pieces that broke during "The Event" were not able to be replaced. In light of that fact, and that we are minus one "metal magic man" who can refashion us some new pieces (not like I would trust them... I am just a sceptic like that...!!) we needed new ones. All of these this needed to happen (Obviously!) before we picked up the new camper. I've never kept a running tally of these purchases... as I have never had to buy them before all of these escapades we find ourselves on. Turns out, these things on the retail market are not only ridiculously expensive, they are usually a special order for the ones we need. WHAT?!?!

We called U-h@ul (@=a ... again!) and they could order us our receiver and have it in time... or so they told us! We wanted it on Friday, and then on Friday they said "We have you scheduled for a pick up and install next Tuesday!" Oh NO you don't! We were not overly impressed with their PR skills already, and this just pushed them over the edge. After we ~~explicitly~~ calmly explained our situation, they offered to have it overnighted for us to be there by Saturday noon... exactly three hours AFTER we had planned to leave for Alabama. But why not, right? We need to learn how Zambian time works eventually...!! So we delayed our departure, and got the receiver only to be further insulted because the clerk said, "I have given you a discount to reflect our apologies for your inconvenience"... and then charged us the regular price!!

The New Receiver... and Oil Change Day! Those come quite frequently anymore!!

WHO CARES at this point! Just get us out of there and take the receiver and RUN!! It is a very pretty receiver, by the way. All shiny and not rust-finished! So unlike anything that has been on a New York vehicle for any amount of time!

So Pretty! And not broken - Bonus! :)

THEN we still needed the hitch and load leveling bars! Cr@igslist to the RESCUE! Thankfully (Read God-orchestrated event!) only 50 minutes away a man had a set for a fraction of the cost, and that was used only two times! YAY!! He had listed it only a few days before we started looking, and had held onto them for years! God knew we needed them... and WHEN!

We were finally all ready to get the camper! Another post!

An FYI chronology...

2011-02-11T11:50:00.000-05:00

Here is the letter I recently emailed to those on my "update list". If you want this emailed to you, please just let me know! If you click the image, it will bet bigger, and more easy to read.

Have a great day!

This Sunday Eve...

2011-02-07T21:18:00.001-05:00

While I was waiting for the evening service to begin here in Mississippi, I was listening to the first few minutes of my home church service online. I LOVE that our church broadcasts LIVE on JustinTV. We have been staying with friends in MS while going to a missions conference these past few days. We are staying with a pastor and his family as well, and will be attending church with them tonight. Their initials are R&R, and it has truly been a good place for us to be after the events of these past few weeks! R&R!!

Guys and guns just seem to go together. I have no idea what kind of gun this was, but it was loud.

Randy shot a few, and then gave it to Dan. His backyard is full of a lot of land and a pond, so there was nothing preventing this bit of fun. He says his neighbors think he is crazy already, so there was no real harm there either :) Actually it was during the day, and likely they were gone.

The pond is stocked with hundreds of fish just beckoning the guys to catch them. We have talked about frying up some good 'ol catfish. These are from waters much cleaner than those in NYS so likely they will taste quite good. Still not sure if I will eat them, but everyone else will!

Cast away guys! In each picture you can see the lute in the air. The black blip to the right on the one above, and nearly center on the one below. I have no idea what they were fishing with, but they were big enough to show~!

This is something we are thoroughly enjoying. Back in our hometown this is a rare sight indeed. It is rare in the summer, and especially in early February! It was warm and bright. Perfect!

The natives of this area say it is as cold as they get for the most part. We can handle this no problem! If we have to be homeless, this is a good place for it to be so!

The sun set so quickly behind the line of trees. We had only a few minutes before we needed to get ready for church, so it was good that we weren't tempted to stay home to enjoy the sunset!

The long shadows are the same here as in the north. The short winter days when the sun is at a low angle to the Earth are tell tell signs of the season, even if the short shirt sleeves tell a different tale!

Yet another perk of this restful haven... Randy is a bit of a car nut. He has this gorgeous car and it is truly a pleasure to just look at it. Just today he bartered with a friend and now has an authentic train whistle that he is debating on mounting under his truck- complete with compressor for maximum sound. It is quite LoUd and people would definitely MOVE AWAY!!

Pastor Randy was not always a preacher, and a great majority of his previous occupation(s) and current hobbies make this a fun place for our guys. He was a builder and a gun nut. He has tools, gadgets, guns and land. Great combinations! We may stay here a while!

Thankfully we do not drive a "Compact Car"...

2011-02-03T16:01:00.002-05:00

Just a "Well Packed" one!!

Notice the car-top carrier... it is loaded down with a bunch of SB's crammed and suctioned with every piece of clothing we figured we could do without for a few days... or weeks! The inside of the van has more bags and boxes and baskets... and SB's that (unfortunately!) expanded prematurely and may forever be lodged in place until we decide to cut them out!

