Work and Worship Recap

Tall Timber Team 2013

Kitchen Duty; food prep, cooking, serving, clean up

Landscaping and ground breaking, raking, trail blazing, weeding and planting

Scrubbing and dusting, mopping and painting

Mowing lawn, spreading beauty bark

Building stuff; stage props, horseshoe pits, RV Camping sites and friendships

Singing round the campfire, S'mores, walking in the rain

Sharing meals, sharing laughter.

Teamwork. 

At it's finest. 

I love Tall Timber. If you are a regular reader here, you know this. 

I loved watching my friends fall in love with Tall Timber this weekend 

and the satisfaction gained from being part of the bigger picture. 

This camp will run smoother and better this summer because of the work done this past weekend. 

This camp will impact so many young lives over the course of it's camping season. 

Kids who will hear about how much Jesus loves them. 

Kids who will make a decision to follow Christ. 

Kids who will grow deeper in their knowledge and understanding of what it means to be a Christ Follower. 

Lives will be changed. 

showing our gritty growly side

flying like eagles

SOME OF THE BEST PEOPLE I KNOW IN ONE OF THE BEST PLACES THERE IS!

THANK YOU SHOUT OUTS TO:

BRYAN, DEWEY, DENNIS, TIM, DON, BRUCE, CHRIS, JOSH, ANGELA

LORI, TREVON, MARY, ROBYN, NADIA, KAREN, NORA, DEBI, MIKE, JULIE

YOU ALL ROCK!!

Jueves (Thursday)

Today the work was finished on the sidewalk. Bruce and Jeremy prayed over the remaining 2 bags of cement asking God to stretch it enough to finish the work. God was faithful and there was no need to run to the store and buy more! The best part of finishing the sidewalk was letting all the kids put their hand prints in the wet cement. That will be something they will always be able to look back on and point and say "That's My hand print!" Special moment for sure.

how beautiful are the HAND-PRINTS...... 

I worked with Cherie most of the day, helping her with her blog. I also sorted through the scads of pictures I have taken so far separating out the ones of the kids for Cherie. There will still be plenty of pictures to sort from here till we leave but best to not leave that all till the last minute!

Thunder has rolled across the valley and the air feels heavy and oppressive. Rain would be welcome at this point as this feels like the hottest day thus far.

The children have been playing in the yard, alternating between the wading pool, the trampoline and the swing sets. Also the dogs next door with their 4 little puppies are a huge hit with the kids. One little girl in particular loves to lug those pups around, wrapped in a baby blanket, like a dolly.

Tomorrow will be a tea party for the girls and their friends. While that is going on the boys will be learning some boy scout values. Pitching a tent, tying knots, reading a compass. Tomorrow will be also be our last full day here at Residencia de Vida. (Residence of Life) then a weekend and a day before we fly home.

Not sure what our weekend plans are yet.... most likely some time to tour this beautiful country.

Counting Down and Celebrating!

Just one week from today we will be winging our way across the skies on our way to Costa Rica!!

I met with my dear friend Melody Mae for coffee today and she BLESSED me with an early birthday present! A lovely cross necklace with the Scripture notation Romans 10.15---Yes....how beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!!  I love it. I want very much to share a picture of my new treasure but I am having blogger issues. It seems I have used up all my free storage and until I figure out how to either delete something or add something, we shall have to be picture-less. I do need to resolve this issue and soon because how will I be able to share our mission trip without those pictures? Aggh.

I want to share a little bit about the children who are going to be moving into the orphanage we will be working on!  Cherie McCullah moved to Costa Rica from Missouri in 2009. She established Residence for Life as a way to bring stability to the life of children who are unable to be adopted. I will share with you a recent post from her facebook page:

Today is going to be an important day for the kids of Residence of Life. They are going to be told about moving here sometime today. It is going to be a very happy day for some of them but sad for others. Family services has decided to separate one of the families so the three of them will find out today that the 4 year old is not coming here but will be adopted instead. Also there are a few other kids that want to live here but with the space we have it is not possible. For those that are coming and beg to live with me every time I see them, this is going to make their day :)

Later that day Cherie posted an update:

The meeting with the kids went well! Of the 6 of them 5 were very happy. The 7 year old boy said he didn't want to go unless his friend and his Tia (auntie in Spanish) went with us. He thought about it a while, then asked if I have movies at my house and I told him I do. Then he wanted to know if I had popcorn and I told him yes. Then he informed me he wants to eat cereal for breakfast every morning and then he was happy about coming. :)

Kids... pretty much the same where ever you go!

