Blogspot Under Construction

To my faithful readers that have been checking my blogspot only to find that I haven't written anything for a long time- thank you!!! Hang on!! I will be back up and running soon. My son promises me we will have a new "look"and hopefully more pictures. Don't give up on me yet!!!!

Odds and Ends

Today we are in the cafe' drinking coffee and checking out what is going on in the outside world! This past week-end the teens from Loncoche and Pucon participated in a teen retreat in Puerto Montt. (That's about 4 hours south of us) They had a great time and came back with their spiritual batteries charged. It's a real blessing to hear how God is working in our young people's lives. The battles that are being won in their hearts. They are our hope for the future. As a mother of one of those teens it thrills my heart to hear my 16 year old say that he's tired of living a mediocre Christianity and desires more of what the Lord wants for his life, not want he wants.
While the teens were gone I had a "retreat" of my own. Amy Heinz and Alejandra Cid came to stay with me while our teens and hubbies were gone. We talked and talked and talked...... and had a very edifying and fun time together. We decided we needed to do this more often!
Please pray for my father-in-law, Larry Castner. He has not been doing very well lately and we need direction from the Lord as how to deal with some of the situations that we have been facing with him. His dialysis doctor has sent him to a neurologist so that we can find out what is going on with his brain due to the anurisms he has suffered in the past. We find him to be much altered in his emotions and motor skills.
We are adjusting to life in the country and except for not having internet service we really like the beauty and solitude. It is still winter here so it continues to rain but we know that it will not last much longer. This past week we planted garlic, peas and a type of bean called and haba. Next week the potatoes will get planted. So the garden process has begun.
My time has run out so I will have to sign off for now. Keep us in your prayers. Until the next time........................................

It's Been A While

Sorry that it has been so long since I have written. We still do not have Internet Access in our new home so......... Several of us have been sick but it seems that the germs have moved on to someone elses house now and we are all back to full health. We are in the middle of our winter season so it has rained and rained and rained and rained (get the idea) but there is always PLENTY to do inside the house. Despite a 4 month trip to the States, moving and re-organizing in a new house, Hannah and Timmy did finish their school year in June and both had good finishing grades. This was their first year of ACE and we are really enjoying it considering the busy schedule that we keep. This week and next the kids here in Chile are on winter break so we will be too!! We miss all of you and I appreciate those of you that have remained faithful to checking my blogspot even though there has not been much to read lately. Until the next time.............................

All Moved In

I know it has been awhile since I was able to write. Hopefully someone is still being patient with me........ It has been almost a month since we moved from our home in Temuco to our new home in Villarrica. Life has definitely changed for us in many ways. All are good changes. Some easier than others. It has taken us awhile to get settled in and unpacked. Each week brought a little more order to our lives. It has been a challenge to move, unpack and go on with the schedule we have to keep up with, but not impossible. The biggest challenge has been not having a person to help take care of my father-in-law. This past Friday a lady started and we are in the process of training her. She has never worked with an elderly person but was willing to learn. She has a sweet spirit and the disposition to learn. Please pray for her- Alicia. We are definitely enjoying living in the country. It tests your creativity. When we run out of bread, milk, etc it's amazing what you can come up with until you get to the store. The view out our front window is different every day. We have 2 active volcanos in Chile and on a good day we can see them both. On other days they are completely hidden from view because of the cloud cover. We've decided that if we took a picture every day for a month we would never get the same view. I'm sure there is a spiritual application in there somewhere..................... I appreciate all of you that have been praying for us. We still do not have internet service but we do go into town a couple of times a week to check our E-mails. If we buy a cup of coffee we get free WIFI service. I know some of you would be a permanent fixture in the coffee shop.............. It's possible that in a month from now we can get internet service in our house. In the mean time I will try to kep up the best that I can...... Until then....................

Movin' Out!!

Well, the big event is upon us. The boxes are getting packed, the junk is getting thrown out, things that we haven't seen for awhile are being found, the house is turned upside down........... We're movin' out! Are we excited? Yes and no. Yes, because we really like our new house. No, because we have lived in Temuco 13 years and we really like the house we are moving out of. One day I am going to get to heaven and God is going to move me into my mansion and I won't have to move out!! Until that time we will be content with where we live no matter how many times we have to move. Moving means progress in the Lord's work. Pray for us!

