Lessons From the Deep South

Crossing to Isla Tenglo with the children's Chilean "grandparents" Voni and Gigi.

To My Most Amiable Readers;
Having just finished reading the latest copy of Missionary Messenger, which focused on the lives of missionary kids, I was inspired to think of what my children are learning in their host culture. A number of things came to mind; things I've only learned as an adult, but which will be natural to my children as they barely remember American culture. So here are some things we've come to learn and appreciate in Chilean culture:

1. Saludos. Translation: greetings, regards. When you walk into a gathering you personally meet and greet each person in that room with a kiss and, if needed, an introduction. This acknowledges the worth and value of each person in the room and extends your acceptance to them. When you go to leave, you make the rounds again, kissing each face and saying goodbyes to each and everyone of them.
Our co-worker's children, who are more Chilean than American after 15 years here, feel uncomfortable and unwelcome when visiting stateside as "relatives just stare at us, they don't hug us or kiss us". My children are also accustomed to saludos, even at the age of one year Edison would tilt his cheek upwards to receive kisses, and now gives them with relish (much to the delight of Chileans). Sophia throws her little arms around their necks and gives a big smackeroo along with her joyful "Hola!". And each adult is greeted with the name Tia or Tio (Auntie or Uncle), followed by the first name. This extends respect and honor and also affection for adults.
It's amazing how just having your presence recognized in a room can put you at your ease, make you feel at home in any gathering. I imagine that the early church experienced the joy of this in their "holy kiss". I wonder if my children will try to give kisses when we're home on furlough and if they'll feel unwelcome if others just look at them.

2. A glass with an inch of drink in it is still a blessing. Oftentimes we've been in gatherings of, say, thirty people and there's been one liter of Coke. Instead of hiding it away in the refrigerator in embarrassment that there isn't "enough", each person recieves their inch of drink with ease and joy; often having to drink quickly so that the cup may be used for someone else's inch. Can you imagine this in the States? Someone would've taken off in their car to the local gas station and come back with liters of soda and a pack of disposable cups before the embarrassing "lack" could be discovered. So, our children have learned, and so have we, to be thankful for what we receive, whether it be a full glass or no.

The children playing in Isla Tenglo with friends.

3. Paciencia. Translation: patience. In the States it's sort of taken for granted that each person has their own vehicle and can go where they please, when they please. I certainly took it for granted, hopping in my VW Jetta and whizzing around town, efficiently running my errands, visiting friends, taking the kids to the park, and so on. It's different here. Most people we know DON'T have vehicles of their own, have riden buses all their lives, and are used to walking long distances after the buses drop them off. Our own vehicle has been broken down or in the shop more often than it has been on the road, and when Dustin takes his missions trips I'm left depending on public transportation. So we've learned how to wait. Sometimes when we're on Isla Tenglo, exhausted from a day of ministry, we wait in the soaking rain on the boat ramp for an hour for the little ferry to come pick us up. To find a bus headed towards my neighborhood at night after rowing club usually takes about a half an hour, standing on a cold, dark street, sometimes in the rain. Then, as is the nature of buses, it takes about three times as long to get home as it would in a vehicle, and often we're packed in like sardines. A few years of this grows in one a certain tolerance for waiting that our North American culture would balk at. And this is not limited to transportation; if you'd like to withdraw money from the bank, expect at least an hour wait in a line. If it's time to pay the bills, you have to go directly to each business and stand in line for around a half hour at each one. Want to mail a letter? About a thirty minute wait. This is what makes it so difficult to explain an "average day" here to anyone. To say "I spent all day getting out money and paying my bills", to a North American would get quite lost in translation! We have learned to wait. The children do not go bonkers when forced to stand in a line or along a road for an extended time. It's normal to them.

