B is for Boy!!!

This is a photo I took of the the card we gave to Mom last night

as a way of announcing that we are expecting a

B  O  Y !!!

 

We went to the doctor on Thursday and saw our baby on the screen for the first time.  How exciting it was to see him moving around.  All seems to be fine, for which we are so thankful!

 

The ultrasound showed that I am 28 weeks along,

and that Baby weighs 1.618 kg.

 

Little Andrew is so very excited, but our Debbie-Girl, so desiring a baby sister, felt so disappointed.  When we got in the car to leave, Andrew told her we should be thankful that the baby is healthy.  "And you know what, Debbie?  Just remember that you will always be my Special Little Girl!  And besides, you will be like another Mommy to our Baby Boy!"

That seemed to cheer her up and helped her see the positive side of things.

 

Thank you to all who have prayed for us.  Please continue to pray for Baby and me.  Time seems to be just flying by! 

Before long, I will have my Baby Boy in my arms!

 

Love from a very grateful Mommy!

 

 

 



Sharing Pictures

 In May, our children were "train bearers" at a wedding, and my husband snapped these pictures of the children.

I wanted to share them with you. 

Enjoy.

 



Heartbeats

My heart was beating faster than normal yesterday as Dr. Bonilla told me to lay on his examining table.

His nurse passed him his fetal doppler, and she applied gel to my large belly.  When Dr. Bonilla put the doppler on my stomach, we could hear a "whoosh, swoosh" sound.  He said, "That is your placenta."  He moved the doppler around some more and we heard a very loud and very fast, "Tock, tock, tock, tock."  He looked at me and smiled and said, "That is your baby's heartbeat."  He turned the doppler around so I could see the number...144 beats per minute.

"You have a very strong baby, as far as his heart indicates," he said.

Hearing your unborn baby's heartbeat is one of the sweetest sounds in the world!  How it thrilled my heart to hear it!  

"...Thou hast covered me in my mother's womb.  I will praise Thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are Thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well."

Please continue to pray for my pregnancy.
(I am at 24 weeks now!)  We will go in for an ultrasound in 3 weeks.  So far, all looks good and feels good!

Thank you for your sweet comments and your continued prayers.

Much love from Mommy and Baby!

Debbie Turned Seven!

On Sunday, September 23rd, our Deborah Jolene turned 7.  It is hard for me to believe (I feel this way every year as her birthday approaches).  However, this year it wasn't so "hard" for me, thinking my "baby" is already 7.

Can you guess why?

You are probably smiling.  Yes, it is because we are expecting another Baby, and anticipating a newborn to come soon eases the conflict I feel at seeing my children grow up so quickly.

I am so thankful for our Debbie.  She is a ray of sunshine in our home. 

I have to share the following cute things she said recently:

Debbie recently finished first grade.  On her last day of Penmanship, she came to me and said, "Mommy, my heart is beeping because I'm doing my last page of Penmanship!"

The children and I enjoy reading the pregnancy calendar, which I printed off the internet.  Every morning we read what our baby is "doing."  On August 27, we read "Try talking to your baby.  Baby can hear you."  I took advantage of the moment and talked to the children about being a good example to our baby.  When he's born, he will look to you to see how to talk, how to treat other, etc.  I said, "You need to be careful how to talk to one another, because even now, our Baby can hear our voices."

That night, as I tucked them in bed, we had prayer together.  When it was Debbie's turn to pray, she said, "Jesus, I'm sorry for not always talking right."  (Distressed.)  "I didn't know my baby could hear me.  Help me to talk kindly from now on."

Below are some photos I took on her birthday.  She is so excited to be 7, but she was disappointed on Sunday that she looked

the same as when she was 6. 

Debbie received a very special envelope from Ukraine from her

Aunt Jolene.

 

She actually received it in August, and on the outside, it read, "To be saved and opened September 23rd."

 

She patiently waited, and on her birthday, she opened it.  I snapped the following pictures.

 

A beautiful card that Aunt Jolene bought in Israel. 

If you notice, it opens backwards!

A magnet frame for the refrigerator!

 

And a notebook...

(she also received a refrigerator magnet with a picture of the Garden Tomb.)

Very special gifts, indeed.
"Thank You, Aunt Jolene!"

I said, "Deborah, your Aunt Jolene really does love you."

Her party with cousins and aunts and uncles was on Saturday.
Below:  Cousin Hank and Andrew and Debbie helped me decorate
puppy cupcakes (what she wanted).  We had fun.

 



 

 (You can see the puppy cupcakes in the lower left corner.)

 

 

 

Cousin (and playmate!) Esther and the Birthday Girl! 

I love you, My Sweet Deborah Jolene!

Compassion... for Me!

"Lord, I feel like I need spiritual encouragement!  Please send me spiritual encouragement today!"  I prayed one morning about 2 weeks ago.  I had just woken up to consciousness and was still lying in bed.

Ashamed, I thought of the past few days, when it seemed I lacked joy and cheerfulness as I had gone throughout my day.  "I don't want to live another day like this!"  I thought.

