Panama Brutons

Grandma's Farm

2009-02-11T12:23:00.006-05:00

A few weeks ago we had the opportunity to visit the neighbor's mother/grandmother in Penonome, a town about a half an hour from here. She and most of her 13 children live along the
same dirt road with their farms growing out from there.

Here we were at the sugar cane press, where they squeeze the juice from the sugar cane and
then cook it down until it's molasses or until they can mold it.

Grandma was sick, but enjoyed our visit. She is a devout Catholic but thought it was wonderful "that we're serving the Lord."

This weekend she died. Our prayer is that we will be able to be a comfort to our neighbors. Every time we talk to them we see them opening up more to the True Gospel.

Christmas Car

2009-01-17T22:44:00.007-05:00

Did you remember to decorate your car this Christmas?

This was one of our favorite entries in the Christmas parade.

Next year we would like to participate. People use it as a way not only to show their Christmas Spirit, but also to promote their business or organization.

It would be a great opportunity for us to pass out tracts and information about us.

We are sorry it has taken us so long to post these things. Being ill isn't something to write home about, so we haven't. But we're getting notices that you are concerned. We have been struggling with health issues for a while. Fortunately we have a very gracious Dr. here in town who even makes house calls when necessary. PTL! We seem to be feeling better, though Kris' thyroid problem is far from solved. She sees the specialist in about a month.

Happy New Year, and God Bless You!

Rottweiler Attack!

2008-11-29T09:31:00.014-05:00

The other morning I was attacked by a rottweiler. The day hadn't started out smoothly to begin with. I'd hardly slept the night before, so I was having trouble waking up. I was rushing. I normally take...(many) showers a day--some only a minute or two long, just to freshen up or cool down. But my shower was backing up and my theory is that the water was coming from where it should be going...(yuck.) Taking my stuff to the other shower takes too long, so a shower was out.

I sat down to have some breakfast and my devotions while the boys were busy with the video teachers. When I heard the dogs going crazy, I had a good idea what was going on, but it was raining and I couldn't see Orus. So, I sat back down.

Then the neighbor kids started yelling and insisting I come out. They know what happens every time their chickens get in our yard. The landlord's rottweiler goes crazy chasing and playing with it until it's dead. It doesn't seem to bother them too much when it's just a chicken, but when it's a fighting rooster it's a big deal. This was a rooster. They insisted I make MY dog stop. I must go out in the rain and get the bird back!

It is NOT my dog--they know that quite well, since this has been going on much longer than we have lived here. The last thing I want to do is deal with this, but I'm the missionary, and we're supposed to be nice.

Given a choice between a bird or a person calling for his attention, Orus chose ME. He was already excited... his huge muddy paws landed on my shoulders, the others dancing on my feet. OH, he STINKS! (Bathing him is out of the question. He's bigger and stronger than me and he doesn't like water--unless there's a chicken running around in it.)

Well, we got him away, but the bird was already dead. I was a stinky, muddy mess, and the kids had gone in their house and WOULDN'T come out when I called for THEM. Hadn't they commanded ME to come out? Why had I done this? Oh, that's right I was ACTING nice. (Not feeling nice, inside or out right now.) Larry said not to let it bother me. It's a funny story. (No kidding..from his perspective! He did not get Orused.) He said, "Just go take a shower and forget about it."

A shower! I didn't have time for that before, and now I'm even more behind! Now I was even more upset. Something in my head was trying to tell me that this is what I had wanted from the beginning, but had forgone out of responsibility. Now I was forced into it, but I was grumbling about it.

Then it hit me. "Delight thyself also in the Lord; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart."
Before I even opened my eyes that morning, I'd begged the Lord to mold me to His will in my deeds and words. Well, I'd done the deed--maybe not whole heartedly, but at least for the Lord's sake. And He had given me what I wanted. I had a legitimate excuse. It was not a luxury, not slacking. I had a free ticket for a shower!

I stopped to consider the elaborate plan God came up with to get me dirty. (I do not get dirty naturally.) What a crazy and creative God, to come up with an excuse like that to get me what I want when I'm stressing! How can I grumble about that?!!

So I looked up Ps. 37. Here's some gems no matter what your day's like.
"Fret not thyself...(3x)
Trust in the Lord AND do good...
Delight thyself also in the Lord; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart...
Commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also in him...and he shall bring forth THY righteousness...
They shall NOT be ashamed in the evil time..."

The lengths God goes to to please us is really mind boggling. Make a note of what He's doing for you and Thank Him!

