Thanksgiving

We have now celebrated our first major holiday away from home. Thanksgiving. To be honest, I was concerned with how we would handle not being with our family, and going to the different family gatherings, experiencing another exciting Black Friday, the food, the games, and everything in between that takes place the week of Thanksgiving. We were able to Skype with part of our family Tuesday morning (their Monday night). For several years we have met at a Cracker Barrel that is halfway between us. Once we were able to log on, and saw the family sitting there and were able to see each of their individual faces, the reality hits. We are not at home. It was so good to "see" everyone, yet it made us miss them even more. I think we all fought the tears back while on video, but afterwards it was hard to keep them back.

This year the kids had asked me to make a dinner for just the five of us. This is the first time I have ever done that. They wanted me to cook some of their favorite things that we have every year. I did my best at finding the ingredients needed, some of which I had to improvise. We had roast, mashed potatoes, macaroni and cheese, green bean casserole, brownies with peanut butter in the middle, and chess squares. We went around the table and said the things that we were thankful for. It was a blessing to hear what the kids had to say. Some of the things they had to say, I was surprised at. I guess when you are away from family and the life you are accustomed to, you realize what is truly important. It was a great evening! We decided that no matter where we are or what plans for the holidays we have, we will continue the tradition of having dinner with just our family.

Two families that were getting together on Friday, as the kids had school on Thursday, invited us to join them. We headed over around 11 and stayed the majority of the day. We enjoyed our day greatly, but more so enjoy the friendships that are forming!

On Saturday, we were able to Skype with the other side of Billy's family. It was great to see everyone having fun and enjoying their time together. Thankfully, we had something to look forward to after talking to them! We traveled to a nearing city and went shopping! It was not quite like Black Friday, but it was shopping non the less. We were gone the entire day! It was great though! Despite being gone for so long, no one complained about anything!! Again, I think it was just a time to enjoy being with each other, and realize what is important. When we got home we were able to Skype with my family. It was a great end to the day!

Sunday, we joined several other families as they celebrated the holiday. We enjoyed a great big lunch filled with all sorts of favorites from the different families. There was conversation, games, and a bonus for Billy and the boys...Football!!! Someone had bought a weeks worth of games. They were able to watch the Lions and Packers. May I remind everyone that the Lions is Billy's favorite team!! Yes, they lost, but it was the point that they got to watch American football!!

At the end of the weekend, we could say that we had been carried through the holiday. Yes, there were tears and homesickness. But, there was also new beginnings. There was the reminder that He cares about every detail. He provided people for us to be with. He provided time for us to Skype with our families. He did not leave us alone during such a family oriented holiday. Most of all, He is what we are to be most thankful for. He is good all the time, all the time He is good!

Tucker turns 13!!!!

Happy 13th Birthday Tucker!!!

It is so hard to believe that 13 years have passed since we were given the gift of our third child!! It was a long nine months of scares and complications, but it was more than worth it! On a Friday 13th, I had a scheduled c-section and Tucker was born! Soon after he was born we were told what had been causing his problems and had it been ANY worse, he would have died. BUT, there were other plans for his life!! Thank you, Father!! He has been such a blessing to us! Billy and I look forward to watching him grow into the
man he is called to be.

Motorbike!!!

We are so thankful to have motorbike now!! The kids LOVE not having to walk everywhere and carry heavy backpacks!! Billy and I are able to get things done in a fraction of the time! It has made our days so much more productive! We are so grateful to Him!

We rarely have to put four of us of on it, but wanted to make sure that we did fit!! Right now, Billy drives two trips if we all are going somewhere since all five of us can not fit!!!

When it rains, this is what we look like! Billy was getting ready to take lunch to the kids!

Celebrating 12 weeks of overseas living!!

We have been living overseas now for 12 weeks!! That is hard to believe!!

