August 2012 email

Hi Friends,

We pray this email finds you all doing well. It has been quite awhile since we communicated in this way but we wanted to share a life update for those who we don't see or talk to regularly. 

Our day to day life of working definitely keeps us busy. We are both getting some solid work experience as we have both been in our jobs for about two years now. It is crazy that we have been 'back' in the US for that long already. Bethany continues her work as a social worker in hospice care. She began her time doing home care visits and was on a team with 3 other nurses. She enjoyed that but eventually desired to be further challenged so she took on the role of full-time social worker at the in-patient facility with the same organization. She has been there for about 6 months and while challenging she is enjoying it and doing a great job. She loves the opportunity to walk alongside families during these difficult and stressful times and it has really become a part of her ministry here. I continue to work at the trucking company, Same Day Delivery. As I have gained experience in the operations office I have acquired more responsibilities and for the most part it is a good fit. As I have built relationships, I have begun to have opportunities to encourage and challenge co-workers in their faith.

We have much to praise God about over the last year.  We have continued to find Grand Rapids to be a community and place where we have found healing and growth since coming home from Zambia.  

Outside of work we have had seasons of attending and hosting bible studies/prayer meetings, connecting with our small group and enjoying Grand Rapids with our friends here. One major change has been the purchase of a house. For the first part of 2012 we spent a lot of time looking for a house with the help of a patient and knowledgeable realtor. In May we found the right house for us and moved in June. We feel very blessed to be in our own home and we have enjoyed the house thus far. Our new address is 1234 Giddings Ave SE Grand Rapids, MI 49506.

The other major change that we are eagerly expecting is the arrival of our first child next February! We found out soon after we moved into our house so since then we have been preparing with Dr visits, sharing the news with family and of course getting maternity clothes. The first question that always seem to come up is are we going to find out if its a boy/girl and to answer your question we are going to wait. Bethany has endured the exhausting and nauseous first trimester (and persisting into the second a bit) like a champ. We are excited to start our family and would appreciate your prayers during this time.

We are excited for the next year as we continue to pray and ask the Lord to prepare us for our ministry as parents as well as praying that as our lives change the Lord would open our eyes to the new opportunities he has given us with neighbors, friends and the body of Christ in Grand Rapids. We pray the same for all of you-that the Lord will open your eyes to the opportunities around you and its in the power of the Holy Spirit that we step out into them.

We'd love to hear back from you. May God's grace be with you and your families. With love,

Kyle & Bethany