We are so blessed - Guatemala trip

Last week we were blessed to be able to leave the kids at home and travel to Guatemala. We had the intention of blessing others with medical and dental care, but I think we were the ones ultimately blessed. I have listened to people return from mission trips and say how blessed we are here in America. I now understand what they mean. It is hard to describe the poverty that we saw in Guatemala. Yet despite their lack of wealth, the people (especially the children) seemed so happy.
We had planned a VBS for 70 kids (which we thought was overplanning) and we had 225 kids come. Needless to say, we had to improvise. Each kid was given only one crayon and some type of paper to color as there was not enough of anything for each child, yet they were excited to have their one crayon and paper.

The children there didn't complain about not having the color they wanted or the same thing as another kid; they were just happy to have something. It's hard not to keep saying to Ketchup and Benjamin when they start to whine or complain about something since we've been back, "You know the kids in Guatemala had nothing and they didn't complain."
I also experienced the joy of serving. Selfishly, I didn't want to spend our money (we also had a lot of generous friends and family give their money to help us pay for the trip - thank you!) to go and work in a clinic and sleep in a bunk bed all week. I would've rather used the money for new furniture or a "real" vacation to Disneyland. But it was more fulfilling and enjoyable than I can describe to you to allow God to use Ozzie and I.

It really was the best vacation I have ever experienced. I totally understand now how God has created us to serve others and when we do that, He blesses us with true joy that is indescribable. When I take my focus off myself, I am able to be truly happy.

Now the transition back to the overindulgent North Dallas area begins. It is hard to go from what we experienced in Guatemala to looking for a new house and making plans for that. Selfishly I want to make plans for new furniture and decorating rooms, but I remember the dirt floors, sheet metal walls, and homes with no furniture at all.

As we go back and forth this week on negotiations for the home we want to buy, it all seems so small. I have seen that joy is not in what we think we have or own, but it is in serving and giving to others.

When God speaks....

This week has been an eventful one. We received an offer on our house and have been in SLOW negotiations all week. We are also planning to leave on our mission trip to Guatemala. I had so many worries and wonders running through my mind this last week. I knew I just needed to sit down and be still before God. My Bible study assignment was to FLAP (facts, lessons, application, prayer) John 14. So I started with verse one. Do you know what God said directly to me? "Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in Me." Thank you God for saying just what I needed to hear.
It looks like we'll reach an agreement with the buyer this weekend, so we're off tomorrow to look at potential houses since we'll be homeless in a little over a month. That's a good thing though!!
I'll have lots to blog about when we return from Guatemala - be prepared for some reading!

Why can't we go to the dentist now?

This was Bounce's question to me this morning before we began to get ready for the kids dental check up. I thought his question meant he was finally eager to go and it would not turn into the meltdown like last time. I was hopeful, all was going well as we entered the little room that they took us into. (They reserve a little room for him with a door to try and muffle his screams so he won't frighten the other kids there.) He was excited to see the Spiderman movie he had picked out to watch. He was smiling and happy UNTIL the dentist walked in the room. The smile turned to a face full of fear. Then she asked if he could wear the special "watch" to take his blood pressure and the meltdown began. The dentist was reassuring that there was progress over last time because the screams were much less intense and they actually completed 4 x-rays (that room had a door too, but occassionally I could hear him cry out). Poor little guy! The good news is that both kids are in the "No Cavity Club."
We also had our first Friday Family Movie Night tonight. We watched "Underdog." It was a cute movie and we all had fun. Daddy wanted to be extra nice tonight since we're leaving next weekend for our mission trip, so he let the kids watch Ratatouille in our room and then sleep in there all night. Bounce said he wished every night was this fun. I don't agree because it's already tomorrow and I'm still awake. I really like it when every one is in their own beds, but at least it makes for good memories which I'm awake for every last one.

Where do I begin?

Since I posted last, we have had an eventful week. Depending on how many interruptions I get, I'll try to catch you up in one post.

Part 1 - Expect the Unexpected
Last week Daddy's parents and sister and her son were in town for a visit. His sister wanted us to plan a camping trip. This would be a great opportunity to use the new tent that we gave Daddy for Father's Day, so despite our reservations about camping in the July heat, we agreed to plan and participate. The day of our camping trip arrived and Daddy's sister decided to return home early leaving us and his parents and other sister. His parents and other sister were not thrilled about spending all night out in the wild woods, but our children were thrilled to go camping, so we ended up going (for most of the time as they came for the first few hours) by ourselves.

Part 2 - What else did we forget
I knew we had packed quickly, so I assumed we would forget something, but you never know how much you need things until you don't have them. Daddy forgot his sandals and walked around in my fashionable pink flip-flops for some of the time. Mommy forgot to bring sausage and tortillas to make Daddy's eggs extra yummy. I also forgot the bug spray which will lead us to part 3 in just a minute.
Overall, we had a lot of fun camping. The kids loved swimming in the lake and riding their bikes in the street instead of on the sidewalk. The highlight had to have been seeing our first live armadillo. We have seen them upside down on the side of the road, but not up and walking around in the wild. We were just about to go to sleep when our dog started barking and we heard rustling in the bushed behind us. I thought it was a raccoon, but it was a dumb armadillo who just kept waddling over to our campsite despite a barking dog and our flashlights right on him.
We enjoyed more camping fun and headed home about noon the next day. Just the right amount of camping for me.

Part 3 - I thought camping was cheap.
When we got home, I kept complaining about all my mosquito bites. Then on Sunday, Daddy had some bites and the kids had a few as well. By that time, I looked like someone had painted red polka dots all my stomach. We had to go to the doctor anyways that afternoon to get our shots before we leave for our mission trip, so we asked the doctor about our bites. She thought they might be chiggers or bed bugs, so after buying new pillows and prescription creams and anti-itch medicine, Daddy wanted to know how camping was supposed to be cheap and fun after all this. Wal-mart definitely makes money when the "P" family goes camping!