It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas.....

Yes, even here on the tropical isle of PR. If any of you use Yahoo as a web browser you too may have seen that San Juan was voted the #1 spot in America to go on a winter vacation, beating out Honolulu which came in second. The article recognized San Juan for it's warm, sunny climate, the cultural experience that is hard to beat, and the array of food and festivities during the winter months. The Christmas lights really are spectacular, along the highway, and especially in Old San Juan. The most wonderful and amazing thing of all, is the undisputed celebration of Christ's birth (unlike all the liberal protests back in the states). The manger scene is the focal point of just about every lighting display around the island, on the sides of freeways, and in shopping malls. I guess it says something about the "old heritage", and the fact that most cultures hold on to what has been a part of their culture since it's inception. Christianity, having been brought here by Columbus and the Spanish that followed, remains to be "the reason for the season" in PR. I will share more with you on the way they celebrate the season down here, and the wonderful traditions we are learning about, in later posts.

~We are trying like crazy to finish out our online studies in anticipation of dad's return this coming weekend, and Skylar just a few days later. Can't wait to see my precious other daughter. It's been 4 long months; I've never gone without seeing my children for more than 5 days and this has been the hardest part of my journey. If it weren't for Skyping, I don't think I would have made it this long. Nathan will have to wait until the first of January to make the trip, making this our first Christmas apart in his 23 years of life. I'm still not sure how I'm going to handle this, but I guess it is one of those inevitable things that every parent faces as their children grow up. 

Have a blessed week as we remember the anticipation of the birth of Christ this Christmas season...love to all, joni.

"A voice cries out in the wilderness, prepare the way of the Lord, make straight in the desert a highway for our God....then the glory of the Lord shall be revealed and all the people shall see it together." Isaiah 40:3-5




The smallest tree we've ever had. We've spruced it up a bit since this photo. Hunter is just being plain silly:)



Hunt and Wy work on gingerbread house

Manger scene with live animals in the mall



The red City Gate, Puerta de San Juan, or San Juan Gate, is the only remaining city gate. It was called the Water Gate because it is where Spanish disnitaries and soldiers would arrive by ship and enter the city. It was one of six original massive wooden doors that, centuries ago, were closed at sundown to protect the residents. Above the gate is inscribed “Benedictus qui venit in nomine domini”- Latin for “blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord”. The wall is about 15 feet thick. If you go straight through the gate and up the hill, you are following the same path many sailors took after a long voyage - straight up the street, to the cathedral, to thank God for a safe journey.



Forteleza Square in Old San Juan

Plaza de Armas, Old San Juan's Main Square. This building houses the mayor of the city.

Another beautiful square in Old San Juan







A cool night in San Juan...

