Easter was perfect!

Holiday get togethers are memorable.  A big part of these special days include being with family, celebrating customs and eating traditional foods.  My mom always did things up big with decorations, delicious food, and gifts.  My parents' house was the place to go for Easter, Thanksgiving, Christmas, the Fourth of July, and birthdays.

When my mom passed away eight years ago, holidays changed.  As time passed, we stopped meeting at my parents' house and would rotate holidays at my brother's house or ours, but we moved further away, then to another country, then back again, yada yada yada.  Don't get me wrong - we've had some good family get togethers like Thanksgiving at my brother's in 2015; my sister-in-law really outdid herself with the meal and our son loved watching "grey" movies* with the family!  It's just that I miss some of the family traditions that we always did.

This year around Easter, I was feeling melancholy and nostalgic and told my husband about some of the things that I missed about Easter with my family growing up.  He gave me a big hug and suggested that I try to do those things again...so I did.

My mom always bought the four of us new clothes to look our best at church on Easter Sunday.  I don't go shopping very often, but decided to do it.  I bought new outfits for the three of us and my dad.

Every year, we'd take a family picture in our driveway with our new clothes on so I did that, too.

We used to have ham, macaroni and cheese, rolls, and lots more for lunch after church.  I didn't get around to cooking, but a good friend invited me to her relative's house and we had a delicious lunch there that tasted as good as I remember having at my parents' house growing up.  While we were there, we got to dye Easter eggs and have an Easter egg hunt with my friend's sons.

Of course Easter was a great day because we get to celebrate Jesus' resurrection, but it was also a great day because God blessed me with recreating special moments that I used to have with my family.

*  That Thanksgiving was David's first time watching a black and white movie which he called "grey".  It was "Miracle on 34th Street".  

Words are so powerful.

My brother and I are members of a Facebook group entitled “You’re probably from Douglasville if” – along with 4,000 other people.  Someone from the group recognized Andrew’s last name and decided to write him a private Facebook message:

Saw your name on the "you must have lived in Douglasville" page and just have to ask ... Is your mom Sally Whatley? She was my 3rd grade teacher. If you aren't, it sure is a coincidence because you sure look like her and I remember that her son’s name was Andrew. If not, sorry I bothered you. If so, just know that she was my FAVORITE teacher and I became a teacher because of her!! : )

After that, Andrew explained to this lady that my mom passed away five years ago to which she replied:

Oh, I am so sorry. I can honestly say that 2008 was the year that I thought of her all the time. I know this because it was the year that we returned to Georgia from North Dakota and I was applying for teaching jobs here in Paulding & Douglas. It brought her to my mind often when I was asked why I became a teacher. I also found out today that you know my brother, Randy. I saw your name on his friend list and asked him about you. I guess it really is a small world. Thank you for your reply. Again, I am sorry that you no longer have your mom here. My prayer is that you WILL see her again because I feel quite certain that she was a Godly woman just based on the memories of a little third grade girl who thought the world of her. God bless you and your family.

Gracious words are like a honeycomb, sweetness to the soul and health to the body.  Proverbs 16:24

All good things must come to an end

It is hard to believe that Enrique, David, and I have lived in Costa Rica for almost two years!  My, how time flies.  Our service will be up in August and it will be time to go back to the States.

 

We have formed lots of friendships down here and enjoyed the “pura vida” lifestyle.  Our work here is not done so we are diligently looking for replacements and training them.  I know that other people are passionate about helping children to learn that God made them, God loves them, and Jesus wants to be their friend forever; God will put the right person in place as the preschool director for our church.  We also know that other people are passionate about small groups and the spiritual growth that takes place inside of a group.  God already knows who will replace Enrique in that role.

Our family and friends in Georgia are very excited for us to go back “home”.  We are too, but there is so much to do in order to get settled!  Before we moved down here, we got rid of all of our furniture, and other things as well.  We will need jobs, a place to live, furniture, and transportation.  Enrique's sister and husband have graciously offered us their car and furniture since they are moving to...China!

