Fishing

I've taken up teaching Faith how to fish, sometimes we sneak out the house early-Faith still in her PJs to fish in the nearby pond. Her mother would kill me if she knew that Faith didn't have any shoes on by the water.

Dream

I feel like the walls are slowly squeezing in, water is rising everywhere and I can see nothing-it's so black and dark.

This is the dream I've been having for several nights-waking up in a cold sweat. I am concerned as it always seems the same and it never changes, could it be a sign, could it be a prophecy?

So Close, Yet So Far

Nicole is sad and Faith is asking why. The twins will not be coming to join our family. Travel restrictions made the fostering impossible and they will stay closer to home. I know it must be for the better, something else will work out, but now we must look at should we try adopting again or waiting a bit more time.

Adoption/Fostering

We put in a bid to foster the famous McAstral twins from Simmerville. I don't know if our application will be accepted since we barely meet the financial requirements. They might have better lives in another hood.



EDIT: Our application was accepted!!! We are so excited and even better news. The hood council has agreed to renovate our home a bit to prepare for the twins. Somehow we will gain an extra bedroom. I must say I am curious as to how that will happen. Well, soon the twins will arrive and our little family will grow from three to five. I wonder if we are to adopt them or simply foster them?

Busy

The church gift shop is doing well-we're selling more bibles and some customers have agreed to come to services as well. Hopefully they will attend this simWednesday night service.

Active

Faith is...how do you say...active? My daughter loves to run, jump, play and swing. I don't know how we're going to keep her from giving us a headache. Nicole wants us to go to the public pool for swimming. That would be nice, however it's been an unseasonable cold summer. I hope things get warmer.

Birthday!

For Faith's birthday we got her a robot and ate some organic honey as a treat. We even splurged and got a nice set of balloons. Now the hard question, should we adopt another child?

My Daughter

Faith is a child and very beautiful-bright blond hair and she loves the color purple-we decorated her room a bit with the colors.

Growing

Little Faith will have a birthday soon and she'll be a child. Is it time to look into adopting another baby...or should we take a family vacation. I am officially at home now-no more working at Tati's, I help with the church's small gift shop-selling bibles and comforting thoses as they wait for Lyndon to be free for counsel. Sometimes a cup of coffee goes a long way.

Now What?

Nicole thinks it's time for us to adopt again. I think she might be right, I would like to wait until Faith is older, once she starts school so we can focus on another baby. Apparently there's been an influx of children to the local orphanage...Nicole mentioned that we might want to look into creating a orphanage for Apple Valley. I don't know, we don't have very many children that need to be placed in the system.

Last Days

As my last day draws closer, I can see God's blessing each day. I get larger tips from the customers, Tatiana has been helping me with the tables and even Selita was a bit nicer to me before she left...she said that she's moving to persue her music career. I've heard her play...she should keep her day job. Shame on me, that wasn't nice at all.



I have a CupaJava $200 Gift Certificate that I need to spend, I might buy some nice baked goods and perhaps a book or two.

Blessings

God has truly blessed me. I have a wonderful wife, beautiful daughter and a promising congregation.


Nicole is going to start teaching piano lessons and having a choir for the church, we're also going to make it a habit to invite members over for dinner or at least tea and cake four times a simweek.

Music Program

Lyndon and I talked late into the evening once Faith was in bed, he reminded me of my love for acting and music and suggested that I start teaching piano at the church and maybe starting a choir. For some reason he thinks that this will help with the toxic attitudes of the residents, we'll see. We are also talking about adopting another child, then we would have two meembuj (children).

Island Treats

I found an old recipe from my courtship with Lyndon, Kesme Chae-De. It's a dessert made with pomegranates stuffed with cream cheese or yogurt and covered in a chocolate cran-creeper sauce, served chilled, but the sauce is warm. There are not any cran-creepers in Apple Valley, so I sent Lydon to the market for cranberries and rasberries instead.



