Christmas Day was fun. I spent some quiet time talking to Jesus before going downstairs to join Sandy and Terry. It was a sweet time.
Sandy was busy in the kitchen. She loves to cook and bake and has been busy the last few days baking and decorating about 5 different kinds of cookies, a Boston Crème Cake, cheesecake and other goodies. Today she is fixing home-made noodles, mashed potatoes, home canned green beans and frozen corn from their garden and home made yeast rolls. She baked a turkey and my niece baked a ham. I helped debone the turkey, peel 5 pounds of potatoes, prepare veggies and cheese and whatever else she needed me to do. My niece made her usual sugarfree strawberry dessert for my nephew who is diabetic. We also had fresh pineapple from my Mom and homemade fudge and peanut brittle from Terry’s sisters. It was a yummy celebration!
After eating, we opened presents and it was crazy. The kids really had a good time. They got so much stuff that I don’t think they know yet what all they received! The unwrapping didn’t take too long and the cleanup went pretty quickly, too. We had dessert after gift time.
My nephew Curtis had to take the kids to their other grandparents’ home, Mom and Gary needed to get home to rest and Stacey’s family went to Michigan for a few days. The left me and Sandy and Terry to enjoy a quiet evening and we all went to bed early! Hohoho. It was a nice day.
Thursday (the day after Christmas) started out with Sandy and I taking down all of her Christmas stuff. I un-decorated the tree and helped pack stuff in boxes and tubs. A couple of grandkids came over to spend a few days, so they helped Terry put all the tubs back up in the attic. Everything is spic and span and ready for the rest of winter.
On Friday, Sandy, Terry, 2 grandkids and I went to Louisville (about 1.5 hours away) to shop at a couple of malls to use Terry’s gift-cards. Terry figured that Sandy and I would want to shop a long time at the malls, so he packed snacks for the boys and after they made a quick trip through the mall, they waited in the car for us. We didn’t really have anything we wanted to shop for, so we made a quick trip of it ourselves. We had a good lunch at one of the King Fish restaurants in town. I hadn’t eaten there for many years. It used to be a special treat to drive there and eat at that restaurant. I enjoyed my blackened talapia/grilled salmon combo with carrots and baked potato. Yum.
We then went to another mall and as we were walking to the car to drive a couple of parking lots away to Bass Pro Shop, my great-nephew teased that he would just walk. I said I would walk with him. He didn’t think I really meant it, but found out quickly as I took the hands of him and his brother that we were indeed going to hoof it. It was a mild day temperature wise so we enjoyed the walk. (especially after that good lunch!) We ended up not buying a thing at Bass Pro Shop. But it was fun to walk around there again.
We made it home and the boys had fun playing and the adults enjoyed resting.
Saturday morning, Terry decided to keep the boys home with him to shoot the rifle and bow and arrow together. They spent some time out in the woods and also messing around in the new barn (aka Terry’s man cave). Sandy and I took advantage of a kid-free day and went to the outlet mall nearby. We shopped a bit and had lunch and then stopped by my aunt and uncle’s house for a few hours. Then we hit 2 grocery stores and headed back home. We were pleasantly tired. Beans in the crockpot and a pan of hot, fresh cornbread was dinner and it was good!
I was planning on going to church with Mom and Gary today, but I woke up with a bit of tummy trouble and went back to bed till mid-morning. With the grandkids around with various ailments, it’s a miracle that we haven’t all been down with sicknesses of various types. We’ve had a quiet day here at the house. Stacey and family visited a bit. The 2 grandsons are still present and had some time outside again this afternoon. Terry went hunting out in their woods and shot a deer with his crossbow. That created great interest in the boys. Poor Bambie’s mom… But they will enjoy the meat this winter.
I’ve been spending time reading and studying and pondering about the ministry that God is leading me to for 2014. There is so much to do to prepare and it can feel overwhelming, but I know that He has it all planned in HIS way and in HIS time – even the details that I need to capture in my mind to put on paper. I get excited thinking about it all. Tired, but excited!
Sunday, December 29, 2013
Wednesday, December 25, 2013
December 20-24, 2013 Visit to IN
The time difference here in Indiana is 1 hour from AR and Nica. Not too bad, but sleeping in till 8am really means getting up at 7am. Blah. But nothing pressing is on the agenda, so it’s not too bad.
