I believe I left off where we were engaged and supposed to be married in a year! Well, the battlefield changed! Father very clearly gave me a date which was Sept. 3, 2011. That really freaked me out because I'm still new to the thought that the battlefield changes and you can't always keep your same strategies! I prayed multiple times and Abba said Sept. 3. Anthony prayed separately and he heard the same thing each time as well. We braced ourselves for the battle to come, because even though we are "older" and everyone says it won't take long to know usually when you aren't just 19 or 20....we knew that a courtship of 3 months was not long enough to satisfy friends and family. His family didn't know me at all and neither did my family know him. Most of my friends didn't know him and neither did most of his friends know me! So of course they weren't very comfortable with us announcing our engagement. We knew we were following Father God so that was what mattered most to us but the gossip and hostility that came against us was not easy. We had to literally pray without ceasing to keep our heads above the waters and ask Father God constantly for confirmations. I'm so glad He is patient. We had Anthony's pastor's blessing. He is a true man of God and I saw that the first time I met him. So his vote of confidence for our marriage held alot of water. We started taking marriage counseling from him. Also Light of Hope Ministries were mentors of Anthony's and I saw immediately at first meeting that the Lapp brothers are true warriors of God and we had their blessing and we went there also for marriage counseling. Both of us had some friends who supported us and some of my friends said they trust my judgement, that they know I have a good head on my shoulders. God bless them richly for saying that! Lord knows how much that meant to me!
One highlight in our courtship is that we attended the Take Back your Life seminars by Door of Hope. I took people to them quite often so I was used to the teachings but you can always learn more. Anthony had been to them once before. It was great to go as a couple and learn together and dissect what we were taught. At least 3 people thought by the way we acted and responded to eachother that we were married and for quite some time! That was definitely confirmation for us as well.
We got married at Reamstown Church of God where our pastor preaches and the reception was at Light of Hope Ministries. My dear friend Doris coordinated the wedding. It was the BEST day of my life, next to the day I got saved.
Our wedding was in Tennessee in the Smoky Mountains. We had a wonderful cabin with a jacuzzi. We saw all kinds of things, like Ripley's Believe it or Not. We watched alot of movies and relaxed and enjoyed alot of wine. Oh, and he carried me over the threshold and into the bedroom when we first got to the cabin. I was so proud of him for that because I'm not very light and his lungs are still healing. And I was so proud of him for buying me 24 roses while we were there. What other wife is so blessed to have roses on her honeymoon?
We were gone 10 days, 9 nights and had a few days off when we got back so that in all we had 2 full weeks off work.
Then it was back to the old grind. It was hard to get up at 5:15AM while my hubby could stay in bed til 8. Not fair! His job started much later. And it was hard to be home an hour before him and sometimes 2 hours if he had a late customer. Supper would get cold, ugh! Pretty often he was kind enough to get up early with me and make me breakfast while I got ready for work. Let me tell you, that's downright sweet to get up HOURS before you would have to just to make your wife breakfast before she leaves for work! How blessed I am! He can make a wonderful breakfast! Sausage, eggs, hashbrowns, bacon! I was used to eating cereal and milk or oatmeal with milk. Then 2 hours later I would be hungry! His breakfasts kept me satisfied til lunch!
Well, that's all for now!
Friday, December 2, 2011
Thursday, December 1, 2011
From Courtship to marriage all in 5 months!
Friday April 8, 2011: Anthony Martin and I have been talking a lot on facebook. I have grown quite fond of him. He amazes me so much! I have never met a young man with such a heart for God that was still single! I have never met my equal, spiritually or mentally, in a man near my age! Until I met Anthony. I remember when I first saw him (after hearing about him quite often from Michelle) he came into Nicole’s house with some other guys. I was talking to Michelle and Nicole and I wasn’t all that impressed with the guys that came in. I remember there was a girl named Dot along but the rest were guys. None of them appealed to me. I thought Anthony was interesting in his stories but he had some language he needed to clean up and he appeared to me as a very baby Christian. He had tattoos and that of course didn’t impress me. I dismissed him as a “not an option” guy. A few days later Michelle texted me and ask me what I thought of Anthony. I was thinking, “Oh brother don’t tell me she is trying to hook me up with him now!” I was very vague and said the only nice thing I could think of to say, that he was “nice”. I think she had said Anthony wondered, so I knew it would for sure get back to him. So I asked her what he thought of me and she said he thought I was very pretty and liked the “wave thing” going on with my hair! I thought that was neat that a guy like him would think that because it is kinda considered outdated and the only people that ever fuss about my hair are usually middle age to old people, never young people. But I was going to act really cold if needed to because he was not an option for me and I didn’t want him to think he was!!!!!
So that was maybe 2 years ago. And just in the past few weeks Anthony friended me on facebook and I accepted him. Dunno why but I did. I guess I had no reason not to. Facebook is safe right? If someone offends you, you can delete them and block them and that’s that! So I accepted him and suddenly we began talking. He started it by asking why people always think singles have to hook up and that he is happy single and yada yada yada! I knew the pain so I wrote back, cause I’ve been through that. Then he asked advice on what to do when a close friend starts turning against you and so on. I gave advice for that. I got a little scared then and made it clear to him that there is no romantic interest going on and while I am being an encouragement I want that to be understood. I didn’t want him to fall in love with me because of the nice things I was saying about him or because I was being a listening ear, etc. He agreed he won’t mess things up and that there was NONE of that kind of interest on his end. Somehow suddenly we were writing so much so often and I began to look so forward to his messages. I would drop whatever it was that I was doing, just so I could read his messages. They brightened my day. I saw in a hurry that he was a changed man from when I’d seen him last! No bad language or even a hint of it. He was godly, and not only that, he was my equal and past me in some things! He was smart. I can’t abide a man as a partner who is less intelligent than me, how could I admire someone who can’t lead me? Every message amazed me more. Suddenly one day God smote my heart and I realized it was so very wrong of me to as much as tell him he cannot ever ask me out and that it would ruin everything if he did. God told me, “Who are you to say who I pick and choose for you?” So I could not type it fast enough as I quickly apologized for that. I didn’t want to because I was afraid then he would think I was hinting that I want there to be more between us and I had zero desire for that. I was content the way things were. But he seemed to understand. I wa so impressed as he told me he had already planned a process of how he would ask his lady to marry him. I always wanted a guy who would plan that out before he met his lady but I didn’t know men exist like that! We joked about how Nicole was trying to hook us up and I told him how Merci told me my time for a husband is finally here and that she’d been praying this week for a husband for me. I felt so free to say whatever and he seemed to as well. Suddenly it struck me that he was bitten and he didn’t know it. A wonderful peace stole over me and I had a strong feeling he might be the one. I didn’t feel lead in the back of my mind like I did with all the other guys that tried to hook up with me. Everything was all so different and I thought of my Aunt Ann who told me years ago that you will know when the right one comes along, there won’t be many doubts. So I sat back and smiled and wondered how long it would take him to know he was bitten. Then he said his mentor told him he was bitten and that he should consider me and take some weeks to pray over it. He argued with the man for 45 min. saying that it is nothing like that and that we are just friends. But he then agreed to pray about it. I smiled and smile! He asked me what my thoughts are if He would feel led to a God centered relationship. I didn’t even get him answered because that was Friday and I was gonna write to him Friday night after family night but he asked me after I got back home but before I wrote him back. He asked in the most beautiful way possible (in my mind anyway). He said, “May I serve you?” How beautiful! What a man! I suppose he got the idea from what I said in a discussion once about how Eric Ludy proposed to his wife by blindfolding her and taking her to a room that was all decorated and laid out and then he took the blindfold off and washed her feet just like Jesus washed his disciple’s feet. Cause marriage is all about serving the other. He had really liked that idea. I never thought about using that terminology for asking a lady out. Oh glory, was I impressed! I was shocked cause while I knew it was coming I didn’t think it would come til like 3 or 4 weeks! He had been so adamant that he isn’t into a relationship and that he is using this time to refine himself for the lady God has for him. I guess he was in denial. He told me he had laid it before the Lord and the Lord answered very clearly and said that I am the one. He said he will not falter, he KNOWS that I am the one and he will wait til I know too. I was all nervous cause I was so afraid that what if no one can confirm this. I called Rhonda that night and chatted with her.
Dear Abba,
My heart is so full today, Abba! Blessed be the name of the Lord! I believe I have experienced this Bible verse: Isa 65:24 And it shall come to pass, that before they call, I will answer; and while they are yet speaking, I will hear. Because while Merci was begging God to give me a husband very soon, you had already been working in our lives to bring us together. My soul thirsts for You, Abba. I want more of You! I want You to be seen in me so much that people literally can’t look at me without seeing You. Anthony says I am radiant. Father, never let me lose that radiance, because I know it comes from You and if I lost then I believe it would be because of sin. Today’s lesson aim in Sunday school was: To value obedience to the Father’s will ABOVE deliverance from trial or show of bravery. That really spoke to me. That means I have to follow You no matter what naysayers are saying around me. It’s not about man’s approval but about Yours. And you already approve of me. You already lead Anthony together. Abba, if at any time though, we should start making a god out of eachother by letting the other come in between our relationship with You, I pray you would gently convict us to correct that. You hate gods that come before You and this is all about You. You started this relationship and we want our lives saturated with You. Help us, Abba! Help us to have a testimony so powerful that we will render the naysayers speechless; that they will look at our lives together and have no choice but to be silenced. My retired bishop said today that the ONLY thing that God forbids in marriage is an unbeliever to a believer. We are both believers. Father, I am already encountering spiritual battle. It has only begun, it is still in the birthing but it’s about to let loose. I can feel it. I ask that You help me to be ready because I’m not ready unless You help me. I realize that that time I spend praying and reading Your word is NOT enough to prepare me for this battle. I will need more time with you, Father. Help me to dedicate more time for You, so I don’t let daily carnal thoughts and interests invade that time with You that I need, that is so very precious. Gird me up with the sword of truth, with the breastplate of righteousness, the helmet of salvation. I ask that You keep Anthony prepared at all times to be the protector You have called Him to be, the warrior You planned him to be while he was yet in his mother’s womb. Help us come boldly against the Spirit of Religion whom I know we will encounter head on, as well as any other demons & minions of Satan that we will encounter in this battle. Put a hedge of protection from behind and in front and all around. We will not be shaken, Father. If God is for us, who can be against us? Who is man that we are mindful of him? Keep our eyes opened wide as we enter this relationship so that we will not be blinded about anything but that we will be alert at all times. Help us to never drown out your voice for any reason. If we start down a path that does not glorify You, please very gently lead us back. This relationship is all about You and You started it and we need You in it at all times. We both are Your children and have no desire to ever turn away from You. Our lives our Yours, for You to use for Your honor and glory only. I pray our vision for the future would become clear and as ONE. I love You, Abba and will always be Your little girl no matter what age I am, I will always need You.
