And we're back!

So it has been a long while since our last post. So much has been going on it has been hard to get the time to sit down to write an update - and the unfortunate thing is, the more days that go past the more there is to update you all on! 

It has already been just over a month since we returned from our wonderful summer in Canada. It was very hard to leave that wonderful church - the people were just an amazing encouragement to us in the short time we were blessed to spend with them. It's a big deal for people to welcome strangers into their lives and homes, but they did! And it was an amazing example to us and we only hope that we can repay the favour in the future! We told lots of people to come visit us in NZ - so are anticipating there being an influx of Canadians flying into NZ in the coming years! ;)

Josh was able to preach every week, and found it to be a really valuable experience. Both in gaining some confidence, and also in learning more about what he needs to learn more about! It was also a valuable experience for me to be a part of another new congregation, built new relationships and learn from others (there was a lot to be learnt and plenty of people to learn from in Abbotsford who were excellent examples) so that was a massive blessing. 

Another blessing from our trip to BC was the opportunity we had to catch up with 4 friends from New Zealand!!!! It was just amazing. I spent time with my friend Charlotte, we caught up for the weekend with our buddy Hugo, and I also was very blessed to have a coffee and lovely afternoon with two (or technically at the time 3 ;)) lovely ladies - Sharon, Nicola & technically, gorgeous wee Caitlin - I just didn't get to meet her face to face. ;) It was very very special to see friends from home. :)

Our trip back was busy but very enjoyable. Each day we drove on average 8 hours, and it took us 5 days to get back to Chicago. Just an incredible trip - something that we never imagined that we would get to do, and something that even a lot of Americans don't get to do. This country is HUGE! We came down from Canada into Washington state, popped in for the day in Seattle, then drove across the top of Idaho, into Montana, then down into Wyoming and through Yellowstone National Park. Again, this park is massive, and to really appreciate it I could see that you would need to spend at least 3 days traveling around it - however we didn't have that luxury, so did the best we could with one day, which was still amazing. We got to see wild bison, and even a grizzly bear! 

After our trip through Wyoming we were on the home stretch, heading through Nebraska, Iowa and then finally back in Illinois. 

Wyoming

Providentially the trip was incredibly smooth, and we enjoyed each other's company to boot. ;) 

Once home it was a great blessing for Josh to have two weeks off before school started up again, his first proper 'holiday' since January. So it was a great time to catch up with some local friends and get prepped for the new school year. 

We had the seminary retreat day where we were able to meet a lot of the new students which was really nice. Josh has now been back at his studies for the past two weeks, and it's full steam ahead. 

We are also facing winter again now. Just this past week, on Wednesday 10th, I was out in the evening wearing shorts and a singlet - the temperature being about 27 degrees. The very next morning we woke up, and it had dropped to 12 degrees, warming up to about 16 during the day! Talk about extremes! So since then, we have been in sweaters, jeans and pulling out the jackets. Autumn is definitely here. There is also talk of another very cold winter like we experienced last year - the words 'polar vortex' are being thrown around again - so we shall see. At least we know what to expect a little bit now! 

I have been able to spend some lovely time with some of the other seminary families, and get to know some of the new ones which has been great. All the other activities are starting up again - with the Bible study, Sem-Wives meetings and I have been starting nannying again. 

The other week I got to go and watch a softball game where two of the girls who I taught art to last year were playing in opposing teams! It was very fun to be able to watch them play and support them. 

Leah batting & Emma as catcher!

We also were blessed to be taken out for the day to the Chicago Air Show by some generous friends from church. It was a very fun day spent lakeside, with beautiful weather and some pretty amazing stunts performed by the pilots. 

The beach before it got even busier, and Chicago city in the distance.

Parachuters (I guess that's what you call them in plural...)

They also took us into the city and we visited Bloomingdales

Trying to blend in with the wall art

Josh has a new job for the seminary this year (last year he opened up each day), this time managing the book store three afternoons a week, so we are very thankful for this opportunity that the school provides to earn some extra money. This year Josh also will have opportunity to preach at various churches around the area (and potentially further afield) and is booked in two weeks time to preach in Iowa where we will be for the weekend. 

We have both learnt so much over the past year. It has been amazing to see how much Josh is loving his studies, and just soaking in every opportunity to learn from very gifted professors and fellow students. It is very intensive study, and yet knowing the depth of meaning that the study of God's Word brings with it makes the opportunity a very real privilege, and not a burden. Josh works really hard, but also has set aside Friday afternoons where we can go for a walk and spend some quality time together, and we have also kept up going to the gym together as well. This has really helped his energy levels, and coming in to the winter will be even more valuable. 

I have been keeping up my quilting - with lots of my friends having babies at the moment I have a lovely excuse to keep sewing! Also will be involved in the Bible study this year and have continued on as a Crossroad Bible Institute Instructor (a very good prison ministry). I've also been trying to read more and build up a better reference library (although I won't be able to compete with Josh!) so if anyone has any book recommendations let me know! I was able to read a very good one over the summer called 'Partners in Ministry' by Christine Hoover. Found it to be very encouraging even if you aren't a ministry wife!

Well that is where we are at for now - we really very much appreciate all your prayers and support. Without the support of you God's people we wouldn't be here. It's an immense blessing and very humbling. 

