Happy Holidays

I think most of our family has seen these pictures, but I wanted to practice getting stuff off of a website, to the blog, and it works! haha Our friend Kris took these pictures too. Our whole family has come down with a nasty cold and it seems like everyone else is coming down with it too. It seems like all we hear lately are coughs and sneezes and all the other lovely noises that accompany kids and colds. So, if you don't mind, pray that we get over this soon! We're sick and tired of being sick and tired.

What Christmas is Really About

Thanks to troops

A friend of mine forwarded this website, and I think it's great. Xerox is sending "Thank You" postcards to troops overseas. There's not a lot of support for our troops these days and I so appreciate a company taking initiative to honor the military. It's a great opportunity to say thanks for what they do, and it's quick and easy. Just go to: www.letssaythanks.com. You get to choose from several different postcards made by kids around the country. You can select a message or write your own. As Christians, this is a wonderful way to let someone know they are loved and prayed for. I hope you are blessed in blessing others!

I needed to hear this

Even more zoo pics

More zoo pics

We went to the Waco Zoo last weekend. I've been telling our neighborhood girls we would go for a while now, so this was their payment for babysitting! It was really nice not to have to push a stroller and our kids had a lot more fun with them there. They are so good with our kids and we all love them.

Zoo trip

Juliette's Art

Juliette was just drawing, so I thought I would share some pictures. She amazes me. So, when I asked her what the green one was, she said mad. It really does look mad. The purple one is supposed to be me. What a little artist she is!

So, on another note, we've found out some information about our next PCS (permanent change of station), in non-Army terms, that means where we will go in July. There are no spots open for family practitioners in Turkey. God opens and closes doors, and I guess that wasn't meant to be, at least for now. So, our rankings are Europe, Fort Drum in New York, Fort Polk (Louisiana), then and operational position in Europe. I can't remember the rest, Kentucky, Missouri, and Georgia are in there somewhere. Every graduating resident in the army has to put Fort Polk as a choice, and since we have it as third when everyone else probably has it as eighth, seems to mean we're a shoe in to the powers that be. Ray had an interview with the Colonel in charge of placement yesterday, and the whole conversation was him talking about Fort Polk. It seems they have already made up their minds. All we were praying for was God's will in the situation. It will be nice to be near family, especially since we were also informed that Ray will probably be deployed within a year after graduating residency. Ray already knew this, but it seems much more final with a Colonel saying it. God has all of this in control. We have faith that he is good and will work all things for our good and His glory.

We will be back home Thanksgiving week!! It will be great to see everyone!

Family pictures

Our friend Kris took these this weekend at the retreat.

Daddy and Gideon



















Juju riding along on the safari

Fun with Zebras

We had the family practice residency retreat this weekend. We went to a wildlife ranch while we were there. I think Ray and I had more fun than the kids. The zebras were particularly friendly.















I didn't really kiss this zebra.














This one was getting fresh with Ray, but he was more skiddish than me














Good ole Texas Hill Country

Hiking

Juliette's ride
I REALLY didn't like this hill.
Gideon enjoyed being held for a few hours. He's such a mama's boy.

We went hiking today with two of the other residents and their families. It was fun but I'm exhausted!!! The kids enjoyed it. Juliette said that she had fun in the jungle.

It's night night time.

They were supposed to each be in their rooms reading books and getting settled in for bed. That didn't work like I planned it. I'm so glad they have learned to enjoy spending time together.












I gave up and let Juliette "read" to Gideon. They both love books so much. We're just a booky family I guess.

The Daddy Cart

The kids love being hauled around by Dad. His improvised wagon has been an inspiration to Juliette, she has been toting Elmo around in one.














Parked in the "garage" with peanut butter on her face.











As I'm writing this, Juliette is outside and I looked out there and she was giving the dog a drink from her sippy cup...uuuuugh!!

