to my dear, beloved & adored husband

Darling... I know that when we leave here, we'll be leaving a part of your heart.

I know that you have poured sweat, blood & tears into this place. I know that you have taken other's problems as your own. I know you have been Jesus to the people you meet.


Cariño, I know that you struggle with the thought of leaving all that you have invested behind. I know that you ask God each day that these people you hold close to your heart will not be forgotten.



Baby, I know that in many communities--you feel like you are just now getting through. You are just starting to see tender fruit. You are just beginning to advance. The idea of leaving must be overwhelming.



Precioso, I know you must wonder if it was wrong of us to come. If we shouldn't have started a work... if we can't stay around to see it blossom.

But, dear husband... Please think of if we had not come.

Think of the hearts that would still be in darkness. The lives still in bitter bondage. The sick still looking for remedy.



Think of the baby believers whose new birth you personally had a part in bringing about.

Think of the godly example you have left in every village you have visited.


My love, I think it was worth the cost. And I know that God can make what will be lacking when you leave and turn it into an abundant harvest.

Yours forever,
me.

sweetest hubby award

Convo between me and my true love:

He: Wow, you look great! It's gotta be those exercise classes, right?
Me: I've only gone to 2 classes...

:)

that's how.

So, ladies... many of you have asked: "So, I kinda like this guy--I think he might be an engineer. How can I tell?"

Well, just sit yourself down and listen to the fool-proof way to find out: Let him make hamburgers for you. How do you know this? you may ask, breathless at finding out the answer might be a short trip to the kitchen away.

Because, my dear, the guy I've been flirting with for the last--oh--6 years just gave himself away.

This afternoon, we decided that hamburgers sounded like a good choice for lunch. After I batted my eyelashes at him, the hunkster took over the hamburger making.

Everything seemed "normal" as he reached into the bowl and began forming balls from the meat. (Please discount the messy kitchen in the background. I have to give the maid a stern talking to.)


Then, he began carefully smashing...

And smashing....

And smashing....


It was around hour 2 of the smashing that little "engineer alarm bells" began tinkling in my subconscious. But, any last doubt was whisked away when he pulled out this:


When I saw that anything less than the perfectly round hamburger patty was unacceptable for this chef that I knew. I mean, I knew. And, that's how it will be for you. (You won't mind because he'll be flexing his muscles for you as he cuts out his circles)



He will probably thoroughly clean the excess meat from the plate--depositing it back in the bowl--before hunting for one last tool:


The perfect scraper for delivering the perfect patty to the perfectly heated griddle.




And, when you sink your teeth into these little perfections, you'll smile to yourself. You'll know.

Of You

Rey graduated as an Industrial Engineer in 2007. However, we have never been able to get the money together to pay for his diploma. This birthday, that was his gift: the money to pay for him to be officially named an Engineer. Below are my thoughts....

This picture is so precious to me because it is the only one I have of Rey as a child.
He is the one on the swing, with 3 of his 8 siblings.
They are Mario (pulling his hair), Fernando and Marina.

Have I told you lately, my love, how incredibly, how immensely
How insanely proud I am of you?

I think about you, about where you came from.
Your vision, your determination.
You saw yourself where you are now.
Happy, fulfilled, accomplished, educated.
You determined never to take the easy way,
Never to complain, never to give up.

You chose to go to school every day you could.
Even if you were a year behind everyone else
Even if you didn't have money for lunch
Even if they laughed at you.

You chose to continue on,
Even when the rest of your family gave up
You set your sights on finishing
Even if that meant studying by candlelight

You finished primary school almost at the top of your class.
Bet that closed those kids' mouths.
You came from behind, you on your own.

You went to college.
Even if it was in a different town.
Even if it did require a combination of walking,
Hitch-hiking and bus-riding.
Every time. In that heat.

You continued on.
Even though it had to be overwhelming.
The homework, the work at home,
The work to pay for school,
The work to get to school.

You graduated, yes. You did.
I cried because I could not be there.
And I cried because I was so proud of you.
Your family cried, too.

And, now, my love.
Here you are. An Engineer at last.
Not only in vision and spirit,
But now on paper, too.

