We are making some final preparations for the trip, and the team is heading to El Salvador in a few days!!! Thank you to everyone who donated, helped suppport and raise money for this years trip to El Salvador! I am very excited to see what God has in store for us. Check back soon as more will be posted shortly….
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Sunday, January 11th
We had a very full first day here in El Salvador. We went up to the mountains outside San Salvador this morning to meet Pastor Joaquim of the Mision Evangelica Church. We will be doing some work on that church throughout the week. It was very rural but also very beautiful. The country here is absolutely amazing and we had some great views of El Salvador as we drove up to the mountains. At the church we also did some puppet shows and crafts with children in the community. It was so much fun to interact, and also a reminder that we are guests here and our Spanish is very poor! After this, we played soccer and also played with a parachute with the kids. This was so much fun…the kids absolutely enjoyed it and so did our team. We passed out some candy and then headed to lunch and to the hardware store to gather supplies.
We headed back to the church for an evening worship service with the people at Mision Evangelica. It was a great experience to be reminded that God’s family is so much bigger than Pittsburgh, PA and encompasses people of all languages and backgrounds. Jon “Juan” Snyder shared a little bit about Discovery and that the people from our church cared enough to send a team down to partner with the ministry that Pastor Joaquim is doing.
After church we had a presentation from the Treatment Director at La Casa de Mi Padre. She gave us a lot of information about the ministry that they do there. It was great to hear that she remembered Discovery from past years and was glad to have us back. Then we headed over to La Casa de Mi Padre after dinner for a movie night with the kids there. Many of the kids remembered returning members of our team and it was great to have that connection.
Thank you so much for all of your prayers and notes of encouragement. Check out some of our pictures from today.
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January 12, 2009
Today our team spent the day working on Pastor Joaquin’s church. We painted the inside and outside of the church, and worked on running some electric. Pastor Joaquin and his wife Blanca especially enjoyed trying out the paint sprayer!
We ate some dinner this evening and spent some time debriefing as a team. We spent some time reflecting on how different our lives are in the U.S., but also focused on what we have in common with other followers of Christ right here in El Salvador.
We finished the evening sorting through and packing donations for our visits to the girls’ and boys’ state run orphanages tomorrow. It will be a busy day so time to get some rest!
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January 13, 2009
Today was another very full day for us here in El Salvador. It was a day that was eye-opening for many on our team and a day that was draining both physically and emotionally.
We spent the morning at Cisna. This is an all boys orphanage and the place where our team spent the entire time last year. It was great to see the dorm that they renovated in full use by the boys at this orphanage. We did puppet shows and crafts with the boys and played football with them. They had a great time. We also got ice cream for them and passed out the pillowcases and pillows that we brought for them from our Elementary students at Discovery.
After lunch we went to an orphanage called CIPI. This is an orphanage with babies and toddlers, special needs children, severely disabled children, and girls. Some of the girls are mothers themselves and live there with their children. Many of them were standoffish at first but warmed up to us eventually. They have been through so much in their young lives already. We also took many donations to CIPI.
This evening we fed the homeless of San Salvador. This was unlike anything experienced by most of our team. It was so eye-opening to see children the ages of some of our own living on the streets as well as many teenagers, women, and men.
Our hearts were broken today as we had the opportunity to care for those that God cares for and to literally take food and clothes to those who have none. Thank you so much for your prayers and thank you for caring enough to send a team of us to care for these people who are so forgotten by the rest of the world.
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January 14th, 2009
Today we finished our work on Pastor Joaquin’s church. We ran electric and painted on the inside and outside of the church. We also installed windows and made sure that the doors were ready to go and secure. It was such a contrast between what the church looked like when we got there and what it looked like today when we left. Pastor Joaquin was so grateful for all that we had done. We had a great time of prayer and encouragement with him in the finished church. Our hope is that the improvements to the church will help Pastor Joaquin to further his ministry in the community. We were so exhausted after finishing this project but also so grateful that we had the opportunity to do this.
We had some downtime this afternoon and we were able to go to the market in San Salvador. Driving around the city is such an interesting experience to see the different people and culture of San Salvador. It also has been a highlight to drive around at 60 mph in the back of a pick-up truck!
We are halfway through the week and many of us are feeling tired but also really glad to be here and really excited to see what God is going to do during the remainder of the week. We have really gotten to know one another and we have really learned alot so far this week.
Check for pictures and we will post more soon!
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January 15th, 2009
We spent today at La Casa de Mi Padre. This is an orphanage that was started by Christians and is run privately. The atmosphere there was so much more warm and welcoming…a lot more like a home than the state run orphanages. We did many projects there today. Some of our team painted, some built a wall, some worked on a wall mural, and others took some of the kids to the park and spent the afternoon playing games with them.
Tonight we had a nice dinner with Luciana and her husband Balta. They are friends of Jon’s and have been very generous with our team. It was very interesting to talk to them about their lives and ministry here in El Salavador.
After a very full day we are feeling pretty exhausted. We are headed back to La Case de Mi Padre tomorrow to finish the work there and then possibly heading to another orphanage in the afternoon. We’ll update you tomorrow!
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January 16th, 2009
Today was our last day of ministry here in El Salvador. We finished our projects at La Casa De Mi Padre. We put a wall and door up to make a room for the nursery because they have recently taken in two infants. We also painted a mural on the wall and did some outside trim on the roof of the building. It’s so exciting to know that two babies and one young boy will now have their own room because of our hard work this week.
