Conversations, Celebrations, and OUTREACH!!!

January, February & March, highs & lows:

Mostly highs, and a couple of lows, from the last 3 months:

• Hosting moms for coffee & conversation
• Celebrating winter birthdays — Landon turned 14, Eli turned 7, I turned… 
• Neil & I celebrated 18 years of marriage!
• Neil added teaching geometry @ Christian Heritage School to his schedule
• Neil & Nolan will be going on outreach with the School of Evangelism. They’ll be travelling to the Middle East mid-April through mid-May!!! We are so thankful for this opportunity for these guys to travel and serve the team, and WITH the team in the Middle East.
• Camping with the Murphy’s for part of our spring break (I feel like we’re officially campers since we’ve now experienced camping for more than 1 night in a row!)
• Participating & helping facilitate weekly parenting workshop
• Participating & helping facilitate a weekend marriage workshop
• Enjoying the snow, not losing water/power, and serving the homeless in Tyler during the Texas Snowmageddon
• Titus started 2 day/week preschool!
• Eli & Savana (that girl surprises us sometimes!) started karate!
• I get to participate in AHCC’s virtual MOPS group
• Neil got to teach in the School of Evangelism, as well as share at YWAM Tyler’s Family Night (Sunday evening service)

• Big challenges getting Nolan’s driver’s license… It’s a long story, but the short of it is that Nolan is going to be driving on a permit for 2.5 years before he’s able to get his license here {insert crying emoji}  He’s handled it well. I’m still traumatized by 6 month waiting periods to get appointments at the Department of Public Safety and the requirement that he drive for 6 months on a Texas permit…
• Adding another week to the end of the school year because of the number of weeks missed this year. (This is Savana’s addition to the list… they still get out of school mid-May 😉

One really cool story- The idea of being available to the Lord has been a theme these last few weeks for us. It’s what Neil shared about, and as he prepared he was given many opportunities to practice. A couple of weeks ago, I ran to Walmart for some needed groceries. On my way, I noticed a guy walking along the road in that direction. After I finished shopping and checking out, I noticed that same guy in the store. I really felt like I was supposed to talk to him, but decided to get the kids & groceries loaded into the car first. Once they were situated, I headed back into Walmart to see if I could find him. I did. I asked him if he was ok, and if he needed anything. He said he was ok. So I asked if I could pray for him. He said yes (he is a Christian), but wanted to move our conversation outside. We were standing just outside the Walmart doors, and he shared some of the hard things he’s going through — lost tools (he’s a carpenter), an unpaid job, a broken down truck, license issues…. (It’s so crazy, Neil actually met this same guy a couple of weeks prior at the laundromat near our house!) He’s seeking the Lord for wisdom about whether or not to legally pursue his tools and unpaid work, and he really could use a bike for the meantime. His list of needs is significant, so together we took those needs to the Lord. No sooner had we finished praying and a brand new bike was pushed through the door…toward him. The lady on the other end said she just “felt like he needed to have that.” WHAT??? I asked him if he spoke with that lady & shared his need for a bike, and he said “no”. JESUS!!! Oh my goodness! He is such a faithful provider. He sees us. He loves us. He takes good care of His kids. I’m so thankful for a front-row seat in witnessing a miracle!

Prayer requests ~

-Details of Neil & Nolan’s travel. They fly out of Houston on April 17, and return May 14. There’s a big time change, and many hours of travel. Please pray for negative COVID tests to return in a timely manner (they must have that 48 hours prior to their flight), and just overall smooth travel in both directions.

-Those of us who are staying behind — this is the longest our family will have been apart from each other… There’s a lot going on on the homefront — a lot of moving parts, the end of the school year, juggling schedules, keeping up with active 3 & 7 year old boys, etc., etc.

-The outreach. The team has been there for 2 weeks — Please pray for unity in the team, EFFECTIVE ministry & divine appointments. The team has sensed from the Lord that He wants to do things outside of the ministry plans they’ve made. Pray for sensitive and obedient hearts to what God wants to do.

Praises ~

– Our family has been walking through quite a few transitions. I feel like since the new year though, we’ve settled as a family. We’re getting the hang of what staffing at YWAM is all about, we’re finding places to serve and grow, and we’re so thankful for and comfortable in the house we’re renting.

– We’re so thankful for the opportunity to participate in what God is doing! He is moving and stirring hearts. We get to be a part of what He’s doing in our little corner of Texas, where people come to learn and grow and be discipled! What a gift!

– Praising Him also for continued provision! He is so good and faithful and blessed us so greatly as we’ve stepped out in faith & obedience.