Here Am I. Send Me!

Our shoe.

2012-01-01T07:00:00.000-08:00

Welcome to our shoe. Shoe. Shoebox. Home. I love it. Our apartment is under 300 square feet. Its teeny tiny. Yes, thats the ONE bedroom. Yes, Shiloh sleeps in our room... no, we do not co-sleep. She has her own 'nook' in our closet. Yes. You read that right.

It was the place God blessed us with 2 1/2 years ago. We love it. It represents more than just an apartment, its our first everything.

But we are ready to move into a bigger shoe. We've been ready for a few months. But that doesn't mean it will be easy leaving our first little shoe. We rent from good people, we love our neighbors, the neighborhood is safe and wonderful. Shell Beach is great for surfing. It will be hard to leave.

But... after months we found a new place.

It meets most of our the features we were looking for...

2 bedrooms
big open living space
quiet & safe area
garage
access to washer & dryer

Its in Pismo Beach, so we'll be situated in the 'heart' of where our YWAM base is called to. Its actually just a couple blocks from our base's office. And it gives us the room we are looking for, its over 3 times the size of our tiny shoe. Yes, you heard right. Shiloh can have her own bedroom! We can have more space for friends, staff, and family to come over! More space to grow... We are REALLY excited to have more space :)

Pismo Beach is not too far from our beloved Shell Beach. Brandon can walk to the pier each morning to check the waves. We can walk to our YWAM office (awesomeness for us!). Its sad to leave our first home, but we are ready to make this new apartment into a new home. :)

2011 Superlatives

2011-12-31T10:33:00.000-08:00

Sometimes the best way to ring in a new year is to reflect on the past. Our 2011 was incredible. We have grown so much, as parents, as a married couple, as disciples, and well, we couldn't help but look back over our blog post for the year. YWAM has brought us many adventures, and life in general has also. Remember your high school yearbook... superlatives. Well, here are ours for 2011.

Best Attempt at A Smile: From Shiloh's Cheerio Fun, here.

Most Changed: Shiloh turning 1 year! Here.

Most Honest: The Not-So Sane Moments of Traveling, here.

Favorite Nicaragua Moment: Re-visiting Priscilla and her family, here

Most Worthy of Remembrance: Veteran's Day, here.

Most Difficult: Shiloh getting croup, here.

Favorite Face: Shiloh's famous O-face, here.

Most Difficult Goodbye: Our friend, Tyler, here.

Advent {Days 21-25}

2011-12-25T08:01:00.000-08:00

{Day 21} Buy and donate a new toy to a child in need.

Shiloh got to pick out a toy.

She chose the fairy doll, Tinkerbell.

I was worried that when it came time to drop the toy in the box, she'd freak out.

Not so.

She actually was really excited to toss it in. :)

Thank you Jesus for that!

Tantrums in public are the worst.

There was only 1 other toy in the box.

I hope they just emptied it out, and more toys have been donated than just ours and that one.

Christmas can be a hard time of year for many people.

We know what it is like to struggle to buy gifts.

Its not much, but at least one little girl will enjoy having a new Tinkerbell fairy to play with.

{Day 22} Neighbors gift exchange.

We went next door.

To have dinner and a gift exchange with the Dejongs.

They own the dairy.

Shiloh played the piano for us, & made a new best friend.

We ate soup and yummies and had coffee.

The gift exchange was fun, everything is fun when we get together with the Dejongs.

{Day 23} Visit Great Grandma & Grandpa.

Brandon's grandparents live nearby.

We took Shiloh over to see her Great Grandparents, & so we could visit with them.

Shiloh cleaned.

Of course, right?

It was so good to see them.

Grandparents are amazing.

{Day 24} Gingerbread train & cookies for Santa.

The Gingerbread Train was a hit.

Shiloh put more candy inside the train than on it.

Baking cookies for Santa was also fun.

We used neon food coloring, so I think they look very 80's-esque.

Some angels were decapitated in the making of Santa's cookies.

It was a Merry Christmas Eve.

{Day 25} Merry Christmas!!!

Matthew 1:23

Behold, the virgin shall become pregnant and give birth to a Son,

and they shall call His name Emmanuel--

which when translated, means,

God with us.

Merry Christmas from Brandon, Kirsten, & Shiloh!

Advent {Days 14-20}

2011-12-21T16:33:00.000-08:00

First I want to reveal our Advent calendar:

Its made from matchstick boxes. It might be one of my favorite new things. We just slide out a box for each day, and inside is the activity.

Then second, we got super busy this past week, and some of our activities did not end up working out as planned, so we improvised.

Day 14 {Wednesday} Set up the nativity.

We did not have time between our work and Shiloh's nap schedule to go see Santa.

Instead we let Shiloh set up her little nativity set.

I figure, Christmas is all about Jesus anyways, not Santa.

She seems to love the donkeys.

And she sometimes points out baby Jesus.

Sometimes she points to the sheep.

Kinda ironic.

Day 15 {Thursday} Read the Christmas story.

Brandon read us the story of Jesus out of Luke.

Its amazing how humble God is.

Day 16 {Friday} Make our Christmas cookies in a jar.

We were tight on time.

And trying to pinch our pennies some, so we opted out of the delicious peppermint hot cocoa.

Instead we finished making our mason jar cookies.

Yum.

This is such a fun and easy gift to make.

And the cookies are some kind of serious deliciousness.
You have to really pack down each layer otherwise they won't all fit.
Brandon found his knack in packing flower.
And eating m&m's.
Shiloh found her knack in stacking the completed jars.
I personally enjoyed how pretty they looked.

Day 17 {Saturday} Visit Grammy Roo & Gpa.

9+ hours in the car.

We left at 5:45am.

It made the trip feel shorter.

We do road trips well.

Shiloh does too... only the last hour of the trip was rough.

We ate a lot of goldfish.

And took naps. :)

Day 18 {Sunday} Attend Christmas play & make sugar cookies.

Brandon's brother was starring in the Scrooge musical.
We especially loved the scenes he was a part of.
"God bless us, every one." Is my favorite line.
We didn't have all the gingerbread house ingredients, so we only made sugar cookies.

We always eat too much dough.

The stars were our favorite to make.

Cookies are just so Christmas-y

Day 19 {Monday} Deliver gifts to family and friends.

We took some of our cookies in a jar to people in town.

Shiloh got to enjoy the fun chair at our cousins work.

Then the fun snow mobile at our uncle and aunts business.

Day 20 {Tuesday} Go on a walk as a family.

God didn't deliver the usual Christmas snow yet.

No snow means no snowman or snow angel.

We took a walk instead.

Up the hill behind Brandon's parents house.

To the tree with a swing under it.

Friends.

2011-12-16T07:00:00.000-08:00

"And the Lord spoke to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend." Exodus 33:11

In Psalm 15 King David writes that those who do not do evil against a friend will dwell on the Lord's holy hill.

In Proverbs 17 it says that a friend loves at all times.

"He who loves purity and the pure in heart and who is gracious in speech-- because of the grace of his lips will he have the king for his friend." Proverbs 22:11

"Oil and perfume rejoice the heart; so does the sweetness of a friend's counsel that comes from the heart." Proverbs 27:9

In Luke 15, Jesus speaks about rejoicing with friends.

Jesus says that we are His friends if we keep doing the things He has commanded us to do.

In Acts, Paul went to his friends to be refreshed and cared for.

Friendship.
Friends.
Friendly.

God has described what this looks like, or what benefit we have through our friendships, and our friendship with Him. We are meant to have friends-- to talk face to face with friends, to never do evil against them, to love them at all times, to be pure in our hearts, gracious in our speech, to receive sweet counsel from a friend, to rejoice with our friends, to follow Jesus's commands, to be refreshed by our friendships, and allow our friends to care for us. They are to be a blessing in our lives. We are to bless our friends... no, wait, more than that.

"No one has greater love than to lay down his own life for his friends." Jesus.

We are to lay down our lives?

Prefer one another?

Jesus did it for us.

I am His friend?

He is mine?

Whoa.

I had a profound realization. The God of all creation was humble enough to become a few tiny cells inside Mary's belly. Emmanuel. God with us. Born in a manger. Humility. The God of enormous glory calls me His friend. The God of the purest humility is my friend.

I am filled with reverence.

Isn't it cute? Its Shiloh's Fischer Price nativity set.
Do you like how I went from such reverence to a cute children's nativity?

Advent {Days 5-13}

2011-12-14T14:00:00.000-08:00

Day 5 {Monday} Make Christmas cards for friends.

This was fun.

I found inspiration on pinterest.

My favorite is the house with smoke.

I would make 100 of those if I had time.

Brandon's favorite is Rudolph the mustached and red-nosed reindeer (not pictured).

Shiloh's favorite is the stick tree.

She got to collect twigs and sticks.

DIY Christmas cards are WAY MORE FUN than regular ones.

Day 6 {Tuesday} Put money in the salvation army bucket.

Its amazing how much change you can find lying around.

Shiloh was a pro.

The salvation army volunteer was taking a break when we got there.

He came running up when he saw us.

I think he was amazed at how many pennies Shiloh had brought.

Giving IS better than receiving.

Funny.

Just like Jesus.

Day 7 {Wednesday} Make a tiny Christmas tree and decorate with popcorn garland.

Brandon found some advadaco tree branches out back.

I kept sending him down for more.

Popcorn garland is fun to make...

Popcorn is fun to eat.
Cranberries are not.

Day 8 {Thursday} Drink hot apple cider.

We had our YWAM booth at Farmer's market in the evening.

We gave away free apple cider.

People made donations.

The donations are going to Rwanda.

The cider was yummy and warm.

Day 9 {Friday} Take a family holiday photo.

Our friend, Jacque, took a few photos of us.

It was a windy morning.

The sign says "Merry Christmas".

Day 10 {Saturday} Drink hot chocolate.

What is better than hot chocolate?

Its the must have cozy Christmas drink.

We snuggled up with some after a wonderful evening at our church.

We learned all about the truth of Christmas at church.

Day 11 {Sunday} Eat french toast and listen to Christmas music.

We love having a weekend morning breakfasts all together.

Shiloh loved her french toast.

Is french toast really French?

I am realizing that Christmas music should be played all day every day until Christmas.

O Holy night might be my favorite.

Shiloh loves Jingle Bells... she yells the "HEY" part.

Day 12 {Monday} Attend our YWAM Christmas party.

It was a crazy day.

We were super late to dinner, and felt so awful.

Dinner was at Olive Garden, yum!

Then we had a secret Santa gift exchange and desserts back at a staff's house.

I got a great gift card to the yummy Jamba Juice.
The Victoria's Secret bag was Brandon's gift.
It was not from Victoria's Secret.

Brandon got a gift card to Home Depot, of course.
What a great bag to put a Home Depot gift card in!
Shiloh's favorite little baby girl wore the cutest Santa hat.

It was fun celebrating with our YWAM family.

Day 13 {Tuesday} Make a cotton ball Santa.

Cotton balls + glue = thought it was going to be a disaster.

It wasn't.

Shiloh was super cute.

She did everything but the face all by herself.

I tried teaching her "Santa"... but I was not successful.

We'll stick to "Jesus", He's the real reason for Christmas anyways.

Advent {Days 1-4}

2011-12-05T08:21:00.000-08:00

Day 1 {Thursday} Bake holiday rice crispie treats and give them to our neighbors.

We then took them to all our neighbors and Shiloh passed them out.

She was very polite.

When she was done, she even politely collected them back from each person.

What a cutie.

I should have bought more marshmallows.

Because now I want to make another batch all for myself.

Day 2 {Friday} Sing and dance to Christmas music.

We were too busy dancing and singing to snap a photo... but we did dance to this song...

Day 3 {Saturday} Go sledding as a family.

Yes, thats a pile of snow in sunny California.

Weird.

Some kids were sledding down it in shorts and a t-shirt.

Shiloh got to go on a couple runs down the mini-hill.

She seemed confused.

I told her not to worry, we could sled again in Oregon.

Brandon volunteered for the big Santa's Workshop event at the park.

He got to push kiddos down the hill all morning.

I chased the monster around all morning.

We had a fun time.

Day 4 {Sunday} Watch a Christmas movie.

After much debate... we narrowed it down to our 3 favorites.

How the Grinch Stole Christmas, Elf, and Home Alone.

We decided on Home Alone.

Classic.

We also decided to watch it without the bubbers.

Comfy time for Brandon and I, complete with hot chocolate.

I seriously love Home Alone, they just don't make movies like that anymore.

