An Earful from the Ericksons

Moving

2012-02-01T11:53:00.001+09:00

Today was a big day for my Mother-in-law. We moved her out of the apartment she has been in for 13ish years and into an assisted care facility. I know it is hard to give up that freedom, and she was a trooper. This is the best thing for her, but change is always difficult.

She has a bone marrow disease and is having a harder time doing things on her own. Garth and I are working on going through all of the boxes of stuff. We found some amazing pictures, including one from 1913 of her Father’s family and a journal of her Mother’s from 1913 as well. It included some recipes that I can’t wait to try.

This weekend was fun as Garth’s brother came and stayed with us. He lives in Colorado and doesn’t get to Wisconsin very often. We played lots of ping-pong, and enjoyed hanging out. Boy, does he look like Garth, or what?

Love you

Rachel

Arms

2012-01-28T05:37:00.001+09:00

There was a song we kept singing last weekend at our MK retreat called Forever Reign. Here are some of the words that I really love:

Oh, I'm running to your arms

I'm running to your arms

The riches of your love will always be enough

Nothing compares to your embrace

Light of the world forever reign! ( the link is below)

It made me think of when we came home after being gone all weekend. Cale was so excited to see me, that he ran into my arms. Now, he didn’t run to me hoping that I would scold him, or smack him. He ran there looking for comfort, and a great, big hug. He knew it was a safe, familiar, wonderful place to be.

When was the last time we ran to God’s arms? Why don’t we run there more often? It is a comforting, amazing place to rest. He is waiting to embrace us and hold us close. Just like I was bursting because I couldn’t wait to hug my kids. He feels like that with us. Why? Because we are special to Him.

Isaiah 40:11
He tends His flock like a shepherd: He gathers the lambs in His arms and carries them close to His heart…

Rachel

A link to watch the video of this song is below. Copy and paste:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m84URv4Sgxc&feature=related

MK Retreat

2012-01-24T12:19:00.001+09:00

On Friday, we loaded up the van with stuff and one of the MK kids in our area and headed out to Camp Forest Springs for a weekend of fun and worship. There were about 40 other MK's that came and we had a fantastic time tubing, skiing, snowboarding, singing and hanging out together. We all met as strangers on Friday and left as friends on Sunday. To be around people that have gone through what you went through, who love and accept you just as you are, and who want to hear your stories was truly refreshing for all of us. The kids said the weekend went way too fast, but that it was well worth the drive. This is an annual event. If you feel God tugging on your heart to be a part of events like this, don't ignore it. We need people to donate or bake snacks, or to help sponsor a kid that might not be able to afford the cost. Jot me a note, call or catch me when you see me. We have a place for you if you are willing.

Love

Rachel

Mu Kappa Meetings

2012-01-23T11:03:00.001+09:00

We had a great week of meetings at our house. It was good for Garth and me to meet with the other Mu Kappa representatives and hear about how God is using them in the lives of the MK's (missionary or multi-cultural kids ) across the United States. Our role has been more defined for us through these meetings. We have a list of colleges and kids that we will be able to visit and establish relationships with throughout this next year.

The need for this ministry is huge! There is an amazing number of kids that need guidance and direction as they find their way in this new culture. It is much like a Shepherd with his sheep. We are excited to be a part of these kids lives.

Many of you have been with us this whole journey. We are forever thankful for you! There is also a group of supporters that we lost when we switched over to Barnabas. If any of you have questions regarding our ministry, or how you can help us out, please let us know. We would love to have you over, meet for coffee, or even take you with on a campus visit. We want you to catch our vision. People like you are a valuable part of our ministry. Don't give up on us. This is a direct part of God's great plan for our lives!

Love you

Rachel

It finally came!

2012-01-15T13:48:00.001+09:00

Oh, the winter wonderland outside is so beautiful!!! We are enjoying the snow but not at all used to this cold. When the kids go out and then come in it takes them so very long to warm up. It was fun this morning to see all the deer tracks in the snow, and go sledding. Emma even made a snowman.

I can stand in my kitchen and see the kids sledding down the little hill in our neighbor’s yard. Today I was straining to hear if one of the kids was crying or screaming with laughter. I closed my eyes to help me hear the sound better. Do you ever do that? Interesting, isn’t it? We do hear better with our eyes closed because it helps to block out everything else around us. I am sure that is why we are encouraged to pray with our eyes closed. It takes away all of the other distractions - closes off the rest of the world so that all we hear is the sweet conversation we are having with our Father. Prayer is not just us talking to God. It is also those moments of silence where we sit and listen for His voice. Ahh, the still, quietness of the soft, falling snow. And the sweet whispers of my loving Heavenly Father. What a great way to start the day!

A Little Comedy for You

2012-01-11T12:46:00.001+09:00

Okay. So sometimes my judgment is a little off. Case in point: We decided that today was the day we would take down our Christmas tree. It was dropping quite a bit of its needles and wasn’t soaking up water anymore. In our home, we need to take down the tree while the kids are gone otherwise there is much pleading to “Please leave it up a little bit longer…Like till Easter.” Even when we lived in Indo and all we had was a small plastic tree that stunk of moth balls and had to be held together with duct tape. Even then they were sad to see it come down.

Well, I babysat all morning, so we started the task of the tree after lunch. However, not even half-way through Garth was called away to help a friend. The lights were partly on the tree, and partly all over the floor, along with piles of ornaments on the couches. So I had two options: wait until Garth came back home and the kids were home, or finish it myself. I knew that I could do all of the decoration part, but I wasn’t too sure if I could pull it out of the stand and carry it outside. To give you a visual, our tree stood about 7 or 8 feet tall. I didn’t think it would be that hard, because I was misjudging how heavy the tree was until I was underneath of it trying to unscrew the screws that were holding it in place. That was when I realized that this wasn’t a good idea. I thought about calling my Mom to come over, but I couldn’t let go of the tree or it would fall over and all the sappy water would spill all over the floor.

After much finagling, and strange body contortions, I got that tree out of the stand. Then came the task of getting it outside. I completely misjudged its girth, and height on my way through the living room to the outside door. I had needles and broken branches everywhere, I knocked over a lamp and a chair, got two splinters in my fingers, had sap all over the top of my barefoot which attracted and attached needles to my foot, had a gazillion needles and sap in my hair along with a piece of bark stuck under my ring. I thought about taking a picture to show you because the house looked like those pictures on the news after a hurricane went through a city, but then there would be evidence to use toward my insanity.

Good news though, I got that thing out, got the house put back in order and had three minutes to spare before the kids came home!!!! Yahoo!!

Is there a moral to this story: Ummmmm, don’t take the T out of team…we all need each other…many hands make light the work…think before you act…any more?

And another thing I learned-shampoo doesn’t get sap out of hair the first time. Wash and wash again.

Love you

Rachel

Heartbeat

2012-01-11T12:45:00.001+09:00

Garth and Wyatt are back from a weekend Youth conference in Green Bay. There were almost 4,000 kids gathered together to praise God, listen to speakers, sing and hang out with other kids their age. It sounds like it was a great time for most. Some got struck with the stomach flu so for them it may not have been quite as fun!

The theme was “Can you hear His heartbeat?” That goes along with what Pastor Chuck talked about on Sunday. If we are walking around loaded up and consumed with all of our “stuff” then we have no room for God. If our hands are full of “things” then we can’t take His hand when He is reaching out to us. When we are busy all the time, we can’t hear His voice.

I have been watching a little two month old the last few weeks. When I first started she didn’t know me at all. But now, she has started to recognize my voice. When she is crying, there are times I can talk to her and she will be calmed down by my voice. But there are other times when she is crying so hard that she can’t hear my voice. It is that way with God. He is always talking to us. But there are many, many days that we don’t stop to listen. Especially when we are having a rough day and things aren’t going right. But that is when we need to listen harder. A heartbeat is what keeps us alive. His heartbeat inside of us affects our whole being, what our hands do, what our head thinks, where our legs go…Do you feel it? Someone told me once, “You should be so close to God that you can feel His breath on your cheek and hear His whisper in your ear.”

Pastor Chuck said that we should make the most of 2012. I think the first step of that is getting closer to God. Getting rid of the things that are holding us back, putting down the things that are capturing our attention away from Him, making moments of quiet stillness, and feeling the pulse of His heart.

Love you

Rachel

The Quiet Voice

2012-01-10T00:27:00.001+09:00

I learned a valuable lesson the other day. We were at church for a service and Cale won a lollipop. He happily showed it to me, opened it and went to eat it. I told him that he had to wait and have it after dinner. He did not like hearing that and proceeded to throw a fit. I took him aside and told him that if he choose to keep throwing that fit, I would take the lollipop away but if he stopped he could have it after dinner. He choose to keep throwing the fit. So I took away the lollipop, and put it in my purse. That made him act even worse.

I calmly took him home and talked to him about how his behavior was wrong and how when he is upset, he should ask Jesus to help him calm down instead of letting his anger get him into trouble. Well, there was a lot more that I wanted to say. He had said some hurtful things and I wanted to make him apologize. I knew that if I told him to say he was sorry he would. But instead I decided to pray that God would talk to his heart.

About 2 hours later while we were watching a Christmas movie, he came over and laid by me. He said he was so sorry for how he was acting and for what he said. Then he asked me if he could take the lollipop and throw it away. I was so moved by how God answered my prayer. It is easy for me to “play” the Holy Spirit in situations like these-where I think it is my “job” to convict their young hearts. But because I kept my mouth shut, God spoke to his heart in a way I never could. It was a fantastic lesson on how to listen to that quiet voice inside of you.

Rachel

Selamat Tahun Baru

2012-01-10T00:26:00.001+09:00

Do you remember back in September when I told you about a pilot friend of ours, Paul, back in Papua that was in a plane crash and died? Well, last night there was a memorial service for him in Illinois. We went and were able to see some of our friends from Papua. That part was wonderful!

But grieving with the family over the death of one of the world’s most selfless, and joyful people was very difficult. Paul’s daughter, Joy, gave a tribute along with his wife LaVonne. But the most heart wrenching was when his 17 year old son, Mark got up and spoke. He is an amazing kid who is really hurting at the loss of his best friend, his Dad. We were all crying with him. Later we were able to hang out together at a pizza joint. Cale went up to Mark and put his arm around him, and said, “Hey, when you were crying, I was crying. I am sorry about your Dad.” It was a beautiful moment.

We brought one of the MK kids back to our house for the night. It was so fun to have him here and hang out with him for that time. It was really good for the kids to see that Missionary Kids here need us, and that we can help them out. Yesterday when we were leaving the service one of the girls said, “Just seeing you guys was so refreshing to my soul. Thanks so much for coming.” We felt the same way. It is a tight community, like a family and you miss that when it is gone. So being a part of it again, even for a short time, is good for the soul.

Love you all-

Happy New Year! Selamat Tahun Baru!

Rachel

Our Holiday

2012-01-10T00:22:00.001+09:00

Christmas in America. Our first as a family since 2006. We have been finding many ways to enjoy the Holidays. Wyatt was in a Christmas concert for school playing the bass clarinet. Cale was in the program in church playing bells and speaking. Emma was one of the dancing angels. The girls had a bunch of girlfriends over to make pizzas and cookies. That was really fun watching their creativity. We went to the mall, drove through the largest Christmas display in Pewaukee, studied the nativity story, made lots of yummies together, and played numerous games.

Many of you have blessed us as well. We had a wonderful family from church buy the kids warm clothes, and sweatshirts. Another family gave us some money to do something fun as a family. Many of you sent us encouraging cards and pictures. Thank you for thinking of us this season.

