December - Week 1

I am learning... it took me a few hours just to get into the place where I can post... whew... but here we go...

I hope to share typical events and life through this... especially pictures! So, December is proving to be a pretty typical month, comings and goings, parties and outings... I hope to walk you through the weeks. People often ask about a 'typical day' or a 'typical week'... which always makes me laugh... over time you will see, it seems hardly anything keeps to a regular schedule.

The kids go to school from 8 until 12:30, and then we home school in the afternoon. Lots of my medicine happens throughout the day... beyond that - life is wide open!

Vic left Dec 1 for Arkansas with Pastor Angel Moreta from Constanza for a week...

So, all those cookies... went out to the employees at Centro Educativa Vida - the school on the ANIJA campus - and to the Ark. We do a month 'Noche de Damas' for the house moms and Kids Alive North American moms. It is usually at the Ark and includes a time of crafting, eating (of course!), and devotion. As Christmas was around the corner I decided decorating cookies would be fun... friends from California sent some great cookie goods (THANKS!) and Jessi and the kids baked and baked! We had a great night at our house on Monday...

Argelia - many of you know her for her delicious coffee, crazy laugh and constant song! - displayed true talent! Most of us were happy to get frosting and sprinkles on the cookies. The moms did two cookies for each person in their houses... needless to say, as they were drying while we did our devotional, the ants had their feast! But, not to worry, ants don't phase Dominicans! After four and a half years here... we eat them, too!
This was our devo time around our kitchen table. We talked about Christ being God's gift to us... then wrote out notes to each other, and shared out loud, how each woman around the table was a gift from God. It was a special night for all of us.

These women are a very special part of my life here, as a mom especially! I attend Ark devotions Monday mornings with the house parents - great mornings of encouragement!

Tuesday was mail day (every other week), so it comes to our house (we take turns picking it up at the Santiago airport), and I make taco soup so the North American Kids Alive gang has a time of hanging out before Bible study - women at our house (with 12 kids quietly playing - ha!), and men at Oxendales.

Vic arrived home Thursday night from a great visit to Summit Church in Little Rock, AR. Summit has sent many teams to many sites here and invited them to speak during their mission week. We make quite a few trips to the airport in Santiago, about 45 minutes away... our dog Jesse-dog got to go get Dad this time!

Jessi-girl, our great nurse friend who we met in Guatemala about 4 and a half years ago - not to be confused with Jesse-dog!, spent about three months with us this fall - living with us and also up on the north coast working in the Caraballo project. What a gift and blessing she has been!

Friday morning was her departure date... and as you can see, Luke grew quite attached to Jes, and decided to just climb in and go with her!
It was something about all that great cooking and doing 'double-day' math sets!
We did manage to get him out, only to have all the kids give a try at taking the trip to Oregon in the suitcase! Jes and Luke got in one last math lesson, after the suitcase had been appropriately packed! Jessi plans to return in early January to work more permanently in the Park Care Center in Caraballo, while also helping me develop preventative medicine talks and care for all our sites.

Okay... enough for this one! I would love critical feedback... so it can be what you all find interesting.