Long time no see... or write...

"You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, 
because he trusts in you. 

Trust in the LORD forever, 
for the LORD GOD is an everlasting rock." 

Isaiah 26:3 & 4

Please accept our apologies for the amount of time that has passed since we last updated our blog. Life has been moving so fast, but God has been our stability and peace during the whirlwind.

Speaking of moving, we did it again for the second time this year. The condo we had been previously living in belonged to a man who was on a summer-long mission trip to India. When we found out that he was returning to the States the second week of August, we set out right away to find a place to move. Unfortunately, it was right around the time when all the college kids were looking for apartments too. While we looked, our landlord graciously told us we could stay until we found something.

A week or so after we began our search, one of the worship leaders in our church told us of a trailer he owned that was available for rent. The rent was higher than we had been hoping for, but he said he would give us a discount. The only catch was that there was someone else in line before us. We looked at the trailer and Jason immediately felt that it was what God had for us. Having an extreme dislike for trailers, Rachel was secretly praying that he was wrong. At first it seemed he was: the lady before us in line said that she did want to rent it and we continued on our search. A few weeks later though, the owner called us and said that she had backed out.

On the 23rd of August we got the go ahead call, moved in that night, unpacked the next day, and left for Colorado the day after that to visit Rachel's parents and our cousins. As Jason likes to say, God likes to do things "just in time," which really is just his perfect timing. :o)

Our new place is a large trailer with three bedrooms, two bathrooms, a laundry room (even though we don't yet have a working washer or dryer) and a nice little yard for the kids to play in. What a blessing to not have to listen to neighbors walking upstairs or smoking right outside your windows.... Hopefully we will be able to stay here longer than three months - unless, that is, the Lord calls us overseas again.

Our vacation to Colorado was a blessing. We were able to hang out with Rachel's parents while visiting relatives in Colorado Springs and Firestone. The girls had a wonderful time playing with their cousins, and Rachel enjoyed not having to cook for a week. :o)

On our return from CO, Havah began kindergarten at home. Hopefully her enthusiasm lasts! She loves it and after every subject asks, "What can I do now, Mom?" Mercy has also enjoyed doing "schoolwork" alongside Havah. :o)

The hardest part of homeschooling so far has been how to keep Judah out of trouble while Rachel is busy with the girls....

Going back in time a couple months, during July we did a weekend camp for our jr. high youth group. We had a great time with the kids dispite the frigid temps at night and the fact that Rachel forgot to pack sleeping bags/blankets for herself and Jason. :o) The theme was "One Thing" taken from the story of Mary & Martha in Luke 10. We were encouraged to see them grasp the reality that their relationships with Jesus are the "one thing" that matters most in life.

The Lord is continuing to provide construction work here for Jason. As far as overseas work goes, there is still no word on when we will be able to leave again. In the mean time we are trying to be patient and work on what God has set before us. We appreciate your prayers for us as we continue to wait!