Getting Her Throat Ripped Out

Last Tuesday, Rachael had her tonsils taken out. We were told that it would be quite painful for her, but 2 trips to the emergency room and one re-cauterizing later, Rachael said it has been the most painful thing in her whole life. And this is her third surgery since turning 20.

Actually, she didn't really "say" that she signed it - she can't talk yet so I've had to brush up on my ASL skills (my previously nonexistent ASL skills).

Here's the before and after pics of her throat. Gross, but informative (if you like that kind of thing) Note the huge swelling in the before pic that is simply not there in the after pic - those were her tonsils. They've been swollen since she got mono as an undergrad and have consistently bothered her. I guess it's good that she got them out, but a week of lukewarm liquid diet and loads of pain make it seem like a worse choice than before.

:. A Completely Different Kind of "Inspirational" Calendar

Now, this is the kind of youth group that parents can be proud of their kids being involved in. A youth group in Germany has put together a calendar for 2006, with each month sporting a photo interpretation of a biblical erotic scene. Photos include a "bare-breasted Delilah cutting Sampson's hair and a nude Eve offering an apple."

Apparently there's a market for this - the first printing sold 2000 copies and they're currently selling the second. I wonder what the youth group hopes to accomplish with this project. Is this a fundraiser for them to go to camp next summer? It's certainly a far cry from bake sales and magazine subscriptions.

Still The Best Christmas Pageant Ever!

As I told you a little while ago, Rachael is in a play, The Best Christmas Pageant Ever! for the Lee's Summit Community Theatre.

The play is about the Herdmans, a family of children who sign up for the Christmas pageant at church, when they’re told there are free snacks at practice.

The Herdmans are the worst kids in the history of the world. They lie, steal, smoke cigars, swear, and hit little kids. So no one is prepared when this outlaw family invades church one Sunday and decides to take over the annual Christmas pageant.

None of the Herdmans has ever heard the Christmas story before. Their interpretation of the tale -- the Wise Men are a bunch of dirty spies and Herod needs a good beating -- has a lot of people up in arms. But it will make this year's pageant the most unusual anyone has seen and, just possibly, the best one ever.

Tickets are $6 and are available at the door or from any actor in the show. Proceeds go to benefit Giant Step Special Needs Day School - a nonprofit for physically and mentally handicapped children and their siblings in the Kansas City Area.

There will be 3 performances on Saturday, December 10 at 11 am, 1 pm, & 7 pm. The play will be performed in the upper level of Paradise Park (located at 1021 NE Colburn Road in Lee’s Summit).

This fundraiser will benefit a wonderful group of kids. Please come out next weekend to help make their holiday season a wonderful one.

Carpet:1 - Skin:0

Rachael and I joined a volleyball league with Paul (Rachael’s Dad) for the fall. We have a really good time each week. There are a few drawbacks. One is that the church has carpet on the floor. I tend to be the kind of player that tries to get to the ball no matter what. This means that I often will have a solid rug burn or a skinned knee by the end of our match each Tuesday.

This changed last week when I slid on the side of my leg and melted my skin off. Or rug-burned my skin off.

<--- the day after it happened

and two weeks later:

It's Only, Like, My Favorite Resolution Ever!

State Legislatures pass resolutions all the time that are afirmations of individuals or groups that the state is 'officially' proud of (we have one hanging on our wall from the legislature afirming that the state of Missouri is proud of Rachael and that she's a good kid - I might post it sometime). But this resolution, passed 69-0 (with one rep absent) by Idaho house of Representatives, has to be the best.

Oh, and by the way - this is legit.

__________________________________________________________________

The Legislature of the State of Idaho in the Fifty-eighth Legislature First Regular Session – 2005 in the House of Representatives

HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION NO. 29

By Ways and Means Committee

A concurrent resolution stating legislative findings and commending Jared and Jerusha Hess and the City of Preston for the production of the movie Napoleon Dynamite.

