Now there is five...

Thankfully the kids remain well from the virus, but unfortunately at 5 a.m. this morning I started having symptoms. =0( I think I feel worse than the kids because I don't feel like running around playing! I've been in bed most of the day. PTL for Dano. He's taking great care of me and the kids. Please pray this will be VERY SHORT LIVED. Please also pray that Dano remains virus free. Thank you for lifting our family up! On the plus... my hip is much better than last night when I sent out our "Whited Update." May the Lord bless each of you!

Blessings,
Melinda =0)

Hangar Happenings

During magneto overhaul, I am measuring the distributor gear electrode to check for excessive wear.
This is the affectionately named 'Snow Goose'. In the recent past this aircraft was used by JAARS for research and development purposes. It has been removed from storage and given to me as a buildup project for future JAARS orientees and TE candidates.

This picture shows the tail section. I pulled the stabilator (on sawhorses) and vertical fin (on table behind stab) out of storage to ready them for installation.

Yes, an engine and propeller will be installed in place of my jacket. Wings?

This picture has the wings: one on sawhorses to my left and one in wing slings to my right. The wings weigh about 300 lbs a piece. If you wondered, other people do work here and will gladly help me hoist these into place.

Supporting Bible Translation,

Dano

XEROX IS DOING SOMETHING COOL

If you go to this web site, http://www.letssaythanks.com/ you can pick out a thank you card and Xerox will print it and it will be sent to a soldier that is currently serving in Iraq . You can't pick out who gets it, but it will go to a member of the armed services.How AMAZING it would be if we could get everyone we know to send one!!! It is FREE and it only takes a second.Wouldn't it be wonderful if the soldiers received a bunch of these? Whether you are for or against the war, our soldiers over there need to know we are behind them.This takes just 10 seconds and it's a wonderful way to say thank you. Please take the time and please take the time to pass it on for others to do. We can never say enough thank you's.Thanks for taking to time to support our military!

I just did this! It really is simple & quick! I plan to have the kids pick one, too! We could do it often. In the last month or so, I realized how poorly we were at communicating the fact that we are at war when Olivia (our oldest) was astonished that we were at war (which came up in conversation). I was ashamed that she did not realize this. Our children do not need to live in fear of this fact, but they do need to have abundant gratitude for those giving so much to protect OUR freedom here in America! We are so thankful for those who do sacrifice so much... those who go... and those who are left here without someone very important to them.

Blessings,
Melinda =0)

Florida Changes... Again

Okay, there have been more changes. Now please don't lose faith in us or Wycliffe or JAARS. They are in the process of changing their training, and we are not the "typical" newcomers since we are already serving as full-time faith supported missionaries. They are trying to decide what is best for us, you, and the overall missions picture! May God receive the GLORY in all decisions made. We really appreciate your patience and understanding.

As of last Tuesday, we will not be going to Florida (Orlando) for the Equip! Training in January. However, I will not promise you that won't change again! =0) We are being flexible and will do what they feel is best for our situation.

In the meantime, stay tuned HERE and watch you mailboxes after the new year.

Love,
Melinda & gang

PS We are all better! Yea! PTL! We were able to go to church yesterday. Olivia & Derek sang during the second service along with the children's choir (a preview of their Christmas program coming on the 14th). Maybe just maybe I'll post a video of that little song. THANK YOU for those who were praying while the kids were sick. Dano & I never got it, thankfully. Pray we are out of the woods! Thanks for enduring the many posts with lots of details! =0)

Rice Bag Project

October 14, 2008

This was the culmination of our events for the day about 5 weeks ago. Below are some more pix showing what we did in order to get to this point! (disclaimer: Sometimes I cannot get my pix and text to be where I want them to be when I publish. I apologize if some of the text is hard to read!)

Before I show you, I will tell you a little more about the Rice Bag Project. We use Sonlight for our main curriculum in homeschooling. They gave us the opportunity this year to participate in a mission project: The Rice Bag Project. They would send us weekly e-mails over 8 weeks and a DVD and some other items in the mail. All these items would help us learn more about India and their need for Jesus. Sonlight partnered with a mission organization called Mission India. Our project was to collect coins in rice bags that would help women in India learn to read. While learning to read, they would learn about Christ and many become Christians. It also leads to their families becoming Christians and lots of other positive outcomes.

We have had a wonderful time learning about India. Honestly, I thought there were more Christians in India than there are. We've all heard about the persecution going on there lately. They are definitely a country in need of our prayers and support.

Oh, when we turn in our money (due today), Sonlight will match our gift! Isn't that awesome! Also, you can give if you want to. You didn't have to participate in the experience or anything. If you want to give a donation (it doesn't help us or anything... just something you can give to), go to this link: https://www.missionindia.org/sonlight/givenow?referral=SonlightReminder2&an=117200

I meant to post this sooner so you could participate if you wanted to, but that never happened. Sorry. But you still have today (Friday) if you want to send in a donation in order for it to be doubled. Of course, you can give to this organization anytime! =0) UPDATE: They've extended the deadline for online gifts: "Remember, online gifts made by 9 a.m. EST on Tuesday, November 25, 2008 will be doubled by Sonlight Curriculum."

Enjoy the pix below... but before you do... say a prayer for India that our brothers and sisters in Christ would be protected from the evil one. Pray that those who do not know Christ may come to an understanding of the free gift of grace from the one and only true God. Pray for God to be glorified in the nation of India. Pray whatever else the Holy Spirit leads you to pray...

Earlier in the day (5 weeks ago), I read to the kids about India. While I was reading, they were coloring pictures of different Indian things. Wesley & Emma enjoyed this time with us. After lunch, the little ones went down for nap, and I let Olivia & Derek skip their rest times to help me make the afternoon snack... from India!