Sandy and I ran errands Friday morning, starting with grocery buying at 1 of 4 stores with bargains. We filled up the Tahoe with groceries and brought them back to the house and shoved the cold stuff into the fridges and then headed back out to shop. We met my nephew-in-law and kids at McDonalds for lunch and took the kids with us. Bentley was not feeling too good and mostly slept all afternoon. We ran a bunch of errands and then headed home for the evening.
Saturday morning, Sandy and I headed out again for shopping, this time with my niece Stacey. It was getting cold and it was a little bit rainy. We were forecast to get a lot of rain very quickly and flooding roads was the fear of everyone. We had a yummy lunch at Chili’s and just kept going from store to store. I was thrilled to find some stuff on clearance for Nica. We had a crockpot full of roast and veggies waiting for us at home and I was glad to get back to my sister’s cozy house.
Rains had caused rivers to rise and roads to flood, so I didn’t get to go to church with my Mom and stepdad on Sunday. I watched the 3rd week of the ‘Believe’ Christmas special from my home church on the internet. I really enjoyed it.
On Monday, I round a route around some of the flooding roads so that I could meet up with my other sister Pam and her husband Rob for our own Christmas dinner at their favorite restaurant. There is a steak place in a town about 30 miles away that has all you can eat ribs on Mondays. It was divine! We could even bring some home! I sent my ‘left-overs’ home with Rob for dinner. We had a fun time visiting with Rob’s mom and niece. It was very cold and I wanted to get home to Sandy’s before dark, because of the closing roads, so I made my way home about 4pm. Rob and Pam and I will get together again before I leave for AR next week.
Sandy and I stayed home on Tuesday, baking and cooking (mostly Sandy) and I did some quilling and supervised my great-nephew Conner with his new glue gun. It was nice to stay inside where it was warm.
We had a very nice and quiet Christmas Eve at Sandy’s and went to bed rather early. I missed being in church services, but I got to ‘ponder’ about Jesus’ birth. I love Christmas Eve and Christmas Day to myself, with Jesus, so this was nice to have some quiet time by myself. Next, those reindeer games with the niece, nephew and their kids! God is good and it’s fun to celebrate love and Jesus with each other!
Sandy and I ran errands Friday morning, starting with grocery buying at 1 of 4 stores with bargains. We filled up the Tahoe with groceries and brought them back to the house and shoved the cold stuff into the fridges and then headed back out to shop. We met my nephew-in-law and kids at McDonalds for lunch and took the kids with us. Bentley was not feeling too good and mostly slept all afternoon. We ran a bunch of errands and then headed home for the evening.
Saturday morning, Sandy and I headed out again for shopping, this time with my niece Stacey. It was getting cold and it was a little bit rainy. We were forecast to get a lot of rain very quickly and flooding roads was the fear of everyone. We had a yummy lunch at Chili’s and just kept going from store to store. I was thrilled to find some stuff on clearance for Nica. We had a crockpot full of roast and veggies waiting for us at home and I was glad to get back to my sister’s cozy house.
Rains had caused rivers to rise and roads to flood, so I didn’t get to go to church with my Mom and stepdad on Sunday. I watched the 3rd week of the ‘Believe’ Christmas special from my home church on the internet. I really enjoyed it.
On Monday, I round a route around some of the flooding roads so that I could meet up with my other sister Pam and her husband Rob for our own Christmas dinner at their favorite restaurant. There is a steak place in a town about 30 miles away that has all you can eat ribs on Mondays. It was divine! We could even bring some home! I sent my ‘left-overs’ home with Rob for dinner. We had a fun time visiting with Rob’s mom and niece. It was very cold and I wanted to get home to Sandy’s before dark, because of the closing roads, so I made my way home about 4pm. Rob and Pam and I will get together again before I leave for AR next week.
Sandy and I stayed home on Tuesday, baking and cooking (mostly Sandy) and I did some quilling and supervised my great-nephew Conner with his new glue gun. It was nice to stay inside where it was warm.
We had a very nice and quiet Christmas Eve at Sandy’s and went to bed rather early. I missed being in church services, but I got to ‘ponder’ about Jesus’ birth. I love Christmas Eve and Christmas Day to myself, with Jesus, so this was nice to have some quiet time by myself. Next, those reindeer games with the niece, nephew and their kids! God is good and it’s fun to celebrate love and Jesus with each other!
