This Journey

Under The Influence

2012-01-31T15:51:00.000-08:00

In a Nepali newspaper in 2004, there was a bone-chilling story. A family was running into hard times, due to the husband's illness and inability to operate their small business. In a dream, the mother had supposedly been visited by the god Shiva, who informed her that the family's misfortunes were the fault of her 9-year-old son. If she would stab him with a trident, the deity instructed, the

Heir

2012-01-24T18:00:00.000-08:00

A woman sits on the dry barren earth in a God-forsaken wilderness, the unforgiving unforgiving rays of the noon-day sun beating mercilessly down on her wretched form. She is sobbing hysterically, her face soaking with the last salty drops of water left in her aching, fevered body. She has wandered not towards, but away from home and all that has been life to her for a long time. She is a mother.

MLK

2012-01-16T18:27:00.000-08:00

When I was in college at PUC, I used to find Black Heritage Week rather annoying. All week these African-American students would carry on about how special they were and how they weren't going to be victims anymore. Really? 'Cause the rest of the time they were just like everyone else as far as I was concerned. If you don't want racial discrimination, why make such a big deal about the

13. The Arrabito Kids

2012-01-08T19:19:00.000-08:00

I remember my mom's regretful recollection of taking her first son to Disneyland when he was a toddler. "He kept asking me, is it real, Mommy? Is it real?" she recalled, "And I kept having to tell him, 'No, Hon, it's not real.'" My mom, Patsy Arrabito, inherently knew what a lot of parents overlook: the simply little things that have grown dull to us are still wonderful and amazing to children

12. The Sabbath Project

2012-01-01T22:45:00.001-08:00

I was about 5, we were still living in our green corrugated tin barn-house in Angwin, and surviving on whatever Dad was able to make from his artwork. I wouldn’t call us poor. The refrigerator was always full of fresh fruits and veggies from the garden, the cupboards were stocked with carefully-purchased co-op foods and home-canned goods, and we were well-dressed in hand-me-downs from our

Tragedy in Tchad

2012-01-01T09:58:00.000-08:00

A friend just forwarded me this letter this morning, and the tears are still in my eyes. I long for heaven so much!!! James and Sarah Appel are missionaries serving in Bere, Tchad, Africa. James is a doctor and Sarah a nurse. This heart-wrenching letter tells of their dedication to their work, and the ultimate sacrifice a parent can make in the missionfield. Please pray for the Appels.

Blessings in 2011

2011-12-31T20:35:00.000-08:00

I started a facebook post "Eleven blessings of 2011:" but it got so long I decided to write a blog post instead! This can be my Christmas letter. :) January I'd committed 30 days to pray for our future, knowing that the Conference would soon be approaching us about attending the seminary. I wasn't going to attend the pastor's meetings in Leoni, but at the last minute I went. While there the

Under His Wings

2011-12-30T23:54:00.000-08:00

France and the Bay of Biscay blurred in front of me as I lost the fight against the tears flooding my eyes. I was standing in a not-so-crowded corner of a train station in Lyon, France, providing

11. Little House in Nelsonville

2011-12-20T23:41:00.000-08:00

Today I said goodbye to a man I hardly know, yet whom I've known my whole life. A man of whom I've thought negatively most of my life, and yet I realized today how much his generosity has influenced me. A man who's passing could mean the end of "home" as I've always known it. About 29 years ago Alvin Nelson and his son Mike attended an evangelistic seminar my dad was giving in the area of

Master the Tempest is Raging

2011-11-12T18:23:00.001-08:00

The other day a friend asked me, "How do you handle being angry at your offspring?" I know this sweet mom as being such a calm, steady, kind person, I'm sure the feeling anger at her adorable little one was as foreign to her as it was to me. I didn't have a chance to answer her at the moment, and didn't have a perfect answer if I'd had the chance, but I got to thinking about it a lot since then.

10. Pizza Party Baby

2011-10-20T11:59:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I opened a card from my mom. "I was 30 when you were born...," it started out in her cheerful, flowing handwriting--the story she has recited to me in person or letters every year for 30 years. Becoming a Father for the first time had inspired my dad to go return to his spiritual roots. He began reading the Bible and other books, and his heard yearned for more and more of God. He

Time Out

2011-10-17T18:28:00.000-07:00

Being a mother is like getting payed to get run over by a train every day. Except you don't get paid. Yesterday, weary physically and emotionally, I was sitting in the rocker with my infant sleeping in my lap when my husband and 2-year-old came home. Jose went upstairs and T. looked at me and said, "Hung-ee?" "You can get that bag off the counter," I pointed lazily at a bag of snacks.

