Christmas in the Caribbean

Christmas for us is warmth, sunshine, palm trees, reading stories together, decorating the tree with popcorn and decorations we have made over the years, celebrating Jesus' birth, worshipping with our church family, and more. A few pics to show you...

Ours kids at church telling the story of Christ's birth.  Beckett was Joseph.  

Paxson and Naiyah were shepherds.

Our church held a special Christmas feast - cucumber soup, rice, stew, macaroni pie, and ice cream!

Several hours later - we had a small popcorn string to decorate with!

We hope you had a Christ filled Christmas full of so much joy we are thankful for God sending His son!

The motor shop here did a Christmas display.  After a 3 hour wait, we got to walk through and the kids got to see snow for the first time, though still not real snow...

Cherishing each moment

     Excuse the potty photo - but it spoke to me so much today!  Ha!  Was trying to do better at having the kids help clean the house and make sure they always put their toys away.  And then when I went into the bathroom and saw toys laying there I almost shouted....."Boys, who forgot their toys in the bathroom?"

     And then it made me smile so big and I thought, "This is real!  And this is just for now.  It means while one of the kiddos was one in here using the bathroom, they were playing. And soon they'll be grown and no more kids playing and leaving toys behind.  And I am so thankful for the joy of teaching and loving them at this stage and every stage God gives us!

There is No Place Like Home!

      We are Home!  We had been dreaming of our own place, beds, dressers, cooking our own meals- ha!  Even the kids were missing their daily chores of feeding the chickens, gathering the eggs, feeding the dogs, and burning trash.  And we all were looking forward to warm weather.
   
      When we first moved overseas, our first few Christmas' felt strange not being in cold weather, seeing snow and lights, stores packed with Christmas decorations, and drinking hot cocoa and cider.  But this year it felt strange to not have warm weather, palm trees, and cold drinks:)

     We had work permit in hand and thought we can finally live here!  But as soon as we got to the airport, the US side said we would need to buy a return ticket, which we have always had to show.  They said the paper from the Bajan government had no official stamp, the handwriting was scratched out, and no way would we pass there.  Basically, they said we would be put in the holding room and on our way back the next day!  And we have had friends spend the night in the holding room, so we know this happens.

     3 long flights later, we arrived!  8 hours of flying time, 6 and 1/2 hours sitting on one airplane due to 1st class not getting food delivered, 4 tired kiddos, one cranky momma (Brice has always said travel days are not my best days), and we finally arrived back in Barbados. As they went over our papers, the holding room door was open and brightly lit and Brice and I kept looking at it fearing that was our bed for the next few hours.  Our kids were so sleepy at this point and the boys were crying (both had ear infections and so many flights and the late night weren't helping).  One lady in the immigration line leaned over and said, "My kids always feared flying too, but they grow out of it when adults".  At 2 am I was having trouble and just smiled.  How to explain my kids love flying- just not with ears hurting and in the middle of the night standing in line an hour:)

     But, by 3am we had passed through and all 4 kiddos were tucked in and we are home!  Very thankful as so many prayed and dear friends here kept pushing it to make it happen!

Completing the Fundraising Tour & Doctor Visits

     After 3 specialists and 4 doctor visits, we have just one left to go for Kensington and she is cleared to leave!  Which is great news, as we just received word our work permits are processed!  Yay, we can head to what is home to us here on earth!

 - We got to vote in the presidential election in person for the first time in 11 years!
 - We got to travel and see so many dear friends.
 - We got to see dear supporters raise over $51,000 extra for the new property!  From huge gifts to a homeless man giving a $1, so thankful for the body coming together!
 - 2 of our properties in St. Vincent look to be close to being sold to help purchase the new property!
 - We got to meet several potential staff families.
 - We got to experience fall/Thansgiving season in the States, which our kids never have and enjoyed (even though 60 degree weather sent us scurrying to put on borrowed winter coats and hats!)

On the road, just fundraising

Wow...we are about to finish our first week of fundraising events!

Our target aim is for $300,000 for the land due in Feb.

We loaded up the donated camper with all the supplies. (Yes, a company donated an older rental Rv to WISE).  Amanda's family cooked the food ahead of time for several days. Andrew prepared and joined for speaking, sound, set up, video, and brochures. We also had picked up former teammate Pam Ferguson to help cater the meals.  And Brice's parents joined the caravan team to help serve meals and watch our kids. Quite an amazing team!

