Friday, April 16, 2010
Week 27: Fun with the flu!
Well, I was doing really well in the health department, once we got those parasites taken care of!! But this week I have been battling the flu, and I haven´t been able to do much of anything...I just wanted to check in, but to be honest I am not feeling up to blogging for real! This too shall pass...
Week 26: A week I will not soon repeat...
Jairo went away this week to Guayaquil because he was invited to lead worship there at a Revival. Guayaquil is about 8 hours from Quito. It was the first time we were separated since we’ve been married. And it was our 6 month anniversary. Sound like fun? Oh yeah...
I stayed behind to lead the youth service on Friday for Revolution Ministries. I think that when I called Jairo in tears about the experience, he decided he would try not to do it again. I really tried to be strong and do a good job at the youth service because I wanted to help Jairo and I didn’t want to cancel on the youth. The problem was that the majority of our church went to Guayaquil for the Revival, so the only teens who stayed were the bad ones. There aren’t that many bad ones, but when the good ones are gone, the bad ones sense your fear and they attack. Okay, it wasn’t that bad, and to my credit I didn’t burst into tears until after I talked to Jairo on the phone. So I exaggerated a little. But I would say it’s not something I would like to repeat any time soon. Especially not on my anniversary!
Still, I think in the brownie points department it went pretty far with Jairo. He knew how hard it was for me to stay behind, and how scared I was to lead the service alone. Still, I did it, which is more than I thought I could do. I learned to stretch my boundaries a little and do something in spite of being afraid...I can do all things through Christ! Plus, being that helper for my husband as God intends for me always leads to a positive reaction from Jairo, who is great at recognizing the help I try to provide. He assures me after my detailed description of the service that I really did fine...but he also assures me that he will try not to make it a habit! I guess that´s all either one of us could ask from the other.
I stayed behind to lead the youth service on Friday for Revolution Ministries. I think that when I called Jairo in tears about the experience, he decided he would try not to do it again. I really tried to be strong and do a good job at the youth service because I wanted to help Jairo and I didn’t want to cancel on the youth. The problem was that the majority of our church went to Guayaquil for the Revival, so the only teens who stayed were the bad ones. There aren’t that many bad ones, but when the good ones are gone, the bad ones sense your fear and they attack. Okay, it wasn’t that bad, and to my credit I didn’t burst into tears until after I talked to Jairo on the phone. So I exaggerated a little. But I would say it’s not something I would like to repeat any time soon. Especially not on my anniversary!
Still, I think in the brownie points department it went pretty far with Jairo. He knew how hard it was for me to stay behind, and how scared I was to lead the service alone. Still, I did it, which is more than I thought I could do. I learned to stretch my boundaries a little and do something in spite of being afraid...I can do all things through Christ! Plus, being that helper for my husband as God intends for me always leads to a positive reaction from Jairo, who is great at recognizing the help I try to provide. He assures me after my detailed description of the service that I really did fine...but he also assures me that he will try not to make it a habit! I guess that´s all either one of us could ask from the other.
Week 25: More Ministry Fun
Since Bre left for the US, Byron and Becky asked us to take over the youth part of the Thursday night service at La Libertad where we’ve been helping out. It’s been a lot of fun. It seems like there is a lot of opportunity to take it in a great direction and see some growth.
I think the best part has been getting to know Byron and Becky. Becky is from the US and Byron is from Ecuador, and they work with their own non-profit organization, so we have a lot in common! They are a great couple and a lot of fun to be around. Becky is expecting a baby boy in October, and I’m excited to see what the baby looks like to get an idea what our kids might look like!! (I know it sounds weird...) It has been a huge encouragement getting to know them because we have the same kinds of struggles and joys. I think this partnership could be really great for all of us, and I can’t wait to see great things happen in La Libertad!
I think the best part has been getting to know Byron and Becky. Becky is from the US and Byron is from Ecuador, and they work with their own non-profit organization, so we have a lot in common! They are a great couple and a lot of fun to be around. Becky is expecting a baby boy in October, and I’m excited to see what the baby looks like to get an idea what our kids might look like!! (I know it sounds weird...) It has been a huge encouragement getting to know them because we have the same kinds of struggles and joys. I think this partnership could be really great for all of us, and I can’t wait to see great things happen in La Libertad!
