Traveling Thursday

Hello, hello!

Well, I hope to catch you all up to date with pictures now that we are getting the internet situation worked out! Sorry to keep you all in waiting! We have really appreciated all your prayers.

Kids climbing in the van, ready to go and saying goodbye to their grandparents!

Our whole family at the church! So excited that our dream is comming true!

Everyone gathering and packing up the last of the supplies and "carry-ons". This took a little longer than I thought it would and we even started off a few minutes late. There are a lot of little last minute details that have to be worked out and making sure that everyone has everything and all the walkie-talkies are ready to go!

Trailer is completly full.

Everyone (and some family members) gathered around to go over some important details.

Ken sayed a prayer for our team to send us off! Thank you to everyone for your prayers!

Here we go!! The kids were so excited to finally get into all their travel goodies! They kept trying to get a peak at them in our bedroom the past week!

Our little caravan...we're following the leader, the leader, the leader, we're following the leader wherever he may go...Mexico hopefully!

Tim loves to drive and plan our trips, so he is excited to be taking a "road trip"! (Look at the snow in the background as we left the area.)

Having fun and getting creative (the pipe cleaners were one of the favorites! Mommy and Daddy liked how quiet that toy was too! lol!)

Goodbye beautiful Oregon.

Traveling at night...we had a couple of flashlights, but the kids LOVED the glow-in-the-dark bracelets/necklaces from Lissa!! Michelle and Merry joined us for a bit, which was really helpful as it was dark and the kids enjoyed some new entertainment...mom and dad aren't that exciting! lol! =) I did have to sneak back to the front row seats during this part of the drive and nurse Hudson while he was still in his seat. He did so well the whole drive and the kids have been awesome about waiting to go to the bathroom when we come to a reststop...we do have to encourage them to hold it, but they are troopers! =)

Overall the kids did really well...the new toys were a big help! We pulled into Redding, CA and stopped to stay the night at a church just outside of town. We arrived around 11:30 or so and quickly unpacked what we needed for the night. The team was spread out in about 4 different rooms and our family was blessed to have our own room.

The kids had fallen asleep before our last stop, so they were still full of energy and excitement for the trip. It took them until around 12:30 to fall asleep. We did have a bit of Wi-Fi and I tried to post some on here, but it bumped me off, and I was too tired to keep trying to post, so I hope you don't mind me playing a little catch up!

Our van does seem to be having some troubles...we have two gas tanks and after the front one was empty, Tim switched to the back and found that it isn't working very well...possibly something to do with the fuel line? We have a few guesses. We did have to make an "emergency stop" at the closest gas station after we switched to get more gas. Thankfully we didn't run out! The Lord is watching over us...even if it is a bit stressful for a momment!

I feel really good on this trip...the healthy way we are eating has helped me not feel quite so dizzy or yucky while traveling. We are all still super excited, but getting a bit tired after a busy day. We hope to catch up on our sleep soon...(if that's even possible on a mission trip with a family!! lol!!)

The team is really working together well, I am thankful for all the extra hands and eyes for my kids and even though there have been some unexpected delays, everyone seems to be understanding and loving. Lots of fun going on!

Keep praying! More traveling to come!

(ps...please pray for good internet connections to keep all our family and friends up to date! It also helps when it is fast so I can spend less time on here and more time being involved. And you must know that I love you all as I am doing this fast and just putting the pictures online SOOC (Straight Out Of the Camera), so please excuse any darker images...its all just the raw truth of real life!lol!)

I'm Not The Only One??!!! Whew!

Today after church we started our final meeting (above, not everyone is pictured) and I hear Brandon begin by saying that usually before a trip everyone experiences a lot of difficulties and spiritual warfare.

I couldn't believe my ears...WHY didn't I think of that?!? 

Let me explain...

Yesterday I was emotionally and physically spent...so much so that I skipped dinner and gave myself a "time out" alone in my room for about an hour. Tim has been more tired than usual. Hudson has had a rough week sleeping (he caught a cold), which means I didn't get hardly any sleep for a few days. And the kids have seemed more difficult (and excited) than usual. Roll that into a ball with "we have so much to do" and I was needing a break.

Yet, I couldn't believe that I didn't realize (or recognize) that there was a HUGE spiritual battle going on.

YEA!!!! (no, I'm not being sarcastic) It is so good to know that I'm not imaging it and things have been a bit crazier than usual. You know..."one step forward, five steps backwards" kind of a few days.

