The Carr Family Chronicles

Segovia and Cochinillo

2010-09-21T11:56:00.000-07:00

With lots of visitors lately, we have been making the tourist rounds in the Madrid area. It is a definite blessing to have friends visit with us!

Monday, we took a trip to Segovia, Spain. A small town about an hour north of Madrid. It is home to a castle and a Roman aqueduct.

It is also famous for its local dish: cochinillo (roasted piglet). It is a very popular dish at Christmas time here in Madrid. As the holidays get closer the supermarkets will have meat cases with baby pigs all very nice placed together and plastic wrapped, ready to be taken home for Christmas dinner.

Neither our guests, nor Jeff and I had ever tried the Spanish dish, so we decided to have a nice meal at a Segovian restaurant called "Asi Nos Ponen Huevos como Gallinas"....I'm not really sure what exactly the name is supposed to mean.....translated it means: "We'll be like chickens laying eggs".......

Anyways, so we all tried the local dish: cochinillo. This is what arrived as my main course:

(I can't get blogger to turn my picture the right way....)

Yes, that is a foot and a tail. Jeff ended up with an ear on his piece... I will say that the meat was really tender, and didn't exactly taste how I expected, though one is defintely thrown off by the sight of the tiny foot and tail....

Quick Breakfast

2010-09-13T12:43:00.001-07:00

The boys started school this past week. I have given myself two goals for this school year:

1. I will be at the bus stop when they get off the bus in the afternoon.

2. I will make them at least one hot breakfast a week.

The boys get on the bus at 8:00AM, and get off the bus around 6:00PM.

It’s a long day for someone so little, so I wanted to send them off with a full feeling in their stomachs. It has been a challenge to find ways to make a quick, hot breakfast that toddlers will eat when they would be happy with a daily dose of the marshmallow cereal that Grandma sent from the States.

I had discovered earlier that you can make pancakes in the sandwich maker (my new favorite kitchen appliance), and that you could refrigerate the batter for up to a week, so making just a few pancakes at a time.

I also discovered, via some comments on facebook, that you could microwave an egg mixed with a little milk in a small bowl and have perfect scrambled eggs. It was only about 2 minutes in the microwave, and they come out in the perfect shape to use for an egg sandwich (although we ate them ‘plain’). The boys love ‘em, so they’ve now become a regular on the breakfast rotation.

I think my next goal should be preparing quick, good-for-you dinners for just the two of them. Jeff and I usually eat a large meal at the lunch hour (around 2:00pm here in Spain) and then sometimes I’ll reheat the leftovers for the boys for dinner and we eat something light later on (around 10:00ish). Lately the boys have been having a lot of white rice mixed with tomato sauce, a Spanish staple. They do like this meal….but it has very little actual nutrition.

Goal for the next week (or whenever I actually get up the initiative): discover actual nutritious dinner meals that don’t take very long, and that they will eat…

A New Beginning / Sandwicher Maker Chocolate Cake

2010-08-28T01:31:00.000-07:00

I haven’t blogged in a while, but that is obvious. I found myself each day saying “What should I write about today?” and coming up blank. How many times could I write “Today, I went to the church…Today, I walked around Madrid…Today, I felt exasperated by my boys.”

I have a new fascination with food blogs. I love seeing things people make and eat, and especially when they tell me how I can do it too. …..So, I am going to try something. I am going to blog about our food. I am by no means a cook, but I like to try. I fail a lot, but every once and while things work out.

Sometimes we eat interesting Spanish things, like last week we had “Arroz Negro”. That is rice made black by squid ink with mini octopus mixed in.

Sometimes we eat boring things, like grilled cheese and tomato soup. Only the tomato soup is really cold Spanish gazpacho, because it’s the only thing I can find that is similar.

Lots goes on at a meal. Conversation, jokes, my boys being crazy….so surely some of that will get mixed in as well.

Some pertinent information to understanding what kind of cooking I can and cannot do:

1. I live in Madrid, Spain. While there is an American, closet sized, grocery store, most typical “American” ingredients are very expensive. So I end up improvising or making things from scratch (like Italian dressing).

2. I have 2 toddler boys and a husband. I cook so they will eat it. It’s usually not very fancy.

3. This is the size of my kitchen:

it has its limitations. (Yes, that is my washing machine next to my oven.)

***********************************************************************************

I had read somewhere that sandwich makers could be used to make much more than a hot sandwich.

After making the PB&J paninni over at Weelicious, I got to thinking about my own sandwich maker. What could I do? And after some research on the internet I found out: I CAN PRETTY MUCH MAKE ANYTHING!

So, I tried cake last night.

I mixed just a plain boxed cake mix. (This one I got in a care package from home.)

I poured 2 tablespoons of the batter into each of the triangle wells. Closed the lid and waited for about 3 to 5 minutes.

And this is what came out!

They were a hit. The box mix made about 24 triangle servings, which is nice for a party but bad in the house. We ended up eating the whole plate by the end of the night.

I am sure there are tons of ways to put 'add-ins' to the cakes. But this is what happened when I tried putting marshmallows in, so I just stuck to the cake.

We’ve had omlettes and pancakes from our sandwich maker since yesterday and now I am thinking of the endless possibilities for my new kitchen friend...pigs in a blanket, pizza pockets, Spanish tortilla….

When the Roll is Called Up Yonder...

2010-03-21T10:48:00.000-07:00

Funerals are amazing moments of cultural learning. Last week we experienced our first funeral in Spain. And while there is great sadness in the loss, there is also the extreme curiosity on my part to absorb all I could about the nuances of Spanish culture.

We don’t all approach death in the same manner. Family, religious, cultural – each have their own input into how we deal with the passing.

For example:

Spanish rarely say someone has “died”, they use the word that literally means they have “failed”. It sounds very polite.

Up until just a decade or so ago, Spain had Catholic funerals/graveyards, and everyone else. And to this day, there seems to be a great stigma (even among evangelicals) to be buried in the “everyone else” section of the graveyard.

Spaniard funerals are the next day, usually within 24 hours of the passing. There is no body preparation, such as make up and hair combing. And several people found it ludicrous that we both put make up on the deceased and wait up to 4 days to have a funeral.

Spanish grave plots are purchased by families, and then everyone’s coffin is stacked on top of one another. I saw one tombstone with 6 names/dates engraved on top. (And the graveyard is so big that there several bus stops inside.).

Spanish do not have any “gathering” following the actual funeral service. Most simply go there own way after the 10 to 15 minute service.

While the approach to death may change wherever we go, there are things that remain the same. There is the pain in accepting the loss of a loved one. Sorrow looks the same in every language.

There is also the hope that we who believe have:

He will swallow up death forever!
The Sovereign LORD will wipe away all tears.
He will remove forever all insults and mockery
against his land and people.
The LORD has spoken!
In that day the people will proclaim,
“This is our God!
We trusted in him, and he saved us!
This is the LORD, in whom we trusted.
Let us rejoice in the salvation he brings!”

Isaiah 25: 8 – 9

The American lady messed up my homework...

2010-02-25T11:50:00.000-08:00

Km Hm Dm m dm cm mm

Do those mean anything to you? … Me neither.

We have an afterschool homework club two days a week and I have been able to help out the past two weeks. I have really enjoyed the time filled with giggles, snacks, and silly questions. But it is not without its complications.

The majority of the schools in the Madrid area boast a bilingual education program. I offered to lend a hand to the program and help out with English homework, especially since several moms had already approached me about helping their children.

Little did I expect that the majority of my time would be spent on Spanish grammar homework and metric conversion math. For the past two days I have been as confused as the kids who have been asking for my help. More than once I have, in a moment of exasperation and fear of leading the child educationally astray, called over one of the Spanish speaking tutors.

Yesterday, I spent a good hour working with a boy on metric conversion charts and warned him that there may be some problems with my answers when he got to school in the morning. He said "Don't worry. I'll just tell them you are American."

I do get the chance to assist with English homework; correct pronunciation, help translate, or quiz are parts of the skeleton (yes, they are all learning the parts of the skeleton/bones in English).

And learn that:

Km = kilometer

Hm = hectameter

Dm = decameter

m = meter

dm = decimeter

cm = centimeter

mm = milimeter

What Are the Rules??

2010-02-08T23:37:00.000-08:00

Jeff stayed up until 4:00 am watching the Super Bowl this week. At the mention of this, one of our friends commented that he must really love American football. But Jeff’s not a football fanatic. I actually can’t remember him watching much football when we lived in the States. Jeff’s response to the question was tantamount to saying “I’m an American male. It’s the Super Bowl. What else am I supposed to do?”

All of this has made me think about “culture”. The Super Bowl says a lot about American culture. (I only watched the first few minutes and then went to bed…it STARTED at midnight and there were no commercials.)

We love big competition, especially if they involve an underdog figure.

We are relatively patriotic, at least compared to most countries. What is considered normal in the States would be rendered to fanaticism in other countries.

We love buying things, and we’ll buy almost anything if the propaganda is good enough. (I watched the Super Bowl commercials online the next day and went out to buy Doritos.)

Of course those are NOT the only traits our culture has: we also tend to be very generous, we strive for success, we are funny. (Just look at our Super Bowl commercials.)

It also made me think about the other “cultures” I have become a part of and my increasing dilemma in understanding their “requirements”.

1. With Spanish culture it is customary to greet people with two kisses. But I’m never sure when I’m supposed to do so, because apparently there’s a secret rule as to who you kiss and who you don’t, and when you kiss and when you don’t. I’m positive I’m offending someone nearly all the time.

2. Blog culture is an interesting phenomenon. We’ve created this virtual space, but what are the rules? What happens with blog meets real life in a non blog related event? Oh, the things that boggle my mind…

3. Church culture: we all have different ways of expressing similar sentiments. When should we use which words? What are the “rules” of each separate environment?

4. Salvation Army culture: “The Army is the Army no matter where you are.”…or so I thought.

…I’m sure the list could go on and on.

Anyways, we spent the next 10 minutes of the above conversation explaining how American football is actually played. To which he responded “That sounds like a dumb game.”

The Poor Are Counting on It

2010-02-07T23:52:00.000-08:00

Last week the president of Spain participated in the National Prayer Breakfast in Washington. This was a very big deal here in Spain to hear their national leader read words from Scripture and offer a prayer in acknowledgement of God in a public event.

Zapatero chose to read Deuteronomy 24: 14 – 15:

Do not take advantage of a hired man who is poor and needy, whether he is a brother Israelite or an alien living in one of your towns. Pay him his wages each day before sunset, because he is poor and is counting on it. Otherwise he may cry to the LORD against you, and you will be guilty of sin.

It is an interesting passage to have been chosen, seeing as 465,452 people are receiving unemployment in Madrid. The fear of “paro” (the unemployment program) is a real issue for the majority of the people attending our church, as it is the fear of most people in Madrid. It is a real challenge as Christians to find a way to minister to the 465,452 people in our community who are passing through financial crisis. One can only pray that we can remember the words of Deuteronomy and that President Zapatero remembers them as well.

The scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him.
Unrolling it, he found the place where it is written:

"The Spirit of the Lord is on me,

because he has anointed me

to preach good news to the poor.

He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners

and recovery of sight for the blind,

to release the oppressed,

to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor."
Luke 4:17 – 19

Did she say what I think she said?

2010-01-31T09:57:00.000-08:00

I have sat in my fair share of translated meetings, being a listener who understands the two languages well enough to compare what was said with what was translated. There are many types of translators: those who translate word for word, whether it makes sense or not; those who translate nothing that is actually being said and create their own presentation; those who have the gift.

Translation is a serious art. It takes a real gift for the ability to quickly switch between two languages simultaneously. A gift I do not have, but am willing to let God to continue to work out through my efforts.

Since arriving at our new appointment in Madrid, a new style of ministry has developed for my husband and me. He speaks, and I translate. We are learning this together, and it is not without its frustrations. Most Sundays I come down from the platform exhausted, often feeling as if I made no sense at all.

Today, my husband spoke on the parable of the prodigal son in Luke. He began to describe the extravagant love that the father lavished on the returned son; a robe, a ring, new sandals. And as I translated I noticed the people began to chuckle slightly. I assumed I said some thing that when translated directly can be taken out of context, so I let it go. It happens often enough, that I’ve learned to try to not get distracted. After the meeting, someone asked me if I knew why everyone was laughing.

“No. Did I say a bad word, or something?”

“No you said that the father called for them to put watermelons on the prodigal son’s feet.”

“Oh.”

Sandalias = sandals……..sandia = watermelon

It’s an honest mistake. And I’m positive it won’t be my last.

....Unexpected Hiatus....

2010-01-12T02:46:00.000-08:00

We have no internet at home, so until we are up and running again, my next update may be a while.

And they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts.

2010-01-04T08:25:00.000-08:00

We stopped at a mall and happened upon the perfect photo opportunity! (For 10€ of course...)

Tomorrow night, children all around Spain will rush to bed with anticipation of what Los Reyes Magos (The Three Kings) will bring them as a gift. We've decided to celebrate this tradition, along with an American type Christmas, while we live in Spain. Bramwell is old enough that he realizes what is going on and is expecting a gift from the Kings this year.

¡Feliz Día de Los Reyes Magos!

A Praying Life

2010-01-03T10:52:00.000-08:00

A couple of months ago we recieved a prayer journal and a copy of "A Praying Life" by Paul E. Miller from our home territorial headquarters. I decided that I would give myself the challenge of following the journal for 2o10 and reading the book.

This quote hit me from the book today:

If you are not praying, then you are quietly confident that time, money, and talent are all you need in life. You'll always be a little too tired, a little too busy. But if...you realize you can't do life on your own, then no matter how busy, no matter how tired you are, you will find the time to pray.

Just something to think about...

3...2...1...Ready or not, here I come!

2009-12-29T12:18:00.000-08:00

This is a holiness table. There is one, in some shape or form, at the front of each Salvation Army chapel. It is a place we can pray. A place where we can aknowledge our sin, our need of holiness. It is a physical representation that reminds us that the Holy God is in our midst and that the whole of our life and service is lived to honor his holiness.

It is NOT a hiding place. Each Sunday my boys wait for me to make my way to the platform above this very table, my husband to be holding his guitar...and they make their break away to run up to the front and play under the table. It's as if they wait for the very moment in each service when they know we will cannot do anything about their misbehavior. They know we will not make a scene from the pulpit, or cause a distraction by correcting them loudly.

Thankfully I know that the Holiness is not the table itself....

For we are the temple of the living God. As God has said: "I will live with them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be my people." 2 Corinthians 6:16

Our Christmas so far, in pictures

2009-12-21T07:15:00.000-08:00

We made sugar cookies. It took a couple of batches to figure out the right dough, but we conquered the making-cookies-outside-of-America battle.

We had candles and decorations.

Bram's school concert was wonderful!
He was dressed as a shepherd (Spanish style)
but insisted that he was San Jose. (St. Joseph)

We had the Spanish 'delicacy' of Serrano Ham.

Our church handed out hundreds of bags of food and gifts to our community.

IT SNOWED!!! Almost felt like home.

We made salt dough ornaments.

We visited the City Council of Madrid's official Nativity scene.

It was a set up the entire city of Bethlehem.

...and there's still more to come!

Another Year, Another Tree

2009-12-06T11:50:00.000-08:00

I love Christmas trees. I just l.o.v.e. Christmas trees. I like tall, full, tastefully decorated trees. I love skinny, Charlie Brown trees. I love gaudy trees. I love trees full of homemade decorations. I love Christmas trees.

In our first appointment we arrived to a very large chapel, and a very small tree. I desperately wanted to get a 12 ft. tree to fill the chapel space, but the church lacked the funds to buy one. So I told my husband,"Fine, I'll just ask God for one." And I did.

About a week before Christmas that year a man called to say he wanted to donate his Christmas tree to The Salvation Army. He said he didn't have room for his tree in his new apartment...his 12ft. tree! I told him we'd be there within the hour to pick it up. The tree was falling apart, but I told my husband that we had to put it up the following Christmas because God had got me that tree. So using green bungee cords to hold the top half to the bottom half, we had a beautiful, big tree for the chapel.

This year, our church again has a large chapel but a tiny tree. So, I reminded my husband about God's power over large Christmas trees. And once again someone has offered to give the church their large tree after Christmas!

I once heard a preacher say "If it matters to you, it matters to Him." Ain't that the truth!

Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete. John 16:24

The No Name Prophet

2009-11-24T08:07:00.000-08:00

So, I've been reading through 1 Kings lately. And last night I read chapter 13 about the Man of God from Judah. (Read the story by clicking on the link)

A quick summary: Jeroboam (the King) has created a false religion and a no name prophet shows up to show him the error of his ways. As the man heads home he is tricked into disobeying God by eating in town, then he is mauled by a lion on the road home and the lion guards his corpse by the roadside. Then the guy that tricked him gives the no-name a proper burial, and Jeroboam never changes his ways.

