changes and prayer requests

For everyone that read the newsletter I sent out recently, I would like to let you know about some changes and ask for your prayers.  I had originally thought the new year would see me spending more and more time with the girls and less and less in the office. I had mentally been thinking and planning for that and had so many ideas and plans to  do with the girls. But as the director is always saying…Missionary rule number 11 is BE FLEXIBLE.  Yesterday I found out that instead of spending more time with the girls, I will actually be with them less, at least for some months. I am currently taking over daily doing all the little boys laundry, organizing their closet and cleaning their dorm so that my Dad can work on the literally “never ending” maintenance list. I will also be working on several HUGE organizational projects to get the Ranch on a pantry system for buying/storing everything we use at the Ranch. In the end this will include reorganizing several of the systems we have for shopping as well as storing all food, cleaning supplies, water, etc. I will also be taking over all the shopping/errands for the Ranch as well. On top of the larger projects, I will also take over a group of kids to help with their home work every day, do some cooking, working with the kindergartners after school and watching the kids once a week. Yeah! I am very excited for the new organization projects. I have been wanting to do them for a long time, but they are also going to be A LOT of work and I will need wisdom to keep my life prioritized and sane.

I would like to ask for prayer in these areas:

- To keep God first in everything I do (especially daily devotions)
- Grace to wake up early and get busy
- Wisdom to prioritize projects and make sure I still have time with the kids
- Wisdom to make the new shopping/storage system efficient and maintainable (even if I am not there)
- Grace not to let the business stress me out. (I am not a nice person to be around when I get stressed)
- That I would use the time cleaning and working to pray/memorize scripture/listen to sermons
- That I would love God, my family and the kids here more than ever

fellowship, fun and pictures

After leaving our grandparents in Colorado (my Mom’s parents), we drove over to Prescott Valley, AZ to visit my Dad’s parents.  We had a great time of fun and fellowship just hanging out and talking. I got to see my cousin Sarah and her two little ones, they are so cute!!! (most of my pictures are of them…I just can’t resist a cute kid) I always enjoy getting to talk to them and they share my love for John Piper’s sermons (actually I think they listen to even more than I do).

We were all sick the whole trip with bad colds and it kind of nixed our plans to visit the Sovereign Grace Church in Phoenix, AZ and to see our cousin Ashley’s new little baby, but it was a great trip and we all had a good time together.

Here are some pics because I just can’t help sharing them with the world. Enjoy!!!

food, dry ice and chillin’

We get a week off for Christmas break and I headed up to my grandparents with my family.  We went to visit my mom’s parents  in CO first. We have all been sick with colds, sore throats, etc. so we all really enjoyed the time to just relax.

My grandma always cooks WAY too much food and this trip was no exception. We all need to go on a diet after just two days here.

Our family has some weird traditions and for those of you who don’t know…my Dad likes to blow things up, which he started with my uncle and Grandpa when they blew up my Grandma’s gingerbread house as teenagers. Grandma planned ahead and had us build a house for the boys to blow up.

The boys were going to blow it up, but got so distracted using the dry ice to blow a hole in the pond and blow out the snow bank, that they completely forgot to blow it up. ooops….

We had a great couple of days getting to just hang out with Grandma and Grandpa as well as playing in the snow. Dad woke up sick this morning as we were planning to head out to my other grandparents, so we will see when we actually leave, but we are all looking forward to the next part of our trip as well.

christmas at the ranch

This year we kept all the kids who didn’t have a place to go for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.  On Christmas Eve we made waffles with the kids, played games, took them to Carl’s Jr. and then had the Mexican Christmas Eve dinner of tamales with beans and rice. We ended the evening with cake, ice cream and The Grinch who Stole Christmas.

Christmas Eve Pictures

For Christmas Day we had our typical Schlax Christmas with Cinimon Rolls, the Christmas story (in spanish), presents, games a movie, gingerbread house, and we invited another staff family over for games and deserts that evening.

Christmas Day Pictures

It was an exhausting few days, especially with Alan (a VERY special needs kid) but we all had a great time together and were so blessed to be with them.

We are off for the next week to visit both my grand parents and we are very excited for a few days off and to get to spend time with family!

prayers, dinner and fun

Last month we started a new prayer calendar for the kids of Rancho 3M.  Each of the leaders takes a group of kids that they prayer for that month and if possible tries to do something with them. I was a little late having my kids over, but last week I had over my group. We have a group of seven siblings here at the Ranch, three girls and four boys.  I didn’t know how it would go, since the boys can be hard to handle sometimes, but when I told them I was inviting them do dinner at my room, they were so excited and kept asking all day to make sure they were still invited.  Dinner was a little late, but we had a great time playing with lincoln logs and later played several board games together. It was so nice to have just a small group of kids and get to talk to them and talk about school and friends, etc. They had a blast and Candy Land was the biggest hit of the evening…after the ice cream of course. At the end of the night I explained that I had been praying for them especially the last month and then had a chance to pray for them individually before they went to bed. I even got the older boys to give me a hug before they left…there was some complaining, but I think deep down they really do want that affection because they hugged back really tight. I am excited to see what God does through these dinners and maybe even try to do more than one a month.

Please keep all of our kids in your prayers. Please pray that God would work even through our weaknesses to show them His love and faithfulness. We want each one of our kids to come to know God and to continue to know Him better with each passing day!