Well, I hope you've enjoyed glimpsing the world as my children see it, and as we are learning to accept it. Blessings to you all!
Your Most Devoted, Sarah

Milk Box Nursery

Edison tenderly caring for the babies in their brand-new milk box beds. Why milk box? Because in many Latin American countries, milk is sold on the shelf in either 1 liter boxes or bags. The milk is processed at a high temperature which enables it to keep safely at room temperature until opened. This is great as many people do not own refrigerators and the small size makes sure the opened milk doesn't go to waste. Each morning I "milk the cow" for the kid's cereal by cutting open a liter bag and pressure squeeze it into a pitcher...hee hee. Sometimes the milk ends up all over the countertops and floor; I call that "mad cow milk", instead of Sarah-has-morning-hands-syndrome. Does anyone else get weak hands in the morning? It's like my hands get stupid while I sleep and opening anything is beyond impossible for the first hour or so.

Anyways, I think boxes are the best toys a kid can have. Thanks Mom for letting us take over the living room whenever an appliance box became available for castle/house/boat/fort construction. These milk box beds sure made Sophia's day. Finally I end with two content little ones making sure my cake batter is up to snuff. It was. : )

As Of Late...

To My Most Amiable Readers,
Greetings! A bug just crawled into my computer keyboard. I wonder which letter will deal the death blow to the little interloper. If it flies out at me I will make an odd outburst I like to call a scream-laugh. It happens whenever I'm startled, and basically sounds like a typical scream which shudders into cascading ripples of high-pitched laughter. It happens a lot during rowing when sea lions submerge and flare their nostrils at me. Also happens when moths get stuck in my hair....shudder. Anyways....
God has been at work! It has been our prayer that we would be able to impact our neighborhood for Christ; forming relationships in which we can share Christ's love and plan for mankind. This was not an easy task; unlike many Latin Americans, Chileans are a bit "colder" towards outsiders. Whereas in Costa Rica we said "good day" to everyone we passed on our street, here people tend to look away from you and avoid eye contact. Complicating matters further was the fact that I'd end up introducing myself not to my neighbors, but to their nannies and maids (not a bad thing, but I did wish to meet my neighbors too!). But God in His way, His timing, is bringing about relationships I never thought I'd have.
One evening, a few weeks ago, my neighbor Monica dropped by with a couple whom I didn't know and approached me about tutoring their children, and another couple's in English. They all attend school a block away from me and all live within five minutes. What a great opportunity! Every Wednesday I have three little boys in my home for an hour for English tutoring. They are six-seven years of age and are named: Juan Jose, Francisco, and Diego. God has given me supernatural patience and love for them (they are very squirmy pupils)! Francisco's mom also comes and I rejoice that she too is becoming a friend. The money I earn goes to childcare during the session and then towards buying a white board and easel that can be used in tutoring sessions. Please pray that God would give me ways to share about Him with my little charges and their parents.
Another neighborhood relationship that is forming is with another mom at the ballet school whose daughter is in Sophia's class. We sit in the changing room during their class and chat with the other moms and nannies, and I've found her to be a unique and lovely person. It turns out that she lives just a few blocks from me and volunteered to pick us up and drop us off for each class!!! This is a HUGE blessing from God! Our car is yet in the repair shop, so getting to Sophia's biweekly class means taking a bus for twenty minutes, then walking another ten with my two little children and big heavy belly! God even met a very special desire for me; she has a son Edison's age whose carseat is in the car vacant; so Edison travels in safety!! Yay for God's caring provision!!! Please pray that God would open the doors for conversation about Him in this new friendship.
As for my spiritual walk, God is calling me to a deeper life of faith. The expenses from our chronicly-broken vehicle shook me up a bit, and I think God is asking me why. Who or what am I trusting in if financial burdens can trouble my faith? I need to be looking for what He's teaching me rather than just stewing about the truck. One night while praying with Mike and Nancy, Mike told us that he had a vision. In it Dustin and I were in a boat on rough seas. He said that Jesus was inviting me to come to Him on the water; "Step out of the boat". Step out of my worries and illusions of control....step out to a life of radical faith. So, with His help and your prayers, that's what I'm trying to do. It's a little scary, but at least I feel spiritually alive!!
God is truly at work here in Chile. He's putting people in our paths and answering our prayers in the unexpected ways I'm learning to expect. He's teaching me to trust Him, He's teaching me what faith really means. He's also drawing Sophia to Himself...
Wednesday the 27th of June, Sophia came into the office/Edison's room where I was working on the computer. She pulled up a stool and sat beside me with an earnest look on her face. She said, "Mommy, I'm not sure that Jesus is in my heart". Woah. I stopped my work and turned to face her. I asked her, "Would you like to invite Jesus in your heart? Would you like to ask Him to forgive your sins?". She nodded. She prayed; "Jesus, please come into my heart and forgive my sins and thank you for creating all the children, amen". With that and a big hug she galloped off to play and I sat stunned and joyful. Praise God.
Your Most Devoted,
Sarah

