I am training for a 5k walk/run called the Turkey Trot at the YMCA Thanksgiving morning. Today was my first official practice walk/run. H joined me and went halfway with me. She is training for a 1k run. We walked one minute, ran one minute until halfway through when I started walking two minutes and running one. I need to reverse the path because the last stretch is all uphill! My time? 39:45. I will keep training and hoping to improve my time before Thanksgiving morning. Actually, our entire family is doing either the 1k or 5k, except for N. Fun!
We are also in spiritual training. Sometimes I am more aware of it than others. Sometimes I am looking forward to/straining to train and other times it seems to happen to me. In any case, I am learning to grow and stretch toward becoming all that God wants me to be.
We are being stretched in many ways this time in the US: financially, physically and spiritually. M and H and I pray together at the start of school and were praying specifically for money for or winter clothes for R and N. Two days later, God provided money much beyond enough for that from some dear friends. Be encouraged...God does hear and answer our prayers!
If you have experiences where you are training as well...please write. That would encourage me as well.
Saturday, October 23, 2010
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
out of batteries
My camera is out of batteries which makes taking pictures impossible. Enter my husband and kids who are kind enough to let me use their cameras...if only I could download the pictures as easily as mine! So, this update will be sans photos. Sorry...we have some great ones!
We have had the joy and pleasure to travel around and reconnect with supporting churches and individuals. In the last two weekends, we traveled to Lima, OH (196 miles) away. We connected with a church that we were last at in 2002! My, how time goes quickly. What fun to be surprised by my aunt and cousins as we set up our display table in the foyer. I didn't realize that my cousins have been attending that church for 3 years! They took us out to Godfather's Pizza and we had a chance to talk with just them.
Spending time with the M family was a pleasure as well. We have seen them more recently and our kids enjoy them. Our son, Matt, especially enjoys their boys, but Matt had something else already planned that weekend and wasn't able to be there. Hannah and Nate had a great time with them, however. We SO appreciate you, M family!
This last weekend we got to spend Friday night with our former colleagues in the Czech Republic! What "should have" been a 2 1/2 hour trip for us turned into an almost 5 hour trip, thanks to traffic in Chicago! We arrived MUCH later than planned, to a delicious and still warm meal. What a treat to spend the night with the F family. Having hosts who know us and understand us and share history is so fun. Thanks F family! We love you.
Then, we drove to Grantsburg, WI (Trade River, actually). That trip was about 6 hours from the F family's home. We stayed with the V family, pastor and family at Trade River EFC. We haven't been there since 2001 and enjoyed connecting with the new pastor, missions committee and many new members in the church. Our time there was sweet and we look forward to a sooner return there. The return trip was over 9 hours in duration not including a stop for supper.
We arrived home at 12:30 a.m. in Indiana. Monday was a sleep-in day for us and we have now picked up the pace with home school and extra-curricular activities again.
Today, our colleague, R, is coming for lunch! What a fun treat! So many of us in the US at this point and it is fun to see each other here.
Tonight we get to have another Czech Dessert. This time in "our" home! We look forward to sharing with those who come about what God is doing in the Czech Republic.
Tomorrow I am looking forward to two special things:
1) connecting with the mom and sister of one of my friends from high school. The M family serves in Mexico where B grew up. I am so excited to see her mother who also lives and ministers in Mexico. Her sister K lives nearby so this will be a chance to connect after so many years!
2) eating supper with our dear friends, the N family in Grand Rapids, MI. We have known this dear family for at least 16 years. The parents served in Africa for years. Their daughters and spouses are friends and have been a great encouragement to our family.
So many great experiences! Such rich lives!
Sometimes, our batteries can get low, though with all this activity. Pray for rest and good communication between Tom and I and our family as we are often drawn many directions. We want to truly be working together during this time of raising support and visiting friends as well.
Happy Fall to you all!
We have had the joy and pleasure to travel around and reconnect with supporting churches and individuals. In the last two weekends, we traveled to Lima, OH (196 miles) away. We connected with a church that we were last at in 2002! My, how time goes quickly. What fun to be surprised by my aunt and cousins as we set up our display table in the foyer. I didn't realize that my cousins have been attending that church for 3 years! They took us out to Godfather's Pizza and we had a chance to talk with just them.
