Lyrics of Life

A few hours in Miami

2012-01-26T14:36:00.000-05:00

As I write this, I am sitting in a corner of the Miami airport catching up on my world and sipping Starbucks. Ahhh, life is good. Meanwhile, my hubby is out and about exploring Miami. Further proof that indeed, opposites attract. :)

Tim and I are headed to Georgia to share in a mission conference with our home church. We are super excited to share with these sweet people all that God has been doing in Panama. They have had a large part in our ministry and we are excited to be with them for a few days. We are not excited that our kids are back in Panama though. It was not an option for them to be away from school right now so our friends have moved in to stay with them for a few days. I hope that we are all still friends at the end. Just kidding, surely my kids will be on their best behavior. Right???

Miami is an interesting mix of English and Spanish. I am pretty sure it is a 50/50 split. Which is rather tiring to the brain I might add.

Off to get lost in a good book while I have time......

Back in the swing of things

2012-01-22T07:42:00.000-05:00

After a month off of school, the kids returned this past week and we are back in the swing of normal life. We had an amazing holiday season. We were able to travel, rest and just enjoy each other. Although, I have to say that I am pretty happy to be back in some kind of routine.

In January our job here took a shift. Our primary job is to connect US churches to church planters and Panamanian churches in a partnership so that they can plant more churches and tell more people about the saving grace of Jesus. There is lots more to it than that, but you get the idea. :)

Until now, all of our work has been done in the city. So, we have lots of rural Panama to explore and get to know. To that end, Tim headed out for a few days to meet and explore with a couple of other guys.

I have been holding down the fort and running the taxi service at home. My kids and their social lives sure do keep me busy.

Pie Crust, it's the little things

2012-01-09T20:54:00.000-05:00

One of the things I have learned while living overseas is how to cook more from scratch. We have considerably less prepackaged choices here in Panama than in the USA. Many times the prepackaged choices we do have are far out of the budget. Over the past few years I have learned to bake several things from scratch. Pie crust is one of the things that works out some times and goes south others. While doing my weekly grocery shopping this week I saw a most exciting sight tucked away near the tortillas in the fridge section.

I promptly purchased this little treat (for a semi reasonable amount) and went home and whipped up a cherry pie for the family.

It's the little things. :)

My theme for 2012~ CONQUERED

2012-01-03T07:14:00.000-05:00

Like many people around this time of year, I have been thinking about resolutions for the upcoming year. I need to eat better, exercise more, get less frustrated with my kids, not worry so much about my house being clean, blog more, be more faithful in my prayer time....oh the list could go on and on and on and on and on.....well, you get the idea. I have decided to ditch the idea of setting new resolutions that inevitably, I will not keep.

I have however been inspired by several things I have read in the past couple of days about being intentional about changing things in your life. To that end, I have decided to set a "theme" for myself in 2012. A kind of cornerstone that I can come back to throughout the year to keep things in check. A reminder of what really matters if you will. I have been praying and seeking the Lord as I try to decided on a theme. Finally, this morning my heart has settled on one. This year, I am asking to be CONQUERED. I want His agenda to be stronger than mine. I want His dreams to trump mine. I want to live surrendered and CONQUERED by His love. Praying that this will be a reality in my 2012.

“They believe they were created for more than a Christian spin on the American dream.

They believe the purpose of their lives is deeper than having a nice job, raising a decent family, living a comfortable life, and tacking church attendance onto the end of it.

They believe Jesus has called them to a much higher plane and given them a much greater dream.

They are Christians who have been conquered by a superior ambition, and they are surrendering ever facet of their lives to knowing Jesus and making his worth known in all the world.”

~ David Platt, The Radical Question ~

Out with the old, in with the new; Panama style

2012-01-01T06:27:00.000-05:00

While traveling during the past week we kept seeing the oddest things decorating peoples yards and businesses along the streets. We began asking around and found out that Panama has a unique custom of making scarecrows and burning them at midnight on New Year's Eve. They dress up and fill the scarecrows with newspapers and pieces of wood. I have to say we say some pretty creative pieces of work! As mid night approaches, everyone gathers outside their home and each family burns their scarecrow. The tradition says that this destroys all the bad things that took place in the past 12 months. The scarecrow also scares away any bad luck that might be approaching for the new year. Interesting tradition.

Of course it is yet another reminder of the way Satan has a hold on the people of Panama. We know that our steps have been ordered and our future is ultimately in the hands the Lord.

The Message

^10-11This is God's Word on the subject: "As soon as Babylon's seventy years are up and not a day before, I'll show up and take care of you as I promised and bring you back home. I know what I'm doing. I have it all planned out—plans to take care of you, not abandon you, plans to give you the future you hope for.

Farewell 2011

2011-12-30T19:58:00.000-05:00

We are wrapping up a wonderfully relaxing, lazy and much needed week at the beach. It was just what the doctor ordered after the busy holiday season. We have loved every minute of it. Much of our time has been spent in our PJ's playing games and watching old movies. When we have managed to get dressed, we have thrown on our swimsuits and hit the beautiful beach. We even managed to take in a few day trips to some of the most beautiful places we have seen thus far in Panama. All in all, it has been just about perfect family time. I am so grateful for this sweet family of mine and have enjoyed the get away from everyday life.

Today we have spent time reflecting on 2011 and all that God has allowed us to experience. We talked about our favorite memories of the year and all of the wonderful blessings of 2011. Then, we talked about the challenges and hard times 2011 brought. We remembered that in their own ways, they were blessings too. We were even able to see "good things" that have already come out of some of those challenges. We talked about faith and trust and how to be thankful for the good and bad.

So, we have kind of closed out 2011 and are now looking forward to what God has in store for 2012. More on that soon.......

Merry Christmas from Panama

2011-12-18T19:58:00.000-05:00

May your heart be lifted in praise this Christmas
for the wonderful gift of Jesus
and the joy He brings to our lives.
Have a wonderful Christmas
and a Blessed New Year.

a thought from Trinity

2011-11-17T10:49:00.000-05:00

It’s November 17^th. It’s been about 2 months since our last blog post. Louderbacks = Lazy, huh? Anyways, let me get you people up to date on our lives.
Gracie Lynn and I had great birthdays last month. She had a CANDY PARTY for her 11^th birthday. All you can eat CANDY! It’s like Halloween twice in one month!
I spent my 15^th with some friends, hanging out, making music, and watching Nacho Libre. Then came Pumpkin Day. We went to many parties, many Fall Festivals, and ate LOTS of candy. J I love holidays where people have to give me candy.
Hmmmmm what else is new? We’ve got our Christmas decorations up! Don’t judge… I think it’d be weird to have turkeys and stuff all over my house for Thanksgiving. The pilgrims will understand. We put up our Christmas tree today while we listened to the wonderful Christmas songs on Glee’s album. Good times.
The girls are busy rehearsing for the Cantata coming up in December. The Cantata is a Christmas Program that happens every year to share with people the true meaning of Christmas. (Jesus!)
I don’t know what else to tell you about. Life’s good.
Okay, I’m going to sleep now. Later people! – Love, Trin.

Current Life of the Louderback's

2011-09-13T19:20:00.000-05:00

Tim has been BUSY keeping up with lots of exciting things God is doing here in Panama! The team has just wrapped up two weekly church planting classes and are preparing to start another one in a new area of the city in a few weeks. We are constantly amazed at how God is opening doors to train Panamanian church planters and start house churches. Tim also enjoys discipling several of the guys who have graduated from the class and are now working in their own areas. In his free time he is taking a seminary class and of course still is in the running for Dad of the century!

Trinity has settled into life as a high school student. She is enjoying singing in weekly chapel at her school as well as her youth praise team. She is a great student and spends lots of time hitting the books. We are navigating our way through the scary teenage years and all in all, I think we are fairing pretty well. :) She is an amazing Godly young woman and we could not be more proud of her.

Noah is enjoying being top dog in the middle school this year. 8th grade has it's privileges you know. Currently, he is a basketball fanatic and spends every waking moment possible with a basketball in his hands. He is enjoying playing on his school team and God has given him the opportunity to have some really great coaches who teach him life lessons as well as basketball techniques. Noah seems to be following in his Dad's footsteps and does not meet a stranger! He is the life of the party and only slows down to sleep.

Sweet Gracie Lynn is just as happy and carefree as ever. To her delight she is on the cheerleading squad at school this semester. She loves school and does great. She is so creative in so many ways and really loves art class this year. She is also leaning lots about Latin American history so she always has stories to teach the rest of us. She is such an amazing big sister to Eden. They have the sweetest sister bond.

Speaking of Eden, she is enjoying being a first grader. She is learning so much and loves to read to us each night. She is still quiet at school but has a sweet group of friends that she enjoys being with each day. Eden asked if she could take violin lessons this year so we found a teacher and she LOVES it. She practices each day and the teacher tells us every week how amazed she is at her progress. She looks so sweet and dainty holding her little violin.

Finally, as you can tell Mom stays pretty busy keeping up with this crazy crew! I really do love being a wife and Mom to my family. I enjoy working alongside Tim with our church planters and also enjoy doing some research for the IMB on different church planting movements in Urban cities in Latin America. I have also been able to attend a Women's Bible study in recent weeks that has been such a blessing to me. It is an eclectic group of women from so many different walks of life. In fact, last week I looked around in the area I was sitting and there was a young lady with a Chinese Bible and on the other side of me was a friend with a Spanish Bible. What a beautiful picture of God working in all the Nations!

As you can tell, the Louderback's are doing great and are living large as my husband likes to say down here in Panama. We cannot thank you enough for your prayers! Keep them coming!

Back To School 2011-2012

2011-08-04T09:31:00.000-05:00

Scrapbooking design generated with Smilebox

Summer Wrap Up

2011-07-30T08:26:00.000-05:00

As we finish up the Summer, and look back upon the eight mission teams from the States that we have enjoyed working alongside the past two months, we are thankful and very blessed to be a part of what God is doing in this beautiful city on the Canal!

We currently have national church planters with new works going on in 10 focus areas of the city, and 3 more areas that we will be starting new works in over the next few weeks!

All of our work is done inside the city limits, but there are more than 1.2 million people living within it, so it is a God sized task for sure! God gave our team a vision for creating the “Church Planting Institute” a year ago. This is a class where we teach, train and disciple Panamanian’s who desire to plant churches and see lost people come to know the saving grace of Jesus Christ. Thus far, we have 15 graduates, with 32 more graduating in September!

Please join us in praying for the specific areas that we are working in:

Las Acacias, Los Rosios, Boca la Caja, San Francisco, Villa Graciella, Chanis, Curundu, Bella Vista, Bethania, and Santa Fe.

The map above is a picture of Panama City and the areas that Panamanian church planters are starting work. What an exciting time to live and work in Panama!