December 18-19, 2013 Travel days to IN
I took my time finishing laundry and packing and cleaning my room. I think it took about 2 hours from the time that I woke up until I was ready to hit the road. Deanna didn’t want me to head out too early or tired. It was pretty calm. The weather was mild and by leaving town about 9am, the sun was not directly in my eyes as I traveled east.
I usually make this trip with the end in mind. It’s almost like it’s something to be conquered. And that makes me stressed about every mile and every stop, always worrying about wasting even a minute. But this time, I’m taking each mile and moment as it comes. I’m trying to live this same way… instead of fretting over the past and stressing over the future, I’m trying to live and enjoy in the present! It will take God’s help every moment of every day!
I enjoyed my drive. I am able to listen to Christian music stations all the way on my trip, but even the other stations were nice to listen to with their Christmas music going. I sang a lot and talked to God a lot. There was hardly any traffic at all, which is why I chose to travel on a Wednesday. Some stretches of road were completely empty! Many miles of road just had me and a few cars and some semis. No problems even at the exits to cities and towns. I was very blessed. I enjoyed a conversation with a couple of ladies at a rest stop in MO. I got some maps, too. I bet they have a fun job getting to talk to people from all over. Interesting…
Wednesday night I stayed at the Hampton Inn in Fairfield Heights IL, which is the first exit east of St Louis on Interstate 64. I have stayed there a few times in the past. I like it. This time I was still very full from my late lunch at Cracker Barrel. I had chicken and dumplings, mashed potatoes and a baked sweet potato (call the carb police!) and I was stuffed! Anyway, I was ready for walking after being in the car all day. So I drove through town a little bit to the Target store. I found some clearance shirts to take back to Nica with me. Score! I stopped by Wendy’s and got some food for later in my room.
It was getting really cold and windy, so I was glad to get back to my room and snuggle in. I made some check-in phone calls and got on the computer for a while. Then I watched some tv and read myself to sleep in the huge, comfy bed. It was a very nice evening.
I was up early and took my time getting ready to leave. It was still very cold outside as I packed my stuff back in the car. I had some of the free breakfast at the hotel and then started on my way east about 9am. I had missed all the bad work traffic and it was wonderful!
I find the stretch of Interstate 64 across Illinois very, very boring and there are very few exits for gas and food. My goal is always to just make it across IL and I’m happy. There was little traffic, so it was nice. I celebrated crossing the IN state line by singing what lyrics I can remember of ‘Back Home Again in Indiana’.
I stopped for lunch and gas in Santa Claus IN. Then it was on to New Albany IN, which is just north of Louisville KY (where the interstate heads). Once I maneuvered around the by-pass to get on I65, I was just an hour or so from my sisters. It was so nice to be driving this during the daylight. I hate driving at night. The traffic was heavy here, but moving pretty quickly. I made it to my sister’s house about 4:30 IN time. It was good to get there and get all my stuff inside. Thankfully, my brother-in-law arrived at the perfect time to carry my suitcases inside. I got cozy and enjoyed a chat with my sister.
I enjoyed my 2 day trip. I used to drive it all in one day, leaving before sunrise and getting there about sundown or after. Now, I’d rather treat myself to a night on the road and make it more enjoyable. Even though it turns into 2 days of driving and costs more in hotel and food, it’s worth it to me in my old age! Lol
So thankful for the time to spend with my family over the holidays. God blesses me in many ways and I’m so thankful. Let the reindeer games begin!!!
I usually make this trip with the end in mind. It’s almost like it’s something to be conquered. And that makes me stressed about every mile and every stop, always worrying about wasting even a minute. But this time, I’m taking each mile and moment as it comes. I’m trying to live this same way… instead of fretting over the past and stressing over the future, I’m trying to live and enjoy in the present! It will take God’s help every moment of every day!
