That’s just how the Marbles roll…

Ah…a weekend.  A wonderful time to relax, unwind, catch up and prepare for the coming week.  The less on the schedule the better.  The more downtime the better.

Unless you’re a Marble.  By 8 AM this morning John and I decided we were already bored.  I originally had planned to head to Billings for a quick getaway with my mother-in-law, but freezing rain and blowing snow demanded those plans be cancelled.  Sure, with both of John and I in grad school we had plenty of schoolwork to do.  And there’s always catching up on rest and relaxation, laundry and cleaning, and time together as a family.  But even with all that factored in, the weekend was looking a little B-O-R-I-N-G!

So what’s a Marble to do?  That’s simple – Finalize plans for a sunroom addition.  And start a bathroom addition in the old laundry room.  The bathroom had to first be designed, and then the concrete floor had to be jackhammered out for drain lines.  So as Saturday night draws to a close, our bathroom addition is well underway.  And considering we have 12 people in the house and only 2 bathrooms – that may be a good thing!

Everybody always tells us, “I bet there’s never a boring moment at your house!”  And they’re mostly right…but whenever those boring moments do come along – well, then it’s probably time to grab a jackhammer and start a new remodel project!

A look back at 2010

 

With 2011 suddenly upon us, I want to take a moment to pause and look back at 2010.  It’s been an extremely momentous and special year in the life of our family.  As John and I were discussing the coming year, and the fact that for both of us, it is our last year in our 30s, he said, “But I feel like we’re just starting to really live.”  Well said indeed.  So, here’s a glance back at the highlights of 2010.

Earthquake!

I recall January 12, 2010 quite well.  Mid-morning I happened to check facebook, and noticed several friends had posted prayers for Haiti, and immediately sensed all was not well.  A quick google search confirmed the need for prayers – a 7.1 earthquake had rocked the destitute, struggling country, killings untold thousands.  Only a year before I had visited Haiti and fallen in love with her people and their joyful, entrepreneurial spirits;  not to mention our two daughters, 8 yo Viergine and 9 yo Florencia, whom we’d been working on adopting for 3+ years, still resided in Port au Prince, waiting to finally come home to us.

Thankfully it didn’t take long to find out our girls, and the rest of the children at their orphanage were safe.  Sadly, such was not the case for countless other children and adults.  I couldn’t avert my eyes from the grim scenes, and hung on every word that came out of Haiti.  The suffering and needs were immense, and I felt incredibly helpless.  As news reports increasingly described the thousands of new orphans with no place to go because orphanages were already full, I was struck by the absurdity of the situation.  Hundreds of children in Haitian orphanages already had adoptive families in the US (and elsewhere), and were just waiting for someone to wade through red-tape bureaucracy to allow them to join their waiting families.  If these children would be allowed to leave Haiti to join their families (most of whom, like us, had been waiting for years), hundreds of beds would become available for those newly orphaned children.

Finally Home…

The group of families adopting children from our daughters’ orphanage banded together, determined to get our children home.  The cell numbers of all our DC Congress members’ Chiefs of Staff were programmed in my phone.  Their email addresses were front-and-center on my computer.  If I wasn’t speaking or emailing them, I was on the phone talking to the media, USCIS, State Department and more.  John eventually flew to Florida, meeting up with 3 other adoptive parents from MT, IL and CT, hoping to get a flight into Haiti to personally escort the children home.  Prayers were prayed, notes were written, interviews were given and eventually, we heard the kids were flying out of Haiti on a military jet, headed to Orlando.

Two days later, our family was finally complete and together!  John, Viergine and Florencia arrived at the Billings airport to cheers, tears, balloons, posters and gifts.  A day we had only dreamed about for over 3 years had finally arrived – our daughters were home.  Through tears of joy, I reflected on the arduous, trying process that forced us to watch our 4 yo and 6 yo daughters grow up in an orphanage, through occasional pictures and updates, while Haitian and US officials reveled in red-tape.  All of that was over, and we could now enjoy getting to know our beautiful girls.

The first months home included broken vans, beads, braids, and bothersome doctor visits.  The language and shyness barriers eventually were overcome, and it became hard to believe they had only been home a few short months.  The girls jumped right into life, joining volleyball clubs, playing softball, participating in homeschool, and more.  We celebrated many “firsts” like riding bikes, swim lessons, fireworks, and going to a parade.  Our family not only grew by two, but its zest for life, fun, laughter and joy easily quadrupled when our girls arrived!

