As we come to the season traditionally thought of as the "season of thanks" our family pauses to recognize that we cannot be here doing this without all of you. With that thought in mind we want to extend a heartfelt "thank you" to all of those who continue to (and have previously) supported us - both with financial gifts and with endless prayers.
With Christmas just around the corner we would also like to get a jump start on wishing everyone a Christ-filled merry Christmas and, of course, a happy and safe new year!
-The Eisner Family
Thursday, December 3, 2015
Thursday, September 17, 2015
E.I.G. Update
Greetings and salutations!
A lot has happened since our last post. School has started and both Joy and I have made short trips to the US.
This year marks a new chapter for C.A.G. We started the year with complete new administration and a lot of new teachers. Teacher turnover is nothing new for an M.K. school but a new administration - that is a different story.
Our former principal did a lot for C.A.G. - and only in his moving on do we see just how much. Mark was, and still is, a great friend and a terrific principal - he left huge shoes to fill. There were challenges but our team got the job done. Many things were learned and we'll be all the stronger the next time around.
Both Joy and I are teaching this year. Joy continues with her normal course load: general music K4 through 5th. Plus high school choir. Plus AP Music Theory. Plus the musical (Peter Pan.) Plus private piano lessons. This year I have added an "Intro to Computer Sciences" course. I _never_ knew how much work it was going to be. Lesson plans, grading, teaching...*sigh*
Abigail is in middle school and learning it is quite a bit different than elementary. She has made a new friend, Julia, who has been a tremendous support for her. Actually, I think it is mutual. Her and Julia are the only girls in the 6th grade until Claire returns in January.
Emma is settling in to her new grade (the 3rd.) She is learning that new teacher means things need to get done a bit different. There wasn't a lot of change in the make up of her class so most of the class dynamics are the same. She has two awesome friends: Catherine and Eve - and they get along really well.
Sara started K4 with her very best friend, Sterling. To our surprise this talkative combination has apparently not caused many disruptions in class. Sara has been a lot more tired at nights - this has been good for us :0)
On August 22nd, a very close family friend, Bambi Schanck, went to be with the Lord. Her passing was sudden and unexpected. Like many others, the news hit our family hard. We were blessed to be able to send Joy there for the memorial service. I was able to come up to spend the past week with Loren. We served with Bambi for at least nine years in various church capacities. Bambi had been to Guatemala to visit us twice. Bambi leaves a legacy of being a dedicated and loving wife, friend, and mentor. Everything she did was done with love and the heart of a true Christ-like servant. Though she leaves huge shoes to fill, she did a tremendous job preparing and training us all to step up and fill them. Our thoughts and prayers go out to Loren and his whole family. We ask you to join us in praying for them as well.
Well, that about sums it up. We thank you all for your continued prayer and financial support. It has been most helpful and truly appreciated.
-knme
A lot has happened since our last post. School has started and both Joy and I have made short trips to the US.
This year marks a new chapter for C.A.G. We started the year with complete new administration and a lot of new teachers. Teacher turnover is nothing new for an M.K. school but a new administration - that is a different story.
Our former principal did a lot for C.A.G. - and only in his moving on do we see just how much. Mark was, and still is, a great friend and a terrific principal - he left huge shoes to fill. There were challenges but our team got the job done. Many things were learned and we'll be all the stronger the next time around.
Both Joy and I are teaching this year. Joy continues with her normal course load: general music K4 through 5th. Plus high school choir. Plus AP Music Theory. Plus the musical (Peter Pan.) Plus private piano lessons. This year I have added an "Intro to Computer Sciences" course. I _never_ knew how much work it was going to be. Lesson plans, grading, teaching...*sigh*
Abigail is in middle school and learning it is quite a bit different than elementary. She has made a new friend, Julia, who has been a tremendous support for her. Actually, I think it is mutual. Her and Julia are the only girls in the 6th grade until Claire returns in January.
Emma is settling in to her new grade (the 3rd.) She is learning that new teacher means things need to get done a bit different. There wasn't a lot of change in the make up of her class so most of the class dynamics are the same. She has two awesome friends: Catherine and Eve - and they get along really well.
