Basic Beliefs ... God's Perspective on Family Planning

My last post shared why Jim and I have chosen to have an extra-large family. However, not everyone is going to have those same set of circumstances. When laying in the recovery room after being told that the Lord had healed me, it would have been pretty hard to dismiss the thoughts of "Maybe God wants us to have more children." But, what about you? How do you determine what God wants for your family?


Question #1 What will I share with my children and their spouses when they begin to think about Family Planning? What have I shared with other young moms and couples?

First of all ... I am NOT a Bible scholar. I am NOT a theologian. I am an ordinary mama seeking after an extraordinary God, always asking what HE wants for MY life. I am not here to judge the choices other people make. I am here to encourage those of you who are making your life choices, to seek HIS will, not your own will, nor the wisdom of the world.

I have 3 basic beliefs about Family Planning ...

#1 Children are a BLESSING.

"Children are a gift of the Lord; The fruit of the womb is a reward. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior, So are the children of one's youth. How blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them." Psalm 127:3-5

This seems to be the only blessing that young Christian couples regularly tell the Lord, "Please, God, we don't want THIS blessing ... but give us lots of the other blessings.


#2 God will ALWAYS take care of our needs.


"Do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on ... For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you." Matthew 6:25, 32-33

Christian couples are often heard saying, "We couldn't possibly afford to have more children." Yet, at the same time, they are buying new homes, new cars, new boats, and taking vacations all over the world.


#3 God will NEVER give us more than we can handle. He is ALWAYS there to give us strength to walk through each and every day, no matter how difficult life may seem.

"God is my strength and my power, and He makes my way perfect." 2 Samuel 22:33

"Seek the Lord and His strength. Seek His face evermore!" 1 Chronicles 16:11

I regularly hear from Christian women ... "I just don't have the patience for more children." Well, maybe God wants to use more children to teach you the patience He wants you to have.


So, my questions for you, if you are struggling with trying to determine how many children you will have ...

#1 Do you believe those 3 premises?

Do you believe that children are a blessing?
Do you believe that God will always provide for your needs?
Do you believe that God will never give you more than you can handle?

#2 If you believe those 3 premises, why then do you believe that you are to only have 1 or 2 or 3 children?


PLEASE don't run away now, and never come back to my blog. I KNOW what you are thinking ...

You are thinking ...

#1 Laurel thinks everyone should have a dozen or more children.
#2 Laurel doesn't believe in using birth control.
#3 Laurel is absolutely, totally crazy and she has no understanding of MY life.

No ...

#1 "Laurel thinks everyone should have a dozen or more children." No ...

I do NOT think that everyone should have a dozen or more children.
I do NOT believe that God has called every family to be extra-large.
I DO believe that many families are NOT seeking the LORD for HIS will on the size of their families.


God wants us to trust HIM to be the determining factor.

He does not want us to make emotional decisions based on the world's views: how hard it is to raise kids today ... how much it costs to raise kids today ...

God wants us to be willing to step out in FAITH and TRUST Him, whether we end up with 2 kids or 20 kids.

"And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him." Hebrews 11:6


#2 " Laurel doesn't believe in using birth control." No ...

This is the biggest area that people assume incorrectly what our beliefs are. There are plenty of authors, pastors and Biblical scholars who will disagree with me on this. But, I do not believe that any and every type of birth control is evil.

I read a book once that was advocating how wrong any type of birth control was, and the author said, "It's not like we reproduce like rabbits." I laughed and thought, "Maybe she doesn't, but what about me." With my first 5 babies being born in 4 years, I didn't think it would be wise to keep up that pace for the next 20 years. Scary!

Another reason that I do not agree with the Christian "teachers" that say that birth control is evil, is that I have known families that keep having kid after kid, not because they want to, but because they've been told "you have to." Seriously, I have sat with mothers who are distraught over another pregnancy, and scared to even tell their husbands, but they have sat under the teaching that says, "You must have as many kids as you can physically have." Children then become God's punishment rather than God's blessing.

What I am adamantly opposed to is Christian couples that make the choice to surgically stop the possibility of any future children. We cannot possibly know what God's plan is for our lives in 5 or 10 years. If we had known, after 6 kids, that God wanted us to have 13 children, Jim would have probably been so scared that he would have taken permanent measures. Seriously, with so many non-permanent options, it just makes me sad when couples (especially those in their 20's) believe that they KNOW that God doesn't want them to expand their families. Thankfully, there is the amazing option of adoption, so these couples can change their minds on family size later on. But, I have known too many couples (even ones with 4 and 5 kids) that have told me in their 40's or 50's that their biggest regret in life was that they had made the permanent decision to limit their family size. It is so easy, with a house full of babies, toddlers, and preschoolers to think "No, I can't possibly add one more little one." Then, those little ones grow up and mommy begins to think, "What have we done?"


#3 " Laurel is absolutely, totally crazy, and she has no understanding of MY life."

Yes ... you're right ... I am absolutely, totally crazy.

I am a passionate follower of the LORD Jesus Christ and I only want HIS will for my life. In the world's eyes ... that makes me crazy. In the Lord's eyes ... that makes me His child.

No ... I don't have any understanding of YOUR life. But ... I know Someone who does. Since the Lord knows every little detail of what has been, and what is to come, I hope that you will TRUST Him to know what is BEST for you and your family.

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths." Proverbs 3:5



I have added a Book Recommendations list in the right panel. I will be adding to the list of books, as we move through this Basic Belief series.

Basic Beliefs ... Why would anyone ever want to have 13 kids???

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One of my favorite conversations with strangers ...

While out shopping with 6 or 7 of my kids, I will undoubtedly be asked, "Are they all yours?" To which I casually respond, "Yes, these are all mine. However, they aren't ALL of mine. I have 6 or 7 more at home."




Questions #1 Did you always plan to have a large family?

Yes ... and no. I can remember multiple times when I was in 5th or 6th grade reading magazine articles about extra large families and thinking, "Wouldn't it be awesome to have that many kids to love?" I came from a very difficult and abusive home situation, with not much love going around. I do not ever recall as a child being hugged or told that I was loved. So, I was drawn to these large families that seemed to have LOTS of love to go around.

When Jim and I got engaged (on our 3rd date, when I was just 19 years old ... a story for another time), we told everyone that we wanted to have 6 children. Everyone assured us that we would change our minds, after we found out how difficult parenting actually was. Now, we laugh and say, "Yes, we changed our mind. We didn't stop at just 6."

With 10 bio. children, no one would ever guess that we had dealt with the infertility issue. However, when I was just 21 I was diagnosed with severe Endometriosis and told that I needed a hysterectomy immediately. We were crushed. What about our plans to have 6 children? I quickly made an appointment with a new O.B. He confirmed the diagnosis, but told me that he would hold off on the surgery for a little while, so that we could pray about the situation. He did, however, tell me that I only had a 2% chance to conceive a child. I distinctly remember going to our Young Couples Group at church that evening, telling them the news, and stating matter-of-factly, "God doesn't care about percentages." Everywhere I went, I declared that, while I believed the doctor's diagnosis, I also believed that I had a God that was bigger than the diagnosis. And ... 2 weeks later I was pregnant with my first child. Wow, God!

Endometriosis goes into remission during pregnancies. So, the less time between pregnancies, the better as far as the disease is concerned. When Gregg was just 4 months old, I purposely stopped nursing to increase my chances of another pregnancy. Cassie arrived when Gregg was 14 months old, and Jeremiah arrived when Cassie was 16 months old.

