Christmas Project `11 Report!

There is something so wonderful about being the hands who deliver gifts to an orphanage for Christmas.  It really is an incredible honor, and I am so thankful that you gave us the opportunity to do it again this year!  Since their requests were practical things (sheets, shoes and kitchen utensils) it wasn’t quite as thrilling for the kids.  But Yara (the mama) was pretty thrilled!

(To see a larger image, just click on any picture below.)

Quality sheets!!! Hooray!

Cooking utensils... it's hard to have enough for 23 kids!

Everyone received TWO new pairs of shoes!! Thanks to Westlake Fellowship in Montgomery, TX

They also received this large book of 101 Bible stories. Everyone liked that gift!

A friend of mine made a stocking for each and every child… they were adorable!  We stuffed them with little snacks, toothbrush, toothpaste, stickers, pencils, sharpener, eraser, candy canes, and an illustrated New Testament in Spanish!!!

Handing out treasures... just a little chaos!

All the kids with their stockings!

They love their New Testaments!

What better way to add life to a party than a piñata??  Most of the time, those are just filled with some cheap candy.  We filled 2 piñatas FULL of special candy brought from the U.S. (Bit `O Honey, Sweet tarts, Fruit chews, York peppermint patties, Reeces Peanutbutter cups, etc), as well as some small toys, games, and puzzles!

Before the pinatas met their fate!

Going after it!

Dive dive dive!!!

Showing the newly aquired loot!

I think that about does it!  Carlos and Yara were extremely thankful for all the gifts, and asked me to pass along their gratitude to you.  Once again, those of you who gave truly exceeded our expectations and blessed the socks off this sweet family.  Thank you!  Thank you for being a part of their Christmas (and ours as well!) and for helping meet some very basic and crucial needs!  Christmas `11 at the orphanage was another great success.

Our addition!

We moved in!!!!    I can’t tell you how thrilled we are.  The extra space is overwhelming (in a very good way) and it’s SO amazing to actually have space to organize and put things away.  And we’re not even done!  Right now, the middle (nursery) room isn’t quite finished, so it’s just full of tools and such.  But it’s not really a pressing need, because all 3 girls want to be in the same room anyway right now!  So they have their room, we have ours, and we LOVE IT.  In preparing to post all of these pictures, I’m painfully aware of all the little things that still need to be done.  But truly, we are just so happy to be living up here… I can’t postpone photos any longer!  (That, and, my little sister keeps bugging me to post some. ) So here goes!

This used to be the girl's bedroom. But we took out the ceiling and built stairs!

 

From the top of the stairs, looking down.

 

From the top of the stairwell! The door on the immediate left is the linen closet (unheard of down here!) and beyond that the girl's bathroom. The master bedroom is straight ahead, the nursery just to the right of it, then the girl's bedroom on the far right (you can just barely see it's door frame).

 

The girl's bathroom! The toilet is to the right, out of shot. We are still waiting on mirrors and shower curtains.

 

Girl's room!

 

Looking towards the closet. Can you see Cloe?

 

Girl's closet! That little ladder goes up to their "fort". And those are Cloe's feet!

 

The entry into the master bedroom! The bathroom is on the left, then our closet and my vanity, and that's my desk in the corner.

 

Our bathroom! There is a little toilet room on the far left, then my tub, and the shower is around the corner on the right. LOVE having a tub at last!!!

 

My vanity, and our closet on the right. (Again, waiting on mirrors.)

 

Our closet! I know it's a normal size walk-in, but it feels HUGE to us, compared to the last one. My hanging clothes have come out of storage! Brennah naps in here sometimes... pack `n play fits great!

 

And last, our bedroom! My desk in the left corner (still empty until we have a modem upstairs) and a window seat/storage bench in the far corner.

 

There you have it!!  I will do a more thorough tour once we have everything finished.  This should tide you over though, right? I have no idea if any of our supporters read my blog.  But if they do, I want to post a public “thank you” to those who sent gifts specifically designated for finishing our house.  All of the above would NOT be in existence without you.  God has provided for us so extravagantly… we are in awe.

Christmas `11 at the orphanage!

Do you remember Christmas 2010?  Did it change your life?  I have a feeling, that for the kids at Casa Hogar Canan, it did!!  I still get all teary-eyed when I think of how generously you gave to them last year.  Here is the post with all the photos and stories from last Christmas.

On the playground that your gifts built last Christmas!

