Welcome Back: to me!

This country girl has gotten to move back into the country!  We currently have an old farm house, 6 kids, 3 calves, 24 Chickens and a hand full of Kittens! More photos of that later.
 We are truly blessed and see God working in many areas of our lives.  I just got a call from Justin who is out in Indiana for grad school and he stated that his professors had just prayed that our house would sell.  All of that was going on while I was persistently trying to get a hold of him to tell him that we have an offer on our house.  OH LORD HOW YOU MOVE!
I have been thinking for a while that I need to add blogging into my routine.  More for myself than for all of you who read this :)
One funny item for the day:  Child #4 was having a difficult morning.  She was particularly struggling with listening.  So, I grabbed (ever so gently) her ear and asked her what this is.  She responds, "an ear."  I then say and what do we use it for?  #4 "Earrings".  Well, that defused the situation very quickly.  I was looking for the answer of listening, but she does have a point!

God Bless
vicki

Oswald Chambers

I continue to think . . . I should update the blog and then quickly dismiss the thought.  Today I have posted an amazing devotional that may take you two time of reading to really grasp it but please take the time to meet with our LORD right now!

Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled . . . —John 14:27

Whenever we experience something difficult in our personal life, we are tempted to blame God. But we are the ones in the wrong, not God. Blaming God is evidence that we are refusing to let go of some disobedience somewhere in our lives. But as soon as we let go, everything becomes as clear as daylight to us. As long as we try to serve two masters, ourselves and God, there will be difficulties combined with doubt and confusion. Our attitude must be one of complete reliance on God. Once we get to that point, there is nothing easier than living the life of a saint. We encounter difficulties when we try to usurp the authority of the Holy Spirit for our own purposes.
God’s mark of approval, whenever you obey Him, is peace. He sends an immeasurable, deep peace; not a natural peace, “as the world gives,” but the peace of Jesus. Whenever peace does not come, wait until it does, or seek to find out why it is not coming. If you are acting on your own impulse, or out of a sense of the heroic, to be seen by others, the peace of Jesus will not exhibit itself. This shows no unity with God or confidence in Him. The spirit of simplicity, clarity, and unity is born through the Holy Spirit, not through your decisions. God counters our self-willed decisions with an appeal for simplicity and unity.
My questions arise whenever I cease to obey. When I do obey God, problems come, not between me and God, but as a means to keep my mind examining with amazement the revealed truth of God. But any problem that comes between God and myself is the result of disobedience. Any problem that comes while I obey God (and there will be many), increases my overjoyed delight, because I know that my Father knows and cares, and I can watch and anticipate how He will unravel my problems.

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!