Christmas Morning

We had a wonderful morning! Click here to see...and have a Merry Christmas.

A Note From Janice

Over the past few months, I've been mentoring a young single mom. She's working very hard to follow God, and put her life on the right path. I'm so proud of her and the progress she's making. Part of her journey is moving into a stable living environment, which she has found. However, because of her limited income, some of the nice things that would make a house a "home", she doesn't have or can't afford. So, I've been putting my feelers out, letting people know about the need, and seeing what God does with it.

Here's what she could use...

-A new bed with Linens Pillows
-A Reading chair with side table
-Shelf small for books, paper etc.
-Small rug for the reading area
-Reading lamp reading extends over chair
-Nightstand
-Window treatments
-Baskets for closet
-TV and Wall mount
-Picture frames (dark wood), Candles, decorations
-Bath toys
-Towels
-Wastebasket
-Bed for 2 year old, with linens
-Kids dresser
-Toy bin
-Plastic bins with drawers

If you want to know more, or want to help, comment on this post.

Thanks, Janice.

Giants vs Vikings...in Detroit!

On Sunday, the snows in Minneapolis collapsed the roof of the Metrodome. As a result, the Giants (our favorite team) game against the Vikings was moved one day later and two states over. Instead of playing Sunday at 1:00 in Minnesota, they played Monday night at 7:00 in Detroit. To sweeten the deal, the NFL offered free tickets to the first 30,000 people who showed up. When you’re a Giants fan living in the Midwest, you pretty much assume you’ll always watch your team on TV. But, when the NFL offers up free tickets only 2 hours away, you jump on it like a fat kid on a Twinkie.

So, Jay, Joey, Jack and Jack’s friend Ethan drove to Detroit Sunday night, braved the cold Monday to stand in line waiting for the game, and eventually got to watch the Giants beat the Vikings 21-3. For Joey, Jack and Ethan, it was their first NFL game. For Jay, it was one of those “I love being a dad” memories that will be cherished for a long time. Take a look…

Halloween 2010

I think the kids out did themselves this year. First of all, there were multiple costumes for multiple occasions: Halloween party at our church, parties at friends, and of course, Trick-or-Treating. Joey had three costumes, Maggie had three and Molly had two. Jack did one, but it was OUTSTANDING, as were the other kids on Halloween night.

And this year, the parents in the neighborhood were able to benefit from trick-or-treating too. It's amazing how many people are willing to refill your wine glass when you walk with it in your hand from door to door. I think that will be a tradition we continue.

Enjoy the slideshow here.

Another Half Marathon

Janice did it again...another half-marathon. This was her second time running the Grand Rapids Half Marathon, and she cut 5 minutes off her time from last year. It was a great day for running, and cheering mom on! Way to Go Runner Girl!!!!!!!!!!!

Waiting for Mom at the 3 mile mark.

Janice's running partner and friend, Gretchen

At the seven mile mark...with a little moral support from
Jack and Molly

That a Girl!!!!!!!

Colorado with the Cousins

We decided to spend as little time as possible at home this past August. Four days after we got home from Glen Arbor, we were on our way to Colorado to visit with Jay's brothers, one in Denver and one in Colorado Springs. Even though their cousins had started school, they all had a great time together. We got a hike in and a trip to Garden of the Gods as well.

Enjoy the pix here.

Glen Arbor

Before summer 2010 becomes too distant a memory, we wanted to get these Glen Arbor pictures up. This year, our friends the Pottengers came for a few days. We also took a day trip to South Manitou Island, and Jay completed a 100 mile bike ride. It was unseasonably hot this year, so lots of beach time. As always, we can't wait until next summer.

Take a look at our slide show here.

It's Official...He's a High Schooler!

Had a great time celebrating Joey's graduation from Walker Charter Academy. We all got our tears out earlier in the day, so Graduation night was all celebration. Have a look...

8th Grade Philadelphia Trip

The culmination of the Walker Charter Academy experience is the 8th grade trip to Philadelphia. Joey had a blast, Jay got to chaperone...enjoy the photos.

Getting ready for school...

Jack came downstairs this morning, and here is the conversation he had with Janice...