The following year, we actually tried for 6 months to get pregnant, and the Lord then decided to bless us with 2 at once. When I found out I was expecting twins, the "older kids" were 1, 2, and 3. Then, the day after the twins turned 1, we found out that Josh was on his way. So, after being told that I had a 2% chance of ever having children, I had 6 children in 6 years. Everyone thought for sure that we were done. Hadn't we planned to have 6 children?

The key here is that what "we planned" didn't take into account what God's plans might be for us.

After Joshua, we lost a child during pregnancy. So, that was a very difficult time for us. Then, after Benjamin came along, Jim assured me that "Seven is God's perfect number." While Jim had said MANY times, "This is it." This time ... he really meant it. He did NOT want to have any more children. I asked Jim to pray for me. If it was truly God's plan for us to take permanent measures to limit the size of our family, I believed that God would give both of us peace about this major decision.

Less than 2 months later, I went quietly to Jim and said, "Your prayers have been answered. We won't be having any more children." My Endometriosis had returned and the doctor told me that a hysterectomy was imperative ... I had 7 children that I needed to stay healthy for, and Endometriosis can be a fatal disease. Surgery was scheduled.

Three days before the surgery, after our weekly church service, a couple of the elders approached and asked if I would like prayer. I don't even remember praying for a healing, I just prayed for a successful surgery, quick recovery, people to take care of the kids, etc... However ... when the doctor opened me up, he discovered that I had been completely healed. After 12 years of battling the disease, there were no signs of it. There wasn't even any scar tissue from my previous surgeries. Nothing ... gone ... When Jim approached my bed in the recovery room, I whispered, "I guess we are supposed to have more kids." If God wanted to close that door, He had a pretty good opportunity to do just that.

So, after 7 children, Jim finally released it all to the Lord and said, "Not my will ... but yours." Seriously, we had "planned" to have 6 kids, but now we were open to the Lord's plans more than ever.

After 10 kids, we both felt we'd "done our part". My 10th child was born the day before I turned 40, and we were happy with the family that the Lord had given us ... for a year or two. Then, I spent 2 solid years talking to the Lord about His plans. Jim, again, said, "We're done." But, I had that stirring in my heart. Jim's biggest argument was the fact that he didn't want to be "too old" when the youngest was a teenager. Then, the Lord showed me that if we adopted kids that were older than our youngest, we would still be parenting the same amount of years. So, the adoption thought process began ...

Did we plan to have a large family? Yes. Did we plan to have 13 children? No.

Were we open to the Lord's plans for our family? Yes. Are we planning to have more children? No. Do we know what the Lord's plans are for our family? No. Are we trusting His planning. Absolutely.

Is it difficult to parent 13 children? Absolutely. Would we give any of them back if we could? Absolutely not.

Would we encourage others to have a large family? Yes! Yes! Yes! How should people determine the size of their family? Seek the Lord ... Seek His will for your family ... Trust His plans, not your own ...

Parenting / Adoption Questions for You

Here are a couple of quick Parenting / Adoption questions for all of you parents out there.

How can we help children to be more aware of their surroundings? How can we help them to "see" what is right in front of them or next to them, when they are focused on something else?

Our new children seem to struggle in this area more than our other children. Two examples from yesterday ...

#1 Child in hallway knocks large family picture off of the wall (and the frame breaks). We have a wall FULL of family photos, they have been there for 6 years, and it is VERY rare that one would fall off of the wall. Child looks at broken picture on floor and walks away. Sees no problem with what has just happened.

#2 Child is helping Papa with painting project. Child steps right into paint tray on ground. Papa has had children helping him with painting business for past 10 years ... no child has ever stepped into a paint tray.

#3 Child runs into street to get a ball ... completely oblivious to the fact that there are cars driving down the street. Yes ... scary!


How can we help our children to understand the concepts of distance and time?

Again, something our other children have not struggled with. Examples ...

#1 The children seem to have absolutely no concept of how far away Africa is. To them, a 12 hour plane ride from Accra to New York is the same distance as a 10 hour drive to sister Cassie's house. Africa ... Oregon ... same distance. And, yes, we have shown them maps and globes.

#2 While the children can tell time on a clock, they have absolutely no understanding of the concept of how long something might be. One hour or 8 hours are just words ... not an understanding of actual time.

#3 While the children can talk about days, weeks, months, years ... the conceptual understanding is not there. We can look at a calendar and see that Christmas is 3 months away. For our other young children, 3 months is an eternity. However, when Sarah started reading a big book and Papa said, "Why don't you see if you can finish that book by Christmas?", reading the book became her entire focus. Yesterday, I couldn't understand why she wouldn't put the book down. She wouldn't go out side to play with her siblings, she wouldn't play games with her siblings, etc... Then, last night, Hosanna told me about the Christmas goal set by Papa. Oh dear ... My other children would have probably forgotten all about reading the book until the Christmas tree got put up and then they would have raced to complete the reading of the book.


Now ... I am NOT at all complaining. I KNOW that it will take time to help them to understand these concepts. These are things that our other children naturally picked up on during their preschool years ... just part of our daily life training. So, I am just wondering how to teach these types of concepts to older children who did not come by them naturally, while living in their little village in Northern Ghana. (They didn't have walls to put pictures on. They didn't have streets to run into. They didn't have paint trays to step on. They didn't have big books to read before Christmas.)

The difficult thing is that while I definitely need to protect them (in the case of running into the street), I can't turn back the clock and train them up like I have my other preschoolers. I can't take a 12 year old and spend 6 years teaching him the things I have taught my other kids from ages 0-6. Make sense?

I KNOW that they have learned soooo... much since arriving in America just 6 months ago. But ... I just thought I'd ask for any help and/or suggestions that you, my faithful readers, might have. THANKS for helping us on this new path of our parenting journey.

Basic Beliefs ... who am I? what makes me tick? why do I do what I do?

As I have perused a variety of new blogs this week, I have realized how much I enjoy the posts that really tell me who the author is. Not just ... what does their family look like? Not just ... what fun things did they do today? But who are they ... deep down ... what makes them who they are ... what do they really believe ... why do they do what they do???

So, I believe it is time for me to give each of you a deeper look into my thoughts and beliefs ... my core life values. Over the next week or two I intend to provide a Question & Answer format to share a little more about why we do what we do in life.

I plan to answer questions such as:

#1 Why on earth would you choose to have such a large family? Did you always plan to have more than a dozen kids? Do you not believe in birth control?

#2 Why do you teach your children at home? Is it because you believe the public school system is evil? Is it because your children have special needs? Is it because you want to protect and shelter them? What about a high school diploma ... and college?

#3 What is your primary parenting style? Relaxed and flexible? Structured and controlling?

#4 What do you do for entertainment? Did you really turn off your t.v. 17 years ago? How about video games and computer games?

#5 What type of church do you attend? Are you Catholic or Mormon (since both of those churches don't believe in using birth control)?

#6 What are your beliefs on dating? Are your children allowed to date? Do you believe in Courtship? With 6 adult children, why aren't any of them married yet?

#7 What are your standards for modesty, especially with your girls? How do you define those standards? Do your girls rebel against your standards?


Do any of YOU have questions for me? As you have gotten to know our family through this blog, have you ever wondered why __________________? how ___________________? what ___________________? Please post a comment and let me know what Basic Belief questions you would like me to answer.

Stay tuned ... I am looking forward to chatting with you about these very important topics.

Take My Life ...

Take my life and let it be
Consecrated, Lord, to thee;
Take my moments and my days,
Let them flow in ceaseless praise.


Frances Ridley Havergal

TIME ... the moments of life we can never replace ...

Last night I was feeling bad because it had been "so long" since I had been in touch with Carissa, only to realize that I was in Argentina just 9 days ago. The past 9 days have been sooo... packed, it seriously feels like I've been home for a month.

