~Day 17 & 18, and our Lord's day!~

We're getting Company!  The Flings (Fellow missionaries working in Peru) ARE ON THEIR WAY...and should be here in about an hour or so.  :-)

~Day 17 of...my 30 days of Thanks!
I am VERY GRATEFUL to Jesus for our DEAR MISSION DIRECTOR BRO. MARK BECKER AND HIS SWEET WIFE SIS. KRISTAL!  I've known Bro. Becker since I was tinky.  He used to carry me around when I was 18 months.  When my Grandpa Bryan died in a tragic death over Christmas break, Bro. Mark bought me a cute little Curious George!  Bro. and Sis. Becker have been missionaries themselves for around 18 years, so they KNOW exactly how it is to be a missionary.  The culture shock in the new field, the burdens one bears for their people, the sorrows and THE JOYS, the tears and the SMILES, raising 3rd CULTURE KIDS, (Our kids aren't 100% American, for they haven't lived there for the last 10 years.  So they are PART American, Part Costa Rican, Part Colombian, Part Argentinan! :-) the learning to enjoy the "natives's food," the return culture shock when going back to the U.S.A., etc.  The Beckers are very DEAR GODLY people who LOVE, and who have a HUGE SERVANT'S HEART!!  They are always very SUPPORTIVE of their missionaries ...making us feel like "ROYALTY."  Bro. Becker is a very wise man and gives great advice!  We feel very privileged to have the Beckers as our Mission Directors!!  :-)

 ~Day 18 of ...my 30 days of Thanks!~
I'm grateful for CHOCOLATE!  :-)

~OUR LORD'S DAY!~

 ~This dear young man and his parents are leaving Argentina, and we probably won't see them again.  They had a special prayer time for them at church, and then we all walked around and said goodbye.~

 ~Abigail wearing her new little dress from Irene.~

 ~Aunt Yoli, Aunt Caro, and I.  The scarf I'm wearing is a gift from U. Charlie and A. Yoli and says, "I Love Jesus!"  On the bus ride home, I happened to look up and an older lady was TAKING A PICTURE OF ME!  She said something to me, and I thought she said, "I Love you!"  But later she gave me a card that she had written on and it said, "I LOVE JESUS TOO!  God bless you and your family!  Please pray for me, I have cancer."  :-( ~

 ~After we ate lunch at the Chinese church, and practiced with the choirs, then we ran home, drank some coffee (to keep us awake) and took a bus and then stood at this cute train station waiting for our train to take us to where Fernando and his family live for our evening service. ~

 ~Jeremiah and our kids.~

 ~Jeremiah and our boys.  Such GREAT friends!~

 ~Our "Lady Us-ie"...that we took before Fernando's Grandmother arrived.~

~Phillip and Fernando visiting.  God gave us a good service together!!~

 ~Since it's still my "Birthday month" we took this braided loaf of bread (which we bought on Saturday) and a candle to celebrate my birthday with Fernando, Mariela, and Jeremiah.~

 ~Shortly before we left Fernando's Grandmother arrived.  We were very grateful to get to meet her.  You see, Fernando has a sad story.  Hours after he was born, his mother had a blood clot go to her heart and she died.  :-(  So, He was raised by his sweet Grandmother. 
She's a dear and we got along great!  :-) ~

 ~Sweet Mariela, Sweet Mrs. Ruth, and I.~

 ~They walked us to the train station so I snapped this pic of the kids going around a telephone pool. :-) ~

 ~Heather~