Our road trip has finally ended. But before it did, we enjoyed a couple more camp outs followed by a couple of weeks in Springfield, Missouri. In Springfield we attended, a re-entry seminar and missionary renewal. We got to visit with old friends and make new ones. The kids had a great time in the MK program and are still singing the songs that they learned. The most exciting thing that happened was that we got our final approval to transfer fields to Japan!

As an added bonus, we had a mini APTS reunion in Springfield. We were glad to meet up with fellow missionaries who served along side us in the Philippines for a pick-nick at a local park.

Now we are delighted to have a home again. We arrived in St. Petersburg, Florida and moved into the D&D missionary homes 2 weeks ago. We have a 3 bedroom, fully furnished house. Hudson finally has his own real bed! The house is nicer than we expected and we feel very blessed to be here. While it was fun visiting friends and family, national parks and campgrounds, we are glad to unpack and have a home again for awhile.

Photo of the kids in front of our new house in Saint Petersburg, Florida.

Our Last Day in New Mexico

Yesterday we enjoyed a visit with Uncle Kevin and Aunt Judith. Uncle Kevin is Chris Dad’s twin brother. They look very much alike and the kids at first were a little bit confused. LOL! Uncle Kevin and Aunt Judith have a ranch complete with 400 cattle, a movie star goat, 6 dogs, various cats and of course, horses.

Addie’s dream job is to be a horse rancher and she was thrilled to get to ride on one. So despite the over 100 degree temperature, the kids enjoyed a short horse ride and petting the various animals. Chris and I were glad to catch up with Chris’ Aunt and Uncle as this was the first time we have seen them in 12 years! One of the benefits of traveling all over is getting to visit friends and family. It was a great way to spend our last day in New Mexico.

New Mexico visit in pictures

I thought I'd add a few of our photos from our 2 1/2 weeks in New Mexico.

The kids enjoyed the fishing pond at Beulah...

The boys each caught their first fish!

We also had a nice dip in Cousin Mike's pool.

Chris poolside with Cousin Mike and Great Aunt France



Adelaide enjoying the children's science museum in Albequerque.

Chris braves the high wire bike at the museum.

Beulah

We’ve spent the last two weeks at Beulah, a privately owned guest house for people in full time ministry. We’ve also spent the last two weeks un-plugged. I must confess that I have missed having internet access, but without it I have managed to read 8 books! Besides the mini library here, we have enjoyed fishing and canoeing in the pond and having access to a kitchen. It has also been a nice break from camping, especially as the temperatures have risen up over 105 degrees here in New Mexico!
During our stay we have met several lovely couples. Like the couple who are music ministers and were a delight to our children. They still talk about singing to the catfish in the pond! Another wonderful couple we met here run a children’s home. They were a huge blessing to us as they watched our children while I took Chris to the doctor. Chris seems to have a pinched nerve in his neck. We are praying that the medicine he is on works well and that he doesn’t have a disk problem that may require surgery.
Besides meeting people here at Beulah, we also had the opportunity to visit with some of Chris relatives and family friends. We enjoyed a visit with the Neely’s and a BBQ with his great Aunt Frances and her family. The kids especially enjoyed swimming in Mike’s pool!
Like we have done on many of our stops, we have taken the time for some “field trips”. We discovered another great museum, Explora, a children’s science museum in Albuquerque. The kids enjoyed a flight simulator, designing floating paper cup propellers, and making a stop action film. They also enjoyed the giant marble run and a train set, which have given me some ideas for Christmas gifts. ;) There was even a high wire bicycle that Chris ventured out on!
We are not just vacationing in New Mexico; we have also driven all over the state visiting various churches. We’ve seen some budding new churches, some firmly established works, and met some wonderful people. We’ve made new ministry partners and have enjoyed sharing our heart for the people of Japan.
Our road trip adventure is only halfway over. We have 4 more days in New Mexico. Then we are back to Utah for a few days and on to other states. There is more fun to come!

