"Frontline" news this week.

Rebecca and the girls are on the "homefront":

Moving to Haiti Diaries: Chaos can be fun!? from Ted Barlow on Vimeo.

Ted is on the "Haitifront":

Building Water Filters In Haiti from Ted Barlow on Vimeo.

On the road...

A little over 1 week into my post employment, and our life is already on the road!

After a treasured 2-week long visit from my mom, sister & kids -

      

Ted, I, Em & Liv all stuffed the Yukon with a few supplies and snuck out of town between snow storms.

We’ve been in Castle Rock, CO this past week for World Orphans orientation and a staff retreat.  It was an enriching time with our fellow co-workers. The girls enjoyed meeting all of the staff and many were encouraged by their young passion for the orphan and excited about the story they have to share. All of us came away with a stronger vision of World Orphan’s ministry worldwide and the way that their unique model of care is spreading across the globe.

         

We’ve also had a really blessed time with some dear old friends here. I love how God so divinely orchestrates the journey of our friendships through life. The Bostwicks are one of the families that adopted through Christian Adoption Project in Sacramento many years ago. We have adopted kids that grew up in the same children’s home in Russia, and we all homeschooled and lived together in our turn-of-the-century home in Orangevale for a season…eleven kids & 4 adults…a whole adventure story in itself (for another day)! They have graciously ministered to us all week with cozy beds, gourmet meals and hours of stimulating conversation and encouragement.

     

As if that wasn’t enough, God also has the twins’ first-ever friend living right here in the area also. We all spent last evening hanging out, sharing memories, and making new ones with sweet little “Faithie”. It was a blessed time of laughter, love and deepening friendships for all of us, but especially the twins! We are now especially looking forward to returning here in the near future for our 3 weeks of cross- cultural preparation at Missions Training International, so that we can continue to feed the beautiful friendships that began with our initial journey into orphan care through adoption.

 

Next up, a long day’s travel home tomorrow and a week of sorting, packing, and preparing for Ted’s trip to Haiti from 2/23 – 3/8.



Christmas Eve Reflections 2010

This has been a unique holiday season in our household...especially with moving plans looming in the next year. With the kids grown, Christmas has changed from the wide eyed wonder of little ones, to a more mature, purposeful, family gathering. Ours are pretty happy with their one gift per person and a few stocking stuffers. More important to them, is time curled up watching a few movies, the annual Christmas Eve “snack feast”, and loads of fun-filled game time. We give kudos to them, after being humbled by their attitudes and the fact that even as young people, they can & DO “get” the truth behind this season!

In a few hours, the crew will leisurely rise (the joy of teens!), open a few stocking stuffers, and then play our traditional “Christmas Bingo”. Whoever wins gets to be first to choose one of the gifts under the tree. Each of us has re-gifted or purchased a single item that anyone in the family might enjoy. Subsequent winners may “steal” or choose another. It livens things up & fills the house with love & laughter rather than heaps of unnecessary “stuff”!

One of the highlights this year was that we cut our tree as usual, but this time off our own property.  It was extra-special and thought provoking, as this is the last year we may have one for a while & definitely the last in this home!

So, the goal of our tree hunt is to find a straggly, wimpy and somewhat pathetic, looking tree. We bring it in and lovingly garnish it with twinkle lights and decoration. Transformation complete, our "Charlie Brown" tree stands there glowing & gorgeous, despite it's homely beginnings. Leading up to Christmas our tree has a very important job  - - it's to focus us on a reminder - - that God took each of us with all of our flaws & made us into something “beautiful”  - - through the birth…life...and sacrificial death…of His Son!  

We're praying today, that your holidays are filled with joy, even in the midst of CHAOS, and that you treasure time together with family and friends. Louie Giglio shared in his Christmas message this year, that Jesus was not born on a “perfect” day. In fact he was probably the only thing “perfect” that happed just then to Mary & Joseph. The rest of their lives was very much out of sorts: a couple of teenagers, scandal-filled pregnancy, long-distance travel, tax-day, nowhere to stay…! Yet the most precious child ever born, arrived anyways – on the exact day God had planned, so many years before. And He changed EVERYTHING.

Apart from all that God has given us through His Son this holiday season, we are so thankful for you, our family, friends, and ministry team... We would not be preparing to serve without the love, support and sacrifice that you share with us on a regular basis. Merry Christmas!!!!!

Warm greetings & blessings, from our home to yours…

Ted, Rebecca, Tania Grace, Ana, Tynan, Emma & Olivia

Grace at work...

While there is definite reason for us to get over to Haiti as soon as possible, we’ve been sharply reminded this week that we ARE missionaries & in God’s full time service already. In addition, He showed us that this period of preparation and raising up our monthly income to work overseas, has HIS purpose written all over it.

There are blessings to be experienced along the way, and sharing our vision & the work of World Orphans is as important as caring for the children themselves. As always, God has a multi-faceted PLAN in the works.

Wednesday morning we went to Heritage Christian Academy, to speak at their morning chapel sessions. We were happy and excited to have an opportunity to teach the kids about God’s heart for orphans, how they could participate in ministry to the children even as youth themselves. God laid on our hearts what He wanted us to share, He prepared the twins for their first large-scale public speaking experience, but He didn’t give a hint to ANY of us what He had in store for us that day.

We talked for 10 minutes about what kids can do for orphans, shared what we would be doing in Haiti, and we showed a short video about our ministry. At the end of the high school session, we were bowled over at the message of support that Dr Taylor, the headmaster, presented to the kids. We were welcomed as part of the school family, it was announced that they intend to partner in some way with us in our ministry in Haiti long-term & personally promised by a large group of teens that when they meet to pray together every morning (without adult leadership or prompting) that we would be included in their prayers.

The younger crowd session was just as encouraging, even the K-4 kids gave great attention! A few days later, one friend who has a primary school daughter that attends HCA, shared that her daughter came home that day, told her all about it and has faithfully prayed for “orphans” every single opportunity & meal since. That’s God at work in young lives…

One of the biggest blessings came in a powerful little package! Molli Devine is a petite, beautiful, spunky, 15 yr old girl. She has one of the biggest hearts for God that I have ever seen! She shared her love for the Lord by announcing that she was singing on Friday night at a hangout called “The Well” in a nearby town. The school was having a “spirit night” there in preparation for their play-off game the next day. She asked everyone to come out & stated that God had prompted her that day to give all of her “basket donations” to help us get to Haiti!

Friday night Molli, after singing her heart out with a smile all evening, happily thrust a basketful of bills & coins into our hands and said “here, this is for you!” Another $91.01 to add to our moving fund, but far beyond that was the grace & inspiration that God showed us through her example.

  

Eat Down Update - Day 18 (Tuesday)

Day 18 of the eat down.  Our goal is to make it 3 weeks (Friday).  Had these great pumpkin-corn-chocolate chip muffins for breakfast this morning...