Friday, July 23, 2010
July 23, 2010
Greetings once again from Bolivia! After spending a little over a month in the states with many of you, I have now returned to Santa Cruz. I had great plans of updating my blog this week and sharing pictures of my trip...but there just hasn't been time! My new roommate, Allison, and I arrived to the city last Saturday morning and immediately moved in with my friend Virginia Swartzendruber, because our house wasn't ready for us. While invading Virginia's space, I spent several days at school giving English tests for incoming students and getting settled into my new office! Finally, after a week of that...Allison and I were able to move into our house today! On top of that, a team from my parents church arrives TONIGHT...well really about 1:30 AM as their flight was delayed! I don't have much time now, but I will be updating my blog frequently this week with news on the team's whereabouts and activities! Thank you so much for your prayers on our behalf!
Sunday, June 13, 2010
June 13, 2010
Surprise! For those of you who haven't heard yet...I'm actually in the United States!!! I kept it a secret as my father didn't know I was coming home. We (the rest of the family and I) wanted to surprise him when I showed up in time for his retirement party last Friday. Therefore, we just decided to let all of you know...after the party was over so that there would be no chance in someone accidentally telling my father! Our hard work paid off! My dad was completely surprised! While my sisters walked up the driveway (surprising him a bit anyway as he didn't know my older sister and her husband were coming either)...I snuck in the back door and came back out the front onto the front porch where they were standing. I began talking and he responded as if it were nothing...then when he turned around and it registered that it was ME...he just couldn't believe it! So much fun!
This quick trip home is of multiple blessings...as if it weren't enough that I actually got to be here for all of the family activities celebrating my dad's life and his accomplishments...I also get to spend time with my adorable nephews (notice the plural...my sister, Emily, gave birth to her second child on June 2...Ian Christopher Marks...weighing 8 pounds, 21 inches)...and of course, I always enjoy the chance to get caught up with as many of you as possible! As I will only be able to stay in the states for about a month this time...I don't think I'll have time to travel outside of Virginia and North Carolina. However, if you happen to be in one of these two states, drop me an email or call my parents to track me down and I'll do my best to work you into my schedule! Of course...in general, I'd just enjoy a phone call as well since it doesn't cost as much as an international phone call would!
Tomorrow...I'll be going to the mountains with the family...we'll be spending the week there...then I'll be spending a few days in Abingdon, VA before making my way back towards Franklin. Thank you so much for your continued support and prayers! I appreciate them so much...and for the great blessing of having a few quick weeks here with family and many of you! God is good...all the time!
This quick trip home is of multiple blessings...as if it weren't enough that I actually got to be here for all of the family activities celebrating my dad's life and his accomplishments...I also get to spend time with my adorable nephews (notice the plural...my sister, Emily, gave birth to her second child on June 2...Ian Christopher Marks...weighing 8 pounds, 21 inches)...and of course, I always enjoy the chance to get caught up with as many of you as possible! As I will only be able to stay in the states for about a month this time...I don't think I'll have time to travel outside of Virginia and North Carolina. However, if you happen to be in one of these two states, drop me an email or call my parents to track me down and I'll do my best to work you into my schedule! Of course...in general, I'd just enjoy a phone call as well since it doesn't cost as much as an international phone call would!
Tomorrow...I'll be going to the mountains with the family...we'll be spending the week there...then I'll be spending a few days in Abingdon, VA before making my way back towards Franklin. Thank you so much for your continued support and prayers! I appreciate them so much...and for the great blessing of having a few quick weeks here with family and many of you! God is good...all the time!
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
June 2, 2010
Hello there friends and family! I apologize for not up-dating my blog recently...things have been a bit hectic here!!!
Last week, we finished the school year with a bang! There were cookouts to celebrate the end of the year, graduation, cleaning up classrooms, teacher luncheon...and to really end with a bang, I stepped into the Elementary Principal's position by leading a meeting for all of the rising 4th grade parents to hopefully begin resolving some of the MAJOR discipline issues that have occurred in that classroom so far. Obviously, it was a very full week!!!
This week hasn't been as full...although it still has plenty of action! My roommate, Chelsea, will be leaving on Friday morning...so we've had plenty of outings and activities planned (most of them including FOOD) for this week to help her to have a good send-off!!! I should also be working on packing up the house...as I need to have my things stored in one of the rooms next week when I move out so that the other family can begin moving in. I will leave my things store here in one of the bedrooms until the other house is fixed up and I can move into it (which will hopefully be in the middle of July)!!!
