Another language blooper--know what you're talking about before you talk!!!

Well, I did it again.
Yes, language learning is a humbling experience.
You just never know what you're going to say---- and especially on the phone!

Ok, so just so you know, I do not even like to talk on the phone anymore in english since my time in Brasil. Phone conversations in another language will cure you of that!

Do you remember the experience in Brasil when we ended up with a few thousand phone books in our garage because John "went for context" in a conversation and heard the word "phone book" and agreed to something????

Yesterday was a "going for context day" for me.
On the phone. Even worse!

For a little background info to set up the story------ John's been going to the chiropractor for his back and he said I need to go. Probably TMI, but since Faith, I've had probs with my lower back. Scar tissue and almost being paralyzed from an epidural with too much previous scar tissue..... Anyway, it was really hurting last week.

So, I get a phone call yesterday. John was not here to answer it. (If you let the phone keep ringing, your husband will answer it becasue it will drive him nuts. Then you don't have to talk in another language on the phone.)

I anwered it and all I heard was ........Dr......'s office..........nerve damage.

Oh, ok, I can do this. It's the chiropractor calling about scheduling an appointment with her for my back. Gee, thanks John! So, she asks something about pain....... and then describe.........

Ok, sure. I have pain sometimes. I described it, told why, since when.......... Lots of details,,,,,
Then she asked about my dental crown.
Hmmmm. Red flag. Why would she ask about my crown.

Oh, she must want to make sure I've had all of that taken care of before she treats me.
hmmmmm her spanish is REALLY good! (She's american) Maybe it's her secretary, but I thought she said it was the doctor. Ok, I'll play along, I'll keep talking in spanish.

So, a few more questions and answers and it was obvious she was confused. (of course it wasn't me! haha) Actually, I think she reall yWAS confused at this point!

So, I bit the bullet, swallowed my pride and asked, "Which doctor is this?" "Who am I talking to?" (you can go so long and then it gets kind of awkward and you have to admit you're clueless sometimes.)

"Oh,.................. you're the dental specialist. You did my root canal. Oh, sure, there's no more pain since you treated the nerve!!!! Obviously I thought you were another doctor........"

How embarrassing! Maybe she was impressed by my vast vocabulary though? Right????
I don't think so!!!!!!!!!

So, make sure you always know what the conversation is about before you jump head first into it! You may really sound crazy if you don't! (In my case, it just proved the assumption.....)

Robbery

Well, you know we were robbed twice in Brasil. Once at gunpoint and the guy shot right at John's head. It miraculously missed him and only grazed the side of his head right by his temple.

Last night we had an interesting experience.
We were taking care of 4 other kids for another missionary family and also had another new couple over at our house with us. We ordered pizza from Domino's.

We gave directions for our house (remember it goes by how many meters, etc.) and they called to confirm. John gave one set of directions and when they called to confirm I gave them coming from another corner of the park, so they were a bit confused. I did not know which directions John gave and I only went by what I had written down.

So, they found our street and we heard them drive right by. John was trying to flag them down, but it was too late. They called back to reconfirm. We waited and waited and the pizza never came. It was over an hour at this point.

Finally, they showed up. 2 delivery guys on motorcycles. They said a 3rd guy actually had our pizzas and he was lost. This is where the story got interesting.

The original guy was one of the 2 at our house. He was pretty shaken up. He drove past our house originally and stopped at the corner to call me to find out the directions again. When he did, a guy pulled a knife on him and held it to his side and robbed him of all his money. Right by our house. He said the guy was on drugs. So, he went back to Domino's and another guy headed out for our house with our pizza and the wrong address.

We finally got our pizza and had 3 delivery guys out front on motorcycles talking for a while. John told him he understood what he was feeling and told about how he was robbed at gunpoint and shot at......

A lady nearby had her purse stolen this weekend while walking. We need to really be a little more careful the next few months. We hear it gets a little more common as Christmas gets closer. We need to make sure we carry nothing on us we don't mind losing. (Maybe we can carry our grammar books out in the open........)

So far since we've been here, no one has had any problems. But, we've been told it goes in spurts. Many students in the past have had problems with robbery and such.

John's hair

I don't know if you remember, but we had a little "joke" about John's hair all through language school in Brasil. He found a gray hair and kept his hair highlighted. Well, the first time it was sort of by accident--- he didn't understand the guy and agreed to it. Next thing he knew, he was wearing a cap and the guy started pulling his hair through it. I liked it and he kept it. It hid the "gray", in his mind.

He used to go regularly to get it highlighted, so we teased him that his best friend was his hairdresser. When graduation came around, we said it would just be his hair stylist there to see him graduate. As a joke, of course. Well, graduation came around and guess who showed up? Yep, the hairstylist. He even came to lunch with all of us afterwards.

We were in the States for 10 months, and when John and I went back to Sao Paulo in May to close up our house and pack for Mexico, where do you think the first place he went was????? I don't think I even need to answer that one.......

So, fast forward to Costa Rica----- John has already been a few times to get his hair highlighted here. (Yes, you're counting right, we've only been here about 9 weeks!) I could not help but laugh the other day. He got his hair higlighted again the night before and he said, "Oh, she (his stylist) told me she can take you and show you what to buy and teach you how to do this so you can do my hair for me in Mexico." He was serious.

I lost it. I could not help but laugh. Only John would come up with that one.
Gotta love him!

Reality of being here

We had a pretty busy weekend.
John is really tired. He's had a very busy 2 weeks and is worn down. You can only go so long and then it catches up with you! It's been a good 2 weeks, but hard with the girls sick, long days and extra things to fit in and school work.
We have a few tests this week. Hopefully John will get a lot of rest.
I had to take a nap today. I need to get a lot of studying done now this evening.

I talked to someone about getting a "talking buddy".
I need someone to practice talking with. We don't get much opportunity to talk in class.
I just need to apply what I'm learning in real conversation settings.

It can be a little challenging for women here. (Especially with 5 kids) LOL!
The guys can get out and talk to people pretty easily, but you have to be careful as a woman. It's not very safe to be out alone at night and it gets dark by about 5 p.m. To strike up conversations with men can be seen as a little "forward", so you have to be careful. Since we're all "on foot", the guys end up being out and about doing a lot of the errands or whatever in the evenings. It's hard to take all the kids out----- and not always safe--- so, the wives can have less opportunities to get out and have meaningful conversations. We (wives) tend to not get out nearly as much if we have kids at home in the evenings

So, hopefully, I'll have a "friend" to talk to soon. One of our bosses is working on it for me. (Kind of sad to have to go look for a friend to talk to.....)
I'm praying we'll make good friends right away in Mexico also so I can continue to learn and improve my spanish.