What's Going On???

So what's been going on around here?
Tuesday was Andrew's 16th birthday. I still can't believe my oldest "baby" is growing up. We were able to celebrate with a few of his friends and their fathers. It was a really special time and I'm glad that he has the kind of relationship with his father that he was willing to include him and the fathers of his other friends as well in his birhtday. I'm very thankful for the son that the Lord has given us. He's a very special, talented young man and we look forward to seeing what the Lord is going to do with his life.
Wednesday morning 6 men from our home church came to participate in an evangelistic campaign that my husband and Bro. Heinz are coordinating. 3 of the guys are staying with us and 3 with the Heinz family. The first day was kind of rainy so they got off to a slow start but it finally cleared up and today was a beautiful day. Last night we took our 3 visitors to Pucon where they were able to meet their fellow brothers in Christ. We had a good service with Bro. John Nadaskay preaching. We also had 100% attendance which was a blessing as well. We've had a lot of fun with our visitors. We are not sleeping much and as long as I have a pot of coffee ready in the morning and after every meal we all get along just fine!! Please pray for the work they are doing here in Chile that it will bear much fruit.

9 Days Later

well, it has been 9 days since we have returned to Chile. They have been very busy days to say the least. We arrived in Santiago on a Wednesday morning. ALL of our suitcases arrived with us as well for which we were very thankful. There were so "much" of us that they actually HELPED us right through customs to get us out of the way!! We're hoping that the guys that come down next week get the same treatment. We then went to Pastor Luis' house and cleaned up, got our spanish tongues in tune again and they had a cook-out for us! Wednesday night we got on the bus and traveled through the night to get "home" to Temuco. Amy Heinz and her girls were busy in the kitchen cooking breakfast- bacon, eggs and pancakes! Hmm! the house smelled good! Yes, after 2 nights of sleeping on planes and buses we were tired but so very happy to be back in our house. All was in order. Garry's dad was happy to see us and so was the girl that takes care of him. She was so happy that she left THAT DAY on vacation!! We spent Thursday trying to unpack as much as we could but our bodies demanded some attention so we ended up resting and not getting too much unpacked. Friday we went to Labranza where my husband preached in Bro. Heinz' missions conference. We are so thankful for the Heinz family and their friendship over the years. They have been such a help to us while we were off the field and helping us to get back in the "saddle" again. Saturday we went to the mission work in Lastarria. They didn't know we were coming and the looks on their faces was worth it!! They thought we were NEVER coming back! They are doing well and have remained faithful. They went and found a separate place to meet in that would be easier to invite visitors to. It needs some work but its a step in the right direction. Sunday, of course, we went to the church in Loncoche and then on to the mission Pucon. All were happy to see us! The mission in Pucon has also moved into a separate building. All signs of growth for which we are thankful. They had a cook-out for us too!! So much for coming back and losing weight! In between all this we were still unpacking and finally got down to the last suitcase on Monday. On Thursday my husband preached in Temuco which is now in Fundo el Carmen. The brethren dismantled the auditorium and moved it across town to a new housing developement where they are purchasing the property that they have re-built the church on. They did a great job of putting the church back together! We were kind of nervous about what it might look like but we are so proud of the way they have been so careful to preserve the original "look". They are doing well and have endless opportunities in the new comunity that they are in. Yesterday, the ladies in Loncoche had their weekly Bible-study time and I went down on the bus and was able to teach and share a special "tea-time" with them. They have also remained faithful to the Lord and have grown spiritually. Of course, there are a few negative things that have happened while we were gone but the positive definitely outweighs the negative. We have also been to our new house in Villarrica. The lady that we bought it from is moving out and next week the house will be empty. We have decided to move at the end of the month since we have visitors coming very soon! Please pray that we can sell our house here in Temuco SOON! It is on the market and in the paper. Want to buy a house in Chile????? We are very happy to be back to out place of service yet a bit homesick as well. The changes coming back don't happen from one day to the next. We enjoyed our time in the States, have some precious memories to store away in our hearts, and have come to appreciate our families and our church family even more. Until the next time.............