Thristy

Internet really is an amazing blessing (when it works).  Today we used Skype to video chat with our A-Team (Advocacy Team) that is our go to team in the US.  It was so encouraging. It did kick us off a few times but the call was a success.  I felt as if we were back with them for a moment.  We would not have made it here if it was not for them and all their help and many more.  We are blessed with friendships in NC and praise God for them, along with all our partners financially and prayerfully around the world.  Our Skype name is on the right side of our blog with the rest of our contact info.  www.themenoldminutes.com   Let us know how you are doing!

Tate, Oliver, Sylvia, Finley and Megalina - New friends

This weekend felt a bit more normal.  We hung out as a family and i did not do a whole lot of work.  Didn't feel the best since i had the "amoeba", small parasite in my stomach.  I took a regiment of medicine for the past 7 days and i do feel incredibly better but things just don’t feel the same.  I am reading the book A Hole in Our Gospel by Richard Stearns, the World Vision president.  I mention that since he describes how devastating it is that billions of people do not have clean water.  I have been drinking bottled water since we have been here and so i must have eaten something that had the parasite in it.  It is a water borne parasite. 5 others got the same thing - i think i had it the worst.  Water borne diseases knock the life out of you and then it is hard to do everything else.  Work, take care of your family, and be motivated to do well.  We are blessed to have bottled water, most have to fetch their own water and boil it or just deal with how dirty it is.  Many people around the school go to the river to bathe, drink, do dishes, and more.  You lose hope eventually because suffering is your reality.  Survival is more the focus and if you can't get clean water then this is an everyday deal.  Sure your body might somewhat get used to it as many kids do here but eventually untreated diarrhea kills and a child dies every 15 seconds worldwide from waterborne diseases.  Water is crucial to our existence.  Praise God I have medicines to help me, clean water to drink but ~1.2 billion in this world don't.  Working among the very poor is going to be challenging to my heart and mind.  Not sure how to process all this but God is working on my heart and mind as I think about clean water and all the people that don't have it, all the kids that are hurting and dying...  Next time your thirsty, think about how precious it is to grab cold clean water to drink or even take a shower, drink coffee, wash your dishes, water your yard...  

This experience has highlighted a lot of things for us that we just didn't think about in the US.  Clean water, clean food, can't stop by subway for lunch, electricity working (out most of the time and our inverter which stores power in batteries did not work the first 3 weeks we were here), air conditioner(get a reminder of this at the grocery store when we go), dryer (we hang dry our clothes), a yard for our kids to play in, the ability to trust workers to get the job done (had screens put in that are falling out and have had to do the rest myself), and much more.  All these things i have had to choose mentally to not miss them too much.  God is teaching us so much about trusting Him.  He is our provider and strength.  I am thankful to be able to walk through this and hope in sharing you too can appreciate all that the US is blessed with and think as well how you might respond to your abundance.  

Caught this in our apartment and all her babies leaped out of the sack she was carrying.  Thank you for sticky mouse trap paper!!!  We have caught two tarantulas as well=)  This is a banana spider

This week Jen is flying back to the US for her Brother, Ed Lischner's wedding.  We are excited for them and wish we could all go but tickets are quite expensive for 5 kids.  I will be flying solo with the 4 older kids here as Jen will take Parlyn with her.  The Makarios School opens this Wednesday.  I am excited to see the kids again.  I saw them in February and May trips.  There will be new faces.  There is a medical team coming Oct 29th so that will be the first team to come stay with us and that we will coordinate.  So we have another month to continue to get settled, help out with the school, and learn Spanish.  It’s coming slowly and my head hurts trying to listen. It will come and i can’t wait to be able to speak and share my heart with them and hear theirs as well. 

Prayer Requests:

- Health – our family and our team as well

- Learning Spanish

- School starts this week - for the kids to know Jesus and for the teachers not just to survive but thrive=)

- Dealing with the poor - how does this work?  Easy to read and say but doing is much harder.  

- The Snapps - Chris and Erika have been here for two years and since we are replacing them somewhat they are leaving many friends, transitioning back to the US.