                                                        ----------------------------------

Being a part of Openhouse in Costa Rica was a wonderful adventure for us and we felt right in the middle of God’s will.  We feel the same about moving back to the States.  There are lots of unknowns, but we trust that God has it all planned out and whatever He plans is the best plan!

We appreciate all of the support that we have received while we have been here – encouraging letters and e-mails, prayer support, and financial support.  Please continue to support us with your prayers:

• For us to continue to be an encouragement to our friends and coworkers in Costa Rica while we are still down here.
• For us to honor God’s great name in all things – in all situations, no matter where we are.
• For us to trust God with big decisions that need to be made and to be peaceful and content with whatever happens.

Tribute to Gran

I was very close to Gran and spent several weeks at a time with her over summer vacations when I was growing up.  Back then, she was known as Gran Pete, since she lived in St. Petersburg. 

A fond memory that I have of Gran is when I was about 8 years old or so, we bought ice cream cones somewhere and once we left the store, my scoop fell off the cone and onto the sidewalk.  I was so distraught, but without a second thought, Gran leaned down, picked it up, ate the dirty part, and put it right back on my cone, good as new!

Another strong memory that I have of her is when my mother, Gran, and I were in the ocean together and I was afraid of the waves.  They wanted me to swim from one person to the other, but I was scared.  Gran said, “Jennifer, just remember 'What time I am afraid, I will trust in Thee' Psalm 56:3”.

Whenever I was worried about something or needed to make a decision, Gran said that she would pray about it.  She would remind me that “the prayer of a righteous man availeth much”.

Gran and me in the 80s.  She made me this dress.

Gran was a true Southern Belle whose home was always tidy and spotless, ready for guests at all times.  And when those guests came, she waited on them hand and foot. 

Gran was a master seamstress who made many of my dresses up until I was in college.  The last thing that she made for me was five years ago.  It was a blue cover to put over the shopping cart before placing my son to sit inside.  She had never made anything like that and said that it was quite a difficult pattern!

Gran was also a wonderful cook who made the best Southern food from biscuits to squash casserole to roast.  She was always cutting out recipes, but knew how to make practically everything without one.

Gran was a great dresser, constantly on the lookout for her next pair of shoes.  She always dressed very well with coordinating accessories.  Her purse was by the door always ready to jump in the car and go out.

Gran and me at the Coca-Cola Museum circa 1992.

I am very ecological (notice my T-shirt in the picture reads "Save the Planet") and would sometimes get on to Gran for not recycling.  She would collect the daily papers throughout the week and then carry them to the trash can!  She’d also throw away aluminum cans and plastic bottles.  I couldn’t stand to watch.  When I would say something to her about not recycling, she would reply that she lived through the Great Depression and had her own way of reusing things.  When I thought about it, I knew that she was right, for she would save butter containers and store food in them, reuse gift bags, and wash the aluminum foil for future use.

Gran was always great at remembering all of her grandchildren’s and great-grandchildren’s birthdays and would send us a little money.  A couple of years ago, she said that she had too many to keep it up – 18 to be exact – and that it would send her to the poor house!  She said that she was going to stop sending cards because it was hard for her to write, but I still got them in the mail.  She even sent money for David’s last birthday and told me to go out and get him a hamburger with it.

Mom, Jennifer, and Gran
circa 2005

About a week and a half ago, as I lay down to go to bed, I began to cry, but wasn’t sure why.  My husband asked me what was wrong and I said that I think that I miss my mom (for she had passed away five years earlier).  I stayed up for a while crying and talking to God.  In hindsight, I think that it was God telling me that it was almost time for Gran to go home to Heaven.

I got to Tampa on Friday and was able to spend an hour and a half at Gran’s side, stroking her shoulder and telling her how much I love her. I’m going to miss talking to her on the phone and laughing at her funny, country sayings that were often politically incorrect.

