July 1, 2013
Sam and I had a great time in town tonight. We ate at Narguila’s (a local restaurant that is a favorite of the Familia Feliz family). The food is delicious and they have free wifi. :) Both Sam and I had an avocado, tomato and cucumber sandwich and an order of french fries. I loved the sandwich! Then, we finished off with a fresh mango-pineapple smoothie and some banana bread. Delicious! We got in about 10:30. Everyone was already in the bed, so we headed in that direction too.
The alarm clock went off way too early this morning. I could have easily slept another couple of hours. But I got up, had worship and headed over to the boy’s house to start breakfast with Sam. We made tortillas and salsa (not the mexican-kind of salsa, though). The tortillas took a while to make because we only had one pan, so it ended up being more of a brunch than breakfast, but the boys really liked them so they didn’t mind the extra time waiting.
About this time, Raul came by to say good-bye. He left today to head to go back to his home in Santa Cruz before heading to another mission school to teach for the year. I hated to see him go because he’s a great guy and the kids really like him. But I know God will use Him at this other school as well. He will be missed here though.
After breakfast, I took advantage of the lack of rain and washed clothes. Then, we headed down the street to pick up some wood that someone had cut for us. The man, however, wasn’t there...so we have to go back tomorrow. The trip wasn’t all in vain though...we came back with some young, green coconuts! We only got 10 because we didn’t take a lot of money with us (since we weren’t planning on buying anything), but don’t worry....we’ll be going back for more! They only cost $0.14 each!! I couldn’t believe it. We cut one open and drank the water from it right there. Very refreshing!
Next, I did something that was long overdue...went running! I haven’t ran since the day I left the States. That was over a week ago. :( But between all the traveling and rainy weather, I haven’t had much of a chance. So today I made sure to make it happen. I only ran 5k because we were going to take the boys fishing today and it looked like it was going to start raining again, so we had to hurry.
The boys have been looking forward to going fishing for several days now. They hopped on the back of the truck and we headed into town to fish on the river. We had to park the truck and walk about a mile down a very muddy path, then through the woods to get to a good spot. There was a beach-like area beside the river here and was covered in smooth river-rocks. The kids immediately prepared their homemade fishing poles and started fishing. We were there for about 3 hours. No luck on catching any fish though. But that didn’t matter to the kids! They were having a blast just fishing and swimming. A couple of them went and pick some bananas off some banana trees in the woods to have a snack. Sam and I got some really good pictures of them and the surroundings. Just as we were heading back to the truck, it started to rain. This made the muddy path that much more muddy. I slipped and almost fell in the mud more times than I can count. It was a lot of fun though. :)
Some pics of us at the river:
The entrance to Familia Feliz from the road:
On the way back through town, we stopped at the market and picked up two big pineapples. I don’t know how it happened, but Sam has never tasted a piña colada! The boy is from Venezuela where pineapples and coconuts grow naturally and are readily available, but has never had my favorite drink. Well, his life will no longer be the same tomorrow when we make homemade piña coladas! :)
We got back to Familia Feliz, took showers and made supper...spaghetti. I must say, Sam and I are pretty good cooks. :) The boys ate like there was no tomorrow. Juan had 4 plates of spaghetti! I guess all that fishing worked up an appetite. After supper, I had another issue with David. It was his and Moises’ turn to wash the dishes, so he took the pots and pans to the sink outside to wash while Moises started washing the plates, silverware, etc. inside. After a couple of minutes, he came back in and said he was all done. When I went outside, however, he hadn’t washed any dishes. They were all sitting dirty in the sink. I got on to him and told him that lying will not be tolerated and that now he had to wash all of the dishes by himself. I told Moises he was off the hook for washing dishes and he gladly went upstairs. David got really upset and said he wasn’t going to wash any dishes and stormed outside. I went out and had another “nice little talk” with him, reminding him of our conversation from yesterday and who was the adult and who was the child. He didn’t like it too much. Then I sent him right back to wash all the dishes. He went, but was fussing and talking back the whole way to the kitchen. That earned him the privilege of washing all the dishes by himself for all of the meals tomorrow, as well as not going on our outing with the rest of the boys tomorrow. Again, he wasn’t happy at all. But he washed all of the dishes without saying another word. Part of me hates being so tough on him, but he has to learn that lying, talking back, being disobedient, etc. will not be tolerated. I’m praying he learns this sooner than later.
