Dessert Recipe

Share your favorite dessert recipe.

Title: Pumpkin DelightDescription:Some would call these tarts...but since they are sweet...they just look like tarts! I intended to make these for our potluck at church this past Sunday. However the store was out of pumpkin so I used blueberry instead. Enjoy!

Ingredients:1 can of pumpkin spice it up the way you like it

1 box of cheesecake pudding 2 Cups of Cool Whip

Frozen Mini Fillo Shells

Directions:Mix the pumpkin and pudding real well Blend in the Cool Whip

Winter Storm

Share a story about a severe winter storm.

Ah, the traditional American story. That question for me should be about a severe earthquake! I went through many of those. The funniest story I recall, and I do have many earthquake stories, is when one was strong enough to devastate the whole neighborhood where our First Church was located. My dad helped clear rubble to find people. They were loading dead people on a truck. That was not funny! Dad had loaded a little lady on the truck and went back to work to find more people. As he turned around with another body...the lady he had just loaded was sitting up!!!!!! She looked at the bodies under her, then at my dad....screamed and jumped off the truck and ran away!! As you can imagine, that sort of freaked my dad out somewhat!!!!!

First Job

Tell me about your first job.

I created my first job by taking on the role as an Avon Lady while in High School. I used to pass my books down the row in class and get my orders. I continued that in college but people would order things and then not have the money and I no longer lived with my parents to bail me out of those situations!

At both of the colleges I went to I worked in the college bookstore. In the summers I worked at the Nazarene bookstore. My sophomore year I added the job of being a waitress at Denny's and then switched over to a House of Fabrics Warehouse. That summer I sold custom fitted bras door to door!!!!!! :?)

Chores

What chores did you have to do when you were growing up? Did you get an allowance? How much was it?

We always had to make our beds! Depending if we were in the US or on the mission field we had to do the dishes. On the mission field we had maids so we did not help as much in the kitchen. In the US we helped with everything. Saturday mornings were meant for cleaning. The house was cleaned spic and span every Sat. When I got married I thought that was how we would do it. It seemed like we found more interesting things to do and my kids never got that structured house cleaning I was raised with. Poor things....if I was cleaning the whole house at one time they knew we had an event coming up!!!!!

Allowance? I think we might have done that for awhile when we lived in San Antonio. A quarter a week!!!!!

Pets

What was the name of your favorite pet? Why was it your favorite?

I am not sure we had my favorite pet long enough to name it! It was a coatimundi or pisote.

It is in the raccoon family, looks like a ant eater and has hands and personality like a monkey.

He would open up containers we gave to him. He would spread talcum, toothpaste, or perfume all over his tail! He had a fascination with dresses or skirts. Forty some years ago when we lived in Guatemala the women did not wear slacks. Every time we had a guest come over the pisote would run up to the woman, grab her skirt or dress and stand up with it!!!!!! Well that did not go over well in the home of two missionaries so my dad gave it away not too long after we got it!!!!

Favorite Meal

What was your favorite meal when you were a child? What made it your favorite?

As a young child I grew up on the campus where my parents worked and my older siblings came home for lunch so we actually had three sit down meals a day with all seven members of the family together!!!!! We had no TV or telephone to interrupt that time!!!! Trying to remember a favorite at home does not click at the moment but I do remember Christmas Eve, late at night, after the Christmas program at church we got tamales. Now you must know that Guatemala is famous for having some of the best tamales. I recall all the little Indian ladies working hard to prepare those for a large crowd at our church in Coban. I recall sneaking out of the church to the kitchen(a seperate building...dirt floor if I recall correctly)to see when they would get done. I still long for Guatemalan tamales. I did find a restaurant in Oklahoma City that serves that particular kind. YUM!!!!!

Scent or Sound

What scent or sound immediately takes you back to childhood? Describe the feeling it evokes.

I don't know that I can describe the scent, but if I smell clothing that was woven in Guatemala it carries its own particular odor no matter how old the item is! It brings back good memories of wonderful days living in Guatemala. I watched women do their own weaving many times and I still admire their beautiful, colorful work!