Billy and I have started language study. We have a tutor coming to our house 5 days a week for two hours. The first week was very overwhelming!! But, as time goes by it gets better. I think now, our brain's are in the learning mode and can it handle it better!! We are getting roughly 30-40 new words A DAY! Good news is that we can already see the benefit of what we have so far! It has allowed us to communicate better with our neighbors, people in stores, the guy that cuts Billy's hair, and a few small conversations on the public transportation! We can not wait for the day that we can really talk to people!!

Ellie went on a trip with the school as a service project to teach English. The area that they went to is much different than where we live. It is a little harder place to live and be in, especially as a girl. Despite that, she had a wonderful time! She believes that this trip was a directional trip for what she wants to do in her future. We will see, how He leads!

Tucker has is now done with soccer. They struggled through year,

but at least he got good practice! He does enjoy playing futsal which is very similar to soccer except it is indoor and they use a smaller ball. We live two doors down from a place watch or even play himself. The other night he was able to play with Billy and the security guards from the school! He scored 2 goals!!

Major is trucking right along! I think he has been least affected by our move than any of us!! He is doing great in school and is down to only 16 teeth!! He keeps losing teeth one after the other!! The problem is that his big teeth are taking their time coming in!!

A few more things we would like to share:

1. Through the language learning and Billy and the boys interest in futsal, Billy has spent some time with the owner of the futsal place. His dad lives on one side of us and is our trash man. There are 11 children in all. This one particular son owns and lives at the futsal place. He and a few of his brothers enjoy talking to Billy. A few times after playing they have sat around and talked. One night I took popcorn down to them and they talked until 1:00 in the morning! Billy will practice his language, and they will practice their English! We hope that this allows time to develop relationships with this family and allow Him to do what only He can.

2. Billy has been helping coach soccer at the school for the last several weeks. (The coaches wife got real sick and they asked him to step in and help.) Through that he has gotten to know some of the guys. One of them Friday night said that we could borrow one of his family's motorbikes because his dad is out of town, but he had not talked to his mom yet about it! So, we didn't think much of it! Then yesterday, he said his mom was fine with it and he brought over to our house!! We will only have it for a week and a half, but WE ARE SO GRATEFUL!! This will give us an idea as to how driving is here and what size bike we need. This is such a blessing! HE IS SO GOOD!!

We hope everyone is doing well and we miss you bunches!!!

It was a LONG day!!

Yesterday, Billy and I decided to go to a city nearby to try to get a few things that we can not find here. Since we do not have our own form of transportation, we took a bus. They have some nice buses that have decent seats and air condition. We took a mini bus (this is the normal public transportation for us) to the road to catch the big bus. We wait and wait and wait! For some reason the type bus that we were looking for never came. Finally after a long while a bus came. We get on, but there is only one seat open. Billy of course, lets me sit down and he stands. He stands for an hour and a half! To our surprise, no one got off at any of the stops on the way! But, more people did get on!!

Along the way, since I had no one to talk to, I noticed a few things...

1. This elderly lady was sitting across the isle from me and was just starring at me!!! I tried to ignore it, as this happens very often. Unfortunately, she did not stop starring! Eventually, I turned and looked at her and smiled. She in turns gives me a big smile back! She seemed so happy that I smiled at her!! The cute thing was, she was so happy that I had acknowledged her and smiled that she did not mind smiling back with a big smile despite all of her teeth being rotted!

2. I was looking out of the window along the way, and noticed something I had never seen before! There was a man washing his dump style truck in his underwear on the side of the road!!! Just a little disturbing!!! :/

3. We go a little further, and I start to realize that the music has gone from the native language to English. Then comes a song from Phil Collins! His voice was a flashback to the 80's!!!

4. Again, I am looking at out of the window and I notice children out in a school yard, I am sure for P.E. I was able to see them for several seconds the way the school yard was positioned. The kids had there hands on their hips, and by their movements it appeared like they were square dancing!!! I am sure they weren't, but that's what it reminded of and gave me a little laugh on the inside!