One of those uplifting stories....

At first read, it seems totally unfair that God gets so angry with the no name prophet that he has to die in such a dishonorable manner all because he was tricked. The old prophet that tricked him outright lied to him, how was he supposed to know??

The whole story made me think about 2 things: why doesn't he have a name? and why did he have to be punished for believing a lie?

I think as humans our natural inclination is to be given our due, so to speak. The no name prophet is the medium for a great miracle that God performs. The king's hand freezes and an altar cracks in half, that's incredible. But we have no name to attribute these great events to. I think sometimes we assume that we'll be remembered for all the great things that God is doing or going to do through us, but sometimes we are just the no name guy that God used. A nice Biblical reminder that the ministry, the miracles, the message is not about the medium.

A commentary I read about the passage suggested that no name was punished so severly in order to prove that God means what He says about not tolerating sin. God had just proven that He would not allow sin to continue among His people without discipline. No name knew that God had told him not to eat while in Bethel. He repeated it to the older prophet who offered him something to eat. (which raises a lot of unanswered questions: why'd the older prophet lie??) But he accepted the lie instead of truth anyway. But don't we all do that? Don't we all know exactly what God has required of us, but we'd rather accept the easier route at times? "I know I'm not supposed to, but the "bread" just smells so good." It's easier to accept a lie than hold on to the truth.

I guess, I find the lesson of the story is that God's message is not about me. Just because God causes great things to happen all around me, I shouldn't for a second think that I have anything to do with it. And I shouldn't for a second think that I can accept a lie in place of God's truth. I don't have the power to overrule God's decisions.

So, is there an upside to this story? I think that knowing God's message is not about me is the upside. It's not my responsibility to do the miracle, to transform the situation, to be 'entertaining'. My responsibility to remain faithful to the Truth, the rest is up to Him.

What a relief.

Random Dozen

2009-11-18T10:26:00.000-08:00

I'm joining the meme from 2nd Cup of Coffee's blog.

1. If you could master one sport, what would it be?

Badminton. Minimal running, but includes a racket.

2. When you make a major purchase, do you go with your gut instinct, or do you do research to make an informed decision?

I often will walk away from the item and if I decide later that I really really want it then I will go buy it. It's worked for me so far.

3. There is an old kids' game that says you can find out what your movie star name would be by using your middle name as your first name and the name of the street you grew up on as your last. What is your movie star name?

Nichole Albert

4. Would you rather give up your favorite music or your favorite food?

I'd give up music first because you might find something similar, but food is very particular. I definitely choose keeping the food.

5. There are two types of banana preferences. One is pristine yellow, almost to the point of being green; the other is spotty and more ripe. Which is your preference?

Pristine yellow and firm. I HATE mushy, even a slight give, fruit. It especially annoys me that when I've gone through the process of picking through fruit to find the ones that have no bruises or mushiness the checker throws them down the rolling thingies....

6. Your favorite tree is?

I think I miss very large oak trees the most.

7. On a scale of 1-10, how tech savvy are you?

I would say I'm a 6.5. I know enough to load my iPod, check my facebook, and hook up a printer...but if you want me to download you a program or find one of the fancy gadgets on my iPod, you're out of luck.

8. Has H1N1 touched your family?

Not yet. There have been 2 confirmed cases in Bramwell's school. They just started offering the "Gripe A" (as it's called in Spain) vaccine a few days ago. I haven't completely decided whether or not to vaccinate the boys...I'm not convinced that they don't know the side effects of the vaccine aren't potentially worse than getting H1N1...

9. Are you an analytical person, or do you just accept things the way they are without questioning or scrutinizing?

I tend to accept things the way they are. If there is room for improvement and a desperate need I see the benefit to questioning, but if "it ain't broke, don't fix it" is what I say. Thankfully, I married a man who is always questioning the status quo, so we make a good team.

10. Is your personality more like that of a dog, cat, or Koala?

I'm gonna go with Koala...the little cracker ones that are filled with chocolate.

11. Do you keep in touch with friends you made years ago?

Facebook has helped me, but typically I rarely write, call, or return e-mails. I'm a terrible friend, but I hope those I love know I mean no offense.

12. You are checking out at a grocery store. In the express lane, there are more people than the regular lanes, but of course, their load is less than those in the regular lanes. Which lane do you choose (assuming you qualify for the express lane) and why?

I choose a regular lane and get stuck behind the lady arguing that the coupon is valid because it expired yesterday and then my toddlers begin screaming, pulling things out of their packaging, and my cell phone starts ringing from that mysterious black hole in the middle of my purse, then I mentally threaten to leave the cart and storm out of the store, but I don't, I just mutter to myself "I always choose wrong."

Niños son esponjas.

2009-11-16T11:02:00.000-08:00

Children are sponges. At least that’s what everyone keeps telling me…

Who knew schooling would be so difficult? Bram has spent the last week home from school because he has a “fever”. He has no other symptoms of illness. He’s eating, playing, and picking on his brother…all as normal. Which led me to believe perhaps the fever is a symptom of something else? Everyone seems to have a story of how their child had a seeming illness and it turned out to be symptoms of stress or extreme dislike of a situation.

Between both boys, Bram seems to be the most sensitive to the language change we have experienced. Bram started formal school in January primarily in English, after the summer and the move, in October he started another school primarily in Spanish. It’s been a tough switch for him.

Part of me says I know that he will adapt, and that come this time next year he’ll most likely be perfectly fine. But it’s still hard to watch him get stressed out, and not be able to do much about it. We have decided to try and reduce the stress in the areas where we are in control, ie: long Metro rides, plenty of snacks, plenty of rest stops at parks along the way home. And try to be extra encouraging about the things we can’t change: the increase in the Spanish language surroundings, big city-ness, having to cross his legs during story time at school. :)

Part of being an officer’s kid is the possibility of a move when it is least expected. My boys didn’t pick this life, but God picked them for us.

# R 540

2009-10-21T12:03:00.000-07:00

Government offices can be very intimidating. Perhaps that's by design.

The first person you encounter, I call them the "Defense". They have all the answers and will often answer before you ask, while highlighting a paper with the address where you were supposed to go. They're usually sarcastically polite, and rather curt. They have seen 100's of people every day, most of them demanding that the rules bend for their case...I can understand.

The next step is to walk through the metal detectors and wait. All the while you are anxiously watching the scrolling numbers, waiting for your number to come across. And just as it seems the numbers are moving quickly, there's a long 'stall' 2 numbers before your own.

All too often it seems the people behind the desks are either just coming back from a coffee break or just going to leave for their coffee break. It is Spain, perhaps there is a mandated number of cafe con leche breaks?

Today, we went to renew our residency paperwork. Because of the move and chaos of life, we are in a bit of a rush because our residency cards expire next week. But God has been with us each step of this process. I reminded myself of that fact as I sat staring at the board blinking "R534". God demonstrated his power over "Pharaoh" again today. We sat at the girl's desk and she quickly processed both Jeff and my paperwork, even making a copy of something we had forgotten to include! So, it's done. We just wait for the letter to come back to record our fingerprint, and we're legal again for another 2 years.

The boys paperwork will be done on Friday in a separate office for minors.

Metro vs. Mommy

2009-10-14T12:43:00.000-07:00

It's a never ending stream of people. People rushing past on the left. People running up stairs on the right. And at both ends are massive amounts of stairs with no elevator in sight. And I'm dragging a crying three year old, with a wiggly two year old strapped into a stroller. Needless to say, it's enough to discourage even the strongest of souls.

Jeff is traveling around Spain with a visiting youth band, and I have assumed the role of "Super Mommy". Except without the super. Jeff usually takes our oldest to school on the Madrid Metro each morning, and picks him up. One boy on the Metro is not so bad...it's the combination that's killer.

At just the point when I think I'll just keep Bram home from school the rest of the week rather than do this again, someone will offer to help me carry the stroller up the stairs or offer me a place to sit down on the Metro. It's the little things that really make a difference.

4 days till Jeff comes home...

We're Moving...

2009-09-15T02:43:00.000-07:00

The one sure thing in The Salvation Army is that officers will move. We all know this, but I don't think it necessarily makes any of it easier. Because of that though, we have always attempted to make our ministry about empowering the people to see their potential as part of the Kingdom of God, therefore, essentially, making the officer interchangeable to their puzzle.

Our family has received moving orders. We arrive in Madrid next Monday to take up a new post, a new style of life, and all the new possibilities God has in store for us.

It is the quickest move I've ever made in my 6 years of officership, and the first time that I've moved without any expectations of a move. My first move was because I got married, my next move because they closed the appointment I was in, the third because we had applied for overseas service. Those moves all had sadness, but also a sense of preparation on our part. This time it was completely unexpected. My head is still reeling at the magnitude of the change that is about to happen...

After we received the news that we were being re-assigned I had the verse from Jeremiah "I know the plans I have for you" stuck in my head. One early morning, as I'm not sleeping very well lately, I got up and decided to spend the time before sunrise reading that chapter. In it there is a moment when God reminds the Isrealites/Jeremiah that it is HE that decides how long prophets stay and when they go. It was a great reminder that HE is in control of moves in our lives, even when it doesn't seem that way from the outside.

For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Jeremiah 29:11

What difference is it?

2009-08-27T13:28:00.000-07:00

Picture: Bram & Jeff at La Alhambra in Granada, Spain.

It has been a full year in Spain.

Many people want to know "How has your life changed?"

Jeff has taken on the challenge to answer that very question...

I drink sterilized milk & juice from a cardboard box.

I eat out exponentially less, and only at restaurants with a ‘play place’

17 months between boys seemed ok, until 3 vs 2: the apartment is very loud

I wash my Salvation Army uniform tunic & pants in the washer and hang dry

I have personally paid over 2,000 USD for official items, not counting things that could be taken officially back home

At times I have to park 200 – 300 yards from the apartment

I walk 4 flights of stairs multiple times a day; groceries, toddlers, luggage, trash

I’ve lost 25 lbs

Most days I have to park ¼ to ½ mile from the Corps and lug in instruments and program material.

Although a vehicle seems a necessity; w/maintenance & operating costs it constitutes 20% of the budget

I’ve lived with 75% humidity all summer

God is bigger than my stress

God has been faithful in every situation

I love the smell of the salt air as the breeze comes in off the coast line

I love to watch the clouds billow over the mountain

The view from our balcony makes it all worth it

I get to spend twice the amount of time with my family

Although my Spanish is far better today than when I arrived; it is by no means where it should be

I rely on our prior experience & training to move forward, all the while finding the ‘new’ ways God is calling us to minister.

Pastorally, Corps Officership is the same no matter where you serve & administratively

All things relative, we would accept a second term.

10 Things I Learned...

2009-07-30T12:07:00.000-07:00

"So, you've given up on the blog?" he says.

"No, what are you talking about?" she casually responds while clicking through facebook photo albums.

"Well, are you just not feeling inspired to post anymore?"

"No. What do you want me to write about??"

...ok, so I clicked through a few more photos before coming back to post....

So, here's a list of 10 things I've learned this summer: (in random order)

1. Vinegar really does keep away mosquitoes.

2. Air conditioning is a blessing not to be taken lightly.

3. Dresses keep you much cooler.

4. God is bigger than any financial crisis.

5. God is in the details.
(including perfect timing for you to make it downstairs so they don't tow away your only vehicle)

6. I would much rather have a donut for dinner. Don't tell my boys, it'll ruin my reputation.

7. Friends are a necessity and a blessing for sanity purposes.

8. Sand really does get into EVERYTHING.

9. When the temp is above 95 and the building's turned the water off, it's great having friends who let you use their pool.

10. Vacations seem to happen just when you need them. (our's: next week!)

Side note: Burgos & Palmanova are both quite a distance from our town. But I'm sure your prayers for both of those cities as they recover from the bombings is greatly appreciated.

My Brain is Melting...

2009-07-13T13:11:00.000-07:00

It's too hot to sleep. Fans are of little help, and even watching some strange sci fi movie involving silver space suits, an snow monster, and ice shackles is not helping.

Run, Forest, Run!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2009-07-08T12:20:00.000-07:00

It's Festa Major in Denia! Our area of Spain is known as one of the locations to have the most fiestas.

I have learned in our near year here that they love any reason to have a good party. And the more dancing and singing in the street the better the fiesta!

Festa Major includes bulls and lots of them! Three nights this week they will run bulls down the main street of our town into a temporary bull ring set up by the sea.

In the bull ring, twice a day, they will play a game with several bulls. We witnessed "Bous a la Mar" (Valenciano for "Bulls to the Sea") this afternoon. Apparently the rules are: try to get the bull into the water without it killing you. The end result was simply a lot of wet people. It was very exciting and a lot of fun to watch.

I think sometimes we have a tendency to take life a little too seriously. Everything is dramatic, everything is important, and there's not time to be silly. I have been reminded this week, and am learning in Spain, how important it is to just have some fun sometimes. Sometimes, in order to maintain sanity, you have to let the bull chase you into the water, even though you know you're going to end up all wet in the end.

We're still here...

2009-06-30T12:33:00.000-07:00

It's hot. It's very hot. And there is no breeze.

Side effects:

1. easy, quick dehydration (plants & humans)

2. easy, quick irritability (mostly mommies & toddlers)

3. complete and utter laziness

I've not been 'inspired' to write on the blog, so I'll just give a quick update:

Top 5 events of the past few days:

1. We are holding a Vacation Bible School next week for English speaking families. I'm really excited about all the possibilities, even though it is apparently a 'new concept' to some of our church members.

2. We have visited the cities of Valencia and Alicante like good tourists.

3. We celebrated the Fiesta de San Juan. It's a local holiday where they light bon fires on the beach and jump into the sea at midnight. No one had the same story as to why they do these things, but I will say it was a lot of fun!

4. God provided a new washing machine and refridgerator! Our washing machine had stopped emptying out water and our fridge stopped being cold, so through much prayer and the provision of International Project funds we have working machines!

5. Bram had prize day, aka: graduation day. We watched him walk across the front and recieve his graduation story book. I did cry. Afterwards Bram said "Mommy, the man with a tie shook my hand!!"

Lazy Summer Days

2009-06-08T12:08:00.000-07:00

As the days get longer, and the temperature keeps rising, some congregation members have invited us over to swim and have dinner at their house. So far it's been a weekly thing for a month, and we've watched Bram get better and better at swimming!

Grandmas, enjoy!

Thankful Thursday

2009-05-28T08:18:00.000-07:00

The five things that I am thankful for today:

1. The art of bartering. Our regular volunteer had to be gone today so I ran our thrift store. And everyone who comes in wants to barter down the price. I'm thankful that I stuck to my 'guns' and sold the sewing machine for the right price!

2. My husband's ability to give the boys decent haircuts. See:

3. I'm thankful for friends who are willing to invite our family over for a BBQ and a swim in their pool. (We are the only ones in the congregation without a pool, I think) It's always a nice time to be relaxed and just enjoy fellowship.

4. I'm thankful for people who are willing to join our ministry for a little while. On Saturday we have someone from the States coming to stay with us for about 6 weeks and just going to help us with the ministry. No strings...just in need of a place to sleep and eat!

5. I'm thankful that my husband is willing to let me decorate the chapel for Pentecost Sunday. I've decided to hang flames/doves from our ceiling as a visual enhancement to the service!

My Favorite Clothes

2009-05-25T11:50:00.000-07:00

This is my most comfortable outfit. Granted, those are definitely not uniform 'appropriate' shoes, but I have to walk a lot...

I realize that this uniform tends to make some people uncomfortable, mainly because of a misunderstanding of what it means. Although, there are parts of the world where there is an instant recognition of purpose and position upon sight. And then there are parts of the world, such as the one I live in now, where this uniform is still virtually unheard of. (But that is changing!)

We are in the habit of wearing our uniforms most every day. It's hot now, so I'm thankful we've switched to 'summer uniform' (sans nylons). It does make for a conspicuous walk around our little town. There are the passing comments "Maybe they're sailors?" or "Perhaps they're pilots?", but more often than not there are just outright glaring stares. We attract a lot of attention for so little 'effort'.

I have noticed that as of late we've been getting a lot more questions. I LOVE when people ask me what my uniform is for, because they have opened the door for me to tell them exactly what it is for. I get the chance to prove that we're not 'weirdos' or harsh military types. I get a chance to tell them where The Salvation Army is located in town, what we do, etc. I get to build relationships. I have noticed that while I may not know their names, many people greet me on the street...and the only way they know and recognize me from every other foreigner in town...you guessed it.

There are some that say we as an Army should put this 'vintage' and 'military' look away for a more updated and modern look. I am not one of them. If the people around us don't recognize our uniforms or know what they stand for....it's our fault, not the uniforms'. The only way to create and understanding of what those epaulettes mean is by wearing them, not storing them away.

