A Merry Christmas Card!

Written on Friday, December 20, 2008
With Love
And Prayers for a Blessed Christmas

(Double Click on the Picture and It Should Fill Your Screen!)

Merry Christmas Thanksgivings

November 18, 2008

Today was prenatal day. So I got to use the new donated doppler to check fetal heart tones. The mom and the baby's brother got to hear the baby's heartbeat too, which was very fun.

Dopplers don't make it long in the Philippines humidity, so this was a very special part of a very special gift to Mercy In Action. One of Kate and Chris's friends in New Zealand put on a concert and the proceeds all went for some replacement equipment for the birth center. We are so so grateful!

The equipment arrived along with Vicki and Scott on the airplane. They also brought your generous donations of more prenatal vitamins (yay!) and your beautiful light weight baby quilts.
I will be writing you later about the Christmas feeding outreach that we get to do because the
Creston Church heard Vicki's words and heart and are helping . Mercy In Action will cook nutritious food for local indiginous malnourished children in the mountains nearby. I will for
sure send pictures!

Vicki also purchased more clinical supplies in the States, where the prices are cheaper and the products available. We have more sterile gloves, latex gloves, and IV tubing....and stuff! We always need stuff, because we use it and run out!

So, if you think you missed getting some stuff to Vicki and Scott to bring--and you are feeling like Santa Claus (or Jesus) then you could still give to the poor we are serving. Like the picture of me with a young girl and the baby I was honored to help her deliver. She is poor. And she needed what we could give.

The picture of me with the boys? Well, that is one of the local basketball teams who needed help too! They need some uniform shirts and now I am their honorary officially tallest sponsor!

Thank you to those who have given. No pressure on those of you who just read this blog. But think about it, and if you want to help with a monetary gift this Christmas? This is the time of year the budget is decided for the next......so I am just asking on their behalf now. Thanks for reading this either way; thanks for your prayers and your caring most of all.

It is not yet Christmas, but already Thanksgiving!!






to donate online: http://www.mercyinaction.com/donations.html
to donate via Mail: Mercy In Action, PO Box 2777, Paso Robles, CA 93447

PS: And yes, Mercy In Action is a 501(c)(3) non-profit, so your donation is tax-deductible.
I am coming back to the States in January to send out your Charitable Donation receipts!

Have to Do It..Grandbaby Pics!

Posted November 4th, 2008 *No, we have to wait until the 5th to hear results too!

Here are some Halloween pictures of my granddaughter,
the little gypsy herself! A gypsy who blows kisses and plays
peekaboo and laughs behind her hand. Of course.
And one of her with her gypsy mother, so you know
where she gets it! Plus her Dad is a traveler too...
However, he dressed as an Australian, and I won't
subject you to a picture of that...hehe.

Anyway, I enjoy her. So much.
These pics they took will help you imagine why!

So please enjoy my little "Grammi Brag Blog"
along with me this week...and understand how
much I will miss them when this one travels back to
New Zealand the end of this month.

Too soon!

Friendly Neighborhood Critters

Posted October 20, 2008


In addition to the crawlers, there are friendly four-legged creatures tied all about. There are no real fenced properties and the dogs and cats and chickens all roam at will. The goats and cattle--even two horses!--and water buffalo (caribow) are usually staked out to eat wherever.

The neighbors all move Maia's pet goat Izzy around and so we are never quite sure where she is, but on this particular day she was in the front yard so Maia got to play with her.

The bull was random in my front yard too. They put a knot through his nose as a bull ring.

They are all quite gentle. Really.......

Leaping Lizards In My Shoes

Posted October 20, 2008

Yes, I promised an announcement and then....some things are happening slower than anticipated, so maybe I'll tell you later.

In the meantime, I am still alive and kicking. Very very alive and enjoying the changes and adventures.

The kicking part has to do with my shoes. As I have reported, it is customary to kick your footwear off before entering a house. I have also learned to give my shoes another little kick or shake before I put them back on.

The top picture is of the cross that hangs outside the door. We have big lizards that live behind it and come out at night to eat spiders and ants and things that fly by. They make little lizards who like to hide in my shoes. And they come into the house too--there is no way to keep geckos out.

Unless you shake them out.

1/2 Over, Never Done

Written on September 25, 2008

Yes, today is the halfway mark. I am going downhill now. Wait, let me re-phrase that! The pictures were when I had just been here a short time and Vic and Scott took me to a pizza joint overlooking the ocean and White Beach. At the bottom of the stairs. Then, to work it off, we walked the 100 steps back up to the top. We stopped halfway up to admire the view. Good thinking, nice line, Vic!

I know it is halfway from the time I left until the time I get back because my best friend counted. So I counted too. She is right as usual!

I am admiring the view from today. The time I have spent here already is great to reflect upon, and I am looking forward to the future. I've gotten broken in just a bit, so maybe I can now actually be more helpful. I hope so.

This will be just a short hello post, because I am working on how the time up ahead will look like and it is exciting! I have a big October 1st announcement. Just wait, just wait....

Enjoy what you can see, my friends, wherever you are on the stairs...especially if it makes you catch your breath!

Happy Birthday Mom!

Written September 13, 2008
On my mother's 8--cough,cough--birthday

Dear Mom,

I miss you. I miss our mile walk with the dogs; our stated mission to get the newspaper at the end of the lane, but our real purpose to connect with each other and renew our friendship.

Yes, we are friends. I am grateful and very happy about it, and I know you are too.

More than that, I am thankful that you were the one God chose to give me birth, and life.

I cannot imagine how it would have been with a different mother,
nor would I want to. You gave me the world from a wild and remote
place in the high Nevada desert, and opened the possibility of more.
You encouraged me when I had no confidence in myself, and you
comforted me when there was reason to be discouraged. As a woman,
you are a model of competence combined with grace; generosity
tempered by a strong will; and, most of all, the model of a loving wife
and devoted mother.

And a Great-Grammy! How did you make it this far? What a journey!
You have so many more miles still yet to go, and adventures to
experience and share with the rest of your loving family.

I miss you, but....soon....I will be home soon to walk with you some more of those miles!

Wait up!

Love,
Terri


"A mother is someone who dreams great dreams for you,
but then she lets you chase the
dreams you have for yourself and loves you just the same."
Author Unknown