The Heymann Family Journal

Hi, I want to ask everyone to please take the time to donate $10 to LWB in the face book challenge. LWB has lost their lead in the challenge. The winner will receive $50,000 (enough to pay for 10 heart surgeries). Today is the final day. The challenge ends at noon tomorrow. Whoever has the most donors wins the big prize. It is a hassle to sign up with face book but please do it anyway. Please give to Love without boundaries. They are doing such an important work for the kids in China. Thank you! --Amy Heymann http://apps.facebook.com/causes/giving

http://edition.cnn.com/video/#/video/offbeat/2008/01/29/oh.star.wars.fanatic.wkef

http://edition.cnn.com/video/#/video/world/2008/01/29/sidner.kidney.racket.cnn

My friend Jill wrote me about this website where you can buy your own major award. Wouldn't that be the funniest gift! Thanks Jill!

Wow! Juergen called me on the phone and told me they are going to give him an award for innovation at work. The last award he received was this glass thing that gatherers dust on one of our book selves. I'm proud of Juergen for getting an award for his project. He was so sure no one cared about what he was doing. I hope they don't give him another piece of glass. I've got 5 expensive kids to raise...I want money!

Nicole entered her painting of the women with an egg (seen a few posts back)in her school art contest. She won first prize!!! Then they had an aution to raise money for a mission in South America. Nicole's painting went for around $75 . Isn't that cool! I'm so proud of my girl. She is only a young painter and has allot to learn, but what a blessing to win a prize, and sell her first painting!

Juergen "has" to go to India in April on business and he "has" to stay in this palace! Life is so cruel! Not fair!!! He doesn't even like Indian food! I love it! They should send the wives on this difficult journey to paradise!

Last night the youth group from our church crowded into Nicole's bedroom. They are taking turns visiting each others homes, and interviewing the kids about their lives, interests, and Spiritual belief. Nicole was in the "hot seat" and they asked her all kinds of questions about the stuff in her room. She has all kinds of stuff, from her art work, guitars, Star Wars collection, and things from Mexico, Thailand, and China. It was wonderful to see how well she was accepted and appreciated. We served the kids Sandwiches, and Chocolate Fondue with fruit and ice cream. I'm afraid the pictures didn't turn out so well. I didn't want to disturb what was happening, and my camera doesn't take such great shots in low light, on a zoom.

Tonight I read the book "the cat in the hat" to Philip, Thomas, Sarah and Nicole. I got very animated as I read. I even lay on the floor and kicked my feet when I read the part of the fish. No! No! No! Your mother would not like it! Not one little bit!!! We were all laughing. I'm not angry anymore...maybe I should start a new form of anger therapy. We should all shout out loud like the fish in the cat in the hat!

I signed Philip and Thomas up for a swimming club that meets two times per week. Thomas was sick on Tuesday, so we did not go. I thought our places were secure. I guess I was wrong. The women who controls the club gave their places away. I came today with the boys and the lady said they had no place. So Philip and Thomas will not be on the swim team this spring. I would not be so angry, but this same women prevented the boys from going to their swim lessons 3 times last fall. I had paid for the lessons (10 lessons). She would not let them in the pool because they didn't have the swim club passes (you don't receive these passes for swim lessons). She was so awful to the boys. She was clearly prejudice towards them. I'm sure if they were anyone else kids she would not have given the passes away. She would have called first. I am angry, but I am going to just forget it. Some people just hate foreigners. That is her problem, not mine. I will take the boys to Taekwondo and forge...

You may know or not know I was a pastor for 10 years. It was a job I loved. There were times people would challenge my authority to "preach". I had been given this authority by my denomination. I also felt like God had called me to do my job. I submitted myself to the correction of the leadership above me. I was in no way rebellious. I've gone to a church in Heidelberg for 10 years that basically does not allow women to preach. They have allowed me to teach at seminars, and give the "input" at the big worship services they have every 6 weeks. Why they have allowed this, I am not sure? Juergen has asked if He and I would be allowed to preach together at the Sunday night "next generation" service. Again the answer was yes. I've given this some thought, and it basically makes me feel angry. I'm allowed to preach with Juergen, but not alone. Other women are so far not even allowed to preach with their husbands. I had no peace. I can not do it. I wo...

