Home sweet home

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

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?

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?

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

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...

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

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.