Sara started K4 with her very best friend, Sterling. To our surprise this talkative combination has apparently not caused many disruptions in class. Sara has been a lot more tired at nights - this has been good for us :0)
 |
| Bambi & Loren (2012) Panajachel |
Well, that about sums it up. We thank you all for your continued prayer and financial support. It has been most helpful and truly appreciated.
-knme
Tuesday, July 28, 2015
Back!
It is good to be home.
Panama City, Panama is a nice place to visit. After seven and a half hours I was ready to leave, however.
It is good to be home. Let the summer continue.
We do have a prayer request - our car needs some work. We have to replace the tires and rear brakes. Cost is going to be around $450. Please join with us as we pray about this upcoming expense.
Many thanks.
Panama City, Panama is a nice place to visit. After seven and a half hours I was ready to leave, however.
It is good to be home. Let the summer continue.
We do have a prayer request - our car needs some work. We have to replace the tires and rear brakes. Cost is going to be around $450. Please join with us as we pray about this upcoming expense.
Many thanks.
Sunday, July 19, 2015
Neighbors!
I would imagine that most of you reading this have neighbors. You can see their houses right now, their cars parked out front, their lights turn out as they go to bed. Goodness, you can see into their homes. You need to appreciate your neighbors - I mean it, truly.
I didn't realize how much I missed having neighbors until we moved into our new neighborhood, really until tonight. Before we moved here we lived next to a great family, we could hang out on the porch and talk together and still see our kids playing in our own yard. The family before them, also great, we used to leave the baby monitor on in one house and go sit in the other house and have adult conversation - the houses were that close. I lost all of that when we moved here, and man I have missed out.
Our last neighborhood here was all walls. We lived there for five years and did not ever learn the names of the people who lived next door to us. We have no idea what their house looks like - on the outside. The only time the other neighbors spoke to us was to ask us to move our car, and it wasn't even really us it was the people who were house sitting for us that week. So, I guess we never spoke to them. We do know that there was only one other family that was caucasian that lived in the neighborhood - but we never even spoke to them in the neighborhood. For a relational culture there was just no relating.
It turns out I like to be around people. Sure, I have my times when I like a little alone time and privacy. But, I really get refreshed by sitting with people and laughing together, crying together, talking together, plotting world domination together, etc... For six years I have missed out on having neighbors. It's not that I never am around people, not even close, but I really had no neighbors. I had people that lived in houses near me, behind their high wall with barbed wire, but I didn't have anyone I could run to for a cup of sugar, or a cry when my kids were making me crazy.
For years we said we would never move into the neighborhood where we live now, it was filled with too many Americans and we would never have any privacy. I feel like an idiot for that. Tonight I had one of the most refreshing nights ever. The girls were watching this ridiculously stupid Disney movie, my neighbors girls were watching the same thing, and all the moms were bemoaning it on facebook. So, we decided to go sit in one of our garages. (It was only 50 feet from my house, if even, so do not be worried that I abandoned the children.) We called it the "Moms against Teen Beach Movies" support group. SO REFRESHING! We sat and talked, and laughed, and laughed until we cried, and cried a little, and grew a little closer as women. I walked away with a smile on my face, knowing that moving into this neighborhood is one of the best decisions we have made since leaving North America.
I remember my Mom and the next door neighbor meeting at the fence to give each other missing baking ingredients. I especially remember the day us kids got too much for Mom and she ran away - at least that is what my brothers told me. In reality she had just gone next door to Mrs. C's house for a little break from us. It is so freeing to me that now I can do the same thing, I walked over to the neighbors for a cup of water for my rice the other day when our jug of water ran out on me. In our old house I would have had to scrap the rice. So, please get out there and appreciate your neighbors, throw a block party, play kick the can - and love it!
Thank you to all the neighbors I had in North America, for so many years, and thank you to my new neighbors. You all have had a part in shaping my life. I appreciate you! (And feel free to call me anytime you run out of butter - we can meet at the fence.)
I didn't realize how much I missed having neighbors until we moved into our new neighborhood, really until tonight. Before we moved here we lived next to a great family, we could hang out on the porch and talk together and still see our kids playing in our own yard. The family before them, also great, we used to leave the baby monitor on in one house and go sit in the other house and have adult conversation - the houses were that close. I lost all of that when we moved here, and man I have missed out.