She was a special lady, strong in her faith, who left a legacy of a wonderful family who love and serve God.   I miss her already, but I know that she is happy in Heaven and that I will see her again one day.  I love you, Gran!

Pura Vida

A guest entry from my brother:

I went to visit my sister in Costa Rica from April 5 to April 12.  I really enjoyed the trip.  Prior to leaving I printed out a map of where they lived in case I needed to find it on my own.  I also had the printed address.  Upon arrival, there was no one to greet us so we borrowed a phone from the over-enthusiastic cabbies and called Enrique.  It turns out that I had the right address, but the wrong map.  I am soooo glad I did not have to resort to using it.  

I was intrigued to learn that one of our dollars equalled about 500 of the local currency, the colón.  Jennifer taught me a trick that when you see a price, you can double it, drop the zeros and then you will have the price in dollars.  For example, something that costs 15,000 colones is the equivalent of $30.  This was a neat and helpful trick.  

Our first day there, Jennifer took us to a volcano and then to a fish-for-your-lunch trout farm.  Both were exciting.  

 

Even more exciting was me driving in Costa Rica.  I tried to blend in with the anything-goes driving mentality, but I think I scared everyone in the car.  A couple of times, my Dad had to cover his eyes.  

My thimble’s worth of Spanish was enough to get by, but I would not want to live there without having someone like Jennifer to bail me out if I got into trouble. My son, William, and I made a good team.  I asked the question to someone in Spanish and he would translate the answer.  

We had a chance to stay in a vacation home of someone Jennifer knows.  It was very nice.  It also served as a reminder of the differences between poverty and wealth both of which appeared to be in abundance.  

My son enjoying the pool at the vacation home.

Another thing that stuck was the fact that there were bars, gates, and walls EVERYWHERE.  I don’t think any place was without them.  

I enjoyed the local food, but my favorite dish was actually a Mexican treat my sister makes that is essentially a fried potato quesadilla (or taco).  

Speaking of food, I found McDonald’s, Wendy’s, and Subway (all of which I was able to order from by myself...thank you very much).  It was comforting to see the uniformity of these brands.  The one brand missing was Chick-Fil-A.  I was so glad when I got home to have a Chick-Fil-A sandwich, waffle fries, and sweet tea.

I was touched one day when I took Jennifer and David to the top of a mountain I had climbed that afforded a great view of the city.  Jennifer pointed and said to David “Do you see all those houses down there?  That is the reason we are here...to tell them all about Jesus."

By: Andrew Whatley

The Promise of His Presence

There are very few things that would bring me back to the States unexpectantly, but one of those is the birth of my friend's twin babies.  Unfortunately, I flew back not to congratulate her, but to console her because at 22 weeks of pregnancy, she had to deliver her darling little babies who did not survive.  My dad was so kind to buy a ticket for me to come back.  Just to have time with Kristen and to be with her.

I finally got to see and speak to her yesterday for the first time since her miscarriage earlier this month (She had gone out of town with her husband for a few days to get away).  Until yesterday, we had only been e-mailing and texting a little bit and I was getting my information from a friend.  Kristen wanted to share her story so I just listened.  She showed me a picture of her little babies who lived for an hour or two.  When she finished the account, she asked me for some words of wisdom.  I was speechless.  I told her that I had thought of many things to say to comfort her, but that I had forgotten them all because I was just blessed by her composure.  She's the one who ministered to me!  The way that she and her husband are handling this is amazing and the only answer is God.  And she knows that.

