Update - June, 2011

fundraiser

We're crazy, and our life is insane. That's our update for now.

I meant to write this up a month ago, but things have been crazy busy. We did a huge Yard Sale, a huge Fundraiser Meal, then another yard sale. So now that that's all over, here's the latest on how things are unfolding:

DEPARTURE: We got our tickets! We leave for Argentina September 28th. My mom teared up; my dad is just worried about exploding volcanos and the economy. I don't blame either. I try not to worry about anything myself (Matt. 6:34, Phil. 4:16). I'm sure I drive them nuts (my kids do the same to me).

PROVISION: We are thrilled to announce that our ratty missions fund envelope that a month ago contained a few hundred dollars has bulged to, well, a lot. Between the Yard Sales, gifts at the Fundraiser, and other gifts that have flowed in, we now have most of our expenses covered. We wish we could say thank you to each person individually, and we do to the ones we know of, but we don't know who many of them even are. May the Lord repay you, whoever you are (Ruth 2:12).

Between the yard sales and fundraiser we were able to pay off the cost of shipping Big Blue, as well as some supplies for ministry, clothing, and some furniture - so as not to have to start from scratch in Argentina. (Which, incidentally, we we were willing to do, and thought we would - until everyone down there kept saying, "Bring everything you can, bring everything! It is soooooo expensive here." After they told us several times, we decided to listen.)


[FreeDigitalPhotos.net]
"They said to him, Rabbi
 (which is to say, Master),
where are you living?
He said to them, Come and see."
- John 1:38-39

 As for where we will live once we get there, we don't know. But you can read this post, and THIS (timely, thought-provoking, convicting).

The next biggest thing right now is getting a job for Tony. Right now he doesn't have one there, but we are in faith that he will get one. Some people have told us we should try to raise monthly support. How? (see Missions Orgs below for why that is difficult for us). Anway, if Tony can't get a job before we leave, he will have to look once we're there. It's the Argentine way. No sending your resume by email, then following up with a phone call and interview. That's the "first world way"; it's different in Argentina. Almost everything is done in person. But you can pray for us. Because, yes I am aware, it is a little crazy to just move across hemispheres with your kids and without a job or monthly support.

One or two people have expressed interest in supporting us financially in Argentina. We are so encouraged by this. Even though Tony will be working to (hopefully be able to) pay our living expenses, we know it won't be enough. We are expecting him to make about $1000 a month. Hopefully more, but quite possibly less. Doing missions up in the mountains and surrounding villages, as well as reaching out to street kids and others in need requires funds. But, as the cookie has crumbled, we seem to have fallen into missions a la Hudson Taylor. We aren't into asking for money. We trust God. God is already showing us that by prayer alone, He is able to bring in all we need. It just encourages us to trust Him more and believe Him for greater things. We want to stay in Argentina, invest in the people and the gospel going forth over the long term. God knows that. We believe He put that desire there, we know He did, so He'll just have to provide for that. He's never let us down before.

TRAINING: Tony started going to a juvenile detention center to help with a Bible study. I'll be going tomorrow night for the first time. Tony loves it. His only regret is that he didn't know about it sooner. It's been going on for two years now. Oh well, experience is experience, right? It just fans the flames of his desire to work with young people and to go into the prisons in Argentina. He is talking about studying and getting some more training in Argentina - it may just be easier there with the language and connections with the church, etc. There's certainly nothing around here for him (in Spanish, that is).

Our second vehicle finally died a definitive death. Transmission. Getting used to what it's like to have one vehicle (not conducive to the American way of life, but a good training for our new life).

PREPARATION: We're packing! And buying supplies. I just hit the local homeschool used book and curriculum fair. Got what we'll need to homeschool for the next two years. After that, I'll be relying on people coming to visit us to bring us stuff. We've also talked about putting our oldest in school there maybe in the future, but not sure if we will; we'll see.

Busy also getting our finances in order - visiting our bank and setting up ways people can support us if they feel so led. We also paid off our credit cards at tax time; so that felt really good.

