7th Anniversary of the Iglesia Bautista de Insurgentes

Our hearts are so full!  We were just privileged and blessed to have our pastor, Pastor Ryan Hollister (pastor of our sending church- Millville Community Baptist Church, Millville, CA) AND Daniel's uncle, Pastor Tom Lucatorta (pastor of one of our supporting churches...Heritage Baptist Church, Anderson, CA) come and spend an ENTIRE WEEK with us!!!

They arrived last Thursday afternoon and returned home yesterday.

Sunday, our church celebrated it's  7th anniversary!  And then Monday and Tuesday we held our 2nd annual Mission's Conference.

Tremendously blessed.  Excitement.   Encouraged.  Counseled.  Fellowship.  Talking late into the night.  Working.  Laughter.  English.  Spanish.  Tired.  Exhausted.  Saying Good Bye.  Sadness.  Happiness.  Full Hearts.

Here is a video we made for Pastor Ryan/Uncle Tom to take home with them as a rememberance of their time here.  It's made from pictures taken over the past week.  

I know it's a bit long, but thought I'd share it in case anyone wanted to see it.  :)

(The man that looks like Daniel's brother (according to all our people here) is Pastor Ryan and the dear other man is Uncle Tom)

Wednesday night at prayer meeting, Pastor Ryan got up to share with our people.  As he was speaking, Susannah started sniffling.  I looked down at her and she had tears in her eyes.    She had just realized that Pastor Ryan/Uncle Tom were leaving to go home the next day.  I held her close as she sobbed.

It's hard to say good bye to someone you love so much.  Pastor Ryan and Uncle Tom love our family and love our church here and we love and miss them, too.

I told Susannah we'd make them good bye letters and give them little gifts.  Then Daddy said we'd ALL go to Loreto to take them to the airport!!!   After many hugs and watching until they boarded their plane, we all drove down to the beach.  Daniel and I sat together hand in hand watching the children play while we talked.

It means so much to our family and to our church that these dear pastors sacrificed so much to come.  

I took pictures of each of the children with their Pastor and Uncle (you can see them at the end of the video).  I told them I'd print them up so they could keep them in their Bibles to remember how much they are loved and prayed for back in the USA.

Update on child...

My neighbor came over this afternoon and asked me if I had heard about the 2 children that had been run over by a car this week.  I told her that I had heard about the 2 year old boy as his siblings go to our Sunday School.  She said that he is doing great!  THANK YOU for praying!!  She said the dirt was really soft/loose and absorbed much of the weight of the car.  She said that she thinks he is already back home! :)

She also told me that the very same day, just a few hours later, another boy in our town, 8 years old (a family member of hers), was also run over.  He is in much more serious condition with a fractured skull, but is stable.
I know they would appreciate your prayers as well.

Good news

Thank you so much for praying!  During our neighborhood Bible study tonight, Daniel talked to an uncle of the child who got hurt.  He didn't know many details but did say that he understood the child would be able to come home from the hospital in a few days.   Keep praying for this family!

Please pray...Little boy was run over

Daniel just came home as asked us all to pray.   The mother of two of the children who go to our Sunday School accidentally ran over her little boy about an hour ago.  The child was hiding under the car, but the mom didn't know it.
I'm not sure how the child is, but I know that this family needs prayer right now.  Will you please pray with us?
My mommy's heart aches for this mommy and her precious child.

Another month

Another month gone by!  I've not been a very good blogger this year.  

A dear friend once told me, "The days are long but the years are short." 

But lately, it seems the days are short, too.

The Lord is so good.  I remember when I had all little ones.  Nobody really able to really help.  Day after day full of the same tasks.  Little sleep.  Diaper bill about as high as our food bill. 

And I loved those days!! 

And am soaking up every day I still have with sweet little ones under our roof.

Those first little ones are now big ones!  Three teenagers now.  One about to pass me up in height...and I'm 5' 10"!  They are able to do many things as well or better than I can.  And can even do some things that I can't do at all! 

I love watching them develop the talents the Lord has given them.  I find myself praying more and more for them.   

The days are going by so quickly...they start early and end late and the weeks are so full.

