Cale’s last birthday here

Today Cale turned 5!  That is such an amazing thing for me to comprehend.  He is my baby!!  Next year he will be in Kindergarten…whatever will I do?  He is such a blessing and joy.  I love that he still crawls into bed with me in the morning to snuggle, and that he loves to sit and read books with us.  And I adore the fact that he still tells me how he wants to marry me when he grows up.  I know someday he will be a teenager that may think otherwise so I am cherishing every one of these moments.  I took a BIG nap in the morning so I would have enough energy for the celebration. He LOVED his alligator cake.

Here are some pictures from his birthday party:

I can tell that the dengue fever is slowly leaving  me alone.  It is so strange how it affects your mind.  It makes you real loopy.  Some examples:  The other day I put an empty bowl in the microwave for 2 minutes, I couldn’t remember how to say the word- probably.  I couldn’t remember how to spell the word – every.  I had the hardest time counting chairs for Thanksgiving, I couldn’t figure out how to change the toilet paper roll, I sat down to write an email at the craft table instead of the computer table…What a crazy feeling.  I know it is from the dengue and I have been told that it can affect you up to two years after you have had the disease.  How weird!  Anyways, thanks for your prayers.  I am taking it easy and still taking lots of naps.

We had a little problem with our email list and many of your names were deleted.  Garth tried to add you all back on, but if you know of someone that used to be on here and is now off, please let us know.  Or if you are now getting these emails and weren’t before, let me know if you would like your name off.

Thanks.

Rachel

Our Thanksgiving

Yesterday was so much fun.  We hosted Thanksgiving here.  There was no turkey, but we did have chicken breast, stuffing (that Emma made), mashed taters, corn, Jell-o, green beans casserole…I tried to have it as “Americany” as possible.  People brought stuff and we all celebrated together.  I love having people over for the Holidays.  It helps me not to feel quite so homesick.  We even sang “Thank You Lord” just like Grandpa Frank would have done.  It was such a wonderful time of sweet fellowship.  God gave me lots of strength and I felt GREAT all day.  I can tell I am getting better every day, you guys.  I have lots to be thankful for!  Here are some pictures:

I am so very thankful for all of you.  Thanks for all the prayers.

Love

Rachel

Great News!

Praise the Lord I am feeling better!  This is the best I have felt in a month.  You all have been surrounding me in prayer and well wishing emails and now the symptoms of dengue are finally fading away.  I can still feel the effects of it but nothing like the last four weeks.  I am so very thankful.  To those of you who emailed me, THANKS.  I don’t get a lot of emails (besides the ones from family) and they always encourage me.  To those of you who prayed for me, THANKS.  I need that. Keep it up.  Dengue has been called the “Demon from Hell” because it grabs onto your blood and won’t let go.  it has the potential to last for a very long time.  But I am determined to beat the odds.

Hopefully soon, life can go back to normal.  There will be a Thanksgiving Celebration here tomorrow, Thursday is Cale’s 5^th birthday, and then Friday the dorm kids will all leave for a week.  God  knew it would be a great time for me to have a break.  It will be just what I need.  Some relaxing family time.

You don’t know how encouraged my heart is .  I had so many sweet moments with God during my bed rest.  I have been keeping track of all the things that God taught me during the time and I will try to condense it into an email or two for you.

One of the things that I made into a sign to hang above our doorway is this saying: “You can chase happiness or you can choose happiness.”

Which are you doing?

Love you

Rachel

Wackiness

It is Spirit Week this week for the Elementary kids.  Monday was Pajama Day (I didn’t get any pictures of that).  Yesterday was Clash  Day and today was Crazy Hair Day.  We have two extra kids staying with us right now so that was a lot of Clashing and Wackiness.  Here are some pictures:

Cale was learning about the letter H in school and got to make a hat from Cat In The Hat.  He has also been spending a lot of down time hanging out with Mom or reading.  Garth is doing a fantastic job of doing everything that I can’t.  I am so thankful for him.  Monday he did all of the grocery shopping.  What a guy!

Thanks for all of your prayers.  Today I am feeling quite a bit better than yesterday.  Yahoo!  Everyday a little progress.

Love you

Rachel

The Costume Ball

Emma and Sophie were invited to a costume ball today.  Sophie went as Astrid from How to Train Your Dragon, and Emma and her friend went as  pioneer girls.  They looked great and had a wonderful time.

Here are some pictures:

My Disguised Blessing

My days have been filled with bed rest.  Apparently, the only treatment for dengue is rest, and more rest, and lots of liquids.  If you don’t get vast amounts of rest this sickness can last for months and months.  I do not want that so I spent yesterday and today in bed.  Some people would love the excuse to lay low and do nothing, but not me.  I am finding it extremely difficult.  I would lay there thinking about all of the things I would like to be doing. Then I decided to make the most of my time.  In between naps, I have been going through the book of Matthew and Psalms and writing verses that mean something to me and hanging them around the bedroom.  Verses like:  “I lie down and sleep.  I wake up again, because the Lord sustains me.”  “…When you are on your beds, search your hearts and be silent.”  I will lie down and sleep in peace, for You alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety.”  I also had quite a few friends drop off old magazines that they were finished with so I would have something to read.  There was a strange assortment in the pile; from the Asian version of Reader’s Digest to National Geographic, Canadian Living and Fly RC.  Interesting.

This has actually turned into a blessed time.  Tomorrow will be spent the same way and the next…I am so fortunate that there is an end in sight.  As my Mom always says, “These things too shall pass…”  I am not getting any worse.  So there is much to be thankful for.

I have been having cherished moments with the kids as they take turns laying with me and talking.  I love it.  Before I know it, they will be gone and I will remember with such fondness this time I had with them.  A blessing in disguise!

Love you all

Rachel

Marines

Here is an update on what is going on in our house right now. Last week we had malaria. Thankfully it seems like that is gone and everyone is back to normal, except for me. I happened to get dengue fever. It is also a mosquito borne illness, however there is no treatment for it. Just lots and lots of rest and liquids. It is not something that you can get over quickly. There are fevers and body aches, horrible headache, rash, extreme fatigue…it also messes with your mind. Months after it can cause depression etc. I am asking you to pray that I break these odds and get over it quickly without any of the awful effects. I am quite tired of writing to you about health problems so hopefully this is the last thing we have to deal with for quite some time.

I have been thinking lately how it could appear that there are many things here in Indonesia that are “scary”. Diseases, volcanoes erupting, tsunamis, earthquakes, amoebas, etc. It could seem like life in the States would be so much safer. Yet, think about this: what if all the things that scare us or cause us worry were Cale’s preschool class. Imagine, Cale’s class in one corner and in the other corner the Marines, the Army, and the Navy. What if Cale went up to the head of the Marines and said, “My class is going to come and beat you up.” Would they be scared? Would they be nervous about the five people in the preschool class coming over to beat them up? Of course not. It is almost comical to think about that, isn’t it? There is no battle there. Why? Because the soldiers are so much stronger, bigger, and more prepared to take on a battle, a lot more so than five four year olds. The same is true with any of the things that are worrying us or trying to overtake us. God is so much bigger and more prepared to handle whatever is coming our way. Whatever is causing us fear. Whatever trials we are going through right now, whether it is dengue or a shortage of money, or trouble finding a job, whatever. He is our Marines. Trust Him.

Love

Rachel