Joy Log

Precious Prayers

2012-01-30T19:50:00.001-08:00

God has given me the opportunity to sponsor a couple of women through our church's Step study, which is a very intense 16-week study for people that want to get to the bottom of any kind of issue: abuse, divorce, addictions, hurts, depression, anger, discontentment, you name it. I met with one of my sponsee's today, and as we were finishing up, Daniel came in and wanted to talk (there's a big surprise). We were about to pray, and he piped up that he wanted to pray. So I granted his request, and he led out:

"Father God, thank you for taking away our dirty hearts and giving us clean hearts. And thank you for sending Jesus to die on the cross. And thank you that He took the punishment that we deserved for our sin. Thank you for loving us."
I'm sure he's heard these prayers over and over in Little Village (and hopefully at home...by God's grace!). What a joy to hear these words come from his little heart! He has the most earnest praises.

The other night he had the job of doing the "praise" prayer. (We often assign one child to one type of prayer - praise, thanks, confession, and request). He prayed quite earnestly, and when he stopped, he would start again as he would think of attributes to praise God for. "God thank you that you are so good. And thank you that you are so loving. And I praise you that you are so powerful, you can do anything. And you know everything. And you are wise."

And You reveal Yourself to little children. And that's our hope and prayer. That You would take these four little souls and reveal Your goodness and beauty to them, and give them Life.

More Laughs with the Dan Man

2012-01-30T19:43:00.000-08:00

Daniel saw a friend of mine today, and she asked him for a hug.
"No, I'm not going to hug you," he told her.
"Why not? You hugged me last time I saw you. You gave me a big hug. Why don't you give me a big hug today?"
"I'm not going to hug you today," (with a big smile, of course).
I took the little guy gently and turned him to look me in the face, and tried to gently coax him into giving her a hug.
"No, I'm not going to hug her."
"Why not, Daniel?" I asked.
"Because I'm doing a pattern," he says.
"A pattern?"
"Yes. I hugged her last time. I'm not going to hug her today. Then, next time I see her, I'll hug her again. Then the next time I won't. It's a pattern."

We got a good laugh out of that one. Then he asked her what that line was on her chest. Cleavage! Funny boy. He keeps us laughing, for sure!

Go to the Ant (with guns?)

2012-01-30T19:27:00.000-08:00

We've been working on memorizing some passages of scripture as a family, and we recently began working on Proverbs 6:6-11. Kris was helping out at church one evening while I was doing "Bible time" with the kids, and we thought it would be fun to make up motions to surprise him the next night. We had a blast.
The next night, we gathered around for Bible time and excitement built as we anticipated performing our motions for Daddy. When the time came, the three boys left the room.
Kris was baffled as to why they suddenly left, and one of them said he needed to get a gun.
"How could they possibly need a gun for their Bible verse?"
I sank a bit lower in my chair, looking guilty. "Actually, they kind of do need a gun. We made up motions. You'll see."

So we did them.
"Go to the ant, O sluggard; (Crawl fingers of one hand along the other hard, like a tiny ant, walking)
consider her ways, and be wise. (Stroke your beard)
Without having any chief, officer, or ruler, (Salute)
she prepares her bread in summer (Knead bread)
and gathers her food in harvest. (Gather food off the ground)
How long will you lie there, O sluggard? (Tap your watch)
When will you arise from your sleep? (Pretend to sleep)
A little sleep, a little slumber, (Continue to sleep)
a little folding of the hands to rest, (Fold hands/twiddle thumbs)
and poverty will come upon you like a robber, (Cry out in surprise)
and want like an armed man." (Aim your weapon of choice - they boys' favorite part!)

What a fun verse this was to memorize!

Symbolic Stones

2012-01-30T19:08:00.000-08:00

Our journey to Coram Deo Academy takes us through a neighborhood, and last October on the way home from school, Thomas called my attention to a particular yard.

"Mom! Look! That's really neat!!"

"What do you see, Thomas?"

"Mommy, that person who owns that house put up the Ten Commandments in their yard!"

Halloween.

Tombstones.

I'm glad that the things of God were on Thomas's mind, anyway! I think it's interesting that the Ten Commandments do loom large like tombstones in that they point out our complete inability to attain acceptance before God. No one in all the world, except Jesus Christ, has ever obeyed them perfectly. They are a bit symbolic of our doom, like tombstones, if we take Christ out of the picture.

Updates

2012-01-30T19:05:00.000-08:00

These next few posts are several things I've been wanting to write down from the last few months...

Out of the mouths of babes...

2011-10-14T10:18:00.000-07:00

The other day, Daniel repeatedly asked me if I would do something. I gave him an indefinite answer, not really wanted to commit myself. And he kept asking. And asking. So, I proceeded to give him a lesson on nagging, explaining that asking over and over wears people down, sometime makes them irritated, and then they really don't want to give you want you want. He was thoughtful for a moment, then he says, "God isn't like that."

Astonished, and wondering what his reasoning was, I asked him what he meant. He said something along the lines of, "If you ask and ask God, He listens and answers." I was shocked, and guilty, all at the same time. I am so thankful that the Lord helped him to understand his recent lesson about Hannah, who asked and asked for her precious son Samuel. God is so good to reveal His character and truth to the hearts of children!

Boats and Arrows

2011-09-06T21:00:00.001-07:00

Thomas came home from Kindergarten last Wednesday with a mission: he had to build a boat. He first filled the sink and asked for the foil. He attached a sail with some tape. I handed him a plastic container when his foil idea foiled. I was busy about the house and heard some noises. I looked up about the time he asked me if I could position the box fan on the counter for him; he had retrieved it from the garage and placed it in front of the kitchen sink. Wind.

When I suggested he move his expedition to our master bath tub, he unplugged the fan and flew through the house. He spent literally hours last week designing and constructing sails and taping skewers for the masts. Then he would watch them sail in the bathtub in the wind. (Honey, sorry about the water bill...)

Then, Saturday, he asked if I had something sharp. Music to every mother's ears. Why? He wanted to make a bow and arrow, he said. I had the same wooden skewers that served as masts. Thomas like that idea! He found a stick outside, had Kris saw notches on each end, and strung a rubber band through the notches. He also requested that notches be cut on the ends of the skewer arrow to hold it on the bowstring. And lo and behold, it shoots! David and Daniel and our neighbor friend all have bows and arrows now, with the arrows color coated so they don't get them mixed up (all their idea). And they made a target out of a box. David can even make the skewers stick in the target. Fun fun!

Blogging

2011-09-06T20:52:00.000-07:00

I haven't blogged in a year and three months. We moved. Life happened. I just didn't do it. I keep thinking about this little space, wondering if I would ever use it again. And it's the fun things the kids do that makes me wish I would take a minute to document it.

I also feel a little self absorbed when I blog. Like I'm showing the world what my family is up to in a self-promoting way. I really don't want to be like that. I don't usually feel like other people do that. Anyway, I felt like I needed a little post in between June 2010 and today. So this is it. (Wow...this blog is interesting. Yawn.)

It doesn't matter

2010-06-21T15:05:00.000-07:00

The three of you who faithfully check my blog even though I rarely post already know that our house is for sale. This has been an unexpected journey through fear, uncertainly, and restlessness for me. I never imagined myself to be a fearful person, but God has used this process to root out some things in me that I would have been much more comfortable leaving buried (although we both know that God's goal is not to make us more comfortable but more holy, which eternally benefits us but it doesn't feel good right now!).

When our For Sale sign went up, so did my peace of mind...in smoke.

What if it doesn't sell and the market takes a dive and we can't sell for years?
What if it doesn't sell until school starts?
What if we can't move, and we are faced with living far away from our church? However can we really have the biblical community we long for for ourselves and our children if we live so far away?
What if we have to find a different church? We love the one we've found, and we really do feel like the Lord led us there.
What if we can't find a place to live that we can afford?
What if what if what if.

I realized a couple of weeks ago that I was NOT okay with our house not selling. This was a BIG RED FLAG. What if God's will is for us to stay put? Am I okay with that?

What about God's will, Julie? Don't you trust that God is in control? Yes.
Don't you know that God is in control of the real estate market? Yes.
Don't you know that God knows that we have four kids and that moving during school will be harder? Yes.
Don't you trust that God has given you these desires for biblical community, and that He cares more about the spiritual nurture of your family than you do? Yes.
Don't you trust that God will provide for your family's needs, no matter where you are? Yes.

Then why am I afraid? Because I know that God doesn't always do for us what seems best to us. Sometimes He plans things for us that are uncomfortable, and sometimes downright difficult. I don't want my life to be difficult. I want it to be easy.

But I must face this sin: Am I living for Him, or for me? Am I willing to serve and follow Him, as long as it is comfortable for me? Am I willing to follow Him into valleys, trusting that the strong hand leading me will never fail or leave me alone? My anxieties, I'm afraid, are revealing that I am way too committed to myself and not to Him.

I certainly don't have all the answers for dealing with this, but I did pick up a book I have enjoyed so far called Running Scared, fear, worry and the God of rest by biblical counselor Ed Welch. I am planning to work through this book and looking forward to being encouraged to pursue the Lord through these struggles.

I also keep reviewing a phrase that I read somewhere, maybe from Elisabeth Elliot. She talked about being "indifferent in the will of God." Basically, we should be so committed to Him, so sure of His love and care, and so desiring for our lives to bring Him glory, that we simply don't care what He does with us. We know He will walk with it through us. We know that following Him will bring immeasurably more joy than walking in our own way, and we just want to bring Him glory. It doesn't matter to us what He plans and ordains, because we know that "If God is for us, who can be against us?"

So, I am trying to keep my eyes on Him and not on our schedule of showings, and praying for my desire to glorify Him to increase, and my desire to serve my own desires, even if they seem like good ones, to diminish a bit. It struck me the other day that God can resurrect someone from the dead to buy our house. It's SO not an issue for Him. I know He's much more concerned about my heart being happy in Him, trusting Him, and not worrying about tomorrow.

Mercy

2010-06-08T07:21:00.000-07:00

I have a homeless friend that I met through FBC Parker, and I have had the privilege of taking her around to try to get her state ID and to the Dollar Tree and various other things. When I first started doing this, I was eager to treat her to a meal, even if it was just McDonald's. I was excited about letting her order the most expensive meal on the menu, and wanted her to enjoy it. I was feeling merciful. I was so struck by the thought that the Lord's mercy toward me is similar, so I thought. I was totally undeserved, His enemy, not able to contribute anything to Him or give Him anything at all. I was dead and hopeless, and then He reached out in love toward me and saved me. We are ALL like this, my friend, myself, and every human except Christ Jesus who has ever lived.

As the weeks and months went by, I realized that my "mercy" was indeed not quite up to par with the mercy of the Almighty (imagine that?). I realized this a few weeks ago on another of our McDonald's visits. There we were, laptop on the table to help my friend submit some online job applications. I pre-packed PBJ for all of us and thought we could just buy something off of the dollar menu, one for each of us, so that would be $6 plus tax...seemed like a good way to be a good steward of my money. We had eaten out so much lately that I wanted to save a little! And I figured that of course the kids and my friend would all be okay with PBJ and we could look forward to a treat from the dollar menu. Well...

It didn't go so well. She HATES jelly, she informed me. And it is too difficult for her to chew peanut butter on bread. She was not interested in my thrifty idea. So, no problem (inward growl), I will buy her a meal and the rest of us will stick to the game plan. A cheeseburger isn't too pricey, right? Well, she wanted a salad meal...only the most expensive meal on the menu (it seemed to me). So I shuffled up to the counter to order, spending half of my money on my friend and the other half on the other 5 of us (grumble, grumble).

Thankfully, when I returned to the table with our food, I needed to take the kids to wash their hands, and the Lord graciously spoke to my heart as we were hand-washing.
The Holy Spirit brought to mind these phrases from Scripture: "His mercy endures forever" and "His mercies never come to an end."

These verses convicted me so much. My mercy had waned. It was almost non-existent, actually. But His doesn't wane. His mercy endures. Even in the face of our blatant sin - our mis-understanding of His greatness and power and goodness - He is still merciful. We take His gifts without giving Him the praise due Him, and He keeps giving to us anyway. We reject His ways and try to arrange our life how we'd rather have it, and He continues to pursue us, continues to help us see His faithfulness, continues to reassure us that He loves us. He is so merciful and He will continue in His mercy. His mercy won't end. His mercy won't wane for His children.

I returned to the table with a totally different attitude toward my friend and her desired salad meal. How much I needed to learn! I was ashamed of my previous attitude, and hopeful that it hadn't shown through my face and body language to my friend. Please don't read into this that my friend was ungrateful for what I had given her in the past. She always seems grateful and appreciative, which even more highlights the difference between my limited mercy and the enduring, unfailing mercy of God towards ungrateful me.

This was a powerful experience for me in understanding God's mercy. I pray that my sinful heart will grow in this as the Lord continues to show this undeserving sinner His great mercy.

Ash and Jenn

2010-03-05T20:04:00.000-08:00

A wonderful blessing of our trip to Asia was the time I was able to be around two mothers: Ash and Jenn. As God made us to live in a community and not in isolation, I really felt the benefit of living alongside these ladies while on our trip. There is no influence like the one that is constantly there, visible day in day out, in the midst of all the inconveniences in life. I believe that we can hardly spur one another on toward love and good deeds if we only see one another a couple of hours a week for a church service. So I was very encouraged and blessed by the constant good examples these two were for me, and I pray that their graces have rubbed off on me a little. (Lord, PLEASE work in me the way You have in them!)

These two young women will definitely be first to say that they are sinners like everyone else, and if I saw something good in them, it is because of God's work in their hearts and lives and not because of their own efforts and goodness. And I definitely want to reiterate those truths...this is the Lord's doing.

With that said, I want to recall a few things that I noticed about them that were so helpful for me. First, the way they spoke to their children was perpetually calm and kind. They were sweet. They were enthusiastic. I clearly remember one afternoon feeling the dull, sleepy tug on my energy and hearing Ash's joyful voice greeting her preschooler who just walked in the room with a smile and energetic hello and hug. How could he not know his mother's love and care for him!?!

When you are with a family with young children for more than a few hours, you inevitably witness the children doing something that is...disobedient. And watching these parents respond was helpful because they were so matter-of-fact. Hearing Jenn (and Bill, too!) speak to Katherine in those moments was priceless, because they were so calm. Even while she was crying in protest and refusing to obey (even if just for a moment - she's a sweet and obedient little girl most of the time!), they would not show any signs of frustration or irritation with her.

