Wonders of Wisconsin

We are so blessed to spend our last few months in the States with our family and friends in Appleton, Wisconsin, where I grew up.  It's so fun to watch our kids enjoy the same things and places I did growing up and to see them playing in the same parks, attending the same church, and eating the same foods... like cheese curds.  Below are some pictures from our visit to a local cheese store, which makes the best fresh cheese curds in the world, in my opinion.  We are looking forward to a fun-filled Wisconsin summer!

This is cheese...

 ...so is this.

This is cheese at its best.  Pay no attention to the nutrition label.

Superheroes and Spring

We've been in training at JAARS in North Carolina for the past 6 months, and have truly enjoyed our first taste of living "in the South." However, next month, we will move back to Appleton, Wisconsin, where we will live until we head to Brazil in the fall. I'm thankful we have experienced three seasons here!

 So the big news for us right now is our (temporary) move to Appleton to be near friends and family before we leave, AND the successful potty training of Joel - our youngest superhero! We hope you enjoy our photos of spring in North Carolina, and our own resident superheroes!

Also, here's a link to our latest newsletter to find out a little more of what's going on in our lives.

Joel feels like a superhero in his big boy underwear and cape...

Video Update - Mountain Flying

Here's a video of some highlights from Peter's flight training last fall.  Hope you enjoy!

Mountain Flying Video

Home for the Holidays

This Christmas we were blessed to be able to spend time in Wisconsin with family and friends.  We are currently enjoying time in Pennsylvania on our "way back" to North Carolina (we will leave on Thursday).  We've been blessed to reconnect with so many people and feel that we're heading back to NC refreshed and encouraged as we begin another (shorter) leg of training.  Below are some highlights of our time, as well as some choice pictures of a family photo shoot.  Enjoy!

My dad and Peter - they're meticulous when it comes to clearing snow!

 Merry Christmas!

 My family

 Our true colours  :)

 Sisters!

 Nice, Joel.

 There really are no words for this one.

Hope you all had a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

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.