We've been giving devotionals in conversation class once a week. It's a lot of fun and I really enjoy it, but it's short. Maybe I can practice that too.

Another update on John's visit

The man John visited with our professor a few weeks ago died this morning around 4:30 a.m.
His lungs were filling with fluid this weekend and he could not breathe.

Our teacher called about an hour ago to let us know. She will not be able to go to the funeral in the morning because of work. She did visit with the family this afternoon.
John would like to go tomorrow, but I'm not sure he will get to because it's right in the middle of our school day.

Please continue to pray for the family. He was a believer, but his wife and sons are not. One son is 17 and the other is 21. The oldest has been pretty rebellious and does not work, did not go to college and may be into drugs.

He said he wanted to glorify God whether it was through his life or through his death. We are praying his family will turn to God through this time. It would be very easy for them to just forget about God since He's not a priority in their life right now. But, as we know, they need Him now more than ever!

It's pretty hectic here this week....

We've had a pretty wild week so far.
Nothing like last week with the girls sick and missing school, but very hectic.

Yesterday we left for school at 7 a.m. and did not really get home until after 9:30 at night. I was home for tutoring in between there, but then left again. As soon as the kids came home from school we headed out with a new couple that arrived yesterday. John helped them do a few things they needed to do and then we went out to eat. After dinner we all went to another family's house and met 2 more new families they had over for dinner. It was really nice to be able to visit for a change, but the poor kids did absolutely no homework. Actually, we didn't either. So, this morning was a crazy day trying to get out the door. We had to explain to their teachers that we just didn't get anything done last night. It was important to do what we did though. That just happens sometimes.

I had a devotional to give in conversation class today. I did not get to look up the vocabulary I didn't know in spanish last night, so I had to translate as I went. I just went in with 4 pages written in English and skimmed it and translated as quickly as I could while I talked. That's one way to wake up at 7:30 a.m.! (It's my first class.)

Right in the middle of my presentation, someone interrupted our class to tell me the doctor was waiting on us. We had an appointment scheduled for Sam for 9:40, but apparently it was moved to 8:00 and no one told us. That was pretty frustrating because we scheduled it around classes, the best time for Sam.... So, I ended up going to get Sam and when I got back to the doctor's office (he comes to our school 2 days a week), he had just left!!! I couldn't believe it. I wasn't very happy about that! I don't blame him for thinking it was a "no-show", but he moved all of the appointments up-- almost 2 hours-- and we were never informed! So, that did not help the already crazy morning.

I prefer everything very calm, organized and planned out. It can get a little hectic being out of the home every day.

I wish I could study at home with private tutors sooooooo badly instead of having to go to the school every day. I would get a lot more done (school-wise and house-wise). I like to go at my pace and just zoom through the material. Not spend 2 hours waiting for everyone else to take turns practicing stuff in grammar and only getting to talk a few minutes in conversation class. I'd rather have a private tutor and talk 2 hours and do the grammar I need for 2 hours. It's good review, but I'd rather move on to stuff I need to work on. I'm not getting much conversational practice at all and it's kind of frustrating. I already finished one of our books. We're about half way through it in class. That means waiting for everyone. I started the 2nd book with my tutor. I'm working with her in the afternoon 2 days a week for an hour each time and it's very productive! We cover a subject and I do all of the exercises for it. The next class, we move on. We don't camp out for a week there. I love it!

School is going well. It's just busy with the 5 kids. Levi has about 4 exams a week and Sam has some too. I have to spend a lot of time helping Levi study for that. I type out history study guides for him on the weekends. Otherwise, he gets a study guide the night before his exam. And if he fills it out incorrectly, then he studies the wrong answers and misses it on the exam. He's doing much better since we began doing that. Of course, this week I tried it without. It made it a lot harder to study. He has 2 exams tomorrow.

It's 9:00 and I have about 4 hours worth of work ahead of me. I guess I should get busy.....

It's been a good week. Just very busy. We have meetings Friday and Saturday. I think the weekend is going to fly by too quickly.

I'm really praying for a friend in Mexico. I need someone to talk with in Spanish. It's not going to happen here as busy as we are. Plus, it's so temporary and transitional. It's kind of hard to make a good friend......

Friendship with God

Think about what "friend" means. We have so many different levels of friendship. We can have someone we don't know very well, yet he is our "friend". We can go to the other end of the spectrum and have a person that knows everything about us and is closer than a brother.

A good friend is a very valuable thing. A friend is there when you need him. To cry with, to laugh with, to understand when no one else does, to even just sit in silence at times when you need him just to be there. I think friendship is a very special and important thing.

Have you ever needed a friend? I will admit, life in another country can be very lonely at times. Especially at first when you don't have the language or relationships or the culture or the same experiences as the people around you. You're kind of caught in between 2 worlds. Your own world and your new one. Eventually, you make friends and things change.

But, back to friends...... I've been reading through Exodus and chapter 34 really made an impression as I read it again this past week. Let me set it up first....

In chapters 30 and 31, God gives Moses instructions for building the tabernacle and for the Sabbath. Moses is up on the mountain with God and Joshua. He doesn't come back for a while, so the people decided they needed a man-made god they can worship and they end up with a golden calf. (that's another story in itself. I'll touch on that one later..) So, Moses goes down the mountain back to the people and finds out what is going on. He gets really mad and breaks the tablets with the commandments from God.

In chapters 32 and 33, he goes back up the mountain to meet with the Lord again and to intercede for the people. God says He will forgive them and then tells Moses to "Go!" and to "lead the people to the place I told you about". But, He says He will send an angel with them and He will not go himself because He would be tempted to destroy them.

It goes on to describe how a pillar of cloud would meet Moses at the entrance of the tent and the Lord would speak to Moses face-to-face as a man speaks to a friend.
Moses tells him, "you tell me to take the people to the promised land, but you don't say who you'll send with me. You say I've found favor in your with you. Show me your intentions..."