I forgot to take pictures that night but here are a couple pictures of the kids. Girls: Perla, Rubi, Estrella

Boys: Jose, Daniel, Angel and Joni

snow

Last night it started snowing. I thought it was just a few flakes that would melt on contact, but when I left the kitchen to go back to the dorm…the whole ranch was covered in white. It was so pretty and in a random act of photography, I actually grabbed my camera and went out to shoot some night snow pictures.  I don’t think I have taken pictures that weren’t of the kids for some event in years.  They didn’t come out perfect, but the street lights created a pretty light and so Valeria Norma and I went traipsing around in the dark. I fell on my rear end once and the dog caught us by surprise and I think we woke up the director’s family…but it was a fun little adventure.

The next morning we took all the kids out to play in the snow and they had a great time. They even made a make shift sled out of a piece of wood paneling and used it to slide the the mound of dirt out back.

 

 

I was hoping to get a little extra sleep this morning, but the girls were up and disobeying by 7:10. I wish I could say that was still sleeping in for me, but I guess that is an area I still need to work on.  About 10am I got a call from the director that the group from Tularosa, NM was coming in to bring some Christmas presents and we needed to have everyone outside in less than an hour.  So, we rushed through our morning chores and tried to get everyone showered and looking pretty before they arrived. The gave our presents after lunch and the rest of the afternoon has been a breeze since they kids are all excited to play with their new toys. No “i’m bored” today! (Pics of opening presents coming later…when I have unlimited internet at the library.

I have also wrapped most of my christmas presents and they look so pretty under my tree. A special thank you to all my girlfriends who participated in the exchange of Christmas ornaments for the last…who knows how many years. I not only have beautiful things to hang on my tree, but friends and memories to go along with them. A pretty tree is great, but one that reminds you of those you love is even better. (tree: $15 on clearance!!!!)

The dinner bell is ringing and the girls are rushing off to eat…I have about 20 minutes of quiet before they come back!

If you haven’t noticed…I am working on getting back in the habit of blogging! Since I am can’t seem to get a newsletter out more than once a year (current issue in progress) my new goal is to keep up this blog to let you all know what God is doing.  In the past years I was working mostly in the office and there are very few of you out there who would have any interest in know the weeks of work I put into reconciling all our mexican accounts and getting all the books back on track, etc.  But this past year I started working a little more with the girls and this coming year I am hoping it will be even more..maybe to the point of working only once a week in the office (an answer to years of prayer). Hopefully it will make for slightly more entertaining posts. I will also try to periodically post some pics and stories that I neglected to post last year.

Well enough rambling for now…I hope you all are having a great Christmas season. My church gave out a great Christmas Advent Guide from the Village Church. You can download it free here.

beanies, laughter and photos

A couple of weeks ago I won 25 free photo cards. Knowing me…I couldn’t just use pictures I already had so I got all the girls together and we did a Christmas Card Photo Shoot.  We had a blast…we weren’t really trying to get perfect portraits, so we just had fun and did crazy things. The girls had just received these pink and purple beanies this morning and were all up for the fun winter themed pictures.  Next I want to print them and make a big collage to hang in the hallway.  They love looking at pictures, especially when they are in them.   Thought I would pass on some of the fun!

Only One Life

In many of John Piper’s books and sermon’s he refers to a plaque than hung in his house as a kid. I always wanted to look the poem up online and finally did a while back.  It is a great poem and I thought I would share it.

Only One Life

By Charles Thomas Studd, Missionary to China, India, and Africa

Two little lines I heard one day, Traveling along life’s busy way;
Bringing conviction to my heart, And from my mind would not depart;
Only one life, ’twill soon be past, Only what’s done for Christ will last.

Only one life, yes only one, Soon will its fleeting hours be done;
Then, in ‘that day’ my Lord to meet, And stand before His Judgment seat;
Only one life,’ twill soon be past, Only what’s done for Christ will last.

Only one life, the still small voice, Gently pleads for a better choice
Bidding me selfish aims to leave, And to God’s holy will to cleave;
Only one life, ’twill soon be past, Only what’s done for Christ will last.

Only one life, a few brief years, Each with its burdens, hopes, and fears;
Each with its clays I must fulfill, living for self or in His will;
Only one life, ’twill soon be past, Only what’s done for Christ will last.

When this bright world would tempt me sore, When Satan would a victory score;
When self would seek to have its way, Then help me Lord with joy to say;
Only one life, ’twill soon be past, Only what’s done for Christ will last.

Give me Father, a purpose deep, In joy or sorrow Thy word to keep;
Faithful and true what e’er the strife, Pleasing Thee in my daily life;
Only one life, ’twill soon be past, Only what’s done for Christ will last.

Oh let my love with fervor burn, And from the world now let me turn;
Living for Thee, and Thee alone, Bringing Thee pleasure on Thy throne;
Only one life, “twill soon be past, Only what’s done for Christ will last.

Only one life, yes only one, Now let me say, “Thy will be done”;
And when at last I’ll hear the call, I know I’ll say ’twas worth it all”;
Only one life,’ twill soon be past, Only what’s done for Christ will last.

parades and dancing

Since moving down here three years ago, they have continued to cancel all city wide festivals and parades. This year, praise God for the decrease in violence, they have started them up again.  In the past couple months our school has participated in two parades and our school’s cultural dancing group was also invited to dance during the ceremonies.  Due to bad communication the kids missed actually marching in the first parade, but the dancing group was a HUGE hit. These pictures are from the first parade…I missed this last one.

Thank you all for your prayers for our safety here. God has been so good and none of the staff or children here were threatened and none of the children were even exposed to the violence that was going on in our little town.  As of last year, they stationed the military in the middle of town and things have calmed way down. We are so thankful to the Lord and pray for continued peace in our area!

I know I always have WAY too many pictures, but you should see them before I pair it down… Please enjoy the pictures of all our kindergartners dressed up in their Mexican outfits and the dancers preforming for the ceremony for the Mexican Revolution Day Parade.