Hey Tom, that's not a window, but thanks for fixing it anyway!!!

Shouldn't one of you be holding the ladder?

The new front picture window! Almost done!

Burch, taking out the old window

Windows

Yesterday was a huge success.  Thanks for your prayers.  The work began at a little after 8am and besides Joel, four other guys came out to help us install the windows.  By about 3 pm, 8 of the 18 windows were installed and they look wonderful!  Thank you Matt Cates, Matt Burch, Jeff Terrell, and Tom Demers.  Jolene and I were even able to get a small kitchen project done as we ended up not having any other kids to look after other than Jack and Owen. Overall, the day went really well and Joel now feels pretty confident to keep working on the job himself.  Tomorrow another friend will be here to help him for a few hours in the morning while the boys and I are out.  Hopefully by the end of the week, he will be able to have all the windows installed.

 

This next weekend both Joel's sister Bekah and his brother Jon will be here visiting.  We are excited to see them after over a year!  They will be able to see their newest nephew and also to see Jack again and hear him say Auntie Bekah and Mon Oncle (a funny name Joel and Jon are using for Uncle Jon).  Jack is now counting to 20 in English and 10 in Indonesian and says a whole smattering of things!!  It should be a fun weekend.

 

Coming Soon:

In the next few days, I hope to write a few posts on our future work and partners in Papua (formerly Iran Jaya), Indonesia.  Stay tuned to see what life will look like for us and the amazing folks we will have the opportunity to serve alonside in Indonesia.  You'll also hopefully get a better understanding of how we fit in to the ministry of tribal work there and begin to learn about the tribal groups NTM is ministering in there.  Our hope is still to return in August pending all the paperwork comes through for Owen and then visas for Jack, Owen and I are approved quickly.  We had a good reminder today through the experience of some other missionary friends, that even our visas are in God's hands and nothing is guaranteed to go as we expect!  All the more reason to be praying diligently that God will work things out in His way as to what is best in the big picture and that we will be trusting in Him and not our own ideas!

Did You See That Dad!

The World On His Terms

Not So Lucky Kid

Otherwise known as road rash. My bike addiction may not be all that healthy, as all addictions usually are not...

Lucky Kid!

Project #1

Tomorrow is the big day for the window installation here at Mom's house.  Tomorrow at 8 am, 4 or 5 friends of ours will be coming over to help us get the windows installed.  There are 18 total to do, which may mean we are biting off more than we can chew for one day, but Joel is excited to see it begin at least.  If we are unable to get the whole job done tomorrow, one other friend has offered to come next week to help finish the job!  This will be a great learning experience for Joel and hey, who knows, we may see ourselves doing this in Indonesia some day at the Guest House.  Joel will be able to add this to the growing list of "construction" type jobs he has learned to do!

 

Mom and I will be having fun keeping the kids occupied.  Matt, the guy who is heading up the project for us is bringing his two boys, we'll have our two boys and then my best friend is also coming with her 3 kids.  There is a big park across the way from us and so I imagine we womenfolk will spend the majority of our day over there playing!

 

Please keep all of us in your prayers tomorrow, the guys especially that there are no injuries and that they are able to work quickly!

 

 

Finally some action...

Action that has nothing to do with Owen, but action none the less. I finally started a series of articles on my personal blog 'Auraltecture'. The link is on the left of this page. The blog is a fairly deep dive into my own personal cultural tastes and likes and hobbies, if they can be labeled as hobbies. At any rate, it's worth a quick click to see for yourself. You might find your cultural tastes slightly expanded, which is never a bad thing.

visitors

I just wanted to post this here for all that are in the area and read our blog.  Many have asked if we are up for folks to come by the house and visit us, to see baby Owen.  We would LOVE That!  Mom made a yummy cake and coffee is always on at our house!  So please stop by or give us a call. We are always up for company.

 

Bethany

home

It's about 3:30 am and I just finished feeding Owen his middle of the night feeding here at home.  I say home, and then quickly think to add, "my mom's house, in the states".  Then it dawns on me, home is such a relative term to me.  Isn't that weird?  Most people can say home and mean just one thing.  To me, home is truly where my family is at any given moment.  It could be our little Honda.  The one we had last year as we toured the US, one state at a time while doing partnership development for 5 months.  All I needed to be home was Joel and Jack!  Several months later it meant a great little house in Salatiga, Indonesia.  It was the most different place I've ever lived and had some serious challenges in store for us but Joel and Jack were there and so it was home!  This night finds me missing what I will call home again in a few months, Indonesia.  Yet here I am in Springfield, in my parents house, with my husband and two sons and the greatest Nanni in all the world and I am home. 

 

Owen has now joined the family, adding one more little Potter to the equation and as I sat here feeding him, I looked into his eyes and felt so at home.  I sure hope as he and his big brother grow up, even though home may be a different place all too often, they can look into my eyes, Joel's eyes, each other's eyes and know they are always home when we are there.  Even better, I pray that some day, even when we are all not around, they will have chosen a relationship with Christ that allows them to always be at home with Him, no matter where they are.  It is such a great comfort to me to know that I have that relationship so that no matter where I am or who I am with, I know I always have a home, someone to share this journey with and even though I may not have a roof and four walls, I am always at home.

 

Bethany

If you get me this chair (The Eames Lounge Chair, 1956) , I'll do all the middle of the night feedings...

You got that right kid!

'This isn't so bad...'

Yes!!! Cookies

Now Can I have Some Cookies

Home At Last!!!

Around noon on this rainy day, we brought Owen and Bethany home. I was amazed at how much better Bethany had recovered this time. She's looking good and so is Owen. It'll be great to slowly get into a daily routine with two boys here at home. Be praying for patience and understanding for all of us these next few weeks!