Holidays 2011...week one

This is our second holiday season away from the USA. Last year we had just moved here and were not used to the Trinidad holidays...so we did our own thing.

But this year...since we are now Trini...we had (are having) a much more Trini Christmas/New Years.

Those of us in the school have 3 weeks off from classes. We had/have much planned for this time...places to go...friends to lime with...and food to eat...and most importantly lots of wonderful Christian fellowship!

Our week began with a few days at home...then our first stop was to learn to make Callaloo, a delicious Trinidadian dish. It is made from pig tail, dasheen bush (a type of greens), a bit of pumpkin, peppers (hot and sweet), the right combination of spies and a bit of okra. Mix it all up and cook it until all done...mash it up good with a callaloo swizzler and eat! It's one of my favorite dishes here in Trinidad...that and salt fish.

We also learned how to make stewed chicken and see some real Trini cooking take place. We had a blast...learned a lot...ate some good food, and enjoyed a good time of fellowship!

Our next stop was actually two. We were invited to spend a day with another family we have grown to love very much. They live out in the country...so in many ways it's like being at our old place in the US. It's quiet, you can see green for a long ways, it's very homey, and the fellowship is always great! We were served a lovely meal, made jam, played cards, laughed, and did not want to leave. We proved that you can play Dutch Blitz...and sing at the same time! It was one of those days that I wish I could relive. But...I can't...so I will just treasure the memories.

Then, the next day, we joined the students at the dorm for another great day with the same family again! This time the father was in for a brief one day stay from his off shore job. We were so blessed to have two days in the country, away from the noise of the city, fellowshipping and enjoying the company of our brethren.

We enjoied more good food.....

and played some of our favorite games...Rummy (Trini style), all fours and a family/student favorite of Dutch Blitz.

It is a very fun game....that includes lots of hands.....

....and lots of colorful cards.....

....and gets very fast and crazy! But it's SO MUCH fun....especially the part where one team yells "BLITZ!!!!" and the rest of the players all yell "NNOOOOOO!!!!"

Yeah...it's fun.

Then, after a day of rest, we made our own special meal. We got a ham (it's cheaper at this time of year...), sweet potatoes, green beans, rolls, broccoli and cauliflower salad, five cup salad, sorrel and tea. Then for desserts we had orange rolls and coconut cream pie...with fresh coconut! It was good...and my favorite part was that I found fresh cranberries...REAL fresh cranberries. And I made my favorite salad...with apples and oranges....it was good!

I am so thankful for all the I have been blessed with...so may good friends and precious family. I have loved the last week...and look forward to the next two!

A long, overdue post.....

Yes, it is now December…and this post is long overdue. In September Anna and Nathan started the local preaching school. Nathan is now out of high school (my sweet little brother all grown up?) and he has always wanted to go through a preaching school. Anna likewise has always wanted to do something like this and so they set off on this journey together. But to add to that, Lydia and I are going as part time students, where we take classes as we want and the topics we are interested in. Needless to say our schedules got really busy…but…that is only the beginning! One the second day of school, Mom left to go the States for a few weeks to be with Wade and Leah for the birth their first child. Isaiah was born the day after Mom left here…but she made it just fine! Her time was spent being with them and then helping them move. She got home the middle of Oct. During that time we spent 5 days a week going to classes and doing homework…and keeping house while Mom was gone. We all are enjoying the classes so much! We have enjoyed getting to know the first year class as well as continuing a good friendship with the second year class. It is so good to be digging into the Bible and finding and applying the truths that are in it. It’s amazing to me that the words of the Bible never change but we don’t always notice every detail when we read it once. This only shows that one must be constant in the word to get the most out of it! We must be like the Bereans (Acts 17:11)!

In November, we marked our one year in Trinidad. So much could be said because so much has been learned. Here are some random things that I have learned while living here:

The joy of sharing my lunch at school

Smiling IS important

Measure your words…they will be remembered by someone

Someone is always watching you

Visiting those sick or in the hospital is worth the time

Attitude makes a day what it is…good or bad

If you are not flexible…you will break

Stress only makes a mess

Learning new games (all-fours is my newest favorite game!)

