We've survived our first week at orientation in Virginia...well, actually the first week was only 3 days, but it felt like 3 weeks! We were on the road, living out of our suitcases for over two weeks. What a wonderful experience! The kids got to meet new people the whole way across the country, and even ride in a combine during harvest in Iowa.
We were very excited to finally arrive in Virgina and actually have a home, even if it is only temporary. Our new home is a quad, which means that there are 4 "units" that share a common great room. We have our own private three bedroom apartment with a bathroom and kitchen. Our quad mates are wonderful! There is constantly a mixture of Portuguese, Spanish and English being spoken in our home. Ryan and Ellie are beginning to repeat phrases that they hear and are so very excited about learning not one, but two new languages when we get to the field. What a blessing, and an answer to prayer, that they have a good attitude towards language.
The kids are doing amazingly well. Ryan is in a multiple age class ranging from age 5 to 7, and he absolutely LOVES it. There are 3 other boys in his class, and they are equally as active and energetic. Ellie is in a class of only 4 students (3 girls, 1 boy) and she appears to be taking charge. Levi seems to just be going with the flow, apparently enjoying the playtime. And little Matthew is adapting to not being with Mommy all day. He is in the nursery with NINE other babies...yes, that makes TEN babies under 11 months, in one room from 9am to 3pm! (Their teachers are really angels!)
Clay and I are doing well too. We're being overloaded with information and tasks that must be completed. Our challenge is to balance God, family, friends, and other responsibilities.
Some highlights of our week:
Brazilian coffee, new friends, an amazing spiritual retreat, "grandparents" that love to interact with the kids (and help when I need another set of hands), and so much more!
The low point of my week:
Matthew is not sleeping well at night. On Tuesday night, he only slept 1-2 hours at a time all night, and then we had our first day of school on Wednesday. I was beyond exhausted. But many people have been praying that he sleeps better...and God is answering! (As He always does!) Please continue to pray that Matthew (and the other 37 children on campus) sleep well.
Please stay tuned for the next step on our great adventure!
Friday, October 21, 2011
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
Goodbye Idaho
We're down to the final 60 hours...how will we spend it? I guess that depends on how productive we are in the next 18! We will be be leaving late Friday night and driving to Ohio, so first on Clay's list today is to work on his truck...a little preventative maintenance now hopefully will save us time and frustration later. I will continue packing boxes, which seems to be a never-ending chore!
We are hoping to get everything in the house packed or stored by tonight, and then clean the house. That will give us two days to say goodbye and maybe relax just a little before the cross-country drive. The unknown factor in our packing is our children! Levi has been very needy through the whole process, often trying to crawl into my lap as soon as I sit down. Ellie went to the doctor yesterday with an ear infection. Ryan has been mostly helpful, choosing which toys he wants to take, and which ones he wanted to sell in the final moving sale. (He asked for the money earned from toy sales. I figured he wanted to buy a new toy, but he wanted to donate it to the church's building project!) And of course Matthew needs mommy every couple of hours.
While the packing seems interminable, so do the goodbyes, which is difficult. I am thankful that goodbye is difficult though because it means that we have some deep bonds with the people around us.
We are hoping to get everything in the house packed or stored by tonight, and then clean the house. That will give us two days to say goodbye and maybe relax just a little before the cross-country drive. The unknown factor in our packing is our children! Levi has been very needy through the whole process, often trying to crawl into my lap as soon as I sit down. Ellie went to the doctor yesterday with an ear infection. Ryan has been mostly helpful, choosing which toys he wants to take, and which ones he wanted to sell in the final moving sale. (He asked for the money earned from toy sales. I figured he wanted to buy a new toy, but he wanted to donate it to the church's building project!) And of course Matthew needs mommy every couple of hours.
While the packing seems interminable, so do the goodbyes, which is difficult. I am thankful that goodbye is difficult though because it means that we have some deep bonds with the people around us.
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
Japanese Camp Decor
My new decorating style...Japanese Camp Decor. Haven't seen that in the posh decorating magazines? Yeah, probably not. It's a combination of blankets and pillows on the floor and camp chairs!
We had our grand Moving Sale this past weekend. It was very successful. So successful that we are being creative in our daily living. I sold my mixing bowls, so I served salad and mashed potatoes in my Pampered Chef measuring bowls!
