Turn your speakers on to hear the coos and giggles :-)
Monday, February 25, 2008
Sunday, February 24, 2008
The Day After ...
Saturday - we got home at 2:00 a.m. this morning. I'm pretty sure I was in bed about the same time. I woke up at noon, looked at the clock and went back to sleep. The next time I looked at the clock - it was 5:00 pm!!! Paul had taken Kensley to her basketball game. Emily had been lazy like me watching tv and taking naps.
I got out of bed at 5:00 and was back in bed by 8:30 p.m. Surely I got enough rest to repair my aching body! I would leave again tomorrow if we could bring our baby home.
I got out of bed at 5:00 and was back in bed by 8:30 p.m. Surely I got enough rest to repair my aching body! I would leave again tomorrow if we could bring our baby home.
Friday, February 22, 2008
Friday, February 22, 2008
We awoke bright and early this morning to Eddy crying for a bottle. His foster mom is coming to get him at 10:00 a.m.
Part of me is exhausted and ready for a break - the other part does not want to leave him here! We got everything together and were in the lobby by 9:00 a.m. Paul checked us out. We took some photos by the pool and before we knew it - it was time to go.
Our driver, Sylvester, arrived first. He went to move his car closer to the lobby and in just a few minutes, I see Teresa and her daughter, Alejandra, walking toward us. Eddy was tired. He was finishing his bottle and had started to cry. One of those throw your head and arch your back kind of cries. I think he was mad because his bottle was empty and he wasn't asleep.
Teresa walked up - first she made a noise "tsk tsk tsk" and then said "Eddy!" and got his attention. He immediately stopped crying and smiled at her. She took him. He looked at Alejandra and held his arms to her. I was telling him bye. I told him I loved him very much in spanish. We was a smiley, happy, tired baby.
Paul and I told Emily to tell him bye. She turned around and was crying - big tears! Of course, that made me cray. Kensley said, "You all, stop, or I'm going to cry too." Paul wasn't too happy to see him go either.
Teresa asked when we would be back. I told her June, sooner if possible. She then got big tears in her eyes. We both love this little boy so much! Teresa and I gave each other a big hug. Alejandra hugged all of us. Their love for Eddy is so strong. I pray we can keep him in touch with these people who were so instrumental in seeing that he was taken care of, loved, interacted with - they have made him the sweet, smart and secure child that he is! We sent them off with some goodies. Mostly extra things we had from the mission trip. Of course, Eddy had new clothes and toys.
Sylvester had planned to take us to a market near the Marriot which is much less expensive than the one next to the airport. This was Cinthya's suggestions; however, we were running behind and the hotel staff said it would be better to go to the market closest to the airport.
When we arrived at the market we met up with the Mission Team. Almost all of them were sick with food poison from a banquet held in their honor in Magdalena the night before. They all said it was delicious, however, I don't care how great it was - it would never be worth the greenish gray faces I was looking at in the market and at the Guatemala airport.
It wasn't until our flight was off the ground and I saw Guatemala becoming smaller and farther away that I became upset. I am so ready to make Edison a permanent part of our family. He fit in with us perfectly. I firmly believe that my job at AHH was intended by God to match our family with Edison. I have no doubt about that!
Several times after he had already left us I caught myself looking around to see who had him. At the airport, I was standing in line to get something to eat and saw a banana and thought "I need to get that for Eddy's snack tonight". Just as quicklyI remembered he wasn't with me and the sadness hit me again.
Everyone was feeling better by the time we arrived in Cincy - even though several were throwing up on the plane ride from Guatemala to Atlanta. The bus ride to Danville was pretty miserable because we were all so exhausted.
We finally got home at 2:00 a.m. I am writing this as I lay in my comfy bed - HOME! I intend to do nothing tomorrow other than rest. Just one other thing - we left the "Land of Eternal Spring" with temps in the 70s and 80s. We arrived in KY with freezing rain and 20 degree weather - FUN! Kensley and Emily both have sunburns.
edison is perfect. Developmentally he is right on target. He is creeping around furniture, crawling and scooting. He mimics sounds. He is absolutely adorable, lovable and precious. I just hope and pray he get to come home quickly!
P.S. It's good to be home in the USA!
Part of me is exhausted and ready for a break - the other part does not want to leave him here! We got everything together and were in the lobby by 9:00 a.m. Paul checked us out. We took some photos by the pool and before we knew it - it was time to go.
Our driver, Sylvester, arrived first. He went to move his car closer to the lobby and in just a few minutes, I see Teresa and her daughter, Alejandra, walking toward us. Eddy was tired. He was finishing his bottle and had started to cry. One of those throw your head and arch your back kind of cries. I think he was mad because his bottle was empty and he wasn't asleep.
Teresa walked up - first she made a noise "tsk tsk tsk" and then said "Eddy!" and got his attention. He immediately stopped crying and smiled at her. She took him. He looked at Alejandra and held his arms to her. I was telling him bye. I told him I loved him very much in spanish. We was a smiley, happy, tired baby.
Paul and I told Emily to tell him bye. She turned around and was crying - big tears! Of course, that made me cray. Kensley said, "You all, stop, or I'm going to cry too." Paul wasn't too happy to see him go either.
Teresa asked when we would be back. I told her June, sooner if possible. She then got big tears in her eyes. We both love this little boy so much! Teresa and I gave each other a big hug. Alejandra hugged all of us. Their love for Eddy is so strong. I pray we can keep him in touch with these people who were so instrumental in seeing that he was taken care of, loved, interacted with - they have made him the sweet, smart and secure child that he is! We sent them off with some goodies. Mostly extra things we had from the mission trip. Of course, Eddy had new clothes and toys.
Sylvester had planned to take us to a market near the Marriot which is much less expensive than the one next to the airport. This was Cinthya's suggestions; however, we were running behind and the hotel staff said it would be better to go to the market closest to the airport.
When we arrived at the market we met up with the Mission Team. Almost all of them were sick with food poison from a banquet held in their honor in Magdalena the night before. They all said it was delicious, however, I don't care how great it was - it would never be worth the greenish gray faces I was looking at in the market and at the Guatemala airport.
It wasn't until our flight was off the ground and I saw Guatemala becoming smaller and farther away that I became upset. I am so ready to make Edison a permanent part of our family. He fit in with us perfectly. I firmly believe that my job at AHH was intended by God to match our family with Edison. I have no doubt about that!
Several times after he had already left us I caught myself looking around to see who had him. At the airport, I was standing in line to get something to eat and saw a banana and thought "I need to get that for Eddy's snack tonight". Just as quicklyI remembered he wasn't with me and the sadness hit me again.
Everyone was feeling better by the time we arrived in Cincy - even though several were throwing up on the plane ride from Guatemala to Atlanta. The bus ride to Danville was pretty miserable because we were all so exhausted.
We finally got home at 2:00 a.m. I am writing this as I lay in my comfy bed - HOME! I intend to do nothing tomorrow other than rest. Just one other thing - we left the "Land of Eternal Spring" with temps in the 70s and 80s. We arrived in KY with freezing rain and 20 degree weather - FUN! Kensley and Emily both have sunburns.
edison is perfect. Developmentally he is right on target. He is creeping around furniture, crawling and scooting. He mimics sounds. He is absolutely adorable, lovable and precious. I just hope and pray he get to come home quickly!
P.S. It's good to be home in the USA!
Thursday, February 21, 2008
Thursday, February 21, 2008
Eddy slept all night and he took a very long nap with me this morning while Paul and the girls went to eat and go for a swim.
