NOW... WAIT...

These are two words that sum up life around here as of late.  Caileigh, wants everything NOW!  "Mommy, I need this, Mommy, I want that, Mommy, NOW NOW NOW!!!  Emma, can't say now, she can barely say MaMa, but her cries and whines translate just the same.  Daddy and Mommy say, "Wait, please (most of the time) be patient, not now, I'm trying to hurry, etc."  Our response is not typically taken very well, therefore most episodes end up in time out thinking about our attitude etc.

A recent episode (this morning) had me thinking about how I am just like my girls - or maybe they are just like their mama...?  We want everything NOW, but are being told to WAIT, to be patient.  I want Emma's medical records from Carrollton NOW, so she can see an ENT, so we can fix her ears NOW and stop having ear infections NOW.  I want people to call back NOW, so we can decide to move to a particular home.  I want our support to be in NOW, so Stephen can start working, so our life can have some "routine," so we can have a reliable budget, so I can make plans NOW... You get the picture - I'm whinny.

After taking my "time-out,"  I see how I am unable to WAIT on God, to trust Him wholeheartedly.  I spent some time in the Word as I was convicted of my whinny, impatient heart attitude.  I also did a word study on the word; WAIT - hope, expect, look eagerly, trust, wait expectantly, wait in hope, to be dumb, grow silent, be still, rest... The last three definitions are hard for me to swallow; grow silent, be still, rest... That goes against every sinful nature of my being.  I like to keep busy, I like to do things, go places etc.  I don't want to rest.  I don't want to have to wait on others.  I want to control the situation.

Please pray that we would WAIT on the Lord, trusting in His timing and His goodness, and in the meantime be content with God's provision and timing.

God DOES Answer Prayer!

Tuesday evening we had a Dessert and Coffee Fellowship at John and Laura's (my sister) house.  They invited several friends and we were able to get to know them and share what God has called us to with Hope for Augusta.  It was a great time of fellowship and encouraging!

Stephen and I went to a meeting last night (Thursday) for all the New Town staff/volunteers.  New Town is the Bible Study that all are welcome to (they have ages 2 - 18)!  Kids come to play, sing, eat, hear the Word of God, build relationships with their group leaders and others and hopefully get plugged into After-school tutoring, mentorship programs etc.  This year they will be learning the Westminister Shorter Catechism!  We are excited about this as we can go and minister as a a whole family- something we have certainly been praying for!  I (Amy) and 3 other college-graduate girls will be leading the group of children 1st grade and under.  Caileigh and Emma will be a part of this group too.  Stephen will be with the 5th grade guys.  The first meeting with kids will be this coming Thursday at 6 pm!  Please pray for the New Town staff and volunteers and for the neighborhood kids who will be attending!  

We are still raising support.  Some days it seems very slow and can be very frustrating and discouraging.  We trust that this is part of the process of building a team of people who will earnestly pray for us and will support us financially so we can begin working with Hope For Augusta.  Days like Tuesday and Thursday of this week and last Friday are the days we see and understand how God has designed and uses the body of Christ!  These days help to get us through the hard times of this journey.

Last Friday, we feared Caileigh had strep; fever, red/sore throat with white bumps.  Thankfully it appears to have just been a virus.  We had not found a doctor at that point.  We contacted some neighbors and friends here with young children.  They recommended Christ Community Clinic which provides health services to the insured and uninsured alike in this community.  The problem is they are extremely busy and hard to get in to as there is such a need down here so our friends called the doctor personally and we were able to get in.  We enjoyed meeting and talking with Dr. Campbell.  He shared his vision for the community and was so excited to hear how we are a part of Hope for Augusta.  In conversation, he shared how he had prayed with a man named Brad over 8 years ago for a ministry like Hope for Augusta that would include a clinic and how exciting it was to see prayers being answered!  Turns out, Brad was my youth pastor when my family and I lived in Orlando, FL!  Brad had a significant impact on my life during a time when I was struggling to adjust to a new culture, church, friends, school and most importantly spiritually.  Being a part of his youth group grew me in my walk with Christ and I also developed some deep friendships with godly youth my age in the group, whom many of which I still remain in contact with!

Brad and his family are now back in Orlando.  I contacted him, sharing how God had brought Stephen and I to Augusta and in particular to Hope for Augusta.  Tuesday, I heard back from him.  In his message he wrote, "Sometimes God has a plan that includes us doing something and sometimes He just uses us to plant and brings along others to nurture and grow." How true that is!  Being a part of this vision that Brad and others had over 8 years ago is exciting, but being a part of an intricately woven plan that God has is even more exciting!  Why do we even begin to doubt that God will provide?  HE TRULY DOES ANSWER PRAYER!

Please do keep us in prayer as we seek to find a more permanent housing situation.  We feel extremely blessed to be here in the Mission House but long to be settled in our own home with our own furniture.  We have been continually reminded this summer that this(Carrollton/Augusta) is not our home, we eagarly await our home in heaven!  Laura Story's song, "Blessings" has helped to put this into perspective!  Please also pray that our support would continue to come in.  It is hard to be patient and with that I ask that you would pray for us to be patient!  That we would trust in his timing!

