Deep and Wide

The River!

2011-07-22T21:03:00.015-04:00

One of the things I need to play "catch up" with is our trip to the River. My family has a little cottage along the Allegheny River in PA. I grew up skiing at the river for family vacations and on weekends. I got pretty good, too. I loved to slalom. It has been 9 years since I skied. So a marriage, three children, and 25 more lbs. later, I tried to ski again. OHHHHHH...it was WONDERFUL :)

Quin taking a ride on the boat

Matt paddling across the river

The "fam" playing together

Our wonderful boat

The girls love riding the waves

Aunt Becky doing what she does best - loving on the kids

This is how the river makes us all feel :)

Two peas in a pod

Keep moving "Captain"

Thank you so much to my uncle tracy for getting the boat ready, and to my parents and other aunts and uncles for making this 4th of July at the river so wonderful.

Also...a big "shout out" to Stacey for skiing with me even when it was cold and almost dark out.

It's the things like that that show me how much you really love me :)

Catch up :)

2011-07-22T19:45:00.007-04:00

Hello, Everyone! It has been a while since I posted anything and A LOT has happened since my last post. First of all, the biggest news, Matt got a job!!!!! YAY! We are so thankful and blessed. He is a new pastor at New Town United Methodist Church in Williamsburg, VA. His main title is Director of Care Ministries and Sound Technology. We moved here two weeks ago and are settling in. Matt began his job last week.

Might I just say...I love it here. I love our town house, our neighborhood, our church, the southern hospitality, etc... I love the way the Lord has provided for us in the last 3 years since we left Kentucky. It was not at all easy or comfortable - more uncomfortable and very humbling - but it was still GOOD.

A few weeks ago, as we were driving down to Williamsburg to look for a place to live, we saw a rainbow. It followed us (or we followed it) for over a half an hour. It was a beautiful reminder to us that even in uncertainty, God keeps His promises and He is Good. AND...if we delight in Him, He will provide in better ways than we could ever imagine.

So now, we have a beautiful townhouse (with lots of closets) that also has a pool. I would never have believed it myself if someone would have told me I would have a walk-in closet and a swimming pool...yes, we have a community swimming pool. The kids (WE) LOVE it.

Also, may I just say how proud I am of my husband. This has been a difficult time for us, through the MANY rejections or even "non-responses", he persevered, and because of it, now we get to live HERE.

The pics are from of our first family picnic (of hopefully many) in Colonial Williamsburg.

He's Crawling!!!

2011-04-04T09:15:00.003-04:00

This is a little late, but just wanted to show off the little man starting to crawl. He is crawling everywhere now (even followed his daddy right out the door one day).

More Seussical Musical

2011-04-03T21:38:00.004-04:00

My pretty fancy ELEPHANTBIRD!

"In my world, everyone's a pony and they all eat rainbows and poop butterflies!"-Dr. Seuss

Cheering Camp and Musical

2011-04-01T10:57:00.005-04:00

Abby is just having a blast this year. I do not think Kindergarten could have gone better for anyone. Lately she got to go to cheer camp (under a small protest from her daddy:)

Now she is performing in her very first High School musical production. Mommy and Daddy have been helping with PM's musical, Suessical, and Abby is the elephantbird. She is so thrilled. Can you tell?

pics of my big boy

2011-02-03T10:17:00.004-05:00

Entertaining!

Inquisitive!

Let's rock and roll!

GO STEELERS!!

2011-01-24T22:11:00.005-05:00

Just because it's fun...

the girls were more into dress up than the football game :)

HERE WE GO STEELERS! HERE WE GO!

What to do?

2011-01-22T21:20:00.003-05:00

It is freezing outside!!!

So what do you do when you are stuck in the house on a snowy, below 0 degree temperature day?

Make sure you wear your slippers. Your feet might get cold :)

dress-up while taking down Christmas decorations

and set-up the new tent and tunnel in the living room.

Abby and David are camping out tonight.

Best present ever (well...for today :)

Sweetness!

2011-01-21T11:56:00.004-05:00

He is the sweetest!

Christmas Morning...

2010-12-30T11:20:00.007-05:00

Christmas Eve

2010-12-30T10:52:00.003-05:00

CHRISTMAS TIME IS HERE -

Pap is Santa

Our exchange students Francesca (from Italy) and Bianca (from Austria) enjoying their American Christmas

Nathan's first Christmas - I think he likes it :)

Sibling Fun

Nathan and Great Pap

HAPPINESS AND CHEER!

Merry Christmas

2010-12-29T11:33:00.002-05:00

One of my most favorite Christmas traditions! We were trying to take pictures of all the kids with Great Pap and the babies were crying so we all starting singing. Here it is...

Merry Christmas!

Daddy Worship time

2010-10-21T21:28:00.003-04:00

This was the very end of tonight's worship time Matt had with the kids. It started w/David sitting on the bench and the song "Jesus Loves Me". Then, it blossomed into this...

Field Trip!

2010-10-20T17:32:00.001-04:00

Hayride...

Corn Maze...

We found Dorothy!!!

playtime...

Pumpkin patch...

Fun with Friends

A day chaperoning my daughter's kindergarten field trip...PRICELESS!

Best Friends!

2010-10-17T11:19:00.005-04:00

I love my family. I will say it again, I love my family! You see there is something very special about my family...it is mine. I can not explain it, but even in their craziness, they are the best. I remember growing up, and for the longest time, my dad and my uncle only had girls...6 all together, and we lived no more than 5 minutes from each other. I loved being with my older girl cousins. I always wanted to be with them and cried when we had to leave them. They were older than me, and I always wanted to be like them.

Now, half of the girls have kids, and our kids seem to have picked up where we left off. Yesterday, the girls were at a scrap booking retreat and the boys raked leaves and played w/trains. When Matt, David, and Nathan came to pick us up, David comes to me crying saying, "I miss my cousins." My cousin Stacey (whose boy's David is referring to) and I say, "We know how you feel. We never wanted to leave each other either."

Here are our girls - They LOVE LOVE LOVE being together, and we LOVE LOVE LOVE it too :)

Oh, David!!!

2010-10-15T22:50:00.002-04:00

Well, we are working on potty training with David, and...needless to say, it is not really "happening" yet :) .

Example - While working on potty training, David wet grandma's living room floor.

Grandma says, "David, you are not supposed to pee on the floor. Where are you supposed to pee?"

David, "In my diaper."

Transformed

2010-10-15T12:18:00.004-04:00

I was inspired by one of my friend's blogs about life and sacrificing for Christ. As many of you know, we made a decision to leave a very secure/wonderful life to serve Jesus in full-time missions. Well, it didn't turn out the way we thought and here I am with these thoughts...

I've never been one to "keep up with the Joneses". In fact, I do know some of my limitations :) I am not a great housekeeper or cook, I lose things from time to time, I do not always walk out of the house with the best clothes or with makeup on, I do not always get thank you notes out on time, I do not make gift bags for my children's birthday parties, I do not usually iron my kids/husbands clothes, etc...etc..etc... TRUST ME there is much more...

To be honest, where I am in my life right now is not really where I thought I would be. I thought I would have my own house, a great job, and be financially secure in the world's eyes. I thought I would be that "perfect" mom, neighbor, family member, daughter-in-law, friend, etc... You know the one that always sends gifts, has parties, bakes, and looks good doing it :) Well, I am not perfect, in fact, I am far from it, but I have learned something very special in this time in my life, "HIS power is made perfect in MY weakness."

Do you ever feel like you don't really "fit" in this world, like your life is on hold and you are an outsider to others? Boy, I sure do! Before this time in my life ever happened, I feared what life would be like w/o money. Now that I have had this time in my life, I no longer FEAR money for I know without a shadow of a doubt He provides everything we need just at the right moment. It might not be as much as I wanted but it is always enough and even more than expected.