Edison loves both of the girls. Kensley makes him giggle and Emily is so sweet with him. He smiles every time he sees them. He loves to watch tv - especially spanish speaking cartoons. Of course, since we only speak English and his foster family only speaks Spanish, he has no clue what we are talkin about.
"Besito" is kiss. "Te amamos mucho" is I love you very much.
He mimicks clearing his throat, clicking his lips and blowing raspberries. He also says, "da-da-da-da (whispering)" and sometimes "ma-ma-ma-ma".
We took the girls tot he largest mall in Central American. The Mira Flora. Limited Too was called "Naughty Blue" which we thought was pretty weird!
Emily bought a new pair of running shoes at the New Balance store. I bought Edison some Huggies diapers and diaper rash ointment. Something we have fed him has left little bumps under his lower lip and irritated his bottom. Not sure what has caused this. For dinner, Paul, Edison and I chose Pollo Campero's. This is the KFC equivalent in Central America and everyone is crazy about it down here. I had chicken fingers and Eddy ate mashed potatos and chicken. Kensley had a Subway sandwich and Emily had Dominos Pizza. My children are very in to ethnic food as you can tell.
We later spent some time in the hot tub at the hotel. The girls enjoyed the pool. Most of the day was spent just enjoying our time with Edison. I can't believe the time is almost over and we will be leaving tomorrow.
Edison loves both of the girls. Kensley makes him giggle and Emily is so sweet with him. He smiles every time he sees them. He loves to watch tv - especially spanish speaking cartoons. Of course, since we only speak English and his foster family only speaks Spanish, he has no clue what we are talkin about.
"Besito" is kiss. "Te amamos mucho" is I love you very much.
He mimicks clearing his throat, clicking his lips and blowing raspberries. He also says, "da-da-da-da (whispering)" and sometimes "ma-ma-ma-ma".
We took the girls tot he largest mall in Central American. The Mira Flora. Limited Too was called "Naughty Blue" which we thought was pretty weird!
Emily bought a new pair of running shoes at the New Balance store. I bought Edison some Huggies diapers and diaper rash ointment. Something we have fed him has left little bumps under his lower lip and irritated his bottom. Not sure what has caused this. For dinner, Paul, Edison and I chose Pollo Campero's. This is the KFC equivalent in Central America and everyone is crazy about it down here. I had chicken fingers and Eddy ate mashed potatos and chicken. Kensley had a Subway sandwich and Emily had Dominos Pizza. My children are very in to ethnic food as you can tell.
We later spent some time in the hot tub at the hotel. The girls enjoyed the pool. Most of the day was spent just enjoying our time with Edison. I can't believe the time is almost over and we will be leaving tomorrow.
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
I am definately not used to getting up at 2:30 am for a feeding and again at 6:30 a.m. My daughters began sleeping through the night at 6-8 weeks and would sleep for 10-12 hours. Neither of them were early risers which was great for me because I am NOT a morning person!
This morning we decided to give Edison a bath. I wasn't sure how he would react so we decided to try the sink instead of the tub. He absolutely HATED it - he screamed and cried the entire time. Once we wrapped him up he was content.
Paula picked us up about 12:30 at the hotel to take us back to the Mission Center. We hung out at her house until our crew returned from a day of work in Magdalena. Paul had an exersaucer that Edison loved. He especially liked to "jump" and I think he learned the word "jump" in English pretty quickly.
Barbara Pinkston was the first through the door to see him. He had just fallen asleep about 5 minutes before they all arrived. Kensley, Mama and Emily all saw him about the same time. Kensley had the sweetest smile on her face and said, "Hi Eddy" "Oh, he's so sweet. That's my baby brother." I remember my mom saying, "Awe". Emily's first reaction was "He's got big ears!" His ears are not that big - he just needs to grow into them a little :-)
Everone was in for just a few minutes and the majority turned around to make the trek up the volcano. Volcano Pacaya is an active volcano. Their tour guide was a young man (age 16) who was a Guatemalan with albinism. His name was Francisco but they called him Kermit. (Not sure why). He looked much older than his age but a life as hard as his would do that to a person. Kensley and Paul walked up the volcano - Emily rode a horse. The horse was a 6 year old mare. Emily said the horse was skinny and it was said because she was very short and little and began breathing hard. Emily felt sorry for the horse. We are horse people and our horses are spoiled and used for pleasure only. I think the girls were surprised to see that horses in Guatemala have to work and are actually "tools" for the people. They carry large heavy loads up steep mountains and back. They work very hard and are not pets like our As-U-May, Sports Paige and Beach Boy.
When they got to the top of the volcano they were able to see the molten lava rolling. Travis made the observation that if they were in the USA they would be hundreds of yards away standing behind a rope or other type of barrier. Not in Guatemala - our crew roasted marshmallows over the glowing lava and lit torches! The ash field was really deep. Emily said if you stepped, it came up to her knees. Basically, they would take a step and slide down, take another step and slide, etc. They went up in the daylight and came down at dark using flashlights.
When everyone arrived back at the house they were completely exhausted. They did return with some lava rocks.
Mama, Lea Ann, Rob, Jackie and I stayed at the house with Edison. He was good however he has already attached to me and wants me in his sites at all times. Nannie scrambled him an egg which he really enjoyed. Aunt Lea or "Tia Leah" as we like to call her now, brought him some gifts - white shoes, socks, a bucket hat with Diego on it and a toy. He liked the toy. Each time the music played he would shake his head side to side.
It was a very long evening. Lea had a headache and Mom was tired and Edison only wanted me. My muscles in my shoulders and my low back were so sore! He fought a nap but finally gave in about 5 minutes before everyone came back home.
Edison loved Kevin, the Greene's little boy they have guardianship of in Guatemala. Edison was scared of Chloe, the Cocker Spaniel, and started screaming when Chloe barked. He really liked Rob Raines and Jackie and even held his arms up for Rob to take him.
Did I mention that the volcano troop arrived about an hour later than planned? I was truly exhausted. I now know why God gives newborns that lay around like lumps and slowly become more and more active. It is to break the parents in! Trust me, it is hard to go from no baby for 10 years to a very active, into everything, I want to be the center of your attention, 9 month old.
His foster mom told us that he was very active and liked to explore everything. She was correct! I think she must carry him around on her hip with one of those wraps because he wants to be held all the time. That's okay - I just wish I would have had one of those!
That evening, Paul and Fontaine took us back to the Tikal. Emily and Kensley joined us for their first night with Edison.
This time he was exhausted and slept all night long!
NOTE - Take a Snuggli for an older child when we go back to Guatemala.
This morning we decided to give Edison a bath. I wasn't sure how he would react so we decided to try the sink instead of the tub. He absolutely HATED it - he screamed and cried the entire time. Once we wrapped him up he was content.
Paula picked us up about 12:30 at the hotel to take us back to the Mission Center. We hung out at her house until our crew returned from a day of work in Magdalena. Paul had an exersaucer that Edison loved. He especially liked to "jump" and I think he learned the word "jump" in English pretty quickly.
