Beautiful, Sweet Ellie

The new climbing wall in our
back room!

            My beautiful, sweet Ellie turned six in December. This girl is beautiful and strong! Currently, she loves to do pull-ups on the pull-up bar…and she can do more than her brothers! (We try not to let her gloat…and we know that her brothers will some day be stronger than her. But for now, we smile.)

Beautiful...inside and out!

            Ellie was 3 ½ when we left Idaho. She has always been drawn to people and has been quick to make friends. When she was three, we were driving by the train park in Lewiston at Christmas and she said, “Look at all those people! They’re my friends.” It made us smile at how she looked at strangers as her friends.

            Living in Mexico, we’ve seen our Ellie grow and change. She’s a little more reserved when it comes to making friends. She gets tired of people touching her hair and trying to hug her. But most people in “Pine Hill” have never seen anyone with hair like hers—curly and blond.

            This year Ellie has been in school in “Pine Hill.” At first she cried and was sad. She didn’t like the idea of being away from Mom. But over time, she has grown to look forward to school. It’s time to make friends and play. Recently she was telling me about a girl who has been friendly towards her. Now they are good friends…Ellie just doesn’t know the girl’s name yet!

Ellie's 6th birthday...chocolate cake anyone?

            Ellie has an amazing ear for Spanish. She has been very quick to speak, which has helped her to make friends. Now that she’s in school full-time, she’s learning to read in Spanish too. When I went to pick her up on Friday, she was helping one of her classmates with her homework!

 

Train Museum in Puebla, Mexico

 

            I am amazed at how well my kids are adjusting, not just to Mexico, but also to life in a small village. We have our difficult days when we want to cry right along with our kids. But we also have our victories to celebrate—when our children respond in godliness to those difficult moments, when they are reading stories in Spanish and English, when they make new friends, etc. As tough as it is, I wouldn’t trade a thing!

Daddy's Little Princess!

            When we tell our children about those who are lost around us, they have a whole different perspective now. They understand that the volcano that is 10 miles away could erupt again, like it did 30 years ago. And that many around us might lose their lives without knowing Jesus as their Lord and Savior. Because of honest discussions with our kids about reality and the need for a Savior, we can rejoice that our Ellie recently accepted Jesus as her Lord and Savior.

Always on the move...

            As a Mom, I know my daughter will do great things for her Savior. And I rejoice that I am already witnessing her give testimony to her Lord.