We are leaving on Friday Morning to go to Ecuador. This is our first time to take a group overseas on a mission trip. We are really excited to be going back to Camp Chacauco in Patate, Ecuador. We are taking some really amazing kids from our church and we are all ready to see what God has in store for us. I would love it if ya'll could find time to pray for us...and for your praying convenience here are some simple and easy to use prayer requestss for the low, low price of....(sorry...to many infomercials!)
1. Travel - we have to travel from SA to Houston by car, then get on a plane for 5 hours and land safely in Quito, Ecuador. We then will travel by bus 5 more hours to the camp.
2. Camp - our group is responsible for Rec time.
3. Language Barrier - so...they speak Ecuadorian Spanish...we speak English...you do the math
4. Sight seeing - we will be travelling to some really cool places and experiencing some Ecuadorian culture. We want to have fun and be safe in all we do.
5. Students - Paul and I really want them to have an amazing experience...for some this is their first trip overseas...some are ol' pros at it. We want God to really touch and impact everyone's life in a way that only He can.
Thank you for praying. We hope to be able to blog during our trip so keep checking back!
Monday, July 28, 2008
Monday, July 21, 2008
It is finished!
I could quite possibly have THE greatest husband in the whole wide world...Why? You ask?.....Well I'll tell you.....
If you have been keeping up, then you know that I painted and redecorated the kids rooms...and then I went to bed in my, let's just say, BORING room! My room was in serious need of a re-do, but I had already spent the money and time of our "vacation" doing the kids room so how could I possibly ask for more...
Just like this...
After church on Sunday, we went out to lunch and then came home. I was sort of sulking around and I said the 4 words my husband dreads...
"So, I've been thinking..."
Yep. He has learned over the last eight years of marriage that those 4 teeny tiny words usually cost him money, time and back pain. So at 4:00pm he sends my off to Home Depot to see what I can find. And I find the most amazing deal! I painted my room for FIVE dollars! There was a can of "oops" paint that was really close to the color that I wanted. The Home Depot paint expert made a couple of changes and "ta da! a beautiful color of brown! Yeah! and then...of course since I was getting such a great deal on the paint, I didn't stop there and I got a gold metallic finish to go over my beautifully cheap paint...don't worry it was on sale too...so as to keep in my theme of "in-expensive."
Don't get me wrong, people...the gold paint is FANCY! And FANCY is what you find in the magazines...And I always believe in having my house "Magazine ready." Of course my mom is falling out of her chair laughing right now reading this because my house is FAR from magazine ready...especially in the cleanliness department. (Hence the reason my mom is falling out of her chair laughing) Because if cleanliness is close to Godliness...then I am in TROUBLE people...serious trouble!
Anyway so after some quick painting and faux finishing my room is complete and it looks just as good as the rest of the house...of course my room was the last one to get done...it always is.
I think it turned out pretty AWESOME! And I am now done with the "re-doing" for a while! Here are some pics and the last one pretty much sums up what my husband thinks of all my "thinking" here lately! And my mom is going to FREAK out when she sees that all of the internet world is looking at my bed unmade! That's right people I don't make my bed for me...why would I make it for you! ;)
If you have been keeping up, then you know that I painted and redecorated the kids rooms...and then I went to bed in my, let's just say, BORING room! My room was in serious need of a re-do, but I had already spent the money and time of our "vacation" doing the kids room so how could I possibly ask for more...
Just like this...
After church on Sunday, we went out to lunch and then came home. I was sort of sulking around and I said the 4 words my husband dreads...
"So, I've been thinking..."
Yep. He has learned over the last eight years of marriage that those 4 teeny tiny words usually cost him money, time and back pain. So at 4:00pm he sends my off to Home Depot to see what I can find. And I find the most amazing deal! I painted my room for FIVE dollars! There was a can of "oops" paint that was really close to the color that I wanted. The Home Depot paint expert made a couple of changes and "ta da! a beautiful color of brown! Yeah! and then...of course since I was getting such a great deal on the paint, I didn't stop there and I got a gold metallic finish to go over my beautifully cheap paint...don't worry it was on sale too...so as to keep in my theme of "in-expensive."
