Mason Highlights

More Seminar Pics

2012-01-22T20:00:00.000-06:00

Just a few pics from today's morning service.

Telling a children's story.

Playing the concentration game.

The adults were enjoying the children's service too!

Guests, Earthquakes, and Seminars!

2012-01-21T20:30:00.000-06:00

They've arrived! Welcome Mason's!

We have some happy little boys in our house right now! =)

Last evening and this morning were spent running around for supplies for the Child Evangelism seminar. We also had a 6.3 earthquake rock our world for about 30 seconds today! (Check this link for the details.) I was at Walmart when it happened, and the shelves were just swaying back and forth. I heard some glass falling off of shelves and breaking, and then I saw where some food jars/bags had fallen off of shelves and broke. But other than maybe a few minor things, it appeared that the rest of the city had no major damage.

Despite the excitement of the day, our seminars started this evening, and we had a decent turnout with our people and also some visitors from a local pentecostal church.

Some girls helping with the song, "I Have Decided to Follow Jesus."

"Whisper a Prayer in the..."

Parker enjoying some cookies and drink during a break.

Father and son doing an excellent job teaching.

Gertie helping with the song, "Oh be careful little ears..."

The B-I-B-L-E

Tomorrow we're looking forward to a morning service for the children, and then more seminar sessions in the afternoon, complete with hands-on training!

2012-01-19T19:10:00.001-06:00

Something that made me smile today! =)

Taylor's lego creation...complete with a man up in that car who is no doubt
hanging on for dear life!!! Don't you love kids' imaginations?

Today...

2012-01-18T16:30:00.000-06:00

Today...I'm admiring the beautiful blue sky!

I'm also thankful for electricity! Last week around two in the morning, a transformer blew, and we were literally, "in the dark." It was a very miserable night to say the least!! No air conditioner to keep us from sweating, and no option to open the windows for a breeze. (The windows are boarded up to keep out the sun and also to provide a frame for the air conditioner.) And with the above mentioned things, it was pitch black...and I'm a gotta-have-my-night-light sort of gal! =) At any rate, we all survived!

Today...I'm also taking pics of Parker. He's too cute and growing up too fast! At 21 months, he has finally mastered the art of walking! He's been ABLE to do it for a few months, but has never WANTED to do it consistently without our command, until now.

Today...I'm also thinking how long it's been since I last posted! And so, I'm working on a post about our special New Year's Eve service in Santo Domingo. Hopefully I'll get that up on the blog soon.

Today...I've got some excited kids! Why? Because their Pappy and Grandma Mason are coming to visit on Friday! While here, they (the Mason's) will be holding two separate Child Evangelism seminars in our churches. Michael has been working hard in translating the different session materials and handouts, and the Mason's have been working hard creating visualized songs and helps, etc... We're looking forward to a busy, yet fun time together!

And this, my blog friends, is some of my thoughts today. And now, I best go get things ready for our prayer meeting/Bible study tonight!

Christmas Sunday

2011-12-26T16:00:00.000-06:00

Yesterday at both of our churches, we gave a little presentation telling the Christmas story from different Biblical characters points of view. While most evangelicals from here are not used to any type of drama or special program, our people seemed to really enjoy it! It was also a new experience for those who participated and had speaking parts.

The cast (from top left): Sonia - as the innkeeper's wife, Mario - as a shepherd, Humberto - as Joseph (from bottom left) Paulita - the innkeeper's daughter, Kevin - a shepherd, Kyle - a shepherd, and Edith - as Mary

Hmmm...it looks like the shepherds were getting tired!!

2011-12-25T08:00:00.000-06:00

From our home to yours...

Christmas Around the House

2011-12-24T10:30:00.000-06:00

I thought I'd share a few "christmasy" things from around our house!

This year, I decided to try my hand at making a few Christmas ornaments that I had seen while browsing blog land and Pinterest.

I love these simple jute balls. I managed to find some jute at the Walmart down here, but it only came in green. So I bought some red spray paint, and there you go! Christmas ornaments to match my country primitive decor. I followed this blog tutorial here.

And then I made some primitive fabric stars. I simply cut fabric in the shape of a star, hand stitched two pieces together, stuffed them, and then popped a button on them. Again, very simple. But I like them!

And here's a look at our "new" cabinets. Depending on the lighting, the color varies between a dark blue and black. I still have a few finishing touches to do yet, but I'm happy with how they turned out! And I'm especially happy to have the upper cabinets to put my spices, dishes, and drinking glasses in!

I trust y'all will have a wonderful Christmas Eve!

A Christmas Party

2011-12-23T11:00:00.000-06:00

We had two families from church over last night for a little Christmas party! It was a lot of fun!

On the menu:
Cocktail Meatballs
Tortilla Twirls
Italian Pasta Salad
Barbeque Chicken Pizza
Cheeseball and crackers
Ginger Cookies
Chocolate Chip Cookies
Fruit Punch

Isn't Huberto and Edith's baby so cute?

And then...we taught our friends how to play Dutch Blitz!!! They caught on very quickly, and we had a "vonderful goot" time together! I had Kyle take a few pics...so please excuse the blurriness!

Even though we're not able to be with our family and friends in the U.S. this year, we are so thankful for our friends here in Mexico! Friends are a "vonderful goot" thing too, eh? =)

[ Just a Glimpse ]

2011-12-20T17:00:00.000-06:00

What I've been working on...

I hope to reveal the finished product soon. Stay tuned.

Our First Year

2011-12-17T12:00:00.000-06:00

As of Dec. 14th, we have officially been in southern Mexico for a year (not counting the 2 months we were here in 2010)! We can hardly believe how fast the time has flown! So...this calls for a celebration, right? That's what we thought! So yesterday we headed out to our favorite restaurant on the beach and also took some new family pics.

We are excited to see how the Lord is going to help us in this coming year. Our churches here have been going through some low times, but we're trusting in God to bring the victory, to see new people saved, and to lead believers in obedience and truth.

H.I.M. Hispanic Pastor's Retreat 2011

2011-12-05T16:00:00.002-06:00

Thank the Lord for his traveling protection on us on our recent trip to Guatemala City for the annual pastor's retreat. We feel that the Lord really helped in the sessions and it was a good time for all of us to be together, to learn and grow, and be encouraged!

And besides the fact that we got a little lost in the city trying to find our way to the retreat center, and we got stopped by the police, it was a good trip (although the roads were VERY bumpy!)...and we got to eat at a McDonald's once we arrived in the city! Then after that, we were able to employ the help of a kind taxi driver to help us find our destination.

The retreat center had a little chapel - this is where we held the sessions each day. Bro. Steven Hight was the special speaker.

Michael was asked to speak in one of the sessions on, "Music in the Life and Ministry of the Apostle Paul." It is a much needed topic for our churches, and he did a fabulous job presenting his material (complete with animated motions and singing excerpts!!!!!!!!!!!!)

The retreat center had a nice little dining room. The food was pretty good too! Especially the one night we had Little Ceaser's Pizza!!!! =)

Below is a picture of our Hispanic Pastors who were able to attend the retreat. We also took pics of the whole group of us, but I'll have to get a copy from someone else. My copy is obviously missing me, and only half the crowd was looking at me! Oh well!

Above (from left to right):

Pastor Abel from Salamanca, MX

Missionary/Pastor Eric Kuhns from Tegucigalpa, Hondurus

Pastor Javier from Motozintla, MX

Pastor Cruz from Tacaná, Guatemala

Pastor René from Tajumulco, Guatemala

Missionary/Pastor Michael Mason from Tapachula, MX

And, it was a wonderful privilege to be able to spend time last week with Eric and Hannah Kuhns and family! We had some great conversations and great laughs! =) I'm also hoping they will post other pictures of the retreat on their blog, since for whatever reason, I really didn't take too many pics!

On Thursday afternoon, there were no sessions scheduled, so the whole crew of us loaded up into Eric's 4Runner and our Sequoia and we made our way to the zoo. I think we took a few wrong turns along the way, since we drove down a road or two the wrong way...but we made it! It was actually a very nice zoo - and they even had a dairy cow to remind us of home in PA! lol

These youngsters really enjoyed hanging out together last week! There was lots of running, hollering, playing games, and even begging the cooks for extra food... =)

Kyle is 6, Joseph K. is 5, and Taylor is 4!

And on our way home, we were able to stop at a Taco Bell! Not that it would be our favorite resteraunt or anything, but it's something we haven't had for a year, and so it was kind of something special...it was good, too! (please excuse the blurry cell phone pic!)

All in all, a very good retreat, although we're glad to be back home! Why? Because it was COLD! Okay, so really, it was only upper 50's at night and low 70's during the day, but us "tapachultecans," we pretty much froze!!! We're not quite used to anything other than HOT - all the time! None of us had any jackets with us either, so we were very glad for the blankets that were provided! I think we're all thawed out now, so we're good to go!! =)

Thanks for your prayers for us and your interest in our trip!

2011-11-27T16:00:00.000-06:00

And................I'm still behind in my posts. Unfortunately. Because I really wish I wasn't. But we've been pretty busy recently, and it's about to get busier.

So that being said, we leave tomorrow on a trip to Guatemala City for the H.I.M. Hispanic Pastor's Retreat. Could you please remember us in prayer? Our plans are to return home on Friday. And hopefully when I get back, I'll do my best to get caught up on all the recent happenings that I'm needing to post about!!

Honey Wheat Bread

2011-11-25T12:00:00.003-06:00

When I make homemade bread, I typically gravitate towards white bread. I like the taste and look of the loaf better. Sometimes though, I like to experiment with different types of bread/ingredients. Such is the case with this loaf. I had seen a recipe online that looked like it might be good, so I experimented with different measurements/ingredients until I found something I actually liked. I hope you will enjoy it too!

Honey Wheat Bread

(Mixed on the dough/pasta setting of my

bread machine, then shaped and baked in the oven.)

1/3 cup of warm water

3/4 cup of milk

2 Tbsp. of honey

2 Tbsp. of melted shortening

1-1/2 cups of all purpose flour

1 cup of whole wheat flour

1 tsp. salt

1-1/2 tsp. of yeast

Place all the ingredients in your bread machine as recommended by the manufacturer. Press start, and let it do it's thing! During the kneading process, I typically add about 4 Tbsp. of all purpose flour to get the proper texture.