God Bless you all & Have a wonderful Christmas Season!

Kris

Playing with the neighbors

2008-11-20T13:56:00.012-05:00

Josh and Jiovani sharing toys through the fence.

Playing ball on the front porch.
Sometimes the ball goes over the fence.
It's all fun.

Back Home

2008-11-05T13:15:00.006-05:00

We made it back from Costa Rica. We now have 90 more days to be in Panama. Please pray we can get our Visas so we don't have to travel again. However, the boy's don't mind going because the hotel we stay at in Costa Rica has a pool.

We made it back in time for the independence day parade in Aguadulce. It was a rainy day but we still enjoyed the parade.

Aturo, the drummer

(one of the boy's friends)

Costa Rica Again

2008-11-01T09:44:00.013-04:00

We are off to Costa Rica today to get a new stamp on our passports. We need to stay in Costa Rica for 72 hrs. This will allow us to stay in Panama for another 90 days. Please pray that we can get our visas soon.

The boy’s were excited to have mom back home after being in the States. (Dad was excited as well. I was running out of things to cook). She went and picked up their home school materials (they were not as excited about that getting here).

Kristina had a great time of fellowship with all the people at Tabernacle. Thanks for all you did for her and the gifts you sent for the boys. When Josh saw all the candy, he

said, "My dream come true!" Paul could not believe that Mrs. Murnane actuallybought him a Gator hat. We sure miss all the fellowship from TBC. God bless you all.

Friends

2008-10-27T07:56:00.013-04:00

Everyday we meet more people. They all are very curious about why we are living here. Some of them have become very good friends. One man, who’s name is Negro, I met the very first day we were in this town. I was visiting daily with him until he got a job that requires him to be gone all week. He comes home on weekends and we usually meet on Saturday nights. His family is very interested in hearing about the Lord. I believe one day they will get saved.

Josh and Paul play in front of our house and try to talk with everyone who goes by. We live very close to the school and many of the teens stop by our house to visit. Two of them came over last Friday (Felix and Miguel). I was able to share with them about the Lord and give them a gospel tract. Yesterday, Miguel came back by the house and had questions about the tract. He is very interested in finding out more about our beliefs.

Please pray for these people and the many others in Panama that need to hear about the Lord.

Store

2008-10-22T08:09:00.014-04:00

This is the store that is by our house. Most of the stores here are owned and run by Chinese people. We go to this store (or one like it) almost everyday. It sure makes you miss Wal-Mart. I (Larry) have missed it even more these last few days. Kristina has gone back to Orlando to pick up the boy’s home school material. It was cheaper for her to do that, than to ship it here. I miss the instant ready to serve meals you can pop in the microwave and serve. (and the fast food restaurants. I never thought I would miss McDonalds and Burger King after all the years spent their with teens, but I sure could go for a big Mac or Whopper right about now). Here I am having to prepare everything from scratch unless we go to one of the local restaurants. All in all we have done pretty well but we can’t WAIT for Mom to get back!

Church in Pocri de Aguadulce

2008-10-13T18:26:00.016-04:00

We hope to share with you some of the sights around the town we are living in at the moment. This is the Catholic church in Pocri de Aguadulce. The church is located downtown and is the place most people seem to gather. This is where we go to meet the towns people.

Paul & Josh sitting with a friend in the park.

Laundry Mat Blues

2008-10-10T14:36:00.013-04:00

Laundry day is not a fun time here. The laundry mat is less than desirable. Many times the clothes come out dirtier than when they went in. Kristina cannot wait until she gets a washing machine!

Walking to the Laundry Mat

Latest Photo of the lip

2008-10-08T16:48:00.004-04:00

Paul says, "OUCH!"

Paul and His Skateboard Accident

2008-10-08T15:38:00.008-04:00

On Tuesday Paul had an accident on his skateboard, knocking his top teeth through his lip. He got stitched up and the Dr. assures us that he will have little or no scar. (We HOPE!) Today he went to the hospital for x-rays, which they send home with the patient. Tomorrow he goes to the Dentist with them. We pray that the teeth are fine.

Paul and His x-rays

Josh Catching a Rooster

2008-10-03T15:35:00.011-04:00

Josh and Mr. R!

Josh went over to see the neighbors today and we heard him say Whooohoo! We looked out the window and he had caught a Rooster. Everyone seems to have chickens and roosters running around their yards. The neighbor girl, who has become a good friend and is in college studying to be a lawyer, could not get over the fact that he caught the rooster along with several other chickens.