First Day of Ballet

Preparing to leave for her big day, Sophia doesn't forget to ham it up with Edison!

All dressed up and ready to dance!! If you wonder why her bangs look so crooked...not only is she an aspiring ballerina....but a hairdresser as well. Below the little girls mingle before class begins. Her outfit (white leotard, white skirt with a blue silk ribbon, tights, and leather shoes) has not yet arrived from Santiago, so for now you can pick her out by her little black tooshy. She is still needing to wear eye patches and glasses to correct her wandering eye. Please pray that God would heal her eye so that we would not have to consider surgery.
Blessings!

Cultural Misunderstanding #567

To My Most Amiable Readers,

Here I thought I was being helpful. A servant. I was actually being very rude and inhospitable. Here, in Chile, at least.

The meal is drawing to a close. The guests are scooping the last bits of rice on to their forks, sipping the remainder of their drinks, nibbling on bread and mopping up their plates with it. There is the nice satisfied air of filled bellies, contented hearts, and meandering conversation. A relaxing time, a restful time.

Unless you're Irish-Norweigian-North American. Then you've probably skipped ahead to your next "hospitality" task. You mentally calculate about how many plates you can stack, what you'll put all the silverware, napkins, and bones into for easier kitchen-transport, whether or not to leave the cups on (and if you do, how to remove the soiled table cloth beneath it without causing a commotion), and you're probably already mentally cutting the cake and serving coffee. One sugar or two?

This is all fine and good thinking in about any home I've visited in the States or Canada in the entirety of my young life. The first one to start the plate-stacking, chicken-bone/napkin organizing was the honored one, the humble servant of all (an exalted position in our Judeo-Christian understanding). They took the burden of the work from the others, allowing them to happily sit and talk and digest. This was the heart of hospitality....work yourself crazy so your guests could contentedly enjoy a work-free evening of delights. And you know, I loved it. There's definitely joy in serving others.

But what if service means something different in your new culture?

After having our Chilean friends over for a father's day lunch together, the wife approached me in the kitchen as I was washing dishes (I had already done the chicken bone/napkin disposal). She's a good friend, probably my closest Chilean friend. She, in love, shared with me that I was making a cultural blunder. She explained that when you eat a meal together, you are to allow the plates, cups, bones...everything, to go untouched for at least an hour as you sit and talk at the table. It's allowing the "conversation of the table" to flow. It extends hospitality to the guests, invites them to stay and enjoy one another in peace. If you start gathering up everything right away, people feel unwelcome, as though you were pushing them out the door.

Oh. I had no idea. I actually thought these two years that the reason no one jumped up to clear was that no one wanted to do the dishes. I thought we were sitting in awkwardness, waiting for someone to "get things going". I shamefully thought that they were a bit "lazy". So, I'd take the initiative, ignoring the protests of the contented diners and start clearing the dishes and working up a froth of bubbles at the sink. I honestly didn't have a clue. My "service" was "rudeness" here. What they must have thought! Oh my head.

