The Race is On!

We are a little late on getting this newsletter out because our letter from the Ministry of Justice in Spain arrived and our days have been filled with getting our documents certified by the issuing state and making our way to the Consulate in Miami. 1,200 miles later we are home and reflecting on our Miami experience. Sunday, March 9 we had two wonderful services in Georgia. We left early Monday morning for Miami. We arrived in Miami just in time for rush hour traffic; thankfully we made it safely to our hotel. Early the next morning we arrived at the Consulate. As we presented our documents, we were told we didn’t have enough copies and that they we would need five separate money orders to pay the visa fee. Tony and Elizabeth went to a nearby Publix to make copies and get the money orders. They made it back and we were cleared to go to another room and wait. Everything appeared to be going smoothly until they got to Rebekah’s passport. Her picture was too dark, and unable to be scanned. Therefore her passport was rejected! Off we went to the Miami Passport Agency. We had the passport expedited in order to receive it prior to 3:00 so we could return to the Consulate before it closed at 3:30. After waiting a while one of the guards offered to find out why it was taking so long. He found out that an endorsement was left off Rebekah’s passport and they had to reprint her book. It arrived at 3:45. So we made the necessary arrangements to stay another night in Miami to complete the process the next morning. We went to the Consulate early the next morning and they saw us before their scheduled opening time. We completed the process without any further problems. Our documents should be in Spain already.

“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”(Rom. 8:28) Although there were some unexpected issues, God was with us every moment of the trip and we found favor with those we encountered. His grace carried us through each circumstance. We were able to stay calm and work as a team throughout the ordeal. Thank you for praying for us. Your prayers do make a difference! The race is on….the clock is officially ticking. We must receive the remainder of our support by the time the visas arrive in order to receive final clearance. Will you continue to agree with us in prayer that all will be accomplished in God’s perfect timing?

Getting Closer....

We are on pins and needles! Our monthly report should be sent to us any day now. That should tell us where we are at on our budget! Every day we get a bit closer!

Speaking of needles , in preparation for our move, we had to have some shots. needless to say the kids weren't too excited about it. But I did manage to get some pictures using my phone. Here's one the kids took of me.

Why we don't use MySpace

Everybody is doing it, everybody is on it, why don't we use it? It would be so much easier for people to stay up with our "blog" and what's happening in our lives. So why don't we use my space?

Well for us it's pretty simple. We've spent all our ministry caring & discipling teens. That also means helping them avoid things that have a very serious potential of hurting them, and in our opinion that also include Myspace.

Rather than get into a long, drawn out dissertation on all the reasons why, I'll just let this link do most of the talking.

The Dead Kids of Myspace

A Message from Anna

(Note: As many of you know Anna had to be rushed to the hospital at the beginning of this month. Here is Anna's response to all your kind prayers, emails, and notes. Thank you for praying!)

Dear family and friends,

We are so grateful for the outpouring of prayer support our family received last week. Your prayers and encouraging words sustained us through a difficult time. With each email we received we were reminded of the Faithfulness of our God. Thank you for taking time to respond in our time of need. Know that your encouraging words are cherished and read over many times.

When I was admitted to the hospital my white blood cell count was high and my blood pressure would drop every time I would stand which would lead to me fainting. I was given antibiotics and told it would take 2-3 days for the count to return to normal. The next morning the doctor said that my white count was down, but he still wanted to do further testing. After a long day of testing I was released with Potassium tablets because by potassium was low. I am still tired, but thankful to be home with my family. Next week I have more lab work to make sure my Potassium is at a normal level. Please continue to pray that all lab work results will be normal.

We love and appreciate you all so much.

Please Pray

Just a quick note to ask for your prayers. This morning Anna passed out at home and hit her head. When we got to the ER she passed out when the Triage nurse was examining her, and they rushed her on back. The results of the tests showed that her white count was high and when she would stand her blood pressure would plummet (causing the fainting). She’s been admitted to the hospital here in Panama City. It’s got the Doctors stumped because she has not other symptoms. Please pray for Anna that God would heal her, and that we would both be salt and light during the process.

Tony

Merry Christmas!

From us to you we wish you a blessed and glorious Christmas! May the Lord richly bless you as you follow hard after Him!

Sowing Seeds

One of the joys in ministry is seeing the seeds that you have sown take root, grow and bear good fruit. Since our last news letter we had two such moments occur. The fist took place when we were at First Assembly in Brandon, where one of the young men who was a part of our youth ministry is now the Youth Pastor! We are so proud of José Reyes and how he is being used by God. The second occurred when one of “our girls” came to the house and showed us the engagement ring she had just received hours before! Congratulations Emily and Delford!