Hello Again

So I remembered last night that I had not blogged for a while.....my background was still Christmas trees! I told myself I would be better at this once Maddy got here, but apparently I was wrong. I don't think I'm cut out to blog or write for that matter. I don't particularly enjoy it. I mainly have a blog because I live so far away from friends and family. Anything that makes it on here is better than nothing. Right?? I guess I'll keep it.

So Maddy is a little bigger than when I last blogged. Instead of tell you every little thing that has happened in 5 months, I'll post some pics.

Christmas
3 months old

5 months old

St. Patrick's Day
6 months old

Easter
7 months old

Maddy and her BFF, Gabbi Grace

(I know I'm missing her 4 month pic. I take a lot of pics with my phone and don't know how to get them on my computer. I'm not one of the lucky ones to own a smartphone. )

Here are a few new facts:
~Maddy can sit up by herself, although I'm still afraid that she is going to face plant one of these days.
~She got her 2 bottom teeth at 5 months. I didn't even know they were in. She is such a great baby and took it like a champ.
~She looks more like her daddy every day (or so I'm told).
~She's learning to wave and clap. She will randomly do both but as soon as you start to clap or wave back she stops and looks at you.
~She loves all foods. There hasn't been a thing that I've put in front of her face that she didn't like.
~We have to make sure she is strapped in the bouncer or she will try to roll herself over the side.

                                  *******************************

Maddy and I made a trip back home for Adrienne's shower a couple weekends ago. Jay got lots of super cute stuff. His nursery is Auburn themed, so he received a ton of orange and blue. I think Bry and Adge have most everything they need. Now we wait!! He is expected June 14. We (Dusty included) will be home the last weekend in June to meet the newest member of the famjam! We are looking forward to taking Maddy to the beach for her first time too.

                               ********************************

Last, but certainly not least, Dusty's last day of school is tomorrow!!!!! We (me more so than him) are so excited! He graduates May 20 with his Master's of Divinity. I feel like I've been waiting for this day for so long, but then I realize he's been waiting for this day since he was 5. He wins! We have no clue what it feels like to be married and come home where there is no certain obligation for the night. It's always been reading or writing papers. Oh the freedom!! Maddy will enjoy more daddy/daughter time, as will I!

2 Months

Miss Maddy is now 2 months old! Well actually she was 11 weeks old yesterday. I'm a little late with my post. I chose this picture because we think it's hilarious. She is now in the pout phase. This is now her signature warning sign that she is unhappy and is about to let us know it! We just laugh at her because it's so darn cute. Oh and she is probably pouting because, as you can see, her houndstooth didn't help Bama pull out a victory against Auburn.

Well it is now official....I'm a stay-at-home mom. I'm loving every second of it! She is such a great baby. She loves to smile and "talk" to me now. I'm amazed at the little things that she does. For instance, yesterday I put her down for a nap in her crib. She woke up about 30 minutes later but instead of crying for me to come get her, I heard her chatting it up with her stuffed animal. I wonder what deep theological thing they were discussing. It was the sweetest thing! I'm excited about staying at home and catching these precious moments that I wouldn't have otherwise. She has the strongest legs too! She will definitely be walking sooner rather than later. When she is in our laps, she likes to stand up and look around. She's not interested in crawling in the least bit! And did I mention she sleeps 10 hours every night!!! What a blessing! We joke that God had to give us a good baby since our labor and delivery was a nightmare. Otherwise she would be an only child! :) Not really, but we couldn't have asked for a better one!

This is our family picture! While we were home for Thanksgiving, Tessa came over and took some family pics. I had to share this one. In case you can't see, Decoy is wearing an orange collar to match Mom and Dad. :)  I loved our little color coordinated family. We actually got Maddy and Decoy looking straight at the same time. That is quite an accomplishment. Props to Tessa for capturing this great image!
Oh and in case some of you didn't know.....next year we will have another little one to add to the picture! Bryan and Adrienne are expecting a precious baby in June! We are all so excited for them. Maddy can't wait to meet her new cousin!

1 Month Old

Maddy was 1 month old on Sunday. My how time flies! I really do believe she will be grown up before we realize it. Here are a few things about Miss Maddy that we have learned:
1. She doesn't mind flying home to visit Alabama.
2. She now weighs 9 lbs and 12 oz.
3. She is sleeping about 5-6 hours at night most of the time.
4. She didn't mind getting her Hep B shot in the leg. (She was more concerned about me taking her bottle away.)
5. She is very observant and alert.
6. She loves her mylicon drops.
7. She likes to eat and sleep just like her mother!