9. A Father's Grief

2011-10-12T18:14:00.000-07:00

The other morning we were snuggled in bed with our kids when, my 2-year-old said spontaneously, "I la' lu' Da'-ee." First time saying "I love you" without being prompted! So many sad experiences in life have taught me never to take for granted the bond between a child and his daddy. I am so thankful to God that my son has a wise, loyal daddy, and I can't even imagine either of them being without

8. And Then He Met Patsy

2011-09-18T18:30:00.000-07:00

The Jim that came back to PUC for college that fall was a older than the Jimmy who had stood at the marriage altar scarcely four years earlier. Marriage, fatherhood, and separation had sobered and matured him far beyond is 22 years. Of two things he was certain: he wanted to do something great for God, and he wasn't going to get involved with any women! The young man who once lost fifty pounds

7. Little Jimmy

2011-09-16T18:50:00.000-07:00

Little Jimmy Arrabito was out exploring one day when he found a great big snake hole that made him very excited. After digging and exploring around for a bit, his efforts were rewarded by the discovery of an enormous snake! The creature was so huge that when the boy held it up by it's middle, it's head dragged on one side of him and it's tail on the other! At least that's how he described it. I

6. Out on the Rocks

2011-09-16T18:04:00.000-07:00

Today my mom called me to see how my very stressful week was going. She urged me to ask one of my friends to come by and help with the kids now and then when I feel overwhelmed. I know I'm not the only one who finds it hard to do that. I know everyone's busy, I don't want anyone to feel pressured, and sometimes I even worry what my husband will think of me if I can't handle it. I remember my

5. Here and There

2011-09-14T12:28:00.000-07:00

One spring when I was in college, I gave my mother a whoopee cushion for her birthday. She had come to have lunch with me in the PUC dining commons, and she promptly blew the thing up and sat on it. When we were getting up from the meal, she accidently bumped into the gentlemen getting up from the table that was very close behind us. Turning to apologize, she found herself face to face with her

4. Patronage

2011-09-13T20:58:00.000-07:00

My grandfather, in addition to being a donkey-carting business manager, was incidentally a saint. No man or woman who ever knew George Gott for any length of time would ever state differently. Based on his own reports, his mother was a saint, so he comes by it naturally. Great grandma was converted to Adventist by a traveling book salesman, and it was no coincidence that grandpa became a

3. How the Gott's Got Baklava

2011-09-13T20:03:00.000-07:00

Little Patsy Gott was just a three-year-old toe-head on a great big steamer in one of the earliest memories I've heard her recount. There she remembered her big brother Tom, who was a couple years older, walking along the railing of the ship, much to his parents disapproval. Jacque was just a baby in her mother's arms when the family crossed the great big blue waters to take up a mission post in

2. Gentlemen Prefer....

2011-09-13T19:35:00.001-07:00

Being at Andrews has reminded me of an amusing, somewhat irritating incident that happened a few years ago when I was in college. My grandfather was invited to a university alumni dinner hosted at Marie Calendar's in Yountville, and, not wanting to go alone, invited my mother an I to attend with him. Yep, we crashed the alumni dinner. Anyway, so here we are, crashing the alumni dinner, and we

1. More Than a Mother

2011-09-13T19:20:00.000-07:00

For a long time I've been wanting to write something about my mother. Why? Because she's only the most awesome human being I know. If I was given a chance to have lunch with any person I wanted, I would choose someone besides my mother ONLY because I get to rub shoulders with her without making a wish. This woman brought me into the world through pain and hardship in the furnished basement of

Confession of a Crummy Friend

2011-08-02T18:23:00.000-07:00

I'm crummy at making friends. How can any woman who hates talking on the phone as much as I do be good at making (or keeping) friends? For some reason I prefer the much less personal means of communication like e-mail and facebook. There are a few people in my life I can bare my heart to, but the truth is, for the most part, I'm just not good at being close to people.I wasn't a very popular

Mocker

2011-05-20T20:52:00.000-07:00

Tonight there are a few people out there who are super happy. They're not worried about their mortgage or their in-laws or the weeds in their garden. They don't care about the price of gas or when our troops will come home from Afghanistan. Because they are convinced their going Home tomorrow. According to Family Radio Host Harold Camping, tomorrow is the long-awaited judgement day. We've all

"MUCH IS REQUIRED"

2011-04-28T22:19:00.000-07:00

What does your pastor's Bible witness, and if it could tell secrets, what might it say?Dear Friends,I’m one of your pastor’s dearest friends and closest companions—his Bible. I see him at his best and at his worst. I’ve witnessed some of his greatest successes as well as his most heart-sinking failures. I was there when he gave his life to God and heard the call to serve God’s people, and I’ll be

EXCUSE ME, YOUR EPIDERMIS IS SHOWING

2011-03-24T10:44:00.000-07:00

You know the story. So-and-so’s niece showed up at the church social showing too much cleavage and wearing too much makeup. Her skin was playing peek-a-boo through gaping holes in her jeans. She was wearing big ole’ hooker bangles from her ears and around her wrists. The men in the church were having trouble putting their eyeballs in their sockets. Mr. Smith had a few things to say to the

ARE MISSIONARIES UNBALANCED?