Our first recipe was very simple. We made Lassi. We mixed equal amounts of yogurt (we used strawberry) with water. You can use plain and add sugar or honey. Then we poured them in paper cups and chilled them in the freezer so that it was like a slushy. While they were freezing, we made Roti. (Remember, if you need a close up of any of the pix, you can click on the pix.)

Roti "is a simple flatbread made almost daily in many Indian households." I think simple means few ingredients! ha! It wasn't really hard, but it was time consuming and messy and didn't turn out perfect in my opinion! However, the kids had a blast, learned a lot, and they liked them... so that is what counts... right? =0)

Olivia & Derek posing with the few ingredients (see below for the recipe).

Derek really enjoying the ooey gooey part of the mixing! Olivia enjoyed it, too!

Rolling out the balls so that they will be FLAT bread. I need to get another rolling pin so that this kind of stuff doesn't take so long!

I decided to use my iron skillet thinking it would make it more authentic. I think I was wrong. Also, you're supposed to butter both side before cooking. I think I used too much butter. See all the smoke? That is NOTHING compared to how much our ENTIRE house was filled with smoke from our little cooking experiment. Now I know why they cook outside in India!

(Silly kids posing for the camera.)

The final product... they are so brown because we used whole wheat flour, and I think they are butter-logged.

Thankfully, the weather was so nice outside that we enjoyed our snack outdoors when the little ones got up! This also gave the house a chance to air out with windows open! We put homemade pear preserves on ours from our pear trees. We didn't make the preserves though, our neighbor did! It was yummy!

All in all, the kids enjoyed the snack (more than I expected them to). They enjoyed their Lassi, too. I wasn't so wild about that, but it was okay.

Next time (if there is one) we won't make the Roti so thin. I think I'll use a different skillet and a little less butter! =0) It really was fun. They all learned a lot... about India and other things. I just love this aspect of homeschooling.

Blessings,

Melinda =0)

If you feel adventuresome, here is the recipe:

Ingredients:
3 cups whole wheat flour
1 tablespoon oil
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cup hot water
butter

Instructions:
Put all the ingredients in a mixing bowl and mix by hand until soft.
Knead the dough at least 5-10 times. Add flour if the mixture is too sticky.
Divide the dough into 12-14 balls, then use a rolling pin to roll each ball to the size of an 8 inch plate.
Put the stovetop burner on high heat and fry the roti in a pan. It will cook very quickly.
Wait 5 seconds then turn it, then put butter on the fried side. After 10 seconds turn it over again and put butter on the other side.
Repeat until roti is golden brown on both sides.
Serve warm alone or paired with steamed vegetables, plain yogurt dip, or lightly spreaded with jam.

Much Better Night! & Some Kid Funnies!

Last night we slept through the night! Derek did not throw up all night or this morning! PTL! His bowels were still very loose this morning, so he got a second dose of medicine (which looks like & smells like some sort of toxic cleaner). Everyone got one dose before supper last night, and as long as they remain incident free, that will be the only dose they receive. Hopefully, Derek will not need anymore after this morning's dose! Please pray I don't have to give anyone anymore medicine!

Dano and I feel much better this morning after a complete night of rest. He will be working the entire day today at the hangar. Yea!

I bought antibacterial soap for all the sinks (we normally don't use it because it is too harsh on our hands). I put all the towels away and have paper towels by the sinks for drying! Now, if I could just burn everything else they had touched and be done with it! =0) Okay, maybe a little drastic, but it would rid the house of a lot of germs. How long do these germs live away from their hosts anyway???

Hope you have a great day!

Love,
Melinda

PS Some kid funnies:

Yesterday, all the kids were down for a nap. Derek has a "waterfall" that stays on for an hour. When it goes off, he can get up. He didn't show up after an hour, so I assumed he was asleep. I let him sleep since he's been sick. Later when he was up, I asked him if he'd gone to sleep. He said, "No, I just closed my eyes and dreamed. I didn't sleep."

The other night when Olivia had thrown up in the wee hours, I went to her bed to pray over her after she was back in bed. (This is the night I had made supper for the fam, but I left before they ate to go to Charlotte to do a recording for Caleb Ministries.) Suddenly Olivia was in full conversation mode. She started telling me about how she didn't eat much of this apple tart I had made (from apples my Daddy brought from his tree). Then in the same breath she said, "Did you know the smallest monkey in the world is the size of a hamster, BUT it hunts like a cat? We were watching a nature show last night." I started to converse with her about this fact, but as quickly as she had been conversational, she suddenly wasn't. She turned over to go to sleep! It was too funny!

24 Weeks

Yea! Today I am 24 weeks pregnant! It is exciting to be past "week 23." Thank you for all your prayers. It is also exciting to continue to feel this little one getting stronger and stronger.

If you scroll down, you can see an image of how our baby looks now. The ticker is on the right hand side below the green side box. I just added this ticker in case you ever wonder... how far along is she now?

Below I am adding some pix taken the night of our anniversary (Nov. 8th) that we took to document the baby's growth (and mine). I've done this with the other kids. It is fun for the scrapbook. Of course, I haven't even begun Emma's or Wesley's scrapbooks... horrid!

I'm 22 weeks along in these pix.

Thanks for loving our family!

Love,

Melinda =0)

PS Dano & I are headed to bed before 9 p.m.! We are both exhausted! Hopefully we'll get a full night's rest tonight. If you read this before heading to bed, please pray for that. Please pray that our exhaustion does not lead to our immune system being down and making us more likely to get this virus in our house... or anything else!