Guatemala or bust

I leave tomorrow for Guatemala with my oldest 2 daughters. We are going to be building 4 houses while we are down there. Here is a link to the mission we are going to be staying at for anyone who wants to follow along.

Team Allendale

Wordless Wednesday - Another thrower in the house.

Kaylyn was a freshman this year and qualified to go the state track meet for discus. She set a new personal record at the meet breaking her old one by 4'. She had a great day. We were so happy to see her excitement.

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Summer is here!

I am hoping with summer will come a more laid back life that offers some time to blog. Time will tell.

This picture is from last Sunday. Mark and I were just turning out of the parking lot at Karmanos Cancer Center in Detroit from visiting my sister and this was in the sky. Right after I took the picture another plane came through and drew the arrow piercing the heart but by then the heart was getting hard to see anymore.


Unfortunately my sister is still in the hospital following her bone marrow transplant. She is on day +54 bmt today. She has developed pneumonia now and could use prayers that she stops throwing up as she tries to eat again and her body just isn't accepting it well.

Strong willed dog.

I tried to get her to come inside before I left but I didn't have the time to "argue with her". I knew it would rain before I got home. This is what I came home to. Think she will listen to me next time?

My sister Jodi.

I haven't spoken much about my sister and her battle with Multiple Myeloma on here. Mostly because I want to honor her privacy. She needs prayers. Her white blood count is still at zero and she is 18 days since her bone marrow transplant. White blood counts usually start coming back up on day 10-12.

I wanted to post today more to tell you how amazing her and her husband are through all of it. I have seen love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control demonstrated in them throughout all of this. It can't be comprehended or explained from a worldly perspective. Jesus has them in his arms and is carrying them through this physical battle. Thank you to those of you who have been praying for her. Prayers are being answered. Please continue to lift Jodi and Randy up in prayers.

This song was sang in church this morning. It really moved me even though I have heard/sang it many times before, it has taken on a new meaning to me.

"Lord our eyes are fixed on you and we are waiting for your garland of grace as we praise your name."

I was reminded that my joy can ONLY be found in Christ. Any other joy, including a positive report on my sister's health, is only temporal. True joy and peace can only come from God. I pray that you have found the true joy and peace that only God has to offer.

If you would like to read more specifics on Jodi's journey let me know and I will give you a link to her care page.

Too Funny!

Not sure why it is falling off my screen because it is the smallest size option so you might want to view it at YouTube. I think if you click on it you will be re-directed to it on YouTube.

Taken by Libby

Libby loves to use my camera and I love finding pictures on it that she has captured. Here is one of my favorites from our Spring Break trip. This was taken while we were visiting the Arch in St. Louis, MO. Isn't it a beautiful picture from a 10 year old?

Wordless Wednesday - Hiking in Arizona

My dad and my daughter, Kaylyn, while hiking in Bear Canyon up to 7 falls during Spring Break last week.
I love this picture!

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Wordless Wednesday - You're his mom?!?!

Why do people find it so how to believe I am his mom? It's not like he was born this size.
He wasn't even my largest baby.

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Have you forgotten?

Have you forgotten about Haiti and the earthquake? I pray that you haven't and that you are continuing to pray for Haiti. Here is a link that Tara Livesay posted today about living through those first few hours after the earthquake. Grab some tissues before clicking on the link. I think you will need them.

The Livesay [Haiti] Weblog

Pictures from July 2008

Anna walking through the village with some of the kids.

A sweet young boy who was fascinated with my camera. That is Zack behind him.

A precious little girl waiting for her lunch at a food distribution program.

A beautiful mother who actually wanted her picture taken even though she doesn't appear to. She was all smiles when I showed her the picture after I had taken it. I showed it to the mom and kids in the background also and they were so excited to see themselves in the picture.

There is so much death in Haiti (even before the earthquake) that I often look at these pictures and wonder how the families are doing but even more so since the earthquake.

Let's not forget to keep them in our prayers.

Guatemala bound this summer

This is a letter my oldest daughter wrote to mail out to family and friends about our upcoming trip to Guatemala this summer:

This summer from July 19 through July 26 my sister Kaylyn, my Mom, and I will be going to Guatemala on a mission trip with Lighthouse Community Church youth group and Paradise Bound Ministries. I am sending this letter to ask for your support. I would like to share with you more about the trip, why we are going, and what we will be doing there. I would also ask that you consider supporting the trip either financially or through your prayers.

The time spent in Guatemala will be spent building homes for local villagers who currently reside in mud floor, corn-stalk huts. The homes we will be building are steel frame houses with dry wall interior, cement-board and stucco exterior, and a poured concrete floor. They are 12’x12’. They are incredibly nice homes compared to the corn-stalk huts of the villages.

In addition to the home building, we will also be holding two medical clinics. These clinics will be located in remote mountain or coastal villages many of whom have not seen outsiders for many years. The medical clinics will open the door to sharing the gospel with these people through the Jesus film, and through a local pastor’s preaching.

I would simply ask that you prayerfully consider how God may lead you to support our mission project. The cost for the 3 of us combined is $3900, plus we are raising money for supplies to build the homes. You can send your donation to us. Please make all checks out to “Lighthouse Community Church” and note “Hill family” on the memo line. If you need a receipt for a tax deduction please include a note stating that and we will make sure that church writes you a receipt.

Thank you for your support,

Anna Hill

I added a PayPal button on the side of my blog for anyone who feels moved to supporting us.
-Thank you for your consideration.

Happy 1st day of Spring!

Just another one of Michigan's cruel jokes.

Libby's solo

Libby is in a school choir called "Singing Falcons". They had a performance Tuesday night at the Fine Arts Fair. She is the first solo in the song.

We went back!

You heard it right. Mark got re-admitted to the hospital last week Thursday. The infection stopped getting better and started growing again. He was put back on IV antibiotics which was a nightmare in itself. His veins were not playing nice. He had 4 different nurses attempt 14 times to get an IV started!!! I have never seen my poor husband so white and pasty (did I spell that right?) looking.

He was set up to see an Infectious Disease doctor and they also ordered an ultrasound for his neck and his elbow.

He had formed a blood clot in his right arm where the previous IV had been and had to go on blood thinner and a gel that he has to apply on the skin that soaks down to help break up the blood clot.

He was released Friday night with a oral prescription that get this.... cost $1600! Thank goodness we have health insurance. I can't even imagine if we didn't. The doctor asked us about insurance before he wrote the prescription because he knew it was costly. However, it is cheaper than paying to keep him in the hospital so that he can be on the IV equivalent.

So we are home now. My house still isn't back to being under control and I hate that but it will get there.

On an interesting side note, while Mark is on the expensive prescription he can't eat anything pickled, smoked, or aged (like cheese) and he can't have red wine. Both the doctor and the pharmacy technician warned us and highlighted it so we wouldn't miss it. Apparently it could raise his blood pressure to a dangerous level. So what did I almost buy yesterday morning? Corned beef and cabbage. When I set it on the checkout belt it dawned on me that it is probably considered "pickled"! My family LOVES corned beef and cabbage but we will have to wait a couple weeks for that meal.

Wordless Wednesday - Do they ever out grow it?

How old do boys have to be to stop trying to wrestle their dad's?

Poor Mark. He was just trying to rest.



It looks like Mark can still take the "Mighty Man" even when he isn't completely back to good health.



Awe! Father son love!

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