Reaching West Africa with the Gospel

Ciao 2011 Ciao 2012

2012-01-02T11:37:00.001Z

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

I’ve always thought it was interesting that Italians use the same word for hello and goodbye. However, Saturday night at midnight, it made perfect sense. In that split second (in your own respective time zones), we all said goodbye to one year and hello to a new year. What a reminder of how much we are NOT in control of! In the blink of an eye, we turned the page of a new year. What was done or left undone in 2011 is
history. What was said or left unsaid can never be rewritten. Wow. Once again I am reminded of how great God is and how small I am. I am utterly dependent on Him.

Resolutions...I don’t really believe that they are as magical as people make them out to be. It’s always good to “put your foot down” in a sense and decide what things in your life need to change. But it is God that brings about change in our lives...not our determination to see it happen. Saying, “From now on, I’m gonna...” or “From now on, I’m not gonna...” doesn’t make God love us any more or any less. All that to say, we didn’t make resolutions for 2012, but we did make a “to do list” of sorts for our first week in 2012 and our last week in Togo. Our major “to do” item for the next few months or so is very close to our hearts. I’ll share it with you.

We are asking God to SHOW US by the end of February where He would have us work (settle down for the rest of lives and raise our children) in West Africa. This is such a HUGE decision and one that is beginning to weigh on us (more on me than Daniel, I think). We only have 3 countries left to visit before we reflect on all we’ve learned and what God is doing. 4 down, 3 to go. In 2 more months, we’ll be done with surveys, making contacts, and visiting unknown territories. It will be the end of this journey.

Our prayer is that we hear God speak. I don’t know where most of you are in your walk with the Lord and what your personal experiences have been. I can count on one hand the times I know God has personally and specifically spoken to me about an issue. Here I am Lord, asking for it again! I don’t want to end this journey with a vague, blah, feeling. I don’t want to have one of those, “God isn’t leading in any specific way, so let’s just make a decision” experiences. I refuse to just walk in one direction and pray that God will open or close the doors!!

I want to hear YOU speak God! I want the “lightbulb”! I want to know, beyond a shadow of any doubt, that YOU have a people group picked out for us. I want to hear your voice, the voice of my Shepherd, leading me (us) to a village that longs to hear Your truth, even if they don’t even know if yet.

Is that too much to ask? Is this request too bold? I don’t think so. I serve a personal God who longs to have a relationship with all humanity. I’m listening....

My Missionary Calling

2011-11-07T20:28:00.000Z

We're out on survey research, making our way across West Africa. The goal: gather as much information on what God is doing in each country to see where the churchplanting needs are. We will make necessary village visits along the way to conform information and speak personally with missionaries already working in the area. As I visit with folks and see this small villages, I find myself questioning my calling. Don't get me wrong, at times I feel enough confidence in what God has called me to do that I could move a mountain. But other times, I look at these folks around me, so blind and in bondage to Islam and their cultural beliefs that I have my doubts. I look at the history of missions in West Africa and the last of "results" and the hard hearts of so many ethnic groups that I easily become discouraged.

I've told the Lord before, "I don't want to put down roots, raise my family, and spend years translating Your Word, to have the people group that we've grown to call family reject Your Message. I don't think I could handle that." So as we're visiting villages, we're praying for God to show us, begging for God to lead us to a group that is READY to hear His voice. Ready to accept His Message. Ready to be persecuted to become children of the King.

But I have to ask myself...what if we don't see a "people movement"? What if the entire village doesn't accept the Gospel? What if only one clan does, one family, one PERSON? What's more important: leading a large group of people to Christ or obeying my Lord? I guess you could look at it as the "result" of obedience to His calling on my life OR the personal journey of walking out that obedience in my life. Hmmm....that's a hard one. Both are satifsying. Our sin nature loves results...maybe because there is some personal effort (works) involved. But simple obedience...laying down my will for His...requires no accolades, no years of sweaty brows, no keeping tabs. It is an inward decision that allows us to simply follow where He leads, leaving the results up to Him. Whew! What a relief! But I find myself having to die to myself so often in this area...maybe even multiple times a day...ugh. I lay it at His feet and pick it up again, so concerned with the fruits of "my" ministry, as if it all depended on me. The line between being a good steward of the gifts/talents God has given you and using them for His glory versus turning a ministry into a business and pushing for results is a lot thinner than one thinks, especially when people back home are asking, "So how many have you led to the Lord?"

Ah....if it were only that easy. If things here in Africa worked on our paradigm of "time is money". But they don't. And this inner struggle among missionaries is real. Here's another poem I wrote about it. Maybe one day I'll turn it into a song....

Would I still go, if the conditions were tough?
Would I still go alone?
Would Your presence be enough?
Would I obey, If Lord, You asked me stay?
Would I still tell, those hard hearts of how You sent Your Son?
Would I still go, so they'd know You're the Chosen One?
When times get tough, would just one soul be enough?

Do I dare, raise my children, build a home
leave behind my loved ones to face the unknown?
Would I give my life, for those who'd freely take it?
Would I sacrifice comfort or fame
to spend my life proclaiming Your name?
What if no one believes...what would I do then?
How I wish the answer were simple
A quick yes or no, then no looking back
How I wish it weren't a daily decision of laying it down
knowing I'll only take it back.
Despite my doubts and struggles, I know at the end of the day
In all sovereignty You simply ask me to...
OBEY.

Reconciliation is never easy...

2011-10-23T11:34:00.000Z

Confrontation isn't comfortable. It goes against our sinful nature. We don't like to deal with problems, especially when it means being the first to say, "I'm sorry." Oh it's easy to tell someone that they hurt you. Often times we do that with flailing arms, screaming at the top of our lungs. (Ok, maybe that's just me.) But how do we apologize, I mean, really apologize by asking for forgiveness in a way that communicates a genuine desire to nurture a friendship?

Then what if you've been wronged in the process too? What if you feel hurt and in need of hearing an apology as well? But when the dust settles, it looks like all eyes and ears are on you, waiting for you to accept your responsibility as the only guilty party. I don't know about you, but everything within me screams for JUSTICE at a time like this!! What about the part in the Bible that talks about "...speaking the truth in love.."? I don't know about you...but recently I've felt like I definitely have some TRUTH to speak, but I don't know how "lovingly" it would come out!

Recently I had a "run-in" of sorts with an African sister in church. The issue...very minor. The way it played out...pretty major. So here we are: a misunderstanding with personality differences and cultural differences among 2 people who are at different stages in their walk with the Lord. BANG!

I believe that these "collisions" come into our lives for a reason: to conform us into the image of Christ. Each time we face something like this we have a choice: to grow or not to grow in our walk with Him. I went into this thinking, "Ok, if I'm gonna grow, she's gonna grow too!" But wait a minute...we can't force someone to "see the light" and decide to let God work in their life. I know that. But I also know that as well as the Holy Spirit, God uses His people to encourage and draw others to Him.

So therein lies the dilemma: How much do I say? Where do I draw the line? Do I have any right (after apologizing) to "drop a hint" about how I was also wronged, hopefully causing her to realize an area in her walk with the Lord where she needs to grow? I wasn't planning on preaching or making a big deal about it. If I, someone who is directly involved, doesn't say something, who else will? She's my friend, shouldn't I have the freedom to talk with her about this? But then again, would she even listen since she felt like I hurt her? But she hurt me too? And I could go on....but I'll spare you my schizophrenic arguments.

