Running The Race!!!

Yes, I know, it may seem a little different in the line of missions, but I am using it as a means to get to know more ladies in the community. I pray to use training for The Race for Women, every year to meet more and more ladies.

This year, I ran alone, got to know a few ladies, met my goal, got my prizes, and went to church. Next year however, I would love to have a group from our church sign up, and have a verse ironed on our shirts with the church´s name!

A little bit about The Race for Women. It´s a  5 kilometer (3.2 mile) race to promote breast cancer awareness and to raise money to help support research for the fight against it. There will be a total of 9 races throughout Spain this year. This has been the sixth year that the Race for Women has taken place. Gijón had a great turn out of about 3,000 women! It was amazing to participate in something so beneficial and widespread. It even was on the city news this afternoon. I actually saw my head pass by the camera.

Here I am before the start, bright eyed and bushy tailed! literally.

My cheering section! It was so great to see their faces when I crossed the finish line!

I am behind the that lady in front. hehe (my dh tried to get pictures, but someone always got in the way.)

Came in at 29 minutes flat! possibly in the top 200 or so!

Here´s some of the ladies that came in after me.

I finished! Praise the Lord!

The verses that have gotten me through many soccer practices, difficult situations and now my first race is,

Psalm 121: 1-2

"I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills from whence cometh my help. My help cometh from the Lord, which made heaven and earth."

Let´s keep running the race that is set before us. I am remembering that the spiritual race is far more important.

Keeping our eyes on Jesus, the Author and Finisher of our Faith,

I´m NOT Dating Anymore!

I am joining the Completing Him Challenge and posting for last week´s theme, telling how I met my husband and a little about our courtship. Also, seens how it´s Monday, I will link up with Making Your Home Sing Meme, because without my hubby this home would not be. He is wonderful. Even when I am aweful to him, he forgives and keeps on forgiving.

I title this chapter "I´m NOT Dating Anymore!"

"Well, I guess I will go to the Revival service alone tonight." I thought, as I was getting ready for the start of my second semester as a sophmore at Pensacola Christian College.

My best friend was singing in the choir that night, and I just hadn´t gotten with anyone else for the evening´s opener. That was fine with me. I would just sit down front in the "spit pit" as we called it and soak in the message.


I was really pretty excited about this semester of college. I thought I had it all figured out. The rules, classes, guys. You know, the typical sophmore know-it-all. I felt pretty confident about myself. (in the Lord of course)


Going to church by myself was not a big issue. I just sat myself down, started to look around, found my best friend in the choir, and relaxed for a great start to Bible Conference. Little did I know, it would be the start of even more, the start of my life with a great man of God.


He turned and asked me how I was going to like our missions class, or something like that. I looked at him and thought, "Do I know this guy?"  He was saying that we were in the same class and that his name was Joseph Contreras. Oh, I must have sat in front of him or something. We kept talking about everything from classes to missions to Classical guitar to Spain. To think back on it now, it is so amazing that in our first conversation together we talked about Spain, which would end up being our future field of service!


He was an incredible classical guitarist. He practiced in the Communicative Arts building 3 hours a day. Would you believe that that semester the Lord put me in the same building for my work assignment cleaning the radio station? I had to walk by Joseph´s practice room every day. Or at least, I made a point to walk by it, slowing down just so I could listen. He had such talent!


I started to wait for him after my cleaning job so that we could eat supper together. We would talk and talk. I remember he had such a heart for missions. He had recently been called to serve as a missionary wherever God would lead and was praying for the country of Spain. I started praying for him too. We became friends and prayer partners.

There were other dates with other guys, but everytime I would ask them if they ever thought about being a missionary they stalled, they changed the subject, or they flat out said no.

"How can pastoral majors not have a missions burden?" I would ask myself.

So, I stopped dating. Dates at PCC really only consisted of going to church together or dinner, but I had had it.  I didn´t want to date anyone who didn´t share my burden for missions wherever that would take me.

"Dear God, I´m not dating anymore!" I remember praying about a month into that same semester.  "I will go singly to the mission field."  I had known from the age of 10 that I was called to be a missionary.

That´s when Joseph stepped up. He started writing me, and he sent me this sweet letter and this single rose. Of course, He knew nothing of my prayer then. It was all God.

We spent a lot of time together that semester. Praying and talking. Before I knew it, God was showing me, that Joseph was the one. God gave me a verse and I knew that I would go wherever God sent this man. I would serve by his side. We hadn´t even said "I love you" yet, but I knew.

