Thank you, Lord for the timing

Today, Joseph had a doctor's appt. scheduled for 4:00 at his pediatrition's office at Memorial. On the way, we had to pull over for a cop car who was rushing to a blockade a block before the Drs. Building. We started to circle around the campus to enter from the other side, and we were getting no where quickly with about 10 other cars inching slowly in front of us and a few cars lining up behind us. At 4:03, I called the office to apologize that we would now be late. The receptionist said, "Honey, you need to turn around and go back home, we are on lock-down, there has been a bomb-threat." We were off of the campus with-in a few minutes.

I just found a broadcast story on the incident. The "bomb" was found underneath a car in the parking lot and the bomb squad detonated it at 4:19. By that time we were a few miles away and did not hear anything. I might have run off the road, if we were still close by and heard it.

Thank you, Lord for protecting us with your timing. I had actually hoped to have a 1 or 1:30 appt. so that we would be out of there in time to pick Hannah and Jack up from school. We would have had a much greater scare if we were around when the bomb threat was discovered. Also, by getting us far enough away before 4:19.

Thank you more for protecting us and so many others who were at the hospital and surrounding Doctors offices today!!!!!

Here is a link to the story.

I was struck by the beauty of Mexico. Such a majestic flag, such beautiful topograghy, of course the ocean, beautiful trees and flowers. Yet we walked past human excrement on the road, trash in the streets, graffiti, and there is the unclean water.

It's kind of like us (believers), we are image bearers of Christ, yet clouded and junked up by our sin. I'll spare you the filth images, you can use your imagination.

(the same can be said for our city, too. When Adam and I were dating, we'd often go to the riverfront to talk and watch garbage float down the river.)

Check out Donna's blog

She hasn't posted in a while... but there are pictures of her precious new baby on there today. Donna

Authentic Mexican Food

So my first post about Acapulco this time will be "fluff", but "fluff" you can use.
Barbara and I had the privelge of helping the cook with lunch on Tuesday and Friday. We ate most of our dinners at the orphanage "dining hall", which was a special treat because of our company. Cliseria is the cook who comes to make the team wonderful, wonderful Mexican food, which was special because of the taste (and her company). Here is how we made lunch on Tuesday:
Menu: Chicken Taquitos, blender salsa, guacamole, and sliced pineapple. Of course every thing was fresh (so fresh that she buys chicken immediately after it is slaughtered).

Guacamole (feeds 12 people very large servings)
1. finely dice half an onion
2. a little lessly fine : ) 3 or 4 roma tomatoes
3. finely dice 1 and a half serrano chiles
4. finely chop half a bunch of cilantro
5. mix all ingredients
6. 6 large avocados, cut in half scoop out and put on top of mixture and cut
7. squeeze out the juice of one small lime
8. salt to taste

Blender salsa
1. Stew 3 or 4 large tomatoes
2. blend 1 clove of garlic in the blender with about a cup of the stew water
3. add 2 seranno chiles
4. add tomatoes
5. cool in refridgerator

Taquitos
1. Cook and shred a few chicken breasts
2. put before you a stack of small flour tortillas and a bowl of water
3. dip you hand in the water, flick water onto tortilla, spread
4. put a very small amount of chicen on bottom of tortilla (about a tablespoon or 1 and a half)
5. Roll up very tightly, secure with toothpick
6. 3 taquitos should fit on each toothpick
7. fry in veg. oil until golden
8. line pot with papertowells, stack cooked taquitos upright side by side to drain.
9. Remove toothpicks
to serve, put out 3 taquitos, top with a handful of queso seco (mex. dry cheese, it is very white) and blender salsa

So much for the promised post. There has been soooooo much to do this week, to do the normal wife, mother, church stuff + get ready to go out of town, + organize the VBS + prepare the house for company, + + + +.

It seems like every exciting event, rather than savoring, I look forward to getting it over with. I don't want to live that way!

I am excited to see the Casa Hogar kids tomorrow! We actually start heading that way in 9 hours! (but sad to leave my family!!!!)

Would you please pray for our team, for safety, health, success and our families?

Gotta go, but maybe I can post from the "internet cafe" down the street.

Keeping busy!

I have a lot to report, but soooo little time. I will try to get to my blog tonight or tomorrow night, but wanted to at least say:

1. Happy 35th Birthday!!!!! to Adam (I know what you are thinking, 'he really robbed the cradle' : )


and

2. I will write about our missions trip to Mexico in just 9 days.... but wanted to ask if any of you have some Bath and Body lotion or hand-sanitizer that you won't use. One of the missionaries asked if we could bring some for her.... the Bath and Body hand-sanitizer does not dry out your skin, and the lotion for when they use the regular hand-sanitizer (you need to use it alot down there, and they have an 8 or 9 year old daughter who is diabetic and they sanitize and check her blood a few times a day).

Christmas Day

On Christmas Day, my Mother stayed around until about 11:30. At 2 (more like 2:15 - we were late as usual) we went to my Dad's house for lunch. My favorite parts of Christmas this year were 1. The season was extra-long with the early Thanksgiving 2. Doing advent devotions, even though we only did them a couple nights a week (since we were out a lot)... esp. singing Christmas hymns together - I think that we have weirded out my poor sister, Amy every year. 3. Spending time with family.