Anyway, I was encouraged (or threatened...depending on how you look at it ;) by my husband to let it die. As one who has wronged, pointing out the "log in someone else's eye" would pretty much cancel out any apology. I on the other hand felt like if she were truly my friend, we would be able to talk about what happened cordially and mutually apologize. Oh well. I decided to go against my own nature and apologize without expecting one in return and without pointing out any wrongs committed against me...even with the intent of encouraging her in her walk with the Lord. I read 1 Cor. 13 over and over, asking God to help me LOVE her. It helps to read that chapter and be reminded exactly what love is. We as human beings in a God-less society warp the true essence of love. I like how The Message explains what love is:
If I speak with human eloquence and angelic ecstasy but don't love, I'm nothing but the creaking of a rusty gate. If I speak God's Word with power, revealing all his mysteries and making everything plain as day, and if I have faith that says to a mountain, "Jump," and it jumps, but I don't love, I'm nothing. If I give everything I own to the poor and even go to the stake to be burned as a martyr, but I don't love, I've gotten nowhere. So, no matter what I say, what I believe, and what I do, I'm bankrupt without love.

   Love never gives up.
   Love cares more for others than for self.
   Love doesn't want what it doesn't have.
   Love doesn't strut,
   Doesn't have a swelled head,
   Doesn't force itself on others,
   Isn't always "me first,"
   Doesn't fly off the handle,
   Doesn't keep score of the sins of others,
   Doesn't revel when others grovel,
   Takes pleasure in the flowering of truth,
   Puts up with anything,
   Trusts God always,
   Always looks for the best,
   Never looks back,
   But keeps going to the end.
   Love never dies.

That's when I realized. I'm here as a missionary. It's actually easier to help folks financially with basic, daily needs or share the Gospel with a muslim. But honestly, all of this is pointless if I can't model true LOVE.

I guess what it boiled down to was that I doubted that she would listen and obey the Holy Spirit's prodding in her life. But what if she doesn't hear that still small voice now? What if takes 3 years and she keeps repeating this same mistake...hurting other people and herself? Why do I somehow feel responsible for that? Why do I feel like if I warn her now...then that'll save a lot of other people (and herself) from a lot of hurt down the road? Why do I feel like I need to fix this??????? Ugh.

I'm still not sure where the line is. I'm still not sure what our role is in "sharpening" our brothers and sisters in the Lord. Did I quench the Holy Spirit because I listened to my husband? I guess we'll never know. I felt like the "talk" we had went well....but it could've have gone better in some aspects. It's hard to separate our cultural way of doing things from the way God asks us to do things in His Word. But like most things that have to do with the human heart....they take time. I just have to realize that I can't always be the "fixer". Just because I may see an issue...doesn't mean I have to be the one to bring it to light. I choose to trust that the Lord is at work and that His ways are higher. He will finish the work that HE has started in ALL of us! Lord teach me to be content with praying when I can't speak!!

Here's a little poem I wrote while sitting the hospital reflecting on this whole messy issue...

I have no rights, I lay them down
The right to fight, to hold my ground
I must surrender when falsely accused
Refusing the urge to make them pay their dues
I must leave justice in the hands of my Lord
Choosing peace as my reward
Lord grant me humility when I've been wronged
Patience to walk the road of reconciliation--so long--
When the moment is right, help me speak the truth in love
Knowing that conviction from Your Holy Spirit alone is enough
I have no rights, I lay them down
Forever grateful for my Savior who willingly chose to wear the crown.

Goodbye Gallbladder!

2011-10-21T17:34:00.002Z

Wanna hear about my hospital experience over here in Africa? No? Well, I'm gonna tell ya anyways! HA! I must admit that overall, it was GREAT! But let's start back from the beginning so you can see how cool of a God we serve!

I didn't want to have this surgery. I was bound and determined to KEEP my gallbladder! I didn't want to part with my beloved bile-spitting organ :( I consulted many friends (thanks to facebook) and found that many of you had done cleanses to help rid you of the gallstones, allowing you to forego surgery. Sounded like a plan to me! However, after speaking with a fellow missionary here, she really encouraged me to at least have an ultrasound done to see get an idea of what was going on. Actually, she asked me to promise that I would. We had all of our bags packed and ready to go. We'd even done a "practice" car packing ;) We were emotionally, mentally, and "organizationally" ready to hit the road for the next 8 months to do our people group assessments. Well, God was about to say, "You're not PHYSICALLY ready, Stef.!"

Out of obligation to my friend, I went to see a dr. Monday morning, the 10th. Since I didn't have an appt. I was determined to be the first one at her office. I was surprised to find out that she didn't open up shop until 9 am. Well, I was first and she gladly worked me in. She was very polite and spoke so soft, I found myself leaning forward to listen. Seeing her diplomas from Paris, France made me feel a little more at ease ;) After the initial medical history questions, she proceeded to do the ultrasound. When she asked me if I had gas (since obviously the gas was clouding the view on the ultrasound) I almost lost it!!! I just responded..."Well, I don't really notice. But I think it runs in the family!" True statement.

The result of the ultrasound...lots of tiny stones. Her opinion...remove the gallbladder. Well, I wasn't convinced. I know, I'm stubborn. As we started to pray, I told the Lord, "You're gonna have to convince me. I'm partial to my gallbladder and if You want me to take it out....You're gonna have to give me a 2nd and possibly 3rd opinion....AND I'm gonna need to trust my surgeon. I need to have confidence in the one holding the scalpel." Some of you may think I'm crazy, but I believe God is a personal God who is interested in our needs and desires. I knew He could handle this.

So, I made an appt. to see the surgeon expecting to have the typical visit with an African professional. Usually you get a sense of "my way or the highway", questions are unacceptable because they appear to contest his/her authority, and credentials begin flying around the room which is further proof that all the knowledge belongs to him/her and I have no need of knowing what's gonna happen to my body.

Well, I must say I was pleasantly surprised by our consultation. Professor Diouf didn't once raise his voice, demand that I have surgery, flaunt his diplomas, or refuse to discuss alternatives to surgery. He was extremely polite and his only request was, that if I decided not to have surgery, that I NOT leave Dakar. Traveling in country would be foolish. He even drew a diagram of my insides to explain all the possible complications of choosing not to have surgery. Wow! God is amazing! But....I'm stubborn.

After seeing the conditions of the hospital and finding out it could take 6 weeks to have the surgery, I asked Daniel if we could look at a clinic instead. He said, "Let's go!" So we drove to a small clinic, mostly ran by Lebanese doctors. I fell in love immediately. I walked right in and asked for a "3rd" opinion. Again, the dr. took his time with me and handed me the same verdict. Take it out! Don't fool around with something like this! That's when I said, "Ok, Lord! You convinced me! I'm comfortable with the surgeon (who I later found out was the best in Dakar!) and I'm confortable with this clinic. Let's do this!" Who would've thought the following Tuesday I'd be having surgery?!?

