Burrill's Notes from the North

CAMP ON WHEELS 2008

2008-07-27T13:36:00.010-06:00

We recently got back from two very exhausting, very rewarding weeks at camp. The staff was incredible with a great heart for the things of God and a real love for campers. We really appreciate their ministry philosophy (camp decisions are the first in a long line of right decisions, not an end in themselves). It was quite a joy to work with them all.

Kevin was able to help out with a few of the games at different points throughout the 2 weeks when a ref was needed. He also helped out with the music for the services, as well as a challenge for one of the teen workshops, and other various odds and ends that needed doing (ie. serving food, cleaning bathrooms, helping with tech stuff, etc.) Below is a picture of Evan, a Canadian!!, the Blue team leader leading a cheer.

This is a quick shot of one of the girls cabins during Junior week. The kids all had a wonderful time!! (God Bless the counselors.)

I took a class in food handling in May so that we could have a Canadian certificate in case Alberta health dropped by. They never did, but still I was able to serve in the kitchen. What a thrill it was to work with that staff! We had a great time. And spaghetti sause was the only thing that got destroyed all week long. =) I was also able to share several devotionals with the campers and staff girls...and I never did manage to stay within my time limit. (sigh) It was such a blessing for us to be somewhat flexible and attempt hole-filling.

This is the personification of cuteness, Qade, son of the Program guy.

Needless to say, after all that work, sleep was quite a welcome relief. We're already looking forward to next year!!

summer camp season update...coming soon

2008-07-19T21:26:00.003-06:00

Heather and I are just about finished the long, fun, and God-glorifying camp season.
We have one more week (Junior Camp) and we expect about 40-50 campers. This last week we had 70 teen campers and the week went very very well!

Watch for a more detailed update, coming after this next and last week of camp. (when we get a chance to come up for air!). And when we get a chance to post some pictures.

Finding Out His Greatness...
-Kevin

Here it is...

2008-05-14T08:53:00.004-06:00

Ok, so "update coming soon" was a little ambiguous, but that's the safest way to opperate these days. Here's a whirlwind tour of the last few months of our lives...

I recently finished a proposal for our church leadership to instate a child protection policy here at church. Most churches are adopting something similar these days to protect themselves against child preditors. Since Kevin is in charge of all of our childrens/youth ministries, it is important that we get something in writing as soon as possible. It took quite a bit of research and thought...and I'm glad that part is done! (For those of you involved in kids ministry, if you don't have something like this yet, you should consider it. Contact me for more info...have I ever got a lot!!!)

Kevin was put in charge of the Easter Cantata this year, which was awesome. God really blessed our efforts!!! Kev arrainged a few pieces of music, and wrote the dramatic readings this year. That was quite a job, and we were both relieved when it was over. Though it was tiring, God used it to be a blessing to the hearts of many.

Kevin also directed our first (hopefully Annual) Day of Prayer. The days of prayer that we experienced at Northland were such a blessing to us that we wanted to share that blessing with our church family, so Kevin patterned it after what Northland had done on one occasion. (A Confession Session...45 verses and application questions, an Adoration Sessoion...praying through names of God, a Thanksgiving Session, and several Petition Sessions). As we expected, people left the church saying "we need more time, can you make it longer next year?" =)

We just came through a Revival Week with Pastor Bud Talbert (Sarah's dad, for those of you that know her...) and what a blessing that was! Pastor Talbert is going to be starting Foundation Bible Institute here in Edmonton, fall of 2009. We THRILLED about this opportunity. There are so few (if any besides Emmanuel Bible Institute in New Brunswick) recommendable Bible colleges/institutes here in Canada, and especially in the West, that having one born in our own city is fantastic! We're excited to see what God has for the future of that ministry. Anyway, he was at our church for the week, teaching through the forming of the church in Acts. We ended the service with the baptism of a young man named Brian. His testimony was a blessing. Overall, the week was refreshing for our people and a good reminder of the basics.

For the past couple of months we (Kevin, me, Sheldon and Christina) have been working on recording a CD. We only have a couple of scratch tracks down so far, since we're all so busy, and we don't have a deadline for the project. But we really want to make good music more readily available to Canadian churches. Hopefully we'll be able to finalize a few songs this summer (haha...)

Speaking of summer, we're off to AZ in a couple weeks for summer camp training. We'll be there for 1 week, and then involved in camp for 2 1/2 weeks in July. We're REALLY looking forward to that!

But, before we do anything else, we're going camping in the Rockies this weekend. Yes, since Kevin's schedule has been so hectic during the past several months (working full/overtime driving truck, and working part-time at the church) it's been almost non-stop, seven days a week type stuff. Not that I'm complaining. Being involved in the ministry has been a dream come true for us, but since we're human, we need to rest. Part of our rest will be physical certainly, but a good portion of it will be spiritual refreshment. It has been difficult to keep tabs on our walks with God (and our marriage) when there's so little time. Balance has been a difficult thing to achieve. So, we're going to our wilderness to meet with God for the weekend. We are so excited about that!!! We want to come back refreshed and renewed and strengthened for more service. How did Dr. Zichterman put it...something like, recreation should be used to refresh us for more service.

I've been given several things to think about lately, not the least of which is Stewardship. The Bible says that to whom much has been given, much more will be required. The Northern Lights were at our church last night for a service (IT WAS SO GREAT TO SEE YOU ALL AGAIN!!!!!) and while they were singing, I couldn't help but think back to my experience at Northland.

I'm beginning to understand just how precious the Bubble was for a few years. Not that I'd want to go back and stay there, since God has called us to go...but so many memories of things that I've learned, or been challenged with, or experienced were brought back to my mind. What a blessing Kevin and I had in our years at Northland, and more will be required of us accordingly. The challenge to me was, how am I doing with my "required"? There's something I can put on my "think about" list this weekend...

I'll post pictures of our trip when I am able... 'Til next time...

Finding Out His Greatness...

Heather

2008-04-30T08:03:00.001-06:00

Update coming soon...

I'm dreaming of a green Spring...

2008-02-12T07:00:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone,
It's been quite some time since you've heard from me, so I thought I'd let you know what's new with us. Winter is in full swing here (though it is getting lighter for longer during the day!!!) We had to get the car towed last week because we had a cold snap (-55 F wind chill) and the car battery died. We had to get a block heater installed too, since it didn't have one. Wish we'd known how important those are before we bought it! =) Here's a few pics of the last few weeks...

The view from my kitchen window...

Kevin shoveling the walk...

Our yard...

Probably the biggest news in our life right now is Kevin's new job...no, not the bank. The bank was giving him a lot of trouble with the time off that he needed to work at the church. (He needs several individual days off on top of the 3 weeks we've dedicated to camp this summer.) We were thinking and praying about what to do (cut back from the ministry, etc) when the Lord opened the door for him to drive a delivery truck here in the city for a mattress company. Kevin's boss wants "stable" Christians to work for him so badly that he's completely flexible with the time Kevin needs at the church, and Kevin's making more at this job than he did at the bank! God is amazing. We were wondering, if God knew all these things would happen, and he did, then why the little 3 month thing at the bank? That kind of seemed like a waste of time. But, Kevin did learn some valuable things while working there, and what's more, he couldn't be insured to drive the delivery truck until he was 25, or almost that. His birthday is in a week and a half, so we're all good on that front. Even though we don't really understand, God does, and that's good enough for us. =)

Anyway, I should sign off now...
Heather

Great Hymn Text!

2008-01-12T20:50:00.000-07:00

I love it when I stumble across a hymn that has a deep rich text that causes me to spend 10-15 minutes thinking. Here is the latest I've found:

Lavish Love, Abundant Beauty
(set to the Hyfrydol Tune - ie. Come Thou Long Expected Jesus)
Hymn #61 in Word Music's "Hymnal For Worship and Celebration"

Lavish love, abundant beauty,
Gracious gifts for heart and hand,
Life that fills the soul and senses,
All burst forth at Your command.
Lord, our Lord, Eternal Father,
Great Creator, God and Friend,
Boundless pow'r gave full expression
To Your love which knows no end.

Who am I that You should love me,
Meet my every need from birth?
Why invest Yourself so fully,
In a creature made of earth?
In Your loving heart You planned me,
Fashioned me with greatest care;
Through my soul You breathed Your Spirit,
Planted Your own image there.

I am Yours, Eternal Father,
All my body, mind and heart.
Take and use me to Your glory,
Form Yourself in every part.
Lord, Your love brings joy and gladness,
Flowing forth within my soul.
May my very breath and being,
Rise to You, their source and goal.

...Wow... selah.

Finding Out His Greatness...
Kevin

Thank God, He Works Inspite of Us!

2008-01-12T19:49:00.000-07:00

Thinking back on 2007, the word that comes to mind is "potential."
I could have done so much more of the things I know I'm supposed to be doing!

2 Corinthians 12:15 "And I will very gladly spend and be spent for you; though the more abundantly I love you, the less I be loved."

And I could have been (in His strength) so much more of who God commands me to be.

Psalm 51:17 "The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise."

I'm still working on this kind of a mindset when it comes to serving God with all my life - outward actions, and inner heart.
If I'm not careful, I sometimes let this sort of thinking discourage me in regards to the likelihood of 2008 being any better than 2007. The occasional, "why bother trying" enters my thinking from time to time. But the following verse encouraged me (and might encourage you too), that no matter the degree of my shortcomings, God will still accomplish what He wants to accomplish. This verse even encourages me to think that whatever mistakes I make, God will still accomplish what He wants to in my spiritual growth.