Colorado

I’m very sleepy as it is late and I didn’t sleep much last night (even though I am feeling better). However, I think we may be without internet for some time. Therefore, I’ll attempt to give an update.
After spending a couple of days in Vernal, Utah, we enjoyed attending the morning service at the local A/G church and sharing in a window in both the main service and kid’s church. We also had a couple of nice meals with the pastor and his family. It was exciting to see how this church is reaching its community!
Later Sunday afternoon we headed out to Roosevelt. There we enjoyed a pot luck and the opportunity to share about our ministry and a message from scripture. The people of this church we so friendly.
This morning we met the pastor from Roosevelt, his wife, grandbaby and a member of the church for breakfast. Soon after that we hit the road. We headed south. On our drive today I overheard some interesting conversation from the back seat including, “I have hair like Daddy’s. See this? I’m bald!” “I am not a fossil!” “I am not Dr. Pain!” Yes, all these were uttered by Hudson.
We did take a break from all the driving and visited Arches National Park. We took in the inspiring views and pointed out what we “saw” when we looked at the rocks. In one rock formation I saw a giant hand; Wesley saw Jesus. We also enjoyed a brief hike and a stop at the visitor’s center.
Tonight we pulled into Cortez, NM. Chris lived here when he was in first and second grade. Driving through town brought back memories. Tomorrow morning we might try to drive by his old house, before we head off to the Faith Comes By Hearing Campus near Albuquerque, NM, our next stop on the road trip. We will be based from there as we visit various churches in the NM area for the next two and a half weeks.

P.S. I tried to post this last night, but the internet wasn't working well. So, I am posting this now, on Tue. morning.

Our Day in Vernal

Today we decided to take a look around Vernal, Utah. After a breakfast of instant oatmeal and showers, we left the campground for the local natural history museum. Vernal, Utah is known for its dinosaur bone discoveries. The museum showed a lot of them.

It was a great hands on museum with lots of activities for children. The kids enjoyed putting together dinosaur bones in a puzzle like fashion, an activity where they had to guess which were the real fossils and which items were not, and an interactive tool for distinguishing the types of dinosaurs by looking at the bones.

It was quite an educational experience. The kids learned about what a paleontologist does, what fossils are and about different types of rock, including some that glow in the dark! They also enjoyed seeing life size replicas of dinosaurs in the outdoor dinosaur walk.


We like to sneak in educational activities whenever we get the chance and this museum was a great one. I especially appreciated how interactive it was. It really captivated the kids' interests. The museum made such an impression on Addie that she is now considering becoming a paleontologist! I highly recommend it!

After our tour of the museum we went to Wal-Mart and picked up some food for lunch. We returned to the camp sight and ate. After lunch we had a quick phonics lesson and math review. Then the kids decided that it was time to swim. Unfortunately the pool was not open. Even worse, I (Lindsey) suddenly came down with an upset stomach. The sickness, being overheated and having some minor heart troubles made me long for a bed. When sitting in the air conditioned car and sipping some Gatorade did not help, Chris graciously gave into my pleas and got me a hotel room. We found a cheap one with a pool where I am now resting. When Chris checked out of the campground they said that several people there had come down with tummy troubles. Ah well, the kids are on their way to the pool here at the hotel and I am enjoying a real bed!

Hopefully I'll feel better tomorrow. We are supposed to be meeting up with a pastor tomorrow and then will be speaking at the Assemblies of God church here in Vernal on Sunday. I hope all of my readers have a wonderful weekend!

Hello Utah!

We’ve made it to Utah. Last night we spoke at a church in Payson. While visiting with the pastor, Chris was informed that the town was only about one percent Christian. It was a Mormon town. My heart just breaks for the Mormons. They try so hard and are still so lost. How they need to really know Jesus!
Tonight we are camping again. The kids are having a great time. We’re staying at a nice campground with running water, bathrooms a playground and a pool. We also bought an air mattress in hopes of a better night’s sleep. Here’s hoping that this combination will make for a more enjoyable camping experience.
We made smores again with the kids. Every time we eat them I am reminded of the time in the Philippines that we introduced Mario, a student from Indonesia, to them. Tonight Addie came up with her own solution for keeping smoke out of her eyes….

She’s wearing her swimming goggles! LOL! What an inventive girl!

California Girl

I grew up in Southern California, so it has been especially nice to return to the area. We got the chance to introduce Hudson to my Aunt, Uncle and cousins and the opportunity to visit some old friends.

On Sunday, I was delighted to speak at the church that I grew up in. I ran in to some familiar faces, which is always fun. Later that evening we went had the opportunity to go over to a friends house for dinner. We got to reconnect with a friend from Chris’ University of Aberdeen days. We also got to meet his wife and new baby and they got to meet Hudson.

Yesterday my generous Aunt took me shopping to update my wardrobe. Perhaps now I will be fashionable enough for Tokyo? Lol? Then we ended the day with a family dinner at her house.