Most re-inacted scene around our home...

Love it.

Today we are making Christmas cards... can't wait to play with glue!

Boyz 2 Men {A hard goodbye}

2011-12-02T07:35:00.000-08:00

We had to say goodbye to a close friend yesterday. It had me singing this song all day....

Tyler we miss you already!!!!

I met Tyler 4 years ago, at the LAX airport as we both had just flown in to attend our DTSes up here in Pismo Beach. We took a train up together, got stuck in a bad storm... he was my first friend on the school.

Brandon and I have experienced so much with Tyler at our side... we got to reminisce over lunch yesterday. It was difficult to realize we had to say goodbye. We've shared a TON of great times together.

Our DTS....

Tyler came back to Pismo and joined staff at the same time I did.

We spent Christmas in Bonanza together.

Then we got to staff our first DTS together...

Brandon and I got to join Tyler while he was leading an outreach to Nicaragua. It was my first time in Nica, Brandon's second... and it was great to share that with our friend.

Tyler was Brandon's best man at our wedding. He was GREAT man!

Tyler visited us in Virginia when we were leading the DTS there... he helped Brandon pick out chocolate frosting for me when my prego cravings were kciking in. For that alone, I am so thankful for Tyler. :)

He has been such a great friend. We are going to miss him. And how he is always is making funny jokes and faces. And his musical talents....

But.... its good that he has left... because he is going to Switzerland to attend this school. YWAM's leadership training school (LTS).

We are SO EXCITED for him. And cannot wait to see what he learns while there, and where God will direct him afterwards.

You can check out Tyler's blog. Seriously, check it out.... he is a great guy and is going to be doing some amazing things for the Lord.

Tyler, we miss you! We love you.

P.S.
ivv8c4rf45ff .... that spells 'I love you Tyler" in Shiloh language!

Advent...

2011-12-01T07:30:00.000-08:00

We're all about creating memories in our family.

I am thinking about making this...

And then placing an activity in each of the teeny boxes for Shiloh to pick out each day of December leading up to Christmas...

Here is our family '25 days of Christmas' list. I realize that we might have to switch some of the activities around... but these are the things we have come up with.

bake holiday rice crispy treats and give them to our neighbors

sing and dance to Christmas music

go sledding as a family

watch a Christmas movie

make Christmas cards for friends

put money in the salvation army bucket outside the store

make a teeny Christmas tree and decorate with popcorn garland

drink hot apple cider

take a family holiday photo

eat a french toast breakfast while listening to Christmas music

drink hot cocoa

go to our YWAM Christmas party

make a cotton ball Santa

visit Santa at the mission

read the Christmas story

drink peppermint hot cocoa and walk down the pier to see the Christmas lights

visit Grammy Roo and Gpa

make and decorate gingerbread houses and sugar cookies

deliver gifts to family and friends

play in the snow, build a snowman, and make snow angels

volunteer at the mission

go ice-skating as a family

visit Great Grandma & Grandpa

bake cookies and leave cookies and milk for Santa

Merry Christmas!!!

Hopefully I can snap a photo of each activity as we do them this month... so check back for the pics. I am looking forward to creating memories and new traditions for our family. :)

Thanksgiving Snapshot

2011-11-28T08:01:00.000-08:00

A snapshot of our Thanksgiving:

(I apologize ahead of time, we didn't take ANY pictures of the food.... I know, I know... we were just too busy baking, cooking, preparing, and then eating to remember to snap a photo.)

Driving through Napa Valley.... its truly beautiful there.

The guy's scrabble game...

The O-face.

Mustache Movember.

Shiloh playing with her uncle's doodle game.

Baby cows.

Mt. Shasta.

Hope your Thanksgiving weekend was filled with fun, love, and most of all, giving thanks.

Croup.

2011-11-21T08:38:00.000-08:00

This weekend Shiloh got croup. Doesn't that word just sound awful!

She was having some really bad coughing fits on Saturday night, struggling to catch a breathe, so we quickly packed her up and took her to the ER.

2 hours later... Diagnoses: croup. Prescription: cold wet air.

That night she coughed herself awake, crying, and struggling to breathe about 10 times. It was horrible. Both Brandon and I were distraught with worry. Especially since all we could do was take her outside to breathe in the cold night air, or stand by the open window and let the cool air do its work.

Croup, ugh, talk about making me realize how much I love my baby. Seeing her so sick, and not feeling like I can do much to fix her... that made me realize just how 'not in control' I am.

So many days I try to fit Shiloh into my schedule. But this weekend, I was reminded that as a mom, I don't want to live that way. Shiloh's needs come first. Its my passion to fit my schedule into hers.

{I am happy to report that last night Shiloh did not wake up once... she still is a little wheezy and coughing some... but its seems that the worst has passed! Praise the Lord!}

Fall Fun.

2011-11-16T17:01:00.000-08:00

Its begun to feel like Fall around here... actually for a while now.

Just down the road is the fun and delicious Avila Valley Farm. We visited it one October weekend. Here is Shiloh and us enjoying the beautiful weather, the animals, and, of course, the pumpkin photo op.

Get ready to look at A LOT of photos... :)

Hope your Fall has been fun... Winter will be here before we know it. Now I'm off to eat some yummy home-made stew.

Water.

2011-11-12T11:23:00.000-08:00

4 years ago I worked at a jewelry and accessories store down in Boca Raton, Florida. I has just finished my 5 month Discipleship Training School. I had just spent 5 months living with 8-16 other people, just spent two months living without air conditioning in southeast Asia. I had just spent 1 month ministering to sex-trafficked women. There I was, back in the mall in one of the most affluent cities in America. It. Was. Culture. Shock.

I saw the world differently.

Our store was amazing. At the time, we were promoting a charity. Giving money to support others around the world. My heart was deeply connected to the living conditions of others around the world. I remember one day, a customer came in, and I asked her if she wanted to support the charity... and she turned her nose up and said that she doesn't give money to help people outside of America, when there are plenty of needs inside America. She was right, I mean, there are plenty of needs in America. But her response still disturbed me.

Charity: Water.

That was organization our store was supporting. To help those in the world who do not have access to clean water. CLEAN WATER. This is NOT something Americans struggle with. This IS something that is a reality for people in Africa and India. This is not something I can imagine. This is something that many people in developing nations have to face each and every day.

Check out their 5 year anniversary video. And check out how you can help.

The 2011 September Campaign. Our 5-year-anniversary video from charity: water on Vimeo.

A day to honor...

2011-11-11T08:00:00.000-08:00

Veterans Day.

Its a day to honor and remember our military veterans. To thank, to give respect, and reverence to those who have served this country, given their time, sacrificed their lives to keep the United States of America a free and safe country.

Veterans Day has a soft place in my heart. Why? Because of this man:

Col. Robert Harold Baskett of the USAF. That's muh daddy! Isn't he handsome?

My dad went to Virginia Tech as a member of their ROTC, graduating as an officer in the United States Air Force. He then went on to flight school in Laredo AFB, TX. Met my momma, and got married. He got his masters from the University of Florida. He flew for 15 years (about the maximum the Air Force allows), then served for 15 more years, during which he even taught at the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs.

My brother and I were born somewhere along the way after that. My dad even worked at the Pentagon for 5 years, before finally choosing an assignment in south Texas so that he could retire our family in our home state.

He followed in his daddy's footsteps. My mom's dad was in the Air Force as well. 3 men that served our country.... My dad. His father, Lt. Col. Robert E. Baskett. And my mom's dad, Maj. Lawrence Prestjohn.

My dad was the most influential person in my life. He retired after 30 years of service in 2001. He spent 1 year teaching high school math, before he lost a quick and tough battle with cancer. Cancer that was directly related to his time in the flying as a combat aviator in the Vietnam war. He was buried with full honors at the honorable Arlington National Cemetery. My dad literally gave his life to serve. So today, I honor him.

I honor all the veterans. Thank you for all you've done. Thank you for all you will do.

That girl...

2011-11-10T12:02:00.000-08:00

I am that girl, the one who wears her heart on her sleeve.

I am that girl who's playlist consists of Muse, Phil Collins, and Taylor Swift.

I am that girl who hates leaving her daughter for more than an hour.

I am that girl who doesn't put milk in her cereal. Yuck, ick.

I am that girl who will attempt to wear flip flops all year round.

I am that girl who stresses about how her jeans are fitting.

I am that girl who's heart breaks for the lost and forgotten people, but who is sometimes too shy to reach out to them.

I am that girl who actually misses being a student.

I am that girl who still sings and dances in her car.

I am that girl who makes cookies just to eat the dough.

I am that girl who loves that I get to spend 10+ hours each day with my daughter.

I am that girl who wants to be delighted in.

I am that girl who knows she was a Daddy's girl.

I am that girl who understands God's forgiveness.

I am that girl who snorts when she laughs really hard.

I am that girl who doesn't enjoy the 'demanding accessibility' of having a cell phone.

I am that girl who is competitive beyond imagination.

I am that girl who can spend hours doing a puzzle.

I am that girl who envies those with fashion sense.

I am that girl who likes chicken noodle soup on a rainy cold day.

I am that girl who loves puppies.

I am that girl who smiles on the outside but could be crying on the inside.

I am that girl who would rather be on a beach.

I am that girl who is old-fashioned.

I am that girl.

A note to our readers...
{I am realizing this blog is turning into "Kirsten's thoughts".... basically whatever is on my heart is what gets shared on here. I'll continue to urge Brandon to blog, and maybe he'll do a post or two every once in a while. And I will continue to share about our YWAM ministry here, its just on my heart to share more of the 'normal' parts of our lives. And we'll see where it goes!}

Switched.

2011-11-07T07:37:00.000-08:00

On Friday we switched.

Switched roles.

Brandon was Mr. Domestic. I worked.

It was an experiment. (Yes, ladies, it was my idea. And yes, it came out of trying to get the ol' husband to understand some things... but no, we weren't mad at each other.)

First of all, I was impressed, as soon as we got up in the morning, Shiloh was fed her breakfast, and dishes were being washed. :) Me so happy!

But... we were late to the office. And Shiloh's nose was running without being wiped as much as it should have been. Its safe to say that Brandon was getting rather frazzled with her whininess. But we did make it out of the office safely, no one was hurt in the experiment.

Lunch was interesting. We laughed as Brandon pretended to be me, in all my glory, and I tried to act like him, "I need my protein woman!"

The apartment stayed messy most of the day.

Were lessons learned? Yes. I learned a lot actually. (Besides not having Brandon try to be domestic...) And he, well, lets just say I got an extra amazing foot rub at the end of the day.

"God spoke: "Let us make human beings in our image, make them reflecting our nature so they can be responsible for the fish in the sea, the birds in the air, the cattle, and, yes, Earth itself, and every animal that moves on the face of Earth." God created human beings; he created them godlike, reflecting God's nature. He created them male and female. God blessed them: "Prosper! Reproduce! Fill Earth! Take charge! Be responsible for fish in the sea and birds in the air, for every living thing that moves on the face of Earth."

God created us both, equally in His image. Equally valuable. But we have different roles.... such as I will only ever birth a baby, while Brandon won't. Equal... but different. Try switching roles for a day, maybe you'll see some of those equalities, and maybe you'll see some of those differences. We did. And we appreciate each one of them. I'll do my part, and Brandon will do his... we compliment each other, and I am thankful for that.

1 Hour

2011-11-06T09:02:00.000-08:00

We fell back 1 hour. 1 extra hour. What can happen in an hour? Thats 60 minutes. Or 3,600 seconds.

In 1 hour, over 800 babies will be born.

You could bake a pie in 1 hour.

Watch an episode of your favorite t.v. show.

You could go for a walk, a run, or take a nap.

You could have surgery to remove varicose veins.... yes, in under 1 hour.

In 1 hour, you can take a class and learn something.

Meet someone new.

Your world can turn upside down.

You could tell 10 people that you loved them.

In 1 hour, over 6,000 people will die.

You could tell someone about Jesus.

What can happen in an hour? Anything. What will you do with the time?

Really Busy.

2011-11-02T08:00:00.000-07:00

Brandon's parents came down from Oregon to visit over the weekend. When Grandma & Grandpa come for a visit... someone little gets REALLY busy.

Really busy showing off her reading skills.

Really busy going places.

Really busy begging for Chipotle.

Really busy wiping clean the table.

Really busy eating chocolate fro-yo.

It was a busy weekend for us all. Everyone had an 8 o'clock bedtime. Just kidding. Well.... maybe.

