What's going on???

"What's going on?"  This is a phrase that I have heard too many times in the last year and have put on my to-do list for regular updates for this blog.  With all of the other social media sites and access that we have I tend to continue updating through other means instead of using this blog that I setup to keep you all informed.  I realize it has been a very long time since I've added a post and it is my job to keep you up to date and I am not very good at it.  That being said, let me take a few minutes to let you know what's going on with us now.

We spent an extended time in the Sacramento area.  Tracy took a regular job temporarily and I continued to help with Faith Baptist Tabernacle, near Sacramento, in different facets of their ministry.   We had an enjoyable time getting to know the people of FBT and helping with the ministry.  We were sad to leave but we knew it was time.

We had been praying about heading back to Michigan to make some needed repairs on our house and make some decisions about what to do with it long term.  After taking the time to pray about it we believed that this was the right timing for us to head back and take care of the house.  We are only taking a temporary brake before we search out where the next job will be.

In June we returned to Michigan and are currently working on some projects around our house to repair and improve it.  We look forward to being finished and back on the road for the next assignment that the Lord has in store with us.  Please check our Praise & Prayer Request section to see what's going on next and how you can best help us.

Playing Catch-up...

I've been neglecting my regular updates on this page and instead sending updates to people through email and such.  That being said I just wanted to take a few moments and update the rest of you in what has been going on with us the last few months.

In the second week of January, I went with Tim Schmidt and his wife Megan to a music conference at a church that was about an hour or so away.  Tim Fisher and Mac Lynch taught the music conference.  It was a good time of hearing good and godly music and learning much of what the Bible teaches on music.

At the end of January Tracy and I drove down to L.A. for an overnight stay.  There was a strike going on in one of the local hospitals, for one day, and she was there to take care of the patients.  From there we drove up the coast on CA1 to revisit Monterey Bay.  If you've never driven the California coast it is both breathtaking and terrifying at the same time.  The two single lanes wind around the sides of mountains and have cliff like drops falling hundreds of feet below into the ocean.  Surprisingly there weren't that many guard rails either.  If you do drive it I would suggest an early start because you wouldn't want to be stuck out on those roads after dark like we were.  Once we arrived in Monterey Bay we bought an "I survived CA1" magnet to commemorate our survival.  We stayed in Monterey for a couple of days and then headed home.

In February we attended a two-day seminar at our church on "Leading the Lost to Christ."  A man that had been a member of this church years ago returned, from his home in Arizona, to teach us some of the methods that he had learned over the years being a Christian Counselor and Youth Pastor.  His name is Mark Maxwell and he did a great job showing all of us a clear way to present the gospel without us tripping over our words or having a "canned" message memorized.  Both Tracy and I really appreciated the time with him and learned quite a bit.  If anyone is interested in receiving some of this information, please let me know and I will pass it on.

Now that it's March Tracy is constantly busy at work.  The hospital is short staffed which is one of the reasons that a position was offered to her.  She is currently working a lot of extra overtime and filling in the gaps wherever she can.  We are thankful again, that God has provided this job and that Tracy is able to use her gifts to help others where we know God would want her to be.  I have been busy working on different projects around our church.  I am excited that they've been able to use me as God has given me the talents and experience to fill some of these needs.  I also have had the opportunity to go out twice a week soul-winning with the Assistant Pastor and am using what I have learned from the Scripture, Mark Maxwell, and other resources to accurately give the gospel message to any that are willing to hear.  I don't know if I have had any impact on anyone yet, but I will continue to plant seeds as God continues to give me opportunities.

Our Next Location

Things have been very busy for us in the last few weeks and we have been without internet connection for about a week and a half and unable to update this blog.  Tracy had been receiving some different offers for the next assignment after her contract is over at the end of January.  We had been praying about three different possibilities for where to go and what to do when Tracy was offered a position through her hospital at Mercy General in downtown Sacramento.  There were no job openings at this hospital but they made an opening specifically for Tracy so that she could stay on for another nine months.  We had been praying about the possibility of staying in one place for a little longer that may pay more so that we could get out from under some debt and build a nest-egg.  We clearly see that the Lord was in this and that He was providing this opportunity for us.  Once Tracy received the offer from the hospital we we're praising the Lord and excited about the opportunity, but then we stopped for a moment and realized that we would not be able to live any longer at the temporary business "cottage" where we were living.  If we were going to be living here for nine more months we would have to get our own apartment and furnish it from scratch.  Here we did much more praying and looked at apartments all over the area (we've never rented an apartment so after some research- and going back and forth looking at the same apartments over and over again- we learned the questions to ask and what to look for and such).  Once we found the right apartment we looked to Craigslist to furnish it and God provided some AMAZING deals!  We now have a fully furnished apartment in the Natomas area of Sacramento with a nine month lease (the equivalent of three different travel assignments).  Once we are done here we will either re-list everything back on Craigslist to sell or pack it all up and take it on our next assignment (we haven't decided yet).  We're thankful for the opportunity to be around a little bit longer to help out with the church and to build more friendships.  The church that we are currently attending, Faith Baptist Tabernacle in North Highlands, is focusing this year on others and trying to build a door-to-door outreach program.  Geoff is really excited about helping in their ministry and we see that our focus for our journey is parallel to theirs.  We're excited to see God working in our lives and for the possibilities that he has yet for us this coming year.  Please continue to pray with us as we continue to do what He would want for us and work to see others come to know Him. 

