We are OK!

Well, I had intended to write about the seminar we hosted with Preacher Smith, but early Saturday morning, our world shook us up! Around 3:45 am. we awoke to a huge earthquake. It lasted a good long time, long enough for Neil to go get our two big kids who were sleeping in a tent outside. I got the baby. We just stood around in doorways waiting for it to end. OUr lights were out. For all of Saturday we just tried to contact people. Our Church people, our fellow missionaries, our families. Preacher Smith and missionary Dave Disney were here for the seminar. Peggy Disney was alone in Santiago, on the 9th floor of their building. It took a while for Dave to be able to contact her. Their appartment was greatly damaged in the quake. I fell so bad because she was alone. She was able to contace Mrs Smith in Oklahoma City. The bad thing is that they can't leave because the airport in Santiago is closed indefinitely. They may try to set out by car tomorrow. We don't know.

We had been without electricity until 3 pm today. I had been able to update my facebook page on Hubby's iphone, but even that services has been spotty.

We are fine and our house is fine. Mom's house was harder hit because she lives on a hill. She lost most of her china, dishes, mirrors, light fixtures etc. But apparently, there has been no structural damage to her house, the camp and pool. PTL.

Chile is a mess! We can no longer buy gas. I don't know how long it will be before stores are restocked. Many, many dead. We had 3 professions of salvation this morning! I pray that they will all stay sensitive to the Holy Spirit, that some good will come out of all this bad.
I also pray for the return of the Lord!

Thank you all for your concern and prayers,

Rhonda

Youth Camp!

In between camps we took Bro. Eldred to the famous Ojos de Caburga, an area were the river forms the most beautiful pools.

Youth camp was all about jewels and treasure. God call those who fear Him and who talk to their friends about Him as jewels. We had 4 teams, the diamonds, the emeralds, the rubies and the saffires.


Youth camp is always a time for goofy games. I didn't take pictures of the one that included pliers and nose hair. Aren't you glad about that?


Mom re-did my hat in keeping with the theme. This is my "no-makeup" look. Awful, don't you think?





Here's Mom with all the treasure. We gave out "gold" coins instead of points. Worked like a charm. You win, you get coins. You lose, you pay coins.

I found the Malachi passage to be a special blessing. It reminds us that God is listening. He is keeping a record of all that is said and done. He views us a his treasure. Fearing Him and serving Him is soooooo worth it!

Camp photos, Are you ready?

Here is Yours Truly with DH and the Fruit hat. Good thing is that he had one too! A sunrise shot. Not bad huh?

Pastor Eldred, our guest speaker and supporting pastor, Neil, Me, and Mom.

Have I mentioned yet that it rained? This hat came in very handy!

See the fruit of the Spirit? All attached to the Vine.

More to come!

One down, one to go.

Family camp is over, and it was one of the best to date. We had around 70. all included.

I will go into detail and post pictures, later.

I am working feverishly to finish the devotional booklets. Its not my fault, I am just the typist. The author, who shall remain nameless, just finished them tonight. I am printing page 5 of 6. The toner in our laser printer just emptied when it should be full. I switched to the inkjet, which is slower.

We have some great stories from family camp, but they will have to wait until next week.

Please pray that this week will go smoothly and that the Holy Spirit will move greatly.
Please pray that I will not go crazy!

Tomorrow's the Big Day!

Camp 2010 is officially underway. Of course the devil is doing his best to hamper all efforts. As I write, my printers are giving me fits.
We are looking forward to a great year.

On a side note, we had 161 people in Church yesterday. That's a new record. It was a special occasion, we had a baptism. We had many visitors come see their friends and loved ones get baptized. One visitor, a pentecostal, told me that she didn't like our church at all! She said that the preaching was OK, but that the music was sorely lacking. Oh well, you can't please everyone!

Among those baptized was an 85 year-old man. It took forever to get him up the stairs to the baptistry, down the ladder into the baptistry and the up the ladder again, and down the stairs.
It took more time to baptize him than the other 12 all together! Well, its never to late to get baptized.

We hope all who have been working hard to bring visitors continue, and that people will continue to be saved and grow in the Lord.

Camp!

Only 11 more days!

Its going to start getting wild around here. Neil is writing the devotional booklets, which I will type and print. Mom is doing all the decorating and another gazillion things that need to be done. We shop for the food next week. Our special speaker arrives from Cal. next Friday.

I am looking for a theme song for the family camp. We are doing "The Fruit of the Spirit" Each family will be a different fruit. Mom made me a fruit hat á la Carmen Miranda. Its a good thing I am not afraid to look silly! Two years ago, she put Neil in a black vest and hat, a sherriff's star and a fake mustache. It was a hoot.

