Homesick

ok, I admit it. It is catching up to me today like crazy. Amy is posting all these adorable pictures of my kids on her Facebook. I need to hold them, kiss them, hug them, smother them with love, and just down right enjoy them. This was a long trip. I am trying very hard to keep my perspective in check. Soldiers leave their kids for a long time. But I am just down right missing my munchkins! So if the kids are reading this, let them know that we love them very much and we can't wait to hear all about their adventures. And we have a little treat for them. Tell Aunt Judy no luck on the
church yet. We are going into downtown Denver for Dinner tonight. so maybe we will find some little shops. If you haven't seen the excitement at my parents place. Just click on the Builders for Christ link on the left.

Founder's Dinner

We have really been looking forward to the founder's dinner. After reading the book "Prisoner of Hope" written by founder Jessie Miller, we just wanted to meet these missionaries who have paved the way for us.
MaryEtta Reynolds hosted the dinner in her home. She and her husband are such godly people and they truly live out their faith. I know that when we need some wisdom out on the field, they are just one phone call away. We have both really gotten to love this couple.

This was our beautiful place that was set before us.

Elizabeth, Deedra, MaryEtta Reynolds, Janet, Dick Reynolds, Chris

We had a sweet time together all these founders went around the room sharing of God's goodness and faithfulness. They shared about soldiers who now some 30 years later are still walking with the Lord. They told of times when God blessed them beyond measure. They spoke of the hard days, the funny days, but mostly they encouraged us. It was beautiful. Tom and Dottie Hash lead us in some wonderful hymns to close out the evening.

Here we are with Tom & Dottie Hash, Margaret & Dick Patty, and Nettie Miller.
These are the Founders of Cadence.

Our Sunday Adventure

We went with our new missionary friends Beth, Nick & Becky to the Rocky Mountain National Park for the day. Danielle came with us too, but was content to sit by the stream and read a good book. So here are some of our highlight photos!
Danielle & Beth at Estes Park. Outside the Starbucks. Doesn't this look like a great place to sit and read?

Who is that I am holding in the palm of my hand?

It is cold in June on top of the mountain! That is snow. Note the crocs!

I did a little artist technique in photoshop!

Dinner

What a nice way to end the week. Dinner out at Marie Calender's. We were presented nice certificates to celebrate. It was nice to relax and unwind with our our new friends and missionary family. Has a nice ring to it doesn't it?

Rick Scott presenting us with our appointment certificate.

The certificate up close!

Us enjoying our relaxing dinner time chats!

Back in our room playing Texas Hold Em with Becky, Nick, and Danielle

We only had candy as poker chips. Much more FUN!

Our First Missionary Picture as a couple!

What an Experience. We walked into the meeting room and sat in the round with 8 of the people from Cadence. They asked us how we had grown and changed this week. We shared how we felt like this has been such a wonderful experience as hard as it was. Chris and I both learned new things, and God really stretched us and like a child who is being disciplined, it stung. But it was good at the same time. Then the group went around the room and poured out blessing upon blessing on us. Then they asked us to leave the room as they discussed us one more time. We waited outside for about 5 minutes when they asked us to come back in. We were only sitting down for a few seconds when they said "We would like to extend to you the opportunity to to become Cadence missionaries. It would be our great pleasure if you choose to accept." At that moment, I heard Chris answer, but all I could do was cry. I was uncontrollably sobbing. This thing that had seemed so far away, that God had asked us to trust him and obey him. It was happening. Of course, there were many hugs and a big prayer. This morning, I was so nervous about going. I had tried to read into different peoples faces yesterday and couldn't get a sense. But God asked me would I follow Him even if this interview was painful and the result was not what I wanted. And I answered him in my humblest words that I took from Joshua "Choose you this day whom you will serve? As for me and my house, we WILL serve the Lord." And He again was so faithful!

Pictures

I had the intention of uploading these pictures every night for you all to see and experience with us. However, at the end of the day, we have just been tired. sometimes we were just emotionally tired. And other nights, the Lord has been working in our hearts to make some changes and we needed to be in the word. So i say all that to tell you that here are some of the fun pictures.

Thursday

It is so hard to believe the end of the week is here. It has been so weird, some days I thought Friday would never get here, and other days it was coming too quick. We do have our final interview in the morning at 10:30 mountain time. Please pray that we would have peace, that our stomachs would be calm, and that we would be able to be ourselves in this final interview time. We have tried so hard to be ourselves, while being in a week long interview, and feeling the pressure to listen to lectures, talk to others, work out the car, sleep at night, hey, even breathing with my mouth closed has been a challenge. Ha! And did I mention that because of the altitude, we have had to drink a lot of water, so I decided that this would be a good time to give up coke and possibly caffeine. I don't know why I thought this would be a good idea to do this in the midst of this crazy week....must be the altitude!