Words fail me.
I could say more, but it wouldn't be enough.
Just know that I am proud. So proud.
Proud of you. Proud to know you.
Proud to be with you.
--Yours.

Rey on his graduation day with his sister Marina.

Points for the Good Guys

Rey's getting better at saying what I want to hear. The proof:

Me: Guess what? I just weighed myself and I weigh as much as I did when I was pregnant.

Rey: How can that be when you look so great??

Yes!! I think I may just keep you around a little longer.

Maybe...

I should just wake Rey up at random times during the night and write down what he says. Seems to be the most interesting thing these days.

Last night, I got up to nurse Aleni. As I was "getting situated", Rey rolled over and sat up on the edge of the bed next to me. We sat that way in companiable silence for quite a few moments--both drooped over in semi-sleep. I was thinking perhaps he was waiting to burp and rock Aleni for me when I was done.

Finally, the silence was broken by his whisper:

"Did you tell me you heard Noah or something?"

No.

"Then, why am I up?"

Beats me.

It Does Worry Me a Little

Conversation between the sleep-deprived around 2 am:

Rey: (having just been jostled awake by his beloved) What?!
Beloved: Hey, I have to go to the bathroom. I just fed her--can you rock her until I get back?"
Rey: Rock who?

Obedience vs Results

Being in the ministry, it is always so encouraging to be able to see when your efforts bring about positive change in the people you are working with. However, the reality of it is that it is more often day after day without notable improvement in many cases. Rey is the one who is "out on the streets" on the daily basis, so he is the one that feels this more regularly. The thing that always impresses me is I've never heard him dragging his feet to go out or complaining about people's less the friendly reception.

The other day, Rey asked me if I could get a small bag of groceries together for a family they had met in the community they were going to that day. The woman's husband committed suicide about 3 wks ago, and left her to tend to their 5 children as best she could. As I was getting the bag together, I asked him whatever happend to "the old man". The old man was a man in his late 70's they had met in another community that seemed to be left to fend for himself out on the edge of town. For several weeks, the team had been taking some groceries and prayers out to him--even though the man was practically deaf and it couldn't be too readily seen how much he was taken in. Rey said, "Oh, we haven't been able to find him these last couple visits." This got me thinking about how often we extend our hand to people and then it seems that we never know if what we did had some kind of impact. I found myself wondering if the bag I was preparing for the family would have any kind of visible results. If it would touch them as we hoped it would.

That is when the idea of "obedience vs results" came into my mind. You see, I am more often the one to analyze: "Was that a waste of time? The person didn't seem affected..." Or, I become offended and less eager to reach out to a needy person the next time around.

"To obey is better than sacrifice." (1 Samuel 15)

"But do not forget to do good and to share, for with such sacrifices
God is well-pleased." (Hebrews 13)

We all know God's multiple promises of blessing to those who "extend their hand to the poor and needy". What I need to remember, is God doesn't ever speak of "results"! And, that my desire for results as practically always linked to my desire for praise (aka: my pride)--not a true desire for that person to find his hope and life in Jesus.

Can I share some acts of obedience Rey has demonstrated that have born "no results"--but I am sure have stored him away treasure in heaven, while speaking to me?

• He found an old, crippled woman in the streets and helped her get back to her house. She was very obviously supersticious and closed to the Gospel, but upon arriving at her house, Rey felt that God told him to wash her feet. He asked if he could, and she gave him permission to. He did so, prayed over her--and hasn't seen her since.
• Last week, we were enjoying the evening at a downtown plaza, when a man with no legs appeared. He was sitting on a crude, home-made cart (basically a piece of plywood over 4 wheels) that he pushed along with his hands. We were eating guayabas, so Rey took about four of them over to him. The man got very annoyed and refused to take them.
• Almost every stoplight here in town has people (from scruffy kids to adults) asking for money. They have gotta be happy when they see Rey coming, because he always finds some kind of change in his pocket to give them--usually along with a Gospel tract.

And so it goes. Rey is an example of constantly finding love for the unlovely, and the humility to extend himself in ministry--even after rebuttal. I love my man!!