Merry Christmas

We were able to come to Colorado Springs for Christmas again this year. The travel went smoothly and the time with family has been great.

God surely provided us with a wonderful gift! The gift that I am referring to, however, is not the gift of family. It is the gift of Jesus Christ. I have noticed this year that the "non-commercial" message of Christmas is "family." I love my family, and I thank God for each one of them. Yet, Christmas is a time to remember that God loved us so much that He sent Himself to earth to rescue us. Jesus Christ, the God-man, is the greatest gift, and the best way we can spend this holiday is to meditate on His love for us, seek His will, and trust Him to be everything we need.

Rollie and Mommy

Merry Christmas!

It's Here!

Our mission agency, SEND International, has launched it's new website! The new site includes some short and insightful videos and interviews about missions, as well as updated information about ministries around the world, prayer requests, and missionaries. The format is easy to navigate and well designed. You can follow the link on our blog and then search for us!

Another new feature that is available through the website is on-line giving. I know this is a welcome change to many people.

Birthday 1: December 9, 2009

The Party

Last Saturday evening we celebrated Rolland's first birthday! More than a dozen of Rollie's friends and family gathered in our little apartment, with Grandma and Grandpa Noble joining us live via Skype. (Welcome to the future!) Rollie got a play tent with a matching tunnel, several new bath toys, and cowboy-style snow boots.


Erika made a delicious birthday buffet including, but not limited to, bacon-wrapped chestnuts, turkey-cranberry dip, squash canapes, and both a Smore cake and pumpkin-streusel cupcakes...


...which Rolland greatly enjoyed.

It was fun.


After the guests left (of course), Rolland had a lot of fun playing in his new tent/tunnel.


*The next day he took his first steps (see Erika's facebook page for the video), just to make sure he can claim that before his first birthday.*

The Day

Today (Dec. 9) Rolland is marking the day of his birth with his first ever fever. He's been incredible sleepy and cuddly...kind of like he was last year at this time. At least it should be easy to have an even better birthday next year. :-) (Notice he's playing with the "emergency" toy--he only gets Mommy's cell phone when she's desperate...or when her baby is pitifully adorable.)

Are We Pitiful?

What would someone like Richard Dawkins (who has thoroughly convinced himself there is neither God nor life after death) look at my life and say? "What a waste! What a pitiful life! That guy could be use a lot rougher language, if only he believed me."

Philosophical questions about God, life, and death have real implication on how we life and how we evaluate the lives of others. 1 Corinthians 15 addreses some of the arguments about life after death, which was a divisive issue during Paul's ministry, and even during Jesus's ministry. I have been challenged by an inference from verse 19.

1 Corinthians 15: 17-19 "And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ are lost. If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are to be pitied more than all men."

I think that Paul and the apostles might have been pitied by some of the people they met. People who did not believe in a life beyond this one must have looked at the hardships faced by followers of The Way and shaken their heads.

What about us? Are people seeing my life (our lives) and asking, "why is he doing that?" Passages like Romans 12:2 compare the standards and the wisdom of the World to the standards and wisdom of the Kingdom. Even the briefest of glances at these passages reveal that God's Kingdom -- and those who would be in His Kingdom -- stands in striking contrast to the culture of the day. What does that look like the life of the believer today? They use "clean" language while worldly people have a potty mouth?

What I infer from 1 Corinthians 15:19 is that Paul's life looked like a ridiculous waste to those who did not believe. They pitied him. And Paul admits that if Jesus Christ is not risen from the dead, they should pity him -- he would even pity himself. How are we different from the World? Are we making "pitiable" choices, or we "nice" people who are trying to live "clean." Clean-livin' is sometimes respected by non-believers.

I am not planning on telling more dirty joke or integrating more four-letter words into my daily conversations, and I don't suggest you do either. What I am suggesting is that Kingdom Living is about much, much more than just those surface issues. I would challenge you to consider the life of Paul (or anyone else that really believed Jesus was waiting to welcome him into the Kingdom with open arms) and imagine how he would live today. What is keeping you from living a life like that?