Monday

We had great training today. I must tell you that the altitude is crazy here. It is so hard to breath. So we are drinking lots of water, and very little caffeine. Our sessions this morning were very good. We learned about some of the core values, military temptations, and youth ministry. And as one person put it, "Hearing the stories of God make him so much bigger." We had 3 interviews this afternoon. During one of them, I started feeling pretty lousy, and then later at dinner learned it was the altitude that was affecting us so badly. We are now back at our suite resting and plan to go to bed early. As much as I miss the kids, I am thankful, that they are home. We are so emotionally tired. Tomorrow we have more training and interviews. Please keep praying.

Sunday

Dome house on the side of the mountain that looks like the one on Phineas and Pherbe.

Buffalo Park, I have tons more pictures, of course.

So this morning we got up and decided it would be nice to go to the state park. It is so beautiful. I loved seeing the buffalo. Chris and I were talking about what it must have been like a long time ago when the buffalo were free to stampede across the plains. The elevation is very interesting here. The Mile High City is the perfect name. The majesty and beauty of the mountains, flowers, and birds makes me love the creator even more. God is so creative!

Our suite-mates have arrived and are currently out shopping for some necessities. We have our first official dinner to go to in 2 hours. So I will try to post later on tonight, but it will all depend on how tired I am.

Our 2 week Home

We arrived at 5:10 pm Mountain time in Denver. Rick picked us up from the airport and drove us to our dorm. We are staying at Colorado Christian University. In one of their suites. We are the only people here tonight. Tomorrow we will be joined by others and will have 2 girls as our suite mates. We are worn-out. that all day flying can really take its toll on you! So we are headed to bed, but I wanted you all to see our great "home away from home". We have free time tomorrow and plan to take the rental car out to the state park and take a picnic. Maybe see some buffalo? Then everything starts as we have dinner at 5:00pm. We are now totally exhilarated. this is such a great feeling. We have enjoyed the process in getting here, and have praised God for his hand that held us as prayed, and his hand that pointed us this way! Our schedule for the week is busy, but good. So keep us in your prayers!

Ballerina Girls

Abigail and Julia love to play ballerina. So when they were playing "ballet class" I had to get in a few pictures. Abigail didn't really want to do it anymore, but Julia posed for the camera.

Movie Magic

Here is the Movie producer, doing a practice run before filming next week.

Caleb demonstrating how to jump over the fire (red towel).
Our children do their own stunt work.

David giving director notes, Caleb explaining the stunt Julia. Abigail is thinking she might, maybe participate in this stunt business.

Julia telling me "Cut, Cut".

Julia after she completed the stunt of jumping over the fire.

David has this passion for movie making. I heard Steven Spielberg giving an interview once, and he said his parents encouraged his dreams. And I though of how the kids seem. And I wasn't sure how to encourage in this area, and if we wanted to. But you know the Lord has a funny way of pointing things out. I thought of how God made us each different. And if my kids are passionate about something, I should not just encourage, but should try to do anything in my power to help make it a reality for them. So last year, David got a kid sized video camera. Then he took Drama lessons. And now, he is already going around making movie ideas. I love how he really gets into this. I also had the joy of sharing what a collaboration was. This really made movie making more fun, when he realized his siblings could give him ideas to. this made for a fun and peaceful night of imagination. I am so thankful that each child was so different and could bring their own unique ideas to the fun. It really is a joy to watch how God works on something and it grows.

Miscellaneous

While sitting in the airport I thought I would share some photos.

Cousins from Atlanta...The Reese's
They are going to be missionaries in Africa, Pray for God's timing.

Emily, Bethany, Julia, and Abigail

Matt (who use to play in Beggar's Crown) came over with his 3 kids. The girls and I made bread. We all had a good time. I use to love spending time with these now half-grown girls. It was so good to spend time with them and play in the kitchen.