I also got some VERY exciting news yesterday!!! Allison Lee, one of the new teachers coming down who is going to move in with me...got permission from SAM yesterday to go ahead and buy her tickets to come down!!! She will arrive in the middle of July at the same time that I am moving into the new house!!! Praise the Lord for allowing her to take this next step!!! Please continue to pray for the rest of the financial support that she needs to be fully supported as well as the support that several other teachers still need. Speaking of teachers...we also need a couple of elementary teachers yet and some junior high/high school teachers. We would also appreciate your prayers for those specific needs!!!
Well, I have a full day planned, so I should keep this up-date short. Thank you so much for your interest and prayers in the work that God is doing here in Santa Cruz.
Last week, we finished the school year with a bang! There were cookouts to celebrate the end of the year, graduation, cleaning up classrooms, teacher luncheon...and to really end with a bang, I stepped into the Elementary Principal's position by leading a meeting for all of the rising 4th grade parents to hopefully begin resolving some of the MAJOR discipline issues that have occurred in that classroom so far. Obviously, it was a very full week!!!
This week hasn't been as full...although it still has plenty of action! My roommate, Chelsea, will be leaving on Friday morning...so we've had plenty of outings and activities planned (most of them including FOOD) for this week to help her to have a good send-off!!! I should also be working on packing up the house...as I need to have my things stored in one of the rooms next week when I move out so that the other family can begin moving in. I will leave my things store here in one of the bedrooms until the other house is fixed up and I can move into it (which will hopefully be in the middle of July)!!!
I also got some VERY exciting news yesterday!!! Allison Lee, one of the new teachers coming down who is going to move in with me...got permission from SAM yesterday to go ahead and buy her tickets to come down!!! She will arrive in the middle of July at the same time that I am moving into the new house!!! Praise the Lord for allowing her to take this next step!!! Please continue to pray for the rest of the financial support that she needs to be fully supported as well as the support that several other teachers still need. Speaking of teachers...we also need a couple of elementary teachers yet and some junior high/high school teachers. We would also appreciate your prayers for those specific needs!!!
Well, I have a full day planned, so I should keep this up-date short. Thank you so much for your interest and prayers in the work that God is doing here in Santa Cruz.
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
May 19, 2010
Greetings once again from Santa Cruz. We're entering into winter here...as the colder weather quickly reminds us. It doesn't always stay cold for long though, eventually the sun shines again followed by warmer temperatures until another cold spell catches us by surprise.
What often gets me through the cold weather is knowing that warmer temperatures are just around the corner. Life sometimes is a little like that. There are times, I think when getting through the difficult moments takes just looking towards the sunshine awaiting around the bend. The coldness we're experiencing now tends to be quite fitting for this time of year. I think I have mentioned before that the end of the school year is difficult for the missionary community. It means change...and change isn't always easy. There are many people packing up to leave permanently...people who have been here for many, many years...and people who have only impacted our lives for one or two years. It doesn't matter if it's been a short time or a long time...it's hard to say good-bye. It's hard for the ones who are leaving and it's hard for the ones who are staying behind. There are other transitions that often occur for me at about the same time...change in living arrangement, change in ministry, change in roommates, etc.
To up-date you a little on my living situation...
I decided to accept the other house that World Gospel Mission was offering for me to rent. They take care of all the maintenance and upkeep of their houses...there's a LOT to be said for that from a single's perspective! There are many other perks to that house and I'm looking forward to getting settled in there. They need to do a little work on it before I can move in...but we're hoping that I'll be in there by mid-July. As of right now, I have one confirmed roommate (assuming that God provides the support she needs to get here) and another one who hopes to live with us for a few months before moving in with a Bolivian family.
In addition to the difficult adjustment and transition that this time of the year brings for us here in Santa Cruz...there have been a couple of additional hurdles to cross recently. Something that has impacted me greatly is that I ended up attending two very unexpected, unrelated funerals this past week. One of them was for a 20 year old girl, Guisela, who was killed in a motorcycle accident last Thursday. She attended my church as a child, but stopped coming a few years ago, even though she was saved and baptized in the church. However, many of her siblings, cousins, and aunts/uncles continue to be active members there. It is hard to see them hurting so. Then on the weekend, a Bolivian woman from my school and her husband lost their baby who died after only a week of life...he was born several weeks premature. I don't know that I've ever been to a funeral for a baby before, nor seen a coffin so tiny. There seems to be heartache and sadness all around these days. I'd appreciate your prayer particularly for these families.
