Off to Brazil

Little girl helping cook dinner!

Our new to us vehicle! 

Little man trekking the streets of Franca with his dinosaur backpack. 

When looking for a house, we looked at this one that had a hot tub. I think the gorgeous look on my face says it all... Who uses a hot tub in Brazil?!?!?

Apparently you don't have to teach a girl to stick her tongue out for a picture. 

And lastly, little man found a new nap spot. 

That's all for today! Have a great week!

How Can I Help?

That question was posed to me many times last week while my husband was in the hospital in Kentucky. So many people helped and prayed and showed they cared that it was amazing.

I've been on the other side of this issue as a pastor's wife dealing with people in our church who were going through a crisis either through health issues or losing a loved one. It's hard to know what to say, and sometimes it's harder still to know how to help.

With that in mind, I thought I'd mention a few things that can be a big help in situations such as these. Since we're all about helping each other, please feel free to list additional suggestions in the comments.

1. Pray. So often we feel helpless when someone we know is going through a trial. We may even say something such as, "All I can do is pray". That statement is misleading because praying is the best and most powerful help you can give.

2. Make sure the person you're praying for knows you're praying. You have no idea how much encouragement and comfort I received when I would update my husband's condition on facebook and then read comment after comment such as:  "praying!", or "we'll continue to pray". There was no greater comfort!

3. Give help that's needed. Often we long to do something, but we need to be smart about how we go about it. For instance, don't cook a whole meal and drop it off unless you know they need it. Sometimes, especially in cases where a loved one has died, I've heard the family discuss how much food is at the house and how they don't know what to do with it all.

4. Food is the first thing that most people think of, especially when the family they want to help might have relatives coming in from out of town. If at all possible, it's best to coordinate meals through your church. That way you can make sure you don't accidentally double up or miss a day. You can also make sure you don't serve spaghetti three days in a row.

5. Speaking of food, here are a few guidelines to go by:  find out if there are any allergies you need to be aware of; know how many people you need to prepare for; make comfort food; your meal should also include bread and dessert; use disposable pans/dishes so that the family doesn't have to worry about washing and returning your dishes.

6. If food's not needed, there are other items you can supply. If family is coming in from out of town, you can see if they need extra pillows or blankets or towels. You can also drop off some toiletry items such as shampoo and body wash, toothpaste and new toothbrushes.

7. You might want to provide items such as paper plates, plastic cups, plastic forks and spoons, paper towels and toilet paper and even garbage bags.

8. Instead of a general offer of help, be specific. For instance, instead of saying, "let me know if you need anything", say "I'm heading to the store. What can I pick up for you?" Or, "I'm headed to the hospital. Can I bring you a coffee?"

9. Don't get offended if they don't take you up on your offer. You can always check back in a day or a week and offer again. And always remind them that you're praying for them.

10. Don't get offended if you're not updated personally. I had several different people at different times text to ask me how my husband was doing. I know at least two different times I started to text an answer, but was interrupted by something. I didn't realize I hadn't answered them until days later. I did do a daily update on facebook, and both of those people saw those updates so their questions were answered even if I didn't respond personally. And both of them didn't have a problem with that.

When a crisis happens, lots of help tends to pour in all at once. After a month has passed, check back and see how they're doing. Remind them you're still praying for them. Or tell them, "God put you on my heart. What day this week can I bring a meal by for you?"

Just so you know, this blogpost is not a thinly disguised plea for help. My Indiana Jones is continuing to recuperate, and we are doing fine. We're also overwhelmed and humbled by all the people that expressed concern and that helped out and that prayed for us. God bless you all!

So do you have any suggestions to add? How do you help when needed?

Happy Thoughts Thursday

So you've made it through half the week, but it's still not Friday yet. Sometimes by Thursday you need a little lift to make it to the weekend.

Our solution? Happy Thought Thursday. On Tuesdays you can drop a pet peeve or an irritation. On Thursdays, give us a praise, a thankfulness, or something that just makes you happy. Your contributions on Thursday can be deep and spiritual, such as thankfulness for your salvation, or as shallow as a cup of coffee or a good hair day.  Here are our happy thoughts for this week:

Stephanie:  we have a car! 
                   
Kylee: my new crockpot! 

Jill:  Cooler weather!

 what about you? What makes you happy today?

Mid-week Wordplay

I don't know about you, but is there ever a time where you just feel like you're having a weird day or even a weird week? I'm not sure what it is but I feel like there has been a couple of those weird days this past week. With that in mind, I thought it would be nice to have a mid-week pick me up!

Can you think of a better way to do that than with a few jokes and tongue twisters?

Q: What starts with E, ends with E, and has only 1 letter in it?
A: Envelope.

Six sick hicks nick six slick bricks with picks and sticks.

The first time I used an elevator it was really uplifting, then it let me down.

Yellow butter, purple jelly, red jam, black bread. Spread it thick, say it quick! Yellow butter, purple jelly, red jam, black bread. Spread it thicker, say it quicker! Yellow butter, purple jelly, red jam, black bread. Don't eat with your mouth full!

Q: Why was six scared of seven?
A: Because seven "ate" nine.

Round and round the rugged rock the ragged rascal ran.

I was going to look for my missing watch, but I could never find the time.
Which wristwatch is a Swiss wristwatch?

Q: Can a kangaroo jump higher than the Empire State Building? 

A: Of course. The Empire State Building can't jump.

If practice makes perfect and perfect needs practice, I’m perfectly practiced and practically perfect.