Barbara Pinkston was the first through the door to see him. He had just fallen asleep about 5 minutes before they all arrived. Kensley, Mama and Emily all saw him about the same time. Kensley had the sweetest smile on her face and said, "Hi Eddy" "Oh, he's so sweet. That's my baby brother." I remember my mom saying, "Awe". Emily's first reaction was "He's got big ears!" His ears are not that big - he just needs to grow into them a little :-)
Everone was in for just a few minutes and the majority turned around to make the trek up the volcano. Volcano Pacaya is an active volcano. Their tour guide was a young man (age 16) who was a Guatemalan with albinism. His name was Francisco but they called him Kermit. (Not sure why). He looked much older than his age but a life as hard as his would do that to a person. Kensley and Paul walked up the volcano - Emily rode a horse. The horse was a 6 year old mare. Emily said the horse was skinny and it was said because she was very short and little and began breathing hard. Emily felt sorry for the horse. We are horse people and our horses are spoiled and used for pleasure only. I think the girls were surprised to see that horses in Guatemala have to work and are actually "tools" for the people. They carry large heavy loads up steep mountains and back. They work very hard and are not pets like our As-U-May, Sports Paige and Beach Boy.
When they got to the top of the volcano they were able to see the molten lava rolling. Travis made the observation that if they were in the USA they would be hundreds of yards away standing behind a rope or other type of barrier. Not in Guatemala - our crew roasted marshmallows over the glowing lava and lit torches! The ash field was really deep. Emily said if you stepped, it came up to her knees. Basically, they would take a step and slide down, take another step and slide, etc. They went up in the daylight and came down at dark using flashlights.
When everyone arrived back at the house they were completely exhausted. They did return with some lava rocks.
Mama, Lea Ann, Rob, Jackie and I stayed at the house with Edison. He was good however he has already attached to me and wants me in his sites at all times. Nannie scrambled him an egg which he really enjoyed. Aunt Lea or "Tia Leah" as we like to call her now, brought him some gifts - white shoes, socks, a bucket hat with Diego on it and a toy. He liked the toy. Each time the music played he would shake his head side to side.
It was a very long evening. Lea had a headache and Mom was tired and Edison only wanted me. My muscles in my shoulders and my low back were so sore! He fought a nap but finally gave in about 5 minutes before everyone came back home.
Edison loved Kevin, the Greene's little boy they have guardianship of in Guatemala. Edison was scared of Chloe, the Cocker Spaniel, and started screaming when Chloe barked. He really liked Rob Raines and Jackie and even held his arms up for Rob to take him.
Did I mention that the volcano troop arrived about an hour later than planned? I was truly exhausted. I now know why God gives newborns that lay around like lumps and slowly become more and more active. It is to break the parents in! Trust me, it is hard to go from no baby for 10 years to a very active, into everything, I want to be the center of your attention, 9 month old.
His foster mom told us that he was very active and liked to explore everything. She was correct! I think she must carry him around on her hip with one of those wraps because he wants to be held all the time. That's okay - I just wish I would have had one of those!
That evening, Paul and Fontaine took us back to the Tikal. Emily and Kensley joined us for their first night with Edison.
This time he was exhausted and slept all night long!
NOTE - Take a Snuggli for an older child when we go back to Guatemala.
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
Today is the day! We finally meet Edison! I cannot wait :-)
We awoke again this morning to the delicious smell of bacon frying. We ate bacon, scrambled eggs and toast.
Mitch read a devotion from Max Lucado. The girls were very concerned about their hair today they all either had it in french braids or ponytails and had it plastered with hairspray! I hope it works!
Everone is gone now. Paul has walked to the store to exchange money and buy drinks. It is killing him not to be working with the team today. I'm taking a short nap so I can be prepared if Edison is up crying al night!
So ... Paul is still on Kentucky time and we are living on Guatemala time. Paul said our driver would be here at 11:30. Ana Maria said our driver would be here at 11:30. Thinking I had plenty of time to take a nap, take a shower, fix my hair and make-up plus pack my suitcase to move to the Grand Tikal Futura Hotel - I thought I was moving along quite well until I heard the doorbell ring at 10:30 according to Paul's watch! It was our driver who spoke NO English. I heard Paul tyring to talk to him. He said, "Un momento, mi espousa es despachio." Translated, that means, "One minute, my spouse is slow!"
Luckily, I had awoken from my nap early, had been in the shower, packed my clothes and put on my makeup. The only thing left was to attempt to fix my hair wihtout a hair dryer. I only had a round brush and hairspray and I was out the door in less than 5 minutes!
We were then on our way with Sylvester, our drive, to Cinthya's office to finally meet Edison! The drive from Paula and Fontaine's house to her office was interesting. Paul told us that Zone 15 where the office is = is the "ritzy" part of town. At one point we saw lots of people standing around and numerous police inside a square of black barriers. You could see between the cracks where the corners came together that the police were working a fatality. They had just placed a body into a body bag and were zipping it. I did not see any damaged vehicles so we assume it was a pedestrian. Sad!
After turning up and down one way streets and driving in what seemed like circles, we finally arrived at the Offices of God Bless the Children. Marcella met us at the steel door to let us in. We asked her to ask our driver if he could wait for us and then take us to the Tikal. he said he would be glad, that he would wait in his car and take a "siesta". Marcella told us she understood more english than she could speak however I later heard here speak excellent English.
when I walked in the door Marcella said we could have a seat in the waiting room while she went to get Ana Maria. Paul and I turned the corner ... and there he was! I knew him instantly and said, "Oh, it's Eddy! - I think!" I looked at him again and said, "It is him!" He immediately smiled. I didn't want to just take him so I talked to him and tried to get him to come to me. I turned to look at Paul with tears in my eyes. I asked him to get the camera but he already had it. Edison reached for me and of course, I took him. He snuggled into my neck like he had known me all his life. Paul asked me if I was going to cry - by then my tears had been replaced by smiles and the wonderful feeling of having him in my arms.
Edison was very interested in Paul so I finally handed him over. Eddy loved Paul's glasses and his goat-tee (how do you spell that?) He kept pulling away to get a good look at Paul's face and he would rub the hair on Paul's chin.
I asked the lady who was holding Eddy if she was Teresa. She said, yes. I knew who she was because she looked so sad. Teresa has been Eddy's foster mother since the day he came home from the hospital. It is obvious she loves him very much.
By this time, Ana Maria had walked in. I love to hear her talk in English. She pronounces every word very distinctly. She showed us around the office and introduced us to everyone. Before being shown around, Edison started crying and reaching for his foster mom. I let him go back to her. When Ana Maria walked she must have told Teresa to give him to us. Teresa visibly became upset and Ana went to get her a glass of water. Paul and I walked away to give her some space.
Teresa told us that Eddy was a "smiley baby" and that he liked to play ball. She also said the only time he cried was when he was hungry. I asked Ana Maria to tell Teresa that we appreciate her taking such good care of him. We can tell that he is healthy and happy.
Ana Maria later told Paul and I that Teresa is very shy but is wonderful with the babies. That was obvious! They also told us that they had recently given a newborn to Teresa since Eddy would soon be leaving. I know the new baby will not be the same but hopefuly will fill the void when Edison comes to be with us.
Of course I left my list of questions I had a home. I did think to ask who named Eddy and they told me his birth mother had named him. That is nice to know. Ana Maria told Teresa we were naming him Edison but his nickname would be Eddy so it was fine to continue to call him that.
Cinthya finally arrived. We visited only a few minutes before leaving. She wanted to see me while I was visting Guatemala. We exchanged big hugs, had photos with her holding Eddy. She is so sweet and we are blessed to have an attorney who has such compassion for the children and who is a Christian.
Paul, Eddy and I finally arrived at the Grand Tikal. It is a lovely hotel. Edison fell asleep on the ride to the hotel. He woke up very hapy in the lobby.