I enjoyed my drive. I am able to listen to Christian music stations all the way on my trip, but even the other stations were nice to listen to with their Christmas music going. I sang a lot and talked to God a lot. There was hardly any traffic at all, which is why I chose to travel on a Wednesday. Some stretches of road were completely empty! Many miles of road just had me and a few cars and some semis. No problems even at the exits to cities and towns. I was very blessed. I enjoyed a conversation with a couple of ladies at a rest stop in MO. I got some maps, too. I bet they have a fun job getting to talk to people from all over. Interesting…
Wednesday night I stayed at the Hampton Inn in Fairfield Heights IL, which is the first exit east of St Louis on Interstate 64. I have stayed there a few times in the past. I like it. This time I was still very full from my late lunch at Cracker Barrel. I had chicken and dumplings, mashed potatoes and a baked sweet potato (call the carb police!) and I was stuffed! Anyway, I was ready for walking after being in the car all day. So I drove through town a little bit to the Target store. I found some clearance shirts to take back to Nica with me. Score! I stopped by Wendy’s and got some food for later in my room.
It was getting really cold and windy, so I was glad to get back to my room and snuggle in. I made some check-in phone calls and got on the computer for a while. Then I watched some tv and read myself to sleep in the huge, comfy bed. It was a very nice evening.
I was up early and took my time getting ready to leave. It was still very cold outside as I packed my stuff back in the car. I had some of the free breakfast at the hotel and then started on my way east about 9am. I had missed all the bad work traffic and it was wonderful!
I find the stretch of Interstate 64 across Illinois very, very boring and there are very few exits for gas and food. My goal is always to just make it across IL and I’m happy. There was little traffic, so it was nice. I celebrated crossing the IN state line by singing what lyrics I can remember of ‘Back Home Again in Indiana’.
I stopped for lunch and gas in Santa Claus IN. Then it was on to New Albany IN, which is just north of Louisville KY (where the interstate heads). Once I maneuvered around the by-pass to get on I65, I was just an hour or so from my sisters. It was so nice to be driving this during the daylight. I hate driving at night. The traffic was heavy here, but moving pretty quickly. I made it to my sister’s house about 4:30 IN time. It was good to get there and get all my stuff inside. Thankfully, my brother-in-law arrived at the perfect time to carry my suitcases inside. I got cozy and enjoyed a chat with my sister.
I enjoyed my 2 day trip. I used to drive it all in one day, leaving before sunrise and getting there about sundown or after. Now, I’d rather treat myself to a night on the road and make it more enjoyable. Even though it turns into 2 days of driving and costs more in hotel and food, it’s worth it to me in my old age! Lol
So thankful for the time to spend with my family over the holidays. God blesses me in many ways and I’m so thankful. Let the reindeer games begin!!!
December 4-17, 2013
After returning to the cooler weather in AR, I looked for all my warmer clothes to be ready for the stay in the states. It was weird to wear shoes and socks all the time. Too cold for flipflops here!
There was a winter storm coming through, so I went to Walmart to get some groceries and necessities for iced-in days, as well as what I needed just because I had been gone to Nica. The stores weren’t too bad yet, but it was coming!
Deanna and I were iced-snowed in for a week. We were cozy and had plenty to keep us busy. We got ice first, so we didn’t want to drive anywhere. Then we got about 8” of snow on top of that, so we stayed inside. I enjoyed some computer work, end of year bookkeeping, quilling Christmas presents, preparing for new ministry opportunities in 2014, communication with people, catching up on some HGTV and Food Channel shows, Bible Study, reading, cooking and baking, and of course, naps!!! It was a great retreat for me! Deanna and I got to talk a lot, too. She is such a great listener and encourager. I’m blessed to be taken care of by her.
The lovely friends who loan me their car when I’m in the states, Michael and Vickie Brown, needed to borrow the car back when his truck had some issues. It was not a problem for me at all, since I didn’t want to drive their car on the bad roads anyway. It is such a huge blessing to me to get the use of their car. They think it’s no big thing. How thankful I am that God leads them to share their car with me. They are my angels!
I was very blessed to get to spend most of the day with my dear friend Becca Janes and we had lunch, ran some errands, visited the grocery store, picked up kids from schools and just had a nice time talking. She is such a sweet, sweet friend and I love spending time with her!
I had to get all of my Christmas stuff done before the 18th. I got the car back the afternoon of the 17th, and ran all of my errands in Rogers and delivered some gifts and cards. I got all my stuff packed and ready for Christmas in IN with my family. Then I got my room ready for Deanna’s family to use while I was gone. I was actually doing laundry and packing the morning I left for the road trip. No stress, just taking it as it comes…
I loved getting to spend so much ‘down’ time. I’m naturally a person who has to keep moving and keep doing things or I feel lacking. God is using different circumstances to teach me to ‘Be still…’ and to experience His sovereignty and mercy and grace. I’m thankful for His desire to draw me near to Him and to know Him and to love Him and to serve Him. I can’t imagine anything better.