You see, I am being transformed...not the way I ever imagined and it is not easy, but it is good! I have hope that maybe someday I'll have my own house, a great job again, more clothes than just 1 pair of jeans that fit and a few t-shirts. That life will someday again feel "somewhat normal".

(the following is a conclusion to my thoughts written by a friend...I could write it in my own words, but it would not be quite as good...)

When or if that day ever happens...I’ll never be who I used to be. I’ll enjoy the same things as I used to eventually, but it will never be the same. I’ll enjoy them differently…in a different light. Praise G0D!! I’m being transformed, and sometimes it scares me. Who am I turning into? I found comfort in what I used to value.
“…The L0RD gave me what I had, and the L0RD has taken it away. Praise the name of the L0RD!” Job 1:21.

I’m learning that as G0D strips me of who I used to be, he replaces it with an unfailing trust in Him. My prayer is that G0D will teach my children in this season through the example of their parents. That somehow they will see this season (although it is not always fun and their parents are by no means perfect) as an example of our invitation to suffer with Christ and the joy and blessings that come from it.

My little Ballerina!

2010-10-12T11:53:00.004-04:00

This picture makes me so happy. I have waited years for this and now I am able to see one of my dreams come true. My little girl is in dance class. She is taking tap and ballet. She, of course, loves ballet more, but just watching her dance brings me so much joy.

"You turned my wailing into dancing; you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy, that my heart may sing to you and not be silent. O LORD my God, I will give you thanks forever." Psalm 30:11-12

Apple Pickin'

2010-10-12T11:25:00.004-04:00

"But the fruit of the Spirit is...

Love,

Joy,

Peace,

Patience,

...kindness,goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self control." Galatians 5:22

The Fair!

2010-09-03T19:26:00.004-04:00

It has been 10 years, but I finally made it back to our county fair. For those of you that don't know...I grew up showing animals at the fair with my sisters, cousins, and friends (I was even the fair queen...hahaha). I have so many wonderful memories and this past week I was able to enjoy it all again with my family.

Abby milking a "cow"

Quintin wins the tractor pull

Seth's Grand Champion Pony

Grandma and Nathan enjoying the sheep show
Seth showing his sheep
Our friend Abigail showing her sheep :) She kept giving it kisses.
My boys enjoying the pig show...
Highlights of week...
1. Seth's pig jumping the show gate into the stands.
2. Awoman turns around in the stands, looks at my husband and says, "You never showed animals before did you?"

Seth showing his pig.
Dad and Uncle Tracy at the pig show...continuing the tradition for over 40 years

Eating lunch in the horse barn

The reason why I like the fair soooo much...
...Because it is something we all did TOGETHER.

She's Baaack!

2010-08-30T16:45:00.004-04:00

My little girl is back from her first day of Kindergarten. I asked her if she is ready to do it all again tomorrow. She replied, "You bet I am!"

And now...she's sleeping on the couch :)

First Day of School!

2010-08-30T08:13:00.003-04:00

Today is a BIG day! Our lives will never be the same. My first baby is off to Kindergarten. I will miss her, and I know David will too! She is ready...from her letters to opening milk cartons :)

Today she woke up early, jumped in bed with mommy as mommy fed Nathan, got dressed, and had blueberry muffins for breakfast. It is such a special day. We prayed together and I could hear her starting to cry. When we finished, she walked away to get a tissue trying to hide her tears. I guess she is going to miss us too.

She is in the same Kindergarten classroom her Daddy and Mommy were in when we were in Kindergarten...how special!

Daddy put her on the bus and now here I am trying to process my feelings. "Will she be ok?""What are we going to do today w/o her?", etc... A new chapter of our lives has started.

Many Faces of Nathan

2010-08-09T22:25:00.007-04:00

The Sleepy...

The Serious...

The Dazed...

The Happy...

The Content...

The Silly...

The "Melt my heart because you are just so cute :)"

"The LORD your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing." Zephaniah 3:17 NIV

Take me to the river...

2010-07-06T17:21:00.004-04:00

Take me to the river...

Drop me in the water...

Spoil me with autie lovin'...

and...

Uncle lovin' ;)
Love smiley face pancakes...

and corn on the cob....

the man who makes it all possible...

There is nothing like spending the 4th of July at our family camp with the ones you love.

At the Beach and Blessed

2010-06-18T08:08:00.005-04:00

Every year Matt's family goes to the beach in the Outer Banks. We are so blessed.

Fun with the cousins

Nathan enjoying his first beach vacation

Fun at the seashore

The "Big" water

Hiding during a thunderstorm

"Look, Daddy, a Cwab!"

The crab

Relaxing at the pool

We sure did play hard

Mitch and Katie's Wedding

2010-06-17T16:52:00.003-04:00

Much has happened since my last post...a new addition to the family, David's birthday, Mitch and Katie's wedding, and now our family trip to the beach. Pics from David's birthday will come later. Here's just a little peak into our fun-filled wedding weekend.

Breakfast before the big day!

David really liked his pancakes!

The grandkids

Daddy and his ringbearer

My favorite...the ringbearer and flower girl.

The highlight of the day for me was when David walked down the aisle and put his Thomas the train engine on his pillow :) I am just so sorry I didn't get a picture of it.

Congratulations Mitch and Katie may your life together be blessed with God's fullness.

We love you.

Balloons

2010-05-24T17:47:00.003-04:00

We got so many wonderful gifts and surprises while we were in the hospital with Nathan. This is a VERY special thanks to Aunt Becky and Uncle Fred for the balloon bouquet...It's the gift that keeps on giving :) Enjoy!

1 week old

2010-05-24T09:57:00.001-04:00

Our family has grown...

Nathan means, "Gift of God". He is truly a perfect gift.

Happy 1 week Birthday!!!

Happy Birthday!

2010-05-19T19:09:00.003-04:00

Nathan Ryan born Monday, May 17th @ 9:06am

6 lbs. 10oz. 18 3/4 inches long

Happy Easter!

2010-04-06T12:13:00.009-04:00

"To a Christian, Easter Sunday means everything, when we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ."
-- Bernhard Langer

"Let the resurrection joy lift us from loneliness and weakness and despair to strength and beauty and happiness."

-- Floyd W. Tomkin

"The great gift of Easter is hope - Christian hope which makes us have that confidence in God, in his ultimate triumph, and in his goodness and love, which nothing can shake."

-- Basil C. Hum

"Jesus said to her, 'I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die.'"
-- John 11:25-26 NIV

Our New Addition

2010-03-31T13:02:00.004-04:00

I have two beautiful children. They are just so cute (most of the time) and I learn something new from them almost every day. It may surprise you that I really was not that excited when I found out baby #3 was on his way. First, because I am really bad at being pregnant. Second, because I always get fat and usually have 35lbs to lose after having my babies. Third, I just figured out how to juggle 2 children. Now a third one is on the way. Our life is so uncertain right now. All of our plans have not worked out. I am scared. And yet, we have a little one on the way. Someone that God planned for us, even if we didn't plan it. So I have so much love and joy for this little one in my belly and I know that this little one will bring us all the more joy and way more happiness than any of the hardships he may cause.

Yes, we are having another little boy due around June 1st. Just like his sister and brother, he will probably look like his Daddy, which is ok with me b/c I think their Daddy is pretty cute :)
No, we do not have a name yet, and probably won't until I am in labor---just how we work. So to our wonderful little boy on the way....

We love you so much and can not wait for you to join our world. Your big brother and sister say, "HI!"

