Happy New Year!

Okay, I guess I'm a little early in my salutations.  But since I'm sick at home, and feeling pretty useless, I thought I'd get a jump start on a new year's blog post (and you can tell I'm getting bored, cos I changed the look of my blog.  It still doesn't look great, so if anyone knows how to design one, please let me know.  I'll pay you in brownies!).

Wow, this flu season is kicking our butts!  I went to the doctor yesterday (my first time in 3 years!) and was diagnosed with a bad case of bronchitis.  I'm hoping that antibiotics will do the trick.  If not, then I'll have to go back and maybe get a chest x-ray to see if I may have pneumonia.  I typically try to hold out as long as I can before having to go to the doctor, but when I started hacking up blood, along with some nasty stuff, I knew that the visit was inevitable.

I've been sick for almost a week now.  As moms, we're pretty resilient.  Sickness doesn't keep us down.  But for some reason, this bug was the mother of all bugs, and it was determined to prove to me that I'm not that invincible!  Also this week, all my kids were sick at one time or another with fever, congestion, all the basic flu-like symptoms.  As I write this, Becca is sick with a 102 fever.  Poor baby!  Because of our current condition, we've had to change some of our Advent activities.  Thankfully, the kids know none the better!  (We decided to drive around to look at Christmas lights tonight, and you know your kids are sick when they fall asleep in the van at 6pm and miss most of it!  And to top it off, Becca threw up all over herself.  So, it was a merry night to be had by all.)  But it is my prayer that we'll all be better by Christmas, which is 2 days away.  If not, I know we'll still have a special time together as a family.

Just wanted to show pics of my HEALTHY kids (this was at Halloween!) 

My girls!

 

My Becca...isn't she the cutest!?

All in all, I'm trying to remain positive.  I am soooo thankful for my hero husband!  He spent his last vacation days staying home and taking care of me and the kids.  He's worked tirelessly morning and night, tended to middle-of-the-night baby crying, to doing housework and making dinner.  Even as I write this, I hear the kids screaming at each other in the other room, and I know that Jared has to deal with that. And he's also holding a sick baby, and trying to soothe her as well.  He does all this without complaining, and when I even offered to buy him a Caribou coffee on my way home from the doctor's, he said no (what!?!?!  Who turns down Caribou Coffee?!?!).  So, I owe Jared big time, even though he does all this unconditionally, and with love.  That's what I love most about him!

Jared - best.husband.and.dad.EVER!

So back to the whole new year's thing...

As I reflect on this past year, I have so much to be thankful for.  At the start of 2012, I mentioned that I wanted to practice "simplicity" and "stability" in our lives.  I believe that we've achieved it to some capacity.  We've been very intentional about cutting out unnecessary activities that would otherwise clog up our calendar.  Both Jared and I carve out time on a regular basis to spend with God, to recalibrate and seek Him and His will; and also being intentional about date nights with each other continue to be a priority.  We've been able to establish friendships with our neighbors and some of the families of Joshua's classmates, both of which will be long-term relationships.  In addition, continue to build on and invest in important friendships that God has already blessed us with.  I believe that our family has already begun to plant roots where we are, and that has been my desire for stability from the very beginning (until God calls us somewhere else...but I won't even cross that bridge unless necessary!).  And in my own quest for simplicity, I've celebrated small successes in organizing my home, my closet (it's been 2 years since I bought any new clothes!), and my calendar.  So, I thank God for the strength to achieve some of these small goals.

I'm excited about the new year ahead.  I have a big birthday coming up, Jared and I will be celebrating our 10th anniversary, our kids will continue to fill our lives with lots of fun and adventure!  I think simplicity and stability will continue to be our goals.  Also, I hope that we can live out some of our family vision statements.  For Christmas, Jared and I don't usually buy gifts for each other.  Instead, we purchase something for the home or something that we can use together.  We've been working on our family vision statements all year - these statements are statements that we feel are true of our family; that God has made unique in our family.  So for Christmas this year, we decided to put the words of our family vision on a wooden wall sign.  I found a lady on Etsy.com who could do this, and we just received it yesterday.  We love it!  So, for the new year ahead, I pray that we will strive to live out these statements that we feel are our aspirations and hearbeat of our family.

May your Christmas be love-filled, and may your new year be blessed.  Emmanuel, God is with us...today and every day! 

Christmas Traditions

If you know me, I enjoy traditions and creating them with my family.  That's why I love Christmas because, as a family, we get to enjoy the many traditions that we get to partake of during this season. Here are some traditions that some of you have requested that I share. 

Day in Chicago
It's been a Post-Thanksgiving tradition since Joshua was born that we spend a day downtown.  And this year, we had almost 70-degree weather!  I never thought I'd do this, but we pulled Joshua out of school last Monday and took advantage of the "spring-like" weather!  Since Joshua started first grade, we don't get many opportunities to have a Family Day on Mondays anymore.  But this past week, with the weather being so nice, it was hard to resist.

Outside Macy's

 

Josh and Jenna got to take turns ringing the Salvation Army bell.

 

We typically go to Marshall Field's/Macy's and look at the windows.  This year's was okay.  I've enjoyed previous years better - I like it when there's a story, and you have to go from window-to-window to follow the story.  After looking at the windows, we went inside to the lower level to, what I call, Candyland.  Even though my kids don't like candy, they had fun scooping up candy and filling up their bags with it (when Jenna wasn't looking, I emptied out her bag...sshh, don't tell her!), and we purchased and shared Joshua's bag.

