Grace

Grace...That is not the name of our next baby, but the name that Andy calls me because I am so, well, graceful! These are pictures of our next little bundle. We are still unsure of the sex. In another 3-4 weeks we will know. On Sunday evening, I fell out of Andy's truck, backwards. I know, graceful! In my defense, the running boards were wet and I was wearing dress shoes, so my shoe slipped when I stepped up and down I went. The only thing hurting is my tailbone. I hit the running board and then Wegman's parking lot. My OB wanted to be safe and have an ultrasound, so these are it. The baby was bundled into a little ball, so even if the sonographer could tell the sex, he wouldn't have been able to since the little one wouldn't cooperate. Of course, Andy's response was that s/he is afraid of getting bounced around again. Anyways, we are doing fine. I am very sore, but know it will pass in time. Please pray that the little one cooperates when we do have the ultrasound. I really want to know the sex of this little one. So enjoy our bundled ball, who weighs a whopping 5oz! Yeah!
P.S. The name will be kept a secret until s/he makes their grand entrance into this world. Just in case anyone was wondering. It sure made it fun with Isaiah. No one guessed even though they knew it was a Bible name. We are not even sure yet with this one. I have names, but daddy doesn't want to talk about any until we know the sex.

Saying goodbye

Goodbyes are never easy. Saying goodbye to family is something I have learned since joining Andy's family. It was foreign to me growing up since all my family is close. We thought that my aunt who lived 30 minutes away was so far. Now I know how close that really is. Africa is far and Tim & Meredith went off to there this week. On May 1st, I had to say one of my hardest goodbyes. (I think for everyones sake it was a good idea that I was not at the airport!) Maybe in part to pregnancy hormones, but mainly in part to love. Tim and Meredith have been a very important part of our lives and Isaiah loves them dearly, especially his pretty Auntie Mer, who he loves to stare at, hug and send smiles to. She is the great Aunt who sustains the energy to hug, kiss, throw in the air and do flips with Isaiah. And she is tall enough to walk under, which is great fun for Isaiah. So with great sadness, but extreme joy in their new walk of ministry, we bid them farewell, for a time.

Tim and Meredith headed to Gabon, Africa, where Tim grew up, to start a short term mission center with the Christian and Missionary Alliance. Here is a small "blurb" from their newsletter.

Our purpose is to launch and run a short-term missions center in Libreville, the capital city. While the teams are here, we will be transporting them, housing them, feeding them, and determining what projects and ministry opportunities they will be partnering with within the Gabonese churches. Essentially, we are the liaisons between North American churches and the Gabon National Church. Our goal is to “connect God’s people to God’s work”. This will be the C&MA’s first short-term missions center in Africa, so we are excited and honored to be the “pioneers” who will begin this ministry!

While we will miss them greatly, we will get to talk often over skype, (with the added bonus of web cams so we can see them,) we know that they are exactly where God called them at such a time as this. We pray that their ministry to the Gabonese is at the core of God's heart. While it will be difficult bringing a new niece or nephew into this world who won't immediately be showered with Auntie Mer's kisses and Uncle Tim's hugs, we wouldn't want them anywhere else than where they are, the center of God's will. So while our love and missing each other grows, our worship and praise of an awesome God also grows as he protects them in their obedience to Him.

If anyone is interested in learning more about their ministry or even partnering with them, (yes, they have to raise their own support), please contact me and I can get you all the proper information.

So Tim and Mer, it is with great honor that we send you to Gabon in God's hands to do His work. And to sweat a little in the horrid humidity! We love you!