New WEBSITE...

We have published a new website that we will now be posting to. This site will remain active at least for a while so you can access archived posts but all new posts will be made on our new site. So check it out, bookmark it, and let us know what you think! You can now find us at:

>>>>  www.laniertribe.com  <<<<

    

   

Watch out for Mother Bear!

We had a bit of excitement the other night. My parents had come over for dinner and my dad and Tim were outside working on Tim's motorcycle. Noah had been playing outside with them. Mom and I were in the kitchen cleaning up from dinner when all of the sudden I hear Noah screaming at the top of his lungs in the front room. I rush out to see Noah and a HUGE pit bull standing in the middle of the room! I look out the window to see Tim and my dad coming rushing in the house. My dad chased the dog away, giving it a solid kick in the ribs, while Tim helped me comfort Noah. I see my dad take off down the street and knowing that some neighbors had a pit bull I took off down the street after him. I was furious that some careless people had allowed their massive dog to follow my little boy into our house! And a pit bull no less that has the potential of being a very mean dog! I saw a girl get the dog into a small car down the road. Apparently they were out looking for the dog as it had gotten loose. I marched up to the car and told the lady (as sternly as I have even done in my life) that that had better not EVER happen again! Meantime, my dad was also giving her an ear full. Being a grandpa AND a police officer! My mom said later that when she saw me marching down the street, she said to Tim, "Uh oh, she's not happy. There is the Mother Bear instinct!" I had to laugh later at how true that is. If anything threatens my children, you better stand back. Mother Bear is on the Loose!

Yard Sale!!

For the last several months we've been slowly liquidating all our stuff as we're getting ready for our move to Papua New Guinea next January. This last Saturday we had a yard sale and got rid of the last bunch of our unneeded stuff. It feels great!

Noah had a great time visiting with people at the yard sale and playing with things he found. He even watched a customers dog while they shopped :-)

He found a hoof pick and after learning what it was for, 

he went around "cleaning" everyone's shoes.

Next, he thought he would try out an old luggage carrier with an old sewing box.

Then he made Papa carry him!

Tiffany, taking care of the cash box and trying to remember how to do basic math! :)

When the yard sale was finished, we took a picture of the inside of our trailer.

When we moved out from Missouri, this trailer was stuffed to the brim with stuff, along with our Jeep and Tiffany's parent's van. Now, look at what is left!!! It feels like a weight is lifted off our shoulders to be freed of so much. Although, now comes the process of gathering those things that we DO need for the field. Things such as solar panels and four years worth of underwear!!!

The Beach!

This week we were finally able to take the boys to the beach for the first time since we've been home. It was a cool day but still very nice. Noah had been before but this was Micah's very first time at the beach! After being gone for most of the last 4 years we appreciate the blessing of living only 20 minutes from the beach a lot more than before!

Nana and Noah are checking out all the little critters that are hanging out in the tide pool. There were lots of little tiny crabs of some sort, anemones, and many other little critters.

 
Mommy and Micah got to "hang" out together :-)  Micah was quite enthralled with all there was to look at.

Look at all that water!

It took Micah a while to even get to this point. He is still skeptical and not really liking this whole sand thing.

Daddy is giving some reassurance but it doesn't seem to help much.

Baby feet and sand make a very picturesque scene.

Finally he decides to dig in a little and see what this is all about.

We found a starfish. Noah thought it felt funny.

We found a cave... or a crevice is more like it... but to Noah it was a cave!

It is amazing what kind of cool and beautiful things we find in God's creation! 

How He Likes to Crawl...

Micah is crawling all over the house now and so quickly that he really keeps us on our toes! It is fun to see how every baby has their own personality and even their own way they like to crawl. Noah did this funny half crawl-half dragging one leg thing. It was odd. :) Micah on the other hand, likes to stuff his mouth with a toy and crawl around the house. He is very adamant about this and will stop repeatedly to stuff the toy back in his mouth if it falls out. Here are a few pictures to show you what we mean.......

I am so glad that God made each of us unique! He sure has a sense of humor. :) 

Wouldn't life be boring if we all crawled the same way?!

A Trip to Disneyland!