They do have beautiful sunsets in Autumn in Illinois

If you are praying for us, we would very much appreciate your prayers specifically in regards to the following:

• That the Lord will continue to equip us for (in His providence) a future in ministry - in Josh's ability to preach God's Word faithfully and truthfully, and for my willingness to support him in doing so. 
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• Tying in to the above request - that we will remember Who we are doing this for, and why - for God's glory. That we will never lose sight of that. 
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• Thanksgiving for all God's provision for us - that God has moved so many people to be so willingly generous of their time, money, wisdom and all the support we receive. And this from many people, from many parts of the world. Some who have known us our whole lives, and others who have only known us for a short time! Praise God from Whom all blessings flow!
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• That the Lord will also give us contentment (for all the seminary families) - it is no small sacrifice to leave all our families, friends and the comfort of home - and travel a long distance to seek to follow God's call for our lives. There are students at the seminary from Egypt, South Korea, the Netherlands, England, Canada, the other side of the United States - and of course we Kiwis - and it is hard not to feel home-sick at times. Please pray that we will be content. Especially for the wives who may struggle with loneliness and with the fact that they may not see their husbands so much during term time. That God will provide us all with peace. And that we will be able to be a support and 'family' to each other while we are here. 

Thank you so much again for all your prayers and support!

Much love,

Josh & Hannah

Shenanigans

Hi everyone!

As per the title of this post, you would be pleased to know that we have been getting up to a few shenanigans - pretty much expressly so that we have some fun things to update you all on. :)

Things have been going well - we are so blessed! And very thankful for everything that God has provided us with over here. Especially at the moment, we are very thankful for a toasty warm home - the temperatures have plummeted over here, so it is now boot, scarf, hat and glove weather already. There was even a bit of snow the other day - however it was a little more sleety, didn't settle on the ground at all. All the trees have been changing gorgeous colours, so last week Josh and I went for a walk and took a couple of pictures. 

This is just down the road from our apartment.

We also went with some friends last Saturday on a fall outing to a farm kinda place where they had a bunch of interesting animals, a pumpkin field and a corn maze. : )  

Yes, there was a camel in the middle of the Illinois countryside, random but true.
And he really liked Josh. I think he liked having someone who he could look in the eye. 

Oh yeah, and a tortoise. 

So that's an update on some of our shenanigans! Josh has finished his exams for the time being - and received one of his grades back yesterday - which he passed with flying colours! We are very thankful!

Hi all!

Heya everyone,

Things are continuing to chug along for us here. There isn't too much to report to be honest. We were blest to have the opportunity to house sit last week - which is always quite nice, it felt a little like a holiday for us, and a bit of a change of scenery so that was pretty fun. 

Josh has continued to have exams - last week he had Church History, and felt that it went pretty well. I think that he still has a few more over the next couple of weeks. It's in some respects nice that they are spread out a bit so he can really sink his teeth into studying for each exam. 

I know that I always seem to talk about the weather - haha - but it's continuing to cool down over here, and I am really enjoying it! All the trees are starting to change colour and they are so pretty. And it is super nice to step outside and there is a real chill in the air. This morning it was 7 degrees (celsius) when Josh left - and I checked the weather report and it is due to get down to 2 degrees later in the week! :D Exciting. Haha we'll see how long that excitement lasts for. 

I have been continuing to teach art classes to the homeschooling kids and it has been a lot of fun. We have been learning a bit about animation, so last week we made Thaumatropes. I even did a video to show you! :D So that was pretty fun. :)

I was reading my devotional today - currently I'm using two, haha they are both really good! One is called The Quiet Place, by Nancy Leigh DeMoss, and the other is called 'At the Feet of Jesus' by Joanna Weaver. They are both very good I'd recommend them. Today the one from Joanna Weaver's really struck me, so I thought that I'd share it with you here:

"One of the most powerful testimonies I've ever heard came from David Ring, and evangelist born with cerebral palsy. "Why Mama?" David used to ask his mother when school kids teased him. "Why did I have to be born this way?" Although exceptionally bright, he was caught in a body that wouldn't do his bidding and was constantly tripped up by a stuttering tongue. 
God gave that sweet mother incredible wisdom as she taught her son that perhaps why wasn't the best question after all. 
"Asking why is like going to a well with a bucket and coming up empty every time," she told him. Instead, she said, the question should be, "What can I become?"
What a powerful, life-changing concept for all of us, especially when we're trapped and tripped up by the whys of life. Because when it comes right down to it, life is full of questions that don't have adequate answers.
Such questions haunted my young friend Tom. Though he loved Jesus, he struggled with the whys of his difficult life. 
But one day he showed me his Bible and a verse he'd underlined. "Now I know why my life is the way it is," Tom said. Pointing to the story of the man who had been born blind, Tom read John 9:3 aloud: "This happened so that the work of God might be displayed in his life."
Oh that we all might have a vision to see beyond the misery of what is to the miracle of what we can become."   ~Joanna Weaver, 'At the Feet of Jesus'

This message really struck me. My Nana lived most of her life struggling with Rheumatoid Arthritis. Although the pain she experienced from this crippling disease must have caused her more pain than she ever let on, she allowed God to use her epic ways. Her testimony to others was that she handed over her life to Him, despite the pain, despite being seemingly so physically restricted, I saw that God used her so amazingly. Especially in being a blessing to other people and caring for them. What an awesome witness of what God is capable of doing with us in spite of our weaknesses. 

Although no where near as debilitating as what my Nana faced - Josh and I have had to come to terms over the past 8 years with not being able to have children. And too often I found myself asking why on earth God would withhold this blessing from us. However, what we instead have to learn, is that "this happened so that the work of God might be displayed in our lives". I hope that will be the case! Because in writing that, it's amazing to think of what an honour it is to be called to that. :) But we are works in progress, I can't begin to tell you how long it has taken me to get to the point where I acknowledge that. Hopefully God will continue to gently teach me more and more every day - like He already has been. I'm very thankful to Him for His patience with me! I'm sure we all have burdens like this that we are struggling to bear. I hope that you can learn to find a similar perspective to this - because it really is liberating. I assure you. :)

Well, that is all for now - hopefully will get to take some autumn photos for you over the next week and see if I can get them posted up. Take care everyone!