Janice:Why do you have that Mets shirt on again?

Jack: I have a rule about my clothes.

Janice: And what's that rule?

Jack: I can wear my clothes 2 days in a row. But, if they're dirty, then I can only wear them one day."

Can't argue with that logic

Beauty and the Beast

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Last night, Joey's school had their final performance of "Beauty and the Beast", in which Joey starred as The Beast. Not only was this their final performance, but it was Joey's last performance at Walker Charter Academy. He's been in the musical every year since 4th grade. For those of you who know Joey well, you'll know that this is his niche. He LOVES to perform, and he does it so effortlessly. To watch him in his element, in his final year, was an emotional highlight for Janice and I.

We've posted more pictures here.

AAAAAA

She Did It Again!!!!

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Well, Runner girl is at it again. This time, it was the 53rd Bank Riverbank Run. Janice ran and completed the 25K in just about 3 hours on a cold, rainy Saturday morning. Is she gearing up for an eventual marathon? Stay tuned...

AAAAAAA

In the meantime, enjoy some more photos here

Jackie Boy Takes the Field

AAAAAAAAA

This is Jack's first season of organized baseball. Needless to say, he was MORE than excited to take the field. He asks almost every day, "When's my next game".

Go here to see a few more photos

AAAAAAA

Disney 2010

Had a great time during Spring Break at Disney this year. We drove down, spent a week with Mickey and friends, and on the way back, attended a wedding for our good friends, the Woodcocks. Click here to see the photos: Disney Pictures.
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Jack's Essay on our Trip to Disney

100th Day of School

Yesterday, was the 100th day of school. In commemoration, Jack's class was given the chance to draw a picture of what they thought they would look like in 100 years. Apparently, Jack is going to look like Mr. Miyagi with a beard.

Pictures from Haiti

Here are some of the pictures I took. I have been sick with a bad cold since I came back. Being up for 48 hours with very little sleep will do that. My thoughts are still bumping into each other in my head. It was an amazing trip that is hard to put into words. I am so thankful for everyones prayer and kind words sent. Look for a longer note coming soon. In the meantime if you have the time, means, or desire... Do SOMETHING to help Haiti. As one of my friends put it on his blog, "Put Haiti in a permanent place on your prayer list." They are going to need much help and they won't be in the headlines for much longer. Thank you again and enjoy the pictures. Love Janice

Click here to see the pictures: http://s896.photobucket.com/albums/ac166/julesahidalgo/Haiti%20Trip%202010/?albumview=slideshow&track=share_email_album_view_click

Video from Haiti

One of the team members Janice was with in Haiti kept a video journal. He's shared it with the rest of the team, and now we share it with you. This will give you a deeper look into what Janice experienced in Haiti...

One More Update

Hey all:

Thought I'd post one more update so you can have an idea of what Sunday and Monday were like for Janice.

First, here's another message from my friend Nate:

Sunday we attended to about 120 patients before we had to leave. A truck resembling a paddy wagon complete with a cage bounced us back over rough roads to Port Au Prince. We were happy to be back at our base to shower and eat a good meal. The Special Ops guys set up a 10 x 10 foot screen so we could all watch the Superbowl on the small soccer field. I ended up sitting next to the commander of the company and talking with him. It was not only an honor, but also a very fun way to watch the Superbowl! Afterwards we piled back into our paddy wagon for our ride to the airport. We put our names on a waiting list to see if we could hitch a ride back to the USA on an empty Air Force cargo plane. Then we laid out on the Tarmac to sleep until we were called. It's hard to call it sleep when C5-As, C-130s and other large aircrafts are taxiing past you with engines screaming. But finally at 6am we caught a ride on a large cargo plane that was flying to Charleston SC. We made it and are now waiting for our plane back to DFW. The team did an awesome job. We treated and prayed for just over 1000 people. At our debrief many on the team talked about this being one of their best trips ever. Praise God! We are glad to be home.

Janice flew from SC to Newark, then arrived in Grand Rapids at 6:00 PM. The kids were more than thrilled to see her. She got home, showered, ate and as I write this, snuggling with Maggie.
I leave you with a thought, a request and some more photos...

