Visas are IN HAND!!!

Our Visas have finally come in!  Praise the Lord!  We are so excited.  Wes drove up to D.C. today to pick them up.  Our flights are booked, and we leave this Sunday, January 31st!  We will fly out of D.C. into Frankfurt and then into Madrid.  IMB personnel will pick us up in Madrid, and we'll spend the night there.  We'll pick up our car (yay, we'll actually have a car!) and drive on Tuesday to Caceres!  Can't believe that next week, we'll be in SPAIN!  Our Team Leader is currently looking for an apartment for us, and Wes and I have registered for language school.  Our classes start on Feb. 8th, and the kids will start as soon as we get them registered. 

Thank you all for your prayers!  We will keep you updated once we arrive in Spain.  Please do keep us in your prayers for all the details that need to happen with getting ready to go.  Please also pray hard for our actual flight! :)  We will be traveling with 4 kids 6 yrs. and under, which means car seats, strollers, etc in addition to our regular carry-ons. :)  Pray that the kids will sleep and that everything will go smoothly.  We are so excited to see what the Lord has in store!

Our Visas have been Approved!

Praise the Lord!  Wes found out yesterday that all of our visas have been approved.  They  are not actually at our consulate yet, but they told us we could pick them up on Monday.  Yipee!!  Wes has been calling everyday, several times a day, for the past two weeks.  In that time, this is the FIRST time he has even talked to someone.  Usually, there is no answer, and no option to leave a message.  It was kinda strange.  He has been able to leave messages just a few times (with never a return a phone call); but yesterday, he actually got to talk with someone!  We are so excited.

So we made a million contacts yesterday, and we have figured out that we will probably be flying into Madrid.  We'll spend the night there, pick up our car (yay!... we weren't sure if we were going to get one, so that's exciting, too!) and then drive the 3.5 hour trip to Caceres.   Oh, cool... I just (literally, as I was writing this!) got an email that our car will be a 2005 Ford Galaxy! :)

Our Team Leader is actually back here in the States right now.  They had some medical issues come up with his wife, so they came here on Jan. 14th to take care of some things with her.  But, right now, Chris is looking for apartments for us (online and over the phone), coordinating with some Journeyman that are still there in Caceres. :)  Kinda crazy, but so exciting to think this is finally happening!  They will be sending pics and offering options.  We have simply asked that they find something that is pretty accessible for Nathan.  2nd floor is ok, if there is an elevator... that kind of thing.  Chris already has an idea of the area of the city that he wants us to live in, so that helps narrow it down.  We will keep you posted on all that!

Wes and I are supposed to start language school the second week of Feb., so we may make it just in time!  I'm still not sure of all the details of that... getting us registered and all... but I know classes begin soon.  School for the boys has already begun for this semester, but we will get them in school as soon as we can once we get there.  It may even be as quick as register the day we arrive, and they start the next day.  So, pray for all those details and those transistions for the kids, too.  We will also have to find a national to watch Carolina while Wes and I are in language school.  It will be about 4 hours a day.  Please pray for that, as well!

God knows His perfect timing in all of this.  It is such a relief to know the time-frame.  We weren't sure how long it was going to be, so we weren't sure if we should enroll the kids in school here or not.  We have  been homeschooling, because we've been traveling so much.  Now that I look back on the past several weeks (and I figure I'd better do it now, b/c I may not have time in the next month :) ), I am so thankful for the peaceful, special time we were able to have with so many friends and family.  I think if I had known WHEN we would be leaving, I'd have been anxious about getting home and getting organized.  God knew... this way, it was peaceful and restful.  We SO enjoyed our precious time with everyone.  I tried to savor every moment, reminding myself to capture the moment and burn the memory into my heart.  My guess is it's part of what will get us through those first couple months there! :)

So, we just finished our taxes today.  I don't think we've EVER done them this early!  But I don't want to lug all the paperwork to Spain with us.  We've done them so quickly that we are still waiting on a 1099 from Mary Kay, and then we'll be all finished!  It really feels very good to have that done so soon! :)  And I think we must've dropped a tax bracket, since we didn't make much this year. :)  We usually end up paying taxes, b/c of the way things are set up with Wes being ordained and me having my own business... but we will actually get some back this year!  Kinda nice... maybe it'll help us buy our furniture once we get there. :)

