It's been way too long...... Well, i've decided today that I need to get back to blogging. What an eventful year we've had. I was thinking yesterday how exhausted we've been lately and then I realized that since Dec. we've driven over 12,000 miles on trips! We've been to Kentucky, Florida, Seattle, Back to Kentucky, Spokane, and Colorado Springs. No wonder we're living in a state of unpacked suitcases. And now we're gearing up for by far our busiest time of the year. It's time for VWAP! Vacation With A Purpose. We have 10 different teams coming for the summer. The teams are youth groups, church groups, and families. They will come alongside and help finish the projects that are going on here at YWAM Montana. The biggest project for the summer is renovating the Staff Dorm. It's in despirate need of repairs. They will put new heating, windows, siding, and electrical. And it's all in a time crunch b/c the staff have to move back in the beg. Sept. yikes! it's gonna be crazy! It's so hard to sum up what's been going on with us. But David officiated his first wedding last week in CO. And it was great! I have a feeling he may be doing more and more of them as time goes on. The kids are all doing great. Barrett is in Boy Scouts and absolutely loves it! He has definitely found what he really enjoys. Luke is playing Soccer again and it's like he's in heaven when he's playing. Peter continues to shock us with his ability to read anything you put in front of him. And now he thinks it's funny to do some double digit addition, since he's only 6! Flint is still by far the funniest kid i've ever met! he'll turn 5 in a few weeks. And little princess Allie - well, she's still ruling the house around here. we're having a princess birthday next week. I cannot believe she's turning 3. David and I will celebrate our 14th wedding anniversary on the 30th. So it's lots of exciting things happening here at our house the next few weeks. here's my favorite little story from this past week. In preschool they were asking the kids if they knew who Tarzan is? Flint answered - of course - we sing about him in church. So then he continued to sing the Tarzan song---Tarzanna, Tarzanna - Tarzanna in the highest! Too funny, no one had it in them to tell him that we sing Hosanna, hosanna, hosanna in the highest at church. http://ywammontana.org/vwap_videos.html

Summer work teams

So a big part of what we do here at YWAM Montana is that David and I run a program called VWAP (Vacation with a purpose). We have church groups, youth groups, families, whoever wants to come and they spend a week with us. They do a lot of the manual labor things that keep this campus running. VWAP teams are an invaluable resource to our campus. A few of the things that the teams have done this summer are: paint the entire inside of the preschool, build a fence around the playground at the preschool, side the entire facilities building, landscape around the facility building, roof 2 houses, dig a french drain behind one of the buildings, side and build a porch on the front of the student center, tear down several old buildings on the base. This isn't even the whole list of what these teams did while they were here.
We also get the opportunity to introduce the groups to what YWAM does and to give them a bit broader view of missions. We had meetings at night with amazing times of worship and different speakers came and challenged them. One of my favorite memories from the summer was with one of the girls from a team from Pennsylvania. We were hanging out in the library on base. She picked up a book that was on display about Nepal. She walked up to me and had this overwhelmed look on her face. I asked her what was going on and she asked me why this book about Nepal was on display and what did I know about the country of Nepal.
I tried to explain to her that Nepal is one of our bases "target Nations". Where we meet with missionaries from Nepal, find out their needs, and then train and send teams from our base to meet those needs. She just starting tearing up. I asked her what was going on and then she told me that for several years she's felt like God was telling her to go to Nepal but she never knew how that would happen. I don't know what will come of it over the years, but I feel like a spark was lit in her, and that she was left here so excited about how God was going to get her to the country of Nepal.
So although all the physical work that gets done on the base is amazing, what really keeps David and I excited about the summer work teams is seeing young and old people getting excited about missions. There were kids who had never been out of their state and they come here and spend a week with people who have literally been all over the world. It's hard to put it into words, but we just feel so lucky to be a part of what goes on here during the summertime. I'm also really hoping that more teams will come summer.
here's a few pictures of the teams that came for the summer.

What i've been baking lately

Finally an update

Wow, I had no idea how long it's been since i've updated the blog. I guess saying time has gotten away from me is a bit of an understatement.
so, since the last update we've:
- had outreach teams go to and return from: India, Tailand, Costa Rica, Turkey, Mongolia, Nepal, Uraguay, Maylasia, and Cambodia. I think that's about it. And David took a group on guys on an outreach to Alabama. They had an amazing time working with good friends of ours ministry. They worked on building housing for nomadic people to come and reset and learn about the love of Jesus.
The school year is coming to a close, and summer is quickly approaching. We are hosting all of the summer work teams that come here to the YWAM base. These teams that come provide invaluable help for our ministry. they give of their time to come and do things like paint, deep clean the kitchen, re-roof houses, put up siding, help finish all the projects are trying to get completed. This summer we have over 400 people coming for the work weeks. It's exciting, and yet a little overwhelming.