Sounds, rain! It rained every day in Coban when we lived there. Rain brings back wonderful memories!

Getting To School

How far did you have to travel to attend elementary, junior high, and high school, and how did you get there?

1st - 3rd I had school on my back porch! Fourth grade was in Kansas City. I think some neighbors drove us to school. I remember experiencing my first hail in the Quanstrom's car.

I started 5th grade at a boarding school in Quetzaltenango, Guatemala. I think it took my parents two days to travel from the village of Senahu to get to my school. I finished fifth grade at a school in San Antonio. My brother and I had to ride a city bus to get back and forth to school at Woodrow Wilson. We moved and went to Woodlawn elementary in San Antonio. We walked to school, but it was not real close. I took 7th and 8th grade by correspondence and my classroom was my bedroom! I came to the US lacking 60 days of 8th grade and they made me repeat it! I walked to that school in Lakeland, Fl. Probably a little more than a mile. That was for 9th grade as well. I took 10th grade at Galion High in Galion, Ohio. I walked there as well. It was not real close! I took 11th at Southeast High in Kansas City and I walked to school. It was rather close. My senior year I took the same year as my junior year at Westport Evening Adult High. It was far and my brother-in-law, Don Baker gave me rides to that school!

Valentine

Describe a memorable Valentine you received.

I don't recall doing anything for Valentine's Day until I was in school in the USA for fourth grade. I don't think I was that impressed with the whole idea because I did not think the cards really meant anything! As I think about this question I have decided that the most meaningful Valentine was to get flowers from my husband and my son at school. Two separate bouquets! They were both beautiful!

First Bible

Who gave you your first Bible and how old were you when you received it? How did it influence your life?

To be honest, I have no idea what my first Bible was like. I don't know if it was an English one or a Spanish one! During our family devotions we used different versions and compared how the different ones gave meaning to the scripture read that night. Because of that I have never really developed a favorite version. I still jump from one to another. It certainly makes it interesting to read a verse and wonder, "Hmm, I wonder how this verse is written in such and such a version." I get up and get another version. Sometimes I will have three or four versions out!

Becoming A Christian

When did you become a Christian? How did your life change?

I remember going to the altar to get saved....possibly I was 6. However, my reason for doing that certainly was not because I realized I needed to be forgiven for my sinful ways. My mother had not let me participate in a communion service because I did not have Jesus in my heart yet. I was determined that the next time they served communion I was going to get some!!!! It was the following year during Vacation Bible School that I discovered that I was a sinner(boy, was I!) and that I needed to confess that to God and receive His forgiveness! I was a "me first" kind of person. After having Christ in my life I started to see other people's needs. I was still immature in that knowledge, but God has continued to mold me and I believe I have become more Christ Like across the years...but I still have some growing to do!!!!!

God

Who was the first person to talk to you about God? What effect did this have on you?

Knowing my mom, I heard about God while she was pregnant with me! With both of my parents being ordained ministers I heard about God all my life! We lived on campus of a Bible School that my dad was the director of. We had maids in our home who were students in the Bible School, and very much a part of our lives. There was chapel every day that we often attended. We had family devotions daily. There we all (four other siblings) had different versions of the Bible, including Spanish! You can imagine the discussions about God that came with reading all these different versions! Who was the first person...I am sure my parents, but I would count all these others and all my Sunday School teachers and children's church teachers, and all the students on campus as an integral part of teaching me about God!

About My Grandparents

Share a memory of your grandparents or an older person you loved.

My grandparents on my dad's side of the family passed away before I was born. I did not get to know my grandparents on my mom's side of the family well when I was small because we lived on the mission field. However, I did live with my grandparents when I moved to the US at the age of 14. I lived with them for two years. My grandmother was quite a prayer warrior and was still teaching an adult Sunday School in her 70's. She was an outstanding cook. We did the dishes together each evening. We had to do the "she" things first and then the "he" things. To her the pots and pans were the "he" things! Grandpa spent a lot of time pulling up weeds in the yard. He was adamant about having no weeds in his yard. Both of them loved to do crossword puzzles and would daily run to get the paper. Whoever got it first got to do that day's crossword puzzle. They played Scrabble and Anagrams a lot.

