Fun in the Sun

So right now we are hanging out at Jake's Mum's. She recently got a new condo in Palm Cost, FL. It's in a beautiful location, right next to the beach. Also has a little waterpark with a pool close by. The boys have been having a blast (as have we). They also got to go to their first a baseball game, they're making lots of memories. We've traveled down to the Tampa area yesterday stying with Jake's grandma. We are having a bit family reunion tomorrow, really looking forward to it and seeing everyone. Going to have breakfast with Myrl and Martha Allinder on Monday (for all you BMWers).

First baseball game

Culture Shock

Not sure if we are experiencing "culture shock" or not but coming back to the West, things do seem very different. Here's a few;

- In Cameroon, our boys are always being played with and picked up by everyone... just a normal thing, everyone is friendly and wants to talk with them. At the Heathrow airport there was a guy laying on a chair, Seth was playing near him and stood up and just rested his elbow on his leg). The guy gave him the dirtiest look (in Cameroon this would have been totally acceptable). Along the same lines, we were at the pool the other day and all of a sudden Seth just jumped on this guy's back and he got another dirty look... in Cameroon when we go to a pool, everyone plays together.

-When we go to a shop in Cameroon, the boys always just go walk around wherever they want too, and we'll just find them when we're done (even Jude get's taken from me by a shop worker). There is no fear of strangers or someone taking them or something... here I have to watch them ALL the time, they think it is so strange they have to stay close.

- Drinking water straight from the tap, so bizarre!

- Boys not being completely filthy by the end of the day.

- Things are so cheap! I know Americans are complaining but gas is almost half price here. Looking at prices of cars in the newspaper! So cheap compared to Cameroon. Ham, cheese, milk, toys, diapers, formula, at least half price here if not more.

- Going out is so easy, there are toilets everywhere (no public toilets in Cameroon). There are water fountains everywhere (have to bring bottles with us wherever we go in Afirca). The roads are so smooth, traveling is so incredibly easy.

-Jude is still adjusting, he hates being strapped into anything... in Cameroon, most of the time he was on my lap when we travel as we always have people in the car with us (only when we went out of the town he went into the car seat). So he hates the whole car seat thing. We never had a high chair, he can't stand being buckled into one, and every time I change his diaper at diaper changing table he screams, he much prefers to be changed in the back seat of a car bouncing along the road :). But he is starting to get used to it now.

Anyway... I'm sure I'm sure I'll come up with a few more before I time in the States is over :D

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London Outing

Trafalgar Square

The day before we left England, we had a day in London with my parents. We met up with some of our friends (Stano and Alic) from Slovakia who now live in England. I hadn't seen them since I left Slovakia 11 years ago. It was so amazing to see them! Stano was actually one of the first people to get saved when we were out there and used to lead the praise and worship in our church. He met Alic at one of

the meetings and my Dad
married them. They now have two lovely girls, Tatiana and Daniella. It was great to speak and hear a little Slovak again, it has been a long time! My mind wants to automatically speak French now so I had to really concentrate to get my Slovak to come out.

Anyway, we had a great day in England, no rain but a bit chilly. Went to Trafalgar Square, Buckingham Palace where we saw a marching band of guards... had a delicious picnic in St. James park, boys got to feed the pigeons. Then we went onto the Natural history museum. I remember going there as a kid and just loving it. The boys, who are really into dinosaurs, loved seeing all the enormous bones. They also had a "Creepy Crawly" section where I must admit, critters looked mighty small compared to the ones in our back yard in Cameroon :).

It was a long day but so much fun, something the boys will remember for a long time.

In the good 'ol USA

Made it to the States, lovely to be back. Just about over Jet lag now, went to bed about 7.30 last night and slept right through so feeling good.

We had a blast in England, my brother's wedding was beautiful. It rained everyday we were in England beside the day of his wedding and the day we went to London. They had their wedding in a large hall in a English vineyard (a pretty rare thing). The sun was shining, the pictures outside turned out great. Then we went back to a small pub where the reception was, had lovely food, live band, even got to meet some of my old school mates who I haven't see for over 18 years. My Aunt and Uncle from Spain came over too, so great to see them.

England!

Finally got a chance to sit down and write on my blog (it's almost 11pm). Arrived in England safe and sound on Monday. Went to get our rental car, we're expecting a compact Focus. That car wasn't available so we got up graded to a Ford Mondoe station wagon for free! Much larger and nicer, so great to be walking in the favour of God!

Been doing a lot of driving (and eating). First night we had fish 'n chips with my brother and his fiancée, Lou. We're staying at their house which is in a beautiful little village near Cambridge. Got to go down to Torquay in Devon to see my older brother who recently gave his life to the Lord. It was so wonderful to see him and also see the change in his life. He is doing really well, has a good job, lovely apartment, and an awesome church. We had a lot of fun and got to go down to the beach with the boys. Very cold and windy but beautiful. Also drove right past Stonehenge on the way, very cool to see.

Yesterday we drove to Kenilworth (close to Stratford, home of Shakespeare) to speak in a small house church that supports us. This was our first time to visit them and we had a lovely time. Got to share about what the Lord has been doing in our lives and showed our picture slide show. We had a great time meeting everyone and catching up with the pastors, Bob and Liz Barker who used to teach Kids club at F.G.B conventions I went when I was a kid.

