Weekend Reflection

This week my hubby has been busy with all those spring break groups that do massive invasion in these parts at this time.

He's been working with a particular group all week, which means me and the kiddos had the days to ourselves in the house . . . until we got the call on Thursday.

I was planning on joining hubby and walking around the dirt road town and visiting people with the kids that day so we were busy getting ready for a day out when we got the call from the team leader. The groups were going to the beach so we were not going to be needed Thursday or Friday!

Heck, all dress up and no place to go . . . NOT US! To the San Diego ZOO we, declared! We made a phone call to some friend state side ("Can we stay at your house the night?") then we packed a few extra clothes and off we went!

It took us about 2 hours to get there, and then we lost an hour because Mexico has been an hour behind USA since the time change . . . but we got to the zoo around lunch time. Then what can I say about the zoo? We love it, it's cheap-ish for a family fun affair that is fun for the whole family.

We were exhausted by closing time, so off to the friends house. And after a small visit we all went to bed.

Friday then was our errand day. Post Office, Bank, Shopping, and an impromptu visit with the pediatrician (gotta love her!) because Little Missy has a sore finger from biting her nails!!! (whole 'nother story) And do you know what was waiting for us at the Post Office?!?!?!

Heather sent us a care package!!!! Hugs in a box to be precise! Some bubbles, GLOW STICKS bracelets, a lovely necklace, and stickers for the kids, chocolate bunnies, chocolate coins, some peeps, ooo-ooo-oohhh, and the good stuff . . . dark chocolate from trader Joe's, Ghirardelli, Toberone, Cadbury, and Nestle Treasures . . .
Arrrr - me hearties, I felt like a pirate who just found gold! But it wasn't just the dark gold that was wrapped up in this box, but also a pair of WONDERFUL leopard print fuzzy house slippers for these prego feet that don't want to put on shoes! They are so soft that my son keeps lying his head on them and fakes a snore.

But the real treasure was the notes they (Heather and her kids) added to the box. Some cards made for my two kiddos with shells pasted on the front of folded cardboard. My daughter was tickled pink at this . . first a letter FOR HER, and it has a SHELL on it! Very special. My son ate his. (LOL) but then Heather's boy wrote:

"DEAR MICHELLE

Thank YOU FOR SHARING JESUS *heart* "

With his own special drawing at the bottom.
It really blessed our hearts!
A dear treasure indeed!

Heather wrote "I can't wait to meet you someday! Next year or next century! See you on the streets of gold!"

Amen, me too sister . . .THANK YOU!

Wordless Wednesday

Happy Spring!

You know your a Missionary Kid when:

In honor of Blackpurls boy (who "is wishing that [they] would be in one spot long enough for him to learn how to drive")

Here it is:

You Know You're a Missionary Kid When...

You can't answer the question, "Where are you from?"

You speak two languages, but can't spell in either.

You flew before you could walk.

The U.S. is a foreign country.

You have a passport, but no driver's license.

You have a time zone map next to your telephone.

Your life story uses the phrase "Then we went to..." five times.

You think in grams, meters, and liters.

You speak with authority on the quality of airline travel.

You go to the U.S., and get sick from a mosquito bite.

You send your family peanut butter and Kool-Aid for Christmas.

People simply don't understand.

You live at school, work in the tropics, and go home for vacation.

You don't know where home is.

Strangers say they can remember you when you were "this tall."

You have friends from or in 29 different countries.

You do your devotions in another language.

You sort your friends by continent.

You tell people where you're from, and their eyes get big.

"Where are you from?" has more than one reasonable answer.

The nationals say, "Oh, I knew an American once..." and then ask if
you know him or her.

You are grateful for the speed and efficiency of the U.S. Postal Service.

You realize that furlough is not a vacation.

You've spoken in dozens of churches, but aren't a pastor.

The majority of your friends don't speak English as a first language.

Someone brings up the name of a team, and you get the sport wrong.

You believe vehemently that football is played with a round, spotted ball.

You know there is no such thing as an international language.

You know the difference between patriotism and nationalism.

You realize what a small world it is, after all.

Going to the post office is the highlight of your day.

When you sing songs to yourself in a language other than English.

When you mother gets excited over finding Doritos at 7-11.

When on deputation you have memorized Dad's messages.

You carry Bibles in two languages to church.

When you dream in a foreign language.

On your 18th birthday you still don't have a driver's license.

You send out birthday invitations in a foreign language.

When you go on furlough your Mom buys everything in the store.

When adults want to pay you to teach them English.

When you can't find shoes to fit your feet in any of the shoe stores.

When the family gathers around the computer to check the E-mail.

When all your clothes have been worn by someone else.

When your friends know more English grammar than you do but can't understand English conversation.