A couple of months ago, on a visit to the orphanage, I asked Yara (the mama)  to start thinking about what we could do for them this year.  Her eyes lit up and she asked incredulously “you’re going to do that again???”  I grinned ear to ear, and nodded; knowing that you would come through again.  So on our next visit, I asked Yara if she had thought of what we could help her with for Christmas this year.  She immediately said “Yes.  We need sheets and shoes.”  My first thought was “that’s easy!”  Then I started looking around for sheets.  They are NOT cheap here, at least if you’re looking for any kind of quality to last more than a month or two.

The shoe part of the request is taken care of.  A small church in Conroe, TX has already taken that project on!  So I’m really focusing on getting them some good bedding.  Remember they have 21 kids in the house.  So we need (at least) 21 sets of twin-size sheets, and at least 1 set of queen-size.  Since we will not be returning to the US again this year (until March 2012), we will need to purchase them here.

If we happen to raise enough funds to buy all the sheets and still have left-over, they have some furnishing needs as well.  The icing on the cake would be to have something small for the kids to unwrap on Christmas morning (I’m guessing sheets won’t be very thrilling for a 5 yr old)!

Here’s how you can help.  Get your small group, Sunday school class, co-workers, or family involved.  See if everyone wants to pitch in $5!  Last year I had a number of people say “I don’t have much to give, just $10.”  But if 3 people send $10, that’s a whole set of sheets!  It doesn’t have to be a huge amount to make a difference.  In fact, when you have SO little, it takes VERY little to make a difference.

Paypal is the easiest way to transfer money for this project.  It’s fast and free.  Just click “send funds” to this address:  nathan_terrell@sil.org  and write “Chiapas Orphanage Christmas” in the memo line.

You can also mail a check, made out to Global Encounters, to this address:

Global Encounters

151 Mitchell Rd, Unit S8

Greenville, SC 29615

If you go the check-method, be sure and write “Chiapas Orphanage Christmas” in the memo line so we will know what it’s for.

Lastly, no matter how you contribute, please send (via e-mail to julie_terrell@sil.org) a picture of yourself, your family, or the group you went in with.  Last year, we made a big poster board with all of those pictures and left it with the kids.  They still love it!

If you know of anyone who might be interested in helping us make this Christmas really great for some wonderful kids, please pass this on!  I doubt we can over-bless them.  I can hardly wait for Christmas!!

Gabi turns 4!!!

They say time flies when you’re having fun. This is definitely true of us the last 4 yrs! Gabi keeps us on our toes, and keeps us quite entertained in the process. It is difficult to remember life before Gabi was born, but I do know that it wasn’t quite as fun as it is today. I am so thankful that God saw fit to bless our family with her presence 4 yrs ago!

Sweet baby Gabi, 13 days old!

Gabi is our most sensitive child, at this point. It is not at all unusual for her to reduce to a puddle of tears if something/someone scares her, or if one of her sisters is hurt or sad. Nathan and I have wondered a number of times how God is going to use this attribute in her future… I am confident that He has a plan!

At 2 1/2 yrs old!

I love seeing my girls grow and mature. Gabi is technically supposed to be starting pre-school this year, but we did that last yr and she is bored with it! This week she has started “writing messages” to us, sounding out the words and writing them on her own. Sometimes they require translation, but for the most part they make sense! I can’t believe the things that she picks up all on her own.

Gabi at 3 yrs old... such a contagious giggle!

The day before Gabi’s birthday, Nathan and I took her on a special date. We ran a couple errands to get things for her birthday party, went to lunch at the place of her choice (Burger King!), and of course got ice-cream before heading home. We all had a blast!!

Birthday ice-cream date!

Getting birthday supplies... starting with a giant pinata!

We had a REALLY fun birthday party, and I took a bajillion pictures! But I will try to contain myself and just share my favorites.

The pre-party cupcake decorators!

 

Sisters make the best birthday party mates!

 

The birthday girl gets the first swing at the pinata!

 

Sweet little Hillary took a swing, too

 

Mimi sent gifts (as usual!) months in advance. Gabi loved every one!!

 

SO tickled at that big "4" on top!

 

Brennah had multiple cupcakes...

We are thankful beyond words to have Gabriella Joy. She is a constant ray of sunshine in our world!

Happy Birthday, Gabs!

My Mexico list…

I have a running list in my drafts folder that I add to now and then.  I came across it today and after adding a few new things, decided I should just share it on here with you.  I have SO little time to blog these days that I figure if I’ve got something written down, I might as well share it.    So here it is!  Things I love about living in Mexico.

