Nica News & Details!

So, exciting news:

I (TJ) have recently accepted a position with an organization called Palmetto Medical Initiative as the Regional Director for Central America, and will be moving with Holly and the kiddos to Managua, Nicaragua in the coming months! I know… crazy, right?!

But, then again, you’re probably not too surprised… ‘cause you know us better than that.

Many of you will know that I’ve just finished a Master’s in International Development from Eastern University. It was a great experience and prepared me well to be involved in lots of different kinds of developing-world ministries. The organization I will be working for, PMI (Palmetto Medical Initiative), is an innovative, faith-based non-profit dedicated to developing excellent, sustainable primary medical care in impoverished communities all over the world. Though I’m no doctor or nurse, I have seen countless times how access to medical care changes the life of a person and the future of an entire community. My role with PMI will be to oversee the establishment, sustainability, and expansion of their programs and medical clinics in Nicaragua and eventually, into the rest of Central America.

I have really enjoyed my work coordinating mission teams and teaching with Lipscomb University in Nashville. Although Holly and I will really, really miss our friends and family, this new position is a great opportunity to use our passion for Latin America and experience in developing communities to help PMI achieve a lasting impact for the Kingdom of God.

As for the family, we are thrilled about jumping into this new adventure together. Holly has already investigated the availability of Dr. Pepper in Managua, and TJ is pumped to try the Nicaraguan version of Cheetos. The kids are learning to say NIC-A-WAGWA, and are giddy at the idea that everyone there will talk like Dora and Diego.

OK. Here’s the timeline: I will move down November 5th to get set up. During that time, Holly and the kids will have a blast in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Both sets of grandparents live there, and with so many hands eager to help with the kiddos, it's Holly's personal version of Disneyland. I will come back for the holidays, then we'll all move to Nicaragua in January. 

We’ll have a guest room at our house in Managua, and Nicaragua has awesome beaches just a short drive from us. Come on down and learn how to surf with me! Or, just be there to laugh at/with me as I try. PMI has regular volunteer medical/mission trips to supplement the clinic’s work in community outreach, and I’d love for some of you to join up and serve with us at some point. You don't even have to fly. You just drive south… and keep on going. And going.

It's really tough to leave Nashville after nine great years of being surrounded by friends and family. But this is exactly the type of opportunity and ministry we have been preparing and praying for. And we will stay in touch. We can FaceTime! Skype! Viber! (Or, whatever the cool kids are into these days.)

Anyway - love you guys. How many breakfasts and coffees and lunches and dinners and church services and memories can we fit into the next 30 days? Let’s see.

Love,

TJ and Holly

Welcome, Ian Thomas! Welcome, Isla Jane!

{begin note from 2014} We are currently in the process of moving from Nashville to Nicaragua, and it's going really well. I started to post an update about that, but... it totally bugs me that the previous blog post was a few days before the twins were born, in 2011. I feel like I can't tell this story without telling that story, first. And the story of the day they were born - how do you capture something so... everything, all at once? So I've never written it out, and it kind of became this blog-juggernaut. So without further ado, I'll just write what I remember. {end note from 2014}

Ian & Isla's original due date was October 6th. On July 28th, at my 28 week ultrasound, my doctor noticed that Ian's umbilical cord might be decreasing in function. He sent me over to the maternal-fetal specialists for their opinion, and they agreed that it was worth keeping a close eye on. So I was admitted to the hospital, but not on bedrest or in labor - they just monitored the babies' heartbeats twice a day, and did an ultrasound every 3-4 days. 

The day I was admitted to the hospital, we also bought a house and sold a house and started a two week kitchen/bath remodel on our new house. TJ had just started working in the missions department at Lipscomb, and he came to the hospital every day after work. We would eat dinner together, and look at pictures of how the remodel was going, and listen to the babies heartbeats, and enjoy our view of downtown Nashville, and chat with the awesome staff at Baptist Hospital - it was just a really sweet time. TJ had a place to stay, since our house was under construction, and we rested much easier knowing that I was in the hospital, and help was right there if we needed it. I had a blast during the days, going through lots of lovely baby gifts, and watching Glee on Netflix, and writing thank you notes, and planning for our new life in our new home with our new babies. 

When I was admitted to the hospital, they gave me steroid shots to help the babies' lungs develop in case they came early. Then our goal was to make it to 30 weeks. Once we made it 30 weeks, our next goal was 32 weeks, and then 34. At 34 weeks, they were definitely going to go ahead and deliver the babies. All of the babies' tests and monitoring were going so well, the doctors began to wonder if the problem with Ian's umbilical cord was actually there, or just something they couldn't see clearly with the machines. So we were sort of in this Baptist Hospital induced bliss, where we never really expected the babies to arrive for several more weeks.

On Monday morning, August 8th, Dr. Bellardo came in for his rounds at 7am. (HOW are doctors so awesome and dedicated? I had no idea they did hospital rounds before office hours.) He said I was at 31 weeks, everything was going well, and we were hopefully on track to deliver the babies at 34 weeks - towards the end of August. I usually went right back to sleep until 9 or 10 am, then showered around noon - basically just did whatever I wanted. But for some reason, I decided to go ahead and start my day. I took a shower, put on clean clothes (read: pajamas), and waited for them to take me for my scheduled ultrasound that morning.

