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Saturday, December 19, 2009
Saturday, November 14, 2009
...too soon
It has been a whirl wind. Tears from the depth of our soul and then laughter that cuts away at the sadness. Last night Chad found out that his father had been killed in a car accident. We packed the bags and drove over the mountains to be with family. When it's hard to accept reality and words seem to be so elusive, it is good to be with family...with people who understand the tears brimming in your eyes and the aching in your heart.
On Monday we are flying out to Michigan to join Chad's other sister and his mom...
We are going to be out there for two weeks, celebrating, mourning, comforting and starting the process of healing.
Please pray for us. Chad's dad was a great man...the best father-in-law a girl could ask for. He loved Jesus and people well. He loved his family well. He loved his son well...not many sons can call their dad their best friend.
Tom...thank you for raising up your son to love his savior and family the same way you did!
On Monday we are flying out to Michigan to join Chad's other sister and his mom...
We are going to be out there for two weeks, celebrating, mourning, comforting and starting the process of healing.
Please pray for us. Chad's dad was a great man...the best father-in-law a girl could ask for. He loved Jesus and people well. He loved his family well. He loved his son well...not many sons can call their dad their best friend.
Tom...thank you for raising up your son to love his savior and family the same way you did!
Monday, October 19, 2009
Streaming My Sermon
Here is a stream of my sermon in case you don't want to download the MP3.
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Monday, September 28, 2009
A Change in Destination
Well, its been a whirlwind. These last 4 weeks have gone by fast. I was talking to a friend of mine the other day who was commenting on how he never reads missionary email because they are too long. I agreed with him and we both agreed that if we could just get the letter in bullet points we would read it. Well, here are the bullet points to get you up to date with what is going on with us. For an elaboration of the bullet points please scroll down, otherwise enjoy the cliffsnotes of the last 4 weeks.
To start out with we are still living the basement of the Sims'. He is the pastor of the church we are working at and is friend of my family's. So far our time here has been fantastic. Living with their family has been a great way to get to know them better and for us to have one less thing to stress about. We are continuing to look for a place to live. We looked a lots of apartments up at the U, but just recently decide that for this year we are going to live down near the church and my job. This will allow us to pour our lives into the people who are going to the bible study, the majority of which live in this area. Only 2 students actually attend UW and only one of those lives on campus. We decided that if we really wanted to impact the students who are faithfully attending then we needed to live by them, crazy idea huh.
Two days after landing in Seattle I had an interview and got a job working security at a Green River Community College in Auburn. I took the job but have already informed them that i can't work full-time. Unfortunately, for the now i have to work full time. This has limited the time that i have available to work with students. Fortunately, the hours are great and the income is enabling us to save some money and look for a good place to live. The job has also been great because it has allowed me to get connected with students. God is clearly at work. My second day at work i was able to work with the pastor that i am living with (yes, he is working security too) and we were patrolling around campus when we ran into a couple who attend our church sporadically, they also work as trainers for the basketball team at the college. Well, we ran into them and they told us that one of the freshman coming in was a pastor's kid from Alaska. Later that day we were patrolling through the Gym and ran into the pastors' kid from Alaska. I introduced myself, told him i was a Pastor's kid and asked him if he would be interested in starting a bible study on campus. His eyes lit up. Come to find out the coach of the basketball team who is also the assistant athletic director and the head of the student judiciary is also a believer and has wanted to start a college ministry to students there for a long time. The next week i went an met him and he is going to be the faculty sponsor of the Christian club on campus. Mike, the pastor's kid came to church with me on Sunday and is going to be heading up the process of starting the club. Being a recognized club on campus will provide $500 in funding and allow us to promote events on campus as well as a meeting place. Please pray that God will continue to move on campus there. Everyday we are meeting believers who are go there and are interested in being involved in out campus group. For now we believe God wants us to focus on the students currently attending the church and the students at the community college.
