Jennifer Galindo

We don't normally watch a lot of regular TV. We're more of a Netflix family. So our kids don't see commercials very often. The first time they did they complained and asked if we could fast forward through them. But today I had the TV on for just a few minutes before Nick stared telling me that we needed to "call in for the free gift." First I thought it was funny. Then 2 minutes later he told me that a specific item cost $4.29. Really? Wow was he listening close! It was a real reminder that kids are so influenced by media! Some of it is not bad but I'm reminded of how important it is to not only guard them from the junk but to also be consistent with what's going IN! I started playing some fun kids worship music a few weeks ago during random down time and it blows my mind how they can sing through so many of the songs already. As a parent it's my choice. I don't always know how to navigate every situation in life, but I'm thankful that I can be a part of planting God's word deep into their hearts. It's a privilege I never want to take for granted!

Gotcha Day

Today our family celebrated "Gotcha day" (thanks Kim for the name).  Gotcha day will be celebrated every November 24th because it is the day Nick and Rosie came to live with us.  Eddie and I have thought back over the past two years and we are continually blown away with all that God has done.  Our wonderful kids are growing and learning so much and they are teaching us along the way.  I asked Nick if he knew what Gotcha Day was and he said "yes it's the day I got you."  I will admit my heart overflows with joy to think that he will cherish that day not just because it was the day we got him, but because it was the day he also got us.  It's a beautiful exchange.  I am more thankful for them than ever and I continue to pray that Eddie and I will shape this home into one that sets them up for great success....to know and experience God early on in life and to desire all on their own to pursue Him. 

Odds & Ins

It's really hard to believe how different our lives are now.  The city is just different.  It's actually an entirely different culture and more and more I feel like a missionary to another world.....well I guess in a lot of ways we really are.  But in the short few weeks we have been here I have come to find out that there are lots of amazing things about the city and a few not so amazing things.  So here it is.  My likes and dislikes.  My "hmmm???" moments and my "oh yeah" moments.  My odds and ins list of Philadelphia......

IN #1..........MY NEIGHBORS.  I love getting to know the people on our block.  The ones that live feet away from our front door.  Many have lived there all of their lives.  They know this city.  They love this city.  Our neighbors have been so kind to our kids and have really welcomed us.  I love that about this city.

ODD #1..........WAWA!  Yes it's a glorified 7-11.  My first response was "why would someone name a store that?"  Turns out it has something to do with the Native American influence in this area.  Ok so a 10 month old didn't actually name the store even if it does sound like it.

IN #2...........WALKING!  We walk for milk. We walk to work. We walk to the park.  We walk to team meetings.  We walk and walk and walk.  This has to be good for my health! 

ODD #2..........THE SMELL.  Oh my this one is bad.  Wawa isn't bad it's just an odd name.  This is my #1 dislike about the city. Not so much where I live, but where I work.  It literally smells bad all the time.  My friend here is going to have a baby and I feel sorry for her the most.  If it makes me sick I can only imagine how it makes a pregnant women feel!

IN #3...........THE VIEW. I just don't think it will ever get old.  It's amazing. The buildings are beautiful.  When we turn a corner and there in front of us is a historical monument it's really breathtaking!

ODD #3...........THE PARKING.  There's literally a show about Philadelphia Parking Authority.  It's so crazy here.  Sometimes you have to park blocks from your house just because there are no spaces.  We've started praying for a good parking place every time we go home.

IN #4............LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION!  This one will warm my heart for years to come.  I can't wait to visit NYC, DC, Boston and other places.  We've already been to the NJ shore and this weekend we'll be in Baltimore.  How great is that to be so close to so many neat places!

ODD #4............NOPE.....I've decided there is always more good than bad so I'll stop with my top 3.

IN #5..............HOME.   It's so clear to me that God has a plan for this city.  I love digging my heals in and settling into our new home.  Not just our house, but our city. I've even decided to become an Eagles fan.  This is home now and even on the days it doesn't feel like it yet, I know we are called here!  Probably one of the best things about being here is how close our family has become.  Eddie and I have talked many times in the past few weeks about how close we feel to each other and the kids.  It's good for us.  Not always easy, but good for us.  I'm also more thankful for SKYPE than ever!  :)

Toxophilite -- An expert at archery!

I have an interview early in the morning.  I'm excited and hopeful that this is the job for me.  One of the things I have felt confident in during the last few months is how much God KNOWS and how His plan is really the best one.  I remember a prayer time in June when I felt God show me a picture of an arrow.  He was the one holding the arrow and He would aim and shoot me, the arrow, where He thought was best.  My prayer that day was that God would choose our home in Philly and like the master archer that He is, send us right into the neighborhood and home that He wanted us to be in.  I believe very strongly He has done just that.  I also prayed that He would do the same for our jobs.  I believe He has done that for Eddie and I believe He will do that for me as well.  It's not always easy being the arrow especially when you would prefer to be the one in control.  But it's been a good lesson for me.  My plans will often be the ones that allow instant results, but God will often take me on the scenic route because He knows that I need it.  A few days after the prayer time mentioned above, I heard a preacher speak on this very topic.  It was such a confirmation to me.  I am the arrow and while I'm still in the quiver I have to trust that the Master Archer knows just when I'm ready to be launched.  I'm thankful for the past two weeks settling in and if this job is for me I will be thankful for the target that He will be shooting me into.  What a privilege to be the arrow!

