Thailand or bust!

On June 14th we had to exit our country because our visa was up. For the first 10 days we stayed at a retreat center called the Juniper Tree, where other "workers" like us come for some R&R. It was such a great experience...even though we had three days of medical to do! We were able to meet people from all over this side of the globe who have a heart for Jesus. What a blessing! The kids made some new friends as well...

Even mom and dad got to hang with some buddies from another region who had been in town for some other meetings!

One night we got to head out for miniature golf...

Silly Willies...

...and sleepy-heads...

Rise and shine for some fun!

Allie and "Brookie" hanging together at the pool!

Dee Dawg making his way up and down and up and down and up and down the pool!

-Maybe that's why he has this look on his face!
And when you're tired of swimming, what's one to do?

HAVE AN ICE CREAM!!!

Boy, this is a tough life!

When the kids weren't out at the pool, you could probably find them on one of the three playgrounds...


--or playing ping pong!

Time to leave the Juniper Tree and head to the Empress...
Ok, so you know mom had to have a photo shoot!

Once our agm meetings began, Caleb and the other "Youth" headed to another hotel to "do their thang"...you'll have to check out his blog in the future for their fun times together!

Allie and Jessica sang during the Kids' Recital! They did a great job singing,

"Once Again"...beautiful!

On July 4th, we were able to spend half a day at Grace International School where the older kids were having VBS. The fellowship and food were great, but the best part was

the Youth (i.e. CALEB) got to be with us!

We all had a good time swimming that day, but I only got a shot of Ella Mac! Look at her go! Remember "miss timid" who used to hang onto the ladders? She's off and running--I mean swimming!

While the grown-ups were in meetings all day, some brave souls came from East Cooper Baptist Church in Mt. Pleasant (SC folks!), Kentucky, and California (and a few other individuals from other places) to minister to our kids. What a blessing they were to the whole family!

One of Brooke's teachers from Kentucky...

Mrs. Mary Lou

Some of Brooke's buddies...

Mrs. Mary Lois and Mr. Truman

Wow, were these teachers great! Pastor Buster relayed a story to us during agm one day...when he had asked Mr. Truman what in the world he was doing with the two year olds, he said, "I just hold 'em and rock 'em and pray over them." Thank You, God for sending prayer warriors to love on our kids!

All this fun can sure wear ya out!

Just a little view of the Kids' Program on the last night. It was really good! Yep, Allie, Daniel, and Erin are all up there singing their hearts out to the "Game Day Central" songs.

Erin with her teachers, Dr. John, his daughter Caroline, and their friend Laura. This could have been a " traumatic" time for Erin, as she is now in the "older kids" group which boards a huge "greyhound"-type bus and goes to the International school away from mommy and daddy. Thanks to lots of hugs, Erin had a blast!!

How wild to find another Lexington girl here on the other side of the globe! Thanks, Michelle for coming and using your gifts to bless our kids!!!

Dee with his homey, Chris "aiya" (big brother in Sinhala)

We were at a loss without Cabo all week--though we were grateful he had the opportunity to be with the youth we still missed hanging out with him! I know Allie and Jessica felt the same way about Cait not being with us! At least Allie and Jessica had some good bonding time!

Anyone for a "Mike's Hamburger" night! YUM!!!

Allie and Jessica are up for it!

Surely that's not MY daughter hanging out the back of a tsuong tao?

Yep, it was a great trip...good food (BAR-B-QUE!!!, hamburgers, and Nacho's Grande!!), awesome fellowship/worship/teaching...but after 3 weeks of being out of country, I have to say, we were all asking with Brooke...

Are we home yet????

Allie Cat is 12!!!!!!!!!

Ok, so it may help if you read our post about Caleb’s b-day before Allie’s...

you’ll get it better if you do!

It’s Thursday, May 24th and our little Allie Cat is 12!! Can you believe it?

I’m finding it hard myself! Ain’t she pretty?

Allie requested blueberry pancakes as well for her birthday breakfast.

Yeah! Two big breakfasts in one week!!

Allie also got some cool gifts from her siblings--including a fishing pole (actually a stick). She was excited, as was Caleb, about the MONEY and the Avalon dvd...

Even though Allie did not become a teenager this year, turning 12 is pretty monumental, too. We wanted it to be an extra-special day for her, so we took her also to the water’s edge to share “her story” with her, reading Scripture and then praying over her with each memory.
We shared with her how thankful (but a little scared, too) we were when we found out she was on the way. A little scared knowing that Caleb was only 4 months old, we had only a temporary insurance with no maternity benefits and little funds (isn’t that life in seminary?). But, God was good. His timing had been perfect with Caleb, so we trusted it was the same with her. Then we found out this would be a high-risk pregnancy. Hence, her middle name—Faith.
We shared with her the gifts we have already seen in her life—singing and ‘mothering’ and how God wants her to use those gifts to glorify Him. We reminded her of the night at revival where she placed her faith and trust in Christ. We read as we had with Caleb Psalm 127:1 and prayed for her future mate, should our Lord tarry. As we closed with each child, we read Psalm 113 as a praise to God for being who He is and for doing the things He has done—in particular, verse 9, “He settles the barren woman in her home as a happy mother of children.”