Week 24: Another Big Step
This week we started dance and drama groups with our youth from Revolution Ministries. We have a good group and I think it’s going to be really rewarding. Right now we’re focusing on team building, basic coordination skills and getting rid of shyness. It’s fun to see the youth in a different situation that’s a little less formal. It’s exciting, too, because little by little we’re seeing a lot of our dreams for the ministry come true.
The practices have brought out an interesting dynamic between Jairo and me. I am, surprisingly, very organized in my approach to all things ministry. I think being organized saves time and energy. My husband is slowly being converted to this outlook as he sees that it pays off, but we hit a roadblock when we started dance and drama. His unorganized approach (very latino, by the way) was really starting to get on my nerves in one practice, and I decided to tell him so. It turns out, I was also getting on his nerves, so there were a tense few minutes as we tried to work out an approach. It all got worked out, and the annoying is down to a minimum for both parties, but it taught me something.
Marriage is a great mirror into your own character, specifically your flaws. In this case, I saw that my own need to be right and in control (even though I was right! lol) was becoming more important to me than my husband’s feelings, or my need to respect him and submit to him. There is a way to help your husband see areas he could improve that maintains his honor, and it’s important for a wife to do this. It’s biblical. If I just yell at him or whine and complain or any other passive aggressive techniques currently in use by the average wife, I’m not honoring him and he will not ever react well to it. I’ve been learning how to honor him and respect him while helping him be better in certain areas. The great thing is that he sees the effort and he pays me back for it with a lot of love and respect. It’s not a perfect system because we’re not perfect people, but it really does work wonders on a marriage.
And a marriage can really work wonders on your character if you let it.
The practices have brought out an interesting dynamic between Jairo and me. I am, surprisingly, very organized in my approach to all things ministry. I think being organized saves time and energy. My husband is slowly being converted to this outlook as he sees that it pays off, but we hit a roadblock when we started dance and drama. His unorganized approach (very latino, by the way) was really starting to get on my nerves in one practice, and I decided to tell him so. It turns out, I was also getting on his nerves, so there were a tense few minutes as we tried to work out an approach. It all got worked out, and the annoying is down to a minimum for both parties, but it taught me something.
Marriage is a great mirror into your own character, specifically your flaws. In this case, I saw that my own need to be right and in control (even though I was right! lol) was becoming more important to me than my husband’s feelings, or my need to respect him and submit to him. There is a way to help your husband see areas he could improve that maintains his honor, and it’s important for a wife to do this. It’s biblical. If I just yell at him or whine and complain or any other passive aggressive techniques currently in use by the average wife, I’m not honoring him and he will not ever react well to it. I’ve been learning how to honor him and respect him while helping him be better in certain areas. The great thing is that he sees the effort and he pays me back for it with a lot of love and respect. It’s not a perfect system because we’re not perfect people, but it really does work wonders on a marriage.
And a marriage can really work wonders on your character if you let it.
Week 24: Goodbye is such sweet, sweet sorrow...
This week, my friend Bre returned to the US. It was a sad goodbye for me because Bre has been here in Ecuador since I got married. She was staying with some friends of ours, Becky and Byron, in the north part of Quito, but I got to see her at least once a week. It was nice to have that friendship during the first few months of transition into life in Ecuador because I didn’t feel as alone.
Now that she’s gone, I do feel a sense of loneliness. It’s hard to make friends when you’re a leader in a ministry. Everyone comes to you for help and advice, but no one is really there to give it. Especially here in Ecuador, where people are especially gossipy, it’s hard to find a good, quality friendship.
I’m not sure when Bre will come back to Ecuador. I know she wants to, but you never know. Life is unpredictable. So now I’m just praying for a good friend who lives in the same country as me! And I´m praying for Bre, that God will guide her and keep her safe...and let me see her again soon!
Now that she’s gone, I do feel a sense of loneliness. It’s hard to make friends when you’re a leader in a ministry. Everyone comes to you for help and advice, but no one is really there to give it. Especially here in Ecuador, where people are especially gossipy, it’s hard to find a good, quality friendship.
