Thanksgiving with friends

Shannah & I got to spend Thanksgiving with some good friends of mine, Michael & Sabrina Madgett. They are a HUGE support to both of us...a big encouragement. We had a great time with them & with Michael's family.

This is Balto! I wish I could say that he was my dog, but he's not. He's Michael & Sabrina's.

We also enjoyed visiting with Nate & Rachael who came over from Waukesha for the weekend (don't they have beautiful eyes).

We went shopping...boy was THAT a good time...haha.

Need I say more.

Fun with Family & FOOD!!

Be careful when allowing other people to put "food" into your shopping cart.

(I do not recommend this)

November 2008

To read my Newsletter, just click on the image below.

Field Day

Once or twice a year, the two NTBI Campuses, Waukesha & Jackson, converge for an epic sports battle we like to call....

FIELD DAY! (Yeah, pretty cool huh)

We started the day out with men's soccer. We all gathered up and prayed for the game. Good thing...I needed it.

We (Jackson) took an early lead in the game 1-0...Waukesha answered later in the half and tied it up 1-1. The game ended in a shoot-out and we prevailed, winning in the shoot-out!

Probably the most "memorable" moment for me was when my buddy, Craig, and I collided on a head-ball (good 'ole fashioned lack of communication). Actually, I don't remember much. I'm pretty sure I was blacked out when this picture was taken. I remember falling straight down on my back. They say my head bounced. I don't remember.

In the end everyone was fine and we had a great day full of soccer, ultimate frisbee, softball, and football.....oh, and this pyramid!

Shannah cheared me on. Hey, as long as she's proud of me....

It was also cool having my sister Rachael, and Craig's brother, Nate, come over for the weekend. Those guys are such wierdos.

Visiting Waukesha

I actually didn't get any pictures while I recently went to visit our NTBI Waukesha Campus. I went over to visit the student body, collect data on past NTBI Alumni Graduates, and have strategic meetings related to my Alumni ministry. It was a very profitable visit. I stopped at the train station on my way back and walked across the street to the Sears Tower.

Union Station is right downtown Chicago. Pretty cool. Got to walk outside during my layover. The train was definitely the way to go (it's a 5 1/2 hour trip from Jackson to Waukesha).

Dropping Shannah off at work. Earlier this semester she worked as a food-server. It was too much strain for her knee though, as she's still recovering from a knee injury this past Spring. Would you please pray for Shannah's knee to heal.

Oh, and a PRAISE! God provided her a job in town as a lifeguard at the local YMCA!

Let's Go on a Date

A little while back I got to take my best friend on a date.

Suprised her with the dress. She knew we were going out, but I had her come dressed in sweats...she found me in a suit....I sent her up to her room...

...where Susan and Rachel, two of her friends, were waiting for her with a couple others. They did her hair, her nails, she picked out a nice pair of heels, and after a while...

...we were off!

We went to Bella Note'...a nice Italian Restaurant downtown. They had live jazz! Ya know, it is a blessing already that God has given me a wonderful ministry here at NTBI for the time being. Having Shannah here is a HUGE bonus (that we get to be in the same place as God is growing our relationship). And she is really enjoying her Bible classes!

After we came back...everybody told me what a fortunate guy I was! I agree! We had a great time out on the town. Course, it doesn't take much for Shannah and I to have a great time. We get along pretty good (I'm the normal one...haha - j/k).

Goofin' around with Rae Rae and Susan after we got back.

I don't know what to say about this. We were just....SO happy.

September 2008 Newsletter

To read Page 1: click on the page and it will enlarge.

To read Page 2: click on the page and it will enlarge.

Life and Ministry at NTBI Jackson

Let me take you for a little tour of my apartment here at NTBI...

I have my own private staircase that leads up to my apartment (it is connected to the 2nd floor: men's dorm & married student apartments)

There's my front door. I have a kitchen with running water, gas stove, refrigerator (the works!). I know, I'm spoiled.

Here's a view from my front door: Kitchen, living room, 2 bedrooms and a bathroom. I've got the whole place to myself! I know, I'm spoiled. But I've got lots of room to have groups of students over and even a spare bed for guests to stay.


Here's the middle bedroom...my bedroom is in the back.

I know this picture is faded out, but I want you to take note...this is during student orientation. This is an auditorium full of students who are investing two years of their lives into studying God's word. All those raised hands are students who are planning to go on into full-time cross-cultural ministry. Praise God...there is such a need for laborers to take the message of the Bible to unreached people groups! Please continue to pray that God would raise up more young people like this who will give their lives to labor for the sake of the gospel (Luke 10:2).

This is me hard at work (haha...well, Scott asked if I would help hold down his notes as we took them to his Romans class). That's the deep blue sea to the left of my "surfboard." Here I'm surfing off the coast of Africa.

Okay, for real...I do have an office.

Doing what? - I am helping to develop a ministry to support NTBI Alumni Graduates who desire to get further missionary training. My ministry will be to help them get there (in the past, many have gotten side-tracked or discouraged along the way). This new ministry as NTBI Alumni Coordinator could help to increase missionary candidates in NTM by as much as 20%.

Finally In Michigan!!

Stopped by the Waukesha campus for New Tribes Bible Institute on my way through Wisconsin.

Finally, I arrived at the campus in Jackson, Michigan where I will be coordinating my new ministry! Thank you so much to all of you who have prayed for me along the way.

The car ran fine all the way through 9 states!! (Total Distance = 2,127 miles)

Did a little shopping to set up my appartment (t.p., soap, etc.).

Stay tuned for pics of my apartment and office...

Trip to Michigan (New Tribes Bible Institute)

So here's some highlights from the past two weeks and my trip out here to Michigan.

Leaving my home church, Ustick Baptist, in Boise, Idaho.

I used every square inch of my trunk space.

Packed it all in pretty good.

Henry's Lake (Eastern Idaho)
Guess which one is mine...probably not your first guess (look closely).

My parents and I got to spend my last week out West at an Awana Camp with some teens in Montana! Dad was the main speaker & I did the music. Also got to challenge the students to be world christians and to get involved in missions work around the world. I got to go with them into Bozeman for a children's outreach. Played my guitar as we led the kids in some fun songs.

They shared the gospel message with these kids using the wordless bracelet.


Here was one of the highlights. We took a group of brave campers into the woods and had a "discipleship session"....we tested their ability to dodge paintballs and taught them humility. Haha, well sort of.....I actually got taken out in the first round by two of the Jr. High boys.

After camp, I spent a couple days in the mountains fishing with my dad and cousin.


Notice I said fishing and not catching. They weren't biting at this lake...but the view was great!

I'm going to miss the West (sniff, sniff).

On my way through Wyoming...


I camped out the first night near Mt. Rushmore...all by myself.

This is my first cross-country trip by myself. 34 hours of driving through 9 states in all. It was nice to stretch my legs once in a while.

Drove through that mountain.

On my way through Minnesota (lots of farms)...beautiful country.