As young children we adopted a missionary couple as our grandparents. Robert and Pearl Ingram chose not to have their own children so that they could invest more time with the people of Guatemala. They would have made wonderful parents. We loved them dearly! Mr. Ingram was the one who taught me how to fill a lettuce leaf full of sugar and eat it like a bag full of sugar! Yikes! No wonder I still love sugary things!

Important Life Lessons

Recall some of the most important lessons you have learned in life.

This may have to have more added in the future!

• God has a plan in my life...I must be willing to wait for the next step even though the current one might not make sense.
• Always allow your loved ones to be aware of how much you love them! After losing a son I have a deeper appreciation for my family.
• No matter how deeply someone hurts me, I must remember that my choice to remain bitter only distances me from my Heavenly Father. Nothing is worth that!
• There is nothing more exciting than Kingdom Business!
• My availability gives God the opportunity to do a miracle through me. Therefore I must consider every encounter a divine appointment!

Siblings

List one special memory about each of your brothers and sisters.

Ken * Hardest head scrubber you ever met!

Always came to my defense!

Moved to the US when he was 16, I missed him so much!

Whenever he came back home he seemed like the kindest guy ever!

Marilyn * "The big black bear ate a big black bug" She always screamed this into her pillow!

Was always memorizing scriptures. Helped me learn John 1:1-12

Hooked up with David too much to pick on me! :?)

Made wonderful desserts when we were kids.

Left for college when I was in 6th grade. I missed her alot but loved having my own room!

Mark * Slingshots! Always gone off to the mountains! Loved horses! Hated school!

I remember when a neighbor in San Antonio came out screaming at me when my ball accidentally went over the fence into her yard. Mark tore into her and left me with my mouth gaping open since we tended to fight most of the time!

I was so proud of him when he came to El Salvador in his soldier outfit.

David * Sort of my twin. You never heard one of our names but what you heard the other.

Loved his red sweater! Grew attached to people and things. We fought a lot but loved each other

Grandparent's Houses

Describe your grandparent's houses. Did you visit them often? Why or why not?

My Dad's parents died before I was born so I never was in their home. My mother's parents lived in Dayton, OH. I was there when I was 3 years old and again when I was 9. I remember it being a big house. We lived on the mission field for 5 years at a time and came to the US for one year.

When I was 14 I actually moved in with my grandparents. My grandparents lived in Florida by that time. They moved while I lived with them. Both of their houses in Fl had what is called a Florida Room...sort of like a sun room...but nicer.

My Home

Where was your childhood home located? Did you enjoy living there?

I lived in Coban, Guatemala. My Dad and Mom were directors of a Bible School there. This place was a perfect place for a child to grow up in. We had a banana plantation, a corn field, a huge strawberry patch, lime, tangerine, orange, avocado, guava, jocote, misperos and others. There was a basketball court, an area for volleyball. Activities went on all the time. Youth camp happened on our property! This was the best place to grow up in!

Bedtime Prayer

What kind of prayer did you say before you went to sleep? Who taught you how to pray it?

It? I don't recall any "it" kind of prayer. We learned that prayer was a conversation with our God! We had family devotions at night. Different ones of us prayed at family devotions. Both of my parents were/are prayer warriors. I learned to pray by hearing them. I recall my dad being so grateful after a meal that we did another prayer after eating! This happened several times.

Living Room

Describe what the family living room looked like when you were a child.

We had a rather large living room. It had a hard wood floor but we had rugs here and there. There was a built in bookshelf on one side by the dining room and we had the piano on the other side. There was a large window at the front that looked out to two small mountains. We could often stand and watch the rain head across the pasture and over the banana plantation we had in front of your living room.

Mother's Activities

How did your mother spend her day? Did she have a job or do volunteer work outside the home?

