Just like that, WARMTH

Sorry that several of my posts have been so one dimensional (creature comforts) lately. I promise not to talk about being cold for months and months. Of course, that will be easy because we flew home to El Salvador yesterday! But, no promises not to talk about being hot! Just kidding.

Our rent is due on the 9^th of the month and we made the conscious decision not to pay January a month early, hoping that we would make it back to the city in time to get to the bank. It turned out to be the right decision; the bank wasn't even very busy—think I got in and out in less than 15 minutes. We also made a quick trip to the grocery store to stock up.

As always, it's great to be home. We only have today to put things back in order because our first campaign of the year starts on Saturday. Yep, back in the saddle again!

How low will it go?

There's one thing about the winter weather--it sure can mess with the best laid plans.  We tried two different times to visit Jeff and Paula's new church in Topeka, but in December it was the ice that came in on Saturday night and today it was last night's snow.  Tonight they are calling for a "real" low of -11 with wind chills around -25 or -30.    

Here's a friendly comparison of the weather here and the weather at "home."

Where would you rather be?

Is there a mission trip in your future?

Last night we had the privilege to enjoy BBQ brisket, baked beans, cheesy potatoes, salad and more at the home of our friends, Clayton and Suzanne.  It was a great way to spend a cold, cold evening.  (I'm sorry that the word "cold" has been one of my top words lately, but I just can't ignore the weather.)  Not only did the meal satisfy, but so did the conversation.  It's been quite awhile since they visited Guatemala on a mission trip, so we were able to fill them in on what has been going on at the church in Guatemala and the rest of our churches, as well.  The coolest thing was that we talked about their "next" trip.  I can't explain the blessing we receive when we have visitors from our home church. 

If you've never been on a mission trip, please consider going (or coming.)  It's an experience everyone should have and it means so much to the people "on the ground."  Abundant Life is planning a trip to El Salvador in March.  It isn't too late to join in.  We'd love to do important work for the kingdom along side of you and your family/friends.

Resolve

I have no words for the beginning of 2014 . . . . instead I want to spend more time reading, meditating on, quoting, sharing, living and loving the most important words in the world.  What would it look like (what would I look like?) if this year I came to appreciate the truth that the Bible is God's very words.  Oh, I know it's true, but do I appreciate it like the Christians of the persecuted church around the world or do I take it for granted?  If I have to ask the question, it's because I already know the answer.

Here's this mornings message from YouVersion, the Bible app and I couldn't have said it better myself!

Happy New Year! God is constantly in the process of making “new creations” (2 Cor. 5:17). But in certain seasons—like the coming of a New Year—we tend to be more aware of His renewals than at other times.  As you consider goals and resolutions for 2014, here are three simple ways you can make the Bible a daily part of your life:

1. Find your #Verse2014. Choose one verse that you can focus on throughout 2014. Invite it into your life, display it, and share it with people you know.
2. Commit to a Bible Plan. This has helped so many in our community make God’s Word a daily part of their life. Sign up for a short, 20- or 30-day devotional. Build your confidence by completing your first plan. Then come back for another. We’ve included a list below of some of our favorite starters.
3. Share the Word. Invite family and friends to read with you. Help them get the Bible App, show them how to sign up for the plan you’re using, then discuss what you’ve read. Inspire others by sharing what you’re reading in emails, texts, Twitter, Facebook, andInstagram. God’s Word comes alive in community (Heb. 4:12).

As we head into 2014, many people have asked, "when are you coming back?" or "how much longer are you going to be there?"  As we have explained, it's not really for us to answer the question.  Instead we want to continually seek God's answer to those questions!  So, my verse for 2014 reaffirms our calling to Central America:  

And having this confidence, I know that I shall abide and continue with you
all for your furtherance and joy of faith; That your rejoicing may be
more abundant in Jesus Christ for me by my coming to you again.
Philippians 1:25-26

Four generations

Four generations visited tonight . . . since we were using Skype, we didn't get a picture.  My dad and I were here in Lee's Summit while Daniel and Maleia were at home in Sunnyvale, CA,  My dad was able to "meet" his new great-granddaughter, Aviah Jean Parris, "watch" Josiah play with his trucks and "listen" to Maleia tell us about her day.  

So blessed to live in a day where technology is able to bring families together!

