Last week we met for our monthly Music/Art/Prayer Day. Since the spring equinox was the next day, we had a spring theme (though we really dont’ have spring in Cambodia). The music lesson introduced 16th notes, and we studied the first movement of Spring from Vivaldi’s Four Seasons. Our art project was a 3D beetle on a leaf.
Rebekah provided the main lunch this month, and after lunch the kids played outside, while the moms had a prayer time. I was surprised how content everyone stayed all afternoon.
We celebrated Clara’s 10th birthday last week. We started the celebrations two weeks before with Clara’s countdown calendar, which was themed as a masquerade ball. Each attendee came with a quote to help Clara guess who he/she was. There were only a few that stumped Clara.
We celebrated Clara’s birthday the day before her actual birthday, so we could attend a graduation party for another MK in Ban Lung. Isaiah made a fantastic balloon arch for Clara’s doorway. Becca, Micah, and Clara each decorated a chalkboard for Clara. Clara spent the morning decorating her birthday cake – chocolate cake with peppermint frosting.
Clara requested bratwurst, mac & cheese, and beans, , and a special drink for her birthday meal. The Yamadas had brought us some Veleeta cheese, which our kids were suspicious of, to make mac & cheese. It was so much better than the Kraft box mixes, and all our kids thought it was great! No leftovers. After dinner we did gifts. Micah made Clara 10 cards…each different than the rest. He’s been working on them for a few weeks. Clara was pleased with all her gifts. Then it was time for cake, and then we ended the evening with a slideshow of pictures and videos of Clara’s 10 years.
On Clara’s actual birthday we went into Ban Lung to eat supper at a restaurant, and then we spent the evening eating yummy snacks and fellowshipping with others, celebrating Bella’s graduation. One of the snacks was cotton-candy which the family had made – a huge hit!
Clara is our daughter who is full of life, loves to laugh, and is quite vibrant. She’s excelling in her piano and violin playing. She’s doing a great job taking responsibility to get her school work done each day, and she’s a good older sister to her younger siblings. Clara also doing a good job with learning Jarai and becoming brave to actually use what she knows when we’re at church. We thankful for our sweet daughter, Clara Grace.
The fan in Clara’s hand was a homemade gift from Isaiah.
This is one of those weeks I’m scrambling to post and don’t really have anything to post, so I’m just looking on the camera and posting some random pictures. Maria continues to be a very funny little girl who enriches the life of each individual in our family.
The girls have gotten back into using sponge rollers. I’ve started a Girls’ Bible Study with our girls Friday afternoons. Maria is always very excited about “Bible Study,” since she wants the snacks. We’re using Sarah Mally’s Speak Truth in Your Heart. We’re writing tunes for all the Bible verses we need to memorize, and sometimes Clara plays the ukulele along with our singing.
Last Friday Josh led a hermeneutics review session for all the Jarai Pastors’ Institute students. We also opened it up to the people at our church. I was really pleased that several ladies from our church attended. The second picture is of one of the ladies I taught to read Jarai. I’m now having her help teach the kids when we break up into small groups. She was so nervous, but this is her third week helping me, and she’s doing great!
Micah loves riding his bike. He’s also quite the artist. Recently he’s started making coloring pages and now makes copies of his pages and gives people coloring books!
Isaiah and Ezra are doing great…they have just somehow avoided the camera this week!