My ultrasound went really well. I loved talking with the ultrasound techs, and seeing the babies move around. We could see that Isla had hair, but they couldn't tell if Ian had any (spoiler alert: he did not). I remember the ultrasound tech saying she was going to let the maternal-fetal specialist know about one of the measurements she was taking, but that it shouldn't be a big deal. She wheeled me back down to my room, and I started working on my thank you notes again. I had missed a call from TJ - he was in an off-campus meeting all day, and his phone didn't get good reception in the room he was in. I texted him to let him know that the ultrasound went well, and they weren't seeing signs of low function in Ian's umbilical cord. I texted him at 10:53am. (Spoiler alert #2: the babies would be born about an hour later.)

As soon as I sent the text, a nurse walked back into my room and said the doctor wanted to have a look at the ultrasound herself. The wheeled me back down to ultrasound, and Dr. Graves (my very favorite of the maternal-fetal specialists) rechecked the readings. She said that it was nothing to be alarmed or concerned about, but she did feel like Ian's umbilical cord function was truly beginning to decrease. She thought it best to deliver the babies that day, even though I was only at 31 weeks, 4 days. I had a hard time processing what she was saying - I think she said, "Today's the day you're going to become a mom," or something like that. All I could think to ask was, "What day is it?" I knew it was around my brother's birthday - August 9th - and I was wondering if the twins would be born the same day. When they said it was August 8th, I just remember thinking, "I guess they won't have the same birthday as Bret." I have noooooo idea why these were the thoughts that popped into my head.

I remember Dr. Graves saying that the babies would be born that day, but it was not an emergency - it would probably be later that afternoon, or early evening. So I should let TJ know to be on his way, but to be sure and tell him not to speed. They wheeled me back down to my room, and told the nurses the big news. I remember wanting to ask if the babies would be okay, but I was afraid they would only be able to give me a vague answer, and I just couldn't stand to hear that.

I called TJ once or twice, and he didn't answer. I think I put on some makeup (???) while I waited for him to call me back. I didn't hear back from TJ right away - he was at that all day meeting, so it didn't concern me too much. I gave Moriah Farmer a call, since she was on campus at Lipscomb, and near where TJ's meeting was being held. I didn't get ahold of her either, so I called Julie Woodroof, the admin for the missions department. (And dear friend, and wife of Tim, whom I'd worked on staff with at Otter Creek.) I told her the babies were going to be born that day, and asked if she could phone the message to TJ. Julie said she'd drive over and let TJ know right away. I said that absolutely was not necessary. She said it absolutely was.

As I hung up the phone, a literal swarm of people streamed into my room. At least 8 nurses and techs and anesthesiologists and I have no idea who else. They said that they were taking me to deliver the babies right away. I said, "Oh, no - Dr. Graves said it wouldn't be for several hours." And they said, "It's happening now." I was maybe a little bit confused about why it was all happening so quickly, but... it was all happening so quickly I didn't have time to think about it! The medical team was absolutely amazing, and they worked together all at once. They got me into an OR gown, started an IV in one hand, explained procedures and had me sign consents with the other hand, tugged compression stockings onto my legs, and wheeled me out of my room in a matter of minutes. They kept asking where my husband was, which I thought was weird. I kept thinking... "He's on his way. He'll be here. They would never deliver the babies without the father being here - that only happens in the movies." Just as we rolled up to the OR, and it really started to sink in that this was really happening now, I sent a quick text to TJ. I had a second of panic where I thought, "Ohmygosh what if he doesn't make it in time"? And then I saw him running down the hallway towards me, and I knew everything was going to be okay.

Except I had not read one THING about pregnancy or delivering babies or C-sections. I know most people read a ton about all of that stuff, but it just felt really overwhelming to me. There is just so much information out there, and I didn't want to go down a lot of worst-case-scenario routes. So it made more sense to me to take everything a day at a time. And I thought I had a LOT more time before the babies were born. (And probably I was in a teeny-tiny bit of denial that two tiny humans were about to join our family. From the moment we found out we were expecting twins, everything felt very surreal.)

I was really afraid they would start the C-section while I could still feel everything, because they seemed in such a hurry to get the babies out. They did whatever procedure they do numb you for a C-section. I was afraid that it would hurt, but it really didn't. And then all of the sudden I was on the operating table, and TJ was in scrubs, standing right beside me. Dr. Bellardo was there, and rolled something across my belly to see if I was numb yet. I'm pretty sure I said very emphatically that I could still feel it - I have NO idea why I was so scared that they were going to start before I was numb. Dr. Bellardo told me a little bit about what they were going to do, but mostly I just remember him directing the nurses. 

I still wanted to ask if the babies would be okay, but I was too afraid I would hear a vague answer. So I just tried to prepare myself that maybe they wouldn't cry right away, but that necessarily didn't mean that they wouldn't grow to be healthy. We knew the babies were about 3lbs each, which is not micropreemie, but is still 2 months early. We had done a tour of the NICU with a Baptist multiples class a few weeks before, so I felt great about the care they were about to receive.