THE KIDS: Their teeth are clean, shots are up to date, and potty-training is under way... They've also been watching lots of cartoons in Spanish. Tony put them on one day months ago, and they've been watching ever since. They say they understand everything. The 11yo has finally started speaking some Spanish. At his mother's expense. His Spanish at this point consists solely of repeating phrases Tony says when he makes fun of me (which is all the time) by imitating the way I talk (which is not the way I talk, I keep insisting, but they don't seem to care - boys). Well, at least it's a start. And the miracle isn't lost on us (this was the kid who announced at five years old he was not ever going to speak Spanish because he's American. He stuck to that conviction, too... until now - hallelujah!). His accent isn't too bad either, which surprises me.

The kids wrapped up the school year only to hear Mommy-slash-slave-driver announce that we were starting next year's schooling now - as in now, June. They love me. Really. They were initially somewhat dismayed, but once I pulled out the calendar and explained my reasoning (summer break comes this December, kids, so you don't want to have to be doing school when everyone else isn't, do you???), they actually jumped right in and began calculating how many Math lessons they had to do to be done one academic year in T minus 3 months. They seriously are planning on being finished by September. They make me proud - and God seriously surprised me with this one. So far, so good; they are actually doing it - six days a week! Some unexpected fruit of homeschooling - owning their education.

In other kiddy news, Firstborn bought himself a laptop. He's been saving up his birthday and Christmas money for years and asked us if he could buy one. We let him do it, because he's growing up and we need to start loosening the reigns (hard). We also knew it would help him feel better about moving if he had something special that was "his" that he could take with him. He'll also be able to do his math without tying up the family computer, which is nice, since his sister started math on the computer this year, too, and we only have one. He's been very responsible with his computer and, even though there are rules in place and parental controls on it, my boy has a strong sense of right and wrong. I can see he means it when he says he won't search for or click on anything "bad". So far so good... Tony also thinks it will be a huge conversation piece for him in Argentina. He'll be forced to talk to the kids in Spanish as they gather around him to gawk at his very own laptop and bombard him with a million questions. God uses everything.

MISSIONS ORGS: This is hard for me to write, but here it goes: We put our application with OM on hold. They will hold it for us for the next two years - we may continue the application process at any time, but it's not likely. I don't feel the specifics are bloggable, so forgive me for leaving you hanging. That's just the way the cookie has crumbled. You can ask us in person if you want. Although we were devastated and deeply grieved by this door which closed - it can not be understated how this affects us for years to come (which, incidentally, is the very reason Tony is looking for a job in Argentina, we don't really have a choice since we're technically on our own and can't go with an organization, nor are we going with a church) - it has nothing to do with us, but with details that that are out of our control. We are learning to move on in the will of God. We are trusting Him. He has taught us some deeply painful, but very good and valuable lessons. And for those we are thankful. God closes windows only to open doors, right?


my favorite picture of Tony - reading the Illustrated Bible to orphans in Ecuador - man I LOVE this picture...



Update - March, 2011

It's been a crazy and pivotal past three months!

I don't know what to say except that God has really clarified His plan to us lately. For the past year we have felt like we have been groping around in the dark for details, unable to answer people's questions of when, and how, and what.

We are finally at a place of faith to just go. We know God is calling us to return to Argentina as missionaries, so we are going. Tony got laid off a month ago, then a huge door opened up right in front of us. We have decided to walk through it and trust God with the details. Everything we do now revolves around this decision. Passports are done, no job to hold us down, and we have found a home for all our stuff. We'll be selling, donating, or trashing the rest, and we have started and should soon finish baby's short round of shots. We have called the shipping company so see about shipping a vehicle, and we have both even begun looking for work in Argentina. So there you have it. Wrapping things up and getting ready to get on a plane!

There have been alot of twists and turns since we made this decision a year ago to make the Big Move to Missions. We thought it would look one way, but God showed us His way. His way is always the better way. I don't know now what on earth we were so worried about.