No Such Thing

2009-05-18T11:58:00.000-07:00

I don't believe in coincidences. I believe that God works all things together for the good of those who love him...even the little things. Even the things that one would initially think God is too busy to really deal with.

Example:

Saturday I arrived at the church to set up for our Spanish service. Only to find that the gate covering the door would not go up, which is the only way to get in the building. Needless to say, I prayed with the regular attenders before sending them home.

My husband and I, on Sunday morning, were able to manually shove the gate up enough to let people in for our English service. After the service we pressed the remote opener and the gate slammed shut. There was nothing more we could do about, being Sunday. So the boys and I spent the afternoon on the beach....suffering for Jesus.

Sorry, back to the story.....

Monday morning, Jeff and I once again shoved the gate up so we could open the thrift store for the day. We were decided to find a "repair" shop to give us an estimate about what needed to be done.

I had considered calling the Baptist church pastor and asking him if there was anyone in his congregation that fixed these gates that he could recommend to me. I wanted to find someone relatively trustworthy, because honestly I have never dealt with gates prior to being in Spain. I also had recently noticed some large signs pointing out various businesses as the "best businesses in Denia" and a repair shop had one of those signs just around the corner from our church building. So we decided to start there.

We walked in, explained our problem, and explained where the broken gate was located. The shop owner said "Oh, we're Christians too. We go to the Baptist church." Which led us into a conversation about how nice it would be for the evangelical community to do more things together, and she mentioned that just yesterday her church had prayed for the other churches in our city including The Salvation Army.

Her husband came the same evening and has completely sorted our gate issue out, even demonstrating to me what to do in the case of problems in the future. I am convinced that God led me there. That the shop was our intended destination.

We know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. Romans 8:28

Smash!

2009-05-17T06:10:00.000-07:00

This is how we spend one to two afternoons a week. As long as it's not raining, you might be able to find us slowly morphing into beach bums. Ask Jonas if he wants to go to the beach, and he'll undoubtedly say "Si!"

I create these little sand crabs for the boys to spend the next few seconds mashing into the ground. I will admit it can be very therapeutic play...

It has definitely warmed up on the Costa Blanca!

Here's a quick update on life in Spain:

* We painted our chapel. It was in a desperate need of a "pick me up" and God has really blessed this congregation with several retired professional carpenters and painters. It looks great!

* We revamped our thrift store. The store is one of the main sources of income for our church. So we cleaned it up, rearranged, got rid of trash, and have had an increase in sales! (Now, let's hope it holds out and is not just temporary.)

* We recently participated in an church wide prayer event, hosted by a local Baptist church. It was the first time that many of these evangelical groups have gotten together for anything, and still many 'refused' to attend. It was a great event, and we're really excited about what God will do through a united evangelical community.

*I've signed the boys us for the summer program at the same Baptist church for the month of July. (Everything is closed in August) The selling point of many summer programs are the fact that English will be taught throughout the summer, but they wanted to warn me at the church it would be "American" English because they have groups from the States that help out during the summer. I simply smiled, and said "Well, we speak American so it shouldn't be a problem for the boys."

Thankful Thursday!

2009-05-07T11:24:00.000-07:00

Today, I am thankful for...

1. the fact that we live in walking distance of the beach, and the warm weather means we can take advantage of it.

2. new plants! I got a free plant from a local nursery. We were the first Americans to ever shop there. Apparently it's a fuschia, and I will do my absolute best to not kill it...

3. finding pickles at the grocery store today.

4. spring clothes. It's time to wear capris again!!!

5. the return of the fruit market. Last weekend was Labor Day in Spain, so there was no market....it's cherry season, and I need my fix.

Completely Embarassed

2009-04-29T12:37:00.000-07:00

I felt the heat rise, and my cheeks getting flushed. I felt like such a fool, but still couldn't think of another way to stop the impending doom. I had jumped to my feet and yelled out, perhaps louder than really necessary, "Jonas, don't you dare!" I watched as my enraged 2 year old took hold of the hand of another little boy in the cafe's play area, mouth open, teeth bared.

My outburst had caught him just in time, he dropped the hand and looked at me with a quizzical look, "Something wrong, mommy?" I marched over to the ball pit and simply looked at my two boys. My 3 year old walked slowly over to the table to put his shoes on, no questions asked. Jonas, still puzzled by the turn of events, followed his brother to prepare to leave. I could feel the eyes of the Spanish mothers as they looked our way. I'm not sure my quiet "Discupla" and "Perdoname" was enough to cover the outburst.

It's interesting, and frustrating, to watch the boys' very different ways of dealing with conflict and strangers. Bramwell will most usually back down and give in. Jonas, as experienced today, will fight tooth and nail to get his way. Not that much time between the two birthdays, same parents, same living situation, but still so different.

Needless to say, I'm not sure I can show my face at that cafe for a little while....

What do you write when you don't want to write?

2009-04-20T11:20:00.000-07:00

The rain has let up for today. I got some laundry done. And I've decided that I should update the blog. I'm sure when one stops updating very regularly, the number of visitors and comments surely will dwindle....and one could never have that??

I've been contemplating the Ministry lately. (I use a capital M because I mean ministry in general, not necessarily a specific one.)...anyways... Too often I tend to define the Ministry by flashy programs that capture attention, 'wow' the community, so good they create 'waiting lists'. Or define it by the number of seats filled or the attendance to those flashy programs...

I know that these are not what Jesus defined Ministry by, and it's important to remind myself that neither should I. My ministry within the Ministry is to live like Jesus in front of the people around me. I must choose to simply be an example of what Jesus calls each of us to be, that's the Ministry. Each 'ministry' within holds various responsibilities, but the definite purpose is to show Jesus through it all. Regardless of the tangible results.

Q: How do you make sure it rains? A: Hang your laundry on the line to dry.

2009-04-06T10:43:00.000-07:00

It's going to rain....again. It's been raining off and on for a week now. My parents arrived a week ago, and its been relatively rainy since. I haven't had much to write about either...so here's a few pictures.

We played on the beach today...it was a little too cold. On Saturday we went to Guadalest. A town high in the mountains.

We spent time walking on the boardwalk in Javea.

And we've been having a pretty good time...when the sun is out.

Row, Row, Your....Surf board??

2009-03-23T12:32:00.000-07:00

The sunshine has made its debut on the Costa Blanca. And the tourists are beginning to trickle into town.

I was taking my laundry off the line and saw this guy out there. What is he doing? I don't know...standing on a surf board with a paddle. But that's not the point, the point is: look at that balance!

Watching him paddle away out to the open sea, all I could think about was how hard it must be to stay upright on a surfboard like that.

Balance can be a tricky thing. I made a mental list of all the things that my life requires balancing:

school birthday parties...who to tell yes, and who to tell no....there are 2 this week!

pay checks....must the boys eat 3 times a day?

never ending laundry

church members needs....real vs. irrational

community needs....real vs. irrational

not to mention my need to finish the "Mark of the Lion" series by Francine Rivers :)

I may not be on a surf board, but sometimes it does feel just as hard.

Thankfully the truth is:

Cast your cares on the Lord and He will sustain you; He will never let the righteous fall.

Psalm 55:22

Falla Photos

2009-03-20T08:08:00.000-07:00

If it weren't for the remnants of Roman candles and fire crackers from last night's parties, you'd never know the Fallas even happened.

Here's a few photos from the week's events!

And the planning for Fallas 2010 started the next day.

Pop!

2009-03-18T05:59:00.001-07:00

Last Night's "Mascleta" (the daily, large fire crackers event during the week of festivities)

Fire crackers are an important tradition involved in the Fallas week. Mostly it's the little fire crackers that are designed to make more noise and smoke than anything else. You know, the kind that go off and scare you? But it's a constant thing the few weeks before, and especially this week.

I have been leary of walking near pre-teen boys holding lit fire crackers waiting to startle some unsuspecting tourist. And yesterday, I swallowed my cultural pride, and watched as my 3 year old threw simple crackers with some friends from school. (They were only throwing the ones that pop upon contact. There was no fire involved...grandmothers, take a deep breath, he has all 10 fingers still...)

I have noticed a slight 'evolvement' of my reaction to these noise explosions. Two weeks ago when the fire crackers first started making their appearances, I jumped and screamed. Later in the week, I would simply startle and turn my head towards the noise. Now, I barely notice anymore. I don't jump, and only if it is a really loud event will I turn to see where it is coming from.

I think that's sometimes how people react to God's voice... He's speaking all around. He's making noise, in His way, but we just become disillusioned and stop paying attention.

For God does speak - now one way, now another - though man may not perceive it. Job 33:14

There are times when I feel like I'm all alone, and God has forgotten about my situation. And all the time He was trying to get my attention, throwing fire crackers at my heart if you will, but I'm not paying attention. God has not become de-sensitized, it's been me who's stopped noticing...

Spring has sprung

2009-03-16T11:49:00.000-07:00

My favorite 'signal' of Spring is the daffodil. Now they've been in bloom since early February here in the Costa Blanca, which has been a strange sight for me since I'm used to them making their first appearances much closer to Easter, rather than Ash Wednesday.

Winning Trivial Pursuit Fact: Daffodils are the national symbol of Wales.

Life Update #1:

I spent the weekend in London attending the UK Territory's Baby Song Training Conference. It's a program that is aimed at reaching out to families via parent-baby bonding classes. The Norweigan Salvation Army was conducting the seminar, and invited me to attend when they visited Denia last fall. So, an American Salvation Army officer serving in Spain Command attending a United Kingdom Territorial conference as a Norweigan delegate. Plus I got a whirlwind tour of London on the go!

London was great! See how happy I am in this picture in front of St. Paul's Cathedral:

Life Update #2:

The Fallas is in full swing here in the Comunitat de Valencia. (Valenciano Community = a large chunk of the south eastern portion of Spain....google it....) The Fallas commemorates St. Joseph's Day on March 19th, which is also Spain's Father's Day. The story goes that carpenters would clear out the shops each year at this time and burn their scraps in the street, so someone got the idea to create a figurine out of the scraps before creating the bonfire. And well, that tradition has become this:

These ENORMOUS works of art take a year to build. (The average height was 2 to 4 stories tall!) Clubs compete against each other to win prize for the best creation, and then on the night of March 19th the set them all on FIRE! (I'm secretly looking forward to seeing them in flames!)

So in that thought I leave you with the words from the song written by William Booth (the founder of The Salvation Army) that have been buzzing around my head while taking pictures of the fallas:

'Tis fire we want, for fire we plead,
Send the fire!
The fire will meet our every need,
Send the fire!
For strength to ever do the right,
For grace to conquer in the fight.
For power to walk the world in white,
Send the fire!

Will Your Anchor Hold?

2009-03-11T06:14:00.000-07:00

We conduct a "Songs of Praise" service in English each Sunday evening at a hotel in Denia. The service is attended by hotel guests and various others from our local area. Usually the boys and I stay home, but since my in-laws have been here I have been able help out. This week one of the leaders in the program captured the "magic" on camera!

Enjoy!

Thankful Thursday

2009-03-05T13:09:00.000-08:00

Five things I am thankful for this week:

1. The power to stick to a decision. 'Normal' television (AKA: American sitcoms and series) start at 10:00pm in Spain. I have decided to go to bed at a reasonable hour, rather than staying up to watch TV (I am giving up Heroes as we speak). I'm actually feeling much better and rested...who knew??

2. Hidden treasures. I was positive that I was out of contact solution and nylons, both of which are very expensive for our budget here. (Plus nylons for a 6 foot women in Europe are practically impossible to find, and I have to wear them at least 4 times a week). BUT I found a box of contact solution and bag of 4 pair of nylons hidden amongst other things!

3. Sudoku. My mother in law brought me a big book of Sudoku...

4. The freedom to see Bram's class sing their phonics songs at school this morning. He's still at the age where he's "proud" of us and excited to see us...I know there will be a day when we come walking within the vicinity of school, especially if in our uniforms, and he will be "utterly humiliated". So, I'm enjoying these moments, and making sure to take the time to experience them.

5. Fruit Market Fridays! I look forward to the huge town social event every week! Fresh fruit, tons of people, cheap prices, and the incredible strawberries!! Who wouldn't love it?

Check out the other Thanksgivings at Truth 4 the Journey!

Scarf Carnival...You can never have too many

2009-03-02T05:57:00.000-08:00

There is something in the bloggy universe that has made me excited about blogging this week!

A SCARF CARNIVAL!!!!

Ok, so as I understand it, I just need to post pictures of my scarves!! Since moving to Europe, I have developed an obsession...er...an appreciation of this European cultural phenomenon. (At least that's what I tell my husband as I buy a new one seemingly every week...)

On to the scarves...

Here are my "every day" scarves...the first two are my uniform appropriate ones...

You would not be allowed to live in Spain without this style of scarf....and yes I took this picture today while we visited Calpe with my in laws...listen, someone has to suffer for Jesus, right?

This scarf I found in our thrift store. I paid my euro, and took it home!

I've been looking at this scarf in the market for weeks, and last week they had a 2 for 5 euro sale! I got my scarf, and hooked my mother in law...

I love scarves....and it's likely that my collection will continue to grow.....

2009-02-25T11:32:00.001-08:00

Forgive me, it has been nearly 2 weeks since my last blog entry....

Quick update:

1. Saw Madrid / Segovia in a week. Boy am I tired!

2. Brought my in-laws back for sunny, slow paced Denia.

3. Due to a lack of internet in Madrid while on vacation, I have become disillusioned with use of the computer....I'm sure it will pass.

At Christmas time we handed out calendars that contained a Scripture verse in Spanish for each month of 2009. I was looking at it tonight as I was cooking some beef stew for the bunch, but all the while feeling rather defeated by various circumstances.

The verse for February is:

the LORD will act in our behalf. Nothing can hinder the LORD from saving, whether by many or by few 1 Samuel 14:6

I went back to read the whole story. Jonathan is given the victory because he watched for the signs from God....but more importantly he believed in God's power.

Trials are always...well....a trial. But there comes a moment right before we head over to the enemy's camp that we have to decide who's power we are going to have more confidence in. Am I more confident in the power of my God? Or do I put more stock into the power of my enemies?

Even if it's 2 against 20....I know that the Lord will act on our behalf.

A few more pics from our trip:

Vacation, vacation, vacation

2009-02-14T13:53:00.000-08:00

This is Bram after we put on his costume for school on Friday. He was upset because he was afraid no one else was going to have a costume on. He kept asking to put his uniform on. He livened up at the bus stop when he saw a princess waiting to catch the bus too.

The worst part of going on vacation seems to often be the night before. I'm up too late finishing the last of the packing (and inevitably we will have forgotten something). I run around trying to leave the house clean so we come home to a clean house. And then it's seemingly a mad dash out the front door in the morning...

But I am feeling much better.

Here's another pic from yesterday's Carnaval. This is the school's play yard/gym area where they held the assembly.

Madrid....Here we come....

2009-02-13T10:51:00.000-08:00

Jeff's parents are flying into Madrid, arriving Monday morning. Since Madrid is a 4 to 6 hour drive from where we are, we took the opportunity to claim a little vacation time and "sight see" around Madrid with them.

But right now I am laying in bed with either a chest cold or the flu. I have every heater on possible, but then I get hot so I turn it off. Then I get cold, so on they go again...it's been a whole day of that.

Bram celebrated Carnaval at school, and we were able to visit and see the costumes and the dancing. The "external relations" director approached me to apologize profusely for Bram's head bump on Monday (he fell on his way out to the school bus and has one major scratch/goose egg.). To which my answer was "He's 3 and a boy. He'll do far worse in the future, I'm afraid."

We also met another North American (from Canada) and got invited to tea by some parents from Bram's class....not to mention the various strange looks due to our "uniformed" presence. One child asked if we were pilots, I overheard one parent speculating that we were foreign military, and I'm sure the majority of the British parents were saying "I didn't know The Salvation Army was in Spain?" At this point we are more than use to it...

...um...I was going to post pictures of Bram's adorable clown costume...but the camera is not available...you'll have to imagine it.

Cold Tea Cake

2009-02-08T11:15:00.000-08:00

I should be cleaning my kitchen. I should be starting another load of laundry so I can hang it from the line before we leave in the morning. I should be eating a balanced meal for dinner.

But I'm not. I'm eating cheese on some great crusty bread I bought at the French bakery this morning. (It's the only thing open on Sundays, and I take the boys over for a treat so they don't have to be cooped up in the building all morning. Hazard of being the pastor's kid: you are at church hours before anyone else shows up, and hours after everyone leaves... But I am eating a hazelnut yogurt...and will probably have a cup of tea before I go to bed...

Here's a great recipe I encountered this week. "Cold Tea Cake" Our congregation is primarily British expatriates, so I've been attempting to find ways to "infiltrate" their culture in order to win their hearts via their stomachs.