Yet those sweet times of sitting by my man of almost 17 years, resting my head on his shoulder or holding his hand as we watch the children play....

sitting around the table eating a meal together listening to everyone happily chatter...

watching my older boys work outside and seeing them patiently allow the younger ones to "help"...

hearing weekly testimonies of those in our church and rejoicing over the work the Lord continues to do in their lives...

remembering where He has brought me from and how He will continue to work in me...

busy at home, working along my hubby with my children in our church and town...

I'm just soaking in all in.  Feeling so blessed.  So content.  So undeserving.  And so loved.

God is so faithful and so good.

In a nut shell, this past month flew by!  Our Eliseo turned 4!!  Our Rebekah turned 13!!

My hubby and I took a 4 day trip ALONE across the border.  We had to go to Los Angeles to get our American born children's birth certificates apostilled.  An 18 hour drive one day, paperwork in LA the next day,  me coming down with the flu that night/the following day, and a 18 hour drive back the last day....

Well, some may not really think of it as that romantic...

BUT it was wonderful!

Hours to talk uninterrupted, a trip to Walmart :), picking up mail (yea!!) including lots of Bibles/books/Sunday School material for our church, and even when I was sick, I kept thinking how easy it was to just be sick and not have to cook :)  ha! :)  And now, Lord willing, all of our children will have their Mexican citizenship (dual) soon (no more visas...except for mommy).  

Next week, we have our 7 year church anniversary and annual mission's conference.  Our pastor from our home church along with Daniel's uncle are flying in for the occasion and, well, there is no lack of excitement around here!   We're expecting 60-80 people from different independent baptist churches in Baja Sur to come as well, including the 2 missionaries that our church here supports.

We have several people signed up to open their home to house people and we are planning 3 days of preaching, fellowship, food.  Praying for the Lord to increase our burden for the lost, increase our giving, and to send more laborers into His field.

Well, I've got a couple of boys with "nothing to do" :)  I think we should go over to the church to visit/help Daddy and the big boys.

Here's a few pictures from the last few weeks :)

Okay....I just uploaded the pictures and "few" might not be the most accurate word.

A. Family....I tried to get Daniel to roll in the grass for you all, but he just stood on it...I guess our grass isn't good enough to roll in :)

Letters from friends!! One of the BEST ways to brighten our day!!! :)

That's Samuel saying, "Where's my letter, mommy!"

He was super happy I let him hold the picture :)

Some pictures of my sweet Sunday School children

Extra hungry this morning, Samuel?

No comment...I don't even remember the story on that one.

I saw this little note card Noah put above his desk :)  

New Spring time decorations! :)

Broken drier, but WONDERFUL clothes line!!

Being with Daddy is the BEST....no matter where it is :)

Helping make Beka's birthday breakfast

New purse holder for the girls...since they have a few purses :)

Happy Birthday, Beka Boo!!!

My sweet, beautiful, bubbly, girl!  You bring sooooo much joy to our home!

Someone sent us more tracts!  What a blessing!

Sometimes, there are days where I pray for the bickering/whining to stop!  And then there are days where my heart just melts to see how much they love each other. :)

A month in the life

The month of March.  

So full.  Going by so fast!

Here is little glimpse into the last several days.

An evening gathering around the table to draw. 

Since we've been home from furlough, I have been concentrating on "catching up" with so much that I let some of the things we love most fall by the wayside.

Letter writing is one of them! People who so faithfully love, support and pray for our family.  Such an encouragement they are to us!  More than they could ever know!  But at least we can do our best to impart what's in our heart to them in a letter.

Oh, how I've missed it!  We love to make cards and draw pictures to go with each letter.  And for home schooling...handwriting practice, writing practice, English/Grammar, Spelling, Art.  Letter writing covers them all!

Another thing I have really missed is trying new recipes/being creative in the kitchen.  We made fun, colorful rainbow cupcakes for my Sunday School class, made the BEST homemade granola ever, baked our tried and true Daddy's favorite Oatmeal Cookies, and made loads of home made energy bars (similar to Power Bars) which my rapidly growing teen boys loved!  