Ecc. 3:14 - "I know that, whatsoever God doeth, it shall be for ever: nothing can be put to it, nor any thing taken from it: and God doeth it, that men should fear before him."

Merry... ...ummm... ...Christmas... sort of....

2007-12-22T21:46:00.000-07:00

To All Our Liberal Friends:

Please accept with no obligation, implied or implicit, our best wishes for an environmentally conscious, socially responsible, low-stress, non-addictive, gender-neutral celebration of the winter solstice holiday, practiced within the most enjoyable traditions of the religious persuasion of your choice, or secular practices of your choice, with respect for the religious/secular persuasion and/or traditions of others, or their choice not to practice religious or secular traditions at all. We also wish you a fiscally successful, personally fulfilling and medically uncomplicated recognition of the onset of the generally accepted calendar year 2008, but not without due respect for the calendars of choice of other cultures whose contributions to society have helped make Canada great. Not to imply that Canada is necessarily greater than any other country. Also, this wish is made without regard to the race, creed, color, age, physical ability, religious faith or sexual preference of the wishee.

Please sign to acknowledge consent that the above well-wisher means you no disrespect/insult and that you will not pursue legal actions:

signature:

To All Our Conservative Friends:

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

'Tis the season...

2007-12-21T15:18:00.000-07:00

This is the time of year when, amid all the hustle and bustle, people like to pause and reflect...Selah.

So, that's what I'm doing, at least for a few moments before I have to rush off to get Kevin from work. I was thinking about Christmas during my devotions this morning, since the holiday is fast approaching, but not because I was reading in Matthew or Luke. I was actually reading in Psalms when I was challenged with children's excitement for Christmas morning. The verse that got me pondering was Ps. 130:6 - "My soul waiteth for the Lord more than they that watch for the morning: I say, more than they that watch for the morning." Now, I know the author didn't have Christmas morning in mind when writing this song, however, I started thinking of people who "watch for the morning." I would if I was afraid of the dark, or something like that, I'm sure. But I couldn't help picturing the epitome of "watching for the morning:" a child on Christmas Eve. The next questions obiously, is, "Does my soul wait for the Lord more?" Hmmm...a quesiton I don't want to answer some days. However, the author had it right...waiting on the Lord always carries far more fulfillment than an anxious child finds in Christmas Day. May God give each of us a renewed vision for the joy that can always be found in Him. For truly, God has blessed us, everyone! Merry Christmas!

Current Issue: The Golden Compass Controversy!

2007-11-06T17:59:00.000-07:00

Here's some cuts from some articles on a current issue I think we all need to be aware of, and maybe even make other believers aware of!
This is all in relation to a movie coming out on December 7th, called "The Golden Compass"
Here's the movies official website! http://www.goldencompassmovie.com/
Watch the trailer and do some reading.The controversy surrounding this movie should raise your eyebrows!

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The following article can be found at:
http://www.liberty.edu/academics/communications/champion/index.cfm?PID=10609&CAID=338

by Stephen Nelson

This winter, “The Golden Compass” arrives in theaters, and so far it has been met with chilly accord because of its anti-Christian message. The film is an adaptation of the famous children’s novel of the same name by author Philip Pullman, a proclaimed atheist. Many critics have found his story to be an utter rejection of Christianity. In fact, the story is an antithesis of Christianity.
Pullman’s story in its entirety is entitled “His Dark Materials.” The “Golden Compass” is the first installment. The story revolves around the brazen orphan, Lyra Belacqua, and her attempt to save the children of Oxford from the villainous Ms. Coulter.
Pullman’s eloquence is at its best with clever pseudonyms for things that co-exist in both Lyra’s world and the readers. Religious allegories for the Catholic Church exist in the form of the Magisterium, an authoritative governing force that controls the law.
But to the casual reader, these religious undertones will be overshadowed by much of the fantasy action. The allegories grow less subtle with each installment of the trilogy. In the final installment, Lyra and her friend, Will, together travel to their universe’s heaven to kill “The Authority.”
Pullman is quoted in many interviews that the “His Dark Materials” trilogy, is an anti-Narnia series for children. In the “New Yorker” article “Far From Narnia,” Pullman is quoted saying that the C.S. Lewis’ “Chronicles of Narnia” are “morally loathsome.” Pullman will not win brownie points with Christian parents or fans of Lewis’ Narnia for such a comment....

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This article can be found at:

http://www.mtv.com/movies/news/articles/1573421/story.jhtml

'Golden Compass' Film Angering Christian Groups -- Even With Its Religious Themes Watered Down

Catholic League worries that movie will encourage parents to buy the 'anti-Christian' books for their kids.

Thought Harry Potter was blasphemous? That was kids' stuff compared to the "His Dark Materials" trilogy, in which God is an imposter, angels are sexually ambiguous and the Church kidnaps, tortures and assassinates to achieve its goals, one of which is stealing children's souls.

But try as the filmmakers might to take religion out of the equation in the first installment — "The Golden Compass," due December 7 — Christian groups are gearing up to protest and fans are urging New Line not to water down the provocative material in remaining films.

The Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights... takes this issue... seriously. The anti-defamation group accuses the film of "selling atheism to kids" and has produced its own booklet in response, "The Golden Compass: Agenda Unmasked," which it's been distributing to churches and other Christian groups.

The evangelical-activist group Focus on the Family, which plans to release a statement about the film early next week, says it's in agreement with Christian leaders and organizations on the issue. Adam Holz, associate editor of Focus on the Family's Plugged In magazine, told MTV News he fears the movie would "plant seeds" to "ultimately encourage some fans to reject God."

Also, Snopes.com, which typically debunks urban legends, claims that the assertion that the film has "anti-religious" themes is "true." (Kansas State literature professor Philip Nel posted an open letter in refute, saying it would be more accurate to call it "a matter of debate.")

Ironically, this debate was exactly what New Line was trying to avoid by softening the religious references in "The Golden Compass." (Whether religion would reappear in "The Subtle Knife" or "The Amber Spyglass," producer Bob Shea told MTV News that plans weren't firm yet: "One film at a time!") So in "Compass," the revisionist Church is simply referred to as the "Magisterium," because the focus is the power of the agency, not the agency itself.

"Religion is at its best when it's far from power," author Philip Pullman said during his Times Talks appearance Tuesday. "When a religion gains power, it goes bad."

"The Church is a symbol of oppression in the books," HisDarkMaterials.org webmaster Ryan den Rooijen said, "and they've retained that essence. Even if they don't name it as the Church, it's not a terrible loss. The story is still retained."

"We'll have to deal [with God and the angels] when we get to the next bit," said "Golden Compass" director Chris Weitz. "I don't think anyone here sees it as a particularly [controversial] series of films that we're making."

"Much has already been made of the fact that New Line Cinema and this film's creators have tried to downplay any anti-church and anti-Christian bias the books it is based on may contain," Focus on the Family's Holz said. "But that bias is there."

"This is the least offensive of the three, and they're watering down the most despicable elements, so why the protest? Not because it's going to be so shocking," Catholic League President Bill Donohue said. "The protest is this: It's being done at Christmastime, and when parents don't find the film troubling, they're going to buy the books for their kids as Christmas gifts. They're doing it through the back door, in a stealth fashion, because each book becomes more provocative, more aggressive and more anti-Christian. I've never seen anything quite like this before, to use a movie like this."

"We'll obviously be happy if they led more kids to read the books," Weitz said, "because they're wonderful books. We should be so lucky. Most readers see this as a story of a young girl fighting the odds, and the intellectual content is a bit of a bonus."

Defenders of Pullman's works — who range from liberal Christians to religious scholars to readers of the books — counter that the Gnostic and Nietzschean ponderings in the series shouldn't make conservative Christians fear that their kids will be "seduced" into atheism. Calling the online chatter "fearful to the point of hysterical," Boston University religion professor Donna Freitas argues on BeliefNet.com that the challenges to traditional images of God should be welcomed, not protested, as part of a "lively dialogue about faith."

Though independent Christian groups may be opposed, not everyone in the Church is upset about that dialogue. Archbishop of Canterbury Dr. Rowan Williams has even proposed that "His Dark Materials" be taught as part of religious education in schools.

"I found that to be one of the most provocative elements, the religious overtones, aspects, ramifications of the thing," said actor Sam Elliott, who plays Lee Scoresby in "The Golden Compass." "It's thought-provoking, is all. It's good material, good stuff. But why not deal with it? That's how I feel. It's provocative material, and deal with it as such."

"I really hope that they keep the religious subtext," said 16-year-old "His Dark Materials" fan Zoe Maltby. "If they cut it out, it makes it more like a summer blockbuster, and it's so much more than that."

Check out everything we've got on "The Golden Compass."

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This is the most dangerous author in Britain.

Philip Pullman is being hailed as the new C. S. Lewis after being awarded the Whitbread Book of the Year prize for his latest novel aimed at children: The Amber Spyglass. The judges described it as visionary, but PETER HITCHENS reveals that the author appears to have his own sinister agenda…

The atheists have driven God out of the classroom and off the TV and the radio, and done a pretty good job of expelling him from the churches as well. But one stubborn and important pocket of Christianity survives, in the Narnia stories of C. S. Lewis. Now here comes an opportunity to dethrone him and supplant his books with others which proclaim the death of God to the young.

If you are wondering why the children's author Philip Pullman has collected a major prize and why such a huge fuss is being made of him, now you know. He is the anti-Lewis, the one the atheists would have been praying for, if atheists prayed.

