Franco's and Sonic

Needed to have a little bit of home cookin' tonight!  So I pulled out one of the best cookbooks I have ever seen or used ... thanks to Gena who has let me "borrow" it from her while she is in the States.  Since I only have a few more weeks until I have to give it back I thought I would show you what I have learned to cook over the last few months...

homemade Spanish rice and refried beans



this is what I call "GOLD" in the oven - yum corn tortillas



final result

 We are having tostadas with taco meat, refried beans, Spanish rice and guacamole and cherry lime-aids - let me tell ya ... a few weeks ago was the first time in 19 months that we have had fresh limes - or even lime juice! So of course we are now having cherry lime-aids for a special treat! So we are having a little bit of Franco's with a little bit of Sonic today!

quick look into the last week and a half

Here are a few pictures of what we have been busy with the last week and a half ...

We had 2 days of "Start Up Meetings" last week.  Lots of planning for this year. 

Replacing the starter on the Land Cruiser

Replacing the propshaft on the Land Cruiser

Alicia is checking the food for the leader's training coming up next week.

Luke helping with the work in the main house bathroom.

Luke was taking out the rubble from the main house bathroom.

Brit drove around the farm a few times "practicing".

She is getting pretty good at driving a standard. 

Brit is one of the Jr. Youth leader's in charge are games.
She is giving the instructions for "pull-up".

Playing Pull-Up at Jr. Youth

Brit is helping with snack time at Jr. Youth.

Alicia and Dorcas are getting ready for Burger Bash
at church tonight.
(Yes, here they put butter on the hamburger buns!)

Dorcas and Alicia

Mark, Andrew and Charlie are braaing the hamburgers.

Finally an Update

I have had the intention almost daily to update our blog but somehow I never manage to get to it. So here is a quick recap of the last 4 weeks. I think this time I will let pictures do most of the talking.

Just to update you on Ken and Nancy (the couple who has lived with us the last 6 weeks - see previous post) ... Ken is improving daily and he has been released to fly back to the States and they are scheduled to head out tomorrow (Thursday).

Now onto the pictures ...

Christmas brought surprise packages - this one was from Ambleside School of San Angelo. Who would have ever thought we would all get so excited over gold fish, crystal light, mac n cheese and candy! YUMMY!

Christmas Eve dinner at our house... Mexican food feast! We had 31 people there that night to celebrate the birth of our Savior.

Mexican Food

Luke wrote this song and he sang it for everyone after dinner Christmas Eve

Christmas Braai

Christmas Day lunch at the Mission Farm

Swimming on Christmas Day

South African version of a white Christmas - just ten minutes before Luke was swimming in the pool.


We spent 2 days with Ken and Nancy at the Magoebaskloof Hotel. We had a great time visiting, relaxing by the pool, taking a hike and seeing the sights around the area.

this was the view from the hotel

Relaxing at the hotel

afternoon swim with dad

Luke and the largest Baobab tree

Brit and the largest Boabab tree

This is the inside of the Baobab tree... they used to use it as a bar.

New Year's Eve Braai at the church

Ringing in the New Years (Luke fell asleep right before the midnight and almost missed all the fireworks outside.)

Braai at our house - Dr. Jannesch was Ken's doctor, he is the one who called us and told us about Ken and Nancy.

Ken and Nancy are leaving tomorrow. I don't really have the words to explain how incredible the last 6 weeks have been for our family. All I can say is that we serve a MIGHTY God and we are so thankful that He chose to use us during this time and that He allowed us to meet Ken and Nancy. We praise the Lord that Ken continues to improve each day and that he is well enough to return home to his friends and family. We are so thankful for the new friends, that really have become more like family, that He has given us. We want to thank you for praying for Ken over the last 6 weeks and we ask that you please continue to pray for him as well as Nancy as they return home and continue to recover.