God is Moving

Fall revival started at our church today (yes, we're entering the early part of fall here), and it has already been quite a reminder that God is always moving and calling his people to move with him. He is putting his fingers on some areas of our lives that we need to work on and we are being challenged spiritually.

This week has been a good week, we are all getting over our colds and life is getting back to normal. It was a busy week at work for Jeremy as he continues to manage the office remodel project for the church and is also selling one of the Region's cars in addition to his normal duties in Finance. Also, Tricia is now beginning to get to work on her assignment as well. She will be coordinating the "3D" program (Discover, Develop, Deploy), which is designed to prepare people for missionary service and is pretty much what we just went through in KC. There is not a program currently in Africa, so Tricia will be developing one so that Africans who are called to missions can be properly prepared to go into missionary service. She will also be coordinating the "guest flats", which are apartments for church visitors to South Africa.

Please pray for the revival that is taking place at our church. We believe that it has the potential to be taken across the entire continent of Africa by all of the pastors-in-training that go to our church. These are exciting days for Africa!

We pray that revival will come to your heart as well this week. Use this time to hear what God is saying specifically to you. Is there anything he wants to change in you? Something he wants you to do? We have discovered that he is faithful in every detail, and pray that you feel that this week.

Until next time,

Jeremy, Tricia & Jake

Life on the Mission Field

One of the things that we have discovered in our short time on the mission field is that one of the only constants is change. This weekend we had a party to say goodbye to two of our missionary families, the Barkers and the Mellingers. The Mellingers are leaving this coming Saturday for home assignment, after which they will be headed to Kenya for a new assignment. The Barkers leave for home assignment in April and will be heading to Ethiopia thereafter for their new assignment.

Though we are sad to see them go (it’s amazing how people can become such a part of your life in such a short time), we are happy that God has chosen to use them in new and exciting ways. We know that they will impact the lives of others, just as they have ours. Please pray for these two families as they travel and begin their new assignments soon.

As for us, we have all been sick this week. Jake is starting to get over his, but Tricia and Jeremy are still not feeling that great. It’s just a bad cold, but Jake is bringing home all new germs for us from nursery school, so we’re susceptible to things that we probably wouldn’t get in the U.S. We’ve been told by the other missionaries that the first year is especially bad for getting every little virus that comes your way. That was something we really hadn’t even thought about when we came.

Well, I guess that makes the prayer needs pretty obvious, so I won’t rehash everything down here. We really appreciate you stopping by and appreciate all of your friendship and prayers!

Until next time,

Jeremy, Tricia & Jake

God's Blessing

This waterfall, which is about 150 - 200 ft high, is the centerpiece of one of the national botanical gardens here in South Africa. This garden, which is the one for the Joburg area, is only about an 8 minute drive from our house and was the site of our outing last weekend (more pictures from that trip to follow). It was just another reminder of the beauty that God has blessed this world with.

Jake had a blast seeing a few assorted animals, the various trees and flowers, and of course, his favorite... sticks. He found a few really good ones that he and Daddy carried around during the walk!

Jake is not feeling the best today, he has gotten his first little bug since attending nursery school (sure didn't take long!). He was feeling much better this evening though, so we're hoping he's through it. However, please keep him in your prayers.

This week was the Africa Region Nazarene Compassionate Ministries conference, which attracted missionaries and church leaders from all over Africa. We got to see Donna Lovett, who worked in the registrar's office while we were at Olivet (and her husband Russ, was both Jeremy's and Tricia's academic advisor), and who is now a missionary in Rwanda. It was great to see her again, and a blessing to be able to meet everyone else that was here for the conference.

Another wonderful thing that happened this week is that we finally received our shipment of our household items from the U.S.! You never want to feel to dependent on material things, but it was so nice to see useful and familiar things that can make our life easier here and also remind us of home. It was like Christmas for Jake to get some of his toys back as well!

Well, our primary prayer need this week centers around Jake's health. Things just don't feel right when he's not running all over the house, getting into things and making us laugh. So please pray for him, and also for these other things as well:

-- That the effects of the NCM conference would positively impact the way that the Church of the Nazarene ministers in Africa
-- Safe travels home for all of those who attended the conference
-- Continued wisdom and blessing for Eugenio Duarte, our new Regional Director, and his family

Thanks for stopping by, please check back again next week!

