A New Year

We are in for probably the oddest New Year's Eve ever! To begin with it is very warm, warm enough that we don't really have comfortable enough clothes, but as we get into the night it should be more comfortable. Of course, I had many New Year Eves here before, but in all my time we had never had a thunderstorm and pouring rain for most of the afternoon! (my dad says it is a first for him too, and he has been around longer). At any rate, we are getting ready to say good by to one year and welcome another with all the blessings and challenges it will bring. This has been a good year... even if nothing else had happened throughout the year, we had our little daughter at the beginning of it and that just made it perfect. This New Year will bring the fourth member of our little family and that is perfect too! We are so very grateful for all the other added blessings that the Lord allowed our way this year... too many to mention one by one and are excited to receive what He has in store for us on 2006. Above all things we want to not miss His guidance and really follow through His plan for our life, so that in all we do, we will expand His kingdom and bring Him glory.

Thank you all for being with us through this year, our prayer for you is for clarity to see His hand and hear His voice and strength to carry you through. Be very blessed as you transition through one more year and may the joy of His salvation be renewed in your life!

True Guatemalan at Heart!

Our time continues to be nice. Elena is back to her usual self and everyone is getting to enjoy her as she dances, plays and smiles at every possible person. As for her, well, the only thing she ssems to want to eat is black beans! Every single day she smears her face with black beans as she licks them off a piece of bread and then returns it to be dipped again to continue her enjoyment. The picture doesn't seem to be too clear, but I hope you can still enjoy it!

We'll keep you posted! Love to all!

Here we are...

After a very, very long day of travel with Elena still fighting fevers and apparently frustrated by the fact that every time she woke up we were still on a plane, we made it into Guatemala almost an hour later than we were expected to. But here we are, happy and thankful to be off a plane. Yesterday we tried to rest ourselves and Elena as much as we could. There was a light fever this morning, but it hasn't come back and we're praying that will be the end of that. Now, hopefully she will start recovering and go back to her usual self. One of the things Ben commented yesterday while traveling was "I miss Elena" just because being sick has really made her so sensitive, tired and she even looks sad. She is doing better today, though, and seeing her smile is just priceless.

At some point yesterday, during our long and crowded flight I was reminiscing a bit... flying has changed so much! I remember the days when flying would be such a great experience, plane food was great, flight attendants were all nice and smiled all the time. They would go the extra mile to make you feel comfortable and then some. We would even choose our clothes carefully because flying required dressing up and looking nicer than usual. It was quite the experience! This time around, we flew international, for over three hours and we were barely given drinks! Not to mention that we had left home at 5:30 a.m. (hardly breakfast time) and had come from an earlier flight, so we were very hungry! Some of our flight attendants looked very much like they didn't want to be there and you would have really thought twice before daring to ask for more than what you got. At any rate, that doesn't change my excitement and gratefulness to be with my parents and my brothers. We are enjoying the time together and have taken it easy on the visiting end just to give Elena (and ourselves) some time to recover! Please pray with us that she is completely recovered and we won't be dealing with any more fever!

Love to all!

Off we go!

It has been a couple of very long days and nights. Out of nowhere Elena has been fighting a fever since Friday and that has made for tougher times getting ready for Christmas and our trip tomorrow. However, we have managed to pull it through, enjoyed our Christmas and now the car is packed with the suitcases and everything is ready to leave for the airport tomorrow at 5.30 a.m. We should be arriving in Guatemala at 2.00 p.m. (3.00 p.m. our time) for almost three weeks with the family there! We are excited... exhausted too, but looking forward to it. We'll keep you posted!

Yesterday

5Then one of the elders said to me, "Do not weep! See, the Lion of the
tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has triumphed. He is able to open the scroll
and its seven seals." Revelation 5:5

After almost one year of not going to the movies, we decided to venture yesterday and try a matinee where Elena would be able to walk around and maybe even make a little noise without bothering anybody else. The movie theater was empty enough that we were able to enjoy "The Chronicles of Narnia" with Ben having only to leave for a couple of minutes while she fell asleep. Needless to say, I loved the movie!!! What powerful and inspiring moments to see the Lion so triumphantly taking His righteous victory. I know the story in and of itself is a fantasy, but the analogy was so clear and powerful to me! Especially during this season to remember His birth, His sacrifice and His ultimate victory!! We have an awesome God!!!

Sweet Moments

Isn't that the sweetest picture? This week has been filled with the sweetest and most special moments with Elena... From the moment Daddy gave her a bit of ice cream and she immediately exclaimed "mmmm..." and made us break in laughter at her expression, to the little things she does trying to imitate us (which can be scary, actually, especially when her activities include walking around the apartment with a remote control under her arm!!). So many things to treasure! We were in the nursery at Sunday school and she picked up a baby doll and rocked it as she hugged it, totally melting my heart. We are so excited to have her open her Christmas presents (which include her first baby doll!!). She is growing so quickly and we want to make the most of every moment!

By the way, find my husband here:
http://www.misterrandom.blogspot.com/

Christmas is around the corner!!!

Most of our presents are wrapped and sitting under the tree. My Christmas shopping will be finished today, when I buy all my stocking stuffers for Ben and some for Elena. I am feeling much better and maybe (do I dare saying?) I may be done with the morning sickness... Saturday we went caroling with the children´s ministry to a Nursing home. It is so heart breaking to meet these elderly people and know that many of them don´t even get gifts for Christmas! We brought a box full of presents and we were happy to bring some joy to them. Yesterday we went to the Farmer´s museum to enjoy the festivities, it was a bit cold, but it was so much fun! This week is full of things to do and I don´t quite know yet what the best approach will be, but we´ll enjoy it nonetheless! I may go out tomorrow morning to watch "A Christmas Carol" with some of the homeschoolers from church, Wednesday we will go caroling as a church in the town of Schoharie, and we will have a special service on Christmas morning. In the meantime, I need to start packing because first thing in the morning, after Christmas we are going to Guatemala!!! So, as you can imagine it will be quite challenging but never a more welcomed challenge than this! If they were all this kind of fun and exciting challenges! Sorry this is just a "touch and go" but I promise I´ll try to write more soon! Love to all and a very Merry Christmas!!!!

Choices

"I have but one power, it is the power to choose. I have but one choice, to whom will I yield" (Sister Sylvia Evans)

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"El único poder que poseo es el de escoger. La única opción que tengo para escoger es a quién serviré." (Sylvia Evans)