Today, however, I am finally starting to feel caught up and am very much looking forward to the weeks ahead, with my new stay-at-home schedule. While losing my job was definitely difficult, I really am excited for what the Lord has planned for our family. I have so enjoyed the relaxed (yet focused) homeschooling schedule this week. I have TIME to answer all of their questions ... TIME to listen to the little ones read ... TIME to think about and plan all of the fun things that we can do together this year. Yea!

Not only do I have TIME for my husband and my children ... I have TIME for ministry to others. This week I was visiting with a young friend of mine when she mentioned that she was looking into attending Bible Study Fellowship. I shared with her that our family has been involved with BSF for 16 of the past 22 years. She said that she had heard that her children could attend the program after they are 2 years old, but she asked me "What about the baby?" Without a moments hesitation, I explained that there is no childcare for the young ones. However, I shared that for years there were women in our community that volunteered to babysit my little ones while I attended with the older ones, and that I would love to pass along the favor. Not only that, but I suggested to this dear friend that she invite her sister also, and that I would love to watch both of the little boys (ages 4 mo. and 10 mo.) while their mommies and older siblings attend BSF weekly. ME ... babysit??? I haven't had TIME for that in years. And, this week, I get all 3 of my friend's little ones, as she must attend an Intro. Class without the children. What fun!

In addition to my offer to babysit these little guys weekly, this week I made an even bigger offer ... one that would bring about some HUGE changes for our family. At my dear dad's 90th birthday party, I explained to him that we believe it is TIME for him to move in with us. He lives 150 miles away, and we really want to be able to shower him with love in the last years of his life. While this is a very big decision for him to make, I know he was very surprised and pleased with our offer. (The HUGE hurdle to this plan ... he has a wife. She is in very poor health, so she would need to stay with her children caring for her, while my dad moved up here for us to help care for him.) Please pray for my dear dad, as he makes this difficult decision. The day before dad's birthday, it hit me like a ton of bricks ... I couldn't make this offer if I was still working full-time. Wow! God sure knew what He was doing when He allowed me to get fired. Oh how I would regret things later if I didn't have TIME for my dear daddy in the last years of his life. He is a sweet and precious man, who loves me and my family dearly.

This week ... I had TIME to go out to lunch with my two sweet administrative assistants from my old job. It was awkward for only a moment, as they felt so bad about the whole job situation. But, everything was good when they realized how truly happy I am to be walking in faith for the new journey that the Lord has for me.

Yesterday ... I had TIME to scrapbook. From 7:30 a.m. - 9:30 p.m., I visited with sweet friends while putting pictures into our family albums. I am so blessed to have a husband that supports me and encourages me to do "my thing", even after just returning from 14 days away.

Today ... I had TIME to bake brownies and to welcome a houseful of teenagers as we celebrated Joshua's 18th birthday. I can't believe I'm old enough to have 6 adult children. Where did the TIME fly?

Tonight ... I will have TIME to give the little guys haircuts, finish up this week's laundry, pay a few bills, and maybe even do a bit more scrapbooking.

I am relaxed. (I can't believe how stressful my job has been for the past 2 years.) I am happy. I am blessed. I am excited for this new TIME in my life ... a TIME to support my husband, teach my children, minister to my friends, ... and a TIME to grow deeper and deeper in love with my LORD.

I hope that each of you will take TIME today ... to show the ones closest to you, how much they mean to you ... to give yourself a little treat (maybe 20 minutes at a coffee shop to enjoy a sweet drink and to read the newspaper uninterrupted) ... to read God's Word and to ask Him how He would like you to spend your TIME.

Kekasmai Images

I thought I'd share a quick post from my daughter Cassie's blog. The Lord is growing her photography business, and she is making some exciting changes. So, read on .... and if you live in WA or OR and need a photographer, just get in contact with her through her blog. She has LOTS of experience with LARGE families.



hey all!!

i have been thinking about changing my business name for a while now, and this morning it all came together with a few clicks of the mouse!!!

Kekasmai (kay-cass-may) is the Greek word for "to shine" it is also one of the words my name (Cassandra) is derived from. In "looking" for a new name i knew i wanted something different, Greek, and meaningful. Because of my Greek heritage i wanted to bring that into the name of my business. I also didn't want to just pick a random Greek word. I thought about Diacog. Photography, but that didn't fulfill the meaningful(i'm not sure what it means) side of things, and I'm planning on getting married someday, so it would have to change again.

One of my goals as a person and as a photographer is to shine the light of Christ into and through my life and work. When i found out that my name is derived from a word that means "to shine" it was an automatic SMILE on my face and thought in my head as a name for my photography business. Nothing else about my business has changed; i still take pictures
of all the same things, I'm not biased by the fact if you are Greek or not and i am still learning and growing as a photographer.

feel free to shoot me an email if you have questions, comments or want me to take pics of your event!!!!!

Shining for HIM,
Cassie


You can check out her new photography blog at:
http:// kekasmaiimages.blogspot.com

Mansaf

Due to security reasons with my son Jeremiah's ministry in Amman, Jordan, he has to keep his blog private. However, I thought that you readers might enjoy one of his stories.


Last Friday I was invited to attend a family gathering with the "H" family, as I often am. The traditional Jordanian meal Mansaf was the meal of choice. In Jordan, Mansaf is a pretty big deal (I knew this) so you can never say no. We arrived at the family farm on a mountain top about 1hr from Amman at about 10:30am and began busily preparing for the rest of the extended family to arrive. At about 1pm they began to trickle in, and by 3:30 there was over 60 people gathered for this family meal. Of course, I still am not used to eating so late in the afternoon, so I was STARVED!! Finally, at 3:30pm the women brought out 5 large trays, each round and about 2.5ft in in diameter. On each tray was piled a huge mound of rice and large chunks of lamb. Mansaf is traditionally eaten in a specific fashion; nowadays, usually only the young people and adults eat it in the traditional way. Older folks, children, and women usually use a plate and utensils...

Being that this was my first experience with Mansaf, of course I HAD to participate in the normal fashion. So I and 5 other guys gathered around a table with one of the trays on it and dug in. (We ate outside, and there were no chairs at the table.) So how to eat Mansaf: using only one hand, you grab a chunk of lamb and a bit of rice. Then you squeeze it, and mold it into a ball in your palm. Then, toss the whole thing into your mouth and enjoy. YUM! The rice and lamb are cooked together with spices, a creamy/oily broth, and almonds. This makes for a pretty decently sticky, wet, and messy experience, but it's fun.....mostly...

This would have been one of the better nights I have had here but for one small detail... In Jordan, the guest of honor is usually asked to join a particular table, as I was. On this table there is a special tray of Mansaf. In addition to everything previously mentioned there is one more little...shall we say..."garnish." On the top of the huge mound of rice and lamb is the head of the lamb. Complete. Skinned of course, but cooked completely with the rest of the meal and placed on the top. So the entire meal, I had this lambs head staring at me. And then, when I was almost getting used to that... the other guys decided that they had had enough rice and needed to move on to other.... "delicacies"... yes, the first thing to do is tear off the jaw bones...this gave easier access to the tongue, of course! As one of the guys said: "Be careful when cutting off the tongue; it is easy to get fat from right below, and that doesn't taste very good." As if the tongue did!! As the first guy finished tearing the jaw and tongue apart another jabbed his fingers into the eye sockets and fished out the eyeballs....mmm, tasty. He said it tasted "kinda rubbery, and mostly like fat." Well, shucks, that was almost enough for me to go get a lamb's eyeball for myself! I thought perhaps they were done, as the remains of the head were placed on the table and everyone resumed eating the Mansaf. One of the guys left briefly and returned...with a hammer! No, they were not done with the head....They had yet to get to the brain! A few swings of the hammer later, they were prying open the skull and scooping out the brain, perfectly cooked in one nasty, noodly-looking piece. I almost threw up, but held it together by closing my eyes and downing another glass of soda. By this point I had had enough Mansaf, and went to wash up.