Some very common things that you see in normal life here or on the roads are the rice fields with make shift scarecrows. There are tons of rice fields here! Another thing is construction workers whether they are working on the road, or building a building, they all wear FLIP FLOPS!! No matter if they are sawing something, jack hammering, laying pavement, throwing bricks, or anything else they wear flip flops! I really don't know how they don't get seriously hurt!

Anyway, Billy and I had a nice time together, and we get a few things done. Now, it is time to head home! We take a taxi to the bus station where we are told that it will be one hour before the type bus we want will leave. The problem with that is then we would be late for Tucker's soccer game. A bus pulls up, and this couple tells us that this bus is going in our direction. So we got on!!! I think we should have turned around and gotten off!! This type bus has a row of two seats then a row of 3 seats. The seats were small (my shoulder's were wider than the seats), and it was a full bus! I felt like I had no option but to stay on so we could make it to Tucker's game. Shortly after we leave the station, this man stands up leaning on the seat in front of me and started talking. Then he started singing and clapping. A little into the song, we realize that it is a song about the religion here. He finishes about 5 minutes later and talks again. Then, people give him a few coins. Then another guy comes walking up the isle, and he starts singing and playing his ukulele! Billy and I just look at each other and try to not laugh! We determine that we are going to get off at the next stop! A little later, we smell smoke, and as there are "No Smoking" signs on the bus, we can't figure out who is smoking...It was the bus driver!!! To our dismay, he did not stop at the same stops as the bus going did, except for one. But, we didn't recognize it as a bus stop until we were pulling away. You see, the bus driver never came to a complete stop even as a lady was getting off the bus!

Driving here, is not the same as it in the States. There a lines, but they mean nothing! There were several times that we were passing other buses or trucks with coming traffic! The bus driver would just swing us from one lane to the next. At one point, the nationals stood up and were looking and making moaning type noises! Then, there was one time that I really thought we were going to crash. He pulled over to pass someone and there was a a big truck coming. The truck was not going to move, nor was he! Somehow, we slung over just in time as the truck passed us honking! The nationals were saying things and making noises. I thought, if they can't believe it, then it has to be bad! Then we were told by this guy trying to help us that our stop was next. It wasn't! We got off several miles to early. We walked for maybe a 1/2 mile then caught a mini bus. He takes us to a point to catch another mini bus. We finally make it to the school and were only 15 minutes late to Tucker's game! Whew!

To end the day, our gas tank that heats the water for our showers had gone out. The one that was delivered Billy could not get hooked in. We called some friends and they came over to help. Thank goodness!! What ended up happening was... We had to take the tank form the stove and hook it up the water. Then take that one and hook it up to the stove!

Needless to say by the end of all of this, we were ready for bed!! :)

Settling In!!!

An update is long overdue!!! Cultural Training ended and was great! We absolutely loved being there and with other people of like mind. We hope that through the time there we developed lasting friendships despite the miles that will separate us.

After coming home, we had two weeks to prepare to leave! It was a whirlwind! You don't realize how much there really is to do until the last minute, and then it is to late. Unfortunately, we did not have the time to spend with all of our friends that we had hoped for. Time was just to short.

NOW...We are in South East Asia and have started to settle in!

We have a house and have it just about furnished! Despite our language barrier and little help we have been able to find, purchase, and have delivered almost everything we need! It has been very comical at times. I won't lie and tell you that there have been a few frustrating moments in the midst too. To back track a little, the house that we are living in is not the first house we thought we would live in. We tried to rent two other houses, but neither of those worked out. I believe this was the house for us! It has a big back yard that provides ample space for the boys to pass football, practice soccer, pass baseball, and there is even a cemented part for a basketball goal! The boys really needed this and I believe that is why we are living here!

The kids have so well adjusting to their new living environment. We could not have asked for them to do any better! We are so proud of them! :) Tucker and Major have started school. They seem to like it, considering it's school!! They have small classes which makes it easy to make friends and get acclimated. Tucker is also on the junior high soccer team as well! He is anxious for the season to kick into gear! Ellie is volunteering in the elementary department of the school and is loving it! She has been able to help out with several different areas including PE for 3rd and 4th grades, math for 6th grade, assisting the 2nd grade teacher as well as the Kindergarten and 1st grade teachers! Needless to say, she stays busy!!!

