Colliers On Call

The Boys Are Back in Town

2010-06-15T10:19:00.005-05:00

C showing of his newly-acquired smile

At the Queen's Gardens, with our favorite driver, Udom

C and his mountaintop experience at the Queen's Garden

At our favorite pad Thai restaurant

The kids loved being back in the kitchen with Mani (mah-nee).

A joining the ranks among the big kids

We arrived back in town very early (about 1am arrival into our apartment) last Monday morning. It took a couple of days for us to adjust to the 'new' environment. Our house helper, Mani, kept laughing at us because it just took some time for us to process accents again. It's much different hearing English spoken by someone's who's heart language is not English. It was a good reminder of why people have such a difficult time understanding our Kannada.

It has felt very good to be back in most instances. Getting back into a routine and not living 'out of a suitcase' has felt very good. (Though, admittedly, we still have one of the nine pieces of luggage to unpack!) It has been very good to see the nationals again. We've made some very good acquaintances and some good friends. It has been good to see them again-to know you've been missed is a nice feeling.

The kids have enjoyed being back as well. They missed our courtyard that we can just walk right outside and play in-a luxury we didn't have in Thailand. A got a bike for his third birthday and has really been enjoying it. "Big Eyes" is doing well. He'll be two months old on Friday! It's so hard to believe, but the nationals always think he's much older because he's bigger than their kids are, typically, for his age.

Thank you to all of you who have been lifting us up! It really has been a blessing to be back-a MUCH easier transition than we had anticipated. We attribute this ease of transition to the pr*yers and the answering of those pr*yers! Thank you again!

2010-06-15T10:12:00.002-05:00

For some reason, we're still having trouble loading pictures, but we did want to share this picture that we took during a trip in the hills of Thailand.

More to come, but for now...

2010-06-07T12:38:00.005-05:00

More pics will follow, but we've enjoyed laughing at this one several times and thought it needed to be shared. My opinion is that the only thing that could have made this better is to have baby C incidentally doing the same thing in the picture!

Invitation to Pr*y

2010-06-04T02:28:00.001-05:00

A friend of ours serving in our same city sent this recently. We thought it would give you some good perspective of the things we see in our city on a regular basis.

Love,

The Colliers

Dear Pr*yer Helpers,

Our hearts are very sad. This afternoon the city government bulldozed down “Tent City.” It was the slum where we have begun B!ble stories. Over 100 desperately poor people were pitched out. They were land “squatters.” Their little blue tarp tent houses were pushed down. Families are in shock and pain. Children came to our house telling us in Kannada what happened. Finally we understood. When we saw it, our hearts ached too. Rain started. Tiny children, nursing babies, young ones, old people, and others stood wet and sad. Mothers and fathers were walking about picking up what they could salvage. These adults left home this morning to work with all OK, but returned to nothing this evening.

Then rain came hard. As P3ggy started home, several kids and some mothers followed her. How could we refuse them? They were the two ladies who had been saved in our house. Their kids came too. Others joined them. D8vid tried calling pastors, Chr!stians, and anyone who could help. Nothing worked. How do you leave 100 people homeless, hungry, and sitting on the street in the rain?

We took about 12 of them into our house. P3ggy cooked a huge pot of rice with the small amount of chicken we had. All ate and got dried out. We have no idea what to do next. The L0rd will have to guide and help us.

At least we expect a big crowd to attend church with us tomorrow! We were able to use our weak Kannada language skills to show our sympathy and concern. We hugged, talked, encouraged, and cried a little. We believe G0d is able to help our friends. We just do not know how HE will do it. Maybe we can rent a truck and carry their stuff to some other place. We’ll see.

As your Sunday Scho0l classes and church services meet, will you take a moment to pray for the 100+ poor slum people of Tent City? One asked us, “We wondered, has this come on us because we began to pray to Je$us?” One month ago B!ble stories and, and we love them. The L0rd Je$us will work as you intercede.

It's Been a While

2010-05-23T20:19:00.009-05:00

Sorry it's been a while. We've had internet access, but every time I tried to post pictures on here, I was greeted with a "Bad Request" message.

A and J playing with their new swords that they purchased with some money from Grandma and Grandpa Collier.

Though J had an unfortunate accident from his playtime with A. Big sis was ready with her new doctor's kit, also purchased with the gift money.

C on a new blanket and next to another new blanket and teddy made by Grandma Karen...

C enjoying his new blanket made by Mrs. Campbell...

A enjoying some time "reading"-something he enjoys to do more and more lately...

A lost her front tooth and received a 10 Baht coin for it!

Grandma Karen and the older four enjoying a ride in Song Tao (sp?)...

C finally home...

Mother's Day-Mommy and her girls...

Mother's Day-Mommy and her boys...

Family picture on Mother's Day

The day that Grandma and Papa had to head home-also the first day C came home from the hospital

We have more to post, but will do so after we're able to sift through them. Thanks so much for remembering us during this time! We're looking forward to heading back "home" June 6. Please lift us up as we make the transition back into our country.

A Good Time Had By All

2010-05-11T04:42:00.003-05:00

We just found out that C's passport came in (after only five days-We were told that it would be between two and three weeks.)! We will be able to pick it Thursday when we'll apply for a visa to go back into our country of service. Depending on how long that takes, we'll be able to head back and get settled in so that we can get back to service! I've had some good opportunities to attempt to share the Good News, but things are made infinitely more difficult not knowing any Thai! We're excited to see our friends, get back into a routine and let C enjoy some great food that we've come to enjoy!

He's home!!

2010-05-04T02:07:00.004-05:00

I'll post more pictures when I can. But for now, here's a picture of C just before coming home. The nurses all called him "Big Eyes".

A Few Pics

2010-04-30T01:49:00.003-05:00

A new friend for A....

Mixed emotions about the elephants...

A fun time through the wiles of Thailand...

Wish you were here!

A Few Pics and A Little Explanation

2010-04-19T03:41:00.004-05:00

Here are a few pics of C and his supporting cast! The reason the doctor decided to take the him by c-section is that his heart rate was consistently high (around 175-180) and V was not far enough along to show signs of him being born on his own. If we would have tried to wait, there would have been a chance of heart failure. The increased heart rate also indicated that C might have a fever (which he did when he was born, but it's since gone back to normal) which could mean infection. His initial test results showed a low white blood cell count, but his second test showed his count was normal. He's eating well, moving well and looking great!

V is doing well; she got up for the first time a while ago and is sitting in a chair now-a good sign. While she looks great, I don't want to post a picture of her just yet and run the risk of of being slapped when she gains more mobility!

Thankfully, that's over!

2010-04-18T10:02:00.002-05:00

Well, after some time, pain and embarrassing stories, Caleb Gene Collier was seen in this world (by c-section). C weighed 8lbs 7oz and was 20.5 in long. After a small fever, he seems to be doing much better. V is doing well, though in pain as one can imagine. I'll post pictures as I have opportunity in the near future, but for now, pra!se the L0rd with us!

No news

2010-04-16T10:38:00.003-05:00

Thanks to everyone for your e-mails, pr*yers, thoughts and kind words! After a visit to the doctor's office today, V's still pregnant (though we didn't need the doctor to confirm that)! The doctor said that the complications indicate the need to decide next Tuesday, at Valerie's appointment, if we'll induce or proceed with a c-section. Please intercede for V and the baby; waiting is often the toughest time and that's what we're hoping for.

Safe Arrival...

2010-04-13T07:49:00.002-05:00

Just wanted people to know that G and K arrived safely today! Everyone was so excited to see each other...many tears, much noise were seen and heard today. We kept G up until 7:30pm and K is still up. Hopefully, we'll be able to get them on schedule soon; it's awfully hard when you've just flown halfway around the globe!

