An Interview With Franklin

This morning as I was thinking about writing a new blog my mind went to my son Franklin.  As he is planing on turning nine years old in a couple of weeks I thought that it would be fun to ask him some questions about life as a pre-field missionary kid.  God has blessed him with such a tender heart and one amazing active imagination that as a mother I can't wait to see how God will use him on the mission field. So here are a few questions that I sat down with my son and asked him this morning.

What was your first thought when you saw your first MAF video and what did you want to do?

- I thought that it looked pretty cool to be a missionary!  And I wanted to pack my backpack and go and help those people that day. I was pretty sad when my parents told me that it would take awhile before we could help those people.

Do you enjoy traveling all over the place and staying with different people?

- I enjoy it most of the time except when I get a head cold like right now. It is fun to play with other peoples toys but I miss having my own space.

How did you enjoy your first year of home schooling compared to public school?

- It wasn't that bad! I enjoyed the reading and history that we did however I could live without math!
However, I miss seeing all my friends everyday and having three recess daily.

Was it hard to pack up all your belonging and sell your house?

- Yes, because we had to get rid of so much stuff and then most of the things that we did get to keep are in the trailer until the middle of August. I am missing my stuff animals and my own bed!

What has been the hardest part of your mom and dad's new calling?

- We don't really stay at home that much. But I think that I like have missionaries for parents.

What have been some of your favorite memories since your family joined MAF?

- Learning about the country that we are going to live in and meeting new people!

I hope that you enjoyed hearing from Franklin and that you will continue to lift him up in your prayers.  As a parent it has been interesting watching God change and stretch Franklin through this past year. He is looking forward to home schooling again next year and to moving to the States!  However, changes are never easy and do take a toll especially on children. Thank you for all your prayers for our family and your continued support.  We arrived safely in Waldheim, SK last night and are greatly looking forward to attend the mission conference here.

The Most Asked Question

One of the most asked questions that people love to ask me is, "how our you really copping with your busy life and how do your children handle the constant moving?" This always brings a smile to my face because if you had asked me this question one year ago I would not of had a very positive answer for you.  However, we serve a great and powerful God who always provides the strength for the task that he puts in front of us! So now I can say with a smile on my face that our crazy life seems almost normal now.  Our family has learned that it doesn't matter were we lay are heads down at night it matters that we are following God's calling. I am always amazed how God has provided strength and understanding among our children as we continue to add constant changes to their lives.  There are days that it is their energy that has kept Greg and I going forward!

Here are some updates on our family:

Last week Jaclynn experienced her first real crash with her bike on pavement.  Even though she thought that she was dying there were just lots of scraps and bruises. And we realized that we need to work more on riding down hills and the importance of using our brakes.

Safer way to crash!!!

Game time at Great Grandma's

Chillin in my favorite chair.

And their off and the blue car takes an early lead.

All three children have enjoyed their birthday presents from their grandparents which were season passes to an amusement park in Calgary.  They have gone know twice and hopefully will be able to go a few more times before we head back East.  Then last week all three children attended a VBS at Greg's Grandmothers church and enjoyed meeting new children.

Not sure who was braver; Julie for going up there or me for letting her go up there?

Job well done even with a smile!!!

Greg and I have been busy meeting with friends and family and sharing about the ministry of MAF.  Plus Greg has been able to help one of his friends wire his new house.  I was even able to go and help him a few days last week and spend some time with Greg.  He even asked and then allowed me to help him pull some wire through the garage rafters and do some hammering up there by myself (actually I think that he didn't really expect me to say yes so I really surprised him by saying yes).

Big Praise Item!!!! Last year I applied for my Canadian Citizenship and I finally heard last Friday that everything is finalized and that I past my test.  So on August 4 I will be sworn in as an Canadian Citizen!!!  This will allow us to receive visas easier when our whole family is from the same country.