Love from your princess,
Dawn Renee
April 18: This weekend was so full and overwhelming! This week Anthony met the family…guess it was Tues. night. That went well, all but Brent was there. Then this Friday the 15 the Brills and Anthony and I moved a lot of boxes and my dear boss sent Dominoes pizza along for us. We had a really good time together. Wasn’t nice weather though, windy and cold. Saturday the 16th then Mom, Dad, Vernon, Jeremy, Anthony, Brills, Darlene, and Darlene’s babysitter all helped with the rest of the stuff. Sharon M and Doris went over to the old house and cleaned my share of the rooms. My wonderful friends and family put all my furniture where I wanted it as well as the boxes of stuff. Anthony and I could not act like a couple cause of the babysitter, she lives with Marie Hoover’s family. I was so very stressed out and tears were so ready to spill, I was a hair to finding the bathroom and letting it out. The stress was just so much, all the moving and everyone saying my name and feeling like I don’t know North from South anymore and just wanting everyone to go home and let me be in quiet even though I knew I needed their help. It was awful! Anthony told me later that he saw I was at breaking point. I was very touched that he noticed. This man observes me! He cares to notice! He studies me! I have never had someone watch me so closely or be so alert. I mean the pastor was but he doesn’t count. Most guys are so dense and involved in themselves that they don’t stop to notice. I am so blessed with Anthony I still can’t believe it. I needed to have some laundry done on Sunday and he didn’t let me hang all of it up, he did a bunch for me! Also, he washed the dishes for me and helped clear the table and insisted that I sit down and let him do my feet. He did them over 2 hours. Oh Lord, what did I do to deserve such a man? NOTHING! All I can say is YOU ARE GOOD, MY JESUS! I had him at my church and I’m nervous on where we will settle for church. He cannot grow in mine, at least not from the sermon we had this Sunday. I want him to come a few more times though. But Lord it would be awful for me to insist he be part of a church he cannot grow in so I am very afraid of where we will end up at. Lord keep us completely in Your will, guide us and keep us from straying. We want to honor and glorify you because You brought us together and our lives are ALL ABOUT YOU!
Monday, May 23rd: I am so mad I have not kept up writing! I simply don’t have the time! I could write an epic on what all we discussed already and the progress we’ve made both as a couple and separately! I went through some uncertain times and had 3 meetings with Steve and Jake Lapp already. I have seen great changes in Anthony, all for the glory of God. Tonight he asked me to marry him. That’s right, I am for real ENGAGED!!!!!!! We are keeping it quiet as it is only like 6 weeks since we started courting. He wants to ask me officially in a few months after he has a job because apparently how he wants to ask is a 2 week thing and takes money. Then we will tell people. Except we told his mentors cause they already knew it seemed and his dad was there so he knows. It was at Anthony’s house and he was dressed in a muscle shirt and greasy and I was in my work clothes and he kissed my feet, even the bottoms of them and as he was down on one knee he took my hand and kissed it and asked if I would let him serve me the rest of my life. It was awesome, right beside my car. Right after that we smelled pipe smoke and because there was no one around we believe it was Matt’s approval of the engagement. Anthony asked Father and the Father gave him marching orders to ask me so that is why he did! And he asked Father when to marry and Father said in Spring. So in exactly a year from now I shall be married, Lord willing! I’m crazy excited! I love the man incredibly much!
So that was maybe 2 years ago. And just in the past few weeks Anthony friended me on facebook and I accepted him. Dunno why but I did. I guess I had no reason not to. Facebook is safe right? If someone offends you, you can delete them and block them and that’s that! So I accepted him and suddenly we began talking. He started it by asking why people always think singles have to hook up and that he is happy single and yada yada yada! I knew the pain so I wrote back, cause I’ve been through that. Then he asked advice on what to do when a close friend starts turning against you and so on. I gave advice for that. I got a little scared then and made it clear to him that there is no romantic interest going on and while I am being an encouragement I want that to be understood. I didn’t want him to fall in love with me because of the nice things I was saying about him or because I was being a listening ear, etc. He agreed he won’t mess things up and that there was NONE of that kind of interest on his end. Somehow suddenly we were writing so much so often and I began to look so forward to his messages. I would drop whatever it was that I was doing, just so I could read his messages. They brightened my day. I saw in a hurry that he was a changed man from when I’d seen him last! No bad language or even a hint of it. He was godly, and not only that, he was my equal and past me in some things! He was smart. I can’t abide a man as a partner who is less intelligent than me, how could I admire someone who can’t lead me? Every message amazed me more. Suddenly one day God smote my heart and I realized it was so very wrong of me to as much as tell him he cannot ever ask me out and that it would ruin everything if he did. God told me, “Who are you to say who I pick and choose for you?” So I could not type it fast enough as I quickly apologized for that. I didn’t want to because I was afraid then he would think I was hinting that I want there to be more between us and I had zero desire for that. I was content the way things were. But he seemed to understand. I wa so impressed as he told me he had already planned a process of how he would ask his lady to marry him. I always wanted a guy who would plan that out before he met his lady but I didn’t know men exist like that! We joked about how Nicole was trying to hook us up and I told him how Merci told me my time for a husband is finally here and that she’d been praying this week for a husband for me. I felt so free to say whatever and he seemed to as well. Suddenly it struck me that he was bitten and he didn’t know it. A wonderful peace stole over me and I had a strong feeling he might be the one. I didn’t feel lead in the back of my mind like I did with all the other guys that tried to hook up with me. Everything was all so different and I thought of my Aunt Ann who told me years ago that you will know when the right one comes along, there won’t be many doubts. So I sat back and smiled and wondered how long it would take him to know he was bitten. Then he said his mentor told him he was bitten and that he should consider me and take some weeks to pray over it. He argued with the man for 45 min. saying that it is nothing like that and that we are just friends. But he then agreed to pray about it. I smiled and smile! He asked me what my thoughts are if He would feel led to a God centered relationship. I didn’t even get him answered because that was Friday and I was gonna write to him Friday night after family night but he asked me after I got back home but before I wrote him back. He asked in the most beautiful way possible (in my mind anyway). He said, “May I serve you?” How beautiful! What a man! I suppose he got the idea from what I said in a discussion once about how Eric Ludy proposed to his wife by blindfolding her and taking her to a room that was all decorated and laid out and then he took the blindfold off and washed her feet just like Jesus washed his disciple’s feet. Cause marriage is all about serving the other. He had really liked that idea. I never thought about using that terminology for asking a lady out. Oh glory, was I impressed! I was shocked cause while I knew it was coming I didn’t think it would come til like 3 or 4 weeks! He had been so adamant that he isn’t into a relationship and that he is using this time to refine himself for the lady God has for him. I guess he was in denial. He told me he had laid it before the Lord and the Lord answered very clearly and said that I am the one. He said he will not falter, he KNOWS that I am the one and he will wait til I know too. I was all nervous cause I was so afraid that what if no one can confirm this. I called Rhonda that night and chatted with her.
Dear Abba,
My heart is so full today, Abba! Blessed be the name of the Lord! I believe I have experienced this Bible verse: Isa 65:24 And it shall come to pass, that before they call, I will answer; and while they are yet speaking, I will hear. Because while Merci was begging God to give me a husband very soon, you had already been working in our lives to bring us together. My soul thirsts for You, Abba. I want more of You! I want You to be seen in me so much that people literally can’t look at me without seeing You. Anthony says I am radiant. Father, never let me lose that radiance, because I know it comes from You and if I lost then I believe it would be because of sin. Today’s lesson aim in Sunday school was: To value obedience to the Father’s will ABOVE deliverance from trial or show of bravery. That really spoke to me. That means I have to follow You no matter what naysayers are saying around me. It’s not about man’s approval but about Yours. And you already approve of me. You already lead Anthony together. Abba, if at any time though, we should start making a god out of eachother by letting the other come in between our relationship with You, I pray you would gently convict us to correct that. You hate gods that come before You and this is all about You. You started this relationship and we want our lives saturated with You. Help us, Abba! Help us to have a testimony so powerful that we will render the naysayers speechless; that they will look at our lives together and have no choice but to be silenced. My retired bishop said today that the ONLY thing that God forbids in marriage is an unbeliever to a believer. We are both believers. Father, I am already encountering spiritual battle. It has only begun, it is still in the birthing but it’s about to let loose. I can feel it. I ask that You help me to be ready because I’m not ready unless You help me. I realize that that time I spend praying and reading Your word is NOT enough to prepare me for this battle. I will need more time with you, Father. Help me to dedicate more time for You, so I don’t let daily carnal thoughts and interests invade that time with You that I need, that is so very precious. Gird me up with the sword of truth, with the breastplate of righteousness, the helmet of salvation. I ask that You keep Anthony prepared at all times to be the protector You have called Him to be, the warrior You planned him to be while he was yet in his mother’s womb. Help us come boldly against the Spirit of Religion whom I know we will encounter head on, as well as any other demons & minions of Satan that we will encounter in this battle. Put a hedge of protection from behind and in front and all around. We will not be shaken, Father. If God is for us, who can be against us? Who is man that we are mindful of him? Keep our eyes opened wide as we enter this relationship so that we will not be blinded about anything but that we will be alert at all times. Help us to never drown out your voice for any reason. If we start down a path that does not glorify You, please very gently lead us back. This relationship is all about You and You started it and we need You in it at all times. We both are Your children and have no desire to ever turn away from You. Our lives our Yours, for You to use for Your honor and glory only. I pray our vision for the future would become clear and as ONE. I love You, Abba and will always be Your little girl no matter what age I am, I will always need You.