There was a winter storm coming through, so I went to Walmart to get some groceries and necessities for iced-in days, as well as what I needed just because I had been gone to Nica. The stores weren’t too bad yet, but it was coming!
Deanna and I were iced-snowed in for a week. We were cozy and had plenty to keep us busy. We got ice first, so we didn’t want to drive anywhere. Then we got about 8” of snow on top of that, so we stayed inside. I enjoyed some computer work, end of year bookkeeping, quilling Christmas presents, preparing for new ministry opportunities in 2014, communication with people, catching up on some HGTV and Food Channel shows, Bible Study, reading, cooking and baking, and of course, naps!!! It was a great retreat for me! Deanna and I got to talk a lot, too. She is such a great listener and encourager. I’m blessed to be taken care of by her.
The lovely friends who loan me their car when I’m in the states, Michael and Vickie Brown, needed to borrow the car back when his truck had some issues. It was not a problem for me at all, since I didn’t want to drive their car on the bad roads anyway. It is such a huge blessing to me to get the use of their car. They think it’s no big thing. How thankful I am that God leads them to share their car with me. They are my angels!
I was very blessed to get to spend most of the day with my dear friend Becca Janes and we had lunch, ran some errands, visited the grocery store, picked up kids from schools and just had a nice time talking. She is such a sweet, sweet friend and I love spending time with her!
I had to get all of my Christmas stuff done before the 18th. I got the car back the afternoon of the 17th, and ran all of my errands in Rogers and delivered some gifts and cards. I got all my stuff packed and ready for Christmas in IN with my family. Then I got my room ready for Deanna’s family to use while I was gone. I was actually doing laundry and packing the morning I left for the road trip. No stress, just taking it as it comes…
I loved getting to spend so much ‘down’ time. I’m naturally a person who has to keep moving and keep doing things or I feel lacking. God is using different circumstances to teach me to ‘Be still…’ and to experience His sovereignty and mercy and grace. I’m thankful for His desire to draw me near to Him and to know Him and to love Him and to serve Him. I can’t imagine anything better.
Friday, December 6, 2013
December 2-3, 2013 Travel Days!
Monday started out with moving the last of my stuff to Tamara’s house and saying goodbye to the VOH team house. It was a huge sigh of relief to be done packing and moving STUFF! I just kept taking deep breaths and sighing all day long. After the tears of saying goodbye to the workers at the team house, I smiled most of the day. I was happy and those around me were somewhat sad as they were saying goodbye to visitors.
I hung out the rest of the day with Tamara and her family. Kelly and Hope Adams were visiting Tamara’s family for the week doing missions work. They were leaving on the same flight as me on Tuesday, so we all rode to Managua together and stayed at the hotel across from the airport.
We had a quick lunch at Tamara’s house and waited for Fransicso to get the van road-ready. We loaded into the van and headed to the big city. It was the first time that I have ridden to Managua and enjoyed it. I usually fight car sickness. But I took my ginger pills and was in good shape. I think my happy state of mind made the trip better than usual, too. I felt a little guilty to be so happy when the others were sad saying goodbye to each other. But I think I was a good distraction sometimes, too.
We roamed around PriceSmart (like Sam’s Club) and Tamara stocked up on some things. I checked out the shelves to remember what I might want to buy when I get back to Nica in January. I did buy some of the huge muffins from the bakery. This gave me and Kelly and Hope something to munch on for the evening and also the next morning for breakfast. (Although, I think Hope only ate one and I ate 2 and we left the other 3 for the maid at the hotel.)
We got to the hotel (across from the airport) about 5:30. There were lots of tears as goodbyes were said. I went in to the lobby to get my room key and found out the I had messed up my reservation on line and had actually paid for a reserved room in León instead of Managua. It was too late to cancel, so I ended up paying for the unused room. (I couldn’t find anyone in León who was available to use the room just for fun, either.) Anyway, the other bad news was that there were NO rooms available at the hotel. Argh! Kelly and Hope were very gracious and let me stay in their room. What angels to me! I think it gave a little distraction for Hope, too, as her teenage heart was sad to say goodbye to her boyfriend.