• A thought: Thank you all for praying. Please continue to do so for the people of Haiti, for Janice and our family. Our prayer is that this is the beginning of something bigger than ourselves for the Kingdom

• A request: As unbelieveable as this trip has been, she's drained. She'll need a few days to process, pray, sleep and sleep some more. She can't wait to thank and hug so many of you...and wants to do so on her time. So, like I told the kids before we picked her up, please give her the time she needs.

• Photos...
  

PATIENT CARE

Our friend, and team leader, Nate Bobbett

Inside the Airforce Cargo Plane

HOME!!!!

Haiti Update Feb 7

Sorry I didn't get an update yesterday. However, below is one from my friend Nate that I received this morning a little before 8:00 this morning:


Saturday started out calmly. By 3 pm we had seen about 275 people. Several cases had to be evacuated to a hospital 3 hours away. We all showered and sat down for dinner around 5. Then it started. Multiple motorcycle accidents came rushing in, anxious and angry family members followed. Dust was everywhere as our team worked outside 30 feet from a dirt driveway. 2 pregnant ladies showed up, one in need of an ICU. 2 seperate burn victims came in ferried in on motorcycles or cars. We were at capacity. Doctors and nurses treated patients under the glow of their camping head lamps. Family members and curious onlookers pressed in. One guy exploded in anger and lunged at a patient. I body slammed him and then made sure he wouldn't be a problem. The Marines next door caught wind of our dilema and showed up to provide a semblance of order. That's a good feeling! The night ended with the Spanish military showing up in a chopper to evac one of the patients. 6 of the wounded stayed all night as the team took shifts watching them. We are trying to find hospitals that are functioning and will accept them. After a 17 hour day we fell onto our mats and slept soundly, except for another big aftershock at 1:30 that woke us up. Thanks for praying!


To add to that, Janice called and told me that the people are all afraid to sleep inside after the earthquake, and the aftershocks are keeping that fear alive. She said that last night (Saturday night), she was up till 2:00 then slept til 4:00 helping the patients that needed to be watched over.


Janice and I emailed back and forth during the Superbowl (she was able to watch it with the Army). Earlier this afternoon, emailed to ask for prayer for the 5 critical patients she and some team members escorted today from Petit Goave back to Port-au-Prince. The emailed me a few hours later, telling me that they had arrived safely. And just now, another message: They are at the airport, looking to get a flight back to the states. So, please pray that the travel back is safe.


Her email tells us much about who she is:


Subject: Leaving Haiti :(
We r @ the airport right now (had to wait until the game was over). We r waiting for a military flight of sorts. That is all I know. I don't even know where we r going in the states. I am thankful to be coming home but very sad to leave Haiti. There is so much need here.


Also, a picture Nate sent last night, with the message: "It might be dark but she's still going"

Janice Just Called

Janice just called, and said to tell everyone they need prayer. The local hospital has been diverting patients to the field hospital that she’s working at. She said they are being overwhelmed with all sorts of patients: burn victims, mothers in labor, etc. She called just to tell me that so I could let you all know, then she had to go.

Thanks all…please pray.

Haiti Update Feb 5th

Here are a few updates from Janice's team in Haiti. The first one if from their team leader, my friend Nate. He gives a good overview of what Friday was like. Then, Janice's email...giving her perspective. A few more pictures too.

From Nate:

Today started at 6:30 with the birth of a baby girl and ended at 8:30pm with a baby boy born right during another aftershock. We saw almost 400 patients today. A couple times things started getting rowdy with crowd control but the Marines would walk through and everyone straightened up real fast. They finished building us a wooden shed for an OR (operating room). Go Marines! The hardest part of the day was a little 8 year old girl. Her leg was broken in the earthquake. Her dad died years ago and her mom abandoned her and left the country. I spent 1/2 the day with her as she waited for an evac. I wanted to adopt her right there. She was in pain but was sweet all day. I think half the team fell in love with her. The team continues to do great! Time to hit the sack, or ground as is the case out here!

