Done With Our First Year...

Tomorrow we have our last day of classes for this school year. It's hard to believe that we are already done with our first year here at New Tribes and that little Sophie is already 7 weeks old! We have had a great year and have learned a lot that we hope we won't quickly forget. We've also made some great friends. We're thankful we have another year left to learn about the Bible and get to know students and staff here at NTBI. The above photo was taken by Joel Myers We are so thankful for the family pictures he took to capture these precious moment when Sophie is a baby.

Sophie is now a smiley girl... below is a picture to prove it!
We are finishing up 1 Corinthians right now, and Ben is also finishing up Bible Basis of Missions. 1 Corinthians has been a great class where we have learned a lot and been challenged. It's amazing to really look into the letters Paul wrote and examine them carefully... you realize how much you miss with just a quick read. The homework load has been heavier for this class. Below is a picture to show you what we do... we have to color nouns, verbs, adjectives, etc to help us get a better grasp on the text, and then we look for key words and key thoughts in the passage. I (Alisha) have really enjoyed this homework as it's right up my English-lovin' alley... Ben's ready to never see a noun again, though ;)
We have made time for friends amongst being students, parents, and working (Ben). We have watched a few movies and talked with friends after Sophie goes to bed... and we also went out to eat and bowling with our friends Jason and Laken and had our first true date night away from Sophie... our wonderful staff friend Tamara watched Sophie. Building good relationships take time, and so we're bummed to be leaving for the summer right as we're beginning to build some solid relationships. Some of our friends will be back next year which is nice, but some will graduate.

Below is another picture Joel Myers took... it is of Sophie and I and his wife Bethany and their baby Elsie who is 2 days older than Sophie. I have been so thankful to have a friend here to go through pregnancy and beginning of motherhood with.

Ben and I are looking forward to summer break when we will be back in Indiana. Ben plans to work construction... he's glad to have a break from Red Lobster to do what he really loves. I am going to California for a week to visit my friend and her baby, and the rest of the time I will be in Indiana, enjoying being a mother without the schoolwork load. We're hoping to spend times with friends and family that we miss while in Michigan!