Once the dough cycle is complete (approximately 1-1/2 hrs. for my machine), I place the dough on a lightly floured surface, knead it a few times, and then shape it. I place it in a well greased bread loaf pan, sprinkle some rolled oats on top, then allow it to rise for 30-40 mins. Then I bake it in a pre-heated 350* oven for 30 minutes. Pull it out of the oven, remove the loaf from the pan, brush some melted butter on the top, then allow it to cool. After that, slice it, butter it, then EAT it! Yum!

Happy Thanksgiving!

2011-11-24T18:00:00.001-06:00

From our home to yours, we trust that y'all have had a special thanksgiving today and were able to share it with family and friends!

I decorated the table and buffet for Thanksgiving, and also prepared a special meal for us.

We enjoyed a smoked loin, mashed potatoes and gravy, filling (or stuffing/dressing to you other folks!), green beans, homemade bread, and an apple pie! Yummy!

All ready to eat!

Now we're all stuffed from the meal! And, I think we'll be enjoying the leftovers over the next few days!

Tomorrow, I'll try to post my homemade bread recipe.

* * * * * * * * * * * *

And before this day ends, let's each try to remember to keep the spirit of Thanksgiving in our hearts, the whole year 'round!

Until Next Time...

2011-11-21T13:00:00.002-06:00

It was one of those "get up bright and early" kind of mornings! We were sad to say our good bye's as we took Mom, Dad, and Pap back to the airport, but we were glad to have had a wonderful time together while they were here.

Now, it's back to work (as if you ever really stop when you're in ministry)! We've got Thanksgiving to look forward to this week, as well as packing for our trip to Guatemala next week.

Celebrate!

2011-11-19T21:00:00.001-06:00

Yesterday, we were able to spend some time relaxing together. We also checked out the large indoor market here, drove out to the border of Guatemala, then later on, I put up the Christmas tree while Mom and Dad wrapped gifts.

All of those things that happened yesterday, brings us to today! We started the morning by eating a delicious french toast casserole, then we read the Christmas story and opened up Christmas gifts that Mom and Dad had brought with them. The boys were all excited, of course!

Parker was enjoying himself by piling his gifts on top of each other!

Later on this afternoon, my Dad and I put up some cabinets! I finally have a place to put my dishes and glasses, etc... Yay! Now, I just need to get them (the cabinets!) painted some time soon! My plans are to paint them an antique black that will match my desk.

And........today is also my 30th birthday! It was so nice to be able to celebrate it with my Mom and Dad and Pap! And we all really enjoyed Dad's chocolate/peanut butter cake!

A Fun Thursday

2011-11-17T21:00:00.001-06:00

Wow! We finally got the play house/swing set completed this morning! It looks so nice and the boys are lovin' it! Thanks so much for your help, Dad!

Since we completed that project, we decided to head down to the beach for the rest of the day! Our boys enjoyed splashing in some pools, while Mom and Dad enjoyed getting their feet wet in the Pacific!

Then we drove a few miles to our favorite restaurant along the beach. There's always a beautiful view at sunset!

I just love this pic! The beautiful blue, fading sky with the lighted palapas along the shoreline.

And we just had to get a pic of Mom with her delicious shrimp cocktail!

It was an enjoyable day! I wonder what we'll do tomorrow?

Progress

2011-11-16T17:30:00.003-06:00

Little by little, we're making progress with the swingset. Here, the boys are sitting on the roof.

Pap taking a break from the heat.

Tuesday p.m. - The framework was completed, and it was set up this morning.

Dad cutting boards this morning.

The frame and roof is up...now to put the floor and side boards on.

Taylor loves to help!

Pap even climbed up to help!

Now we're getting somewhere!!

(And yes, sometimes the boys like wearing their pajamas all day!)

And before we quit for the day, let's add the sliding board!

Parker even enjoyed a slippery ride!

We're hoping tomorrow to be able and finish the whole swing set! Yay!

Starting a New Project

2011-11-14T18:30:00.002-06:00

We started a little, or should I say a large, project today! Last year for Christmas, we, along with family, had purchased a swing set kit as part of the boys' Christmas gift. But, seeing as we're not so carpentry minded, we decided my Dad's visit was the perfect time to build it!

The only problem? We needed to cut down a tree in our backyard! We were not able to find a chainsaw to use, so we started with a reciprocating saw, and then moved on to a simple garden/tree hand saw.

At this point, we all were helping to saw through the stump and we each took turns so that none of us would pass out in the heat! There was definitely a lot of sweat involved.

Finally, after much sawing, pushing, and a few kung fu (lol) moves, we finally had a stump without the tree attached!!

Now, we can start the actual building process. Stay tuned!

A Surprise Visit!

2011-11-12T19:30:00.000-06:00

I can't believe this day has finally arrived! My mom, dad, and grandfather came to visit us!! And the best part? We were able to keep it a secret from our boys! They were totally shocked!!

We had been hinting for awhile, saying that "special presents" might arrive via airplane. Of course, we were meaning people, but they just assumed packages! So today, we simply drove to the airport and watched for planes to come in, saying that maybe one of them had some special presents!

We had the boys stand up against this wall, and they still had no idea that their pappy and grandma were coming, until they literally walked around the corner! Kyle was shocked speechless (unusual!) and Taylor said, "Hey! Hey guys!"

Below is a little video we tried to take of the boys' first reaction to seeing their pappy and grandma. Our camera battery was going dead, so we didn't get a whole lot, but it's cute anyway!

[ Just a Glimpse ]

2011-11-08T16:00:00.001-06:00

In keeping with my last post, here's a look at some of the nicer (!) fishing boats that dock in the village near Puerto Chiapas. You can buy fresh fish, shrimp, and crab from vendors who are set up all around the docks. It's an interesting place (smelly, too)!!! =)

Cruise "Gawking"

2011-11-03T16:30:00.002-05:00

Today turned out to be an interesting day! We had to go into el centro this morning, and while we were there, we noticed a few shuttle buses and coaches that had gringos in them! We figured they had came into Puerto Chiapas on a cruise. We decided to check it out.

We drove the twenty-some minutes down to the port, and sure enough, the cruise liner, Statendam (of Holland America), was docked. We were able to park not far away, and then walk almost right up to the ship. We stopped and talked to several people and found out that this trip originates in San Diego, then travels through the Panama Canal and onto Ft. Lauderdale. It then does a return trip back to San Diego.

It was really neat to see the ship up close. Below are a few cell phone pics.

I also looked online and found a few aerial pics of Puerto Chiapas. The red brick docking area (in the upper right of the pic), is where the ship was pulled in at.

Puerto Chiapas and the Pacific Ocean.

[ Just a Glimpse ]

2011-11-01T12:00:00.000-05:00

This past Sunday we were taking some pictures to be sent to H.I.M...so I thought I'd share one of them with you. This is our regular group of church attendees. We were missing one family and two men. We also have another little family that periodically shows up. They're a great group of people that we enjoy working with and doing our best to teach them in the way of Biblical living.

New Wheels

2011-10-29T14:15:00.000-05:00

Kyle was one happy little boy yesterday! After having saved up his birthday money (and us searching around trying to find a good deal), we were finally able to get a new bike for Kyle! He is all excited about having hand brakes and that it is a blue bike!! It took a little adjustment to go from his previous (very small) bike to this one...but he's good-to-go now! And Taylor is happily enjoying Kyle's old bike, as his "new" one!

Beautiful Day Pics

2011-10-28T12:00:00.001-05:00

I was really hoping to upload these pics yesterday, but blogger was having issues!

Anyway, I was hoping to tease our northern friends a little, who are experiencing the first glimpses of cold and wintry weather, with some of our very beautiful weather (albeit very hot and humid, at times)!

This is a very tall tree in the park across from our house.

And of course, some more pics of the boys!

And Minka was also enjoying playing with boys outside!

And, it's another beautiful day again today! I think rainy season is soon to be officially over. Yay - for no more leaking ceilings, but boo - for not having rain to cool the humidity down!

[ Just a Glimpse ]

2011-10-25T12:00:00.001-05:00

It seems as if I'm running out of ideas here on what to take pics of and post...so I decided to just post some "randomness." Hopefully that's okay!

The below scene is taken on "el Par Vial." We travel this road every time we go to church. It's a few streets over from "el centro," and we use it a lot because it moves along at a much faster pace!!

And, we've found a new spot for tacos al pastor! This place adds fried onions on the top of their meat, which makes for a different spin on the traditional taco. It's VERY good! And only 50¢ per taco! Double good!!

Mini Fall Photo Shoot

2011-10-22T12:30:00.005-05:00

Yesterday was a beautiful day! We decided to take the kids out to the park and try to get some fall photos (although it doesn't look or feel very fall-ish here)!

And thank-you, Kara, for the matching shirts! Love them!

Parker - 18 months

Taylor - 4 years

Kyle - 6 years

And the below photo wasn't necessarily planned, but it makes me SMILE!!!

What expressions! :-)

All in a Day's Work

2011-10-21T13:00:00.002-05:00

We periodically get stopped by police at various checkpoints. The lack of a license plate on the front of our vehicle seems to always be a red flag and it's always the first question out of their mouths!

Here's a conversation Michael had yesterday after being stopped at a federal police checkpoint.

Federal Police: Good evening! Where are you coming from?

Michael: Good evening. From Santo Domingo.

Federal Police : Why don’t you have a license plate up front?

Michael: Well, I am from Pennsylvania and in Pennsylvania we don’t have license plates on the front.

Federal Police: Ok. Go ahead and pull forward to the left for a check.

Michael: (I pull forward to the left)

Federal Police: I want to see the identification (permit) for your truck. And also your passport.

Michael: Ok. (I hand him the truck permit and also my passport)

Federal Police: (Looks at the permit) Do you realize that this is a tourist permit and that it is expired?

Michael: Yes. But I have an FM-2 visa which extends this permit for as long as my visa is good. (I hand him my present FM-2 visa)

Federal Police: Where do you live?

Michael: I live in Tapachula.

Federal Police: And what do you do?

Michael: I am a missionary. I am planting churches. We are planting a church in Tapachula and another church in Santo Domingo.

Federal Police: Oh. You are driving on an expired TOURIST permit for your truck.

Michael: But according to the Customs officials, this permit extends with my present Immigrant Visa. The agent told me it was Article VI that says it.

Federal Police: What law?