I'm so grateful to friends that have the courage to tell us when we're being idiots. I'm so glad for the grace that's been extended to me by many as I've learned and blundered my way through cultural adaptation. It humbles me to think of it. A good thing, that.

Your Most Devoted, Sarah

Sea Lion Bonanza

To My Most Amiable Readers,

I just returned from a most eventful afternoon of rowing. We're in the middle of icy winter right now; a time when sea lions seem to prefer to congregate in large...herds(?). Anyways, on arriving at the boathouse the trainer actually gave us the option of not rowing as there were MANY sea lions in the canal. Deb, my fearless friend, gave in and stayed doing weights. Me and Gerardo headed out and oh, what a time we had.

They were everywhere. They came out of nowhere, their toothy maws, beady eyes, and steaming nostrils appearing suddenly just feet from my boat, making me laugh hysterically (many of you know this laugh). Some would show off a bit, rearing up in the water until just their feet?...er flippers?...were yet in the water, staring at me before diving at my boat while I screamed and laughed and tried to out distance them. They're so curious, and they love to pursue pregnant, panicky, laughing rowers apparently. One time about six of them cut between Gerardo and I, and he took off yelling, "Seeya! I'm out of here!" So, I had to row right through them, which they thought was great fun and chased me all the way back to the boathouse.

But I forgot to talk about the beauty! We row at sunset, so the colors are always changing. Both volcanoes were clear and completely snow-covered, looking like jagged teeth raking the blue and pink sky. This was mirrored on the placid water, disturbed only by the widening circles from my oars. Scenes like that, the sounds of the birds, the stillness...awesome. I feel so peaceful and at rest when I can pause in the midst of all that beauty and just soak it up.

Night had descended when Deb and I started the cold walk home. I bought empanadas to keep my hands warm : ). We have a work day at the rowing club on Saturday; please pray that our family could be a blessing and a witness to the others who are coming to help out.

Your Most Devoted, Sarah

Belly Art

One Mixed Dish

To My Most Amiable Readers,

I forewarn you, this entry will be a bit on the random side as I've nothing really important to say, but rather wish to ramble a tad.

We've received reinforcements here in Chile in the form of Travis and Bekii Kisamore, fellow EMM missionaries. They're just simply great. They'll be living in Isla Chiloe, in the small town of Quemchi. There's possibilities of them teaching English in the local school, and for Bekii, of using her love and knowledge of dance as a ministry tool. We're so excited to have them on our team.

The children are doing well. Sophia is now wearing an eye patch to help strengthen her weak right eye. The eye started to lose vision as the left eye was dominant in focusing. Many people have told me you can buy patches with characters on them, so whatever makes this whole process more "fun", we'll try! Please pray that her vision would be restored and that she could see without the aid of patches and glasses!

Edison is learning new words each week. He really is a delight. It's becoming more evident that he's a boy...nearly everything that finds itself in his chubby fist becomes a projectile. He's very much in love with his Chilean grandma, Gigi, and anyone who looks remotely like her gets called "Gigi!!!" by a little boy with a smiling face and uplifted arms.

I had a delightful time last Sunday. Mike and Nancy took us to meet their friend, Madelaine, who lives out in the country. Madelaine is moving and invited us to come get clippings from her extensive gardens to make new plants. Her bright blue eyes sparkled as she showed us how to correctly break off cuttings and how to prune them before planting. My front yard is so beautiful now with the "baby" plants; I can't wait to see them full grown! I also planted in the backyard, but that's a bitter subject. Sheba tore out all my tenderly placed and pruned plants with a vengeance. Three times. Yes, I actually carefully replanted each time, hoping that her plant-lust would have worn itself out. Today I surrendered and transplanted the traumatized plants to the front beds. Sigh.

Dustin's birthday is coming up this June 4th, and it's a biggie this time....30!!! Can you believe it?

In closing this rather random account, Sophia, while we traveled on the bus today, told me that "Jesus heals my heart, He fixes it". How true.

