2nd Sunday Preaching and Father's Day!

Raidel did another wonderful job preaching this past Sunday. He is doing a series with the book of Nehemiah. It has been very interesting and I've learned a lot. He continues to get positive feedback as well, from the church members. He will also be engaging with the youth we have in the church because there is currently nothing set up for them. That will begin in July on Friday nights. Please keep that in your thoughts and prayers.

This past Sunday was also Father's Day - So HAPPY FATHER'S DAY to all the wonderful dads that read this blog. The church had all the fathers stand up, and while Raidel was reluctant the congregation made sure that he did stand up to be acknowledged. I took some pictures of the celebration after the service.

Miami is still HOT! But we are enjoying it here. It's hard to believe it's the end of June already! Time flies. Raidel continues to say "for the following ten weeks" ...but his internship is now down to 8 weeks!

I'm doing well with the pregnancy. My belly is getting bigger and bigger everyday. She is moving around a lot too which is really fun. I am having a problem with itchy skin so if you could pray that goes away, I would appreciate it!

Hope everything is well from wherever you are reading this! Keep me updated on how your summer is going! We miss you all!

1st Sunday Preaching

Hello friends and family! This past Sunday was Raidel’s 1st sermon in the church. He taught from Nehemiah. He did a wonderful job and seemed completely in his element while preaching. I could not be more proud of him. I received multiple compliments on his behalf from members of the church after the service. He seemed so comfortable in front of the church it was hard to keep in mind that it was his first sermon there!

Everything else is going well. We are settling in and are finding a schedule that suits us. It’s our first time working with only one car, as well, but we have fallen into that nicely. Miami is still HOT, if anyone was wondering. We have a high humidity every day and it gets into the low nineties everyday…although it feels hotter. We are still trying to figure out how to get from place to place seeing as how Miami is HUGE! Where as in GR it takes about 15-20 minutes to get somewhere, here you have to plan what time of day you’re leaving and know that traffic will always get in your way. Most places we have had to go are at least 30 minutes away. We are blessed to have the church very close to where we live, however.

Thank you all for your prayers, support, and emails! We appreciate hearing how things are going back home!

Hit the ground running...

This week has been very busy for Raidel. After a church meeting on Monday night he has hit the ground running with home visits and preparing his sermon for Sunday. I am so proud of him for all the work he has put in so far…almost 9 more weeks of internship to go!

We have begun to settle in a little more and are learning how to get around our neighborhood…although trying to get around the rest of Miami is a learning experience (one that requires a GPS and a lot of patience with traffic). I think we both agree on the fact that we would rather be in Grand Rapids 5 o’clock traffic any day over the traffic here in Miami. Just to have an idea, if you go out at the wrong time it can take you close to 45 minutes to go a mile…15 minutes (or more) to make a left hand turn at a traffic light. Oh the joys of a big city!

Made it to Miami

Raidel and I made it safely to Miami! Our travels were good, and we actually thought they were quite relaxing without having the pressure of school or work on our shoulders. We made one stop in TN and then continued on the following day. We visited with Raidel’s family in Deltona for a couple days and then made the final 4 hour stretch to Miami. We have settled in well to our new accommodations. Yesterday, the church (El Buen Samaritano; The Good Samaritan) held a commissioning service and welcomed Raidel and I to the church with open arms. I know Raidel is excited to begin his work there and put into practice all he has learned at Calvin Seminary.