Madelyn Grace

I'm sorry it has been so long since my last blog. Things have been hectic and I just can't seem to find much time. Well as you must have guessed by the name of my post, we are having a precious little girl!! We are so excited to welcome Madelyn Grace into the world in September. Not only did we find out that we were having a girl today but it was our first ultrasound. It was so sweet to see her moving around...even if she was kicking me most of the time! We had a doctor appt right before the ultrasound so we had some idea that it might be a girl. Dr. Gerwe told us with that heartbeat that he was betting on a girl. Also, a very nice lady at our church knitted us some pink booties a couple weeks ago. I guess everyone knew we were having a girl except for us! Dusty said he had a feeling it would be a girl. He is very excited about his little girl. He asked my dad to buy him a shotgun to run off the boys in a couple of years! Here are the pics of the ultrasound. Enjoy!

What a wonderful world...

What a wonderful world...that song came to my mind today as I thought back over the events that have happened in these 2 short months in 2010. Mom and Dad came to visit the third weekend in February. I was so excited to have them both stay in my house. What did we do you ask?? EAT....a lot! :) That's exactly what my family knows best....good food! We had a great visit with them and I was so sad to see them go. Dusty always says I just light up whenever I'm at home with friends and family or they are up here visiting. I hope to go back home sometime soon!
I finally got a job this month! After 3 interviews and meeting my spouse, they hired me on the spot. I love my accounting job and every day Dusty asks me if I did anything exciting....I just shake my head because what I find exciting about accounts payable and general ledgers, he definitely would not!  I'm very blessed to work for a Christian employer. As a matter of fact, every person that works in the office with me is a Christian. I'm so thankful that I don't have to put up with worldly attitudes each day that I am at work. I am only working part-time now. I think that will be the best thing when the baby is born.
Friday, we had my first appointment with the actual doctor.  One of the first things he did was put the microphone thing up to my stomach so we could hear the little heartbeat. It took all I could not to cry. I guess actually hearing my little bundle of joy made it all too real. Now we can't wait to go back April 2 to hear it again! Doctor said that mom and baby were healthy. Oh and it was only 1 heartbeat so no multiples! :) I've been joking with Dusty about that so he made sure to listen closely. This week begins my 12th week so I will finally be in my second trimester next week! I've been blessed beyond measure to have been very rarely sick. (Thanks Mom....I'm sure I get that from you!)

So far in 2010...

So this is long overdue! Here are some pics from Christmas when Dustin and I went home. Dad planned a hunting trip for the family. None of the girls had ever been. It was kind of scary at times...I thought they were going to shoot me! We survived and the best part of the hunting trip was the amazing supper at the hunting house. I would go back any day just to eat!
There has been a lot going on since we've gotten back after Christmas. Upward Basketball began at church for the kids. Dustin and I are refs for the 3rd and 4th grade and Dustin coaches a 5th and 6th grade team. Our Women's Ministry Team held an event, Chili & Chocolate, to kick off some of our new groups like Sassy Scrappers, Flicker Chicks, and Cuisine Queens. It was a great success and very delicious!

Dustin and I also got some great news the end of January. We are going to be parents!! We are so excited! We can't wait for Baby Coleman to get here in September!

O Christmas Tree, O Christmas Tree

Tonight was the big night...we put up the Christmas tree! Dusty finally let me put it up...probably because he was tired of my constant questioning "if he was ready yet". I would celebrate Christmas 365 days a year if everyone would let me! When Mom came to visit in October, we popped in Elf and drank hot chocolate. I just love it!

I decorated most of the mantle and then began the joyous event of putting up the tree. Of course, I popped in some Christmas music as we fluffed the tree. Dusty carefully strung the lights. Then we put on the ornaments only to find out that the colored lights did not look so good with our ornaments of gold, green, and red. I didn't think it was possible for any Christmas tree to look bad but we had achieved just that. All that hard work for nothing! Oh well, tomorrow is another day and we shall try again! This time with white lights. Here are some pics of our unfinished mantle and our attempt at a good-looking Christmas tree.