Cran-creeper is a type of vegetable on a vine with red berries that look and taste alot like cranberries. The vegetable has a similar flavor to raspberries. In my native country, the vine from the crancreeper is wound around the plate and the dessert is set ontop of it. It looks very pretty, but doesn't taste very good.

Pastoral Notes: 1st Service

I can't believe it, we finally had our first church service. A few sims showed up and there as a very generous offering. Thanks to the offering and the fundraisers from the Food Expo, we were able to do some remodeling of the church. I now have an office to counsel and the gift shop is larger. Nicole found some nice bibles to sell in the store during the weekdays and after services. Now I must start work on the second sermon!

Reminders...Journeys

How did I get here?

How did I go from Ng*Caima Hi*maya, (the * is where a tongue-click would be pronounced), the girl from Sokitumi Island who used to worship the goddesses & gods (including my favorite, Goddess Lahubutaniya (the goddess of love); Anghj; Feomah (the mother goddess); Angh Tamahou (the god of fertility) the big Volcano god, Wan Sockem-lugi), to the wife of the pastor in this small town? From a university student studying drama and desiring to be a broadway actress to a wife and mother? How I almost married a count that my family chose for me, but instead I was able to marry Lyndon.

I have changed so much, yet I am still the same. Concern about my family still is a priority, but now my family focus is on Faith and Lyndon, instead of my siblings.

I fear that I have forgotten most of my native tongue, Sokitumian, for lack of using it. I am going to help Faith learn some basic words like Mah (Mom) and Parther (Dad).

I even found my old blog. http://nichumphrey.livejournal.com/

Pastoral Notes: A Season for Planting

and a season for harvest. Not only in the natural world are there seasons for harvesting crops and planting crops, but spiritually as well. I am continually reminded about my flock, the residents of the hood and how like the plants in my garden I am to nuture them, prune them at times, toss fertilizer on them and water them. God will cause the growth and then they will be ripe and ready for harvest. I have been praying about the spiritual state of the hood, residents seems to coast through life as if there is no God, that life is simply a state of wake up-work-eat-sleep. As if they are robots. I hope to get through to them that they are more than that-life can have purpose and meaning, but...well I struggle with how. Thank God for my lovely wife, Nicole. She thinks of the best ideas to spread the message around the hood, be it lectures, opening our home for dinners or what have you. She is truly my helpmate, I don't know what I would do without her in my life.

Musing

the spiritual state of the hood each morning over tea before I leave for work. I sense the pain and sorrow in the hearts of the residents. Lyndon knows it as well, God shares that with him during his prayertime.


I told Lyndon that we need to open our home up for dinners. Invite each neighbor at least once to fellowship in our home, regardless of thier relationship or lack of relationship with God. We must open our arms to them.

Mano-e-Mano

I visited the Farmer's Market to look around and experience the Food Expo. I spoke with Leroy, the owner and the previous pastor of the hood before the great scandal. He said that I am doing a great job and to keep my wife happy, I told him that sometimes trying to keep them happy doesn't stop them from...well, he knew what I was talking about. I invited him to service and I said that I hoped to see him there. Nicole wants to serve refreshments after service, mostly cake and tea. I miss her island cooking, maybe I can find some ingrediants to surprise her.

Mommy Dearest

How I love my daughter. I can't believe that I have to leave her during the day, but when I'm home with her, she loves me so much. She loves for me to toss her in the air and to read to her. Also, Lyndon welcomes the break, sometimes he needs to study for his sermons or pray and meditate to God and Faith isn't so understanding.


We're discussing having me quit my job and come home to take care of Faith and maybe open the gift shop a bit more often. I'm not sure, his salary isn't a lot, but like the Bible says, God will provide.

Whose the Daddy?

I admit, I spoil my daughter. She loves to eat cake and especially birthday cake, so I buy her cake all the time. Not good for her teeth, but I love spoiling her. Maybe we should adopt a pet for her...when she's older of course.

Nicole and I are preparing the grounds for the Food Expo, there will be some events held here-hopefully we will make more contacts and have the church congregation grow a bit more.