We had a great time looking for ways as a family to serve. I wanted to make sure that our focus wasn’t on ourselves. The kids each had a chance to give of their money to someone less fortunate as well as their time, from ringing the Salvation Army bell to donating to homeless shelters.

Reflecting back on this Holiday, I asked the kids what they thought of an American Christmas.

This was some of their answers:

“The lights were so pretty.”

“Too much presents.”

“It was too different. I wanted more focus on family.”

“People didn’t even care it was Jesus’ birthday.”

“It was fun.”

“I can’t believe there was no snow.”

Hope you are enjoying your holiday.

Love

Rachel

Mary

2011-12-18T01:05:00.001+09:00

Those crazy, screaming kids you hear outside laughing and thoroughly enjoying the snow, are probably mine! Emma prayed and prayed last night for snow, and this morning was blown over at God’s answer! So after they snarfed down their breakfast they bundled up and ran outside. Emma says to me, “Mom, do the snow pants go on over your clothes or what?” Wouldn’t do much good under your clothes, now would it? They are having so much fun!

We are getting ready to have a Christmas here today with about 29 or 30 coming over. We love being able to host and there are some coming that we haven’t seen yet since we came back. So we are excited.

I just wanted to share about something I was reading about the other day. I was reading in Luke 1 verses 29-38 where the angel came to Mary to tell her that she would be pregnant with the Son of God. Now, that would be amazing! One minute you are scrubbing floors and the next there is an angel standing in your kitchen. Mary wants to know how this can be? The angel talks about how the Holy Spirit will come upon her, and how nothing is impossible with God. I would imagine that news like that would take some time to sink in. But just like that the Bible says Mary replied, “I am the Lord’s servant. May it be to me as you have said.” And then the angel left her.

That would be a quiet moment. Sitting there pondering what had just happened all alone. Thinking things like: Who is going to believe what kind of a morning I had? How is the Holy Spirit going to come upon me? When? Will I feel different? Oh, my! What is Joseph going to think? Me? Carry the Son of God?

Who do you think she told first? If it was her Mother, I could imagine the Mother feeling her forehead to make sure she was well. Or Joseph secretly thinking in the back of his head that maybe Mary was lying. Or her Father thinking that he needed to protect her from getting stoned or ridiculed by others once she starts to show that she is pregnant. Mary was an amazing girl to have such a heart for God. It was not an easy task that she took. But look how God blessed her. I want to be a woman with a heart like Mary.

You have to take a look at this clip:

http://youtu.be/kWq60oyrHVQ

Going to the Mall

2011-12-13T11:56:00.001+09:00

Saturday we took the kids to see a family in Milwaukee that has a ministry to missionaries. They help with debriefing, and transition. Garth and I have met with them twice, and thought it would be wonderful for the kids to talk with them as well. It turned out to be quite helpful. The kids loved having someone to tell their stories to. Everything they are going through is a normal part of transition, and culture shock. I am glad that we went.

After that we decided to all go to Southridge Mall to see the Christmas decorations and do some shopping. It was Christmas of 2006 the last time we went to a mall at Christmas as a family. It was a bit crazy, and crowded, but we still had a good time. We got our picture taken with Santana Dotson, and Leroy Butler of the Green Bay Packers, took the kids to the Disney store, Cale rode in the train, and we found a funny, glow in the dark mini-golf place.

Sunday we went to my parents for a nice meal and them decorated our own gingerbread houses. They were very unique and creative. It was a lot of fun!

I put some pictures below.

Hope you are enjoying the season!

Love

Rachel

A Not-So-Normal Night

2011-12-13T11:55:00.002+09:00

One of the traditions we had as a family before we went to Indonesia was to take a trip to Chicago each year at Christmas time. Well, yesterday the kids had a half-day of school, and since Cale was feeling so much better we decided to start the tradition back up.
We love to see the store front windows of Marshall Field’s (now Macy’s), walk around Millennium Park, go to Christkindlmarket and look at all the booths, get a hot pretzels etc. Well, it was busy like always. Lots of people walking quickly with arms full of bags, people bumping into us, and we were bumping into them. But then we came around a corner, and there was a Nativity set up with the Hallelujah chorus playing. And people were stopping to stare. It was beautiful! It is amazing how the sight of Jesus can make you stop in awe. The sign by the Nativity said “Keeping Christ in Christmas.”
That is what we need to do. Find the time to stop, and be in awe of what really happened that night so long ago. That is what Christmas is truly about. Not the hustle and bustle, the perfect tree, and the pile of presents. But a quiet birth, a son that came while so many were asleep. A normal night turned extraordinary!
Merry Christmas!
Rachel

Just a glass a day

2011-12-05T11:48:00.001+09:00

So the other day I was talking to a German chemist. He was telling me about the best anti-malaria, anti-dengue, anti-mosquito bite medicine known to man…Jack Daniels. He said that if I would have drank a glass or two of that diluted every day I would never had gotten a mosquito bite the entire time in Indonesia. Funny, huh? That was one thing I never tried! Boy, missions in our area would have been quite different if all the missionaries had taken that advice.

Our systems here in America are trying hard not to get every cough, cold and virus that is going around, but so far we haven’t been that successful. Wyatt stayed home from school on Friday, and now Cale is sick with a fever. It is up to 104-not sure why. All these new germs that we haven’t seen for four years. You don’t see that many colds in Indo, or chicken pox for that matter.

I read an interesting quote today. It is written from the stand point of a child. This is what it said: “I wouldn't mind being grownup if I didn't have to get up & be grumpy right away every morning.” It is funny, but for many, it is exactly true. What about me? How do I come across to my kids. How do I come across to their teachers? And the other people that I bump into when I am tired, or feeling grumpy? I feel like I am always in the process of finding new things that I need to work on. But it is a good practice, because I don’t want to be the kind of person that sits in the audience listening to the preacher thinking that the message is for those around me and not for me.

Your humor for the day: I have to share this picture of Garth that we came across. Guess which one is him?

Love you

Rachel

Holiday Week

2011-11-29T12:08:00.001+09:00

Hope your Holiday week was wonderful. Ours was.

We had our niece Rachel stay with us for awhile. She is going to school in Madison. We also had Cale’s 6^th birthday party, Thanksgiving at our house, ringing the Salvation Army bell, chopping down our Christmas tree, and celebrating Garth’s birthday. (I won’t tell you how old he is.)

It was great fun for us to have Thanksgiving with family. We had sweet potatoes that weren’t purple. And real American turkey. Garth cooked the bird and it was super yummy! There was my Mom’s famous pear jell-o and my sister’s famous raspberry jell-o, (We didn’t have Jell-o in Indo. There was this stuff called agar-agar and it was made from seaweed…not the same.) And real cranberries! I love cranberries! But even better than the food, was the family time. It is always precious!

Speaking of Indo - Please continue to pray for Sentani. Due to some problems that were going on, the dorm we left has now been shut down, and the kids have been shuttled off to people’s homes. The dorm parents are going back to the States, and all of the Indonesian helpers are without work. There is unrest, and unknowns regarding what will happen in the future. They are in desperate need for some good, committed people to minister there as dorm parents. Please pray for that need. And for us, as it is so sad to see all of this happening to people we care so deeply for.

Here are some pictures of our week:

Bananas

2011-11-24T11:54:00.001+09:00

Imagine being the first person to discover bananas. You pull the fruit down from a tree and take a bite of the peel. Such a bitter, awful flavor. What if you didn’t know that there was something wonderful underneath that skin, and you threw that banana onto the ground? You would be missing out on such a sweet, delicious taste.

I think we do that sometimes with people. We see the outside and decide what the inside must be like. Or we give someone one chance, and it doesn’t have great results, so we “throw them away”. We don’t realize that there is something beautiful underneath, if we just take the time to find it.

The Kite

2011-11-14T12:46:00.001+09:00

So the crazy Erickson kids woke up on Saturday and asked if they could go out and wash the cars. It was a beautiful day and they had a blast doing that. Later we went to the park to fly Cale’s kite and have a picnic. It was starting to get cold out at that point so we were pretty much a table full of icicles eating sandwiches. Haha. (By the way, did you see the wonderful rainbow in the sky? Don’t know if I have ever seen one quite like that.)

When we first got to the park we had a hard time getting the kite up. I couldn’t figure out what Cale and I were doing wrong. The kite just would not fly right. It kept twisting around and around and falling to the ground. For awhile Cale had fun pretending it was his puppy by letting it drag behind him as he ran around. But I knew that he would have so much more fun with the kite if we could get it up in the air. So I took a look at it, and realized that it was hooked up wrong. I moved the hook to the other side and told him to try one more time. It went up right away. He was amazed. Then the fun began. He flew that kite for the longest time laughing with glee and amusement. It made me think about how God created each of us for a purpose. Sure we can go through life, doing what we want, trying to make ourselves happy, living for the world. We will be like a kite being pulled behind a 5 year old. Or we can use our gifts and talents, seek God’s will in our lives, do things for His glory, and be like a kite soaring through the sky-living out the purpose for our creation.

Unlikely for Cale, our story has a “sad” ending. The wind blew the kite in a tree and it could not be recovered. If you happen to drive by the Field House you just may see it in one of the trees. It will most likely be there until spring. Bummer!

Love

Rachel

SNOW!

2011-11-11T12:04:00.001+09:00

My kids are crazy! They were so excited to see the snow. They were out playing in it this morning before school. Yes, they were absolutely freezing but loving every minute of it. At one point the snow stopped and Emma raised up her hands in prayer to God for it to start up again. If any of you are praying against the snow, I just want you to know that you will probably not win. If the number of prayers have anything to do with the outcome, Emma, Sophie and Cale are offering up non-stop prayers for more snow. It has been four years since most of them have seen snow. Cale and I saw 3 weeks of it in 2009, but the rest of them haven’t.

Sophie was five when we went to Indo. She said today that the snowflakes are not as she thought they would be. She thought they would be bigger and like you see in the books. When she woke up and saw the snow, she exclaimed, “Mom, it is like a miracle!” Cale said, “Snow is like floating water.” Emma said, “I am loving snow already.” Not exactly sure what Wyatt thinks. He is greatly missing Indo, so the snow is an intrusion, and the cold is annoying.

I love it! Love, love, love it! I can’t wait to wake up and see everything covered in white! I agree with Sophie. It is a miracle!

Love you

Rachel

Yahoo!

2011-11-08T12:25:00.001+09:00

I had a really cool God experience today, and I couldn’t wait to tell you about it. On Saturday I misplaced my wallet. I wasn’t sure exactly where or when I had lost it so we have been retracing my steps: the library, the Laundromat…all around the house. Well, we couldn’t find it. As a family we just kept praying about it and looking.

Today, Monday, Garth said he was going to call and cancel my credit card, and we talked about how I would need to get a new license. But I asked him to wait another day, and he agreed. Tonight, I was reading a magazine on the couch when the doorbell rang. It was a police officer. He said that a lady at the gas station found my wallet and saw inside that it had my name, Rachel Erickson, in it. The police officer “happened” to be at the gas station as well and she asked him if he knew me since his name was also Erickson. He said he didn’t know me but would use the address on my card to find me and return the wallet!

How cool is that? Coincidence? No way!! That whole incident was God-driven. I am so very thankful! What a fantastic picture of how God cares about the little things as well as the big. I told the police officer that he was an answer to my prayers.

Yahoo! God is good!!