A Few Easter Pics

2010-04-08T04:38:00.005-05:00

Outside of our place, just before going to the Easter service

J during the hunt with a friend

E (closer to camera) with her friend

A posing (making her daddy happy) after she just found an egg

A in a blackmail photo

We still haven't seen number five yet, but we're getting more excited as some recently-made friends of ours just had their boy last night! V's hoping ours isn't as big (9lbs 6oz)!

A Little Update

2010-03-27T13:49:00.001-05:00

Life has been much different here. We can't do a language route or many of the other needed things. But, we're choosing not to waste it! Each day, we still have school. After school, who knows what's on the agenda! We've met so many neat people here and are enjoying our time with them! Here are just a few snapshots of the kids having fun and the results of that fun.

A just hangin' around as she always has loved to do!

A little history lesson, right?

Enjoying the cuisine at the local food court...here, we can feed the whole family for $6.

One of our first days enjoying some scenery...not real grass but it sure was a welcome sight!

A at the end of a long day. He couldn't even stay awake for Tom and Jerry!

2010-03-11T07:56:00.002-06:00

The pics are in reverse order, but I'm not going to bother correcting it as I'm sitting in a coffee shop.

We arrived yesterday about 9am, Chiang Mai time. The kids slept about 1.5 to 2 hours, but they did well. After arriving, we did the regular getting our luggage, answering what is in the contents of the bags (clothes, books and GOP bumper stickers-j/k).We went to our place, dropped our stuff off and were taken to a local mall where we had some pizza around lunch time. We were able to pick up a few groceries before heading back to the apartment and taking naps.

A and J were lovin' a little bath time fun! They haven't had a bath in a tub for five months. There was water EVERYWHERE, but I decided I wasn't going to care and just let them have FUN! G*d is really shaping me!

Our first dinner in Thailand was delivered by a new friend. She brought spaghetti, salad (iceberg lettuce!!!), bread and fruit punch! (Like I said-a new friend!!!)

Our first morning was spent enjoying strawberry milk and regular, white milk! There's also Jif beside the milk!

This yellow building is just a sand wedge away from our apartment gate. The building hosts "Mike's", a hot dog and burger joint. We knew about it before we came (It's supposed to be that good!), but would never have guessed it was that close!!! Please note how clean the streets are!

We have a balcony! And, this is the view we get to see every day! Literally, this is a breath of fresh air!

We've enjoyed our first full day. We attended a birthday pool party and enjoyed it thoroughly! Afterwards, we went to a food court and had some Thai food-$6 for the entire family! We don't have internet in our apartment, so we'll either have to go downstairs to the lobby. And if that's busy (which is the case tonight), we'll have to travel about five minutes away to a local coffee shop where we can, again, sip down a chocolate frappe and listen to more Roxette, Josh Groban or "A Whole New World" ("Aladdin")-quite a mix they've got goin' here!

A little airport action

2010-03-09T11:55:00.002-06:00

This is the inside of the airport. We're scheduled to fly to Bangkok (the to Chiang Mai) in about one hour. We're all tired, but the kids are doing a very good job of keeping the whiny bugs away!

2010-03-08T12:09:00.002-06:00

Before we leave, we had the opportunity to enjoy some great time with our close friends as they just recently arrived back after a month in the States.

A little girl time...

A little goofy time...

A little goodnight time...

A still loves to swing in his Daddy's legs!

A and his friend enjoying some time together...

A and her friend enjoying some time before our departure tomorrow...

The boys love their friend, N!

We leave tomorrow evening/Wednesday morning at 0030 local time. We'll arrive in Chiang Mai, Thailand about 0900 local time. We'll be there for two months as we fulfill visa requirements, await the arrival of our new bundle of joy. We're also excited that we'll get to see Grandma and Papa!

Good question...

2010-02-27T18:54:00.002-06:00

Yesterday A asked one of her great questions-"Does G0d have a belly button?"

Gotta love her!

Why do people...?

2010-02-26T11:43:00.003-06:00

Why do people always ask us if they're twins? (Yes, J's on top and A's on bottom!)

Birthday Party

2010-02-23T09:33:00.003-06:00

This weekend, we enjoyed a time celebrating A and J's birthdays, together. We had several friends visit us (unfortunately, we weren't able to invite any national friends as the party was across town which takes about an hour to get there on a good day) which made for a great time!

Thankfully, the package came with the decorating included! (I guess one can't completely exclude putting names up everywhere.)

Of course, A loved the fun time.

J and A said this was the best day of their lives!...so we did well!

Two sisters enjoy life in the fast lane!

E enjoying some time hanging out before the games begin...

Having cupcakes and finding candles like these made the trip across town much easier! Thanks so much to our friends for sending the mixes and icing just in time!!!

Being a real sport, A's friend answered the call when I asked for someone who was willing to be a little messy for the picture.

Not at all expecting the luxury of a place like this to celebrate birthdays, we relished the entire time. Thanks to all our friends for joining us for this special day!

Packages From Our Friends

2010-02-22T09:48:00.002-06:00

Last week, we enjoyed opening up three packages from friends back in Mule Country. The kids had a blast opening up the packages and are still enjoying (and will for some time) all of the goodies! Thanks so much to our special friends who took time, attention and love to put such a special gift together! We love you!

As you can see, we were inundated with goodies of all sorts!

Thanks again! We love you!

A little fun...

2010-02-14T03:32:00.002-06:00

Today, we enjoyed our first trip to ch*rch, with me driving. It was very nice to be able to take the speed bumps slowly enough for V not to hurt and not to have to worry someone showingup late. J loved that this monumental trip coincided with his birthday (I'll post more pictures after we bring out his cake, tonight.)! All was good until we headed home. We were at a stoplight waiting to go and a policeman (very similar look to the man below) said I needed to pull over. He said I had ran a red light. Valerie and I paid attention and know, without a doubt, that I had followed the law. He began to write out a ticket, saying that I could either pay the Rs 400 (approx. $8.15) or go to court. Thankfully, he spoke good English. So, I brought my case before him many different ways. In the end he said okay you pay me Rs 200 and you get no ticket...okay for me and we drove off. V and I know about the corruption, but this really shook E who was asking/sobbing over and over, wondering why did he do that when we didn't do anything wrong...We're asking for wisdom for G0d as we will surely be asked this more in the future.

Valentine's Day

2010-02-12T21:32:00.005-06:00

One of the cool things about being here is that we get to celebrate everything 12 hours early!

The kids enjoyed decorating the Valentine's Day cookies after baking them. Homeschooling is great for real life, practical math and science projects!

A is always in a good mood when food is involved!

J cheesin' for the camera!

A's favorite part of the project...

Just like a good mechanic always has grease under his/her fingernails at the end of the day. Andrew always has something to show for his work too!

The finished product (not A's)!

A Different M!nistry

2010-02-12T21:21:00.002-06:00

Many times, if stuck at a stop light, people will come up to us asking for money. If you've seen the movie "Slumdog Millionaire", you know what often happens to that money. (We've confirmed this with locals.) After asking some friends, we decided to prepare bags of rice that we would take with us and offer to those people we meet. This has been a very successful m!nistry and one in which the kids can be directly involved.

The kids really enjoyed this initial effort. The rice was one of the few foods the ants don't pounce on two seconds after it hits the floor.

A. was also involved though I must have accidentally deleted his picture:(

I thought about taking pictures while the kids were handing out the food, but I don't want to give them the wrong idea of why we're doing this.

A Little Language Route

2010-02-12T01:59:00.004-06:00

On this day, my language route served two different purposes 1) acquire langue 2) find someone who could re-charge the battery on our Toyota Qualis (not knowing that I needed to give the doors an extra shove, I left one of the doors open, thus leaving the dome light on and killing the battery). A came with me and enjoyed the sights for a bit. His favorite part of the trip is just the loud, fast, crazily-driven auto!

This is a common sight...I never really have enjoyed giving the auto driver's friend a ride on my rupee. The comfort with close proximity is another cultural adjustment I may always experience.

