"Not Me" Monday ( well, Wednesday)

Another one of those "days" I have stolen from other bloggers - I just happen to get in on it on the wrong day of the week. I just thought we could all use a little humor on this "Monday." Here are some things I have "not" done lately or that have "not" happened to me.

I did not, at 33 weeks pregnant with a belly the size of a watermelon, waddling along, get stopped by one of the ladies at the weight loss kiosk in the mall asking me if I would like a consultation. You have GOT to be kidding. Nope. Not me.

I did not, yesterday, stand in front of the Dairy Queen that just opened about 15 minutes from my house and call my husband in a fit because it JUST opened and we are NOW leaving. And then, walk away from the Dairy Queen without purchasing a Blizzard because I am holding out for a piece Cookie Cake in two weeks and am saving my calories. Talk about pregnancy hormones. That wasn't this girl.

I did not, a grown woman of almost 26, sleep with a chair against the locked door of my bedroom last night because my husband was with a group on the other side of town and I was afraid. No fue esta senorita.

Even though I own a sewing machine and can use it pretty well, after the past 6 months of wearing my maternity jeans turned under at the hem because they were way too long and realizing that at the most I am looking at 6 more weeks of pregnancy, I did not JUST take them to be altered. Nope, wasn't me.

Okay, enough about what I "didn't" do this week. What did you "not" do?

Thankful Thursday

Today, I would like to say how thankful I am for godly parents. My parents are incredible. They raised my brothers and I to always put God first in our lives. We were raised in a house where we always knew we were loved and supported. Even when I had crazy plans like to become a Biblical Archaeologist or try out for the tennis team when I had never put a racket in my hand in my life, they still supported me. I can also tell you that every single time I talk to my Dad, even though I am an adult and have been living on my own for quite some time, he asks me if there is anything he can do for me. I know that my parents are there if I need anything. I am truly blessed and today want to express my thankfulness to the Lord for giving me such wonderful parents.

I hope Travis and I will raise our children in such a manner of love and support as my parents raised their children and that we will teach them, like they taught us, to put the Lord first in our lives.

Blessings Abundant in a Baby Shower

Today, our home church in Mexico blessed us with a baby shower! Yes, they do have those here. It was absolutely a beautiful time. We had so much fun and were blessed beyond measure!

The ladies had prepared something very special in where different ladies of the church brought different items to give us for the baby along with a verse and special note for the baby or for me that went along with each saying.

One example is that one of the ladies brought a blanket and a card with the verses Psalm 91:1 - 2 and on the card it also said: Baby, like your Mommy covers you with this blanket, God also covers you. You will never be alone because you will always be beneath him. He is your home and in Him should you trust forever. You will never be alone. He is your refuge.

Another was that one lady brought a bib and her note said: You will feed the baby so that he is satisfied and will live and grow. You, Mommy, will help in teaching him to receive the food most healthy and great for his soul which is very simple. You will prepare it little by little until he learns to eat and digest is for himself. This food is the Word of God that he will learn by your testimony.

It was such a beautiful time.

We also had lots of fun playing games! Below is a game in where they had Travis put a balloon under his shirt and then try to peel stickers off his shoes without popping the balloon! It was really funny and he had to wear the balloon under his shirt for the rest of the shower!

In the next picture, Travis is trying to guess how many squares of toilet paper around I am - a million he says!

It was such a beautiful time and we were absolutely blown away and humbled by all that the ladies prepared for us and gifted us. It was truly a very special time.
We just do not even have the words to express what a blessing this was to us.

Thankful Thursday (a day late)

Thankful Thursday ( a day late)

I have seen several bloggers have themed days of the week - Thankful Thursdays are one of those themed days and I thought what a beautiful idea to dedicate a day to post things we are thankful for especially on days like today.

Today was kind of a rough day for Travis and I. A situation occurred with the "poli" here that was an unpleasant one for Travis. Also, I personally, have just been kind of down lately. I am so so excited that we will be returning to the United States in less than four weeks and I am EXTREMELY excited about the upcoming birth of our baby boy. I am just struggling because while I am in the "nesting" time period of my pregnancy there is nothing for me to "nest" with! Since we are having the baby in the United States ( by our decision) we are having to wait until the last minute ( I believe a month out is last minute - Travis does not. This is why we are married - I need a little calm down and he needs a little shove) to get prepared for him. Those of you who are close enough to me to know my personality know that this does not fly on my time schedule. I am trying to be still in Him but sometimes it is difficult.