We have put missions organizations on hold because we believe that this open door is the way we are supposed to go. We were willing to go to another part of the country and train with OM, but it would have put us another year away from being in Patagonia.  I have to admit we both feel almost relieved over this recent shift in direction. Being able to go, trusting only in God, is incredibly freeing. Knowing we won't be dependent on others, but on God alone, for our support feels great, too. Tony has always said he could work and why didn't we just go and he could get a job. And so could I. Maybe my English will open some doors. Ultimately we trust GOD to provide, we are no longer worried. He has never failed us. He is simply asking us, "Will you go?" We have hemmed and hawed and answered, "But, what about...?". We have not had faith. We have not been trusting. We have raised all the human objections those around us have. We know He has big things for us to do, and now we feel free to just go and do it. We want to evangelize and help the poor. We need to go to them and let God do the rest. We have prayed for faith, and He has given it. We are ready to sell all our belongings and get on a plane and GO.

What could be more exciting than that?

There are still people trying to talk us out of going, that this is "unwise". We know that the voices may get louder now as we get ready to leave, but we want GOD, not this world. We want to do his will, not the American Dream.

God has been so good and so kind lately. We are overwhelmed at His provision since joining the ranks of the unemployed. He has set everything up to facilitate us going. Everything!

Several nights ago our son gave his life to the Lord. We weren't expecting it, never saw it coming. But the Holy Spirit has been moving in his life, preparing him for what God has in store for him. Which includes Argentina. I was a little concerned about how he would handle it - he is our "doesn't like change" child, and we didn't know if going to Argentina would get him saved or further harden his heart. God has been so kind, so good, so gracious and caring to touch our boy's life now. After he accepted Christ, Tony and I just hugged and cried and thanked God. Now it will feel like we are serving Him as a family, not just dragging our child half way across the world without his consent or approval.

Isaiah 55:12 has become so true for us:

"You shall go out with joy, and be led forth with peace..."

"Let us fix our eyes on Jesus..." - Hebrews 12:2

A strange and unexpected turn of events

So, we've joined the masses of the unemployed.

Yep, LAID OFF.

(but let us not forget to thank Jesus for unemployment - thank you, Jesus!)

Ah, yes, things have gotten pretty interesting around here lately. God is forever full of surprises!

And since bad things seem to happen in threes, the very same day both of our cars decided to conk out. Then the baby got croup, and it was off to the ER - again.

But, things are settling down now. We still have one car that works pretty well. Baby is all better. And we are no longer drowning in the paperwork that ensued post lay-off.


So what now? 


The really strange thing in all this, and a very unexpected turn of events amidst all the mayhem, was receiving some great news from a missions organization we've been corresponding with for a year now. I mentioned before that we really like OM (Operation Mobilization), but we didn't think that there would be a place for us with them, since they currently do not work in the area of Argentina we feel called to.

BUT, amidst all the recent craziness, we received an unexpected email response from them that their team in Argentina is actually happy to expand their mission work into Patagonia, sooner rather than later!

So I think we've found a potential missions organization and will be applying with them. :)

Awesome.

If it all works out [which remains to be seen, of course - always trusting in the Lord], we would go to a city in Argentina where they currently have a team, invest 6 months to one year in evangelism and training, and then be free to move to Patagonia and begin a team ministry there!

Super cool news.It's almost twilight zoney.

And, hey, what better time to make the Big Move to Missions than now??

:)

Update - December, 2010

BREAKING THE NEWS: Everybody knows now that we're crazy and planning to move to Argentina as missionaries  - even Mom, the last one to know (read about the reason). She took it exceptionally well. Or so we thought. Turns out not really. As a matter of fact, more than a few are not, it seems (1 Cor 2:14). Sigh. Oh well. Continuing to spread the news on other fronts. Fundraising will be our next step, so it's important everybody know. Hard when we go to a church of 400+ or so and we no longer know everyone.

PREPARATION: Got all our passports renewed and up to date! Tony finally got his US passport. Never thought I'd see the day (I believe it was, "Argentina til DEATH!". Uh-huh. Who's a Yankee now? LOL!). Baby had to get hers, and Dear Daughter's had expired. So expensive - geez. Glad we had that yard sale.

