Lesson Learned #1- "Profe" Anna Grace

So, kids can be mean to each other in any culture or language.  The fact of this doesn’t surprise me, but I had to deal with it firsthand this morning.  It has been rainy and cloudy here in Cusco, which during the winter season, translates to really cold weather.  We “extranjeros” tend to not dress our children very warmly- or at least compared to the bundled ones here.  I wanted to keep Anna Grace warm for school today, so I opted for a turtleneck and sweater.  She gave me a “look” and said she really didn’t want to wear the turtleneck.  I eventually got out of her that the last time she wore that shirt, a little classmate told her that only babies wear shirts like that. 

What?!?!?

Inside I was fuming- I was thinking how am I going to approach that little girl to say, “You don’t have a clue about fashion.”  And why did it happen to Anna Grace- my sweet, sensitive child that wouldn’t think of saying something like that… why not Eliza- who would probably reply with something real smart like “Your mom’s a baby,” kick the girl in the shin, and not give it another thought.

I looked in Anna Grace’s eyes and told her that if anyone says something like that to her, that she should correct them with “No, it’s cute!”  That she needs to stand up for herself because God has made her beautiful inside and out, he loves her and thinks she’s very special.  (Not sure about the teaching here- yes, we turn the cheek, but we also don't want our children to become doormats.  I want her to understand that she has intrinsic value because she has been made in the image of God.)

After breakfast, I was still bothered by the entire thing, so I mentioned that this little girl wasn’t being a good friend.  With all sincerity, Anna Grace looked at me and said, “Yes, she is, Mom.”  “What?” I asked, “How can that be?  She said unkind things to you.”  She replied, “Yes, Mom, but Jesus can change her heart.”  Whoa. Talk about lessons learned from our children.

Sometimes it is hard to love the people here- at times they are unkind to us or try to take advantage of us, other times, we are just really different (one is not right or wrong, but just black & white different).  But Jesus came to tear down these walls and open our eyes to our limited view of how we love others.  People change- not by their own volition, but by the grace of God.  Jesus can go straight to the root of our issues- to our heart- and change it.  He’s doing it in my life, the life of my sweet daughter Anna Grace, and in the lives of the people we’ve come here to love.

So thankful for the lesson learned this morning- thank you "profe" Anna Grace.

Oh! So sweet...

We had an easter egg hunt with several other families, and made yummy sugar cookies for the party.  The girls were a HUGE help with icing them all.

And Caleb loved eating them...

Getting to know the girls...

I asked the girls several questions this morning, and was surprised by many of their answers.  We have such sweet, precious daughters and I thank the Lord for them.  He is doing a wonderful work in their lives, and I am humbled by his grace.
Hope you find joy & laughter in their answers, and maybe even be a little challenged.
Enjoy!

What is your name?  Anna Grace (with a smile)
When is your birthday?  "I don't know, mommy.  April?"
How many people are in your family? 5
Name them: Caleb, Mommy, Daddy, Anna Grace & Eliza
What do you like to do?  Dance
What is your favorite food? Chicken and fries
What is your favorite book? About princesses
What is your favorite TV show? Dora & Strawberry Shortcake
What is your favorite movie? Princess ones
Who are your best friends? Eli, Hank, Hannah & Abe
Color of your eyes? Brown
Color of your hair? Brown
What is your favorite animal? Butterfly
What is your favorite song?  Lullabye (In a sing-song voice)
What is your favorite color? Pink & Purple
What is your favorite time of day?  Spending time with Daddy and eating ice cream (Mine, too!)
What is something you are proud of? Doing schoolwork
What is something that makes you laugh?  When Eliza does this (made the gesture) with her hands
What is something you do well?  Coloring
What is something you need help with?  School
Who do you miss? Luke & Ashley (cousins)
If you had $100, what would you do with it?  Give it to poor people
What is your favorite memory... something that you have already done? Art class with Aunt Jo
What are you looking forward to? Going to the airport and hotel (We are going to Lima next week to get the children's papers of residency)

What is your name?  Pause......" Eliza" (like duh, Mom!)

When is your birthday?  Blank stare

How many people are in your family? 5

Name them: Uncle David, Brooke, Anna Grace, Caleb, Eliza & Meri (our friend and helper in our home!)

What do you like to do?  Color

What is your favorite food? Bananas (but said like the verse of the song "I like to ate, ate, ate, ay-ples and ba-nay-nays")

What is your favorite book? The Mouse and Cookie (If you Give a Mouse a Cookie)

What is your favorite TV show? Frog ones and Angelina Ballerina

What is your favorite movie? Tinkerbell

Who are your best friends? Hannah, Abe & Lydia

Color of your eyes? Blue

Color of your hair? Blonde

What is your favorite animal? Lions & Tigers

What is your favorite song?  Hey, Soul Sister (Yes, she said it, complete title)

What is your favorite color? Pink & Purple

What is your favorite time of day?  Christmas

What is something you are proud of? Not waking up Anna Grace

What is something that makes you laugh?  Saying "boo-boo"

What is something you do well?  Playing stickers

What is something you need help with?  When I fall down

Who do you miss? Jesus

If you had $100, what would you do with it?  "Give it to people." Who? "una señora"

What is your favorite memory? Jesus is the best Son and the best God (pretty good theology for a 3 year old!)