Yes, tonight is a surprisingly cool night (maybe 70 degrees) as I sit in the open patio area just below our second floor apartment. The sounds of Friday night can be heard on the busy blocks in the distance, but mostly I sit at my computer to the sounds of the coqui. The coqui is the national symbol of Puerto Rico. It is a small tree frog that is rarely seen (we have yet to spot one), but heard nightly as the sun goes down and continues until sun-up. And I say it is surprisingly cool because we are still in the high 80's during the day and barely the mid 70's at night. We can tell somewhat of a typical Fall/Winter has set in, as we are not sweating as much in the apartment in the mid afternoon. We hear everyone back home is enjoying some chilly, even cold nights. Sounds good to set the mood for Christmas. It is just Hunter and I tonight. Naomi is babysitting for one of our church families, and took Wyatt with her to play with the boys that are his age.
~This was another busy week for me as I had yet more car repairs to tend to, as well as traveling to Cayey for an English and essay writing lesson with the baseball boys. I am thinking this is the last of the repairs since we have almost bought ourself another used car for what we have put into this one, and surely by now we have fixed all the major problems. Please pray this is the case. As always, my lesson with the boys was a real joy. Each week I call on two of them to communicate, in English, in front of the class regarding a given topic, as well as teach them essay writing skills. Many of them are preparing for the ACT and SAT tests, so we reveiw this too. The boys are so very respectful (wow that's refreshing!), and such willing and eager pupils. This week I got to know Roberto a little better. After we finished the lesson and the other boys had filed out of the room which serves as a school room for their online studies, the tall, dark, and very handsome 17 year old Puerto Rican teen and aspiring baseball player, told me he would like to be accepted to Cornell University in New York and has begun the application process. Roberto wants to study bioengineering and perhaps "discover the cure for cancer one day". This is what he told me with great enthusiasm. There is something different about the teens we have met in PR, respectful, eager, inquisitive, appreciative, and all convey a deep love for family. From the boys on Hunter's team, to Naomi's volleyball friends, most of them seem to be very well educated. Of course most of them have had the fortune to attend privare school which is very prevalent on the island. Only the very low income are in public school. My time spent teaching the boys is always so rewarding.
~Our Thanksgiving was as wonderful as it could be, considering we were not back home where all of our hearts were, with the rest of the family that had gathered at our house in Shiro. We planned a trip to a particularly beautiful beach where we knew there would be very few people on Thanksgiving Day. After a special Thanksgiving blessing with just my three, remembering what and how the Lord had blessed us this past year, we enjoyed a roast and cornbread dressing on our blanket on the beach, complete with real dinnerware and cheesecake for dessert. It wasn't all traditional Thanksgiving, but it was warm, and it was on a while sandy beach! It the best we could hope for, and be so very grateful for, with dad and big brother and sister being so far away.  We said a prayer in the van on the way asking the Lord to let the kids see something wonderful while they snorkeled on this day. And that's exactly what he did! I can still hear Wyatt's voice as he lifted his head out of the shallow surf, not far off the shore line, and shouted with excitement, "A starfish, a starfish!"  This was the beginning of a starfish adventure. Each one of them spotted their own, as you will see in the photos. On the way home from the beach, they asked that we turn into the rainforest for a dip in the waterfalls. We had been to the rainforest back in June, on our first trip to the island, so I was already familar with the area and knew how to navigate my way up the narrow and winding incline. Besides, this was our day, me and the kids, and I had my 17 year old son with me for good measure! With everything the kids and I do apart from David, I feel a certain sense of the God's protection in a way that I cannot describe.
~ David came the day after Thanksgiving, and each visit gets sweeter and sweeter!!! It was short, but we enjoyed 3 days of Naomi playing in her first volleyball tournament. Dad really enjoyed seeing her play, along with observing her with her new friends. All such cute girls, with wonderful personalities, that were so welcoming to Naomi from the beginning. Volleyball is a big sport in PR. The convention center, where they played, was full of teams playing on 32 courts, from the ages of 3 years old to adult. The male teams are really exciting to watch. Male VB is also very big here and standard school sport.
~The Christmas season is in full gear and we will be attending the Christmas tree lighting ceremony in Old San Juan tomorrow evening. Stay tuned for photos.


Hasta la próxima, buenas noches...

This is Richard, our "friend sent by God" as he so aptly pointed out to us when he came upon us on the side of the road and saw a mother and her three kids stranded with a flat tire. Hunter had begun the process, but Richard made sure he knew things from the military perspective as we got to know him and his background quite well. He was just one of the amazing stories, and people, we come upon on almost a weekly basis. The kids will never forget Richard, and all we learned about him and from him that day.

These two beautiful photos (top and bottom) were taken at Dorado Beach East; a country club and resort subdivision designed by Laurance Rockefeller in the 50's (grandson of H.D. Rockefeller). A family from our church, who lives out there, invited us out for the day and gave us the golfcart tour of this amazing family development complete with 4 gold courses, a beach club with private cabanas, a private waterpark for residents, and 4 different swimming pool areas with both kids and adults in mind, all built around a mediterranean theme. Below is a view from the one of the clubhouses that looks through to the golfcourse and out to the ocean.



Wyatt having fun with friends from church in Dorado Beach East Resort



A reason for thanksgiving... 