After lunch we visited San Martin. This is a home for special needs children and adults. At this place we did a puppet show, a craft, and played with a parachute. The joy was all over their faces. This is a center that does not get a lot of visitors and they were clapping as we pulled up…they were so happy to see us there. Many of us were struck by how joyful they were and just how they were content with such simple things.
Tonight we ate some traditional El Salvadorean takeout and it was delicious. After some debriefing we have just been packing and getting ready to head to the beach to relax tomorrow.
This week has been incredible for all of us. We have come together as a team and really worked hard. We also have had the opportunity to see how big God’s kingdom really is. It’s not limited to Cranberry, Pennsylvania, or the U.S. God is working all over the world all the time and this week we were privileged to be able to partner with Him here in El Salvador. This is an experience that none of us will ever forget. Thank you so much for all of your prayers throughout this whole week. See you when we get back!
Can’t wait to hear about the trip. We will all be praying for you guys here.
Have a wonderful trip. We will be praying and we will take really good care of your kids. We love you!
ilove you eblyin tims
Mr. Mom’s Diary – Day 1: The words “where’s momma?” were first uttered at approximately 5:22am this morning (I would have lost the over/under bet on that one). After a few minutes of creative counsuling I was able to calm Adam down and get him back to sleep. I have a feeling I will be hearing some form of that phrase many times this week…you’ll definitely be missed Beck! Looks like you guys got out of town just in time…the snow has been falling this morning and we already have about 2″ on the ground. As I drove home from dropping you off at the airport I was praying for you and the team…#1 – that your licorice stash would last more than 24hrs. #2 – that team had safe travels today. #3 – (most importantly) that like Tony preached last weekend…that your hearts are broken on this trip by the things that break the heart of God. I know that many lives will be touched and changed this week and its my prayer that each of you lets your life be one of them. Abby just woke up and I have a diaper to change!… so this is Mr. Mom signing off!
Where’s Victoria?
Dear Mommy,
How are you doing? Are the kids in El Salvador ok? Are you safe? Is my Dad alright? I love you Mommy. Are you doing ok? I am playing with Nana and these turtles are stomping around and wrestling each other. Are you reading books? I opened the first envelope. Thank you for going to El Salvador to help the kids. Love Jesus 21 (whatever that means?).
Dada,dada,dada,dada,dada, mama, dada, dada, dada, (just so you know Danielle, his first words out of his crib this morning was mama).
Hey Jon and Danielle,
I hope the flight went well. Kids are doing great. They slept in to about 8 this morning. Tori was excited to open her first envelope. We found smiley stickers to put on each day. Of course Ian had to put a sticker on too. We miss you guys already. Have a wonderful week! Thanks for answering the call to “Go!” Much love, Mom
Hey guys! We’ll be praying for you. I hope you had a safe trip. I hope you can find time to keep us posted! I know you’ll be busy! Our prayers are with you all!
iolve you e bil yin tims
i pooped. imis momy imis momy
Well Mr Mom made it through Day 1 and kids are still alive so we’ve got that going for us. I’m sorry to hear about the long travel day yesterday…8 hours in the Houston airport does not sound like a good time to me! When I told Adam that you guys got stuck in Houston, he asked me “What’s Houston?” I had a moment of contemplation where I was trying to decide if I should tell him what I really thought of that place. I quickly decided to tell him that “it was a place a lot like where Satan lived”…in retrospect probably not the best thing to say because it brought on a slew of whole new questions like “is mommy safe”…or “will the bad guys get her?”. Anyway…yesterday went pretty well. My parents didn’t go to OH, so we had pancakes and played at their house in the morning. Adam and I got a chance to play out in the snow while Abby slept. It was nice bringing them to your parents last night…they had fun all night playing with the other kids. All three of us really miss you a lot. Abby pretty much brings it up everytime she gets bored. It hit Adam hardest last night getting ready for bed…but both are back to their normal selves this morning. In fact Adam is doing a fine job of teasing his sister and I hear cries of “Stop” and “No Adam” from Abby in the other room so I better get going.
i wil ti to levl 6d on sonic
Well..I have a breather in the day, so I thought I would check in and give you another update. We managed to make it to church today after the gruesome challenge of bathing, dressing, and feeding the kids…no man should ever have to do that alone! I just treated them to a highly nutritous meal at McDonalds and now I have a few minutes to myself as they are sitting in the car finishing the movie that they were watching. ok…as a re-read that sentence I realize that I am not exactly “father of the year” material…but at least the kids are happy. It’s snowing here again, so I’m planning on taking them both outside with hopes that I tire Abby out so she goes down for a nap oh about 15minutes before Steelers kickoff. I hope things are going well down there! I’m sure you were all anxious to get out today after the all day travel yesterday. Danielle – I have big hopes for your blog tonight! My chortle is waiting (for those who don’t know… dictionary.com defines “chortle” as “a gleeful chuckle”…apparently I have one).
Sorry to hear about all the travel issues. Did you have fun in OOOOOOOOuston Jon? Please continue our wonderful work we do for those kids and families in El Salvador. Can’t wait to read all about it!!! send pic’s ch ch
hey all, it’s mommy!!!it sounds like you are all having such a great time. we had a good day today. it is so beautiful here. i wish you were all here with me. maybe someday. i hope you are reading my letters. adam, i read the letters you gave me. thanks so much!! we did the puppet show today adam and the kids laughed. thanks for helping me with it! i love you so so so much. a billion times a billion hundred billion million. miss you. love mommy
Hello Family and that doesnt write on the wall and stefan. : ) All is well here. I had a great day with the kids at the church in the mountains. They are sooo cute. I hope you guys are enjoying the snow. The sunshine here is great. : )
Love you!