Michael: I don’t know what law. I just know that the customs agent told me it was in Article VI. Here let me show you on the back of the permit. (I read to him what it says on the back of the permit) “A vehicle of a foreign national can stay in Mexico for the same time as he has a Visa as non-immigrant or immigrant rentista. (This last one is my status.)

Federal Police: Well, you're not the owner of the truck.

Michael: No, my wife actually owns the truck. (She was the one that was there to sign the title. I happened to be in Florida at the time.) But here is her visa. (I hand him my wife’s visa.)

Federal Police: Well, your not allowed driving the truck without her being there. She has to be in the truck with you, for you to be able to drive.

Michael: Oh, really? I was the one that imported the truck at the Mexican border and she WASN’T there.

Federal Police: Really? How did you do that?

Michael: With my marriage license and a letter of power, signed and stamped by a notary. And the customs officials didn’t have any problem with it. Look, on the permit it says that Crystal Mason, my wife is the owner, but that Michael Mason, I, imported it. If I can’t drive it without her, how did I import the truck at the northern border?

Federal Police: Well, what about the plate up front? Where is it at?

Michael: As I told you before, I am from Pennsylvania. Some states such as Texas have plates up front. Others, such as Alabama and Pennsylvania do not use a license plate up front.

Federal Police: Oh, ok. Well, go on.

[ Just a Glimpse ]

2011-10-18T15:00:00.000-05:00

This is a large monstrosity of a church that's not too far from our house. Our boys call it "the castle!" This church proclaims to be "Christian" and part of the first true church founded by Jesus Christ, and then later restored by their founder in 1926. Unfortunately, they seem to be more of a "cult-ish" type group with some pentecostal culture thrown in for good measure.

In other news, ants have invaded and are eating one of our trees out in front of our house, carrying the little pieces of leaf down their trail to our neighbors drain pipe!

[ Just a Glimpse ]

2011-10-11T12:00:00.001-05:00

Last week, we started a mens and ladies group at our church here in Tapachula. Each group will be meeting alternatively every other Saturday.

This past Saturday was the first time for the ladies to meet. They decided to go out for some coffee and to just talk. I must confess to not understanding everything that was said, but I did understand some of it. We had a nice time together and lots of laughs were shared.

The men have named their group, Men of Integrity (Hombres de integridad). Their goal is to be more of an accountability group and to learn and encourage each other to be godly leaders in their homes.

We are excited to see how the Lord will lead these two groups! Our prayer is that we would be a godly example of Biblical living and a blessing to these new believers.

[ Just a Glimpse ]

2011-10-04T16:00:00.002-05:00

Today we made a trip to the barber - for all FOUR of the boys in this household! This was Parker's very first haircut, and as you can see below, he was in desperate need of one - although, this Momma really liked his curls!

But alas, I would have soon been needing to make hair bows and ribbons...and that wasn't an option! =)

After.

A little different look for the little man - but cute, just the same!

Our Recent Trip to Guatemala

2011-09-28T12:00:00.007-05:00

Well, we arrived safely home late Sunday night! Monday we spent the day recuperating from our trip! Tuesday morning, I had every intention of finishing the edits on these pictures to share with you, but our normally steady electric, decided to go off for 5 hours. So after it came back on, I was trying to finish the pictures and to get them uploaded, when a bad storm came through, and the lightening zapped our modem...hence, no internet until this morning when we went into town to get a replacement modem.

Whew! So anyway...here we are, and I've finally got all the pictures uploaded. I hope you enjoy this little pictorial journal of our recent trip to Guatemala! Consider this post, yesterday's [Just a Glimpse].

* Click the arrow below to see a slideshow of these pics, or click anywhere else in the box to be taken directly to Picasa where you can view the pics a little larger.

Prayer Request

2011-09-22T07:00:00.001-05:00

Today we are leaving for a little trip to Guatemala. We will be staying through the weekend and attending a marriage seminar held at our H.I.M. Tacaná church. If you think of us sometime today, say a little prayer for traveling protection and safety as we drive, and also for Bro. Butch Heath (the special speaker), Bro. John Dykes, and Bro. Hery Santiago from Hobe Sound, Fl as they will also be traveling to the seminar. We are excited to be taking a much needed "little break" from our ministry here in Southern Mexico and hope to return encouraged and rejuvenated!

Also pray for our churches here in Southern Mexico on Sunday as the doors will remain open and Antonio and Guadalupe will be preaching in our absence.

And, I'm hoping to take pictures this time, as my husband did not take any pictures the last time he was there! =)

Have a great weekend, my friends! I hope to return to the blogging world on Tuesday!

[ Just a Glimpse ]

2011-09-20T12:00:00.001-05:00

We were privileged to have a baby dedication at our church this past Sunday. What a special time it was to see the parents vowing to raise their child in a godly way.

Isn't he cute?

The family: Humberto & Edith, Paolita and baby Humberto.

2011-09-15T10:00:00.004-05:00

Thank-You Aunt Shelly for the recent box of clothes you sent!

Love ~ Kyle, Parker, and Taylor

I took some new pics of Parker - he's 17 months old now! He's also in desperate need of his first haircut...I'm just finding it hard to cut the curls!!

[ Just a Glimpse ]

2011-09-13T12:00:00.006-05:00

The other Sunday, we took some people from our Tapachula church, up to our church in Santo Domingo for a special service. On the way, our truck decided to overheat, and we had to pull into a gas station, let the truck cool, then add some more antifreeze.

A classic picture: standing in the light rain looking at each other,

and wondering what to do next. =)

Parker wanted to see what all was going on too!

A Little Bit About Parker

2011-09-12T13:45:00.004-05:00

I recently saw Parker sleeping in some "strange" ways...so I took a few pics on my cell phone. =)

He can seemingly pull his legs out of the slats while sleeping, and not wake up!

House Tour - The Upstairs

2011-09-06T12:00:00.007-05:00

Well, my friends, another week has gone by and here's the "long awaited" pics of our upstairs. And really, I'm almost embarrassed to show them, because we definitely have not spent significant time trying to "prettify" the rooms!

This is the stairway leading upstairs.

The school room.

I have some great ideas for this room, but no money or motivation!

The other side.

We usually have our keyboard along the wall to the left of the chair, but it is currently at our church, since our church keyboard is having electrical/power issues.

The boys room.

Nothing fancy here. The walls sport the original bright yellow paint along with the light pink ceiling. A bare lightbulb hangs from the ceiling and I have a dark blue sheet hanging over the original (nasty, light colored) curtains.

Here is our guest bedroom in its original form. We put Parker's crib and the boys' lone dresser in this room along with a very lumpy, uncomfortable, double bed.

Then, we decided to paint the room since we had guests coming to visit last March. The new green walls really made the room seem cool and refreshing. We took out the double bed, crib, and dresser, and put in two single beds.

Well, then we had another brainstorm! We moved the boys' dresser back into the room, took out the single beds, and moved our nice queen size bed into the room.

I also use this room to do sewing, ironing, fold clothes, etc...

Where did the single beds go, you ask? Why, they went into our room. We pushed them together and made a nice king size bed!! Now don't get too excited, we actually don't own any king size bedding, but that just makes life more exciting, right?

With the king size bed, a dresser, a nightstand, plastic organizer bins, and the crib all in the same room, it's pretty crowded. We'll soon need to come up with another plan. I'm still thinking through the thought that 3 boys in one room might not be a good thing!!! =)

We're still gazing at the yellow walls and pink ceiling in this room, but I'm dreaming of some great changes! The when, where, and how to start? Who knows!

And this is the main bathroom. I painted the walls a medium aqua blue color - and I haven't decided if I really like it yet.

And that's pretty much all there is to our house. We have a backyard, but it's not very pretty. We have an outdoor laundry room/storage room attached to our patio, and it's not pretty either! =)

I hope you've enjoyed this little tour. If you missed the downstairs tour, click here. And if you really, really, like house pictures, click here, here, and here, to see some pics from our house when we lived in Guanajuato, Central Mexico.

House Tour - The Downstairs

2011-08-30T12:00:00.003-05:00

I've been wanting to do a pictorial house tour for some time...but I kept telling myself I should wait until I fix something, or decorate something... Well, time keeps passing, and I really haven't done any of those things, so I decided I might as well just go ahead and show it like it is. So...

Welcome to our house!

(the peach colored house in the middle is ours)

The entrance way: my book corner and a small bathroom through the door.

The living room.

The living room/dining room is one of the places I haven't done a lot of decorating. I just can't decide what I would like, or what would look nice. Any suggestions? I've thought of maybe a small country quilt to hang behind the love seat with a shelf above it...

In the living room looking towards the dining room and desk corner.

The grand kitchen! =)

If I was rich, I'd love to completely tear the whole kitchen up and start from scratch. It has a terrible layout for such a small place and upper cabinets would be nice (as well as a non-tile counter top...)! =)

I've also thought of painting the cabinets white to make everything feel fresh and clean, bright and cheery! What do you think?

Our family wall. This is in the hallway that runs between the entrance and kitchen (also at the bottom of the stairs and across from a small pantry).

And our small pantry under the stairs. Since I don't have a lot of cabinet space, a lot of food items gets stored in here, and it's also a catch-all kind of storage space. Unfortunately, this space is always in a battle of ownership between the mice, cockroaches, and me!

And, that's the downstairs. I hope you've enjoyed the pics. I know I love to see photos of other people's houses, so I thought my blog readers might too! Check back next Tuesday for a house tour of the upstairs of our place! (Update: just click this link to see the upstairs pics.)

A New Experience

2011-08-27T15:17:00.001-05:00

Well, that day has finally come! The day I had to go find a dentist and get some major work done.

You see, I had braces when I was younger, and was always being warned to brush my teeth well, because cavities have a greater chance of appearing while wearing those metal brackets that can trap food real well. So, I was quite surprised when I had the braces removed, and I had no cavities! I thought that was exciting! And then every year after that when I would have my teeth cleaned...still no cavities! So recently, I thought it would be really neat if I could make it to my 30th birthday without having any cavities. Unfortunately, my teeth had other ideas, and I didn't quite make my goal (by a few months).

For a couple of months now, my lower, left, back molar has felt like a piece had broken off of it, but I had no pain, so, big deal. Apparently, another piece broke off this weekend causing a severe tooth break and a constant tooth ache. Of course, I didn't really know what was causing the pain, so we began asking around for a good dentist in town.