Candyland!

 

Placebo effect of a candy high!

After that, we took the elevator to the 8th floor where we oohed-and-aahed at the huge Christmas tree in the Walnut Room (and oogled at the people that were having a nice meal in the restaurant!).  This year's tree was pretty awesome! 

(one day, kids, we'll dine down there...one day...)

Then it was lunch time.  This year, we went to a nice cafeteria on the 7th Floor, called Seven on State.  This is the first time we had lunch there (we usually go to the cafeteria in the lower level with all the commoners...haha!).  It's definitely a lot nicer, more spacious, and the dishes are culinary creations of some pretty well-known chefs.  I had Chef Ming's steak sandwich and a delectable seafood gumbo!

Eating at Seven on State.

 

We then headed to the Christkindlmarket at the Daley Plaza.  I guess it's the one day of the year that we try to embrace Jared's German heritage!  We told Joshua that he's half German, and I think we just confused the poor kid even more!  At the market, I usually get a bag of roasted cinnamon sugar cashews, and the kids love the cheesy popcorn from Garrett's.  We capped the day off with our final stop at Argo Tea, and had a Teapuccino.  Yum!!

 The Christmas tree at the Daley Plaza.

 

I love how there's a Nativity Scene at the market.  Keeping Christ in Christmas!

Advent Calendar
This year, I made my own Advent Calendar.  Thank you, Pinterest!  It was fun making it, and creating the different activities for each day.  Since my kids don't really like candy, I don't have to put little treats in the pockets.  Besides, I'd rather they not expect a treat every day. Instead, they look forward to the fun activities that they get to do that day.  Some include, having Brinner (code for breakfast for dinner!), having a picnic dinner by the Christmas tree, hanging Christmas lights in the bedroom, etc.

Advent Wreath
I also tried my hand at making my own Advent wreath.  I couldn't find purple and pink candles, so I modified.  I used purple and pink construction paper to wrap around votive candles that I had.  I found an Advent reading schedule along with the lighting of the Advent candles on Focus on the Family's website.  I'm sure if you google it, you can find something similar.

Mary & Joseph
Something else that I started this year was taking Mary and Joseph from my nativity set and hiding them.  I want to explain to the kids that Mary and Joseph had to travel really far to get to Bethlehem.  So, right now, my nativity set has no M & J, and every morning, the kids have to find the happy couple (or weary couple, as I should say...can't imagine being pregnant and having to sit on a donkey!).  They get a real kick out of it!  I first hid them at the furthest point of the house, and they're slowly making their way towards the manger scene.  On Christmas Eve, M & J will finally get to the stable and make the nativity set almost complete.  Come Christmas morning, the kids will find Baby Jesus there!  And Jesus completes everything, doesn't He!

Here's my Willow Tree Nativity Set, minus Mary and Joseph!

Christmas Card Prayers
As our family receives Christmas cards each day, we take time to pray for the family or person who sent us the card.  It's a great way to acknowledge the friends that God has blessed us with!

Other ongoing tradtions include:
Christmas cookies
I enjoy this season because I get to bake!  Not that I'm a great baker or anything, but I love trying new recipes.  And there's something about having Christmas music on, and spending the day creating something new and yummy to share with family and friends.  Joshua usually enjoys helping me, and I'm hoping that this year, Jenna will too.

We typically give a plate of cookies to our neighbors, Tony our mailman, the staff at our pediatrician's office, and to the kids' teachers.  Of course, we set out a plate of cookies while we're hosting Christmas get togethers, or just for hunger cravings in the middle of the day!

Let the baking begin!

 

My first 6 dozen cookies - Christmas Spritz Cookies (thanks to my mother-in-law for giving me her Pampered Chef Cookie Press), making more cookies today!

Christmas movie
Every year, we have our Annual Ahrens Family Movie Night where we invite our kids' friends over for dinner, movie, and popcorn, and watch a Christmas movie.  The kids come in their pajamas, bring blankets, and stuffed animals, and have a good ol time having a movie/slumber party!  Instead of giving tangible gifts to all our friends, what would parents with kids desire most in this season (or any season, for that matter!)?  Jared and I thought it would be appropriate to give our friends the gift of time.  So, really the movie night is an excuse for them to drop their kids off at our house, so that they can spend a few hours together doing whatever...Christmas shopping, date night, napping...just some alone adult time!  It's a fun tradition, and a way we can serve our friends during the Christmas season.  (If you must know, "Elf" is the movie-pick this year!)

Picnic dinner of pizza before the movie.

 

Movie time!

Caroling
When I was a teacher, I would rally my friends, and even Jared's parents, and go caroling at my students' homes.  Yes, you heard me!  I would go to my students' homes and surprise them, and start caroling either outside their front door or in the entry way.  Caroling was one of the highlights of my year, and I miss it terribly!  I miss my students, and I miss seeing the look of surprise (and to some, horror!) when they realize that their teacher is at their house AND singing to them!  I don't do this anymore, but maybe when my kids are older, we can resume this tradition again.

