Thursday, March 28, 2013

Papua New Guinea Photo Book

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Monday, March 18, 2013

A Weekend in Jackson

We took a weekend visit to Jackson, Michigan - where New Tribes Bible Institute is located - to visit friends of ours. It was such a great weekend to visit both student and staff friends who are still at the Bible school! These friends are all so special to us. Not only did we live in a unique environment with them (most of us all lived in the same building), but we also studied the Bible with them and share an interest in reaching the world with the gospel.

We spent a good amount of time with our friends Nathan and Rachel and Aaron and Jill. They are seniors at the Bible school and will be going to the Training Center the same time we do. They have kids close in age to ours, so it's a little crazy when we all hang out. There are 9 kids between us. Here's a picture to show our craziness at dinner one night :)


Here is Sophie hanging out with Abel who is Aaron's and Jill's youngest.


 Sophie and Daisy (Nathan's and Rachel's youngest) are just a month apart and they spent a lot of time together in child care when we were at the Bible school. They were babies then, and now they're chubby, talking, potty-training, silly toddlers!

I really miss having a gym in the same building that I live in. It would be SO nice to have a place to take my toddler to run around in during these cold, wintery months! It was fun to hang out with our friends there again.



I got to attend a baby shower too! Ali, Katie, Sarah, and Nicole are all pregnant with their first baby... and they are all having boys!!

We caught up with Kyle and his wife Lindsi - Kyle is Chris Jones' brother (Chris and Evie are the missionary couple we helped in Papua New Guinea).

I was able to meet up with Jessica for a little while. She was one of my favorite single ladies at the Bible school- but now she's married. :)

And we loved being able to see the Duecks! They are a great staff family that we miss so much. Sue watched Sophie in child care, and Dalton was a marrieds' dean.



We also got to see our small group that we spent Sunday nights with while attending the Bible school. I didn't get a group picture, but the Mama of this handsome fellow was able to capture a picture together of the two youngest small group members- Isaac and Brielle :) Maybe some day they'll attend Bible school together!

I wasn't able to get a picture with everyone, so there were some others we were able to see too. Overall, it was a great weekend, and we were so glad we got to spend the weekend catching up with these friends!

Monday, March 11, 2013

Thankful for: Friends and Family

One more post for my mini series of thankfulness to add to this one and this one.

You're probably completely shocked that we're thankful for our friends and family, right? Ok... so you're probably actually thinking that this one is a no-brainer. Of course we're thankful for our friends and family. But nonetheless, I feel it's necessary to put it in writing on our blog :)

So many of you have been so good to us in these past few months- really, in the past few years since we started this journey toward missions.

*Countless of you have gave financially to us- for Bible school, for our trip to Papua New Guinea, and to help with other costs. We are truly humbled. Sometimes we stress about money, and it's so, so good for us to look back and remember the many ways God has already used people to provide for us. Thank you, from the bottom of our hearts.

*A number of you made meals for us when our daughter, Brielle, was born recently- what a yummy blessing! Those first few weeks would have been stressful without you.

*So many of you have shown interest in what we are doing.

*Some of you have been forgiving when we had to miss special moments with you because of being in training or traveling overseas.

*We know many of you pray for us. Your prayers are felt.

*Many of you have welcomed us back with open arms even when we were out of your life for 2 years while at Bible school, and it's so nice to know that we will always have friends back in Indiana.

*Some of you (particularly family) have opened your home to us when we need a place to stay and have given your time for us when we need a Sophie-sitter :)

THANK YOU! We don't want any of you to ever think we take you for granted.