Love from your princess,
Dawn Renee
April 18: This weekend was so full and overwhelming! This week Anthony met the family…guess it was Tues. night. That went well, all but Brent was there. Then this Friday the 15 the Brills and Anthony and I moved a lot of boxes and my dear boss sent Dominoes pizza along for us. We had a really good time together. Wasn’t nice weather though, windy and cold. Saturday the 16th then Mom, Dad, Vernon, Jeremy, Anthony, Brills, Darlene, and Darlene’s babysitter all helped with the rest of the stuff. Sharon M and Doris went over to the old house and cleaned my share of the rooms. My wonderful friends and family put all my furniture where I wanted it as well as the boxes of stuff. Anthony and I could not act like a couple cause of the babysitter, she lives with Marie Hoover’s family. I was so very stressed out and tears were so ready to spill, I was a hair to finding the bathroom and letting it out. The stress was just so much, all the moving and everyone saying my name and feeling like I don’t know North from South anymore and just wanting everyone to go home and let me be in quiet even though I knew I needed their help. It was awful! Anthony told me later that he saw I was at breaking point. I was very touched that he noticed. This man observes me! He cares to notice! He studies me! I have never had someone watch me so closely or be so alert. I mean the pastor was but he doesn’t count. Most guys are so dense and involved in themselves that they don’t stop to notice. I am so blessed with Anthony I still can’t believe it. I needed to have some laundry done on Sunday and he didn’t let me hang all of it up, he did a bunch for me! Also, he washed the dishes for me and helped clear the table and insisted that I sit down and let him do my feet. He did them over 2 hours. Oh Lord, what did I do to deserve such a man? NOTHING! All I can say is YOU ARE GOOD, MY JESUS! I had him at my church and I’m nervous on where we will settle for church. He cannot grow in mine, at least not from the sermon we had this Sunday. I want him to come a few more times though. But Lord it would be awful for me to insist he be part of a church he cannot grow in so I am very afraid of where we will end up at. Lord keep us completely in Your will, guide us and keep us from straying. We want to honor and glorify you because You brought us together and our lives are ALL ABOUT YOU!
Monday, May 23rd: I am so mad I have not kept up writing! I simply don’t have the time! I could write an epic on what all we discussed already and the progress we’ve made both as a couple and separately! I went through some uncertain times and had 3 meetings with Steve and Jake Lapp already. I have seen great changes in Anthony, all for the glory of God. Tonight he asked me to marry him. That’s right, I am for real ENGAGED!!!!!!! We are keeping it quiet as it is only like 6 weeks since we started courting. He wants to ask me officially in a few months after he has a job because apparently how he wants to ask is a 2 week thing and takes money. Then we will tell people. Except we told his mentors cause they already knew it seemed and his dad was there so he knows. It was at Anthony’s house and he was dressed in a muscle shirt and greasy and I was in my work clothes and he kissed my feet, even the bottoms of them and as he was down on one knee he took my hand and kissed it and asked if I would let him serve me the rest of my life. It was awesome, right beside my car. Right after that we smelled pipe smoke and because there was no one around we believe it was Matt’s approval of the engagement. Anthony asked Father and the Father gave him marching orders to ask me so that is why he did! And he asked Father when to marry and Father said in Spring. So in exactly a year from now I shall be married, Lord willing! I’m crazy excited! I love the man incredibly much!
Sunday, April 3, 2011
Reverends, Porn, Friends, Moving
Interesting title, right? Yeah, I know! But those are the things I'm going to talk about. I don't always have alot to say which is why I didn't update my blog for and embarrassingly long time! Or, more truthful, I'm also too busy and other things take priority over my blog. But right now I have something to say.
Tell me, what is a person to do with a Reverend who doesn't see porn and sex outside of marriage including phone sex as serious sin? I am under the knowledge that a Reverend or any leadership in the church is held accountable to a certain point for the spiritual welfare of the church he is leading; and that if the leadership is involved in sexual sin then that opens the door for those same demons to attack the very church he is leading. So friends, this is SERIOUS business if a church leadership is into that stuff! If I was part of a church and the leadership was into that and they church did not deal with it but just kinda blinked and ignored it then I would leave that church because I am not willing to put my spiritual wellfare at risk! With that being said, here's the deal. I know a Jamaican guy who is a Reverend and he is dating a friend of mine who is also Jamaican. God be praised that they live too far apart to see much of eachother or I would be expecting to hear of a pregnancy any day. Anyway, he is into some of this trash with this girlfriend of mine and when I reprimand him he just passes it off by saying "he who is without sin let him cast the first stone". That is not the point SIR!!!!!!! I am not saying nor am I implying that I am anywhere close to being without sin. We are talking about YOU not me!!!!!! We are addressing that YOU are in sin and YOU need to repent which means you not only need to recognize it as sin and be sorry for it but you gotta turn away from it then!!!! This is an ongoing thing with him and he just acts like it's just a normal everyday sin and no big deal. Yet he likes to spew alot of scripture at me and usually he is right on the mark. But his self-righteousness nauseates me because I know how he openly is involved in this sick stuff. Last night I was a 3 way call with him and his girlfriend and she mentioned that in Sept. when he comes to the area she wants me to take her to see him at the resort he is staying at. I said only if they promise to behave in a manner that would be okay with God. He laughed and said, "you never know what happens behind closed doors". I said "you should never put yourself right in the way of temptation, don't take her behind your closed door!!!!" His response was that "all have sinned and come short of the glory of God". I know that, that is not my point!!!!!! He don't get it. All because he doesn't want to get it! THey want me to be the godmother of any children they have if they get married. I said I will but if they conceive a baby out of wedlock they will have to find another godmother because I have warned them so much and they don't take it serious. It's one thing for a couple to mess up like that who is sincere and really trying to follow God. I can give mercy to couples like that but this man who calls himself a reverend and laughs in my face when I try to tell him it's serious sin to God.....well....I don't feel led to give mercy in that situation! Last night this girl told me she watched a porno yesterday and I told her she was sick and she needs to stop doing that and that it is no wonder she has a hard time keeping her mind on all that is pure and lovely and of good report! This Reverent guy, laughed, mind you, laughed right into the phone and asked me why I hate porn so badly. I tried to explain to him that if you watch that stuff which I believe is straight from the pit of hell then you are giving demons of lust legal rights to be in you and you are making it impossible to keep your mind pure. I said those things are only for you to dwell on after you are married and WITH your spouse, not before. And this girl said she heard the couple who lives below her making out. I said, "oh, that's just nasty". Well he wanted to know what is so nasty about sex. Seriously why can't he get what I'm saying? His response to me was "well God is a very sexual being". I can't even vocalize how mad this makes me! I Loathe hypocrisy and I can't stand the thought of this guy being up there preaching in church and knowing all this stuff about him. About 3 weeks ago I wrote a letter to his pastor and alerted them to what is going on and about 2 weeks after I wrote them....I had given up on them answering and thought they were gonna blink about it too....they finally said they will address the issue at once. Well, that was a week ago and the way he talks the either didn't address it yet or he still don't get the point that it's serious sin! I feel like wiping my hands of the matter! His blood is not on me. I believe in Ez. 33 but I did Matt. 18 on him so it is no longer on me if he doesn't listen. But I still can't help being angry about it.
I just made a new friend recently and let's just say this person is a real gem, a diamond in the rough. I am blessed and so thankful to have this new friend. I do hope and pray that our paths are to be crossed for a very long time. Fellowship with other saints is so vital in a Christian's life and I have been so inspired and encouraged with this new friend. There are qualities that I am seeing that are rare in alot of people and it's just one of those times when you realize you caught ahold of something real special and you'd better not let it go!
Moving is only 2 weeks away now, officially! I can't believe it. 2 weeks from now I will be spending my first day in my new house. I am so excited about it. For many reasons. I will miss this house as this was my dream house. I would not change any part of the layout, it was exactly what I had in mind as what I wanted. But change is an adventure and you gotta take the good along with the bad. So even though my new house is not as NEW and there are some negative things about it, it's okay. There are enough new positive things about it that I am sure I will be very happy there. I probably will not write again til I am in my new home and then with all the unpacking and putting away who knows it may be long til I write again. We shall see!
Tell me, what is a person to do with a Reverend who doesn't see porn and sex outside of marriage including phone sex as serious sin? I am under the knowledge that a Reverend or any leadership in the church is held accountable to a certain point for the spiritual welfare of the church he is leading; and that if the leadership is involved in sexual sin then that opens the door for those same demons to attack the very church he is leading. So friends, this is SERIOUS business if a church leadership is into that stuff! If I was part of a church and the leadership was into that and they church did not deal with it but just kinda blinked and ignored it then I would leave that church because I am not willing to put my spiritual wellfare at risk! With that being said, here's the deal. I know a Jamaican guy who is a Reverend and he is dating a friend of mine who is also Jamaican. God be praised that they live too far apart to see much of eachother or I would be expecting to hear of a pregnancy any day. Anyway, he is into some of this trash with this girlfriend of mine and when I reprimand him he just passes it off by saying "he who is without sin let him cast the first stone". That is not the point SIR!!!!!!! I am not saying nor am I implying that I am anywhere close to being without sin. We are talking about YOU not me!!!!!! We are addressing that YOU are in sin and YOU need to repent which means you not only need to recognize it as sin and be sorry for it but you gotta turn away from it then!!!! This is an ongoing thing with him and he just acts like it's just a normal everyday sin and no big deal. Yet he likes to spew alot of scripture at me and usually he is right on the mark. But his self-righteousness nauseates me because I know how he openly is involved in this sick stuff. Last night I was a 3 way call with him and his girlfriend and she mentioned that in Sept. when he comes to the area she wants me to take her to see him at the resort he is staying at. I said only if they promise to behave in a manner that would be okay with God. He laughed and said, "you never know what happens behind closed doors". I said "you should never put yourself right in the way of temptation, don't take her behind your closed door!!!!" His response was that "all have sinned and come short of the glory of God". I know that, that is not my point!!!!!! He don't get it. All because he doesn't want to get it! THey want me to be the godmother of any children they have if they get married. I said I will but if they conceive a baby out of wedlock they will have to find another godmother because I have warned them so much and they don't take it serious. It's one thing for a couple to mess up like that who is sincere and really trying to follow God. I can give mercy to couples like that but this man who calls himself a reverend and laughs in my face when I try to tell him it's serious sin to God.....well....I don't feel led to give mercy in that situation! Last night this girl told me she watched a porno yesterday and I told her she was sick and she needs to stop doing that and that it is no wonder she has a hard time keeping her mind on all that is pure and lovely and of good report! This Reverent guy, laughed, mind you, laughed right into the phone and asked me why I hate porn so badly. I tried to explain to him that if you watch that stuff which I believe is straight from the pit of hell then you are giving demons of lust legal rights to be in you and you are making it impossible to keep your mind pure. I said those things are only for you to dwell on after you are married and WITH your spouse, not before. And this girl said she heard the couple who lives below her making out. I said, "oh, that's just nasty". Well he wanted to know what is so nasty about sex. Seriously why can't he get what I'm saying? His response to me was "well God is a very sexual being". I can't even vocalize how mad this makes me! I Loathe hypocrisy and I can't stand the thought of this guy being up there preaching in church and knowing all this stuff about him. About 3 weeks ago I wrote a letter to his pastor and alerted them to what is going on and about 2 weeks after I wrote them....I had given up on them answering and thought they were gonna blink about it too....they finally said they will address the issue at once. Well, that was a week ago and the way he talks the either didn't address it yet or he still don't get the point that it's serious sin! I feel like wiping my hands of the matter! His blood is not on me. I believe in Ez. 33 but I did Matt. 18 on him so it is no longer on me if he doesn't listen. But I still can't help being angry about it.
