Things are moving!

A container loaded with things for mission work in Sierra Leone,

and with things for Aimée that will be waiting for her when she gets there.

It left the USA earlier this month and will arrive in Sierra Leone next month.

This next year will be busy as we work to get all sorts of things done for Aimée's time in Sierra Leone. There are vaccinations to be gotten....she has never had any. She has 2 languages to learn...but she has 2 New Testaments in those languages to learn them.

There is a visa to obtain to stay in Sierra Leone for a year. Tickets to purchase to get her there and back home again. We need to work on clothing for her and many more things to do.

But for now.......... some supplies and needs have been sent ahead and will be there waiting for her!

Psalm 40:8

I delight to do thy will, O my God:

Yea, thy law is within my heart.

Todd's Travels

The first of this month, Todd took another mission trip.

I was excited for him! He was going somewhere I have been, and I was excited to hear how he liked the ROCKY MOUNTAINS!

He wasn't impressed!

There just wasn't enough 'green' around to make Todd enjoy it!

He loves grass and foliage!

But he always loves sharing the GOSPEL!

The destination was Salt Lake City.

(with a stop over in Denver)

One of the men waiting to be 'beamed up'???

Some of the men who went.......

The purpose??

To share the Gospel with a lost and dying world.

They took a tour of the museums there....

...gaining more insight to who they were there to witness to....

Jesus died for the sins of every person ever born or will be born on this earth.

Jesus shedding His blood on the cross, being buried for 3 days, raising from the dead, and now sitting at the right hand of His Father, GOD....is THE GOSPEL!

There were crowds of people to share the Gospel with.

The men sang, preached, passed out tracts, held verse signs, and engaged in conversations about JESUS.

Exhausted group waiting to catch a flight home.

Mark 16:15

And he said unto them,

Go ye into all the world,

and preach the gospel to every creature.

Inside Atlantis

Work is progressing on the 'retiring' the shuttles at the Space Center.

Recently, Doug took one last tour of the Shuttle Atlantis.

His personal 'favorite' shuttle is Endeavor, but a last look

around Atlantis was welcomed!

Looking into the cargo bay from the mid deck.

The hatch once used to the ISS.

(International Space Station)

A now (and forever more) empty cargo bay. :(

To the left, the commander's seat, to the right the pilot's seat.

Psalm 101:1

I will sing of mercy and judgment:

unto thee, O LORD, will I sing.

My favorites!

We packed the 'big' camera yesterday when we headed off to church. I had been wanting a new picture of Todd, Aimée and Bear. We all stay very busy, and it is hard to find time to take a picture of the three of them (presentable) together.

Bear (13), Aimée (22), Todd (25)

Deuteronomy 5:29

O that there were such an heart in them,

that they would fear me,

and keep all my commandments always,

that it might be well with them,

and with their children for ever!

Summer has Flown by

This summer has gone by very fast for us. In July, Aimée and I took a teaching course so that we can teach in GOOD NEWS CLUBS with CEF in the public schools and the YMCA. It was a tough course, but we really learned a lot and enjoyed it. We were tired when it was all over with. In September, we will teach in a GNC at a YMCA in DeLand. It will be a great way for Aimée to get more experience with children that are unchurched. She has and is now teaching Sunday School, but she lacks the experience teaching children who may have never ever heard the Gospel. This is something that she will need as she heads to Sierra Leone, West Africa in about 18 months. When Aimée was little she always wanted her dolls to be (her word) 'chocolate'. She never had a vanilla doll in the bunch until recently. My friend, Libby, told me when Aim was 4 that she would go to Africa one day as a missionary........... YES, she will! We are working on prep work to get her there. She is excited! We are able to send somethings she will need over in October when a container is leaving for the missionaries that she will go and help.

As summer comes to a close, we are working on some projects, getting back into the swing of homeschooling Bear, and Todd and Aim are getting ready for their final semester of Bible School. What a thrill these past 3 years have been for our family. We went from one very sad situation to one that GOD had graciously prepared for us....we are most thankful!

My husband is still employed at the Kennedy Space Center amid huge lay offs. This is something else we are extremely thankful for!

Bear had a new adventure this summer.................

A picture only a mother could love!
He has 2 years to go with the wires on. He has been seeing the orthodontist for 4 years. A retainer was used to move some teeth around. But this summer it was time for him to 'be wired'. He is quite happy with them.
And we are quite happy with the amazing cost Dr. R gave us on them.
It felt good to pay in full.

I spoke at a ladies meeting this summer on raising children that serve the LORD.
This is one of my visuals...reminding us that we find ourselves in the middle of sin, and that sin needs to be confessed. We need to teach our children how sin affects their lives, how GOD cannot be where sin is, and how they need to confess their sin. We also need to tell our children that JESUS died on the cross, was buried, and rose again for our sins. And we need to tell others the same!

Todd was the sound booth guy for the conference, but found time to help out the other men in the kitchen. Thankful for a son that isn't afraid of work...no matter what it might be! He makes his parents proud

Aimée needed some new Birks. She is not a shoe girl like her mother. She will wear her shoes until they are past needing to be thrown away. But in preparation for Africa we insisted on some new shoes for her. She even agreed to 'cute' ones. Momma enjoyed that!

Song of Solomon 7:1a

"How beautiful are thy feet with shoes, O prince's daughter!..."

Atlantis, one more time

For the last time, I stood in our front yard and watched a shuttle launch into space. The children walked down to the river to watch with thousands of other people from all over the world. We have enjoyed this era of the Space Program.

From our front yard.
Altantis .....
you can feel a launch in the ground.... You can hear a launch...

the crowds at the river roar...

the sound of the shuttle roar...

Into the clouds.... Fall and winter launches are nicer...

there aren't as many clouds then.

Atlantis leaves a trail in the Florida sky for the last time......

1 Chronicles 16:31

Let the heavens be glad,

and let the earth rejoice:

and let men say among the nations.

THE LORD reigneth.

The last shuttle roll out

A shuttle roll out usually occurs just after midnight. For years, my husband worked the night shift at the Space Center. He has been on site for many roll outs over the years. This year, the Space Center has issued passes to allow family and friends to see a roll out. The time of roll out was moved up to 8 pm. We were able to go out and see the last shuttle roll out of the VAB towards the launch pad about 3 miles to the east. For those of us who have been involved in the Space program for years, it was still quite a sight to see.

Atlantis inside the VAB
The VAB is a very large building.
It was built in the mid 60's for the APOLLO program.
It has been adapted to whatever the 'program' was.
We are looking forward to a NEW program!

Some shadows on the wall!

Atlantis........ well flown 'bird'

Bear was there at the final roll out!