Booth's visions

We were given a copy of the first vision at church a while back (I love my church!), and I thought it was wonderful. Ray found the second a few days ago on the internet. They are very long, so I will just give the web address. Take the time to read them. They are thought provoking and heart wrenching, but I believe you will be greatly blessed.

A Vision of Heaven
http://www.myfaith.com/William-Booths-Vision.htm

A Vision of the Lost
http://www.jesus.org.uk/vault/library/booth_vision_of_the_lost.pdf

General William Booth was the founder of the Salvation Army.

Juliette the Photographer

I am once again impressed with my 3-year old's abilities. She's been taking pictures for a while now and getting better at it each time. I guess it's kind of good that we have a camera that isn't fancy enough to let our daughter play with it (even though the pictures are slightly grainy.) It was such a nice day today, overcast and there was a cool wind, it even rained a little tonight. It was so refreshing after months of 105 degree weather and a severe drought. It was nice to be outside and hear all of the families in the neighborhood hanging out for the holiday.


I thought this one was cool. This is Gideon saying cheeeeeese. Juliette also took this one.

The Surprise Birthday Party

The neighborhood girls surprised me with an early birthday party today. They thought I was turning 34. haha. I feel like it sometimes. They got Gina's sister to take them to Wal-Mart. It was so sweet of my little surrogate children :). They are 10, 12, and 13. They came in with those little streamer poppers and brought a little chocolate cake with a candle that sang "Happy Birthday", a bubble blowing contest pack, balloon, necklaces, extra bubble gum (of course) and a tiara with blinking lights. It made me feel very special. They really are the sweetest kids and our family enjoys having them around immensely.
Gideon with left over streamers on his head eating cake

And the winner is...Barbara!

Gina and the aftermathRay was very impressed with the tiara

We had a fun time and the kids enjoyed it a lot. It was nice to feel like a kid again for a while. :)

Prime Minister, Free the Dalit

This came off of the Caedmon's Call website. We have their CD "Share the Well" and the last song on it is "Free the Dalit" and it talks about the untouchables in India's caste system. I thought it was a neat song, but since it has become Juliette's most recent favorite song, I've been thinking about it a lot more. It's sung in Hindi (maybe?) and English, so JuJu is always asking for "Sockaday" which is what the Hindi chorus part sounds like. Our pastor's wife was telling me that during Thanksgiving holidays, missionaries and others that are seeking reform in India and abolishment of the caste system are asking Westerners to come to India. They are asking that as a statement to the government, Christians will wash the feet of an untouchable, offer a cool glass of water and share the gospel. This article is very interesting though, and I thought it was something everyone should be aware of.