I pass this site almost everyday. I hope I never get used to seeing the disparity between this 'residential' area/fishing grounds and our apartment in the background. (Ours is the high-rise apartment complex on the left.)

This package of mentos gave me an 'open door' to practice my language on my route. A and I shared this package (costing about $.10). I had my teacher write out what I wanted to say in case the people on my route couldn't understand my broken Kannada.

This rooster and that hen were perhaps pets of the owner of the garage, right outside his gate.?

We did get the battery charged (for approx. $4), after this attempt to 'jump start' the Qualis with random wires failed.

Breakthrough Challenge course

2010-02-06T04:24:00.003-06:00

This week, I had the opportunity to visit a challenge course. This challenge course serves as a m!nistry by a man who used to serve as a chaplain for the Olympics.

Looking up at the drop platform for the large rip cords, like one sees at WOF

The release point for a zip line

This kid is on his way back, not about to hit the ladder, just using it

A picture from the top of of the main building, looking at the release point for the zip line

A Little Peek...

2010-01-26T10:01:00.002-06:00

I thought I'd give everyone a glimpse into a day (busier and more entertaining than usual) in our lives...definitely different from home! It's not organized, but it's realistic.

January 26

Fun day...enjoyed an encouraging time with Radha as language seemed to gel, more than usual, had her write out my 10X10 in case my speech was so horrible that people couldn't understand me...at least they could read it and correct me. On way home, took money out of S's account to help pay bills while his family is out of the country, decided to walk instead of auto...good as got to use 10X10 on about 15 people, such sentences like "Today is Republic Day.", "Do you like south Indian dance?", "I like to see plays about monkeys." and "Every Sunday, I watch American football." Most everyone was so encouraging! Bought Mentos (for $.10) at store as an entry point to use language. Called Syed to come put the battery back in the car after having it recharged...good guy, only charged $4 and delivered it, himself, was, like everybody, surprised when I told him "Je$us loves you." Lunch with the family..Mani made fajitas-awesome, though kids took some warming up to it. Math good with girls-very good effort and accomplishment. VJ still pretty tired, but getting along very well. Newsletter during nap time, Wii golf with kids, then playground, after nap. VJ made homemade pizza-awesome. Mahi called to see about visiting tomorrow to meet kids. Prepared sacks of rice (with the kids help) to hand out to those begging when we head to ch*rch, violin, or wherever...got tired of telling kids we'll pr*y for them, w/o actually showing them Chr!st's love. Kids enjoyed opening package from G and K, today...blow-up Batman punching bag was definitely favorite! Went to tailor shop to get covers made for TV and printer to keep dust off-last longer....hilarious experience...trying to explain things in different language, had about six people around watching, laughing, finally man (Ravi Prekash) speaking both languages interceded, even drawing pictures to help man understand my request...all told, will cost $11-VJ told me I paid too much for fabric...probably so, but hey, I'm a rookie! Got ice cream (for cake VJ made with mix from mom, Nene) and cleaning products Mani had requested. After laying kids down, heard the screech owl again, outside our bedroom. Threw old camera battery charger at it, after it wouldn't fly away with my efforts of cawing and hooting "Look up here!"(circa "Three Amigos")...wish I wouldn't have, 'cause he tried to fly away, ended up hanging upside down on railing, finally falling down and waddling away, apparently injured-watched it walk about twenty feet away only to be pummeled by another owl swooping down on it-now it's screeching outside a different window (E.A. Poe watch out!), but it's okay 'cause I'm enjoying the cake and ice cream!

Why don't you just go to your home? Are you too good for your home?!

2010-01-24T10:40:00.003-06:00

V and I were trying to get some homework done (setting the best example of procrastination we could for our children) when we heard the noise we've heard every night, outside of our window. It seemed especially close tonight. So, I opened the curtains and saw this little guy just standing on the cement pad outside of our window, screeching away. It was too dark to take a picture, so I just Google searched and found a picture that looked very close...a screech owl. I told V I felt like we were back in Bethany in the barn.

Some Nice Experiences...

2010-01-18T03:01:00.004-06:00

Friday, we had a shortened class period for the solar eclipse. We stayed inside for most of the day, but enjoyed a time of science (using two pieces of paper, a pin hole through one of them). We took this picture with some solar glasses; I just put the glasses up to the camera lens.

This was an interesting time as V had taken the children outside to play, but one of our neighbors ran outside and said, "In our culture, pregnant women don't go outside during this time, madam!"

We enjoyed snacks at a neighbor's house. (As you might notice, A enjoyed them the most!) We found out that the whole family still lives together. Because we had never seen the son, his wife and daughter, we we're surprised by this!

We received this company vehicle, this week. Having a vehicle during the first year is not common practice, but some very thoughtful people hooked us up, because of V's current "condition".

We enjoyed a meal at a restaurant from the southern area of this country. The restaurant being sooo nice helped V and the kids. I think I paid approx. $5!

A man and his best friend sauntering down the road selling some vegetables....

It's about time Mizzou got a LITTLE love!

2010-01-12T03:08:00.002-06:00

Finally, Mizzou got some love after beating K-State! Go Anderson! Just don't pull a Q-Sny!

A few items of update

2010-01-11T09:27:00.015-06:00

It's been nearly two weeks since our last update. It's been busy as we've tried to get back into the swing of language and schooling, again. But we've had some good times!

Shortly after Christmas, we received an awesome package from a wonderful family, from our home ch*rch! It contained Hershey's cocoa, peanut and plain M&M's, fudge brownie mix and a gingerbread house kit! We were all so excited we made the most of the package, down to popping the bubble wrap!

The finished product has a slight resemblance to a piggy bank for lack of patience, wanting to get the roof on.

Just after the New Year, I took a trip with a local p*stor to a village about 7o miles outside of town. This was a great immersion experience! This is shop in the main town from where we caught an auto another 7km to the village.

If you look closely, you can see the bus we took into this town, just right of center.

Some pictures along the way...not bad with a cell phone camera...

Outside the ch*rch...behind me is the farm where the land owner lives. I didn't have enough disk memory to capture everything, unfortunately.

Not in the village...a fun family time at an arcade, about 35 min. from home...The kids loved this and even made connections with Chucky Cheese...those this 1600sq. ft. space was not.

E's new violin teacher. We drive 1hr 15min, one way, for these weekly lessons! E enjoys these, but sure misses Mrs. Warner!

Fuji apples, the family favorite, can be found for about $2 for 2.2 lbs.

VJ and I always enjoy the time after her doctor's appointment! The appt. turned out very well; the ultrasound showing everything good for a normal delivery! Thanks for your yarpers!

Not quite the same look, huh? But, this meal (costing about $1.40) was plenty tasty and served well as a language lesson, helping me to get out of the classroom setting. I enjoyed practicing my limited language, though I think the waiter enjoyed it more!

The kids sport their new outfits. This is the best picture I could get. A was having another one of his augmented terrible two's moments.

A little fun with friends...

2009-12-31T03:30:00.005-06:00

Because of the difference in schedules (Nationals typically eat lunch around 2pm with dinner following at anywhere between 8:30 and 10pm, to give an example.), many times the children miss a chance to play with friends. So, on this day, the girls' friends came during the boys' and Valerie's nap. I won't let them go outside on their own, so we invited the girls' friends to come in (after asking their parents of course). They had a wonderful time playing cards, dolls and just giggling!

This friend has enjoyed playing with our children since the second day we arrived in our apartment. With both national and Russian parents, this boy speaks three languages!

I was seriously disturbed after playing catch with the boys, they came in and said they had just 'done' a touchdown. I asked them to show me and this is what they produced!

Humpty Dumpty

2009-12-31T03:13:00.006-06:00

A short recap of the L*rd's miraculous healing...

At the hospital, preparing for surgery...(I can't believe I had to use the 's-word' with one of my children! Honestly, this was the worst day of my life.)