• When we’re running late, no one minds! We will likely still be the first ones to arrive!
• My kids are perfectly comfortable in 2 very different cultures.
• I am learning to speak another language, and so are my girls!
• Flowers are cheaper than dirt. Literally.
• Awesome Chiapas coffee, French pastries, Argentinean steak, and Japanese sushi… all in the same block!
• My kids get to witness God providing for our needs on a regular basis, in miraculous ways!
• Due to the constant flow of visitors, my children are learning to interact with a lot of different people, and are also turning into great little hostesses.
• The green!!! I never knew there were so many shades of green until I saw the vegetation here.
• The coziness of falling asleep or waking up to the sound of rain… for months at a time!
• Getting to be a part of people experiencing Mexico for the first time. Seeing people’s perspective on missions and the world change before our eyes!
• Hot, fresh tortillas. And a tortilleria (a store that makes and sells them) just around the corner. Just pennies for a little stack of them.
• I have a new and fresh appreciation for my beloved United States of America. Everything sparkles a bit brighter when we go back.
• We are just a couple hours drive from several different beaches/oceans.
• Produce here tastes different. Mangoes are sweeter, avocados are creamier (and cheaper) and pineapples taste like they’ve been dipped in sugar!
• Our life here is chalk full of uncertainty, which I prefer to call “ADVENTURE!”
• Hearing Nathan and myself refer to Casa Hogar as “our orphanage” and knowing that we have a relationship with those kids that we wouldn’t have if we didn’t live here.
• Cilantro grows in my back yard like a weed!
• Knowing that we are smack in the center of where God wants us to be right now. That, in and of itself, is worth any sacrifice we have to make to live here. No amount of American comforts can replace the peace and joy that comes with knowing that you are being obedient to His call on your life!

Blessed interruptions

I have this necklace that I bought myself a few months ago.  We were nearing an anniversary of one of my miscarriages, which usually makes me just a little emotional.  I had been looking for some sort of memento for my friend who had suffered through her first miscarriage not long before.  I came across this little pendant and fell in love!  It has an actual “forget-me-not” flower made into silver, with room for multiple birthstones to hang from it… mine has 3.  For months now, this necklace has served as a quiet memorial for me to remember the babies I never got to hold.  But recently, it’s come to mean something more.

I have a friend who amazes me.  She has a testimony of God’s grace like I’ve never heard before!  She is a missionary with her husband and 4 sweet kids in Ukraine.  A few months ago she was sharing with me about her own miscarriage… it made an impression on me!  Then again, most things that Jolene does seem to make an impression. (Here is the link to her blog, in case you’d like to get to know her better.)

Jolene told me that one of the harder parts of dealing with her miscarriage was thinking about the fact that she’ll never see that baby grow up.  It truly gave me a new appreciation for the 3 sweet little girls I have running around my house today.  Before a few months ago, I had never entertained the thought of what I was missing out on when those 3 miscarried pregnancies ended so abruptly.  After a few moments of reflection on this topic, I was in tears.  But it was not the ideas of “I will never (this side of Heaven) get to see those babies smile” or “we won’t get to see them grow into adulthood” but rather “those babies will never wake me up in the middle of the night with a bad dream.  Those 3 babies will never spill their drink all over my freshly-mopped floor.  I will never have the opportunity to get tired of wiping their snotty noses or answering the call of ‘Mooooooom! I’m doooooooone!’ from the bathroom.”  How I would love to do any one of those things for any one of my Heaven babies.

Maybe you’re not like me.  For your own sake, I do hope you’re not!  But I can get a little obsessive when it comes to projects.  Once I’m rolling on something, it is nearly painful to be interrupted!  The good news is that I’m finding this to be less and less true of me lately.  Somehow, the realization of the interruptions I will never get to deal with have made me more grateful for the ones I face daily!  Don’t get me wrong… I’m still a long ways from where I want to be in my mothering journey.  But I feel as though this has been a revelation in my life.  It has been that little nudge that encourages me to take of the dish gloves, and stoop down to kiss an owie.  Or to put dinner preparations on hold for a few minutes to hold whichever girl is asking for attention.  Sometimes it means laying awake in bed with a feverish or scared child, whispering something soothing instead of dealing with it and getting back to sleep as soon as I can.

These days are flying by so quickly!  My baby will be 2 in just a couple months and currently attempting to potty-train herself.  Wasn’t it just a few days ago that I learned we were expecting our first baby??  These are the days that I remind myself to enjoy each season.  Some seasons feel longer than others.  Like the “let’s wipe our spaghetti hands clean in our freshly washed hair” season.  But then I turn around and that one is over, too!

