Hello, Lakewood!

Rise and shine!
On a Saturday? Cori, are you okay? 

Guys, I was meeting up with the Costanza clan and heading north to Lakewood. The Vega's were waiting on the other side, and so were a cast of folks I'd not yet met, but was looking forward very much to getting to know.

Roooooad trip!

We piled into the van at the Costanza house and wasted no time finding the highway northbound. It was a smooth ride nearly the entire way, until we hit a stretch of unpaved roadway and a broken down semi that resulted in nearly an hour of lost time. Good thing there were some interesting views along the way:

What should've been 4 hours turned into 5, but the end was all that much better when we rolled into the driveway of the Constanzas' friends, and were greeted by them, their 4 awesome kiddos and of course, Talsy & David!

We settled in, exchanged introductions and cozied up with some heated blankets to talk with the Vega's about the recent happenings in the mountains of Panama. It's been just a little over a year since we've seen Talsy & David; we've all changed so much but still hardly at all [if that makes any sense at all] in just a years' time.

talsy. david. chris

OH, and I experienced Angelo's for the first time. This place alone would be enough to bring me back. Thanks for ruining pizza anywhere else for me for the rest of time, Angelo's... haha. 

this place.. yummmm...

The night wound down as David & Talsy headed back to their host home for the night, the kids all headed upstairs to bed, some of us took showers and then started to wind down until the air mattress was finally inflated, the couch was made and each of us retired to our respective spots for the night. 

Tomorrow: Church at Crosspoint, where the Vega's will share the update on the missions with us. I'm ready & excited to experience Crosspoint and see what they're all about. Plus, Todd gifted us with these super soft and super comfy shirts [thanks, guys!!!]

thank you!!

Good night, Lakewood! 

xo | cmd

Callie the Diamondback

Rob was still in Illinois this morning, so Sydni and I did church on our own. We started a new series this week on relationships, and as Pastor Jeff's messages usually are, I'm pretty sure the rest of the series will be excellent.

The Panama meeting was after church, although it wasn't much of a meeting. Chris, Tana, Beth and I gathered after the service, but we're hoping the next time we get together will have a better turnout. There were several other meetings happening at the same time, which detracted some from our informational meeting. I'll have the opportunity to go with Chris and Betsy next weekend to Cleveland, to see Talsy and David while they're here visiting; hopefully then we'l be able to determine exactly what our trip will look like.

Rob surprised us by showing up several hours earlier than expected, with his newly-tuned truck and a bed full of auction stuff.

He'd purchased this a couple weeks ago without my knowing [at a price tag far less than MSRP, wooo!], and picked it up at the auction warehouse on his way out to Illinois last week.

I shared this little gem on Facebook, and in no time realized that I'll have to tote her to Arizona sometime this summer, whenever we visit Jesse & Liz; it turns out she just got a new Diamondback too! I'm ready, Summer... the trails are calling... 

OH, and it's Superbowl Sunday, a minor detail for me. Sorry, not sorry, but if I'm being honest with myself and the rest of the world, the truth is that I had absolutely no interest in watching the game, but the invite to spend the evening with the Costanzas far outweighed my indifference for the game itself. We are truly fortunate to be able to get to know this family more and more, and tonight was the perfect way to relax and somehow still enjoy the game. 

Congrats though, to the Broncos! I know my parents and just about everyone else I know seemed to have their fingers crossed that Peyton Manning & Co. would come out on top, and they weren't disappointed. 

Tomorrow's a new week, but with plenty in store! Becky's back from Trinidad & Tobago, so we'll see her, I think there's a dinner with Jess in that mix somewhere, small group and then I'm off to Cleveland with the Costanzas this weekend. 

I'm pretty pumped, but yeah, I agree... let's get through Monday, first ;) 

xo | cmd

Yard Work & Bonfires

Rob and I got breakfast moving early this morning, as we anticipated a day full of yard and boat work. We chowed down and headed outdoor for a day of weed-pulling, grass-mowing, boat-buffing and other miscellaneous meanderings around the house.

i'm insanely in love

See ya later, weeds...

pre-weeding..

At some juncture in the day, I received a text from Chris, inviting us over for a bonfire later that evening, as one of their friends from Cleveland was in town visiting for the weekend. We happily obliged, and after the afternoon wore on, we cleaned up and made our way over for a relaxing evening of friends, loom bands, bonfires and smores.