Colorado

Well Friends, the time is here. Please be in prayer for us over the next few weeks. This is the final process in becoming missionaries with Cadence International. I am looking forward to the time we will have to be around others who are doing the same things as we are. It is that Body of Believers/Faith-walking/ God's will thing that really gets me excited. This past Sunday our friend Hank Austin preached in church. He spoke about praying a prayer that God will always answer. And he told about a missionary and his sons who were killed in India while the Wife and daughter lived. The missionaries death and the testimony of his wife and daughter have begun to change the hearts of the people in India. He talked about how we need to pray the Lord's will. That sometimes God uses bad things to Glorify him. This has really caused me to think a lot. To think about our decision to go oversees with Cadence. I wrestled with idea for a long time. I think the biggest struggle I had was that I knew that I might not be able to come home to the states if something happened. I thought about my parents and my grandparents and how if I missed their funerals I would be so sad. And then God helped me to see that I have Christian parents and grandparents. If I didn't make it home for their funerals it would be okay because they wouldn't be there. And that they would want me to be growing God's Kingdom. Their was definitely a sadness that hit. A selfish sadness. But I have been reminded of how God has been so good to allow me to live with in 20 minutes of my parents the last 4 years. And now I am less than 2 miles from my grandparents. These times with them have been so precious and I think I have cherished them. I know even now as we see old friends at church, spend time with cousins we haven't seen in a while, and put my arms around my friends kids, that God is giving us these moments to re-energize after Seminary, to sustain us when we leave, and to help us encourage our Brothers in Christ. So even though no one has mentioned going overseas, I have wonderful peace, that if God called me, I would choose his will over my own.

Some specific things to pray over us:
1. That God would allow us to be ourselves in a room full of strangers. I know y'all can't believe I am really praying that, but I am a little nervous.

2. That the children would be good for their Aunt and Uncle. That they would be stretched to learn new things and be around new people.

3. That we would make new friends going to the mission field that would last for eternity.

4. And that since we don't have the kids, that we would have some goo quality time with the Lord and with each other.

I shared with David tonight as I was tucking him in, that I wasn't going to complain about having to be away from him so long. And even though I will miss him and his siblings terribly, it made me thankful for the men and women who serve our country and who day after day have to say good-bye to their families. And they do that for much longer than 2 weeks! So while I am away from the children, I hope that I can have perspective!

Hairbow comment revisited - and Colorado mussings.

The Hair bow x 4 comment sure has gotten a lot of interest. So I have to tell y'all that my sons do not wear hair bows. My girls however, do wear pig-tails. So mystery solved! Sorry I confused you all with the hair bow chatter.

Do not lose focus......

I get to go out of town in 3 days. I am headed to the wonderful state of Colorado. I am going to spend 15 days with the great folks at Cadence. I have tried my best to get everything together, and now I am feeling prepared. Tomorrow I have a lot of errands to run. I was feeling kinda sad today and found myself stealing kisses and hugs from these 4 precious ones all day. But now that they are in bed, I am beginning to get excited. I think Chris is as giddy as a kid in a candy store. I mean, that should tell you we are doing what God wants, because really, have you ever seen Chris giddy? Too Funny. Do pray for my back, Since Saturday, I have had a pain in my upper right corner. Also, pray for Chris he scratched his leg up pretty good at ultimate Frisbee. We just don't want either one of these things, to slow us down.

oh yeah, I should also ramble on about tonight's video productions. David and Caleb are working on a new movie and set it up (since my mom has the video camera). So tonight I made some still photos, and tomorrow I heard they would be story boarding. I love being a home-school, stay home mama. I wouldn't trade these days!!

Packing ...Who? What? How many days???

Oh My! I have packed us to travel before, but never like this. Chris and I for two weeks to one place. The four kids for two weeks to another place.

Toys x 4
Clothes x 4
Swim Equipment x 4
Toiletries x 4
Hairbows x 4
Critters x4
Sleeping bags X 4

Us:
clothes x2
Swimwear x 2
toiletries x 2
paperwork x 2
computer x 1
suitcases x 4
briefcase x 1
purse x 1

Add all this together
And it EQUALS =
A Good Nights sleep!

We are getting excited about our time in Colorado. And we are really getting excited about what the Lord is doing to prepare us. We had to read two books before we leave, Prisoner of Hope & The Faith of the American Soldier. Both were good. But let me tell you when I read Prisoner of Hope, my heart was moved even more to share Jesus with the military. It again felt like an urgency to get to our assigned location. When Joy described her feelings about getting to the ladies in Africa, I didn't get it. I admired it, but I didn't quite understand, for I had never heard about or felt anything like that before. But now, I truly understand. And Joy, I know you are reading this, So I get IT!

VBS

I have to tell you that we have been in VBS for the last week. I have cute pictures, but can't get the blogger thing-a-ma-jig to work. So will you trust me that VBS was great? We had 100 kids. That was a new record!! So now, off to this next week, packing for Colorado!!