Made it! Hot weather here!

It was fortunate that I decided to ride the shuttle from Albany Airport to JFK! The storm did come and while I did not appreciate the fall and slide off the runway our plane did, along with the 5 hour delay in taking off, I was grateful I had a 8 hour delay with my connecting flights to Jakarta so I could make it. Whew!!!! When I got in though on the 3rd, at 8:45 pm I was exhausted, as I could not sleep on the first plane and had only caught a catnap of 3 hours on and off while waiting to go to Jakarta.

I went to bed right after I arrived, on the 3rd, then got up the next day at 5:00 am to start my day. This was way to early so last night I tried to stay awake till 8:00 pm but only made it till 7:30 pm. I woke up, today, at 6:00 am so I am better.

So far the grandchildren have kept me busy, Sheena swam on her own with my encouragement, Johnny put his head under water, and the older boys enjoyed searching for the sonic ball I brought. I will be helping in classrooms of many of the grandchildren, have my own schedule book, and saw a Jakarta wedding ceremony enacted at their school, JIS, today. The heat is troubling me, a little, but I had no swelling of my hands, feet, or legs on this flight out as I requested a no salt diet, and I still am staying away from salt.

Today, I will be going to the mall to have lunch with some of the other mothers and their parents to meet them all. Yesterday we had breakfast with some of them. I have trouble with the computer as once in a while I hit the wrong key and it all changes to Japanese, then I have to reset it back to English. Good thing Miyoko and Chuck are patient with me as I do this. my Grandson, Charles, is also very adept at this to help me also.

I have SKYPED Charlie and Rita. I do not think my mother has SKYPE yet as I have not heard from her. I hope she will email me soon!!!
Love to all of you!
Darleena

"My bags are packed, and I am ready to go" and "I'll Fly Away"

Does anyone remember this song? I am dating myself and giving hints as to my age, but I do. John Denver sang it! Yes, I am leaving on a Jet plane.

Trading snow for heat!

This is the view I have been seeing on the right and what I will be seeing from the window on the left. This is not all about me as I leave for Jakarta, Indonesia in the morning! For now I am signing off in America before I leave for Jakarta. Charlie drops me off at the Albany airport at 8:45 am and I will ride the shuttle directly to Korean airlines terminal, at JFK, and get on my flight there at 11:30 pm tonight. I will arrive in Jakarta on March 3rd, 8:30 pm Tuesday their time (Tuesday 8:30 am our time) Never say it is easy to visit my kids! Pray I don't get too exhausted! The reason I am going is right here! http://thumb14.webshots.net/t/73/73/9/4/11/2920904110050159554LtcOjn_th.jpg For some reason I couldn't copy this picture....but click on it and you will see why I am going. Not only to get away from the cold for the tropics but them. I know I will see them when Naomi gets married in May but that, to me, is still a long ways away! Pray for me as I travel for strength and I will come back on March 27th, Lord willing. The other song I keep playing in my head is "I'll Fly Away" So I'll greet everyone later, either here on earth or in the air with Jesus!

Love You all,

KLUTZ

OK, most of you know I am a KLUTZ. I capitalize it because it needs to be with me. I can fall down in a flat room with nothing to trip me! When I was younger my step-dad used to say..."Watch out there is a wall on the other side of the room!" I even noticed that this is a trait I passed down to only some of my children and now some of my grandchildren. The only thing good I would like to pass down to them is to Love Jesus, accept him as Savior, and be with me forever in heaven where no one is a Klutz because we are perfected in and through Christ! Remember, while here on earth we may be physical Klutz's but with God, "Psalm 19:7 The law of the LORD is perfect, reviving the soul. The statutes of the LORD are trustworthy, making wise the simple." So, now I can be following what God wants and not be a mental Klutz. This doesn't work with my physical KLUTZiness!

It...is...coming!!!

Almost time to go! I am packing and getting ready. I keep finding things I want to take. I feel all broken though. I will miss Rita and Charlie though. I will miss the dogs and Monster. I will miss my friends. Last of all I WILL NOT MISS the SNOW! Many last minute touches and updates for me to get going to Indonesia to see the grandchildren will be happening this week but I don't want to stress and get sick before I go. I am already starting to worry about the weather.

I cannot remember where I got this picture from, someones blog or website, but I use it on my screen saver to remind me to remember my devotions and let him piece me together daily so I can hand myself out to be used by him piece by piece daily once I am whole with Him! I hope you do also, as facing a day without God's direction leaves you broken and not being able to be used right. All right, time to go and organise and pack!

Wal-Mart, shopping, and having just the right purse.

Well, most of you know that I usually never have problems talking to people. LOL. While I was in Wal-Mart shopping for some items Miyoko asked me to bring, I perused the children section. Now, understand there were no requests for me to bring my grandchildren anything, I just like looking and they had such good sales! Rita likes me to shop for her for things she requests and if she doesn't like them I take them back. I met this lovely lady, no kids in tow, and we got to talking. She adopted 2 of her three children through Ukraine adoption, showed me photos and all the stories about them. http://www.ukrainianangels.org/
She told me how she wanted to perhaps go to get another child and that the cost wasn't prohibitive at all. You can even adopt older children.......Hmmm, I wonder if Charlie would like to adopt?

I, of course held up my end of the conversation and showed photos on my lovely purse of my children and grandchildren. This was my Christmas present and I have had so many people comment on how lovely it is. I do not know where Chuck and Miyoko, and my grandchildren got it from but if I did I would hand out cards for that company as so many people comment on it.

Well, I had a lovely visit, got my shopping done, and heard another miracle of how God helped and led this family throughout their adoption process. Now, can someone please explain to me how I get such special blessings when I go out and about? I know, God cares for me and loves me and wants me to be blessed. Not, just that I never met a stranger no matter what country I am in.

Ok, snow and more snow, secret relief coming up!!!!

Today on the news the weatherman told us we had 44 inches of snow so far the month of January, close to the record of 47 inches. OK, I knew this. Charlie has been busy snow blowing not only here but at his parents, to help out. I have a photo of his parents home sign on their front lawn and the depth of snow on their driveway from the latest snowfall of 26 inches.

All the years they have lived there, more than 16 years, the snow has never gotten this high. The weatherman also told us that in January we only had 5 days above zero! This I knew also because my old bones and surgical sites have been informing me of this. Oh, what to do!!! Last year in January I flew off to Florida to join my mother for warmer weather. This year I couldn't do that. Weddings, 3 of them in 18 months, can put a crimp on the budget, not to mention the economy right now!

Well, my son, Chuck, has my relief coming up. March 1st!!!! Looking forward to it!!! Off to Indonesia I will go. 5 degrees off of the Equator and grandchildren to boot. Charlie got to go last fall, so now it is my turn. Happiness ahead if I can only survive the cold. Brrrr!

It is official

Well it is official. Charlie is the Pastor of Greater Commandment Ministries Church, of Ballston Spa, NY. On January 19th we had the instillation service with a pot luck dinner to follow. The weather didn't cooperate and there were people missing that wanted to come but we still had a great time together. Despite the weather there was joy at the church meeting and instillation of Pastor Charlie!

The Church had been without a Pastor for about a year.

Today was his first official business meeting.Praise the Lord for how he will use us here.