The sun went down, and the sparks went higher! 

We sure have had a happy Saturday, and we hope you have too!

xo | cmd

#TeamPanama is #FamilyForever... #♥

I had an amazing time with my family today.

Two parts of my family. :)

The first of course was my own little clan: Rob and Sydni [& the dogs, too, if you want to count them] made my morning the gorgeous chaotic rhythm that it always is, but couple that with sunshine and a stellar message at SonRise, and you've got perfection on earth :).

poor stella.... haha

stella bella! 

PLUS, Syd decided she would be a Ngobe for today, so this is what we sported to church:

dress, chacara.. and larry the cucumber... ♥♥♥

She wanted to hitch a ride to the car... 

my world ♥

sydni - 1. rob - 0.
the usual score. 

After church, we headed home for a few hours of relaxing after lunch, some light cleaning and some cooking - the evening rolled around faster than we expected, and we were off to the Costanzas for a backyard cookout and Panama team reunion.

then and now! 

It seems like it was ages ago that we stood in those mountains, posed for that picture as the minutes disappeared and we left that mountain for the last time on the trip. That picture in its entirety contains a part of my heart; I left bits of myself there with that team and the Ngobe people.

miriam... you nailed it. 

I am SO grateful for the company, presence and fellowship of and with this team and their families, and for welcoming Rob, Sydni and me into theirs. We are certainly blessed to have so many new and refreshing, encouraging and edifying doors opened to us, on a path of growth :).

#SonRisePanama2015
aaron. chris. marissa. cori. quinn.

Rob, Syd and I are home now; our hair and clothes have that smell of fresh air and bonfire. Our bellies are full of homemade food, and our hearts and minds are full from a fun evening of reflecting, praying and fellowship. THAT is the kind of Sunday I love.

Amen? AMEN.

Prayers for each of you entering into this week!

xo | cmd

#SRP2015 Day 8: We Are Home.

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

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

*******

Today, we left Panama. We ate a fast breakfast at our hotel with Talsy & Ruth, then loaded into the hotel shuttle and were at the Tocumen Airport in a matter of minutes. It was there that we said a rather rushed and informal goodbye-for-now to the Vegas, grabbed our bags and proceeded in to start our day of traveling.

Hoy en día, salimos de Panamá. Comimos un desayuno rápido en nuestro hotel con Talsy & Ruth, luego cargado en el transporte del hotel y estábamos en el aeropuerto de Tocumen en cuestión de minutos. Fue allí que dijimos una vez apresurado y adiós-para-ahora informal a la Vegas, cogimos nuestras maletas y procedió a iniciar nuestro día de viaje. 

we are going home.. 

goodbye, panama!
adiós, Panamá

Flight 1: Panama City, Panama to Denver, CO. That's about 5 hours, in case you're wondering.
Flight 2: Denver, CO to Chicago, IL. That was about another 2 hours.
Flight 3: The last flight - Chicago, IL to Dayton, OH.

Vuelo 1:. Ciudad de Panamá, Panamá a Denver, CO Eso es cerca de 5 horas, en caso de que usted se está preguntando. 
Vuelo 2: Denver, CO a Chicago, IL. Eso fue sobre otras 2 horas. Vuelo. 3: El último vuelo - Chicago, IL a Dayton, OH 

obligatory airplane wing + cloud picture.. somewhere over Panama
avión ala obligatoria + foto nube .. en algún lugar sobre Panamá 

art as we ran through the o'hare airport
arte mientras corríamos por el aeropuerto O'Hare 

chicago  (chicago)

A mere 9-9.5 hours of flying later, we are here, in Ohio, in the good old U.S. of A. We are back in North America. We're a motley bunch right now, but with hearts full of a week we won't soon forget.

A sólo 9-9,5 horas de vuelo después, estamos aquí, en Ohio, en los buenos viejos EE.UU. de A. Estamos de vuelta en América del Norte. Somos un grupo heterogéneo en este momento, pero con el corazón lleno de una semana que no olvidará.

our final landing
nuestro último aterrizaje

Day 8: Return from the mission.
Check.
But, the work continues...

Día 8:. Regreso de la Misión.
Hecho. 
Pero, el trabajo continúa. 

xo | cmd
♥ | 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