Awana Celebration

This past Sunday night was the Awana Awards Ceremony.  Acknowledging all of the work that the kids did this past year with their memorizing scripture is important & special!!

Kru was a Cubbie this year!!!

They said their Cubbie motto and verse!

Kru did a great job and said all of his verses for the year!!!

Ms. Kaylene awards Kru!

What a big boy he is!!!

Kye has been in Sparks for 2 years now!

He loves to sing the Sparky Song!!!

He began a new book this year and did super!!!

So big!!!  Nice Job, Kye-Kye!!!

This was Dakota's last year in Awana.

He tried really hard to get the last book completed!

Not doing Awana every year of elementary school 

made it a little bit harder!

He was close to finishing!

But overall memorized over 200 Bile verses!

Way to go bub!!!!!

Road to Recovery - Hurricane Ike

And the road to recovery begins....

Our church has been a shelter since Friday at 5:00.  We are an official Red Cross shelter and currently we have 151 people still at the church.

I have had the honor of serving at the church ALOT over the pass few days.  The boys have come off and on with me as well.  Dakota and Kye helped prepare for the evacuees by unloading cots and setting up bedding.  Weekend services were canceled so that we could get ready.  

I really have lost count of my days and can't remember what day exactly, but we went from 13 to 90 in 2 1/2 hours on Saturday and then from 90 -175 in another 2 hours.

I can not tell you how blessed I have been these past 5 days.  I have met precious people who I will hold in my heart forever, played with sweet children,  watched as a little girl's eyes came alive when she received a brand new jacket, and I could go on and on!!!

Our guests are far from home.  

Many have lost everything.

Many don't know when they will get to go home 

and what will be there when they arrive.

And yet...

they are so kind,

friendly,

appreciative,

amazing.

It has made me stop and look at me.....

would I be acting like this if I were in their shoes?

would I be friendly?

would I be able to smile?

would I be thankful or complaining?

I have been up at church ALOT like I said, and even now as I type this my eyes are swimming in tears, because I can't explain, but I feel compelled to be up at the church.  I love our guests.  I want to be there serving and helping ANY way I can!!  

To hold Braylen!

To get some clothes for Maurice and Wanda.

To receive a bear hug from Christopher!

To hold a sweet Spanish speaking little girl who doesn't know where mama is.

Drive to The Med so Red Cross Randy knows where he is going.

To get to love on and hug these precious children of God.

To rejoice when 2 come to know the Lord at 3:00 AM.

I have been blessed.

Overcome with emotion.

Thankful for all that I have.

We are still days away from being done.  Who knows right now when all of our guests can go home or to a shelter closer to home?  But I'm honored and thankful to be apart of Living Hope and that I have been able to volunteer.

Ode to Our Whitney

Our Whitney is leaving tomorrow,
and we are filled with sorrow.

No really, we are so happy for her
even though we will be missing her for sure!

She is so precious and we love her so much,
if you don't know her, you are missing out a bunch!

Darrin, Dakota, Kye, Kru and Kari
want to say have a great time in Maui.

Our lives will be a little be emptier
and we will be lonelier.

But we know that you are following the Lord,
so have fun learning to board.

The kids there will be blessed by you
and in all that you will do.

Here are a few of pictures of our times spent together
you will be in our hearts forever.

WE LOVE YOU AND MISS YOU!!!

KidShine!!!

During the Summer at church, we don't do Awana. We still have Bible Study and kid stuff at church and it's called Kid Shine. At the end of the Summer, the kids have a worship service singing the songs they have learned and serving in the other areas of worship.

I was again blessed by seeing and hearing children worshiping God and praising His name. I was also convicted that I need to be leading my little men better in the Word and training them in the Way that God would have me and not the way I have been.

Here is a video that they showed during the service!


Here are a few shots of our night and I am trying to figure out how to get a video up, but my camera is not working with me!!!

Kids' Chat

Isn't Kru such a cutie!?!

Listening to "Stuporman" & Ms. Melodi tell the story for Kids' Chat

Dakota helped with parking!

Looking like a pro!

Kye helped with offering, but he likes to call it
"passing the plate."

Nice Job Buddy!

Worship Time
I truly believe that there isn't anything as powerful as children singing for Jesus!
Most everyone knows this about me, but I LOVE and am passionate about children and children worshiping their Lord. I believe that it touches the Lord differently than adult worship, for I believethat their innocent, child-like faith, whole hearted worship beseeches the Lord in ways that we as adults have yet to learn or remember!
I was blessed and moved deeply!

Tyler, Dakota and Jenarious worship. I didn't get a picture of it, but when a 10and an almost 12 year old are worshiping God with eyes closed and expressions of worship on their face, I can't praise Jesus' name enough!

Kye loves to worship and sing for Jesus!!! He was so into it not as a performance kind of way, but he put his whole self into worship that night and I LOVED it! I am so thrilled that he loves Jesus like this that he isn't afraid to care about what others will think of him if he raises his hands or closes his eyes or sings super loud for Jesus!!! Thank You Jesus for this little man!

Two of my most favorite people!
Mary & Crystal!!!

Ariana, Kru & Anaka!
Love these precious, beautiful little girls!!!

Living Hope's Summer Olympics

Today, many of us from Living Hope, had Thomas Pool all to ourselves for almost 2 hours!

It was great! So many kids and lovely women that I have enjoyed so much this summer. Women I already knew, some I didn't know at all and others I now know! I love summer!

So, with the Olympics inspiring, our kids had our own mini-Olympics (water only) today!

Here's our diving competition!!!

Megan

Kru

Kye

Jalie

Sydni gets set!

Connor

Breaktime & Spectators!!!

Races!!!
Anson, Dakota, Connor and Tyler

Our Kind of Water Polo!

What a great day! I'm hoping it wasn't the last day of fun at the pool with friends!