The babies were delivered very quickly - Baby A, Ian, at 12:04pm. He cried - a tiny, loud, absolutely infuriated and pathetic cry. Baby B, Isla, born in the same minute - 12:04pm. She cried - a tiny, loud, absolutely infuriated and pathetic cry. They were here, and breathing, and our world shifted around us. So fast and surreal and beautiful and absolute, I think we're still trying to wrap our heads around it.

The nurses held Ian up to my face so I could see him for a second, and a quick kiss. Same thing for Isla - a quick peek, and a quick kiss. We don't have any pictures of those first moments, just a video.

TJ went with the babies to the NICU, and he said it was an incredible thing, to watch the teams of doctors and nurses assess and care for these brand-new beings. I went to recovery for a few hours, and TJ would come in and show me pictures and videos of the twins. I was absolutely reeling from what had just happened, and trying to process that I wasn't going to finish season 2 of Glee that day, after all. I was still numb, and shaking. And there was someone else in recovery, on the other side of the curtain from me. She had her baby with her, and I remember thinking, "I know I should probably feel jealous that she's getting to hold her baby, and I don't know when I'll get to hold mine. But I'm shaking uncontrollably, and I don't feel that great, so I'm really glad someone else is taking good care of them right now. I'll just focus on trying to stop shaking, and moving to my room, when it comes time."

After a few hours, they moved me to my room, and wheeled the bed into the NICU so I could see the babies on the way. There were so many people around, and I felt so out of it. And the babies were so tiny, with lots of tubes and wires. I didn't really feel scared - by now we knew the babies were stable. I just felt sort of disconnected from it all. The nurses told me I could reach over and touch the babies, and I did. I remember thinking it should feel very momentous, but I just felt sooooo out of it. They wheeled me up to my room, and I slept for about 12 hours. 

Around midnight, TJ and I were able to go back down to the NICU, and see the babies again. It was really calm, and sweet. We knew the twins' nurse, Meggie Bumpus - she had been a part of the college group at Otter Creek while TJ was the young adults minister there. I can't tell you how wonderful it was to see Ian & Isla sleeping peacefully in the NICU, and to know that someone we knew was going to take extra-extra special care of them. It was a lovely first visit with our marvelous son and captivating daughter.

Our families arrived around midnight, as well - they drove in from Oklahoma as soon as they heard the babies were on the way. I think they stopped in to see me, but I don't remember it clearly. I remember thinking, "I know who these people are, and I know they are important to me, and something important has just happened, but I reallllly need to go back to sleep. I think our families got to see the babies that night, but I'm not sure.

TJ's sister, Mickey, was also there when the babies were born. And Blake and Moriah. And Janet Crothers. They were in the waiting room, and (I think) they decorated our room with "Happy Birthday" banners for the twins. I never got to seem them that day, but TJ did. And I think they were able to see the babies, too.

The next morning - Tuesday, August 9th - I felt MUCH better. I was still in a wheelchair most of the day, but was able to take a shower and get dressed. We celebrated with our families, and visited the babies several times. And I tried to wrap my mind around our new normal. I remember a lactation consultant stopped by, and briefly showed me how to use the pump, and said I would need to pump every 3 hours. I remember thinking, "There is no way I will have time for that. I have way too much to do. That is crazy to think that someone could do that every 3 hours." Little did I know... I would indeed have to make time for that! And I was about to start factoring the eating/sleeping needs of two tiny humans in to allllll of my minutes, not just every 3 hours. I definitely couldn't have imagined how much I would enjoy that. The constancy is relentless, but... mostly, I revelled in the newborn days/daze.

It was about a week before we were able to hold the babies, but that never felt super-devastating to me. It all just felt very gradual and right, and we learned to care for them well from the beginning. The NICU nurses NEVER made us feel like we didn't know what we were doing. And we could visit as often and as long as we wanted, which was wonderful. Knowing that Ian and Isla were doing well, and healthy, and just needed a few weeks to grow stronger was a great joy. I'd heard so many people talk about how difficult it can be to have a baby in the NICU, but we had a wonderful experience. We were so very thankful that Ian and Isla were with us, and healthy, and had access to such great care - there just wasn't any room for sadness. It was also awesome for me to have a few weeks to recover, and get moved in to our house before we brought them home.

We loved getting to know Ian & Isla as they grew stronger in the NICU - holding them, and changing their diapers, and giving them baths - learning to swaddle them, and doing bottle feeds, and eventually even dressing them in real clothes. We loved visits from friends, and the special blankets from Carol Reese, and the name banner above their beds from Moriah. Every little milestone was sweet and somehow a surprise. And then one day... it was time to take them home

We walked out of the doors of Baptist Hospital on Friday, September 2, 2011 as a family of four. (They had tried to tell me earlier that week that the twins were almost ready to go home, but it was Labor Day weekend. And I thought, "Oh, there's no way they'll send them home over the weekend - it's a holiday weekend." I just... had no idea.) We strapped our tiny kiddos into their carseats, and drove down West End to Panera. TJ got me a cinnamon crunch bagel with hazelnut cream cheese, and a Dr. Pepper. And we toasted the safe arrival and homecoming of our favorite-people-ever. 