Children instinctively like Lewis's enthralling stories and often do not even notice their religious message, though it frequently goes deep into their minds and emerges later. How infuriating this is for liberal but literate parents, the sort of people who work for the BBC and want all the advantages of a Christian culture without the tiresome bother of having to worship a God they think they are too smart to believe in. Spotting this trend, Lewis's publishers last year toyed with producing 'sequels' without any Christian references, but retreated under a barrage of thunderbolts from Lewis supporters.

Until now, liberal, atheist parents have had to buy the Narnia books, reading them out loud to their young between clenched teeth, hoping the messages of faith, forgiveness, grace and resurrection do not get through. Now at last they have an alternative and an antidote, the supposedly brilliant Pullman, who - according to the reviewers - is a new Lewis and a new Chekhov rolled into one.

Of his three famous children's books, the first two, Northern Lights and The Subtle Knife, are captivating and clever, but the third, which took the Whitbread prize, is a disappointing clunker with some gruesome and needlessly nasty scenes. This is probably because The Amber Spyglass - in which God dies - is too loaded down with propaganda to leave enough room for the story. None of the trilogy is a patch on any of the Narnia chronicles. You can't help wondering if the praise and the prizes, handed out by reliable, liberal establishment sorts such as Channel 4 News's Jon Snow, are because of Pullman's views as much as his writing. For Pullman has said: 'I hate the Narnia books, and I hate them with deep and bitter passion, with their view of childhood as a golden age from which sexuality and adulthood are a falling-away.'

He knows perfectly well what he is doing. He openly and rightly believes storytelling can be a form of moral propaganda: 'All stories teach, whether the storyteller intends them to or not. They teach the world we create. They teach the morality we live by. They teach it much more effectively than moral precepts and instructions... We don't need lists of rights and wrongs, tables of do's and don'ts: we need books, time and silence. "Thou shalt not" is soon forgotten.'

Pullman has said many times that he thinks God is dead. Since he cannot know if this is true, it raises the question of whether he also hopes that God is dead.

He told an Oxford literary conference in August 2000: 'We're used to the Kingdom of Heaven; but you can tell from the genera thrust of the book that I'm of the devil's party, like Milton. And I think it's time we thought about a republic of Heaven instead of the Kingdom of Heaven. The King is dead. That's to say I believe the King is dead. I'm an atheist. But we need Heaven nonetheless, we need all the things that Heaven meant, we need joy, we need a sense of meaning and purpose in our lives, we need a connection with the universe, we need all the things the Kingdom of Heaven used to promise us but failed to deliver.'

None of this makes sense. If there is no God, then who makes the rules of the supernatural world which Pullman creates, in which people have visible souls called daemons; magic knives cut holes between the worlds and spectres devour life? How is it that the dead live on in a ghastly underworld of unending misery and torment, yet there is no Heaven?

In his worlds, the Church is wicked, cruel and child-hating; priests are sinister, murderous or drunk. Political correctness creeps in leadenly. There is a brave African king and a pair of apparently homosexual angels. The one religious character who turns out to be benevolent is that liberal favourite, an ex-nun who has renounced her vows and lost her faith. Even so, she sets out on a perilous journey when ordered to do so by angels, who speak to her through a computer.

Pullman, like Lewis, lives in Oxford, though a long way from the outlying suburb where the creator of Namia once dwelt and is now buried. A good thing, probably. The sound of Lewis chuckling from his grave at the idea of angels speaking to a renegade nun through a computer might get on Pullman's nerves.

peter.hitchens@mailonsunday.co.uk

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See also: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/His_Dark_Materials:_The_Golden_Compass

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Sorry for the Long Read!

Things that scare me most about this movie and the potential two sequals to follow:

1. Children will think its cute that their soul can show up on the outside of them in the form an animal that's called their "daemon." Kids can go to the movies website and meet their own daemon right now! Yes, Thousand of Kids are being "assigned" a daemon!!! This could have occultism tones behind it!

2. Children will probably have their thinking effected towards difficulty in trusting religion/church/etc.

3. If the final movie is made on the third book, children will watch a young girl walk up to an old man that is supposed to be God Almighty, and kill him in cold blood in order to free her universe and all other universes from the controlling oppression that he has had.

Long read I know (sorry), but a current issue that could potentially cause some problems in our churches in the next year or so, especially in our children's ministries! If this trilogy of movies takes flight, we could see new kids coming into our children's ministries saying things like "my daemon is a bunny rabbit," or, "churches are bad, they try to steal kids' souls," or even, "I wish I could kill God, that'd be awesome!"

YIKES!

We are at war!!

-Kevin

Finding Out His Greatness...

2007-11-02T14:09:00.000-06:00

One of my favorite hymn texts is as follows (hence the source of my "signing off" phrase, Finding Out His Greatness...).

Jesus, I am resting,
Resting in the joy of what Thou art,
I am finding out the greatness
Of Thy loving heart.

Thou hast bid me gaze upon Thee,
And Thy beauty fills my soul,
For by Thy transforming power,
Thou hast made me whole.

Simply trusting Thee, Lord Jesus,
I behold Thee as Thou art,
And Thy love so pure, so changeless,
satisfies my heart.

Satisfies its deepest longings,
Meets, supplies its every need,
'Compesseth me round with blessings,
Thine is love indeed!

Ever lift Thy face upon me,
As I work and wait for Thee,
Resting 'neath Thy smile, Lord Jesus,
Earth's dark Shadows flee.

Brightness of my Father's glory,
Sunshine of my Father's face,
Keep me ever trusting, resting,
Fill me with Thy grace.

Jesus, I am resting,
Resting in the joy of what Thou art,
I am finding out the greatness
Of Thy loving heart.

This past week, Heather and I have seen God provide in really neat ways. I won't go into all of the details, only enough to say that we went from being not sure about groceries to being fine for the month of November. And then on top of that, God has answered our request for a good second job that suits my situation as a part time assistant pastor. I'll be starting as a bank teller in the near future (not sure when yet, I'm waiting for some final details).

In addition to this, Heather's immigration paperwork seems to be on some kind of invisible fast track. We have gone through all of the paper application stages and are now on to the stage where we have a face-to face interview with an immigration representative regarding Heather's application for permanent resident status. That interview is going to be this next week so please pray for God's will to be done.

This past month, we've been praying for God to provide in His way and in His timing on several fronts, and to do it all in such a way so that we'll learn whatever lessons He wants us to learn. We've learned the "trust" lesson on a deeper level by seeing Him provide in ways we would never have thought of, and in a timing that we wouldn't have chosen if given the choice! And that does big things in boosting one's faith! Its a good thing that I'm not in charge of my own life (especially since the times when I've tried to take control have always ended with a "face-in-the-mud" experience).

We are still Finding Out His Greatness (and I am understanding more and more that we will never truly find it all out)!!!

Finding Out His Greatness...
Kevin (and Heather says Hi!)

Summer Part II

2007-08-25T17:36:00.002-06:00

Since the visit with Heather's parents, we've been quite busy. A couple of other responsibilities came in right around the same time as our Vacation Bible School and made for a busy two week stretch.
The VBS went quite well! We had lots of kids and they seemed to learn lots. It always amazes me how much kids can absorb and retain. We did the RBP's Rescue Zone Theme! The kids learned the following lessons: Saved to Praise God, Saved to show God's Greatness, Saved to Know Jesus is God, Saved to Love and Obey God, and Saved to Trust God.

After VBS we left for Stewart, BC with our friends for a much needed vacation. (We are going to be here until next friday, August 31). The drive here was great! The first leg of our trip was from Edmonton to Prince George, where we tented for the night. while passing through Jasper, we saw over 20 elk in one herd, several solitary elk, a bull moose., and couple of black bears (none of which I was able to take pictures of since we were driving at highway speed. After tenting in a campground near Prince George, we drove the final 8 hours through Smithers to Stewart. Stewart is a breathtakingly beautiful town. There's a string of mountains on either side with glaciers pouring over cliff's off of the ice fields to the southeast and northwest of us. The drive in through the pass north east is winding and twisting, but the sights are well worth it. The river that flows past the town empties into a very long bay in the Southwest that will take you all the way to the Pacific. This bay is actually the border line between British Columbia and Alaska.

Since we've been here in Stewart, we've walked around on the tide flats (both on the boardwalk and off).
We've also been to Fish Creek, (Fish Creek is a small park in Hyder Alaska, about 10 minutes from Stewart, where you can walk on a raised boardwalk above the stream and watch the bears gather beneath as the Chinook Salmon run from the ocean to spawn and die.)

And we've also driven about 60 minutes north through Alaska and back into Canada to see the Salmon Glacier. We hiked for 1.5 hours from the parking lot down to the glacier's edge. I actually stepped onto some snow at the glacier's edge, but none of us dared walk out onto it since the edges are dangerous and full of cracks and ice caves.

The little church in Hyder Alaska is very nice. Its called Brookside Baptist Church. They've asked me to speak there on this coming Wednesday night.

Stewart and Hyder are like another world. There are only 400 or so people living in the area. The other day, we went down to the dock in the bay, (or "chuck" as they call it), to watch the float plane land and take off again after delivering the town's mail from a bigger island city called
Ketchikan, Alaska. Time is almost non-existent here. People seem to just putter away at daily duties with a light hearted, small-town, care-free cheerfulness without even knowing what day of the week it is (or maybe that's just because we're on vacation). It's one of the wettest places I've ever been since the foggy coast of New Brunswick too! We've had a few hours of sun so far, and I've learned a local motto that tells me that this weather is normal: "In Stewart, if you don't do something in the rain, you don't do it." Hence me finding time to update our blog in the nice dry house.
Well, we'll post a little more as our vacation concludes and we settle into the fall routine. I'm currently looking for a part-time job. I work 10 hours a week for the church and I'd like to work 30 hours a week at a job that is low-energy so that I can save my energy for church events. That is a matter of prayer for the immediate future. I'll keep you all posted on any news.