Travels Galore

Summer 2010 was the year of the reunions – we had three family reunions as well as my high school 20th.  A 4000-mile, 4-week trek took us to three Canadian provinces and four states.  Highlights included the Oregon coast, Olympic park in Calgary, Banff National Park and tubing with cousins at my parent’s lake cabin.  Our family drove in style, enjoying our new (to us) family vehicle – a 17 passenger Sprinter with plenty of leg room, reclining seats and great gas mileage.

Starting Seminary & Ministry Involvement

When fall rolled around this year, it found all 12 of us headed back to school.  John began a master’s program in Coaching & Athletic Administration, and I began a 4-year full-time Master of Divinity (MDiv) program at George Fox Evangelical Seminary.  The virtual learning program combines online learning with face-to-face classes.  My learning cohort, a group of 20 other ministry leaders from around the nation, are an amazing group of individuals who have not only greatly enhanced and encouraged my education, but have also become like a second family.  The face-to-face classes occur twice a year in Portland in October and February, which allows me visit Oregon family members in between 6-day-a-week all-day classes.

Having completed the first semester of classes in December, and looking forward to the second semester starting up in just nine days, I am very excited about what lies ahead!  My involvement in ministry has also increased over the past year.  The ministry that John and I started, called The Bridge, is entering its second full year in Glendive.  I have begun taking a more active role in the ministry in the past months.  I now plan and organize each worship experience, and also preach each week.  The challenge, and joy, associated with these endeavors are indeed great, and not something taken lightly.  I have also had the opportunity to speak at community events, on TV, at retreats and more, and look forward to new opportunities in 2011!

Looking Forward

As I look forward to 2011, there is much to be excited about.  Remodels on our church house continue to forge ahead thanks to John’s expertise and hard work.  Most of the basement is now sheetrocked and looking good.  A new laundry room, partially finished master bathroom, four new kids’ rooms, and front doors are the highlights.  Remodel plans for 2011 include finishing our bedroom, girl and boy bathrooms in the basement, a possible sunroom and more!

I also look forward to continuing to help with the Apparent Project in Haiti.  This fall I had the joy of selling some beautiful jewelry and other handmade products – all of which directly support Haitian artisans, making a real difference in each of their lives.  Lillia, our 10 yo daughter, also got involved in her own project, working to raise money to help the Apparent Project build houses in Haiti.  To date she has raised enough money to build 1½ houses ($3700!), with a goal of building five by April 1st.  It is beyond incredible to see your own children becoming actively involved in making a difference in the lives of others, and we are quite proud to see her living out her faith and making it real!

2011 also begins with a handful of challenges – all of which we pray draw us closer to the God who sustains and saves.  In two short weeks I’ll be undergoing a procedure on my heart under full anesthesia to hopefully fix the chest pain, heart racing, palpitations and fainting that I’ve been experiencing.  Our adopted children each continue to face individual adjustment, attachment, bonding and educational challenges.  We are unsure about the future direction of The Bridge ministry, and how we best can minister to the needs of our community.  And given the challenges of being a full-time seminary student, ministry-leader, homeschooling mom to 10, wife and more – there is always the challenge of efficiently and successfully completing all the tasks before me, all while honoring and obeying God.

But in all things, I excitedly endeavor to live out my “life verse”, Micah 6:8.

He has showed you, O man, what is good.
And what does the LORD require of you?
To act justly and to love mercy
and to walk humbly with your God.

Micah 6:8

Possible signs your tree is big…

1.  The tree must be pulled over by 10 kids and 2 adults while a 3rd adult saws it.

2.  More of the tree hangs OUT of the back of a full-size pickup than is IN it.

3.  The tree requires a remodel of the front doors to even get it in the house.

4.  An army is necessary to drag the tree inside.

5.  Even with the remodel, the tree still barely fits through the 5′ double doors.

6.  The tree and ceiling must be measured to determine if it will fit.

7.  The 20′ tree needs a little trimming to fit a 17′ ceiling.

8.  A special tree stand must be manufactured to hold the tree.

9.  The top of the tree has to be pre-loaded with lights and ornaments because there is no way to put them on once it’s stood up.