The day we left Cambodia, Kris and I were scurrying around to finish packing and Jenn (remember that she had a 6 week old baby!) was preparing lunch for all 9 of us not counting Isaac (after church, and the electricity had been off all morning, so the easy crock pot method was out and it was Plan B). We were a little pressed for time because we needed to eat and then head to Phnom Penh. The kids were playing around the house (think lots of laughing, stomping, noise!), and she was trying to cook and keep them out of the kitchen, but Daniel and Katherine seemed to toddle in there time and again. Not only that, but Daniel would help himself to water and spill it. But she never raised her voice. She was never impatient. She kindly and calmly corralled them out time and again. I was so encouraged. I was encouraged because it revealed to me that God is able to give us this kind of patience. I know Jenn is human, but seeing her ability to deal with this (I am sure I would have been rude or flustered!) helped me realize that it is POSSIBLE! Nothing is impossible with God!

Watching these moms kindly and calmly train their children was so helpful. I realized that I often stress out that my kids "aren't there yet" in a certain area. I desperately need to relax and be more laid back about the discrepancy between my standard and and their performance. I remember Mrs. Judy (my former pastor's wife, in heaven a year now) saying that kids shouldn't be expected to be little soldiers, performing according to commands given with flawless precision. Instead, we should see our job as parents as directing them down a path, pointing them in the right way and constantly helping them along. I think Ash and Jenn do such a great job of this. And I haven't even mentioned how precious their little ones are and what a delight they are to be around.

Thank you from the bottom of my heart, Ash and Jenn, for giving our family the opportunity to live with you guys for a short time! You are treasured friends!

Thank you so much, Father, for taking care of me and giving me this gift of two blessed mothers to help me learn and grow as a mother myself. You have shown me Your goodness not only by giving me this experience, but also by reminding me that it was You all along that strengthened and taught these women. And you are with me too, and will never leave me nor forsake me.

Beautiful Snow

2010-02-11T20:21:00.000-08:00

We awoke yesterday morning to a inch or two of snow adding its sparkling enchantment to our little world. It was a lost cause trying to tiptoe around, hoping to finish my coffee and Bible reading before the kids woke up. As soon as Anna shifted in her bed and glanced through her blinds, she boisterously tramped into her brother's room excitedly announcing the great news...it SNOWED! And it kept snowing all day long. Not just a sprinkling of flakes, but it snowed clumps; big clumps of snow fell all day. It was so fun. The kids couldn't wait to get outside to romp in it, and they attempted the construction of several snowmen before the sun went down.
Today, the snow remained, and even this evening our yard and roof are covered.

The view from the front door

The view from the back door - check out the deck railing!

Our neighbors made this amazing snowman.

The boys threw more than their share of snow balls at each other

Another snowman

Watchout Daddy!

Remember...

2010-01-27T06:20:00.000-08:00

These are a few of the things we want to remember happening on our trip or after it.

"Katherine, what did you dream about last night?"
"Blankie." (She always says this!)

The week after our trip, at Hobby Lobby, upon sighting the tulle: "Mom! Look! They have mosquito nets here!"

Blaring loudspeakers with eerie songs and chants in the dark of the night

6 HUGE spiders

Thomas stepped on a nail we had to pull out of his foot. His foot recovered well and he was brave. Yea for Tetanus shots!

The first wedding we attended, post-trip, Daniel says, "Are we gonna have rice?"
"No, just cake at this wedding."

You must say "coke - aaaah, cole - aaaah" (short a for aaaah) to get a Coke. Coca-cola just won't work.

Riding the bicycles through the busy traffic of TJ behind Ashley

Thomas' HUGE bites(?) on his neck. Blood red and lasting for days, his skin peeled off and they were still visible a month later. (What was that, anyway?)

"I NEED seaweed!" (Katherine asking in her two-year-old way for one of her favorite snacks)

The humongous biting millipede (If you are bitten, "You gonna cry all day and all night!")

Hanging laundry in the sun, and then 10 minutes later, ants ants ants! - How did they get there?

The dog that went crazy when he saw the big teeth I carried to teach with.

The jaw bone that lay on the grass one morning on our way to the church

Chickens roaming in the yard

The scene at DFW while we were in the immigration line: the flight attendants walked up after they finished cleaning out the plane, and I saw that Thomas' yellow Duckie was with them. At sight of it, I jumped the lines and walked the 15 yards to them to retrieve the cherished lovie. But Thomas didn't know he had left Duckie behind. When he took in the scene and figured out what happened, it was more than he could handle, and he burst into loud tears. He was comforted when finally in possession of Duckie again. That was way too close!

Home Sweet Home

2010-01-15T06:28:00.000-08:00

The day we left Prek Ambel, we woke up to the loudspeaker blaring traditional Khmer music. As soon as a person dies, Buddhist families hire a loudspeaker and musicians and monks to begin a scheduled broadcasting of music, chants, and speeches in honor of the deceased. There is a certain schedule they follow, and they do this for about 7 days, and then again on the 10th day, and then again on the 100th day. If you are unfortunate enough to live next door or close by, and the person dies at 1:20am, you will be rather tired in the morning. This happened to us on our trip!
The morning we left Prek Ambel, the person must have passed away around 5:20am, which wasn't too bad of a time. And then, because the electricity went out at 7:00am, the back-up battery didn't last too long and they weren't able to continue with their noise pollution. Around 7:30, the water also went off. This was humorous to us, as it gave us a realistic last impression of how life can be in Prek Ambel.

Since this was a Sunday, Chheng had to preach without the sound system since there was no power. The fans also, of course, were useless, so we were extra sticky for the worship service. It was all a blessing, truly.

The Hales took us to Phnom Pehn, where we enjoyed dinner together and stayed in a hotel there. The next morning they took us to the airport for our flight, and we were off. Anna was the last to catch the stomach virus we passed around the last week or two, so she was sick on the plane. We found that Asian flight attendant service is excellent, and that God gives so much grace to us to take care of those "worse case scenarios" without it being a big deal. We worry about the "what ifs," but if they actually happen, God helps us! They aren't as bad as we imagined!

We arrived safely back home on Tuesday morning and my parents picked us up at DFW. We are so very thankful to the Lord for granting us so many travel mercies, and helping us even in ways we may never know. We had a great return trip!

We are so grateful to everyone who prayed for us! Thank you for all your words of encouragement.

As we climb into our soft beds without lizards roaming the roof, and as I load my washer and dryer and within a couple of hours have a complete load clean, as we turn up the heat in our temperature-controlled house, and as we drive by McDonalds, Chick-Fil-A, and order pizza, we remember our dear friends the Hales, who so generously lent us their home this past month. They returned from dropping us off at the airport to the same scene: no A/C, hanging clothes to dry on the fence, no pizza delivery, no fast food of any sort within an hour from their home, sometimes no electricity and water for a time, blaring loudspeakers in the middle of the night - they live there for the sake of the gospel of Christ. They are seeking the things above, where Christ is, and they so clearly are reminded every day that their home is not in this world.

What a blessing it has been to be reminded of that. As we savor the conveniences of this great country where we live, we want so much to remember those who labor for the glory of Christ in hard-to-live-places. He does not forget the things they have given up for His sake. We want to be willing to sacrifice for His sake too.

Jesus said, "Truly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or lands, for my sake and for the gospel, who will not receive a hundredfold now in this time, houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions, and in the age to come eternal life. But many who are first will be last, and the last first." Mark 10:29-31

Sihanoukville

2010-01-09T08:42:00.000-08:00

From Sre Treng, we travelled onward to the beach at Sihanoukville, which is right on the Gulf of Thailand. We arrived late in the afternoon and the kids couldn't wait to dig in the sand. So we headed out, clothes and all. The beach has trees all along it, and not too far out you can see green mountains with steep slopes rising up on small islands.

Bill is saying, "Do you feel the sand between your toes? Do feel how it moves when the waves come? That's why the Bible says we shouldn't build our house upon the sand..."

My diggers

The next day we played all morning in the sand

Anna worked hard on her castle and moat.

We buried Katherine and Thomas!

Sre Treng

2010-01-09T08:07:00.000-08:00

We rose at 4:30am on the 6th and jumped in the car to head to Sre Treng. We arrived just before 9am and many of the church members had gathered for a service. They planned this just for our visit, and the pastor, Ngan, asked Bill to preach. Bill preached for the first time in Khmer, and it was a nice service. Since the rice harvest is over in this rural farming community, the people have much more free time, so it was not difficult for them to find time for a church service on Wednesday morning. Afterward they served us a delicious lunch with chicken, noodles, rice, and a couple of soups on the floor of the church. The men visited for a while, and the kids explored the grounds. We all had a good time, and we were very glad to climb back into the car and run the A/C full blast when it was over. Hot and happy, we headed to the beach next.

Here are the pics from our visit to Sre Treng:

A group that Ngan heard about and contacted built this beautiful new church building in Sre Treng. This ministry evidently provides funds for constructing church buildings for churches that provide a reasonable estimate of the cost and agree to finish the job. This building stands just beside the old church building. (Katherine and Daniel are running in the foreground).

Looking away from the church and the long driveway, this coconut tree bridge marks the entrance to the driveway. The Hale's car is parked at the house across the street, and we walked across.

Bill and some church members waiting outside.

This is the old church building. The service took place upstairs, and then underneath was the meal and fellowship spot.

The front yard of the church, facing away from the front door.

This toddler napped on the floor at the back during the service.

Our delicious floor meal

The kids enjoyed running up and down the driveway in front (you see the church in the background).

A house beside the church driveway

On the other side of the driveway is a field

Some of the children of the church

Planting Trees and Feeding Ducks

2010-01-09T07:45:00.000-08:00

Last Sunday afternoon, Kris and Bill enjoyed planting some fruit trees on the side of the yard, and the boys were quite eager to help.

I took the kids on the other side of the Hale's gate to the duck pond. The kids attempted to throw the bread to them and we all enjoyed the sunset.

Happy Birthday, Kris!

2010-01-03T07:57:00.000-08:00

January 1st may be New Year's Day, but in our family, it's also Daddy's birthday. We were determined to do something special for Kris, and we definitely wanted to make him a cake, even if it is a little more difficult than normal. So, I tried...

It was moist.
It was chocolatey.
The upside down bowl had a water moat all around to keep the ants off. It worked well! (At least, you couldn't see any ants...)
There was enough cake for everyone.
Kris liked it.
The cake did not fall off the plate.
We all enjoyed it!

We bought one of the amazing, singing, flower candles/torches in China to use on Kris' cake. We finally learned how to turn off the song by cutting the wire so it wasn't singing "Happy Birthday" all night long.

Hopefully I can add the fun video of the candle soon.

A Khmer Wedding

2010-01-03T07:20:00.000-08:00

We were invited to attend the wedding of the daughter of a church member on January 1st. In Cambodia, everyone does not attend the ceremony. Instead, the ceremony is only for a select few, and all the other guests are assigned a time to come and feast. Our time was three o' clock. We headed in the car to the ferry around 2:30.

These folks were sitting at a table sewing beads on lace. They would then sell this beaded fabric for $5 or $10 a piece. We paid them our fare for the ferry. I think Bill said it cost $0.68 for all of us for a round trip.

Here's the dock

We're ready!

No life jackets, no guard rails, but we had the peace of God!

We exited the ferry and walked for a quarter to half mile to the home of the parents of the bride. They set up a tent and speakers and served food to all their guests. This is part of the wedding tent.

Very dignified wedding guests, enjoying themselves

Everyone was hot but happy

Chheng found us and sat with us.

What would you like to drink? Soursop Juice? (That was Kris' and my favorite). Grass Jelly Drink? (That was Anna's pick, although she didn't care for the pieces of jelly that settled at the bottom.) Winter Melon Tea or Lychee Drink? The boys stuck with Orange Fanta.

Octopus or squid and shrimp. The green balls are black pepper before it turns black.

I asked Anna to show me what she thought about the squid, and she grinned. She loved it! All the kids said they loved the squid! I know that this is due to our neighbors, the Malarchers, who love squid, and it helped our children to be more adventurous and eager to try it.

Fried pork

Duck

Chicken

The extravagantly dressed bride and groom; this type of wedding attire is the custom.

The PATC students enjoying their food and fellowship

PATC students again. This picture shows the beautiful tent a little better.

The dogs eat the crumbs that fall from the table

Uninvited community children watching the feast, waiting until we are finished...

...so they can confiscate the leftovers and unused items to sell or take home

Wedding favors

Exploring After the Wedding

2010-01-03T06:30:00.000-08:00

After the wedding, we went exploring while we were on the other side of the river. (Actually, we were visiting church members and their families, but for us, it was exploring.)

A grandmother with her granddaughter

The young men in orange behind Thomas are Buddhist monks

This temple/learning center is not very elaborate compared with others we've seen, but there are dozens of monks sitting around under the trees resting in the heat of the day. We saw several of them walk (always slowly) up to the river to take a bath.

I couldn't resist taking a picture of these huge pigs. They were just roaming around. The one in the rear has a nasty cut on his back side.

We walked across the school courtyard...

...while Bill struck up a conversation with a monk. At first, he only spoke to this one, but after a while he drew a crowd of about ten of them.

This man is a church member, and was so happy to see Bill.

The motor on the ferry

An elderly woman squatting to wait for the ferry on the dock (Do you see this dock?!? We decided we would wait on shore!)

The ferry coming in

The paths are packed dirt with living fences all along them. Very pretty. The motos would speed down these paths and we would see them coming and scoot everyone over to the side as fast as we could.

Some women with their boat

Anna and Thomas watching the ferry

Hygiene Classes

2010-01-03T05:50:00.000-08:00

Every evening from 5-6:05 and then from 6:05-7:05, the PATC students use their newly learned English speaking skills to teach English for free to children from the community. There is a principal, Savuut, and he organizes the some 250 children and teachers into classes, 16 in all. This is quite an operation, and most of the students appear quite serious about studying English. At the end of each year, they are awarded a certificate for completing their book. Chheng only allows the students to miss a max of 3 classes, so they are not allowed to come and go. This is also intended to be a time where the PATC students can share the gospel with these largely unchurched children. Very few of them are from Christian families and/or attend the church.

It was to these children that we taught hygiene. Roughly two hours each evening, about 3 or 4 nights each week of the last three weeks, I talked to them about germs, washing hands with soap, brushing their teeth and preventing cavities, eating balanced meals, avoiding hookworms, and a few other health topics. All in all, the kids seemed to enjoy this. The most important thing I wanted them to remember, I would tell them, is that it is easy to get your hands and teeth clean, but no one can clean their heart. All of us have dirty hearts and we need God to help us. He is our only hope! Please pray that they understood, and that God would open up their eyes and hearts to truly hear and respond to His call.