It has been amazing to see how the Lord continues to provide for our needs. A few weeks ago we made a late night run to my wife's favorite store, Walmart. We were waiting in line to pay and an old man came up to us. He smelled kind of funny and kind of looked homeless. He asked me if we had started a savings account for my son, i quickly corrected him and said rather rudely that my daughter did not have one. He then pulled out his wallet and handed me a $20. I told him we could take this, he politely insisted and told us that his higher power told him to do it. We continued to refuse, but he insisted. We checked out and after checking out he found us again and explained that he had early Alzheimer's disease and wanted to make sure he gave away his money to good people while he could. It was sad, but yet it was one of those things that has helped us see that God is in control and he is taking care of us.
Well, that is a brief summary of what we have been up to the last 4 weeks. Please be praying for us. We are trying to figure out how best to manage our time and who to invest in. Pray that God would use us. I get to preach 2 weeks from yesterday so that is going to be exciting. Thank you so much for your prayers and for your gifts to the ministry here. It is a beautiful thing to see God work and to be part of it. More updates to follow.
- We are still living with the Pastor and his wife in their basement.
- I have a job working security at a Community College in Auburn Washington. I work 7-3 Monday through Friday, but hopefully am moving to part-time soon.
- We are leading a bible study with the college aged members of Christ the King Bible Fellowship that is meeting once a week.
- We have decided to not move up near the University of Washington at this point and instead focus our efforts on the needs of the students currently at CKBF.
- We are also focusing our efforts on starting a Christian club at the community college that I am working at. There are 13,000 students that attend and no Christian influence on the campus.
- I am going to continue to lead a small bible study on the campus of UW once a week.
- We are looking for a place to rent near the community college to be a base of operation at the school.
- God is taking care of our needs.
To start out with we are still living the basement of the Sims'. He is the pastor of the church we are working at and is friend of my family's. So far our time here has been fantastic. Living with their family has been a great way to get to know them better and for us to have one less thing to stress about. We are continuing to look for a place to live. We looked a lots of apartments up at the U, but just recently decide that for this year we are going to live down near the church and my job. This will allow us to pour our lives into the people who are going to the bible study, the majority of which live in this area. Only 2 students actually attend UW and only one of those lives on campus. We decided that if we really wanted to impact the students who are faithfully attending then we needed to live by them, crazy idea huh.
Two days after landing in Seattle I had an interview and got a job working security at a Green River Community College in Auburn. I took the job but have already informed them that i can't work full-time. Unfortunately, for the now i have to work full time. This has limited the time that i have available to work with students. Fortunately, the hours are great and the income is enabling us to save some money and look for a good place to live. The job has also been great because it has allowed me to get connected with students. God is clearly at work. My second day at work i was able to work with the pastor that i am living with (yes, he is working security too) and we were patrolling around campus when we ran into a couple who attend our church sporadically, they also work as trainers for the basketball team at the college. Well, we ran into them and they told us that one of the freshman coming in was a pastor's kid from Alaska. Later that day we were patrolling through the Gym and ran into the pastors' kid from Alaska. I introduced myself, told him i was a Pastor's kid and asked him if he would be interested in starting a bible study on campus. His eyes lit up. Come to find out the coach of the basketball team who is also the assistant athletic director and the head of the student judiciary is also a believer and has wanted to start a college ministry to students there for a long time. The next week i went an met him and he is going to be the faculty sponsor of the Christian club on campus. Mike, the pastor's kid came to church with me on Sunday and is going to be heading up the process of starting the club. Being a recognized club on campus will provide $500 in funding and allow us to promote events on campus as well as a meeting place. Please pray that God will continue to move on campus there. Everyday we are meeting believers who are go there and are interested in being involved in out campus group. For now we believe God wants us to focus on the students currently attending the church and the students at the community college.