Hi Tori and Ian…miss you and love you!
Dear Mummy,
How are you doing? Are the El Salvador kids alright? I love you so much Mummy! Love dear mama. I am playing at Nana’s house. Can you please home soon? And I was playing video games on the computer and I am watching the Steelers. And Nana got a cheerleader outfit on me and painted my nails. I love you so much and come home soon. I love you so much. I wish you could come back soon. (Do you think she misses you?)
Dear Daddy,
I love you so much. I wish that you could come home soon. Love Daddy. I need to go play with grammy now.
mama dada (you got equal time tonight) LOL
Hey gang! Debbie here. Glad you made it safe and sound. Becky, I have to attest that I saw Jake this morning at church. Yes, he, Adam and Abby looked fairly clean and normal. Quite admirable, I must say! I also must say I am jealous of the air temperatures you must be experiencing. Still, I can’t imagine how hard to be away from family for so long. It may go slow now, but in your memories years from now, this week will be a mere bright blink. I echo the prayers of others for your hearts to appropriately break. Still, remember to love each other while you are there, and not just the orphans. And help the rest of our hardened hearts to break upon your return. Good night.
Hey Jon and Danielle,
Anxious to hear how your day went. Kids doing well here. Had another great day! First thing Tori said when she woke up is “I get to open another envelope”. (great idea Danielle) Watching the Steeler game…4th quarter 28-10 Steelers with 9 min left. Tori also asked if I would mind watching Biddy Baby so she could go to El Savador. She never ceases to amaze me. We should write a book. Talk to you soon…just love making memories with these little ones! Thank you! Praying for you all to find great opportunities to be a light and encouragement to those you meet. God Bless!
ilove you i wi sh we kod go the er with u
Hi Dayna,
I just got out of the shower and was going to post on the wall this evening but you beat me to it! Dad and I are glad that you had a great day today! We have been thinking about you all day-especially at dinner time -when we had GARLIC sautéed in our vegetables . I hope that you are feeling better and that your cold is gone or at least better now that you are enjoying warmer weather. We are freezing here!! Cinni even hates to go outside ’cause it is crunchy out there!
So, how far away is -the church in the mountains -compared to where Kurt & Susan live?
Dad says” I love you buttercup. Please be safe”
Can’t wait to see future updates and photo’s.
Love you, MOM and DAD
Hey Becky! Just wanted to let you know Jake, Adam and Abby came to our party yesterday. They were all clean and fed. Jake’s doing a great job as Mr. Mom. They had a good time. Abby loved all of Elena’s mickey and minnie mouse toys! I told her we’ll bring the mickey mouse clubhouse to your place next time for journey group. We miss you!
Hi Jon and Danielle! We’re glad you got there safely, although later than planned! Hope you got a good rest last night and that today went well. We’re praying for you and enjoying the posts from everyone (especially Diane, Tori and Ian)!
Hey Beck…it’s good to hear from you today. I’m glad to hear that the puppet show went over well and no mild headaches! We had a really good day here. After we got home from lunch Adam, Abby, and I went out and played in the snow for 1-1/2hrs…we even made a snow dragon and took pictures for you to see when you get home. I held Abby off for her nap until 4:30pm and she slept for 3hrs! Adam played computer games on my laptop while I watched the Steelers….I hope God is answering prayer for you guys as well as he did for me today! Both of them went to bed really easy tonight too…no crying! Adam really giggled when we read your note about loving him “a billion times a billion hundred billion million…”. He also smiled big at the “air hug” you gave him in the letter tonight. God’s blessed me with 2 great days with the kids so far…I’ve been praying for you and that you’re having a great experience. Time for Mr Mom to go to bed…love you! P.S. Thanks to Debbie and Lori for the shout outs in your blogs!!!!
P.S. I remembered to tape “24″ for you tonight. (even though you have the real life Jack Bauer leading your mission trip). Yeah…that’s right Danielle…you’re a lucky woman.
Hey Mom and Dad. I love you daddy. I’m being safe. : ) The church is about 40 minutes away..depends on traffic. The weather is amazing here. I am feeling better, but i am still taking all the pills. Tomorrow we start working. I will probably be painting..so that will be fun. How was church today? I love you guys..talk to you later.
is yr pelo hav her on it on the day and at nite to? we lot at yr pishrs ilove momy love adam
Awesome Stuff guys! Love to hear about what you guys are doing down there. Keep up the great work everyone.
Jon Snyder= Jack Bauer…that’s halarious.
Hey Becky…hope all is going well! Just wanted to say hi and to let you know I am praying for you all!
Hi Becky, It sounds like you are having a wonderful time! What an awesome experience for you. I will be checking in with Jake soon and the kids will stay over tonight. Easton and I just got a hideout ready for Adam and have big plans to build a snowman , play in the hideout and go to the library. Dad and I are praying for all of you as you dive into your work and playtime with the kids down there. Love, mum
Hi Dayna,
How are you? We are both fine-it was a typical monday. Stefan was sick on Sunday so he did not go to church with us. I just sent him a text to see what his email address was so that I could send him the link for this blog but I haven’t heard from him yet. I don’t have Howards email either or I would send it to him.