I am so glad that the Lord reminded me of this. Twice actually...right after the meeting we stopped by a friend's house to borrow a cooler to keep in our van on the drive. She asked me to come in and get a quick tour of her new home I have been meaning to see. While were walking and talking she shared with me about the sermon that they had at their church this morning: Spiritual Warfare.

Yep. I LOVE how God always encourages me, reminds me and even disciplines me by bring up the same verse or topic in many ways.

We are in a battle everyday. Satan doesn't want me to stay at home with my kids, teaching them about the Lord, making healthy foods to heal them, encouraging my husband, planning a mission trip to Mexico.

NO! Satan would love it if I would spend my days in self-pity, laziness, ignorance or comparison--rather than know he exists and to be fighting for the Kingdom of the Lord. I think in general Americans (even in the church sometimes) don't want to look into or admit that there is a spiritual realm. So it's kind of a touchy subject. 

Did you notice how you responded when I started writing about Spiritual Warfare? Did you get uncomfortable? Annoyed? 

Jesus talks a lot about this in the Bible...and He made a lot of people uncomfortable too. Not just to be mean, but to wake us up to the reality of the world around us. To take action and to be prepared.

All this to say...please keep our whole team in your prayers. We are going to need it and it is such an encouragement to know you are praying for us.

James 5:16 "The prayer of righteous person is powerful and effective."

Your prayers mean a lot. 


Well, the meeting went well (except for the occasional noisiness from our kiddos!)...we reviewed briefly how each of the team leaders are doing in preparing, we covered how we need to be efficient and timely when we stop on the road so that we work as a team to get things done and back on the road again, the last of the money for the company we are using was due today (of course we forgot ours at home! lol! Don't worry, we got it there later!), costs for food on the road, remembering passports (I do keep thinking that we are going to forget these! lol!) and many other little last minute details that need to be covered before we pack up and hit the road.

I have been so grateful at the thoroughness of the notes and detailed plans that we cover. If I was a college age student, I probably wouldn't care too much, but as a mama to young kiddos and needing to feed them a bit differently-it has been wonderful! You can tell this team has done this more than once!

Here is a picture of our kids sitting off to the side eating lunch (the meeting was about 2 hours right after church)...sorry to everyone who had to smell it cooking! They were so thankful to have food (and I was too knowing that they were not melting down from low blood sugar! lol!)...although Auston was bummed about not having any cheese in the meal.

Yeah...he loves cheese.

God is taking such good care of us. Things are coming together more and more every day (although, like I said above, sometimes in the moment it feels like a "five steps backwards" day or two!) So many friends and family members are praying for us and have sent money for our trip. I love seeing all their hears joined to our trip in a beautiful mosaic of support. Every little bit has helped and together it is creating an amazing masterpiece.

I hope to find a minute in the next few days to share more on all the support and love we have received to go on this trip.

Just for good measure, God worked it out to bless me personally:

Today my in-laws are watching the kids for awhile (it was a surprise to me!), Tim and I stopped at the store and got me a salad, some dates and some tea...so here I sit in SILENCE (!!!!!) enjoying some delicious jasmine tea enjoying the snow delicately falling out the windows when we got home, and now the gorgeous puffy clouds and blue sky...makes my heart full and refreshed.

AND!!! I just got a phone call (yes, honestly-right NOW!) from some friends of ours that want to cover ALL the remaining costs of our trip.

IS GOD AMAZING OR WHAT!!!???

But, we already knew that. =)

(George Mueller would be proud..."If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, 'Be uprooted and be planted in the sea,' and it will obey you." Luke 17:6)

Serving Him,

tarena

Yep...we're leaving for Mexico in one week!

I totally can't believe it.

This week has gone SO FAST for me (it has gone SO SLOW for Tim)...only because we were snowed in(8-12 in.?), lost power and the kids got into the linen closet last week and pulled every linen and blanket out...then when I told them to put it away, they put it all on the dirty clothes in the laundry room. I am now just catching up and the laundry room has been tamed.

I really like to be on top of the laundry.

And the dishes.

If I'm not, the whole house can go chaotic on me in .5 seconds.

I'm not kidding.

So, now that I'm not climbing laundry mountains, I suddenly find that it is THURSDAY!?! What?! When did that happen? Seriously, I had no idea what day it was...Tim had to remind me yesterday that it was Wednesday when I told the kids it was Tuesday. lol.

So, all that to say-I can hardly believe we will be leaving in one week.