Having late night limes are worth losing sleep for

Life is short

Making people laugh…will result in a good laugh yourself

Because of our busy schedule, we decided to not have Thanksgiving on Thanksgiving Day. We postponed until the 3^rd of December. It was totally worth the wait…because we were able to have a very like-minded family join us for our traditional thanksgiving. We had our normal spread of turkey, dressing, cranberry salad, mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, 5 cup salad, sweet (and unsweet) tea, pumpkin pie, pecan pie, and banana pudding. Our Trini friends had never had an American thanksgiving before and we enjoyed sharing with them. The afternoon was spent working puzzles, playing cards, learning new games, laughing a lot and loving the time with faithful Christians. I love my family….American and Trinidadian. I am so thankful that God saw fit to bless me with this kind of family…that you can find in many places in the world.

And now December…well the rest of it that is. December is a short month in the school with the classes being 2 ½ weeks instead of 4. On the last day of class, which was the last final for this year (yay!) we had a lime by us (a lime is like hanging out) for all the students, the teachers and the dorm mother. We had 47 people here in our house for a meal…including the 9 of us! We had chairs and tables everywhere…and it was lovely to hear our house full of laughter and see the smiles! We cooked, learned how to make sorrel (a drink), ate, laughed, played games, laughed, played music, laughed, played football, laughed, played with the kids, laughed, ate 200 cookies, laughed, played more games, laughed, and went to bed at 1:45 AM! Needless to say, it was a fun filled afternoon…evening…and night of great fellowship…and did I mention we laughed a lot? If laughter is a medicine…we all got a HUGE dose last night!

To wrap this up, I can happily say that the last 3+ months have been great! Yes, busy and stressful at times…but it is part of the growing process. I have learned so much, been given so much to be thankful for that it’s hard to count. But above all, I am thankful for our God, Who has made all this possible through the wonderful blessings that he gives us EVERY day, ones we don’t even stop and thank Him for.

Thank God DAILY, spend TIME with family, don’t take your BLESSINGS for granted and enjoy life DAILY!

Oh…and DON’T forget to SMILE!!!

Happily Ever After?

Almost every story begins with once upon a time.

It does not have to be a fairy tale; it can be a real life story. But then what about the end? Do all stories (real or pretend) end with “and they lived happily ever after?” No, not all do, especially the real ones. Our lives will end in death; we will not live forever…at least not physically.

As a Christian our story begins at baptism. It will have its ups and downs. We will have challenges and times that are very hard. It must have growth, it must have endurance, and it must have a will to continue to the end.

But how will our spiritual lives end?

Will we be dead, to live no more when we die? No, our spiritual life will not die.

How then should our spiritual life end?

I recently heard something said at a funeral that struck me. It was said that our story should end with faithfully ever after. This is indeed how our Christian lives should end….in faithfulness to the end. Then, and only then will we live happily ever after in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ.

How will your story end?

What will be said at your funeral?

Will it be said of you that you died faithful in the Lord?

We can only live happily ever after if we live faithfully ever after.

Life is short

This week there have been two sisters that have died, as well as a distant relative of a friend of mine. There are many that die every day…I am sure someone somewhere has figured up the statistics.

As I have sat through services for two of these people, I began to ponder about life. Not the typical life questions like “why am I here?” Or “what is my purpose in life?”

But the question I want to pose is, are you ready for the end?

Whether it be death or Jesus’ return…are you ready for eternity to begin?

Life is a vapor as we see in James 4:14 “Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.”

Life is short.

It passes fast.

There are so many things that one can do with their life. But what is really important?

Is it money?

Or fame?

Or the best car/house/clothing?

Will those things get you where you want to spend eternity? I dare say no.

But what then is the answer?

It’s actually quite simple. But yet, so many do not want to live this way. This way includes a treasure…a great treasure that is the most important treasure in the whole world.

This treasure is not one we can collect on earth, but in heaven, it is not one we can buy with money, but with obedience.

All people like to have treasures. We all have things we keep, things that mean something special to us. These treasures are not wrong, but we must make sure we are laying up the correct type of treasures.

The most important treasures are those which we lay up spiritually. These are spiritual treasures that cannot be taken away from us.

Matt 6:19-21 says “Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break in and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break in and steal: For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.”

Spiritual blessings are the most important treasures to have, they cannot be taken away, they cannot be destroyed. We are the ones that add them and take them away.

We MUST lay up the correct treasures…and then keep them safe.

Life is short.

Where are your treasures?

Are they helping you get to heaven?