I just made a new friend recently and let's just say this person is a real gem, a diamond in the rough. I am blessed and so thankful to have this new friend. I do hope and pray that our paths are to be crossed for a very long time. Fellowship with other saints is so vital in a Christian's life and I have been so inspired and encouraged with this new friend. There are qualities that I am seeing that are rare in alot of people and it's just one of those times when you realize you caught ahold of something real special and you'd better not let it go!
Moving is only 2 weeks away now, officially! I can't believe it. 2 weeks from now I will be spending my first day in my new house. I am so excited about it. For many reasons. I will miss this house as this was my dream house. I would not change any part of the layout, it was exactly what I had in mind as what I wanted. But change is an adventure and you gotta take the good along with the bad. So even though my new house is not as NEW and there are some negative things about it, it's okay. There are enough new positive things about it that I am sure I will be very happy there. I probably will not write again til I am in my new home and then with all the unpacking and putting away who knows it may be long til I write again. We shall see!
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
The Rest of the Story
I am home now but I thought I should finish my story of how the trip went. I was using my friend Debby’s computer and it seemed like everytime I had a chance to email, that was when my sister wanted to use the computer too and I got tired of “fighting” over it so I gave up and just let it go. Now I wish I hadn’t done that because I don’t know where I left off and I will probably miss some of the interesting details because I didn’t write this the same day! But it’s hard for me to concentrate to write when someone else is standing there waiting on the computer so it would have taken like forever to write anything anyway. So now I will try to continue….oh and I also don’t know where I left off writing because I am used to my emails being saved on my hard drive but other people’s computers don’t save their “sent” emails I guess so I have no way of retrieving what I sent so I can see what I sent last. So bear with me if I overlap.
One of the things I did miss was the decent driving here in PA. Yes, I actually am saying decent driving! Well, anything is decent compared to how they drive over there!!!!!!! Seriously the way they drive it is hard to believe there are not accidents left and right. They pass all the time and squeeze through where you are certain there is no room, like you are going to clip the mirrors off at best……but somehow they deftly come through without any damage! Insane! I guess you learn to drive like that cause everyone else does and you have to learn to survive. I guess it would take me twice as long to get places over there cause I’d be too timid to drive like that…….for a while anyway! And another thing I didn’t like was the constant beeping. In PA if you beep your horn it is because you are: A. Ticked off at someone, B. someone is sitting at a green light, C. Someone is pulling out in front of you and don’t see you coming, etc. But in the Dominican and Haiti they blow their horns more often than not, or so it seems! It is not out of anger, it is to let them know you are coming alongside of them so they keep driving straight! It is to make animals scat. It is to get pedestrians off the road because you WILL hit them if they are in the way! In general, it’s to let them know you are here! So noisy and some of the horns were LOUD. When we were shopping in the Haiti market on the second to last day of our trip, there were some vehicles that came right up behind us and laid on the horn and I’m telling you it hurt my ears badly! Happened a few times and made me want to scream in frustration! I was already on my last nerve because I can’t stand shopping in crowds. (And yet I’m one of those crazy ones that goes shopping on Black Friday). I think this market was as bad if not worse than a Black Friday back home! The aisles in the market were very narrow so if you were standing there looking at products there were constantly people trying to squeeze by and rudely bumping you in the process and suddenly someone with a cart would come by and you’d have to find a little niche somewhere to dive into out of the way because they stop for no one! Argh! That really got on my nerves, like let me alone for 5 blessed minutes so I can see what I wish to buy!!!! But once we were in the fabric side, it was a lot less congested and then it was almost humorous because all the merchants wanted us to come into their booths and see their fabrics. And they would rattle off a row in Creole and I didn’t know a word they said. We had a guy along who knew the language and he helped us barter for our fabric. Anyway I guess I’m not talking in the right order cause now I’m talking about the end of the trip but since I’m on the subject I will continue. The market was very smelly at some places, like smelly as in a sewer! There was a carpet of trash, and when I say carpet I am not exaggerating, you could not see the dirt at all in a lot of places! It was very gross to walk on and I was glad I had Crocs on and not thin sandals. Most of it was that way but the parts that weren’t, were mud puddles and so I missed looking at products when we first came because I had to watch my steps. Once we were farther, it was not as treacherous walking and I could look at what they were selling. It is a gigantic market.
Now backtracking in my story….we painted the entire outside of the church and the inside of it and the benches as well. I learned what painting is Dominican style. They mix kerosene with their paint! Here I grew up thinking that you use kerosene to get paint off of things….I mean we even cleaned our hands with kerosene to clean the paint! Yet they also mix it in to paint as a paint thinner, to make it reach farther! Makes no sense at all! But Pastor Kiko is renting the church and the landlord does not pay for the paint so that’s why he didn’t care so much how it was done. But he was much more picky with the benches, and I kinda gathered that the benches are his!
We watched Pastor Kiko have his first taste of licorice! His face was priceless! Yet he reached for another after that! He said it is like eating plastic! LOL!
I learned what cold showers are. You get used to them quickly and they actually feel very refreshing! Only on my way home did I realize how excited I was to get a hot shower! And it was hard to remember to not put toilet paper in the toilet! There is a trashcan for that and well, I would tell myself over and over as I entered the bathroom not to put it in the toilet but I guess my brain has a way of roving off to lala land even while I am chanting something else! I don’t know how many times I had to fish the toilet paper out.
The couple we stayed with was very hospitable and I really enjoyed them. They are German Baptist. I didn’t know what to expect but they are wonderful servants of God and the wife is definitely epitomizing the Prov. 31 woman! There were some issues going on and she was a good understanding listener but at the same time her words were guarded so as not to disgrace our Lord!
A funny thing is that I took a spoonrest for her as a host gift and wouldn’t you know I could not find it when I got there! I was so very frustrated cause I had it in my carryon and I was sure I had kept a hawk’s eye on it even while it went through the x-ray machine! I could not see when the airport security could have possibly taken it and I was really upset that they would do that and not tell me! I had some very resentful thoughts toward them because this spoonrest was a special one that is not available anymore and I wanted my host family to have it! Well, on the last day when I was in Haiti I was repacking my things and as I came across my crochet bag I felt something unusually hard. I almost passed it off as the pack of crocheting needles but decided I had better look cause it felt like more than that! Well, lo and behold, there was the spoon rest! I then remembered wrapping it in my afghan because I thought that would be the best padding! And I didn’t touch my crocheting stuff the entire time so that is why I never found it til the last day. That was pretty embarrassing and we all had a good laugh. I was just glad that I found it before I got back to PA. And, my sis had to point out all the nasty thoughts I had towards the airport people so I had to take all that back too! Oops! I should keep my mouth shut more, it would do me good!
The girls got their hair done in corn row braids and they begged me to do so but I declined because my hair is thin and tight things in the hair are bad for it. I didn’t want to lose hair just for the sake of corn rows.
We did some baking with neighborhood girls. That was fun! It made a full kitchen but it was fun. They loved cutting out the heart shaped cookies and rolling out the dough and decorating and icing them afterward.
We also went to a place that is an orphanage in progress. A missionary family lives there and they plan to run it. They already have a preschool running. It is a big complex and pretty comfy looking. Beautiful scenery and mountains around it. We helped them bake some Valentine cookies for the preschoolers.
The way animals roam is pretty cute. There are goats and dogs and chickens and cows just roaming all over the countryside. It’s cute and quaint and you have look out for animals when you are driving too!
We had fun using the wringer washer. But I am certain that it is harder on clothes than a regular washer would be. I didn’t wash some of my stuff just because of that. I think some of the things looked more worn/faded after going through that. Maybe it was my notion but I only washed what had to be washed and the rest waited til I got home. I like to have my dirty laundry in my check in luggage anyway to hopefully discourage the security to paw through it! I guess that is kinda mean, they are only doing their duty. But I just don’t appreciate when they dig through my stuff as they mess up my neat order of things and it’s just not a comfortable feeling to have someone digging through your personal items without you being present!
We went to a sandal lady one day. She had boxes of sandals of lotsa sizes that she takes to market. I found one pair that I “had” to buy. There was another one that was even prettier but she didn’t have my size. Some of their sandals are very narrow. I don’t wear wide, I wear regular but I really wonder how people wear some of their sandals with them being so narrow. 2 of my toes were falling off the edge on those!
One day we went to the river. It brought back memories of En Gedi Israel. It was not as vast or as beautiful but it was like a mini version of it. We saw some Haitians coming through the water with their donkeys loaded down with goods and the ladies were carrying things on their heads. They actually travel 3 hours to their homes so that makes 6 hours of walking in a day’s time just to bring their goods to sell at the market. Some were walking barefoot. Ouch! I can’t imagine but I guess that is the only life they know. They do what they can to make a living. Made me so thankful for my job. Would I be willing to travel that far to sell something? Hardly! I’m a spoiled American!
Well I think that is all I have for now. Probably as soon as I send this off I will think of more things I could have written but …….I guess I will close.
We got home on the 18th on a Thursday night around 7pm. No incidents on the way home, thankfully!
