A Mission Trip for Missionaries

I had every intention of posting this back in May or June, but pregnancy and morning sickness really caught up with me.  I am posting it now, obviously.  :) Our missionary friends are in the U.S. on furlough and we really miss them, especially this time of year.  The following is just one of the fond memories we have with them.  

Early May we were honored to be invited along by some fellow missionaries on one of their out reach efforts.  The goal was to assist and encourage a national church planter, as he and his wife live and labor among a very closed neighborhood.  The neighborhood has permitted their children to come for daily after school tutoring and Bible studies, but the adults have been very reluctant to engage with Manuel and Glenda in anyway.  We offered very limited services; a very basic eye exam, dental care workshop, barber (turns out you can trust a bald barber), and ear cleaning.  I was able to weigh a few babies and go over warning signs in pregnancy with some of the ladies in the waiting area.  

All this gave the community a better opportunity to get to know Manuel and Glenda and to speak to some about spiritual matters.  We are thankful to our missionaries friends for allowing us to join them in part of their ministry.  It was a great ministry trip for our visiting niece and our kiddos.  They helped out in lots of areas.  Glamorous things like hauling water, sweeping up hair, and examining and cleaning out ears.  However, the best thing they did, the thing I am the proudest of is, they showed themselves friendly. Well done my young people.  

What do you think?  What makes short-term mission trips successful or not so successful?  What was the most important way you helped on your last mission trip?

Happy Thanksgiving!

I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving Day!  

We were blessed to be able to celebrate with fellow missionaries that we love.  Everybody pitched in and we had turkey, stuffing, pecan pie...the works really.  And of course, we have so very much to be thankful for this year.  You can check out this post about Gracen's birth or this post of some of the fun ministry things we get to be a part of to see some of the awesome things we are so thankful for this year.

One of the things that is hard to find down here is sweet potatoes like the ones that grow in my grandmother's garden.  However, it might be that one of those sweet potatoes from my grandmother's garden ended up down here after one of our trips and it might have sprouted and then ended up in my garden.  Wednesday we dug up the area to see if we actually had any sweet potatoes under the ground...

Thought I would add this one, because, well, this is what is going on at our house and it's great!  Just have to share the cuteness!

Gracen's Birth

All photos taken by Anna Perez and are owned by Purposeful Wandering.  Use of photos is theft.

Two weeks ago today we passed through the waters on dry land.  As we watched the wild, angry sea swirl on each side, I wondered if it was there to scoop me up and whisk me away or if we would make the journey to the other side.  What we felt was the hand of God leading and the many prayers of friends and family.  Not only prayers, but many were working very hard to get much needed blood donated to replenish the liter and a half I had lost and in case another surgery was needed to remove my uterus, which no doubt would include even more blood loss.  There were times when I said out loud, "I'm scared".  Scared I was leaving behind my children and husband and newborn baby I had barely been able to hold.  Sam was a rock.  He reminded me my vitals were stable, my hands were warm, I was still alert and everybody was doing everything they could.  

Our beautiful boy made a spectacular entrance into the world after a very quick labor.  It was a little over two hours from the first contraction to when I held him in my arms.  

Did I mention it was intense.

It was not what I was expecting, but it was wonderful and overwhelming and we gave thanks for this fresh new life we were privileged to have in our home.  

Really intense.

After a bit Sam and I settled in to cuddle and admire him.  I felt great, he had done great from the beginning, all was well.

Then I noticed I was bleeding...a little too much.  We tried emptying my bladder, herbs, all the uterotonic drugs our midwives carry (oxytocin, misoprostol, ergometrine), we began an IV with oxytocin and reexamined the placenta for completeness.  Despite my uterus maintaining tone, I continued to bleed off and on and we decided to transport.  On the ride to the hospital I felt prompted to pray aloud and thank God for the midwives, our baby, this trial, for his guiding hand.  After six completely natural births, I received my first epidural!  I know, I have things a little backwards...I always have...never have been able to do things like everybody else.  I prayed aloud again in the O.R. as the doctors began trying to save my uterus and my life.  