A quick update

2011-07-04T22:01:00.000-05:00

Just a quick note to remind you to jump on over to the team blog this week to hear all about the amazing Team Thomasville! God has been doing some exciting things! Check it out at Urban Panama Team Blog

A note from Jacob and Ally

2011-07-01T11:41:00.001-05:00

Hey friends and family! We have had an amazing time in Panama these past two weeks and it will definitely be bittersweet to return home. As recent graduates from high school, we both really wanted to experience life as a missionaries and spend some dynamic time with the Louderbacks before we go off to college. Although this trip was filled with lots of fun things, God opened up some cool doors for us to do ministry in diverse ways. First we were able to work with the people of the Gamboa Indian Village. We partnered with a mission team from Ohio and helped them in their game plan to minister to that people group. This trip was accompanied by a pretty sketchy boat ride to the village, some rain, lots of soccer and butterflies. Weird combo, huh? Anyways, working with the Gamboa Indians was cool in that we got to play games with the kids, fellowship with the adults, pass out dental hygiene supplies, soap and medication, make salvation bracelets, sing songs, etc. It was a very cool experience because that people group is so independent, hardworking, and interesting. Their way of life is just so different that it opened up our eyes to a new culture. The second thing we were able to do was visit an orphanage here in Panama. We actually did this for two days and it definitely broke both of our hearts. We worked with about 19 2-4 year olds and to say the least, they were adorable. All they really wanted was someone to show them affection whether that was by a hug or by pushing them around in a little broken car. The kids stole our hearts and made a lasting impact on our lives. Whether they are special needs or not, they are precious children of God that simply need the love of a parent. Trust us, at 17 we would've adopted every single one of them if we could. Another thing we got to experience was a Panamanian kids camp. Yes, kids camp. We were both counselors for about three days for 3rd-5th graders at a place here in Panama. It was very cool for us to be able to invest in the lives of these kids that never really get to go to fun stuff like the camp. Pastor Andrew from Crossroads did an excellent job of coordinating the camp and the weekend paid off for sure. The kids learned more of what it means to be a light for Jesus Christ and how to shine that light to the world. It was encouraging to see the kids learn so much and get excited about sharing Jesus with their friends and families. These are just some of the things we did on this trip and we could both go on forever about all that God did. He is so faithful and it's such an honor to be able to serve Him in other countries. It'll be sad to leave Panama and the Louderbacks but maybe God will lead us back! Thanks for your prayers and please continue to pray for the UP team and all that they are doing for Gods kingdom.
In Christ,
Jacob Spencer and Ally Smith

A week in Antigua, Guatemala

2011-06-21T22:13:00.000-05:00

Thoughts from Trinity..........
As many of you know, the Louderback family just spent the last week in Antigua, Guatemala. Every once in a while, the IMB missionaries from our area will gather together for a certain amount of time. The parents were stuck in meetings all day while us kids were hanging out around the hotel. A team from Georgia came in to work with us. GL and Eden participated in VBS until dinner everynight. The youth had a bible study in the morning and recreation in the afternoon. We had a blast swimming in the pool and meeting all the Missionary Kids (MKs) in our part of the world. It was a great time just to be able to go and hang out with other people our age who have the same life experiences that we do. At the end of the week, no one wanted to leave. It was neat to see how quickly we all bonded and became best friends. I hope we get to do something like that again very soon.:)

Team Thomasville

2011-05-30T06:25:00.000-05:00

I will be updating the Urban Panama Blog this week with stories of how God uses the team from FBC Thomasville to share Jesus with Panama. Hop on over and take a peek.

Glimpses of Gratitude: Mother's Day

2011-05-18T04:24:00.002-05:00

I had a wonderful treat this Mother's Day and got to spend it with my mom. I cannot remember the last time that we were in the same place for Mother's Day! My brother and his sweet wife decided to treat us both and gifted mom a plane ticket to Panama. We had a wonderful visit, did some shopping, played lots of family games and even got to take in a fun Panamanian dinner and dance show. It was such a sweet and unexpected blessing.

Our Panamanian Dinner and Dance Show

Noah's Bum Knee

2011-05-05T19:37:00.000-05:00

Well, the boy of the house decided that he wanted to liven things up a bit so this is a current look at how he is spending most of his time.

Noah's knee has been bothering him off and on for a few months. However, we kind of chalked it up to growing pains and the fact that he goes NON STOP on any ball field around. Last week it seemed to get worse than normal and he was in a good amount of pain and unable to get around well so, off to the doc we went. After a full day of docs and tests, Noah was diagnosed with osteochondritis.. The doc put him in a full leg cast for 2 weeks to let the swelling go down and get a better look at what we are dealing with. The best option is that the bone is fractured but still attached and he will have to have physical therapy. The other option is that the bone is already detached and he will need to have surgery. Obviously, my prayer is that is not the case. Ugh. He is doing ok but pretty miserable in the cast. It is hard for him to be still.

On a much happier note, my brother and his wife have gifted my mom with a plane ticket to Panama for Mother's day! How sweet is that! She arrives on Saturday and the whole house is so excited! What a special Mother's Day treat her and for me!

Peeks Into Panama: Beautiful Views

2011-05-03T13:52:00.000-05:00

One of the really cool things about living overseas is getting to visit a variety of different cultural locations and enjoy the beauty. We live within a short drive to some of the most beautiful beaches ever! So, when we have a day off or a weekend without things on the calendar, we love to make a day trip to relax and enjoy the beauty. This is a peek of one of the amazing views we are blessed to enjoy.

The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of His hands. Psalm 19:1

Quick Catch Up

2011-04-15T10:57:00.000-05:00

Whew! It has been a whirlwind couple of weeks! The time with the Tville youth team was AMAZING! God truly blessed through the work they did here in Panama. It was so good to visit and work alongside sweet friends. It was a great time of encouragement for our entire family.

This week we have been playing catch up. Soccer games started for Noah and Gracie Lynn. The kids had achievement tests at school and just for fun, we threw in several meetings, dentist visits and hair appointments. Just the typical crazy week!

We are looking forward to a break next week. It is Semana Santa (Holy Week) in Latin America so the kids have the week off. Ya Ya (Tresa) is coming for a visit so we have planned several day trips and are looking forward to sharing our world with her.

More soon.......

Blogging this week over at the team blog

2011-04-02T08:01:00.000-05:00

Our home church is sending a group of amazing teens to work with us this week! We are so looking forward to our time with them. We will be posting about what God is doing each day over at the
Urban Panama Team Blog. So, come on over and see how you can pray for the team as they serve each day.

Prince Avenue Christian School

2011-03-29T07:05:00.000-05:00

I want to send a huge shout out to our new friends at Prince Avenue Christian School in Georgia. Each year, the Senior class of Prince Avenue takes a Senior trip to minister overseas. This year, it was our privilege to host them in Panama. The class divided into two groups, so we got to hang with them for 2 different weeks. These kids arrived in Panama and hit the ground running! They worked with our local church planters in communities where we are currently ministering and church planting. They prayed, mapped out areas, performed dramas and skits and most importantly, showed the love of Jesus to the folks they came in contact with.

Their sweet spirits were such an encouragement to us. We really enjoyed getting to know them! We are so thankful for their willingness to come and serve with us!

From Blog to Book

2011-03-24T10:40:00.000-05:00

I may be the last one in Blog world to know this but did ya'll know that there are services that will take posts from your blog and make them into a book as a keepsake??? What a wonderful idea! It is like digital scrap booking. This is the one I was checking out today; Blurb.com. Since I stink at the regular kind of scrap booking, I thought I would try the digital kind. Anyway, all that to say that I am going to be posting more family fun online. Hope it does not bore you to much but I am thinking this is going to be a great way to capture memories. Who knew! I love new things! Happy Thursday. :)

Cheesy Nasty Grossness

2011-03-23T11:03:00.001-05:00

HOW GROSS IS THIS!!!! Last week I splurged on a treat for the family and bought a $6 box of Velveeta Mac and Cheese at the local grocery store. The kids were out of school yesterday so I decided it was a good day for a yummy treat. Imagine the HORROR when I opened the box and found this nasty mold mess inside.

How in the world do noodles even mold??? We were all pretty disappointed over the snafoo but such is life living overseas. Think of me next time you enjoy cheesy goodness. :)

Glimpses of Gratitude: School

2011-03-19T07:52:00.001-05:00

One of the things on my "concern list" about living in Panama was the education of our children. I have never felt called to home school although I have many friends who do. Knowing just what we needed, God placed the most wonderful school blessing in our world! We have been so pleased with Crossroads Christian Academy where the kids attend classes. It offers a strong academic program as well as a positive and loving learning atmosphere. The teachers have been such a blessing to our children and to us. They also have lots of fun activities mixed in with the learning. A few weeks ago they enjoyed SPIRIT week. This is a picture of ZOO day.

I am so thankful for a school full of lots of learning and love that I can send my children to each day.

Blogging at (in) courage today!!!

2011-03-16T06:12:00.000-05:00

I am super excited to be making my first guest post over at the (in) courage blog community today:

Click here to read my thoughts on:

Finding Community Away From Home.

Hop on over and check it out! While you are visiting, enjoy all of the other encouraging ladies who share their hearts over there.

Peeks into Panama: Public Buses

2011-03-14T11:50:00.001-05:00

Thought you would enjoy seeing the lively public buses that travel around Panama. Most Panamanians use these buses every day to get where they need to go. You can ride around the city for just 25 cents. Typically, we do not use the buses because although they are colorful, they tend to be a little rowdy and dangerous as well.

We do enjoy checking out all of the colorful painting each day though. :)

Peeks into Panama: The Heat!

2011-03-05T00:00:00.001-05:00

As mentioned (possible several hundred times) Panama is HOT! The average temperature is between 80 and 100 degrees Fahrenheit. Currently, we are in the "summer" season in Panama which seems to stay closer to the 100 side of the average. This past week, Tim put the temperature gage in the car just out of curiosity. Here is what he found after a couple of hours!

YIKES!

Glimpses of Gratitude: Selah

2011-03-02T08:03:00.000-05:00

To tell the truth, I am not a big "animal" fan. Never have been. I am however, a huge fan of giggling children! So, as crazy as it seems coming from me, I am so grateful for the newest member of our family. Sweet puppy Selah brings lots of laughter into our home every day.

Church Planting Institute Graduation

2011-02-28T07:08:00.000-05:00

One of our main goals here in Panama is to start Bible studies and new churches in areas of the city that are unreached. God has allowed us, the Urban Panama Team, to do that in a neat way. Rather than just us do the work, we have had the chance to teach Panamanians about church planting and do the work alongside them. For the past 6 months we have had a class of passionate Panamanian Christians who have been training to church plant in an area of the city that they have chosen to work in. Having completed the training, we had a graduation celebration to honor them. It was a special day for our team, the students and their families.

Graduates

We began a new class this past week and had 23 new excited Panamanians show up to learn how to start churches! We had planned on 5 to 10 folks showing up. God has blown our expectations out of the water!

Peeks into Panama:Medical Fair

2011-02-24T11:36:00.000-05:00

Peeks into Panama: Medical Fair

Recently, we were able to participate in a medical fair in an area we have been working called Santa Fe. The day was a success on so many levels! Over 250 people were able to receive medical attention and medicine free of charge. Those same families had the chance to hear about how much God loves them and wants to have a relationship with them. This picture is a group of children gathered to hear about the love of Jesus. Precious faces and hearts!

Happy Heart Day!

2011-02-15T11:44:00.001-05:00

Sad and Happy News

2011-01-25T21:13:00.000-05:00

The sad news is.........while we were in the USA in December, our family dog got sick and died. The kids, especially little Eden, were so sad. :(

The happy news is......we have a new furry friend at our house!

Selah is her name and she is bringing lots of giggles and love into our days!