2011-03-23T10:19:00.000-07:00

- I was so inspired by this I just had to share! I can totally relate to being "unbalanced". From Anthropological Insights for Missionaries by Paul Hiebert. Originally appeared in HIS, student magazine of Inter-Varsity Christian Fellowship, 1982. T. Norton Sterrett Are missionaries unbalanced? Of course they are. I'm one. I ought to know. A missionary probably began as an ordinary man or

I Doubt

2011-03-21T22:37:00.000-07:00

Have you ever been so challenged in your faith that you questioned the validity of everything you ever believed? I’ve been disappointed with God lots of times. I don’t always understand His method of Fathering me, and sometimes I feel downright let down. There have been times when I read familiar comforting passages of scripture, and they seemed to mock me. In times like those, it doesn’t matter

Permission to Learn IX: Final Thoughts

2011-03-21T16:29:00.000-07:00

GROWING IN PAIRSIf God has given you the opportunity to grow with someone special, you are truly blessed. This may be a dear friend with whom you are able to be truly heart-to-heart, a sibling, or it may be your spouse. Two people who trust each other enough to be honest about their own weaknesses, to divulge, listen, encourage, and pray with and for one another is a powerful thing, and can

Permission to Learn VII: Portrait of a Learner

2011-03-17T21:38:00.000-07:00

The biggest thing that identifies the learner is his ability to fail without feeling like a failure, while still striving to grow. Giving myself permission to learn is giving myself permission to make mistakes, because there’s no way to learn without those pesky things. The Learner expects mistakes and recognizes the value in identifying and acknowledging them. Being open about ones shortcomings

Permission to Learn VI: Fear of Change

2011-03-03T20:22:00.000-08:00

In his allegorical story “Who Moved My Cheese”, Dr. Spencer Johnson tells of four characters in a maze. The two rats and two “little people” spend their days running around the maze looking for cheese. One day, they find a generous supply, and after finding it in the same place day after day, the settle into a routine. One day after a very long time, the cheese is gone! The rats, simple creatures

Permission to Learn V: MOUTH ALMIGHTY!

2011-02-23T15:49:00.000-08:00

To read all five parts of this thread, scroll down to PERMISSION TO LEARN (Part I), February 12.The Teacher ComplexSometimes we’re so busy thinking about how to change the people around us, that we forget to look out how we need to be changed. I have a problem with this. My mind is often so full of what I could teach someone, if they’d just listen to me, that I’m in danger of missing a chance to

Permission to Learn IV: Religious Conviction

2011-02-15T21:13:00.000-08:00

This is the fourth part in a series on learning. Be sure to scroll down to PERMISSION TO LEARN (Part I), February 12, to read the whole thing.It’s really amazing what has been done in the name of God. Elijah scolded King Ahab in his own palace. Mary Magdalene, with her scandalous reputation, appeared brazenly in the presence of “Godly” scholars to honor Jesus. David challenged a Giant at least

Permission to Learn III: Suppression and Arrogance

2011-02-13T21:12:00.000-08:00

This is the third part in a series. Be sure to scroll down to "PERMISSION TO LEARN (Part I)", February 12.SUPPRESSIONI do believe there are some who have experienced so much criticism in their lives that they survive in a small cubicle, surrounded by walls of self-doubt, unable to peek beyond or even understand that there is a world out there to learn from. Some have built up a nice little mental

Permission to Learn II: Self Protectiveness

2011-02-12T10:07:00.000-08:00

Be sure to scroll down to "PERMISSION TO LEARN (Part 1)", February 12.SELF-PROTECTIVENESS:From JudgementOnce a church member pulled me aside after church and told me I should never correct my husband in front of other people. I smiled and agreed, but inside I was a ball of rebellious emotions. Was she sexist? What did she know about my relationship with my husband? Who was she to advise me on

PERMISSION TO LEARN (Part I)

2011-02-12T09:59:00.000-08:00

This topic is quite broad, and something I'm continuing to think about and learn about, so I would like to share it in parts. PLEASE feel free to share your thoughts and comments! There's a lot still to come, and you might "jump the gun" on me, but more than likely, you'll give me something new to think about and incorporate in future posts! Thanks!We recently sat down for a visit with a family

Don't Worry, Be Happy!