Last weekend we were given the chance to go to Disneyland! It was a late celebration of Tim and Noah's birthdays. Some family friends, the Swensons joined us as well. It rained that morning, but it was only a light sprinkle and soon the sun came out to make it a beautiful day. The plus was that the rain was enough to keep people away and the park was not crowded at all. We were able to walk right on to many of the major rides that usually require a long wait. Here are some pictures from our day.....

Noah walking into Disneyland with my friend Carrie.

 At this point he looks like a little bee in his yellow rain jacket.

Our group in front of Sleeping Beauty's Castle. 

(Usually this kind of picture is impossible because of the crowds!)

My dad with Micah is his little plastic covered stroller to keep out the rain. We were so thankful that he actually took naps while we were there! 

Micah and Papa getting ready for a ride to see Nemo in a submarine.

Noah in an A. :)

Getting ready for a ride on Dumbo! 

This was probably one of Noah's favorite rides.

Noah's other favorite ride....Autopia! He even got to help daddy drive.

This was probably the highlight of Noah's day. He got to meet Minnie and Mickey!

Enjoying ToonTown.

It's Been Awhile...

Well, it has been awhile since we have posted on here....mostly because there hasn't been a whole lot to say! We have enjoyed the down time being with our families and trying to get settled in. Although, it looks like we are up for ANOTHER move! It is wonderful to see how God once again provided for our needs. Some good friends of ours, Doug and Evie Swenson are allowing us to stay in their home for the next several months. They are staying in a small addition/apartment that belongs to another couple in our church and allowing us to use their house! We are overwhelmed by their generosity. Staying in their home will allow us to spread out and figure out what of our things we need to keep for the field and what to get rid of. We were also in need of a place that we can entertain people for meals as a way to reconnect with those in our home churches. Their home will answer these needs and much more. 

We are feeling overwhelmed by all that needs to be done in this time of preparation to go overseas and in raising support, but it is wonderful knowing that we can rest in God and his timing and provision! We are also looking for opportunities to share what God has laid on our hearts and about the ministry we hope to take part in. If you know of any small groups, Sunday schools, or churches, etc. please let us know! 

Beginning a New Phase

Not a lot has happened since we've been home, but it has been wonderful to spend unhurried time with family. Tim has begun working construction with a guy in our church, but since it is not full time he will hopefully be able to devote a lot of time to preparing for our time of partnership development that we have just begun. Speaking of partnership development, (also known as deputation) the time has come that we are looking for individuals and churches to partner with us in prayer, encouragement, and financial support as we look towards ministering to tribal people in Papua New Guinea. I can't stress enough how important you, our friends and supporters are to us. We need your prayers, encouragement, and friendship. We know that as we set out in this work there is NO way that we can do it on our own. It is ONLY by the grace of God that we can have an effective part in this amazing task. 

Please pray for us that we will continually seek the Lord first and pursue a close walk with Him. We also appreciate your encouragement--dropping us a note to say hi or that you are praying for us means a great deal. It can be lonely at times so far from home and knowing you are thinking of us make the distance a little less. Finally, we are looking for monthly financial supporters that will be a part of our team. Papua New Guinea is one of the most expensive fields to go to within New Tribes. The country is very underdeveloped and so many things have to be imported from Australia. Not to mention that once we are in the tribe our expenses will include things like paying for a plane to fly in our supplies and groceries. At this point, we are receiving about 25% of what the mission recommends for our monthly financial support. If you know of any church, Sunday school, or small group/Bible study that would be willing to have us come share what God is doing around the world, please let us know. We are so excited to share what God has been teaching us and of the exciting work of tribal church planting. 

On a different note, some have mentioned that they would enjoy seeing some more pictures of the boys so here are just a few.....

Noah loves to "work hard!" and here he is with his new

 and real tool set from his Aunt Kim.

Micah has such a personality and it is fun to see that develop.

Micah has been working very hard on crawling. Here he is on 

Christmas Eve as he was just figuring things out. Now

we have to keep a close eye on him as he can scoot very

quickly across the floor after anything that interests him. 

What we've been up to...

So, Christmas has come and gone and we have begun a New Year. We were so busy with packing and moving that we hardly had time to think about Christmas so we weren't much in the "Christmas spirit," but we enjoyed the time being with family and remembering the wonderful reason that we celebrate. We then went to my (Tiffany's) cousin's wedding down in the LA area and so we had more traveling, but again we had a wonderful time. I was able to reconnect with family I hadn't seen in awhile and since I had already missed two other cousin's weddings I was glad to be able to finally go to one!