Merry CHRISTmas!

Of all of the holidays on the calendar we love CHRISTmas the most!  We know when the temperature starts changing from the cool Autumn days to the frosty Winter afternoons, that CHRISTmas is on its way.  We love putting up a fresh (and real) CHRISTmas tree and decorating it.  We love making (and eating) all kinds of different CHRISTmas cookies.  We enjoy all of the (normally) CHRISTmas snow (although we don't enjoy shoveling it).  We love picking out the perfect CHRISTmas gifts for others to enjoy.  We love making CHRISTmas dinner (and always eat too much of it).  We enjoy watching the different CHRISTmas films.  And we love all of the different CHRISTmas church programs.  But what we love most about CHRISTmas is not the things that you can put in your stomach, or fit under the tree, or even watch on DVD.  What we love most about CHRISTmas is CHRIST and celebrating when He came to this earth to sacrifice Himself on a cross for a poor lonely sinner just like you and just like us.  He didn't have to make the ultimate sacrifice but He did because He loves us and wants to see us someday spend eternity with Him in heaven.  Without CHRIST in CHRISTmas it's just another greeting card holiday.  Won't you celebrate with us this season the true reason and the true meaning of CHRISTmas?  Rejoice with us that CHRIST came when He didn't have to, and enjoy the true Gift of CHRISTmas.

nuthin...

As my wife and I were discussing why I have not updated this blog in a little while I realized something.  I'm one of those kind of people that when faced with a direct question like: "What's going on?"  I often respond with the exact same answer: "nuthin."  Sitting around the dinner table as a child, my parents would normally ask what I learned in school that day.  Yes, as you may have already guessed I would look up from my plate lethargic with glazed over eyes and respond: "nuthin."  In actuality I had learned quite a bit, but since we couldn't afford an in-home translator- "nuthin" was as much as anyone understood. I sometimes forget that "nuthin" is actually "sumthin," so I apologize for missing a few moments where I could have been passing on some updates.  If you ask me in the future what's been going on I may forget again and respond with "nuthin," but for now if you allow me a moment of your time I will translate out my "nuthin" into what is actually "sumthin."

We continue to live in Sacramento and Tracy's current assignment ends at the closing of January.  We have already been presented with several options for a job to follow and we are currently praying about what the Lord would want for us.  Tracy continues to get to know the people at her work and the hospital better and is learning so many new things.  We continue to serve the Lord at Faith Baptist Tabernacle church in North Highlands, California.  I have had the opportunity to fellowship with the Pastors and some of the core and enjoy working with them in this ministry.  I continue to take the opportunity to go calling as much as I can and enjoy meeting new people and seeing seeds planted in this community.  This area has continued to grow more poor and more dependent on drugs and crime in the last ten years, I only see it now for what it has become.  The Senior Pastor, Pastor Mike Rodgers, recently said: "If more [Christians] went door to door telling and teaching others about Christ, this area would not be in the shape it is in today."  He's right on, if more of us made the effort to put aside our fears and selfishness and told our communities about God and what He has done for us, there would be a lot more people living for the Lord and a lot less living for the world.  We appreciate this ministry that God has brought us to and are thankful to be receiving regular spiritual meat.  We look forward to all that God has in store for us and are currently bathing the next possibilities in prayer.  We thank you for your prayers as we continue to seek out the right direction for our lives.

Thank you!

Thank you all who prayed for Tracy's father Ron, he is at home and doing much better now.  We pray now that God would continue to heal him as he prepares to return to work.  Thanks again.

Please Pray

Please pray for Tracy's father Ron.  This morning he was admitted to the hospital for some serious heart conditions.  He was having some problems late this evening and is currently in the ICU.  Please pray with us that God the Great Physician will heal his body and help him through this.  Please also pray for Tracy as she is in her new job this week with new stresses as well as the stress of not being able to be with her father to be his nurse during this time.

Hello Sacramento!

