Saying Goodbye - Part 4

So the whole weekend it's self, was emotional. It was so many things... we went from being scared to death, to excited, to nervous, to sad, to ecstatic, to here we go! :) Monday, was by far the hardest day for me (Emily). Saying that farewell to my family... to my mama... to my sister... to my nieces and nephews. Knowing just how fast time flies, and how much people change. Especially kids... they grow so fast. So Monday was hard. Even now as I write this, I can't keep from crying. Seeing these pictures. Remembering the weekend... the hugs, the tears, the joy. The only reason this was actually happening was because we knew it was God's will. The Lord wants us here, He wants us serving Him and reaching souls in Alaska. That's why we are here. We want other people, who have never heard of Jesus to hear. We want to give them an opportunity to hear that someone died for them... that HE gave His life for them. That's what makes all this worth it. Please don't think we regret this, or we are having a pity party. It's just hard. Especially when you have a close family like mine. But God knows. I keep reminding myself ever since we've been here, that just because I'm in the middle of nowhere, in bush Alaska that God. Still. Knows. And no matter where you are, God knows. He knows our heart, He knows our thoughts. God knows that I love my family dearly and that this was a big deal. But God was with me (and us) the whole day.

Here are some pics... :)

Family Pictures

All the Grandkids... so far!

Family... it's an amazing thing that God gave us.

 

 

So we started with prayer... lots of prayer.

Then lots of hugs, and tears and goodbyes.

The last pic I took of my family! It will grow even more soon!

 

My mama is the most tenderhearted person I know. She loves her Lord, she loves her family, and she loves to love. This image will forever be in my mind.

 

I love my mama. She wouldn't want us to be anywhere else but in Gods will. But that doesn't mean she doesn't miss us... I'm so thankful for technology! We've gotten to speak, to text, to Skype... and she's already sent me boxes! She's an amazing woman!

So... off we go! This is Tuesday morning, waiting for the hotel shuttle to take us to O'Hare! This was at about 5 am :)

 Eeeeek! Getting on the plane!

 

And... we're in Anchorage! (Katie's backpack was "sooo heavy", so Super Daddy hooked it onto his)

 

And we're here! Praising the Lord for safety... and that we didn't lose a child in the 3 airports :)

 

Thank you to everyone who had such a part in us getting to Alaska. We pray God blesses you abundantly for the sacrifices you've made.

 

Now... let's serve the Lord!

Part 3 - Farewell Sunday & Commissioning Service

Sunday made for a busy day! The whole day was so special... there were lots of tears shed, tons of singing, hugs all around... God's grace and blessings were so evident the whole day. We are so blessed. Our church family, and our families made us feel so special. Thank you to everyone who had such a big part making this weekend special for us. We miss you all greatly!

 

Here are some pictures to enjoy :)

 

 

Starting with singing!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The older Grandsons did offering.

 

 

Phil speaking to our home church... thanking them for their support!

 

 

Lets Sing! I LOVE my family! We've been singing together since we were kids... it's just part of who we are. It's one of the many ways we could serve the Lord as kids. Now, we have the added bonus of our families. God is so good.

 

 

Lots of tears...

 

 

 

And... FOOD! We had a fellowship after church Sunday Morning... lots of people made our favorites! Like, Cream Cheese Corn (by Deann), Cheesy Potatoes (by Kathy), Chinese Salad (by Renee), Yummy Beef (by Andy and Marleen) Chicken & Rice Casserole (by Debbie) and lots more!

 

 

 

And desserts! Life just wouldn't be the same without Granny's Banana Pudding!!!

 

 

 

 

 

Us kids... These people mean the world to me!

 

 

Praying over Phil

 

 

Praying over Emily

 

 

Brothers

 

 

The two most important men in my life.

 

 

Lets sing again!

 

You know, the whole day was amazing. It was hard. It was exhausting. It was... exceptional. But have you ever done something and thought "Its completely possible I won't do this again for a few years, or ever"? That was the hardest thing. Singing with my family... hugging everyone... hearing my daddy pray... laughing with so many people you love. It was such a precious time.

 

This has been a huge step for us. But it is so incredibly encouraging knowing that we have a church family at home that is praying for us. That loves us. That supports us in what God has called us to do!

 

Part 2 - Open House

Our church had an Open House for us on that Saturday... here are some pics!

 

We had a great turn out! Really enjoyed seeing who all came out. Sad to say "see ya later" to so many people we love... but the time was so sweet!

We are up and running! - Part 1

Hello all! We are getting settled into our new home here in Dillingham, Alaska! We were finally able to get internet and we are now catching up on a lot of things... technology wise :) So of course, we needed to update the blog! Here are some pictures for you all to enjoy... as I (Emily) tell about our arrival to Dillingham. I'm going to do it in segments... so it's not so much to load at one time.

Part 1 - Ladies Night Out with Ms. Emily

Our evening started out going to the Osaka Habachi Grill & Sushi in Peoria... Ms. Emily's favorite :) They have awesome sushi, and I thought the hibachi grill would be fun for everyone... it was!

 

 Getting ready for the food!

 

 

We could almost fit everyone in a pic! We tried several times! We had 23 awesome ladies!

 



 

LOVED seeing the surprises on everyone's faces...

 

 

Sweet friends...

 

They really are sweet... sometimes :)

 

 

Mama and her daughters... 

 

We ended the night doing a scavenger hunt at my favorite store... Walmart! We left at 11 pm :)

 

 

 

These ladies... have been such an encouragement to me. A lot of them, for many years. God has blessed me with an amazing church family!

 

The guys had fun going skeet shooting, eating at Golden Corral then mini golfing! They unfortunately didn't think to take pictures!!

 

It was a great night had by all!

 

 

We are close!!

MI apologize, there should have been at least two other posts that I did, but they never posted, and I can't find them! How irritating! :) 

Anyway, we are so close! 16 days to be exact! Here is a picture of Phil presenting for our last scheduled presentation! It was very mixed emotions... We have loved deputation and loved seeing how God has lead us! 

Please continue to pray... We need it! There are so any emotions right now... Ranging from excited to terrified! Lol we have a house and fifth wheel that needs to sell... But we know all things happen in Gods timing!!! :) happy Sunday everyone!