Christmas Eve/Christmas Day
Every Christmas and on Christmas Eve particularly, we give the kids each a book.  In the book, Jared and I write a note to the kids, and give a brief synopsis of how they've grown, what they've accomplished, and how proud we are of them.  It's a neat way to document their year.  So, Joshua has 7 books now since he was born, and it's a wonderful momento for him as he grows up, to see the different books that we've given to him over the years, the blessings that were written to him.  And maybe, one day, he'll be able to share these books with his children.

Also on Christmas Eve, the kids get their new Christmas pajamas to put on and sleep in that night.  It's fun to pick out pajamas for the kids, because their interests change every year.  Joshua has graduated from Thomas the Tank Engine/Wiggles to Legos and Superheroes.  Jenna, from Elmo to Princesses.  One year, it would be fun to put them all in matching pajamas!

This is a pic from last year...Joshua with Legos Star Wars pjs and Jenna with Tinkerbell.

Christmas morning, we always read the nativity story.  And something that we value is that the kids only get 3 gifts.  We tell them that since Baby Jesus got three gifts, they get three gifts as well.  Fortunately, they understand and accept that. 

It's challenging trying to live counter-culturally, especially now that Joshua is exposed to kids from school who are bragging about the 100 things on their Christmas list, and how they're going to get everything that they want for Christmas. 

Joshua gets that Christmas is about Jesus and not about presents.  And even at such a young age, I see the importance of surrounding your child with friends who are like-minded.  For example, I carpool with 2 other families to school.  One of the kids is from a Christian family, and the other is not.  As I'm driving all 3 of them to school, I get the privilege to eavesdrop on their conversations.  In one incident, they were talking about Christmas, and the one kid who's not from a Christian family said that Christmas is about getting all the presents that you want.  I literally held my breath as I waited to hear how Joshua was going to respond.  And my heart soared when I heard him say, quite vehemently too, "You're wrong!  Christmas is about Jesus and celebrating his birthday!  It's not all about presents!"  And then, Joshua's other friend chimed in with support, "Yeah!  It's not about presents, it's about Jesus!".  I wanted to stop the car, and give high-fives, and do my happy dance!  I remember lifting up a grateful prayer at that moment for the fact that Joshua gets it, but also for the encouragement and beauty of being around fellow-believers who can and will stand up for each other.  In some odd way, I feel so much better knowing that Joshua is at school, but he's not alone.  He has friends who will look out for him, who will stand up for him, and will fight alongside with him.  Even if he's only 6, there is value in Christian community!  And I believe that God has placed Joshua's classmate in our carpool, and in our lives, for a reason.  Who knows?  Maybe Joshua and his other friend's convictions and beliefs will rub off...isn't it neat that our own kids can be witnesses for Christ, even at this age!

So here you have it.  Some of our Christmas traditions.  Ultimately, it has been and always will be our desire is to teach our children how to be more others-focused, not only at Christmas time, but at all times.  Even in our Advent activities, there are more activities about serving others than there are about things done for ourselves.  I pray that my children will have the eyes and heart of Jesus, and seek to love others.

May you be blessed this Christmas, and may you be a blessing to those around you!

Happy Thanksgiving!

I love this year's Thanksgiving Day!  Not only is Jared home and the five of us are spending the day together, it's also Pajama Day in the Ahrens home!  I love days like these where we get to lounge all day in our pjs, and enjoy being comfortable and just hang out with each other. 

It wasn't by choice that today turned out this way, but I'm thankful that it did!  You see, the kids were so gracious this month of November to take a week each of being sick.  It was inevitable that I would get whatever germs they so lovingly passed on.  So yes, I'm sick, but I'm not complaining about staying home.  And I get to look forward to a meal that Jared will prepare later (he totally stepped up and ran to the store after work yesterday to buy whatever he is going to concoct up tonight!  We're formally celebrating Thanksgiving tomorrow with Jared's parents).

I didn't grow up celebrating Thanksgiving.  But I think it's great that time is set aside each year for people to stop and reflect about the blessings in their lives.  While I think this should be an on-going practice throughout the year, there's intentionality in this season, especially since it's the season of ultra-materialism, full-on gorge fests, and a huge sense of entitlement (especially kids with receiving gifts). 

As you know, I just came back from a mission trip to Bolivia.  What I saw and experienced there was something that is not indicative of life in the States.  Every culture is different, and every culture has beauty in its own respect.  Every one's needs are different.  In Bolivia, in just so happens that the needs are more dire.  While basic needs of food, shelter, a loving family are apparent, most Bolivian kids don't know what it's like to not have a Wii in their homes or to play games on an iPad.  So, they're not complaining about not having those techy things.  Their needs and wants are more immediate and necessary, like being grateful to even have one meal a day. 

I experienced a huge culture shock when I returned from Bolivia.  The first night I had to work happened to fall on Halloween (which I'm not a big fan of anyway).  I've never worked on Halloween night, and I guess the stores at the mall give out candy to trick-or-treaters that come in.  Because I worked the closing shift, by the time I got there, all the candy was gone.  I kid you not, within 10 minutes of starting work, I was yelled at by parents who were furious that my store didn't have candy to give out.  I had a mom, who had 3 kids in tow, tell me that I sucked.  Nice example for your kids, lady!  Another mom sarcastically asked me what I was going to give them instead since we're out of candy, and how about I throw in a dress. 

All I can say is...wow!  I was not expecting this.  I mean, I knew that the common practice is to give out candy to kids on Halloween.  But I never thought that this huge sense of entitlement could get so ugly.  And what shocked me was that it came from the parents!  And in front of their kids, too!  No wonder kids these days are so messed up!