Nothing new here as far as college news goes- thus far. I will be calling the Univ. Central Fla. Tuesday morning to give them the deposit that we owe. I may ask them if they know of any offers that they may send to you in the mail and see what they say…
So, how was your day? We are anxious to hear what you have done as a team. Hope that all is going well and we can’t wait to see some new photo’s.
Well, say hello to everyone for us, including Kurt, Susan, Cameron and the family.
Talk to you soon. Love, MOM and DAD and Cinni too!
Dear Mummy,
How are you doing? Ask Kiley if she likes Dora? Plesae an email back us. Please send us a little toy to play with from El Salvador like a toy or a friendship bracelet from Kiley…in Jesus name amen. Love Tori from me and Ian. Love me
Dear Daddy,
How are you doing? We got glue. Want did you get from El Salvador. 6 more days til you come home from El Salvador. love Jesus 26 (not sure what it means but she was adamant to add this).Love mommy and the El Savador Kids. I just miss you. That’s all i want to say. Love Tori and Ian
mama no bus mama mama dada dada dada (Jon, I have that picture of you an Ian in the living room… first thing this morning he went over and said dada dada).
Hey Guys,
All good here. I forgot how much energy it takes to take care of 2 little ones. We are having a blast and I am sleeping very well! Thank goodness your kids are good sleepers. Tori is a challenge to get to sleep with 2 trips to the bathroom at night because she doesn’t want to wet Nana’s bed (she knows that will work). After each time that she did go, I said to her, “You were right, you did have to go.” She reminded me that she is always right! Other than that, no problems. Once she is asleep, all is well.
Nice to see some pictures and hear all about the days events. I am sure the Lord is doing a good work in all. What a blessing you all are to the people in El Salvador. Enjoy each day to the fullest. The highlight of my day is reading Jake’s blog…he is hilarious! Becky you are a lucky girl!
God bless the rest of your week…
Miss you Tori and Ian. I sent you an email…check Nana’s computer for it. Tori, we gave Kylie the present you sent. She watched the DVD 4 times! She says Thank You! Talk to you soon and thank you everyone for your prayers!
Love, Danielle
Hey Grammy and Papa,
Hope all is well in Rochester! El Salvador is a blast, give Lilly a big hug and kiss for both of us! We love you all, see you soon. Lots of good work going on done here!
Hi Guys..just want to let you know that I am praying that God will touch your hearts as you touch the hearts of the people of El Salvador.
Dayna – it’s up to you to carry on the “Jon Snyder fan club in El Salvador” – don’t leave without giving Jon-Boy the proper respect!!!
I know you are cracking up right now, Snyder…
Jon, is my daughter still there? Can you take a photo of her for me if you go to La Casa? …gracious senor
…blessings to you all
Hey mom dad and cinni too! : ) I love you guys! But i dont really miss you..just kidding. : ) Dont miss me to much. I had a great day. We painted and did electrical work. the church looks amazing. Tomorrow i get to see Omar at cisna. and we are also feeding the homeless tomorrow. It should be a good day. Well i am going to go watch a movie or something. Love you guys..i’m sure i will be on tomorrow night. Good night sleep well.
Hi Beck! Day 3 down…piece of cake. Although I am a little worried for our children. Do you lace their pancakes with some sort of drug every morning? The little vultures decended on the kitchen this morning like crack addicts looking for their pancake fix. More! More! More! It was all I could do to keep up with them…I thought a riot was going to start. The crowd settled once they got their mickey mouse chocolate chip pancakes (served with a smile I might add!). I was pretty proud of myself. I maaged to get Adam to school on time AND remembered to pick him up. 2pts for the old Jakester! Everything continued to go according to plan when Abby went down for a nap at 1:15 and woke up at 2:45 just in time to get Adam from school. Tonight was Chuck E Cheese night for dinner. Through a lot of hard work at the arcade we managed to score ourselves some sweet tootsie roll pops, a piece of crap styrofoam airplane, and a pirate eye patch! You’ll be happy to know that both kids were down and asleep by 10pm when I left your parents tonight. When I was rocking Abby to sleep (like a baby…with blanket) she told me “I ‘ant Nonni”…to which I replied “You want me to go get Nonni??”. “Mmmm hmmm”. Okey dokey…your wish is my command princess. I can tell how much she missed me! It made me happy though…I think they’ll have fun tomorrow. As for me, I’m off to bed after another satisfying day. Mr. Mom signing off once again.
hey all! jake, i am glad that you are having such an easy time without me. i hope i am still needed!!! we are having such a fun time together. no real headaches on this trip. i am so glad i came. i have decided to quit my current job to take on a career in painting. no, not really, but i had a good time painting today. painting alot. adam, i hope you are having fun with nonni and pappy. i am proud of you that you made it to level 6!!! you are getting so good!!! i can’t wait to come home and see your pictures that you took of the snow creatures. i hope there is still snow on the ground when i get home so i can play with you. i love you so much!! i miss you infinity. (daddy will tell you what that means)
ps. jake, thanks for the i pod mix. we loved it!! expecially the cheers song, eye of the tiger and abc. and nkotb. i felt like you were there with us!!