That day was filled with times when my mind was clearer and I felt more stable.  In those moments, Sam and I put our heads together and stared at our new son and declared our love for one another as I tried to nourish the new life we had been given and enjoy my husbands embrace.  We all lay there together feeling God's arm around us and hands directing us.  We listened to the words coming from Sam's Ipad and we sang along.

"You broke my chains of sin and shame 
And you covered me with grace
And you mend my life with Your holy fire
You cover me with grace" - All Sons & Daughters

God gave wisdom to our midwives, to our doctors.  He sent friends to donate blood and friends to pray.  He also reached down and comforted us and, I believe, touched my body.  We are thankful for our chance to walk through the raging sea on dry land.  We are thankful to be able to look back two weeks later with both my life and my uterus.  We believe God did not have to show grace that day and we know we did not deserve the grace and kindness, but we are thankful for it.  

That day showed me many things, not all can be said here...one thing I can share here is how touched we have been by the outpouring of love and prayers for us.  Thank you! 

"And yes Lord
We are grateful
For Your grace
And for Your love

Yes Lord
We are grateful
For Your grace
And for Your love"  - All Sons & Daughters

And we gave thanks.

The Gift of Friendship: Not. Forgotten.

Over the past 4+ years in Mexico we have moved several times.  Phone numbers and contact information has changed, sometimes we haven't had internet, email, or facebook.  And I had fallen out of the habit of reaching out to the lovely women who have walked with me through various places and stages of my life.  My husband  encouraged me to reach out, seeing the harm isolation was bringing.  

However,  my culture has changed too.  I no longer am privileged to think of those that do without theoretically.  I try to make my ever changing house a home, but at the same time those struggling to exist and feeling very trapped in their circumstances literally knock on my door.  I think I was afraid I wouldn't be able to relate to anyone anymore.  That talking about playdates or kid's school or home improvements would render me speechless.

And then I was given the best birthday present ever!  All morning, to my great surprise, I received phone call after phone call from women taking time out of their busy days to chat and wish me a Happy Birthday.  And you know what I discovered?  It was not hard to relate at all.  It was wonderful to talk about our shared passion of birth.  It was wonderful to hear their children were growing and thriving.  It was wonderful to hear they are enjoying new work and new opportunities.  It was wonderful to hear how they are seeing God work in their lives and walk with them in difficult situations. 

Their were so many of you who called that I didn't get to talk to you all, but I plan to reach out very soon and I am excited to hear all about what is happening in your lives.  

It was not until about 1:00 in the afternoon that I began to realize this was all put together by my wonderful husband.  In his desire to give me the most wonderful birthday present that I desperately needed, he reached out to many of the special women in my life that I have had the privilege of calling friend.  

Your response was overwhelming!

Thank you for being a part of one of the best and most meaningful gifts I have ever received.

Hooks and Setting

This week we were introduced to two interesting literature elements, hooks and settings.  The oldest two kiddos worked on writing a paper about how Mark Twain used the setting in The Adventures of Tom Sawyer to further his main reasons for writing the book.  It was challenging to think about how a setting would be used to do more than just tell a story.  I was proud of them for brain storming, outlining, and revising until they had a good paper.  

The Fluid Life

There are some things I miss terribly. I miss afternoon coffee and cake with my friend Manuela. I miss feeling at home together-like family.

I miss walks together in our German village with my friend Suzette. Sharing our passion about birth and motherhood and God.

I miss morning walks with my friend Aimee. As I liesurely brought my one little girl and and she graciously wrangled her three boys. Obviously making great effort to spend the time with me.

I miss Sunday afternoon lunches at my sisters house, when she let a newly married couple come and share thier home and children and wisdom.

When moving is part of your life, you jump into a community with both feet. You get involved. You accept others and you form strong friendships, far away from family.

This is the short list. So many people along the journey have made our lives so much richer and we are wiser and better for it.

Some friendships are for a season and you loose touch naturally. Some are for a lifetime and you miss them as you miss your own family.

To all the friends that have taken time out of their lives to make our lives more meaningful....Thank You so much.