Valentines ♥♥

Happy Valentine's Day, ya'll! 

We started our Valentine's Day as a group of hustling church-goes, traveling in a pack to the middle school where Crosspoint currently gathers. It was a special service that the church had orchestrated, void of an actual sermon, but instead a Q&A for Talsy and David as a platform to share the Panama ministry. 

talsy & david

Talsy & David shared the vision of M.G. Panama, what's currently happening in the progression of the various projects and how we can contribute to that as sponsors here and as traveling missionaries there. I was reminded in the brief time we spent listening to them today of their heart and unconditional passion for sharing the love of Christ across the Ngobe mountains.  

thank you, vega's!

We left the church service after bidding farewell [for now] to the Vega's, and off to lunch with another family with which the Costanzas are very close from their time living in Lakewood. Lunch was quick and simple at Moe's, and a short hour or so later, we were back in the car for the journey back to Cincinnati.

We hit a weathery mess as we hit our Cleveland destination on the way here, and on the way back, we hit the weather that was now pelting Cincinnati with a layer - okay several layers of fresh, thick, slippery snow.

lovely, cincinnati

We parted ways at the Costanzas', and I made my way back through the snowy track that was supposed to be Beechmont. There was still plenty of time to spare on this Valentine's Day, and I closed out the evening curled up with my better half and our pups on the couch. Little miss Syd comes home tomorrow, which will be the perfect incentive to get through Monday. ;) 

my valentines! 

May today & everyday be a day of love living in your world, whether it's for those around you or for yourself; live in that moment & cherish it! 

Happy Valentine's Day, blogbots!

xo | cmd

"A 6-Die Farkle is a Bad, Bad Day...."

It's almost Friiiiiday! 

Today was a good one. I've been buried up to my eyeballs in work for the past couple weeks, but after a refreshing break to grab dinner with Becky & Mike last night, and after the good news today that we'll be adding a new girl to our staffing team to absorb the other half of what I'm currently doing, well... it's all been a blur, but it just made today really... interesting. In a good way, I think.

I left work per the usual schedule to get Sydni; for over half the trip, I trailed a car that kept asking me the question of the ages [or at least of the past few weeks, seemingly so whenever I look up for a split second..]

i mean........ 

^ It's a valid question, and I know I'm not the only one who feels like I'm asking my own brain this and expecting some third party answer half the time. Like, I busted into Milford today with no idea what my name was after following that guy, who also probably thought I was stalking him after I snapped this picture at the red light. Meh. 

Sydni told me all about her school's Valentine's Day party as we cruised back home, until Nana called and we got to coordinating plans for the clan to come down and visit [aka help us clean the current digs once we pack it up next month and head to the new place!]

It was a short U-turn at home, where we squeezed in homework, a snack, a potty break and costume change from work to street clothes before rushing right back out the door for small group. Tonight was especially hilarious, as we took a 1-week break from our usual studies to indulge in a time of fellowship of games and snacks. I am beyond grateful for this crew, for the fellowship, and above all, for the fact that a game of Farkle has never before been so much daggone FUN! 

farkle! 

I think as I finish this week and head into next week, I'm not going to be able to unhear Jen's exclamation, "A 6-die Farkle is just a Bad, Bad Day!" How a cup, 6 die and a group of awesome people can lighten up an evening and get those happy little endorphins movin' :). 

Yeahhhhh... 

Seriously, this week's been a blur. Last week, too. Tomorrow's Friday, and I'm pretty certain it's going to be the perfect start to a weekend of fun :). We've got a celebratory work dinner planned with Chris & Deb as a reward for winning the quarterly sales contest, followed by the weekend I'll spend in Cleveland with these two [+Q&E!] - 

heading to cleveland on saturday with this lovely fam! 

Happy, happy, HAPPY almost Friday, blogbots! 

xo | cmd

I Have Decided - Pursue the Battle Lines

And here I thought last week's Sunday sermon was designed to rock me to the core. I mean, it did, but today's was the refresher course that I really needed. Rob, too. We were privileged to be in the audience for the guest preacher, a Zimbabwe native with a first hand glimpse at life on the other side of the spiritual line.

I would much rather let him share his message with you himself, via webcast, so I'll most definitely post it when SonRise gets it up on the website. In the meantime, we'll have to settle for the Storytellers' abbreviated version:

Today we listened to a man whose childhood consisted of a life of rituals, witch doctors and spiritual seances purposed to channel the voices of the deceased. He was witnessed to by a nun, and that led to a decision that would change his life, and ultimately provide him with the information and passion to share his testimony with congregations along the way, just like ours.

What I love, is when something is stated simply: In his case, the fact that whether we want to acknowledge it or not, we are on the front lines of a spiritual conflict. No, it's not a mystical, fantasy, imaginary world. It's the world in which we live, where we are faced with the decisions daily of who and what will influence us, and in what ways.

