Thank You Family and Friends!

Thank you again so much for your prayers and support for our trip to Puerto Rico to serve CEM! Our return to our normal busy schedules has postponed this thank you, but we wanted to provide a quick synopsis of our experiences. The girls are ready to go back!

We loved our time at Calvary Evangelistic Mission (CEM) and we were excited to be able to serve and encourage their ministries. CEM is an important component of maturing believers and reaching the lost for Christ in Puerto Rico and the surrounding Caribbean islands. CEM owns and operates 3 Christian radio stations (http://www.therockradio.org/), and a Bible Correspondence School (http://www.bcsonline.org/) that reaches over 23,000 students in 62 countries. Radio easily touches many lives, and the listeners have requested more Bible teaching programs than music during the day. We were honored to be a part of what God is doing in the Caribbean!

We felt our trip was a great opportunity to show our girls that you don’t need special skills to serve God! It’s not our abilities, it’s our availabilities God is after! We lived in a large city for a week and joined a team of 10 others serving at CEM. The ladies in the group did an outstanding job of feeding us, and we were blessed and touched to be so warmly welcomed into the CEM family.

Most of Beth’s time was spent helping with various office tasks. We recognized God’s timing when we arrived and learned there were 3,600 mailings to fold, stuff, and prep for their spring Sharathon event. Our help allowed the CEM staff to continue with their duties while we prepared it for mailing. Several long days in the office were challenging (especially for Lauren), but we worked hard, and we were rewarded by enjoying God’s beautiful beaches at week’s end.

Most of Mark’s time was spent outside, either painting, or helping recoat the roofs on various CEM buildings. He also worked on the 3rd floor of the CEM building to help prepare it for a potential tenant this fall. We believe it was God’s timing for our family to be down there towards the end of the month, as we were able to encourage the CEM staff, as well as the other volunteers—some of who had been working for two or more weeks prior to our arrival. They were ready for someone to help carry the 60 lb. paint buckets at the job sites!

Lauren says – I went to the office and did what they asked me to do, like stamping return addresses on the Bible lessons and stuffing envelopes. It was only kind of fun. I made very fun friends (with the rest of the team). I liked eating rice & beans with chicken, parcha (passion fruit) ice cream, and fried plantain chips. My favorite day was going to the beach, because we got to swim. I liked to see the glowing water (in the Bio Bay).

Morgan – Thanks to everyone who helped support our trip to PR. One good thing to know is that you don’t need special powers or travel to Africa to be a missionary. I helped stuff envelopes, stamp Bible lessons, and place stickers on books. I also swept the apartment stairs to help keep it clean. The beaches were beautiful, and the Bio Bay (http://www.biobay.com/) was AWESOME! I got to see God’s creations underwater when I went snorkeling. This trip was a fun experience. I am pretty sure what we did pleased God.

Hey, Nicole here! I had many wonderful experiences in Puerto Rico. I got to work in the office folding, stacking, and stuffing around 3,600 papers. Dad and I worked outside painting. In the BCS, I stamped return addresses on the Bible lessons. I got to see beautiful beaches, wavy waters, and wonderful people. The Bio-Luminescent Bay was amazing to watch and experience. I had fun, and I hope our trip pleased God.

The picture attached is a postcard (scanned) that contains a sentry post in Old San Juan. Just as it was used to guard the city, it reminded us of how your prayers guarded our days for good health and safety.

Thank you to our family and friends who prayed for and supported us on our first family mission trip. We know it was by God’s Grace and your assistance that we were able to build these lifetime family memories while serving him.

To God be the Glory!

In His Service and with love,

Mark, Beth, Nicole, Morgan, and Lauren

School

I'm back to school! It's Nicole, and I'm gonna be late to the bus if I don't hurry. As mom already said, we got 5 hours of sleep on Monday night! We did not get home until 1am so... I've got to go, so I'll write more later!

Nicole

There's no place like home!

Nicole took this pretty sunset shot above the clouds on our plane ride home.

Yes, we arrived in our driveway this morning (Tuesday, 2/24) at 1:15 AM! The past 48 hours have been a blur, and the trip is beginning to feel like a dream!