I think today is an especially good day for me to express several reasons I am thankful to the Lord. So often, I get caught up in the things I am struggling with or the things I think I am "lacking" in my life. God has been so good to me and by telling others the ways it helps remind me of His goodness.

There are so many things I am thankful for today that the Lord has blessed me (us) with. I would like to name a few. . . .

I am so thankful for my salvation . . .

I am so thankful that my Lord and Savior died on a cross for ME! To forgive MY sins! It still blows me away!

I am so thankful for our time on the field . . .

The past two years as we have first been in training in Richmond, in language school in Costa Rica, and then in service in Mexico have been some of the most difficult yet the most rewarding two years of our lives. We have grown so much as individuals both spiritually, mentally, and emotionally. We have also grown closer together as a couple. I praise the Lord for giving us this amazing opportunity to teach us and grow us for Him.

I am so thankful for this man . . .

He is my tall, dark, and handsome: best friend, dearest love, encourager, motivator, spiritual leader, guardian angel, urban cowboy, prince charming, pedicurist, shoe tie -er, and biggest fan. I praise the Lord for giving him to me. I am so blessed.

and I could go on and on but last one for the day . . .

I am so thankful for this little man . . .

What a blessing from the Lord! Only about 8 more weeks until we get to meet him. We are so excited and just in complete awe of what the Lord has given us!


Wow! I feel better already. What are YOU thankful for today?

A Whale and Cooking Class. . . .

Nope, that is not a giant beached whale - that is me at 30 weeks and counting. It is hard to believe how much I have grown! I feel like a giant beached whale but I know that our little sweetheart is in there just a bakin' away and that makes it all worth it!

This week I had a cooking class with some of the ladies from our home church here in Mexico! They taught me how to make traditional Mexican rice, beans, and a meat dish made with pork ribs. It was so much fun and a neat experience to cook the way they do!

Here are Jess and I below picking rocks out of the beans. I don't know how they get in there but there are rocks in the beans when you buy them and you have to pick them out before you cook them or you might get a surprise when you take a bite!

Below are the finished products. Sure wish you could have tasted all the yummy food!

Now, if you are looking for some yummy Mexican food, don't head to your local Mexican restaurant - look me up and I will hook you up with the real deal! I am already schedule for another "cooking class" in a couple of weeks!

Let's give 'em somethin' to talk about . . . .

Sorry we have been a little quiet lately - we have had lots going on and now have lots to talk about!

Here is somethin' to talk about: 6300 gospels distributed last week to many homes, business, and individuals in Mexico City with the group from Greenstreet Baptist Church!!!! What a wonderful week we had last week! We were priviledged to host a group of 12 college students, teenagers, and adults from North Carolina.

The group was a great group and we enjoyed so much partnering with them. Part of the reason they were so great was because 3 of my favorite people got to come with them - my Mom, Dad, and youngest brother! It was such a great week! We went out every morning and participated in door to door gospel saturation and every afternoon/evening had games and candy for the children as well as a type of "service." We saw God work in awesome ways as we were able to encourage local churches and reach out to communities in Mexico City.

This week, Travis, as well as a few from our home church, have been partnering with our local Mexican church to help them expand their current worship facilities. This church has grown and grown and GROWN until they are now completely out of room. The guys this week have spent time tearing down walls and pouring concrete to expand the worship space for this growing congregation.

Now for a little in baby news . . . . my, how I (and baby) have grown! On Monday, I will hit the 30 week mark of my pregnancy. We can't wait to meet our little bundle of joy in about 2 and a half months! We went to the doctor almost two weeks ago to check in on our progress. The doctor says our little butterball is doing great. He is measuring over two weeks ahead of schedule! She says not to worry - she doesn't think he will come 2 weeks early - just to expect a big baby. He weighed in at almost 3 pounds at 27 1/2 weeks. No wonder I am so hungry all the time! We are so happy that he is healthy and loved getting to see his little features on the ultrasound. We think he has Mommy's nose and Daddy's chin. He is moving around lots and lots and sometimes I can even see the movement when he kicks my belly. He keeps me up frequently at night but I absolutely wouldn't trade it for the world. We know many of you are praying for our little sweetheart. We apppreciate so much your prayers and are feeling them as he continues to grow healthy and strong. Please continue to pray as we will be traveling home at my 36th week of pregnancy. Pray that he will not try to make any surprise early appearances and that the flight will be a smooth one for both Mommy, Daddy, and Baby.

