I'm moving!!

I'm moving to WordPress! I've had some trouble uploading pictures in my blog, so that's one big reason. Please bear with me as I learn this new system. I haven't figured out how to import the posts from my old blog yet, but hopefully soon....

Here's the link to my new blog:   https://icecreamgram.wordpress.com/
Hope to see you there!

"I found it almost impossible to put down . . . ." Usually you write that about a good mystery or SciFi or "other." But no! This is a missionary biography, and I agree with Fred Jones of Back to the Bible Broadcast. He also said,

. . . . The book left me with a rare sense of having been in the presence of a real man of God."

On Amazon you can get this book for a mere $168.14!! Or, if you don't like that, it's also available for $211.81! Wow! It's that good! But if you really want it, contact Camino Global (or me!) and I bet it won't cost you that much! (Although I'm not sure it's available!) It's a wonderful book about the beginnings of the missionary work in Guatemala and especially of the beginnings of the Indian work.

I'm now reading Trailblazer for Translators: The Chichicastenango Twelve.  Same author, some of the same subject, not quite as exciting, but very good!

Something different for a Sunday school "lesson"!

 
Friday ALL the ladies had agreed to meet and make some Christmas decorations for the church. Friday came, six of us came! So, we worked and ate cookies! We had a wonderful time, but also realized we were NOT going to get these decos done! So.....

 El viernes TODAS las mujeres habían acordado que nos reuniríamos el viernes para hacer decoraciones para la navidad. ¡Seis llegamos! Trabajamos, comimos galletas! Nos divertimos bastante pero a la vez sabíamos que nunca terrminaríamos si no tuviéramos ayuda. Entonces.....



...for Sunday school today, we suspended our normal study of the book of Matthew and made Christmas decorations! That way EVERYONE had to help! It was amazing how fast we got done with so many hands working! We discussed it and almost decided maybe we'll just do our projects on Sundays during Sunday school!! 

...durante la escuela dominical hoy, suspendimos nuestra lección en Mateo, y ¡todas trabajamos! ¡Así TODAS nos ayudaron! Fue maravilloso ver cuán rápidamente terminamos con tantas manos trabajando. Casi hemos decidido que ¡debemos hacer nuestros proyectos los días domingo durante la escuela dominical! Casi.

Adaia watches baby brother while Mama Minerva sews!

¡Adaia cuida a su hermanito mientras su mamá Minerva cose!

Our finished product - we made 20 of them! Some look better than others, but they'll all look great after next Friday when we decorate the church - all three of us who show up!!

¡El producto terminado - hicimos 20! Algunos son más hermosos que otros, pero todos lucirán en las paredes de nuestra iglesia cuando todas decoramos este viernes - ¡todas las tres que lleguemos!

The Fence my Father Built

Another book for you to check out! And yes, I do lots of other things besides read books - good books! I'm a fast reader and when I get into a book, well....

What a fun read this book turned out to be! It is really the story of finding your way home - even when home is a trailer in the middle of nowhere. And of course, the best part of the story is the fence! Can you imagine a fence made of old oven doors?? Even with a picture, it's hard to imagine!

Tested by Fire

Paramedic Jim Stockbridge doesn’t need God, he’s a fighter, and as far as he’s concerned the world is his toy. But when he responds to an EMS call in the ghetto and finds his best friend brutally stabbed and shot, he suddenly realizes he’s in for the fight of his life.The title of this book says it all: He sought revenge - he found life.

It was a great book - I recommend it!


And just to show that I like ALL KINDS OF BOOKS!!

Sorry it's blurry - that's how it was on Amazon! A true missionary biography!

"I'll never marry a preacher!" young Huldah Buntain vowed. As a pastor's daughter, she knew what was expected of a preacher's wife, and she wanted no part of it.
That was, until evangelist Mark Buntain came along. . .

Told by Huldah herself, it is a beautiful story of her life, not making herself into a "saintly missionary", but writing about her doubts, fears and anxieties as well as her joys and victories. I enjoyed it thoroughly! If you can't find a copy, I can loan you mine!!

Now I remember.....

why I don't read Peretti and Dekker books.

Frank Peretti and Ted Dekker - two of the most acclaimed writers of supernatural thrillers - have joined forces for the first time to craft a story unlike any you've ever read. Enter House - where you'll find yourself thrown into a killer's deadly game in which the only way to win is to lose . . .  and the only way out is in.