One of the things I did miss was the decent driving here in PA. Yes, I actually am saying decent driving! Well, anything is decent compared to how they drive over there!!!!!!! Seriously the way they drive it is hard to believe there are not accidents left and right. They pass all the time and squeeze through where you are certain there is no room, like you are going to clip the mirrors off at best……but somehow they deftly come through without any damage! Insane! I guess you learn to drive like that cause everyone else does and you have to learn to survive. I guess it would take me twice as long to get places over there cause I’d be too timid to drive like that…….for a while anyway! And another thing I didn’t like was the constant beeping. In PA if you beep your horn it is because you are: A. Ticked off at someone, B. someone is sitting at a green light, C. Someone is pulling out in front of you and don’t see you coming, etc. But in the Dominican and Haiti they blow their horns more often than not, or so it seems! It is not out of anger, it is to let them know you are coming alongside of them so they keep driving straight! It is to make animals scat. It is to get pedestrians off the road because you WILL hit them if they are in the way! In general, it’s to let them know you are here! So noisy and some of the horns were LOUD. When we were shopping in the Haiti market on the second to last day of our trip, there were some vehicles that came right up behind us and laid on the horn and I’m telling you it hurt my ears badly! Happened a few times and made me want to scream in frustration! I was already on my last nerve because I can’t stand shopping in crowds. (And yet I’m one of those crazy ones that goes shopping on Black Friday). I think this market was as bad if not worse than a Black Friday back home! The aisles in the market were very narrow so if you were standing there looking at products there were constantly people trying to squeeze by and rudely bumping you in the process and suddenly someone with a cart would come by and you’d have to find a little niche somewhere to dive into out of the way because they stop for no one! Argh! That really got on my nerves, like let me alone for 5 blessed minutes so I can see what I wish to buy!!!! But once we were in the fabric side, it was a lot less congested and then it was almost humorous because all the merchants wanted us to come into their booths and see their fabrics. And they would rattle off a row in Creole and I didn’t know a word they said. We had a guy along who knew the language and he helped us barter for our fabric. Anyway I guess I’m not talking in the right order cause now I’m talking about the end of the trip but since I’m on the subject I will continue. The market was very smelly at some places, like smelly as in a sewer! There was a carpet of trash, and when I say carpet I am not exaggerating, you could not see the dirt at all in a lot of places! It was very gross to walk on and I was glad I had Crocs on and not thin sandals. Most of it was that way but the parts that weren’t, were mud puddles and so I missed looking at products when we first came because I had to watch my steps. Once we were farther, it was not as treacherous walking and I could look at what they were selling. It is a gigantic market.
Now backtracking in my story….we painted the entire outside of the church and the inside of it and the benches as well. I learned what painting is Dominican style. They mix kerosene with their paint! Here I grew up thinking that you use kerosene to get paint off of things….I mean we even cleaned our hands with kerosene to clean the paint! Yet they also mix it in to paint as a paint thinner, to make it reach farther! Makes no sense at all! But Pastor Kiko is renting the church and the landlord does not pay for the paint so that’s why he didn’t care so much how it was done. But he was much more picky with the benches, and I kinda gathered that the benches are his!
We watched Pastor Kiko have his first taste of licorice! His face was priceless! Yet he reached for another after that! He said it is like eating plastic! LOL!
I learned what cold showers are. You get used to them quickly and they actually feel very refreshing! Only on my way home did I realize how excited I was to get a hot shower! And it was hard to remember to not put toilet paper in the toilet! There is a trashcan for that and well, I would tell myself over and over as I entered the bathroom not to put it in the toilet but I guess my brain has a way of roving off to lala land even while I am chanting something else! I don’t know how many times I had to fish the toilet paper out.
The couple we stayed with was very hospitable and I really enjoyed them. They are German Baptist. I didn’t know what to expect but they are wonderful servants of God and the wife is definitely epitomizing the Prov. 31 woman! There were some issues going on and she was a good understanding listener but at the same time her words were guarded so as not to disgrace our Lord!
A funny thing is that I took a spoonrest for her as a host gift and wouldn’t you know I could not find it when I got there! I was so very frustrated cause I had it in my carryon and I was sure I had kept a hawk’s eye on it even while it went through the x-ray machine! I could not see when the airport security could have possibly taken it and I was really upset that they would do that and not tell me! I had some very resentful thoughts toward them because this spoonrest was a special one that is not available anymore and I wanted my host family to have it! Well, on the last day when I was in Haiti I was repacking my things and as I came across my crochet bag I felt something unusually hard. I almost passed it off as the pack of crocheting needles but decided I had better look cause it felt like more than that! Well, lo and behold, there was the spoon rest! I then remembered wrapping it in my afghan because I thought that would be the best padding! And I didn’t touch my crocheting stuff the entire time so that is why I never found it til the last day. That was pretty embarrassing and we all had a good laugh. I was just glad that I found it before I got back to PA. And, my sis had to point out all the nasty thoughts I had towards the airport people so I had to take all that back too! Oops! I should keep my mouth shut more, it would do me good!
The girls got their hair done in corn row braids and they begged me to do so but I declined because my hair is thin and tight things in the hair are bad for it. I didn’t want to lose hair just for the sake of corn rows.
We did some baking with neighborhood girls. That was fun! It made a full kitchen but it was fun. They loved cutting out the heart shaped cookies and rolling out the dough and decorating and icing them afterward.
We also went to a place that is an orphanage in progress. A missionary family lives there and they plan to run it. They already have a preschool running. It is a big complex and pretty comfy looking. Beautiful scenery and mountains around it. We helped them bake some Valentine cookies for the preschoolers.
The way animals roam is pretty cute. There are goats and dogs and chickens and cows just roaming all over the countryside. It’s cute and quaint and you have look out for animals when you are driving too!
We had fun using the wringer washer. But I am certain that it is harder on clothes than a regular washer would be. I didn’t wash some of my stuff just because of that. I think some of the things looked more worn/faded after going through that. Maybe it was my notion but I only washed what had to be washed and the rest waited til I got home. I like to have my dirty laundry in my check in luggage anyway to hopefully discourage the security to paw through it! I guess that is kinda mean, they are only doing their duty. But I just don’t appreciate when they dig through my stuff as they mess up my neat order of things and it’s just not a comfortable feeling to have someone digging through your personal items without you being present!
We went to a sandal lady one day. She had boxes of sandals of lotsa sizes that she takes to market. I found one pair that I “had” to buy. There was another one that was even prettier but she didn’t have my size. Some of their sandals are very narrow. I don’t wear wide, I wear regular but I really wonder how people wear some of their sandals with them being so narrow. 2 of my toes were falling off the edge on those!
One day we went to the river. It brought back memories of En Gedi Israel. It was not as vast or as beautiful but it was like a mini version of it. We saw some Haitians coming through the water with their donkeys loaded down with goods and the ladies were carrying things on their heads. They actually travel 3 hours to their homes so that makes 6 hours of walking in a day’s time just to bring their goods to sell at the market. Some were walking barefoot. Ouch! I can’t imagine but I guess that is the only life they know. They do what they can to make a living. Made me so thankful for my job. Would I be willing to travel that far to sell something? Hardly! I’m a spoiled American!
Well I think that is all I have for now. Probably as soon as I send this off I will think of more things I could have written but …….I guess I will close.
We got home on the 18th on a Thursday night around 7pm. No incidents on the way home, thankfully!
Feb. 7-9
Monday the 7th we got up early and went to the market nearby. Lots of veggies and fruits laid out on tarps that they are selling. Also some other things like piles of clothes and hair accessories. There was soap that supposedly they are well known for and the soap is called a miracle stain remover. So I hope to get that as I was looking for lestoil and had not found it yet in the states so this might be better and definitely less expensive. There were sacks of spices as well. There was fish laid out and also chicken. The couple we stay at, she bought some chicken and we watched the guy cut it up and put it in a bag for her. Thankfully, he cut the head off! LOL!
After market we went to the church and started painting. It is old barnwood type of wood, rough and a few places the termites destroyed so it just crumbles when you try to paint it. We are painting it cream. It is a dear little church though, and I never saw such a small church. Could pass for "the little country church in the wildwood" except there is no wildwood here! We got most of the inside done in a few hours. A person would go by with the roller and paint all the slatted wood and then the paint brushers would go by and fill in the cracks and crevices. We weren't at it long until we had a whole bunch of helpers! I caught onto it soon that whenever there's a missionary at the church, the little children from all around come to see what is happening and then they want to help! Only, they really got in the way and you try so hard not to get paint all over your clothes and the concrete floor but when you can't even turn around without bumping a child...well...it's just not convenient! I kept saying to my self, "Jesus would say 'suffer the little children to come unto Me and forbid them not.' " But when we breaked for lunch and came back, not many came back to join us so I was grateful for that. Of course they had all wanted to help and kept stealing our brushes and paint if you only laid them down for 5 seconds! We got most of the inside done but then we ran out of paint. So we had to stop. The benches and window sills will be done another day as well as the outside of the building.
In the evening we did a doll craft with the girls. I think I will try it with the shelter girls when I get home. It's a cute yarn doll made out of used empty water bottles. You wrap yarn around the bottle for the clothes and put on some lace to make it look like a skirt. Then you are supposed to put on a wooden spoon head decorated with hair for the head but we are going to make clay heads for them. So they got the yarn put on MOnday night. The next time we work on them is Thursday night, we hope to finish them then.
Tuesday the 8th......we woke up at 7:30AM & went into town, actually crossed the border into Haiti as the one volunteer was taking her parents to the IFM base for their flight back. We hung around the base for awhile and then we toured the clinic. Made me thankful for our US hospitals! Seems like I would be able to work in a clinic/hospital like they have here and I would want someone smarter than me to work on me if I was sick! LOL! I'm sure they have a good doctor, it's just that the appearances of the hospital are very crude and simple. They have 54,000 files of people and that is all manually filed! Imagine! Someone commented that they need a computer and the guy in charge of the files chuckled and pointing to his head he said, "No my computer is right here!" They just have simple desks for a nurse's station and it really looks like someone having fun playing doctor! We toured the cholera tents and there were maybe 6 or so patients. They used to have all the rooms full as well as people lined in the hallways. They explained to us how it saps all the hydration a person has if they are not treated in time and they can die fast. They showed us the beds/cots and they had a hole cut out of the middle. That was because the people with cholera cannot control their diarrhea and they just put a bucket under each bed.
There was a line of people waiting to be seen by a doc. They sit on benches just waiting.
