Family Jungle Trip

Well we had a blast.  I've uploaded lots of pictures to tell the story but we had a few stories that we're captured on film (some were captured on video but our internet is WAY too slow to upload those).  So the story goes:

Not pictured:
1.  The first night out- we spent it sleeping on a sandbar stranded because we broke part of the prop on the motor and couldn't fix it yet (it did get fixed the next day).  We were too far up the river to turn back to the last village but too far away from the village we were trying to make it too!  Oh yeah- the other family we were with didn't bring their tent, so we lent them one of ours.  So Jeremy, me and the girls all slept in a 2 person tent in the pouring down rain. (Well the girls slept at least- J & I tried LOL!)
2.  Crystal was able to have a women's bible study with several ladies.  We studied Proverbs 31 and she taught them 5 questions they can ask themselves when studying the Word.
3.  Jeremy was able to teach as well in each village on Godly Wisdom.  We also were able to distribute several Bibles in Buena Vista.
 4. Crystal learned how to weave baskets/plates!
5.  They had a special service in Atalaya the last night we were there.   At the end folks prayed for our family and said their good-byes.  It was sweet.

All the stories that have pictures:

Addie sleeping ontop of the luggage on the boat ride up the river.

Everyone calls Addie "babydoll" here, but she really does look like one. LOL

The girls killing time in the hammock on the boat ride up the river.

Karis & her favorite friend in Atalaya- Ana!

Jeremy is teaching Luis the "fisherman's tail" way of taking a photo, so that the fish appears much larger.

Actual size of the peacock bass. LOL 

Addie & her favorite Peruvian Uncle Omar playing with dinner before its cut up.

Karis & Alton (Luis' son) playing on the steps of the house while folks play soccer.

Crystal and Karis

Buena Vista

River bank

Location of Bible study in Beuna Vista

Jungle version of a pack-n-play.  The mayor's wife saif this is what she uses for her grandbabies so that they don't have to sit in the dirt to play.  I thought it was sweet of her to get it out for Addie to use during Bible study.

Karis wanting to play in the "boat" as she called it.

Addie taking her morning nap at 6AM!  Jeremy was kind enough to stay in his hammock and let her rest awhile.  So precious how she has her arm resting on his. =)

Nothing like a 10 year old and an 8 year old gutting lunch down on the river bank.  And bringing their little brother down to watch.

Luis & Addie playing on the boat.

Karis is a very good observer.  She noticed that everyone nursing their babies lots in the jungle.  So she was nursing her babydoll and telling us we needed to be quiet, so she could feed! LOL!





Omar and Karis on top of the boat catching some air.  Do you think Karis likes it?



Addie after Daddy lifted her up high enough to feel the breeze.  Not a big fan!  Such a sad face.

Samuel & Alton (Luis' sons)  such precious boys!

God has a plan for Alton's life.  Before he was 2 years old (he is six weeks younger than Karis).  He has had dengue fever twice, dysentry, and a motorcycle fell down on him punturing his skull...he still has a hole in his skull from it.  He is a trooper!!!

Cute Kid Moments

Karis-

So Karis is talking up a storm these days and even is making sentences now and then. She blends spanish, english and signs together to get her point across...which is amusing to witness. Her lastest and greatest phrases are all about activities that she's helping with. She likes to puff out her chest, pat her chest with her hand and proudly annouce "Workin" or "Cook" or "Helper" or "Wash". Its funny. But lately anytime she leaves the house to go run errands with Jeremy or I, she lets everyone know that she is going to "Work HARD" and then she nods her head and says "NNNiiiiiiccccee" with a huge smile on her face. Its priceless.

Adalyn-

Is basically one of the most precious things that you could ever lay your eyes on. She is sweet to the core and such a great patient baby. She cut her first two bottom teeth last week and we are expecting her to start crawling in the next few weeks. She gets up on all fours and rocks back and forth with all of her might. She can actually move the pack-n-play she sways so hard. She loves eating, which is visible by all of her leg rolls (knee rolls and triple thigh rolls in the back) you just can't help but squeeze them.

Spoiler alert- coming soon- pictures of Jeremy last trip to the jungle and Karis' 2nd Birthday party!

Be Imitators of God...Ephesians 5:1

God has shown me several things this month, through reading scripture or seeing the girls doing something and recalling scripture that relates to it. Adalyn was covered in bug bites earlier this month and Karis is covered in a heat rush now, yet I watch them choose joy in their circumstances rather than focusing in on their misery. I think Habakkuk 3:18 kind of sums that up: "...yet, I will rejoice in Lord, I will be joyful in God my savor." and I later read an article about choosing joy. It said that happiness is something you feel but joy is something that you do. You can either submit to the misery & bitterness or to the Holy Spirit and cultivate the fruit of the Spirit into your daily life. Other scriptures mentioned action phrases like: "shout for Joy", "sing for Joy", "cry for Joy". It was a fresh reminder of that choice, watching my girls covered in itchy and miserable bug bites or heat rash yet observing them pushing past the discomfort and being honestly joyful. I’ll quickly highlight some other points God drove home with me this month. Watching Karis choose “good over evil”. To be honest, obedience is a daily struggle for Karis and I suppose we can all add ourselves to that boat on some level. But there are moments when I see Karis try to decide whether she will obey or not and it’s so sweet when she looks at me, smiles, nods her head and says "obey". Her mind made up to be obedient and I thought of those moments when I read "Do not be conquered by evil, but conquer evil with good" - Romans 12:21. I think the absolute cutest moments though are watching Karis try to imitate Jeremy and me (espically Jeremy...such a daddy's girl). If Jeremy is leaning up against a wall with arms crossed and one foot over the other...Karis is there mimicking the same stance. If I have my sunglasses on in the truck, Karis wants her sunglass and the examples can just keep rolling. During those moments it makes me ask the question "How am I imitating Christ in my life today? How am I imitating God in my actions and reactions?" Anyways- I know that you really can't draw too many parallels to your children and your faith but God has used our girls to really challenge me in my walk with Him this month.