On a lighter note. Thank you for praying for the Intensive CIET class that I was in charge of and teaching in last week. The students took the final exam on Monday night. They still have a few additional projects and assignments to turn in before June 7...but I'm thankful that the intenseness of being at the seminary every night is over for now!
Well, as I've said...there is sunshine around the corner...in a few more months things will calm down once again...I'll be settled in my new house...making new friends...and finding my way around the elementary principal's office...may God provide the strength and comfort that all of us need to get through the transition! Thank you so much for your love and prayers...not only for me, but also for those around me!
What often gets me through the cold weather is knowing that warmer temperatures are just around the corner. Life sometimes is a little like that. There are times, I think when getting through the difficult moments takes just looking towards the sunshine awaiting around the bend. The coldness we're experiencing now tends to be quite fitting for this time of year. I think I have mentioned before that the end of the school year is difficult for the missionary community. It means change...and change isn't always easy. There are many people packing up to leave permanently...people who have been here for many, many years...and people who have only impacted our lives for one or two years. It doesn't matter if it's been a short time or a long time...it's hard to say good-bye. It's hard for the ones who are leaving and it's hard for the ones who are staying behind. There are other transitions that often occur for me at about the same time...change in living arrangement, change in ministry, change in roommates, etc.
To up-date you a little on my living situation...
I decided to accept the other house that World Gospel Mission was offering for me to rent. They take care of all the maintenance and upkeep of their houses...there's a LOT to be said for that from a single's perspective! There are many other perks to that house and I'm looking forward to getting settled in there. They need to do a little work on it before I can move in...but we're hoping that I'll be in there by mid-July. As of right now, I have one confirmed roommate (assuming that God provides the support she needs to get here) and another one who hopes to live with us for a few months before moving in with a Bolivian family.
In addition to the difficult adjustment and transition that this time of the year brings for us here in Santa Cruz...there have been a couple of additional hurdles to cross recently. Something that has impacted me greatly is that I ended up attending two very unexpected, unrelated funerals this past week. One of them was for a 20 year old girl, Guisela, who was killed in a motorcycle accident last Thursday. She attended my church as a child, but stopped coming a few years ago, even though she was saved and baptized in the church. However, many of her siblings, cousins, and aunts/uncles continue to be active members there. It is hard to see them hurting so. Then on the weekend, a Bolivian woman from my school and her husband lost their baby who died after only a week of life...he was born several weeks premature. I don't know that I've ever been to a funeral for a baby before, nor seen a coffin so tiny. There seems to be heartache and sadness all around these days. I'd appreciate your prayer particularly for these families.
On a lighter note. Thank you for praying for the Intensive CIET class that I was in charge of and teaching in last week. The students took the final exam on Monday night. They still have a few additional projects and assignments to turn in before June 7...but I'm thankful that the intenseness of being at the seminary every night is over for now!
Well, as I've said...there is sunshine around the corner...in a few more months things will calm down once again...I'll be settled in my new house...making new friends...and finding my way around the elementary principal's office...may God provide the strength and comfort that all of us need to get through the transition! Thank you so much for your love and prayers...not only for me, but also for those around me!
Sunday, May 9, 2010
May 9, 2010
Greetings once again from Santa Cruz, Bolivia. With temperatures in the 70s today...it has really felt like "fall" for us here. We are nearing the end of the school year...with graduation only three weeks away! It is hard to believe, how the year does fly by!
You may remember that in my last post, I mentioned that Chelsea and I would be going to a small community called Villa Cruz to teach a workshop for Sunday School teachers. We left on a Thursday night, by bus...arrived in San Ignacio de Velasco (SIV) on Friday morning...had the day to tour SIV and to show Chelsea some of the ministry SAM has had there in the past. Then, on Friday afternoon, we took a bus (actually more like a large van...very crowded van I might add)...to Villa Cruz. Friday evening, we started the workshop...which continued until Sunday afternoon. With the exception of their typical weekend services on Saturday night and Sunday morning, we spent the rest of the time in the workshop. I even got asked to preach on Saturday night as well...so we stayed pretty busy while we were there! Chelsea was a HUGE help and I was so thankful for her company and support throughout the weekend. On Sunday afternoon, after finishing up the workshop, we made our way back to SIV, and then on to Santa Cruz by bus that night...arriving in the city Monday morning. As soon as we got back we hit the ground running with various school activities. Praise the Lord, all in all the workshop was a great experience...thank you so much for your prayers! There were about 22 people who attended the conference and I was pleased to see the things they were learning and taking away with them!