I’m not sure when Bre will come back to Ecuador. I know she wants to, but you never know. Life is unpredictable. So now I’m just praying for a good friend who lives in the same country as me! And I´m praying for Bre, that God will guide her and keep her safe...and let me see her again soon!
Week 23: Independence Day
When I woke up on July 4th, I didn’t realize what day it was. Living on the equator and having every day be pretty much the same, I don’t feel time moving in the same way it moves in the US. There are no seasons in the way we think of them, there’s no snow, no spring, no fireworks on July 4th. So I woke up and I didn’t really realize that there was anything special about the day.
It wasn’t until I got on facebook and saw all of the Independence Day statuses that I realized it was a holiday. It’s interesting to me because this kind of experience really epitomizes my life here in Ecuador. The US feels so far away, not just in distance, but like another world. Maybe it is another world.
I started to think about my brother Nick, because he loves July 4th. He’s a soldier, but I think he always liked the holiday. I’m more of a Christmas kind of girl myself. Nick is in Afghanistan with the Army and I think about him a lot. Growing up we didn’t always get along, I think probably because we’re close in age and also because I was a brat. Then, when I was in high school, Nick went to fight in Iraq. I remember having a meltdown at school the day after I found out that he was leaving. It might have been the hardest I’ve ever cried. He came home safe, and I know he’ll come home safe again.
I love all of my siblings more than they realize. My sister Tina, the oldest, has always been the most family-oriented. She’s pretty independent. She left college early and got a job and worked her way up and is now pretty high up there in her company. She married a great guy, Ryan, and I think his most important quality is that he loves our family and we love him. I think for Tina that was huge. When my family called me on my birthday, Ryan told me he loved me and missed me, just like all my siblings did, and I was reminded how perfect he is for Tina. She loves her family. She’s the one who keeps in touch, the one who tries to visit a lot, the one I didn’t want to tell that I was moving to Ecuador. I didn’t want her to be sad. But she surprised me by really supporting me in my decision to get married and move, although I think she was sad. I was sad, too, thinking about how she wouldn’t be in my wedding or be here someday when I have a baby. I always imagined she would be. Recently she told me that she and Ryan and their two kids are planning a visit to Ecuador as soon as they can come, and I’m really excited. I miss Tina a lot. I miss the sister-to-sister talks. She helped me through a lot of girl issues, a lot of growing up issues, a lot of family issues. I have always admired her. Of all my siblings she has remained closest to God, too, and when I pray for her I feel happy because she’s doing everything in her life so well. I hope someday I can share some of her qualities as a woman.
My brother Todd, the second-oldest, spent a lot of the time that I was growing up far away from the family. I didn’t get to know him that well as a kid. He made some poor decisions starting out and didn’t always see eye to eye with my parents. I think he had a rough time as a teen and it really affected him. In the past few years, however, he has made amends with my parents and we started seeing more of him. It was nice to finally get to know him as a person. He’s pretty laid back, calm. I think he really admires my dad a lot. (Who doesn’t?) He has a wife, Nicole, who is actually pretty fun to talk to, and two boys that are getting huge! Todd called me around my birthday and another time that he was visiting with dad, and both times I was surprised to see a more tender side of him, telling me how much he misses me and asking when I will come to visit. From what my mom says, Todd was always very sensitive and tender as a kid and was really sweet. I have this suspicion that he still is. I´m really enjoying getting to know him for who he is...I only wish he weren´t so far away so that process could be a little easier!
Well, I mentioned Nick already. He’s the closest to me in age (I’m the youngest), and we spent the most time growing up together. Despite always annoying each other, Nick always looked out for me. It’s a shame I was going through those bratty years while he was in the house, because he probably didn’t deserve all of my bad behavior. (probably.) I think because of the experiences Nick has had, he probably understands me better than anyone else in my family. He knows what it’s like to be years without seeing your family, and what it’s like to be scared to go home. He knows what it’s like to know you will never be able to be “normal” again in a lot of ways, even though everyone who is waiting for you at home expects you to be like you were before. He knows what it’s like to do whatever it takes to be with the person you love, even when your family doesn’t understand right away (but they do with time!). Nick has always been concerned for my future. I think he was always good at seeing my potential, and worrying about me throwing that away. I hope he doesn’t think I threw it away, because I am much happier now than I would have been after graduating college and working a 9 to 5 job somewhere. This is what God called me to. I promised Nick I would finish college. I didn’t do that. When I made the promise I thought I would. Maybe I will someday, who knows. But Nick was the only one who made me promise. I guess I’ll always remember that. I broke the promise, but I don’t think Nick was so worried about college as he was about me being okay. I’ll be okay.