Youth camp will be the following week. The theme is "A Special Treasure" I already have a theme song for that. Mom is going to do a treasure hunt.

I've got a bunch of stuff to print up.



If I don't post soon, you'll know why!

"Attempt great things for God,

Expect great things from God!" I hope I got that quite right, I might have gotten it backwards. It is from William Carey, missionary to India.

The Lord has blessed our church greatly, but in the past two years, we fell into a rut, attendance -wise. We hovered around 100. We won new people, but lost others. Six weeks ago, the Preacher got all the SS teachers and leaders together and made a challenge. We wanted to get to 150 by September, 2010. He laid out a visitation schedule and we got to work. Almost immediately we began to see progress. We averaged 120 for about 4 weeks.

Yesterday was the best so far. Nothing special, no give-aways. (we never do that) Just hard work. God sent 148 people to our Church yesterday. Yea!!!!!

Now, we no longer are expceting 150 from God. We're kicking it up to 170!

New Year's Eve menu

I am the world's greatest NYE party pooper. I hate staying up late! Here, NYE is a biggie. Big cookout, mostly lamb or mutton, which I dislike. But everyone has an Asado.

One year, when we were living up on the hill, overlooking Loncoche, I had the brilliant idea of making Pastel de Choclo, corn pie, instead of a cookout. Neil agreed and Mom and I undertook the work of Pastel de Choclo. As we sat out on the porch eating our delicious Pastel, something incredible happened. We could smell the meat of all the people cooking in the town below us! All of a sudden, our pastel didn't have that smell! We are quite the carnivores, so our corn-laden goodness came up short!

Lesson learned, this year like all the rest, we are having an Asado!

Merry Christmas!

An Arias Christmas, part 1

For my birthday in October, I wanted to order the movie "The shop around the corner" What I found at Amazon was this. I ordered it in November. It arrived on Dec 23. Can you believe it? Just in time!
We've had a great Christmas season. My bigger kids are at the time when they realize that Christmas is not just the day, but the planning, buying, baking, wrapping, all through the month.
To top it off, we watched "Christmas in Connecticut" yesterday afternoon. We had never seen it. I don't think Ronnie enjoyed it too much, but the girls did! What a fun way to kick off the celebration!

An Arias Christmas, part 2

We had our Chrsitmas Eve service at 7. The choir sang four songs. Every seemed to enjoy it. We even had a special guest. The mayor of Lanco came to our service last night! But even better than that, we had 3 people who trusted Christ for salvation. Our table, ready to go. We had crock-pot BBQ ribs, baked potatoes and 7 layer salad. I was going to make several desserts, but ended making only peanut butter squares. Yummy! And quite extravagant for these parts. No one uses up their peanut butter so rashly unless it is Christmas! Of course we each had our very own can of Dr. Pepper. No sharing tonight!

Imp!

My boy!

An Arias Christmas, part 3

Here's my big girl, who is now 14. We hardly get any shots of her because she is the family photgrapher!

A lovely gift for Daddy

Inside this big box are several other packages, one inside the other. The ring my husband had made for me was in the middle. Eileen loves wrapping packages that way! Its a hoot, unless you're the one opening the gift.

Vanessa was entralled, even if the gifts weren't for her!

A glass of Christmas cheer!

Oh yes! A whole case of Dr.Pepper! Originally priced at a dollar fifty a can, we found it on sale for 50 cents! Hip, hip, Hurrah!

A Christmas letter

My Grandma sent me this lovely graphic, and this letter was sent to me by dear friend, Wanda.

Letter from Jesus about Christmas --

It has come to my attention that many of you are upset that folks are taking My name out of the season.
How I personally feel about this celebration can probably be most easily understood by those of you who have been blessed with children of your own. I don't care what you call the day. If you want to celebrate My birth, just GET ALONG AND LOVE ONE ANOTHER.

Now, having said that let Me go on. If it bothers you that the town in which you live doesn't allow a scene depicting My birth, then just get rid of a couple of Santas and snowmen and put in a small Nativity scene on your own front lawn. If all My followers did that there wouldn't be any need for such a scene on the town square because there would be many of them all around town.

Stop worrying about the fact that people are calling the tree a holiday tree, instead of a Christmas tree. It was I who made all trees. You can remember Me anytime you see any tree. Decorate a grape vine if you wish; I actually spoke of that one in a teaching, explaining who I am in relation to you and what each of our tasks were. If you have forgotten that one, look up John 15: 1 - 8.

If you want to give Me a present in remembrance of My birth here is my wish list. Choose something from it:

1. Instead of writing protest letters objecting to the way My birthday is being celebrated, write letters of love and hope to soldiers away from home. They are terribly afraid and lonely this time of year. I know, they tell Me all the time.