Paul's 10th Birthday

2008-09-26T08:44:00.014-04:00

We can't believe Paul is already 10!

Paul had a great day. We invited some of his friends that he has met here to celebrate with him. He still misses his friends in Orlando and wished they could have been here with him.

Josh's tooth

2008-09-19T15:53:00.001-04:00

Joshua recently lost his front tooth. This was a real blessing for us. When he was younger he fell and his tooth got pushed up into his gum. Our dentist in Orlando said he would have to get it removed by an oral surgeon. We are thankful it came out on it's own.

Josh and his parrot

2008-09-19T15:40:00.002-04:00

Josh's Video

Joshua and Paul were given two parrots from a family we have become friends with. Josh loves the birds and plays with them often. He loves all animals and would like to get as many as he can. He has a dream of having his own zoo.

Cousins

2008-03-04T10:17:00.000-05:00

The boy's have enjoyed being able to spend time with their cousins. They don't get to see them to often.

SNOW

2007-12-15T16:10:00.001-05:00

Paul and Joshua have been enjoying the snow!

This is new to them and it's hard to keep them inside. The temperatures have been cold but that doesn't seem to bother them at all. We are thankful that they are able to enjoy the wintry weather before they go to the tropics.

We have already had 23" of snow in the month of December.

Westside Baptist, Janesville, WI

2007-12-15T16:03:00.000-05:00

What a blessing to spend a day with Pastor Logan and such a vibrant and faithful congregation. We look forward to seeing you on missions trips!

Thanksgiving Day at the Farm!

2007-11-30T21:07:00.000-05:00

Kris' sister, Marta married into the Asher family. The Ashers graciously have their own extended family and any of the extended
family's extended family or friends that are around, out to their farm for Thanksgiving Dinner. This year we were able to be there and

enjoy the celebration as well as all the fun of the farm!
The boys played in the hay barn... climbing up and jumping down...

making forts... taking the cats with them!
Never mind the allergies

They went for a tractor ride!

And had fun with all the family.

We all had a lot to be thankful for!

Meet the cousins

2007-11-30T20:36:00.000-05:00

We were able to visit Kris' sister while in Minisota. The we all enjoyed meeting the newest "cousin," Tessa and getting to play with Noah now that he's a "big boy."

He will always remember our visit as "the time when he fell down the stairs,

cut his head and had to go to the emergency

room to get it "glued."

But that didn't stop him from wrestling and playing with the boys!

Faith Baptist Church, Bemidji, MN

2007-11-30T20:06:00.000-05:00

We had a wonderful two weeks of fellowship at Faith Baptist church in northern Minisota, while

visiting Kris' Mom. Pastor Claypool and the entire congregation were made us very welcome and showed great interest in the Panama ministry.

Thank you all for all you did!

Bemidji, MN

2007-11-19T09:30:00.000-05:00

We have been in Northern Mn. for the last couple of weeks. It has been cold (upper 20's and lower 30's) and we even got some snow. Paul and Joshua loved seeing snow and being able to make some snowballs and especially being able to throw them at Dad.

The boy's enjoyed playing in Grandma's woods.

It was nice to be able to see Kristina's mom. It has been almost two years since we have been able to visit her. While we were here, we presented our burden for Panama in two churches and again were in encouraged by the interest in our ministry.

Grace Baptist Church, Madison, WI (Mission Conf.)

2007-11-17T22:26:00.000-05:00

Oct. 21st - Oct. 24th

We were surprised to be housed by old friends, Chuch and Patty Edmonds. Although the church wsa suffering from the loss of a dear brother in Christ, the fellowhip was sweet, and we were blessed and encouraged.

Pastor Howell took all the missionaries to an apple orchard. The ride to the orchard was amazing as the fall colors were at their peak. It has been nine years since we have seen a fall. It was beautiful.

We were also able to visit the State Capital in Madison. We are gratefull for the opprotunity to be able to do these things.

Packing & Moving

2007-11-17T13:35:00.000-05:00

The last few months were filled with packing and good byes. Although it was a sad and stressful time, it was also encouraging to know how much our church was behind us, and exciting to be nearing our goal.

Ryan Murnane, one of our former teens, and a Youth Pastor, helped to make the Youth Farewell Dinner memorable with his own brand of comedy and magic! Thaks to all of you who had a part in that evening (:

When the car was packed to capacity, we headed off on the long

trip to Wisconsin.