Finding Out His Greatness...
Kevin

Summer: part 1

2007-08-24T14:58:00.000-06:00

What a summer! I think stress has been a way of life for us recently. Praise the Lord for vacation time! We had a lot going on during the summer months, and quite frankly, I'll be thankful when we finally have a schedule to live by this fall.

Our first big event for the summer was taking the teens and juniors to camp. What an experience that was! Kevin went down (2.5 hours away from Edmonton) by himself for the first week to chap and lend a hand, and I was able to go with him for the junior week of camp. There is a group from Arizona called "Camps on Wheels" or C.O.W.S. as everyone calls them, who come up to Alberta for 2 weeks every summer to run camp for us. Eventually we'd like to see the Western Canadian churches take on this project, but it may be a few years yet before we can man something like that. The staff were so wonderful, and really had a genuine heart for the Lord. It was fun to hang out with the kids and help out in the kitchen and cleaning the bathrooms and stuff. We were able to spend some time with some of the students we taught this last school year too. It was neat for us to be the "fun" adults rather than the "boring, mean" teachers that always had to enforce the rules. Here's a glimpse of our time there.

The boy in the orange hooded sweatshirt (below on the right), who was by the way, the only Jr. Camper from our church, got saved during Jr. Camp...Praise the Lord!

Mid summer, my parents came up to visit us from Ohio. We had a wonderful time catching up on the last year of our lives, and all the things that the Lord has done in that time. They got to meet people from our church which was quite a fun thing for Kevin and I (Now they know who we're talking about when we call and talk). We took them to Jasper National Park in the Rockies for a 2 day visit...that was awesome.

A Mountain Jay tried to crash land on our picnic...

And the chipmunks were quite friendly.

My dad was surprised at the snow at the end of July.

And although we had a great time together,

we did see a few things that made Mom nervous...

That's only half the summer...I still have to write about VBS and the vacation we're currently enjoying. More to come!

The Promised Pictures

2007-07-05T23:25:00.000-06:00

AT LAST!
Here's the pictures of our new place that we've been promising:

(exterior)

(exterior - yard)

(Kitchen/Dining Room)

(Living Room)

(Left: Study - still unpacking books & stuff, Right: Spare Bedroom)

(Master Bedroom)

We're still scratching our heads to figure out how all of this came to be! God is our provider and lately He's been choosing to bless us beyond what we deserve! Praise Him that we have a place ideal for hospitality.

P.S. Praise God that the church voted yes! More details available if you e-mail us. (No time to write anymore tonight - its bedtime!)

Finding Out His Greatness...
the Burrills

Welcome to the Park!

2007-06-23T10:11:00.001-06:00

It's almost over! Our chaotic month of June has been a real blast-and-a-half.
The story of God's provision for our new place in Sherwood Park (a suburb of Edmonton) is really neat. We heard about this facility of Town Homes from our senior pastor, pastor Pruden who used to live there. We sent in our application and didn't expect anything to come of it. First of all, the waiting lists around here for housing are crazy long. And second of all, the three-bedroom place was advertised for $865/month which seemed like it couldn't be true since most three-bedroom rental places are going for $1,000-$1,200 (that made us wonder what the place was like on the inside) (And remember that our 2-bedroom, third-floor apartment in a not-so-nice building, in a not-so-nice area, was $870/month!). We got a call from the manager who confirmed for us on the phone that the price was $865/month and that they liked our application and were singling us out from the long waiting list. We found out when we met with her to walk through the place that her boss had called her shortly after our phone conversation and told her to raise the new entry rate to $990/month. She asked him if she could still give us the $865 rate since she had just given us verbal confirmation of that price, and he agreed! The place looks incredible (see photos). We signed for 12 months. PRAISE GOD! We didn't need a place this nice. Its almost as if God reached down and said, "Here, I know you don't deserve this, but I want you to have it anyways." Pray with us that our hearts will stay humbled in all of this and that our gift from God won't morph from a "privilege" into a "right".
Here's some pics of the moving/painting stage:
(coming soon)

(some pics of the almost-finished product coming soon)

The invitation is still open for all to come and visit. We want to share our new place with anyone coming this way! (The Burrill Bed and Breakfast is open - free of charge!).
Heather sent out our new address and phone #. If you didn't get it, just post a comment on this blog entry of how we can contact you, or e-mail us.

P.S. - If you think of it, pray for us on July 4th! That is the day that our church family will be voting on us as part-time asst. pastor. Pray that God's will would be our will and the church's will!

Love to all! (And a "Hi" from Heather)
Finding Out His Greatness...
The Burrills

News and stuff...

2007-05-24T10:15:00.000-06:00

Boxes...

BOXES!!!!

54.84907633798 boxes down, 68,008,796 to go!

I decided to take a bit of a break and let you all know some of the latest. I didn't realize how much extra work it is to move...bleh! God bless the people in the military...I don't know how they do it!

We're packing the truck on Tuesday night, staying with some friends for a couple days, and moving into our new place a week from Saturday. (We had some issues with when we could move in.) So, needless to say, the next few days will be quite busy with wrapping up loose ends.

I'm so excited about moving to a place where we feel like we can really settle for a while instead of knowing that we can't get too comfy 'cause we'll be moving soon. We actually get to paint and use our own decor! YAY!!

So, churchwise, we're doing well. Things are gearing up for the summer. Kevin is in charge of VBS again this summer, so we're going to be in the planning stages for that very soon. It's not until August, but you know how that goes. We're also looking at taking the teens to camp this summer. We'll just go along and help out however we can...counseling, cleaning, whatever.

We found out last week that the church will be voting on Kevin as part time Assistant Pastor on July 4. His responsibilities would include overseeing the music ministry (which he does already), overseeing the "management" side of church things (making sure we have enough supplies, office stuff, gophering, etc.), and overseeing the Sunday School/Children's Ministries. That will really free up Pastor to do a lot more counseling and studying in general. We're going to be having a Q & A time with the church on June 24th so that the church members can ask us whatever questions they haven't yet. We're really excited about the opportunity to minister to Pastor and the church this way...there is so much work to be done, and we want to jump in with both feet.

We're having our church's 9th anniversary on Sunday (though the current Pastor has only been here for about 2 years) and a baptism service in the morning. There is one man at least, and possibly a lady (who just got saved recently) getting baptized. Then in the 2nd service, we're having 10 or so candidates for membership share their testimonies and etc. I'm really looking forward to that, and I think it will really help boost the strength of the church overall, because as it is right now, we're at about 35ish members to 100ish attendees which is only 30%. That's part of the reason that Pastor has so much counseling on his hands. A lot of our people are not to the spiritual maturity for membership and faithfulness. So, needless to say, we're VERY excited about Sunday!

Please pray for us if you would. Kevin needs wisdom to know what to do for a job this fall. School is out June 15. He has some odd jobs to do this summer, along with the 10 hours a week for church (if they vote him on staff), so that's fine. This fall is the kicker though. We have a few options, but we need wisdom to know what to pursue and how far. Kevin would really love to teach strings lessons, but we need to put in the foot work to find out what kind of market there is. Our new location will be excellent, but we'll have to wait and see what happens.

Anyway, I should sign off...Love to all...

Finding Out His Greatness, Heather

(See our new church website at: www.lighthousebaptist.ca)

Oh yeah, I have our new address and phone number, and I'll be sending that info along shortly.

The reason I'm excited about laundry...

2007-05-11T15:31:00.000-06:00

I thought that as soon as I moved away from Northland, paying $1.50 for each load of laundry would be history. Not so, in our apartment laundry room, now it's $3.50 per load...grrr... That would only make a senile person excited, you say. Well, you're right. And I'd agree with you if we weren't moving. I said, WE'RE MOVING!!!!!!

So, I decided to take a break from packing boxes, and update you all on the latest big news from the Burrill Household. Praise the Lord, we're finally moving to a more ministry-friendly location! For the last 9 months (wow.) we've been living on the south side of Edmonton, a good 20 or 30 minute drive from church, depending on traffic. We have been thinking for quite a while about moving out of our apartment into something better, but everything around here is so expensive, that it's been difficult to find something. (Rent prices have been in the news quite often of late...it's that bad.) It wasn't really the money that was an issue, the Lord has provided very faithfully for us. It was more the location, the management, the danger (we live in a not-so-safe area of the city).

Also, since we live on the south side and the church is on the north side, it's quite difficult to arrange a dinner with people who have to drive an hour across town just to get here. Plus, living on the 3rd floor with no elevator made it impossible for us to entertain the older saints...grrrr....

So, I sent in an application to a wonderful little place not far from church, but honestly didn't expect to hear from them, since the waiting list is so long. But, they called us a week and a half later. You'd probably have to live here to understand what a miracle that is, but it is a huge miracle. Everyone that we told was shocked that we were even called at all. So, we went to see it and signed the papers on Wednesday...and it's a good thing too. While we were there, the manager told us that we had JUST squeeked in under the cheaper rental price and that everyone coming to sign after us had to pay a price $130 per month more! We needed to purchase a washer and dryer for the townhouse, and the Lord led us to a really good deal in the bargain finder. We'll be moving at the end of the month. I'll send along our new address via e-mail as soon as I know what it is. That's the reason that, though I honestly never thought I'd ever say it, I'm excited about laundry...