Waiting.

Oh, no. Amanda Mankin, what have you done?! Now we REALLY can't wait to meet these baby twins. Is this really what life looks like as we wait for Ian & Isla to join our family?!










(Thanks to TJ McCloud for the sweet surprise-happy-2nd-trimester-Twins-shirt. And Summer Millican for the super-hot maternity capris. Oh! And Linda Zelnik for the manicure/pedicure gift card! And Kara Graves for hanging out at their pool while I worked on my tan! And Elijah Norman for coining the phrase "baby twins!" And Ian & Isla for being so cute! And most of all, to Amanda Mankin, for making a pregnant-with-twins gal look glamorous.)

Hotel Baptist

So what have the cutest yet-to-be-born babies on the planet been up to this week? Just hanging out at the hospital, kicking away, passing all their tests with flying colors and showing off their sweet profiles in ultrasounds.

We've been at Baptist for a week, and everything is going better than expected. I'm 31 weeks along, and showing no signs of preterm labor. The doctors continue to monitor the twins' growth, and keep a close eye on Ian's umbilical cord function. They didn't expect it to improve, but it has, and the doctors are very pleased. We'll still be in the hospital until delivery, which will likely be between Aug 11-25. The babies will need some time in the NICU - maybe 2-4 weeks.

The thing is... we can't help feeling thrilled and incredibly grateful. We are so thankful the doctors caught this umbilical cord issue. And we couldn't be in a more comfortable, competent hospital. I keep thinking I'm on a cruise (minus the laying out by the pool, plus fetal heartrate monitors and consults from excellent doctors). I can't believe how very dedicated the doctors and nurses are to caring for us, and monitoring the babies closely so they have time to mature in utero. Access to this level of healthcare is truly humbling.

We're also amassing quite a library of ultrasound pics, and we love looking at them. I'll see if I can post a few from the hospital... (You are not even going to be able to stand it. They are so cute!)

By the way...

... we're having twins! And they shall be called: Ian & Isla. Ian Thomas, and Isla (eye-lah) Jane. They're due mid-September, but it looks like they'll make their debut a few weeks early, due to an issue with Ian's umbilical cord.

We met with several doctors today, and received lots of good news! I have also ordered lots of delicious food from room service (room service!) and am starting to think I will never want to leave the hospital.

The doctors have noticed an issue with baby Ian's umbilical cord. It's attached in a difficult place - at the edge of the placenta, instead of in the middle. It doesn't seem to be functioning as well as it should. He's still growing, and within a normal size range, so all they can do is keep an eye on his heartrate, blood flow, and growth. So that's why I'm in the hospital - so they can monitor those vitals. I feel great, and the babies are doing great!

Ian is (almost) 3 pounds, and Isla is 3.5. I'm at 30.5 weeks, and the doctors would like to make it 32 weeks, if Ian continues to do well. At 34 weeks (Aug 25), they will definitely deliver the babies. Making it to those milestones would reduce the amount of support they would need from the NICU.

The ultrasound from today looked better than yesterday, which was unexpected, and great news. They may still keep me here for monitoring until delivery. That seems to be the option my doctor is most in favor of, unless he sees dramatic improvement in Ian's umbilical cord function. Dr. Bellardo is consulting with the maternal-fetal group who specializes in cord issues, so we have an excellent team of doctors and nurses taking care of us!

We really are doing well - I feel great, and have tons of books, movies, paint/tile/fabric samples & baby registries to keep me busy. I'm at Baptist, and visitors are totally welcome - just call or text before you come - they take me for ultrasounds often, and I wouldn't want to miss you! TJ might need some help getting the nursery ready, or maybe an easy meal or two. Just call or text him if you're in the mood for manual labor...

We are so excited to meet these sweet babies that we're already in love with. And we're excited to introduce them to all of you! Thank you for you love, thoughts and prayers.

Headed to the DR/Haiti

Friends and Family,

My former mission team, Manna Global Ministries, has opened a supply chain from Santo Domingo to Port-Au Prince, supplying materials, and food to 200 or so church members now fed and sheltered out of Sonlight Children’s Home. They are also supplying medical triage units that they have set up in the area of PaP under the direction of Brad Gautney.

They have supplies right now, but not enough reliable, trustworthy personnel to drive them over the border into Haiti, since the trucks/cargo are priceless right now. It is a fourteen hour trip from Santo Domingo and back. The borders are open, and are easily crossable right now, which is not always the case, and won’t be for long, so they want to take full advantage of the opportunity to get as many supplies as possible into Haiti.

Because of this time-sensitive situation, they have asked me and my former teammate Cory Lamb to fly in tomorrow and make supply trips, relieving the few people they have right now who can drive the truck, speak Spanish and basic Kreyol, and negotiate the culture/graft/craziness that getting this stuff across the Border could represent.

I plan to leave at 6:30 am tomorrow, Jan. 20th and meet Cory in Puerto Plata, where we will join the Manna team and head to Santo Domingo to begin making three or four trips to Haiti and back. I plan on returning Thursday, Jan. 28th.