Hi Danielle and Jon,
We’re looking forward to heading to Pittsburgh tomorrow (today actually) to pick up your kids. It sounds like Diane is having a fun time with them and we’re excited to have several days with them too! We’re praying that God will bless you and the others on the team in many ways while you’re in El Salvador. We send our love.
Whee!
Praying for you all! Don’t let a moment of the trip slip by…the time there is so brief. So excited to hear all of the incredible ways the Lord is using you and transforming you during your time there.
Hey everyone sounds like everything is going well. Im sure you are all making a huge difference in the lives of the people you are helping. I Hope everyone is having a good time doing so.
Hi Beck… you made my day with your note about having fun down there and being glad you came. Don’t worry, you are still very needed!!!…this week is definitely confirming that!
Dianne…you were a close 2nd for making my day, with your blog entry saying that Becky was a lucky girl!
Jon…I like your mom.
Hi Becky,
Glad to hear everything is going well in El Salvador. I’m hoping you will put on a repeat performance of the puppet show when you return home. I too miss you a million trillion times. Have fun rocking out to NKOTB.
hi momy i rile mis you i slipt ubad tim to nite
i pld with easton and austin to day i mad coces to and plad in the snow to love adam
we had a great time today Adam, Easton, Abby, and Nattie all went out in the snow to go sled riding and build a snowman. This morning Adam and Easton and I made cookies. Abby made a special craft for you!!!! Off to meet Mr. Mom soon…..he is doing a great job!!!!!!!thinking about you……….Luv mum
hi becky i am havng fin wit adam
Hey Beck!
I can’t wait to hear about your week & what new thing’s you’re experiencing down there. Have fun & BE SAFE. I can’t wait to do what you’re doing one day. Luv u! Amy
I’m at mom’s today & this was the first time I got to read everthing on the blog. Sound’s like you guys are having a blast. That is so neat what you all are doing down there. The kid’s definately miss you. I heard “mommy” alot today. : ) All the kid’s played outside & made snowmen today. They made a big one for the boy’s & a little baby one for the girl’s. I took the girl’s around on the sled & pulled them down the hill. Beck, you should of heard them laughing & hugging eachother. They fell asleep in the crib together too. They talked & laughed to eachother until they fell asleep. Then I went in to check on them & they have their arms around eachother. Nat was crying to go to sleep & Abby fixed her hair for her & told her it was o.k. & padded her to sleep. Just giving you comfort that they’re doing great. Adam warmed up really well with me today & actually played with me.
Hey Jon and Danielle,
Just wanted to check in and let you know the kids are great and the transfer has taken place…the kids are on their way to your home with Nana and Poppa. We had a nice, but short little visit since the roads are not the best….snow over ice. It is really cold this week, so enjoy the heat! It is going to be a little shocking when you arrive on Sunday! Could use a little of that 90 degree weather just about now. Brrr! The kids are good…Tori said the cutest little prayer for you today. She got so excited today when we were counting down the days and we were already done with 1 hand….”5 more to go!, she says! What a cutie! They miss you, but they are doing just fine! They were SO EXCITED to see your parents. Me too! (no, just kidding!)lol Actually, I think I am really going to miss them! Too quiet here already. Anyways, anxious to hear all about your day….would love to see more pictures! Love to you both!
So… I hear you guys are back in El Salvador – that’s awesome!
Business is good here at the Olive Garden but can someone please tell me ….ummmmmmmmm where is Victoria and that other girl …uhhhhhh what was her name? CHARLENE????? CH CH CH CH
Hi Jon and Danielle! We are safe and sound here at your house. It snowed, and the roads in Diane’s neighborhood were pretty slick so we had a hard time getting out of the neighborhood, but we made it and had a fun car ride home. We didn’t drive the truck home though because of the icy conditions. Ian went right to bed with lots of cuddles and mention of his “pass” and his books. Tori is tucked in now and we have big plans for tomorrow. We’ll be playing camp and making a fort in the morning. Tori also got some mail from Kaya and was thrilled to open it and see the letter and stickers inside. We have some plans for the stickers as well. It was good to see Diane although the visit was brief. The kids obviously had a great time at her house.
We’ll be watching the blog for more news and pictures and feel free to email me – we’ll see that Tori gets to read it. Love to you both.
Good to here everyone is doing well. I am really missing being there!! Good luck!
Hi Dayna,
Just got home from work a little while ago. Marty missed you this evening. I had to work with Marc and Shane- it went well-not busy at all. It snowed here tonight and Dad thought that we probably got another three inches. So, what did you do today? I hope that you are enjoying that sunshine!
Well, we love you. Take care. Talk to you tomorrow.
Love, MOM and DAD
hey all! thanks for the posts!! it is nice to hear from you being so far away. i am soooo happy that the kids are having so much fun. thanks mom dad and aim for all your help. i had fun at the orphanges today. i almost took this one boy home, but he didn’t fit in my pocket. it was really really fun at the boy’s orphanage. we played a little version of volleyball for an insane amount of time. and jake, i have run every day. i think i have an addiction. adam, i love you so much. i showed all the kids today your picture that i have on my neck. i was so proud to show them how cute you were and sort of tell them about you. not so good with the language though!! i can’t wait to play with you. i hope we can play pac man and legos when i get home. have you beaten level 7 of sonic yet!! save me some hugs please please please. love you all.
