It's Strange Really.....

I'm nearing 40 and I'm falling apart....body doesn't work right anymore.  Areas are hard to move, or crack when they finally do...I don't move as quickly as I used to.  I can't see, but hate to wear my glasses.  Headaches come quickly when you're stubborn like that.

I find myself confused at times.  Wondering why I feel like I do....19, 20, 21 year olds aren't supposed to feel that way, right?

Please, those of you a little older than I am...or possibly even younger....please tell me when I will finally accept that I'm getting old?

I still see myself (in my head, certainly not in the mirror) as a young bleached blond in love with a West Point Cadet dreaming of our wonderful life together.  Wondering what exotic place the Army will carry us after his graduation......

Somewhere along the line kids started popping up in my house....weird.....I fell in love with them too.....and I did end up in an exotic place, only it wasn't the Army that sent me there.

So.....in my confused state, this is what I know....(not much!)

I know:

I'm 20 in my head
40 in my body
hate glasses
live with headaches
in love with a handsome cadet
live in an exotic place
in love with 5 rug-rats
but still wondering where they came from
not enough time has passed to have 5 kids
I'm in denial that I'm getting older
I love my life as a missionary wife
God is Good!


Thankfully and Confused-fully yours,

Shame on Me......

....for allowing a month to go by without posting!

First of all, thank you for your prayers while I was sick.  It took a month, but I am finally back to normal and loving this beautiful spring/summer weather we've been having lately.

The kids just went back to school yesterday after a 2 week + 1 day Spring Break.  (The one day was because there was a holiday on Monday so their break was extend one more day.)  We didn't do anything special, just enjoyed one anothers company and played outside in the sun.....

Here are a few pictures from our Spring Break.....

We cooked out with friends

We ate yummy foods

We played in the mud

We tried new recipes

And everyone of them was a HIT!

We rolled hair

Read the bible

And made resurrection cookies

It was a wonderful 2 weeks!

Now the rush is on......to get everything scheduled, arranged, packed, cleaned and organized for our 12 week furlough this summer.  Time is winding down and there is still much left to do in preparation.

We are certainly looking forward to seeing friends and family, but the short 12 weeks means we will be busy as bees as we try to raise more support while visiting some supporting churches along the way.

Sorry I've been gone so long....hoping all is well with you, my bloggy friends....

Prayers from Portugal,

Imagine.....

....your husband is offered a job. Playing professional ball, but it's in another country. You pack your bags, what can fit into 6 suitcases, grab your two baby girls, your husband's hand, and board the plan. You arrive. They speak the same language, only different. You don't expect culture shock, but it sets in quickly. Everything is so different. The people are colder, not friendly. Walk past without uttering a word. There's no church family to help you, no one with whom you can rely on. You pray, Lord, help! Internet search turns up a small baptist congregation in your city! You make immediate plans to attend.

You attend, all 4 of you.

The Lord heard your cry......you're finally among friends, believers, bothers and sisters in Christ. People to pray with, pray for and who will pray for you.

.....................................................

I'm praising His name tonight for sending us this precious Brazilian family.

Sickness be Gone!

My dear bloggy friends, I have been so sick.


It's been over two weeks & three trips to the doctor.


My instructions for now are to REST, stay indoors, eat and drink.


My precious husband has cooked, cleaned, ironed, taxied kids & shopped.  All the while, keeping up with his duties pastoring two churches, and evangelizing this needy city.  


I don't have much to say other than to ask for your prayers....I'll leave you with a few random shots taken over the last month......

We made a big tent in the living room where the kids 'camped out' one evening.

I don't remember tents being so hard to make!!

Justice loved it!

Faith's job was to hand out clothes pins....not without some silliness though.

Michael and I had the privilege of attending a banquet by the Gideons. 

These next few pictures are evidence my kids stole my camera.....

Hope you are all doing well.......

I'm praying for Springs soon arrival.....

A Gift of Love

A week ago, Faith looked like this.....

 

 And today she looks like this.....

 She hopes that the next little girl enjoys wearing braids as much as she did.

Faith has the blessed ability to grow beautiful hair.  She knows that not all little girls in the world can do the same.


Makes a mama proud!

Kitchen Cuddles

I've often heard that the kitchen is the heart of the home and I agree.  I love having a large kitchen with plenty of room for everyone to have their hand in the preparing of dinner.  Don't get me wrong, family meal preparation doesn't happen every night and it certainly doesn't happen without a good many 'issues'.  But when it does, we have a great time!