Kristen didn't really cry yesterday because she was all out of tears.  She only cried a little when she saw me crying for her.  I saw her on auto-pilot yesterday, tired from sleepless nights of pain and heartache, and not believing that this is real.  I also saw a great strength in her that is only revealed in us when difficult times like this arise.  In our weakness is when God shows up and takes over and we can see Him handling everything.  I could easily understand how a person could lose her faith over this or how a couple could drift apart or even get a divorce over this, but not Chris and Kristen.  They display God's peace that passes understanding that He promised us.  They have grown stronger as a couple because of this.  They could have chosen to distance themselves from God and from each other because they don't understand why this happened, but they are trusting in God and have faith in Him.  They choose to believe that He loves them so much and is saddened by this tragedy too.  They know that His plan is greater and that He is in control.

Yesterday's sermon at church was excellent and God spoke to my heart about my friend's situation (and all of us when we go through hard times).
Here are the highlights:

• We move into the direction of the promises we choose to believe.

• God cannot love us more or less because God loves regardless.  (He is the definition of love.)

• Peace comes not by resolving the problems of the present, but by trusting in the promise of His presence.

With the last bullet point, we can choose to focus on the problems of the present or experience the promise of His presence.  Jesus assured us that we will have problems - not maybe, nor possibly, nor perhaps, but we will - because we live in an imperfect world with sin.  But that's not where the story ends.  We will have problems, but Jesus has overcome the world and we can rest in the promise of His presence. 

They are optimistic and want to try again this summer; I was gladdened by this news.  Please pray for Chris and Kristen who feel God's peace, but need healing for their broken hearts.  They say that "time heals all wounds", but it doesn't.  God heals all wounds and He will heal theirs.

If our stories were included in the Bible...

The Bible is a compilation of stories written by over 40 authors of how God moved in their lives and the lives of others.  Even though the Bible is complete, that doesn’t mean that God stopped working.  He continues to write His story of provision, protection, blessing, healing, forgiveness, mercy, and redemption in our lives today.

After reading a portion of Genesis yesterday, I decided to begin writing a little of my story to add to the mix.  Unlike the stories in the Bible, all of our shortcomings are not included here, but like the Bible, the focus is on how great the LORD is with us, though we are underserving.

(The words in parentheses remind me of stuff that happened in the Bible.)

Winter 2008 – Jennifer’s mother had fallen ill and her body had succumbed to a consuming cancer.  But the LORD was with Jennifer and she became pregnant.  Her mother was able to enter into Heaven knowing that her only daughter was with child.

Jennifer’s mother passed away on April 10, 2008.  It was a sad day for all, but the LORD was with Jennifer and gave her His peace that passes understanding.  She mourned the loss of her mother with whom she had a very close friendship, but she is completely at peace with the situation.  Jennifer feels like her mother was here as an angel to instruct her and now that she is grown, it was time for her mother to return back to Heaven.  (Philippians 4:7)

Fall 2011 – Enrique and Jennifer decided to take their toddler son and move to an unknown land where the LORD had told them to go.  The language, food, and customs were different and the cost of living was high, but the LORD provided for every need and continues to do so. (Abraham)

Spring 2012 – Ashley needed a nursery director so she looked upon Jennifer for help.  Although Jennifer did not feel capable of such a position, she acquiesced provided that the LORD would guide her steps, which He did.  (Moses and Isaiah)

Kelsey needed a place to live on the other side of the city in order to be closer to her work with Openhouse.  Edgar and Raquel could plainly see that the LORD was with Enrique and Jennifer so they granted Kelsey access to their home without even having met her.  She resided there for five months.  (Abimelech, Genesis 26:28)

Summer 2012 – Enrique led his small group through a curriculum entitled “Text”.  Although Jennifer was present at the “live” sermon when Andy Stanley preached it at North Point a couple of years ago, it wasn’t until now that Jennifer decided to commit to the discipline of reading God’s word on a consistent basis.

Jennifer began to journal her understandings, questions, and revelations and the Bible became fresh and exciting.  Reading it turned into a pleasurable moment that she looked forward to rather than an arduous task.   She continues this activity to today.  (Rachel’s grave, Genesis 35:20)

November 2012 – Julio and Enrique flew to Atlanta for a conference at North Point.  This time with other pastors and small group leaders who have a similar calling and method was refreshing and rejuvenating for both men who went back to Costa Rica with a renewed sense of purpose.