I don't believe in guilt-tripping Americans or other wealthier cultures because they have plenty. But I strongly advocate that these said cultures practice an attitude of gratitude, and to instill it especially in their children. Even the simpliest question of "What are you thankful for today?" can be a wonderful daily practice in the family over meal times or as you're tucking your child into bed.

And for this reason of instilling an attitude of gratitude, I created a family Thanksgiving Tree, and had my children write one thing that they are thankful for each day.  And I pray that in time, my children will develop a heart of thankfulness and be mindful of all the blessings in their lives, and hopefully, they will extend their blessings and BE a blessing to others!

I've never watched the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade till today, and I love experiencing something new along with my kids (Jenna is sitting on my lap and we're oohing and aahing together as we see the different floats go by, and yes, I'm typing intermittently as well!), and I'm just thankful for every moment of being with my family.  So, I'm going to go back and enjoy the parade.  I just wanted to take some time out to wish you all a Happy Thanksgiving!

And in the spirit of Thanksgiving...I'm thankful for the gift of life, both earthly and eternal, and the love of a selfless husband (who watched the full first season of Downton Abbey with me this week!) and the blessing of wonderful children!

Thankful for my beautiful girls!

Life is like a box of chocolates...

"...you'll never know what you're gonna get." 

Boy, was Forest Gumps' momma ever right!  I never really knew what that meant...I mean the box of chocolates part.  Why would anyone get a box of chocolates without knowing what's in it?  Maybe I'm just a chocolate snob, and I only like certain kinds.  You can fill up a whole box with Kit Kats, and color me happy!  But throw in any kind of chocolate with mints...yeah, that box will go right to Jared (it will be much to his delight!).

Anyway, I digress.  Chocolates is not what I want to write about.  But I do want to use it as an analogy for every day life as a mom.  Today is the fifth day that I've been home with sick kids.  While I love my home, I feel like the four walls are suddenly closing in.  The kids and I are antsy, irritable, and are finding easy ways to annoy each other.  But such is life in this season of hacking mucus, drippy noses, and sticky faces.

But really (and I'm stealing this line from the defunct Jon & Kate Plus 8) it's a crazy life, but it's our life.  And I wouldn't trade it for the world!  I wake up every morning, and the first thing I do is thank God for the blessing of a new day.  I don't know what the day will bring, but I know that the moment my feet touch the floor, I'm "on". 

Who needs adventure when you've got kids!  Cause every day is an adventure in itself.  You just have to mentally prepare yourself for anything and everything, think 5 steps ahead (lots of cause-and-effect strategic planning!), be flexible when the day (or kid!) throws you a curve ball, adapt, change, and know that at the end of the day if no one is bleeding, have a broken bone, or is need of going to the ER, then it's a good day!

Take Thursday for example, I woke up with great expectations.  Joshua's fever finally broke on Wednesday, so I felt it was okay to send him to school.  We've been stuck at home for the last few days, so I was antsy to get out and run much-needed errands.  He was whining in the morning that he had to go to school, and said that his leg was hurting.  And I'm thinking, "You're not getting out of this, buddy!".  I appeased him by writing a note to his teacher so that she'd be aware of his lethargy (since he had missed school because he was sick).  I told him that if, at any point, he felt like he had a hard time walking or was feeling sick again, that he needed to tell the teacher and the teacher would call me, and I'd come get him.  Okay, mission accomplished.  Josh went to school!

Then it was time to clean up after breakfast and get Jenna ready for preschool.  So far, my Type A schedule was going according to plan.  Before loading the girls up in the van, I went through the typical routine of making sure Jenna went to the bathroom first, and made her recite what she had to say if she had to go potty at school.  Then, shoes on, coats on, hats on, backpack on, baby strapped in, bags loaded, "to do" list ready, coffee in hand, and we're off.

As we drove to preschool, we drove by TJ Maxx which reminded me that I needed to get some new warm, cozy, house slippers (every time we run errands, I'd get everything else except for my house slippers).  Made it to preschool just in time - hug, hug, kiss, kiss, love yous, and off Jenna went into the building with her teacher.  Now if you're a mom with multiple kids, you know what I mean when I say it's such a luxury to run errands with just one kid in tow.  So, Becca and I headed to our first stop - Toys R Us.  Yeah, I would NEVER go into this store with the older kids, unless I had a death wish!  But with the little one in the stroller, I could handle it.  Everything went swiftly, and I was able to get what I needed, with ample time to spare.  Budget in tack, coupon in hand, I headed to the check-out line. 

Now this was when things started falling apart...I mean, the whole box of chocolates analogy came into play!