In my kitchen my most commonly used items have names.  For example, my drawer contains many pairing knives but my two favorites are Slice and Dice.  They're twins.  One was a gift from my husband and I loved it so much I bought myself another.  It's nice having more than one 'good' knife so that more than one person can be, well...Sliceing and Diceing at the same time.  When I need a knife and ask for someone to bring me one, I could receive any one of the knives in our kitchen....but when I ask for Slice or Dice...they know what I'm talking about.  Makes for a much smoother Mother/Daughter tandam.

Our kitchen and dinning room is combined and allows for plenty of room to lounge, read, play board games, use the computer...enjoy each others company.  And when all is done around the aromas of a cooking dinner it makes these long, cold and rainy winters days much more enjoyable.

Time is Winding Down - Help!

Time is flying by.....seems like just yesterday that the school year was beginning and we were struggling with Justice going to Kindergarten without understanding very much of anything and speaking even less.

Now, with only three months left of school, he's not only surviving in our precious little Portuguese Kindergarten in our village, but he is thriving!  He speaks fairly well, has many friends and is sort of the cult hero of the small school being the only foreigner with a goofy Mom and really cute older sisters.

Next week, the school will be closed for three days for Carnaval. (Mardi Gras)  Then at Easter they get another two weeks off.  School is out for summer the middle of June but we will leave for furlough at the end of the first week of June.

When I start to consider that time is winding down...school is almost out and we will be leaving VERY soon....I get overwhelmed.

This will be the first time that our family has returned Stateside in 3.5 years.  It will be a shock for most of us, especially the younger kids that don't remember much of our time there.

I need advice.

Any of you veteran missionaries reading this.....any information that you can share with me will be greatly appreciated.

I'm looking forward to spending some time with friends and family, but there will be extensive traveling done to raise some much needed funds.  We have a lot to accomplish is a very short time.

Advice...Anyone?

3 Years.....

...ago this week, we said Good-Bye to America.

...and we left for Portugal. At the airport saying good-bye to a few friends and family.  Our friend, Ms. Lora (in yellow) came with us and stayed for 2 weeks.  It was a blessing having here here to help with the kids while we set up the house.

 

 

 

After over 24 hours of travel, three flights and two rented vans later...we finally arrived at our home!  (Michael and I were able to go to Portugal two moths earlier and arrange housing and a family vehicle so that when we arrived, we could all go "home" and have a vehicle waiting on us...the battery was dead, but it was there.)

Walking up to the gate for the first time!  (I'm so glad Ms. Lora was there to capture these moments for us.)

Having difficulty unlocking the door.......at this point, I was SO tired and SO ready to be here, that I was already contemplating breaking a window and shoving a kid inside to unlock the door.

"For real....this key is NOT working!"  (We finally realized you have to pull on the door while unlocking it...our first of many lessons we learned on this first day in Portugal!)

God's gift to me for a hard 16 months of deputation.....Calla Lilies in my own yard!!!!

Happy kids and beautiful weather! (Uncommon for this time of year...but a welcomed surprise.)....(the beautiful weather is uncommon, not the happy kid part.)

Flowers already in bloom.  In the center of town, near the market.

The kids had never seen oranges ON trees before!  (As most adults probably haven't either.)

Everything we brought with us fit in these black trunks.  It wasn't much, but God provided the rest of what we needed.  It's been an amazing journey.  A blessed three years.  Our lives are so rich, not with material possessions, but with the blessings of our Heavenly Father!

Beautiful Portugal

A Joyful Time

Last week my husband had the privilege of baptizing a young Portuguese man named Pedro.  It was a joyous occasion and a happy reminder why we are here.    We borrowed another church building to have the service, as our church doesn't have a baptistry.  Also present were members from all the 5 congregations that make up the church.

Here are a few pictures. (okay...maybe more than a few...but since I'm paying to have more picture space, I'm going to take full advantage of it!)

I hope you enjoy them.

Justice was real proud of his little plastic toy.

Justice and his little friends, Sarah.  Sarah and her family had just returned from a two month trip to Brazil, so Justice was thrilled to see her.

My Romanian friend Graci, and her grandmother.

Brooklyn and I - Justice took this one.

My girls singing.

While Justice shared his plastic toy.

The baptism

I was told the water was freezing and the clutching of Pedro's hand is proof he was startled by the coolness.

Praying over the missions offering.

Pedro receiving his certificate of baptism.

Praying for Pedro.

All of us that minister together singing "Great is thy Faithfulness".

Trying to organize a group shot.

As good as it's going to get.

Fellowship after wards.

Michael and I with Nelba, Pedro, Ana Lucia and Antonio.