And there you have the pre-surgery story. I must admit, I've had many "nay-sayers" along the way who have told me to not trust an African dr., don't have the surgery done here, GO HOME! But when God gives peace...why would we change our minds? We truly felt that this was the only way to address my health issues AND continue on with our ministry. If we left to go home, not only would we have paid a TON of money, but we would have missed out on an opportunity to do these surveys which God called us to in the first place! His calling didn't change in our hearts, so we knew that He would see us through this trial. It was never a detour...only a speed bump ;)

So, I show up at 7:30 am, expecting to be out of surgery by 9:30 am. Well, I didn't even get taken to the operating room until 9:30 am! Then the surgeon was on the phone for about 30 minutes ordering medical supplies...walking circles around me as he negotiated on the phone. Then he hooked up my heart monitor and said, "Do you like the beautiful music?" I couldn't help but smile. Then I felt the Libanese dr. rubbing my cheeks telling me that I'd be going to sleep in a few minutes. "Do you know how to cook Ceebu Djen (a local dish)?" asked the surgeon. I began to spin. "Sort of. But I like the white, not the red kind," I responded. "With pepper?" asked the surgeon, wondering if I was still hanging around. "Nope. You know us white folk don't like it spicy. Well, my husband does a little. Now, everything's spinning. Tchau. Tchau." And those were my last words...

Later I found out what should have been a 30 minute surgery turned out to be a 2 hour ordeal. My gallbladder was badly inflamed, although this didn't show up on the ultrasound. I PRAISE GOD FOR A PATIENT SURGEON who took the time to work on me. He said he had to keep pumping me full of air so he could work the gallbladder out. He said the other option would've been to cut me open and he didn't want to do that. THANK YOU LORD!

I took me about 4 hours to come out of the anesthesia. That's some mean stuff! And then they took me to my room. I was very happy to see a spacious, clean room with AC! YAHOO! The tub was rather interesting...more like a seat...for small people...not Americans. But they even had 2 English TV channels :) I didn't like the fact that they wouldn't give me ANYTHING for the first 24 hours...not even water, much less ice chips! I was parched! And to my surprise, instead of beginning slowly with my diet, they served me full course meals. I was nervous about eating...but thus far other than some initial cramping, my food seems to be digesting well.

Most of the nurses were very polite and gentil. All except the one who discovered my IV had gotten blocked and decided it was my fault. I told her I didn't realize I was a nurse! She got hold of a syringe and started trying to push the blockage through. Next thing I knew she was smacking the head of the syringe with the palm of her hand....and boy did it shoot through...like a burning comet up my forearm. I let out a squeal to which she replied, "Yep, That's what happens when your IV gets blocked. Next time pay attention and call us if it happens again." Ok, thanks....I guess. Welcome to Africa.

Seriously though...that was the worst of my experiences (other than a weird looking stitch in one of my 5 spots that'll leave a nasty scar)....I feel blessed. We can look back and see the hand of God in each one of our encounters with medical professionals, friendly counsel, and just Him speaking to our hearts personally. What an encouragement to spur us on to share this personal God with our neighbors. I long for the day when we witness someone we care about trust our God who cares not only about our physical needs, but who wants an intimate spiritual relationship with us as well.

Thanks for hanging on to the end. I'm too tired to proofread, so excuse any errors ;)

Sad to leave you AC, but happy to be back home with my boys :)

Probably close to 100 stones from a 4" gallbladder!

My thoughts over the last few weeks...

2011-10-05T09:54:00.000Z

Our walk with God is a lot like sewing. I'm by NO means a sewer, but I've learned a thing or two about the process from being here in Africa. For example, I find there are many times when I've become too attached to the things of this world or even the blessings that God has put in my life, wearing them as if I had on my favorite, most comfortable skirt. Then God comes along and trims away some of the unnecessary fabric that otherwise could weigh me down, preventing me from enjoying God to the fullest. Just like hemming a skirt….

Sometimes fabric rips or tears. This can be caused by simple wear and tear or by coming in close contact with sharp objects. Have you ever tried to hop on a moto-taxi only to be reminded by the ripping sound that you're wearing a skirt?? Yeah, that happened to me once in Guinea. Rather embarrassing. When something like this happens, it's best to sew the hole or tear quickly. The longer you leave it, the bigger the whole becomes. It's the same with our walk with the Lord. As a missionary, it's easy to get so caught up in "serving" the Lord that we can easily ignore small "holes" or problems in our lives. This could be in the form of unbalanced ministry and family life, not being obedient to the Holy Spirit's leading, disciplining our children consistently, our quiet time with the Lord, quality time with our husband, etc. I'm so thankful for God's mercy and patience with me as He gently makes me aware of the "tears" in my spiritual clothes. Time and time again, He patches me up, weaving forgiveness in each embrace.

Fashion is nothing more than popularity in cycles. There's rarely anything "new" on the market. The latest fashion or "mode" is nothing more than a new mixture of old and older. Fashion is influenced by culture and location, often being categorized by its decade. Each culture has its own definition of beauty. I've found in getting clothes made here in Africa, there are some non-negotiables, such as: neckline, skirt length, tightness, etc. But there are other areas where I've had to learn to be a little more flexible and "go with the flow": style, color, formality (still won't wear heels though!). This is probably the most easy comparison made thus far. I'm sure many of you are already remembering situations that have brought you to the same conclusions. Adapting is not easy. We've all had to do it, as believers and as missionaries whether it's been in a believer vs. unbeliever context in our home countries, marrying into another culture, or the culture shock of coming to the field for the first time (which some of you are still going through). But the part of this whole process that I'm dealing with right now in the light of our ministry change is: relationship changes.

Missionary life is full of goodbyes. We know that when we sign up for the job…or when we have that first outfit made. It's gonna be hard and different and we're gonna have to adjust. Unfortunately, I'm not convinced it gets any easier. Saying bye to family, to friends in the training, to supporters and supporting churches, investing in the lives of those around us only to move on…often before we're ready…before finishing what we feel like God led us to start. At times I've felt like my heart was being ripped right out of my chest….leaving a hole that could only be patched by the hand of God Himself. Here I am again…leaving my second West African country soon. That's not at all how I planned things…not at all the fabric I picked out or the pattern I chose.

But that's when I have to ask myself…Am I willing to change…not to just DO it…but to wholeheartedly ACCEPT it? If the answer is yes, than that means leaving friends and ministries behind, again. Saying goodbye again. On the other end, that means starting new relationships, again…opening myself up again. Then there's all the other adapting on a family level…the kids…the moving, etc. In essence, am I willing to embrace a new fashion even if means getting used to different colors and not so comfortable fabric? I say YES…because I choose to trust the Tailor:) What about you?

Sunday school

2009-07-09T21:41:00.005Z

It's amazing the responsibilites that these kids have! Look at the little girl carrying her sibling on her back during Sunday school. Micah is now able to stay "almost" the whole 2 and half hours...and Elijah, well, let's say he has his moments :) I usually end up having to take him home (upstairs) and put him down for a nap. Just one of the perks of living at the church! Then I come down and finish out the service. There are usually about 30 kids in this tiny room and it's LOUD! We hope to be able to begin training the Sunday school teachers as it is difficult to hold the attention of 30 kids for 2.5 hours! Praise God for their little lives!

Elijah sliding at the guesthome in Senegal

2009-05-23T22:42:00.002Z

He's so funny! I guess he decided this was the safest and quickest way to go down. He had a blast here at the guesthouse in Senegal. We were blessed with such a wonderful place to stay.

Goree Singer

2009-05-23T22:36:00.002Z

Here is a young man whom we met on the island of Goree. He sings and sells these gourd instruments called "Booms". HA! He was quite talented! We bought 2 and are trying to learn how to play them. It's quite the challenge! :)

Faces of Guinea

2009-05-10T07:14:00.008Z

Animals we saw on our trip to Nzerekore

2009-05-10T06:55:00.007Z

2009-04-17T09:40:00.006Z

Micah, the photographer, taking pictures of himself at the restaurant, The Riviera. Marcus took us out! Yummy!