Love you

Rachel

Whoever

2011-11-08T02:26:00.001+09:00

I was thinking about the verse John 3:16 yesterday. What if it didn’t say “God so loved the world?” What if He only loved Africa? Or just Utah? And what if it didn’t say “Whoever believes in Him?” What if instead of “whoever” it had a list? Those who have no track record of breaking any laws, were respectful to their parents, went to college, no owed debts, and on and on. My goodness! The line of people that could get into Heaven would be quite small. I am so thankful for the “whoever” being in there!

That made me think of something else. If I really believe that salvation is available to “whoever”, then that means the lady at the checkout of Piggly-Wiggly that is having a bad day. It means the teacher at school that is sick and could use some soup, or the kid that calls my son “gay” because he is a Christian.

The “whoevers” are all around me. What am I doing about it?

Rachel

The Girls

2011-10-31T11:46:00.001+09:00

Today was a rough day for some in our family. Garth left at 1 to drive to Wausau for a visitation service. He will be home late tonight. The girls came home from school, each with their own “sadness”. From reading Culture Shock books and talking to people that have gone through what we are going through I recognize it as part of their adjustment period. It comes in waves of ups and downs. The raw emotions of transition don’t hit you all at once. It comes upon you at different times. I thought it was interesting that they both picked today. I was with each of them separately, one took the bus, one rode with me. They didn’t influence each other’s mood. However, they were both really missing Indo and their friends today. I know they don’t try to but they compare this world we are coming to know with the world full of all the familiar, and they miss it.

Pray for me to have wisdom in knowing how to help them.

Thanks.

Love you

Rachel

Our Miracle!

2011-10-20T09:30:00.001+09:00

This is our miracle!! Last week we couldn’t fit all the kids that wanted to go to church and this week we can. Last week we couldn’t drive anywhere all together as a family and now we can!!

Some friends of ours bought us a van!!! Can you believe it? Our friend Robb bid on it at the Inspiration Ministries auction and got this 1999 Plymouth Voyager for us. What a blessing! We are thrilled! God is so good, isn’t He? We can’t even believe it sometimes how He cares for us in such a sweet, tender way.

On a completely different note, check out the size of the grape we got this week! The big kids went online to see if it could go in the Guinness World record book. Cale just wanted to eat it. Sophie wanted to bring it to school and show it off. It’s huge isn’t it?

Well, I couldn’t wait to share with you about the van. We are so excited about it!

Thanks for praying.

Rachel

The Presentation

2011-10-20T09:29:00.001+09:00

We had a great time today doing a presentation for both sixth grades at the Bay school. We had an hour and a half and taught the kids how to count, looked at what the culture was like, and the money along with many of the fun things we were able to do and the cool wildlife we were able to see.

When we got home one of the teachers called and asked if we could come back sometime and speak about the food and the different games the kids learned while they were there. Sophie came home from school saying that her teacher wants us to do the same presentation for the fourth graders.

What great opportunities to talk about missionaries and open the kid’s eyes to a world beyond what they know.

We will also be doing a program for the first through fourth graders at church this weekend. It will be exciting to see how God uses what we are sharing to impact the lives of those hearing it.

Tonight for Awana and Youth Group we had some kids in our driveway asking if they could go with us. However, we only have a vehicle that fits 5 right now. Emma and I stayed home because she was sick, so one of the girls was able to go, but the other two couldn’t fit, and their Mom couldn’t take them. Keep praying that we find a vehicle that will fit all six of us or more so we can pile the neighbor kids in on Wednesdays. We don’t have money to spend on it, so we are praying for a miracle. God is good at miracles isn’t He?

Pray for Wyatt as well. He is really missing Indo. I found these two signs that he made the other day.

Love you

Rachel

Weekend News

2011-10-20T09:27:00.001+09:00

Friday

We had the Homecoming parade for the Bay today. Wyatt is in Band so he marched holding the Band sign.

Saturday

I was such a proud Momma today. Wyatt is on a club team for soccer and they had a game today. I don’t know exactly what happened, but one of the players on the other team went down and didn’t get up right away. While the players all stood around looking at him, Wyatt went up and offered the kid his hand and helped him up. I told him later that I saw Jesus today in him when he did that.

I have a new theme verse for myself. It is in John chapter 4 verse 39. This Bible section is talking about the woman at the well that has had five husbands. Jesus starts talking to her about her life, she gets all excited and runs to tell the town about this man she met. The townspeople come to see Jesus and the verse says, “Many of the Samaritans from that town believed in Him because of the woman’s testimony…” I want that to be me. I want people to see Jesus, I want people to believe, I want lives to be changed because I am reflecting Christ.

Sunday

The Missions conference is over. Garth and I had quite a bit to do for that, along with two soccer games of Wyatt’s. We had a great time sharing with the kids about Indonesia, and talking to everyone that stopped by our booth.

I had a lady stop me the other day and say that her daughter was in our presentation at the Bay school. She said her daughter came home and spoke for 45 minutes about what we had shared! Cool Beans!

Here is a picture of us freezing at one of Wyatt’s games. Cale was warm because he was rolling down the hill. (That’s what I should have done.) Haha.

Love you

Rachel

Haha

2011-10-10T11:23:00.001+09:00

A quote today from 5 year old Cale-“Mom, I like dressing like a man but I don’t want to smell like one.”

Haha.

He is my constant source of humor. I am so thankful that I can get him early from Kindergarten every day and have that extra time to hang out.

I had two reminders this week that I need to work with Emma on Spelling. First one: We were playing Wiz Kidz and Emma had something that you’d find in the garage that starts with a Y. She said unicycle. Later she had something from a circus that starts with an E. She said unicycle.

Earlier, she was sitting with Sophie and Cale. Cale was being all cute and funny. Emma spells to Soph, “When C-A-L-E is older the G-I-R-L-S are really going to L-I-C-K him.” Sophie’s like “What???? I don’t think that is what you meant to spell.”

Well, they are transitioning pretty well in school. They have been inviting kids to Awana, Youth Group and Sunday School. They pray for their friends and teachers all the time. Our family goal is to see a big difference in their classes, their friends, and their school by the end of this school year. One of the teachers has started coming to church. Another teacher called us about coming to the classroom and talking about our time in Indonesia. So, we are excited. Keep praying.

I will leave you with one last quote from Cale. The other day we were out and I said to him, “Buddy, I want you to surprise us today with how good you can be.” He said, “Mom, I can’t do that.” I said, “Why not?” He said, “Because I am saving my best attitude for Christmas so maybe Santa will bring me a present.”

Love you

Rachel

Worship

2011-10-10T11:17:00.001+09:00

Hey, did you worship today? Morning? Noon? Night? I am not talking about going to a church and kneeling down to pray before God. That is not the only way we worship. I have been reading about that this week. Here are some of the things I have learned so far: We all worship something. Every day. Worship is our response to what we value most. Whatever is worth most to you, that is what you worship. It declares what we value most. So it affects our actions, and all we do.

How do you know what you worship? Take note of how you spend your time, your energy, your money…what does it lead to? That is what you and I worship. Worship is not just a Sunday thing. It is an all-the-time thing. We all worship something all the time and we are really good at it. Every culture, every age has its

gods. Why? Why do we crave worship? Well, we were designed that way. We were made for God. There is a yearning deep in our soul that longs for our Maker. “Stamped in God’s image, we know that there’s something we attach to, something we fit with, someone we belong to, somewhere to call home.” We were created by God and for God. We are precious to Him.

There is a bunch more nuggets of wonderfulness that I want to share with you-but I will save it for next time.

Love you

Rachel

Pointing

2011-10-05T11:19:00.002+09:00

I was thinking the other day about when Emma was a little girl. Whenever we would point to something we wanted her to see she would ALWAYS look at our finger, instead of beyond to what we were pointing at. Every time. Then she would get so upset if the item was passed and she missed it. No matter what we tried she would still look at our finger. I know that I do that with God. I am so caught up in what is right in front of me that I miss what God has beyond this moment. I focus on my troubles, or problems, and don’t look past them to see that God has a great plan and it involves more than just me and my woes.

Well, how funny that life here has been reminding me a lot of Indonesia. The internet has been going on and off. We didn’t have a phone for awhile (now we do, with a new number), and then the power went off for about 2 hours on Sunday. If there is ever real doubt as to where I am, all I have to do is go outside and I am quickly reminded that we are NOT in Indonesia. Haha.

Today is a very special day. It is my Mommy’s birthday. She is such an amazing, wonderful woman and I am so very lucky to have her. Sophie wanted to know who was older, Grammo or Daddy. Haha. If you ask Grammo her age she will say that she is “plenty nine”. Cale was trying to count to see where “plenty nine” was and couldn’t find it. Happy Day to you Mom. Hope it is great!!

Love

Rachel

The Birthday Girl!!!!!

Our Friend Paul

2011-10-05T11:18:00.001+09:00

We have been talking a lot about Indonesia lately in our home, and feeling very far away. Our friend Paul died this week in a plane crash in Papua. He was such a remarkable man and his joy rubbed off on everyone around him. One of his common sayings was: “If you are breathing, you should be laughing.” And I can tell you honestly that he was always laughing. He was an incredible pilot, father, husband, and loved serving the Lord. He died doing the things he loved the most. Flying people in and out of villages for the glory of God.

When Garth was sharing this in our Sunday School class, a man yelled out “No!” Garth found out that this man, Mike, knew Paul. Paul took him out to breakfast when he was a teenager and impacted his life in such a dynamic way that he was forever changed, and dedicated his life to becoming a pilot. We have been reading account after account of people whose lives were changed because of Paul.

Our kids are having a hard time processing their grief when we are so far away. Emma said, “It doesn’t seem fair that we are here instead of there.” Perry came over and prayed with us and allowed the kids to talk through how they are feeling. That was such a big help.

We don’t know the reason for Paul’s death, but we do know that God is in control. We see one piece of the puzzle and God sees the completed picture. Paul’s funeral was a testimony of all he believed, of all he lived his life for. The turnout was unbelievable. There were so many Indonesians there, and they clearly heard the Gospel. Even the mother of one of the other men that died in the same plane crash as Paul was there. (Her picture is below). Life is hard. But life without God is harder. He is the Hope that we can cling to when we don’t understand.

Psalm 39:7
And so, Lord, where do I put my hope? My only hope is in you.

Psalm 42:5
Why am I discouraged? Why is my heart so sad? I will put my hope in God! I will praise him again— my Savior and my God!

Psalm 65:5
You faithfully answer our prayers with awesome deeds, O God our savior. You are the hope of everyone on earth, even those who sail on distant seas. (Or fly airplanes in far away lands!)

Love you

Rachel

Moving Day

2011-10-05T11:17:00.001+09:00

Moving Day!!! Moving Day!!!

As most of you know, my parents stayed in our home while we were in Indonesia and rented out their home. They had originally agreed to do it for one year and then it turned into four. Their generosity has allowed us to keep this home that we love so much. We were only in it for two years before we left so they have lived here longer than we have. All of our stuff has been packed up in boxes in the basement this whole time. So, Saturday my parents moved most of their things over to their home and we started moving our boxes upstairs. Yesterday and today have been like Christmas for us. There are so many things in those boxes that we didn’t even remember (like Lincoln Logs). We are having so much fun! I used to lay in bed in Indo and dream of this day. This is the first time we have a home to ourselves in four years. It will feel so quiet, and strange.

