In His Light | 2024 Annual Update

It is dark here in Dallas, TX. I am typing this in the middle of the night (yea mid-life!) bathed in just the light of a single lamp. The rest of the space around me is very dark. Yet, it feels safe and warm. We have learned that this is how it feels to be living in God’s light and by His light. The darkness of the “unknowns” is real. But the safety of being in His light is warm and safe. It is in this perfect light that not only are we abiding, but as it moves, we are learning to step with it. To step with Him.

When Steve and I lived in Anson, TX, prior to the concussive 180 in our life, we would always take a bright flashlight out with us to walk the dogs in the early mornings, before the sun came up. We needed a flashlight, not to light up the entire yard but to shine brightly on the area right in front of us. We needed to see that where our foot was about to land was safe, because Anson had rattlesnakes. We needed the light at our feet, just a bit ahead of our steps so we could see that our path was clear of snakes.

In Psalm 119:105 we read that God gives us His word to guide us, to be a light on our feet and a lamp to our path. We don’t need to wander aimlessly through life fearing our next step will cause us harm. We even find peace in not needing to see what is at the end of the path. As we abide with Him, it can feel very much like we are sitting by a small campfire in a dark forest. There is enough warmth and light for what we need if we just stay close. We can choose to venture into the dark forest without Him, or we can wait until He moves. When the fire moves, we simply move with it, not ahead of it. The idea of single steps, one step at a time, stepping only where the light of God guides has been the theme for 2024, and it’s been Good.

When our 2023 chapter closed, we were on “assignment” at my childhood home in upstate NY helping Mom navigate her “new normal” after Dad’s passing. It’s hard to believe he passed 3 years ago. With an unending list of tasks available, every day we were challenged to take a posture of listening with a readiness to obey. But, among the daily projects we also had times of “something new.”

We were able to take the planned month-long trip in February to SE Asia, which I had dubbed a “vision trip.” The sole purpose of this trip was to go with open eyes to see what God was doing and open ears to hear if He was calling us back. Outside of paying for plane tickets that book ended a month of time with an arrival and departure in Singapore, we left all other trip details to God. We like to say we cast a wide net and allowed Him to surprise us with the fish. And the net was certainly filled. We spent time in a couple of cities in Malaysia and Indonesia as well as doing some memory soaking in Singapore. Strangers became friends as we were invited to stay in homes of people living out the “abiding with God” posture, and we were loved on by local friends we hadn’t seen in years, getting to know their families for the first time. It was a time of receiving both comfort in memories and a new way of looking at our lives. We didn’t plan any big excursions or adventures. We tried to get away from other tourists as much as possible, spending quiet times with God, simply sipping kopi in a hawker center, or walking miles through random neighborhoods, listening as we went. Each day we got up and said, “What do you have for us today, Lord.” It was the best kind of trip.

Perhaps what we were learning was the best kind of living. Like the flashlight on our Anson yard in the dark of early morning, or His word to my ways of thinking and living, there is security in letting Him reveal each day as it comes. There was freedom in this because after Lena’s wedding in September, we again neared a “cliff of unknown.” We had no idea what our next assignment would be but by midsummer we knew He was moving us on to a new “assignment.” Staying with Mom forever was never the plan, but that unknown next step was looming ever closer.

Spring and summer were largely filled with wedding prep but also taking time for a lot of walks. Being in nature, in His creation (and not just the oceanside), was more healing than we had before experienced.

In May we attended a conference where we heard stories of not just a few hundred churches being planted in far off places but of hundreds of thousands of people coming into relationship with Jesus, coming to knowledge of the light of God. It was a picture of multiplication, of God’s power reaching across political boundaries and bringing hope. We knew this was preparing us for something but, even after returning from our trip to SE Asia, the details were still unknown.

We enjoyed one last Walter Family Disney trip gifted by Mom and Dad and had a brief visit with Steve’s parents in Florida. While a decent number of the Walter extended family couldn’t be at Disney (including Lena and Wyatt), it was a nice time to be together and thank God for the memories of life Mom and Dad had provided. This sentiment carried right on into Lena and Colin’s wedding in September.

Thanks to Steve and Wyatt’s labor, a bit of my gardening, and of course Mom’s generosity, the property was beautiful on September 14. God provided the most perfect weather and clear blue skies to display an almost magical forest venue. With guests seated on benches made from lumber scavenged from around the property, and a backdrop of Grandpa’s Pond sparkling in the filtered sunlight, Lena and Colin exchanged their vows. This day was their beginning for sure, but for Steve and me, it was the most beautiful close to our “assignment” there at 572 Buck Rd in Lansing, New York.

In those final weeks of August, God was faithful to reveal our next step, but nothing more. We were invited to participate in training with a small mission agency based in Dallas. On our February trip, we had met quite a few people associated with this group and we shared their love for Jesus and were infected by their passion to “launch disciple-making movements among peoples all over the globe who have yet to hear the name of Jesus.” We accepted the offer and again, proceeded to lay before God the details. Who would take the dog and cat? Where would we live? How would we pay for this? And we were not at all surprised when every single detail was taken care of.