~This past Friday marked one year since the car accident that should have taken the lives of me and my three youngest children, had the Lord not intervened. Perhaps it is fitting that it is just the four of us together this Thanksgiving (mom’s back in Houston and David is not arriving until the day after). We thought we had plans with our “first friends” here on the island, Keli and Brian, but as it turns out Brian has undercover work (FBI) to do on Thanksgiving Day in a remote location, and Keli and the kids will join him. So it is with the most grateful attitude that the kids and I will spend the time alone…a wonderful time of rededicating our lives to the One who saved us, in the literal and spiritual sense. That being said, what I want to give you on this post is a photo tour of the most wonderful and blessed day this mother has had on the island yet, as it just so happened on the very day marking the 1 year anniversary of that terrible accident last November.  It was a day any mother would dream of spending with those she’s closest to as we explored and experienced God’s rich history of San Juan in what can only be described as a scene from a movie filmed in Europe; however, this taking place in the Caribbean. It was something like this…the beautiful ocean crashing against the historic walls of the remains of a 16^th century Spanish fort, "El Morro"; entering the courtyards where Spanish military governors and officers once held council to plan the next defensive against English, Dutch, and French invaders attempting to claim the New World for themselves; small corridors, dungeons, and stairwells where sentries walked, stood guard alone to send a cannon beaming straight on the unsuspecting ships trying to slip by the fort walls, or to march a prisoner to his dark and lonely fate. From the fort we moved on to enjoy the blue cobblestone streets of Old San Juan, flanked by the pastel fronts of Spanish apartments with flowers cascading the ornamental iron balconies that line the street. Although part of the U.S., San Juan is a picture of old world beauty and charm. All the current store chains, brands, and high end retailers are housed in the quaint little shops, along with the most charming courtyard cafés and restaurants. Historic cathedrals, museums, and art galleries are woven within the shops and eateries, as well as parks with artisans selling their wares, some playing their instruments with cans for change, and some painting by easel. Yes! He chose to bless me and my three kids on this day, as a gift; a reminder that the most precious things in life (for this mother/educator) are the times spent teaching, learning, exploring, and discovering what our great God has done throughout history to bring His story to North America, that He would carry on the Great Commission through his church, and bring salvation through His son to every part of the world! (If you’ve never looked at history this way, I encourage you toward this biblical worldview where missions and churches were the first establishment in any settlement).  A year ago this day, the kids and I would not have believed we would be so blessed as to be experiencing what was ours this day, and every day of discovery here on the island. It's a stark reminder that our days are numbered by His grace, and He has a plan, a very specific plan, for each of our lives! May you be reminded, and remind your children, of so great a truth this Thanksgiving!  Dad, Nathan, and Skylar, my heart beats for that other half that is not with us on every step of this journey, and gives thanks for being being your wife and mother more than you'll every know!

El Morro (be sure and roll those r's) was the first fort built by the Spanish crown in the New World in 1538 with walls surrounding the "rich port" of San Juan. This was nearly 45 years after Columbus discovered Puerto Rico on his second voyage to the New World. Spain had claimed the island and maintained its hold on the riches of the New World for several hundred years through this fortification. If you look at a map today, you can see where PR is the first island explorers from other countries would come to, and many tried to make claims of their own through this alley way to the west. These first two photos show the orginal walls that remain around the old city today.

The photo below is priceless! Iguana's can be seen all over the island, roaming the city streets, as well as the beach areas. We spotted two of them on the wall of the fort! Pretty awesome pic with the lookout over the Atlantic in the background!

Here we are inside the fort. Everywhere we turned was a beautiful view of history! The smiles on our faces show genuine joy of what we were experiencing.

The two photos below prompts one to imagine the spanish soldiers walking the stairs to different parts of the fort and officers holding council to discuss the British or French ships that have been reported heading in their direction.

Great photo of the kids standing near the stockpile of cannon balls on top level of fort.