MISSIONS ORGS: We are contacting a variety of them now. We really like Operation Mobilization, and have had several really nice and very informative conversations with them. We don't know if it'll work out with them, though, because although they work in Argentina, they do not work in the area of the country we feel called to. And since they are a team-oriented organization (a good thing), they don't usually send people into a new area alone. But, we'll see. We're also looking into YWAM, which has an office in Bariloche, and other organizations, as well. 

     Closed doors, opens doors - God is in control of all that. But, as we get closer to leaving, it has become very clear to us that the most important thing we will need there is support (moral, spiritual, emotional, prayer, logistics - not just financial) . A missions organization would provide that. 

HEALTH: Many medical/dental issues to take care of. Thankfully the kids are healthy. Considering some shots for the baby - she hasn't had any yet. Argentina does not suffer from all the diseases prevalent in many other Latin countries, but we are reconsidering some shots for her, nonetheless. After her 911 scare, I don't want to go through that again for a preventable disease in an area where 911 may not be so reliable.

     Fortunately, I'm all caught up on my dental; Tony is another story. He has a beautiful smile, but his teeth are shot. 18 cavities. I guess that's what happens when you don't go to the dentist your whole life. No way we can afford to fix them all, so just waiting and praying about what to do. Maybe dental work is cheaper in Argentina. Who has $10,000 lying around to spend at the dentist, anyway? Not us, for sure.

     In other news, Tony proved his love for me by, er, insuring Mommy doesn't ever have to experience pregnancy again. Now that's love. At least, in my book. It went well, and no regrets, just peace. We like babies and love our kids; it's pregnancy, birth, and recovery I don't do well - especially in third world countries. I should write my birth story first time around in Argentina, to aid in the understanding. It's good for a laugh - or a good scare. Anyway, I'm all for loving more kids, I just suspect that, if they are in our future, they won't be biological ones. So, SO thrilled to not have this worry over my head!

     Also finally found a migraine medication that works ~ hallelujah! And doesn't necessitate a 911 call on myself for adverse reactions. The Migraine Diet has been UN-BE-LIE-VABLE - but I've already raved about that.

God is good.

I think that's all for now.

And for the local yocals: Fundraiser Meal to come, stay tuned.

:)

FAQ page

Check out our new FAQ page up top!

Any new questions, shoot away, we'll see if we can answer them.

:)

Entry [into Argentina] Fee for American Nationals

Bad news for us - taken from the Embassy of Argentina's website:


"Entry Request Fee for American Nationals

When entering Argentine Territory, the American nationals must pay a "reciprocity fee" of U$D 131.- or its equivalent in Argentinean pesos.

The payment of this reciprocity fee is NOT a visa, since Argentina does not require visa to American nationals when travelling for tourism or business purposes. The Argentine Government set this entry free on equal amounts Argentine citizens must pay when requesting a Visa to travel to the U.S."


That tacks another $524 onto our trip, just to get into the country - assuming Tony can use his Argentine passport. If the US balks about that, now that he is an American citizen, and makes him use his US passport only, it will go up to $655.

And don't forget the airport exit fee - $40 per person last time we were there. So another $200 just to leave Argentina.

Ay, ay, ay.

We are thinking of scratching the exploratory trip and just moving there.

This is getting ridiculous.

Update - September 2010

Yes, we're still going to Argentina (Lord-willing).

We have received a lot of confirmation lately that we are indeed in the way.

BREAKING THE NEWS: We officially told our church - meaning the pastor and leadership (still working on telling the other 400 people one by one). We are still in complete awe at the response of support we have received. I can not express how this has made us feel, and because I am not eloquent, I won't even attempt it. All I can say is that we are very much encouraged in the LORD and very excited to see what the Lord does - He's up to something! This is getting very interesting and, of course, is very exciting.

We've decided that it's time to tell my mom (again, the only one in my family that does not yet know). Now to actually do it... hard.

