First Thanksgiving

Today was our first major holiday away from family. It was harder on me than I thought but as the day went on it got better cause we started our own fun family traditions! I am so thankful for how the Lord keeps me going and providing me with the little things I miss and enjoy! I kept thinking today though that if I didn't have a Thanksgiving feast would my day be wrecked. To be honest I think today my day  would have been wrecked. Each little step like holidays and other things brings me closer to the Lord and reminds me to be thankful for what we have today and remember the Lord is unchanging!

 This year it was time to get creative with family traditions and to start our own. We had an oven roasted chicken because although you can find turkey I wasn't willing to spend $50 on a 4lb turkey. Besides a chicken tastes almost like a turkey:-) I made creamed peas, mashed potatoes and gravy. Our pumpkin pie was made from squash, similar in taste to butternut. It turned out great! I made a small apple crisp and a peanut butter pie for Jon. Jamen helped me washed potatoes. 

While making food or while it was cooking, we read about the Thanksgiving story. 

Then we took out the few Christmas books and decorated for Christmas. Everyone here is already decorating for Christmas and I was glad to make our own traditions. We didn't have anyone over today, kinda selfish but I really needed this whole day just us and sort through my missing the holidays.  Here am I at 17 weeks, 6 days, in front of our Christmas tree!

We all ate lots and took naps.  

When we woke up we watched Charlie Browns Christmas and a made a paper chain to help Jamen with when Christmas is coming! Today was a great day!!

6 Months

First of all I cannot believe come the beginning of November we will have been here for 6 months! The time is flying by and just the other day I was once again reminded of why we are here. I have contact with a lady who is of another religion but my Spanish is not good enough to talk about the weather let alone spiritual matters. And her English isn't very good either so I'm stuck and wanting so badly to be able to speak more. It was just a good reminder of how important is it to have a good understanding of the people and the language. So, we continue on! This week, I (Jen) had my first evaluation. This will see how far I've come and let me know how far I still have to go. But is good because it will be able to direct me more and to my understanding it will also play a part in letting us know how quickly I will be able learn a tribal language. I'm also encouraged by this evaluation because at least I know I've improved, considering I came knowing my colors but even that was said with an incorrect accent. 

This past month was filled with many things...

buying pizza hut pizza for example. This is by no means a regular thing but it is something Jon had never done before. He had to call the pizza place, order and give directions to our house. This was good language usage for Jon and just cultural information, like the pizza was delivered on the back of a motorcycle!

As the weather has turned hotter, we've been enjoying yummy snacks and simple foods like, popcorn, potato salad, bean salad, chicken salad, egg salad...you get the idea. I caught Jamen and Brewster eating popcorn together, yes the dog was eating out of the bowl and being hand fed by Jamen. 

Recently the latest addition to our family has been three female quail. They are about a month old and should start laying here soon. Our yard isn't big enough for chickens but it is for quail. We don't let out of this cage but they like it just fine when we move the cage from place to place. Jade has taken a liking to them and likes to say hi and pet the "birds". 

This is a picture of the back of our house (yes, that's an ac unit but its broken), I wanted to explain our "back yard". Our house is build up against the land ladies house, which is seen below. She is hardly ever there and has told us we can go in the back. We have only just started to explore back there but I've been thrilled with what I've found.

Leading to the back yard... 

This is back yard and much to my delight I have discovered, a mango tree, a guava tree, a citrus tree (orange, lemon or grapefruit, I don't know yet) and an avocado tree! And they all have tons of fruit on them!

Here are the growing mango!

This tree is also growing in the back and its called a Amba'y. It has medicinal usages but I don't know how to use it yet. The guava leaves are also used for their healing properties and the plant below is called Koku-cocu is used in the drinking of terere to make you hungry and relax you. I've also been told it helps to "cool the fire inside you". Its good for fevers. As you can see there are many usages for the plants here but since I don't know everything that well I've held off.. Also, don't be fooled by the "fire inside of you", its not heartburn. We are still learning about the culture here and this is one area of herbs and aliments that is huge and will take some time to understand.   

I am happy to say we are feeling more at home here. Lots of things are still new and different and sometimes I still stare too long but things are becoming "normal". We love the people here and are so thankful for the friends we have made who help us, encourage us and tolerate my bad Spanish. 

Spanish study continues to humble me as I get laughed at for speaking incorrectly, communicated something totally wrong or agree to something I have no idea what was just said yes to (I've only done this once). I'm excited to keep pressing on, yes we still have hard and bad days but so does everyone no matter where you are but our God doesn't change, no matter where you are! 