After only five days...This is amazing because the wound was (The doctor agreed, so this is no exaggeration due to previous hysteria on Daddy's part.) about 5/16" wide!

After one week...now with stitches out...

10 days later...pretty much like the previous picture but, because of the blurry phone picture, it looks gone.

Now, the doctors say to give it three weeks with nothing on it. Then, they will give it a cream to help with the scarring.

PTL...what a miracle!

A few more Christmas pics...

2009-12-31T03:07:00.007-06:00

More than just the two front teeth...

2009-12-31T02:09:00.009-06:00

Mommy's homemade cinnamon rolls will always be a hit!

Andrew loved his new Chiefs jacket, but wanted so badly to have a hood.

Jonathan the firefighter!

Abby's new dress.

Elizabeth's new raincoat.

This is just the center. Between the presents we brought and the presents received via mail later, it was quite overwhelming for us! What is normally spread out over a week's time, we opened in one morning! Thanks to all of our family for making this such a great day!

How Can One Not?

2009-12-29T09:54:00.004-06:00

I wish I could post a picture, but I haven't spent the time to figure out how to transfer pictures from my phone to my computer (and our camera just broke). But, imagine if you will, a picture of a girl sitting in a laundry basket, in a chair, wearing a Santa hat and watching a little "Frosty". Now imagine hearing this same girl receive this message: "A, stop picking your nose with your toes!" How can one not love her?

Good for Everyone

2009-12-29T00:27:00.001-06:00

If you have about four minutes, check this out.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pPViKJRHyZo

More to come...

2009-12-27T09:20:00.001-06:00

I'll post more later, but I wanted you to see how much Elizabeth's thoughtfulness meant to Abby on Christmas morning.

Sweets to soften the sting

2009-12-20T15:43:00.005-06:00

During this last week, we've definitely had ups and downs. On the 13th, the girls celebrated performed a short duet in our new ch*rch's Christmas program. They were so beautiful and sounded just wonderful-many tears in Daddy's eyes!

The next day, we celebrated VJ's birthday. Nothing overly special; I gave her a break from the boys by taking them on a bus ride around the city which they loved. Following this, we had a friend watch the children while we went out with other friends. We enjoyed some simple shopping and some nice dining. A few days later, I found a flower vendor from whom I was able to purchase 25 roses (VJ's favorite flower). The vendor was awesome in he preparation of the bouquet and charging the unbeatable price of $4! Though this wasn't a planned present, how could one pass up such a nicety for such a special lady whose worth so much more?

The girls had their first violin lesson since arriving. We found a woman who teaches at an international school. She is from Germany, but has been here for 30 years. She's a delight and the girls enjoyed the time. (An hour of lessons costs around $10...nice, but the girls would still much rather have Mrs. Warner back!)

As the holiday season surrounds us, we find ourselves missing family a great deal. Our comfort comes in enjoying time celebrating Advent, reading about our Sav!or, sharing the Good News with others, opening packages from family and friends, seeing snow on Skype and listening to familiar tunes. We work together as a family to remember that all of these good things were provided to us by our Father above.

Saturday, after we finished our Christmas shopping, we were playing at the playground and enjoying talking with more new people. I had just gone to meet with a new friend who is helping me with language when A comes in saying that I need to come right away, that E is hurt. Just standing talking with some new friends E turns to walk away and slips to hit her head on a small concrete edging along the sidewalk.

The accident left quite a mark on her forehead, large enough so that we had to take her to the hospital quickly for stitches. With the help of a neighbor, a local friend, a security guard, a bewildered auto driver, kind ER nurses and doctors, and much pr*yer, we had E back at home in only four hours with stitches (how many we don't know-we didn't ask...We were just so happy she was safe.). We have a follow-up visit on Christmas Eve when the doc will check out his handiwork. We paid the $260 out of pocket as they require persons to stay 24 hours if paying with insurance. We certainly couldn't ask that burden to be shared with our friends and definitely not of our little girl who had already gone through so much!

This incident was hard on everyone. Siblings were so shaken having seen the accident and seeing Mommy and Daddy rush out of the house so quickly with a neighbor they not as familiar with as V and I were. VJ was rushing around, trying to move as if she wasn't pregnant. Daddy was trying to be strong, but there's just something about seeing your little girl in such as state. Elizabeth is amazing; one could see the worried look on her face as they wheeled her back for the surgery, but she came home talking about the positives of the experience.

The L*rd is good, though. Today, we welcomed a gentleman who has just returned from a business trip to the States. During his time he worked with my mom. He agreed to serve as a pack mule of sorts and bring a piece of luggage that contained many goodies. Inside, we found presents to put under our tree, candy, books, and an assortment of other items. Just as the man was getting ready to leave, my mom called, via Skype. She got to watch as the children jumped, squealed and gave any number of reactions one could hope for during such an occasion. Honestly, we couldn't have prepped them any better!

Grand Safari

2009-12-11T09:42:00.007-06:00

Last Saturday, we had the opportunity to go to a national park/zoo. We enjoyed our first bus trip, as a family. It's amazing what one can do for a much smaller amount of money, here!

This is right before I put money in the elephants trunk for him to give it to his trainer!

These guys always look so confident...why?

I'm glad we were in a caged bus while this was going on!

The zoo continued at home, when we found this itty-bitty lizard (sorry it's blurry) running around the apartment. E is holding it in her hands.

Thank you Grandma Karen and Papa! Highlights magazines have never lived up to their name as they did on the day this box arrived; Hot Tamales have never been sweeter; and Josh Groban has never sounded better.

I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas!

2009-12-01T09:59:00.011-06:00

We were so excited to find an eight foot tree!

A showing off our new ornaments.

The girls were definitely the most excited about having a Christmas tree!

A really wanted to put up the star, but as you can see, the star required more support than the tree was willing to offer. So Daddy will have to put up the star with this tree.

In front of our new tree

Mrs. McKenzie (E's previous art teacher)made these stockings for us last year! Thanks Mrs. McKenzie!

Even Numero Cinco gets his/her own stocking!

The Lovely Bride

2009-12-01T09:41:00.003-06:00

Last Friday, I (R) attended a Hindu wedding. My language teacher invited me as she celebrated the marriage of her daughter to a man with whom she was arranged. I've learned that most all weddings here are arranged...very few are "love marriages".

The last time the groom will be able to touch the feet of his bride...as he puts on her toe rings.

Me, the groom and a good friend.

Breakfast, before the wedding, is served on a banana leaf.

Lunch, just like breakfast, is eaten with one's right hand.

While festive, the event still symbolizes sadness to me as I remember the worthless acts of bowing down to lifeless idols. One needs to respect the fact that this is someone's wedding, but still remember the need to share Chr!st whenever possible. Today, this need was manifest in kindness, love and "Yesu nimmanu pritastane" (Je$u$ loves you.) spoken whenever possible.

A Time to Remember...

2009-11-26T02:06:00.009-06:00

We knew last year would be our last Thanksgiving for a while, so we really enjoy looking at these pictures.

Another week in His arms...

2009-11-21T09:30:00.006-06:00

We've enjoyed another week in which the Father had to carry us through. We've noticed ourselves a little less patient with each other. It rained much of the first part of the week. That always puts a cramp on our style, but we persevered through it. (PTL!)

Last Saturday was Kids' Day, in this country. So we enjoyed a fun time out. We went to a toy store and let each of the kids pick out a very small toy. We followed that up with lunch at McDonald's (fun for everyone!).

Sunday morning, we went to a huge botanical gardens with some friends. The kids enjoyed spending time with friends. Afterwards, we had lunch and ch*rch, at home.

This week, V started something new with the girls-moving them up a grade with school as the younger grades were not challenging enough (mainly due to the curr., not just because our kids are incredibly intelligent). It has worked very well thus far and we hope it continues to go well.

