mexico

Our journey south was an adventure and challenge for us all... weaving our way through various methods of transportation, new social interactions, and several cities. And yet wherever we found ourselves... in minivans, trains, buses, shuttles, escalators, airplanes, and "big big gray vans", we felt God going before us and that was so very humbling. Thank you so much to any and all of you who were praying.

We found ourselves without a vehicle to take to Chicago on January 4 when our auto mechanic informed us that our van's tires were not fit to make the drive. We headed north nonetheless in a borrowed van, thanks to Jim & Marlene, placed it securely in O'Hare's Lot G, and flew to Atlanta that evening. It was a short night, and the kids shared a double bed which was an all-around new experience, and overall not a very peaceful night, but we sort of slept. The next morning we flew to Guadalajara and arrived in Ixtlan in time for church.

Once there, we found our way into an enjoyable schedule, reconnecting with friends, visiting people, playdates, lots of tacos, and about the same amount of coffee. The kids were unbelievably flexible, which made the trip so much more fun. We spent a day in Zamora visiting the market, fabric stores, and the hospital where Ivory was born. I realized once there that much of her curiosity surrounding "her hospital" was actually more related to the birthing process itself. Our visit to Clinica San Agustin was brief, but my deep gratefulness to God continues... I realized there, once again, how incredibly faithful He was during that time and still is to this day.

img_1018img_1019img_1020img_1022img_1023img_1027img_1031img_1032img_1039img_1041img_1042img_1043img_1047img_1048img_1050img_1054img_1055img_1057img_1060img_1063img_1065img_1066img_1067img_1068img_1069img_1074img_1075img_1080img_1085img_1090img_1091img_1094img_1095

By the time we made it back to GDL for our flight to Atlanta, we were ready to be heading home again. Our 20 hours in Atlanta were spent with Matt & Dana Knapp and family - a tremendous blessing, and we were so thankful for their hospitality. Our night there was much more peaceful than our previous night in Atlanta a week earlier.

We flew back to Chicago and then headed straight for St. Louis to spend the weekend helping Matt & Kim do some work on their new house before Grant started his new job. More details on those events in future blog posts.

Our trip was blessed and there was much, much grace available to us... God was so good. We experienced beautiful hospitality and fellowship on both sides of the border... a testimony to His work in the lives of His people.

I came home inspired... and so much more aware, as always of God's faithfulness.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

loved

Image
I have prayed, as all mothers do, that God would give me opportunities to help me teach my children what a real and deep relationship with Him looks like. I am ashamed to admit that when the answer to that prayer showed up as anxiety in my oldest, I wasn't overly thankful - nor did I recognize it as the answer to my prayer. As I think through our conversations over the past few days, I see now that she is sorting through the good and the bad and every little comment is only touching the surface of many deep thoughts, feelings, and questions. And I am thankful that she is feeling deeply and asking questions because that is the beginning of a lifelong relationship with Jesus. She had preschool graduation this morning and I'm not one to get emotional but there must be something about 'Pomp and Circumstance' that brings it out in me. Happy endings, new beginnings, and celebration... I suppose all of it is definitely worth getting emotional about. :) ...
Read more

edelstein: before & after

Image
It was still pretty cold in April of this year - I distinctly remember because we closed on this house that we planned to remodel and rent out, and then we walked in the door and I set an infant car seat down on the floor and realized that none of us was wearing enough layers to stay warm, and the place did, in fact, still smell like cigarette smoke. However, the previous homeowner had left a gift for the kids, and I was moved to tears by her generosity and thoughtfulness. Truly, what a gift from her and from God - to realize that this was exactly where He wanted our family for this period of time. The dust started to fly and the overwhelm did not abate but the grace abounded and with lots of good help and expertise from many sources, 2823 W. Main St was transformed into a habitable place. We're honored and excited to be renting it to three sweet girls who keep it sparkling clean and photo-worthy at all times... and since that's the best way to tell the story, here a...
Read more

tending

"This is the work of tending - and it is the work that makes up most of life. To tend is to make small, frequent, repeated actions without immediate results, but with long-term payoff. Tending is the language of habits and rituals. It is hard work, because it is usually menial and persistent. It is embedded in diligent process instead of fast and easy results. Tending is hard. It is often monotonous and seemingly insignificant. As I tend to my garden each day, there is little evidence of change. I cannot see my plants growing in front of my eyes. But I continue to water and fertilize, stake and weed, because I know that the cumulative effect of these small, consistent interventions will be a harvest." ( Daughers of Promise, "Tend" , p. 7) For me, at this stage, parenting is tending. It is hard work, tedious, monotonous. I say the same things, at about the same times, every day. Over and over, we have to re-learn to be kind, respectful, and use our words instead of...
Read more