Until next time,

Jeremy, Tricia & Jake

First Week of School

As promised, this week you get a full report on Jake's preschool adventures. Well, as you can see from the first picture there, Jake was not too excited about going to school anymore when he was woken up early on Monday morning and found out that unlike the tour, Mommy was not staying at school with him this time! :)


However, as you can also see in the second picture here, by Friday, he was all smiles, especially when Teacher Sharon took his whole class to a park for play time! By the end of the week, Jake is loving school and talks about it a lot. Plus, he is one of the younger kids in his class, so he is being challenged physically, socially and intellectually, which we are thankful for. Thanks for the prayers for Jake this week!

This week has been a busy week at the office, with the Field Strategy Coordinators (used to be called Field Directors) from all over Africa coming in, as well as Dr. Louie Bustle from KC. Jeremy has had a few meetings, but they have all been great and have really encouraged us that we are exactly where God wants us. Next week is the Africa Region Nazarene Compassionate Ministries conference, which will also give us insight as to what's going on out in Africa, and how we can help here in our roles in Joburg. Should be exciting!

Also exciting was the inauguration service this past Friday. Rev. Eugenio Duarte was officially installed as the new Regional Director for Africa, marking the first time that an African (Rev. Duarte is from Cape Verde) has held this position. It is an historic moment that we are proud to be a part of, and we have the utmost confidence that Rev. Duarte is going to do a fantastic job.

Please continue to remember the following needs in prayer:

-- Safe travels for everyone flying to and from Joburg this week for the various meetings and the conference
-- That God would reveal his will for the ministry of the Church of the Nazarene in Africa at these meetings (and that we would be listening to his guidance)
-- Jake, as he goes back for his second week of nursery school

May God bless you this week!

Until next time,

Jeremy, Tricia & Jake

Jake the Big Boy

We have been discovering that since we've gotten here, Jake is growing up at an even faster pace than he was in the States! Please tell us that it slows down a little bit. Right?!

Well, you see there in the picture that Jake is now a little chef, making ice cream clowns with "Auntie Diane", one of the other missionaries here in Joburg. Of course, fine cuisine is only one of the many things that Jake has picked up on since he has been here. For instance, he rides a motorcycle, he plays basketball, and he even starts school tomorrow!

Yep, that's right, he starts school tomorrow, much to his parents' dismay. Not because we think that he won't like it, or that he'll even be away that long. We know he'll love it and he'll only be going half days, three days a week for starters. No, it's just the fact that he's quickly becoming a "big boy", and we wonder where these first 2 1/2 years have gone so fast!

Well, look next week for a full report on Jake's first week of school, but he's doing quite well in his new environment here. He's made lots of friends, is making lots of messes, and continues to make his parents laugh with the clever things he says. He's adjusted well to "Souf Acrifa", as he calls it. :)

We are always encouraged to hear that we have people back home that are praying for us, and we got word this week from several of you that follow the blog and are praying for us daily. We need it, please keep them coming! Some special needs that we are reminded of this week are:

-- Rev. Eugenio Duarte, as he officially takes the position of Regional Director of the Africa Region this Wednesday, that God will give him HIS vision for the Region
-- Safe travels for the Middendorfs and the Bustles, who will be traveling from the States for the inauguration ceremony
-- All of the missionaries travelling to, during, and from home assignment
-- The Church of the Nazarene in Africa
-- Jake, as he begins nursery school, and his parents, as they worry about him

Thanks for stopping by!

Until next time,

Jeremy, Tricia & Jake

New Wheels!

This has certainly been an eventful week! On Wednesday, we got our car, which is a Renault Clio. A small car, but a car! We are SO excited to have it, and we thank each and every one of you that made this possible for us with your deputation offerings. We also thank God for providing us the vehicle at a price we could afford.

This Saturday, our new car helped us get to Maropeng, which is a World Heritage Site that is just outside Johannesburg. Essentially, this site is a museum that displays and celebrates certain archaeological finds from southern Africa. It was interesting, but there was a lot of evolution speculation throughout the exhibit. I guess we will learn exactly how God did it all one day, huh?

The best parts about the day were the picnic that we had overlooking the South African countryside and also playing with Jake in the "kiddie cave". We had a blast, and it was wonderful to be able to see a little bit more of our new home. We hope to be able to see a little bit more every week now that we have our new car!

