Catch up

I know it has been a very long time since we wrote. We did send out a newsletter with a Christmas card/family picture. So that will be coming soon, but we only could afford 50 so I wanted to also put it up here.

Shane immediately started to prepare for his mission trip to Brazil once school led out in may. I know that he has talked a little about it. We appreciate the support that you all given both financially and prayerfully. Once he came home the kids were out of school and they started enjoying the summertime freedom. Shane also could join out meetins with the mission committee during the summer. We took part in another spiritual gifts test with personality test. Shane and I pulled out all the others we have taken before and we studied how similar that test results were. This really had Shane thinking and before he started his fall semester, he changed his major to aviation mechanics. We saw that the money wasn't coming for him to fly and we really didn't want to go into too much school debt for something that God may not be guiding. Then we met with some missionaries, had lunch with them and asked a lot of questions. We got to talking about how Shane really wouldn't want to be a mechanic for a living and he really didn't have the desire to work on engines all day everyday. He wants to serve people. So, before his fall semester was over he got with all his advisers, and changed his major again. A Bachleor of Science of interdisciplinary studies with concentrations in Psychology, cross cultural studies and aviation maintenance. Shane is more at peace and is looking forward to his new classes for next semester. Please pray for him as he changes his focus in classes, listens for continued direction from the Lord and manages his time. Please pray as well as Shane really wants to get a part time job on campus to help with monthly expenses( gas for the vehicles in particular)

I, Valerie, have moved up to Director in TNT 5th & 6th graders in Awana. I have really enjoyed getting to know the girls and they have challenged me to work in memorizing verses. So now I'm working on my own book. I also do the music and help in council time which is fun too! While Shane was in Brazil, the kids went to school during the day, my mom was home when they got off the bus and I was able to get off work early each day to be with them in the evening. We decided that we would go on vacation this year, so we contacted my brothers in Florida. Planned to meet them in Pensacola, but the only way we could afford it was to be creative in coming up with the money. So, I had a garage sale and sold our pop-up camper. I have also had several challenges working with the other ladies in my office at work. God has showed how I need to change and grow in strength in Him. Work is quite stressful and tires me out. I am very aware of it and have learned I don't like to be as busy as I used to be. I am enjoying spending more quality time with my family.

Austen took swimming lesson at the beginning of the year. We were hoping that if he liked it he would want to compete and be part of the swim club. He is much like his father in the regard that once he learned all the swim strokes he lost interest. He is a great swimmer now and enjoyed the deep end of the pool this summer. For his birthday, this summer we gave him the choice to have a party or gifts. He decided to invite one friend and we went to Crater Diamonds. AR. We went bike riding on a regular basis, we have tried three different bike trails in the area. Austen has taken more responsibility with chores around the house. He is helping with the dishes, cleaning the bathrooms and yard work. We had to buy a new lawnmower and Austen has the priviledge of mowing. He actually likes it.(mostly because that is the one he gets paid for.) Once school started again he was accepted into the gifted and talented program at his school. Austen has mature a lot this year. Please pray that he grow in Christ and grasp His love.

Gabrielle loves to play with her neighborhood friends Jule and Khyzer. She has picked up reading. Even thoughit is more difficult for her than Austen, we are proud of her. She has lost most of her baby teeth and we are looking into braces for her in the spring. She has a really small mouth and her teeth does not have enough room to come in. She still is sucking her thumb and continue to pray that she will stop on her own very soon. She had her birthday at the local skating rink. Then she had her tonsils out. Amazing she hasn't been sick since! Gabrielle does help around the house as well. She helps in vacuuming, and emptying the dishwasher. I really like that she can take a shower without help now.

Katharine spent her whole summer in Pensacola, Fla with a longtime friend Carolyn Bush. We then picked her up in August and stayed a week on the beach with my brothers Victor( his wife and kids) and Eric, my dad and step-mom and younger brother Brian. We all had our own townhouse. We had so much fun! We brought home lots of shells and great pictures. Katharine has started driving again. This has given her much freedom to take herself to the doctor and go to church functions however it has also given her much frustrating adventures as she still gets lost easily. But she calls is and we help her find her way back home. She went on a retreat with her "encore"(senior) group. She has enjoyed becoming friends with one particular friend named Karen that calls her up on a whim and they do fun stuff together.

We can really praise God. His promises to never fail us is so true. Every time we have been in a bind, He always gets us out. Every month has been quite a challenge to make ends meet, however, we are not hungry, we have clothes to wear and we are not homeless. Thank you Father!

Even though our focus is not aviation, we still have a passion for it and we hope that one day Shane will be able to be a part of mission aviation. We are still looking at a host or guest house that would provide encouragement and relief to the missionaries we can serve. We have started to make contact with Wycliffe to begin lookling into organizations that do such work.