McKinney Kind of Christmas

We went to  my sister's house for lunch on Christmas day and what a lunch it was:  various dips/appetizers, ham, cheesy potatoes, mixed veggie casserole, cherry fruit salad and hot rolls. All of this plus a couple of trays of cookies and a pecan pie for later.

Gift exchange time is always fun with the bulk of the packages going to Dad, the girls (our nieces) and Jon.  Dad's treats tend to be of the edible variety and most are very sweet.  He unwrapped three different kinds of chocolate covered cherries.  Note that I say "unwrapped," not opened because there's never an expectation that he will share the bounty.  

The best part of the day is the after dinner/gift game time.  As usual, Dad, Stephen, Bruce and Jon went straight to the round table for their traditional game of Hearts.  We know better than to bother them during this time.  The rest of us play the less competitive group board games.  This year it was In a Pickle, followed by MadGab.  

It was a great Christmas!

Handel's Messiah

Just spent an amazing night listening to the Spire Chamber Ensemble and Baroque Orchestra perform Handel's Messiah at the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts.  Unbelievably talented instrumentalists playing Handel's musical score and beautiful voices singing scripture!  The sound was absolutely perfect.

Although most people are familiar with the Hallelujah Chorus, it's not the final song.  In fact, I think this masterpiece should be required listening for all believers.  The final chorus:

Worthy is the Lamb that was slain and hath redeemed us to God by His blood to receive power and riches and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and blessing.  Blessing and honor, glory and power be unto Him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever.  Amen.

Do you know about the baby in the manger?  More importantly, do you know Him as the King of King and Lord of Lords?  He is the reason for the season.  Christmas (and everything else) is all about Jesus.

 

Traditional Cookies

I made two kinds of sugar cookie dough yesterday morning--used 4 sticks of butter.  Yikes!  The dough needed time to chill before our late afternoon cookie making event at my sister's house.  Jon and I packed up cookie dough, cookie cutters and sprinkles and headed to Kristi's house about 2:00 p.m.  

First up were the Snickerdoodles--it just isn't Christmas without these cookies.  I've been eating these cookies my whole life and not just at Christmas.  I always found it difficult to turn down a snickerdoodle cookie, but not a single one ever tasted as good as my mom's recipe.  Rolling them is therapeutic!  Laken and Jon handled the cinnamon/sugar layer.  Even after everyone sampled the wares, we had more than six dozen left.

Second, we made Sand Tarts--don't know where my mom found the recipe or where the recipe got it's name.  She starting making these when I was in high school (maybe), but even so, that makes the recipe at least 40 years old.  Kristi and I have really struggled to get them right--we're so much better at them than when we first started making them by ourselves.  The trick is to roll them as thinly as possible.  If done correctly, they are the ultimate in crispiness.  No frosting for these, just an egg wash and sprinkles to decorate.  Some family members prefer one shape over another (angel vs. reindeer or mitten vs. light bulb), but I think they're all equally tasty.

By the time I rolled out the last batch, the freezing rain was coming down like crazy, so Jon and I left before the final pan came out of the oven.  We will be enjoying the fruit of our labors on Christmas day!

Family Time

My first hug from Jon since September was Tuesday night about 9:30 p.m.  Thankful for his on-time flight which allowed us to eat at Minsky's Pizza before it closed.  We made it back to Lee's Summit about 11:15, and called it a night.

Last night we ate here at the house, but tonight we went to my sister's for dinner.  Both of our nieces are home from college (Jensen from Nebraska and Elizabeth from MU.)  Everyone but my sister-in-law, Jane, was there.  She was working late and missed the salad/pasta/break sticks dinner.  I made two pumpkin pies; Jon said he didn't think one pie would be enough for 8 people.  

Holidays are always special, but spending time with family (especially because we don't have very many opportunities) is an important way to celebrate!

Candy, Cookies and Best Friends

There's nothing like time spent with your best girl friend!  Stephen is in West Plains visiting his parents, so I've been staying with the Guenthers to get in some extra girl friend time.  Terisa went to work early so she could come home early and we could get started on Christmas treats.  
Last night's cooled strawberry cake was the foundation for cake balls!  Love those little sweet morsels of goodness.  