I was pushing a stroller with one hand, had a basket looped around that arm, and I was carrying something else with the other hand (we have 3 birthday parties this weekend, plus some Christmas gifts to purchase).  So, it was a juggling act of balance and poise at the same time.  As I headed to the check-out line, another mom approached it at the same time.  You know how that happens in a parking lot, when 2 cars want the same spot?  Yeah, kind of like that.  Thinking she would be gracious enough to let me go first, after all, I had my hands full and am pushing a stroller.  But what did she do?  She glared at me, as if I've intruded in her personal space or something.  She barged her way in front of me with her shopping cart, while keeping her glare on me.  Wow!  Someone woke up on the wrong side of bed!  I guess some people just aren't very thoughtful.  I mean, if I saw a mom with a young child and an armful of toys, I would offer to let her go first.  But this lady had a CARTFUL of toys!  So, I tried to do the math in my head to figure out how long this was going to take.  And it took a VERY LONG time (there were other people in front of us too)!  At this point, Becca was having a meltdown.  She had taken both socks and shoes off and decided to fling it in 4 different directions!  Goldfish crackers were every where, and her water bottle leaked profusely after being thrown a million times, causing a small puddle by us.  When it was our turn, I looked at my watch and realized that I only had time to run 1 more errand, instead of 3 that I had planned.  Ok, deep breaths, no worries...

Jumped in the van and headed to the next store to buy tights for Jenna.  No time to get the stroller out, so I had to carry Becca into the store.  Hoping for a quick run in and out.  Haha, you laugh!  Or course I couldn't find where the tights were.  I saw some patterned tights here and some colorful tights there, but I just want plain, old, solid-colored tights!  I don't typically shop at Buy Buy Baby for clothes, but because I have a coupon, that's the only reason I was getting it there.  And huge mistake..I asked a young male sales associate where the tights were.  I kid you not, he looked at me and asked quizzically, "Tights?"  Like I was speaking a foreign language.  Yeah, tights - they're like footed leggings?  Or socks that go way up to the tummy?   He had to call another sales associate on his walkie.  Trying not to seem rude or impatient, I held my breath and tried not to roll my eyes.  At this point, I had 1 minute left before I had to get in the car and go pick up Jenna.  Finally, a middle-aged lady came to my rescue, and walked me to the rounder where all the tights were by the baby equipment (which I don't get why tights would be in that area in the first place?).  I grabbed what I needed and headed to the empty check out line...phew!  Fished for my coupon and made my purchase.

Back in the van, and tried not to get a ticket as I sped to pick up Jenna and her friend, Aaron.  I was there just in time as the kids walked out of the building.  I picked both of them up, and after I strapped them both in, Jenna said "I have to go potty."  Really?  Now?  I asked her if she went potty at school, and she said no.  Well, I had a choice...I could take her into the high school building, but that would require me finding a parking spot, bring all 3 kids with me, go through a security check, and go to the preschool room where they have the preschool bathroom.  Or, I could just quickly drive home which was only 5 minutes away.  I picked the latter because I figured the whole process of going into the high school building was going to take longer.  So, I implored her to please try to hold while I drove us home.

And hold, she did not.

The next hour was a blur because I had to run a bath for Jenna, feed the kids lunch, make sure our little friend, Aaron, was okay.  When Becca went down for her nap, and I had Jenna cleaned, fed, and occupied with a Veggie Tales movie, I embarked on cleaning out the car seat as well as the van seat, and doing laundry caused by this unfortunate event.  It was almost 3pm when I was able to sit down and have some lunch.  Joshua came home around 3:15, and he was miserable, and complained that his leg was hurting.  I felt awful for sending him to school.  He was in enough pain that I called the pediatrician - he couldn't even walk right.  The earliest appointment was at 6:45pm. 

Knowing that Jared was not going to be home, this long day was going to get even longer.  I texted my friend, Leslie, and hoped that she would be home that evening so that I could at least drop the girls off while I took Joshua to the doctor's appointment.  Leslie was kind and gracious enough to let me do just that, at such short notice too!  (we all need go-to friends like that!  Thanks, Les!) 

To cut an already long story short, I didn't get to "rest" till about 9:30pm - after the doctor's appointment, putting 3 kids to bed, and cleaning up after dinner.  When I walked into my bedroom, my bed had never seemed more inviting!  I literally collapsed on it in sheer exhaustion, and I remember thinking...oh yay, I may have to do this all over again tomorrow...yippee...(I hope you realize this was meant to be sarcastic!).

But really, even though the day seemed somewhat chaotic, there was a tender moment which I will cherish.  While waiting for the pediatrician in the doctor's office, my 6-year-old Joshua said, "Mommy, can I sit on your lap?".  Those words just erased all the craziness of the day, and in that one moment, the day was redeemed.  As Joshua climbed onto my lap, and he put his head on my shoulder, I thanked God for the gift of this moment, for the gift of Joshua, and for the gift of being his mom.  I've missed holding Joshua's hand as we walked to school.  I've missed him wanting his mommy.  He's slowly growing up and is starting to realize it's not cool to hold your mom's hand anymore, or give her kisses in front of your friends.  So, when he wanted to sit on my lap, I welcomed it with open arms, and I will relish these few days while he's home sick, to take care of him, and love on him, and be needed by him.  It reminded me of the children's book, Love You Forever by Robert Munsch:

"I'll love you forever
I'll like you for always
As long as I'm living
My baby you'll be."

So even though I don't know what each day will hold, what adventures I will encounter, there will always be holy moments to behold, and memories to make.  And at the end of the day, I can slumber into bed with a hot cup of tea, knowing that I lived the day well...and it doesn't hurt to have a box of chocolates in bed as well!  (and, hopefully soon, some cozy house slippers!)

Drinking buddies...keeping hydrated!

Thought this was a cute pic...the ants go marching one by one, hurrah, hurrah...

Bolivia

(Warning...this is a long post...so go get a cuppa, sit down, and this could be some light reading before bed!)