This part is really neat: God says He will personally go with Moses. He also says, "I will give you rest. Everything will be fine for you." Wow! What a neat thought. God goes with him so he doesn't have to do it all himself. How often do we try to do things ourself. God wants to "go with us" and "give us rest". It will be fine for us when He is with us. Do you have a situation right now in which you could really use God's guidance and "rest"?

Remember, Moses had an amazingly close relationship with God. He talked to Him as a friend. Moses boldly asks God to go with them so the people will know that they have found favor and are special and distinct from all other people on earth.

I amazes me. He had just said He would not be going because He would destroy them, but now look at his answer to Moses' request. In verse 17, the Lord says, "I will indeed do what you have asked, for you have found favor with me and you are my friend." (some versions say "I know you by name", some translations say "you are my friend"--- either way, the point is that Moses had a very special relationship with God. He spent much time in His presence talking.)

I personally think that should end with an exclamation point! God says He knows him by name; Moses is His friend. Wow! Would God call me his friend? What would it take to have that kind of relationship with Him? Do I really long for that intimacy and closeness? I can not imagine what that must have been like.

Moses never seems to amaze me. He has another request--- even bolder this time. Now he asks to see God's glorious presence. What do you think God says? Yes, He agreed, but on HIS terms. He says He will make his goodness pass before Moses and will call out his own name, but Moses may not look directly at His face.

He tells Moses exactly where to stand (on a rock) as his glorious presence passes by and He will put him in the cleft of the rock and cover him with his hand until He passes. Then He will remove his hand and Moses can see Him from behind. But, His face will not be seen.

This is exactly what happens in verses 5-9 of chapter 34. As He passes, He says: "I am the Lord, I am the Lord, the merciful and gracious God. ....slow to anger, rich in unfailing love and faithfulness....show this unfailing love to many 1,000s by forgiving every kind of sin and rebellion even so I do NOT leave sin unpunished."

I want to back up for a second and look at these last 3 paragraphs. We could camp here all day and talk about these, but I'll just mention a few things that really jumped out at me.

God tells Moses that he can see His presence but on His terms. You know, it's still like that. God wants to show Himself to us. He wants us to know Him and have a relationship with Him. But it is ALWAYS on HIS terms. There is only one way to the Father--- through Jesus Christ. John 14:6--I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.

And look at the rock---- God says He must stand on the rock. He was very specific. He had one place Moses must be in order to see His glory. This applies to us today. Jesus is described as a "rock". Romans 9:33--"Behold, I lay in Zion a stumbling stone and rock of offense, And whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame."

God covered Moses with His had while He passed. He covers us today himself through coming to earth and dying on the cross for our sins. His description of covering Moses with his hand once again reminds me of Jesus. He covers our sin so we can be in God's presence. Does there seem to be a repetitive theme here?????

Once Moses met the requirements--- stood on the rock and was covered by God's own hand, THEN he could see God's glorious presence. What a beautiful picture for us today.....

It is so interesting to look at how God describes Himself. Of all the things He could say, He chose this. I think that is very important that we pay attention to this.

As I read this, I could not help but stop and reflect on this. What was it about Moses that made God speak to him face to face, as a man speaks with his friend? What do I need to do to deepen my relationship with Him? It's a very thought provoking question. What a comforting thought to think of God as a "friend". Yes, He's holy and just and sovereign and ......... but we really can go to Him through prayer and have a very close relationship with Him.

How did Moses react to seeing God's glorious presence? He fell to the ground and worshiped. His face reflected the Glory of God and everyone could see that he had been in God's presence. Do I long to "reflect God's presence" in such a way that anyone whom sees me will immediately acknowledge God's presence? What a goal to have.

Do you reflect God's glorious presence? Would God consider you his friend? Do you long for that intimacy with God that Moses had?

If you would like to read more about friendship with God, you can read about Abraham.
2 Chronicles 2:20, Isaiah 41:8, and James 2:23 call him God's friend. Study his life and see what made his relationship so unique that God would call him friend....

Slide show--Brasilian Pizzaria

We went to the Brasilian pizzaria by our house for lunch today! Why did we never try it before???? I asked someone if it was Brasilian food and they told me no, so we never really checked into it.

When we got there it was rather emotional. The owner and workers werer Brasilian and there was a Brasilian family there eating. It was so nice to talk with them and visit and eat. It felt like we were back in Sao Paulo all of a sudden. The family eating there lived near where we did in Sao Paulo. (oh, Ike's not really crying in the pic. He was pretending. I think we both wanted to though.)

I've been so homesick for Brasil this week. Temos saudades! Sentimos muito falta do Brasil!

The pizza was great. The first bite of my Portuguesa pizza was so strange. It was just like a "deja vu" type of moment. It brought back all of smells and tastes and memories of my time there. Portuguesa pizza has ham, boiled eggs, onions and mozzerella cheese. (Yes, if you said "yuck", that was our first reaction the first time someone told us too!!! But it is delicious!) It kind of made me sad.

We had frango e catipury (chicken and a type of creamy white cheese), margarita ( tomato slices, and fresh basil), pepperoni and portuguesa (ham, onion, boiled eggs). We also ordered a banana and chocolate pizza. That one wasn't so good. Well, it was good, but different than in Brasil. In Brasil it's a creamy thick chocolate. Here it was a chocolate syrup (like Hershey's) on top. Next time we'll try the doce de leite com banana. (caramel and banana. YUMMMMMM)

It's kind of sad to know we aren't going back. The kids have been gone one year and one week now. John and I were back for the month of May. I hope we can vacation there next year. It would be nice to keep our visas current.
Brasilian food is absolutely delicious and the people are wonderful. If you ever get the chance to visit Brasil------ GO! I can't wait to go to the churrascaria now. I'll let you know how it is.

I dreamed in Portugues all night and woke up translating back and forth from Portugues to Spanish. I'm going to drive myself crazy. I am focusing on the spanish right now, but I hope to never forget my Portugues---- it's so beautiful.

Slide show-- Teacher Appreciation Day

Friday we had teacher appreciation day at school. The students prepared and served a meal for all of the professors and staff at our language school and the kids' academy. It was a really nice day and everyone seemed to enjoy it. It is an annual tradition at the school so the students can show them how much we appreciate their hard work and willingness to help us learn while we are here.

What are your "dream goals"?

Do you have any "dream goals"? Things you would like to do "one day". Maybe it's something that would be almost impossible or maybe it's just something that you don't really have time to do. It might be something you've always wanted to do or learn or maybe something new on your list.

