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.

In the Company of Others

Episcopal priest Timothy Kavanagh and his beautiful and talented wife Cynthia travel to Ireland for a vacation which turns out to be a "ministry" trip!

The book is set against the music of Irish song and storytelling and reminds us of our desperate need to be heard and the reconciliation that comes with confession. It is beautifully written. Makes me want to start packing my backpack for a trip to Ireland!

Pass the tissues

Tonight we watched "Johnny." And the tissues were definitely needed - from beginning to end. It is the story of a young boy with leukemia who knows he has a special mission to accomplish before he dies. And accomplish it he does! Wow! What a story.

Full House

Wasn't there a TV show back in the dark ages by that name? The scenario is a bit different at Ken and Esme's house, but yes, it's full!

Last Monday, September 3rd, 2012, Mia Eva Hanna joined the family to make it an uneven number of 7! She weighed in at exactly 8 pounds and is 21 1/2 inches long. A big girl! She's my 20th grandchild, now there are 10 boys and 10 girls!

A few pictures will round out this post:

Just minutes after Mia Eva (pronounced in Spanish, please!), joined the family!

 

That's hard work having a baby! Papi and Baby enjoy a little nap around 2 AM!

 

Tuesday, Abuela Lottie was Mia's first visitor. And she didn't come empty-handed, bless her heart! As she said, she had fun shopping:  for two bouquets of flowers, a cake, a pie, lots of ice cream, 2 french breads, some beautiful little outfits for Mia, and...I may have forgotten something, but we are so blessed to have Abuela Lottie in our lives. She loves the Hannas and is a special "adopted" Abuela to them!