Decisions, decisions

We are in the process of making many decisions. Please pray with us for God's clear direction. Afterall it's not about us...it's about Him. We want to do what He wants, in His timing. Often, His timing is different than our timing. Yes, we are still preparing for ministry in the Philippines but it is becoming clear we will not be ready to make the move in February as we had hoped. It is January 10 and we have many items still on our "to do" list and about one-third of our monthly support. So we are spending time praying and more importantly, listening...

Winter Rain

Below are some pictures of what winter is supposed to be like. Right now as I type, the remnants of our snowmen, the evidence of hours spent moving snow from the driveway to the side of the driveway (kind of a weird ritual, huh), and the beautiful blanket that makes my yard look as nice as any of my neighbor's yards (we never got the leaves raked - another weird seasonal ritual - before it was either raining or snowing) is being washed away by a thunderstorm.

Thunderstorms and January are not supposed to be synonymous in this part of the world. I expect a severe absence of sledding, snowball fights, ice fishing, and cross-country skiing while in the Philippines, but until this point I have chosen to live in the north. I like the white stuff. Those of you who live in the north then complain about the snow and cold need to stop praying for global warming and what-not. MOVE SOUTH!

Anyway, to remind myself of the best parts of winter, here are some pictures from a sledding adventure a few days ago when all was as it should be in the neighborhood - white. My sister and her kids came and played at the park with us. And although she was able to avoid hitting a tree this time - something she always says is my fault - we did spend some time getting her out of the parking lot. (Jordan got her first chance to drive while Rhonda and I pushed the car.)

No, I didn't push her into a tree. I didn't the other time either. It is not my fault she can't steer.

Yesterday we shared at Lisa's aunt's church. It has been interesting to hear the girls' impressions as we have visited so many different churches over the past 6 months. They have really gotten an education of what a church service can look like. Yesterday was the first time they have seen a choir and a pastor wearing robes. While it has been good to visit other churches, we are eager to find our way back to Cornerstone and our friends there.

After dinner we went to Lisa's parents to celebrate her brother's birthday. We enjoyed standard fare at Grammie's: good food, games with cousins, and a little football to fill in the gaps.

Grace,

Tom

Bontoc by Adriana, age 12

This is an exerpt of Adriana's description of the Philippines. Bontoc is the place we will be moving to.

The capital of Mountain Province, Bontoc, is a small city. You could walk to the market, the playground, or the museum. As you're walking, you might see some rice terraces and some caribou. A river flows through the middle of Bontoc. You might take a trike if you don't want to walk. Because it is higher than Baguio, Bontoc is a little cooler than Baguio. I once saw a pig tied to a trike in Bontoc. Its squeals gave me a headache.

The Philippines by Alayna, age 8

I went to the hot Philippines and I saw that there is muddy green rice fields. I saw that there is a rock wall to walk on that divides the rice fields. The Philippines has lots and lots of mountains. There is trees but not all bunched together more apart. The Philippines has lots of cool and amazing waterfalls.

The people of the Philippines have light brown skin and dark black hair. Generally they are shorter than the Americans. Some old ladies had tattoos all the way up their arm. The old ladies also loved my blond hair.

P.S. The last two postings are from a writing assignment we gave the girls when we arrived home from our two months in the Philippines. We asked them to describe the Philippines and the people. Fred has been asking after I posted Annalise's weeks ago..."Where's the rest?" Maybe tomorrow I'll post the 12-year-old's point of view.

Lisa

The Philippines by Alexie, age 10

Up in the mountains the temperature is cool. At first glance of the rice terraces you might think they are stairs going up the mountain, because of the stone wall around the terraces. Lots of waterfalls are by the road that you drive on to get to Baguio or Bontoc. The roads are very bumpy. Luckily they are putting concrete in.

When there is a lot of rain they often have mudslides and the roads are closed.

Down near Manila and Naic, it is very hot.

There are 3 main types of trees: bamboo, banana, and palm trees.

Most of the dogs we saw were starving. Chickens ran all around. In every village we went to they had pigs.

The Philippino people are very beautiful. They all have brown skin and black hair. They are small people. They are very kind. If you say you like something, they will give it to you. They are very easy to become friends with.

Some of the highlights of my time in the Philippines...

This young Philippino girl that my sisters had been playing with put her arms up to me and called me Momma (or some word like that.)

I felt special because I was not her mother. Plus, I enjoy carrying people. I want to be a Mommy.

At Valley Cathedral there was a 3-year-old girl, that I enjoyed tutoring. I got to read books with her. I enjoyed carrying her. Jenny wanted to go to Baguio with me.

Happy New Year!

Yes, we all stayed up. Thomas' parents invited us over for some snacks and games. We even did a toast of sparkling juice. This is the first time our whole family was up to see the new year in. Of course back in 2000, we let the girls think they stayed up but as our oldest was just shy of 5 she wasn't proficient at telling time. At 9 p.m. gold and silver balloons started pouring down the stairs, and the girls got to blow their little party horns.

Looking forward to all God has planned for us in 2008...
Lisa

Growing Pains

Alayna has suffered from leg cramps off and on for some time now. We tell her she must be growing. I was thinking of this and my experiences of this last year. I am not sure you can grow without experiencing some pain or at least some discomfort. I am so thankful for what God has been doing in me over this last year. At times I will admit I did not enjoy the process but the result is worth it. Hopefully I will continue to grow in 2008... Really I don't need to hope because God made a promise:

...He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.

I am sure glad it is He who is doing the work because I know I am not able to!
Lisa