5 Minute Monthly: March

March is usually the first month that starts to show signs of spring. There are new beginnings: flowers bud, birds sing and the air is warmer and almost cheerfuller. There are still days of wind and rain and hints of dreary cold but for us in Portsmouth, England, those days were drowned out by the smells and sounds of a bright and beautiful spring on the way. Ironically, the weather this month brought greatly reflect our life and ministry experiences recently. We had our cloudy days but they were far out numbered by days filled the welcoming warmth of a newly created home and blossoming of sweet friendships beginning to take form. March was a beautiful month in more ways than one and for us it marked a time of growth: the bit that emphasises new life and breaking ground.

Life Happenings

This month of growing played out differently for each member of our little family. Tyler had a busy month which involved the start of school and stepping into a more set rhythm and routine. He spent a week at Union School of Theology doing an intensive course where he was in class all day. He admitted that his brain was a bit overwhelmed after all that time listening to lectures but now he is back home can dedicate time to completing the second part of his course. Along with school he is taking on roles at the church and learning how to balance the school and church life. He was also asked to preach at a nearby church a few Sundays ago. This marked his first sermon preached in the UK. Meanwhile, Josiah is simply growing up. He is learning so many new words, testing his boundaries with both the parents and showing us his adorably silly personality. He loves anything to do with the outdoors especially water and dirt and of course mixing the two. He also is making little friends his age at church and we love to watch him running around and laughing with them. As for me, I am growing in a few different ways. My body is growing as the baby inside me continues to be happy and healthy. I am learning a lot about British hospitality and I love baking, cooking and hosting for all the people who step into our home. I also am starting a little vegetable garden and I enjoy the process of tending all my little plants. Josiah is a great little helper with the garden and loves to attempt watering with his watering can. As a whole, our family is growing in patience and love for each other as we all continue to navigate the still new environment in our own unique ways.

Ministry Update

Tyler and I have loved the different roles of ministry we have stepped into. I am currently invested in the English Cafe that meets every other week. I love getting to know different cultures while simultaneously teaching them English and sharing about Jesus. There are many opportunities to share the gospel and my prayer is that I will always be ready to do so. Tyler's main ministry at the moment is working and building relationships with the university students, as well as in the church body. There are so many who have good questions and want to know more about God so we pray that Tyler would be able to discern his time with them wisely. We also both help out with our Church's toddler group which happens every week. This is a pretty big ministry which reaches many moms and some dads. There are a large percentage who don’t know God and don't go to church, and we get the chance each week to talk with them as our children play. We are currently discussing ways to move from a friendship at toddler group to a deeper relationship with these moms and dads centred around learning more about Christ. The longer we live here, the easier it is for me to see the brokenness and hopelessness that comes with not knowing Christ. We pray daily (and we ask you to do the same) for the opportunity to share gospel with those who don't yet know the joy and peace of salvation in Christ.

New Baby News

Coming soon in May, we are going to have a new little one in the house! We are greatly looking forward to it, but are also aware of the changes this new baby will bring. We know that some of you who support us expressed your desire to give specifically towards our second child expenses. We are so thankful for your thoughtfulness especially since we had to leave many of Josiah's baby things behind and are now having to start over a bit with the second baby. Therefore, we created a little registry of things that we are in need of for new baby. If you are looking to contribute this is the most convenient and special way to do so. Here is the link to our registry for new baby: https://mycrib.uk/30554/

An important note: For privacy and security, we haven't included our address on the registry; please contact us for our address if you would like to send us something from the registry!

Pray With Us

Prayer Requests

• Pray for Tyler as he navigates his first class workload and balances both church and school.

• Prayer for the different ministries we are a part of - Students, English Cafe and Toddlers Group

• Please pray for our family life as we prepare for a new member coming next month!

Praises

• We are thanking God for our church community here and the friendships that are beginning to form.

• Praise God for the beautiful spring weather

• Praise for the people in our lives who are curious about God and asking questions that spark conversation.

We, as always, are thankful and blessed to have you all in our lives. Thank you for following along with our journey and supporting us in so many different ways. God bless!