Last night, was the Jr. Sr. Banquet for school. It was held at the tennis club this year...the same place where Chelsea and I went to the wedding a couple of weeks ago. The banquet is just another sign that the school year is coming to an end. As I watched the pictures on the power point of the senior class throughout their years of attending the Learning Center...I was reminded of what some of them were like when I taught them my first year on the field. These students were in 7th grade then. It is unbelievable to me that now I am watching them graduate. If I include the year that I was home on furlough, I have been connected to the Learning Center for the same number of years that I taught in North Carolina! I praise the Lord that He is continuing to allow me to be something constant and stable in the lives of these children...lives that are so accustomed to constant comings and goings! There are still two full weeks of classes...during which I will also be doing ESL testing for some of the current and incoming students! Then there will be a few days of exams...ending with graduation on Friday, May 28. Please continue to pray for the end of the school year...that both teachers and students will be able to FINISH WELL!
I'm attaching a link with a few pictures of our trip to SIV/Villa Cruz...as well as a few pictures from the banquet. Please let me know if you have any problems opening the link!
http://share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=8AbNnDNm5btmS8
This week, you could also be praying for an intensive course in CIET for Sunday School teachers (and others who work with children) that I will be teaching along with a few other missionary friends. The class will be each night, from Monday through Friday...7:15-9:45; plus there will be additional requirements/assignments for the students outside of class, should they choose to receive credit. This, in addition to all of the things happening at school right now, makes this a very busy week for all of us! We covet your prayers during this time!
Finally, I have gotten word from the mission that owns the house where I'm living...that they need this house for some of their other missionaries. Therefore, I will have to move once again! They are offering me another house that they have available. It is a nice house, in a GREAT location! It is a bit more expensive...but it appears that God is providing roommates once again...even though Chelsea is returning to the states. Please pray for me this week as I make a final decision on the house...and begin to look toward that transition of packing up and moving once again!
Thank you so much for your prayers on my behalf! I appreciate your concern and support for the ministry to which God has called me! May He bless you for your faithfulness to Him!
You may remember that in my last post, I mentioned that Chelsea and I would be going to a small community called Villa Cruz to teach a workshop for Sunday School teachers. We left on a Thursday night, by bus...arrived in San Ignacio de Velasco (SIV) on Friday morning...had the day to tour SIV and to show Chelsea some of the ministry SAM has had there in the past. Then, on Friday afternoon, we took a bus (actually more like a large van...very crowded van I might add)...to Villa Cruz. Friday evening, we started the workshop...which continued until Sunday afternoon. With the exception of their typical weekend services on Saturday night and Sunday morning, we spent the rest of the time in the workshop. I even got asked to preach on Saturday night as well...so we stayed pretty busy while we were there! Chelsea was a HUGE help and I was so thankful for her company and support throughout the weekend. On Sunday afternoon, after finishing up the workshop, we made our way back to SIV, and then on to Santa Cruz by bus that night...arriving in the city Monday morning. As soon as we got back we hit the ground running with various school activities. Praise the Lord, all in all the workshop was a great experience...thank you so much for your prayers! There were about 22 people who attended the conference and I was pleased to see the things they were learning and taking away with them!
Last night, was the Jr. Sr. Banquet for school. It was held at the tennis club this year...the same place where Chelsea and I went to the wedding a couple of weeks ago. The banquet is just another sign that the school year is coming to an end. As I watched the pictures on the power point of the senior class throughout their years of attending the Learning Center...I was reminded of what some of them were like when I taught them my first year on the field. These students were in 7th grade then. It is unbelievable to me that now I am watching them graduate. If I include the year that I was home on furlough, I have been connected to the Learning Center for the same number of years that I taught in North Carolina! I praise the Lord that He is continuing to allow me to be something constant and stable in the lives of these children...lives that are so accustomed to constant comings and goings! There are still two full weeks of classes...during which I will also be doing ESL testing for some of the current and incoming students! Then there will be a few days of exams...ending with graduation on Friday, May 28. Please continue to pray for the end of the school year...that both teachers and students will be able to FINISH WELL!
