100.

I'm not sure if you caught the little note on the side bar...

If you didn't, let me tell you here:

100 students across Canada have prayed to receive Christ and are now our fellow brothers and sister in Jesus! How awesome is that?!?

We continue to pray {and are so thankful that you come alongside us in this} that within our ministry we will see God bring 264 students to himself as new brothers and sisters.

thoughts from the home...

What an incredibly busy semester.

Both Jamie and I feel like we have never worked harder and never been busier than we have been in these last few months.

But they've been really good.

I think as a mother {and as anyone, really} I've had good days where I accomplish a lot, am patient, loving and creative as I interact with the boys and care for both my family as a whole as well as specifically my husband, Jamie. And then there are days where I feel like from the moment I get out of bed I am dragging myself through the motions of the day. I am tired, impatient and have a short fuse.

But God is shaping me. It's a slow, painful process; one in which I feel is taking far too long. But it's happening. He's giving me love. He's giving me a heart that is soft and seeking to serve. He's giving me a desire for His Word.

I am thankful for His Grace.

Please pray for me and my realm of influence. I want to make the most of my time here in Canada {did you hear? We are moving to Uganda!} and I want to continue to take steps of faith so that my faith continues to grow and also to continue to model to my boys how awesome it is to trust in God and see what He does and how we get to be a part of it all!

Please pray for Noah. He has a strong will. He has a tender heart. He is truly such a blessing and I have never known such joy {and sometimes such frustration} as I have raising him so far. Please pray for him to have a hungry heart for God and for His truths. He is so drawn to television and the world and I want him to grab hold of how awesome God is. How He is SO much more amazing than any media or video or Disney movie.

Please pray for Jude. He is a jumble of craziness and I love that kid! He too, has a strong will and {as a close friend put} is VERY passionate and seems to know exactly what he wants. He is very "hands-on" and is into everything.

Pray for me that I would have wisdom on how to navigate the waters of siblings and to teach Jude to respect Noah but also to teach Noah to have a tender, compassionate heart for his brother. These two silly boys love each other very much, but I want to continue to lift them up individually and together in prayer as they grow and one day become men.

What a blessing to have you partnering with us as a family as we seek to take the gospel to Guelph, Canada and the world!

I, as a mother & wife, am so thankful for YOU for your prayers for me, for Jamie and for our boys. We are so grateful for your partnership with us.

October Update

September Update

Staff Conference and training

Thank you for your thoughts and prayers. We've been out and about, to and from both our Campus Staff training days as well as the entire Power to Change staff conference out west in BC.

It was amazing to hear all the encouraging stories of how God is working on campuses all across Canada and then to hear thoughts from Leonard Bueller (our Power to Change President) as well as thoughts from Erwin McManus (author of Chasing Daylight) and Campus Crusade for Christ US Mark Gauthier.

It was also largely a refreshing time spent with our friends and colleagues who we labour along side and who understand what it's like "out there".

Our boys loved being around the other staff kids and had a ton of fun in some of the childcare sessions they went to. It is truly a wonderful time to raise kids on staff as there are just SO MANY KIDS!

We thank you for your partnership with us that we can go to conferences like these and be built into and refreshed, ready to be sent out again into the next school year.

one week

We survived our week without Jamie.

Myself (Vanessa), Noah & Jude got through the week without "Daddy" and had lots of help and visitors from friends and family for which we are very thankful. It didn't help that all three of us got sick by the end of the week (which I am still recovering from!) but we were all pleased to hear that Jamie had switched his flight to come home 2 days earlier! We all met him at the airport on Saturday - just in time for Mother's Day!

Stay tuned for an update from Jamie on his week in South Africa and the encouragement he received from being there.

So thankful for you!

the week before...

I can hardly believe Jamie will be in South Africa in a week! Where has the time gone?

This week Jamie will be meeting up with a few supporters and potential supporters as well as finish up the last essay for the course he was taking this past semester at Heritage Baptist College in Cambridge.

We'll also be attending a family gathering in Toronto for my (Vanessa) brother who will be going to Afganistan with the army in a couple weeks.

Please pray for Jamie's travels as he has a few layovers and for safety while in Johannesburg. Jamie will be traveling with 2 other men on staff with Campus for Christ.

Please also pray for me (Vanessa) as I care for Noah and Jude on my own for 10 days. I'll have some help from family and friends, but it will likely be hard on the boys (and me!) who love their Daddy and will miss him very much.

Thank you for your care, support and prayers!

Spring Update