Pretty much all the answers I gave for my dad apply to my mom. She did pursue her doctorate in ministry and got that when she was 64 years old. She was called on to teach in seminaries in Latin America into her mid eighties!
At the time of this writing she is 89. She is sharp and still enthused about theology. She is an intercessor. I know I can count on her to pray for anything I share with her.

Father's Employment

Where did your father go to work everyday and what did he do?

My dad's title was missionary. However, what he did everyday depended on where we lived. In Coban he helped build the Bible School, taught gardening, and caring for livestock. He also taught ministry courses. In the US he traveled telling about his work on the mission field except when he taught at the Seminary in San Antonio and pastored the Cuban church in Miami.

In El Salvador he and my mom started the Church of the Nazarene. They pastored a couple of churches and in time my dad became the district superintendent.

We did get to have my dad at home for meals three times a day a good portion of the time!

First Time to Church

When did you first go to church? What are your earliest memories of church?

Church was our life! That is why Mom and Dad went to the mission field. They went to teach others about life in Christ. Once you receive Christ into your life you join a community to learn and encourage one another in the walk with Christ!

Some of my earliest memories of church are that I usually walked to church with my mom and some students. My dad usually went earlier. We walked on cobbled stone roads. Often we had to share the road with pigs or cows.

In children's church we had the boys on one side and the girls on the other. We ran about 100 kids in there. My brother, David, and I competed to see who could sing the loudest. With that many kids we had to sing loud! That is why we have such strong lungs now. :?)

Things we had to deal with at church that would not be something most of my readers have ever dealt with. We had to deal with dogs, cats and drunks coming through the church during our service!

Baptism

Were you baptized or dedicated as an infant? If so, where and by whom?

This is a very interesting question. I would assume I was but I actually do not recall ever hearing anyone talk about it. I have pictures of my kid's dedications but I do not recall ever seeing one of mine! Being a missionary kid I am sure I was and it would have had happen in the Coban church.

The Bedroom

Describe your childhood bedroom. What was the view from your window?

I moved a lot as a child but the earliest room I remember was at Caracol in Coban, Guatemala. I shared the room and bed with my sister. We had two windows at the corner of the room. On one side we could see the girls dorm with a flower garden in front of it. Flowers were picked from this garden to decorate the church on Sunday morning. In front of the garden, closer to our house was a tall swing we would swing on as well as the girls in the dorm. Even closer yet to our house was a clothesline. My poor mom had clothes on there a lot. With five kids at home and rain literally every day she would have to hang, bring in , hang again all the time!

The other window allowed us to see several peach trees on our side of the fence and a coffee plantation on the other side of the fence.

My Name

Who gave you your name and why? Did you have a family nickname? How did you get it?

My parents gave me my name. I don't know that I ever heard the why, but after this question I may ask them about that. My mother did have fun with my name and I still love my name because it had/has meaning. My name was Joyce Carol Bryant. Bryant means strong and Joyce means joyful and Carol means song. My mom called me a strong joyful song. I do tend to be on the joyful side and I tend to have a very strong singing voice!!!!!!

Because I was such a good reactor my siblings gave me lots of nicknames. Freckle Face, Tamale Feet, Echo Cavern....are a few of the ones I remember! I was the fourth out of five kids. My oldest brother, Ken, never chimed in on those nick names.

Chidhood Pastimes

What was your favorite pastime as a child? Did you prefer doing it alone or with someone else?

I loved going around on the campus we lived on and checking out everyplace. There was the kitchen workers. The boys dorm, the girls dorm, the family housing, the barn, the music classes, the game room. There was always something going on! It was a daily habit of mine to go all around and see everyone. I was usually alone.

Favorites

• Flower * Hydrangea
• Perfume * Fowerey or Sweet
• Hymn * O, How I Love Him
• Book * The Bible
• Author * That constantly changes
• Bible verse * "Rejoice in the Lord always, and again I say, rejoice"
• Dessert * Macaroons
• Vacation Spot * Copper Canyon
• Type of food * I can't say I have one favorite. I like all kinds of ethnic
• Sport * Walking :?)
• Leisure Activity * Umm, blogging and hanging out in the arbor