Our first event in Canton was a time where only a few could make it but an encouraging one. Then the Beamer's joined up with us for Ohio and Indiana and have the most amazing message about their partnership with wise, how to survive the worst day of your life, and make sure you are ready the day before and how to prepare for that. Truly hope everyone can hear him.

 With the 3 events we raised right at $10,000 and served 60 combined. While we had hoped to see more we were blessed by the ones we did see, know so many were excited by the amazing grad video the Shumate-family put together through our graduates help and David Beamer's wise words, and God bringing it all together.

We did realize we had a miscommunication and us and the church prepared a meal for the Indiana event... but having extra meals is better than not enough as David says, "Some is good. More is better!"

We head to share at Houston, mo this weekend and then would ask for your prayers and to invite your friends to our main events in Pittsburg, Columbia, and Arkansas this next week. Also if you would like a tape of the evening we are working on getting that too.  And continue to pray for the wise staff and students as ongoing classes continue on campus and for their perseverance.

Grateful for this team God has put together, 

More craziness

     So we received word from the government to finalize our work permits to be overseas we had to leave the country for 6-8 weeks.  Honestly, we have always been adventurers, going with whatever the Lord had. But this time I wanted to throw a fit!  We had only been in our home a few months.  I dreaded packing up for 6 of us and living out of suitcases again all living in one room in host homes and families.  I could not even fathom how we would try to school each day moving around.  And I loved having routines- cooking our own meals and having our own space.

     We had a great group here and then with the hurricane they were delayed several days and we got out.  We received word our paperwork had been denied, so it added another week onto the time out of the country.  We felt so frustrated.  And then at a routine checkup we got word Kensingtons's 3 holes in her hearts were still there, and her birthmark they thought could be causing vision problems.  So we lined up a heart specialist, pediatric eye doctor, and pediatric dermatologist.  If they went the aggressive treatment we would need to have close monitoring and appointments every month.  Our family does not do well apart and so we wondered- would this bring us off the field?  What was the future?  At this point, I am crying, not realizing how we can add all this on.  And of course meanwhile we are hosting 6 fundraising dinners to raise money for the new WISE property- 4 of which are families are catering in the next 2 weeks.  It did feel we had put too much on our plates.

     
     I was clinging to that verse in 1 Corinthians 10:13 where God does not give us more than we can handle.  And he doesn't.  He has given us so many things to grow us and teach us to trust Him more. That day we heard our paperwork had been accepted, so we would receive our permits after the waiting period!  We heard students started getting their student visas through!  And that same day 2 of the specialists got us in the very next day!  We were told this could take a month.  And they were amazing and after we explained our situation, worked with us on appointments and best course of treatments. Today we head on the road for the first fundraising event and we do covet your prayers that our family can balance work, life on the road, family, and schooling.  And that these fundraising dinners could bring more support for the school and students.

     And if you see a borrowed Missouri van in a McDonalds's parking lot- likely it is us- me schooling the kids in the backseat, the baby getting used to a carseat, and Brice using the free internet there calling students for interviews on Skype.  So- knock on the window and say hi- we love seeing friends all over!
   

One of the most amazing weekends

I am so thankful that God gave me Brice and our marriage.  Our wedding day and the day each of the kids was born were some of my most favorite days.  But Naiyah studying with us and getting baptized was such an amazing day!  Knowing we will spend eternity with her and that she understands that thrills us more than anything!  

We are still praying her siblings fully grasp that one day to as this time they swam out and dunked themselves, declaring they baptized themselves...so could they have communion now:)

The next day was the one house for the island.   It rained some, but we still had several students sign up for the spring!

The First Christian Church from Elizabethtown came in the same day- they worked so hard and finished the last 2 leaky roofs in 2 days!  And even got an extra 3 days in Barbados due to the hurricane!

Kensington loved her first dip in the beach!

We had community service with the churches- our kids so enjoy being a part of the Ruby group.  Thankful for friends they can grow with.

Mrs. Pat was here and taught the girls how to sew!

And that same weekend our cousins gifted us with a gift certificate to a resort restaurant.  It was our first date here and so special.  And former teammate and friend Mrs. Pam came to visit and she watched our kids for us!