Right now Billy and I have been focused on getting the house set up. Between buying furniture, appliances, dishes, cookware, and everything in between, to learning how to have water and gas tanks delivered, and walking everywhere we go...we stay busy! We hope that later in September to start language study.

Please continue to keep us in your prayers. The adjustment period is not over. We have already experienced getting news of sick family members back home, a nephew to be born tomorrow, and several other situations going on at home. With each of these situations, reality hits of how far away you are, and what you can't help with or be apart of. Yet, we know the purpose of being here and try to stay focused on the goal.

Cultural Training Weeks 2-3

Wow!!! We have been learning so much! It has been such a good experience though! I wish that I could go into detail of all the things that we have been learning and discussing, but for now, that needs to be saved for personal conversations. Needless to say, we are being prepared for the calling God has on our lives. Whether it be class time, homework, or our cultural experiences outside of class, our eyes or being opened a little bit more. It is an exciting time!

I know that I keep mentioning homework!...But, we have had our share of work to do! Most nights we have several articles to read, then every few days have papers to write. Tonight for instance, we had four articles to read, read 1 Peter, and write a paper! This past weekend we had 6 articles to read and three papers to write! Thankfully though, we are getting it all done!! :)

As, I mentioned last time, we are enjoying being surrounded by people that our in the same circumstances as us. Even though aspects of our stories might be different, we all have many similarities. There is a comfort in relating to people that are going through the same thoughts, feelings, fears, and emotions. It has been such a joy to get to know everyone!!

We are so grateful that there are several other kids here too. The boys have made friends and are staying busy! They might miss the Xbox and Wii, but as a mother, I do not!! Actually though, they don't really talk about it anymore!! They are enjoying riding their bikes, going to the student center and commons area, and swimming. It has been a great time for them to just be outside and hang out with other kids. Not to mention, that these kids too, are in the same boat as them. They are leaving friends, schools, and possessions behind as well. It has made them realize that their feelings are normal and alright to have.

Ellie has jumped right into the class with us! She has shared her opinions and has worked hard. She has, of course, made some young friends!! There is a 2 year old little girl, actually our neighbor, who just loves her! Ellie quite enjoys her too! But, she has also not hesitated in making friends with all of the adults as well. She, too, has seen the benefit of being here!

One thing is for sure, we miss home. As much as we may miss our physical house, that is just an object. We miss the people that make it "home". It is hard for me to imagine what the next months will be like. I know that God will give us grace to go through them and when we are home sick. We will learn to rest in Him. More and more, I see how our lives, each event, has been preparation for this call. I know He will comfort us in our times of weakness. The purpose of going is eternal, which far supersedes being home sick. Even though, that is a true reality, God created us with emotions and it hurts to be away from everyone we love.

Cultural Training~Week One

We have successfully made it through the first week of cultural training!! To be honest this week has flown by! We have settled into our dorm style apartment and are making it home. We are here with 16 other families/singles. There are only two countries that are represented here that is duplicated in persons going. Everyone else is going someplace different. Which is really cool to see all of the different cultures represented.

This week we have had our lunches and dinners provided for us. This has allowed time and opportunity for us to get to know each other and build community. There is something to be said about being surrounded by people who are in the same boat as you. All of us are raising support. All of us have gotten rid of almost all of our belongings. All of us have the good byes lying ahead. All of us have jobs, family, or other circumstances that have been part of the story of bringing us to this point. It has been refreshing and such encouragement to be here.

