Sunday after church we went for a short walk. I had the opportunity to take about 20 photos of these kids playing and doing their thing not knowing that I was doing so. I got several excellent shots of this little girl with her hair uncombed and facial expression that were unbelievable. I then asked mom if I could keep the pictures and take some more. That is when she combed the little girls hair and requested I give her a copy of her and her children.The bad news is that the lens was smeared and those pictures could not be used. Here she is scared and does not know what is going on.

Here are her brother and sister looking on not knowing what was happening.

Now that he knows and has seen some pictures he is glad to pose with a big smile. I have printed these 3 photos for them and when I go back I will take more.Not often have I had an opportunity to take pictures not posed for.

SUNSET IN ONE LAND IS SUNRISE IN ANOTHER.

This is Martin and Stacy.

READ TO THE BOTTOM FOR QUOTE OF THE MONTH BY JAY LENO.  IF YOU DON’T READ ANYTHING ELSE—VERY WELL STATED
TO ALL THE KIDS WHO SURVIVED the 1930’s, 40’s, 50’s, 60’s and 70’s!!
First, we survived being born to mothers who smoked and/or drank while they were pregnant.
They took aspirin, ate blue cheese dressing, tuna from a can, and didn’t get tested for diabetes.
Then after that trauma, we were put to sleep on our tummies in baby cribs covered with bright colored lead-based paints.
We had no childproof lids on medicine bottles, doors or cabinets and when we rode our bikes, we had no helmets, not to mention, the risks we took hitchhiking.
As infants & children, we would ride in cars with no car seats, booster seats, seat belts or air bags.
Riding in the back of a pick up on a warm day was always a special treat.
We drank water from the garden hose and NOT from a bottle.
We shared one soft drink with four friends, from one bottle and NO ONE actually died from this.
We ate cupcakes, white bread and real butter and drank Kool-aid made with sugar, but we weren’t overweight because, WE WERE ALWAYS OUTSIDE PLAYING!
We would leave home in the morning and play all day, as long as we were back when the streetlights came on.
No one was able to reach us all day.  And we were O.K.
We would spend hours building our go-carts out of scraps and then ride down the hill, only to find out we forgot the brakes. After running into the bushes a few times, we learned to solve the problem.
We did not have Playstations, Nintendo’s, X-boxes, no video games at all, no 150 channels on cable, no video movies or DVD’s, no surround-sound or CD’s, no cell phones, no personal computer! s, no Internet or chat rooms…….
WE HAD FRIENDS and we went outside and found them!
We fell out of trees, got cut, broke bones and teeth and there were no lawsuits from these accidents.
We ate worms and mud pies made from dirt, and the worms did not live in us forever.
We were given BB guns for our 10th birthdays, made up games with sticks and tennis balls and, although we were told it would happen, we did not put out very many eyes.
We rode bikes or walked to a friend’s house and knocked on the door or rang the bell, or just walked in and talked to them!
Little League had tryouts and not everyone made the team. Those who didn’t had to learn to deal with disappointment. Imagine that!!
The idea of a parent bailing us out if we broke the law was unheard of.  They actually sided with the law!
These generations have produced some of the best risk-takers, problem solvers and inventors ever!
The past 50 years have been an explosion of innovation and new ideas.
We had freedom, failure, success and responsibility, and we learned HOW TO DEAL WITH IT ALL!
If YOU are one of them…CONGRATULATIONS!
You might want to share this with others who have had the luck to grow up as kids, before the lawyers and the government regulated so much of our lives for our own good.
While you are at it, forward it to your kids so they will know how brave (and lucky) their parents were.
Kind of makes you want to run through the house with scissors, doesn’t it?!
The quote of the month is by Jay Leno:
“With hurricanes, tornadoes, fires out of control, mud slides, flooding, severe thunderstorms tearing up the country from one end to another, and with the threat of bird flu and terrorist attacks, are we sure this is a good time to take God out of the Pledge of Allegiance?”
For those that prefer to think that God is not watching over us…go ahead and delete this.
For the rest of us…pass this on.

BE A BRIDGE OF ENCOURAGEMENT TO SOMEONE TODAY.

I caught you by surprise, little girl. Thanks for the smile.

… you don’t ask “ How much does it cost?”

… you boil your water before you drink it.

… you take a tab of Dramamine to go grocery shopping in David.

…your refrigerator is full of peanut butter and grape jelly

… you have a refrigerator

… you throw away leftovers

… you wear white socks to the black sand beach

… you throw your toilet paper in the toilet

… you gather wood for a camp fire and whittle sticks to roast marshmallows

… you ask, “Where’s the dump?” or “When do they pick up your garbage?”

… you tip toe around the animal manure all over the roads

… you wear underwear and a bra in the tropics

… squealing pigs disturb your sleep at 5 am

… the sight of an AK-47 scares you

… you inspect your bowel movements with binoculars and a flashlight for signs of worms

… you have binoculars and a flashlight

… you resort to reading an Awake magazine given to you by a Jehovah Witness tourist because it’s in English.