Okay...I’m off to bed now. Sweet dreams everyone! God bless!
Maranatha!
July 2, 2013
It was a beautiful day today! The sun came out, no clouds in the sky, not too hot, no too cold...pretty close to a perfect day, weather-wise. If all year could be like this, it’d be great! :) Today was a more laid-back day, which was good because Sam wasn’t feeling well today. He may be coming down with a cold. After breakfast, he and I went into town to go to the market to pick up some vegetables for meals. Melissa and Warren also had a couple of errands they needed us to run. While in town, we were able to get online for a little bit before internet in the whole town went down for a while. Not sure what happened there. Then we went to Narguila’s to get some a smoothie before heading back to Familia Feliz. We decided to try a peach-mango smoothie. Boy was it good!! And cheap too...one liter of smoothie for only cost $3.50.
When we got back, we had lunch, did some little things around campus and then made some bread (with some help from Nickisha and Wanetta -- two missionaries from Guyana that are taking care of the girls here). Then we went down the road to buy some oranges and coconuts. We got 20 more coconuts (for less than $3.00!)...actually, we brought home about 27 I think, but the man only charged us for 20. The rest, he said, were a gift. :) We also got 150 oranges. That cost us $5.25. Quite the bargain! When we left that farm, we went to the house of one of the teachers here at Familia Feliz. While there, he gave us a bag of about 200 oranges for free! So we will be enjoying oranges and freshly-squeezed orange juice for several days.
I love orange juice!
By this time, it was dark. So as soon as we got back to campus, we had supper and got the boys ready for bed. It was a really nice and quiet day. Oh! Another nice thing that happened today...I saw several macaws! They are native here and I had heard them, but had not seen any. Today, though, I saw about 8 flying across campus throughout the day. They were beautiful!! That was a nice little blessing.
Well, it’s off to bed for me. Until next time...
P.S. I want to wish my parents a very Happy 35th Anniversary today! I love you both!
Maranatha!
July 3, 2013
Today was another laid-back day. :) Since the kids are out of school, the staff is sort of on vacation as well, so there isn’t as long of a “to-do list” as normal. Sam and I made breakfast for the boys...oatmeal, bread, oranges and a smoothie (coconut water, papaya, pineapple and orange juice). It was quite good! Then we clean up some and just kind of hung out until it was time to start lunch. For lunch, we made rice with mixed vegetables (turnips, carrots, onions, chives), broccoli with garlic/lemon sauce and sauteed onions with diced potatoes. Another successful meal! :) What makes these meals even more impressive is the fact that we didn’t have water from 7:30am until 8:00 pm! Not sure what happened, but no one on campus had any running water. Now is when my Berkey Filter really came in handy! The boys were able to have clean water to cook with! :)
Warren took the girls into town today and dropped them off, since they were going to be several hours and he had things to do here. So Sam and I took the boys in the big truck to go and pick them up at 4:00. Right now, there are only 5 girls on campus (the others are with relatives for the break). I’ve spent time with four of them and we have become good friends. Abigail is 5 and is a little quiet around me. Rebecca is 7, I believe, and is deaf (or at least VERY hard of hearing). She doesn’t know any sign language, but has developed her own way of getting across to people. I’ve heard she can throw quite the temper tantrum, but I’ve yet to see that. Emiliana is super-quiet and timid...but always has a smile on her face. She is 11 years old. A couple of years ago, her older brother (11-years old at the time) tried to molest her (unfortunately not an uncommon thing with some of the kids here). I’ve already mentioned Amy before in the blog. She is usually with Emiliana and always has a smile as well. Today was the first day I really spent some time with the fifth girl on campus. Her name is Janette. She is 6 years old, but has several issues. She cannot walk or talk and is still in diapers. Janette was found in a dumpster and brought here. Warren said she was white as a ghost and very malnourished. She has put on a good bit of weight now, though her legs are still very, very skinny. Volunteers have been working with her over the months to try to teach her to walk. She is able to stand up now, but hasn’t mastered the art of walking yet. We’re still hoping. Anyway, she sat beside me in the truck on the way back from town and while we ran some errands. She did very well and didn’t cry at all (she has a GOOD set of lungs on her! :) ). She’s a precious little girl.