Our last neighborhood here was all walls. We lived there for five years and did not ever learn the names of the people who lived next door to us. We have no idea what their house looks like - on the outside. The only time the other neighbors spoke to us was to ask us to move our car, and it wasn't even really us it was the people who were house sitting for us that week. So, I guess we never spoke to them. We do know that there was only one other family that was caucasian that lived in the neighborhood - but we never even spoke to them in the neighborhood. For a relational culture there was just no relating.
It turns out I like to be around people. Sure, I have my times when I like a little alone time and privacy. But, I really get refreshed by sitting with people and laughing together, crying together, talking together, plotting world domination together, etc... For six years I have missed out on having neighbors. It's not that I never am around people, not even close, but I really had no neighbors. I had people that lived in houses near me, behind their high wall with barbed wire, but I didn't have anyone I could run to for a cup of sugar, or a cry when my kids were making me crazy.
For years we said we would never move into the neighborhood where we live now, it was filled with too many Americans and we would never have any privacy. I feel like an idiot for that. Tonight I had one of the most refreshing nights ever. The girls were watching this ridiculously stupid Disney movie, my neighbors girls were watching the same thing, and all the moms were bemoaning it on facebook. So, we decided to go sit in one of our garages. (It was only 50 feet from my house, if even, so do not be worried that I abandoned the children.) We called it the "Moms against Teen Beach Movies" support group. SO REFRESHING! We sat and talked, and laughed, and laughed until we cried, and cried a little, and grew a little closer as women. I walked away with a smile on my face, knowing that moving into this neighborhood is one of the best decisions we have made since leaving North America.
I remember my Mom and the next door neighbor meeting at the fence to give each other missing baking ingredients. I especially remember the day us kids got too much for Mom and she ran away - at least that is what my brothers told me. In reality she had just gone next door to Mrs. C's house for a little break from us. It is so freeing to me that now I can do the same thing, I walked over to the neighbors for a cup of water for my rice the other day when our jug of water ran out on me. In our old house I would have had to scrap the rice. So, please get out there and appreciate your neighbors, throw a block party, play kick the can - and love it!
Thank you to all the neighbors I had in North America, for so many years, and thank you to my new neighbors. You all have had a part in shaping my life. I appreciate you! (And feel free to call me anytime you run out of butter - we can meet at the fence.)
Wednesday, July 1, 2015
Back from the West - Success!
First - Happy Canada Day!
What an adventure!
An unexpected trip to Dulles International, sprint to the gate at O'Hare, and two quick interviews.
My itinerary west was supposed to be Boston - Chicago - Seattle. But when I printed my boarding passes I got a free trip to Dulles. Sweet. I feel like half of the trip from Boston to Chicago was spent taxiing on the runway at O'Hare. Sprinted from terminal C to B to make it in time. Still arrived on time in Seattle Sunday night.
Gretchen and I arrived early to the 8:00 a.m. appointment. We were admitted at 8:10 a.m. and were out by 8:30 a.m. Approved. Done. Unbelievable! The oath ceremony was about 75 minutes and was really quite nice.
I enjoyed my time with Gretchen and her parents. They are amazing people. I'll say this too - Seattle-Tacoma International airport is a quite nice airport too.
I flew back Tuesday. Another sprint in O'Hare and then on to Boston.
This morning I had an 8:00 a.m. appointment at the Portsmouth Passport Center. We arrived early and were in and out by 8:02 a.m.
My return ticket to Guatemala has been secured - 22 July. The end is in sight.
Thank you to everyone who has prayed with our family during this long process. We are very grateful for all of you.
-knme
What an adventure!
An unexpected trip to Dulles International, sprint to the gate at O'Hare, and two quick interviews.
My itinerary west was supposed to be Boston - Chicago - Seattle. But when I printed my boarding passes I got a free trip to Dulles. Sweet. I feel like half of the trip from Boston to Chicago was spent taxiing on the runway at O'Hare. Sprinted from terminal C to B to make it in time. Still arrived on time in Seattle Sunday night.
Gretchen and I arrived early to the 8:00 a.m. appointment. We were admitted at 8:10 a.m. and were out by 8:30 a.m. Approved. Done. Unbelievable! The oath ceremony was about 75 minutes and was really quite nice.