In abiding with Him, listening and obeying without a plan delineated on a spreadsheet or answers to all our questions He is amazing us with His faithfulness. We know, engulfed in His light, we are where we need to be, and He will shine on that next step in His time. And in the brief time He has us here in Dallas (10 weeks in all), He has us in a place of sanctuary, a safe place to let Him strip off old rags and replace them with beautiful robes. This is in no way a time of comfort but in it we’re finding rest, a new way of responding to Him, and He is filling us with the desire to let others know about His light.

Our children have been so supportive as they each navigate their own lives.

Hannah and Tyler rejoiced with us in Tyler’s safe homecoming from his deployment. While facing numerous challenges like severe mold spreading throughout their military-issued home and accompanying health issues, they are also finding joy in their church family. Tyler has been given new orders but the details of which have yet to be revealed to him. Hannah continues to march toward the completion of her degree and is excited to see the end in sight. We are cheering them both to a finish line in August but what their steps will be after are still unknown.

Wyatt was not able to take his planned trip to Ecuador in February because of political unrest. This was disappointing but he continued to work on projects around the property and for others in the community. In August Wyatt moved to Philadelphia. He went without a job or a place to live. He has since found both, and he took the cat! His stories of the people he encounters, and his experiences are both tragic and beautiful. Wyatt is a dreamer, but like us, lives life a day at a time. His RV is still in Lansing and is available should you know of someone interested.

Lena and Colin are living in Newark, OH with Nugget. Colin is enjoying his job as a photographer and content creator on the marketing team with an outdoor company. We are so thankful for the blessing of two passions being combined into one job for him. Lena will be finishing her final two classes with Liberty and is excited to explore the idea of starting a marketing company in the car industry. They both love cars, and Lena has enjoyed her continued partnership with a company that hosts car racing events. She hopes her connections will open doors for more work in the industry.

Eva Lynn is still at Liberty, with Tater Tot and her 2 birds, and continues to find ways to renew. She started a new job as a gymnastics coach and really loves what she does. She also discovered a new love for powerlifting. This is a world about which Steve, and I know nothing. In the coming semester she was invited to join two resume-building design teams at Liberty. She is very excited about these opportunities, but as she looks ahead to life after college in 2026, she too is facing a cliff’s edge. We try to reassure her that we are all stepping one step at a time together. I wish I had learned this at her age.

So, what is next for us? We do know that we will finish our time here with Beyond (Beyond.org) and will be leaving with an even stronger resolve that in our unshackled, newly focused life we are to return to a mandate given to us in 1993 and in fact to all Jesus followers before He left this earth. We know we want to be a part of what God is doing and walking with those who are just finding Him. We are seeking His will on another trip to SE Asia and again trusting Him with the details. My job with ACU will end in a few weeks and we will officially be one hundred percent focused on the task at hand. While we wait for Him to provide for our needs, while we wait for His light to shine on our next steps, we will keep our eyes fixed on Him. Living in the laser focused light that shines just ahead of us on our path is exactly where we need to be.

We want to leave you with an image that I think will be understood by most of you. Close your eyes and imagine a common Christmas experience in western churches - the candlelight service. The room is quite dark and quiet. Bodies around you are only dark featureless shadows. In the front left corner of the room a single large candle is lit, shining a light on the face of a single person. Suddenly that shadow becomes Someone, revealing an individual with a life story. That person takes her candle and shares the flame with another. Now there are two faces, two lives, and a slightly larger area is illuminated. While the first person moves to the second row to light another candle, the second person leans to his neighbor and lights that candle. The original candle continues to share its flame with each row, triggering the sharing of light across the room. The individual lights are multiplying and the light in the room is growing. The warm light fills the room, but no single candle is doing all the work. It is the light that each person holds, light that originated from a single source, all combined to fill the room. Shadows become Stories as individuals emerge from the mass of faceless identities. So, it can be as the light of God spreads across the world. This is our desire to be a candle, lighting other candles with His light, encouraging others to share likewise. This we believe is God’s desire. That the whole world would be filled with His light. That in His light all darkness will flee.

As you celebrate this season of Christmas, how can you too share the light of Jesus? How can you join us in this story of bringing His light to the world, one step at a time? If you don’t know this light of the world that came in the form of a baby, let us share our flame with you. If you don’t know how you can share your flame let’s talk. If you are living in His light and this letter resonates with you, we ask that you pray for us as we wait expectantly to see His light shine at our feet illuminating the next place to step. There is so much more that we wanted to share but we know this letter has already pushed the boundaries of most attention spans. We send this with warm thoughts of you and who you are to us. We send this with hopes that we can connect in this coming year beyond our digital worlds. We send this with a thank you to those of you who have already offered to partner with us and in the hope that others of you will want to as well.

