Mirek greeted me in the basement Monday as he was going to the storage room. I told him to say congratulations to Lisa when he saw her next. He agreed and said I know. The look on my face was priceless I'm sure. I asked, "You know she is expecting?" and he said "I know everything." Nevertheless, I thought. This is the first time we have had such thin walls apparently.
So, he stoped by yesterday with flowers and told Lisa happy birthday. We were speaking in English and I barely caught it but I asked what he said. He repeated happy new year and happy birthday. I quickly presented our first ultrasound picture and shared that we are excited about an upcoming birth! He does know everything after all but at least we were able to facilitate a timing that leaves less in question about the privacy of our flat. Once again, never-mind, if you saw the video of our announcement I do scream that we are having a baby.
We are glad to get to know the neighbors better and better.
5.1.10
3.1.10
Visitor
It was great to have Daniel in town from Germany. He was able to stay in the flat that you have helped finance while we were away over new years eve. Today we sat down and discussed the group meeting in Olomouc where we were working together. Daniel brought a great update on the status of the group.
He was very encouraging of our location in Prague as a good point for outreach. The girls and I were glad to have the change to see that God has impacted him both in this country and now at home. Daniel committed to be in prayer with us as you have.
Please lift up the college students in Daniel's ministry that are seeking to show the love of Christ on campus. His train should be back home by now.
He was very encouraging of our location in Prague as a good point for outreach. The girls and I were glad to have the change to see that God has impacted him both in this country and now at home. Daniel committed to be in prayer with us as you have.
Please lift up the college students in Daniel's ministry that are seeking to show the love of Christ on campus. His train should be back home by now.
2.1.10
Encouragement
Thank you to those who sent a special word of congratulations and encouragement. Our excitement level is high as we share the news of our latest member. We are also excited to begin a new year.
Lisa and I are working to read through the bible together using the One Year Chronological Bible. Even better are some questions for thought Lisa pointed me to on the web at ivamaystories.blogspot.com. We were stumped on one so I want to open up for discussion. The questions follow:
How had God described the reproduction process in Genesis one?
What does this tell you about Seth? about post-Fall mankind?
Reproduction involved the woman being made from man. Man was made in the image of God. Seth, however, was made in the image of His father. What more does this tell about Seth and post-Fall mankind?
Thanks in advance
Lisa and I are working to read through the bible together using the One Year Chronological Bible. Even better are some questions for thought Lisa pointed me to on the web at ivamaystories.blogspot.com. We were stumped on one so I want to open up for discussion. The questions follow:
How had God described the reproduction process in Genesis one?
What does this tell you about Seth? about post-Fall mankind?
Reproduction involved the woman being made from man. Man was made in the image of God. Seth, however, was made in the image of His father. What more does this tell about Seth and post-Fall mankind?
Thanks in advance
25.12.09
19.12.09
Preschool & Grace
Grace started attending a Czech preschool at the end of November! The first week or so was a bit rough for her, but things have gotten much better. And we are all glad about that! She was so excited to start going to school like a big girl. Picking her up after the first day was so hard because she just seemed crushed. She told me that she wanted to be a parent so she didn't have to go to school anymore and that she "didn't never want to go back to that school again!" We knew that it might be a hard transition for her. We are incredibly thankful that it only took about a week (3 school days) for her to decide she might stick around ;) The turning point for her came on her 4th day - Friday, December 4th - when the Czech Santa Claus (Mikulash) and his angel visited the school and gave her a bag of candy, fruit, and nuts (and a piece of coal!) Apparently, all the children were well-behaved that day as they all know the threat that usually comes along with Mikulash. Thankfully, his devil did not come to the school, but I'm pretty sure all the children know about him and are afraid! This was good for Grace because none of the children who had bothered her before messed with her on this day :) After 3 weeks now, she no longer complains about going to school!
This first picture is Grace showing off her cute school uniform outside our apartment door. The second is just inside the gate to our complex. I think she was wondering just how many pictures Daddy was going to take before letting her go to school! The pants are not part of the uniform but it's cold here ;)Tomorrow, Grace will be a sheep in the children's play at church! All the kids in her class made sheep masks during class last week and practiced with the other children. She has made a good friend at church and we had the opportunity to visit this family's home for dinner last week. It is so amazing to watch two children who don't speak the same language play together! We are hoping that having Grace in school will help her learn the language more quickly. She is always amazing us and we can't believe what a big girl she is already!
26.11.09
Happy Thanksgiving!
We have so much to be thankful for this year - as we do every year!
Most importantly, we are thankful that God sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to die for our sins because, no matter how "good" we are, there is no way to make our sins right in the eyes of a perfect, sinless God. We are grateful for God's love and mercy; His sovereignty in our lives and His calling for us.
We are also thankful for our family! God has given us 2 sweet angels and they are a joy as well as a reminder that we are to portray Christ at ALL times. We are grateful for the love and support given by our grandparents, parents and siblings and we are blessed to know that all of them follow Jesus! And we are grateful for the technology that allows us to talk with and see them on a regular basis. In the not too distant past, those living overseas could only afford 5 minute phone calls once or twice a year and relied mainly on letters which took at least a month to make the journey. What an incredible age we live in!
