New Options

This week our dear Miya has figured out how to undress herself.  you are thinking good for her, except that undressing includes her diaper.  On more than one occassion we have found Miya buck naked in her crib with the sheets needing to be changed.  Well, Miya will keep me on my toes and always trying to stay one step ahead of her. 
On Friday Justin and I had the opportunity to go to our kids school and share about our experience in Guatemala.  It was very well received and I think many students and teachers were blessed by the experiences that we shared.  Continue to pray for those in Guatemala that they may seek the Lords will for their lives. 
We continue to prepare for winter here.  I am working outside today trying to get the flower beds in order.  I always love the blooming flowers but I hate clean up in the fall.  I guess that can extend past the flower beds and I could make a blanket statement . . . I hate clean up anywhere . . .but i guess someone has to do it!
I gotta go the girls are awake and I need to get back outside
God Bless

new life

I'm not sure that anyone is still reading this blog, but now that my extreme exhaustion is disipating a little I thought I would fill you in.  We are expecting a new baby (the natural way) due the end of April.  So, I have been so tired I often spent my days in the recliner with twins just crawling on and off of my lap.  I am feeling much less tired now and ready to hit the craft ideas that I have saved up in my computer. 
VIcki
Let me know if you still read so I know if I should keep posting!

CHANGEs in the schrock family

Justin here tonight.  Vicki said that I needed to tell this story.  So life on Thursdays has been crazy to say the least.  Emilee has gymnastics, Caleb and I are taking Taekwondo, and this past Thursday Vicki was scheduled to work.  Vicki was working, Emilee and I were rushing around downstairs trying to get her gymnastic clothes ready, when Caleb started to shout from his room.  He was up there with Miya and one of his friends.  I proceeded to go up there to see what was happening.  I saw Caleb holding his sisters face screaming at her.  WELL, Miya had taken one of his coins from Guatemala and put it her mouth, I went into the room and to get to her JUST as she swallowed.  Now, Miya usually spits things out if she takes them.  But not this time.  So, not knowing how big of coin, not knowing if it was indeed a coin, and needing to get Em to her gymnastics, Caleb and his friend ready for Taekwondo, we proceeded to wait and watch.  Menawhile Caleb was wigging out that he is out of his money.
Thursday night Miya did not sleep well.  So on Friday Morning Vicki took Miya into the hospital to get an X-ray to see where it was at.  Also, we did not know what material the coin was made out of.  Keep in mind that the coins vary from very very small to extremely large.  The good news is by then, it was in her colon.  We had it planned to take the twins to my folks for the weekend too.  So we wanted to make sure that all would be well.  Well, I met the folks in Ames, passed the girls on.  I met with a few college students from our church that go to ISU.  On my Way home at 8:17pm, the coin came out.  First thing that Caleb asked, is Miya going to live?  Second thing...can I have my coin back?  Welcome to the Schrock Tribe!

Preschool

Emilee started preschool today.  She will be going in the afternoons.  When she woke up this morning she was ready to go at 8 am.  I had to use a few distraction techniques in order to buy a little time.  We had a blast getting ready  and packing her backpack.  We even were able to leave on time so that we weren't rushed when we got to school.  Hold on to your seats, we were actually the second student at school.  I think that is a first, we are never early.  Emilee promptly hung up her bag and then proceeded to go say hello to all of the teachers and off to play.  No good bye, no leg hug, no nothing.  I really didn't expect anything different with Emilee.  Of course I said a few prayers through out the afternoon for her.
When the kids got off the bus the first thing reported to me was that Emilee got in trouble 3 times because she kept moving to a different seat.  That's my girl!  I am so excited for Emilee to begin this new chapter in her life!
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Goodbye Grace & Cyclopes

Tonight was kinda a bitter sweet night.  As a family we had a great evening outside filled with great food, a fun family game and camp fire.  Then at the end of our evening we had to say goodbye to our two kittens.  They are going to go live with Aunt Katie.  You may ask what is katie going to do with 2 kittens and one crazy dog all in her small house?  I am not sure but I know they are all very well taken care of!
This is how the goodbyes played out. 
Emilee gave them a hug and said see ya and walked away.  That was that.
AJ was a bit more dramatic, said goodbye then with a pouty face stomped up to her room.  She had plenty of warning that this time of good bye was coming yet it was still a bit emotional.
Then there is Caleb, my tender hearted, very emotional, all boy, red headed son.  He was not going to let these kittens go, so he hid them, told Katie that she couldn't have them, then when all of his attempts failed he started 'fighting' with his words.  He couldn't figure out the emotions that were surging through him so he said, "This is the worst day, I am angry and a string of other negative statements."  So, we talked through his tears and said how proud I was for him to be able to talk about his feelings.  Wow, who knew that giving two kittens to Aunt Katie was going to be a teachable moment? 
Sometimes God uses the strangest incidences to teach us big life lessons.  I just pray I don't miss any of the teachable moments in my childrens lives.  "Lord, let me not be too busy to see the important lessons in each day>"
Vicki

Bearing are Straight . . . ish

I have been prompted by a few individuals to keep blogging and I have really considered it.  I guess the general idea is that a mom with 5 kiddos and a busy life may have some insight to share.  So, I will let you all in on some of my happenings as it happens.  Stay tuned as life unfolds and I inform.

God bless
Vicki

well....

With 99.9% of the projects on the list complete, time (briefly) reflecting on the summer with the staff, and looking at the volcanoes one more time, the family made its way back to Iowa today.  As I am typing this, we are all either in bed or near bed at home.  Man, the summer memories, thoughts, and experiences are swimming in our minds.  Seriously, when we get a chance, we will share a final report of this Guatemala mission experience.  We will see what God has in store for us whether or not we continue to blog on the next adventure that the LORD has given to us.

