January Update...

Here is our latest update. Thank you for you prayers and encouragement as we remember Ava. God has placed so may people in our lives that have impacted us in so many ways...Sunday was Bethel's first communion service and it went really well, there was a real strong unity...Pray as we are looking for a possible bigger building to meet at. We met someone today about a perfect location but the price is a bit higher then we feel the church should take on. Please pray for wisdom as we continue to look. That's it...have a great day! Enjoy the weather you are having wherever you are. It is sunny and around 80 here but I sure miss the cold! 

Five Years Later...

On A Saturday night in September 2007, Amanda and I became emerged into one of  the happiest moments of our lives. We were having a baby. I remember it like it was yesterday and we sat in our hotel room in St Louis, there because of a missions conference. I still remember us sitting there with tears running down our faces... A few short months later our lives would be forever changed, as we faced the saddest moment of our lives. It is hard to believe that it has been five years on Friday since our beloved Ava came into this world only to leave for a greater place. Five years which at times has felt like yesterday and other times it has felt like an eternity ago. During the early weeks of losing Ava, there were moments that we didn't feel we would make it through another week let alone five years. Yet, God has show His grace to us and through the valleys and the hilltops He has been there. He has taught us a great deal the last five years, and has brought a great deal of growth into our lives. As much as I miss our sweet Ava I would not change anything, because of our precious Jackson being brought into our family through Ava's death. Every time I look into his sparkling blue eyes I am reminded of his big sister who God used to allow him to be our son. God's plans are indeed a mystery at times, but His ways are truly best. It is not always easy in the here and now, but it is best.

As we celebrate Ava's 5th birthday I am grateful for a God who has shown his faithfulness to us even when we lacked faith. I am grateful for a precious 3 1/2 year old who I believe God is going to use greater than we can ever dream of. And I am grateful to share my life with a wife who God has grown so much in the last five years. Very few women have faced the heartache of loosing a child and the emotional journey of going through an adoption, and she has done so with grace. I am very proud of her.

As we think of Ava, I leave with a letter that I wrote to her on her 1st birthday. Each year in my journal I write a letter to her and while I am fully aware that there is very little Biblical foundation for this, I still write it just for my own personal joy. I look back on each letter and see and remember everything about Ava and everything God has done to bring us to where we are now.

January 25, 2009

Dearest Ava,

Today is your first birthday and your mom and I miss you very much. I know that you do not want us to be sad but it is really hard with you not here. How was your birthday in Heaven? I am sure that is was very special and could not even be described. We are doing well I suppose. Some days are harder than others but the Lord’s grace gets us through. I really don’t know what happens up in Heaven yet  I am so excited for you to tell me. Have you got to see your great grandparents yet? I sure hope so. Your grandma says that she hopes your great grandma Norfleet is taking care of you. I hope so to because she is a special lady. Your great Uncle Dale just went to be with you last week, and I hope you have had the chance to meet him, because he is a wonderful man. Anyway, I don’t want to ramble on and on but there is so much to tell you. I know that you would not want to leave but we miss you so much here on earth. But I am glad you don’t have to worry about this old place. Heaven is so much sweeter! When your mom and I cry it is because we miss you, not because of anything you did. We love you so much and am so proud of you! You’re the best daughter a dad could ask for. Well, that is it for now I suppose. We love you very much and look forward to seeing you real soon. Please give your great grandma a kiss for me.

Love always,

Your daddy 

Time for some "new" springs...

There it is. "The Spring of death" as I call it. Ok, maybe not that drastic but you get the point. Today when getting a tire fixed (a frequent problem) I saw the spring had broke. So, here we go looking again for some springs. The last two times we have had to replace them we were forced to get used ones because there were no new ones in country. Obviously these used springs are used for a reason so thus we are about to replace our third set. Will you please pray that we could find some new ones available which will hopefully last us a lot longer?

Happy Sunday...

We are seven hours ahead of those on  EST so as many of you are either sound asleep or getting ready for bed, we are starting our day. Tomorrow Eric will be speaking on part two of a short series on The Lord's Supper and next week we will be having our first communion. We hope that you have a fantastic Sunday as many of you prepare to head to church. If you don't go, then here is my question: why? Don't use the excuse that churches are full of hypocrites, because I can assure you that they are. No church is perfect, no person is perfect. If you are searching for answers in your life, I can promise you that Jesus does have the answers. I can also promise you that there is a church out there with a bunch of other imperfect people trying to find what true joy is all about. So...if you don't have a church home, I would encourage you to get up, get the family ready and find one! It will change your life!

Every year I set goals for my life for the new year and this year one of the more simple goals (along with growing a mullet) is to blog at least once a week. I am working toward that, and will try to blog not only about work here but also maybe about stuff that has nothing to do with work: Life. Family. How great the 80's were. You get the picture.

Praying for each one of you right now and praying that God would teach all of us through HIS sufficient Word, what we need to learn!

Very Special Christmas...

This year our church spent Christmas gathering up gifts for a local orphanage. To celebrate the Ethiopian Christmas (January 7th) we went to the orphanage the day before and handed out the gifts. Each child received a new pillow with pillow case, a blanket, a bag full of goodies, and each one of our church families "adopted" a child to buy gifts specifically for. Many of our people said it was one of the greatest Christmas' they have every had. Thanks so much for those of you who gave financially or sent a box of supplies. Several made the bags and pillow cases as well. The picture above is our church family with all of the children at the orphanage. Its moments like this that makes living in Ethiopia so special.