I feel like I can't really put into words all that we've done over the past few months, so I'll try to sum it up in pictures.

What a week

I saw this on the side of road while driving one day and just thought it was really neat looking. Not sure how they did it but I like it.

and Yes, she is sitting on our dog.
Wow, it's been crazy around our house. You know when you hear people tell stories of when their kids when little and you think that surely they've forgotten because that much stuff can't possible happen in that short amount of time. Well, apparently it can. We had quite possibly the most accidents that could have happened in one 24 hour period. Last Saturday David and I had a babysitter coming over so we could go on a date. It's been over 2 months and much needed. So i'm getting out of the shower and hear Luke scream a little. Didn't think much of it and then David comes in and calmly says, "uh, I think you need to look at this one." I go out and he has cut his head so badly that you can see his skull. So the babysitter shows up and we head with Luke to the ER for stitches.
So then Sunday was going fairly calm. Of course we went to Costco and I realized that Luke had snuck out of the house wearing heelies (shoes with wheels). I mean, really? fresh stitches in the head and he thinks it's a good idea to roll around all day. We got home and the boys were coming home from a friends house when Flint was running up the driveway with his hands in his pockets. You see where this is going? he fell and hit the concrete face first! ouch. Blood everywhere! he bit all the way through his lip. I had him up on the counter with ice and trying to see how bad it was, etc we decided it wasn't too bad and that he didn't need stitches. Then, Allie starts crying. She had climbed up on the coffee table, which is only 2 feet off the ground. And had fallen off using her arm to brace her. She cried/screamed for a good 30 minutes which is so unlike her. So...off to the ER yet again. turns out she broke her elbow. She's now sporting a very pretty hot pink cast.
Sometimes I feel like we just can't catch a break and then I realize that it's really just life. it's totally exhausting and humbling. Makes me realize each day that it's only by God's grace and mercy that I continue to be able to function. Last night I was thinking about how much I want to spare my kids from pain or cuts or broken bones and how sad it makes me when they hurt. And then it was that Aha moment, how God feels even more of that for us. It's just so comforting to me.
So it's been a week of laundry piling up, make shift meals and a lot of coffee. I'd like to think that surely next week will be calmer, but I know better. So I just ask God for more grace and mercy.

The madness continues

We've now been gone from Montana for 5 weeks. Our stay here in Birmingham has been the longest that we've stayed in the same place during this trip. We've been here for 2 weeks straight now. To sum it up, I would say that this trip has been busy, crazy, exhausting, amazing, tiring, frustrating, encouraging and refreshing. funny how one trip can incorporate so many feelings. We've met with churches, small groups, youth groups, and individuals, sharing with them our vision and what God has called us to do working with young people.
It's been really good for David and I to have to explain to people what we do. we've had to step back and look at the past 2 years and see what God has done. It's been so encouraging to meet with people who know us and really support us in our ministry.
It's always bitter sweet for me to come "home". I used to call Birmingham home, but when we went to church last week someone welcomed me and asked if I was visiting for the first time. It took me by surprise since for so many years we were so involved. It struck me that maybe it wasn't home anymore. And yet me heart is still with the people who are there. To be with old friends, the kind that even though you haven't seen them in over a year, it's like you just pick up right where you left off. It's just beautiful. And yet when i'm away from Montana I just miss it. I miss the people, the joy that just abounds there.
We have had great times with friends and family and it will be very very hard to say goodbye in a week. But we are also ready to be back. Of course there are 3000 miles to be traveled in order to get back. So the packing must begin again, trying to figure out how in the world to fit all the "treats" that the grandparents have lavished on our children in our already over packed van. This week will probably be our busiest yet. we have dinners and meetings every night, and almost every day too. We did have a great time on Halloween with the family and a block party.

Our trip south

We left Montana and headed east to Yellowstone for a few days of family fun camping. Then we headed down to CO to spend some time with great friends then it was a long 19 hour drive from CO to KY. The kids were amazing and we made it. From KY we headed to AL and had some car trouble. We were able to get a rental to drive to FL to see my family for the weekend. here's some pictures of our trip so far.