We gave each student a tube of toothpaste, a toothbrush, and a bar of soap. Most of them do not have a sink with running water at their home for washing hands, but hopefully they will understand the need for it as they mature and build their own homes and families. I pray that as they enjoy their gifts, they will remember the most important thing: they need someone to cleanse them from their sin. May Christ Jesus be glorified in bringing many of these little ones to Him!

Here are some goofy pictures:

Open wide!

Anna is helping me stick play dough on my large teeth to show that when we eat say, pork, we leave bits of pork on our teeth. We asked everyone if they had pork today, or chicken, or papaya, or mango, or fish, and added play dough to the teeth each time. Then, we'd ask who had rice, and of course EVERYONE had.

Here the students are awaiting their gifts. The boys and Anna helped pass out the soap, toothbrushes and toothpaste, and it was especially fun watching Daniel hand it out. I think we missed our opportunity to catch pictures of it, though, because we were so busy making sure everyone got what they were supposed to.

Our heartfelt thanks to our generous friends for contributing towards the soap and toothbrushes and toothpaste!

Sweet Baby

2010-01-03T02:50:00.001-08:00

Blessings from Martha

2010-01-02T07:30:00.000-08:00

Jennifer's mother, Martha Richard, loves the work that Bill and Jennifer are investing in, and she was sorry that she did not get to see the PATC students when she visited Bill and Jenn for Isaac's birth in Thailand. But for the past several months, she collected cosmetics and toiletries in nice zipper bags for us to give to each PATC student. December 28th was the day! We delivered their presents while they were assembled for lunch, and they were delighted and very appreciative of Martha's gift. Actually, Martha enlisted the help of many of the women at the quilt shop where she works in Lewisville, who donated items for the bags.

Here we are organizing them so we know whether it's for a girl or guy.

Some of the ladies

Some of the dudes

Sophet, Katherine, and Jenn

Showing off their new toothbrushes

Grateful and grinning

Trip to the Market, part 2

2009-12-29T06:42:00.000-08:00

These ladies worked in the pharmacy. I think they are Chheng's nieces, daughter's of one of his sisters. The patch on the baby's forhead is like menthol, and they believe that it helps to pull the heat out of the baby. They thought the little one was too hot.

We purchased more toothbrushes and also soap to give to each of the children we are teaching hygiene to in the evenings. We bought such a great quantity that they were happy to deliver it to the church, which made it easier for us.

Bringin' home the bacon

Here is a sample picture of the items for sale at the pharmacy. No prescription needed here. Just buy whatever you please. Atropine, anyone?

Daniel wanted me to take his picture with this corn, so I granted his request. It looks like you can also buy large hoses, sickles, and rope here, among other things.

Trip to the Market, part 1

2009-12-29T06:12:00.000-08:00

Saturday we loaded up in the car and headed to the Prek Ambel market. It's a short drive down the road.

The street outside the market is also the main street through town. When Kris first came to Cambodia in 2002, this street was not paved, and a cloud of dust exploded into the houses and shops every time a car passed by. It is so much cleaner now.

Bill chatted with most of the people we saw. They seem to really like him, and he speaks to most of them in Khmer, unless they wish to practice their English.

This "booth" had all kinds of prepackaged snacks. We bought some peanut brittle here - delicious!

This place had several different types of rice and other grains, including corn, which is the yellow kernels in the sack on the left on the ground.

This little toddler stayed close to his mother while she worked, and had only a shirt and no shoes on - typical Khmer little one.

This woman was selling some kind of rice snack she made. All the Khmer people squat like this to work, whether it is cooking beside their short stove, washing, waiting, whatever!

These folks are visiting and cleaning fish while they are waiting for customers. Typical market scene.

Different fish for sale

The fruits and vegetables are spread out on a piece of plastic.

This lady is selling pork - all cuts

These birds looked unusual, so I took a picture. Bill says they are probably not wild birds. They are probably similar to a chicken, and the seller may raise them. If you think you know what they are, please leave a comment and fill us in!

And last but not least, I couldn't resist taking a picture of the frogs. Perfectly skinned and ready to be cooked up!
(I hope these pics don't gross you out too much. I guess I'm a bit weird to take such pictures, but I think it helps capture some of differences between the U.S. and Cambodia.)

More on Christmas Day

2009-12-27T07:05:00.001-08:00

Here are a few more pictures from Christmas Day:

Cheerful Jennifer with sweet Isaac

While the guys were waiting for our Christmas dinner to be ready, they took David and Thomas for a ride on the moto.

Christmas dinner included sauteed chicken, gravy, green beans with bacon, mashed potatoes, rolls, apple pie, and snickerdoodles. We all enjoyed it!

Jennifer insisted on doing the dishes after we ate, so the Pate fam took a walk and explored a bit. Here is a bony cow, which is what all the cows here look like: white and bony.

A view of the river from our walk

After our walk we bought some cokes and then played a game together. What a great day we had! We are so thankful!

Christmas Morning

2009-12-27T06:27:00.000-08:00

I'm pretty sure that Christmas morning in Cambodia held all the excitement that it does in the U.S.

Can we open presents yet?

Everyone waiting impatiently while breakfast is cooking

Kris made excellent bacon and pancakes! He always knows just when to flip 'em so they are cooked through but not burnt. It's an art. Yum!

We brought our Advent calendar with us, and here the kids are placing the last item - baby Jesus - in the manger. Now it is complete!

We brought a couple of small gifts for the kids to open here. They loved and appreciated these small things. I think that being here has really helped them to be grateful for things that otherwise they would take for granted.

David likes his new yo-yo.

A small basketball hoop for our "tiny boy" (that's what Daniel says he is).

Katherine is investigating her new tea set.

Mr. Hale is excited about ~~his~~ Isaac's new toy!

Isaac was certainly present, but not so aware of his first Christmas.

We had a few mystery guests appear during our morning festivities:

We hope that you enjoyed being with your family this Christmas, and that, most of all, you were blessed by reflection on God's great love for His people by coming as a baby to die for our sins. Our place in His family is truly worth celebrating!

Christmas Eve

2009-12-26T07:47:00.001-08:00

Anna and David busied themselves on Christmas Eve making decorations for the Hales' home. Thomas helped a little too. Here are a few pictures of their decorations.

We enjoyed making Christmas cookies, and found that even without an electric mixer, it's fun and simple!

Anna thought to draw a picture of Jesus on the cross, "Because that's the true meaning of Christmas."

And here is her picture of the empty tomb. These were sweet reminders of what is truly worth celebrating!

Time for some Christmas Eve candy!

Our homemade, packable Christmas tree. If you are thinking that the stand looks like a rocket launch...it is! That was Kris' idea, and it worked well!

Our happy decorators

The Hales' House

2009-12-26T07:13:00.001-08:00

Here are some pictures of the Hales' property. They have a simple but beautiful home and we are so thankful for their happiness to share it with us.

This fence marks their property line, and the banana trees behind the fence belong to their neighbor. He sells the bananas, and dogs and chickens roam in between them as well.

This is the Hales' Forerunner, and the storage building Bill built is behind it on the left. Young chickens belonging to the neighbor behind often squeeze through the bars in the back gate until they grow too fat to fit. Once they are grown, Jennifer enjoys a reprieve from invading chickens for a while, until new ones hatch. Then the process begins again.

The family room

The family room

The guest room, where we sleep. The blanket canopy protects our bed from gecko droppings. They crawl all around the ceiling and walls, especially at night.

The bathroom and laundry room

The shower and sink

The backyard. The concrete barrel on the back right is where Bill burns their trash.

Another view of the front yard. I love this plumeria tree and the flowers surrounding it. They have a compost enclosure at the back left.

The back of the house. This is the kitchen sink window. They have a beautiful, lush view when they do the dishes.

This is the back/side fence, a.k.a. the dryer. Hanging the laundry to dry in the morning sunshine is refreshing and good for me! About 5 to 10 minutes after you come inside from hanging/taking in the clothes, you start to feel a little tickle. It's the ants. They crawl up your feet, and you don't even notice. In fact, you don't really notice them until they are way, way up your legs, in tight places! Then you really do have ants in your pants! Or on your back where you can't reach. Funny!

The week leading up to Christmas

2009-12-26T06:57:00.000-08:00

Playing, playing

More playing

Caught a Cambodian worm!

Lunch time in the Hales' yard

Kris, Bill, Li-da and some others went to the other side of the river to share the gospel. Here they are examining a fish.

Sunset behind the Hales' house on the 23rd.

Anna being big sister

Teaching about germs

Watching a video together

Anna and Isaac

2009-12-25T07:37:00.001-08:00

Anna is enjoying sweet Baby Isaac.

Church of Mercy Christmas Program

2009-12-25T06:53:00.001-08:00

The Church of Mercy Christmas program began Sunday morning at 7am. They first served breakfast to everyone who came early.

The dining "room"

Breakfast dishes

Cooking the food

This was quite a production, and a major effort by the PATC students and the church members to reach out to the community. They hoped to share the glorious Christmas story and the gospel with many who would come for this special event.

The woman second from the right is Sophorn's mother. She had come from Sre Treng and spent the night with the Nuon's the night before. It was special to have her here!

The meeting room of the church looked very nice and clean with special chair covers, foliage by the windows, and lights decorating the stage.

The people were so happy to see Jennifer with little Isaac. She received a warm welcome from everyone, and it was a blessing to see the way they love her.

Some of the adults from the church sang a special song for everyone.

This picture didn't turn out well, but you can see the PATC young women dancing. The PATC students performed several different dances and then acted out the Christmas story. They did a superb job, and you could tell that they practiced hard! When we first planned our trip, we thought we would be helping the students put on this production. But as it turned out, they had so much good experience from the year before that they said they could do it by themselves. And they were right!

They served lunch to everyone, and it was a massive amount of food! We were amazed at the way they prepared it! Here they are preparing a chicken stew dish. Look at the size of the ladle!

Grilling beef over a fire pit

Waiting for lunch

The lunch tent, set up in front of the church for this special occasion

The Christmas Program was a great success as far as how it all went. Everyone seemed to really enjoy it. We pray that it was truly a success in that people heard and understood the gospel and that their hearts responded in faith and love for our great God.

Pics from Phnom Penh

2009-12-25T06:25:00.001-08:00

Enjoying air conditioning at the Italian restaurant

Watching the elephant rides

Monkeys on the power lines

Touristy temple complex - more monkeys in the background - asking for only foreigners to pay. From what I hear, that's the way most of the tourist sites in Cambodia are. If you are Cambodian, you don't have to pay, but everyone else does.

Thomas being silly from Kris' lap in the front seat

We've moved

2009-12-25T06:17:00.000-08:00

Moving Day for us was last Saturday. We packed up our suitcases again and loaded up the Hale's car, and then we headed to their house and set up. They are so generous to give us a room for the next three weeks! We went to Phnom Penh later in the day to stock up on some groceries, water, and eat at an Italian restaurant with a nice atmosphere, which was a well-appreciated treat for all of us. The driving here is so different...There we were, all nine of us, stuffed into the Hale's 1996 Forerunner. This would never fly in the States, but that's just the way it is here.

We all tried a Khmer "treat" on the way home: looks like a dinner roll but it's filled with sweet bean paste. Then, there was another doughy roll that tasted a little like a Circus Peanut (do you remember that orange, spongy, foam-like candy that was shaped like a large peanut?) but it also had a smell like fingernail polish. Is this something that is okay to eat? Bill says that they grow on you...

Scenes from the week

2009-12-23T06:25:00.000-08:00

Anna is taking good care of Daniel! Here they are walking onto the church property. The building on the left is where the male students sleep, and behind Anna is the driveway and gate.

Sophorn sorts dry seeds from a papaya, because she wants to plant some more papaya trees in her backyard.

Daniel discovers that he likes papaya!

This is the "dining hall" and kitchen at the PATC/Church.

Chheng's brother's house, right behind the church

This is the store down the street where Kris tried to buy a coke. He told them he wanted a "Coca-cola" but they did not understand. So later, Sophorn explained to us that we needed to say "Coke - ahh, Cole - ahh" with our mouths open when we make the "ahh" (pronounced with a short a sound). Funny to us that it makes such a difference!

Sophorn is crushing lemon grass and other spices for some soup. This bench is her work table for chopping meat and slicing vegetables, and behind her is the counter with a gas cook top and a sink. This is her outdoor kitchen! It is much more Western than other Khmer kitchens.

The PATC students are all smiles with the kids, always engaging them and trying to get them to talk. This is a blessing to us, as it helps the kids to feel welcomed here.

The computer lab

Children talking to Daniel after Sunday School.

The rest of the week...

2009-12-20T07:29:00.000-08:00

Monday afternoon, Kris headed over to the Hales house to mow their grass, which had not grown stupendously high since their departure a month ago, but it still definitely needed cutting. In the process, he went to retrieve something from their house and while trying by trial and error to find the correct key, got an incorrect key stuck in the door. This was quite frustrating, especially since they were due to return on the 16^th, and this was the day before the ladies from the PATC were planning to come in to clean for them. Not wanting to break the key off and thus have a bigger problem, Kris left it there. But the next day, some of the students did indeed break off the key. Chheng wasn’t the least bit worried however. He said he knew tricks…ways to break in! With a big smile, he took Kris and Anna back to the house and worked his magic (I’m not about to tell you his secrets!). Whew! We were glad! Anna and Kris helped the others clean everything up. Tuesday evening I taught two more classes about handwashing and germs. I have been trying to give a clear gospel presentation in each class, mainly focusing on the fact that when our hands are dirty, we can get the germs off by simply washing with soap and water; but we have a much bigger problem: our hearts are dirty because of our sin, and we can do nothing to wash them clean. I go on to explain much more. Please pray that the Lord would open up the eyes of their hearts and help them to see their need, His grace, and long for Him to wash them and bring them into His kingdom.

Wednesday morning, Kris rode over to the church with Chheng for the 6am prayer meeting. He enjoyed it, although it was all in Khmer. It was a relatively calm day. Chheng and Sophorn have a special little nephew that they call their grandson, named Ho (pronounce “who”), and mid-morning, Chheng swung him on the hammock for his naptime while he sat and read his Bible for about an hour. They are so sweet to this little one! He is like a hobby to them. When they have leisure time, they hop in the car and go get him and bring him home for a few hours. They love to talk to him, as he is a vocal little 16-month-old – and so smart too – and they feed him and hold him and just watch him.

Wednesday evening I went to teach my classes again, but Savud, my translator, told me (so I thought) that he was too busy and that he could only translate for one class, so I should return at 6pm. Not a problem, I thought; I can be flexible! When I returned at 6, he asked me why I left. Ha! I totally misunderstood him, and the whole time I walked away from the church towards Chheng’s house (with Anna and David beside) he was wondering why in the world we were leaving! He was too respectful to question me about it though. So I was one class behind schedule, but it worked out fine because Thursday evening I ended up teaching 3 of the classes, 2 of them combined, so now we’re back on track.

