TL Kids

TL kids - That's what we call the staff children around here. Life is not always easy for them ... sometimes it feels like they have to share their parents 24/7 with the community and for those who live on campus it's not always easy, not having a quiet place to call your home. Doors slam during nap time, doorbells may ring during a family movie night, and anyone can knock on your door at any time to want to talk with your Dad, or your Mom. Visitors don't necessarily know it's a family birthday celebration or that you're wrestling with something you really need your parent's full attention.

On the other hand, there are some pretty neat things about growing up in community. Most days, you have a group of friends within walking distance (and that's a great opportunity at a young age to learn to communicate well and work out your differences).  And the staff and students are a blessing to the children! E.g. a few weeks ago we had a talent show evening. Ian made the comment to our friends and fellow staff members, Pete and Beth, on the ride to school, that he had no "talientos" and the only

thing he could do was memorize license plates (it's just something he does for fun). They all got excited and thought that was a wonderful idea! So Pete and Beth took the time to put together a slide show with photographs of all the license plates in the parking lot - Ian stood with his back to the slide show and Pete would ask him what "so-and-so's" license plate number was - he had almost all of them down perfectly!!  Reid and I were floored - and so blessed by Pete and Beth's creativity and encouragement for Ian (he does have many other "talientos" but in the teenage years it can be hard for kids to see them on their own).

We've had staff friends like Steph or Kim and others invite the girls over to paint their nails, make Christmas cards, or do an arts/crafts project (something I'm particularly thankful for as that's not so much my gifting! :)

Students are a blessing also - Julie-Joy and Jenna will come home excited to tell me that they "saw Julia and gave her a hug" - and during the school year they would get so excited when students like Lena and Sarah would stay with them and play a game for an hour while I ran into town for an errand.

Ian has been mowing the yard at Timberline and he gets to interact with Rob and the other maintenance staff as he learns about the practical side of running a ministry (skills for life!).

I have a sweet memory of our staff friend Christine sitting at the morning campfire at the sand dunes last year, sharing  and discussing with Jenna what the Lord had shown her in her
devotions that morning.

What a blessing for the kids to get to observe others walking with the Lord! It just reinforces what Reid and I are trying to show and teach them at home.


Prayer Requests:
- please pray for the TL kids (their names are Jeremiah, Kayla, Emily, Gretchen, Nathan, Elizabeth, David, Noelle, Claire, Keelan, Niah, Judah, William (still to be born), Elle-Jay (and a sibling still to be born), as well as our four kids) - most of all that each one of them would have a personal relationship with Jesus

- Wooddale, the largest group of the year, arrives this Sunday and stays for 2 weeks - please pray for our staff and our volunteers as they prepare for the guest group season that starts this weekend