today

Today is a weird, but neat kind of day. It began with a little extra sleep... as Saturdays are my sleep in day (Eric gets Mondays). Eric popped out of bed right at 7 to get up with Anna, and I was able to rest for another hour. Then, Eric took care of Anna while I did a quick sweep of the house, cleaned up Anna's breakfast mess, and scrubbed the shower. There wasn't nearly as much to clean this Saturday morning because Luci has been keeping things so tidy during the week! After lunch, Eric packed up and headed to Los Mortales with Bert & Veronica, just as the sky turned dark and it started to rain. This entire afternoon it has been dark, thundering, and pouring rain. So fun! Anna and I spent a few hours listening to Chris Tomlin and playing in the family room as the rain came down. Right now she cozy in her room napping, and I have been relaxing on the couch in front of my computer. It is so sweet to have quiet time with my baby girl... and to enjoy the sound of rain on my metal roof. I am cherishing these precious hours.

No Te Rindas- Rehabilitation Center

These guys are here to find freedom from addiction. They live on a large piece of property next to a river... and sometimes they go days without food. No Te Rindas, or "Don't Give Up", is a rehab center in Potrero Grande. Financing for this rehab is extremely limited, and these guys live very humbly. Pastor Aguirre ministers to them as often as he can... and now Bert and Eric go every Thursday to lead them in a Bible Study called "One Step to Freedom". Veronica has decided to make a large meal for them every week- and her food is a tremendous blessing to the people in the rehab. Please pray for these men who are here voluntarily to get help and grow with Jesus.

Kitchen/lounging area

The men of No Te Rindas- Pastor Aguirre & his wife are in the front

The bathroom

Sleeping area

Things I Miss

(not necessarily in order of importance)

1. Target- nothing beats a leisurely stroll around target. I always ended up buying way more than what I went there to get!

2. Driving a Car- I used to hate having to get in the car to go somewhere... now I would LOVE to just drive around for 15 minutes! Ah, to have the freedom of owning a car!

3. In N Out- I can almost taste the juicy burger in my mouth. Of course, Eric and I don't burgers or fast food much anymore, but man... what I would do for just one bite of an In N Out burger. YUM!

4. Animal Planet in English- the shows I used to love just don't have the same impact when dubbed in Spanish. Oh well.

5. The Nursery at Church- What a blessing to have a safe place to leave your kid for an hour while you are fed the Word of God. I truly, truly miss listening to Pastor Ray give a sermon.

6. Plastic Parks- Now that Anna is old enough to enjoy a playground, I am so sad that all we have in our neighborhood are broken, rusted, old metal swingsets with missing seats. Playgrounds back home are so plastic, colorful and safe!

7. Applesauce- I absolutely love a bowl of all natural, unsweetened applesauce with a little sprinkling of cinnamon. But, they don't sell it here! At least, I haven't found it yet.

8. Blending in- here, we really stand out. Everywhere we go, people watch us and make comments about Anna's skin, my blue eyes, etc. I miss just blending into the crowd!

9. The English Standard system of measurement- I know I am (was) a science teacher, and should know all the conversions by heart... but come on people, I'm not that much of a geek! I have to do an equation each time I turn on my Celcius oven, make a new recipe, etc. Arg!

10. Family and Friends- of course! This goes without saying! I can't wait to see you guys again!

a funny pic...

This picture just struck me as so funny! Anna's hair, Eric's face... cracks me up! I took this pic just as the wind kicked up. We were out in a town called "Protrero Grande" visiting a rehabilitation center called "No Te Rindas" ("Don't Give Up"). I will post more pics of the rehab in a later post. For now, this pic will do!

Bargain Tuesday!!!

Today, Veronica and I treated ourselves to a full day out in Panama City. We got on the bus in Chorrera at 9am and arrived in time for Albrook Mall to open at 10. We ended up having such good luck that we stayed at Albrook for 6 hours and then decided to head back home! Each of us exhausted the stipend we were given by our husbands- but boy did we get some bargains! Shopping in Panama is one of the best things about living here (after ministering to the people and serving the Lord, of course!)

Vero got two pairs of capris for $1.99 each, and a bunch of shirts for $1.99 - 2.99, as well as a handful of earings. I got a pair of "Lands End" brand workout pants for $.99!!! I also got a great pair of sunglasses for $1.99, a new nightgown for $1.99, a workout top for $2.99, and a really cute top for $4.99. It was really hard to bring myself to spend a whopping 5 bucks on that last shirt... but it was just too pretty and I had to buy it.

All in all, it was a very successful day of shopping! We might have to make this a monthly tradition!

Albrook Mall- foodcourt area

I am VERY HAPPY today!