Now I remember why I don't read Peretti and Dekker books!! But if you're into supernatural thrillers, go for it!

Death in Paradise

Now and then I enjoy a good spine tingling mystery. And this was definitely that!

Henrie O has experienced much sadness and loss in her life - yet nothing more tragic than the sudden death six years ago of her beloved newspaperman husband, Richard, on the Hawaiian island of Kauai. Then, on a brisk March morning, a package arrives by courier that shatters her fragile peace of mind - a chilling message that claims Richard´s fatal fall from a towering island cliff was no accident. It was murder.

And it gets much more exciting from there! It was a fun read.

What do you think, Elia?

For the first time it was cold enough today to wear the scarf granddaughter Elia made for me. So, what do you think, Elia? I wore it with a pin and earrings your Grandpa Hanna gave me a long time ago! It worked perfectly!

Several people loved the scarf. "Have her make some more, you bring them to Mexico, and we'll buy them!" Hey! You could go into business!!

Wait! I stand corrected! It was Elia´s Mama, Kris, not Elia who made this beautiful scarf! But someday Elia will be making them, right??

I'll Watch the Moon

This is a heartwarming story about facing the disappointments in life. Nova, age nine, faces so many hard things in her life and finds that she is not the only one facing disappointments and hard times. The relationships in this book: between siblings, between Mother and children, between a very young person and older people who have suffered unbelievable hardships, weave a beautiful story of how we need to find peace with God in our lives and with each other. I highly recommend it - I found it very hard to put down!

Check it out!

Donají

This is one of the best books I´ve read in a very long time. When an upper class young man from Mexico City and a young Indian girl from Oaxaca meet, their relationship starts a very interesting chain of events. Can their families, with all their prejudices from 500 years past, accept the changes these young people have brought to their lives? And woven throughout is the wonderful story of how they found peace with their God. I highly recommend this book - of course if you don´t know Spanish, you might have a little trouble reading it!

Cuando se topan en Oaxaca un pintor criollo frustrado y una industriosa mujer de ascendencia indígena, su encuentro desencadena una relación que encierra más de quinientos años de historia. La política inestable y las corrientes de mitología indígena y religión contemporánea entrelazan el trasfondo desde el cual los protagonistas tienen que decidir si ceder o forjar su propio destino. Y a la vez tienen un encuentro con Dios que cambia sus vidas por siempre.

Un libro interesantísimo. Lo recomiendo altamente.

Cuneros hard at work

Each month a different person teaches the Cuneros - those are the children 5 and under (even though we always have several 5 and over in the class too!) who have their special class during the sermon. This month it was my turn. I went through a course of "Courtesy in the Family", talking about honesty, self-control, kindness and gratitude. Yesterday we finished up with gratitude and created a "thank you" card created with colored pencils, stickers and pictures to paste, to give to someone. Samuel who is 10 helped Ari and Joel, who are "under 5." Daniel who is 8 helped Daniel who is 5. What fun! Some were very interesting, but all were BEAUTIFUL!

They were having such a good time making their cards that when the adult meeting was finished, we weren't! I missed the announcements, the offering, and was almost late to my Sunday school class! But it was worth it!

Someone had fun last night!

This morning when Peanut (our dog) and I went for our usual walk in our neighborhood, this is what we found in front of a neighbor's house:

Someone had fun last night! Sure beats finding TP all over your car! I bet it cost a bit more too!

BEST book in a long time!

I read every spare minute. I read till midnight. I couldn´t put it down till I finished it!

Don Miller, former pastor of Westover Church writes: "My wife and I fought over our one copy of Sword & Scalpel! Bob Foster is a man who lives and breathes missions...A must read for those who have loved missions through the years, as well as those who are new to missions."

It isn´t on Amazon, sorry. But I highly recommend that you seek out this book and read it - to yourself, to your kids, to your relatives, to anyone who will listen! You won´t be sorry!

A couple books I highly recommend

John Miller was a missionary with Central American Mission  - then CAM International - and now Camino Global, for many years. His experiences in Mexico, Spain and the U.S. are a fascinating read. I especially enjoyed it because from the very start of his ministry, he ran across people I knew! When I was a teeny bopper in Mexico City, he was coming in contact with people and places I was also coming in contact with! That's always fun to read about!

The book is long, but so interesting! Check it out!!