We finally found this really nice place that is similar to what we're used to in the States (receptionist, clean waiting area, good equipment...).

That Thursday when I went in, the one dentist lady cut the nerve to the molar to help with the pain and also sanded the molar down and put in a temporary cap. Today I went back, and another dentist lady performed the actual root canal and then put on another tempoary cap. I was very pleased with my experience. The best part about the day, was since the Novocain wore off, I've not had any pain!

I'm to return to the office again on Thursday for them to reconstruct the tooth/make a crown for my molar. I have no restrictions on eating/drinking (yay!), so I'm good to go.

The only other bad news, is that I have a cavity on the upper, left, back molar that they're going to drill and then fill at some other time.

So, that's my new experience in life and I'm guessing it means I must be getting older! Next thing you know, I'll have a mouthful of false teeth!!! =)

[ Just a Glimpse ]

2011-08-23T19:00:00.000-05:00

Today was the first day of school here in the Mason Academy! The picture below shows our first grade student with his two teachers! This year, we decided to split things up a little. Michael will teach math daily, plus history, science, health/manners, and music once a week, while I (Crystal) teach phonics/reading, writing, spelling/poetry daily. Today went very smoothly, so here's hoping the rest of the year will go the same!

Thanks to Taylor for the above photo!

After about three tries, he finally got our heads included in the picture! lol

Happy Birthday, Brenda!

2011-08-23T07:00:00.000-05:00

Today is my sister's birthday. Since we aren't able to be with her, we thought we'd send a special birthday greeting, something kind of like this...

Happy Birthday, Brenda!

We hope your day is extra special!

We love and miss you!

Crystal, Michael, Kyle, Taylor, and Parker

[ Just a Glimpse ]

2011-08-16T16:00:00.000-05:00

I went to the store today, and this is what I saw...

Celebrating 10 Years Together!!

2011-08-13T14:00:00.003-05:00

Yesterday we decided to do something special for our anniversary. We planned to drop the kids off with some of our church people, and after visiting a store grand opening, we would head out to the beach. Great plan. Unfortunately, anytime we plan something special, it seems that L-I-F-E happens, and makes everything more "interesting." That's just kind of how we roll. And yesterday was no exception!

Beautiful roses Michael gave me on our anniversary.

The day started out fine. We dropped the kids off as planned, then drove to a brand new superstore here in town. It took us forever to find a parking spot, and once getting in the store, we decided we were crazy. Michael described it as, "black friday on steroids!!" It was wall-to-wall people! After trying to navigate through the store, we gave up and headed for the doors.

We decided to stop by their other store in town (there was hardly any one there) and grab a few items. Then we headed home for a quick lunch, packed up some stuff, and headed to the beach.

Now comes the, ummm, "interesting" part. We arrived at Playa Linda and headed down the lane towards the beach. (Please note, this part of the story may sound a little different if you ask Michael.) That lane takes you right to the sand, not too far off the beach. The last time we had been there, I remember us remarking to each other that the sand was really firm and we could have probably driven out onto it instead of parking at the end of the lane. Well, after some discussion, Michael didn't think we should try it this time, and I though we should. I was driving, so I just gunned it and headed out onto the sand. Only this time, the sand was NOT so firm!!! Oops! I managed to get ourselves stuck good and proper in the sand!

Well, Michael was not too much "in like" with me at that moment, but thankfully, LOVE still remained! =) After several attempts at digging out around the tires and using our 4 wheel drive (which didn't want to kick on), we finally had a plan that worked! Both Michael and I dug long trenches in the sand behind both back tires. We found a wooden plank and some driftwood that we wedged under the tires, then while Michael pushed from the front, I put the truck in reverse and gunned it! Thank the Lord, we got traction and I was able to back up all the way to the lane. Whew! That wasn't quite the relaxing day we had planned, but at least we weren't stuck anymore!!

After all that, we were finally able to get set up on the beach and take a few deep breaths and drink our coke! It was a beautiful day...

...and I even got a few pictures!

What do you know? He could still kiss me after I exasperated him!

And the story continues, although not as bad as the sand episode! When we went to leave, we saw that a wire had punctured our back tire sometime during my wild, backwards flight out of the sand. We were able to leave a piece of it in, as a plug of sorts, so that we could drive into town and find someone to fix the tire for us.

After that was accomplished, we drove to our favorite little restaurant down by the beach...only to find that the owner had something scheduled in Tapachula and had closed the restaurant for the day! We drove back to the city and thought to try out a Chinese restaurant, but it was closed too! Grrrrr... We finally got sandwiches from Subway, went home and gulped them down, then went to pick up the kids.

All in all, we still had a good day and were able to enjoy some relaxing time alone together.

"And through it all - love remains."

-taken from the song "Love Remains" by Collin Raye

Happily Ever After!

2011-08-11T12:00:00.000-05:00

Today we are celebrating our 10th Anniversary!!!

When you first get married, you're all wrapped up in that one event, and you never imagine how quickly the coming years will fly! But you know what? It's all been good. Oh, don't get me wrong. We've had our ups and downs, our disagreements, our financial struggles; but the good, the happy times, and the LOVE we share together, outweigh everything else.

Our prayer: That Christ will always be the center of our union and that our love will continue to grow deeper and more abiding through the years to come.

If you're interested in seeing a cacophony of pictures from the time we started dating, including our wedding, until now...just click on the picture below.

[ Just a Glimpse ]

2011-08-09T16:00:00.000-05:00

I'm starting to think we live in the castle of creatures! About the time I think I've seen (and taken pictures) of them all...another one comes for a visit. The other week I was out in the laundry room (outside our house, in a separate little room) and I saw something flying around over my head. I assumed a bird had gotten inside and didn't realize he could fly out the door to freedom. After this "bird" landed on a lightbulb right outside the door, I realized he was no bird, but a bat! So what did I do? After informing my husband, I grabbed the camera and tried to see how close I could get to him. I must say, this bat sure looked like he was giving me the "evil eye!" What do you think?

And just so you don't think all I ever blog about is creatures...here's our littlest guy taking a snooze in his highchair. I love how he props his feet up like that!

Kyle's Birthday Party

2011-08-02T10:30:00.001-05:00

Yesterday, we held Kyle's birthday party. Nine boys (and one adult) showed up - what an exciting time! They were anxious to play some soccer, but the rain had other plans. They played for a couple of minutes in the drizzle, then it started pouring...and it continued pouring the rest of the day! No problem. They (and their mud) came trompsing into the house and Michael played a (quiet) game with them.

And then things got a little loud and crazy! Michael set up chairs in a row and decided they could try playing volleyball with a balloon! :-)

We had a New York Yankee baseball themed party. Here's a look at the invitation I made to pass out.

And here's the table set-up. I served grilled hot dogs, mac-n-cheese, chips, and fruit punch.

A close up of the cake. And yes, I have another story for this cake! I think I'm going to give up cake decorating for real this time!!

On Saturday, I went to the store and totally forgot to get eggs. Oops. So early Monday morning, I run to the store and grab the eggs. I run back home and mix up the cake and pop it in the oven. Hmmm...I look at the clock and realize time is running out! I still have to let the cake cool, and then decorate it! I managed to ice the cake before Michael walked out the door to go pick up all the kids. I was still needing to tint the icing and then get my decorating bag ready. I finally got going, and right when I was finishing up the NY logo, my one and only decorating bag popped open at the seam and icing squirted out onto the cake! Grrrr... Now what? I try to fix the extra-icing-on-the-cake issue, then slap a piece of tape on the bag and wrap some paper towels around it, hoping I can keep the icing in the bag so I can finish the job! I did. But it was after everyone had arrived! Thank goodness they played outside for a couple of minutes! So you see, I'm quitting the cake decorating business...or maybe I'll except donations to buy new decorating bags...and then try to plan ahead a little better and maybe not procrastinate?! :-)

Kyle's mordida!

Here's an excerpt about birthday mordidas that I found online. "Another great Mexican Birthday tradition is not just the eating of a birthday cake but the tradition of the first bite. As everyone stands around the one to have just completed another year of life, they all chant Mordida, Mordida, Mordida! Yes, Mordida is the same word used for a bribe but that is because it means to take a bite. The birthday person is expected to take their first bite of the cake without any utensils with their hands at their back. Then of course customarily one of their best friends or family is sure to push their face into the cake or lift it up into their face for the same affect. With this all being done in great fun; I have seen people with many completed years that just love getting their face in the cake."

And here's the group of kids posing with Kyle's piñata. Because of the rain, we actually did not break open the piñata...we decided to wait until Wednesday night after church.

I think I can say, "A good time was had by all."

Kyle Turns "6"

2011-07-30T12:00:00.006-05:00

Happy Birthday to Kyle, who turns "6" today!! He's been sooo excited this whole month, just waiting for his birthday to get here! We have a birthday party scheduled for Monday afternoon...actually, it's going to be an all BOY party! What fun!

And for all our family and any interested peoples, I decided to put together some random pictures from each month of Kyle's 5th year (with the exception of one month...I guess my camera was hibernating, or something!).

• At the park - July 2010 •

• Kyle starts kindergarten - August 2010 •

• Spending quality time with Aunt Brenda - September 2010 •

• Checking out cousin Dereck's doe - October 2010 •

• With his brothers before church- November 2010 •

• Christmas in Mexico - December 2010 •

• Playing with legos - February 2011 •

• Playing with a friend - March 2011 •

• Climbing a tree - April 2011 •

• "Monkey-ing" around - May 2011 •

• At the Pacific ocean - June 2011 •

• After a haircut - July 2011 •

We love you, buddy! Happy Birthday!!!

(Continue reading previous birthday posts...)

A New "Tasty" Tradition

2011-07-28T12:30:00.003-05:00

There are some simple pleasures of living in Mexico...and 'tacos al pastor' is one of them! In fact, it has become our new Wednesday night tradition.

We eat on a entirely different meal schedule here. I'm not even sure it's entirely Mexican time, but it's just how our meals have evolved while living here. We eat breakfast between 8-10 am, lunch between 1-3 pm, and supper usually between 7-9 pm. So with this schedule, Wed. night church kind of comes in the middle of our supper time. But, we found a great solution! Enter, 'tacos al pastor!'