Where do I even begin to tell you about the week I had in Bolivia. All I can say is, a part of my heart remains there, particularly with the beautiful children who blessed me beyond words. God has done and is doing amazing things in that part of the world, and El Alto, despite being the poorest and most dangerous city in Bolivia, is shining bright with the love of God.

There were 6 of us from our church who were on this mission/vision trip. Jared went to Bolivia last year with the intention of seeing if this is where God wants our church to get involved in. He was able to meet with a few local pastors and churches with various outreach ministeries. So, with Jared's prior knowledge and experience, we, as a team, followed his lead and visited and participated in the children's ministry program at Bethesda Church.

Our team: (top) Jared, Pastor Dave, David
(bottom) me, Sunny, Ed

Bethesda:
Bethesda sits right on the outskirts of El Alto. The location of the church is interesting. The only way I can try to describe it is that it's kind of like in a strip mall (minus the niceties) and the entrance to the church is like a store front. About 100 meters away is a row of blue tents. In each of these blue tent lives a family. These families consist mainly of the indigenous people, and they work right out of their tents. Their "work" is that of palm-reading, astrology, witchcraft, spells...you get the picture. So here you have an evangelical church right next to a row of darkness and evil. We had to drive by this row of blue tents every time we went to Bethesda, and there was a tangible feeling of oppression, darkness, weightiness. Can you imagine the activity in the heavenly realms over this area? The forces of Light and Evil raging a spiritual battle over the souls of the people of El Alto on a daily basis. And every time we drove to Bethesda, I would say a prayer of protection over the church and the children, and prayed in the name of Jesus for the souls that are being battled over.

Jared in front of the doors into Bethesda Church.

When I walked through the red steel doors of the church, I felt an indescribable sense of joy and peace which just overwhelmed me! It's as if I had stepped over a realm and into a place of light. And that's what Bethesda truly is - a city on a hill, a light in an incredibly dark place, a safe haven for the street children of El Alto.

Essentially, that's who the children are who come to Bethesda. One or both parents work, mostly as street vendors. No one is home to care for these kids. Sometimes the kids don't see their moms or dads at all because their parents get home so late at night after work. Most children go to school, but school is either in the morning or afternoon. When they are not in school, they typically roam the streets unless they find somewhere like Bethesda that will take them in.

The incredible children's ministry of Bethesda sees that lunch is provided for each child (often times, this is the only meal the kids get that day), before or after school care which includes homework help, the kids receive bible study lessons, and the teachers even use Gardner's Multiple Intelligence in their teaching curriculum! During our time at Bethesda, we heard testimonies from the older kids who have been in the program for years. They attested to how Bethesda's children's ministry has changed their lives - by introducing them to God and experiencing His love in powerful and tangible ways. They all said that Bethesda Church is like family - they feel loved, valued, and cared for.

When we arrived in Bolivia at 6am last Friday, we were greeted at the airport by some of the staff and children from Bethesda. They had a banner to welcome us, they sang songs, and even had coca tea prepared for us (coca tea is a staple drink in Bolivia. It helps with altitude sickness, so needless to say, I had coca tea every day...some days, up to 6 cups!).
 

They welcomed us with songs...

and made a banner.

Here's Jared and me with our first cup of coca tea!

Love and friendship were fostered very quickly. On Sunday, we were able to share some Sunday School teaching curriculum with the teachers, and we presented a gift of a Sunday School flannel board to them. After church, we spent some time over lunch getting to know the leaders of the church, and listening to their stories.
 

The flannel board gift which we gave to the Sunday School teachers.
 

Jared, Pastor Dave, and Ed gave a marriage seminar that evening, which really blessed the community. It's tough to preach mutual submission to a culture where spousal abuse is the norm. Nevertheless, the seminar was well-received, even among the young people.
 

Here's Jared teaching, and our friend, Mark, translated in Spanish.

On Monday, we were able to spend time with the kids that attend the Bethesda program (some of whom do not go to the church on Sundays because they have to help their parents in the markets). I got a chance to teach and do a craft with the kids. And one of the highlights of my trip is getting to play soccer with the kids (and boy, are they good!).
 

I was teaching a quick lesson, and Mark translated.

Doing a craft.

Getting ready to play a game with the kids.

David came up with a cool game to explain a lesson on Christian living - the blue line representing our walk with Christ, but we can be distracted along the way (hence the blindfold, and we had other fun ways of getting the kids off the line...well, not fun...but a lesson in worldly distractions!)
 

The more time I spent with the kids, the more I grew to love them. Even though I couldn't speak Spanish, and had to rely heavily on my fellow teammates to help translate, the kids were so gracious and were not deterred at all by my lack of Spanish. Not to sound cheesy, but when love abounds, it truly becomes a language of the heart. And by the grace of God, I was able to show them how much I loved them, through hugs, smiles, and just being present with them.
 

Me with Nadya and Daniella at lunch.

 

Jared and I with the girls at lunch.

