The P Update

This is an update all about the "Ps" in our lives that you may be curious about: Prayer, Praises, (Financial) Partners, and Pictures.

Prayer: 

*That we would learn a healthy balance between classes, ministry, work detail, family, and friendships.

*For God to continue burdening people's hearts for the unreached in whatever role he might have them play in that

*Childcare Need --> They struggle to have enough workers to help with childcare, so Moms have to help. This semester, there are so many kids and so few workers that Moms have to miss class once a week to help in the childcare. While being with the kids is fun, it's difficult to miss one day of classes every week and stay on top of classes. Please pray that I won't be overwhelmed by missing class, but I would also love prayer that they would be able to find more childcare workers/volunteers!

Praises:

*We arrived here safely and are unpacked

*The girls love it here, are back in their routine, and are doing well in childcare! 

*We love being around our friends from the Bible school again!

*Financially, God has been so good to us, and we're so thankful for all who have given financially to help us!

(Financial) Partners:

We are so thankful for the way God has provided for us so that we can be here! Thank you to those who have given to us financially! It was difficult, especially for Ben, to step away from a secure job and trust in God. It is so very exciting, however, to have to trust God in this new way and to see the amazing ways in which he provides.

We've had 15 individuals/couples and 2 churches give to us, either one-time gifts or monthly gifts. These gifts total $10,499, and if you remember from my Money Matters post, we estimate our semester needs to be around $11,500 for each semester. This means we already have 91% of our support for this semester. 

Pictures:

Sophie's in love with the lake...

When one sister looks...

 ...the other doesn't.

 This is how I get the girls to class in the morning! (Ben's already at class, so I have to do it by myself)

Welcome to the MTC: Our New Home

We are so thankful to be here. I was just thanking God this morning for allowing us to be here... for allowing us to be able to head down this path toward tribal missions. There are people who desire to do this who are unable to because of health or finances, and I never want to forget to praise God for allowing us to be here. Thank you to those who have supported us in any way along this journey- financially, prayerfully, giving encouragement, mentoring us, advocating for us... we praise God for you!

Thank you Dad and Mom Miller for helping us move (and wish you didn't have a meeting and could have come too, Mom Walton)!!!

Here is a little tour of our new home! They have really nice townhouses here, and then they have some really old, small housing. We weren't sure which we would get, but since we have two kids, we got the new housing. We definitely are grateful! It's the nicest place we've ever lived in (and probably ever will live in), so we're going to soak it up!

This is the townhouse unit we live in.

Looking in from our front door... living room and kitchen area are all one big space. 

Living room/kitchen space from the opposite direction. Love this kitchen! I've never had anywhere close to this much counter space!!

Both bedrooms are upstairs. This is our bedroom...

 ... and this is the girl's bedroom. They share a room, but it's a really big room. I was a little nervous how they would do with sharing, but they've done great!

Sophie LOVES this place because they have lots of playgrounds. She asks to go to the playground all the time!

We live on a beautiful campus...

These are the Child Care buildings and classroom buildings...

We have really enjoyed catching up with old friends and meeting new people while being here. We start orientation on Saturday and classes next week!

Off to the MTC We Go!

It's hard to believe it, but tomorrow is moving day! We are all packed and ready to go! Bright and early, we will begin the 8.5* hour trip to Missouri where the Missionary Training Center is! (*8.5 hours doesn't include a potty trained child and a breastfed baby... I've set my goal on 12 hours). We appreciate your prayers!

We've filled the last few weeks with lots of fun, so here are some pictures to prove it!

The girls hanging out on the bed while we pack... 

 Trying to get a cute sister picture. Instead they're showing their punk sides.

 Oh hey! I finally decided to have my mommy teach me how to sew... since I've been talking about doing so for 3 years now. I learned a little but am still far from being able to make anything wonderful.

 Then this past week we had a nice vacation with Ben's family at Gull Lake in Michigan.

Here's a picture of Daddy with his girls at the lake...

 Sophie loved the beach even though she hated being dirty from the sand.

 We had lots of time to hang out with family! Sophie loved it.

 Sophie got her face painted for the first time :)

We're thankful for the last two weeks where we've been able to spend lots of time with family! Here we goooooo!

An MK in the Making...

MK = Missionary Kid.

Since we plan to head to Papua New Guinea to be missionaries, Sophie and Brielle will be MKs. As a result, they will have different experiences than their peers in the USA, and sometimes these differences will be obvious. Sophie showed her first signs of being an MK during our time on vacation with Ben's family this past week at Gull Lake. Sophie went to a class for kids her age in the mornings, and her Aunt Becca got to be one of her teachers! One day when we picked Sophie up, Becca told us that they did a pretend ride on the wooden train. She said she had all the kids hop on the train, and then she said, "Ok we arrived! Where are we?" She said most kids would say things like, "McDonalds!" or "Chuck E Cheese!" But not Sophie. She shouted, "Papua New Guinea!" haha!

Later in the week she got on the train, so we turned the video camera on to see if we asked her again if she would say the same thing... and she did!