Side note:  Why I try not to use the computer during the day- While typing a note to a friend, Samuel got into the energy bars.  That's the LAST thing he needs....more energy! :)

Cooking with my children- They learn more kitchen skills, time spent together, it is fun, it normally tastes wonderful and brings lots of smiles, often there is plenty to share with a neighbor or friend, and the way to a man's heart is through his stomach. :)  

We spent an afternoon making "springing" up our bulletin boards.  We used Foamy to cut out shapes to make flowers, kites, birds, butterflies etc...

Everyone loves craft time!

Oh, I just thought you might like to see how our water or electric bill gets delivered to our home.  We do have a PO box where we receive mail, but these bills are always hand delivered under a rock by your fence or tucked in your window sill or door.  

 This is how you know it's Monday.

 And this is how you can tell these children are related to their mother.  I love being barefoot.  Or in flip flops.  And I love the verse "How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace."  Between the dust and varicose veins, it's nice to know I can have beautiful feet.

I just love those smiles!

My BABY turned 3 last week!  My sweet, strong willed, independent, adorable, miracle baby is becoming such a big boy!  He loves little cars and received several from different siblings.

 We wrap our gifts real fancy like...in kitchen towels. :)

 And daddy knows what all little boys need...a bike. :) Or trike if you are only 3.

Of course, school every week day.  

And working with Daddy.

 Everyone LOVES Daddy!  He's soooo strong :)

 And this baby of mine turned 14!  Such a young man!  

Timothy and Benjamin saved for weeks to order Elijah a special gift.  They waited for weeks for it to arrive and were about as excited about Elijah's birthday as he was!  It is more blessed to give than receive!  I love that they get to see that.

Timothy made the BEST treasure hunt for Elijah to "find" his gift.  He had little cards/clues hidden all over.  One led to another.  They all rhymed and what a hunt it was.  There was a clue taped to one of our rabbit's ears, he used the wireless keyboard to type out a clue on the computer while he was hidden out of sight.  He had codes to figure out, too.  Everyone ran around trying to figure everything out.  

 He finally got his gift!  A remote control plane that takes video/pictures.  They have had so much fun taking aerial shots of our house and town.   

 Josiah also saved up and ordered Elijah this book.  Sneak Uses for Everyday Things.  Great brother bonding time :)  Yesterday, they were making plastic from milk.  

 The past week, our bustling household became quiet and I traded in my cooking apron for a nursing hat.  All but 3 of the children got the flu...bad head aches, fever, horrible cough.  I can't remember the last time I missed a church service though, so I was thanking the Lord for much time of good health and while I don't like it at all when my children feel miserable, I took advantage of the extra holding/cuddling time, reading them books, and giving lots of sympathy.

 Don't you feel badly for him?  

 We had 3 more baptisms this month!  Jacquline is 16 years old.  Her sister, Brithany (age 10), started coming to church with us over 2 years ago.  While we were on furlough, Hna. Monica was able to lead Jacqueline to Christ.  We had the joy of seeing her follow the Lord in baptism last week!  I've been witnessing to her mom and she has come to church twice now.

Armando, age 14, has been coming to church with us since he was 8.  He'll tell you this himself...He was such a trouble maker!!  Oh, I remember when I had him in Sunday school.  He was, well, he helped me develop more patience! :)  He lives with his grandmother.  His entire family fell apart, and we praying, working and hoping the Lord would reach one of them.  Armando trusted the Lord with all his heart a couple months ago.  Through tears of joy, we heard him give his testimony and follow the Lord in baptism!

And Daniel, age 15, has been coming to church and hearing the gospel preached for about a year and a half.  He trusted Christ as His savior about 2 months ago.  May the Lord continue to build His kingdom here in Baja Sur!

 The past few days...recovering.  Still weak and tired and a few fevers, but over all better.

 Samuel's getting his smile back.  See the "friend" keeping him company?

 The view from my desk...papers to grade, letters to address, and my forever empty tape dispenser.  It takes me months to finally refill it, and then, the children seem to need tape for everything once it's there.

There's that Smile!!!

 Saw this note on the girl's door yesterday.  :)

 I got excited until I saw this one. :)

There is so much joy in serving Jesus right here in my home, along side my hubby in our church, right here in our little town.

Did anyone really make it to the end?   :)