Here you see the cannon that would blast those balls across the narrow path of the port. The scene out that port window of the tropical island in the background, was breathtaking. The spanish would have another post on that opposite island to hit incoming ships with their crossfire.

Naomi in a narrow stairwell that led to the upper floors of the fort

And here is the fort chapel. Although it was a catholic world back then, it was Spains devotion to Christ, through the Catholic church, that the gospel was brought to the southern part of the New World.

 Puerto Rico became U.S. territory in 1898 under President McKinley as part of the negotiations that put an end to the Spanish-American War. This makes San Juan the oldest city within U.S. territory and this particular photo makes me proud! Knowing that God's hand was in every part of history, for the intent purpose of spreading the gospel westward, even wars and subjugations of different military powers are something to be studied with great interest. The flags shown here are a testament to the United States saving Puerto Rico from several hundred years of oppressive Spanish rule.  The "cross of burgandy" was a Spanish military flag used from the 16th to 18th century to identify warships, forts, and regiments loyal to the king of Spain. 

On one side of the fort is the old historic cemetary of San Juan. We saved this for another day when we will return to read the gravestones and enjoy another day in the old city.

Next was our stroll through Old San Juan. This was a backroad before coming to the commericial district.  As you can see, alot of uphill (and downhill) walking.

The oldest cathedral in Puerto Rico. There's just something about the Catholic reverance and awe-inspiring beauty for the place of worship

Below are two artisans in the courtyards of Old San Juan. One entertaining passers-by's with his guitar and harmonic, and the other an artist with his easel.

The day could not have ended any better! We stummbled upon "Pigeon Park" where what looked to be a local ho-bo sold Wyatt a bag of bird food for a dollar. To see Wyatt's face, and his excitement, was worth much more!!!! He could not stop laughing and at one point there were birds literally hanging off of him from head to toe. Surprisingly he made it out with no trace of pigeon poop:) 

  feliz Día de Gracias 

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!!!!

Psalm 95:1-6 - O Come, let us sing for joy to the LORD; Let us shout joyfully to the rock of our salvation. Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving; Let us shout joyfully to Him with psalms. For the LORD is a great God, And a great King above all gods, In whose hand are the depths of the earth; The peaks of the mountains are His also. The sea is His, for it was He who made it; And His hands formed the dry land. Come, let us worship and bow down; Let us kneel before the LORD our Maker.

Homesick!
    
    ~ It is true that the holiday season brings with it a feeling of nostalgia, sentimentality, and that timeless emotion of wanting to be with your family. The holiday season started with Halloween, believe it or not, for the people of Puerto Rico. And boy, do they go all out! True of the Latin cultures, they love a festival, or any reason to celebrate. As soon as Halloween was over, Christmas began popping up all around us. I guess the unfortunate wave of forgetting about Thanksgiving is sweeping the world. For me, Thanksgiving is what ushers in that wonderful feeling of nostalgia. It's when Fall is in the air, and all the material things and cares of this world, that seem to drive our lives for the better part of the year, are forgotten. Family is what matters. Being outdoors and slowing down to really think about all that is ours is what November is all about for me. I sent my daughter Skylar a text recently that said, "Being with family trumps being on a tropical island any day!" Some of you may just wonder about that, right:) I know, because I may have thought the same before being so far away from the other half of my loved ones. Experience has a way of teaching us lessons, and the kids and I are certainly gaining a new perspective on the ones we love and miss.
     ~While it's not in full swing just yet, they have told us that Christmas is something to behold here on the island. Old San Juan becomes a wonderland of lights and festivities from December to January.  We will take many pictures and send your way. The rest of the family will be coming for Christmas, at different times. This will make for a long time of celebration for us as we entertain them all separately. Until then, we are doing our best to be THANKFUL for where we are and what we have in the midst of being so lonesome for home, husband, and my other two children. The van I bought, while it looks nice on the outside, turned out to be a real lemon and I am taking it to the shop weekly since I bought it.
     ~Please keep my mother in your prayers. She returned home to Houston this past week after getting the news that one of her closest friends passed away suddenly and unexpectedly during the night. The news of her dear friends passing holds many emotions at her age that go far beyond the initial grief.  What was suppose to be an adventure, even for my mother at 72, has been a very trying transition into a new culture. She has been terrific, and I certainly do have a new found appreciation for all she has done for making the transition a little easier to bear for me and the kids.  When I say we are all learing new things about each other and about life, that we never dreamed of, I am speaking from the heart. Her friends passing was just one more very large reminder that we are to be so very thankful for what is ours today, no matter where we are or what difficulties surround us. Mom plans to return to PR in a few weeks. She's a trooper and says she feels this is where she is suppose to be, helping her daughter. I am grateful for that.
     ~I am leaving you with a few random photos. Things I am thankful to have seen, or that we are thankful to be a part of.  Love to all, j.

