Birthday Boy

Dear Everybody,

My baby is 10!  I can hardly believe we have a 10 year old in the house until I take a good look at Micah and realize how BIG he is.  Our little boy is turning into a little man who loves to sit at the lunch table and talk with us instead of running off to play with his siblings.  What can I say, he's growing up...

I decided this year to make Micah a special cake.  If any of you know my sister, Esther, she is the one who makes amazing cakes for her kids' birthdays.  I am NOT that tatented, but I wanted to try.  So I decided to make an Angry Birds cake.  It turned out better than I had hoped and Micah loved it which was the best part.

here's the finished product 

Sunday night we ate his birthday meal even though his birthday was on Monday.  He chose Pad Thai Noodles with shrimp.

We are thankful the Lord gave us Micah 10 years ago.  He is a blessing to our family and I pray that the Lord will use Him greatly for His glory.

On Sunday for Father's Day, I also got this picture of Danny with all four kids.  Happy Father's Day Dan!  We thank God for YOU!

Liz

Big Girl Bed for Madeline

Dear Everybody,

Danny put the last few coats of paint on the bunkbed this morning and this afternoon, he installed it upstairs.  This set up gives the girls much more room to play also.

Matti helped Danny since he was done with his schoolwork

We'll see how the girls sleep tonight in their new beds.

I spent the morning getting the boys through school and then doing wash and cleaning house.  I also got a cake made to take to the Bible Institute for lunch with the students.  Pretty boring stuff but part of life just as much as anything else.

Danny had to study quite a bit for his class tomorrow.  We will be going to Temuco tomorrow for his class and for the missionary prayer meeting with Daryl and Earlynne Thompson.  They are getting ready for their furlough coming up next month.

That's all our news for now.  Miguel kept working on the window frames and is almost done with that project.  We have to wait until next month to be able to afford buying the windows.  He also prepped the wood for the countertops that will go in the guest house kitchen. We want to have it dry before we put the countertop together.

No blog tomorrow but maybe on Friday.

liz

Rollerblading Fun

Dear Everybody,

Friends of ours in the States, Jim and Dee Buizer, gave the kids each a pair of rollerblades.  They have enjoyed using them even on rainy days since the gym has a roof.  Danny has a pair of rollerblades too so it's been fun for them to play together.  For Christmas we got the boys hockey sticks and pucks so they can play street hockey if they want.  Good exercise and lots of fun!

Here is a video of them goofing off for the camera, hopefully you won't get dizzy watching them:


Click here to watch

Liz

A New Floor, a "New" Stove, and a New Princess

Dear Everybody,

I am at a loss to know how to start this blog.  So much has happened!  Maybe I will just start with what we did today.  The kids were back in school today so we got that done in the morning.  The guys ran to town to buy the rest of the copper pipes and fittings they needed to finish installing the cook stove in Horeb.  In the afternoon, they worked on getting the stove pipe installed and all the water hookups for the water tank done.  unforntutely, they weren't able to get that done so it will get done tomorrow.  Miguel should be moved in over there as soon as they get the stove working.

Here is the stove and the tank in place but not connected yet. 

The boys got 5 wheelbarrows full of firewood for Miguel up to Horeb

time to solder some copper pipes

Miguel worked on getting the stove pipes in

The rain and wind have been constant here in the south of Chile.  We have many many tree limbs down all over camp but other than that no major damage.  We felt a tremor on Thursday when we were in Temuco.  The weather is never dull here!

Friday, Danny and I worked on getting the ceramic floor down in the bathroom in the guest house.  We chose white.  You probably think we're crazy but hear us out...  First, we chose that color because it was on SALE and second because we want it to show dirt.  I know usually, one hears the opposite reason but because of the purpose for the guest house, I want to be able to go in there and see at a glance that it is clean and white looks clean when it's clean.  Make sense, no?  We will be putting white tile on the walls that have the "internit"  (cement board) and in the shower but we will try to see if we can put some color accents too along the way.  We were going to grout today but the damp weather we have been having prevented the tiles to dry so we will have to wait a little bit longer.

we also covered up the hole where the main door was before

Cutting the tiles with the grinder

we enjoyed the warmth of the stove

second to last tile. 

there you have it.  