A lot of why I’ll be okay is because I have such a wonderful family. It makes it harder to be far away because I do love my family. I miss them. A lot. But every day, even though we might not always be in touch, I feel their love around me and I feel strong enough to live the life I chose. Everyone wants the best for me, even though they probably didn’t want “the best” to look like this. They probably wanted “the best” to look like me living nearby, with a husband who speaks English! But I was never happy with normal. I’ve never been normal. (Just ask my siblings!) And I think my family knows that. So on this Independence Day, I have to be thankful to a family that let me have independence, and let me be who I am. I don’t think there can be a better gift than that.
It wasn’t until I got on facebook and saw all of the Independence Day statuses that I realized it was a holiday. It’s interesting to me because this kind of experience really epitomizes my life here in Ecuador. The US feels so far away, not just in distance, but like another world. Maybe it is another world.
I started to think about my brother Nick, because he loves July 4th. He’s a soldier, but I think he always liked the holiday. I’m more of a Christmas kind of girl myself. Nick is in Afghanistan with the Army and I think about him a lot. Growing up we didn’t always get along, I think probably because we’re close in age and also because I was a brat. Then, when I was in high school, Nick went to fight in Iraq. I remember having a meltdown at school the day after I found out that he was leaving. It might have been the hardest I’ve ever cried. He came home safe, and I know he’ll come home safe again.
I love all of my siblings more than they realize. My sister Tina, the oldest, has always been the most family-oriented. She’s pretty independent. She left college early and got a job and worked her way up and is now pretty high up there in her company. She married a great guy, Ryan, and I think his most important quality is that he loves our family and we love him. I think for Tina that was huge. When my family called me on my birthday, Ryan told me he loved me and missed me, just like all my siblings did, and I was reminded how perfect he is for Tina. She loves her family. She’s the one who keeps in touch, the one who tries to visit a lot, the one I didn’t want to tell that I was moving to Ecuador. I didn’t want her to be sad. But she surprised me by really supporting me in my decision to get married and move, although I think she was sad. I was sad, too, thinking about how she wouldn’t be in my wedding or be here someday when I have a baby. I always imagined she would be. Recently she told me that she and Ryan and their two kids are planning a visit to Ecuador as soon as they can come, and I’m really excited. I miss Tina a lot. I miss the sister-to-sister talks. She helped me through a lot of girl issues, a lot of growing up issues, a lot of family issues. I have always admired her. Of all my siblings she has remained closest to God, too, and when I pray for her I feel happy because she’s doing everything in her life so well. I hope someday I can share some of her qualities as a woman.
My brother Todd, the second-oldest, spent a lot of the time that I was growing up far away from the family. I didn’t get to know him that well as a kid. He made some poor decisions starting out and didn’t always see eye to eye with my parents. I think he had a rough time as a teen and it really affected him. In the past few years, however, he has made amends with my parents and we started seeing more of him. It was nice to finally get to know him as a person. He’s pretty laid back, calm. I think he really admires my dad a lot. (Who doesn’t?) He has a wife, Nicole, who is actually pretty fun to talk to, and two boys that are getting huge! Todd called me around my birthday and another time that he was visiting with dad, and both times I was surprised to see a more tender side of him, telling me how much he misses me and asking when I will come to visit. From what my mom says, Todd was always very sensitive and tender as a kid and was really sweet. I have this suspicion that he still is. I´m really enjoying getting to know him for who he is...I only wish he weren´t so far away so that process could be a little easier!