Here are the kids with a friend from some Liberia. His name is Dauda and Daniel is trying to start a Bible study with him. He said he's gone back and forth between Islam and Christianity...and isn't sure what is right.

Micah chasing pigeons....lovin' the kid life!

2009-04-17T09:22:00.007Z

Hello! My name is SPUNKY! I'm the Dias' new doggy. I like to jump on Elijah because he is my size. I like to sleep during the day, but Elijah doesn't let me. I'm much bigger now since this picture was taken last month. Now I bark loudly at night and love to eat 3 bowls of rice and meat a day. I love my new family!

I love my Tio Marcus! He came to visit me Brasil. He brought me lots of yummy food like Pao de Queijo! (Brasilian cheese bread) He brought delicious chocolate too! I miss my family in Brasil. Hopefully we'll see them for Christmas!

Funny Elijah!

2009-04-17T09:11:00.003Z

Trashcan Djembe player Mommy...the orange is too sour!

Temper tantrum turned silly...

Tired Dirtball

2009-04-17T08:58:00.004Z

Kids out playing at dusk. Elijah has one shoe on and one off. He's having fun, but sure is tired! That's a blessing for us tired parents!

Pinehurst in Guinea?

2009-02-28T11:44:00.003Z

I thought you Pinehurst residents and golfers might enjoy this. Guinea receives a lot of donated clothes and the like from Europe and the US. We never thought we'd run into someone wearing a hat from Pinehurst!!!! This is just God's way of helping us not feel so homesick :)

Micah starts school!

2009-02-28T11:35:00.003Z

Here is Micah in front of his new preschool, Tom Pouce. He loves it and has made lots of friends, both French and English speaking. He attended his first birthday party as well, twin boys. He also performed in a "spectacle" celebrating Carnaval. Don't worry, he didn't understand much of what was explained...he just danced and had fun in his costume! The picture in front of the school answers the question, "Why go to school?" by responding "Because you get in trouble when you don't have ideas (things to do)". And believe me, they keep the kids busy there. It's very well organized and Micah's French is really improving!

Dias Move to Conakry!

2009-01-18T22:12:00.007Z

Here is Hope Chapel ( a Nigerian mission churchplant), the church that is "adopting" us in Conakry. We will be temporarily staying in their missionary guesthouse (top right of bottom picture) until we find a house. They have a great compound. They have neighborhood kids who come in the afternoons to play basketball, volleyball, and soccer. They also have a library open to the public. The Sunday school classes are behind the court in the pic to the left.

Here is the the church sanctuary on the left. On the right is the Kolie family, our hosts. She is from Ivory Coast and he is from Guinea. They were missionaries for a short time and long to return to the field. Right now they are helping the church, on staff as missionaries. Pray for us as we get to know each other. We are looking forward to "city" life and all that entails. Pray for us as we adjust, yet again, to new surroundings. We're praying we'll have a house within the next 2 weeks!

Ephraim and Micah dancing

2009-01-01T16:46:00.003Z

Sorry that the video is so dark. We were filming at night. Micah's is dancing at the church Christmas party with his friend Ephraim. They having a blast!

Micah sliding at pool

2009-01-01T16:35:00.003Z

What a treat! This pool is about an hour away and this was our first time going. Micah had so much fun! He was so excited! He couldn't stop laughing so he kept swallowing water and almost puking. HA! Enjoy!

Elijah bowling

2009-01-01T15:53:00.003Z

Elijah got a Barnyard Bowling game for Christmas. We tried to teach him how to play...but we failed miserably:)

Thanks Aunt Gerita, Uncle Daniel, Ashley and Danielle for such a fun present!

Love, Elijah

Micah saying Hebrews 4:15

2009-01-01T15:35:00.005Z

This is the verse that Micah learned in VBS during Guinea's field conference. I was amazed at how quickly he was able to memorize it. Heb. 4:15

Girl from Sangaredi

2008-12-30T18:11:00.005Z

I just thought this girl was so cute. She is from the church in Sangaredi.

I guess you could say these guys are friends....

My 3 favorite things

2008-12-30T17:51:00.002Z

My 3 favorite things in the world: Micah, Elijah, and Reese's Cups!!! HA! Ok...I'm sure Daniel is in there somewhere...Reese's and other goodies were shipped over for the kids at during the conference carnival. Let's just say Micah didn't miss his Reese's because there was no trace left to remind him:) YUMMY!!! What a treat!

Elijah Playing Balafon

2008-11-21T18:51:00.002Z

We've been taking balafon lessons (African wooden piano) three days a week. It's really fun! It's also a lot more complicated than I had imagined. The keys are made out of wood and they are tuned by length. There are different sized gourds underneath which determine the volume of sound each key will put out. The sticks you play with are made out of wood with rubber/tar ends. Elijah LOVES it! We can hardly practice with him around. Listen....

Monkeying Around

2008-11-21T18:40:00.002Z

I LOVE MONKIES! A Guinean was trying to sell this little guy to our friends, but they didn't want to buy him. I (Stef) would in a heartbeat if we had a place to keep him. But for now...I'll just pet him at my friend's house:)

He's on my lap, just in case you can't see him:)

Elijah finds "Wow-Wow"

2008-11-01T11:57:00.004Z

We've been teaching Elijah the word for "doggy" in Portuguese....well, at least the word that kids use. "Wow-Wow"...they use this word because it's easier to say than the real word, "Cachorro"...and it's also the sound the dog makes...at least in Brasil. HA!

Anyway...Micah has a stuffed dog animal...actually it's for neck support on flights..but Micah sleeps with it. Elijah loves it! I was able to film Elijah as he remembers that the dog is on Micah's bed and goes on mission to find it and kiss it all over! He's too cute!

Micah riding with Daddy on motorcycle

2008-10-10T19:44:00.001Z

For all you mothers out there...feel free to freak out with me! Micah loves to ride with Daniel on the moto, but I just can't help but fret every time he gets on.

Just Some Pics of Us

2008-10-10T19:22:00.004Z

Here is almost one-year old Elijah with our host family's kid, Hadja. Her real name is Rama, but they call her Hadja sometimes. Hadja is the name given to Muslim ladies who have been to Mecca. And Elij is the name given to men who have been to Mecca. So...these 2 kiddos are worldwide travelers! HA!

I look so old here! Aghhh! Gonna be 30 in January! Scary! Elijah is adorable though, isn't he? He's giving his "Hey Baby!" look. This was taken right after we attended the Ramadan group prayer on the hilltop. It was a little hike! It just reminded us of how lost these people really are. Pray for the Guineans!

Daniel's Trip to a Converted Muslim Conference in Kindia

2008-10-09T21:59:00.005Z

Daniel recently attended a conference for Christians who converted from Islam. What a blessing! It was hard on me...being at home by myself with the 2 boys for almost a week, but it was worth it. Daniel got to meet a lot of neat Christians from all around Guinea. These men and women are mostly from the forest region of Guinea, down south, who are dispersing all across Guinea to spread the Gospel. Daniel had the privilege of getting to know the speaker of the conference, Pastor Belo, who used to be a muslim, but sought out believers to find the truth out about Jesus Christ. He had a very powerful testimony! Here are some pictures of a waterfall Daniel saw from a distance, and a baptism he attended.