One. Week.

Things are all coming together and I am amazed at how the Lord provides. Just when I start to stress a bit, He reminds me that He is in control and that this whole process is part of the experience-and just for good measure He makes sure another support check arrives in the mail that day.

I love it.

Here are some of our supplies...

Yes, when you are going to be driving a total of 60 hours in a van with 5 kids, you buy an "on the go potty" (pretty cool actually!) and sanitizer.

I found these on amazon.com and I am totally excited about the sanitizer as it is made without alcohol. Totally out of natural products (like plant oils) and STILL kills 99.99% bad bacteria.

Yep, God rocks. He gives us so many plants to keep us healthy!

Here are a few of the other food products we are taking...although, one is "hair conditioner", one is for salads and one is for "sunblock". (Yes, there will be plenty of food, we just eat a lot of salads, so we are bringing some extras so we don't hog all the dressings!)

If you are thinking "Granola Mama" right about now-or that I'm a bit looney... it's ok...I'm used to it! =)

(oh, and I did consider making a batch of grain free granola for the road, but it takes a while...and we eat it too fast, so I think I'm going to skip it this time...I do hope to make some homemade beef jerky this week though! I do love Tim...and he LOVES jerky!)

I have been pleasantly surprised at how much easier it will be than I originally thought to continue to eat the way we do normally at home. This seemed like a HUGE undertaking (or impossible?!), but with getting a chance to see the meal plan last month and by bringing a few things as substitutes, it will all work out just fine! 

We would love any and all prayers for us as we prepare the final things this last week. When I remember that the Lord is in control and that it will all come together, I am really peaceful about this next week...only occasionally have I had a tense moment as I think about packing our family of 7 for this mission trip!


Serving Him,
tarena

Road Trip Treats

I am getting really excited for the fun things that the kids are going to get to do on the road!

A sweet friend of mine (Melissa, or Lissa online) sent the kids a whole package of goodies to keep them busy:

• Personalized folders with printed out games (included are some awesome road games!), coloring book, crayons, mechanical pencil and stickers.
• Coloring book for Hudson (little kid version)
• Word games for Tim
• Scrapping and crafting magazines for me
• Silly Puddy for each of us
• Glow in the dark bracelets/necklaces....a set for each of us and each package has 15!

Then I went to the Dollar Tree to pick up a few things (I also knew that they would come in handy for homeschooling stuff-but I still only spent $25!)

I got them:

• Bucket and Shovel (multi-purposeful: garbage bucket for each of them, puke bucket if needed (yes, we have to plan for this! lol!) and we will be going to the beach as a team on the last day, so it will be fun!
• Pencil holders (to keep some of this stuff in!)
• Mini clip-boards
• Glue sticks...cuz, really-can you ever have too many???
• Pipe cleaners (they are quiet and you can create so much with them!)
• Googley eyes
• Mini staplers (I had one as a kid an LOVED it!)
• Magnifying glasses (we have old maps we are going to give the older kids to keep track of where we are...if they want...but who wouldn't?! Maps are awesome! Can you say co-pilot? =)
• Bible Game Cards
• Clip on reading light (this was for Keaton in case he wants to read or co-pilot while it is dark)
• And yes...I did give them band-aids...these are a treat for our kids (I think most kids, right?!?)...they just love to stick them all over themselves. =)

THEN my mom just sent up a box of tons of activity and sticker books too! They are going to have so much fun! (And yes...if there are any "big kids" who will be on the trip with us...you can ride with us...we will share! Just tell everyone that you wanted to give Tarena a break from all those kids and are "crowd control"...we won't let them know that you really just want to play with the Silly Puddy! lol!)

The coolest part of all this (besides the wonderful generosity of Lissa and my mom-thanks you guys!), was while we were in The Dollar Tree an older man came up to Tim with the kids (I was in a different isle trying to keep their road trip toys a surprise), and said that he wanted to give him $5 in memory of his son who had passed away.

I feel like that is just one of those "George Mueller" moments (you'll have to read an earlier post if you don't know what this means)...God is so faithful and provides for this trip (and every part of our lives) in so.many.ways.

Thank you Lord.




Serving Him,
tarena

Working On The Van

Working on the van a bit before it's ready to hit the road...

this may be more difficult than we anticipated.

Pray for us! 

Serving Him,

tarena

Bought a 15 passenger van...

...oh yes, yes we did. =)

Serving Him,
tarena