Peso gets into The Word!!

      As I write this it is the day after Thanksgiving, or better known as Black Friday. Why is the best shopping day for businesses called "Black" Friday? Last year at SI we had a Thanksgiving meal for the staff but this year we decided to not have that but rather let everyone have some time on their own. It has been a great year but a full one so a little down time was nice to have. We also celebrated our 30th anniversary on Monday of this week. Interesting how we both will have celebrated our 50th birthdays as well as our 30th Anniversary. Who would have ever guessed that 5 years ago? God has a way of changing our plans and making His way clear for us. It has been a great 30 years. We are super excited to see where the next 30 years will take us. Only He knows.
      Life here has been good, We have been busy interviewing people for open positions and moving people from one site to another and training up new staff for whatever comes next in their lives. It is really energizing to be part of this. At times it seems like we are trying so hard to keep our heads above water that we don't have time, energy or resources to look to the future. Things are changing and moving forward. There are growing pains involved but with many changes things are going well. Karen continues to hold the attendance at Genesis at about 40 children. With 9 teachers, it keeps her busy trying to keep things afloat there. She loves it and is doing a great job. We are not planing on going back to Indiana for Christmas since we were just there in Sept. So I plan to do some work at some of the sites that is hard to do when they are open. Marcy and I will also probably do some moto riding.
    For the last week, we have had the privilege of hosting a couple of ladies from Harrison VA - Kelsy and her sister Kate Miller. They are friends of Eric Miller, our Micro-finance site leader. They came to see what he was doing here as well as to help Karen a few days at Genesis. Kelsy has interest in being an Occupational Therapist and  Kate is wanting to become an RN. Kate also followed Rachel Snyder, our staff Physicians Assistant, for a day. So in the end, Eric's friends have now become our friends. Thanks for staying with us and you are welcome back anytime.
    So the photo for this blog is of our guest dog Peso (he is Buddy's son). If you remember we are housing him for a family that has gone home to do more fundraising and will be returning in March. We the other day I came home to find he had gotten a hold of my bible that I use in the mornings for my devotional time on the front deck. I guess he did a better job of me than "digging in and really eating the word". Looks like there is a lesson in everything.  That's about it for the life in the U house for the last couple of weeks.

"Where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal"

     That verse from Matthew 6 was a great reminder last week when we got broke into and had some laptops stolen, probably never to be seen again - by us at least. We had left for our last night at the base for meals at about 5:30 and returned at 8:30. When we walked in, Janae said "Dad, why did you take that window out?" First thing we looked for were the laptops and sure enough that is what they usually take. We had gotten pretty confident in our dogs, but obviously they were smarter than the dogs and got in. Calling the police and filing the paperwork on that was another cultural experience in itself. They were pretty sure it was the cleaning lady that comes for about three hours every week. My biggest objection to that theory was that SHE HAS A KEY!!!! Why would she break in?? Anyway, we are all safe and the came up the next morning and life goes on. The house we are in has a pretty long record of break-ins. Between the last two renters, I think it was been broken in maybe 4-5 times in about 7 years.
    It is almost embarrassing though of how we put our trust in a couple of dogs and not so much in prayer to the Real Security. It was a good reminder though of how God protected us, by us not being there when they came in. It is not uncommon at all here to have people break in to your home at night when you sleep, get your goods, and leave, and you never hear them. Seems almost unreal but it happens and they are really good at it. Later that night Karen made the comment that she is not really even scared but it is just such an inconvenience to not have all that information that was on the laptops.

     Thanks so much to my folks and our Sunday School Class at Sore Mennonite for helping us out financially to replace them. What a huge blessing that was. Then the LIFT team that was here from New York, also wanted to help out somehow, so they took up a collection that covered the Alambre Trinchera (razor wire).  I put that up then this week to at least slow them down the next time. This is again, one more time that I was thankful for my upbrining as I had to think of the way that my dad taught me to handle barb wire with respect. I can assure you that razer wire demands even more respect. The funny thing is that you learn to move     v e r y   s l o w l y. Those of you that know me very well, the words "very slowly" or "mas despacio"  are not generally part of my vocabulary, in any language. Regardless of all that, several Band-Aids and a couple of days later, we now are the proud owners of 9 rolls of razer wire as they line our property.





     Other things that are going on here - Karen continues to work with the local part of the ministry of Education as she is attempting to get Genesis registered with the Country as a recognized school here in the DR. She is very close to that and hopes to be ready by the fall of 2014. She is now done with teams until the second week in January. She still has Elizabeth, a great Bethel College Semester Student. She will be with Karen until the first week in December. She has been a huge help for Karen and a great encourager also. It will be hard for Karen to see her go, just as it was to see Erin, her summer intern, leave this fall. But, again, the sun will come up the next day and life will go on. It is great though to build those new friendships and keep in touch.

     I saw this on one of my trips to Santiago a few weeks ago. This is very common to see here. Usually there is a person or two riding on top but this time there wasn't or there was at one time and they fell off.   

Thanks so much for the continued prayers. They are felt and appreciated much. May God bless each of you, as he has blessed us, especially this last two weeks. Mike for the family.