There is still lots to do, of course. Next week Clay will finish up his responsibilities at our church--a bittersweet moment. While we're excited for the next chapter, we are also sad to be leaving the people we have grown to love. Next Thursday Clay will share with our youth about our move to the IMB and the work that we expect to do in Mexico. The next morning we'll board a plane for Orlando, where we anticipate being appointed by the IMB! And of course, we'll enjoy a day or two at Disney World while we're there!
After Orlando, we have about 2 weeks to wrap up all the loose ends and say our goodbyes before heading east.
We had our grand Moving Sale this past weekend. It was very successful. So successful that we are being creative in our daily living. I sold my mixing bowls, so I served salad and mashed potatoes in my Pampered Chef measuring bowls!
There is still lots to do, of course. Next week Clay will finish up his responsibilities at our church--a bittersweet moment. While we're excited for the next chapter, we are also sad to be leaving the people we have grown to love. Next Thursday Clay will share with our youth about our move to the IMB and the work that we expect to do in Mexico. The next morning we'll board a plane for Orlando, where we anticipate being appointed by the IMB! And of course, we'll enjoy a day or two at Disney World while we're there!
After Orlando, we have about 2 weeks to wrap up all the loose ends and say our goodbyes before heading east.
Saturday, August 20, 2011
Treasure
Last night I had 29 boxes in my living room, and if you've seen how small my living room is, you realize there wasn't much room for anything else. When the three big kids came home from Grammy and Grandpa's I had to fight them off to keep them from unpacking those 29 boxes...I was only moderately successful.
Next weekend is our big Moving Sale where everything but the kitchen sink will be for sale. It's hard to look at everything in your home and decide what value it has. Is it important enough to pack in a box to go to Mexico? Will I or anyone in my family need it or want it in Virginia? Will anyone else value it enough to buy it at a garage sale? Is it worth our time to sell it on Craigslist? Should I put it in storage indefinitely? Will I still want it 20 years from now?
Our children are taking it well so far. We've been trying to prepare them for the last 5 months or so. They know that most of their toys will be sold, and only a few of their favorites will go with us. After packing up most of their clothes, Ryan prayed, "Jesus, please let us have enough clothes and toys to get to Mexico." And of course we've had a few behavioral issues that I attribute to the rollercoaster ride of emotions, especially with Ryan who knows that we're moving, but still doesn't understand what that really means.
Through this stage of the process, I'm reminded, "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven." (Matt. 6:19-20) Easier said than done...we tend to place a lot of value on our stuff. I think everyone should make a major move and truly evaluate the stuff they have collected over the years. Where are you storing your treasure?
Next weekend is our big Moving Sale where everything but the kitchen sink will be for sale. It's hard to look at everything in your home and decide what value it has. Is it important enough to pack in a box to go to Mexico? Will I or anyone in my family need it or want it in Virginia? Will anyone else value it enough to buy it at a garage sale? Is it worth our time to sell it on Craigslist? Should I put it in storage indefinitely? Will I still want it 20 years from now?
Our children are taking it well so far. We've been trying to prepare them for the last 5 months or so. They know that most of their toys will be sold, and only a few of their favorites will go with us. After packing up most of their clothes, Ryan prayed, "Jesus, please let us have enough clothes and toys to get to Mexico." And of course we've had a few behavioral issues that I attribute to the rollercoaster ride of emotions, especially with Ryan who knows that we're moving, but still doesn't understand what that really means.
Through this stage of the process, I'm reminded, "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven." (Matt. 6:19-20) Easier said than done...we tend to place a lot of value on our stuff. I think everyone should make a major move and truly evaluate the stuff they have collected over the years. Where are you storing your treasure?
Monday, August 1, 2011
Mexico?!?
By now, many of you have heard the news...we're headed to Mexico. Some of you may be a little surprised, but most of you have probably just been wondering when. Well, now is crunch time! But let me take you back about a year, and explain where the journey began...
Okay, maybe I won't go all the way back to the beginning, because that would be too much to tell. But let's go back to August of 2010. Clay and I were invited to attend a Missions Expo in San Francisco to learn more about where the IMB (International Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention) was headed. After an amazing time there, we felt that was exactly where God was leading us.
