Hola, From Punta Cana (Dominican Trip 4)

Hola from Punta Cana. This will be brief since I am writing it on a phone, but I wanted to share some of the amazing things happening down here. Our Bible camp finished up last night. I am amazed at how much we were all able to connect despite the language barrier. The local teens, or Ali Teens as they are known here, were indispensable to us. Their English is fantastic and their willingness to work hard was incredible. I could not believe how many of them showed up every day this week to help build sets and prep and then stay through cleanup each night. The children each night showed so much excitement and enthusiasm it kept us going despite the heat and lack of sleep. Last night, we packed about 150 people into the little Alianza church for our closing ceremony. Keep an eye out on you tube. The people here live on their cell phones and I think every parent in the room might have been recording us.
I have so many stories to share I am not sure where to start, but in closing I will give a brief synopsis of our adventures this week.  So far, we have tried new food, led worship in Spanish, nearly had a cat delivered to a hotel room, ran a VBS for kids who spoke Spanish (have I mentioned none of us speak Spanish), refer back to nearly having a cat delivered to a hotel room and, finally, we have been much closer to the the biggest tarantula I have seen. Ok, so I have only ever seen these in zoos and this one was wandering the street in front of the church. Oh, and the others got a much closer view.  I saw this from the safety of the van; my loco compadres chased it down for photo ops.
Well, my thumbs are tired of working here so I will close for now. Que Dios le bendiga.

And we are off, well almost (Dominican Trip 3)

It is almost time! I can not believe after all the planning and saving and fundraising we are just about ready to go!  I need to start this out with a shout out to all my family and friends who supported us financially. Randi and I are fully funded so that huge burden is gone. I know we would not be making this trip without your love and support so thank you so much. Each of you are a huge blessing in our lives, and we take your love along with us.
Right about now I am just a complete ball of emotions. I am anxious about the packing and the trip, worried about leaving Hannah and Rob for ten days, and beyond excited about what we will do once we get there. Ok, so I am really just an OCD, twitchy, control freak mess.  My list is long and it seems like every time I cross something off, I add something new. Not sure this is as productive as it is supposed to be. I also keep lifting my suitcase to try and determine if I am staying under the 50lb weight limit. This also might be more useful if I had something around 50lbs for me to compare it too.  Randi is absolutely no help at all. Her contribution so far is to suggest all the things that could go wrong. This started with the plane crashing, and led to something about an alien attack in mid air. A creative child is not always a blessing.
There is a very special list now sitting on my coffee table. I won't be crossing anything off of it, and I can not even take credit, as I did not write it. It is a list of 44 names. They are the 44 children already signed up for VBS for this next week. Reading these precious names over and over is putting things in perspective, and I can not wait to put faces with each and every one of them.
Next time I check in here I will be one stamp greater in my passport. Thank you again for all of your prayers and support.



^{Matthew 28:18-20}Jesus, undeterred, went right ahead and gave his charge: "God authorized and commanded me to commission you: Go out and train everyone you meet, far and near, in this way of life, marking them by baptism in the threefold name: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Then instruct them in the practice of all I have commanded you. I'll be with you as you do this, day after day after day, right up to the end of the age."

Lists (Dominican Trip 2)

Three more weeks! We are just three weeks from take off and it is starting to feel so close. It is time for The Lists. Actually, I made my first one yesterday. My family can tell you about my lists. I am not generally an OCD type person, except when it comes to big trips. My husband and kids like to make jokes about my lists, but we get where we are going with everything we need. I start a few weeks out with lists of things we will need to pick up for our trip, and eventually move to the items we pack sorted by bag. My lists have rules, too. No one is to cross anything off the list until it is located in the proper travel location. Breaking the rules of this list gets us to Florida without toothbrushes. Yes, this happened and no, it was not mine.  I never break the rules of the lists.  Lists are always hand written. I have tried to use the computer, but it just does not have the same satisfaction for me. There is something soothing about crossing items off the list. So it begins. Yesterday, I made the list of items we are in need of for the games and crafts we have planned for the children. This list had the goal of just pricing the items so nothing has, of yet, been crossed off, but we are getting close.
The lists, for me, are really just a way of keeping myself sane during the planning process. They keep me on track, and provide a way of organizing the many thoughts that begin to run through my crazy brain. Yes, I will admit I am still crazy, but just imagine how much worse I would be without my lists.  I could argue that the Bible has several lists so I am simply following a good example. I do, however, realize a mission trip deserves an additional list: Pray.  Pray for each of us going, our health and personal plans. Pray for the trip and safety. Pray for those in the DR who have been planning for our arrival. Pray for the children who will come to the camp. Pray for the many people we will encounter. Finally, pray for the state of my own heart and motives that they stay in line with those of God. If that last item is followed correctly, then the ultimate list will just get longer and that was the point of this all along, right?

^{Matthew 28:18-20}Jesus, undeterred, went right ahead and gave his charge: "God authorized and commanded me to commission you: Go out and train everyone you meet, far and near, in this way of life, marking them by baptism in the threefold name: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Then instruct them in the practice of all I have commanded you. I'll be with you as you do this, day after day after day, right up to the end of the age."

