Life Here In Oceanside

A Very Merry Christmas

2010-12-25T00:14:00.000-08:00

As 2010 draws to a close and we reflect on the past year, we realize we have been on an incredible journey this year and are experiencing many changes again.

The best part of our journey... our little family. They are such a blessing for us. Andi celebrated her 2nd birthday in September. She is a bundle of energy, she's big and clumsy for her age but that doesn't stop her from climbing on everything. She is squarely in the terrible 2 phase of life, she tests the limits of everything. But, she's the baby and probably gets away more than she should because of it. Andi is our little princess, and most days she even insists on dressing like one. She is infatuated by Toy Story and would sit and watch the movies over and over if we'd let her. Mia takes care of her, she loves to be the "big sister" and they get along well. It's fun to watch the two of them together.

By Christmas, Mia will be 4 and a half!!! She is a little lady now & if you give her an ear she'll talk it off in no time. She still enjoys princesses and dressing up in pretty dresses. She also loves Toy Story, but her TV viewing is a little more varied in taste than her younger sister and it can be a point of contention between them at times. Mia has been learning to swim this fall and is doing quite well. She also took some gymnastics classes that have inspired her to try some pretty precarious things at home in the name of "practicing" this year. She has also taken a great interest in learning other languages since spending the summer in the Dominican Republic this year. Mostly she's learning Spanish but I've recently discovered she's memorized some words in Chinese as well! Thank you Ni Hao Kai Lan.

2010 has flown by for us. Travel, Travel, Travel was the theme of the year once again. The highlight for our family this year was our summer in the Dominican Republic. I personally now have a love hate relationship with the country. It was an experience I wouldn't trade for anything, but wow was it hard on our family and the team we led there physically and emotionally. If ever I go there again I'm bringing a box of deet and staying in an American hotel that has a generator.

Two big news items for the year... the first is that we've moved to Southern California and are back in our home town for the first time in 16 years! We are temporarily staying with my sister while we wait for our house in Davis to rent out. Lord willing, a renter is supposed to move in by Jan 1st. The Second is that we've switched missionary sending organizations... we've felt God leading us in a new direction the last year and a half. In processing our new call this fall, we realized that God was calling us out of Campus Crusade. We are thrilled to announce we were accepted to Global Service Network this month.

We look to 2011 and we are excited to see God working in our life and ministry. Our journey seems to be on the move once again as we serve Him. We are amazed to see God's plan and hand in our life as we continue to follow His path for us. It's a good thing.

Wishing you and yours a blessed Holiday Season and a Happy New Year!

Much Love,

Ken, Amy, Mia & Andi

Rejoicing in our Sufferings

2010-07-27T08:52:00.000-07:00

Our team is sick, sick, sick this week. Please pray for us. We are trying to wrap up our ministry here this week and we are suffering physically, beyond our crisis with Erika's surgery this past week.

We are living out 2 Timothy 2:3 I think... "Suffer hardship with me, as a good soldier of Christ Jesus". Doing the work of the Lord on the front lines while many of us are coming down with the flu and colds, I think half of our team has in some degree in the past week. Our associate project director Olivia has not been able to hold anything down for two days. Mia our daughter has been running a fever for the last three... and is now developing respiratory symptoms. Our other daughter Andi started a fever today. I crushed my finger yesterday while i was home alone caring for the girls and the team was off ministering to Haitian refuge children. Even now as I type almost 24hrs later my finger is numb, swollen and blue. This last week seems to walloping a punch, but we still plug on.

We are praying a lot more for one another as a team... it's been a blessed outcome from all the ailments. Hebrews 5:8 coming to life for us. "He learned obedience from the things which he suffered".