Work is going well, Jeremy is learning a little more everyday and trying to get things accomplished one at a time. There is a lot of learning to be done! Tricia will start training for her new job in about two weeks, when Jake starts nursery school. He'll be going half days, three days a week. Tricia is looking forward to starting her new job, but we are just having a hard time believing that our two-year-old is off to school already! We know that it will be a great experience for him to play with kids his own age though.

Please continue to remember the following needs in prayer:

-- The work of the Church of the Nazarene in Africa
-- Our continued adjustment to our new environment
-- Good health to be able to perform our jobs
-- Jake's upcoming adjustment to nursery school

As always, thanks for your prayers!

Until next time,

Jeremy, Tricia & Jake

God At Work

Well, this has been a week of seeing God at work. We are always amazed to see the diverse ways that he reassures us that he is in control and that he guides and protects us if we let him. As it always is when you see god at work, it has been a time of praise!

Tricia is 100% better than she was last week, thanks for your prayers. She went to the doctor on Monday and found out that the upper respiratory virus that she had had led to a secondary infection in her throat and sinuses. She went on antibiotic on Monday night and was completely healed by Thursday morning. We definitely want to thank God for that!

We also had a bit of a scare this weekend, as some of our fellow missionaries was involved in a serious car accident. In taking some missionaries to the airport, one of our Regional Office counterparts was driving down the highway early Saturday morning. A vehicle came up behind her at almost 200km per hour and then went off the road slightly as he passed her. The other driver's tires went off the side of the road and he overcorrected, skidding across the entire highway and hitting our missionary's car. They started spinning as well and both cars hit the embankment on the other side of the road. The other car, since it was going so fast, went about 20 feet up the embankment and then flipped down it, ejecting the other driver, who was not wearing a seatbelt. He died at the scene. Although it is a terrible tragedy and our prayers go out to that family, we praise God that our missionaries were not seriously injured, just bruised a bit. Keep the prayers coming and heed this tragic reminder to always buckle up!

After over 5 weeks of being here, we think we'll finally be able to get a car this week. Thank you for your prayers on this subject as well. We have had the wonderful benefit of having other missionaries around to help us with transportation during this time, and that has been such a blessing.

Thanks again for all of the prayers coming our way. We received several e-mails this week, assuring us that we have people praying for us every day. What a blessing! Please remember the following needs in prayer:

-- Missionaries that are traveling
-- The continued growth of the Church of the Nazarene in Africa
-- Continued good health
-- Finalization of our car purchase

May God bless you as you work for his glory!

Until next time,

Jeremy, Tricia & Jake

New Friends

This week was a little bit of a challenge, as Tricia was sick for the last half of it, but things are still going well here, and we are encountering new experiences everyday.

As you can see from the picture, Jake is making new friends. Clockwise from bottom right are Jake, Sam, Marshall, and Jordan. Sam is an MK, but the other two are South African boys from our neighborhood. Jake has also made another friend named Jordan (who is an MK), but he was not around for this picture. Jake loves to ride his new motorcycle with his friends either riding or chasing along. He has been LOVING how much he gets to play outside now, since there is always at least one of his friends out there during waking hours.

We visited another church today, this time with Linda Braaten, a fellow missionary. Incidentally, Linda is the sister of Dan Braaten, pastor of Lee's Summit New Beginnings Church, which is one of our LINKS churches that we visited during our pre-field training. Tricia couldn't make it due to illness, but Jake and I went with "Auntie Linda" and had a good time. We are trying to visit all of the area churches before finding a church home.

We're getting closer on the search for a car, but have not purchased one yet, so please keep praying. Just when we thought that we had our minds made up, another possibility popped up and we're checking it out. Hopefully we can make our decision this week though and get rolling on our own wheels!

Thank you for the e-mails of encouragement this week, they are greatly appreciated! We would also appreciate your continued prayer for the following needs:

-- The Church of the Nazarene in Africa (with the first African Regional Director, Rev. Eugenio Duarte, taking over March 1, it's going to be a year of exciting changes!)

-- Dr. Fred and Dinah Huff, the current Regional Director and his wife, as they travel back to the States for a new and exciting assignment themselves.

-- That Tricia would get well soon

-- For our search for the right car for our family.

-- For continued adjustment to our new environment

Thank you for your support, we are so glad to be a part of the Body of Christ!