Be It Resolved by the Legislature of the State of Idaho:

Whereas, the State of Idaho recognizes the vision, talent and creativity of Jared and Jerusha Hess in the writing and production of “Napoleon Dynamite”; and


Whereas, the scenic and beautiful City of Preston, County of Franklin and the State of Idaho are experiencing increased tourism and economic growth; and


Whereas, filmmaker Jared Hess is a native Idahoan who was educated in the Idaho public school system; and


Whereas, the Preston High School administration and staff, particularly the cafeteria staff, have enjoyed notoriety and worldwide attention; and


Whereas, tater tots figure prominently in this film thus promoting Idaho’s most famous export; and


Whereas, the friendship between Napoleon and Pedro has furthered multiethnic relationships; and


Whereas, Uncle Rico’s football skills are a testament to Idaho athletics; and


Whereas, Napoleon’s bicycle and Kip’s skateboard promote better air quality and carpooling as alternatives to fuel-dependent methods of transportation; and


Whereas, Grandma’s trip to the St. Anthony Sand Dunes highlights a long-honored Idaho vacation destination; and


Whereas, Rico and Kip’s Tupperware sales and Deb’s keychains and glamour shots promote entrepreneurism and self-sufficiency in Idaho’s small towns; and


Whereas, Napoleon’s artistic rendition of Trisha is an example of the importance of the visual arts in K-12 education; and


Whereas, the schoolwide Preston High School student body elections foster an awareness in Idaho’s youth of public service and civic duty; and


Whereas, the “Happy Hands” club and the requirement that candidates for school president present a skit is an example of the importance of theater arts in K-12 education; and


Whereas, Pedro’s efforts to bake a cake for Summer illustrate the positive connection between culinary skills to lifelong relationships; and


Whereas, Kip’s relationship with LaFawnduh is a tribute to e-commerce and Idaho’s technology-driven industry; and


Whereas, Kip and LaFawnduh’s wedding shows Idaho’s commitment to healthy marriages; and


Whereas, the prevalence of cooked steak as a primary food group pays tribute to Idaho’s beef industry; and


Whereas, Napoleon’s tetherball dexterity emphasizes the importance of physical education in Idaho public schools; and


Whereas, Tina the llama, the chickens with large talons, the 4-H milk cows, and the Honeymoon Stallion showcase Idaho’s animal husbandry; and


Whereas, any members of the House of Representatives or the Senate of the Legislature of the State of Idaho who choose to vote “Nay” on this concurrent resolution are “FREAKIN’ IDIOTS!” and run the risk of having the “Worst Day of Their Lives!”


Now, therefore, be it further resolved by the members of the First Regular Session of the Fifty-eighth Idaho Legislature, the House of Representatives and the Senate concurring therein, that we commend Jared and Jerusha Hess and the City of Preston for showcasing the positive aspects of Idaho’s youth, rural culture, education system, athletics, economic prosperity and diversity.


Be it further resolved that we, the members of the House of Representatives and the Senate of the State of Idaho, advocate always following your heart, and thus we eagerly await the next cinematic undertaking of Idaho’s Hess family.


Be it further resolved that the Chief Clerk of the House of Representatives be, and she is hereby authorized and directed to forward a copy of this resolution to Jared and Jerusha Hess, the Mayor of the City of Preston and the Principal of Preston High School.


Statement of Purpose
The purpose of this resolution is to recognize and commend Jared and Jerusha Hess for their cinematic talents by which they have increased the nation’s awareness of Idaho.

UTSA Students offered Porn for their Bibles

On Wednesday, a group of atheists at the University of Texas – San Antonio asked students to exchange Bibles for porn magazines, making some religious leaders angry.

Student Ryan Walker, a member of the student group Atheist Agenda, said, “We consider The Bible to be a very negative force in the history of the world.”

Atheist Agenda members were on campus asking students to exchange religious materials for pornographic magazines.

Only five students so far have exchanged their bibles for porn.

The Deepest Theological Movies - Ever!

