We're still here!

Not sure if anyone's missing us :-)  But we're still here! 

This is very unlike me to-

1.  Post something less than a "gazillion" words long

2.  Post something without any pictures 

3.  And not have the word "sooooo"  mentioned a few times (not counting the fact I just wrote it)

But after weeks of thinking maybe I don't really have time to blog anymore, and weeks of praying about it when I my mind tossed the decision back and forth, and being the very decisive person that I am, I finally mentioned the whole thing to my husband trying my best to articulate each thought, reason, feeling I had as clearly as possible...

 In less than 5 seconds, he gave me my answer.   And my headache went away and I had one less thing to think about and really, don't know why I didn't just talk to him in the first place.  I love that man!

And now I have soooo (oops :) ) much to say and with no time to write right now, but thought I'd say "Hi" :) and soon I'll be back to share-

*Our summer schedule

*My last couple years of schooling preschoolers and how much I am loving it

*How our children ALL received  their MEXICAN Citizenship!!!!! PTL!

*Summer plans

*What the Lord is teaching me

*What does a missionary wife of 12 children do to help her husband in his ministry

*More of our family's favorite recipes

*Updates on the children...they keep growing...without permission...I think it's somehow directly related to the amount of food I cook each day

Don't worry...I won't share all that all at once. :) Or anything else you'd  like to ask about...just ask!

But right now I've got another basket of clothes to  put away, a couple more kiddos to bathe, a stack of papers to grade, a bunch of letters to mail, and it's time for supper.

I'm so thankful for so much!  The Lord is so faithful and so good! 

7th Anniversary of the Iglesia Bautista de Insurgentes

Our hearts are so full!  We were just privileged and blessed to have our pastor, Pastor Ryan Hollister (pastor of our sending church- Millville Community Baptist Church, Millville, CA) AND Daniel's uncle, Pastor Tom Lucatorta (pastor of one of our supporting churches...Heritage Baptist Church, Anderson, CA) come and spend an ENTIRE WEEK with us!!!

They arrived last Thursday afternoon and returned home yesterday.

Sunday, our church celebrated it's  7th anniversary!  And then Monday and Tuesday we held our 2nd annual Mission's Conference.

Tremendously blessed.  Excitement.   Encouraged.  Counseled.  Fellowship.  Talking late into the night.  Working.  Laughter.  English.  Spanish.  Tired.  Exhausted.  Saying Good Bye.  Sadness.  Happiness.  Full Hearts.

Here is a video we made for Pastor Ryan/Uncle Tom to take home with them as a rememberance of their time here.  It's made from pictures taken over the past week.  

I know it's a bit long, but thought I'd share it in case anyone wanted to see it.  :)

(The man that looks like Daniel's brother (according to all our people here) is Pastor Ryan and the dear other man is Uncle Tom)

Wednesday night at prayer meeting, Pastor Ryan got up to share with our people.  As he was speaking, Susannah started sniffling.  I looked down at her and she had tears in her eyes.    She had just realized that Pastor Ryan/Uncle Tom were leaving to go home the next day.  I held her close as she sobbed.

It's hard to say good bye to someone you love so much.  Pastor Ryan and Uncle Tom love our family and love our church here and we love and miss them, too.

I told Susannah we'd make them good bye letters and give them little gifts.  Then Daddy said we'd ALL go to Loreto to take them to the airport!!!   After many hugs and watching until they boarded their plane, we all drove down to the beach.  Daniel and I sat together hand in hand watching the children play while we talked.

It means so much to our family and to our church that these dear pastors sacrificed so much to come.  

I took pictures of each of the children with their Pastor and Uncle (you can see them at the end of the video).  I told them I'd print them up so they could keep them in their Bibles to remember how much they are loved and prayed for back in the USA.