Little Bridge, Big Challenge

Here are some shots of the kids trying to cross a little bridge over a ditch.  It is very common to see this here and our kids were trying out their balancing skills.  It took Levi a while, but he finally got it.  Iva got the hang of it pretty quickly.  Samuel showed everybody how its done.  And, well, we didn’t really let Nathanael attempt it.  Before long they will be running across instead of taking little baby steps.  You wouldn’t think that two boards over a small ditch would get so much attention.  There is just so much to explore!

A Bathtub in Central America?

How nice it is to have a bathtub once again!  Here are some cutie pie pictures to show our enjoyment.  A bathtub is just simply a rare thing in Central America.  We are so excited to actually have one!  And when there is only one of these little guys in there at a time they feel like they have so much room that they want to swim.  Too funny!  Oh, the joys of childhood!  I wish I could swim in a bathtub!

Our Front Yard

I can imagine this could get a bit overwhelming at times, but this was the view in our front yard just the other day.

There are a lot of kids on our street and I think they enjoy playing in our yard.  What a blessing and I hope the Lord will use that!  I just don’t think we will be up to hosting a kiddo block party in our front yard everyday!  That takes a lot of energy and patience.  But, we are looking forward to getting to know these kids and hopefully being a beacon of light in our neighborhood.

Samuel’s Shadow

It was so cute, Samuel came into the kitchen to sit down on the floor and read a book.  And then came his little shadow right behind him.  Nathanael sat right down by Samuel with his little book in hand.  Too cute!

We Have Moved!

No, we didn’t leave Belize, we just moved about a mile down the road.  We have been living in an apartment for the past year and a half and felt that it was time to find a house.  The Lord provided as He always does and now we are renting a house!  We are loving it here!  It is quieter, more homey, brighter (we have 19 windows), has its own fenced in yard, two bathrooms (one of them even has a bathtub), 3 bedrooms, dining room, kitchen, large living room and even a small hot water heater.

We moved-in two weeks ago today.  Can you believe we are still unpacking.  It is a slow process to say the least.  Trying to do everyday normal life on top of moving in has slowed us down a bit, but day by day we are getting things done.

Here is a picture of the new place

 

Once we get everything organized we hope to do a little video of our new place so you can see it too!

Homecoming Celebration for Susana

Just got this update from Susana’s family . . .

We will have a Homecoming Celebration for our sweet Susana on Monday Feb. 14th at 2:00 PM at Biltmore Baptist Church. 35 Clayton Rd. Arden, NC. Nearest regional airport is Asheville. Nearest international airport is Charlotte, NC or Greenville-Spartanburg, SC.

This will be a wonderful time for us to celebrate her life, faith, and legacy that she will leave with so many of us. We invite you all to come and share this time with us. We will celebrate the goodness of our God that He has loved us so much that He purchased a place in heaven for us, and that is where our beautiful little girl is right now and will be forever. Therefore, we will rejoice.

DO NOT WEAR BLACK!!!! DO NOT BRING FLOWERS

We will have a time to mourn, for but a moment, because that is what it will be like compared to all the rejoicing we will do in eternity. So, this truly will be a homecoming celebration…for our little girl has finished the race and is now enjoying her prize…Jesus.

Instead of flowers or gifts, we are asking for a donation to be made to our ministry so that we can continue sharing the love of Jesus with the orphans and poor of Haiti. Susana loved being in Haiti and talked all the time about the day that we would be able to return. Your giving will be an honor knowing that this is what Susana would want more than flowers or gifts. The information for giving is on our website at www.howcantheyhear.org

Thank you all for the prayers and support. By the grace of God, we will press on and continue reaching towards our prize and heavenly reward. And now our longing becomes even greater knowing that we will also be reunited with our precious little girl.
Cody & Maria Whittaker

Little Susana is with the Lord

I wanted to share this recent post with you from The Whittaker’s site.  I just read this and am writing this through tears, but at the same time with great joy that she isn’t suffering any longer.  Thank you for your prayers, please continue to remember her family.

Susana finished her race on 02/11/11 at 12:15 PM

February 11, 2011

Susana Raquel Whittaker is now in the presence of our great and glorious God.  She ran her race.  She ran well.  We held her hand and led her into the arms of Jesus.  Our hearts groan like never before.  But we rejoice in our God who loves us so much and has brought our little girl into heaven where she now sees Him face to face.  Soon, my beloved Susana, and very soon, we too are going to see the King. (Cody Whittaker)

Susana

My heart aches after reading a recent blog post from some fellow Global Outreach Missionaries.  You can read it too at howcantheyhear.org.   Cody and Maria Whittaker were full-time missionaries in Haiti until their youngest daughter, Susana was diagnosed with cancer.  She is only 4 and her older sister, Isabela, is 6.  This family is going through a very difficult time right now as it seems Susana is loosing her battle.  They are not without hope however because they know that Susana’s life will continue on in the arms of the Lord.  And, everyday they need Him to sustain them as they aren’t ready to say goodbye just yet.  You may have already learned of this family through Cohen’s blog, but if not, I hope you will visit their website and read their blog post(s).  And, more than anything, I ask that you remember them in prayer.

Iva’s Movie

Be sure to check out the movie that Cohen made of Iva’s birthday celebration.  We all had a great day today!  And, with the freedom of home schooling, we took the day off to just have some family time.  It was a good day!  So go on over to Cohen’s blog, ezellec.blogspot.com, and enjoy the little movie!

Our Princess is 5

Where  does the time go?  Our baby girl just turned 5 today!  Happy birthday Miss Iva, we love you more than words can say!  You are truly a gift from God and you remind us of that every day!