COLD TEA CAKE

Ingredients:

3 C dried fruit (I used golden raisins (or 'sultanas' in British...))

1 1/4 C brown sugar

1 1/2 C cold tea (the idea is to use the tea that's left over from tea time...)

2 C self rising flour

(I make my own 'cause it's expensive here: 1 C reg. flour + 1 1/2 t baking powder + 1/2 t salt = 1 C self rising flour)

1 egg

Directions:

Mix the fruit and sugar in a medium bowl. Soak in cold tea overnight.

Mix the egg and flour into the fruit mixture. Pour into greased loaf pan.

Bake at 350* for about an hour and half.

(My loaf needed nearly 2 hours...but it tasted wonderful when it was done!)

Three Good Things:

1. My inlaws are coming for a visit! They arrive next Monday! (one week to make the house presentable...)

2. Bram was having trouble staying "accident free" at school, but last week he stayed "dry and clean" (in his words) all week! We celebrated with a chocolate Kinder egg (a hollow chocolate egg that has a toy inside).

3. I got the most beautiful, and delicious strawberries from the Friday fruit market...so good that the boys and I have finished the kilo (2.2 pounds) in a little under 2 days...

The Survival Instinct

2009-02-03T11:59:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, we picked up Bram from school because we still needed to pay for his uniforms. I picked him up from the classroom, and we walked to the main office to pay at the front desk. The "external relations director" for the school asked me how Bram was doing and if he was enjoying his new school.

It is a common question lately, since he just switched out of a Spanish only system into the bilingual system of this school. It's a loaded question in its response though. Bram is doing amazingly better. He talks about school, his new friends, the stories he's learning, what he ate for lunch, etc. For the first time in 6 months, he is excited about going to school, not simply enduring. And he's actually using Spanish words in context, beyond 'commands'. Tonight he told me he makes lots of sudsy bubbles with his 'javon' (soap).

I think the major difference is the switch from "survival mode" to a comfort range that facilitates learning. In the previous school, Bram never really talked about what they were doing each day perhaps because he was never sure. He was just trying to make sure he didn't get left behind. (I think that given a longer time in the previous system, Bram would have adapted and learned the language well enough to enjoy. It just would have taken time.)

My major lesson in all of this school drama: It's amazing the difference in our personality when we're comfortable. Things that make us nervous and cause us to be unsure put us into an instinctual survival mode. We don't think or enjoy or experience, we simply survive. But when we find ourselves in a place where we can be at emotional rest, so to speak, we can begin to see the whole picture, put things to work, we can enjoy.

Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.
Matthew 11:28

Brought to you today by the letter....

2009-02-01T05:19:00.000-08:00

I've been a little behind in the blog world recently. A stomach virus made its way into the house this week, and I have been taking echinachea in between serving tea with lemon, rubbing backs, and switching to the next Larry Boy movie. Thankfully, I have not caught the bug this time.

With all the sickness, I've been cooped up in the apartment (well...except the Saturday escape to IKEA an hour and half away) but I have failed to think of something to blog on. You know, something that will earn me hundreds of comments, cause people to reflect on their own lives. You know, something really good. Really, I've failed to think of anything at all.

I'm participating in MY ADHD Me's Meme. She assigned me a letter and I am going to write 10 things that I love that start with that letter.

My letter is:

My Ten Favorite Things that Start with 'F':

(I will resist using the 'obvious' choices of friends and family, but know that I really do love my friends and family (new and old!))

1. Fried rice. I love Chinese food. I have really been longing for some "good" Chinese food, and have even ventured to try and make it myself.

2. facebook. Sad but true. I love how I can get glimpses into people's lives one sentence at a time, and I have encountered friends I thought long lost and even made some new!

3. Francine Rivers, and other authors of that genre. (Deanne Gist, Liz Curtis Higgs to name some) My mother in law introduced me to Christian romantic fiction and as long as the story is compelling I'll read it cover to cover in just a few days.

4. the Fab Four (aka: the Beatles) I practically know every lyric to every Beatles' song simply because my dad played it all the time when we were growing up. So I didn't necessarily choose to know the lyrics, but if there is a Beatles' song playing chances are I'll start singing along...it's kind of like a subconcious thing really.

5. Food. I am developing a growing addiction to food blogs. I buy cook books mainly because of the pictures. I love trying new stuff...and I love to eat!

6. Fahrenheit. I still calculate Celcius degrees to the approximate Fahrenheit translation so I can decide in my head whether something is hot or cold...

7. Funny movies. Who doesn't really?

8. Flowers. Things seem to grow really easily in the climate here, so I've been trying my hand at keeping things alive (only one casualty so far). If I can get the boys to stop pulling the flowers off my jasmine plant we'll be alright!

9. French press coffee. I just discovered the joys and deliciousness of this kind of coffee! I love, love, love it! (Well, I love coffee...so it would be hardpressed to be in a 'bad' category...)

10. Friday fruit market. Every Friday our town has its outdoor fruit market down one street in the center of town. I love it because you can buy fresh fruit and vegetables, and other stuff thrown in, from local growers. I love it partially because of the freshness of everything, plus it's the place where every one in town is at on Fridays, so you end up seeing a lot of people too!

(Wow...this was harder than I thought!)

And he huffed, and he puffed...

2009-01-28T05:02:00.000-08:00

This is the neighbor's yard. This neighbor only comes to their place here in Denia during the summer months. They are going to be very upset when they find this rotting pine tree covering the length of their yard area...

Spain had some incredible wind/storms this past weekend. In Barcelona 4 children died when a football (soccer) arena collapsed on them. There was a fire that engulfed an entire apartment complex when a power line pole was knocked over in the wind. I think the death toll was up to 12 people last I heard.

Our neighbors lost a huge chunk of their brick wall, so there is nothing between her washing machine and falling into the courtyard 4 stories below. There are broken lamp posts, twisted bill boards, and downed trees all over our little section of the Mediterranean. Thankfully our apartment and church building are unharmed...we didn't even lose any clothes off the line.

Some positive things in our past few days:

1. Bram is loving school! (He must have told me the story of the three little pigs about 40 times.) And his uniforms finally came in!

2. The sunshine has returned to the coast, so our clothes will finally dry in a decent amount of time.

3. I finally got around to reading the book my mother-in-law sent (Deep in the Heart of Trouble) and I'm lovin' it!

4. We have family coming to visit in a few weeks!!

We're done...for a year!

2009-01-22T01:02:00.000-08:00

It's been quite the process to become residents. With government offices, each with a seperate set of requirements, a good lawyer, a good God, and an insane amount of luck...we are now legal residents of Spain

Here's the process:

Step 1

Step 2

and yesterday we recieved our cards here in town! After we dropped off our final paperwork at the Office of Foreigners in early December, we were told to return in about month and a half to check on the status of the cards. Most people warned that they really meant about 2 months or longer, so checking yesterday was a long shot. When the guard informed me that all 4 cards had arrived, I nearly hugged him!

I have been trying to take the stance that these government officials are really just trying to do their job, and they've been dealing with people yelling at them all day, they don't need me to yell at them. I'm trying to use it as a moment to brighten their day by being extra polite...sometimes I got the opportunity to "brighten" their day multiple days in a row.

So, anyways yesterday was a great day in the Carr Chronicles! We're legal! We have the card to prove it! And we only have to start this process again in October...

This Is the Day

2009-01-20T05:36:00.000-08:00

Today in the hardware store a gentleman stopped in his tracks, turned around and called down the aisle “Did I hear an American accent?”

“Um….yes.”

:::waiting to hear the next question “I once visited New York/Hollywood/Disneyland/famous American icon that I’ve never been to. Where are you from?”::::

“Well, congratulations!”

“Um….thank you?”

“Today’s the big day! Today’s the day you guys change history! This is a big day for America. So, congratulations! The world is proud of you!”

“Um…thank you.”

I know I’ve posted about this issue before. Today is the day of change. Whether or not you voted for the current president does not impact the momentous, history changing occasion of today. Our children will truly believe that you can be anything you want, no matter who you are.

We’ve been watching CNN since we got home this afternoon, and watching the ticking clock counting down until the inauguration event. I ‘teared’ up watching the interviews. One woman said that she had been waiting on the Washington Mall, a mile away from the actual event, not even going to get a glimpse of the new president, but said she just had to be there! “This is a day that will be in the world’s history books! Our children and grandchildren will forever be changed because of this.” I was just overcome with the emotional impact of this inauguration of this president. This really is a day that the world will remember.

A Picture Tag

2009-01-17T04:25:00.000-08:00

So, here's the fourth picture from the fourth file of "My Pictures" file on my computer.

This picture was taken at the infamous "Bean" in dowtown Chicago. We were still waiting on the boys visas to come through, and were getting antsy about their delay. Jeff and I had recieved our visas 6 weeks prior to this picture.

The Spanish government had informed Madrid headquarters that they had never recieved the applications and that we should go check on them. So I put on my uniform (you always seem more important than you really are in uniform) and headed out to the Spanish Consulate. The gentleman at the consulate checked and verified that the applications had been sent, and the suggested that we could travel to Spain sans the visas and then return for them later. (Which created the huge residency ordeal! For the whole story read my post on the trip to Madrid to finish the residency: Good News )

Jeff and the boys walked around the area by the Spanish Consulate while I waded through the beaucratic paperwork stuff. This pic was taken when I came down with the "good news" and we spent the rest of the afternoon 'celebrating' in downtown Chicago (I changed out of the uniform later).

Rise and Shine, Sweetheart

2009-01-15T10:49:00.000-08:00

I remember when Karen came to speak to my MOPS group about being an Irritable Mother, perhaps that's why this lesson sticks out because that's what I am.

I confess I am a cranky mommy.

The boys have been coming into our room with toys blaring (Bless all you purchasers of loud toys for children not your own) every morning at precisely 6:30AM, sometimes a tad earlier but never later.... I don't know about you, but I HATE beginning my day this way. I like to wake up of my own accord. I could get up at 6:30 and be a completely pleasant person for the remainder of the day, but for some reason if I am bonked on the head by Spiderman's motorcycle or have Thomas's horn blown in my ear I tend to lose my composure for the remainder of the day.

If I am woken up, I'm crabby for pretty much the whole day, and then everyone suffers. If I get up (same time frame) on my own, I'm relatively normal. What is a girl to do?

Options:

1. go to bed at a decent hour and stop watching good TV shows (prime time starts at 10pm!)....ok, even mediocre television...side bar: I keep watching the "Hormiguero" show here in Spain, I have no idea what he's talking about most of the time...but the singing ant puppets make me laugh...

2. I could get up earlier than the boys.............um..............but 6:30 is my early.....

Ok, so I'm out of ideas....I think I'll read that book again....

Dis-cour-age-ment (di-skur-ij-muhnt)

2009-01-10T07:35:00.000-08:00

I've been developing a theory (we'll call it that for now) over the past few days/weeks. I am finding that the 'enemy' uses discouragement and doubt most often as weapons against children of the Most High God. (See my beginning thoughts on this here.)

My philosophy continues to be confirmed as I talk with various people going through personal and interpersonal struggles. Someone says or does something and thus begins the "discouragement tumble". The tumble into a pit where you feel like everything is hopeless, there's no possibilities, no where to turn, no one likes you, everyone hates you, might as well go eat worms...

It's not just the "big" things that can be used in the arsenal of D & D, little things work just as well. For example: potty training relapses (just when you think you're home free...), new school struggles, passing comments meant to negatively impact a fledgling ministry, sick children, not enough sleep, a blog post that you have to redo because the computer went on strike...I could keep going... But as long as there can be a small hit, a tiny strike, an intsy wintsy bitty bit of doubt and discouragement creep in...the whole tower of dominoes will come tumbling down...

As I was looking up some Scripture to share with someone struggling with discouragement, I came across this:

I would have lost heart, unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait on the Lord; be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart; wait, I say, on the Lord! Psalm 27: 13 - 14

D & D are mighty weapons UNLESS you know the Truth. D & D have no power on those who will choose to wait and see the goodness of the Lord. I want to be the person who believes that I will see the goodness of the Lord no matter what happens. My weapon is hope. I have hope that tomorrow will be better.

May I be the one who chooses to not lose heart in the face of D & D.......and I will have the victory.

Thankful Thursday

2009-01-08T06:01:00.000-08:00

Thankful Thursday! Yay! Check out the others here. Truth for the Journey I do enjoy the reminder to stop and let the "world" know what it is God has blessed us with from the little things to the great...

1. I am thankful for a great school system for Bramwell. He seems to really be enjoying himself, and as the days go by I'm sure I'll be less nervous for him. He walked into the class today and didn't even look back, yesterday they showed him a train set and I might as well have disappeared. Apparently, I'm the only one with hangups about him going to school.

2. I am thankful for all the new possibilities in our ministry. We have recently changed to having our language specific services on seperate days, rather than one meeting right after another. I am really excited about all the good things that could come from this. Of course there are moments when it's seems very lonely on the "front lines"...but we have been promised the victory!

3. I am thankful for Kinder chocolate. It's apparently a chocolate that's not really available in the States, bit it's incredibly cheap here and incredibly good!

4. I am thankful for all the Christmas cards we recieved. We have taped the cards onto the wall above our dinner table and the boys and I have been talking about how these are all the people that love our family. I still don't have the desire to take them down yet.

5. I'm thankful for the snow on the mountain. It's been rather cold the past couple of days and with the rain today there is visible snow on the mountain. It's just a beautiful reminder of an amazing Creator.

Los Reyes Magos

2009-01-05T12:43:00.000-08:00

Two posts in one day....woohoo!

We decided to keep the boys out late and see the Denia Three Kings Day parade! The parade consists of the kings docking at port, parading down the main street, throwing candy, a procession to see Mary and Jesus, and ends with more candy from the town hall building. And tonight little Spanish children will rush home to leave out their shoes in hopes that the kings will leave them gifts overnight!

It was a lot of fun! Here's a video the pics we took:

(Music: God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen & We Three Kings by Barenaked Ladies)

Serious Mommy Issues

2009-01-05T04:04:00.000-08:00

Bramwell, my 3 year old, starts school on Wednesday. You read that right, school. Not day care, but school. When we assessed our family situation in regards to overseas ministry we never thought that we'd have to even think about school until possibly a second term (you sign up in 3 year increments).

So it was a "mad dash", well, not exactly mad dash...anyways, we spent the first couple of months trying to sort out the school situation for Bramwell. We looked into local "escuelas de infancia", basically "baby schools". They're not quite school, but they do actual lessons, etc. We thought it would be the best option in order for the boys to learn operating Spanish so they could join school. Nearly everyone I approached told me Bram was too old for their program, and they couldn't take him.

So, we tried local schools. There is a private school taught by the local Spanish Baptist church, but they have a 3-5 year waiting list. (The "Missionary Card" didn't even help bump us up...) I then opted to look into local public school, but everything is taught in the local language of Valenciano. A language I don't understand at all. So if there were to be a problem at school?? He needed help with his homework?? I couldn't even get pamphlets about their programs in Spanish (even though it's the law!)...back to square one.

So then we heard about a private Spanish school system in the next town over. They are a British run school that teaches a Spanish cirriculuum. Bram will begin there on Wednesday! He'll be taught in both Spanish and English, with Valenciano language classes in the upper grades. He goes for a full day, wears an absolutely adorable uniform (there's a tie and everything), and rides a coach bus. I'm still nervous about the bus...I can tell that the teachers at the school hear the same nervous questions from every mother, they're answers are very rehearsed...

And now, it's down to the wire, the last day and a half that I have Bramwell the majority of the day. Honestly, it's liberating in a sense, but at the same time heart wrenching. My baby boy isn't a baby anymore. He's entering the world of school....away from me....with new friends I may never know............I'm scared.......

New Year's Resolutions

2009-01-01T12:03:00.000-08:00

We have experienced our first New Year in Spain. We watched the clock chime in Madrid, watched as people ate their "uvas de suerte" ('lucky grapes': Spainards eat a grape for each chime of the clock at midnight). It was a relatively quite night...until midnight. At the stroke of 12, some neighbors in our building began screaming, beating drums, etc. I consoled myself by believing that in a couple hours it would all stop. The music, screaming and drums did not stop until well AFTER midnight! All four of us were in our bed (not by my choice) and no one was sleeping. It made for a lovely and friendly Carr family on New Year's Day... I considered knocking on the neighbor's door at 10:00 am (when the music finally turned off) and just standing there with my howling, melt down toddlers and thanking them for the lovely party.

We did hold a New Year's Eve service...at 6 pm. We have toddlers, we don't go out after midnight.

We used Isaiah 43:18-19 as our theme:

Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland.

I used a video clip of the song "Seasons of Love" from "Rent". (I got lucky and found a Youtube video with Spanish subtitles!) In 2009 I have 525,600 minutes. I have 525,600 chances to see God at work. The part of the verse that struck my attention was that God implies that His new thing WILL happen, we just have to pay attention if we want to be a part of it. God is, always was, and always will be at work, it's just a matter if I'm 'perceiving the stream'. If I want to see the new thing, I just need to look for God.