One thing I forgot to mention was that Teresa said Edison liked the Cheerios I had sent him. That was neat because I just happened to have another container in my purse for him. He is so cute when he eats them. He has 2 teeth on the top and 2 on the bottom and he eats them like a rabbit. Very cute!
We quickly learned he likes to mimic. He would clear his throat and I would do it and he would do it again. We spent the rest of the afternoon at the hotel just hanging out with Eddy. Paul and I are both so in love with him and we cannot wait to introduce him to the rest of the family!
We awoke again this morning to the delicious smell of bacon frying. We ate bacon, scrambled eggs and toast.
Mitch read a devotion from Max Lucado. The girls were very concerned about their hair today they all either had it in french braids or ponytails and had it plastered with hairspray! I hope it works!
Everone is gone now. Paul has walked to the store to exchange money and buy drinks. It is killing him not to be working with the team today. I'm taking a short nap so I can be prepared if Edison is up crying al night!
So ... Paul is still on Kentucky time and we are living on Guatemala time. Paul said our driver would be here at 11:30. Ana Maria said our driver would be here at 11:30. Thinking I had plenty of time to take a nap, take a shower, fix my hair and make-up plus pack my suitcase to move to the Grand Tikal Futura Hotel - I thought I was moving along quite well until I heard the doorbell ring at 10:30 according to Paul's watch! It was our driver who spoke NO English. I heard Paul tyring to talk to him. He said, "Un momento, mi espousa es despachio." Translated, that means, "One minute, my spouse is slow!"
Luckily, I had awoken from my nap early, had been in the shower, packed my clothes and put on my makeup. The only thing left was to attempt to fix my hair wihtout a hair dryer. I only had a round brush and hairspray and I was out the door in less than 5 minutes!
We were then on our way with Sylvester, our drive, to Cinthya's office to finally meet Edison! The drive from Paula and Fontaine's house to her office was interesting. Paul told us that Zone 15 where the office is = is the "ritzy" part of town. At one point we saw lots of people standing around and numerous police inside a square of black barriers. You could see between the cracks where the corners came together that the police were working a fatality. They had just placed a body into a body bag and were zipping it. I did not see any damaged vehicles so we assume it was a pedestrian. Sad!
After turning up and down one way streets and driving in what seemed like circles, we finally arrived at the Offices of God Bless the Children. Marcella met us at the steel door to let us in. We asked her to ask our driver if he could wait for us and then take us to the Tikal. he said he would be glad, that he would wait in his car and take a "siesta". Marcella told us she understood more english than she could speak however I later heard here speak excellent English.
when I walked in the door Marcella said we could have a seat in the waiting room while she went to get Ana Maria. Paul and I turned the corner ... and there he was! I knew him instantly and said, "Oh, it's Eddy! - I think!" I looked at him again and said, "It is him!" He immediately smiled. I didn't want to just take him so I talked to him and tried to get him to come to me. I turned to look at Paul with tears in my eyes. I asked him to get the camera but he already had it. Edison reached for me and of course, I took him. He snuggled into my neck like he had known me all his life. Paul asked me if I was going to cry - by then my tears had been replaced by smiles and the wonderful feeling of having him in my arms.
Edison was very interested in Paul so I finally handed him over. Eddy loved Paul's glasses and his goat-tee (how do you spell that?) He kept pulling away to get a good look at Paul's face and he would rub the hair on Paul's chin.
I asked the lady who was holding Eddy if she was Teresa. She said, yes. I knew who she was because she looked so sad. Teresa has been Eddy's foster mother since the day he came home from the hospital. It is obvious she loves him very much.
By this time, Ana Maria had walked in. I love to hear her talk in English. She pronounces every word very distinctly. She showed us around the office and introduced us to everyone. Before being shown around, Edison started crying and reaching for his foster mom. I let him go back to her. When Ana Maria walked she must have told Teresa to give him to us. Teresa visibly became upset and Ana went to get her a glass of water. Paul and I walked away to give her some space.
Teresa told us that Eddy was a "smiley baby" and that he liked to play ball. She also said the only time he cried was when he was hungry. I asked Ana Maria to tell Teresa that we appreciate her taking such good care of him. We can tell that he is healthy and happy.
Ana Maria later told Paul and I that Teresa is very shy but is wonderful with the babies. That was obvious! They also told us that they had recently given a newborn to Teresa since Eddy would soon be leaving. I know the new baby will not be the same but hopefuly will fill the void when Edison comes to be with us.
Of course I left my list of questions I had a home. I did think to ask who named Eddy and they told me his birth mother had named him. That is nice to know. Ana Maria told Teresa we were naming him Edison but his nickname would be Eddy so it was fine to continue to call him that.
Cinthya finally arrived. We visited only a few minutes before leaving. She wanted to see me while I was visting Guatemala. We exchanged big hugs, had photos with her holding Eddy. She is so sweet and we are blessed to have an attorney who has such compassion for the children and who is a Christian.
Paul, Eddy and I finally arrived at the Grand Tikal. It is a lovely hotel. Edison fell asleep on the ride to the hotel. He woke up very hapy in the lobby.
One thing I forgot to mention was that Teresa said Edison liked the Cheerios I had sent him. That was neat because I just happened to have another container in my purse for him. He is so cute when he eats them. He has 2 teeth on the top and 2 on the bottom and he eats them like a rabbit. Very cute!
We quickly learned he likes to mimic. He would clear his throat and I would do it and he would do it again. We spent the rest of the afternoon at the hotel just hanging out with Eddy. Paul and I are both so in love with him and we cannot wait to introduce him to the rest of the family!
Monday, February 18, 2008
Monday, February 18, 2008
I awoke this morning to the wonderful smell of bacon frying! I was pleasantly surprised to find pancakes on the griddle as well! Yummm....
Doug Ditto gave a great devotion this morning and then we were off to Magdalena for another day's work. Paul served as our tour guide on our way to Magdalena giving us lots of trivia and pointing out landmarks on the way. The most useless bit of trivia is knowing that the Happy Meal for which McDonald's is famous originated in Guatemala!
Our plan this morning was to begin tiling the church floor, finishing painting and to have Bible School in Magdalena. We had all signed up for what we wanted to do the night before. I planned to help with tile and Paul was going with Mitch to give shots to various pigs, horses and cows, deworm some animals and castrate a bull. FUN! Paul was able to complete his task. I had my knee pads strapped on for tiling --- however, as with any mission trip - you have to be flexible. At 9:30 a.m. we were told that we needed to be at the El Giron School at 10:30 for Bible School! We were not prepared for this! When we arrived at El Giron, we were greeted by 75 children! El Giron is a refugee camp. They feed the children one hot meal each day. There are approximately 100 children and they feed them all using two propane burners - amazing!
the children were very sweet. As usual, they were very impressed with our digital cameras. They loved Kensley as well and she was practically being smothered by them. The worst part was that you could see nits in the childrens' hair from lice - UGH! I think all of us who were there felt the need to scratch. Hopefully none of us will end up with bugs in our hair! I need to scratch my head just thinking about it!
Coming back from El Giron school, Paula took me, mom and Lea to an artist by the name of Carlos. His work is amazing. He is self-taught as is his wife. I purchased one print from him plus six small circular ones - those we will give as gifts. From Carlos' house, we climbed a steep hill back to the church at Magdalena. Everyone was finishing their lunch and we were out of PB&J!
To my surprise, we also had Bible school at Magdalena that afternoon. I don't know how many children were there - but they were wild for the most part. The language barrier is so frustrating.