Due to Tracy's contract being cancelled on Friday for Walnut Creek we have been looking for a new assignment.  This morning Tracy received a new offer for an assignment in Sacramento, California that starts on Monday.  Please pray with us as we will have to relocate either today or tomorrow and as we again figure out all of the new things associated with this position.

Goodbye Walnut Creek

Due to an issue with the California Nurse Labor Union all of the travel nurse assignments in Walnut Creek have been canceled.  On Friday when Tracy reported for work they sent her home and told her that her position had been terminated.  Today has spent talking with a number of different recruiters trying to figure out where to go next.  Please pray with us as to where God wants us to go next and what all of the details are.

Please Pray for Zac

Before we left Michigan we made one more visit to the vets office for a final checkup on our Boston Terrier.  While we were there we asked if there was anything that they would recommend for him since we would be traveling across the country in and out of apartments and hotels and such.  Our vet strongly recommended that he get the Lyme vaccine seeing as though he would be outside a lot more and in unknown places.  We went ahead (per her suggestion) and got him two vaccine boosters.  This was in Late July-Early August.  Skip ahead to two weeks ago when he was complaining of pain one night, we thought it was his neck that was hurting (sometimes he shakes his toys too hard and kind of sprains his neck)- but after giving him pain meds and babying the area for a week he was progressively getting worse and the pain seemed to be spreading to other areas.  We took him in to a local vet we found and had some blood work drawn and then we had some fluid taken from his lymph nodes that were enlarged (lymph nodes on dogs are trigger areas that give you warning for very serious diseases- when ours enlarge we may have a cold- when a dogs enlarge they may have cancer).  After that visit Tracy did some serious research accounting for all of his symptoms.  Zac was currently having a problem every morning with moving (only after laying for a long period did he have an issue), when he got up he would yelp (not whimper) in pain for about five minutes straight.  He also would arch his back and have a hard time using his front two legs.  He's also been losing weight and has been not all together at times, coupling that with the lymph nodes and the time the disease has presented- it spells out Lyme Disease.  We looked online for what exactly the Lyme vaccination is and any other problems that other dog owners have had with it and we found exact reports of what we have been dealing with. 

Apparently when your animal is vaccinated against Lyme Disease it is injected with a dead form of the virus which has a 20%+ chance of presenting and is especially effective in dogs with lower immune systems (which we were having a problem with before we left Michigan).  The dead virus creates an uncureable strain of the disease that will not show up on any tests and will only present in the symptoms of the animal.  Apparently they had a version of this that they gave humans but stopped it because too many people were getting the disease.  In Dr. school they teach a limit to the vaccines to give, in vet school they teach to give every vaccine you can and give it every year- including Lyme disease. 

We have started Zac on the strongest antibiotics that we can give him.  He has a small chance that this will knock out a large percentage of the disease, although not cure him.  He has about ten vials of medicine that he is taking right now.  He is crying a lot less so we are seeing some improvement, although he goes through random spurts of extreme pain.  Please pray with us that God would heal his little body.  It's especially hard on Tracy to see his little body suffer so much and adds a lot more stress to being so far away from home.  Thank you for your prayers.

The Shakes!

Tracy and I had the opportunity yesterday, October 21, to experience our first California earthquake.  Apparently a quake hit San Francisco that afternoon with a level of 4.0 but we didn't notice where we were in Walnut Creek.  But in the evening we felt a 1.0 in our area.  It only lasted a few seconds but was interesting to see things shake and doors shut on their own with no help from us.

It's all So Good!

We have had the opportunity to enjoy quite a few different places to eat at along the way, places that do not exist in Michigan.  Although I would endorse most of the places that we have eaten at, I’m just going to throw out a choice few if ever you stumble upon one.  While traveling through Indiana-Iowa area we stopped for a pizza from a place called “Godfather’s Pizza” and it was very good.  They flavor their crust and have just the right amount of sauce in all the right places.  In Dublin, California we ate at a place called “Johnny Garlic’s” (a Guy Fieri restaurant) which had great garlic fries. But don’t be fooled by the name—they have much more than just garlic.  The menu is different, but the food is delicious and creative. Come prepared though, because the meals are a little pricey.  And finally, in downtown Walnut Creek, they have a restaurant called “The Cheesecake Factory.” This is a chain restaurant, so you might have heard of it. I hear they have great cheesecake but we’ve never had any. (Tracy doesn’t like cheesecake and I’m allergic to eggs.)  The food, though is incredibly delightful!  I’m sure we’ll hit some more great places to eat along the way, but I just wanted to share with you our current great finds!  Oh and by the way, if you like coffee, there are Starbucks literally every mile or so. And next to each Starbucks is a frozen yogurt place, so if you like fro-yo, this is the place for you!

Victoria!