A Pregnant Mothers Heart

I have been longing to write these last few weeks but I have found myself out of time most days and weeks. So finally I said I'm taking a break. I haven't put in any language time these last two days. We've been doing things with people but I haven't been studying, just enjoying myself, which has been very refreshing. Now that I've confessed my lack of study and feel better, let me tell you what we've been up to.

A few weeks back I celebrated my 26th birthday and we were able to celebrated it with some friends and my morning sickness that day was less so I was able to enjoy myself. They came over for good meat (better than steak), mandioca (yucca), sopa paraguaya (a very typical corn meal, onion and cheese bread), also salad (of sorts). Everyone enjoyed flan for dessert, since I don't know how to make a gluten free cake from scratch and at the time sweets were making me feel ill. We sat around and ate and talked. I did lots of listening, as is normal still but it was nice to be with friends and I should add they brought and cooked all the food for me, except the flan. What a blessing, no cooking, good food and friends...this was a birthday to remember!

Here are some pictures of us...

This was my favorite picture, Jamen loves to be silly with Chico.

My sweet kids continue to grow and learn at great speeds it seems. Jamen drew a cement truck the other day. This was also the day he had a horrible rash, in-case you were wondering about his face. They still don't "speak" Spanish but neither do I, but they are learning more and more. They will randomly say things in Spanish or we will study together and they are picking it up.

Jade likes to give "thumbs-up" which she has learned very well from watching all people here who do it. She such a cutie these days, loves to play with her dolls, is potty trained and loves to quote the guys who come on the bus and talk rapidly selling things (I need to get a video, its hilarious)!

Here I am at 5 weeks and again at 11 weeks. Morning sickness is so much less these days and its a wonderful feeling! I am still tired and naps are pretty much a must most days unless I can go to bed at 8:00. Jamen and Jade are still excited about the baby and look forward to reading about the baby each week. Jade still wants to look in my belly button to see the baby and Jamen doesn't think its a boy or a girl. Having two "old" kids this pregnancy is so much fun.  

Up until recently I was pretty freaked out about this pregnancy, I always said "no babies overseas" but the Lord is using this in my life to grow me. Already it has brought us closer to our friends and made me realize I'm not as strong as I think I am. Its been very humbling as I have to let my friends and husband serve me in ways I normally wouldn't allow. Jon took over and still does most all the house stuff, so that I can study or get the extra rest I need. If life wasn't already a little harder before it seems a lot harder now that I'm pregnant. Which like I said is causing me to grow closer to the Lord and realize I need to be faithful with what I have and where I'm at. If that means the dirty dishes sit on the counter for three days and we only wash what need so that we can study and be good parents than so be it. If it means I don't sweep the floor for a week but have time to read to my kids then I have to let that go. I never use to do this, everything had to get done that day or I didn't sleep at night or was all stressed out the next day. I am so thankful for this time of learning, has it been easy no, but its good and is what the Lord would have for me right now. 

Please continue to pray for us, as we study and have evaluations coming up in the next 3 weeks. Pray for continued faithfulness in parenting and as we juggle life and family. Pray also this baby and my self as I struggle with lower back problems and its already hurting (need to be faithful to stretch my back and take it easy when I know its hurting.)

How Many Quast Kids?

How many Quast kids are in this picture?

NOT ONE

NOT TWO

BUT.....

THREE!!!!

Yep, you guested it, we are expecting baby number three April 28th! And don't worry we were as shocked as you! But we are thanking the Lord for this new little life! Please be praying as morning sickness is in full swing for me and its worst then ever. Pray for continual strength for both Jon and I as we deal the morning sickness and continuing on in language learning. Praise the Lord there is good medical care here and we know of a good doctor who speaks English and is very close to our house (the hospital is also very close to us, walking distance when not in labor...lol).

Picnics

The weeks are flying by here so here is the latest happenings... 

We were able to go out and visit a church dedication out in the country. Here are some pictures of what we saw on our trip.

On the way back we stopped to eat and after eating we were told there was a small zoo outback, here is what we saw...and I should mention, these pictures are not zoomed. I could have reached in and touched all of these animals.

A toucan

A monkey

and what looks like a cross between a raccoon and an anteater, its called a South American Coati.

Even though we've been busy I decided one day to drop all I was doing and have a picnic with the kids and  they loved it!

I was actually convicted I needed to spend a little more quality time with my kids, it hurts to hear our three year old say to his little sister, "not now Jade, I've got work to do". 

These last few weeks have been rather stressful at times. Both kids have had colds, no big deal until Jade started gagging and throwing up. She did this just about every other day (sometimes it was everyday) for the last three weeks. I've found it to be emotionally draining. She is better now and I've learned to clean up throw-up with great speed:-)

We were excited this last week to receive some packages from friends, it really brighten our week! Jamen couldn't get enough of the box...

neither could Brewster!