With much love and hope that the Light of the World will shine brightly on your path this year, 

Steve and Tanya

Letting Go, Trusting God ... wash, rinse, repeat

Our oldest daughter Hannah felt a pull on her heart from God at the young age of 14 to bring awareness to the horrors of the sex-trafficking industry.  Because of our connections to Asia her heart has been especially tender for the young victims in Thailand, Cambodia, Indonesia, India to name just a few.  She and her brother Wyatt started a fund-raising "business" (New Creations 517)selling hand-made products and gave EVERY penny from the sales to various organizations around Asia that are working on the front-lines to combat this form of modern-day slavery.  Over the years Hannah has educated herself and whenever she is given a listening ear will educate others.

One organization to which our family is closely connected is Thrive Rescue, located in Thailand. This past spring we had the blessing of visiting Thrive and staying in the dorms of The Justice School.  We were treated to a tour of their rescue homes and got to meet some of the precious princes and princesses they have helped to pull out of the Hell on Earth in which they had been enslaved.  As a family this was an amazing opportunity.  However, for Hannah and Wyatt it was a huge step in their journeys.

For Wyatt, who is still unsure the direction God is pointing him, it was a chance to see the breadth of God's work out there.  Wyatt spent an evening (into the wee hours) working with a young man who was helping to build a salon for Thrive and Shear Love (an occupational training arm).  Wyatt sweated side by side with this amazing man who has devoted his life to serving with his carpentry skills where-ever God may take him around the world.  Wyatt was able to think more broadly about where and how God might use his skill set.

For Hannah, well, her experience may have been the result of a lax in my parental judgement but I like to see it as the Holy Spirit blinding me to logic and sense in a moment when I needed to to say 'yes' to something that should probably have been NO WAY!

Hannah spent that same night with the founder and director of Shear Love and a few other curious young women out in the streets of Pattaya Thailand.  For those of you who aren't familiar with Pattaya...it has beaches, it has street shopping, it has amazing food.  Yes.  But what many come from far and wide for is a different "commodity".  Hannah got a first hand, front row seat kind of view into the brothels, bars and sex business of this infamous city.  This evening solidified in her what she already knew God was calling her to.  It was this night out listening to stories of barely dressed, overly painted young girls, girls close to her same age -- girls who never got to be Girls -- that cemented in her heart a resolve to dedicate her Life to changing Others'.

Fast forward several months and Hannah is now a prospective student for the 2017 Justice School class in Thailand.  She hopes to raise the almost $6000 she needs in time and is trusting God for every penny.

And so this brings me to the title of this post...Hannah has been my Little Girl for 18 years and though I have known for most of those years that I will need to Let go, it has only been recently that this thought has brought me pain.  In this pain I can know with my heart that I need to Trust God, but getting my heart to obey is a daily, sometimes minute by minute challenge.  Its a cycle like the one we see written in the directions on our shampoo bottles.  Let Go...Trust God...Repeat!

And a year later...

...And a year later I have learned that I really am not a good blogger.  I find that Life for me can get way too busy and filled to take the time to write.  Although I am an avid journal writer I don't take enough time to sit and really reflect on Life

Life here in Quito still feels unsettled and this is very disappointing for us as a family.  It probably does not help that we have already moved-in three times to different places within this city in such a short time.  It probably doesn't help that the kids' school has been unstable and sitting on the edge of "will we still exist tomorrow" for months.  It probably doesn't help that we have not found "community" -- not a church family, not a group of friends.  It probably doesn't help that Life seems to go on for everyone around us yet no one really seems to care whether we are here or not.  It probably doesn't help...that I am focusing on each of these circumstances rather than the Greater things that matter to Eternity.

What are the Greater things?  On what should I focus?

When I change my thought habits and choose to see that Circumstances are nothing more than temporary conditions I find myself freed of the burden of trying to change things.  I find my vision is cleared to see so much more around me.  I find my mind filled with Dreams and my heart filled with Hope...again.  I find myself At Home.

So what does this mean for me as we head into another school year and the second half of our second year?  It means I will try again.  I will try to embrace this place in which God has us for a Season.  I will serve the kids' school with self-sacrifice where God calls me to serve and not feel guilty when I say no.  I will choose to see each person who crosses my path as a potential part of my Community from whom I can learn and to whom I could give.  It means lifting up my husband through his struggles and encouraging him to keep on keeping on.

And so, a year later from my last post, one thing that does not surprise me is that once again God is teaching me, growing me and holding me.