Don't get me wrong, people...the gold paint is FANCY! And FANCY is what you find in the magazines...And I always believe in having my house "Magazine ready." Of course my mom is falling out of her chair laughing right now reading this because my house is FAR from magazine ready...especially in the cleanliness department. (Hence the reason my mom is falling out of her chair laughing) Because if cleanliness is close to Godliness...then I am in TROUBLE people...serious trouble!
Anyway so after some quick painting and faux finishing my room is complete and it looks just as good as the rest of the house...of course my room was the last one to get done...it always is.
I think it turned out pretty AWESOME! And I am now done with the "re-doing" for a while! Here are some pics and the last one pretty much sums up what my husband thinks of all my "thinking" here lately! And my mom is going to FREAK out when she sees that all of the internet world is looking at my bed unmade! That's right people I don't make my bed for me...why would I make it for you! ;)
Thursday, July 17, 2008
Of course we paint the kids bedrooms on our vacation...don't you?
Since we had our little "fire incident" we paid for our car to be fixed and so that meant no "vacation" per se. We were going to go to Dinosaur Valley State Park for a few days and just hang out...but now we are hanging out at the house.
Well if you know me at all...you know I don't "hang out" very well. So since we are spending extra time at home I thought this would be the perfect opportunity to paint the kids rooms. I've wanted to do it for a while...but just didn't have time...ironic...I Know. So I'm sitting here blogging to you about painting the kids room on our "vacation"...might as well show you some pics! The rooms turned out pretty cute...and if you are thinking that Abby's room is a little bare in the bed area...it's because her bunk beds are "in the mail"(according to her)... in real life they are on a truck headed our way! Thank you ebay! Enjoy!
Well if you know me at all...you know I don't "hang out" very well. So since we are spending extra time at home I thought this would be the perfect opportunity to paint the kids rooms. I've wanted to do it for a while...but just didn't have time...ironic...I Know. So I'm sitting here blogging to you about painting the kids room on our "vacation"...might as well show you some pics! The rooms turned out pretty cute...and if you are thinking that Abby's room is a little bare in the bed area...it's because her bunk beds are "in the mail"(according to her)... in real life they are on a truck headed our way! Thank you ebay! Enjoy!
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Monday, July 14, 2008
Aaaaannnnnnddddd...We're Off!.....again...
This has been a CRAZY summer...well when your husband is a Student Minister...all the summers are crazy. This one seems especially crazy though.
We started the summer with one week off between school and VBS and then there was one week after VBS and then Paul was off to Youth Camp and I was off to my moms for a visit. We were at my moms for 10 days and Paul eventually caught up with us there so that we could go to a wedding. Then there was the "Fire" Trip home. We just got back home last Monday and here we are again...today (Monday...exactly one week later) leaving again on the Jr. Sr. Retreat. So we will be spending 3 fun-filled days at Lake Bastrop with the Juniors and Seniors from our church. Only to be home for 2 weeks before spending 10 days in Ecuador and then home for 2 weeks before school starts!
You may be asking yourself why in the wide wide world of mike I might be dragging all three of my children on this trip...well I'll tell you...
Paul needs someone to cook. Yep...I'm the "Camp Chef". I can do amazing things with a grill and some foil pans...I assure you. So alas...I have spent the better part of the last 24 hours doing laundry, gathering clothes, swimsuits, pajamas, floaties, sunscreen, underwear, shoes, towels, sheets, toiletries AND food for three days for 15 teenagers plus our kids...
Yes, Ladies and Gentlemen...I am amazing. Thank you. Thank you. No applause please.
So Paul and I had a talk last night and he's going to take the rest of the week off and we are going to get my house back to working order and probably paint the kids rooms over the weekend. Why? You ask...because it's what I want to do...and I think I deserve it...OK? So I will blog when I get back and let you know how tired I really am. Amen...and Amen.