1 Corinthians 15: 59 "Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain."

Pictures!

Dave's Devos

I have been re-reading "We Would See Jesus" by Hession this past week. I thought I would post an idea (a full quote is too long) from this short book, which was published in 1958.

The devil wants to condemn us and bring us into bondage. His accusations have two effects on believers. One is to cause us to defend ourselves. This self-justification actually drives us away from the grace that God gives to those who humbly ask. The other effect is to cause us to begin striving. By self-effort we attempt to make-up for our sins or try to change and improve ourselves. This also separates us from grace. As we attempt to climb up we are actually climbing away from Him.

The Holy Spirit, on the other hand, convicts us of sin and bring us to the Cross. There we find Jesus, the door to forgiveness, peace, and growth. Unlike the guilt of satan, the conviction of the Holy Spirit causes us to admit our sins before the cross and to draw closer to Christ. Also, it leads us to cease striving and to rest in the light burden and easy yoke of our Lord.

I hope you find this encouraging as I did. The life of faith is not simply believing something, it is believing in Jesus Christ and resting the full weight of ourselves, our lives, and our problems in His hands. May we seek Him and find Him (Jer. 29:13) , and then abide (John 15:5) in Him and rest (Matt. 11:28) in Him.

Another Post

Well, we are trying to keep up with our blog and we are trying to keep making progress toward Croatia. So, I suppose I'll keep up the blog with a post about progress. :-)

We had a wonderful time Ohio last weekend at a missions conference. We were encouraged by the people at the church, and we were happy to have the chance to share with them about our ministry plans.

Also, we are holding 2 prayer meetings each month.

And, we are working on sharing information and keeping people update with our latest news. If you want to know more, get in touch.

Erika's Prayer

I was praying the other day about this whole support raising thing, and my prayer went a little something like this:

Lord, if You have a perfect date set for us to be in Croatia, why did You start us on the path almost 2 years ago? At this rate it'll be 2 more years before we get there! Why didn't You wait to tell us about it until closer to our go-date so we wouldn't have to wait and wonder so long? Why, oh why, didn't You let us move to Michigan, provide Dave with a good job, let us rent a nice apartment and buy some real furniture, get comfortable, and live our nice little lives with no reason to seek You or depend on You in a serious way? (pause) Oh, I see. Thank You. Amen.

Teething

Poor Rolland. He woke up with a new tooth poking through this morning, and I'm pretty sure he'll have another one by tomorrow. I suppose it's best to get it over with. He's really being a brave little toaster about it, but I can tell it hurts.

He should have 2 visible front top teeth by the time he sees Grandpa and Grandma Noble next Friday!

Our original plan for Saturday was to go hiking and enjoy the crisp Autumn air and colorful trees. However, it looked like rain on the other side of the state, so we hung around near home...which led us to explore one of the most fun Grand Rapids events we've seen yet: ArtPrize!

Our main purpose in going downtown was to register to vote for this piece by one of our friends:

He made his wife's face out of over 6,000 unaltered wine corks. Impressive.

But we also saw the Grand River Monster...


...a big red ball...
...a bunch of people...
...a praying mantis (good work, God!)...
...a balloon that dwarfed the Caulder...
...Rolland's first attempts at stairs (When did he learn to do that?)...

...our new dining room set...
...a rhino made out of tires...
...faces made out of pushpins...

...an awesome bike rack (not part of the competition)...
...the cutest little bum in the world...
...and, perhaps, 2 of the most unsuspecting wedding parties ever (both groups are in this pic).

Yet Another Brush with Fame

When I (Erika) lived in Chicago, I got to go to a taping of Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me, an NPR news-quiz radio program that I never listened to. It was a fun experience for of the novelty of it, but I didn't really get the ongoing jokes, and it wasn't a thrill to see the "star" personalities.

So, imagine my excitement yesterday when I got to experience a live taping of one of my favorite radio programs! I've been listening to Moody Radio ever since I moved away from Chicago (go figure), and one of the shows I look forward to is Midday Connection with Anita Lustria (left in the photo) and Melinda Schmidt (right). They interview people every day at 12:00 Central on various topics of interest, and they're always so kind, even when people say things I would be forced to make fun of. I've admired their ability to keep conversation going, and to find something redeeming in every caller's comment.

