Please Let It Snow!

No, it's not snowing here. In fact, today I ran in a tank top. It's more like 70 degrees. But, hey, we can turn the heat on and put the sunroof back and windows down in December...That's not too shabby! Actually, it gets quite chilly here at night, but for the most part, it doesn't exactly feel like Christmas.

Rewind a week or so ago...
On Tuesday, 11/22, we had a meeting for the college/young adult ministry. We saw about 15 people, and were encouraged to have them. Most of the people had not been to the first meeting, so we got to meet a lot of new faces! We had an incredible prayer time together. We spent time casting vision, asking input, and encouraging the people to finish the year well and get excited to start up the new year. We are seeing some neat relationships develop in and through the ministry already, and we are so thankful for the growth that is going to come to everyone in the coming years.

THANKSGIVING was awesome! We spent it with a wonderful family, the Jurados who just bought a beautiful ranch in the San Clarita valley. With over 30 people around the table, football on the tv, and the pool table racked and ready to go, we had an excellent time. Their family made us feel so warm and welcomed, and we so appreciated having a loving family to go to since we couldn't be with our own loving families at home. We have so much to be thankful for. Our life is, as some may say, blissful.

We were selfishly glad to have the entire weekend off. No ministry to do, as most of the staff and volunteers had gone away for the holiday. I realized it was our first weekend since we've been here that we haven't done any volunteer work.

With extra time on our hands, we were able to rest and relax and do things that we've been wanting to do...For me, that meant going to the Fashion District with a friend. Think NYC's Chinatown times 10. It's huge, and one can buy Gucci handbags (real, of course, right?) and Prada shoes for only $15! Such a deal! ha ha. It was fun, though, to be there on Black Friday.

This is our last week of school work and classes. Brandon has an exam on Monday for his Greek class, and I have a final paper due next Friday, but besides that we are done! Woohoo! It looks like both of us will make good grades this semester, so maybe we'll be eligible for scholarships next year!

Our time in prayer has been extremely rich these last few days. Previously, we had committed to at least one hour of prayer every day. God has met with us during these times of prayer, and we have grown closer not only to Him but to each other as well. It's amazing how quickly He answers some prayers and how He takes His time on others. But overall, He is certainly faithful!

Well, that's about it for now! Thanks for taking the time to read this! We'd love to hear from our friends and family about what's happening in your lives as well!

Joyfully, N and B