V is doing well, for the most part. For a little more than a week, she's had a pinch in her back. Sometimes rubbing it helps, sometimes not. The beds here are not the most comfortable, so she's really been a trooper. Her language is definitely coming around. Practicing is the toughest part. It's not easy for a white woman to just walk the streets and practice language. She's still trudging through though. (I told you; she's a trooper! Can you imagine doing all that she's doing while being pregnant?!) V finished off the week by making homemade corn dogs!

The girls are doing well. Friday, the had a sleepover with some other mk's. The had a great time and are now sporting some new, homemade 'dangly' earrings!

The boys are doing well. J is beginning 'school', learning his letters and numbers. He's doing very well and loves feeling like a big boy. And. had a crash course in int'l potty training. I let him run around the house with no pants on for a while. He went from having gone on the potty a total of two times during his life to being dry most of the time, most days. (PTL for tile floors!)

We also received a package from Gma and Gpa Collier (Thank you so much!!!)...Dum Dum suckers (for the whole family) and a bracelet making kit (for E's birthday)...so exciting!

I've enjoyed some cool language time, enjoying a complimentary ride on the bus, chai tea and a paper for about 15 cents, total and my first ride on a motorcycle.

We've learned the phrase for "Je$us loves you" and use it as much as we can. The L*rd is really doing an awesome thing in our lives and we hope He uses us to bring more people to Him!

All I want for Christmas...

2009-11-11T11:25:00.010-06:00

Today, Abby lost her first tooth...her left front, on the bottom. We went out for a little ice cream to celebrate tonight. She was so excited that all of her hard work wiggling her tooth with her tongue (We won't let her stick her fingers in her mouth, here; you never know what you've just touched and haven't thought about!) and eating apples paid off!

For the last few days, Valerie and I have had meetings with the couple that will serve as our supervisors during the first year. We've enjoyed getting to know them better. The down side is that we don't get to spend as much time with the kiddos. Please pr*y that we'll always remember the balance that needs to be had for our whole family. I really do believe that, in the short-term, the children often get the "short end of the stick".

Last weekend, we attended a house ch*rch about 40 minutes from our house. It was a great time, but very far away. So I explored the internet and found a more formalized ch*rch that looked much closer...wrong. It was a very nice experience. We enjoyed the Western (not country-western) style of music and the English pre@ching, but the children were still exhausted by the end of the day. Please pr*y that we'll find something closer to our side of town.

We've begun to settle into a good routine, with homeschooling. The boys are learning to play on their own for a little longer, but then still enjoy sitting at the table some with the girls while learning. It doesn't seem as much of a stretch as it had previously. The L*rd has really blessed our family with a wonderful mom/wife. She has worked very hard to make it all come together.

Language is still going slow, but steady. We're definitely making progress, but it's difficult to see. It's a little like watching a child grow. Every once in a while, we'll look back and realize the changes that have taken place. It's nice to have those times of reassurance.

Friends are growing slowly too. Jonathan was so excited Monday when he got to see his favorite (really, our whole family's favorite) driver, whom I'll nickname Charles. Jonathan hasn't seen Charles for about three weeks, but still ran right up to him and stayed in his arms for about five minutes. Today, we received our first newspaper. One of our requirements is to subscribe to a local or national newspaper so that we know about the events that surround us. Hopefully, this will lead to an opportunity to engage in more conversations with the nationals. I've included the picture of one of our security guards who only speaks Hindi. So you can imagine how difficult it was to ask him to help me get the subscription (about $3/month) set up!

A big thanks to those of you who have written words of encouragement. And, to those asking what needs/wants there are. I hope to compile a list by the end of the month so that you could send it in time for the Ch!stmas holiday.

We miss you ALL!

2009-11-07T04:50:00.008-06:00

Thursday, Valerie and I visited the hospital where we will have the baby. The facilities were wonderful (meaning very western). The doctor was very nice and was able to answer all of our questions. It was very sad to read the sign above. It reminds us of how people have used the ultrasounds to decide whether or not they would have an abortion (a major point of discussion right now, in the US Congress). People want boys for many different reasons, but most having to do with rel!gious beliefs. We are planning to have a 4D ultrasound, next month. (of course, not to determine the sex, just because we're curious to see what he/she looks like)

After the doctor's visit, Valerie wanted to go somewhere to get a burger. (This is one of the very few times she has mentioned anything about cravings. I think I have them more than her!) The auto driver spoke very little English, so as I attempted to communicate that we wanted to go to Museum Road, he took me to a museum...on some road. As we drove around, Valerie noticed a wonderfully familiar sign of a Hard Rock Cafe (unfortunately converted from a former B!ble tract society)! We'd heard some shaky reviews of this place so we were excited, but mainly for the ambiance. But...IT WAS AWESOME! The food above tasted even better than the pictures allow. And we got to see the Mick Jagger outfit (along with many other items of paraphernalia)...a fun atmosphere!

We had another okay week of language. In some respects, it's getting much easier, in other respects, it's getting much more difficult. "Nanage SIM card beeku"..."I want a SIM card" was used yesterday and understood excitingly well. The kids are adjusting better and better all the time. The girls have made several friends. We remember this well as our doorbell rings frequently in the evening. The boys are enjoying the attempts at cricket.

Remember that I've forgotten

2009-11-02T09:27:00.008-06:00

It's easy to forget all of the things that have transpired since we've arrived. It's easy to forget that we spent our first few nights awake, trying to reset our internal clocks. It's easy to forget that we spent that time awake crying, missing family, friends and the familiar. It's easy to forget that I was so grateful to have people driving me around the city, helping me to find things for our new apartment. It's easy to forget that we got off the plane with eight carry-on pieces of luggage and seventeen checked bags (no of which we had to pay for-Praise the L*rd!). It's easy to forget that, though we have moved so many thousands of miles from home (and even more kilometers) having gone through all of these emotions, it's much more difficult for the people back home (Yes, we still consider the States home. We're Americans and we refuse to forget that. (Why not, the locals don't forget it!)) It's easy to forget that last year we were inundated with candy having gone to a Fall celebration at ch*rch and this year the kids were thrilled to get together and get a few pieces of candy because they could gather with other Americans for a short time. It's easy to forget all of the pr*yer and financial support offered back home. (Thank you!) And, it's easy to forget how far the L*rd has brought us. (Just look at past posts to verify that claim.)

And, sometimes it just hits you just how far you've come. Just now, I was listening to Jonathan and Andrew talk (They're supposed to have fallen asleep by now.). Andrew complains that Jonathan just said hockey. Jonathan pleads his case, stating that he said meter haaki. ("turn on the meter"-what you tell the auto rickshaw driver to do so he doesn't swindle extra rupees out of you) They are little sponges, are they not?

Tomorrow, we'll enjoy a birthday celebration with friends. The girls will have a sleepover at their house. Thursday, we will go to the hospital where we plan to deliver the baby (The hospital's name is "The Cradle"...looks very nice!).

This weekend, we did have a Fall celebration with other company folk (See pictures, above.). We enjoyed pumpkin cake, chips with Rotel (sp?), homemade pig-in-a-blankets, chocolate chip cookies and other delights! During the celebration, our family won the prize for the best-carved pumpkin (the prize being a Symphony chocolate bar) and Abby won a jar of chocolate chips for having the closest guess. There were 589 chips and she guessed 580! Amazing!

Sunday, we traveled about 45min. to a house ch*rch and enjoyed a time of w*rship, gathering with other bel!evers and digging in the W*rd. It was wonderful! (See picture, above.) We followed that up with a lunch at Chili's! It wasn't exactly like the American version, but the food was good and the bill was about the same.

Also, today I had my first haircut...and a shave, by a national (much to Valerie's chagrin). The total of the two adding up to about....$1.30! No nicks and a little Old Spice for nostalgia's sake!

