Twelve

I am discovering that being the mother of a twelve year old is nearly as exciting and perplexing as being twelve was. Some days we are best friends- laughing at the same things, 'getting' the same jokes, trying the same spoonerisms. We both love to read and we abhor misspelled words. We are dedicated and loyal to a fault; we love the safety of our familiar routine. And then there are days when it feels like we are strangers- and I am not sure whether to get close or back off. Personal hygiene is pretty much inconsequential; but when Tony pours syrup on his pancakes, there will be an all out war whoop and a lecture on the sins of extravagance. Speed seems to be a malady to be avoided at all costs, and patience is a virtue reserved only for self. Oh, this passage into adolescence promises to be an interesting journey- bewildering, perhaps, but certainly not boring!

Josh with his birthday gift, a book he has coveted for a very long time... Backyard Ballistics by William Gurstelle. With three boys and one hubby who all love experimenting and explosions, I figure the best I can do is to give them a book with lots of safety advice (and then run for the house with my hands over my ears.)

Here Josh creates a Cincinnati Fire Kite. If it fails to fly, at least there's the satisfaction of having had a very appreciative and admiring audience.

In case you're thinking of taking a collection for new jeans, please don't. These have now been discarded and replaced.

Blest Be The Tie

This is the day........... we celebrate Motz and Paige!
It was such fun to dress up for a truly special occasion... Who cares that some of our clothes came out of the Missionary Barrel -ahem- Goodwill? This wedding was one of the most joyful and glorious celebrations I have witnessed, and I feel very honored to have been part of such a beautiful experience.

I have got some cute relatives, if I must say so myself.

The newlyweds are not tense... just terribly alert. And we are terribly happy with them.

The lovely and tired couple. What else is there to say?

Everybody Loves Derek

Derek's fourth birthday was spent flying to the States for Uncle Motz's wedding, and after a whirlwind trip to Virginia and Pennsylvania, we are back in our Honduras home re-collecting our senses and updating our blog...

What to write about Derek? Well, he is the one who frequently needs to be reminded to "study to be quiet" but rarely needs to be told to be more friendly. He loves to hunt, party, eat rice and beans, sing, play football, and cuddle in his fleece blanket. He hates solitude, tomatoes, quiet time, and being excluded in any way. Derek loves life and people and some of his heroes are Alex Peight, Jordan Martin, and Paul Rose. (Anyone else notice a pattern here?) I am frequently challenged and inspired with his unquestioning love for people, his frank honesty, and his zest for life in general. The following photos capture some of that irrepressible personality!
Singing his heart out one morning on the beach in Tela...

Doing his own stunts for Cousin Eg...

This means "I love having my picture taken when my face is wet!"

No Honduras birthday is complete without a piñata!

While other moms (like Dorcas and Becca, for example) bake and decorate exotic cakes for their youngsters, my kiddos have to be satisfied with the plain rectangular variety and a couple of candles. My guilt complex evaporates under Derek's grateful and adoring expression, and I am reminded again to celebrate life the way he does!

Help the Teacher

Three of my favorite desserts are chochalate puting, chochlate ckake, and cheesckak. (-Anthony, grade 3)

If anyone knows how to effectively teach spelling of the English language, please let me know.

Heroines

Today I want to honor two beautiful people... Hilda and Anika. Just yesterday, these very brave girls said good bye to their Daddy/Husband as he headed back into the swamps of La Moskitia in western Honduras. They might not see him or talk to him for a month as he treks through the marshy wilderness, distributing Bibles and doing door-to-door visitation among the poor Indians. The glamour of missionary adventures fades very fast when a little girl begs for her beloved Daddy and a wife longs for that familiar shoulder to lean on. Sometimes Hilda wails, "But I'm not brave!" -unaware of the sweet grace of God that we see pouring from her life. Her cheerful spirit is like a burst of sunshine and she never fails to inspire me, challenge me, and make me laugh! Join me in thanking God for brave missionary wives like Hilda... your prayers are greatly appreciated!

Building Walls

Recently I spent some time studying the book of Nehemiah, asking God what lessons I could learn from this hero of old about fortifying my life. I read and re-read, simply astonished at this man’s strong and simple faith. More than that, I was appalled at the determination of his enemies, and the lengths they went to in an effort to destroy the work of God. Although Sanballat and Tobiah did make some threats to physically hinder Nehemiah’s work, their attack of choice seemed to be directed to the destruction of the morale of the builders. When mocking, scoffing, and jeering failed to discourage and intimidate, they resorted to vicious verbal abuse and ridiculous rumors. Did Nehemiah ever reason that maybe building walls just wasn’t God’s will for him? Was he ever tempted to retreat or give up? Did the accusations ever strike doubts or fear into his heart? Or how about negotiating with his adversaries and making a peace treaty of sorts? Certainly not. He steadfastly refused to listen to their taunts and made no apologies for adhering faithfully to his task. In spite of all the efforts made to distract and discourage the work, it prospered amazingly because first of all, God was in it from the beginning, and also because every man worked with a tool in one hand and a weapon of defense in the other. Eventually the wall progressed to the point where the workers were able to be in the offensive instead of merely defending.

This story touched a chord in my soul. My enemy is far more skilled and cruel in his tactics than were Sanballat and Tobiah, and he knows much better than I do, just how vital is the maintenance of my wall. Nehemiah’s courageous example has inspired and encouraged me more than I can tell- his unwavering confidence that God will look after and bless His work, and his refusal to listen, even for one moment, to the empty threats of a defeated foe. Let us build, for our God will fight for us!

Here our loyal carpenters work on building our new wall- the one in front of our house. The old pillars were crumbling, so they removed the woven wire and simply added a few more rows of blocks. It not only serves to keep stray animals out and stray children in, but provides a bit of privacy from curious pedestrians. From the inside, the wall is only about four feet high so we can still comfortably see out over it.

Mandie in Black

No, there's no formal occasion (not many of them around here) but I wanted to show off this exquisite dress... Thanks to Ava for rescuing fabric scraps out of the church sewing box and turning out this masterpiece! I desperately wished for a small hat to complement the outfit, not to mention sort of hide that very bald head! Yep, she's just as bald as her brother Derek was, and just as charming.

Derek had to hold her hand so she wouldn't walk away... she is fiercely independent and I am guessing her first sentence will be, "I can do it myself!" Life is a huge adventure with this pair.