Life is good

I feel like it has been forever since I last posted...well probably because it has been! I am finally starting to feel like we are settling into our new apartment. With school, weddings, and traveling, life has been kind of hectic. As life continues to fly by, I try my best to catch up with it. I realized last night that I only have three weeks of school left and I will be done FOREVER! I cannot wait! Dusty's last day of class for the semester was today. That's a relief! No more getting him up at 4:30 AM on Monday mornings! Hopefully, I will be able to keep updated with my blog. I have done a poor job so far but maybe once things slow down a bit I will be able to catch my breath and blog!

Since the return...

It has been a while since I have posted. I decided to share what God has been doing in my life since I returned. It's amazing to look back at the time that was spent in Peru and see just how far I've come. I had the most amazing teammates in Peru I could have ever asked for. Not only did we get along wonderfully, but they taught me so much. They taught me how to minister to those around me, whether it be teaching a lesson or just letting people know that we cared. That experience has changed my heart forever. My dad tells me that I have been smiling ever since I got back. Missions has always been an interest but now it holds a special place in my heart. I understand now the urgency to share the gospel with people everywhere. I don't know where the Lord will lead in years to come but I do know that I will make every effort to participate in future missions opportunities. I truly believe that traveling halfway around the country is worth giving up everything you have.

The Lord has blessed me tremendously since I've gotten back...way more than I deserve! I'm learning more about Him everyday. When you are where God wants you, it is amazing the things that seem to fall into place. I never in a million years would have guessed that I would meet my future husband in Bella Union, Peru. I sure never thought that I would end up in Kentucky. It definitely was God that led us to meet. Through a series of circumstances and changed plans, we met and the rest is history! :) How is that for a blessing?! I couldn't have asked for anything better! He encourages me daily and is my reminder of God's blessings!

Home Sweet Home

Hola!! Our last week was so sad in Bella Union! On Thursday, our new church family had a going away party for us. We told them not to but of course they insisted. They cooked us chicken and french fries! YUM! They were all so sweet! It was hard to leave, but I´m glad to be going home. We came back to Lima today...back to civilization!! HA HA I´ll be in sweet home Alabama on Friday afternoon! YAY!!!

I just want to say thank you so much to everyone for all the love and prayers! Mom and Dad tell me that everyone is constantly asking about me. It is such a joy to know that I have a wonderful church family and amazing friends!

Tienes fe como un grano de mostaza...staza...

HOLA!!! I hope everyone has had a wonderful week! This week was pretty much the same as we have been doing...Bible Study´s and church. Church was great last Sunday. We had about 15 people.

We decided to go to the ¨beach¨ in Lomas on Thursday. It was definitely a once-in-a-lifetime experience...and I will NEVER go back!! HA HA It was disgusting!! I wouldn´t even eat at the restaurant it was so awful! So much for our beach trip!

I´m a little sad though! We only have one week left here!!! We are leaving next Friday afternoon to head back to Lima with a few stops on the way. I´m very excited to see everyone, but at the same time this has been my home for 2 months. Please keep our last week in your prayers. Pray especially for the believers in Bella Union. Pray that they will continue to do Bible Study´s and come to church long after we´re gone!! I just want to praise God for blessing our ministry and the people here!! May He be lifted up always!!!

Hola

Hey ya´ll!! So how about I had my first earthquake experience this week. I definitely woke up at 4 one morning because of the tremors. That was pretty interesting.

We had a great church service on Sunday. We are averaging about 15 people every week! YAY!! How exciting! On Monday, Pastor Amias showed a video and we had 20 people attend. It was a ventriliquist act, and I think it was pretty funny...I´m not really sure since I don´t speak much Spanish. HA HA The people seemed to like it.

We continued visiting people and doing Bible Study´s this week. We passed out flyers at the Ag Institute for a Bible Study tonight at 630 but nobody came! I´m sad about that, but maybe we can go back and try again. Just continue to pray for these last few weeks. God still has work for us to do here.

SMT08 BU Part 2

Hola!!! I´m so excited about this second half of the summer!! We arrived back in Bella Union Tuesday with the Creative Ministry Team. The CMT did sketches, songs, and puppets for the preschool, elementary school, high school, and Ag Institute. A teacher at the high school wants me to come back and teach English. Hopefully that will work out because that would be a great opportunity not only to learn more Spanish but to show the love of Christ through me. When we went back to the Ag Institute, 19 people made a profession of faith!! How awesome is that!!!

It´s funny how God puts people in your path. The first day we got back, 2 guys driving back to Acari stopped and asked if they could come back and talk with us. Those 2 men were saved that night. They came back 2 nights in a row for us to share with them. God is just continuing to show His power.