This is one of my classes, waiting to hear about germs. Savud, my translator, is on the left in the red shirt. He is the PATC student coordinator in charge of all the children's English classes in the evening. This is his second year at the PATC, and he says he hopes to become a pastor when he is finished, as the Lord wills and gifts him. Would you pray for him, that the Lord would fill Him with His spirit of knowledge and love and that he would become a gifted pastor and teacher? Cambodia so needs the leadership of godly men to carry on work like the PATC and Church of Mercy in the decades to come.

Another picture before a hygiene class. Do you see the glitter and bowl on the table? I use these to demonstrate hand washing and germs. It's fun!) The young man behind David is Saveed, and he is a third year student at PATC.

The Hales drove up to the Nuon’s house around 1:30 on Thursday, and we were so happy to see them! Kris was at the school teaching, so it was just me and Sophorn and the children. But it was a joyful homecoming, and it was so sweet holding tiny Isaac. He is precious, and I’m so glad I get to be around him in the next few weeks! Katherine is a beautiful little girl with her soft, long blonde hair and bright eyes, and all my kids were instantly interested in engaging her. We tried to help Bill and Jenn get settled as much as we could, mainly doing a little laundry and keeping them company. They are so welcoming and seem so genuinely glad for us to be there. That was really encouraging.

Friday we spent the morning at the church and at the Hales, doing odds and ends, and Kris and Bill headed off to visit some church members just before lunch. He and Bill and Anna took the motorcycle to the market that afternoon and purchased a few items like soap and laundry detergent and a mattress. Then they headed home together on the motorcycle with all their stuff, in true Khmer fashion. I’m not kidding. I so wish I had a picture!

The Hales are back!

2009-12-17T01:39:00.000-08:00

We are so happy to see Bill and Jennifer and their two sweet sweet little ones return from Thailand today! There are many joys to associate with this, but one of them is the return of internet. Since we landed in Cambodia, we have been totally disconnected, and we are glad to have some access to email and web again. We will try to catch up on blog and pictures. The pictures are forthcoming, hopefully, but I tried to post what the first few days here were like.

Our first day of classes – Cambodia Day 5

2009-12-17T01:38:00.001-08:00

Today, Monday, was our first day of actually teaching classes. I began at 8am with my first English class. Allyson finished up the curriculum that Jennifer had given her, so I was on my own to come up with something. I had Anna's Black Beauty workbook with us that she needs to finish for second grade at Coram Deo Academy, so I decided I would just use that. The first class went well from what I could tell. The students are so gracious, they would probably never correct me or tell me it wasn't good. They are so nice and so eager to learn!

The second class I taught from 9:30 to 11am. We read through The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, and discussed each sentence. It is really quite fun. Anna and David sat with me in the first class, and Kris came and walked David home afterward, while Anna stayed with me. I enjoyed having her there. She can sit and draw pictures for hours!

After lunch, it was Kris' turn to teach the computer class. He taught about the internet, email and web, but he thought it might have gone over their heads since a lot of them barely know how to turn on the computer.

In the evening I began teaching hygiene classes to the children that come for English classes from 5-6 and from 6-7. I plan to rotate through all the classes, 16 in all, two times. First to teach about mainly germs and handwashing, and then to teach about teeth brushing and nutrition, if there's time. My aim is to clearly share the gospel in each class, as very few of these children are from church families.

Church Day in Cambodia – Day 4

2009-12-17T01:36:00.001-08:00

We got up this morning at 5am, and got everyone ready to head to church by 7:30am. That's when they begin church here! They have an assembly with announcements and several songs and prayer, and then the Sunday School classes meet for an hour. After that is the worship service, which includes more singing, praying, and preaching. It is over around 11am. We were so thankful that Pastor Chheng had a bright young man named Daniel sit behind us to interpret for us so we could understand the sermon. The rest of the day was truly restful, save our family's walk to Kinko's. I needed to make some copies for ESL class tomorrow, and the copier at the church was not working. But Chheng said that it was no problem. "We have copy place just down the road! There is a sign and copier out front…you won't miss!" Okay, how hard could that be? Well, it wasn't quite as easy as he made it out to be, and thankfully, after we walked WAY past it, we ended up in front of his relative's house, whom he was at that moment visiting, and he laughed and told us that we had missed it…by a long shot. So we walked back and found the place. The sign was actually in Khmer, with the English words so old and worn away that they looked erased and were much smaller than the other words on the sign. Funny to us! The shop was open at the front with dirt floor and a glass counter. The copier was behind and off to the side of the counter. There were miscellaneous items for sale, including eggs and lots of different types of pens. The entire family and a relative were sitting there at the front of the shop, which was also the front of their house. We could look past the copier into the house. We got our copies and headed back; it was hot but good exercise!

Trip to Phnom Penh - Day 3 in Cambodia

2009-12-17T01:34:00.000-08:00

Sophorn underwent surgery to remove a cancerous thyroid last summer, in August. She now takes synthetic thryroid hormone, and since her supply was almost depleted, she and Chheng needed to return to the hospital in Phnom Penh to visit the doctor and get a new prescription. So, after the twice-weekly prayer meeting at the church from 6am-7am, they loaded up in the RAV4 with Kris, Anna and David and headed off to Phnom Penh.
Kris and the kids had breakfast with Chheng and Sophorn in Ta Kmao and then headed towards Phnom Phenh where Kris and the kids were dropped off at the new mall that has the Lucky store. They wandered around for a while and even took a trip down the street to see if they could find a computer store to replace the dc adapter that burned out. Then they headed back to the Lucky store and did some shopping followed by a drink and ice cream. Then Chheng and Sophorn came back and said that they needed to wait an hour or so for the results from the blood test. They all had lunch at BBWorld (upside down Mickey D’s) and then went to the hospital for the results and medicine. They then drove back to Prek Ambel.
I enjoyed my morning with Thomas and Daniel, first visiting with my translator about the Sunday School lesson I was to teach the next day, and then I enjoyed watching the students practice the Christmas program. They are planning a big production for this coming Sunday, and thee PATC students have been working hard getting ready for it.
After we walked home, I did some laundry. Sophorn’s machine requires that you add your own water, because the water from the river that is connected to the washer not only isn’t all that clean, it also merely trickles into the drum, making one load take hours. But it’s pretty simple to add water at the beginning and then to come back when it is rinsing to add it again. And as long as you can lift a 5 gallon bucket by yourself and gently pour it into the washer, it’s no problem. (I need to work on that one with these wimpy muscles!
Kayleen came home early from her Saturday classes (they have school on Saturdays, too, here), because her teacher didn’t show up. She says that the teacher was probably sick, and the class waited about 2 hours there until they finally decided to go home. I was happy to have her company! Kayleen and I were on our own for lunch, but Sophorn left us some cut up pork in the fridge for us to fry. A little oil in the wok until it sizzles, and then stir the pork until it is crispy brown – she says to make sure it is brown. It’s really quite tasty! Kayleen offered to reheat the rice that sat at room temperature (30C) all night, but when I looked hesitant, she offered to make fresh rice, which sounded much better to me. I need to get used to leaving food out…they do it quite a bit more that I’m used to. They will chow down on browned meet from last night’s dinner for breakfast, or toss some pork and vegetables into a pan and refry/reheat them, even though they sat outside (the kitchen is outside behind the house) all night. I am not used to this, but we are all feeling good and healthy so far! Thank you for your prayers for this!!

Everyone returned from Phnom Penh, and Kris came bearing fresh milk for us (something that is quite a luxury here – they drink milk from a cardboard carton that needs no refrigeration until it is opened). He also bought some cereal, peanut butter, jelly, and bread, thinking that these things would help us feed ourselves sometimes to give Sophorn a break. She works so hard, but she is so cheerful about it! Every time I offer to help or ask what she needs to do next, she says, “You take care of you kids.”

Cambodia – Day 2, December 11th

2009-12-17T01:33:00.001-08:00

We woke up refreshed and ready for the day! I cooked the eggs on the stove at the back of the house for breakfast – my first real cooking experience in Cambodia. I also learned how to run Sophorn's washing machine. The water (from the river) that the machine is connected to comes out in a trickle, so you fill up 5 gallon buckets with water and hoist them into the tub until it's full enough. You do this again when it rinses. The Nuon's have a deep drilled well outside their house, which has a pump so they can use this water to water plants, fill the washer, and other things that I'm sure I'll learn about. After the clothes are finished, you turn them all inside out and hang them on a clothes line in the sun (you turn them so they don't get bleached by the sun quite as badly).

We went for a walk to the church today and observed them practicing for the Christmas production they are putting on December 20^th. This is a big production and they are working hard on it. We pray that many people from the community will hear the gospel. The church rents chairs and fills up the sanctuary to capacity plus, and afterwards they serve a meal for everyone. It's a giant Christmas party, and such a great opportunity they are seizing for outreach. We plan to help out too in every way we can! Since it was Friday, the student's did not have their English classes. But Kris, Anna and David watched them play volleyball for a while. After Daniel and Thomas woke from their naps, I took all three boys back to the church to watch the community English classes. They have maybe 200 kids (I may have to correct this number later) that come for English classes, and the PATC students teach them. They separate the kids by ages and put them into different classes with different teachers. I helped out in one class for a little bit with some pronunciation, and then one of the students took Kris and I and kids around to meet the other kids in all the classes. There were so many beautiful smiling faces. We pray that these kids will not just learn English, but learn about the God who made them, and learn to love Him and follow Him.

We found out at dinner that Daniel loves some tiny little fish that Sophorn fried up. They are only about three to four inches long, and when fried they are very flat. She cuts the heads off these tiny fish before she cooks them, but they still have bones, so you split them up the side and separate the bones from the flesh. When you're done, there's really not all that much meat there, but Daniel loved them and ate all the rest of them – it was about six of them.

Our first day in Cambodia – December 10th

2009-12-17T01:32:00.001-08:00

We arrived after a smooth flight at the Phnom Penh airport around 10:30am, and just from the runway you could tell that this city was completely different from the last places we'd been. No tall buildings in sight, no freeways that we could see, just grass, trees, a few wooden buildings, and the terminal building, which is definitely sufficient but nothing fancy. We had no trouble getting through customs, and even though we forgot to bring along the passport photos for our visas here, we simply paid an extra dollar each and came through with no problems! Maybe next time we'll forget too!

All eight of the bags we checked appeared on the luggage carousel, and after getting a couple of carts loaded with them, we met Chheng outside, waiting with the van. We are so grateful that he was willing to interrupt his teaching schedule to pick us up at the airport. We drove through town, stopping first at KFC (no McDonald's in Cambodia!) for some chicken nuggets. Although we were so close to hitting a motorcycle that whizzed in front of our bus, we arrived at Chheng's house with no troubles. He recently built a guest room onto the side of his house, and that's where we're staying. It is complete with a spacious bathroom, and even an A/C on the wall, which we don't use during the day, but it does cut the heat a bit in the evening. As you can see, we are so well taken care of. We walked over to the church to meet the students and look around. They all seem so very gracious and so happy to be here at the PATC.

Soda, Chheng's son, and his wife Allyson were here with us for several hours, as their flight back to the US didn't leave until midnight, so Allyson oriented me on the English classes and some other household details. Sophorn served us pork and rice for dinner, which we enjoyed. I think we'll be having a lot of rice here, and I'm hoping the kids can learn how to eat it without dropping it on the floor…sticky, Khmer-style rice doesn't sweep off the floor very well! I'm glad they like it though! She also served us some fish – just grilled fish. Imagine taking a fish out of water and putting it right on the grill (dead of course). After it has a nice blackened look, you put it on the serving plate! I wasn't too sure about it, but Thomas accepted the offer for fish with a polite, "Yes, please, I would like some fish." We'll here we go! What do I do? Allyson showed me that you just pick the flesh off the bones with a fork, and before long, Daniel and Thomas and I were eating fish. Really not a big deal!

Our first day here went well, and we are glad to be here. I must say I am a little uneasy about it all, I think mostly because it is so unknown…the food, the places, the people. As we rode to the house earlier today, I felt desperate for the Lord to fill us with His presence, His power, and His peace as we try to work for His glory here. We just won't be able to do a thing unless He empowers us, and I am certainly feeling weak. But His power is perfected in weakness.

Hong Kong – long layover, December 9th

2009-12-17T01:29:00.001-08:00

Hong Kong was a whirlwind of lights, shops, and people from all over the world. Our visit here was not an extra stop but just a long layover. We arrived in the early afternoon, checked into the very nice hotel that Kris was able to get with Hilton Points, and then ventured out up to Victoria peak via the tram. They have a rail car that is pulled up the steep, skyscraper-laden slope of the mountain by a pulley system – very cool! We enjoyed the view of the harbor from up top, and also some hot chocolate and coffee from a coffee shop up there. It wasn't cold there, but not too warm to enjoy these treats.

Next, we hiked around on Hollywood Blvd where there are tons of fun shops. There are so many international visitors in this city, and our family of six hardly got any second glances here. What a contrast to the way people responded to us the day before! We went up the outdoor escalator, which is necessary for moving people up the steep streets of the city. After an enjoyable dinner, we headed across the harbor on the super-cheap Star Ferry, and enjoyed looking out over the lights of the city from across the harbor. This city is at the very least impressive. It is the epitome of city. Lights, night life, shops, public transport, beautiful overlooks, traffic, transport across the harbor, busy freighters spotting the harbor…so many fun scenes. This is definitely a major contrast for us of the way things are going to be in Cambodia! We woke up early to head for the airport for our 10am flight into Phnom Penh. Cambodia, here we come! onH

The Great Wall - December 7th

2009-12-09T07:58:00.000-08:00

We saw the Great Wall today! What a fun and exciting place! The wall is so impressive and in such a beautiful setting, if you can get through all the hawkers trying to get you to buy their stuff on the way up. We rode a gondola up to the wall, and then we hiked quite a way up and down steep steps along the the wall. There was an alpine slide from the top of the mountain down to the base that we took turns riding down with the kids. You had to be ten before you could ride the slide on your own, so Kris rode twice and I rode twice, and we took the chair lift back up to the top and then all rode the lift down. It was fun, but we were frozen afterward, and glad to climb back into the warm van for the two hour drive back to the motel.
By the way, speaking of the cold weather, my friend Beata from school encouraged me to bring along winter boots for the kids, and am I ever so glad she did! We've lived in them for the last week, and I don't know what we would have done without them. Thanks, Beata!
We enjoyed a wonderful dinner in our friends’ apartment that evening, with great conversation. What sweetness it is to fellowship with saints!

