02.03.06
Posted in Family News... at 3:16 pm by Hannah
Heartfelt congratulations to Dave & Leah Harder, and Evelyn (Seth’s sister, her husband and daughter) on their new little bundle of joy "Susan Grace".
Susan was born on Saturday, January 28. She weighed in at 6lbs, 7oz, and measured 20 inches long. She has a light fuzz of brownish blonde and is generally acclaimed as one of the world’s cuter babies. Mom and baby are resting up and doing well. Evie is still adjusting but likes to look at her little sis and has enjoyed all the new toys and activites that Susan "brought along" with her. Having Dad around to play with her more is not bad either.
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Posted in Pez & Skittle at 3:02 pm by Hannah
What has Keziah not learned in the last few months would be a much easier question to answer. Her capacity to take in and retain is just incredible right now.
She started walking at ten months and since then has become almost an international traveler, journeying to the far corners of the "dark hallway", sampling the treasures of the wonderful but only occaisionaly open "neighbors room", and even making her way through the wild recesses of "Momma’s Closet".
Once she started walking she was running and then there was no stopping her.
She is everybody’s best friend, will go to just about anyone, and is rarely happier than when she is in a crowd of people…traits she gets from her Daddy. When we get to church there’s no hesitation whatsoever; she can hardly run fast enough to get to the nursury and all her friends… She’s also been learning about babies lately (since Camryn and Susan were born) and she’s quite fascinated…a little too interested in their eyes and noses but we’re working on learning to be gentle.
Her first birthday was on Friday, January 27th! I can’t quite believe that it has been a year and my baby is no longer a tiny baby but more of a toddler. And a very independant one at that. For her birthday we celebrated at Grandma J.’s and she even got to have some of her birthday cake…she was ok with it but not overly wowed.
We’ve been teaching her various signs (as in sign language) and she’s getting pretty good. I knew we had a genius on our hands when she walked into the bathroom and signed that she wanted to brush her teeth, "please". Its at moments like that when I am almost sure that I truly have given birth to a wonder child! 
Her vocabulary is not huge yet but she works on it when she’s in the mood. The other day she said "cracker" and she’s even said "Uncle Tom" once or twice. But its very much a mood thing and the only thing she says with any regularity is "Daddy"! Can we say "Daddy’s girl"?!?! There’s no question who her hero is. Right now I’m trying to convince her that saying "Momma" is much more effective than just screeching in my general direction. 
I’m not sure if she doesn’t get it or if she just enjoys the screeching too much.
But she’s also started giving kisses! First she would only give them to me but just the other day she branched out to share some with Daddy…and really who wouldn’t put up with a few screeches here and there to be so blessed by the trusting love of a kissing baby girl. 
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02.02.06
Posted in At this moment... at 3:25 pm by Hannah
INTERNSHIP DECISIONS!!! This is a major (wonderful) change. Though we still have plans to make and paperwork to do, the decision has been made. We will be spending our internship in Pickle Lake, Ontario, Canada. This is a little town (Pop. 350) in CA about as far north as you can go. It is literally the end of the road…and here we thought Minnesota was the arctic north! 
The ministry there is with the first nations tribe…it sounds like it will be a lot of children’s and youth ministry. Some of our friends that have been up there said that its “one of the most beautiful, depressing places” that they’d ever been to – alcoholism is everywhere. You rarely see adults during the days (they’re home sleeping off the hangover from the night before) and the kids spend their days unattended, fighting and abusing one another. It’s definitely a mission field in need of workers.
The missionaries who are there (Ed & Lori Zabel) are Bethany Alumni and we actually met them our freshman year. We’ve enjoyed getting to know them in little bits over email as we make plans, and we’ve been blessed by their obvious love for the people they are ministering to and their eagerness to let us in on the work. We’re praying that the time we spend with there is a blessing to them and encouragement to them.
We keep hearing about the amazing work that the Lord is doing with the Zabel family in Pickle Lake from people who know them here at Bethany and we are excited to have the chance to maybe get in on some of the action.
I’ll try to post some pictures here in the next few days so you can get a look at where we’re headed. Maybe I can get a copy of the Zabel’s Newsletter as well…we’ll see.
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