2011-11-01T08:44:00.000-07:00

Who doesn't like videos of talking babies?

Shiloh's vocabulary is so cute these days. My favorite, "Oh no". Seriously, how does she pick these things up? Notice when she hears 'burrito', she points to her 'toes'. Cute.

Our Summer Travels

2011-10-24T08:37:00.000-07:00

So if you're wondering where we were in August.... since we didn't post a single entry for the month... its because we were not in the same place for more than a week. Given how long we've been a part of YWAM Pismo Beach, we knew how important it was to visit with the people who generously and faithfully give to us. So we took a road trip. (Yes, we're crazy like that.)

Shiloh is a great traveler... as long as we're well stocked with her favorite yummies.

Leaving at midnight, we drove straight down the 101, and then over into Arizona. Where we met up with a lovely friend, Riana. We grabbed a hearty lunch with her, while catching up. Then it was off to El Paso, or at least we were suppose to make it that far. However, at 8pm, and still in New Mexico, Shiloh informed us that she HAD ENOUGH! So we found a local, and charming AAA approved motel. It was actually really nice. Too bad we were just crashing for the night. The next day we made it into Texas, where we got to stay with one of my oldest friends, Amanda. Catching up with friends, family, and even this awesome lady.... was great, but what was even greater, was the fact that another one of my best and oldest friends, Kim was getting MARRIED! She had a tender and really fun wedding where we all put on our dancing shoes (even Brandon), and danced the night away... well, again, until Shiloh HAD ENOUGH.

Isn't she a beautiful bride?! Lucky Scott!

Shiloh experienced her first nap without being in her crib, or peapod. How does she end up so twisted and positioned like that? What if we all did that in our sleep? Ha!

After that, we hit the road again, and drove through Louisiana (staying at a sketchy motel with crawly things in the bed... ick!), and then finally rode into my old stomping grounds in Boca Raton, Florida. I was estatic to be back in the sunshine state. If any of you know me really well, there is nothing like my passion for warm beaches and warm blue waters. We stayed in 3 different houses in 1 week... thank you, husband, for being so popular! (Seriously? He didn't even live in Florida and he was so popular with some of the guys there!) It was awesome. We were received with warm hospitality.

Each day I was able to connect with someone lovely from my life there.... catch up... it was food for my soul. My friends there got to meet Shiloh, which was really good for my heart. She got to have a couple play dates with some of my friends who have little ones of their own now. (Sarah who has 2 sweet girls, is a photographer, check out her work here.)

Smack in the middle of our time in Florida, we headed off to Nicaragua for a week long surf/missions trip there. Remember those guys I mentioned who Brandon was so popular with... well 4 of them are really REALLY good surfers, and they accompanied us down to the Popoyo area of Nicaragua to work on a community building project, share Jesus with local, and yes, of course, catch some awesome waves. We were joined by one of the other YWAM Pismo staff, Paula, who kept up the energetic 18yr. olds better than we did, she is amazing.

Here's a photo of part of the building project we got to work on.
We got to be a part of 5 people getting baptized.

Nica waves.... watch out.

It was really nice to be back in Nicaragua. We had the privilege of staying in the same house that we did during our last surf DTS. It made Brandon and I miss all of the folks from that school. We also got to visit with Priscilla and her children... here's a photo of them when we were there with the DTS a year ago.

And this was from our visit this past August.

She was even more crazy about Jesus than when we met her. Her house had truly become a home... and she was happily working a good job. Her kids were doing great, going to school, and it was a blessing to see them. Look at how much they've grown!

Brandon and I both have August birthdays, so we celebrated them while in Nicaragua. Mine cumulated with a bat sighting inside the house. Brandon got to spend his birthday on a boat, surfing and fishing. I'd say Brandon won.

Brandon's birthday.... all day on a boat. They surfed, caught a ton of fish, and were exhausted. Haha.

So yes, from Arizona, to Texas, to Florida, to Nicaragua, back to Florida, then back to Texas, and home... August was a busy month. But it oh boy was it fabulous! If you were one of the people we got to see, were blessed by, or maybe stayed with... WE LOVE YOU! WE THANK YOU!

REAL.

2011-10-21T09:46:00.000-07:00

Okay, let's be real. Well, you don't have to be, but I'm going to. Sometimes because Brandon and I are in YWAM, we get labeled. We get labeled as 'put together'. Like we have it all figured out. Maybe people actually have told us that they assume we are, or maybe they've alluded to it... or maybe its just been a feeling that we perceive. I'm here to break the news to ya... we're not.

Nope, not at all.

If you come to our home randomly... its bound to be messy. We aren't messy people, but when you live in a 250sq.ft. space, even the most OCD person will appear messy. There are goldfish crumbs tucked away in hidden places. Blame it on the baby. I have a bad habit of not putting away our clothes... they might get folded one day, and then maybe a week or two later I'll get around to putting them in their drawers or hung in the closet. Brandon's socks end up everywhere.... literally... EVERYWHERE.

We have insecurities. Tons of them.

We teach and disciple others to be like Christ, but sometimes being Christ-like is hard for us.

We have been known to cry on many occasions because we can't afford the things we see others affording. YWAM is not glamorous. Its humbling. Counting pennies is humbling. Trusting can be humbling. Yes we do get to travel to other places around the world... but only because other people have given financially in order for us to go. And trust me, we don't travel to 5-star resorts.... no air-conditioning, local food, public transportation, hostels, and... oh... don't even think about flushing your toilet paper. We sacrifice a lot. But we receive a huge blessing through living this way: our finances never feel like they belong to us, we steward what we are given, and we trust that God will continue to provide through others.... its actually a beautiful thing.

We fight. C'mon, we're married. Some great lessons have come from the times we've fought... learning to love, learning to forgive, learning to choose one another.

We've made bad choices.... and had to reap the consequences of those choices. But I'd like to think we're getting wiser... hopefully :)

We are new parents. You can tell because when Shiloh tests a new limit, sometimes I will have a blank expression on my face... which is me realizing, "I have no idea what to do.". We have made many mistakes (sorry Shiloh). I wonder how many children it will take until we get this whole 'parent' thing down?

Those are real statements. YWAM doesn't make us different. Truthfully, if you are a believer, then you are in full-time missions... in your family, in your school, in your community... we are all. I'm no different than you.

{If you're wondering where this is all coming from, our Leadership Team here in YWAM is reading "The Emotionally Healthy Church". If you want to be convicted... its the book for you! :) Its been a wonderful tool as God has been speaking to be about being open, honest, and vulnerable.}

Where am I?

2011-09-16T16:15:00.000-07:00

I know our blog is titled "Here am I." So its kind of funny to name this post "Where am I?". Ha. But I'm not lost. Neither is Brandon. We are still here in California (yes, back after a fun and lengthy trip to Texas, Florida, & Nicaragua).

I was on Shutterfly the other day... making a fun photo project to hang on our wall... and I realized, I hardly have any photos WITH Shiloh... not good! Hence, the 'where am I' title. Seriously! Where am I!? Always BEHIND the camera... thats where! I need more photos with muh baby. One day I'll be thankful to have them. One day Shiloh will be thankful. Most days I honestly don't want a photo of myself though, guess I need to get over that. Mascara or not, I should get on the other side of the lens.

I thought I'd compile the photos I do have of us, just the two of us:

Besides a few others from the 2 months we lived in Nicaragua with the DTS on outreach, and 1 photo during Christmas in Oregon (those didn't make this post because they are lost somewhere on the hub's laptop)... this is all I have. Sad right!

I gotta resolve this.

2011-07-18T06:00:00.000-07:00

We have been exploring some of our creativity this year.... Brandon has been busy doing some woodworking, and I have tried (and failed a ton) my hand at sewing... but we thought we'd lighten the mood on the blog and share some of our latest creations.

Embroidery Hoop Art (engagement gift for our friend Kim).

Up-cycled Yogurt Containers... for our baby herb garden (sadly it is now dead, R.I.P herbs).

Len Strap Cover (made from scraps of fabric).

Owl Mobile (a gift for the littlest YWAMer here, Eisley). Her mom has a really sweet blog, called Dear Eisley, you should check it out.

Ruffle Butt Onesie (again for little Eisley).

"Sunshine" made out of scrap wood. Originally this was made for Shiloh's non-existent bedroom... but its too awesome not to hang it up on our walls until we move and have a 2 bedroom place, then maybe we'll think about giving it back to her... :)

Over The Sink Shelf, for displaying our dishes and coffee mugs.

Paper Bird Painting.

Bathroom Window Curtain. So the avocados out back don't get a show. ;)

Brandon has a ton more handiwork, but we just didn't have any photos on hand of them. He's made some beautiful picture frames... really nice. And then some pretty amazing wine bottle holders. They are magical. Really, they are. We'll have to get some good photos of them soon and then devote a whole post to the magic. ;)

I Have A Daughter

2011-07-15T15:14:00.000-07:00

She is blurry in real life. I guess 1 year olds never stop moving.

I was spending time praying the other night... and had a creative moment. I wrote this poem (no, it doesn't rhyme), the inspiration came from what I wrote about in the last post.

I have a daughter.

She plays gently.

She squeals and giggles.

I have a daughter.

She is loved.

She will sometimes wear pink.

Sometimes she'll have ribbons in her hair.

Maybe she'll play dress-up.

And have imaginary tea parties.

She'll learn about Jesus.

And what is means to love.

She will sometimes not match.

Sometimes she'll have dirt under her nails.

Maybe she'll play a sport.

And have bruises and cuts.

She'll learn about life.

And what is means to work hard.

One day she might marry.

She'll trade her last name for a new one.

One day she might leave me.

And have babies of her own.

She will always be my daughter.

She will always be loved.

She is beautiful.

She is precious.

She is intelligent.

She is strong.

She is loved.

She is.

If she had been born into another family,

on the other side of the world...

would she be seen differently?

I have a daughter.

And she is loved.

Here is another quote from the book, Nurturing the Nations, by Darrow Miller:

"An Indian proverb says, "Bringing up a daughter is like watering a plant in another's courtyard."" (pg.56)

"In some Islamic countries, the community commonly celebrates when a baby boy is born. The birth of a baby girl, however, prompts mourning and tears." (pg.60)

As a woman, it makes me hurt deeply. Having a beautiful daughter, I hurt even more deeply. My prayer is that God would open my eyes to see women how He sees them... and perhaps He would use me to share that message with others...

(I'd like to just take a minute to say that although the quotations from the book, Nurturing the Nations, come from reliable sources, research, personal testimonies, and other books... I am in no way making judgements to condemn anyone. Just because there is a trend found in a country does not mean that say, my neighbor and friend who is from that country associates with these beliefs or behaviors.)

A Raw Look At Women {inspired by the book, Nurturing the Nations}

2011-07-11T12:32:00.000-07:00

***Disclaimer: Some of the content is graphic.

I have been reading this book:

Nurturing the Nations: Reclaiming the Dignity and Divine Role of Women in Building Healthy Cultures, by Darrow L. Miller with Stan Guthrie.

Great book. I am only half way into it. Did I mention that its a great book?

Its a tough book. Not tough as in "too many big words". But tough as in "extremely honest and raw".

Here is a quote from the book,

"The female child is often unwanted before birth and aborted. If she survives her mother's womb, she faces neglect and malnourishment. Frequently denied an education and health care, she often becomes a child laborer. She may be molested, raped, sold into prostitution, or married at an unconscionably young age. Malnourishment is common, even while she is pregnant. Overworked and under-appreciated, she may be beaten or humiliated by her husband or other men, even to the point of murder. If not, she could be abandoned as a widow, forced to scratch out a living on the outskirts of society, with no family or social safety net to provide for her." (pg. 20)

And another,

"Rape is often used as a weapon of war, particularly in situations of ethnic cleansing. Many of the wars in sub-Saharan Africa are marked by wanton rape of girls and young women. This not only terrorizes the population into submission, but it is a means to ethnically "cleanse" a tribe by producing a generation of babies from the dominating group. While rape as an act of war has happened throughout history, in recent years it has been documented in seven countries, not all of them African." (pg. 22)

Raw.

Its a great book. I recommend it. Twice over recommend it.

I teach on Ethics here, where I cover topics such as abortion, population control, and misogyny... so this book is full of insight and factual information regarding those topics.

These things happen. Are happening. I've seen some. Friends I know have witnessed some. I am not sure how I could even begin to be part of an answer.... but reading and learning is a good place for me to start.