- Yum! Just add some onion, cilantro, pineapple bits, and salsa. -

After dropping people off from church, we just swing by our favorite taco stand, order some 'tacos al pastor' to go and then head home. For less than $10, our whole family can eat some of the best food ever created...and the best part, I don't have to prepare a thing for it!

I have tried making them once myself, with okay results. I will definitely keep trying different recipes until I find one that works for me. Obviously, most of us don't own a spit/rotisserie to give the authentic taste, but below I listed two different sites that give some background on the dish itself, and then includes a recipe if you would like to try this deliciousness at home!

Link 1 for 'tacos al pastor' recipe

Link 2 for 'tacos al pastor' recipe

Let me know if you try them, and if you can find the dried chiles in your local stores. Oh, and I would definitely recommend the longer marinating time.

[ Just a Glimpse ]

2011-07-26T12:15:00.000-05:00

I saw something interesting yesterday...and then learned something new! You see, our pantry (a dark little "room" beside and underneath our stairs) seems to collect cockroaches. I walked in yesterday, turned on the light, and went to get something, when I saw a white cockroach! I ran and quickly got my camera because I had never seen anything like it. After looking online, I found out that this is part of the cockroach's maturing process. They shed their skin to grow a bigger one. In the 8-12 hours during this process, they are white. Interesting, eh?

La Campaña 2011 :: The Day After

2011-07-19T16:00:00.004-05:00

It was such a pleasure to be able to have Bro. Rigo and his wife Ana stay in our home during the campmeeting. They were a big blessing to us and our church people.

Monday morning we dropped them off at the border of Guatemala so they could spend some more time there before they had to return to Florida. But before we dropped them off, Bro. Rigo was really wanting a shrimp cocktail. So upon invitation, we went and visited one of our church families. The man, Isaac, pedals around Tapachula in his tricicleta (photo example) and sells shrimp/seafood cocktails for a living.

Seafood cocktail for breakfast anyone?

They also showed us their beautiful little pet loro (parrot).

After dropping Bro. Rigo and Ana off at the border, we decided since we were already halfway there, we would drive up into the mountains to about as high as they have roads. We went up past Unión Juárez to a place called Talquián. On the way back down, we pulled in to this little place to check out the view. This is a hotel, restaurant, and lookout tower.

This is to the right of the above picture. You can see the restaurant that hangs out over the mountain and the beautiful view, although it was somewhat obstructed by clouds.

Michael, Kyle, and Taylor. Parker was sleeping in the truck. :-)

And this is one of those great self portraits - you know, the kind where you hold your arm way out in front of you and snap a picture (sight unseen) and then wonder why you look kind of goofy!! lol

So now, after an exciting weekend, things are getting back to "normal." Although, we have plans to start a youth Sunday School class, and Michael is just starting teaching/tutoring some men in their Bible School classes... You just never know what great things will come to pass around here, so keep checking back!

La Campaña 2011 :: Day 3

2011-07-18T18:00:00.001-05:00

Sunday was another beautiful day with great services! It was also very HOT, but we managed! It was really great to have Bro. Rigoberto Vasquez with us this weekend, and once again, he did a great job preaching.

The small crew from the Motozintla church were not able to attend on Sunday, but we still had a decent crowd with some visitors. Below is a view of the adults listening to the message.

The children all went to Sunday School during the message.

We enjoyed another good meal in between the morning and afternoon services. This little girl thinks the food is 'finger lickin' good!! =)

Parker finally gave in and decided to sleep during the afternoon service.

We decided to take some group pics after the afternoon service. The below pic is of Michael and Bro. Rigo with the guys from Tapachula and Santo Domingo who are currently studying to become pastors.

From staggered left to right: Guadalupe, Benjamin, Bro. Rigo, Antonio, Michael, Abdi, Humberto

Below is Michael and I with the group of men who are studying, along with their wives. (All except Abdi - he's still looking!) They're a great group of people.

And then Bro. Rigo had a great plan to have all the women that were still there to get a photo taken. Michael (who took this picture) asked all the women to open their mouths so he could take a final pic...after questioning looks, smiles, and comments...this is the result! After the pic, Michael told them that this was just a natural look - women have their mouths open talking all the time! =) Although, I can tell you that this is NOT true in our household!! Ha! Ha! =)

All in all, it was a great weekend! The Lord's presence came and met with us, several people re-committed their lives to the Lord, we had several new visitors, great fellowship, and it did not rain at all! And even though we're unable to attend our "home" campmeetings in the U.S., these weekend meetings really felt like a "real" campmeeting to us! I think we'll make this a yearly event!

Stay Tuned: Tomorrow in my [Just a Glimpse] post, I'll try to post a few pictures from the more relaxed events of today.

La Campaña 2011 :: Day 2

2011-07-17T19:30:00.002-05:00

It was another good day! We started off the morning by meeting Pastor Javier (from Motozintla) at a restaurant in town for some breakfast, although by the time we got there, most of us decided to order lunch food. Good food - good fellowship!

We all went different directions in the afternoon. Michael had to take a family an hour out of town to pick up the man's work money. Bro. Rigo and his wife went with Bro. Javier out to see the ocean, and I spent the afternoon at home, baking some of those cookies I was telling you about, and preparing all of our stuff for the evening service.

I didn't take many pictures last night of the campmeeting per se, but we had another wonderful service packed full of people. God's presence came and met with us once again.

I love the pictures below of Parker with one of his buddies! He was acting very goofy...he would close his eyes and then open them and giggle - so cute!

(click on the picture to enlarge)

Check back tomorrow for more pictures from Day 3 of our campmeeting!

2011-07-16T23:18:00.005-05:00

My apologies...we just got home and got the kiddos in bed, and right now I'm just too tired to upload pictures and blog yet tonight. You'll have to wait until tomorrow... :-)

In fact, I think I'll just finish this peanut butter blossom cookie and head up to bed myself...

La Campaña 2011 :: Day 1

2011-07-15T22:00:00.001-05:00

Our weekend campmeeting started tonight. I thought maybe I would try to share a little each evening of how our services went.

(And please excuse these pictures...in fact, I'm almost embarrassed to post them. I was holding Parker in one arm for most of them, and was using my older camera in the other hand...hence, the VERY blurry pictures! Hope you get the idea anyway!)

We about filled our little church up to the brim. I didn't take a head count, but I'm guessing there were about 60-70 people there. The churches represented were: our congregations here in Tapachula and Santo Domingo (plus some local visitors), as well as a crew from the church in Motozintla.

I stepped across the road and took this picture of the whole scene.

Some of the ladies at our church decided to set up a little food stand for after service. The proceeds will go towards the campaña expenses.

Enjoying some yummy quesadillas!

We had a good service tonight (minus a few sound system issues)...and we're looking forward to tomorrow night to see how the Lord will come and meet with us again!

[ Just a Glimpse ]

2011-07-13T13:45:00.003-05:00

Well...it looks like I'm a day late on my weekly [Just a Glimpse] posts. My mind just kept drawing a blank as to what I should post. So, I guess I'll just mention a few little interesting things that have been happening around here.

• Our roof is leaking again. Michael went up last week and applied some thick, gooey tar thinking that would stop/slow down the leak. For whatever reason, it didn't work. We got a good dousing rainstorm the other day, and we're back to sking on our hallway floor lake again!!

• And the church roof is leaking too. A few guys from the church are supposed to be working on that roof before the campaña this weekend.

• We caught another mouse today! It seems like we have an endless supply of them...

• We've always known our freezer doesn't always freeze things real solid (like ice cream), but I didn't realize how "well" it worked until I pulled some homemade "frozen" dinner rolls out today and they were a little soft and squished all together! Hmmm...at least ice cubes and meat seem to stay solid! =)

• Bro. Rigo and his wife arrive on Friday, so we've been preparing for house guests and also for the weekend campmeeting.

And because I don't like posting without a picture, here's a little cultural tidbit.

This is how we buy our milk from the store. They don't carry the refrigerated cartons/plastic jugs of milk - it's all shelf stable milk. I usually take a black magic marker and write on the top the date that I opened it so I can judge an expiration date. Of course, they only come in 1 liter cartons, so it doesn't take too long to use up one!

That's it - for now! I hope y'all have a great day!

Upcoming Campmeeting

2011-07-08T18:00:00.004-05:00

A week from tonight, we start a weekend campmeeting at our church here in Tapachula. Others from our H.I.M. churches in Motozintla and Guatemala will be attending as well. Bro. Rigoberto (Director of H.I.M.'s Hispanic Churches) will be the special speaker and Michael and I will provide the singing. We are looking forward to having Bro. Rigo and his wife visiting with us. Would you help us pray that 1) the Holy Spirit would come and meet with us each service, 2) that our present believers would become more grounded in their faith, and 3) that new people would be won into the Kingdom? We deeply appreciate the thoughts and prayers that you (our family, friends, acquaintances, and even blog visitors) lift to the Father in our behalf. ¡Muchas gracias!

Bro. Rigo and his wife have already been on the road traveling. Read about some of their visits here at Eric Kuhns' blog.

Celebrating the 4th

2011-07-05T14:00:00.004-05:00

I hope y'all had a happy 4th of July! We spent a very relaxing day together. Of course, the day would not be complete without trying to get some pics! =)

I gave the table a little patriotic love.

Time to eat! While listening to the a cappella group Voices of Liberty, we enjoyed grilled hotdogs, mac-n-cheese, chips and dip, and of course, some good 'ole Mexican coke!!!

I even tried my hand at making cake pops! I followed the directions from this blog. They were surprisingly good, but very rich!

And, we ended our day by making smores with our charcoal grill!! The kids loved it!

Even though we're celebrating July 4th this year far from America and family, we're PROUD TO BE AN AMERICAN!! May God Bless the U.S.A.!!!

Kyle's Kindergarten Graduation

2011-07-04T12:00:00.001-05:00

This past Saturday evening, before our regular church prayer time, we were finally able to have a small graduation service for Kyle.

Kyle successfully completed all his work for kindergarten a few weeks ago! He has learned to read and write and he really enjoys his math work. And I would also say his Daddy has done a pretty good job of homeschooling him this past semester!

We were wanting to do something special for him since he wasn't able to graduate from Penn View with his classmates from first semester. The service was simple, but Kyle thought it was special and enjoyed all the "hoopla" involved.

