The Bro Barn Bond

During the 18 months of training here at Emanate our students build some pretty cool lifetime friendships with each other.  We have had three single men in the training and a young man from Germany who has been an associate that is working in our main office.  When talking about these four guys they are often referred to as "The Bro Barn".  One thing they have done from day one of being together is play disc golf through rain & shine, through snow and sleet.  It has been a fun way for them to bond and make memories together.  They often invite other men to join them in their Bro Barn Bonding Time.  Today this Bro Barn starts getting split up as one man goes on a missions trip, another goes back to Germany, another goes on a vision trip to Mexico, and another one stays here.  Who knows when and if they will come together again on this side of heaven.  So in celebration of one of their last times playing disc golf together we decided to join in and make a fun lasting memory together.  There were six more men that joined in with the  "Bro Barn" to play disc golf.  Then there were several of us that stood at each disc golf basket to ring a cow bell to cheer them on.  We of course had to take a  selfies at each basket.  At the end we shared donuts in the lounge.  What made this disc golf game even more unique was the fact that it was a snow day here.  The weather was quite yucky with a nasty wind.  But it just added to the memory making experience.  May we all take every opporuntiy on our journey in life to invest in each other and cheer each other on.

Over the River and Through the Woods to Grandmother's House We Go .....

Winter is not my favorite season specially since I always have cold fingers and toes.  However, yesterday Jeremiah, Aubrey, and Gavin were coming to hang out so we planned on going sledding together.  It was not that cold but it was terribly slippery.  One of the hills we were trying to walk up we kept slipping and I ended up rolling down the hill.  It is a good thing there were plenty of sledding hills around.  After we went sledding we had hot chocolate and did some indoor camping.  Having these little ones around makes everything so much more fun.

 My kids got me this special gloves that warm up.  I am REALLY enjoying them!

First Road Trip

With living so far away from family we miss out on a lot of events.  However last weekend Camille, Layla and I were able to attend my niece Rachel's bridal.  It was a beautiful shower and so wonderful to hang outwith family.  Another higlight was    to introduce Layla to her Schroeder Great Aunts and  Uncles, and Great Grandparents.

Memory Making Moments

Last weekend we had the joy of stopping in to see our kids. It was just a quick stop everywhere.  Since Titus and Ruth will both be graduating in May we wil be able to celebrate these milestones with them in a few months.  We sure treasure every moment we get to spend with our kids.

Discipleship in Action

Tonight we had the joy of connecting with dear friends from Venezuela.   After arriving in Venezuela the next day we flew down to the city where we were going to learn Spanish.  Tom and Lori met us at the airport and welcomed us into their home.  We spent the next week living with them as they helped us get our apartment set up.  Tom had the "joy" of heading up the language learning program.  And Lori very graciously set up a child care program in her yard with all of the children whose parents were learning Spanish.  Shortly after we arrived in Venezuela I became pregnant with Zachary.  I knew very little Spanish and so Lori also became my translator and health advocate.  How we value the way Tom and Lori lovingly came along side us as as a young family and invested in us.  They helped us through that huge time of transition in our lives and loved and encouraged us through that first year on the mission field.  So it was a lot of fun to reconnect with Tom and Lori, our disciplers and friends.  And what better way to do it then over some Venezuelan food.  

Going on a Bear Hunt .....

It is good to get out of all the cold and snowy weather.  We were looking for a place to go for a hike and we found this cool Black Bear Wilderness Area.  After reading the sign I wasn't too excited about the possibility of seeing a bear.  Thankfully we did not meet up to a bear although we did see a baby alligator.  

Time for Testing

Many of you have been praying for me on this journey with my dizziness so I thought I would give you an update.  I went in to see the specialist last Thursday.  It was a crazy winter storm day with road closures everywhere.  It took us over double the amount of time to get into Toronto and I was late for my appointment.  But we were thankful we got there in one piece and that the doctor would still see me.  About ten years ago I was diagnosed with Meniere's disease.  However, they no longer feel that is what I have.   I had a hearing test and I have not lost any of my hearing.  And with Meniere's disease you do lose your hearing.  They now feel they need run more tests to find out just what the issue is.  I will now go through balance testing.  However, the wait time for that is four to six months.  I will put my name on a cancelation list so hopefully the wait time can be a little bit less.  Thanks so much for all your prayers.  They are greatly appreciated.