AND...We're OFF...

We are leaving today for Alaska! We are so excited to see what God is going to do while we are there. We will be gone from July 29th to August 8th, so if you think about us during this time or view our blog during this time, please say a quick prayer for the 6 members of our team and the 313 people of Elim, Alaska where we will be. We look forward to telling you all about it and showing you many pictures when we return. I know this picture is kind of goofy and it has no relationship at all to what we are doing there, but I like the dog...well, maybe the landscape too! Talk to you when we get back!

New Path

Well, if it official. I am starting a new job. I told my manager tonight at work that I would be leaving at the end of August. This is been SUCH a difficult decision for me. Most people that leave their jobs don't like it. I, on the other hand, love my job, love the people I work with, and I am pretty good at it. So needless to say, it's just hard.

I will be taking an Emergency Room position at Evanston Northwestern starting August 28th. I hope and pray that it goes well. I know God has a reason for everything He does and I truly feel this is where He is leading, but it doesn't make it easier to leave. So, just thought I would keep you all up to date and ask that you please pray for us during this transition. Thanks to those of you who prayed for me regarding this discernment time. You are greatly appreciated!

Alaska #2

Well, I just want to update things on Alaska. We are leaving a week from Saturday around noon and will be there 10 days.
Financially-we were able to raise 100% and then some for our trip!
PRAISE GOD! When we first heard that the trip was going to be around $20,000 we were a little scared. For me, it has helped me see so much what God can do and has confirmed that we are supposed to be in Alaska. That is so exciting!
Our team is coming together. We are going to be doing 3 or so days of VBS with the kids and then try to have an adult service following that. During the day, we will be working on the pastor's house. We are praying for our hearts as well as the hearts of those 313 in Elim, Alaska. I am not sure how we begin to touch people who are facing what these hearts face (90% of the females abused!!!), but I know for sure we are supposed to be there. Other than that-God is going to do the rest! Thanks for your prayers. We appreciate them so much.


This picture (to the left) was sent out on the front of our postcard to our church. We chose this picture out of about 2000 and found out later that this lady committed suicide last year. To use that showed the reality of bush Alaska and what these people are facing. Please pray!

Today we got the priviledge of going to Valpo, IN to speak at a church. Joel went back to his Mennonite roots, preaching in his first Mennonite pulpit where our good friend Jeremy Bustos's dad is the pastor. We came to speak about the Alaska trip we are taking in 3 weeks as well as Joel preaching on God's will. It was a great sermon and people came to him after the service saying how it touched them and really met them at a critical time. Praise God. We also got the chance to visit with not only "Bustos" and his family, but with our friends Peter and Missi Khosla. We hadn't seen them in a while and it was refreshing. Peter is always great to discuss anything with and to challenge us in reading and learning new things about life and our walk with the Lord. Missi was an encouragment taking so much interest in our lives and what we are up to. We appreciate people that God has put in our path like these friends from IWU that will probably be friends for life. Bustos always lifts us up and makes us laugh, no matter what the situation. We appreciate his hospitality in asking us to come. Thanks y'all for a great afternoon.





We had a fun time together today-in case you don't know some of these people-from left to right-Peter and Missi Khosla, Jeremy Bustos, and Joel and I.


One of Bustos and Peter's better moments...Needless to say Bustos didn't have much sleep.

4th Fun with Family

We had a great time with Joel's side of the family over the 4th of July Holiday! We went to the Indiana Dunes State Park and camped for about 3 days. We climbed lots of sand, played at the beach, and even went to the water park there! It was just a blast. 3 of our 5 nieces were there (the other 2 are in Japan-we are going to see them in July--YEAH!) and we had a great time with them. The loved playing with the dogs and I think that is probably the most fun Hireq and Patah have ever had. They even got to experience the beach for the first time. Patah didn't much like it, but Hireq did and probably would have gone in further-but she's just so darn small! It's always fun to get away and just relax for awhile and we love doing that with family. Please keep the Delp side of the family in your prayers as Joel's dad just lost his mother last week. It was expected, but I know that still makes it hard.
Thank you Delp's and O'Dell's for a great time! We love you all.
What did the rest of you do for the 4th?