The verse was 1 Corinthians 11: 9

Neither was the man created for the woman; but the woman for the man."

Here we are on a Fine Arts date. The year was 1995.  We were in love, but our love would be tested that following summer. Stay tune for the continuation.

We use to write to each other every day. Sending letters and notes through the college night- mail between dorms. I will try to write him more during this challenge and renew that part of our love life.

How did you meet your husband? What can you do to complete him more? Come and join in on this challenge. We can all work harder on our marriage. It always takes two!

Cleaning Frenzy Slower than Slow!

Getting only half of a room cleaned last week and only a couple of tests corrected, doesn´t count for a frenzy. Does it? I mean, I have a right to throw a Mama Fit!  ( My friend NINA and missionary neighbor in Portugal started these fits.)

Every time I get started working on something, I get interupted by something else. The boys needing something, needing to get dinner, English classes, exercise, well, just about my whole daily schedule gets in the way of this summer cleaning frenzy.

Today, I started with good intentions of finishing the grades before I posted this, but the baby cried abit more today inorder to sleep, the boys had Spanish class, I had to feed the baby, and I had to clean the kitchen. Well, you get the point.

I didn´t throw a literal fit. Just here on my blog.  It makes me feel a little better to vent. I didn´t take it out on my family, I promise.

Today, I am doing the Making my Home Sing  meme by going with the flow. Praying to be able to get to some more cleaning and grading done by this evening.

Here is my new list for the whole Summer:

Finish the boys room

  _X_ Clean under and behind beds

  _X_ Organize and sort their clothes to give away unused stuff

  _X_ Organize toys to give away unused stuff

  _X_ Make a list of things needed for Furlough.

We are going to visit the States August 9- January 13. Seven weeks and counting.

 the Schoolroom

  _x_ Organize all school books

  _x_Clean and dust whole room.

  _x_ Clean all the cupboards, drawers and under the bed.

  __ deep clean the windows

Kitchen
  _X_ Deep clean behind dryer and the corner shelves.
  _X__  Clean Microwave
  _X_ Scrub down dryer and washer
  _X_ Clean windows and curtains.
  ___ organize, sort and clean cupboards.
  ___ Clean above the cupboards.

Bedroom
 __ dust and deep clean
 ___ sort clothes in closet move them to Hubby´s side to make room for those who will be staying in our place while we are gone.
___ sort all drawers.

Clean the pantry and sort.

Living room:
 ___ clean and dust all
 ___ clean under and behind sofas and inside.
 ___ organize and sort entertainment center
 ___ organize computer cupboard

Bathrooms
 ___ scrub all tiles
 ___  organize cupbords - clean them out.
 ___ paint ceiling

 ___ Plus finish grading tests and recording grades.

I will keep plugging away at it. While taking care of my family and this new sweet addition. Yes, you read right.. A BABY!

Meet Ester. 

She and her mommy come to our church services. Her mommy had to start work, and I offered to take care of Ester so she didn´t have to go to child care. She is a good happy baby, and a joy to have around.

The boys love her!

How are you getting ready for the summer? Will you all be visiting family or going on long trips? How will you get ready for school next year?

Nine Years Ago Today!

Friday Foto Flashback takes us back 9 years to when my youngest son was born. He was born in Barcelona, Spain. The second of my sons to be born in Spain. He considers himself Spanish even though he holds an American Passport. He loves America and Spain. He has the best of both worlds.

He loves his family, he loves to laugh, run, and play football with his family! Both kinds of football - Soccer and American football.

He is helpful and caring. He cares for those who are sad, or sick. I believe this comes from him having gone through a bit of sickness himself. He had open heart surgury as a one year old, and has been several times in the hospital due to asthma. He understands other´s suffering.

Here´s the card I made for his day. 

This free scrapbook made with Smilebox

Summer Recipe Carnival ~ BLT Macaroni Salad

Come on, join in on this Summer Recipe Carnival with...

 

Domestic Fringe is hosting this fun way to share great summer recipes.  I am no cook, and have had to really learn how to whip things up in a hurry. That´s why I love this recipe from an old Taste of Home magazine. It´s quick, easy, and yummy. Especially easy if you have a food processor.

 Hope you enjoy it as much as we have.
Looking forward to seeing all ya´ll´s recipes.

Happy Mommy, Happy Home

They say "When Mama ain´t happy, ain´t nobody happy." Bad English ,but how many of you have experianced this? We as moms have a great responsibility. Don´t we?