We must be armed. We must be prepared. We accomplish preparedness by reading the Word. We ready our hearts and minds by establishing the truth in them, so that when false words and claims are presented, that truth will acknowledge. We resist temptation by understanding our limitations and relying on our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ to stand beside us in the seasons where our areas of weakness may otherwise distract us. It's a commitment that we must have, to pray. For protection, for guidance and for perseverance of ourselves, our brothers and sisters, our families, children, friends and those who don't yet even know Christ. It's a full-fledged war, in which we put our trust in the power and ability of God.

I can't wait to share the full vido here; I'll absolutely do that as soon as it's up live!
In the meantime, a friendly reminder that the first meeting for this year's Panama trip is next Sunday. I found the video on the SonRise site and thought I would share it, just in case you're curious about what it is in which we invested ourselves last year in April.


For now though, it's the day of leisure that Sunday should be...  .... okay, well maybe with a little bit of Pinterest to boot. I mean, we're going to have a couple of rooms to decorate here soon, right? 
:)  xo | cmd

#SRP2015 Day 7: Panama Canal & Panama City!

ENGLISH: BLACK FONT (Or gray).  SPANISH: RED FONT

INGLÉS: FUENTE NEGRO (O gris).  ESPAÑOL: FUENTE ROJO

*******

We began our final day in this country by waking up in our Santiago hotel. Ruth (Talsy's daughter), and Juselino and his wife Ysolina joined us for breakfast at the hotel before loading us into the bus for a 2.5-hour drive into Panama City. Our itinerary for the day included a visit to The Panama Canal.

Comenzamos nuestro último día en este país por despertar en nuestro hotel de Santiago. Ruth (la hija de Talsy), y Juselino y su esposa Ysolina unieron a nosotros para el desayuno en el hotel antes de nosotros cargando en el autobús por un 2.5 horas en coche a la ciudad de Panamá. Nuestro itinerario para el día incluyó una visita al Canal de Panamá. 

santiago

"i am second" ||  "yo soy segundo"

the hotel in santiago  ||  el hotel en santiago

windmills  ||  molinos de viento

ummm.... :/

restaurant: pio pio  ||  restaurante: pio pio 

Our visit to the Canal was a wonderful experience.
Nuestra visita al Canal fue una experiencia maravillosa.

the locke ||  el locke

panama canal  ||  Canal de Panamá

Our team ♥
Nuestro equipo ♥

After the Canal, we stopped for lunch before heading back to the hotel. We took the scenic route around the city, where Talsy pointed out the historical landmarks of the old and new portions of the city.

Después de la Canal, paramos para almorzar antes de regresar al hotel. Tomamos la ruta panorámica por la ciudad, donde Talsy señalar los hitos históricos de las viejas y nuevas partes de la ciudad.

hard rock hotel panama  ||  a screw-shaped building
Hard Rock Hotel Panamá || un edificio en forma de tornillo

toll booths  ||  cabinas de peaje

There, we were able to celebrate Quinn turning 11. Happy Birthday, Quinn!!!!

Allí, pudimos celebrar Quinn giro 11. Feliz cumpleaños, Quinn!!!! 

Quinn's Birthday!

We spent some time with Talsy and Ruth at the hotel, while Quinn, Aaron and Chris played chess.
Pasamos algún tiempo con Talsy y Ruth en el hotel, mientras que Quinn, Aaron y Chris jugaban al ajedrez. 

with ruth :)  ||  con ruth :) 

We leave this beautiful country tomorrow morning. I am emotionally torn over my anticipation to get home to my family and to stay here and work in ministry partnership with Talsy, David and the team. It has been such an fulfilling, challenging week and I am proud to have been part of this team.

Salimos de este hermoso país mañana por la mañana. Estoy dividido emocionalmente sobre mi anticipación para llegar a casa para mi familia y para estar aquí y trabajar en colaboración con el ministerio Talsy, David y el equipo. Ha sido una, desafiando semana tan satisfactoria y me siento orgulloso de haber sido parte de este equipo.



Day 7: Panama Canal & Quinn's Birthday.
Check.
I don't know if I am ready to leave... :/

Día 7:. Canal & Quinn Panamá de cumpleaños 
Hecho. 
No sé si me estoy listo para salir ...: / 

xo | cmd
♥ | cmd

#SRP2015 Day 6: Goodbye [FOR NOW], Suiche

ENGLISH: BLACK FONT (Or gray).  SPANISH: RED FONT

INGLÉS: FUENTE NEGRO (O gris).  ESPAÑOL: FUENTE ROJO

*******

We said goodbye to our small brush with Heaven today. No, not goodbye.. more like, See you next time. It was an early morning: We awoke at 5:00 and immediately began the final teardown of tents, hammocks, equipment and other gear. We each did our morning routines and packed our bags for the final time. Our little dwelling returned to its original state as a school building. We swept away the last traces of our presence there, and gathered together for one final team prayer. 