Please pray for safety for myself and the rest of the Manna Team as we rush to try and get these crucial supplies to the people who need them most.

For information and updates, check my blog, www.tjandholly.blogspot.com, or follow @tjmccloud on Twitter. I’m not sure how accessible cell coverage will be, but will try to keep everyone in the loop.

If you would like to help financially with my travel expenses, contact hollymccloud@gmail.com.


Thank you all for your support for me and for the people of Hispaniola,



TJ McCloud

cell: (615)479-1772

tjmccloud@gmail.com



"The World can't stand what It can't own, and It can't own you 'cause you did not have a home" - Rich Mullins

Three letter word: J O B S !!!!

While we obviously haven't been working hard on our blogs lately, we are working hard; as we are now both officialy gainfully employed! (cue cheering and applause)

With just a few weeks of being stateside under our belts, we have both landed jobs that we are really excited about.

Holly is working at Catholic Charities, and is a Care Coordinator for the Bridges to Care program. Basically, she helps uninsured patients get connected with clinics and doctors who will bill on a sliding scale. It's a great program and Catholic Charities has an amazing track record for service to underserved communities. She is working in a mostly hispanic area of town, where she gets to use her Spanish all the time. Perfect, huh?

I (TJ) have been hired as the Young Adult and Spiritual Development Minister at the Otter Creek Church. Basically, I'll be working with our College, Singles, and Young Married's groups.I am really passionate about getting people connected to a church body during these three key transitional times. We are also really excited to be working for OtterCreek, where we were members before we left,and one of the churches that supported us so well while we were in the Dominican.

Life is still pretty topsy-turvy, as we get used to being in the flow of American style worklife, and look for a place to live (rent? buy? pitch a tent?). We miss our friends (the little and the big ones) in the Dominican, and we haven't gotten used to the cold weather, but we love being near our Nashville friends, and are already looking forward to our first Thanksgiving with family in two years!

Nashville

I guess the first thing we can say in our first Stateside blog is...
Where do you people in America find time to blog?!!

We have been in the States now for almost two weeks, and while it has been wonderful to see everyone, we are feeling a little dizzy from all the newness and hustle. We flew into DFW and met with Missions Rescource Network to do some exit counseling and re-entry training. It was great, and will surely pay off in the coming months to have a better understanding of the things we can expect. Another added bonus to being in DFW was seeing some great friends. We got the chance to catch up with the Cookes (Holly's college roommate),the Pinsons and the soon-to-be Cox's (TJs college roomates), as well as our Guatemala friend Blair (who is not Guatemalan... long story).

Next stop was Tulsa, where we had the chance to see both sets of parents and say thank you to one of our supporting churches, Park Plaza, for their amazing care and encouragement of us over the last two years.

Now, we are in Nashville, and making baby steps at settling back into life here. It already feels like Fall, and we realized the other day that we haven't seen a Fall in two years! We raided our friends' houses to find all of our warmer clothing and are now unpacked (mostly) and staying with the Srygleys (an elder and his wife at Otter Creek) for a month or two.

We are also hitting the job front hard, with both of us interviewing this week for positions. Hopefully we will know more about the outcomes this week!

We are starting to feel a little funny- Saturday we didnt have much to do and it really hit us that we actually are planning to LIVE here... not just visit for a few weeks. We find ourselves missing friends and little brown faces from the DR, but are also so glad to be surrounded by our Otter Creek family and friends. I think we are getting used to driving again in the States, but Kroger was a little intimidating... buying groceries in the States again for the first time in two years.The sheer volume of choice leaves us a little dazzled(How many kinds of salad dressing does one person need?!). Surely this bewilderment will wear off (which is sad to realize, as well) but hopefully we have forever been changed in some deep ways by our Dominican experience- ways that will pay spiritual dividends in the years to come.

Thanks for your continued care and prayer-
TJ and Holly

ciao, italia!!!

So Rome was amazing in all of the ways that we expected it to be, and also in some smaller ways. There is the monumental ruins of a still impressive Roman civilization, the pomp and granduer of the historic Papacy, and the picturesque peace of the fountains and piazzas where artists still sit and sell paintings ( as they paint them) as they have done for hundreds of years. We loved the streets and buildings of Rome, and were humbled by the tour of the Christian catacombs, just outside of Rome. Its hard not to be awed by Rome, old and new, and we count ourselves lucky to be one of the millions who have experienced it. Also, our whole trp could be considered a tour of Rome, since at no time in our travels from Cairo, to Jerusalem, to Istandul, to Athens, to London (we will stop there for a 12 hour layover and pop over to Big Ben), were we ever outside the reaches of historic Rome. It makes it all the more amazing to think of a group of dedicated men from a small jewish area that took on the power of Rome and eventually won by losing thier lives for a message worth living and dying for.

We are excited about heading home: First stop: DFW, where we have some exit counseling with Mission Resource Network and some visits with friends, then Tulsa to visit family and say hello to our Park Plaza family, and then Nashville, where we are moving back to.

