Catching Up: Part 3

Homemade Donuts

Even after hearing about Brett Norman's passing, the Sunday (Nov. 9th) continued on as normal, even if we weren't feeling so normal at that point. We went to church and then headed over to Wilbur and Vernelle Unrau's house for Sunday dinner to celebrate Serena's 18th birthday a little early. Even in the midst of the sadness, it was a very
special time, a joyful time to celebrate Serena's life.




Outside the Unrau's windows was snow! We got the first official snowfall of the season. (Official in that it was sticking on the ground. smile.) It was a family tradition for me (danae) growing up to make donuts as a family for the first snowfall of the year that stuck on the ground, so on Thursday, I made some dough, and Etien, Joyce, and Serena helped me cut them out with cups and a Snapple bottle. ;) We fried them up and frosted 'em over. They turned out yummy!

Serena, Joyce, and Etien
Cutting Out Some Donuts.

Lustre Snow in November!

The day before the donut day, Linette came over with bunches of things for Operation Christmas Child. The kids helped her organize the things into boxes that will be sent out to share Jesus' love to several kids around the world. What a great accomplishment, and it definitely looks like they had fun doing it, doesn't it?

Mawin and Silas being dorks. :)
Photo Credits: Linette Uchtman

The crew and their beautiful boxes!
Photo Credits: Linette Uchtman

On Friday, the whole dorm went to Ron Reddig's benefit dinner and auction in Glasgow. It was such a great time! So many came that we knew, and Ron Reddig had coached several of the guys in basketball so being there had special meaning for them. Miraculously, the dinner raised $111,665! This community is so generous. GOD is so generous. And faithful. And good. It was awesome to be a part of seeing that miracle.

That Saturday, Ibrahim and I, along with several of our kids, went back to Glasgow to Brett's funeral. It was so well done but so hard too. So much pain for those left behind. We can't forget to keep praying for that family and those close to Brett.

Thursday was a big day for the dorm! Basketball practice began. People have been waiting for that all year! :)

It was also time for Maya and Chen to give their senior chapels. They ROCKED it! Maya talked about true beauty, bravely sharing the story of her own personal search for beauty and her realization that we are all beautiful in God's eyes and in the eyes of those who love us. Beauty isn't perfection. It's being comfortable with ourselves and being loved.

Chen talked about friendship and the importance of having good friends. He also talked about the importance of trust and reliability in a friendship, that God is the truest friend who will never leave us or fail us.

I was so proud of them!

And last but certainly not least, it was SERENA'S BIRTHDAY!!!!!!! :) It was so special to celebrate her. :) Her room was decorated with balloons, and there were cupcakes at school for her. Several of her basketball friends joined us for dinner, and she blew out 18 candles on top of her favorite type of cake made by the one and only Jean Toews: Angel Food Ice Cream Cake. Mmm!

Serena's 18th Birthday Cake :)
Photo Credits: Ibrahim

For devotions, we played games, but first I shared a verse for this special lady.

“Can a woman forget her nursing child,

    that she should have no compassion on the son of her womb?

Even these may forget,

    yet I will not forget you.

16 

Behold, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands;

    your walls are continually before me."

Isaiah 49:15-16

Serena, happy birthday to you, sweet girl. I am so grateful for your life. You are energy, joy, laughter, and loyalty. You are on God's mind, and I picture God's hand covered in Indian henna . . . your name as part of His henna design. Your name always before Him. Your heart always held in His hands. Be strong in the next year. Stay close to Him. My prayer is that You always stay close, that You reject the American dream in order to experience His wide and difficult and worth-it dream for your life. I love you, sweet girl. I am so glad for your birthday. Many more, Serena!

Whew! Thanks for taking blog overload this week. I think I'm all caught up for awhile. ;) 

Catching Up: Part 2

Random Katie Fact: She LOVES brushing her teeth!
And this just happened to be a tooth brush party.
From L to R: Serena, Katie, Dimon

On Thursday, November 6th, Ron and Jerri Reddig invited the dorm over for a massive bonfire and a delicious hotdog dinner. The burn pile was MASSIVE! I have never seen anything like it! Even though the air was pretty chilly, the fire kept us plenty warm and comfortable. It was a fun evening.

