Small-town Christmas

Today we had a great time at the Waxhaw Christmas Parade.  We decided that since it was sunny and in the 50's, it would be crazy NOT to go.  The last Christmas parade I attended, I think it was snowing and about 25 degrees (in Wisconsin, where else?).  It was well worth it - Isaac and Joel loved it, too.

Saturdays with the Stuarts

What is "worship"?  Don't worry , I'm not about to write a discourse.  Simply put, it is glorifying God.  But I've been learning that the worship experience transcends the barriers of culture and language.  We have been attending a Brazilian church on Saturday nights, and everything is done in Portuguese.  While we do have English translation available to us, when we sing , we're on our own.  Many of the songs are unfamiliar to Peter and me, and we do our best to sing along , read and pronounce the Portuguese words, and grasp a little of the meaning as our brains struggle to multi-task and read the English translation as well.  For me, singing is a great way to become familiar with language - words flow to a lyrical melody , expressing their meaning in music.  However, when I am in unfamiliar surroundings, taking in so many things at once, it's hard to mentally connect with the words I am saying and focus on the God I am singing to.  But every once in awhile, I catch a glimpse of what it's like to worship in another language.  It is an experience that will enrich and grow us as we continue to learn Portuguese, and explore new words and meanings and how they relate to the One who gave us the gift of language.  

Beauty in Change

I am happy to say that Isaac, Joel, and I survived the ten days that Peter was away at "Mountain Week" doing extensive training.  It was a long week and a half for everyone, but I know Peter learned a lot and had a great training experience, and the boys and I spent a lot of quality - and quantity - time with friends and did some fun things.  Thanks for your prayers during that time!

We have recently been enjoying peak season here in North Carolina - about a month later than I'm used to, being a Northern girl.  Though I didn't relish the long, hot, humid summer, we are being richly rewarded with a slow, colourful fall.  It IS hard to believe that Thanksgiving is around the corner though!  

One of the things that I will miss when we head to the mission field is this season and all its colours. Yet God is using this time to remind me that there is beauty in change, even while there is sadness in saying goodbye - for a time - to the people and things that we love.  Being here at JAARS has definitely been a time of transition as we look ahead to a major change.  I sometimes tend to focus on the sadness in our change and not the beauty.  Praise God that He sees the complete picture of our stories in all their beauty, as He guides us through seasons of change, sadness, and joy.     

A Great Day

Today we celebrated two things - Peter's 31st birthday and Canadian Thanksgiving.  This is the ninth time we've hosted a party, cooking a turkey and inviting as many people as we can fit into our house.  This year was no exception, and we enjoyed cramming our apartment with the four other families going through aviation orientation, as well as a Canadian family newly arrived to the JAARS center.  To top off the evening, close friends who live in Georgia but who happened to be in the area dropped in to say hello.  We had no idea they were here and it was a great surprise (thanks Jason and Esther!!).  We have so much to be thankful for as we enjoy this time with old friends and new.  God has blessed us richly and we look forward to what He has in store for us, resting in the knowledge that He knows our needs.  Happy Canadian Thanksgiving!

 Peter's Birthday Cheesecake!

Life Lately

Has it really been two months since I last posted?  The best way to describe the second half of our summer is with pictures, so here goes!

This is what our trunk looked like for a month:

 This is what our back seat looked like for a month.  (Okay, they weren't always smiling...)

This is what Saskatchewan looked like - and it FELT like we were driving through it for a month.

Edam, Saskatchewan - We visited Peter's parents and extended family and had a great time!

 Boys and bugs in Spokane, WA

 Kodiak at the STC/Moody hangar in Spokane.

Enjoying some down time in Leavenworth, WA

 More quality boy time!

 Big Montana Sky

 Yep, we had to stop here...

We saw crop dusters three times throughout our travels!

 Peter had fun climbing trees... with saws...

 Family time

 Our new home for the next several months as we go through training at the JAARS center in North Carolina.  Our apartment is the first floor (corner).  

 We are blessed to have good friends here with us - our kids are having a blast together!

 Isaac's new favourite pastime:

My new favourite pastime:

Getting settled in

As always, thank you for your prayers for our family over the last couple months.  We are glad to be off the road, but our time with friends and family during that time was priceless.  I hope you enjoyed this glimpse into our "life lately" - more to come!

A Few of My Favourite Things

A little more than two years ago, we moved to Lancaster, Pennsylvania.  It was a comparatively short chapter in our lives so far, but it became home to us and we were blessed by rich friendships and new experiences.  This blog is all about what we'll miss... and what we will look forward to seeing again someday when we visit!  So it's not really goodbye, but "see you later."  Thank you to everyone who welcomed us into their lives during our time there.

PLACES

We will definitely miss all these crazy tourist stores! Living in Amish country has been our own small taste of culture shock before we get to the mission field.  :)

Our home in Leola

 Harvest Lancaster, formerly known as NewSong Fellowship Church. God greatly used this church to grow us, connect us, and build relationships.

Smoketown Airport!

Will food ever be this cheap again?? (Or this close?) We love the Sharp Shopper!

 Mmmm, this coffee was sweet nectar to us as we went through withdrawal after leaving coffee land (aka Washington state).

 Three words: BEST DOUGHNUTS EVER.

EXPERIENCES

We will miss seeing this out our living room window.

 Green Dragon Market is certainly an experience I will miss.

 Famous Lancaster baked goods

SCENERY

 The covered bridge was part of one of our regular routes.

Spring in Lancaster County is magical.

And last but not least, the

PEOPLE

 Our dear friend and neighbor, Emily

 Suzanne and Jenn

Mrs. Lapp and Mrs. Lederman, Isaac's pre-school teachers

Meredith!

 The Kauffmans

 Our amazing "small" group!

And just for fun, here is how much our boys have grown over the last two years:

Isaac and Joel in March of 2011

Isaac and Joel now