Crockpot Day

Today I made my first meal in my new crockpot. This may seem petty, but when you are not able to obtain something that is in every house in the states, you appreciate it so much. I made a cuban dish "ropa vieje". It was so good. Thanks to my dear friends a CPC.

Padres de Jim

The kids were so cute to see Grandma and Grandpa Ward in Lima.

When Grandma peeked her head in the door window of Chloe's class, Chloe bellowed out "Mr. Pardine their is my Grandma". They got to meet many of the kids friends and teachers and were given a tour by Eli.

Last night we went out for yummy Italian-Peruvian ice cream.

What a treat to have them here!

cpc

we had a great time with the team from cpc. It was so great to have folks from my hometown with me in Lima. I hope all of the wifes liked their gifts. I am still waiting for my driving gloves. And I am still looking for a manual on how to roll up windows.

Grace to you all and many thanks for everything, Sara

Today was a good day. We had people over for breakfast, kids cleaned their rooms and did their homework, made brownies, went shopping, took Karen to youth group, watched "Night at the Museum", was loved on by my kitten, and talked with my good friend on her birthday.

thank you all who have been praying for me. I feel your prayers.

culture shock 201

I have entered a new faze of culture shock. I have feel like all I look at is the negative. No one can do anything right. Which in reality is not true, but I think I am really starting to miss home. Today I told my husband I wanted to move home. I think I freaked him out a bit.

I remember hearing about a missionary who has been in Peru for over forty years, that his first eight years just about everyday he wanted to go home.

I guess I have seven years and 7 months to go before I can really turn it in or until the Lord makes it really clear.

please pray for my heart to love Peruvians.

cat

Okay we got the cutest kitten in the world. we named him Finnegan, Finn for short. He is a tan and black tabby. So sweet.

House III

We have been the house a little over a week and beginning to feel the differences between the cultures. Time is a very fluid concept. When and what I think about things getting done around the house are very different from others.
Patience seems to be my lesson for life and a word I can now pronouce in Spanish. It is beginning to be a bad word for me.
Anyway they said, they would start on the kitchen a week and a half ago, but instead they have been stripping the front outside doors. Today they fixed the wall in Chloe's closet that I didn't even notice needed to be fixed and put up some quarter round in the dinner room.

HELP! Not having a kitchen with a family of five is urban camping in the laundry room.

God is good , all the time, even Peruvian time.

House II

Okay, so we finally got to see our house this week. Blessing and a curse. We are overwhelmed by the nature of the house. We feel we don't deserve this house. It is a good size and has a yard and pool. And the landlords are Christians and are reduce the rent considerable to allow us to live there.

On the flip side, the tenant that was living in the house before us, left the house a complete mess. I mean disaster. Dog poop all over the roof, every room is dirty and the walls are a mess. The kitchen is covered in grease. The watertank is dirty. Etc.

Again we don't deserve our landlords, they are cleaning the house and will be putting the house back in order for us.

We are going to move tomorrow, while the work is being done.

My favorite Spanish word

Pantuflas is my favorite spanish word. It reminds of a word from a Dr. Seuss book. It means slippers.

?Mami Donde esta' mi pantuflas?

House

I am trying to trust in Lord with our house. I feel so helpless. The women that is living in the house is being very difficult. She won't let us in to see the house. She won't even let the owner of the house in to see it. This is very stressful. Is she even going to move out? We are packing up and hoping to move in this week and have even told our landlord we are moving out. I feel like screaming!

Conversions

Every moment of the day I am always converting things in my head. Money, weight, measurements, language etc.. I am surprised my brain has not fried.

Max

We got a puppy. Okay flip your life completely over, then add a puppy on top of it. Life is good, a bit stinky, but good. He is really cute! that makes it all worth it.

El Bano!

Our bathroom always smells! It drives me crazy. It is the toilet and the drain in the shower. I clean it everyday with cleanser and bleach. This helps for a little while, but eventually the smell comes back to haunt us. Who ever said missionaries have a glamorous life. If cleaning the toilet everyday is glamorous, I'll take something different. Pray for my toilet, you know how everything begins to pile up and on top of it there is always a lingering putrid aroma in the air. Yuck. The things you sacrifice for the kingdom.

Getting ready for Chloe's birthday party in Peru

• Where to have it because our apartment is to small? at the park with the big long slide.

• Send invites, where do you find invitations? Nobody seems have them that's okay I had blank cards from the states. Now how do I tell people how to get to the park? I don't know the name of the park or know how to say the name of the road, let alone spell it.

• Food, drink, and cake for the party? Order Papa John's pizza, because Chloe wanted that for her party. Soda and small pastries for each child

• Go to Mercado Centro Comerical: imagine a place that is huge, sells everything and has a million people there. Thankfully our tutor went with us to help us buy party favors, plates, napkins, etc.

• Chloe and I go that morning to the bakery for her to pick out what she wanted to serve for her birthday treat. Then we went to Starbuck's

• Ask my friend Amanda to call Papa John's and order the pizza.

• Get all of the family and every for the party together to leave for the park
  

• Go to Wong's and get soda, water and spoons

• Get a taxi to Moli Central to get the pizzas, but there no taxis, so we hop on a combi (a small bus).