10.  A 10′ ladder looks like a step-ladder next to the tree.

11.  Four strands of lights don’t cover half the tree.

More to follow…stay tuned!

What’s going on over there?

Note:  This column will be published in the Glendive Ranger Review on Sunday, November 14th.  Although it was written to a local audience in Glendive, Montana where I live and serve, it also serves as a good introductory piece for this blog and to myself.

When was the last time you got stuck in a traffic jam? It probably wasn’t here in Glendive unless you count having to wait for more than two cars at a stop sign. But most of us at some point have been stuck in traffic somewhere. I was once stuck on the Autobahn near Berlin, Germany. We literally didn’t move but 100 feet in four hours. People played volleyball, ate picnic lunches and sunbathed – all in the middle of the highway! I guess if you’re not going anywhere anyways, you may as well enjoy the time.

But I digress…anytime there’s an accident on a highway, even if it’s off to the side and not blocking the road, a traffic jam usually occurs. Why? Simply because people put on their brakes as they drive by, curious to check out the details, wondering, “what’s going on over there?”

While we haven’t experienced any traffic jams, we have seen a few brake lights. And we’ve certainly heard the question, addressed to us directly or indirectly, “what’s going on over there?” Maybe you’ve driven by the former Lutheran church on the corner of Sargeant and Power, and wondered the same thing, “what’s going on over there?”

We’ve giggled over some of the speculations we’ve heard in regards to what might be afoot at the old brick church. Are you building an orphanage? Remodeling it back into a church? Do you actually live there?

And so with you as a captive audience, there’s no time like the present to answer your question, “what’s going on over there?!”

The old brick church, affectionately called the “church house” by our kids, is first and foremost our home. We love the architectural details and history, and are honored to have the opportunity to restore and remodel it. You might have noticed framing lumber and sheetrock at various times around the place. We’re busy updating the plumbing and electrical, re-doing bathrooms, insulating, painting, refinishing floors and framing bedrooms in the basement. There’s still much left to do including a much-needed kitchen remodel, roof repair, and adding additional bathrooms. It’s a project house – but a project we enjoy. In sixteen years of marriage, we have personally designed and built two homes and remodeled another seven houses for ourselves The church house, though, is by far the “coolest” property yet!

We’re delighted to hear stories from you about our church house. Your grandparents were married here, or your mom was baptized. Your kids took gymnastics lessons, or you snuck in an open window and ice-skated in the abandoned basement. Keep those stories coming!

And, to answer the two most common questions: is it awful to heat in the winter, and whatever do you need so much room for? Obviously with 100+ year old single-pane windows, the church house is hardly energy efficient. But, with plastic on the windows and ceiling fans, it isn’t bad. And to be honest, the way we look at it, when you get to live in a historic 100-year-old building, the trade-off is a little higher energy bills!

And now to the bigger question – literally! Why do we need so much room? Well, there’s 12 of us in our family – 10 kids, a mom and a dad. That many bodies takes up a good amount of space. Our kids, ranging in age from 5-17, literally come from all corners of the earth. In addition to three birth children, we have adopted 4 kids from Ukraine, 1 from Russia and 2 from Haiti. And in case you’re wondering, “are you done yet?” While we aren’t pursuing anything at the moment, we never say never and would be blessed if an opportunity presented itself!

Maybe you’ve also noticed the yellow banner hanging on the church house, inviting you to “worship with us!” and wondered, “what’s going on over there?” Maybe you’ve heard about The Bridge and asked the same question. On Wednesday nights our couches get rearranged, additional chairs are set up, coffee is brewed, and the doors are open to anyone and everyone. We gather together to pursue, experience and follow God through singing, prayer, and biblical teaching. The group, known as The Bridge, ranges in size from 10-35 depending on the week. There are teenagers, sixty-somethings, and everything in between. You’ll find a place that’s relaxed, faith that’s real and people who are relational. At The Bridge you’ll find some who go to church elsewhere on the weekend, and some who don’t…people who know God intimately, and people who are still searching….people who come by themselves, and people who come alone….people who don’t even own a Bible, and people who read theirs daily. People vastly different from you, and some quite similar to you.

So the next time you’re tempted to put on the brakes, and wonder, “what’s going on over there?” come check it out yourself! We’d be thrilled to meet you and have you worship with us, this, and every, Wednesday at 7 PM!