Life in Semi-Quarantine Chapter 3

More radishes! Had to try a bite out of the big one. It was pretty bitter.

And lots of fun with watercolors...

I've been enjoying learning how to not use too much pigment and add different layers. It's fun to just keep adding a little detail here and there until it all comes together. And when you "mess up," there are ways make it part of the artwork. It helps me understand how God redeems my mistakes in life and in a far more perfect way. He is the Artist!

Little visitor in the kitchen!

Sadly, I found it dead on my desk the next morning! But it's still pretty, and may be able to grace an entomology project at EXPO.

Miguel and I with some help from Issa made kabobs on Friday! So pretty and so delicious!

Thanks for your love and prayers!

Life’s Bright Morn

I walk along in life’s bright morn.

A mist floats all around.

I fear I’ll step into its midst.

It parts before.

The sun shines gold and still more so

The further on the way.

Someday the mists will all lift up

And roll away.

Life in Semi-Quarantine Chapter 2

Miguel driving José's recently fixed go-cart.

Shredded pork going in the freezer. I try to do some meat every week, pork or chicken, to make food prep easier for the houseparents.

Interesting perspective through a hole in the block wall where Miguel and I eat our picnic lunch every day. It's been fun to get to take lunch break together. The white fence you see is the arena. 

Grilling up some steak at sunset in the front yard.

Balto hanging out with us at lunch with his paws crossed.

Tried watercoloring painting a bit last Sunday.

Monday we harvested the radishes in our garden.

It was quite the pickings.

Radishes are such a beautiful color freshly washed!

Balto standing guard over the radishes!

Here Adam Kaeb discovered a swarm of bees on a branch of a bush near his house and is putting them in a box to be relocated to a bee box. This will be the second swarm they've collected.

Every week day we load up and drive to CVE around 8-8:30ish, sometimes making a pharmacy or grocery stop on the way. Then we are there until 5 or so in the evening. We had a good chuckle at Balto's pose the other day on our drive.

So once again, asking God to watch over each of you and thanking you for your support and prayers!

You Are Here

When everything is here

You are here!

When everything is gone

You are here!

When I am weak, when I am strong,

When I am right, when I am wrong,

It never seems to change the fact that

You are here!

I thank you Jesus for being with me.

You are the truth, the way, the life,

You are the light.

When it is dark, you are the light.

When I am blind, you are my sight.

When I am lost, you lead me right.

You are the light.

I thank you Jesus for being with me.

You are the light, the way, the life

You are the truth.

When I’m confused you speak to me.

Your words uplift and strengthen me.

They break the power of Satan’s lies.

You are the truth.

I thank you Jesus for being with me.

You are the truth, the life, the light

You are the way.

When caverns open up before,

You take my hand and lead me sure.

Someday, we’ll walk on heaven’s shore.

You are the way.

I thank you Jesus for being with me.

You are the truth, the light, the way,

You are the life.

A silent heart you will revive.

When all seems hopeless you breathe life.

When all seems vain your purpose thrives.

You are the life.

I thank you Jesus for being with me.

The life, the way, the truth, the light,

I know you’re here.

Though eyes can’t see your form or frame,

In faith I speak your precious name,

In hope and grace, live by the same

For you are here.

Life in Semi-Quarantine Chapter 1

Miguel with his birthday cake, angel food cake with strawberry whipped cream. 

He turned 23 on March 31st!

Recording a song with these great musicians!

Eating take-out burgers with my hubby

Going to visit the neighborhood mulberry tree. It's mulberry season and they are delicious in my opinion. And it's just what I need to forget the stress of life for a bit.

Headed out to camp at the ranch!

We may have arrived after dark...

But Miguel grilled up some steak and it was the best "carne asada" I think I've ever tasted!

Visiting a lake at the ranch the next morning.

Disinfecting the bathroom at work with bleach 

I find myself excited every time people come to the kitchen or hang out in the cancha because I get to interact with someone!

Some of the support staff have been doing activities with the kids in the mornings during their two weeks of spring break. (They won't be going back to school at least until June even after spring break.)

With the lack of human interaction, I might have been a little more welcoming to this little guy who was hiding in the mop the other day. (Also, check out my dry skin from so much hand washing!)

Good bye Lizard buddy!

I inherited a love for puzzles from my dad, but rarely make time to do them. However, I've spent two Sunday afternoons putting together puzzles in the last two weeks and it's been great!

Miguel has been working at CVE doing landscaping work (mowing, trimming, etc.) since they don't need as much help at Carnisimo burgers. One day after work, he gave me a little lesson on driving manual in the Jeep. Let's say I was a little frustrated, but I got it into 1st gear once out of the ten or so tries, so I guess that's progress.

Yesterday, it was time to clean the fans. They needed it! And there's something rather satisfying about unscrewing things and then screwing them back together.

I was excited about the bacon, ham, bomba pizza I made last night. 

It even had a cheese-stuffed crust!

Yum! Yum!

So that's all for now! Hope all of you are safe and well in your corners of this crazy world.

And so thankful that Jesus is the same, yesterday, today, and forever, even when so much is interrupted by COVID-19.

25th birthday!

Miguel grilling me a steak dinner for my birthday!

Birthday supper!

A walk at sunset

planting my bugambilias (my birthday present!)

Trying my hand at sewing face masks last Saturday

Miguel all ready for work

Me with my face mask

The aftermath

With the extra time from no social activities, I've been enjoying drawing. Here are a couple of my favorites.

With many if not all of us under orders to stay at home, I thought this poem might be appropriate.

 Claustrophobia

I was a spiritual claustrophobic

With great fear of losing control,

When God turned to me and said the words

That horrified my soul.

“Do you see that space in the crevice?

I want you to crawl right through.”

And I shuddered and worried in anguish

At this last thing I wanted to do.

How long is the passage? I wondered.

What’s found on the other side?

Will there be light for the journey?
Have others done this and died?

But God with His patient prompting,

Continued to speak His command,

“I’ve led through the rivers and battles,
I will be holding your hand.”

So finally I stooped and entered,

The passage was cramped, dark, and long

Often I thrashed in my panic

But then kept creeping along.

Sometimes I couldn’t go further,

But didn’t know how to reverse.

I thought I would die in the darkness, 

Until I remembered God’s verse.

“Even when you cannot see me,

I am holding your hand.

I’ve led you this far and will lead you,

Whatever I may demand.”

And there in my bleakest hour

My faith reaches past the damp walls.

With nothing else to sustain me,

My all on my Savior falls.

My tears carve a shimmering river

As I choke my surrender to Christ

Feeling His presence as I pledge

To follow whatever the price

Then light at the end of the tunnel,

A scramble and what have I found?

The sweetest of beauties of heaven and earth,

That amaze, enrapture, astound.

I’ll dance in this meadow of glory

Until I hear spoken again,

“Do you see that space in the crevice?

Once more it is time to begin.”