She Laughs Without Fear of the Future-Ellery Hope

Over seven months have passed since our last update and it is amazing how much has happened in such a short amount of time. After reading our last update just now to brush up on all y'all know, we are like, whoa, because this happened…

She gives new meaning to joy, hope and love. She is the fulfillment of everything that God has promised both of us in a child and much more. She marks the beginning of a new ministry for Team B. Our Ellery, our Hope, shows us just how much our good Father loves us. And He sure loves us!

We are getting ready to move…yet again! This time, just to the other side of town. We have been thoroughly blessed by our landlords and friends, Ron and Barbara, and praise God for their generosity. Our new estates will be the mobile home that Korina's brother Tony, owns. It is a very exciting time for us because we will have room to spread out and host more people in our new home. A bigger kitchen is also a big plus!

Since our decision to step back from staffing full-time at a YWAM base, God has helped develop our family ministry. We are still heavily involved in our friends' lives and missions at the base, which has been a fantastic stepping stone for us to experience what it is like to staff. God has moved in us to host others in our new home and foster the gifts that He has blessed individuals with. Korina plans to hold women's Bible studies and minister to the local moms. I am excited to host more activites with friends and families, like movie nights and bbqs.

     

So many family and friends came to meet our sweet girl!

It's so difficult to put into words just how good God has been to us. My job at Starbucks is still going great and I am thankful for that ministry every day. We are incredibly excited about what God has in store for us in the future. We feel that God has given us this time to establish some roots here in our hometown, while paying off some debt that we have so we can be better equipped to staff at YWAM in the future. It's an exciting possibility knowing that we are making a difference and setting this town ablaze with the love of our Father! Please continue to pray that God moves heavily in this mountain area and even more so, that we are able to recognize when it happens!

Team B at Ellery's first Angel's Game

We are hoping to update a lot more as we find some routine in our new place. For the meantime, know that we are in good hands! God has given us plenty of opportunities to reach out, such as cooking for Youth for Christ camps, helping out with YWAM in any way we can and getting involved in the local churches.

Proud Nana with her first grandbaby!

Please continue to pray for the following for our family!

-For a smooth move into our new place

-More ministry opportunities for us to take advantage of

-Future plans that God is revealing to us

Also, let us know if there is anything we can do for you guys. You are the lifeblood of our ministry and we want to lift you up in prayer as much as we can. We love you all dearly!

39 Weeks and Feeling All The Feels

There is something that happened today. The reality of what life will soon be really sunk in deeply. The "inevitable" became exactly that, inevitable. Just when I think "Oh no big deal there's plenty of time" my husband says the words "Yeah, you might get to meet your cousin next week, Grey!" while talking to our nephew.

Next week.

Today marks 39 weeks.

And then I remembered pregnancy is 40 weeks (more likely 41) ....next week....maybe.

HOLY CRAP

Between all the travel and moving and "nesting" and daydreaming I kind of forgot to remember that little fact. Soooo this is pretty much how I feel in the meanwhile…

Don't misunderstand me, I am READY to see this little girl. We are set as far as the necessities go. Her room is almost ready, but she won't be in there right away anyway. We are as ready as you can be, I suppose, technicality wise. But our hearts...

My heart is full of so many feels. I am brought to tears at the lifetime of prayer and anticipation that has gone into this pregnancy. I am slightly sad at the passing of the season of just my hubby and I, being kids and being crazy, responsible for just ourselves. Our hearts are equally full of anticipation, hope, and "what the hell are we thinking?!" moments. I feel blessed beyond measure that I have the opportunity and privilege of having a low risk pregnancy that allows me to deliver in the comfort of my own home (AND that I even have a home of my own to do so) I know so many who would have been couldn't.

 God saw us fit, despite ourselves, and we are saying "yes" to His "yes". Just like every other step we have made in our crazy life journey....we are saying "yes" and a few "if that's what you're into, God."

When I think of where we are now, and all that had to happen for us to be here, I cannot help but feel loved so much by my Jesus.

Justin built us a bedside co-sleeper- cause he's already an amazing daddy

In our time since being home God has provided an adorable little home for us, a job for my husband (that he didn't even have to go out and hunt down) innumerable hand-me-downs and gifts for our little one, the amazing care and support from our midwife, Alex, food every day and a hope for the future. We moved into my dad's old place, an adorable little apartment on your way towards Bass Lake. It's a little mother-in-law unit on the bottom story of a house (our landlords are AMAZING and so generous) We made this little Hobbit hole in the woods all our own and it feels SO good to be in our own little space again.

The sneakiest of sneak peaks into the nursery

We brought a little bit of Morocco home with us

Justin was approached by an old friend for a position at Starbucks. Not ideal, considering his expertise, but hey, it can pay the bills for this season. Well, that was an unfair assumption of what God really had for him. Not only does he get to work in an air conditioned, well lit, environment, there are windows! This might sound pretty ridiculous to most of you but those are huge perks to a chef who is used to

much more of a harsh work situation. AND, he will be making enough that we can afford to have me stay home with our little one and pay off some major student loan debt. He is only two days in, but loving it so far.

We still plan on volunteering much of our time with our dear friends at YWAM Yosemite, just not full time as staff right away. Once we said yes to God about this releasing to work, the blessings overflowed. Funny how that works. We are praying about the ways we can be used locally to minister to our community here. Part of setting down roots is getting plugged in and we are opening our hearts to the people of this town as much as we can. Justin has incredible reach at his job and is even encouraged in his pursuits there by other believers. I have an incredible opportunity to host women in my home or even at my second home, Cool Bean, to really dig into the Word and just "do life" with these people.

We are leaving our hearts open to where God leads us next, our next steps. For now, we are relishing these moments, living for today.

I better get back to folding our little one's laundry and daydreaming about dressing her up….

Priorities ya know?

Note the computer for size reference…IS THIS REAL LIFE?!

Pray for us if you think of it? Just that God would be glorified in our story, that we would have a worshipful and successful delivery here in our home with Justin and our midwife, and that our little one continues to grow happy and healthy :)

Plus, I am OVER keeping her name a secret, so she can come already so I can shout it from the rooftops! (It's too rad not to)

Home again, home again, jiggity jig

"The mountains are calling and I must go" - Muir

We made it Oakhurst!

(Last Coney before we left...it was so good I cried)

Our goodbye from Avalon was overwhelming and filled with tearful hugs. We have never had such an amazing community of people send us off. Our hearts were both broken and filled with hope at the road ahead of us. We continue on with joy knowing we will see them again in just a few short months. It was a tight squeeze but we fit it all! Our car is awesome :)

We had a great visit with Justin's parents on our way up the hill and got to share more about this new journey. It's hot in Fresno but their solar powered air conditioner made it amaaaaazing. 

We have had the blessing of visiting with friends and family here in these mountains. We really did miss them all so much. We have been able to visit with our future YWAM base friends and talk more in depth about our future stay on base. 

We are also prepping for our support dinner here soon next week and getting excited to see more of our friends before we leave. 

I am feeling great now that I am in my second trimester! Yay! 

 

Baby is now the size of a lemon and I am hyper diligent about feeling for any movement - even though I know I have a few weeks to go before I'll feel anything. I also have a little bump now! Well, not that little haha, my torso is so short baby has nowhere to go but out!

We will find out the sex of the baby while we are in Ireland! We really don't have a preference although everyone else seems to have a pretty strong opinion about it hahah. 

Now taking bets....and name ideas ;) 

We will post again soon before we leave!