Cinderella

2010-03-30T10:01:00.005-04:00

Abby and Fairy GodMother

A few weeks ago, Matt was the accompanist for the local schools Spring Musical "Cinderella". It is a cute show by Rogers and Hammerstein. Abby, of course, just LOVED it. Se dressed up in her Cinderella dress and got pictures with the characters. Then her grandma took her back the next night and she got autographs from the cast members. A little girl's dream come true.

Step Sisters

Cinderella

She is still singing songs from the show. Matt laughs and says, "That is definitely her Mommy in her." Yes... she's my girl!

Matt's Birthday

2010-03-29T13:58:00.004-04:00

This week was Matt's Birthday. He turned 35 on Wednesday. Abby was so excited to celebrate. The day did not turn out like we had hoped. First, I was at the hospital for 4 hours taking a glucose tolerance test. Second, David was sick with an ear infection so Matt was on the phone most of the morning trying to get David an appointment to see a doctor. Third, the house was a mess b/c Matt was working on installing a new dishwasher, but did not have the right parts.

We took Abby to church, and she told everyone that Daddy had a very sad birthday. I asked her what she thought would make it a happy birthday. She said, "We need people to come to the house, then it would be a happy birthday." So after church we had Abby's little cousins come to the house with some of my family and Mona and Ron. We ate ice cream cake and the kids screamed of excitement the whole time. The day turned out to be a Happy day after all.

Since then, Matt has been pretty sick. He has caught some virus and has bronchitis on top of that. I have not yet been able to take him out for a birthday date. In spite of this not being a "perfect" birthday celebration, we are still happy to celebrate at all.
Happy Birthday, Matt! You mean so much to us. You are an amazing husband and Daddy and the Lord has filled our lives with great joy because of you.

we're getting ready

2010-02-22T13:06:00.001-05:00

“The gifts and calling of God are irrevocable.” Romans 11:29

Update on the Rapach family!

Hello friends! We are doing well here in snowy and slushy western PA! Just yesterday we built the best snowman (well, actually a snowwoman according to Abby) of the season and are always on the lookout for the biggest icicles on the houses.

We have had a wonderful time with our families – it’s been a gift to be near them after 10 years of living away. The kids are loving being with their grandmas. Sarah is doing a lot better with the pregnancy and we look forward to June when our little one will be born. (still don’t know if boy or girl). Thanks for all of your prayers through the months of sickness!

It has been a challenging few months, for sure, as we wait on God to open the door for our next ministry assignment. The opportunities we had when we left Boston, for various reasons, have not worked out. We continue to pursue others, believing in faith that God knows what He’s doing, and He will provide. We are ‘getting ready’ for whatever comes next, and know that God is teaching and preparing us in ways we never expected.

As we have prayed, we have a sense that there will be a strong relational connection to the place we end up serving, and that the opportunity we are looking for may very well come from someone we know. So…if you are in a church or a ministry and you need someone who can lead worship, take people on missions trips, administrate, and generally pitch in to the overall team, please let us know! You never know what may happen…

‘The gifts and calling of God’ in our lives still are burning and churning within us! There are many things we could do in life, but we want to invest our gifts and lives in a way that brings people to know and love Jesus Christ. Pray with us this week for a breakthrough!

Conversations with my Girl!

2010-02-17T15:24:00.003-05:00

So my Mom wanted to have the kids stay at her house for a few days. My kids love going to their Grandparents house. Last night before my Mom came to pick the kids up, Abby and I had this conversation -

Sarah: Abby, make sure you are very good for grandma and pap.

Abby: Mommy, I am always good for grandma.

Sarah: Remember, if she asks you to do something, do not talk back, you need to listen to her.

Abby: Mommy, I never talk back to Grandma Fyock.

Sarah: Really, then why do you talk back to Mommy and Daddy sometimes?

Abby: Because Grandma never makes me do anything I don't want to do. I don't have to do any jobs or favors. Ohhhh...I just love going there.

So....there you have it from the horse's mouth - My little girl is spoiled by her grandparents :)
Where do they come up with this stuff? I told Matt this clever answer must come from the Rapach side of the family :)

Today, before, my quiet time, I thought about how I missed my kids eventhough they have only really been gone for a few hours. I can not wait to hold them and kiss them and talk to them. As I was thinking about that, I thought "how much does our Father in Heaven miss us when we do not spend time with Him, even for one day?" Just like me wanting to kiss and hug my kids, how much more does He want to lavish His love on us?

WARRIORS!

2010-02-11T18:45:00.002-05:00

BOYS! Sometimes I just don't understand. My mom got David this soft sword for Christmas, and of course, he (AND his Daddy) love it. I'm very thankful that my Mom got us a soft sword compared to the loud plastic swords they got the cousins.

Now...I could be creative and write something about boys having this "instinct" in them because they are to be Warriors for Christ, but I think you all get the picture ;)

Blizzard 2010

2010-02-06T16:48:00.012-05:00

15 inches of snow

3 hours of snow blowing

Morning Snow FUN

Even Grandma went out to play

Hot Chocolate

Afternoon Snow FUN

Great Sledding

clarity

2010-02-05T10:56:00.002-05:00

Psalm 19:8
The commands of the LORD are clear, giving insight to life. NLT

7-9 The revelation of GOD is whole
and pulls our lives together.
The signposts of GOD are clear
and point out the right road.
The life-maps of GOD are right,
showing the way to joy.
The directions of GOD are plain
and easy on the eyes.
GOD's reputation is twenty-four-carat gold,
with a lifetime guarantee.
The decisions of GOD are accurate
down to the nth degree. (Message)

Ok so I’m having a great moment of clarity here. We are called to abide in Christ. That may sound very elementary, but I think that a lot of us don’t really do it. But we do long for it. And I think we all recognize it when we meet someone who really is abiding. Who is giving free reign to the Holy Spirit in their life.

Now I realize that I’m an idealist and that I long for the perfect moments in life. I am slowly learning to cope with this in my life and see the good moments in the ‘less than ideal’ and realize that perfectionism is not the answer, but a life of making excellent offerings to our God is good (check this out for more on perfectionism from JD Walt).

For most of my life I have been taught, been mentored in, and generally witnessed the grin and bear it style of life. That at best we can hope for a life of toil and moderate achievement and at the end of the day we get critical of what could have been better. I am good at criticism. Really good. ‘well that was good but this or that could have been better…’

But my soul is hungry, starving even, for a better way. A way that is thankful as a child is for ice cream or mac and cheese. A way that abides in the goodness of God (which is never not present) and has a heart wide open to that goodness – to receive revelation and guidance for every moment, and to work, live, love, and do ministry out of a place of abiding in the Holy Spirit.

To dream, and work to bring those dreams to reality. To live above circumstance, not in an escapist kind of way, but in a way that sees the Way and follows that, not reacting to moments but following the lead of a Good Shepherd.

So where does hard work come in? It is still required! I can work hard for the commands of my LORD, and at the end of the day I have a satisfaction that is life giving, not life draining. A hired hand will walk away at the end of the day collecting only his pay, but a true son, who I desperately want to be, is forever invested in the interests of his Father.

This is what I want to invest my life in. I could spend it on many things, but I freely choose, gladly and joyfully, with a true heart of thanks, to be available, abiding in the Father’s love, the Son’s friendship and sacrifice for me, and the Holy Spirit’s presence.

Yeah.

What Remains

2010-01-26T14:56:00.003-05:00

Last night we were up with Abby as the poor little gal threw up through the night. It might seem crazy to some, but while I am up and even after, I always appreciate my children and what a blessing they are to me a little more (or the realization of it is more clear).

The other day I was reading the "love" chapter of First Corinthians, and the Lord spoke something so clear to me. That everything else in this world with fall away, but there are 3 things that can and will endure - FAITH, HOPE, and LOVE.