 

There was a 9-year-old girl who captured my heart. Her name is Nadya, and almost from the start, she gravitated towards me. It started off with a simple hug, and then we became inseparable. She hung out with me all morning, through lunch, and then it was time for her to go to school. Typically, the kids walk out the doors by themselves. There is no accountability, no check-out system like we have here in the States, no adult to pick them up. They just walk out those steel red doors into the open public area, and we trust that they make it to school, and trust that we will see them again the next day. I wanted to walk Nadya out that day, so when it was time to go, she started crying. Because I couldn't speak Spanish, I couldn't ask her why. At the entrance of the church, I stood and held her as she cried. I cupped her little face in my hand and looked her in the eye and told her in my broken Spanish "God bless you". And she had this anxious look on her face and asked me if I would be coming back tomorrow (I understood what manana meant), and I said "si". And she asked me again, as if needing confirmation. And again, I said yes. Her furrowed brow slowly disappeared and she smiled.  She gave me a final hug and then walked away. I stood there just watching her go towards those blue tents (remember those unholy blue tents?), and I prayed out loud a prayer of protection over her. She kept looking back to see if I was still there, and every time she looked back, she would wave at me. I waved back. I think I was ready to sprint to her if something should happen to her. My maternal instincts were kicking in. So, I watched and waited, until she disappeared from my line of vision. I found out later that she had a sister who recently died. And when Nadya talked about her, she'd get teary-eyed. I don't know her family situation, but losing her sister must be devastating. And if my being there was a small source of comfort for her, then my trip to Bolivia was worth it! The kids in the program called us "hermano" (brother) and "hermana" (sister), and maybe that just brought things a little close to home for my Nadya.

 

Me and Nadya

Jared and I with Nadya on our last day at Bethesda

Huypaca (pronounced whi-pa-ca):

Huypaca is a remote village about 45 minutes away from Bethesda Church.  It is there that Bethesda has a church plant, and Pastor Pablo is the pastor.  Huypaca is a small community and it has taken a long time for this community to receive and accept an evangelical church to be in its midst.  Pastor Pablo has an amazing story, and he remains faithful to wherever God leads him, and in this season of his life, God has led him to pastor the small community of Huypaca.  There is a small group of children there who are benefiting from the the presence of the church, much like the kids at Bethesda.  As you will see from the pictures below, they have very little.  When we asked Pastor Pablo what would be some of the immediate needs of the church, he mentioned practical things like 12 chairs, a table.  What?!?!  They just need 12 chairs?  A table?  My heart was heavy that they couldn't even afford basic items like that, and I wished there was a Target nearby that I could just run to purchase a couple of dozen chairs and tables.  But even in dire needs and circumstances, Pastor Pablo exudes so much joy and hope.  He knows, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that this is where God has called him to be.  He has such faith that God will provide, for him and for the people of Huypaca.  Despite the common practice of witchcraft in the community and those kinds of evil arts, Pastor Pablo has deep faith and knows that God will redeem this land, and He has already begun to do so.

This is the only building in the town square, and the church meets in one of the rooms.

The children of Huypaca!

Praying before lunch.

 

One of the members of Bethesda Church is a dentist.  Here she's giving an oral hygiene lesson to the children, and handing out free toothbrushes.

 

Ed, from our team, is an opthamologist, and many people from the community came to have him check their eyes.  He came with eye-glasses, drops, etc. to give to the people.

 A view of the mountains from the town center.

Jared playing soccer with a couple of the boys.  What a gorgeous backdrop!

 

Jared and the boys!

 

Me with Roberto...he's such a cutey!

One of the highlights of my trip to Bolivia is that our team got to sit under a canopy on top of this picturesque mountaintop, break bread with both Pastor Gabriel and Pastor Pablo, and just sit and listen to their incredible stories.  This is how I picture heaven to be like...having a picnic lunch with one of the biblical greats and just listen to how they played a part in history.  That afternoon in Huypaca was special...holy moments on holy ground...and when we prayed over Pastor Pablo, I sensed the protection of angels all around us, and we prayed and claimed this land for Jesus. 

Our team having lunch with Pastor Gabriel and Pastor Pablo.

 

Our team with the 2 amazing pastors!

 

I said a pray and blessing over the children before we left.

Compassion International:
We were so blessed to be able to spend an entire day with our Compassion Child.  First, we visited the project where Kevin is from, which is part of the Salvation Army Church (3 of us had kids in the same project.  So, it was nice that we got to go together as a group, and then take the kids out on a group-outing later that afternoon!).  When we got to the project, we were ushered into a small room where we sat and waited to see Kevin and the rest of the Compassion kids.  I was nervous and excited at the same time.  When he walked in, I saw his cute little face with his big brown eyes looking anticipatingly, wondering who his sponsor was, in the sea of faces that welcomed him.  Tears immediately welled up in my eyes as I opened my arms and reached out for him, and called his name.  Something happened the moment he walked into my arms and gave me a hug - even though I didn't physically bear this child, I had such a love for him.  If this was my experience with my Compassion child, I can't imagine what my friends who went through adoption must've felt.  It was an amazing connection of the heart!

Jared and me with Jael and Kevin. (Jael is my mother-in-law's Compassion child)

 

With Kevin's mom and little sister

 

Kevin opening his presents from us.

After spending some time with Kevn and showering him with gifts that we brought from home.  We got to meet his mother.  We brought her gifts as well, but she was just so appreciative of our sponsorship.  After getting to know her a little bit, I asked her if she would teach me how to use the blanket to make it into a baby carrier.  I had seen so many Bolivian women carry children that way, and if I was given the chance, I wanted to learn.  She graciously taught me, and yeah, Kevin's little sister was not too happy!

The right way...

The wrong way...the kid should not be freaking out!  :)

 

Kevin's sweet momma and me!