On the way back to Familia Feliz, we stopped to get gas in the truck, only to find out that the power had gone out in town. No gas today. We got back home and, sure enough, there was no power on campus either (except for at the Big House where the girls’ dorm is...it has solar power). But it came back on about an hour later. We warmed up leftovers for supper, ate, cleaned up and got the boys in bed. Today was our last day watching these five guys, as their foster parents (Juan and Emi) will be back from a Pathfinder trip tomorrow. It’s been a lot of fun.
Maranatha!
July 4, 2013
Happy 4th of July everyone!! I almost forgot about it this morning with everything going on. Sam had to go to a meeting about the water situation and Warren had to go into town to run some errands, so I was left in charge of the boys and breakfast. Piece of cake! :) The water went out again, but I had some in my filter, so we were good. The only problem I encountered were my allergies! They have really been acting up today. I can’t tell you the number of times I’ve sneezed. :( But hopefully they’ve had their fun and will leave me be soon.
After breakfast, the kids and I cleaned the house really well since Juan and Emi would be arriving this morning. Then, the kids went fishing in the creek on the property while I did my laundry (by hand, of course!). By this time, it was time to start lunch. Spaghetti with homemade marinara sauce it was! Turned out really good too, if I do say so myself. :) Just as we were sitting down to eat, Sam, Juan and Emi arrived...all hungry because they had not eaten all day. I was glad I made extra.
David with his big catch of the day.
David and Armando, wanting to roast the fish with a candle. :)
Juan joins in the fun.
Sam and I then went and did some odd and end cleaning around the campus before coming into town to pick up some groceries and other things we need. Since we don’t have to fix supper for anyone other than ourselves tonight, we’ll probably eat here in town. Narguila’s has an avocado, tomato and cucumber sandwich that is out of this world! Might have to have that again. :)
Well, whatever your plans for the 4th are, I hope you enjoy the day with family and friends and that we all remember to count our blessings for the freedoms we enjoy. God bless you all!
Maranatha!
July 5th, 2013
Happy Venezuelan Independence Day! Sam informed me that today is their independence day, so I thought I’d add that little “shout-out” to any Venezuelans that may be reading this blog. :)
For breakfast this morning, Sam and I bought some banana bread yesterday while in town from an American that lives there. It’s vegan and delicious! We did have a little problem, though. We bought three pieces (individually wrapped) to share between both of us, but when we went into the kitchen, we saw that a stray cat had gotten inside the house and helped himself to one of the slices. :( I was not a happy camper! Those of you that know me know that cats are not my favorite animal...especially when it messes with my food! We’re going to have to figure out a solution to this problem quick-like!
Today everyone spent most of the morning working on building two greenhouses in the garden. One was almost complete and the second had been started, but was less than half complete. The guys worked on building them while the girls and smaller boys transplanted plants to the greenhouse. Hopefully this will extend the growing season and protect some of the plants from the direct sunlight in the summer.
Nickisha and Warren
Rebecca and Abigail
Wanetta
Efraim and Edgar ripping some lumber.
Edgar
Armando found a little friend while working in the greenhouse.