Friday night, Danny got a bus to Santiago and spent all day Saturday in meetings with the national board for the UCB.  He was replacing our field director who went to the States for other special meetings.  He took another night bus on Saturday night and got home on Sunday morning.  We were planning on going to Conaripe to church but Danny's bus got in a couple hours late so it was too late to make it to the service.

We are glad to have Dad home.  While he was gone, Morgan received the long awaited birthday package from Mamie (my mom).  The Post office lady was on the lookout for a package from France and as soon as I stepped foot inside she was waving the package excitedly over her head.  Funny!
Morgan was soooooo excited to open a brand new handmade princess dress.  My mom is an amazing seamstress!!!   She couldn't believe that Mamie had made it especially for her.  Not only that but she sent all the accessories to go with it (earring, necklace, ring, bracelets and a crown).  The boys had never seen so much pink in their life!

it's not the best picture because of how late and dark it was but it gives you an idea.

of course you have to twirl in a new dress!

This picture makes me laugh!!!!!!!  For any of you who read my blog on Dan's side of the family: Who does this picture remind you of?  I caught them both playing with their hair while Micah was reading to Madeline.  They both do it all the time... I wonder who they take after.... TERRY!

Well, I think that catches you up on our news.  Love you all very much and thank you for your prayers.  Sometimes these menial tasks on camp don't seem to have any spiritual value but we trust the Lord will use what we do for him to allow many boys, girls, young people and families to hear the good news of the gospel here at camp and receive it for salvation.  Thank you for praying with us toward that end.

Liz

3 Days Worth of News

Dear Everybody,

After a few "out of the ordinary" days, today was back to our normal routine.  Let me explain what happened the other days.

Sunday:  We were all set to go to church, leaving a little early for a special Thanksgiving service at the Liquine church.  We piled into the car and after a half hour of drivning, we get to the part of the road that changes to dirt road.  The trip to our Liquine church is about 1 hour of dirt road driving and part of that is driving switchback roads on the side of the mountain.  Since we have started going to Liquine, the road is much improved.  There are more guardrails, wider roads, and new concrete bridges instead of the old wooden plank ones.  But there are still many accidents on the swichtbacks and on Friday a bus overturned and got caught in the trees on the cliff side of the mountain.  We knew about the bus but what we didn't know is that the authorities could not remove the bus during the storm so decided to remove it on Sunday when the weather was beautiful.  Well, as we approached the dirt road, a Carabinero (policeman)stopped our car and told us the road was closed to Liquine while they removed the bus.  So we drove home.  It was too late to go to any other church service so we had our own in our living room.  I think the Lord knew that the guys, after their trip and meetings, needed the rest.

all ready to go to church

Monday:  We celebrated 2 things on May 21st:  Morgan's 6th birthday and the 49th anniversary of the Bible Institute in Temuco where Danny teaches.  First, we went to Temuco.  The students and professors were invited to a lunch put on by the Institute.  It was a good time of fellowship and we enjoyed the wonderful food.  We went to Temuco early to get a few groceries and then right after the lunch we headed home.

I went right to work on making a pink cake with pink icing and sprinkles for Morgan.  Then wrapped her gifts. We decided to let her open them right after I got them wrapped since it was already late in the day.  I think she was surprised by each one.  We got her a pink helmet for roller blading, a new notebook, some hair ties, and some special paper for her crafts.  Morgan is our creative one.  She is always cutting, gluing, and coloring things.  We found a set of instruments for making paper crafst in Temuco.  It came with special hole punches, scissors that make design,s and an embossing kit.  She LOVED it!  I am telling myself to be patient with her because when she gets that stuff out, there tends to be confetti everywhere when she is done!  The boys enjoy working on crafts too so it's been fun so far.

new pink helmet

Tweetie Notebook

her craft kit

Madeline was sooooo sure that it was her birthday again!

Do you see the confused look on Maddie's face?

