Life as we know it!

Playing with Daddy!

Life on the mission field is never dull, as many of you know.  Most of you know that we have been going to Callao as a family.  The kids love to ride on the train, however the ride does get tedious at times.  I have started singing with the kids on the train and on the "Combi."  It seems to help, and I can't help but laugh as I listen to what I'm singing!  Ever since the kids were babies, I have always adjusted songs to make them more personal.  "Jesus Loves Me" has become "Jesus Loves You!"  Of course with both Ian and Martha song titles have changed from what I remember them!  I sometimes have a hard time deciphering which song they are requesting!  For example:  "Jesus Loves the Little Children" is often requested as "English, Irish, French, and Jew."  The other day, Martha asked me "for the black and white people song."  Since I had just finished singing "Jesus loves the Little Children" (the "English, Irish, French, and Jew" version), I assumed she wanted the same song in the "Red and yellow, black and white" version.  Whew!!  I was right!

Not only do I change the songs to make them more personal, I have started trying to fit them to our situation.  For example:  We ride "Combis" quite often.  So I decided to change "The Wheels on the Bus" to "The Wheels on the Combi"!  Now my kids will grow up thinking that's the way the song really goes!  Imagine their confusion years from now when they are in Sunday School in the States on furlough and they sing that song!  Poor kiddos!  But they love it, and every time we get on the train, they start asking for the song about "Dinosaur Jack"!  Right now, Jack is reserved for Sundays, but I have a feeling he is going to become a household name - at least in our house!

Here are some pictures of the latest amusements!  We had some big boxes left from some purchases recently and the kids had a grand time with them! I walked into the kitchen where Ian was playing with his box, and this is what I saw....Hmm....all ready for shipping......to Pappy?....to Grandpa?....I couldn't decide, so I decided to keep him with me!

Yesterday, the kids decided they wanted to use a "manta" with their toys.  The Peruvians (mostly the women from the mountains) use a piece of fabric to tie their babies onto their backs to carry them around!  I have a "manta" that I use with Ian - it frees up my hands when we are going places - but you should see the Peruvians stare!  Martha is the one that started this...she wanted to put Elizabeth in the "manta" so I let her use mine.

 Ian, of course, wanted to join in the fun... so I used his favorite blanket as a manta, put his faithful "Oof" in there, tied it on him, and you can see the result...he was as happy as a cricket!

Today we are going to try to go up to the market to find another plastic sword...or two...or three.....
Ian's sword is such a popular item in our house, that we have decided maybe we should all have one!

So, this is life as we know it....never boring....always exciting....and above all perfectly wonderful because we are exactly where God wants us - doing exactly what He wants us to do!

"Jesus This I Know"

My kids love music - especially Ian!  I have sung to them since before they were born.  One of their favorites is "Jesus Loves Me."  I can't even being to tell you how many times I have sung that sung!  And I gladly continue to sing it!  Both Martha and Ian are avid fans of playing my piano as well!

Playing Mommy's Piano - oh boy!

Music has always been an important part of my own life.  I remember singing with my Mom many times!  I always thought my Mom was the bravest lady I knew during thunderstorms.  I can remember sitting in front of our sliding glass door during thunderstorms and singing "Wonderful Grace of Jesus" and "Heaven Came Down and Glory Filled My Soul"!  I'm not sure why she picked those two songs - maybe because of their length!  I learned many years later that she was scared of those storms, but she didn't want me to be, so she sang with me.  Perhaps that is why I sing when there are storms - not just thunderstorms, but storms in life - what a comfort music is to me!  I can also remember singing in the vehicle with my Mom.  Most of my life, we lived far from town, so when it was time for grocery shopping - it was quite a drive to get to the store!  Mom would grab the hymn book (Soul Stirring Songs and Hymns - I still have that same hymnal - it's next to my piano right now!) and head out the door with me in tow.  She'd have me pick out a song, and we'd sing.  

One of our favorite places to sing!

I have to tell you though, when you start down the musical path with your children, be prepared to invent songs!  Some parents invent stories, I get requests for song inventions!  Yesterday Martha wanted me to sing the song about "The Dinosaur."  I had no idea what song she was talking about, but she insisted, so I invented!  A word of caution about inventing songs:  Try to remember the words, if not the tune of the invented song - you may be asked to repeat it!  I now have the original song "The Ballad of Dinosaur Jack"!  It's a song about a dinosaur (see what happens when your sons gets glow-in-the-dark dinosaurs for his birthday?) who has to ride a train to Sunday School!  (Some day I'll write the words down for your amusement - if I can remember them!)

Mom is in Heaven now, but I think she must smile every time the Lord tells her, "Sarah is singing with her kids again!"  I find myself singing the same songs again and again and again - but that's okay!  Yesterday we went to Callao as normal.  I think I sung all the way there and all the way back!  Yesterday's favorites were "Only a boy named David," "Zacchaeus," and "Jesus This I know."  You're thinking, "Jesus This I know"?  This is the title Ian has given to "Jesus Loves Me."  Kind of appropriate don't you think?  He's only two, but Ian has it all figured out - "Jesus This I know."  The wonderful, simple faith of a child:  We know Jesus - nothing else matters.