New Creations - Flashback

Rumblings vs Eternity

  I have found that two months here in Quito have really flown by quite quickly and yet it seems like Kentucky was so long ago...I am sure you know what I mean.  It is interesting because although there is not a lot happening in this temporary home I find the days flying by.  I guess that is good.
  We have been attending the only english speaking church which has been nice but we also find that our Sunday evening "church" as a family, watching our beloved Southland online has blessed us as a family.  I am not sure if this will continue as we know it is important to connect with a local body of believers but for now its a nice cushion.
  Personally, I am reading Romans (again) and trying to slow down to appreciate the fullness of the book.  I am also reading a book by Francis Chan and his wife Lisa on the importance necessity of keeping an eternal perspective.  I find myself asking, "Does this matter to eternity"?  It helps with the circumstantial factors that can so easily blind and frustrate.  While this time in a hotel has been less than wonderful, I don't want to miss the possibility that God has us here for Growth, for Rest and for Perspective.  Its ok.
  As a quick update, Quito, and all of Ecuador for that matter, are rumbling.  Rumbles are coming from  the volcanoes as well as the people.  We wonder which will blow first.
  This country appears to be on the verge of a revolution or perhaps a colossal fizzle if El Presidente declares himself a dictator.  Either way, change is around the corner.  We watched a long protest parade last night march right below our windows.  My eyes welled up.  I think its pretty awesome watching a nation care enough to peacefully march for a change.  I am not going to say one way or another if I support their position, but I will say that too many people in the USA take this freedom for granted.  Many who marched right past my window last night may find themselves without a job in the near future.
  While all of this political simmering is happening, there are rumbles and bubbling happening further down under our feet.  Quito is nested among four large volcanoes with many "smaller" ones around.  There are at least two Gaua and Cotopaxi that have "significantly" increased their "seismic activity" and "steam emissions" in just the past few weeks.  Access to one of the volcanoes has been closed to the public.
  No one seems especially concerned.  I guess I won't be either, but I have suggested that we get some duct tape and face masks...apparently these supplies are the equivalent to needing blankets and flares in your car during a Buffalo winter.
  So how do these rumblings, both of the Natural and Political type, affect my Eternal Perspective?  They don't.  They are circumstantial and I am Trusting God in the details...even if the details include violent rioting or noxious gases and ash spewing from a mountain.  He is in Control.  T

 Cotopaxi steaming two days ago.

Where is my Trust?

  For someone who really doesn't have much of a Life yet here I certainly do have difficulty finding time to write...Perhaps its that I am not particularly motivated yet.  I would encourage you, if you haven't already, to take some time to visit a few other blogs written by the girls.  You may get a more interesting perspective.

http://faithfultravels.blogspot.com/

http://willistheway.blogspot.com/

http://ridingthehillsofchange.blogspot.com/

  It does appear, since the deadline has passed for contesting, that our housing is set for what they call The Valley.  We won't be in the actual valley of Cumbaya but just a bit north in Miravalle and still just as far from where the rest of our Life will be happening--Kids' school (45 min-hour drive), Steve's work (30 min-hour drive), Bible Study for me (25-45 min drive).  Basically, it appears I will have two choices: 1.  Be in the car A LOT or 2.  Stay home and blog.  For all of our sake I do hope I can make the most of driving.  I haven't had too much luck in finding a driver which is still my hope.

  All in all the lesson I have been learning is all wrapped up in the word Trust.  Since learning about this move just under one year ago (May 21) to today everything about this transition has required Trust but in whom am I placing that Trust?   I am not one who needs nor wants to be in control of my life.  Submitting to another's authority is never much of a struggle for me...maybe call it weakness or laziness, but its true none-the-less.  However, I am often misguided in where I place that Trust.

  At times I am disappointed because circumstances don't align with what I think is Good and I realize my trust is in other's making the Right decisions.  I am disappointed if a decision is made that seems to completely ignore my Needs or Desires.  I am not one to require much from others, even from my spouse and kids.  I am one who often just goes along with the whims, desires and certainly the needs of my family.  But, occasionally something arises in my Life where I am really panicked for a decision to bend towards my desired outcome.  I am panicked not because I need things to be my way but because if they aren't then perhaps the one making the decision doesn't really care about what I want or need.  You see its not so much about the Decision itself as it is the motivation or attention of the one making the Decision.

  It is at these moments of panic that I am often gently redirected to His face and I know He is saying," Really Tanya?  Do you not Trust Me?  Do you really not believe that I am in control of this decision and the outcome for you will be Good?"  Instead of worrying about any kind of ulterior motives or lack of concern for me or someone else's apparent selfishness...I need to continually rest in the authority that my Heavenly Father has over every aspect of my Life...including how in the world will I ever ...?


  

Home...unsettled Home

So I hope you are able to enjoy some Hannah's pics on Facebook.  Any you see here may have to be begged off of her.

Life has been quiet but I wouldn't say peaceful.  There have been the expected frustrations but also a few that have been more personal and more challenging.  However, we are continuing to put our trust in Him for He is the reason we are here.

We have been able to visit THE english speaking church in Quito and the kids have spent some time at the school they will be attending (God-willing) in the fall.  The older two are even off to an evening with an LDS youth group. I must say that sending my two kids off in a taxi in a foreign country, not knowing the language, by themselves....well this has by far been my biggest challenge.  As I type I am awaiting their arrival text.