Tuesday:  Today, the kids were back in school.  They seem eager to just get their work done.  They're doing great and learning lots for which  I am thankful.  There is usually something to say about each subject at the the lunch table.  Morgan is doing much better with her reading skills so we are also thankful for that.  During that time, Danny studied for his class.  He is starting a series of classes on Catholicism.

 Miguel worked on getting the old cookstove from the old adminstrator's house up and running.  He had to replace just a few pieces of metal and repaint it.  We will be putting that stove into Horeb Cabin (at the back of camp) where Miguel will live.  Danny replaced the serpentine (pipes in the stove that water runs through).  The water runs through the serpentine, where the water gets hot, then into a tank for storage.  This water is used for hot showers or hot water to wash dishes.  It's a great system.  The guys also got the wood stove installed permanently in the guest house.  It looks wonderful and feels even better on these cold days.

Before

After (this is the only color high temp paint they sell here in Lican!)

rebuilding the serpentine

saudering used copper pipes from the guest house

running water though it to make sure there are no leaks

getting the pipes in for the wood stove

It has been very cold here the last few days.  Yesterday, the water in our five gallon buckets froze.  There was frost on the ground till noon.  We're in for a cold winter I think.

Well, that's all our news.  Thank you for your prayers,

Liz

Our Musical Talent... and Then Again...

Dear Everybody,

Our kids LOVE to sing but so far not one of the four can carry a tune.  As a Mom I might be biased but I love to  hear them singing together.

Here is a rendition of "Jesus Loves Me" interpreted by the four Thompson M's.

Enjoy,

liz

Our Friend

Dear Everybody,

Today is a bittersweet day for our family. Since we arrived in Chile in late 2007, our kids made a BEST friend. His name is Juan Marcos Moreno and he is a Chilean pastor's kid. He's more or less our age and over these past few years we have really gotten to know him well. His parents went to live in the States and minister among the latinos in Minnesota, but he lives and works here in Chile. He speaks fluent English which was a difinite help at the beginning for the kids. So basically we adopted him and he adopted us.

When his work brings him to the south of Chile he often comes and visits us in Lican. I make sure to bake brownies and fix pancakes for him which are his favorite. Not only does he go and rollerblade with the kids but also spends time talking with them and encouraging them.

Over the years he has also been a great encouragement to Danny and me in the ministry. His parents worked at camp here for a few years and he has helped counsel a few summers also. What can I say, he's a great friend...

But today he came to say goodbye. His visa was accepted and he will be going to the States and New Zealand for 5 months (work related). We're happy for him but we hate goodbyes. We are praying that he finds a good church to attend while he is over there.

We'll miss him greatly!

Liz

Some Apple Butter Please

Dear Everybody,

There is a lone apple tree right by the neighbors fence that is a favorite of my kids. Just recently the apples have been falling off and if I am wondering where the kids have gone, the apple is usually a good guess. They are not the most beautiful apples, but they're edible and they're plentiful. So yesterday the kids picked up a five gallon bucket full of these pitiful looking apples and asked for apple butter. "PLEASE Mom? Can you make some yummy apple butter?"

So I put the kids to work. Years ago we found a gadget at the thrift store for pennies... Come to find out it is a Pampered Chef apple stripper. It comes in handy especially when there is a mountain of fruit to peal and core because it does it all for you as you turn the handle. The kids love it! So they took turns, washing the apples and turning the handle.

To save a few pesos I decided to cook the apples on the cook stove Danny made as part of his grill/smoker. Firewood is cheaper than propane at this point!

What fun it was and by tonight we should have some yummy apple butter to spread on some homemade buns! Wish you could join us for supper!

love,

Liz

Now About the Not-So Fun Part of furlough...

Dear everybody,

Can you tell I have been putting off writing this blog post? Well, even if it wasn't apparent I was putting it off! Sometimes, it's much easier to talk about fun stuff and positive things than to open up and be honest about those things that one is worried or scared about. But here it goes... These are the things that worry me about going on furlough (you'll notice that they are directly related to the positive things from the previous blog):

1) Having to say many good byes: We will say many good byes when we leave Chile and then once we leave the States in September we will have to say many again. You'd think we would be used to this part of missionary life but even with past experience it doesn't make it any easier.