Into BJ - December 6th, Part 2

2009-12-09T07:55:00.000-08:00

Into BJ
We braved the BJ subway after arriving on the bullet train, and we had pretty clear instructions from our friends how to purchase tickets, get on the correct train, transfer trains, and then walk to our friends' apartment. It went flawlessly until we got off the last train and exited the subway station at the wrong exit. We couldn’t go back through the station without purchasing tickets and passing security again, so we opted to walk around the station outside, which proved to be difficult with our suitcases. It was not exactly a clean and clear sidewalk – picture rocky, dusty dirt paths, multiple steep stairways, all laden with smashed or rotting trash. (Thanks Mom and Dad for letting us borrow that big blue suitcase! It’s still working! But not quite as clean!  ) We finally made it, met our friend, and then dragged out stuff to the Motel 168 where we were to stay the next 3 nights. After examining our very cool room with the round bed, mirror on the ceiling above the bed, and no doors to the bathroom (did I mention lots of mirrors there too?), we headed to dinner at a “Weeger” restaurant, which is a M-slim people group that lives out west but our friends in BJ enjoy this type of restaurant and speak pretty fluent “Weeger.” The food was truly delicious! Daniel and Thomas did not get to enjoy it, though, because Daniel fell asleep in my arms while we were waiting for the table, and Thomas leaned on Kris and fell asleep right after we ordered the food. They were so tired, but did so well – everyone did!

Fellowship and Good-byes - December 6th

2009-12-09T07:51:00.000-08:00

On Sunday, we packed up all our stuff and then headed to the TJ International Fellowship, which weekly meets for worship. We were required to show our passports to enter (no nationals allowed here). What a blessed time it was of singing to the Lord together, and we thoroughly enjoyed the encouraging sermon. Afterward, although they normally divide into smaller groups to pray together, today we all prayed together, beforehand hearing prayer requests from many different people requesting prayer. This was so neat to be a part of. So many of the people are doing the same kind of work as our friends.
After a quick lunch and trip to E Mart (the closest thing to Super Target!) to buy a couple of things, we taxied back to the apartment to grab our suitcases and then keep our taxis for the trip to the station. I was sad to say good-bye to this super-sweet family. I felt that if only we could spend a few weeks with them, and they could rub off on us – their cheerful attitudes, loving ways with their children, and faith – we would surely be sharpened and changed. But I know that God knows best, and the same God that is taking care of them, teaching them, and giving them grace for each day is working in our hearts to conform us into the image of His Son, and in Him I hope.
We enjoyed the adventure of purchasing tickets and getting to the right train again, and this time we sat in the correct seats. It was a packed train since it was Sunday – the only day most people have off and they are almost all out and about in the city, and traveling to and from BJ on the bullet train.
In summary, our time in TJ was simply perfect, and we are so thankful for all the ways God provided for us and encouraged us while we were there!

Ancient Culture Street, Play Area Germs, and the Bike Adventure - December 5th

2009-12-09T07:39:00.000-08:00

On Saturday we headed to Ancient Culture Street, which is lined with vendors selling all kinds of treasures. If we were heading straight home, we would have stocked up on all kinds of great stuff! The funniest thing was how the ladies flocked to us, and especially to the Josephs with their baby and small little blonde children.

This woman swiped up Thomas for a picture. He was a good sport!

And Kris got fussed at by an older woman who did not approve of Daniel’s pant leg being scrunched up to reveal his long johns. They are super-serious about not losing body heat, and staying away from the cold. They fear the cold, truly! They are afraid of ice in their drinks, for fear the reduction in body temperature will make them sick.
Their concern for sickness does not transfer to being as careful about spreading germs, however, which the men learned the hard way after lunch...

We had lunch at McDonald's, and thoroughly enjoyed the hot chocolate, for it was really cold outside! After lunch, we strolled through the mall and found a kid’s play area. Just before we went in, we witnessed a young boy being held over a trash can to relieve himself, which we hear is quite common here.

Here's Dan-man, rearing to go!

Kris and Kevin stayed there with the kids while Ashley and I went shopping for a few things. After a little while we got a call that they had made an abrupt exit from the play area because another child had vomited. The employees simply took a rag and wiped it around enough until it was relatively dry, and then gave the okay for the kids to climb back in. The guys were completely grossed out, and realized that the play area was no doubt teaming with pathogens. They couldn’t get enough sanitizer on!

That afternoon, Ashley drove her three wheeler out with Anna, David and Thomas, and Karis and Eil, all in the back on the covered benches. The three wheeler is a rechargeable battery-powered tricycle-like motorycle with pedals, which Ashley had to use one day recently when is was very cold and the battery ran out of juice before they got home!

The kids were so cute all packed in. She instructed them on how important it was to not be silly, and off she went to the market, with me riding behind on her bike. It was such an adventure for me! Riding a bike through busy city streets in this country is not quite the same as riding down the neighborhood streets in Sachse!

We enjoyed looking around at the outdoor market, and we also stopped to buy some yummy popcorn from a vendor. We got chocolate and ice cream flavors...quite tasty!

We made it back to the apartment safe and sound, and enjoyed seeing the sleeping quarters of the "dungeon master" - the woman in charge of keeping the bikes in the basement of the apartments. She recharges and parks them, and makes sure that no one steels them, and she lives down there. That is her place in this society.

David's birthday - December 4th

2009-12-09T07:29:00.000-08:00

*Updated with a few pictures*

Our time with our friends was so blessed. We enjoyed the TJ zoo on the 4th of December for David's birthday. It was very interesting! The animal show was the most unusual part of it! The bear looked almost human riding a bike, but I got a little nervous when the lion and 2 tigers were in the ring together and started roaring and hissing at the master. But we all jumped up and headed out when they opened the caged ring and invited the audience to enter to have their picture taken with one of the tigers. Not in a cage. No leash. No thanks!! We were outta there, as far from that open gate as possible!

The zoo has a impressive indoor alligator room that was quite warm, and we decided to park there for lunch. That was after we fed the seal some fish on a pole and fed some raw chicken to the alligators. We sanitized everyone as much as possible and got out our PBJ and our potato chips. They do have Lay's here, but the flavors are quite different. We had blueberry, mango, and kiwi. Not bad! A little sweet, a little salty, a little fruity! Maybe we are too!

The tiger room is very impressive. They have a large room with windows on three sides displaying about 14 very large tigers, and one of them started licking the glass where Anna was standing - he thought she looked tasty!

Anna got a bit worried at that tiger. I thought it was funny at first, but the more it showed interest in her, the farther away I wanted her! That glass couldn't be too thick for me!

It snowed on us after that and we decided to head out. It had grown quite a bit colder than when we left, so we piled back in our taxis and headed back for some hot chocolate.

After the zoo, Kris and Kevin biked off for a super cheap hour massage. Although many of the massage parlors are brothels, this legitimate one hires blind people, who are experts at their trade.

The Joseph’s “ayi” – means aunt but is the term you call your house helper here – prepared some delicious authentic food for us, and we feasted on it for dinner, followed by a birthday celebration for David, complete with hats and the most amazing candle you could imagine (thanks, Ashley!). I brought a cake mix and icing from Dallas which we baked that afternoon, and on top of the cake we carefully placed a magnifiecent flower candle. The wicks were at the top and facing inward in a circle, surrounded by large plastic flower petals. As the wicks burned and the wax melted, at one point the petals opened up all at once to making a fabulous flower, about 8” or so in circumference, complete with a chiming “Happy Birthday” song that played for hours and hours without stopping. We tried immersing it in a bowl of water in the sink, but we ended up taking it outside, probably to the dismay of the people living on the first floor by the trash. What a great day, and I think David had a memorable birthday here!

Kris is looking a little serious here, wondering if this is safe...David is amazed and delighted (from a distance)!

Karis and Anna enjoyed designing things with beads.

Trains and Taxis - December 3rd

2009-12-09T07:23:00.000-08:00

Our second day here was perfect. We had a great night's rest in comfy beds, with only slight "jet-lagged-kid" interruptions, enjoyed a free breakfast, and then, after repacking for the next four days, we headed out into the busy city for lunch with our friends here. We ate at a dumpling house and found that Daniel really likes pumpkin and rice soup. Then, we said good-bye to our friends and headed by taxi to the Railway Station to catch a high-speed train to a city to the south. Riding in two taxis into a foreign city with no interpreter is a little scary when you evaluate all the what ifs, but we felt so secure and cared for by the One who really is in control.We had instructions for purchasing tickets written out for us, so it was no hassle. Then, we boarded the train, not realizing that we had assigned seats, but no one seemed to care, as the trains were relatively empty and we didn't exactly look like we knew what we were doing! (They let the foreigners get away with a lot.)

We covered the two hour car trip in 30 minutes, going up to 333 km/h (207 mph). We felt like we were floating! After a rather long and very interesting hike across the train station to the taxi stop - and no complaining at all from our kids! - complete with broken elevators, long flights of stairs, and small crowds of people who couldn't seem to believe their eyes that we had four children (something they don't even have a category for in this one child society), we got to the taxi and handed him the address of our friends. After scrutinizing it, he seemed confident enough for us to load into his taxi and another one to follow him (our luggage and bodies needed two of these small cars). It took about an hour across this city to reach our friend's apartment. The driving here is crazy to us. They just go every which way, heading in front of cars, coming centimeters from bikes and other types of carts, and I am not at all comfortable riding with my babies on my lap and not strapped into seat belts, much less car seats. This side of the world is so different with regard to safety precautions. (Maybe in a later post you can see the candle David had on his birthday cake this week...definitely not something you'd find for sale in the US unless someone just wanted a lawsuit!)

Our friend met us as we drove up to the apartments, and we were soon in a warm, cozy, loving home. Our friends have only been here since early September. They arrived with their family of 6, their youngest little one being a little over 3 months old, and they only had an apartment...not even beds or furniture. You would be so amazed if you could just be with them for a little while, and experience what their life is like. They have learned so much about the culture, language, and set up a comfortable home that serves their family well, all in the 3 months they've lived here with their four little ones. They have such a refreshing attitude about the inconveniences in this country, and their kids have adjusted so well. It is such a testimony to the grace of God. I was telling someone about their plans to move a few months ago, and I remember them expressing concern that their move would be such a major transition...and with four little ones! But they have done beautifully, and all the strength and glory goes to the Lord. He is able and sufficient to take care of His children!

All of the kids were so happy to play together, and we enjoyed a delicious dinner with them. Thomas and Daniel basically went to sleep at dinner; the kids had such a long day and we were all still recovering from jet lag. We headed for bed as soon as we could. What a great day, and what a great God!

In Hong Kong

2009-12-09T07:16:00.000-08:00

We are so sorry to those of you who have been checking our blog and seen nothing. There was a major firewall there and we were unable to access Blogger or Facebook, but tonight we are in Hong Kong, and I am trying to play catch up. We so enjoyed the last week. This was sort of our "visiting/tourist" week as we spent time with some dear friends that were close enough to Cambodia that we couldn't bear the thought of being so close without seeing them for at least a short time. Our visit with them was wonderful! Read on if you want more details about what we were up to. Tomorrow morning at 6:45 am, we head for the airport to catch our flight into Cambodia. We are excited about it, and so thankful for your prayers that we will be an encouragement to the people there, at that the Lord will work in our own hearts as well. THANK YOU so much!

Flying High

2009-12-03T22:52:00.000-08:00

We made it to our first destination happy and healthy! The flights were perfect, and the short spell of turbulence was just enough to give us the opportunity to remember that keeping our airplane in the air is a simple task for our infinite God, and also remember that even if we died, we would immediately be in Christ's glorious presence, which means more happiness and exhilaration than ever, so that pretty much diminished all my fears, and I pray that my children would take comfort, too!

The kids did so well on the first flight. They played with the activities given to them by the Cooks, a dear family in our church that filled backpacks for each of them with novel activities that they couldn't wait to get their hands on.

So for 13 hours we raced towards Asia, 37,000 feet over the Pacific at 588 mph. We arrived in Tokyo at 4:45pm local time (it was 1:44am in Dallas). As we landed at dusk, we all had a clear view of a huge, orange-yellow moon right over the wing of the plane.

We had just enough time to get through security again and buy a quick snack before it was time to board our next plane. I was concerned about everyone being fussy, but everyone was happy and cheerful and excited!

Our next flight into Beijing was 3 hours, all of which we peacefully slept. The kind man next to David gladly gave up his right arm rest for David's sleepy head - and he seemed to do it cheerfully and affectionately!

That's all for now...everything has been wonderful. I look back on those flights and am so grateful for God's care. Thank you so very much for praying! Can't wait to share more about our experiences so far!

Leaving on a Jet Plane

2009-11-29T21:32:00.000-08:00

But we DO know when we'll be back again (Lord willing!).

All eight of our bags are packed, weighed, and ready to be dragged onto the plane! We're headed off to Asia tomorrow, Lord willing. Thank you so much for all of your donations of toothpaste, soap, toys, monetary gifts, and most of all, THANK YOU for your prayers. We aim to update this blog as often as we can. No promises on amazing literature here, but at least you'll know what we're up to!

We plan to be visit a couple of different families in East Asia from Dec 1 through Dec 9th, then we plan to arrive in Cambodia Dec 10th, where we will stay until Jan 12th, Lord willing.

We appreciate your continued prayers for
(1) fruitful ministry - that we would truly encourage the people we are going to see, and effectively share the gospel with the people there.
(2) our children to love this trip, and truly enjoy being a part of sharing the gospel and encouraging the saints - that they would see how valuable this is and treasure Christ most of all
(3) our health and safety

What greater joy is there than knowing and serving the Lord Jesus Christ? He's the only one worth living for! We hope that this holiday season proves to present you with more and more opportunities to treasure Him more. Thank you so much, again, for your encouragement and prayers for our trip. We hope you are just as well cared for as you've made us feel!

In His Grace and in His Hands,
Kris and Julie Pate
Anna, David, Thomas, and Daniel

Happy Thanksgiving

2009-11-26T06:32:00.000-08:00

Our family is headed to Arlington to celebrate with Janet's sister, June. What sweet sisters they are, and June was so gracious to invite our family and the Pates, too. We are so glad to be staying close to home this year.
Mom and Dad came this last couple of days, and Dad worked and worked and worked, helping us do anything he could find to help with, including dishes and laundry. What a huge help!
We aren't quite completely packed, but we have certainly made a dent, so hopefully we'll be able to relax and enjoy the next few days with our family. Today is Thanksgiving, tomorrow we're planning to celebrate David's birthday, which is next week, and Saturday is our Christmas celebration with both sides of our family here at the house. They have been such a blessing and encouragement to us. God is so good, and knew just what kind of a family we needed to sharpen us and encourage us, too.
Happy Thanksgiving!