Home

2011-01-19T11:22:00.006-05:00

The past few months have been a whirlwind of adventure. Our family took part in a huge community Christmas musical production here in Panama and the day after the show, we hopped on a jet plane and headed home to Thomasville, Georgia. We spent 3 weeks reconnecting with our home church and precious friends there. We were able to spend time with our extended families and make memories with them. I was apprehensive (okay, a nervous wreck) about spending time back in the USA. I had a long list of worries but at the top was this;

I was afraid that we would not want to leave and come back to Panama.

I was afraid that goodbye to our friends would hurt too much. I was worried that having to leave the "comfort" of life in the USA would be too difficult. In the end, there was some validity to my worries and fears. There were tears shed with goodbyes and I fondly remember quick trips to Walmart, Chick- fil- A and Sonic. However, what I had not really trusted was the peace in my heart as we left and headed back to Panama. It felt, well...... right.

I know that God has called us to serve in Panama City for this time in the life of our family. There is nothing sweeter than being in the center of God's will and knowing that you are being obedient to what He has called you to do. Not even Krispy Kreme donuts (which I ate A LOT) are as sweet as laying your head down and waking up knowing that God is working through your family for His good.

I am so grateful for the time we were able to spend in Georgia. We needed it and it recharged our batteries. I am also grateful that coming back to Panama felt like going home. I am grateful that there is room for two homes in my heart.

The Joy of Giving

2010-12-06T21:01:00.004-05:00

Recently, I was insipred by what The Oaks church is doing this year to bring CHRISTmas to their community. You can read more about it here.

I decided that the Louderback family should join in on the fun! So, I made a version of the idea that fit well with our family and what we have going on. I thought you might enjoy seeing it and maybe even get inspired, like I did, to help your family celebrate in a giving way this year.

Praying your Christmas is filled with the joy of giving~

The Louderback Family

12 days of being a CHRISTmas blessing.

1. Saturday 11^th: Buy Christmas gifts for Marielle and her daughter

2. Sunday 12^th: Give water to the street vendors as we pass by

3. Monday 13^th : Go out of your way to open doors for friends, family and strangers

4. Tuesday 14^th : Give a teacher a Thank you/Merry Christmas note

5. Wednesday 15^th: Write a letter of encouragement to a soldier who will not be home this Christmas (get address from mom)

6. Thursday 16^th: Invite people to the Christmas program at church

7. Friday 17^th: Hand some spare change to a street vendor

8. Saturday 18^th: Send an online Christmas card to another MK in another part of the world

9. Sunday 19^th: Compliment people you see all day today

10. Monday 20^th: Hand out candy canes in the airport along the way

11. Tuesday 21^st: Put some change in the bell ringers bucket

12. Wednesday 22^nd: Think of a random act of kindness you can do for someone today just to bless them

What do they hear?

2010-11-22T19:40:00.002-05:00

I can hear most things that go on inside of my neighbors homes. Our home sits very close to the other ones on my street and everyone lives with open windows and doors trying to cope with the heat. So, I hear. Lots of things. I hear the daily calls to my elderly neighbor from her children. They call to check in at least twice every day. I hear the neighbor on the other side of my home as she prepares breakfast, lunch and dinner each day. I hear as she cleans the dishes from the meal she has made. Across the street there is a large family from the East. They have many generations in the home. This afternoon I heard all of the kids laughing and playing, singing songs together. I hear cars that come and go. I hear babies cry. I hear parents correct. You get the idea. So today, I started thinking. What do my neighbors hear from my home? What do the things that they hear say about my family? They hear the dog, the laughter, the frustrations, the phone, the tears, the cooking, the music. They hear our life on some level each and every day. Just as I hear theirs. The same is true in your home. Sure, you may not live as I do with windows and doors wide open. Those that live around you can still hear. They may "hear" differently than my neighbors do. They may hear with their eyes. So, what do they hear when they look at your family? In your conversations, in the things that are important to you. Makes you think, doesn't it.
I am pretty sure that there are no wrong or right answers here. Just pondering and evaluating. And perhaps changing of tones that need to occur. At least in this home.

Bocas Del Toro Family Get-Away

2010-11-12T09:19:00.003-05:00

Trinity wrote her thoughts about our recent family get away. Enjoy!

9 hours and 2 boat rides from the bustling city of Panama sits a small island where the fastest means of transportation is a bike. The 9 hour drive is dotted with villages of the native Embera people. They live simply with no running water or electricity but an obvious love for colors and fresh fruits. Our small wooden boat arrives at the island of Bastimentos and we are welcomed by a group of local islanders. There are no roads on this island just winding walking paths to enjoy. One of our greeters makes some of the best fresh fish ever tasted. We are so humbled becuase while it seems that these people have so little, they share with the newcomers as if it is just a way of life for them. Our home for a few days is a cabin overlooking the ocean and we drift to sleep hearing Caribbean music being played throughout the town. We awake to the sound of the rooster. Our first morning has sprung on this beautiful island. We begin the day with fresh pineapple and strong coffee. Yet another boat is taken to a neighboring island and we explore the new grounds on bicycles. The streets are flooded with people who stand watching as the Children's parade sweeps through. This is the time of year they celebrate their Independence. Freedom is a beautiful gift. As we ride, we see new sights, smell new smells and are reminded that most people in the world do not live like we do. They live simpler. I would argue maybe even better. That night, we're back on our host island and fall fast asleep after a busy and full day. Early the next day, the soft rain is hitting the roof and we stumble out into the brisk, wet morning. A small covered boat arrives to take us on what proves to be an amazing adventure. The rain lightens even further as the small boat enters the realms of Dolphin Bay and the gentle creatures come up towards the surface of the calm water. We stare in amazement at the beautiful creatures God has created jumping within reach of our small boat. In time we bid our new friends farewell and travel farther towards a small restaurant out in the middle of the ocean. There, we dive and see all the beautiful sea life God has made with such creativity. The playful fish circle around our legs as we reach out, trying to touch them. All different shapes and sizes, every color of the rainbow. Later, the boat travels to a small opening in the forest trees. The old, careless dock stretches 5 minutes into the land and brings us to a beach covered in tiny red frogs. We spend a few hours there in the roaring waves. We dig in the soft sand searching for treasures. The tiny red frogs dance around the island as we play. God is so creative in his creating. That night the whole family lays in hammocks as we talk about the way that God has led us to this place. The bumpy roads, the turbulent boats all seem worth it. Life is a gift meant to be enjoyed. We are grateful for it.

Thomasville Team Wrap Up

2010-10-09T19:51:00.003-05:00

The week is over and our time in Panama is done. We have experienced so many emotions this week because God has shown up in some big ways. Our team had the privilege of working closely with a fantastic team of missionaries who are passionate about leading people to the Lord. During the week we were able to play and love on children who were thankful for our attention because they live without lots of the things that our American children take for granted. We were able to go into a school and teach about the 10 Commandments and love of God. That certainly doesn't happen in public schools in America. We were able to witness walls and strongholds come down as Baptist ministers from all over Panama City met with the Urban Panama team to discuss God's love and how they must work together to spread that message. God allowed us to lay hands on two young men who surrendered to the call of missions. What was most amazing about this event was that we were able to worship and sing the same song, "Open the Eyes Of My Heart Lord," while singing it in three different languages. Although we couldn't understand what the other Panamanians were singing, God heard a beautiful choir of voices lifting their praises to Him. The stories of God's goodness could continue, but I simply want to end by saying that God is real. God is good. God is faithful, and God is mine. I hope He's yours too.

Thanks for praying for us. Your prayers helped us to plant seeds all over Panama City.

Leigh

Final Day in Panama

2010-10-08T10:23:00.003-05:00

Today we met with the members of the UP Team and some Panamanian translators to go into a small public school in a neighborhood called San Fransisco. According to Panamanian law, Religion has to be taught in the public schools. The Lord opened a door for the UP Team to teach the Gospel to over 200 elementary school children. The principal of the school welcomed us in to spend the morning teaching the 10 commandments and singing about Jesus. We were so blessed to be part of the day! ~ Debby

From Amy~
It is difficult to express the bridge built tonight between the Urban Panama team and the local Baptist pastors in Panama. In fact, I believe it will be impossible this side of heaven to glimpse just where or how far it will extend in reaching others for Christ. A banquet was held tonight in appreciation for those pastors and their wives to encourage them in their ministry, introduce them to each other, and encourage a working relationship which promotes a unified effort in reaching Panama for Christ. The pastors and their wives were SO APPRECIATIVE. Joy radiated their faces as they expressed their desire to work together to plant more churches in this city of 1.2 million people.

Serving

2010-10-07T05:04:00.007-05:00

How do I put into words the things of today? God already did Matthew 20:28 - "Just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve." This is our heart and this is why we came. Today was absolutely indescribable. Our plans changed today due to unforeseen events, but our resolve was quick. We were able to go to a community center and play with children and perform some construction. It is so sweet to serve. The afternoon was full, both spiritually and time wise. We attended one of the most eloquent services we've all ever experienced. We laid hands on two brothers in Christ, named Ariel and Wika, who are leaving for the mission field on Friday. These men have received training from Tim, Cavin and Derek through a Church Planting program that they created. Last Tuesday Ariel decided to quit his job and go into the mission field. He will be leaving his family on Friday to go with Wika to Bocas Del Toro and then into a remote jungle for two months. The church they attend have 10-15 members. They are sending two of their own. Fantastic percentages!!

God is good and again isn't it GOOD TO SERVE! - Steven H

Ariel and Wika, 2 new missionaries

Tuesday in Santa Fe

2010-10-06T05:25:00.008-05:00

We had a full day in the hot Panama sun! A few weeks ago God opened the doors for us to work in an area here called Santa Fe. It is a family community with a large community center and several parks in the area. This morning, we prayer walked the area and were able to have some great conversations with some of the local families. The people were so friendly and we can see so much potential for house churches in this area. This afternoon we handed out fliers for an upcoming movie night we will host in the community in a few weeks. It was a very productive day.
The Thomasville team has 3 young men who have joined their parents to minister to the people of Panama this week. Caleb, Ben and Brady have been such assets to the team. The have been such troopers and worked so hard!

We asked each of them to share their favorite part about the day. Here are their thoughts. :)

"I really liked how people were so friendly when we talked to them. No one was ever rude to us. They always wanted to hear what we had to say. I also liked getting pulled over by the police." (that is a whole other story!) Brady-8th grade

"We got to talk to 4 girls who were my age in the park. They had lots of fun having their pictures taken and trying to say English words." Ben-7th grade

"I liked prayer walking the town and the school. We prayed that when the school is finished being built, the missionaries here would be able to go there and talk about Jesus with the kids." Caleb-5th grade

The Living Water

2010-10-04T20:55:00.003-05:00

Hola!! Today was our first day on the mission field in Panama. We started the day at the Louderback house for a meeting with the Urban Team (Tim, Tina, Cavin, Charlotte, Audrey and Derek). We learned a lot of interesting information about Panama City. Out of the 1.2 million people who live in the city, only about 2% are Evangelicals. With this in mind, we all went to Ancon Hill to pray over the city of Panama. We are really praying for God to use us to do some amazing things this week. After praying over the city, we went to Omar Park to give out water to people. On the bottles we had labels that explained how Jesus is the Living Water. We had great conversations with lots of Panamanians. Hopefully lots of seeds were planted today. Tomorrow is another great day full of many mission opportunities. Please pray for our team. We love all of you and have already felt your prayers. ~ Leigh

FBC Thomasville Georgia Visits Panama!!!