Back ... and Busier than Ever ...

Hello Friends,

So sorry for the lack of blogging this past week. My life has been a whirlwind.

Sunday 14th * Fiesta Gaucho ... a Cowboy Party at a ranch outside of Buenos Aires.

Monday 15th * 14 hour bus ride from Buenos Aires to Mendoza.

Tuesday 16th

* Last Day for Shopping and Running Errands with Carissa.
* The opportunity to give a Teaching Time / Message to all of the students and staff at the YWAM Base. Wow! (more details later ...)
* Carissa and I surprised the staff with a special "American Dessert" on my last night ... Banana Splits. What a treat!

Wednesday 17th

* Helping with Wedding preparations for Laura and Julio.
* A fancy Wedding Luncheon for all of the Staff and friends.
* Time to say "Good-bye" to all of my new friends, and my dear daughter Carissa. (Yes, I cried at the airport.)
* Trouble with Immigration, as I became a suspected drug smuggler (more on that later ...).

Thursday 18th

* My amazing husband surprised me at the Seattle airport. I had left my car in Seattle, expecting to drive the 2 hours home after my 19 hours of plane flights. But, Jim caught a ride to Seattle, picked up my car, met me with a bouquet of flowers when I got off the plane, took me out to lunch, and drove me home. WOW!!!
* Small Group Meeting that evening
* Cassie arrived from Oregon, bringing home the 3 little ones who had spent a week with her.

Friday 19th

* Time to hang out with my family. Ahhhhh.....

Saturday 20th

* Day trip to the State Fair (150 mile drive each way) with 9 of our kids and 3 of their friends. We left at 10:30 a.m. and returned home at 12:30 a.m. It poured rain most of the day (remember Seattle's reputation), but we had a GREAT time despite the weather.

Sunday 21st

* Day trip to Uncle Dave's house (100 mile drive each way) with 11 of our kids and sweet Heidi ... for Grandpa's 90th Birthday Party. A very fun day was had by all ...

Monday 22nd

* Lindsey's last day before heading out on her YWAM Adventure. She is now in Germany, with plans to stay for 6 months.

Tuesday 23rd

* I wonder why I'm so tired.


Scroll down ... for pictures and stories ...

The Fiesta Gaucho

One last set of pictures from my trip to Argentina ...

On the last day of our Buenos Aires trip,
Carissa and I attended a "Fiesta Gaucho" or ... "Cowboy Party".


The Dining Hall ...



The Amazing BBQ ...



Carissa ...



We all got to go horseback riding ...



The Cowboys ...



Carissa got a ride from one of the Cowboys ...

The Puyallup Fair in Pics ...

Oops ... Cassie took most of the pics for the day, and I forgot to get them off of her camera before she headed home to Oregon. Sad!

We enjoyed ...

* The Hobby Hall * The Juggler Show * The Wild About Monkeys Show * The Human CannonBall * The Draft Horse Show * The Animal Barns *

* Corn Dogs * Chicken Teriyaki & Rice * Elephant Ears * Cotton Candy * Carmel Apples * Scones * Lemonade *

Grampa's 90th Birthday Party

Before my sweet dad got married at 40 years old, he never thought he would have children, much less grandchildren. He thought that he was too old.

When I got pregnant with my first child, 25 years ago, my dad said, "Maybe I'll be a Grandpa after all."

After 5 or 6 kids, Grampa told me, "You don't have to keep having them on my account." But he rejoiced with each and every one that followed.

What a joy it was to celebrate Grampa's 90th birthday. Not only did he have 13 of his 16 grandkids present, but his 83 year old brother, Bill, flew up from Arizona for the occasion. The only sad part of the day was that Grampa's sweet wife was not able to make it due to her deteriorating health.

Grampa is in amazing health for his age. His main issue is the loss of his eyesight in the past few years. And, just last month he got the walker, due to a slipped disc in his back. Other than that, he is sharp as a tack mentally, and he loves to spend time with his family.


Grampa's Birthday Cake



My Sister-In-Law holds the Cake for Grampa



Grampa and Our Family
(Grampa is sitting, while Uncle Bill is standing.)



Grampa ... 90 Years Old ...
(The sunglasses are for his Macular Degeneration.)

Seattle Has A Reputation

Many of the people here that know a little English get excited to speak with me, so that they can practice and that I can say, "Great job!"

While shopping today, a young shop worked heard me talking to Carissa and said...

"You speak English?"

"Yes."

"Where are you from?" (Most English speakers here are from England."

"The United States."

"What city?"

"Seattle."
(Okay ... 2 hour North of Seattle ... but I'm sure he would have never heard of our little farming town.)

"Seattle? ... Is it really true that it rains every day in Seattle?"

I couldn't believe it! Too funny!


If you've never been to Washington ... it is a BEAUTIFUL state with LOTS of sunshine in the summer.

The City Tour in Pics

We made sure to get a couple of pictures of both of us.
After returning from Africa I realized that I had 1 picture from my
whole month there, since I am always the one behind the camera.





There are more horses and wagons in Mendoza,
but I have seen several here in Buenos Aires.
I'm amazed that the traffic doesn't spook the horses.



It appears that a typical house was built on top of a city high rise office building. A bit strange, if you ask me.



Cool building design ... but I am actually taking a picture of the window washers at about the 20th floor.



There are many parks in B.E. There are many dogs in B.E. There are many busy business men and women in B.E. So, the answer is ... Dog Walkers. Basically, it's "Doggie Daycare Goes to the Park". We saw many. Our tour guide says it is a very high paying job. Interesting?!



What would you build picnic tables, park benches, and chairs out of if you didn't want them to be stolen or broken? Concrete. Yes, these random Park Chairs are actually to be found on a small strip of grass in the middle of 20 lanes of traffic. Seriously, the road in front of our hotel has 10 lanes of traffic in each direction.

Buenos Aires in Pictures

This past week, we felt like we were in a big city when we visited downtown Mendoza. Well ... Mendoza is but a small village compared to Buenos Aires. I just did a bit of research and discovered that B.E. is the 3rd largest urban area in all of Latin America (including Mexico, Central America, and South America). In 2003, Greater Buenos Aires had a population of 13,000,000. Wow! (In 2001, Greater Mendoza had a population of 850,000.) Contrast this to New York City, which has 8,000,000 in the city and 19,000,000 in the greater metropolitan area (which covers parts of 3 states). So, when I told Carissa today that it felt like NYC, I guess I was right.

Our Hotel ...



The View from our 9th Floor Room ...








A Taste of Home ...






The Port ...





The Old Port Warehouses made into Shops and Restaurants ...



A Walking Bridge ...




A Demonstration (which we hear are quite common here) ...
Don't worry, we will stay away from the demonstrations.
Pictures were taken from the 9th floor.



Stopping Traffic ...



Masked Men Carrying Big Sticks ...




The tour company booked us an amazing hotel in the perfect location. We are within walking distance of about 5 distinct areas that we would like to visit (the first area, being The Port, where we walked for dinner tonight). Tomorrow morning, we will be taking a City Tour with the tour company, so that we can really make the best of the next 3 days.

An Overnight Bus Trip

Well, I still can't believe it ... I'm in South America. I've been here for a week, and I still have to pinch myself to make sure this isn't a dream.