After Bible School I finally got to help with the tile. The tile was heavy and I couldn't move the boxes however I was able to give the tiles one by one to the guys as they were laying them. Everyone was quiet on the bus from Magdalena to the Ministry Center. We were all very tired.
Dinner was a Guatemala dish of Hellachas. Basically, it is similar to our beef stew. It had shredded beef and potatos in a thin soupy tomato base. It was served over white rice. The rice had corn, green beens, lima beans and carrots in it. It was a pretty good meal. I was starving so anything would have tasted good that night!
My mom gave the devotion. It was good and involved many people from our group. She talked about the 5 purposes for which we were created.
Doug Ditto gave a great devotion this morning and then we were off to Magdalena for another day's work. Paul served as our tour guide on our way to Magdalena giving us lots of trivia and pointing out landmarks on the way. The most useless bit of trivia is knowing that the Happy Meal for which McDonald's is famous originated in Guatemala!
Our plan this morning was to begin tiling the church floor, finishing painting and to have Bible School in Magdalena. We had all signed up for what we wanted to do the night before. I planned to help with tile and Paul was going with Mitch to give shots to various pigs, horses and cows, deworm some animals and castrate a bull. FUN! Paul was able to complete his task. I had my knee pads strapped on for tiling --- however, as with any mission trip - you have to be flexible. At 9:30 a.m. we were told that we needed to be at the El Giron School at 10:30 for Bible School! We were not prepared for this! When we arrived at El Giron, we were greeted by 75 children! El Giron is a refugee camp. They feed the children one hot meal each day. There are approximately 100 children and they feed them all using two propane burners - amazing!
the children were very sweet. As usual, they were very impressed with our digital cameras. They loved Kensley as well and she was practically being smothered by them. The worst part was that you could see nits in the childrens' hair from lice - UGH! I think all of us who were there felt the need to scratch. Hopefully none of us will end up with bugs in our hair! I need to scratch my head just thinking about it!
Coming back from El Giron school, Paula took me, mom and Lea to an artist by the name of Carlos. His work is amazing. He is self-taught as is his wife. I purchased one print from him plus six small circular ones - those we will give as gifts. From Carlos' house, we climbed a steep hill back to the church at Magdalena. Everyone was finishing their lunch and we were out of PB&J!
To my surprise, we also had Bible school at Magdalena that afternoon. I don't know how many children were there - but they were wild for the most part. The language barrier is so frustrating.
After Bible School I finally got to help with the tile. The tile was heavy and I couldn't move the boxes however I was able to give the tiles one by one to the guys as they were laying them. Everyone was quiet on the bus from Magdalena to the Ministry Center. We were all very tired.
Dinner was a Guatemala dish of Hellachas. Basically, it is similar to our beef stew. It had shredded beef and potatos in a thin soupy tomato base. It was served over white rice. The rice had corn, green beens, lima beans and carrots in it. It was a pretty good meal. I was starving so anything would have tasted good that night!
My mom gave the devotion. It was good and involved many people from our group. She talked about the 5 purposes for which we were created.
It's Monday morning...
One more day 'til we meet Eddy! I cannot wait.
We have been super busy these past few days. Saturday was a work day. We painted the inside and outside of the church in Magdalena. We also began laying the foundation and building the walls for classrooms. Quite a bit was accomplished.
Paul, Kensley and Emily went with the veterinarian from our group to give shots to cows, horses, dogs and pigs. Emily says it was "completely gross". They did lots of walking up hills and down. Kensley was so exhausted when they got back. She fell asleep on the bus on the way back to the Ministry Center. When we got home she asked if she could lay down for a few minutes before dinner. That was at 5:25 and dinner was at 5:30. We could not wake her up. She went to bed dirty with her work clothes on and without dinner - she slept until I woke her up at 6:30 the next morning!!! She was starving and had a sunburn from the day before but she was ready to go!
While at the church in Madalena, a group of children came for an English lesson after lunch. There is a young man who is the Sunday School teacher for the children and he works with them to teach them English. They come each Saturday. This week they worked on names of clothing in English and their numbers. Some of the kids caught on very quickly. Their teacher says he hopes by teaching them a second language it will help them be more successful in the future.
Yesterday was church day and a visit to Antigua. We had church in the morning in Magdalena. It was a wonderful service. The preacher was "Mario". The service began with a Marimba band. For those of you who do not know, the marimba is the national instrument of Guatemala - it is like a large version of a xylophone. We learned later in the service that one of the men playing the marimba was Mario's father, a recovering alcoholic, who is now a Christian. Mario told us that he had a rough life growing up because his dad was spend all of their money and even their possessions for alcohol. Mario talked about how he had been blessed.
Our second church service was in Guatemala City at an English speaking church. Their is a missionary school in Guatemala City therefore there is a large population of American missionaries in the area. The service was very nice. Afterwards we all went to Pizza Hut for dinner! Yummy!
Antigua was a good trip. I did lots of shopping - bought two purses and a hand embroidered blanket. Everyone was envious of my blanket - especially since I got it for $50.00 USD. Kensley purchased an authentic Mayan outfit and some lavendar jade earrings.
Would love to type more but we are loading the bus for another work day in Magdalena. I am on tile duty. My mom and sister are painting. Paul is on veterinarian duty and will be giving lots of shots and helping to castrate a bull!! Please pray that he will not get hurt. We will be teaching bible school this afternoon. Bye for now...
We have been super busy these past few days. Saturday was a work day. We painted the inside and outside of the church in Magdalena. We also began laying the foundation and building the walls for classrooms. Quite a bit was accomplished.
Paul, Kensley and Emily went with the veterinarian from our group to give shots to cows, horses, dogs and pigs. Emily says it was "completely gross". They did lots of walking up hills and down. Kensley was so exhausted when they got back. She fell asleep on the bus on the way back to the Ministry Center. When we got home she asked if she could lay down for a few minutes before dinner. That was at 5:25 and dinner was at 5:30. We could not wake her up. She went to bed dirty with her work clothes on and without dinner - she slept until I woke her up at 6:30 the next morning!!! She was starving and had a sunburn from the day before but she was ready to go!
While at the church in Madalena, a group of children came for an English lesson after lunch. There is a young man who is the Sunday School teacher for the children and he works with them to teach them English. They come each Saturday. This week they worked on names of clothing in English and their numbers. Some of the kids caught on very quickly. Their teacher says he hopes by teaching them a second language it will help them be more successful in the future.
Yesterday was church day and a visit to Antigua. We had church in the morning in Magdalena. It was a wonderful service. The preacher was "Mario". The service began with a Marimba band. For those of you who do not know, the marimba is the national instrument of Guatemala - it is like a large version of a xylophone. We learned later in the service that one of the men playing the marimba was Mario's father, a recovering alcoholic, who is now a Christian. Mario told us that he had a rough life growing up because his dad was spend all of their money and even their possessions for alcohol. Mario talked about how he had been blessed.
Our second church service was in Guatemala City at an English speaking church. Their is a missionary school in Guatemala City therefore there is a large population of American missionaries in the area. The service was very nice. Afterwards we all went to Pizza Hut for dinner! Yummy!
Antigua was a good trip. I did lots of shopping - bought two purses and a hand embroidered blanket. Everyone was envious of my blanket - especially since I got it for $50.00 USD. Kensley purchased an authentic Mayan outfit and some lavendar jade earrings.