It is very strange being in between "homes".  As EL said, with tears pooling, "I just can't settle in.  I am tired of the wait."  I believe there is a reason for this time of waiting before we are put into our new home.  One major blessing I see is that we are within walking distance of the school.  This has given us access to the campus that we may not have had if we had been immediately placed in our house.  Our house is quite a bit further south and east...actually outside of Quito proper.  So for now the Sheraton Quito IS "Home".

God's Work (and being thousands of feet above Sea Level) Takes Your Breath Away

   

  Wow!  An actual full family photo (credit Amy Altland) and we only needed to climb to 13000 feet above sea level for it to happen.  Maybe everyone was too short on oxygen to argue.  We spent an absolutely lovely day with a wonderful family we are getting to know already here in Quito.  We took a cable car (Teleferico) up Mt Pichincha one of the four volcanoes that border the city.  For this lady who has an inexplicable fear of heights it was quite a feat to go from around 9300 ft to 13000 ft in about 5 minutes.  I can't really describe the feeling except that I felt like my lung capacity had been cut in half and my need for air doubled.  I was secretly glad that our youngest had a cold which made her movement even slower.  However, by the time we reached the point where most of us stopped (5 others went a bit higher) the amazing views of Quito, and more awesomely the natural world around Quito took my breath away...well not that there was much more breath to be taken.  It was surprisingly cold but to be outside way above the noise, smells and insanity of the city far below, well it was just what our spirits needed.

Buenos dias, tarde, noche,...hola?

Well, it was almost a year of preparation, of emotional ups and downs, of unknowns...and yet I sit here still pinching myself that we are actually in Quito, Ecuador.  We have now hit every continent except the big chunk of ice further south which we have no intention of hitting.  I am still not sure about my first impressions as landing at a new post with the government requires a lot of briefings and a whole lot of waiting while your Life is set up for you in some ways.  However, there is also a whole lot of "just figure it out" moments.

We feel more than blessed with our "temporary" home for the next four months until our official house is ready for us.  I don't have much cleaning, only some laundry to do and as of right now almost every meal has been prepared in a restaurant.  I am feeling that this will grow old quickly as Quito is not quite the eating capital that Singapore was.

The kids are all experiencing things in their own way with moments of excitement and moments of tears as are expected with these types of transitions.  I keep reminding them that technology alone makes their situation far easier than was mine in the 80's moving to India.  But, non-the-less culture shock is still what it is.

We are heading to the school on Monday and I hope this will help give us all a bit of an anchor.  We have been greeted by some wonderful people who have reached out and been truly welcoming, something that was lacking from our last transition.

Language is a funny thing.  I am forever amazed by a group of people who can communicate the same thoughts, feelings, jokes, concepts, etc as I do and yet use words and sounds that mean absolutely nothing to me.  I do have hope that we will all progress in our Spanish to some useful level soon, but for now we try to keep a sense of humor as we say things like "Voy a llegar  la comida" instead of "llevar" saying that I will "arrive the food" instead of "take the food to go".  But most people seem to laugh and smile right along with us.  I must say that as one who loves to sit and discuss the "deeper" things of Life...I will most certainly not be sounding too profound in Spanish for a while.

Needing to round up people and get pumped for dinner.  (Yes, every event requires some sort of a pep rally)  Hasta luego!  T

It Happens in a Blink, it happens in a Flash...

Wow!  How do you have four years fly by in barely a blink?  There can be one of two ways I guess.  You are either having such an amazing Life that days are barely noticed as months feel like days.  Another way is that you spend the time looking back for so long that you miss the Time.  Sadly, I can relate to the second more than I care to admit.

Leaving Singapore was one of the most challenging shared experiences for this family.  We always knew it would be temporary and we truly missed being on the same side of the world as our extended family.  But, we never expected to establish roots not only with dear people but also with a wonderful culture.  Foods, traditions and even little mannerisms and silly ways of saying things (Still tell the kids to get in the queue or to top up a drink) came with us to America, stuck on like they had always belonged there.  Signs of our Life in Asia are found all over our home and strange random memories often come to mind at odd times.  Singapore is a BIG part of who the Will Family is.  True.  But God had moved us to Kentucky and we made a mistake I hope not to make again.  We held too tightly to Egypt.

That wasn't a typo.  After two years here in Kentucky we had the incredible blessing of being able to return "home" to Singapore.  Oh it was wonderful.  We landed in Changi and all immediately sighed deeply, the tears flowed.  Dear friends' smiling faces greeted us through the glass at the baggage claim.  BUT during this all too short three week visit God spiritually scolded me and it was needed.

The Jewish people had been enslaved by Egypt for years.  When finally freed they reached a point where they focused so much on their difficult circumstances that they actually begged to be allowed to go back to Egypt.  They found themselves wandering in a wilderness, unable to move onto their Promised Land because they held onto a past Life and were unable to Trust God with the path forward to their new Life.  While in NO WAY was my Life in Singapore comparable to the Jewish enslavement in Egypt, our inability to "let go" of Singapore did impede our ability to truly embrace the blessings of our Life here.  That started to change dramatically after we returned from Singapore that spring of 2012.