Thanks for your prayers and love-

TJ and Holly

Roaming around in Roma

Venice was beautiful, but cold. Somehow, living in the Dominican for two years has left us without warm clothes or any real appreciation for being chilled to the bone. We left Venice (reluctantly) and headed to Chinque Terre, a string of five coastal villages famous for thier severe and beautiful cliffs, terraced vineyards, olive groves, and the 12K hiking trail between them. We took a train all night to get there, and froze to death trying to catch a few winks in the tiny station of Parma, but in the morning we were stretching our legs, ready to do some hiking. It was beautiful and while we were tired, the lure of italian gelato at the next village kept us going on.

From there, we headed to Firenze, known to us as Florence, home of Michelangelo and the birthplace of the Renaissance. The Pontevecchio bridge, il Duomo, and the Uffizi museum were all on our list, as well as a trip to the Academy gallery , where Michelangelo's David looms large and impressive. The town is beautiful and still holds much of its 15th century character, as well as wonderful food. We stopped at Ciro & Sons (thanks for the recommendation, Michael!- Pepe says to kiss your boys for him) for some amazing pasta and the famous Bisstecca Florintina- a T-bone steak about as big as your head and three fingers thick- cooked crispy on the outside and bleeding on the inside. Needless to say, Holly didnt help much with finishing it off, but outside of Abilene TX, it was the best steak I have ever had.

We just made it to Rome, and ate dinner before a walk past the famous Trevi Fountain. Tomorrow starts the full-on greatest hits of Rome tour, as we try to fit it all in before we fly back to the States on Sunday evening.

Were having a eye opening, romantic, and educational time (how rare for those two adjectives to go together...) but we will be just as excited to get back to our home countr (deflated dollar aside) and see friends and family that we have missed and look forward to being closer to. See yall soon!

TJ (and Holly)

2 words...

We got to Athens, dashed to Corinth, missed our bus, almost missed our next train, ate the last spinach flaky pastry thing of our trip (I love those things), headed to Patra, Greece to board an overnight ferry to Brindisi, Italy. We spent all night sleeping (can we really call it?) on the deck of the ship, got into Italy two hours late, missed our train to Napoli, caught a later one, got into Napoli late at night and realized that Napoli (famous for crime and gangsters) really does look like NewYork, pre-Guiliani- dirty, trashy, seedy, but likeable in that Tony Soprano sort of way. After scarfing a pizza at du Michelle (famous? Id rather have a chicago style any day) we hit our first bed in 48 hours and woke up early to catch a train to Pompeii. We were really running late, since we had hoped to be in Venice by then, but we had a great hour and a half in the astounding, amazing, ghostly ruins of Pompeii. We almost missed our train back to Napoli, got there in time to eat at McDonalds (funny)and board the next train to Venice. So... here we are, and we have to say that it was worth it. Two words:

Venice Magic

Thereàs just nothing like this place- truly a floating city. I didnt expect to love it, but at the first sight of a bridge and a water taxi and those nearly crumbling building façades, I was hooked. We are here for a day and then head to Florence, Chinque Terre, then Rome, then home ( where is that,again?).

love yall,
TJ

Revelation

When we were last able to update, we were in Rhodes, the ancient base of the Christian crusaders. From there, we headed to the tiny little island of Patmos, where it is believed that John (whether the apostle or another John) wrote the book of Revelation. We climbed the footpath headed to the famous monastery of the apocalypse, where the Orthodox christians have set up a shrine and a little chapel in a hillside cave thought to be the very place of John's inspiration. There are three cracks in the top of the cave, thought to be the representation of the Trinity, made by the voice of God during the revelation. There was a Mass going on, so it was interesting to watch all these people crowded into this little cave. The island is tiny- you can see both sides from nearly any hill, and beautiful- it looks more like parts of Colorado than Greece, with pinetrees covering the hillsides.

From there we headed to Kusadasi, Turkey, right outside of the ancient site of Ephesus. It was absolutely stunning to see these ruins, which are some of the best preserved in antiquity. You can literally see every part of the town, and imagine it filled to the brim with worshippers of the World-wonder Temple of Artemis (which Paul ran in to trouble with...) The ancient theatre where Paul and his buddies were hauled off and made to stand for thier "blasphemies" is completely intact, and still used for concerts (Sting was there a few weeks ago). Being there made the ancient world more tangible than any other spot we visited.

From there we headed to Istanbul, sailing up through the Bosphorus with Asia on our right and Europe on our left. It was a truly modern city, that felt more like NewYork than Cairo- which suprised us. The people there are mostly secular, and even now, during the holy month of Ramadan, we rarely saw anyone with headscarves or taking time out during the call to prayer. Everyone seemed really excited that we were from America, and wanted to know about where we lived. Again, we were really impressed with Turkey and would definitely come back for a longer stay. We saw the Hagia Sophia, the Blue Mosque, and the famous Grand Bazaar (anyone want a fake rolex or a Prada bag?). The Hagia Sophia was awestriking- when it was built, it was the biggest buildings in the world, and is ornately decorated with mosaics and paintings from both the Muslim and Christian eras(It has changed faiths several times- up until the 30s it was still a working mosque, but now a world-heritage museum.