Flattered by a Two-Year-Old

2009-11-26T06:27:00.000-08:00

Monday, I set Daniel up in his room to have "room time" for much longer than normal so I could try to make a dent in some packing. After quite a while, he was ready to be free, and definitely wanting my attention. That's when I heard his sweet voice call from the bedroom, "Mommy, you're brewful (beautiful)." I will say, that's a terrific way to get a spontaneous hug from Mommy!

Crazy?

2009-11-22T18:10:00.000-08:00

When words are many, transgression is not lacking,
but whoever restrains his lips is prudent. Proverbs 10:19

I have been reminded of this verse more than once the last couple of weeks. I've opened my mouth, said something, only to regret it later. It happened again this morning during our worship service at church.

Pastor Hal called our family to the front to tell our congregation a little bit about our trip, and then to pray for us. Just before praying, he made a very-well-intended comment about me being very brave to take my children to Cambodia, to which I quickly remarked "or crazy." He repeated it and snickered, and then we went on. But it has hovered all day.

Why did I say that? If I really thought it was crazy, Kris and I wouldn't be going in the first place. But I do realize that the world would probably say it's crazy from a "safety" and "risk-taking" standpoint. I mean, why would you take a risk like that if you don't absolutely have to?

So behind my comment was an acknowlegement that, yes, I know that many people probably think we are a little crazy for planning this trip. But the flip side, and the side that I hold onto, is that God is the one protecting us each and every day. I know He will protect my children as He wills, and I would much rather lay them in His merciful hands than live with a pretense of their safety over here without much thought to the way He cares for them each day.

So, while, yes, I know that in a worldly sense we may seem crazy, when we remember God's rule and power and His desires for His children, we have much courage to face the conditions in Cambodia with our little ones.

But (or AND), I still am greatly encouraged when people tell me that they have been and will be praying for us. To all of you who have said that, may God bless you and grant your requests. You are truly a HUGE part of any fruit that could come from our efforts on this trip. Thank you!

Yum! Yum!

2009-11-16T19:25:00.000-08:00

***WARNING: This blog post could cause you to get the creeps.***

A while back, I thought I would do a little research into what kinds of food dishes to expect in Cambodia. Kris and other friends have told me plenty about it, but I thought the good ole web would help me too. Well, let's just say that I think I made a mistake.

These are fried spiders! Thankfully, Kris says he has never been served spiders. Whew!

This is an item that our new friends Nick and Letty told us about, called "balut" or just "duck egg." Evidently, each egg has a "number," depending on how developed the chick inside is. If it is almost ready to hatch, with feathers and everything, it gets a 10. If it's barely anything but yolk and white, it may be a 0 or 1. What number are you? Take your number, crack it open, and enjoy!

Wow. I think I may try to stay away from this, too. I am totally trusting that if we are served something very, um, unusual, that God will give us grace in that moment to deal with it!

Getting Ready

2009-11-15T20:04:00.000-08:00

We are enjoying the preparations for our trip! Last week I had a delightful visit with Mrs. Richard, Jennifer Hale's mother, when I took a car seat to her for delivery to the Hales. She leaves tomorrow (DV) for her trip to Chiang Mai, Thailand, to accompany the Hales as they await baby Isaac's birth. She was so encouraging about our trip, sure that we would be a blessing to the Hales and to the discipleship students in spite of how many little (and big) bodies we'll fill their house with.
Last Sunday we had the privilege of sharing some more about the ministry in Cambodia with Providence Church, and they were so warm and welcoming. Next week we plan to give a brief account of our trip plans to FBC Parker.
We have 4 suitcases packed at this point, with 2 or 3 more to go. The kids seem to be excited, but I think that Anna especially grasps the concept that we are going to be away for a long time and that we will be in a place we are not familiar with at all. I'm praying that God will help my children to adjust quickly to such different scenery, smells, and tastes; that He will help them to view these differences as part of the variety He has created in this world, and help them to appreciate and love the work that the Church of Mercy is attempting to do. I hope that they will enjoy the "taste" of mission work that they will get while we are gone, and that they will be amazed and excited about the work God is doing all over the world.

Lost Journal

2009-11-15T19:58:00.001-08:00

Have you ever lost something really important to you? And you were afraid of someone finding it? I lost my journal about four weeks ago, and I am bummed. It had a detailed prayer request list in it that I daily worked through and amended as needed. And lots of personal notes and confessions and thoughts, written out but certainly not meant to be seen by any eyes but my own (and my Lord's!). I also had a list of medication that my sister-in-law recommended that we take to Asia, so I took it with me to CVS one day. That was definitely where I went wrong. *Sigh* It should never have left my Bible's side. Oh well!

Trip to Cambodia

2009-10-04T19:17:00.000-07:00

We are planning a trip to Cambodia over the holidays. This is something we have longed to do for a while, but we were not thinking we would attempt it until our children were a bit older. But, after prayer and discussion with our friends the Hales, we searched for frequent flier tickets for the six of us. Much to our surprise and excitement, we found them. It was a shock, really, since Kris and some other friends have used frequent flier tickets before but have been unable to get them all the way to Phnom Penh; they have gone to Bangkok and then purchased the last leg into Phnom Penh. But we found 6 tickets all the way there, including a stop on the way in a country to the north. The planned departure date is December 1st, and return date is January 12th. We are more than excited.

We hope to help Bill and Jenn by subbing for them (ESL and computer) until they are ready to resume their classes after having baby Isaac. He is due in late November. We will arrive a little late to help while he is being born, but Chheng's son, Soda, and his wife Allyson are planning to be there over Thanksgiving and leaving the same day we arrive, December 10th, so they can certainly help fill in.

We also so want to be an encouragement to the church there. What a profound joy it is to see and know people who are worshipers of the One true God who live across the world and speak different tongues. He is not the God of just the westerners, or Americans, or English speakers, or industrialized nations. His rule spans cultures and ethic groups and languages and times. He is the same God yesterday, today and forever. And how glad I am that He is everywhere, and that we are no more "safe" within the four walls of our suburban home that we will be walking the dusty roads in a rural Cambodian village. If God is for us, who can be against us?

However, I admit that anxieties do creep in, and we would love to have your prayers! If you want to pray for us, please let us know if you have the opportunity. It encourages us more than you know. Thank you!

The Illiad and the....what?

2009-10-04T19:12:00.000-07:00

Tonight I was quizzing Anna on her Veritas Press History Cards for 2nd grade. She is studying Ancient Greece, and we were discussing Homer when I asked her to name his most popular works.

"The Illiad and the Honda," she said confidently. The what? Then I realized that we owned a Honda Odyssey. She just got a little confused and I got not a little amused!

Toddler Moments

2009-10-01T20:39:00.000-07:00

As we were driving home yesterday and I listened to Daniel singing a song, it reminded me of all those precious YouTube videos of tiny tots belting out tunes. But the precious thing about these months with Daniel is that almost every waking minute is full of those moments, that if captured adequately, we would surely win thousands of YouTube hits. Even in the stressful moments, he says the cutest things in the sweetest ways. I'm so thankful that God packs so much sweetness into such little bodies. Even in the frustrating moments, there is usually something to smile about!

A Worthy Pursuit

2009-09-02T19:48:00.000-07:00

I so enjoy reading Darcie Newton's blog, and her current post is an excerpt from an Elisabeth Elliot newsletter. I am encouraged by Elisabeth's transparency in order to focus on godly friendship. One of the many reasons why it's so important to be knit into a Body of Believers!

Long Time No Write Scroll Down for New Posts

2009-08-19T19:23:00.000-07:00

**I'm post-dating my posts so I can keep up with the event dates...please scroll down if you want to see the most recent post. I'll update this post when I finish catching up, and will begin with normal dates. I'm sorry for any confusion. **

Thanks to sweet Ruth Lee (thanks, Friend!), and others who have commented about no blog updates here lately, I'm going to try to save my blog from going the way of my last failed blog attempt (if you don't know about my last blog, believe me, you aren't missing anything!).

We've had a busy but wonderful summer, and I certainly have some catching up to do to document our comings and goings. Even though we are short a laptop here at the Pate house, I'll do my best to catch up!

I'm going to try to date my posts according to the event, so some of the new posts are beneath this one, starting with June 2nd.

If you are reading this, thanks for wanting to know what we've been up to!

Ava Ruth Green

2009-08-04T20:34:00.000-07:00

Today, my sister Sarah had her fifth child, Ava Ruth Green at 7:20am. She was 6 pounds 9 ounces. We were thrilled! We were unable to visit her in the hospital because we didn't want to share our germs (possible stomach virus). But that didn't mean we couldn't celebrate! Anna put out the placemats she made last year for me and Kris, made some new makeshift ones out of paper napkins for herself and brothers, and made a special table decoration commemorating Ava's birth. This was her idea!

"Ava's birth"

Daniel's checking out the table

Sarah and Andrew, we are so thrilled to have a new niece and cousin, and we love Ava so much already.

Good-bye, well-loved crib

2009-08-04T20:28:00.000-07:00

For the first time ever since we've lived in this house, we took down our crib. It was momentous. The kids were ever-present, watching and "helping" as much as Kris gave them opportunity. It was a sweet time for me of remembering all the precious baby years God has given us. Daniel seemed to know just what to do with his toddler bed, and it didn't take long to get him to understand that we expected him to stay in it.

Vacation: Return trip and Carlsbad Caverns

2009-08-01T19:52:00.000-07:00

We left La Jolla headed for El Paso, and the next day we visited Carlsbad Caverns.

Nearing the cavern entrance

Heading down into the opening. It was a big hole, that's for sure!

Stalactites and stalagmites in the cavern

It was beautiful and so interesting inside, but I wasn't successful taking any good pictures. The cool, dark air was refreshing on a hot summer afternoon. The kids enjoyed it thoroughly, and even little Daniel tramped down tirelessly. We enjoyed asking the kids questions like, "Can we hide from God down here?" You can't go down into the depths of the earth to hide from Him. "No, He is everywhere," they would say.

Taking a rest from all that walking!

After our tour of Carlsbad Caverns, we headed for Lubbock where we spent the night and then met our dear friends and former neighbors John and Jennifer and they treated us to a yummy breakfast. Thanks so much, J&J! We miss you!

Here we are waiting to eat (Thomas wasn't feeling well)

Then we were home-bound! After almost two weeks, we were excited about getting back to our own turf. Here are a few shots from the last couple of days in the car:

Thomas with his "treat of the day"

Pipe cleaner fun!

You can do a lot of things with pipe cleaners!

Anna used them to make hangers for her small toys she collected on the trip and to decorate her space.

That's it for our trip! When I returned home, my ESL student Sora said she had prayed for us, and how I am grateful! I can only imagine the plethora of things that can go wrong for a family of six traveling so many miles! God answered her prayers with safe travel and a restful time for all of us. We are so undeserving of His gifts, but we are thankful. Many thanks to many of you, Friends, for praying for our family! Isn't God good to regard our prayers and even want to answer?

Matthew 7:11 If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!

Vacation: La Jolla

2009-07-30T19:18:00.000-07:00

We headed to San Diego next, specifically La Jolla, where we enjoyed a couple of nights right on the beach. Many, many thanks to our generous family for wanting us there with you, and making it possible!

One evening we enjoyed a delicious Mexican dinner with Ted's cousin Mary. Here we are at the table.

A Mexican serenade ("Ahem...AHEM!" Kris in a whisper: "Julie, don't you know if you request a song you have to pay him?" OOPS!)

Kaelie and Daniel

Anna, Thomas, David and Daniel

Here is Daniel right outside the sliding door of our room. You could see the ocean if you look straight over his head.

Kris, Ted, Kalie, Grant, Anna, David and Thomas went to tour the USS Midway, the day before the aircraft carrier headed out of the San Diego Harbor. They had a great time!

Look who's in the brig!

Preparing for takeoff

The last evening, the kids enjoyed a game of ping pong while we visited and said good-bye. Ted and Gabby were driving north to Idaho and we were heading back to Texas.

In the background, L-R, Kaelie, Gabby, Bobbe, Grant, and Lynn

Aunt Lynn and Daniel

Anna and Grant

Kris with his mom

Vacation: Big Bear and Bobbe's

2009-07-28T19:07:00.000-07:00

Our final day at Big Bear, we did have breakfast again at Teddy Bear Restaurant, but shock of shockers, it was only the SECOND time we ate breakfast at Teddy Bear this trip and not the THIRD time, because we got out of our comfort zone and actually went to Boo Bear Restaurant across the street the second day.

Here we are at Teddy Bear Restaurant, saying good-bye to Kris' cousin Laney and her husband Cedrick and their little girl Camryn. This was the first time I had been around Cedrick, and he was so fun. He adores Camryn, obvious by the time he spends playing and loving on her. And he was just so down-to-earth and fun. I look forward to getting to know him better!

What a great time we had with our family at Big Bear Lake. Here's a picture of all of us from the last evening we were there.

After we left and got down the mountain, we hung out at Bobbe's in Rialto and swam with Grant, Kaelie, Barry, Kelley, Debbra, and Ted.

Despite their age difference, Grant and David had a lot of fun being boys together.

Here is Thomas beside the aircraft carrier that shot through the water and gave Anna a black eye. Oops! Notice the beautiful stephanotis vine behind Thomas. Bobbe has some beautiful flowers all around her yard. Debbra often cuts these stephanotis for her flowers instead of getting them at the market because they are so beautiful and fresh.

Anna with her new boo-boo (on her left upper cheek). We were glad she had her goggles on!

Barry (Grant and Kaelie's Daddy), Debbra, and Ted (Grandpa)

Kaelie and David

Vacation: Big Bear, On the Water

2009-07-27T18:41:00.000-07:00

The third day at Big Bear Lake, our family rented a pontoon boat (thank you so much, Ted and Gabrielle!) and we had a blast touring the lake. Kris, Bryan, Debbra and Myke took turns riding the Sea Doos, picking up those of us from the boat who wanted to ride. Kris' aunt and uncle, Lynn and Rick, own a couple of large, fast Sea Doos and they put them in the water at Big Bear Lake each year for everyone to enjoy.

Even Daniel got his (very, very slow and short) turn.

David enjoyed driving with Grandpa. He stayed here most of the voyage. (Thomas is in the background.)

Watch out! Here I come!

Joshua enjoyed snuggling up with Janet, and spent his afternoon nap with the mountain lake breeze in his face.