And of course, we're in the middle of rainy season here, so photo ops were limited...but an umbrella definitely painted a picture of the current weather! And Kyle at least thought it was fun. While I, on the other hand, was having trouble trying to hold the umbrella and a big heavy camera and get clear shots!

Kyle receiving his diploma from Daddy.

I had made a whoopie pie cake to serve after the service. This is Paulita, one of Kyle's church friends, enjoying her piece of cake.

And this is a family picture of us - albeit, a little blurry! =)

CONGRATULATIONS, Kyle!!!!

4th of July Table Runner

2011-07-01T13:00:00.004-05:00

In browsing through some blogs recently and gathering ideas to make our 4th of July special, I came across this nifty, patriotic table runner. I instantly knew I wanted to try something like it. You see, I love all things stars, gingham, rag quilts, and country decor.

Unfortunately, I underestimated the amount of scrap gingham I had laying around. I guess I've gradually used most of my stash for other projects and didn't replenish it before we moved down here. Oh well, after searching, I came up with some suitable plaids - and it works for me!

You definitely spend most of your time cutting and snipping, but overall, the project doesn't take too long! I'm happy with the finished project and can't wait to use it for setting a pretty 4th of July table!

*I'm linking this post to:

Nap Time Crafters

The Frugal Girls

The Shabby Nest

[ Just a Glimpse ]

2011-06-28T14:00:00.001-05:00

Hello, my blog friends...can it be Tuesday already? Yeah, I know...I'm supposed to have some great entertaining, interesting, or inspiring picture to post, but guess what? I don't. I have not seen anything this past week that's said, "Take my picture!" Don't get me wrong, lots has been happening around here. For example: it's been raining quite a bit, and remember the roof that our water tank sits on? Yep, it's flat and it has walls that surround it, which means water just hangs out up there until it finds a weak spot in the concrete... and now we have an upstairs hallway ceiling that constantly drips and leaks! If you're not paying attention, you'll be sitting down HARD in a hurry!

Let's see...and then yesterday, the lovely electric company came through our whole community turning people's electric off for supposed charges not paid! Our charges were the result of previous renters not paying (like over a year ago) and seeing as that total was never included in our amount due, we had no idea it needed paid! So, our electric got turned off for about six hours. There's a lot of interesting details to this story, but we don't really need to go into that here! Suffice it to say, we're all squared away and back to "normal!"

What else? Considering the above paragraphs and some other little cultural things that have happened, to be honest, we're feeling a little homesick and find ourselves sitting around dreaming about eating at certain restaurants, (the kids) going to Grandma's house, visiting with family and friends...

But it's okay. We're right where God wants us to be, and there can be no greater joy, then to be in the center of His will - and doing His work! So onward and forward we march (although Tom's Pizza, Middleswarth Barbeque Chips, and Amy's Frosty Freeze still sounds pretty good!!!).

I'll leave you with this picture of some cute, pajama-clad boys I know!

A Cute Onesie Dress

2011-06-24T15:00:00.004-05:00

Every once in awhile, I feel the creative juices start flowing...and then these "brilliant" ideas pop in my head! For example: how fun would it be to make a little girls dress? Now I realize that having three boys does not lend itself to much knowledge in the way of girls clothing...but I've seen lots of creative ladies blogging about how easy it can be. So I thought, why not? I even had the idea of recycling one of Michael's old casual shirts into a little dress...but then I discontinued that idea (at least for now!) after seeing this idea over on Shari's blog. How simple, but cute!

With a little girl in our church having her first birthday, I decided a little dress was the perfect project. Now it might not have turned out perfect, but it was fun to make and maybe even a little cute! (And should I admit, I tried the dress on Parker to get the basic sizing?) =) I also love the fact that's it's still a onesie!

And because I wanted a good excuse to make one of these rolled fabric flowers that are so popular right now, I made one to accent the dress. I attached it with a safety pin of sorts, so that it could be taken off to wash.

And there you have it my friends - something creative! Maybe this little project will jump start some more brilliant ideas? I know I'd like to learn more about "mod podge-ing" (although I'm sure they don't sell that here in Mexico)...or maybe I should think more about a new quilt for our bed...then again, maybe I should finish other things I've started...?...

I hope y'all have a good weekend!

*I'm linking this post to:

Nap Time Crafters

The Frugal Girls

The Shabby Nest

[ Just a Glimpse ]

2011-06-21T15:30:00.003-05:00

We recently had some help cutting the grass in our little backyard with the use of a machete and our ummm...very modern lawnmower!!

Pacific Scenes

2011-06-20T19:45:00.001-05:00

Mondays' are kind of like the preacher's day off...at least in our household. Today, we were able to get away for a couple of hours and head to the Pacific. It was a beautiful day; the sky was painted with various hues of pretty blues and different types of clouds. You can't get much more relaxing than this!

I also liked this pic of Taylor! If you know him at all, this will just make you smile for some reason! =) The boys really enjoyed playing in the sand.

Strawberry Summer Cake

2011-06-17T15:30:00.002-05:00

I was looking at a food blog the other week, when I came across the recipe and photos of this:

I was instantly in love! We do love us some strawberry pie around here, but this just seemed like a nice change of pace for the strawberry and it looked delicious too.

It works very well as a brunch dish instead of a dessert. In fact, it kind of tastes like a muffin in a cake form. Yummy! And I think next time I make this, I'll add some extra strawberries and squish them down in the batter!

So, what are you waiting for? Go check out this recipe here and then browse through the rest of this lady's recipes. Her food photography is pretty stunning as well, and will make you lick your lips in anticipation of sampling some of the food!

Official Immigrants!!

2011-06-15T15:30:00.005-05:00

Yay! Now the kids and I got our visas too! We're good to go (or stay, in this case) for a year - and then we can renew them here in Tapachula for another year.

(Don't you just love the flattering photos they

insist on taking for these kinds of things...?) ;-)

[ Just a Glimpse ]

2011-06-14T11:00:00.000-05:00

You just never know when you'll get a chance to witness to someone. Last Saturday night as we pulled in front of Ignacio and Blanca's house to pick them up for a prayer meeting, Michael met a drunk man who was walking down the road and was able to share the gospel and invite him to church.

Last Sunday morning we had our first children's ensemble! It wasn't anything overly special, in fact, the kids just sang "I've got the joy, joy, joy, joy..." (in Spanish, of course!) but, who doesn't enjoy listening to children sing? I'm sure we'll be doing this more often...

[ Just a Glimpse ]

2011-06-07T12:00:00.005-05:00

Here's a look (from across the road) at the entrance to the little community where we live. There's approximately 180 properties inside this walled community.

Here's a closer look at the guard shack. All taxis and people who don't live here are required to show ID to the guards for permission to enter. We are blessed to be able to live in such a safe environment.

• • • • • • • • • •

Also, don't forget to vote in the poll located on the sidebar. It will only be open until tonight at 10 CST. I'm definitely needing ideas for these [Just a Glimpse] posts...!

And for my family who wants to vote more than once for more pictures of the kids...here's one of Parker. My, doesn't he look impressed?! =)

Welcome, Hno. José!

2011-06-02T11:00:00.000-05:00

It was a privilege to welcome Hno. José Guadalupe Hernandez to our home and ministry this past Monday. He will be staying for a short time (a week or two) and then he will be returning to his home to do some studies and gather some more of his belongings to bring back to Tapachula.

He has spent 8 yrs. in the U.S. and has graduated from H.I.M.'s Bible Institute. Upon his return to Tapachula, he will be working with us in our churches and we will try to mentor him so he will be better prepared when he returns back to Comitán in a few months to plant a new church in his hometown.

[ Just a Glimpse ] and a Survey

2011-05-31T12:30:00.002-05:00

Well, it seems I'm having difficulty coming up with
[Just a Glimpse]
posts. Therefore, please take a moment and take the survey over on the sidebar of the blog.

• • • • • • • • • •

Now for today, let me show you something I'm extremely thankful for!

Yep, it's a Walmart! And it's less than a mile from my house, too!

No, it doesn't have everything that our stateside Walmarts would have, but it's a nice and clean shopping experience and most things are cheaper than the other supermarkets in town. They carry mostly Mexican brand items and also Great Value products that are made/marketed for Mexico. Every once in awhile, you'll find something they've imported from the States, and that always makes me smile!

Curious as to what they carry or don't carry? Leave me a comment and I'll post the answer.

[ Just a Glimpse ]

2011-05-24T12:00:00.003-05:00

Wow! You just never know what you're going to see around here! I found this little guy in my kitchen. I must say, he looked kind of strange. Although you can't see it in the picture, he had more of a translucent body with red legs! Every time I tried to get an up-close picture of him, he would hop away. Oh well. And one would think that we should soon be done with seeing new creatures around here...!

Church Progress

2011-05-23T10:33:00.003-05:00

Praise the Lord! Yesterday we were able to have church in our newly renovated rooms! What a blessing it was to feel like everyone actually had a place to sit! I think we had about 34 people in attendance...now we need to go buy more chairs!!

Our people even had time on Saturday to do a quick paint job on the walls of the newly acquired room so it would match our old room! And the windows you see on the left, are always opened during service which provided a wonderful fresh breeze so we all weren't stifling like we did in the previous close quarters.

We're so thankful for all the progress, both physcial and spiritual, that is being made in our Tapachula Church. God is faithful and good!

To read more and see "the before" pictures, follow The Tapachula Project link.

Taylor's 4th Birthday Party

2011-05-21T20:45:00.001-05:00

Today we celebrated Taylor's birthday! We invited some friends from church, and we had a great time together! Below you'll find lots of pictures from our day.

Let me just start with the cake explanations. Over the last several years, it seems like my cake decorating abilities keep flying out the window! I'm always having last minute problems. So this year, instead of my usual procrastination, I thought I'd plan ahead and maybe things would work out better! I had wanted to do a Curious George theme of sorts, so I decided to try my hand at making a fondant monkey and palm tree. I made them on Thursday.

Here's my (monkey ?).

Here's the leaves for the palm tree.

And what I didn't realize, was the fondant actually needed to dry more than the three days I allowed. My palm tree was too thick and too tall and would not stand up on it's own. The monkey started to squish in on itself. I had put floral wire in the leaves, and they kept coming out and breaking the leaves. Now what? And to top it all off, Kyle had taken a big chunk out of one of the cooling cakes to eat! See, I have the greatest "luck" with my cakes!