So as I am up holding Abby's hair knowing that there really is nothing else I can do for her, I realize that FAITH, HOPE and LOVE is so true. How many times in our life do we forget about these things and try to take care of things the "world's way"? We can try to hold on to our hatred, but it just eats away at us and destroys. We can try to just "make things happen" (or have faith in ourselves) for ourselves, but many times, because we are human, we will becoming discontent in our own ability.

Why is it that when things of this world get stripped away do we begin to recognize this simple truth? - because God made it that way - when all else fails, these will ALWAYS remain...FAITH, HOPE, and LOVE, and the greatest of these is LOVE.

So...last night, all was stripped away, maybe that is why my LOVE for Abby in those moments is so clear.

Let's Jam!

2010-01-21T14:10:00.003-05:00

Just a little post of the children that I love so much. This was right before we moved from Boston (as you can probably tell from the boxes). In the midst of the craziness and uncertainty, there is joy.

More from our Winter Wonderland

2010-01-18T15:56:00.006-05:00

Here is more from our wonderful Christmas season. We really did enjoy all the snow and all the fun it provided...ENJOY!

Matt and I are just so amazed at how the Lord works. We still do not know His plans for us yet, but we do know they are to "prosper us and to not harm us...to give us a future and a hope." We keep saying to each other that it really did take an act of God to get us back living in the place we grew up. This place was no where on our radar screen. Whether that means we are supposed to stay here, that is another question. But to be quite honest we would have never come back here unless something like what happened to us wouldn't have happened.

And to be honest - who knew Clymer, PA could be so beautiful?

Matt making a "GI-NORMOUS" snow angel

Abby's snow angel

Sled riding fun !!!!

More sledding fun!!!

Enjoying our Winter Wonderland

2010-01-18T15:07:00.006-05:00

There is so much to share with all of you... I have so many cute pics and videos of the kids over these past few months and I can not wait to post them all. Today I just wanted to give you an update. First of all, we are still in "waiting". We were hoping that Matt's job search would be over by the beginning of this year and we would be off to begin the next chapter of our lives; however, our plans are not always His plans and we find ourselves depending on Him more and more to provide and lead us in the right direction. We are still full of hope and expectancy and we continue to praise Jesus for everything He is doing in us. Once I begin posting more...I am sure you will hear more about what the Lord has been doing to our hearts during this time.

I am also soooooooo grateful for our family. We have had such a good time with them over these last few months. I think being with our family has brought a lot of stability back to our kids lives, which was greatly needed.

That being said - look at all the fun stuff we have been up to -

Enjoying our first "real" big snow in 10 years. I do not know who liked it more Matt or the kids.

Making a Gingerbread House before Christmas...The kids loved it, it stressed me out the entire time, and Matt just enjoyed the entertainment :)

Abby was just a beautiful angel in a little Christmas play at our local church. David was supposed to be a little shepherd but had no interest in putting on the costume.

update...

2009-12-09T09:41:00.000-05:00

“In the fear of the LORD one has strong confidence.” Proverbs 14:26

We are in the midst of some big changes in our lives!

First, we want to let all of you know that we will no longer be working with YWAM Boston. After lots of prayer and discussions with the leadership of YWAM Boston and others, we feel confident in saying that being there was not a good long-term fit for our family. We are thankful and blessed to have been there for a season, and are still excited for all that God is doing in Boston. And we are very thankful for all of our friends in Boston.

We also feel confident in saying that God has another ministry opportunity prepared for us. We are currently looking for a position where we can continue to work with Worship and Missions and mobilize people to reach the world for Christ. Right now, our search is leading us toward working in some type of pastoral setting in a church, but we are open to whatever opportunity the Lord may send our way.

If you know of any openings as a Worship Leader or Missions/Outreach Pastor, please let us know.

For those of you that financially support our ministry, you may continue to do so through YWAM Boston, 23 Emerson St, Newton, MA 02458, until December 31. We believe by that time we will have more specifics and can share them with you when we have them.

Please be praying with us in this time of transition as we seek the Word of the Lord about our next step.

We are currently living with Matt’s mom in Clymer, PA. The kids are all doing well and enjoy being around our extended family. Sarah continues to struggle with morning sickness, but we are hoping it will end soon! The baby is due June 1.

Thanks for all of your love, support and prayers on our behalf.

Waiting on Him…

Matt and Sarah

Aunt Becky and Uncle Fred Birthday Presents

2009-09-23T18:54:00.002-04:00

Thanks for the presents!!!! For those of you watching the video the skirt actually plays music from "Swan Lake" when Abby dances around :) David and the frog is priceless, too.

happy birthday abby

2009-09-18T15:39:00.002-04:00

Our sweet daughter Abigail turns five today! She is the special joy of our life and is growing up (fast) into a wonderful girl. Happy birthday Abby, and we pray for God’s fullest blessings in every part of who you are growing up to be.

what does it mean to love without hypocrisy?

2009-09-11T10:01:00.003-04:00

What does it mean to love without hypocrisy?

(click on the pic to make it bigger...)

We are here in Boston, have a house, a neighborhood and even now a new office building for our ministry. But I am still trying to find my place – my location on the map of this organization. I think I need to rediscover a little more of what it means to love.

Obedience alone is not enough. Following the call out of trust even isn’t enough. Staying the call out of perseverance is not the way. Love is what is required. With all my heart, all my mind, and all my soul.

I can’t make a love like this, but I can posture my heart and life to receive it and be a conduit. I can receive the graceful love of my heavenly Father, every day learning a little more what it looks like to be a true son. I can extend loving ways and behaviors to those around me – assume and presume less, withhold judgments, and truly believe the best. ‘There is no victory without hearts of purity.’

People are ultimately the best objects of love. We can love things, ideas, callings/vocations/jobs, places, etc. But that love will always really be one-sided. When you love people, that love takes on life, sows seeds, breaks chains, changes the world.

Let love be without hypocrisy.

I don't want to be an actress

2009-09-04T13:36:00.002-04:00

The other night as we were putting Abby and David to sleep, Abby was just being so loud and dramatic. She was singing at the top of her lungs, dancing, jumping, and making HUGE body gestures. She was being so crazy, I almost couldn't take it anymore :)

I said to her, "Abby, you are totally going to be an actress when you grow up." She looked at me and said, " Well, Mom, I don't want to act like anything - I just want to be what God made me to be."

Oh...the wisdom from the faith of a child. For some reason, all of her craziness didn't seem to bother me anymore because that's who Abby is...A beautiful creation from a loving God.

Inflation at a lemonade stand

2009-08-24T11:45:00.003-04:00

Just 2 nights ago we met up with friends from Kentucky here in Boston. We were just walking back to our car after getting some ice cream. As we were walking there was a 10 year old boy selling lemonade on the sidewalk. Well...I have a weakness for little children and their lemonade stands...I just can not walk by it without having a guilty conscience. Yes, it is a weakness.

So I pulled out a dollar and told him that we wanted two lemonades. And he responded, "Well, that will be another dollar..."

ANOTHER DOLLAR. He didn't even have lemons in his instant lemonade, and they were small cups!

I guess the higher prices in Boston even go as far as a little kids lemonade stand... has our economy gotten THAT bad? No, I don't think so. I just ran into a very business savvy 10 year old :)

Well...he ended up giving me "2 for the price of one"
Maybe next time I won't feel as guilty walking by without buying?

PROBABLY NOT :)

BACK UP and RUNNING...

2009-08-24T11:08:00.006-04:00

Sorry, everyone, for the long delay on any updates. We are now back up and running. I plan on updating at least once a week now...so check back often.

Well...where to start?