I stopped working around 11:00 because I’ve been put in charge of meals for Sam, Warren, Agustin, John, Moisesito and I and had to get lunch started. We had pasta with sauteed vegetables and a salad. After lunch, I spent the next four hours working on preparing the next three meals (supper for tonight and breakfast and lunch for Sabbath). I also made peanut butter oatmeal cookies...:) They were even more delicious than they sound because they were baked in a brick, wood-burning oven! It was my first time using one. The cookies turned out wonderful.
Delicious!!!!
I finally finished everything around 5:00, so I went for a run before Sabbath. Sam decided to join me. He isn’t a runner and hasn’t run or jogged in several years, so I was anxious to see how far he would go. He surprised me, though, and ran the full 40 minutes with me. Kudos to Sam! It was nice to have a running partner and we had some good conversations. I have a feeling, though, he is going to really feel it in his legs tomorrow and Sunday. :) When we got back, each of us headed to our house to take a shower and get ready for worship. As is custom, everyone met on the middle lawn to receive the Sabbath together, singing hymns, reading Bible verses and sharing testimonies. It was a very nice service. Afterwards, Sam, Warren and I had supper and talked for a while.
On my way to my house, I couldn’t help but stop and admire the “show” God was putting on for me. It was a BEAUTIFUL starry night!! I stood there for several minutes just taking in the breath-taking view and remembering how Awesome of a God we serve and how little we are. It was a good reminder and a perfect way to start the Sabbath.
God bless you all! Maranatha!
July 6th, 2013
Happy Sabbath! And what a High Sabbath it has been! Everyone went to town today to attend the local Adventist church. We picked up some other people before heading into town and soon there were 37 of us in the two trucks. :) When we got to church, Sabbath School was just starting. At the end of Sabbath School, one of the elders called Warren aside and asked him if he would preach the sermon. So Familia Feliz ended up heading up the entire service. Warren, Melissa and I lead out from the pulpit. The church was packed with over a 100 people there. Some had to stand in the back because there were no more seats available. What a blessing! It was a little challenging, though, because we didn’t know the exact order of service the church followed, but God blessed and things went very well. Warren did a very good job with the sermon and made an appeal at the end for anyone that wanted to give their lives to the Lord, to which 5 people came forward! Praise God! To make it even more special, they had communion and foot-washing today! So it was a High Sabbath indeed! It was also a hot one! My guess is it was in the high 80’s, but it was very humid, so you really felt every degree. But it was worth it for all the blessings that we received.
We came home, had lunch and everyone went their separate ways for the afternoon. I took advantage of the time to write in my blog, listen to a sermon and spend some time with God. Just before sunset, Sam and I went to the middle lawn to wait for everyone to close out the Sabbath. That’s when I received yet another blessing. As we sat there, we were serenaded by a group of toucans! I’ve heard that toucans lived in the area but hadn’t seen or heard any before now. It was such a treat for me. I got a few pictures, but since they were a good distance away, you’ll have to zoom in to see them clearer. I’ll try to post them.
Here's one toucan in the tree. You'll have to enlarge the pic and zoom in to see him better.
Below are two pics of a toucan flying overhead. Again, zoom in to get a better glance of him.
At sunset, we all met on the middle lawn to close out the Sabbath as is the custom...reading the Bible together, singing and praying.
Sam and Gracie after worship.
“And hallow my sabbaths; and they shall be a sign between me and you, that ye may know that I am the Lord your God.” “If thou turn away thy foot from the sabbath, from doing thy pleasure on my holy day; and call the sabbath a delight, the holy of the Lord, honourable; and shalt honour him, not doing thine own ways, nor finding thine own pleasure, nor speaking thine own words: then shalt thou delight thyself in the Lord; and I will cause thee to ride upon the high places of the earth, and feed thee with the heritage of Jacob thy father: for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it.” (Eze. 20:20, Isa. 58:13-14). Amen! God bless you all!
Maranatha!
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