We will be able to go to breakfast in our jammies!! We will only have six around the table. We will be on our own schedule. The kids are excited and bummed at the same time. It was wonderful to have the dorm kids around, and we LOVED having my parents and their dog. So it will feel very different. I know I keep saying this, but our life here is completely opposite of our life there.

I was thinking about that today at the grocery store. I keep wanting to separate our food items from our household items on the conveyor belt. In Indo we had to turn in receipts for those things separate. It feels wrong to put that stuff up together. But, I am definitely adjusting better. I went to Wal-Mart for the first time by myself today and I didn’t feel overwhelmed. Yeah! Progress!

Here are some pics:

Love you

Rachel

Our Support

2011-10-05T11:16:00.001+09:00

Hey guys! I wanted to let you know of the details involved with our transfer over to Barnabas. We got the official “You’re done! Great job!” from MAF. And the official “Welcome aboard! Glad to have you!” from Barnabas. This is all good. MAF said that they would love to have us back if it ever worked out that way. It is a fantastic organization and we were so pleased to be a part of it.

Now, as far as support…Garth and I sent out a newsletter today that should come to most of you. If you do not receive our regular letters and would like to, please let me know. We would be happy to include you. Our support can now be sent right to Barnabas at:

Barnabas International

P.O. Box 11211

Rockford, IL. 61126

Please mark all donations with the name Erickson

MAF will continue to forward stuff our way until October. But it would be easier for all if all support could be sent to Barnabas from now on.

I wish I could reach out and hug or shake hands with each of you to let you know how special you are to us. Our ministry is what it is because you are letting God use you. From the bottom of our hearts we want to say “Thank you!”.

The exact numbers of what will be needed for support are not all figured yet. We will be meeting with Perry on a regular basis to iron out the details and will let you know. The amount will be greater than what it cost to live in Indonesia for sure.

If you have questions about our new ministry please let us know. In a few weeks we will be doing a presentation at the Williams Bay Elementary school sixth grade about our time in Indo. We will also be doing something for the Cornerstone ABF, and for the Calvary Missions Conference.

Thanks again for helping make this possible!

Love

Rachel

Sad News

2011-10-05T11:15:00.003+09:00

Such sad news came our way today. A friend of ours that was a pilot in Indonesia died this morning in a plane crash. He was a wonderful man, full of laughter. Such a fantastic example to everyone around him. He flew into many of the remote villages around Papua and touched more lives than we could ever know. Our kids have been reminiscing about all the happy memories we have of him and his family. He left behind his wife, son and daughter. Please pray for the family and for the whole community of Papua, and please pray for the families of the two Papuans that also died in that plane crash.

Thanks.

Rachel=

http://www.facebook.com/JAARSinc/posts/10150331972392720

Stink

2011-10-05T11:15:00.001+09:00

On Friday Mom and I were a part of a Chili Cook-Off at the Bay High School. The whole day leading up to that moment was crazy busy so we were in quite a rush. I went to pick the girls up from school only to find out that Wyatt had missed the bus. I went to his school to find him and couldn’t, so that was a time eater. Finally home and rushing about to get everything we need for the cook-off when Sophie says she is hungry. I said she needed to make a snack. She picks Easy Mac. You put water in the container and then put in the micro for 3 minutes. Well, she forgot the water. So the container and noodles were black, smoke is just pouring out of the micro. We stop everything to frantically open all the windows and try to fan the smoke away from all the smoke alarms…Oh, did it smell!! Hours later when we came home it still smelled! It was horrible. The microwave, four days later still contains that foul stench. We had left the charred remains on the counter because it looked so cool and Sophie wanted to take it to school for Show-N-Tell. Once we finally threw it away, the smell began to lessen and finally go away.

The whole ordeal reminded me of how we talk to God about some temptation or sin we may be dealing with, and talk about how we want to change. Yet we keep the things around us that are tempting us, or we keep allowing ourselves to be in a place that will just encourage the temptation. Don’t do that! Get rid of it! Stay far from it! Adam and Eve were hanging out right around the one tree they were not supposed to eat from. They should have been as far from that as possible.

In Timothy it says,”…run from all these evil things, and follow what is right and good.” It is hard to run from them if we are holding on to them, right? So, get rid of them.

Rachel

Good News Today

2011-10-05T11:14:00.001+09:00

Sunday was Wyatt’s first soccer game. What a blast sitting there as a family cheering him on. It was Mom and Dad, Garth’s Mom, and the five of us (and let me tell you – we sure can make noise!). The team has the opportunity for great growth throughout the season and we can’t wait to watch them progress.

Monday we received a phone call telling us that we had been accepted to Barnabas!! That is fantastic news. So I guess you could say that we are official Barnabites or Barnabarians. In the next few days we will work out the details of exactly what that means. I will let you know as soon as I know.

Thanks for praying.

Love you

Rachel

Sheep

2011-09-12T10:43:00.001+09:00

The girls and I broke up our normal routine to camp out in the back yard. It was a great time of bonding, playing games, watching the stars and enjoying the big, full moon. We didn’t get a lot of sleep but we built some fantastic memories.

I got the results back from the tests I had done last week. It looks like I need to keep on taking medicine for the ulcer they found. It sounds like it was a result of a bacterial infection I had in Indonesia, h.pylori. Also, for some reason or another my body is having a hard time digesting many foods so I am on a strict diet for maybe the rest of my life. I am hoping that I won’t have to permanently give up so many of the things I love, like: tomatoes, many fruits and vegetables along with all whole grain products and more. I can tell that for now it is making a difference so I am thankful that the doctor had wisdom to see what my body needed. All of my biopsies came back fine so thank you so very much for praying. It would be superb if this was the last of my GI problems!!!

I wanted to share with you something that I learned in Sunday School today. Perry was talking about sheep. One of the jobs of the shepherd is to help the cast sheep, the sheep that have fallen over onto their back. They cannot get up on their own. The shepherd has to flip them over, rub their legs to stimulate the circulation, make sure they are stable and then stay close to them to make sure they don’t fall over again. He cares so much about those sheep that as soon as he sees one on its back he quickly flips them back. He will not stand there and yell at them that this is the umpteenth time they have fallen over and this time he just will not help them. It says in the Bible that God is our Shepherd and we are His sheep. He cares so much for us that any time we have fallen He wants to help us up. Even when we keep messing up over and over and over.

It was explained on a web site like this- “When a sheep loses its center of balance, it can become cast.” Interestingly put, huh? What happens to us when we lose our center of balance? Do we become distressed, flailing about trying to figure out how WE can get ourselves out of this mess? Well, the site went on to say, that “Sheep cannot get up by themselves. They are dependent on the Shepherd to get them back up.” It should be like that, shouldn’t it? The Shepherd should be the first one we look to when we find ourselves in a tough spot.

Another thing about that is how do we respond to other “cast sheep”? Do we judge? Do we walk past? Or do we just gently, and lovingly help them back up? I have been thinking about that part a lot in relation to my kids. I tend to be upset if it is the same mistake over and over. I think in my head, “Why haven’t you learned by now?” But I know that when God looks at me cast all He sees is someone He loves desperately that is in need of some help. I need to do the same.

Love you

Rachel

School came…

2011-09-12T10:42:00.001+09:00

Wouldn’t it be great if every day was like today was outside? It was beautiful! I am happy to report that we spent most of it outside. I love that.

Even though I tried to stop it, the first day of school did come. The kids were full of trepidation, but they made it through. I think it is harder on me than them. This is the first time I have four kids in school. Cale will be in half-day Kindergarten, Sophie grade 4, Emma Grade 6, Wyatt Grade 8. It will be a much different year than we are used to, but with lots and lots of prayers I am hoping that it can be very rewarding and remarkable.

We are working on our American culture-

Cale started to take his shoes off at his locker until I told him that he needs to keep his shoes on here. The classes all do the Pledge and of course he doesn’t know it. (Have to work on that.) At the demolition derby at the fair when they played the National Anthem he looked at me as I was singing along and said, “Mom, you know this song?”

In Indonesia the kids walked home every day for lunch. We always had a big, hot meal at noon. Here, we are trying to figure out what the kids can pack for their lunch. Emma just wants to have rice and beans. We hardly ever had sandwiches for lunch in Indo. Wyatt especially doesn’t want an American lunch of peanut butter and jelly. So we are trying to be very creative.

We are all having a hard time with the colder weather. They keep asking for a fire in the fireplace. And no one wants to shower because it is freezing cold when they get out. We have got to get some long pants one of these days. Can’t wear shorts forever.

Here are some pictures:

Labor Day Party

2011-09-07T11:47:00.001+09:00

We had a fun time on Sunday celebrating little Annie Joy as she turned two! How time flies sometimes. Last year I was so sad that we were in Indo and missed her first birthday and now we are here and able to party hardy!! She is such a blessing and we are all so thankful for her!

Monday we all went to the fair and visited the animal barns again, and were able to watch many of the horse shows. That was really cool. We had to go see the brick my sister had dedicated to our parents over by the butterfly garden, and stop and see some of the demolition derby. What a wonderful day!

Hope your Labor Day weekend was wonderful as well.

Love you

Rachel

Update

2011-09-04T11:29:00.001+09:00

Here is an update on my health stuff:

I went to Lakeland on Tuesday for a colonoscopy and an endoscopy. The doctor came and talked to Garth while I was still under and Garth doesn’t remember most of what he said. So we don’t know specifics, but this was the gist (I think). They found at least one polyp or node and removed it and sent it in to the lab. There were a few other places that they biopsied and we will find out about that next week. They found an ulcer that the doctor feels was from when I had a bacterial infection in Indo called h. pylori. So I am on medication for that. Right now I am on a pretty restricted diet until the doctors know what else is wrong.

Keep praying and I will keep you posted.

Thanks.

Rachel

The Fair!!!!!!!

2011-09-04T11:28:00.001+09:00

We took the kids to see a great piece of Americana-The Walworth County Fair. They loved it! Last time we were there was 2006. Sophie was only 4 then and Cale just a little baby so they didn’t remember it. We had such a blast going through all the animal barns, they did a few rides and then we stayed for the tractor pull. I have been going there since I was a little girl so it was extra sweet to share it with them.

Happy Labor Day weekend! Hope you can relax and enjoy it!

This Week

2011-08-30T22:45:00.001+09:00

We have had a fun week with Garth’s sister and niece visiting us from Virginia. They arrived here on Tuesday missing the earthquake in the East, but weren’t sure how Irene would affect their travel plans back. Thankfully, it all worked out and we had a great time hanging out.

My sister and her husband rented a boat as a joint birthday present for all of the kids. So we were able to spend glorious, sunny Wednesday out on the water, tubing, and then picnicking at the park. It was perfect!

Tomorrow I am going to the hospital for two procedures, one of them is a colonoscopy and the other is an endoscopy. Hopefully, we will find out what has been causing my stomach problems. Please pray that the doctor will find the issues and be able to treat them. Thanks.

Love,

Rachel

What We Have Been Doing

2011-08-22T11:37:00.001+09:00

I have been trying to figure out exactly what to write to you. I knew that I could tell you all about our fun tour of the Jelly Belly factory, complete with the official hats and a sample of some of their horrendous jelly beans: Barf, skunk spray, toothpaste and soap. What made that day extra fun is that Mom and Dad and Annie came with us.

I could tell you about a beautiful day we had at the park complete with turns in the hammock, dips in the lake, a yummy picnic and two rounds of frisbaseball.

And I could tell you about the incredible night we had celebrating two people being joined as one!! It was such a beautiful expression of their lives, their faith, and their love of family!