Monday, I took the girls around the local block after breakfast to enjoy a fresh quesito (puff pastry with cream cheese center) at the bakery, and then they tried a mixed fruit batida (kind of like a smoothie) at the fruit market. Mark was craving fresh pineapple, and we were down to our last few hours to purchase one for him. After that quick trip, Nicole and Morgan went back to work in the Bible Correspondence School, and Lauren and I began to pack up before helping cut printed papers into postcards for another Sharathon mailer. Mark was very busy and dirty moving trash out of the 3rd floor. I think a renter had moved out of the office building and left a lot of stuff behind.

Nita bought us yummy rice & beans with chicken lunches again, and we all enjoyed the fresh pineapple that Wanda and Jan had cut up for us. They even baked Mark's birthday cake and let Nicole frost it for lunch. I had meant to do that, but my time was slipping away from me. None of us were anxious to leave, yet we have lots of pets that require our return!

After lunch, it was a scramble to continue to pack up all of our souvenirs and shells for the long journey home. Nita took us before 2pm to make our 4:30 flight. We finally boarded the plane, only to have to sit on it for over 2 more hours while they investigated a hydraulic problem with one of our engines! It was very frustrating as I had only packed enough snacks/supper for the 5 hour flight home and not 7 hours! I knew we were missing out of 2 hours of sleep when we finally got home. But in the midst of that huge inconvenience and wondering if we should trust the plane, we knew that we could trust God to see us through to His plan. It was a relief to touch down at O'Hare and get off that plane!

We had to catch a hotel shuttle to pick up the van, and then we could finally start the 2 hour drive home. Morgan was especially tired, and all three fell quickly asleep. I think I made it to about Chenoa before I could no longer help Mark stay awake!

Quick unpacking of the necessities and hit the pillow at 2:15am - only to have to get up for work 4 hours later. Mark and I both made it in to our desks late today, and Nicole was the only one excited to go to school! After work, Nicole had her final volleyball match tonight, and I managed to accomplish one load of necessary laundry. Since most of our trip clothing was for summer, I don't have to hurry it today.

Thanks so much for your prayers - especially for health and safety. I didn't let Lauren swim after Friday, and her cough seems to have cleared up for now. Other than fatigue, we are doing very well.

Here is a photo of the entire group before Monday's lunch. Each contributed much in many different ways. I really enjoyed the synergy.

I know Nicole plans to write more when she has time. I also hope to have each one of us write a little more about how our expectations matched or differed from our experiences. I am looking forward to seeing you all in person as we adjust to our "normal" world, yet I hope the trip makes a lasting impression on our family to look for ways to serve every day.

My eyelids are heavy, and it's now 11:43pm on 2/24. This trip reminds me of a kids' song that is a Bible verse set to music for Joshua 1:9 - Be strong and courageous, do not be terrified, do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God is with you - wherever you go!

Beth

Flight to Chicago

Nicole here! This is my official last blog from Puerto Rico. I'll miss all the wonderful people I've come to know and love. A couple names-Wanda H, Lowell H, Bryson H, Jan F, Mark F, Jim L, Phyllis L, Tracy, Dave W, Barb W, Nita L, Mama Ruth, all the people at the BCS, and all the people we came in contact with at the office. Wanda, Lowell, Bryson, Jan, Mark, and Tracy all went with my family to Vieques. I played golf, and did a lot of things that would take too long to type so I'll tell you all at home!

I miss you all! See you soon, at home!

Nicole

Old San Juan

Nicole, here! We just got back from Old San Juan! I had a great time there! We went to the old fort (El Morro) and saw all the old sites! There were some pretty amazing things to see, including the 18 foot thick walls, the old rusty cannonballs, and the views. I would want to work there just to see the beautiful views everyday!

After touring the fort, we walked around and went shopping! Morgan, Lauren, and I bought items, and other touristy stuff!!! It was fun being a tourist, and looking through all the stores where we saw different souvenirs.

We walked around a lot, and rode the bus home. It was fun, but when we were back at the apartments, we were ready to see familiar faces. I joined a game of "golf," and made it my goal to beat Bryson, and Morgan. I got Morgan, but Bryson slipped out of my grasp. Either Dad or Wanda won, I don't remember!

I want to write in my journal now, but this is probably one of my last blogs. Tomorrow we will clean up, pack up, and say our good-byes to leave for the plane.


