Happy Birthday To Me! : )

Not a lot going on today, though.  Just kind of a lazy day so far.  Of course, James and Ashley are in Guatemala, but I am with my other girls and my parents.  My mom made biscuits and gravy for me this morning--a rare treat.  Mom, Briana, Marissa, and I just finished playing two games of Cranium Family Fun.  Briana and I  whooped 'em.  It's a fun game.  Sometimes it can be a little challenging for us big folks even.  Oh, Briana and I played Hangman, too.  That was pretty funny! 
I have to go into town in a few minutes because Daniella broke her glasses-----again.  The first 2 months, she had no troubles.  But, since April, they have been repaired at least 6 times that I remember.  She really isn't that rough on them herself, and she tries to be very careful with them.  I think one of the problems is that the lenses are so thick in wire frames.  They pop out all the time.  Then once, she gave them to a teacher at church when they were playing on the playground so they wouldn't get broken.  The teacher goes and sets them down, and someone sat on them.  Ugh. 
If the area can avoid a storm this afternoon, we're going to the pool.  It has stormed the last 2 afternoons.
I am hoping James calls to wish me happy birthday.  I'm not too concerned about him wishing me happy birthday; I just  want him to call.  It's kind of  a pricey wish, though.  He has a sattelite phone with him, but it's $2  a minute to talk!  I do miss him, though.  I'm not used to him traveling, and if we are apart, I'm used to being able to pick up the phone and call him anytime I want.  I don't do very well at being a "left behind" missionary spouse.  I'm really glad they've had the opportunity again, and they both enjoy the  work and the Guatemalan people, but I miss talking to them.  I'm always wondering what they're doing "right now".  I do know they landed safely yesterday, and were waiting on their ride to Antigua, where they were going shopping yesterday afternoon.  They were leaving this morning for the village.  They had  a super long day yesterday.  They got up at 2:30 am, after only 2 1/2 hours sleep; 5 hours on the plane, plus a 2 hour lay over in Houston.  The man that was to pick them up was stuck in traffic, so they had to wait for over an hour outside the airport. 
My mom and Briana are going to make me  a red velvet cake this afternoon, and bbq ribs for dinner.  All yummy, (along with the biscuits and gravy), and all some of my favorites.  I just hope my arteries don't clog before the day is over. 
Do you normally spend your birthday at home?  Have you spent it in other states/towns?  I've spent 2 (that I remember) in Florida at the beach, and one in Memphis at my sister's, and this one at my parents' house.  Otherwise, as far as I remember, they've all been at home and doing things around our area.
Have a great week, and enjoy your family and God's other blessings!
Letitia

Guatemala Trip

Please pray for my husband, James and our oldest daughter ,Ashley.  They will be leaving at 6:00 in the morning to go to Guatemala for a mission trip.  They will be traveling with about 25 others from our church and one other.  The group will land in Guatemala City, then travel by "chicken bus" to Purula, a village about 4 1/2 hours from the city. 

 

James will be leading a building team in completing a church that another group started.  Ashley will be part of a group of 5 ladies working with 400 children in VBS (approx. 200 per day).  Some of the group will be leading a dental clinic, and a few others will be leading in a pastor's training conference.  They are also taking books, treats, small toys (frisbees, jumpropes, necklaces, stuffed animals, etc.), crayons, pencils, etc. for all of the children. 

 

 

Please pray for safe travel in air and on land.  The roads there can be pretty adventurous.  Please pray also for good health for everyone, and that they will make an impact on the lives they touch. 

Letitia

On Mission to Guatemala Plus a Time of Rest and Fun

On Thursday, June 14, James and our oldest daughter, Ashley, will be leaving for 8 days on a mission trip to Purula, Guatemala.  James will be leading a group working on building a church in the village.  Another group started the church, and ours will pick up where they left off.  They hope to finish it while they are there.  Ashley is one of 3 young ladies in charge of the crafts time in VBS (others will be helping, but they have organized it, collected the supplies, and will coordinate).  They will hold VBS in 2 different area schools, and they expect to teach about 400 children.  Part of the group they are going with will hold a dental clinic, and another few will be leading a pastor's conference.  In the past many pastors have walked from all over to attend.  One has walked as long as 9 days. 

 

   The girls are making treat bags for all of the kids at VBS.  That means we have oodles and oodles of stickers, pencils, crayons, candy; Ashley has 433 bouncy balls in her bedroom right now.  Also, they are taking small toys down for the dental clinic to hand out to each child.  So we also have bags full of jump ropes, frisbees, small stuffed animals, necklaces, matchbox cars, yo-yo's, etc.  Oh, and one day in each VBS they are doing Joshua and the Battle of Jerhicho, so we also have 433 kazoos.  They are going to have them march around, then blow on their kazoos to act it out.  That should be entertaining!  The funniest thing they're taking is 800 empty toilet paper rolls.  Well, hopefully close to 200 (or more) of them have been collected by the pastor there.  Tonight they are stapling 2 together and punching holes in the top.  They will have the kids decorate them with construction paper, and stickers, tie yarn on, and wahlah....binoculars.  How, you may ask, are they going to get 600-700 toilet paper rolls down there?  Hmmmm.....We hope they'll make it.  They are going to stuff them with socks and toys, and anything else possible to save room, and to hopefully keep them from getting smashed. 

 

   Ashley is really excited.  Guatemala is very dear to her.   This is James' and her 2 nd mission trip there, and their 4th overall. 

 

Please pray for all of them....safe travel and good health. 

 

   We went this past Sunday and spent 2 nights in a cabin about 30 min. away. It sits right on  a mountain river, in a quiet and very pretty, mountain/country setting.  There was a great, big screened porch with a picnic table and chairs on the back overlooking the river.  That was our favorite part of the cabin.   The morning we were leaving, I got up before everyone else, and tiptoed out onto the patio, and sat for a while in my jammies and jacket.  It was a quiet and restful 2 days.  (The calm between the storms!)

   And, you guessed it...here are my photos!!  (For some reason on my pre-post these pictures look mosaic.  I don't know if they'll post that way, but they weren't that way orginally.)

  

The view from our cabin.

That water was COLD!!

The one above is a crawfish.  The one below--trying to catch minnows in her water shoe.

I hope the Lord gives you a time of rest and refreshment. 

 

Letitia