Matthew 6:25-34

A NICE LITTLE LINE IN MIAMI


I am writing this from the 14th floor of a beautiful beachfront condo in Palm Beach Florida that has been happily housing and feeding my family since we arrived in the states 3 days ago, and I am wondering, "Really? Really? how can my life be so good" Our physical situation is as varied as roller coaster... but emotions are remaining surprisingly stable. In the last week we have packed a house, and what's more said a million goodbyes... to people we love, hot weather that could kill us, and finally said goodbye to a nice 4 hour bout with bacterial illness that left me wanting to DIE... or at least leave Honduras.

Which is exactly what we started doing at 4 a.m. Saturday morning. And 12 hours later - BAM - (anyone who has traveled with 2 small children knows it doesn't exactly work THAT way) we landed in easy-life paradise visiting friends, family, random English tourists, eco-science centers, trash-free beaches, hearing English and reading a few newspapers. I would say we are having "the time of our lives" ... but in all honesty I can't choose between surprise going away parties and hard life lessons in a developing country and penthouse living here... it's all good... it's all a gift... and it's all with my family.



Lucy saying goodbye to a little neighbor friend while we ate some yummy "comida tipica" on Wednesday.


Our neighbors posing for a photo after throwing us a surprise going a way party on Friday night.


Our friends Abner and Kelly after taking us out to lunch on Friday.... (what am I going to do when I have to cook again!?)


My one and only photo of our great day with my Aunt and Uncle.... I can't believe it but it was Lucy's first ride in a stroller and the rest of the day we were too busy talking!


Resting after a great walk with Dr. Melanasi... the wonderful man who has been taking care of us for a few days (I don't have a photo of his wife because she has been too busy cooking.)



So Kansas... here I come... let's see if I can keep on the upswing of this emotional roller-coaster after 4 weeks of tight-courter unstable extended-family living. Then I can blog about miracles.

how I waste our money

So, in an attempt to iron out a somewhat feasible and semi-stable plan for life, Jarod went to visit an orphanage that is about a 2 hr. bus ride into the jungle. Due to bus schedules and such he and his sister spent the night out there. Meaning that I had 2 days by myself with the kids and our first experience at not being able to reach each other AT ALL in our married life (they don't have any cell or internet service out there right now.... which I secretly think is the only reason Jarod hasn't fully committed to hauling his whole family into the middle of nowhere.) Anyway. Since I had 2 free days to completely spend however I wanted, I came to the stark realization that I am a genius at wasting money and time. Here we spend all this energy to learn Spanish and I flit off to every neighbor who can speak English and has children, then when I could be spending hours in the evening studying I call a friend in the states and 'waste' an evening in English. But may I just say, and I hope the picture proves, that the twinge of guilt I feel is completely melted by the joy that deep friendships bring me, no matter where, or for how long. Friendships are the best way to 'waste' a life. Thanks for helping me do it.

P.S. No plan was ironed out.... and I am beginning to think 'ironing life' is as big a waste of time as ironing clothes.. and let's face it - I really barely get my clothes washed these days... so....

P.P.S. Jude is taking after me and "wastes" his day talking in English to our neighbor girl over the fence. Literally, each day for HOURS on end. At least he is great for her English...


P.P.P.S. Jarod has posted some great pictures from the jungle on his flickr sight... of course - no people - no plan... but it sure is pretty-ish :).

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We are taking 11:30 am tickets from San Pedro Sula to Miami on Saturday, March 28th. End of life plan.

Ten Days

5 trips, over 800 traveled km; dust, sand, taxis, buses, boats, foot, back of trucks, one flat tire, 5 filled puke bags; 3 birthday celebrations and quiting kindergarten; crabs, scorpions, tarantulas, barracudas, kinkajou, hummingbirds; oceans, rivers, hospitals, schools, orphanages, kids clubs, church services; banana trees, vanilla orchids, mangos, green oranges; 2 languages (3 if you count the gibberish that Jude is resorting to), 4 very tired Tippys, and of course the pictures to prove it's all worth it... and still NO clue on what the next month may hold. (For more scenic photos feel free to visit Jarod's flickr sight, and for more information on our life... stay tuned and make up whatever story makes you feel better in the meantime.)

Just can't express...

A writer friend of mine once said that, "if you are going to start with those words, don't bother writing." And following that advice, I didn't blog last week, but today I realized that continuing with that advice would quickly lead me to a very bad place called incommunicado extranjero, for as long as we are at home in Honduras.

