~Our Colombian Go-Away in our church & My New Cookbook in Spanish~

THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRAYERS FOR ELIJAH'S COUGH AND ASTHMA.  On Wednesday night he was so SICK with an asthma attack that we got very little sleep.  Phillip and I were PRAYING for him on and off all night long.  Finally, EARLY Thursday morning Phillip got up to HAVE SPECIAL PRAYER for him, and as Pastor Jimmy and Sis. Farly ran out the door to their Paraiso school he asked them to please have the school kids pray for him in their morning devotions.  Around the time of their devotions, God gave Elijah a SPECIAL TOUCH and he started getting better!!!
 ~Happy Women's Day. =)  In the midst of our running, Sweet Phillip bought the girls and I some flowers for International Women's day today. =) ~

 

 ~Some of you graciously sent money to help buy our pastor's wife from Medellin Sis. Alba a Washing Machine.   The amount of money that came in would have only been enough to purchase her a cheaper style washer that is common in Latin America.  (I used that type of washer in Costa Rica and about PULLED my hair out!! You have to fill it with water using a hose or bucket for EVERY cycle.)
When Pastor Jimmy read on my blog about me PRAYING for Sis. Alba a washer and how some had sent in offerings, he suggested that since we planned to sell our washer anyway, and since ours is considered by many to be the best brand here, we could sell her OUR WASHER.   You see, Our washer is a WhirlPool.  We had NO CLUE when we bought it that this brand is considered a "Cadilac" brand here.  Our washer is a quality washer and one that she would have never been able to afford.  So we took Pastor Jimmy's suggestion, and let her have our washer for a very GREAT price.  Someone from the USA paid for the shipping, and here Phillip is wrapping it up in cardboard and getting it all ready to ship.
It left our house yesterday afternoon, and Sis. Alba called us this morning with the HAPPY, HAPPY NEWS that HER WASHER had just been delivered to her house!  She is SO GRATEFUL!!!
So a GREAT BIG THANK YOU to each of you who gave to BLESS our pastor's wife from Medellin who has been HAND-WASHING their clothes (they are a family of 5) for their entire 25 years of marriage!!!~

~As I told you earlier, Pastor Jimmy, Sis. Farly, and the church had announced a go-away for us Thursday night, March 7th.  We had a nice service last night that started a tad earlier, and then afterwards we went upstairs.  As I came up the stairs I started crying, and hardly quit for the rest of the evening!
~Here's our beautiful cake they had made.~

~Bro. Armando played a guitar and sang 3 nice songs that he dedicated to us.~

~The bottom cake.  It said, "El Senor Todo Poderoso haga respander su rostro sobre Ustedes."  Translation:  "May the Lord Almighty make His face to shine upon you."

~Here's our family.  (Mary is hidden behind the cake).~

~This precious note behind us said,
"Dickinson Family: Thank you for these 6 years and work, for letting us see Christ in your lives.  You'll always be in our hearts.  Your Christian Nation Church that loves y'all!"~

~Then they went around the room and every family took turns sharing memories or saying nice things to our family.  There were LOTS of tears on both of our parts!  They had such KIND things to say.
Pastor Jimmy's uncle talking.~

~A new couple that started attending right around the time of our Jan. revival, talking to us.~

~Sis. Gloria talking.~

~Pastor Jimmy's Daddy talking.  Bro. Jaime reminds us so much of Dad D.
We LOVE Pastor Jimmy's parents...they are like our Colombian parents!!
I was BAWLING the whole time they were talking!~

~Sis. Sofia (Pastor Jimmy's Mom).~

~Bro. Jaime talking.~

~Noah's friend Felipe was crying so HARD that I couldn't even understand what he said.~

~Sis. Miriam. Many people mentioned enjoying my food and Thanked us for having them in our home.~

~Raul talking.~

~They girl's violin teacher Adriana talking.~

~Adriana's husband William talking.~

~One of the new ladies from the hair salon next door talking.
(To your right you will see our DEAR Nicolas, Noah's friend who lived next door to us.  Since his Mommy has to work a lot, he spent LOTS of time with our family.  When they asked him to talk last night, he just fell into a heap of tears.    It's going to TEAR my heart out to tell him goodbye. I bawled this morning just thinking about it.  He's become like another son to us!)~

~Sis. Farly's uncle.  He helps take care of little Joanna that stayed with Pastor Jimmy and Sis. Farly for some time.  He is VERY Grateful for the nice clothes that some of you sent to her.  Thank you!~

~My Marisol talking.~

~Yours truly, TRYING to talk, amidst my tears.~

~Sis. Farly talking.  They have become our Colombian family.  I have NO CLUE how we'll tell them goodbye!!  =( ~

~Phillip talking.~

~Kimberly talking.~

~Noah said something short and sweet, but it summed it all up.  =)
He said, "We love y'all and are going to miss y'all!"~

~Sarah telling everyone how much we LOVE them.~

~They surprised us and served us the YUMMY LECHONA (Rice and pork that we love.)
Raul cutting the cake and Sis. Farly serving it.~

~One of the new ladies and I.  Bro. Edgar had my cookbooks ready and the ladies were HAPPY with them.~

~Sis. Marina and I.  She was one of the first ladies we ministered to here in Colombia.~

~A couple ladies from the hair salons around the church, and the daughters of one of them.~

~Gaby and Sarah.~

~Nicolas and Noah.~

~The kids Together.~

 ~Bro. Jaime made this for us and had all the families sign it.  SO NICE!  We plan on framing it to hang in our USA house.~

 

~As I told you earlier in this post:
My New cookbook of American recipes that I wrote in Spanish for my Colombian friends is now ready!!  My friend Marisol spent HOURS helping me write all the recipes using the correct Spanish cooking terms and then Edgar from church helped me design the front cover, added some fun details to the pages, and printed it off for me.  My book has 53 of my recipes that are the FAVORITES of our Colombian people, and several fun and inspiring quotes to encourage Wives, Mommies, and Christians.
Here are a couple pages from the inside of my cookbook.~

 ~Sis. Farly and I in her kitchen (with Fun-loving Pastor Jimmy peeking out from behind us).
We're holding her signed copy of my new cookbook.   Praise the Lord it's DONE! =) ~

On Thursday Phillip was back in our house waiting for the men to come pick up the washer to ship it.  All of the sudden 2 school girls who pass our house each day and always talked to little Elijah and Mary through our gate, came by, noticed our curtains were gone, the house was empty, and there was a FOR SALE sign in the window.  They stood there STARING for a while then with SADNESS in their voices they yelled, "HOUSE SIX, DON'T LEAVE!  PLEASE DON'T LEAVE HOUSE 6!"  
When Phillip heard them say that, he got choked up thinking about leaving the DEAR COLOMBIAN people who LOVE and have CARED for us so MUCH!!

Each of these our DEAR Colombian people have walked right into our hearts and will be there FOREVER!
Mil Gracias nuestros hermanos, por todo su AMOR para nosotros.   
Les Amamos MUCHISIMOOOOOOOOOO!!
Many Thanks, to you, our Brothers and Sisters, for all your LOVE to us.  We love y'all LOTSSSSSSSS!