My solution was to cut down the palm tree several times and then "plant" in in the hole of the one cake and then I patched all around it. I kind of just stuck the leaves that were still whole on the top, and then prayed that it would stand up for awhile. And it did - at least for about an hour and a half. I finished it not too long before the party was to start at 2:00, but our guests didn't all arrive until about 3:30...yep, and that's when the tree fell down! Good thing I took pictures right away!

And should I mention, that I barely had enough powdered sugar to make a batch and a half of icing? But that I really could have used two batches to completely decorate the cake? Either way, it was, what it ended up being!

Here's the birthday boy...before a minor accident! Some of the kids were playing ball outside, and Taylor got whacked either with a hard ball or wooden bat! He got a huge goose egg on his head!! He ended up being okay, and it just added to the excitement of the day!

Our decorated front porch. Don't ya just love my porch furniture? Hmmm...maybe I should spray paint it (the chair, that is) so it looks a little more original?!

Cake and gift table with bunting flags I made to hang on the wall.

Taylor with his #4 piñata.

All the kids who came to the party.

Getting ready to take a swing!

Since I was trying for a monkey theme, we thought we'd have a monkey piñata made. Well, I hate to say it, but it looked more like a devil monkey!

Here's some of the kids receiving their favor bag. It's tradition here to give a bag of goodies, or a small candy treat to all the kids who come to your party. Our favors had a small frisbee, water gun, play dough, and some m&m's in them.

Taylor sniffing his cake while his Mexican friends sang a birthday song to him.

(Notice the palm tree no longer shades the poor little monkey!) =)

All in all, we had a great day with lots of fun with friends! Taylor also got lots of gifts he enjoyed opening later while two sets of grandparents watched online through Skype.

(And maybe I should start planning now for Kyle's birthday in July so that maybe I won't have so many unexpected problems that seem to plague me and birthday cakes/parties!!!!!!!)

The Tapachula Project

2011-05-20T09:30:00.000-05:00

We are so excited how the Lord has been helping us here in our Tapachula church! With new converts being added to our little congregation, our attendance has been steadily increasing! The only unfortunate thing in this situation, is that we don't have the space to accommodate all the people.

We currently have been renting a small room in the area called "5 de Febrero." This is an ideal location for us right now, so we've been looking in the general area for a new place to rent.

After much prayer and discussion (and not finding many affordable options), we decided to rent the room that is attached to our current room and then knock the wall down between them.

This new addition will allow us to spread out and breath a little easier and it also has a bathroom attached (which we didn't have before).

Yesterday - progress began.

We are excited to see how the Lord will continue to lead us as a Church. Maybe someday, we'll even have a place/property to call our own! But until then, we'll be inviting even more people so we can fill up all this new space!

Stay tuned to The Tapachula Project for more details and pictures...as you can see, we have a lot of painting to do to kind of match the rooms up! =)

It's Birthday Time Again!

2011-05-19T09:30:00.001-05:00

Today we are wishing Taylor Scott

a very Happy Birthday!!!!!

As we all say every year and with every child, where does the time fly? 4 years ago our home was once again blessed with a tiny baby boy who filled our hearts with joy. He really was the best little baby, and made no fuss at all while Mommy and Daddy were packing, sorting, and preparing to move to Mexico. Today, we can hardly keep up with him! He is very energetic and loves to get into everything! He's also very smart and even ornery at times - which leads to many laughable moments! We thank God for Taylor and love him dearly!

We will actually be celebrating his birthday on Saturday. We've invited some friends from church and are planning a little party complete with a piñata! And if you're friends with me on facebook, head on over to my wall to check out what I've been up to in regards to decorating his cake!

A Beautiful Day in the Park

2011-05-18T09:30:00.002-05:00

I just have to share some cute kid pictures! Yesterday was a beeauuutiful day (and I might add - a wonderful change from last week), so while the kids went with Daddy across the road to the park, I got out my little camera and started snapping pictures!

This is my absolute fav!! Hands down. This picture is straight out of the camera with no editing. How adorable can you get? :)

Parker was enjoying test driving this little airplane scooter thing.

And then there's Taylor. It was hard trying to catch him being still - he's always on the go checking out anything and everything!!

And now to Kyle. He's the baseball fanatic. He loves to listen, watch, and then play baseball all the time. He's his own team, really. He announces, pitches, hits, catches, and runs the bases...and yeah, this happens in the house with a plastic bat and nerf ball too! Needless to say, there's been a few items that are repeatedly knocked off of end stands! :)

And you know what? I just can't help but love these boys of mine!

[ Just a Glimpse ]

2011-05-17T17:09:00.000-05:00

We went to a birthday party last Saturday, and I thought I'd take a short video clip of Kyle hitting one of the piñatas and then of all the kids as they gathered around to snatch the candy. They also got showered with confetti! What fun! The Mexican kids here sure do love birthday parties! (Speaking of which, Taylor has one coming up soon too...!)

[ Just a Glimpse ]

2011-05-10T17:46:00.013-05:00

There are days, like today, and like the past few days, where living is simply a survival of the fittest. Or so it seems. I'm sure it's not really true, but sometimes it sure feels like it! It's on days like today, when your thermometer reads this...

...and your computer says the real feel is in the 100's, that (besides melting) you rely on a few essential items to get you through the day.

Thank the Lord for ice cubes!

We go through about 3 trays a day.

And those ice cubes sure do taste good in some cold, mexican coke!

If possible, it helps to have a fan blowing on you while you work.

And then the best part of the day. After losing a few pounds in sweat, you can retreat to your air-conditioned bedroom...

...for an afternoon siesta!

How refreshing!

Hmmm...it looks like Minka likes siestas too!

And so, we're wishfully looking towards the heavens in hopes that the rainy season will decide to return from wherever it took a vacation to...

... and meanwhile, we'll continue working (aka: surviving, at times) and dream of the frozen tundra in Iceland... =)

[photo courtesy of 'bpwillet' at virtualtourist.com]

And that my friends, is just a glimpse into one day in the story of our lives. Actually, we have many different kinds of days, but I thought for today, I'd just share the hot and humid version!

(Disclaimer: there was also work accomplished today. We home-schooled, did laundry, cooked meals, washed dishes, took trash to the dumpster, Michael met with some people about church business, etc, etc...)

¡Feliz dia de las madres!

2011-05-08T15:03:00.006-05:00

Translated, "Happy Mother's Day!" Actually, here in Mexico they always celebrate mother's day on May 10th - no matter what day that may fall on. But as a church, we decided to go ahead and celebrate it today.

In preparation for this special day, I made 14 "purse styled" gift bags and then filled them with a kitchen dish towel, antibacterial hand gel, and a snickers bar.

We had also encouraged all of our regular church attendees to invite their mothers. What we never planned on, was that while two of their mothers came, so did almost everyone else who we've ever invited! Yep, it was bound to happen - the day they all decided to show up at church at one time! Actually, it was very exciting...(and a little hot and squished in our tiny little church room)! We had a record breaking attendance of 43!!

The adults listening to the sermon...

...while the kids are in Sunday School.

Fellowship after church.

••••••••••

And here's me with the little ones who call me "Mom."

So happy that God has blessed me with these precious treasures.

Life is certainly not boring in this household of ALL boys

(and that includes the big one too)!! =)

Happy Mother's Day!!

[ Just a Glimpse ]

2011-05-03T13:52:00.011-05:00

Today's "Just a Glimpse" is actually the story from Michael's recent weekend trip to Guatemala. And trust me, you'll want to read the whole thing! Oh, and one other thing...you know I mentioned in my last post about reminding a certain someone to take pictures? Well, he didn't...but thankfully, the pastor took a couple and sent them our way! =)

*********************

Dear Friends, Family, and Prayer Warriors,

I want to say a great big thank you to those of you who were praying for me this past weekend. We could definitely feel the prayers of God's people. As I go on trips like this, I often think of Psalms 91. Truly, "He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in Him will I trust."

As I left on Friday, it seemed that everything was going wrong. After leaving the house, I had to return twice for things that I had forgotten. In the midst of returning, I got stopped by Border Police and I began to wonder how this trip was going to go.

After picking up several brothers in Santo Domingo who were going with me, we proceeded to the border. Two and a half hours later after filling out a bunch of paperwork and having to see a Guatemalan lawyer, we finally had everything in order and were ready to continue on our way.

The five hour trip went by rather quickly and without incident, and before we knew it, we were in the city of Tacaná. Not long after driving into the city, I went to stop and quickly realized that I had NO BRAKES!!! Thankfully, we were on a flat stretch, so I quickly put it into a lower gear to slow us down. After this, we proceeded down several VERY steep streets with trucks, motorcycles, and people all around us with pretty much no brakes at all. As we arrived at the last street, which was also going downhill, I used the emergency brake to stop us. Somehow God helped us to make it safely to the house of our pastor Cruz Perez.

We were very grateful for God's blessings to us throughout the day. We had just traveled on tremendously high mountain roads with huge curves all day long! Truly God was with us.

On Saturday we began the youth convention, and God helped as I preached three different times. The presence of the Holy Spirit was with us in every service in a special way and we had several seekers at the altar throughout the day on Saturday.

Also on Saturday, Pastor Cruz called a friend/relative of his that is studying to be a mechanic to come and look at my truck. He told me that the brakes evidently just heated up and now they were smooth. He took all of the brakes off and roughed them up so that they would work again. I really don't know anything about mechanics, so I took his word for it.

On Sunday morning I preached and once again the Holy Spirit came in a tremendous way in this service. During the message a drunk man came and stood in the door and listened and several form the outside also showed interest. At the close of the service I gave an altar call and two brand new people accepted Christ! It was an exciting day!

Sunday afternoon after eating a delicious lunch, we tested the brakes and they felt like they were working fine so we decided to make our way back to Tapachula.

It was about two hours into the trip when I began to hear a tat-tat-tat-tat-tat sound near the front wheels and wondered what it was. It seemed to me like it was worse on the curves. And we were going around LOTS of them! Finally, I stopped to check it out. When I checked the front drivers tire, I was able to move every single lug nut with just my fingers! Evidently our mechanic friend forgot to tighten them up. We had just ridden close to two hours on mountainous, curvy roads with a tire about ready to fall off! There is no doubt that God had sent His angel to hold that tire on for us!