Ministry
We have had a VERY busy summer here in Boston, and Lord has been so good to us and our ministry. Over the past 3 months we have seen over 1600 people give their lives to Jesus here in the Boston area..."the fields are white..." I can not express in words how humbling it is to be able to see peoples lives change from despair to hope and from depression to LIFE.

We are about to send out our newsletter. In it I have written a story about one woman I talked to and how the love and power of Jesus has changed her life...please read it when you get it.

I have put up a picture of the team Matt and I led as we went out to the Boston area to share about Jesus.

Family
We are beginning to settle in to our new home now. There are soooooo many things in this area that are so different, but we are all adjusting and blessed to be able to live in an area of the US that impacts the entire world.

Abby is beginning to learn to read. She is just so beautiful. David wants to do everything that Abby does, but he is also SUCH a boy. He has taken on jumping on everything. I might even try to post a video of him.

So...just a little note to let you know we are still here and things are going well but very fast and very busy.

We're Here and David's Birthday

2009-06-02T19:15:00.007-04:00

We have made it to Boston and we are settling in. Thank you to all of you who came to help us load the truck in PA. We will miss you. We have moved in to one side of a duplex. It is very nice. It has higher ceilings compared to our other homes and all wood floors...I never noticed how loud my children were until we moved into this place :) Needless to say...we really like it here, and we are so blessed to be working with people who impact the world for Jesus. Most of the Boston team are in the UK right now...feel free to check out their blog.

http://encountertour2009.blogspot.com/

On Saturday, in the mist of moving in, we celebrated David's second birthday. We have a tradition of decorating the house with balloons and streamers after the kids go to bed the night before, and Sarah will make a "themed" cake. Then we wake the kids up with birthday music and dance to music in the morning. Because Abby is older now, I think she was waaaaaaaaay more excited about David's birthday than he was, because she knows what happens. She tried waking us up at six to go down stairs to celebrate. The theme this year was Thomas Trains, because David loves trains. Here's a picture of the cake. Yes...for those of you that know me and know I am not very "domestic", I do sometimes surprise myself :)

We had a wonderful time and David is so cute and so much fun. He brings so much joy and excitement to our home. We love you David xoxoxoxoxoxo

2009-05-19T11:38:00.003-04:00

It’s time to move!

We’re packing up! We’ll be loading our moving truck on Friday and driving to Boston this weekend to begin our new adventure serving on staff with YWAM Boston. Things are happening fast!

We’ve had a great time visiting with a lot of you these past couple of months and have visited some wonderful churches. Thank you for all of your support as we venture out into the ‘unknown’ – knowing that the God revealed and known to us through Jesus Christ is guiding and providing.

Abby and David are doing well and growing up fast. Abby graduates from pre-school this Thursday and David turns two on May 30. He’s a handful!

Places to check out:

www.ywamboston.org – the official website of the ministry we will be working with. You can read more about the work they have been doing, what we will be doing in Boston, and donate online!

www.encountertour2009.blogspot.com. A few weeks ago Matt spent the week in Boston helping the DTS Team put the final touches on YWAM Boston’s first original stage production, Encounter. It uses music, dance, multimedia and drama to tell the Gospel story. It’s very cool and very powerful, and it’s the type of thing we are most excited to work with in the years to come. They are currently on a 6 week tour in the United Kingdom. You can follow their adventures at this site.

Generacion Josue 2009

2009-04-16T18:22:00.002-04:00

Here is a highlight video of the youth camp/outreach we were a part of in Peru.

maundy thursday communion

2009-04-09T22:17:00.002-04:00

we had communion together today at the pittsburgh base. it's not something that we do very often (hard enough to get everyone in the same country at the same time, let alone the same room), and it was special enough just to be together Remembering as we descend to Good Friday and rise to Easter.

We took a few moments in the midst of it all to let God speak, and of course He did. Or at least He did to me. Two things really....1. I felt a great sense of joy to be in the room with Jesus and the other 30 or so people. We weren't much to look at on the outside (especially since we were in the middle of spring cleaning day), but on the inside I saw a very special group, willing to lay down their lives in usually unglamorous settings that require dedication and faithfulness. And I thought how great it was that there were at least 30 people (and a lot more in the world) willing to work as missionaries to spread the Easter message to people who've never celebrated it.

2. God told me i was not crazy:). Sometimes i can feel crazy trying to be faithful to a call that is culturally not normal. We've been in transition now for a long while, our GPS is set on Boston, but we are not there yet. And there have been days of discouragement. But God reminded me that we are not crazy for following the call of a good God, and that it is an honor to serve Him. And my difficulties are very minor in comparison to that of others, and especially of what Jesus suffered. It is worth it...it is not cliche to say 'He is worthy.'

matt

we're moving to Boston!

2009-04-09T10:17:00.001-04:00

Some of you already know, but in case you haven't heard, we're moving again!

We'll be moving sometime in May to work on staff with Youth With A Mission (YWAM) in Boston. They have a great base there that focuses on Creative Arts in Worship as a vehicle for discipleship training and evangelism. They reach out locally in Boston and also are focused on taking teams to the nations.

We're really excited to become part of their community, and are amazed at the opportunity before us. Boston is a wonderful and historical city, but is also very much in need of a fresh presentation of the Gospel. It is one of the least churched areas of the country - some say as low as 5%. It is also an entry point for many first generation immigrants, as well as being home to 250,000 college and university (Harvard, MIT, Boston Univ, etc) students each year - 42,000 of these being international. So it is a great place to reach out and influence the world, but also to train missionaries and then take them out to the world.

Most importantly, we can feel the gentle but confident hand of our heavenly Father guiding us each step of the way. We want to do this because the call of God is good - and this is where He is calling us. He is faithful and totally good, and we can look backward and see that He has been preparing us for this for a long time.

Would you consider joining our monthly support team? You can check it all out at www.ywamboston.org, and even donate online to help us make the move.

Trip to Wilmore

2009-04-08T14:44:00.005-04:00

Here are some pics of our trip back "home" to Wilmore. We had a great time. We stayed with Jonathon and Anna Marie, Isaac, and Kayla. It was sooooo much fun. We loved seeing everyone.

outreach highlight video

2009-03-12T13:21:00.000-04:00

hey everyone...here is the official YWAM Pittsburgh highlight video of our outreach trip to Brazil and Peru. Have fun!

Everly

2009-02-21T17:03:00.000-05:00

Well...here is one story of many from our trip. On the very left of this picture is a young man named Everly. Everly was part of the group of 20 boys that Ken, Anita and I talked to in the poor, sandy neighborhood in Lima. Here is his story.... Everly's story with Jesus started a few years ago when his mother died in his arms. When this happened, he told God he would never forgive him for this. Well, also in his life Everly's grandma was very abusive towards him and his father was a working criminal. About 2 weeks before we came to his neighborhood he was visited by a person who was part of a "Spiritus" religion. Everly felt do depressed and hopeless he said he was willing to listen to anything. Then our group came... Everly said he was so confused that when we came and Ken spoke to him about Jesus, his confusion went away and God touched his heart. Everly then came to our "Joshua Generation" camp. During this time, Everly sat through a teaching on forgiveness and some consequences in our lives from unforgiveness. This teaching changed Everly, he asked God to forgive him from turning from him when his mother died. After that, he began to work through forgiving the family members that hurt him. He called his father, and they have started a new relationship together.
Everly's life has been completely transformed because of the love of Jesus.

So...when we open our mouths to preach the gospel, we release the glory of God. The Glory of God is now made evident in Everly's life.

We're HOME!

2009-02-11T13:44:00.000-05:00

Hello Everyone!