From Janice

It was a typical day here for the mere fact the craziness is typical. Everyone is great to work with. This compound (in Petite Gouave) was set up and run thru the Weslyan Church. People are here from St. Louis, Canada, South Carolina and our group from Texas. We had to amputate a guys finger today. It was really gross. It smelled so bad. I was OK until the Dr was pulling out the worms. Yuck. Speaking of smells. I have never smelled this bad in my whole life. No shower for me tonight because I was helping w/ a mom. When we were done the showers stopped working. Trust me they weren't that great when they DID work. It is really not that bad. I feel like I can just keep working long hours. That is what I am here to do. I don't have to worry about meals. I don't have to worry about the kids. I get to go home and not have this as my permanent situation. So why not just work? Just a fair warning. If I don't get a good shower before I get home, "El Stinko Mama" will be getting off the plane. We were talking about food today and I said my first drink will be a Grande Iced Latte and then an ice cold beer. Well, I am tired. I have to go.

space

4 month old baby. Janice said the picture

doesn't show how really sick this baby was.

One of hundreds of buildings she said she has seen

Section of a village. See the flattened buildings in the back.

Our translators...all filled with the love of Jesus.

And if you're worried if she's safe? That building in the back
is the OR the Marines built.

Haiti - February 4th, 2010

Yesterday, I started out the blog post by writing "If you could, please pray that God gets her cell phone working. She has a Blackberry but they can't figure out how to get it working. You'll see in the email messages below, she's a little frustrated that she has to keep borrowing phones from everyone else." Tonight, the phone rang around 10:00 pm. It was Janice. She said, "Guess whose phone I'm calling from? MINE!!!!!". They figured out how to get it to work, so we have phone communication now. AND...Sprint has announced that they are waiving all charges on calls from Haiti until the end of March...so it's FREE!!!! Thank you Jesus!


As you can imagine, she had lots to tell me, and of course, wanted to know how the kids were doing, so I spent a lot of time letting her know how things were going here. She said that many of the patients they have been seeing have chronic issues and it's been good to help them provide medical care. For those of you who have asked about her safety, it seems that they are hanging out with the Marines while in this village, so security is not an issue. They are staying in military tents, and sleeping on military cots. The heat is tough to work in by day, and she told me to tell Michelle Hansma "good call on the scrubs". I guess some of her co-workers are in jeans, and struggling with the heat. Pray for the team. The 24 hour bug is being passed around...not good.

Below is a message I got tonight from Nate:

Today we drove thru a lot of destruction to a town 3 hours away. In some places the road was cracked in 2. About 20 of us crammed ourselves and 2500 pounds of gear into a beat up rejected US school bus. I think each wheel had about 3 lug nuts. We arrived at the town and immediately began seeing patients. These docs and nurses are amazing. Fixing ugly wounds, sowing hands back together often in 85 degree heat and no electricity. I've been using my French all day helping to translate. The US marines are building us an OR so they are here. The Navy corpsmen have pitched in too. We are sleeping outside in tents while here, but we are comfortable. Thanks for praying.

And finally, a picture he texted of me at Janice at work. This was yesterday.



Thanks for all your messages, and encouragement. I told her she was having quite an impact here based on the comments I've received from people. Her response was "Really?!?!" Typical Janice, showing kindness and not thinking anything of it. Blessings to all of you!

Haiti - Wednesday, Feb 3

Got these two email from Janice today. If you could, please pray that God gets her cell phone working. She has a Blackberry but they can't figure out how to get it working. You'll see in the email messages below, she's a little frustrated that she has to keep borrowing phones from everyone else.

This first message was sent last night (Feb 3) but didn't get here until today:

It really was a good day. I am so thankful that I am feeling better. I am thankful that I am here. Tomorrow we go back to the same place. In a few days we will be going to a village and things there I think will be much worse. I love u all. Tell Jack and Joey the army is setting up a big inflatable screen to watch the Superbowl.

This one came earlier this evening:

OK I have time to write and not be rushed...I hope.