Hopes and Fears (Dominican Trip 1)

So my Dominican trip is getting closer and we are starting to meet as a team to plan and get to know each other before our adventure. Unfortunately I missed this week's meeting due to a work conflict. I did however get the rundown from Randi and apparently they discussed our biggest hopes and fears for the trip. Since I missed out there, I will start with mine here.
Start with the good right? So my hopes for the trip? I hope to be an effective missionary despite the obstacles we will face. I hope to be able to share my love of Christ with the children and teens of the area. I hope this trip lives up to all the things I have been told it will in my life. Lets face it, I have been dreaming about the mission trip for about as long as I can remember. I also have no idea if or when I will ever make another one so I am hoping big. Finally, I hope it has as big an impact on Randi as it does on me and that this just grows us closer. I hope that someday we can share this experience with Rob and Hannah. While we are talking about them, I hope the 10 days of father/daughter time is a growing experience for them as well.
Next my fears. I understand some of my teammates have some humorous ones. I won't rat them out here just yet. I will wait until we are  good and bonded as a team first. However, their fears did remind me of one of mine. Palmetto bugs! Suddenly, I am realizing there might be these horrific creatures where we are going. Ask anyone in my family and they will share with you, gleefully, my complete terror of these giant, flying roaches. No it does not help me to know they only breed outside. I only care about the ones that make it anywhere near me. I am so afraid of these guys I can not get close enough to one to pound it with a shoe. Besides, that does not always work anyway. They outlived the ice age; they can survive my cheap Old Navy flip flops. But being honest, my real fear is not being effective. It is that somehow I could go down there, spend those days with the kids and not leave some sort of mark on their hearts. After all, this is the real reason I am going there.
Well there they are in black and white, my real hopes and fears as we get closer to take off.

^{Matthew 28:18-20}Jesus, undeterred, went right ahead and gave his charge: "God authorized and commanded me to commission you: Go out and train everyone you meet, far and near, in this way of life, marking them by baptism in the threefold name: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Then instruct them in the practice of all I have commanded you. I'll be with you as you do this, day after day after day, right up to the end of the age."

Tips on Teens

I recently read a very cute article with tips on dealing with toddlers. It made me think about all the advice we give to new moms or the various resources available to those with young kids. However, somehow we are just supposed to be experts by the time they hit the teen years. After all, at this point we have been moms for going on 13 years. Sometimes a bit less when you consider just how fast our kids are "growing up" these days. The problem is that dealing with teens is a whole new game. I am no expert, as I am currently navigating my way through this new adventure myself, but as a youth leader and observer I have gained some opinions on this subject. These are a few tips based on these observations and are solely my opinion. They are also geared towards the girls, as God saw fit to place daughters in my care.
1)  10 is the new 13. Stop this! Seriously, they are going to grow up fast enough. Encourage some child like behavior and don't give in to the retail pressure.
2) If you are doing your job right they will, at some point, yell they hate you. Take a deep breath and remember they like to eat and will need money soon, so they will love you again in an hour.
3) You are no longer a teenager. Stop dressing like one. You don't have to look like a grandma, but think. Sorry but this is my blog and my opinion.
4) Diaries and journals are private; the internet is not. Kids need some privacy and I encourage them to write out their thoughts and feelings without having to share them with me. Weirdos lurk on the internet and teens do not have fully functional frontal lobes yet. This is a scary combination.
5) Hide your electronics. They will borrow them and they will do things like put pass codes on them which they promptly forget. Resetting your I-Pod touch is a pain.
6) Have cell phone free times. How can you have a family dinner discussion disintegrate into talking about burrito pee if they are too busy chatting with friends to chat with you?
7) Say no to crack. ( I borrowed this from a recent youth conference) Top or bottom teach them to save something for the imagination. 
8) Know their friends. I am finding this to be a lot tougher as they get older but still really important. Even if all their names start with A. I like to think I am a big influence in my kids' life but the reality is the friends are often bigger.
9) Be their biggest cheerleader. Go to their sporting events, concerts and awards ceremonies even if they are not the stars. They may say they don't want you there but that is just for appearances. They need and want to know you support them at all times.
10) Let them be teenagers. Expect them to be respectful and responsible but also remember that adulthood will come all too soon. Sometimes it is OK to just be young and silly.

Ephesians 6:1-4 " Children, obey your parents as you would the Lord, because this is right. Honor your father and mother, which is the first commandment with a promise,so that it may go well with you and that you may have a long life in the land. Fathers, don't stir up anger in your children but bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord."

