Winter

I'm not a big poetry person, but when I saw this one at work I knew it was perfect.

Winter

It's winter in Iowa
And the gentle breezes blow
Seventy miles an hour
At thirty-five below.

Oh, how I love Iowa
When the snow's up to your butt
Your take a breath of winter
And your nose gets frozen shut.

Yes, the weather here is wonderful
So I guess I'll hang around
I could never leave Iowa
I'm frozen to the ground!

My Minnesota Home

I am so excited to be able to be in Minnesota this weekend. I came up on Thursday and will head back to Boone on Monday. Thursday night, Jeff and I had dinner with two families from church. On Friday we made a Walmart run to purchase some items for the house and went to dinner with Josh and Katie. Today we spent a lot of time rearranging furniture and trying to get the house in livable order. Then we went to the grocery store so I could fix my man a home cooked meal. I know that our weekend probably doesn't sound all that exciting, but I am totally content to be with my husband no matter what we are doing.

I'm looking forward to going to church tomorrow morning...but not as excited to work on taxes in the afternoon. Monday, I'll leave for Boone and hope the snow down there doesn't cause any problems with my traveling. It's going to be hard to leave, but I won't be gone long. On Saturday, I will head back to Minnesota with Zach, Andrea, and the kids so they can see where we will be living.

Watch This News Report

Click on this link to find a short news report about Jeff and what he is doing at Watermark Church in Watertown, MN.

http://www.waconiapatriot.com/web_tv/?evpvid=9812

Reliable Transportation

As Jeff and I have been preparing to move to Minnesota, one of our concerns has been leaving Zach and his family behind. Zach's car has not been too reliable this winter and he finally had to junk it in January. This has left him without a car or reliable transportation to and from work. Jeff, Josh, and I have been taking him to work every night and going back to pick him up in the morning. (This is an hour drive round trip on country roads or longer if the roads are bad.) Now that Jeff and Josh are gone, the responsibility has fallen on me. Thankfully, he has been able to find rides for the days when we are out of town or when a winter storm keeps me off the road.

God blessed Zach with a very nice tax check this year (thanks to a few extra deductions). One of the things Zach was able to do was to purchase a new vehicle. Today, Zach bought a 2002 Dodge Grand Caravan. I haven't seen it since he can't pick it up until Friday, but it will look much like the one in the picture above. It is even white like the picture. This will be a very good car for Zach's family with plenty of room for three car seats and still have room for groceries or luggage when they travel to Minnesota to visit Grandma and Grandpa.

I am thankful for one more way that God is showing us that he will take care of us (and our family) if we are willing to take a step of faith and follow his will. I know it is human nature to doubt God and his love and care for us when he asks us to do something that doesn't make sense by the worlds standards. It's okay, the important thing is to still do what we know is right. This is called faith.

Goodbye Service at Cornerstone Church

Sunday was Jeff's last Sunday at Cornerstone Church. After the second service, there was a potluck in our honor. Several people presented Jeff with gifts. These included a Minnesota Vikings T-shirt from the youth group, one last meal of chicken and

noodles, as well as a framed collage of memorable events during our 3 1/2 years here in Boone. There was also a money tree that people could clip money to the branches
to help us with moving costs. The day ended with the elders laying hands on Jeff and

praying for him and his next ministry.


It was a bittersweet time for us. It was good to see so many people come to wish
us farewell. We reminisced about all the things that have

happened at Cornerstone during our time here. We have made so many good friends in Boone that it is very hard to say goodbye and to move onto the next ministry. I believe that everything that happens in life will change a person.

We will forever be changed for the better because of the people and our ministry
in Boone. We love you friends from Cornerstone Church and thank you for all you have done for us!!