Just to let you know, we are back in Pittsburgh...safe, happy, and healthy. We got back to our house about 5:30 pm Monday. And for those of you who did not hear...we had a little mouse problem while we were gone...aaarrrggg (welcome back to western pa :) So far Matt has caught about 12 mice, (he calls it a massacre)and I am sure there will be more. Just a little side note - I was in South America on the mission field and I never saw a mouse in any of the houses I stayed in.

So we have some wonderful news. From the 9 weeks we were gone we are so blessed to let you know that over 5,000 people prayed with our team to dedicate their lives to Jesus. We worked with approximately 20 churches who are now in the process of following up with these people, getting them bibles, transportation, and discipleship. Some of our team members also stayed back to aid the churches in follow-up.

We have some wonderful individual stories of some of the people we talked to and how Jesus has changed their lives. Tomorrow (or the next day) I want to post their stories. Because it was from your giving that made these stories possible...

We love you all

catch up

2009-02-03T09:47:00.000-05:00

hey friends...been real busy lately, but wanted to give some highlights. we are currently working with Joshua Generation in Peru. We are serving as staff for the Peruvian youth that have been trained and are now performing on the streets and sharing Jesus. They are an amazing bunch.

we have about 6 days left...and that is probably a good thing. :) it will be good to get home and get some rest. we get home on monday feb 9th.

some other random highlights...got to watch the super bowl at a big sports bar in lima...it was listed on the pittsburgh post gazette website as an official steeler WORLD spot...so we went to check it out and had a great time. david got his first peruvian hair cut yesterday..and he hated every minute of it. hair everywhere! and both david and abby continue to speak more spanish...david loves to say agua!

we are healthy and doing well...thanks for all the prayers, but keep them coming! we need prayer!

love you all and see you soon!
matt (not the usual poster to this blog! sorry for any lack of quality that you may be previously used to! sarah will be back soon!)

Power of Jesus

2009-01-22T10:20:00.000-05:00

Dear Friends,
It has been a busy but wonderful time of ministry here in Lima,Peru. Last night we started our 18 day "camp" for Peruvian youth called "Joshua Generation". Youth from all over the city have come to learn more about their faith and then go out and do ministry in their city. Some good news about this...last week we were in a very poor area of the city. First we climbed up a mountain of sand and then knocked on doors to some houses that were just square blocks made of bricks. Some of the houses had a full roof...some did not. We performed and hundreds came out to watch. After we began to talk to them. I was with my friend Ken and we talked to about 20 young men. I was amazed! Once Ken began to talk about sin and how it separates us from God and the consequences that happen when we sin, you could hear a pin drop with these boys. We shared with them about the free gift of salvation through Jesus and they all wanted to pray to accept Jesus into their lives. We then asked them if any of them go to church and they said that they really wanted to go to church but they had no way to get there (no car and no money to pay for a bus). The church we were working with brought a bus back to that area the next day and picked up those boys to bring them to church. Two of those young men have come to join us at "Joshua Generation", YAY! Yesterday our group went back to that place to give them food and other groceries since many of them do not have very much.

So far we have talked to over 2,250 people with about 1,000 praying to accept Jesus as their Savior. I am forever humbled because it really has nothing to do with what we do...we can have a good performance or a bad performance. We can talk like an amazing charismatic speaker or fumble around with our words. It really has nothing to do with us. It is the power of Jesus working in the lives and hearts of these people that we talk to. Many of them tell us "I never come to this park/place, but today I came and now I know that I was sent here by God so I could meet and talk to you."

Friends, if you are struggling in knowing more about Jesus or do not know him, the same spirit that has been working here can come alive in your life too. Our relationship with God transcends bad relationships with Christians or bad teachings at churches...He brings self-worth, value, and LIFE.

Street Children

2009-01-14T13:23:00.000-05:00

Sorry...no pictures yet. But some great updates. First, we met up with a Catholic group who went out to give presents to street kids and then we talked to the families about Jesus. We had a great time working with them. And yesterday, after our time on the streets, the street kids followed us back to the church. The church was so happy, because now the kids are going to come back again today, and hopefully for a long time to come.

We are in Peru

2009-01-07T22:56:00.000-05:00

After 2 long days of travel - one by bus, one by plane - we have made it to Peru. We do have more internet access here, so I hope to post more from our trip. When I have some down time I will try to post some more pics of Brazil - and some from Peru.

Just a note - Abby was sooo cute today. We were at a park doing outreach and there were many kids. Abby thought they needed some "prizes" so she found a stamp that she got and lined them up to give them a stamp on their hands. The cutest thing about it was that no one was translating for her - she just did it on her own. She also let a little street girl her age sit in her stroller to watch our show and then later gave that street girl a balloon that Abby had received from someone else. She makes our heart very happy.

Outreach in Sao Paulo

2008-12-29T17:24:00.000-05:00

Our ministry times have been wonderful. There are many stories and many lives are being changed.

Saturday we performed at a park/shopping area in front of a church. I talked to a family who watched our performance and they said they go to church and pray some times. I talked to them for a while about their relationship with Jesus and we prayed together. They said that they see Christians in that area all the time but the Christians usually only pass out some sort of tract, no one has ever performed for them and then talked to them about Jesus. They were so thankful to me, and they said they felt different after we prayed because God was working in their hearts.

Sunday we did outreach by a market/park. The church we work with does outreach like that every Sunday morning and then they have regular church service in the evening. I had a wonderful time at church last night. It reminded me of our church in Kentucky back when we were in the tabernacle at the campground. The building was the same, the kids danced with dancers in the front, and at the end we went up to minister to the people and MANY came up to the altar. We had people waiting in line to pray!! Also, during the ministry time, they released the children from children’s church (because the service went too long) and the kids were running around. JUST LIKE GCF. It was the greatest. It brought back so many wonderful memories.

It is such a pleasure to be here and we are so honored to be working with such beautiful people.

Merry Christmas

2008-12-29T17:19:00.000-05:00

We have just celebrated our first Christmas away from home in Sao Paulo, Brazil. It is very hot so no snow and no Christmas trees. Also, even though the food is really good, it is not Grandma’s Christmas cooking. So…we miss our family and our traditions, but we were able to make a Christmas here. I just remind myself that Jesus left His home too. We plugged the ipod into the Peavey’s we use for outreach to play Christmas music, bought some lights to decorate the house we are staying in, and wrapped some presents for the kids. Our friend, Aaron, made a Christmas tree for us. We have a picture of the kids under the Christmas tree 

Oh…and Abby even got a Christmas dress she picked out to wear to church. Being that it is so hot, it was a pink sundress.

We had some wonderful ministry on Christmas Eve. We went to a shopping area and talked to people sitting around. We talked to a girl waiting for her sister, and she said that she just prayed to God that if He would help her, she would start going to church – and she said that God must have sent us to her – so we talked to her about Jesus’ love and how Jesus longs for a relationship with us more than just going to church, and she accepted Jesus. As we were talking to her, her sister (I think step-sister) came and was listening, but tried to look like she really wasn’t listening. After we finished talking to her sister, I asked her what she thought, and she began to talk about how she used to hate listening to Christian songs but lately every time she hears one, she begins to cry. So I asked her if she wanted to pray for a relationship with Jesus and she told me she does, but not today, she will do it sometime before she begins to travel. I then asked her when that would be, and said it sounded like Jesus has already been pursuing her and He wants her life now, not later. She then began to cry and we talked some more about her life and we prayed together and she gave her life to Jesus.

One of my favorite people in the whole world, Debi Tunney, told us this, and I am beginning to believe it… “If your hearts desire is to lead people in to a relationship with Jesus, then Jesus will move Heaven and Hell to get those people to you.”

Day Off

2008-12-29T16:56:00.000-05:00

Sorry it has been so long since I blogged. We have not had much internet access in this area.

