Bubble Note # 29

It is about time for me to send out an update. My apologies for the lack of communication in the last 2 weeks.

We are in the new house! And all unpacked, the Christmas tree has been up, and taken down, the cookies, pies, cakes, turkey's, hams etc have been cooked, and ate (and still eating...) and gifts have been wrapped and torn apart. Christmas was really very good for me. Of course there was a little homesickness but most of that was cured when I was able to video skype with my family and watch them open gifts on Christmas morning. I received some pretty amazing gifts from some pretty amazing people. We had about 12 people over for Christmas dinner and the party continued for a couple days afterwards. But, the next event....

We are flying out tonight for Thailand! To say I'm stoked is an understatement. I'm not sure if it is about getting another stamp in my passport, going to another country or the fact that we have a whole bunch of wicked events planned (for Christmas Stephen and Tricia are giving me a 2-hour spa treatment! We are going on a night safari, hopefully treetop zip lining, and of course...getting my wisdom teeth pulled).

What about the visa situation? Well nothing has really been stated otherwise (but it made BBC headlines a while ago - http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/8427798.stm ) so when we fly out, we may, or may not be "stamped" (ie. told we have to stay out of the country for 2 months). If this is the case, we will have to find housing somewhere for cheap, or free. Please yarp that we will accept Dad's will with joyful hearts.

Besides that, we have just been hanging out. Really not much has been happening, no death-defying acts, no embarrassing situations (I take that back. None that I'm going to speak of in a general update ;-) ), no huge struggles. But hey, maybe they're on their way ;-)

Just some pictures below of my Christmas celebrations. Enjoy!


My new crochetted slippers from Lizzie


Helping Josiah with his new guitar

In Him,

Beth

Bubble Note #29 -- Merry Christmas!

Dear all,

MERRY CHRISTMAS! We are all settled into our new house, well, almost all settled. But Christmas is just around the corner, or not even. The tree is up (for the second time), the gifts are wrapped (some), the food is being prepped (or at least we're thinking in that direction) and the cold weather is here (socks? Hm, maybe). Honestly, I forgot all about Christmas cards this year, there were a few things going on ;-)  Instead, I bring you...myself-- in elf form.

For Beth's Awesome Christmas Greeting click here (betcha never had a card like that before!)

My thoughts are with you all during this season, and even though I am far from home my heart is with you (whatever that means, I think it means I love you even though I'm not tearing up gifts in your living room).

Take care, enjoy your family and remember why we celebrate in the first place.

Beth

Bubble Note #28

We are moving across the city tomorrow. My room is all packed, well, as much as it could be. The new house is about a 1 1/2 hour drive from this current one, far enough away to not see my friends as often as I'd like, but not far enough away to actually call it "leaving".

I'm trying to remember what all has happened since I wrote to you all last. We had our Christmas program with the slum children and it went wonderfully. They performed beautifully and remembered all of the words. Steph and I were very proud teachers. To top the night off, they asked all of the American's to come on stage ("I'm Canadian!" I yelled out while trying to dash off stage. It didn't work.) and what was their request? Dance! haha oh gosh, no warning at all. They turned on "Merry Christmas Polka" and had all of us dancing in front of an audience of about 500. I have never felt so appreciated for making a fool of myself. I wish I had gotten a picture of our little ones performing but I was beside them by the stage. The pre-performance was quite hysterical as girls were frantically running to both Steph and I complaining "Auntie, no socks Auntie". They were very concerned about missing articles of clothing, we assured them that it was okay to not have socks. One thing that did impress us was the every single girl came with a colour matching hair band, apparently they met the day before and decided to bring them (they also practised together at this time). Impressive 2nd graders.

Besides that, I finished my Hindi because of the move, have said good-bye to most of the people I know in this area and as of tomorrow morning will be transitioning.

If you remember the visa situation I informed you about recently, well, it's being put into effect very sporadically, so when we leave the country in three weeks we are preparing to be gone for 2 months. With the move, I am not sure how soon we will be getting internet access, hopefully before Christmas. I will try to inform you all on what is happening over the next month.

Please continue to yarp for us, the past 2 weeks have been semi-stressful as far as getting things packed, the other house ready and this house packed up (to add on the visa situation). I'm almost wishing for a schedule or routine. Almost ;-)  Haven't become that crazy yet.

I'm off to a Christmas cookie decorating party. Christmas still happens in 25+ degree weather :-)

In Him,

Beth

Bubble Note #27

Quote of the day (by Lizzie) "So if we get deported..."

