As promised...I wanted to post about my Pastoral Care couple through CTEN, Dick and Birdie Johnson!

Dick & Birdie...what a pair! Just their names alone give you insight into what characters they are!

Aren't they just wonderful?! Seriously, they are one of the neatest couples. I am so incredibly excited and thankful to have them with me on this journey. Both originally from the US, they lived and worked in Puerto Rico for a number of years after they got married. They now live and work with CTEN in Kerrville, TX. I cannot believe how encouraging, supportive, caring, and wise they are! It is such a comfort to know I can call them at any time with ANYTHING, they are praying for me daily, and that at some point they will be coming to visit me in Haiti! What a HUGE blessing they have, and will continue, to be!

On top of that, as mentioned before, they are two people after my own heart - silly, goofy, full of life. I couldn't believe how much I laughed around them. Birdie, was re-enacting a puppet show she dreams of putting on with the idea being an American trying to learn Spanish, and a Latino trying to learn English. You should have heard her lines and accents. Hilarious! She would have rivaled any comedian.

Check out their faces...And I thought I was good at funny faces! Dick's just kills me, haha!

And Dick just stands back and laughs...he just loves his wife! He gave us (CTEN members) a recipe that he swears by...Master Tonic!! Apparently, he takes 2 tablespoons of this daily, and since starting it in the late 90s has not had any stomach or digestive issues...what a hoot! See the recipe below...who knows, he may be on to something!

Master Tonic

Equal parts 

      fresh chopped white onion

      garlic

      ginger root

      horse radish

      habanero pepper

      un-pasteurized apple cider vinegar

After combining ingredients with the vinegar, let 'brew' for 2 weeks, stirring it once or twice a day.

At the conclusiion you should seperate the solids from the liquid. You can use just the clear liquid though some like it with some sediment making it stronger. Keep it in closed glass containers. It doesn't need to be refrigerated. Good for parasites, amoebas and - I can't remember what else.

- Dick Johnson

 So after posting this I'm realizing this might make some of you think, "What the heck is she getting into with these people?" Honestly, as much as I'm joking around about them, they are WONDERFUL people, full of knowledge, wisdom, and guidance in what I am about to do in Haiti. Without them, I would not feel as comfortable as I do heading off to Haiti!