Well, I mentioned Nick already. He’s the closest to me in age (I’m the youngest), and we spent the most time growing up together. Despite always annoying each other, Nick always looked out for me. It’s a shame I was going through those bratty years while he was in the house, because he probably didn’t deserve all of my bad behavior. (probably.) I think because of the experiences Nick has had, he probably understands me better than anyone else in my family. He knows what it’s like to be years without seeing your family, and what it’s like to be scared to go home. He knows what it’s like to know you will never be able to be “normal” again in a lot of ways, even though everyone who is waiting for you at home expects you to be like you were before. He knows what it’s like to do whatever it takes to be with the person you love, even when your family doesn’t understand right away (but they do with time!). Nick has always been concerned for my future. I think he was always good at seeing my potential, and worrying about me throwing that away. I hope he doesn’t think I threw it away, because I am much happier now than I would have been after graduating college and working a 9 to 5 job somewhere. This is what God called me to. I promised Nick I would finish college. I didn’t do that. When I made the promise I thought I would. Maybe I will someday, who knows. But Nick was the only one who made me promise. I guess I’ll always remember that. I broke the promise, but I don’t think Nick was so worried about college as he was about me being okay. I’ll be okay.
A lot of why I’ll be okay is because I have such a wonderful family. It makes it harder to be far away because I do love my family. I miss them. A lot. But every day, even though we might not always be in touch, I feel their love around me and I feel strong enough to live the life I chose. Everyone wants the best for me, even though they probably didn’t want “the best” to look like this. They probably wanted “the best” to look like me living nearby, with a husband who speaks English! But I was never happy with normal. I’ve never been normal. (Just ask my siblings!) And I think my family knows that. So on this Independence Day, I have to be thankful to a family that let me have independence, and let me be who I am. I don’t think there can be a better gift than that.
Week 22: Homesick...or would that be Foodsick?
Well, I’ve noticed that lately I am starting to really miss US food. It’s not that I don’t like Ecuadorian food—I do! It’s just that I’m craving Thai food, turkey burgers, sausage egg and cheese sandwiches from Dunkin Donuts, Frappucinos from Starbucks, grilled cheese sandwiches, my dad’s chili, and anything Italian.
It’s nice living in another culture with its own language, customs and traditional dishes, but what I’m starting to miss about my home culture is the fact that there are so many cultures in one place that you have endless possibilities!
On the plus side, I have been eating much more fruit here, and Ecuador has tons of tropical fruits that the US doesn’t have, and that’s helping me stay content in the culinary department. That, and the fact that my mom and my friend Tara have sent me some goodies from the US! Thank you to both of you, by the way!
I guess when you think about another culture it all seems so romantic, until you go live there and it becomes your culture and you start getting a little burnt out on it! Well, at least on the food!
It’s nice living in another culture with its own language, customs and traditional dishes, but what I’m starting to miss about my home culture is the fact that there are so many cultures in one place that you have endless possibilities!
On the plus side, I have been eating much more fruit here, and Ecuador has tons of tropical fruits that the US doesn’t have, and that’s helping me stay content in the culinary department. That, and the fact that my mom and my friend Tara have sent me some goodies from the US! Thank you to both of you, by the way!
I guess when you think about another culture it all seems so romantic, until you go live there and it becomes your culture and you start getting a little burnt out on it! Well, at least on the food!
Week 22: Five Months Married!
This week we had our five month anniversary!
I feel blessed, because I’ve seen how much we’ve grown as a couple, the problems we’ve been able to face together as a team, how much we’re learning, and I feel like it’s getting better every day!
I was talking to a friend of mine who was asking me questions about marriage, and I told her that I think no one really tries to prepare you for marriage. No one warns you about the days between the days when you’re happy and taking pictures for the photo album. The only people talking are worldly people who make us believe in fairy tales that don’t exist, and when we don’t get the fairy tale, we walk away.
I think marriage is something much richer and deeper and more beautiful that a fairy tale, but I also know that to get to that point, you don’t just wake up in the morning and live how you want to. It’s a lot of work, it’s a lot of compromise, it’s shutting your mouth and not being right, even if you are right. Everyone wants a great marriage, but few people want to work at it.