Love

I am glad that my husband and I are still very much in love. I wonder how we can spread that joy to other couples? Maybe we can host a love seminar? I should ask him. I told Lyndon about the little girl I saw and heard about. I think she's being neglected, her parents seem to care less for her. Perhaps we can give her a home. Faith could have a sister-they're about the same age, and we could have another child. Would the parents accept this or would we need to call child services? Would we legally adopt the girl or simply raise her as our own? Lots of questions.

Happy Birthday Faith!

Faith's birthday went well, she loved the toy that Lyndon picked up for her. We ate cake and listened to her play her new toy.


I wonder...will there be more children in our future? How will we be able to help the community more? Lyndon wants us to host a revival. A revival? I wonder if the residents are ready for such, it's hard enough getting them to come to church for services, much less revivals.

Birthday!

Faith's birthday will be soon. I visited the Toy Shoppe to find a nice gift for her...something a toddler girl would enjoy...I'm so excited about her birthday!

I was looking at her the other day as I fed her her nightly bottle. She resembles Nicole and I. Her eyes are bright blue like mine and she has wisps of blond hair like Nicole's. Even her skintone is the perfect blend of my vanilla and Nicole's cocoa.

Grilling

I was making the rounds around the hood and stopped by Celebration Park. While making a salad I saw so many lost souls walking about. I hope I can reach them, help them. Thankfully there will be two dinners at the church during the Food Expo, partly to raise money for some renovations at church (I need an office so I can counsel residents; the gift shop is too small and crowded; and the roof is leaking), partly to meet more residents and invite them to services.

Work

Things are going along rather well. I had to preside over a few weddings and some funerals as well. Lots of elders are breathing thier last. I have to prepare for simSunday's sermon. Nicole has been inviting sims to the service and I am trying to make friends and form connections. Faith is growing bigger each day, such a wonderful child. I wonder if we will adopt another child? Nicole says that there's a little girl in the hood that she's worried about, B_____. Apparently her mother has no desire for her and her mother's husband doesn't want the child either. I would hate for the child to be neglected.

I'm a Mother on Mother's Day

Early simThursday I became a mother. Ironic since it is also the simday that the hood honors the mothers. Will I do this right? Can I raise her effectively? Thank goodness Lyndon is here encouraging me every step of the way. Tatiana, my boss, was even kind enough to give me three simdays paid parent leave.

Faith

Wow. God has been amazing. Simply amazing. Our faith has been through a test, but because of our faith we now have Faith!

It's amazing. We had almost given up hope. The fertility treatment resulted in a miscarriage, the adoption agency would never come by with our child. Then amazing! Very amazing! Nicole and I woke up this simThursday morning very early in the morning (about 1:30am) full of energy and restless. I headed outside (in the rain) to check on our tomato plants and Nicole was working on tidying the house up. Lo and behold, a blue van pulls up outside our door! The adoption agency was stopping by with our child! Our child!!!

We are now the proud parents of little Faith Humphrey. She's a cutie, medium skin and bright blue eyes. Nicole and I have been in awe. It doesn't matter that we now have a loan of $7000 (IVF treatment and adoption fees) that must be repaid. That loan is just part of the evidence of the struggle we went through to get little Faith. She is priceless

No Baby Despite Desperate Measures

Still no baby. We've been experimenting with some desperate measures now. We tried fertility treatments, which are very expensive, $5000 each try. It would figure that we lost the embryo...embryo...why do they call it an embryo. It's a child.

*sigh*

The simWednesday night service was ok. I was tired, only three sims showed up. Maybe simSunday will be better. I will personally call residents to invite them over then.

*sigh*

Why does it seem like the joy of parenthood eludes us.

No Luck

I finally started working at Tati's. I was waiting a little while until the adoption procedures were complete, but they're taking ages to process our application. They approve us and then no baby, they say it will take a bit longer due to our circumstances and still no baby. Are we meant to have a chile? Maybe we are destined to be without children? No, I refuse to believe so.

