moving day!

I had big plans to fully document this day, but totally forgot in the midst of all the chaos to take pictures until half the day was over.  When I finally remembered, the house was in such disarray that I had no idea where the camera was.  So unfortunately, there are no pics, but God was kind in providing the help we needed to move the majority of our things over.  We had professional movers come move the big things (i.e. couches, beds, dressers, etc.).  They were unbelievable.  I think they had our living room packed and moved out in 15 minutes.  Definitely worth every penny, although they did break a couple of things and dented some of the furniture.  Fortunately, we don't really have anything of value, so it wasn't a big deal (except for my hand-painted vase that I lugged home all the way from China more than 10 years ago.  I was sure to pack and take that bad boy over myself.).  =)

Then we had some friends come who were SO gracious to pack for us and move the rest of our things to the new place.  We definitely wanted to give a HUGE thank you to the people who sacrificed some time to help us move/pack:  Tim Keen, Dave Durose, Mike Thompson, Danielle Wood, Lee Cajina, Peter Woo, Mom, Mommy, Jamil Ergueta, and Jane Alam... as well as their spouses for releasing them to come.   We were very touched by your desire to serve our family in such a practical way.  And we were very humbled by your willingness to not only move us out, but to also help pack.

We also wanted to thank those of you who have been praying for our family.  We are grateful that you have been a part of our journey and are rejoicing with us over God's provision for us in the midst of financial difficulties.  God has been SO good, and we know that each of you have been a means of His grace as we transition to a new home in this season.

So THANK YOU!!  We are so indebted to you (friends & family) for your help, care, love, and especially prayers for our family.

Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good!

Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him!

Psalm 34:8

meeting of the creditors...

Our bankruptcy hearing was called the "Meeting with the Creditors"... the somewhat equivalent version of a trial for our bankruptcy case.  Creditors are allowed to come to ask questions or ask for more details.  There were lots of uncertanties and anxieties for us going into the meeting.  When we got there, our attorney asked for social security cards.  Uhhhh, what?  We had no idea we needed them.  We told our lawyer it wasn't in the letter we received with all the details concerning the hearing. She checked and it was certainly not there.  She said the best she can do is ask the magistrate for a postponement.  Obviously this was tough news for us... having to wait longer, and we had booked a hotel room the previous night to avoid the commute in the morning (and to save Bill's sanity).

Our lawyer went in and talked to the magistrate and came out and told us the really good news that he would accept a faxed copy from the attorney's office, so we just had to head over there when we got home.  (Just a brief point of praise:  I had just recently gotten my social security card replaced because I couldn't find it.  I didn't need it for anything.  Just felt that it was important to get it replaced in case I would need it for some reason.  So grateful for the Lord's prompting!)  So it was time for our hearing.  We went into this room with about a dozen other folks, all whose cases were also scheduled for 9:30.  We were probably around the 6th case to be heard on the 9:30 docket.  It was really weird.  The magistrate sat at the front of the room at a long table.  Each person went up with their lawyer, and in front of everyone, had to answer the magistrate's questions publicly.  We were a little wary of having to speak to the magistrate in front of others.

I guess if you've been doing this for a long time, you know where to look, but the magistrate seemed to know exactly what questions to ask, somewhat different for each case, to find discrepancies in what was in the paperwork and what was said.  During the case before our's (or prior to that), there was a random attorney who leaned in to ask the magistrate if he had a few minutes to discuss a few things.  He said "I have to leave in 5 or 6 minutes to get to court."   Bill was seriously confused.  He thought maybe the magistrate was just going to dismiss the rest of us until later or something, but he just plowed on.  So it came to our turn.  He asked us about our mortgage status and our intentions with the townhouse.  We answered (after being sworn in) and then he just asked if all our assets/debts were reflected in our documentation and we said, "yes."  Didn't ask anything about Brainbox, and then we were finished.  He flipped over our file, wrote some stuff on the back of it, as he did with the others, and that was that.  None of our creditors had showed up either.