Living in Panama has turned out to be more difficult than I expected... despite only having one kid and a very small house, the work never seems to end. Our water tank isn't large enough to allow me to do laundry during the day, so I still have to wait until who knows when at night to wash a load. Hanging every piece of clothing individually means that laundry takes a long time! I sweep the entire house at least 2-3 times each day (and I'm seriously not exaggerating) because the red clay dirt manages to get in and coat the floor no matter how careful we are! The bathroom needs to be cleaned now just about everyday to thwart the mildew that continues to surface because the room never truly dries out... as the rain and humidity outside keep the inside pretty moist- same goes for the kitchen. Anna is also in the "never leave me or I'll scream my head off" phase... which means that I only get time to do chores during her afternoon nap... I try to exercise everyday during her morning nap. I truly desire to spend a few hours each day studying the Word, studying spanish, working on the church newsletter and other projects, etc... but I just can't get it done!

After praying about possibly trying to find someone to come help me out, Pastor Bert met a woman named Luci, who lives in Los Mortales, who has been trying to find work as a nanny/housekeeper. We tried to hire a young girl a few weeks back, but she didn't show up, then came late the next day, etc. So I was soooooooo excited to hear that we had another option! We asked Luci to start on Monday (today) and I have been looking forward to it ever since!

Luci came this morning for the first time and took a walk around the house. We explained that we wouldn't need her to do any cooking or shopping, but simply to sweep, mop, tidy up and watch Anna while I get things done. Her price... Monday - Friday from 7am - 3:30pm???? $120 per month!!!! Pastor Bert is going to help out a little with the cost, and she will clean the church building one day per week! Eric and I are going to skim the money from our grocery budget and a little from our miscellaneous budget.

Already today she has swept and cleaned the outside of the house... including the washing machine and utility shelves. She swept and mopped the entire house (she even moved the couches!! Praise the Lord!!!!) She cleaned the bathroom, fed Anna lunch, cleaned up the dishes, played with Anna for a few hours while I studied, and now she is folding laundry. (And yes, she took a break, ate lunch, and rested- we're not Barbarians here!)

I also had Eric explain to her, that many times there may not be anything to do... but if she could just talk with me and give me an opportunity to practice spanish, and just be in the house if I need her... and she agreed. She told me an hour ago that she feels really glad to be here and is happy that we were able to give her a job. I am thrilled. She and her husband have three young sons to provide for, and I am glad that we are able to give her employment.

Right now Anna is sleeping, I'm posting to the blog, my house is clean, my dishes are put away, and I am a HAPPY HAPPY woman!

Update- Los Mortales

We have been going back to Los Mortales for a weekly Bible Study since our big outreach last month. This past Saturday we had a large group of adults and kids turn out for the teaching! Praise the Lord!!! It is so exciting to see people come to hear God's Word and be blessed! Please keep Los Mortales in your prayers!

Mommy Time...

In recent years, I have become very interested in the world of graphic design, digital scrapbooking, etc. I decided that I would take an online course in Adobe illustrator, as a little "mommy time" at night after Anna goes to sleep. I just finished the illustrator course, and now have begun the Adobe Dreamweaver course, and I am having so much fun! I am currently working on the newsletter for Calvary Panama, and hope to revamp our website soon.

I just wanted to share with you this cute little "siggy" that I made in Illustrator. I hand drew the flowers, scanned them in, traced and painted them, and then layered together this design! So much fun!!!

Skype Me!

Okay guys... we have been living in Central America for over 3 months now... and we need a little more communication with the outside world!!!

Shortly after moving here, we discovered Skype. It is a free download that allows us to communicate via instant messaging, web cam, and like a phone- but through the computers! Anyone can sign up (they don't ask for any cards or payment) and once you sign in, you can see others in your 'contacts' who are online! If I click on a contact, I can IM or call their computer... although you do need a headset to do this.

Eric and I both spend a lot of time on the computer each day... doing projects, studying, etc. It would so awesome if we could IM with our friends back home, or even place a web cam call! If you're interested in getting Skype, go to www.skype.com . When you have a user name, email it to us (I don't want to post our email, but you all have it!) Then we can add you to our contacts!

Look forward to Skyping you!

New Addition to the Family!

A furry addition, that is! This is our new puppy, Dewey.

You are probably wondering why in the world we would name a beautiful dalmation puppy "Dewey", right? Well, Eric has always loved the name Dewey (which is beyond me) and has repeatedly declared his desire to name his first son Dewey. Since there is no way that is ever going to happen, we settled for this compromise- the dog is named Dewey, and not the kid!

Dewey's mom and dad are the sweetest dalmations you could ever encounter. Both are mellow (*fingers crossed*), loving and affectionate. I know this new addition to the family is going to make Scarlet VERY unhappy... but I think they'll grow to be good friends (again *fingers crossed*).

Very Exciting News!!!

We have a new baby in the family! Kayla Renee was born on April 7, weighing 6.5 oz and almost 21" long! Yay! Her much anticipated birth is a wonderful blessing to our entire family, and I can't wait to meet my new cousin (well, second cousin, I think). This baby girl is an answer to many prayers!

Congrats Ken, Steph & Austin!

Costa Rica

WHEW! We did it! It was a LONG four days, but we managed to make our way to the border, cross into Costa Rica with no problem and find a guy to take us to the Esquinas Rainforest Lodge in the Piedras Blancas national forest. We had decided awhile back, that if we had to spend 3 nights in Costa Rica, we might as well make a little vacation out of it! It was a lot of work to get to the lodge, but once we settled in, it was truly a wonderful time of refreshment and relaxation!

