Chapter Three

Oh, my goodness, I can't believe I haven't posted anything in almost 2 weeks! We are doing very well and have been super busy! I have a feeling I will start posting every few weeks from here out--except for special events. It is difficult to make time to do one of my favorite things-blogging & working with my photos and videos!

Alaska District Council was last week. A full week of services and business meetings, luncheons, and dinners out with friends, new and old. It was a very special week since this was our first official D.C. as Pastors. We thoroughly enjoyed meeting the ministers from around the state and the Superintendent, the DYD (District Youth Director), and their wives. We are very blessed to have such a team!

The week before, Chris went to Anchorage for a leader's summit. It was such a blessing to connect with other pastors.

Tonight we had our first Youth Leaders meeting in our home. We don't have Sunday pm services so we usually spend the evening with other families from church. But tonight we had a special group over to our home for dessert. Our first gathering in our home! The college and older high school age students are a part of the leadership team. Chris is writing a One-Page Strategic Plan for our youth group with the input of this team. They are such a blessing to us. Very special group of young people. Such a heart for the Lord. We have decided our core values are Worship and Service. Everything we do as a youth group will center around these core values and further us toward our B.H.A.G. (More on that later!)

All the children got serious haircuts! (We stopped up the vacuum cleaner even after sweeping most of the hair up!)

I am working on some really really cute videos! Keep looking for those.

My heart was broken all over again after District Council. I cannot say any more goodbyes! I can't take it! We were able to see our dear friends, the Hollis's, (well, Mark, Shelley and Amanda) last week. They were in town for D.C. It was wonderful! I love Shelley like a sister! And Mark, well, what can you say?! He is so funny and sooooo laid-back. He wooed Isabella with his Singhalese. And Amanda...she stayed with us for 2 days while Chris and her parents were at D.C. I have decided to pray for her to be our nanny!!!! She is awesome with the children. She built a bridge over a huge mud-puddle in our back parking lot. She watched movies with the children and entertained my babies for hours. What a special treat to have her here. So anyway, we had to say good-bye last Thursday evening. I cried. I love this family so much. They are so special and have such a dynamic cutting-edge ministry. It felt like I was losing my family all over again.

Speaking of such, we are all adjusting. The sadness is lifting. There are moments where we yearn to see our loved ones. But the heartache is easing. It is still hard to believe we are here--in Alaska.

Friday night, the Markles had us over for steaks! A missionary to Russia and Ukraine, Judy Ballweber, was staying with them for D.C. She is amazing. I listened to her stories for hours. Anyway, she wooed Isabella with her Russian. (Before we moved, Isabella was regularly fussed over, even sang to, by our Spanish-speaking friends. So I wonder...)

John-James had a traumatic few days. He had intense ear pain. I took him to the clinic. They could not tell if his ear drum ruptured from an infection or from a fall, but his ear was bleeding internally. He is on an oral antibiotic and I am putting antibiotic drops in his ear. The pain is all gone now, but we all remember his whimpering! One night, he did not sleep (me neither) all night. But you would never know it now. He is back to running around and wrestling everybody!

One more thing, before I go, we are battling a mystery illness. A very itchy, burning strange rash with some other unmentionable symptoms. Anyway, Chris and I took the youth to a concert last Wednesday and left the poor sick children in the capable hands of John and Missy LaBean. We return to find our kiddie-poos had been kayaking in the aforementioned mud puddle! This is no regular mud puddle. It is gigantic and very deep from the snow melt! A good 50 feet in length.But alas, the faithful sitters were watching the children carefully and did not take pictures! But can you imagine!?

Well, I must go to bed even though it is still light outside. It's 11:32pm. I love the sun! It is hard to go to sleep because we are so energized by the sun. Yesterday it was in the low 80s. All week we have kept our windows and door open. However the mosquitos here are "killer huge." The huge ones are slow and easy to squash. But we have been warned about the no-see-ums to come next. I guess I need to get some Skin-So-Soft.

Okay, I am really going now. I love and appreciate each of you! And if you are thousands of miles away...we really miss you more than you know.

Love, Jeannie