Billy, Ellie, and I are in the same class, which is the adult class. This week we have focused on who we are. One day we went over DISC. It shows us what type personality we are. The three of us are each different, although Billy and I are more similar. One day we went over mind styles, the way we think and process information. Again, we are all three different, but Billy and I more similar. Poor Ellie is about as opposite in both as she can be!! Then, we have started a life mapping process. This will take us through life events that have molded us into who we are. These events include the good, the bad, and the ugly! It will be interesting to see the testimony that comes from each of our lives. Also, we have been put into small groups to meet once a week to have devotions and pray for each other. (Ellie is not part of this though. Due to her age she will do something different.)

Tucker and Major are apart of the kids department. They are some of the older kids, and considered youth. They have really enjoyed their time here. They will go over some of the same things we will go over to help prepare them for this journey too. It has been so good for them to be around kids that have same excitement as them, as well as the same fears and concerns. It has helped them see that this is all normal and part of the process. Actually, they have already gotten close to some of the other boys here, and they expressed that they don't want to have to say good-bye to them. 

Today, we ventured into "town" and went to Walmart! This was our first outing of the week! It is funny how excited you can become over going to Walmart! We have come to the conclusion that part of the isolation here is actually part of the cultural training in and of itself! Needless to say, we are looking forward to week two!!

Tornadoes...

Last Wednesday started out as a normal morning. We knew that bad weather and storms could be on their way, but I don't think we ever imagined that they would be as bad as they were.

Ellie called around 9 am to tell us that they were in the hall in tornado position. I immediately started to worry about Tucker as he was supposed to be heading to Lawerenceville, GA for a field trip! Thankfully, about 5 minutes later we got a call from his school telling us that the sixth grade had returned, was safe in the school, and in the hall! Praise the Lord, he was safe!! Then, the worry came for Major! The last threat of tornadoes that had come through Hamilton County both Ellie and Tucker were in the hall in tornado position for almost an hour. Major was never taken into the hall!! So this time, Billy called the school to make sure that they had them in the hall. Thankfully he called because they told him they were not in the hall because they didn't know there was a threat!! WHAT?? Needless to say, that when I later picked up Major they "assured" me they had them in the hall and all of the kids were safe!

This first storm had passed and Billy and I head to church. We were supposed to have our SALT class that morning. I think we went around 7 trees on our 10 minute drive to church! Power was out and the stories were already beginning. We also got a call saying school would be let out at 11 am. As the afternoon goes by, the weather seems to improve. We actually head to the mall to look at prom dresses! While there, however, another storm comes through. We were in Dillards and told to go to a certain area in the store. That was an experience! I was ready to leave and get in a basement! After that storm passed, we grabbed some Chick-fil-A and headed to Janice's house. We knew that we had already lost power at our house. As the night progressed we would periodically go upstairs to check on things. At one point, I stood amazed at the lightening that was just beyond the mountain. I called to the rest of the family to come upstairs if they wanted to see it. I knew that something was happening in the midst of all of that. As I watched the lightening I prayed for what could possibly be taking place underneath. I believe now, that was the storm that hit Apison. The night was one to be remembered. The devastation it caused around the south was monumental.

Personally, we had damage to a car and our deck, and out of power for six days. In light of the devastation, we have nothing to complain about. Our loss was just a few things. During the storms and watching some of it, I was reminded that this too is preparation. There will be storms where we are moving to. How will I/we respond? Do I truly believe in the Sovereignty of God? This is also proof that no matter where I live, God is control. It is so easy to believe that it is "safer" to be at "home" in Chattanooga. Moving to another country that has volcanoes and tsunamis doesn't sound very safe, but the other night proved that Chattanooga can be dangerous too! Our trust, comfort, and peace HAVE to come the Father. He is the only way we can be still during such storms.

Things are lining up!!

We are down to six weeks before we head to Cultural Training. Time is speeding by! I hope I can get it all done! The "To Do" list seems to grow instead of decrease! Thankfully, I have some great friends that have helped and are still willing to help me! Thank you, Lord, for wonderful friends!!