"So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them." ~Genesis 1:27

Imago Dei {post by Brandon}

2011-07-08T16:25:00.000-07:00

I was recently watching a video on the devolution of human dignity by Vishal Mangalwadi, a Christian speaker and author from India (you can watch the video here). This video began to spark my thoughts. In this teaching, Vishal talks about the West's understanding of human dignity and how through understanding God, men began to realize the value of a human life. This idea comes from the book of Genesis, in which man is created in the image of God.

Early thinkers in the West began to realize that since God is free and is not bound by circumstances or our logic, therefore man is free since we are created in His image. These men and women no longer looked at their surroundings with a fatalistic mindset (this is the way it is supposed to be), but rather sought to bring change to the pain and suffering they saw around them.

If you look at eastern religions, you'll notice that they see suffering and pain as a part of life. Buddhism declares that this pain and suffering is an illusion, and followers attempt to achieve "Nirvana" to escape this. Hindus seek to appease the gods that bring this suffering with countless sacrifices. This suffering is part of the "reality" of their world.

However, through the Christian perspective, we see a God who created man and woman with the intention of being with them. Before the fall, the first mandate God gave mankind was to "Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth." Gods purpose for man was to be fruitful. Multiply. Fill the earth. Subdue (bring under control) it. To have dominion (sovereignty/jurisdiction) over the animals. But when sin entered the world, the consequences of sin followed it and with it was pain and suffering. What followed was death.

So do we hold on, put on our seat belts and wait until we die? Do we just "cope" with the brokenness of the fall and our day to day lives? Scripture says "For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven." Lets not forget that while Christ died for our individual sins, He also died for the sins of the world. From past to present to future, the effect of sin on the world has been broken. Death lost, God won. And in my book, that means that the original mandate given by God in Genesis has not been taken back. Never in scripture does it indicate that our purpose as mankind has been switched. I believe Jesus came to restore the original command given in Genesis, and that means we have a lot of responsibility.

We are stewards of everything we see around us! "The earth is the Lords, and the fullness thereof." There is no sacred, no secular. So I ask... what in your vocation/family/community/city/state/nation needs to be reconciled back to God? And what can you do to bring change? God sent His spirit to empower us with His authority. He is here on earth now like He was in Genesis. What is God saying to you?

Change

2011-06-23T15:43:00.000-07:00

I will be turning 27 this year. I remember turning 17. Feels like yesterday. A lot has changed.

Not too long ago I was in the California Pizza Kitchen, having dinner with Brandon, Shiloh, and Brandon's family. I got up to go to the bathroom. As I was doing my thannng, a group of young college girls came into the restroom. They were giggling. They were all 'dolled up'. They took turns using the other stalls, and chit-chatted about clothing, boys, and makeup while looking at themselves in the mirror. I listened in as if I was listening in on myself just 5 years ago. That was me. My biggest worry was paying rent, and of course, if my hair looked good.

(Now, don't read me wrong, this is not a bad thing... I actually was smiling the whole time I was in there.)

Yes, its nice to go out with girlfriends. Yes I do enjoy getting 'dolled up'. Yes, I still love to giggle. But my perspective has changed.

I choose the family stall, because I usually have a large diaper bag on my shoulder and a wiggly baby to hold. The extra space is nice. I wash my hands not because I might get germs, but because Shiloh might. I look in the mirror to make sure I put mascara on BOTH eyes. And that I don't have baby drool on my shirt. I chit-chat about diaper rash, the husband, and how my jeans are fitting. I rarely go out for a girls night because responsibilities of having a family are my joy and priority.

I wanted to tell those girls to enjoy this season, and never take a moment for granted. I didn't tell them. They probably would have thought I was psycho. I told myself though, to not take the season I am in for granted. Would I trade my life now for my life 5 years ago? .... naw, I think I'll keep this whole mother thing. Its rather sweet. Change is good.

Real good. 'Cause I get to check myself out in the mirror with this diva...

What has 8 wheels, carries a baby, and fits on an airplane?

2011-06-21T09:21:00.000-07:00

A Stroller!

I wanted to thank a good friend for an amazing gift.

Every time I write on our blog I pretend that people are actually going to read it. I pretend because in reality, I know that hardly anyone does. I'm not that interesting of a person and not a very good writer, in fact I probably break every rule in the english language when I write. But I know some close friends do read, so thank you!

Over a month ago I wrote this post. And at the end I mentioned our needs, one being a travel stroller for Shiloh. A friend who I went to high school with and since became my facebook friend, wrote me to offering to buy our family a stroller so that Shiloh could travel comfortably. Her name is Reagan. We go way back. :) We played soccer together in school and also on a few club teams. We had many classes together, and were "Unicorn handlers" together. Yes, I said Unicorn. Ah, the good ol' days.

She is now married, to a fella named Everett, and they have an adorable little man, Logan, who is just a little older than Shiloh. Isn't he super handsome!???!

Their gift to us, arrived in a beautiful cardboard box.

And we immeadiately took it for an inagural spin. Shiloh approved...

The stroller proved to be PERFECT for our trips. We used it at the airport, all the way to the gate. We used it in between flights, for those looooong layovers in foreign airports. Shiloh napped in it.

We took it on 45 minute walks in Israel, and day outings. It was amazing.

One of the days in Jerusalem we thought the roads could be too bumpy for a stroller, so we carried Shiloh. Mistake. We regretted not having the stroller. The next day we took it.... and even if some parts were "rougher" than others, the stroller held up just great!

Again, it was perfect for squeezing in that much-needed nap in between flights.

And it was great for our time in Asia where the streets are less-than-sanitary.... kept our little princess' shoes clean and her from getting any more germs than she needed.

Also, anyone with a toddler knows how hard it is to keep up with them. But with Shiloh buckled safely in the stroller, I could enjoy a quiet, and more importantly, STILL baby.

We even took it up the Great Wall! Better than lugging a 20lb baby uphill!

So a HUGE THANKS to my dear friend, Reagan, and her wonderful family! That stroller got used EVERY DAY and it was such a blessing to us. I guess this blog does get read after all! :) I really do have to brag though, Brandon and I do have the greatest friends ever. Seriously! Aren't they a good looking family!?!

A Fine Line {The Not So Sane Moments of Traveling}

2011-06-08T07:00:00.000-07:00

There is a fine line between sanity and insanity.

There is a fine line between sanity and insanity, and that line is a time zone confused baby.
Every single night in Israel we were up around 3:30 am with an one year old that did not want to sleep. Not even close. She wanted to play. To play running around on her newly found two legs. To play climbing up 3 flights of stairs. To play by keeping her REALLY sleepy mom awake. So every morning at around 5:30 am, this very sleepy mom would wake up a very sleepy dad to take over. Did I mention that it was EVERY SINGLE NIGHT?

Wakey wakey Shiloh! Payback, mwa haha!

There is a fine line between sanity and insanity, and that line is urine stenched streets.
At the mentioned location in the last post... it was in an extremely rough part of town. We took Shiloh. I don't know what we were thinking. The alley way smelled of urine. It was about 10 minutes before one of us volunteered to return with our offspring. No place for a toddler.

On our way.... to the urine stenched streets.

There is a fine line between sanity and insanity, and that line is my husband meeting a pro-surfer.
Brandon (while up with Shiloh at 6am) met a pro-surfer who was staying at the same hostel as us. Its all I heard about for the next TWO days. Really. It was. Then in the middle of an intense Dutch-Blitz game, he threw down his cards, and yelled, "There's Tom!" and ran off to talk to him. Then ran back and yelled at me, "Kir, hurry! Go and get the camera!" Geez. You would have thought he was a 5 year old meeting Mickey Mouse or something! :)

Tom Curren, Brandon, Rabbi Barni

There is a fine line between sanity and insanity, and that line is trying to find a public bathroom in Jerusalem.
Oh they have signs, yes. But they don't actually lead to any bathrooms. Then forget going into a restaurant, or a coffee shop. They'll take one look at you and say, "Its broken." I still have my doubts.... I just don't think they wanted me peeing in their facilities... A clever scene from the movie Big Daddy was running through my mind. What did I end up doing? Thank God for McDonalds!

There is a fine line between sanity and insanity, and that line is trans-pacific flights with an already traveled-out 1 year old.
On our flight from LA to Tokyo, Shiloh did not want to sleep. At all. Well, I take that back, she might have napped at the beginning.... but that was when we weren't tired... so we showed up in the morning in Tokyo we were in desperate need of SLEEP. Thank you to the quiet airport. And ear plugs. And eye masks.

This was the exception, not the norm... :)

There is a fine line between sanity and insanity, and that line is a pacifier.
As most parents know, you can never have too many paci's on hand. Well, we had ONE. And if it was lost, temporarily or at times, feared gone forever, we morphed into two SUPER PANICKED PARENTS.

There is a fine line between sanity and insanity, and that line is Beijing's rush hour.
Never, I repeat, NEVER attempt to catch a taxi in rush hour in an Asian country's capital city. It is impossible. Even if you try hailing one down and begin to throw your luggage AND baby into it... they still won't take you anywhere. Don't ask how I know that....

There is a fine line between sanity and insanity, and that line is the Great Wall on a Saturday.
Way too many people in one place. And all who are more excited to see our child than the historical GREAT WALL! Seriously? Our screaming child is more interesting. This was my "breaking point". A screaming baby, on a hot day, hiking up the Great Wall, and everyone crowding around to touch her, photograph her, video her, and then try to give me advice (in Chinese, mind you) about why she might be crying. If I knew Chinese I would have said, "Its because you are all hovering over her!"

How is this more interesting than the Great Wall?

There is a fine line between sanity and insanity, and that line is _______________ ? What is yours?

Story Time

2011-06-06T08:22:00.000-07:00

There are so many stories to tell.... I won't bore you. I'll pick only a few. We really only spent a short week in each place, so in reality, there is tons more going on than what we saw.

The first story comes from Door of Hope. A fella moved to Israel years back, and had a heart to serve the poor and street people who lived in the inner city of Tel Aviv. He would take coffee and tea to a local park and hand out hot cups of it to the prostitutes and drug addicts there. After a little, he bought an apartment nearby that park. But didn't realize that it was directly in the middle of the red-light district there. So when strung out ladies would show up at his doorstep, he tried calling around to find a safe house for them to go to, even a program that would help house them, anything really. But there was nothing. NOTHING. No program to help women in prostitution. No ministry. Nothing government. No Jewish center to reach out. These women really had no one who cared about them. So that is how Door of Hope was begun. He now has a center where the women can come in off the streets during the daylight hours. They can receive a hot meal. They can wash up. There is even a salon where they can be pampered, and a closet of donated clothing for them to pick out new clothes. And beds so that they can rest. But most of all its a safe environment, where they aren't taken advantage of, where they are LOVED. They see love extended to them when they come to Door of Hope. Its a beautiful answer to a need seen by one man. We had the opportunity to serve there a few times. It was beautiful. It was ugly. It was heart-wrenching. But these woman are given a glimpse of hope, and some have truly seen and received that hope. Those are the warm stories. Some have rejected it, or not survived the effects of their lifestyle. Those are the tough stories. But it was a honor to see this merciful extended hand of LOVE that now exists to help these ladies.

In the second country we were in we had some amazing things happen. I cannot be specific about the details, but we had open doors to do things you can't normally do. Not to mention the one-on-one times that was spent with the locals, one time some of the staff had two locals over and they played "The Passion of the Christ" - it was really cool to see the reactions. So many great conversations with people about great things, it was a great trip and if you see us in person, please ask us about it.

Another story is, well, a conglomerate of many things.... we got to meet with each student while we were visiting them... and let me tell you... God is doing great things with each one of them. From the personal to the experiences, to the relational, to the outward, and the inward. We saw God move in them and through them. It was exciting. It was encouraging. They are on FIRE, so watch out! :) We know that God will be using them... in their hometowns, but also in the nations.

And.... we're back!

2011-06-01T16:39:00.000-07:00

We traveled over 80 hours. Took 10 flights. Went by plane, taxi, foot, sherut, city bus, moving walkway, car, escalator, Jeep, shuttle bus, tour bus, and subway. Trust us, as much as we LOVE to travel. We are traveled-out after all that!

It would take too long to share about all of our experiences for this one post. I think I'll spread it out a little. But don't worry, if you're longing for the stories about all the amazing things that God is doing around the nations, I'll post soon on that. But for now, I thought I would share some of my favorite photos from our time, favorite moments, funny moments, or photos with a great story behind them.

Roof top gatherings.