                                                           Sunday morning worship

                                                Our porch view into the courtyard below

                                                            A Puerto Rican centipede

                                             The most common floral tree on the island

                                                 Naomi daydreaming at a bridal boutique

              Wyatt, making friends on the beach. They just came up and started playing in the sand.

The changing tides....

~Good news from my doctor appointment confirmed the cyst on my ovary, that it is a common occurance (mine being a little more drastic with some hemmorhaging), and that all would soon subside. I am happy to report that I am on the uphill side of things. After a couple of rough weeks I have just begun to get back into my exercise routine. This morning I "wogged" (cross between walking and jogging) my normal route which ends up looking out at the turquoise Atlantic. This is where I talk with the Maker of that beautiful scene, as I stand in awe of what He has to say to me through the sounds of the ocean waves that utter different truths on different days. I look up and out, in the direction of my beloved country (which is to my left as I stand on the northern coast of PR), and I offer up many prayers for many of you back home. On this particular day, my first day back to this spot as I restart my exercise routine, I noticed a much different tide than just the day before when the kids and I had taken a walk to the beach. This morning the waves were crashing in, breaking way off in the distance, sometimes 2 and 3 times before hitting the shore with great force.

On days like this, the water is not near as turquoise as the calmer days. The fierceness of the waves causes the stirring up of the sand beneath, which clouds the natural blue/green hue of the ocean. How different than the day before when the water was so serene and clear, the beautiful blue/green calling you to want to drink it up as much as much as you are drawn to walk calmly in to where you cannot stand anymore and then just float there as you look beneath the surface and see clearly below.

 I thought of the changing tides and the analogy hit me that our lives are so much like these tides. One day all is calm, beautiful, and just to our liking. It's on these days that our Lord's voice is so very easy to hear, and like the clear water beneath our feet, we are easily led into His presence all around us. Then there's the days that the tide comes beating in, one wave after another. The water is not so clear and the sound of the waves drowns out His voice.  IKings 19:12 reminds us that the Lord is not in the earthquake or the fire, those tumultuous "waves" that are inevitable in our lives, but rather, the verse says, He is "in the still, small voice (or gentle whisper)" that comes after. Ah, I love that ocean that I get to see, hear, touch, and even taste on occasion when those crashing waves get the best of me:) It's just one of the many ways the Lord speaks great truths to me as I trust Him with our stay on this little island in the Caribbean~

~Hunter returned from his tournament in Dallas victorious! The team brought back the winning trophy and he has much to celebrate. His team was tied up 5-5 in the 7th inning of the championship game when he got up and drove the ball to the centerfield fence to drive in 2 runs, and eventually come in for a third run to end the game at 8-5!