We started the summer with one week off between school and VBS and then there was one week after VBS and then Paul was off to Youth Camp and I was off to my moms for a visit. We were at my moms for 10 days and Paul eventually caught up with us there so that we could go to a wedding. Then there was the "Fire" Trip home. We just got back home last Monday and here we are again...today (Monday...exactly one week later) leaving again on the Jr. Sr. Retreat. So we will be spending 3 fun-filled days at Lake Bastrop with the Juniors and Seniors from our church. Only to be home for 2 weeks before spending 10 days in Ecuador and then home for 2 weeks before school starts!
You may be asking yourself why in the wide wide world of mike I might be dragging all three of my children on this trip...well I'll tell you...
Paul needs someone to cook. Yep...I'm the "Camp Chef". I can do amazing things with a grill and some foil pans...I assure you. So alas...I have spent the better part of the last 24 hours doing laundry, gathering clothes, swimsuits, pajamas, floaties, sunscreen, underwear, shoes, towels, sheets, toiletries AND food for three days for 15 teenagers plus our kids...
Yes, Ladies and Gentlemen...I am amazing. Thank you. Thank you. No applause please.
So Paul and I had a talk last night and he's going to take the rest of the week off and we are going to get my house back to working order and probably paint the kids rooms over the weekend. Why? You ask...because it's what I want to do...and I think I deserve it...OK? So I will blog when I get back and let you know how tired I really am. Amen...and Amen.
Tuesday, July 8, 2008
And Now for some good news...
I just wanted to share with all of you one of the best parts about our weekend...crazy as it ended. Here are the pics from Jacob's baptism.
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Monday, July 7, 2008
Quite possibly the most random tragedy ever...
Have you ever had to place one of those phone calls that starts off with..."Mom, everyone is ok...but"...
Well Sunday was one of those days for us. We had a BEAUTIFUL time baptizing Jacob on Sunday morning at the lake with our close family and then we had a picnic with some of my father-in-law's famous smoked ribs and my mom's famous potato salad. So we baptized, ate, swam (swum...whatever) and then headed to pick up a former youth to bring back home with us for the week.
Cut to three hours later on the road...Paul looks in the rearview mirror and says, "I think I see smoke!" and of course I whip around and I don't see anything...but Elizabeth does. So Paul pulls over, we jump out of the car and we find the luggage on our cargo basket...ON FIRE...not just smoking...ON FIRE...EN FUEGO...BURNING! So I run back to the car and I yell for the kids to get out of the car. Elizabeth jumps out with Abby and I literally throw the boys out of the car to Elizabeth. Meanwhile Paul is trying to beat the flames out and get the luggage of the cargo basket at the same time. Of course the luggage is strapped securely on...because we don't want to lose it! So while he is trying to put the fire out it spreads to the grass under our car and we have to move the car so that the car doesn't explode. It is at this point that Paul and I realize that this is serious. We finally get the luggage off the basket because a man that stopped to help had a pocket knife and he cut the straps. The luggage is now completely engulfed and the fire is spreading in the grass.....quickly. The kids and Elizabeth are safely away and we now had to move the car again. We threw the luggage away from the car and we finally get to a point where enough of the fire is away from the car and we can at last release the pin holding the basket on so our car can be safe too. After the car is safely away and the children are safe...we stood on the side of the road and watched Paul's luggage and Jacob and Caleb's luggage burn about 3 acres of the median down Interstate 35 in Hillsboro, TX.
We got Elizabeth's bag and my bag away with minor damage, but Paul's and the boys luggage was a total loss. It's one of those times when you know that Satan has blatantly attacked us and even though we lost physical things, God protected us from a major catastrophe. Of course I had my camera so I snapped some pictures for the insurance company and (of course) for my scrapbook.
I just realized that I haven't told you how the fire started...We normally have the cargo basket attached to our hitch with an extender that raises the basket about eight inches higher than the hitch....but the extender was in San Antonio...we were in Dallas...(that's a long story...don't ask! ;) So anyway...without the extender the basket sat just behind the exhaust pipe. So over the course of 3 hours...the exhaust got so hot that it actually caused Paul's luggage to ignite...thus...fire. I know...it's totally a freak accident.
Ok so back to the pictures...Here they are!
