You can tell from the picture that our girl knows she’s a ham! Maria took some steps last month, but she hasn’t taken off yet. She wants to run and doesn’t have the patience to practice walking. Sadly, Maria will not nap in a bed. She sleeps great in the car or will fall asleep when I hold her, but she up the minute I try to put her in her pack-n-play. At nights she’s up multiple times. The constant travel and changing rooms has been hard on her. BUT she’s a pretty happy girl most of the day. She loves to play and laugh and eat. Everyone adores her! We love you Maria!
Last Friday we had the special treat of getting together with the 2 other families, plus one college student, from our Cambodian missionary family: Farmers, Smedleys, and Jon Pawley. We all just happen to be in PA at the same time. We met at a park and spent several hours fellowshipping. The kids enjoyed playing games. It’s always a treat to be with family from back home in Cambodia!
Saturday we headed to NJ to take a scenic train ride starting in Flemington with the “2 Wheelers.” It was fun to have a train ride – everyone enjoyed it!
We spent Saturday late afternoon and evening with the Puccios. The kids enjoyed swimming. It was fun to watch Mr & Mrs Puccio, who were my SS teachers, take the same interest in our kids as they had with me and my friends throughout our childhood years. These are precious people who I’ve known as long as I can remember.
Sunday we were at NDC, in Piscataway, the church where I was born. There are still a handful of people there from my growing up years.
Sunday evening we met at my Uncle John’s house for a get-together with family. All my Dad’s siblings were there and a few cousins. My brother, Sam, came to see us with his family. They are moving to FL this week, and we really appreciate their making time to drive down to see us during their very busy week.
Monday we visited again with my Uncle John. Over a year ago he ended up in the hospital with multiple blood clots in his leg and almost lost his leg and then his life. We’re thankful for the progress he’s made so far, but he has a long way to go. It was good to spend time with him. This was also the first time for me to be back in my grandma’s house since her death….a bit sad.
We left Texas on June 20th for our two-day drive to Tennesee to visit our good friends the Burkes. (We stayed over-night in Memphis.) It was great to visit with Sterling and MK and meet their girls. We were with them from Friday afternoon until Sunday after lunch. Always a pleasure to be with Cambodian friends. Sunday evening we arrived in Cincinnati and stayed in a hotel to be near The Creation Museum.
At the Creation Museum we split up into two groups: Josh, Becca, Isaiah, and Anna made up one team; Clara, Ezra, Micah, Maria, and I made up the other team. This allowed us to go at an enjoyable, appropriate pace for each group. The older group went to a lecture on the Golden Ratio, while the rest of us toured the museum. We met for lunch and then went to a lecture on animals and then went to the planetarium. In the afternoon the older group went through the museum exhibit, while the rest of us walked around outside and then went to the 4D show on the Days of Creation. The older group went to the 4D show after we did and by then it was 5pm and time to head back. We’re very thankful for our friends who arranged for us to use their friends’ lifetime passes to the museum – which included entry and the planetarium showing. (Note – this year kids 10 and under are free and both the Creation Museum and The Ark Encounter. So if you have a lot of young kids, this is the year to go!)
Monday evening we had dinner with the Lyons family. This was our third time to see the Lyons. Our first visit with them was planned and the last two were unexpected. Every time we say goodbye we say, “See you in 5 years.” And then somehow 5 years goes by really fast! The Lyons (who live in SC) just happened to be visiting Michael’s parents in Cincinnati.
Tuesday we spent the day at The Ark Encounter. We enjoyed the zoo first, hoping that the crowds in the ark would lessen in the afternoon. Everyone enjoyed The Ark Encounter. At the end of our visit we attended a drama by the BJU drama team on the lives of two Russian pastors. After the show, we headed to Lexington, KY to spend two nights with our friends the Raslaus. We had a great time of fellowship with this kind family. Then Thursday, June 27th, we headed out to drive to PA. Thus completes our long trip: GA–>AL–>TX–>TN–>OH–>KY–>PA. We had a wonderful month visiting with friends in many states. We’re thankful for each one of them and the time we were able to spend catching up on their lives and being encouraged on the Lord’s work in their hearts.
We celebrated our 16th wedding anniversary this week. So thankful for these past 16 years the Lord has given us. Things just keep getting better as we walk through life together as one. For our anniversary we went out to breakfast, then late afternoon we headed out for the night with Maria. We enjoyed gyros at a park and then walked around. Maria didn’t enjoy walking, as she wanted to go back and swing at the playground. She loves swinging and watching other people. Happy 16th Anniversary to Us!