I'm attaching a link with a few pictures of our trip to SIV/Villa Cruz...as well as a few pictures from the banquet. Please let me know if you have any problems opening the link!
http://share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=8AbNnDNm5btmS8
This week, you could also be praying for an intensive course in CIET for Sunday School teachers (and others who work with children) that I will be teaching along with a few other missionary friends. The class will be each night, from Monday through Friday...7:15-9:45; plus there will be additional requirements/assignments for the students outside of class, should they choose to receive credit. This, in addition to all of the things happening at school right now, makes this a very busy week for all of us! We covet your prayers during this time!
Finally, I have gotten word from the mission that owns the house where I'm living...that they need this house for some of their other missionaries. Therefore, I will have to move once again! They are offering me another house that they have available. It is a nice house, in a GREAT location! It is a bit more expensive...but it appears that God is providing roommates once again...even though Chelsea is returning to the states. Please pray for me this week as I make a final decision on the house...and begin to look toward that transition of packing up and moving once again!
Thank you so much for your prayers on my behalf! I appreciate your concern and support for the ministry to which God has called me! May He bless you for your faithfulness to Him!
Monday, April 26, 2010
April 26, 2010
Well, it appears that we're finally getting into the winter months here in Santa Cruz as we've had cooler temperatures and some rain off and on for the past few days. Typical to winter here, I expect that it will warm up one of these days and we'll have some beautiful days before it slips cool again! For now, we're enjoying wearing long sleeves and sweatshirts! I personally however, would appreciate it if it didn't get any colder than this (currently 65 degrees)! :)
This past Saturday was the Princess Conference for girls ages 8 to 12. You may remember me asking prayer for this event in my prayer letter and in past blog up-dates. As the head coordinator for this conference, I was a pretty nervous about how things would go. However, there was no need for me to be worried about it! Thank you so much for all of your prayers! Things went very smoothly...much better than I expected! We had almost 70 girls come in all with the two sessions combined...and about 15 or so accept Christ as their Savior! What an encouragement it was to get to be apart of this great adventure! I thoroughly enjoyed it! Join me in praising God for all that He did to make the conference a success and for the girls who He called to Himself at this time in their lives! Continue to pray for their Spiritual growth and development.
After the conference was all over and we had cleaned up...Chelsea and I quickly changed clothes (so that we were REAL princesses...as our friend's 3 year old son told us), and headed off to a wedding. You may remember Graciela who lived with us for a few months last semester. She and her fiancee got married on Saturday night. The wedding was beautiful and we had LOTS of fun...visiting with friends, eating, and dancing! We left a bit on the early side at 12:15 AM...but were too tired to make it any later! :)
Finally, on Sunday after church...I went with several other missionaries to the river. The intern who has been here for a few months, Tara Dakin...was saved only a couple of years ago and wished to be baptized before returning to the states in a couple of weeks...so she asked Jeff HAuse if he would do that for her. We packed lunches, loaded up in cars, drove to the river...then all loaded in the back of the Strebig's truck and drove along the river until we could find a spot deep enough for a baptism! It was loads of fun and pretty exciting too!
If you'd like to see some pictures of the Princess Conference, the wedding, and the baptism...feel free to check out the following link!
http://share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=8AbNnDNm5btmSt
Needless to say, I arrived in the house, Sunday afternoon, pretty exhausted! I tried to get some rest so that I'd be a bit more ready for the week! This week, I need to plan for a workshop that I'll be teaching out in a small town called Villa Cruz. Chelsea is going to go with me so that I don't have to take the bus alone. The workshop will be starting on Friday night and will go through Sunday afternoon...then we'll take the long bus ride back...arriving Monday morning, EARLY! I'd appreciate your prayers for this workshop and the planning that I have yet to do. Thank you so much for your continued prayers and support...I can definitely feel God working and moving through them here in Santa Cruz!
This past Saturday was the Princess Conference for girls ages 8 to 12. You may remember me asking prayer for this event in my prayer letter and in past blog up-dates. As the head coordinator for this conference, I was a pretty nervous about how things would go. However, there was no need for me to be worried about it! Thank you so much for all of your prayers! Things went very smoothly...much better than I expected! We had almost 70 girls come in all with the two sessions combined...and about 15 or so accept Christ as their Savior! What an encouragement it was to get to be apart of this great adventure! I thoroughly enjoyed it! Join me in praising God for all that He did to make the conference a success and for the girls who He called to Himself at this time in their lives! Continue to pray for their Spiritual growth and development.