I can’t say that they’ve been 5 perfect months, or five months without a single fight. But I can say that after 5 months of being married, I’m living that happy marriage that I always wanted. I’m just not getting to be right as much as I would like! I’ve decided it’s worth it.
I feel blessed, because I’ve seen how much we’ve grown as a couple, the problems we’ve been able to face together as a team, how much we’re learning, and I feel like it’s getting better every day!
I was talking to a friend of mine who was asking me questions about marriage, and I told her that I think no one really tries to prepare you for marriage. No one warns you about the days between the days when you’re happy and taking pictures for the photo album. The only people talking are worldly people who make us believe in fairy tales that don’t exist, and when we don’t get the fairy tale, we walk away.
I think marriage is something much richer and deeper and more beautiful that a fairy tale, but I also know that to get to that point, you don’t just wake up in the morning and live how you want to. It’s a lot of work, it’s a lot of compromise, it’s shutting your mouth and not being right, even if you are right. Everyone wants a great marriage, but few people want to work at it.
I can’t say that they’ve been 5 perfect months, or five months without a single fight. But I can say that after 5 months of being married, I’m living that happy marriage that I always wanted. I’m just not getting to be right as much as I would like! I’ve decided it’s worth it.
Week 21: Bugs
In Puyo there are a lot of bugs, but while I was there I went to a doctor and found out that some of those bugs are INSIDE of me! Ah!
Apparently I have had two parasites in my blood, which is the reason that I have been sick for literally almost a year. I’m just not sure why no one found this before!
I’m a little worried about taking the medicines that the doctor gave me, because I’m worried about those parasites coming out! The doctor assured me that there shouldn’t be any gross consequences to taking the medicine, but I’m building up my courage just in case! Let’s pray that I can be unaware of this healing process!! Still, it´s such a relief to know what has been causing me to feel so sick for so long! Hopefully once this problem is resolved I will be able to give more time and effort to the things that really matter in my life, like my family and the ministry. It´s hard to be a good wife and a good leader when you don´t even feel like yourself. What will it feel like to not be sick?? I can´t wait to remember!
Apparently I have had two parasites in my blood, which is the reason that I have been sick for literally almost a year. I’m just not sure why no one found this before!
I’m a little worried about taking the medicines that the doctor gave me, because I’m worried about those parasites coming out! The doctor assured me that there shouldn’t be any gross consequences to taking the medicine, but I’m building up my courage just in case! Let’s pray that I can be unaware of this healing process!! Still, it´s such a relief to know what has been causing me to feel so sick for so long! Hopefully once this problem is resolved I will be able to give more time and effort to the things that really matter in my life, like my family and the ministry. It´s hard to be a good wife and a good leader when you don´t even feel like yourself. What will it feel like to not be sick?? I can´t wait to remember!
Week 21: Five Love Languages
As I mentioned, in Puyo we had a lot of free time! I took advantage of it to read another book that my friend Tara sent me, The Five Love Languages.
I think that every married couple should read this book. It’s amazing how many fights we can avoid in our marriages when we start to understand the underlying reasons for the disagreements. I think any married person would change their behavior drastically if they understood that one major reason that spouses react negatively to our actions is that they don’t feel loved! Learning to love someone the way they need to be loved, and not the way we want to love them is not actually as hard as we might think. I think this book goes a long way in helping us start to understand how to do that.
If you haven’t read the book yet, I recommend to all of you that you go get a copy and read it right away! Along with learning about your spouse, you might be surprised what you learn about YOU!
I think that every married couple should read this book. It’s amazing how many fights we can avoid in our marriages when we start to understand the underlying reasons for the disagreements. I think any married person would change their behavior drastically if they understood that one major reason that spouses react negatively to our actions is that they don’t feel loved! Learning to love someone the way they need to be loved, and not the way we want to love them is not actually as hard as we might think. I think this book goes a long way in helping us start to understand how to do that.
If you haven’t read the book yet, I recommend to all of you that you go get a copy and read it right away! Along with learning about your spouse, you might be surprised what you learn about YOU!
Week 21: Puyo!
Our Puyo trip was great! I’ll be blogging about a few aspects of the trip in more detail, but the trip in general was wonderful.
