Life in Eastern North Carolina

We now live in Chowan County, about an hour and a half from Nags Head. We visited the beach there recently and had a wonderful time. It was nice to leave at 10am and be on the beach having a picnic at noon, then returning home a few hours later. Our new home is so nice and our new church family is so caring. I have been spending alot of time driving the roads with the church directory in my hand trying to locate people and learn about life here. I have gotten lost a few times, but it was fun asking directions and learning the country side. I can see how God has prepared me for this particular place: growing up in a rural area working on a farm, studying cross-culture relationship building in seminary, and learning how to relate to people and live in biblical community from various mentors. Giovanna and I are having to adjust to a slower pace of life and a longer distance to travel to get to stores. She misses her close friends at Open Door and the SEBTS community. The girls miss their friends in Wake Forest but they have been learning to play together more and are growing closer in the process. Isaac is loving having a big house to run through and play and they all love their new playground set. I am excited for what God is doing in our lives and His grace continues to amaze me. -frank

A NEW CHAPTER IN OUR LIVES!

We started a new chapter in our lives on May 25th, 2012. Frank is the new pastor at Warwick Baptist Church in Hobbsville, NC. We moved last Friday 25th to our new place and it has been a smooth transition. Several families from our new church haave been helping us with babysitting, proving meals to us, helping Frank putting furniture together and showing us so much love and care, making our move so much easier. My kids have adopted Mrs. Edla and Mr. Pluck (one of the deacons at Warwick) as grandparents, they are really a blessing to us. Mrs. Edla made a beautiful cake for Ingrid's bithday on Tuesday 29th; she said it took her 4 hours to make it, bless her heart!. I was so busy unpacking that I completely forgot about Ingrid's birthday and of course I didn't have any time to make a cake so Mrs. Edla put everything together and threw my kids a birthday party. She made a cake for the 3 of them to celebrate their birthdays. God bless this wonderful couple and we are so blessed to be able to serve them and experience life together with them. Another lady that has been precious to us is Mrs. Joy, my girls love her so much. The Lord has been really good to us and we are so amazed to all the blessings we receive everyday. Now, that I live in a bigger house, I feel like I have more work to do, I start early in the morning and continue working until 10pm at night, maybe when I finish unpacking things will get more easier for me. I am almost at the end of unpacking, thanks to the help of my brothers and sister from our new church. Also, I need to add that Mrs. Edla helped me to organize my pantry and cabinets, she is a very sweet lady and loves to serve others. I am in debt with her forever. We are so excited to serve in our new church and get to know the people.

Isaac and Ingrid's birthday party

Isaac turned the big 1 on May 9th and Ingrid will turn 4 on May 29th. Since, we are moving in two weeks we had to make one big party for both of them.  The entertainment for the kids was a bouncing house, that we borrowed from the grandparents. It was really a lot of fun for the young kids and big kids too!.  I was so glad the weather was nice and we get to enjoyed outside.

From a 900sq.ft Apartment to a 3000sq.ft House

 Front house

 Front door

 Love this big kitchen :)

 The upstairs possible play room area. Picture below the living area, love the wood floors :)

No we didn't win the lottery, nor have we bought a new house. Last year, we were willing to follow God's call to the mission field and go to Indonesia to work with the unreached people. However, God shut the doors for us there and as His Word says He had other and greater plans for us, "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways. As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts." Isaiah 55:8-9. We began to pray for God's leading last November and it was hard for a couple of months because we didn't hear anything. In February this year, Warwick Baptist Church contacted Frank and they developed a good relationship.  We were praying and asking God to show us His will in this job position and we felt God's peace about it. This house is located in called Hobbsville, NC, a 30 minutes from drive west of Elizabeth City. This is the place where the Lord has invited us to live and work in the ministry.  The church just built a new house for the pastor's family to live in and it is located about 1 mile from the church. We met the people this past weekend and both of us were overwhelmed at the warmth and love we felt from the people. They have a hunger for God's word and for missions and the people are eager to serve and work hard in the work of the ministry, especially the deacons and key leaders. So, it seems to be a great fit for us and we are excited. However, our hearts are heavy for leaving the Raleigh/Wake Forest area and all of our seminary and Open Door friends. Biggest of all is Frank's sadness for having to leave the people at Vaughan Baptist, where he has been preaching and helping them over the past 3 years. It was so hard for him to pick up the phone and inform them of this news.  We would be praying for God to provide the right person in this loving church at Vaughan Baptist. In the same way, please be in praying for us since a new move is not always easy. We are in this world to follow God's will not ours because God's will is right and perfect( Romans 12:2)

Happy Resurrection Day!!!