Well, I am realizing more and more how my attitude and perspective affect my crew. Praying to be more possitive for them and to help them over come the complaining spirit that tends to destroy our good intentions. 

Last night after church, we got to go out for a lovely bike ride. Of course, as always, there was some drama. Our second son´s bike is too small for him and was having technical difficulties. I struggled keeping patient with the small interuptions that this bike posed for us, and having to stop more often than we wanted. We got them fixed, though, and had one of the best rides yet, biking for almost 2 hours together.

Here are some of our pictures.

The bike trails go by so many pasture lands and rivers. It´s like riding in a story book!

So Mommy was happy and we were all happy!

*** I am also  joining Nan on her Making Your Home Sing meme.***

She is hosting a summer cleaning frenzy. I plan to clean a room a week, so the house is clean for the new school year. I will start with the boys room this week.  Here is what I plan to do this week.

- organize toys ( throw junk, give away toys they have outgrown)

-clean closets (sort clothes and give away clothes they have outgrown)

-clean behind and under beds

X - clean and organize book shelves

X - scrub the ceiling where there seems to be growing some mold. uhhhggg

X -scrub the windows inside and out

Plus, I must record and average grades this week!

Ok it´s posted, Nan. Now I am accountable.

Let´s pray for each other. Is there an area in you home that needs a cleaning frenzy? Join us. We will encourage you and pray for you too. 

Staying happy, singing praises to Jesus,

Flashback Meme to Catching UP Adventure

Alicia at More than Words started "Friday Photo Flashback" had so many pictures from her PRE-digital camera days, she thought it would be fun to scan them and share them. We are having so much fun doing this, that we would love for you to join us, too! So dig out the photo albums and put your scanner to good use! Don't forget to sign in to MckLinky on Alicia´s blog so we can all visit and comment on each others blogs!

I am going to flashback to our first days in Gijón. We were "on our own" with no other missionary families. We were taking care of a church work while the other missionaries were on furlough.


God brought us a sweet family from the States to fellowship with. The husband was here playing basketball for the team in Gijón. They had two very sweet little girls as you can see their blond heads in this picture. The other family is a faithful sister and her two children from the neighboring city, where we worked for 3 1/2 years. Our boys had a great time! My youngest is the one standing in the front with the bald head. 

Spring 2002

Jump ahead 8 years.
Catching UP with our most recent excursion.  We planned a spur of the moment outing with the brothers and sisters in our mission. Amos ,our most elderly brother and Asturiano, said we would go beach hopping. Of course we have to do this before beach season, so early May was perfect timing.

But first, cave exploring!

Next, swinging or in my case hanging with sister Evelyn.

On the way to the first beach/picnic site, we saw some true Asturianos harvesting their fields.

Before we ate, the guys went crabbing with Amos.

The Crew -

 Columbians, Chileans, Bolivians, Americans, and Spaniards

On the way to another beach,

these locals posed for my camera.

The third beach!

Lastly, we visited Llanes, where my hubby and I celebrated our 12th anniversary last year.

Blast off! 

We had a lovely day with dear friends fellowshipping and talking about Jesus.

Glad you made it to the end of this photo journal!  There is lots of work to do here in our little mission. Why not come and join us on the gorgeous Green Coast of Spain?

Catching UP - Camping in Cudillero

I have been missing in action too long. Not on purpose, mind you. There is SO much to write about, I don´t know where to start catching UP.

We had a church excursion at the beginning of the month of May. I wanted to post pictures of that. We have been biking and picnicing, and we finished school. What pictures do I choose? Where do I begin?

I choose CAMPING! 

We take an annual end of school camping trip almost every year. We all look forward to it, but it seemed I had to really push hard for it this year. We were all so glad I did!

 You may remember our camping trip from last year. Our dog rolling in .."ehem". If not you can read about it HERE after you look and comment on this post. None of this browsing and not commenting business, please.

Here I am with my Spanish bread we got every morning.

Our camp and first days breakfast.

Then hiking to the beach.

We even had wifi! 

(paid a little for 2 days worth)

Of course the freedom to wrestle and ramble!

Our last evening, we went out to the small port town, Cudillero.

Hubby treated us out to a seafood grill. Meal for two split 5 ways.

Cudillero at night. (pronounced Cood ee yairo)

Our view on one of our hikes. (the Bay of Biscay)

So my young Knights say a farewell and hope you have enjoyed catching UP with our camping trip.