It's 11:30pm and Carissa & I are on a bus ... heading out on a 5 day adventure (beginning with a 12 hour bus ride).

This bus is no Greyhound. Wow! This is a double-decker (we're upstairs). We have lots of legroom (even for Carissa). The seats recline 1/2 way to laying flat (much better reclining than airplane seats). For dinner we were served a breaded fried meat, mashed potatoes, ham & cheese on a roll, cold rice salad (different, but not to bad), soda, and a yummy chocolate dessert. Pretty good for a complimentary bus meal.

The cross-country busses here have attendants, like flight attendants on airplanes. Before dinner, we had a game of Bingo. After dinner we had a movie. The movie was actually spoken in Portugese, with Spanish subtitles. Obviously, I couldn't understand a word that was said. But, I enjoyed the Hispanic music.

Carissa is asleep beside me, but I am wide awake, just taking it all in. Even though it's dark out, I just want to watch the countryside go by, and see all of the little towns along the way.

I'm sure I'll fall asleep at some point, but for right now I just want to sit here and praise and thank the Lord for ALL He is doing in my life and in the lives of each family member. Praise Him!

Wednesday, September 10th

Wednesday mornings at The Base find all staff and students brought together for prayer, worship, and a teaching time. It is something that is looked forward to and held as a high priority. When people found out that Carissa and I would be leaving "on Wed.", they all asked, "Will you be here for Intercession?" They were excited to have me join them for this time of prayer and worship.

This time begins with groups of 5-8 heading out to various parts of the open field for a time of small group intercessory prayer. Wow! Carissa translated for or group of 5 English speakers and 5 Spanish speakers. Funny thing ... I can't remember if she prayed in English or Spanish.

After a 45 minute prayer time, everyone comes together for worship. All songs today were familiar English songs, translated into Spanish. So, I could just worship along in English. It didn't matter that my words were different ... God heard all of the praises. Some of the songs were sung in English, as the Spanish speakers are encouraged to learn English while the English speakers learn Spanish. Sooo... cool!

After worship came the teaching. Today Marlon (a staff member) shared his testimony of how he came to YWAM Mendoza, from his home in Peru. Carissa translated the whole talk for all of us English speakers.

During announcements, a Spanish-speaking staff member gave the announcements in English, while an English-speaking staff member translated in Spanish. Neat to see everyone learning and being stretched out of their comfort zones.

This afternoon Carissa and I packed our bags for a mother/daughter adventure. Then we had to carry/pull all of our bags to the bus stop. (The usual 10 minute fast walk took 20 minutes.) Carissa had a large gym bag with clothes and her shoulder bag. I had my shoulder briefcase with both heavy laptop computers, my camera bag, and a grocery bag with 3 large bottles of water. Luckily, another student was also taking the same bus, so she pulled my carry-on suitcase.

The other student got off the bus before us, so when we got downtown I handed off the bottled water to Carissa, so that I cold pull the suitcase. I'm sure we were quite a site. Today no one would have mistaken us for Argentineans ... tourists we definitely were.

After a 4 block walk, we got about 30 minutes of internet time at or favorite cafe. And, in the last few minutes Carissa connected with Lindsey on iChat. Yea! I got to quickly say "hi" to Linsdey, Sarah, Rachel, Hosanna, and H's friend Madi. It was goot to see their sweet faces.

We rushed out the door to catch a taxi to the bus station, but there were no taxis to be found. So, we raced through the city, after dark, barely keeping all of our bags on our shoulders, scanning traffic for a taxi. But to no avail. We ran through the streets for nearly 30 minutes, arriving at the bus station just 15 minutes before departure. Whew!

Off to Buenos Aires we go ...

Pictures of YWAM Mendoza, Argentina

My Cabin



Other Cabins



The Woods





The Multi-Purpose Room:
Lunch Room, Worship Room, Graduation Room, Wedding Chapel

Meal Planning

My new motto: Whenever food is offered, eat as much as possible, as you never know when the next meal might be offered.

Friday I got 2 meals … 1:30 pm and 8:30 pm.

Saturday I got 1 meal … 1:30 pm.

Sunday I got 3 meals … 1:30 pm, 5:30 pm, and 11:00 pm. (The 2 later meals I purchased in the city.)

Today I got lunch at 1:30, and was told that we would be having a special BBQ for the graduating students, at about 8:30 pm. However, 8:30 came and went. We watched everyone else eat dinner. The men started working on the BBQ at about 8:00 and the food was finally ready at 10:30. It was worth the wait, but it would have been nice to know approximately when to expect dinner.

BBQ Preparation:

#1 Buy big slabs of all types of beef (steaks, roast, ribs, etc…).

#2 Start small campfire.

#3 Place slabs of meat on metal grates, about 4 inches off the ground.

#4 Cover meat with pieces of cardboard.

#5 When the campfire has created coals, scoop them out and place them on the ground, under the grates.

#6 Add wood to campfire.

#7 Repeat steps #5 and #6 for several hours.

#8 Stab meat with fork and flip over approx. every 15 minutes. Be careful to not drop meat into coals.

#9 If meat drops into coals, stab with fork, knock off coal dust on cardboard, burn off remaining coals in campfire, place back onto grate.

A Worship Service

After a short internet session this afternoon, we attended church this evening. The worship service was from 7:30-9:30, with a prayer service afterwards that was just winding down when we left at 10:30. Boy can these Argentineans praise the Lord!

There were probably several hundred people in attendance, sitting in white plastic lawn chairs. The worship team was AWESOME … led by a young couple. Several of the songs were ones that I knew, that had been translated into Spanish. (Carissa says that they use a lot of translated Hillsong songs.) On the songs that I wasn’t familiar with, Carissa would translate the first time through, and then I actually sang the song in Spanish. It was sooo… cool. I can still read Spanish quite well (from my classes 30 years ago) … I just don’t know what every word means. But, since Carissa translated once through, I had a good sense of the meaning of the words and I really could worship along in Spanish. Wow God!!!

There was a guest pastor tonight, who was quite passionate about his message. I had taken my Bible, so I could read along with the scripture verses. And, sweet Carissa translated the whole service for me. One of the YWAM staff, from England, told us later that he wished he had sat by us. The pastor’s daughter was translating for him … but she wasn’t very good. Carissa is doing GREAT with her translating.

There are quite a few of the YWAM students and staff that attend this church, and this was their first time back to service after their 2 month outreach (as they ministered around the country). Many of the church youth were excited to see Carissa again, and to meet me. She has obviously built some very special relationships here. (Part of the youth group from church actually joined them on part of their outreach time, so they built some great relationships with the youth.)

It was a blessing to see where Carissa has been worshiping, and to participate so fully in worship in an unknown language.

Late Night Partying

Papa … you’d better pack your bags. I’m getting kind of used to the late night hours these Argentineans keep. I fit right in.

First of all, we live in a very conservative, “small town America” where everyone goes to bed at 9:00, probably because all of the farmers get up with the sun. Therefore, it is very difficult to find a restaurant open after 9:00 pm. I’m lucky that my favorite coffee shop is open until 10:00, but often it’s 10:15 when I think “Oh, I wish I could go get a coffee.” Even our movie store closes at 10:00.

As I mentioned earlier, the typical YWAM dinner is served at 8:30. Carissa tells me that while on outreach they often ate at midnight or 1:00 am.

Last night, after graduation, about 25 students and staff went out for pizza at midnight. (The pizza restaurant has couches and coffee tables, so it is a very relaxing “hang out” place.) After pizza, they went out for ice cream at 2:30 am. So, they caught taxis back to the base at 4:00 in the morning. Yes, my kind of partying.