We also toured the orphanage which is really just a home with 6 children. One is handicapped and in a wheelchair. Her family has alot of children and didn't have the resources to care for her but they still love her and come visit her. There was a 7 month old baby that is being adopted by one of the volunteers. She is adorable. There were at least 2 little boys I saw there that were adorable as well. Why are black babies so much cuter than white ones? Well I guess there not, it's just that we don't see them as much so they are just more fun to look at since they are new to us!
We also toured a work site where they are building a house. And, we ate at the IFM base. A Haitian lady cooked us lunch and it was VERY good! It was rice with some kind of meat gravy kind of thing with beans. So tasty I wanted to eat more but got full fast. I am not drinking enough....I miss my ice cold water and the water at the mission was ice cold so I couldn't get done drinking that! If I thought I would lose weight on this trip.....ummm....that is a joke because I have gotten less picky of food over the years and everything so far was good so I ate alot.
When we headed back to the border to come "home" we had an interesting time. The road nearing the border is a narrow and bumpy (alot of their roads are paved then stones then paved then stones, etc.) and it winds by a huge body of water, a lake. They keep having to redo it (pile more stones on) because it keeps going underwater. They have a problem that the lake keeps coming higher and higher and covering things, they don't know why. Anyway so we wind around and pass everyone who is going slower than we want to go and honk our horn to let them know we are here! We finally made to the border and then we were stuck there for awhile. There were piles of trucks and all jam packed there and waiting for approval to be let through. None of it making any sense how they let these trucks block all the others and have a royal road block. Seriously, it's pathetic management. Then when they finally let some of the trucks go, you would still have to wait as all these other vehicles came 3 abreast just barreling on through, and some with literally only 3 hairs width in between them and the other vehicles! I would not be brave enough to steer like that!
Now we are back and getting ready for church tonight. Guess we will carry the benches outside for church as the inside stinks like paint.
Oh, and everyone but me climbed up on the roof from a long long ladder and they plan on sleeping there tonight. Not me! I would love to be up there but I hate ladders so badly!
Oh, and I ate some crab meat. They were doing crabs while we watched and they begged me to eat some so I did. Fresh crabs. Not too bad. I would eat them again if they are fresh like that.
Feb. 9, Today we painted the whole outside of the church. We painted it Dominican style! You put kerosene in your paint and make it really soupy so that is splatters and runs all over the place when you paint! It stretches it that way! You save yourself money! The inside we were able to paint regular but Pastor Kiko wanted the outside done Dominican style. They rent the building and would like a new building eventually so that was some of the reason for being sloppy I guess. The landlord does not pay for the paint. Oh, and if there are outlets or wiring for the lights, you just paint under and around them and who cares if you get paint on them!
I forgot to mention in yesterday's email that they also grow sugarcane as a crop. We went by a pickup load of sugarcane and the guys handed a stalk over to us to eat. Reminded me of when I was in Panama we got to try some when we visited a sugarcane farm.
We painted til lunch time then came home and ate lunch and then made heads for a craft we had started with the girls Monday night. They have girl's night Monday and Thursday nights. Remember the yarn dolls I talked about before? An empty water bottle that you wrap yarn around? Well you are supposed to put a wooden spoon in them for the head but we didn't have any so we made clay heads out of homemade playdough and baked them. Then we drew faces on them and put a clear coating on them. Next we made yarn wigs and glued them on the heads. We made 23 of them. So it took most of the afternoon. Then time for shower and off to the church to do the craft. The girls loved them! Sadly though, a few of the heads broke and some extra girls came too that weren't with us the first night and that caused us to not have enough heads. So some girls have a headless doll! It was chaotic. I want to do this craft with my girls in at the shelter. I am thankful for the order the staff keeps in there because these girls here are everywhere. I mean everywhere and they get loud and if you are trying to hand things up they all want to mob you to make sure they get something. For me it was a challenge also because they would come up to me and say something in rapid Spanish and I didn't pick up enough of words to understand what they were saying.
That pretty much sums up the day. Tomorrow we will paint the church benches and the windows and doors. I don't know what we will do the rest of the day but I'm sure we will do something fun. We just got done playing a game of Skip-bo and got so silly that we quit and came to bed. So we are making memories.
After market we went to the church and started painting. It is old barnwood type of wood, rough and a few places the termites destroyed so it just crumbles when you try to paint it. We are painting it cream. It is a dear little church though, and I never saw such a small church. Could pass for "the little country church in the wildwood" except there is no wildwood here! We got most of the inside done in a few hours. A person would go by with the roller and paint all the slatted wood and then the paint brushers would go by and fill in the cracks and crevices. We weren't at it long until we had a whole bunch of helpers! I caught onto it soon that whenever there's a missionary at the church, the little children from all around come to see what is happening and then they want to help! Only, they really got in the way and you try so hard not to get paint all over your clothes and the concrete floor but when you can't even turn around without bumping a child...well...it's just not convenient! I kept saying to my self, "Jesus would say 'suffer the little children to come unto Me and forbid them not.' " But when we breaked for lunch and came back, not many came back to join us so I was grateful for that. Of course they had all wanted to help and kept stealing our brushes and paint if you only laid them down for 5 seconds! We got most of the inside done but then we ran out of paint. So we had to stop. The benches and window sills will be done another day as well as the outside of the building.
In the evening we did a doll craft with the girls. I think I will try it with the shelter girls when I get home. It's a cute yarn doll made out of used empty water bottles. You wrap yarn around the bottle for the clothes and put on some lace to make it look like a skirt. Then you are supposed to put on a wooden spoon head decorated with hair for the head but we are going to make clay heads for them. So they got the yarn put on MOnday night. The next time we work on them is Thursday night, we hope to finish them then.
Tuesday the 8th......we woke up at 7:30AM & went into town, actually crossed the border into Haiti as the one volunteer was taking her parents to the IFM base for their flight back. We hung around the base for awhile and then we toured the clinic. Made me thankful for our US hospitals! Seems like I would be able to work in a clinic/hospital like they have here and I would want someone smarter than me to work on me if I was sick! LOL! I'm sure they have a good doctor, it's just that the appearances of the hospital are very crude and simple. They have 54,000 files of people and that is all manually filed! Imagine! Someone commented that they need a computer and the guy in charge of the files chuckled and pointing to his head he said, "No my computer is right here!" They just have simple desks for a nurse's station and it really looks like someone having fun playing doctor! We toured the cholera tents and there were maybe 6 or so patients. They used to have all the rooms full as well as people lined in the hallways. They explained to us how it saps all the hydration a person has if they are not treated in time and they can die fast. They showed us the beds/cots and they had a hole cut out of the middle. That was because the people with cholera cannot control their diarrhea and they just put a bucket under each bed.
There was a line of people waiting to be seen by a doc. They sit on benches just waiting.
We also toured the orphanage which is really just a home with 6 children. One is handicapped and in a wheelchair. Her family has alot of children and didn't have the resources to care for her but they still love her and come visit her. There was a 7 month old baby that is being adopted by one of the volunteers. She is adorable. There were at least 2 little boys I saw there that were adorable as well. Why are black babies so much cuter than white ones? Well I guess there not, it's just that we don't see them as much so they are just more fun to look at since they are new to us!
We also toured a work site where they are building a house. And, we ate at the IFM base. A Haitian lady cooked us lunch and it was VERY good! It was rice with some kind of meat gravy kind of thing with beans. So tasty I wanted to eat more but got full fast. I am not drinking enough....I miss my ice cold water and the water at the mission was ice cold so I couldn't get done drinking that! If I thought I would lose weight on this trip.....ummm....that is a joke because I have gotten less picky of food over the years and everything so far was good so I ate alot.
When we headed back to the border to come "home" we had an interesting time. The road nearing the border is a narrow and bumpy (alot of their roads are paved then stones then paved then stones, etc.) and it winds by a huge body of water, a lake. They keep having to redo it (pile more stones on) because it keeps going underwater. They have a problem that the lake keeps coming higher and higher and covering things, they don't know why. Anyway so we wind around and pass everyone who is going slower than we want to go and honk our horn to let them know we are here! We finally made to the border and then we were stuck there for awhile. There were piles of trucks and all jam packed there and waiting for approval to be let through. None of it making any sense how they let these trucks block all the others and have a royal road block. Seriously, it's pathetic management. Then when they finally let some of the trucks go, you would still have to wait as all these other vehicles came 3 abreast just barreling on through, and some with literally only 3 hairs width in between them and the other vehicles! I would not be brave enough to steer like that!
Now we are back and getting ready for church tonight. Guess we will carry the benches outside for church as the inside stinks like paint.
Oh, and everyone but me climbed up on the roof from a long long ladder and they plan on sleeping there tonight. Not me! I would love to be up there but I hate ladders so badly!
Oh, and I ate some crab meat. They were doing crabs while we watched and they begged me to eat some so I did. Fresh crabs. Not too bad. I would eat them again if they are fresh like that.
Feb. 9, Today we painted the whole outside of the church. We painted it Dominican style! You put kerosene in your paint and make it really soupy so that is splatters and runs all over the place when you paint! It stretches it that way! You save yourself money! The inside we were able to paint regular but Pastor Kiko wanted the outside done Dominican style. They rent the building and would like a new building eventually so that was some of the reason for being sloppy I guess. The landlord does not pay for the paint. Oh, and if there are outlets or wiring for the lights, you just paint under and around them and who cares if you get paint on them!
I forgot to mention in yesterday's email that they also grow sugarcane as a crop. We went by a pickup load of sugarcane and the guys handed a stalk over to us to eat. Reminded me of when I was in Panama we got to try some when we visited a sugarcane farm.
We painted til lunch time then came home and ate lunch and then made heads for a craft we had started with the girls Monday night. They have girl's night Monday and Thursday nights. Remember the yarn dolls I talked about before? An empty water bottle that you wrap yarn around? Well you are supposed to put a wooden spoon in them for the head but we didn't have any so we made clay heads out of homemade playdough and baked them. Then we drew faces on them and put a clear coating on them. Next we made yarn wigs and glued them on the heads. We made 23 of them. So it took most of the afternoon. Then time for shower and off to the church to do the craft. The girls loved them! Sadly though, a few of the heads broke and some extra girls came too that weren't with us the first night and that caused us to not have enough heads. So some girls have a headless doll! It was chaotic. I want to do this craft with my girls in at the shelter. I am thankful for the order the staff keeps in there because these girls here are everywhere. I mean everywhere and they get loud and if you are trying to hand things up they all want to mob you to make sure they get something. For me it was a challenge also because they would come up to me and say something in rapid Spanish and I didn't pick up enough of words to understand what they were saying.