Here is a list of the highlights of my trip. They're in no specific order, just as I think of them.
1. I got to snorkel for the first time. It was fun learning, and seeing all God has created in the underwater world.
2. I was out of the USA for the first time in my life. I've never traveled out of the US, even if this is still a US territory!
3. I got to swim in the Bio-Luminescence Bay. It was amazing seeing the sparkles on my arms and moving my legs to make the water light up!
4. I am on my first mission trip. It was fun helping out in the office and painting, and I hope we can do it again soon!
5. I got a taste of living in an apartment. 2 bedrooms, and 1 bath is not as much fun as our house at home.
6. This isn't really a highlight, but still... I miss my friends, and family back at home, but I needed a break! (I'm just kidding, but I do miss you!)
7. I got to see how a different country operates and looks. It was fun learning all about Puerto Rico.
8. I saw the beaches and waters of another place. The Caribbean Sea had perfectly clear waters.
9. I got to learn how a radio-station operates. It was cool watching the radio-masters change the channels and stuff!
10. And last but not least, I think we learned how to work together and serve God as a family. That is a highlight because it is a blessing from God.

Adios (for one of the last times)
Nicole

Vieques Rocks! by: Nicole

All Three of us Girls at WIVV radio station

Hey, Nicole here! It's too bad my other post got lost, but I'll try to recap it!

I know I said I miss all you out there, and we're flying home Monday. I'll be back to school Tuesday! Our trip to Vieques Island was a short one, but I sure had a lot of fun crammed into those three days.

Thursday brought us to Vieques! At 2:30 in the morning, Mom woke us up for the trip over to Fajardo. We made pretty good time, and got there at 4:10. Walking over to the ferry place, we were told that the cargo ferry didn't leave until 5:00. The next hour consisted of freezing our behinds off, (it wasn't that cold, but we've been spoiled!) reading, playing ds's, and talking (for the guys!) When 5:00 finally came, we were ready to leave. But first they had to tote our limo (15 passenger van) aboard, along with other cars, and a construction trailer. The waves crashed, as we boarded the ferry. It was probably the fact that it was about 5:30, and that Mom gave us motion sickness pills, but we were all out within 5 or 10 minutes. I remember waking up about 4 times with a neck-cramp, because we were using the life vest as a pillow. They were rock solid and Mark F. said they probably couldn't float! So maybe it's a blessing we didn't sink! Because, we got there safely, and went out to eat at a bakery!

Also on Thursday, I got my first taste of snorkeling. We got to go to Orchid beach for a while, and Dad showed me how to snorkel and see the reefs! I remember thinking 'It's like a whole different world down there!' It was so cool! Blue Beach was glanced at also, but we didn't get to swim there!

On Friday, we really committed our time to swim and snorkel. We left around 10am, but didn't get there until 11 or so! But even the time we got there, was amazing. The first beach was Red Beach, and we saw some, but not a whole bunch of sea-life. So after a while, we moved to Media (pronounced med-e-a) Luna (Half Moon) Beach. We snorkeled there a lot, but didn't see much more than sea-grass. Some of the cool looking waters were too shallow to snorkel there. So once again we left! The next beach was End Beach. Nobody swam except for Bryson and I. And boy, did we have fun! This beach was known for its gigantic waves! They were huge! Everyone else got bored watching us, so Sun Bay was our final destination. Only Dad, Bryson, and I swam there, and we didn't even really swim. We snorkeled out of Sun Bay, all the way around to Esperanza! It took 2 hours (from 4 to 6), but it was amazing to describe all the sea life. God was really creative with all of his creations! We saw bunches of things that I could barley describe!

But speaking of amazing, nothing topped what we saw that night! Mom and Dad took us girls to the Bio-Luminescence Bay! We got on a bus with like 30 other people, and we were brought to the lagoon. After we were told all about these micro-organisms, we got to swim for about 20 minutes. Boy, was it amazing! There really weren't words to explain it, other than it was amazing and wonderful! After we got used to the freezing cold (77 degrees, as I said before, we're spoiled!) water, Bryson showed me how to snap my fingers underwater, and a whole spurt of light came. Mom pointed out how to make Puerto Rican Snow-Water Angels, and they were fun too! Lauren got cold after a while, and she sat on the boat with Bryson's grandma, Wanda H!

