Malaya has a 6-page spread – sharing about her life growing up as a missionary in Haiti. We are so thankful for the opportunity to share her story with other girls her age.

As we walked back home – Asher said: I really like it when we do children’s church as a family. It’s so much fun.
Levi said: Yeah I think God likes it too because everyone knows the same Bible stories… and God really likes the Bible 🙂

I learned a long time ago – Christmas isn’t necessarily about WHERE you go – nor is it necessarily about WHAT you do. At least for me – MY best memories on Christmas Day are all about who I was surrounded by.

But might I suggest that either way – people are watching – taking their cues from you – maybe even waiting for you….. and none of us want to be a stumbling block – or a JOY BLOCKER – for others who are desperately searching for their JOY too.

Hurricane Matthew and subsequent flooding nearly destroyed our community – but it also brought all of us together. I wouldn’t have thought about pouring into these kids had I not watched their nightmare unfold before me. Beauty from ashes….

It was our staff and their children who were shaken awake with rivers running through their homes. It was the young girls and their mothers who were carried to safety.

So Malaya and Mikela wanted to do something special for their friends

I’m SO thankful for this wonderful family I’m surrounded by this Thanksgiving! God has blessed me beyond measure when it comes to the people perfectly placed around me!

Of course Jose made most of the dishes

It might seem a little silly to decorate for Christmas with all the drama happening outside our home…. but my kids need something else to think about besides the mud and the rain.

I put black-light bulbs in the hallway – that’s the picture you see that’s really dark. Then I hid glow in the dark skeleton bones all over the house.