What I Am Up To...

Since January, I have had this thing on my heart.  It's a crazy, big, God thing.  It makes no sense, but when God lays something on your heart, you can't run and hide from it.  Just ask Jonah and his experience with the big fish!

I knew in January that I was being prompted to start a program here in our new town to help bridge the hunger gap for school aged kids.  So on Friday, I am delivering the first backpacks filled with food for kids who are at risk of going hungry over the weekends.  You see, these kids are used to getting two meals a day during the week from the school.  But most don't know where their food will come from over the weekends.  That's where the backpacks come in. 

Each backpack will have enough non-perishable food to sustain a child for the weekend.  2 protein items, 2 breakfast items, 2 drinks, 2 fruit or vegetable items, and 6-7 snacks will be packed with love into these packs.  The packs will be delivered to the school on Thursday afternoon or Friday mornings to go home with the kids for the weekend.  On Monday, the kids will bring back the empty backpacks to the school to be refilled.  Having had students in my very own classes who have participated in this program, I know how important these backpacks become to the students!

But this isn't my project!  This is God's work, I am just the agent he has chosen to get this started.  When I first felt this prompting, I really thought that God must be crazy!  I mean, I have lived here all of 7 months!  Who was I to start a community program?  AND I know about 5 people who live here.  Turns out they are the exact 5 people I needed to know! 

Here are some of the ways God has opened the right doors for me:
1.  My mom is the director of a non-profit in Michigan who knows the director of a very successful backpack program called Generous Hands.  Last year, they delivered over 10,000 backpacks to kids!!!!  And that was in a community about the size of Turlock!  This director was so generous with her time and information. 

2.  The director of my MOMs CAFE group on Thursday mornings was so excited and had me speak to their ministry board.  They have donated the space and hands to help pack the backpacks!

3. I had NO idea how I was going to get backpacks!  Without my asking, the assistant principal and a teacher at the school offered some leftover, brand new packs to use for the program!

4.  The West chapter of the Turlock Moms Club members generously donated food to get me started!

5.  One of the board members from MOMS CAFE has connected me with a church that is willing to help me get food to fill the packs! We are headed over there is just a bit to see what they have and to meet this latest angel God has given me!

There are SO many more things that God has done just since January!   I am so excited to see how He is going to use these simple backpacks to show His love and mercy! 

The name of this new program is Open Hands. 

Therefore I command you to be open handed toward your brothers and toward the poor and needy in your land. 

Deut 15:11

Please be praying for the kids who receive these packs and their families.   

Tegan's entertainment

Tegan does not love being at the soccer fields as much as we do.  Good thing there are some friends there to entertain him!

Tournament weekend

Davian has been practicing soccer twice a week for a while now.  This past weekend, his team finally got the chance to play in a few games.  There were three games over the course of two days!  This year our boys will be playing an age group up.  That means that even though our boys are 6 and 7, we will be playing 7, 8, and 9 year olds.



Look at the size of the giant standing next to Davian!

We have some wonderful coaches who have a passion for teaching the love of the game to the boys.

Some of the older boys from the same league came over to encourage our little guys.  It was very heartwarming to hear them all chanting and cheering together!

Although we were clobbered in all three games, the boys enjoyed playing and made real progress from the first game to the last!

Talking strategy with Coach Josh.



Clearly a ref's job is to tie one's shoes!



At the end of the game, our boys and the older boys came over in a line and applauded to the parents and fans. 

We are looking forward to a great season with many more successes! 

Silly Kid

This is my silly child!  Self-portraits are the best!

And I wondered why he was the class comedian?

Update on the house

Thank ya'll for praying for us.  We do appreciate it!

Just as an update: the showing on Thursday went well, but they decided that the house was too far from the main hub of activity of Greensboro.  So they passed on the house. 

We were disappointed, but know that God is in control of this situation.

Just to prove His point, God provided another prospective tenant on Friday.  We haven't had a showing in two months, then two in two days!  Praise God!  This showing went well, no negative comments about location.  Thank God for small victories!!  The folks are looking at 2 other properties today (Saturday) and will make a decision on which to rent. 

So...please pray that these are the tenants that God has for us.  We are trusting Him that He already knows the resolution to this situation.  We will praise Him in the process!

Please pray...

Since I am taking a Facebook vacation till Easter, I thought this would be the best way to request huge prayers! 

We have a house showing on our NC house today at 2:30 Eastern (11:30 Pacific)!  This is to rent the house, which would be okay with us!

Please pray that the people love the house and want to rent it for the next year. 

Thanks so much!