Would love to type more but we are loading the bus for another work day in Magdalena. I am on tile duty. My mom and sister are painting. Paul is on veterinarian duty and will be giving lots of shots and helping to castrate a bull!! Please pray that he will not get hurt. We will be teaching bible school this afternoon. Bye for now...
Sunday, February 17, 2008
Sunday, February 17, 2008
Got up at 6:00 a.m. and took a wonderful warm shower. Unlike other mission trips I have gone on where the water temperature depended on the heat of the day- this home had hot water heaters! Today, we attended church in Magdalena inside the building we are working on. It was a full house! Lots of young families with lots of children. Of course there were tons of beautifuly little Guatemalan boys which made my heart ache for Edison.
The music at church was so loud and once again, I had a horrible headache. I've come to the conclusion that the pressure changes associated with the higher altitude of Magdalena is what is causing my headaches. All I know is that they are the most excrutiating headaches I have had in a very long time! At one time, I thought I was having a brain aneuryism -- anyway - I didn't. I did lean over to Paul at one point and said, "If I pass out, get me to a hospital as quickly as possible!" He just looked at me weird and said, "Okay".
The service was good - a little longer than to what we are accustomed. Paula, Ali & Katy, along with some of Ali's friends played music that was really good, however, my favorite part was the Guatemalan men playing the Marimba. The marimba is the national musical instrument of Guatemala. Later in the service we learned that one of the men playing was the preacher, Mario's, father - a recovering alcoholic.
Fontaine gave a message, Karen spoke on behalf of our grop and then Pastor Mario gave a sermon.
After church we headed to Antigua for shopping and lunch. Our plan was to eat at Pollo Campero's; however, we didn't realize there was a parade in Antigua that day. It was part of a festival leading up to Holy Week. Many people who own homes or businesses along the parade route fashion a carpet of flowers or colored sawdust on the road. Men and boys were purple robes and hoods (resembling the KKK) and carry a large hand carved wooden "something" on their shoulders with artifacts. The men pay to participate. They walk through the "carpets". It is a catholic tradition in Guatemala.
Pollo Camperos was full with no place for the 30+ team members to sit, so ... we ended up eating lunch at ........... McDonalds! I had "un hamburguesa, granda papas and a coca dieta." It was delicious because I was starving.
After lunch we walked to the historical part of Anigua for photo ops and went inside one store. The store was full of traditional clothing, masks, linens and other souvenir items. In the back of the store was a man chanting and worshipping an idol - there was smoke and dancing - pretty weird!
We left without buying anything and headed to the market. Kensley purchased an authentic Mayan dress and some lavendar jade heart shaped earrings. I bought two purses and my favorite purchase was a hand-embroidered blanket that I paid $50 US Dollars for. It is beautiful and I intend to give it to Edison some day.
We dashed home and had 15 minutes to freshen up and then it was time to go to the english speaking church service led by Fontaine. The service began with the band playing praise music. Again, Paula, Ali and Katy and friends performed. Fontaine showed a video of a portion of a sermon about how you should look in a mirror to remove the plank from your own eye before trying to remove the speck from your brothers' eye. This hit home to me because I do need to think about what is bothering me about another person and need to realize the problem lies in me and not the person who annoys me. We broke into groups to discuss things we were facing and trying to determine the real underlying problem. Our group did not share because we mostly asked the other girl in our group questions. She and her husband moved to Guatemala from Colorado. They run a feeding mission to feed approximately 50 kids each day for lunch. Her husband has a mission working with the Nationa Police Foce of Guatemala teaching them proper tactics, firearms, etc. and at the same time teaching them about Jesus and his love. The husband's name was Albert. I hooked him and Paul up and they talked forever. I could tell Paul was excited when Albert offered him a time to come and help teach a new class that begins this week. Paul is trying to find a way to help with this new mission opportunity he has been given.
After church, we headed to Pizza Hut which was very tasty! We returned home and everone did different things. Once again, I colored posters for bible school; however, this time I had Crayola crayons making the job much easier!
Okay - way past bedtime - I'm going to sleep.
The music at church was so loud and once again, I had a horrible headache. I've come to the conclusion that the pressure changes associated with the higher altitude of Magdalena is what is causing my headaches. All I know is that they are the most excrutiating headaches I have had in a very long time! At one time, I thought I was having a brain aneuryism -- anyway - I didn't. I did lean over to Paul at one point and said, "If I pass out, get me to a hospital as quickly as possible!" He just looked at me weird and said, "Okay".
The service was good - a little longer than to what we are accustomed. Paula, Ali & Katy, along with some of Ali's friends played music that was really good, however, my favorite part was the Guatemalan men playing the Marimba. The marimba is the national musical instrument of Guatemala. Later in the service we learned that one of the men playing was the preacher, Mario's, father - a recovering alcoholic.
Fontaine gave a message, Karen spoke on behalf of our grop and then Pastor Mario gave a sermon.
After church we headed to Antigua for shopping and lunch. Our plan was to eat at Pollo Campero's; however, we didn't realize there was a parade in Antigua that day. It was part of a festival leading up to Holy Week. Many people who own homes or businesses along the parade route fashion a carpet of flowers or colored sawdust on the road. Men and boys were purple robes and hoods (resembling the KKK) and carry a large hand carved wooden "something" on their shoulders with artifacts. The men pay to participate. They walk through the "carpets". It is a catholic tradition in Guatemala.
Pollo Camperos was full with no place for the 30+ team members to sit, so ... we ended up eating lunch at ........... McDonalds! I had "un hamburguesa, granda papas and a coca dieta." It was delicious because I was starving.
After lunch we walked to the historical part of Anigua for photo ops and went inside one store. The store was full of traditional clothing, masks, linens and other souvenir items. In the back of the store was a man chanting and worshipping an idol - there was smoke and dancing - pretty weird!
We left without buying anything and headed to the market. Kensley purchased an authentic Mayan dress and some lavendar jade heart shaped earrings. I bought two purses and my favorite purchase was a hand-embroidered blanket that I paid $50 US Dollars for. It is beautiful and I intend to give it to Edison some day.
We dashed home and had 15 minutes to freshen up and then it was time to go to the english speaking church service led by Fontaine. The service began with the band playing praise music. Again, Paula, Ali and Katy and friends performed. Fontaine showed a video of a portion of a sermon about how you should look in a mirror to remove the plank from your own eye before trying to remove the speck from your brothers' eye. This hit home to me because I do need to think about what is bothering me about another person and need to realize the problem lies in me and not the person who annoys me. We broke into groups to discuss things we were facing and trying to determine the real underlying problem. Our group did not share because we mostly asked the other girl in our group questions. She and her husband moved to Guatemala from Colorado. They run a feeding mission to feed approximately 50 kids each day for lunch. Her husband has a mission working with the Nationa Police Foce of Guatemala teaching them proper tactics, firearms, etc. and at the same time teaching them about Jesus and his love. The husband's name was Albert. I hooked him and Paul up and they talked forever. I could tell Paul was excited when Albert offered him a time to come and help teach a new class that begins this week. Paul is trying to find a way to help with this new mission opportunity he has been given.
After church, we headed to Pizza Hut which was very tasty! We returned home and everone did different things. Once again, I colored posters for bible school; however, this time I had Crayola crayons making the job much easier!
Okay - way past bedtime - I'm going to sleep.
Saturday, February 16, 2008
Saturday, February 16, 2008
My alarm went off at 6:25 a.m.. I got up - got in the shower - it felt so good - warm and plenty of good pressure! Breakfast was bacon, eggs, toast and Frosted Flakes - DE-Lish!
