It appears that Kenai is having a false spring breakup. We've had temperatures in the 40s and lots of sunshine lately, but I can't help but feel it's all a trick! However, the nice weather is great for outdoor activities!
Justin attended the Father & Son Fishin' Mission that our church puts on every spring. It's an overnight ice fishing derby on Nest Lake in Sterling. Of course, Justin had to adopt a few "sons" to take with him (consisting of two of the high school wrestlers and one of my brothers) since we have only been blessed with little girls so far! ;)
We have been focusing lately on making mailing lists for an e-mail newsletter which we'll send out with mini-updates every so often. If you are interested in having updates on our ministry sent to your email, go to http://eepurl.com/jcBPX. Enter your name & email and you'll be on the list!
We are planning another visit up to camp at the beginning of March during Victory's junior high winter retreat.
Some ways you can pray for us right now:

-Boldness in reaching out to potential supporters. Sometimes it can feel awkward when approaching people and churches about supporting our ministry, but we know it's what we are supposed to be doing right now! Pray for wisdom and confidence from God.
-Health for our family-We had another bout with the stomach flu this week. We simply can't seem to stay well in this house! Pray against the crud!

Snow and Germs, Oh my!

It's finally February! I have to confess I couldn't wait for January to be over because it seems like it was just full of sickness. I know it's that time of year, but colds, coughs, ear infections, stomach flu, and pinkeye! All in one month, for everyone in the family! I think that's an awful new record for us. We spent the last week and a half of January in quarantine. We did NOT want to share anything with anyone else! So as we stayed home and looked out the windows, we saw our view gain about a foot and a half of snow in the last 10 days! I believe this may be the snowiest winter I have seen in a long time...and it just keeps coming!
Through it all, we celebrated Norah's 1st birthday on January 30th. She wasn't feeling too great, but she was feeling well enough to destroy a cupcake...which we all know is the best part of birthday #1!
Wrestling season ended with slightly less than a bang for the Kenai wrestling team...unexpected sickness and some unexpected losses in matches at State made the final tournament less than exhilarating for the Kenai wrestlers. But they held their heads high and they did receive an Academic Award for the tournament!
We are heading to the church tonight to take part in the Junior High installment of Calvary Baptist's Nerf Night...which is exactly what it sounds like! I will most likely be making a bunker in one of the classrooms and hiding out with the girls to escape the foam dart warfare. :)
On Saturday, the youth of Calvary will be hosting a Valentine Banquet for couples and serving as wait staff and dishwashers. It may sound like drudgery, but last year we had a blast and we think it's a great opportunity for the youth to practice joyful servanthood! (And enjoy some good food ourselves!)
We are continuing on in our support raising...the clock is really ticking now and we are getting ready!
Something to encourage you: I posted this as a facebook status the other day but for those of you who didn't see it or don't have facebook, it is a great quote and an encouragement to keep hungering for and reading God's word, and the powerful way He will use it to work in us:

...Never grow weary of the slow, steady, growth that comes from the daily, disciplined, increasing, love affair with reading the Bible. Do not think you are getting no good from the Bible, merely because you do not see that good day by day. The greatest effects are by no means those which make the most noise, and are most easily observed. The greatest effects are often silent, quiet, and hard to detect at the time they are being produced.
-John Piper & J.C Ryle