God's plan and a Kite

As our move draws near, we have reflected on how gracious God has been. Erin and I can see how the move to the teacher housing in Crownpoint and then the move to Texas is God's way of gradually letting us learn to let go.

Because of our unique situation, we get to prepare and say goodbye in stages. This is gracious of God. We have been allowed to transition to a smaller house, with less things, and now we get to say farewell to dear friends we have known for years. But next we get to see and live with family, while we have even less items to bring along. We will then get to say goodbye to our family. So we can see how the Lord is allowing us to transition in stages rather than all at once. Heck, by the time we finish the summer bouncing around between family, we may be ready to have a place of our own! (even if it is on the other side of the planet!) It's just neat to see how God has figured the whole process out, long before we had a clue about what was going on!

Next, I must ask a question - when was the last time you flew a kite with your dad?

This past weekend in Angel Fire was a great blessing. We found two kites to fly, but there were too many trees around the house to get them going properly. So we all headed to the park. Once there, the boys promptly forgot about the kites and instead headed for the playground. But dad and I were determined to get the kites going. With 20mph winds, the task was not too difficult. So dad and I got to play with kites together, while the kids played at the park! It was great! Of course, the kids did come over once both kites were airborne, so we got to create another memory with kites and grandparents. It was a fun time!

Finally, here's the latest - I finished my 450page history book, so now I am rereading it and going to take notes. I am also looking for a good book on the various eastern religions, hopefully from a Christian perspective. Please continue to pray for me as I try to catch a clue about Asian History!

Our house is in boxes, with the remaining furniture to be taken tomorrow. (it's kinda hard to cook without pots and pans!) We pick up the Uhaul next week.

We were able to visit and say goodbye to our dear friends in Cuba on the way home from Angel Fire. We visited for several hours before heading home. Without their help, we would never have been able to sell our house. (they are the owners of it) God placed them in our lives from the time we moved out to NM. Looking back, it's easy to see how our deep friendship was all part of a larger plan. (what an amazing God! and he has planned out the interactions in the whole cosmos -not just my life! )

Jace cried about moving for the first time. Last night both boys just broke down, shortly after putting them to bed. Some of the emotions were just because they were tired, but Jace actually voiced some concerns about the move. We were able to talk with both kiddos and reassure them. (it's good that Jace is able to talk a little about this stuff, so this is an answer to prayer, even though it's sad to see.....)

School is over! Actually, I have two service days left, but the grades are complete, and my room is almost ready for inspection! Praise God for this year. (we wonder what would have happened had I not been transferred to Crownpoint..... but then it was all part of His master plan!)

That's about it for now! God is taking us through the process, and it's a fun ride! Please continue to pray for us. The Visa process should start in a few weeks, and that will be the next big adventure! Have a great rest of the week! Hopefully one day I'll learn to blog shorter posts! God bless! -mekj

A few pictures from the trip

We thought folks would like to see some pics of our trip to Colorado.  There's the boys before entering the mine, at a waterfall outside Silverton, by the big bear at Honeyville, and the view from Molas Pass.  Enjoy!

Busy time

Sorry for the delay!  Every time I thought about blogging, other things came up - mainly the need to sleep!  The problem with going so long without updating everyone is that there is so much to say! 

Thanks for your prayers for the school.  Most of the teachers have been placed in local elementary or secondary positions, so it looks like no one will lose their job.  I am aware of only two teachers that still need to find placement.  This is an answer to prayer.  Continue to lift up the situation - it seems there's a new rumor every few days! 

Our family is doing well.  The boys are starting to verbalize their questions about going overseas, and it's a good time to explain things and prepare them for the move.  Kadin misses the lake house, and Jace is starting to figure out that a move is coming.  (it may be the boxes and sleeping bags have tipped him off!)  But overall the boys are adjusting well.  We keep telling them it's okay to be excited and sad at the same time- a hard concept for Kadin and especially for Jace.  Erin and I are also doing okay.  We have now had our goodbyes with several friends and family.  (last Monday a friend from Wyoming; this weekend- Erin's relatives in Colorado; tonight, our dear friends at the lake)  The long weekend trip to Colorado was a mini vacation for our family.  We had a lot of fun. We stopped at the train museum in Durango, saw tons of waterfalls, and visited family.  On the way back we went on a mine tour.  The boys loved it, although Jace was a little scared at times!  I was able to spend some quality time with the boys, including teaching them the art of dirt clod wars.  (Erin's cousin had tons of dirt at the house, and the clods were lonely without being thrown!)  While in Colorado, we were able to visit with most of her family and with our friends that have lived overseas for many years. (it was fun talking with them.... they were the first couple to see the benefits of moving because they had already lived overseas as well.)  I was also able to talk with a family member that's been to Singapore 27 times!  He gave some great tips on safety and planning.  The trip was truly a blessing. 