Lyndon has been spending his time counseling the residents about children and marriages and the like. I hope they come to service this simday.

No Luck

I finally started working at Tati's. I was waiting a little while until the adoption procedures were complete, but they're taking ages to process our application. They approve us and then no baby, they say it will take a bit longer due to our circumstances and still no baby. Are we meant to have a chile? Maybe we are destined to be without children? No, I refuse to believe so.

Lyndon has been spending his time counseling the residents about children and marriages and the like. I hope they come to service this simday.

Adoption

Why is it taking so long!!!! Nicole and I want this baby so badly! We passed the adoption proceedings, but we were delayed with the repairs. Then we had to get special help from the hood council to pass the new adoption proceedings and the agency promised to bring our baby the next simday, well it passed and no baby!

Why is it the one thing we want the most seems impossible to get? Maybe I am to learn patience from this ordeal. I need to work on my sermon for simWednesday...patience is a viture...patience.

Back

We just completed our first simday back on the rotation, things are different to say the least. I stayed at home all day, since I do not have a job as of yet. Tatiana has promised a job for me at her new resturaunt, but I must wait until every family has finished thier rotation. The day was ok, it rained, we fished in the morning and planted tomatoes. Then for two hours I opened the church office to sell candles while Lyndon fished some more and greeted the residents. A few expressed interest in attending service this simWednesday. I hope a fair number of residents come since the church needs a office for Lyndon to do counseling with the residents. An *unnamed* resident stopped by for advice and help and poor Lyndon had to talk with her in the rain under the willow tree. That night we ate fresh fish and talked about the new little one coming the next simday. Even though we had passed the adoption process before, our current savings were a cause for concern for the agency. We had to get the hood council president to call the agency and assure them that we would have enough simoleans to care for a child before they would confirm that they would have our child over soon, well the next simday. All we can afford is a crib at the moment, but soon...

Pastoral Notes: Construction Starts

Spring is here and construction on the rebuilding process is underway. It is fascinating to watch something come out of the ground from nothing. Perhaps I will have my first sermon about that amazing phenomenon.

I am nervous about taking my post as the new pastor. Nicole and I have been given a modest bonus as an incentive, besides we are able to live in the house-rent free, as well as recieve a modest weekly salary. Not much, about $500 a simweek which equates to about $70 a day. Nicole wants to get a job at the new resturaunt, Tati's. That should bring in some additional money, not much more, but a little bit more. We're also going to plant a small garden and fish in the local ponds for extra income/food.

The most exciting news is the addition to the Humphrey family and which will keep me rather busy when not drafting sermons, preaching or tending our garden. We're going to adopt a child. Hopefully this will be the first of three, but we shall see. It was a disappointment that we could not bear children, but at least now we will give a needy child a home. I am anxious to see the little one.

A Change of Life

Greetings!

My name is Nicole, my husband is Lyndon. We met on the SUN boards when we were in university and lived briefly on my native island, Sokitumi (my english and simish is not very well, but its am much better than before). We moved back to Apple Valley when they offered us subsidized housing for the "Return to Your Roots" campaign. Now things are masande different from the way it begun.

I started as a local actress but now...now I am going to work in my friend Tatiana's new resturaunt. Lyndon has accepted the post as the new pastor of Apple Valley, so we will move to the parsionage once the repairs are complete. Lyndon will make a small salary, so he has proposed to fish for extra simoleans and we will have a small garden as well to supplement out income-also my salary from the resturaunt. Once we move into the new home, we will finally pick up our child. We are adopting. Lyndon and I can not have children naturally so we're adopting!

We are anxious about our new responsibilities, both as new parents and as spiritual advisors for the community. We will know nothing until repairs are completes

Homemaker's

The homemaker's club had an outing at the park and we went fishing. My dreams are becoming more and more intense and it's scaring me. Lyndon says to pray about it and my prayers have only increased the details of the dreams. Is God trying to speak to me? About what?