The beginning of the year is typically a slower month since we don't have any kids playing winter sports, but it has been busy so far with Good News Club in January and lots of preparation for Samantha and Suzanne gong to Haiti.
Good News Club is very rewarding, but a lot of work. It's like after school vacation bible school that goes on one day a week for six weeks. It is a big deal as Suzanne coordinates about 25 volunteers who work with 140 kids. I lead music and help out where I can. There is always some challenge each year to make sure we are following all the public school rules, but things always seem to work out. This year, it was special because we had a bunch of 6th graders that were small group helpers in their last year of elementary school. They made us proud!
So, Samantha and Suzanne are off to Haiti on 2/16. Their trip will mirror the trip Austin and I went on last year. We call these trips discipleship trips and not mission trips. The goal is to help the people of Haiti in many ways, but also to train the kids and help them develop a heart for serving. Mission of Hope Haiti is an amazing place where you see amazing people do great things.....it is very inspiring! You'll hear more about this, and I am very excited for them.
The kids are off and running with spring sports. Charlie...soccer. Sam...volleyball and soccer. Austin...winter flag football, maybe co-ed soccer, and soon lots of baseball. It really is a crazy after school schedule. We can hardly look out at the calendar too far.
After they get back, then a few weeks of school then a spring break ski trip for the whole family to Beaver Creek, Co. We have not had much of a winter, so I am ready now!
This semester, Austin has been doing Cotillion....brushing up on his etiquette and interaction with girls. Yet another sign of yet a new phase....teenage years and junior high...about to begin....it will be harder on us than him. It will be a little bittersweet as he ends seven years of elementary school, but we're excited for what lies ahead.
This past fall, we served at our Re-Engage ministry at church. Couples from all over the city come for 16-25 weeks with the goal of rescuing or improving their marriages. I was amazed to see how their personal lives and their marriages transformed. It helped that they came every week, heard testimonies, learned new skills, and interacted with other couples, but in the end it was only something God could do. For us, it gave us a ministry to do together and drew us closer as well. I can't wait to do the class again.
Outside of all this, Suz stays busy working at the pediatric office and in FW one or two days a week. Work is good for me as we continue to grow, but I find myself in the middle of helping my aging clients. The stock market is the least of my worries these days.
So, this is only a sampling of the good stuff and the challenges we face every day. We are still making mistakes every day, but hopefully growing and maturing as well.