Your Most Devoted, Sarah

Seven Years and Two and a Half Rascals Later

Yes, May 13, 2000 is actually starting to seem like a long time ago. And then not so much. I still remember all the odd details of the day. How the photographer always had an urgent nature about him, fiddling, mumbling incoherent things about lighting, meters, to himself. I recall the bonfire the night before, surrounded by good friends and high mountains, wondering obliquely if snow would show up tomorrow at the outdoor wedding. Playing cards like old times with old pals, trying to make the once ready conversations flow like they used to; wondering how a year apart could make us strangers to each other's lives. Last minute curling, peeping out the windows at the guests arriving, marveling at my uncle's suit which seemed to have stepped out from a 70's prom wear ad. Looking up at Dustin at the altar, into laughing eyes; can't we even take this seriously?? The symbolic hilarity of lighting a unity candle in the wind. Being ravenously hungry during the reception but too embarrassed to go through the buffet line twice. My dad and my roommate singing beautifully. Lots of goodbyes.

That would become a trend. We're on our fourth country together. The States, Canada, Costa Rica, and now Chile. We've left a bit of ourselves in each place, and miss deeply those whom we grew to love far and wide. And now...we're a growing family; as we speak my little Edison looks up at me and tries to climb me, yelling "Mama!" for all he's worth, looking up at me with big blue eyes from a face that's shedding its baby-roundness. Sophia runs in and out bearing drawings freshly rendered and trying to hide from me how much marker actually ended up on her hands. Baby #3 gives me kicks now and then, as if to remind me to give up trying to fit into my jeans and give it some space. Funny to think I've only been a mother for just shy of four years now. Was there ever actually a time that I didn't mentally re-design sippy cups for easier cleaning? Or when the messes around the house were actually caused by me? Or when Dustin and I could leave our home without the comical routine of shoe-finding, coat zipping, diaper bag-packing, face-scrubbing, and car seat wrangling? When I didn't each night give kisses to little sleeping children with a feeling of wonder in my heart? What a great seven years...thank you Dustin, I love you.

The Wee Hooligans

They're crazy. That's all I can say. To see more, click on "My Albums" in the links section.

Have a nice day!

Glory Revealed

To My Most Amiable Readers;

Blessed am I that the events of the past week can be taken as a wide step outside of the norm. Dustin caused a massive fire in our co-worker's home while saudering a pipe. Same day our truck rolls away with Dustin digging in his heels with a death-grip on the bumper until it smashes into a blackberry bush. Two days later Dustin and I end up with a nasty stomach/intestinal virus that leaves us vomiting all through the night. It was so volatile, I actually have the job this week of disinfecting the ceiling in the bathroom.

"Dear friends, do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering, as though something strange were happening to you." 1 Peter 4:13

"..Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour." 1 Peter 5:8

One could argue that all that has passed this week had natural cause/effect relations, explainable logically. I too, would side that way but for the intensity and close proximity of the aforementioned events to today, Saturday. The day we, the women of the Amor Viviente church, have planned for our first cooperative effort, a women's outreach, the goal of which was to bring our unsaved friends and neighbors to hear testimonies of our great God.

We have two new sisters in the Lord today, Saturday.

That's miracle number one. The other preceeded it. Friday I started feeling nauseaus, not an alarming symptom for a pregnant lady, and by ten o'clock at night started throwing up. This continued throughout the night coupled with diarrhea, on into the morning. Dustin joined me in this fashion sometime after midnight. Praise God for two bathrooms. I believe I slept maybe two hours in total.

Awake to Saturday, to children who need me, to a spouse retching in the bathroom, to a bunch of to-do's left on my list for the women's outreach at 3:00. I shut my eyes and pray, "Lord, give me strength, give me joy, let this illness pass from me so that I can be a part of showing Your love and hope to the women who are coming to learn about You today."