Ordering shawarmas- see how they're in "deep thought".

Little bubs chasing birds.

2 people that make my life joyous.

After lunch hookah session.

Just look at all those choices! Japanese airports have it all.

"He's got the whole world in His hands"

She was my flower girl in my wedding, and here she got to help my little girl walk around.

My friend Jim who wanted to see my other friend Jesus.

Driving by yaks in the Himalayas.... while listening to Freebird.

Tibetan prayer flags tied to the fence.

Love this little boy, but he DID NOT LOVE that baby goat!

The traditional Tibetan prayer flags on a hill above a monastery.

Tibetan tent-makers.

Such a historical place- Tian' anmen Square.

Stories to come...

And we're off!

2011-05-05T11:30:00.000-07:00

Wow. We leave in 4 hours. FOUR! I am so silly because it really hasn't sunk in yet. I'm sure that once I am locked in a plane with a busy baby it will. But right now, it hasn't.

Its a 12 hour flight to Tel Aviv. Yowzers. We do stop in Istanbul for a flight change. So that will be fun, to see Turkey, or at least its airport. The airline has reserved bassinets for us. Crazy that they have those right? So we're crossing our fingers that Shiloh will actually get sleepy and doze off in them for a bit.

Our bags are packed. Except for Shiloh's peapod. Peapod?

This is her peapod, with a much younger and smaller Shiloh sleeping inside.

She is taking a nap in it at this very moment, so that will get loaded in once she wakes up. How do you pack for traveling on an outreach with a baby you ask? I thought you might...

Like this:

Everything in Ziplocs. LOTS OF ZIPLOCS. The photo is from our 2 months in Nicaragua... so its actually WAY more than we are taking on this trip. But you get the idea. Both Brandon and I pack one hiking backpack each to be checked, then he'll take a regular backpack as his carry on, and I'll have the diaper bag as mine. We have a wonderful travel stroller (I'll do a fun post on that later) that we can use in the airport and then gate-check it. And thats about it! I'm sure we've forgotten something important. We always do. But Brandon assures me that Tel-Aviv is like, in his words, "Miami". So basically, anything we forget and need, we can just find it there.

So off we go.... I am really excited to see the team. We arrive in the wee hours of the morning, so I am not sure if we'll get to really greet them or not. We might just be crashing for the night and do our 'hellos' in the a.m.

Thank you for all your prayers!

A Year

2011-04-30T11:39:00.000-07:00

It was only a year ago that I was EXPLODING with pregnancy. I have this vague memory of all the discomfort and woes... mostly I just remember the sweetness, the joy, and the prize that is Shiloh. I thought I would take a look at my post a year ago, ya know, to help me 'remember' all the not-so-glorious moments of pregnancy-land. You can read that post from a year ago here.

Okay, good. Now I've delayed the urge to have another baby for a little longer. :)

I can't believe it though. What a year! From this:

to this:

Shiloh is almost 1! Can you believe it? I can't. Time NEEDS to STOP because I want her to stay little forever!

Her birthday actually falls while we'll be in Israel. We'll have to find a unique way to celebrate... I am planning her actual party for when we return from the Pastoral Visits.

P.S. To all my friends out there who are currently pregnant, or just had your 2nd, 3rd, or 4th babies recently... please stop being so darn beautiful and cute! You are causing me to have itty-bitty-baby fever! Note to self: Must. Wait. A. Little. Longer.

Serious Business

2011-04-14T13:12:00.000-07:00

We took her to the park yesterday, and she hardly cared that we were there with her. She was all about her own business. Serious business. You know, the kind that involves handfuls of sand, rocks, exploring. See for yourself...

Sand.

Walking.

Squatting.

Discovering rocks.

Exploring.

Peering.

Laughing.

More exploring.

Waving her arms.

More walking.

Striking a pose.

Huffing and puffing.

Toddling.

Clapping.

This lady has things to do! Always busy. Always doing something important. I love this age. Everything is so new. Everything is interesting. She is learning. She is figuring out what fun is. Its serious business people. It makes me want to take her to the park every day... at least before she's running faster than me!

Offering

2011-04-06T17:58:00.000-07:00

Last night we had an offering. The two DTS Outreach Teams still needed about $2,000. Plus Brandon and I still needed about $4,700 for our Pastoral Visit to see the teams.

22 YWAMers sat in the living room. We worshiped. We prayed and asked God what we should each give. We listened. And we gave.

The numbers of what was needed began to drop. People's amounts began to zero out. Wait------ did you hear that? They ZEROED OUT!

Our number began to drop. And drop. And drop.

Brandon and I both had our eyes closed once our amount still needed was down to around $4,000. We just closed our eyes and sat quietly in the Lord's presence. People were still giving.

When the offering was completed we received a total of $2,189! Amazing! (I'll admit, I was crying.)

We knew the offering would be a blessing to help those still needing money for the outreach. We knew that God would move people's hearts to give. We NEVER IMAGINED that people's hearts would be moved to give so much! In total, through the entire offering, $4,140.05 was given!!!

So as of today, we've purchased tickets for the Israel portion of the Pastoral Visit!!! Whoa! Thank you Lord! And we only need $2,500 more for the tickets to Asia + the in-country costs in both countries. I am so joyed to feel the love behind all that people have given us! It really is an exciting and inspiring thing. It stirs my heart. And I know that God has big plans for our time with the Outreach Teams.

We're excited to have the tickets bought for Israel. Brandon went there on his DTS outreach back in 2006.... and he's getting excited to return. I just realized today that I don't know anything in Hebrew! Guess I'll just have to buy and iPhone and use this cool app:

Just kidding. But isn't it WAY COOL!!!!

Brandon and I both hope that as you read this, it blesses you in some way, maybe just in a tiny encouraging way... who knows how God will move and bless you!

Pastoral Visit {an update}

2011-04-04T11:29:00.000-07:00

Brandon and I are seeing God's provision through you people! A big thank you to those of you who have given to our Pastoral Visit! In the last week, we've received almost $1,000! That is a major hunk-a-chunk out of our needed costs!!! It makes me want to do a happy dance. :) We've also had a sweet family offer to provide a travel stroller for Shiloh! Yay!

Thanks so much to each of you who have given. And thanks to each of you that have been praying for us as well! Its really a wonderful thing to have God use you to pray and give to us, and in doing so to have you partner with this DTS, and this Pastoral Visit!

Pampered Toes

2011-03-30T13:32:00.000-07:00

"The Lord makes firm the steps of the one who delights in Him"

~Psalm 37:23

Sweet Shiloh took her first steps yesterday. I screamed for joy, scaring her in the process. She hasn't repeated the steps yet.

Its interesting that we been trying for several weeks now to coax her, help her, even trick her into walking, or at least taking a few steps on her own. But none of our efforts worked. Last night, however, she was in the middle of playing a game of catch and throw with me, and she decided (on her own) to take a few steps. I think its safe to say that this little lady is going to be pretty independent. ;)

So today I thought I'd give those tiny feet some pampering. You know, cause every woman deserves some TLC on her Piggies. And they've been working hard, taking 3 steps!

Yes, I painted her toes... it was difficult. She was wiggly. I did not stay inside the lines. She was wiggly. I huffed and puffed. She was wiggly. But they are pink. And it made me smile. This is what she was doing while I painted them:

Watching Backyardigans. The Dolphin Race episode. She looks enamored, right? Nope, her feet were a-wigglin'.

Soon she will be using those feet a lot, so at least they look goooood!

Pastoral Visit

2011-03-24T12:29:00.000-07:00

Israel to Asia.

As a part of this year's Discipleship Training School, Brandon and I are to go on a "Pastoral Visit". Each school that we run here, we send someone about mid-way through the outreach. We call that a "Pastoral Visit". Brandon did one 2 years ago, on the 2009 Surf DTS; he spent 2 weeks in Nicaragua.

This year, we were asked to go, (our dear school leader is unable to do the visit... she's expecting a little girl in May!!). The DTS has 2 outreach teams. One is going to Israel (& then onto Ethiopia), and the other is going to Asia. So we'll be first flying to Israel, and then go onto Asia. We will be leaving May 5th (spend about 10 days in each location), and then return home May 24th.

During the visits, Brandon and I will be joining in with the teams in their ministries. We are looking forward to serving alongside the students in the midst of their outreaches. Also, we'll be taking the time to sit down with each student, and process things with them. Then we'll do the same with the outreach leaders. In past DTSes, the pastoral visit sometimes is a pivotal time in the outreach. It refreshes not only the students, but the leaders also. It also has helped encourage students, uplift their outlook, resolve any interpersonal conflicts, and just overall bless them. Brandon and I are very excited to bring them home-baked cookies, mail from home, and since all the students adore Shiloh, she'll be bringing a smile to their faces also.

We need your help! Will you please pray about helping us get to Israel and Asia? Here are our needs:

Prayer for safety, for comfortable travel with Shiloh, and for the time with the 2 teams to be effective and meet whatever needs there might be.
For a travel stroller- about $15-$20... its called an umbrella stroller. Its what the airlines allow, and will be the best way for us to travel with Shiloh, who... *smile*... may be walking by the time we go!
Then for financial provision. The breakdown of the cost for the 3 of us to go is:

air travel to Tel Aviv: $1824

air travel to Asia: $2720

in country costs: $1000

visas: $420

TOTAL: $5964

(Geez. Amounts like that still take the breath out of me. But Brandon and I realize that if God has called us here, and He has called this visit to happen, and we are to be the ones to go, then He will also not fail in providing for us.)

We are hopeful that some of you might feel led to give to this Pastoral Visit. Or others might feel led to pray for us. In whatever way you decide, we are grateful for!

If you decide to give a donation for the trip, you can mail a check made out to YWAM Pismo Beach to:

YWAM Pismo Beach

791 Price St. #119

Pismo Beach, CA 93449

{Please attach a note in the envelope saying that it is for Brandon and Kirsten's Pastoral Visit}

25 Favorite Things {A Valentine's Day Reflection}

2011-02-14T08:21:00.000-08:00

I have been thinking a lot about a certain passage in scripture... now don't get skittish, I won't preach, I promise. This scripture has just been 'popping' into my thoughts lately... more as a light-hearted reminder than anything. What scripture you ask?

"Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable- if anything is excellent or praiseworthy- think about such things."

~Philippians 4:8

I was just thinking about how I have so many things I take for granted, and am not thankful for all the wonderful things I have in my life... so I wanted to dedicate a post to sharing some of my favorite things with you... (note: this is not like Oprah's Favorite Things, you will not get free things, and I am NOT an Oprah fan.)

So, in honor of Valentine's Day, here are 25 true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, and praiseworthy things that I love, and all right inside the shoe I live in. (In no particular order.)

{1}

A good cup of morning joe. For over a year now, Brandon & I have forgone our 'daily' coffee purchases at the local coffee shop & saved $ by brewing our own. We prefer the bold or extra bold flavors of Starbucks whole bean roasts, we grind it up at home.... or our other fav is Jose's which we find for a steal at Costco. And yes, as you can tell, I put A LOT of cream in it. And a LOT of sugar also... if it ain't sweet, I don't need the caffeine boost.

{2}

The sunshine out my window.

{3}

Pandora Radio.

{4}

Toothpaste. I brush first thing in the morning, and before bed, oh, and about 3 times in between. Yes, I ~~am obsessed with~~ care about dental hygiene.

{5}

My camera. Its nice to know that I can capture life's breath to remember years later.

{6}

My baby's smiles. They melt my heart...

{7}

Havaianas. (Brazilian sandals) I am a flip-flop girl. No fashion can be found on my feet. I go for comfort. Love them. Did I mention I am a flip-flop girl? I wear them even in the winter.

{8}

Massages.

{9}

Pao de quiejo. (Brazilian cheese bread)

{10}

Bubble baths.

{11}

My sewing machine. Yes, its simple (literally), and I wing it every time I sew something... but its a fun ~~toy~~ machine.

{12}

Apple. Their computers rock.

{13}

Sprouting herb garden.

{14}

The Word.

{15}

Granola in my yogurt.

{16}

Photos of our wedding day.

{17}

A good book. I am currently reading Crazy Love, well, actually all of us here with YWAM Pismo are reading it. Oh, and that Dave Ramsey book... its AMAZING.

{18}

Cooking for our family.

{19}

Skype. Because faces are way more fun to talk to than phones.

{20}

Love note from Brandon.

{21}

My creative journal.

{22}

Brasil Map/Key Holder. It serves as a reminder of how I fell in love with the nations and missions. Oh yea, and it helps me not lose my keys!

