Whoo-Ah

The past couple of weeks of unemployment have been crazy. There have definitely been some moments of relaxing and enjoyment, but overall we have been very busy. However, the kind of busy has been nice.

Last week some friends of mine from Salmon Arm (up North) invited us to come and hang out with them for a few days. So we loaded up the van and took off for Sunnybrae Bible Camp. We had the privilege of having the whole camp to ourselves. It was a blast. During the day we went swimming at the pool, hung out at Jungle Mania (Go Banana's), walked the beach, went to the library, pretty much whatever we wanted. In the evening we hung out with Ben and Kirsten Hall, Mel and Sherry Reimer, and Joel and Katie Neustater. It was a great time of relaxing for our family. Here are some pics:

Our family at the Sunnybrae tunnel

Tyler and JJ skipping rocks into the Shushwap LakeTyler enjoying the beachTyler going down the slide at the pool.JJ showing off his 'mad skills' as he jumps in!

Tyler and JJ passed out on the couch while they watch a movie.

Also, since we have been back from Victoria (from a 5 day job interview) Emilee has started eating rice cereal. Here are the pics from that fun time:

It all looks so fun at the beginning.

Happy baby for now.The rice enters into the mouth.Its in the mouth.Its out of the mouth.

Blur

Does life ever feel liked it barfed all over you and you feel like you are playing catchup all the time? This has been our lives since October 31st. We finished at Newton and went immediately into 'home reno' mode. I was painting like a mad man, while Kellee was packing like crazy. We spent 6 days prepping our house for sale in anticipation that we will be moving to the Island (perhaps a little presumptuous, but necessary nonetheless).

Then on Sunday afternoon we all piled in the van and drove to Salmon Arm to hang out at Sunnybrae Bible Camp and visit some friends. This was an awesome trip. The Reimers and Halls (pastors in Salmon Arm, and friends of mine) were so generous to us. We essentially had nothing to do for 5 days and it was wonderful. However there was the looming unfinished projects at home still hanging over our heads.

We arrived home late Friday night after a visit with some friends from our 'old church'. And Saturday morning got right back at 'er. So now we have a storage locker almost completely full of stuff, baseboards almost completely up, a house almost completely painted, and carpet guys coming on Tuesday to replace our carpet. So we have a lot of 'almosts' to do between now and Wednesday morning.

Because...on Wednesday morning we leave to go to Victoria for 5 days to interview at a church for the job of Youth and Young Adult Pastor. We are very excited about this opportunity and believe that God has been leading us down this path for some time now and we were just not aware of it until recently. But it gets better still...

Once we get back from Victoria, we are piling in a trailer and driving to Mexico! We are taking 7 days to camp our way to Mexico where we have a free place to stay for as long as we would like (thanks Mel). Then taking a couple weeks to camp back up to Surrey. So we are hoping that in the 4 weeks we are away that our house will sell, we will discover that we got hired by the church in Victoria and that we are moving....how is that for crazy!

But somehow in the midst of it we are relaxed and calm.

Pray for us.

Happy Halloween

This Halloween was our kids first time ever 'trick-or-treating'. In the past we have had to be at Newton's Harvest Party as part of my job, but since I am a jobless bum....we didn't. So we gathered at Ladner Baptist Church with the Oldhams, Frews, Vanderkuips, and Unruhs for some food, a bouncy castle, and some trick-or treating. It took our boys about 5 seconds to catch on, and at one point JJ suggested we do this every day...good idea. Here are some pics:

Mommy, Emilee, JJ, and Tyler

Our whole clan of kiddies
Mom and Emilee

My cow and Lion

End of an Era

Hey everyone, sorry for the length of time between posts but it has been a crazy week for us as we wrap up our ministry at Newton.