Pray for our family as we learn to say goodbye.

2) Lots of moving around: For 41/2 months we will be staying in many different homes. This can get old after a while especially for young children. Before we go, Danny and I are working with the kids on their table manners and proper etiquette. (You mean you don't go up to greet everyone with a kiss on the cheek in the United States?)

Pray for grace and flexibility as we stay in different homes.

3) Visiting with our churches: Danny and I are getting prepared to repeat the same things over and over... Of course we are excited to share what the Lord has done but seeing our presentation for the umpteenth time can get boring.

Pray for energy and patience as we share in our churches.

4) Can we enjoy going "home" without gaining weight? I have asked myself that question over and over. I know this has been a struggle for many missionaries in the past.

Pray that we could control our cravings and find time to exercise along the way.

5) Going on furlough doesn't mean leaving all our responsibilities behind. While we will be back we will still be in contact with a few people in Chile who are helping get the next camping season together. There is sooo much to do and thankfully with today's technology we should be able to help even long distance.

Pray for diligence in answering emails and working on camp matters.

6) Meeting new people is not everyone's cup of tea. What will these new pastors think of us? Are our kids to "wild"? Will we commit a "faux pas" or two? More than likely yes

Pray that we would act Christ-like.

7) Traveling: We will be crossing the United States lengthwise TWICE! We will need much patience with each other in the van. Can this part of furlough be enjoyable? Maybe it could with a little creativity and a good dose of long-suffering!

Pray for safe and fun travels.

8) Ultimately we know we are serving the Lord but the thought has crossed my mind that maybe people will think we haven't done ENOUGH. Maybe there are no results to show for their investment in us as a family.

Pray for thankful hearts

9) Raising four children is not a piece of cake and doing it away from a normal home routine scares me. I'm sure the kids are going to miss Chile and what they have grown used to these past 3 1/2 years. We might be dealing with some new emotions and struggles.

Pray for diligence as parents to raise God-fearing children.

Pray for Micah, Matthias, Morgan and Madeline as they adjust to new settings.

10) Our walk with the Lord is the most important thing to us. In the Christian life, distractions can be our downfall, steering us away from what is good. Slowly one wastes time on the things that don't matter and can then easily fall into sin. It's a downward spiral that comes from not filling our lives with what matters most to the Lord. We want to keep growing in spiritual walk!

Pray that we would DO what is needed to stay on track spiritually.

Thanks for reading this post and understanding my heart behind these ten things. It is scary for me to think that I will hit the publish button and it will be "out there" for all to read. But I would hope that it will spur some of you to pray specifically for those 10 things and that when we see you in the United States, we can rejoice in answered prayer!

Liz

I Am Excited About That!

Dear everybody,

Have you ever been excited and scared to death at the same time? When I start thinking of our furlough coming up in a little over a month, those two sentiments battle within me. I am excited about:

1) seeing my family - My parents (Mike and Elva Farrell and my sister Emily) will be returning to France for another term of missionary service in May. My sister Esther and her family are on deputation right now, raising support to go to France as missionaries also. We will be together the first few days of May. We haven't been altogether in 7 years!

I am excited about that!

2) seeing friends -We have many college friends and friends we have made in churches across the US that we are looking forward to reconnecting with. Many are in the ministry and we can rejoice together over what the Lord has done.

I am excited about that!

3) fellowshipping with our supporting churches - Once a year for missionary conference we pull out the English hymnbooks and sing in English. I am looking forward to joining in worshiping our great God with the Saints in our supporting churches.

I am excited about that!

4) experiencing the US: Wal-Mart, Olive Garden, Wendy's, Mountain Dew, Jelly Bellies and English Muffins... are just a few of the things we have been dreaming about eating lately.

I am excited about that!

5) a fresh perspective: Veteran missionaries have told us that furlough is a good time to take a step back and see one's ministry from a different perspective.

I am excited about that!