Love to all, Heather

Greetings from Lighthouse Baptist Church

2007-03-10T14:19:00.000-07:00

Wow. Too long since I’ve posted anything!

Heather and I are sitting in the home of some very nice people in Regina, Saskatchewan (Glenn and Allyson Beckel). Why are we in Regina? Well, Pastor Mark Roebuck (formerly our assistant Pastor at Lighthouse Baptist Church in Edmonton) was called of God around Christmas time to come and take the Senior pastor’s position here in Regina. The church has been looking for a pastor for some time and has shrunk down to only a few families. Pastor Mark came here at the beginning of February and wanted to start off by holding some evangelistic meetings (being held this week) and we’ve come to visit and help out with some of the music. Since Pastor Mark came here in February, several people have decided to come back to the church who had previously left, two people have been saved, and one person has rededicated their life to the Lord. (God is moving and working here.)

This is a picture of Pastor Mark, his wife Jen, and their kids Kasandra, and Matthew.

Heather and I are doing well! Heather’s dad was able to arrange to have a bunch of stuff sent up to us through a trucking company that had some space to rent on a truck that was going from Lafayette to Edmonton. Since he is moving to Ohio to his wife Meg’s place he was looking to pass on a lot of the stuff from their place in Lafayette. He sent us two beds, a couch, a loveseat, all of our wedding presents that we had to leave behind since we were flying up here. Needless to say, the wait is over! No more doing without the things we owned but couldn't use because they were thousands of miles away.

Heather and I have just started sharing the responsibilities of Office Assistant at Lighthouse Baptist Church (as of March 1rst). It’s neat to be able to use past secretarial experience to be a blessing at church but the situation behind us filling in here is really sad. In a way we’re thankful to be able to serve. But on the other hand, it’s tough to fill in when the reasons that you’re needed are disheartening. This means that life will be busy for me until school is out in June. And then I'll be able to do lots for the church during the summer.

School for me is going well. My fifth and sixth graders are getting less and less excited about being in class, and more and more excited about being outside. (The snow is melting like crazy. It’s been in the low forties - or 4-9 degrees in our terms - for some about a week now.) The only down side to that is that I’m pretty sure that this is a false Spring and that we’ll be back to cold and snow before the real Spring comes in April. We teach the ABeka Book video school from Pensecola here and the pace is fast. Also, there's a pile of stuff to grade on a consistent basis. Pray that I'll be able to keep on top of it all until June. Heather has been a constnat source of encouragment and help to me. (I sure am thankful God gave her to me. I'd be swamped without her help.)

The church has been through a bit of a rough spot and we've still got a few struggles going on. But overall, God is working towards what I believe will be great things. Pastor Dave has announced to the church that they'll vote on Heather and I as the Assistant Pastor in June.(Please pray for that, I was chomping at the bit last summer, but now that its reality and just around the corner, I feel unprepared and inadequate (A good thing I guess, I'll have to rely on God!)

Anyways, I have to run. Maybe I’ll add more to this post when I get a chance, (or just start a new one soon and keep on top of it better.)

Love you all,

Finding Out His Greatness… …still…. …don’t think we’ll ever find it all out in this life!

Kevin and Heather

Journal of a New Year's Eve Experience

2007-01-06T09:34:00.000-07:00

Part I ~ December 31, 2006

9:30pm, Eastern Time, Toronto.

So, I'm sitting in the Toronto International Airport with my husband and 4 perfect strangers...not so strange to us anymore. Funny how the circumstances of life change things formerly perceived. We traveled with one of them from Edmonton a week ago (we only remember her because she reminds us of Mrs. Habing.) Then today, we were all on the same flight home from New Brunswick (delayed because the plane had a flat tire). We missed our Toronto connection by about 15 minutes, so we're waiting for another flight home...which doesn't leave for another hour. We spent some time at a restaurant chatting about nothing in particular, and found that the 6 of us have some mutual friends of friends of friends. Small world, this.

That is why I am finally taking the time to update our blog. I have nothing else to do but play solitaire. =) We had a great holiday with family and friends. Being with Kevin's family was wonderful. Kevin's dad is home from Romania for good, so we were able to catch up with him. We met our new nephew (the one born the weekend before our wedding), spent some time with my sister-in-laws, copied down a bunch of Mom's recipes, and I got lost in the woods on a really long hike with the dog (um...word to the wise...don't hike through woods that are unfamiliar to you unless you have more intelligent company than a dog.)

We got to see several people we haven't seen in a while like Josh and Erica (Mawhinney) Burrill, and Fuzz and Sarah Henderson. Great to catch up with you guys in the limited time we had!

Part II ~ December 31, 2006

10:30pm, Eastern Time, Toronto.

We were supposed to board the plane 5 minutes ago, but the flight crew is missing in action, so...we wait.

Part III ~ December 31, 2006

11:15pm, Eastern Time, Toronto.

Sigh...

Part IV ~ January 1, 2007

12:00am, Eastern Time, Central Time, and

Mountain Time, 35,000 feet above Manitoba,

Saskatchewan, and Alberta.

Hmm. Three New Years in three hours. Busy day.

Part V ~ January 1, 2007

3:00am, Mountain Time, Edmonton.

We made it home, just in case you were wondering. Thanks to Sheldon for coming to pick us up at such an insane time! =)

Happy New Year everyone!

Much love, Heather for us both

PS...Kevin will have to upload pictures of our Christmas break next time he blogs. The computer us not letting me upload...again. =)

Christmas Letter/Card

2006-12-24T13:26:00.000-07:00

In the chaos of our first couple of months together it’s looking like we are not going to be able to get any Christmas cards out to friends and family. So here is the latest news and a few pictures to bring you all up to date (hopefully).

Heather is plugging away with her teaching 5^th and 6^th grade at Meadows Baptist Academy (the small Christian school based out of Meadowlands Baptist Church). Her work is volunteer until we can secure a work permit for her from the Canadian government (that’s a prayer request). The school is working on getting approved to hire her. Once they are approved, we can send an application to a Canadian Embassy in the States (Seattle is the closest). If we pass that stage, they will send us an official letter of approval which we then need to take to a port of entry (thankfully the international airport here is sufficient otherwise we’d have to drive to Montana and back which is probably an 8 or 9 hour drive one way). Then Canada Immigration will issue the work permit at the port of entry.

In addition to the fun of the work permit application, is the process of applying for Heather’s permanent residence status in Canada. We’ve finally compiled all of the necessary pieces of information (everything from my tax history to having medical exams for her), and we’ve sent in the application to the government. The next step is to wait six to twelve months for a reply (at which point she could still be declined). (That’s a prayer request of ours too... Not that she'll be declined, but accepted.)

On top of that, Heather’s visitor status (which is what allows her to legally live here for now) ends on February 5^th. We submitted an application to extend her visitor status along with her permanent residence application. We're hoping she can stay as a visitor for as long as it takes them to approve/disapprove her permanent residence application. SOUNDS FUN EH?

Needless to say, we have been learning much in the past few months together. Contentment, not complaining (even about legitimately annoying things like government… …oops, there I go again!), trusting God for provisions (we weren’t planning on living off of my salary alone for this long), and spending and being spent for the cause of Christ no matter how tired or worn down we are. We haven’t learned all of these lessons fully and God is still working on us. We appreciate your prayers as we settle into life together.

The Church here in Edmonton (Lighthouse Baptist Church) is doing well, but we also have our struggles. We have taken a step back in regular attendance recently, but I don't believe its any indicator of the church's spiritual growth. We are getting stronger and closer together (even since I've been here in June). This is likely due to a few trials that we've been through. The church family is closely knit and loves spending time together (sometimes a couple of hours after the service before we leave the building). The church has lots of baby christians who are trying to "figure the whole thing out." We are praying that us "mature" Christians won't rub off their new-found enthusiasm for Christ, and instead, will gain a newness in our joy of salvation.

(Our Patch the Pirate Club kids)

One other thing that has been going on in my own heart personally is a “down-ness” about my walk with God. Maybe some of you other recent graduates from Northland can echo my feelings about leaving NBBC. (And maybe some of those of you who are still there can be warned about what might lie just around the corner and begin to prepare for it spiritually). I find that my walk with God has grown week and flimsy. I credit part of this phenomenon to the “Northland Bubble”, and part of it (probably the greater part) to my own lack of discipline. At Northland there was an incredible amount of positive pressure and influence from friends, classes, chapel, etc. to do right and draw closer to God. While in that setting I flourished spiritually and established - or at least I thought I established - a solid walk with God and a solid desire to pursue a knowledge of Him. Since coming to Edmonton, the positive influence on my walk with God has decreased considerably. (I’m not in Bible classes, not getting notes in my box with words of encouragement and verses to read, I’m not in chapel every day, which, lets face it, has some of the best and most Bible-based preaching in North America). I’m not slamming the church here in Edmonton; it is a place that encourages people towards Christ likeness. It’s just that the quantity of influence has changed. I believe I’m coming through the end of this time and am starting to figure out how to manage my time and energy better to focus on my walk with the Lord of my own accord. Trust me, had I known that my walk with God was as dependant on the influence and motivation of those around me, I would have done something about it and sought the Lord on it. (Understand that I’m not referring to motives, my motives were not to please others or look good for others. They were right in pursuing God for His glory).