Well, it's getting late, tomorrow is the wedding, can't wait. Got to get to bed, will write more soon!

Travel, travel, travel...

Well it's 10:30pm. We are just about packed and think I have remember everything. We leave for Yaoundé early tomorrow morning (6 hours drive). We have some things to do in town then we'll spend the night with some good friends and then we fly out Sunday evening... it's starting to soak in a little bit now, getting really excited (as are Josh and Seth). Not sure when I'll have a chance to get on the web again but hopefully sometime next week. Keep us in your prayers!

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Our busy schedule

OK, just about got our itinerary sorted out. Here's what it looks like so far. Please keep us in your prayers as we will be on the road a lot. Last time it took us a bit to get used to all the road rules and speed limits of the West. Need to remember to give way, not drive so close to people, and not go flat out everywhere you go :D.

If we are in your area, we'd love to say hi! Let us know...

17th -Fly out in the evening

18th -Arrive in London. (10:40am). Pick up rental car, head to my brother's house in Six Mile Bottom, show off Jude to all my family

19th -Go to my brother Dan's in Torquay, spend the night, catch up on all the news

20th -Family dinner with my brother Ben and his fiancé's family

21st -Speaking at Living Word Church, Warwick

23rd -Ben and lou's wedding (need to go shopping some time before this to get a decent dress and pair of shoes :|

25th -Day in London with my Slovak friends the Olej family (I haven't seen tem for over 10 years! can't wait). Go to Natrual History musuem

26th -Fly out in the morning, arrive in Orlando 6:40pm, go to Jake's Mums in Palm Coast. While there we head down to Clearwater area and have a big family reunion, looking forward to seeing everyone again.

 

SEPTEMBER

3rd - Go to my parents in Cocoa, go to our Florida home church, East Coast Christian Center, yeah!

7th -Leave in the afternoon to visit friend in Jacksonville, spend the night.

8th -Go to St. Louis, MO to visit Calkin Family. We'll be having a Bible school reunion too, should be lots of fun, see some faces I haven't seen in a long time.

10th -Go to Clarinda, IA, speak in church and see all our friends family.

15th -Go to Muscatine, IA, see Jake's Step Mum and family. Hopfully do some horse riding.

19th -Go to Nashville, TN, visit Schneider family.

20th -Go to South Carolina, speak in Earls Gove Baptist church, get to see friends from last team that came out.

22nd -Go to my brother Sam's house in Destin, FL. Get to meet my new baby niece Amy Carmicle. Boys get to play with their little nephew Will Carey who has changed a bunch since last time we saw him. Get to hang out with my sister-in-law and see the church my brother is assistent pastor of.

28th Back to my parents in Cocoa, FL.

OCTOBER

1st -Jake leaves for India for 2 weeks with mission trip from our church. He'll get to see how WON orpahange runs over there and meet the orphan we sponser, Praveen. I get to hang out and relax a little with the boys in Florida. Hopefully get some homeschooling done, go to the beach and just have fun with my little men.

15th -Jake get's back from India

23rd -Go to Texas to see Jake's Dad and family. Also go down to Commission To Every Nation headquarters. Jake gets to go on hunting trip with his dad and the boys.

NOVEMBER

11th -Back to Cocoa, start to pack up and get ready to fly out, go shopping for anything that we might need.

23rd -Fly outback to Cameroon! Phew!

 

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First day of School

School sessions started today, the boys had a great time. I got to help out with looking after a couple of preschoolers. Also had fun watching the boys play football (soccer) and it's always a laugh watching little kids trying to do jumping jacks, there's a lot of coordination going on! Josh and Seth made lots of new friends as have I with all the parents around.

We had the US T.M.I. team over for dinner on Tuesday, it was so nice. The head lady leader, Linda Maher (who we spent last summer with out in the East), had her birthday so we sort of celebrated that, with chocolate cupcakes with chocolate frosting, yum! I also made fajitas and had a bunch of freezing cold soda with lots of ice (anyone who's been on a TMI team knows how much that means). After we ate, the kids jumped on the trampoline, ran around the house. The boys were playing with Josh and Seth some type of cops and robbers game. They had every toy weapon from the toy box, got dressed up in masks and hats from the dress up box and went running around the garden like manics, hiding and chasing each other in the dark. Needless to say our boys had a blast. Also great to talk with some teens that feel the Lord calling them on to the mission field (possibly Cameroon), after all it was on a TMI team to Papua New Guinea where I felt God calling me to be a missionary... and the cycle goes on :D.

Full House of teens

Internet trouble (again)

Well, having lots of internet troubles again, not sure what's going on. Hopefully it will get sorted out in the next day or two as have a lot of emails to write and driving directions to look up for when we are in the States. Lots still going on here, Josh and Seth start school sessions tomorrow with a bunch of other missionaries kids, they are so excited. We got Seth a little backpack yesterday for school, he so sweet, he's been wearing it all day :). Also trying to get prayer cards made up, and working on a presentation video for when we speak in churches. Oh also Jude's first tooth broke through today, didn't seem to bother him at all.

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