Saturday was pretty boring compared to all we did on Friday! We played cards, and we got to ride the passenger ferry home. Since there was no cargo ferry to ship our "limo" home, Tracy stayed behind until Tuesday, and he's going to watch it. The ride home on the ferry, was comfy! We got cushion-seats, and we had no adventures compared to the other ride. When we got back and were driving to the apartments, Nita surprised us by taking us up the mountain to the rain forest. They were so cool, and we stopped at the top of the mountain, at 1575 ft!

So that has been our short, but crammed with fun trip to Vieques! Today we're going to take a bus to Old San Juan, and we'll go shopping and site seeing!

I've got to go now, and so I'll end with, this has been an amazing trip with lots of new things to see and do. I do miss home a little now, but I never want our trip to end. I've learned taking warm water for granted will never do, because someday, we might be like Puerto Rico, where we have to set our water out in the sun to heat, and on cloudy days, we will have to put up with cold showers. I've learned a lot, had a bunch of fun, and I am grateful to God for this opportunity!

Adios Amigos,

Nicole

Vieques Rocks!

Well, unfortunately, Nicole sat here typing away for a long while, but her post seems to have disappeared. All I could find was this title. I am doing laundry, and we are all exhausted from another long day. She has already went to bed as it is almost 11:30 pm here. She'll have to try and recreate it tomorrow.

Quick recap - we traveled to Vieques on a cargo ferry with the van on Thursday morning at 5am. We had to get up at 2:30 am for the drive. We each popped some motion sickness medicine and were so tired that everyone fell asleep on the plastic benches going over. It's a good thing they don't remember much of the trip, since we found out the waves were 9-11 feet high, and we felt queasy during it. We grabbed some breakfast at a bakery and finally arrived at the WIVV radio station. The other men were sleeping there, so we were busy cleaning the facilities and laundering sheets and towels.

Just came home tonight on a passenger ferry with a much smoother ride. During our trip, we did facility maintenance on the island, and then visited the most beautiful beaches in the world. Most require an extremely bumpy van ride to get to them, but the view is always worth it. Mark taught Nicole and Morgan how to snorkel, and they loved it. Friday night, we took a tour group to the Bioluminescent Bay to swim where the water glows when you disturb it due to a micro-organism living there. It's just too unusual to describe, and photos never turn out. The fish leave streaks as they dart through the water to avoid the boat. It's just another one of God's unique creations, and we were excited to share it with the girls.

Lauren's cough is coming back, and she probably has sea water in her ears and lungs and might need a trip to the doctor when we return. Otherwise, God has answered our prayers to stay healthy this trip. We are so thankful for the protection He has provided every day, and we can't believe the trip is coming to an end so soon. Thanks for coming along on this journey with us!

Time to check the laundry...
Beth

Got To Go!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hey it's Nicole. This won't be a very long blog, but I thought I would post it. We're going to Vieques tomorrow, so I won't be able to blog for a couple of days. We won't have an Internet connection, unless we find a computer over there. We're not bringing the laptop.

Anyway, we have to leave the apartment, in our big 15 passenger van, at 3:15, so we can catch the 5 o'clock cargo ship over. That means, we have to get up at 2:30. The shower water won't be very warm, so I'm glad I don't have to take a shower (I took one after painting, before lunch.) (above) It would be so cool, if we could see a turtle like this, when we go snorkeling!!!!

Thanks to everyone for following our blog. When we get back I will try to get on, but it will be hard, to tell everything in one blog setting. I miss all my friends and family, and I'm sure that goes for my sisters and parents too!!

God Bless,

Audios,

Nicole

Nicole, here! I'm back after lunch from painting, and being painted. You should of seen my hands, they were so white from the paint. I would of taken a picture, but my camera was lost, or stolen last night at the lagoon area. So all my pictures went along with it.



But to lighten up the mood, we're going to Vieques tomorrow. That will be real pretty! Supposedly, our apartment/hotel will only be a short walk from the beach. We will be working down in the other radio station in Vieques.



Mom, Morgan and Lauren all worked in the office again. But I got to help dad paint. YEAH! We worked up on top of the 4 story apartment building and off the third floor of the office. Someone had just come around and painted the floors of the sides all a perfect white. But they had gotten it up on the sides the building, so Dad and I touched up the walls of the office. I have to go get in the shower, so I can work back inside the office after lunch!

