Help in homeschool

Ryan on his first day of Kindergarten

I haven't been posting because I'm finally trying to get on a schedule for teaching Ryan Kindergarten this year. We got held up when his books came late, and then trying to figure out how to get it done in our already busy schedule! But we're doing it. Ryan enjoys learning and is a blast to teach. I love being able to teach my own children. There are times and days I think I can't do it, but then I remember, "I can do all thing through CHRIST who strengthens me!"

Looking at the beginning of this school year was very overwhelming for me. I wondered how I would teach Ryan Kinder with the already demanding schedule and a 2-year old running around. Over the summer, it kept me busy in the mornings just to get everyone fed, dressed, and around, family devotions, laundry done before the electric or water went off (usually afternoon) and trying to prepare our main meal for noon. We have adapted this Dominican custom.

I have been amazed at how the Lord has been helping. I do believe He helped me by allowing Ryan's books to come late. It gave me 3 weeks to get Brandon & Regina in their routine without Ryan pesting to do his school. Some days He has helped me by allowing the electric to go off - it keeps me from worrying about laundry while I'm doing school! :-) You have to learn to take everything as a blessing!

Some days we have changed our main meal back to the evening and then I just fix something quick and simple (usually sandwiches) for lunch. I have also learned to start my meal before school and then let it cook while I'm doing school. It hasn't always been easy but God is helping. Some days it seems every time I go to start my schooltime with Ryan, Jonathan is getting into something.

These days are challenging, but they are definitely worth it! I love the fulfillment of teaching my own children and having them at home with me. I pray that these "sowing" years will be worthwhile and I will reap a bountiful harvest in due season.

Another praise

The electric has been on ALL night for the past 4 or 5 nights which has been WONDERFUL!!! Thank the Lord! We're actually getting 6 - 8 hours of sleep at one shot! That makes the difficulties of the day easier to handle. It has been going out at 6:00 a.m., but that's okay because the room is already cooled down and it's starting to get light anyway.

Praise

I should have known the Lord was up to something with all the trials coming at us! When the devil is working his hardest, you can be sure the Lord is working more!!

The Lord has really been blessing our ladies' meetings. We have them weekly and each week we do something different. One week we gather for a Bible study, other weeks we have a service in the house of one of our neighbors, another week we do something fun etc.

Last week we had a house service in the home of Lucrecia - neighbor to Mercedes who faithfully attends our church. We were elated when the invitation was given to accept Christ, Lucrecia said she wanted to. The ladies were very excited. One of them said to me, "It's not in vain, is it?" I said, "No, it's not."

This neighbor lady was a bother to Mercedes to the point that Mercedes prayed, "Lord, either change her heart or help her to move." Mercedes was thrilled when God answered her prayer by changing Lucrecia's heart!

Sorry I do not have a picture. I hope to get one of Lucrecia when she comes to church. Pray that she will be able to come. She has obstacles hindering her from coming to church, but she needs the support of the brothers and sisters in her early Christian walk.

God is faithful!

We're also praising the Lord for a spiritual refreshment He has poured on us this past week and a new faith to pray and believe for revival in the darkness of the community where our church is - called Sabana Perdida.

Chillin' out

Thank the Lord, the guy finally showed up this morning to check out our fridge. "Tomorrow" actually came! :-) He took out a small part and left to find a new one to replace it. He came back this afternoon, put in the new part, and the refrigerator ran! So now we will have to set out to the store to get some things to put in it.

Our Dominican neighbors across the street from us have to be among the best neighbors in the world. This morning Doug went over to get a pack of meat out of their freezer and they offered for us to bring over a jug of water to put in their refrigerator and cool. We delightedly accepted the offer since we were dying for cold drinks! By noon it was cold and we enjoyed cold water. They have been so sweet and helpful to us. Thank God for good neighbors!

Doug reminded me that the people in Texas hit by hurricane Ike went for several weeks without electricity! This trial was minimum compared to theirs - many lost their homes. Even in our little trying times of life, God is good. Yet I am very thankful to have our refrigerator cooling again. The luxuries of life are wonderful!

Jonathan's latest accomplishment

I've never seen a 2-year old ride a scooter before! Our little Jonathan has accomplished it pretty well. I guess he's had the other children to watch and learn from.

The "birdie" family

Since that birdie landed in those neighbors' yard (see post from Sept. 16) , we have struck up a friendship with them. Brandon has gone to their house several days to play with the boy and last night we invited him to go to the park with us. His name is Emmanuel. He is bilingual as are his Mom & Dad. The sad thing is that they stay inside almost all of the time and Emmanuel knows little more than playing video games and watching TV.