2011-01-16T10:30:00.000-08:00

Matthew 6:31-34, New Adel TranslationI noticed this morning in my reading of Matthew 6 that in the Lord's prayer we're to ask God to provide for our needs TODAY ("give us this day our daily bread...."). Not tomorrow or next month. Ok, I know, we've heard it before, but it's nice to be reminded, and I especially needed it today. Going on from there:"So, don't worry, saying, "What will we eat? What

Why I'm Afraid I'll Never Be a Good Pastor's Wife

2011-01-14T10:11:00.000-08:00

Disclaimer: I've just had an "aha" moment where I realized that my sense of unfitness doesn't have to do with me trying to meet someone else's or my own unreasonable expectations. Rather, my feeling of being misplaced has to do with my own belief system. This is in no way an effort to discredit or discourage pastors, or even an attempt to justify my stance. It's simply venting my confusion, and I

Why Have Kids?

2011-01-11T10:45:00.000-08:00

Pretty much everyone who's ever considered being a parent has grappled with the very serious question, "Does it make sense to bring a child into this troubled world?" Inevitably, the answer is, "No way!" and yet for a vast majority of us, that doesn't stop us. So why do we have kids? So where does this urge to procreate come from in the first place? I guess it could be argued that it is

What "The Call" Means For Me This Week

2010-11-11T13:27:00.000-08:00

A little bowlegged boy in a red sweatshirt with a zebra on the front stumbles in through the sliding glass door accompanied by a shaft of gracious winter sunshine. For a minute he takes a break, laying his head on the carpet and looking up at me pathetically, sucking on his blue Nuk. He raises a hand and waves, as though looking down on me from a parade float. He gets up again and practices

Being the Beloved

2010-09-01T06:33:00.000-07:00

She's got sparkling blue eyes and hair that flows flaxen in the sunlight. Her smile is worth a million bucks. She's got a quirky sense of humor and a heart that beats with compassion for the hurting. She loves to walk silently through the woods, listening and looking and absorbing all the wonder of creation. She's got her tears and her faults, but in spite of them and for all these things and for

Life....

2010-08-05T09:27:00.000-07:00

Hi friends. It's been forever since I posted anything. Not because nothing's happening in my life, but because it's rather ordinary by most standards, and I hate to bore anyone. We've been busy this summer with a visit to my in-laws, vacation, campmeeting, and, of course, seeing my mom whenever possible. My poor child has spent nearly as much time in his carseat as he has in his own bed!Tee is

Fiji Opportunity--URGENT!

2010-05-21T13:17:00.000-07:00

Hi Friends,Many of you have faithfully followed my updates as I have traveled around and served in different countries praying, encouraging, and supporting. Today my days are filled with dirty diapers and drool and late nights and the wonder of a child experiencing the world for the first time. Becoming a mother and raising this little person is by far the most amazing journey I have been on.

Hi Friends

2010-05-07T13:09:00.000-07:00

I'm always warmed to see even one person looking at my blog each day, even though I have been so bad at keeping up on it. It would be redundant to say I'm busy.... who isn't? Then again, there is the little problem of being brain-dead half the time.I saw a girl in the store yesterday carrying a 4-month-old baby. As usual when I see a wee one, I think, "How lucky! What an easy age!" and then

Enjoy It!

2010-04-04T20:18:00.000-07:00

I remember a movie I saw when I was a kid called "In Search of the Castaways", starring the eternally optimistic Hayley Mills. Despite being shaken by earthquakes, treed by floods, and chased by cannibals, the crew is treated to an old Frenchman's attitude of "Enjoy it!" (in a hearty french accent, of course!) Yesterday at church, while trying to get my little man to take a nap in the mother's

6 Months Old

2010-03-19T20:15:00.001-07:00

"Uncle George" came off the bus tuesday morning dressed in full fatigues and wearing a sloppy smile and exhausted eyes. After greeting his girlfriend, he took his little nephew in his hands. Tee, who he prefers to call "Jimmy-bean" or "pop-tart" or pretty much anything but "Tee" was born just 3 days after George left on his deployment to Afghanistan.George held his nephew at arms length and

"Mama"

2010-03-06T20:56:00.000-08:00

Most mornings for the past months I have awakened to hear sweet little sounds emanating from the ruffly white basinet next to my bed. "Owowowow..." a tiny voice says. "Oooowow...owowow..." He's wrapped up in his own world, practicing using his lips and voice to make different sounds. The "w" turns to a "b" sometimes and he says, "Babababaaa..." In addition to blowing raspberries, crying, and a

5 Months

2010-03-01T14:15:00.001-08:00

If you're wondering why I haven't posted in such a long time, you probably don't have any kids. It's not just about being busy, because, as we all know, we make time for what's important, right? It actually has more to do with what one could call post-partum retardation. This is the slowing of mental processes due to system overload, sort of like when your PC freezes up when you have too many

First Christmas

2009-12-25T13:36:00.000-08:00

Tee is 3 months 8 days old today (13 weeks 1 day). He doesn't know it's Christmas, although he sure loves all the flashing lights. He has no idea how adorable he looks in his new red and white striped socks or the fuzzy brown had with reindeer antlers. He has no idea yet how much fun his grandma had getting him new jammies or how his mommy cringed through "March of the Penguins" Christmas eve