Or I could tell you about the culture shock we are still going through, the nights the kids are missing Indo, the intense overwhelming feeling I have about all that needs to be done and how behind I feel. Dental appts., Cale still needs a shot, school supplies, shoes!!!! (That is a big one cuz the kids are so used to being barefoot), paperwork that needs to be filled out for soccer, and transferring medical records and school records, and life…ugh! I am usually the type of person that charges into all situations with my battery at full power, but this adjustment back into American culture makes me feel like my battery is always low. I know it takes time. I am well aware. I read the books. I can’t imagine how people do this without a huge support system like we have, and all this loving family around. That makes it all so much easier.

I know the best advice right now is to take one day at time. I am trying.

I really am happy to be here, so happy to be around all those I love. To be back in my house, my church, my town. I love it. Even with (as my kids would say) this “cold weather” we are all enjoying it. It just takes awhile to get our head, and heart in sync with our new world.

Love you all

Rachel

The Latest Scoop

2011-08-17T10:41:00.001+09:00

Here are some final pictures from our time in New York. This is the whole clan (almost-there was one missing), Garth, and his Dad with Cale, the beautiful Bed-N-Breakfast, and Keuka Lake.

We got home from New York on Monday and left for Rhinelander, Wisconsin to go to my Grandpa’s cabin on Wednesday. We went with my sister, and her husband and their little girl Annie. It is one of the only cabins on the lake. So serene and heavenly. It was perfect! We went hiking, boating, fishing, swimming, tubing at my Uncle’s place, had campfires and s ‘mores, slept in, played games, and enjoyed all of the wildlife that the woods can bring. I have been going to the cabin since I was small so it was loads of fun to be there with the kids. Time went by too quickly and before I knew it we were packing up to come back home.

Here are some pictures:

Another Trip?

2011-08-17T10:39:00.001+09:00

I didn’t even unpack all of our bags from New York for this trip up north. I am just going to take the same things. I am so excited to be going up north. My Grandfather built this cabin when my Mom was only 8. It is so secluded and beautiful-exactly what you would need to relax and unwind. It is such a part of my childhood and I love taking the kids to see it. Especially Cale because he doesn’t really remember it.

There is no internet connection so I will write about it when we get back.

Love you all

Rachel

New York

2011-08-10T10:55:00.001+09:00

There was such a blend of worlds at our family reunion. And quite a few different time zones as well. We had Garth's step-brother Eric, his wife and two daughters along with his son Adas and his friend Alex from Poland. Garth's step-sister and her two daughters from Seattle, his sister from Virginia with her two daughters, his step-brother from Utah, his Dad and Priscilla and the six of us. It was such an amazing time to go tubing and skiing, jump off the rope swing, go in the hot tub, swim to the raft, eat fantastic food, and laugh. Hanging out on the lawn, getting caught up on each others' lives, laughing at all the funny things the kids have done throughout the year is my favorite part. Reconnecting. Helping the roots go down deeper in our family tree.

Time is too quickly passing us by-summer will soon be over. I don't know about you but I am not sure how I feel about that. This is the time of the summer that we are usually getting ready to leave America to go back to Indonesia. All of our friends there are getting ready to begin school. It starts on the 10th. I feel so unprepared for all of this, but the weird thing is that it will come whether I am ready or not.

It has been wonderful to have so many "distractions" of fun things to do this summer. We have one more family trip planned to my Grandpa's cabin up north next week. Then the County Fair, a visit from Garth's sister and niece, and the start of school. And just like that, summer's over. Right now we are driving back from New York trying to decide if we should drive it straight and get home at 2 am or if we should stop. It is already 9:30 pm and we are pretty bushed so I think we will be stopping.

When we get home I will send you pictures of the trip. It was so beautiful.

Rachel

New York Family Reunion

2011-08-05T10:34:00.001+09:00

We are having a wonderful time connecting with family and relaxing here in New York. Garth’s Dad and Priscilla have an amazing Bed-N-Breakfast that they open up for a family reunion once a year. This year was extra special because we had family fly in from Poland with their little girls we had never met before. Also Garth’s step-brother Jason flew in and surprised us all. One of the boys here from Poland had never been to America before. It has been so much fun for the kids to teach him Indonesian words and learn some of his Polish words.

Today and yesterday were spent out on the boat in the water tubing and trying to learn how to ski. Some of the kids got it right away and others did a fantastic job trying. There is one more family arriving tonight and then we will total 21. That is a houseful!

Here are some pictures:

Getting Acclimated

2011-08-05T10:32:00.001+09:00

We have been in Wisconsin a month now. I know that I am making progress. Last week I went to Wal-Mart twice to get groceries and didn’t freak out. That is a big step. I know that a friend of mine from Papua said that when she was in America on furlough she would sit in the car and her husband would run into Wal-Mart because it was just too overwhelming for her. I know exactly how she feels.

The other day we went to the bank and Cale was going to leave his shoes at the door. In Indo you would take off your shoes before going into most stores and homes. I told him that here you have to leave them on or they might ask you to leave. Cale keeps saying things like, “When we get back to Indo…” So, I don’t think he gets it. The older kids are doing ok. Emma has still been crying herself to sleep. Wyatt has been acting out more. Sophie seems to be ok. She is happy that she met some girls at her church class. Cale is the most reluctant to try American food. They all miss having rice at most meals. It was so wonderful to have some rain here. We were all missing rain. We are used to having that sound on our roof regularly. I took Cale to my parents garden and he loved it. He said it was way better than the pasar (Indo market). Remember the pictures of us at the pasar? That seems like so long ago. Cale thinks the gumball machine is one of the best inventions in America. How funny? He always walks into Wal-Mart with his quarter.

My Mom has been trying to teach the kids their address and phone number. They never had to know it before. They are learning the Pledge of Allegiance, all about income taxes, drinking laws, the American money system, speed limits, how nice and speedy real internet can be, and how awesome it is to be around family all the time.

When we went to Wal-Mart, Garth noticed that on the little payment screen it said you could pick a language. He asked the teller if he could pick Indonesian. She chuckled slightly and said no.

It was funny; a few weeks ago I got an email from our church saying that they had received some Indonesian money in the offering. They wanted to know what they should do with it. Haha.

So, we are getting acclimated a little bit at a time. It sure isn’t as smooth and easy as I thought it would be.

Right now we are on our way to New York for a family reunion with Garth’s family. A wonderful family from church is letting us borrow their vehicle since we still haven’t found one that fits us all.

It should be a nice time reconnecting with family we haven’t seen for quite some time.

I will send you pictures.

Love

Rachel

Rest

2011-07-29T12:02:00.001+09:00

I know that people talk about how God is not a floodlight illuminating the entire path before you but that He shines a light at the foot of your path. Well, for me lately it seems like He is shining the light for just one step at a time. Someone like me wants to run ahead to see what the answer to all my questions is: How are we going to get all the support we need? If we get accepted by Barnabas it won’t be until Sept. What do we do until then? How will we manage a mortgage? Do we need to get jobs? What do we do about a vehicle? We are supposed to leave for New York for a family reunion on August first-how are we going to get there? What are we going to do about medical insurance now that we are in America? Will we really be approved for a loan for that? Who would give a loan to someone with no income? What about all the expenses of starting the kids in school? What about dentist appts? Dad just had surgery on his wrist…how can we help him with his recovery? This is what my mind was racing through last night as I was laying in bed-kind of like a car coming toward you that you can’t stop.

I kept remembering a verse I read the other night when we did a presentation for church-Ps.62:1 “My soul finds rest in God alone…” I need to keep in mind that He is my rest, not whether or not everything is going exactly the way I want it to. I don’t need a life with no trials. I need to remember that I have a God strong enough to lean on when they do come. Like the song “Leaning on the Everlasting Arms.” I think about the awkwardness of hugging someone that you don’t really know. There is space between you and it doesn’t last long. But what about the hug you give someone that you deeply love and haven’t seen for some time. You are tight, there is no space and it lasts as long as it can. That is the way I have been clinging to God these last few months. There are so many scary unanswered questions but I know that He has never left me hanging and I am never forgotten. God is good. All the time. All the time. God is good.

Please pray for me to slow my mind down and find my rest in Him.

Thanks

Rachel

Manure

2011-07-21T10:09:00.001+09:00

I was thinking about all of the cruddy things we do - impatient replies to people we love, talking bad about the person driving in front of us, judging people when we don't know the whole story, saying No when we could have said Yes, holding grudges, being mad when we don't get our way (that is me time and time again). I picture a clean me standing by a big lake full of cow manure. Each time I am selfish and throwing fits it is like a handful of manure gets dropped on me.

Day after day year after year until there is no more me showing, only this enormous mountain of stinky cow poop. It would be tough to look at that and see something beautiful, something with potential. But God saw us, He saw me, in my worst state and said, "I love you. I really, really do. You are so special to me, and I am going to make something amazing out of your life."

I have been reading in Ephesians and it talks in chapter 2 about how we were all trying to gratify the cravings of our sinful nature and following its desires and thoughts. BUT BECAUSE OF HIS GREAT LOVE FOR US He made us alive in Christ...He raised us up...seated us in the Heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order to show us the incomparable riches of His grace!! So I am no longer controlled, or covered in sin. I have been seated in the heavenlies -Now I need to act like it.

I am so thankful that He saw potential in that pile of manure, aren't you?

Love you-

Rachel

Dog

2011-07-21T06:39:00.001+09:00

Found a dog today!!! How funny. Last week we were at the park in Delavan and Emma found a nice cell phone. We took it to the police station so hopefully the rightful owner was found. Then today, Wyatt found a dog. He was outside doing some exercises for soccer and a cute little dog came walking down the street. It had a collar and a leash on so we figured it had an owner nearby. We have been praying for a dog or puppy for 12 years so the kids were pretty excited that maybe God was bringing one to us. Sophie named it and started teaching it tricks. The rest of us went knocking on some of the neighbors' door. After calling the police and the animal shelter we found the owner. Interestingly enough he asked if we wanted to keep it. Can you believe it?!? He is looking for a nice home for this little guy. I told him that Garth is not here and I could not make a decision like that without him. Sophie said, "Mom, we could surprise Daddy!" But I don't think that would be a great idea.

We have been praying for a dog like a lab that would be big and friendly with a wonderful temperament with kids. This little guy was definitely friendly but we are not sure if he is the dog for us.

At dinner tonight the kids were telling my Dad this whole story and remarking on how we found a cell phone and now a puppy. Sophie decided that she wants to find an Ipad next. Hahaha!

Wouldn't that be a hoot?

Love you

Rachel

Moments

2011-07-15T12:38:00.001+09:00

Whenever we would come home here to visit I would always have people talking to me about all the things the kids were missing out on by not growing up in the United States. At the time my answer was always looking at the cup as half full by talking about all the fantastic adventures and experiences that they were going through because they were in another country. I still agree wholeheartedly with my answer but I can also see, for maybe the first time, the glass half empty side of thinking. Life has moved on while we were gone. So much has happened that we were not a part of-kids that have grown up, people getting married, babies being born, folks that have died, lost jobs and new jobs, and the fact that we weren't here for that journey creates a distance. And now I expect to bridge that gap in a matter of days...I am realizing that it isn't going to happen that quickly. Relationships need time to get back to where they were before. It makes me sad, but I am trying to understand.

Right now we are all missing Garth. He is still in CA working with Perry and Sandi Bradford at the MK re-entry seminar. For a family that has been together all the time, almost every day, for four years it is very strange to be split up.