We are so thankful for all of your prayers along the way.  Please begin to pray for the details that have to fall into place now.  Well, first, pray that everything will be in order when we go pick up our visas in D.C. on Monday. :)  Then pray that the Lord will open up the exact apartment that He wants us to be in... for our neighbors and for the neighborhood. Please pray also for the right schools for the boys (the schools are determined according to where you live, so the location of the apartment plays a big part in that.)  Pray that we will find a great price for airline tickets with the LEAST amount of connections possible ... with 4 kids, the less we have to move and change, the better!  Please also pray for us to find the right person to watch Carolina. Praise the Lord for His Sovereignty! I'm so thankful that He is in control.  Can't wait to see His hand in all of this!

Updates on Nathan

Thank you all so much for asking about Nathan and for praying for us as we went through these appointments! Just before Christmas, we stopped in Raleigh for all of Nathan's follow-up dr. appointments. The all went pretty well. The pediatric ophthalmologist said that Nathan's glasses were not doing what we were hoping the would do, so he said to stop using them ($300 wasted there!). So, instead of glasses, we have to patch Nathan's left eye for 6 hours a day. The poor kid. For the next four years, he'll have to wear a patch. We can reduce it by 2 hours a day, each year. His left eye is much stronger than the right, so we are trying to strengthen it so that his eyes won't cross.

We also went to his physiatrist to follow up on some of what Nathan's teacher at Orientation was worried about. The dr. basically said that he didn't think that Nathan was having seizures, based on what we explained to him. He told us we could do an EEG, but that if he didn't have any activity during those 24 hours of monitoring, it really wouldn't tell us much. The teacher had noticed Nathan "zoning out" during story time every once in a while. Since it wasn't happening consistently, the dr. felt like it was nothing to worry about. He also said that "story time" would not be a normal "trigger" for seizures... most likely Nathan was bored. :)

The dr. also encouraged us to continue strengthening and stretching Nathan's muscles. He explained that as he gets older, taller, and heavier, it will become more difficult for Nathan to walk. I guess it makes sense, b/c his center of gravity is much higher. It was just very eye opening for me to understand that even though his Cerebral Palsy is not degenerative, his growth could make his "symptoms" more extreme as he gets older. It's that much more incentive to stay on top of our daily routine that we do at home. Nathan is really, really laid back and pretty good about understanding that this is "just part of life." :)

Overall, Nathan's appointments were good. We felt like they cleared some things up for us. The dr. also was not too concerned about Nathan's fine motor skills. They had given Nathan crayons and paper to draw on while we were waiting for the dr. to come in. Nathan was writing his name everywhere; so when the dr. came in, he motioned toward it and said Nathan was fine. In the broad scheme of things, Nathan really only has to know how to sign his name. He said he would focus more on keyboarding skills than actual handwriting skills. He felt like Nathan was fine for his level of Kindergarten and would improve with more exposure to school. Thank you all for praying for us through all of this! Please continue to pray for Nathan.

Blessed by our Partner Churches

I write this as I sit in a warm, cozy condo outside my small hometown in upstate NY. There is a ski resort across the street, and the snow has been coming down for days. It's beautiful to look at... inside by the fire is that much more cozy because of it. It is freezing cold to load the kids in the car, but I love it just the same... it was home for 17 years, and it still is comforting to me!

Well, I need to catch you up on the events of the past several weeks...

While we were in Raleigh for Nathan's appointments, we also had the privilege of meeting with our Pastor, Matt Rice and his wife Dana. Wow! We thank the Lord daily for this couple and for our precious church. We have never had the chance to hang with just the four of us, so it was a real treat. We met after all our kids went to bed to make it easier on all the babysitters. :) We were so caught up in each other and our conversation that the restaurant was closed before we even noticed it!!!! At least we weren't the last ones out, though. :) I'm so thankful that the Lord has just completely knit our hearts together in our passion for Him. It was such an exciting, fulfilling night.

During the Sunday that we were there, we were able to go to the Creek again for church. We were so surprised when they presented us with HUGE bags full of gifts for EACH member of our family. Matt explained that each Huddle Group in the church had adopted each member of our family and gotten us gifts. Their generosity, love, and care has completely overwhelmed us. We were so grateful for the gifts (they were incredibly generous and thoughtful, specific to each person!); but beyond that, we were thankful for the hearts behind the gifts. It doesn't feel like we are entering into the journey on our own. We know we won't go to the field and be forgotten. This church has shown their love in many ways.

