Edith put up a bunch of new pictures on our picasa...enjoy. We will write more later:)

Another update:)

We are well, continueing to adjust and loving it but always frustrated too because we can't communicate everytime we wish. Yesterday was my(this is Gannah) first time where Nicole and Jason left for the day and I was in charge. Asher was here but left at 10 to go hoe in the corn field with all the boys and men here and didn't return till 2, was here for 2 hours then left again to go with the boys to cut grass for the horses...so even if in the morning I thought I would have Asher help me with communicating that did not end up being reality. God did give me the gift of Luis coming over and wanting to make lunch so that was great relief for me. The girls worked good and my girls were busy with our laundry and keeping care of little boys so things were fairly smooth except for these moments where it appeared like the big girls were torrmenting the liitles and having great laughs about it...I can't understand what they are saying and they thought it was a great joke when i said "no mas" but what really got me was I suddenly hear Roberto screaming and Mari and Natalia laughing so i go to see what in the world is going on and Roberto is running terrified and Natalia is chasing him holding a book with a cow on and pointed to show me that he was scared of it...I told her NO in no uncertain tones but had to take the book and comfort the boy...Nicole and I chatted when she got home to help figure out how to make it better next time and so she can have a chat with them.

We had a spanish lesson with Nicole this morning to get some of the phrases I need to say at such times so I am better prepared:)

Wednesday is to be their rest day so the whole village took the day off and went to the river to swim...when we got to the mountain to go down to the river it was quite a breathtaking and rather scary view how far down we would go till we could even see there was a river down there ...it took us at least 15 to 20 minutes to drive back and forth down this narrow road, sometimes a frightful look way down:) but then we were there and it was a pleasant day...where we parked was nice shallow running over the rocks place for the littles and some of the mamas to be then a liitle farther up there was a deeper place for women and middle age kids then further up was a deeper place for the men and the girls who wanted to swim and dive...so it was fun for everybody!! Lunch was beans cooked ahead of time then a fire made there to heat tortillas and fry some scrambled eggs, then one lady brought some tamales too..it was yummy and satisfying..then our afternoon snack was roasting those huge marshmallows over the fire then putting it between 2 cookies. A refreshing day just enduring the sun burn for a few days afterward:)

Tomorrow is children's church..Jason and Nicole need to go to another service so asher will teach the lesson and I will make the food for the multitude:) ....thankfully some women will come to and nicole already talked to one of them about helping me so I am thinking it should be more of the adventure of actually learning to communicate:) Last week was the first that Nicole was able to use the felt pictures.. thats a pretty awesome set, Dossie/Eileen!! Thanks again! So we are starting in the beginning and telling about creation, the children enjoyed it last week!! So there is the singing, then the story then coloring a picture then serving the lunch. Last week we shared lollipops with all the kids from the big box that Ms Donna had given to Rafael so that was fun. Now this week we get to pass out the fire balls that were also from Ms Donna. It would make you happy Donna to see their happy faces..I will tell Edith to post some pictures:)

Latest Drama:)

It was pretty dramatic last evening with Evelyn...she was carrying a bowl of chips up the steps to take to the men for dinner and had a jar of valantin in her hand ...she tripped over the hose and her skirt was too narrow so she couldn't catch herself and fell, breaking the jar and cutting her hand...I look up as she is screaming I almost cut my thumb off and saw the cut laying open...so we quickly wash it and grab a towel to slow the blood gushing out...Nicole and I with evelyn get in the van and hurry to town..calling the doctor as we go..evelyn was kinda in shock in first and crying but by the time she got to the car she kicked into doctor mode and quieted herself and took deep breaths then pracically said its my left hand. She told me later she was afraid that her thumb was messed up and all she could think at first was now she couldn't be a surgeon and that was why she was freaking out. The doctor was waiting for us..a wonderful kind man.......Dr. Rueben....it took 13 stitches...the reason for the major blood was because it hit an artery and he had to get that taken care of first. she bled a lot in the process and he encouraged us to get her blood checked..it seemed plenty thin. She was great..sometimes watching, asking questions, etc...they get done give us some prescriptions and only charged us $60 for everything...couldn't help but think how it would have been over a thousand if we were in the states. The cut was pretty deep and laid open but it wasn't right on her thumb thankfully and she has movement of all her fingers and thumb so that was a great relief. This morning she had to go in for a tetnus shot, but that was free at the government clinic. Nicole felt really bad but we assured her it was nothing of her fault and God's ways are always higher than our ways!!

Another Day in Mexico

Another day in Mexico is coming to a close. The men are working in the stone house even tho it is already 9:00p.m. Susan, Jason's mother is coming on thursday and there is still a good bit of work to be accomplished. Since the generator is going so the men can work Nicole put up the projector and we started a movie for the kids. My boys were excited about a movie because we had told them when we get to Mexico we wouldn't watch movies. When Michael found out it would be in spanish he was too tired to cope and just started crying. When I come in the room to find out what was happening, Rafael is sitting there crying too. I ask him why he is crying and he says, " I just want to make Michael happy!" That was real sweet, I got them both comforted and now they are snuggled together , sharing their blanket and watching the movie and not realizing how quickly they will pick up on spanish, adding this to their experience.