I enjoyed my time with Gretchen and her parents. They are amazing people. I'll say this too - Seattle-Tacoma International airport is a quite nice airport too.
I flew back Tuesday. Another sprint in O'Hare and then on to Boston.
This morning I had an 8:00 a.m. appointment at the Portsmouth Passport Center. We arrived early and were in and out by 8:02 a.m.
My return ticket to Guatemala has been secured - 22 July. The end is in sight.
Thank you to everyone who has prayed with our family during this long process. We are very grateful for all of you.
-knme
Wednesday, June 24, 2015
Wheels Up! Next Stop - Seattle!
The Lord continues to amaze us. This has all come about in the past 17 hours - I have not even had time to properly update Joy as she is at Music Camp. I sent her a message this morning but I don't know if she will get it before Saturday.
Gretchen, my lawyer, is even surprised at how fast USCIS has come back with an appointment.
I have to appear at the USCIS office in Seattle this coming Monday morning (29 June.) The oath ceremony is the same afternoon. Lord willing, I will be a naturalized US citizen by Monday supper time.
The very cool thing about this is that Gretchen had pre-scheduled vacation time beginning Tuesday morning!
Okay cool - so, what is next?
Great question! Once I'm a naturalized citizen I can file for my US passport. Gretchen is encouraging me to do this at a passport center in Seattle - just to get it done. If I cannot find it or run out of time I will do that upon my return to Dover. The processing time is, apparently, eight to ten business days. So I should have my passport on or by 10 July - which clears me to return to Guatemala. I'll finalize those arrangements once I have my passport in hand.
We continue to thank all of you for your diligent prayers and ask that you continue praying with us through the weekend and, especially, Monday.
Thanks!!
-knme
Gretchen, my lawyer, is even surprised at how fast USCIS has come back with an appointment.
I have to appear at the USCIS office in Seattle this coming Monday morning (29 June.) The oath ceremony is the same afternoon. Lord willing, I will be a naturalized US citizen by Monday supper time.
The very cool thing about this is that Gretchen had pre-scheduled vacation time beginning Tuesday morning!
Okay cool - so, what is next?
Great question! Once I'm a naturalized citizen I can file for my US passport. Gretchen is encouraging me to do this at a passport center in Seattle - just to get it done. If I cannot find it or run out of time I will do that upon my return to Dover. The processing time is, apparently, eight to ten business days. So I should have my passport on or by 10 July - which clears me to return to Guatemala. I'll finalize those arrangements once I have my passport in hand.
We continue to thank all of you for your diligent prayers and ask that you continue praying with us through the weekend and, especially, Monday.
Thanks!!
-knme
Tuesday, June 16, 2015
Parallel Parking and the Camp Mascot
Wow, what a month has passed. We had the Spring arts presentation, finished school, moved into a new house, had friends move into that house with us the next day, said goodbye to numerous friends (including those who moved in,) got new bosses at school, sent Kenneth off to the USA, finally gotten a Guatemalan drivers license, and now are hosting a team for Music Camp Guatemala. And that about sums it up.
For those of you who want more details though - read on :-).
New House: We really love it in the new neighborhood. The girls have made new friends, and there have been more lemonade stands than I can count. Our close friends live 2 houses away, and many other missionary families live in the neighborhood as well. This has proven to be a great help with Kenneth being gone, for peace of mind and things like stuck patio doors. Thanks for those of you who prayed us into this neighborhood!
Kenneth: He is in NH staying with my Dad and waiting for his appointment to get his interview. He is studying for the Civics test and passing better than I would I'm sure. We talk daily, numerous times, thanks to the miracle of modern technology. (Normally I say that Satan lives in tech, but this is definitely a God thing.)
License: A ridiculously easy test. Apparently I could have asked the proctors for help and they would have given me the answers. That would have been helpful when I had to answer some questions about the parts of the car. I don't need to know what the "neumaticos" or "suspension" or anything else are - I have a husband and a mechanic. Thankfully the No U Turn sign came up 2 out of 25 questions. I had to drive around this little course which was nothing like the Mario Kart driving that we do every day here. Admittedly I did fail the parallel parking - but all of us drivers know you don't really have to do that, you could just go back to the store another time and find a different parking space. In my defense though I had brought Ken's small car to be able to pass that part and they made me borrow their stick shift pick up truck instead. I have NEVER driven a pick up and it turns out its not really the same as my automatic van. The poor guy had pity on me and didn't make me try to park again after I landed it in the dirt. He did make me drive backwards in a snake pattern through the cones - because that is something I might actually need to do in real life.