I have too many things. I thought I would list a few. Let me know what you would love to do "one day". It might be interesting to look at our lists and see what is keeping us from accomplishing them. It might just be "ourselves".......

ok, here's a list:
1. run the marathon in Mexico City next year. (I actually started running this past June and was up to a 10-mile run, but that stopped when we got here. Years ago I used to run and enjoyed it. It's very relaxing for me and is great "me time". Especially early in the morning. I really need to start again. It's just kind of hard with our schedule. Maybe I could at least do a half-marathon.) (I would actually like to do a triathalon, but I don't swim well. or bike. or run......there seems to be a pattern here..... haha I think one of my brothers is actually training for this.)

2. visit Greece and Italy

3. visit all the lands mentioned in the Bible

4. write a book about some of the experiences we've gone through and what I have learned from them-- and some other stuff (I've wanted to do this for years. I've really been thinking about it a lot lately and want to start it. It's just hard getting the time.)

5, learn a few more languages

6. play violin (I started in Sao Paulo, but didn't really give it the time I needed to.)

7. finish scrapbooking all of my fotos (I got soooo behind in Brasil. I have about 6,000 pictures from there, not even mentioning all those from the past that never made it into albums yet! I wish I could have about 10 ladies do a power crop with me. Just give them all my pictures and work for about a week straight. hmmmm, maybe we could call it a "mission trip". haha)

I can think of a bunch more, but I think this list will keep my busy for a long time. :-)
Did you notice I didn't put anything like "jump out of an airplane", "bungee jump", "hang-glide" or any of that other crazy stuff my hubby wants to do. My brother actually jumped out of a plane this year. uh... "no thank you", I'll pass. My ropes course in the top of the trees in Brasil was great, but that's about as high as I want to go. The zip lines were pretty cool. Free-falling from a plane until I remember to pull the 'chute cord???? No Way!!!! Do you think I'm nuts??? hmmm, maybe you shouldn't answer that one.................

I can't wait until tomorrow!!!!!!

John found some great meat for dinner tonight. We bought "kabobs" on the street. They were soooo good. We used to eat them in Sao Paulo all the time. It was the best meat I've had since we got here. Meat here is not seasoned very much and tastes a little gamey. This was delicious!!! She grills it right there on the street. Not so sanitary, but hey, who cares when it's this good!

But, WHY AM I SO ANXIOUS FOR TOMORROW?
We found a Brasilian Pizzaria right by where John bought our meat tonight. It's by our house and we've seen it before but never went in and checked to see what it was.

Brasilians own it and they speak portuguese there!!!!
Of course, our portuguese stinks right now. We got to pray in portuguese in class the other day and mixed spanish in. It's funny.

They have our favorite pizzas..... frango e catipury, berinjela, basil, chocolate, chocolate and banana, portuguesa (ham, boiled eggs, onion and cheese)..........
It's probably a good thing we did not go there before. LOL! I do not need pizza!!!!

Our family tradition for the past 7 years has been to have pizza on Friday nights and a movie. Family night-- sometimes games or something. We haven't been doing that here. I'll bet we do now..........

So, I told John we're going there for lunch tomorrow!

The restaurant is called "Paulista". The menu has a picture of "our city" on the back---- Sao Paulo.
I hope it's good. (or maybe it would be better if it wasn't...............)

I've been "homesick" for Brasil all week.

Challenge #2--Praying for your children

Here's another challenging idea I got from Elizabeth George.

Make a list of character traits you would like each of your children to have. Use a separate page for each child. Then, go through your Bible, and find verses to go with each one. Type them up or print them out and put a copy somewhere where you will see it and use it.

Give a copy to your children too, if they're old enough to read it and understand what it is. Let them know you are praying for them and what you hope to see God do in their life.

You can pick verses for something you think your child needs to work on, or just your vision of what kind of man or woman you would like them to be when they are older. The sky's the limit! It's kind of fun to do because each child is different and you may have very different lists for each of them!

I did mine about a year ago, but am trying to type them up now to save it in a file to give the kids their own copies one day. They all know about it and think it's neat. We actually used Levi's verses for home school handwriting practice when we were dealing with a "certain character issue" this past year. LOL!

Meggie-isms

Meggie is pretty funny. You never know what she'll come up with. She says things and we just look at each other and ask, "Where does she hear this stuff???" Sometimes she's brutally honest. Sometimes she's just funny, but it's always appropriate to the situation.

She has a stuffed rhinocerous toy and she loves it. Its name is Ellie and she calls it her "herwhinerus". She has 2 stuffed dogs. She named one "black and brown" and the other is named "brown and black". Guess what colors they are? Right! How did you know? (they look like her real German shepherd, Max, that we had to leave in Brasil.) She once named a doll "George Washington DC". I asked her why she chose that name and she said, "Because that's the president!"

This afternoon we were home since she's sick and she asked if I wanted to play on her computer. It's a little V-Tech preschool toy. She told me, "I'll put in on the easiest game for you, Mom. And I'll explain how to do it since you won't know how." Gee, thanks, Meg.

A few weeks ago we were eating lunch and she had some refried beans with jalapenos in them. They weren't very hot at all, but I guess she thought they were. She took a bite and all of a sudden blurted out, "Call 9-9-1. It's spicy at our house!" (I think she meant 911 for the fire)

Last week when we went to the dentist we had to go a few blocks from our house to catch a cab. As we were walking down the street all of a sudden she had her arm out and was waving it. I asked her what she was doing and she said, "I'm catching you a cab, mom." It was a red car coming but not a cab. (The cabs are red here). How many little ones her age would know how to flag down a cab????

South and Central America are really all she knows. She enjoyed her time in America last year, but there were a few things that just baffled her the whole time we were there. Like, "Why don't they put the toilet paper in the trash can. Don't they know you're not supposed to put it in the toilet???" It's funny, you can almost see the relief now that she's "back". She's never been here before but she thinks she's "home". She likes the bars and locks on everything, walking to small stores to get things, buying fresh fruits and veggies at the outdoor market, rice and beans (her favorite food!), construction workers building things out of concrete, no heat, no air, traffic......... the culture in general.

Come to think of it, I think we do to! It feels really good to "be back home"---- and we've never been here before!