Also on the agenda was "never-fail" microwave peanut brittle.  The recipe sounded too good to be true since my memory of making peanut brittle is of stirring the mixture forever while using the candy thermometer to be sure it gets to the correct "hard-ball" stage (about 305 degrees.)   In fact, the first batch proved the recipe title wrong!  Guess the old saying that the power of microwave ovens varies is true because the 4-, 4-, 2-minute recipe resulted in over cooked peanut brittle which just tasted burned.  We had enough stuff for a second batch, but the dilemma--how long to cook it?  We found some other recipes which suggested a 4-, 3-, 2-minute cooking time so we opted for that.  Success!  It really tasted amazing and is very easy.  Here's the link--same recipe works for all kinds of nuts, including cashews, almond, pecan, macadamia, etc.  Just be sure to adjust the time for your microwave!

The sugar cookie dough chilled while we made these treats and ate dinner, which was a delicious homemade chicken pot pie!  We tried the sour cream sugar cookie recipe that's been all over Facebook for the last month.  It is supposed to render very soft, not crispy sugar cookies.  Ethan and Chloe helped us cut them out (Michael took pictures, but I don't have them.)  Chloe loved adding the sprinkles after they were frosted.  They turned out cute, the dough was easy to work with, the frosting is simple, but I'm not convinced they are the best tasting sugar cookies.  

However, baking was just the medium to spend time together and that was a rousing success.  Love how God has knitted our lives together so that even though we've been apart for 5+ months, we can pick up right where we left off.  

Baby, it's cold outside

This is our fourth morning in the states (already.)  Stephen left about 7:30 this morning (yes, I was still in bed) to (a) run or (b) go to Starbucks.  Neither of the two choices are of particular interest to me; of course, if I had to choose between the two, B would would win.

I'm sitting by the fireplace with gas logs burning trying to get warm.  The adjustment to the cold weather is continuing.  I think that a life of constant flip flop weather has left both of us with "thinner" blood.  At least, that's what I thought before my research on the issue revealed this:

Thinner blood, however, "is absolutely a myth," said Dr. Bruce Lenes, medical director of Community Blood Centers of South Florida, noting that blood thickness isn't influenced by temperature. He said people simply adjust — mentally and physically — to a new climate.

Read more: http://www.wptv.com/dpp/news/how-does-south-florida's-warm-climate-affect-your-health%3F#ixzz2nSctKTui

I guess we just need to change our attitude and wear more clothes.  Which, of course, is another problem, as our supply of winter clothes is very low and everything is quite old and out of style.  Not to mention, we're not very motivated to spend money on clothes we only need for a couple of weeks a year.  

Case in point on how our coldness manifests itself to others--last night we picked up Steve and Terisa to go to dinner.  It wasn't until we got to the restaurant and ran into to some people we all knew, that Steve and Terisa admitted that were roasting in the back seat of the car.  We had the heat cranked and the fan on max!

The past three days have been busy with lots of errands--grocery shopping to restock the pantry of the mission house where we are staying, picking up and going through five months of mail, doctor's appointments, etc.  Today I'm hoping to get started on several Christmas projects, before it gets too late.

Tomorrow morning we will be at Abundant Life Baptist to worship with our church family and then have dinner with some dear friends.  Even if we're not physically as warm as we'd like, we've received a warm welcome and are so blessed to be able to be with family and friends for the holidays.

A Special Goodbye

Jeff and Paula flew back to El Salvador last Thursday evening.  Because we were still in Managua, we didn't get to see them until Sunday morning when we picked them up to go to church in Lourdes.  It was a great morning of worship--I just can't tell how beautiful it is to sing Christmas carols in Spanish.  Pastor Steve Kern's message was titled, "Why do we celebrate Christmas with lights?"  He encouraged us to remember that Jesus is the light of the world and all the Christmas lights (wherever they are) should remind us of His birth.

At the end of the service, they had a special goodbye for Jeff and Paula.  First, there was a presentation called "Thank you for your Footprints," next, the little kids came forward and read a thank you card to each of them and then the Pastor Koky and Pastor Julio presented a placque to them.  It was a very touching goodbye and there wasn't a dry eye in the church.

After lunch we drove up north to attend the 7th anniversary celebration of Iglesia Buatista Vida Nueva, Aguilares.  After the worship and preaching, the deacons and pastors ordained Joel Lopez as the new pastor.  

This morning we picked them up at 5:00 and drove them to the airport.  Jeff starts his new position as outreach pastor at Topeka Baptist Church on January 3.  We are so sorry to see them go, but we are so thankful to have been able to work with them for the last 3 years.  

