Here is our little baby at 13 weeks.  We are very proud parents!  Have a great day everyone!

Last night was AMAZING.  We were officially commissioned as missionary appointees!  YAY!  God was certainly in that place as John and I gave a short testimony and was prayed over.  There was something so incredible about being circled by other believers as they laid their hands on us and prayed.  God was in that place, and I believe he was smiling and praising with us and the others that were commissioned.

Here is a short clip of our testimony.  You might have to turn the volume up because it’s a little hard to hear.  If you look close, you might be able to tell I’m pregnant.

THANK YOU FOR PRAYING FOR US!  WE LOVE YOU!

Hi!  Here is another video for your viewing pleasure!  We have finally ended the training portion of our stay here in MN and will now be attending the actual BGC biennial conference.  Many pastors from churches all over the US will be here.  Please pray with us that we will make important connections with some during this time.

We are still here in MN. Yesterday was spent worshiping the Lord and sightseeing the countryside. We went with all the International Missionary’s (IM’s) to a local park to have a picnic, Laura Ingalls Wilder’s Little house in the Big Woods home, a cheese factory and ice cream store (John did not go in), and an eagle sanctuary, where we saw three eagles who will never go in the wild again. It was a very nice day and a much needed break from all of the training we’ve been doing. I’ll post pictures of our adventure a little later.

Below, is a very short video that John and I are sending to Lakeview Baptist Church in Hartsville, SC. Every year their VBS program does and offering for a missionary. This year, they chose us. We are very humbled and excited. They asked us to do short videos every day that they can show the children so they can get to know us better. I just thought I would share them with you. Enjoy! Have a great day!

Hello!  Internet in MN has been spotty but we have a break from training and I just wanted to give you an update.

We are on the beautiful campus of Bethel University.  We arrived and were greeted by many friends.  The reunion of fellow missionary appointees is so sweet.  They are our “missionary family”.  We don’t feel like we are away from home because in reality we are among a heavenly family.  We praise God for them.

I am feeling very well.  I am not constantly nauseated like I have been for the past eight weeks, I only get sick right before meals.  PTL, that I can concentrate on training.  Please continue praying for us.  Please pray for my continued health and pray that we might meet potential ministry partners here at the conference.

We are thinking about you all.  Love you.

-Mel

John and I are headed to MN for some MPD training with the BGC and to be commissioned as official missionaries!  Yay!  We can’t wait.  Our plane takes off at four.  Please be in prayer for us as we travel.  Please be in prayer for my health, as I am still nauseated and I get motion sickness.  Thankfully we do not have a layover.  We will be keeping you posted on how our weeks there are progressing (we will be there for 18 days).  We love you!  Have a wonderful week!

This weekend, we went with our friends Jason and Leah, to Flagstaff AZ to go to a Casting Crowns concert. Flagstaff is in the mountains so it was a welcome change from the heat of the valley. After a quick visit to Montezuma’s Castle, a yummy lunch in beautiful Sedona, twisty roads and a visit to Barnes and Noble we were comfortably relaxing in our hotel room.

When it came time for dinner, we ended up at a questionable Denny’s, ate quickly and headed for the concert. We spent about an hour in the “Will Call” line, but eventually found a comfortable grassy spot in the outdoor amphitheater. The concert was wonderful. If you have not heard of Casting Crowns, well, they are only one of the most popular Christian groups around. Most of their songs are straight from scripture and at the end of the concert they gave a crystal clear gospel presentation. Another plus is that they sound EXACTLY like they do on their CD. They all have wonderful voices.

So we were all refreshed and ready to head home the next day. We had a wonderful brunch at a local dive in Flagstaff (props to Leah for finding it.) On our way home we stopped at an outlet center and did some shopping, we all found great deals. I spent my time in the Motherhood Maternity store. John found some shirts at PacSun, and Jason and Leah got some major loot for a great price at the Gap Outlet.

I would like to give a shout out to my Hubby and Jason and Leah, for putting up with a cranky and emotional pregnant lady (I wonder who?) at times. They exercised a lot of grace. I love them all! Enjoy the pictures below!

Montezuma’s Castle

Leah and I on the “Castle” grounds

Jason and Leah relaxing before the concert.

John and I cuddling under a blanket enjoying the concert. It was about 55 degrees.

Hurricane season began on June 1. As many of you know, it’s always a bit more anxious time to be on the coast of Belize. Well, this season has already started off rough. Tropical Storm Arthur, the first named storm of the season, formed on May 31 off the coast of Belize. It proceeded to sit over southern Mexico and Belize and dump 10-15 inches of rain over the next few days. From the reports that we are getting from the field, almost the entire village at Gales Point was flooded. We’ve only been able to find a couple of small low-quality pictures, but perhaps they’ll help to visualize the situation.

Please pray that this will not be the start of a very rough hurricane season. Pray that God will have mercy on Gales Point and the mission base and all of Belize.

Gales Point is on a very narrow long peninsula that sticks out into the southern lagoon. Here’s an aerial shot of the village:

Here is what it currently looks like while it’s flooded:

UPDATE: I should note that these photos are from a couple days ago. From what we hear, the water has pretty much subsided in the village. The coast guard has been bringing in meals for them. As far as we know, there weren’t any injuries or deaths in Gales Point, but there is some damage and a lot of cleanup to do. Some of the main bridges are washed out, so travel will be very limited (access only by boat) until they can be repaired.

I don’t make it a habit to market anything on this blog, but when there is a good Christian company out there in this world, I think you should know about it. This particular company is run out of the home of some very good friends and supporters of ours.

The Ankers started a company some years ago called “Summerbook Company”. They have written many books specifically designed to help children keep and improve their reading, writing and arithmetic skills throughout the summer. They also have a supply of fun educational games that keep the mind sharp and are loads of fun.

If you are looking for a quality Christian company to support, the Summerbook Company is definitely one of them. If you have kids or grandkids, give them the gift of a fun continued education this summer. Please check out the website by going to www.summerbookcompany.com.