Saturday, September 18, 2010
To our first grandson Jared
Once a long time ago there was a little girl just about your size, Jared. She had a brother like you do, named David. Do you know who that little girl was?
If you guessed "Mimi" you would be right. She lived with her Mommy and her Daddy not too far from where you live now.. in a country named Argentina. She was as old as you will be when your mommy's new baby is born.
Not so long ago your Mommy was also your age and she had a brother named Philip. She was almost your size and she and Philip lived in Honduras.
Can you believe that she was ever that little? Do you know that little boy who was just a little bit older than Luke is now your Uncle Philip?
"Mimi" grew up to be a Mommy and that is when your Mommy was born and then your Mommy grew up and got married to ... guess who?
It was your Daddy, Stephen Meier. They met each other in a country far far away called Korea.
By this time "Papi" and "Mimi" had no more children at home and they began to wonder when there would be some children born to your Mommy and Daddy. They waited patiently but one day they got a phone call from Virginia with important news.
They told us that they were going to have a baby and pretty soon we knew you were going to be a boy and "Mimi" began to make her plans to fly up to Virginia to help your Mommy after you were born. Here you still were in your Mommy´s tummy.
Wednesday July 25th your Aunt Anita called your "Mimi" to tell her that very soon you would be born. We got on a plane to go to where you were.
When we got to the hospital you had already been born.. How happy we were!!!
You didn´t want to open your eyes at first but when we turned almost all the lights off behind your Mommy´s bed you opened them and were so happy to see your pretty blue eyes!!
Jared, you will always be special because you were the first grandchild to be born, Luke will be special for other reasons. The next baby that comes will be special too. "Mimi" and "Papi" just wanted to let you know how much we love you...our first grandson...
Now you are such a big boy.. we can hardly believe it!
It was so much fun to go to your Birthday party!!!
You are three years old now!!!
We love you Jared!
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
The year of the babies
You might say,"I thought this was about babies, but there is a natural order of things and you have to give allowance for all the memories of my 60+ mind! Pacience please!
In 2007 Cristina and Stephen thrilled our hearts when they told us they were expecting our first grandchild. I rememeber all the plans that were made to be able to be there for that event.
As I said before in the blog about Joshua we have been kept in the loop from Guatemala through the wonderful blogs my son Philip and our daughter "in love" have written and we have been amazed and grateful at all the Lord has done in the NICU where Josh spent so many days. We are grateful now that he is home and adjusting to just being a normal little boy.
On the right you can see the proud but tired mama and her baby.
Friday, September 25, 2009
Introducing myself-Noah William Gamblin
So September 3rd my Daddy and my mommy found out I was a boy. Mommy Anita and Daddy Nick called my "Mimi" and my "Papi" to tell them that a Gamblino was inded on the way. It wasn't too long that they had decided to name me Noah (which means peaceful or provider of comfort) William (which means resolute protector or noble spirit)
I am really getting more active as I grow. My Mommy Anita says that I really get active in the afternoon sometimes. My grandmother says that I am a fearfully and wonderfully made. I am in that secret place and God sees me as I develop. Even before I make my appearance all my days have been planned ahead of time for me and written in His book. (Psalm 139:14-16). I am a blessed baby!
Sunday, September 13, 2009
Mi papa Carlos Whitten --un hombre excepcional
Carlitos crecio con sus dos otros hermanos, Pablo y W.A. Ellos ayudaban a su Papa y a su Mama con todo el trabajo que siempre hay en una granja. A veces les tocaba trabajar afuera con la vacas, los cerdos, y las gallinas ademas del cultivo. Pero otras veces les tocaba trabajar adentro con su Mama que entre algunas cosas incluia trabajar en la cocina como no nacieron hermanitas que le puedieran ayudar. Nosotros, sus hijos, nos criamos oyendo todas las historias de lo que era ordenar una vaca y todas las demas cosas que hicieron.
1. Lo secreto? (lo interno)
Cuando Papa conocio y en tiempo se caso con Nela Dean Mitchell,o Indy como muchas la conocian, el practico estas reglas en su relacion con ella. Los dos para este tiempo sabian que tenian un llamado del Senor al pueblo habla hispano, y no fue mucho tiempo despues de casarse que sen encontraron en Medellin, Colombia estudiando Espanol y despues siguieron a Argentina. Ellos se casaron en Junio y para Agosto ya estaban estudiando en Medellin. Yo se que los ajustes tiene que haber sido tremendos para esta parejita que habia sido criado en grangas sencillas en Lousiville, y Weir, Mississippi. Ellos no podian mandar un e-mail ni hablar por Skype ni ver a sus parientes por una camara de la red. Mis abuelitos en Louisville en su granja ni tenian un telefono.