Spending time with the M family was a pleasure as well. We have seen them more recently and our kids enjoy them. Our son, Matt, especially enjoys their boys, but Matt had something else already planned that weekend and wasn't able to be there. Hannah and Nate had a great time with them, however. We SO appreciate you, M family!
This last weekend we got to spend Friday night with our former colleagues in the Czech Republic! What "should have" been a 2 1/2 hour trip for us turned into an almost 5 hour trip, thanks to traffic in Chicago! We arrived MUCH later than planned, to a delicious and still warm meal. What a treat to spend the night with the F family. Having hosts who know us and understand us and share history is so fun. Thanks F family! We love you.
Then, we drove to Grantsburg, WI (Trade River, actually). That trip was about 6 hours from the F family's home. We stayed with the V family, pastor and family at Trade River EFC. We haven't been there since 2001 and enjoyed connecting with the new pastor, missions committee and many new members in the church. Our time there was sweet and we look forward to a sooner return there. The return trip was over 9 hours in duration not including a stop for supper.
We arrived home at 12:30 a.m. in Indiana. Monday was a sleep-in day for us and we have now picked up the pace with home school and extra-curricular activities again.
Today, our colleague, R, is coming for lunch! What a fun treat! So many of us in the US at this point and it is fun to see each other here.
Tonight we get to have another Czech Dessert. This time in "our" home! We look forward to sharing with those who come about what God is doing in the Czech Republic.
Tomorrow I am looking forward to two special things:
1) connecting with the mom and sister of one of my friends from high school. The M family serves in Mexico where B grew up. I am so excited to see her mother who also lives and ministers in Mexico. Her sister K lives nearby so this will be a chance to connect after so many years!
2) eating supper with our dear friends, the N family in Grand Rapids, MI. We have known this dear family for at least 16 years. The parents served in Africa for years. Their daughters and spouses are friends and have been a great encouragement to our family.
So many great experiences! Such rich lives!
Sometimes, our batteries can get low, though with all this activity. Pray for rest and good communication between Tom and I and our family as we are often drawn many directions. We want to truly be working together during this time of raising support and visiting friends as well.
Happy Fall to you all!
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
Michigan travels
We returned safely Sunday around supper time from our long weekend in Traverse City and Grand Rapids, Michigan. We left at lunch time after picking Rachel up from school. The drive north was beautiful as the trees were just turning colors. I am sure that this week it will be even prettier!
Our stay with our dear friends, A and J K was so nice. What dear friends we have that we can just pick up with even after years of not seeing each other. We enjoyed the time driving around the lake and walking downtown TC as well. Friday night, we had the opportunity to share with several new friends in a Czech Dessert. We are always encouraged to see how God brings just the right people to these meetings. We look forward to seeing how God brings us together in more ways than the Czech Dessert.
We then drove to Grand Rapids where we stayed with other friends whom we have known for many years as well. Thanks for hosting us, A and R H. We were happy to share in our sending church with so many interested and fun people. Many were new to us and the church and others we have known many years. We are excited to see how God will continue to knit us together with this church.
Please keep praying for safety in driving. We are going to be gone every weekend in October and November to different churches.
Also, pray for rest when we are home in Indiana and diligence to keep up the school work as well. We are enjoying some extra-curricular activities such as soccer, swimming, gymnastics and Zumba thanks to our local YMCA and the Portage Christian School.
Our stay with our dear friends, A and J K was so nice. What dear friends we have that we can just pick up with even after years of not seeing each other. We enjoyed the time driving around the lake and walking downtown TC as well. Friday night, we had the opportunity to share with several new friends in a Czech Dessert. We are always encouraged to see how God brings just the right people to these meetings. We look forward to seeing how God brings us together in more ways than the Czech Dessert.
We then drove to Grand Rapids where we stayed with other friends whom we have known for many years as well. Thanks for hosting us, A and R H. We were happy to share in our sending church with so many interested and fun people. Many were new to us and the church and others we have known many years. We are excited to see how God will continue to knit us together with this church.
Please keep praying for safety in driving. We are going to be gone every weekend in October and November to different churches.
Also, pray for rest when we are home in Indiana and diligence to keep up the school work as well. We are enjoying some extra-curricular activities such as soccer, swimming, gymnastics and Zumba thanks to our local YMCA and the Portage Christian School.
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