Time is flying! We've been here 7 months already....

I know, I know it has been WAY more than a month since the last post.  There really is a good excuse though, we have had SO much going on.  There have been joyful times, spiritually enriching times and I'm sad to report we have had some difficulties with health issues.  My computer also was being repaired in Panama City (8 hrs from us) so I couldn't update even when I really wanted to! :)

I apologize in advance this is so long. I'm trying to cover a couple of months in one post.
Here are some of the things that have happened in the last couple of months....

The boys have started school here!!!  They attend a private, bilingual school.  It has been going pretty well.  They are both learning Spanish rapidly and are very happy.  It's a bit of running for us as there isn't a bus.  Jace starts everyday at 7am and Kaden starts at 8am.  They are both done at 1pm.  So we have to make 3 trips a day to the school.  Quite a bit different than living in the States!

We have had the privilege of getting to know multiple brothers and sisters who have come temporarily to needgreat.  We had to say goodbye to them which is always a sad thing.  Becks and Lily from France had to return, a wonderful family from the UK named the Vella's were here for a month with their two beautiful children (but, there may be much more of them on the blog as they are making arrangements to try to move here as well!)

We have made it to the six month mark of being in Panama so we needed to renew our visas.  Since we are conveniently located 30 minutes from the Costa Rican border it isn't too difficult.  We needed to stay for 72 hours so we were able to relax and enjoy some of the beauty in Costa Rica. (pictures below) The kids have amazed us with how much they have adapted here.
While we were in CR we had the wonderful convenience of having a hot shower! Kaden said the cutest thing, "Daddy, I know you want me to try new things...  So I've decided I'm willing to TRY taking a hot shower" We laughed and laughed. He was very serious though.  A cold or lukewarm shower has become so commonplace he felt it really was a stretch to take a hot one!  Children are incredible. :)

At the tail end of our trip to CR we noticed Rayah was becoming very fussy and eventually developed a fever.  At first this wasn't really concerning as I had just gotten over a nasty stomach bug that also had a high fever.  I just assumed she had now caught it and would get better shortly.  However, after not being able to keep her fever down for many days we decided we couldn't wait for normal business hours (it was a Sunday) so we took her to the hospital in David. They weren't able to identify why she had such a high fever so they had to lab work. We were shocked to learn our 3 yr old little girl had an active infection of Mono.  She was very sick.  We watched her closely, gave her the medication prescribed and after about a week and a half we saw significant improvement.  We were so relieved.

But after realizing Rayah had Mono we started thinking it was possible so did Brandon.  He has been struggling ever since I posted about the visit to the Dr. in January.  He has been run down, fatigued and experiencing other symptoms as well. All of which really did fit into the Mono diagnosis.  So we went back to the hospital and had him tested.  It was negative.  So after realizing he was getting worse slowly we continued searching for answers.  Eventually he became so ill he wasn't able to get out of bed at all or if he did it was very brief.  I knew something needed to be done.  I contacted a Physician in NY who was extremely helpful and she suggested we find a Infectious Disease specialist.  I found the only one in the Chiriqui Providence and Brandon is actively being treated by him.  It has been very challenging to keep the household running.  And they have no idea what he has at this point in time.  He has had multiple tests, lab work, ultrasounds etc  We are hopeful he will improve or we will figure out what he has.
We are relying on Jehovah and have felt so blessed to be a part of his organization thru this ordeal.  The specialist we are seeing does not speak English.  I contacted another needgreater sister we had met in passing in David and she was able to find us a bilingual sister who could translate for us at our appointment.  What a blessing that has been!

On a positive note, before we realized how sick Brandon was we were continuing to do our best at getting in the ministry and supporting the group here.  We have had times where our joy is difficult to put to words.  I have been able to start several new bible studies and have also been able to take over some of the studies that were started by other temporary needgreaters.

Right now I'm conducting 4 bible studies a week. One is with a vivacious and beautiful little girl who is 10 years old, I met her doing the invitation work to the Memorial. She is a regular study and asks insightful questions.  She keeps me on my toes!
Another is with an English teacher who is Panamanian. Rita had studied with her initially and then Lilly took it over while she was here.  Then she was turned over to me.  She is a wonderful student who was able to attend both the Memorial (along with her husband) and the Special Talk!!!   She has always been Catholic and being a part of teaching her bible truths such as, what really happens when we die (Ecclesiastes 9:5,10)  and the hope of everlasting life on earth (Psalm 37:9,10) has been an incredible experience.  She has embraced the truth so far and she has started rejecting false religious teachings.  I can see her relationship with Jehovah growing stronger each week.  There is nothing more fulfilling I've ever been a part of!!!

 Another one of my studies is a young mother with a new baby.  She is also an excellent study I thank Jehovah for the privilege of getting to teach her. She and her husband also attended the Memorial and the Special talk.  Since both of my studies husbands do not speak English they went to the Spanish Memorial.  This was my first time attending two Memorials in the same evening but, it was also my first  time when 2 different bible studies attended with me!!!

Brandon has continued despite being ill to regularly conduct his study with Andres.  He is a 70 year old man with perfect English who is learning and expressing appreciation each week.  He wasn't able to attend the Memorial but, he informed Brandon that he was planning on coming and at the last minute he was unable.  Brandon has been very encouraged by the privilege of teaching this humble man!  He has had to hold off on the few other studies he has started due to his health. :(

There is an endless list of why we love serving in Panama.  We hope and pray for direction every day to know what is best for our family.  It remains to be seen how it will end up.  Right now as I type Brandon is feeling better than he has in a very long time.  Perhaps the treatment from the specialist is helping.  We will continue trying to get the best care available and doing our best to remain in Panama. We are certain of one thing, if we end up needing to return home we will never regret our time here.  We have learned so much, experienced some of the greatest happiness and feel so spiritually blessed by Jehovah.

The scripture at Mark 10:29, 30 really expresses how we feel.

Preaching for the first time to my study
Alejandra (10 yrs)

"Jesus said: “Truly I say to YOU men, No one has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for my sake and for the sake of the good news, who will not get a hundredfold now in this period of time, houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and fields, with persecutions, and in the coming system of things everlasting life."

My two studies at the Memorial. Angee and Yelka :)

This is what happens when there is no street names or house numbers and your territory is large. :)

We are making territory maps and keeping track of all of the English speaking.  

This is Brandon conducting the Congregation Bible Study

It requires mapping skills, Ibuprofen and Holy Spirit! 

This is Sister Vella and her baby girl with some of the group.
Also Adrienne who is the newest addition to our group is on
the end. We are sooo glad she is here! :)

This is my study Angee and her sweet baby Moses with Kate

This is a Sister in our Spanish Congregation named Mabel
and her adorable daughter Shirley holding baby Moses after
a study with Angee.

This is Kate and I with Arielys - a bible study I had before
she moved out of our territory. :(

First Day of School!!!!

Still happy when we picked him up!

First Day of School- a little nervous at first....

But definitely loved his first day by that smile! 

Another example of our worldwide brotherhood. We were in
Burger King and realized we were eating next to other Witnesses. :)
There are 3 families here from Canada, Texas and Costa Rica

This is Brandon in line at the Costa Rica border waiting to check us all in

A gorgeous view in Costa Rica while we were driving.

This was a family we met from Italy while we were having lunch. We
were able to enjoy a nice bible discussion and place some literature.

These are some of the monkeys we saw while we were in CR.  It was awesome!  They are such playful creatures. The one is right above our porch of the cabin we stayed in.