{23}

My wedding ring. Its perfect, and it not only symbolizes Brandon and my marriage, but its the same stone that my Dad gave to my Mom, (who were married for 33 years when my Dad passed) so it represents their marriage also. I. LOVE. IT.

{24}

The Hand-Vac. I use this EVERY DAY. About 4 TIMES A DAY. Babies are messy, so I am thankful for this little device. (See crumbs below)

{25}

Last, my most favorite thing in this shoe I live in is the shoe itself. It may be small, but there are 3 heartbeats living inside this 250 sq. ft. and its filled with LOVE. I fall asleep every night with my husband to one side, and my daughter just to the other side. We play in this shoe, we laugh in here, we cry, we face challenges, we spent time with God in here, and we have made it a HOME. Us 3 living in this small apartment is my most favorite thing.

I hope you have a wonderful and fun Valentine's Day... maybe now you'll be thinking about true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, and praiseworthy things that you love! And a big Happy Birthday to my mom (Ekstrom mother)!

Cheerio Fun

2011-02-02T09:17:00.000-08:00

My little lady is cutting her 2 front upper teeth... yuck... she has been a fussy, sick mess for the last 4 days. I can't imagine how painful those teeth must feel on her young gums. And I think I have a bad day if I someone cuts me off in traffic. Thank you Shiloh for a little reality check. My sunshine took a break from her crying (thank you Tylenol) for some Cheerio fun:

Look at those eyes... its going to get really hard to say no to her!

Smiles! You'll have to excuse the 'over-the-top' grins... she is still perfecting that money smile, so for now, we get a scrunchy, snarly, but oh-so-cute smile.

"Mmmm, Cheerios!" She LOVES them, plus she is entertained for 30+ minutes... thats worth gold in Mommy-time right now!

"Hey Mom! What ya got there?"

"Cheerios make me smile..." (yes, that IS her smile!)

"Please Mom, can you stop being so 'snap happy'?"

Oh sweet life, to be so entertained by such a simple thing as a Cheerio! I'm glad they brought some smiles and giggles to an otherwise difficult day. Hahaha, love my little toothy baby... just wish those teeth wouldn't hurt so much!

So if today has you down, grab some Cheerios and just remember... you could be teething! :)

A DIY For Him AND Her...

2011-01-15T13:54:00.000-08:00

Yes, this is something that both Brandon AND I really enjoyed doing. Let's face it... if you put a staple gun in a man's hand, he can have fun for hours! I have to first start with the story of our little table:

Our little precious table was found at a garage sale of some friends of YWAM here in California. They were downsizing after all their children had moved out of the house, and were getting rid of TONS of furniture. Brandon and I were just weeks away from getting married, and well, we had a bed... but that was about it. So we visited their garage sale. They had a really cute old square table (with 2 extending leaves) and 4 chairs. It was love at first sight. But they were asking $30 for it, and we only came with maybe $15. We had to say no, and walk away. As we were leaving, they called us back over and told us that the table was hand crafted in Scotland in the 1800's, and it was their first piece of furniture as a married couple.... then they explained that since we were about to be married, they wanted us to have it... for FREE! YAY!

So, thats the story of our little table... but those seat cushions always bothered me. Maybe you like the picnic table checkered look, but I ~~don't~~ loathe it. So, after all those days, staring at them, I decided, enough is enough!

This is an easy (I promise, EASY) project... we had a ton of fun, and it was very inexpensive.

All you need is fabric (I measured the approximate size of mine so that I would buy more than enough), batting (we found ours at Walmart), foam (optional), scissors, an iron, and a staple gun.

You can see the original blue and white checkered fabric that had covered the seats, yes, I loathed that fabric. Then we discovered the original leather that had been covering those old seats... I'm sure they dazzled in their day, but alas their time had come. Under the leather, we found the seats had some kind of padding... like what you find under your carpeting. We actually thought we would save it and still use it to add a little extra cushion.

We traced each seat on the foam pads, angling the marker so that the foam extended about 1/4 inch around the seat. Then, we simply cut the foam with scissors. I'd imagine that if you found really high quality foam, you might need a electric knife, but our simple scissors did the job just fine.

Oh, and make sure you take a coffee break! It took us a while to rip all the old fabric and leather off the seats, so we paused to enjoy some good brew.

Remember that old cushiony layer we discovered. Well, we took that and placed it back onto the seats. Then we took (well, actually it was more like "Brandon took") the staple gun, and while folding the upper edge of the foam down, rolling it under itself, stapled the foam as close to the edge of the seat as possible. Since we don't really care or scrutinize over being perfect, it didn't matter to us if the foam puffed up in between the staples... we figured it wouldn't be that noticeable when finished.

Next, we took the batting, and cut out 4 pieces... allotting enough extra inches to wrap it over the sides of the seat and staple it underneath. Then we stretched the batting over the seat, and again, Brandon executed the stapling like a pro.

While he was busy doing this... I cut our fabric pieces and ironed them. Oh, I forgot to mention about the fabrics... we (well, I) wanted to have a different fabric for each chair. I absolutely LOVE Amy Butler, but the darn craft stores in our area hardly carry her. So while we were up in Bend, Oregon, I found a really nice quilting store, and they had a whole display of her fabrics. We chose 2 that we loved, and then found 2 others that complimented her colors and patterns.

The final step was just covering each seat with the fabric. We made sure to check that the prints were straight, or how we liked them. You'll want to have 2 sets of hands while doing this part. The hardest part was just making sure the fabric was stretched evenly with no 'bubbles' or 'wrinkles'.

And VOILA! 4 beautiful seat cushions! The foam turned the originally hard seats to extremely billowy seats.

And now our beautiful old Scottish table is cheery and better fits our personalities. I still LOVE it, and it to this day is still my favorite piece of furniture.

***If you're wondering what happened to the 4th chair, well, we store it in our garage. One day when we don't live in a shoe, we'll have room for a real table with chairs that go all around the sides. But until, then, our little family of 3, only needs 3 chairs.

Much to be thankful for {Thoughts for Thanksgiving}

2010-11-25T04:00:00.000-08:00

As the turkey bakes, the pies are cooling, the stuffing getting ready to be served... Priscila will be cooking rice and beans for her 4 children on this:

We have so much to be thankful for. So much. And if you ask Priscila, she'd tell you she has much to be thankful for also. She is surrounded by her 4 beautiful children. They share life in their tiny tin home.

But they are happy. It might be a very hard life, but they are thankful for what they do have. They know that God loves them. He has taken care of Priscila during hard nights, hungry days, and tough TOUGH times. God is good, and she is thankful for that. She can teach me more about being thankful than I could teach her.

:) And guess what? This year she has something else to be thankful for...

She is finally getting a real home. Its not yet finished. We are working as fast as we can, shoveling, hammering, mixing, pouring, and building. She is helping us build it too. Priscila and her children are all helping. Priscila is what I am thankful for today.

May you soak in all the things that you have to be thankful for. May you realize just how much God loves you. May your Thanksgiving be absolutely wonderful!

How it was intended to be...

2010-11-15T08:40:00.000-08:00

As I sit here in Nicaragua, reflecting on a day spent in a small community of 15 homes, I have to wonder if God intended us to live like they live. 15 homes, 1 family. A man named Segundo had 8 children, and they have all grown up, married, had children themselves, and moved out around him. Some even brought their new in-law families to live nearby. 15 homes. 1 family. All the little boys played baseball while we spent a day with them. The little girls held hands and played together. Families raising families together, helping one another. Sharing life together. It was beautiful. They didn't have much. They slept in one or two family beds in each home. They had dirt floors. They shared a handful of out-house bathrooms. They showered at one single community well. They had chickens, pigs, and dogs running around everywhere. But they were happy. Joyful. Loved.

It. Was. Beautiful.

2011 is around the corner.... {2011 YWAM Calendars}

2010-10-28T09:02:00.000-07:00

Need a great wall calendar for next year? 2011 is almost here, and we have these wonderful calendars featuring photos taken by YWAM Pismo staff. You can keep all your dates, events, and schedules organized while at the same time enjoying a photos from around the world. Each month features a different country... a great way to remember to pray for the people of China, Haiti, Thailand, and Nicaragua!

Below you can preview the photos that will be featured throughout the 12 month calendar... and in addition, a little information about who we are as YWAM Pismo Beach. Brandon and I are personally involved in leading DTSes, as well as leading the SFMI (Surfer's For Missions International) ministry.

The calendars are only $15 each! Get yours today!

Now for the nitty gritty:

the $15 must be paid with your calendar order
orders must be made before December 1st
you can place your order online by clicking here

All the proceeds go to helping YWAM Pismo Beach do what we do! Thank you!

The Man and His New Bible

2010-10-27T12:48:00.000-07:00

We partnered with YWAM Nicaragua in their vision to see a bible in every home. Strategically we visited neighborhood after neighborhood, meeting every family in every house, and if they didn't have a bible, we would give them one for free.

Then one day, we can upon this guy. (No worries, he is alive.) But he was presumably passed out, maybe even homeless.

So, in the fashion of the day, we put a bible next to his head.

Woke him up, told him the bible was for him. He grabbed it, looked at it, then placed it under his head as a pillow. Funny.

Then, he fell back asleep. Nice.

I wonder if he'll remember how he was given his new bible when he wakes up? Maybe God's word will fill the hole the alcohol had been filling...

There's a first for everything... {Shiloh's Hospital Visit}

2010-10-23T13:22:00.000-07:00

Saturday night we didn't sleep a wink. Shiloh was up, crying, fussing, and screaming every hour. Just awful. We endured, all you can do when you share a tiny cabin with thin walls... although the poor ladies on the other side probably didn't sleep a wink either.

So after such a odd night, I noticed in the morning as I was holding Shiloh, that she felt kinda warm. We took her temperature, and it was slightly high. We immeadiately chalked it up to being teething. So it was tylenol, check temperature, paci-popsicles, check temperature, hold fussy baby, check temperature. At about dinner time, her temp was down. She ate. Then within half and hour, she threw it alllll up. Awful. Hmmm, what issss this? Does teething really cause vomiting? No. So we checked her temperature again. Up. She ate again before bed. And again, didn't keep it down. At this point some of the ladies here on the base who have small children were talking to me (yes, God gifted me to be able to understand spanish for this) about how if it gets worse, they know someone who has good relationships with several pediatricians in Diriamba.

Over night she did eat once, and did keep it down. Praises! But when we woke up around 6am, her temperature was up higher than ever. She ate again, and this time immediately threw it up. So that was that. Off to get the phone number of that friend.

His name was Mynor. Super amazing man. When Brandon called to tell him what was going on, he said, "Okay, I'll be there in 10 minutes." He took us to one pediatrician that him and his wife use for their 2 ninos. But she was out doing her rounds at the hospital. So he called another. That doctor met us at his mothers home. While we were sitting waiting for him, Shiloh threw up AGAIN. Gosh. This was beginning to really worry me and wear on my heart. Poor thing. She just layed against my chest as I held her. No expression on her face. The doctor was very kind, and he basically told us that the only way we could tell what was making her so ill was to take her to the hospital where they could run some lab tests.

So we went to the Diriamba hospital. (Much different experience than an American hospital). But nevertheless, its a hospital, they have trained doctors, and medicine. It actually one of the best in this area of Nicaragua, Mynor said. So they checked us in, took her temp... it was still rather high. And they ordered a blood test, and a urine test (more on that later). We'd have to go to an outside lab to get them done. So the doctor encouraged me to keep nursing her as often as I could, so that she would stay hydrated. I sat down in the waiting room of the clinic and did so. We planned on taking her to do the labs once she ate... but upon finishing, she threw it all up... whoa. She couldn't even lift her head up at this point.

Mynor (did I mention how amazing he is), pulled some Nicaraguan strings and got them to let us into the hospital's labs to do the blood test right away, and then get her on an IV. The blood test was hard... who likes watching their little one get pricked? But then the IV insertion was even worse. Because she's such a plump baby... they had a hard time finding a vein. It took the nurses two tries, and in between tries, they gave her some drops of tylenol, and that made her throw up AGAIN. Yes, for those of you mommies out there, I was in tears. I would do anything for Shiloh, Brandon would too. We'd go to any lengths to find out what is wrong, to find medical care, to keep her safe, and healthy... but at that moment standing in a foreign hospital, with a crying baby, feverish, vomiting, and so helpless, I cried. And cried.

