We have had a busy but very fun week! We finished up our last planning meeting for campus for the fall so other than a team social next week, we are released to go to our summer assignments. And with summer project rapidly approaching, we are in full-on planning mode for that.
Last Tuesday, we had a city-wide campus staff appreciation time where we celebrated what God had done, recognized staff who had completed their core training program, and said our goodbyes to staff who were leaving/moving on to other things. This little stinker below cried and wouldn’t stay with the sitter, so instead, she feel asleep on her daddy. We don’t get many sweet moments like this anymore, so we definitely treasured it!
Many people have asked how we get around in Queens without a car. My answer: our strollers become our cars! Case in point…this picture was taken coming back from our mom’s group Bible study I attend every week. In it, Brynn is sitting in the front (we have another seat that goes on it too but took it off this day) and Blake and his friend are both riding on a rider board on the back. And even with all these kids on it, I could push it with one hand and it wasn’t a beast. This stroller is literally my workhorse!
Last year, we heard that Frozen on Broadway was opening up and tickets were going on sale ahead of time. We found out that purchasing almost a year in advance, we could get a time that would work for our family (a matinee as 8:00 pm shows don’t work so well for small kids!) and get the tickets at a decent price. Fast forward to this year, I realize that the tickets are smack dab in the middle of a weekday right during school. The girls were too excited to get out of school early and trek into Manhattan for our “surprise” (we didn’t tell them until we were on the way what we were doing) and then to even go out to eat with just mom and dad at a Japanese ramen restaurant. And boy, it was so nice being able to actually eat our food and talk without two extra kids demanding attention!
And for the BIG event of the week – Kinsley got baptized Saturday!! Last year, as I may have shared before, Kinsley started asking lots of questions about having a relationship with Jesus, about sin, about Jesus’ forgiveness, about heaven, etc. We kept answering her questions, but it wasn’t until she was reading a book with me about Jesus, it all clicked for her. At the end of the book, they discuss having a relationship with Jesus. They list two prayers – one pray that you can pray to God everyday and one prayer that you pray just once in your life to ask Jesus for forgiveness for your sins and to place your faith in Him. After reading through the prayers and asking more questions, she decided she wanted to make this decision for Christ.
Also, toward the end of last year, our church hosted a “We Believe” class where they invite children who are asking questions about Jesus or have made a decision for him recently to join them as they go through the Gospel message. Then, they give parents a list of questions to talk through with their kids and if their kid has made a decision for Jesus, they invite them to consider getting baptized. At first, Kinsley was super nervous about baptism, but after meeting with our children’s pastor and seeing a video of another girl getting baptized, she was super excited and decided she wanted to do it.
Our fabulous church goes all out for kid’s baptisms – they host it on a Saturday (not during church), have a refreshment table, provide a table for our family and friends so we can invite people to watch and join, tape a video of the kids telling about the decision they made, give the kids a great devotion book for children and other fun surprises, and make it a huge celebration! So, last Saturday, Kinsley got baptized!
Not only was it such a special event that she will remember all her life with such an acute fondness, but our other kids (and friend’s kids) got to see what happened and it has even led to conversations with them. I am so thankful for our team (Doran and Amy and their kids and Sarah and Erin and Marie (in spirit since she couldn’t make it)) for making it a priority to come and celebrate with us and for praying and encouraging Kinsley in her faith journey. We are so thankful to have a great team who is like family to us all! Here are a few photos and videos of her baptism.
I pray that she continues to grow in her newfound faith, that she walks with Jesus for a lifetime, and that she is a light for Christ wherever he takes her. I also pray that all our kids make this same decision to follow Jesus at some point and that God is glorified through our family! Thank you to so many of you who have played a significant role in this journey for her, from friends, family, former Sunday School teachers, etc.!