We left Georgia on June 5th, stopping at Grandma Martin’s on the way for a quick lunch visit. We drove to Alabama and stayed with the Leitharts. They were very kind to receive us and house us for the night. It was a pleasure to spend time with this kind, humble, unassuming couple who has and is doing so much for the Kingdom. Dr. Leithart gave Becca two books he’s written on Jane Austin. She was thrilled.
Thursday, June 6th, we spent 12 hour in the van driving from Birmingham, AL to Plano, TX. Texas the birthday place of our two oldest children. It was a long day of driving, but everyone did really well with the trip. We were glad to arrive at the Countrymans for two nights. Friday lunch we met Dr. Pat Davis at a McDonalds. She thoughtfully brought activities for all the kids to do. I am always amazed by Dr. Davis – a 92 year old lady still doing literacy work and training with tribal groups in Peru.
Saturday we drove to spend the night with Bob and Martha Gamblin. They are a sweet couple and think of us as family. Sunday we attended Redeemer Prez in Arlington and Josh presented our ministry and preached. It was good to be with many of our friends from our years in Texas.
Sunday and Monday nights (June 9 & 10) we stayed with the Ishams. It was great to catch up with them. Monday we went to the Fort Worth Zoo – everyone enjoyed seeing the animals and riding the train. This zoo has special memories, since we used to take Becca there when we lived in Texas.
We left the on Tuesday and had lunch and a swim at the Woods. Tuesday to Friday we stayed at Ann’s. She kindly gave up her house and moved in with a friend so we could have her entire house to ourselves. It was a sweet gift for our family during a very busy time. Miss Ann was Becca’s SS teacher when Becca was 3. Tuesday (June 11th) evening we fellowshipped with our friend Kathy, one of Becca’s NICU nurses. She also invited Teresa, another one of Becca’s nurses. Wednesday (12th) we had lunch with the dear Olsons. They arranged for us to have a picnic lunch at their church, so there would be a place inside for the kids to play. Wednesday evening we met the Walters at a playground/spray park for a picnic.
Thursday (13th) we drove to GIAL and spent some time with Dr. Parker (a former professor of Josh’s) and Dr. Kroeger. It felt like a mini Grammar seminar reunion to spend time with Dr. Kroeger. He treated us to lunch and brought rice for the kids from an Asian store. On our way back, we stopped by at UTA to visit our old stomping ground and Becca’s tree. Friday we visited with the Rylands. It was fun to be with them and see their growing family. The kids did water play in the back yard.
Friday to Thursday (June 14th -20th) we moved in with our friends the Martins. They put our family in their gym building and it was a great space for us. We enjoyed swimming, playing kickball, nerf gun wars, eating, shooting guns, and playing together. So nice that our kids enjoyed playing together. We also celebrated Father’s Day with them.
Sunday we attended All Saints and had lunch with the Bennetts. Monday we visited with Vitaly and his family at a park. So nice to see them after 11 years. Monday evening we met Den and his wife at a park. Den is our Seed Company project manager. Tuesday we meet the Countryman’s for lunch at a CFA, so we could see Aaron (who was away in Europe when we stayed at his house). Thus ends our two weeks in Texas. It’s been a great time connecting with so many friends from our years (2008-2013) in Texas. Our kids enjoyed lots of extra activities and making new friends. Now on to Tennesee!
Going back a few weeks, we left SC on May 27th and drove to Forsyth, GA to spend a week staying at Eventide. Our friends to Gottwals generously allowed us to use Eventide and rest there. We enjoyed the beauty of the location and the extra time we got to visit with our friends during the week. The kids enjoyed fishing, walking around the property, and reading all the books from Gottwals Books.
One afternoon we visited the Museum of Aviation, 2nd largest museum in the US Air Force. The kids especially enjoyed the cockpits they were able to sit in. After sitting in a cockpit, Anna commented on how difficult it must be to be a pilot. The boys absolutely loved being in a helicopter.
Over the weekend we were with Central Fellowship Baptist Church. It was good to be with them the Wednesday before as well. We met a kind lady who offered to cut our hair at her salon – she wash, cut, and styled all the girls’ hair. We very much enjoyed our time at Eventide and the rest and fellowship that went along with the week. And we, of course, enjoyed visiting Gottwals Books. Thankful for our friends the Gottwals!