I am glad I have this “forget-me-not” to wear around my neck now.  Something tangible to remind me that every opportunity I get to be mom to these girls is a precious one that I might not have had, and will never have again!  Thank you, God, for interruptions!

Encourage us – Time for a give-away!

Sometimes it’s easy to lose sight of what you’re doing.  More than that, it’s easy to lose sight of WHY you’re doing what you’re doing.  Right?  Someone tell me I’m not the only one!  Yeah, I know I’m not.  So today I’m trying to remember all the “whys.”  I look around my house and see various reminders… little handprints on the window, a note from my 6 yr old that says “Mom I luv yu” and some beautiful flowers my husband brought home for me last week.  But my eyes come to rest on a cross.  It’s a small, wooden, hand-painted cross from Chiapa de Corzo (not far from here).  It’s simple.  It’s beautiful.  It explains everything!  We’re not here to push a church, philosophy, or way of living.  We just want to share the cross and all that it means to us!

So here’s the give-away.  It’s a cross!  It’s actually a carved, polished fossil cross.  I’ve seen girls wear these on a long leather cord, and I’ve seen guys wear them shorter… the cord has one of those slidey-knots (is that a word?) that you can easily adjust the length with.

 

A fun, simple reminder for you or a friend.

 

Yes it’s totally free (shipping included).  All you have to do to enter is answer one little question for me in the comments below.  Ready?  Here it is:  What is the hardest thing you’ve ever done, and what got you through it?

I will randomly draw a name in a few days, then get the cross in the mail.  Can’t wait to read your comments!

When you feel helpless…

It’s been too long since I posted an update on Brave Kate.  The last time I posted about our little cancer warrior, she was about to have her tumor removed.  The surgery was a great success, as far as surgeries go.  There is hard news though.  The complete biopsy changed her diagnosis to unfavorable histology.  I asked Kate’s mama, Amanda, to write up an update for us.  It is so heart-breaking to watch one of my closest friends have to walk this scary road with her baby.  Such a helpless feeling engulfs me when I think about it!  Maybe you feel the same way?  I remind myself that praying is a far cry from helpless.  I can pray and attempt to recruit more prayer warriors on Kate’s behalf.

Here is an update and Amanda’s prayer requests.  Please continue your prayers for this family… they are needed now more than ever!

***We are one week into our new protocol for Kate. She has started her treatment from the beginning of UH1 because of the chemo resistant cancer cells in her tumor. Even though the surgeons have removed the tumor and her kidney (all 2.5 lbs of it, which covered most of her left side with a 1 inch piece of tumor) she needs to go through this 30 week chemo plan to keep even a cell from reproducing into a more resistant cancer. The surgery was a “clean” surgery with every border cleared of cancer, but there is no way to know if there is a finger shoot of cells somehow clinging to her body. If the cancer did come back or we chose a lesser protocol she would have about a 40% chance of survival. Relapse is very real and much harder to beat in Wilms kids (another angel yesterday). We have to hit it hard now, with her plan she still has an 85% survival rate, just a lot more to go through. We have a lot behind us, but in front us we are facing daily neupogen shots to keep her white blood cells up to help her body fight infection, inpatient stays (5 times we will stay for 5 days and 10 other 1 nights stays), twice a week blood counts (finger pokes), and a much higher risk of neutropenic symptoms (her body reacting to the chemo with fevers to fight off the cancer, but will need to be hospitalized, most parents who have been there have said they end up in the hospital between most treatments).

Having shared all these crazy realities for her, here are the things on my heart I would love prayer for:

- Her anxiety level is much higher now whenever we go to the hospital or when she has shots. She is gritting her little teeth, Please pray for her to have some kind of special grace to get through this challenging time. I am amazed at her recovery, after the shot or procedure she seems fine. She continues to have a beautiful faith that God is with her

- Her next inpatient visit they will be employing the strongest chemotherapy drugs, which cause the most nausea. But she had a bad reaction to the anti nausea drugs last time so they are stripping her plan down to the bare minimum to see if her reaction will be better, but there is a risk she will be much more sick or they will pick the wrong drugs to pull. Pray for least sickness and pain for her.

- Pray for her long term memories to not be haunted by the pain of these challenges (some kids seem to remember nothing, some remember everything). Especially the catheter, I am praying she does not feel violated, but can have some understanding about it. She already has calmed a lot of my fears by sharing she understands she needs to do hard things to get better.