Here is an illustration to help you picture what I mean. It’s like a parent who is training their child to ride a bike for the first time. They give the kid a nice long push start to get them moving and instruct the kid to keep peddling. The kid in the excitement of the push start forgets that he’ll need to keep peddling in order to maintain momentum and not fall over. When the parent lets go with one final shove the kids glides for a while and begins to slow down, and is just about to fall over. That is where I was a while ago. I hadn’t fallen, but I realized I was supposed to be peddling and started to peddle. But the speed hasn’t picked back up to where it was when I first got that big push.

What have some of you experienced in your post-Northland time? Maybe moving on to seminary has meant that you’re still getting pushed. Or maybe stepping into a full-time church leadership role has meant that you were very aware of the need to peddle or fall. I’d love to here all of your thoughts.

Anyways, enough rambling. (I miss all of your fellowship, can’t you tell). I hope you all have a joy-filled Christmas season remembering the love that motivated Christ to humiliate Himself in such a way. Have a God-honoring Christmas season.

(Christmas in our apartment)

In His Love, and finding out His greatness…

Kevin and Heather.

Food For Thought... Or Steak for the Soul.

2006-11-28T20:50:00.000-07:00

C.H. Spurgeon’s Morning and Evening Devotional, November 28^th morning, speaks of III John 3:

“The truth was in Gaius, and Gaius walked in the truth. If the first had not been the case, the second could never have occurred; and if the second could not be said of him the first would have been a mere pretence. Truth must enter into the soul, penetrate and saturate it, or else it is of no value. Doctrines held as a matter of creed are like bread in the hand, which ministers no nourishment to the frame; but doctrine accepted by the heart, is as food digested, which, by assimilation, sustains and builds up the body. In us truth must be a living force, an active energy, an indwelling reality, a part of the woof and warp of our being. If it be in us, we cannot henceforth part with it. A man may lose his garments or his limbs, but his inward parts are vital, and cannot be torn away without absolute loss of life. A Christian can die, but he cannot deny the truth. Now it is a rule of nature that the inward affects the outward, as light shines from the centre of the lantern through the glass: when, therefore, the truth is kindled within, its brightness soon beams forth in the outward life and conversation...To walk in the truth, imports a life of integrity, holiness, faithfulness, and simplicity-the natural product of those principles of truth which the gospel teaches, and which the Spirit of God enables us to receive. We may judge of the secrets of the soul by their manifestation in the man’s conversation. Be it ours to-day, O gracious Spirit, to be ruled and governed by thy divine authority, so that nothing false or sinful may reign in our hearts, lest it extend its malignant influence to our daily walk among men.”

Hope you get a minute to chew on that as I did. I needed it at this stage in my life. I find myself frustrated with things like Heather’s paperwork for Permanent Residence Status here in

Canada

, working construction in frigid weather when I am called to FULL TIME VOCATIONAL ministry. I was reminded to go to the truth that I already know and once again let that truth affect my walk with God. God is good; He knows what’s best; He is sanctifying me in His perfect way and timing!

A Tribute to Friends

2006-11-07T16:11:00.000-07:00

To my closest friends...

I would like to think that its not my pride that causes me to forget to pray for my closest friends. After all, I'm busy doing God's work.

I would like to think that its not my pride that causes me to neglect to tell my closest friends that I appreciate them and love them very much. After all, They know that already don't they?

I would like to think that its not pride that causes me to jump on every oppertunity to tell someone else about me, and never inquire about their lives. After all I have to be transparant with people don't I?

I would like to think its not pride...

...but I have no other reasonalbe excuse.

I don't think we could count how many times the apostle Paul thanked God for his friends in Christ. I don't think I could count how many times I've thanked God for my friends either, but for a different reason, becuase it happens so infrequently.

I want you all to know plain and simple, that I love you. I miss you and I will be thanking God for putting you in my life.

To help keep me accountable to praying for you I need one specific prayer request from each of you that I can commit to bearing for you before God's throne. When I do this regularly, I will then remember to thank Him for you as well.

Read John 15 (I'm preaching on it Sunday night). Abiding in Christ is such a privelege, not a duty or laborsome task! Why does my perspective on the issue keep shifting to the latter?! Easy answer: my sin nature. "Prone to wander, Lord I feel it" I read versees 13-15 and was meditating on what it means to be a friend of God! Wow. Feel free to reply with any thoughts you have about us being called the firends of God. I would find it encouraging.

Anyways, all that to say. Thank God for friends. God will never leave us nor forsake us we know, but how lonely this Christian life would be without God fearing friends. It is a privelege that I have taken for granted too often.

Finding Out His Greatness...

Kevin

Couples Retreat

2006-10-04T20:01:00.000-06:00

Its Northland all over again!
Heather and I were able to go to our first couples retreat this past weekend.
It was awsome. We went to a camp facility out in the country and the leaves were all changing. The best part of all was that Doc O. was the speaker. It was really good to catch up with he and Mrs. O again. I hope they remember to say hi for all of us up here.

Meadowlands Baptist Church hosted the conference and sent Doc O and his wife up to Jasper National park and then Banff National Park for a fews days rest and to enjoy the beauty of God's creation in the Canadian Rockies in September.
(all of the NBBC grads in Edmonton - L to R: Us, Paula & Duane Freison, Leah & Tim Nissly, Jim & Joan Tillotson, a visiting alumnist couple from Montana, and Doc & Mrs. Ollila in front.)

We learned lots and heard some old familiar jokes again. God was praised and lots of people who have been newly saved were given God's blueprints for their marriage for the first time. Some gave testimonies of having hope for the future of their marriage for the first time.

Praise God.
(still Finding Out His greatness...)
-Kevin and Heather

Honeymoon Part IV

2006-09-16T12:05:00.000-06:00

Friday, we went camping at – of all places – “Honeymoon Lake”. Not kidding! Kevin found this awesome little campground in Jasper National Park ont eh banks of Honeymoon Lake that was just perfect for the two days we spent there. However, it was pouring down rain when we first got there and set up camp. Those are “laugh about it later” kind of memories. =) It was a small quaint little lake with a million dollar vista view and lots of bear sightings…!

Saturday, we got to see Sunwapta and Athabaska Falls…I’m sure those things mean something in a native language somewhere, but I have no idea what. =) They were really pretty…

That afternoon, we went to Maligne Lake where we went canoeing for a while…what a blast!! I know some of you would have loved this! Did I mention that the water was amazing here too? The lake is 14 kilometers long and is surrounded by several incredible mountains. =)

We made one last stop at Mount Edith Cavell (named for a British nurse in WWI who was executed under charges of Espionage for helping injured soldiers from both sides in her hospital). That was a beautiful drive…

Anyways... that's our honeymoon in as brief a summary as we can provide.
Praise God for allowing us to have such a good time together in some of His most beautiful creation of all.
We'll try to catch you up with what's gone on in the last month here in Edmonton as we have a chance to.

Honeymoon - Part III

2006-09-09T16:10:00.000-06:00

Our next stop after Banff was beautiful Moraine Lake in the Valley of Ten Peaks. The water was absolutely gorgeous, sort of a Teal, Aqua color from the high mineral levels (all of the glacial lakes and rivers were this color). We went back a 2nd time since it started pouring the first time we went. (It was a 20 minute drive or so from Lake Louise town site.)

Lake Louise (the lake, not the town named after the lake), was also gorgeous.

On our way from Banff to Jasper, we stopped to see the Columbia Ice fields. The Ice Fields are basically a huge pack of year-round ice held high by several mountain peaks. The ice pack is 5 times the size of Manhattan Island, and is actually resting on the continental divide with a “Snow Dome” peak that is 11,340 feet up; it feeds eight major glaciers down into the lower altitudes (including the Athtabsca glacier which we got to walk on); and rivers from the ice pack flow into three different oceans (Atlantic, Pacific and Arctic) making the Snow Dome peak actually a three-way continental divide. The ice on the Ice field is as deep as 1200 feet in some places making it taller than the Empire State Building! The cold temps that sustain the ice fields aren’t because they’re so far north, (it’s actually quite a ways south of Edmonton), but it’s because of how high up it is. The lower parts of the Athabasca glacier are melting at a relatively rapid rate…it was actually melting as we were walking on it with water gushing out from underneath of small cracks and tunnels…that was interesting. It reminded us of the movie Ice Age when they slid through those ice tunnels. This is definitely one of those places you want to obey the caution signs and stay away from crevices and cracks.

Honeymoon - Part I

2006-09-09T15:28:00.000-06:00

(Prefacing comment: There’s so much to fill you all in on, that it will likely take a few different posts to get it all online. Also, can't seem to get all of the pictures for Part I to post correctly except one, so they will have to be added in later.)

Our honeymoon was an adventure from the word go. Half of our luggage got stuck in Calgary, Alberta, so we had it sent to Edmonton the next morning and picked it up at the airport on our way up into the Rockies…which meant 3 extra huge suitcases in the car for the whole week that we weren’t planning on having…that was fun. So many more crazy things happened that I won’t take time to write about now…let’s just say that “roll with the punches” became our phrase for the week. We stayed one night near O’Hare international in Chicago, one night in the incredible hotel in the West Edmonton Mall, then 4 days in Canmore (a 20 minute drive from Banff townsite and only 10 minutes from the Banff National Park gate), and then camped for two nights in Jasper National Park.

