Random Post (Bullet Point Style!)

I'm sorry that I haven't updated in a while! Things have been going well.

• I've been to the pain management doctor two more times since I last posted about it! We think we finally found the right long lasting medicine! This is my 3rd one to try. I only take this one once a day instead of twice a day like the other two I have tried. The long lasting medicine continuously releases medicine throughout the day and night. This is only my 2nd day to take the new one, so I'm still experiencing the usual sleepiness and dizziness that should go away once I'm used to it. I'm still having to take another short acting pain medicine for breakthrough pain, which I can take every four hours if needed. Once we find the right medicine combo (long acting med and breakthrough med), we'll adjust the doses to try and just take the long acting instead of also having to take lots of breakthrough medicine. 
• I finally finished one of my classes from last semester! I even got an A in the class even though I missed a lot of class! 
• I'm so excited for the Olympics! I can't wait to see the opening ceremony tonight. What's your favorite Olympic sport?? 
• We love to take one of our dogs to swim in the lake in our neighborhood! Our dog Tucker, who is a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, has never liked to swim. But our new dog, Charlie, who is a lab loves to swim. She's a little over a year old and would swim for hours if we would let her! Last week we were at the lake during sunset and it was gorgeous. I've never seen anything like it before. It is not edited at all! God is just that incredible. 

• Landon found some weird fake glasses so we of course had to take pictures with them in the car on the way to dinner one night! 

We've just been enjoying summer! I hope you're having a great summer and have a great weekend! Thank you for your continued prayers and encouragement! It really means a lot.

Mission's Sunday '12

Sunday was Mission's Sunday at church! For the past 10 years, we have had what is called "Mission's Sunday" on one Sunday in July. It's a day where we take up a special contribution to help spread the love of Christ around the world just as He calls us to do in the great commission. Our theme is "From Our Town to the World." We also called Mission's Sunday and the Sundays in July "Kukusanya". That means "gathering" in Swahili.

"Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Matthew 28:19-20

The contribution goes to missionaries all over the world that we support, mission trips that our members take, and so many other things that help take the Gospel literally all over the world. It helps people on every continent (except Antarctica...)!

This year was the 10th year we've had Mission's Sunday. Our goal this year was $707,000. Since it was the 10th year of Mission's Sunday, we decided to do something big. We made each country/continent that we have missionaries in for people to see. Through out the month of June and July we have given out "passports" to everyone. Each Sunday during church, we have had someone who has gone to a certain country tell about that country and how Christ's love is being shown there. Then, we hand out "visa" stickers for whatever country they talked about that week!

This page tells how the money will be spent and more about Mission's Sunday!

We had 6 different places to make. We did Africa, Brazil, Europe, Latin America, Oklahoma City, and Pac Rim! Each one of those places was assigned a big room in our church and 3 adult classes to help with it.


My mom was one of the leaders for Brazil! It was perfect because we have been there 3 times and it's our favorite place! My dad also helped with several different ones.


We were up at church some on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday, and then all day Saturday working on the rooms! It was really neat to see so many people getting involved. 

Sunday morning everyone had Bible class in one of the countries or regions. They sang songs in English and then in the language of the country whose room they were in. I love hearing the same songs we sing sung in other languages. They worship the same God we do even though we don't speak the same language. It was really great in the Brazil room because the missionaries that live there are here right now! They got to answer questions in the class which was great.

After Bible class it was time for worship! Usually we have two worship services on Sunday morning, but in July we only have one. "Kukusanya." We love when we are all together. The singing is beautiful. Two thousand plus people worshiping God together without instruments is incredible. 

After worship it was time for everyone to go to the rooms to see the countries! People brought their "passports" to get stamped when they went to each country! It was so much fun. I helped stamp passports and little kids' hands and faces in the Brazil room. Everyone loved every country! There were food samples in each country and little gifts. In Brazil we handed out little backpacks that said Brazil on them and had the Christ Statue on it.

Here are pictures!

Landon helping build the Christ Statue on Saturday!

Where you got your passport stamped!

Where one of the missionary couples from Brazil stood! The map shows where they travel in Brazil to do classes and seminars. 

One side of the room

The front of the room. There was a Brazilian soccer game playing on the screen and under it there were soccer goals for the kids to play with!

Table with Brazil stickers and bracelets for everyone!

Another part of the room

At the back of the room! This is one of the churches we support in Brazil. It looks JUST like the church. The missionaries that we support at this church are here and stood in front of it and got to talk to people!

In Rio there is a mountain called Sugar Loaf and you take a cable car to it.  So here is the cable car in the room and it actually moved across the room!

Iguazu Falls! There was a video of Iguazu playing.

Soccer goals for kids to play with.

Another church we support! The church has a store front door and this looks just like it too.

The Christ Statue and market!

Copacabana beach! The boardwalk there is the actual boardwalk from Copacobana. Each beach in Brazil has it's own unique boardwalk!

We used water beads for the ocean and everyone loved them!

At the beach people hang clothes and scarves off of umbrellas and walk around trying to sell the items hanging off of the umbrella.

Landon and I with the missionary kids that live in Brazil!

After a couple hours of people going to each country, we had another short devotional! My dad got up and announced how much we had given for missions that day since he's the missions director. The total was $724,446.98!! Our goal was $707,000! We spent time praising God for that and asking Him to bless it as we spread His word around the world. 

Sunday was a great day! I'm so thankful to be a part of a church who's focus is on spreading God's love to everyone around the world. We are thankful for the opportunity to do that.

Busy busy busy

I've been very busy lately. I mean, so busy. What have I been doing you ask? Swimming, getting snow cones, being outside, playing with the dogs, more swimming, getting more snow cones, and things like that. Obviously it's been very stressful. You have to decide whether to go to the pool or get a snow cone first. Very hard decisions. Just kidding. I love summer!!! Here are some pictures from recently!

Tacy and I at the pool!

Thunder design on our toes!

Charlie loves to sit on the air vent when it's hot outside. She is one smart puppy!

Leisel and I (and Sleeping Beauty) at lunch on Sunday!

Charlie enjoying the neighborhood lake! She would just sit in the shallow water and chew on her stick. She loves to chase the geese all around the lake. 

Getting ready for fireworks on the 4th of July!