Yes, GOD IS GOOD!!

Allie got to have her cake on Friday night as well during the Youth Lock-In.

Allie with the crew...

How can we say thanks for such perfect gifts?

Yes, GOD IS GOOD!

Celebrate good times, come on!

Boy, does that tell my age or what!! On Wednesday night, we celebrated with our new neighbors. We hadn’t planned on having a party…but our neighbors did! We’re glad they did, too. They are a precious group!

Yes, Erin was here, but she eluded the camera--something she's getting good at! After we read Psalm 139 (which seemed to be the theme for this week) and prayed a blessing over our newly-turned-teenager and next-day-to-be-12-yr-old, we had "shorteats" and CAKE...



Imagine this...One of the customs here is to feed the first piece of cake to all your guests…starting with your mother and father (that’s good for us!). Don’t know who the last one was who got to bite off at the end of the line!

Caleb is enjoying this a little too much, isn't he?

All in all, it was a good night of "bonding" with our new neighbors...something we hope to do a lot more of in the future!

A TEENAGER??? What's up with that???

I really don’t think we’re old enough to have a teenager, but here he is…and yep, that’s 13 candles on his birthday blueberry pancakes!

Cabo got some really cool gifts from his younger brother and sisters. I think he thought the “Hip Hope” dvd and money was pretty cool too that he got from his “old folks”.

Since it’s true, Caleb has now passed over from childhood to teen“hood”, his daddy and I wanted to do something extra-special with him. We went to the wall here in the Fort, and looking out over the Indian Ocean (How cool is that?) we shared “his story” with him.

From the days of longing for a baby and not being able to have one, to how God performed a miracle two days before I was to have a laproscopy, to how God gave us the name Caleb, how God put in my heart that hundreds of women could be a 3rd grade teacher at 96 Elementary but only I could be Steven Caleb’s mommy and thus resigned from my teaching career, of how God called us to China and sustained us through his many sicknesses and later surgeries, to the call God had now placed on HIS life here in South Asia…

whew—what precious memories we shared!

Between memories, we would share Scripture that either God had used during those circumstances or that somehow applied to them. We challenged him with them, then prayed claiming each of those Scriptures for him. It really was a very special time!

But his cake would have to wait...

...(aside from our Wednesday night “party” with our neighbors) until Friday night when we had—get this—a youth lock-in!!! Several months ago, in an attempt to give Caleb and Allie an opportunity for fellowship among their peers, we started a youth group. It consists of about 13 kids—now nine since three have gone back to America --and we have a blast with them. We worship through song, Bible study, and of course, fellowship!

SOO, we decided it was about time for a LOCK-IN!!! What were we thinking??? Actually, aside from the fact that it was after 5 am before anyone even thought of sleeping, it was a great time! Here’s Cabo with the crew!

Where does the time go? Thankfully, we do have these precious memories…memories of a baby we really thought we might never have—along with four others!!

Can someone say, “GOD IS GOOD”?!!!!

GOD IS GOOD!!!

Our Baby Girl is 2!

It's hard to believe that our little baby girl turned 2 last weekend! Since Brooke's birthday was on Sunday and we wanted to spend that day worshiping instead of stressing about partying, and because Daddy was going to be gone all day Saturday ministering, we decided to celebrate 2 days early on Friday. Brooke didn't mind the date change, that's for sure!

Here's Brooke (and Daniel and Erin) helping with the special Birthday Berry Muffins...

Yum, yum...these muffins sure are tasty!

Family pic with the birthday girl...
Oh, have you met Vijitha?
We can keep our heads above water because Vij is the cleaning machine!


"Happy Birthday to you!
Happy Birthday to you!
Happy Birthday, dear Brooke!
Happy Birthday to you!
May the dear Lord bless you!
May the dear Lord bless you!
May the dear Lord bless Brooke!
May the dear Lord bless you!"

Don't forget the family birthday party...Well, it wasn't really a party.
It was just cake after lunch--but Brooke sure enjoyed it!!

Erin did too, once she finished her rice and curry!

What a sight! You do know that one of the easiest adjustments our kids made to living on this side was how we eat...with our fingers! I promise...that's how they do it. Please remember that if you see my kids in a restaurant in the states!

After naptime, we moved the "party" to a favorite beach site...The Happy Banana!

Here's the crew!

Please tell me that's not my 2 year old out there swimming by herself?

Absolutely! She's loves the water and can't stand you hangin' on her!

Gotta have some sand time, though!

Burying Allie Cat...

Brooke with her new gift from the "Y"s

Gift time back home after getting cleaned up...

Daniel gave Brooke a "fishing pole"...actually it was a stick!

Donut Man from Granny! Brooke LOVES the Donut man!

On to the clothes...

From Grandma and Grandpa Jim

From the Rogers...

Ok, so I had to slide this one in even though it was taken on Sunday, her true birthday...

such a cutie!

Back to the gift opening...what's this? Yep, Caleb, Allie, Daniel, and Erin got in on the fun with gifts from Uncle Kev and Aunt Ash...

Enough of the fun...it's bedtime!

Boy, it's tough being 2!

That's all for now!

'Til next time, I sure hope your days are as blessed as ours!

God is good!!