That pretty much sums up the day. Tomorrow we will paint the church benches and the windows and doors. I don't know what we will do the rest of the day but I'm sure we will do something fun. We just got done playing a game of Skip-bo and got so silly that we quit and came to bed. So we are making memories.
Monday, February 7, 2011
Feb. 5 & 6 Haiti & Dominican Republic
Well, we started out with icy roads Saturday morning! They were pretty much a sheet of ice in some places! I was so happy I did not have to drive on them. Sharon Martin had the fartherest to drive and we ended up picking her up in the Kmart parking lot because she could not drive up the hill. It was nasty stuff. So we started quite a bit later than we planned and then we met up with lots of other folks who were scared to drive and some just stopped right there in their lane and held up the traffic behind them! So we were late late LATE! Of course the traffic jams didn't help the situation and we were all thankful for my dad who was clever enough to maneuver down the middle yellow line to pass all the petrified people up. He is a good driver and got us safely to the airport and I'm sure there were angels looking out for us as well. I did not know that sometimes they change carriers if you have a layover on your flight. All the times I've flown local and international, it was just one carrier. So I had glanced at my itinerary and saw American Airlines and told Dad confidentally to drop us off there at that gate. So he did and we were just like 25 min. before flight time....and of course needed to go through security and check in yet. We were nervous, knowing that you are supposed to be there 1.5 hours ahead of time, not 25 minutes! I was so sure we would miss our flight. Anyway, so we walk up to the counter expectantly hoping to shove through as fast as possible. Well, the attendant kindly informed us after looking at our agenda that we are starting out US AIRWAYS, not American Airlines! We were not to get American Airlines til we get to Ft. Lauderdale Florida! AAAAAGH! So we ran as fast as we could with our big klutzy suitcases, 3 each! You know it's not very convenient to run with all that stuff! But it was just one gate down so we ran in the rain. The lady said we might want to wait on a shuttle but we were outta there like lightening! We didn't want to miss our flight! So we found the correct counter finally and then while they were trying to check us in the computer shut them out because the cut off time was right then, we were too late. I didn't see it but my sis said they as much as rolled their eyes and mumbled "interesting". Apparently they were not impressed with us but they kindly overroded the computers and send us through miraculously fast! Also, because I had been looking at American Airlines online I had seen we do not have to pay for luggage check-ins. Well, US Airways charges so we paid $60 for checking in our luggage. We were peeved, especiall me because the girls were not expecting this and I was kinda in charge so I felt responsible. We were at the tale end of the line of people at the gate, 15 minutes before flight time. However once we were in the plane, because of the icy runway...I guess, or maybe it was just the weather making the flight time behind schedule but anyway we sat there 51 minutes because we were number 12 in line for takeoff. Well, I wasn't too concerned, just relieved to be on there in time. The flight went well once we were up. It was fun to be with my sister on her first flight. To see her enjoy being above the clouds and experience how it feels for takeoff and landing. It was noneventful which was fine with me.
We landed in FT. Lauderdale exactly the time we were supposed to be ascending in our next plane. I did not feel like even trying to run because I was sure we would not make it. They board 20 minutes before flight time and certainly by flight time the doors are closed. But we ran anyway and it was set up different there than some airports so we went in some circles, retracing some steps and finally finding the right place....only to find out our hunch was correct, too late. The best they could do was give us a flight for 6:45 Sunday morning. I tried to see what they could do for a hotel for us since they made us late and they said it was weather and they won't take the blame for it, it's our baby to rock! However they gave us a number to call for a discount and we got a room for $99 with 2 double beds. It was a nice hotel with a pool. We weren't too upset because hey it's adventure and at least it as that cheap. $25 per person isn't bad. We used the pool and went to a cute Italian restaurant. We enjoyed a pizza.
We had to get up at 3:45AM then to get our next flight but we still got 7 hours of sleep as we went to bed early! We wanted to be there in plenty of time and we were. Security wasn't too bad. We had had to claim all our bags instead of having them go straight to Haiti so we had to check them all in again to go to Haiti with us. In other words, they did not go on ahead of us.
And, while there I either had my camera stolen or lost, not sure which. I had it in the case and hung on my shoulder and within 10 min of it being gone, I knew it. I asked everywhere I could think of and retraced my steps which was a very small area and it was nowhere. THe strap is very thin and would have been a piece of cake for someone to snip it and take it without me knowing it. So I dunno what happened. The camera is 4.5 years old and outdated in the camera world so it's not a huge loss but I really liked it, it still printed out very good pictures and I was not planning to get a new camera anytime soon. So I was not devastated but at the same time I love photography and was pretty sad not to take my own pics. I see things that are unique that others would not see because they are not me. LOL! So I was looking at the disposeable cameras but they only do 27 pics and I usually do 600-800 pics on a trip so I wasn't sure what to do. Also I know that those kind of cameras are not very good. So, while I was trying to decide someone spotted a Best Buys station with a camera identical to the one I lost, only it's an upgrade. The price was not insane either so I quickly bought it and a memory card as well. So I was grateful to God for that! I hope I can hang onto this one now and not lose it or ruin it. ANd I will be sure to call the airport and see if they found it later. I do want it back! It had several memory cards and an extra battery.
Our flight to Haiti was uneventful as well. We all agreed we like American Airlines much better than US Airways. I had never flown US Airways before and I noticed that they only give you drinks, not snacks and they don't give you the whole can, only a cup of liquid and all in all they are not as accomating as other airlines. AA gives snacks and a whole can of drink and they are so friendly and when in the plane they tell us BEFORE they start descending so that we know what's happening when we start plummeting and they tell us the altitude and all that jazz. The other airline didn't tell us as much and they told us they are descending after they were already doing it!
Debbie and a guy from the mission were waiting on us. We hopped into the back of the truck. Away we went, and I mean AWAY we went! LOL! There are no speed limits here and they drive as fast as they can handle it to get where they want to go fast! So forget the neat hair and plan on dust ALL over you because when we finally got to wash our faces, there were little rivulets of black on our faces. It was great, standing up on the back of the truck and flying so fast that you felt as if the Rapture could happen any second and spiral you on up to meet Jesus! And, flying so fast at times you felt like you could not get your breath either. The scenery was pretty, lots of mountains and a huge lake and lots of greenery and banana trees and lotsa tap-taps which are brightly colored contraptions to all things and people. People ride on top of vehicles some and ladies carry things on their heads. It was interesting trying to get pictures of everything real fast before the moment is gone. I wonder how many of my pics will get because we were flying so fast!
We briefly saw the Clinic then. Drove by it. We ate lunch at the IFM base and then piled approx. 25 people in the back of the truck because there were guys what needed to go along to the Dominican Republic. Another hair flying trip with dodging other vehicles on the road! We finally crossed the border and got to see where Debbie lives. We will be staying with her. There is a German Baptist couple who lives here. They are very nice people. Debbie has her own nice room. She will be here for at least 6 months. She came in January.
Tomorrow we will start painting the church. Debbie says we will learn to be flexible. You never know what a day holds and don't plan too much because you take it as it comes. We will not be helping in the orphanage after all. They only have 5 or 6 children. The clinic doesn't have many cholera patients anymore either, like currently only 5. So I don't know what all we will be doing, gotta take it as it comes.
We will have church every day except one day. Often girls church. Speaking of church, I must go get ready! It's time to soon go!
We landed in FT. Lauderdale exactly the time we were supposed to be ascending in our next plane. I did not feel like even trying to run because I was sure we would not make it. They board 20 minutes before flight time and certainly by flight time the doors are closed. But we ran anyway and it was set up different there than some airports so we went in some circles, retracing some steps and finally finding the right place....only to find out our hunch was correct, too late. The best they could do was give us a flight for 6:45 Sunday morning. I tried to see what they could do for a hotel for us since they made us late and they said it was weather and they won't take the blame for it, it's our baby to rock! However they gave us a number to call for a discount and we got a room for $99 with 2 double beds. It was a nice hotel with a pool. We weren't too upset because hey it's adventure and at least it as that cheap. $25 per person isn't bad. We used the pool and went to a cute Italian restaurant. We enjoyed a pizza.
We had to get up at 3:45AM then to get our next flight but we still got 7 hours of sleep as we went to bed early! We wanted to be there in plenty of time and we were. Security wasn't too bad. We had had to claim all our bags instead of having them go straight to Haiti so we had to check them all in again to go to Haiti with us. In other words, they did not go on ahead of us.
And, while there I either had my camera stolen or lost, not sure which. I had it in the case and hung on my shoulder and within 10 min of it being gone, I knew it. I asked everywhere I could think of and retraced my steps which was a very small area and it was nowhere. THe strap is very thin and would have been a piece of cake for someone to snip it and take it without me knowing it. So I dunno what happened. The camera is 4.5 years old and outdated in the camera world so it's not a huge loss but I really liked it, it still printed out very good pictures and I was not planning to get a new camera anytime soon. So I was not devastated but at the same time I love photography and was pretty sad not to take my own pics. I see things that are unique that others would not see because they are not me. LOL! So I was looking at the disposeable cameras but they only do 27 pics and I usually do 600-800 pics on a trip so I wasn't sure what to do. Also I know that those kind of cameras are not very good. So, while I was trying to decide someone spotted a Best Buys station with a camera identical to the one I lost, only it's an upgrade. The price was not insane either so I quickly bought it and a memory card as well. So I was grateful to God for that! I hope I can hang onto this one now and not lose it or ruin it. ANd I will be sure to call the airport and see if they found it later. I do want it back! It had several memory cards and an extra battery.
Our flight to Haiti was uneventful as well. We all agreed we like American Airlines much better than US Airways. I had never flown US Airways before and I noticed that they only give you drinks, not snacks and they don't give you the whole can, only a cup of liquid and all in all they are not as accomating as other airlines. AA gives snacks and a whole can of drink and they are so friendly and when in the plane they tell us BEFORE they start descending so that we know what's happening when we start plummeting and they tell us the altitude and all that jazz. The other airline didn't tell us as much and they told us they are descending after they were already doing it!