Last Tuesday was our last youth group night with our students. It was a very special time for us. Our youth leaders turned the night into a celebration of our time at Newton. It started with a slideshow of pictures over the past 5 years. Then they brought us up to the front and had an open mic time. Student after student came up and shared a funny memory (there were lots) or a story of how God used us in their life. One of the girls in the youth group got everyone in the youth group to write us a note or a special letter. We will always treasure those. Thanks for the Rosemary.

Then after they shared their stories they had a special gift for us. Among the youth group they took up a private offering for us that totalled almost $700. We were floored! We have developed a little tradition in our youth group that whenever someone leaves our youth group we gather around them as a group, lay hands on them, and pray for them, commissioning them as our missionaries. So they group gathered around us and prayed for us. Asking that God would use us to bless others the way they have been blessed by God through us.

Then we finished off the night crying more, hugging more, taking pictures and eating food. Kellee and I stayed up until 1:30 that night reading notes and letters, remembering great times, and just being so thankful that God brought us to Newton. What an unbelievable time it has been!

Here are some pictures of that night...

Me and Kellee cutting our cake.

Me rubbing cake in Kellee's face. She got me back though, that is why I look like a retard in the rest of the pictures. It's because I got a whole piece of chocolate cake mashed my way

Kellee, Emilee, Kerri, and Kathleen Kellee, Bethany (she is our babysitter), and Emilee

Kellee, Emilee, Tammy, Katie, Rosie, Vanessa, and Amy
Me and my neice Kathleen

Me and Troy

Me and Joe

Me, Emilee, Kathryn, Clarke, and Matt

Me and Tammy

Me, Jessica, and Andrea

Me, Amy, Emily (she babysits for us sometimes too), and Kianna

Me, Rosemary, and Gareth

Me and Amy (i have a chocolate cake moustache thanks to Kellee)

Me, Cameron, and TJ

Me and Jessica Wiebe

Me and Matt

Me and Bethany

Me and Katie

Our Group

I remember we started as a group of 12 disjointed students 5 years ago. Now they are loving, caring, Christ-centred community. Gonna Miss these Guys!

These were unbelievable times, and every students in this picture has a story about God, and we have had the privilege of being a part in those stories. They will not be forgotten, and my prayer for them is that they would always love Jesus, always love others, and always dream of how they can change the world. See you guys!

Soon I will be posting about our farewell Sunday and the retreat we just got back from.

The Pumpkin Patch

Our pumpkin patch adventure. It was a perfect day. A little mud and no rain. The kids had a blast.

I Love Autumn

I love autumn. Especially in Ontario! The boys are really enjoying preschool, and mommy is too. It is a wonderful break that get to spend with Emilee for a couple hours every week. The boys had picture day today at preschool, so they were all dressed up. I thought I would talk advantage of it. Emilee is a drooling machine!
Thanksgiving at the Samson's
This is Tyler and JJ's idea of a good time (wrestling...all the time).

Our little Pilgrim

Re-sigh

Hey everyone, it has been a bit since our last update. Things have been pretty wild around our house lately. This past weekend was a real tough one for us. On Thursday night I announced to our deacons board that we would be resigning. Saturday I told our youth leaders. Sunday morning I told our youth before church. And then at the end of the service we told the congregation. It was pretty much brutal. Lots of tears and emotions that are really hard to even express but we know that God has been leading us down this path. Our ministry at Newton ends on October 31st.

What is next for us? We don't know. As of October 31st are jobless. We have been talking with a church about the possibility of us being their youth pastor and we are hoping that will work out. However if they decided they would like to go in another direction we have nothing else lined up, which would probably mean me having to get a 'regular' job for a bit while we look at other options.

Either way it is our hope that we will be able to take a significant break between whatever we end up doing. We have been advised to take 3 months off. We have no idea how to make that happen but we feel it is necessary.

As you can see there are several ???'s in our life right now, but that is part of faith in Jesus. We know that he was releasing us from Newton and we listened, so we will continue to do that in the steps ahead. Your prayers are welcomed!