Are you having problems understanding the Bible? Need help getting your head around multifaceted theology and complex concepts?

Well, your problem is that you’re trying to think for yourself. BIG MISTAKE.
All you ever need to know about faith, religion and God can be easily explained by a little visit to our friends in the B Movie industry.

Our first stop is the movie Ultrachrist. Here we learn the answer to the burning question: What would Jesus do if he returned to Earth and discovered he could no longer relate to the youth of today? Apparently, he would become a super-hero.

Synopsis: Jesus returns to Earth in present-day NYC, sent by his Father to usher in 2000 years of Godly peace. Unfortunately, modern young people respond poorly to this bearded weirdo. Taking the advice of a market research guru, Jesus has a Spandex costume made and declares himself "Ultrachrist", an urban sin-fighter. Unfortunately, his Father doesn't approve of these unorthodox techniques, while the Antichrist (the NYC Parks Commissioner) resurrects an army of famous sinners to make sure Ultrachrist's mission fails.

Our other stop in this journey is a quaint little period piece called Jesus Christ Vampire Hunter. Here we learn that, uh, well just read the synopsis from the back of the DVD case.

Synopsis: The first testament says "an eye for an eye." The second testament says "love thy neighbor." The third testament KICKS ASS! The filmmaking team that brought you Harry Knuckles and won the "Spirit of Slamdance" prize with Harry Knuckles and the Treasure of the Aztec Mummy ups the ante with this tale of the ultimate action hero: Jesus Christ. The second coming is upon us, and Jesus has returned to earth. But before he can get down to the serious business of judging the living and the dead, he has to contend with an army of vampires that can walk in the daylight. Combining kung-fu action with biblical prophecy and a liberal dose of humor, the film teams the Savior with Mexican wrestling hero El Santos against mythological horrors and science gone mad, and also manages to address contemporary sexual politics. And did we mention that it's a musical? This sure ain't Sunday School.

So, there you go boys and girls – the next time you’re having a hard time preparing for a bible study, preparing a message, or studying your Bible; pop one of these theological gems into your DVD player and enjoy the ride.

There's a Reason We Put Breaks Between Words

It must have been a slow news day on the other side of the pond.

One of London's newspapers reminds us that there's a reason we put breaks between words: Check out whorepresents.com, expertsexchange.com, penisland.net, therapistfinder.com, and molestationnursery.com.

Wow.

Discover Petra Just in Time to Say Goodbye

From the thinklings I learned that Petra has released their farewell album.

Petra was still recording?

Dealing with Death and Car Dismemberment

Rachael's in a Christmas play called "The Best Christmas Pageant Ever." It's based on the book to the right. If you're familiar with the story, Rachael is playing the role of the mom who has to step in and run the pageant when the normal director breaks her leg. It's the first staring role Rachael has had since appearing in multiple theatre productions at Truman State University.

The show will run Dec 2, 3, & 4 in Kansas City.

The play is a fundraiser for the non-profit Rachael works for, Giant Step. Giant Step is a special needs daycare for mentally and physically disabled children and young adults. It's a great organization and if you're going to be in the Kansas City area next weekend you should come to support the organization and Rachael.

I'll post exact location, times, how to get tickets and more later this week.


________________________________________________________

It's been a hard month. My grandmother passed away at the end of October and because I'm the "pastor in the family" things were much more draining than they would have been.

The visitation and funeral were in Sikeston, MO (where my grandparents lived for a long time until we moved them to Texas this summer to live with my Aunt Diann and Uncle Buster - yes, I said Buster - and cousins Texas and Trinity).

It's weird. Just a few months ago I drove their car from Sikeston to Texas and I as I left town I thought, "This'll probably be the last time I see Sikeston for a long time," and just a short time later we were all back down there.

My family asked me to perform the graveside service in St. Louis. Still being new to the whole pastor thing, I was worried that I wouldn't do something right. Rachael's uncle Richard (himself a pastor just over the river in Illinois) came and was very encouraging. Grandma had wanted people to donate to our church plant in lieu of flowers, which was a wonderful blessing.