Noah and his stocking on Christmas morning

Santa Baby

My cousin and his beautiful bride

There was dancing at the wedding and Noah had a blast. Here he is asking the flower girl to dance. She was quite shy and would only dance if her aunt joined them. Noah loves telling the story of how she just put her hands on her cheeks and "wouldn't talk."

My sister Kim and her friend Carl dancing at the wedding. 

Here is a video of Noah dancing with Kim. He was very anxious to dance and so they were the first ones on the dance floor. Oh my, and he is only two!

Traveling Once Again!

Well, we all made it safe and sound to California! What a wild week of packing, cleaning, and saying good-byes! My (Tiffany's) parents arrived Tuesday night from two 15 hour driving days from California to Roach, MO. My grandparents from south Missouri arrived the next morning for a quick visit before we left Missouri as they had not met Micah yet. We had a great time visiting, but unfortunately we couldn't stop too long from the work of packing. Tim, my dad, and grandpa all worked tirelessly packing and organizing the trailor, while I packed and my mom and grandma helped with cleaning. I don't know how we could have done it without them! Amazingly, we were able to finish by Thursday evening. We said our last tearful good-byes and then took off for Tulsa where we would spend the night. The next morning Tim and my dad started their very long drive home and my mom, I, and the little ones got the easy way out and flew home. Saturday night we were able to to see Tim and my dad pull up in front of my parent's house. They made it with no car troubles and only one snow storm!

It has been a quite a switch coming home. Last Sunday we almost didn't make it to church because of the snow and ice, but this Sunday we were wearing short-sleeved shirts and felt warm outside! It has been great to be home and see family. The boys are having a great time. Noah is finally able to get some of that two-year old energy out running around outside and riding his bike. Micah is getting so big so fast! He has been working on crawling today! I can't believe how fast they grow up! We hope that you all have a wonderful Christmas!

Bittersweet Thoughts

So, the time has come and I can hardly believe it. We are DONE with New Tribes Training! For the last five years, one or both of us, have been involved in training for tribal church planting. We have been everywhere from the "barren wasteland" (j/k) of Wisconsin where the staple diet consists of brats and frozen custard,  and it is a normal thing to see houses painted bright green and yellow with giant Packer football helmets proudly displayed on the side....to the beautiful wooded mountains of Pennsylvania where we have wonderful memories of living for a time in a plastic covered house on the side of a mountain with a bucket shower, long walks to the outhouse, and glop for breakfast every morning....then to the Ozarks of Missouri, where the lake is practically right out your front door, the highlight of a trip to town is Wal-mart and McDonald's, and where in the summer you are bombarded in that same Wal-mart by people in their bikinis buying cartloads of beer for their parties on the lake.  Tim and I have had several discussions lately about the bittersweet feeling of leaving this place, the Missionary Training Center in Roach, and the final phase of our training. Here are some of the thoughts that I have had lately that I thought I would share with you about the things we are leaving behind....

What I will NOT miss.....

• Having to lug two overloaded baskets of laundry to the wash house where I then attempt to get everything washed and dried without going over my allotted time....and also hoping that I can run back and forth from the house while also attempting to take care of the boys. (Sometimes I am sure this is has to be impossible, but somehow it works. Thank goodness for Mondays and Sheila!)
  
• Getting to walk, again to the wash house, to take my shower. In summer it is a hot, sticky shower in the company of many varieties of bugs and it the winter it is often a cold/cool shower and if we are lucky we get to walk through snow and ice to get there!
• Living in the Ozarks. I know it is a tourist hot spot, but....
• Going to class and having homework for the last five years.
• Being able to sit in my bedroom and clearly hear my neighbors using the bathroom. (Don't worry Dylan and Angie, I only noticed this a couple neighbors ago.) :)

What I WILL miss....

