Believe it or not :-)

OK.... I know I'm going to have to have photographic proof for you all to believe me, but I will get to that at a later date.

So we have the students coming down this week, and Matt is driving them. Which means it is the perfect opportunity for Ryan to hitch a ride back up to Oregon to buy us a car. See, we sold all but one of our cars before we left (well, we sold some of them, and left the rest for Mason to deal with :-D-- thanks man!), but anyhow- we have been looking online for and economical car- like a Corolla- for us to drive back to Oregon in. The Lord sure blessed us when He called us to serve in another country- and then it happened to be the one that is only a day's drive away!!
Just a couple of days ago, Ryan found the car on Craig's List that we felt like we should buy. It was a very good deal, and the listing had been updated, and the price lowered because the owner had been hit by a truck in the car, and it now had a dent in the hood. No big deal, right?! It will be residing in Mexico! It will fit right in with a little dent on the hood. So we offered him a little lower than that, and he said he would take it. So as of yesterday around 3:00 in the afternoon, we had a deal with the guy (who is in Eugene btw) to buy a car that bluebooks for twice what he was going to sell it to us for, and my dad was going to be kind enough to drive to Eugene- last night at like 5:00- to give him the money, and drive the car back to Roseburg. Ugh.... try buying a car from a thousand miles away sometime!! DO NOT reccommend it!!
SO...... my dad gets to Eugene, test drives the car, and calls me to tell me that he thinks it is a good deal, and that he will go ahead and buy it. He drives the car back to just around the corner from where the owner was, just to call me again and ask me another question, and....... WHAMM.... a guy backs his van right into the car.
What? You say..... YOU HEARD ME!!! He got hit.... in a car he had yet to pay for!!
And I was on the phone with him when it happened! (might I add here, that he was NOT driving and talking on the phone!!! He had pulled over....)
So, to sum this up-- We bought the car anyways. It had been hit right in the same spot as the original dent, and is not in super bad condition. Ryan says he can fix it-- although he hasn't actually seen it yet :-D
To make things even more complicated, the owner of the car did not have insurence, and the guy who was driving the van did not have insurence, and my dad's insurence is probably not going to cover it because it was not his car......... But there is a slight possibility that our insurence might cover it.....
Anyhow. We now own a dented car. That gets almost 40 miles to the gallon, and has fewer miles than any car we have ever owned :) Dent or no dent- it is a blessing. And we will see what happens with the damage next week when Ryan gets to Oregon to survey the situation.
God works in mysterious ways! His ways are SO far above my own! I don't even begin to assume that I really know Him. Isn't that a hard one to imagine?! He has left us with a manual written by His hand, and a world created by His voice, so that we can get just the slightest idea of just how majestic He really is- and we don't know the half of it!! What an amazing experience heaven will be!

As for the goings-on here at the base: We are getting some things painted. This week I painted Asa's bedroom. He was too scared to sleep in his room alone, so we moved him into Taiah's room-- but she is an 8 year old girl, and we are hoping to change his mind about his room by letting him pick the colors for it. We will see how that worked tonight :) - He chose lime green, and two shades of blue by the way ;) photos up.

Memorie has been painting some in her house too- but I will let her tell you about her schemes over at www.Frosland-familia.blogspot.com (now you have to update Mem ;-P )

I believe that Ryan and Corinne and Kayla are working on the Casa de Juan today-- getting it primed and painted for the female students who will be staying there. We have some more rearranging to do too..... i promise i will get photos when it is all situated!

One more thing before I close-- Happy Birthday this past Wednesday to my baby girl!! She is now eight years old, and will be starting THIRD GRADE in a few weeks!! I love you Taiah Shalom!!
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So when I get up in the morning, I read a section from wherever I am studying (Ecclesiasties right now), then I read the Proverb of the Date. A concept that I thought was common-- but may actually not be :) ..... see, there are 31 Proverbs. Perfect!!! One for every day of the month, and sometimes a couple extra ;)
So this morning I read chapter 30. Wow. I am always amazed by this chapter! It is SO amazingly deep! Agur writes the chapter. He is discribed as "Agur the Wise, son of Jakeh". And, Boy was he! He gives us a list of which things in life, and which behaviors in life, are important to him. He speaks about lying, and decieving. He speaks about obedience to parents, and about a generation that curses it's father, and is pure in it's own eyes, and has lofty eyes, and who devour the poor and needy. (Sound like a familiar generation to you??)
He starts the chapter off by procaliming that he is "more stupid than any man" and that he does not "have knowledge of the Holy One.". That verse stood out to me! Who am I to think that I have acheived anything, or have obtained any wisdom, or knowledge of God? He is FAR above me! And I would not even begin to profess to "have Him figured out". There is SO much more to God that we will only know when we are standing with Him in our proper home, in our proper body.
He goes on to say "Every word of God is pure, He is a sheild to those who put their trust in Him." ..... Thank you God, for being MY shield! He is my fortress- I will never be shaken!!
And in the following verses, he asks God to give him neither poverty nor riches- because he doesn't want to be full and deny God, or to be left poor and steal, or profane His name. But he asks for God to "feed me with the food allotted to me". AMEN! God please bless me in exactly the ways which you have prepared for me!! Let me not ask for more- or refuse what you try to give me!!
He finishes off the chapter by saying "If you have been foolish in exalting yourself, or if you have devised evil, put your hand on your mouth."
I am positive that God granted my mother with this wisdom decades ago! :)
Come on--- all you mom's have said it!
If you don't have anything loving to say- DON'T SAY ANYTHING AT ALL!!!
Right?

Until Monday~
><> Shae