2012 Annual Cousin Pictures

Each year we try to get all the kids together for a picture.  One year they were cowboys; one was in swimming suits; one in polo shirts and jean shorts.  Last year we didn't get to get together in the summer so we did the Nativity at Christmas.  This year I wanted to do the Olympics.  So I found some flag shirts and Mallory and I added decals and Iron-on's to make them a Team USA shirt.  We all met at Founder's Park in Springfield and she took their pictures.

 Here's Ava playing in the water....with daddy's help...and some of the pictures that Mallory took that day.

After the pictures, we all went to Steak 'n Shake to eat lunch.....all 16 of us.

Next.....Gavin's birthday party!

What a great day!!!

Happy Birthday to Gavin!!

So Saturday was a very busy day.  After the cousin pics, everybody met at Matt and Lindsay's house at 6 pm for Gavin's birthday party.  He will be gone to Boys' Camp on his 11th birthday, so we are celebrating a bit early.

Lindsay fixed a yummy taco bar and Gavin's cake had a paintball gun in frosting on the top.

Gifts were mostly cards with money or gift cards.....woo hoo!!

Matt set up a slip 'n slide in the front yard and the kids had so much fun slippin 'n a slidin'....  Here they are waiting their turn to slide...

Happy Birthday, Gavin!!!  I have enjoyed every one of your eleven years on this earth.  I especially enjoyed our time together this year in St. Louis.  I pray that you will continue to look forward to the time you are not just a spectator on this mission trip but a participant and that you will remember that you are always on the mission field, including at your school.  You are such a deep thinker and enjoy being around and talking to people.  I'll be excited to see how God uses these traits in your life.  Hope this week at camp was a great time for you!

I love you,

Mema

SDC with the Bischoffs

Ironically, while I was in Kansas City, Doug brought the Houston's First Baptist Church students on their "Rush Week" (camp/mission trip) to Branson, Missouri.

So...again, I left the Global Encounter trip a day early, so that I could meet them at Silver Dollar city on Friday.  They were still handing out tickets to the almost 300 students and leaders that were there from HFBC when I got there.  Lucas, who is in the youth group this year had already gone with his small group, so I took Bailey, Micah and Ruth and we headed for the rides.  Doug and Wendy would meet up with us later when they got everybody in the gate.  Well this ride was sure fun and we got really, really wet, because just before the raft went into the building one of the boats got stuck so we had to wait 30-40 minutes until they got it unstuck.  Fortunately, we stopped right in front of a target that shot back at you when you hit it.  Micah shot that target over and over and over.  He was soaked!

So, we had to wait long enough that Doug and Wendy caught up with us and on we went to the American Plunge. Wendy was the only one that would ride with Ruthie.

Doug had to leave us and go pick up some drivers at the airport, so we went on to the Lazy River ride.

Next it was the Powder Keg and once again.....Wendy and Ruthie....

Wendy and Ruth in the second row, smiling for now.....

Hold on to your hats!!

Then it was on to the Exposition section where they rode everything over and over until, finally, we had to leave.  We said good-bye to Doug, Wendy and Lucas and these three went home with me to spend the night.  The others would meet us at Founders' Park in Springfield on Saturday for our annual cousin picture.

Just getting the weekend started...............

Mema

STL/KC 2012!

So, here we are nearing the end of two weeks of missions that we have planned and worked for since the projects ended last year at this time.


First week was spent in St. Louis.  Registration was on Friday with 14 youth groups from churches in Missouri, Oklahoma, Texas, Illinois, and Kansas.  With churches and staff we had close to 300 missionaries on the field in inner city St. Louis, MO and East St. Louis, IL.


Our lodging was, as last year, at First Baptist Church, Arnold, MO.  I took Gavin with me because his birthday is August 1 and he will be 11 years old.  I thought it would be a great chance to get mema time with him.  Mallory Schmitz also went with us to take pictures of the sites and events of the week.

Here's Mallory, so happy that we got our beds set up.

And here I am in my office suite, pouring over the books.

Gavin made a tent over his bed so he could watch a movie on my tablet.

The weekend was spent in training for the youth groups with great speakers and band and worship with FBC, Arnold congregation on Sunday.  Monday morning started VBS at the 6 ministry sites around the cities.  Here's Mallory on the job at one of the sites.

On Tuesday, our midweek break, we went to Gavin's favorite, the City Museum and another day we ate at Crown Candy.  Gavin said besides City Museum, he really enjoyed visiting the sites.

We left St. Louis on Thursday afternoon, so we could stop by Springfield and have a night at home to wash our clothes, sleep in a real bed, pick up the mail, etc. before heading to Kansas City on Friday morning.  Registration is at 1:00 pm, so we needed to get there in time to get ready for the 160 youth and leaders from 9 churches in Missouri and Arkansas who would be moving in for the week.  It's always somewhat of a reunion to see youth pastors and wives that I haven't seen for a year and meet new ones whom I have talked to on the phone in preparation for the trip.

Gavin stayed home this time as Mallory and I met up with Todd, Heather and their kids.  Todd is Lodging site Coordinator for the week and Heather has worked with me in the preparations.  Gary & Lynette Hirsch and their family were there as well and Gary shared LSC duties with Todd.

One of the biggest jobs of the Project is held by our cooks.  We have incredible Head Cooks, Cindy Hunter in St. Louis and Randy & Rosie Bumgarner in Kansas City.  Then each youth group brings a kitchen helper.  It really takes a lot of hard work and long hours to feed these crews and we appreciate each one who volunteers for this job.

We were also able to visit all the sites and see the students ministering to the children.  Mallory again took pictures for us.  On our free day, we went with Todd and Heather & kids and the Hirsch's to the Crown Center. 

It was an amazing two weeks and I thank God for the 108 people who came to know Christ during this time and pray for the students who will go back to their most difficult mission field....their schools.

Praying to be on mission every day,

4th of July

We had a great fourth of July week.  And I say week, because it lasted all week.  We had a celebration at church on Sunday night, July 1st.  They cooked hamburgers and hotdogs and we brought sides.  Then our youth pastor and some of the youth set off a great fireworks display. Cael is loving it.  Ava is watching from daddy's shoulder.

Cael decided to go sit with his friends, so he picked up his lawn chair and moved over by Ian, Jack, and Ella (our future youth group).

Then on Wednesday, July 4th we had Heather's birthday dinner.  We usually do it on her actual birthday, July 3rd and then shoot fireworks in the evening, but with no rain and hay in the field and several other things going on, we decided to do the cookout on Wednesday.  I tried cooking chicken on the grill and it wasn't too bad.  We had Heather's signature flag cake (with blueberries and strawberries)  and homemade ice cream.  The kids lit their smoke bombs and snakes and had a good time.

Then on Saturday, we were invited to Cozy's to celebrate Charles Dixon's 80th birthday.  We had grilled burgers and the fixin's and enjoyed a fireworks display put together by Matt.

What a great, fun week!

So thankful to live in this great country!

Donna