2010-10-03T20:42:00.000-05:00

We are getting ready to head to the airport to pick up a group of friendly faces! Our home church, FBC Thomasville, Georgia, is sending a mission team to work with us for the week. We are BEYOND EXCITED! We are not only excited about seeing our friends and getting to serve with them this week in beautiful Panama, but about what God is going to do through our work. We are going to update the blog throughout the week, so be sure and check back in. Please pray for the Urban Panama (UP) Team this week along with our Georgia friends:

Leigh
Ben
Steve
Amy
Caleb
Brady
Lori
Stephen
and Debbie

Chick- Fil- A in Panama!!

2010-09-28T05:43:00.002-05:00

In an effort to scratch an itch of missing Chick-fil-A, we decided to get creative. We did some online research to find out all of the tricks and trades of Chick-fil-A. Then, we went in search of all of the ingredients and got together with our team for a night of fun and yummy Chick-fil-A! Audrey's mom had somehow convinced a Chick-fil-A store owner in TX to give us some "special" batter. So, she brought it on a recent visit. I am sure she told them some sob story about poor missionaries living with no Chick-fil-A.:) I have to say that it was a lot more work than walking into the restaurant, but man did it taste good!!! We are thinking we might make this a monthly event and try out different restaurants that we miss. Enjoy the pics from our Chick-fil-A night.

Personalize a collage

Thanks to our new Oklahoma City friends!!!

2010-09-01T20:18:00.005-05:00

Tim with some new friends in one of our ministry areas.

The Urban Panama Team has officially hosted and lived through our first mission team! In reality those wonderful folks from Capital City Baptist Association in Oklahoma City survived us! :) The team was beyond gracious and ever so flexible! We had an amazing time getting to know them and most importantly, lots of work was done for the Lord! We sent them home good and tired. In the time they were here, they canvased a large area prayer walking, completed several construction projects and we were able to provide an amazing family block party in an area of Panama City we are working in. With their help, the UP Team saw work completed that would have taken months to do alone.

Thanks to all of our new Oklahoma City friends, you blessed us with your time and sweet spirits.

A new addition

2010-08-21T10:49:00.002-05:00

We promised the kids that once we were settled, we would fulfill their heartfelt cries for a new furry friend. So, meet the newest member of our family:
Jericho

We think he is super cute and hope that he behaves well so that we can keep him around. :)

Our New Home in Panama

2010-08-20T23:10:00.002-05:00

Free slideshow design made with Smilebox

Mom Interview

2010-08-03T20:23:00.002-05:00

Quick fun update. I was asked to be part of a fun interview on a blog. You can check it out at Mama Moderne.

I Have The Wrong Couch

2010-07-23T06:33:00.002-05:00

I mentioned in my previous post but in case you missed it, it is HOT in Panama? No really. I mean HOT! Tim says it is not that bad, but I disagree. I think it is HOT! In truth, we have adjusted pretty well to the heat and lack of AC. Our house sits up on a hill and so we get a rather nice breeze most days which is very helpful.
I could not possibly remember of all the fun things that have taken place over the past few weeks as we have set up our home. So, I will share a story which pretty much sums it up. We bought a couch and they were going to deliver it for us. A week passed, and then another. Finally, they arrived with a couch. The only problem is, it is not the one we bought. Nice. So, we have a couch although it is not the one that we want. They will be bringing that one back next week. Or the next or maybe even the next. Only time will tell. Really, we have had fun and lots of laughs (maybe just a few tears) setting up the house. It is feeling like a home and we love it. The kids have settled in amazingly well which is such an answer to prayer. They are ready for school to start so that they can make some friends but all in all, they are happy as can be.
Tim and I had 3 days of training last week and our first team meeting this week. We are ready to get busy! We really love the folks we work with here. We have already met some folks in the community that we hope to be able to work with in the future as well. God is already opening doors and we are so grateful. Would you pray that God will continue to bring Panamanians into our path that we can walk alongside and disciple?
Our visit with the Barwick family was just what the doctor ordered. Lots of laughing and catching up. Noah and Ben were stuck together like glue and it did all of our hearts good to just be together. They brought lots of fun goodies from our Thomasville friends. The kids felt like it was Christmas in July! Thank you for loving on our family through your generosity. You blessed us!

Setting up shop in Panama!

2010-06-28T23:48:00.000-05:00

It is midnight, I am melting and I just finished setting up my kitchen. Let me rewind a few days......
We have been in lovely (and HOT) Panama for just over a week now. We arrived with all of our luggage and a dreadful flu like ailment. All 3 girls were sick chicas for several days. They even shared their germs with some other kids on our mission team. Nice way to make friends with the team, don't you think! :) In between tending to sick kiddos, we have managed to buy lots of wonderful things to set up our home. Can I just say that Panama is a shoppers heaven!!!! The variety here is amazing and we have been so happy with our new purchases.
We were able to stay in a mission apartment for the first week we were here. Last night was the first night in our new home. We kind of feel like we are living in a mansion after our year and a half in 700 square feet with one bathroom. The kids love the house and the yard, so all seems happy on the home front.
Our wonderful friends, the Barwick's, are headed our way in just a few days. Bless them, they have no idea what they are walking into. Tim has big plans for Ken in the yard and I feel sure that Leigh and I will have plenty to keep us busy. We are thrilled that they are coming and cannot wait to spend a few days laughing and catching up. Noah is beyond excited to see his best friend Ben. Life is sweet!
We feel beyond blessed that God has called us to this beautiful country and cannot wait to see what He has in store for us here. Thanks for lifting us up in prayer as we continue to settle in.

Costa Rica

2010-06-17T22:13:00.002-05:00

Costa Rica~ I will never forget the day we first met. All I could think about was how to get away from you and go home. I will never forget that feeling. I have thought at times about why it was that our meeting was….. less than magical. :) Perhaps it was all the bars. The trash in the streets. The people and animals in the streets. The language that sounded like gibberish to me. Those first sights, smells and sounds are still vivid in my memory. All I wanted to do was run.

I am pretty sure that I cried more in those first few weeks than I thought was humanly possible. Scared. Intimidated. Lost. Those are the feelings I remember. Slowly, I began to settle. In my spirit and in my new home. Over and over again, I learned to trust the Lord. It became so much more than just words. It became a way of life. I learned lessons. Hard ones. But I would not trade one of them in for my old comfortable life.

Eventually, life in Costa Rica seemed almost normal. I learned the language. I made relationships. I learned how to grocery shop and cook with ingredients that I had never heard of. I got lost more than once. I always found my way home though. I traveled your roads to places so beautiful that words cannot describe them. I saw physical poverty and spiritual wealth. I saw what it looked like to put people before things. How to slow down and enjoy each day. And at some point along the way, I fell in love with your culture and your country.

So, I will leave you with a much different view than the one I had of you when we first met. You changed me. I am wiser and more at peace because of you. I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that my relationship with my family and my Lord are stronger because of you. I am better for having landed here and for having stayed.

Noah, our 6th grade graduate

2010-06-13T11:09:00.001-05:00

Congratulations to our 6th grade graduate! This past school year has been full of challenges for Noah. We are so proud of the way he has handled them, and of how hard he has worked this year. We have been beyond blessed to have teachers who have loved and encouraged our son!

Congratulations Noah!!! We love you!

My blog just had a make-over!

2010-06-07T11:09:00.001-05:00

Welcome to the new blog!!! I am so excited about how it has turned out. I have really wanted to be a better blogger, so I am hoping this new fun gives me some inspiration.
Please do me a favor and sign up as a follower on the right hand side of the blog. That way, you will not miss anything! Our life is about to pick up speed as we head to Panama to begin our work there, so come along for the fun! :)

Happy Easter

2010-04-04T22:20:00.004-05:00

Happy Easter! After a wild and crazy few days in the airport, thanks to a blizzard in Denver, we are all together again! Praise the Lord! I never dreamed that Noah and I would be gone from Tim and the girls for a MONTH! We truly enjoyed our time in the states and had great time with family and friends but goodness, we were glad to be HOME! I can truly say that home is where your family is and I am thrilled to be back with mine!
Thank you for your prayers and encouragement to us. My leg is so much better! The nerve pain is gone. There is still healing to be done, but the doctor feels like it will be back to 100% within 7 months. Noah is doing great too. We are trying some different medicines to help him and are still working on finding just the right combination. We feel like we are on the right track and have a good plan in place to help him thrive with this new challenge.
We are ready to get back into a normal family and ministry routine. Tim has been busy researching Panama and we are looking forward to what God has in store for our team there. In fact, maybe I can convince Tim to write a little post about what kind of work we plan to be doing once we get there.
For now, thanks again for your prayers. God has been so faithful to us during this time.

Post Surgery Update

2010-03-11T12:18:00.001-05:00

The surgery went well. The doctor was able to release 2 entrapped nerves and now we just wait. I am still very sore and swollen from the surgery, but the pain is different. So, I am very hopeful that I am on the way to a full recovery. I have a follow up appointment on Monday. I am sure at that time, we will talk about what kind of rehab I will have to have. I am praying that the doctor will release me to travel at that time. I am enjoying the good ole USA but I am ready for my whole family to be in one place!!! Please pray that the nerves will continue to wake up and that I will have a total recovery from all of this!
Noah is still waiting to begin the medicine that the doctors have recommended for him. Because of some of the side effects of the medicine, he had to have to have some tests done to make sure that he was a very healthy boy overall. We expect for them to be just fine, but until they all come back, we can not start the medicine. I spoke with the doc this AM and he is hopeful that we will get to start the meds by tomorrow. Noah is anxious to start. Please pray that they will work well and that there will be minimal side effects.
I will continue to update you as we have news to share. We can not thank you enough for your prayers!

An update from Texas........

2010-03-05T11:26:00.003-05:00

THANK YOU so much for all of your prayers and emails to our family. I wanted to give you a quick update about where we have been the past few days, and where we are headed in the next few weeks.

The doctors that I have met with for my leg have been so amazing! The orthopedic surgeon feels very confident that he can fix both my pain and my numbness with surgery. I never even dreamed that would be an option! As much as I dread having another surgery, I am SO EXCITED about the possibility of it being all better! My surgery will be first thing Tuesday AM. The doc will have to see me a week later, and then we will make a decision about when I can return to Costa Rica.

We saw a pediatric neurologist for Noah yesterday. He was so wonderful! He did give us an official diagnosis of Tourettes. He also gave us lots of hope and great ideas about how to manage with this new information. He also agreed to work with us as much as possible via internet and phone. We walked away feeling very good about how to manage this new challenge.

Tim and the girls are, of course, living large! They seem to be managing well with momma gone.

Here are a few specific ways that you can pray for our family in the days ahead:

Pray for the surgery to go well and relieve the pain as well as repair the nerve damage.

Pray for the medication that Noah will be starting. Pray for it to work well for him and for there to be no side effects.

Pray for Tim and the girls to hang in there while momma is away

Pray for our family in general. It is hard for all of us to be away from each other, but we are trying to be positive and remember that it is just a short time.

Pray for my mom as she is having to put her life on hold to take care of us here in Texas. I know she does it willingly, but I also know, we are a lot of work these days!

We are so blessed to have such amazing friends who pray for us. Thank you!

Thanks for the prayers and keep on praying!