He went with us to the park and took a cel phone so he could stay in touch with his parents. We played a game similar to horseshoes and Emmanuel loved it! We were touched as he called his parents in the middle of the game and said, "Dad, I'm having a good time!" He also told them "I'm sitting on the grass. It's soft." We figured since he is inside almost all of the time, he may have never even sat on grass!

Tonight he and Brandon were riding bikes together. He's not real steady on a bike, but again, probably because he is inside almost all of the time. Tonight he was intrigued by the beauty of the clouds. We are trying to teach him that there are lots of things to do outside of the house! We pray that Emmanuel and his parents will find the Lord.

Trials and blessing

For an update on our electric situation, the electric is still going out for 3 - 5 hours at night, BUT for the past 3 nights it has rained in the evening which cooled it down and made it comfortable during the blackout time. We haven't woke up as much. Thank the Lord!

On Sunday morning we noticed our refrigerator was not staying cool. The light was on, the fan kicked on, but Doug thought the compressor was not turning on. It indeed proved that the compressor was not kicking on as the food grew warmer and warmer. Monday morning we salvaged what was still okay and asked a few of our neighbors to store it for us, and pitched the rest.

Doug called a guy to come fix it and he said he couldn't get here till this morning at 10:00 or 11:00. Doug had made plans to work at the mission and cancelled them so he could be here when the guy came to fix the fridge, but the guy still hasn't come!! Doug has tried his cel phone numerous times today but can't get through.

We are hesitant to call someone else because this guy fixed our AC and he was very detailed and good. We feel he would do a good job. Some seem to beat and bang things and we're afraid that they may do more damage than repair. :-)

So....another day in the Dominican Republic.....waiting for tomorrow. You never know which day "tomorrow" will be. :-) In the meantime we're surviving without cold water or cold anything, cooking nonperishables such as box macaroni and cheese and pancakes etc., and counting the other blessings we have.

If the guy never comes, we'll have to go to plan B. I'm not sure what that is yet.

In the midst of these trials, we had a wonderful service on Sunday evening with much of the Lord's presence. After we sang "The Love of God", the church was noisy. Almost everyone was vocally praising God. It was a beautiful time and a reminder that God is still in business - even when everything seems to be going wrong! He deserves praise just because He is God - whether everything around is falling apart or staying together.

The verse keeps coming to my mind: "For I am persuaded that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8: 38,39) And I add nor refrigerators, nor electric! :-)

Also II Corinthians 4: 7 - 18 has greatly encouraged me.

7 But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.
8 ¶ We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair;
9 Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed;
10 Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body.
11 For we which live are alway delivered unto death for Jesus’ sake, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh.
12 So then death worketh in us, but life in you.
13 We having the same spirit of faith, according as it is written, I believed, and therefore have I spoken; we also believe, and therefore speak;
14 Knowing that he which raised up the Lord Jesus shall raise up us also by Jesus, and shall present us with you.
15 For all things are for your sakes, that the abundant grace might through the thanksgiving of many redound to the glory of God.
16 For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day.
17 For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory;
18 While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.

Sweating it out

I have not been blogging much recently. The past few weeks have been incredible. Just to survive has been a challenge. We have had multiple electric and water outages (thank the Lord for that 500 gallon tank of water on the roof - it has already been used!), and one day we had our phone lines out. That has kept me bouncing between striving to get the household chores done and keeping up with the rest of the schedule.

Now that the storms have passed, we have had extreme heat the past few weeks. We are still seeing temperatures of 86 outside when we got to bed at night and it is 90 degrees inside. It makes it a little tough to sleep since they are now turning the electric off in the middle of the night, too. Last night it was off for 6 hours. We had the children in our room so they could enjoy the AC, and then when it shut off, we were all tossing and turning and the children were fussing because they were hot. Nights like that carry into the day and make the daily duties like school etc. a challenge. Life is never boring here! :-)

I know it sounds very simple to you, but if you think of it, would you help us pray that the electric would at least stay on all night so we can sleep comfortably? It sure makes a difference in how we function through the day. If it were just Doug and I, we could handle it better, but when the children don't sleep, they have a hard time applying their minds to school. I've always said we could handle the demands and heat of the day if we can just sleep through the night.

I'm sorry I talk so much about heat, but it is a major factor that we have to deal with here daily. I think we're going to have mandatory nap this afternoon so we can get rid of some of those grumpies that are invading our home.......if the electric stays on! :-)