Throughout the visitation, funeral, and graveside service people didn't know how to talk to me. Was I the pastor, there to comfort them, the grandson they should comfort, the grandson whose ministry donations were being made to in Louise's name who they should congratulate and encourage?

Most talked to me in a quickly changing mixture of the three, asking me for reassurance, telling me she was in a better place and was from Tucson all in the same breath. It's just tough.

________________________________________________________

Last week Rachael was invited to speak at Literacy on the Lake, a Missouri state conference on literacy and reading instruction. She spoke on the crucial role of Speech Language Pathologists in developing reading and literacy skills at a young age. It was very nice. We stayed at the Lodge of the Four Seasons and it was all paid for by her work. I took these pictures the first night we were there.

The one weird downside is that someone stole our license plate. The entire license plate holder assembly was torn off of the front and three of the four screws holding the back plate were removed. Our theory is that they got scared off before they could finish with the back plate. We were parked against a retaining wall and the front of the car was in shadow, while the rear was under a street light.

So, I have to go to the DMV this afternoon to get new plates. I don't know if the police report will let us get a new set without having to pay for them. I guess I'll find out.

Our car is in shambles right now anyway. Last night when we pulled up to an ATM, I rolled the window down and it wouldn't go back up. When we got home ( a very chilly ride) Paul (my father-in-law) and I tore the door apart to fix it and came to the conclusion that the motor was frozen up and would need to be replaced.

When I got in the car this morning to take it in to the shop, the window rolled right up. I don't know what changed from last night, but maybe we just won't roll that window down again any time soon.

________________________________________________________

Also, please pray for me as I am going through a very trying time with the substitute teaching thing. It's rough and I could use prayer.
________________________________________________________

If you're reading this, post a comment. I'd be nice to get some comments to know that people are actually out there.

Kansas City Star Editorials Tick Me Off

So, I've been reading editorials again and it seems that I always find something that ticks me off when I read them.

First, I think it's just silly to watch the current flack and scuttlebutt about Bush's newest Supreme Court nominee, Harriet Miers.

Basically, everyone is criticizing Bush for his choice saying that it was stupid. But from his point of view, maybe it's not. He knows that someone who has a public conservative record on things like abortion, homosexuality, end-of life and everything else would have a difficult (if not impossible ) time of making it through the confirmation process. By nominating Miers, Bush has chosen someone that he knows well enough to be confident in her views, but who has no public record that can trip her up in confirmation hearings. I'm not saying that he's my favorite person, but it seems that this was a much smarter move than most are claiming.

Second, How on earth is it a good idea to mandate raising all insurance costs to cover natural disasters like Katrina and Rita?

How is it any different that life insurance or auto insurance? If you want to buy life insurance, it will cost you much less at 20 than it will at 50. Why? Because they know that you're statistically more likely to die sooner at 50 than 20. Same thing with health insurance. If you have two tickets in the past 6 months, you are going to pay more for auto insurance than you will if you had never been pulled over.

The most logical plan is to rate based on the likelihood of disasters. I mean come on people who live on the gulf have to know that they have a higher chance of losing their homes to a natural disaster that people who live in Kansas. I think they should have to pay more money in insurance costs to live in a place where they know their homes are like to be demolished every time there's a hurricane that people who chose to live in areas of the country where natural disasters are less likely to happen.

Third, SHUT UP about the stupid 'Bird Flu'!

According to the Center for Disease Control: The only reported case of a human with 'Bird Flu' in the United States is from back in November 2003. A patient with serious underlying medical conditions was admitted to a hospital in New York with respiratory symptoms. The patient recovered and went home after a few weeks. Subsequent tests showed that the patient had been infected with an avian influenza virus. An investigation to determine the source of infection is ongoing.

There has been no (I repeat not even one) case of this bird flu passing through person to person contact. Avian influenza viruses are transmitted to humans through direct contact with birds or from avian virus-contaminated environments..