2010-02-25T20:43:00.002-05:00

A huge thank you to all of you prayer warriors out there! In record breaking time (and with the help of my amazing sister-in law) both Noah and I have secured appointments with specialists for next week! What we thought might take several weeks at best, took only a few days! Praise the Lord! So, we are in a bit of a whirlwind packing and getting ready to head to Houston. We are leaving tomorrow and will be back as soon as possible.
Here are some specifics you can pray for during this time:

Monday~ Tina's doctor appointment. Pray for the doctor to have wisdom and know how best to treat my damaged nerve. Pray for there to be a clear vision as to what is going on.

Thursday~ Noah's doctor appointment. Pray for Noah (and mom) to feel at ease with the doctor. Pray for him to be able to give us practical advice on how to help Noah manage what it going on.

Pray for Tim and the girls as they are at home in Costa Rica.

Pray for sweet time with our family and friends in Houston.

Thanks again for being willing to lift us up in your prayers! You are the best!

Medical Update and Prayers Needed

2010-02-21T09:01:00.001-05:00

I want to share a little bit about the challenge our family is facing. I will begin with my medical issue. As many of you know, I have had severe nerve trauma in my leg following a bone biopsy in November. I have been taking a whole bunch of medication, and going to physical therapy almost every day since that time. Recently, the doctors performed a nerve test on my leg. It seems that even with this intense effort, there has been no change in my nerve function in 3 months. The doctors at the International Mission Board have made the decision that I should return to the United States for a second opinion. I will plan to be there a few weeks while I seek medical advice.
Now for the situation that is much harder for me to talk about. Several weeks ago, we began to notice some irregular behavior and actions in Noah. We also became aware that for the past two weeks, he has been really struggling in school. Those of you who know him, know that he has always been FULL of BOY, but he has never had trouble focusing or excelling in school. Noah came to us and shared that he felt as if something was wrong with him. We of course, made a doctor appointment. After several office visits and tests, the doctors have told us that in their strong opinions, we are dealing with Tourettes Syndrome. We have continued to see behaviors from Noah that confirm this diagnosis. Noah is going to join me on my trip to the States, so that we can meet with a specialist who can help us better understand how to manage this disease.
I could type for the next 2 hours and barely scratch the surface of how God has been with us in this time. He has orchestrated so much in our lives to help us handle this challenge in our family. As a mommy, I will say that this is the hardest road I have walked. However, Tim and I have not had to walk it alone. I have walked knowing that there was a purpose in the hill we were climbing. We trust God's plan for Noah and for all of our children. It is just not always easy to watch it unfold.
We have chosen to see doctors in the Houston area. My mother and brother live in the area, as well as good friends who are available to help us as we need it. There are amazing medical facilities in the Houston area, and we are so blessed that the IMB is allowing us to go there. As you might imagine, getting into these kind of specialists can take months. Please pray that God would move mountains and calenders and allow us to get in to the doctors quickly. Also pray for the right doctors to be found for each situation. We will head to the States as soon as appointments have been confirmed.
We know so many of you love us and pray for us while we are serving in Central America. We just want you to be aware of how to specifically pray for us at this time. We will keep you posted. Thank you again for your prayers. Much Love- The Louderback Family

February Newsletter

2010-02-15T14:02:00.005-05:00

Hello from beautiful and sunny Costa Rica! We pray that this New Year is starting off well for each of you. One of our personal goals for the New Year is to do a better job at keeping you informed about what God is doing in our lives. Your support and prayers are a vital part of our ministry!

We are enjoying getting to do some “hands on” ministry after graduating from language school. We will remain here in Costa Rica until June and train for our work in Panama.
We are working in a local community called Los Yoses. We are getting to know the families in this community, and are praying that God would open the doors for us to begin a Bible study in one of the homes there.

The kids are all having a fantastic year at school! Trinity is in the school play. Noah is playing basketball on the school team. Gracie Lynn is on the gymnastics team, and Eden is spending lots of time watching plays, basketball games and gymnastics meets.

Our family has been blessed with a special friendship with a local Costa Rican family. The Vaverde family has taken us into their hearts and home. They have 4 kids very close to our kid’s ages, and we are enjoying spending time together. Please pray that this family would know what it means to have a real and growing relationship with Jesus.

Prayer Requests:

· Pray for Tim as he meets with Jason each week to study the Bible.
· Pray for Tina as she meets with Rosie to study the Bible each week.
· Pray for our work in the Los Yoses neighborhood.
· Pray for safety and health for our family

Many of you are aware that Tina has been dealing with significant nerve damage in her leg. Please pray that the doctors would have wisdom in how to treat the situation. Pray for Tina to have joy in the midst of a difficult situation.

The State of the Louderback Union

2010-01-28T09:16:00.002-05:00

Last night as I watched our President talk, I had a few thoughts........Not to worry, this is not a political blog. I just thought it was a cute title.

The new year is off and running, and so are we! The kids are all busy with school and various other events. Noah has decided to try his hand at basketball this season. Of course, since it involves a ball, he loves it! Trinity auditioned and got a part in the school play. She is busy learning lines and practicing. Gracie Lynn started gymnastics again yesterday. I tried very hard to get her to switch over to piano. I bribed and begged. She finally looked at me in disgust and told me that playing the piano was not going to help her at all in her quest to be a cheerleader. Good point. :) Eden is as always, a delightful doll. Recently, Noah taught her to throw and catch the football. He says she is the best 5 year old football player around.

Tim and I are enjoying getting into the swing of life without having to go to language school. Tim is doing lots of reading and learning about church planting and Panama. He also is enjoying just hanging out in the community and talking to people. I know, some things never change. I am really enjoying having more time to be a mommy. I am doing some logistics and organizing for our team, so that keeps me busy too. It is really fun to be able to use our gifts, talents, and the things we enjoy to bring glory to God!

We are looking forward to what God has down the road for us in 2010. Stay tuned for more. :)

The Best Pizza in Costa Rica!

2009-12-29T16:08:00.004-05:00

Shortly after moving to Costa Rica, we found an amazing pizza restaurant close to our home. We all agreed that it was the best pizza we had every eaten! So, we began going to Paulista's Pizza every Sunday after church. We told all of of friends about it too. The owner and the employees of Paulista's soon became friends. We began hanging out with them outside of the restaurant. They helped us with language and culture.
Each time we went to Paulista's we ordered the same thing. However, the pizza that Tim wanted was not on the menu. So, they made a special pizza for him and joked about naming it the Timoteo pizza. Timoteo is the Spanish word for Timothy.
Christmas eve we went to eat at our favorite pizza place. The owner and the employees presented Tim with a gift. It was a new menu for the upcoming year. On the new menu was a new pizza. The TIMOTEO pizza! As you can imagine, Tim was very excited as well as honored.
So, come down to Costa Rica and enjoy some of the best pizza in the world with us!

Two graduates and a hospital patient

2009-12-17T21:30:00.004-05:00

Let's talk about the good news first. Tim and I have officially graduated from language school! Amazing! After a year of full time school and homework, we have now completed our language requirements. It feels so good to look back at how far we have come. God has been so faithful to equip us for what He has called us to do. We can speak in Spanish! Wow, who would have thought!

So, now the more challenging news. Several weeks ago, I had a bone biopsy to remove some cysts that were found in the lower part of my leg. The surgery seemed simple enough. However, a few days after the surgery it became apparent that something was not right with my leg. I spent 6 nights in the hospital trying to get a handle on what was going on. At this point it has been determined that I have significant nerve damage. This is proving to be a challenging situation in many ways. Our new life consists of me going to physical therapy every day. Also, I have to use a wheelchair any time lots of walking is involved. Since we do not have a car and walk everywhere we go, the wheelchair is getting used frequently. The doctors feel that the damage is reversible. I am working really hard in therapy to do my part. We have been told that we have a long road ahead of us, so we are trying to take one day at a time. We appreciate your prayers so much!

I will end on a positive note. :) God has a way of making lemonade when you feel like you have been handed lemons! While I was in the hospital my mom was able to come to Costa Rica and spend time with me. It was so nice to have her here. She stayed with me at the hospital, and helped me get all set up at home once I was dismissed. It was a special treat to have this time with her. The timing of this situation could not be better. If it had to happen, this is the perfect time. Our schooling is complete and we have a few weeks off before we begin our ministry work. Truly, looking back at the past few weeks, I see God's hand in so many things. I am so thankful that none of this is a shock to Him! Daily I am trying to remember that He has a plan and a purpose for all of this.

A Different Kind of Christmas

2009-12-01T15:20:00.007-05:00

Christmas is my favorite time of the year. This Christmas is going to be different than any other. This will be the first Christmas in my entire life that I have not been with my mother and brother. So as you might imagine, this Christmas is going to be difficult in many ways. However, I am determined to be proactive and make this Christmas special in different ways! So, let me share with you something our family is excited about this Christmas season.

This year, we are participating in Advent Conspiracy, a global challenge to return Christmas to it's original purpose. We're committed to worship fully, spend less, give more and love all this Christmas season in the hopes that we can help change the world by focusing less on the stuff of Christmas and more on the spirit of Christmas. We'll still celebrate in many of the same ways we always do, but we've also chosen, this month, to be more purposeful about using the blessings God has given us to make a practical and eternal difference in the lives of others. We'll be making personal "sacrifices" so that we can give to those who need and don't just want.

Take a look for yourself. I think you will be challenged.

Happy Thanksgiving from Costa Rica!

2009-11-24T22:20:00.004-05:00

Happy Thanksgiving! We hope that your Thanksgiving is full of lots of turkey, family, and friends! There are so many things that we are thankful for this year. Tonight we went around the room sharing the things that we are most thankful for. We thought we would share some of our thoughts with you.

Tim is thankful that he can speak Spanish. When we arrived in Costa Rica 11 months ago, not one person in our family knew any Spanish at all! Wow, we have all come a long way!

Trinity shared that she was thankful for her youth group here in Costa Rica. There is a missionary family here who provides a fun and enriching youth group each Saturday night. Trinity even gets to sing in the praise team with some of the other kids. She really looks forward to this time each week.

Noah is thankful that there are sports all over the world. He has really enjoyed playing lots of soccer here in Costa Rica. It is a great way to make friends in the neighborhood too.

Gracie Lynn says she is thankful for her house in Costa Rica. As I might have mentioned before, it is pretty tight quarters around here. She reminded us tonight that each morning as we walk to school, we see several people who are sleeping in the streets. We are blessed.

Eden is thankful for her cars. Yes, my sweet little girl spends several hours each day playing with her cars. :)

Finally, I am thankful for my sweet family. This year has been wonderful and challenging at the same time. I have had to be a student, wife, and mommy. Many times I have not felt like I have done any of them well. At the end of the day though, I think we are all ok. :) We have shared both good and tough times as a family, and we are stronger because of it. Enjoy this special time of Thanksgiving. Remember all of the many ways God has blessed you and yours this season.

Father/Son Weekend

2009-11-16T20:39:00.003-05:00

Hi everyone! This is Noah. This weekend my Dad and I went to the mountains here in Costa Rica. We went on a Father/Son retreat. It was really fun! It was COLD in the mountains! They built a fire every night so that we could stay warm. There were lots of things that I liked to do there. They had obstacle courses that Dad and I did together. My favorite thing we did together was have special time where Dad and I read our Bible together. He taught me some good stuff about how important it is to be a person of good character. Then we carved a special stick together so that we can keep it forever and remember the weekend. Here is a picture of all of the guys who went on the weekend. There were some other missionaries and lots of Costa Rican people too.

FALL FUN!