Let's talk about FAT

2009-12-17T18:18:00.000-08:00

It's every new mother's affliction. One day you're feeling like the goddess of life and beauty, overflowing with light and love and "that glow". The day after the wonderful expected event, you look in the mirror and you have a boggy gut hanging down in front of you like yesterday's dirty shirt hanging over the side of the hamper. And despite the massive tsunami of events that has just collided

Big Babies

2009-12-13T14:58:00.000-08:00

I've been thinking a lot lately about what it would be like if we carried some of the cute traits of babyhood into our adult lives. For one thing, our head would be about 1/4th the size of our total hight, and our legs together would make up about the size of our head, making our torso about half the size of our total body. Our arms would be so short we'd be doing good to touch the top of our

Baby Diaries 40: Insanity

2009-11-29T16:16:00.000-08:00

The tears are finally wiped dry on his face and mine, and he’s “sleeping like a baby” on my bed. This lull may last any length of time, and I have to take it for what it is. Don’t think for a minute that it was easy getting to this point—nothing’s easy anymore! But for a few minutes, the house is silent, and that is beyond golden. I never thought of myself as a rigid person. I guess I knew I

Methodology

2009-11-12T11:59:00.000-08:00

Attachment parenting. Baby Wise. Cry-it-out. Babywearing. Sometimes it's so hard knowing what's right, what's wrong, or simply what's right for us. My husband's friend recently told him we needed to shut our baby in another room all night and let him cry himself to sleep where we can't hear him. Do it for a few nights, he advised, and he'll learn to fall asleep on his own. The thought of my

Baby Diaries 39: Moments

2009-11-02T19:58:00.000-08:00

-It’s almost 3 in the morning. I’ve been up with Tee since 12:30 doing the round of feeding and changing. Now he’s back in his bassinet protesting for all he’s worth. He doesn’t have to be able to speak words for me to understand him: “I DON’T want to go to sleep! I DON’T want to be swaddled! I want to be held and bounced and sung to for a few more hours! Let me OUT of this thing NOW!”My eyes

Baby Diaries 38: Poop!

2009-11-02T19:56:00.000-08:00

9/19/09 It’s an overcast afternoon and I’m sitting in the warm comfort of my childhood home, gazing into the sleeping angel face in my lap. Tee has gained probably 3 pounds now, and is covered with a comfy layer of chub. Where once there were wrinkles in the loose skin on his scrawny arms and legs, there are now fine creases between little rolls of chub. His skin is becoming ruddy, his lips and

What's On the Easle

2009-11-02T19:55:00.000-08:00

Here is the beginning of my post. And here is the rest of it.

Before I knew Your name

2009-10-07T11:08:00.000-07:00

By Chris Rodriguez on "Butterfly Kisses and Bedtime Prayers"Angels fly above youThey know that I love you so,I watch you dreaming now, I wonder if you know:Before I knew your nameBefore I saw your eyes, your chin and your nose,Before I counted your fingers and toesI asked heaven for someone wonderful as youAnd every prayer and wish came true,I dreamed of you before I knew your name.I am thankful

Baby Diaries 37: In the Nursery

2009-09-25T20:32:00.000-07:00

The doctor delivered the placenta and then put a couple stitches in a small tear. It hurt. The after-contractions hurt, too, but I had my baby in my arms.They took him briefly to clean him up and give him a vitamin K shot. I had planned on refusing that until it became apparent I would have a preterm infant. With the increased chance of bleeding, I agreed to the shot. I watched them from across

Baby Diaries 36: Welcome Home

2009-09-25T20:26:00.000-07:00

The doctor kept asking me if I felt the urge to push. I did feel some pressure, but I didn’t feel the overwhelming, unavoidable urge that I was expecting. “When it’s time to push, you won’t be able to stop yourself from pushing,” I’d heard. The doctor encouraged me to push. The first few times I tried, it didn’t feel right. The nurse had taken the birthing bed apart by this time, removing the

Baby Diaries 35: The Darkest Moment

2009-09-25T19:36:00.000-07:00

Within an hour or so contractions were coming 7-8 minutes apart again, and now I was getting excited. After a day and a half of labor, I was just getting those feelings most moms get when they feel the first contractions—“This baby is coming!” I looked around the room thinking before long there would be another human there who’d never yet seen the world. The pit wasn’t nearly as bad as I expected

Baby Diaries XXXIV: A Labor of Love

2009-09-20T22:07:00.000-07:00

My contractions went from 8-15 minutes apart to 7 minutes apart and then 4-5 minutes apart during the long, quiet hours of Tuesday night. Mom was here, and our friend Lexie. My nurse by then knew, but she was being great about giving us time and space and not doing a lot of monitoring and moving us to the labor ward, as was protocol. I hadn’t expected a short delivery, and was handling the

Baby Diaries XXXIII: Open, Cervix!