That next Friday was pretty chill after the kids got back from school. Some went and played soccer in the gym. Several watched a movie afterwards. Others just hung out. I didn't sabotage the team by participating in the soccer game, but I did watch with joy. I loved watching them move and score. Their personalities showed in many ways on that gym floor. I am so grateful for these kids. I am so grateful for this quick-moving season. Someday, I won't be able to watch these same kids play soccer with their wild and vibrant personalities. Someday, we'll all be scattered again across this globe. It was a good reminder to treasure these moments.

On Saturday, several of our guys and a few girls went to the Jamboree game at the high school to watch the Lustre kids play basketball. Saturday was our last warm day; the sunshine was beautiful.

Katie painting Aleyna's nails. 

That evening, several of the kids wanted to go to town, so thanks to a kind donation by the Lewis family, we enjoyed Chinese food, and then the kids went bowling. It was a fun evening. 

Life change very quickly though. Sunday didn't begin well. We learned that a 17-year-old in the community, Brett Norman, passed away in a tragic automobile accident. While driving a stock trailer with his little brother, he missed his turn and rolled his vehicle upside down into an irrigation ditch. He sacrificially was able to get his little brother's seatbelt unbuckled and pushed him out, saving him, while he was unable to unbuckle his own belt in time. One of our girls knew him very, very well. Several of the other kids had heard of him. It was and still is very devastating news. 

These things don't make sense.

Simple answers never seem to make the pain go away.

Pastor Frank reminded us in church that suffering is to be expected. (He is so right. I need that perspective.)

It never ever feels normal though. Ever. Our souls know we were made for more than this.

The only one thing that allowed hope to seep into the pain of this tragedy is that Brett knew Jesus Christ, and He had committed to following Him in a personal relationship, to trusting Him as His Lord and Savior, and we know that He is in Heaven, being fully loved and known by God Himself.

We're hurting, but Brett is better than he has ever been. Reminds me of this song.

Because Brett sinned in his life (like we all do), his relationship with God was ruined. God is perfect, and He isn't able to stand any sin. God REFUSED to let hell be the only option for all of us humans that He loves, so He sent His one and only Son, Jesus Christ, to take the punishment we deserve, the punishment needed to satisfy God's anger.

And Jesus said, "Yes."

He came here and died a horrible death (physically, emotionally, spiritually . . . holistically) that we deserved so Brett didn't have to . . . so you don't have to experience that separation from God. We all have to die, but death isn't a curse anymore. It's not the end like it is without Jesus. It doesn't mean that we're taken away from God's presence. It means we're invited INTO God's presence if we have accepted Jesus as our substitute, as our Savior. It means death is just the door into Heaven.

Have you made that decision?

This hope doesn't take away all of our pain. I'm comforted to know that Jesus is crying with us, that every tear we have cried moves Him. Even though He sees the big picture, He sees that we wouldn't want anything less for Brett if we could understand, He also allows Himself to be affected by our pain, by our confusion, by the questions. He is gentle. He is good.

More to come soon.

Catching Up: Part 1

This week may require a three-part series on all the dorm life that has been happening around here lately. It sure seems like it's been a lot. I am so sorry I didn't pull out my camera more often for more pictures. Sometimes, it's sweeter to live life through my own eyes instead of peering through the eyes of an artificial lens. I write to remember. This is such a unique, special season.

On November 2nd, the whole dorm was invited over to Meredith and Dan Reddig's house for Sunday dinner. It was so generous of them, and it does us so much good to be out of the dorm. Thank you, Dan and Meredith, for loving on us and making us feel a part of this community!

Meredith and Joyce make delicious caramel corn for us all.

Chen playing pool in Dan's
special room downstairs.

Ibrahim enjoying one of his favorite pastimes,
watching Sunday football, at the Reddig's. :)

Alek and Dimon playing an intense game in Dan's western-styled room.