When you find a seven year old picture of yourself on someone's refrigerator.

When you know how to send a fax using an international call back service.

When driving on the right side of the road gives you the willies.

When the message on your answering machine is in two languages.

You tell people what certain gestures mean in different parts of the world.

You calculate exchange rates by the price of Coke.

You would rather have a Land Rover Defender than a Lexus.

You enjoy textual criticism of customs forms.

Although I'd rather be HOT!

Caramel Frappuccino

Creative and expressive, you tend to match your Frappuccino flavor to your mood. And a flavored syrup is always a must!

What Flavor Frappuccino Are You?

The pregnancy

I'm blaming the hormones, ladies, but I am SO sick and tired of the monotony of the days. I walked around in a slump and just wanted to sleep or veg in front of the TV.

I was walking around my kitchen trying to think of a pick-me-up and having no luck.

Any suggestions?

The good news is I expect this feeling to pass. Just wish I could shake it NOW! Ya know!

Otherwise - life on the field is going great. We studied Psalms 23 at the women's deaf retreat and then when we got back that Sunday the guest speaker at the church spoke on Psalms 23.

Now my antennas always go up when I hear the same message . . . Like God is trying to tell me something . .

Isn't it nice to get confirmed in your life that God is going to BE THERE and BLESS and TAKE CARE of you!

(well that just lifted my mood right there!)

It's like winning the lotto!

Back in February Flip Flop Mama wrote of receiving her own Nigerian scam.

Up until this week I had been feeling out of the loop. But now . . . not one but TWO people are trying to give me money! People I don't know . . . how kind.

In ministry it is not uncommon for people you don't personally know to have heard about what your doing and send a gift . . . but these people want to hand over 2.5 million, 20.6 million each. Not too shabby . . .

FROM THE DESK OF MR.WALTER SUSULU AUDITING AND ACCOUNTING MANEGER ,BANK OF AFRICA
(B.O.A)OUAGADOUGOU-BURKINA FASO.
Trust/Confidential
proposal

Dear Friend, Please this is important and very urgent i have
an urgent transaction of $20.6 million usd to transfer to your nominated
account, I am mr Walter Susulu i am an Auditor, with Accounting
Department,BANK OF AFRICA here in OUAGADOUGOU, BURKINA FASO. Aftergoing
through some old files in the records, I discovered that if I do not remit this
money out urgently it will be forfeited for nothing. The owner of this
account unfortunately died in the plane crash of Union Transport Africains
Flight Boeing 727 in Cotonou, Benin republic on the december 25,2003. You will
read more stories about the crash on visiting this website www.cnn.com/2003/WORLD/africa/12/26/benin.crash/ No
other person knows about this account or any thing concerning it,the account has
no other beneficiary and my investigation proved to me as well that his company
does not know anything about this account and the amount involved is (USD 20.6
MILLION) Twenty million Six Hunderd Thousend United States Dollars. I
want to transfer the USD 20.6 MILLION) Twenty million Six Hunderd Thousend
United States Dollars into a safe foreigners account abroad , but I don't know
any foreigner, I am only contacting you as a foreigner because this money can
not be approved to a local bank here, but can only be approved to any foreign
account because the money is in US dollars and the former owner of the account
is a foreigner too. I know that this message will come to you as a
surprise as we don't know our selves before,but be rest assure that this is life
time business for both of us even for our generation to come
. . With believe in God that you will never let me down in this
business. You are the only person that I have contacted in this business, so
please reply urgently so that I will inform you the next step to take urgently,
Send also your private telephone and fax number . I want us to meet face to
face or sign a binding agreement to bind us together so that you can receive
this money into a foreign account or any account of your choice where the fund
will be safe. I will fly to your country for withdrawal and sharing and other
investments. I am contacting you because of the need to involve a
foreigner with foreign account and foreign beneficiary. I need your full
co-operation to make this work fine because the management is ready to approve
this payment to any foreigner who has correct information about this
account, which I will feed you with, if you are able and with capability to
handle such amount in strict confidence and trust according to my instructions
and advice for our mutual benefit because this opportunity will never come again
in my life. I need truthful person in this business because I don't want
to make mistake I need your strong assurance and trust. With my position now in
the office I can transfer this money to any foreign reliable account, which you
can provide with assurance that this money will be intact pending my physical
arrival in your country for sharing. And i want to remaind you that your
share has been carculated at 35% of the total sum. I'am waiting for your urgent
reply so that i will give you more information about this deal. Please reply
back to my private email address

With
regards,

Mr Walter Susulu.

I googled Mr Walter Susulu and apparently he died in May 6 2003.

But this next letter is just heart rendering if it wasn't that I received another letter like it a few days before only different person. The circumstances were practically identical. . .