The most important thing...we're getting more and more out of our shells to tell people that we are followers of Je$u$. (ironic that we can say more in person than we can post) We're excited about relationships that are starting to form. G*d is good!

Happy Birthday to You! Happy Birthday to You!

2009-10-30T09:16:00.005-05:00

Yesterday, we celebrated Elizabeth's seventh birthday. She has certainly been a blessing. I can believe it was only three kids ago...I mean seven years ago that I was was watching her play in her exersaucer in our living room!

Valerie served the older three children breakfast in bed. Then, we enjoyed a wonderful morning opening up presents during a Skype with Valerie's parents. We got a chance to Skype later with my mom and even enjoyed opening the card from my mom that arrived on Elizabeth's birthday! Our friends came over for an afternoon in the pool, followed by Domino's Pizza! We had funfetti cake that Valerie made with Betty Crocker's help. (We brought four boxes from the States, so we treasured that cake!) We even had sprinkles!

Later in the evening, Valerie's new friend, from Turkey, came down and brought Elizabeth a birthday present (a little bear that sings the first line of the happy birthday song, in English, three times) and a Turkish cake! It was awesome!

The topper was the sleep-over that kept Abby and the girls' friend up until midnight. Elizabeth asked to sleep on the couch about 10:30.This has been a good week for the family! We've had the opportunity to get into a rhythm. Homeschooling is coming along. The girls finished the days of creation to begin with. We're well into math. And, the girls are enjoying being required to read for 15 minutes, daily. (They're so much better than I was. I always dreaded reading.)

Language school has been good, though taxing. Our teachers keep us working diligently. Valerie's teacher moves at a slightly quicker pace. They finished the fourth cycle today, while our teacher just had us finish cycle three today. (very possibly due to the mental capacity of the students) I've begun to try to learn the alphabet as I would really like to be literate, rather than simply fluent. Here's what the alphabet looks like though. (Keep reading below.)

ಅ	ಆ	ಇ	ಈ	ಉ	ಊ	ಋ	ಎ	ಏ	ಐ	ಒ	ಓ	ಔ	ಅಂ	ಅಃ
ಕ	ಕಾ	ಕಿ	ಕೀ	ಕು	ಕೂ	ಕೃ	ಕೆ	ಕೇ	ಕೈ	ಕೊ	ಕೋ	ಕೌ	ಕಂ	ಕಃ
ಖ	ಖಾ	ಖಿ	ಖೀ	ಖು	ಖೂ	ಖೃ	ಖೆ	ಖೇ	ಖೈ	ಖೊ	ಖೋ	ಖೌ	ಖಂ	ಖಃ
ಗ	ಗಾ	ಗಿ	ಗೀ	ಗು	ಗೂ	ಗೃ	ಗೆ	ಗೇ	ಗೈ	ಗೊ	ಗೋ	ಗೌ	ಗಂ	ಗಃ
ಘ	ಘಾ	ಘಿ	ಘೀ	ಘು	ಘೂ	ಘೃ	ಘೆ	ಘೇ	ಘೈ	ಘೊ	ಘೋ	ಘೌ	ಘಂ	ಘಃ
ಙ	ಙಾ	ಙಿ	ಙೀ	ಙು	ಙೂ	ಙೃ	ಙೆ	ಙೇ	ಙೈ	ಙೊ	ಙೋ	ಙೌ	ಙಂ	ಙಃ
ಚ	ಚಾ	ಚಿ	ಚೀ	ಚು	ಚೂ	ಚೃ	ಚೆ	ಚೇ	ಚೈ	ಚೊ	ಚೋ	ಚೌ	ಚಂ	ಚಃ
ಛ	ಛಾ	ಛಿ	ಛೀ	ಛು	ಛೂ	ಛೃ	ಛೆ	ಛೇ	ಛೈ	ಛೊ	ಛೋ	ಛೌ	ಛಂ	ಛಃ
ಜ	ಜಾ	ಜಿ	ಜೀ	ಜು	ಜೂ	ಜೃ	ಜೆ	ಜೇ	ಜೈ	ಜೊ	ಜೋ	ಜೌ	ಜಂ	ಜಃ
ಝ	ಝಾ	ಝಿ	ಝೀ	ಝು	ಝೂ	ಝೃ	ಝೆ	ಝೇ	ಝೈ	ಝೊ	ಝೋ	ಝೌ	ಝಂ	ಝಃ
ಞ	ಞಾ	ಞಿ	ಞೀ	ಞು	ಞೂ	ಞೃ	ಞೆ	ಞೇ	ಞೈ	ಞೊ	ಞೋ	ಞೌ	ಞಂ	ಞಃ
ತ	ತಾ	ತಿ	ತೀ	ತು	ತೂ	ತೃ	ತೆ	ತೇ	ತೈ	ತೊ	ತೋ	ತೌ	ತಂ	ತಃ
ಥ	ಥಾ	ಥಿ	ಥೀ	ಥು	ಥೂ	ಥೃ	ಥೆ	ಥೇ	ಥೈ	ಥೊ	ಥೋ	ಥೌ	ಥಂ	ಥಃ
ದ	ದಾ	ದಿ	ದೀ	ದು	ದೂ	ದೃ	ದೆ	ದೇ	ದೈ	ದೊ	ದೋ	ದೌ	ದಂ	ದಃ
ಧ	ಧಾ	ಧಿ	ಧೀ	ಧು	ಧೂ	ಧೃ	ಧೆ	ಧೇ	ಧೈ	ಧೊ	ಧೋ	ಧೌ	ಧಂ	ಧಃ
ನ	ನಾ	ನಿ	ನೀ	ನು	ನೂ	ನೃ	ನೆ	ನೇ	ನೈ	ನೊ	ನೋ	ನೌ	ನಂ	ನಃ
ಟ	ಟಾ	ಟಿ	ಟೀ	ಟು	ಟೂ	ಟೃ	ಟೆ	ಟೇ	ಟೈ	ಟೊ	ಟೋ	ಟೌ	ಟಂ	ಟಃ
ಠ	ಠಾ	ಠಿ	ಠೀ	ಠು	ಠೂ	ಠೃ	ಠೆ	ಠೇ	ಠೈ	ಠೊ	ಠೋ	ಠೌ	ಠಂ	ಠಃ
ಡ	ಡಾ	ಡಿ	ಡೀ	ಡು	ಡೂ	ಡೃ	ಡೆ	ಡೇ	ಡೈ	ಡೊ	ಡೋ	ಡೌ	ಡಂ	ಡಃ
ಢ	ಢಾ	ಢಿ	ಢೀ	ಢು	ಢೂ	ಢೃ	ಢೆ	ಢೇ	ಢೈ	ಢೊ	ಢೋ	ಢೌ	ಢಂ	ಢಃ
ಣ	ಣಾ	ಣಿ	ಣೀ	ಣು	ಣೂ	ಣೃ	ಣೆ	ಣೇ	ಣೈ	ಣೊ	ಣೋ	ಣೌ	ಣಂ	ಣಃ
ಪ	ಪಾ	ಪಿ	ಪೀ	ಪು	ಪೂ	ಪೃ	ಪೆ	ಪೇ	ಪೈ	ಪೊ	ಪೋ	ಪೌ	ಪಂ	ಪಃ
ಫ	ಫಾ	ಫಿ	ಫೀ	ಫು	ಫೂ	ಫೃ	ಫೆ	ಫೇ	ಫೈ	ಫೊ	ಫೋ	ಫೌ	ಫಂ	ಫಃ
ಬ	ಬಾ	ಬಿ	ಬೀ	ಬು	ಬೂ	ಬೃ	ಬೆ	ಬೇ	ಬೈ	ಬೊ	ಬೋ	ಬೌ	ಬಂ	ಬಃ
ಭ	ಭಾ	ಭಿ	ಭೀ	ಭು	ಭೂ	ಭೃ	ಭೆ	ಭೇ	ಭೈ	ಭೊ	ಭೋ	ಭೌ	ಭಂ	ಭಃ
ಮ	ಮಾ	ಮಿ	ಮೀ	ಮು	ಮೂ	ಮೃ	ಮೆ	ಮೇ	ಮೈ	ಮೊ	ಮೋ	ಮೌ	ಮಂ	ಮಃ
ಯ	ಯಾ	ಯಿ	ಯೀ	ಯು	ಯೂ	ಯೃ	ಯೆ	ಯೇ	ಯೈ	ಯೊ	ಯೋ	ಯೌ	ಯಂ	ಯಃ
ರ	ರಾ	ರಿ	ರೀ	ರು	ರೂ	ರೃ	ರೆ	ರೇ	ರೈ	ರೊ	ರೋ	ರೌ	ರಂ	ರಃ
ಲ	ಲಾ	ಲಿ	ಲೀ	ಲು	ಲೂ	ಲೃ	ಲೆ	ಲೇ	ಲೈ	ಲೊ	ಲೋ	ಲೌ	ಲಂ	ಲಃ
ವ	ವಾ	ವಿ	ವೀ	ವು	ವೂ	ವೃ	ವೆ	ವೇ	ವೈ	ವೊ	ವೋ	ವೌ	ವಂ	ವಃ
ಶ	ಶಾ	ಶಿ	ಶೀ	ಶು	ಶೂ	ಶೃ	ಶೆ	ಶೇ	ಶೈ	ಶೊ	ಶೋ	ಶೌ	ಶಂ	ಶಃ
ಷ	ಷಾ	ಷಿ	ಷೀ	ಷು	ಷೂ	ಷೃ	ಷೆ	ಷೇ	ಷೈ	ಷೊ	ಷೋ	ಷೌ	ಷಂ	ಷಃ
ಸ	ಸಾ	ಸಿ	ಸೀ	ಸು	ಸೂ	ಸೃ	ಸೆ	ಸೇ	ಸೈ	ಸೊ	ಸೋ	ಸೌ	ಸಂ	ಸಃ
ಹ	ಹಾ	ಹಿ	ಹೀ	ಹು	ಹೂ	ಹೃ	ಹೆ	ಹೇ	ಹೈ	ಹೊ	ಹೋ	ಹೌ	ಹಂ	ಹಃ
ಳ	ಳಾ	ಳಿ	ಳೀ	ಳು	ಳೂ	ಳೃ	ಳೆ	ಳೇ	ಳೈ	ಳೊ	ಳೋ	ಳೌ	ಳಂ