We have learned to trust God that by "letting go" of Asia and our Life there, did not mean that we would lose either in our hearts.  Technology, while often such an annoyance to this mom of teens, has been a blessing in making our Life there seem much closer.  Knowing that I could reach my dear sisters in Singapore or Indonesia simply by opening my computer or phone, actually gave me the ability to close both and start living my Life here in Kentucky.

Kentucky is beautiful...but that will be for another post.  T 

Lake Toba Indonesia January 2010

Wow what a trip and amazing experience this 5 day excursion to Lake Toba in Sumatra Indonesia was. From moments of complete awe at God's creation to moments where we felt as though we had stepped into a scene from Romancing The Stone, this trip was filled with memory-making adventures. Lake Toba is a Voclanic crater lake created after an eruption about 70 million years ago. It is theorized that this eruption was a super-eruption that may have triggered one of the last ice ages. What is left now is an island in the middle of Asia's largest fresh water lake and a few hot springs are all that is left of the once active volcanoe. The native people around the lake are called Batak and the houses are very unique. Another unique characteristic is that this area 5 hours East of Medan is probably the largest Christian population in Indonesia. The agriculture is still very traditional but on the drive to the lake we passed modern agriculture being used on Bridgestone's rubber-tree plantation and even signs of research being done by Pioneer Seed. Sadly we saw no sign that such big industry was giving much of a financial boost to the local economy. One of favorite experiences was the day we spent on a privately chartered boat touring different areas along the island of Samosir in Lake Toba. We stopped and saw an ancient stone counsel area where the local kings would hold court determining the fate of accused criminals. Sitting in the ancient stone throne where kings had sat throughout the generations was sobering and even more so was seeing the large stone table where many had been executed. While wandering around this area a man of about 55 approached Steve and asked if we were from the USA. Steve cautiously answered yes and then the man asked us if we knew Buffalo. What!!!!? Here we are in the middle of nowhere and a local man is asking if we know of Buffalo. Well it got better. This man proceeds to tell us that he is an aerospace engineer who had worked in Buffalo for about a year before returning to Bandung Indonesia to build airplanes. About three weeks ago his brother had called him back to Lake Toba to help him. You see his brother was the king. Then the man showed us where they had buried his brother, the king, who had died just a week ago. Sure enough there was a flower wreathe that looked about a week old. He told us several other interesting stories but was so humble. Steve then asked, "So who is king now?" and the man very meekly replied, "I am". He then let the kids look into his home which stood right in front of the ancient stone court room. Wow, to find someone in the middle of nowhere who knows of Buffalo, has lived in Buffalo and who just happens to be the king! Well the rest of our experiences in Lake Toba included hikes through the farms and villages, a bit of shopping, some amazing food. The kids loved the fishing and swimming in the lake each morning and afternoon and I loved the tranquility of it all. This is a trip to remember!

Dearest Friends and Family,
Well this will be our final Christmas greeting from Singapore as we now know that we are in the final months of our life in Asia . We expect to be stateside again by the end of summer 2010. We plan to make the most of our remaining time here not only in travels but also in time spent with the wonderful friends who have touched us and made our experiences here all the richer. While coming “home” will be wonderful, leaving this “home” will certainly pierce our hearts. So here is what everyone has been up to since last December.
Steve continues to work hard at work but hasn’t traveled as much this year. We chose to spend his birthday this year in Capetown South Africa and where the Jackass Penguins were a highlight for him. He was also thrilled with two more trips to Australia. He went to Canberra for work but we went as a family to Darwin, a wonderful rural area in the northwest. We even enjoyed wild kangaroos and wallabies from horseback. He continues to enjoy growing his peppers and plants but is more than ready for a “real” yard.
Hannah, 11, has taken her love of fashion and started sewing lessons from a dear friend of ours. She has completed two outfits already, including the blue skirt she is wearing in one of the photos. She has been thriving as a homeschooler and I have to say it is a true blessing for me. She competed in her first archery completion and is coming along in her guitar.
Wyatt, 9, has also been growing as a homeschooler. He often has Hannah and I laughing with his quick comments. He is currently sporting braces but hopes to have them off soon. He too is taking archery and guitar but he finds most of his enjoyment playing outside with his buddies, cooking up new adventures. He is probably more starved for a yard than his father.
Lena, 7, continues to love school and is in first grade at SAS. She is an avid reader but is most happy looking at any book that has pictures of horses. She got to ride a horse for the first time this year in South Africa and then again while in Darwin. Now she is begging for more. She can’t wait to get a dog (if a horse is truly out of the question).
EvaLynn, 5, was our last one to head off to kindergarten and joined Lena this year at SAS. She absolutely loves school and never wants to miss a day. She is already reading some but would prefer to hone her social skills. No surprise there. She is always in dress up of some sort and loves having an older sister who will give her “make-overs” once in a while.
In addition to what I have mentioned above some of our other highlights were landing on the continent of Africa, kicking dried cow-patties in Australia, sitting on the edge of an active volcanoe in Indonesia and meeting President Obama. We have also continued to work with the Children’s Home in Batam Indonesia (Projek AnaKawan) and we will all agree that some of our most memorable moments have been made there.
So it is a bitter sweet thought to know that this will be my last Christmas greeting to you from Singapore but we hope and pray that the relationships we have made will follow us on in our next life adventure.
We thank you for your love for our family and we hold you dear to our hearts. We wish you a very Merry Christmas and a year of blessings and joys.
Always looking to Christ,
Tanya, Steve + kids