Galindo Family Update

It's been about 12 days since we moved to Philadelphia. It's been such a whirlwind! Our last Sunday at COTK was awesome! I was blown away by how honored we felt. Our family there made it such a special day.

On Aug 25th the adoption of Nick & Rosie was FINAL! We celebrated with friends and family and then dedicated them to Jesus on that last Sunday in MI! Jesus is the one who gave them to us. We feel so blessed and honored to have them in our home!

Since moving to Philly, we have been busy! We spent the first several days just getting settled in the house. We're close to being all done, but not completely there yet. Nick and Rosie love it. They love their rooms and have enjoyed the space. Oddly enough, they seem more used to our new city and house than me and Eddie.

Eddie had a job interview just two days after we arrived. He did so great in his interview and walked away that day with a job offer. He starts tomorrow. I'm probably more nervous than he is. I helped him get his suit all ready tonight. Maybe I'm a little cheesy, but it's all so exciting. The quickness of his job was just another confirmation that God has called us to this city and He will make a way for us! I'm still looking for a job, but I feel strongly that I am to enjoy this time unemployed. I hope to know more about a few prospects this week.

This new chapter of our lives is really unbelievable. God has been so faithful and active and I'm confident it's because there are so many hurting and broken and so many that we will get to share our hope with. I can't wait to begin sharing stories of lives that are being changed forever by the love of Jesus. The church won't be launching for a little while yet, but Eddie and I are already building relationships and looking for ways to see Jesus use us in our neighborhood.

I'm hoping to blog a lot more through this journey. It's fun for me and hopefully informational to those who care about us. Thanks for so many prayers and for supporting us through this transition. Great things are in store and I really can't wait to see what God does in the next season of the Galindo family!

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Way too long!

Well it's been months and months since I last blogged.  Maybe even close to a year.  For most people the activity of our lives is not new news.  Our wonderful kids are growing like weeds and the end of August will hold an amazing day in the history of the Galindo family.  I'll post more about that after the date.  The other big change happening right now is the move of our family from Metro Detroit to Philadelphia.  It's hard to believe that after months of knowing we would move we're actually down to weeks before we actually take the plunge.  We're excited and we know that God has great things in store.  Obedience is not always easy, but is there really any other option? 

Our summer has flown by.  We've had 3 great weeks of camps and we're looking forward to a few weeks wtih our COTK church family before we relocate.  We have such great friends here and it'll be hard to leave them.  Before that though we'll enjoy the time we do have together and cherish the great memories that have been made over the past 9 years!

I'll do my best to keep you all updated on our lives!

Will work for......

So our kids ministry has experience a lot of growth this summer.  Especially in our nursery!  There has been a buzz around COTK b/c last Sunday there were 18 kids in the nursery.  To some that would not be a big deal but for our space that basically meant wall to wall kids plus those overseeing the  chaos excitement!  The conversation had already started on ideas to implement a preschool class!  I'm really excited that in mid-September we will launch this ministry for our kids!  Those who are 3 & 4 will get to experience age appropriate ministry and we'll free up quite a bit of space in our nursery!  The pictures below are our way of woooing potential volunteers!  Who wouldn't want to work with this kid and so many others like him!

Vacation 09

Our trip to Flordia is definitely the best family trip we have ever had and it was much needed.  After working the first week in Florida we spent our first official day of vacation at Sea World!  I loved it and the kids enjoyed it too!  Our first stop was to see Shamu!  It was so amazing to see those whales connect with their trainers!  Our kids were amazed too!  Nick asked so many questions.  My favorite was the dolphins.  They put on a great show!  The biggest bummer of the day was the dead battery in our camera.  I did capture a few shots on my camera though.

After Sea World we headed north to visit our great friends Lars and Janine.  Saturday night started a very enjoyable few days of much needed rest and relaxation.........

Kids Council 09

Our first week in Florida was spent at the General Council for the AG.  I had the opporunity to lead worship for the K-3 grade services  It was a blast.  The speaker was Robin Garvin!  What an amazing speaker.  She connected in such a cool way with the kids and I was honored to make a new friend!  I was excited that Eddie and Samantha Edwards were also able to lead with me.  We had such a fun time putting together our costumes and practicing the songs!  I'm so thankful to do ministry with my husband and to have talented friends like Sam to pull into things like this!  It was a great experience and I'm thankful for all that I learned. 

Making memories!

At the beginning of August our family packed their bags and headed to Florida.  Our first stop was for the General Council conference held in Orlando.  But the trip really began at the airport.  It was our first experience boarding a plane with two toddlers.  Rosie and Nick did great.  They were troopers right from the start.  We've never been more thankful for our double stroller than we were on this trip!  Nick was excited to see the planes.  Rosie just wanted to look around.  She's entered a new crying phase that is totally  new to us.  EVERYTHING causes her to cry (fake cries mostly) and in her most pitiful voice say "hold me." Eddie falls for it everytime! She is pretty adorable!  For the first flight the cutest thing had to be Nick and the ipod!  Later he would ask me for his little tv.  It was a great start to a great couple of weeks.  By the end of travel day 1 we were all exhausted.  We checked into our hotel and turned in a little after 9pm.  I haven't gone to bed that early in a long time but we were ramping up for a busy week. 

Eddie said something several times over the two weeks that really stuck out to me.  We made memories for our family on this vacation.  We've never felt closer to the kids and I believe it's something we'll look back at in years to come and remember the great things God did on our first vacation together.