2009-11-01T10:58:00.002-05:00

We are enjoying the Fall season around here. Well, actually that is a lie. Costa Rica does not have a Fall season. So, we are pretending. :) We have enjoyed painting pumpkins. Oh that is lie too. I mean we have enjoyed painting coconuts. You have to work with what you have! Ok, I am finished telling fibs now. :)
We have actually been enjoying a little bit of cooler weather, which is kind of fun. The kids were able to dress up for a little Fall party at school. We ended up with Tinkerbell, an Emerald Fairy, a Dallas Cowboy football player and a Micheal Jackson look alike. Tons of fun! We even got together with a few friends for a little Fall party. See, I told you we were enjoying the Fall season! Even if we do have to improvise a little bit.
Enjoy the pictures of our FALL FUN!

Make a Smilebox scrapbook

.....and we have another birthday to celebrate!

2009-10-18T19:40:00.004-05:00

We have had a week of celebrations around here! Just a few days after we acquired a teenager, we also acquired a 9 your old girl! Yep, Gracie Lynn is 9 years old! We had a fun day celebrating with her. My friend Janna made a special cake and let me help decorate it. :) We took it to surprise G.L. at school with a little party. She was also surprised when she got a brand new bike! Tim and I took her out Friday night for a "date". She is such a precious little girl. She is so happy and carefree.

We are looking forward to a change of pace this week at school. Each semester the school offers a Spiritual Emphasis week for the students. They bring in a special speaker to teach and encourage us each day in chapel. They have another service each evening. There is also a team coming in to do a VBS program with the kids each night. They are really looking forward to that. The extra fun part is that in order to take advantage of the week, the school does not give us homework or tests. Yea! Extra time in the Word and less homework. Who could ask for more!

Where has my little girl gone?

2009-10-13T21:05:00.002-05:00

Trinity~ I will never forget the day that you were born. I was so happy and so scared! I cannot believe that today, you are a teenager! It was just yesterday that we were trying to figure out how to raise such a strong willed little girl. :) I have to say that I think all of our hard work and meetings with the "rod" payed off! You are such an amazing young lady. We are so proud of the young lady you have become. Thank you for always being so attentive to who God wants you to be. You are such a brave and strong young woman. One of our favorite things to do is listen to you sing and play the guitar. You are so talented, and we love watching you use the gifts that God has given you. Thank you for being true to who you are. What a blessing you are to us! We love you so much. Mommy and Daddy

37 things to be thankful for......

2009-09-29T22:17:00.005-05:00

In celebration of my 37th birthday. I decided to sit down and reflect on 37 things that I am thankful for this year. Now let me say as a disclaimer, that I am grateful for many more than 37 things. These are just the first 37 that came to mind. This year has been full of challenge and change. So, enjoy a little peak at my thankfulness this year. By the way, these are not in any order of importance. :)

1. Tim~ Who makes me laugh every day and makes it home no matter where we are
2. Chocolate~ edible proof that God loves me
3. FBC Thomasville~ We have such an amazing home church who pray for us and loves on us so well
4. Facebook~ you can laugh, but this has truly been a lifeline for me to still know what is going on in the world of people I miss
5. Family~We have many great family members who believe in us, pray for us and cheer us on
6. Mom~ I am so blessed to have a mom who is also a dear dear friend
7. Grace and Mercy~ I need them both every day
8. Great girlfriends~ Trelle, Chris, Kathryn, Jami, Stephanie M., Tammy, Donna, Laura and a bunch more but I am out of room....life is sweeter because of you
8. Music~ makes my life complete
9. Stephanie S.~ Who lets me glimpse a little bit of myself a few years back, and lets me share what I have learned along the way
10. Words~ I love them. I love to read them and speak them
11. Grandma~ My Grandma went to see Jesus this year. Her life and legacy helped make me who I am
12. Bethany~ Who has been my BFF since I was 6 years old. What a rare gift. She knows it all and loves me more because of it
13. Fresh fruits and veggies~ I promise that they taste better in Costa Rica than any other place in the world
14. Lori~ Who's strength and courage leave me speechless
15. Giving to the local church~ Your generous gifts allow us to do what God has called us to do
16. Trinity~ Who I love watching God form and use in amazing ways
17. Gracie Lynn~ Who just makes me smile and reminds me the world is a happy place
18. Noah~ Who adores me just the way I always hoped my son would
19. Eden~ Who simply, by the perfectness of God, has made our family whole and complete
20. Coffee~ I am so glad I taught myself to like you
21. Leigh~ Who has spent the last year to far from my physical presence but still just as close to my heart
22. Adam and Jessica~ Who have shared this road with us from the beginning and who understand
23. Health~ No amount of money can buy it
24. Sherry~ Who I talk to way to infrequently but with whom I can always pick up right where we left off
25. Adam~ Who lets me think out out loud and challenges my thoughts
26. Allyson~ Whose constant thoughtful encouragement speaks hope into my world
27. Vonage, internet and all forms of electronic communication~ These things have been a blessing and allow me to reach those I love and miss
28. Janna~ Who has traveled this crazy new road with me, held my hand and reminded me that it is worth it when it did not feel like it
29. New friends~ I have met the most amazing families in my journey this year, it is an honor to serve with them
30. Jesus~ Who has given me more than I ever deserved
31. Sunshine~ makes me happy
32. Ryan and Wednesday~ Who I know would do anything for me and give me anything I might ever need
33. Tresa~ Who knows me really well and let's me be real
34. Kellie~ Who makes me laugh and has cheered me on with her prayers and support
35. Paulista's Pizza~ A place that I look forward to going to each week for the best pizza ever and great friendships too
36. The Spirit of the Costa Rican people~ Their kindness and patience with my language and cultural learning are humbling
37. 37 years of life. The good and the bad. All of it together has led me to this place.

An update from down south

2009-09-27T21:34:00.002-05:00

Time for an update from down south. School continues to go along well. Tim and I have a little less than three months of school left. We both feel really good about our Spanish progress. It is amazing to think how far we have come in the past 8 months with our language! The kids are all doing great and enjoying school as well as friends in the neighborhood. All in all, life is grand.
We were able to meet this past week with our supervisor from Panama. It was a great meeting and we walked away with a clear vision of what we will be doing in Panama. We are growing more and more excited about getting there. If things go as planned, we will be able to move to Panama in late April or early May. Please pray with us that God will already begin working in the hearts of the community that we will be living with in Panama.
I will leave you with a picture which does not really do justice to actually seeing it in person! I have never seen a rainbow like this!! It was a perfect circle right around the sun. How creative is God! :)

Dia de Independencia

2009-09-15T16:43:00.003-05:00

This week Costa Rica celebrated it's Independence Day. We have had lots of fun joining in on all of the festivities with friends and neighbors. Costa Ricans celebrate with parades. They wear typical Costa Rican clothing, and enjoy concerts and cultural shows. School children participate in the parades by marching in bands, or by carrying “Faroles”. These are homemade paper lanterns. Their designs sit on top of or hang from a wooden stick with candles inside to light the way. It is a tradition for the children to make their own lanterns in patriotic colors. They are often in the form of a house, animal, or other creative representations of national symbols. Of course, the Louderback kids had a great time making their creations! Well, all but Noah that is, he decided he was to cool for such. :) All in all, it has been a fun few days. Patriotism is a beautiful thing, no matter what the country.

A New Pet? :)

2009-09-09T07:29:00.003-05:00

When Tim, Eden and I came home for lunch yesterday, there was a friend waiting for us on our front door! Isn't he cute! We thought about keeping him for a pet, but he really wanted to be free to roam the neighborhood. :) There is never a dull moment in Costa Rica!

Surf's Up! Catch Up!

2009-08-30T20:46:00.006-05:00

We have had quite the adventerous two weeks off from school! First, my mom came for her first visit to Costa Rica. We had SO MUCH fun. It was so great to have her here! We went to a beautiful resort for a few days and saw more wildlife up close than I ever imagined possible. At one point we were counting, and had over 20 different kinds of animals that we had come in contact with on our trip. The monkeys at breakfast had to have been the highlight. Now that I think about it, there are to many highlights to even list! Mom was able to stay for a week. So after we spent some time at the resort, she also got to hang out with us at our home and see our new world. It truly was a great family time together.

After mom went home, we spent a few days on the Caribbean side of Costa Rica in a small beach village. While it was not anything close to "resort" like, it was lots of fun and we had a blast! Again, the scenery here was amazingly beautiful and we saw tons of wild life. Our good friend Janna, who is here in school with us, joined us for our trip. We also got to hang out with a mutual friend of ours that we trained with in Virginia. Stacy is currently in a small village in Mexico. She had the opportunity to come and visit with us for a few days. We all had a great time relaxing and catching up.

Now that we are refreshed and relaxed, we are looking forward to starting our last semester of language school. The kids go back to school this week also, so we are going to get back in to school routine. Please pray with us that God would give us endurance and perseverance as we get back to language learning.

Louderback Summer Newsletter

2009-08-18T20:13:00.002-05:00

Louderback Summer Newsletter

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Goodbyes

2009-08-13T21:49:00.003-05:00

For the past 8 months, I have been in class each and every day with two wonderful ladies. Katie, Amanda, and I have shared victories, defeats, laughed, and cried together while trying to adjust to a new culture and learn this thing called Spanish. We all came to Costa Rica at the same time and not one of us could speak more than a few words in Spanish. Actually, a few words might be exaggerating, more like one or two. :) Our language school is made up of families from a large number of mission agencies. All three of us work for different agencies, but we share the same goal. We have all left the comforts of the world we knew and have been obedient to the call that God has for our families. It has not always been easy, but I am blessed to have shared this time with these new friends. They have made learning Spanish so much more fun. I am going to miss them so much! Katie and her family will leave this week to go to Nicaragua. Amanda and her crew will head out to Columbia.
Tim and I are in school for a full year. We are going to enjoy a two week break, and then hit the books for one more semester of Spanish.
The missionary life is full of goodbyes. Amazing people come into your life for seasons of time and then, they are gone. While it is sad, it is also amazingly cool to see how God is working in the lives of so many people all over the world.

The only thing constant is change......

2009-08-02T20:50:00.002-05:00

When we arrived in Costa Rica we planned to be here for one year studying Spanish and then to head to Panama to begin our work there in December 2009. Well, small detour in plans. You all know how much I just love changes to plans. :)
Several weeks ago, Tim and I were asked to pray about serving on a new team in Panama City. After praying and talking with the kids we decided to accept the new position. So far so good. Just a change in jobs....at least we are headed to the same country. Eventually.
As part of our training for the new team, we will remain here in Costa Rica until June of 2010. That is six months longer than we were anticipating but there are some great perks to our extended stay! The kids will be able to complete an entire year of school at Sojourn Academy. They have attended this school since we arrived and have all really had a great experience. Instead of having to leave mid way through the year, they will get to finish up the whole school year and move in the summer time. They are very excited about that. :) Tim and I will still complete our language schooling in December and we will participate in hands on training from January through June. The great part is that the two families who we will work alongside in Panama will also be in Costa Rica and train with us. We are very excited to go through the training and the move to Panama as a team. If you have time you can visit the Cawthon family over at their blog. They are one of the families that we will be working with. Derek and Audrey are the other team members but they do not have a blog. So, you will have to take my word that they are cool, fun folks. :)
So, here we are. Here we will be until June. Costa Rica is a beautiful country and we are excited to be able to enjoy it a little longer than anticipated.