Until next time,

Jeremy, Tricia & Jake

Home Sweet Home

Yep, that's our house! Actually, this picture shows our flat (the South African word for apartment or townhome) as well as our next-door neighbor's and even a little bit on the other side of them as well. It's kind of hard to tell where one starts and the other stops. The carport to the right of that little trailer and the garage are ours, for a frame of reference. The carport leads to our front door and the two windows that are furthest to the left are the front side of our upstairs. Basically, it's a three bedroom flat, which is perfect for us!

Today we got the opportunity to be a part of the Gauteng District Assembly (Gauteng is the province that Johannesburg is in). It was a great service, and Dr. Middendorf was the keynote speaker. Also, the highlight of the weekend was the ordination of African deacons and elders at the service. It was great to see so many (more than a dozen) be ordained, as it really shows progress in Africa. That really sums up why we're here, to help get the Church of the Nazarene in Africa to the point at which they don't need us to be here anymore. That so many were being ordained today was just a testament to how fast the church is growing here in Africa.

Another point of praise that was brought up in the service was that over the last month, in the country of Sudan, the Church of the Nazarene has shown the Jesus film to over 650,000 people (that's not a typo!)! Thousands have come to know Christ and two churches have been planted -- one of 600 and one of 1,200. More will surely follow soon also. Praise God!

We thank everyone for all of the e-mails and prayers that have been sent our way over the last week, you all are a great support for us, we wouldn't be here without you. Things are going great here so far and we are starting to get adjusted, but we do have a few prayer requests that we'd like for you to remember this week:

-- We have found a strong candidate for a car, we're just trying to figure out how we're going to have to alter our budget over the next three years in order to get it. Please pray that God would give us the wisdom to know what to do and the faith to know he will make it possible.
-- For the new ordinands, that God would continue to grow them and bless their ministries.
-- For the newly planted churches and thousands of new Christians in Sudan.
-- For Dr. Middendorf , as he travels back to the United States.
-- For our continued transition to life in South Africa.

We love and miss you, thanks for all that you do for us!

Until next time,

Jeremy, Tricia & Jake

More African Animals!

We thought we'd post a few more pictures from our game drive last weekend for your viewing enjoyment. We'll be writing another update within a week as well.

So, let's start off with the white rhino (that's the larger type of rhino)



A small group of zebras, hanging out with the wildebeest, oryx, and eland









A crested crane










A couple of lions getting annoyed with a car that got a little too close









A giraffe, laying down for a rest










Until next time,

Jeremy, Tricia & Jake

We're Not In Kansas Anymore!

Yes, we took that picture... That lion, along with about 6 others, was sitting about 10 feet away from our car as we drove through Krugersdorp Game Reserve today. It's just a small game reserve right outside of Joburg, but these Midwestern Americans were pretty impressed! Jake finally believes we are in "Souf Acrifa" now because he got to see all of those animals today! :)

We drove through the park in about 3 1/2 hours and saw lions, rhinos, giraffes, wildebeest, impalas, gazelles, ostriches, zebras, an eland, and many other animals. We probably took about 100 pictures, but unfortunately can't put them all up here. If you'd like more, just drop us an e-mail and we'd be happy to send some to you. We may also post a few more here in a few days, you'll have to check back and see!

Getting out and seeing all of the beauty in God's creation was more like an act of worship than safari today. He has just created such diversity and beauty in nature, and to think that it's just a shadow of his greatness... what a mighty God we serve! He has blessed us all with so much on this earth, and gave our family the blessing of being able to see a little more of his masterpiece today.

In other news, yesterday Jeremy completed his first week of work. There are five people in his office, two from South Africa, two from the U.S. (although Jeremy's boss has been a missionary in Africa for over 20 years), and one person from Mozambique. However, everything is going great so far and the office is operating like one big happy family. That is definitely an answer to prayer, praise God!

This coming week, our search for a car will need to start heating up. Please pray that we can find a car that meets our needs on our very tight budget. We know that you all will be praying and the Lord will work everything out somehow, so we are at peace about it. Thank you for your prayers and may God bless you, we will be updating you again soon!

Until next time,

Jeremy, Tricia & Jake

The Eagle Has Landed!