What is a thesaurus' favorite dessert? Synonym buns.
How many snacks could a snack stacker stack, if a snack stacker snacked stacked snacks?

Q: Why did the can crusher quit his job? 
A: Because it was soda pressing.

I was wondering why the ball kept getting bigger and bigger, and then it hit me.

Have a great week everyone!

I

Testy Tuesdays

It's that time again. Just below are the pet peeves that are driving us crazy this week. Add your own in the comments, or ditto someone else. Commiserate with each other, blow off steam and go on your merry way.

Kylee: when people don't put their carts in the cart return!

Stephanie: when it seems like the kid waited for you to put on a clean diaper just so they had something clean to fill. 

Jill:  I can’t keep my house clean because people still live here!

Now it's your turn. What's bugging you?

Off to Brazil

   I know that I said I won't be posting for "a few weeks", and those few weeks have turned into a month and a half. So I'm here to report that I'm back!... Well, kind of... Honestky, I have to write something  because I can't just post the only two pictures I took this week and call it a day. So I'm going to try to do both... Some writing and some pictures. Sometimes it may still be just pictures. 😁

  The reason I only have two pictures this week is because it has kind of been uneventful. We are in the City where we will be attending language school. We're staying with another missionary while we get set up, but he had a full plate this last week and since he is our intepreter, we can't do anything without him. I said it was an uneventful week, but relaxing described it better.

  The other missionary's wife and daughter were out of town, so it was him, his three teenage sons, and our family. They said they've eaten a lot of sandwiches while their mom was away, so they were thrilled with the banana bread and chocolate cookies I made. The banana bread disappeared in a day, the cookies disappeared in about 12 hours... So I made a second batch, those lasted another half day. It reminded me so much of growing up. I had forgotten how fast food disappears with a bunch of teenage boys. But the ladies are back and I'm no longer the solo female, and it has been such a blessing being here with this family!


 Don't worry, there will still be pictures!

Kylee found these this week. Your lolinministry hosts almost 7 years ago! 

Brother and sister actually getting along, so if course I took a picture... Right after which, he knocked the whole tower down... On her... 

On a rough day,  My sis-in-law reminding me that I'm not the worst mom out there. Yikes! 

And this happening. She's still a little wobbly, but between this and already pushing up on her hands and knees, I am starting to think she wants to catch up quick to big brother and sister! 

When Your Husband Has A Heart Attack

If you follow me on facebook, or if you know me in real life, then you probably heard that my husband had a heart attack this past week. He was at a church conference at the Bible college where our son, Joel, goes to school. The heart attack struck during the morning session, and Joel rushed his dad to the hospital. We found out later that this was a major heart attack, and that when they checked him out they found a 99.5% blockage in the left main artery. They call this kind of blockage a widow maker. Thankfully, it didn't make me a widow. They were able to put in a stent, and he is now doing well. I'm writing this on Thursday night. He's been discharged from the hospital, and we will be driving home in the morning.

I could write about everything that happened during this time ... like the only flight I could find from Detroit to Kentucky had a layover in Baltimore. Or how I couldn't find the car in the hospital parking garage and we trudged through eight of the ten levels before I found it.

Nah.

I could write about my thoughts and feelings and all that I personally went through during this week.

Nope.

I think I'll just list some observations and happenings. Some are funny. Some are serious. It's little snapshots of my week. Get a laugh; learn a lesson--take it however you see fit. (I'm very zen right now.)

1. We know a lot of praying people.

2.  There were people in over twenty states and four different countries praying for us. 

3.  We could see God's hand in every detail this week. He made it clear.

4.  I remembered to take all the weapons out of my purse before I went through airport security this time.

5.  I wasn't near my phone Tuesday morning so I didn't actually hear about the heart attack until after Terry had been through surgery.

6.  I got to use my new Thirty-One bag for the trip. #findingjoyinthelittlethings

7.  When you talk on the phone while driving, you might miss your turn and accidentally take a tour of the UK campus.

8.  It's a good idea to take a picture of your parking spot and parking level in the hospital parking garage.

9.  Hospital food is better in the South.

10. The people at Clays Mill Road Baptist Church and Commonwealth Baptist College in Lexington, Kentucky, are incredibly awesome! 

11. Some of them came at different times during the week to visit my husband in the hospital.

12. Terry, Joel and I all got multiple texts and calls from people at the church and college, checking on us, reassuring us that they were praying for us, and offering any help they could.

13. One couple drove three hours round trip to pick me up at the airport.

14. Several people offered me a place to stay if I needed it.

15. Our church people prayed, messaged, offered help and encouragement and reminded us of how much they love us. 

16. Our son Joel is awesome, and I'm glad he was here. He helped save his dad's life by getting him to the hospital quickly.

17. God allowed the heart attack to happen while Terry was here at the conference instead of during the six hour drive down here on Monday.

18. Facebook can be used for good things ... such as updating a lot of people at once. And for a lot of people to reassure us that they were praying.

19. I'm very glad my husband is okay.

20. God is good. All the time.

I don't do well with airing my feelings in public, particularly on the worldwide web which is why I sometimes come off as flippant or sarcastic. In all honesty, this was a very hard week and a very scary one. But in the midst of everything, God's presence was very clear.

He hideth my soul in the cleft of the rock,
That shadows a dry, thirsty land;
He hideth my life in the depths of His love,
And covers me there with His hand,
And covers me there with His hand.

Thanks for praying. Please don't stop.