But now, I want to make a shout out to my friends, teachers and family.

To my friends and teachers at school: Hope the book reports are going well and I miss you all.

To my friends and teachers at church: Have fun at pack-your-purse night. I hope green wins. Bible Quizzing is over! I miss you all.

To my family at home: I miss you all and I hope Mocha, Toby, Panther and Levi are being good to you! Love you!

Audios Amigos,

Nicole

P.S. My camera really is missing, that's not a joke. It's mainly my fault, because I laid it down, but it also got stolen because I couldn't find it in the store. I also cannot remember where I put it, except it was in Walgreen's. Please pray that whoever took it will return it, or else needs it more than me.

9:30am 2/18/2009
Hi! This is Morgan. I finally got a chance to write.
While Dad was out to paint the roof yesterday, he saw a really BIG lizard! Dad has been helping the radio station by painting for them while Mom, Nicole, Lauren, and I have been working inside doing things like stamping and putting together envelopes.
Yesterday after we had worked inside, we got to walk down to the beach, but we didn't get to swim. We walked along the shore and got our legs wet. Before we left our building, I caught a tiny baby lizard the size of my pinkie finger. I held it awhile, but then it climbed up my shoulder and jumped off. We also got to walk along the bridge that went across the Condado lagoon. After that, we ate supper at Tijuana's Mexican restaurant, and I had a yummy chicken burrito. It was dark, so we had a taxi ride home.
I can't wait to go to Vieques and finally swim and play on the beach. Love, Morgan

This is Lauren. I saw this lizard with Dad. It had green and brown stripes down its back. I can't wait until I go to Vieques. I like the warmness (warm weather). I liked rice and beans and chicken for lunch yesterday. That's all I have to say. Love, Lauren

(She's too busy talking Mark F.'s ear off.)

A view of San Juan from the radio station roof top.



We are off to another day of tasks. The list is long, and we are excited to be here to help.

More papers!!!!

Hey, it's Nicole. I come to you a person who is tired of newsletters and envelopes. If you didn't read my blog from yesterday, we've been stuffing, folding, and stacking newsletters for the radio station. Finally we finished the 3,600 newsletters just before lunch.

We had a lunch of rice, beans and chicken. It was good to try something new. Dad is down at a set of towers (who knows where?) painting and doing handyman stuff.

I can hear the school-children singing right across from our balcony. It's in Spanish and they aren't very loud, so I can't really hear them. Last night, when I played "golf" with the guys, I started off real good, like in 1st place, but in the end, I got 4th with a score of +43. You want to be in the negatives, so that is real bad. The winner had like -12. It was complicated, but if you know me, I'm up for the challenge. I told Jan F. that I was going to be the queen of "golf" before the end if the week.

Dad and Mom are debating on whether we are going to eat out at a fancy restaurant tonight, or if we're going to pack a supper, and walk down to the beach, and go shopping. Yesterday, I went with Jan and Wanda H. to the supermarket, and I picked out some Puerto Rican looking food. So we've got plantain chips, and hazelnut spread to eat sometime.

I'm sorry to say, but I'm not missing home at all. But I am missing my friends and family and pets! No school, no cold weather, and I get to wear t-shirts and shorts. Can anyone tell me the high in temperature? Is it 82 degrees? And does it feel like 91 degrees? Here it does!!! Ha-Ha. I have to say "Have fun, amigos (friends)! You are stuck in school, and cold weather, while I'm in fun and sun! Well, not all fun, considering the fact that I have to go work soon now!

Hasta Manana,

(see you tomorrow)

Hasta Luego,

(see you later)

Audios,

(good-bye)

Nicole

(I'm learning Spanish!!)

One day down...

Just a quick note from Beth. It's 11pm, and Nicole is learning to play Skip-Bo with the group. She's been playing a couple of hours, and I think she's in 2nd place and beating Mark's score. I had to lie down with Lauren after 8:30 to get her to sleep, but then I crashed until 10pm. Morgan was still up reading, so I sent her to bed and started our load of laundry. Everyone in the group here has welcomed us with loving hearts, and we are so glad to be serving with them again. Most are from central IL, and one couple is from Holland, MI. I told them we liked their State Park on the beach and hope to camp there someday. The group has made our trip extra special.