That same morning, Matt ended his message saying that their mission as a church was to reach Apex/Cary. We fully expected to hear that, since that's where they are located. But, he went beyond just their local vicinity and also said their mission as a church was to reach Spain. We have partners at the Creek! It's not just our mission and call to reach Spain, it's now our church's mission and call. It brought Wes and I both to tears. Matt explained that they have been praying for quite a while about where the Lord wanted them to focus overseas. He thinks of us as an answer to prayer, which is completely humbling to us! Our God is so great. We had both been praying for each other, and God brought us together in His timing. We are grateful!



We went back to VA from there, and spent Christmas in Williamsburg with my whole family. We did Christmas at my parent's house with both of my sisters and their husbands and kids. :) It was quite interesting having all of us under one roof... 7 kids under 7! Needless to say, Christmas was a blaze of running, tearing, squealing, and eating. :) It was fun.

My sister Aimee got married on September 25th, so her husband Corey was a new addition to the fun. Poor guy. I can't imagine what he was thinking with all those kids running around opening gifts. Corey has been around for as long as Wes and I have been married, but he's never really been around these big family gatherings. So it was wonderful to have him there!! My boys adjusted immediately to calling him "Uncle Corey." They had gifts galore made for him and wrapped specially for him to open. It was cute.

Right after Christmas, we left for upstate NY to see family and friends. We spent New Years with my Uncle Dick and Aunt Cheryl, who opened their home to all six of us for a week... and their condo for several days, too! Wes and Aunt Cheryl made wings and we celebrated the new year together. We always have so much fun with Uncle Dick and Aunt Cheryl. The boys got to go in their hot tub, and they LOVED jumping in the snow and then getting back into the hot tub. It was quite the experience! :)

The Sunday while we were there, we were able to visit Emmanuel Baptist Church, one of our partner churches. We seriously must have the greatest partner churches possible. Emmanuel Baptist welcomed us back with open arms, and Pastor Jim allowed Wes the entire preaching time to share what God's been doing in our lives. It was a blessing for Wes to be able to share; he doesn't get that opportunity too often anymore! :)

My Aunt Cheryl and Uncle Dick and cousins, Danielle and Andrew, also came to the 11am service to hear him speak, and that was awesome! We've all never been to church together, so it was pretty special. At the end of the time, Pastor Jim put out a basket if anyone wanted to give a gift to our family. God has provided in such a miraculous way, over and over as we've gone through this process. Again, we were given a HUGE gift from this church. It's not a mega church. It's a small congregation (well, actually pretty good sized compared to the churches in its area...) from a rural area, and it was below zero and blustery that morning. We were told the congregation was a bit smaller than normal b/c of the weather. Regardless of their size, it's evident that they have huge, giving hearts! They certainly blessed us that day. Thank you, Emmanuel Baptist!

The Lord has really blessed us with amazing partner churches. We are required to have at least 5 SBC partner churches before we leave for the field. We've been able to visit each, and speak at most of them. Just before we left on our trip to NC, Wes was packing up the Suburban to pull out and the mailman walked up for a signature required delivery. It was amazing timing... another half hour and we would've been gone. He delivered a card with a gift from one of the Sunday School classes at First Baptist Orange Park in FL. Wes's parents attend there, and we were able to be there for several Sundays when we were down visiting Wes' family. It's another amazing church with a pastor and a people who have an incredible heart for missions. The Sunday School class had sent us a card with a HUGE Christmas gift! I think we have been blown away by the generosity and love of the people God has surrounded us with. Thank you to First Baptist Orange Park for how you have loved us!... with this specific gift, but also with your love, prayers and support.

Wes didn't crate any of his books to take to Spain, b/c of the space. He was hoping to be able to get a Bible Software program for his Mac, so that he could save space. With all these gifts from these three churches, Wes has the money to be able to get the software he's been wanting!!! There is a new version coming out specifically for Mac at the end of this month, so Wes is waiting for that before he purchases anything. There was also enough so that I could get my newsletter software, too!! Thank you, friends! We feel so blessed by the partner churches God has put in our path. It's comforting to know we will not be alone as we head overseas on this journey that God has called us to. Thank you for your prayers and your love. We love you all!