ps. jake, pull out that massage book cause you will be treating me to one when i get back
Hi Mom and Dad. Today was an amazing day. I got to see omar my boy from the all boys orphanage. It was sooo nice to see him. He gave me a skirt that he had made..and lots of other things but i can tell you those stories later. Then We went to Cipi an all girls orphange. That was very different than what i am use to. I helped the girls my bracelets and necklaces. We also got to see the diabled children..that was extremely hard for me. Tonight we got to feed the Homeless. It is always a good experience. But i am going to bed..and waking up at six. Just like a school day. lol Well i hope you have a good day tomorrow and i am glad work went well. i LOVE YOU GUYS! night! <3
Sounds like you guys had a busy day! I’m glad you have made use of the iPod mix that I worked so so hard to put together. I hope you get a chance to listen more later in the week because there are definitely at least 1 or 2 other “gems” on there. (hint: “Baby gonna split the sky wide open!…kickin up the dust of comet tails!…). Or if you’re even more lucky Jon will let you listen to his Zune. Last year he played a hot mix of Old Testemant readings by Charlton Heston with a dab of Jack Johnson mixed in there…it was highly motivational for the team!
Bath time was entertaining last night. It’s amazing that these kids can go from completely adorable angels to..well…the opposite in a matter of seconds. I went downstairs to get the laundry and came up and I caught them singing a little duet of Jesus Loves Me together…it was really cute. Then after the song ended Adam started combing Abby’s hair (which she didn’t like) and a shouting match broke out…which spurred him on more. I especially liked when Abby yelled out to him “You a freak!” and “NO! I told you!” Anyway…the litte girl can hold her own because she finally worked a nice choke hold submission move on him in the corner of the tub and I broke it up at that point.
Both kids were great going to bed. Abby has been really sweet…last night she asked me to sing (I know…hard to believe anyone would actually ask me to sing)…she even told me to sing “loud”. At her request we did “Jesus Loves Me” “Skitta-marinky-dinky-dink” “You Are My Sunshine” and the “Name Song” which included all the regulars…Abby, Adam, Mommy, Daddy, Nonni, Pappy, Easton, Austin….Crib, Rocket…..
You’ll be happy to know that I also ran yesterday. The image of that 60yr old lady passing me on the last 1/4 mi of the race consumes my mind and motivates me during my daily workouts.
Well…all for now. We’re reading your letters and praying for you every day. By the way, the letters have gone over AWESOME…I doubted you at first, but now I’m really glad you did it! We love you!
Hi Becky,
Sounds like you’re having an awesome time – can’t wait to hear more details. Dad and I are praying for you and the team. I can’t believe it’s already Wednesday and Jake has not called for help – sounds like he and your parents have everything under control. Take care and be safe (especially when you’re running).
Love,
Mom
wen you r coming hom 4 mo das ikat wat to show
you how to play sonic to levl fire levl.
ilove momy love adam
Has anyone had the experience of changing a diaper only to discover a meatball sized terd has rolled out of subject diaper and onto the floor? Me neither.
Sincerely,
Completely Anonomous Diaper Dad
Hey Team,
Feeding the homeless in El Salvador is truly a life changing experience. I can’t wait to hear about how all of you are changed by this trip. You all have sacrificed so much to be there and I’m so proud to be a part of a community of people who “get it.” Keep up the good work and make sure you give Kurt a hard time for me.
Cheers,
Bryan
P.S. I can’t believe that S’moovs made it onto to Jake’s mega mix tape. That should be some serious motivation there.
Everyone should be descending soon so I am enjoying a moment of quiet…..Lots of snow by the school today so it took me a while to get home ……Jake is on his way with the kids and Austin and Easton will be here soon too. Amy will be back with Nattie tomorrow…more adventures but not outside….it is freeeeeezing here.Will get in touch when Abbie turns 2. Sounds wonderful…cant wait to get the complete story. Love mum
Wish I was out there with you guys.
It is exciting hearing all you have done so far.
It is well worth it.
I will be on one of these trips.
hey everyone,it is finally my turn to get on the computer. i had a really great day today. jake, my wrinkles are getting deeper riding in the back of kurt’s truck while he rides 70 in the fast spots …but it has been really fun not dealing with the child seats and adam’s twisted stuck seatbelt that jams just as i am perfectly situated in my seat, just to get out in the cold freezing weather to fix it. but anywhoo, today was great, jon and i , yes me, worked on the electrical, just to find that 5 hours later we would hire an electrician the next day to fix what we messed up. no, we did pretty good:) i have had a blast playing with kylie, she reminds me so much of abby. she is super cute. adam, have you been having fun at school? i hope you have been writing in your journal or writing me some notes to read when i get home. i really really miss you and can’t wait to reclaim my spot in bed where you can jump in and snuggle with me!! it sounds like you are taking care of abby. give her a big hug from me. tell her i love her too , and i love you. i bought some presents for you today, i can’t wait to give them to you. ok, i am going to get ready for bed now. love mommy
oh yeah , adam, don’t forget to be super nice to abby on her birthday tomorrow! please give her a big kiss from me and tell her i miss her and i am sorry i am missing her birthday. i love you little buddy, love mommy
Becky, please tell Kurt to drive slower…I’m not paying for botox.
Hi Jon and Danielle,
The kids are doing really great. They enjoyed talking to you last night and we just looked at the pictures from yesterday and they spotted you, Danielle! They were looking for Jon but we didn’t see him in any of the pictures. It’s very, very cold here and will be even colder tomorrow and Friday! So enjoy the warm temperatures while you can! Tori’s school is late today, but ballet is being held so we’ll get her there.