Well, after a LONG time on the airplane (almost 20 hours!), we're here in Johannesburg! We made it through the flight pretty well, but Jeremy got sick shortly after we landed and was sick for a couple of days. He's feeling much better now though, and we have spent the last several days trying to get our house in order. That means we're unpacking, buying household necessities like cleaning supplies, etc. We've been very busy, but things are going great as we are getting acclimated to our new environment.

We have all taken a few days to get used to the time change, but our bodies are now adjusted and we're getting ready to dive into our duties. We have had dinner with a different missionary family each day since we have been here and have enjoyed getting to know our coworkers, we are fortunate to have such a great group! Jeremy begins work tomorrow morning at the Regional Office, while Tricia will be spending a few weeks getting Jake adjusted and continuing to get the house in order before she starts working part-time on her assignment. We are both looking forward to getting to the work that the Lord has sent us here to do!

Thank you so much for all of your prayers as we have really been blessed to have everything go so smoothly this far. We praise God for blessing us in more ways than we can imagine. If you would like to pray for some of our current needs, they are:

- That we are able to find a car that is within our budget, yet reliable enough to last for the next three years.
- That we would learn quickly and perform well in our new roles beginning tomorrow.
- Continued good health for our family.
- That God would continue to move in mighty ways in his church in Africa.

This weekend, we are going to try to get to one of the game parks around here, so hopefully we will have some interesting pictures to share with you next time. May God bless you in a powerful way this week!

Until next time,

Jeremy, Tricia & Jake

Leavin' On A Jet Plane...

Yes, the time has finally come. We are leaving for Johannesburg tomorrow at 5:45am, which means we will be leaving for the airport around 3:30am! We are very excited, and yes, a little nervous, but we know that God has ordained this path for us and that he will be with us throughout our journey. There's nowhere else in the world we'd rather be than right where he wants us.

Well, this is going to be a short one because we have a lot to do today and not much time in which to get it all done. However, we will have a lot to say and a lot of pictures to post once we get there and get our internet hooked up! We thank each one of you for the part that you've played in getting us to this point.

As we leave, we ask that you would pray for traveling mercies for our family and that God would show us exactly what he wants us to do and be while we are in South Africa. Thank you once again and we will be posting again soon from our new home!

Until next time,

Jeremy, Tricia & Jake

I'll Be Home for Christmas...

Seeing as how our deputation services are now over, we'll probably be switching things up a little with how we format this blog, though we're not really sure how yet. One of our goals is to try to shorten up the posts a little to save your eyes while still providing frequent updates. Bear with us for the next couple of months as we experiment with what we are doing with this blog. Any suggestions or comments are welcomed, please e-mail us at tjjohnson98@yahoo.com if you have any.

So, as we said, deputation services are over for us, training is over with, and we are now visiting family and friends before we we head to South Africa. Being so absorbed in the preparation for the past few months, it's hard to believe that it's actually time to go! Right now, we're in Bourbonnais, IL visiting Tricia's family and friends, and then after that we'll head to Kokomo, IN to see Jeremy's family and friends. Then it's back to KC to get things in order and we fly out on January 4th! We thank you all for your prayers, cards, etc. that have helped us get to this point. You are greatly appreciated.

Anyway, twenty-two short hours (we hope short) after we take off from KC, we'll land in Johannesburg, where we'll be for the next three years! We are so excited, although a little nervous as well. However, we know that God has some really special things for us there, and there's nowhere we'd rather be!

Praises and Prayer Requests

We thank God for the opportunity we have to visit with our families for a couple of weeks before we leave. We also thank you for visiting our blog and for your prayers. We also especially thank God for sending his only Son to die for our sins and give us life, as we remember his birth during this time.

Please continue to pray that God will be preparing us for this journey, and especially for traveling mercies as we travel during the next few weeks and on January 4th.

We'll probably write again before we leave and post some pictures, so check back again around New Year's. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you and your families!

Until next time,

Jeremy, Tricia & Jake

Almost there!

Wow, it really doesn't seem like it's been that long since August (and I suppose it really hasn't), but we are just about done with our training here and are almost ready to head to South Africa! We have learned so much during our time here, and have also gotten so many things accomplished in preparation for our trip. We just got our visas today, which was pretty exciting for us! We're still packing and will be sending our shipment on December 16th, right before we leave KC to go visit family. The shipment takes 6-8 weeks by boat to South Africa, so we decided to send it a few weeks ahead of us.