We have challenged our congregation to take the next 180 days and give God a chance to "turn their life around". To take a chance to see God at work. We are participating in a 180 day Bible reading plan. I realized that in my own life I can come up with a million excuses for why I don't have enough time to do this, but I have plenty of time to facebook, blog, blog hop, Youtube video watch, etc. So, in order to remove some of those excuses, I'm creating a blog of my notes on the daily readings. I'm going to actively seek out the 'way in the desert' this year. (If you're interested in following along in my journey of 'turning it around', click here.)

So, Happy New Year! May you 'perceive the stream' in 2009!

This Is the Day

2008-12-30T02:38:00.000-08:00

This my first time participating in So I See What You're Saying. Bram and I are very excited about being included into such a prestigious group. Plus, after cleaning the apartment I have to find a way to entertain my three year old until school starts next week.

So without any further interruptions...

The Look

2008-12-29T05:44:00.000-08:00

As time goes by here in Spain, I have begun to become familiar with a "look". It happens in the following scenario: I'm speaking Spanish, and a strange word slips out. A word that is not quite English, and not quite Spanish, it's a word lost in limbo. And then comes the "look". I don't know what I'm trying to say, the person I'm trying to talk to doesn't know what I'm trying to say, and we're both trying to be polite and simply move on from this limbo word.

For example? Sure...

Yesterday, we were enjoying a lunch with Salvation Army officers on vacation from Barcelona. I was attempting to tell them that there is going to be a clown show on New Year's Eve in our local town square. I know the word for clowns (payasos), but for some reason I simply could not get it out. It kept mangling itself as it tried to free itself of this language limbo. At that point....I got the "look".

Now, it's not a mean look, per say. It's just a look of pity mostly. A look that conveys "I know you're trying really hard, but I simply cannot understand you." The empathy behind the look really depends on the giver. Some people are very patient and understanding, and some simply, well, aren't.

An example of someone who wasn't:

When I worked a summer in Argentina, I lived and worked with a Salvation Army family who knew absolutely no English, I knew bare bones Spanish. (It was a special treat trying to communicate with sign language). There was a moment when I was carrying on a conversation with a small group of people, and I really thought I was doing well, they were nodding their heads, smiling (should have been my first clue, I realize). I reached the end of a phrase and I was really proud of myself, I had just maintained a conversation!! When one older gentlemen looked straight at the officer (pastor) in charge and said "What is this girl trying to say?? I have no idea what she's talking about?? Can someone translate her?"

::sigh::...I would have preferred the look.

A Skype Christmas

2008-12-25T07:27:00.000-08:00

The sun is setting on our palm tree Christmas. I'm enjoying a cup of tea, some left over ginger bread cookies from our Christmas Eve service, and just basking in the Mediterrean pace of life that has returned to our household.

We had a wonderful candle light service last night, followed by the annual opening of one gift. It is incredibly difficult to convince toddlers that they cannot eat the large chocolate Santa Clause until tomorrow.

The boys were excited to ride their brand new tricycles. We took a little walk on the boardwalk outside our apartment. It's a balmy 65 degrees today...afterwards we treated ourselves to the Christmas menu at the restaurant below our apartment.

We've skyped all the family, and the boys have ignored the calls, like they usually do. (Getting toddlers to pay attention is a miracle. My mom had their attention when her Scooby Doo Christmas 'thingie' started singing...)

Christmas has come and gone. We've survived the first Christmas away from family. It can be done. Let's try this again next year....

Family Christmas Card 2008

2008-12-20T15:07:00.000-08:00

Here's the 2008 Carr Christmas Card...video version!

Enjoy!

Christmas Carols

2008-12-20T10:31:00.000-08:00

We've been doing a lot of Christmas carol singing lately. Our church band has been out playing different events. (Some events a donation for The Salvation Army is even taken up!) We've played for a British Christmas party, the local state run nursing home, the weekly Monday market in town, a restaurant, and later this week we'll play at the port carol sing in a town around the mountain from us.

All of this singing has caused me to reflect on various Christmas songs. There are 3 in particular:

1. "Do They Know It's Christmas?" BandAid.

You know the one, they play it on every Christmas rotation list in the States. It's on at least 2 Christmas CDs I own. You know, the one where you hear Bono scream "Well, thank God it's them insteeeeaaaadddd of yooouuu!"

The lyric that sticks with me is this:

And there won't be snow in Africa
This Christmas time
The greatest gift they'll get this year is life
Where nothing ever grows
No rain nor rivers flow
Do they know it's Christmas time at all?

Is Christmas only defined by snow and nicely wrapped presents? I will admit this year the Christmas season seems "unseasonal" to me, personally. I'm celebrating Christmas with palm trees out my back door, not 10 feet of snow (which apparently just hit my midwestern friends). But it doesn't make it any less Christmas, right? I'm sure in Africa, no I'm positive, they still celebrate Christmas, it just may look different from mine, or your idea of "Christmas".

Which leads me to the 2nd song:

2. O Come, O Come Emmanuel

O come, O come, Emmanuel

And ransom captive Israel

That mourns in lonely exile here

Until the Son of God appear

Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel

Shall come to thee, O Israel.

I think I have a strange 'attraction' to the minor keyed Christmas carols. I LOVE this song. It's always been one of my favorites. It has come to mind many times as I make it through my first Christmas so far away from friends and family. In those moments when I'm feeling lonely and homesick, I remember that this celebrational season is because Emmanuel came for me! So, though at moments I may sit "in lonely exile", those moments when the boys simply will not play together nicely, the cookies burned again, the Christmas tree is falling over, when I miss my family and my "normal", the Son of God will appear (to speak to me through new friends, new traditions, and lots of great coffee) and for that I shall rejoice!

And finally:

3. Noche de Paz (Silent Night, in Spanish)

Noche de paz, noche de amor, Night of peace, night of love
todo duerme en derredor. All around is sleeping
Entre sus astros que esparcen su luz, Between the stars which scatter their light
bella anunciando al niñito Jesús. Beautifully announcing the baby Jesus
Brilla la estrella de paz, Shines the star of peace
brilla la estrella de paz. Shines the star of peace

We sing this song often here. I appreciate how the words are slightly different from the English version. The part that sticks with me this Chistmas is the word "peace". Some how, without the assistance of a major fundraising effort, I have managed to overschedule and exhaust myself this Christmas! And I always thought kettles was to blame. God will often bring this song to mind when I start to think about how I just wish the season would be over with so we could rest again. The point of the season isn't to rush around buying things, or going places, or carting yourself all over town to entertain. It's a moment of peace. A moment of love. I hope that these last few days I will stop to notice that the stars still beautifully announce Jesus, the Prince of Peace.

Thankful Thursday

2008-12-18T05:10:00.001-08:00

I'm joining in on Thankful Thursday .

1. I'm thankful for cookie recipes. Through blog hopping, family recipes, and new Spanish recipes I have all kinds of recipes I'm dying to trie! (This weekend: sugar cookies (I have powdered sugar now, so the boys can decorate them) and date pinwheel cookies) And now with the care packages from the States we just got, I can actually make them!

2. I'm thankful for that liberating feeling of doing something that scares you, and being successful. For example: driving by myself. I made it (WITHOUT the GPS) from a church member's house to the mall, then back into town, then to the boys' nursery school...and I didn't hit or scratch anything!

3. I'm thankful for Christmas sales! I took a "mental health" day and did some Christmas shopping this morning. I found tricycles on sale buy one get one 70% off! I was trying to figure out how we were going to pay for 2 tricycles for Christmas and God answered my question!!!

4. I'm thankful for potty trained children. I purchased only ONE package of diapers today. (Even though it's still a mad scramble to get the triple locked door open when Bram looks up and says "Mama, I gotta go potty"....but it's still better than changing diapers.)

5. I'm thankful for the sunshine that returned today. It's been chilly, and our little butane heater was doing overtime keeping us warm. We're still adapting to the fact that it's just as cold inside as it is outside. But today the sun is out and it helps warm up our apartment (of course we did go buy another electric heater this morning, just in time :) )

Because I like playing these games...I just don't email them back and forth

2008-12-12T06:49:00.000-08:00

A Christmas Tag......

1. Egg Nog or Hot Chocolate?
I've only found hot chocolate here. And it's goooood. Remember when Starbucks had drinkable chocolate one Christmas season, it's like that only you also have to have churros to dip in it and it's available year round..mmmmmmmmm

2. Does Santa wrap the presents or just sit them under the tree?
He places them under a tree. It was one Christmas tradition that my husband's family tradition and my family traditions agreed on

3. Lights on house / tree are colored or white?
White....and NON BLINKING. I think God is laughing at all my little "control issues" upon moving to Spain. I can only find colored lights that blink uncontrollably here...

4. Do you have mistletoe?
No, but I can buy fresh holly.

5. When do you put your decorations up?
This year we put them on the weekend of Thanksgiving. Typically it's any time between then and the middle of December. I've gauged that Spain puts up decoration on Day of the Immaculate Conception (this past Monday) because our entire town became Christmas central over night.

6. Favorite Holiday Dish (EXcluding dessert)?
Green bean casserole with slivered almonds.

7. Favorite Christmas memory as a child?
Opening up the box of "my" Christmas ornaments every year to put on the tree. And my mom has even parted with them so I could have them on my own tree now....except this year. Glass ornaments + marble tile floor + eager toddlers = disaster

8. When and how did you learn the truth about Santa?
We were sitting in the car at a convenient store (I think) and I remember saying to my mom "There's no such thing as Santa Claus is there?" when she didn't answer I said "Then there's no Easter bunny or Tooth fairy either, is there??". I was in 2nd grade.

9. Do you open a gift on Christmas Eve?
Yes. Thankfully another holiday tradition that our families both practiced.

10. How do you decorate your tree?
I have come to love ribbon and the idea "less is more". This year: styrofoam ornaments. (See #7)

11. SNOW. Love it or dread it?
We don't believe in snow on the Mediterrean coast, sorry. :)

12. Can you ice skate?
um..........I plead the 5th.

13. Do you remember your favorite gift?
I got this great bride doll one year we spent Christmas in a hotel. I was really excited because I was in a doll collection phase in my life. In fact I think those dolls are still in my mom's basement....

14. What is the most important thing about Christmas to you?
The celebration and reminding my boys that it's about Jesus being born in a barn...er, well that's our toddler friendly rendition.

15. What is your favorite holiday dessert?
Molasses sugar cookies. Omigoodness, they are so good and they say "it's Christmas" (ooo, magic cookies!)oh, oh, I love fudge too! My mother in law makes incredible and amazing amounts of fudge this time of year. I wonder if that ships?

16. What is your favorite holiday tradition?
Cookie making. I remember my mom spending a lot of time baking during the holidays, so I've kinda adopted it as my own too. (And when back in the States, it's a nice way to spend the quiet evenings while the boys sleep and Jeff's still at church building finishing up kettles for the evening.)....side note: since I have your attention, your local Salvation Army officer is incredibly busy right now. They probably don't even eat a proper meal, let alone make Christmas cookies. They're working 18 hour days in order to raise funds just to keep their community programs running (most places this seasonal collection is the majority of their operating budgets)..if you're not too busy, maybe you could find your local Salvation Army officer and drop off cookies, or a hot meal, or some drinks, or gift certificates to Starbucks (oh, wait that would have been if I were your local Salvation Army officer)...

17. What tops your Christmas tree?
an angel, which she's apparently too heavy for our tree because it's leaning a different direction every morning..

18. Which do you prefer, giving or receiving gifts?
I prefer it all. Giving a great gift is exciting! and getting a great gift can be just as exciting.

19. Favorite Christmas Song?
"Not that Far from Bethlehem" by Point of Grace....and "Dominck, the Italian Christmas Donkey"

20. Candy Canes, Yum or Yuck?
please,no...no, don't give them to my children and then walk away...who's going to clean up this sticky mess!!??

21. What do you want for Christmas?
already got it: an entertainment center for our apartment.

22. Do you attend an annual Christmas party?
no. Typically on Christmas Day we are sleeping (we're recovering from Kettles) so you're not allowed to knock on our door or call us until noonish. We do go out for a nice dinner (read: Red Lobsters) on Christmas Eve once all the kettles are counted and the money has been deposited in the bank. It was a tradition that my husband's family did, and we adopted it.

23. Do you usually dress up for Christmas Eve or wear PJ's?
PJ's (see #22, we're usually at home in PJ's from Christmas Eve until New Year's.)

24. Do you own a Santa Hat?
No.

25. Who do you normally spend Christmas with?
See #22. We often will travel to family's the week following Christmas and take some vacation into the New Year.

26. What is your favorite Christmas decoration and why?
Nativity sets. I have begun collecting nativities, but unfortunately was only able to bring a few with me to Spain. Here nativities are incredible expanse (known as Belen). Our boy's day care even has a set that is practically the entire town of Bethlehem, complete with numerous chickens! There are nativities every where, and I have already warned my husband I WILL NOT leave this country with out my own "Belen".

What makes Christmas...Christmas?

2008-12-07T10:13:00.000-08:00

The boys have been getting up entirely too early the past few mornings (ie: 3:00am) and crawling into our bed. I'm not sure if is a noise outside, the need to "go potty", or habit at this point. But it makes for early bed times because they practically fall asleep in the bathtub. So, now that the boys are asleep, I can write down some thoughts...

I've mentioned before that this is my first holiday season outside of the States, and I'm learning each day what it's like to be away from everything you associated with Christmas.

So, a thought has been running through my head today: what makes Christmas Christmas?

Is it cookies and fudge? I did make my mom's molasses sugar cookies and they were a hit. I always knew when those cookies were made it meant it was the holidays. I always enjoy baking enormous amounts of cookies at Christmas,and will miss the post holiday sales when I typically pick up needless amounts of holiday cookie tins. (It's an unhealthy obsession, really.)

What about cultures that celebrate big things on days other than December 25??? Some Dutch congregation members brought the boys St. Nicholas Day gifts (which was last Friday I think). And Spain has larger celebrations on Epiphany, rather than Christmas day.

Is it the community holiday events that create the holiday spirit? This weekend is the Medieval Market in Denia. There are a bunch of booths set up with vendors dressed in costume, and fire jugglers, and strolling minstrels. All good fun for the boys.

Is it the presents? Specific decorations? A specific nativity set? The great family gathering? Are you turkey or ham people?

This Christmas, because I don't have the "normal" Christmas things...or should I say, my tradition of Christmas, I have the opportunity to reflect on what really makes Christmas...well, Christmas.

Our sermon series for Advent is based on Isaiah 9:6

For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace

Christmas, regardless of whether you exchange gifts on December 5, 25, or January 6, whether you put up Christmas trees or stick to nativity scenes, whether you bake cookies or make mountains of fudge, whether you have Salvation Army kettles or no...Christmas is the moment, the experience, the realization that we have a Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, and Prince of Peace..and for that we celebrate!

The Never ending Story

2008-12-02T10:56:00.000-08:00

It's a never ending saga with the residency. Today, after acquiring all the appropriate paperwork, number of copies, and right sized photo, we headed for the Foreigner's Office in Alicante. Only to be turned away. Rather than tell the long, frustrating story of meeting several friendly government officials, several not so friendly ones, being scolded via phone calls by a lawyer, driving back and forth between 2 offices on opposite sides of town, and a lovely woman named Begonia who finished us up...the boys and I are 10 euros away from being legal residents of Spain! (:::sigh::: While making copies of paperwork & visas, I had brought a copy of Jeff's passport but not the actual passport...he has an ACTUAL APPOINTMENT to come back next Tuesday to finish his finger stamping process)

Dia de Accion de Gracias

2008-11-29T07:09:00.000-08:00

Clean up from a Thanksgiving extravaganza looks the same no matter where you. Or, so I learned.

I'm taking advantage of a quiet moment. All the boys (Jeff included) are taking naps, I've got a glass of water, some left over tuna/curry/corn appetizers (taste better than they sound), and the butane heater running.

Yesterday we had a few people over from our congregation to join us in celebrating Thanksgiving. I tried to explain to my husband that it's just not a Thanksgiving without a bunch of other people with you. SO we drove 45 minutes to find an English butcher with a turkey breast last minute (we paid 14 euros a kilo (about $9 or so a pound) but it was worth it to celebrate with real turkey). I made all the "fixin's"! It was the first time that I have made a Thanksgiving meal on my own, and beside the biscuit mishap, everything came out really well! I reminded my family that these "from scratch" Thanksgivings will all too soon disappear once we live in a country that has the essentials in a can...