UPCOMING TRIP: We are planning an exploratory trip to Argentina hopefully around March. We plan on spending some time in the area we believe God is calling us to, gathering as much information as we can (cost of living, names and visits to rental agencies, state of the economy, climate, spiritual climate, crime, etc), visiting churches, visiting the main city and outlying villages, and most importantly: talking to the people. Talking, talking, talking is the way things are done in Argentina. I'm sure we'll spend most of our time doing this! And, of course, sharing the Gospel as much as we can along the way. And seeing if this really is it. We fully expect that God will confirm and clarify one way or the other before we take the plunge. And, of course, we will also be spending some time with Tony's family. It's been five years since he's been back, six for me and the kids, and they haven't met Peace Baby since her grand entrance into the family. Mom and kids will need much prayer and strength to get through eating dinner at 10pm and going to bed at the earliest 12pm, night after night. Praying for divine intervention here.

FUNDRAISER/YARD SALE: Our Mission Fundraiser is still on, but we've decided to modify the time and place, for several reasons:

1. we live on a major road and were concerned about little kids running off into it, and
2. we were recently offered a place to host it, along with lots of help :D

Doing it in January gives us time to work on the details to do it big, and to do it well. Date and time TBD.

Decided instead to do a YARD SALE in October. Great way to begin to get rid of STUFF and earn some $$ to put towards the upcoming trip.

OTHER PREPARATIONS: We are chipping away at all the health stuff that we need to get done before we head out: dental work, check-ups, finding a migraine treatment that works, and, at our age, permanent birth control (big smile :)).

And seeing as I do feel called to continue homeschooling abroad, and en anglais, I am busy planning the rest of my children's education up until 12th grade - just to get an general idea where we are headed and what I need to take with us (which is years worth of stuff). So, stocking up on as many books as I can get a hold of that we just will not be able to get there. No books in English in Argentina, you know. Come to think of it, no homeschoolers either... no homeschool co-ops, no homeschool classes, no homeschool conventions... and (my favorite) no homeschool law!

some juicy children's books I found for $0.25 each - happy day!

Well, I'm sure there's other stuff, but don't know what they are right now. This no caffeine diet thing does not allow my brain to function at full capacity...

:)

Update on the Big Move - July 2010

It's been four months since we started this blog. Thought I'd post another update on how things are unfolding.

BREAKING THE NEWS: My mom still does not know. This is really hard, but I guess the timing is still not quite there. She is still adjusting to being a widow, so we are definately trying to be as sensitive as we can to that. It will be hard, though, whenever we do tell her. Just trusting God. I wanted to bring it up at a recent family get together, and I asked Tony whether he wanted to mention it. He shook his head "no". So, of course, I chickened out. It's hard when you know what obeying God will mean for other people. We are still telling people one on one as it comes up at church and with friends. People who already know are telling other people we know, which helps spread the word. We know too many people to tell them all one at a time.

PROVISION/SUPPORT: I was at our local homeschool conference this month and got a chance to talk to Dave Hazell, founder of My Father's World curriculum, who lived in Russia for 8 years as a missionary. So of course I went up to him after one of his lectures, to pick his missions-minded brain and to ask about their own experience as missionaries. He shared that it's not really "his thing" to ask people for money (yeah, me either), so they just went. They had a small salary from the agency they went with, and he got a part-time job there. Once they got abroad and people began seeing what they were doing, they started giving. Through it all, they scraped and pinched pennies (ruples:)). He encouraged us to not put God in a box, that it doesn't have to look a certain way. If God is calling us, he said, he believes He is big enough to take care of us. His faith encouraged me tremendously, and I was able to encourage Tony with what he shared. Tony could get a job there, for example. We could start a small business. He suggested I could also teach English part-time. (I say no to all three, but that's because I know the economy there. It's the PITS. A peso doesn't go far anymore. A dollar goes four times as far. But, okay... must not box God...). I don't know, I agree with our missionary friends in Ecuador who pointed out that going with a job is not the ideal. You end up doing the same there as you do here, just changing countries. You end up with little time left over to do anything else.