2. Visit someone in a nursing home. You don't have to know them personally. They just need to know that someone cares about them.

3. Instead of writing the President complaining about the wording on the cards his staff sent out this year, why don't you write and tell him that you'll be praying for him and his family this year. Then follow up... It will be nice hearing from you again.

4. Instead of giving your children a lot of gifts you can't afford and they don't need, spend time with them. Tell them the story of My birth, and why I came to live with you down here. Hold them in your arms and remind them that I love them.

5 Pick someone that has hurt you in the past and forgive him or her.

6. Did you know that someone in your town will attempt to take their own life this season because they feel so alone and hopeless? Since you don't know who that person is, try giving everyone you meet a warm smile; it could make the difference.

7. Instead of nit picking about what the retailer in your town calls the holiday, be patient with the people who work there. Give them a warm smile and a kind word. Even if they aren't allowed to wish you a "Merry Christmas" that doesn't keep you from wishing them one. Then stop shopping there on Sunday. If the store didn't make so much money on that day they'd close and let their employees spend the day at home with their families

8. If you really want to make a difference, support a missionary-- especially one who takes My love and Good News to those who have never heard My name.

9. Here's a good one. There are individuals and whole families in your town who not only will have no "Christmas" tree, but neither will they have any presents to give or receive. If you don't know them, buy some food and a few gifts and give them to the Salvation Army or some other charity which believes in Me and they will make the delivery for you.

10. Finally, if you want to make a statement about your belief in and loyalty to Me, then behave like a Christian. Don't do things in secret that you wouldn't do in My presence. Let people know by your actions that you are one of mine. Don't forget; I am God and can take care of Myself. Just love Me and do what I have told you to do. I'll take care of all the rest. Check out the list above and get to work; time is short. I'll help you, but the ball is now in your court. And do have a most blessed Christmas with all those whom you love and remember :
I LOVE YOU,
JESUS

Just a thought........

My Christmas table

Seeing that Christmas is essentially an eating holiday, its a blessing to have Christmas dishes.
Years ago, I bought a cheap(read-ugly) set from Kmart. Of all of the things that were lost in the house fire, those were the least-missed. Two years ago I had the opportunity to buy these and I am so happy!


We eat off Christmas china everyday in December. So far, we've only brocken one salad plate!
I know that dishes get broken, but my family is special, and I 'd rather have a few broken dishes, than a cupboard full of unused dishes waiting for something "special".

Please indulge this mama!

My sweet baby loves to look out the window!
Her Daddy gives her Oreos!
Looks like her sister is training her to be a model. Hmmmm. we'll have to have a Talk about that!

I wish I had more time

I love Christmas time! I love any excuse to give gifts and bake. I love the festive decorations. I am big on nostalgia. Ronnie said the other day that he wished the Christmas would come sooner, but I need the whole month! In fact, next year, we are going to start the day after thanksgiving!

I have done better this year. I got several cards off to my nearest and dearest. Well, most of them!

I have a feeling that Christmas in heaven will be even better. We'll get to celebrate Jesus' birthday, and He'll actually be there for the celebration!

My Christmas house!

We absolutely love our tree. Both of my older children tell me that they could stare at it for hours and not get tired of it! Me too. Vanessa is learning the meaning of "Don't touch!" It hasn't been entirely pleasant for her.

Thanksgiving

It was great!
The final menu was,
Rhonda:
Turkey
dressing
mashed potatoes
pumpkin pie
watergate salad
multigrain rolls
chocolate mousse

Brenda:
corn pudding
seven layer salad
cranberry jello salad
green beans


I think that was it. There was food everywhere. We had a wonderful time of food and fellowship. Bro. Phil is encouraging my fed-up-with-his-PC husband to get Macs. Fine by me. We have been plagued with computer viruses.
Brenda showed me some really cool websites with crafts for Sunday School.
We also Wii'd a while. I am beginning to enjoy Thanksgiving more and more as I grow older.

We are gearing up for Christmas. Tree and decorations go up on Monday. Yeah!! I am thinking about how I will paint my windows this year.

Blessings!

The last ladies meeting of the year!

We had a soup and salad dinner. We had a salad competition. Above you can see some of the better entries. The salad "clock" won!. I taught about the power of praising God in all situations of our life. It was a great night, but I am glad the weekly meetings are over for a while. I'll be readly to start again, come Fall. South American Fall, that is, maybe Arpil, 2010. Do your faithfully attend your church's ladies Bible study? If not, you might be missing out on a huge blessing!

Do you at