It was really nice to get to celebrate. It is also my first major holiday away from any sort of traditional family. It was wonderful how we were able to create new "family members" and laugh and share stories....just as if we had been in the States. One doesn't realize how important these sorts of things are until they are no longer an option. It was important to me that we have some sort of celebration (I had been an emotional wreck about it all week). I don't want to lose those traditions that are a part of who we are, a part of our American culture. And I hope, in the same breath, that we can adopt new traditions (like Los Reyes Magos (3 Kings)) to bring into our family's culture.

This year I am most thankful for:

1. ...being able to see a Salvation Army church grow and flourish, just as God created it to do. (We love you, Waukegan)

2. ...new friends, extensions of our family.

3. ...good food.

15 Things

2008-11-23T11:53:00.000-08:00

I wasn't tagged, but I'm kind of at a loss at a good post. So I thought I'd just join the fun.

Fifteen Things About Me, I'm not afraid to admit:

1. I'll sneak into my boys rooms while they're sleeping, give them kisses, and remind myself why we keep them. (Especially since bed time can be a nightmare.)

2. I am a fanatic about not eating the same meal too many times in a row. I'm always trying new recipes in order to keep our menu changing. I'm pretty sure my husband would just wish I'd stick to a few good ones.

3. I hate meatloaf, but will sometimes suck it up and make it because Jeff loves it.

4. I never finished college. I went to 2 different schools, and then realized I should just do what God had been calling me to do since I started: prepare myself to be a Salvation Army officer. So, I quit school and entered training (Salvation Army seminary) and felt a peace unlike any other.

5. I am really picky about pantyhose. I wear a uniform that requires off black pantyhose on a daily basis. But I REFUSE to wear pantyhose that get nicks too easy in them. I will only buy the $4/pair kind. I even bought a huge amount to bring to Spain with me.

6. I don't really know my biological father.

7. I really loved MOPS, and if I had stayed in the States I would have gladly served on their leadership team like they had asked. I was really sad that there are no MOPS in Spain.

8. I love coffee. Thank you, God, that I moved to a country where coffee is a national past time.

9. I have created a system in my head for how I decide to purchase something (non-necessities). I will look at it, then walk away, then come back, then walk away, if I decide to come back a third time then I will buy it. It's sad because I know that I have that tendency and even if I know I'm going to come back, I will still go through the entire ritual.

10. I spent the last week in Madrid at a conference for Salvation Army officers of Spain. I was bored most of the time because it was primarily about administration, but felt guilty because I needed to keep paying complete attention so I could tell Jeff what it was about later.

11. I had to leave my boys with a French speaking Swiss woman from our congregation that speaks Spanish.

12. I find it annoying that Bramwell now calls me "mama" (read with a French accent).

13. I hate doing laundry or dishes. Typically I don't do them, Jeff does. But then when he gets started, I feel incredibly guilty because I somehow think that I should be doing those things.

14. I really love Thanksgiving, and am anticipating that this might be a rough weekend because there is no Thanksgiving here. I can't even find a whole turkey (I found turkey legs...ewww.). Hopefully we'll be able to get together with some other Americans and have some pumpkin pie.

15. I often will make up the word in Spanish if I don't know it. I will simply say the English word with a Spanish accent. It works about 50% of the time.....

Whirling Dervish :)

2008-11-17T06:16:00.000-08:00

The past week has been fun filled and jam packed. Strategic planning sessions, Solidaria de Marina Alta, local theatre ticket sales, and 18 month vaccinations!

Saturday, we attended a conference in Valencia in order to network with other Evangelical social service entities in the Valencian community (our area in Spain). At first, I was worried that we had simply made the mistake to come to a day long sales pitch for this particular group. BUT we met a woman (An American missionaries daughter) who is on the town council in our town and works with Stop the Traffik. I have been praying for an opportunity to get involved in some ministry dealing with the numerous prostitutes in our surrounding area. There is a road that we pass that has a young girl "posted" outside an orange grove entrance about every 20 to 30 feet or so....it was definitely a divine opportunity to meet this woman! When I found out that she was working directly with this issue in our same community, I quickly asked how I could help! I am so excited that God has provided an opportunity to DO SOMETHING.... so we have a meeting with her next week!

A long while ago at a MOPS meeting I learned a valuable lesson of carrying Scripture in my pocket. I didn't necessarily start doing it right away, but I've tried....anyways, I typically type out the Scripture readings and hand them to the people reading on Sunday morning (because they don't always bring their Bibles...) Apparently I had tucked a verse away into my tunic (Salvation Army uniform jacket (explanation for non Salvationist readers)) pocket, which made its way to my purse pocket, which then made its way to my hand this morning as I wrote down cloth measurments for a banner I'm making (quite the traveling verse)...the verse was exactly what I needed to read after a crazy week, an upcoming week of a conference 6 hours away with my boys in someone else's care:

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. John 14:27

God is so good.

A Kind Word

2008-11-09T10:41:00.000-08:00

As pastors, Sunday is the hardest day of the week. That may be shocking. It's the day when everything seems to be pulling apart at the seams. Your kids don't listen. Your pantyhose ruin consistently. You can't find the paper you needed, and laid out the night before so that this wouldn't happen. You and your spouse can't agree on even simple things, like banana yogurt or strawberry. All in all it's a tough day, well, at least it is in our household.

I know that this is the enemy's tactic of warfare. If you are distracted, you are of no good to the Kingdom. So, one is to expect a certain amount of struggle and confrontation when approaching Kingdom building events (ie: corporate worship).

So, next Sunday take a moment to find your pastor and/or their family members and offer some encouragement. Because the more I "investigate" the more I find that this is a reoccuring phenomenon in many pastoral households. Tell them they're doing a great job. Take them to lunch. Bring them a baked good. (Someone made us bread pudding today...it's the little things!) Distract their kids for a second while they engage in a conversation.

Remember, we're all in this together.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, BRAMWELL!

2008-11-07T04:58:00.000-08:00

It's Bram's birthday today! He turns 3 at 4:30 Central time....or is that Spain time.....

Anyways we're celebrating the whole day! Bram opened a special gift from Grandma Sandy this morning at breakfast. I made (in our new essential Spain kitchen appliance: deep fryer) churros for breakfast with warm chocolate milk. Jonas and I sang Bram awake....to which he was utterly thrilled.

I brought cake into the pre-school for Bram, and when we picked him up he was wearing the birthday crown. He was also singing some song about Samba the Elephant, but I couldn't quite make out the words. When he sings in Spanish he mumbles all the words but gets the general tune down..

Today, after our weekly visit to the nursing home, we will be having chicken nuggets, french fries, carrot sticks, and homemade pickles (all of Bram's favorites) followed by a cake. It took me forever to find cake batter (it comes pre mixed in a bag you just pour into your pan. my choices were: chocolate chip or lemon) and I also attempted home made icing sans powdered sugar. (doesn't exist here) Jeff says the icing is good....but I'm skeptical about its merit. I'm sure Bram will love it regardless.

So here's to birthdays in a land far away!

Not to us, but to Your Name

2008-11-05T11:21:00.001-08:00

Bram's birthday is on Friday. My baby is going to be 3. Each year as we give him his cake, we remind him and ourselves that we're celebrating because we managed to keep him alive another year! Somedays that's more of a feat than others.

We met with a local community group called "Solidaria de Denia" this morning. It is our hope to find out more information regarding the needs of our community before we can really make any kind of decision as to what kinds of programs The Salvation Army should be offering. We are seeking for the best ways to engage our community and become a part of it, rather than simply a spectator. Through the community group we'll be able to network with other community agencies also serving the needs of our town.

We have been diligently working on clearing out rooms in our building in order to assess what resources we have at our disposal, make room for programs, as well as throw away garbage. (I found juice boxes over 2 years old!) As we go through the rooms we find all kinds of books, music, games, and even a tent. It at least helps in deciding what kind of items could be used for other things.

I have been reading Brian McClaren's "A New Kind of Christian" series (I highly recommend it!). The second book speaks a lot about creation and God's story as it is woven through time and the events of history as well as our present day. It inspired me to read through the book of Genesis (bit by bit...as it goes with toddlers who get up at 5:00 am (stupid time change) ). Yesterday I read the portion about the Tower of Babel (Genesis 11). The part that stuck out to me about the story this time was the reason God decides to confuse the language:

But the Lord came down to look at the city and the tower the people were building. “Look!” he said. “The people are united, and they all speak the same language. After this, nothing they set out to do will be impossible for them! (vs. 5 - 6)

Well, I always thought being united was a good thing? So I decided to keep reading the story for some clue as to why it was not a good thing now. And it hit me! Look at these verses:

Then they said, “Come, let’s build a great city for ourselves with a tower that reaches into the sky. This will make us famous and keep us from being scattered all over the world.” (vs. 4)

Unity is a good thing. It makes you unstoppable. (God says so in verse 6.) The problem is these people were doing it all for their own glory....no consideration of God. So God scatters them over the world to basically show them Who's in control.

So it leads me to think of the new page turned in our country's (US) history last night. It doesn't matter who's president, it matter who's God. Christians could continue to argue of what the outcome of the election means, or they can choose to focus on God and change the world together. It makes me ask myself, am I seeking glory of God in all my personal endeavours? Or am I focused on how this is going to affect me and me only?......

History

2008-11-04T00:05:00.001-08:00

I'm hesitant to post something of this nature, but I want to record my "feelings" before the event is finished. Because in my personal opinion the end result is not terribly important, in the sense that they seem to say the same thing on large issues via their voting records, etc (depending on what you determine to be the issues) regardless of what is said by campaign trails or commercials (which I didn't see in Spain anyways). (err.....I hesitated to leave that statement in...no backlash, I hope...I understand that there are some issues that are very important to people on which the candidates say very different things.....anyways, back to what I'm bloggin' about....sorry.....)

This is a monumental, historical event for the people of the United States. From the election onward little girls and boys (all, not just a specific group) will have an example that says "Yes! You REALLY CAN be president of the United States!!! It doesn't matter what you look like, your gender, or anything superficial!!" To me that's the most important aspect of this never-ending campaign. It's like our culture is turning a corner, or something! We're growing up!

So whatever the outcome of tonight's final votes ( I had to send mine in a month ago), this historic moment (as I steal wording from CNN international...) is exciting for me regardless of who becomes president!

Whoever you're backing be sure and cast your vote! Be a part of history!

Good news...

2008-10-29T11:16:00.000-07:00

It's been quite the past 3 days for the Carrs. I traveled by train on Monday evening from Valencia to Madrid in order to attend the appointment for the boys' visas. (We have to apply for residency in Madrid (a 6 hour trip from Denia) because our visa applications contained a Madrid address rather than the one in Denia) So, the lawyer was able to get them to give us an appointment for the boys (they refused to do us all at the same time). And since I speak Spanish, it was my opportunity to see the city's goverment offices.

Orange groves turned in to fields of olive trees, then into red clay, then big city Madrid. It was nice to take the train...quiet (my favorite part), and when you're in a uniform no one recognizes they tend to let you read your book in peace.

Tuesday morning I woke up to make some coffee before heading to our headquarters office to meet the lawyer. Well, apparently I didn't understand the whole glass top is not the cooking top thing, and just as I was getting myself some cookies the glass exploded! Not a great start to the day. Government officials make me nervous...and now I was going to have to confess to my boss I shattered the stove cover because I'm not that bright. (I swear, I'm not a complete idiot, I just have my moments.)

Anyways...the lawyer and I(after making copies of our ENTIRE passport) headed to the office of foreigners by taxi. It rained all morning in Madrid, which always makes treking in highheels from office to office a pleasant experience. The first office took all of our paperwork, glanced through the passports, and promptly handed it back to the lawyer. Because Jeff had returned to the States to retrieve the boys' visas after our arrival in Spain (which by Spanish law is allowed) the boys' passports never recieved an entry stamp within the time frame of their visa..so it's as if they never arrived in Spain. The girl at the computer simply said "You'll have to take them across a border and make another appointment when they have a stamp." (Mind you, Jeff and my visas only allow us to leave and re-enter Spain until Saturday) The lawyer asked to speak with the girl's boss. We were told that he was out having coffee and we would have to come back later. So the lawyer and I went and had coffee across the street and discussed potty training. When we came back the boss wouldn't see us and wouldn't make her an appointment (apparently they legally have to make an appointment for you).

At this point, I am praying "God, you softened Pharoah's heart to let people out, I'm asking you to soften people's heart to let us in." The lawyer decided to try another office. She told me it was a long shot, but we could at least try. So another taxi ride and discussion of electric cars later, we ended up in the Commissioner's office beside Madrid's jail. (What he was the commissioner of, I don't know, but apparently he was quite important.) He called the last guy that refused to see us, to try and sort the situation out. At first it seemed they were going to simply write a letter with his signature, verifying the boys being in Spain, essentially stamping their passports and then send us back to the previous office. After an hour of waiting with no return call and the lawyer pleading the case of "is this the impression of Spain and its citizens to upstanding outsiders who only want to be of assistance to the Spanish people", the Commissioner handed the paperwork to his 'secretary' (she did more than secretary work, but I don't know her offical title) and said "Here, just take care of this. I am going for a coffee if you need me."

The lawyer and I both were simply expecting them to take care of the boys' visas and get them squared away for residency. (In Spain, children and adult applications go through seperate offices and therefore often end up separating family residency applications.) The lady asked for Jeff and my applications and she did ALL OF OUR RESIDENCY APPLICATIONS! God is SO good! The whole family has now been registered and the only step in the process left is for us to go to Alicante (a much, much closer office) to get our thumb's printed and get residency cards!

As we were leaving the office with all our paperwork taken care of, I said to the lawyer "See, I told you I have pretty good luck with these government things so far. And I have a good God." To which she responded "And a good lawyer."

Top 5 things...

2008-10-24T11:32:00.000-07:00

(People wind surfing during the windy winter on the Costa Blanca)

1. Bramwell and Jonas have begun to naturally respond to Spanish commands. (Ie: take my hand, sit down, etc.) Bram can nearly count better in Spanish than he does in English. It wasn't until Bram correctly responded to "Como te llamas" (What's your name?) that I realized that he really is beginning to understand Spanish.

2. Last night we had a group of Norweigan Salvationists visit the corps, simply just to take a tour. They were staying out at the camp for a retreat, and just wanted to stop by. It is always fun to get to meet other Salvationists. (For non Salvation Army readers, it's hard to explain....) Bram was eager to show them around the building and even more eager to take them to "his office" (the room where all the toys are kept).

3. I have been in a "comfort food" mode. I made chicken and rice soup, beef stew (that turned out more like beef/vegetable soup). The only down side here is that there are no soft, yeasty rolls...so we had to settle for torn, day old bread.

3 1/2. Bramwell is on his way to being potty trained!!!!!!!! We have adopted the popular Spanish system of potty training (aka: naked). It's working so far. I think the biggest factor of encouragement was that he wants to be like Dash from "Incredibles" and we convinced him that Dash uses the potty not a diaper....who knew bathroom usage could be so exciting!?

4. I have nearly memorized an entire childhood Valenciano song. Each Friday we visit the state run nursing home and sing a mix of old Spanish church choruses and childhood songs (ala Mary Had A Little Lamb, if we were in the States). The childhood songs are primarily in the local language, so I have no idea what I'm singing about but I am proud to have been able to sing Tio Pep (hear it here) and his adventure.

5. As I was preparing for the Sunday Spanish service, I was narrowing down what passage to speak from. We have been looking at what the Bible says about how to 'find' God's will. (I am very thankful for my Thompson Chain Reference Bible!) So, I decided upon a passage out of James and just felt God reach out and speak to me:

Look here, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we are going to a certain town and will stay there a year. We will do business there and make a profit.” How do you know what your life will be like tomorrow? Your life is like the morning fog—it’s here a little while, then it’s gone. What you ought to say is, “If the Lord wants us to, we will live and do this or that.” Otherwise you are boasting about your own plans, and all such boasting is evil. Remember, it is sin to know what you ought to do and then not do it. James 4:13 - 15, NLT

We are called simply to do that which God has asked us to. Not to put a constraint on how, when, how long. We simply do until God gives us something new to do. God has placed my family here in Denia, and here we will stay until God calls us somewhere else. God has given me toddlers to love and raise and so I will do it because that's His plan right now. God has ordered my life for His glory and His Kingdom's benefit. May I never boast that my plan worked out. And may I always remember, when I am confident in the will of God for a specific part of my life, it is a sin to not comply....hmmmm.....things to think about

Quiet! Quiet! Quiet!

2008-10-22T10:43:00.000-07:00

My life is anything but quiet. And apparently that theme has been a strong "blog" issue of late. Right now, I am sitting on the bed of my 2 year old (ensuring he stays in bed) who is trying to "sing" through breathing through his nose with force, my 18 month old is sitting up chattering away desperate to get my attention so that he'll have an audience. And it's bed time. A time when life should be quiet.

With all this talk of quiet time it has caused me to take notice of how un-quiet my life is. Now, as I understand it, it is a side effect of having young children. I never realized until after having the boys how much I enjoyed moments of silence. So much so, that if it finally does get quiet I get irritated if the phone rings or my husband even asks me a simple question. I would love to have some "quiet time" but I probably would use it to read a book without being interrupted.