Pretty painless.  Bill asked the associate lawyer who was with us what the next steps would be and she said we should get our letter confirming the discharge (release of debt) in the next 30-60 days.  That's it?  That's it.

When Bill went in to fax over the social security cards, he ran into the attorney we had mostly been working with.  The attorney said unless there are some major red flags, we should be done, as our associate attorney said earlier.

It was pretty amazing to see God show us such favor in various steps of this situation.  The fact that he let us go in without our SS cards (which honestly the attorney seemed surprised about) and the fact that he was in a rush and didn't ask us hardly any questions... that just confirmed the Lord's hand in the situation, and now there's another big burden lifted.   Now we have to find a place to live and we should be good!  :)

We are marveling at God's mercy towards us, as truly we are debtors to mercy alone.  We also were very struck by an impression that was shared with Bill by a friend in our leaders' group.  He said the hearing is very similar to Judgment Day when we will see the Lord face to face.  In the hearing we went to today, we were to report on our financial dealings, hoping to have our financial debt forgiven.  But on Judgment Day, the Lord will look over all our dealings in life, from our thoughts to how we have treated people to how we have walked through all that He put before us.  And this won't happen in private.  It will be like the meeting of the creditors, before all mankind to see.  But ALL of it will be FORGIVEN.  Isn't that amazing?  EVERY sin will be brought to light, and ALL of it will be FORGIVEN.  It will all be wiped clean because the debt has already been paid.  It is stunning to think that all is forgiven because of what Christ bore on the cross.

Thank you, Andrew, for the impression you shared.  It ministered much to our souls.  And thank you all so much for your help, support, counsel, prayers, and encouragement in this season.  Obviously we're still not "out of the woods," but we're getting there!   The next step is to look for a place to rent .  =)  Bill's mom came and babysat the boys for us last night and she took us out to celebrate and we ate some amazing sushi!  Mmmm.... (Thanks, Mom!)

introducing...

MR. & MRS. GENE & KATHERINE MERCADO

My friend Gene finally got married!!!  Woohoo!  Gene has been a very dear, old friend since I came to Covenant Life as a single.  He was a faithful rock who constantly pointed me to the Savior, being a steadfast friend when I walked though a very difficult time as a single.  We have shared great laughs together though we haven't really kept in touch over the last few years.  But I have and will always consider him a precious brother in Christ.

Gene has definitely walked through more than his fair share of trials as well, so it was incredible to watch how the Lord worked out everything that has happened in his life to get him where he is now... married to a wonderful, godly lady.  And this is only the beginning.  =)  So here are some highlights of the day they joyfully became one in the Lord...

This pic is a little crooked, but the site was beautiful!!  And the Lord made such a perfect day for them!  It was hot earlier in the day, but by the evening, it had cooled off significantly.  The weather was glorious!

Jane in her very sophisticated, wide-brimmed hat.  Loved it!

The groom...  =)

Cleo was one of the bridesmaids...  =)

The lovely bride...

The kiss...

We've both put on some pounds...  Ugh!  Funny story:  It had been a long time since we went to a wedding... probably since before Josiah was born.  I could not fit into the dress I originally wanted to wear, which only barely fit a few weeks ago.  Well, not anymore!  And to Bill's dismay, he tried on his suit pants the day of and found that there were moth holes and they were too tight.  He probably could have squeezed himself into them, but it would not have been comfortable.  So he had to run out to the mall to find another pair of pants.  Fortunately, Macy's was having a huge 4th of July sale, so the Lord was kind to make it easy on Bill.  =)  Sigh... to be young again w/a high metabolism...

Miss Jane & me...

First dance...

First cake?  I don't know what it's called, but they're feeding each other the cake.

Love these guys!

Notice Gene has his sweat rag in his hand.  The Mercados is known for hows they be perspirin' all the time.  (But don't say you heard anything from me!)

Congrats, Gene & Katherine!!  Love you guys!