We proceeded without further incident (other than getting lost in Malacatán, Guatemala which can be dangerous at night) and arrived in Tapachula thanking and praising God for His protection on us, but most of all for victories won.

Once again, thank you for your faithfulness in remembering us in prayer. May God richly bless you!

Yours for the Kingdom,

Rev. Michael Mason

2011-04-29T11:12:00.005-05:00

Remember Michael in your prayers today. He is traveling with some other men to one of our H.I.M. churches in northern Guatemala to preach a youth revival. They will be driving through some of the more unstable parts of Guatemala. I'm sure they would appreciate prayers for their safety.

Michael preaches three different times on Saturday, and then once on Sunday morning before making the 5-6 hour trip back home.

And hopefully, I'll have pictures to share from his trip when they get back. I reminded him a couple of times where the camera was located and to pretty please take some pictures...so we'll see!! =) Actually, I don't have much hope...but there's always a first for everything!!

[ Just a Glimpse ]

2011-04-26T15:11:00.001-05:00

Personally, we utilize neither of these options. We use The Berkey Light water filtering system. This allows us to have/get water at any time of the day without going anywhere, or having to spend money buying it. What a blessing it has been to us!! We highly recommend it (especially for missionaries)! Oh, and it's good tasting water, too!

Easter

2011-04-25T19:35:00.000-05:00

He Is Risen!

HE IS RISEN, INDEED!!!

And, I like what this gospel song has to say...

Because He lives, I can face tomorrow.

Because He lives, all fear is gone!

Because I know who holds the future -

And life is worth the living, just because He lives!

(William & Gloria Gaither, 1971)

So thankful that Jesus died on the cross to pardon our sins, BUT, what a blessed hope we have in the resurrection! So simple, yet, so intricately complex. It made our future a little brighter, and our load a little lighter. May we never lose the awesomeness of what the whole entire Easter story represents. For you see, it was the greatest event in history! May we teach our children the true, Biblical story instead of glamorizing the holiday with commercial goodies. I'm not saying that easter baskets, plastic eggs, and candy are wrong, but generation after generation are passing through the corridors of time, and they're losing the true meaning of most everything that's taught in the Bible. Might that we, be faithful!

Ok, so now that I'm stepping down off that soapbox, let me tell you a little about what we did for Easter. =)

I can't say that we did anything too extraordinary this year, but leading up to Easter, we talked to the boys quite a bit about the true meaning of Easter and read them different books. Easter Sunday morning, we tried to dress up a little more than normal (tradition, you know). Our church service in form was pretty "regular" (due to the hubby and me not thinking ahead), but after Michael preached a good message, a new family came forward to pray! And that's very exciting!!

And let me just insert in here, that Easter in Mexico is quite different. With the large Catholic influence, Palm Sunday and Good Friday are somewhat celebrated (with rituals and partying) and Resurrection Sunday kind of gets overlooked. Nothing special. And really, there's no commercialization of Easter either. So, now let me tell you that we have two different men in our church who lead the services before Michael preaches. So instead of singing "Up From The Grave He Arose" or "Crown Him With Many Crowns", we sang "Revive Us Again" and "A New Touch of Fire." Great songs, but not very Easter oriented! When Michael got up, we introduced "He Lives" and "Because He Lives." How exciting to explain why we want/should celebrate Easter in a BIG way!

Anyway, after service, we shared a meal together and then I passed out Peanut Butter Easter Eggs. They all seemed to really enjoy them (and of course, I forgot to take a picture).

Due to eating a Mexican lunch yesterday, we waited until tonight to enjoy a traditional ham and mashed potato meal!

Kyle and Taylor enjoying Peanut Butter Easter Eggs

So that's basically it (at least for this year)! What does your family do for Easter to make it special?

[ Just a Glimpse ]

2011-04-19T17:08:00.003-05:00

Today's weekly post is actually an explanation of how our water system works here in our house.

We live in a secure community that has it's own water system that is run separate from the rest of the city.

Our fraccionamiento has it's own water tower...

(and I think it has a bigger, and newer one as well)

Then the water is distributed to all the houses here, at various times throughout the day, and it collects in each person's own underground cistern. Ours is in our backyard.

From there, it runs through a pump...

...that pushes it up to our water tank on top of our house.

And from there, we have gravity fed - running water!

Now to get to our tank, you kind of need to climb up this ladder...

...of which after climbing a few rungs, I decided it wouldn't be a smart idea to try and climb up the whole way with a camera around my neck (actually, it would probably be dangerous, especially in a long skirt!) =) So, I just climbed up a regular ladder in our study, and took the picture out a small window.

***************

Actually, in regards to our water situation, we are thankful! Our fracc. has been having issues with their water tanks and system (having lots of sand get in them, and needing to do repairs...). We've seen many of our neighbors having water trucks come in and deliver gallons of water, but we had no idea why. We thought we were missing something... And indeed we were! For whatever reason, others have not been able to get water in their cisterns, but so far, our little system has been working properly and we have all the water we need. Our pastor neighbor and friend said the other day, "Wow, the Lord's been providing for you." And indeed He has!

PTL

2011-04-13T15:06:00.004-05:00

We are Praising The Lord for helping Michael to get his FM-2 Visa!

What this Means: Previously, we had only 6 month tourist visas. This visa required us (and our truck and trailer) to leave the country for a few days - every six months! That's a great option if you live only a few hours from the border, but since we're 30 hours or so from the border...it's not something we wanted to do that often! Plus, there's more expense involved.

With this FM-2, we do NOT have to leave the country to renew our visas! They do cost money, and they will need renewed once a year, but we can do it all in-country. And after five years, if we meet all the requirements, we are eligible to obtain a permanent resident visa which would allow us to come and go at will.

Somewhere along the line, Michael was able to meet and then do all of our paperwork with the regional director at the immigration office. I'm sure this helped to speed up the process, because we were told it could take a couple of months, but he was able to get his "immigrant" card in just three days!!!

Now the only thing that remains, is to apply for this same status for me and the kids!

[ Just a Glimpse ]

2011-04-12T19:44:00.002-05:00

March 2011 Photos

2011-04-08T19:21:00.001-05:00

I finally got my "March 2011" photo album uploaded to facebook. (And for the few, faithful blog followers, there are a couple new shots that haven't been shown here on the blog mixed in with some you've already seen...)

Celebrating Parker's 1st Birthday

2011-04-07T11:23:00.004-05:00

Here's the Birthday Boy!

Last night after service, our church people here in Tapachula surprised us by having cake and "refrescos" (soda) to celebrate Parker's birthday!

As per tradition, Parker got a little help from his friends as he took a bite from the cake without using his hands...

...but then he couldn't resist to use his hands and try some more!

And then a few days later, we celebrated at home by letting him eat his own birthday cake!

What a mess...but he enjoyed every bite!!!

Parker - A Year in Review

2011-04-06T12:31:00.006-05:00

So hard to believe that Parker turns 1 yr. old today! We're so thankful that God chose to bless our lives with this little guy! He's added joy to our home and it's so fun to watch as he learns new things. He also has quite the personality - and we can't wait to see what God has in store for his future! We love you, buddy!! Happy Birthday!!!

We still haven't decided for sure how we're going to celebrate...but I'm off to at least bake a cake!! Hopefully I'll have more pictures to post tomorrow.

[ Just a Glimpse ]

2011-04-05T11:38:00.000-05:00

Marriage Seminar and More

2011-04-01T15:49:00.007-05:00

[ Just a Glimpse ]

2011-03-29T12:40:00.000-05:00

** I also have a bunch of pics I'll be posting soon from our Marriage Seminar held this past weekend along with guests Butch Heath and John Dykes. It was a whirlwind weekend...stay tuned!

[ Just a Glimpse ]

2011-03-22T13:20:00.000-05:00

Supermoon 2011

2011-03-20T06:00:00.001-05:00

The heavens declare the glory of God;

and the firmament showeth his handiwork.

Psalms 19:1

This picture is my attempt at capturing the "Supermoon" last night! We left our house right before sunset, hoping to find some picturesque place around the city to capture the moon as it started its ascent into the sky. Well, we didn't have much luck in that area, but the ride was nice! It was very cloudy out, and we didn't even see the moon until several hours later when everything was pitch black, and the moon was high in the sky. But that's okay. It's still awesome to take pictures of God's creation in all its forms!

[ Just a Glimpse ]

2011-03-15T16:21:00.003-05:00

[ Just a Glimpse ]

2011-03-08T15:32:00.000-06:00

Jan/Feb Facebook Pics

2011-03-02T11:36:00.012-06:00

For those of you who may not be friends with me on facebook, below are the links to some other pictures I've put up over there.

January 2011

February 2011

(click on the months above to be directed to the facebook albums)

[ Just a Glimpse ]

2011-03-01T14:26:00.005-06:00

I just love the style of this furniture! It fits my country/primitive taste of decorating. If you're interested, you can check out our dining room table that we bought from a similar shop when we lived in Guanajuato.

Print a Recipe

2011-02-25T09:45:00.009-06:00

Check out the new "Print Recipe" button in each of my recipe posts! It's a little orange box that looks like this:

Upon downloading the recipe PDF, you'll be able to print a little 3x5 retro recipe card that I made that looks like this:

I hope you will enjoy this new feature! (I know I do! Now I don't have to bring up the blog, find the recipe, and keep checking my screen while making one of these recipes...I have them all printed and in my recipe box.) ;-)

Tortilla Twirls

2011-02-24T18:40:00.002-06:00

Here is a yummy appetizer recipe! I made this for the people down here and they really liked it.

TORTILLA TWIRLS

1 pck. (8 oz.) cream cheese

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

4 slices deli ham or turkey, chopped

4 sliced cooked bacon, crumbled

2 Tbsp. salsa

1/2 tsp. ground black pepper

4 flour tortilla shells (10 inch)

Instructions:

In a small bowl, beat cream cheese until smooth. Stir in remaining ingredients. Spread a 1/2 cup mixture over each tortilla; roll up tightly. wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2 hrs. or until firm.

Unwrap and cut into 1 inch slices. Serve chilled or place 1 inch apart on a greased baking sheet. Bake at 400* for 5-7 minutes or until heated through.

yields: 40 appetizers (including ends)

We have tried these both ways and like them either way. You could also try using pepper jack cheese instead of the cheddar to kick up the flavor a notch!