Juergen's mom is getting very weak. She sleeps almost all day. It is getting very hard to feed her. The harder more important thing is she is not drinking enough. Without enough to drink, her kidneys may fail. We have been told by the Dr's that something like this will kill her before the tumors in her brain do. Between the tears, we need to think concretely about what we will do when she dies. This isn't easy. It seems cold. But we are a big family. Juergen's dad will need him (alone without the kids). So now Juergen must think about when to go, and what to do to arrange stuff. He needs to do this so that his dad doesn't have to. I hope our friends will pray for us. It's so odd to sit down with our children and try to prepare them for what is about to take place. I don't think it is anything they can grasp. I don't think they will understand until it happens and we are crying. Even then I am not sure they could understand. Death is part of life...but d...

Bill Gates last day at work.

We spend allot of time at IKEA. Jessica loves their catalogs. It is by far her favorite tearing material. HERE is a guy that lived in an IKEA store for one week.

We have hand workers over to fix our window shades. We had to clear the clutter (far too much clutter) away from the windows so these men could work. Sarah had a temper tantrum as she woke up. She was still upset I wouldn't let her sleep in Philip and Thomas' room last night. She tends to keep them up. I got off to a really sour start. Jessica is home on Tuesdays anyway. I had to watch her. The dog was barking. Juergen was complaining about the mess. Finally the phone rings. It's Thomas' teacher. He has not been doing his math homework for the past week. I of course had asked him everyday, "did you do all your home work". He lied. So they were keeping him after school to do math. His class teacher had written me a note, but he of course made sure I did not receive the note. I'm here trying to calm down before Thomas gets home. I don't want to over react. I think he has Attention Deficit Disorder. He is smart, be his attention span is very poor. We are ...

I've gone back to weight watchers this week. I'm highly motivated to lose the weight, and hopefully keep it off. I even created a yahoo group for support. If you would like to join my yahoo diet group, then apply here . We are a private group. Only members can post, or read the posts. It's a pretty great group of 9 people so far. I'm so happy to be doing this whole diet and exercise thing with others. Tonight Juergen also did his part to help me lose weight. He went to the gas station to buy Häagen-Dazs cookie dough ice cream. He even eat the entire pint of ice cream in one sitting, just so I wouldn't be tempted. What a guy!

http://edition.cnn.com/video/#/video/world/2008/01/12/vo.mozambique.floods.ap This is where Rolland and Heidi Baker are missionaries. Pray for the people. They often see a strong move of God when it floods.

"A New Year, a New Chance" is something my weight watchers leader said this morning. Yes, I began weight watchers this morning. I use to go, but it's been over a year since the last meeting. My good friend Kirstin called me last week and told me she had won 4 free months of weight watchers. She said it was a sign she should go back. I said my pants are too tight, that's also a sign. Here is what I learned today... 1. Stay positive. Don't say "I have to go to weight watchers", instead say, "I get to go to weight watchers". 2. Be realistic. It takes time to lose weight. Don't expect to lose 10 pounds per week. Set realistic goals. 3. Set goals that can be measured. for example don't say I want to exercise more. Instead say (for example) I want to walk one half hour Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. 4. Try to stay motivated. If you have a certain dress you can not fit into, hang that dress in front of your closet where you can see it. That ki...

Nicole and I listened to the one year Bible together last year. We did not hear it everyday, but I would say we heard it 90% of the time. It takes you through the entire Bible in one year. We are listening to it again together. We listen to it, then pray together just before Nicole goes to bed. I encourage you to give it a try. It is HERE on line. You can even download it and hear it on a mp3 player perhaps on your way to work, or during a coffee break. Faith comes from hearing the word of God.