We had a great time celebrating Isaiah’s birthday at Eventide. The Gottwals joined us for a chili lunch and a pizza supper. After lunch, Shane set up a “water park” with water guns, water balloons, pools, a slippy-slide, and a bubble machine. It was a great time for everyone. There was a dads vs kids water gun war. After the water wars, we had cake. Thankfully Isaiah chose a simple cake design – a big 12.
Isaiah has been enjoying lots of things in the US – spending time with family, parks, museums, reading, etc. He’s been a great help during our travels and enjoys talking to others about Cambodia. He’s even allowed some elderly ladies to hug him – and that’s a big step in maturity for him. We’re delighted to have Isaiah as our son and look for to this year of being 12!
May 18th we left the HP mission house to start our last two weekends in SC. We enjoyed our three months in the home, having a space of our own to rest in while traveling and visiting with friends, family, and churches. Thursday, May 16th, we spent time with the Rodriguez family. It’s been great to have them close by and be able to be with them multiple times. Yani made some extra time in her teaching schedule to come over a few mornings to pray with me – a special treat. Becca enjoyed spending time with Amaris.
Friday, the 17th, we got together with David Wynn. Josh had a great time catching up, and the kids all enjoyed playing. We only saw Mrs. Wynn for a moment before she had to leave for a family event. Saturday morning we packed up and cleaned the mission house. We stopped by Chick-Fil-A on our way out of town to Florence, SC. We spent the weekend with Berean Baptist Church. The kids enjoyed our time staying with Pastor Don & Miss Karen. A highlight was boating on the lake at their property.
From Florence we headed to Canaan Land for a vacation with Dad & Mom Jensen and Caroline & her kids. We had a great week of hiking, boating, eating, game playing, and just enjoying each other’s company. The kids worked on a puppet show with a staff member and performed it at the Thursday evening campfire. Friday we took a trip to The WILDS. The kids enjoyed Fort Fun, the water guns, and playing games.
Saturday, May 25th, we left Canaan Land and drove to Sumter, SC. On the way, we made a stop in Colombia to visit with the Lyons. We enjoyed our weekend with Sumter Bible Church. It was our first time to stay in a hotel during our time here, which is a bit of a challenge with lively children. Monday we drove to GA and are now staying at Eventide for the week.
Mother’s Day weekend we were full celebrating Josh’s parents anniversary, but Sunday evening there was no church, so we took sandwiches to a playground for supper. It was nice to watch everyone relax and play. I’m thankful for our family. Thankful for a husband who loves his family and is delighted to have seven children. I’m thankful our children enjoy playing outside and enjoy playing with each other. I’m thankful that God has blessed us with our children. This year Becca will start high school, so it means we only have a few more years of having everyone at home and everyone on the same side of the world. We’re thankful for these years and are enjoying them as we raise our kids together.
This past week has been full of visiting as we wrap up our time in SC. Thursday & Tuesday my sister Emily came for the day with Levi. Monday we had lunch with the Whitakers and supper with Uncle JD & Aunt Kim Crowley. Tuesday evening we were with Taylor and Emmie Crowley. Wednesday we went to the Children’s Museum with Mom Jensen and in the evening had a picnic with our HP Life Group. Josh visited his grandma Wednesday morning.
Over the weekend we celebrated Dad & Mom Jensen’s 50th Wedding Anniversary. The whole family spent Friday evening through Sunday lunch together. It was a nice relaxing time to celebrate Dad & Mom’s anniversary and for everyone to enjoy fellowshipping together.
The last picture is with the Bells – we ran into them at church.
As I sit down to look at all the pictures from the past week, I can hardly believe we’ve once again fit all this into one week! Friday we spent time with the Rodriguez family and then attended their violin recital. So happy we could see them perform.
Saturday we spent time with my brother Dan’s family. Always fun when cousins play together. Maria got to use the jonny-jump-up that Becca had years ago.
Sunday we presented out ministry at Open Door Baptist in Bamburg and then drove to visit Josh’s sister’s family in Aiken. Again – fun for cousins to be together.
Monday we drove to GA to visit Josh’s grandma Martin for lunch, and the we drove back to Greenville late afternoon. Tuesday I spoke at Hampton Park’s Women for Missions morning meeting and then went to lunch with some of the ladies. It was wonderful to see Mrs. Murr again – a professor from BJU. Tuesday afternoon Josh visited Mr. Butts. Tuesday night we had an EMU picnic (no pictures).