Michael and I went for a walk one morning. He was telling me about how this village had been so unreceptive to the past missionaries. I´m blessed that I get to be the one to see this egg cracked! I´m really falling in love with the people in this village! I´m excited to see what is going to happen this last month. I don´t think I´m going to want to come back...but I will...don´t worry Mom and Dad!! HA HA

Yo soy muy feliz...

Hey ya´ll!! This has been such an awesome week. The team from Porter Memorial Baptist Church came on Sunday...shout out to my peeps from Kentucky and Alabama! HA HA (I know they all miss me already!!) They were such an encouragement! Every one of them just had an amazing passion for God and sharing the Word. I´m so excited about the impact that they had on the people here and in my own life.

We had our first church service last Sunday night. There were 14 people that came! It was a great message and a great time of fellowship in the Lord. Another door was opened for us on Wednesday. There is an agricultural institute right outside of town, and they invited us to speak. The kids were very open during discussion time and a girl was saved! Also, we had 3 days of VBS for the kids. I led the music for this too...Mr. Garner better watch out! HA HA jk Those 3 days went great! Tonight, the ladies had a tea for the women in the village. There is also another church service Sunday night. I wish I could be there but Michael and I are in Nasca for our mid-summer debriefing. We will return on Tuesday with the Creative Ministry Team. We are hoping to take them back to the agricultural institute to do some evangelism.

God is really working here in Bella Union and continuing to open doors for us. Just keep praying for these people, our ministry, our health, encouragement, and our church services. Also, pray for traveling mercies for both teams this week.

One more for Christ...

Hey everybody!! So this week has been pretty tough. I dealt with sickness this week. Some days are better than others. Nothing serious...just typical stuff. I found out that my roommate´s grandfather died. I was pretty upset that I wasn´t going to be able to be there for Court. Please pray for peace and comfort for this family. I, also, just found out that Miles´s grandmother had a stroke and she´s not doing good at all. Please pray for their family as well. I know this is hard for all of them.

I struggled with being homesick this week very bad. By the time Wednesday was here, I really just felt like packing up and coming home. Pastor Amias, who has been here with us all June, felt compelled to share with us a passage out of The Purpose Driven Life. It came at a timely moment. He talked about how our mission was to reach these people who have never heard, how we need to live our life trying to reach just one more for Christ. That´s when a peace just washed over me. That´s why I´m here....just one more for Christ. I didn´t really understand why I was called to be here when so much was happening back home. But now I realize that this is my mission...just one more for Christ!!

On a happier note we are having our first church service tomorrow night at 630!! I´m so excited!! The group from Kentucky and AL are coming also! Please pray for our service!! We had an interesting experience Sunday night. There was a big shindig in Acari, the next village, for Father´s Day. We went to see the kids dance. We actually walked to the village which took about an hour...no joke!! When we returned Sunday night there was nowhere to eat. Mama Beth made peanut butter and banana sandwiches on saltine crackers...true story! So if u ever have a craving...hit me up!!

My God is so big, so strong, and so mighty...

Hola!! So this week has been such a blessing. There were some times of discouragement and frustration but the Bible says in James 1 to ¨Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because u know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.¨ As I was doing my Bible study, this verse just kind of jumped out at me. As I was thinking about it, I realized just how true that is. Without trials, we would never learn to fully rely on God. This week has been somewhat of an eye opener for me. This culture is pretty laid back...which drives my dad crazy. Sometimes it gets frustrating but we just have to remember why we are here. We have had so many people come to know our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ this week. We began some discipleship training sessions with some of the believers. I´m so excited about what the Lord is doing here and in my own heart! We climbed a mountain today that was just outside of the city. I wish everyone of you could see just how beautiful the view was. At night, the stars are so amazing. There are no lights to block out the full beauty of them. I really do just stand in awe sometimes at just how amazing and wonderful our gracious God is. I never realized just how much I take for granted.

Greetings from Bella Union!

Hola!! So I´ve been here a week in Bella Union, Peru. It is located in south Peru. It is very dry here...it has never rained here...true story! It pretty much looks like the desert with lots of rocks. One side of the road has an irrigation canal and that is where lots of olives are grown! That is what this village is famous for...I did try some with pimento in them. Pretty good if I do say so myself! The food here is good. We do LOTS of walking. There are mountains around which are made just of sand. I think one day we are gonna try to climb one...seriously.