ATTN:TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN:
Sir/Madam,

I am Mrs Mary
Williams. from Kuwait, I am married to Mr. Henry Williams who worked
with Kuwait embassy in Ivory Coast for nine years before he died in the year
2002.We were married for eleven years without a child. He died after a brief
illness that lasted for only four days.Before his death we were both born again
Christian. Since his death I decided not to remarry or get a child outside my
matrimonial home which the Bible is against. When my late husband was alive he
deposited the sum of US$2.5million dollars in a Bank here in Abidjan Cote
d'Ivoire.Presently, this money is still in bank.Recently, my Doctor told me that
I would not last for the next Eight months due to cancer problem. The one that
disturbs me most is my stroke sickness. Having known my condition I decided to
donate this fund to a church that will utilize this money the way I am going to
instruct herein.

I want a church that will use this fund for
orphanages, widows, propagating the word of God and to endeavor that the house
of God is maintained. The Bible made us to understand that "Blessed is the hand
that giveth". I took this decision because I don't have any child that will
inherit this money and my husband relatives are not Christians and I don't want
my husband's efforts to be used by unbelievers.

I don't want a
situation where this money will be used in an ungodly way. This is why I am
taking this decision. I am not afraid of death hence I know where I am going. I
know that I am going to be in the bosom of the Lord. Exodus 14 VS 14 says that
"the lord will fight my case and shall hold my peace". I don't need any
telephone communication in this regard because of my health hence the presence
of my husband's relatives around me always. I don't want them to know about this
development.With God all things are possible. As soon as I receive your reply I
shall give you the contact of the Bank here in Abidjan Cote d'Ivoire.I
will also issue you an authority letter that will prove you the present
beneficiary of this fund.

I want you and the church to always
pray for me because the lord is my shephard. My happiness is that I lived a life
of a worthy Christian. Whoever that Wants to serve the Lord must serve him in
spirit and Truth. Please always be prayerful all through your life.
Contact
me on the this e-mail address
any delay in your reply will give me room in sourcing another church for this
same purpose. Please assure me that you will act accordingly as I Stated herein.
Hoping to receive your reply.
Remain blessed in the Lord. Yours in
Christ, Mrs.Mary Williams.

When I googled her I found another Mary Williams in the Ivory Coast (who's Mother is a Nigerian, no less) that is asking the Pope for money since her parents died TRAGICALLY . . (guess that would be her mother was Nigerian) and she is only 17 years old. Interesting.

OK, ok, I'll pull my tongue out of my cheek for a bit here . . .

The Matt 10:16 says "I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves."

You know, I honestly don't think God would give my hubby and me something like this. Not that He couldn't. I know He could, but He knows that it wouldn't be good for us.

One of the neat things about working and depending on God for your "daily bread" is that we see the hand of God often, and in amazing ways we feel His blessings distinctly and we trust Him more because we have to.

If we suddenly came into millions of dollars . . . we wouldn't need to trust God to provide, would we?

With that in mind, does anyone know where or who to report these suspicious looking e-mail to? Surely there is a place . . .

(almost) Wordless Wednesday

Weekend Reflection

What a crazy God blessed week.

Monday we had a party for our deaf visitor that was here for our deaf woman's retreat.

Tuesday I spent on the phone trying to clear up some medical junk issues that just add up to head aches.

But Wednesday . . . ahh this is where the whole week took a turn for the blessed . . .

We made the long drive with our visiting couple up to just south of the LA area. We have a friend up there who has 'adopted' us and when we do the long drive we stay at her house for the night.

Turns out her son works for a non-profit organization that gives donated food and items to other ministries. He asked if we would like to take some stuff back for the deaf and ourselves . . .

Sure, but what he didn't tell us is that he would be coming out with a fork lift of bins full of stuff! Our mini-van left PACKED to the gill with baby items, canned food, and diapers.

Then early Thursday morning both my hubby and myself had a doctor's appointment, and so we asked my WONDERFUL brother J to watch the kids for three hours.

"Sure" he said "and since I am a nice guy, why don't you guys do something together like catch a movie and go out to eat without the kids, too." And when we dropped off the kids he handed us gift certificates to AMC movie theater. WHAT A GUY!

So after our doctor's appointments, we did go out to eat and we did see a movie . . . It was really, really nice. And when we got back the kids were just waking from naps . . because apparently they were little angels the whole time.

Either the kids have split personalities that only show with others or he's lying . . .

Just kidding, he's just plain good with kids . . . He works with kids in his ministry, it's what he does.

But none the less, what a day! What blessings . . . and what is more is that trudging in an old mini-van packed to the gills can cause some trouble when crossing the boarder . . .

Wouldn't you know we had no problem what so ever! They didn't even look twice at us

God is good

And now we have the pleasure of passing on this great blessing to others . . . I am expecting a couple with a baby to come by at any minute . .