Today was a long day in the office stuffing envelopes after folding and sorting their semi-annual newsletter. I'll have to ask tomorrow how many envelopes we are touching, but I'm guessing over 3000! It's been a great job to get the girls involved. So far, I haven't had to worry about meals as some of the other ladies enjoy cooking for the group. I didn't expect to just sit down for meals, but it sure has been a blessing! So, the girls and I worked in the office until 6:30pm. Mark and Lauren visited the tower site before supper and saw a 4 foot long iguana. Lauren needed some time out of the office. Her attention span was shot, and she was talking non-stop! Mark F. likes to pump her for information, so who knows what the group will learn about our family this week!!

Nicole enjoyed a walk to the local grocery store this afternoon with Jan and Wanda. She enjoyed picking out some local snacks for us to try this week. They are eager to try a true Puerto Rican meal at the cafeteria for lunch tomorrow.

I'm very proud of their hard work today. They are anxious to get to the beach, and it looks like that might wait until Thursday when we get a surprise visit to the towers over on Vieques for a couple of days. So for now, I'm making them work long hours in the office.

We are healthy and enjoying the time. Just like Guatemala, the scenery is so beautiful that it doesn't seem like work. Thanks for your continued prayers! We will see you soon as our time is quickly passing. Don't be surprised if we greet you with a hug and a kiss on the cheek next time. That's the local custom...

Thanks for everyone's comments to our posts! We enjoy seeing them, and can't wait to share all of our photos, too. Goodnight! Buenos Noches!

Beth

Papers, Papers and... Lunch?

This is our office building
The back of our apartment building (above)
(above) Dad is painting the office and Mom is on a floor taking a picture through a window.

Hey, it's Nicole again. We've been busy all morning folding papers, stuffing papers, and stacking papers! Papers, Papers, PAPERS!!! One of the ladies, Barb W, and I, tried to get a special folding machine to work. Guess what? It hated us! So everyone, Mom, Lauren, Morgan, Barb W, Wanda H, Jan F, and I all folded them by hand. There were over 1,000 papers to fold. About halfway through it, Morgan switched to stuffing stuff (hee hee) into the newsletters for Mom to pack. Jan F. took me on a tour around the 7 floor office.
(above) Lauren does her job of stuffing the newsletters with stuff!!

The whole office is owned by CEM, and the radio station. But only floors 3 and 4 are used by them. The other 5 floors are rented out, and the rent money goes to take care of the building. Dad, Mark F, and some other guys all worked painting, building, and mopping up from the rain. They are trying to get the roof of the apartment and of the office building looking nice. So far, they have done a lot to get working.

Morgan fold and fills the newsletters

Then after folding, stuffing and stacking, and folding, stuffing and stacking some more, we were called to lunch. That was a relief! The guys came inside to our neighbors apartment on the third floor. It's not too hot, but I'm sure its so much better than back at home. What's the temperature? 32 degrees? Ha-Ha!!! We're in 70 or 80 degree weather. The sun is shining in through the glassless windows. Ya, there is no glass or screen in the windows. Apparently, there are no bugs to get in and bite us. Instead there are millions of fans going all over.

Our bedroom has a fan, the living room and Mom and Dad's room. So there are at least 3 fans just in our apartment. We're all complaining about the heat, but we'll get used to it, and boy, then we'll freeze our behinds off when we get home.

Mom says we'll get to go to the beach one day, but not yet. I hope it's on a school day, so I can be laughing and anyone from my school will be stuck in school!

Nicole

We're Here!!!!!

Hey, it's me, Nicole! I'm now officially a blogger. We finally got to our apartment building around 5:50pm, last night. You wouldn't, believe how warm it is! Right now, I'm wearing shorts, a t-shirt, and flip-flops.

This apartment is so different than our house back home. For one, there is one bath, and only 2 bedrooms. Number two is, Lauren, Morgan, and I all have to share a bedroom, and it's the size of my room back home! Third, we're still unpacking, so we've got suitcases all over the floor, and not much is in it's place yet.