Today, my parent’s arrive. My mom is scheduled to have surgery at a local hospital that specialized in spinal cord injuries and the issues that come along with that. The kids are excited to see Grammy and Gramps again.

The one thing that Chris has not enjoyed is the Southern California traffic! Quick free way interchanges, fast driving and cities that all run together has been a bit challenging. We have had a few “scenic tours” (as my dad likes to call them) of the area. Thankfully we’ve never gotten lost and have only hit one traffic jam so far.

It’s been a very busy couple of days, but we have enjoyed having a few days out of the car. We’ll head back out on the road today. We have a speaking engagement in Utah tomorrow.

The Not So Short Cut

We’ve had a lot of long halls in the car and are all feeling a bit road weary. Today on our way to see Chris’ old college roommate, Eddie, in Incline Village, NV, we decided to bypass the main interstate and take a short cut on an alternate high way. We were commenting to each other how or short cut was a good choice and probably prevented sitting in traffic in Sacramento.

All was going well, until we stopped in Nevada City. We pulled into a gas station as we were low on diesel, but that particular station didn’t have diesel. So, we went to the next gas station. They had diesel, but not ultra low sulfur diesel. Chris explained to me that if we put the wrong type of diesel in the car it would do major damage. He also said that all diesel cars built after 2007 are required by law to run on ultra low sulfur diesel. As we were having this conversation, we continued to look for fuel at a couple more stations, but to no avail. We got back on the high way, we got off at another gas station, with high hopes as the sign had a D on it, indicating that they sell diesel. Once again, they only sold the wrong kind. At this point Chris exclaimed that he just didn’t understand how an environmentally conscious state could not carry the more environmentally friendly fuel!

What could we do? We continued on the highway watching the fuel monitor that indicated 35 more miles could be driven before we ran out of fuel. Then we hit a national forest. I must admit, that I didn’t really appreciate the beautiful scenery at that moment. I was too busy scanning for gas station signs. The fuel gage continued to drop. Chris informed me that you can’t just restart a diesel engine that runs out of fuel. It would have to be taken to the dealer to be re-started. The numbers got lower on the fuel monitor, 25, 20, 15, 10 and the prayers increased. We had lost all cell phone service. Finally we saw a gas station and prayed that we would make it there.

Once we arrived we discovered that they did not have any diesel fuel. Our cell phone still did not work. So, Chris went into the gas station, gave the guy a dollar and called our friend in Incline Village. He valiantly agreed to come to our rescue, but warned us that he lived about an hour away. So, here I sit as I write this at a Valero Station somewhere between Nevada City and Lake Tahoe. The kids are drinking apple juice and watching an episode of the Swiss Family Robinson series on the portable DVD player. Chris is taking in the scenery and snacking on M&M’s while I am finally getting the chance to write an update for our blog.

Eddie should hopefully arrive in the next half hour with ultra low sulfur diesel. Then hopefully we will get to his house around 9:00 for a late dinner. So much for a short cut!

P.S. I wrote this on Friday, but am only just now getting the chance to post it!

On The Road Again

Yes, we’ve packed the Jetta full to bursting and we are on the road again. This time it’s a two month fund raising road trip. We started our trip with a stop at the Assemblies of God church in Tok, Alaska. Our three MK’s really enjoyed the two PK’s. We all enjoyed meeting the people at the church.
After lunch with the pastor & his family we set off for Canada. We spent our first night camping in Yukon Territory. The camp spot wasn’t ideal (think tent in a gravel pit) and it got down below freezing over night, but the kids thoroughly enjoyed it!
The next day we continued on for Liard Hot Springs, in British Columbia. We’ve had some long days in the car, but all is going well. We really roughed it as we dry camped at this Canadian national park. It was worth it for the couple of dips we enjoyed in the hot springs.
Along the way we have seen a lot of wild life. I (Lindsey) am helping Adelaide keep a list in her nature journal. Some of the animals include bears, buffalo, caribou, eagles, porcupine and many more.
Last night we slept at a hotel in Fort St John, British Columbia. It was so nice to have a soft bed and a warm shower. Tonight we are staying in a hotel again, so that we can get a very early start in the morning. We are able to get on the road quicker without having to pack up a tent and sleeping bags.
Tomorrow we have plans to meet up in the Seattle area with Chris’ Aunt Cindy for lunch. Then, we will head on for Oregon where we will stay the night with some American friends that we made in the Philippines.
There are many miles ahead of us and tomorrow we are hoping to be on the road by 6 am. So, I’d better log off for now.