Missing Music

2009-07-18T15:07:00.001-05:00

One of the things I miss most about living in the States is music! I know that with the Internet I have access to lots of music but I just never seem to have the time to browse new artists like I used to. Way to much homework for that. I feel like I am missing some good new stuff out there! So friends, share!!! Please comment and let me know what you are listening to these days. Is there a new album that you would highly recommend. I have my Itunes up and ready, so let me know what I need to purchase!

Summer Fun!

2009-07-02T21:49:00.003-05:00

Sweet friends.
Breathtaking beauty.
Precious memories.

Make a Smilebox scrapbook

Meet our new friends!

2009-06-22T18:06:00.001-05:00

Meet our new friends and ministry partners..... Kenny and Cheryl Morris.

The IMB is having some meetings in Costa Rica this week so many people have traveled in from surrounding countries. Today for lunch we hosted a couple who we currently live in Panama! It was so great to meet them and hear about the work they are doing there. It makes us even more excited to get this language learned so we can get to Panama and get to work! They shared some specific prayer requests for the work in Panama.

Join us in praying for:

* San Juan: this is a new community of 1200 homes near Panama City where we will begin our initial work with the people. Currently there are no evangelical churches in the area.
* Pray for continued growth and healthy relationships between the missionaries and the Panamanian convention
* Pray for national leaders to rise and up and take on leadership roles within the work

Thank you for praying with us. It is exciting to get a glimpse of what God is doing in Panama and know that in a few short months we will be able to join Him and the Morris family there. :)

The Honeymoon is over.....

2009-06-18T20:34:00.001-05:00

I think the honeymoon is over. I feel certain that this is a normal part of the process of adjusting to our new life but the past few weeks have been pretty interesting. School is much harder the second trimester and many days I feel like I do not have time to let all the information sink in before we are on to a new topic. Someone likened it to taking a drink from a fire hydrant. I think that sums it up pretty well.
We were able to spend some wonderful time with some familiar faces who were here doing some mission work last week. Latrelle and Jacob Cone, Jerry and Jacob Spencer and Brother Jerry Spencer spent a week ministering in Costa Rica. We were able to spend some time with them and were both encouraged and convicted. Listening to Brother Jerry share about his vision for his future was a great reminder that we are not in this place for us. We are here because God has called us to take the news of His salvation to Spanish speaking people. It is easy to lose sight of that when you sit in a classroom 5 days a week! I feel a renewed sense of purpose and am praying that I will remember that in the hard times.
The kids have one more week of regular school and then they will be out for the Summer. Since Tim and I will still be in school, they will be attending Summer programs at the school. It looks like they will be having lots of fun! They are excited that they will get a break from homework. :)
Thank you for praying for us. We feel your prayers!!

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Our 6th Grade Graduate

2009-05-29T21:50:00.004-05:00

This week we were able to celebrate with Trinity as she graduated from the 6th grade. In the culture of Costa Rica, this is a monumental event. We took Trinity out for a fun dinner, just the three of us. Mom, Dad and Trinity. It was great one on one time, which is sometimes difficult to come by with 4 kids. :) Anyway, as we were sitting at dinner talking, I realized once again what a remarkable young lady Trinity has become. We are so proud of her.

Trinity~ I know that this 6th grade year has been different than you might have imagined or even wished for yourself. However, we are so proud of how you have trusted us as your parents and more importantly God, to direct your path. Thank you for being so strong and brave. You are an amazing young women and it is an honor to be your parents. We love watching God grow you into just what He wants you to be. Congratulations on all of your hard work.

Philippians 1:6 (The Message)^3-6Every time you cross my mind, I break out in exclamations of thanks to God. Each exclamation is a trigger to prayer. I find myself praying for you with a glad heart. I am so pleased that you have continued on in this with us, believing and proclaiming God's Message, from the day you heard it right up to the present. There has never been the slightest doubt in my mind that the God who started this great work in you would keep at it and bring it to a flourishing finish on the very day Christ Jesus appears.

Happy Birthday Eden Bethany Jing!

2009-05-24T14:40:00.007-05:00

Our baby turns 5 today! It really is hard to believe that she is 5 years old! Oh, I wish I could just freeze her! She is soooooo sweet and we enjoy her so much! I am so thankful that God blessed us with such a gift. I was thinking this past week about how amazing God is to have brought her to our family. There were so many pieces that had to fit together just perfectly for her to be ours! As we celebrate Eden's birthday, I always find myself thinking about the woman on the other side of the world whose DNA my daughter carries. We are grateful beyond words for her choice to give her life. I pray that on this day she is filled with peace and somehow knows that the child she carried is so well loved and cherished.
Happy Birthday Sweet Girl! We love you!

White Water Rafting in Costa Rica

2009-05-18T21:15:00.003-05:00

We have made it through the first two weeks of our second semester of school. For some reason I had it in my head that it would get easier as we went along. Why do I do that to myself??? I am very excited about the amount of language that I am going to be learning this semester, but I am fighting not to feel overwhelmed by the work load!

The rainy season has begun here in Costa Rica. So far, it has not been to bad but from what we hear we might need a boat before it is all over. It does provide many challenging opportunities since we walk everywhere we go. It also provides us with lots of BUGS!! As I type this, we are watching a lizard chase bugs around our house and eat them. Seriously, ya'll don't know what you are missing! :)

So, that is all from me for now but I am handing over the keyboard to Tim.....

White-water rafting just over 18 miles down one of the top five rivers to raft in the entire world, per National Geographic, has to be the high-light of my experiences here in Costa Rica. I take that back! Having "two of my closest friends" raft alongside me during the white-water adventure has been my most exciting time here. Earlier this month, my friends Dan and Chris arrived into Costa Rica from our hometown of Thomasville, GA. What a fabulous few days that we experienced together! Take a moment to enjoy the slideshow of our white-water excursion. They were class four rapids, and we loved every minute of them! Post a comment and share your thoughts with me if you have a moment! Enjoy! Tim

Make a Smilebox photobook

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Friendly Faces in Costa Rica

2009-05-08T14:54:00.004-05:00

We have been blessed to enjoy some friendly faces here in Costa Rica in recent days! First off, Ya Ya (Tresa) came and spent a week hanging with us in Costa Rica. We had tons of fun showing her our life here and traveling to Monteverde to visit for a few days. It is a beautiful area with lots of greenery and flowers. The favorites in Monteverde were the butterflies and the frogs. Tresa was a bit disappointed that we did not see any monkeys but we told her that meant she had to come back for another visit! Tresa is now back home and missing us, her daily fresh fruit juice and yummy Costa Rican cinnamon bread!
We were also able to visit with David and Latrelle. They were in Costa Rica on a mission trip and stopped by one evening last week. As you can imagine getting Tim and David in the same room produced lots of laughs! It was so good to see them and spend some time catching up. We are so excited about the work they are doing with their mission. They will be heading back our way in June. :)
Finally, for Tim's 40th birthday 2 of his buddies planned a trip to visit him. Dan and Chris arrived a few days ago and the 3 amigos have been living large ever since! As you can imagine they have been full of adventure. Early this morning they headed to the river for a day of white water rafting. I can not wait to hear all about it. I am sure they will have lots to share!
It has been a sweet time for us to be able to see so many friendly faces from home. We have enjoyed visiting and sharing our life with them. So, if you are in the mood for a warm tropical vacation......feel free to head our way!

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Catching up and remembering my Grandma

2009-04-27T23:55:00.001-05:00

I should warn you that this is going to be a long post. I have to apologize to all 3 of my readers :) for my lack of posting. As you will see there has been lots going on.
As I write this post I am sitting in the Denver airport waiting to fly home to Costa Rica. Last week my sweet Grandma went to be with Jesus and I was able to fly home and spend some precious time with my mom and family as we celebrated her life. More on that in a moment......
Tim and I have finished our first trimester of language school and we have passed with flying colors! I will tell you there were times that I wondered! We had our first language evaluation with the International Mission Board. We are expected to be at a certain level by the end of our year in Costa Rica. Well, we were both beyond pleased with our rating as it was higher than we had anticipated. It feels good to know we are on the right track! We are on a two week break from school and look forward to doing some traveling. Our friend Tresa is flying into San Jose tomorrow and we are headed to the Cloud Forest for a few days. I will be sure and post some good pictures!
I want to close with some personal thoughts about my Grandma. I have been able to reflect the past few days on all the wonderful memories I have of her. My brother and I talked about how much fun we used to have as little children hanging out at Grandma's house, drinking coke on crushed ice and eating strawberries. Perhaps, the most precious memories I have are when I was older and becoming a young adult. I remember so many times sitting in my Grandma's living room. She would sit in her rocking chair and I would sit on the sofa. I would talk. I would share my frustrations and thoughts on the world. I would ask questions about why things were the way they were. She would listen. She would always offer some wise thoughts on my situation. Somehow, she would always make it seem better. She would always point me to Jesus. Looking back I see how she was pouring her wisdom into my life. Not in an abrupt forceful way, just in her quiet strong way. I was to young to really appreciate it then, but it is sure priceless to me now. She was one of the finest woman that I have ever known and so much of how I think and who I am came from her pouring herself into me.
Please pray especially for my mom and her sister as they grieve the loss of their precious mom. She truly was a remarkable woman and I am blessed to have called her Grandma.

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The Circus, Coloring Easter Eggs, American Idol on the Wii and other random thoughts....

2009-04-11T21:30:00.002-05:00

We have been out of school since Wednesday. We have really enjoyed a much needed break from learning and had some great family time!
Grandma sent us American Idol for the Wii and we have been having some serious get down music contests around here! I think the kids have played it at least 10 hours each day! I am sure the neighbors are enjoying our loud American music. Paybacks for all of their parties....
We went on an outing to the Circus. It was AMAZING! In fact, the kids rated it up there with Disney World. Impressive huh. :) I was not sure what to expect but it really was cool. It was not an animal circus but more of an acrobatic, magical show. The music and the costumes were outstanding. It was a great night!
Our town is basically shut down for the Passion Week celebration they call Semana Santa. There are no buses or taxis running and all of the stores are closed. Since we are pretty much home bound, we decided to have an Easter party with some of our new friends. Meet the Gillen family. They are headed to the Dominican Republic after their year of language school. (You will see them in the picture video) We cooked a good ole American meal and colored Easter eggs. We also made Easter Story cookies which if all goes well will look like an empty tomb in the morning when we get them out of the oven. It was a great day!
So, I made a little slideshow of the past few days. Enjoy a little peak at our world.
Happy Easter, He is Risen!

Make a Smilebox scrapbook

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Our "Fools" Star

2009-04-05T21:14:00.005-05:00

We have had a great weekend enjoying our actress in her first big school play! Trinity did such a great job and we were so proud of her! The cast has been working faithfully for the past two months and it really paid off. They all did such a great job. It was a Neil Simon play called "Fools" and it was hysterical! The whole town was cursed with ignorance and the new teacher in town was trying to take the curse away. Good times. Anyway, the whole event has been so good for Trinity. She has made some great friends and gotten a chance to do the thing she loves to do. :) Enjoy the pictures.

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I am cranky.