Philip and Thomas told Juergen they were sick. He actually believed them and let them stay home from school. I suspected they were just tired. None of us are use to getting to bed early. It takes some time to get back to the old routine after a vacation. At lunch I served broccoli and peas. When I saw Thomas take a second helping of the broccoli I nearly fell over. He use to give me the dirtiest look when I tried to serve any green stuff. Like I was really trying to poison him. Second helpings on broccoli...maybe he really is sick?

I'm usually the kind of person who likes to book my vacations at the last minute. This year I think that's going to be hard. My parents want to come over for their 50Th wedding anniversary. Juergen is taking time off to watch the kids while I take my parents (and I hope my best friend Cindy) to Italy for 10 days. In August Nicole and I want to go to Mexico for 10 days to build a house. Juergen is going to need a vacation from all the babysitting. I think our family vacation has to be at the end of the summer. Juergen asked the kids where. Of course we all voted for Thailand. I'm not saying we are going to Thailand. After all, there are 7 of us. It's not exactly a budget kind of trip. On the other hand, if we could all go anywhere on the planet...it would be HuaHin ,Thailand. We just love it there. Even Jessica (who hates to fly) would love to go there. The sun is so good for her. She gets so happy and relaxed. She sleeps so well. It's a beautiful thing to experience...

I thought every night as I put the boys to bed how very proud I was of them for keeping their bed room clean. Yesterday I even went out and bought them Lego Star Wars for the wii. At lunch I told them they only needed to pick up the few cloths that were on the floor, and whatever was under the bed and then they could have their new game. Whatever was under the bed! Do you realize how much you can actually fit under a bed? It took me 20 minutes to drag everything out from under their bed. And it reminded me of sin. When we sin the first thing we do is hid it. So for the boys it meant hiding candy wrappers, and Lego that they were too lazy to pick up. Then comes the blame. They are blaming each other for the mess. Now they wanted us to wait for them so they could be the first to play Star Wars. I'm sure they would have sat there all day, and tomorrow...just blaming each other. Not working. Not cleaning. I'm smarter then that. Nicole and Juergen are playing Star Wars on the wii....

We unplugged the TV (at least during the week). Philip is finally trying to read. I just ordered Hooked on Phonics Beginning Reading With Bible Stories. I hope to sit with him every afternoon and try to teach him to read in English. I'm going to try to teach Sarah (who is 4) to read too. I'll let the German school teach him to read in German. We have so much ground to make up. Something seems to finally be clicking in his brain, and he seems more teachable at last. Please pray for miracles!

Juergen is on his way home. He should be here in another hour. Nicole woke me up this morning holding my Mexican cookbook in her hands. She found a few bags of corn flour in my freezer. I forgot it was there. We are making corn tortillas for dinner. That may sound like no big deal to you, but you have to remember we live in Germany. It is painfully difficult to get the ingredients for fresh, real Mexican food. Imagine going years without a taco or burrito. That's right...years! I bet allot of you just couldn't do it!

I just started a new blog. It's called God Heals . I decided to look into this question of Healing. Some of you know my oldest daughter Jessica has autism. Juergens mom is dying of brain tumors. I believe God heals, but I just don't understand how...and what if any role I should play in this process. I just started the blog. I'm sure I'll post often, maybe daily to it. It is a topic I'm very personally interested in. I invite you to read it if your interested. I have many more questions then answers...but if you look for answers, you often find them!

As many of you know, I expected Juergen to be home this week, gone last week. I hadn't made plans to do anything with anyone. It's so cool that people actually keep coming by to see us. It makes the days full, and we are not so board or lonely for Juergen. My good friend Kerstin was here today with her boys. Tomorrow Philip and Thomas get to spend the whole afternoon at the jump in ( a giant indoor play park). Tomorrow night a good friend comes for dinner. Then Juergen (God willing) will come home Friday. The whole single mom of 5 thing will be over (thank you Jesus). It really has been fine, but I'm so thankful I have Juergen. His mom has been sleeping more and more. She has lost her ability to sit up, feed herself, or even speak. Juergen says she looks sad and board. I pray God heals her, or takes her home. This slowly slipping away is very sad. I can think of no other words to describe it. Juergen told me on the phone, "God is either going to heal her or she will be...