Myke, Kris' cousin and Lynn's son, was kind to help us on and off the Sea Doos from the boat. I don't know how we would have gotten along without him! He was so good with the kids, too. They loved playing with him!

Here are beautiful Kaelie (Debbra's daughter) and her friend Sasha, enjoying the sun. Kaelie has grown up so much since I saw her last. I so clearly remember her toddling down the aisle at our wedding at the ripe age of two, and now she's thirteen! She was so sweet to all of us and a delight to be around.

David, Anna, and Thomas with Aunt Bobbe

Gabby and Grant (Debbra's 8-year-old son)

Here is Kris' aunt, Lynn. Lynn, Bobbe and Gabby, Kris' mom, are sisters.

Vacation: Big Bear, On the Shore

2009-07-26T12:41:00.000-07:00

Here is our group at the Marina Resort at Big Bear Lake. We had several rooms downstairs, and if you walked out on the grass and kept going, you'd walk onto the sandy beach and then in about 50 yards, you'd be in the lake. Behind the lake is a beautiful backdrop of mountains. They don't appear very high, because the lake itself is situated in the San Bernardino mountains at 6700 feet above sea level. The Big Bear Solar Observatory is easily visible from the Marina.

All of the people in this picture were with our group. The porch was our hangout (the food and drinks were there!).

The kids entertained themselves making a canal in the sand leading to the lake shore. (Grant, Debbra's son, is at the bottom right.)

Joshua enjoyed helping them.

Grandma enjoyed watching the kids play.

David enthusiastically fished with Grandpa.

Ted and Kris slaved over the hot grill for us all. All three evening meals we ate here were wonderful!

Kris' aunts, Lynn(right, blue shirt) and Bobbe(left, white shirt), as well as his cousins, Debbra (center) and Laney (not pictured), worked so hard packing and preparing meals for us right on the porch. Can I say again?...All the meals were wonderful!

God painted the most spectacular sunsets while we were there!

Playing volleyball as the sun sets.

Kris' brother Bryan, Janet and Joshua. It was so sweet to watch them take care of little Joshua. He is one loved little boy!

At bedtime, David's bed in Grandma and Grandpa's room was occupied by men watching television, so for a little while, he joined Grant. It was precious to listen to their conversation. Grant was describing what it was like to visit Hawaii for Laney's wedding last March, and David was asking questions about it.

Here we are visiting, eating, and watching the kids play.

What a beautiful, relaxing place.

Psalm 8: 1, 3-4 "O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! You have set your glory above the heavens...When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that you care for him?"

Vacation: Big Bear, Day 1

2009-07-25T12:28:00.000-07:00

We arrived in California on July 24th and our first stop was at Cafe Mexico, a favorite restaurant. We had a great night's rest, did some laundry, and then headed up the mountain (not before we stopped at In-N-Out Burger for lunch, though!) to Big Bear Lake.

Here are a few pictures of our first day at Big Bear...

David improved a great deal in his swimming on our trip.

The Marina where we stayed has a nice pool (cold though!)

Happy girl!

Smiley boy!

Vacation: The Grand Canyon

2009-07-23T20:06:00.000-07:00

Kris and Ted, his dad, rose early to take David and Anna for a daybreak hike down into the Canyon. They were pretty excited about this!

The views of Canyon were spectacular in the dawn light. They passed few hikers at this cool time of day, but certainly saw their share of wildlife.

Here are the mules making their way down.

Vacation: The Grand Canyon, Part 2

2009-07-23T18:10:00.000-07:00

While Ted, Kris, Anna and David were hiking, I stayed at the room with Thomas and Daniel and let them sleep in. We enjoyed hanging out together when they finally woke up.

After breakfast, Thomas and Daniel were rearing to go exploring themselves, so we went on a mini-hike into the Canyon, and then we walked down to the train depot. We had to wait awhile for the train to come in.

Here we are waiting...

And more waiting...

Finally the train arrived!

Ready to go hiking!

Kris, Ted and I took David and Thomas on a trip up to see Hermit Point, which consisted of several stops and different views of the Canyon. We saw some amazing views of the Canyon, as well as many points where the Colorado River is visible.

Grandpa with his talkative travel buddy.

The little brown triangle is the river.

What a great time we had at the Grand Canyon! We headed out the next morning, but not before I got to witness the sunrise over the Canyon. What a beautiful and magnificent sight! Thank you, Father, for giving us the opportunity to witness this marvel of your creation!

Vacation: On the Way

2009-07-22T19:28:00.000-07:00

July 21st at 5:30am marked the beginning of our trip to California. The first day, Kris' parents and we headed via caravan for Albuquerque, NM, otherwise known as "Alberturkey" to those of us 5 or under. We had to officially say "Hi" to "Alberturkey" for our friend and neighbor Erin who was born there. We had a great first day, but few pics. The next morning, we started a little later, headed for a two night stay at the Grand Canyon. Here are a few pics of our stops along the way the second day:

The sign behind Anna caused her a bit of distress, and she was happy to get back in the car.

Our little Cheese wasn't scared though!

Thomas kept his Pokey and Duckie close at hand.

Daniel was so sweet when he was sleepy. He would take his lovies (Monkey and Mo Mo and blanket) along with his pacifier (Nee nee) and cuddle up, as still and quiet as can be.

Happy to be at the Grand Canyon!

Indian Gardens...someday maybe I'll make it down there, or farther!

We enjoyed a relaxing dinner with a view of the Canyon.

"Daniel, can you smile for a picture?"
"Sure, Mommy! Cheeeeeese! (Wait! Let me lift my shirt so you see my belly button before you take the picture!)"

On our walk back, we saw several deer in the parking lot beside the lodge!

We couldn't believe how close we were to them!

Enjoying an evening ice cream treat outside our room at the Maswik Lodge. (Thanks Grandma and Grandpa!)

Our trip had a great beginning. This was a definite answer to prayer...Every good gift and every perfect gift is from God.

Joshua Caleb

2009-07-19T19:15:00.000-07:00

July 15th marked the first birthday of our darling little nephew Joshua. We can't believe it's already been a year since his birth! He is precious, and smiley, and I wish we could be around him more. We celebrated in Houston with family and friends at El Tiempo, one of our favorite Mexican restaurants, and one of Joshua's favorite too, so I'm told!

Girlies with Sillies

2009-07-17T19:01:00.000-07:00

We had the joy of seeing our dear friends the Newtons (minus Luke) for the morning. The girls really enjoyed having "girlie" time, a little too much, probably, because I had to ~~force coerce bribe~~ encourage Anna to include her brothers, who were feeling left out.

Dress up!

I think they were getting married here, but I'm not positive. And just in case you are wondering, that is a doll house chair on top of the stocking cap that Anna is donning.

It was wonderful to see you, Gabrielle. Thanks for coming! Hopefully you can stay longer next time. We can't wait to meet the newest little Mr. Newton!

July 4th

2009-07-04T18:54:00.000-07:00

Our fourth of July was relaxing in Tyler with Mom and Dad. Lots of swimming, eating, and we ended the evening with fireworks. It was fun!

Here are a few pictures of us eating...

Thomas Turns Four!

2009-07-01T14:02:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday to our sweet Thomas! (Perhaps when he's fourteen he may not want to be called sweet, but he's so thoughtful and in tune with what others are doing that I just can't resist calling him sweet right now.)
For his fourth birthday, Thomas requested that our family play miniature golf together. He did not realize that golf outside at the beginning of July was not such a fun game, so we opted to visit Amazing Jake's at Collin Creek Mall, where we played a game of putt-putt in the air conditioning.

Hole in one!

Mr. "I-Don't-Miss-A-Thing"

We ate the buffet first, then played golf, then rode on the go-carts (Kris and Thomas) and the bumper cars (Anna and David) before finally, - or so we thought - heading downstairs to sing "Happy Birthday" and eat chocolate rocket cake.

As it turned out, the manager was the kind man wo retrieved the rocket cake for us from the back refrigerator, and upon discovering that it was a birthday celebration, he gave us 4 cards, with $10 to spend on each of them, for us to use upstairs on the games. He also awarded 40 tickets to Thomas to "buy" something in the prize shop. So instead of leaving, we spent about 2 more hours playing the bowling game, the go-carts, the merry-go-round, the flying airplanes (as opposed to the ones that's don't fly - you know...) and bumper cars, and more bowling, more go-carts, and more airplanes...you get the idea. We thought we'd never use up the cards! It was a lot of fun, and we were so thankful that the Lord blessed our family with a fun day and an unexpected surprise for Thomas' birthday. And then, as we were leaving, a woman gave us four HUGE lollipops that she won and did not want! It was quite a memorable and fun day. And it reminded us of the love that God daily lavishes upon His children. He gives and gives and gives, even though we are so undeserving, and when we think (and know) He's given so much already, He gives us more. It makes us want to be a blessing to others in the same way, and never forget His lovingkindness toward us.
And thanks again to Kris' mom for a dinner of Chick-Fil-A, the perfect finish to a full day!

Father's Day

2009-06-21T20:09:00.000-07:00

Father's Day presented a fun opportunity to take our Daddy to a new place to celebrate what a blessing he is to us! It is such a joy to see the kids interact with him. They love him so much. Here are Kris and the kiddos at a fondue restaurant in Dallas.

It was a very memorable evening and we had a great time!

Cutie

2009-06-17T20:08:00.000-07:00

In Tyler with Friends

2009-06-13T19:43:00.000-07:00

On June 13th, we had the privilege of journeying to my parents beautiful backyard in Tyler for a cookout and swimming with the Malarcher family (our neighbors) and my Korean ESL student, Sora, and her husband and two little girls. It was so much fun! The Malarchers made some scrumptious chocolate-and-sprinkle-covered marshmallows on a stick...

...and Sora brought a delicious cake from a Korean-owned bakery.

Irene loved watermelon and would have eaten the whole melon, I'm sure, if she was permitted.

Here are Sora, Kevin, Irene and Cailyn.

More pics from that day...

Anna and Lena

Thanks, Mom and Dad, for generously hosting us and our friends! We had a wonderful time at your beautiful property.

My First Cake

2009-06-05T19:33:00.000-07:00

I don't know that I'll ever go into the cake decorating business, although a part of me would love to do it. But even so, I got my first real "job" decorating a cake for a friend. It was so fun to design and make. Anna was excited about it too and asked for special permission to stay up late to help me finish it.

This was for a bridal shower, and the napkin was the same shade of bright pink and the accent color was black.

All in all, it was a fun experience. If you have a cake to make and you don't want to go to the trouble, please let me know! If I can work it into my schedule, I would enjoy doing it.

Apricot Jam Addendum

2009-06-04T19:28:00.000-07:00

Here is one last picture of our apricot jam. We had already given a couple of jars away by the time we took the picture, but here is our best effort at preserving the beautiful apricots (at least, the beautiful healthy apricots) that the Lord gave us this year. If we learn how to get rid of flies and their offspring, we may be able to have almost twice as much next year!

Peeps

2009-06-04T19:20:00.000-07:00

Our dear neighbors found a tiny baby bird a couple of weeks ago. She fell out of the nest in their gutter, and the rest of her siblings didn't make it, but she survived. The Malarchers adopted her and researched what to feed her. We helped them feed her on days they had to be gone for an extended time. She would chirp every 15 to 30 minutes, and then we would give her a few drops of food, which resembled liquid dog food.

It has been fun to watch her grow. Jieun taught her how to fly, and last Saturday she flew onto our deck. It was so fun to watch her sit there, fluttering her wings but staying still, waiting expectantly for some food.

...Until Genny discovered her! Then we panicked! Genny pounced at her several times, while the kids (and I, I must admit) yelled at her to stop! Thankfully, Genny backed off.

We picked up Peeps and I attempted to carry her through the house to the safer front yard. She wiggled out of my hand while I was halfway through the house, and we all enjoyed watching her fly around the house for a few minutes (thankfully, she hadn't just eaten, if you know what I mean!).

I picked her up and put her out front.

Then, when I tried to go back in the house, she flew up and landed on me and wouldn't let go. It's very funny to have a real, wild bird clinging to you like you are her mother!

David came out with me and he enabled me to go back in by keeping her occupied for a little while. Kris found a worm from our compost pile and gave it to Peeps, and Peeps was a bit confused, but not for long. She quickly learned to keep it in her beak, and then swallowed, and swallowed, and swallowed, until the entire, whole, live worm was inside...except for a tiny part that still stuck out of her mouth. It is quite an education for us! David was quite concerned about the worm still sticking out, but she must have been successful digesting it, because she's still flying around our yard.

We have seen her every day this week. How do we know it's Peeps? She stood at the front door this afternoon, chirping. When I opened the door, she stayed, chirping, and ate some dog food pieces from my hand. I'm pretty sure that it was Peeps!

Not your typical trash

2009-06-04T19:12:00.000-07:00

Last Friday, I asked Thomas to get his Duckie out of the dryer, as he was clean and dry and ready for cuddling. Shortly afterward, I heard HYSTERICAL laughter from the laundry room. "What in the world?" I thought. When I ran in to investigate, there was Thomas, stuck in the trash can across from our dryer. I guess that as he pulled the dryer open, he lost his balance and accidentally sat down in the trash. Then, the rest of the kids had to try it, too, which brought on not a little more laughter. Here's Thomas, right after it happened:

Apricot time!

2009-06-04T19:00:00.000-07:00

Our apricot tree is prolific this year! Our current quantity of jam measures over four gallons, and we have at least one more batch to make (but need more jars!). We also tried out apricot pie. Needless to say, we probably won't have to buy any apricot jam this year! I won't mention that we found out that flies may lay eggs in the rotting apricots, which means MAGGOTS! But, we are developing our character and learning not to be so squeamish (at least, those of us who needed to learn it...) Here are some pics from the last week:

Hills and a Good Foot

2009-06-02T21:20:00.000-07:00

Kris was so resourceful. His truck was leaking gas and he very efficiently bought the part it needed, scooted himself under the truck, and began to fix it...until he accidentally broke off a piece of it and got gasoline in his eye. Bummer. Then it would not work at all and he had to get it to the repair shop. This would have required an ordeal, except that we live on a hill, at the bottom of which and just outside our subdivision is a truck repair shop! It couldn't have been better. Here is Kris, powering his truck by a push from his foot, heading to get his truck fixed (with some excited children running to wave good-bye)!