Our plane trip up, was a breeze. Literally, because we were going so fast. I figured out we were going like 7.3 miles a minute, or 437.5 miles an hour. The total trip was about 1750 miles long. Lauren was a little bit freaked but yet excited when we landed and took off, because this was the first time she remembers flying. Morgan, Lauren and I got to share a set of three seats, so that was a blessing. Lauren, started by the window, and I was by the isle, so Morgan got the middle (to split us up!)

We met the people in our apartment, but it would take too long to name all. So I'll just say, they're wonderful people with caring hearts. We got to eat dinner with them last night. Today, we're going to be mailing out letters to the radio station supporters. In one of the pictures, you can see an island when we're coming in on the plane. The other picture, is of our beautiful island, but its blurry because I was in a car. Thanks to all of you for praying for us, because we got to Puerto Rico safely! The sun is shining, so I guess it's time to go!

God bless you all,

Nicole :)

Bible Quizzing is Over!!

I know this isn't directly related to our trip, except that this is the reason we couldn't pack today. All morning, we've been at a local church for AWANA Bible Quizzing. I just had to mention how proud I am of all four teams from Grace Church, because they all received perfect scores! Thanks so much to the leaders who helped them focus during many practice sessions!

Ok, on to final packing and such before we head up to Chicago in about 1 1/2 hours. It's 1:30pm right now, since the upload time on the post never seems to be accurate.

I have to assume it might be a day or two before I can post again. We'll arrive early in the evening on Sunday and get settled into our apartment in San Juan. We be put to work right away on Monday and look forward to making contributions to our "family" down there.

Talk to you soon, I hope! God has been so good this week in helping us accomplish our many tasks, so I can't wait to see what is in store for next week!!

Beth

We are packed!

I've noticed the timestamp on my posts isn't matching the time here in the Central Zone, but it is currently 1:50 AM Saturday, 2/14. Happy Valentine's Day! Morgan's school party went well, and Lauren said she enjoyed her activities as well. The day has been packed full of commitments, so we finally started packing after supper tonight. I'm very excited to be headed to bed, since each night has been pretty short this week for me. In fact, I wasn't sure I'd even make it this early tonight! God has supplied so much stamina this week, and I didn't overdose on caffeine. I might crash tomorrow on our journey to the hotel in Chicago...

Each of us tried to pack lightly, but when you combine them all, we have a lot of bags to haul! Nicole has been begging for the password to do her own post, but I've had to be the taskmaster with each of them. Nicole and Morgan have Bible quizzing for AWANA in the morning, and we've been too busy to prepare as much as we normally can. We prayed tonight that they would have a clear mind and be able to recall all of the materials from their brain cells.

I'm falling asleep at the wheel right now, so I'll sign off. Thanks for being a part of our journey. I can't believe it has finally arrived, and everyone is healthy! Praise God! The snow on the ground is pretty tonight, but we have dreams to chase of warm beaches.

Beth

Our trip expectations...

This may look a little familiar to some of you in about a day... I'm short on time, so I'm borrowing this content from our Thank You notes to share out here.
_______________________________________
As part of my journey to Guatemala, each team member wrote our expectations and experiences. I received many positive comments about the notes, so we thought we’d copy the idea and see what our family is expecting…

I’ll go first. Guatemala taught me that plans can change at any time, and they will continue to bring glory to God if I remain flexible. God’s plans are so much more than my own. My memories of CEM are 13 years old, so I look forward to being reacquainted with many of the same staff members and the many sites that I visited with either Mark or my sister, Lori. I have previously performed many tasks from grading papers to painting a white roof, and I’m sure those are still available. However, this trip, my main focus is on helping my girls have the best possible experiences for their individual personalities. My desire is that they each will feel blessed by the contributions that they will make and can truly see God working in another culture. God has wonderfully worked out all of the details so far in a very quick fashion. Beth
________________________________________

I think that Puerto Rico will be fun. We will go to a beach. We might see glowing green water. The weather will be warm. In CEM (the radio station), I think I will dust and maybe grade tests and maybe even paint. Puerto Rico will be warm and sunny. We will go swimming. I will get to wear shorts and t-shirts. Puerto Rico will be fun, sun, and work, and I hope it pleases God! Morgan (9)
________________________________________