Don't worry. I'm just trying five letters per day and even that is pushing it.

Please pr*y that we will continue to feel well. The L*rd has certainly blessed us with good health. We are certainly not going to take that for granted. Please also pr*y that we will take advantage of new relationships, like the one mentioned above to share the Good News.

Reality Check

2009-10-28T11:54:00.002-05:00

Today, VJ and I were struck by how callous we can become. This morning, I read on bbc.com that US soldiers were killed in Afghanistan. I absorbed that piece of news with other factual data from the site without much thought beyond the notion that there still is a battle that we're fighting. Tonight, we received news that a man who lived behind us, in Lathrop, was killed in Afghanistan. Please don't forget those serving our country. It's real. You won't read about him in a textbook but he has a wife and a son and his wife is expecting their second child in December. He died for us. Please pr*y for his family.

Please also pr*y for those of us in a different battle. Please pr*y that we don't forget this is truly a battle, with life and death at stake.

It's all Greek to me.

2009-10-26T22:05:00.001-05:00

Yesterday, we began our language lessons. Our friends who live close to us also take language with us. The guys travel by auto rickshaw for the morning session. We enjoy getting to travel this way though the girls are not quite so comfortable yet. They travel by taxi...a slightly higher cost, but well worth it for everyone's peace of mind.

For two hours, we sat there in our teacher's house (picture attached) trying to understand the few words our teachers would give us in English and laughing a lot when they would speak in Kannada. We're supposed to have numbers 1-100 learned by tomorrow! We're also supposed to have the days of the week, yesterday, the day before yesterday and the day before the day before yesterday. (Yes, they actually have a word for that!) The same amount of words for tomorrow.

Both VJ and I took turns out shopping today, trying out the few things we could remember from yesterday. Thankfully, Tuesdays and Thursdays won't be quite as exhausting as M, W, F. Yesterday, neither one of us had the mental facilities to do much of anything by the end of the day! (And I'm not pregnant, so Valerie's the real champ!

After my language class (and before the shared exhaustion) I was trying out my new language route (a requirement for language learning). I went to several shops trying out my new phrases and counting. I was greeted by much laughter and correction. It's a very humbling process!

I did meet a gentleman outside of one of the stores. I was trying to ask him if any of the other store owners spoke Kannada. He said that he spoke Kannada. He actually invited me to his house where he gave me a plate of different kinds of bread and cake and tried to teach me for about twenty minutes. His name is Shivu and he was a wonderfully nice man! (so nice that I was very skeptical when I first met him)

Each day, we're greeted with new opportunities to tell other people that we are followers of Je$u$. (And we don't even have to encode it!) The L*rd is blessing us with more and more people each day. The girls are meeting new friends. Tonight, we couldn't get the neighbor girls to stop ringing our doorbell for more than 30 secs as we tried to get ourselves ready to go outside....really a wonderful blessing, though bothersome at the time.

Home sweet home

2009-10-21T04:38:00.003-05:00

We're getting more and more settled everyday. The L*rd has blessed us with some wonderful resources close by. (i.e. good food store, friends, and, yes, ice cream-though we've yet to try it) We now have a working cooking range, washer and refrigerator. Yesterday, I was lighting our oven. It wouldn't light for a while (as our lighter was a pretty cheap model) so there had been an accumulation of gas. Well, it finally lit along with the hair on the top of my hand.

The children enjoyed watching people "burst crackers" during Diwali. The children enjoyed watching the fireworks, but it also served as a good lesson how things can be so beautiful, yet so misleading.

We took our first "auto" ride. Jonathan loved this! He gets so excited every time he sees one! Our driver scared us quite a bit as he was purposely driving towards people who weren't moving quickly enough to get out of his way!

Next week, we'll begin our formal language study. This could be quite a stretch for us. I'll be busy all morning while Valerie tries to school the children. Then, she'll be at school while I try to teach the children math (numbers for the boys). We should meet up again, as a family, about 5pm.

Today, the boys and I had our first lesson in cricket. A couple of neighborhood boys voluntarily taught us to play in our courtyard. It was a great experience! We also took the opportunity to go swimming, yesterday. We enjoyed the opportunity to experience a few things that we may not get to when language begins next week.

We're beginning to form relationships with people around us. Two days ago, the girls met a little girl and asked if they could tell her about Je$u$. I told them to enjoy getting to know her first. They returned five minutes later telling me they knew her better and could they tell her now..."Yes, of course." I'm amazed at how the L*rd is already using our children for m!n!stry purposes. He is good all the time!

Please pr*y that:

V will continue to feel well and that we'll be able to find a doctor soon

The children will continue to adjust well and meet new friends

We'll be able to learn the language with the speed and efficiency needed (Formal learning is done by full-immersion.)

To Veg or To Non-Veg

2009-10-13T20:56:00.003-05:00

This morning, I was was eating when I noticed on our cereal box a small, green box that indicates veg, here. All food is either veg or non-veg, veg simply indicating vegetarian. I knew that symbol was on restaurant menus, but I was unaware it would be on cereal boxes. It's good to know our Chocos contain no meat!

In about two hours, we'll move across town to our new flat. We'll be without internet for a time. Please pr*y that we get everything settled in quickly. I believe we'll begin language study next week.

We've had four nights of good sleep in a row! G*d has certainly answered our requests. Thank you for lifting us up!

Now Curious George?

