Not like Clemitine

Thursday I flew back to Georgia to spend a few last days with my Dad before he flew off to live with Jesus. I guess we were getting too boring for him here. I am glad he is not suffering anymore, but it is still hard and I will miss him so much. I always knew he was a great man but in the last few days I have seen even more the impact he had on so many lives. He was loved by so many and will be missed by even more. His legacy will live on in each of the lives he has impacted over the past 61 years. I would have loved him to be around longer to teach me more, walk me down the aisle, give me medical advice when my kids get sick, and other such stuff, but he taught me about Jesus and showed me how to live and love like Christ which is the most important. The rest I can learn along the way and you guys can fill in whenever needed. He will never really be gone from this earth as long as we live out what he taught each of us everyday.

P.S. my 10 year old niece wrote this poem to my dad last week...

Grandpa I love you
Wish you weren't going away
I'm sure going to miss you
But I'll see you some day

It's going to be hard to say good-bye
But you're not going to be lost forever like Clemitine
Jesus wants you way high in the sky
Boy Lucy and Ethel are sure going to whine

You're going to have lots an lots of fun
with no tears, sickness, or pain
Where Jesus is the Sun
You've got lots to gain

The city is made of gold
The gates of pearl
But you won't care a world
Cause those days will just go by with a whirl

When you get to heaven it's sure to be a wonder
When you're there maybe ask for some ear plugs
Cause God's voice will probably sound like thunder
When you get there God will probably give you a great big HUG!


I thought is was really good, although I had to ask who Clemitine was. She replied by singing...."oh my darling oh my darling oh my darling Clemitine, you are gone and lost forever oh my darling Clemitine."  hence the blog title...not like Clemitine.

Reason 16: He's a funny guy

So I know I know, I didn't quite finish 61 Reasons I Love My Dad...but here we are for round two or maybe this is round 5 or 6...either way here is another reason why I love my dad and you should too.

He is a pretty funny guy. I am sure that is where I must get my humor and funniness from as well...

So the past several times I have talked to my dad on the phone and the blog thing has come up in conversation, he has reminded me that his illness is terminal and I should get busy on it if I want to finish in his lifetime. Maybe to some of yall it doesnt seem so funny, but for us it is funny and always makes us both laugh. Then after we laugh I tell him how my next one is going to be how funny he is.

It is the little things he says when he maybe isn't even trying to be funny that I find hilarious as well that have stayed in my memory over the years...One example is from many many years ago, we were driving in the car talking about who knows what when he says "Courtney have you gone to the bathroom today?" and I was like, "ummm what do you mean" and he says "you know have gooone to the bathroom today" and so I said I had and then he says "well you need to go again cause you are full of sh**" I don't even remember what we were talking about but I do remember having a good laugh.

Here are a few pictures I found that bring out his lighter side.

a picture says a thousand words

only grown men with a good sense of humor would allow this to be photographed

Early Church Puebla Style

I have some awesome teammates who also play the roles of family and friends here in Puebla. The next couple of weeks we will be doing a series on church based on Acts 2 at Tuesday night bible studies and I can tell you all that what we have here on this team is the church. We teach each other, love each other, take care of each other, serve together and each other, break bread together (tonight it was hamburgers and the Auburn game...Go War Eagles) and all the other stuff the early church was doing together. God knew what he was doing when he brought each of us individually here to Puebla and then brought us all together to form one team, one body in Christ.

So if you read the last post, you read about my house being robbed. I can't remember if i wrote details of what was taken, but among a few of the things were my wii, some gum that is only sold in the states and like $150 worth of coins I had been saving...Well  let me just tell you what my teammates have done. Some brought me several packages of my favorite gum that got stolen. Then later after everyone got back I received this gaming system so I would have something to play on the huge tv my parents got me for Christmas, and then just today I was given a jar of coins that some teammates had been saving up to buy something special with a little later down the road. I just counted the coins and it was just the amount of money I estimated got stolen from my room. Words can't express how grateful and blessed I am to be a part of this team and family.

coins stacked and counted

game system (taken by computer camera so I guess that is why it is backwards)

Thank you to all of you who have blessed my life over the years and especially this past month, both here in Puebla and in Georgia. I hope you all know who you are cause I love and appreciate you more than you know.

Hello Again Blog World!!!

It's a new year and a new semester. woohoo. I am excited.
Christmas was great. It was good being back in Georgia, seeing friends and family, being encouraged, relaxing, and SNOW on Christmas day was the cherry on top. My brother now has 2 boys,  Maddox Tate was born a few days after I arrived, and just a few days ago, my sister had her baby, Kylah Joy. Now I have 12 nieces and nephews. Makes family get togethers fun and a little crazy.

Maddox Tate with his Tia

Christmas Dinner 

 

 

present craziness

And what Christmas is really complete without a birthday party for Jesus??

Happy Birthday Jesus!

So after Christmas and a few weeks of vacation, it was time to get back to work. I was so blessed over the break in so many ways by so many different people. Thank you all for everything.
A surprise was waiting for me when I got back to my house in Puebla. Not really a surprise I was hoping for but that is how life goes sometimes. While we were gone, someone broke in and stole some of my favorite things. It is really weird and doesn't make a lot of sense looking at the stuff they took and the stuff they left, but they are only things and most can be replaced. A lot of people say it is because I invite anyone into my house and am hospitable and stuff like that but just because people do wrong doesn't mean I can stop doing good. So if that is the reason, I am ok with it and will continue to show love and hospitality and anything else God desires of me. I really believe all I have been given are blessings from God and should be used and shared to bless others, so that is what we will continue to do.

Everyone is starting to come back into town, Cholula is being transformed from the ghost town it was last week into a vibrant active college town. We have our first bible study on Tuesday Night. Friday we will be finishing up planning for the semester. Keep us in your prayers whenever you eat Mexican food or something makes you think of us.