Ants In My Pants!

Ants In My Pants!

Okay...not really...but close!

One of the things that thrives in the Topics is BUGS! We have been fighting little tiny ants in our home for months. We have asked Trini's what to do and we have gotten some ideas from them, but to no avail...the ants have taken over. Sometimes we can find a trail and see where they are coming in and deal with it...for awhile(sigh), but they find another entrance eventually. The truth be told, they are not invading our space, but we are invading their territory. They were here first:)

I have little tiny (almost hard to see) ants crawling on me when I am sitting, standing, sleeping, eating and well...you can fill in the blanks, if other ideas come to your mind.

I am certain I have ingested and inhaled a number of them. Ashleigh (my daughter) woke up one morning with one crawling in her eye!

Ants In My Pants...well...actually...MAYBE!

I haven't written for awhile...some may say writers block...I say "stuck". I am not sure what to call what I have been going through (not really quite out of it) but I have felt all plugged up. Maybe there is such a thing as Spiritual constitpation:) Women will often say, they are emotional and don't really know why. I think that is part of it. So much change has come to me in the last three years, that I think it caught up with me and put me in "weary mode" for awhile. My level of pain in my right hip dosen't help...it's just always there and some days I don't handle it as well. I don't discount Spiritual forces either. I know that what we are doing here in Trinidad is the last thing that the enemy of our souls wants, and he likes to throw fits, reek havoc, annoy and disrupt.

I do know this...as a believer...a daughter of the King...I can last on what I know to be true until feelings come, I can seek my God even when I don't feel His presence, read His Word even when I don't see the answers I am looking for. I am His on the bad, ugly days. I am His on the dark days that beg for understanding. He sees me when no one else does. He smiles at me and appreciates me when no one else does. He waits for me...

We can't afford to play "catch up Christianity". We must put God's Word in our hearts everyday, talk to God everyday...because you don't know when "hard" will hit. Sometimes, "hard" stays around for awhile. I know this...God gets it...and thank you God...you get ME!

Leaving on a Jet Plane

I am sitting at the Open Bible National Office using their internet on our second full day here in Trinidad. We are in temporary housing for a month and will have internet there in a few days. Everything feels abit surreal...a bit like a dream. One thing that helps me is that I have been on the road, staying in many places for the past year, so being in one more place, one more bed...is familiar. I do look forward to settling into a permanent location. It's hard to believe that we are really here. My heartache is still fresh from leaving my family, especially my granddaughters. I close my eyes and see Madison's and Maiah's faces and yes...tears flow (like now!) I look forward to the first time we can skype!

Our good friends, Jack and Laurel Ancone hosted a family reunion on their ranch in Texas before we left the country. What a gift to our family! There are no words...Jack and Laurel drove us to the Houston Airport on July 6th. Here are some interesting moments on our trip...

As we were landing in the Miami Airport, our plane pulled up quickly and had to circle around again due to another plane on the ground crossing the runway...Thank you Jesus for safety!

We were getting ready to go through security and a lady started screaming, "Somebody help me!" Never saw her, just heard her...others went to help...still don't know what was wrong.

As we stood in line at the Miami Airport getting ready to go through security, a man in front of us left his suitcase and walked off...hmmm...we told the security officer. I kept thinking, we need to be farther away from that suitcase than we are! It was good to get through security.

Flight from Miami was uneventful (Yeah!) Landed in Trinidad at about 10:30 p.m. Stood in long lines to go through customs. Got up to the window and we didn't have the proper paperwork, so we were sent back to call our contact in Trinidad, who had the proper paperwork on the otherside of the wall but there was no one free to go get them. We waited...finally an officer who saw us waiting came up to us and asked why and how he could help. He was able to get us temporary entry into the country with the understanding that we would go to Immigration as soon as possible. (We went this morning to start the process) We ended up getting to our temporary housing at 2 p.m. (very tired). Our wonderful brothers and sisters in Trinidad had sandwiches made and a few groceries to get us started! Our housing is very nice and comfortable and we have air conditioning!

So far we have been to the National office for Open Bible and visited with President Andy Homer and his assistant Pastor David. We have been to the bank to exchange the small amount of cash we had into TT dollars, to the mall to get a cell phone, the grocery store to get a few things, the immigration office and back to the National office today to use their internet. We will get internet at our temporary lodging in a couple of days and then Ashleigh will back to school!

Our son Jordan left this morning for a missions trip to Jamaica. We made our first international call from our cell phone to let him know we will be praying for him. He left Texas with a serious sunburn and has been suffering since. He finally went to the doctor before leaving the country and found out he has 1st and second degree burns. He now has medicine to put on the burn and some for the pain. Hard on a Mom's heart!

I don't know how often I will blog, but this is a beginning...God's is writing a new chapter in my life!

Leaving On A Jet Plane....

I am sitting at the Open Bible National Office using their internet on our second full day here in Trinidad. We are in temporary housing for a month and will have internet there in a few days. Everything feels abit surreal...a bit like a dream. One thing that helps me is that I have been on the road, staying in many places for the past year, so being in one more place, one more bed...is familiar. I do look forward to settling into a permanent location. It's hard to believe that we are really here. My heartache is still fresh from leaving my family, especially my granddaughters. I close my eyes and see Madison's and Maiah's faces and yes...tears flow (like now!) I look forward to the first time we can skype!

Our good friends, Jack and Laurel Ancone hosted a family reunion on their ranch in Texas before we left the country. What a gift to our family! There are no words...Jack and Laurel drove us to the Houston Airport on July 6th. Here are some interesting moments on our trip...

As we were landing in the Miami Airport, our plane pulled up quickly and had to circle around again due to another plane on the ground crossing the runway...Thank you Jesus for safety!

We were getting ready to go through security and a lady started screaming, "Somebody help me!" Never saw her, just heard her...others went to help...still don't know what was wrong.

As we stood in line at the Miami Airport getting ready to go through security, a man in front of us left his suitcase and walked off...hmmm...we told the security officer. I kept thinking, we need to be farther away from that suitcase than we are! It was good to get through security.

Flight from Miami was uneventful (Yeah!) Landed in Trinidad at about 10:30 p.m. Stood in long lines to go through customs. Got up to the window and we didn't have the proper paperwork, so we were sent back to call our contact in Trinidad, who had the proper paperwork on the otherside of the wall but there was no one free to go get them. We waited...finally an officer who saw us waiting came up to us and asked why and how he could help. He was able to get us temporary entry into the country with the understanding that we would go to Immigration as soon as possible. (We went this morning to start the process) We ended up getting to our temporary housing at 2 p.m. (very tired). Our wonderful brothers and sisters in Trinidad had sandwiches made and a few groceries to get us started! Our housing is very nice and comfortable and we have air conditioning!

So far we have been to the National office for Open Bible and visited with President Andy Homer and his assistant Pastor David. We have been to the bank to exchange the small amount of cash we had into TT dollars, to the mall to get a cell phone, the grocery store to get a few things, the immigration office and back to the National office today to use their internet. We will get internet at our temporary lodging in a couple of days and then Ashleigh will back to school!

Our son Jordan left this morning for a missions trip to Jamaica. We made our first international call from our cell phone to let him know we will be praying for him. He left Texas with a serious sunburn and has been suffering since. He finally went to the doctor before leaving the country and found out he has 1st and second degree burns. He now has medicine to put on the burn and some for the pain. Hard on a Mom's heart!

I don't know how often I will blog, but this is a beginning...God's is writing a new chapter in my life!