The day after we arrived home after two months in SE Asia, I was warned my grandma didn't have much time left for this world. Journey and I caught a flight two days later to be with her, where we experienced the intense honor of holding her til her very last breath. The pain of losing her is undescribable, and didn't happen at once, but over a long stretch of years. I have peace now knowing she is fully healed, restored and with our Savior! Our reunion one day will be so sweet!
I love to celebrate our children's "firsts". (Age 14)
Asher made his first coin by melting metals like aluminum cans in a propane forge and pouring into a graphite mold. He sometimes creates his own alloy blends, and made his first, of many knives. He's begun selling his coins both collected and created on eBay. He joined Civil Air Patrol. He won a fishing tournament. He got braces, the invisible kind.
Journey learned to play guitar and Tiple, a traditional instrument of the Colombian Andes. While we were staying in Vélez, she borrowed a Tiple for 1 week, took 4 classes and spent 2 nights of practicing with a friend then played 4 songs and sang for 20 people! Since then she has performed for countless people.
Journey has been crocheting for awhile, and this year learned how to knit. We picked up a sewing machine at a church sale and she made her own curtains and a shoulder bag. Journey and I took an embroidery class in Vélez.
Asher and I experienced our first saltwater fishing charter. Two hours and 27 miles into the recently renamed, Gulf of America, we reached 50ft of depth where we ended up with 29 keepers (including our friend, Jason's fish)! Asher alone caught 15 grunts, 4 hogfish, 1 toadfish, 1 red grouper. I caught 8 Grunts.
Asher flew a plane home from Gville, the pilot handled the takeoff and landing, while Asher did the rest- taxiing, and flying between 500ft to 2000ft altitude.
Together we found out what it might be like to be a bird when we did parapente (paragliding) over Chicamocha Canyon in Colombia. Afterwards we rode one of the longest cable cars from one edge of the canyon, down the steep slope, across the river at the bottom and back up to the other edge, covering nearly 4 miles in 30 minutes! We explored multiple Colombian caves, one that required us to rappel in, stem over a deep section, and climb our way out. We sat in complete darkness and silence in the belly of it.
In Vélez we found friends, we wore traditional clothing, played traditional instruments, including a jawbone, danced the Torbellino, and attended the annual weeklong festival of the tiple and guabina. We played Tejo, and I still have the hearing damage that goes with it! Journey went to volleyball practice with new friends.
The best new experience is that Asher decided on his own to be baptized! What a wonderful opportunity for him to make a public profession of his faith and for us to celebrate his salvation and the reassurance of spending eternity with him and our Savior!
As a family we volunteered at an English language school in Colombia. Most students were children, so they loved interacting with our teens. Back home the kids really started getting involved in volunteering at the nonprofit we assist. Journey makes desserts while Asher helps with building things.
We joined our library's Friends group, volunteering with them. We fostered two black Shepherd puppies for a local rescue. Daddy hosted the second Men's Recharge. I attended my first women's retreat with church. We volunteered for our church's fall festival and choir, and for Night to Shine.
Daddy took Asher to the fish and float weekend and Journey to the Daddy daughter dance again. The kids went to teen camp with the youth group.
As a family, we toured Wycliffe, Pioneers, Cru (Jesus Film) and a sugar cane factory.
Thru Perspectives we met a family of missionaries who spent 11 years working with an unreached people group in Papua New Guinea, and another who grew up in the Colombian Amazon in a hut over a lake where the poison darts couldn't reach.
In Ghana I crossed the 1,800 birds mark. Later I spent 10 days birding near Cali, Colombia with Tami and Cilia.
We visited our neice's new home and zoo! We held her coatimundis, pet her squirrel monkeys and brought home two lionhead bunny babies.
We spent 5 days snorkeling and lobstering in the Keys, no keepers though.
Since the kids will be driving soon, Grandpa gifted us his SUV! In December we flew to Ohio to visit and drive it home. The timing was right for the kids to play in snow. We visited Chrissy and Shaun, the Fugates and Kim on the way home.
We hosted Deann, CP, Amy, Alan and Josie, Dad and Helen, plus Mom stayed with us for 4 months.
No comments:
Post a Comment