Well, yesterday I drove out to Holland at lunchtime by myself (since I have no friends who don't work and don't have kids) (thank you, G&G Sterken for babysitting!), parallel parked a huge Impala, and joined about 64 other women for a lunch/taping of Midday Connection. We had fancy Cobb salads with the ingredients laid out in rows, and then we clapped on cue and provided a "live audience feel" as they taped the program. (It will air next Tuesday, the 29th. I didn't ask any questions or cough loudly enough to be heard, so don't tune in just to hear me.)

They interviewed Shelly Beech (center), a local author who has written The Silent Seduction of Self Talk, which, after hearing her speak, I think I recommend. I got to talk to both Anita and Melinda personally for a few moments during the luncheon, but I suspect I made them a bit awkward with all my staring. I wasn't star-struck; I just couldn't get over seeing their so-familiar voices coming out of their totally random faces.

They were every bit as nice in person as I had suspected, and it was fun watching their signals to each other for who was going to talk while they were taping. I was shocked to see them read the intro and outro from a script! They always sound so natural; I had never guessed. I'm a little relieved about how it all went. It's always a risk, meeting people you admire in person, but I've concluded that I'm a bigger fan than ever, esp now that I can tell their voices apart.

www.middayconnection.org

9 Months on 9/9/09

Today is Rolland's 9 Month Birthday!!! It also happens to be 9/9/09. Coincidence? We think not. To commemorate the event, Rolland decided to do things in 9s today. Here's what he came up with...

First, he had 9 teething biscuits for breakfast. (Dave thinks he has a top tooth coming in; Erika isn't so sure.)


Second, he read 9 silly books. (Is Your Mama a Llama has a bat named Dave who lives in a cave.)


Third, he played with 9 colorful balls. (When heavily assisted, he can "put the green ball in the basket." Clearly, he's a genius.)


Forth, he got dressed in 9 shirts (and no pants).



Fifth, he set up playdates with 9 friends. (Apparently he's more popular than we are.)



Sixth, he ran 9 errands with Mama. (Eyes on the road, buddy.)



Seventh, he ran 9 miles with Daddy. (He probably kept his toes curled the whole way.)



Eighth, he helped set out 9 diapers for tomorrow. (He probably used that many today... seriously.)


Ninth, he went to bed at 9:00. (That's not true. He's actually in the middle of melting down in this picture, and it's 7:45.)


Overall, it was a successful day of celebrating 9s. Certainly better than chopping off one of his fingers.

Better Than Free!

What could be better than free training? How about getting paid for training?

As we continue to wait for God's timing to send us into ministry in Croatia, we have done lots of training with SEND International. We have had cultural training, language training, conflict training, teamwork training, orientation... you get the picture. All of these learning opportunities have been excellent, and several of them have been expensive (but well worth the cost).

As we wait, I (Dave) have also been blessed with work. In our first year as "appointees," I found substitute teaching jobs that fit perfectly with our trainings, travels, and ministry presentations. As we moved into our second year of preparation, I got a full-time job working at Vista Charter Academy. This job has blessed us in many ways, including: providing a paycheck, insurance, friendships with staff, and the opportunity to be involved in the lives of young people.

At the end of August the school also paid me to attend a "Capturing Kid's Hearts" training in Holland, MI. Not only was this a great way to get ready for the classroom, but, in a way, it was also preparation for ministry! I learned about relationship building , effective communication, team building, group facilitation, and I was encouraged towards personal growth. The facilitator even used some quotes from the Bible in his presentation (though he did not mention the references).

We are so thankful for all God is doing. This training was another example to us that God is in control of the agenda and that there is a reason for us to be in Michigan right now. We trust that when He has completed all that is necessary, then we will move to Croatia. For now, we continue to thank God for His blessings and seek to be obedient to His calling for today.

Still Going...

