Four Years

Four years ago, I made the best decision in my life, of my life, and for my life.

It was March 2009, I was 14, and headed on my first mission trip to Trinidad! I was super excited, but a little (make that a LOT) bothered... gonna go spread the gospel of salvation even though I'm just as lost as they are?
So:

March 18, Wednesday: We were up bright and early and headed over to Tulsa to fly out. There was snow in Tulsa and fog in Dallas, so we were there all day before we finally flew to Dallas. Well we missed our flight Trinidad of course, so one of the members in our group, Edy Cozort, called her Aunt and Uncle who live outside of Dallas. They were so gracious and kind! We divided up between their house and one of the members of the church there, and had a full night's sleep and a wonderful breakfast!

March 19, Thursday: After a long day of flights, we finally arrived in Trinidad past midnight. We got settled and all that jazz.

March 20, Friday: Up at 6:00 to get ready to leave by 8 AM, reached the building, and headed on to the fields. Nathan and I were assigned to go with Mr Eugene Jenkins and his wife Mrs Luvenia (Love those two people so much) to go on a study. The lady was really close, but unwilling (still is) to simply make the decision to get baptized. Funny how things work, eh? Cause I read all the scriptures out loud for study purposes... and the feeling just grew worse! She might not have been ready to obey the Gospel but I sure was! But I was still too scared to say anything... we went back to the building, rested, changed clothes, and went to the Crusade. Bro Dominic Dos Santos preached the most amazing sermon. I have no idea what the topic was, other than redemption, but I will never forget the way it made me feel.... That there was hope available for me, a spiritual family that I wanted to be a part of, that I could be clean, but that I was still helpless and totally lost.

I slept that night. After a while, and only because I had traveled for two solid days and been in the hot sun for one, and it was like 2 in the morning when we got back. So I slept, but not well.

March 21, Saturday: We went to the beach! "Woohoo!" you might say, but I was completely miserable. Seriously. We stopped by the pitch lake, and everybody is "oohing and ahhing"but I was holding a baby, so I didn't have to get out, and I didn't want to. So we fiiiiiinally reached to beach about 10:30 AM? We play in the water, jump, scream, yoga (lol), dunked mom in... had a great time! Then it was time to get out... and I could not take it anymore!! So I told mom, "I want to be baptized." We located dad, he and I talked for a little bit while everybody else went onto the shore, then I made my confession, and I was baptized into Christ!

You can ask me how the rest of the day went... I really don't know. I came out of the water and hugged  my family that was now my family in Christ, even all those Trinis that I didn't even know their names. haha! But it was glorious. We went to the bathhouse to change, and Edy told me something that has stuck with me ever since. "Isn't it a great feeling, Onie, that you are perfect? In the sight of God, you're as innocent as a baby!" :) I think we went to get chinese food after that... and maybe came home and rested before the crusade... not really sure! haha! I do know I zonked out as soon as I got home though! It was so nice to be able to sleep sure and safe, without the fear of not waking up and being in hell that I'd had for the past couple months. :)

But I do remember that that next week was tremendous! I felt so good, so invincible! I'm just thankful for the blood of Christ, and salvation, and for God blessing me and giving me the strength I needed.

So today, four years later, I'm thankful for God's mercy he has bestowed on me, thankful for the blessings, thankful for the family I have in Christ, thankful that he gives me the strength to face anything, thankful for the opportunities he's given me, thankful for just being *saved.*

:)

A week late.. oh well

Last Friday my sister Lydia turned... well I won't tell you her age, only that she's now a year past a quarter of a century! Hehe! She is such a great example to me and I am so thankful for her! I pray that she will always trust God to lead her life, and to live it how he wants.

Besides all that she's really quite beautiful and loving! :) (cuTe. :D)

If you go check her blog enough she might post in it sometime!! (luz yew Wydia! :) 

Then... Wade had a birthday on Wednesday!! He is... 13 backwards! Woo hoo! :) He's an awesome brother and husband and dad! :) Isaiah looks a lot like him... so I guess he's pretty cute too! haha!

Hope you all have a wonderful Lord's day tomorrow! 

AB...C

AB...C

Avett Brothers:

Cool

InCredible

Captures my mind

They use Cuzoos...awesome!

Calm when I need it

ExCiting when I need it too

Carpenter.

:)

"Carpenter?! What?"