It has been amazing to see how the Lord continues to provide for our needs. A few weeks ago we made a late night run to my wife's favorite store, Walmart. We were waiting in line to pay and an old man came up to us. He smelled kind of funny and kind of looked homeless. He asked me if we had started a savings account for my son, i quickly corrected him and said rather rudely that my daughter did not have one. He then pulled out his wallet and handed me a $20. I told him we could take this, he politely insisted and told us that his higher power told him to do it. We continued to refuse, but he insisted. We checked out and after checking out he found us again and explained that he had early Alzheimer's disease and wanted to make sure he gave away his money to good people while he could. It was sad, but yet it was one of those things that has helped us see that God is in control and he is taking care of us.
Well, that is a brief summary of what we have been up to the last 4 weeks. Please be praying for us. We are trying to figure out how best to manage our time and who to invest in. Pray that God would use us. I get to preach 2 weeks from yesterday so that is going to be exciting. Thank you so much for your prayers and for your gifts to the ministry here. It is a beautiful thing to see God work and to be part of it. More updates to follow.
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Road Trip
Day One: Kent City, Michigan to Galena, Illinois: 363 miles
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Construction on the way was horrendous. It really is true that there are two seasons in the Midwest, Winter and Road Construction. Traveling with a 3 month year old is also quite different than hitchhiking across Israel. Lots of crying and stops every 3 hours. Jeff was my roommate my last semester at college as well as my co-driver at Modern Moving for a summer. It was great to get caught up on life and be encouraged by him and his wife and daughter. His love and knowledge of God's word was inspiring to me.
Day Two: Galena, Illinois, to Sheiffield Iowa via Cedar Falls, Iowa: 178 miles
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Day number 2 took us to my hometown of Cedar Falls. I was born in a small hospital there in June of 1981. My dad was a college pastor at the University of Northern Iowa. I grew up hanging out at the green house which was the ministry on campus. In fact legend has it that my brother saved me from drowning in the creek next door. I have many great memories of this place.
There were students all over campus on Saturday and being there got me excited for doing ministry up at the University of Washington. I have so many good memories of the students at UNI. Most of the people we saw on this trip were students who's lives were impacted by the ministry on campus at UNI. While we were in Cedar Falls we were able to stop and see a few old friends who i hadn't seen in years. I also was able to visit the school i went to kindergarten in. After spending a few hours in Cedar Falls we continued on to the metropolis that is Sheffield, Iowa. It was great to get caught up with Mark and Jill Peterson and their family. They were students at UNI when I was young. Jill babysat me a few times and Mark spent hours playing with me at various events on campus. They have a fantastic family. It was a great encouragement to see a family that seemed to enjoy each other and loved the Lord. I was challenged by the purposeful lives that they are living in the small town of Sheffield.
Day 3: Sheffield, Iowa to Des Moines, Iowa: 103 miles
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Day three took us south to the French city of Des Moines. My college roommate Tim came and visited me there. It was good for Maicy to be able to meet her other aunt, aunt Tim.
Day 4: Des Moines, Iowa to Wheaton, Illinois: 309 miles
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Day four we drove across Iowa and Illinois to the Christian Mecca, Wheaton Illinois. Home of more churches per capita than any other city in America. It is here as my boss once told me that like a christian bookstore slogan you can "get everything Christian for less." We were able to stay with the Berthels, my old employer in Wheaton. It was so good to see them and to be encouraged by their family. They are a family that loves the Lord and have taught their kids to love Him as well. They were also part of my parents ministry at UNI.
Day 5: Wheaton, Illinois to Cedar Lake, Indiana via Oak Park, Illinois: 73 miles
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Day five brought us to Cedar Lake, Indiana through Oak Park Illinois. We stopped to see the Stoffer family in Oak Park. I spent hours at their house during college, eating countless meals. They were so generous to me and i am eternally grateful. Their son Dave is a good friend of mine and it was good to get caught up with him. He is currently studying Hebrew at The Ohio State University because he wasn't smart enough to get into the University of Michigan.
After, having lunch with him we headed out to Cedar Lake, Indiana the home of Jake and Megan Manne, my best friend from high school. I started hanging out with Jake when i was in 8th grade and continued to hangout with him all the way through our time at Moody. He is a youth pastor now. It was great to see him and his wife and to see how God is using them in the lives of students. Our time with them was so refreshing.