• Being able to do all my laundry in two hours instead of one load at a time and it taking all day!
• I am having a hard time thinking about what I will miss about the shower, but at least I come back clean! Maybe the fact that at times I get to talk with a friend in the neighboring stall while we take our showers. I am always up for a chance to socialize!
• Being able to walk out our front door and take a walk in God's beautiful creation!
• Going to class and learning SO much from many people that I really admire. I will miss the discipleship I experienced this year especially. 
• Having wonderful friends right outside my door at all times! We can put the kids to bed and just take our baby monitor with us to our friend's houses because they live so close. I think this is the thing that Tim and I will miss the most. We are ending this training in the company of friends with whom we have traveled the country, gone through many trials, had our thinking challenged in many areas, served each other when we were hurting, prayed together, and worked together, etc. So many dear friends that I may never see again or at least for a very long time! We will leave this place and go off to the many different corners of the world. It has been difficult not to become discouraged about the many friendships we have made and then had to leave over the years, but I have been challenged to be thankful for friendship for the time that it is given instead of becoming resentful when it is taken away. I can spend all my energy resenting it or focus on continuing those relationship from a distance and to pour into the lives of those that come across my path. 

It is exciting and nerve-wracking to think that when we pull out of here in just a few days with all of our earthly belongings, we will be New Tribes Missionaries! We will be shifting our energies to building prayer and financial support for the ministry we hope to have with tribal people in Papua New Guinea. It seemed that this time would never come, yet here it is. This move has been harder for us than all the rest as it feels like the beginning of letting go. Letting go of all we have known and come to love. Letting go of the many people in our lives that we would love to to be close to instead of halfway around the world. What an encouragement to look back and see how faithful God has been to provide each step of the way and we know that He will continue to be faithful. The phrase from a well known hymn keeps going through my mind, and that is..."It will be worth it all, when we see Jesus!"

The view on our walks around campus!

Swingin' with the Boys

A dear friend of mine, Sheila, and I decided to go on a walk the other day as it was beautiful outside. She has a sweet little boy, Nathan, who is six weeks younger than Micah. We brought with us our friend's little boys, Luke and Titus. With the five little boys it was quite the energetic walk, but a lot of fun. We took a walk over to the rope swing on campus and had a great time swinging and throwing rocks in the creek. 

Nathan and Micah in our stroller. 

Nathan is giving his mom a huge smile, but Micah just looks confused. 

My friend Sheila with all the boys!

Noah trying out the rope swing. He loved it!

With the days getting colder and colder, (it is supposed to snow today), our trips outside are getting more limited, but it is wonderful living in a place that a beautiful walk in God's creation is right outside our front door. 

FINALLY!

FINALLY! Here are the pictures that I promised of our time in Oklahoma. I have done this three time and each time the computer has deleted it. Annoying! SO, hopefully it will work this time!

Here is what our room would have looked like when we arrived, (although not so clean!). These bunkbeds became our walls, closets, shelves, and couches!

You can see our "wall" in the background. It was made of bunk beds and mattresses, and draped with old sheets and blankets. It worked quite well!

NOW, these are a few pictures of the time me and the little ones had in California. This is Noah and Micah enjoy the soft carpet at Nana and Papa's house. Anything is soft after concrete!

Noah had a blast feeding the ducks with Nana. Micah just looked puzzled at the strange creatures in front of him.

Noah getting a haircut from a friend of ours. Not his first, but it is always fun. He does a great job sitting still.

BACK in Oklahoma....After Tim picked me and the boys up at the airport, we found a playground and Noah had a great time running and playing with Daddy again!

We all missed him.

Micah is getting SO big!

Some of the Cherokee ladies at the church we attended while we were there made earrings and bracelets for us ladies as gifts. Mine were big and red! Noah enjoyed "wearing" them and walking around saying, "I'm Kerokee!" (Cherokee)

Packing up to go home! You can see the volleyball court in the background where the kids loved to ride bikes and run. This is right outside our room.

And speaking of Cherokee, today was Tim's LAST day of linguistics. He turned in his big (60 page) write-up on the Cherokee language today! What a relief. The last week or so, we saw him for meals, but there were times when he left the house before 8am and didn't come home till 2am! We ALL learned a lot...about ourselves, our family, and about the great God who is sufficient in all circumstances. Thank you to those of you who prayed for us during this time.

Tim has two, two week long classes left, Bible translation and a wrap-up on church planting. Then it is packing and traveling home to California for Christmas!

Tiffany