Next we loaded on a school bus and headed to Magdalena. The bus took us to "the crossing" and we had to walk up the hill to get to the church. It was a tough little hill - but manageable. We arrived to a long gray concrete building - with plenty of painting and tiling supplies awaiting us!
When we left that afternoon, a beautiful yellow-gold church was standing. Inside, the walls had been painted a beige color. What change a little paint can make! While most people painted - I colored posters for Bible School. One of the ladies in our group drew pictures from a children's bible for the stories we will share through the week with the children of the village. They had to be colored in. Lori, Rachel and I worked on that most of the day. We finished David and Goliath. The only bad thing was the crayons. I am a Crayola girl. These crayons were not very good - they broke easily and the colors were not accurate. We managed and the posters looked great!!!
I forgot to mention I had lunch duty - part of my job before we left the house was to help prpeare lunch for our entire crew. Jackie, Earl and Jeremy (not my brother) were also on lunch duty. We prepared 31 sandwiches of ham & cheese, turkey & cheese and PB&J. We had a few others who joined in to fill our brown bags with chips and cookies.
My lunch was a PB&J, Cheetos, an orange Fanta and cookies! Danny Irvin took a trip down the hill to the store to buy soft drinks for everyone. I must say that Orange Fanta was quite tasty!
After lunch, about 40 kids showed up for an English lesson taught by one of the young men at church. We shared the story of David & Goliath, sang songs together, used clothing to teach them the english words for hat, shirt, tie, t-shirt, pants, skirt, shoes, etc. They did extremely well! From tehre it was time to play. The kids loved our cameras and adored Kensley! I was surprised at how well I did communicating with the children! Even Lea Ann (my sister) was impressed. I was able to learn their names, ages, grades and relationships to one another. When it was time to leave, several of the girls asked if they could "take Kensley to their house to show their parents". That was so sweet. I don't guess they have an opportunity to have a playmate with strawberry blonde curly hair. I was hesitant. They promised to walk her down and bring her right back! I still said "no" so then they asked if Emily could go too. As it ended, Karen, Wendy, Emily, Kensley, Rachel, Lori and Emma all went together. Kensley and Emily were invited into the girls courtyard and met the mom and dad. They really enjoyed the experience.
All day I have fought a terrible sinus headache! After dinner of a stew with chicken and potato (which wasn't really a potato) over rice, with salad and chocolate cake, I went upstairs to lie down. My head hurt so bad that I opted out of devotion time. It is still hurting after a nap but not as severe. I don't get headaches very often - but when I do - they are usually severe! I hope it goes away very soon!
Emily and Kensley are sun burnt. Emily, Paul, Kensley, Emma and Mitch (the veterinarian in our group) walked all over Magdalena caring for animals today. I think they walked more than tended the animals. Emily, Kensley and Emma held the cows and pigs while Mitch gave them shots. They had a few other stories to tell as well! Kensley was exhausted. She did not eat dinner or even take a shower, instead, she fell asleep at about 5:30 p.m. She is still snoozing and should be ready to go in the morning. Emily said that the things she saw while with Mitch and her dad were "gross" and she hoped she never had to do that or watch that again. Don't ask - but it had something to do with a pregnant horse and the vet only had short gloves :-)
It's after midnight now and we have church tomorrow - so I must go to sleep to start anew tomorrow.
Next we loaded on a school bus and headed to Magdalena. The bus took us to "the crossing" and we had to walk up the hill to get to the church. It was a tough little hill - but manageable. We arrived to a long gray concrete building - with plenty of painting and tiling supplies awaiting us!
When we left that afternoon, a beautiful yellow-gold church was standing. Inside, the walls had been painted a beige color. What change a little paint can make! While most people painted - I colored posters for Bible School. One of the ladies in our group drew pictures from a children's bible for the stories we will share through the week with the children of the village. They had to be colored in. Lori, Rachel and I worked on that most of the day. We finished David and Goliath. The only bad thing was the crayons. I am a Crayola girl. These crayons were not very good - they broke easily and the colors were not accurate. We managed and the posters looked great!!!
I forgot to mention I had lunch duty - part of my job before we left the house was to help prpeare lunch for our entire crew. Jackie, Earl and Jeremy (not my brother) were also on lunch duty. We prepared 31 sandwiches of ham & cheese, turkey & cheese and PB&J. We had a few others who joined in to fill our brown bags with chips and cookies.
My lunch was a PB&J, Cheetos, an orange Fanta and cookies! Danny Irvin took a trip down the hill to the store to buy soft drinks for everyone. I must say that Orange Fanta was quite tasty!
After lunch, about 40 kids showed up for an English lesson taught by one of the young men at church. We shared the story of David & Goliath, sang songs together, used clothing to teach them the english words for hat, shirt, tie, t-shirt, pants, skirt, shoes, etc. They did extremely well! From tehre it was time to play. The kids loved our cameras and adored Kensley! I was surprised at how well I did communicating with the children! Even Lea Ann (my sister) was impressed. I was able to learn their names, ages, grades and relationships to one another. When it was time to leave, several of the girls asked if they could "take Kensley to their house to show their parents". That was so sweet. I don't guess they have an opportunity to have a playmate with strawberry blonde curly hair. I was hesitant. They promised to walk her down and bring her right back! I still said "no" so then they asked if Emily could go too. As it ended, Karen, Wendy, Emily, Kensley, Rachel, Lori and Emma all went together. Kensley and Emily were invited into the girls courtyard and met the mom and dad. They really enjoyed the experience.
All day I have fought a terrible sinus headache! After dinner of a stew with chicken and potato (which wasn't really a potato) over rice, with salad and chocolate cake, I went upstairs to lie down. My head hurt so bad that I opted out of devotion time. It is still hurting after a nap but not as severe. I don't get headaches very often - but when I do - they are usually severe! I hope it goes away very soon!
Emily and Kensley are sun burnt. Emily, Paul, Kensley, Emma and Mitch (the veterinarian in our group) walked all over Magdalena caring for animals today. I think they walked more than tended the animals. Emily, Kensley and Emma held the cows and pigs while Mitch gave them shots. They had a few other stories to tell as well! Kensley was exhausted. She did not eat dinner or even take a shower, instead, she fell asleep at about 5:30 p.m. She is still snoozing and should be ready to go in the morning. Emily said that the things she saw while with Mitch and her dad were "gross" and she hoped she never had to do that or watch that again. Don't ask - but it had something to do with a pregnant horse and the vet only had short gloves :-)
It's after midnight now and we have church tomorrow - so I must go to sleep to start anew tomorrow.
Friday, February 15, 2008
Friday, February 15th
We are finally on our way - in the air from Cincy to Atlanta - it is just after 7:30 in the morning. I am exhausted as I have been awake since 6:00 a.m. yesterday!! I want to sleep however the sleep will not come. I pray we have time to rest this afternoon or I am afraid I will not be feeling well.
The flight is smooth and the smile on the girls' faces on this plane ride are priceless. It's been a few years since they have flown anywhere.
I think I am going to try to catch a short nap...
It's 9:35 p.m. Finally, I am in bed! I even got a nap earlier today! I am so happy we were able to arrive here at the Ministry Center and relax. I have been on other missions trips where we "hit the ground running" and had no time to organize anything. I feel lost if I can't get organized and know where things are.