Eventually the nurses got the IV in, hydration! They gave her an anti-nausea medicine through it, and began monitoring her while waiting for the lab results. Brandon and Mynor went back to the base to grab us some belongings... the doctors told us we might be there +8 hours. Shiloh slept. And slept. And slept. By afternoon time, she was acting more "herself". She even gave Mynor some baby smiles. (I think she could tell just how amazing he was!). The lab results came back. She had an infection in her urine. I guess the doctors said its common in this climate down here, really easy to dehydrate, and the dehydration makes babies prone to it? Thats what we gathered from his quick diagnosis. The nurses gave her some equivalent of pedialyte (tasteless, but Shiloh LOVED it), an antibiotic, and tylenol. They told us we were free to go after she could keep it down for an hour. But to come back if any of the symptoms returned. Ay ay.

taken while in the hospital

her 2 prescriptions.

her poor bandaged hands

Complete turn-around. She was back to her bubbly self in no time. Babies really do bounce back. REALLY.

bruise :( but she's all better now! :)

It did scare us as parents. I guess being the first time she had been sick didn't help either. Being away from our own comfort and our own pediatrician. But you know what? We have an amazing God. One that beckons us to put our trust in because His love surpasses our fears, our worries, our pains. We prayed over our daughter. And God was our comfort while we were worried for her. God was my comfort as the tears fell in that exam room. Its moments like those that human words can't even bring an ounce of comfort or peace the way that God can. I was reminded of a couple of verses from Psalms:

"When I am afraid, I will trust in you." ~Psalm 56:3

"for he is our God and we are the people of his pasture, the flock under his care." ~Psalm 95:7

And for those of you who are still wondering... Shiloh is completely healthy now. She is back to her bubbly, giggly, and monstrous self. And we're are very thankful! Thank you to each one of you who prayed for her!

Oh yea, remember when I mentioned that urine sample? Um, they gave us this tiny cup:

How do you get a baby to pee in a cup? Seriously? We chose a better alternative, one that goes in her diaper. It was one moment during all the chaos of the day that we had a good chuckle.

Bucket Baby

2010-10-19T14:42:00.000-07:00

Many times, in other countries, you can't take a real shower. Bucket-showers are it. Well, here in Nicaragua, we do have to use buckets for a semi-bucket shower... and so, if I've got to do it, then so does Shiloh, right?

I found this great red bucket laying around not being used by anyone, so I cleaned it out, and its now been deemed, "Shiloh's Bathtub".

At first she looks kinda shocked... I would too, the water is rather chilly.

But then she is all smiles and splashes.

Bathtime is perfect for reflecting on a busy day.

She makes the funniest faces when we pour the water over her head... if she's anything like her mommy and daddy, one day, she'll LOVE it.

Soap time! She got kinda slippery and kept sliding over.

Drying off with Papa.

Like father, like daughter. Don't worry, I'll be doing her hair from now on.

All clean, snuggly, and irresistible!

Simple Joy

2010-10-15T11:05:00.000-07:00

"If you are cheerful, you feel good" ~Proverbs 17:22a

Here at the YWAM base in Diriamba, we are working most mornings with their school. The other day I got to help out with P.E. and the 1st grade girls decided to stand in a biiiiig circle and throw the ball to each other. A simple game. But I heard nothing but giggles and giggles and more giggles. So. Much. Fun.

Hush Little Baby

2010-10-13T16:09:00.000-07:00

With all the traveling from here to there, Shiloh sometimes has a hard time settling down for a good nap. We try to keep a basic routine, which helps. She has her own travel bed, which also helps. But, as with all babies, sometimes they just need a little sleep assistance. She loves it when I sing, although I can't imagine why, I'm completely tone deaf! I tried the simple lullaby, "Hush Little Baby", but it was kinda bothering me to sing 'gonna buy you a mockingbird' because I am pretty sure I never will. So, I came up with a more appropriate one for Shiloh, filled with all of our favorite things. You'll most likely never hear me sing it, but still, I thought it would be fun to share.

Hush little baby, don't say a word.

Daddy's gonna shape you a surfin' board.

And if that surfin' board won't float,

Daddy's gonna build you a tall sailboat.

And if that tall sailboat won't glide,

Momma's gonna buy you a slip 'n slide.

And if that slip 'n slide gets dry,

Momma's gonna serve you some pumpkin pie.

And when that pumpkin pie's all gone,

Momma's gonna sing some more silly songs.

And if those silly songs won't do,

we'll pray to Jesus 'cause He hears you.

So hush little baby, don't you cry.

Daddy loves you, and so do I.

And because everyone loves a photo....

Agua! Agua! Agua!

2010-10-07T19:53:00.000-07:00

At almost every major intersection in the capital city of Managua you'll here it being yelled. Small kids, young men, even 30 something year old women, all yelling out, "Agua! Agua! Agua!". They walk up and down the streets, strolling between the lanes of traffic, and jumping on any opportunity to make small change for selling bags of water. Yes, I said BAGS.

I decided one day to go and buy shoe polish, then wrote on a sign "Lustrado de Zapatos", and set out to the streets of Managua to see if I could polish peoples shoes. My buddy Zach came along with me. It was an extremely successful idea, and drew a lot of attention. I saw an older woman sitting beneath a tree, with a whole gang of street men, women, and children. I asked her if I could polish her shoes, and we got to talking. She and the rest of the people there sold water, and other services such as window washing amongst the traffic. I asked if I could come back and work for her. She laughed, probably not sure if I was being serious. But I was. And we were hired!

Two days later we reported for our first day of work. 1-3 this afternoon was our shift. Zach washed windows, and I sold water. In all, there must have been 20 people working out in the traffic, some selling water, some food, some random other things, even one guy was selling plastic picnic chairs. I was handed a large bag, with about 30 or so smaller bags of ice cold water, and I began walking up and down the street. As cars would stop for the red light, I would yell out "Agua! Agua! Agua!". Now, I was an amateur to say the least... but the 6 or 7 young boys working alongside me were pros. They helped show me the ropes, pointed out the cars or buses to run and sell to, so on and so on. Professional street venders, at age 11. Amazing. They shocked me with how ambitious they were, how smart, how energetic, and how excited to work there. I kept thinking, if only they were in school, got an education of some kind, they would make the best CEOs or businessmen.

In the end Zach and I made about 40 cordoba each (thats about $2 American), and we decided to keep our earnings. While we wanted to be charitable and give them everything we had made, it felt like we would offend them to work alongside them and yet not keep our wages. The last thing we wanted to do was seem prideful. So we took home our earnings, and thanked them for the opportunity to make some money and spend the day working with them. I would do it again if I am able. It was, for lack of a better word, a COOL experience. I don't ever want to travel to another country and put off the impression that I am some how superior to them. I want to do what the locals do. And so I yelled, "Agua! Agua! Agua!"

the workplace

the stock.

Zach working hard

Agua

working hard

reporting back to the boss...

hard earned wages

My wonderful Nicaraguan boss.

Thank you!

-Brandon.

DIY Vintage Fabric Flower

2010-09-20T08:00:00.000-07:00

Like I said yesterday... this is the fabric hair piece. I was inspired by my friend Alisa to make some throwback 1940's accessories. She hand crafts beautiful hair pieces with a complete vintage look. But I wanted to make some for the little lady in my life. Because I lack fashion-adventure, but love the idea of trying my ideas out on my 4 month old! So here's what I came up with: I started by finding a feminine fabric from the local craft store. I kept being drawn to some cute pop-shop colored fabrics, so I had to keep telling myself "think YOUR grandmother". I found this simple rose pattern from the 'fat corners' scrap section. Figured it would be a good one to try out.

I used one of our wine glasses to trace 6 circles with a pencil, then cut them out. My wine glass was 2 1/2" in diameter... you could probably go anywhere from 2 to 3 inches though. Just look around your kitchen!

Then I folded each circle in half, then in half again, to make what I called a 'fortune cookie'. Then you'll want to begin arranging each fortune cookie: folded edge inside the open part of the one before. Pin them as you go to keep them in place. I'll admit, it took me several attempts to get them somewhat equal, stick with it and don't give up!

Then I used a tiny scrap of ribbon to sew on the backside, attaching the ribbon to all the inner points of my cookies, and in doing so, sewing them into place. I'm most definitely NOT a seamstress, but thankfully you won't have to see the mess I make on the final product! You could use anything to do this, it doesn't have to be ribbon, be creative! Since ribbon frays, I always use a clear top-coat of nail polish to seal the edges.

Then I found these button covers... DISCLAIMER: THEY ARE VERY FUN AND ADDICTING! I only wish I could have found them in a pack of 50!

I followed the instructions to make my own fabric covered button. I think next time I might get creative and use different fabrics.

Then sew the button onto the front of your cookie flower.

Then, I covered an alligator clip... I decided to try not completely covering this one... thinking it might stay better in Shiloh's hair, and not slip as easy. Then I hot glued the clip to the back of the piece.

And presto! A completely fun and sweet fabric hair piece, super vintage looking! I absolutely LOVE it, so much so that I can't wait to make others, using different prints, and mixing up the style a bit! And I think I just might end up wearing it more than Shiloh!

Have fun!

DIY Baby Flower Headbands

2010-09-19T16:44:00.000-07:00

After teaching on the DTS, I was given an Amazon gift card. And like any new mom, I shopped for new shoes for me, and hair accessories for my daughter. But when I saw that it would cost me $10 + shipping for one hair piece, I quickly rushed to the store to buy $5 of supplies to make several of my own.

First off, you'll want to go to your local craft store, and find a silk flower that you like. The rose was only $1.99, and the other one was $1.00. Next, disassembly the flower bloom portion, taking each layer of petals apart. Then I reassembled them, using a hot glue gun. I couldn't find my girlie pink glue gun... so I stole my husbands surfboard-repair one, as long as it heats, I'm not picky!

With the flowers looking perfectly perfect, I then took an alligator clip (you can find them at the craft store also for under $3.00) and covered it with 3/8" grosgrain ribbon. You'll want to line the ribbon with hot glue, and first attach it to the inside of the top of your clip. Then add more glue, and fold the ribbon over the top, gluing it to the outside top portion of the clip. Keep your ribbon moving around the clip, gluing it to the pinch part, then around the bottom of the clip, and I finish by wrapping it back inside, and gluing it completely. The clip should be covered. Its not crucial that it looks perfectly polished, just covered.

I chose to do the first clip covered in white ribbon, but for the second flower, I wanted to use a bright pink.

The next step is attaching your beautiful flower to the clip. Just place a line of hot glue on the top of the clip, and then press your blossom firmly onto it. Voile! Now you have a beautiful flower hair clip!

It can be worn alone, or clipped to a headband. I happen to love the headband look, and had a few simple crocheted ones, so I clipped each flower to it.

Next, a fashion show and photo shoot is in order! Shiloh was kind enough to model her new accessories... and the stem from the original flower made a great toy...

Happy flower making! I promise its super easy.... and looks totally adorable! Tomorrow: ....a fabric hair piece.

Photo Fun

2010-09-15T19:10:00.000-07:00

We treated ourselves to a complete lazy Sunday... slept in, made blueberry crepes, stayed in our pj's, lounged, watched TWO movies, and munched on cheese. So when I saw how beautiful and sunny it was in the late afternoon, I decided, 'why not take Shiloh to the park for a photo shoot?' So Brandon and I tossed on some non-pj clothes, and then put the little lady in a super adorable dress (thank you Bill & Cindy), and walked down to the little park near our home. I think she was very happy to finally get outside... as was I... the fresh breeze felt sooo good! Anyways, she was singing, sputtering, and coo-ing the whole time- such personality!

She. Is. So. Yummy.

Only Admit One.

2010-09-13T06:00:00.000-07:00

One of our dear friends, and returning speaker on our DTSes, has a sister (her name is Cherie) whom I've never met, but who has one of the coolest looking web pages I've seen. Super artistic.

Only Admit One.

And as you can guess, it focuses on the youth of today and how to deal with the culture around us, and not losing our identity in the process.... well, she words it much better than I. Just check it out: at onlyadmitone.com

And if you looove blogs, she has one as well, its onlyadmitone.blogspot.com

Remembering the Faces

2010-09-11T06:00:00.000-07:00

Faces of the 9/11 victims

It happened 9 years ago today. Lets remember to pray for their families, and for all the people who have sacrificed of themselves since then.