We are grateful for those who partner with us in prayer - for our family, for the Czechs, for our ministry here and for the openness of those we meet. We could not be here without your support and intercession with the Father! We are grateful for those who sacrificially give to the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering, which provides the bulk of our financial support and allows to live here without having to raise support or have full-time jobs other than reaching those who are lost.
We thank the Lord for the people we have met here in Prague and the relationships that have begun with neighbors, teachers, students, fellow believers, and the one young man from the metro! We are grateful for our team here and their support.
Also, we are very grateful for the care packages we have received. It is always a blessing to find that little slip of paper in our mailbox stating that we have a package at the post office! And being able to receive some items that we just can't find here but can use and enjoy is wonderful!!!
I'm sure there are many more things for which we are thankful, so if I've left something out...please know that we are thankful for that too! Lastly, we are thankful to have found everything we need to have a traditional Thanksgiving dinner and the neighbors who are coming to enjoy it with us!
We love you all and wish you a very Happy Thanksgiving!
Most importantly, we are thankful that God sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to die for our sins because, no matter how "good" we are, there is no way to make our sins right in the eyes of a perfect, sinless God. We are grateful for God's love and mercy; His sovereignty in our lives and His calling for us.
We are also thankful for our family! God has given us 2 sweet angels and they are a joy as well as a reminder that we are to portray Christ at ALL times. We are grateful for the love and support given by our grandparents, parents and siblings and we are blessed to know that all of them follow Jesus! And we are grateful for the technology that allows us to talk with and see them on a regular basis. In the not too distant past, those living overseas could only afford 5 minute phone calls once or twice a year and relied mainly on letters which took at least a month to make the journey. What an incredible age we live in!
We are grateful for those who partner with us in prayer - for our family, for the Czechs, for our ministry here and for the openness of those we meet. We could not be here without your support and intercession with the Father! We are grateful for those who sacrificially give to the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering, which provides the bulk of our financial support and allows to live here without having to raise support or have full-time jobs other than reaching those who are lost.
We thank the Lord for the people we have met here in Prague and the relationships that have begun with neighbors, teachers, students, fellow believers, and the one young man from the metro! We are grateful for our team here and their support.
Also, we are very grateful for the care packages we have received. It is always a blessing to find that little slip of paper in our mailbox stating that we have a package at the post office! And being able to receive some items that we just can't find here but can use and enjoy is wonderful!!!
I'm sure there are many more things for which we are thankful, so if I've left something out...please know that we are thankful for that too! Lastly, we are thankful to have found everything we need to have a traditional Thanksgiving dinner and the neighbors who are coming to enjoy it with us!
We love you all and wish you a very Happy Thanksgiving!
25.10.09
Lately...
First of all, I wanted to let everyone know that I have been feeling really well lately. I am supposed to go for a follow-up visit to another doctor whom I had originally seen for a second opinion. The doctors would also like to do some vision & hearing tests to have a baseline for me. After all this, I should receive more direction from the doctor in VA. Thank you for your continued prayers for me and for our family as well as the doctors! Now, on to the fun stuff...
We have been enjoying more time with the girls while adjusting to yet another new schedule. This new schedule is the result of a major change in our language lessons, but we are excited to find more creative ways to learn Czech and to be involved in the community!
The girls are growing so quickly! Ella is nearly 16 months old and I really believe that the first 16 months of Grace's life went by a little more slowly. Grace is already 3 and is so much fun. Both girls are little monkeys and can be found climbing all over Grace's bed, the couches, kid's stools and table - basically anything climbable (is that a word?)! We are still working on teaching Ella that she is not allowed to climb from the couch to the tall blanket-storage chest to the window sill. Anytime she makes it all the way there, she just looks at us with the biggest grin like she is so proud of herself. What a nut!
A couple of weeks ago we enjoyed taking the girls to the circus for the first time. We were a little concerned that Ella may not sit through the performances (especially when we got there and learned that it was 2.5 hours), but this company did a terrific job keeping things interesting! Our tickets were on the front row and both girls were completely enthralled by all the animals, clowns, and dancers. It was such a joy for us to see them enjoy something so much! A couple of days later, we went with several friends to a nearby town to buy pumpkins. The small farm we visited had a pony to ride, toys to play with, plenty of hot, delicious food, and lots of pumpkins, squash, and other gourds. Grace picked out a couple of small pumpkins for Ella and herself as well as some fun-colored gourds. Philip and I were thrilled to find spaghetti squash and make a terrific casserole recipe I found online a few years ago - yummy!
This weekend, Philip and I each had some one-on-one time out with Grace. She loves her sister like crazy, but we can tell she's getting more competitive for attention. We do try to do special "big girl only" things with her when Ella is napping, and hope that getting to go out with us will encourage her to be the "big girl" even when she thinks acting like a baby is the best way to get attention.