We rested in the room a bit and all got on the internet. We surfed the tv channels and laughed at the Duck Dynasty episode in Spanish. Not much on tv and we were all lost in our own thoughts.
Some other friends were at the hotel waiting to meet other friends traveling on our flight. The Speigels, who are missionaries moving to the US for awhile, were there to have dinner with the Brakens, who were former missionaries to Nica and were visiting for the week. Tamara was the common thread between everyone. I was actually carrying a suitcase of books back to the US for the Speigels and the Brackens were taking suitcases and guitars back for them. They looked like the Von Trapp family!
Kelly and Hope joined the others for dinner at the food court across the highway at the airport. I opted for a lovely dinner in the hotel restaurant. I had been ready for my favorite meal there – chicken breast stuffed with spinach and mozzarella cheese, mashed potatoes and steamed veggies. Yum! I had a little bit of time in the room by myself and then the girls got back and we all turned in early. It was a nice and quick evening.
Tuesday morning, we arose at 5am and got showered and dressed. We made it to the airport via shuttle (the traffic on the highway is dangerous most of the time). With so many people flying out (many of which had spent the night at the hotel) we wanted to get checked in and through immigration and security as soon as possible. A lot of people had already went through, so we had a few minutes for Kelly to do some last minute shopping. We got to our gate and took turns walking around and checking things out. It was pretty peaceful and relaxing.
Our flight was good. The people I was to sit next to asked if I would trade seats with a friend of theirs, and I didn’t mind at all. I ended up sitting on the aisle next to an empty seat. The guy in the window seat struck up a conversation and we talked about missions and living in Nica and his family and lots of things. I think it was a God-appointment.
Once in Atlanta, we got through Customs pretty quickly and retrieved our luggage. At this point, I had to say goodbye to Kelly and Hope and we went to our different terminals. It was nice to meet them and be blessed by their hospitality at the hotel.
I had my usual travel meal at TGIFridays in the international terminal. This time I had the steak and ribs, mashed potatoes and veggies. It was so yummy! I was having a wonderful travel day! My total layover was only 3 hours, so really I only had about 1 hour to kill. I sat in a gate with few people so that I could charge up my phone and Kindle. Then it was time to board my plane.
I arrived back in XNA a little bit late and Cathy Krupka was waiting for me. We went to Carraba’s for dinner (my first time) and it was lovely to visit together. She is a good friend and wonderful sister-in-Christ.
I made it home to Deanna’s and visited with her for a while before heading to bed. It was good to be back in her welcoming home. Jet looks a little more distinguished with more white fur around his mouth and eyes. The cat loved getting to run into my room as soon as the door was opened. All is normal here!
I’m so thankful for the travel mercies and the people I got to interact with during the day. God is faithful and sovereign and I love getting to be His daughter!
I hung out the rest of the day with Tamara and her family. Kelly and Hope Adams were visiting Tamara’s family for the week doing missions work. They were leaving on the same flight as me on Tuesday, so we all rode to Managua together and stayed at the hotel across from the airport.
We had a quick lunch at Tamara’s house and waited for Fransicso to get the van road-ready. We loaded into the van and headed to the big city. It was the first time that I have ridden to Managua and enjoyed it. I usually fight car sickness. But I took my ginger pills and was in good shape. I think my happy state of mind made the trip better than usual, too. I felt a little guilty to be so happy when the others were sad saying goodbye to each other. But I think I was a good distraction sometimes, too.
We roamed around PriceSmart (like Sam’s Club) and Tamara stocked up on some things. I checked out the shelves to remember what I might want to buy when I get back to Nica in January. I did buy some of the huge muffins from the bakery. This gave me and Kelly and Hope something to munch on for the evening and also the next morning for breakfast. (Although, I think Hope only ate one and I ate 2 and we left the other 3 for the maid at the hotel.)
We got to the hotel (across from the airport) about 5:30. There were lots of tears as goodbyes were said. I went in to the lobby to get my room key and found out the I had messed up my reservation on line and had actually paid for a reserved room in León instead of Managua. It was too late to cancel, so I ended up paying for the unused room. (I couldn’t find anyone in León who was available to use the room just for fun, either.) Anyway, the other bad news was that there were NO rooms available at the hotel. Argh! Kelly and Hope were very gracious and let me stay in their room. What angels to me! I think it gave a little distraction for Hope, too, as her teenage heart was sad to say goodbye to her boyfriend.