Quiet....it seems such a 'far away' concept at this point. If I could keep the two year old from 'talking' at a low level scream, and get the 18 month old to actually take a nap maybe, just maybe I might encounter a moment...

I hate being sick....

2008-10-18T11:36:00.000-07:00

I hate being sick. (Now, granted does anyone ever really enjoy being sick? If they do, that's a clear sign of some greater issue...) Anyways, when you're sick, minor annoyances become amazingly huge issues that you are willing to burst into tears over for no apparent reason.

I finally caught my share of the stomach flu making it's way up the Spanish coast. 2 days in bed, 5 pounds, and a weakened appetite later, I think I'm starting to improve....

At some point in my old age, I have developed a sensory overload issue. I'm not sure when it started, but ask my husband and he will verify that I can't handle lots of various noises. The issue even caused me to seek my own office rather than share with my noisy husband at our last church appointment. It makes me incredibly rattled. Two toddlers don't help, because they are accompanied by constant loud noise, muffling out all other noises, or simply joining in. This morning taking into account the loudness of our building (there is a group of teens who seem to only own 1 CD and relish playing it loud enough for everyone in the building to enjoy :) ), the running and "dinasour stomping" of my boys, the off kilter washing machine during the spin cycle, the neighbor's TV, the pounding as the neighbors across the hall remodel their kitchen, and the naueseating smell of drying seaweed permeating my apartment...I had to get out!

As we loaded up into the van, I didn't care where we went, I just wanted it to be quiet and not smell like seaweed. We ended up in a town (Jalon, if your mapping our travels) about 30 minutes away in a valley between 2 of the mountains. They had a long flea market spread across a dry riverbed in town. It was nice just to be outside and taking a walk. I did end up buying a huge purple mum for only 5 euros!! And we, of course, bought churros from the churro stand that populate every flea market in the area. It was a nice day to be out. The valley was beautifully green, and cool for the time of year. It thankfully smelled nothing of seaweed. And Bram even enjoyed looking at all the stuff.

Tomorrow we start another week...if you are praying people who happen to read my blog, I could use your prayer support on the issue of our residency. We have to apply in Madrid, due to original paperwork issues. (About a 6 hour drive) The boys have an appointment to begin the paperwork, but Jeff and I have yet to hear anything. I keep reminding myself that if God can handle Pharoah, God can handle residency paperwork in Spain...

Well, I'm off to finish up for tomorrow's Spanish program and head to bed...

Hear Ye! Hear Ye!: Notorious Missionary Now Becomes Nice Missionary!

2008-10-12T10:58:00.000-07:00

I decided to be a "nice mommy" tonight. We made a pizza together. Not just me putting it together while they were running around the kitchen, both boys actually helped!

On Sunday evenings, our church runs a church service in a local hotel. We tried taking the boys to the meeting, but after just 2 tries we quickly learned that 3 church services were just too much for toddlers. So, now Bram, Jonas and I have an evening all to ourselves. I secretly love Sunday evenings with the boys, because it's just as much fun for me as it is for them. We usually do something with play-doh or build train tracks or lego towers, we watch a movie if one is on, and it's bubble bath night! So tonight I decided I would do the good mommy thing and let them put the pizza together. (I vowed to myself I would only correct their 'creation' if it wasn't staying on the pizza dough. I had to make myself leave the pizza the way it was created.)

There has been a flu/cold thing passing its way around our little community. Both the boys have had it already, and I think I'm now struggling through it. No matter how sick they are, I can't turn them down if they just want a hug and a kiss....

I have decided to take tomorrow to stay at home. The house needs cleaning, and I need a rest. So perhaps it'll get clean, but it's entirely likely that the house will be in the same state it is now at the end of the day tomorrow.

Question: What do you do to take care of yourself (mentally/spiritually)? I was reading a preview of a book ("Absolutely Organized: Moms Guide to a No Stress Schedule & Clutter Free Home: A Mom's Guide to a No-stress Schedule and Clutter Free-home " by Debbie Lillard) off of Amazon UK website. And in the page you could read she suggests that most moms begin the day by dressing and feeding children, running them to school, etc...that they take no time to prepare themselves for the day. She said that you could have a better day and feel less frazzled if you just get up 30 minutes before the house's earliest riser to take some time for yourself...it seems like a nice idea, but is it realistic? Just wondering what some other moms do to ensure they take care of themselves...

One Windy City to the next...

2008-10-09T10:43:00.000-07:00

It's raining again. This time it's accompanied by really strong wind. The kind of wind that is bending down palm trees. Along with the rain comes flickering electricity...the lights have been flickering on and off all evening. It's enough to send an 18 month old into hysterics when his bath time goes all dark. Bram thought it was funny. (Well, he probably thought Jonas' freak out was funnier than the dark bathroom.)

It was a local holiday today, so there was no pre-school today. The boys accompanied us to brass band practice at a church member's home. (We've been having the church band practice at different members' homes in order to secretly visit with them, have tea, and see the inside of where the people live.) Bram & Jonas were excited to find legos and various bits and pieces of toys waiting for them, not to mention enough "biscuits" (that's British for cookies) to last them the morning. The gentleman (his wife plays in the band) even told me to go ahead and play with the band and he would gladly play with the boys. Bram has been talking about the lego jet airplane they made all day.

Tonight when the lights turned off, I was greeted in the dark by the question of "Why did the lights go off?" (Bram is a never ending stream of "Why" "How" "What does that mean" "What's it sound like in Spanish") So I said "Well, God decided to turn them off." And then I felt bad, like I should give a better explanation "Well, God wanted to show us that He is in control. So, He turned the lights off." "But I don't have to be afraid when the lights are off?" "No, Bram, 'cause we have Jesus with us." "Where? Up there?" "Um, well, He lives with us. He's with us all the time. He's in our hearts.".... Now, I realized at that point I was digging myself into a hole that might be theologically over the 2 year olds head. Why didn't I just say Because???....So suddenly the lights flashed back on, and Bram goes "Hey! He turned them back on!" Problem solved.

And now, I have a chorus from the back of The Salvation Army Songbook stuck in my head:
If Jesus goes with me I'll go anywhere
It's heaven to me whereever I be
If He is there
I count it a privilege here
His cross to bear
If Jesus goes with me I'll go anywhere

Hear it here Cyber Hymnal

2008-10-05T10:59:00.000-07:00

This is what happens when you bake a Chicago created pound cake recipe at sea level.

The eruption actually happened on both sides of the pan. After it cooled, we cut the pan and cake out of the explosion and still carried it to coffee fellowship the next day.

Better luck next time.

Waiting for the gas man...

2008-10-02T00:02:00.000-07:00

Everything 'hot' runs on butane gas tanks here, so after 2 cold showers in a row, we decided perhaps the tanks needed replacing. So, I have a few extra minutes thanks to the Spainard understanding of making an appointment. (There is a 2 hour window around the time you were told.)

I've been reading "A New Kind of Christian" by Brian McLaren. (I am trying to make myself read a Christian 'development' book before getting sucked back into my never-ending Liz Curtiss Higgs Scottish series...) Anyways, the book is all about defining post-modern Christianity. (Think "Shack" meets "Velvet Elvis", and that's the style of book.) It's creating quite a bit of thinking on my part. Perhaps that's the point?

Yesterday a homeless-by-choice man stopped by the church building just in search of a Bible. After I got him one, he started talking about how Jesus was radical, challenging the status quo, etc, etc. He then started in about how he didn't like organized religion, etc. And that he was a radical like Jesus. All in all, I think he's just revolting against responsibility, and wanted to use Jesus as a support for his decisions to ignore laws....I digress....

My conversation with him, coupled with my readings, got me thinking: I think I am more postmodern in my view of Christianity. Less importance placed on the 'organization' and definite emphasis on the relationship.....anyways, I'm still working through the definition, and I'm only half way through the book...

Drip, drip, drop...

2008-09-28T11:11:00.000-07:00

It has been raining since Wednesday. There is typically a torrential down pour throughout the evening hours. (And a worried Jeff thinking about the leaks in the church.) I am very grateful for the cooler temperatures...we've actually been using a blanket at night, and the boys are wearing 'real' pajamas to bed not just diapers. And I personally don't mind wet weather. But keeping the boys inside is driving me nuts!

On Saturday we decided to take a drive to Javea/Xabia (depending on what language you speak Valenciano or Spanish) to just get out of the house. It was sunny on that side of the mountain, and Bram was extremely excited to find a McDonald's play place. (Future conversations: You lived overseas, so what kind of food did you eat? "Chicken nuggets.")

We also ended up at the mall to get a few new pairs of pants for Bram. I don't have any 'warm' weather clothing in his size, so we had to bite the bullet and get some. Toddler fashion in Spain is hysterical (to me). My nearly 3 year old looks like a little GQ model.

There is a rumor that the sun will return to the Costa Blanca later this week. Until then the Carr household will be playing with markers, play doh, and mommy's cell phone.

I realized that I've been putting quite a few pics of Bram...so, here's a pic of Jonas from our huge bubble bath fight tonight.

Mommies....

2008-09-26T11:46:00.000-07:00

Some women are blessed with the gift of being 'stay at home mothers'. They have the choice of staying at home, have been given the Divine token of patience, and have chosen to be at home with their little ones.

It's usually when I consider these women, and the women who want to stay home but can't financially afford it, that I begin to feel a little inadequate in my mothering. I could stay home. There is no "rule" that says I have to go into the office, I could fulfill the majority of my 'requirements' from the computer at home. Though I have learned that the days I do stay home with the boys, it is nearly, strike that, it is impossible for me to get anything done beyond playing with the boys and making sure they don't destroy themselves or our belongings. Throw in the time it requires to change diapers, wipe noses, make snacks, and you've got a full day. (I'm very sure there are some women reading this and saying "And, your point is??")

The boys have been in day care all week this week, and I have been feeling a mixture of relief and guilt over the whole situation. They are struggling a bit with the language/culture issue. (Jonas won't respond to the Spanish pronounciation of his name. And Bram tells me every day "I don't speak Spanish.") I feel guilty for putting them in a place where only one girl speaks a few phrases in English. But I feel relieved in the sense that I have a chance to get involved in the daily operations of the church.

I have felt like a more patient mommy and a more attentive mommy this week. But I continue to rationalize the guilt: They only go from 8:30 to 1:30 (typical Spanish work hours), so they're not even in there the whole day. Bram needs to learn Spanish in order to start school next year. Jonas has been cutting teeth so that's why he's been cranky with the day care ladies....etc, etc, etc.

I don't presume that I'm the only one capable of taking care of my boys during the day. And I think it's good for them to be around other children, something of which there is not a lot of in our church (yet). I know that this transition phase for them shall pass, and they'll probably grow to love it, but it's still hard not to feel like a terrible parent when you leave a crying 2 year old behind in the care of another....

The rain in Spain stays mainly in...

2008-09-24T11:10:00.000-07:00

No, no it doesn't. Actually I don't even know where to find a plain here. But there is plenty of rain. Today, as we drove around trying to find a parking spot close to the church building I jumped out to buy a cake from the bakery nearby. (It was for the 'Mums & Tots' program on Wednesday mornings, though I probably could have eaten the entire thing...but that's another posting subject alltogether) As I stepped out I realized I had made a bad decision. The mid calf deep water running down the street was rushing so fast that I nearly tumbled over. Denia is situated at the base of a mountain, sort of. And our church building is near by the highest point, the castle. So all the streets are on an upward/downward angle, and as I learned today, to aide in rushing the water back to the Mediterrean sea... I also learned that winter in our area consists of torrential down pours on a regular basis....but at least it's a lot cooler than before...

The ministry here is primarily geared towards British expatriates that live in the Denia area. So, being missionaries in Spain, we could 'survive' without ever really speaking Spanish a great deal. So there are various programs during the week that are only in English.

One such program is the 'Mums & Tots'. It's a group of women who drive in to have a big play date once a week. It is a flourishing program, and I am grateful that something so similiar to my own MOPS experience already exists here! Today a new mother joined us! (Possibly to get in out of the rain, possibly to get her 14 month old to expend some excess energy. *side note: she was 4 days past her due date with her second son....) Anyways, I learned the "proper" way to make tea...and to stop asking if they wanted milk in it...yes they wanted milk, you can't drink tea without milk, and "You put honey in your tea???"....

The boys have been doing incredibly well at day care. Each day is a little less traumatic than the last. (It's only been 3 days) And this process is slightly necessary in order to prepare Bram to start school next fall, since no day care will take him after this year. Apparently the boys do even better during the day when separated, and the ladies taking care of them always stop me to comment on how well the boys eat....Jonas is still having some trouble during the day (off and on crying) and Bram every morning so far has asked "You're coming back, right, Mommy?" I am extremely grateful that at the end of the night the boys are so tired that they go straight to sleep!! I'll keep paying just for that alone! The employees are obviously used to working with nervous, foreign parents. They are very patient and kind, but at the same time they basically tell me to just leave in the morning. :)

I seem to need to remind myself that there will be a bit of a learning curve with everything here. For example, cooking: I bought what I believed to be pre-cooked chicken nuggets (it said precooked and frozen on the box) to fry and eat with our Mac & Cheese from the states, only to bite into a raw piece of chicken. I think part of God's plan for our family in this situation to learn a new measure of His peace in all aspects of life (even in raw chicken). "Peace that exceeds anything we can understand" I've been thinking about what His peace really means and what it looks like. I don't think it means I am in a "hippy daze" at all times, never letting things ruffle my feathers, but I do believe that it means there's a deeper peace that is evident at all times. I was thinking this morning about our family verse and what it means that "His peace will guard your hearts and minds". What does my heart need protecting from? How does it guard my mind? I think those things are guarded by peace, in that I know that nothing can destroy them as long as I live in Christ Jesus. Things may catch me off guard (I spit the chicken back out), but they cannot tear me apart. Water can seep into our building through the roof and walls during the rain storm, and I can be upset about it, but the peace of Christ guarding my heart and mind reminds me in that moment that this conquer my peace in Christ Jesus.....anyways, I'm not even sure all of that made sense....

**I would like to take a public moment to say how excited I am to have all these new friends!!!! I write this blog, and people are actually reading it! That's a lot of pressure.....I hope I'm up to the task...

How to Make Friends on A Playground in Spain

2008-09-20T12:22:00.000-07:00

Step 1: Head to the park at an hour when your body seems to be saying "Isn't this dinner time?"

Step 2: Bring your own soccer ball.

Step 3: Call everyone "Buddy" or "Friend".

English not necessary.

This evening we took a walk to a small fenced in playground area a bit of a distance from our park. We were looking to use up some toddler energy with the walk, and give them a chance to play on actual playground equipment.

Bram wanted to bring his "special ball" that Grandma sent back from the states for him. Mind you, this fenced in area is just big enough to have a slide, a swing set, and a couple of benches. There's not a lot of room to kick or chase a ball. But there was no arguing with Bram.

It was so endearing to watch him start up a game with a couple of kids, I guess from the neighborhood. Bram doesn't care if you speak his language. He doesn't care if he fully understands your's. If you're willing to play, you are now his friend.

Tonight, as we went around the dinner table sharing the best part of our day (another family tradition we're cooking up) Bram said "I played with my friend at the park. Yep. That was the best part of my day."

Take a number, to wait to take a number...

2008-09-19T13:06:00.000-07:00

It has been a blur of government offices this week! We registered with town hall and then drove the hour to the "county seat" in order to apply for residency. Only to find out through much explanation later, that we will have to drive the 5 hour trip to Madrid in order to complete our residency paperwork....::sigh::....perhaps it will improve our disposition if we treat it as a mini-vacation.....

We have decided to place the boys in an "infant school" here in town. Children begin school at age 3 in our area, but I didn't feel comfortable placing Bramwell in school when he still didn't understand the language....side bar: he is learning very quickly! He has started using phrases like "muy bien" and "chau" on a very regular basis!....So we decided to place them in a situation where they would learn Spanish and be prepared for school. It will also afford us the opportunity to work in the office and dedicate time to office stuff, rather than bringing the office to the house.

While in the States, they went to daycare while we were at the office. (Only 2 days a week, it's all we could afford) And once we got home, it was dedicated family time. We rarely brought our computers home. We often did errands or visitation, but usually when we were in the house we weren't trying to get work done. Then when we were awaiting our visas in order to take up this appointment in Spain, we had no work to do, so the boys had us all to themselves. Now, since we can't take them to the office, we are always doing work here at the house, and I think they hate that we're not paying 100% attention to them (it's the best rationalization I can come up with for their behavior)... Perhaps by getting a chance for the boys to use up some energy, make new friends, and us getting the majority of our office work done at the office, it will make for better times to be had at home.

