A New Year

I enjoyed a two week trip home from Christmas Day through January 9th and was blessed and encouraged to see everyone and spend time with my friends and family.

The day after I arrived it was 53 degrees and I thought, "Isn't it supposed to be winter?" But the next week I got to feel the cold and see the snow.

While I was home, I also visited the Home for the Handicapped in Morton to observe the therapy room and was able to visit with the employees there. It has been helpful as I've put to use some of the strategies and tips for communication, behavior, and therapy.

Tori dressed her doll up in the nightgown I gave her.

Dayton and Kathy's front lawn is like a piece of Illinois planted here in Mexico and refreshing to see. It is well cared for and watered. :)

Last weekend, the team from Forrest arrived and I got to go up and meet them at the airport. I have been enjoying my brother, Matt's company. We climbed the mountain with the group on Sunday and walked around town Tuesday evening when we went out for supper with the group.  

Yesterday afternoon, we went into town to visit a family we knew from when we were younger.  Matt made friends with their little dog.  We also made stops for candy, and a frappe! :)

Playing knockout Sunday afternoon.

Sunday evening. Many birthdays celebrated with singing and "mordida" tradition. (Mordida means "bite" or in other words, you try to take a bite and your friends smash your face in the cake.)

Some men from the group practiced quartet songs and sang for some of us ladies.

Tuesday afternoon I finally discovered how to go on a walk with both Tadi and Tori. I can put Tadi in the seat and Tori can ride on Tadi's lap or on the cup holders with her feet through the handle. We went to see the cows and pigs, the sheep, and then the men working on the new school building.

We made it all the way to the kitchen for drinks and then headed home for popsicles!

Later we sat out on the porch and watched Marshall and Tori "pose."  Tori is so fun to take pictures of.

I wish I had caught a picture of her brushing him off! :)

Tuesday night after supper and evening in town, Pau, Keni, and others from the group made churros (similar to a doughnut) because they hadn't been able to find a stand that sold them in town. 

What fun!

In the next week or two, Carissa and Belinda are planning to move in to town with our two eighteen-year-old girls, Jaqueline and Maria. They found a home to rent and so some of the team got to go clean it. Wednesday morning I joined them for an hour or so in my free time. The house is spacious and it has a lot of character with a little fireplace and interesting shelving.

Please pray: Please pray that God will lead us and give us wisdom in the coming months with many changes taking place. Keith and Alisa Beyer, a new couple from Leo, and their five children Auburn, Braden, Brecken, Addie, and Brynne just moved down this week. Pray for them as they adjust and learn and pray for the girls moving to town. More changes are on the way, and pray that we can be flexible, cheerful, patient, and willing.

Also please pray for the team here right now as they leave and for the teams soon to come, that hearts will be touched and surrendered to Jesus.

Gift of the week: The universal language of a smile. Even Tadi can understand and communicate this and I hope someday that a picture of a smiling face will help him communicate his feelings.

Keep smiling!