A minor catch-up

Well we're back in England taking a one week break to see Alans family and visit friends and supporters here. The last five weeks have felt like a whirlwind with everything we've had going on. I (Mary), started back to intensive language school in early February going every day for four hours while Alan stayed at home and took care of Chloe. When I got home he would then leave to go and work at the CVJM. I also started volunteering after school one day a week at a ProLife organization in Heidelberg called Die Birke e.V. and I've been so impressed with everyone I've met so far and the work they do. Basically in Germany before a woman can get an abortion she is required to attend counseling sessions. The Birke offers these counseling sessions and tries to provide help to the woman so they will choose not to have an abortion and kill their unborn child. The week after I started volunteering the organization came to the CVJM to speak and to fund raise so that was neat that God had orchestrated that to happen before I began volunteering. It felt like confirmation that I was supposed to help out there.

Language classes have been difficult but I do feel like my German is progressing a lot better. I need to find the time now to study at home and to continue learning. I've downloaded a bunch of great applications for my iPhone to help. Mainly I deal with time management issues given each day I feel I should take care of the house, laundry and meals, play with Chloe, spend time with Alan, have a meaningful quiet time and prayer time, learn German, communicate with supporters, manage our finances and the individuals and teams coming to work with us this year, work out, meal track and occasionally volunteer with the church or the Birke. This last nine months have given me such an appreciation for my mom and the countless others like her that somehow manage to accomplish everything they do so effortlessly.

Being back in England is good because we need to do some planning for the next few months. Sarah Lee should be arriving within the month, Joshua's fund raising is coming together so he should be here in June. The team from WFBC is forming and will come at the end of June hopefully. I still have to sync up with the Pioneers England and Croatians offices about their Edge teams that might come this summer as well.

We are excited about all God is doing here and will write more in the next days and weeks about how He has been speaking to us.