You know when someone asks you about a very confusing situation and your response is kind of like, "ah, hmm, well..." and then as your brain is frantically trying to summarize something logical you just blurt out, "It's confusing".

Well..."It's confusing", but also adventurous and slightly funny.

A couple of days ago we heard about a slight visa scare where anyone on a tourist visa leaving the country has to stay out for at least 2 months. Although we currently have to leave every 6 months to stay in the country (long term) we can run across the border and back in. At the time we heard about it, we could find no real information online nor anywhere else. In short, this has progressed the last couple of days until now it is online and being enforced in some airports (they stamp your passport at the airport and do not allow you to come back in until those 2 months have passed). The  family and I  had planned on  flying out of the country in three weeks, a week or two after our already big move. If this rule continues to be enforced, this will mean that we will be moving in one week, unpacking for one week (with Christmas during that time), repacking and organizing the house so that it is ready to be left for 2 months, travelling out of the country and staying "there" for 2 months and depending on visa "stuff" possibly travelling to get a different type of visa in the States. Now this is all tentative, and the interesting fact is that, since I only have a one year tourist visa none of this applies to me (it is only being enforced for foreigners with 5-10 year visa's). If that left you all terribly confused, let me sum it up briefly. Since my role here is to support Stephen and Tricia and the kids (mainly in schooling, but perhaps Dad had this in mind too ;-) ) I will be following them in travels until He tells me otherwise. That could mean I will be leaving the country for good in 3 weeks (and country hoping until my time to go back to Canada comes), I could be leaving the country in 3 weeks for 1 week and there are no issues at all, or I could be leaving the country in 3 weeks and coming back in 2 months. Only Dad knows. Although the issue is not that big for me, it is a very big problem for almost all of the 'workers' here. Monday is a day set aside by my company to fast and yarp about it. If you would like too, please join in this time with us. I figure, we must be doing something right because the enemy is hitting hard.

Still...I've never been deported before. I could add it to my list of "Things I Never Thought I'd Do". That and the nose ring. Ohh the t-shirts I could have made.

Blessings!

Beth

Bubble Note #26

Exciting Bubble note because it contains the answers and information to the long decision making!

The first news is that we (the family and I...I'm really just the tag along ;-) ) are moving! My record for staying in one place for 3 months (max) consistently seems to be improving. We are not moving outside of the city, but the new house is still a 2 hour drive away (on a good day, I've heard of it taking up to 4 hours, one way). My feelings about moving? Sad to be leaving blossoming friendships but excited for what Dad will do in a new place. Please please yarp for us during this time, we are moving in 1 1/2 weeks and plans never work here like they might in the West. This could be an incredibly stressful time and the perfect timing for the enemy to attack, so please keep us in your thoughts, especially around the 13th of December (and that week).

The other news is that I have decided to apply for the Explore internship. This past year (08-09 school year) I attended the first year of Explore, an Outdoor and Leadership Wilderness program with Prairie Bible Institute. It was a year full of growth, encouragement, challenge and experience. It is hard to sum up the most intense year of my life in a paragraph, but intense in the most positive sense of the word. After much discussion with Dad, research and..hm, testing, I have felt led to apply for this internship. Whether I get it or not is up to Him. If I were to get the internship I would be returning to Three Hills, Alberta for the next 3 years to complete a bachelors in Outdoor Leadership. Please yarp that I seek His will beyond anything else.

On a lighter note, I have started to take notes of daily events that give me giggles. Starting the count down from #10...

Top 10 Things that I Enjoy about Daily Life "Here"
(in no particular order)

10. Sun/warmth/lack of snow
9. Having Josiah yell "BESSS" anytime I arrive home
8. Long car/auto-rickshaw rides that end up in complete ridiculousness including the kids and I waving frantically at our car neighbours, kissing a bus, singing veggie tales with grown women and near decapitations.
7. Chai (and ignoring my lactose intolerance)
6. Sitting on the porch with the kids reading while Luc whittles and Lizzy crochets.
5. Old men in skirts (or lungi)
4. Outdoor flower shops (everywhere, and cheap)
3. Fellowshipping with really strong believers
2. Good food, like really good food
1. Grown Men, in full suits running after a moving bus. Who, with the help of a swing of the brief case and a leap of the newly polished shoe, land safely in the doorless bus (I'm hoping to record many of these occurrences and become Youtube famous)

In Him,

Beth