This week we have been trying to locate people who had previously made professions of faith. We have not had the best of luck. We did visit Señor Guido Quiroz´s house yesterday. We had some worship time and then Pastor Amias led us in a Bible Study. Today Jaime, Señor Quiroz´s son, came over and our teammember Jerry discipled him and answered questions for about 2 hours which is really exciting. I also led a Bible Study with one of the teenage girls today. It was interesting trying to explain in Spanish. I think it went really well. Racsel is coming back on Monday to do another Bible Study. I have been trying to build relationships with the teenage girls. Most everyday we go to the park and play with the kids. Last night was the school´s Homecoming Assembly. Jerry and I went to watch the girls bec they were doing some dances for the school. We also went to the Homecoming Parade today. One of our goals is to have a worship service Friday. I get to lead the worship...so pray for me! HA

One big thing that you all could pray for this week would be encouragement. We have not had the best of luck with finding people. It just seems like everything is happening very slow.

Love and miss ya´ll,
B

Almost there...

Hi everybody!! These past few days have been wonderful! On Wednesday, we split up into teams and had a scavenger hunt...my team won, of course! So I basically got in a lil sightseeing as well. Here are some of my adventures...1. Taxi drivers in Peru are CRAZY! There are hardly any traffic lights so everybody just honks the horn! 2. I got to slide down the pole at the firestation...ok I know not that big of an adventure but it was fun and Ill prob never do it again. 3. I got to see the catacombs at La Iglesia San Francisco. 4. Youll never believe this one...I drank Jugo de Rana. Translation...FROG JUICE!! I actually got to see them kill the frog, skin it, boil it, blend it, and strain the bones...and he added a QUAIL EGG for good measure! HA HA 5. I ate anticucho, bull heart! Ok so I know that wasnt a big deal either but eating new things is a HUGE step for me!!

That night we went to camp for orientation. It was a great 2 days just learning about God and what He wants to do in the villages! We did an indepth study of the Tabernacle and how it applies to our lives. It was pretty much a huge worship service. It was great just getting to know the other students that were going to the villages as well. I met my team members, Michael Hall and Jerry Jenke. They have both been to our village that we are going to. They are so excited about what the Lord is doing and going to do in Bella Union!

Now, we are at our hotel in Ica. Tomorrow, we will go to church with a pastor who has been diligently working in our village, Bella Union, for about 2 years. We took him, his wife, and 8 yr old son to dinner at Rokys tonight. They had the best chicken!! We depart for Bella Union right after church. Please pray for our safety as we continue to travel. Please pray that the people would be receptive to the Word. Please pray for our team unity and spiritual preparedness also!!

Love yall,
B

Next stop....PERU!!!

Wow time flies!! It was only yesterday that I was applying to the IMB for mission work...and now I leave in less than 24 hours for Lima, Peru! The excitement is almost too much...I doubt I get any sleep tonight! This is way better than going to Disney World! :)

I just got through making my goodbye phone calls...I hate goodbye's so let's call it my see-you-later phone calls! I still have to finish packing...leave it to me to wait until the last minute. Good thing I don't have to bring that much with me.

FYI...my plane leaves Pensacola at 2 pm tomorrow and I should be arriving in Lima at 11 pm

Please pray for the safety of all the SMT 08 team members while we are traveling. Pray for all our family members to have peace and comfort. Pray that everything goes smoothly tomorrow.

God Bless,
B

Yay for GRADUATION!!

I recently graduated on Friday! YAY!!! Even though it was a big milestone in my life, it was just any other day to me...maybe that's because I still have another year or two in grad school. I did, however, get to catch up with my long lost friend Tessa that night! After our lovely night in at Tessa's new house, I decided it was time to pack...can you hear the excitement in my voice?! So after procrastinating for a few hours, I started at about 12:30 a.m. I absolutely hate to pack so it was no surprise that I wasn't in the best of moods. So I got to thinking while I was packing...about leaving Troy and what this summer holds for me. I was definitely overwhelmed with mixed emotions. I'm SO EXCITED about going to Peru and discovering what God is going to do. I enjoy meeting new people and I know that since God has called me to go that everything will be perfectly fine. But on the other hand, I was sad to leave Troy for the summer and all my friends. It's going to be so hard not seeing them everyday or talking (well mainly texting them)! My wonderful roomie made me even more sad...you can sleep in my bed anytime you would like Court! :) Most of my friends are going out of the country also. I can't wait to see all of them when we get back to compare stories!