2009-09-17T19:31:00.000-07:00

The other night getting out of the shower, I whacked my ankle hard on something. For a second I scrunched up my face and tried to keep from yelping. Then I thought, Lady, you’re about to go into labor, this isn’t pain! I dropped my shoulders and tried to ignore it. I’ve had signs of impending labor since Saturday evening, when I started to pass a bloody discharge. That night contractions

Hospital Days: Photos

2009-09-12T12:43:00.000-07:00

Baby Diaries XXXII: Hospital Days

2009-09-12T12:40:00.000-07:00

It’s about 8:30 a.m. and the nurse is just setting my breakfast tray gently on the bedside table. I peek to see who it is.... It’s Priscilla, the nurse who most often cares for me and who I’ve come to appreciate so much for her support and encouragement. She’s the petite lady with big blond hair and cheeks generously blushed pink. If it was one of the less familiar nurses, I might pretend to be

Baby Diaries XXXI: Care Package

2009-09-10T16:01:00.000-07:00

If there’s one thing that lifts a woman’s spirits, it’s getting out in a new dress she feels great in. And if there is someone to gush over the dress, it’s that much more gratifying. That certainly wasn’t the experience I was expecting to have yesterday morning when I sat alone in my room.Jose had left the night before to get a couple days work done at home. I’ve been so fortunate to have him

Baby Diaries XXX: Dr. Lanowitch

2009-09-10T15:55:00.000-07:00

“I just live in fear of Dr. Lanowitch,” confessed Nurse P. in her sweet childlike voice. Nurse P. is a petite lady with a fluffy blond ponytail and pink cheeks. She has been my nurse most of the time, and has been so sweet and supportive. Now she was trying to give me a little heads-up about the next doctor who would be on shift. Typically, the hospital staff are very careful what they say about

Baby Diaries XXIX: 34 Weeks

2009-09-05T13:59:00.000-07:00

When Doctor H. came to see me Friday morning he carried congratulations on my making it to the earmarked 34 weeks. He has been very good to me, easygoing about my desire to keep things as medically uncomplicated as possible, and willing to let me go longer than the 34 weeks. We chatted briefly and he asked what I would like to do if I went to 36 weeks without going into labor spontaneously.

Baby Diaries XXVIII: Prayers

2009-09-05T13:56:00.000-07:00

All through my pregnancy my prayer has been that God would protect our baby, give it health, give my body health to provide my baby with the best environment, and prepare us to be parents. Since being hospitalized, my prayer has grown. I have prayed, first of all, that if it’s God’s will, He would heal the tear in my membranes and let me go home. If not, I’ve prayed He will guard our baby from

Baby Artwork

2009-09-03T16:13:00.000-07:00

Karate KidFrom the Other SideSharaTrampoline

Baby Diaries XXVII: Daddy Dreams

2009-09-02T13:01:00.000-07:00

At what point does a man become a father? Is it the moment when, unbeknown to man or woman, a microscopic tadpole unites itself with a microscopic egg? Is it when two lines show up on a stick after mom pees on it? Or is it when a squirming, slimy, screaming infant is placed in his uncertain arms for the first time? In some cultures it is when the baby first recognizes and smiles at him.Maybe it’s

Baby Diaries XXVI: A Beautiful Child

2009-09-02T12:10:00.000-07:00

This child is beautiful, I know it. Despite the monitors and medications and hospital policies, beneath this wall of flesh, in the dark waters, there lives a beautiful child. I rest my hand on my belly so long I leave tiny little veins of fingerprints. I feel a little bottom shifting around, and sometimes a little foot pushing and exploring the soft inside wall on the right side of my belly.I can

32 weeks

2009-08-31T11:48:00.001-07:00

I just realized I forgot to post this last week. I'm now 33 weeks 2 days and hoping for 3 more weeks!

Dear Baby (8/28/09)

2009-08-30T16:40:00.000-07:00

Dear BabyI wonder if you sense the change in atmosphere and in Mommy’s mood? Fortunately it looks like you’re still happy as a little lark inside of me, and I want to keep it that way as long as possible. In this strange new atmosphere with people poking and prodding me and watching every hiccup you make, I have to remember that you’re mine, not theirs.Up until now you and me have been in such a

Baby Diaries XXV: Hospitalized

2009-08-29T22:19:00.000-07:00

After all the reading and planning and dreaming I’ve done on natural homebirth, after the advice I’ve given and the horror I’ve felt reading women’s birth stories, the hospital is the last place I expected to be at the end of my 33rd week of gestation. “I need to go in and get checked,” I said to Jose ruefully Thursday morning. I’d had a watery discharge for a week that was starting to turn a