Today we head back to little Mykonos, an island made famous by Aristotle Onassis and his jetset friends, and then we go back to Athens, where we will catch a train to Corinth, hop off for a little biblical sightseeing, and then catch an overnight ferry to Italy.

Wish us luck- no real setback so far, except Holly fell, chasing a bus in Antalya, Turkey, and skinned up her knee, and I got a wallet stolen on the ship. Both were less dramatic than they could have been and we feel grateful that everything has gone as smoothly as it has! Thanks and Love, TJ and Holly

Colossal

So here we are in Rhodes, a greek island off the coast of Turkey, with an amazing history of Greek, Roman, and Byzantine rule. The Colossos of Rhodes was one of the seven wonders of the ancient world, and even though it is no longer standing, the place where it stood, and where ships could pass under it into the harbor, is Rhodes' largest tourist attraction.

We were in Crete and Santorini yesterday, soaking up some sun and history of the Pre-Greek Minoan civilizations that flourished there. Historians believe these people were forced off of thier islands and onto the coast of Palestine... where they became the biblically famous "Phillistines".

The day before that we were in Athens, walking the same marbled steps that Socrates, Plato, and St. Paul's feet helped polish. It was amazing to see the size and power of the Acropolis- its no wonder that people chose that rock to worship the gods they knew. Also amazing is the restoration work that has gone into Athens... its a great city- huge, but friendly, and has tons of interesting sights at every turn.

Tomorrow we head to Ephesus and Patmos, to walk some biblical history and get a sense of St. Paul and St. John's stomping grounds. After that- Istanbul!

Thanks for all your notes and responses- we're having a great time!

TJ and Holly

Egypt, Jerusalem, Cyprus, Turkey

Sooo... Its tough to even try telling about how amazing the last three days have been. Still no way to upload pics, but we're trying to figure something out.

We arrived in Cairo a few days ago, hopped on a bus and headed to the National Museum, where the majority of the Tutankamen artifacts are on display. We were really suprised by Cairo- it was dirty and poor in ways that we have never seen before. It truly looked like a war zone, while at the same time the tour guide is telling us that it is a relatively new and upscale area...wow. The national museum has amazing items to display, but looks as though it has not been updated in fifty years or so. No airconditioning, no descriptions of the items, no lighting... the artifacts are not being protected very well against the tourists or the elements, and while it was amazing to see all of the items, it was astounding to see that they had not invested more into updating a museum with so much potential.
The Pyramids and the Sphinx are unbelievable in their scope and durability. It's amazing how they were built, and to think of a culture that would put that kind of effort into them is mind-boggling as well. Holly and I topped off the trip with a camel ride around the pyramids area, and were so glad to see this amazing site.

In Jerusalem, we were able to visit the old city, Garden of Gethsemane, Mt of Olives, the wailing wall, the Dome of the Rock, the Via Dolorosa (christ's walk to the Cross), the supposed site of the crucifixion and burial (and resurrection!), and ended the day by going into Palestinian territory to see the church of the Nativity in Bethlehem. We couldnt help but feel closer to who the physical person of Jesus and his early followers were, just being in the City of David and imagining Jesus praying among the olive groves. The wailing wall was also moving- to think of the collective sorrow that these people have known, and what we feel is such misguided devotion to a place. The Christian churches were no different, with ritual and gold covering every inch of the supposed holy sites. While it was wonderful, we couldnt help but feel like it is for the Catholic, Orthodox, and Armenian faithful, an expensive excercize in missing the point.
In contrast to Egypt, Jerusalem is oneof the most beautiful, cleanest, and well laid out cities we have ever seen. Everything is easily accesible in english and we never felt unsafe, until we went to the Palestinian area of Bethlehem, which is walled off and enclosed, not unlike the Berlin wall. No Palestinian can go out, and no Israeli can go in. It was definitely an amazing experience going through checkpoints and seeing the level of security the Israelis take. We are inspired to pray for peace in a new way, seeing how divided these cultures have determined they need to be, just for basic safety.

Next we headed to Cyprus, where Holly and I enjoyed some Greek culture and byzantine ruins, as the island was conquered time and time again by the crusaders and the turks. It was beautiful and picturesque, sitting in a sidewalk taverna, splitting a gyro.

Today, we went to Antalya Turkey and caught a bus to ancient Pergamum. It is some of the most preserved ruins in the roman/greek world, and we had fun envisioning the people in thier stone town with colonnaded streets and mid-size stadium. Turkey is beautiful- the people are really warm and friendly, and we had little problem with travelling or figuring out the turkish money (lira). We cant wait to see more of turkey next week with Istanbul and Ephesus.

So... thats all for now... we head to the famous little volcanic island of Santorini tomorrow and we just can't wait!

TJ

What to write, what to write...???

First of all, did you know Aussies have NEVER heard of the Outback Steakhouse? Pretty incredible, huh? Our dinner partners are Aussies, and we were telling them all about it. They got a big kick out of the Bloomin' Onion (didn't know what onion rings were) and Alice Springs Chicken. (As there would never be chickens in Alice Springs, apparently.)