All the scare the news is pumping up is nothing more than a theory that if all things align perfectly, might happen (person to person transmission).

Marc Siegel, an internist and associate professor of medicine at New York University School of Medicine, explains it here.

No Respect

I'm not in the classroom today and I am happy about that. Is it just me or do today's sixth graders have way more respect and language issues that those from just a few years ago? I've subbed three times so far this semester and al of them have been an exercise in outlasting each period. My patience is tried like rarely before. The last time that I was a sub on a regular basis (Fall 1999), there were not nearly as many problems with fighting and verbal onslaughts between students as there have been this semester.

I wonder if it's the kind of school. I've subbed in rural schools in the past, now I'm in an urban setting.

I think it's just a different set of values. I don't have any idealized version of country life in mind, but it does seem that respect for others is a "country" value that isn't taught in urban environments.

Another sub wondered if it's that I'm used to a classroom of white kids and now I'd be hard-pressed to find a white kid.

I don't know.

Word from the Wife

Today - a guest post from my wife Rachael.

_______________________

Wow, three jobs in three months. I have been a speech-language pathologist at a nursing home, at Giant Step - a day-program for children with disabilities and their siblings, and a school district. Frankly, after about a month at a job I get bored and can’t wait for something new.

I am undertaking the longest job contract I have ever had, nine-months in the Hickman Mills School district. Yikes, that is a long time – we will see how it goes. I’ve started working at Warford Elementary. I am very excited about starting the semester, the first half of my day I conduct reading therapy in a classroom of kindergarten through second grade children with multiple and severe handicaps. The second half I am conducting kindergarten through fifth grade language and articulation therapy one-on-one. After school I work at Giant Step. So if you are keeping track, that is two jobs for the foreseeable future. Please pray that God will give me strength to continue serving students and that I can be example for the students to follow.

In July, Tim and I went to Tucson so I could interview with the Communication Science and Disorders Ph.D. program. I talked with one professor who was a Christian and when I told her that Tim and I were going to plant a church she was very excited. She said that virtually none of the faculty or students were Christians. Then I was overwhelmed with joy and excitement; never had I realized what a mission field my profession was. Please pray that I am accepted into the program and that I can actively do mission work within the ranks of the University of Arizona.

-Rachael

Back to School

For the first time in almost a decade I'm not planning the semester in Kirksville. I’m back in the classroom this semester, but on the other side of the desk this time. I'm substitute teaching for Hickman Mills School District in Kansas City. (yes, Hickman is where Rachael went to school) The district sits between the infamous Kansas City School District (Oh, the accreditation woes) and suburban districts - basically the transition school for the white flight from Kansas City. The district is ethnically diverse, but predominately African-American. (yes, I'm "that one white substitute"). Apparently, they can’t seem to find enough substitutes for the High Schools in the district. Hmmm… Enter Tim the “experienced permanent substitute.” More on this experience in future posts.


Welcome Home - Rachael and I have settled in at the Clouse House in Kansas City. Paul and Sharon (Rachael’s parents) have generously allowed us to live with them for this year while we’re on furlough. It’s taken a little getting used to living with a large family again. In Kirksville our neighbors were so quiet, it seemed like we were the only ones in the building. After a while I just thought of our apartment as our house. It has helped me to learn patience all over again to realize that I can’t just take a shower, or get online, or do laundry whenever I want. I think it will be an educational year.


Licensed and Official - In March, Rehoboth Baptist Church in Kirksville, Mo licensed me as a Minister of the Gospel. Only a few short days later I officiated my first wedding ceremony for my sister Connie and her new husband Tim (Love the name!) Moore. May found me officiated wedding number 2 for Kacie & Jeremy, a couple from the church in which I was raised. Now that I know what I’m doing, give me a call if you’re thinking about tying the knot.


Art From the Past - This piece was created for a Damascus Road at Truman State University.

That's it for me tonight.
Blessings,
Tim

Current Rachael Status

Today Rachael found out that due to a stupid miscommunication about two levels above her, she will not be working at the school she was sent to, but rather a different school about twenty minutes away.

