Wow, we have been here for four months and what a wonderful, growing time we have had here. We have been blessed beyond what we could have ever imagined. We have made friendships that are sure to last a lifetime with the sweet people that God has introduced us to from our church. We have  started working with the kids from our church at our Wednesday night Kids Club. God has used this to really teach us how to work well with the children as well as how to aid in the rearing of them for the hour that we spend with them each week. We have had the honor of working with the kids as they memorize 1 Peter 5:5-11.

God has really blessed us in the fellowship department as well. A group of people from church around our age have started getting together on Sunday evenings to just spend some time fellow-shipping with one another.

As we have been down here, I have a new appreciation for my dear mother and mother-in-law. I never realized just how blessed I am to have been taught so many things about being a wife and future pastors wife. I can make a meal for 10+ with no trouble and can plan amounts of food and plan a menu. Thanks to my mom I have also been taught how to create things which God has used to allow Ryan and I to bless our friends who are gluten free. And a Shout out to my sweet mother-in-law, who taught me how to make the most amazing Cesar salad!

Our Sunday school lesson the past few months has been really stretching. We read through The Heart of Anger which is sort of geared towards raising children, but it also has a lot of powerful lessons for life. A lot of what we learned will be great for the days of rearing children as well.

Another really sweet blessing we have experienced is a friendship with a couple that lives on campus. Ryan played football with Devin and they are now able to build off their relationship from 5 years ago. I have had the blessing of getting to know Kati, Devon's wife who is my best friends cousin. Such a small world! :) Speaking of small worlds a student from BBC who goes to the same church as us, will be working a Living Waters Bible Camp this summer with many people from our home church. We have been blessed by having friends from Maine to spend time with.

Our jobs, oh how the Lord definitely orchestrated our jobs. Ryan has been enjoying his work, but is also looking for something that is more geared towards his end goal of ministry. So we are praying that the Lord will show us what He has planned for Ryan. My job is going well. I have been nervous as I have  finished training on Friday and Monday I will be on my own. {The whole time I was ending the training phase, I was praying that I could go back to training. Well the Lord had other things in-store for me. I was called into a meeting with my bosses and they said I was in the top five of the training class and I would be staying where I was working. The remainder of the people go back to training.}  I guess the Lord showed me rather clearly what I need to be doing.

Following the Lords Will has come sweetest blessings beyond what we could have ever imagined.

~Chelsea