In other news:

We've visited the pyramids in Cairo and walked the streets of Jerusalem and Bethelehem since we last wrote. It was awesome and humbling. Cairo was dirty and Israel was clean. We're glad we had just one day in Egypt, and we could spend months in Israel. Mankind has great capacity for wisdom and folly. God is good, and He encourages and sustains us daily, which we are even more aware of as we travel.

at sea and on to egypt

We made our boat after a few frustrating encounters with Greek taxidrivers, checked in, lost our luggage, found our luggage, and are now headed to Egypt! The water is beautiful, the staff is great, and we're meeting lots of people from different places. We're learning lots of Greek, and eating lots of Greek food, all of which is delicious. Holly loves feta cheese, so she really cant go wrong here- and I cant help but think of my Mom as I eat my weight in the best olives Ive ever had! (she used to eat olives by the jar-and then drink the juice when she was pregnant with me)
We've been at sea all day, and while we dont love the cruise atmosphere ( 3 euro for a bottle of water? carpet darts- who plays that?) we do enjoy being on the water and reading the books we brought for the trip. We've got a book on Biblical sites in Turkey and Greece, Greek travel book, a few fiction titles, and I'm reading the Odyssey- figure you can't help but get the spirit of it while youre on the Mediteranean!
Tomorrow we get up early and head to the pyramids, the national museum of Cairo, and a papyrus museum. Here's hoping we dont bring back any mummy's curse with us...

Grecia

After some sad goodbyes and several frantic weeks of wrapping up everything in the Dominican... we finally left for our trip!

We drove out from Bobita at 8am on Tuesday, in the middle of Hurricane Gustav. No problem flying out- and we headed to NYC, where we got lost in an airport weve been through ten thousand times. We hang out for a while, get on a flight to London overnight, which arrives at Heathrow a bit late... so late that we missed our flight to Greece!

Sooo... we waited and took another overnight flight, getting us into Greece at 3am on Thursday. This morning, we slept at the airport until the trains started running, took a two hour bus to the plain of Marathon (an extremely important battlesite - ask TJ about it), realized that the battlesite was basically a big field with not much more information, took the bus back to Athens, took a cab to two different bus stations (one wrong, one right), hopped a three hour bus to Delfi (a famous ancient oracle and hillside ruins complex) and checked into a cute little hotel for cheapiecheapie (which in Euros... is not that cheap.)

We hustled over to the ruins site, but were too late to see them before they closed, BUT we were able to look through the museum which was wonderful. We had dinner at a great Greek restaurant (roasted lamb, souvlaki, moussaka...mmm...) and are now typing on the blog before we crash into bed. This will be our first shower, change of clothes & rest in a bed in 3 or 4 days. Or something like that. We've lost track. We'll wake up early enough to see the ruins site, hop a bus back to Athens, where we will (hopefully) board a boat for two weeks in the Great Green (the Mediterreanean- again, ask TJ).

Thanks for all your prayers and well-wishes! TJ says its the best (and longest-and shortest) birthday he's ever had. Figure that out!

Booked it.

Our 5th anniversary trip to Europe... Which sort of turned into our 5th anniversary trip to Europe/Asia/Africa. We've been saving and dreaming and talking since our first year of marriage.

5 years... haven't they gone by in a blink?!

Here's where we headed - we would love any suggestions, favorite places to eat, etc.

Two weeks around the Mediterranean
(Greece, Turkey, Egypt & Israel):

• Athens
  
• Cairo
  
• Giza
  
• Jerusalem
• Bethlehem
• Cyprus
• Santorini
• Delos
• Crete
• Rhodes
• Patmos
• Istanbul
• Ephesus
• Mykonos
• Meteora
  

10 Days eating our way across Italy:

• Naples
• Capri
• Pompeii
• Venice
• Cinque Terre
• Florence
• Siena
• San Gimignano
• Rome

We fly back to the US via Rome - London (12 hour layover, sweet!) - NYC. Our tickets end in NYC - after that, who knows?! Maybe we'll become Manhattanites... Or get lost in Venice...

The Grahams: They're GREAT.

You might even say... Golden.

Kyle and Vicki Graham will move to Rio San Juan in January to serve as the new directors of the Outreach Center.

That's right, when we leave in September, Kyle and Vicki will already be in language school, preparing for their work here.

We have come to know and love the Grahams dearly. They are highly skilled in working with youth (Kyle was a youth minister at Park Plaza and Vicki teaches at-risk teens), full of fun and a faithful spirit.

They are in the process of raising half of their monthly support and one-time set-up costs. If you or your church would like to continue helping these kids, let us know, and we'll get you the details.

Our Local BLOCKBUSTER

Would you believe you can't buy or rent an actual DVD in this country?

Only bootleg, all the time.

Movies usually appear in Rio San Juan before they even hit the theaters in the US. Of course, the quality is atrocious and it's highly illegal. At this little podunk stand, I could purchase Batman: The Dark Night, Made of Honor, or any of the summer theater releases.

How do you begin to fight an underground industry that is so widespread and accepted? Most people in Latin America (and I'm assuming, Africa and Asia) have no idea that there's a difference between the "real" and bootleg versions.