Current Rachael Status: Pissed

__________________

I just talked to Rachael on the phone and she said that things went well at the new school.

__________________

I'm working on a book while we're in KC. Please help me out by sending me any stories you have about living with parents, in-laws, siblings, other family or roommates.

New Beginnings

Rachael had her first day of training yesterday for her new job as a Speech Language Pathologist at the Hickman Mills School District in Kansas City. She was underwhelmed to say the least. Here's hoping the rest of the week goes better.

The last few weeks have become a bit more difficult for us energy-wise. Basically, she spends all day around people and just wants to cocoon in our room for the evening and I spend the day working from home and can't wait to leave after supper and go out somewhere. There are a couple of coffee shops with wireless nearby. I think I might start going to one of them during the day for a change of pace.

Today is our anniversary (awesome)! We're going out tonight and will hopefully have a nice, relaxing, romantic evening.

I have been thinking a lot about relationships and how fragile they are. You know, right now it feels like I should be making plans for the beginning of the school year. So it feels like it's just been a little bit since I've seen everyone and I'll see them again soon. But I won't. Or if I do it won't be for very long. It's just different when you don't see people on a regular basis. You have to work harder at keeping relationships and it's hard not to feel like it's one-sided. Oh well, part of moving on to the next stage in life.

After Brad and Lacey's wedding, we drove Brad's car down to Tucson with Ryan so that Brad and Lacey would have one less thing to worry about when they moved. We stayed with Ryan and Liz for a couple of days and flew back to KC.

Rachael got the chance to meet with three different profs about PhD programs and we looked at a number of different condos, houses and townhouses. I have to admit that visiting Tucson was not particularly encouraging. None of the properties we looked at were even close to what we want to find and the whole place just looked dirty.

I'm excited about the ministry opportunities there, but not thrilled about living in Tucson. I really want to make sure that we don't just focus on college students. I think it's easy to focus on students because that's what we know, but I don't think DR Tucson will ever be anything more than a campus ministry if we don't reach post-college, young families and other adult groups as well.

Blessings,
Tim

Blowing Up the Front Yard

We just got back inside from the Fourth of July bomb show at the Clouse house. This year we moved up from a 1/4 stick of dynamite to a 1/2 stick - there are now decent -sized craters in the front yard and Sharon's metal mixing bowl disintegrated entirely. My new brother-in-law, Pat, took over the lighting duties this year. No one was hurt and we again had the best display in the area.

Sunday morning at church I realized that the worship pastor is the older brother of a friend of mine (Katie Bryan) from Truman. We talked about her for a while and then he asked me if I was planning on doing a song for a fundraising concert this friday at the church. The church (Cornerstone Baptist in Lee's Summit) is raising money to build a house on a mission trip later this year. When I agreed, he said, "Great, we'll give you about twenty minutes."

So, if your in the KC area, come to the concert Friday night at 7pm at Cornerstone Baptist Church in Lee's Summit. I'm a little nervous (it's been 3 or 4 years since I've done the whole one-man-show thing), so a few friendly faces would be great to see.

I'm typing this on our new Apple Powerbook. Rachael and I were a little nervous when we bought it because it's the most expensive thing we've bought since we've been married, and we're not used to actually being able to afford things.

I spent about a week in Colorado at St. Malo retreat center just outside Estes Park. The building in the background it the retreat center where we stayed and in the foreground is the chapel of St. Malo. We were there for the CA Staff Forum, where campus ministers get together for a time of renewal, learning and sharing. It was nice to see all my friends from the Northeast and get to meet the guys and gals from the Northwest. It was especially nice to get to know the Southwest crew who I'll be working nearby when Rachael and I move to Tucson in May.

Ryan and I got a chance to talk about the church plant/campus ministry. I shared some concerns and we got the opportunity to talk them through. Rachael and I are both a little worried about Tucson venture. Not arriving until a year after most of the team makes us nervous, especially in light of our last semester at Truman.

