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Wednesday, October 31, 2012

Back To the Future!!!

After a trip that took us from leaving Las Vegas, NM at 4:30 a.m. on Oct. 30th, stepping into the Tardis, until we arrived, having gained hours and lost hours and crossing time zones, all very confusing... at Narita International airport at 6:30p.m. Oct. 31st, I am finally conscious enough to catch up with myself! We did our best on the flight to sleep as little as possible, our goal being to arrive at our hotel and sleep through the night, hopefully to trick our bodies out of jetlag. So far it seems to have worked maybe, too soon to tell for sure but we did both sleep a full night from about 9p.m. to 6 a.m.
Apart from a little confusion in LAX (Los Angeles, how about posting a few signs pointing to the international airport?!), our trip went incredibly smoothly! Narita airport was easy to traverse (LOTS of signs and arrows!), our luggage was waiting for us and the friendly airport lady directed us to our waiting hotel shuttle (the last one of the night!).

The Flight- Singapore A380
Hands down the Biggest and most comfortable flight I have ever had!
 
A double decker plane that is so HUGE, it's incredible!  Compared to our first connecting flight that were still equipped with ashtrays! How old was that plane??!


 
We were greeted by very polite stewards/esses with hot towels to refresh ourselves before the plane even took off. I assumed, being such a LARGE plane that it'd really have to get going before take off, but apparently the four huge engines were more than enough and our plane lifted so smoothly that I was surprised to find us airborne!
The rest of the flight was filled with meals, snacks and beverages! Keeping us hydrated on the long flight was clearly a priorty! Since we hadn't had a chance to eat all day before boarding and because I must of had the face of a very hungry person, when I asked the stewardess how long till meal time, she brought me chips and a candybar to hold me over. A little later our first meal was served!  Gary had the seafood tray.
 
 
I chose the Japanese tray.
 
 
Getting bored during the flight wasn't going to be a problem either, each seat came equipped with it's own entertainment center allowing us to follow the flight path, listen to music, watch stuff or play
video games!
Soon we had landed at Narita International Airport and were in Japan!
 
 
More to follow!
 

Saturday, October 27, 2012

Ode to Las Vegas New Mexico!

Twenty-five years ago my husband, two yr. old son and myself drove into a small southwestern town called Las Vegas, Nevada New Mexico. Everything we owned fit in the back of our van. From the first, the sleepy old west town on the Santa Fe trail welcomed us with open arms and we felt at home. We made lifelong friends who over the years have helped us load and unload moving trucks many times!


Whenever we have popped into Vegas to live between assignments I've always preferred Westside. Eastside is more modern, but Westside has character!


 I like being able to walk to Plaza Drugs soda fountain to get the best cherry-lime in town.



It was also nice to go to Plaza Park at the Gazebo and listen to bands play music!


Though I admit to being a little creeped out when thinking about how many were hung from the old windmill there back in the Old West days!

Across the street is the historic Plaza Hotel, where the likes of Doc Holliday and his girlfriend Big Nose Kate frequented. Rumor has it that the hotel is haunted, I slept in one of the "haunted "rooms once, guess no spirits were dumb enough to bother a pastor and his wife!

It was also in this town that Pat Garrett escorted Billy the Kid to the local jail and rescued him from a vigilante mob.



One of our buildings was built by the man who killed Jesse James.



Our stay in Vegas has been all too short, only 6 months this time. No matter where we go however, it's comforting to know that our home away from home is here waiting to welcome us back and help us recharge! Sayonara Las Vegas...until we meet again!!!





Monday, October 22, 2012

Cowboy Fable!!!

So I headed to Santa Rosa, New Mexico this weekend! Gary had just returned from his trip to Ky. and was headed there to preach a revival so I decided to tag along for a couple of days. Santa Rosa is on Historic Route 66! If you're ever in the area I highly recommend a meal in The Comet Restaurant! For $9 I had a large chicken fried steak with mashed potatoes and gravy, a salad, posole, the most delicious melt in your mouth buttery homemade biscuit ever and apple crumble for desert!!! Yummy! Delicious home-style cooking!!!


It was a nice break but I had to head back to LasVegas, N.M. this morning to continue the packing and sorting for our move. The drive takes about an hour and for any gamers out there the scenery is like riding through Red Dead Redemption..I kept missing my horse and pistol to shoot coyotes!!!

Cowboy Fable!!!

Saturday, October 20, 2012

Church Ladies Rock!!!