Not only did they win the tournament, he spent some quality time with dad, and big brother and sister. Holly, Nathan's girlfriend, and Steven, Skylar's boyfriend joined the family weekend fun. They cheered on Hunter with their custom made t-shirts with his team name on the front and his name and number on the back. Suffice to say, they were among the only fans for PR. Being so far away, only a couple other family members made the trip with the team.  They were all so proud of Hunt and had a really fun weekend together.

bendiciones a todos ...blessings to all



It was Robert Frost who said, "The only way around is through". My whole existence, since we've been on the island, has been a "going through" experience; no easy way here. I guess only the native Puerto Ricans know, what seems on the surface, to be the laid back island mentality; I'm still waiting to find that. I know it's here. I guess I just have to keep "going through", as Frost suggests, to reach the point of toes in the sand and a cool drink in my hand:) I know somebody said that; I can't think who.
~So what did I go through the past week and a half that has left little room for blogging? A day/evening spent in the EMERGENY ROOM!  I woke in the middle of the night with severe nausea and throwing up every hour for six hours straight before checking into the emergency room. Talk about an experience!!! By the time I checked in, my nuasea was accompanied by abdominal pain on one side. Sonogram revealed a cyst on my ovary which will be checked out further at a doctor's appoinment I have scheduled for tomorrow (Wed.). How I wanted my husband in my moment of need and discomfort, but mom was a sure bet for second place. We never outgrow needing our mother, right, when the chips are down? She was a trooper, and without her, I think I would have been a victim of triage in the emergency room. From being placed on a gurney against the wall in a hallway of dozens of patients waiting for a private emergancy cubicle, to the nurse wanting to give me a pain shot in the rear in the midst of all these people, to some very unsanitary conditions and low concern nurses and doctor's, my mother stayed on top of everything on my behalf. We even had to have Hunter bring a pillow and blanket from home, no linens except for sheets! I will see if the sonogram was accurate when I report to the gynecologist tomorrow. I am feeling better, but please pray. 
~Hunter is getting ready to leave for his big tournament in Dallas and is very excited to play some tough baseball, as well as see his dad and big brother and sister! David, along with Nathan and Holly, and Skylar and Steven, will be traveling to the big D on Thursday to see little bro in his red and white, playing for the island of Puerto Rico! He is sure to stand out; the only gringo on the team:)  Thanks to several friends who gave generously for Hunter to travel back home with his team and have the opportunity to be seen by several college scouts who attend this annual showcase weekend.  All eyes are usually on the boys from PR:)
~Speaking of not really laying back and taking it easy, as so many pictured we would be doing, I have taken on the role of mentor mom with our church's MOPS organization (Mothers of Preschoolers). We meet twice a month, and I can only say that I can't believe I'm now a mentor and not the young mom coming to get fed like I so foundly remember back at Central Baptist Church in Bryan, Texas when Nathan, Skylar, and Hunt and Naomi were my young ones.  It's a good place to be though, middle aged, recalling with thanksgiving all those years, and now being able to give back or share what I can with so many beautiful, young mothers. Naomi works the nursery...a paid position, and she likes that very well:)
~I've also become a part-time English teacher to Hunter and the other baseball boys, as I travel to the baseball house/school once a week for a lesson on essay writing and ACT/SAT prep. The coach is so very appreciative and has given me license to teach "whatever will make them better communicators". My  mind is racing with ideas, and I love the ability to use baseball analogy in applying to the English lesson and essay writing process.  The Lord always has a way of combining our interest when we look to Him.

  How many times have I prayed to be one with my Lord, to share in the fellowship of His suffering (Phil. 3:10), and even so for my children to know that kind of endurance. This island adventure is surely achieving part of that prayer! As always, I have a prayer for you....that whatever you may be suffering, be it big or small, that you realize, as Frost suggest, going through is the better way than going around it, and always, always keep your eyes on our Lord who gives us the ultimate endurance!  

 ~Hasta la proxima (Until next time)....joni

Hunter playing second. A routine practice.




This one was out of reach!



Hunt showed us this spot to get fresh water coming from the mountain. People stop along the highway to fill up their jugs.

My van purchase. This was an experience of a different kind! Pray we get our monies worth:/

Wyatt the Pirate. Rico has gotten big....still no words, just a lot of squawking.

We took in a performance at the music conservatory, not knowing if it was all going to be in Spanish. It was, but was oh so lovely, and well worth it. Spanish certainly is one of the romance languages. This night of music attested to that!

The performance was held in an open air spanish courtyard. The audience members danced to each piece.