Caedmon's Call: Can you give an example of what the average daily life of a Dalit in India looks like?
Timothy Kasbe: Dalits are branded as impure from the moment of their birth. The Hindus believe that it is the birth right of an Untouchable or Dalit to be oppressed or downtrodden due to their and their ancestor's past sins. One out of every six Indian is a Dalit, landed at the bottom of the Hindu Caste System. Their fate scripted by the Hindu law, an untouchable person can imagine little else than working along the banks of a river, washing clothes, as they are permitted to handle items "polluted" by blood or human waste. Dalits would be lucky to earn $1 per day to load thousands of bricks from dawn to dusk. Their low status condemns them to the most menial work. It is not uncommon to see blatant acts of illegal discrimination against the Dalits - denying them access to temples and wells, forcing them to live in separate settlements. This prejudice can get deadly in villages where if a Dalit wanders into high caste part of town or earns money using high caste land or property, they could face getting disfigured by acid if not death itself. If a Dalit woman demands or questions something and her landlord does not like it, he will beat her or sexually harass her. 8 out of 10 Dalit women can't read or write and most are sold in bonded prostitution. It is common to find Dalit women serving as prostitutes in Hindu temples. These untouchable women become touchable at night!
CC: How did it come to be that this class of people was labeled 'untouchable?'
TK: The Hindu Holy Scriptures outline one of the longest surviving forms of social stratification. Embedded in the very fiber of Indian Culture for the past 3,500 years is the value that: "All men are created unequal". The Book of Manu teaches that from the head of god comes a Brahmin (highest caste Hindu) - the priests and teachers. From the chest come the Kshatriyas - the rulers and soldiers. From the thighs come the Vaisyas - merchant and traders. A fifth group describe the people who are achuta, or untouchable. The untouchable are outcasts... they are the unborn ones, meaning it would have been better for them to not be born. So, nearly 300 million people in India today are labeled as untouchables and this is direct result of the teaching and practice of Hindu religion.
CC: What are the consequences if a Dalit does something they are not entitled to do?
TK: Dalits could face serious injury if not death if they do something that they are not entitled to. For example, on Jan 7th, 2004, A Dalit, whose occupation is to carve Hindu idols out of wood, was so drawn into the temple after seeing on his creation being worshiped in the temple that he dared enter it. The Hindu priests shot him dead at the door of the temple.
Upper caste aversion to killing cattle, eating beef, gives the untouchables a monopoly in the tanning business. Last year, five Dalit boys who skinned a cow were killed for slaughter of the animal. The only embarrassing thing for India as a country was that the Shankaracharya or the Pope of Hindus, came out the next day saying that the life of a cow is more important than five Dalit boys!
Ramaprasad and Ramiakhan will never forget the day they fished in a pond used by upper caste Hindu villagers in Uttar Pradesh. The mob of Hindus doused the two Untouchables with acid.
CC: Why is it not currently an option for a Dalit person to work their way to a higher status?
TK: Dr. Ambedkar was the first Dalit to have received the benefit of the federal quota system instigated by the India Government, which only a few are fortunate enough to receive. He is the father of our Indian Constitution. But even after rising to the intellectual heights of being a constitutional lawyer and [earning a] doctorate from Columbia University, he faced just as intense and blatant discrimination as he did before he was educated. Dalit or high-caste, we all look the same. You are known as a Dalit by your accent or your last name. For example, it is a well-known fact that the Kasbe name comes from the Mahar caste, which is at the bottom of the outcast totem pole in India. The only way to help a Dalit person work their way to higher status is by dismantling the caste system and reversing the Hindu teaching that "all men are created unequal".
CC: Why are human rights such a strong and personal concern for you and what prompted you to get involved in Dalit Freedom?
TK: Human rights are such a strong concern for me because I believe all men are created equal. Not only are they created equal, but their creator God loves them all. He does not only love them but loves them to the point of giving his most prized son for their deliverance of captivity. On a personal level, my father came from the Dalit stock until an Australian missionary approached him and shared the good news of Christ with him. He was treated as equal by the Christian missionaries and was taught to read and write using the Bible. Our own lives as Dalits have been transformed by the power of the gospel of Christ Jesus. Christ's sacrifice on the cross brings meaning and value to the life of Dalit that no other spiritual way guarantees. I want all people of the world, Dalit and non-Dalit, to know the value Christ places on our lives and our freedom from bondage of spiritual, social and economic slavery.
CC: How has your campaign been effective so far?
TK: We know we are dealing with a culture ingrained in a country for 3,500 years. There is no magic formula or over-night solution to this. We are deploying the exact same methods that William Wilberforce did all those years ago to abolish slavery. The campaign is active at a political, social and spiritual level. In India itself, the Dalit leaders are agitating the Hindu caste system. The rise of persecution of Dalits and minorities and the recent ban on conversion the Indian government is implementing are signs that the Hindu caste system is on its last legs. We are on this journey for a lifetime. It will take a lifetime. Therefore it is critical that Caedmon's is part of the campaign educating our young people of what is at stake. I believe the young people of today will see the real harvest and breakdown of caste in India in the next 30,40,50 year's time.
CC: What specific areas of help are still needed?
TK: It is not only a privilege BUT ALSO an honor to be asked by the Dalit leaders to educate their children. Firstly, we are on a path to build 1,000 initial education centers across India. These will be English medium schools that will bring the education of Dalits on par with upper caste children. Secondly, we are empowering the Dalit communities through micro-credit/financing to build small and medium businesses. This is a stop-gap move till the children are educated because it is the English education that is going to put the world at the fingertips of the Dalits just like it is doing so for upper caste people of India due to outsourcing etc.
CC: What is one thing you would like for Americans to understand about this plight?
TK: Castism is worse than racism, in that although you are discriminated against, in racism, you still have spiritual democracy, a right to worship God. Castism denies a person human dignity and a basic human right and that is to worship God. Dalits are slaves with no masters.
CC: Do you believe liberation and equality for the Dalits is possible in our lifetime?
TK: Do you see that things are headed there? The recent congressional delegation from the US met with the Dalit leaders in India and were told that 2,000 plus Dalits are killed by upper caste Hindus each month. That is a 9/11 for Dalits almost each month. The heightened persecution of the Dalits and minorities, the Indian government's ban on conversion to lock the Dalits in their present state, and their campaign of miss-information, are all signs that the Hindus are desperate in trying to keep their caste system intact. People and places that are far from the shores of India will be the key in liberation and equality of Dalits. If we keep our focus at political, social and spiritual level in empowering the Dalits, we will see their liberation in our lifetime.
CC: From where do the Dalit people derive their sense of hope, if at all?
TK: The affection they feel from people who treat them as equals like Christians, Muslims and Buddhists, is what gives them a sense of hope. The Christian community has stood in staunch solidarity for the freedom of the Dalits when they made a statement to abandon Hinduism in November 2001. This unquestionable and uncompromising solidarity gives them hope. Hindu Scriptures in Gautama Dharma 12:4 says that if a Dalit hears a Hindu veda [ancient Scriptures,] molten lead be poured in his ear. Manu Smriti 8:270 says that if a Dalit reads a veda that his tongue be cut off. Guatama Dharma 8:126 says that if a Dalit memorizes a veda, that his body be cut in two. Our work of spreading the holistic gospel of Christ is the key. In total contrast to the teachings of Hindu scriptures, the words of Christ Jesus in John 10:10 are aimed straight at a Dalit, "the thief comes only to steal, kill and destroy; I came that they may have life and have it abundantly". These are the most hopeful words a Dalit can ever hear. The role of the international community is critical, as the Dalit leaders believe UK, Washington and the UN will play an important role in their freedom. Caedmon's trip to go visit the Dalits in India and be with them at this time will be remembered for generations to come by the Dalits. Practical outreach like this gives them hope in the midst of the plight for survival.