Well Sunday was one of those days for us. We had a BEAUTIFUL time baptizing Jacob on Sunday morning at the lake with our close family and then we had a picnic with some of my father-in-law's famous smoked ribs and my mom's famous potato salad. So we baptized, ate, swam (swum...whatever) and then headed to pick up a former youth to bring back home with us for the week.
Cut to three hours later on the road...Paul looks in the rearview mirror and says, "I think I see smoke!" and of course I whip around and I don't see anything...but Elizabeth does. So Paul pulls over, we jump out of the car and we find the luggage on our cargo basket...ON FIRE...not just smoking...ON FIRE...EN FUEGO...BURNING! So I run back to the car and I yell for the kids to get out of the car. Elizabeth jumps out with Abby and I literally throw the boys out of the car to Elizabeth. Meanwhile Paul is trying to beat the flames out and get the luggage of the cargo basket at the same time. Of course the luggage is strapped securely on...because we don't want to lose it! So while he is trying to put the fire out it spreads to the grass under our car and we have to move the car so that the car doesn't explode. It is at this point that Paul and I realize that this is serious. We finally get the luggage off the basket because a man that stopped to help had a pocket knife and he cut the straps. The luggage is now completely engulfed and the fire is spreading in the grass.....quickly. The kids and Elizabeth are safely away and we now had to move the car again. We threw the luggage away from the car and we finally get to a point where enough of the fire is away from the car and we can at last release the pin holding the basket on so our car can be safe too. After the car is safely away and the children are safe...we stood on the side of the road and watched Paul's luggage and Jacob and Caleb's luggage burn about 3 acres of the median down Interstate 35 in Hillsboro, TX.
We got Elizabeth's bag and my bag away with minor damage, but Paul's and the boys luggage was a total loss. It's one of those times when you know that Satan has blatantly attacked us and even though we lost physical things, God protected us from a major catastrophe. Of course I had my camera so I snapped some pictures for the insurance company and (of course) for my scrapbook.
I just realized that I haven't told you how the fire started...We normally have the cargo basket attached to our hitch with an extender that raises the basket about eight inches higher than the hitch....but the extender was in San Antonio...we were in Dallas...(that's a long story...don't ask! ;) So anyway...without the extender the basket sat just behind the exhaust pipe. So over the course of 3 hours...the exhaust got so hot that it actually caused Paul's luggage to ignite...thus...fire. I know...it's totally a freak accident.
Ok so back to the pictures...Here they are!
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Saturday, July 5, 2008
Mommy, Does God get sweaty?
This is one of the questions my sons were asking on the way home tonight.....
A little back story...
Ok call me a bad mom or whatever, but I LOATHE children's CD's and Music in the car...for whatever reason, I can handle it in Sunday School or for children's choir, but it has (in my humble opinion) NO place whatsoever in my car on a long trip...SO
We listen to alot of David Crowder, Chris Tomlin, Christy Nockels, Passion, Starfield, Hillsong United...and the list goes on...My kids LOVE to listen to the whole host of songs that I do...which makes for great car trips! It's so funny to hear them request a song too...For example:
~The "Mad In My Soul" song is really "Undignified" by David Crowder
~The "Turtle" song is really "Get up Get up" from the Power Lab CD
~The "Mighty" song is really "Mighty to Save" by Hillsong United
~The "Everything Glory-nest" song is really "You Make Everything Glorious" by David Crowder
~The "Ever and Ever and Never" song is really "Forever and Ever etc."by David Crowder
So you see, we have a great time listening to this awesome music. I made two "Mix Tapes" from my iTunes so we could have the best of all the music in the car...No I didn't really make "tapes"...who does that anymore? I just named my freshly burned CD's "Mix Tape #1 and Mix Tape #2" for nostalgic purposes.
Anyway.....we have been listening to these "Mix Tapes" and the lyrics have been leading to some really cool discussions with my boys. Now we're getting back to the time frame of the title...
The song Mighty to Save has a line in it that says "Savior, He can move the mountains..." So that lead to the question, "Mommy, can God move ________________ fill in the blank." We talked for a long time about the fact that God is mighty enough to move anything...if He wants to. That's a hard concept for 4 and 6 year olds...
