2013 has been a hard, but blessed year. As I look back at the year we have probably done more traveling this year than ever. We’ve had a hard time trying to finish well, but at the same time we’ve seen the Lord do some pretty amazing things in our life this year. It has also been a year of new friends.
Just before Christmas last year we received our dog Sophi. Most of Anora’s year has been filled with walking, training, playing with, and sleeping with Sophi. She even dressed the dog up for Halloween. Jeremy put time into making a princess dress for the two of them. Over the summer Anora participated in the city dog show. Sophi won best large breed, because of all tricks Anora taught her. And Anora won 4th place as junior handler.
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She is in 4th grade this year. Her school is just a few blocks from our house so can walk to and from school most days. She has a best friend who lives in the other side of our duplex. She also has 2 other friends in the neighborhood and a couple at school. While her grades have been all over the place, good and bad, she really likes her teacher and her math is improving by leaps and bounds.
In October she decided she wanted to play the violin in the school orchestra. She really is pretty good for not knowing how to read music at the beginning and only participating for a few months. She even played for the church program in front of a lot of people. And her first concert was this week for the 3rd graders.
While Anora’s year has been a series of sprints, Jeremy’s has been a marathon. Last winter he participated in a class to train “Steven’s Ministers”. This is intended to train laymen in the church to help with visitation and light counseling to people in the church in need. He became certified in that. This training also helped with some school credit.
He had 15 credits this past fall semester. So that is 15 class hours per week plus another 15 at home doing the homework. This coming semester he will have 16 credits and one intensive in January. But, with the Lord’s help, he will graduate on May 10, 2014.
Shannon will be celebrating her 2nd anniversary in the President’s office January 3rd. They are very good to her there. This job has stretched her English skills to the breaking point, but has really helped her people skills, working with pastors and leaders; improved her computer skills; has learned that how something looks is just as important as what it says. She has also developed the new skill of remembering peoples’ names, only be the grace of God!
This summer she started on the first quilt for her and Jeremy. It is a mix of different blocks that mean something to both of them. She had to take a break on it to work on baby quilts. 6 friends had babies this fall, one with twins. 7 baby quilts were made in just about 4 months.
Over the summer we had several more families move to Fergus Falls to attend seminary. And 2 brave women took the reigns of leadership. While Shannon still tries to get to Bible study it has been harder with Jeremy’s additional obligations. In the fall there is an annual retreat for the all seminary women to get to know one another. This year Shannon, as a senior wife, gave her testimony. Though nervous it was delivered and received well.
We had several adventures this year while traveling. In June we flew to Brockville Ontario
We were able to make a trip to Iowa too. We stayed with Shannon’s parents and made a
quick trip to DeWitt for church even. Wish that trip could’ve been longer.
In July we participated in a joint VBS (vacation Bible school), between Jeremy’s church and a friend’s church. The churches are near each other in the country. The theme was “Go Tell it On the Mountain”. Jeremy made himself a costume of a Ram who was also a rock climber. The kids really responded well, and it was nice being part of a VBS again. Shannon led a group of six 5th grade boys. While it was energizing to see these kids have a good time and talk faith, it was exhausting at the end of the day.
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We have been so blessed by all of your support, financial help, and many prayers. The Lord has truly blessed us on this adventure. While it hasn’t been easy, we haven’t been alone. With you by our side, and the Lord above we’re making it. May the Lord bless you as he has us.