Sunday, October 25, 2009

The search for a "church"

We live here in a place where we are basically living out "church" as God created it. Meaning we live in true community, have daily worship/teachings, but we often feel the need to go to "real church". So this morning we decided we were up to the challenge. Every few weeks we decided to try another church from the list. So we get up and start the process, some of the conversation this morning was this: no, you can't wear those pants, they have too many holes in them; it's 25 degrees out, no you can't wear shorts; again, it's cold, no you can't wear a t-shirt, long sleeves please; you've been wearing that shirt since fri, no you can't wear it to church. Wew, so then I get Allie dressed. Oh my, I had no idea who complicated tights are. Do they go under the onesie or over? and then do you still put a diaper cover over the onesie which is over the tights? So, we're dressed and loaded up. Doing ok on time and we're off, hoping that maybe we'll like this church and the searching can be over. We're almost there and I hear grunting from Allie, this can't be good. Thankfully I threw a spare outfit. So now i'm in the back of the van with a baby that has pooped all over the tights, the onesie, the dress, oh my! So instead of looking really cute, she's now in an outfit with no feet and has no socks on, and it's still 25 degrees out.
We got situated and the boys were all being good, not so bad i'm thinking. Then it's time for communion, They start passing the plate with the little pieces of really bad tasting crackers and the little cups of juice. Our boys have never seen such a thing. They've only seen where you dip the bread in the glass, oh the excitement. It was at this point that David and I start wondering if we should abort the mission and escape before we cause a scene. Flint is so excited about the little cracker he could hardly stand it and Luke is wiggling around and i'm just thinking i'm about to get a lot of grape juice on me. Luke is convinced that they are little pieces of gum, not crackers. I kept saying, "sush, it's a cracker Luke, just wait". Well, he couldn't. he squeezed it as hard as he could, and yes it crumbled into a million pieces on his lap. It's finally time, Flint's trying so hard to dip the cracker in the little cup while somewhat dancing in the row. David and I each have several little cups in our hands and trying to contain the caous as much as possible. Ok, we made it. Oh no, wait, Allie has pooped yet again. So I take her to bathroom to find that now i've left the wipes in the van. We get back in the service and now Flint and Peter are done. Barrett and Luke have gone to Kid's church, which they informed us was "not fun at all". Allie's crying, Flint and Peter are antsy, and David and I are both outside in the hall with kids. I'm not sure why we do this to ourselves.
It makes me so appreciate our church at home, where we go and just feel comfortable. I so wish we could find that here. Maybe we'll muster the energy again to try again from the list. I think we've been really spoiled in a good way with an church that we really love, but it sure makes it hard for any other church to measure up.

Building remodel update

Saturday, October 24, 2009

Allie's 5 months old


It's hard to believe she's been here for 5 months already. She's such a happy baby and such a joy to our family.

Thursday, October 22, 2009

The building's going up

The Bayshore Motel

Exciting times at YWAM Montana

I thought I would send out an update on all that's going on here. I feel very overwhelmed with excitement and hope that I'm able to put it into words. When ywam purchased the "base" in 1985 there was a foundation right in the center of the base. Since then it's been referred to as "the slab". There have probably been at least a hundred meetings about what to do with the slab. Last year, God really gave several people a long term vision of the base, which included turning the "slab" into a facilities/auto shop and then allowing other space to become a bigger student center, cafeteria, and auditorium. Well, one Monday work really began on the slab. There have been teams here over the past month or so helping with foundation work, but on Monday the walls started going up! The level of excitement around here is amazing. Everyone's so excited that it's really happening. God's vision for this place is one step closer.
There's another huge God story that has happened over the past few weeks. A local couple in Lakeside purchased some property down on the lake that was a hotel. They called YWAM and asked if they could donate the hotel to us! Crazy! We're always in a bind with housing and limited as to how many new staff we can take b/c there never seems to be enough housing. Well it gets even better, they have not only donated the hotel, but are also paying to have it moved here! On Nov. 5th the hotel will be moved from the property by the lake to our base. It has 12 one bedroom apts. What a blessing! David has been very busy to say the least. He's been meeting the power company and tree removal men because the building is so large that there are 14 huge trees to be taken down and the power lines will have to be lowered while the building is being moved.
It's really been just an awesome past few months here. It's funny cause when we first came on staff I thought it was great that David could use his skills to make the structures here better in order to have more students and really be apart of this mission that we both love so dearly. But as time goes on, i'm realizing that the "building of buildings" is so not the point of use being here. God keeps giving me some verses in Titus 2 about training young men to be disciplined and training young women to love their husbands and children, be pure, busy at home, and to be kind. I've had the chance to have one of the DTS students come to my house every afternoon from 3-5 for her work duties. Obviously it's so great to have some help with the laundry, dishes, kids, etc. but more importantly i've had the chance to see God change her heart over the past 6 weeks. This is why we are here! To see lives being changed.
I have a bible study starting this coming wed. with a group of 6 girls, 3 are married and 3 are single. we're going to cook together and spend 6 weeks learning about what a Titus 2 woman looks like. I'm really excited. It takes me out of my comfort zone to be teaching, but i'm so looking forward to it.
Well, so much for being a short update, but I really wanted to share the excitement. I'll be posting pictures tonight of the building.

Friday, October 9, 2009

Montana night

These aren't in the right order, but here's a few pictures of Flint from Montana night a couple of weeks ago. I thought it was so funny and cute to watch him with his sandwich.

Harvest Party and First snow

We had our first snow yesterday. Time to get out the snow clothes and do the whole bundle, unbundle, repeat about a million times a day. Uugh. The boys did enjoy playing in the snow today. We had a harvest party on the base tonight which was a lot of fun. We played games and of course the kids ate way too much candy.

The snow is here

Can it be? Is it really already snowing? As i'm sitting here by the wood stove watching David outside plowing the roads and walkways this early. I guess summer if officially gone. I'll post some snow pictures later today.
its been a busy time around here the campus is completely full. There are about 35 people from the Titus school leaving tom. for outreaches to Tailand, Cambodia, nepal, Ukraine and a few other places. DTS and SBS are in full swing. The base has been given a motel which is really exciting and the owners of it are actually going to pay to have it moved to here! God is so amazing. It will be 12 extra suites for housing couples. This is a huge blessing. Also, the new facilities/auto shop is underway being built. The foundation is ready and the building should start arriving in a few weeks.
The boys, and girl are doing great. Luke has a renewed love for school, thanks to a great teacher! And Barrett is doing great in school also. Peter is going to preschool on the base and is the only boy with 7 girls. And he loves it! Such a lady's man. Flint is making us and everyone around him laugh daily. His personality is like no-one elses. That little boy will do anything for a laugh. yesterday he was walking around outside with Bear claw slippers growling at people while wearing his spiderman shirt of course! And Allie is still the calmest, most content, easiest baby ever! Oh we are so blessed with your little ones. Barrett and Luke are getting so tall, their not so little anymore. I'll get some pictures up very soon. We're having a harvest party tonight which should be fun for the kids. Which reminds me that I starting making a flower costume for Allie and have yet to finish it. I should get sewing!