A totally different genre, Cry in the Night was really hard to put down once I started reading. Good mystery taking place in UP Michigan, a place I've only visited twice - and it was in the summertime! I would NOT want to visit in the winter as described in this book! I always enjoy a good mystery! Check it out!

Reading: The BEST pasttime!

I've always got a book handy. Well, almost always. The other day I headed to Queretaro on the bus and forgot to take a book! Bummer! But it's only a 40 minute ride, so that was OK! The Man Who Came for Christmas was a thriller. Yikes! I didn't put it down from start to finish. "It is Christmas Eve in Santa Fe. But among the revelers on snow-blanketed Canyon Road, a decidedly unholy scene is taking place. A desperate Agent Paul Kagan, dressed all in black, feverishly seeks refuge for himself and the squirming bundle he holds tightly against his chest, a baby who has the power to change the course of global events." And it gets much more exciting from then on! Check it out!


The Quilter's Apprentice is a totally and completely different genre. Quilting? It made me feel guilty about my slap stick way of making quilts! It also got me energized to finish up the lap quilt that I'll use this winter at the office - it gets COOOOLD in there! It came out great - the subject of this book wouldn't think so, but I like it, and that's what matters! Anyway, it's a fun read - I tried to guess the ending and got part of it right, the other part was a bit of a surprise!

Ministry moment

Yesterday six of us, Mary, Yadhira, Monica (at the end of the table helping make a bracelet), Tania, Alma and I visited what we called The Casa Hogar para Mujeres - The Home for Women. Twenty women of various ages live in this home that is run by a nun. They are all mentally challenged, some more so than others.

We sang - WOW! They love to sing! We played a game, we did a fun craft that they really got into! At least most of them did. Some couldn't manage it, but that's why we six were there - to give them a hand! Then we shared our apple juice and cookies with them. One gal couldn't get enough cookies! We asked if she was hungry and she just nodded as she gobbled her cookies.

What a precious time! We plan to visit again, this time taking a Bible story. We have permission from the nun to teach the ladies. She is very welcoming and we're so thrilled to have this much-needed ministry.

These two gals can't talk, but were so responsive to our visit. It was so sad to see their condition, but heartwarming to see how the other gals related to them in such a loving way. Bety, on the left, usually was smiling. I'm not sure why she frowned at the camera!

This gal told us she has a little boy. "He's three. He can walk now. He's with my Mom." But when asked how old she was, she had no idea. Such a sad story, that could be repeated by 19 other gals right there in that home.

Pray for us as we minister to these gals - and as they minister to us!

Saint Ben and Saints' and Angels' Song

Two books in one! Saints' and Angels' Song is the sequel to Saint Ben. And every bit as good!

Though seemingly a youthful "rebel without a cause," nine-year-old Ben Beamering - a pastor's son - is so serious about finding God that he won't pretend with his Christianity. His extraordinary ability to live without hypocrisy and his memorable insights about people, events, and God are remarkable - and often disconcerting. Ben's pure honesty causes commotion and consternation - and food for thought - wherever he goes. And neither his family nor the church is quite prepared for the challenge.

In Saint Ben and its sequel The Saints' and Angels' Song....Ben's best friend, Jonathan, tells the captivating story of one boy's diligent quest for God and its impact on a community.

Check it out! You won't be sorry!

TAEKWONDO

At least I THINK that´s how you spell it!
Cameron and Dayton are taking Taekwondo this year and seem to be enjoying it!
Last Friday evening Cameron had his first exam - tomorrow he will find out if he passed to "orange belt."
Dayton wasn´t quite ready for an exam yet, so just observed with me!
Terrible pictures, I know - there were so many parents there and I was quite a ways back, so I at least GOT some pictures!! I have a number of fuzzy ones, if you´re interested!!

Cameron front and center

I couldn´t get ANY pictures of Cameron facing me - by the time my camera would CLICK, he was facing away again! Bummer! This last one is a very short video - I think! I don´t even know if it´ll work! I didn´t even know I was filming! Thought it was a video - guess not!

It was sure fun to watch, but with 40 some kids testing four to 6 at a time, it took a LONG time! I did get some reading done, until it got too dark! Dayton was definitely ready to head home after it was over! 

We all were!