Tonight, we left church at 10:30 and walked a few blocks to a pizza shop. (I treated Carissa and 3 friends to a very yummy chicken pizza). At 11:30 we caught the trolley back to the main part of downtown. Then we realized that we didn’t all have enough coins for the bus. But, the taxis won’t take 5 people (just 4). We counted and re-counted our coins. We went to several small shops and asked if they would make change, but they wouldn’t. We had to find 2 different shops that we could buy a coke at, so that they would give us change. By this time, we had missed the midnight bus back to the base. So, we sat at the bus stop until 1:00 waiting for our bus. Seriously, over 50 buses passed us before ours came.

While sitting at the bus stop, we watched the non-stop business at the ice cream shop across the street. Not only were people buying ice cream sundaes after midnight, but they were eating them outside … in the WINTER. Remember, people, it is COLD here.

At 1:30am, we were the last ones on the bus, and suddenly I realized that all 4 young people with me were asleep (they had all partied too late last night, too). Problem … I have absolutely no idea where we are supposed to get off this bus. I woke up Carissa, only to have her give me quick directions and close her eyes again. Okay … I’d better recognize the corner that the bus driver had to wait for me while I ran down the dirt road this afternoon.
We finally made it back to the base at 2:00 am. And, I didn’t even have to walk through the dark woods by myself … the staff security guard walked me, and he even had a flash light.


Questions for you Americans that might live in a big city …

Do busses in the U.S. run all night?
Are restaurants and ice cream shops typically open after midnight?


I don’t quite know if this is “Argentinean Life” or “City Life”.

Run, Mama, Run!

We headed back into the city this afteroon (for some internet time before church). As we walked the dirt road to the bus stop, we saw that some of the other YWAM students had missed the bus an hour earlier, and were waiting on the corner for the next bus. Suddenly, while we were still a couple of “blocks” away, they started waving frantically … the bus was coming.

Carissa and I started running. Her legs are about 5” longer than mine, and she’s in a little better shape, so she quickly made it to the corner just as the students were boarding. However … while I was running as quickly as possible (with my heavy computer briefcase on my shoulder), I was still a ways behind. The students were all waving for me to hurry. The bus started to drive away (with Carissa on it), when all of a sudden one of the young YWAM men jumped in front of the bus, put up his hands and pointed my direction. The bus driver didn’t seem at all inclined to wait for me, but this young man stood in front of the bus until I was safely on board. Then, he jumped on behind me. Wow! What a guy!

A Life of Simplicity

Today in my ponderings, I am thinking about the meanings of simplicity … simplify … simply.

What does it mean to live a life of simplicity?
What areas of our family life do we need to simplify?
Maybe my job loss will cause us to learn to live simply.

No … don’t worry … I am not wanting to throw away all comforts and live as a pioneering Amish woman. (While I do believe there are benefits to such a lifestyle.)

I am laying on a blanket in the middle of an open field. The blanket is not comfortable … it is the simple little complimentary blanket from American Airlines. The grass is not comfortable .. it is nearly dead, and crunches underfoot. The ground is not comfortable … it is still nearly frozen from the cold winter. Yet … I am comfortable. I am happy. I am content. I am at peace. I am in a good place (physically, spiritually, emotionally). The only thing missing is … my family. Oh how I wish that Jim and the children could be here with me … experiencing this new culture together. (Then, of course, with 6 young children here my life would not be quite as relaxed and simple.)

Seriously … life here is simple. And, in that simplicity the students are not distracted from all of the “comforts of home”.

Today, we have no water. Not to worry … we can wash the dishes and clothes tomorrow.

One evening we had no electricity. Not to worry … we had the warmth of the campfire and the light of the moon.

Today, Carissa overslept and didn’t get us signed up to eat lunch. Not to worry … we could eat yesterday’s leftovers. (Several of the young men offered their lunches to us, but were happy with the leftovers.)

The buildings here do not have heat. Not to worry … my 6 blankets kept me warm last night.

With our late nights, I have not made it to breakfast yet. Not to worry … the tea and crackers offered by my cabin-mates warms my heart and fills my tummy.

Last night, when it took us 2 ½ hours to get home after dinner (due to the lack of change for the bus), I could have easily paid for 2 taxis. However, I felt the Lord wanted me to walk the walk of these missionary students. While I was excited to treat them to pizza for dinner, I also wanted them to know that I was quite content (even comfortable) walking the streets of the city and waiting at a bus stop for an hour at midnight. I am NOT an American woman that needs to be pampered and catered to (which is an easy stereotype for people here to assume).

I am not at all rejecting or condemning the life I live at home. I enjoy my central heating and comfortable new bed. I like knowing that I can shower whenever I want to. I really like my super-size Whirlpool Duet washer and dryer. I love my big van that holds all 15 family members. And, I like my little Ford Focus station wagon for running errands.

The question, however, is … Could I live without these things? Absolutely!

In many ways, my recent job loss has called us to re-examine our priorities … knowing that we are probably entering a season of “Living on Less”. I am, however, actually excited for the challenge. I’m excited to have more time for meal planning, shopping for sales, and cooking “the old fashioned way”. I’m excited to bring out the wheat grinder to bake fresh bread again (something I’ve hardly done for 4 years).

In many ways, “Living on Less” as a family, is training our children for the mission field. I remember when Cassie did her YWAM DTS, she told us that in many ways the other students were struggling more than she was. They were used to having their own bedrooms … they struggled with dormitory living. Whereas, Cassie had always shared a bedroom. They were used to an “open kitchen” where they could eat whatever and whenever they wanted … they struggled with the “closed kitchen”, scheduled meals, and limited portions. Whereas, Cassie had grown up with all of these in place. They were used to parents that took care of the house and the yard … they struggled with all of the required chores. Whereas, Cassie was excited at the opportunity to drive the tractor and mow 7 acres each week.

As we move into this new season of “Living on Less”, I look forward to making changes with the view of “Training Missionaries” rather than the view of “I wish I could provide more for our family”. I must keep my focus on God’s perspective … not the world’s perspective of “everyone else has ______”.

What does this mean, in practical terms? (Obviously, these are things that need to be discussed and confirmed with my dear husband.”

#1 Maybe we should/could turn the thermostat down a notch or two. Maybe we need to wear sweatshirts and socks in the house when it’s cold.

#2 Maybe we need to try new meal options. (I already have some ideas from my time here.) Do we NEED to serve dessert every time we have company?

#3 Maybe we need to sell a car or two. (We do have 7 on our insurance right now.)

#4 Maybe I need to ride the bus sometimes when I go into the city to shop. (Obviously, this depends on how many things I’ll be bringing home. It won’t work for grocery shopping.) Our kids have been riding the city busses for years, unlike the majority of their peers who get cars when they turn 16.

#5 Maybe we need to set a weekly/monthly limit on coffee shop visits. (Oh dear!) We have an espresso machine at home … we just need to make time to use it. Yes, the drive-thru a block from our house is yummy and convenient. But . is it God’s BEST for us (financially speaking)???

While it is the job loss that has instigated this type of ponderings … I believe they are healthy things for all of us to think about. Even if we can afford all of the comforts of this world … are they God’s BEST for our families? The students here are all “on the same page” so to speak. Whether they come from plenty or from want … they have all chosen to live simply, in order to draw closer to the Lord and to learn to serve Him with all of their hearts.

I am excited! Excited … to learn what God has for us in this new season. Excited … to have more TIME (for God, for Papa, for my children). Excited … to homeschool my children without the constraints and schedules of the Enrichment School. Excited … to seek the Lord, as a family, for clear direction in this time. Excited … to see each of my children as “His Missionaries”. And, excited … to see what HE has planned for each of their lives.