What are you looking forward to? Going to Disney World

Thanksgiving- First 3 month memories

As we near the celebration of our first Thanksgiving in Cusco, I thought I'd just remind myself of the many blessed memories we have experienced in our short 3 months here.

T: Third birthday celebration for Eliza

H: Homemade chocolate chip cookies with friends

A: Angelina Ballerinas

N: Niños- And lots of them!!!

K: Krazy Kousins

S: Special deliveries- Thank you for the great packages Mom, Emmie & Aunt Debbie!

G: Girly goofiness

I: Innovative crafts

V: Victoriously climbing into chairs

I: Irritated siblings

N: New arm tattoos

G: Great messes

Cristo eres tú

We have been encouraged to listen to Spanish music in order to learn the language, culture, and heart of Latin America.  I was recently listening to this song by Marcela Gandara and was challenged by the cost of being a disciple of Jesus, denying myself and taking up my cross daily to follow him (Luke 9:23).  

The song continues to say, "I am ready to give You everything, and here remain.  Today I will fix my eyes on You, and will guard my heart in Truth.  Do not stop guiding me for a single moment, for only in You I will put my trust."

This is the cry of my heart as we continue to adjust and learn a culture and language and beg God to bless our hands in Cusco for His glory.  Living in another country has made me very aware of my shortcomings and weaknesses apart from Christ, and has turned my eyes to Him for refuge and confidence. It is when I have surrendered to Him my fears, weaknesses and sin struggles that I have found rest and His perfect peace.

This simple, yet precious song continues to confess that Christ is the way in whom we find beautiful peace.  Life has not always been peaceful for me here, in fact, I've had angry outbursts, spoken destructive words, doubted the beauty around me, experienced times of physical, emotional, and spiritual fatigue.  But... my heart has been stirred:

To seek Jesus in His Word.  

To speak Truth to my heart.

To fix my eyes on Him.

To deny myself.

To pick up my cross.

To follow Jesus.

To find beautiful peace in the midst of the crazy thing called life here in Cusco. 

Oh, how thankful I am that I have been given all this and more through Jesus Christ, my Lord and Savior.

Cristo eres tú

Tomando cada día mi cruz
Cada paso que tu des yo daré
Dispuesto estoy a dártelo todo
Y así permanecer

Mis ojos hoy en ti fijaré
En verdad mi corazón guardaré
No dejes ni un momento de guiarme
Solo en ti confiaré

Cristo eres tú, la verdad que me llevó a libertar
El camino que me lleva a encontrar tu hermosa paz

Tomando cada día mi cruz
Cada paso que tu des yo daré
No dejes ni un momento de guiarme
Solo en ti confiaré

Cristo eres tú, la verdad que me llevó a libertad
El camino que me lleva a encontrar tu hermosa paz

Tomando cada día mi cruz
Cada paso que tu des yo daré

Eliza is 3!

Eliza is such a joy to us!  She is always making us laugh and smile with her sweet sayings, funny faces and entertaining mannerisms.  We are so thankful for her life and the joy she brings into the lives of so many others.  One of the most beautiful things about Eliza is her generous, loving heart- she always is the first to volunteer to share her things or speak words of encouragement.  Eliza also shows a godly concern for others at such a tender age of 3 (which I have often been encouraged and challenged by!)
So, on this 10th of October, we celebrate the precious gift of Elizabeth McCallay Daniel.  Thank you, Lord, for such a beautiful, precious daughter!

The Story

So... the carbon monoxide story.
We had been in our apartment a week, and Ike & Joanne Holton were staying with us until their apartment was ready.  We had been in Cusco long enough to have less altitude symptoms (like headache/shortness of breath...)
That morning, we were in the kitchen eating breakfast while the Holton's took showers.  I also had started our washing machine (which is also connected to our hot water heater).  David and I had both woken up feeling really well.  During breakfast, we both started to get a headache.  Caleb begin to get really fussy, walked over to me, and laid down on the floor.  I scooped him up and put him in his crib for a nap- (He had also been teething and had a cold).
After breakfast, we went into our living room for family worship.  During our time together, Eliza begin to get very emotional and fussy and she was sent to her room until she could join us again with self control.  On the way to her room, she stumbled (which we assumed was due to her crying and emotional outburst).  After family worship, Anna Grace was walking to her room, stumbled, and fell down.  I immediately told David that we needed to go to a hospital because something was obviously not right with our children.
We called Nathan Wilson (pediatrician) and he quickly came over and evaluated Anna Grace in our living room.  Meanwhile, I was sitting in the girls' room, holding Caleb and begging God for wisdom and protection. Soon, I heard someone say, "Open the windows, it is carbon monoxide." We rushed to the windows and breathed in fresh air- and I must say, I've never been so thankful for air.  It truly felt so good to fill my lungs with life-giving oxygen.
Our dear friends and team members helped carry the children down to a car and we drove down the mountain to a nearby hospital (which happened to not be open- actually, permanently closed and for sale). So, next we were taken to a hospital downtown.  Thankfully, all the children were starting to perk up (we had been out of the apartment for at least an hour at this point).  In the hospital, we were quickly taken and evaluated.  Then, shown to a room in which they brought oxygen tanks for the children (they could only gather 3 oxygen tanks in the hospital- so we ended up treating the children first, and then shared their masks.)  After several hours in the hospital, we were discharged and on our way home.
The doctor said he thought for sure the carbon monoxide was due to our hot water heater, and that it is a fairly common occurrence in Cusco.