"I Saw God Today"

2009-08-23T11:45:00.001-07:00

("I Saw God Today", by George Straight on Troubadour)I just walked down the street to the coffee shophad to take a break I'd been by her side for eighteen hours straightI saw a flower growing in the middle of the sidewalkpushing up through the concretelike it was planted right there for me to seethe flashin' lights, the honkin' hornsall seemed to fade awayin the shadow of that hospital at 5:08I

Baby Diaries XXIV: Craving Sleep

2009-08-22T18:33:00.000-07:00

Could it be that seven months have already gone by? I can hardly believe it. The first 3 months went so slowly I thought I would never get to the "fun" stage. Now I'm so deeply into the "fun" stage I can't even sleep at night! Our little one is growing so much, stretching my belly out beyond what seems reasonable. Most people think I'm ready to deliver. As many times as I say, "Two more months,"

29-weeks

2009-08-17T10:08:00.000-07:00

2009-08-03T17:43:00.000-07:00

We pulled up on a muddy road before a tiny white-washed house with a thatched roof. As soon as I stepped out of the car in front of the doorway, I heard gasps of pleasure and then the children calling out “helloes”. I was surprised to see 30 or so children crammed into one tiny room. Their enthusiasm nearly bowled me over!Brother Israel took me around the side to another low door, where the

Low Battery

2009-08-03T17:39:00.000-07:00

7/29/09(Warning: Readers may be subjected to some whining in this post.)In 12 hours I’ll be on the plane to Hong Kong. In something like 30 hours I’ll be landing in San Francisco, carrying myself down the hall, getting my bag, and being greeted at the front by my wonderful husband. In a couple more hours I’ll sit for some good food with my mom and friends. I’m counting down the hours, running on

Orphanage Photos

2009-08-03T17:33:00.001-07:00

Bethel Orphanage

2009-08-03T17:28:00.000-07:00

7/29Israel had suggested leaving at 6:00 in the morning to get to the orphanage before the children left for school. I got up at 5:30 and got ready, then wished I had asked Israel if he meant 6:00 Indian time or foreign time. As it was, we were on the road by 6:20. We went through a maze of streets that took us through area that was less and less populated. After some time we started on a

Chembrambakkam Photos

2009-08-03T17:23:00.000-07:00

Chembrambakkam School

2009-08-03T17:18:00.000-07:00

It’s really not as hard to pronounce as it looks. It sounds something like “Chem-rum-back-am”. This is a village about an hour and a half out of town in which was established the first of the Bethel schools. At some point there were so many children that it became necessary to seek out a second location. A church elder made his home available, and now his wife cooks and his daughter-in-law

Chennai- 7/27

2009-08-03T16:59:00.000-07:00

I could tell the difference as soon as I landed in South India, yes, even before as I looked down on the twinkling lights of the city. I didn’t realize how backward, dirty, and chaotic North India was until I saw the clean airport and experienced order on the roads. Some of the difference I couldn’t put my finger on: something in the air? It was late when we stopped in front of the gate at Israel

Under a Wing - 7/27/09

2009-08-03T16:53:00.000-07:00

“He who dwells in the secret place of the most high shall abide under the shadow of the almighty. I will say of the Lord he is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust. Surely he shall deliver you from the snare of the fowler, and from the perilous pestilence. He shall cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you shall take refuge….” (Psalms 91:1-4)“Yes, Sister,” the pastor

Students

2009-08-03T16:26:00.000-07:00

There are 35 children's names on the list, the last 15 of whom were recorded after I left. Lift up these kids in prayer! Thanks!Amit BabluBalramBehariChandiniGopal KumarKaran KumarKishore KumarMithun KumarMuna KumarNirja KumarAsha KumarMontuNitishPintuRinkuSahilSanamSantoshShankerSaheli KumariSarwan KumarSunnyBintaPinkiKaranDeepakNandiniSurajRajSunamBittoNishaAman KumarPooja

Amritsar Photos

2009-07-31T21:21:00.000-07:00

With Pastor Gill's children, Sonal and Khushi. Brother Israel Prasad switches hats with Mr. Nazir.Enteryway to Brother Isaac's property, potential site for Laxmi's school.It needs some cleaning up, but it will be a great site once it's ready.Sister Rebecca Gill mashing onion and ginger for our breakfast.Me making french toast and ranch-style scrambled eggs for the family on my "last" morning in

One More Evening at the School

2009-07-31T18:38:00.000-07:00

Surely it was God’s design that I stay in Amritsar one more evening. The afternoon had a “day after” feeling about it. The foreigners were gone (supposedly), the show was over. Pastor and I went together to the new school, and I realized how difficult it would be for him now that we had started this operation and left him to take care of it without any help. When we drove by the turquoise shack

Walking With Jesus

2009-07-31T18:05:00.000-07:00

This little guy is one of the local children who attends the church where the Amritsar school is temporarily being held. He's so cute it hurts!