A Trip to the Big City

Did I mention that it is cold here? I lay awake for over an hour in the middle of the night, shivering. Brrr …

My alarm went off at 6:40 and I couldn’t believe I was actually getting up while it was still dark. Today was “Shopping Day” in the city. However, the students needed to be back at the base by 1:00 pm, which meant that they (we) needed to catch the early bus into town. I don’t believe I have EVER gotten up before dark to go shopping … not even on the day after Thanksgiving.

I got to walk through the dark woods all by myself at 7:15, to meet up with Carissa and friends. It was good, though; I missed the mud puddles and jumped over the water hole without falling in. (I wonder if anyone uses flashlights around here?)

We had to walk a ways down a dirt road in order to get to the bus stop. Then, we had a 45 minute ride into downtown. I was glad that we were one of the first on the bus, as it filled up quickly and many people had to stand for the long ride.

We arrived downtown about 8:45 … made a potty stop at McDonalds … got my $$$ exchanged at a bank … and then went shopping. Carissa wanted to get a new shirt for graduation tonight.

Looking around the city was quite fun. It was, actually, a lot like Seattle … very modern. We found the perfect shirt to go with the dress pants that I brought for Carissa. Then, off to the coffee shop we headed. While sitting in the coffee shop, I totally felt like we could have been in Seattle or Vancouver, BC (except for the fact that no one was speaking English). The Havanna Coffee Shop not only had good coffee and pastries, but they also had free wi-fi. Yea! I had time to not only send off a quick email to my honey … but also got to post a couple of blog posts.

Back on the bus at 11:45, so that we could make it back to the base before 1:00 lunch.

This afternoon, I took a nap and then had a very nice visit with some of the young staff ladies. We are actually doing quite well with understanding each other. After our visit, I got my long-awaited hot water shower, just in time to get ready for graduation.

Now … the sun came out this afternoon and actually fooled some of us into thinking that it might stay warm. Therefore, several of us dressed in our warm weather clothes for the graduation ceremony. I wore my denim skirt, a long-sleep shirt, denim vest, and flip-flops. And, I left my hoodies in the cabin, at the other end of the base.

The ceremony began at 7:30. By 8:00 the sun had gone down and the weather quickly changed. (Oh no!) By the time the ceremony was over at 11:00, I felt like an icicle. I was disappointed that I wasn’t invited “in to town” to party with the graduates, but took comfort in the fact that I could crawl into bed and warm up. However, when I got to my cabin the door was locked and no one was in sight. So, I got to stand outside (realizing that Carissa and friends were probably in a warm restaurant). At 11:45, someone happened along that had a key, so I finally got into the house.

By now, I was not only freezing cold, but I was starving. Somehow, the base decided not to serve dinner tonight. The graduates went out to eat at midnight, but how about everyone else? I’m so glad that I brought along some granola bars. And, my cabin has a microwave, so I was able to make some hot tea.

I’m a bit confused about the weather reports. I really hope that the 75 degree weather is on its way. But, will it still be 25 degrees at night?

Graduation Celebration

What a celebration was had tonight! Three and a half hours of worship, a message, and praise and thankfulness to God for each of the graduates. (I’m glad this was a small class, of only 14 … how many hours would a graduation take for a DTS class of 75 students?)

The worship was awesome. While I didn’t understand hardly a word that was said, the Holy Spirit was fully present and my heart was worshipping right alongside all of the Spanish speakers.

Aside from the worship, the base did provide a translator for the rest of the ceremony. So, I was able to understand the message and the words of praise for each of the graduates.

A powerful message was given by a young man that graduated from his DTS a year ago. It was awesome to see and hear what the Lord is doing in his life, and the passion he has to encourage others.



Much praise was given when Pablo received his certificate of graduation. Just a year ago, Pablo had not only walked away from the Lord, but he had divorced his wife and 2 daughters. A year ago, Pablo’s ex-wife and daughters attended a DTS here. And they prayed for Pablo. The Lord worked in Pablo’s life, restored his relationship with his wife and daughters, and brought Pablo here to do his DTS, with his wife and children living and working here alongside him. Praise God! (They actually got re-married here at the base, at the beginning of this DTS school.)




When it was Carissa’s turn to receive her graduation certificate, we were both surprised when her mentor/friend called me up and asked me to present it to Carissa. What a treat!





Along with Carissa, another young lady from our church attended her DTS here. I couldn’t be more proud of Miss Emi. For years, Emi said that she was not made for missions; she was just supposed to be sending others out and praying for them while they ministered across the world. But, the Lord had other plans. The DTS was especially difficult for Emi, since she came with very little knowledge of the Spanish language. She persevered, though, and is doing well with her Spanish and growing deeper with the Lord. So, it was very special to be here with Emi, and to be able to bring her a graduation card from her Mama at home.



While listening to the message, I glanced across the room and noticed a couple that looked like they might be from the U.S. However, as I said earlier, there are a lot of Argentenians who look like Caucasian Americans. After the service, though, the woman came right over and introduced herself. She and her husband are from the Chicago area, but have been missionaries here in Mendoza for 14 years. She asked how it was for me to send Carissa this far from home, since her 18 year old daughter has just started looking for colleges in the U.S.

I also was able to meet a very sweet couple who’s daughter attended the DTS. They actually hosted Carissa and Emi when they first arrived. And, they have invited them back for visits the past 5 months. So, when I met this dear woman, she introduced herself as “Carissa’s South American Mama”. Too precious!



Overall … tonight just showed me more and more how special and amazing this whole YWAM base is. I am sooo…. impressed with all of the young people that are on staff. Carissa’s mentor/leader is only 22, but very mature in the Lord. She has taken on a lot of responsibility and done well with it. The staff has truly shown a spirit of discipleship and accountability, two things that are top on my list when training up young people to go out and serve the Lord.

Thank you Lord for leading Carissa to such a special place with such an amazing group of young people serving you with all of their hearts, souls, minds, and strength.

I'm Allergic to My Bed

I was freezing cold by the time I crawled into bed last night. While we had been standing by the fire outside, my traveling clothes of capris, tank top, zip-up hoodie, and Crocs (wth no socks) weren’t quite the best outfit for the winter weather here in Argentina. So, I put on my winter pajamas and piled high every blanket I could find. (The little “log” cabins are quite cute; however, they are not heated.)

I awoke about 1:30 with a sore throat, and was a bit concerned but was really too tired to even think about it. However, I awoke at 3:00 with a golf-ball-size lump in my throat. Oh no! I have had these symptoms 4 other times in my life. The first time, I ended up in the hospital with a very serious infection. The other 3 times, we determined were caused by allergies. It wasn’t until the 3rd time, however, that we determined what the allergies were to … animals.

So, I was laying in bed at 3:00 a.m., having a hard time swallowing. I knew that if the golf ball got too big that I could then have a hard time breathing. It never crossed my mind to bring allergy medicine, because this only happens every year or two. I have 3 cabin-mates, none of whom speak English. Carissa’s room is across the base, through the dark woods and mud puddles. I finally decided to sit tight, pray, and hope that Carissa did not find me dead in the morning (suffocated by the golf ball lump).

When I awoke at 9:00, the lump was still there, but hadn’t gotten any bigger. Whew! I’m assuming that this bedroom has had pets in it. I was told that I will have a new room on Saturday. So, I am praying that I can survive one more night in the bedroom that I am allergic to.

I missed breakfast this morning. (I wasn’t told when to be there, and Carissa decided to let me sleep.) But, my housemates offered me tea and crackers. That was probably about all I could have eaten with the golf ball lodged in my throat anyways.

