Our Daily Schedule

The routine continues.

We get up early (it starts getting light about 5:30 or so), get started with breakfast, feed Kayla and Tyler, get them dressed, pack a lunch for Kayla, and get bags ready for the day. Tanya leaves to walk to the school to read about 7:30am (its about a 15 minute walk) and the rest of our family starts walking about 8:00am until a taxi comes by to take us to the Christian school here in Panama.

Betty Alvarado helps run the Christian bilingual school at the Church of Christ. She offered that Kayla go to this school while she was here...and it didn't cost us anything! What a blessing this has been to us and our daughter! She is working on her Spanish all the time. It is kind of funny to listen to. It kind of sounds like Spanish, but it really isn't any language at all (at least to us). She has so many friends now in Panama. Her teachers love her (and her red hair).

Tyler and I hang out for a little while, he takes a nap, I get a few things done for our project, and then we make our way to the cafeteria about 11:15am where we will meet the rest of the team for lunch. After lunch Tanya and Tyler go back to the house while I go to read for the afternoon. Depending on our plans for dinner we meet each other, cook dinner, have our team devotional and depart to our respective houses.

For our family, this begins our nightly routine of baths; after a long day of high humidity and a little rain (yes it rains every day only with a couple of exceptions since we've been here), this is much needed. After baths we get ready for bed and get to sleep. This early time to bed (sometime around 9pm) makes getting up so early the next morning easier! Then we get to do it all over again.

I hope you have enjoyed this glimpse into our daily schedule while here in Panama.

Panama Pictures

Here are a couple of pictures of our family. I thought I would share them today. We are near the Bridge of the Americas at the end (or beginning) of the Panama Canal. There were several big cargo ships leaving the canal and cranking up their engines. Enjoy.

Update from Panama

We have arrived!! Hitting the ground running we have been reading one-on-one with readers every day since we arrived. One of Courtney's readers showed up for Wednesday night service with her mother and child. What a cool thing after only inviting them that morning.

Kayla and Tyler are adjusting well. Just this morning Kayla was singing, "Arriba, up; abajo, down." She also like to say outside the window "Hola. Buenos dias" to the people next door.

It is fun to see EVERYONE (no exception) watch Kayla with her beautiful red hair. Wherever we go people talk about what a beautiful doll she is.

With eyes on us constantly, please pray that we bring glory to our God and take advantage of that witness. The people in Panama are so nice. They are eager to improve their English and make a good American friend. We are grateful that we have this opportunity.

Panama!!

We leave for Panama on Monday morning. Things are kindof getting crazy around here! There are always last minute things to get together. That is just how these trips go.

I am excited to see how our whole family does in another country together. I'm sure we will do fine, but someone mentioned on Sunday that Tyler is going to be walking when he gets back. That will probably be true! I never thought of that. We think the family we are staying with has a little girl about Kayla's age, so language might be interesting, but really cool to watch. Hopefully the little Spanish Kayla does know will help out.

This year is also going to be good to see how God works through what we offer. Our team is wonderful! I can't wait to read again.

Lord, please guide our steps. Let us walk with you. Continue to prepare the hearts that will be touched by your word this summer, my own included. You are amazing. Protect us for your name's sake. Amen.

Christ's Sacrifice

It is good to relax with family. Historically, I have really gone into relax mode doing practically nothing, even getting upset when Tanya asks me to do something for her. That is not what Christ's sacrifice has called me to. This season I am going to go out of my way to help get things done. I am going to help with the cooking, cleaning, keeping up with kids, etc. Whatever needs to get done I am going to work at it as if working for Christ. Let's all remember that we still follow Jesus during the holidays. This is our calling...this is what we need to do.

Kayla's ABCs

I thought I would share this little video. It reminds me of how good spending time with my family really is. God has truly given us many good gifts. Enjoy.

Packing for Rio

As you can see, tonight I am packing for my two-week trip to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. We leave tomorrow! Trying to get everything into one suitcase is going to be a chore; I don't know how I am going to do it. I do have one little bad that I can check if need be, but I don't want to carry this one around too.

I am going to miss my family tremendously! This will be the longest time that I have been away from everyone since Tanya and I have been married. Wow! God will give us strength though. He has also provided Skype...a cool way to keep in touch with them with video calls...yes!!

