missionaryMAC

So I guess this is my farewell to the blogging world. I've loved having missionaryMAC as on outlet for sharing news, joys, frustrations, and more these past few years. Keeping this site up to date hasn't been a burden, but rather something I have truly enjoyed. But I think its time to say goodbye. My feeling is that as people who have collectively given nearly $50,000 to my cause and invested countless hours of worry and prayer to my ministry, you have had a vested interest in the minutiae of things like when I get sick or when I  spend an afternoon baking cookies. But now I'm back to being a "normal" person with a "real" job. I realize that CPH is just another mission field and that it will be exciting and dynamic in its own ways, but I'm back to being just your daughter, sister, cousin, niece, godmother, goddaughter, grandchild, friend, babysitter, former student, co-worker, fellow church member, whatever. I think I'm really going to enjoy my...

My last day in El Paso on Monday was one filled with getting ready to leave, in all its various forms. AM: Packing! It started off pretty organized, but then became a case of squeezing everything wherever it would fit! I didn't have to leave anything important behind except for my hangers, which I figured were easy and cheap enough to replace. When I was finished, there wasn't room for much more than Freddy's carrier and Dad's backpack! I didn't have any plans for all afternoon, but that didn't last long. Chris took me out to lunch, then we swung by Lowe's to say bye to all my friends there. I think that really says something about my life in El Paso! When we got back, I ran into Susannah Barbian and wound up spending a lovely hour or so at a little cafe talking to her and her husband Frank, drinking tea, and eating sopapillas. That night, Bob and Kathy Zeeck (one of YLM's "Snowbird" couples who had arrived in their RV that day) took me out...

I'm home!!! But more about that later. Here are the pictures that I owe you from Christmas and the first few days of the Mayer Lutheran High School group:   Penguins I made for my high school friend get-together!  I stole the idea from a friend of mine at San Pablo; it's just carrots, jumbo and medium black olives, and cream cheese.   My siblings and I on Christmas Eve: me (25), Kyle (23), and Kara (14).   My whole family!  Christmas morning on Thornberry! My dad, my brother, and I all went in and added to my mom's collection of Nikko Christmastime dishes. She inherited the set from her mom when she passed away, but it's incomplete and the pattern is discontinued. In this picture she is putting together a 2-tiered serving tray that I thought would be perfect for Christmas cookies!  Dad's Coke can pillow.   Me opening something.   I am totally putting this on my desk at CPH! ...

Quick update before a shower and then dinner with Rita... This entry is inspired by the Christmas Eve sermon at St. Paul's, which I loved. Pastor Smith talked about the very last line of the traditional Christmas story: "The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told," (Luke 2:20). They didn't go shave their heads, put on sackcloth, and sell their possessions; they returned to their everyday work of being shepherds, but with a marked change--they were glorifying and praising God . I had a great time in St. Louis for Christmas. I brought 2 large suitcases of my things home (thank you Southwest Airlines!); it almost all stayed behind which will hopefully lighten the load in my car on Tuesday. I was disappointed at the lack of snow--especially since El Paso had a White Christmas--but overjoyed at spending my favorite holiday with many of my favorite people. When I w...

Mariachi San Pablo had a Christmas Concert this year, on Saturday night 12/17! They had one in 2009, but that was before the release of their Christmas CD, "Gozo al Mundo ~ Joy to the World." I told Ann and Miguel (the manager and director) that I would bake them each cookies if they had one in 2011 since I dearly wanted to hear a full-on concert, especially one featuring the sounds of the holidays, once more before I leave for good. I'm pretty baked goods didn't have anything to do with it, but I was really glad that they listened to me! The concert included all the songs from the Gozo CD, plus several new ones. My undisputed favorite is still "O Come, O Come, Emmanuel," although "Carol of the Bells" is a close second.  The group called it "A Christmas Story, Mariachi Style," and incorporated a skit with the Sunday school children at the beginning. You may remember that I changed my plane tickets home for Christmas so I could be there--s...

I was in town for a Ysleta Lutheran Mission distribution! We give away 120 food baskets every week, but we do it up big every August for back-to-school and every December for Christmas. Somehow in my 3 years here, I have ALWAYS managed to be out of town, in a meeting, etc. for the both of our major annual distributions...until Saturday! I don't have numbers yet, but I know we gave away food baskets, blankets, toys, and hygiene kits to hundreds of the needy in our community. Hundreds more of everything listed above will be sent to our Juarez missions. Elvira and her corps of volunteers had the whole thing under control (as much as it's possible to have that many people under control), so I just roamed around taking pictures: A PACKED house for the abbreviated worship service that prefaced the distribution.    Singing "Un Dia a la Vez."  Kiddos in the church.  Pastor, Miguel, and Rita leading some prayer & praise and giving everyone instruct...

I went to my first and only posada of 2011 yesterday. I'm not sure how it worked out that I got to attend all of them in 2009, but this year they are almost all after I go home for Christmas; last year was the same story. Oh well, I guess the dates just worked out right. Yesterday's was pretty toned down, but fun anyway--lots of kids! A posada is a traditional re-enactment of Mary and Joseph's search for lodging in Bethlehem. It's a responsive chant between one group of people representing the pilgrims and another representing the innkeepers. Generally the parade winds through the neighborhood and stops at various homes, ending at one where the pilgrims are finally allowed to stay. Then the whole thing turns into a big party with Christmas carols and lots of food! Ours had one stop, the church itself. I was one of the pilgrims. Chris didn't want to let us in! But finally he and the rest of the "innkeepers" relented! Perla and Cristal, twin girls who I thin...