I personally have also gained insight into what Paul meant in Colossians 1:24-25 "Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I do my share on behalf of His body, which is the church, in filling up what is lacking in Christ's afflictions. Of this church I was made a minister according to the stewardship from God bestowed on me for your benefit, so that I might fully carry out the preaching of the word of God"

It is an honor and privilege to serve as a minister on your behalf. I do rejoice in what God is doing here and the great privilege it is to suffer for the cause of Christ. Thank you for the part you play in the this ministry. Praise God for the fruit building to your account here. Over 40 have come to Christ! Lives are changing. We are growing, our students are growing, and the Dominican people are responding to the Gospel!

Much Love, Ken & Amy

Erika Update

2010-07-27T08:26:00.000-07:00

Sooo, Erika has been back with us at our casa since Thursday, her surgery was uncomplicated and was released from the hospital after two days. She can't tolerate all the activities we do as a team so she's been self regulating. Sometimes she's with us out and about, and sometimes she is home resting and recovering.

Yesterday her stitches were removed and she can stand straighter. She has a lingering phlebitis in her left arm (infection of a vein where an IV had been). So continue to keep her in your prayers.

I still can't believe she is doing so well emotionally, I can't imagine the stress having surgery in a foreign country away from family must have been for a young women of 21. PTL, that she is returning home this week healthy and safe.

Life so far...

2010-07-20T12:19:00.000-07:00

Well, it's been an adventure so far... life here is different. It's hot and humid. It rains most every day. We have no air conditioning and there are very few windows with screens. Which means lots of mosquito's. I'm out of "Off"and "Repel" all ready and last night I tried this mosquito repellent, that I bought at the local market, that when I put it on the girls, it burned. :( The girls use a mosquito net at night, but there is something else that bites them at night besides the mosquitos... maybe flea's? The Repel worked on those, but as I stated earlier I'm out now... Sooo, we all have spots :)

We didn't have internet access in my room until a few days ago, so I'm behind on communicating with anyone not here. It's been hard with the girls. Normally I'd do these things at night when the girls sleep, but without internet in my room I couldn't leave to get access.

Rolling blackouts occur here multilple times a day. So we keep running the batteries down on our computers and have been reserving them for work. I'm (Amy) keeping track of the budgets, and with an exchange rate it gets confusing. It also seems, every time I'm free to do laundry there is no power, and with the inadequate washer and the lack of washing lots of spots are accumulating on our clothes. I'm gonna have to soak everything when we return to the US.

Yesterday, Erika one or our students traveling with us had to be taken to the hospital for appendicitis, she's having surgery today and I am as I write waiting for a call to hear of her progress. When she started having pain Sunday I hoped it wasn't her appendix, but by Monday morning her symptoms were too classic and I escourted her to the ER. Ken is with her today. She told me yesterday, when she was in the ER waiting for pain meds and looking very pale, that she was pondering why God had her there and said she decided she would share her faith with at least one person in the hospital. What a trooper and too precious. PRAY for an uncomplicated procedure and a speedy recovery.

Our team co leader Olivia has been experiencing a lot of stress from her life in the states while we've been here. She found out that $5000 of her money was spent from a joint account with a family member that isn't going to be coming back anytime soon. Then her sibling left her car in a no parking zone and it was impounded, she needed to get it out of impound herself, and being in a foreign country didn't stop the fee's from compounding daily. The City wanted a notarized paper from her, we consulted with a local lawyer from the church we are working with and he started the paperwork she needed that would be recognized by the US. PTL. Big answer to prayer. If those stresses weren't enough, her roommate contacted her a few days ago and told her she was moving out by the end of the month so she needed to get a new roommate for August. Which is not going to be possible. Poor thing... PLEASE pray for her. Ken and I have been joking she's taking all the spiritual warfare for the whole team.

There has been a lot of other things... but I think it suffices to say that through it all, we feel peace because God is in control and Reigns on our team. We are seeing the Spirit move mightily among the Dominican students and many have received Christ and our students are engaging in following up these decisions, I think the number is over 30 now!!! We are sooo excited to see what God still has in store! To Him Be All GLORY and HONOR and PRAISE.

Much Love, Amy and Ken