After lunch, we were able to take all the Compassion kids in our group for an outing to the zoo.  For most of them, this may be the one and only time they'll get to visit the zoo.  So, it was a priviledge to be able to take them there.  Both Kevin and Jael are a hoot!  They obviously have a good relationship, and they talked the whole time.  I just wish I knew what they were saying!  They had so much fun at the zoo, and it was a joy to see how happy they were.

Kevin and Jael on the bus ride to the zoo.

 

Enjoying the zoo!

 

Us and our Bolivian "children"

After the zoo, we bought the kids ice-cream, which they loved!  I had some wet wipes with me, and honestly, I used 7 wipes to wipe Kevin up after he ate.  As I did that, I noticed that the wipes were not only wiping away ice-cream, but I noticed that it was covered in dirt and grime too.  It dawned on me that he probably doesn't get a chance to take a bath or shower every day like my own kids do.  And with the limited toys that he has, he probably plays outside a lot more.  Also, my roommate, Sunny, shared with me that her Compassion child wanted to keep the used wet wipe!

Saying goodbye to Kevin and his mom at the end of the day was sad.  But I know that we'll forever be connected in spirit and by love.  I hope to be able to go back to Bolivia to visit him again in the future.  It'll be neat to bring my own children to meet Kevin! 

We may think that all we do is give $30-some dollars a month, and send a few letters every year.  But you'll never know the huge impact you have on one child and their family until you meet them face-to-face; until you see your worn-out picture that you sent in one of your letters, worn-out because the child has been holding on to it every day, carrying it with him wherever he goes, knowing that someone is thinking of them; until you see the ecstatic look on her face because her prayers have been answered when you present her with a new backpack, because the one she has is torn and tattered, and only threads are holding the books and papers in its place; until you feel the tears and strong hugs from his mother, so grateful that she keeps thanking you every chance she can.  So, no matter how little you think you'd be doing, what is being received...tangibly, emotionally, and spiritually, is ten-fold.  I encourage those of you who haven't had the priviledge to sponsor a Compassion Child, to do so.  You truly will be making a difference in the life of a child!  For more information, go to www.compassion.com

Our team with our Compassion children.

Other fun stuff we did:
We had time to do some fun things, like try the local cuisine.  We had llama (yes, llama.  Someone on our team made a joke that now we know where the baby llama's mama went...), and we had a dish called "anticucho" (which means cow heart...yes, you heard me!).  My favorite, though, are the saltenas, which is a mid-morning snack.  It's a pastry with meat or veggie-filling in it.  It is soooo good!  In Bolivia, meat and potatoes are the staple.

They BBQ the anticucho.

 

The end product...anticucho with some potatoes.

 

Saltenas!

 

The inside of a saltena!  Yum!!

 

Chicharron (fried pork)

 

Pique (meat, hot dogs, potatoes, veggies)

 

On Tuesday, the city workers had a strike, so we were told that roads would be blocked off and there would be no public transportation available.  Since we couldn't get up to Bethesda, we decided to spend the day walking around the city of La Paz, enjoying some sights, and doing some shopping.  Walking around was a work-out in itself!  It is very hilly, and the city reminds me of San Francisco on steroids!  Either I was completely out of shape or the thin air just got to me.  Here are some pics for you to enjoy...

Looking up towards El Alto...La Paz is in the valley.

 

Gorgeous view of the peak.

 

This toddler just got his diaper changed at the side of the road.  I guess, when in Rome (or Bolivia)...

 

I LOVE the outfit of these women!  So colorful, and love the bowler hat!

 

Walking up hill!

 

This is where the President's office is.

The square across from the President's building.

 

A statue in the square...sorry, wish I could read Spanish...I'm sure it's someone important!

 

Pastor Dave and the flock of pigeons in the square!

 

The San Francisco Museum

 

While shopping, we found this Bolivian top for Jared to try on!

After 9 days in Bolivia, my heart came home full and changed.  Even though I went to serve, I feel like I was the one who was blessed beyond measure.  And the lessons that I've learned over the last week will remain with me for a long time - to live each day with gratitude; be an instrument of God's love and an extension of hope; to be prayerful at all times; to listen and be present; and to continue to love people deeply for this is the heartbeat of God.

I have no doubt that God is using Bethesda Church.  It is a beacon of hope for the hopeless, a sanctuary of peace for those who are troubled, a faithful stronghold that welcomes all in, and a place of love, God's love, for those who crave it!  The children's ministry is an integral part of the church.  It is what draws the children in, and gives them hope, and introduces them to the one who IS hope.  Lives are being transformed, and the impact for the kingdom is great.  Unfortunately, the children's ministry is in jeopardy because, come July 2013, they will be losing their funding and the inevitable may happen.  Our church, Harvest Community, believes so much in what Bethesda is doing that we are going to try and raise funds to keep the children's ministry alive.  If your heart has been touched by what I've shared, I urge you to please pray and see if God is leading you to partner with me and my church to help Bethesda.  If anything, may I covet your prayers for our brothers and sisters at Bethesda? 

Thank you for reading this.  And if you have any questions or comments, I would love to hear them!  I believe with all my heart that "greater things are yet to come, greater things are still to be done in this city (of El Alto)"...thanks, Chris Tomlin!

And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love. (1 Cor 13:13)

Dios te bendiga!