This is a palm tree full of bird nests! Daniel thought they were coconuts at first until he remembered that coconuts don't grow on the branches!!!!

Trip to Indochine Restaurant

2008-10-07T22:48:00.005Z

We're in Conakry this week taking a "mini vacation". Here is the menu from one of our now favorite restaurants in the capital city...Indochine. Instead our "Our Suggestions", the menu read "Our Subjections". This was only one of the many translation "faux pas" in their menu:)

Koundara dancing kids

2008-08-09T10:56:00.005Z

These are the kids that live right around the mission house in Koundara. They love cameras!They are a mixture of Peuhl and Konyagui. They spoke very little if any French. I tried to organize a game of "Red Rover" but underestimated their competitive drive. On one run, a larger boy took out a smaller one, slammed him chest down onto the ground. I thought I was at an American football practice or something. Yeah, that kinda put a damper on things. I told the bigger kids to aim for the bigger kids. I then handed out some animal crackers (thanks Mom) and called it a day. Maybe my next attempt at playing a game will be less violent:)

Girls Husking Millet

2008-08-09T10:48:00.004Z

We happen to go to Koundara right at the beginning of rainy season. Everything was green and growing. The Konyagui grow many different kinds of staple foods like: corn, rice, millet, fonio, okra, peppers and sorghum. Here in the video the 2 young girls are husking the millet. Young girls in Guinea have a hard life (compared to our standards).

Into Youkounkoun!

2008-08-09T10:14:00.007Z

Now here we are in one of the many small villages in the Youkounkoun area, about 1 hour away from Koundara. This is one of the many trades the Konyagui have. Here the guy on the left is beating the metal, trying to make plow parts (we think). The kid on the right is taking his turn at working the "pumps" to blow air into the coals which heat the metal. The "pumps" are made from goat skin. This trade is very valuable since they use oxen and metal hand plows to disc up their land in preparation for planting season. It would be interesting to know how they teach this trade, from chosing the "apprentice" to the actual teaching. I have a hunch that the little "blower boy" is probably climbing his way from "padawan" to "blacksmith jedi" little by little. (written by Daniel, of course)

Ferry Crossing

2008-08-09T10:06:00.004Z

On the way up to Koundara we used a hand cranked ferry to cross a small river. They can take three cars at a time. I (Daniel) thought that it was amazing how some of the smaller cars could get up and down this path. I don't know if I would try it driving any other car. Micah LOVED this experience. He even helped the guys crank a little. We told them they should give a discount since our son helped:)

Trip to Koundara!

2008-08-09T01:48:00.004Z

Here is some footage of our long and bumpy trip to Koundara. This is part of the "international highway" that goes all the way to Senegal. Unfortunately we didn't see any rest stops or gas stations or McDonalds or even pavement. At least we didn't see any tolls! That's me (Dani), alwyas trying to look on the bright side! HA!
WARNING to those who get sick at shaky footage: trust me, this was as smooth as it got during the trip!

It's not Kentucky Fried Chicken...that's for sure!

2008-07-06T20:44:00.007Z

Here we are eating Brasilian chicken and rice with our neighbors. Everyone gathers around a big bowl on the ground and eats with their hands. Watch how they grab the rice up and smoosh it in their hands to make a ball to pop in their mouths. Once the rice is gone, they split up the meat. The meat is really tough. Most missionaries buy small frozen hens imported from Brasil of all places. It's more expensive, but you can chew it easily! Notice you only eat with your right hand. The left hand acts as toilet paper! HA! Micah wasn't too excited about eating with his hands, so we gave him a spoon. I'm filming so that's why you don't see me until the end. I attached 2 pix at the end of me.

Enjoy!

Want to Brighten Your Day?

2008-07-06T19:59:00.003Z

Guinean Subway

2008-06-21T16:52:00.002Z

Less than a week left!

2008-05-08T15:28:00.005Z

What a crazy weekend! We've been almost 1,000 miles this past weekend and we're very thankful to have our passports and visas in hand! We visited a lovely church this past Sunday in West Virginia and stopped at the state's capital, Charleston. It was beautiful! We had to stop on the side of the road one time so I could nurse Elijah and look at what exit we "happened" to stop at...Guinea Station! HA!

We also are very thankful to have been able to get Micah's teeth fixed before leaving! That's a big burden lifted! So now, it's back to packing. We're almost finished...just a few last minute things to pack. We're looking forward to spending these last couple of nights just hanging out with family. This is a picture of Micah at El Vaquero, celebrating Grandpa's birthday:) We leave next Monday for Atlanta where we'll fly out on Tuesday night around 9 pm. Thanks for all the prayers!

A drive through town in Boke

2008-04-21T00:14:00.002Z

Sweet Home Ala-Guinea!!!

2008-04-19T19:14:00.004Z

Here is a view from the courtyard.

Our New Home!

2008-04-19T18:53:00.006Z

Here's our new house in Boke, the town where we'll be doing our orientation. We are renting it from a muslim family, the Diallo's (the pic with 3 kids) Pray for them, as well as our neighbor, Hadja. Notice the mangoes in our front yard...yummy! Pray for Micah...that he'll make friends fast and come to see this new house and country as his home:)

1 Month and Counting!

2008-04-14T15:13:00.006Z

Well Folks...we have less than a month here in the USA! It's hard to believe...but Guinea is right around the corner! We head down to Atlanta May 12th and then fly out on the 13th, arriving in Guinea on the 14th. We will be staying in Boke (the third largest "city" in Guinea) for our orientation period. The Diallo family will be our host family and we will be renting a house from them. They have 3 kids and since we'll be sharing a yard, we'll be seeing each other everyday. They will be our lifeline during our stay in Boke. They are a Muslim family and understand that we are Christians. We're are excited to see what God is going to do in their lives this year! Here's a pic of our "supermarket"! We will be visiting this outdoor grocery store DAILY since we will not have a fridge for this first year!

Lunch anyone?! This is a typical meal...rice with some kind of sauce...palm nut, peanut, etc. They like to make it spicy too!

Talk about balance!! These ladies are good! I find myself wondering, "Will be 'hanging out' with these gals?" Pray for strength and endurance!

Brothers

2008-04-09T21:36:00.005Z

It's fun to see Micah playing more with Elijah. He's always saying, "Oh look. He's smiling at me. That means he loves me." Micah doesn't like though when Elijah pulls his hair. We try to explain to him that he's a baby and can't help it. That explanation doesn't really help much when Elijah yanks hard and makes Micah cry!

More Shots :( and Chuck E. Cheese

2008-04-09T21:21:00.005Z

We are finally done with our shots!!! Yeah! We went to Fayetteville yesterday to get our last set of vaccinations...meningitis. And I have to admit... did hurt a little. So imagine Micah...yeah...kicking and screaming. Daniel had to practically sit on him. Needess to say, he didn't get a sticker. But we did take advantage of being in Fayetteville and went to Chuck E. Cheese's. Micah LOVED it! He used "his" money from his piggy bank and played his brains out! The pizza was really good too. We were surprised! (No, Elijah didn't get any shots with us...this is just a shot of him in a bad mood!) HA!

Random Pictures of Quebec trip

2008-03-23T22:49:00.007Z

Look at the brothers holding hands! Micah was worn out!