… eating fish heads appall you

… you refuse to eat one more bite of greasy tasteless gallo pinto

… you have spices in your kitchen and you actually use them

… you heat water to wash your clothes, your dishes, and your body, that is, when you have running water

… you think hot water sanitizes and cleans everything

… you ask ridiculous questions like, “Where is the water treatment plant?” or “Do you recycle plastic bags?”

… it takes you all day to scrub one pair of filthy dirty socks

… you catch fish with a fishing pole… just for fun

… you have an electronic fish finder

… you’re frustrated with daily power outages

… you ask, “Why don’t they do it this way? It would save a lot of time.”

… you wear a wrist watch to bed

… you can’t understand why they eat green plantains

… you think flip-flops are only for the beach

… you think words such as stability and accountability are synonymous with a government

… you think a pay-off is your last mortgage payment

… you think you need a prescription for drugs

… you wonder if OSHA regulates the kitchens of the street vendors and USDA inspects the fly infested meat hanging in the markets

… you miss the weather report, hot and sunny, or hot and rainy isn’t very interesting.

… it’s Sunday and all you want to do is read a big fat Sunday paper at the Waffle House

… you wonder “Where’s my mailbox?”

… you ask directions in Panama City expecting street names and numbers

… you use words like, text me and IM me.

… when you ask weather related questions like “When’s the wind going to stop?” or “When’s the rain going to stop?”

… you think a machete is used only for hacking down coconuts

… you’re amused at what’s written on all the Goodwill t-shirts worn in Panama because you can read them.

… you miss your dishwasher, washing machine, high speed internet connection, and lawnmower more than your family

… you spend $1,000 to have your dog’s leg mended in the USA and you don’t give it a second thought

… you consider your dog to be a member of your family

… you ask, “What do you mean by ‘gringo prices’?

… you wonder if there is an emergency broadcasting system for a hurricane or the eruption of in-active Vulcan Baru.

… you wonder what happens if you dial 911

…you ask your neighbor, “Where is your smoke detector?”

… you’re the only house in the neighborhood with guidebooks and maps of Panama plastered on your walls

… you’ve never been stung by a scorpion or experienced a numb tongue as a result

… you think a gusano is a very pretty, defenseless caterpillar

… you’re enchanted by the beauty and at the same time, disgusted by the litter

… you think the word ‘adios’ means goodbye

… you’re surprised by how many people one bicycle can carry and dumbfounded at the sight of a woman nursing her baby while sitting on the steel carrier at the rear of the bike.

… you’ve missed the last bus home, it’s dark, and you’re afraid to ride in the back of an old pickup truck loaded with people because you might get dirty

… a pig runs through the middle of a high school graduation ceremony and you wonder why no one laughs

… two bony dogs are copulating in the middle of main street and you wonder why no one notices

… your family wants to know what to send you for Christmas, and you ask for mouse traps, a squeegee mop, and books… any kind, as long as they’re in English

… you tell Panamanians, “I’m an American.”

… you pinch your nose shut at the toxic smell of burning plastic

… you think the Laundromat is actually a building with washing machines and dryers

… you find yourself buying things because they’re so cheap, not because you need them

… you have no understanding of ‘crimes of opportunity’

… you have a garden because you like green vegetables and you eat lettuce with your salad.

… you’ve never seen a skinny pig before

… you wonder why they call the old school buses ‘chicken buses’ and you think they take the kids to school

… you thought a traffic jam consisted of cars, not a herd of cattle with forked sticks protruding from their necks, sixteen piglets chasing swaying titties, horses, or scavenging dogs

… you teach the old begging woman sitting in front of Pali Chinese grocery store how to pronounce ‘ I nee moonies” correctly instead of giving her a few pesos

… the repetitive thumping thing they call music is too loud and too annoying

… you thought fire works were only for the Fourth of July and the deafening explosions were always accompanied by displays of twinkling, colored lights

… you use candles as a decorative, romantic touch in your house

… you think every Panamanian hated Noriego years of reign of abusive power

… you think the word ‘petroglyph’ is the Spanish name for gasoline

… you think papayas are small, expensive fruits

… you miss the Super bowl and Sunday football games on TV

… you laugh at their silly superstitions, and make fun of the monkey ladies, the duendes, and the Chupa Cabra

… you pity the natives for enduring poverty, destitution, earthquakes, and war

… you think there is hopelessness in their lives

… you isolate yourself from their culture

… you refuse to speak their language

… you think everyone should learn English

… you think the American way is the answer to everything.

… you surround yourself with other gringos because it’s familiar and comfortable

… you buy all their land and post no trespassing signs along the border

… you perpetuate the fallacy that all gringos are rich

You know you’re really a gringo when….

you assume…anything

you take for granted…everything

and you learn nothing about yourself after living in a second world country, in the middle of Central America.

LET US NURTURE THE RULE OF GOD THROUGH FORGIVENESS, UNDERSTANDING, LOVING CONFRONTATION, AND ENCOURAGEMENT.

Maria, you sure have me smiling today.

Good morning up there. I see you. You going to let me take your picture?

Good morning down there. Since you feed me, I will try to be a little friendlier and sociable.

You see the peanuts I put out for you?

You coming for them? Oh, you still are skeptical,eh? Maybe next time, Ok?

One day I will get a close up.