"Only A Day Away"

2009-07-26T03:40:00.000-07:00

Rumbling back towards Amritsar from the airport in a loud, stinky auto rickshaw.... I was NOT pleased to be making this trip I made last Wednesday. Then it was what I had planned on. Now I wanted to be on my flight to Chennai, feeling like I was starting the journey home in some way. I might have been proud of myself at one time to be able to navigate a pickle like this by myself. I'd been

Bethel School: Photos

2009-07-25T11:18:00.000-07:00

Bethel School, Amritsar

2009-07-25T05:49:00.000-07:00

"...Behold I have set before you an open door, and no man can shut it...." Revelation 3:8It was 5 minutes to 5:00 when we stopped before the gutted little alleyway that led to the little church where we were to conduct our first Bethel evening school session. I considered this no small accomplishment, considering the delays we have experienced. I guess for once the Devil took a break from trying

Baby Imanuel

2009-07-24T21:05:00.000-07:00

Yesterday Brother Imanuel came to fetch me on his motorbike so I could visit his wife, Sheela, and the new baby just returned from the hospital. My skirt was just full enough to straddle the back of the bike, and when I got on, Sister Rebecca and another onlooker laughed. Oops, silly me, I forgot women usually sit side-saddle. Experiencing Indian traffic from the back of a motorbike was a new

A Little more Anniversary

2009-07-24T09:16:00.000-07:00

When I told Israel I planned an online ice-cream date with my husband Thursday night to celebrate our anniversary, he thought it was a wonderful idea and promised to invite Pastor Gill and Brother Isaac and their families. On the way back from our meeting in the little church, we stopped in the market to purchase a few things. I couldn’t believe how long it took to get the bulletin board, paper,

Making Contact: More Photos

2009-07-24T00:03:00.000-07:00

Inside the cottage of the Lady of the Change of Heart. Left to Right: Israel Prasad, Pastor Rajeev Gill, Brother Samuel Isaac, the Lady's sister and niece.Israel with the Lady and her son and niece.Our hostess bailing rainwater out of her house.Myself with the family of the house and the landlord (far left)"World-Famous" wrestler, Veejay Kumar and friends.The landlord, the wrestlers brother. Also

A Rainstorm and a Wrestler: We Make contact!

2009-07-23T23:43:00.000-07:00

I woke up to an overcast sky Thursday morning. As I sat waiting for 7:00, our scheduled time to go to the slum, the wind picked up and a sudden surge of rain attacked my window. The rain provides a huge relief from the oppressive heat, but I prayed that it wouldn’t hinder our important plans for the morning. When we went out, vehicles were sloshing through the already-flooded streets. We waited

Midnight Surprise

2009-07-23T10:39:00.000-07:00

I had been asleep just an hour when I was awakened by Israel’s voice in the hallway. He was saying hello to someone, and for the life of me I couldn’t understand who would be stopping by in the middle of the night. I kicked my sheets off and rolled over to go back to sleep. Then my doorbell rang. I opened the door just enough to look out, and there stood Olga and Robyn, Mr. Isaac’s 20-something

Dinner with Mr. ....

2009-07-23T04:22:00.000-07:00

I probably shouldn't post pictures without knowing people's names, but I'm a little delayed in that realm. This is the gentleman who has donated so generously to the church. He has very little education, but has worked at a bank many years, and God has blessed him. His home is very simple, but he is surrounded by his children, and is a very happy man.The ladies preparing our dinner. Pastor's wife

A Door Opens

2009-07-22T05:50:00.000-07:00

When we again discussed meeting with the parents from Lakshmi’s camp last evening, Pastor Gill and Brother Isaac seemed to disagree. After attempting to make headway using Mr. Masih’s influence (the politician), and being disappointed, the pastor didn’t seem very hopeful. But Mr. Isaac shrugged it off, insisting there was still a good chance. They agreed to return to the slum in the morning to

A Sliver of Sun

2009-07-21T18:59:00.000-07:00

I awoke early this morning after a long night of gastric pains. Seems it finally caught up with me! It’s not so bad, really, I’ve had much worse. Normally I love to feel my baby moving around in the morning, but Baby kicking ailing intestines is NOT a good feeling! I pulled back the curtain to see what kind of day it was, and was greeted by this partial solar eclipse. I had heard last night there

July 21 Photos

2009-07-21T18:35:00.000-07:00

Pastor Rajeev Gill frying eggs for our breakfast.Sister Rebecca Gill in the classroom.Church students.How many men does it take to change a tire? Brother Isaac: "Two, can't you see?"Church members gather for a midday prayer meeting. Pastor blesses an offering so generously given. What people do to their children....Pastor and the lay worker pray over a sick child.