The months after the Expo were filled with "hurry up, and wait." We had lots of paperwork (tons, as Clay puts it), medical exams, and more to complete...and then wait. In the spring, we decided that we should put our house on the market so that when the time came, we wouldn't be burdened with the task of selling a house. Within a month, we had an acceptable offer on the house! And we had the blessing of moving to a rental house that Clay's parents own. I have to add that baby Matthew was born just 2 weeks after moving in to the rental! Just imagine adding a fourth child to the family while moving to a 2 bedroom/1 bathroom home! The big kids love the small home though, because the three of them get to share one bedroom! (Whew! Glad they took it so well!) And, Grammy and Grandpa's house is just on the other side of the pasture! What a blessing for our kids! (and for me!)
Through the summer, we were left to wait til the end of July when the Board of Trustees voted on our family. We just learned last Thursday, July 28th that we were approved for appointment by the Board. Wow! Although we had been planning for that moment for almost a full year, it was amazing to actually hear the news! And now, the reality of that decision is still setting in.
What's next? Where do we go from here? On September 10th, we fly to Orlando where we will attend an appointment service on September 14th. In mid-October we report to FPO (Field Personnel Orientation) in Virginia. At this point, we are planning on driving from Idaho. By doing so, we will have our own vehicle while at FPO to run errands or enjoy some family time off campus. We also hope to make some stops to visit friends and family on the trip across the country as time allows! So much is still unanswered on what everything will look like.
And of course, the big question, when do we leave the country? Again, we don't know anything specific yet, but we think we'll be in Mexico by the first of the year! Whew...only 5 months til January 1st!
Please be praying for us as we try to tie up the loose ends here...we have a house full of things that we can't take with us when we go...and we have to sort through it all! A pile to sell in the next garage sale, a pile to take with us, a pile that we might take with us, a pile to put in storage indefintely, and of course the garbage can!
Pray for our children, that they will be flexible through all of the changes.
Okay, maybe I won't go all the way back to the beginning, because that would be too much to tell. But let's go back to August of 2010. Clay and I were invited to attend a Missions Expo in San Francisco to learn more about where the IMB (International Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention) was headed. After an amazing time there, we felt that was exactly where God was leading us.
The months after the Expo were filled with "hurry up, and wait." We had lots of paperwork (tons, as Clay puts it), medical exams, and more to complete...and then wait. In the spring, we decided that we should put our house on the market so that when the time came, we wouldn't be burdened with the task of selling a house. Within a month, we had an acceptable offer on the house! And we had the blessing of moving to a rental house that Clay's parents own. I have to add that baby Matthew was born just 2 weeks after moving in to the rental! Just imagine adding a fourth child to the family while moving to a 2 bedroom/1 bathroom home! The big kids love the small home though, because the three of them get to share one bedroom! (Whew! Glad they took it so well!) And, Grammy and Grandpa's house is just on the other side of the pasture! What a blessing for our kids! (and for me!)
Through the summer, we were left to wait til the end of July when the Board of Trustees voted on our family. We just learned last Thursday, July 28th that we were approved for appointment by the Board. Wow! Although we had been planning for that moment for almost a full year, it was amazing to actually hear the news! And now, the reality of that decision is still setting in.
What's next? Where do we go from here? On September 10th, we fly to Orlando where we will attend an appointment service on September 14th. In mid-October we report to FPO (Field Personnel Orientation) in Virginia. At this point, we are planning on driving from Idaho. By doing so, we will have our own vehicle while at FPO to run errands or enjoy some family time off campus. We also hope to make some stops to visit friends and family on the trip across the country as time allows! So much is still unanswered on what everything will look like.
And of course, the big question, when do we leave the country? Again, we don't know anything specific yet, but we think we'll be in Mexico by the first of the year! Whew...only 5 months til January 1st!
Please be praying for us as we try to tie up the loose ends here...we have a house full of things that we can't take with us when we go...and we have to sort through it all! A pile to sell in the next garage sale, a pile to take with us, a pile that we might take with us, a pile to put in storage indefintely, and of course the garbage can!
Pray for our children, that they will be flexible through all of the changes.
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