Wednesday we spent the day with Josh’s parents. We started off picking strawberries, then had lunch, and then the kids got to make strawberry jam! So many good memories! We are coming out of a few weeks of being sick – different kids are still coughing or struggling with being tired. We’re hopeful everyone is on the upswing and hoping no one has a relapse. It’s hard to stay healthy with days full of activities – all the sugar our kids are being offered – and late nights. Exciting times!
We’ve had a full week of spending time with people in SC. Last Thursday we had the Neals for lunch and enjoyed catching up with them. That evening we went to the Farmers for dinner and a singspiration. We also spent time with the Farmer family today – bookending the week! So fun to see friends from Cambodia – a little home away from home. Friday evening we had a lovely time with the Simpsons. Saturday we enjoyed time at the Martin family picnic – so good to catch up with Josh’s mom’s side of the family. Saturday evening we attended Jesse’s (our nephew) 10th birthday party at a skating rink. We were very proud with how persistent our kids were with skating – from Becca down to Micah.
Sunday Josh preached at Hampton Park and presented our ministry in the evening service, via interview and devotional. We had the Millers over for lunch. Monday my sister came for the day and then we enjoyed dinner and fellowship with the Colemans. Tuesday we had a fun evening with the Pegram family. Wednesday we were at Dad & Mom Jensens for most of the day. Thursday is…today with Farmer bookends
We were up in PA for a missions conference that spread over nines days. It was fun to reconnect with people we knew, hear about their prayers for us, and meet new people. We especially enjoyed meeting the other missionaries who attended and hearing about their work in other countries. Our kids enjoyed attending the conference and made friends with other MKs and church kids.
A special treat was being able to visit with Naomi Glock, a retired Bible Translator. She was driving up the east coast and decided to stop in for the last two days of the conference. When I was 16, I spent a month with Naomi in Suriname helping her with a translation project. It was also a great honor to be given the quilt at the end of the conference. The quilting ladies meet each Tuesday to work on a quilt to give to one of the missionaries units at the conference. I remember when I was 16 and watching the quilt being given away at the conference and wondering if I would be a missionary and receive the quilt someday.
While we were in PA the girls went to school with my mom – Anna and Clara as students and Becca as a guest teacher. Becca taught the kids games from Cambodia and a little about Khmer culture. My parents also gave the kids their birthday/Christmas present – a trip to Sight & Sound to see Daniel. We’ve seen S&S performances online, but this was the kids first time to see a live performance. It was very exciting.
Our sweet girl hit nine months this week and also cut her first tooth (front, bottom, left). Maria is now pulling herself up and cruising from object to object. She loves feeding bits of food to herself, especially meat and fruit. Maria typically always has a smile for everyone. People often ask, “Is she this happy all the time?” The truth is, she’s not. The more she’s passed around or away from me the harder time she has sleeping at nights. I’ve learned to be pretty quick in getting her back when she starts whimpering, since the more she’s upset at being away from me the less she sleeps in her bed at night. All the traveling and transitions are hard on her, though you would never know by looking at her happy face. We absolutely love this little girl and she loves all us too!
Last week we celebrated Anna’s 10th birthday! The day we celebrated, we went to the York Country Industrial Museum for the afternoon and enjoyed seeing all sorts of things that used to be manufactured in York. The exhibit that fascinated our kids the most was the one with phones to call each other. We bought Anna a car for her birthday!
Anna decided on an ice cream cake for her birthday. Uncle Joey came for a taco dinner. After gifts we tested a game Becca is designing with a goal of marrying well (gaining the most points from a good match!).
One of Anna’s birthday gifts was a shopping trip for new dresses and lunch out. We had fun finding her some clothes for playing in – Anna likes wearing dresses and leggings to play outside.
Anna is a sweet, kind young lady, who is always looking for ways to help. She is especially helpful with younger children and looks for ways to entertain them. Anna is friendly and the first to welcome other girls in a new environment. I love watching Anna interact with others. Clara and Anna are the best of friends, and they love playing dolls and dress-up together.
We visited my grandma this week, and Anna was a champ helping her great grandma. We’re so thankful for Anna’s kindness and tender heart to others.