- Pray for her daily shots, it is an ordeal. We are trying to just do it and get it over with, the anxiety is stronger for her then the pain. Lots of tears and hugs for her. Praying she can have some understanding about why we have to do it and some peace. Rob is getting better at it. He is my hero! So grateful for insurance, the shots cost about $1,000 a day.

- Thursdays are the new chemo day, please pray for her on that day, she struggles so much with being accessed in her mediport under her skin.

- Please pray for a good appetite, she has been doing well with eating the last few days (thanks to Connor my nephew) but she is at her lowest weight. They will not put in a feeding tube until she has lost 15% of her body weight since the surgery (which was 33 lbs. she is about 32 lbs. now) So I am really hopeful she will not need one.

- Her energy and patience is a struggle for her, pray for wisdom for us on how to comfort her and keep a few boundaries in place so she feels secure.

- Please pray for our family as a whole, Luke’s separation anxiety, Rob giving the shots and his financial concerns, and my headaches and heart break over my little girl going through more then a 4 year should encounter.

I have to share there continues to be mercy from God lighting the way, he smiles at us through your prayers, mercies that are new every morning. Lots of support and an extended family that has rallied and loved us in more beautiful ways then we could have every hoped for, ever. Thank you for your love!***

Amanda, Rob, Luke and Kate Michaels

The JOY of it all

I can’t get over this day.  I have always loved it SO much!  Even as an adult, after 31 Easters, I have a hard time going to bed the night before Easter.  No matter how many times I read the words “He is not here… He is risen, just as He said!”  I still get goose-bumps!  I mean, it’s a cool story right??  But the implications of the story are so far beyond cool.  He conquered death!!  Dying to pay the penalty for our sins is pretty incredible, all on it’s own.  But the fact that even death couldn’t keep Him!  The incredible joy of knowing that we get to share in that victory with Him… it’s indescribable!

I’ve watched THIS VIDEO at least 5 times today… good luck sitting still and not feeling the thrill of His resurrection!

We claim the victory He won on Calvary… Celebrate the King of Glory!  Rise up!  People of the Lord, Rise up!

Gettin’ that tumor out!

It’s been almost 3 months since Kate was diagnosed with Wilm’s Tumor.  You might remember my original post about it.  Tomorrow is a big day… one we’ve been anxiously anticipating!  The tumor is coming out!  Kate’s mom, Amanda, wrote the update below.  I want to pass it on so that you can pass it on.  There can not be too many prayers behind this sweet little girl and her family!

 

Kate’s tumor will be removed (along with her kidney, some lymph nodes and possibly some adrenal glands) on Wednesday at 12 noon Eastern Time.For those of you who are joining us in lifting up Kate in prayer, here is a list of things on my heart. Please pray for:

- God’s gracious hand will continue to guide us, we are in awe and wonder over His kindness to us in the midst of Kate’s Cancer.
- The anesthesiologist would skillful and careful with her
- The surgeons would be very careful taking out the tumor, I am praying there will not be any rupture of cancer cells to the rest of the body, no damage to her aorta
- She has some nervousness about the surgery, would you pray for her nerves to be calmed
- For the nursing care to be on target with her treatment plan and compassionate
- The staff to communicate well amongst each other as a team
- Please pray for no extra pokes, sickness or unnecessary pain
- For her counts to be healthy enough to do the surgery, she was right on the line this last week
- For speedy recovery, she is planned to stay 4 days in hospital, but we are hoping for 2-3 days. Kids recover quick!
- Continued healing and good relationships among our family, we want to learn and grow in all the ways God has for us!
- Good communication and decision making for Rob and I, more growth and team work. We have been experiencing some beautiful miracles in our marriage lately.
- Kate being able to eat (she usually will not eat at the hospital)
- Health for myself and for our family as we are with her in the hospital (I am feeling much better after our wonderful weekend, but still have the headache, a sore throat and some congestion)
- Luke will be spending some time with Rob’s parents while we are in the hospital, pray for a good and happy transition for him. He is Momma’s little man lately.
- My MRI tomorrow, the neurologist hinted that they are looking for MS, I am peaceful about it, but praying for some answers soon.
- We have some pending legal issues, for God’s will to be done and no one else would be hurt.
- We are hoping for a refund from our cruiseline when we could not vacation while Kate was under treatment, we have been refused a couple of time, hoping for a good result with that situation
- Rob’s work to continue to be supportive of the time he is taking off for Kate’s care. He is such a loving Daddy!
- Kate regression to be reversed soon! For her to grow and be back to her old self soon, that her outlook on the world would be changed for the better. She would continue to grow in faith and perserverance.
- God’s peace that passes all understanding to guard our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.