Merry CHRISTmas!

Merry CHRISTMAS from all of us! 

For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord. 

Luke 2:11

 

Wonderful WMU ladies of Eureka

These ladies are some of the wonderful Women's Missionary Union group at Jefferson Street Baptist Church in Eureka, Kansas where we spoke last Sunday. I just wanted to cry when I saw they have an active WMU at their church. Thank you, ladies, for your faithful prayers for missions, missionaries, and for the water filter through the Pure Love Pure Water program!! Thank you for leading Children in Action, at your church, too, a missions rich Bible and discipleship program for children. May many future missionaries be inspired through the Holy Spirit and your teaching!! 

(They let me join them for the picture.)

We thank God for you, WMU women!! 

Forever friends

 We are SOOOOO thankful Andrea, Justin and Caleb came to visit us last weekend!! Andrea I love you and your sweet family so much! You are a treasure from God!! 

whatcha doing now?

 These are some of the things we are doing these days....Matthew is learning how to assemble models with his dad......

Micah is knocking his teeth out with light sabers... (thank goodness they were baby teeth and not permanent ones!)

And Madylanne is playing basketball with her junior high. 

Happy Birthday, Mark!

 

We traveled to The Mercantile in Pawhuska, Oklahoma on Mark's birthday. It's just over an hour away from where we are staying in Burden. We love you very much, Mark!! 

Woolaroc

We had the blessing of a family outing a few weeks ago. We visited a place near Bartlesville called Woolaroc- My family used to come here when I was a child so it was a lot of fun bringing our own children here! We hiked the trails and enjoyed the wildlife and amazing museum full of artifacts. 

 

Lottie Moon Christmas Offering

 

This is the Lottie Moon display at FSBC Garden City. What a fabulous job they've done showcasing the life of this woman and her commitment to Jesus demonstrated through sharing His love and salvation with so many in China.

The Lottie Moon Christmas offering is named in her honor. In Southern Baptist Churches all over the States you will hear about this offering which is promoted at Christmas. The proceeds of this offering go, in their entirety, straight to the mission field. This one offering makes up more than 60% of the IMB budget for the year. 

The goal this year is $175 million. This is the 175th anniversary of the existence of the IMB. We pray ALL NATIONS will hear and have an opportunity to respond to the good news of Jesus Christ!! 

You can contribute to this offering through your SBC church or can go directly to the IMB website and give. 

https://www.imb.org/lottie-moon-christmas-offering/

Here's a video link if you'd like to see how Lottie Moon dollars are being used to share Jesus in Africa.

https://vimeo.com/showcase/7416888

Fall celebrations

 The kids made cookies with Nana and had cocoa and gingerbread tea. Yummy! Thank you, Nana, for a delicious tea party! 

Then they got to carve pumpkins at Aunt Deanna's house! Thank you, Grandma and Deanna for the pumpkins and such a special afternoon! 

Painting pumpkins at our place. Thank you, Dad and Donna for the pumpkins!

Visiting Oklahoma

 

I am so so thankful that the Lord gave us a sunny day when the care center was open for visitors that I could visit my grandparents. This was a very special day for me. My Grandpa just turned 96 and my Grandma is turning 93 in a few days. I have a lot of really special memories of visits made to their home in SE Oklahoma during my childhood. My Grandma was a member of the WMU at her church in Hartshorne. The WMU is the Women's Missionary Union. She was a faithful prayer warrior and supporter of missions. Thank you, Grandma, for loving Jesus and prayerfully supporting missions through the years. Thank you for praying for me, Grandma. And Grandpa, it did my heart so much good to laugh with you! It was fun to talk about four wheeler fun and the steadfast love of the Lord with you. 

My sister Juli took care of the kids so Mark and I could go see Grandma and Grandpa. Thank you for this gift, Juli! Thank you for a yummy lunch and day spent together! 

It was great to see Aunt Donna, too! 

Fast and furious one day road trip to Edmond. 

Special visits

 We've been so blessed to have opportunities to see people we cherish! Fellow IMB missionaries who are on their Stateside Assignment in KC drove down to see us. 

Thank you for coming to see us, Randy and Kim!

We drove to western Kansas to see our dear friends, the Harms family. Their church, FSBC Garden City,  helped us with transportation by letting us borrow a car from one of their members who volunteered to share it and we are so grateful! We had a really special weekend together. Thanks for all the fun, Pastor John, Amanda, Quinlynn, Keagan, and Hattie!

4 Wheelin'

 

A very kind couple from FBC Burden invited us over for dinner and 4 wheeler rides. Thank you, Mr. Ken and Mrs. Geranne, for such a memorable evening! 

Fall fun

 

There's a gorgeous park in Winfield, the town we shop in, which is about 16 miles from us. We took advantage of this beautiful fall day to have a picnic and play at the park in short sleeves because we knew the weather was about to change. God sure did make autumn so lovely! Look at this tree just declaring His creativity and majesty. 

Brrrr Kansas is COLD

 We had a small snow storm and lots of ice last week. The kids LOVED having TWO snow days. They slipped and slid all over the church parking lot and in the driveway. This is Kansas in October, folks!

Church hopping

Sharing at our home church, First Southern Baptist Church of El Dorado

Sharing at New Life Baptist Church, Independence

I'm sure you've heard the term church hopping...we are visiting many SBC churches these days to reconnect and share all the good things God is doing in people's lives in Zambia. 

We're thankful for our sending church, FSBC El Dorado, and for the church allowing us to live in their parsonage, FBC Burden. It blesses us tremendously to worship the Lord with you both. We're thankful to FSBC Garden City for transportation! We're thankful for all SBC churches who give to the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering and the Cooperative Program in their churches which allows us not only to be on mission in Africa but also supported while we are in the US for medical care. Thank you!! 

If we haven't hopped to your church yet, be sure to send us an email because we'd love to worship with you and share God's heart for the nations. 

Wint2Africa@gmail.com

Thank You Lord for the gift of family

We are so grateful to be near family right now. We are about an hour away from our parent's and most of our siblings. Lots of cousin fun!! 

 These are family shots of Mark's side. 

Special times with family

We are blessed beyond measure to be close to family right now. 

These are pictures of family shots with Melynda's side. 

What are we doing now?

First Baptist Burden is hosting a Friday Bible Club at the local park in town. It has been a huge blessing to be able to participate in this with them as they reach out to the community around them with the Good News of Jesus Christ. 

Pastor Mike is explaining this cake mix isn't a cake until baked in the oven with the right ingredients. God made the world from nothing- it didn't make itself. 

Arts and crafts time

And then we get to do fun country kinds of things like go fishing at the Pastor's place! 

Brotherly love. 

 

Birthday Boy

We're so thankful that God created Micah! He turned 6 September 29th. We are thankful for his exuberance for life and his easy going attitude and pray that the Holy Spirit will convict him of his sin and need for Jesus as Savior in the year ahead. 

 

School Days

 The kids are in an unexpected season of being able to attend public school here in Burden. They love riding the bus everyday and Madylanne is even playing drums in the pep band at home football games! We are really proud of the kids for transitioning to a new routine so well. We're thankful for welcoming schools! Happy 8th grade, 4th grade, and kindergarten, kiddos!! 

Life in Burden, Kansas

 

We are settling in here in Burden, Kansas at the house that First Baptist Church Burden has made available to us. It is a lovely home in a wonderful community. We are so blessed to be loved on by this church family!!

  and no, we don't have a dog....this is Melynda's mother's pooch Rosie who came to visit with Nana one day. :)