Carissa and I had a good morning of visiting. Lunch was served at 1:00 and the lasagna was delicious. I have no idea what types of vegetables were in it, but they tasted great. (I love to make lasagna, but never put veggies in it.)

After lunch, Carissa got out her computer and showed me the 2500+ pictures and videos that she has taken the past 5 months. Wow! It was really good that I had gotten to meet all of her friends prior to picture time, because it put everyone into context.

I had a relaxing afternoon and evening, while Carissa was in classes. We had a nice dinner, and then more chat time around the campfire. Then, right before bed, Carissa realized that we should ask one of the staff (who happens to be a nurse) if she had any allergy medicine. Not only did she have allergy medicine, but the whole package was in Eng lish. So I knew what I was taking. Whew! I’m looking forward to a good night’s sleep, without my golf ball.

Random Observations

Food:

Argentineans eat what we Americans would consider Italian food (pasta, pizza, lasagna, etc…). Whereas, I would have guessed that it would be more Mexican fare (rice, beans, tortillas).

Carissa tells me they don’t have marshmallows in Argentina.
That’s too bad. Since they stand around the campfires every night … they might like s’mores.


Weather:

We who live in the Pacific NW have about 4 months of shorts-wearing weather.
This part of Argentina has about 4 months of non-shorts-wearing weather.

I traveled to Ghana in their hottest part of the year, and now to Argentina in their coldest part of the year. (I wish my kids could plan their lives around warm weather for mama.)

I have always thought of Central and South America as hot-weather continents.
Carissa tells me, however, that the Southern tip of Argentina is the closest country to Antarctica. And … they have penguins there. Sounds cold to me.

It is COLD here … COLD to the bone. Before packing my suitcase, I checked the weather reports for the next 10 days. It said that yesterday and today would be 50F – 60F, and that next week would be mid 70’s F. It also mentioned that the nights would be cold (28 F). However, I expected that we would be inside when it was cold outside. Wrong! Even though they have very cold winters here, the buildings are not heated. Oh dear! I did not pack a coat, a hat, or gloves. And, my 2 layered zip-up hoodies aren’t doing very well at keeping me warm. I hope the weather forecast for next week was correct.

I spent 4 hours standing by the outside fire this evening, listening to all kinds of interesting Spanish conversations. Now, I am in bed with my winter pajamas layered over my clothes. I have 1 blanket under me, and a comforter plus 3 blankets on top. And … it’s still COLD. I can barely keep my fingers warm enough to type.


People:

I assumed that, in general, the people of South America look like Mexicans.
(I guess this assumption comes because they speak the same language.)
However, Carissa looks much more “Argentinean” than many of the native Argentineans.
(Her Greek complexion and dark hair fit right in.) Seriously, it can be hard for me to discern who might be native Spanish speakers and who might know English.


Facilities:

There is electricity here, but it went out last night for about 45 minutes.

There might be hot water in my cabin sometime … but I have not had any yet to take a shower. Now, cold showers were fine in the heat of Africa, but if I took one here I’m afraid I would turn into an icicle. Up at the front end of the base, there are showers, but I would need to go stoke the fire for quite some time to heat up the water. And, all of the young adults wait their turns so patiently, that I think I’ll just wait for hot water in my cabin.

There is no internet on the base. However, I told Carissa that I believed this to be very good for all of the young people here. It can bring such a distraction into their lives, that it is good to be able to focus more on what the Lord is trying to teach.

There is cell phone reception, so the Argentinean young adults are almost as attached to their phones as the American young adults that I know. This does, however, make it difficult for the non-native students, as their connection to home (the internet) is not available, while the students from South America have lots of communication access to friends and family.

Now, I am not at all complaining about the facilities … just explaining. Again, I believe that lacking some of the amenities that our young people get used to, can be part of their maturing process. They can better understand how much of the world lives.


The City:

I am sitting in a very modern coffee shop in Mendoza. Free wi-fi ... delicious food ...

The downtown area of Mendoza seems just like Seattle ... very modern ... very diverse people walking the streets. I don't feel out of place at all.

We're having fun!

Day #1 * Mendoza YWAM

After a quick flight from Chile to Mendoza, I arrived at 6:30 p.m. After picking up my luggage and going through customs, I walked out the front door and thought, “I sure hope Carissa remembers to pick me up.” There I stood, the only white woman around, the only non-Spanish speaker, with absolutely no idea who to contact if Carissa didn’t show up. I wasn’t worried; I just realized I would be in quite a predicament if no one came to get me. Do they have phone books in Mendoza? Could I find Youth With a Mission listed? What’s it called in Spanish?

A taxi soon arrived and out stepped my beautiful daughter. We were both so excited to see each other. After a short 10 minute taxi ride, we arrived at the YWAM Mendoza base.

The greeting I received from everyone was so warm and welcoming. I got more kisses in one evening than I get at home in a month. And, our family is a very huggy and kissy family. Seriously, everyone (young men and women) that greeted me gave me a kiss on each cheek. So sweet!

While I understood very little that they said, each one of them clearly loves Carissa as a sister. (She was a bit embarrassed to translate all of the sweet things they said about her.)

One of the things I did understand was how many of them asked Carissa how old I was. I guess I didn’t look like what they expected a “mother of 13” to look like.

After meeting everyone, it was time for dinner at 8:30. We had a delicious meal of rice and veggies. After our dishes were cleared, we stood outside around a fire, visiting until about 10:30. I was amazed at how welcome and at-home I felt, despite the language differences.

Even with the several naps I had gotten while traveling, I was ready to head to bed early. With quick good-byes to her friends, Carissa and I headed into the woods as she walked me home. It was quite dark, with only a few distant lights to be seen. I followed Carissa carefully down the path, as we navigated large mud puddles, etc… However, at one point Carissa didn’t see a mud slick, and I was just a bit to the right of her. In a split second, my slippery Crocs went right out from under me as I fell to my bum and slid right down the path, covered in mud. Only my ego was bruised a bit. But, I was certainly glad that we were out in the woods by ourselves. When we got back to my cabin, I stood by the door and chatted with my housemates for just a few minutes, gave Carissa and hug, and smoothly walked backwards into my bedroom so that no one would see my backside.

Starbucks

As my friends and family know, I am not a Starbucks fan. We have an amazing independent coffee shop at home, so we have no need for Starbucks. However, when traveling out-of-town, or around the world … Starbucks looks a bit better.

So, I walk confidently up to the counter and gaze over the menu (all in Spanish). After 30 years, some of the words actually look familiar. I am very proud that I can confidently place my order in Spanish. After telling the cashier which drink I would like, she confidently asks me (in English), “What size?” Okay … I guess it’s obvious that Spanish is not my first language. The young lady’s co-worker is even surprised that she speaks English so well. (He speaks enough that we could communicate. He understood when I told him I lived by “Seattle, the home of Starbucks”.)

I told him that I hoped the drink would be as good as the ones in Seattle (not saying that they’re not my favorite anyway). He responded that, “Ours are even better.” And, when I got the drink, I had to agree. My White Chocolate Mocha Frappuccino was fantastic!

A very funny thing about this … on the morning I left home (I guess that was yesterday … it seems so long ago ….) I stopped at my favorite coffee shop on my way out-of-town. The barista asked what I was up to, and when I told her where I was headed, she said that she had flown to Chile a few months ago. So, she was able to tell me that this actual airport was very nice and that they had a Starbucks here. However, she told me their coffee wasn’t very good.


I am just about to board my plane. All of the announcements are in Spanish. I have absolutely no idea what they are saying, except for “Mendoza”. Hope I don’t miss anything important. Can’t wait to see my interpreter, Carissa.