Grandma Brags A Little

My granddaughter Faith graduated from Kindergarten this week!! It breaks this poor ol grannies heart that I can't be present for these kind of things. (they live in Florida-- can you get farther away from Washington and still be in the USA?) Thankfully my daughter posted pictures on her facebook page so I could drool over them. Here are some of my favorites.

what a beautiful smile! (daddy in background)

still favors those 2 fingers....

too cute!

receiving her 'diploma'

she got several awards: Scoring 4/5 on Escambia Writes Test Award, Math end of year Assessment 90% or better Award, Attendance Award [missing 5 days or less], Olympic Achievement Award, Shinning Star Award [Satisfactory Report Card All year], and Her Kindergarten Diploma!

and here is one more sweet pix of my oldest grandson Zac with his mommy

he's gotten so tall!!!

Zac is 12, Faith is 6 and middle child Kristjian (not pictured) is 8. Oooh..... how I long to go visit them!!!!

And Now For Something Completly Different!

In re-reading all my last few posts, I think it is time to inject a little humor. So please allow this grandma to share...

Zaccari, my 12 year old grandson called me yesterday to tell me he had fallen over a skateboard in the dark yard and fractured his wrist. We had a bit of a conversation about that and then Zac went on to tell me about a movie he had recently seen. Now, my connection wasn't the best (cell phones) so I am sure I am missing some important facts but this is what Zac told me.

Zac: Gramma, in this movie it says that hugging is a sin.
Me: A sin? To hug? I don't think so...
Zac: Nahuh, it said only side hugs no front hugs. wanna know why?
Me: tell me.
Zac: because front hugs cause sexual attraction.
Me: uhhhhhhh....
Me: I don't think hugging is a sin, honey, hugs are good. but I suppose side hugs may be safer? it depends on who you are hugging.
Zac: well, maybe.

Zac at his reptile party for his 12th birthday

I sure would like to know what 'movie' he heard this in.... I think I need to have a second conversation with mom or dad.

the daze after Christmas

counting backwards...

our new years card

Today was a lazy laid back day.....
stayed in my jammies and read

finished my new years letter (we opted for a new years letter rather than Christmas cards)

and figured out how to use publisher to make an address list and labels... so that next year I won't have to do that again!

Our Christmas Day was totally Burke. Slept in. Bruce made breakfast (killer french toast with REAL maple syrup). We opened and read all our Christmas Cards and set them up on display. We made phone calls and talked to family and friends. Joey and Corrie came by and we had a great visit. Then Bruce and I bundled up and went for a little hike in Maple Falls. It was great except for a late start and the early darkness, and my hip acting up. 

Came back home and vegged.

Christmas Eve was grand! Two wonderful uplifting Christmas Eve services-- Bruce and I were greeters. Saw lots of our favorite people and gave out hugs and well wishes. Came home and watched "Letters to God" on Netflix. (***Warning--- it's a 3 hankie-movie!!***)

We also had an overnight guest who arrived late Wed. night and departed mid day on the 24th. This is Bruce's old high school buddy.  We had guest join us for dinner Wed night as well; friends from N. Ca. so this week has been full of re-connections.

so today as I sat in my cozy living room, reflecting on all the goodness of the last few days AND the goodness of this whole past year, it wasn't hard to write a new years letter of things to ponder and treasure in my heart as Mary did.

The greatest gift ever given: new life.... a baby born in a stable.... who would grow up to die for us in order to give... new life.

That is worth pondering, is it not?

~MOUNTAIN MOVERS~

other wise known as.... vacation bible school.... has been going on in Deming this week. Tomorrow is the last day followed by a community wide bbq-party.

the first day we had 9 or 10 kids. I was excited about that. I know some of the teachers were a little discouraged, because they really wanted twice that amount, and this morning one of them shared her feelings of discouragement and how God had spoken to her heart about it that morning, that no matter how many came or did not come, the ones who were there, were there for a reason and it was important to love and teach them.

today we had almost twice the amount at the day before! 7 new kids arrived! it was a fun filled day. Beautiful sunshine -- glorious sunshine- heavenly sunshine! And homemade tortillas --- oooooh my! fresh, hot off the griddle with some butter.... heavenly!!

I have been working in the background as a support person. A good spot for me. the kids are great but I think it's okay to admit that my strengths, my giftings, are not teaching or leading a group of kids

Still, I love listening and watching them as they play and sing and display such sweet exuberance for life and learning.

its also been a real treat to watch the leaders--- now here are a group of ladies who are gifted in teaching and working with kids! And what an awesome team they are. you can tell they have worked together before. they have this VBS thing down! it's amazing!

so tomorrow is the final morning and then a fun time thursday night with the BBQ. Hoping we get a great turn out from the community-- the outreach to Deming is a strong desire of our hearts and I believe God loves to give us the desires of our hearts.

in fact.... He delights in it.