Seeing God...

...in the little things is something that I am learning to do. For instance, for the past week or two, I have been waking up with my head still on the pillow being reminded by God's nature, that HE loves ME!

Yeah its a bunch of leaves, but look closer and what do I see each morning...

A Heart - Do you see it?

How does God communicate His love through the "little things" in your life. I'd love to hear from you through the comment box!

Drowning

I've never felt like I'm truly drowning underwater. I LOVE the water! I LOVE to swim, relax and just cool off in the water. I never truly wish to drown, but sometimes one can feel as though they are drowning in life. It doesn't help to "flail" and "thrash" around. Just like with a wave of water, it will come full circle and you'll get another oportunity for breath.

Sometimes we all feel like thrashing back at the feelings of drowning, but I have come to the conclusion that although I might feel like I am drowning, that I need to trust the Lord for HIS strength! He is the only one that can truly "breathe" for me! He is the only one who can "rescue" me from the feelings of "drowning." Please pray that HE would "breathe" for me when I feel overwhelmed with ministry, and life here in Chile.

“If sinners be damned, at least let them leap to Hell over our bodies. If they will perish, let them perish with our arms about their knees. Let no one go there unwarned and unprayed for.”
Charles Spurgeon

New Christmas Traditions

This was our first Christmas where we openned presents on Christmas Eve at 11:30 at night. WHY? You all ask. First of all, because December 24th is Caleb's real birthday, we normally do not open ANY other gifts that day, devoting it just to him as his day. Secondly in the US Christmas presents are opened on Christmas day in the morning, as early as the parents will be driven out of bed.

Well, here it is different. Santa doesn't ride on a sleigh. He rides on a firetruck! After all since it's summer here during the holidays, Santa would ROAST in his big coat and there certainly ISN'T ANY SNOW to use a sleigh on. So he rides the firetruck! Still not making sense?? Well, it's really a distraction technique to get the kids out of the house. When the firetruck comes around the neighborhood, all the kids want to see, so they run out of the house with at least one parent. Meanwhile... in the house the other parent sets out all of the gifts that "Papa Noel" brought just then as the firetruck wizzed by. Interesting huh?

Then at 12:00 am everyone opens their gifts, plays with them and around 1:30 or 2:00 am everyone is out in the streets trying and showing off the new toys, bikes, skateboards etc... It's really quite interesting. Our kids were in bed by 12:30 because they didn't really have much to show off. The grandparents had sent money to their US accounts, but that meant little under the tree.

Caleb showing off his new Oriel Li'l Kinz

Christmas morning we spent together as a family of 4 putting a couple of their toys together, and then we had to make a new tradition of swimming in our pool on Christmas day. Our pool isn't big, it was a gift and has coming in handy to cool off. It fits perfectly in our back yard and has provided hours of fun for the kids and Heather LOVES to clean it as a hobby.

Enjoying the high 80 degree weather in the pool in the "shadow" of the Christmas tree.

At 5:00 we had our ABWE family get together. This year we had a cook out and enjoyed opening gifts from our "secret sibling." It was fun and bonding to spend time with our team here.

Hannah opening up her "Secret Sibling" gift from "Big ABWE Cousin Kelsey.

Where to start???

I know I haven't blogged in what seems like a LONG TIME! We have been busy!
December 19th from 4-7 we had Caleb's first real birthday party. He had a BLAST with 10 of his friends here the a watergun fight of the decade!

Caleb having a BLAST with his friends
Pablo, Caleb's best neighbor friend here!

Doug, played and helped to fill the water guns with the "buckets" of water.

The whole gang at the end of the war, before cupcakes and icecream!

Caleb and his buddy, Jorge from Santiago Christian Academy.

Jorge is from Brazil and speaks, 3 different languages.