Thank you to all of you who prayed us home!  The prayers were totally felt and NEEDED....we literally had 5 minutes to spare in Houston.

Justin

24 hours in Guatemala

That is how much time we have left.  This summer has flown by so fast.  It truly has been an adventure.  Today is PACKED day of getting the excavator back, unload MACHO (15 passenger van) filling the batteries of the base with distilled water (only about 50 of them!), packing, finish painting 2 doors, finish building a cross, cleaning, and enjoying the mountains and volcanoes one last time.  We will be leaving for the airport at 3:30am tomorrow and flying most of the day.  Again, we thank you for your prayers and will update you more later...

Justin

So, are you guys busy now that the last team left?

Both Vicki and I have heard that question a lot lately, and just laugh.  Today, Dan is in an excavator digging for the new garage, Vicki is helping a small village worth of patients in the clinic, I am planting the last of the trees AND getting the supplies cleaned and organized.  That is just today too.  We still need to get the ladders and other supplies from La Reyna and brought back to the base and do some repair work on some roofs and a repair job of stucco on one of the houses too.  Throw on top trying to pack and debrief, I think that the apartment cleaning will be left to someone else....okay, we will do it. :)
This summer has been really good as we have tried to help our missionary friends as much as possible.  We will try our best to update more this week with a final report more than likely when we get back.  We leave this Saturday and are already praying that we can make our connecting flight in Houston.  Well, break time is over.  Blessings!

Hard to Believe

Well, here it is, only one more week of our time in Guatemala.  Tonight Vicki is out in Tecpan with Caleb and Emilee and Team Alamo City for the first night of the medical clinics.  I got word that it is raining really hard, so my prayer that they will be able to return home safely as they need to cross three streams and some very narrow roads.  Team Alamo has been fun to work with in many ways.  From the southern hospitality to the drawl in the speech yall.  The houses went up well with the dedication being yesterday.  The rain REALLY poured.  No, I mean really poured!  Dan and I were talking about if we come back on the free day to dedicate, and then the rain slowed down.  We went to the first house.  The rain came back.  We chatted again and the rain slowed down again, so we went to the second home....and then the rain stopped.  We were able to dedicate all four houses.  Afterwards, we did the fiesta/ pinata in the rain!  As I reflect back on the summer, we built 27 houses.  And we were able to witness with our own eyes, the LORD coming down upon 27 families and reconciled them to Him.  We had all 27 families either rededicate their lives to Christ, or except for the first time.  Even as I type this, I am thinking that I need to put my sunglasses on because of the tearing up.  God is truly alive and well!
Dan has devo that he uses once in a while...bear with me, cause I would like to share some of it with you.

Acts 16
Paul has a vision of a man.  The next day Paul and his companions pack up and sail off for Philippi.  Now fast forwarding through the passages, they basically spend at LEAST 2 weeks if not more, before Paul casts out a demon in a slave girl.  The owners of the slave have them beaten and flogged and thrown in the inner stocks.  At midnight, they are signing hymns and praying to God.  Then there is a huge earthquake and the jail splits open.  The jailer fearing that the prisoners have escapes, is about to kill himself, when Paul shouts out, "Do not harm yourself, we are all here."  The jailer calls for lights and sees the truth and then asks how to be saved.  Paul then is let go and goes to the house of the jailer and he and his whole family are baptized after hearing the WORD.  Then Paul and his companions leave.
A few thoughts to leave you with:
***How long was Paul hanging around?  AND still did not know why.....
***flogging (see the Passion of Christ movie) was not an easy thing....then placed in the stocked, the heavy wood and metal on open wounds, and in the inner cell meant it was cold damp, smelly, and nasty.
***when the earthquake happened, the jailer THOUGHT the prisoners escaped and then called for lights...
***How did Paul know the jailer was going to try to kill himself?...if only the jailer WAS the man in the dream just 2 weeks earlier!
***where else in the Bible is the jailer or his family mentioned?

Paul and his companions endured great trials for the sake of one man and his family that was never to become famous.  A nobody by the worlds standards, but by the LORD, a somebody.

Working FOR Christ and working WITH Christ are two totally different things.  Working FOR Christ means that you are doing things in the name of Christ, but not always following HIS leading, just what we think Christ would have us to do.  Working WITH Christ is allowing Him to take our Comfort and Control of our lives and go, say, do, be, wherever, whatever, and however for HIS glory alone.  Not for our benefit or reasoning, but by His alone.
Thank you for allowing me to share these thoughts.  This summer has given us alot to think about.  It has been a refining process of the heart and mind.  It makes the 16 hour days worth it!
To HIM be the Glory

Dios Le Bendiga

I have almost got the landscaping done around here.  I was able to make 3 trips to two different green houses and purchase everything.  We spent pennies compared to what the plants would have cost in the states.  I was able to complete 4 different areas.  and revamp another area.  The biggest bed that we planted is right where all of the groups unload and load.  What fun.  Then I transplanted the roses along the fence and put in some Dahlias and Birds of Paradise.  Wow, does that look different.  With the guard and Nissorios help we dug up some grass and made a flower bed by Estuardo and Noami's patio and between the two apparmtents.  We need some lattice yet to finish that project, all in time.  The pictures that follow do not do it justice, but just humor me and say it looks awesome!

 Before anything was done!

Same area Finished!

One of the loads of flowers.

Project complete.  I can't wait to come back when the plants have grown!

We have the small triangle to complete also, we intend to buy a big palmish type tree and take some lava rock from La Rayna to finish that out.  Hopefully after the team leaves we can complete that project.

Continue to see God in each and every day
Vicki