Monday, November 3rd was Silas' 19th birthday! What a gift to be able to celebrate him! I am so grateful for his life and presence at the dorm. He adds so much! The morning started out fantastic as Jerry and Susan Fast (along with their kids, Megan, Nathan, and Lauren) surprised Silas by coming to the dorm and making one of his favorite breakfasts for everyone. Wow! We were all spoiled!!!! Waffles with white sauce, eggs, muffins, ETC. Silas was surprised and appreciative. (I was so appreciative too! Such a gift to not have to worry about Monday morning breakfast . . . though I may never be able to trump that breakfast in these kids' minds ever!!!! ;)

Mawin and Silas
Silas may not have been so appreciative of me taking a picture
here. Whoops. ;)

Dimon, Serena, and Joyce used their crazy creative skills to decorate cupcakes for Silas. We surprised him after lunch with them. The girls managed to decorate the cupcakes with basketball symbols, Chinese symbols, etc. They are artists!

Dimon, Joyce, and Serena with Silas' homemade cupcakes.

Later that day, Randy and Becca Reddig, plus their two sweet kids (Cam and Harlow) surprised Silas by joining him for dinner at the school where Jean Toews made the meal he had picked out as his birthday meal. It was DELICIOUS. And Silas was so surprised to see the Reddig's!

We played some games in devotions that night to enjoy each other and enjoy Silas. Before the games though, I gave Silas these verses that had popped in my head for him.

"But now thus says the Lord,

he who created you, O Jacob,

    he who formed you, O Israel:

“Fear not, for I have redeemed you;

    I have called you by name, you are mine.

2 

When you pass through the waters, I will be with you;

    and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you;

when you walk through fire you shall not be burned,

    and the flame shall not consume you.

3 

For I am the Lord your God,

    the Holy One of Israel, your Savior."

Isaiah 43:1-3a. 

Silas? My prayer for you is that you hold true to Him who called you. He is your Savior, and His love for you is vast and overwhelming. You are a leader, a brother, a friend. Continue to live into all you were created to be. I am so grateful for your part in this dorm. I am so grateful God created you the way He did. You are so loved.

More to come about these past few weeks.

And the party continues

The guys had the opportunity to slingshot paintball thanks to Jerry Fast who came through with his promise. I thought they were excited for the chance to hit me with paintball but I was equally excited for the opportunity. Jacques wore a winter jacket for protection which I thought he was overreacting but I soon understood why he dressed up the way he did. Nevin the strategic one hung out on the roof looking for preys to devour which he successfully did. Alek got hit the most and I was shooting at anything that moved behind and in front of me. None of us sustained a major injury which is a praise, and after that we enjoyed a delicious meal at Jerry’s home.

Nevin on the roof

The last time I cheered so hard was when my beloved Seahawks whooped the Denver Broncos in the last super bowl. The dorm guys and I cheered and screamed at every good play and points the Lady Lions scored during their Volleyball tournament in Saco. Even though we were disappointed after the game not to get a win because the girls really played well, we had some good plays we reminisced as we left Saco.

Lady Lions in Saco

Lustre cheerleaders 
Jacques, Silas and Chen

After an exciting game of volleyball, I took the students bowling. I actually forgot it was Halloween and some of kids were upset at me for not taking them to track-n-treat in Glasgow; I had to make it up to them by going bowling. I had a blast watching the kids compete against each other. Nevin won the first game by 114 points and he rubbed it in our faces and told us how good he was. I couldn't take it and neither did the other guys so we stepped up our A game. 

I won the next game by 117 point and I rubbed it in their faces as well. As the new king they all went after my record but I had to stay on my toes to make sure that didn't happen. I got a 118 points in the final game to maintain my bowling superiority and then we called it a night.

We compete hard; make fun of each other; goof around a lot; laugh together; discipline when it is required, tease each other; give each other a hard time, but at the end of the day, we are a family.

Danae and I cherish every opportunity to love, admonish and enjoy spending quality time with our dorm kids and what a privilege it has being. We can honestly say that some days don't go the way we want them to be but God gives us the strength to look forward to better days which we have had plenty of.

Things to pray for us are: to love each other as a family; to be united with Christ; to deny ourselves and take up our cross daily, and most importantly to rejoice in the gospel. Our prayers and condolences also goes to the Toavs family for their lost. 

I Peter 1:8-9 says, "Though you have not seen him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls." My prayers for you is that you will rejoice in Jesus and be reminded that His grace is sufficient for you EVERYDAY!!!!!!!!!!