6) meeting new people - 2 of our churches have new pastors, 1 church is NEW to us, 1 church merged with another church, and we can be confident that God has added new believers to the churches that support us.

I am excited about that!

7) traveling as a family - Our kids don't remember much about the United States. What they do remember is from the pictures. We are looking forward to showing our kids a bit of the United States during our travels... maybe stop along the way at some landmarks.

I am excited about that!

8) sharing what the Lord has done - We have lots of things to be thankful for. God accomplished many things during our past three years on the field and we have a LOT to share.

I am excited about that!

9) being together as a family unit - We will be spending countless hours together, whether it is in the van traveling or in churches. On the field, our hectic lifestyle, work on camp, or constant visitors take up our time together as a family. More time together?

I am excited about that!

10) growing in our walk - We know furlough will not always be rosy but we are gearing up for a time of growth in our personal walks with the Lord. Many times trials bring growth.

I am excited about that!

Thanks for your prayers for us as we look forward to all these things during our furlough time. Come back to the blog to read about the things that make me nervous as I think about our furlough time.

Liz

Summer Fun!

Dear everybody,

It seems funny to me right now to be writing a blog on our summer fun as a family when outside it is raining today. All you know that our summer is a series of hectic moments as we work on camp hosting groups and then preparing camp for the next group. It is non-stop activity from the end of December to the end of February. Lican Bible Camp is blessed with a picture postcard vista of beautiful Lake Calafquen. We made it a point this summer to enjoy the lake once and while. We had really nice sunny days with temperatures in the high 80's, perfect for swimming.

Here are a few pictures of the kids at the lake.

Micah (8 years old)

Matthias (7 years old)

Morgan (4 years old)

Madeline (8 months)

Even neck deep, we can see our feet in the crystal clear lake water. Want to go for a swim?

Liz

An Official Chilean Resident

Dear everybody,

When we arrived in Chile, November 2007, we started the process of getting my Chilean Residency Card. The first step was to secure a temporary 1 year visa. Having married a Chilean, and having 3 Chilean children made that process much easier. Once that expired we started the paperwork for the permanent residency card. Just yesterday, we picked it up. It is so nice to have this document in hand. It gives me the freedom to travel and also allows to me to stay in the country without having to secure another temporary visa.

Speaking of paperwork... Because Danny and the kids are chilean citizens we are in the process of securing their Chilean passports so we can leave the country come April. Thinking it would take a while, we went to the civil registry office as soon as we could to get the paperwork started. After filling out all the needed info, paying the fee and getting the pictures taken, we were flabergasted when they said we could come pick up the new passports in a week! That's amazing!

We count it as a blessing from the Lord that all this paperwork got done smoothly.

Liz

Making plans...

Dear everybody,

We are finishing our summer camping schedule with one last church leaving this evening to go back to Santiago. So what is next for our family and ministry? Well, we are making plans. In November last year we finished our third year of being in Chile. We are due for a furlough and what better time to schedule it than during our winter months, when there is the least activity on camp. We recently bought our tickets and will be returning to the States on April 19th for a 4 month furlough or home assignment.

Terry and Carol Thompson have kindly accepted to fill in for us while we are gone. They will continue the preaching and teaching ministry in the Liquiñe and Coñaripe churches and will also take care of Lican Bible Camp in our absence. I'm sure they would appreciate your prayers in this transition to our home and ministries.

So how does one plan a furlough? We didn't quite know to be honest but the easiest was to grab the calendar and a United States map and start planning our numerous trips. We will fly in to FL and make our way north to Pennsylvania. From there we visit family and friends and end up at our home base in Washington State. We will be traveling many miles in one of the mission's vans. We are contacting our churches and confirming our visit with each and every one of them. We would also LOVE to see as many of our individual supporters as possible while we are back on home assignment. Thank you for praying as we schedule all these meetings.

More to come in future blogs on our furlough preparations.

Liz

Dear Everybody,

A beautiful sunset on Lago Calafquen. Pucura Beach

And... Volcan Villarrica in his best attire.

Just a glimpse of our neck of the woods. Anybody want to visit?

Liz

Baby Madeline