We’ve had a good week visiting with friends and Grace Baptist of Wilmington. Last Thursday we had a friend over for lunch. We enjoyed seeing him, and he brought games to play with the kids that everyone enjoyed. That evening we had dinner with the Collins family. Friday we fellowshipped with the Ben Fetterolf family.
Saturday we headed out to Wilmington, NC. A highlight of the trip was stopping at Buc-ees! We’ve been to Buc-ees in Texas and were surprised to find out that they’ve made their way out here. It was huge and so crowded – felt a little like walking in NYC!
In Wilmington we met and stayed with Mrs. Spencer, who graciously opened her home to us during our time there. The kids really enjoyed getting to know Mrs. Spencer and playing with her toys. A sweet and lovely lady.
Monday-Wednesday we were in Columbia, SC visiting our friends the Lyons. Michael is a Hebrew teacher at Columbia International University. We stayed in a campus hotel while there. On Tuesday Josh went with Michael to chapel, Hebrew lunch, and to Michael’s Hebrew in Isaiah class. Josh spoke for the first 1.5 hours of class about Bible translation. Meanwhile, the rest of us went to the Columbia Zoo. It was a perfect day for the zoo: overcast, so it wasn’t hot and the animals were more active; and the week after spring break, so not many school groups or people there. The kids loved seeing all the animals – it was the boys first time to be at a zoo (or remember being at a zoo). I had the best time watching Micah’s face watching the animals. One highlight was watching the giraffes run. We’d never seen giraffes running before – it was fascinating.
We had a great time with the Lyons and are thankful for the time we had to spend with their family! (The younger boys especially enjoyed building roads in the back yard.)
Last Saturday we had a Jensen Family reunion with Josh’s dad side of the family. It was great to see his aunts, uncles, cousins, and cousins children (besides Josh’s sisters’ families as well!). The kids had a great time playing together. We’re very thankful for all everyone did to make the gathering possible.
Thursday afternoon Becca and I attended BJU’s Living Gallery. The next day Josh, Isaiah, Anna, and Clara went with Mom Jensen. The rest of us hung out at the snack shop, and when it was over we all rushed off to CPBC’s Good Friday service. Beautiful service.
We attended the Easter service at Hampton Park Baptist Church and the spent the afternoon with Josh’s parents and sisters’ families. It was a lovely day together celebrating our Lord’s resurrection.
Monday we spent the day with our friends the Rodriguez family – we’ve known each other since the girls were about 6 months in Texas. We had a great time at Paris Mountain State Park. We ended with tacos at their house.
Tuesday my sister came over, and Wednesday we celebrated Josh’s birthday at his parents. I took Josh out for breakfast on his birthday….but he paid. Thankful for Josh and all he means to our family – especially this year as we travel around so much and don’t have our normal rhythms and norms.
Reflections: A few people have asked about our family Passion Week traditions. It was just too much to try to keep up with life here and celebrate Passion Week the way our family normally does. As Josh said to me when I was bemoaning the fact that I wasn’t even thinking about Lent, “You are ‘lenting’ life this year.” It did give me much to think about with how much people actually focus on the season. I really want to order more of our lives around the church calendar and our thinking about how that effects each day of our lives.
Last Saturday we spent the day at my brother’s lake house. It was a great day for all with food, fun, and fellowship. Always great when cousins can play together. So fun!
Tuesday and Wednesday this week, Becca visited BJU and enjoyed shadowing Isa to find out what college life is like. After we dropped Becca off, we wandered around campus a bit to show our kids our old stomping grounds. Tuesday night Josh gave a talk at the BJ Seminary (see poster). There were about 81 in attendance. Josh did great, and the audience seemed to enjoy the material he presented. Yesterday we went out to lunch with the Casillas. We enjoyed our time with them.
We’ve spent the past two weeks in Spartanburg at Cleveland Park Bible Church. We enjoyed our time in their missionary cottage – this is where we lived during our deputation, 10 years ago. We were able to get together with several of the families from the church: Wilburs, Casillas, Tatems, Karpiks, Bastains, Williams, Dodds, Mr. Cunningham, Johnsons, and Mrs. Burch. It was really fun to catch up with people we’ve known for years and get to meet some new families. Josh presented our ministry the first Sunday we were at the lunch, and I spoke at a ladies luncheon the next Saturday.
The house was close to Cleveland Park, and we enjoyed spending several afternoons at the park. My sister came out to visit one day and taught the kids all sorts of embroidery/knitting/crocheting projects. Ezra designed and embroidered his project.
