Five Minute Monthly: May

Happy June, everyone! It's almost officially summer, but the past few weeks in Portsmouth have not reflected that. The rain and wind that are so typical for the UK have made it difficult to believe summer is here. It's not all been dreary, though—at the end of May, we did experience some gorgeous summer weather and enjoyed it very much. Sadly, though, the warm weather did not stick around, and we are praying that it will come back now that it is June! So there is your weather update; now on to some more exciting updates. Last month, we had wonderful ministry outings, special times with friends, and even a wedding, making May a wonderfully full and fun month.

Life Happenings

Experiencing the warm days of May made us feel as though summer had begun, and we took full advantage of it. On the days when I was just home with the boys, we went to splash parks and regular parks, the seaside, and anywhere with water. We had picnic lunches every day; the boys loved it, and so did I!

Both boys are at a wonderful age to adventure! Josiah will gladly go anywhere, especially if he knows his friends will be there. It is such a joy watching him as he interacts with his peers, learning to work through differences and share. He is growing up so fast!

Silas is also ready for anything and wants to follow his brother everywhere, which is a bit easier now that he is walking. He also just turned one on the 1^st of June, and it is crazy to think that our baby is already so big.

I love taking my boys on adventures, but this month I also got an adventure all to myself: I attended a ministry wives' conference for a couple of days. Besides getting some much-needed rest, it was a wonderful time of soaking up so much wisdom from women who have been supporting their husbands in ministry for years. It was a great encouragement for me as I am just starting my role as a ministry wife.

Tyler was such a trooper staying home with the kids while I was away. He had a busy couple of weeks with finishing his essay and preparing for two sermons back-to-back. He's getting a lot of practical and real-life ministry experience as he learns to multitask family life and the life of the church, making quality time for both.

One final thing that was such a blessing in our personal life was getting to attend the wedding ceremony of a couple in our church. It was a beautiful wedding: Christ-centered and God-honoring. It was a privilege to be there on the special day. We noticed, though, that weddings in the UK are slightly different than in America. Here, for a wedding to be legal, you have to get married in a 'registered building,' which is usually a Church of England church, and that usually means the pastor of that church is the one who must marry you. Our friends opted for a legal courthouse wedding the day before so that their special day could be conducted by our pastor in a church of their choice. I found it interesting that at the wedding, the pastor pronounced them man and wife, then did the message. So after they had their kiss, instead of walking down the aisle, they sat down together and listened to the pastor’s message. It took the focus off of them and onto Christ, which I liked! The wedding was a great way to finish off the month, and it was such a joy to be a part of it!

Ministry Update

BBQ in the garden

Because there is a big school break in May, the weekly ministries weren’t consistent this month. For me, ministry opportunities were more one-on-one and personal. I had many interactions with non-believers and some conversations with those who claim to be Christians, but their lives make that questionable. All of these conversations have challenged me and encouraged me to know what I believe and have it backed up by scripture.

Tyler, as I mentioned earlier, has been quite busy with essay writing, leading, and preaching. He finished his last essay for the academic year, so he won't have another class until August. But he's still been busy, as he preached three times in May and led the service once. Having some time apart from the rhythm of classwork also means he gets to spend some time meeting with others, so he's spending a bit more time calling in to people.

Apart from that, we've got the regular rhythms that we are happy to carry on with—our church's toddler group, our Connect group, youth ministry, and women's Bible study. We've also been attempting to have someone/a family over to ours for a barbecue (or just dinner, since the weather has been so poor), at least weekly.

Additionally, while doing some bookkeeping, Tyler recognized that our support would fall short of where it needed to be in order to end well in December. The thought of having to raise support so close to the end of our time here did not sit well with us, so we began to pray that the Lord would provide our needs for our remaining time. By His grace, we were blessed with some sizeable contributions—without calling anyone to ask for them—that perfectly supplied our needs. We are completely blessed that the Lord would show His mercy to us in this way!

And with all this going on, we are continuing to pray about where and what the Lord will lead us to next. Each month that we write this blog reminds us that our time here is short. We just ask that you join us in praying that the Lord would make clear to us where He will be bringing us!

Pray with Us

Praises

• Our learning experiences this month

• Silas turned 1!

• Our financial needs being provided for

Requests

• That our relationships with non-believers would produce gospel fruit

• Our decisions about the future

• Patience as we parent toddlers

Thank you for taking time to read our blog! We have been blessed by the Lord and pray that as you pray for us and support us, you would be encouraged in your faith as well.

"Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen." Eph. 3:20

God Bless,

The Mann family