Pronto yo estaba aprendiendo compartir a mi Papa con mi hermano David. Yo estoy segura con todas sus responsibilidades de maestro en el Seminario alli en Buenos Aires, Argentina, y el trabajo pastoral mi Papa debio estar cansado muchos dias pero siempre tenia tiempo para nosotros. El bosillo de mi Papa siempre era una fascinacion para esa ninita en la foto.
Cuando llegamos a Barcelona en Espana Margarita llego a nuestra familia y aqui le pueden ver a mi Papa llegando a la casa del Seminario y tomando tiempo para pasar con sus tres hijos.
Monday, August 31, 2009
A special man--My Dad
1. How does it affect me?
2. How does it affect others and my influence on them?
3. How does it affect the cause of Christ?
Will it meet the tests of:1. Secrecy? (within)
2. Universality? (without)
3. Prayer? (above)
When he met and ultimately married Nella Dean Mitchell or Indy as most people knew her, he practiced those rules in his relationship with her. They both knew they were called to go for the Lord to somewhere where they spoke Spanish.. and soon they began studying Spanish in Medellin, Colombia and then on to Argentina. They were married in June and in August were studying in Medellin. I know the adjustments must have been great for this couple who had been raised simply on farms in Louisville, and Weir MS. They couldn't send an e-mail, nor Skype, no see their folks on a webcam. My grandparents in Louisville didn't even have a phone.
When we moved to Spain ,Margaret came to join our family and here you can see my Daddy coming home from the Seminary and taking time to spend time with his now three children.
So after being in the Iberian peninsula in Spain for many years, then some years in the Canary Islands, and finally the last years of their ministry in Equatorial Guinea [the only country in Africa that speaks Spanish] my parents retired. They helped train young missionary candidates for several years and then they lived in their own home for a period of time and eventually moved into Trace Pointe Assisted Living. I watched as they adjusted to the life of retirement. They actually never retired from their concern for people's lives. They have been a blessing there where they are .. to the other retirees.
Life has not been a bed of roses for my Dad. He lost his central vision with Macular Degeneration and then my mother went deeper into Altzheimer's. She has progressed into total care there at Trace Point and I know how hard it has been for my Daddy after 62 years of marriage to feel like he is "loosing her a little bit at a time." He lives in his own efficiency apartment in the afternoon and night and spends the morning with my mother. Life is lonely at times for Daddy, not having my mother's fellowship a lot of the time.
I have been blessed to see how my Daddy has walked this time out. He prays faithfully for his children, and his many grandchildren and now great children. He "reads" a lot of books with books for the blind on cassette tapes. He listens faithfully to his three chapters a days of the Bible on Cassette Tape. He ministers from time to time in the daily devotionals held every week day for the residents. The latest hard thing for him was to lose his hearing out of one ear.. and that threw him further off balance. Even with all that my Daddy hesitates to tell me how he is.. he doesn't want to give me an "organ" recital. He always points out to me when we talk on the phone that "others have it a lot worse than I do".
So thinking about this approaching birthday of my soon to be 87 year old Daddy I am so thankful for the man he is. He still delights in his children, his grandchildren, and now in his great grandchildren. I am so grateful for all that his life has been to me his oldest daughter. He won't be able to see this because of his Macular Degeneration. He was enjoying using the computer before he lost his vision. I lament that fact at times, but he has been able to accept his limitations and move on. I honor my Daddy.. I am of all women blessed to have such a man as my Daddy. I have asked that the Lord prepare my heart for the day when he will call him home but I am thankful that now he is still here and I always look forward to the phone calls to him and the times when I can spend time with him.
My Daddy is indeed "like a tree planted by streams of water, which has yielded his fruit in season and whose leaf has not withered. Whatever he has done has prospered. " I honor Charles Whitten, who "has delighted in the law of the Lord and has meditated on it day and night." just as it says in Psalm 1. What a heritage he has given me!