Crazy Week

It has been a wild week around here!
There's a bad virus going around the school. The kids are coming down with fevers, sore throats and bad headaches.
Meg got sick last week on Thursday afternoon and had a fever all weekend while John was gone. She got better on Monday and went to school on Tuesday. In the meantime, Faith came down with it Monday evening and has had a fever since then. Meg was back at school Tuesday and Wednesday with no problems. I've only been a day and a half. John and I are taking turns going. (I offered to "let" him go and I would "sacrifice" and stay home every day.....)

Yesterday when I picked Meg up she cried all the way home and said her head hurt. So, by the time we got home, she ended up with a fever again! Last night Faith started vomiting and both girls complained of a sore throat. It's been pretty hectic here. I need to go get groceries. I've actually needed to go since last Friday but with John out of town and then kids sick even when he was back.......... and no car........ it's not so "convenient" to just run and go. Hopefully we can get there tonight. (I won't hold my breath though!)

Meg seems much better today. Faith is still not feeling well. Poor thing, she looks miserable.
We had a grammar exam today. I thought I would get out of it until I was back, but of course my thoughtful husband arranged for me to go take it this afternoon. Thanks, John!!!
(ok, so maybe that's not how it played out----- I think he asked if I could make it up and she said. "sure, this afternoon"------ there went my grocery shopping trip again................)

Brasilian recipes

I really miss Brasilian food. It is soooooo delicious. My friend sent me this site today. It has recipes in english for many favorite dishes in Brasil. I'm homesick............ (and hungry!)

http://www.maria-brazil.org/brazilian_recipes.htm

An interesting challenge

Elizabeth George is probably my favorite writer. I have most of her books and Bible studies. I really like her style of writing and her focus. In her book, A Woman After God's Own Heart (I HIGHLY recommend this book), she talks about 5 fat files.

I'd like to challenge you to develop your 5 fat files.
What in the world is that, you ask?
Well, if you're like me you probably have a ton of things you're interested in and can really kill a lot of time reading about all kinds of different subjects and doing a variety of things. Basically, she learned from someone else to pick 5 areas you want to be "known for". Spend your time focusing on these 5 subjects. Research it, read about it, whatever. Every time you come across something, you add the article or whatever it is to your file for that subject. Oh, and if you come across a verse or passage in the Bible that goes with one of your 5 areas, you can mark it and put the first letter of the name of that category( or whatever your code is) in the margin and keep a reference list so you always have verses on hand for your "expertise" areas.

Before you know it, you've become an "expert" in 5 areas and you are ready to speak on the topic any time you need to. (great for ladies' ministry type of things)

Often we have areas that really interest us or areas that we notice other people come to us to ask advice about, etc.

I'm working on my 5 files. Well, at least, picking them. (of course, I've been thinking of them for the past 2 years. ---- maybe one should be procrastination.....) I just haven't "officially chosen the final 5" (maybe indecisiveness could be another....)
I think I know what I've chosen for a couple of them.

So, what are your 5 fat files going to be????
Think of the possibilities! This could be fun!

Now, get off of the computer..... you have an assignment to do!

Am I getting that old?!?!?!?!

Ok, so I need some advice from those of you "older than me". LOL
When you do feel "old"?
When do others "see you as old"?

Reality hit me really hard today. I got an e-mail about a job fair coming up in St. Louis. (no, I'm NOT looking for a job) Anyway, there were some really intersting companies on the list. 2 caught my attention and I "clicked" on them to read what they were offering. You know, you can get a really nice job with the "enforcement agency" and some other companies if you are fluent in certain languages. Interesting.

So, back to my story. I was reading down the list and B O O M !!! There it was. Applicants have to be 35 years old or younger. Another agency said 40 or younger. Wow! The words sunk in. I am in "THAT" category. The one where you're too old to apply for certain jobs. When did that happen???? How????? (ok, so I could still make the one company....)

The words just jumped out at me from the page and laughed in my face. Is that what the gray hairs I've been finding mean? Am I , (gasp) OLD? Last thing I knew, I was in my 20s, just married and then boom, it's 16 years later and I have had 8 children. (and one will be in highs school next year) The years just kind of all blurred together. I'm too young to be getting old---- right????

It was kind of a sobering and sad thought. Now, I know I'm not "really" old--- unless you ask my teenage son and his friends---- but I think I'm almost middle-aged. Or, if we only live to about 70, then am I past middle-age????

Isn't it weird how time passes and we don't realize it and then suddenly one day it's like we don't recognize ourselves? I noticed that my skin changed in the last couple of years. That was sort of depressing. I was beginning to feel like I was getting older, but somehow seeing it on paper kind of has more of an impact!

Next year will be 20 years since my high school graduation. Wow! There's no way!?!?!

I guess I better get busy doing my list of "all the things I want to do before I see Jesus". It grows each year.

Rest of the story

This is John. I really wish that Pamela and the girls had been able to go with us on this trip, but with Megan being sick, it was better that they were home.
Satan really wanted to defeat the trip from the beginning. It was an evangelism seminar in conjunction with actual door to door experience and inviting people to evangelistic films that would be shown Saturday and Sunday evening. On the way to Guapiles, the bus the church was renting broke down several times. We arrived about 2 hours after the conference started and discovered that the volunteer team had prayed 15 minutes before our arrival that we would make it. It was a definite answer to prayer. Our entourage more than doubled the group. The rain was another factor in our actual door to door participation and at the time of the film, but again God was able to accomplish His purpose. Pamela shared a little of that experience so I'll only add what I personally saw.
I had the privilege of going out with a man named Thomas whom has an evangelistic heart. He reminded me a lot of the former president of the seminary I attended - Dr Gray Allison. I had the opportunity to use my "portunol" and God used a couple of "willing witnesses" to glorify His name. The first gentleman that was led to the Lord showed us his goosebumps when we had only begun our conversation (see picture). God had prepared him long before Thomas and I had arrived. Another one of the several visits that we made was also touching. Please pray for Ruben (in slide show picture with his family and friend) as he knows the Truth, and knows he needs to make a decision for Christ. After Thomas and I prayed with Ruben, we told him that he didn't really have a chance with his wife, four sons and good friend Jacob all praying for him. Salvation is a personal decision though, and in reality, none of us can make somebody else a Christian. So we do ask you to intercede for this man.
I am very grateful to be have been a part of this trip. Please be in prayer for Mark Grumbles and the volunteer team as they continue to travel up the river today by boat and for the rest of the work they will be doing until the end of the week.
God wants us all to be willing witnesses. No matter how much we know or don't know. It is truly His work, and it always results in His glory. Are you using what God has given you for His glory today?