I continue to try to make our rooms homey and comfortable. They are unique but I like it. Once they get more done on the house maybe Asher will be able to continue his shelf building project for us…its not the first time we had to wait for a more important project ..so we are fine.Nicole really wants me to take over the kitchen..of course I won't be able to do that but I do really like doing breakfasts and jason is really wanting to get away from sweet breads and crackers……the one problem at this point is the oven quit on the stove so there went the making homemade bread plan and healthy muffins…until something can be fixed. The part cost about $100 but Jason is really wanting to buy a big oven so we can bake more at one time with feeding this big of crowd…….but the oven cost about $600 and there are no funds for that so I am telling you all about it so that if anybody would like to donate to that cause it would be a big help toward making steps in feeding the children healthier food!! In the meantime I am still going to work at making healthier more filling breakfast. The littles are pretty tickled that I let them have a cup of coffee in the morning! It rained pretty good last night but then cleared off and was another warm sunny day…so when the sun shines we do laundry. Today we also decided that the 4 big girls need to each do their own laundry then they can take turns helping me with the littles laundry. Doing laundry has always been a favorite of mine so I am enjoying the switch. The washer we brought down is working great and it definitely saves on the knuckles. I remember how my hands and knuckles got sore last time because I was not used to washing by hand.

Well enough for now. Love to all! Our highlight is when someone gets to internet and we see who wrote us something this time…and the whole family delights in every word…so thanks again for your encouragement and support …and hope to hear from you soon!!

We're in Mexico!!

We're in Mexico!! Just letting everyone know that we are here and safe. We arrived at the Village at around 5:30 last evening. We are all very thankful to be here and out of the van:) Thank you for all your prayers and support; everything went very well at the border and the drive through Mexico was very easy going compared to what it would have been if we had not changed routes. Here are a few pictured of us unloading the van:) Thank you again for your prayers. Adios:)

This is Gannah/Wanda.

I wanted to add the continuation to the first blog that Asher/Ron wrote. God has been very good to assure us of his constant care. And the minute Asher said that we were going I had the quiet peace that this was truly God's plan for us...and in all the midst of all the decisions, the problems, the challenges and the excitement there is the indescribable peace that is beyond all understanding.

So one of my first practical questions is what about our stuff and we decide we can only take clothes and school books. We didn't want to put a bunch of stuff in storage so the process began of getting rid of stuff...which up till that moment I did not think we had much stuff. But I soon discovered that we had MUCH stuff, some that meant very little but then there was the stuff that was worth little but had lots of sentimental attachment and so the giving up, tearing away process began. Even tho there is emotion that goes with such things it is good prep for getting us ready to go. There is a certain freeing feeling that goes with all that. We had several yard sales which did not accumulate to any big amount of money but the stuff gradually disappeared. We did take some of the bigger items and totes and totes of some of our favorites to Micheal and Elizabeth( our daughter).

After the family trip then Asher built the box on top of the van. We had decided that each child gets a tote and their backpak. The4x12 box on the top of the van was for holding the totes and all the stuff we could pack in around that. So finally the box is packed and Asher is putting the last screws in the lid when we get a call from Jason and Nicole in Mexico saying it is too dangerous to drive in, that they want us to consider flying. That was overwhelming moments for me to think of all the downsizing it would further take to just take what we could for flying. So it was with much relief when in a few hours when they called back and Asher and Jason decided on a different, safer route!!

So now we have travelled the last 2 days and in a few hours our life in Mexico begins. We are so grateful for all the friends and family who are praying for us!!! I do not want to bore everybody but after our family trip we were at Rose Creek Village for 5 days and what a gift that time was. Thank you to everybody who made it a fun packed, love filled, pleasant,and truly blessed time!! The gathering on Sunday was amazing. Our friends blessed us, and shared memories and stories of how we blessed them and Papa Jeremiah anointed us. It was very special. God is good!!

One last thing..one of our fears about going was how could we get support for this big of family. God is good and has provided in ways we never imagined. I got ideas of how God would do it or particular people He would use but He has been very good to ignore that and to continue with His much better plan. It does give a real feeling of depending on God and I love the experience of really seeing God for our children!!

Papa did have a reality chat with the children last night about if shooting starts get down on the floor, etc. but it is so good to be able to assure them of God's care and it really does seem foolish after all God has done for us to be fearful of all the what ifs. Our God will take care of us in whatever way He chooses and we know reguardless of what happens it is part of His big plan!! So it is with peace and great anticipation of what our God will do as we leave to cross the border soon. And I am so so glad that true friends are never really parted because we are close in heart!!