This year is our 25th Anniversary of joining our church and meeting some truly wonderful and giving people. Because of their friendship and faithful giving my husband and I have been able to travel and preach the Gospel in Mexico, Colorado, New Mexico, Panama and now Japan as well.  It's such a blessing to us to have a mission, church planting Fellowship that supports us and helps us realize God's plan for our lives.
This week some of my church lady friends gave me a Going Away luncheon..there was good food and nice words! What a blessing!


Wednesday, October 17, 2012

There She Goes Again!!!!


The other day a friend asked me if I wasn't scared to go to Japan...I told her, "Terrified!" I really haven't a clue how I'll figure things out there and the culture is very different from what I know. Apparently, however, going "Clueless" to other countries is what I do.
At 18, I had cluelessly gone to Mexico, fully equipped with my high-school Spanish! I confidently strolled the streets of Reynosa,Leon, and Guanajuato Mexico without a care. Crazy farm girl meets the big city and survives to tell about it..that alone is enough to prove to me that God exists, because He sure took care of me!
                         On that first trip to Mexico I met my future husband, a Kentucky boy.



We were married a year later and proceeded to invade Mexico once again, this time in our 66 BelAir. We ended up spending about 6 months in a little coastal village that had no running water or electricity. We slept under a mosquito net on a straw mat on the floor and had a chicken that would fly in the bedroom "window" (a hole in the wall) every morning to lay an egg. I may have been a country girl but I REALLY was clueless in that village. Not only did I not speak Spanish(though I was sure I did)..and went around confidently saying who knows what..but it was like being thrown back in time to another era! I had to learn to wash clothes on a rock in the river,how to carry water in a bucket on my head without spilling it all,how to find drinkable water(that involved climbing down a cliff face to a little spring), and other assorted pre-historic delights regarding bathing and lavatory services.  Fortunately, there were village ladies who took pity and delight in helping and laughing at the crazy white girl!

Some years and 2 children later after returning to the States to finish schooling etc., we would find ourselves headed back to Mexico once again!  With an old stationwagon,and a small truck my brother-in-law had sawed in half and made a trailer out of - us, our two children (aged 5 and 2)with a mattress from a sofa sleeper,our clothes and pots and pans went driving from New Mexico to Mexico City! Oh, did I mention I was 8 months pregnant?! No little village this time..we drove into one of the craziest cities ever...
        non-chalantly hauling our trailer on city thoroughfares and byways..it was INSANE!!!

But once again God took care of us. We found a home and remained in Mexico City for seven years adding two more children to our family during that time. 
By God's grace we were able to pioneer a church that today is nationalized, a conference center and has baby churches all over Mexico and into South America.

Companerismo Nueva Vida
After Mexico, we spent a few years pastoring Stateside. We had a wonderful congregation in Pueblo, CO.. but in 2002 the Lord called us to our next assignment in Panama City, Panama.  I was pretty confident going in there until I heard the Spanish! It took me 6 months to understand Panamanian Spanish! The accent was different, the words were different it was definitely a new experience!  Fortunately, Panamanians watch Mexican soap operas so people were able to understand us, though for some reason taxi drivers always asked me if I was Russian! I had to learn my way around town and the kids and I became very adept at riding the Diablo Rojo buses getting to shopping districts and parks.
Diablo Rojo

                                        We ate new foods including iguana..chewy but tasty!


                                        So many new things...adapt, adapt, adapt!
                As in Mexico, God stepped in, helped us and after six years we were able to nationalize the  church and leave it in good hands.                                          



La Puerta

 After spending six years in Panama, we pastored a wonderful church in Denver, Co. for four years until     March of 2012 when my husband began working as a full-time evangelist.

Which brings us to today...preparing to once again throw ourselves into another country. We don't speak the language...yet ;-) and we will be the first couple from our church Fellowship to enter Japan so we're 100% on our own this time. However, if there is one thing I've learned it's that even if I am Clueless going into countries..God isn't. He has called us and He will help us. I'll do a lot of dumb stuff on the way, trying to figure things out but there's nothing new with that!  The hardest part of this journey will be leaving my children behind. Over the years they have somehow managed to all grow-up! I left a daughter and grandson in Panama.
Katie-bear
Matthew





                                                   and my other 3 children are in Colorado.
Timmy,Gary Sr.,Hopie,Gary Jr.


 Leaving family, for many years sometimes, has always been the greatest burden of ministry. This time we're back to just the two of us,dear hubby and I, but God calls and we go. If I know anything though, it'll be an adventure! This blog is hopefully going to chronicle some of that crazy adventure that is my life.  So feel free to join me on my very CLUELESS journey into Japan and who knows where else!!!!