Elijah is trying to sit up! And he rolled over twice already...but only Daddy caught the footage:(

Over 2,500 miles in 9 days! Part 2

2008-03-23T22:41:00.003Z

On Saturday morning, we woke up, had breakfast, and continued our journey to Sherbrooke, Quebec. Micah had a fever and wasn't feeling well. Daniel had ran out and got him some Tylenol, but his fever kept coming back. We arrived in Sherbrooke about 6 pm. OUR FINAL DESTINATION! We stayed with the Dallaire family. We met them at the small church we attended while learning French last year. They are sooooo sweet! They have 2 daughters: Lydia, who is almost 3 and Ann-Marie, who is in kindergarten. Micah had a BLAST needless to say, playing his brains out. We too enjoyed our "adult time". It was so nice to just be able to sit back and talk! This family loves the Lord and are missionaries in their neighborhood and city. They are truly trusting the Lord for opportunities to reach out to those around them and tell them about Christ. We were so blessed to have had this time together with them....to recharge our batteries. Jennifer was an amazing hostess. We were sad to go, but we expect to see them one day in GUINEA!! :) And who knows...one day we might all be RELATED! HA!

Over 2,500 miles in 9 days! Part 1

2008-03-23T22:29:00.005Z

What a trip! First we stopped in Ohio to see Stef.'s aunt and uncle. We spent 2 nights there. The Lord opened up the opportunity to speak at a chapel service at Bethlehem Christian Academy where "Aunt June" works. It was amazing! The kids loved seeing pictures of Guinean kids and hearing about what daily life looks like over there. We thank God for the opportunity to see June and Bill one last time before heading to the field!

THEN...it was off to Sherbrooke, Quebec. But first we made a QUICK stop at Niagara Falls! It was really, really quick because we didn't want to pay $6 to park and walk all the way down to the viewing area. Plus, it was sprinkling rain....and Elijah was tired. So, we jumped out quick and had someone snap a picture. It's not the best...but it serves its purpose. You can see the falls behind us! Isn't God's creation amazing! After this, we stopped outside of Toronto for the night.

Bathtime Fun

2008-03-03T23:27:00.002Z

Micah is growing up fast and making us laugh every day! He usually is serious and inquisitive, but he does have his silly moments. He loves preschool! He attends Bright Meadow Christian 3 days a week, 3 hours a day. Let's just say he takes great naps on those 3 days!

Silly Face

2008-03-03T23:20:00.003Z

No...this face wasn't made on purpose. Elijah is teething! He's been complaining for about a month. So, he started when he was only 3 MONTHS!! That's seems way early to me. Poor guy...he's giving himself hickies on his arms from trying to scratch his gums. He's having a hard time napping during the day too because of his gums. Oh well...that's a baby for ya! He sure is cute though...isn't he?!

Vote for your favorite prayer card picture for 2008!

2008-02-24T01:50:00.003Z

We are thinking of taking Elijah's head from the one on the right and putting it on the picture on the left. What do you think?

Roly Poly Boy!

2008-02-14T02:40:00.003Z

Gotta love baby fat!

Julia and Micah

2008-02-06T00:37:00.000Z

Do I hear wedding bells?

Elijah Laughs!

2008-02-06T00:34:00.000Z

Carl and Julia sledding down "Grass Hill"

2008-02-06T00:31:00.000Z

Sledding on Cardboard

2008-02-06T00:26:00.000Z

We went to the park in Chattanooga, TN and saw this grass covered mountain covered with kids sledding down on cardboard boxes. Needless to say we all had to try it! Micah was so light that most of the time he would slide off the cardboard and roll down the hill. Daniel and Micah however would slide down perfectly! They had grass everywhere by the time they were done.

Carousel

2008-02-06T00:22:00.000Z

We went to Chattanooga, TN (well into Georgia actually) to visit some friends this past weekend. Carl and Andreza have 2 kids: Julia and Adrian. Micah had lots of fun playing with Julia. Who knows...one day...maybe we'll be "family"????? :)

Snow in North Carolina!

2008-02-06T00:18:00.000Z

It snowed almost 2 whole inches on January 26th. I can handle that much....nothing like Canada!

Elijah will be 3 months old this Saturday!

2008-01-18T02:18:00.000Z

Micah Goes to PreSchool

2008-01-18T01:17:00.000Z

This week was Micah's first week in preschool. He is attending Bright Meadow Christian PreSchool three days a week from 8 am to noon. We thought this would be a good opportunity for social interaction as well as just plain FUN! He is making friends and enjoying new responsibilities. Preschool has also freed us up to accomplish hings during the morning! It's amazing how fast he is growing up:( Just today, Daniel told him, "Hurry up and give me a kiss so you can go to bed!"...to which Micah replied, "Oh well...if I don't give you a kiss, then I don't have to go to bed!". How does a 3 year old get that smart???

Surprise! Merry Christmas!

2007-12-31T22:07:00.000Z

Well...we pulled it off! We surprised my (Stephanie) parents for Christmas. We'd been thinking about it for awhile, but didn't know if it could happen since we fly "stand by". We checked in our luggage around 9 am on the 24th and were told that a flight the night before was cancelled and that 40 extra people were trying to get on our flight. So, we weren't very optimistic about our chances of getting on this flight. After checking in, we returned to Daniel's house and I called my parents. I "fibbed" saying that we were trying to surprise them, but the flight was too full. This left my mom pretty sad and upset. Well...we returned to the airport and the plane started boarding around 12:30 pm. Surprised and delighted....we were called up and given tickets. Unfortunately...I was by myself with Elijah somewhere in the middle and Micah and Daniel were in the back. Halfway through the flight though we were able to switch and sit together. Elijah didn't like flying too much, but Micah did fine.

We arrived in Raleigh, NC and rented 2 small cars (which was cheaper than 1 SUV) to fit all of our luggage. We surprised my Grandma first about 1 am. She met us at the door crying! Then Christmas morning...we sent Micah in to wake everyone up by jumping on the bed. Daniel filmed the whole event! What a wonderful Christmas present! Isn't God good?!

Christmas Holidays at the Beach!

2007-12-18T12:58:00.000Z

I can't believe that Christmas is already upon us! Here we are in Brasil, celebrating the SUMMER Christmas season. It's weird. Santa Claus just doesn't look the same in his suit in 90 degree weather! In most malls you can find an African Santa, an Indian Santa, and a European Santa. So, you can take your pick!

Thanks to Daniel's parents, we were able to "escape" down to the beach for a few days. We went to Santos...a beautiful turistic city. The hotel was actually connected to a mall. It was nice to have AC for those couple of days, since it was hot and humid down there. I can't complain though...the weather here is Sao Paulo has not been consistent. It seems like every other day it changes from hot to cold. It's probably a lot like what I hear is happening in NC too.

We look forward to seeing many of you when we get back to NC sometime late next week.

What Color Eyes Will Elijah Have?

2007-12-06T21:50:00.000Z

That's the question everyone is asking here. Daniel's Mom is certain they will be blue like mine (Stef.). It's too early to tell since they will change up until 8 months of age. He looks like such an angel in this picture. I wish he was always this content:) We are blessed though...he's not a fussy baby. Hope you're not tired of seeing Elijah...because there will be many more pictures to come:)

Pool Time

2007-12-06T21:36:00.000Z

Micah is enjoying a warmer day in the pool with cousin Sam. This look says, "Oops...They caught me."

Going to Grandma's house

2007-12-06T21:11:00.000Z

Well, as Christmas draws near, so does our plane trip back home to North Carolina:) Micah is ready to see Stephanie's family and go back to "work" with Grandpa! Even Elijah is catching "tarheel" fever! Notice the words on his shirt: "That's it!!! I'm going to Grandma's!"

