Our second year of service in Mexico began with me "still saying goodbye and adjusting to my mom being gone--so my emotions were somewhat fragile. I wondered who Jesus lost in His family. We know He lost His father as a youth and I know he loved Lazarus. "Jesus wept" when Lazarus died. So if Jesus wept, I guessed it was OK for me to weep too. I thanked Him my mother's life and that, as I wrote, "This was a complete severance now. I am only bone of my husband's bone and flesh of his flesh and that we are one before all heaven and earth."
We didn't know what the future held, just that we were to return to Mexico with Bill working on the Devnagri typesetting of Scripture portions for teams returning to Nepal, and me again teaching in the Mexico Branch school. This time I got to teach Spanish to kids in K through 6, including Jon and Jenny. I loved it.
Bill's assignment meant he needed lots of time on the computer and this meant he had to work late, often to 3 or 4 a.m. or get up early, as in 4 or 5 a.m. For the techie historians, Bill said he was "using a Digital Equipment PDP-8, the leading minicomputer of its day." We also had our own personal computer--years before it was common. Bill had to build it himself. Here's a drawing one of the Mexico branch members drew of Bill with his home-brew set-up, a SOL 10!
When we returned to Mexico City we continued the nomad game. We began in a one bedroom place, and continued to move around the SIL base apartments. But one month was about as long as we stayed in one spot. One time we were given a two bedroom apartment to stay in, a real luxury. Yet I wrote that "I am having fun decorating it to be us. That's a blessing because I was rather down about moving all over again, and feeling like a gypsy." It was a good place to settle and also a time of increasing physical problems.
This whole year the kids and I kept getting sick with stomach problems, migraines, and some symptoms similar to when I had malaria, again ending up in the hospital several times. Lab tests always came back full of amoeba and I spent a lot of time on Flagyl this year. Bill, Jenny and I came down with typhoid so spent much time on antibiotics. And Jonathan fell from a tree and broke his arm quite badly. Can you imagine--the doctors recommended we stay out of foreign countries for awhile! We read the book Don't Waste Your Sorrows during this time, a helpful perspective on suffering and how it is to be cherished and not wasted.
Then God spoke to Bill that when He leads, He provides, and that health is a provision we didn't have. So we decided to move back to the States after the school year. Since we found such peace in Norman with Dow and the growing church there, we decided to move there, a place we already loved. Dow and Lois called us by phone regularly and visited several times too--to be with our brother Sebastian, and with us. Sebastian often stayed with us when he came into the city, here with Bill in one of the many apartments we stayed in.
Jonathan was now in third grade and Jenny in first. For Jenny's sixth birthday we had a party with piñata, as you can see. Jonathan's 9th birthday also included a piñata that Bill is holding up ready! We love our Mexico traditions!
The kids excelled in school in all areas, except handwriting....like me. Here are some letters they wrote this year to Grandma and Grandpa Leal. I'm so glad they saved all our letters!
We spent Christmas in Norman--actually almost a month there. Bill drove the van up from Mexico City so the kids and I could fly and avoid the long drive. In Dallas, we had to transport (read "drag") our 4 suitcases from one area to another for inspection and entry into the country. One kind man, I thought, offered to carry one for us to the next kiosk. With two young kids in tow, I gladly accepted his help. We never saw that suitcase, or its contents again. And the airlines was not helpful. This is another whole story for later.
While there we stayed with Jay and Frankie Senter and their two kids for over two weeks. We also spent a week with Glen and Eliose Wolfinbarger. Amazing how willing these people were to open their hearts and homes. It was a wonderful time, even though both our kids came down with chicken pox and felt lousy. But the rest of the time they were really happy and this made us grateful and hopeful to see how they would do in the US. Jay and Frankie graciously gave us their bedroom while there. I couldn't imagine a more gracious host and hostess. Here you can see the Senters and their kids with Glen behind them at one of the group meetings.
During this year it became clear that Father wanted us in the States. But what would we do in the US? There would be no translation work in Oklahoma for us. BUT what was needed was for Bill to work on getting the Devnagri project functioning. Then they could assume responsibility for the project work there. This would take time and Bill could work at home with trips to the Dallas SIL Headquarters. Plus it would give me time to just be wife and mother, something I hadn't had in years. With this in mind, the decision to move back to the US being was final.
While we were in Norman in January, Bill spent time working out details of completing the assignment possibililities in the US. He was also offered a part time job at the University of Oklahoma's Information Systems Programs. That was a kind confirmation that Father was going ahead of our decision to relocate to the US.
