Dunkings and Apples

No, we didn't dunk for apples. I got baptized. The kids got apples. But not exactly at the same time.
How did I get so behind?
I have no idea. But it's time to catch up!!!

October 5, 2008, the Dalton Hispanic Mission and Chattsworth congregation (with Bro. Carson Scarbrough) met for fellowship, food, and a baptism...
in cold water! It was a wonderful time, a comforting time, as Bro. Gonzalez reminded us that we had three witnesses--the heavens, the water, and our fellow believers-- to our salvation.

Those from our church being baptized by Harold Watson (right) and David Gonzalez (left).

Cute newcomer to the congregation.

Bro. Scarbrough sharing testimony of a family from his church.

Entire group!

Then, just before Halloween, we had a party for the kids in Dalton. One of the games was trying to get a bite out of an apple hanging on a string. Jeremy Velazquez was very helpful in hanging them, and in "crowd control"! lol (we needed that...)

Silvia

This is really really hard!

Andres

Jairo

Lined up for execution...

YUM!

"I am the man...that couldn't get the apple!" lol jk--Fernando

Hope you enjoyed this! I hope to post more pics of our congregation soon!

God Bless!

Halloween Post--Early, I Know!

Yeah, right...post often, mmm-hmmm. Actually, I can look at it this way. I am posting early--for Halloween! Yea!

Anyways, I wish I were a poet, I would write of a patient, persistent, and powerful spider...Strange subject, I know! But it is very encouraging!

When a little movement caught my eye, as I stepped out on my porch,

I turned to see what was suspended so near, and I saw a grasshopper,

---------------------er! ok, y'all, check this out! I didn't say a "chopper" a "grasshopper" ok? so why was it up at my eye-level? ah, yes, now you're paying attention! Suspended on ONE tiny cobweb hanging from the eaves--over a yard long! (I measured). A ONE INCH rope of steel is weaker than a one inch rope woven of COBWEBS! Wow! So, that's no big deal to him.

Down came the spider, to wind the hopper up!

He would wrap a little thread around one part and attach it about 2 inches up. He seemed to have gotten it up about 1/2 inch up when the spider started kicking! So,

Down came the spider, to bite the hopper's head!

I kept checking periodically, and amazingly, by the evening he had gotten the spider about a foot from the roof.

Up went the spider, to have a little nap!

Ok, that may have seemed elementary, but if we Christians would care that much, perservere that much, and work that hard at praying, loving, and sharing the Gospel, I think--with God's help, our nation would be a very different place. BE INSPIRED! So many around us are going on with their lives, watching us, thinking, "They say they're Christians, but obviously it's not that important, or at least not important enough to stop worrying about their hair, new shoes, job, and whether or not they should wear hose to tell us--I don't want that!"

Please, don't lose focus! Jesus is coming onstage soon!--the props are all painted and set up! It's a matter of His choosing the time!

oooph!

Oh, help us...I've nearly got a headache...or a tumor, or something (inside joke there)...ANYWAYS, I listened to the candidates chatter on this evening, attempting in some way to sound intelligent, trying to cheerfully banter over whether taxes (which, by the way, did you know income tax is not constitutional?...but I digress) should or shouldn't have "loop-holes" (in other words, socialism...but I need to save this subject for my own privately hosted self-debate). Well, today we drove up to celebrate my dear uncle Doug's birthday (a little late, but oh well). He is going to show me a really funny show now, so I've got to run...

OH, one quick mid-year resolution! I might not have pics every post, but I'd like to put something small about my every-day life, say, every several days? (hehehe, and my inner plan-book chortles at the very idea...Marj? be consistent? HA! What high aspirations)
Yours sincerely,

Goodnight Y'all!

Grand Finale!

I know it's been a eon, age, and a potatoe (don't ask...I'm tired) since I've posted, and I'm sorry, but I would like to finish up my Mexico Trip Publishing!

The first several pictures are taken at a very nice lake we had a picnic at.

Phillip and Collete!

I really really enjoyed that book! (Frank Perretti)
Taylor, pleased with himself about something...?!
Kyle...I think he liked the horse.
Our entire group on Saturday (at VBS)

Guanajuato

VBS kid

Another VBS kid

Mountainside...Sis. Burch kindly took us sight-seeing to several volcanoes, a market place, an old monastery, and Guanajuato.

A grand-daddy cactus!

The side of a really big volcanoe crater.

A farmer and his "machines"

A neat little shelter (yes, those are real flowers on top).

This is a tunnel through the side of a volcanoe.

IN the crater...smiles...what fun...

A beautiful old monastery/fort we visited.

A private driveway we borrowed for some shots...
We stopped for a "snack." Somehow it seems like Mexican food doesn't taste quite the same unless it's cooked in these!

This is in Guanajauto...

Marjie's Ark

May I tell you a story?
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Yes, you should be honored!

Here I go!

Ok, jump in the van with me, we're going to church...

whoah, this could take a while

fast forward, zzzzzzzzzzzzzzrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr,

After church, I'm waiting around while Bro. Burch and Michael try to hook up the lights to the trailer in the carport. Oh, look! some dark clouds! No big deal...

It starts to rain...um, it's hailing...oh, good, it stopped, now it's just pouring.

No big deal...

Hey, look! The water is up on the sidewalk! Hey, look, it's coming in the door! Hey, it's 2 yards in! Hey, AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAACK!!!

My feet are wet!

Let's step back for some reevaluation...or to get out of the water, whatever. The water is coming up by the second, oh hey! a car's going by! The water's only like, what? a foot high in the street?

TIDAL WAVE!

...and so we learned my friend, to listen for vehicles, because every time they went by, several large but successively smaller waves lapped up my legs, freezing them into big white popsicles..oh, did I mention that?
The water was, in addition to murky and mysterious,well,

a little chilly!

Because the carport is about 14 yards long before you get to the church door, some (we won't mention any names) tried to avoid the inevitable wetness!

Jared, however, had no such idea in mind.
Soon, soggy socks joined his previously discarded tennis shoes, and I (wisely) followed suit.
Brrrrrrrr...

Bro. Burch directed the mechanic department perched atop a lawn chair, armed with the vehicle manual. The rest of us picnicked on Cheddar and PeanutButter Crackers, commented on the 2 1/2 foot high water in the street, and thought the night could not possibly get more exciting...WRONG.

Jared got a huge laugh out of watching a poor would-be-motorist walk his scooter through water nearly above it's tires...strange sense of humor...boys....

When the mechanics were through hooking up the trailer---OH, did I mention that the Mason's were transporting brand new furniture home in that trailer?...in that rain???
Sis Burch convinced her kind hubby to carry her to the van...I was relieved to see her land safely...lol

Because the doors need to be closed behind the vehicles, because the van couldn't sit too long in one place in the street so it wouldn't flood, and
because Jared didn't want to do it by himself ,

him and I hopped on the back of the trailer till it had cleared Lake Garage (the flooded carport) and then jumped off to close the gates in, oh, 1 and 1/2 ft. high water. The plan was to hop back on the trailer and ride to the end of the street where the van would be waiting--hopefully in lower water. Well, the trailer, um, was in a hurry, so, we began the trek on foot--on water,
oh whatever!

Barefooted and gleeful, I began high-stepping through the swirling, freezing, knee-deep murkiness
(fast-high-stepping, I might add)
in my ankle-length jean skirt.
Was I thinking about what was under the water?
What was IN the water?
What was about to be in ME?
hmmm...sometimes thinking about such things is not an option.
Smiles. Aren't teens great? Live a little! That's what you call adventure!!

More later!