Feeling weak and lathargic, I bumble my way through taking care of the children. I admit they watched two movies today as I lay stretched out on my bed. By 1:00 I'm thinking, I'd better not go, I'm white as a sheet, our vehicle is in a blackberry bush and I have so much stuff to bring with me, I'll probably throw up in the taxi...on and on. By 1:30 I start to revive. Kati, one of the women planning this event, arrives and we arrange for a taxi to pick us and our considerable baggage up. I realize I'm conversing normally, sitting up even; something's changing.

On arriving to our church I find I'm filling up with energy, joy, and excitement. My color returns. I fly into the flurry of activity as we women dish up plates and plates of our homemade goodies. By the time our guests arrive I'm good as new; better in fact...with joy and energy and spunk to share. God made me well.

If one would doubt the miraculous element in this, it's well to know that as I write this at 10:22 at night, Dustin is still sick in bed, having recently thrown up again. He looks and sounds terribly sick, and he's not a wimp. Also, any who know me well are familiar with my dependence on good sleep. I slept hardly at all last night, but still at the time of this writing I feel wide awake and ready to go.

Our outreach went well; my rowing friends were there and they were moved by the powerful testimonies shared. Two women answered the Lord's invitation and are saved. More women expressed joy and interest in attending more meetings like this. All received prayer and blessing, fellowship and joy.

"Dear friends, do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice that you too participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed." 1 Peter 4:12-13

Your Most Devoted,
Sarah

Hi, I'm New Here.

God is Great!

To My Most Amiable Readers,

Greetings from a sunshiny Chile! We're just emerged from five days straight of rain, so we feel quite renewed! Lately we've had such wonderful times as a church family. Today after the service, Nancy graciously extended an invitation to all of us to stay for beans and rice. Working together we made a nice salad and the guys ran out for drinks and bread. Nancy and Juanita whipped together an apple cake. We ate together on the pingpong table and so enjoyed the meal together. We were few but had such a great time together.

Us women of the church are planning an event for women on the 28th of this month. It will be an afternoon of sharing testimonies, Biblical teaching, and on topics relating to women. We are all inviting our acquaintances, neighbors, friends, and co-workers with hopes that they will be moved by God to commit their lives and hearts to Him. We ask your prayers as invitations are extended, that God would draw these women to Him and that they would make time to come. We ask prayer for the husbands of these women, that they would release them to attend, helping care for children left at home. We ask prayer to cover all the little details of hospitality that need to be attended to, and that God would protect us from the Enemy's plans to distract or discourage us. Thank you!

Your Most Devoted,
Sarah

Little Crazy Gingrichs

Aren't they dear?

Yipes!

When onions are frightened.

Back On The Water

Greetings to my Most Amiable Readers!
I just returned from some glorious rowing with my comrade-in-arms Deborah. It was just the two of us today, rowing at sunset and watching the fading light play across the clouds and water. We could see both volcanoes clearly from the canal and enjoyed the peaceful beauty greatly.

I plan on continuing to row until my growing belly makes things too awkward. My endurance seems to be the same, and it feels so great to be outside on the water exercising. My only concern is talk of a new dress code while rowing: spandex. Now....I don't know about you, but "spandex" with "pregnant" is a rather odd/embarrasing/hideous combination for me. Perhaps I'll rebel. Sometimes one needs to.
Hope you enjoy the pictures; Edison sleeping like an angel and Sophia being a little ballerina.
Your Most Devoted,
Sarah

The One Who Can

Road Maps

Would ye learn the road to Laughtertown,

O ye who have lost the way?

Would ye have young heart though your hair be gray?

Go learn from a little child each day.

Go serve his wants and play his play,

And catch the lilt of his laughter gay,

And follow his dancing feet as they stray;

For he knows the road to Laughtertown,

O ye who have lost the way!

-Katherine D. Blake

I held my son's sleeping form as my tears made trails down my face down to his golden hair. Half praying, half crying, I thanked the Lord for my son, for his life. I thanked God for protecting Edison that day, for saving him when we could not.

