December 5th Update

Thanksgiving fun on Index Lake

4 o'clock moonrise

Overflow from the lake has made accidental 'ice sculptures'

This is what Norah does to Evie when Evie falls asleep

Evie showing off the advent calendar she helped me make

'Tis the season for pumpkin everything!

Norah decided Minnie needed a bath...using the toilet and her toothbrush

Our new little buddy. He's a guinea pig and he has many names at our house! Norah calls him "piggy-pig"

This morning at Victory it is 8 below zero and windy. It's not surprising that I don't want to leave the house today! If we got a little bit of sunshine in exchange for the cold it might be worth it, but even though it's been clear almost every day lately, most of the buildings on this side of camp are too far in the shadow of Teepee Ridge and the sun doesn't rise above it from about November 1st to February 1st. So we are (or I am) definitely feeling the effects of a long dark winter--and it's just the beginning! :( My lovely mom bought me a happy light and I have been sitting in front of it daily. For those of you who haven't heard of a happy light, it's a daylight-simulation light. It's supposed to lessen the effects (low spirits, low energy) that a lack of sunlight can cause. So I'll let you know how it works!
We had a wonderful thanksgiving. Most of my immediate family was able to come up to Victory-- it was about a 5-hour drive from Kenai-- and our awesome friends the Meeuwsens offered us their house to use for extra sleeping space and to cook our big meal in! My family is definitely bigger than average and we always appreciate a little extra elbow room. We spent 4 days together and enjoyed lots of board games, floor hockey and ice hockey, 4-wheeling on the lake, and of course eating! Maybe we'll make Thanksgiving at camp a yearly tradition, who knows?
We were in Anchorage on Monday and saw an ENT specialist about Norah's ears...unfortunately she fits the criteria for needing tubes, and while the choice is still up to us, through prayer and talking to the doctor we've decided that we will go ahead with the surgery. It was comforting to know that it's not a very long procedure, but it will require general anesthesia, which I hate the idea of. We will hopefully know soon the specific date and we would appreciate prayer.
God has truly opened the floodgates of His blessings lately and we are so thankful! Aside from getting to 90% support in the last month, we've had a few surprise blessings that can only be attributed to God and His grace. We hope that you're able to focus on Christ and his love this Christmas season, and pass that love on to others. Thank you as always for your support and prayer!

Some ways you can be praying for us right now:

-Continued health as there are cold and stomach flu bugs still going around camp
-For Norah's ear tube surgery- peace for me and Justin, and improved ear health for Norah
-For the weather to warm up so we can get some snow! If we don't get some snow for insulation soon, there will be a lot of pipes that will freeze around camp and a lot of extra work for our maintenance crew.
-For Justin and the program team; they are beginning work on the summer Bible study. Pray for God's leading as they choose how to write the studies for young people and that the studies will have a positive impact for Christ.