The recent past...
Our return to Texas has been eventful to say the least. Our "R&R" has come to mean "restlessness and re-connection." This is not a complaint by any means. We have been blessed with many scheduled visits with friends and family and many impromptu ones in local stores, restaurants or parking lots. Since our challenging return - we missed our Houston to Austin connection due to lengthy lines at customs so we were offered standby for the final two flights then try again the next day about 2 pm. We offered to fly into Killeen and the airline was more than happy to send us north. Our luggage meantime, was in Austin wondering where we went.
- We have enjoyed some of our favorite foods and found those culinary gems we have been missing.
- I have visited my doctor who not only treats me at a discounted rate, arranges for my meds to be purchased for three months in advance, but also said I had lost weight and my normally high blood pressure was perfect.
- We visited our faithful wiener dogs, Frank and Harley and saw that they have adapted well to living the life of luxury in their new home. During our visit with the dogs and Lee and Cindy Jarrard and their two sons, keepers of our hounds, our friend/renter, who graciously allows free room and board while we are in the states, called to say that the AC at the house had died. A review of the AC beast revealed that a new system was needed: KaChiiiing. $3,000 later and the house was cool once again. Sloan (our friend/renter) has done a beautiful job with the yard and house. I don't think it is as kid-friendly as it was when we were the primary residents, but it looks and feels great inside and out.
- We ate dinner last night with Riverside friends, the Avila and Serrano familiesand worshiped with them this morning.
- We have made about six trips to Wal-Mart and other places to fill in the gaps of the things we cannot get in Nicaragua. It is quite a list.
- I have inflicted upon myself "busy work" in these days home so far in hopes that by the end of this week or a couple days next week I am able to relax in the pool and catch my breath after an incredible summer.
- Sheila has been preparing for a presentation to teachers on the topic of differentiated learning. She will present tomorrow morning. She is such a gifted teacher. She is using experiences she has observed in Nicaraguan classrooms to base her presentation.
- We plan to have dinner with all my Texas siblings Monday evening in Temple.
- I, along with a few others from the area, will be given a few minutes this Wednesday to talk about various mission works. If you've nothing better to do, come join us. 7 pm at the Georgetown church.
- We intend to worship with the Georgetown folks this coming Sunday.
- I hope to go by the cemetery where my parents' earthly coils were laid to rest Monday and visit some of our DFW friends a bit.
- Tuesday of next week Sheila will head north from here, then back to the southwest to spend a couple days visiting family in Oregon and New Mexico. I will go south to the Mexican cities of Torreon and Queretaro to visist with schools and churches where we have previously worked. I will be back in CenTex for a couple of days to gather and ship things that we don't want to drag all over creation. We will hopefully meet up in Managua the first week of September to return to Jinotega.
How this list became of list of thankfulness:
As I wrote this report on our travels I realized how much I have to be thankful for, and not just because we have a home in a developing country that is as nice as I could wish for, but surrounded with some great people as well..
- I'm thankful for an airline, who frequently drives me to distraction, that gave us an option so we could spend the night in our house, not on the floor of Houston' Bush Intercontinental Airport.
- I'm thankful our luggage was in Austin waiting for us.
- I'm thankful that my favorite taco place is between Georgetown and the Austin airport.
- I'm thankful that my not-so-bright dogs acted like they missed me when they saw me.
- I'm thankful for Lee, Cindy and family for opening their home, not far from our place in Georgetown, so our near-useless hounds can be nearby.
- I'm thankful for a speedy response from an AC company.
- I'm thankful the AC company accepted my credit card.
- I'm thankful for Sloan, our friend/renter that takes exceptional care of our house and is keeping it beautiful, comfortable and available - and remains a friend, too!
- I'm thankful for friendships that supercede language barriers.
- I'm thankful for Wal-Mart, although I don't always like the way they do things.
- I'm thankful for work.
- I'm thankful for an incredibly gifted wife. If you haven't checked out her posts on our blog you need to treat yourself. SFSE-CommuNICA.blogspot.com)
- I'm thankful for family, near and far, biological and spiritual.
- I'm thankful for opportunities to share how God is using us in Nicaragua.
- I'm thankful that I have a host of angels who pray for us and support us financially and spiritually.
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