• Get out of the combi and cross to major intersection to Papa John's to get the pizza, now find a taxi and head to the park Found a taxi, so how do we tell the driver how to get to the park in spanish.
• Okay did that, we made it to the park, 15 minutes early. Yippee!

• Notice that the water was carbonated and nobody liked the taste.

• Everyone invited to the party was late by 30 minutes or more.
  
• 
  
• O well Chloe had a great time and that is all that matters. Done.

Bus Ride

Yesterday we rode a bus called a Micro. It rides down one of the major streets in Lima. It was somewhat liberating, because I got to see what was in some of the city and only cost about $0.40.

Eli went with me and he loved it. When you pay they give you this little ticket showing that you paid. He wanted to save his ticket it was exciting to him to have an official ticket. A man got on the micro and began to play music. Eli immediately wanted to give him money. It reminded me of our time in New York.

Spanglish Bloopers II

We are memorizing Romans 6:23 in Spanish.

"For the wages of sin is Tuesday"

"Porque la paga del pecado es muerte ( I said martes)

Spanglish Bloopers

Hola, Como Estas. Bien y tu.

This is about as far as I can get in a complete sentense in Spanish.

Some funny things I have said along the way to humor myself and others.

On March 16th I was at the grocery store and since the next day was St. Patricks Day I wanted to make a festive Irish meal. Since, Corned Beef and Cabbage were no where to be found, I thought I would make Lamb stew.

So I went up to the butcher section of the store and was looking for Lamb, but soon realized I didn't know the name in Spanish. I said to the butcher "Lamb" He looked at me puzzled and I knew he had no idea what I was talking about. Then before I could stop myself I went Baa Baa. He gave me the weridest look and shook his head no. I turned around to others giving me the same, what a weird gringo look.

Here I am a 38 year old woman singing the sounds of children and humbling myself greatly.

Learning a language has taught me to try anything and to embrace my youthful side of life.

a years worth of school supplies in 3 1/2 hours

Yesterday we went to buy school supplies for our kids school. It was overwhelming, because it was a lot of stuff and all in Spanish.

I am so thankful for my dear friend Lori who basically did everything for me. She is a saint.

My basket was overflowing with folders, pencils, art supplies, notebooks, paper towels, and anything else you would need for an entire year of school.

Now I have to label each item, even the pencils

Touchdown

February 20th we picked up our family, cat and earthly belongings and moved to Lima, Peru.

Aside from living in one room with my family, life is good. (except that my cat ran away)

Culturally, I am taking it all in and the Peruvian people are so gracious.

Culture shock updates:

You can't put the toilet paper in the toilet, this drives me crazy because I keep forgetting. I go to sit on the toilet and tell myself "do not put the toilet paper in the toilet", then by the time I am finished peeing I forget and automatically throw it in. I have even put the trash can in front of the toilet and still forget.

A two hour church service all in Spanish, I thought it was never going to end. Not only did I have no idea what was going on, but it was so hot and we were sitting in the sun. It took everything in me to not fall asleep.

United States Postal Service

You figure there are millions of Americans in this country, but someone did not seem to tell the postal service this.

Because every time I go into the Post Office there is only one person working behind the counter. This is even at the busy time of Christmas.

Ok I am done complaining.

FREAKIN' OUT

Ok it looks like we are leaving for Peru in a couple weeks. I am excited and feel like tossing my food every 5 minutes.

Toothpaste

Okay, one thing I really struggle with being a parent is toothpaste.

Today I was brushing my sons teeth and he was crying because he got yelled at for not getting dressed, after the 27th millionth time I told him to and he was making everyone late.

Anyway, his drool and snot was all over and the toothpaste was in the sink. It is always in the sink and I always have to clean it up yuck.

Okay I'm done.

I hate to touch toothpaste.

Fundraising

Fundraising is so bittersweet.


All I want to do is go to the field and love on people but I have to stay here a wait for people to give us the money to go.

To go, to go, to go. Oh when can we go.

I feel very ripped apart. God is going to supply the money, amen, then let it be.

My heart is very torn, I want to go, but what is it going to be like, are my kids going to be okay, will my marriage make it? If we take our cat can I get him back into the states?

What are we doing wrong that God has not supplied the money for us to go. And why do we have to raise so much freakin' money anyway.

I am going to serve people who make less than two dollars a day and we have to raise $9000.00 a month. That is $300.00 a day. Okay I ain't bright, but that seem insane. But so does buying a coach purse for $400.00. Okay I am getting a bit judgemental, sorry.

But it is so hard when you are asking people to support you and they care more about what they are wearing or getting a starbucks than the kingdom of God. This has also convicted me. Do I really want to sacrifice for the kingdom? I go to Starbucks and buy things for comfort. Where is the line? We do give to missionaries, but is it really sacrifically?

Then there is the other side. We have people who give and are committed to us. It is amazing to think about this. I praise God for them. They are who I need to put my focus on. Not on the people who are not supporting us, but the ones that are. And more importantly in Jesus.

Father please help me. Forgive me for my judgementalness and pride. I can not do this without you. I so struggle that we may not be leaving soon, help me to be content in all circumstances and to be thankful for everything. You are a Good God.

I pray for Sona and her wedding please protect her and bless here marriage that it may glorify you.

Amen