It was also at this time that we had an unexpected surprise blessing that arrived...."$5,000 from my mom's inheritance, more than we could have hoped for, and enough for a down payment on a house in the States. Since we had spent many months in Mexico moving from apartment to apartment due to a housing shortage, a house of our own for the first time sounded like a time of healing would be at hand."
So we packed up everything we owned into our VW van and headed for the States. We said goodbye to many new and long lasting friends and went out with joy...clapping our hearts as all the trees of the field clapped their hands (Isaiah 5:12).
We didn't know what the future held, just that we were to return to Mexico with Bill working on the Devnagri typesetting of Scripture portions for teams returning to Nepal, and me again teaching in the Mexico Branch school. This time I got to teach Spanish to kids in K through 6, including Jon and Jenny. I loved it.
Bill's assignment meant he needed lots of time on the computer and this meant he had to work late, often to 3 or 4 a.m. or get up early, as in 4 or 5 a.m. For the techie historians, Bill said he was "using a Digital Equipment PDP-8, the leading minicomputer of its day." We also had our own personal computer--years before it was common. Bill had to build it himself. Here's a drawing one of the Mexico branch members drew of Bill with his home-brew set-up, a SOL 10!
This whole year the kids and I kept getting sick with stomach problems, migraines, and some symptoms similar to when I had malaria, again ending up in the hospital several times. Lab tests always came back full of amoeba and I spent a lot of time on Flagyl this year. Bill, Jenny and I came down with typhoid so spent much time on antibiotics. And Jonathan fell from a tree and broke his arm quite badly. Can you imagine--the doctors recommended we stay out of foreign countries for awhile! We read the book Don't Waste Your Sorrows during this time, a helpful perspective on suffering and how it is to be cherished and not wasted.
Then God spoke to Bill that when He leads, He provides, and that health is a provision we didn't have. So we decided to move back to the States after the school year. Since we found such peace in Norman with Dow and the growing church there, we decided to move there, a place we already loved. Dow and Lois called us by phone regularly and visited several times too--to be with our brother Sebastian, and with us. Sebastian often stayed with us when he came into the city, here with Bill in one of the many apartments we stayed in.
Jonathan was now in third grade and Jenny in first. For Jenny's sixth birthday we had a party with piñata, as you can see. Jonathan's 9th birthday also included a piñata that Bill is holding up ready! We love our Mexico traditions!
The kids excelled in school in all areas, except handwriting....like me. Here are some letters they wrote this year to Grandma and Grandpa Leal. I'm so glad they saved all our letters!
We spent Christmas in Norman--actually almost a month there. Bill drove the van up from Mexico City so the kids and I could fly and avoid the long drive. In Dallas, we had to transport (read "drag") our 4 suitcases from one area to another for inspection and entry into the country. One kind man, I thought, offered to carry one for us to the next kiosk. With two young kids in tow, I gladly accepted his help. We never saw that suitcase, or its contents again. And the airlines was not helpful. This is another whole story for later.
While there we stayed with Jay and Frankie Senter and their two kids for over two weeks. We also spent a week with Glen and Eliose Wolfinbarger. Amazing how willing these people were to open their hearts and homes. It was a wonderful time, even though both our kids came down with chicken pox and felt lousy. But the rest of the time they were really happy and this made us grateful and hopeful to see how they would do in the US. Jay and Frankie graciously gave us their bedroom while there. I couldn't imagine a more gracious host and hostess. Here you can see the Senters and their kids with Glen behind them at one of the group meetings.
During this year it became clear that Father wanted us in the States. But what would we do in the US? There would be no translation work in Oklahoma for us. BUT what was needed was for Bill to work on getting the Devnagri project functioning. Then they could assume responsibility for the project work there. This would take time and Bill could work at home with trips to the Dallas SIL Headquarters. Plus it would give me time to just be wife and mother, something I hadn't had in years. With this in mind, the decision to move back to the US being was final.
While we were in Norman in January, Bill spent time working out details of completing the assignment possibililities in the US. He was also offered a part time job at the University of Oklahoma's Information Systems Programs. That was a kind confirmation that Father was going ahead of our decision to relocate to the US.
It was also at this time that we had an unexpected surprise blessing that arrived...."$5,000 from my mom's inheritance, more than we could have hoped for, and enough for a down payment on a house in the States. Since we had spent many months in Mexico moving from apartment to apartment due to a housing shortage, a house of our own for the first time sounded like a time of healing would be at hand."
So we packed up everything we owned into our VW van and headed for the States. We said goodbye to many new and long lasting friends and went out with joy...clapping our hearts as all the trees of the field clapped their hands (Isaiah 5:12).
No comments:
Post a Comment