(Peter Bang photographed their wedding and did a fantastic job, so if you want to see some of the professional pics, go here.)

fellowshipping…

Last weekend, we had dinner with the Cajinas, a dear family in our care group. It was wonderful being able to fellowship and spend some time with them. Hopefully, the boys weren’t too rough with Sofia (their daughter). =) Here are some pics of the kids playing…

Sofia was born only 10 days after Josiah and also came early. Tania and I were both expecting them to come in April, but the Lord decided to make their debuts early. =) My goofball… Sharing… Of course, William had to get in on the action, too. Josiah cracks me up here... I think Sofia is trying to pretend they aren't there. ;) Aw… love those big brown eyes!

happy birthday to a dear friend...

It is my dear friend Kelly's birthday, and I'd like to take some time to express my gratitude for her. We first met in a newlywed care group in 2005. (Wow! I can't believe it's already been that long ago!) We managed to stay together in the same care group, as Bill and I eventually stepped up to lead the group. And not long after that, Kelly and her husband left us to lead their own care group. I miss Kelly dearly!

Over the last 3 or 4 years, the Lord has been kind to build our friendship, mostly through Kelly's pursuing of me. I can be a loner at times and prefer to keep to myself, but I can't express how grateful I am that she pursued me (and still does!) to build a friendship with me. And that has meant so much. And the biggest thing is that I don't know why!! I still don't know why, but I often thank God for providing me with such a faithful friend, who is always available and willing to care for my soul. Kelly indeed helps remind me that there is a world outside of myself. =P Thank you, friend! I always appreciate your phone calls to check up on me or ask for counsel... and so cherish our evenings of grabbing some coffee.

Kelly has been such a source of wisdom and encouragement to me. And this wisdom is the fruit of walking through many difficult and heart-wrenching trials. Kelly has walked through some hard things with her girls, and as she has wrestled through these things, the Lord has been so faithful in using these hardships to grow her faith and dependence on Him. The transformation in her has been absolutely amazing to see. And now I see such a different woman from the one I had met a few years ago... Proverbs 31:26 describes her well, "She opens her mouth with wisdom, and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue." Kelly is filled with such wisdom that is always tempered with kindness, which always provokes and reminds me to be more kind with my boys... and I love that her wisdom comes from personal experience from things that she has walked through before. I always know she is speaking to me as someone still trying to figure things out, rather than someone who already knows it all. (Kelly helps me feel normal... not sinless, but normal.) ;)

And now, I see Kelly frequently using what God has walked her through (or is still walking her through) to minister to others. It has been inspiring to see 2 Corinthians 1:3-4 come to life in her own life: "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God" (emphases mine). As she has walked through affliction, she has gained much comfort and insight from the Lord. And now she is able to use the comfort she has gained to comfort those who are in any affliction... with the same comfort that she received from the Lord. I love how God uses the difficult things we walk through to encourage others who are later walking through a difficult trial. God brings His comfort through others who have already walked an arduous path. And I have often been the beneficiary of that comfort from Kelly, as I know others have as well.

Kelly is also a wonderful example to me of what being a godly wife and mother means. I see how she strives to submit, respect, and care for her husband. And I see how she loves and cherishes her girls... always being faithful to point them to the gospel. There is incredible fruit in the lives of her girls as she regularly instructs, trains, and disciplines her children in God's love and tenderness... things that never fail to provoke me. She very much has a heart for her children to know Jesus, and it shows through in their understanding of who they are (sinners in need of a...) in light of who He is (Savior). I love hearing about what she is doing with her girls so I can glean from some of her great ideas!

And last, but not least, I love how Kelly is my ghetto fabulous friend. I gotta give her some mad props. She is an amazing woman who loves the Lord and loves her family. She can rock it out with the best of them from the 90's. And she knows how to keep it real. There's no lunchin' with her. She is all that and a bag of chips! Love you, fly girl! You da bomb!

family photos ‘09

As I had mentioned in a previous post, we had the privilege of being photographed this year by Carissa Gallo. Carissa’s husband, Andrew, used to work for Bill at Brainbox. He started work for him when he was 15 or 16 and left 5 years later, having gotten married to Carissa right before he left. Bill would often tell me how much Andrew reminded him of himself when he was his age, only Andrew was more mature and gifted. =) He was incredibly blessed to have Andrew work for him and has gained as much out of their friendship as Andrew has.