Here is the high light of our last day in Rio –

These pictures are from our day off last Monday in Rio. We spent most of the day at the beach. It was beautiful!! The kids had their usually routine at the beach – lots of sun block, cheetos, and orange pop. We had a wonderful time. This was the first time Abby actually put her feet in the ocean water without crying, and David got to drink from an actual coconut.

Needless to say…we usually have very long days doing outreach and it was nice to take a day off and spend time together as a family.

Brazil continued...

2008-12-19T19:17:00.000-05:00

We are having a wonderful time. We are talking to many people and there are some remarkable stories from just the last few days.

We went to a church that was created for CHILDREN. The church specifically focuses their entire service to reach the poorest of the poor children in their community. The pastor was crazy. He needs his own TV show. We were going to put on a performance for them, but they ended up putting on a performance for us, and the pastor made sure we joined in on the fun. It turned into a 15 minute karaoke/dance party. I put a picture up for now...I'll put a video up later. Abby and David love to go to do performances and talk with people. David especially has been quite the "star" here because of his big blue eyes and smile.
Abby has some wonderful friends here. The two boys in the picture are Vinny and David - they are brothers of one of our interpreters.

The church had baptisms for about 30 people, but when it came time to drain the pool, the water overflowed from the drain so some of the pictures are of us cleaning up the water from the pool in the church...David helped too.

There have been many wonderful stories from our time here and I can not type them all, but God is transforming many peoples lives and we are just amazed to be used by Him to see it happen.

Highlights from Brazil

2008-12-14T20:41:00.000-05:00

Here are some wonderful highlights from Rio so far...

Went to a neighborhood to do dances and dramas - there was a moving truck full of furniture in the spot we had planned to perform in. We helped the people unload their truck so it could be moved for our dances. Many people came out, especially to see the "Americans" unloading a truck. We had a great time and many people gave their lives to Jesus.

Coffee is "Muito Bem" or very good. And the Food is AMAZING.

We are staying with a Brazilian family. They are very nice and very sweet. But they know about as much English as we know Portuguese. I have some great stories about some of the talks we have had together - however, some would not be appropriate for blogging. Just ask us when we return.

We went out to perform, but it started raining so we decided to talk to people stranded under tarps at the local sidewalk bazaar. My group talked to a little girl who got so excited she took us to her older sister and insisted that we tell the story of Jesus to her. The older sister accepted Jesus as her savior. Halleluia! All because of a little obedience and a little girl.

The children I work with giggle all the time, and always ask me to say their name. I thought it was because they liked me, but I have come to find out they just want me to talk because they think my accent is funny. Hey, if my funny accent attracts more people to hear about Jesus, I can accept them laughing at me.

That is it for now. We love you.

We're HERE!

2008-12-13T21:26:00.000-05:00

For everyone who has been wondering...
We have made it to Brazil. We did have a slight glitch (which really turned out to be a blessing)- we missed our flight from Atlanta to Rio on Wednesday because our flight before arrived late. So...I called my cousin Greg at 10 pm, who lives in Atlanta, and asked if we could crash at his house since the next flight to Bra zil did not leave until 8:40 the next day. It was the best thing that could have happened to us. We had such great time with Greg, Susan and Garrick. We had such a good time I was actua

lly hoping they would overbook the flight so we could spend another day with them. The pictures are the kids in the guestroom bathtub. Greg said it took an act of God (meaning bad weather to delay our plane) to get anyone in the family to visit him. Well...Matt and I are in the "God Business" so it just seems right that we would be the ones chosen :) to be able to visit.

So we flew overnight on Thursday, the kids did great on that flight - Abby LOVES to travel - you should see her pulling her princess backpack on wheels through the airport - very cute.

And now we are in Rio. We had a full day of outreach and Jesus is doing wonderful things. We have a bed to sleep in, a shower with warm water, GREAT FOOD, and many beautiful Brazilians helping us. I hope to write more later.

PLEASE...IF YOU READ THIS BLOG, WILL YOU MAKE SURE OUR FAMILIES KNOW WE ARE DOING GREAT. THANKS

Bathing in the Sink

2008-12-02T22:18:00.000-05:00

We are just about a week from going on outreach to Brazil and Peru. What a privilege it is to be the hands and feet of Jesus to those who are lost and hurting in this world. Please pray for us in these last days of preparation - for calmness, joy, energy, and for our monetary provision. When I think of outreach, I do think of some of the things that will not be normal (aka...the language, our sleeping arrangements, heat instead of snow on Christmas, etc...) but then when I look back on things from my life that were not so called "normal" I have so many wonderful memories. For instance...when I was little, my Grandma only had a shower, not a bath tub, and so instead of putting me in the shower which they knew I would hate, they gave me a bath in the sink :) After that...I always would prefer getting cleaned in grandma's sink more than getting in my own bathtub at home. I got to share this experience with David in New York. There were no bathtubs...so I used the next best thing...a sink. It was fun and some girl's got some photos of it. So as we are preparing to leave, I look forward to some of this "not so normal" stuff and the memories/impact it will have on me, my children, and those who Jesus is preparing to come into His Kingdom. Because...as I am coming to a greater realization...nothing in Christ's Kingdom is anything close to what our world views as "normal". And it is the "not-so-normal" things that, many times, make the most impact.

Relaxing and not so relaxing days with the family

2008-11-15T11:32:00.000-05:00

We have just returned from a week in Long Island New York (which is about an hour away from the city) for a YWAM conference. Before we came home, we all went into the city for the day. The first time I ever went to NYC was when I was 16. Abby and David got to experience it early. We saw the Statue of Liberty riding the Staten Island Ferry, rode the subway, walked through China town, saw Times Square, and ate some NYC pizza...yum.

We had a wonderful time. Abby loved the city, David loved the subway. However, I would not suggest taking your children to the city for a relaxing day. But...it was a great experience for us - and cheap too - the only thing we paid for was the subway and pizza. It was a lot of fun and an experience I will not forget.

So...we are home now, and lying around in our PJs having a relaxing day recovering from our day in the city and drive home.

Any day with my family, relaxing or not, is a blessing.

Pictures of Abby's princess Birthday

2008-10-07T14:02:00.000-04:00

Here are some pics from Abby's birthday. It had a princess theme. And...Yes...I made the cake!

There's something about shoes...

2008-09-30T19:43:00.000-04:00

We just returned from a wonderful weekend worshiping with our dear friends of the Olivet United Methodist Church. Matt has been going to this retreat for four years now and this was the first time I was able to go with him. We had a great time. We dropped the kiddos off at my parent's house and had a nice weekend - just us - together. Once we returned home, the kids did not want to leave grandma's house...go figure.

Well...about the picture...Abby loves going to the YWAM base. She has about 20 older "brothers" and "sisters" to spoil her. Each person does their own special "thing" with her. So...if there is anything that Abby wants, she knows exactly the right person to go to to get it. If she wants her nails done, she knows who will do it for her. If she wants gum, she knows who has the gum. It is the same with shoes. Abby LOVES wearing "big girl" shoes. AND now... she pretty much has countless "big girl" shoes to choose from. Doesn't she look all grown-up?

What a week!

2008-09-22T20:35:00.000-04:00

We have been so busy trying to settle in to our new life. Some days are better than others. We are still trying to work out a good schedule for our family. Abby is still trying to decide if she really wants to go to school. David is walking (and falling) everywhere! He is so proud of himself. I have to say that our first week of school has made us pretty tired, but we are being challenged and drawing closer to Jesus everyday. Personally, I have been learning a great deal about Relationships, Sin, Forgiveness, and Encouragement. Also...we just celebrated Abby's 4th birthday. She was sooooo cute. We decorated the YWAM base dining area with pink balloons, streamers, and everything princess. Once I get the pictures downloaded, I will post some. Well, that's it for now. We love you all.

