Fatima, Portugal

We wanted to share this video with you. It is of Fatima. This is a small town in Portugal where it is said that the virgin Mary appeared many years ago. Now many Roman Catholics in Portugal and other areas make a yearly pilgrimage to the shrine built there in her honor. Click on the link below to see the pilgrimage.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h44YdbDJs8U

Armour of God

This is a video of what Ethan learned in school last week. You will have to turn off the volume on the music player at the bottom of the blog page in order to hear him.

Thanksgiving Week

This is going to be a great week. Thanksgiving. A trip to the Capitol. What could be better? We will certainly miss being with our friends and families at this time of the year- but it also helps us to prepare for what life will be like on the other side. We have made many new friends and the boys are fitting in very well. Micah has even eaten some cactus and shredded squid. The scary thing - he liked it. YUMMY! When I get to eat some turkey Thursday I will be saying- THANK YOU IT'S NOT SQUID!

Let It Neve! Let It Neve! Let It Neve!

It was great to see some neve (snow) today. Hopefully it will snow some more and we can have a big snowball fight. Now that would be fun. Everyone is doing well and we continue to give thanks for all of our friends and family at home who pray for us! All of you are such a blessing. May it neve wherever you are!

Giving Thanks for Shots!

Our first round of shots is now over and we can have a few days for our arms to HEAL! Second round to come this Friday. Have you ever given thanks for shots? Think about it- those things HURT! But, without shots- we are more open to disease, sickness, and death. Without shots- more medicine and hospitals. Without shots- sickness that can lead to disabled lives. So, in all things give thanks. I am thankful for shots that help to keep me from sickness and death. I am thankful for a company that provides these benefits through the giving of friends and family. I am thankful for the PRIVILEGE of life itself. As we draw near to Thanksgiving, we are reminded of the love of our friends and families. But most of all, we give thanks because the Father has shown the greatest love through His Son!

Do you have HIS mind?

I am reminded that the Father tells me through His word that I am to have the mind (attitude) of His Son. What is that attitude? It is many things- but one thing that brings freedom to my mind is the word victory! I have victory in my daily life as I walk with Him and I also have victory OVER the enemy. The victory that was accomplished many years ago is STILL to be lived in my life today. I have been told to "be strong and courageous" and also to "put on the whole armor". It is a battle that must be won in the MIND! I have victory today not because of what I have done, but because of what has been done FOR me!

The View From Here

We continue to be very busy, but emersed in the Word as never before. God is opening windows to His word that are growing us in so many ways. I wanted to share some pictures of the world around us here in VA. As the leaves have changed ove the last few days, the forest around us has been ablaze with the Lord's beauty.

Sunset view from our back door.



Micah has been taking a photography workshop in school this week and these are a few a his favorites. Can you guess what the last one is?

Information Overload

What a week we have had. This week we have concentrated on Spiritual Warfare and staying in the Word. We were reminded that Satan is always there to destroy what we are trying to do and that we must stay in the Word to keep our mind and heart in one accord with Him. Sometimes this process has seemed so surreal, but spiritual warfare seminars have really brought things into perspective. We may have thought we were sacrificing, but we are still clinging to so many things that we need to lay on the altar. Pray that we will lay all of this at the foot of the cross.

The boys are still doing well. Micah is learning the finer techniques of ultimate frisbee and loving it. This week in class they have been developing strategies to share their testimonies. His teacher says he is really opening up.

Ethan is loving school. His class is going to the zoo next week and the had exotic birds visited this last week. He loves the fact that there are 3 playgrounds here. There always seems to be something for him to do and someone for him to play with.

Today we (Andy, Michelle, & Micah) are in an all day seminar on teaching English as a second language (ESL). This seems to be a useful tool in making connections on the filed and making inroads with nationals.

Michelle has been sick this week with a really bad cold, so please pray that she feel better. There is so much to do that now is not a good time to be sick.