I better wrap this up!  We want to thank everyone that has given financially to help us on this journey.  Please know that we are encouraged and grateful for your support.  As we get closer to leaving, we are reminded about the importance of prayer.  We covet specific prayers for our physical health and protection.  We ask too for you to pray for our spiritual protection.  We cannot act alone; We need opportunities and wisdom that God alone can provide.  God bless, and thanks for your prayers! -mekj

The Latest

It's been an interesting week at work.Three of the rural middle schools in the district are going to combine with their nearby high schools.  This is due to budget cuts and low enrollment at the three mid schools.  Crownpoint Mid, where I work is one of the schools being consolidated.  There's lots of questions left unanswered, but the deal has been approved by the board.  We are praying for those that may loose their jobs or have to move to another school in the district.  While the decision does not affect our family, it does serve to confirm that now is a good time to move on!  As I sat in the staff meeting, hearing the news from our principal, and watching the reaction of staff, I wished we could stop and just pray.  Many staff, parents, and students are upset.  It's times like this that you realize what a comfort the sovereignty of God is.  Please pray for our school.  I want the year to end well, especially for the students. 

In other news, we had another moving sale today.  We had over four tables of stuff in the morning, and now we are down to just one.  We were able to sell most of our stuff!  We may have one final sale right before we leave to get rid of the the last few rugs, our card/dinner table and a few other items.  Praise God that we were able to sell most of the stuff.  The boys did well as they watched more of their toys get sold off!  Even their beds are gone!  (We call night time camping now, since they are using their sleeping bags!) 

I continue to read about Asian history.  It feels like I will never be able to learn enough, but I do know more now than when I started!  We have less than a month to go before we move.  We are getting excited about the next phase of our move, but it is also sad.  Saying goodbye is never fun, and we find ourselves doing more and more things "for the last time".  We took the boys to a park in Gallup the other day-we have driven past it hundreds of times, but figured we should stop and finally check it out.  It was their first and last time to be at that park. 

It's been an interesting week!  Thanks for your prayers and support.  We cannot do this alone.  Happy Mothers Day!  God bless -mekj

God is faithful

It's always exciting to see God answer prayer.  This is especially true when the prayer is answered in agreement with what we want!  (let's be honest... God always answers prayer, just not always with the answer WE want....) Erin and I have been blessed with just such a week.  Keep praying, and thank God for his faithfulness - he is indeed at work. 

We end this week with our jeep sold and financial support starting to come in.  We knew God would sell the jeep in his time, and we are thankful it was sooner instead of later.  The boys were a little sad to see it go, and so was I!  (the man came to pick it up while I was finishing my lunch break, so I was able to meet the new owner and then get busy back at work. 
Next, we find out that several friends are going to help us financially.  This too is an answer to prayer.  We still need support, but it is encouraging to see how God is preparing the way for our life overseas.  We also received news from others that they would be our prayer partners.  It's neat to see how God moves in the hearts of his people.  Thanks for your prayers and support!  Let us know how we can pray specifically for you too!

Last night was our first good-bye dinner with a dear family.  When I taught at Wingate (6 years ago), I was able to meet with my friend and we would pray for our school and our families.  It was the start of a friendship that continues today.  Well, we met to just catch up and talk last night, and it was a fun time.  They asked about our mission work, and it was good to be able to share what God was doing and teaching each of us.  The only sad thing was saying goodbye.  Perhaps we will see them again before we leave the area, but we wanted to at least have one last meal together.  As the days draw closer to our leaving, we realize how little time we have left to meet with our friends. 

We are in exciting times.  Things are moving quickly to an end here in this area, and our new journey will soon start.  It is so comforting to know that the majority of the relationships we have here will continue on through eternity.  

Praise God!

Yea! We sold the jeep yesterday! This was an answer to prayer. We were starting to wonder if anyone in this state had any extra cash to spend on a "big, red toy";) Thank you to those who have been praying for us. God is good!