2009-04-01T22:24:00.000-05:00

So, I have been a little cranky this week. I have pondered the reasons for this and cannot really attribute it to one particular thing. I guess there are lots of little things that have all snowballed. I miss my friends a lot. I miss seeing and talking to people that really know me. I miss sharing life with them. Thank goodness for internet and for Vonage (when they work) but it is just not the same as being there. Not to mention that there are just not enough hours in the day to keep in touch like I want to. Since we have to walk everywhere, things just take about 10 times longer than they used to. As I have reminded myself at least a million times the past few months, this is a new normal and I have to adjust to it. It takes time. I have to tell you that I do not like it some days....at all.
Last week I spent a morning at home instead of going to school. I had been sick all weekend and wanted to make sure that I was better before heading back. I loved being at home so much! I really miss being at home and being able to just take care of my family and my home. I am SO grateful to have Regina to help me since there is no way that I could go to school and take care of the house and family. However, I don't want some one else to be doing these things! I want to do them. Ugh, I really do not feel a strong bonding in my heart with going to school full time. Again, don't get me wrong, I am so blessed to be able to attend such a great school and I know that this place is where God has me at this time. I am just saying again....I don't always like it.
So, thanks for letting me be real and honest tonight. I will try to be in a better mood next time I blog. :)

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Grand News from Gracie Lynn

2009-03-27T12:57:00.003-05:00

From a young age, my two older children always asked questions about God and how He worked. You know the kind of questions that you want as a parent, so that you can seize the opportunity to teach them about letting Him be the Lord of their lives. Not Gracie Lynn. This free spirited, carefree child of mine never came to me with these types of things. Honestly, I assumed she did not think much about the matter. She is just that kind of kid. Nothing to deep but sweet and happy all the time. :) So, I had been having an ongoing conversation with God about how much I really wanted Him to be talking to her sweet little heart and drawing her to Himself. I had also mentioned to Him several times that I really saw no evidence that this was taking place. :) Will I ever learn? Tuesday night she called us into her room and told us that she wanted to ask Jesus into her heart. Out of the blue, no questions for mom and dad. Just a decision. We asked her several questions to establish her understanding of the matter and then we listened to our sweet daughter pray and ask Jesus to live in her heart. It was a precious time as the whole family celebrated with her.
Then I took a few moments to think about how amazing God is. He was working all the time. Just like I asked Him to. Just like He said He would. I did not see evidence therefore, I decided He was not doing His job. Life lesson #billion and something..... God is working. Even when I can not see it with my human eyes. He is working.

Gracie Lynn made an art piece this week to show how her heart used to look before she asked Jesus to live in it and what her heart looks like now. :)

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Living Large at 40!!

2009-03-23T23:11:00.006-05:00

Today, my wonderful hubby is 40 years old! Time flies when you are having fun! Happy Birthday babe. I would not trade life with you for anything in the world! Thanks for being the best husband and daddy that we could ever ask for.
We love you!
One of our friends from school made this fun shirt so that Tim could celebrate his big day in style :) Thanks Michael!

Don't forget to wear your green!

2009-03-17T13:45:00.002-05:00

My little leprechauns had a welcome reprieve from school uniforms today and got to wear their GREEN!
Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Beautiful Faces

2009-03-10T21:24:00.005-05:00

A few weeks ago, the opportunity to begin a Bible Study with young pregnant girls and new moms literally fell into my lap. I must say that I am very unprepared and inadequate at this point to attempt this, but I know that it is where God is leading. Our first meeting was this afternoon. We had 9 girls attend! 2 of them brought their young children. I am so excited about what God is doing in this place! I was able to share my testimony in Spanish (of course I had good notes) and visit with the girls. The girls were all so patient with our poor Spanish. They really seemed to enjoy visiting and talking with us. I am more motivated than ever before to learn Spanish quickly! The other leaders are Janna, Dodie, and Teresa. Please pray for us on Tuesdays as we work with these young girls. Here are the beautiful faces of the girls.

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Tim's Trashy Ministry

2009-03-04T15:22:00.002-05:00

For the most part, Costa Rica is a beautiful country. However, there seems to be an issue with trash. People just throw their wrappers, cups, you name it on the ground. It is actually kind of nuts! One of the first weeks that we were here, Tim decided that he was going to clean up our street. He got the kids to join in (actually I don't think he gave them a choice) and they began cleaning the trash off the street one afternoon each week. They spend 20 minutes or so and collect tons of trash each time! Well, last week I looked out and there is my family along with several of our local neighbors who have come out to help them! I guess they decided if you can't beat 'em, join them. So, now it has become a tradition on our street. The weekly neighborhood trash pick up, led by Mr. Tim, the trash man.

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Ronald visits Costa Rica

2009-02-26T21:08:00.005-05:00

Tim surprised Gracie Lynn and Eden today with a trip to McDonald's to meet the Costa Rican Ronald! He said they were the only Gringo's(that is what they call white people here) there and it was tons of fun! The girls were full of stories and of course had a great time with their crazy daddy.
We are heading to the beach for a three day weekend first thing in the morning. From time to time our school offers vacation get aways where they plan the entire event and you are just along for the ride. I am all about a vacation where I do not have to plan and think after a week of Spanish. We are really looking forward to some rest and relaxation on the beautiful beaches of Costa Rica.

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Happy Pancake Day!

2009-02-23T22:19:00.005-05:00

That's right! It's Pancake Day! Many of you are aware that I
was born, raised, and lived more than 25 years in Liberal, Kansas!
Each year there is a friendly little competition between Liberal,
Kansas and Olney, England. The ladies run down the streets of each
town flipping pancakes in a race against one another. This tradition
has been going on for more than 60 years now. It is still the only
race of its kind on the planet. Sweet action! Though, Pancake Day
itself is celebrated around the world. Check out "Pancake Day" on
Google if you would like to see an international perspective of the
day.
So, enjoy a pancake or two today. I sure will be! What better
way to "live large", right? If you have an IHOP restaurant near you,
that would be a great place to enjoy a free stack of pancakes. They
hook every customer up with a free stack every year! Moreover, check
out Pancake Day to see all of the activities going on in
Liberal, Kansas today and across the pond!
Thanks for your prayers each day! We are having lots of
opportunities to share about Jesus!
Tim

Jungle Friends

2009-02-22T20:01:00.006-05:00

We had the most wonderful surprise this weekend. Our jungle friends, Adam and Jessica came for a visit. I say it was a surprise because I thought they were coming in March and they had planned on coming this weekend and our communication was totally off. Jessica and I decided that this is what happens when two women whose brains are tired from Spanish learning try to make plans. Nonetheless, it was a WONDERFUL weekend! We did so many fun things. We shopped, visited several parks, cooked some yummy food. Adam lived in Costa Rica as a kid (actually just a few blocks from where we are now) so he taught us lots of new things about living in Costa Rica. It was great to be able to spend time with them and laugh together. Adam is fluent in Spanish so I have to tell you that was nice too. A little less work than our normal weekends.
We trained with Adam and Jess in Virginia and now they are in Guatemala for a few months before heading to the Amazon jungle of Peru. You can check out all of their wild and crazy adventures at Jungle Book

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Refocused

2009-02-18T22:31:00.003-05:00

This week at school has been Spiritual Emphasis week. They have a week each trimester where there is no homework (Glory, Hallelujah!!!!!) and special chapel services each day and evening. There is also a team that comes in and does VBS with the kids in the evening. It has been such a special treat for the kids and they have had so much fun! It has also been a blessing to have this time to refocus! I have to say that it is easy to lose sight of why we are here. Day in and day out of Spanish learning on top of life with 4 kids can be very draining! God has really spoken to my heart this week and reminded me that I am here because He has called me to this place, at this time. I am here because I must learn the language so that I can be obedient to the call He has on my life. I am not here to make straight A's (which would be an added bonus) :) Our speaker this week challenged us to manage our ministry not let our ministry manage us. I think that for ALL of us no matter what we are "doing" with our lives, it is easy to let our life manage us. Life gets so busy and we get so busy doing life! I encourage you to take some time and refocus....on Him.

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Happy Valentine's Day!

2009-02-13T19:13:00.004-05:00

I hope your day is filled with lots of hugs, kisses, flowers and chocolate! The kids all enjoyed fun parties at school today. We even made some pink popcorn in honor of the day! I am feeling a little under the weather so I am resting at home tonight and Tim has taken the kids to McDonald's to play Monopoly. For those of you who did not live in Thomasville with us, I should tell you that it was a family tradition to go to Whataburger on Friday nights and play Monopoly. Since there is no Whataburger to be found, I guess he chose the closest thing. The kids were so excited and I am looking forward to reading a good book and turning in early.
Happy Valentine's Day!!!!

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Children's Museum

2009-02-11T20:24:00.004-05:00

I have found now that we are ALL in school we really look forward to our time off together! This past weekend, we went to the local Children's museum and it was SO NICE!!! The kids had so much fun! I was so impressed with the exhibits they had. Here are the favorites:
Trinity loved the book section. Noah thought it was extra cool to get to "fly" a real airplane. Gracie Lynn spent lots of time in the kitchen cooking up her favorite meals and Eden thought it was pretty funny to sit on top of the teeth in the dentistry exhibit.
We have had a busy week around here so far. Lots of homework, tests and getting ready for Valentine's parties at school. More later.....

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One step forward and two steps back.....

2009-02-08T20:21:00.002-05:00

Occasionally life here feels like one step forward and two steps back. Well, maybe a little more than occasionally. Today, we headed out to church. We were given a list of local churches recently so we took it out and chose one which we thought was near our home. Wrong. An hour after we departed and after asking for directions several times, we finally arrived at our destination. We sat through church which to be quite honest is somewhat of a challenge because of the language. After church we headed out to find some lunch and head home. We needed milk and a few other things so we stopped a local grocery store and got a few items. We decided to ride the bus home since the walk was further than we anticipated. After a few minutes on the hot, crowded bus we discovered that we were heading the opposite direction from our home. Ok, reevaluate. We got off the bus, crossed the street and attempted to get on another bus going the correct direction. I know at this point, you are picturing how calm and sweet we were all speaking to each other. :) Ok, good news here comes our bus. We all file on, wait a minute Tim cannot fit the stroller through the door of the bus. Quickly, he runs to the back of the bus and tries the other entrance. Nope. Not happening. So, the kids and I wave as we pull off leaving Tim and the stroller standing on the side of the road yelling that he will just meet us at home. Perfect. The kids and I manage to get to our area of town and walk home with our groceries. A few minutes later Tim arrives. It is now 2 and we are all starving so we decided to go find some food at a nearby restaurant. In retrospect I should have taken a cue from the rest of the day and just made a sandwich at home. We find a restaurant that we have been wanting to try and everyone manages to decide what they want to eat which is not easy these days since it is all in Spanish. For my long awaited meal I choose a "tostada" which sounded great! Now, I have to tell you that the "tostada" was right underneath the 'taco" on the menu so I assumed it was a typical tostada....you know Taco Bell type and all. A few minutes later the lovely waitress arrives with our long awaited meal. I am so hungry at this point. The kids plates look great, ham and cheese sandwiches, tacos and hot dogs. Tim's plate looks great too. My mouth is watering! Finally, they place my meal in front of me and it is 4 pieces of toast. Yep, you heard me 4 pieces of plain toast. Tostada equals toast in Spanish at this restaurant, not tostada. I really wanted to cry but instead I walked across the street and bought a chocolate donut for lunch.

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School Days!

2009-02-05T17:56:00.000-05:00

I thought you might enjoy seeing some of the sites of our school days.

Make a Smilebox scrapbook

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