It’s amazing how far technology has come over the years.  I remember when my parents used to pull out a jumbo size accordion map to figure out where we were.  Whoever was in the passenger seat would undoubtedly block part of the driver’s vision when the entire map was open.  Today the average car owner including us, use a GPS unit to get from place to place.  Our GPS has different voices you can set for it and we use one that is the sound of a European woman called Victoria.  The roads in California are not set up in any uniform fashion.  In many places the GPS goes haywire because the roads overlap in so many spots that it can’t handle it.  It’s also slightly slow out here where sometimes “she” doesn’t tell you to turn until it’s too late.  Victoria hasn’t been very helpful while we’ve been out here in California. When we’re late to some place or take a wrong turn, you often hear the name “Victoria!” being shouted out.

The New Job

Tracy is enjoying her new job for the most part.  The hospital staff is very nice and there are lots of new things that she has learned for this position.  One new thing is the computer charting system; all of the charting at this hospital is paperless.  The program is a little more complicated and they haven’t provided adequate training for her so it’s taking Tracy a lot more time to do her job.  It can be a little stressful for her, but as she continues to keep a positive attitude about it, she reminds herself that she can do all things through Christ who strengthens her. Pray for her as she is trying to figure out all of the new things.

Everything New

We are thoroughly enjoying our adventure; it is filled with tons of new experiences!  The drive out to California was new because we have never traveled anywhere that wasn’t off of I-75.  Tracy started her new job at the Walnut Creek Kaiser hospital last week.  We are living in an apartment with all new furniture. The living arrangements are new to us because we’ve never lived in an apartment.  We found a new church with a new Pastor and new congregation.  We’ve been eating at new restaurants in new areas and altogether thoroughly enjoying our adventure.

Continuing our Journey

Tuesday we traveled through Iowa and Nebraska and spent the night in Cheyenne, Wyoming.  Today we traveled through Wyoming and into Utah.  The scenery was beautiful, especially when we drove into Utah.  The trees on the mountain sides were turning beautiful shades of red and orange.  What a tremendous splendor!  Tonight we are enjoying our stay in Salt Lake City, Utah.  Although the drive has been exhausting, seeing such beauty of God's creation makes it all worth it! 

On the Road

We finally started our journey out west!  Today we made it to Des Moine, Iowa.  This is the first trip that we've taken somewhere that we didn't take Interstate 75 to get there.  The day was long but thankfully uneventful.  We were in a bad storm through Illinois and part of Iowa.  God has seen us through thus far and we're excited to see what He has for us tomorrow!

Continuing to Pack

Is there a particular blanket you like to have when you’re sick?  Do you have a special shirt you wear when it's sunny?  Or maybe you even have a pair of shoes that you love to wear out and about?  Well, we have a new rule: If it fits in the suitcase, you can take it.  If it doesn’t fit, you have to leave it home.  All I have to say is if I show up at your church three weeks in a row with the same outfit on you can chalk it up to the fact that we have to cram everything in a hatchback not a minivan. 

The Strike!

God provided a four day job at the last minute for Tracy to take in Los Angeles, California.  The assignment is for a hospital that is experiencing a nursing strike.  Please be in prayer for Tracy as she is learning a new hospital and all the things that go along with that in just one day as preparation to three other days of working with the patients.  Pray as well for her as she will be passing through a picket line and dealing with sometimes angry personnel.  This is her very first travel assignment and will be very tiring.  She returns on Saturday morning as we prepare to leave the following Monday.

Trying to Pack

Have you ever had to plan a trip when you didn’t know for how long you were going, didn’t know what weather to plan for, and weren’t even sure what would be your final destination?  That’s what packing is like for us.  Every time we plan to pack an item, we have to look at all of the pros and cons of taking it.  For instance: we’d like to take our bicycles with us.  So, I searched the web for comments from others who took their bikes somewhere and what they experienced.  Did you know that the bicycle racks that attach on the back with a strap tend to loosen up and that per the manufacturer’s suggestion, you should check them every fifty miles or so?  I didn’t know that.  They also can at times wreak havoc on your vehicle’s paint job.  I started to look for the racks that attach at the trailer port only and then realized that I didn’t have one anyway.  The only other type is a roof mountable rack, which after extensive research I found that it adds more weight and it makes your car less aerodynamic, which means that when the wind hits it, it causes what’s called “drag” and can drop your vehicles mpg significantly.  Did I also forget to mention that the average person who traveled with bicycles slowed down to an average 65 mph due to the instability of the racks.  Well, that all being said, it doesn’t look like we’re taking our bicycles.  But that’s just one example of things that we’re thinking about taking with us.  Today, we’re working on re-packing our already packed items to try and cut back again.  If you were going away for a potentially long time and weren’t sure where you were going or how long you were going for, what items would you struggle about taking?