I have been sleeping well except that I am really hot at night. That is a yucky feeling. In the morning it is actually cool. At night I just get hot in my bag. I get up, wash up and eat a granola bar or 2. We pack the bins, the truck and cram into a tiny pickup truck and drive an hour to our spot, set up then we see the patients. Most have chronic issues, a few related to the earthquake. One case was so so sad today. A mom brought in twins. Nowhere the same size. One was about max 12lbs and the other one was max 5 lbs. They were 4 months old. The tiny one looked like one of Molly's dolls. We paid her way to take a cab to a local hospital. I don't think she was understanding the urgency. She was very sad. The baby most likely has a heart defect from birth. That was the worst today.

The other half of our team just arrived today. It will take a bit to adjust to the new folks, but I am sure it will be fine.

I am a bit jealous the I can't text all the time. Tomorrow we will be going 3 hours away and staying there a few days. We will be leaving our "Ritz Carlton" place and tenting it. I love and miss u all. Tons of stuff in my head and swirling around but hard to put it down. Love you.

And this note was texted to me from my friend Nate who is leading the trip. It was his reply to a text I sent him:

She is doing awesome bro. She knows her stuff, works hard without complaining, and is joyful!

Keep praying!

Haiti Update - Feb 2

I spoke to Janice tonight...well, sort of. I could hear her perfectly, but she could hardly hear me. So, she told me about her day today and said she'd follow up with an email later. She's using borrowed phones. AT&T is providing free service, so even though the communications are short and infrequent, they're free.

Today, the traveled an hour to a local pastor's house. There was a makeshift clinic in his front yard. She said they saw 180 patients today. Most of them had more chronic issues, and not necessarily issues related to the earthquake. She said lots of babies and children came through. She had a real tough time describing the conditions these people live in. She said it was like spending the day in a burning garbage dump. They burn all their trash right near where they live. And not just a few people here and there, but thousands. 2 or 3 times she said, "I can't even begin to describe it". Nevertheless, she said that the people are sweet, they smile and they are patient as they wait for medical care. The have a couple of young men not much older than 20. One of them was with two friends when the earthquake hit. They ran, he went one way and survived. His went the other way and died. Then this young man ran into a pregant woman who went into labor. He helped her deliver the baby. And he's not even 20 years old.

They are staying at a Christian school. She said the walls are concrete, they have electricity (though it went out for an hour today), and they are well protected. The school is back in session, using rooms that weren't damaged. She said in one of the rooms, the following was written on the board: Verse of the day, January 12, 2010: "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me" Phil 4:13. The earthquake hit the next day.

Below is a picture of her getting ready, testing out equipment before they left.

Keep praying...

A couple of messages...

Got this email from Janice today...

Hi...I hope u get this email. Melissa was my bunkmate last night, letting me use her phone. We r in a very safe school the US army special forces r camped here also. There r relief teams here from Germany Hungary Korea and England. It took an hour to drive the most ten miles from the airport. Sleeping arrangments r wonderful truly indoors with mats. Plenty of food and clean water. It is truly amazing to see the body of Christ and Jesus presence here. We r still figuring out the blackberries. The only signal is digicel and for emergancies only. Maybe u can look into that at the store. I love u tons give the kids a big hug. I know u all did well today. U can respond to this address Melisa said ok

Also, this text message and photo from my friend Nate:

"This place is in huge need. We can make a difference. Snapped this picture from the back of a truck as we drove through town. Just one of 1000's of collapsed buildings.

Haiti Update - Feb 1

Hey all. Thought I’d give you the latest update on Janice’s travels. Yesterday, Sunday she flew with half the team in a private Jet from Waco, TX to Miami, then stayed in a hotel. She wasn’t feeling to well, and spent much of the night sick. I spoke to her this morning and she seemed to be doing a little better. The plan was to fly another private jet to Haiti today. Both jets were donated by local businessmen who wanted to help out. Just got a text from my friend Nate’s phone (he’s the group leader) that they arrived safely in Haiti, and they are currently waiting for the rest of the team.

One thing to pray about is phone service. There are networks working there, but not all the Blackberry’s are working. So pray that she can get on a network; it will be easier for her to communicate that way. That’s all I know for now.

Thanks for your prayers…keep ‘em coming.

PS: Below are some pictures that she's texted along the way...

Our friend Nate, and his wife Jamie. Nate is leading the trip.