Doc and Daughter

My Army heartthrob

Congratulations Uncle Ben!!!

My lovely model
You graduated from college, and all your getting is this t-shirt, but it's a really cool one. Sorry, no JuJu included, plus you have to come get it yourself. haha. It says, "Who's your Baghdaddy" in English and Arabic. :)

Ben just graduated from Louisiana Tech today with a degree in Construction Engineering Technology. I think that's how it goes, it's really long. Congrats Ben! We hope you have a good time in your new FULL TIME JOB! Hope you can handle your boss.

Invasion of the Horse-Dog

Oh, to be an inside dog again!
Forget it, you're not gettin' my bread

Izzy got to come in the house for a little bit today since we had the exterminator here (goodbye ants!). Frizzy got sent to the garage for the afternoon but Izzy refused to go. Ray can pick him up and throw him in there, but I wasn't about to try. The kids had fun with him even though he's a little intimidating, weighing in at a hefty 93 lbs. He has straightened out considerably from his little attitude problem and was a perfect gentleman. It was nice to have him in for a bit, it reminded me of old days when he was our only baby. My allergies didn't even bother me!

Daddy's kids

We took this picture the morning Ray left for Maryland. We are SO glad Daddy's back home! He was gone for a month taking a Tropical Medicine course in Bethesda, Maryland. He learned lots of interesting things that will be good one day for missions. We're glad he got to go, but much gladder (is that a word?) that he is back!!!

Look what happens when she actually poses