Ode to a new Dad this Father's Day week - My husband always takes such good care of me but has been especially attentive during my pregnancy. This picture shows just one of the millions of reasons I love my husband. Now in the 3rd trimester of my pregnancy, it makes it almost impossible for me to tie my shoes much less paint my toenails. Without hesitation, he jumped in and took over the job. He is a precious, precious man and I thank the Lord a million times a day for giving him to me. He is a wonderful husband and I know that he is going to be an amazing father!

Prayer Requests - Please continue to pray for us in the next couple of months ahead - we have one last team coming to partner with us on July 17th from Queens, New York and then will be heading home about a week and a half after they leave. Can you believe it is only 6 weeks until we arrive back in the states?!! (Chick Fil A - I hear you have a peach milkshake now. You better be prepared for us.) Please pray for us as we pack up, say our goodbyes, and then land to a new environment in the U.S. and try to prepare for our bundle of joy. We are excited to come home but at the same time sad to leave our friends and ministry here. Please also pray as we are still planning to move to Southeastern Seminary in January of next year. We have lots to do to prepare for this transition and while we know God is going to provide, it still kind of scary at times.

We appreciate your keeping up with us and as always, we appreciate all your prayers and support.

Lots of love,

Travis, Danielle, and Baby Boy

How Time Flies . . . . .

So sorry it has been such a long time since we have blogged! Sometimes we get busy with things and forget that people want to know what is going on with us!

We have almost completed the second trimester of pregnancy! Mommy and baby seem to be doing well and we are so excited to meet our precious little boy in about 3 months!

Travis just finished another semester of seminary classes - he worked hard and did well. We are so thankful he had the opportunity to take two more classes last semester.

We officially have plane tickets and a leaving date! For those of you who are unaware, after much prayer and discussion with IMB authority, we have made the decision to end our term a little short. We will be ending our term with the IMB and flying home on August 5th to get ready for the arrival of our little boy! We can't wait to see you all when we get home and appreciate your continued prayers that all will go well with the pregnancy so we can make it aboard that plane!

In ministry news . . . . About 8 weeks ago, Travis and I met a young man named Victor during English Club at the university. Victor seemed very interested in learning more and more English but more importantly very open to talking about spiritual things and learning more about the Bible and Jesus Christ. He and Travis set up a time to hang out and have been meeting about twice a week almost every week. Travis has given Victor a Bible and he has already read the gospel of John and continues to read in other parts. He is very very open and continues to ask lots of difficult questions. Please pray for Travis as he continues to meet with Victor. Pray that Victor would see the need in his life for Jesus Christ.

This Tuesday, we went for what we thought would be our last English Club at UNAM since the semester was ending. We showed up and waited for 30 minutes. After no one came, we decided to head home. On our way off campus, we got a phone call from another young man who has been working with students there, he told us that there was a group waiting to practice English with us! We went back to the school and there were several news people - all people who worked at the school- waiting to learn English. We decided to partner up and I ended up with a lady named Marcela. After talking briefly for a few minutes, Marcela really opened up to me and told me that she had this wonderful job, a wonderful family and friends, but that she was missing something and looking for something in her life. I told her that I knew what it was she was looking for - a personal relationship with Jesus Christ! I shared with Marcela for a time and she seemed very open to what I had to say. I then asked her if she had a Bible - she told me she did not. I promised her that I would bring her one this Tuesday when we meet again. She made sure that I had her phone number and that she had mine for our meeting on Tuesday. Please pray for Marcela. She is obviously searching. Pray that our meeting next week would be fruitful and that the Father would speak through me to her heart.

Next Saturday, we have a group coming in from my parents church in High Point, NC. Please pray for this group as we will be working with a local Mexican Baptist Church and three of their church plants. Pray that the gospel would be spread and for health and safety for the group while they are traveling and here.

We appreciate so much all of your prayers and will try not to make it so long again before we update. A couple more prayer requests for this week . . . .

- Energy for Danielle and health for her and the baby - All you mom's out there know just how tiring just being pregnant can be. We have several ministry things going on and two more teams to host before we head back to the States. Please pray that her and the baby will remain healthy and that she will get the appropriate amount of rest that she needs amidst the chaos.

- Our Future plans - After much prayer and seeking God's direction, Travis and I feel that God is leading Travis to finish his seminary education full time, on campus at Southeastern Seminary in Wake Forest, North Carolina. We are continuing to pray that God would work out all the details - finances, housing, etc. so that we can make a move there and Travis can begin classes on campus in January. Please pray with us that we will follow God's will in all of our decision making regarding this.

Hasta Luego - Until Later!

Travis, Danielle, and Baby Boy