Last day of last campaign--2013

The 2013 campaigns are now all over.  Yesterday was the final day and it was a great one.  We have tried something different here in Managua this year.  Each time we've come here, we have always had Kids' Clubs in the parks in the morning.  Each day we would go to a different neighborhood and set up 5 stations (Bible story, Bible verse, games, music, refreshments) and invite the neighborhood kids to spend 2-3 hours with us. 

The Pastors continually evaluate the results of our efforts and have realized that although Kids' Clubs are fun, they have not been a very powerful tool to grow the church.  In fact, they are very costly and there has been very little "fruit that remains."  Most of the time the parents send their kids to the park without joining them.  So, this year it was decided that we would forego the cost and effort and try something different.  For the two weeks before we came, Pastors Felix and Rodrigo distributed fliers to the neighborhoods we planned to visit.  This announcement told the neighbors about the upcoming family festival in their park.

In the mornings we all went to park where the evening campaign would be held, put up the inflatable as a "teaser" for the kids and then the team went out to share the gospel door-to-door. Unbelievably, we had 30 to 40 decisions every morning.  Even more importantly, the pastors have realized when people make decisions in their homes, those decisions are more likely to be genuine--more of them will visit the church, more will start discipleship and more of them will have transformed lives.  In the evenings we've returned to the park to find the kids waiting for us.  The attendance at our evening events has been great.  The team went back out to share door-to-door and found "new" people home. 

Both Pastors Felix and Rodrigo are excited abou the number and quality of the contacts they received this week.  The follow-up phone calls have already started and the Los Robles church site is holding a reception this afternoon.  The Bolonia church has their reception tomorrow.

As far as the team goes, almost all of them are on their way home.  The bus left at 2:00 AM this morning (and we're thankful we weren't on it.)   A group of 15 went to the airport this morning at 6:00--their flight leaves in about 30 minutes.  Our flight is not until this afternoon, so we are taking it easy this morning.  We will be eating lunch with Pastor Felix and his family and then heading to the airport.

Please pray for the follow-up and for the US teams as they transition from a very warm week and mountain top experience to "normal" life.  We pray every single one of them will arrive home as a different person.  Thank you for your faithfulness to pray for us and the work here in Central America.  We leave for the states next week and even though we're not happy about the cold weather we will face, we're excited to spend time with family and friends in the Kansas City area.

Last Campaign of 2013

We started the campaign in Managua, Nicaragua, on Saturday evening, November 30.  On Sunday morning we held the first-ever Koinonia service here in Managua, with the two church campuses in Bolonia and Los Robles coming together with Salvadorans and North Americans for a joint worship.  What a blessing to be a part of this service and to hear all the voices lifted in praise.  

End of November

My last post was on November 27 . . . how much could happen in the last three days of November, you ask?  Here's a rundown of the last three days:

Thursday, November 28--Thanksgiving!  We had the privilege to share Thanksgiving dinner with Steve/Pam Kern and Rachelle LaBotz.  Pam and Rachelle cooked everything--Stephen and I just had to show up and eat! 

 We had all of the traditional dishes, including turkey, dressing, mashed potatoes, gravy, green bean casserole, cranberry sauce, hot rolls and pumpkin pie; plus, corn casserole, a jello salad and apple pie.  It was amazing.

Friday, November 29--"Birth" day of our third grandchild!  Our son called about 6:00 p.m (PST/8:00 p.m our time) to let us know they were heading to the hospital.  We went to bed about 11:00 p.m.(CST/9:00 PST) without hearing anything more.  Received a call at 1:15 am letting us know that Aviah Jean Parris was born at 9:30 pm (PST.)  She weighed in at 7 pounds, 14 ounces and was 20 inches long.  She and Shannon are doing well; in fact, they went home from the hospital today.  Here's the only picture we have of her, so far.

Saturday, November 30--First day of the last mission trip for 2013.  We left our house at 5:45 am so we could be at the airport by 6:30 am.  The airport was packed and the lines were really long.  We did, however, remind ourselves that the airport lines pale in comparison to the lines we usually see at the border crossings (when we go by bus.)  The flight was 55 minutes--so much better than a 13+ hour bus ride.  We met up with the team from Murrell's Inlet Baptist Church at the hotel.  The bus (and translators from El Salvador) picked us up at 4:00 pm and we held our first family festival of the week.  It was a great night--the team shared door-to-door, I worked the inflatable and Stephen gave the gospel after the movie/drama.  

The last three days of November--FRIENDS, FAMILY and FAITH!