Anyway, we have had a blast and thank you all for your support and prayers during this time of preparation. We have certainly felt the Lord's presence in our lives through all of this and know that we wouldn't have even made it to this point without him!

Weekend(s) Update

Wow, we are SO late in getting around to this. Hopefully no one feels slighted, we have enjoyed all of our weekend deputation visits (except for the driving part), it's just that we have been so occupied with our preparations that the blog updates have unfortunately taken a back seat. As we wind down, hopefully they will come more consistently! Well, let's see, we've visited 10 different churches since our last update, and the people we have met have just been so generous, hospitable, and kind. We can't say enough how loved and appreciated we feel and how much we love and appreciate all of you that we have met. Deputation travels have been such a blessing, and the fun that we have had at each church has definitely outweighed the trials of travel.

Daily Life

As mentioned earlier, we have spent a lot of time in the last few weeks getting the "details" ironed our for our trip. Gathering all of the necessary paperwork for visas, getting our crates built for our shipment (yes, we built the crates), and trying to pare down our possesions so that we can fit our stuff into those crates had taken up a lot of time. We have also now gotten our plane tickets, and we fly out at 5:45am on January 4th, not too far away! It's about a 2 1/2 hour flight to Atlanta and then another 17 1/2 hours to Johannesburg. Please pray for us (especially Jake) during that time!

Praises and Prayer Requests

There is so much to praise God for, we have learned so much during our time here in KC and are really thankful for this training. We are also thankful that God has given us the grace to manage a hectic schedule and keep our family sane (well, at least as sane as we were)! And of course, we praise God that all of you that are reading this site have come into our lives, many of you just within the last few months!

We ask for your prayers in the following areas:

-- Preparations still being made for the trip
-- Safe holiday travels
-- Meaningful time with our family and friends as we prepare to leave
-- Our trip!
-- The Church of the Nazarene in Africa and all over the world

Thank you so much for taking the time to share with us in our journey. May God bless you all during this holiday season as we celebrate our Lord Jesus Christ!

Until next time,

Jeremy, Tricia & Jake

Pictures!, cont.

Jake and Daddy getting a throwing lesson from Paw-Paw.

Jake and his fellow MK (missionary kid), Elijah Armstrong (from Guatemala).

The true Jake shines through and Elijah's thinking, "I have to room with this guy at Olivet?!"

Dr. Jake Johnson, pediatrician, trick or treating his little heart out.

Pictures!

Daddy and Jake mowing the yard at our "new house" in KC.

Jake and his Paw-Paw running around with the turkeys at Paw-Paw's farm (you know what they say about birds of a feather). :)

Jake driving Paw-Paw around on his tractor (yes, Jake was really driving).

Jake and Paw-Paw after their tractor ride.


Jake's first kitty-holding experience (luckily, Mommy is allergic, so we could explain to Jake why we couldn't keep it).

A Long Overdue Update

Three weekends have passed since our last update, so we have a lot to tell you, but we'll try to save your eyes and keep it simple. :) There's not really a good excuse as to why we haven't posted (other than the standard busyness), so we won't try to come up with a bad excuse!

Since we last wrote, we found out that we will be leaving in January (as long as we can get our visas and work permits in time)! We are very excited that there's not much longer, but at the same time we're wowed by the fact that... there's not much longer! Please pray for us and our preparations in the two months that we have left here in the States.

Weekend(s) Update

We spent Oct 16th in Waukegan, IL (north of Chicago), and Kankakee, IL (south of Chicago). They were both great services, and the one at Kankakee First Church was especially meaningful to us, as it is Tricia's home church and Jeremy spent four years in that congregation as well during college. We were so happy to be able to reconnect and spend a few moments with so many people that have meant so much to us. We also stayed for a few days with Tricia's parents, so Jake had a great time visiting with his "Maw-Maw" and "Paw-Paw". Jake especially enjoyed his time out at Paw-Paw's farm, where he got to drive the tractor, hold the kitties, and run around with the chickens, turkeys, and goat. Paw-Paw also got Jake's Major League career as a pitcher for the Chicago Cubs started with a throwing lesson! (Yes, we have pictures. Yes, I will post them this week.)

Since it was Reading & Research week (ha ha) at NTS, we didn't have classes that week, so we also got the opportunity to visit Manteno Church of the Nazarene (about 15 min from Kankakee) that Wednesday evening. Tricia's Aunt Janice and Uncle Rich go to that church, so it was good to see them as well!

