Packing up again

  

We are gearing up for a move this weekend as on Sunday the 5^th, the house will officially be empty that we will be moving into. Our plan is to move a small amount of things on Sunday the 5^th as we were told to not leave the house empty for even one night. So we will move just enough to get us by for the first night then Genesis is closed for the next week so that will give us lots of time to move and get settled in. Watch for pics and maybe even a video again. Marcy and Janae are excited because a dog comes with the house. It is a Bull Mastiff named “Buddy”.

    We have had a full summer with back to back teams and now the school will be closed until Sept 3^rd. We have the week off of Aug 6^th but then go back the following week. We will have two weeks there without teachers then they come back on Aug. 27^th to get ready for the next semester.  Last Saturday we spent the day with Maribel and her family. We enjoy her so much and they do not have a car, only a moto for Maribel, her husband Samuel, Abby (3) and Raquel (6 months).  We took them to Santiago to go shopping for things that they need but can’t get in Jarabacoa. On the way they told me that they go about twice a year and the take the public transportation. It was a great time to practice our Spanish and just spend time with them and talk about other things than just Genesis stuff.

      Vehicle repairs seem to be right at the top on our “least likely to conquer” list. Our moto is in the shop for an overhaul (a three day job that started three weeks ago), and our car is going in tomorrow morning to get the alternator replaced. I guess that is why so many locals don’t have a car and their moto is a 1956 model with a 2x8 for a seat. They spend more time in the shop than being used by the owner. So far we haven’t spent any money on our bicycles so………..

      Yesterday I had a lapse on memory of how old I am and agreed to climb Mogote (a mountain here in town). It is about a 2700’ incline. Not that bad really and very similar to the couple that I had climbed in Costa Rica several times. However, when the three “low twenty somethings” decided to go, I asked to go along.  For most of Sunday morning I kept asking mysel “why would I ask to go with these guys”. My first clue should have been when they told me it was only about 1-1/2 hours to the top when I had had other “mature age” people tell me that it was about 2-1/2 to 3 hours up. But instead of putting that discrepancy together, I just thought oh, 1-1/2 hours isn’t too bad. I found out quickly that if I ask to stop and take a picture, that I could also catch my breath a bit. I think after photo number 317 they caught on. It was good exercise though and a great view on top.

 These are views looking down on Jarabacoa from a little over 5000'

  Karen and the girls are all still doing fine and like I said above, we are looking forward to a little break in our schedule now but at the same time will miss all the people we had at the Genesis site this summer working beside us. Our two interns, Tyler and Ellie will also be leaving the middle of next week and we will miss them also. They have been a huge help with the teams this summer. We wish them God’s Blessing as they continue to further their education. Hopefully they will pursue other adventures like this with SI or other ways to serve people.

Flight Attendants, Prepare for Landing.

       As those words came over the intercom when we approached Ohare Field in Chicago, my mind was racing with anxiety and wondering how it would go for our first trip back to Indiana since leaving the last week in August of last fall. 10 months. What all changed? How have we changed? Beside the visible things like me having less hair (two reasons, a recent haircut and also the fact that I turned 50 in January), Nina, Janae and Marcy all getting taller and more mature, but what has changed inside of me and how have others changed because of me for the positive and negative? Just as I was so excited to see all of our family and friends, I was also apprehensive about all of that too. As we walked to the luggage carousel, I called Rachel to make sure that I could find them once our luggage was gathered up. The plan was that her and Elliot along with my folks would meet us and take us home. As I rounded the corner I see, Abby? Don’t tell me I can’t tell them apart anymore!!!! No, it’s Abby, at least I think it is. But no, she is in Oklahoma, It has to be Rachel, that was the plan.  Just then I see Jeff, Fred, Lauren, Greg, Elliot, Rachel, Dan, Annabelle, WHAT THE HECK, DID THEY CHARTER A BUS?????? :) That was a great surprise.

          The ride home was a lively one to say the least. Rachel and Ellot's wedding went off without a hitch, and the reception was perfect, warm, but wonderful. I will put pictures on my next post. The part of parenting that no one ever told us was how much we would enjoy seeing our four older kids enjoying each other along with their spouses. God is so good to give our family 3 new additions as spouses to our children. They are all wonderful and we enjoy them so much when we are together. 

       Our time back was filled with breakfasts, Ice cream dates, family pictures, lunches, dinners, Ice cream dates, evenings of fellowship, bike rides, Ice cream dates, and much more. Our 9 days home were full but yet so enjoyable. By Monday morning we were tired and ready to head back to Chicago to fly home. Our live is now back to “normal” whatever that means. We have two more outreach teams in July yet then the school will be closed for three weeks for us to regroup and get ready for the fall semester. Thanks for all the prayers while we were gone and the continued support that we feel from you all.