Carter Family Update

Since several of you have asked about us, I thought I’d write an update. As many of you know we feel called to Japan. It all started several years ago at our annual meeting in Malaysia. We were at a morning prayer session where we all prayed for God to send missionaries to Japan and we felt like God said that we were the answer to that prayer. Still, we thought that didn’t make much since as we were happy and doing well at APTS. We wrestled with this for several months while God continued to tell us in multiple ways that he was sending us to Japan.

When we returned to the US we contacted Russ Turney about transferring to Japan. After a couple of months he responded by saying no and that the door was closed for us. We prayed about it, looked into alternatives, but still felt like God was telling us to go to Japan. God continued to confirm this call. So, in Feb. we went to Springfield and met with Russ, trying to figure out how we were supposed to start fundraising the very next day without any idea where we were going! Russ sounded much different in our meeting. He said that they did want to send us where God was calling us, and if God wants us in Japan than we would get there. He said that it would be difficult and that our budget would pretty much double and that he couldn’t guarantee that we would make it. Still, he agreed to let us fundraise by sharing our heart for Japan.

As we began fundraising God continued to tell us that we were doing the right thing. We were given multiple prophesies at various churches. Last month every church that we re-visited doubled the offering amount that we received from our previous itineration cycle. We are confident that God wants us in Japan and that he is going to get us there.

So now we are busy itinerating. We drove from Florida to Alaska at the end of Jan/ beginning of Feb. We are currently living in a 1 bedroom apt. in Nikiski, Alaska, very near Chris parents and sister’s homes. We have been busy driving and flying all over this large state. We have also enjoyed time with family. We got to meet Chris’ sister’s new husband, baby and step daughters. Chris also got to perform the wedding ceremony for my brother last Saturday. Physically I am doing much better.

Although I have some sort of flu today, I have managed to go several months without any real illness and that has been a blessing. Also my heart seems to be doing okay. While it usually beats irregularly several times a day, the cardiologist says that I am coping well and as long as I continue to do so and if I don’t develop any other heart problems, than no treatment is necessary. I am greatly relieved to be off of all heart medication with all the nasty side effects that came with them. I will have to continue to monitor my heart with checkups every 6 months, but otherwise no changes are necessary.

Adelaide has recently had some medical problems of her own. She was diagnosed this February with juvenile idiopathic arthritis. This is actually an autoimmune disease with no known cause or cure. Thankfully, so far she seems to have a mild case. For Addie it mostly means pain in her ankles and knees and reduced stamina. However, Addie is a tough little girl and most of the time you would never know that she has anything wrong with her as she just keeps on going. Lately she has been having a lot of stomach pain and the local doctor is monitoring her to make sure she isn’t developing an ulcer from the arthritis medication. Although it’s tough to see our little girl in pain, we are thankful that we were able to find an excellent specialist in Kansas City who is willing to communicate with us via e-mail and help us manage her pain. Besides the arthritis, Addie is generally doing well. She is enjoying playing with her 5 year old cousin, Cadence and with her Nana’s dogs. She still keeps up with her brothers, but also loves all things girly.

Wesley is doing well. Although he was disappointed to discover that he can’t go outside in the winter in Alaska in shorts, he has enjoyed the snow. He also excelled in his swimming class that he just completed and is hoping to take another one sometime.

Hudson is just as entertaining as ever. He just had his 3rd birthday. We celebrated it at the indoor community pool with all his local aunts, uncles, cousins and grandparents. He also has taken to calling himself “dog” and will correct anyone who dares to call him “Hudson”!

Chris is also doing well and keeping in good health. While he does miss his time of study in his office, he has enjoyed a lot of our recent family activities. He loves the beauty of Alaska and getting to spend a lot of time with his family. He is also working on on-line ground school and is learning how to fly his dad’s airplane.

As you can see a lot has been happening with the Carter family! We miss our APTS family. The kids still consider Baguio home. We hope that all our friends in the Philippines are keeping well. We have a lot of travel ahead of us and if any of you will be state side this year we would love to see you. Here is a glance at our travel plans, May- AK &so CA, Jun- NM, UT, MO (for Re-entry & Renewal), Jul-Sept- FL, Oct-? - MO, KS & IA (but based in the Kansas City area). Thank you all for your many prayers. We have seen God’s hand at work and appreciate all your concern and love.