Big Brother Micah

2007-11-29T21:48:00.001Z

We are so proud of Micah! He's a great big brother! He's not jealous of little Elijah at all. He loves to help change his diaper, give him a bath, and kiss him whenever he gets a chance. He repeatedly asks, "Why does baby 'Lijah' like to eat all the time? Why does he poop so much? Why is sleeping again?" We recently picked up Elijah's Brasilian passport and Micah said, "Ok, no he can get on the plane with us to fly back to NC because he has his passport now! Let's go!" Unfortunately a toddler has no concept of time, so telling him we have to wait until after Christmas was no consolation. We are so thankful for our "big brother" Micah. He is constantly encouraging us all: "Mom, you're a great feeder! Elijah, you're a great eater! Dad, you're a great soccer player!" I wish we could take credit for teaching him this, but I think we owe it to the "Little Einsteins" cartoon he loves to watch so much. I hope these 2 guys will be best friends as they grow up together in Africa!

"These are the days of Elijah"

2007-11-29T21:29:00.000Z

Ha! I couldn't resist using the title of that song! That's what I feel like these days...Elijah, Elijah, Elijah! But, that's what it's supposed to be like, right? I feel like a dairy cow and he takes up all my days...and nights. Welcome once again to motherhood. I look at Micah and I think, was he this time-consuming? And I answer myself almost immediately...YEP! Then I thank the Lord for this little blessing in disguise, reprimand myself for complaining, and ask for more patience and wisdom.

Elijah, now 1 month old, takes his first trip!

2007-11-22T16:43:00.000Z

We all loaded up in the car to visit Peniel, New Tribes Mission's Bible School here in Brasil. It's only about 3 hours away. We were a little nervous about how Elijah would do, but he did great! We stopped on the way to visit with an old Bible school friend of Daniel's. It was so much fun! He is a pastor and they have 2 daughters. The youngest, Leticia, is 4 years old and she said she could speak English with Micah. It was so cute...she sounded like a little pirate as she invented words, "Arrrr larrr larrr!"

The Bible school is located right outside a small city called Jacutinga. It's known for hand sewn sweaters. It's such a beautiful area with rolling hills, green vegetation, and lots of coffee fields. Those are all coffee plants straight ahead, behind the truck.

I hope you enjoy the pictures as much as we enjoyed the trip. On our way back we stopped and ate typical "mineiro" food. Mineiro is the name given to people who live in the state above Sao Paulo called Minas Gerais. It's really just homecookin'! Yummy! They sit out all these pans and pots full of food on a wood stove. The highlight of the trip was when I gave Micah some homemade Brasilian whiskey! I thought it was fruit juice....yeah, no....it was just fruit flavored! He took a sip and spit it back in the cup and said, "My tongue is burning!". I almost got mad at him...until I smelled the liquid. Whew!! Alcohol for sure! Oops! It makes me wonder what kind of cultural blunders I'm gonna make in Guinea! Feel free to start praying in advance:)

Elijah is already 2 weeks old!

2007-11-04T19:11:00.000Z

Elijah is doing much better at nursing now...which means I am feeling a lot better too! He is waking up every 2.5 to 3 hours to nurse, which means a lack of sleep for me, but that comes with the territory. Micah wants to hold him all the time and shake his hand. He says, "Nice to meet ya, sir!" Sometimes Elijah doesn't enjoy that very much, especially when he is trying to sleep.

Well, here's some pix. Elijah's eyes are open more now and the bruising is almost gone. I wonder what color they're gonna be?

Micah and Elijah are definitely brothers!

2007-10-29T12:49:00.000Z

Many of you have commented that Elijah looks so much like Micah when he was born. So, I thought I'd dig up some newborn pics of Micah to compare. In these pix, Micah is a few weeks older than Elijah, but you can still see the resemblance. Daniel was worried at first when he saw Elijah, because he thought they had switched out our kid for a Chinese one. Poor Elijah! He can help he was so swollen with jet black hair! I do have to admit, he does look a little Eskimoish:) HA! He's adorable to me. I've heard mothers are a little biased:)

Elijah Has Arrived!

2007-10-28T23:51:00.000Z

Hello Everyone! I know we sent out an update by email with a pic of Elijah, but I thought you might like to see a few more:) He's got a headful of black hair and his eyes are still swollen and bruised, but he's our little "squishy" just the same! We had to think of another nickname because Micah has already taken "stinky".

I (Stef.) couldn't have been happier with the delivery. Praise the Lord! After a C-section, I doubted if I would be able to delivery normally, but God answered our prayers. I started feeling contractions around 8 pm, arrived at the hospital close to 9 pm and Elijah was born at 11:20 pm. My mom told me to hurry up the process so he could be born on her birthday. Despite my skepticism (after a 36 hour labor with Micah), Elijah made his grand entrance with 40 minutes to spare! HA!

The experience was quite different at the free government funded hospital here in Brasil. I found no sympathy...and if anything...I was rushed all the way through the birth. The most interesting thing had to be the slightly large lady that mounted my belly on the last few pushes. They were screaming at me to not stop pushing..."Empurra! Empurra!" I found it rather hard to find the air to push with the nurse pressing down on my LUNGS trying to push the baby out. Afterwards I appreciated her "method" of speeding up the labor!

Let's say that Daniel felt like he was on an episode of Scrubs or ER. He enjoyed every miraculous minute and was not shy about asking questions: "How do you know all the placenta comes out?", "What if some stayed in?", "How long have you been working here?", etc. etc. I was so thankful that he was allowed to stay there with me, even though they wouldn't let him spend the night with me in the hospital room. I had an 18 yr. old roommate who delivered her first child, a premie. We were attacked by mosquitoes the second night. I stopped counting at 50 bites. Needless to say we didn't sleep a wink, fanning our babies all night. It was too hot to stay under the sheet for protection. Yes...this was a real hospital!

Overall I have to say the fact that it was all FREE was worth any frustration, discomfort, etc. Since Elijah came almost a month earlier (I think my due date was wrong b/c he wasn't a premie!), our insurance wouldn't have covered the birth and we would have had to pay, at least a percentage of the bill. So God knew what He was doing!

Elijah bellybutton fell off today and he seems to enjoy sleeping! He nurses like a piggy and usually get hiccups afterwards. He gave us a scare the other night with milk coming out of his nose while he was sleeping. He wasn't breathing when I picked him up...but after hanging him upside down and spanking his butt, his airways cleared. It was very horrible experience for me...I didn't sleep much that night. But God is good and Sovereign!

Thanks to everyone who prayed, wrote, and encouraged. Please continue to pray that Elijah learns how to nurse correctly. I'm in a lot of pain and feeling very stressed out. Pray for God's wisdom in overcoming this phase.

Enjoy the pics.

Andrea, Daniel's sister, had her baby!

2007-10-06T20:46:00.000Z

Here she is....Amanda Maiken Holmgren. Despite her weighing almost 9 lbs, it was a quick delivery. She has dark hair like her mom with her dad's complexion. Mom and baby are glad to be home. Andrea thanks you for all your prayers. Pretty soon....it'll be Elijah's turn:)

Two Pot-Bellied Ladies

2007-10-06T20:31:00.000Z

Well here we are...large and lovely:) We are only 3-4 weeks apart. This picture was actually taken right before Andrea left for the hospital. Despite the pain, she was very excited that the process had started!