(the volunteer team from Virginia and NC)

Slide show---Guapiles mission trip

John and the boys took some pics of their trip this weekend. Check out the Taco Bell--- it's a trailer. Just when you thought you had seen it all........

Mission Trip to Guapiles

I'll try to get John to write about his experience later. I'll just give a brief summary. (you're thinking, yeah, right--- when has she ever given a brief summary about anything???)

John and the 3 boys went out of town Saturday and Sunday to attend an evangelism training seminar and help with a mission team that was down from the States. They went out and visited with people and practiced what they learned in the seminar.

It was a great experience and the boys really enjoyed it too. They met some Costa Ricans, learned some more spanish and learned how witness to people in spanish. Levi came back really excited that he had some verses marked in his Bible that he did not have marked before. Isaac told him which verses in Romans would be good to mark and know. Cool, huh?

I think Sam probably questioned everyone to death. If you know Sam, you'll understand. He wants to know how everything works and any other question he can think of. (Sometimes he even asks more than Levi--- and that's a lot! They're just a different type of questions than Levi asks.)

I am so glad they were able to go. Even if the boys did not know a lot of Spanish. It is so important to me that they have quality time with their dad, but more than that--- look what they did with that time. They will always have memories of going out with John and doing ministry things together. What a legacy to have. The other highlight for me is that they were learning how to witness. If they learn this young, just imagine the possibilities for their futures.....

John said it was really neat becasue Ike was out with a group, including a local pastor from here. They met a lady and asked her if she knew where she would spend eternity. (kind of blunt, huh?) anyway, she said , "NO" and was crying. Well, the pastor said, "here, read this" and gave her a tract. There's nothing wrong with tracts, but it seems like she wanted to talk with someone. It really bothered Ike, but later he went back with one of the volunteers and they were able to talk with her some more. So, "he" was the translator and they shared with her. I don't think she made a decision for Christ right then, but she was very open and grateful that they came back to talk and explain things. They left her with a Bible, also.

THAT is one of the greatest joys I can possibly have from my children. Seeing them discern spiritual things and have a genuine concern for others to know Christ personally. It has been amazing watching the boys grow in this aspect the past few years. Especially Ike. He used to help us translate for teams. It was so important for us to involve them in every aspect of the ministry. Not just think of it as "something my dad does". It's been cool to see John role-model that for them. It's becoming easy and second nature for them. I am really looking forward to seeing what they do as adults...........

Oh, by the way, back to the "quick summary". John helped some team members share with several people and I think he said 5 of them accepted Christ! yeah! They had another great visit with another man and he knew he needed to make a decision, but wasn't ready yet and wanted to wait. They did pray with him though. His family and friends there with him were all believers.
It was a good weekend. (i told you it would be quick........ NOT!)

Slide Show---Culture Day

Thursday we had "Culture Discovery Day" at our school. Each class room had the option to choose a country and decorate their room according to that culture. Many of the classes went all out. They displayed objects from the country, had food to sample and even wore clothing from there. The Discovery of America with Christopher Columbus (in the pics above) won in the adult classroom category. They named the boat "The Santa Maritza" instead of "The Santa Maria" because their teacher is named "Maritza". She loved it, of course! The kids had a lot of fun learning about a country and preparing their rooms. We all got out of school at 11 a.m. that day and had a concert on campus. A percussion group from the symphony performed for about an hour. They were amazing. They played songs from around the world. It was a pretty fun day. We got Friday off of school instead of Monday for Columbus Day.

Slide Show---Craft Class with our neighbor

Our neighbor came over several days and taught John how to make a picture frame out of rolled newspaper. It's a really neat frame and looks kind of like wood once it's painted. It was a fun time to get to know him a little better and talk to him about the culture here. He is the man whom told John "where you can go paint the moon" (haha) and was really excited about teaching John how to do this craft. He is about 80 years old.

Update on John's opportunity

John and our professor left Wednesday afternoon around 2:00 p.m. to witness a friend of her family. He did not get back until about 6:30 that night. It was quite a long visit---- and a great "cultural experience".

The man is in his 40's and has cancer.
Before going, they did not think he was a Christian. It turns out that he made a decision for Christ years ago, but was not really going to church or anything anymore. His wife is NOT a believer. They had a wonderful visit and John was able to share a clear gospel presentation very openly and boldly. The wife was very interested in what he had to say and plans to go church this weekend to hear more.

John shared a bit of our testimony and talked about walking by faith and all sorts of things. It was a really great opportunity for him to go and share in spanish. We were grateful that our professor asked him to go and help her. She really wanted a man to go with her and when John shared his devotional in class on Tuesday, she felt God telling her to take John with her.

She expects to see neat results of this visit and was thrilled that she was able to go and share. Sometimes it is very hard when it is someone you know.

John's new opportunity!

Our conversation teacher called us tonight and asked if John would go with her tomorrow and share the Gospel with a young man and his family. This man has cancer and is not doing well at all. Our teacher shared in class on Monday that she felt God wanted her to go speak with him. She planned to go Monday afternoon, but was not able to go.

Today in John's conversation class, he had to give a devotional. We do that once a week. Well, the teacher said his devotional really spoke to her and she would like John to go with her and boldy share what he shared in class today and witness to this young man and his family.

After my tutoring session with her tomorrow afternoon, they will go across town and meet this family.
If you know John at all, you will know that he will be right in "his comfort zone". It doesn't matter what language he is in. Evangelism is his strong point. But, this will be the first time he has really done this in Spanish, so it seems a little different.

I thought it was neat though that he was given this opportunity by our teacher-- especially after only 5 weeks of class! (and by the way he acts up in class--- of course, I know you would NEVER believe that about John.....)

Calgon, take me away!

Have you ever had a "Calgon day"? Some days it feels more like a "Calgon life", but that's another story...

Today would qualify as one of those days. Unfortunately!
It started out pretty good, but just hit a downward spiral and sort of spun out of control. The dental visit was the icing on the cake. I could use a good bottle of Excedrin right now!

You know how I said it's "humbling" to pray in Spanish? And how I needed to write out some prayers to practice........? Well, guess who did NOT practice? Yep, me! I had to pray in both classes today. (isn't it sad to be saying I "had" to pray???) The first time it was ok, but not really "good". The 2nd time is like a bad movie that I would like to rewind and "record again".

