Middle 2018

We have been in ministry in Mountain Home 11 years now. We have been encouraged by our leadership to go on a 6 month home assignment (sabbatical). So, for now we are staying in Roseburg, Oregon. We have the most gracious hosts letting us stay in their home. 
Below are a few pictures from the past few months.
We were blessed to attend a conference with our Cadence colleagues in Washington state near the Canadian border. While there we met up with Ed's former roommate from college days.

Below is us in Canada.

Below: Us with some of our colleagues at Stanley Park, BC.

We got to visit with our children and their families in May. What fun!

My mom came for a week and got to be in this four generation picture.

We had a neighborhood party. Most people who live in Mountain Home have some kind of military affiliation.

We had an air show in June. This picture is taken near the flight line. We aren't usually allowed on this part of the base. 

Vacation Bible School at the base chapel was held in June. We were very blessed to have enough volunteers and over 80 children.

Because of our home assignment the last part of 2018, we were asked to attend a member care retreat for Cadence. We learned lots and developed great relationships with our colleagues.

I have been blessed to have Robin as my walking partner 6:30 most weekday mornings for about 5 years. 

Ministry continues in Mt. Home. We are checking in there a few times while on our home assignment. We plan (hopefully so does God) to go back there when our home assignment is done. 

Beginning 2018

Greetings from Beautiful Idaho

The top photo is us with Tim and Kalli. Ed mentored Tim in Mt. Home. The bottom photo is with Diane and Neil Evans. Neil was the pastor at my grandparent's church years ago. Tim and Neil are partnering right now to lead the First Baptist Church in Middleton, Idaho. 

These are some of the gals that God has given me to love on. Amanda (on the left) has recently moved to Okinawa. 

Women's Bible study at the Kid's Gym on base. 

Ed celebrated his 60th birthday in February.

Our homemaker's class for March. We learned to make prayer journals and made yummy summer rolls.

We teamed up with Calvary Chapel in town to put on a Passover Seder demonstration like the one we did last year on base. There were around 90 people in attendance. 

This is some of the beauty of Southern Idaho. Shoshone Falls is less than 2 hours away from us. 

Almost the End of 2017

We are grateful to GOD for the chaplains (and their families) that He has sent to MHAFB. Below, our congregation asked them to go up front for us to pray for them (for Clergy Appreciation Month). 

Our chaplains come from very different denominations which presents some challenges. But, as we are the Body of Christ, we work together to bring glory to Him.  Right after this, our Zach (below) was passing through Mountain Home on his way to move back to the Fort Lewis area (now JBLM) where we met him. That is one of the "perks" of doing what we do. We get to meet amazing people, help them know the Savior better and later hear how He is using them now. 

Sadly, this week I will have to say goodbye to Sovatta. Her husband was a refugee from Cambodia as a child. His mother helped arrange a wife for him from Cambodia. Sovatta didn't speak English when she got here. As she was learning English, our friendship developed. She has since become a Christian. If you are my friend on facebook, you will see lots of pictures of her. Pray that she will find someone in Texas (near Houston) to mentor her.

 We continue to do our homemaking classes and knitting/crocheting get togethers.

 We had a great family chapel activity at a Boise corn maze.

One Sunday night, the chapel had a Trunk or Treat event in the parking lot. Ed and I dressed up as pirates.

Mission Aviation Fellowship headquarters is only an hour drive from Mountain Home. We took a group from the chapel to tour their facility. Several members of our group expressed great interest in pursuing missions after their military service.

We had a good group of families for Thanksgiving.

Our holiday tea party at my house turned out well. These ladies love being pampered and having a break. Xiomara and Sovatta are precious to me.

After the tea party, about 25 of us went to Nampa to watch The Living Christmas Tree.

Praying over Rex and Sovatta Friday night at our house.

Yesterday, Chaplain Findley asked those who are there for the last time to stand up. Four families in one Sunday! I thought it would get easier the longer we do this work. No! It is not! We will miss them so much.

October Update

We had a hot summer that went straight to winter... or so it seems.

Dear friends came from far and wide to celebrate Ed's retirement from the National Guard. Above: Jesse Cornell (our son in love), Nancy and Vance Kondon, Richard Anderson and Devyn Kondon. Below: Ed's retirement ceremony. A highlight was that the wing commander from Mountain Home attended and spoke. 

Ministry continues in the summer. This picture below is of our Thursday evening women's Bible study at the chapel. 

My Aunt Myrna and Uncle Drexell celebrated their 60th anniversary. We got to be with them for that and for the eclipse.

We had a great chapel women's retreat at the end of August. So many things made us change our plans. We think though it was for the better. It went great. Women were challenged and we bonded with each other.

Labor Day weekend we had a camp out and chapel service at the park. We love our chapel family.

My dear Xiomara and her children had a surprise birthday party for me. 

My dear Aunt Jan passed away at the end of September. We took a trip to Montana to attend the funeral. It was God honoring. I loved her and will miss her greatly. 

We went to Yellowstone with a couple (Danny and Amanda) from our ministry. They are moving to Japan in a few months. We wanted to spend just a little bit more time with them.