A woman from church called me one morning recently and said she had been thinking about me and wanted to come over and catch up. We had a great talk, and I did the best I could to share what we think God is laying on our hearts, and all He has done to prepare us for it. She was very encouraging, and it helped to talk to her about it all. She, too, mentioned going as tentmakers. When she got up to leave, she pulled an envelope out of her purse and handed it to me saying, "The LORD told me to give this to you."

Inside was a check. She said she didn't know what "trip" it was for, but that the Lord told her to give it to us.  :)

FUNDRAISER/YARDSALE: I'm sure now we need to do a fundraiser meal. I think this FALL we'll do a combined ALL-YOU-CAN-EAT $10/plate-type thing, maybe with a YARD SALE on the side. We have so much stuff we need to get rid of. I don't know how much we will make, but hopefully it will take care of plane tickets for starters. Or enough to ship a container with our stuff (and possibly a car) inside. It's a start. Definately a great way to share with people what God is calling us to do and to get the word out.

PRAYER: Praying A LOT. Praying for faith. We've never had to trust God to this degree before. I mean, really. Praying for wisdom. For specific direction. Even started praying for a place to live there, specifically listing to God all the things we'll "need" there. Even praying for a job for Tony, if that's what the LORD would have. He has done it before, and I know He can do it again. I've learned to not hold back in prayer. He is good to give us all we need.

KIDS: They now know that we are moving to Argentina. They accept it as fact and as their future. Big A is not happy about it, however. Whenever we try to talk about it with him, he almost starts to cry. I guess 10 is a hard age to do this. I can't imagine 12 or 14 then. Please pray for him. We know that God has him in mind, He has all three of our children in mind, in calling us there. The call is just not for us, but for them. This is part of His will for their lives, as well. He has not forgotten about them and his sovereign plan covers them also. They are not an afterthought, and we know that God has amazing things planned for them as well in this. :)

TONY: Tony keeps wanting to write something here, but it just hasn't happenned yet. He's not much of a computer guy. One of these days. He does say that he feels more and more strongly that God wants us there. That God wants us to move "al Sur" - meaning to the south of Argentina. Funny, because I hear the same thing. Loud and clear. My friend who came over (and left the check) said she always saw us working with Spanish people. I remember one Sunday, some 8 years ago, she was praying for me at church as I just wept over how Tony was persecuting me for my faith (he was not yet saved), and she said, "Christine [she calls me Christine, I don't know why], this is preparation for you. One day you will be able to encourage Tony. I just see you working with Spanish people. I don't know if it's here or there. But, yes, I see it. Hang in there."

I'm so glad I did.

:)

An Update on Preparations - April 2010

It's been two months since we started this blog, so here's an UPDATE on how things are unfolding towards the Big Move To Missions...

PRAYER: We continue to pray daily about the "vision", as Tony has come to call it. I guess it is. God does that. Gives you an idea, lays something on your heart, puts something in your mind, gives you a dream, or just gives you an all-consuming passion for something. A vision. It is so neat to hear my husband, who used to persecute me for my faith, pray every day about serving the Lord with his LIFE. It's just awe-inspiring to me. Following God is so not boring. Except when you're washing the dishes. That's boring.

BREAKING THE NEWS: My mom still doesn't know about our plans. She's the only one! We went for a visit over a month ago to tell her face to face, but it was clearly not the right time. Her husband (my stepfather) had been declining physically, and she was barely hanging in there as his full-time nurse. I just couldn't bring myself to tell her. The timing was wrong and way off. A week later my stepfather died. :( They were married 25 years. I definately can not tell her now! Not yet. She needs time. So, for now, we're just praying for her, praying for the right time, and praying that, in the meantime, no little birdies accidentally leak the news. It's sweet when we ask the kids who they would like to pray for and they say, "Mom-mom".

