I have not blogged since January!
Why you might ask???
Well, it all goes back to the simple truth that we live & work in VENEZUELA!
Unpredictability has become the new word that describes everything that we do.
When we travel.... what we do each day.... when we make calls.... when we check & respond to emails.... when we turn in reports.....ALL ARE UNPREDICTABLE!
The thought of, "I'll do those reports tomorrow!" or "I'll email that friend back in the morning" becomes a joke when we awake to no electricity due to power rationing or no internet because a cable was fried in the night.
The thought of, "I'll do those reports tomorrow!" or "I'll email that friend back in the morning" becomes a joke when we awake to no electricity due to power rationing or no internet because a cable was fried in the night.
I would be lying if I said that this new word did not bother me.
I am really one of the most predictable people out there!
I like order.... I Love lists.... and sticking to the plan makes me quite happy.
However, living where we do.... all of that order & plan stuff.... yeah.... no longer exist!
As I am sure many of you have read or seen on the news....
Venezuela is not the most stable place to live (shhh...don't tell!)
After rocky elections in October, we have been dealing with shortages, violence, & fear as the people sit back & wait to see what will happen next.
In February, the whole country was experiencing fires due to lack of rain.
Our town was no different...
A park across the street caught on fire which led to burnt cable lines.
So, our internet was FRIED!
It has taken 2 months to get it fixed & restore internet.
(We actually had to go through another company.)
And in the midst of no internet, the president died! You can imagine how lovely that might have been. It felt like living in a cave with no contact with the outside world as it was unsafe to leave our homes for several days. Dependency on technology becomes terribly obvious.
And in the midst of all of this craziness, there have been food shortages.
Grocery shopping is like going to a garage sale hoping to stumble upon a treasure.
We end up doing much of our shopping at the meat & bread store & my personal favorite...the pharmacy. With those 3 stops you can survive.
Needless to say... unpredictability has won again!
How sad it was that I could not make Isaiah the cake he wanted for his birthday because there was literally NO butter to be found!
But regardless of all of the craziness... God has been faithful & great things continue to happen.
We were pleased to throw a fabulous baby shower for our dear friends in Pavia, Camilo & Jeniffer.
Many of you remember that they prayed for 3 years to have a baby & this summer just as we arrived, Jeniffer found out she was expecting.
God provided for them the whole way & on March 1, they welcomed a healthy baby boy into the world named Cadniel Jose.
March 9 brought with it many emotions. We celebrated the 2 year anniversary of Chris's near fatal bus accident in Maracaibo. The first anniversary wasn't very strange as we were in the states....but year 2 brought a flood of memories, at least for me... Chris still remembers nothing!
(Unfair? I think so!)
None the less, we are still in awe of God's provision during that time. He continues to prove Himself faithful even though Chris still faces daily challenges as the result of the accident.
On the day of this special anniversary, we sent our beloved Yubisay to the states to train with Kidz Ablaze International. Her goal is to learn as much as possible & return to help put a national children's ministry into place. It just goes to show that what the enemy meant to destroy 2 years ago, God turned around for his glory.
We have also been privileged to assist with the national Deaf Bible Institute for the Assemblies of God here in Venezuela. What started as a simple,"We'd love to help be your voice in a sea of hearing people" turned into Chris being the new Vice President of the Deaf Bible Institute.
(It's okay to laugh.... we are still processing this one!)
We were blessed to travel to Maracay where Chris preached for the 7th anniversary of one of the Deaf churches pastored by our friend Jose Ojeda who is also the President of the Deaf Bible Institute.
Along with this ministry, we have been blessed to assist a local deaf church in finding a location for their Sunday services. This church has had as many as 80 people over the past few years & with the new meeting place we hope they reach many more.
March 27th, Chris & I celebrated our 14th anniversary. We were so blessed to have a little time to celebrate as our dear friend Erica came & loved on our boys. It is always a treat when Chris & I get time alone! We never take those moments for granted.
As we approached the end of March, we were once again excited to celebrate the birth of our oldest boy... Isaiah.
It is hard to believe that our first baby boy is now 12! We are excited to see Isaiah developing into an amazing man of God. This photo is one of those "Mom Photos" that us moms just love to show off. Isaiah was 6 months old.
And now we are here in April...
This week, we prepare ourselves to face another election.
Sunday, April 14 will be an important date for this nation.
There are many scenarios that could play out.
Some are positive... some are negative... some are calm... & others are down right scary!
I have come to grips with the fact that life can simply be UNPREDICTABLE!
How we choose to handle these changes....
the mountains... the valleys... the good... & the bad...
that defines our character.
It is an art.
It is not easy.
We are being molded & shaped by the Master.
May we embrace this art of accepting the unpredictability of our lives with grace.
Please join us in prayer as we pray for peace & safety in the nation of Venezuela.
March 9 brought with it many emotions. We celebrated the 2 year anniversary of Chris's near fatal bus accident in Maracaibo. The first anniversary wasn't very strange as we were in the states....but year 2 brought a flood of memories, at least for me... Chris still remembers nothing!
(Unfair? I think so!)
None the less, we are still in awe of God's provision during that time. He continues to prove Himself faithful even though Chris still faces daily challenges as the result of the accident.
On the day of this special anniversary, we sent our beloved Yubisay to the states to train with Kidz Ablaze International. Her goal is to learn as much as possible & return to help put a national children's ministry into place. It just goes to show that what the enemy meant to destroy 2 years ago, God turned around for his glory.
We have also been privileged to assist with the national Deaf Bible Institute for the Assemblies of God here in Venezuela. What started as a simple,"We'd love to help be your voice in a sea of hearing people" turned into Chris being the new Vice President of the Deaf Bible Institute.
(It's okay to laugh.... we are still processing this one!)
We were blessed to travel to Maracay where Chris preached for the 7th anniversary of one of the Deaf churches pastored by our friend Jose Ojeda who is also the President of the Deaf Bible Institute.
Along with this ministry, we have been blessed to assist a local deaf church in finding a location for their Sunday services. This church has had as many as 80 people over the past few years & with the new meeting place we hope they reach many more.
March 27th, Chris & I celebrated our 14th anniversary. We were so blessed to have a little time to celebrate as our dear friend Erica came & loved on our boys. It is always a treat when Chris & I get time alone! We never take those moments for granted.
As we approached the end of March, we were once again excited to celebrate the birth of our oldest boy... Isaiah.
It is hard to believe that our first baby boy is now 12! We are excited to see Isaiah developing into an amazing man of God. This photo is one of those "Mom Photos" that us moms just love to show off. Isaiah was 6 months old.
This week, we prepare ourselves to face another election.
Sunday, April 14 will be an important date for this nation.
There are many scenarios that could play out.
Some are positive... some are negative... some are calm... & others are down right scary!
I have come to grips with the fact that life can simply be UNPREDICTABLE!
How we choose to handle these changes....
the mountains... the valleys... the good... & the bad...
that defines our character.
It is an art.
It is not easy.
We are being molded & shaped by the Master.
May we embrace this art of accepting the unpredictability of our lives with grace.
Please join us in prayer as we pray for peace & safety in the nation of Venezuela.
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