Which, as it turns out, is exactly what I can't express - How at home we are in Honduras, and how clueless we are as to how long that will remain to be. You see, in the last 10 days we formed a plan. A good plan. A solid plan. A plan built around comfort and the 'known'. Buy plane tickets for April 27th, return to Kansas for 2 weeks and a wedding, then return to our same comfy little cozy house in our comfy neighborhood surrounded by our new found friends, schools, and even the yummy cheap cheddar cheese that we discovered. But that's all gone now... even the cheddar cheese. Our food life is in turmoil once again, but that is the least of our worries. Because last friday our son had a TOTAL melt down at school, refusing to return to class and instead opting to laying in his bed for 3 1/2 hours. Then we found out that our landlady is kicking us out at the end of this month, and now that our 'resolved' visa situation is unresolved.

There are of course 1,000 tiny details to throw into this like; language school payment,an even greater desire to learn Spanish, tons of open ministry opportunities, new found abundant finances, plane tickets, etc. that make the whole decision making process look even more daunting, but in the midst of all this 'unsettling' we have just realized how settled we are. We had the week off school so we thought we would just take a quick trip to see Chrissy out on the Island which was amazing but we missed things here... we missed people... and tonight at Jude's 4th birthday party, surrounded by really good friends we realized that if we leave here in 2 weeks - we are leaving another home. Will you please pray with us about where our next one will be? Because tomorrow we go on yet another adventure, with yet a new couple of friends to search out yet another possible home (I'm promise I'll write about the inexpressible journey next week). But tonight - I'm really feeling like I could live here with my mildewy towels and without cheddar cheese in complete peace.

Oh yeah, but I' can't - because the known is just never an option for us. Never.

Here's proof that we're not crazy... it's a good life.

Albuteral and other things:

This blog will be a long list of unconnected life events happening in the Tippy household that you will doubtful find of interest unless you are my mother:

Today: As of right now, Lucy is resting easy in her room after 2 administrations of her new steroid medication, but Jude is starting with “the cough.” This morning I made a trip to the hospital because Lucy had a rough day yesterday including vomiting and low-grade fever – a few - hours, dollars, taxi rides (and a lot of good Spanish practice) later we have the same diagnosis and almost same prescriptions that we got for Jude at this age. We just breed weak-lunged kids – no matter where we live they can't handle a 2 degree temperature change without bronchitis or steroids. Other than procuring medications and holding a sick girl today was filled with a lot of fun. We learned that the kids at Jude's school eat pencil led, and that although he hasn't, he did 'lick the pencil just to see what it tasted like – and it was salty'. Jarod also attended a prayer meeting at a church nearby and Jude and I went to our second “Kid's Club” with some missionary friends. He likes it... until he gets an overload of Spanish and coloring... which around here is just too intense for him – these kids know the rules of coloring: left to right – inside the lines – only realistic colors – highlighting preferred. PERIOD. Speaking of which, tomorrow, we have been told, is his “big test.” Jarod and I can't stop laughing, because, first of all, 'over what would one test a 3 year old?' and second of all, 'What language will it be in?' He'll either come away from this thing looking like a genius or an idiot... I don't care just as long as he doesn't eat the pencil.

But I am getting ahead of myself, that is tomorrow, I am suppose to be talking about last week. It was another great week, with too many highlights to list. Jarod did go to a pastoral ordination on Saturday that apparently was a very interesting 4 hours... of Spanish and theology, mind you, so his brain is still recovering. I had a much lighter Saturday, washing the hair of little girls down at the river... and doing a little tag-team 'mommying' with my friend Lindsey and her daughter Ellie... you know – 'be productive but keep the kiddos a safe distance from river currents and lice.' It was a good system, and a great privilege to hang out with some very special girls who rarely get special treatment.



Oh yeah, and sometime over the weekend Lucy's first tooth poked through and she started getting really sick... but she looks good in the photos (at least better than her mom - please notice that I am carrying TWO large babies in that photo. )

During the week we got plenty of Spanish practice with some national families that we are getting to know pretty well... not to mention we love our new Spanish teacher... who is extremely hard on us but who tells almost as many funny stories as Jude. Jude still struggles at school, and honestly the difference in 'expected child behavior' has been one of the hardest cultural adjustment for all of us. Oh, but I found the most amazing special education school and if all else fails I will just volunteer there and take Jude with me... 'cause we all know they are the best kids to socialize with anyway – hum... but I wonder what that will do for our Spanish?!

Well, and since this has pretty much been a weather report I might as well give you a weather report – it has been super cool here lately – 'cold' to our acclimatized bodies. If it gets above 80 this weekend we may go out to the island to visit Chrissy... because as she says, “we are so close but so very far away.”
Anyway, sometime this week I hope to post a video of the kids in the hight of their current glory – Jude expounding upon his day at school – and Lucy literally stocking him in her walker. Until then, just know that all is well... and feeling ever so normal, and the future ever so full of possibilities.