All in all, the last couple of weeks have been busy but wonderful! Oh, and we are still eating the same turkey! There is only a couple of sandwiches worth and some leftover turkey casserole left before it is all gone :) This includes have a friend over twice and giving some away to another family! We are certainly grateful that God has provided such good food that we can cook at home and that we have the time to cook it!
We have been enjoying more time with the girls while adjusting to yet another new schedule. This new schedule is the result of a major change in our language lessons, but we are excited to find more creative ways to learn Czech and to be involved in the community!
The girls are growing so quickly! Ella is nearly 16 months old and I really believe that the first 16 months of Grace's life went by a little more slowly. Grace is already 3 and is so much fun. Both girls are little monkeys and can be found climbing all over Grace's bed, the couches, kid's stools and table - basically anything climbable (is that a word?)! We are still working on teaching Ella that she is not allowed to climb from the couch to the tall blanket-storage chest to the window sill. Anytime she makes it all the way there, she just looks at us with the biggest grin like she is so proud of herself. What a nut!
A couple of weeks ago we enjoyed taking the girls to the circus for the first time. We were a little concerned that Ella may not sit through the performances (especially when we got there and learned that it was 2.5 hours), but this company did a terrific job keeping things interesting! Our tickets were on the front row and both girls were completely enthralled by all the animals, clowns, and dancers. It was such a joy for us to see them enjoy something so much! A couple of days later, we went with several friends to a nearby town to buy pumpkins. The small farm we visited had a pony to ride, toys to play with, plenty of hot, delicious food, and lots of pumpkins, squash, and other gourds. Grace picked out a couple of small pumpkins for Ella and herself as well as some fun-colored gourds. Philip and I were thrilled to find spaghetti squash and make a terrific casserole recipe I found online a few years ago - yummy!
This weekend, Philip and I each had some one-on-one time out with Grace. She loves her sister like crazy, but we can tell she's getting more competitive for attention. We do try to do special "big girl only" things with her when Ella is napping, and hope that getting to go out with us will encourage her to be the "big girl" even when she thinks acting like a baby is the best way to get attention.
All in all, the last couple of weeks have been busy but wonderful! Oh, and we are still eating the same turkey! There is only a couple of sandwiches worth and some leftover turkey casserole left before it is all gone :) This includes have a friend over twice and giving some away to another family! We are certainly grateful that God has provided such good food that we can cook at home and that we have the time to cook it!
14.10.09
13.10.09
English Night
Opportunities to practice the language we know continue. Lisa worked with Jana yesterday. Tonight is the English Club at Starbucks, and there will be a kids club beginning at the end of the month.
HOWEVER, I was told today that I should work harder to learn Czech. WOW! The shop keeper did have an idea to assist me in this thankfully. I was invited to run with a group leaving at 0700 tomorrow. It is on!
Grace says we forgot to go to the playground after two days or rain.
Ella says watch out for a head-but.
Lisa says she needs a larger basting pan. I agreed she could mail order a turkey to test our skills before Thanksgiving. There was a mix up in the size so all the drinks are out of the refrigerator.......
HOWEVER, I was told today that I should work harder to learn Czech. WOW! The shop keeper did have an idea to assist me in this thankfully. I was invited to run with a group leaving at 0700 tomorrow. It is on!
Grace says we forgot to go to the playground after two days or rain.
Ella says watch out for a head-but.
Lisa says she needs a larger basting pan. I agreed she could mail order a turkey to test our skills before Thanksgiving. There was a mix up in the size so all the drinks are out of the refrigerator.......
9.10.09
Quick note
Someone asked me for my address which is on the left side bar. That reminds me, I don't know who is looking at this site but you are. Be encouraged!
I write briefly tonight to give glory to God. After receiving some challenging news that our language budget has been greatly reduced Lisa and I have remained positive. We are grateful for every opportunity to speak and learn Czech. You can pray for mental capacity improvements!
The family is ready for the weekend and some fellowship opportunities. Tonight, we saw a bear on a motor cycle. That's right, even in the Czech Republic the circus comes to town.
Grace continually said, "I don't know what is going to come next."
Ella was into the music and danced in moms arms. The tune is in my head too.
Lisa heard English spoken by one of the performers.
I am glad to be here and look forward to showing it is true with those I see tomorrow.
I write briefly tonight to give glory to God. After receiving some challenging news that our language budget has been greatly reduced Lisa and I have remained positive. We are grateful for every opportunity to speak and learn Czech. You can pray for mental capacity improvements!
The family is ready for the weekend and some fellowship opportunities. Tonight, we saw a bear on a motor cycle. That's right, even in the Czech Republic the circus comes to town.
Grace continually said, "I don't know what is going to come next."
Ella was into the music and danced in moms arms. The tune is in my head too.
Lisa heard English spoken by one of the performers.
I am glad to be here and look forward to showing it is true with those I see tomorrow.
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