What I don’t get is how grateful this couple is to us for giving Andrew an opportunity to work at Brainbox. When we did the photo shoot, they joked that Andrew would have been bagging groceries and not been able to afford to get married had not Bill taken the time to invest in him. Of course, I don’t believe that for one minute, but we are so indebted to this couple for their generosity and care. Knowing the financial difficulties we are in and as a way of saying thank you for investing in Andrew, Carissa (after talking with Andrew) agreed to do the shoot for free. This was such an amazing act of generosity for us. We were going to pay them whatever we could for fewer pictures, but Carissa so graciously agreed to take our family photos free of charge!

Can’t thank God enough for how He has blessed us through the Gallos. As I commented on Carissa’s blog, these photos are so meaningful to us b/c they capture our family during a specific time that we will never get back. Time never stops, as much as I would love to keep us all (especially my boys) where we are right now. I so often wish I could freeze time... But we will be able to look back on these pictures and remember a certain time and place that we were at in 2009. And we will remember how the Lord was so faithful to us this year as we struggled financially, how He sustained us through Josiah’s drama-filled birth and health issues (i.e. apnea monitor & band), how our boys are such gifts to us, etc... and how the Gallos were so willing to bless and serve us by taking the time and effort to photograph these moments which brought us to where we are now. Those times are what we will remember when we look at these photos… a challenging, but sweet time the Lord walked us through.

Here are some of my favorites… =)

Andrew and Carissa, may the Lord bless you for your generous hearts and care for our family. Can’t tell you what it means to have these pictures to look back on, especially to recount God’s faithfulness through people like you. THANK YOU!!!

care group picnic ‘09

Last weekend, we had our first ever care group picnic at Seneca Creek State Park! Woohoo! Unfortunately, there were a couple of families who were unable to make it, but it was great being able to hang out with most of our care group people in a more informal environment, and just shoot the breeze. It had been raining a lot earlier that week and was very overcast that morning. We weren’t sure if we’d have to cancel it or not, but the Lord was faithful to not only hold off the rain, but He also brought in the sunshine. It was quite hot and humid, but we were grateful for no rain. The pavilion we were at was awesome b/c we had our own little private picnic area, along with a great playground for the kids. Here are some highlights (pictures courtesy of Carla Macias & Tania Cajina since Bill and I forgot his camera):

Bill & Lee fellowshipping at the grill… The back of the playground had a cool fossil embedded in some fake rock. William absolutely ADORES Giovanni. He has tons of fun with him, and we’re grateful that Giovanni seems to enjoy his company, as well. Down the slide! Miss Anna Kim… cutie pie extraordinaire! The Ergueta boys… William stuffing his face… Lee manning the grill… with socks and sandals on. =P My little cutie pie! Marcus & Olivia seemed to particularly enjoy the playground. =) Paul & Anna… Weee! Mr. Jacob Ergueta… another cutie pie! Love this shot! Some girl talk… Some Dada time… The Ergueta men… Some mommy time… Pregnant talk… We have 3 ladies in our care group who are expecting. I am not one of them, however. =) Danielle (left) is due in December, Lillian (right) is due in March, and Elisabeth (not pictured) is due in April. Exciting times! One of my favorite things was watching the kids play together on the playground. Not quite sure what Jacob is doing here… ;) Washing hands… Marcus having fun with the water… Jack & Jill… =) (Another favorite shot!) This is Miss Sophia Cajina with Josiah. It's funny how similar they look! And… the group shot… =) (from left to right) The Cajinas, The Woods, The Lees, The Kims, The Davidsons, & The Erguetas Just also wanted to thank the families who helped us out financially and pitched in more than what was asked for the picnic. Can’t express to you how grateful we are for your heart to serve our family, as well as the care group. And thanks to Carla for being our photographer that day!

The Lord certainly has brought some special people into our group, for which Bill and I are so thankful for. We are looking forward to doing more life with you all! Much love to you all!