Yes. Today they come out with a new album, and it's called the Carpenter. That's my current hype. :)

Have a wonderful day! And if you don't know the Avett Brothers then go Check 'em out! :)

1 Year Old

Dear Isaiah Michael Purdom,

A year ago Friday my Mom was flying to the states to help with my Sister-In-Law Leah's (your mom's) birth. We got the text and the pictures. 

Aren't you just the cutest?! Well, you didn't stay like that... the little part I mean, you're still as cute as can be. :)

[ Here's some pictures: Disclaimer: Beholder may have severe cute attacks and randomly say "Aww" because of such preciousness. ]

:D

You're such a little man.

You love Skyping with your Aunty Naomi. :)

Agh! You little boy make me smile and laugh so much!! 

You play boo. You laugh SO hard and think it's just the funniest thing when you take your hands off of your eyes and we say BOO!! :)

*die of cuteness*

You love your Daddy. :)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BUDDY!!! <3

Snuggle time. :)

Needless to say I am one proud Auntie. :)

Funny Story: Your Mama and Baba have been doing a little bit of ASL with you, and the first time you did a flawless "Please" you found you had a collar!! So you spent the next ten minutes tugging and jabbering and showing them your collar. hehe precious boy. :)

They are doing so good with you. I am so proud. I know you will grow up to be a Christian man like your daddy. :)

I love you my punkin man!!! :)

~Your Loving Aunty Naomi :)

xoxoxo

Ooh, you need a makeover!!

Our room here in Trinidad was... well imagine pretty old (yellowed), stained white walls, and sleeping on poor worn out pillowcases. It was time for a change:

 We painted the walls aqua-blue, and of course kept our tradition of hanging Christmas lights in our room, or "romantical lights" as they are fondly called. :)

I made new curtains. You can't see them too well, sorry, but they are kinda like Roman Curtains. I put rings on the back and a tie through them, and we just pull 'em up and tie them to the bars on the windows. As you can see, through the one that's down, the sun shines through the stripes on the back, and that with the lights gives it a really colorful happy affect. 

The inside is just black with white floral stuff. It helps with the lights at night, we all love sleeping in dark dark. :)

Anna and I sleep in the top of our two bunk beds. (On air mattresses-Prettty nice! :D) She wanted a new pillowcase, and of course, being myself, I ran away with it and coordinated her whole bed. lol

(Notice the canopies? No, they are NOT princess canopies. They are mosquito nets. aka lifesavers. aka the only reason I go to bed..... well that stretches it a little bit, but you get the picture! hehe!)

She loves red and black.

Black bottom sheet, red top sheet.

The big pillow is two-sided. (Hobby Lobby fabric)

The small one "ties it all together." (Walmart in Monett, MO fabric)

She thinks I'm a little over exuberant about it and laughed when I asked her if I could blog about it, but I don't care! ha! hehe :)

Now mine: 

I love blue and brown, especially with a little orange and bright colors to spice it up! 

(I love the whole room too, obviously. ;)

Light blue sheets.

Big pillow: brown with all colored stripes. (JoAnns fabric)

Snuggle pillow: one side blue with floral (Hobby Lobby fabric).....

The other side: brown with blue and green polka dots. (JoAnns fabric once again.)

And of course topped with mosquito net. :)

I really love it all except the lime green blanket. (We live in the Caribbean: Anna sleeps warm even with her fan, and I still get cold with my fan.) It's great except for the color! Whoops! haha!

I have had SO much fun over the past six months of completely redoing our room. Especially all the sewing, that has been right up my alley. :)

Tell me what you think: the colors too crazy? What are y'alls rooms like? 

Hope you all have a wonderful day!

:)

In Trinidad Once Again...

Howdy folks!

I know my dear blog has been dreadfully neglected, we have been so busy!

We are now back in Trinidad after 8 weeks of Furlough. Thanks to all of you who helped us and kept us in your prayers. It was lots of fun! We got to spend a lot of time with family, and see precious friends. 

We went to seven different states, several supporting congregations, and even got to go to PTP for four days. It was very uplifting and encouraging. 

I did graduate and had a super fun party, so this next year will be new for me. I'm excited. :)

Another post hopefully coming soon! :)

Hope you have a wonderful day!

When you limin' by d mall...

First, you try to convert the mannequin at Detour

Then you blush that he's holding your hand

Sit on Anna! 

Make sure that Aunty Sarah has a good birthday at Pizza Hut :)

Spend three whole hours at Pizza Hut laughing, telling jokes, laughing, playing games, laughing, and laughing some more! :)