He was despised and rejected by men,
a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering.
Like one from whom men hide their faces
he was despised, and we esteemed him not.
Surely he took up our infirmities and carried
our sorrows, yet we considered him stricken by God,
smitten by him, and afflicted.
But he was pierced for our transgressions, he
was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment
that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds
we are healed.
We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us
has turned to his own way; and the Lord has laid on
him the iniquity of us all.
He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not
open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter,
and as a sheep before her shearers is silent, so he did
not open his mouth.
By oppression and judgment he was taken away.
And who can speak of his descendants? For he was cut off
from the land of the living; for the transgression of my
people he was stricken.
He was assigned a grave with the wicked, and with the
rich in his death, though he had done no violence, nor
was any deceit in his mouth.
Yet it was the Lord's will to crush him and cause him to
suffer, and though the Lord makes his life a guilt offering,
he will see his offspring and prolong his days, and the will
of the Lord will prosper in his hand.
After the suffering of his soul, he will see the light of
life and be satisfied, by his knowledge my righteous servant
will justify many, and he will bear their iniquities.
Therefore I will give him a portion among the great, and
he will divide the spoils with the strong, because he poured
out his life unto death, and was numbered with the transgressors.
For he bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the
transgressors.
Isaiah 53

Jesus Loves Me

Pullen Park

Today we visited the Pullen Park in Raleigh-NC, for the first time. We really liked it and the kids loved it. It has a beautiful carrousel in an inside area, all of us rode on it, even Isaac. The playground for the kids is huge and for different ages. It has a beautiful lake with boats that you can pedal, we missed that one because it was closed but next time we want to try these boats. It was really the best park we have visited so far.

Isaac James

This is a photo taken at Olan Mills back in early Feb.

SPRING IS IN THE AIR

The weather has been really nice here in NC, eventhough we are in winter, we have had warm temperatures. However, it feels like spring, which is coming soon. Now that Sara is 5, Ingrid would be 4 in two months and Isaac is 10 months, was time to update their pictures. They grow so fast that little Isaac is looking more like a toddler than a baby. We got these pics in the Joyner Park the first week of March, 2012.

SARA IS FIVE 5!

Today, February 21st was Sara's fifth birthday. She had a girl's tea party with her neighbor friends. The little girls were dressed in their best outfit and we made a jewerly craft. They really enjoyed it doing it, of course with adult assistant. I'm glad my friend Sandra was able to help me and Sara's teenager friend Mackenzi. Sara was very happy to spend time with her friends: Esther, Rachel, Bella, Abby, Natalia, Mackenzi and her sister Ingrid. Happy 5th birthday dear Sara, we love you!.

January 2012

This is our first post since 2011, I know it has been a while since I haven't written anything but this year I want to give a quick update about our family. I kind of like this winter in North Carolina (Wake Forest), it hasn't been that cold for me so far. The days goes between warm and cold, I don't think we would have any snow this year and I was so prepared with my kids snow outfits; who knows, maybe we have some :)). Sara and Ingrid are in Pre-k at Open Door Baptist Church, they are really enjoying it and learning so much. Sara can count up to 29 and she can write my name if I spell it to her, she is doing great in her spelling. I can't believe she will start Kindergarden in the fall-oh no!!!. Ingrid is learning to write her name, she knows her abc. I do need to practice more with her but I have to remember she is only 3 1/2. Isaac is 8 months and he is adorable (my 3 kids are adorable, they are unique), keeps me busy all day long, of course. He is a fast crawler, he can stand up and give some steps holding on something, I think he is going to be a early walker, it wouldn't surprise me, he is very advanced for his age. My hard working husband has two jobs, it is hard on us but we know that the Lord will open a door for him soon. He graduated from Southeastern in May last year. At this moment, we are praying and trying to be patient to see where the Lord will lead us in this new year 2012. We are really eager to serve him, and we submit our will to His will, because He says in His word (Isaiah 55:9) that His thoughts are higher than ours and His plans are better than ours.

Photos from Christmas

We had so much fun this Christmas. Sara is now 4 (5 in Feb) and Ingrid is 3 (4 in May) and Isaac is 7 months but crawling and into everything! This is the first Christmas that Sara and Ingrid knew what was goin on with gifts etc.. and also they related everything to Jesus birthday. Daddy took the girls to their first Christmas parade in Wake Forest and they had a wonderful time. On Christmas eve, we went to Mary Frances house after church and had a wonderful time with the Ellington family. Here are some photos over the two busy days. Daddy really surprised mommie with her necklace and Sara and Ingrid got dolls that came with outfits for them to wear so they matched the dolls. Its been so fun watching them enjoy not just the toys, but also sharing life with our extended families in Henderson and also Vaughan. Grandma Marie made our Christmas special by staying with us and she received some surpises also. (except for the calendar! haha)

CHRISTMAS 2011 IN NC

We had a nice Christmas this year with our new member in our family Isaac. This was his first Christmas and it really made a difference because this time we got a lot of boys toys and Frank was not the only man in the family anymore, now he has someone on his side. (haha) and Papa had a boy to give a John Deere tractor toy to and play with in the floor. Praise God! for His blessings and His care for us. Sara and Ingrid have really enjoyed this Christmas, they now can relate Christmas to Jesus birth and have learned beautiful Christmas songs that they have been singing all this month. They have really been in the Christmas spirit and we love it. Also, this year grandma Marie was able to spend Christmas day with us and it was a real joy, thank you grandma for coming. In the same way, we missed grandma Oli and aunt Sandra and we hope and pray we can spend it with you all next year in Peru. Love you all,

Little Ballerinas Recital