For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

~Romans 8:38-39

YWAM's 50th Jubilee Celebration

2010-09-10T21:38:00.000-07:00

Loren Cunningham- the founder of Youth With A Mission

   For 3 days, we had the honor of joining with hundreds of other YWAMers from Mexico, California, Texas, and beyond, to celebrate YWAM's 50th year. Loren and Darlene Cunningham have been spending all of 2010 traveling around the globe to key locations where YWAMers could gather together to celebrate. YWAM San Diego/Baja hosted this one at their new Tijuana base in Rosarito, Mexico. The property is half done, and half still in development. But whew! It was gorgeous. The property sits up on a hill, overlooking the Pacific, and the facilities are excellently designed and built. They even have plans for a soccer field and swimming pool.
   But enough about that, back to the celebration: Sunday kicked it off with worship and a joyous welcome from Loren and Darlene. It was touching to hear from them personally. Then all day Monday and Tuesday we heard about God's goodness in the past within YWAM, His faithfulness in the present, and His vision for the future. Looking back at the history of YWAM is always very encouraging. It felt kinda like the days when I'd be sitting at my grandparents house and all of a sudden one of them would tell me a story from their younger days. I loved hearing about what their life was like, what they did, and what their struggles were back then. So, looking back at YWAM's history and hearing the stories straight from Loren and Darlene's mouth was very entertaining, and it gave me a perspective of just how truly good God has been as the many people of YWAM multiplied and reached into the corners of the world.
   Then we got to hear about what God has been faithfully doing at each of the bases represented. So Will and Lori Barrow got to share about our base, and the things that God is activly doing. Things like, our current DTS, Project 61 ministry's outreach to Haiti this November, and Brandon and my SFMI ministry to reach surfers and take them into missions. You can check out more about our base at www.ywampismobeach.org .
   Lastly Loren spoke on some of the vision of what God is opening up for us as a mission to be involved with in the future. Some of the most groundbreaking technology has been patented by YWAM and is going to be launching over the rest of this year and the next. Technology to teach illiterate people how to read in 2 weeks. That way they can then read the gospel message in their native language. Technology to link surgeons with missionaries deep in the jungles. Technology to bring together people from all over the world in a virtual classroom. And its crazy to think that little ol' YWAM, a group of Christian believers, are pioneering this technology!
   The whole 50th celebration was very encouraging. To meet fellow YWAMers from other places, and also to hear stories of how people's lives have been changed because of the Lord, touched my heart and encouraged me to grow in faith and trust.

All our staff, DTS students, and the Cunninghams

A short little story..... Because of housing shortages during the 50th celebration, Brandon and I shared a room with another family on staff. Their two little boys were super fun to live with for 3 days. And Shiloh, as always, was a big hit with them. One of the days I stayed back in our room as Shiloh and the boys were taking their afternoon naps. When the older one woke up, he crawled up on the bed to sit with Shiloh. He said to me, "I think she is telling me, 'I love you'." Hahaha. Then he said, "You know what? I think she wants me to sing her a song." He then proceeds to sing in a quiet and sweet voice, "Batman, Batman, Baaaatman." Too cute!

Mexico Outreach Mamacita

2010-09-06T14:02:00.000-07:00

Last Saturday our entire base (minus 2 staff) and the whole DTS caravanned down to Baja Mexico. See every other year YWAM Pismo prays about where God would want us to go together and do an outreach. This year: Mexico. So Brandon and I packed up and drove down to YWAM San Diego/Baja's Ensenada base to participate in our base outreach. We were 10 staff and 8 students. It was my first time to Ensenada, Brandon's second.

Shiloh working real hard in Mexico.

From my perspective, this outreach was the first for me as a mom... and I had no idea how it would look to have a baby with me. First thing I noticed was a lifting of the desire to be everywhere, do everything, and reach everyone. Which I didn't like. I thought I would be kicking and screaming to go talk to the homeless on the red-light district, or begging to preach to the women at the rehab center. But actually in almost every situation, I realized I would rather stay with Shiloh and take care of her, so that Brandon could go out and participate. I am being re-defined in every way, and this was my first glimpse of how that re-defining would effect the times we'd be on an outreach. It was actually my privilege to stay with Shiloh. If I felt any sadness at all it was that I was missing out on seeing the students evangelize or minister to the people of Ensenada. So my role may be to stay back, but I can contribute in other ways such as interceding in prayer!

I am looking forward to Nicaragua. Two entire months should allow me some new opportunities to be a mommy and reach the nations.

Psalm 127:3 My children are a reward and gift from the Lord, and I will enjoy them.

Learning from Teaching

2010-09-05T12:21:00.000-07:00

Last week both Brandon and I taught on the DTS. I spoke on the topic of Ethics/BioEthics and Brandon spoke on Ideas Having Consequences/the Sacred-Secular Dichotomy/ Worldview... Random sounding huh?

But believe us, its not so random. I was trying to hit on the fact that the Bible is truth and if it is truth then that truth would be evident all around us, that Truth is absolute, and then transitioned into how God views life. I opened up the second half of my teaching by giving a minute or two to present some of the current topics of Bio-Ethical discussion.... from things like cloning to genetic engineering. The church tends to always be 30 years or more behind those topics... and instead of being 'behind' pointing our fingers, we should be 'ahead' leading the way. I zoned in on abortion, euthanasia, in-vitro fertilization, stem cell research, gendercide, and then closed with population control.

Brandon picked up and finished the week with his series, which hit on how our beliefs and ideas have consequences and how they effect every decision we make. He also presented christianity not as a religion or relationship, but as a complete system of truth - the only one that aligns with reality. And then he transitioned into how we divide things in our minds and in our lives into two categories: sacred and secular. Nothing is labeled by God as sacred or secular, but everything we do, we are to do before the Lord. We are to be working to establish the kingdom of God on earth as it is in heaven, so everything is either consecrated to God or un-consecrated.

In preparing for the week, I know that both Brandon and I learned way more than we expected. It was such a humbling experience... HUMBLING HUMBLING HUMBLING... so much so that we felt more like a pupil rather than a teacher. And then looking back on the week, we were able to see ways and areas that we could drastically improve on and perhaps even expand on. We hope that in the future we could actually mesh the two together and teach side-by-side. Then be able to speak in different contexts, maybe a 20 minute message for a church, or an hour for a youth group, or again for another 12 hour DTS week.

It was a big leap for us to do this... we both know that we are "teachers"... but for me this was the first time to actually step out and teach. As for Brandon, he's a vet. Well, not really a vet, but this was his third time! We pray that God used us to educate, sharpen, and challenge the students.

A mid-July Video Update

2010-07-14T12:54:00.000-07:00

Oooooo Ahhhhh! Video Blog!

Let us know if you like the videos... maybe we'll have to switch to this rather than writing.

Shiloh's Birth Story

2010-05-30T12:47:00.000-07:00

Disclaimer: This is a BIRTH story, it may only interest the lady readers, and I kept it G-rated, but if words like "labor", "dilation", and "pushing" gross you out, then be warned! :)

On that Thursday Brandon and I went to our 39 week check-up at the OB... we were planning on going to the appointment and then down to one of the YWAM houses to join in our all-day meetings. At the OB, my midwife did the usual checks, fetal heart check, measuring my belly, yada yada... then she was planning on stripping my membranes in hopes that it might speed up the start of labor. Just before, I asked her how I could tell the difference between my water breaking with only a slow leak, and accidently peeing myself. She told me that bladder incontinence is perfectly normal at this point in my pregnancy, and that most likely this is what was happening for the past 3 days (I embarrassingly nodded-- yay for failing bladders). But just to make sure, she said she'd test to see if it was amniotic fluid. The initial litmus paper test was negative, but she said that she'd let us get ready to leave while she looked under the microscope to double check. We were waiting in the room, all ready to head out, when she came back in with a smirk on her face and said, "Well, you're actually not going anywhere but down to Labor & Delivery, because it was in fact your water." SHOCKED! Brandon and I looked at each other and didn't know what to say! So we walked down to the maternity ward in a stupor... calling our parents... having not really even soaked in the fact that we'd be going into L&D and not leaving until Shiloh was born.

I was admitted, and Brandon drove back down to our place to grab the suitcase and car seat. They started me on Pitocin at noon on Thursday. I was only 1, maybe 1.5 cm dilated. The midwife came by to see if she could go ahead and fully break my water, but I wasn't far enough dilated for her to do so. My contractions started pretty much right away, consistently 2-4 minutes apart... growing very slowly in intensity. We popped in a movie and kicked back in the room to relax and wait out the day. I'll admit, with not-so-strong contractions, it felt more like a movie day from back in high school!! By 6pm, I had only dilated to 2cm, and the nurses told me that they'd take me off the Pitocin for the night, give me Cervidil for the night to soften my cervix, let me rest, and then wake me up at 4am to shower and restart the Pitocin at 5am. So Brandon and I figured we'd have a quiet restful night, (more movies!) and then were expecting to meet Shiloh sometime late the next day. Ha!

By 9pm, I was continuing to have contractions, ones that I would have to actually 'breath' through. And the nurses allowed me to get up and take 45 minutes to walk around. Brandon and I paced the quiet halls of the hospital, and even walked outside some... all the while my contractions were now coming in my lower back and down my legs. It was beginning to get extremely painful. By 11pm, as Brandon read his book, "Through Painted Deserts" aloud to me, I was cringing and breathing through increasingly painful back labor pains. Another hour of that and I was desperate for some relief. The nurse checked me and I was only dilated to a 3... but I told her I wanted to go ahead and order my epidural. Good thing because by the time the anesthesiologist arrived, I was having excruciating back labor pains, that traveled down into my legs, one right on top of another. He administered it through the speedy contractions, and by the time it kicked in, I was one happy lady! What an amazing man to bring me such relief! He must make a lot of laboring women very happy!

By 1am I was relaxed and resting comfortably, Brandon passed out into a deep sleep. But then at 2am, I began to feel the contractions again. And by feel, I don't mean the pressure, I mean the pain, in my lower back again, and down my thighs. I also began to shake uncontrollably. Those things combined caused me to get super anxious and emotional. I began to cry and called for Brandon to wake up.... it took him a while to snap out of his sleep and realize his wife was in labor and truly did need him! Haha! For 2 more hours he held my hand as I shook like a earthquake, cried some, and began to feel more and more pain. So much for the epidural's initial relief! We popped in another DVD to help pass the time, a Nicaragua surf documentary. Then, just as I was told, I began to feel an urge to push. The nurse checked me just before 4am, and I was dilated to 8cm. But she said she'd come back in 30 minutes to check again, and I couldn't push until I was at 10cm.

5 minutes later I looked at Brandon and yelled, "You go and get that woman, tell her I need to push and can't wait 30 more minutes!" The nurse came back in and sure enough I was at 9 3/4, she called my midwife to come in, and thus began the pushing. I pushed for 30 minutes until the midwife arrived. It was rather hard to get the hang of it... and I am pretty sure that during every rest period between pushes I was whimpering, "I can't do this, I can't..." In addition to the strain of pushing, with every contraction came a burning pain down one of my legs, and I think that was the worst pain of the whole thing. God bless my midwife, the nurse, and my sweet Brandon, they were so encouraging, and I pushed for 1 hour.... gaining a lot of determination in the last 10 minutes. (And through the excitement of it all, we forgot the DVD was still playing, so I was laboring in delivery with the fellas from Nicaragua ripping on perfect waves on the tv screen in front of my bed!) Shiloh was born at 5:02am, Friday morning, May 7, 2010, weighing 7lbs. 11oz. and measuring 21in.... placed directly on my chest, and she was such a beautiful sight to see! The first thing I said was, "Honey, look, she has eyelashes!" Haha, maybe I was a little delirious, but I couldn't believe she had eyelashes. And to my surprise, she was born with a full head of dark brown hair!

My midwife tried to deliver the placenta following Shiloh, however it wasn't coming, the cord still attached to that end broke off. So the doctor had to be paged to come in and he had to assist me in delivering the placenta. I thought the pains were over with the birth of my baby girl, but I still had to sit through another 20 minutes as he removed it... it hadn't stayed in tact, so it didn't come out easily. Eventually by 7am, all was done, and it was just Shiloh, Brandon, and I. Our little family of 3! Shiloh had extra blood tests to make sure there was no infection from my water breaking so early, and I had to have an ultrasound to make sure all of the placenta was removed. But both her and I faired well, and were deemed healthy. She even scored 9/10 on her Apagar scores! We roomed in the hospital the rest of Friday, and were home by dinner on Saturday.

Thank you for all your prayers during my the past 10 months! God did an amazing thing when he created little babies and families!