Canmore was by far our favorite place. The view from our hotel room was absolutely amazing… (The Three Sisters tower high just Southwest of the town, Mt. Lawrence and Silvertip mountain are on either side, and Mount Rundle is just northwest reaching all the way to the town of Banff). Canmore was a cute little town, and a good base of operations. We went hiking one morning and got a pretty good view of the town (from Mt. Lawrence). We came upon what we thought was a cougar den, and that made me a bit nervous. I’ve always wanted to see a cougar, but from the car if you please! We never saw him, but the trail into the mouth of the cave was well worn and seemed to be generally in use. Here are a few pics from that hike…

The next day we went into Banff itself, and rode the gondola up Sulfur Mountain. The view from the top of these peaks was incredible. Cascade Mountain was my favorite… We saw some wild life too… Kevin made friends with a groundhog… And we did some hiking off the beaten path. We followed the ridge from the Gondola station to two or three other small peaks along the mountain’s ridge. There was hardly any climbing involved, just hiking, but because we were walking along the peak, the view was incredible.

Honeymoon - Part II

2006-09-03T18:08:00.000-06:00

We stopped to eat lunch at Vermillion Lakes with an incredible view of Mount Rundle towards Canmore. “Impressive” was my word for the week…though these mountains are far more than impressive. These pictures obviously do no justice to standing there and seeing the real thing. The cloud shadows climbing slowly to the summit and crawling over the top, the smell of flowers that grow only high in the mountain meadows, the feel of a slight breeze that cools the heat of the sun just right, and the sound of nothing but the occasional bird, or Japanese tourist (there was lots of those since it was August and peak tourist season).

The Banff Springs Hotel is world famous and no wonder! The place is absolutely beautiful with great views of the mountains, the Bow River and Bow Falls. The Canadian Pacific Railway built it when they were first opening up the west of Canada by railroad.

A few days later we saw the Castle Cliffs, and the Canadian Pacific railroad across from Storm Mountain. It was raining off and on that day, so we had a hard time seeing the peaks in all their glory. We also saw a black bear by the side of the road fattening himself up on some Buffalo Berries which were in peak season.

FINALLY!!!!!!!

2006-09-02T19:44:00.000-06:00

I can't believe it came and went already! We're married! I've waited for 3 or 4 years now (not sure at which point in the process I actually began to "wait" for the day); and I've looked forward to the day in a more general way for a much longer time than that! Praise God!
For those of you friends and family who were involved in the wedding we wish we could have taken a couple of hours afterwards to socialize with you all and thank you individually for your huge help to us! (But obviously we also had other things to do!!)
The day was next to flawless! The only thing I would have changed in the whole process was the temperature for pictures in the park, and the whole vest size mix up with AfterHours formal wear. But neither of those things were in our control!
I'll let Heather add some of her thoughts and thanks too.
Finding Out His Greatness...
Kevin

Hi all...I only have time for a quick note. It was wonderful to be surrounded by friends and family on the most important day of our lives together. There were a few missing that we thought of, but hopefully the pictures will give you just a taste of the great time we had. To those of you that could make it. Thank you so much for your support. There were several people who helped out and made our lives easier doing things that we will never know about. Thank you so much for your help!!! We love you all, and will keep posting as time allows. God bless!!
~Heather

Here's some pictures we've recieved from family and friends. (We're still waiting on the actual pics from the photographer. He's been waiting to get our mailing address from us. We will post some of our favorites of those for y'all to see too when they arrive).

A watched pot...

2006-07-27T18:04:00.000-06:00

never boils...

I hate that rule. =)

~Heather

Exciting times...

2006-07-20T19:59:00.000-06:00

Hi all~
Heather again...
Things have been a bit stressful for Kevin lately. While I'm nailing down wedding details, he is figuring out all the important stuff! (ie. Where will we live, what will we drive, how can we afford to eat, etc.) =) We're learning that leaning on the Lord and His timing is always the right thing to do...no matter what the circumstance! Well, simply put, the Lord has answered prayer in amazing ways in the past week. On Monday, He provided an apartment for us at a very good price. It is big enough for us to be able to entertain people from church (which is a bonus for ministry), and to have guests in from out of town (hint, hint...to those of you ever randomly traveling through Edmonton!) We'll post pics when we can.
Also, this is the car that the Lord graciously provided for us on Wednesday. We were able to get a really good deal on it, and He definitely answered our prayers! (Sorry the pic is so small, I couldn't make it any bigger).

We do not cease to marvel at the grace of God given so freely in the simple things of life, like housing and transportation.

Also, I messed with the computer for a while, and finally got some pics of Meg to stick. Here she is folks, meet my new Mom. =)

And here's another one of she and Daddy cooking one of the times he visited out there. Doesn't he look happy? =)

(For those of you coming to the wedding, you'll get to meet her in person!!)

Anyway, I know this post is really brief, but I have to take my brother to the mall to buy his suit for the wedding. =) I'll try to write more soon.

24 days and counting...

2006-07-12T19:00:00.000-06:00

Hi all...

Heather here...I am finally taking the time to post again. I have had a busy week and a half since returning from Edmonton. I'm SO glad that the Lord allowed me to visit. I met lots of people and got a good look at the city. When I left last Monday, I'm pretty sure I left .9999% of my heart behind. I am really looking forward to going back and getting into the ministry for good. I will be teaching 5th and 6th grade at Meadows Baptist Acadamy (a ministry of Meadowlands Baptist Church) this fall. It's a scary prospect, I'll admit. I majored in Counseling for cryin' out loud! But, God has a way of keeping us on our knees, and I'm greatful. As far as church ministry goes, Kevin and I have been given the opportunity of running Patch Club at Lighthouse Baptist Church when we get up there. His experience in Discovery Club up at Northland will prove to be an invaluable asset!
Oh yeah, and while I was up there, I also had a really good time with Kevin... =)

Please continue to pray for us as we move follow God's leading for our lives. Kevin has some big decisions to make in the next few weeks. We know that God will provide for all that we need, it's just that the adventure lies in how and when!

Wedding plans are coming along nicely. I've had errands and appointments coming out my ears. Flowers, cake, decorations, gifts, dress fittings, jewelry, hair style stuff, food, bridal showers, etc., etc., etc. I'm really glad that the next few weeks are going to be so busy...it will keep me occupied while Kevin is gone. (19 days till I see him again!!) Kelsey (my younger sister and Maid of Honor) has been able to help me with a few of the details, though she's working about 60 hours a week. More importantly than the help, she's been a great friend to me this summer as I'm failing at the attempt to not count the seconds until Kevin comes back. This picture is us right before my last bridal shower...and then me opening gifts. For all of my female readers, I would post pictures of my gown and veil, but alas, Kevin reads this thing too. =)

Anyway, I tried to post pics of Meg again, but the computer still won't let me do it. I'll have to keep trying. =) For now, suffice it to say that she is absolutely great, and I'm thrilled that God wants her to be a part of our family!

That's all from me for now...Heather

"Stay the Course, Press to the Mark, Finish the Race..."

Heather's Visit

2006-07-05T21:19:00.000-06:00

Heather has come and gone! She came up late last Thursday night to visit for the Canada Day weekend and to meet everyone up here in the Church. She flew home on Monday afternoon and is back at work, but wishing she were still up here.
We had a blast while she was here.

We went to a park or two and just walked and talked (wow, we're getting old and boring).
We went to see the West Edmonton Mall (largest Mall in the World - It has the largest indoor wave pool, the biggest indoor Roller Coaster, A Full-size Pirate Ship, A Marine show, An aquarium, an indoor ice rink, & hundreds of stores.) (here's some pictures which show how impressive this place is!)

We were invited out to dinner/lunch for almost every meal she was here for. The people here were excited to meet her before she ever came. The girls in the college and carreer group are especially excied to have another girl their age around. (And in this case, one that is spiritually mature and can answer lots of questions and disciple them - Most have only been saved a short time.)
We also went and saw the Canada Day fireworks show in Sherewood Park, a small suburb city of Edmonton that is supposed to have an awsome fireworks display, and it was pretty impressive.
(P.S. - Happy Independance Day all you American friends of mine!)

Well. Now that Heather's back in IN, she's back to her desk job and wedding plans galore! I'm back to my construction job (we're breaking heat records for the past 3 or so days! Uechh!)

Some of the pictures I'm trying to load aren't working (like fireworks, Heather & I by the Welcome to Edmotnont sign). Oh well, I'll have to try again sometime.

Gotta Run.

(One Month from today I'll be married!!!!!!!!!)

I thank God for good friends like you all... (Please pray for our house and car arrangments. I might have a rental place for us that is quite nice for $750/month which is on the cheaper side of things here. As for a car, I'm not sure what'll happen.)

Finding Out His Greatness...

-Kevin

Wow! What a Summer!

2006-06-24T10:50:00.000-06:00

Wow! What a summer so far!
I've been incredibly busy. (Working as a framer in construction projects for 45 hours a week) and helping in Lighthouse Baptist Church on the side. Right now I'm preaching a 4-part Sunday Night series on Music and Worship in the NT Church. I wish I had more time to study, this issue is so far-reaching. Me and TJ Syroteuk are rooming in this 5th-wheel owned by LBC's deacon Tom. TJ's working up here this summer to pay off his school bill. Gavin Roger's is also here working construction to pay off his school bill.
This is Lighthouse Baptisti Church. Right in the middle of the North East of Edmonton. (Famouse area for prostitution, drugs, violence such as shootings and more.) Talk about taking light to the darkest corner. Most of the church has been saved in the last year and a half or so making it very exciting to see new baby christians learning and changing slowly. There's something refreshing about a 60-year-old man who's been saved for 30 or more years having a good laugh with a new college-aged christian with a punk hairstyle and the occasional slip in language appropriateness but there being no ackwardness. Each is being trained to allow God's Word to change them slowly and steadily as they sort out dealing with their past addictions that resurface, and all kinds of practical problems. Its fun to teach Biblical guidelines for worship and music to christians that are still Techno DJ's and are asking me after the service if that's something they should give up? I could say, "YES you heathen! You've been saved for 8 weeks now, you should have given that up long ago!" But here the atmosphere is one of, "Well, I believe that's what God's Word teaches, but don't just change because I say to. Here's some references to look up and read. Pray about it, and let me know what you think God wants you to do." Here's another point of interest. I;ve never been in a city that was the host city for a final sporting event as big as the stanley Cup of the NHL! Every car had an Edmonton Oilers Hockey Team flag flying from its antena, and everyone seemed to have found the money to spend on a T-shirt or Jersey. The final game was in Raleigh Norht Carolina (Edmonton Oilers vs. the Carolina Hurricanes). Pastor Pruden's family got tickets for me and Gavin Rogers to go to Rexall Place (The big Hockey Arena in Edmonton) and watch the final game on the Jumbo-tron with a sold-out crowd! The atmosphere was awsome... ...until we lost. Anyways, Thoses were memories of a life time!

