Summer Family Growth

Family photo, John's first Sunday to church. Taken on our front porch. Photo credit-Clarissa Yoder

    With surprise and joy we welcomed a new baby boy. (surprise because supposedly we were having a girl...and joy, because every healthy, new baby is Joy).

        He arrived July 12th, 2018 at 12:25pm. Weighing 7 lbs. 7 oz.

appetizing (or not!) breakfast at the hospital

John Michael Gingerich..maybe an hour old or so.

Hospital ward. Thankfully I had it mostly to myself!

  

  

The evening after we got home from the hospital we had "open house" for the neighbors to drop in and see our new addition.

One of my sweet nurses

  Hannah and Heidi each took a turn staying home from church with me the first 2 Sundays and each time we had a tea party.
 

Stacy Byler helped out so much, as did Jake and my girls. I am blessed! 

 

This face is a pretty accurate depiction of how Jediah felt about sharing Mom with a new sibling. He loves John dearly but not the sharing part!
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Back again, I don't even remember when I began this blog post but instead of deleting it, I decided to just keep on going. Life is busy and full, sometimes relaxing, sometimes stressful and stretching.
 Recently, I was encouraged by a devotional email I had signed up to receive. Some of the thoughts from that days email were as follows. "I will embrace the difficulties God sends my way today as necessary means for my growth and joy in Christ...all suffering is ultimately temporary, and God is using it to make us more like Him...1 Peter 5:10...God will use it to transform us from wimps into warriors." (by Paula Marsteller)
 It's been getting hotter again but last evening an awesome storm blew in and cooled things off a bit. So lovely!  
 We were recently blessed and encouraged by the commissioning of brother Willis Agalo as deacon in our church. We are disappointed to miss hearing him preach tomorrow as we are to fill-in at Dienya. 
[I keep trying and trying to add more pictures but the internet or computer or something is giving me grief so maybe I'll just have to do another photo blog soon.....but don't hold your breath!]
  This past week we enjoyed having clothing sale at church. After packing up, we served beans and chapattis and then had bible study. It made for a full day and the heat wore us out a bit too. After we got home and got unpacked and got unsold dresses put away, we were all feeling a bit tired and unmotivated. Jake took us down to the lake and we tried out a new place to eat. Where we sat, hung over the water and we had a cool breezes to enjoy while watching the sun set over Lake Victoria. It was a wonderful way to unwind.
 Joey turned 6 on Thursday. He was so delighted to get to spend the afternoon at school.  
 This coming week we look forward to our annual Joint Pastor's Meeting at Jennifer's Gardens with all the Kisumu pastors. This year it looks like there will be around 20 pastors and their wives there. I'm on to take 3 pans of banana bread. I'm not sure yet if there will be anyone available to babysit the boys or if we'll just take them along this year. 
 My work is calling once more so I shall call it quits. 
Keep Rejoicing in the Lord and in Everything Give Thanks.