Breakfast with 120 ladies

I returned to Mexico September 19th. On September 22nd, 10 other ladies from San Juan de Rio and I headed for Queretaro for breakfast at New Life Bible Church - with about 120 other ladies! The church was packed! Several from Amealco came, San Juan was there, and of course A LOT of ladies from Queretaro! What a blessing! The ladies from Amealco want to start their own breakfast and invite "all those ladies" to it! Heather advised them to start with JUST their own church! We were all blessed and challenged!

And this is just SOME of the ladies! The table in the forefront is where I sat.

Esthercita Cirnes was our table leader. She´s been through some HOT WATERS

recently, but has come through victorious!

What a beautiful lady she is!
Wish I´d gotten a picture of her!

Note the "September"  decorations on the wall!

Those ladies at Vida Nueva church are SO CREATIVE!

Flor (Flower) gave her testimony.

Wow! What a beautiful example of God´s grace in her life!

The Disputed Territory

Bob and Anna Atwood were missionaries to the Miskiito Indians in Costa Rica for about 17 years. She wrote a book, The Disputed Territory, about their adventures - and they definitely were adventures! As I read, I just thanked the Lord again and again for sending me to the CITY!! This illustrates how far "out there" they were! "It was also during our time in Kaurkira that one day Herman Haylock, an aslander who had a Miskito woman called to us as we walked past his house. 'Do you people know that your country is at war? ' There followed an account of Pearl Harbor and how our national had been at war for three months already. We had received no mail during this time, nor did we have a radio." 

As I read, I felt like I was sitting in my living room (which, actually I WAS doing!) just listening to Anna talk with me! Ken and I got to know them in Philadelphia, if I remember right, a very long time ago, when we were raising support. They were an amazing couple! After serving in Costa Rica, they served as itinerant ministers traveling all over Central America. And here's how they dressed!! Aren't they great!!??

She didn't make herself out to be perfect either! Here's another story:

"Were were invited into the only house that had a board floor. Bob took one look at my crumbled aspect (she had been riding an ornery mule all day!) and hastily hung up the hammock for me. When I dropped into it, I decided that I would not move for another night and a day. But I knew the inevitable would happen. I heard the women by the fire, stirring their wabul, green banana soup made with coconut milk. They would soon offer me a huge calabash full of the beverage and I would have to drink it.
   I groaned and opened my eyes just as a Miskito woman advanced in my direction with the unmistakable sign of hospitality in her hands. I glanced warily at the gourd. Always I could envision millions of TB germs on the rim of the gourd where I sipped. My eyes wandered to my husband and found him looking beseechingly at me as though to say, 'Please don't offend them. They are being kind.'
   I took the calabash and thanked her, but even to me my voice sounded boorish. I thanked the Lord for the drink and took a swallow. Strangely enough it tasted delicious. In fact, I drained the contents and handed back the empty gourd."

You won't find this book on Amazon, sorry! Camino Global home office may have some copies, I'm not sure! You could borrow it from me, but I'm in Mexico! Anyway, if you ARE interested, we could find a way to get your a copy!

Happy reading!

 

A new house!

Ken and Esme and their family are in the process of getting settled in their new home! It was a long drawn-out business getting there, but it's happening and we're all very excited about it! Here are some snapshots that I took the day before I left El Paso. We had just taken over a good load of "stuff" and enjoyed some fellowship and dinner there. The very next day - after I'd left - a bunch of friends arrived at their OLD house, packed up their furnishings and toted them to their NEW house! Now I'm sure they're busy unpacking and getting used to this great new house!

A great backyard - it´s BIG! And check out that GRASS!! Now Ken needs to get a lawnmower!

A beautiful willow tree and a playhouse! Wow! 

There are a number of cement slabs - this one just outside the back door.

Check out the pecan tree beside the house. We´re looking out to the street.

This room is at the back of the house, full of windows, big, roomy, FUN! I know the family will be doing most of their "living" here! And check out those built-in shelves! Clear to the ceiling!

The kitchen is nice - a little dark, but I´m sure Ken will get that solved soon! Lots and lots of cabinet space!

The laundry room. A laundry room??? Wow! What luxury!

Master bedroom and bath. There are three bedrooms, all with carpeting. The rest of the house has beautiful tile.

Dining room and living room. They´ll probably be office and play room, since that beautiful back room will be their room to live in! 

It never occurred to me to get pictures of the front of the house! Oops. No grass in front, but tiny white rocks. There´s a beautiful bush of some kind and what I believe is a date palm tree. Very nice.