I don't think it could get much worse.
Have you ever started talking and LITERALLY drew a complete blank and forgot ALL WORDS??? Oh, trust me, it is NOT a good feeling.......

Well, it's kind of a joke about who's turn it is to pray in that class and another student thought it was his turn. I was trying to let him have that opportunity.... So, when we quit joking about it and I started praying, I got about 4 words in and honestly FORGOT how to say anything in spanish!!! I could not even think of the word "thank you". (how embarrassing!) So, I started praying in portuguese and mixed all kinds of stuff in there. I had about a full 30 seconds of just sitting there in silence though before I could even think of portuguese. Talk about awkward!

I don't think my teacher was amused at all. I wanted to crawl into a hole.....
Then in class we were doing easy stuff-- direct objects and responding to questions. Well, I missed EVERY question she asked me. I knew the answers, but could barely hear her becasue of the rain and........... gave answers that were really close but based on what I "heard". It really looked like I was "lost" and didn't understand anything. I actually did this section of my book a few weeks ago on my own. It was a super humbling day!

Tomorrow I am beginning tutoring with my conversation teacher. I've been working ahead because I really want to get this down by December. I guess I have too high of a goal. I want "fluency". We're going to start working on the subjunctive. That's part of my problem with praying---- you have to use the subjunctive so much. I'm not sure of the rules for it in spanish yet. But, I know when it needs to be used, just not how yet. It messes me up talking because I know what is supposed to be said, but don't have the tools to "fill in the blanks". aghhhh!

I think language learning goes in spurts. You start out well--- you don't know very much, so you say whatever and feel good about it. Then each time you learn something new, it seems you hit a rough patch where you are concentrating on everything you say and jumble it all up. Then it settles down and you feel confident again. Then you learn something new and the pattern starts again. The more you know the easier it is, yet it also makes it a lot harder while you're still getting comfortable with the new things.

I just want to transfer it all over from portuguese to spanish immediately, though. So, it's frustrating. I've been spending a lot of hours reading ahead and have a huge mess of stuff in my brain all swarming around. I surely hope it gets better soon. I was doing well for a week or so...... LOL!

The Never-Ending Tooth Drama

Well, what can I say? I went back to the dentist today. It "should" be my last visit, but I'm not holding my breath or counting on anything!!! Just as a little summary of the situation: The weekend after we arrived, I ended up very sick with the most intense tooth pain I have ever felt. I went to the dentist the day before we started classes and ended up having my wisdom tooth pulled. 2 days later (and many drugs), the pain was still intense and I needed to have a root canal done. (I was expecting it based on the exam the day of the wisdom tooth extraction.) BUT, there was an infection in my nerve (hence the pain) and I had to wait several days and take antibiotics. I finally had the procedure and had to wait almost a month to get the permanent crown because my dentist was out of the country.

Well, in the meantime, the temporary crown fell off and I had to see another dentist to get it fixed. He was a pediatric dentist, by the way, but very good.

That's where today's story picks up----- I went back for the permanent crown. One small problem. The other dentist used some "permanent" adhesive type stuff to put on the temporary crown to make sure it did not come off again during the month I needed to wait. Hmmmmmm, how in the world do you get that off??? I don't think my dentist was thrilled about the situation today, but what could he do?

So, I'm in the chair and it was already NOT a good day. (I'll explain more in a minute) Next thing I know, the drill is out, but I'm not. haha By the time it was over, he literally had to drill away almost all that was left of one of the teeth. (2 were getting crowns-- right next to each other) This particular tooth was messed up becasue of a dentist in Texas. My crown never fit correctly and it caused problems.

My dentist here specializes in dental prosthetics so he made my new crown and also replaced the old one. It's a good thing he specializes in prosthetics because I'll need false teeth soon at this rate! It was depressing to feel that my whole tooth was now just a stub. (TMI, isn't it?)

It was supposed to be a quick appointment. The last time I was there, he fitted me 4 times for the crowns to make sure they were perfect. Then today, they would not fit properly because of the adhesive mess. I wanted to just cry. It took about an hour an a half today. It was not the day I planned, that's for sure.

And what exactly does it mean when they give you water to rinse your mouth but then say, "wait" and pour about half a cup of mouth wash into your cup???? ha! I think it was because I complained about the taste. But, maybe not..... hey, if I have to suffer with the cut gums and torture of no anesthetic or anything, why not make them suffer a little??? (I'm just joking--I really did brush my teeth!-- but they did really give me the mouthwash......)

I surely hope this is the end of my dental drama and that these crowns are PERMANENT with no problems!!!

I'll write another entry with the rest of my "bad day" experience.....

Fall

One of the things we miss this year is FALL!
I love the colors of the trees and the cool weather. It reminds me of hayrides and pumpkin patches and bonfires.
Last year we arrived back in the States in October. The home we stayed in for our STAS had such a beautiful yard. The trees were so pretty when we arrived. I told John the other day that the trees were probably very colorful and beautiful right now and I missed them.

Our weather has been cool here in the evenings this week because of the rain. You know you're getting used to it when you actually pull out a jacket. It's not cold, but I guess you adapt to the warmer climate and then the cooler temps feel like "jacket weather". Funny!

If you have any pictures you've taken of fall or fall activities, feel free to e-mail some of them to us! We'd love to see them!!! I wish there were pumpkins here to decorate my house for fall. (We don't even get Thanksgiving off of school, so..... but we won't go there... it will be strange. But, we're used to strange holidays for us on the field.)

I love the weather here though. The sun is up around 5 or 5:30 a.m. (I'm a morning person!!!) and it goes down by 5:30 p.m.(that part's kind of a bummer) By 8 a.m. you feel like you've already had a full day. I really like that. It does beat the dark dreary mornings of winter in the States, I guess.
I guess it's an even trade. We miss the 4 seasons, but we get beautiful weather all year.

pics of our neighborhood and school

working on the lines

John took these pics of the guys working on the lines outside of our house. Looks kind of dangerous to me!

picture---Soccer Puppy

This is a video of a cute little puppy that lives down the street. He came into our garage and played soccer with the kids one night. It was so funny. I have never seen a puppy play ball like that. Of course, it made the kids REALLY miss their dogs and want another one.

Language is fun?!?!