Debbie and a guy from the mission were waiting on us. We hopped into the back of the truck. Away we went, and I mean AWAY we went! LOL! There are no speed limits here and they drive as fast as they can handle it to get where they want to go fast! So forget the neat hair and plan on dust ALL over you because when we finally got to wash our faces, there were little rivulets of black on our faces. It was great, standing up on the back of the truck and flying so fast that you felt as if the Rapture could happen any second and spiral you on up to meet Jesus! And, flying so fast at times you felt like you could not get your breath either. The scenery was pretty, lots of mountains and a huge lake and lots of greenery and banana trees and lotsa tap-taps which are brightly colored contraptions to all things and people. People ride on top of vehicles some and ladies carry things on their heads. It was interesting trying to get pictures of everything real fast before the moment is gone. I wonder how many of my pics will get because we were flying so fast!
We briefly saw the Clinic then. Drove by it. We ate lunch at the IFM base and then piled approx. 25 people in the back of the truck because there were guys what needed to go along to the Dominican Republic. Another hair flying trip with dodging other vehicles on the road! We finally crossed the border and got to see where Debbie lives. We will be staying with her. There is a German Baptist couple who lives here. They are very nice people. Debbie has her own nice room. She will be here for at least 6 months. She came in January.
Tomorrow we will start painting the church. Debbie says we will learn to be flexible. You never know what a day holds and don't plan too much because you take it as it comes. We will not be helping in the orphanage after all. They only have 5 or 6 children. The clinic doesn't have many cholera patients anymore either, like currently only 5. So I don't know what all we will be doing, gotta take it as it comes.
We will have church every day except one day. Often girls church. Speaking of church, I must go get ready! It's time to soon go!
Sunday, January 9, 2011
Christmas & New Years
I had my grandparents and parents over for a Christmas dinner 2 weeks before Christmas. We had a lovely time. I set the table with my Sunday pottery and my special red placemats and cloth napkins and goblets, both wine goblets and water goblets. I put candles on the table as well. I served spiral ham, cream cheese potatoes, kluski noodles, green & yellow beans, pickles, rolls & jelly & butter, peaches & pears, cake & cupcakes, and mint candies. I love hosting parties. It’s a lot of work and I don’t like the cleaning part to get ready and the food prep isn’t my favorite thing but once it’s all prepared and we are ready to roll, I’m having the time of my life! So the meal went smoothly and afterward we visited and I showed them around. I had the house all decked out for Christmas so they walked around and looked at things. I had put new wigs on some dolls that I had gotten for cheap at a re-usit shop so my one grandma had a lot of fun looking at them cause she likes dolls too. I have a gigantic curio full of dolls.
Then the day after I had my grandparents was a Sunday and I had Bible study at my house so I invited the girls for that to come early and help eat leftovers. I decorated for them too then, just because I love parties!
Then the next weekend which was the week before Christmas, I had an engaged friend of mine come over with her 2 kids and also another married friend whose husband didn’t come along so they helped eat more leftovers. (I froze the stuff in between so it wasn’t so old then). I didn’t decorate for them because of the kids and hopefully they didn’t mind. I just knew the kids would destroy things and I didn’t want my party things destroyed! We watched Chonda Pierce then. Did you ever hear of her? She is a Christian comedian. Usually I don’t take time for those kinds of things but I did that time and we really enjoyed her. The kids were still a mess, getting into the cupboards and so on. But, again, that’s life!
Christmas Eve I was with my family. We always get together to eat Papa John’s pizza and celebrate and exchange gifts. Christmas Day Mom had her side of the family over so I went and ate lunch there and then came back and I believe I was home the rest of the day.
New Year’s Eve, I went to see THE SOUND OF MUSIC at the Fulton Opera House. Oh, was it ever good! I have the movie. Everyone loves it. Well this was awesome to see it played out live. I had to go buy some of the songs off of i-tunes! After the play there was champagne and sparkling cider and a bunch of appetizers and tieras and hats and dancing and an orchestra. I wanted to see the dancing and hear the orchestra but the place was so full we kept bumping people so we left after trying some of the sparkling cider and the appetizers. Then we went to a friend’s house where the rest of the folks were and spent maybe 45 minutes there and came home
New Year’s Day a friend of mine is took me out to eat and I helped her print out some pictures at Walmart. In the evening we had a movie night here at my house with a few girls. And, we had Papa John’s pizza, which is the very best pizza in the whole world!
Well, Friday I was sick, and had off work. Thursday I was sick too, but I worked anyway. I woke up with an awful bellyache and managed to work but I had to stop between every little thing I did to lay on my belly. I am a nanny that takes care of 3 children, so they kept asking me what I’m doing when I would lay on the floor for awhile! I managed to get pretty much everything done and had just put the kids down for their naps when the boss walked in. I groaned inside because I thought, “Oh great, now if I lie around she will know I’m sick and yet I can hardly go on working nonstop.” But I didn’t feel like leaving early, I thought surely I can make it til the end of the day somehow. But, she told me she came home early because of a headache and that she’s gonna rest and that since the kids will sleep for awhile I could go home. It was 1:30pm. I was thrilled. So I told her I was sick anyway so that worked out good that she released me early. I took off Friday then because they told me to so I could recuperate. And, it was needed because I was still sick even though not as bad as the day before. I had diarrhea and terrible abdominal cramps and heat flashes where it felt as though I was burning up and achy muscles on Thursday. Friday was just some left over bellyache and none of the other symptoms.
We had a very good sermon in church this morning on Fear. Pastor Tim preached part 1 of a 2 part sermon on fear and today it was geared on fear of God. It was good, although when he said it was about fear I must admit that I was hoping it would be about fear of man. I needa be preached to about that. I never realized how much of a grip fear of man has on me til a few years ago and I can't seem to get out of the rut. I mean, I know it's an issue with me so I guess that's a step because for the first time in my life I am recognizing it but man, how do you get out of the rut. How do you get to the point that it only matters what God thinks about you and other issues of life? How I long to be there......but I see a LONG journey ahead til I get where I needa be on that! Oh, I've come a ways, don't get me wrong. I didn't just recognize it as a problem, I have had some victories. But when I compare the victories to where I needa be, you can barely see any progress. But hey with God's help I will prosper and grow. You know, what other people say and think can really shake me up and rock my world and make me change things, but when I stand before God someday I'm gonna be alone and it's not gonna help me to say, "Oh but so and so said I must do this..." So I should only be letting God shake and rock my world. Of course there is room to let God speak through pastors and mentors and truly godly people too.
I am still looking for a place to move to last week of April-May 1st. Everyone says they won't wait on me, they want someone before that. So I guess I am looking too soon. I gotta believe that God will provide in His time.
Then the day after I had my grandparents was a Sunday and I had Bible study at my house so I invited the girls for that to come early and help eat leftovers. I decorated for them too then, just because I love parties!
Then the next weekend which was the week before Christmas, I had an engaged friend of mine come over with her 2 kids and also another married friend whose husband didn’t come along so they helped eat more leftovers. (I froze the stuff in between so it wasn’t so old then). I didn’t decorate for them because of the kids and hopefully they didn’t mind. I just knew the kids would destroy things and I didn’t want my party things destroyed! We watched Chonda Pierce then. Did you ever hear of her? She is a Christian comedian. Usually I don’t take time for those kinds of things but I did that time and we really enjoyed her. The kids were still a mess, getting into the cupboards and so on. But, again, that’s life!
Christmas Eve I was with my family. We always get together to eat Papa John’s pizza and celebrate and exchange gifts. Christmas Day Mom had her side of the family over so I went and ate lunch there and then came back and I believe I was home the rest of the day.
New Year’s Eve, I went to see THE SOUND OF MUSIC at the Fulton Opera House. Oh, was it ever good! I have the movie. Everyone loves it. Well this was awesome to see it played out live. I had to go buy some of the songs off of i-tunes! After the play there was champagne and sparkling cider and a bunch of appetizers and tieras and hats and dancing and an orchestra. I wanted to see the dancing and hear the orchestra but the place was so full we kept bumping people so we left after trying some of the sparkling cider and the appetizers. Then we went to a friend’s house where the rest of the folks were and spent maybe 45 minutes there and came home
New Year’s Day a friend of mine is took me out to eat and I helped her print out some pictures at Walmart. In the evening we had a movie night here at my house with a few girls. And, we had Papa John’s pizza, which is the very best pizza in the whole world!
Well, Friday I was sick, and had off work. Thursday I was sick too, but I worked anyway. I woke up with an awful bellyache and managed to work but I had to stop between every little thing I did to lay on my belly. I am a nanny that takes care of 3 children, so they kept asking me what I’m doing when I would lay on the floor for awhile! I managed to get pretty much everything done and had just put the kids down for their naps when the boss walked in. I groaned inside because I thought, “Oh great, now if I lie around she will know I’m sick and yet I can hardly go on working nonstop.” But I didn’t feel like leaving early, I thought surely I can make it til the end of the day somehow. But, she told me she came home early because of a headache and that she’s gonna rest and that since the kids will sleep for awhile I could go home. It was 1:30pm. I was thrilled. So I told her I was sick anyway so that worked out good that she released me early. I took off Friday then because they told me to so I could recuperate. And, it was needed because I was still sick even though not as bad as the day before. I had diarrhea and terrible abdominal cramps and heat flashes where it felt as though I was burning up and achy muscles on Thursday. Friday was just some left over bellyache and none of the other symptoms.
We had a very good sermon in church this morning on Fear. Pastor Tim preached part 1 of a 2 part sermon on fear and today it was geared on fear of God. It was good, although when he said it was about fear I must admit that I was hoping it would be about fear of man. I needa be preached to about that. I never realized how much of a grip fear of man has on me til a few years ago and I can't seem to get out of the rut. I mean, I know it's an issue with me so I guess that's a step because for the first time in my life I am recognizing it but man, how do you get out of the rut. How do you get to the point that it only matters what God thinks about you and other issues of life? How I long to be there......but I see a LONG journey ahead til I get where I needa be on that! Oh, I've come a ways, don't get me wrong. I didn't just recognize it as a problem, I have had some victories. But when I compare the victories to where I needa be, you can barely see any progress. But hey with God's help I will prosper and grow. You know, what other people say and think can really shake me up and rock my world and make me change things, but when I stand before God someday I'm gonna be alone and it's not gonna help me to say, "Oh but so and so said I must do this..." So I should only be letting God shake and rock my world. Of course there is room to let God speak through pastors and mentors and truly godly people too.
I am still looking for a place to move to last week of April-May 1st. Everyone says they won't wait on me, they want someone before that. So I guess I am looking too soon. I gotta believe that God will provide in His time.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)