Ed Marcelle was the speaker and brought a camera crew who are making a set of DVDs for new church planters to help them learn from others. We stayed with Ed when we visited Albany a couple years ago and it was great to reconnect with each other.

Ed is working with Kim Cahill (the Campus Minister at SUNY-Albany) to create a campus/church hybrid similar to what we are doing in Tucson. I look forward to learning from each other as we move along in ministry.

When I arrived home, Rachael asked me to help out at Giant Step (daycare for physically and mentally handicapped children) for awhile as they had a teacher walk out on them. So, now I am working with toddlers. A few of the people who work there are amazed that a guy would actually play with the kids, sit down with them, read books for them, etc. I guess their experience with guys is that men don't like kids. It's nice to change people's preconceived notions.

I'm writing to Rehoboth (actually Jeremy to give to Rehoboth) about starting to support our ministry again. They suddenly stopped and we don't know why. Please pray for me as I will be meeting with potential supporters over the next few weeks.

I still need to find about 75 more supporters. If you know of anyone who might be interested in supporting new ministries like ours, please introduce us, or send me their info.

Blessings,
Tim

New Digs

This Summer is hectic. Rachael and I are almost settled in KC (No more living out of boxes!), but we've not had much time to enjoy it. Since leaving Kirksville I have officiated my second marriage ceremony (for a couple from my church back home), Rachael has organized and produced her sister's wedding, and we've spent quite a bit of time on the road.

In addition to running back and forth to Kirksville shuttling sound systems and such, Rachael and I have also spent time in Southeastern Missouri. My Grandmother has Parkinson's and a few weeks ago discovered she had developed pneumonia. We spent the night in the hospital (Thanks for the directions Nick) with Grandma and sent Grandpa home to sleep. Grandma hadn't been eating much and after we arrived Rachael examined her and discovered that her Parkinsons had left Grandma with little to no control over her tongue making it extremely difficult to chew solid foods. This had also been the cause of her pneumonia as food had gotten into her lungs. Rachael recommended a plan of care and a new diet, both of which have helped greatly.

Grandma is home now, but please keep her and my grandpa (Tom and Louise Howard) in your prayers. This is the first time in over 50 years of marriage that Grandpa is the cook. My father left him detailed instructions on how to make high calorie soft foods for Grandma to eat, but he's pretty nervous about cooking for her. We'll soon move them in with my aunt and uncle in Texas. I think it will be good for them to be around the younger grandkids and Grandpa will certainly like being back in the country.

Rachael was recently hired as the Director of Giant Step, a special needs day program for mentally and physically handicapped children. She has also joined the Special Education Staff at Hickman Mills school district and will begin to work with students there in August.

I am concentrating on raising support, preparing for the new ministry in Tucson and starting my first book. (Yes, I'm currently writing a book) In May I was asked to lead a new prayer initiative at Cornerstone Baptist Church in Lee's Summit. It's based on the 24-7 prayer movement. If you've ever read the book Red Moon Rising, it's pretty much the template for the 24-7 prayer movement. Rachael and I also started The Journey a children's ministry at Cornerstone where we help kids learn the Bible by introducing them to the Journey of God's people and helping them learn how they fit into the story of God's people.

I'm in Denver right now working out of the Mission to the Americas main office for a few days and then will spend the next week in Estes Park with Ryan Miller (and others) at our National Staff Forum. Rachael is back in KC house-sitting for her grandparents while they vacation.

We'll be in KC for the next year and will move to Tucson in July to get the church up and running. We invited people over last week to hang out and were happy to spend time with Dan Schmidt, Rachel Haffey, and John & Kathleen Cross. We hope to be able to reconnect with these friends and others during our time in KC.

Well, time to start working on support letters and such. - Oh, one more thing, if you're reading this and you aren't already part of our support team, you should be! Use the resources God has blessed you with to help reach others. E-mail me about joining this team that is vital to the success and development of this new ministry.