This may sound strange, but I used to feel a little defensive when people asked us, "So, how's it going with support raising?" I know what they said, but I often heard, "Hey, why are you still in the States? Why should I have confidence in you?" I was believing a lie. Praise God for His ongoing work in my heart, and for using the people on our prayer team to teach and change me! A partner asked the question in a more specific way this past month and it helped me understand the genuine concern behind the inquiry. When this person asked if we were in "good spirits," a light bulb came on for me. I both knew and believed that our partners want to pray and be involved and get us to Croatia.

Let me answer the question, "How is support raising going?" God is so good! Over the past summer He has given us a sense of peace and confirmation that we are headed in the right direction. He has lifted our spirits and used partners and friends to encourage us as we wait for the Lord and press on with the activities planned out for each day. We have certainly been working/waiting for our departure longer than we had expected. At the same time, we have seen God doing unexpected and wonderful things in us and through us while we are here in the USA.

It has been an awesome summer!

Thanks Bobby

Thanks go to our good friend, Bobby Pulte! He is the producer, director, grip, etc. of our introduction video. (Since we don't have credits running at the end, Erika and Dave took turns being the gaffer and the best boy.)

We made this video because we want to help you get to know who we are and why we are interested in overseas ministry. It is really just the beginning of the conversation. We also wanted to give you a way to introduce us to people who might be interested in partnering with us. We hope that this video and our blog will be tools that God can use to connect us with people.

A Riddle and An Explanation

Image you’ve stepped onto a bus full of children. First, you hear a little boy exclaim, “I saw the most giganticus whale in the world!” The kids in the next row are equally excited. “I rode on the big brown horse, which one did you ride?” From the back of the bus you hear a group of older kids. “I’m going to the first person to walk on Mars!” Now, how many stops has this bus made?

The answer is: one! Earlier this summer I (Dave) rode a school bus full of students on a field trip to the Public Museum in Grand Rapids. Our students had a great time, and each one left with a different impression of the overall experience.

Erika and I have discovered a similar phenomenon as we follow-up with people who have heard about our ministry in Croatia. Some people bring up the camp ministry and ask why we are moving to Croatia for two weeks of summer camp. Others ask us why we need to study the Croatian language if we are only working with English-speaking TCKs (Third Culture Kids). These are good questions that we are happy to answer. The interesting thing is that these questions pertain to only one aspect of the broad ministry we are called to.

…so, we’d like to briefly outline the ministry of SEND International and our part in it—in an effort to keep the dialogue flowing.

S is for Starting and Serving churches.

In our case, we will be serving a church in Zagreb, the capital city of Croatia. The next three letters describe how churches are started and served.

E is for Evangelization of the lost.

While we will have scheduled involvement with English-speaking TCKs (kids who aren't Croatians, but are living in Croatia) our aim isn't limited to them. “E” includes anyone God brings across our path—Croatian or international.

N is for Nurturing and discipling new believers.

Our ministry will involve discipleship both as part of the local, Croatian church, and also through our involvement with summer camp and on-line follow-up.

D is for Developing leaders in ministry.

This aspect illustrates the diversity of our role. We will 1) direct a program through the camp called Counselor Helpers, 2) develop further opportunities to get MKs and TCKs involved in hands-on ministry, and 3) help develop Croatian church leaders.

We hope this sheds light on the big picture and explains why we sometimes get caught up in certain details. Please continue to ask us questions—that’s how we get better at keeping you informed.

Cheers!

Peek a Boo

Joy

1st Family Vacation

We had a great time up north this weekend. To us "up north" usually means the Traverse City area, about 3 hours north of us. Dave spent 4 summers at Lake Ann Camp in that area, and we enjoy reconnecting with his friends and finding new experiences to have together. Rolland had some firsts along the way, including sprouting his first toothbud!!! Thanks to everyone who helped us make this a budget-friendly vacation. Mi apartment es su apartment!

On this, our first trip up with Rolland, we

• visited Grace Adventures Camp
• stayed with the Goods
• took a drive up Old Mission Peninsula

• hung out with the DeShanos

• ate lots of cherries

• stopped by a few wineries

• relaxed at Camp Gembis