Posts Tagged ‘jonathan’

All Eyes

Sunday, November 17th, 2013

More people are killed by falling coconuts than by lightning.

Currently I watch where I walk for centipedes, tarantulas, midges, mosquitoes, cockroaches, rocks, roots, x-back snakes and never drying potholes. Now I have to look up too?

For any ‘doubting thomas’ who envisioned this tropical life as a vacation assignment, should live here for even a day. You can stop and make a pb&j sandwich for Carson, but if you look a way the ants will carry it off.  You have a well but it needs to be pumped for water. They just got a shower head installed by their landlord, but previously it was ladled water from a bucket. Sewage is septic but some of that gets into the riverlets and then into the ocean. All trash is fair game for critters and must be dealt with immediately.

Electricity is fickle but we do have air conditioning units in the 2 bedrooms. Washing is a challenge as the local laundermat has two machines in the open under a tin roof and today the dryers weren’t working. No internet but that’s a mixed blessing. There is a beautiful ocean to look at with stifling heat. So it takes a lot of planning to bring your food in from afar and store it away from bugs and mold, cook and clean up immediately, get your clothes laundered, not track in muck, check for bugs, stay cool, raise two kids, and now plan and carry out your ministry here in Panama to a populace that waxes and wanes with the tourist season and are indifferent because they need that much energy each day just to live.  It’s not my version of Paradise.

post script: The other morning Jonathan was disgusted to find a colony of ants in his raisin bran but food is precious.  So he threw his bowl full in a hot skillet to kill them off and proceeded to eat his toasted cereal and the added protein. yum

Panama

Wednesday, October 30th, 2013

soleilbirth Steve and I left home on Oct.11, 2013 to head out again to Orlando (for work) and Daytona ( to see my dad) and then to Panama to await the birth of our grandaughter, Soleil Naomi Wilt. The princess took her sweet time as she was 9 days late, but appeared on the scene at 20″ and 8lbs 12 oz. We are watching big brother, Carson, while mom and dad have a couple days at the hospital to rest up for real life.

Lots of first impressions of Panama, but I know it’s not a complete picture yet as we are in the outskirts of town (Panama City) and not yet to the Wilt home-base in Santa Catalina, some 6 hours away in the jungle.

pararisaThat comes after we spend 10 days in a missionary compound where it is busy and we have been sequestered (my meaning=holed up) in two bedrooms. Our bedroom is about 8′ x 12′ with 4 bunk beds lining the walls with just enuff space to walk down the  middle. Mind you, that and a bathroom is it! We make our meals in the communal kitchen and retreat to the bedroom. The bunks do not allow for sitting without hitting ones head. It feels like you’re getting in a drawer to go to sleep. But it’s clean and free and it is what it is.

Now I guess my only complaint is there is NO HOT WATER. We clean with a lot of bleach but that shower can be awfully shocking. KC and Jono’s bedroom is next door with a double bed and one bunk set. We visit by sitting all around the double bed. Oh, they do have 3 folding chairs — the luxury suite.

It rains a whole bunch here in Panama, it’s a Jungle out there! But it’s not scattered showers, it’s a bucket thrown at you. The country is very green, but they are rather trashy; no litter laws. I guess they figure that something will grow over the mess eventually. The canal that bisects the country is a couple blocks away and the ships are huge! They are enlarging the canal to allow for even bigger ships. Lots of little tug boats scurrying around working 24/7.

But first impression: if you stare at it long enough, it will Rust, Mold, or become Overgrown.

Arrivederce KC

Friday, April 29th, 2011

Carson Is A Natural Traveller

After a couple weeks of touring Italy and laying back with us in Montalcino, KC, Jonathan and Bimbo Carson headed back to the US of A via Pisa.

They were fortunate to rendezvous with Heather and Heinz who came down from Switzerland to visit for a few hours.

Unfortunately for the Wilts, their 7 am flight was canceled, and the rescheduling put them 7 hours later in SD, and picked up by Andy.

When Steve dropped them off in Pisa, He also dropped our rental car off and took a couple trains and even hitchhiked!

Traveling With Bimbo

Wednesday, April 20th, 2011

Short for Bambino, long for trial and treat as KC ,Jonathan, and baby Carson are with us enjoying the laidback lifestyle of Tuscany.

He doesn’t like his carseat so he SCREAMS until we reach our destination. And then we can’t walk down an Italian street without being mobbed by folk of all ages who want to squeeze cheeks and offer little kisses.

We have him in every picture, so when he asks if he can go Europe when he is older we can prove he already did Italy! Here KC and Carson are enjoying a “tasting”!

Nightmare On Shoal Summit

Tuesday, December 8th, 2009

We were about to have the time of life, when we got word that  KC’s and Jonathan’s cars were towed by the police.  Despite a “non-operational permit” from the DMV which allowed us not to register it, and permission from the immediate neighbors, the officer cited us for having a non-registered vehicle parked on city streets.

Despite the pleadings of our dear neighbor, Helena, the cop had the cars  impounded.  After numerous calls to any one we could think of, and lots of help from Andy, we came to the conclusion we could do NOTHING but pay up when we get back, in excess of one thousand dollars.   So much for the spirit of Thanksgiving and for our Christmas budget! grrrrr

Post Script:  $1300, plus smogging, and registering them. Don’t get towed.

Happy Father’s Day

Sunday, June 21st, 2009

K.C and Jonathan sent us this father’s day card.  I thought you would enjoy it too!

—-

Hope you have a high flying day! 🙂

Love,
KC and Jonathan

Angels Unaware

Monday, April 20th, 2009

With a little help from my friends…

There have been a few times where Steve and I found ourselves stressed, lost, and grumpy and God has seemed fit at that very moment to let us know He’s still watching over us.

seattlefamilyIn Mont St. Michel, we had had a long (lost) day and we were entering the city when a bird flew over and did a major CRAP on my head. A nice family speaking English(!) helped me clean up. We found out they were from Seattle, great fellow- Christians, and they included us at their dinner.  Thanks Harriet, Ken, Ray, and Mom for making our day!

dupreefamilyJust arriving in Montalcino and wanting some connection, we heard Bea talking with her daughter Paige at the outdoor cafe in front of our building. We found out they hailed from Burlington, North Carolina and this was their 10th visit to Montalcino! I took notes when they talked of the “best” of everything we should try. Jim, Bea, Paige, and Michelle shared so much of themselves with us. Paige sings in her UCC choir back home, and was missing Easter too.

There was the vacationing Sheriff from Poway who patrols 4S ranch whom we met at the 2nd wine tour. There were the college girls in Vernazza who were also looking for a room. They happened to be from Pt Loma Nazarene and were good friends with Tyler Kuehl from the Church of Rancho Bernardo.

Even KC and Jonathan’s friends, Jenn and Mike and their new baby Logan in La Spezia, were welcoming on a rainy Sunday.

More signs of amazing grace.

On The Road Again

Tuesday, March 24th, 2009

We  are packing up and weighing our luggage for our flights tomorrow to Sweeden via Dublin . We hear there is quite a steep penalty for any overage and we have two legs to pay. This will be a lot like KC and J to Korea . So we ask that you shoot up a prayer as you go to bed and as we are getting up for EARLY flights…that our luggage arrives with us, doesn’t cost us a fortune, and that  we have travel mercies as the big Volvo  adventure begins!

We have had such a marvelous time here…it’s become safe haven for us, but it is time for the BIG ADVENTURE 🙂