The house is officially on the market! We are getting everything ready! Packing, sorting, giving away, then doing it all over again! It's an exciting time, yet hectic and chaotic with all that is taking place! Just because you are trying to get five people ready to move across the world, does not mean that life stops! Somehow at the end of the day we have gotten it all done, or at least close to it!! ;)

Bill and I are in the last month of SALT. We see the light at the end of the tunnel!! We have a big assignment that concludes the year. A 10-15 minute message! We hope we pass and don't get a "Re-do"!!!

We have found a new home for Jet, our Standard Poodle. It is a bittersweet feeling. We know though, that God provided this home, and Jet will be well taken care of. It will be difficult, though, to say good-bye to him. I dread the day that is soon coming.

Don't let me forget one very important piece of information...Ellie's Graduation!!! In the midst of packing, trying to sell a house, two boys in baseball on separate teams, Ellie working, SALT, laundry, house cleaning and so on...We have a daughter graduating high school!!! I can not believe that this is possible!! Ellie is getting so excited that high school is almost over! She is down to three days of actual class time left. We have gotten the pictures made, bought the dresses, planned a party, and now all that is left is the commencement ceremony! What a day this will be!

Merry Christmas, Happy New Year, and God's Blessing!!

Merry Christmas!!!

It was amazing to wake up to a WHITE Christmas!! This was the first one for all of us! When it was being predicted that it would snow, I didn't believe that it would happen. I thought though that it would be so neat if we had a white Christmas for our "last" Christmas here in the states for a while. When Tucker yelled, "Mom, it is snowing!! We have a white Christmas!" I just began to cry!! What a gift that God gave us!!!

We had a great day opening gifts and spending time with family. There was a bitter sweetness that sort of hung over the day though. As we plan to move in June, this was the last Christmas to be here for a few years. It is hard to know that time with family is limited. Whether is it phone conversation with my (Dana) mom and grandparents, or dinner time with Bill's family, we know the reality of a time frame. Throughout the day words would be said that would spark emotions of this reality and tears would come. The kids began to count!! Before heading to bed I believe the count was six! I know that this could sound as if the day wasn't good, but really it was!! It was just different.

Happy New Year!!!!

Happy 2011!!! We had a great New Year's weekend! We were able to spend the weekend with Bill's family, 24 of us, in Pigeon Forge. This year will bring many new changes! Ellie will graduate from high school, Major will finish his last year of Elementary school, Tucker will become a teenager, Ellie will turn 18, and we will move to a new country!! Wow!!! This will be an exciting year!!

We would love to hear about your year and the exciting things in store for you!

God's Blessing!!

As we get ready to move and begin the journey that God has in store for us, we have been praying about the steps we need to take. We knew that one was to sell the Suburban. It was a hard decision to make since the Suburban was the main family car, and quite honestly we had emotional attachments to it. I posted on Facebook that we were going to sell it. We had a few people interested but at that time could not buy it. We had discussed taking it to Car Max knowing that we would only get trade in value for it. We thought about this a lot since it would just be done and we wouldn't have to worry about selling it and something happening with the car afterwards. Then, I had the idea to put it Craigslist. With a little hesitation Bill agreed and said we would give it a week! By God's doing it was sold in 3 days and in the new owner's hands in 3 more! We could not believe it! Not to mention that God gave us just a little under what we were asking! The twist is that we had no running car of our own now! Thankfully, Bill's parents have a van that we were able to drive. Then, God did the miraculous!! HE GAVE US A CAR!!!! Someone new of our need and provided us a car to drive until we move!! Not only did God provide a car, but He allowed it to be a Suburban!! I know this might not sound like a big deal, but trust me it is. You see, a Suburban was and has been my dream car. God allowed me to have one for a season and I am grateful. Then, it was time to follow God and give up my earthly possession. It was hard, I am not going to lie! I know it is just a car and means nothing in comparison to eternity, but I am made of flesh and it was hard! I am not sure why God allowed "a cherry on top" kind of moment only other than to say, "Dana, I love you!". God's mercy and grace has blown us away! God has been so good to us!