Hard to say what is going on in their brains right about now. They are doubly homeless in the passed 10 days. We moved out of our house into our camper... and now we have no camper. This is either insanity or following God. I pray it is the latter...!

Chair backs have become coat racks, and seat cushions have become ExTrA cushiony with three and four blankets layered on them! Ma Hayes was snapping all these pictures as Dan and I were only slightly ~~out of our minds~~ preoccupied trying to get it all in and not bust the door hinges at the same time.

We drove out without incident... (I whispered that if you were wondering why it is so small.) I am not superstitious but I do believe in opposing forces and am praying for God's favor on us and protection from the wicked one. God wins the war, but we are in these battles through the journey. We pray we are found faithful, following, and believing all along the way.

We may regret vacuum packing some of those clothes...! This is looking to be the trend for the next few days! I know, most of you are enjoying 15" of snow and sub zero wind chill! We will take this in stride, and get out our hoodies and fuzzy slippers!

Stay tuned... I (HOPEFULLY) see another episode of "Flip this Camper"in my future!!

Wow! Web Crawlers or what??!

2011-02-03T15:39:00.003-05:00

Remember my previous post about how I sung the praises of those bags that get sucked down and make all of your stuff really compact?! Well they commented on the post! NO LIE!! Check it out... the one from correspondent(I have changed the name to avoid further attraction to this post!) Here is a KEY to help you read the comment... (@=a)

Hi Janice,

Just wanted to say we are happy Sp@ce B@g (SB) was able to help you pack all your clothing and blankets! You seem to be on quite the journey, and it is good to know our products are able to help out in some small way. Please feel free to visit SB's online community - the Sp@ce S@vers community - and share your story of using SB products with other members. We also have many articles and blog posts on s@ving sp@ce and getting organized that may help you in the future. Hope to hear from you soon and good luck with the rest of your travels!

Best wishes,

Sp@ce S@vers community correspondent

WOW! Do I feel stalked now! Caution and Beware what one puts on the BloG!!

Sp@ce B@gs to the Rescue!

2011-02-01T18:47:00.002-05:00

("@" = a)

Here is our solution to the dilemma of how to cram all of our possessions from a 32 foot camper into our 15 passenger van. While the van is without question quite large... when there are all the bench seats in it as well as 6 people, there is quite a limitation on space!

We packed up the entire contents of the camper into our van and brought it to the Hayes. Thankfully they have a carport, for while the North is getting feet of snow dumped onto them, we are getting the "warm weather" equivalent... Torrential Rain! We are looking for a new camper but have yet to find the right one. We are leaving Louisiana tomorrow to go to Gulfport, MS, and really need to have a solution to this!

How to consolidate the clothing and the bedding was the primary issue, and thankfully we have watched enough TV and Sp@ce B@gs commercials came to mind! We got several jumbo XL cube bags, and VOILA!

Shove, squish, push and SuCk! Darline's little shopvac did the job.

Slowly but surely the mound of clothing and pillows and blankets and coats vacuumed into hardened, colorful little brick bags.

Sadly the kitchen supplies wouldn't get any smaller! :)

Literally this was un-passable before. Dan purchased a car top carrier to hold much of the junque, and hopefully it will be secured and ratcheted down well. Also we are hoping it is aerodynamic enough to cut down a little of the wind resistance and scoop the air over the camper when we get one!

This is what the older guys did while Micah helped me consolidate. Nick and Devin have a 1985 Dodge truck, and Si loves wires and speakers and the guys got a new stereo for Christmas. That is a sure fire recipe for manly bonding time!

Maybe tomorrow I will post the post packing pictures! This will be interesting, is all I can say!

Top 10 things...

2011-01-31T00:43:00.001-05:00

When we travel... wait a minute, let me clarify that. When we are actually driving on the road and not ministering to tow truck drivers and other heavy equipment operators, we like to listen to messages by many varied preachers and teachers. We have our favorite "traveling pastors", many of which we have never met. I have been listening to a series by Beth Moore called "Wise Up", which is a study of Proverbs on 12 different different topics. One topic was "How wisdom looks on a wife". There was one part where she did a top 10 list of why she loves her husband, and their marriage, and I absolutely loved it. I have wanted to make my own top ten list, and have had a more than a few opportunities to write and re-write it! I will likely have a few similar to her as there are truly some universal things that make a good marriage, but for the most part this list will be unique to us.

The top 10 things I love about my marriage and my husband.

10. He will gladly watch a chic-flick with me. And likely enjoy it as much as I will.

9. He is finally getting a receding hair line. I know it sounds crazy, but I always hoped he would go bald.

8. He is one of the most empathetic people I know.

7. He is my biggest fan.

6. His feet never smell. Ever. Now that is saying something.

5. I love that he regularly engages each of our children in conversation. Not just surface stuff either. Real, deep, and meaningful.

4. I love that he is neater than I am.

3. I love knowing that if we had to do it all over again, we would both still choose each other.

2. I love that he and I share love for our five children like no one else will.

1. I love Dan Jalowiec.