We rested in the room a bit and all got on the internet. We surfed the tv channels and laughed at the Duck Dynasty episode in Spanish. Not much on tv and we were all lost in our own thoughts.
Some other friends were at the hotel waiting to meet other friends traveling on our flight. The Speigels, who are missionaries moving to the US for awhile, were there to have dinner with the Brakens, who were former missionaries to Nica and were visiting for the week. Tamara was the common thread between everyone. I was actually carrying a suitcase of books back to the US for the Speigels and the Brackens were taking suitcases and guitars back for them. They looked like the Von Trapp family!
Kelly and Hope joined the others for dinner at the food court across the highway at the airport. I opted for a lovely dinner in the hotel restaurant. I had been ready for my favorite meal there – chicken breast stuffed with spinach and mozzarella cheese, mashed potatoes and steamed veggies. Yum! I had a little bit of time in the room by myself and then the girls got back and we all turned in early. It was a nice and quick evening.
Tuesday morning, we arose at 5am and got showered and dressed. We made it to the airport via shuttle (the traffic on the highway is dangerous most of the time). With so many people flying out (many of which had spent the night at the hotel) we wanted to get checked in and through immigration and security as soon as possible. A lot of people had already went through, so we had a few minutes for Kelly to do some last minute shopping. We got to our gate and took turns walking around and checking things out. It was pretty peaceful and relaxing.
Our flight was good. The people I was to sit next to asked if I would trade seats with a friend of theirs, and I didn’t mind at all. I ended up sitting on the aisle next to an empty seat. The guy in the window seat struck up a conversation and we talked about missions and living in Nica and his family and lots of things. I think it was a God-appointment.
Once in Atlanta, we got through Customs pretty quickly and retrieved our luggage. At this point, I had to say goodbye to Kelly and Hope and we went to our different terminals. It was nice to meet them and be blessed by their hospitality at the hotel.
I had my usual travel meal at TGIFridays in the international terminal. This time I had the steak and ribs, mashed potatoes and veggies. It was so yummy! I was having a wonderful travel day! My total layover was only 3 hours, so really I only had about 1 hour to kill. I sat in a gate with few people so that I could charge up my phone and Kindle. Then it was time to board my plane.
I arrived back in XNA a little bit late and Cathy Krupka was waiting for me. We went to Carraba’s for dinner (my first time) and it was lovely to visit together. She is a good friend and wonderful sister-in-Christ.
I made it home to Deanna’s and visited with her for a while before heading to bed. It was good to be back in her welcoming home. Jet looks a little more distinguished with more white fur around his mouth and eyes. The cat loved getting to run into my room as soon as the door was opened. All is normal here!
I’m so thankful for the travel mercies and the people I got to interact with during the day. God is faithful and sovereign and I love getting to be His daughter!
November 24 - December 2, 2013
The week and a half in Nica for the year. All the teams have come and gone. All the North Americans have come and gone. It’s nice an peaceful and special these last days.
I spent my time packing up the rest of my room, getting it ready to move to storage at my friend, Tamara’s house. I also got the chance to visit with many friends, some whom I had not had the chance to be with for quite some time. I truly enjoyed myself.
I was thankful for the chance to finish packing in a calm manner. I don’t like moving, especially in stages, and it was nice not to feel rushed or stressed. I got the chance to give away more things and pare down a bit. Of course, if you looked at everything stacked up at Tamara’s house, you would wonder how I got all of that stuff in one little room at the team house! LOL Living in NYC taught me well!
I also got the chance to do a lot of reading and Bible study. I love having a calm, peaceful atmosphere to listen to God speaking to me. I enjoyed some hot green tea in the mornings and iced green tea the rest of the day. It was good for my soul (and my body).
Even though I blew my budget on taxis for the week, I was thankful to get to go into town for dinners and visits with friends. I loved getting the chance to walk around the city. I LOVE walking and getting to do this. It reminds me of when I lived and served as a missionary in NYC. Those were the happiest times in my life. Hard, but happy. I knew I was in the will of God and felt the blessings of obedience.
As I enjoyed my time running around León, I could feel God’s confirmation on His call for me to focus only on His plans and be devoted to following His guidance and direction. I kept ‘randomly’ running into people that I will have more and more interaction with in the future. More blessings from God and promises for the coming days.