I really enjoy grammar and learning languages. Does that put me in a small, exclusive group of people??? It has been a lot of fun learning here. I think it really gets easier each language you learn. Ok, so maybe not--- my experience has just been in the romance languages and they're all very similar. But, it sounded good, right? Spanish was my favorite class in high school. (Too bad I forgot the grammar once I stuck portuguese in my brain......)

In some ways it does help though. I think you learn "how to learn" languages. Now, I am really dreading the indigenous language though. It will be super hard. I do well with a systematic approach to learning. I'm not sure how this "barefoot thing" will go...... (maybe I shouldn't say "dread"!)

I would really like to learn Italian and French one day. I had one year of french my senior year of high school and it was interesting. I didn't like the nasal sounds though-- they were hard. Well, the day I showed up in Brasil I realized they weren't so bad (well, they kind of were)! Portuguese is full of nasal sounds. So, maybe it would be good to go back and learn some french........ We've watched TV in italian some and and it's kind of fun to see how much we can understand.

I guess we just need to get a life, huh?
I would really like to learn Arabic and Russian too. They would be a challenge and interesting.
Like I have time for all of this........ 5 kids, homeschool, learning an indigenous language and doing linguistic work......

Oh well, it's fun to dream.

2 weeks ago I had a bad week here. We were drilling verb conjugations for several hours a day. I not only had to keep all of the irregular verbs straight in my mind, but I had to keep them separate from the Portuguese verbs that were almost identical. I had a very bad headache for 2 weeks. It was exhausting and hard work. I could not say anything that week. I was mixing the portuguese and spanish so much!!!! Then it calmed down a bit and by this week I had a great week. I actually started "thinking" in spanish this week instead of thinking in portuguese and translating into spanish.

It's all just a big process. It will take a long time! It's kind of like a puzzle. It's good for your brain though--- once you get past the headaches (!!!) it keeps you alert. LOL!
I'd encourage you to try a language "just for fun". (I have a big advantage though-- I get to live right in the middle of the culture and language. that makes a big difference)

If you ever want to learn spanish, I highly recommend this school. It's a great place to study and live. You would like Costa Rica!

Lesson from Moses

I don't think any of the stories in the Bible are by accident or to just take up space. God chose each thing to put in it and there is a purpose. One of the really neat things about the Bible is how you can read it over and over and learn a new lesson each time-- even from stories you are very familiar with.

Moses has an incredible story. He was born during a time when the pharoah of Egypt wanted to kill all of the baby boys born to the Hebrew women living in Egypt. His mother was able to hide him for 3 months. (How do you think she did that? Do you think her neighbors thought she delivered a baby girl??? It's an interesting thought....) After 3 months she put him in the river in a basket and Pharoah's own daughter found him. She knew he was a Hebrew baby and had compassion and decided to save him and raise him as her own son. (How do you think her father felt about that? Do you think he resented him? Do you think there was a family fight? Do you think others in Pharoah's household were mean or rude to Moses or his "new mother"?)

Back to our story....... because he was the son of Pharoah's daughter, he was well educated, raised in a very advanced society and probably learned a great deal about leadership and organization and other things you would learn living with a "king".

Well, years later, Moses leads the people out of Egypt and God does an incredible thing by parting the Red Sea and helping them to pass on dry ground.
As soon as the Egyptians tried to follow, they all drowned. (this is definitely a quick paraphrase)

Moses' father-in-law hears all about it and comes to visit Moses. In chapter 18 of Exodus we read the story of this visit. In verse 7, it tells how Moses went out to greet him when he arrived and he bowed before him and then they had a great reunion where Moses told him all about how God saved them and provided for them through their hardships. Jethro (the father-in-law) worships along with Moses and Aaron and the elders.

The next day he observed that Moses had a bit of a problem. He was the "judge" for all of Israel and it took him all day long to listen to and judge the people. Jethro gaves him some advice of how he could do it differently. He suggested dividing the people into groups and then having judges over small groups and then larger groups until there were just a few men reporting to Moses.

THE LESSONS:
I think we can learn some intersting things from this story. It is such a simple account, yet important. It appears that Moses had a great relationship with his father-in-law and had a lot of respect for him. When he observed and made suggestions and gave counsel, Moses not only accepted it, but put it into practice----- in front of all of the Israelites.

It's interesting because Moses was well-educated and chosen by God. He was specifically chosen to lead these people. He could have easily had an ego and said that he "did not need or want help". It could have looked like weakness to the people for him to try someone else's ideas. But he was humble and teachable.

I think we need to be like Moses. We need to be humble and teachable. Even though we may be well-trained or chosen to do something, we can always learn from others. We need to be willing to accept guidance and counsel that God may send our way through other people.

Is there somone God wants to use in your life right now to train you or help you to do the task he has called you to do in a better way?
Will you pray for guidance and a teachable spirit?
Is there an area God is trying to improve in your life? Is there someone YOU can help?
Maybe you are their "Jethro" and God has put you in their life to help equip them for a task and to encourage them.

Humbling prayers

We have to give a short devotion in our conversation class each week. That can be a humbling experience. (Of course the worst experience-- oops, I mean "the most humbling"--- is having to pray out loud in spanish. We got pages of phrases and grammar construction teaching us how to pray properly, but it's easier to revert back to our "baby prayers". --"Thank you God for the day, thank you for my family, thank you for..... thank you for....." It's the easiest thing to say and you don't have to use subjunctive or crazy pronouns or......

It's very humbling.-- And I'm sure it's probably annoying to our teachers. I've peeked a few times during prayer time and one teacher starts smiling really big and tries not to laugh sometimes. But she's giggling WITH us usually-- not at us, right?

I really need to work on that. I was supposed to write a whole bunch of prayers to take them in to class to be "corrected". Not on content, just form. :-)
By writing them out and letting the teachers looking at them, we will learn what is correct and what is wrong and get more comfortable with it.

One of my teachers "caught me" last week. I planned to do that on the weekend. She ended up calling on me 3 days in a row and I did not have anything new written out or practiced. So, the first day, I went back to , "Thank you God for..." How embarrassing. She called on me 2 more days in a row. You think I would learn my lesson and prepare at home.

Maybe this week..........................

Slideshow ---- The Feria

We go to the feria to buy fruits and veggies on Saturday mornings. It's a few blocks from our house.

Slideshow-- the family hanging out