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!!!!