Also...YAY! We just got our internet today. Be looking for more posts now that we are "hooked-up"

Just a note

2008-09-09T18:49:00.000-04:00

Hey, Everyone! We are in PA now, and we are starting our YWAM school tomorrow. We are very excited to see what the Lord is going to do through this experience. A BIG thanks goes out to all those in Wilmore who came to help us move...we did it in 2 hours...amazing. You will all be missed so badly. As far as moving in, we had a group of YWAMers join us to unpack, and now we are still in the process of trying to make this new house a "home". Last night Matt was in the bathroom and he had a visit from a little, gray, four footed creature (welcome to Western PA)...yes a mouse. I have not had to deal with mice being in my house for 8 years now! I am just glad it was Matt and not me :)

We are in the process of getting internet and better phone service at our new house, so for now, blogging will be very limited until it is set up.

Many "1st's"

2008-08-26T09:43:00.000-04:00

Dear Friends,
We are in the midsts of some very busy and crazy times as a family, and it is only by the grace of God that we seem to be doing fine (most of the time). Sometimes I just wish the whole world would stop just so I can get caught up on everything that is going on. I am so sorry for not blogging as much, I will try to do better. This seems to be the season of many "1st's". For instance, just this past week David got his 1st haircut. He looks soooo grown up. Then, just last night, while we were visiting with the Harper's, he stood up and started walking without any help. Of course...we did not have our camera. Once I get it recorder, I will post it for all to see.

As far as other "firsts"... this is the 1st time we are trying to move with children. This is the first, and hopefully last, time that Sarah chose the place for the family to live without Matt even seeing a picture of our new place.

YES...we have found a place to live! We are so thankful and we want to thank everyone that helped us. We are packing the loading truck this Saturday, driving to PA on Sunday, and unpacking on Monday. If you are in Wilmore on Saturday and would like to help...come on over. If you are in Pennsylvania on Monday...we need ya! We love you all so much.

When you're driving yourself in circles

2008-07-28T10:30:00.000-04:00

Lately I feel like our lives have been pretty much like this video. We get so excited about something, but when we try doing it on our own or without any help we just find ourselves driving around in circles. I love this, because Abby was trying to drive her first bumper car but kept going in circles. All of us just kept yelling out at her to stop turning the wheel or we just laughed. How many times do we do that in our walk with other people. We just yell at them from a distance or laugh/talk among ourselves about what they are doing. The redeeming part of this video is when Matt actually moved close to Abby to explain to her how she can stop "driving around in circles". When Abby listened she stopped going around in circles and got to enjoy her ride. This video is symbolic to me because that is what Jesus does for us. He sees us driving in circles and comes down close to us to show us how we can "enjoy the ride". We just have to listen to Him.

Trip to see Joe and Jean

2008-07-20T17:57:00.000-04:00

I am just full of joy right now because we have just got back from a trip to Tennessee to see our very best friends, Jean and Joe. We had such a wonderful time. We got to introduce them to David and Abby got to know them better. When we left yesterday, I asked Abby what she liked most about Joe and Jean and she said, "I liked it when they sang to me."

Most of the time we just sat and talked just like we would do in the "old days" during college. Ohhhh...it was so wonderful. The only thing that was missing was Amy and Jon :(

You know there are people in your life that the Lord puts in your path that will always be your "kindred spirit" (excuse me for quoting Anne of Green Gables) no matter how far away you live from each other or how many times you see them they are always so dear to your heart. Jean and Joe are those friends to us. They encourage us, challenge us, laugh with us, and love us.

We love you, Jean and Joe and Thanks for the great visit!!

Sarah is learning to sew

2008-07-16T22:37:00.000-04:00

Ok, Everyone
Here it is. I really can not believe it myself! The reason I haven't been blogging so much is because I have been teaching myself a new trade...sewing...Yes...that's right, sewing. I can just hear people in my family laughing right now. Yes I can be domestic (or at least try to be sometimes)

So I tried to make a ballerina outfit for Abby and here are the pictures of the result. I am pretty proud of it myself. Then, since I finished that, I decided to try to make a dress for myself and so I also posted it. ***A little note***I used an old pillow cover for the liner of the dress. I just did not want to go back to Walmart again. Matt said, "you know you're a missionary when your wife begins sewing clothes out of old pillow shams."

Daddy's Little Girl!

2008-07-10T23:17:00.000-04:00

I just had to post this picture because I love it so much. It pretty much shows what our life is like here. Abby just adores her Daddy. He just seems to be able to do things for her that I (Sarah) can not do. I love seeing them together - they challenge each other, they make each other laugh, they play crazy games together, AND...they are just too cute!

Our Idlewild Trip

2008-07-05T07:10:00.001-04:00

This is our annual family trip to Idlewild Park. If you would like to see bigger pictures, just click on the pictures and it will give you a larger version. We always have such a good time at this amusement park. It really is the greatest place to take your little ones. We hope you enjoy!

The Dancing Princess

2008-07-04T22:51:00.000-04:00

One of Abigail's most favorite movies is "Barbie and the 12 Dancing Princess's" I have to say, as a Mom/Girl...I really like it too. It is full of beautiful music, dancing ballerinas, a handsome prince...I mean what little girl wouldn't love it? The story is also about a father who loves his girls very much and they love him, so when he falls sick there is a part where they sing to him to make him feel better. I love that. How many times would Our Heavenly Father just love for us to stop everything to sing and dance for Him...just because He delights in us. This is one of the things I love to see in Abby. She dances and sings without any inhibitions and Matt and I am so delighted in her. What wonderful lessons we can learn from our children.

P.S. I am looking for cute tutu/ballerina dresses like this for Abby. The one she has on belongs to her friend Jesse. The outfits are waaaaaayyy expensive. I am even thinking about sewing one myself and the only thing I've ever sewed was an apron and a pillow in high school home ec class...PLEASE help! If you have any in your attic sitting around or would be willing to make her one :) it would get lots of good use.

Happy Fourth of July!!!

2008-07-04T17:42:00.001-04:00

Just a quick note to say, "Happy 4th!" We spent the day celebrating at the Wilmore 4th celebration at the campground, then we came home and Abby and Mommy baked a 4th of July cake. This cake is also a birthday cake for Aunt Cathy...HAPPY BIRTHDAY, AUNT CATHY...we hope you don't mind, but we are taking your cake to another party to eat it since you are so far away! We love you!

David's 1st Birthday

2008-07-03T13:11:00.000-04:00

So......for those of you who missed it, or for those who were there...
Here are some pictures of from David's 1st Birthday and Party. A few notes...We have a family tradition where Matt and Sarah decorate the house with streamers, balloons, gifts, etc... the night before, then we wake the kids up with birthday party music to dance to.

Also...the party was a Sesame street theme. Sarah made a cake with Elmo's face and the kids played games with sesame street themes like "Ernie's Lucky Rubber Ducky"and "Pin the Nose onElmo" - they also painted styrofoam balls to use to for a nose to stick on . Fun was had by all - Even the adults got to help turn the ice cream maker for homemade ice cream.

Just a note...it seems as though I have been posting more stuff of David than Abby - I will post about her tomorrow.

Pulling ourselves up!

2008-07-02T16:08:00.000-04:00

Here is the picture of the previous post in LIVE action. ENJOY!

And so it begins...

2008-07-02T14:10:00.000-04:00

Hello, Everyone! We have started a blog. I really can not believe it :) We hope you enjoy all the postings and hopefully this will help us keep you up to date on what is going on in the Rapach "roost".

The picture is of little David just beginning to learn to pull himself up to stand. That's how I kind of feel trying to figure out this program. Hopefully David and I will begin "walking" soon.