Enjoying our new town

We have been getting acquainted with our new town and all it has to offer.  Most evenings after dinner we have enjoyed walking along the Savannah River.  The Riverwalk is about 3 blocks from where we live. There is a playground that the girls enjoy as well.

Girls on the Riverwalk - Behind them is the Savannah River and South Carolina.

The girls and I enjoyed going to the Farmer's Market Saturday morning with Aunt Laura.  The Market was located in front of the Riverwalk.  Stephen went over to John and Laura's and played some football and golf on the Playstation. Us girls made lunch at our place and then the guys joined us for food. :-)  We are enjoying being close to John and Laura!

Sunday, John and Laura were two of Caileigh's Sunday School teachers - she loved that!  Stephen and I went to the Young Married Sunday School class and met a lot of other couples.  We will enjoy getting to know other young couples in our new church!  The nursery workers seem to enjoy Emma despite their many comments both at the morning and evening services of how active, yet happy she is. She has become quite the climber!  We went to the mall Saturday to check it out, walk around and let the girls play on the the playground there.  Caileigh was timid about climbing on the climbing structures wanting us to help her - while Emma quickly scaled them with no fear and no assistance!  The girls really do enjoy playing together!  What one does, the other has to too!

Monday and Wednesday, Stephen spent most of the day planning for Hope for Augusta with his boss, Rick and co-worker, Bryn.  They are really excited about the plans for the year!  We are praying that support will quickly come in so Stephen, Rick and Bryn can really start putting these plans into action!

Tuesday, Caileigh and I went to the Pre-school Story Time at the Downtown Library.  Emma stayed home and napped while Stephen worked on support and making new contacts.  Caileigh was shy but seemed to enjoy it.  We miss Ms. Teresa, our beloved Story time lady in Carrollton!  Caileigh and one other little boy were the only two preschoolers.  A local private school brought their Kindergarten and First graders to the Story time. I think that was a bit overwhelming to Caileigh.  I didn't like it as much as their Baby Story Time on Wednesdays, but we will keep trying.  In September, First Pres is starting a MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers) group the 1st and 3rd Tuesday so I think we will try that as well.  They have a curriculum for the children that I think Caileigh and Emma will enjoy.

Tuesday evening, we went over to John and Laura's for a dessert and coffee fellowship and for a time of sharing our role with Hope for Augusta with some of their friends.  We enjoyed meeting new friends!  The girls definitely stole the show and warmed up to everyone very quickly as they were climbing in and out of laps in no time!  We enjoyed the yummy desserts too!  Caileigh played hostess with Aunt Laura - it was quite cute and she did really well with it too despite Uncle John's crazy orders! :-)

When Emma naps, Caileigh and I work really hard to get chores done and then work on "school" stuff.  This week Caileigh has learned how to cut paper with scissors, glue the pieces onto paper and to write an "A." She loves it and we are very proud of her!

Our transition from Carrollton to Augusta...

We spent the last couple weeks in Carrollton packing up all are belongings with the help of many friends and family.

Some sweet friends and great CYI volunteers with Emma

 We enjoyed sweet times of fellowship with many dear friends as we said good-bye.

The girls with Bethany

Carrollton Water Park with Charlotte

4th of July Celebration with the Hess'

Playing with Kaleb

Poolside picnic with Colt

Silly faces with Charlotte

Pool party with Hailey & Hannah

Playing with Jake 

On Saturday, July 30th we loaded up a moving truck and a couple other vehicles with all our belongings and we didn't forget these two cuties... :-)

Sunday, July 31st, Stephen led worship one last time at KCP.  We told our dear brothers and sisters good-bye and started our journey to Augusta.  We made it safely and unloaded all our belongings into a warehouse for storage.  There was some miscommunication so we stayed the first night with our new boss, Rick and his family.

Monday, August 1st, we got the key to the Missionary House and got settled.  We are in the downstairs unit. It is fully furnished and beautiful! We feel very blessed to be able to stay here while we transition.

Missionary House (our entrance)

The girls have been troopers! They miss their friends and play dates. As parents we have prayed for them to quickly adjust and to make some dear friends!  Our first Sunday at our new church, Caileigh walked right into her new Sunday School class with excitement!  We were so proud of her!  After church we asked her how it went - she said, "We learned about Daniel and the lions and I made some new friends, but I don't remember their names."  She then asked us what our new friends' names were... :-)  Emma apparently was the nursery daredevil... no new news here! :-)  She did recently try to repaint her pack n play with the contents of her diaper.  She keeps us on our toes and laughing!  Her latest phase is pulling up to standing and then letting go and standing without support!  Walking here we come!

This week the girls and I have tried story time twice!  Yesterday, we went to the one for Pre-schoolers - we were the only ones who showed up - so they didn't do it, maybe next week.  We did, however, come home with a bag full of books!  Today we went to the Baby Story time.  It was fun!  Emma loved all the cool toys and books that she got to explore and clapped along to all the songs and rhymes.  Caileigh enjoyed the books.

Please pray as we continue to raise support.  Pray that it would come in quickly - Stephen's about to go stir-crazy I think!  He works hard every day to make contacts and then has to trust that he will get responses.