Abi

Happy Birthday Abi!

Abi's chosen ministry: The Pettit Team

In 1985, Steve and his wife, Terry, along with their family began their itinerant evangelistic ministry holding local church crusades throughout the United States. Ten years later their ministry expanded to a team of young evangelists and musicians. Since 1995, the Steve Pettit Evangelistic Team has recorded multiple sacred music CD's along with publishing original sings and sheet music.
Taken from The Pettit Team's website and online store

"You will show me the path of life;
In Your presence is fullness of joy;
At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore."

Psalms 16:11

Preparations

We're on the home-stretch of a 3-day marathon. Our goals for tonight's deadline: 

• Design, build, and paint a medieval castle. 
• Prepare teaching lessons
• Keep up with the fieldwork connections

And tonight is the final night as we prepare to load up our castle and head into Lincoln for the annual conference. Ruth, Elizabeth, Hannah, and Susanna are all teachers this year. We look forward to sharing more in the coming days, but for now, here are a few pictures of our castle project in the early stages. Completed pictures and a weekend update will be forthcoming! 

Drawing the pattern and cutting the cardboard

Designing and fine-tuning the frame

Smaller details

Making progress!

And the beginning stages have begun!

Sponge-painting the marbled look

Sewing banners

"If anyone desires to come after Me, 

let him deny himself, 

take up his cross daily, 

and follow Me."

Luke 9:23

Under the Texas Sun

Within 18 hours of arriving home from our recent tour, our dress-up wardrobes were hung in the closet and our work clothing packed. Away we headed for the windy fields of northern Texas! Irrigation season is already in full swing there and we had a time-crunch job to complete. We parked the bus and jumped into our pickup trucks and headed south.

Windy days make for dusty, dirty grins.

The Texas jobs had around 4,700 individual connections. Many long days and sore fingers, but the work crew cheerfully persevered and enjoyed lots of lively conversations and teamwork!

The Texas wind gives new meaning to the term 'dust storms'. We experienced two storms during our stay, both with visibility under a quarter-mile. 

Beautiful sunsets. The race against time is over and we can call it a day!

"But diligence is man's precious possession."
Proverbs 12:27

Meeting Caden

I'm going to take a quick break from all the cruise/Florida pictures to share a highlight from this past weekend. 

It was a last-minute decision...and worth every extra mile. We learned that Dan & Bethany's family were planning to spend the weekend with our grandparents. After reasoning that many of us haven't had the opportunity to meet the newest member of the family, Caden James...and in celebration of Susanna's brithday...and simply because we miss our grandparents, Dan, Bethany, & Arianna, we brainstormed an idea: 

The perfect solution was that we all [excepting our guys, who were busily working in Texas] headed up to that wonderful place that we all dearly love - Grandpa and Grandma's house!

Great-Grandma and Caden

Playing games

Tickles and Giggles!

Reading a book and watching Caden

The sweet boy is growing up so fast!

Grandpa and Caden

Unlike Florida, Grandpa and Grandma's house has a TON of snow! So throughout the weekend we made a huge snow tunnel.

Plowing snow with Great-Grandpa

Ice cream with Grandpa!

Grandma and Caden

Farming together

Sunday morning smiles!

We love you (great) Grandpa & (great) Grandma!

"One generation shall praise Your works to another,
And shall declare Your mighty acts."

Psalms 145:4

The Cruise: Day One

It was the adventure of a lifetime. Something we never dreamed would ever be a possibility. But here we were, pulling up to the loading dock and preparing for four days of new experiences. The cruise ship was loading and we had tickets in hand. Anticipation was high: new friends to meet, long-time friends to see, and a whole new world of tropical wonderment lay ahead.

We're humbly grateful for each person who made this a possibility for our family. We hope you enjoy a little 'photo-tour' of the trip:

We arrived with a monstrous stack of luggage, instruments, products, and more. We were grateful for the kind porters who helped us transfer everything to the ship. We loaded everything on their carts and headed to the check-in area.

  

Smiles of anticipation!

Double-checking everything.

We stood in line through security and got ready to board. It was so delightful to start meeting friends who were part of our 'Sing & Sail' group. 

  

Once on the ship we were treated to a delicious buffet. And we were hungry! 

 

Smiles from the deck of the ship!

Although we heard the "Majesty of the Seas" is the Royal Caribbean's smallest ship, it seemed massive to us. We took a bit of time to explore our new surroundings.

Ping-pong tables

Preparing to leave Miami

Watching as we sailed out to sea.

After spending much of the afternoon settling in, preparing for the evening concert and running through the mandatory pre-sailing instructions, it was time for our first dining experience. What a delight!

An artichoke dish (with a name I couldn't pronounce or remember).

Each evening we had our concert time as the various ministry groups took turns sharing in music and testimony.

During the evening concert, the ventriloquist and his 'dummy' picked on Andrew.

We closed out the evening concert the first night.

What a great audience.

Never a dull moment with friends like these around!

And the ship made its way through the open sea. So peaceful and vast. When I try to comprehend how massive and detailed this earth is, it causes me to rejoice in the Creator and Author of life. His handiwork is breathtaking. 

"For since the creation of the world, 

His invisible attributes are clearly seen,

 being understood by the things that are made,

 even His eternal power and Godhead,

 so that they are without excuse."

Romans 1:20

Susanna

Happy 17th Birthday Susanna!!!

Susanna's chosen ministry: Kindred Image

"Kindred Image is a non-profit organization that seeks to document and support individuals and communities that work on behalf of the most underrepresented. Sparked by the story of a courageous pastor in South Korea, Kindred was formed to steward Lee Jong-rak's vision and legacy for the abandoned, orphaned, disabled, and devalued. In doing so, we hope to restore the idea of a God-given "kindred image,” thereby defending the dignity and value of all human lives." 

-Taken from Kindred Image's website

"I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; 

Marvelous are Your works, And that my soul knows very well."

Psalms 139:14