Nos despedimos de nuestro cepillo pequeño con el Cielo hoy. No, no adiós .. más como, Nos vemos la próxima vez. Fue un  temprano  por la mañana: Nos despertamos a las 5:00 e inmediatamente comenzamos el desmontaje definitivo de tiendas de campaña, hamacas, equipo y otros equipos. Cada uno de nosotros hicimos nuestras rutinas de la mañana y hicimos nuestras maletas por última vez. Nuestra pequeña vivienda vuelve a su estado original como un edificio de la escuela. Nos arrastrados los últimos rastros de nuestra presencia allí, y reunidos por una oración final por equipos.

last breakfast in suiche  ||  el último desayuno en suiche

my suiche family  ||  mi familia suiche

After prayer and one final group photo, it was time to hit the mountain and be on our way. It was a beautiful day for hiking, with the sun out and the cool breeze balancing us as we tread up into the hills.

Después oración y una foto de grupo final, que era el momento de golpear la montaña y seguir nuestro camino. Era un hermoso día para ir de excursión, con el sol y la brisa fresca nos equilibrio como pisamos hacia las colinas. 

juselino is ready to go!  ||  ¡juselino está listo para ir!

looking down on our village home
mirando hacia abajo en nuestra casa del pueblo

can you spot david all the way across there? (in his orange jacket!)
¿eres capaz de ver a David todo el camino a través de allí? (en su chaqueta naranja!) 

hiking  ||  vamos de excursión

beautiful sunshine  ||  hermoso sol

another small village  ||  otro pueblo pequeño

mateo. talsy. bernabe.
(mateo. talsy. bernabe.)

There were more bridges...

Había más puentes ... 

quinn (quinn)

aaron (aaron)

... And there were more rivers.. 

... Y había más ríos .. 

... And there was a horse for Talsy :) 

... Y había un caballo para Talsy :)

And, after about 4 hours, Rita, Bernabe and I made it to the final landing point. The other half of our team followed up behind us a short while later, and we convened at the top of the hill near the little store we had seen on the first day. It seemed like weeks ago that we had been in this same spot. We were an exhausted bunch, but happy and still reeling from the week's experience. 

Y, después de aproximadamente 4 horas, Rita, Bernabé y yo hicimos hasta el punto de destino final . La otra mitad de nuestro equipo siguió detrás de nosotros un poco más tarde, y nos convocó en la cima de la colina cerca de la pequeña tienda que habíamos visto en el primer día. Parecía que hace semanas que habíamos estado en este mismo lugar. Éramos un grupo agotado, pero feliz y todavía aturdido por la experiencia de la semana. 

we finally see the truck!  ||  ¡finalmente vemos el camión!

the store  ||  la tienda

with rita - love you, girl  ||  con rita - amarte, amiga

i could stay and breathe here forever
me podía quedar aquí para siempre y respirar

(viento en las montañas)

another store  ||  otra tienda

new friends from the journey ||  nuevos amigos de la jornada

The pictures for today stopped there; the rest of the day consisted of driving back into San Felix, and then on to Santiago. Our translator team peeled apart on the way down; Mateo was the first to leave us, and then Zobeida and Bernabe when we arrived in San Felix. Juselino's wife Ysolina joined us there, and the remainder of us traveled on to our day's final destination: Santiago. Juselino, Ysolina and Rita are now gone, although I believe Juselino & Ysolina will be back tomorrow morning to join us for breakfast. The hotel here is quaint and beautiful, and we just finished dinner across the street with Tulsy. 

We are happy. We are exhausted. Marissa and I are rooming together here in Santiago; our first order of business was to shower and relax. As crazy as this may sound, the idea, texture and feel of this hotel bed feels far less inviting and welcoming than the tent inside our building in the mountain. I have a feeling this won't be an experience that is quick to fade. 

It's late, and tomorrow we travel back to Panama City. We'll see the Panama Canal before we leave the country, and I'm looking forward to that. 

Las fotos de hoy se detuvo allí; el resto de la jornada consistió en conducir de vuelta a San Félix, y luego a Santiago. Nuestro equipo de traductores despegó en el camino; Mateo fue el primero en dejarnos, y luego Zobeida y Bernabé cuando llegamos en San Félix. La esposa de Juselino Ysolina unió a nosotros allí, y el resto de nosotros viajó hasta el destino final de nuestro día: Santiago. Juselino, Ysolina y Rita ahora se han ido, aunque creo Juselino y Ysolina estará de regreso mañana por la mañana para unirse a nosotros para el desayuno. El hotel aquí es pintoresco y hermoso, y que acaba de terminar la cena en la calle con Tulsy. 

Estamos felices. Estamos agotados. Marissa y yo estamos juntos aquí el alojamiento conjunto en Santiago; nuestra primera orden del día fue a la ducha y relajarse. Tan loco como esto pueda parecer, la idea, la textura y la sensación de esta cama del hotel se siente mucho menos atractivo y acogedor de la tienda de campaña dentro de nuestro edificio en la montaña. Tengo la sensación de que esto no será una experiencia que se apresura a desvanecerse. 

Es tarde, y mañana viajo a la ciudad de Panamá. Vamos a ver el Canal de Panamá antes de irnos del país, y estoy deseando que llegue a eso. 

Day 6: Farewell for now, Suiche. 

Check. 

Our work is fuel to God's fire. 

Día 6: Adiós por ahora, Suiche. 

Hecho.

Nuestro trabajo es el combustible para el fuego de Dios.

xo | cmd

♥ | cmd