US FOREVER

This is an amazing video, by and about my cousin's family!! I am so excited to share it with you!
:) US FOREVER

Let's just equate Momma to Hitler

Bethany is in a "little momma" phase. She has 6! children ("Cheedan" the triceritops, "Samantha" the doll with curly hair, "Love me" the little bear, "Berry Bear" the buildabear, "Nathan" a bear with lights, and "Emma"a bald baby). She has different routines she has to do with all these babies, and she really is a good momma! :)

But sometimes all these babies are too much work for a 6 yr old. I have tried to get her to lessen the size of her family, but I failed. She has really done pretty well, since school started at getting everyone, including herself ready and in bed (with her, all in "their spots"). Until last Tues. night....

Bedtime went something like this:
Momma: Let's get ready for bed.
B: I've gotta give my babies a bath!
Momma: How long will that take?
B: But, they haven't had a bath in like 29 days!
Momma: I don't think we have time for baths tonight. Why not give them their baths tomorrow after school.
B: I guess.
Momma: Ok, let's get ready for bed.
-Brushed teeth, jammies on, get babies in bed.
Momma: B, I need you to stop playing now.
B: Ignores (later says she never heard) ??
Momma: B, put the babies to bed, Sweetie, it's time to sleep.
-Pray with L.J. Rub her, tuck her in. Good night kiss.
Momma: B, those babies are distracting you from sleeping. They are going to taken away in a minute, if you don't stop.
-L.J. needs a drink.
B: Is still moving babies around when Momma returns.
Momma: Gathers up all the babies, and lays them on the floor.
B: SCREAMS!
B: SCREAMS!!
B: SCREAMS!!!
Momma: Sweetheart, I gave you plenty of chances to obey, this is what happens when your toys distract you.
B: SCREAMS! SCREAMS! SCREAMS!!!
B:You just killed all my babies! Now they are dead!
B: You just put them in a pile!
B: You might as well kill me!
-Seriously, this was pitiful and heartwrenching! She seriously loves these babies so much that it was really the cry of a mother who just lost a child! I could hardly bear it! But the mommy in me, had to make her understand how her choices had lead to these events. After nearly 20 min, I got her to calm down a bit and at least lay down.
Momma: B, I am going to lay these babies next to you, quickly make them comfy and cozy.
B: Arranged those babies fast! but continued to cry and mourn.
Momma: B, why are you still crying sweetie?
B: Because now I am sleeping with dead babies!
-OH, if she is not traumatized now!!
I only hoped that some how sleep would make it all better. Thankfully they were "reborn" in the morning.

How could anyone live with themself after a serious crime against another human being? Those screams are horrifying, and I was dealing with a 6 yr old and her dolls. She doesn't know who Hitler was, but it was a horrible feeling to think that is how she saw me!
What a night!

Hit between the eyes

Well, I had a nice visit with a friend today. She was telling about some of the discussions in her home recently, and I shared some of ours. But one thing has really stuck with me, in reference to the plans WE MAKE, for OUR LIVES, OUR FAMILIES, OUR HOPES/DREAMS. She said "What if it's not really about what we want but what God wants?!"
Proverbs 16:9In his heart a man plans his course, but the LORD determines his steps.
Proverbs 19:21Many are the plans in a man's heart, but it is the LORD's purpose that prevails.
Ok, I'll admit that really did hit me right between the eyes (I may be knocked out while :), but hopefully when I awake from my stupor, I ask the Lord again to show me his path and purposes that I have been missing in pursuit of my own.)

Angel's on overtime

So this is a tire we have been driving on. We had the front tires replaced early this summer and have had this problem of the car pulling to the right, had the alignment checked. No one diagnosed the real problem!! The rear drivers tire. I feel so blessed to have finally know what the problem was, and even more blessed that this tire is no longer on my vehicle! Seriously, all those tire explosions that were on t.v. a few year backwhere the vehicles rolled and children died. Horrific to think about!

So, THANK YOU GOD for watching out for us!! I know we put you to the test a bunch!

Dear Tooth Fairy

Bethany has looked liked this for a couple of weeks. Then she jumps out of the van last Mon. and looks like this.


When I came home from some errands, I found this note taped to the front door.
(Because the tooth fairy had forgotten the night before, oops!)

My Family

First team meeting

Today, we held our first team meeting. I am super excited, we have a great group of 5 girls and 2 guys, plus our family and one, maybe 2 parents. I haven't really been on this end of missions trip before. I've only lead a 1 day trip over the border and back again to an orphanage in Mexico. But I have been on some very moving (spiritually) trips, so I do have some good ideas in addition to what has been so generously provided by Students International (this will link to a post about the work in Costa Rica).

Many of you, by now, have recieved a prayer letter from us. If you didn't and are interested, here is the letter.

Dear Family and Friends, July 25, 2009
Here we are, a month from school’s beginning. Isn’t it amazing how that time flies by? Last time we wrote you, we assumed we would be in Idaho by now. Well, it seems God has another adventure planned for us!
We are leading a team of high schoolers to Costa Rica in November, over the week of Thanksgiving. This trip is through an organization called Students International.
"SI does long-term, on-going community development in Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Guatemala and Fiji. Our outreaches are short-term mission trips throughout the year to one of these countries where participants and the poor come together cross-culturally to encounter God, share the Good News, disciple and serve others in a specific area of occupation that correlates with their career or academic interests. Depending on the length of the outreach, participants spend from 9 days to a semester working alongside our staff in an occupational setting called a ministry site. Each ministry site is within close proximity of our facilities and has a different occupational focus: agribusiness, appropriate technology, art, construction, dentistry, education, health care, media, physical therapy, social work, special education, and sports. As a result of these outreaches and our long-standing presence within the communities where we work, we see participants and the poor transformed into the likeness of Christ and discover their true calling"(stint.com).
We ask you to begin praying for us as we organize, plan, and lead this team. We have both had very good missions trips and experienced God and His leading in our lives, as young people, on trips like this. We pray that this would be a similar experience for the teens on the trip. But, as I said before, God has shown us that our plans right now, don’t seem to line up with His. Pray that our eyes, ears, and hearts would be sensitive to what God has planned for us.
We are taking our kids, and will actually get to visit some of our good friends, Jeff and Tracey Dixon and their kids while we are there. Pray for health and traveling mercies for our not only our kids, but also the leaders and students as well.
The trip will cost our family roughly $4500. If you feel lead to give towards the cost of the trip, you may send your gift to:
Grace Community Church of Wasco
1544 7th Street
Wasco, CA 93280
Thank you so much for your continued prayers for us! We are excited to see what God has planned for this trip.
With lots of love,
Steve, Jennifer, Bethany, Laura, and Aaron Neufeld