The water heater

It was surreal walking back into the apartment that could have killed our family.  Amazingly, and only through the grace of God, we saw the experience as a blessing.  How thankful that we were with our children when it happened, and that we had help from the Holtons and Nathan Wilson.  What a blessing that God answered our cry for wisdom and protection by giving Nathan the diagnosis of carbon monoxide.  Even greater, all of this happened in the morning, while we were awake and alert enough to be warned of the poison and seek help early in the process.
We have moved the hot water heater outside (which is where it should have been in the first place), and are thankful that we are all fine and healthy; there have been no long term effects, and our children were completely unfazed by it all.  I asked the girls that night what they thought about our day, and Anna Grace said, "It was a good day."  I asked, "Was it hard at all?" in which they both replied, "No." almost as if questioning me, why would I even ask that?

Carbon Monoxide Generator Removed!

So, that's the story. God, as he always has been and will continue to be, was faithful as our protector and provider.  We are aware of the enemy's schemes to discourage and try to make us live in fear, but in and through Jesus, we are able to overcome that fear.  Psalm 34 has been such a comfort to me over the past few weeks, and I have claimed many of the promises found within (which I am sure to share in a later post.)
Thanks for reading, rejoicing with us in God's protection, and for your prayers!

Happy Breakfast Eaters! 

Happy Eater, Too.

Surrounded

Surround (v). be all around someone or something

As I shared in the last post, we have been blessed by being surrounded by an amazing landscape from our home, as a constant reminder of the Lord's faithfulness and majesty.  This has been such an encouragement as we have encountered frustrations and trials of learning a new culture and people.

We have been surrounded by the prayers of many, and are very thankful for those prayers on our behalf.  Transition has not been easy, but yet confirming of God's call on our lives here in Cusco.  Please continue to surround us with those prayers.

The angel of the Lord surrounded and delivered us (Psalm 34:7) as we were poisoned by carbon monoxide in our apartment by our hot water heater.  (I'll post more details later) Although it was initially a frightful experience, the peace of God surrounded and comforted us and has resulted in greater joy and praise to him who protects, provides, and loves us deeply.

We've enjoyed and are thankful for being surrounded by our MCO Cusco family and MTW Cusco team.  How sweet it is to be seeking God together and asking him to make himself famous here in Cusco.

Finally, we have been lavishly surrounded by the grace and love of our Savior, Jesus Christ.  We have often felt his presence and strong arms holding us, while we were weak, frustrated or tired.

And now we pray that we will continue to be surrounded by his presence and favor as we begin ministering the Gospel through faith, word and deed.

We're in Cusco!

We've arrived in Cusco and are in the process of unpacking and settling into our apartment.  We live in a neighborhood of Cusco called Larapa.  It is located about 20 minutes from the center of Cusco.   We are living in a 3 bedroom apartment on the 3rd story, which gives us these amazing views from our living room.  These views remind of us the glorious hope and promise found in Jesus Christ and spur us on as we desire to make His name known here in Cusco.  God has been faithful to us in many ways over the past week and we look forward to seeing how he provides in the months and years ahead.

Thank you for your prayers, and please continue as we make a home here in Cusco.

Birthday Celebrations!

We've had a fun week celebrating Anna Grace's 4th birthday and Caleb's 1st!
Anna Grace had a Girl Spa Party- complete with stations for makeup, nails, hair, oatmeal hand moisturizer/lotions and edible jewelry.
We had such a great time with all the "ladies" of the team (except Kristen- who is waiting for all of us in Cusco!)

Anna Grace and her verse that David prays over her every morning

Eliza and her edible bracelet- which didn't last long!

Birthday Girl- after the make over!

The Daniel Spa

 

Manicures

This afternoon, we celebrated Caleb's 1st birthday with a Dino-mite party at the park. (Though all of the Ticos looked at us strangely, because the park is the LAST place they have birthday parties!)
Can't believe he is already 1... I've joked that his first word would be in Spanish, but he proved me wrong by saying "Up" yesterday.  Very useful word- especially when you like to be carried around everywhere!

Birthday Boy!

Celebrating at the park

Dinosaur cake- yum!

The line-up... waiting for cake and ice cream!

Caleb's cake

A little help from Eliza