Pastor Chheng

2009-06-02T21:11:00.000-07:00

We had the privilege of spending a little time a couple of weeks ago with Chheng Nuon, his wife Sophorn, granddaughter Kayleen, and daughter-in-law Allyson (his son Soda is having serious back trouble and couldn't join us) as well as Edward, a brother of ours from church. The Nuons have an amazing story of how the Lord rescued them from the terrible regime of Pol Pot in Cambodia in the 1970s, brought them to the US, captured their heart with the Gospel of Christ, and now they are living again in Cambodia, longing to share the Gospel with their own people. Our dear friends Bill and Jennifer Hale went to join them in their work in 2007. They are here in the Dallas area for a couple of months this summer. Chheng is a joy to know and we respect him very much.

Readin' With Daddy

2009-06-02T21:08:00.000-07:00

First Grade

2009-06-02T20:59:00.000-07:00

Anna's last day of First Grade at Coram Deo Academy in Carrollton was May 6th. The final awards ceremony was May 11th, and our whole family attended. It was very long (2 hours), which was to be expected, and Daniel sat perfectly still on my lap the entire time, which was not at all to be expected. Truly, I was amazed, as was the sweet young woman behind me who commented that she was completely "stunned." "So am I!" I told her.

Here is Anna with Mrs. Wilson, her wonderful, exceptional, gifted teacher/comedian who was such a HUGE blessing in our lives this year! She loved her students and it showed.

We are looking forward to Second Grade at Coram Deo next year! Here we come, Miss Kisko!

Grannie

2009-06-02T20:07:00.001-07:00

Thursday, May 21st was the day for Grannie's funeral. I thought the service was exceptional, and Mom and Uncle Joe did a great job planning. Thanks, MOM! You served all of us well! We sang "My Faith Looks Up to Thee" and "God Will Take Care of You" which I just loved. I wish I could sing some more hymns with Grannie!

Mom and many others spoke about the ways that Grannie had served them. It reminded us all of the wonderful example of serving others she was. She worked tirelessly, not regarding her own physical limitations, but just continuing to do as much as she could. I think the Lord honored her disregard for her own well-being and her unselfish service by keeping her body relatively healthy...for 97 years. It seems to me, if we are focused on serving Him by serving others, we need not worry about overdoing it. Why do I need to worry about my body if God Himself is watching over every hair? Of course, humility means we recognize that we need a decent amount of sleep, need to eat healthily, etc, which she did, but she didn't stop serving because she was afraid of "doing too much" and she rarely, if ever, said, "I'm just too tired." I think she just had such a desire to serve others and love for the Lord that her tiredness was not even comparable to those other desires. She was a great person, and I hope to be like her in many ways!

Her body was layed to rest at the Bosqueville Cemetery, where many of my maternal relatives are buried, including great- and great-great-grandparents and many great-aunts and uncles and many more relatives that I should know but don't!
Here are some pictures for me to remember the day.

Uncle Joe and me

My sweet-as-can-be Abbie (I would say my only niece, but not anymore! My second sweet baby niece is due early August!)

Daniel was so good for the funeral, and started to get a little wiggly during the graveside, so we eventually let him loose and he entertained himself by climbing on the mound of dirt. I know my Grannie would not have minded in the least!

This is the gravestone for my great-great-great grandparents - my mother's mother's father's mother's father and mother.

Here is the gravemarker for my Grandpap's parents, my great-great-grandparents. Notice the inscription on the stone: "They kept the faith."

This is the marker for my great-grandparents, Grannie's mother and father, Grandma and Grandpap. I was a baby when Grandpap died, and was present at the funeral though I don't remember. (Mom - If I'm wrong, please set me straight!). I do remember my Grandma, as we would go visit her with Grannie when I was young. Her name was Julia Anna, and I am named after her.

All the cousins (minus my niece who has yet to make her appearance!)

Baby Birds

2009-05-19T19:51:00.000-07:00

(From May 19th...)
We have had a nest of doves in our "trash tree" this spring, and to our delight, the two eggs hatched last week and now there are two little birds flying around our yard. This evening, Anna spotted them on our side fence, all four sitting: Father and Mother Bird, and the Two Babies. This was right after dinner, and everyone wanted to get a view of the dear birdie family. Even Daniel, who was still in his high chair from dinner, kept saying, "Bird! Bird!" Then he said, "Mommy!" and "Daddy!" and "Bird!" I think he understood! We quickly cleaned him up and let him see too.

The Mother (or Father - I don't know how to tell) flew off (to get some food we conjectured) before we snapped the picture. Here is part of our dear birdie family:

Ballet Recital 2009

2009-05-19T19:30:00.000-07:00

Dallas Ballet Center's younger students performance of "The Candyland Express" choo-chooed across the stage at SMU McFarlin on Sunday, April 26th. The day actually started out with our family headed to PCPC for Anna to join Carol Choir as they sang for both worship services. Then, we went to Bread Winners with Kris' parents. Afterwards, Anna and I headed to the auditorium to get dressed, fix a bun, and apply make-up for her dress rehearsal. I was a backstage mother, so we needed to be there a few minutes ahead of time to help check in the rest of the dancers who were Double-Dip Cherry Maidens.

After the dress rehearsal, we enjoyed catching up with Meredith Covington, a kind and geniune mother that I so missed visiting with all year since Anna was not in her daughter, Cecily's class. We also enjoyed hanging out with Miriam Arnold, a sweet mom with a little girl, Lizzie, who is in Anna's ballet class this year.

Anna and Lizzie

Then, we headed back to the auditorium for the real deal! All in all, the girls had a great time and did very well waiting and performing and waiting some more. And I enjoyed my role as backstage Mom. Miriam took all of these pictures for me and made me a CD - wasn't that so sweet?

Here is a video of the dance when they went through it for the dress rehearsal. No music, but you can see the formations and the pretty Cherry Maidens!

Theresa Alethea Woodward Cross, 1911-2009

2009-05-16T11:54:00.000-07:00

My dear, sweet, loving Grannie died Thursday, May 14th. She was 97 years old. She was a wonderful grandmother. Born on September 22, 1911, in Bosqueville, Texas, she was the eldest of 7 children, with 2 sisters (Aunts Mary Emma Rayburn and Julianna Rayburn - they married brothers Alvin and Everette Rayburn) and 4 brothers (Uncles Augustus Monroe, Eugene Gates, James Preston, and Robert Wortham). There were 16 years between Grannie and Aunt Jule, and her brothers and sisters loved her dearly, affectionately calling her "Sis." She outlived every single one of them. She went to Mary-Hardin Baylor (then, Baylor College for Women) at the age of 15 to become a teacher. She taught school a total of 40 years, in Waco, Belton and Texas City, where my mom and her brothers were raised.

She and Granddaddy moved to Waco when they retired, moving very near to Grannie's mother and father, Robert Augustus and Julia Anna Potter Woodward. At first they lived in a very small shack, which, once Granddaddy built their house, became his workshop. He was an excellent wood craftsman. Although suffering hearing loss from the years and years of working with the table saw, he was gentle and kind and a lover of sports. He was a teacher as well for 35 years and taught industrial arts, woodshop and drafting, science, and coached football and tennis in Waco, Smithville, and Texas City. He was also an army veteran, where he served as an instructor. They married on June 14, 1941 at First Baptist Church, Bosqueville, Texas. They had three children, my uncles Joseph Clephane Cross, and Robert Woodward Cross. My uncle Joe lives with his wife Gloria in Colorado and my uncle Bobby went to be with the Lord in 2002.

I loved going to Grannie's, anticipating the dusty, rocky roads leading our car the last few miles to her and Granddaddy's house, and I knew that when we could smell the dairy farm across the road, it wasn't much farther. She always sent us cards and cash for our birthdays, and came for every recital and celebration, with goodies in hand from Collin Street Bakery (Corsicana was directly in between our houses in Waco and Tyler).

I have such fond memories of Christmases at her and Granddaddy's house, full to the brim with family, as my two uncles would come with their families, and Grannie's two sisters, who lived within walking distance from her house, would also come with their husbands, children and grandchildren. It was always a full house, and Grannie worked tirelessly, ensuring there were plenty of yummy goodies for everyone.

She and Granddaddy would gather with my great aunts and uncles on many a Fridays to play Eighty-Four, which was great fun. I remember sitting on their laps, trying not to knock over their dominoes, and wondering at the draw of the mysterious, loud game with its bursts of laughter, shouts of unbelief, and chink-chinks of the dominoes as they were played and shuffled.

I remember playing in Grannie's closet, coming out to be admired in my new shoes.

I remember that Grannie would let us play with her Band-aids in her bathroom, and I would come out with a couple of new boo-boos, enjoying the sympathy.

The night Mom was in ICU from gallbladder surgery complications, I remember sitting beside Grannie, both sleepless, as she read Psalm 23 and prayed with me.

I remember all the stuff she and Granddaddy had, children of the Depression era. She had several sets of china, beautiful sets, and all kinds of aluminum dishes, stashed away for that "someday" she might need them. She had a whole, HUGE, closet to store dishes and pans and jars and all kinds of kitchen accessories. And a deep freeze...two of them, in which there were all kinds of frozen things, most of them things that should have been eaten a year or two earlier. :) But plenty of those pinwheel cinnamon rolls for breakfast, the kind you can unroll if you want to (and Grannie never made us just take bites; she let us unroll away.) Her refrigerator was always stocked with "Grannie cheese" - slices of individually wrapped American cheese, just perfect for putting on a paper plate and nuking for a few seconds until it was melted enough to eat with a spoon. (But before you could put it in the microwave, you always had to remove Grannie's coffee, which she had rewarmed hours ago and then forgot.)

She always had Juicy Fruit gum in a jar on the counter, along with Double Mint, but it seems I always wanted Juicy Fruit. Her marshmallows were also in a canister on the counter, accessible to young girls who wanted a fluffy sweet snack. And shoestring potatoes! I could eat the whole can, I'm sure, except that the men watching football, which was ALWAYS blaring from the TV, would balk if I ate them all. Speaking of football, Granddaddy would snooze in his chair as he "watched" the loud game, also simultaneoulsy listening to a different game on the radio he placed on the floor beside his chair. Even when he was asleep, you could ask him the score and he would wake up and tell you!

Grannie and Granddaddy served faithfully in their church, Columbus Avenue Baptist Church in Waco. Granddaddy sang in the choir, and during the sad saga of the Branch Davidian cult, their preacher was on the news (even in Tyler) at least once and we saw Granddaddy up there in the choir loft behind him! He always looked like he was snoozing, but I'm sure he was listening...after all, he did that for football too!
Grannie and Granddaddy were dear, dear grandparents. They loved us, and cared for us, and served us. Best of all, I always knew Grannie was praying for me. What a comfort that has been through the years. In the last few years, her mind deteriorated to the point that she did not recognize us, not even my mother sometimes. Granddaddy passed away in 2000 at the age of 91.
And now Grannie.

They thought she was having blood sugar problems because she did not wake up Thursday morning. But after repeatedly administering meds for that, the nurses at the nursing home began to suspect it was her heart. She was flown via helicopter to the closest hospital since her nursing home was in rural Colorado. But she died in transit.

God gave her a long life with rich memories, but best of all, He gave her His Son. And He gently called her home this week as she slept, so she could awake from this mortal life, from her old body and dim mind, to live in His radiant glory forever, fully cognizant of His beauty and love.

Our Little Singer

2009-05-12T21:25:00.001-07:00

Daniel enjoys singing "Mighty, mighty Savior" from Awesome God, a wonderful CD for kids from Sovereign Grace Music. He also likes, "E-I-E-I-O" from "Old MacDonald had a farm." Here's a quick video of him singing both.

Thomas' reasoning

2009-05-12T12:27:00.000-07:00

On our way home from Sam's, Thomas asks me for permission to go to the front yard when we get home to take a look at the dove in her nest. She is just out of reach of the kids, but low enough for them to peek in to see if she is still there.
"Ok, Thomas, " I agreed, as long as Anna was with him.
"May I please take my Duckie, too?" he asked.
"No, let's not take Duckie, because Duckie might scare the little bird. We don't want to scare her," I replied.
"Oh, no, Duckie won't scare the bird, because I won't open Duckie's mouth. "
He always has a good reason why...
Funny boy.

Doodle Bug

2009-05-10T20:22:00.000-07:00

Kris took us out to dinner this evening for Mother's Day, which I was thankful for! As we waited for a table, we enjoyed the balmy evening air and the kids gently searched for treasures from the grass and beds around the waiting area. Then, we headed inside and I asked Thomas to hold onto my pocket since I was carrying Daniel.
"Yes, Ma'am," he cheerfully said. And then he added, "I put my doodle bug in there too, so it will be safe while we eat."
"Ok, Thomas...What did you say?"
"I put my doodle bug in there so it will be safe."
"Where?"
"In your pocket."
Yes, it was in there! Thanks, Thomas!

Fridge trouble...again

2009-05-08T20:56:00.000-07:00

Our refrigerator hasn't exactly had a good year. When we came home from Florida last summer, after two weeks of being gone, we discovered that our fridge had stopped working...very shortly after we left. It had absolutely blossomed in the worst way you can imagine. After several treatments of bleach water and a new relay, we gained enough confidence to use it again.

Then, while Kris was in Cambodia in October, I noticed our ice was melting. This time it was the compressor. A few hundred dollars later (thankfully, it was a really cheap fix for a compressor!), we were able to use it again.

Then in the last couple of weeks, we noticed that the freezer was not keeping our ice cream solid enough. (You'd think we'd also notice the frozen vegetables being soggy, but no...it was the ice cream!)

This week, Kirby's Appliance Repair came again. This time, the compressor was diagnosed as insufficient and Kirby's came in and replaced it since it was still under warranty from last October. They didn't have us pay a cent. The boys were mesmorized by the repairman, and wanted to be right there watching. I was concerned that Thomas would wear the repairman down with constant chatter like, "I have a Duckie! Daddy took Duckie to work today! He needs to be careful doesn't he, Mommy? What is that tool for?" The repairman was very cheerful, however, and must either have children or just genuinely enjoys them, because he just smiled and answered. Here are Daniel and Thomas watching the action:

Dad and Mom's Trip

2009-05-08T20:42:00.000-07:00

Since last summer, Sarah and I have been planning a trip (on Dad's behalf) for Mom and Dad. It is her 60th birthday present.

Saturday, April 25th, was the long-awaited day of departure. Mom and Dad came over and Kris helped Mom put some of her favorite music on her new Ipod Shuffle. Then, we ate lunch and headed to the airport. When we got there...Oops!...Mom's CPAP machine wasn't in the car, so I headed back to Sachse to fetch the much-needed machine. Thankfully, they checked their bags and had plenty of time to get through security and board after I arrived. Kris and the kids waited with them while I was getting the breathing machine.

We love you and hope you have a wonderful time! Can't wait to see your pictures and hear all about it!

Anonymous Comments

2009-05-08T19:09:00.000-07:00

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