5 Minute Monthly: May & June

Six months! It has been six months of living in Portsmouth, UK. In some ways it feels like we just arrived here and in other ways I feel as though we have been living here for years. Through the grace of God, this city, church, and these people have become home to us. The Lord has blessed our time here as we are beginning to feel more integrated and connected. We are so thankful for these growing

relationships and connections because the last two months have been packed full of changes for our family and having people to rely on in our times of need has been a blessing. Our six months in Portsmouth have been special and here is an update of what the last two of those six have held.

Life Happenings

Even though this update covers the months of both May and June, the two can not have been more different. May dragged on forever while June flew by. May involved waiting and June: surviving. May was cold and wet while June was hot and sunny. Both months were challenging but in completely different ways. There was a big factor that made these months so different from each other and as you have probably guessed, that was the birth of our son, Silas Paul Mann! He was born on the 1st of June and he has been a cuddly bundle of joy and the perfect addition to our little family.

Silas was supposed to arrive at the end of May which meant the month dragged on forever. The waiting was challenging in many ways. I struggled because I was heavily pregnant and trying to chase a toddler

around. Josiah was also a bit on edge because I couldn't get him out as much and I think he sensed a change was coming. The month was also hard for Tyler because he was finishing his big essay for class (which he passed by the way), then he was without tasks since we were expecting a baby any day. Tyler struggled with having so much to do then, all of a sudden, not having much. Yet, even though May was challenging the month also had some highlights. We weren't sure when Silas was arriving so we tried to make the most of our time together as a family of three. We spent quality time with each other on the weekends and had lots of fun. Also, the month ended on a high note with my mom coming to visit, something Josiah particularly enjoyed.

With the arrival of Silas, the month of June became our first month as a family of four. We praise God that our son was healthy and happy at birth and has been an easygoing baby ever since. However, life with even the best of newborns is still hard. Josiah took a bit of time to adjust to the fact that Silas was sticking around and I took a while to heal since I had lost a lot of blood and had to get stitched up pretty good. Thankfully, my mom's stay continued through the first weeks of June and my dad joined her for the last ten days.

Both my parents were an enormous help, taking Josiah on outings and giving him special attention, helping with chores around the house, pitching in for groceries and even assisting with some landscaping work. They also brought lots of American treats and things like popcorn, coffee and special seasonings! It was a special time while they were here and they were even able to squeeze in some sightseeing adventures to get the full UK experience. After they left, we experienced the actual reality of what it feels like to have two under two. There have been good days and bad days and we are still adjusting but I love my boys and I am excited to watch them grow and learn as the months go by.

Ministry Update

Due to the circumstances of the past two months ministry and outreach have looked a bit different for us. Because we weren’t sure when baby Silas would arrive, most of May was spent waiting and Tyler took off work to help prepare and host my parents. It was a bit challenging for us both to not be doing our normal activities but we spent the time as a family and tried to enjoy the waiting process.

The first two weeks of June were the first two weeks of Silas’ life and the church was a huge help bringing meals and offering support in so many ways. We are so thankful for our church and their care for us. We can truly see the Lord working in this church. There is so much unity and diversity in it and we are learning a lot about both.

Tyler preached two sermons in the last weeks of June. One was at our church and the other was him stepping in for a pastor who was on sabbatical. Tyler is loving the opportunity to preach here in the UK and is thankful for the feedback he is getting from the pastors and congregations.

Many of the regular weekly activities are on hold for the summer but we are still trying to find ways to invest in our community and grow in relationships. Tyler is still meeting with students, we are both still helping out with the toddler’s play group and I am hoping to jump back into English cafè in the fall. Tyler has a lot that he is preparing for the future for, looking at sermons coming down the line, helping to lead the Students Connect in the fall, helping lead with the youth group after summer, and Sunday morning ministries. He is also returning to school starting in August. We are also planning on hosting a connect group at our house soon. The Lord is at work here in so many ways and we are thankful to be a part of it. In general, we are integrating with the life and ministry of the church and seeing its ministries grow and continue to affect people positively for Christ. And now that Silas is here, we feel more ready now than ever to lean hard into the circumstances the Lord has put us in!

Pray With Us

We are so grateful for your love and support of us and our ministry. Thank you for taking the time to read our blog, and thank you for taking the time to pray for us. God is doing great things that we get to be a part of and we are learning so much along the way!