Wow am I a bad blogger or what?! That last post was almost a full year ago. To briefly catch you up to date on the Will Family in Singapore enjoy the photo updates. They show our Christmas, Grandma Walter's visit around Chinese New Year in February, and our trip to Cape Town South Africa in May.

The missing months were not all that exciting as we didn't travel much. I continue to visit the Children's Home (AnaKawan) each month and am launching a brand new ESL (English as a Second Language) program there. If you are interested in sponsoring a child please let me know (tanyalwill2@gmail.com).

I started a ministry for preteen girls -- writing the "curriculum" and leading an 8 week class. The group wants to continue so we will start up again soon. The highlight for me was seeing God's faithfulness in leading me down this path. I have said it was like God told me to complete a puzzle but gave me only one piece at a time AND I had no idea what the final picture looked like. As I said, He was faithful and being able to experience this was awesome. We ended with a Mother/Daughter Tea and I hope to post some photos from this. Hannah and a dear friend did all of the food and decorations.

Speaking of Hannah, I forgot to say that I started homeschooling! When asked how this past semester went I simply reply, "I am looking forward to seeing how much better God will lead me this semester". Hehe. Truthfully, the challenge is not in the homeschooling but in protecting my time and keeping firm boundaries. Wyatt and Hannah will both be homeschooling this next year while Lena and EvaLynn head off to SAS.

We also spent a very quick weekend in Darwin Australia and enjoyed a horse ride with roos hopping all around and long walks through the bush. In July we spent a few days with Steve in Bandung (south of Indonesia) where we got up close and personal with a steaming active volcanoe. Pretty stinky I must say. I will try to post photos from both trips.

My blog is beginning to resemble my mom journal and the kids' baby books -- not very complete. Well at least it should give you a glimpse into our life here, which was my goal to begin with. Well back to the photo uploads! T

An Anakawan Christmas

Its official! My heart has been opened and layed bare --vulnerable. But it is in this state that I have found the depth of love God has allowed me to feel for 2 adults and 29 kids who were but strangers to me just two months ago. The kids and I, along with reps from 5 other IBC (International Baptist Church) families, lugged gifts, decorations and enthusiasm to Batam so that we could treat Pastor Willy, Ibu and the (as they are now called by us) Anakids to a very special Christmas party. While most of us set up and decorated for the party at a generous, yet probably less than a half star hotel nearby, Wyatt and Hannah joined the group that went to fetch the kids at the children's home. I heard later that when the vans pulled up a mob of kids came running out chanting, "Wyatt! Wyatt! Wyatt!" I wish I could have seen it but I was back at the hotel with the little girls and some others decorating and arranging the gifts for everyone. IBC families had purchased enough (really nice!) gifts so that each Anakid, as well as Pastor Willy, Ibu and their two adult kids could have three gifts each.

When the kids arrived the party began with games and swimming in a swimming pool, something the Anakids had said last summer they would love to do "someday". There weren't any swimsuits as the kids all swam in their clothes (probably one of their very few sets) and most couldn't swim so there was the occasional "going under", but there was also splashing and laughter galore! After games and swimming everyone changed and headed to the "banquet hall" (It was NOT fancy but to the Anakids it was). The rest of the evening was filled with eating (trying to convince the kids that the food was unlimited and that they didn't have to clear their own dishes was interesting), singing, laughter and so, so, so many smiles. Look at some of the girls in the photos with their gifts. I want to say Thank you to my siblings and nieces and nephews who sent photos and cards. You will see the cards in some of the photos too.

The next day (after a night of sleep that was WAY too short) we headed out to their home where the "party" continued. We did a craft, handed out goodie bags (real ones) and "goodie bags" (with new toiletries). It was here that I fulfilled my assigned task. Somehow I was the lucky one chosen to give the "dental hygiene talk". Ever been to a Christmas party with a dental hygiene talk? Seriously though, it gave me a chance to practice my VERY limited Indonesian and read a script that I had written in English and then translated. No one laughed - so my Indonesian was either amazing, unintelligible or they were very polite. My guess it was their manners. After another long day we headed back to Singapore exhausted.