Music Camp: I am so proud of my older girls! They have been getting up every morning this week and making breakfast for the small team that is staying with us. I am not a morning person, so this has been beyond helpful to me. The fact that they are doing it together is amazing also, since it seems they spend most of their time bickering these days.
I have been working hard to do the shopping for the team, and prepare my workshops that I am presenting to the staff. Today I am teaching about multiple intelligences and learning styles - sum that up in an hour. Tomorrow I am presenting on how to make music theory fun. Last night I found out that the Guatemalan staffer who was supposed to be preparing the music theory classes wants me to just do it. So, please be praying for all those things. It turns out it is not easy to get work done here while the children are awake, so my presentation that I am giving in six hours still isn't done. (Those of you who knew me in college will not be at all surprised by this fact, but I swear I have changed since then and don't normally wait this long...I swear.)
Next week the older girls will be headed to Camp Guamiski ( an overnight camp for GUAtemalan MISsionary KIds) and Sara and I will most likely be headed to Music Camp to teach theory classes and translate. Well, I'll be doing the work - Sara will most likely turn into the camp mascot and offer to have everyone come to our room for a sleepover.
Will post more after all this craziness is done - just really wanted to let you all know what was going on down here on our "vacation."
For those of you who want more details though - read on :-).
New House: We really love it in the new neighborhood. The girls have made new friends, and there have been more lemonade stands than I can count. Our close friends live 2 houses away, and many other missionary families live in the neighborhood as well. This has proven to be a great help with Kenneth being gone, for peace of mind and things like stuck patio doors. Thanks for those of you who prayed us into this neighborhood!
Kenneth: He is in NH staying with my Dad and waiting for his appointment to get his interview. He is studying for the Civics test and passing better than I would I'm sure. We talk daily, numerous times, thanks to the miracle of modern technology. (Normally I say that Satan lives in tech, but this is definitely a God thing.)
License: A ridiculously easy test. Apparently I could have asked the proctors for help and they would have given me the answers. That would have been helpful when I had to answer some questions about the parts of the car. I don't need to know what the "neumaticos" or "suspension" or anything else are - I have a husband and a mechanic. Thankfully the No U Turn sign came up 2 out of 25 questions. I had to drive around this little course which was nothing like the Mario Kart driving that we do every day here. Admittedly I did fail the parallel parking - but all of us drivers know you don't really have to do that, you could just go back to the store another time and find a different parking space. In my defense though I had brought Ken's small car to be able to pass that part and they made me borrow their stick shift pick up truck instead. I have NEVER driven a pick up and it turns out its not really the same as my automatic van. The poor guy had pity on me and didn't make me try to park again after I landed it in the dirt. He did make me drive backwards in a snake pattern through the cones - because that is something I might actually need to do in real life.
Music Camp: I am so proud of my older girls! They have been getting up every morning this week and making breakfast for the small team that is staying with us. I am not a morning person, so this has been beyond helpful to me. The fact that they are doing it together is amazing also, since it seems they spend most of their time bickering these days.
I have been working hard to do the shopping for the team, and prepare my workshops that I am presenting to the staff. Today I am teaching about multiple intelligences and learning styles - sum that up in an hour. Tomorrow I am presenting on how to make music theory fun. Last night I found out that the Guatemalan staffer who was supposed to be preparing the music theory classes wants me to just do it. So, please be praying for all those things. It turns out it is not easy to get work done here while the children are awake, so my presentation that I am giving in six hours still isn't done. (Those of you who knew me in college will not be at all surprised by this fact, but I swear I have changed since then and don't normally wait this long...I swear.)
Next week the older girls will be headed to Camp Guamiski ( an overnight camp for GUAtemalan MISsionary KIds) and Sara and I will most likely be headed to Music Camp to teach theory classes and translate. Well, I'll be doing the work - Sara will most likely turn into the camp mascot and offer to have everyone come to our room for a sleepover.
Will post more after all this craziness is done - just really wanted to let you all know what was going on down here on our "vacation."
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)