So tonight on the way home we were...of course...listening to our music and here are some of the questions that the boys were asking...
~What happens if God lets go of the "earf" (translation...EARTH)?
~Does God get sweaty?
~Does God have lungs?
~Can God make you alive after you die? (After we answered Caleb came back with: "We can call Him "makin' alive man"
~Does God have hair?
~What happens if God snores...will it shake the "earf"...(EARTH)?
Paul and I just love the fact the the songs we are listening to are causing our children to seek after the person of God. Their questions tonight were really all aimed at the actual person of God and we are so excited to be a part of this journey they are going through in their minds...just trying to get a glimpse...a picture of the person of God and who He is. We want them to seek after and decide...choose for themselves to follow Him...like Jacob did last week and we are so blessed to be able to point them in that direction. Along with a little help from David Crowder, Chris Tomlin, Christy Nockels, Hillsong United...etc...
The MOST precious sound is to hear your children singing praise to God...there are times when Paul and I just sit in the front seats holding hands...listening to the sound of our children singing...
Savior, He can move the mountains
My God is mighty to save
He is mighty to save
Forever Author of Salvation
He rose and conquered the grave
Jesus conquered the grave!
A little back story...
Ok call me a bad mom or whatever, but I LOATHE children's CD's and Music in the car...for whatever reason, I can handle it in Sunday School or for children's choir, but it has (in my humble opinion) NO place whatsoever in my car on a long trip...SO
We listen to alot of David Crowder, Chris Tomlin, Christy Nockels, Passion, Starfield, Hillsong United...and the list goes on...My kids LOVE to listen to the whole host of songs that I do...which makes for great car trips! It's so funny to hear them request a song too...For example:
~The "Mad In My Soul" song is really "Undignified" by David Crowder
~The "Turtle" song is really "Get up Get up" from the Power Lab CD
~The "Mighty" song is really "Mighty to Save" by Hillsong United
~The "Everything Glory-nest" song is really "You Make Everything Glorious" by David Crowder
~The "Ever and Ever and Never" song is really "Forever and Ever etc."by David Crowder
So you see, we have a great time listening to this awesome music. I made two "Mix Tapes" from my iTunes so we could have the best of all the music in the car...No I didn't really make "tapes"...who does that anymore? I just named my freshly burned CD's "Mix Tape #1 and Mix Tape #2" for nostalgic purposes.
Anyway.....we have been listening to these "Mix Tapes" and the lyrics have been leading to some really cool discussions with my boys. Now we're getting back to the time frame of the title...
The song Mighty to Save has a line in it that says "Savior, He can move the mountains..." So that lead to the question, "Mommy, can God move ________________ fill in the blank." We talked for a long time about the fact that God is mighty enough to move anything...if He wants to. That's a hard concept for 4 and 6 year olds...
So tonight on the way home we were...of course...listening to our music and here are some of the questions that the boys were asking...
~What happens if God lets go of the "earf" (translation...EARTH)?
~Does God get sweaty?
~Does God have lungs?
~Can God make you alive after you die? (After we answered Caleb came back with: "We can call Him "makin' alive man"
~Does God have hair?
~What happens if God snores...will it shake the "earf"...(EARTH)?
Paul and I just love the fact the the songs we are listening to are causing our children to seek after the person of God. Their questions tonight were really all aimed at the actual person of God and we are so excited to be a part of this journey they are going through in their minds...just trying to get a glimpse...a picture of the person of God and who He is. We want them to seek after and decide...choose for themselves to follow Him...like Jacob did last week and we are so blessed to be able to point them in that direction. Along with a little help from David Crowder, Chris Tomlin, Christy Nockels, Hillsong United...etc...
The MOST precious sound is to hear your children singing praise to God...there are times when Paul and I just sit in the front seats holding hands...listening to the sound of our children singing...
Savior, He can move the mountains
My God is mighty to save
He is mighty to save
Forever Author of Salvation
He rose and conquered the grave
Jesus conquered the grave!
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