2009-10-09T22:36:00.003-05:00

This morning we had a phone call letting us know the monkeys were in town. No Davy Jones...just the furry ones. The monkeys (and there were several) were playing in the trees right outside our front door.

Alvin? Simon? Theodore?

2009-10-08T22:43:00.002-05:00

Just thought I'd post a note after seeing him in the kitchen. I think our house helper must have left the kitchen window open after doing the dishes. I looked in the kitchen and there was a chipmunk running across our floor. I pushed the wrong button on the video camera or else I'd have a clip for everyone. But, I just walked towards him and he gradually made his way back out of the window. Fun times!

Sleepless in South Asia

2009-10-08T19:32:00.004-05:00

Well, our clocks have not quite adjusted. Andrew and Elizabeth have slept through the night, thankfully. We kept them up later (9pm) and they're still asleep (at 6am). This is a big victory for them! Jonathan woke up about 1am, this morning, but came to sleep with us and is still asleep on our bed. So that's another small victory! Abby is still waking up at 3am, each morning and Valerie and I haven't been able to sleep after that.

Today, we're suppose to meet with our language coordinator. This should be good so that we can begin moving forward. Next Tuesday or Wednesday, we should be able to move into our apartment. The good thing about the placement of the apartment is that it's close to a couple that we and the children get along very well with. The downer of the placement is that the apartment is an hour's drive away from most everyone else.

We got to see the apartment yesterday. It's on the first floor of about twenty or more floors! It makes one dizzy just to look up, so I'm glad we don't have to look down!

Valerie and I would like to let you in on a little "secret". We've been struggling the past couple of days. Everything is just like we knew it was going to be, but it sure is different having our whole family here! I think we've felt like Jonathan, at times. When we talked to him about going overseas during the past month, he was very excited to go. But, the first day we were here, he said, "Daddy, when are we going to [our new country]?" I told him we are here. His immediate response was, "I want Grandma."

Valerie and I have had very similar responses lately. Sometimes it just hits you. You just realize what you've gotten yourself into. This morning I "ran" to the Word. He directed me to Isaiah 40:31 and Psalm 136. He reminded me of how He directs our steps and how He lead the Isrealites in the wilderness. I don't want to be found complaining, but remembering His promises to me and my family.

Please pr*y that...

we'll remember the promises of the L*rd

He'll direct our footsteps

our family in the States will continue to adjust well

A few little things...

2009-10-06T17:44:00.007-05:00

Why not write a little while the kids are up at 3am

Last night, we had a good dinner with some other company folk. It was your classic South Asian dinner of spaghetti, green beans and corn! Little things like that help one to adjust so it was a nice meal. We're getting ready to attempt laying the kids back down after an hour of running around behaving as if they just traveled around the world...imagine that.

Here are some pictures of the guest house we're staying in for a time and also of our travels.

Please pr*y that our "clocks" adjust and that we continue to enjoy the good health that we're currently enjoying.

We've arrived

2009-10-06T03:58:00.000-05:00

Well, we arrived this morning. Everything went very well. This kids did an excellent job! The only hitch along the way was that Elizabeth, Abby and I (Rick) got sick after our leg from Chicago to London. It didn't happen until the very end of the flight...very weird...never had that happen before. Also, I felt EXTREMELY nauseous after we got our bags unloaded to our guest room. I'm not sure why, but it was horrible for the first hour. I think the ride here (Driving here is much different on the belly if you're not used to it.) right after not feeling well at the end of the last leg was a bad combination. But, all is well now. Everybody else is sleeping right now. We're supposed to have dinner with a family tonight, at 5pm. The family has four children that exact same ages as ours! I asked the children what they noticed was different so far. They noted the steering wheel on the other side (cracked up about that), the smaller bananas (about half the size) and all of the people pinching their cheeks and wanting to take pictures with them (especially Elizabeth with her blonde hair) at the airport. We'll see what else they note when they can actually see the view around the street. It was only 5:30am when we arrived. It's nice to have everything and everyone here. We didn't lose anyone and only lost the top of one container. It looks as if all the contents were still there (That's good because there were some birthday presents for the kids in that container!). The airport personnel just wrapped the box in plastic wrap. So I didn't recognize the container the first couple of times it went around.

Up in the air junior birdman...

2009-09-24T13:35:00.003-05:00

It was an early morning for us. Valerie and I were up at 4:30am and woke the kids at 5:30 so that we could catch the bus at 6am. Everything has gone very smoothly for us...an incredible blessing. The children have been well behaved. The flights have been prompt. The service has been friendly. And, Valerie's feeling well! Delta is hosting a free demo Wi-Fi service so I'm taking advantage of it while the children are sleeping. We should arrive in Kansas City in about 45min to some very happy parents/grandparents! We'll be in town for 10 days to visit primarily family. We may get a chance to see a few friends along the way, but family and packing is the main focus this time.

G*d has been very gracious to us during these last eight weeks. We've made some great friends, learned from amazing people and grown together as a family. It's been an amazing time of preparation!

I might take this time to answer some concerns about our family going overseas.

Imagine someone trying to expand his/her business. If there are well-established businesses that are able to meet the needs of the people around them, the businessman will move to meet the greatest need. There is approximately one person serving approximately six million lost persons in SA.

We are NEEDED elsewhere. We're not going for our own good and we're not trying to change the culture of people, just the destination. We're excited to see people honoring the L*rd in their own culture, in their own tongue. It's an extremely difficult task to undergo, especially when not everyone agrees, but we know we're called and we're not upset with anyone who cannot agree.

For those who do agree...

Please pr*y that G*d will help others to understand why we're going

For everyone...

Please pr*y for a good transition

Love,

The Colliers

DC Talk

2009-09-14T21:33:00.003-05:00

This past week proved very helpful, getting to meet with people serving the same peoples whom we will be serving. We had many questions answered. We are so appreciative of the attention so many people have given to the details on logistics, ministry, and relationships. We feel priveledged to be a part of this team! We are still waiting to get final confirmation on the language that we'll be learning. Whatever we learn, we're going to TRY to involve the whole family. We don't want to leave anyone out!

Saturday, I had the great pleasure of attending my first NASCAR race! Valerie had been praying that G*d would provide something great for me, for my birthday and He did! A friend came up and said that someone had asked if he could find someone who would like to go that evening. He found me! It was awesome! I'm glad I had earplugs.

Yesterday, Abby got her ears pierced. I'll post pictures when I have my camera close at hand.

Today, we spent the day in Washington, DC. We had the opportunity to share with people of nationalities similar to those we'll be serving. It was a great time! The kids were wonderful during the entire process which wasn't easy...for any of us! By the end of the day, Valerie wasn't feeling so great, but G*d is good and she's getting to rest now.

Please pr*y for...

our last round of innoculations, tomorrow

our preparation during the next three weeks

Valerie to feel good, consistenly

Rest Easy...

2009-09-06T20:45:00.004-05:00

After a VERY long week, this weekend was a wonderfull welcome treat! We had the opportunity to take in the Richmond Childrens Museum. You can see from the picture, that the boys were more than ready to leave! We had a great time as a family off-campus, enjoying a flexible schedule. Yesterday, when Valerie had her time off-campus with the girls, Elizabeth got her ears pierced! She's very excited to show anyone who wants to see and even for those people who haven't expressed an interest.

This week should be pretty low-key. Today, Abby got "BJ Bear". She was very excited about the opportunity to bring him home to include in our family experiences. We actually have our exit interviews which is difficult to imagine that we are to that point already. We're looking forward to seeing friends and family during our short time before heading out.

Please pr*y for:

Our upcoming DC trip (We're hoping to engage those nationals of our new country.)

Opportunities to engage those around us (If we're not sharing here, what would make us think we'd share overseas?!)

Preparation for our upcoming transition back home (Sept. 24-Oct. 4)

Thanks! We love you all!

Sincerely,

Rick and Company