MISSIONS ORGANIZATIONS: We are looking at the whole "missions organization" thing again. In talking to people, going with an "umbrella" has its benefits. So we're researching it some more. We don't read where it's a biblical requirement to serve Jesus, but we will certainly go with an umbrella if that is what is best. We would also love to go with the support of our home church, so Tony is in the process right now of sharing our plans with them. However it works out is fine with us, all we know is that God has made His plans clear, so we are walking forward. The details are in the Lord's hands, the best and most safe place they can be.

PEOPLE'S REACTIONS: It's been funny to see people's reactions. At first, it wasn't funny, but kind of discouraging. You always want people to be as excited for you as you are. That, of course, is not always the case. It does seem crazy. It is crazy. It was crazy when we took our young kids to Ecuador to do missions alongside us, where there just happpened to be an active volcano spewing ash all over the place. Who does that? Not many people, I guess. The reaction was the same back then. Not everyone reacts hesitantly, and no one says anything, but you can tell when the eyes momentarily bulge and a look of shock, then disbelief, then concern, sweeps over their face. It's still just so weird to me that some Christians think forsaking all to follow Christ is crazy or WEIRD. I never get used to that. And hope I don't.

here are the kids playing underneath the active volcano with their gas/ash masks on

BUT, many people have been very encouraging. I especially appreciate this. Tony doesn't seem to be affected so much from people's reactions, but he's a guy. And a natural born leader. He does what he needs to do regardless of what anybody says. That's what leaders tend to do - that's part of what makes them leaders. Regardless of the reactions we get, whether good or bad, nonetheless, the commands of Jesus still stand: go into all the world, preach the Gospel, feed the hungry, clothe the naked, visit the fatherless, visit those in prison, suffer little children to come unto Me, love your neighbor, etc., etc., etc.,... well, you know them.

TRAINING/EVANGELISM: Tony has been evangelizing as he is able, which isn't all that much when you have a job working with the same two or three guys all the time. Precisely why I encourage him to try not to think he "has to" get a job in Argentina (although he is willing to do this). It's leaves little time for anything else. The other week he took the kids into town to pass out invitations to the Spanish church to as many Latinos as they could find. They knocked on doors, handed out tracts, and talked to every Latin person they saw. Which seems to be a lot lately down on Main Street. Tony is one of those people that has no fear of man. He'll talk to anyone, and he does it so naturally.

SUPPORT/PROVISION: And, since we can't do all this without MONEY, I've begun planning a "Moving to Patagonia" Yard Sale. We have to get rid of a lot of STUFF. Whether we leave the rest in storage or take it with us remains to be seen, but I just can't believe we actually have to downsize after 9 years in the States. We started with our underwear in cardboard boxes because we didn't have furniture! All the proceeds will probably be put towards plane tickets or supplies. Also going to do a Fundraiser meal at some point, as well. Mostly just sharing with people one on one and spreading the word for now.

DEPARTURE DATE: Many people ask WHEN we're leaving. At the earliest, next Fall (their Spring). At the latest, when the baby is 4 or 5. Although I don't see us leaving that late, you never know.

ON THE HOME FRONT: More of the same: homeschooling, preparing meals, washing dishes, washing clothes, changing diapers, lots of Bible study... the occassional fun field trip. In addition to doing a lot of research regarding the Big Move, I've been praying to just NOT LOSE FOCUS. For both of us. It's so easy, especially for me (since I grew up to be an "independent woman of the '90s", not to "waste" my life staying home with kids) to forget that my first God-given ministry is to my husband and my children. If I fail here, I fail (this is my opinion and conviction). It doesn't matter how many people we reach for Christ, if we don't reach your own family first, our own children that God has given us, we've failed. If we lose our own kids for "the ministry" or "the call", we lose. It is very easy, and a subtle slip, to start putting "ministry" or your perceived "calling" ahead of the one you've already been given: your own family. That is the temptation when I think about living in Argentina as missionaries, where the need is SO great. I pray that God always helps me, helps us, to always keep our priorities straight.

I think that's all for now.
:)

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PS - posted another pic on Tony's Adoption Story :)