The lodge itself is truly remote... as you can see from the pic below. The bungalow accomodations were VERY modest and included free giant cockroaches in the bathroom. But, hey, it's the rainforest! The main building was a huge thatched-roof hut with lots of places to relax and a cozy little dining room where we ate 3 traditional Costa Rican meals each day.

Due to the location of the lodge, plopped in the middle of secondary rainforest, we saw LOTS of creatures. I took this picture while walking from our bungalow to the lodge... these guys were all over the place! Eric was able to see even more, as he went on a horseback riding tour along the river and also a night hike! On the night hike he saw brightly colored frogs, snakes, and bugs. He also ventured off by himself to explore the nearby trails a few times... and on one of those fateful adventures he was stalked and nearly killed by a monkey! (I'm not kidding... he came running out of the trail, dripping with sweat and scared to death! Ha ha!!!)
The lodge had a freshwater swimming pool just steps from our bungalow. The pool is fed by water from the river that runs through the property! And as a bonus, human guests aren't the only ones to enjoy the cool waters of the pool! Lots and lots of creatures hung out around the edges... look closely at Anna's head!
Another highlight of the lodge was the resident Caiman! He has a name, but I can't remember it at the moment. The caiman pond has only a 12" tall chicken wire fence on ONE side~ but on the other sides, there is absolutely nothing keeping this handsome boy from cruising right onto our porch... but he stayed put! Thank God!
Because the lodge accomodates mostly serious ecoadventure seekers (without babies!), we spent most of our time playing with Anna and taking turns relaxing! We made friends with the staff and the maintenance man even made me a bird out of some kind of leaf. The ladies in the kitchen were fabulous, always coming out to play with Anna... and take her back in the kitchen to oo and ah over her blue eyes. According to the bartender, the lodge doesn't get many "mini" guests, and so everyone loved having Anna around for a few days! (Well, the staff loved it... I don't think the European tourists appreciated it very much though!)
All in all, it was a great trip! We made it home safe and sound after another LONG day of traveling! But it was a great feeling to cross back into Panama and be headed back to our home. After all, there's no place like home!

pray for us...

Tonight we leave for Costa Rica. Our tourist visas expire next week, so we must leave the country for 72 hours. We have rented a car and Eric, Anna, and I- along with Pastor Bert & Vero, will begin the drive to the border around midnight tonight. It will take between 6-7 hours to reach the frontera. Once at the border, Bert & Vero will drop us off, and the three of us will cross into Costa Rica. Once inside Costa Rica, we will take a taxi or bus to the coast (about a 2 hour drive). We will then take a water taxi across the Osa Bay to a little hotel with a few cabanas. We will be at the cabana for 3 nights, and then return to the border where Bert & Vero will pick us up, and we will all return to Chorrera. Please pray for our safety as we drive and travel in Costa Rica. And especially pray that Anna would be content and comfortable and that this trip be smooth and successful! Thanks everyone!

One of my favorite things...

...about Panama is pineapples! They're everywhere! They're fresh! They're delicious!!!

The Outreach

The outreach in Los Mortales yesterday was AWESOME!!! When we rolled into the field where the outreach would take place, the kids began making their way to us! By the time the outreach started at 3pm, there were nearly 200 people there!!! Lots of adults and tons of kiddos! The day was fairly organized... about as organized as it could be. Carmen and Rafael took the kids and began doing songs and games. Eric led small groups in sack races. Vero organized the food... prepared hotdogs and juice. I painted the kids faces and Pastor Bert gave a message to the adults. After the message and the crazy pinata fiasco, we served everyone hotdogs and juice. It was a terrific day, and we made many new friends and were extremely welcomed in the sweet little community. We feel strongly that the Lord is leading us to serve in this village... and I personally can't wait to go back next Sunday!!!

We were blessed to use this awesome shelter with permission from the owner!

Eric leads one group of kids in "Padre Abraham"... (he's the one in the middle wearing the green shirt in case you couldn't tell)

Pastor Bert shares the good news of salvation through our Savior Christ Jesus!
What a sweet face...
Anna was a total hit... the kids couldn't get over her blue eyes! And she loved every minute of the attention!

The pinatas were a great success! Even the adults dove for candy :) Boys will be boys...
We also had balloon animals (and hats) made by a new friend of ours- an American who lives in our neighborhood! She and her husband joined us for the outreach and were a real blessing!
Look at that face!

Preparations...

Tomorrow we will put on our first official outreach! After church, we will be loading up a truck with food and games and heading to Los Mortales. We will serve hotdogs and juice, and Eric has planned several games for the kids including a sack race, egg relay and "telephone". Carmen purchased and filled 3 pinatas and I will make balloon animals (I can make a giraffe, a weaner dog, and a sword... and that's about it!) Pastor Bertin will give a message and invite the people to come study the Bible with us every Sunday at 4pm in their village. The people in the town told us to expect about 200 kids to show up for the festivities! Please pray for God's blessing and guidance as we reach out to the people of this beautiful but impoverished community.