Summer update :-)

Hola!! :)  Yes, it's been awhile. So long in fact that I've sat here for a few minutes just staring at a blank screen thinking of where to start.   So long that my older children, who I didn't even know read our blog, keep asking me to update.   And even my husband came home the other day and while I was telling him about how we did this and that and the other, he merely said, "So did you update the blog yet?"  

Hmm....well, today if he asks, I'll be able to say, "Yes!" :)

So how to share 2 months in 15 minutes???

Here's some highlights.

We finished school the first week of June and started our summer by taking another trip to La Paz as we continue to work on getting me my visa.  We started the process in February and are still waiting, praying it will come in soon.  They opened an ice skating rink in La Paz this past year.  Well, it's not real ice, but a sort of plastic floor...kind of like those white cutting boards you use in the kitchen.  But it's slippery and for a couple dollars a person, you can skate for an hour.  So after we finished our visit with immigration, Daniel took us to skate.  It was so fun!  Most of the children know how to roller blade, so while most had never been on ice skates, they picked it up quickly.  

Even Samuel.  Oh, Samuel.  How uniquely each one of us are made!  Twelve children.  Twelve very different personalities, strengths, weaknesses.  Samuel has been independent from the start.  I always thought God gave him that extra ummph...a bit of a fighter...as he had such a rough start in life being born so prematurely.  When we got on the skating floor, Samuel was down on the ground.  He was slipping and sliding and getting all frustrated.  Beka and I had been helping Eliseo, holding his hands and staying along side him;  Eliseo needs lots of encouragement.  He's so sweet and sensitive and we didn't want him to give up.  So we went to do the same with Samuel.  Only Samuel wanted nothing of it.  "I can do it all by myself!" was all he said.  And he kept getting up and falling and getting up and falling and his determination never ceased.  After about 20 minutes, he was doing it!  

 On the ministry front, we have been rejoicing in seeing the Lord work this summer.  In the past month or so we've had several people come to Christ.  Alan, a 14 year old young man, use to come to our Sunday School for years.  As he got older, he stopped coming, but recently came back and last week, he told Daniel that he accepted Jesus Christ as his Savior.  Omar, a young man of 18 and one of 14 children, began coming to our youth group a few months ago.  Daniel has a special service for the youth every Saturday evening.  Saturday nights around here is when most every teen in town is out on the streets, drinking, parties, hanging out etc...   Saturday nights at our church, many young people come to work on church projects, sing, memorize Scripture, and study God's Word.  A couple weeks ago, he too gave his heart and life to Christ.

Anastacio and Hortencia, a married couple with 5 children....Hortencia was the first person I ever really witnessed to in Spanish years ago.  She and her husband accepted Christ as their Savior last week.

Alondra, an 11 year old girl, that has been in our Sunday School classes for about 3 years said on Sunday that she wanted to give her heart to Jesus and she did.  Karla, a 17 year old young lady and single mother, accepted Christ a couple weeks ago.  And Sunday, Carmen, a lady that Lirio and I have been witnessing to, came to church.  After the service, I asked her if she has been thinking any more about what we've been sharing with her, and she said, "Yes, every day.  I'm worried about my soul."  She wants us to come to her house to talk with her more.

On the construction front, this week Daniel, Timothy, Elijah, and some of the young men in our church will be beginning to build temporary wooden buildings to be used as Sunday School rooms.  We continue to use what will someday be bathrooms and storage as our current classrooms.  Every week new children come to and hear the gospel.  Alondra's mom says Alondra has been coming home from church each week "preaching" everything that she learned.  

We are still without electricity.  We are waiting for an inspector to come up from La Paz to verify that everything is installed correctly.  He was suppose to come on 3 different occasions, but hasn't.  Please pray that we'll be able to get lights soon.

Daniel, Miguel, Elijah, Chuy, Timothy, Ivan, and Benjamin...work crew :)

 Doña Luz, our 85 year old neighbor across the street, began coming to church with us last month and has come faithfully each Sunday.  After years and years of praying for her and inviting her and sharing the gospel with her, she is coming.  Pray that she'll trust in Christ alone for her salvation soon!

 Oh!  On Monday, June 24th, 1973, a 9 lb baby girl was born.

That girl grew up, married the boy she went to school with since she was 10, went to the mission field, spends her days caring for her husband and dozen children, and forty years later, she turned....

40!!!!

I have wanted to be 40 for soooooo long!   It sounds so wise and mature and oh, so not me!! :) 

Well, Sunday evening the 23rd, I got to church a bit early as normal, and saw all the tables and chairs set up outside.  Daniel was already there and smiling.  I asked him why everything was set up outside, he smiled, and said something about a party.  Then I walked in the church and saw this.

 The people in our church had been planning for a month to surprise me and they did!!!  I had NO idea!  

They didn't tell any of my children or any of their children which is probably why I never got wind of it.  

Between services, they had set up the tables/chairs, decorated inside, and prepared a delicious birria with beans, rice, salsa, tortillas and cake!!!   I felt so very loved and it was such a special service.   

Chuy, a young man who got saved here 5 years ago and is now studying to be either a pastor or missionary, is home now on vacation and preached that evening. 

After our service, we had a wonderful time of food, fellowship and I was given wwwaaayyyyy more candy than any one person should ingest (don't worry....I managed just fine :) ).  

 We got home very late and I felt soooo blessed and sooo tired and said it was just the sweetest birthday ever.  And Daniel smiled and said, "There's one more surprise.   Tomorrow Hna. Tola will watch the children and you and I will go to La Paz overnight."  Loved by my husband, loved by my children, loved by my church family and so many friends.  Loved by my Lord who gave His life for me.

SO thankful for the 40 years He's given me and I just want to live each new day He gives for Him.

My soul winning crew a couple weeks ago

Elijah, Miguel, Chuy, and Timothy- 4 young men serving the Lord together

Josiah, Pablo, Noah and Isaiah....Best Friends

Me and my baby :)

Some of the lonely times on the field can be holidays or special days when you really miss your family back home.  But I want my children to have the sweet memories of each special day like my mommee gave to me.  So when the 4th of July came, we colored and laminated flags to hang, made cupcakes and other desserts, barbecued burgers, invited over some of the young people from church, played relay games and had an egg toss (which I played with my husband and got egg ALL over my face!!!  Only I could manage that!), and then in the evening during our family devotions, we talked about what made the USA such a blessed great nation, prayed for our nation, and then recited the Declaration of Independence (which 5 of the kiddos had learned in school this past year).

What else to share?  I'm waayyyy over my 15 minutes.  The girls are decorating their bedroom, boys are making kites, our neighbor boy is over playing with the little ones, Elijah's getting ready for his A+ Computer class, and I need to get to the store to buy some cheese because I'm going to surprise the children with pizza for lunch :)  I'll end with a few pictures of daily life.  

And while there may not be many who read here, those of you who do and who pray, know the Lord is answering your prayers.  He is so faithful and so good!!!

Having yogurts/muffins for breakfast and reading their Bibles in the cool of the morning.

Our 2 sweet young ladies :)

With boys, life is NEVER dull :)

Listening to Daddy tell stories after breakfast

Abraham and Samuel :)