Update

I am going to refer all of you to our ministry website for the latest news on what's going on down here - from the flooding to what Abner and I are working on.

Go to web.mac.com/abnerandkelly or click on my link to the right of this blog.

There are pictures of the flooding in Villahermosa that Abner took, as well as info.

Jenny, thank you for your concern and prayers. We're all ok. Please check out the site. More later!

We're Here!

Well, we've arrrived in the great state of Tabasco - our new home city of Comalcalco. We've been here exactly three weeks and have already been put to work, which is great! This Monday we will begin practices with the newly formed Praise and Worship team, and hope to be up and running for services in two weeks. We are also in the process of starting a cell group to win other musicians for Christ. Life is busy at home as well. The house is not completed and there are still workers coming in almost daily to do one thing or another. So dirt and mud and all kinds of soiling goes on constantly. I'll write about my domestic adventures some other time (complete with antecdotes from our in-house zoo).

We're adjusting fairly well. It has been raining and humid most of our time here, but thankfully God sent us a reprieve this week with a very cool front! It's been lovely for the past three days - we've even turned off our fans in the house.

Melodee and Kaitlyn are quite at home down here. No illness or strange behavior. (smile)

I'm doing alright. There is certainly some paradigm shifts going on with me, but I'm praying for His grace to guide me through it. I am TOTALLY excited about the work we are, and will be doing with the church. I'll be starting some English classes this next week, and tutoring for some of the young people in the church in the following week.

Our internet service is spotty and limited, so I will update when I can. I love hearing from all of you, so please drop a comment or send a email!

Pray for us that God will continue to give us wisdom and inspiration as we begin to work in our calling. We need divine insight and ideas to accomplish His desires. Also pray about our financial situation - many of our pledgers have not fulfilled their commitment for this month, and we need God's provision. Thanks for your love and support!

And we're off!

First thought: Why do the green-colored parts of my page appear neon on a pc? Our Mac shows them as a nice mellow hue, but this is atrocious! How does it appear to y'all?

Second thought: We're leaving this Wednesday for Tabasco. Feeling just a teensy bit nervous about the plunge. But excited. And intimidated by the packing of personal belongings again. Please pray for us, and if you're interested in checking out our ministry website, go to web.mac.com/abnerandkelly.

Last thought: We've been pondering a name for our ministry. During our passport trip to Houston this weekend we brainstormed. Didn't find anything that fit just right. Here's a silly one that made us laugh after about thirty minutes of "Such and such" ministry or "this and that" ministry -

THE ONLY Ministry HA!!!

Only a joke, guys. Only a joke.

I'll post sometime next week probably. We have a two day drive Wed and Thurs.

Love to you all.

New Name...for now

I'm renaming my blog. Read "Mansfield Park" for further enlightenment. I'm not confident that it's the perfect blog name for me, but it'll do for now.

Long overdue

I crave a few moments of quiet, just to myself. And then when I get them I don't know what I should do. Tackle the mountain of laundry? Get in a few chapters of reading? Take a nap? Update the blog and website? Hit the paperwork that still needs to be done before we leave? Write the Thank You's and How Are You's that are waiting. It's like living in Vegas. Gambling my time.

A few weeks ago I read a devotional for moms that reminded me that soon enough the girls will be pretty self-sufficient, and I'll be longing for the days when "Mommy" was interrupting my quiet moments. I wish I handled life with more grace and genteel-ness (is that a word? if not, then I'm inventing it) than I do. I feel like such a klutz as I stumble and grumble through situations and daily grind. I am forever fighting against my grumpy attitude. Sometimes I don't even want to be around myself. Where did my cheerful disposition go? Where is the quick wit and silliness that (I think) I used to have?

Enough of that moaning.

We're leaving for Tabasco in two weeks. I'm ready. There's still so much to do, and Abner has had a stomach bug for much of this week. So it's going to be a race to the finish to get everything done before Sept. 30. I have a feeling it would have been like that anyway, though. When do we ever have everything done right before a deadline? By His grace we'll have the important stuff done. Check out the Mac page if you haven't already. I put up the July Mexico trip pictures, and started a ministry blog. Here's a few for you to enjoy here.