After the conference was all over and we had cleaned up...Chelsea and I quickly changed clothes (so that we were REAL princesses...as our friend's 3 year old son told us), and headed off to a wedding. You may remember Graciela who lived with us for a few months last semester. She and her fiancee got married on Saturday night. The wedding was beautiful and we had LOTS of fun...visiting with friends, eating, and dancing! We left a bit on the early side at 12:15 AM...but were too tired to make it any later! :)
Finally, on Sunday after church...I went with several other missionaries to the river. The intern who has been here for a few months, Tara Dakin...was saved only a couple of years ago and wished to be baptized before returning to the states in a couple of weeks...so she asked Jeff HAuse if he would do that for her. We packed lunches, loaded up in cars, drove to the river...then all loaded in the back of the Strebig's truck and drove along the river until we could find a spot deep enough for a baptism! It was loads of fun and pretty exciting too!
If you'd like to see some pictures of the Princess Conference, the wedding, and the baptism...feel free to check out the following link!
http://share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=8AbNnDNm5btmSt
Needless to say, I arrived in the house, Sunday afternoon, pretty exhausted! I tried to get some rest so that I'd be a bit more ready for the week! This week, I need to plan for a workshop that I'll be teaching out in a small town called Villa Cruz. Chelsea is going to go with me so that I don't have to take the bus alone. The workshop will be starting on Friday night and will go through Sunday afternoon...then we'll take the long bus ride back...arriving Monday morning, EARLY! I'd appreciate your prayers for this workshop and the planning that I have yet to do. Thank you so much for your continued prayers and support...I can definitely feel God working and moving through them here in Santa Cruz!
Monday, April 19, 2010
April 20, 2010
Happy Birthday to me...happy birthday to me...happy birthday dear Laura...happy birthday to me! All in all, I had a wonderful birthday this past weekend! Thank you to all of you who sent gifts, cards, emails, etc. in order to help in making it extra special! I started my birthday weekend off by going to the movies with Chelsea on Friday night...something we haven't done in a very long time...I even splurged and let the guys who were watching my car out in the parking lot, wash it for the big price of about $3 (it only cost that much because it was so dirty)! Then, on Saturday, after skyping with my parents and doing a few things around the house, Chelsea and I went to go get manicures at our favorite salon. In the afternoon, we had a birthday party for me at the house. Chelsea had invited all of the SAM missionary ladies (plus a couple of my closest friends from school) and a few of the girls from church. I was impressed that almost everyone came...about the only ones who couldn't make it were out of town! We had a great turn out and Chelsea had made or bought a lot of my favorite snacks. Then, Amy, who is another SAM missionary, provided the "cake" a chocolate mousse dessert...it was divine!!! We had a lot of fun just visiting and hanging out together for a couple of hours.
After that I went to youth group and then returned home in order to skype with Janet and Rick (my older sister and her husband). Then, about midnight, just after I had crawled into bed...I heard Chelsea open the gate to go outside and thought that was pretty strange...until a few minutes later when I began to hear singing at my window. It was a serenade, which is a typical Bolivian custom, brought by the guys on my worship team and a few other friends! How fun was that! After singing a few songs and getting me out of bed...I invited them in for tea and cookies and they left about 1:00 AM. Needless to say, we basically fell into bed after that!
Sunday was another day full of celebrating! For lunch, the HAuses had decorated their house with a musical theme for my birthday which basically shared how we are each different, important instruments in the orchestra of God and how together we make a symphony of music for His glory (Jeff HAuse stated it much more eloquently...but you'll have to do with my rephrasing)! They had asked my mom for some of my favorite songs to post on the walls, had set up their puppets holding various forms of instruments, etc. Jeff had also prepared a game for us to play using a paper keyboard that he made. Each person pulled off one of the black keys which contained a question on the back...we then took turns answering the questions on the backs of the keys! It was a lot of fun! Of course, there were also presents and cake as well!
So...as you can see, it was a VERY special weekend...I feel loved, that's for sure!!! If you'd like more pictures of my birthday celebrations, check out the link below! Thank you once again for your prayers for me and the ministry here! Just as a reminder, we have the princess conference this Saturday...please join us in praying for that...both for those who are leading it or working as well as the girls who will be coming!
http://share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=8AbNnDNm5btmRw&emid=sharview&linkid=link5&cid=EMsharview
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