Micah and Cousin Sam

2007-09-14T21:05:00.000Z

Greetings from Brasil! What a change in weather. Just to make all you back in NC jealous...we're waking up to 60 degrees and enjoying 75 degrees during the day. Hopefully NC will be cooling down soon. It's been fun to catch up with Daniel's sister, Andrea and see meet her little guy, Samuel. We couldn't be happier with the way he and Micah are getting along! They're having so much fun together. This experience will be great for Micah. He's learning how to share, help, and even keep Sam out of trouble. And believe me, Sam can find trouble!!!

We appreciate all your prayers for our journey. We had a smooth flight! Even though Micah talks about returning to NC everday and working with Grandpa, I think he's having fun here. Today he watched the "diggers" break up the road right in front of the garage to fix a broken pipe. Unfortunately the city didn't warn anybody and we washed/soiled a load of white clothes because the water turned muddy during the load. Oh well....there's clorox!

Please continue to pray for Andrea (Daniel's sister) and me (Stef.) as our due dates get closer and closer. Andrea's doctor doesn't think she'll make it until the end of the month, even though she's not due until mid-October. Her husband is in Africa and will return Sept.28th. Pray he'll make it for the birth! I (Stef.) will be looking for a doctor next week and visiting the hospitals in the area. Pray God provides a doctor with good social skills! :)

Brasil, Here We Come!

2007-09-10T19:46:00.000Z

Hi everyone! Once again, it's time to hit the road....or air in this case! We're off to Brasil on Tuesday, 11th to visit with Daniel's family. We're excited to be with his sister and her husband. Marcus (Daniel's brother-in-law) will be applying for Brasilian citizenship so they are going to be in Brasil for at least 2 years. They will welcome their little girl into the world around the middle of next month. They have a 17 month-old, Samuel, who I bet can't wait to meet his big cousin, Micah:)

Around November 13th, Micah Andrew will meet his little brother, Elijah Mateus. Please pray for a safe and quick delivery:) We appreciate all your support and prayers thus far and we look forward to seeing everyone when we get back in January '08. Check out the blog for updates and pictures!

PS Some of you have asked....Brasil is spelled with an "s" in Portuguese:) In English, we make it a "z".

Saying Goodbye

2007-08-30T12:45:00.000Z

After a month at Camp Joli-B, we loaded up and headed back to Sherbrooke. It was hard saying goodbye to our friends and church family. We attended a small church called Source de Vie and were blessed by their friendship. We also became good friends with the Dallaire family who happened to live just a few blocks away. They have two girls, Anne Marie and Lydia whom Micah asks to visit often. Micah enjoyed their pool, even though it was too cold for us adults!! We're really gonna miss them, but we look forward to keeping in touch!

Back to Quebec!

2007-08-27T17:24:00.000Z

After our vacation in NC, we headed back up to Canada for more French practice. We helped out for a little over a month at a Christian camp, Joli B, 12 hours northwest of Sherbrooke. What an adventure! The staff was really great! They treated us like family and were very patient with our French. We learned a lot and were very blessed by everyone around us.

One family we got to know there were the Bissonette's. They took an interest in our ministry and loved our little Micah! Their boys were good helpers, giving us a break every now and again. Tony ("Mr. Pony" according to Micah), gave Micah rides on the four-wheeler....the highlight of Micah's day. We look forward to keeping in touch with them for years to come!

Quick Trip to Visit Family in NC

2007-08-27T17:18:00.000Z

After graduating from Word of Life in Quebec, we headed down to NC for 2 weeks to visit Stephanie's family. It was a nice break! We spent one of the 2 weeks at Myrtle Beach...ok, so we had alterior motives:)

Almost Potty-trained!

2007-06-14T22:01:00.000Z

After many attempts and failures, Micah is almost potty-trained. What a relief! Not to mention the fact that we're saving money on diapers! YEAH! He likes his Bob the Builder underwear:) It's a good thing our apartment here in Quebec is all linoleum...no carpet. A perfect accident proof place to potty-train.

Finally a Summer Day

2007-06-14T21:27:00.001Z

There is a park about a five minute walk from our apartment. On "hot" days, they turn on the little water park and kids flock to run around and splash in the water. It doesn't take much for the "Quebecers" around here to break out the bathing suits. You'll see more houses with swimming pools in the backyards than air conditioners in the windows. Micah loves to go to the park and on this day he came home soaking wet!

Last Day of Class

2007-06-14T21:17:00.000Z

We had our last day of French class today! Wow! How time flies! Now it's time to pack up our things and head to North Carolina for a 2 week break. Boy are we ready! Despite all the difficulties and doubts, we know that God directed us here to Quebec for French study. Despite our attempts to go everywhere else, He knew what was best. We had wonderful teachers and made some friendships we hope will last a lifetime. Enjoy the random pictures!

April in Quebec

2007-04-16T17:17:00.000Z

We have been busy these last few months with school and family visits. Micah enjoyed not only seeing his family...but the candy they brought as well. Let's just say, he's still "savoring" their visit! Seriously, seeing Stephanie's family helped quench our homesickness a little.

Our class has taken a few field trips since our last update and we thought you might be interested in seeing some pics. We went to the "Glass Hotel" in Quebec City, to an authentic French restaurant, and to a "Sugar Shack" to learn about the maple syrup process. The last one was our favorite. We got to eat the hot syrup off of a trough full of snow. Daniel ate so much he got a headache! Micah was a little unsure at first, but it only took one lick and he was hooked! Thank you all for your prayers and letters. We appreciate your support and encouragement!

Family Visits

2007-04-16T17:12:00.000Z

Sweet Syrup at the "Sugar Shack"

2007-04-16T17:06:00.000Z

Rooms in the Ice Hotel

2007-04-16T16:57:00.000Z

Blizzard in Sherbrooke

2007-02-18T23:21:00.000Z

I know most of you back home "say" you would love to have snow like we have up here. Let's stop and think about that....would you like to: shovel 2 feet of snow away from your car; walk around looking like a thief because all people can see are your eyes; have a 2 1/2 year old who is driving you crazy because he can't go outside and play; fight against the wind as you try to make it to your car...the car you have to warm up 15 minutes in advance.

Ok...if that didn't paint a clear enough picture for
you, maybe these photos will. If you're the type of person who loves the snow, just imagine

yourself "in" these pictures. As for us, we'll imagine we're at the beach!

Word of Life Snow Camps

2007-01-28T17:58:00.000Z

Hello Everyone! Our first month in Sherbrooke is almost over. We are still getting used to the cold, cold weather. Lately it has been 15-20 BELOW zero, which makes "playing" outside a little interesting! Micah usually plays in 15 minute increments. Yesterday (Sat.) we went to our school's campus to see one of Word of Life's Winter camps in action. Believe it or not, these teenagers were having a "Polar Bear" dunking contest. Yes, outside in bathing suits jumping into a tank full of tap water. Crazy! We watched them play hockey and we even went tubing down a snow covered hill. Micah loved it! I've never seen his face so red.

French study is going well. Daniel and I both are happy with our grades. The competition is always fun:) On the next blog, I'll include some class pictures and talk about our daily routine.
We appreciate all your prayers and cards. It's always nice to actually receive something in our mailbox!

Here's our new contact info:

2018 Rue Des Grands-Monts #208

Sherbrooke, QC

J1H 3Z7

(819) 565-9200

In His Grip,
Daniel, Stephanie, and Micah Dias