I have been assigned to the "young girls" room. There are 5 girls (ages 10, 14, 14, 15, 15). How did I get this assignment? Because I am the mother of a 14 year old who "hates to be with me" but "cannot sleep if she is away from me". Teenagers!! Kensley is in the bed beside me. Emily is in a bottom bunk with Rachel above. Loris is in the other bottom bunk with Emma above. Kensley is not happy she has to sleep with me in the full size bed; however, it was the only sleeping arrangment that made any sense.
Dinner was wonderful! It was a chicken casserole with lots of cheese, cream of chicken and cream of mushroom soups and Rotel chilis. Spicy & Delicious! For desert we had brownies with Redi Whip cream - Yummy!!! Am I really in a 3rd world country? Yes I am. The best part is that we are being hosted in a large, wonderful home by a couple from eastern Kentucky! One of my favorite things has been the sweet tea. You can tell that our hosts are Kentucky natives because the sugar in the tea is "just right" :-)
Devotion time was on the roof of the Ministry Center. It has beautifuil views of the city. Everyone shared what church they were representing and what happened in their lives that they became a part of this mission team. Everyone's story was different and so interesting. Several churches are represented. I pray we can do God's will this week as we work with the children, the people, saved and unsaved, and be a witness to wonderful things happening all week long!
The flight is smooth and the smile on the girls' faces on this plane ride are priceless. It's been a few years since they have flown anywhere.
I think I am going to try to catch a short nap...
It's 9:35 p.m. Finally, I am in bed! I even got a nap earlier today! I am so happy we were able to arrive here at the Ministry Center and relax. I have been on other missions trips where we "hit the ground running" and had no time to organize anything. I feel lost if I can't get organized and know where things are.
I have been assigned to the "young girls" room. There are 5 girls (ages 10, 14, 14, 15, 15). How did I get this assignment? Because I am the mother of a 14 year old who "hates to be with me" but "cannot sleep if she is away from me". Teenagers!! Kensley is in the bed beside me. Emily is in a bottom bunk with Rachel above. Loris is in the other bottom bunk with Emma above. Kensley is not happy she has to sleep with me in the full size bed; however, it was the only sleeping arrangment that made any sense.
Dinner was wonderful! It was a chicken casserole with lots of cheese, cream of chicken and cream of mushroom soups and Rotel chilis. Spicy & Delicious! For desert we had brownies with Redi Whip cream - Yummy!!! Am I really in a 3rd world country? Yes I am. The best part is that we are being hosted in a large, wonderful home by a couple from eastern Kentucky! One of my favorite things has been the sweet tea. You can tell that our hosts are Kentucky natives because the sugar in the tea is "just right" :-)
Devotion time was on the roof of the Ministry Center. It has beautifuil views of the city. Everyone shared what church they were representing and what happened in their lives that they became a part of this mission team. Everyone's story was different and so interesting. Several churches are represented. I pray we can do God's will this week as we work with the children, the people, saved and unsaved, and be a witness to wonderful things happening all week long!
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
We Leave for Guatemala on Friday!!!
Bright & early Friday morning (2:30 a.m. to be exact) - the 4 of us will meet 24 others at Indian Hills Christian Church to load our luggage and drive to the airport in Cincinnati. Our flight leaves at 7:20 a.m. and we will arrive in Guatemala right after lunchtime. We are all so excited!
Family that is going --
Paul and I are so blessed that our daughters are participating in this mission trip. It will be a wonderful opportunity for them to experience life in Guatemala first hand. Working with the children and the people of Guatemala, experiencing the culture, food and language will be an invaluable experience for both of them. In addition, we hope this experience will make them realize how blessed they are to be born American citizens and open their eyes to how easy life is for them. Finally, we want them to have an appreciation for Edison's culture, country and family.
Not only are the girls going with us, but my mom, my sister and her husband are going as well. Also, my aunt, her husband and grandson is going. The others making up the team come from many backgrounds - some we know - others we don't; however, I know we will all bond through this mission for God.
Mission work we will be doing ...
While in Guatemala, we will visit the Prince of Peace home for girls in San Cristobal, help with a feeding program and teach Bible School to 100 children in a refugee camp; paint the interior and exterior as well as tile the floor of a church being built in the village of Magdalena and any other work we can find. We will be staying with a family in San Cristobal, Mixco, Guatemala. They have a website at: www.greenefam.com You can see where we are staying and learn about the mission projects we are doing.
Fun Stuff we will be doing ...
My girls are so excited about walking up Volcano Fuego. It is my understanding you can see the glow of the lava and steam rising. It's a hard trip but lucky for my girls, horses are available to help you make it to the top and they love to ride horses! Of course we will be visiting several different markets to buy things directly from the Guatemalan people. I am looking forward to visiting Antigua - the ancient capital of Guatemala. All of this will be great -- Read On ...
Meeting Edison
Paul and I will be leaving the mission group on Tuesday morning to move into a hotel in Guatemala. We will meet our son for the very first time at our attorney's office on Tuesday afternoon. He gets to spend the rest of the week with us - Tuesday night through Friday morning! Unfortunately, we do not get to bring him home with us. He will go back home with his foster mother until we get the final approval from Guatemala to bring him into our family - FOREVER!
Okay - I could type all night - but I am leaving in about 31 hours and I have LOTS to do!
Check back while we are gone - I hope to keep the blog updated!
Family that is going --
Paul and I are so blessed that our daughters are participating in this mission trip. It will be a wonderful opportunity for them to experience life in Guatemala first hand. Working with the children and the people of Guatemala, experiencing the culture, food and language will be an invaluable experience for both of them. In addition, we hope this experience will make them realize how blessed they are to be born American citizens and open their eyes to how easy life is for them. Finally, we want them to have an appreciation for Edison's culture, country and family.
Not only are the girls going with us, but my mom, my sister and her husband are going as well. Also, my aunt, her husband and grandson is going. The others making up the team come from many backgrounds - some we know - others we don't; however, I know we will all bond through this mission for God.
Mission work we will be doing ...
While in Guatemala, we will visit the Prince of Peace home for girls in San Cristobal, help with a feeding program and teach Bible School to 100 children in a refugee camp; paint the interior and exterior as well as tile the floor of a church being built in the village of Magdalena and any other work we can find. We will be staying with a family in San Cristobal, Mixco, Guatemala. They have a website at: www.greenefam.com You can see where we are staying and learn about the mission projects we are doing.
Fun Stuff we will be doing ...
My girls are so excited about walking up Volcano Fuego. It is my understanding you can see the glow of the lava and steam rising. It's a hard trip but lucky for my girls, horses are available to help you make it to the top and they love to ride horses! Of course we will be visiting several different markets to buy things directly from the Guatemalan people. I am looking forward to visiting Antigua - the ancient capital of Guatemala. All of this will be great -- Read On ...
Meeting Edison
Paul and I will be leaving the mission group on Tuesday morning to move into a hotel in Guatemala. We will meet our son for the very first time at our attorney's office on Tuesday afternoon. He gets to spend the rest of the week with us - Tuesday night through Friday morning! Unfortunately, we do not get to bring him home with us. He will go back home with his foster mother until we get the final approval from Guatemala to bring him into our family - FOREVER!
Okay - I could type all night - but I am leaving in about 31 hours and I have LOTS to do!
Check back while we are gone - I hope to keep the blog updated!
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
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We've been waiting how long ? ? ?
From the day we filled out our application for adoption (9/11/2007) to the day we picked up Edison's visa to come to the United States (9/11/2008) took exactly one year! Of my three pregnancies - this paper pregnancy was the longest and most stressful.
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