The next day sitting at my QT table, I prayed for the Anakids as I usually do and I was overcome with emotion. It hit me that I am going to leave this part of the world some day soon (soon is relative). Will my little ones even remember after a few years? Will they remember us? God has us here for a purpose. I believe these experiences are part of it. But, I have to say that for every gift of joy, laughter, warmth and love I recieve from my time with them, there is now a price--pangs of hurt as pieces of my heart seem to break. I know in the back of my mind, its not forever.

Christmas Kicks off in Singapore

The weather hasn't changed, but the mood sure has as Singapore kicks off the Christmas 08 season. Orchard Road (like Rodeo Drive of Asia) is all decked out and most of these photos were taken in front of the Tanglin Mall which is the beginning of the Orchard Road drive. At this corner they are decorating with a Green Theme, with all the decorations made from recycled materials. The added fact that most of them were made by mentally challenged adults makes it even more impressive. The kids are enjoying Singapore's only "snow" made from soap flakes mixed with water and then forced out into the air through fabric tubes. Although it was kind of gross to think about and way gross to smell, the affect was rather neat. The kids had a great time and are begging to do it again. The mall shoots the snow several times a week throughout the Christmas season. For my (Tanya's) family members, Can I use a photo of an ornament for the Tacky Ornament contest? See if you can find the ornament I would have submitted. Feliz Navidad everyone (and oh by the way, Happy Thanksgiving.)

November 08 Return to Batu Aji

I did it! I went by myself, with all four kids, not only back to Indonesia, but also to the Children's Home in Baut Aji (See Project Anakawan post). Ok so I had help from a friend who hooked me up with the driver/translator and Steve made some phone calls so I could breeze through customs...but hey I still did it and for those of you who have known me for years recognize the awesomeness of this. Ok anyway this isn't about me. The kids and I ventured back to visit the kids and Ibu (mom) at the Batam Children's Home. We really had no intentions other than to continue growing our relationship with the kids. Since I can't do much more than play UNO with my limited Indonesian, I decided to take a craft project. We took the makings for tamborines. The kids and I showed them how to make these tamborines and then they used their new creations to put on a "recital/dance show" for us. Music is truly universal (as are smiles which we shared many of). I loved helping Ibu phonetically learn how to sing Oh Holy Night in English. She and I can't say much to each other in words, but I am in awe of her love for all of these kids. We left feeling so good and so much closer to these wonderful people. We can't wait for our next visit.

October 08

Well October has ended and we are on to Lena's 6th birthday and plans for our upcoming trip to Yogyakarta Indonesia at the end of November. Off to the right you will see a couple of new slideshows. One is of a tour that Hannah, Wyatt and Steve took of the USS Ronald Reagan which was docked here for a bit. It is the world's largest war ship. Besides Wyatt getting yelled at for sticking his head where it didn't belong (yes Steve got a photo before they caught him) and Hannah asking one of the officers the very difficult question, "what would you all do if this ship sunk?" I think it was a great time -- not to mention a great excuse to miss a morning of school.

The other slide show of course is of Halloween, which is always an interesting experience. From our Mello Lanterns (name given by a friend of ours) to the sweltering humidity in which we had to go trick or treating, Singapore Halloween is certainly different. In case a translation is needed, Hannah is NOT Paris Hilton, but is Hannah Montana. She is really wanting to know who Paris Hilton is now because all she knows is that Paris spent time in jail. Wyatt's costume was inspired by his new love of Steve Urkle from that 80's favorite, Family Matters. He said he might be Mr. Bean next year. Hmmm.... Oh and the other two can speak for themselves.

Well thats it for now. I will check back in after November's excitement, I hope.

Project Anakawan in Batu Aji Indonesia

Our whole family was so blessed by the opportunity to help clean and fix up a small orphanage in Indonesia last weekend. While there is still so much to do to just bring things up to livable it was an amazing time. We scraped, scrubbed, painted, washed, sweat, and more. I will try to get photos posted soon, but know that they can't even come close to communicating the experience. We aren't sure how long we need to wait before we rule out dysentary in the little girls who were armpits deep in the mucky water cleaning painting tools. Hannah has just had her second of 5 rabies shots needed after being bitten by a dog there. And Wyatt...I think he was spared any risks but came away asking yet again to be baptized. Both the older kids have expressed sincere changes of heart and a desire to do more. You will see in the photos some of the kids sporting yarn braids in their hair or on their body. These were made by Hannah and she hopes to return with supplies to do more things like this with them. Wyatt was so energized by the experience of reading the bible to a group of boys and can't wait to go do this again. He said there was a connection between him and the boys that he couldn't explain, even with a language barrier. I found that my Bahasa Indonesia has reached the amazing level of being able to play UNO and connected immediately with the kids over a HUGE load of handwashed laundry. My three unfolded loads sat back at home. Ironic. Steve was in his element working hard with a team to carry out a meaningful purpose. We hope to go back sometime soon.