We love you and miss you. May God bless all of you as you serve.
Becky tell Kurt i still have bugs in my teeth from last year!!!lol
hey dayna!!! I’m visiting with your family…all your gifts are here..i hope you like them all!! I miss you, and will see you when you come home. I hope you’re having a good trip..be safe and drink plenty!!
Love u!
Jen
We are so happy to hear about all of your wonderful adventures. We are thinking about you.
Kim Carl Matt Kate Zane & Remi Ford
Hi Dayna,
How are you? We just had a nice visit with Jen. She came over for dinner and we finally exchanged christmas gifts.
It is VERY COLD here. Today-school had a two hour delay and Friday is cancelled- so I don’t think that you are missing much.
Well, Dad now has a cell phone like you-a voyager – and he is very happy. He just has to learn how to use it, including how to add contacts and adding special ringtones for each person. Now he has something to keep him busy.
Well, we are anxious to hear about what you have done yesterday and today. Take care.
Love you,
MOM and DAD
ilove you sow moth and ges wut momy i plad with austin and estion to love adam
Hey Jon and Danielle,
Loved seeing all the pictures. What a fantastic heart changing experience! All is quite quiet here with the kids gone. Looking forward to having them again for the weekend. As many are saying, it so soooo cold, so enjoy the warmth. The snow is gorgeous but bitter cold. Too cold for even Tony to be out to use the snowblower. Someone else was over there this morning doing his driveway. Enjoy your last few days. We miss you guys and are anxious to hear all the stories and see all the pictures. Love ya!
DAYNA!!!
i miss you. you need to come back asap! orrr we should both move down there. youre missing out on the -10 to -20 degree weather with windchill. haha. im goin up to ohio tomorrow morning and ill be there till monday so we BETTER hang out the second i get home! haha anddd schools cancelled tomorrow. yay. i havent even started my physics lab/midterm/paper/annoyingness. cant wait to see you! hope everythings going great! tell kameron i say hiiiiiii!!! haha love you!!
Hey everyone…thanks for all your prayers, encouragement, and funny notes! We appreciate all of you!
Tori and Ian we are thinking about you today and we miss you so much! I hope that you had fun at school and dance class, Tori. We’ll see you in just a few more days…Love you!
Danielle
Good morning everybody! This is Mr. Mom reporting live from a cold Pittsburgh, PA where Super Doppler Viper Radar Sky Cam 7 has us pegged currently at -7 deg…feels like -18 deg with wind chill. But don’t worry…it’s suppossed to warm up to 20 deg by the time you guys land Sun night. Becky in order to save money on the heating bill this month, I’ve turned the thermostat down…and if I did my math right using the Becky formula for clothing layers, I’ve got the kids appropriately dressed with 14 layers on…they should stay warm!
It’s now Day 7 here and my bath towels are starting to smell like they did in college again. In fact my roommates now act a lot like my roommates in college did…one of them just wants to stay up and “par-tay” tonight…we’re thinking cheese popcorn and “Wall-E”. I’m enjoying reading the blog entrys and seeing the pictures of you guys (the one of you and the kids with the stickers all over your face is a keeper for sure!).
Last night I met your parents at North Park Clubhouse for dinner. Things Abby loved: cupcakes, blowing out the candle, singing happy birthday, sitting on my lap 1/2 the dinner. Things Abby didn’t love: sitting at the table the other 1/2 of dinner (she preferred to run away on a regular basis), eating her actual dinner (why do that when cupcakes are coming), putting money in the video game machines (although she never really wanted to play…just put the money in). I also read your b-day card to her last night…she loved the “gaw-gee” on the front of the card.
I can’t believe this week went by so fast. I’ve asked the team here to start preparing for your arrival home. We’ve decided that everyone is going to have a present ready for you when you get back…unfortunately the only ones who have come up with anything so far are the washing machine and the kitchen sink…but don’t worry everyone else will get it together by Sunday!
Love you a bunch! Can’t wait to see you Sunday night!
P.S. School is closed today. There goes my quiet time!
Hello! Yes, I will add to the chorus: It’s really cold! By the time you read this, we will probably be back in that city where we live (don’t want to mention the name, since we’re currently surrounded with Steelers fans) where hopefully it will be warmer, although everyone there is complaining about the cold too. The kids have been really great and we have so enjoyed the concentrated time with them. The dogs are also surviving, the plants appear to still be alive, everyone has eaten healthy foods every day and the kids are looking forward to seeing Nana Snyder again. Today will be dedicated to getting the kids ready to go to Diane’s (you know toddlers, we better start right now)! We will continue to check the blog for updates and pictures and to pray for all of you. We send you our love.
Hey mom and Dad! I am glad dad is happy..now i just have to teach him how to use it. lol I miss you guys..but i am having a great time. It is already friday! AH. Tomorrow we are off to the beach. I am glad i am not missing much at school. : ) I have to go eat breakfast so i will talk to you later. Love you!
Hey Michelle! I know i heard school was cancelled. That is awesome. I am glad i am not missing much. Be careful driving to Ohio..i cannot wait to see you when you get back. I have pictures..and stories..lol well i have to go get ready for the day. We are building a wall and going to a special needs orphanage. Should be fun! Love you! Talk to you later.