That Thursday (Oct 20th), we headed back to KC to recharge and got to have dinner with Scott, Emily & Elijah Armstrong, our friends from Olivet who are now missionaries in Guatemala. Jake is just six days younger than Elijah, so it was fun to see them playing. They're going to be roommates at Olivet, you know!

The next weekend, we were in Council Bluffs, IA (Emanuel COTN) and Omaha, NE (Southwest COTN) for a wonderful weekend. After a Faith Promise potluck on Saturday night, a great Sunday dinner and an afterglow on Sunday night, we ate so much that we barely fit in the car on the ride home! :) We also want to thank the Millers for putting up with us for the weekend, as they let us share their home during that time.

Finally, this weekend we got the chance to minimize our driving with some KC District churches, Topeka Oakland and KC Victory Hills, which are two of our LINKS churches (Loving Interested Nazarenes Knowing & Sharing) for the next three years. Essentially, LINKS is a program run by Nazarene Missions Int'l that means that we especially maintain contact with them and they with us during that time. It's been great to be a part of it just for these first few months already!

Whew... we will never wait three weeks again. Thanks for sticking with us, if you're still reading! :)

Daily Life

A little over halfway through the semester of training, our daily life mainly consists of preparations. Preparations to go to Africa (we're working feverishly on visas and work permits right now), preparations for the next weekend's travels (laundry, cleaning, etc.), and preparation of ourselves for both of those journeys, both physically through rest and mentally and spiritually through reading, prayer, accountability to each other and the rest of the interns, etc. We are blessed to have a support structure of other missionary families here that can share in our experiences and we can all know what the others are going through. Thank you Lord!

Praises and Prayer Requests

We praise the Lord that he has brought us over halfway through our training now, while teaching us so much and giving us his strength for the journey. We wouldn't have made it this far without it! Please continue to pray for us in the following ways:

- Safe travels for deputation services
- Smooth processes for all of our preparations (visas, work permits, etc.)
- Good health (Tricia & Jake are battling fall allergies right now)
- Continued openness to what God is saying to us
- One unspoken request as well

Thank you once again for taking the time to come along with us on this journey. Your prayers, e-mails, thoughts and friendship are appreciated more than you know and more than we can express.

Until next time,

Jeremy, Tricia & Jake

Pictures From Our Travels

Over 5,500 miles in the car in the last month can drive anyone crazy...










...or, just knock them out.

Blasts From the Past

Weekend Update

This weekend, Jeremy traveled alone as Tricia & Jake enjoyed a much needed break from the travel schedule. Jeremy returned to Indiana, where he spoke on Sunday morning at Lebanon Church of the Nazarene. Although that church was going through some tough issues in the lives of many in that congregation, it was great to share a time of testimony with them during the service.

Also, this weekend was Jeremy’s 10 year high school reunion, so he got the chance to reconnect with a lot of old friends and to see what they were up to. Everybody seemed to be doing fairly well, and it somehow just didn't seem like ten whole years had gone by after talking to some of them. Jeremy was glad to reestablish communication with his classmates and hopefully keep up that contact this time around!

Daily Life

We're gearing up for Reading and Research week here in our seminary classes, which means a week off of class, but no real break from schoolwork. It does, however, give us a chance to travel for some deputation services, and we'll have six services within an eight day period and across Illinois, Iowa, and Nebraska. Also during that time, we will be back in KC to meet up with some other missionary friends of ours, Scott & Emily Armstrong, who are missionaries in Guatemala. They have a son that is six days older than Jake, so those two should have fun!

Praises and Prayer Requests

We praise God for health! Everyone is doing relatively well right now, it seems like nothing more than the seasonal allergies. We are also thankful that God is giving us time to complete some of our routine tasks now (like renewing our passports, getting our will put together, etc.). We've not had time for a lot of things lately, so it feels good to cross some things off our list!

Please remember us in your prayers for the following:

- Traveling mercies as we do a lot of driving this week
- For the Lord's presence in our deputation services
- Jeremy's midterm exam (in business school) coming up this week
- Continued health as the hectic travel schedule continues

Thanks for your prayers and we'll tell you all about our trip when we return!

Until next time,

Jeremy, Tricia, & Jake