Gotta car!

Due to my beautiful, talented wife's misplacement of our camera's battery I have not posted anything in quite a while. But I have to tell you all about this. We have finally got a car. After 7 months here we have learned to be thankful for this one. We have walked hundreds of miles and many more miles in taxis but no more! No, we have a car. It is only 4 years old with 80k miles on it. Runs great. It's an Opel Astra (German) station wagon. I bought it from a friend in Spain. Since I am not a resident of Spain nor Morocco I cannot have it in my name. However, in the next six months our business will buy it and pay the customs here in Morocco. So for now we have a spacious vehicle that has seats for 5 and space for about 10 Moroccans!

Ours is red but here are some photos I found online of the same model to give you an idear:

It has a brand new red paint job, fading free-on that needs replaced, and a spot from which a CD/radio player was once stolen. Don't think I'll be going back and forth to and from Spain much in it as it costs $100 to get it across on the ferry.

I think everyone should do without everything for a short time. With me there? I never understood what a huge blessing and privilage having a car was until I joined the millions of people around the world who don't have one. for 6 months we have had ideas: "Let's go to the beach! let's go to the part! etc" and desires that we have just simply not been able to do because we haven't had a car. Turns out as I study only about 20 percent of the families in the world actually own a car. Here in this country I am more obviously blessed. Living in America maybe you don't realize how much you are blessed just to have a simple (or not so simple) car.

So enjoy it. Thank God for it. And be willing to give it up to move to some foreign country if you are ever called upon to do so.

I saw the king yesterday. My first king to see in person. This country is the last kingdom in Africa and thus, the last country with a king. I noticed all the main street was shut down to traffic and a crowd was gathering on the sides of the street. What seemed like hundreds of cops started blowing their whistles rapidly. A stream of black Mercedes followed surrounded by police motorcycles. Then came the king. Surrounded by about 20 motorcycles his black Mercedes was specially fitted with a sun roof that allowed him to stand halfway out of the car and wave to all the peasents. His car was also surrounded on all four corners by 4 other black Mercedes with the two back doors open and body gaurds standing with Suits flying in the wind. Really quite the spectical. He is not my king but I was very impressed.

I can't imagine the feelings that will come over me someday when we all stand in the precence of Our King and worship him. When I am able to touch his hands and feet and lay any crowns I will have obtained at his feet. It's going to be awesome!

Here are some photos for your viewing delight:

Josie is actually NOT happy in this photo!

No phone and no money

But in the good way. Jillian, the kids and I headed out of town yesterday with 5 other friends for a camping trip at the lake. It is our favorite spot we've ever been. You can see pictures from the last time we went. Beeeeeeeeeautifiul creation. I LOVE being where cell phones don't work and you money is no good...because there is no where to spend it.

Noah and I slept in a tent under the stars. I have never seen so many starts. Amazing handiwork of God. We caught maybe 20 small fish that we didn't get the chance to cook up. We swam. We got sunburned. GREAT time. Very happy man to have a wonderful family and God's creation all at once.

I have to share this stinkin hilarious thing Noah did today. He was sitting on his little kids toilet trying to potty. It is often quite the vocal effort for him, if you know what I mean. Since he was not groaning I walked by and said, "Are you done?" To witch he replied, "No, not yet daddy." As I took a second pass by the bath room he called out to me, "The last piece is coming out right now!" Hilarious! That is the first time I have ever had a play by play of a "bathroom experience". I could just imagine it now, "And the kick is in the air to the recieving team (the potty)". He managed to sit on that toilet for another 30 min. and avoid bedtime but still got off the "last piece". That last piece was kinda like the last "2 minutes" of a pro. Football game

Pictures of the trip to come. Tired now. It is 12:35. I got up at 6 am. See you on Tuesday Jake!!!

After a long absence

So I've been absent. Tons of work and a lot of travel. All over the country and Spain. It is late so I'll just leave you with something to tide so many of you onlookers over:

Naturally beautiful.

Noah is sporting a Barcalona F.C shirt, Ronaldihno. For all you Americans, Barcalona FC is a soccer team in Northern Spain and Ronaldihno is a soccer player.

"I finally got Jillian on a camel!" She refused when her dad was here.

Noah knows drums. Only $3 worth of fun in a Moroccan Suq.

My Favorite People!