Communuty

This past month I had the privilege of being part of something amazing, and got a lesson in community at the same time. My freshman participated in an event at her high school that was unlike anything I have ever seen, in person, before.
To really grasp how huge this was I think you need to understand a bit about this place we now live. I would like to take you on a short tour through the Village of South Glens Falls, New York. First, for those of you who are immediately thinking about the city, a little geography lesson. From New York City keep traveling north along I-87, otherwise known as the NY thruway. In about three hours you will reach Albany and the interchange where I-87 meets I-90 towards either Boston or Buffalo. Keep going north. I-87 changes from being the thruway to the northway. Keep going. Around 40 minutes north of Albany you will find exit 17. This comes shortly after seeing signs for Montreal. As you travel north on Route 9, a two lane highway that winds north and south through most of upstate NY, you will notice a few things. You might see the courthouse that is not much more than a converted house and the emergency preparedness store where you can purchase anything from tents to gas masks. Keep in mind that if you traveled two more exits you would have entered the largest national park in the country and could truly get lost in a place that might remind you of a certain old movie involving a famous banjo. Along this mile or so you will see a couple of small gas stations, two modular home dealerships, Fitzgerald's where I had one of my first local meals and the Landmark Inn where I stayed as I was house hunting. These two establishments are directly across the street and during baseball season Fitzgerald's will proudly display their Red Sox flags and banners, while Landmark will fly the largest Yankees windsock I have ever seen. However, come the first weekend in March, they will stand united as South Glens Falls Bulldogs. A few blocks later you will see the small blue sign pointing you towards the high school and the sight of this event we will be revisiting shortly. Keep heading down 9 that will now pass through the Village of South Glens Falls. Don't doze off here or you might miss this sleepy place. It really is not much to see and will take all of 5 minutes to drive through. A few small family establishments such as Maude's Kitchen and the Iron Pig BBQ. Mr. Bill's Carhop is closed right now but in a couple of weeks half the town will be gathered there for burgers, ice cream and some of the best sweet potato fries. There are three pizza places, this is New York after all, a grocery store and a Dunkin' Donuts. Take a slight left at the McDonalds and pass the deli, tattoo parlor, a couple of small restaurants and bars and finally the sign for Cooper's Cave. Cooper's Cave is our claim to fame. This is reported to be one of the caves described in James Cooper's book, The Last of the Mohicans. That is it. You have now seen South Glens Falls. It honestly takes less time to drive through than it did for you to read this description. Why did I take you through all of this? Because I think you need to understand the simplicity of this little town where its kids are coming from. This is not a great big wealthy metropolis. This is, as described to me by a fellow spectator this weekend, Podunk, USA.
South Glens Falls boasts 6 schools. Four elementary, one middle and one high school. All six are the Bulldogs. At first I thought this was a lack of imagination on the part of this area but I know realize the brilliance of the plan. From kindergarten through high school they are Bulldogs. The average graduating class at the high school is somewhere around 230 students. Not the smallest school in the country but certainly not one of the biggest. I never thought my own home town of Melbourne, Florida, was a big place but even we graduated over 500 from two different high schools each year.
Now enter early February in this town and you start to see a place coming together and getting pretty excited to call themselves Bulldogs. The signs start to go up and collection jars appear in local establishments. It is time for the South High Marathon Dance. This tradition started some 35 years ago and was reportedly a disaster. The very first dance raised around $1500 and was never supposed to happen again. There is a very long list of names of people who will tell you they are forever grateful that it did. The premise of Marathon is simple, to raise money for people in our community. All of the funds raised go to locals for anything from wheelchairs, cancer treatments, service dogs and even help for a local teen runaway center. The entire town and a few surrounding all get in on the action. Local restaurants hold fundraising nights, the grocery store has jars available and teens knock on doors to collect money or bottles to recycle. The high school kids are required to raise $150 in order to participate at the dance. They have over a 90% participation rate.
During Marathon weekend there are multiple events taking place within the high school. Everything from raffles, to silent auctions, to hair cuts and food sales. All this will add to the final total late on Saturday night. In the month or so leading up to the dance the kids will be learning choreographed dances for set times and the kids will form teams for the costumes parades and make t-shirts. Finally there is a mass drop off of kids and props and the kick off. Buses will run shuttles from Mr. Bill's, the bowling alley and a local church as no parking is allowed at the high school except by recipients. The excitement in the gym is palpable. One would think, when arriving on Saturday evening, they would find the kids crashed on the floor but they are not. They continue to dance and play. Final ceremonies consist of  a lot of thank yous, check presentations and emotional testimonies by recipients. This year included a family whose young son lost his battle after being selected, but prior to the dance. In all there were 35 recipients. By 8pm the gym is packed and by packed I mean the fire marshal is having heart palpitations packed. There are continuous announcements for keeping the doors and aisles clear but people just keep squeezing in closer. If you don't know the person you are standing next to you will by the time you get out of here. Everyone is excited to share their past experiences with this event and were beyond thrilled to find out we were experiencing our first Marathon. The mom sitting next to me handed me tissues at one point and called it a "freshman" mistake that I had not packed my own. I doubt there is dry eye in the room by the time they get around to announcing the total. It is hot, smelly, cramped and none to comfortable sitting on gym bleachers for several hours but no one complains. Tonight we are not individuals. Tonight we are all Bulldogs. On this night I think I really found the pride of being a part of a community. I think it might have been on this night that I first understood what it meant to be not just a resident but a part of a town. Finally the total is tallied and announced amid screams, more tears and confetti. On this night, this 35th anniversary of South High Marathon Dance, the total raised was $395,352.19. Not too shabby for Podunk.