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!