I have started to look at my day more as a series of moments. If there is something bad or uncomfortable that I am in the middle of, I tell myself that soon, this moment will be gone and I won't be at this place any longer - I can handle this for a little while longer. And a great moment, like today at the park when the younger kids were playing on the playground and Wyatt and I were playing soccer, I think about how soon this moment will be gone and I will never have it back. Ever. So I look around and try to imprint that image on my brain so that I can hold onto it a little bit longer. Emma was snuggling with me before bed and said, "This was such a great day." I agree. We sure didn't do anything fancy, but we hung out and played together. These are the moments they will remember. Days like this help us not feel so "homesick" for Indo. They help make the transition a little easier.

We are working on adjusting-one moment at a time.

Love you

Rachel

Biola

2011-07-11T14:30:00.001+09:00

Our day began very early-2:45 a.m. to be exact. We were ready for the airport shuttle 30 minutes later, and off to the airport. I must say that I don’t think it is fair that the Starbucks at the Milwaukee airport wasn’t open that early…I mean, Come on, people! That time of day demands caffeine! So because Starbucks was not open, and I really needed to wake up, Garth and I decided to play ping pong. Did you know that there is a ping pong table set up in the airport near concourse C? There is. Notice the time in the first picture-3:53. That is a.m. people. Haha. That was fun!

We flew to Chicago and then on to LA. Perry and Sandy picked us up, took us to Panera, and then to Biola. We have had a great time of meeting everyone and getting briefed on what to expect during this MK (missionary kid) re-entry program. So strange that I haven’t ever travelled in California before and now I have been here twice in one month.

We are excited to be here and see what God might have in store for us in the future. We are staying in the college dorms, and will eat in the cafeteria with the kids. There will be 31 MKs coming to Biola starting tomorrow. Barnabas has other programs being run right now in Seattle and Ohio.

If you see my kids in church tomorrow give them a hug for me and tell them I love ‘em.

See you soon-

Rachel

11 Days

2011-07-11T14:29:00.001+09:00

We have officially been here now for 11 days. Here are some of the things we are loving or not loving about being in America.

Loving

Being by family and friends

Being in our home again

Being back at Calvary

The variety in the stores (notice this is on both lists)

Stop signs and lights people actually stop at

White eggs that aren’t green and rotten when you crack them

Butter that is not from a can

Milk that is not from powder

The colder weather (This also is on both lists)

Carpet!!!

Emma is having fun doing laundry in real machines

Cale thinks the automatic faucets, soap dispensers and hand dryers in bathrooms are fantastic

No lizards jumping out at me when I open the cabinets

No rats in the kitchen

Jell-o, pudding, and cold cereal

Internet that works and electricity that stays on

Libraries and Parks

Cooking for a smaller crowd

Driving on the right side of the road

Cheese

TV (especially the commercials)

Not loving so much

Being away from friends (Emma cried herself to sleep again last night)

The variety in the stores

The cold weather

How dry it is, we miss the rain storms

No mountains and waterfalls we can see from our home

How far away the ocean is

How fast everything is (The pace of the people)

How expensive everything is

Wearing shoes

The kids are having a hard time getting used to American money (The Indonesian money system is in thousands)

Not being able to play racquetball

American Rice

I am sure the lists will get longer over the next few weeks. Keep praying for us.

Sixteen years ago today Garth and I got married. Tonight we will drive to Milwaukee to stay somewhere near the airport. Tomorrow at 3 am we will get up to get ready for our 5 am flight to CA. We will be staying in the dorms at Biola and hanging out with the missionary kids there for a few days. Pray that we are a blessing to them. You can find out more about it by going to www.barnabas.org and click on the MK transition seminars picture at the bottom.

I will let you know how it goes.

Rachel

Our Next Step?

2011-07-06T12:05:00.001+09:00

Here is something you could pray with us about. Garth and I have been asked to consider joining Barnabas International and work in their MK (missionary kid) program. Barnabas has an amazing ministry to kids that have lived in a third world country and are now coming to the States for college. It is a HUGE transition ( I am finding out first hand all about that). We would be instrumental in helping make that transition easier. For many of the kids their family is still overseas and they don’t always have people to turn to for help. We want to be there for them, like their extended family. It seems like this would be a perfect fit for us. We enjoy working with teenagers, we have been overseas, we are now trying to “fit” back into American culture and can use what we are going through to help others. The fact that we would be able to work out of our home in Wisconsin is an added blessing. One of the MK Re-entry programs is run out of BIOLA University in the LA area. It starts this next week. So, on Saturday Garth and I will fly there to see what it is all about. I will stay until Tuesday and Garth will stay all week. If we accept this opportunity, we would be taking over the program at BIOLA. So it is great that we will have a chance to see what it is like.

I was only gone from the States for 4 years and we were able to come back a few times to visit. Yet I am still feeling a bit like a fish out of water at times trying to adjust back to the American culture. I am normally a big planner, making lists, thinking way down the road to things that are coming up. But lately I have found that thinking ahead feels overwhelming. Thinking of getting clothes and shoes to fit everyone, eventually boots, warm coats, mittens…finding a vehicle that will fit us all, buying school supplies for the upcoming year, and backpacks, my parents moving out of the house and we are completely on our own again, getting my kids to wear shoes…UGH! if we have to go to Wal-Mart I try to do a quick in and out because the selection and all of the varieties is too much. I can’t imagine what it would be like for a teenager not used to this culture, here all by themselves, trying to figure out how to get their drivers’ license, learning American money, starting at college, buying a car, maybe finding an apartment…Anyways, we will keep you posted about all of this.

We would need to raise enough support each month to live off of, and figure out the best way for this ministry to fit with our family, so pray for real wisdom, o.k.?

Thanks!

Love you

Rachel

Happy Fourth!

2011-07-06T12:04:00.001+09:00

How awesome to be in America!!! And to celebrate the 4^th of July with fireworks, cookouts and family. We went to the Independence Day concert at Calvary and the fireworks/water ski show at Grand Geneva. Both were super!!! The concert didn’t feel the same without Grandma Gigi in the choir and my Grandpa walking with the Marines…I am so proud of them, and miss them lots. Dad did a fantastic job getting everything ready at Grand Geneva. Way to go, Dad. We had a blast! In Indo they only do fireworks for Christmas and New Years. I had Cale asking, “Mom, is it Christmas?” Then the girls go in the port-a-pots at Grand Geneva and remark how nice they are. (Just about anything is better than those squat pots in Indo.)

Today we had a barbeque at my sister’s. We grilled out and enjoyed tastes we haven’t had for awhile. Italian sausages, hamburgers with real beef, hot dogs, pickles, and ice cream cake. But the real treat of the day was Jell-o. It tasted so good. How funny is that that we were excited about Jell-o? Ha ha.

Happy Fourth!

Rachel

The Zoo

2011-07-03T12:56:00.001+09:00

We finished up June with a great trip to the zoo with my sister and her daughter, my niece. The heat on Friday did not bother us one bit. It was so much fun, the kids had a blast and we were able to see so many animals. My sister had free tickets and that made it extra wonderful.

We have had our share of snake stories from four years overseas so it was nice to see all the snakes at the zoo in cages. The kids all fed the goats, watched the giraffes get fed, saw the impalas leaping over logs, two brown bears wrestling in the water, played on the playground, and got an ice cream cone from the Dairy store. It was hilarious to hear Emma at one point tell me to quick get the camera. When I came over to see what she was pointing at it was a chipmunk scurrying under a bush. She was so excited to see a chipmunk again.

2011-07-01T11:59:00.002+09:00

I forgot to post Days 10 and 11 of our journey to the blog earlier. So I did it tonight. Feel free to go back and look.

Wisconsin!!

2011-06-29T12:15:00.001+09:00

In the wee hours of the morning we pulled into the driveway of our home-what a beautiful sight! What a wonderful feeling! Surrounded by family!! That is the best part. I am so thankful to actually be here. I have gone through this house and walked through this yard so many times in my head over the last four years, and now I am here. It feels great!

We left Idaho at 2 in the afternoon, flew to Denver, had a layover there for 3 or 4 hours and then flew to Wisconsin arriving at around 11 p.m. Got our stuff and arrived home around 1 a.m. The Denver flight was so very horrible. One of the worst I have ever flown on. It was so turbulent. Even on the runways the plane was bouncing all over the place. There was a young man in from of us that had never flown before just puking away in his barf bag. Poor guy! Cale loved the bumps-he didn’t mind it one bit. I tried to tell the man that it is not usually this bad, but I don’t know if he believed me.

Look at these pictures of the sky the day we left Idaho. Isn’t that beautiful? The next picture is of the MAF headquarters in Nampa. Packing up our bags…the PVC pipe is a handmade bow that a kid made for Wyatt. There are some pictures from our flight-One of the first things Cale does on EVERY flight, (and I do mean every) is read the emergency procedure pamphlet. He loves those things, and he watches all of the demonstrations on the dropping oxygen mask and how to do your seat belt. He quickly made friends with the kids on our flight and entertained them the whole time, much to the pleasure of the moms. There was a gorgeous sunset while we were flying, and then we landed. Reunited and it feels SO good! Isn’t family

fantastical? I am so thankful to be back with mine. Lovin’ it!

We made it!

2011-06-27T14:32:00.001+09:00

The 2011 Official Road Trip for the Erickson clan is finished! We arrived safe and sound in Idaho this evening!! It was wonderful and exciting and tiring-short and long all at the same time. NO one is complaining about it going too fast or too slow. It was perfect. What an amazingly, fantastically crazy great time together as a family. All of it. Our time in Indo and our road trip out West. All I can say is “Wow!”

Here are our final stats:

Total miles-4,526 miles

18 days

9 different states-Idaho, Oregon, Washington, California, Arizona, Nevada, Utah, Colorado and Wyoming

6 stops at Subway

1 stop at McDonald’s

123 roadkills- one made by Garth

7 hotels

6 family or friends that we stayed with

Almost $700 spent in gas

Other interesting facts:

We were in Mountain time, Pacific time, went past the 45^th parallel, the Continental Divide, saw the Rocky Mountains, the Great Salt Lake, Hoover Dam, the Grand Canyon, at our highest elevation we were 11.300 feet up, had three close calls driving, got ssshhhh’d in a hotel for having too much fun, and we got to drive through a tree.

How is that for a vacation?

It rocked!!! Thanks for coming along on our ride!! (from the van to the tub)

Here are the last batch of pictures:

Day 18-Almost Done!

2011-06-27T14:30:00.001+09:00

Last day of driving. Yeah! What a trip! It seems like so long ago that we left Indonesia. It was only June 2^nd. The kids have had a few nights of tears when they think about missing their friends. Cale doesn’t get it that we aren’t going back. He asked us the other day, “When we get back to Indonesia, can I have a spoonful of peanut butter?” Haha. Not sure where that came from but it was funny.

We can’t wait to be home, and see family!!!! Today we will be driving from Wyoming to Utah and on to Idaho. We will spend one night at the MAF apartments and then get our luggage out of the hangar there and fly out at 2:00 p.m. It is interesting that we will be flying into Denver and sitting there for a few hours. We were just there two days ago, and drove about 900 miles to get to Idaho and now we will fly back. After sitting in Denver we will fly to Milwaukee.

It is a good time for the trip to end. We are all getting tired of being cramped in a small space for so many hours. We need to get back into a routine, get unpacked and sleep in a bed more than one night at a time.