Hey, Nicole here! I’m expecting to be working in the office most of the time. Mom says we will paint and work outside also. Supposedly, we can grade papers and help around the radio station. I expect a beautiful beach with wavy waters. We’ll hopefully go to a bay that lights up a night. I’m sure we’ll have fun, no matter what happens! Maybe I’ll be a missionary when I grow up. I hope our trip pleases God, also!
Nicole (11)
_________________________________________

I think I’m going to be working in the office and maybe painting. I looked at books about Puerto Rico, and it looks pretty. (Lauren’s not really sure what to expect but overhears us talking about it!) Lauren (5)
__________________________________________

Having been to San Juan a couple times already to serve at CEM, I realize each opportunity is different and provides unique blessings and memories. But there will almost certainly be some familiarity also. My expectations for this trip will be in watching how God works during the week in the lives of our daughters. We have been focused on showing them how God is working, even in our preparations this past week, to arrange all the details for us. Here are a few specific prayer requests for our trip:

1. That we will be ambassadors for Christ as we serve in Puerto Rico. We talk with the girls about being Jesus’ hands and feet. And though that is true about every day life, we are excited to show them how we can serve Him by serving others with joy.
2. That Beth and I won’t miss opportunities to help the girls see where God is working. And that we are sensitive to their needs and desires during the week.
3. For Lauren. She is excited, yet unsure and a little worried about working at CEM. At one point we thought she was going to pick staying at Grandma Joyce’s house over traveling with her family when she heard the word “work”. Our prayer is that there will be meaningful tasks for her to help with, and that she will experience God’s special touch next week, along with Nicole and Morgan.
4. Health, harmony, patience, and safety, while flying, and then while traveling around Puerto Rico.
Mark
_________________________________________

I'd love to write more, but there is much to do still, and it's very late. Friday night will be a frantic night of packing, since we haven't started!! Guess we'd better Bible Quiz, too, since their competition is Saturday morning. God is certainly providing me with adrenaline and stamina, since I also need to prepare for a school Valentine's Day party on Friday, too!

Be still, and know that I am God. Psalm 46:10
Beth

Who is Toby?

Nicole and Toby!

Lauren is acting like a pillow!

I was thinking that you might be wondering how we chose our blog name, so here is a quick update. We received a Malti-poo (Maltese/poodle) puppy as a Christmas present, and his name is Toby. It's not easy to come up with a catchy blog name that isn't already reserved, so we resorted to using "Toby's family adventures" without the apostrophe. Even after our trip to Puerto Rico, we may occasionally post photos about our camping adventures and such, especially if the girls have fun keeping up this site.

I'm learning how to post photos before we leave, so here is my first attempt. Actually, it was pretty easy! Nicole has been so busy this week with school commitments that she hasn't had time to learn about editing this blog. I know she wants to make it look more hip!

This was just last week when Morgan's fever lasted for three days. Toby was happy to snuggle and keep her company during a movie. God has blessed us with good health this week as we finalize our plans.

At this point, we plan to pack on Thursday and Friday evenings. I'm so grateful to friends that are keeping Toby while we are away, and to other friends that are taking care of our two cats, gecko, and guinea pig. We sure love our pets, but it is a lot of effort to be away and arrange for care. Thanks so much to everyone that is helping us meet these needs!

We still plan to publish our trip expectations before we leave on Saturday to Chicago. We so appreciate all of your prayers for our journey.

Have a great day! I'm off to school to turn a jump rope for third graders for the Jump Rope for Heart program.

Beth

Sunday Commissioning for our trip

Hello friends and family!!

Thanks so much for all of your prayers for our journey. Morgan's fever disappeared Friday evening, so we were all able to be at church on Sunday for the elders to commission our trip. This simply means that they prayed for our journey, such as our safety, health, and family harmony! Those are certainly high on my list, too!

We were so busy shaking hands that I forgot to have someone snap a photo of our family as we begin this journey.

We are new to the blog world, and Nicole is excited about learning the tricks of the trade. I'm sure she'll figure out how to post photos and make this look fancier as we go along.

We hope to post while in Puerto Rico and keep you informed of our work. We appreciate all of your encouragement as we introduce our girls to the opportunity of serving on mission trips. They are very excited about the trip, and I plan to have them each post expectations out here this week, so we can see how they compare with our actual experiences.

Lots to do this week!
Blessings!

Beth