Team,
Great stuff so far this week! You guys are really making me proud to be a “Discoveryite”…or whatever the heck we are called. I am interested to hear how Luciana is doing. They are such gracious and loving people. I’ve definitely enjoyed the tales of “Mr. Mom” and I’m sure the kiddos are looking forward to the return of all mom’s and dads on Sunday. I hope you have a great day today and a relaxing time at beach.
Hi All,
I have really enjoyed reading your blog this week and both Bryan and I were wishing we were there with you guys. I am so excited to hear more about everything when you get back and Jake, I have to agree…I love reading your entries…you crack me up. See you all when you get back!!!!
We are praying for all of you. God bless you for the work that you are doing there.
We can hardly wait to hear the entire story of what God is doing in ElSalvador.
i wish you kod com com hom to r hos ilove mom
Well…this will probably be my last blog entry since you guy are headed to the beach tomorrow and traveling all day Sunday.
If anyone decides to take on the Mr. Mom week-long challenge in the future (did I hear Ryan Jackson?), my only advice is to employee the Mr Mom Double D Strategy….difuse and distract. Pretty much any situation (especially the NUMEROUS “I miss mommy”) can be handled with that technique.
The distraction of the night for us was a trip to the Ross Park Mall. A little Villa Pizza food court action followed by some time in the play area. Then I took them up to the Build-A-Bear workshop. Abby created a little bunny that she named “Lollipop” and Adam made a dinosaur (with a Nascar shirt?…he picked it) named “Pancake”. I’m not sure what’s up with the food names, but I’m convinced that it’s definitely maternal influence there…
Tomorrow I think we might head down to the Children’s Museum…then we’re going to my parents house for pizza dinner.
Well it’s getting late and I’ve promised Adam the popcorn party…so I’m heading out. I can’t wait to see you Sunday night and looking forward to hearing all about the trip. (although I’m guessing that the car ride home will probably be kiss-fest 2009 with the kids with yours truly chauferring the 3 of you in the back seat).
Alright…Adam is jamming his fingers in my ears now, which I guess means it’s time for me to go.
Love ya!!!
Jake
HI Dayna,
Tonight we probably be the last night that we can say “hello” since you will be relaxing on a beach tomorrow -everyone here is jealous! Soak up all the sun you can because it is 3 degree’s here right now!!! Dad says…”stay for another week…it is FRIGID here!” Just kidding, we miss you. However, we know that you love spending time in El Salvador and we want you to treasure all of your memories.
Take care and we will be praying for safe travel. Love you, MOM and DAD
hey family!
sorry i did not get to write last night. it got too late and i didn’t want to wait any longer for my turn!! i have had a blast reading the entries jake. thanks for keeping your promise to write a lot. it sounds like everyone else liked it too! i had a great day today and yesterday. yesterday, we did work at la casa and then had to choose between staying back and working and going to the park with the kids. i was adamant about staying back to work, but as it turned out, i ended up going to the park to play, and had the best time ever. of course, volleyball was involved… but it was sooooooo much fun. today we worked at la casa then went out to san martin. i have some new friends that i really am going to miss down here. i ended up giving away my necklace, sorry adam, i will make a new one! but got one from a boy named samuel. anyways, i am sure you will be hearing about this trip for awhile so get your listening ears ready. i miss you guys and am glad you are having such and adventure:) i will see you all on sunday night, hopefully i can catch up on some much needed sleep so that i am not sleeping standing up by the time i see you. i love you all. love mommy ps jake , you would be proud, i stoved my thumb a few nights ago playing keeper. i think i need some training
Hey Tori and Ian!
Tomorrow we are headed to the beach! We’re going to swim in the ocean and relax. We wish that you both were here. You would love it and you would love meeting all the kids. We showed pictures of you to the kids and they loved seeing you. They thought Ian’s name was very funny. Can’t wait to see you…we miss you so much…just a few more days!
Love, Mommy and Daddy
Hey Jon and Danielle,
Have a safe trip home. See you Sunday! Hugs and kisses…
Well, we made the exchange. The little ones are here…sound asleep. Tori came running into my house shouting, “3 more days!” They are going to be so excited to see you! Had a nice little visit with you folks Danielle before they headed home. It is so cold here, your Dad had to get his car jumped since it was sitting in my driveway since Tuesday. Enjoy the beach…you are in for a shock on Sunday! As I reread each day’s blog, you all really did accomplish alot! What a blessing…thanks for keeping us all updated with the days events. Can’t wait to see you both. Rachel and I are plannning to take the kids to the Children’s Museum tomorrow…hey Jake, maybe we will see you there!
Hey mom and dad! Yeah.idk if i will be able to get on tomorrow or not. We are all geting tired. But i will probably stay up late tonight..last night here. It was a good day..i filled up my camera. : ) I cant beleive it is soo cold at home. yuck..make sure you bring my coat to the airport. If stefan wants to come he can, or if you dont want him to that is fine too. But anyway..we worked and finished the wall we were building at La casa de mi Padre for the nursery. And then in the afternoon we went to San Martin with all the disabled children. I really enjoy it there. TOnight for dinner we had pupusas. Yum. : ) I love them. I did by 2 pounds of coffee..not sure why. lol it is different though so we can give it as gifts or keep it for ourselves. I found dad the perfect gift he will love it. I think you will to. lol I should finish packing..good night. I love you guys! Miss you! I am actually looking forward to coming home..although i could always stay.