Heather comes to visit us all here in Edmonton this weekend for Canada Day (July First). I'll be sure to take some good pictures and post a bit of what we did while she was here. If you think of it, we are going to hopefully look at some apartments condo's and try to get citizenship stuff started. HEather may get in under a Religious visa because she might might teach at Meadowlands Christian Academy (Meadowlands Baptist Church is Jim Tillotson's church here in Edmonton.)
Will write more as God grants time.
TTFN
(Keep Finding Out His Greatness...)

2006-06-18T18:08:00.000-06:00

Hi all...Heather here.
Ok so, I'm like a week later than I promised I'd be posting on here, so I figured I'd better get it done. =)
This summer has been a busy one so far for me. I'm working 4 days a week at the County Office building downtown. This is the courthouse right across the street from where I work...not like you care, but I don't have any more interesting pictures to put on here. =)

The work is what I have deemed "supremely boring" but since I can kind of let my brain check out while I'm working, it gives me some extra prayer time during the day which is a major bonus considering all the things that Kevin and I have to pray about this summer. I was kind of disappointed about the un-full-time job at first, but having the extra day off has been awesome with getting wedding plans nailed down.

Kevin is doing well. We try to keep in touch as much as we can, but it's been hard because he is staying in an RV...meaning no e-mail or telephone. He can check his e-mail a few times a week when he is at church, and he can call me when he can borrow one from the owners of the RV. Meanwhile, he is working construction full time and learning alot. In his spare time (haha) he is helping out with music at church, and working on a Sunday night series on music in the local church. Not to mention trying to figure out details like where we're going to live this fall, what we're going to drive, and what kind of employment I will have. Needless to say, we covet your prayers.

That said, here are a few specific ways you can pray...

1. Pray for wisdom in the days ahead as we try to discern what God would have for housing, transportation and employment.

2. Pray for wisdom for Kevin as he gets involved in the ministry of Lighthouse Baptist Church and as he prepares these messages. It goes without saying that the music issue is very involved and Kevin wants to represent the Lord and what the Bible says about the issue accurately.

3. Pray for each of us as we face the rest of the summer, each with a check list of things to do about a mile long. It is tempting for me to make the check list central, even though I know that the only way to accomplish all that is required of me is to trash the check list and keep God central..."without me ye can do nothing." (Frustrating problem, but there none the less.)

Anyway, I've said quite enough this time around. I'll try to post something more interesting after I get back from Edmonton (I'm going up to visit in a week and half!!!)

Oh yeah, I thought I'd put up a picture of Meg, but the computer keeps messing up. We're going out to visit her this weekend, so I'll try to put up a picture of us next time.

Til then...

Road Trip!

2006-06-11T21:02:00.000-06:00

Wow! What a crazy week or two we've had.
Heather and I spent a week travelling our way out to PA to go to zach and Bet's wedding at the end of May. It was a good trip, but I must say I lost me desire to drive long distances ever again.

We spent a day at Cedar Point doing the Roller Coasters, and then stayed a bit a Josh S's ranch house in upstate New York too.

The wedding was absolutely beautiful, and Heather and I got lots of good ideas!

I gotta run. (Was planning on writing more and will soon).

Memory Lane

2006-05-18T08:20:00.000-06:00

Well, here's a trip down memory lane for you! This is a mini year-book/Ode to Northland sort of deal. I am extremely grateful for my time at NBBC. I learned a lot and not all of it was from the classroom. I learned patience by enduring the icy weather...

...I learned a lot (although not enough) about relationships through Heather and all of my friends...

(back from left: Theresa L, Carol H, Rae M, Matthew C, Joshua S & Brandon C.

Front from left: Zach V, Bets B, Heather, & me)

Its sad that its over in a way, but in another way, its exciting to accomplish something through the Grace of God. Praise God for Northland (a month ago I never thought I'd say that 'cause I was itching to finish and was in over my head in demanding assignments). Northland was like an object lesson for me, I saw areas of weakness, areas of strength, and areas of consistent failure. In a big-picture sort of way, God has shown me that if His grace can carry me through the intensity and demanding load of Bible College, His grace can carry me through the demands of being a husband, father, pastor and more.

Well friends, hope this gets you thinking about what Northland meant to you. Its not the school - its nothing special apart from God's grace - its how God chooses to use the school as a tool to sharpen our lives, and for me this is why I will always thank God for Northland.

-Kevin

(one of these days I'll get Heather into posting stuff so that it really is 'our' blog :) )

Camping with the Boys!

2006-05-16T09:27:00.000-06:00

Friday night before finals no one does schoolwork...
...no one!
So we, the boys, decided to have some fun on the woods. We went camping at a place not too far from Norhtland called Twin Lakes. Wouldn't you know that we picked the only night in the month of May when there was a chance of snow and the temperature was to go a few degrees below freezing!
We started the night with a fire, obviously, and some snacks, and then just plain goofing around.

The next morning when we woke up it was freezing! There was frost all over the outside of our sleeping bags. After breakfast (well, sort of breakfast, more like raman and bacon) Joel decided to try out the fishing and Josh thought he'd try too, only in his own Josh sort of way.

Then Brandon and Zach almost lost a canoe down the lake and had to run to get it back.

The real reason we went on this whole little excursion however, was to get in one last memory of good times before going our separate ways in life! When someone goes through the fires of college life with you, they tend to become some of your closest friends!

I dedicate this post to "the Boys" (We'll all have to come back for a Missions Conf at NBBC someday and do this again!)

Braai & Cricket Fun

2006-04-29T08:07:00.000-06:00

Not much for new news. Still hanging in until graduation (not the right perspective I know, but I'm not referring to spiritually hanging in, more physically. We're exhausted!).
Some of the South African/ Australian/ and Canadian students (along with American friends) got together yesterday for a South African "Braai" (like a BBQ get-together!). We also got a few awsome games of Cricket in. Here's some pics.
(#1 - Heidi Pitchford [usa] tries batting...)

(#2 - Christ Smith [south Africa] mans the steaks...)(#3 - Ruben Noel [Australia] 'bowls' at the wicket against Celeste Hamilton [usa] )

(#4 - My roommate Josh Brown [South Africa] teaches me [Canada] to bat. It's more like golf and nothing like a baseball swing - definately harder than it looks).

Oh Yeah, Spring Break!

2006-04-18T10:13:00.000-06:00

I never did get around to posting anything about our Spring Break at Heather's place in Lafayette Indiana. Before we got there the weather was great (as high as 70 degrees I think), but when we got there temperatures dropped and there was even some snow.
It was a good and relaxing Break. We got some wedding planning done, but not much homework (surprise, surprise).
Here's some pictures I took with my new camera (some on a walk down by the Wea Creek). I've edited them with photo editing software called Picasa 2 (Cropping, changing of lighting and even colder/warmer color in some cases).

Graduation's Coming!

2006-04-11T10:14:00.000-06:00

It's been too long since I've posted something! Heather and I have been very busy in the last several weeks. The biggest time-consumer for us has been the Spring Play here at Northland, "Arsenic and Old Lace." I'll include some pictures here for those of you not at Northland to get a bit of a glimpse.

This week is Missions Conference here at NBBC. So you can imagine that things are still busy. We have our regular class schedule (condensed) with some workshops taught by Missionaries and Missions Board Representatives interspersed throughout, along with evening services every night. Lets just say that when graduation finally comes, I'm going to sleep for a week!!

Things have been falling into place rather quickly as far as Heather and I going to Edmonton Alberta after graduation. I'll be doing a summer internship part-time while working for a framing company on the side. Once Heather and I are married in August, I'll continue working for the framing company and helping in the church as much as possible. The pastor (Dave Pruden) estimates about one to two years until the church is in the financial position to vote on us as an assistant pastor. (The church is Lighthouse Baptist Church. They had 25-30 people last year, but are now up to around 90 or so!)

Here's some prayer requests for those of you who would like to pray on our behalf:
1) School - We need dicipline to carry us to the end of our last semester. The temptation to coast and not finish strong is really starting to hit us.
2) Heather's immigration process. (We'd like to get her in under a skilled workers status for her permanent residency. Her secretarial experience should qualify her if we can secure a job for her before we cross the border. Still doing research here.)
3) Pray that God would miraculously provide a house, car, and other essentials throughout this summer.
4) Wisdom for us as we step into full-time ministry. (The more we learn in Bible School, the more we realize we don't know! These are scary, intimidating times!)
5) Wisdom in me deciding how to pursue further education, when, and where. (Seminary, or a Masters Degree, where, how, and how to afford it?)

Thanks in advance for your prayers.
Finding Out His Greatness...
Kevin and Heather