I love the big blue sky that has been following us on this trip. You know me and clouds, and there have been some beautiful full, white, puffy clouds around us. We went past a wind turbine farm that was amazing, and lots of horse farms and ranches. The girls have loved that.

Days 16 and 17

2011-06-26T12:52:00.001+09:00

Look at these brothers-do they look alike or what? This is Garth’s brother Scott. The second picture is Scott with his son Jake, and Garth and Wyatt. Then a picture of Scott’s wife Joyce and their dog Sadie. How fun to hang out with them for a few days!

We walked to a really nice park with a playground and soccer fields. The sprinklers came on while we were there so the kids were able to cool off. They went from being so hot, to so cold. So when we got back to the house some of them went into the hot tub. The kids all had such a sweet time playing with the dog, Sadie, especially Cale who told me at one point that he had tears in his eyes because it was so special to be with a dog again. Garth’s brother took all of us to see Cars 2. That was so fun-we hadn’t seen it yet, and the kids loved it.

This morning we ate breakfast, packed up and got back on the road. We have about 8 ½ hours to drive today to get to Salt Lake City. We are about ready for this trip to be at an end. It has been amazing, but we can’t wait to get home and see family and not be on the move.

Day 15-Driving

2011-06-26T12:37:00.001+09:00

Today was a very long day of driving. We woke everyone up early to get on the road. Ate breakfast in the van, and snacks to hold us over. We found a nice park to stretch at and eat some sandwiches at around 2 or 3 and then started out again. We had about 11 hours of driving that dragged out late into the night because of gas stops and bathroom breaks. We arrived at Garth’s brothers’ house in Highlands Park, CO. at 10:30 p.m. The kids did a really good job. I was crabbier than they were. I couldn’t wait to sleep.

The scenery was spectacular all along the way. We started out in Tuba City, Arizona where there were red rocks all along the road that changed into brown rock cliffs, then into green mountainsides and snow capped peaks as we made our way through Utah and Colorado. We saw a car made out of license plates and signs, a bull made out of scrap metal, a cool Collie in a convertible along with some elk, deer, and a donkey that was standing in the median in Mexican Hat. The Colorado River was beautiful to watch as we drove along, and it even had rafters in it. There were plenty of tunnels, and snow covered ski slopes to enjoy as well. But by the end of the day we were so tired of driving. As my Mom would say we had “built in bucket seats.” Thankfully we will be here for two nights and can just relax, do some laundry, and get all of the kinks out of our legs.

Day 14 Grand Canyon

2011-06-23T14:38:00.001+09:00

I wish you were all here to see this because my pictures do NOT do the Grand Canyon justice. It is breathtaking! The colors of the rock, the different rock formations, the shadows, the way the sun reflects off the canyons…spectacular! I wish we had more time here and could stay and watch the sun set, but we need to get back on the road and try to get to at least Tuba City. Do “Oooh”, and “Ahhh” sounds when you look at these pictures: (The fourth picture from the end, see if you can see the guy that was standing out on the point.)

Day 14

2011-06-23T14:35:00.001+09:00

We got a later start today than Garth would have liked. But we so desperately needed to sleep in. It felt really good. Cale and Sophie and I are the kind of people that don’t do well when we miss out on sleep. The breakfast at the hotel had a machine that makes pancakes. However, something happened with mine and it came out in an interesting shape. Haha. It tasted fine. We drove an hour to the Hoover Dam. That thing is so amazing. Garth has always been fascinated with the Dam so I am glad we could see it in person.

Right now we are on the road headed toward the Grand Canyon. It will be a long day of driving. The Grand Canyon is actually out of our way, but I really wanted us all to see it. I am so excited!!!! Five and a half hours and we will be there.

Day 13-continued

2011-06-23T14:32:00.001+09:00

I am not at all surprised that Las Vegas is called Sin City. We were driving down the strip last night amazed-the lights and allure are fascinating and sickening at the same time. There were guys on the street corners handing out flyers on how to get sexy women to you in 20 minutes. I can’t imagine being a lonely, unsaved man in that city. Interestingly we are reading through the book of Genesis with the kids and are at the part of Sodom and Gomorrah. Las Vegas was a great visual picture of temptation and how easy it is to get caught up in it.

We did find a fun place. It is called M&M World. They had dispensers full of every color and kind of M&M and you could fill up your own bag of them. The smell in there was intoxicating, but we had self control and just looked. We were actually hot today. It was up at 109 degrees. We saw the miniature Statue of Liberty, the Eiffel Tower, Caesar’s Palace, the Pyramid, a billboard for Garth Brooks that said Garth, and fireworks at Treasure Island.

We were so tired last night, that we went to bed right when we got to the hotel and slept until nine in the morning. Cale slept until ten. It felt so good to sleep in. That is what we needed. Now we are off to the Hoover Dam.

2011-06-23T14:28:00.004+09:00

Day 10 and 11

Right before we left Garth’s cousin’s house in Santa Barbara, we picked a bunch of oranges, loquats, lemons, and plums from their trees. We said good-bye to the cousins and began our way to Los Angeles to stay with some family friends.

On the way we stopped in Pasadena so Garth could show us where he used to live. From there we headed to Buena Park to stay with my sister’s twin brother and his family. They have three children, two boys and a girl. The girl has all of the briar wood horses so Emma and Sophie were in horse heaven. They also have a nice pool that the kids had fun swimming in.

This morning we woke up dreaming of ways to make Father’s Day special for Garth. It started with pancakes full of blueberries from our pickings the other day, followed by loads of homemade cards and gifts. We took a great walk to a park, had a big Mexican lunch and then said good-bye and started off for San Diego. You won’t believe the view we have here at this place in San Diego, but I will save that for tomorrow. I am wiped out and off to bed!

Happy Father’s Day Dad!!! It was awesome to talk to you on the phone today. No delay, no 14 hour time zone difference. Just you and me. You are amazing and I love you with all my heart. Can’t wait to see you-eight days!!!!!

Days 12 and 13

We are all in love with San Diego!!! It is warm, and mountainous, close to the beach, has beautiful sunsets, palm trees and it is so bright and green. Our time here went way too fast! Yesterday for Sophie’s birthday we went to Coronado Beach. It was an amazing day with cloudless blue skies. One of our dorm girls that graduated from our school in Papua is living in San Diego and she came to spend some time with us at the beach. The family that we are staying with came along as well. This family is extraordinary. It is Joe, and Danielle with their four kids. Joe and four other guys came to Papua to work on some building projects. That is where we met him. Garth and I and Cale would visit them at the work site and bring them a morning snack. We also had them all over for a meal or two at the Hostel. Now they are returning the hospitality by letting us all stay at their lovely home. What a blessing! The home, view and company were so refreshing! One of the other guys from that work team brought his family and came over for dinner as well. We were able to watch the video they made of their time in Papua. It was fun and sad. We miss it already.
This morning, Tuesday, we said good-bye and now we are headed toward Las Vegas and the Hoover Dam. It should be a 5 ½ to 6 hour drive there. These are our last few hours in CA…What a fun place to be. I am going to soak it all in.

Days 8 & 9

2011-06-18T14:21:00.001+09:00

Day Eight-Thursday

Even though the morning was cold and foggy, we still decided to take Route 1 down the coast. It had been closed due to rock slides, but was now open. The kids and I got quite car sick going down those windy roads, and were glad when we eventually got close to Santa Barbara. We arrived at Garth’s cousin’s home around 5 pm. More than anything we needed a bed, and a place to do laundry. I told the kids they were going to have to start wearing Daddy’s underwear, if I didn’t do laundry soon. Haha. Luckily, we didn’t resort to that.

Day nine-Friday

We all slept in this morning until 8:30 or nine and woke up feeling so much more refreshed. After breakfast we took a trip to East Beach to see the beach house that Garth’s Grandfather built in the 30’s. It is preserved as one of the historical buildings. He also built the Hotel Santa Barbara. The Hotel is still in the family and it was very special to step foot in a building that we knew was made by an Erickson so many years ago. From there we got our very first taste of an In-N-Out burger. Delish!

Garth’s cousin, Don, took us to a family owned blueberry farm. It was such a beautiful spot, the sky was so blue and the sun finally made an appearance. We did a bit of hiking there before we went picking. None of us had ever picked blueberries before so it was a wonderful adventure. Of course Garth and Wyatt started a blueberry fight, but the rest of us were relishing the burst of flavors by popping them in our mouths. It was a incredible day enjoying the out of doors with family.

Day Seven

2011-06-16T14:18:00.001+09:00

We were all tired when we woke up this morning and feeling a little crabby. It would have been nice to sleep in, but we wanted the “free” breakfast. You got two free pancakes but then had to pay for your own drinks. Anyways, it was fine. So, we got on the road and started driving towards San Francisco and the Golden Gate Bridge. Once we got going everyone started feeling a bit better. The bridge was super cool. Garth took us to Fisherman’s Wharf where we saw a submarine and a ship named Jeremy O’Brien from World War II. We saw the first Ghiradelli’s and got free chocolates. I had made a picnic lunch and we ate it at a park there in the wharf. A police lady on a horse and a nice grassy area where the kids could play tag made it a fun place for us to hang out.

We went on the crookedest street in the world. (A lady walked right in front of the picture I was trying to take of the street), but I did get one at the top so hopefully you can kind of see how curvy it is. Then we went down to AT&T stadium where the Giants play. You know Garth. He is a HUGE baseball fan. We saw cable cars, trolleys, electric street cars, and Alcatraz. We even saw a shop here that reminded us of Bali. It had sarongs, and soccer jerseys. Wyatt was excited about the jerseys until he saw the price. An exact same jersey he bought in Bali for $3.00 was being sold here for $38.00. We did find a clearance rack of shirts and sweatshirts, so we did get a few souvenirs. Today was the first day that it felt remotely warm. We were all excited to see palm trees, even tho they are shorter than the palm trees we are used to, and not full of falling coconuts.

Tomorrow we are headed to Garth’s cousins house in Santa Barbara.

Day Six

2011-06-16T14:13:00.001+09:00

California!!!!! I can’t believe I am in California!!! Today we were driving down the coast headed to Santa Rosa. We figured it would be cheaper to stay somewhere outside of San Fran. During the trip we were able to stop at the Redwood Forest. Have you been there? Those sequoia trees are ginormous. They were so amazingly beautiful! The bark is vertical and gray, which made it easy to pick them out. Of course they were absolutely huge as well. Another stop we made was Trees of Mystery where we saw a giant Paul Bunyan and Blue. We even found a tree that we could drive thru in Leggett. It was a tight fit, but we made it thru. We drove past Humboldt Bay, which was cool for us since there is a Humboldt Bay in Jayapura. And we were able to see some Elk.

At one point, we stopped at a grocery store to get some snacks and water. We asked if they had a small box we could have and they said no. We needed one for the van to hold the kids toys. The one we had been using split open. So we decided to drive behind the mall looking for a recycle dumpster to get a box out of. When we found one, I was half in and half out of it rummaging around for the right box. All of a sudden, the mall security vehicle comes over to see what I was doing. She informed we that we were not allowed to take boxes out of the dumpster. How funny! Busted for trying to take a box. A few minutes earlier Wyatt asked me if I wanted him to jump in the dumpster and look around. Good thing I said no, or we may have been sent to jail. Haha

It was a long day of driving. We didn’t eat dinner until 9:30 and didn’t get to the hotel until 11. But both Garth and I commented that it was so nice to not be on a schedule. It was great to just stop when we wanted to, to pull over and look at beaches, and make our own routine. We are having fun with Flo. She is our GPS. Never had one before. Garth and the kids named her. She doesn’t like it when we take detours off our route. The kids will be in the back chanting, “Recalculating, recalculating…”

Tomorrow-San Francisco.