The whole week it rained and the TV was broken! There was literally nothing to do. Sound like a drag? I don’t think I’ve been happier in some time! I was a little disappointed not to get to go to the river to swim, but other than that, I think it was the best vacation I’ve ever had!
Jairo and I were laughing together at one point in the trip, sitting there staring at each other with nothing to do. We both agreed that it was a great feeling to finally be bored! We’re so busy in our day-to-day life, trying to run a very young ministry; it was nice to have nothing to do! The only bad thing is that now I have to readjust to that crazy pace again!
Sometimes it´s good to be still and know that He is God...and sometimes I think God forces us in that direction when we aren´t able to get there ourselves. God knows that we all need some down time if we´re going to be effective in season. So thank you, God, for this much-needed break!
The whole week it rained and the TV was broken! There was literally nothing to do. Sound like a drag? I don’t think I’ve been happier in some time! I was a little disappointed not to get to go to the river to swim, but other than that, I think it was the best vacation I’ve ever had!
Jairo and I were laughing together at one point in the trip, sitting there staring at each other with nothing to do. We both agreed that it was a great feeling to finally be bored! We’re so busy in our day-to-day life, trying to run a very young ministry; it was nice to have nothing to do! The only bad thing is that now I have to readjust to that crazy pace again!
Sometimes it´s good to be still and know that He is God...and sometimes I think God forces us in that direction when we aren´t able to get there ourselves. God knows that we all need some down time if we´re going to be effective in season. So thank you, God, for this much-needed break!
Week 20: Voting Again
Well, because this country is SO organized, they decided to have ANOTHER election...yeah. Even though they just had one.
So, once again we have to travel to Puyo so that Jairo can vote. Personally, I’ll take whatever excuse I can get to go to Puyo, so I can’t say I’m upset!!
Hope you won’t miss me too much, but I’ll write when I get back.
So, once again we have to travel to Puyo so that Jairo can vote. Personally, I’ll take whatever excuse I can get to go to Puyo, so I can’t say I’m upset!!
Hope you won’t miss me too much, but I’ll write when I get back.
Week 19: Organize!!
I’m going to make a confession. I don’t like to clean. Shocking, I know! I mean, I like the house to be clean. I just would rather hire a maid!
Well, I’ve realized that the maid option isn’t open to me, so I decided to become more purposeful in my house-cleaning. It’s not that I haven’t been cleaning up until now, I have, but I felt like I needed to streamline the process a little. I made a list of all the chores I have to do every day and made a schedule for what days I should do what.
I swear, I’m not OCD, I just want to get the cleaning done quickly and over with! I’ve tried it out for a few days now and it’s saving me a lot of time. Plus, I get that warm, fuzzy feeling when I check something off the list!
Reading in Proverbs 31, I think the virtuous wife described there is portrayed as having her home organized and orderly, and the result of her hard work is the praise of her family, which to me seems well worth it! It´s hard to live up to her as a standard for being a godly wife, but I think it´s important to keep trying to get better and better and those things we are told a virtuous woman excells at. I would love for my husband to rise up and call me blessed!!
Well, I’ve realized that the maid option isn’t open to me, so I decided to become more purposeful in my house-cleaning. It’s not that I haven’t been cleaning up until now, I have, but I felt like I needed to streamline the process a little. I made a list of all the chores I have to do every day and made a schedule for what days I should do what.
I swear, I’m not OCD, I just want to get the cleaning done quickly and over with! I’ve tried it out for a few days now and it’s saving me a lot of time. Plus, I get that warm, fuzzy feeling when I check something off the list!
Reading in Proverbs 31, I think the virtuous wife described there is portrayed as having her home organized and orderly, and the result of her hard work is the praise of her family, which to me seems well worth it! It´s hard to live up to her as a standard for being a godly wife, but I think it´s important to keep trying to get better and better and those things we are told a virtuous woman excells at. I would love for my husband to rise up and call me blessed!!
Week 19: Boundaries
My friend Tara from Maine sent me the book Boundaries, and I read it really fast because I couldn’t put it down!! I won’t be able to do it justice in a summary, so I just want to recommend that everyone read it!! It is really fantastic and I think it could really help a lot of people.
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