On Sunday, Dec 1, I worked with the kids at church at the team house for the last time. We had fun. Then I got to have lunch with a friend and her son and ran into other friends and their babies. I had visited with other friends on Saturday and their baby. I was baby-blessed!
Estefanie came over for the afternoon/evening on Sunday and helped me pack. I sent all the extra food from my fridge to her house. It was wonderful to spend some quality with her. Love her so much!
I finished packing by early Monday morning and my friends came with a truck to pack it all up. This was the third load to go. The twin bed/mattress, fridge, large shelf and rocking chair had to all be tied on top of the truck. I felt a bit like the Clampetts moving to Beverly Hills. LOL
As I left the team house for the last time, I started crying. Alberto had actually made me teary the night before, as he told me how much he respected me and would miss me. He and I were the ones who lived at the team house full-time. (him all year round) I also said goodbye to some of the other workers and we were all teary eyed. Most of the workers were on vacation, so they were spared the emotions!
As we drove down the street, I felt such a freeing feeling, knowing that it was the first step in God’s plans for me for the future. I felt so safe in His care and excited for Him to reveal all His surprises for me.
We got to Tamara’s and her wonderful sons and Francisco unloaded my stuff and added it to my section of their storage room. It was such a blessing to have guys around to do all of the heavy lifting!
So this was the last pages of the last chapter at the VOH team house. My heart is at peace and excited at the same time. I trust in God’s sovereignty and faithfulness completely!
Can’t wait to see how He reveals each little piece for the future.
I spent my time packing up the rest of my room, getting it ready to move to storage at my friend, Tamara’s house. I also got the chance to visit with many friends, some whom I had not had the chance to be with for quite some time. I truly enjoyed myself.
I was thankful for the chance to finish packing in a calm manner. I don’t like moving, especially in stages, and it was nice not to feel rushed or stressed. I got the chance to give away more things and pare down a bit. Of course, if you looked at everything stacked up at Tamara’s house, you would wonder how I got all of that stuff in one little room at the team house! LOL Living in NYC taught me well!
I also got the chance to do a lot of reading and Bible study. I love having a calm, peaceful atmosphere to listen to God speaking to me. I enjoyed some hot green tea in the mornings and iced green tea the rest of the day. It was good for my soul (and my body).
Even though I blew my budget on taxis for the week, I was thankful to get to go into town for dinners and visits with friends. I loved getting the chance to walk around the city. I LOVE walking and getting to do this. It reminds me of when I lived and served as a missionary in NYC. Those were the happiest times in my life. Hard, but happy. I knew I was in the will of God and felt the blessings of obedience.
As I enjoyed my time running around León, I could feel God’s confirmation on His call for me to focus only on His plans and be devoted to following His guidance and direction. I kept ‘randomly’ running into people that I will have more and more interaction with in the future. More blessings from God and promises for the coming days.
On Sunday, Dec 1, I worked with the kids at church at the team house for the last time. We had fun. Then I got to have lunch with a friend and her son and ran into other friends and their babies. I had visited with other friends on Saturday and their baby. I was baby-blessed!
Estefanie came over for the afternoon/evening on Sunday and helped me pack. I sent all the extra food from my fridge to her house. It was wonderful to spend some quality with her. Love her so much!
I finished packing by early Monday morning and my friends came with a truck to pack it all up. This was the third load to go. The twin bed/mattress, fridge, large shelf and rocking chair had to all be tied on top of the truck. I felt a bit like the Clampetts moving to Beverly Hills. LOL
As I left the team house for the last time, I started crying. Alberto had actually made me teary the night before, as he told me how much he respected me and would miss me. He and I were the ones who lived at the team house full-time. (him all year round) I also said goodbye to some of the other workers and we were all teary eyed. Most of the workers were on vacation, so they were spared the emotions!
As we drove down the street, I felt such a freeing feeling, knowing that it was the first step in God’s plans for me for the future. I felt so safe in His care and excited for Him to reveal all His surprises for me.
We got to Tamara’s and her wonderful sons and Francisco unloaded my stuff and added it to my section of their storage room. It was such a blessing to have guys around to do all of the heavy lifting!
So this was the last pages of the last chapter at the VOH team house. My heart is at peace and excited at the same time. I trust in God’s sovereignty and faithfulness completely!
Can’t wait to see how He reveals each little piece for the future.
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