Pictures:

Day Four and Five

2011-06-14T15:19:00.001+09:00

We had a great drive to Vancouver for church. It was so nice to see the people there. Two college kids that used to be at our school in Papua were there. The service ended at 1 ish and these boys wanted to cook us lunch, so we went on over to their place. It was fun getting caught up on their lives. Then we all went on a scenic drive to visit some of the local waterfalls. After that we split up and went on towards Salem, Oregon. Garth got a great deal on a hotel room at Comfort Inn. The chlorine level was too high in the pool and Cale and Wyatt got a rash. Other than that, the rooms were perfect and we got caught up on some sleep. After a nice breakfast we set off for Crescent City, OR. It would be about a 7 hour trip. What a unbelievable view!!!!!! We took 101 down the coast, along the Pacific Ocean. All I can say is WOW! The way the sun was glistening off the water, the huge rocks out in the water, the way the waves just goes on and on…breathtaking. Much to Sophie’s dismay, on one of the beaches we walked on, there was a dead seal on the sand. She is such an animal lover, and the sight of that really darkened her mood.

It was so awesome to think that somewhere at the end of that ocean is Indo. The view brought tears to my eyes. I will miss the beaches in Indo. I know they were dirty, but it was so refreshing for my soul. Such a serene way to recharge my battery. I didn’t realize how much I needed it until we got to Indo. Our last day in Bali Garth and I were walking on the beach and I found a beautiful sand dollar and I made it in to a necklace. I decided to wear it home so that it wouldn’t get broken in my luggage. Well, in the airport in Singapore, Sophie came over to hug me and broke it with her head. Bummer, right? Well, today we stopped at a bunch of beaches along the coast and at the last one, guess what I found? A sand dollar. How cool is that? God is so good.

Now, we are driving around checking out hotels and looking for a place to eat for dinner. The kids keep talking about how fantastic it is that we can enjoy God’s creation. I am so thankful that we are doing this trip.

Here are some pictures:

Day Two and Three

2011-06-13T15:09:00.001+09:00

We have spent the last few days in Bellevue, Washington. We took some walks in the Old Growth Forest and saw some amazing waterfalls. The trees here are so different from Wisconsin and Indonesia. Here there is moss growing all over the branches. It was beautiful. The trees looked like they had fingers or arms sticking out. Of course we had to see Pike’s Market and watch the fish throwing. We also saw the very first Starbucks, had some awesome homemade chocolates, and cinnamon donuts. It was fun to see the fruits in the market like papaya, and mango. The fruits are so much smaller here and the colors are different.

We have been staying with friends named Andy and Abby. They went through our youth group at Calvary and were the very first wedding that Garth ever did. They have an adorable son named Jones and a very fun dog named Rigby. The kids had such a great time.

Now, we are headed to church in Vancouver, a two and a half hour trip. This church is called New Heights, and they have such a strong affection towards missionaries. They did so much for us while we were in Indonesia and we want to visit them. I have never seen a church so dedicated to missions, and caring for missionaries. They go above and beyond and truly live out God’s love to others.

But first, we have to go back to Garth’s stepsisters house and retrieve the two things that the girls left there. One is a warm jacket and the other is a brand new sarong from Bali. We definitely need the jacket. We have not stopped shivering since we left Indo. This weather is at LEAST 30 degrees colder than we are used to. Luckily, the house is on the way.

Here are some pictures:

Road Trip-Day One

2011-06-10T13:50:00.001+09:00

Road Trip-Day One

We left Idaho at 9 am Mountain Time and started on our way towards Seattle, Washington. Garth was able to get a great deal on a rental van from Enterprise. It will be nice for the trip and it has plenty of room.

What a beautiful ride it has been so far. The mountains are fantastic! Right now we are about an hour from Seattle and there are big heaps of snow on the sides of the roads, and up on the tops of the mountains. The girls would love to jump out and touch some of that snow. Emma, Sophie and Wyatt haven’t had a winter in four years.

Our trip will be from today until June 26^th. I have decided to keep track of road kill, hitch hikers, time zones, trips to Subway, gas, number of states we enter, among other things. If you want to make any of your own predictions, feel free and then you can check it against my list at the end of the trip.

A few points of interest: Wyatt found a potato chip the size of his fist, we saw a rattlesnake sign but no rattlesnakes, and the clouds were like pulled out cotton. It was beyond beautiful! The end picture is our first stop. Nice, huh? We are here and having a blast.

My Sister’s Birthday

2011-06-09T13:31:00.001+09:00

We had our final meeting today! Yeah! I am not a meetings kind of girl so I am glad they are all over. I felt bad leaving the kids for so long, but they found ways to entertain themselves. This morning our family spoke in the chapel service, and shared a little bit about our time in Indo. Then a few more meetings, and Garth had a treadmill test to check his heart (you know, because he is 50)…and he passed with flying colors.

Now, I am all packed up and ready to start our road trip out West tomorrow. I love road trips and traveling. To think you can start in one place and end up at another is wonderfully fun. Our first stop will be Seattle to visit Garth’s step-sister and her family.

Today is the birthday of my stupendously fantastic sister!! She is super terrific. If you know her and see her PLEASE give her a hug for me. Happy Birthday, Carlena. Can’t wait to see you again.

Love

Rachel

Medical Stuff

2011-06-09T13:30:00.001+09:00

Today was quite the day. We did sleep in past 4 am which was VERY nice! We had medical appointments for everyone all morning, and I do mean ALL morning. We did everything from stool samples, blood work, eye checks, and TB tests. The kids did great but it was a long tough morning. From there Garth went for a chest x-ray for a cough he has had, we quickly did Subway for lunch, then off to a psychological counseling appointment for the family for debriefing from our time overseas. That appointment was at 1:30 and we were there until almost 4. Garth and I had our appointment for 80 minutes and the kids sat in the waiting room and entertained themselves while they waited. When we came out they were quietly coloring, and drawing. So we decided to do something special to celebrate the end of a hard day. We heard about this place called U Swirl. You pick your ice cream flavor and toppings, everything you can imagine, from cheesecake, oreos, choc chips, gummy worms, Nerds, mangos, berries, and nuts. Then every kind of sauce you can imagine. After you have completed your masterpiece you put it on the scale and pay by weight. Do you have shops like this by you? It was a new idea for us. But we loved it. At one point I couldn’t find Cale. He was in the bathroom standing in front of the automatic hand towel dispenser, amazed at how it gives him a towel when he waves at it. Haha.

Then we all went miniature golfing. Cale had never been before so he was really enjoying it. It was a terrific end to a weary day.

Tomorrow will be our last crazy busy day of meetings. And then Thursday morning we leave for our road trip. I am so excited about traveling the West coast as a family. Doesn’t it sound fun? Want to come with?

Well, I will surely tell you all about it and show you all the pictures.

Love you

Wyatt’s Day

2011-06-09T13:13:00.001+09:00

I am now officially the mother of a teenager. It is amazing how that happened. It just kind of slipped in there.

We had a blast celebrating Wyatt today. Our morning started early again-4 am. So we were able to welcome in the day. I made a big breakfast with potatoes, bacon, eggs, sausage, fruit, and toast. It tasted so good to have bacon and sausage again. Yummy! We went bowling, hung out at Sport’s Authority, had Subway for lunch (per Wyatt’s request), then we all crashed for a three hour nap. It took awhile to fully wake up after that, then we had homemade pizza, played around outside, took the girls hair out of the braids, went to see a movie (Gnomeo and Juliet), came home and had cake and ice cream and then bed. I had a few gifts for Wyatt that I picked up in Indo before we left, and then the girls got Wyatt a new soccer ball. I love how the kids are getting less materialistic. It was great to see Wyatt happy about the few things he got instead of wishing for more. He was so thankful for the fun day we were able to spend together.

Here are some pictures:

While we were out driving today Cale was intrigued by all the road kill he saw – (you don’t see that in Indo), and he thought water towers were pretty cool, too. Earlier in the day he saw a ground hog in our neighbors yard and wondered what it was. He also saw squirrels for the first time in quite awhile. I love how new the world seems when you are 5 and have been in a different country for 4 of those years. What a sense of wonderment! Do you ever feel like that when you go outside and take in the beauty? The Indonesian sky would take my breath away. I can’t wait to see the world painted around us as we travel the West coast.

But first I NEED sleep.

Love

Rachel

Early Morning Start

2011-06-05T11:25:00.001+09:00

Wow! June 3^rd was a really long day. Because we crossed over the International date line, we did it twice. We left Bali at 7:30pm and flew three hours to Singapore, “slept” there in the airport hotel, got up at 3 am and checked in for our 5:45 am flight, six hours to Japan, an hour layover, a nine hour flight to Portland, three hour layover, customs, and then a 2 hour flight to Idaho. The kids did an awesome job on the flights. They are great travelers. Needless to say we were quite exhausted when we arrived. It was 3 in the afternoon so the big debate is “To stay up or take a nap”? We decided to try and stay up at least until 5 or 6. But the sleep the first night is always weird. You wake up after a few hours and wonder what is going on. So I woke up at 8, 10, 1, 2, 3, and finally we all got up at 4:30. We saw the sun come up, and had an opportunity to get to Wal-Mart before the rush. Ha ha. We were FREEZING here and couldn’t wait to get some warm clothes. So we hit Wal-Mart and Goodwill. That was fun. Cale walked into Wal-Mart and said, “What is this place?” He is noticing things he didn’t remember seeing before; a car carrier semi-truck thing, American money, (He played with 3 pennies for about 45 minutes the other day), bubble bath, dishwasher, and those swivel bars that you walk through to get into stores, you know those things that move-I think they are called turnstiles. Anyways, the kids have commented numerous times how cool it is to do things just our little family. So, so far they are loving being here.

We went to a park today and an antique car show. That was great fun for the boys to see all those Camaros and Corvettes. Tomorrow is Wyatt’s 13^th birthday. Unbelievable! I am going to have a teenager!!!! How is that possible? He is getting older and I am not, right? Ha.

Here are some pictures of our tired bunch on our journey and some from today.

The Crab

2011-06-02T14:01:00.001+09:00

We woke up to a crab in our pool. Now that is something I have never had to call housekeeping for before. Haha. The tide was way out in the ocean so we had a great time playing in the sink holes and looking for shells. I found this amazing sand dollar that I made into a necklace. We had McDonalds for lunch and ate dinner at Bubba Gumps (we are getting so spoiled), walked around Kuta, and tried not to think about how quickly our time here is coming to an end.

Here are some pictures:

The Trophy

2011-05-31T22:51:00.001+09:00

I asked the kids today how they were doing in regards to processing all that has been happening lately. They all said that being here in Bali has helped to make it not feel as sad. And I would agree. Even with today being overcast and rainy in parts, we were still able to feel peace and relax. This morning the girls got their hair braided by a lady named Kiki that was on the beach. Sophie’s only took about 20 minutes, but Emma’s was more like an hour. We swam, went down on the beach and watched the surfers crashing around on the crazy high waves, did a little shopping, ate at Hard Rock Café (Never done that before), saw a trophy made out of beer cans, (that also is a first), and watched a Balinese dance. Tomorrow we will meet up with some friends from Papua and go to a water park called WaterBom. The kids are excited to see these friends again, and go on some waterslides. It is supposed to be another rainy day, but it won’t squelch our fun.