One of the private jets. They flew this one to Haiti.

Loading up in Haiti

Update on Janice's Trip to Haiti

From an email I sent to Janice's email list regarding her trip to Haiti.

I’m going to do my best to keep you all updated on Janice’s trip to Haiti. She has an international Blackberry, and hopefully will be able to use it while down there. We agreed that she would email me updates. I’ll then pass them to you via email. Also, I’ll be updating our family blog at www.hidalgothamily.blogspot.com, and my Facebook account, so you can keep tabs there too.

We found out yesterday, that she’ll be flying this afternoon (Sunday) on a private jet to Miami. The plan is to hotel there, then head to Port-au-prince a day early (Monday).

She’s a little concerned that she brought too much, and needs to figure out a way to pare it down, so please pray for her to have practical wisdom in that regard.

Below is an email from our friend Nate who is leading the trip, just to give you some more insight.

Blessing to all of you…

Jay

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Hello again friends. Tomorrow I leave for 8 days in Haiti. I am leading a team of 14 RN’s, doctors, and paramedics. This will be our church’s 3rd team.

The reports coming from our returning teams are really heartbreaking. Whatever you see on CNN doesn’t do it justice. I encourage you to do whatever you can to help the Haitians! Pray, Give or Go! But do something. Don’t look on passively.

Our teams say that there are children orphaned by the earthquake just roaming the streets without a place to live. In many cases, 5 year olds are taking care of 3 year olds as they fend for themselves on the street. Others are being preyed on by traffickers or people looking to gain something from them.

Pray for us as we go. We are in this for the long haul! Part of my purpose in going is to scout out a section of the city that we will commit to rebuild from the ground up, much like we did in Sri Lanka after the tsunami. I need to connect with the right people and have the wisdom of God as I go! Pray for Jamie too as she’ll be staying behind.

Another desire of ours is to see if we can help the process of getting Haitian kids adopted. Jamie and I have offered to adopt, and we have rallied 11 other couples in our movement who have stepped up to do the same. I love the body of Christ! We don’t know where this will head, so pray for that too!

Just getting into Haiti has been an incredible effort. Two different Texas businessmen have offered the use of their private jets so we can get there. And the interesting thing is that neither of them are believers. They just wanted to help. I call that the FAVOR OF GOD! At this point we have no clear plan on how to get out, but that isn’t our concern at the moment. We just want to get there.

Thanks for praying!

Nate & Jamie

CORRECTION

Sorry to all, but I gave you the wrong Antioch Church. Janice is going with Antioch COMMUNITY Church, not Antioch Bible. Here' s the correct donation site: https://antiochcc.ccbchurch.com/app/trx_submit_bp.php?type=public_gift. Select "Emergency Relief" from the drop down menu.

Giving to Haiti

With Janice's trip to Haiti (see previous post), some have asked if they can give. Best thing is to give to the group she's going with: Medical Relief International. Go to https://members.abchurch.org/giving/index.html, scroll down to the third option.

A note from Janice

OK it is official I am going to Haiti next week. For some of you this is the first you have heard of it. So let me back the story up a bit. It has all happened very fast for us also. Last Friday night I was invited to go to Haiti from our good friend Nate Bobbett. His church in Waco, TX has much experience in going to places for immediate relief work in many parts of the world. They have had 2 teams dispatched to Haiti already. He knows I am a nurse and asked of I would like to go. Surprisingly it did not take long for a yes answer to come from me or my family. He had to work out the logicistics and then called us later last night and confirmed that I could go. I will be leaving on Saturday morning to Dallas to stay with family and then leave on Tuesday morning for Haiti. Nate's latest email says he "thinks we will be back the 8th of Feb." so we will see when I actually get home. I am not on facebook, but Jay is and I will send him info and he can take it from there. I don't have many other details. I will let you know what I know as things happen. Please just keep all of us in your prayers. Janice

Cruise

Janice turned 40 in October, so instead of trying to surprise her, I asked her what she wanted. Her answer was "I want to go on a cruise in January. And it was so...

The links below will take you to the pictures:

Cruise Pictures - Part 1
Cruise Pictures - Part 2