Day 6: Cedar Lake, Indiana to my parents house: 192 miles
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The last leg of our trip led us back to my parents house. Overall we traveled 1218 miles altogether. It was an encouraging trip, filled with friends. It was exciting to visit with many of the people that were impacted by my parents ministry and to think about what God has in store for us as we serve him at the University of Washington.
View Larger Map
Construction on the way was horrendous. It really is true that there are two seasons in the Midwest, Winter and Road Construction. Traveling with a 3 month year old is also quite different than hitchhiking across Israel. Lots of crying and stops every 3 hours. Jeff was my roommate my last semester at college as well as my co-driver at Modern Moving for a summer. It was great to get caught up on life and be encouraged by him and his wife and daughter. His love and knowledge of God's word was inspiring to me.
Day Two: Galena, Illinois, to Sheiffield Iowa via Cedar Falls, Iowa: 178 miles
View Larger Map
Day number 2 took us to my hometown of Cedar Falls. I was born in a small hospital there in June of 1981. My dad was a college pastor at the University of Northern Iowa. I grew up hanging out at the green house which was the ministry on campus. In fact legend has it that my brother saved me from drowning in the creek next door. I have many great memories of this place.
There were students all over campus on Saturday and being there got me excited for doing ministry up at the University of Washington. I have so many good memories of the students at UNI. Most of the people we saw on this trip were students who's lives were impacted by the ministry on campus at UNI. While we were in Cedar Falls we were able to stop and see a few old friends who i hadn't seen in years. I also was able to visit the school i went to kindergarten in. After spending a few hours in Cedar Falls we continued on to the metropolis that is Sheffield, Iowa. It was great to get caught up with Mark and Jill Peterson and their family. They were students at UNI when I was young. Jill babysat me a few times and Mark spent hours playing with me at various events on campus. They have a fantastic family. It was a great encouragement to see a family that seemed to enjoy each other and loved the Lord. I was challenged by the purposeful lives that they are living in the small town of Sheffield.Day 3: Sheffield, Iowa to Des Moines, Iowa: 103 miles
View Larger Map
Day three took us south to the French city of Des Moines. My college roommate Tim came and visited me there. It was good for Maicy to be able to meet her other aunt, aunt Tim.
Day 4: Des Moines, Iowa to Wheaton, Illinois: 309 miles
View Larger Map
Day four we drove across Iowa and Illinois to the Christian Mecca, Wheaton Illinois. Home of more churches per capita than any other city in America. It is here as my boss once told me that like a christian bookstore slogan you can "get everything Christian for less." We were able to stay with the Berthels, my old employer in Wheaton. It was so good to see them and to be encouraged by their family. They are a family that loves the Lord and have taught their kids to love Him as well. They were also part of my parents ministry at UNI.
Day 5: Wheaton, Illinois to Cedar Lake, Indiana via Oak Park, Illinois: 73 miles
View Larger Map
Day five brought us to Cedar Lake, Indiana through Oak Park Illinois. We stopped to see the Stoffer family in Oak Park. I spent hours at their house during college, eating countless meals. They were so generous to me and i am eternally grateful. Their son Dave is a good friend of mine and it was good to get caught up with him. He is currently studying Hebrew at The Ohio State University because he wasn't smart enough to get into the University of Michigan.
After, having lunch with him we headed out to Cedar Lake, Indiana the home of Jake and Megan Manne, my best friend from high school. I started hanging out with Jake when i was in 8th grade and continued to hangout with him all the way through our time at Moody. He is a youth pastor now. It was great to see him and his wife and to see how God is using them in the lives of students. Our time with them was so refreshing.Day 6: Cedar Lake, Indiana to my parents house: 192 miles
View Larger Map
The last leg of our trip led us back to my parents house. Overall we traveled 1218 miles altogether. It was an encouraging trip, filled with friends. It was exciting to visit with many of the people that were impacted by my parents ministry and to think about what God has in store for us as we serve him at the University of Washington.
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