I must admit . . . there is a bit of a scrooge in me that wants to hoard most of it (but the scrooge in me calls it "stocking up") . . . thankfully right now my hubby is in the generous mood so we just give away . . give away . . .

It really is more blessed to give than to receive, ya know.

Wordless Wednesday

Baby Brother

The deaf women's retreat

Make photo slide shows at onetruemedia.com

The angels rejoice because the last lady pictured (Antonia) accepted the free gift of Salvation while at the retreat!!!

And that alone would have made this time all worth the while! But the blessings of it did not stop there . .

We studied Psalms 23.

It was in a small beach house with scented candles, chocolates and little goodies all around . . .

We had good fellowship, relaxed, joked and generally, thoroughly enjoyed ourselves.

Also we made a bracelet that followed the 23 Psalm:

1 The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want. - One white bead for "sheep"
2 He makes me lie down in green pastures, - a green bead for "green pastures"

he leads me beside quiet waters, - a blue bead for "quiet waters"
3 he restores my soul. He guides me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake. - a clear bead for "righteousness"
4 Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; - a black bead for "valley of the shadow of death"

your rod and your staff, they comfort me. - brown bead for "rod and staff"
5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. - another brown bead for "a table"

You anoint my head with oil; - a yellow/orange bead for oil
my cup overflows. - a purple bead
6 Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, - a pink bead

and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever. - a gold bead for "the house of the Lord"

I don't know about you, but this bracelet helped me to memorize all the this Psalm . . pretty cool if you ask me.

Baby Boy

Flip flop mom wrote of her baby's check up. Reminded me that my boy had one too . . .

He got his 18 month old visit. He's about 28 lbs, and 30 some inches tall.

He's in the 75% of his growth chart . . . that's good. And they almost ordered ANOTHER blood draw to check for lead poisoning when I reminded them that he got one at his 12 month old check up! *WHEW* Those are horrible things . . . NO WAY do I volunteer for a second round . . .

OK, but I'm rambling here . . .

Flip was saying that her 15mo isn't talking . . .and with a bunch of ear wax that may be a "thing".

I was reminded when we first started going to this pediatrician. She is wonderful, has a gentle way with kids and I can get them in at almost a moments notice . . . I won't change that convenience for the world . . . but one thing . . .she discourages mothers (including me) from teaching their babies to sign.

Hold on a minute while I collect myself from the floor from laughing . . .

When I told her that I was teaching my boy sign . . . and she told me not to, 'cause it might delay his speech, I nodded politely and did a class A job of keeping a "Oh, is that so" look on my face instead of a "Do-you-not-know-what-I-do-for-a-living?" and then me and my hubby had a good giggle in the car.

You see . . . last minute availability trumps baby rearing propaganda . . . I'll hold my tongue!

But as for my boy . . . he signs words in both American Sign Language, Mexican sign language and "talks" enough to please any pediatrician. He kind of blows the whole . . "older sibling does all the talking for him so he won't talk until later" theory too . . . and not that she doesn't sure do enough talking for everyone!!!

The deaf womens retreat

STARTS TODAY!

The deaf women's retreat that we've been planing since September.

It's been covered in prayer. There will only be 7 possibly 8 ladies there . . . but we know that God works with individuals . . . so we don't need a stadium full!

I'm so nervous I can't think straight!

I leave this afternoon and won't be back until Sunday. I'll take pictures don't worry!

Oh and that's why I haven't been able to visit as many people as I would have liked in the blogging party. Been getting things ready.

By the way . . .did you see over 900 have joined the blogging party! Isn't that crazy!!!!

If you remember me this weekend send up a prayer for the deaf ladies, the speaker and their hearts.
Thanks.

Worth the link.

What makes a housewife desparate wrote, what I consider, a good reflective post about being a mom.

The Ultimate Blog Party

Welcome!

I've been feeling nauseous with this new pregnancy of mine, so I don't have the much desire to write much. Who I am and what I do is in this blog . . so I'm link you to a few of my favorite post to look at . . . and some party pictures.

1. all sign is not universal
2. mom at the wheel
3. out of the mouth of babes
4. GOOOAALL! (or lack of it)
5. my opinion of pinatas
6. What was that?
7. Rules to drive by
8. 9 wierd things about me
9. thirteen things I've learned living with the deaf

Again, welcome!

Saturday

Pregnancy report: I'm pretty much feeling nausea from 11am on. This is the hardest pregnancy I've had yet. Still I count myself blessed since we just found out my sister-in-law is also pregnant and VIOLENTLY ill. . . .

Let us give baby boy of Kelly in the Mirror a big WELCOME!

CONGRADULATION KELLY!