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Showing posts from December, 2013

MN traditions

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Brian and I have been blessed beyond measure this Christmas to be able to be in our home state of Minnesota.  We have enjoyed spending time with friends and family.  There are two MN traditions that we want to highlight this year......in Minneapolis, on the 8th floor of Macy's, there is a Christmas display entitled "Santaland" that we were able to go to while we were home.  Here are a couple photos......  We got a photo by the giant wreath on our way out of the display too!   Another Christmas tradition in Minnesota is the Holidazzle Parade....we remembered "Chile" in our hearts as we were watching the parade on a " very chilly" night.  As you can tell by our attire, it's a little cooler here in the Midwest.  We have included some pictures of the light show that ensued after we were thoroughly cooled to the core.....hope you enjoy!  It is a tradition that is to be discontinued after this year in Minnesota.....no parade next year, so w

We made it to MN!!!

Our flight was a little longer than anticipated....it was a 24+ jouney, but we are in Minnesota!!!!  Whoo hoo!!!!  We slept in QUITE a bit today and spent the day trying to unpack, get settled, get adjusted, get acclimated, get acquainted--or should I say RE-acquainted--and all that good stuff!  Thanks to all for praying! We made it!!!

At the Coast

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On December 11th we got the opportunity to go to the Pacific Coastline with our friends, Jon and Pam Sharp. What a blessing! One of the sights they said we HAD to see was the giant floral clock……I didn’t know what to expect, but can you believe this??? It even works!!! How they got a clock’s mechanisms inside this hill is beyond me, but it was SO neat!!! Brian took some close-ups of the floral arrangements so our readers could admire the beautiful landscaping.   Here are our friends, Jon and Pam.   Pam has been my mentor since shortly after coming to Chile.   We meet once a week or so to pray and share what’s happening in life and ministry.   Brian and I were paired up with the Sharps when we first arrived in Chile as our big brother-big sister……they have taken us under their wing, and we have learned much from them!   Pam and I sang hymns in Spanish and some in English on our car ride out to the coast……it was a treat!   The waves against the rocks were simply spe

Last Days Before Summer Break

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This past week was the last week of classes before the summer break....remember, since we're south of the equator, the seasons are opposite.  The school will have about 2 1/2 months off of school, so I wanted to take a picture of them to see how they grow and change.  Here is our first attempt......     Here is our second attempt......(they had permission to be silly)  On the day before break, there was a Christmas program that all the kids were a part of.  The title of the elementary portion was called, "In a Galilee Far, Far Away."  I was so proud of the Kindergartners!  In the photo below, you can see the elementary choir singing and the layout of the stage.  Brian was a HUGE help to making the set....he made platforms for the children to stand on, and he also helped with the spaceship control panel you can see in the middle. There was a time of fellowship after the program....the night was a huge success! On the last day of school there was a Christmas

Thanksgiving (extended)

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 We were truly blessed to spend our Thanksgiving with a great group of people and in wonderful place.  Thanksgiving is a highlight here because we were all able to unplug from the constant demands that are around us.  The ABWE missionaries here in Chile all go on a retreat over the holiday up in the mountains as a team building activity. There was an English speaking preacher (he has been a pastor for 45 years and had some tremendous things to share) who served in Chile for many years some time ago....that was SUCH a blessing to hear the Word in our native tongue! That is something we have really missed since we've been in Chile. There were also team members that shared their testimonies and special music. It was just nice and refreshing....we had a Thanksgiving meal too!  Yup that is Phyllis sharing some Special music! Each night there were always a few up for playing games!  We had the opportunity to learn a few new games, but ultimately the time of fellowship was