Sunday, March 27, 2011

Not long yet...running out of food!

Not as bad as the title may suggest but things have surely been different around here for the last....long while! Sheryl went to Florida on the 13th to help with chores, entertainment, and just being grandma to the Stettlers. Jenelle and Rob blessed us with our 7th special grandchild, Joah Rhoads Stettler. I'll be flying over on Tuesday to "help" then we'll both retun on Sunday with memories! We do miss having the children close to us but thanks to the computer technology of today we can see them, hear their laughs and enjoy their smiles. Grandma even blows kisses!
 My week....decided to paint the outside of the house. Wow, didn't know it was such a big job. I think on Friday I was up and down the ladder 50+ times. Down to wet the roller, then up the ladder to roll, over and over again. Almost 20 gallon of wall paint plus about 7 gallon of Drylok to seal the concrete edges on the top of the roof. The guards that watch over the neighborhood adjacent to our house were entertained most of the week. I actually had the guts to ask them how much it would have cost to have a guatemalen do what it was taking me a week.....Q1500, about $200. What would I have done, then? Painting's done and there's still time tomorrow to clean the house. I was kidding around with Sheryl the other night and said that the tile floor has so many dust bunnies and fuzzies on it that it's not even cold to walk on, as it is sometimes....and the grass clippings from going in and out all week are everywhere!! Honey, I'll clean the floors tomorrow! You'll be impressed, maybe!
Beginning April 11th we will be swamped with teams. 3 1/2 months and 11 weeks of teams! One good thing is that most of the teams will be working on the construction of a prefab security wall around Casa Bernabe. The orphanage is located only 10 minutes from our homes, and also within 20 minutes from the "hotel" that the teams will be staying at. Makes for less driving time for all of us. We really do enjoy when teams come, giving us an opportunity to learn to know many who become our friends in ministry. Teams from California, Texas, N.C., Canada, and Pennsylvania. Looking forward to a wonderful time. Also stuck in there between the teams, we'll be honored to have our daughter Angela and her family from State College, Pa here to visit for a week.
Please continue to remember us in your prayers, they are needed, and we are blessed through them.

Jim and Sheryl Leaman

Thursday, March 17, 2011

Unusual Weather!

This morning I woke up to the sound of rain dripping off the roof. How unusual...the rainy season is expected to be over in January and the beginning of the next rainy season should not come till May. It does keep the grass green, needing mowed every week, but it does look nice.
Sheryl is in Florida for three weeks helping with the care of Joah, our newest grandson that was born on Saturday 12th, We had not purchased tickets early this time due to the uncertainty of the baby's arrival and our team schedule. It couldn't have worked out better.... team scheduled to leave Monday morning early and Sheryl flew out on Sunday morning the day before. Our team schedule has a 4 week break so I'll be joining her in Florida for about a week, towards the end of the month. During this time off I had plans to paint the outside of our house to freshen it up, but my schedule so far has been filled with meetings and other odds and ends to keep up with, around the house. My diet has changed somewhat but I did find a stash of cookies in the freezer and found that they're just about as good frozen as when they come out of the oven. Last night I even cooked myself some cabbage....not bad with some deer bologna from a hunting friend, that was a pleasant surprise sent down recently.
Our team last week was from Petra Fellowship in New Holland which was made up of 15 ladies from the church. A pleasant surprise came with them as team leader....Randy Weaver our past director who returned to the States one year ago! Our time was wonderful in many ways. The director of the home where the ladies worked was overwhelmed with the quantity of work that got done and the love given to the kids was so special. The ladies sewed 28 special leather/vinyl type crib mattresses, washed windows, painted, and held lots of babies.
The pictures below are from the team week and of our grandson.....you can tell the difference. I hope.





Blessings to all, Jim and Sheryl