Cactus Flower

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Just a little memory for today... This was one of the last happy days I recall on the island before my life went sort of haywire for close to two years.  Now I can see the light at the end of the big, long tunnel of unhappiness and confusion which was.  Thankfully our boy that was wandering is safe, progressing and learning at a great school.  His graduation from high school is imminent and I hope to be there to see it happen, Lord willing. Thankful for the hope that God gives and the peace of His goodness. Job 11:18 And you would be secure, because there is hope; Yes, you would dig around you, and take your rest in safety.

In Brazil, for the most part, it would seem that pets are not as loved and cherished as they are in the United States.  At least that has been my experience.  Before Uncle Byron and I left for the mission field, we had a cat named Abby.  I think you all may have met our little cat after Granddaddy Beckner graciously allowed her to live in his home.  She was a nice little cat and we loved her a lot. Cats and dogs in our little town of Sobradinho often seem to have no owner at all.  They run from here to there looking scraggly and underfed.  Last night we went to an outdoor grilled-meat snack-shop sort of place here in our town.  There was a gang of about ten dogs anxiously waiting for customers to drop a piece of meat or throw them a tidbit.  When they were bored, they chased people on bicycles up and down the road, fought among themselves and even chased a few pedestrians.  And hardly anyone even seemed to care.  Some of these "stray" do...

So today's story is all about Dalton and the big dam... It's an interesting story a bout what to do in any possible emergency...    not that any one was in any real danger! Before we ever moved to Bahia, Uncle Byron came to visit several times.  On one of the trips, he decided to take the whole family so we could see what the area was like and see the camp and get an overall "feel" for the place. It's a good thing that your Aunt Michele is not easily scared off.  Notice, I didn't say "not easily scared."  Many things scare me to death - but over the years in Brazil, God has helped me learn from my fears. On the trip of this story, we had been to the island on the big boat in really big waves.  I had been scared silly - mostly because I wasn't sure what I would do if we all fell in the water - how would I hold on to all three boys so we wouldn't lose any of the three?  But we had survived the trip inspite of the big waves.  In fact, the boat p...

One Sunday when we first had moved to the state of Bahia, Greyson got stung by a pretty big scorpion... It was all quite exciting.  Greyson had gotten ready for Sunday School fairly early and the rest of us were hurrying up to get out the door in time.  All of a sudden I heard a shriek and went to see what was the matter.    Our neighbor was getting ready to move and had been throwing out all kinds of old stuff.  People here frequently just throw out stuff with no trash bags and make a pile on the side of the road.  They hope the trash people will pick it up and whoever else happens to come by can also have a little look.  Well, Greyson looked a little too closely.  He had given a swift kick to an old bucket only to see a big scorpion fall out of the bucket and sting him on the foot. And here we were on our way to Sunday School! Quickly Uncle Byron looked up scorpion stings on the Internet while I reached for my Where There is No Doctor book....

Summer 1982 Yeah, that's your father and me - a few years back.  It was one of the best summers I can remember.  We spent several weeks with our grandmother, Sarah Agnes Mullennax.  Sometimes we stayed with her in her little apartment.  Sometimes we stayed with our cousin, Karen.  I think you've been to my Uncle Regene's house in Baltimore, not sure if you remember him. Over the years, your father and I had a rocky relationship.  When we were little there was some good old physical abuse betweenst us.  Yes, the spell checker doesn't like that "betweenst" word, but that's ok - it exists.  We got in trouble more than once for fussing at each other in rather loud voices and with rather fast fists. But we knew when to stand up for each other while out and about in the neighborhood.  I remember once at my cousin Karen's old house in town when a bunch of kids wanted to beat me and Karen up.  Little Wesley took them all on and ran them all off....