At lunch we were enjoying egg salad sandwiches and plums, huddled around the small table in the kitchen. Edison suddenly let out a strange cry and burst into tears. We saw the plum he was eating, but not the pit. Oh no, we thought, he swallowed the pit! He was still breathing, so for a moment we didn't know what to do; probably both of us were wondering if a plum seed can go through the body safely.

Then he started gagging, and I administered back blows with him laying facedown along my lap, every now and then sweeping my finger to try to get it out. But to no avail; he continued to cry and gag and cough up lots of fluids. I was encouraged that air was still passing through but my fear was that the seed would lay flat and cut off the air. I prayed continuously it seemed, an un-ending script of "Oh, Jesus, help him, oh Jesus, please!". As we panicly searched a medical book for whether we should give the heimlick to him, he suddenly gagged forcefully and the pit flew up into his mouth. Thank you Lord!

I held him close and rocked him until his sobs ceased, and he immediately took me up on the offer of some yogurt.

There was one time in Costa Rica when Sophia almost squeezed herself outside of a balcony railing thirty feet above a concrete patio. I watched this with horror; I was too far away to stop her, and Dustin had thought she was with me and was nowhere in sight. Fortunately one of our friends standing near saw her and pulled her back. The night that followed I broke down in sobs, thinking of what may have happened to my little girl. Sometimes it's a curse having an active imagination.

So with Edison; my mind raced through what could have happened, that my little boy could have...I couldn't even complete the thought.

Anyone who knows me knows that I have a very protective nature about my kids. In a country where it's normal to hold babies on the lap in the car and ignore seatbelts, I'm a staunch carseating, seat-belt-buckling safety warrior. I keep a steel grip on their little hands when walking near busy roads, and I only let trusted friends take care of them. It's not because I'm an intensely worried person; I'm just intensely in love with my children, and if something happened to them that I could have prevented, a large part of my heart would die and shrivel up.

But one of the first things you learn as a parent is that you really don't have control. Even the most diligent parent can find their child playing with the electrical socket for that one minute when they weren't looking. We simply can't protect them from everything.

That hit home while Edison struggled, gagged, and cried. "I can't help him!", I thought, and prayed to the One who could.

So, as I lay there with my son sleeping sweetly, alive and beautiful; I gave my fears and my love and my son to the Lord, knowing that He IS in control, that He sees every moment, even those stolen minutes when I don't.

May we learn to trust more fully Him who watches over us!

You Mean There's Going To Be Another One!?

Still finding it a bit hard to believe that we're going to have another one of these loons around : D. The baby is about the size of a grain of rice right now, but I'm sure it already has the silliness gene we seem to pass on.
We're so thankful to God for the gift of another child. Maybe I'll finally feel like a real "grown-up". Naaaahhh....if you can still spend an entire day playing in the ocean, doing hand-stands and perfecting "dolphin jumps", you can't rightly assume the solemn mantle of "adulthood". Oh well, my kids seem to like me this way ; ). Blessings!


Your Most Devoted, Sarah

Long Lost Sarah

To My Most Amiable Readers,

To those who have wondered what befell the disciplined poster of posts...I have been under a monster cold. And it seriously is a cold that only a monster's huge hulking frame could handle. Monster-sized headaches that don't fit in my head, unruly amounts of mucuos requiring alarming yards of toilet paper, coughs that wrack my body and leave me looking half dead. So, that's my excuse, but I haven't been entirely unproductive...

On the "My Albums" link you can see an album of our latest adventures in Argentina with Dustin's parents. We had such a good time, even though we were all under the weather. I tried to go paragliding (only cost $60 bucks!), but they were all booked up...

...but, it's good I didn't.....

...not in my "condition" anyways.....

hee hee heeeeee

Yes, sometime probably in November the newest little Gingrich will come into the world. We covet your prayers for health for baby and mama.

Your Most Devoted,

Sarah

Sweet Moment