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

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...

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

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!

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

Check us out!

...the fire...

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.

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....

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....