Well, the work ahead is going to be hard, but rewarding at the same time. Lee Ann and I have been preparing for this trip since way back last fall. The journey has been amazing and I look forward to seeing the people God will touch through us. We are focused on Sharing Jesus and Sharing Ourselves. I can't wait to read the story of Jesus with people!

Lord, protect us as we travel. Let our hearts be prompted by your Spirit to move us where you need us to accomplish your will...whether we are aware of it or not. Give us the words to say, the energy to love, the compassion to listen, and the guidance to grow. Please continue to prepare the hearts of our readers. Let them encounter you as they interact with us. Grow them to be your disciples telling others about who you are. Keep us in your arms. Amen.

Family Golf

I am enjoying my time in Carrollton. Yesterday I played golf with my dad, uncle, and cousin. I really wanted to play while in Dallas, so I made sure that we got that chance. (I was able--amazingly enough--to pack my golf clubs in our already over-stuffed car!)

I knew that it would be more fun--especially for my dad--if we could play a scramble. I didn't care if it was a four-man or a two-man. I knew that it would just be a fun thing to do. My family tends to be incredibly competitive, so I wanted to diminish this a little. A scramble takes some of the individual competition out of play so we can just enjoy playing.

Through five holes my dad and I were four under par! Then we had to stop playing because of a HUGE storm passing through. An hour-and-a-half later we continued play. It wasn't the same. We finished the front nine two under and shot two over on the back finishing even par! Oh well! It was fun, we spent some good family time together, and that is what matters.

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How many times do we forget to enjoy life? We tend to make too many things a competition. I behave better that him...I have better clothes than she does...We raise our kids better than they do...and so on it goes. Let's enjoy each day to its fullest with what God has already given us! Then we can point to God rather than ourselves when we finish even par, 18 under, or 46 over.

The Weekend

I had a good weekend. Chilled with the fam on Friday morning. Mowed lawns Friday afternoon. Had college students over on Friday night to say good-bye to a great couple who is leaving us.

Saturday I had huge fun playing a four-man best-ball scramble. We shot one under 71. It was fun. Chilled the rest of the day with the fam. Went on a walk with everyone. That is a fun thing to do with the family.

Sunday we came together with a group of Christians to worship and praise our creator. We had a new prayer section in our worship that was especially moving. Took a nap, meet with elders, went to New Waverly, and went to bed.

Last night I had an interesting dream that I will share about later.

Parent's Visit

This weekend my parents are coming to Huntsville. I think it is great that they get a chance every once in a while to come down. It is refreshing to have family come visit. Kayla has been saying Che-Chann for the last few days. Tanya asks her who is coming and Kayla gets this big smile on her face and says, "Che-Chann." I can't wait to play some 42 and cards, sit around and talk, and watch Kayla play around the house. Praise the Lord for family!

Ministry to My Family

Well, I mentioned that last night was a good reminder for me in regard to my marriage. Something happened in my mind last night for the first time. It wasn't the first time I thought about it, but it was the first time I actually pictured what it would look like. Let me explain.

I have said before that my family is my ministry. When I said this, my mind thought about spending time with them doing family things, being around the house, going out occasionally, and just being ourselves. That is what I "do" for this ministry.

Here is the shift that happened last night: if my family is my ministry, then I need to minister to my family. This may seem like a simple observation and obvious to some, but it is not so obvious when you are at home with your family. I thought that ministering to my family was just being myself. This is true because I always want to "be myself." But, I can't just let down my guard and say whatever thoughts come to my mind. I can't just vent my frustrations when they first come. I can't "go on pause," so to speak, when I am at home. I still need to be a minister.

At the Student Center, I would never think about venting to a student I am mentoring. If I did, I believe and pray that it would be done in a very pastoral and wise way. Why do I think that I can have this freedom at home? That is unfair to my bride and my little girl.

I need to work at home. I can't just go on pause and offer my raw self to my family thinking that this is ministry to my family. I must intentionally be the minister and leader of our family.

That is not to say I can't express emotions or be real with my family. No way! It is to say that I use pastoral care and ministry skills when I do so.

I pray that the Lord enable me to stay focused as I begin to intentionally minister to my family.