Later that day, I received a phone text from my sister-in-law, Mona.  She said, "The guys are doing a test for the radio transmitter.  Be listening and praying!"

Now, you remember we have moved to a small town nearly 2 hours away.  My heart sank.  "I will be praying," I thought, "but I'm sure I won't be listening!" 

That evening, my brother Tom called:  "Hey, Anna!  We just did our first test, and we are getting texts from..." and he named 6 surrounding villages.  "Can you hear us?"  I told him, "No.  We can't hear you from here."  I was so thankful and excited for him, but I couldn't help feeling sad and disappointed for me!!!

Later my Honey came home and said, "Hey!  Listen to this!"  He could hear the new Christian radio station in his car!!!!  He pulled the car right up next to our front door, opened his car door, and we heard the beautiful music and Tom's voice coming through clearly over the radio waves!

Amazing!  We sat on our front steps and listened.  Absolutely wonderful!!!!

Then, my Honey remembered Dad's old short-wave radio, which we had recently brought to our house.  "I'll bet we can hear it on that!"  he said, and hooked up the old short-wave.  Sure enough, 104.3 FM could be heard clearly in our livingroom!

Woo-hoo!!!!

Lovely, up-lifting, encouraging music could be heard, streaming through our home.

I know God heard me.  24-hour uplifting, encouraging, edifying programming that I can listen to all day long!!!

Truly, a red-letter day for Christians in Chiapas, who desire to listen to Godly programming that glorifies our Lord, lifting up the name of our Saviour through "Radio Compasión."

It has been a long road, especially for Tom and his family, to get to this point.  I know many miles travelled, sharing in churches, Christians all over the world giving, men and women working, much sweat, many tears, big sacrifices, and literally years of praying have been invested into getting Baptist Compassion Radio set up.

"Thank you, Lord, for this blessing!"  My heart has been blessed many times over in the 12 days that this radio began its broadcasting.

I trust that with time, I will be able share with you some of  the many texts that Tom has received (and continues to receive daily) from people listening from miles away, over mountain ranges, and in little Indian huts.

But for one lady, it's made the world of difference, as this radio station makes its way over an amazing distance, and God made it reach far enough for me to be able to hear.

Because one morning I prayed for much-needed spiritual encouragement.

Thank you, Lord.  Thank you, Tom.  Thank you to any of you out there who are reading this, who gave sacrifically toward this ministry.

It is finally a reality, and I get to enjoy it!!!

Changes and Blessings

Two months ago, due to my husband's job, we moved to a different city, nearly a two-hour drive from where we were living.  Because of this move, my husband now travels less over the treacherous highway he traveled nearly every day; and our family is able to spend more time together.

The decision was difficult for my husband, because of our love for the church in which we were working and all the activities in which we were involved.  However, it has been a change for the best.  We have received many blessings.

Do we miss family and church brethren?  Yes!  Do we suffer from "home-sickness" and loneliness sometimes?  Yes!

But God has brought us great joy in the midst of this big change in our lives.

We are expecting our third baby!!!  (I think I am due the end of January.)

Our Little Debbie will be seven years old in September.  After all these years, it will be quite a change for us, having a new-born in our home.  But we are all so very excited!!!

Rejoice with us!!!!

And please pray for the baby and me during this pregnancy.  My first 2 pregnancies and deliveries were very easy, with no problems, and I have been asking the Lord to let me have as easy a time with this Little One.

Below are some photos we took on Father's Day.

 Daddy is the King in our home.  How we love him, and we appreciate all he does for us!!!

  

Weekend Blessings

On Friday, Debbie and I got to attend the Mother/Daughter Banquet that Liz and Mona (my very creative sisters-in-law) organized.  It was all so, so beautiful!  There were a total of 80 present (counting mothers and daughters), and there were several first-time visitors.

Liz gave the devotion that afternoon.  Her theme was "Beautiful for God," and in her devotion she used different beauty products and applied them to how a lady should care for her inner beauty more than her outward appearance.  "Excellent Job, Liz!  Your devotion was a blessing to me, and it challenged me to seek to be beauitiful for God."

 (All the pictures taken of the banquet are in Mona's camera, so I don't have any to share with you.  Maybe she'll share them with us!)

Yesterday (Saturday) Andrew and I were able to go to the mission in San Lucas.  We had a great time.  I am posting some photos that were taken yesterday.

Several of the young men went to hand out Gospel tracts before the service started.

 Andrew snapped a few photos of people who received these tracts.  

How these photos blessed my heart! 

"Lord, use Your Word to bring salvation to these needy people in San Lucas."

 Tom preaching in San Lucas

 

Look what Tom and I got to do!

Do you know what instrument this is? 

 

This instrument is called a "Marimba."  Its layout is just like a piano.

This is the first time I had ever played one of these, 

but Tom and I were able to play several hymns.

It sounded so beautiful.  Our favorite one was "Showers of Blessings."

Doesn't this make you want to come to the mission field for a visit?!

You are welcome to come!!!

Thank you for your prayers for our family.