Just so this post isn't incredibly long, here's a quick update:

1. Jonas had to go to the dentist this morning. After a chase scenario over a toy involving Bram, Jonas has broken both front teeth on the rock solid floors of Spain. Good thing, it'll fix itself...in 6 to 7 years. ( Bram and I have been repeating all day: Nice with our words, nice with our hands)

2. We began our weekly nursing home visit ministry. A good portion of them speak Valenciano ( a local language that is not Spanish), so I will be learning a few choruses in a new language. The boys always have loved nursing home visits, not that they have had much choice ( I have taken them to nursing homes ever since I was pregnant.), and the people always LOVE seeing the boys and their friendly smiles.

3. We had a set of sofas that was literally falling apart. We had to cover the cushions with sheets because they were so ripped that stuffing was coming out. Well, God answered our prayers! A gentlemen was looking to get rid of a leather couch set, and agreed to let us have it for the home here!! So, now we have a blue leather sofa and 2 matching chairs!

So much to do....

Jesus, take the wheel...

2008-09-12T05:37:00.000-07:00

In the states, I drove a maxi-van (12-15 passenger) on a daily basis. I parked it. I passed people in it. I even.....dare, I say it....went OVER the speed limit in it. So why is it, you put me in a new context and I am barely capable of driving a "regular" mini van? (Now, granted these vans are entirely too boxy to be considered a normal van, but it only holds 8 people, thus making it smaller than a maxi-van)

I drove the boys and myself to Eroski (Spain's version of Super-Walmart). As we pulled out of the parking space directly in front of our apartment building, I prayed "Dear Jesus, please guide us there safely and bring us back to a parking space in front again." The GPS loyally guided me to the supermercado. And I was extremely grateful for the opportunity to do something more than walk by the shore or circle the apartment building again.

I was feeling so confident in my driving skills at the moment that I decided we would have McDonald's for lunch. Parking was there once again. We ate, we played in the air conditioning (a luxury), and then we left.

I glanced at my watch, realizing that it is now Spainard lunch time (2:00ish) and we live above a restaurant. I knew my chances for parking were possibly going to be slim. But as we pulled up, there it was: the exact same parking spot I had left 2 hours prior!

Don't worry about anything, instead pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank Him for all He's done!

Three good things about the morning so far:
1. It's a cooler day than yesterday.
2. We found a place where Bram can kick and chase after his ball.
3. It's new sheet night. (Carr speak for freshly laundered sheets)

Memory Verse 2008, part 2

2008-09-10T11:39:00.000-07:00

Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again: Rejoice! Let everyone see that you are considerate in all that you do. Remember the Lord is coming soon. Don't worry about anything instead pray about everything. Tell God what you need and thank Him for all He's done. Then you will experience God's peace which exceeds anything we can understand.

Philippians 4: 4 - 6

We have been making a habit of reciting/memorizing this verse together as a family during dinner together. Little did I realize how perfect God's choice of a family verse would be when I decided we would learn this one together.

All throughout the day little snippets of the verse will come to mind. And I can see Bram and all his hand movements in my mind too....

We're official!

2008-09-09T04:51:00.000-07:00

http://www.usc.salvationarmy.org/usc/www_usc_missions.nsf/vw-text-dynamic-arrays/F9B0B6F4739B0B40802573940061A43E?openDocument

Check us out!

...the fire...

2008-09-06T07:05:00.000-07:00

It's true. We had a fire in our apartment. It was completely my fault. I don't know how to BBQ. 5 years of officership and several attempts that always end disastrously should have been on the fore front of my mind. ( I burnt my eyebrows & eyelashes once...) But nonetheless, this will go down in the Carr Chronicles as the worst disaster with a BBQ, and on the top 10 list of Mom's all time bloopers...

It has been a rough week in the Carr household. Last Saturday, we nearly burned the apartment down. (In truth, we lost very little and can count out the miraculous ways God saved our familiy from a much larger disaster! And now we know our neighbors. :) ) Sunday, it was such an emotional day (mostly because of the fire, mixed with a little transition stress coming to the surface) that we barely made it through the 2 services at church. (At the end of the English service, the congregation gathered around us to pray over us.) Tuesday, the insurance company came to inspect the damage only to inform us later that they don't believe personal property is covered under insurance here, only official properties. Thursday, we went to Camp Saron to enjoy their lovely pool and I fell and now my tail bone is excruciatingly painful......aaaaaahhhhh! When you hit bottom, you begin to realize that there is no where to go but up....please, Lord, let this be the bottom.

I picked up my "Mission Prep" binder and was flipping through the discussion notes from "culture shock". And realized we fit those perameters. We're normal, well, at least according to the manual... It's always a bit of a relief to be reminded that what you are experiencing is normal in the grand scheme of things. (Thanks, Karen, for parenting normalcy reminders)

It a time of stress, I have decided to reinstitute a Carr household event. At the very end of the evening, just before we're going to turn the lights off and call it a day, Jeff and I will list three good things that happened during the course of the day. Now, sometimes ice cream and chocolate are the first two, but it gives us a chance to make ourselves realize that the entire day was not a "bad" day, regardless of what may have happened.

My 3 for today:

1. We got to talk to family via Skype!

2. The instant paella (sacreligious, I know) was actually pretty good.

3. We took a walk along to shore as a family.

For those who may actually read this post, I ask for prayer for Jeff as he returns to the States next week to finish up the boys' visa paperwork. I have a lot of fear and anxiety about his trip and my being alone (mostly irrational ones, but still there nonetheless). Your prayers are greatly appreciated on our behalf.

2008-08-28T06:03:00.000-07:00

I'm taking a break from all the mopping to take advantage of the quiet moment during nap time. It's a blessing that both the boys are actually taking naps!

(PS: Someone's cooking something in the apartments around us, and I think it might be burning...)

Transition can be a real challenge. I think that there is this romantic vision of "missionary" (whatever that really means) life. There is this idea that it is amazing, heroic, and full of adventure and weird food. Well, at times it can be I guess. But at least for these last two weeks, it has been frustrating, hot, and "normal" (whatever that really means).

A line from a conference we took keeps coming back to me: "The first term is a learning term." Denia has more to teach me, than I have to offer it.

Last night as I was reading a line jumped out at me: "Whoever loses their life for me will find it." We have left most everything. Granted, we had a few things shipped to us, but for the most part we didn't bring it with us. We left "our life". Our grocery stores (a story all by itself), our understanding of how things work, our time frames, our air conditioning :), our family and friends...and last night, God quickly reminded me: It's not our life to keep. I want real life. I want what God wants for my life. This place is it. I don't know what that really means yet. I don't even know when I will know what that means....but I do know that I'll never find it until I let go of what I thought defined "life".

Well, enough for now...the 2 year old is up, and the laundry is waiting to be hung....

2008-08-25T12:49:00.000-07:00

So begins a new week in the beautiful city of Denia!

Yesterday after church we had a wonderful picnic with the church family up the mountain between Denia and Javea (or Xabia, depending on your language). But, we forgot to take our camera, so we will have to make another trip to show it off!

Luckily the gate covering the church door is still working! Today we covered the thrift store in the morning, and checked out a child care center just outside of town in the afternoon. The center was beautiful, perhaps out of our price range, but great nonetheless. We're trying to see if childcare for part of the week will be possible, so that we can both be at the office for a few days during the week. One advantage to day care is that it will help the boys learn Spanish rapidly. School begins at 4 for most children here, so Bram wil lend up doing at least a year of school, and it will be important that he have at least a knowledge of Spanish before going in...

Tomorrow, the family will head out to camp to assist in a few things. We are working one day a week there to earn money for the corps budget...er...solicit a donation. :) And, perhaps we'll be able to swim in their beautiful pool afterwards!!

We have reestablished a Carr Family Schedule. If you know our family at all, you know that we live and breathe routine...it keeps us all happy. Lately the boys have been a little crazy and everyone is has been cranky. So, I thought it might be time to pick back up on the routine, and like "magic" everyone seems to be doing much better!

It promises to be a much better week than the last....

2008-08-21T14:53:00.000-07:00

Bram has memorized this phrase to say when he meets new people.

"Hola! Mucho gusto. Me llamo Bramwell." Hello! Nice to meet you! My name is Bramwell.

Now, granted, most people only understand up to "mucho gusto"...but everyone thinks it's really cute when he says it.

(sorry about the random parade shot, I couldn't edit it out...still learning to use this thing)

Lots still to learn...

2008-08-21T14:15:00.000-07:00

In honor of my birthday/anniversary today, and in the 4 year tradition of this Carr family, I purchased my own birthday cake. There is a French pastry shop near the corps that some new friends pointed out as being one of the best in town, so I bought a ridiculously expensive cake to celebrate. I warned my husband that perhaps the prices of my birthday cakes will just keep going up as the years go by.

It has been an interesting and exhausting week. On Tuesday the gate covering the door to the church would not go up. The volunteer that runs the thrift store was a stumped as Jeff and I. We decided that there was nothing we could do since Spain runs on its own hours, and nothing would be open. We'd have to wait until Wednesday. So, I went to the corps early Wednesday morning to wait for the locksmith. As he explained to me that it must have been a motor malfunction and that a breaker had been thrown, he continued to explain to me that there was no need to call a locksmith that I could have fixed this on my own. When he realized that the manual override was not working, he cracked open the pull down gate the width of a stair, looked at me in my uniform and said "Now, just shimmy up inside there, open the door, and go flip the breaker." I said "No." So, he shimmied up inside, and well...opened the door. I think he felt sorry for us for making us pay for something that we could have done ourselves apparently if we had only known. He said he cut me a break on the cost...he said. The gate is still not completely working, but we're trying to make it work.

Today, the I learned what an asset my two boys can really be. People stop me on the street regularly just to talk to the boys. Mind you, the boys still don't respond to Spanish, but people are just so "attracted" to them. And this worked in my favor at the bank today while trying to open an account. The girls establishing my account were so enamoured with my two little flirts that they were extremely helpful to me.

We also found the local market. And I even bought homemade meatballs from a local butcher. We located the mall, and as Jeff says, it makes you feel a little less isolated. Being surrounded by mountains, in a small town, you can begin to feel like nothing really exists outside of you. We're still learning our way around town, and have become incredibly grateful for our Christmas purchase of a GPS. Now, if only I could figure out how to get around inside the grocery stores (nothing's placement makes sense to me yet).

And to top off the birthday/anniversary celebration we went to McDonald's Playplace. The boys had been in the strollers or car for the majority of the day so I wanted to give them a chance to run off some energy. Bram has yet to realize that the kids here don't speak his language. He came to me very frustrated this evening "I told the grills (girls) my name is Bramwell" He was upset that they didn't acknowledge him. And earlier at the thrift store a little girl, around his age, kept holding Bram's face trying to make him understand her. He kept looking at me like she was crazy. He's memorized a greeting phrase so far. And I think he's catching on that he'll get more of a response with 'Hola' than 'Hello'.

And as a great birthday gift: we recieved news today that our shipment of belongings should arrive within the next week!

Jesus Salva

2008-08-17T13:01:00.000-07:00

Our first Sunday is under our belt. And what a Sunday it has been. We left early enough to be able to set up chairs in the chapel, but weren't able to get into the building! We weren't sure how the door opener worked, or what key went where, or if we even had all the keys! And parking a nine passenger van in streets that were designed to be traversed by horse and buggy is quite challenging!

Once finally inside things went really well! There were quite a few in church today to check out the new officer. Several Salvationists on vacation from England passed by the corps and we had a wonderful brass band ensemble! (You know you're a Salvationist if you bring your horn on vacation as a "just in case")

This morning Jeff brought the message and I translated. It was our debut in this capacity, and it is quite challenging. Translating is definitely a gift...one I will apparently have to master quickly. :)

We have be battling with our coffee maker in the house. I successfully have burned coffee, been confused by the operation of the item, and today I successfully melted the handle of the coffee pot (it's a small espresso pot that you use on the stove top). So, today we spent time looking for a new pot at the Eroski (kinda like Super WalMart). And after all of that I believe I may have come closer in reaching "cafe con leche" quality...

Tomorrow begins our "normal" life. Jeff will walk to the office in the morning. There is a small thrift store attached to the corps. And one of Jeff's passions in thrift store operations, so he is eager to get started on finding out the workings and details of the store! The boys and I will join Jeff later in the morning and have lunch with the officer couple in charge of The Salvation Army camp in Denia. It will be nice to establish some sense of routine and find a "groove" for our ministry and our family life.

Blessings from the beach!

Hemos llegado!

2008-08-13T14:16:00.001-07:00

We have arrived.

We have brought our luggage the three flights up to our apartment. We've turned on the TV and we've connected to the internet. We're home...

We left Chicago on Monday afternoon, after many tears following a breakfast with family. It was 9 hour flight to Munich, of which the two boys only slept the last hour of. Arriving in Munich we went through European Union customs, and traversed our way to the gate for our flight to Madrid.

Now, moving an entire family requires a lot of belongings. We had the maximum limit for our carry ons, only to find out the way to board the plane in Germany required us to go down 4 flights of stairs without elevator or escalator, then board a bus to go up a very narrow and very steep set of stairs into a tiny airplane....but we have arrived.

We spent the evening in a hostel in downtown Madrid and had a lovely dinner with the Lt. Colonels in charge of the work here in Spain. The first night in Spain was a bit of rough one. At one point during the middle of the night everyone was awake for about 2 to 3 hours and all fighting for space in the same bed (there were 3 beds in the room).

Wednesday morning we made the 5 hour car trip to Denia. And are now "en casa". Bram and Jonas are doing extremely well with the transition. Bram is excited to try out new words in Spanish, and Jonas has never met a person he is willing to play with...

Tomorrow we will explore Denia a little more, with more sleep under our belt, and most likely walk along the beach. We have plans to get our van and visit the corps building.

It's still hard to believe when I walk out on our balcony that "We live here now". That view of the beach and mountain is my reality now. Surreal, but nice.

....maybe we will all get some real sleep tonight...

(check out more photos on facebook)

Ask, and ye shall recieve...

2008-08-09T14:57:00.000-07:00

We leave for Spain on Monday afternoon. After a long process, and other happenings, we are on our way.

Right now we are packing back up, cleaning out the refridgerator, and dusting and vacuuming this house.

2008-08-02T19:39:00.000-07:00

So, the anticipation of another possible 30 days to be passed in the waiting period has prompted me to take a moment to recognize and appreciate the things that are readily available to me here that will most likely be obsolete in Spain.

The list is as follows:

One stop shopping (ie: Super Walmart, Meijer)
Macaroni & cheese in abundance
Oberweis Ice Cream shops
Grass and large yards
air conditioning
Walking because I want to, not because I have to
Libraries with books in English (primarily in English)

That's all that comes to mind at the moment...

2008-08-02T19:27:00.000-07:00

Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again -- rejoice! Let everyone see that you are considerate in all you do. Remember the Lord is coming soon.

Philippians 4: 4 - 5

....no, we're not in Spain yet...........

2008-07-28T20:10:00.001-07:00

Waiting sucks. (sorry for those that might be sensitive to that phrasing.) We are still in a hold pattern. Our belongings arrive into port in Spain on Thursday, and we still have no firm arrival date. We are awaiting the processing of the boys' visas, and so, we continue to wait....I have been wracking my brain and Bible trying to discover the reasoning behind everything. I have found numerous examples of those that had to wait without reasons, except that it is God's plan, not theirs.

I have been reading through Deuteronomy this past month (exciting, I know) and have been thinking about how these were the words God used to prepare His people before they entered the Promised Land. So I've been reading it to glean some insight into what God expects of me before I enter this new place. The over arching theme seems to be two little words: Be careful. (I've even underlined it every time it comes up, and surprisingly it's rather regularly) Be careful in what you say. Be careful in how you act. Be careful in how you worship. Be careful in where you go. In other words, make everything intentional. Don't just haphazardly enter into this place and think you'll survive without maintaining a deep connection with God.

This past Sunday the corps officer suggested in his sermon that we begin our prayers by thanking God for all He has already done in regards to our situation before asking Him to do something more. Thanking God for what He has already done is also an overarching theme of Biblical prayers, and it seems in line with that thought of being intentional....I will say, I've been seriously trying it and it has made a bit of difference in my perspective on the situation.

I publicly thank God for

getting Jeff and my visas through with no problems
getting our belongings to Spain so we don't have to live out of suitcases once we arrive
for preparing Denia as a place for us
for providing for our financial needs
for preparing us through conferences and new friends
for providing our family a chance to enjoy summer and summer activities, not just try to squeeze them into a tight schedule
giving an extended chance to visit with family and friends before we are far away
assuaging my fears on the visa process (or my lack of understanding of it) once we do arrive in country
for allowing me time to finish some sentimental projects before leaving
for having plenty of time to pray for our ministry

Looking at the list makes it seem like the "waiting" has been more productive than not. Perhaps that was the point?