Julio visited six small groups – both women’s and couples’ – and was excited to see how much of an impact these groups had on the participants.  His enthusiasm to get people into groups increased.

December 2012 – Enrique and Jennifer went on a coffee tour with their small group and were reminded of why they moved to Costa Rica.  To “do life” with four couples and walk with them on their spiritual journey is worth the daily irritations of living in a foreign land.

Our small group and their families (one couple is missing).

Jennifer had a final dinner with her women’s small group which was the perfect way to end the group.  She and her friends were able to celebrate their time together in the new home of Rocío, a seeker of the LORD.  Rocío recognizes that all blessings come from the LORD.

My women's small group.

Fall/Winter 2012 – Enrique obeyed the LORD by giving a consistent percentage of all funds received – be it salary, translation projects, or rent money - back to God.

The LORD honored Enrique and Jennifer’s obedience by giving them money that they were not expecting through new translation projects, extra donations, and a year-end bonus.

Jennifer praised the LORD calling Him Jehovah Jireh – The LORD will provide.

2012 – The LORD’s favor rested upon Enrique and Jennifer and allowed them to form relationships with the local people.  Enrique and Jennifer were able to invest in the lives of neighbors (Christian and Annia), David’s friends’ families (Omar, Tiffany, Rosa, Henry, and Elena), their new church family, and even strangers (Marisol).

This story is just a minute sampling of God's hand in our lives and our story continues to be written.

Young Life Christmas Party - Part II

This is how it really went...

A couple of weeks ago, my husband was in a planning meeting for the Young Lives Christmas party and called me to ask if I could put together a two-hour program for 60 kids ages five and under.  I immediately said no which caused him a lot of angst (since he already told the other people in the meeting that I would be more than happy to do it).  Once I realized that I didn’t have to write a play or put on a puppet show – that I could just “recycle” a Waumba Land lesson or two – I was on board.

As the days went by, a two-hour program turned into three hours.  I wasn’t going to know who my volunteers were until a few minutes before we received the children (since the volunteers could decide if they wanted to help out with children, set up tents, or serve food).  That meant that I only had 30 minutes to get the music started; explain how to man the registration table; divide the tasks of and explain all of the activities, Bible stories, and crafts that I wanted to do; and decide how we were dividing up the children.  The space that I had to receive the children was very bland and I needed to “jazz it up a bit” (as my grandmother says).

Me going over the day's strategy with some eager-to-serve volunteers.

Once the doors opened, it was a bit chaotic.  These children are not used to leaving their mothers AT ALL nor socializing with other kids, and some of the moms were skeptical of leaving their children with us strangers.  Sufficed to say that there was a lot of crying going on in a room with an echo.  My strict schedule that I created to keep me and the volunteers organized flew out the window!  It turned more into crowd control rather than a structured time of teaching children about Jesus being born and the Wise Men going to visit him.

My wonderful volunteers, Laura and Vanessa,
who told the Bible story to these two sisters. 

I had to continually remind myself of something that I said to motivate my volunteers, “The most important components of today’s event is not the lesson, but being the hands and feet of Christ by showing His love to these young mothers and their children by smiling, greeting them warmly, and providing a caring, safe environment for the kids.”

After the moms picked up their little ones, lots of people asked me how it went.  I was worn out from receiving kids, finding juice boxes, making crafts, and answering lots of volunteers’ questions.  I didn’t think that my part of the event went well because it didn’t go according to my plan.  But I must remember that my plan doesn’t matter.  It’s God’s plan that matters. 

We showed up to serve, the kids eventually calmed down, and some of the older ones actually learned the Bible verse!  The moms had lots of fun acting silly and feeling carefree for a few hours.  They felt something that a lot of them don’t get at home – love.  So how did it go?  Perfect!